The end of our travels: Bury and Belfast

Amidst our adventures in London we took a couple days to head northeast to the city of Bury St Edmunds. Garnet's and my "Cornell" ancestors originated from this area, and the original homestead is still occupied and in use for farming crops. It was an excellent opportunity for Garnet and I to meet more relatives, learn about our genealogy and take some time to relax at the end of trip.

Despite the rain, we walked around Bury St Edmunds to discover its intriguing mixture of modern businesses and historical significance. We started our tour at the newly built retail area called the Arc, and headed through the main town square where a country market is held each Wednesday. Unfortunately our visit coincided with the 2nd of January so there were not many vendors participating in the market.

We followed the streets through to the city's Cathedral, which is located on the grounds of the former Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. This Abbey was once the fourth largest Benedictine Abbey in all of Europe, and among the most powerful in England, but now all that remains of the original structure are ruins on display for the public. Built in the 11th century, the Abbey was inhabited by both monks and nobility during its lifetime of almost 500 years. The site is quite interesting because of its mix of ruin and restoration. Besides the Cathedral, two Abbey gates have been restored as well as the nearby St Mary's Church.

 The Abbey Gate which enters into the gardens.

 Looking through the Abbey ruins towards the Cathedral. The church tower you can see was not originally a component of the Cathedral. It was added around 2000.

Inside the Cathedral. I love the wood embellishments seen in English architecture.

Interestingly, the small St Mary's Church holds the grave of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and sister to Henry the VIII. I would like to tell you Mary's story because it speaks to, shall we say, the frivolousness of history's nobility. Mary at the young age of 18 was sent by her brother Henry to marry the ailing 52 year old King of France. The King only survived four months after the marriage, and Mary was returned home to England with the escort of Charles Brandon. Mary fell in love with Brandon and persuaded him to marry her, much to the anger of Henry who made her pay all her French inheritance as punishment for the union. Mary was married for 18 years before her death, but neither her brother nor husband attended her funeral. Henry was off frolicking with Anne Boleyn, and Brandon was already seeking his new wife - a fourteen year old Countess who was initially betrothed to his son. Poor Mary Tudor!

With our time in Britain all wrapped up, Garnet and I had to head our separate ways. He boarded a nine hour flight back to Canada while I popped over to Belfast in Northern Ireland for the weekend to meet even more distant relatives.

The twentieth century for Belfast was marked by political difficulties and severe conflict between Nationalist and Unionist sectors. Despite ongoing political tensions, the city has managed to make substantial improvements in relations since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Murals which once depicted military violence now promote the cultural distinctiveness of the two groups, and have become a popular tourist attraction. Belfast seems to be promoting itself as a center of arts and culture. During my visit we attending a concert of Irish songwriter Kieran Goss, as well as art exhibits in the Metropolitan Arts Center. From my studies I know that there are also some very interesting community music projects occurring in the city.

However, the thirty foot tall "Peace Line" still runs through much of the city and many flags are flown in windows and along streets. My visit marked the sixth week in which Protestant demonstrators were protesting City Hall's decision to fly the Union Jack flag only on designated days. On one evening drive we had to take a detour because armoured Police vehicles had blocked off a street.

The highlight of my time in Belfast was seeing the new Titanic center located at the city's shipyard where the infamous ocean-liner was once built. The center opened last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sinking, and reportedly cost 19 million to construct. It's jagged, silvery exterior makes an impressive statement!

The interactive exhibit educates visitors on Belfast's linen and tobacco industries at the turn of the 20th century and its prominence as a sea port. There is also a large section devoted to the complicated process of ship-building, which includes a short (and rather slow) amusement ride. Did you know there were over three million rivets hammered by hand into the hull of the Titanic?? The center has some really neat use of technology including an 180 degree tour of Titanic's interior and virtual exploration of the wreckage via touch-screen computers. Although there are no recovered artefacts on display in the exhibit, there are replica models of class cabins and even costumes and props used in the 1997 James Cameron film.

One of my favourite parts of the center was the above black and white video of the ship being launched. As the boat sinks into the sea, the apparently white wall behind begins to fade into windows so that you look out towards the actual launching point of the Titanic. In the photo above, the walls are in transition so if you look carefully you can see the sea behind.

In this photo I am looking towards my feet as an eerie green image of the Titanic wreckage moves underneath.

Out the back of the Titanic Center you find an area dedicated to the outlines of massive ships. The tall poles mark the height of Titanic's walls and the neon blue lights outline its length and width.

I said farewell to my new family friends in Belfast and took the not-so-appealing six hour bus trip back to my wee Limerick residence room. I'll admit I was glad to have a couple days rest in Limerick, but it was not long before I was longing to be back in the midst of traveling through new exciting places. It was wonderful to form connections with relatives, visit old friends, and experience new cultures. I had the most fabulous time over these four weeks, and could not have wished for a better person than Garnet to share it with!

All there is left to do is plan the next adventure!

Shannon