Northern Ireland was surprisingly wonderful. You don’t hear very much about the country as a tourist destination. The Northern Ireland flag isn’t even an available emoji on my phone! Months ago I read a book on the history of the Island to have a better understanding of the division and the conflicts that shaped the nation’s past. I suppose I was expecting a little more trauma to be evident in the culture, jaded American that I am, but what we found on the touristy surface was more of a utopia.
For starters the water is safe to drink everywhere you go. Us Americans reflexively ask our hosts if the water is safe to drink because of how terrible the water is in the US, but in NI quality is a given. The food was also amazing, and cheaper than in the states even without tipping. The dollar was at a ten-year low when we were traveling, so that negated any would-be-savings, but if the dollar and pound were equals, food was at least 30% less. Black and white pudding were a treat, and as with Ireland, the cheese was excellent.
The countryside was a stunning patchwork of farmland, forests, and hills and the cities were clean and quaint with a more British architectural feel than in the south. The people seemed happy, friendly, and secure with their universal healthcare.
While in Northern Ireland we saw Londonderry, Colraine, Benone beach, Ballymoney, Dunlace Castle, The Giant’s Causeway, the Dark Hedges, Glenariff National Forest, and the Game of Trones Studio Tour in Banbridge. Did you know that Game of Thrones was largely filmed in Northern Ireland?
The up-close look at costumes, sets, and props from the award-winning HBO show was a special experience for this costume-maker. I was surprised and reassured by how blocky most of the tailoring was in early seasons. It wasn’t until the last two seasons that shoulders rose and breasts were shaped with darts and princess seams. The fabrics were as textured as expected; everything had an open weave or some embossing. There were a lot of natural materials like burlap nets, fur, and unspun wool used for extras.
Of course the embroidery is as exquisite in person as it is on screen, and the weapons are all weighted and proportional to the actors that held them. The secret for battle-worn breast-plates? Cat litter mixed with glue.
I have so many more photos of the studio tour than I could ever fit in a post here, but if you snoop my social media accounts I’ll be sure to share more. The tour was not crowded the day we went so I got all unobstructed photos for my inspirational records.
Next in travel blogging I’ll be writing about our visit to Scotland and the beautiful things we saw one a new set of Islands.
