Belfast day 2

On Monday we walked to the Titanic Quarter and got in early to the exhibition but even then with staggered admissions it was full. The star shaped building sits on the former site of the Star Line dry dock and construction precinct. One of the buildings which was the workshop for the interior and furniture manufacturing is now the Titanic hotel! The exhibition starts with displays and information about the social and political history prior to the construction and dealt in detail with the lives of the families who were involved in the project. Excellent photos and films. This led on to the actual ship building with engineering plans and specifications, highlighting all the trades involved. There were lots more photos, verbal accounts, and re-enactments of the massive construction. At one part we were taken on a fair ground type gondola ride through the reconstruction of the gantries showing the welders in tight compartments working on the rivets and operating the furnaces.  It was truly amazing! The story continues to the launch and the ill-fated voyage to the actual disaster. The many errors, such as the absence of binoculars (the previous watch had taken them!) showed a re-enactment of the crew peering through the darkness to spot the ice berg ahead! The final part dealt with the many efforts to locate the wreck and then film of the find viewed from a height as if looking through water. We were in awe of  whole experience which used the latest audio visual technology to present the story.  Andrew was a bit dubious about visiting the exhibition but came away very satisfied with the whole experience,
The exhibition building shaped like a star.
Inside the building overlooking the Port.
The 'quarter' also has the Nomadic,  the last Star Line vessel and the Caroline which was the only surviving ship from the battle of Jutland.

Nomadic in graving (dry) dock!

HMS Caroline.
We continued our walk to the Distillery to learn that it was formerly the pump house for the dry dock where the Titanic was assembled and finished.  A very helpful worker at the distillery let us through and told us the history of the place and its function in the process of draining the dock. The dry dock was enormous - 260 metres,

The pump house at the dry dock.

The dry dock with a model of a person to put the size into perspective. 
We walked  back to our flat still amazed at such an exhilarating experience, not just the detailed history but the presentation. 


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