Rainy and Damp and Growing like Crazy

Belfast is rainy and damp but still warms my heart. Our guide Ken is a playwright who has several plays that have been produced here. While we toured Belfast he recited poems by William Butler Yeats in his rich Irish baritone. Very moving, the poem was about a man who catches a trout and it becomes a lovely woman whom he spends the rest of his life trying to find.

Our travels today took us to the Belfast harbor where the Titanic was built; we saw the many restorations taking place. A huge museum and visitor’s center will be erected where this ship will be featured, as well as many waterfront condos, high tech offices, museums and shops. The city is giddy with building, the cranes in the skyline tell the story. But the biggest cranes are at the former shipyard, though no longer used for ships, they will be preserved since they represent the glory days.

The city and Ulster in general has moved so far from the days of the Troubles, there are no longer any army patrols on these streets. Now it’s time to build and develop, today we toured a new five-star hotel being created from an ornate 19th century bank. People here are excited about all of this prosperity, and it is a pleasure to watch it all unfold.