Titanic Belfast New Year’s Day 2014 Photo: © Michael Fisher

Welcome to 2014 and as travel in its various shapes and forms is very prevalent at this time of year I am starting with trains, boats and planes, as well as Shanks’ mare. On New Year’s Day 2013 my friends introduced me to the delights of a walk along The Flaggy Shore in County Clare and it inspired the development of my (almost) daily blog. Weather conditions were very different this time for the New Year party with the same group of friends, this time gathering at our house in South Belfast. A late brunch today was followed by a card game (gin rummy). The rain kept on coming down but by 3pm it was clear enough to go out for our annual New Year walk. Rather than heading for the Lagan towpath where we walked in the snow four yeas ago, we headed for Holywood along the North Down coast and began our walk on the promenade beside the railway station.

Blackford Dolphin oil rig at Harland & Wolff with plane coming in to land Photo: © Michael Fisher

On our way home we went for a drive in the Titanic Quarter where the Titanic Belfast visitor centre had been lit up for the holiday period. We also saw the 360-ft high oil rig Blackford Dolphin which is being re-fitted at the Harland and Wolff yard, having been towed here from Brazil. It has become Belfast’s unofficial Christmas tree!