(Time to finish the travelog; sorry for the delay!)

Friday the 28th was another travel day, spent from Glasgow to Belfast. After a lesuirely morning in Glasgow, we walked back to Glasgow Central train station and got on a diesel-powered train to Stranraer. I note that the train was diesel simply because every other rail-borne conveyance we’ve stepped aboard on this trip has been electric, and thus totally quiet at rest. The diesels had to warm up for a few minutes before we took off, so it was suddenly strange to be sitting still and hear noise coming from below the floor.

Since it was daylight (unlike London-to-Glasgow), we got to see the countryside. The day was perfectly clear and the views quite nice. I’m not a big fan of photos shot through windows, however, so the camera stayed in its bag.

The ferry from Stranraer to Belfast was the “fast” type, specifically a hydroplaning catamaran (i.e. twin hull) with two pairs of gigantic jet thrusters. Imagine an enormous jet ski with a cafe, arcade, small theater, and casino on top of it, along with a garage for a sizable truck and car collection down below. It’s not the prettiest ship, but it does have a bit of a deck out back from which to watch the wake. I’ve been fascinated with wakes since I was a child on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

After that, we got a bus ride into town and took a frigid walk to the hotel — apparently even the Belfastians thought it was exceptionally cold. Later, we strolled to the nearby Crown Liquor Saloon,which dates back to 1826 and was restored in 1981. We didn’t get to sit down at all, but it was fun admiring the carved-and-gilded everything, and watching the bar staff work like mad. I didn’t even spot it, but Peg tells me they bounced one guy very discretely while we were standing with our drinks. Of course, when there are at least ten men working behind the bar, I don’t imagine it’s wise to resist.