March 18, 2012 The Irish Mail on Sunday Travel3177 Travel The

epic: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet starred in , the film about the ill- fated liner, inset above. The new Titanic Titanic Centre, reborn below

There’s a sense of déjà vu for Yvonne Gordon as the past is replicated in 100 years after doomed liner was built in the city

here’s a buzz of activ- latest technical innovations are into place before the grand open- ity, with construction being tweaked and tested and a ing of in two workers, ladders and huge array of rooms, facilities and weeks, and the flurry of prepara- equipment going back public areas are being fitted out, tions going into this brand new and forth, sounds of painted and decorated. Delivery €115m tourist attraction all echo bolts and rivets being vehicles have been unloading the final fit-out of the Titanic ship put into place, boxes sitting in glassware and crockery and food herself, which was taking place at Tneat piles waiting to be unpacked. and drink have been ordered. Slipways are being cleared, the The final touches are being put ±±Turn to Page 78 7832travel The Irish The Mail Irish on Mail Sunday on Sunday March March 25 18, • 20122012 MarchMarch 18, 2012 25 • The 2012 Irish The Mail Irish on Sunday Mail on Sunday travel3379

±±From Page 77 exactly this time, in this place, 100 LATE DEALS years ago. There are many echoes of history, OF THE WEEK from the fact that the attraction can looking hold 3,647 visitors at any one time – BEST ASIA the same number as the capacity of An epic 15-day tour goes from the ship – to the thousands of pieces Delhi to Kathmandu, taking in of crockery and cutlery arriving, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, the Chitwan National Park just as they would have done at the and Pokhara. From €759. Flights not included but busy shipyard in 1912. down available from €885 – 01 677 7888, trailfinders.ie. The landmark six-floor building, which holds nine galleries and a BEST HONEYMOON banqueting venue, has taken three Three to five-star dual packages years to build – the same length of with two days in New York and time it took to build Titanic. from the seven in the Caribbean island of Aruba range in price from €1,449 to €1,949. For dates between rom the outside, gazing April 1 and June 15 – (01) 241 2389, GoHop.ie. upwards, 3,000 alumin- OpulENCE: Replicas of the staircase and first-class ium panels reflect the cabin, above; Lucy Christiania, pictured, who survived. BEST KISS sky and the pointy bow Below, a replica of a third-class cabin A package to Vienna from €89, shapes rise 38m, the gantry is offers two-nights B&B in a four- same height as Titanic’s star hotel, 72 hours of public bow as she sat in the water. transport and entry to the Belvedere, home of FInside, each gallery takes visitors Klimt’s The Kiss. Flights not included – vienna.info. through a different part of the story. Interactive experiences include a BEST RACING 20m journey in a lift up the Arrol dizzying, Goodbye Cheltenham, hello Gantry, a replica of the original Kentucky. A five-day package to 70m-high structure. Looking down the derby on May 5 starts from €2,589. Ref no. from the top, even of the smaller 405510 – (01) 817 3500, touramerica.ie. replica, is quite dizzying. One of the most exciting elements will be a ‘shipyard ride’, with special even if it’s disasTer: effects recreating the sights, sounds A reproduction and smells of metal burning. It even of the Titanic’s goes through a giant replica of sinking, which Titanic’s rudder, to give an idea of claimed more working on these big ships. a replica than 1,500 lives In another area, there are recon- structions of first, second and third- To class cabins. Further along, the lica of a Titanic lifeboat. 1985). Finally, on the top floor, in the heated swimming pool and Turk- tourism revenue to £1bn a year by h e a d q u a r- years ago (which apparently lights dim and walls narrow as audio In the last gallery, there is footage banquet and conference area (open ish baths, she was a symbol of 2020. Titanic is the jewel in the ters. wasn’t particularly appetising) advertise visual displays depict the ship’s of the shipwreck as it is today on the to visitors when there’s no event luxury as well as a feat of engi- crown. At the accompanied by ‘gin and titon- sinking. Another gallery has a rep- ocean floor (the wreck was found in taking place), there is a near-replica neering. A first-class ticket cost Already, 80,000 tickets have And at the dock and pump- Nearby, SS Nomadic, the orig- Ulster Folk and Transport ics’. A Titanic play will open in in this of Titanic’s grand staircase. £870 – the equivalent of about been sold for the centre and 200 house, visitors can see the mas- inal tender that was used in Museum in Cultra, Holywood, the new MAC arts centre and £63,000 today. Titanic is now a events have been booked. More sive, 270m-long dry dock in Cherbourg to take first and some 10km east of the city, you there are even Titanic crisps, section he centre is designed global brand, thanks also in part than 400,000 visitors are expected which Titanic was fitted out. second-class passengers out to can see 35 artefacts from the jam and whiskey. Being Bel- to be a sensory experi- to the 1997 movie that starred this year, and although this is not Seeing this really gives a sense the Titanic, is undergoing a sea bed and there are also audio fast, there’s also a Titanic mural call ence rather than a Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate as many as the Giant’s Causeway’s of the size of the cruise liner, £5m restoration in a dry dock. recordings of eyewitness on the Newtownards Road.  museum. It’s hard to Winslet. projected 700,00. and it will be possible to walk It’s currently a building site accounts of the sinking, from 499 sense this yet as not A video presentation in the exhi- For Titanoraks, this will be a inside the dock next month. In but it will open to visitors in ship’s officers and survivors. t is all a welcome echo of all the galleries are bition of the ship’s launch, bumper year of activity. As well the pump-house, the steam- October. At the adjacent outdoor folk the pride that Belfast had Caroline finished but one thing that stands attended by 100,000 cheering as Titanic Belfast itself, there are powered water pumps are still A Titanic Walking Tour will museum, there’s a ‘living his- in 1912, when the city was Tout is the sense of pride that Bel- onlookers, gives a sense of the plenty of other attractions around as they were 100 years ago. give enthusiasts access to the tory’ recreation of Belfast at an industrial powerhouse, fast has in its shipbuilding past. pride and of the impact the ship the , a 185-acre Next to Titanic Belfast are the drawing offices, where the the turn of the 20th century. at the forefront of innova- on But it wasn’t always so. Until had. Now 100 years later, Belfast site, itself undergoing a twin slipways of the Titanic ships were designed, as well as The opening of Titanic Belfast tion and engineering, with just a few years ago, mentioning is finally taking ownership of the multibillion redevelopment. and her sister ship, Olympic. the former on Saturday week will be fol- the world’s largest linen pro- 01 the Titanic in Belfast carried a Titanic story, creating the world’s lowed by the Titanic Festival Iduction, tobacco factory and stigma. Those who lived and largest Titanic exhibition. until April 22. rope works as well as the 6375849 worked there, even in the mari- ‘Titanic belongs to Belfast. I’m More than 120 events are worlds’ largest shipyards at time industry, were ashamed of very pleased that the city which TRAVEL FACTS planned and highlights include Harland & Wolff. the city’s association with the ship gave Titanic to the world will now an open-air MTV concert on the When I heard about the

ears in bu 5 y si 4 ne as if the sinking were their fault. be able to welcome the world to Titanic Belfast opens Folk and Transport Titanic’s slipway, one of the Titanic Festival and the new g s in s t - a r Sunway S b u e n l w ‘There was a period of time after Titanic Belfast,’ says Dr Robert on March 31. Tickets Museum, Holywood, world’s largest light shows to be visitor attraction, I was scepti- e

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kept its head low and pushed away discovered the Titanic’s wreck on the opening of a memorial gar- tragic ship sinking, thinking it u and £6.75 for children Tuesday to Sunday, e b a r n i any associations,’ says Belfast’s the sea bed in 1985. aged five to 16. A prices from £6.50 per den at Belfast City Hall and a little spooky that a symbol of s Lord Mayor Niall Ó Donnghaile. The Titanic story is also part of family ticket is £34. adult and £4 per child international street performers maritime disaster was going to ‘But at last we have woken up to a new vision for tourism in the Advance booking is – nmni.com. and markets at Titanic Belfast. be celebrated with a festival, the fact that this city has nothing North. recommended– For Titanic Walking There will be plays, concerts events and a visitor attraction. to be ashamed of. The Titanic was ‘We are all aware where North- titanicbelfast.com, and bus Tours, see and requiem masses around But this is really about Bel- an amazing achievement.’ ern Ireland has come from in (048) 9076 6399. The titanicwalk.com, the anniversary date, and fast getting back on its feet, There has always been a global terms of our international image. is parking for about titanicexplorer.com or already everywhere you go in telling the world a new story, fascination with the Titanic, not This is a new story to tell. This is 500 cars, so for public titanicbustours.com. the city, it seems there’s some- celebrating its passion and only because of her tragic sinking about moving on,’ says Alan transport, check out For more information thing on for the Titanic cente- pride. on April 15, 1912, with the loss of Clarke, chief executive of the PoinTing The way: translink.co.uk. on visiting Belfast and nary. The luxurious Merchant It’s also about regeneration 1,517 lives, but because she was North’s tourist board. Yvonne outside the almost the exhibition the North call 1850 Hotel has designed a Titanic- and moving on from its trou- the largest man-made moving With an investment of hundreds finished Titanic Belfast and The People’s 230 230 or log on to themed menu with quail eggs, bles, and being the powerhouse Worldwide Sale object in the world. With miles of of millions in infrastructure, the Story, are at the Ulster ni2012.com oysters and lamb, a modern of ingenuity and innovation it deck, squash courts, a gym, tourist board hopes to double take on what was served 100 was 100 years ago. HonestlyHonestly Mum...Mum... II promisepromise you’llyou’ll lovelove it!it! o travel together, the James Bond music and prepared to mention Peter where this legendary Irish with that of her twenty- Dubai mother and child, is him bursting with delight; it’s and Natasha Murtagh’s travel writer heads off to something daughter. Greece 4 5 nights B/B ...... from  (largely) a joyful Roslyn being persuaded by himself, wonderful experience of some of the most fascinating looms large here, as does 859 thing. As it is, I then aged about 10, that I walking the Camino together, places on earth, with her Turkey, and France and South St Lucia imagine, for father Dee would love the Indiana Jones a real father/daughter daughter Rachel for company. Carolina. It’s part memoirs 4 7 nights Room Only ...... from 999 and child, but today is Award-winning ride at Disneyland Paris, that, experience, perfectly cap- India, Cameroon, Cuba, Russia. and part travelogue – and all all about mothers. Sorry, boys. travel writer ‘honestly Mum’, there were no tured in their subsequent If you’ve already read laced with that mother/ Dominican Republic TSome of my most vivid memo- [email protected] bits where you were in the book, Buen Camino.) Dervla Murphy, then here’s daughter thread that gives the 5 7 nights All Inclusive ...... from 1039 ries are of being off somewhere dark in a tunnel. Cut to It’s not always easy, of another travel book worth a book – and their experience - on my own with my son when he joy of racing each other into the screaming mother five course, for mothers to head look. It’s co-authored by a another dimension altogether. Barbados was young, various trips that freezing sea; it’s persuading minutes later, plunged at high off on their own with their mother and daughter, and In the end, though, it’s about 4 7 nights Room Only ...... from 1069 resulted in those special him, as an eight-year-old and in a speed into darkness. children. I have only one child reflects the adult relationship the memories. With the odd moments that you store away last-ditch attempt to get him There’s always an intimacy and that has always made between them as they trav- photograph for backup, of Maldives forever, memories that catch you through the door, that he’d really for parents and children when things less complicated. For elled across the world in the course. Like the one on top of 4 7 nights All Inclusive ...... from 1429 occasionally in flashback, years love the Georges Pompidou it comes to sharing things, and those with a number of Nineties. the bookcase in my study, later, and still make you smile. Centre in Paris because there it’s heightened, I think, when offspring it’s more difficult The book, Travelling With featuring a delighted-looking Price per person sharing including flights, taxes and accommodation. For me, that’s things like were loads of artistic ‘nudies’ on you are away from home in a but try it if you can. Pomegranates, is written by young fella and his terrified, Subject to availability at time of booking. Book by 21 March. running flat-out down the beach display inside; it’s watching his strange location, left to your But don’t take my word for novelist Sue Monk Kidd and eyes-closed mother on board at Rossnowlagh in Co. Donegal – face as we bounced along at top own devices, and discovering it. If you are looking for real her daughter, Ann, each one the Indiana Jones ride in when we were sharing a room in speed across the lagoon in Venice new sights, new cultures and examples, then just delve writing separate sections so Disneyland Paris all those Visit Your Local Travel Agent Thrilling: The Indiana Jones the Sandhouse Hotel more than a in the direction of Murano in a new experiences together. (As between the covers of a few that you get the take of the years ago. attraction at Disneyland in Paris decade ago – just for the sheer sleek speedboat, me humming a concession to the dads, I am of Dervla Murphy’s books, then 50-year-old juxtaposed Happy Mother’s Day. www.sunway.ie | 01 2311895