Hello everyone, since we started blogging, we decided we were going to start trying more experiences we would not have done before. We recently went on our first walking tour with If Buildings Could Talk in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we were not quite sure what to expect with the tour but decided to go ahead and do it.
The tour is run by Barney and we met him opposite Belfast city hall – this was all explained beforehand in the e-mail we received. It was one of those days where you didn’t know if it was going to rain or the sun would split the sky so as always in Ireland you need to bring a raincoat – this time of year the streets can also be a bit slippery with leaves and wet cobles so it is really important to wear the right footwear also.
Both of us grew up and went to school and university in the Belfast area so we went on the tour wondering would it be all new or would it be the same old stories you hear about Belfast growing up. There were two other couples on the tour and Barney started with a quick health and safety talk and providing us with guide/picture books. The tour itself takes about 1 and half to two hours and we found it covered most of the city centre.
As mentioned we both know Belfast well, we found that as the tour progressed although we recognised many of the buildings that Barney brought us to however at each stop he highlighted a history of the buildings and streets that we never knew about.
The tour covered the city centre from the area around City Hall, Castle Court, Cathedral Quarter, and other areas. The tour route is planned well to cover all these areas and we would recommend it to anyone who is first visiting Belfast and wants to get an idea of the city’s different quarters and history.
As a tour guide, we found Barney to be friendly and knowledgeable about the city, he has obviously done his research on the buildings and cities. Throughout the tour he was engaging when moving between the different stops and kept the group entertained, as a first walking tour experience we found it to be a really interesting and engaging experience that we will be recommending to our friends and family.
After the tour we popped into Hadski’s for lunch and a few drinks, Iain had the steak sandwich and Brianna had the Duck Ragu – to finish we had a cocktail. After this experience we will book other tours in Belfast, we have always talked about the Belfast Food Tour after hearing good reviews – we think it will be the next tour!
Until then, stay safe and keep planning the next adventure!
Brianna and Iain
Ireland & Elsewhere 