It is easy for us to fly to Ireland and back in a day. The flight took 35 minutes!
I have been keen to see HMS Caroline since it opened after a 15 million pound restoration last year.
The Battle of Jutland 1916 is still regarded as one of the greatest in British naval history. HMS Caroline is a decommissioned cruiser which was on active service in World War 1. It was unsuitable for service in World War 2 but was used for administrative purposes.
During Belfast's recent transformation as a tourist destination, HMS Caroline has been transformed into a floating museum in the Alexandra Dock, in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast.
It opened to the public for the centenary of the Battle of Jutland 2016 but closed again for further restoration and is now fully open to the pubic. It is a real bargain at only £7.50 for me to visit and took about an hour and half to view properly.
HMS Caroline is the last surviving warship of the Battle of Jutland.
You can see why I was keen to visit.
Comments
The toilets were in a long line opposite the wash basins . The captain had his own of course.
Yes the hammocks swung wildly but there wouldn't have been much sleep during the battle of Jutland I suppose. It was a dreadful battle.
The pot jars on the tables were probably for bread
Veronica, Thank you for taking us through the HMS Caroline. Amen: "Rest in peace to the men of both sides."
Did the crew not have a lavatory? Did the hammocks of the crew stay in place or swing wildly with waves and wind? The sailors' table doesn't look quite so grim as I picture in my worst imaginings. What is in the two containers on the sailors' table: condiments or drink?
I can't wait to visit it.
Protecting the few trees that could not be moved was a very skilled task indeed for both the gardeners and the builders.
Thank you for that ; much appreciated. When I visited the place last February 2017, The Ravine was closed off obviously having major work so we went to the Ulster Museum and the Victorian green house.
I shall definitely be visiting The Ravine when I return to Belfast this year. I want to visit that and the Crumlin Road gaol.
Just to inform you, the Belfast Botanic Garden is re-opening its famous Ravine in Spring. This is a late nineteenth century fern house with sunken beds for ferns. It is divided into temperate and tropical zones, and it also displays palms and cycads, which are a relict kind of tree superficially similar to palms. There is,moreover, a waterfall and a grotto.
The project to rejuvenate the Ravine has taken a few years, during which the plants were dug up and temporarily rehoused to allow the ageing Victorian structure to be refurbished.
It sounds as if it would be well worth a visit.
It is my favourite city after Rome
I see Belfast as a triumph over adversity. What these people have overcome ! Belfast is a thriving city full of excellent attractions, beautiful hotels, lovely churches, shops restaurants and lovely people.
Don't be put off by Belfast's past. Its present and future are what matters.
You certainly love your trips to Belfast!
Is it not the case that we have moved on. Years ago Belfast would have been a no-no. [I went in 1970.] Now? What a city! A thriving metropolis.
John 111 TY.
I had wanted to see HMS Caroline for about 18 months but things always got in the way so I was absolutely delighted to see it . I was not disappointed. It was a marvellous trip.
Belfast is well worth a visit. I went 3 times last year. There is so much to do.
You are right about Jutland being a bad one. IT was a dreadful battle for casualties and fatalities.