The Cat Garden

The weather has finally cleared up!! Today I visited Belfast Castle with the intention to visit the quirky cat garden which is very beautiful with spectacular views of Belfast lough. Please note, you cannot take dogs into the garden, so Lola had to watch from afar, however, you can take your dog everywhere else around the castle grounds which has lovely walks along the cave hill.

Because we had Lola with us we couldn't venture inside the castle, which was very busy with a function anyway, but I'll return for lunch and to visit the Cave Hill visitor centre which houses an authentic replica of a 1920s bedroom and other interesting information about Cave Hill and all that inhabited it from the stone age until the present day, also there is an antique shop in the basement.

Lola's waiting for a five gun salute

Underneath the stairs

 If you're wondering how to get to Belfast Castle (a mystery to me for such a long time) take the road for the Zoo and it's the next few entrances up, just keep driving toward the lovely Edwardian townhouses and then you'll see the signpost. Prepare to be dazzled as you drive up the long and winding driveway toward the castle.

The castle isn't exactly a castle but a massive country manor built two centuries ago. To find out more click here

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Return to Cavehill: the disaster

I returned to Cavehill today, this time with my brother in tow because he's been banging on about visiting Napoleon's Nose, however, I wanted to visit the castle, and he agreed. So off we went to the country park where we parked the car. Last week when I climbed to the top of Cavehill I noticed Belfast Castle down below (remember the photo?) so I assumed it was a short walk via the lower path. Four miles later and we reached the end of the path, having walked past farmland, imposing livestock, a field full of horses and a short woodland, it brought us out to a nice housing area...right beside the motorway! Not one to be discouraged I asked a nice lady who was walking her dog for directions to the castle, she pointed me in the right direction and off I went up another hill which brought me to another woodland.

I forgot to mention that my brother had been quite grumpy and stormed on, which is so unlike him as he's usually so keen to get out. Anyhow, Mark decided to experiment with a shortcut and like a fool I followed him, only to discover that it was indeed a mudslide, so I slipped the entire way down, holding little Lola in my arms and trying in vain to keep my balance. I fell down, my new gloves fell into the mud and my shoes were a mess. Onward and upward.

We walked up a long driveway leading to the castle and out of no where it appeared, a miniscule version of a German castle. I was very excited, Mark was less enthusiastic. As we approached the beautiful garden the sky opened and hail stones pelted down on us. I kept edging closer, saying, "Oh isn't this lovely!" and other sentiments but Mark had turned on his heels and was heading back.

Approaching

I suggested that we stand under a tree but he declined. He thought he knew the way back, even though I told him we had to walk toward the hill and then to the left, but he charged on and we walked for a mile in a circle which brought us back to the housing area. He marched on this time, very crossly, along the stony path. At this point I didn't care if I was able to keep up, my makeup was running down my face and I kept envisioning we were getting closer and closer. We passed the familiar woodland, the livestock, I stopped, convinced I was having a heart attack, a large cow stared at me, I am so afraid of cows etc but I didn't care, I just thought if it should charge at me I won't be able to run. It continued to eat its grass.

Grey skies were closing in

Mark kept snapping at me like a terrier, incidentally my terrier was beautifully behaved. He then stopped halfway and began to pelt me with stones, I was literally lynched on the side of Cavehill, it almost felt Biblical. And then he raced ahead.

Four miles later we made it to the car...all uphill and battling the elements. My lungs are still sore.

I am going to return to Belfast Castle, and next time I will drive. I am anxious to visit the Cat Garden and the antique shop inside the castle. The caste itself is now a hotel and I believe they serve a very good lunch at a reasonable price.

Cavehill

A friendly horse

 My original plans were the visit the Mourne Mountains and Tollymore Forest in Newcaste, Co. Down, however I woke up to grey skies and decided to venture closer to home. My dad drove us to Cave Hill, which is a large Basaltic hill overlooking Belfast. In hindsight I can see why I probably wanted to go there, it was on Easter Tuesday, 1941 that the luftwaffe bombed Belfast and those who lived in the city sough refuse on Cavehill.

My great granny was one of those people, she often told me that she slept on the hill that night. As you can see from my photographs, the city looks miniscule below. Can you imagine sitting up there on that night with the entire city ablaze with bombs? 

My great granny

Belfast was ill prepared for the Blitz, the British government informed Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland until his death in 1940, that N.I. would pose as no threat to the German army. Well, we all know what happened next.  Because little to no preparations were enforced in the city, when the bombing did happen it was a catastrophe, it is mind boggling to think there were no major provisions in place should an air raid happen.

On Easter Monday some people suspected that a Luftwaffe plane was circling high above the city, and those who felt it would be a threat decided to make plans to leave for the countryside. Of course, there were those who dismissed the fact that the Luftwaffe were sussing out Belfast. I am not entirely sure what my great grandmother felt about this, I only recall her telling me that on Easter Tuesday she slept on Cavehill. I asked her sister, my great great aunt Clara, and she told me that after the bombings they relocated to their uncle's house in the countryside. So it is plausible that my great granny was caught up in the chaos.

A small stream divided by a pathway

 We approached Cavehill from the country roads into Belfast, so really we started halfway up and reached the top which is known as Napoleon's Nose, it is 1200 ft above sea level. The pathway leading upward is very similar to the Moors, we even noticed some horses in various fields. The views are specacular, it was quite overcast today so we didn't see its full potential, but in the distance you can see the Mourne Mountains, and then of course, the drop is of the city.  On a clear day you can see Scotland and the Isle of Man.

The Mourne Mountains in the distance

Don't fall off the edge!

Harland & Wolf, where the Titanic was built

There are various different pathways which you can take. We decided to just keep walking upward to Napoleon's nose, which meant I missed the pathway for Belfast Castle.  You can also approach Cavehill from the Zoo.

View of the Irish Sea

Me & my dad

There's no health & safety!

Sadly it started to rain, but next time I am going to take the pathway for the Castle. Now that I know how to reach Cavehill I plan to return, I bet there's so much to explore! My next goal is to get some proper hiking shoes...very reluctantly...

Belfast Castle

The boat coming from Scotland