My last trip to Belfast included four kitchen chairs, three wardrobes, two bookcases and one Ford Transit van.
It was an IKEA special, where the only part of Belfast that I really got to experience was the rush-hour traffic on the ring road and around the Holywood Exchange.
But for this visit north, I was in holiday mode.
Now I've been to Belfast many times - the Counting Crows concert in Mandela Hall, a student party in the Holylands and a Bob Dylan/Van Morrison gig in the Botanic Gardens being some of the more memorable trips.
But apart from the nightlife, I've never really experienced what else Belfast had to offer, so this time around the emphasis was strictly tourism.
The transit van was replaced by the hassle-free two-hour train journey from Connolly Station, followed by a fantastic lunch at No 27 Talbot Street.
The restaurant was top notch, although I think I would have appreciated it more at night as the fine food was calling out for a bottle of wine. But with a hectic afternoon planned, I reluctantly stuck to the sparkling water.
First up a trip to the docklands to see where the ill-fated Titanic was built.
While I never thought an old shipyard would interest me, the area has been regenerated and it is well worth the visit to get up close and personal with one of Belfast's greatest landmarks, Samson and Goliath, the twin shipbuilding gantry that dominates the city's skyline.
The now redundant dry dock, where the Titanic was fitted out, impresses as you really get a feel for the magnitude of the "unsinkable" steamship.
The tour of the Titanic Quarter was followed by a trip to west Belfast to have a look at some of the famous murals which represent both sides of the conflict.
I'd been to the Falls Road before so it was all very familiar, but always worth a visit to see some of the murals which serve as a constant reminder of what the area has been through.
And getting up close and personal to the loyalist heartland Shankill Road was fascinating, although the tour guide's running commentary was rudimentary to say the least - I'd say it was the same spiel that is used for transition year students on their school tour from Germany.
The Rex Bar was decked out in its Sunday best as the Twelfth celebrations were just winding down and I had a strange inclination to hop off the bus and pop in for a jar with the locals. I may have to work a bit harder on my Belfast twang before I take such a leap of faith.
Next stop prison.
Well, Crumlin Road Gaol as it happens, which has just opened up as a visitor's centre having closed for official business back in 1996.
The gaol (jail), designed by architect Charles Lanyon, is one of the best remaining examples of a Victorian era prison having opened during the famine in 1846.
The jail's system, based on London's Pentonville prison, was very innovative at the time with a central hall with five radiating wings so that guards could keep an eye on every wing without having to move more than a few yards. There was also an underground tunnel that led directly to the courthouse on the other side of the street.
The residents' roll call is a who's who of Irish history as Gerry Adams, Éamon de Valera, Paddy Devlin, Gusty Spence, Michael Stone, Billy Wright, Lenny Murphy, David Ervine and even the Reverend Ian Paisley have all passed through the prison gates.
And while I would have liked a better insight into prison life during the height of the Troubles in the 1970s and 1980s, the tour of the condemned man's cell was a definite highlight.
Hangings were still taking place in Crumlin Road Gaol right up to the 1960s and the condemned man's cell, unbeknown to the prisoner, was only a few yards from the gallows.
On the day of the execution, a large cabinet in the washroom was moved to reveal a secret door that led to the gallows and the hanging would normally be completed within three minutes of the prisoner leaving the cell.
Hangmen used to travel around England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales performing executions and afterwards they were convicted of murder and fined a small percentage of their fee. The reason for the murder charge was in case the political regime changed and they were held accountable for their actions.
So after a few intense hours touring the paramilitary heartlands and the old Victorian gaol, a change of scenery was definitely called for.
It didn't take long to get back into holiday mode as we dined in the fabulous Deane's later that evening. The restaurant is located in the city centre on Howard Street and is one of the best in Belfast. The food, wine, service and ambience exceeded expectations and the menu is reasonably priced for such a classy establishment.
Unfortunately, it was too late to make it to one of my favourite pubs on the island of Ireland, The Crown, so the resident's bar back in the Radisson had to suffice.
The following day, I left the history and politics behind and took the Belfast Music Tour, starting off at the recently renovated Ulster Hall, where the Clash, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin all gigged back in the day.
This was followed by a relaxing jaunt around the city with an accompanying soundtrack of all the top music acts associated with Belfast - SLF, Snow Patrol, Ash, Gary Moore, Ruby Murray, Brian Kennedy, the list goes on.
And we finished up travelling through east Belfast passing the small house where Van Morrison was reared.
And then on to Cyprus Avenue to watch the leaves fall one by one by one by one.
Ed Leahy
Ed travelled to Belfast as a guest of the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau. For more information, visit: www.gotobelfast.com.
Belfast Links
City Tour/Crumlin Road Gaol Tour: www.gotobelfast.com
Belfast Music Tour: www.belfastmusic.org
Deane's Restaurant: www.michaeldeane.co.uk/deanes.asp
No 27 Talbot Street: www.no27.co.uk
Radisson Hotel: www.radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-belfast
The Crown Pub: www.crownbar.com
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