A little bit of culture

Well, I didn't get around to the FMQ practice I mentioned in my last post, BUT only because it was another jam-packed weekend that started off on Friday evening with a jaunt into Belfast city centre for Culture Night. Hubby and I had gone through the programme and highlighted all of the events we wanted to try to catch while, at the same time, preserving the wander-about-and-experience-everything atmosphere of the evening. We started off by fortifying ourselves with ginormous burritos at Boojum and then headed onto the streets. We met these guys on our way to the Ukulele Hootenanny at St. George's Church...

Sadly, the ukuleles were a bit of a disappointment - not nearly as lively as we had imagined - so we bent our steps to the Belfast Print Workshop for a demonstration of some basic printmaking skills, including the use of this fantastic press...

I took a couple of print classes in college, so it was great to see a vibrant printmaking culture in the heart of Belfast city centre! It was a bit too hectic to enquire about print classes and the like, but I vowed to look into it as soon as possible, especially after being wowed by some of the amazing artwork on display downstairs. My favourite pieces were by Alison Lowry, who combines traditional printmaking techniques with glass and textiles, particularly heirloom clothing and fabric, to create incredibly delicate, but also haunting imagery evocative of bygone eras, old photographs, and the treasures to be found in dusty attics. Have a look at her website's homepage for a taste of what I mean. 

After another little wander around the nearby streets, listening to various street musicians and performers, we met up with the Literary Walking Tour and got a great account of Belfast's august literary history, complete with performances of poetry and fiction by, among others, Seamus Heaney and Leontia Flynn. I definitely don't know as much about Belfast literature as I'd like to, so I really enjoyed the tour. As I did the nightcap we had at The Merchant afterwards! (Ok, so I only had a sparkling water, but it's my new favourite pregnancy drink. And, besides, the ice was hand-chiselled - seriously - the lime peel was decoratively scored, the nibbles were top notch, and the surroundings weren't to be beaten!) 

Saturday involved a bike ride along the Comber Greenway to Stormont, a little bit of shopping, and a great girls' night with friends I haven't met up with in far too long. No surprise, then, that on Sunday all I really felt like doing was lounging on the couch and napping in preparation for my commute this morning. (I don't think I've mentioned it here, but my new job involves driving pretty much as far away from Belfast as you can while still remaining on the island of Ireland!) Maybe I'll get around to that FMQ practice next weekend.... ;)

xx Tina