Titanic Museum and Cabra Castle

Today we drove to Belfast and went to the Titanic Museum, on the site where the Titanic was actually built. It is a weird modern building with things like the prows of ships sticking out in several directions. Inside we took a ride that sort of showed us what it would have been like to help build the Titanic (LOUD!!!) and watched actual video footage of the underwater wreckage being explored. Travalon is a HUGE Titanic fan, so he went a little nuts in the gift shop buying stuff for himself, me, and friends.

For lunch our tour guide dropped us off in downtown Belfast, but most places were closed on a Sunday, so Travalon and I ended up eating lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I was jonesin' for pizza, but at least Chinese food is a break from meat, salmon, and potatoes. With some meals they would actually give us more than one type of potato, like fried and mashed. And potatoes with pasta! The insanity never ends. And the only vegetables they seem to eat are carrots and turnips, so the Chinese veggie mix was most welcome.

On our way to Cabra Castle, we were delayed by a Eucharistic procession that included a brass band, little girls in white First Communion dresses, and a young African priest. It was raining, but that didn't dampen their spirits. All the houses and shopfronts had little Marian shrines set up, so it must have had something to do with May being the month of Mary. We could hear them praying the rosary, and the little girls waved enthusiastically at us. They were headed for a church up on a hill. We were going so slowly behind them that one of our group got off and used the facilities at a hotel along the route and then caught up to us, no problem.

I do not know why this castle is named Cabra, which is Spanish for "goat" but who knows if it means anything in Gaelic? Travalon and I couldn't believe it when we saw our room: stone walls, a canopy over the bed, a claw-footed bathtub (and a blessedly modern shower), and antique furniture. I didn't think they would have internet access at a castle, but in fact they do have a computer here - three euros for a half hour, but that's better than nothing. This place is so romantic, it's the ultimate honeymoon destination!

Famous Hat