Any Porsche owner from Belfast, Ireland

[ChrisP911]

Any Porsche owners from Belfast, Ireland here, My wife and I are planning a trip soon.

[Jims5543]

I am not a Porsche owner in Belfast but I have questions.

Are you spending all your time in Belfast? Wandering around? Any plans?

[ChrisP911]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

I am not a Porsche owner in Belfast but I have questions.

Are you spending all your time in Belfast? Wandering around? Any plans?

Yes we are only spending 6 days...... my great grandfather came from Belfast in 1879

[Jims5543]

WE spent 6 days last spring wandering from Belfast to Londonderry (Derry) we purposefully picked the North of Ireland to tour and loved it.

First trip there?

If so, it is true, the Guinness is way better there. Also do not take ice in your Whiskey, it is an American thing, a good bar will have a pitcher of cool water, cut your Whiskey maybe by 1/3rd with water and it opens up the flavor.

There are no Irish Car Bomb drinks and no Black and Tans, both are insulting.

Make sure you get a glimpse of the peace wall and the Titanic Museum is really well done.

It is a beautiful county we cannot wait to get back. If you have time try to hit up some of the Causeway Coastal Route the sights are amazing.

We loosely followed this route, we had no idea where we were sleeping on any given night we just drove and took in sights until evening then found lodging for the night. Stayed in some cool little towns and ate in some really great pubs.
https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/articles/tripideas/causeway-coastal-route/


One tip as well, all stores close at 5-6 PM and only restaurants, pubs and bars will be open. Grocery stores etc all close early. This surprised us so make sure you have things you need early int he day.

[tcar]

...and when you're there, don't call it Belfast, Ireland.

It's 'Belfast Northern Ireland'... a different country.... not Ireland.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by tcar

...and when you're there, don't call it Belfast, Ireland.

It's 'Belfast Northern Ireland'... a different country.... not Ireland.

Actually, say Northern Ireland and it might piss off some as well.

It is The North of Ireland.

I was warned by some Irish Friends not to call it Northern. When I was there I saw this.

[ChrisP911]

Jims5543 sounds like you guys had a great time, I just cant wait. I remember my father told me his Grandfather would just call it Belfast. We will be Traveling all through Ulster.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by ChrisP911

Jims5543 sounds like you guys had a great time, I just cant wait. I remember my father told me his Grandfather would just call it Belfast. We will be Traveling all through Ulster.

If you like Whiskey make sure you head to Bushmills which is not very far from the Giants Causeway where Led Zeppelin shot the House of the Holy album cover.

Take a tour of the distillery, there are samples at the end, then you have an opportunity to buy their 12 y/o bottles which are only for sale there at the gift shop / tasting room. You cannot get a 12 y/o bottle anywhere else in the world except there.

Makes for a cool gift.


Also, my favorite City in the North outside Belfast was Londonderry, I want to go back and spend a few days there. It is the only city in all of Europe that still has its walls around it completely in tact. The walls were built in the early 1600's.




I did a LOT of reading before I went and while you will see evidence of the troubles in Belfast, it is really in your face in Derry. I felt it was the most raw and genuine city I had been in. Dublin is disneyland for American drunks, I did not see a Leprechaun my entire visit until I wound up in Dublin the night before I flew back out.

Everyone I met was really nice, we had some really great conversations with some locals, one waitress in Dublin gave us a list of places the locals frequent so we could get away from the tourist traps which we hate.

I also met a really cool guy at the Mussenden Temple he grew up in the area, he was ex IRA. We sat with him at a picnic table for about an hour while he told us story after story.

He also told us to take the Bishops Pass into Derry and wander away from the coast, it was a 1 lane road with 2 way traffic (lots of cooperation) up and over a "mountain" that was very scenic.


Also, we went in June it stays light out there until almost midnight then is only dark until about 2-3 am then is light again.

Bring some nicer clothing to change into for dinner, you can get away with Tshirt and jeans in most places nicer places it appeared button up shirt and slacks were the norm.

One last thing, Many hotels do not have AC and it gets damp there so keep that in mind as well.

I can go on and on, I loved my time there, I am excited for you, if you have any questions please ask, not sure where you are flying into and I am sure you already know the local currency is Sterling Pounds while the Republic is on Euro's

[ChrisP911]

Thanks for the tips guys, we wont be going until the late summer... I definitely have to try the distillery, I would love to see the motorcycle race I hope they have it when I am there. I might not even come back lol well maybe for my cars I will and bring them back lol

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

Also do not take ice in your Whiskey, it is an American thing, a good bar will have a pitcher of cool water, cut your Whiskey maybe by 1/3rd with water and it opens up the flavor.

[Whiskey Snob]
You shouldn't take ice in your Whiskey no matter where you are.
Many Whiskeys do respond well when cut with water (depending on ABV), but 1/3 is a bit much, IMO.
More like a few drops to a healthy splash maybe (again, depending on ABV).
Too much water can often bring out an overpowering barrel char/creosote taste (and ruin your dram).
And it should be room-temperature water. [/Whiskey Snob]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

There are no Irish Car Bomb drinks and no Black and Tans, both are insulting.

Very true. If you are dumb enough to order an ICB at any pub in Ireland, you deserve what you get.
If you must order a B&T type pint for some reason, just ask for a "half-and-half" which is Guinness & Harp or a "special" which is Guinness & Smithwick's (pronounced "Smiddicks").
To look like less of a tourist on the Whiskey front, try ordering a Powers, Redbreast, or Knappogue ("Nah-Pogue") instead of a Jameson or Bushmills.

Originally Posted by Jims5543

One tip as well, all stores close at 5-6 PM and only restaurants, pubs and bars will be open. Grocery stores etc all close early. This surprised us so make sure you have things you need early int he day.

Unless you are way out in the country, there should be something whithin reach that is open late (Tesco, Supervalu, Lidl, etc.).
There are even a couple chain shops that are open 24hrs (Mace, EuroSpar, etc.).

[motion]

I drove the isle a year and a half ago. Let me know if any specific questions. My favorite areas were the fjords on the western shore. You will love it... such a beautiful country!

[speeder]

I was in Northern Ireland last summer, did not see any Porsches that I remember but it is a little more affluent up there than in the rest of Ireland. Not sure why anyone would care about Porsche owners, maybe thinking someone from this board?

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

[Whiskey Snob]
You shouldn't take ice in your Whiskey no matter where you are.
Many Whiskeys do respond well when cut with water (depending on ABV), but 1/3 is a bit much, IMO.
More like a few drops to a healthy splash maybe (again, depending on ABV).
Too much water can often bring out an overpowering barrel char/creosote taste (and ruin your dram).
And it should be room-temperature water. [/Whiskey Snob]

Very true. If you are dumb enough to order an ICB at any pub in Ireland, you deserve what you get.
If you must order a B&T type pint for some reason, just ask for a "half-and-half" which is Guinness & Harp or a "special" which is Guinness & Smithwick's (pronounced "Smiddicks").
To look like less of a tourist on the Whiskey front, try ordering a Powers, Redbreast, or Knappogue ("Nah-Pogue") instead of a Jameson or Bushmills.

When I was in Derry I was tickled to learn a new distillery opened up and was able to enjoy a couple of doubles at the hotel bar. It was called Quiet Man.

Re - Powers I am partial to the Johns Lane Reserve, the normal Powers is good, the Reserve is much better.

I have never tasted Jameson in my life.

We were shown at our distillery tour at Bushmills to cut the whiskey up to 1/3rd and I have been told by many this is the best way open it up. I have experimented with various whiskeys and found it to be true.

The water should be room temp to cool. At the bars and Puds I visited (many) while in the North the pitcher provided typically was sweating from being cool.

Just going with what the locals were doing.

I was not bashful to ask what local Whiskey they had on hand, that is how I discovered Quiet Man.

Oh and for the love of god, please to mot mix Guinness with anything, just enjoy it, it is on another level there, enjoy it.

I started every pub visit with a pint of Guinness then moved on to the Whiskey. I have a VERY good time there.

Unless you are way out in the country, there should be something whithin reach that is open late (Tesco, Supervalu, Lidl, etc.).
There are even a couple chain shops that are open 24hrs (Mace, EuroSpar, etc.).

Our First night was in Belfast, we parked in a garage attached to a Tesco and it was closed up and locked down by 6PM.

There were some random retail open around the city, for the most part, everywhere we went in the North, everything closed by 6PM. I admired it.


Man, I want to plan another trip there, maybe in 2020 the next 2 years we have other plans.

Oh and the car scene is decent there, I saw quite a few classic Minis and some old Ford Cortina's.

I was actually surprised, most of the cars on the road are late model with exceptions, I saw quite a few old Defenders that looked long in the tooth.

I do not recall seeing a Porsche either now that I think of it.

My rental car sucked, I ended up with a Scoda Superb, the entire time I was driving I would only think this would be a name Clarkson would give to one of the cars he built.

Another interesting observation, the traffic lights go from Green to Yellow to Red then back to Yellow then Green, keep a keen eye on them, I never saw anyone sleeping at a red light. When that light turns green you better be on the gas.

The Motorway gas stations, do not have pay at the pump, you pump first then go in and pay. That blew my mind.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Jims5543

There are no Irish Car Bomb drinks and no Black and Tans, both are insulting.

I heard about that recently from someone that was from there.

Apparently Black & Tan refers to the color of some British solider uniforms. Troops sent there to repress them, story is they had just come back from an overseas tour in Africa I think, and only had half a uniform or something like that, nothing matched.