OK, so normally Explorer Beastie and I would be taking you to one of our favourite Dublin places today… But when a rare opportunity to visit Belfast presented itself, we could hardly say no!
Although I originally hail from this part of the world, I very seldom get to hang out in Belfast any more. Trips “Up Home” seem to skim by in an instant – by the time I’ve shared all my news, heard what my parents have been up to, said hello to the cat and sampled the latest batch of my Dad’s homemade wine, I almost need to pack up and head south again! So when we heard there was a Rembrandt self-portrait on loan to the Ulster Museum, it was a perfect excuse to take the bus from the family homestead and pay a visit to one of my favourite childhood stomping grounds. On the way, Explorer Beastie had a quick look around the historic Lanyon building at Queen’s University…
…Then we grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading into the museum!
It turns out that there are lots of monster-like things living in the Ulster Museum, if you know where to look!
And you really need to watch out for those dragons flying around the atrium too…
These incredible sculptures are made from woven willow, and they’re the handiwork of local master basketweaver Bob Johnston. They’re so lifelike that you could almost imagine them swooping down from the ceiling! Fortunately, they seem more interested in each other… for now!
This trip was a great opportunity for me to check in with some old favourites – the exhibits I’ve been coming here to see since I was a small, creepily-obsessed-with-Ancient-Egypt-and-vampires child. Even after a complete refurbishment a few years ago, many of them are still on display! That includes Takabuti, the Eygptian mummy who has been an important part of the museum’s collection since she was first introduced to the public in 1835.
Since long experience has taught me that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for mummies, I’ll just include this photo of a lock of Takabuti’s hair here instead… but you can find out more about her on the Museum’s website if you like!
Next, we went in search of some dinosaurs…
…And some prehistoric creatures that are still with us!
Explorer Beastie was pretty intriuged by this coelacanth – a fish that was thought to be extinct until a live one was captured off the coast of South Africa in 1938. Before this, it had only been seen in fossils – ones that were at least 80 million years old! The Ulster Museum’s own “living fossil” was caught in 1973 off the Comoros Islands, and has been here ever since.
Also high on Explorer Beastie’s must-see list were the finds from the “Girona”, a ship from the Spanish Armada that was wrecked off the coast of County Antrim in 1588. He examined one of the original cannons…
…And discovered the kind of treasure that would make Pirate Beastie’s one remaining knee go weak!
Then we had a go at building a Neolithic stone tomb…
Wait a second… Tomb? Shipwrecks? Mummies? This is all getting very morbid! I think it’s high time we headed off to find that Rembrandt!
Wow. The detail in the face is amazing – you can almost imagine him opening his mouth and launching into his life story. In fact, this is one of the last paintings Rembrandt completed… a final addition to the collection of 80 or so self-portraits he produced in his lifetime.
We could have stayed in the museum all day, but it really was time to head for home. At least we still had a few spare minutes for a leisurely stroll back into town through the Queen’s Quarter…
…And a quick hot chocolate on the way!
Thanks for joining us on our adventure north of the border! We’ll be back in Beastie Towers next week, bringing you monster news on Tuesday and another Dublin day out on Friday. In the meantime, have a super weekend!
Lovely day! I hope you guys have a great weekend, too. Hugs. ❤ ❤
Why thank you! We will, and same to you 😀
Explorer beastie sounds like so much fun haha
Yes, he’s a riot! Plus if it wasn’t for him I’d be a whole lot lazier! Hope you enjoy the weekend, thanks for your comment 😀
Haha 😀 you so much with you beasties. I love it. They all have thier personalities and effects on you 😀
Thanks… They really do! 😀
Morbid museums are the best. If you ever get to Montpellier, you have to visit the museum at the faculty of medicine there.
Oh yeah! And now I have an excuse to go back to Montpellier… It’s been a while 😀 I also love Dublin’s Natural History museum and the bog bodies in our National Museum – did you see those when you were here?
What a beautiful trip! Love the hot chocolate stop.
Thanks! It’s always important to keep your strength up when you’re travelling 😉 Enjoy your weekend!
Looks like a great museum – I bet there was lots of information that needed reading!
But of course! And there was art to stare at, and childhood favourites to get nostalgic over… If it wasn’t for Explorer Beastie calling the shots I’d probably still be in there! 😆 Thanks for stopping by 😀
That museum looks great. Thanks for sharing the highlights of your visit. Your photos always make me smile.
Heehee! Thanks! The Ulster Museum is pretty small, but they do have some great stuff in there… Worth a visit if you ever find yourself back on this side of the pond 😀 Enjoy your weekend!
That museum sounds awesome! I had a fascination with Ancient Egypt (Especially mummies!) when I was a kid as well, so I would’ve loved to see a picture of the mummy. 😉
Yes, I think visiting Takabuti in the Ulster Museum was what kick-started my own obsession! She’s really well preserved… You can see the hair on her head, and she had perfect teeth too. She’s a bit of a local celebrity, actually… She even has her own Wikipedia page! Thanks for your comment, enjoy the weekend 😀
That totem pole looks very much like a stack of Beasties. I think Explorer Beastie might have discovered hi ancient heritage!
Great minds think alike! I took a photo of him looking at it first, and then realised his face would complete the tableau beautifully if he turned around. Perhaps he was indeed gazing on the faces of his ancestors…
Let’s just hope he’s not from a cannibalistic tribe. Although I’m not sure how threatening those little felt teeth might be.
Well, I’ve never noticed any Beastie mysteriously going missing overnight, leaving behind a party of well-fed-looking friends… I think that’s a tick in the “not cannibals” column! 😉
Let’s just hope no primal urges suddenly take hold.
I heard there was another native Irish species on display in the Ulster Museum…one of the tallest Irish Wolfhounds ever measured. Did Explorer Beastie encounter that one? Perfect transport for him, although he’d need a ladder to get up!
Ooooh yes, you’re right! And we did see him! Unfortunately there were a few other people around his house, so we couldn’t get a good photo. We might well approach him another time to see if he’d like to star in our crime thriller serial “The Hound of the Beastievilles” though… 😀
Brilliant trip, thanks for letting us all tag along,
You’re welcome! A day away is always refreshing, thanks for joining us for the ride 😀
When I saw the totem pole Explorer Beastie was admiring I began to wonder if you had an impulse to create a Beastie version ??
Well I certainly do NOW! 😀 This is going to require my biggest knitting needles and the mother of all yarn shopping trips…
A mega yarn shopping trip …my idea of heaven, I think a Beastie totem pole / draught excluder is a winner
You could be on to something… Practical in winter, an intriguing “outsider art” piece to enjoy in summer. To the yarn shop!
Hi thee Helen and Explore Beastie! 🙂
Thanks for the virtual trip, I enjoyed it and seems like you two made it a day for yourselves! 🙂
Keep exploring! 🙂
Love and Peace,
Zahra
Thanks for joining us on our road trip, Zahra! We’ll be out and about in Dublin again later this week 😀 Have a good one! H & EB 😃
Cool, looking forward to hop aboard with you two! 🙂
😀