Travellers' Tales...

Dublin!

I have just got back from an amazing weekend in Dublin! We set off on Friday (conveniently at 9.35pm so no time off work needed!) so were touched down in Ireland just before 11pm. Flights were only £26, so an absolute steal. We got a taxi to our hostel (£35 each for the two nights) and after a quick change/ makeup refresh we went out to a club called Everleigh, as a guy called Andrew that I met in Croatia who lives in Dublin had recommended it. He was out there with his friends so was cool to catch up. The music was amazing in there, proper old school r&b classics, so we all had a good boogie. The drinks weren't cheap, vodka mixer was about £8, so I stuck on wine which was about £6.50 a glass so not too bad. We stayed out until pretty late, and then I went back to Andrew's house for an afterparty, but ended up passed out on the sofa after about half an hour, despite the loud music!

The following morning I got a taxi home and got ready for a day exploring the city. We walked to the spire in the centre, it was drizzling slightly but we weren't perturbed. We were going to get some breakfast, but it was closer to lunchtime once we were out of the hostel so we decided to head to Wagamamas for something more substantial instead. Afterwards I was feeling really ropey and tired, so Lizzie and I headed back for a couple of hours nap!

That evening after spending a while trying to ring round for a restaurant that had space for six people on a Saturday night at the last minute, we ended up in the Irish version of Pizza Express called Milano. It was still really nice, we shared a bottle of wine and I had a meat feast calzone, which was definitely what the doctor ordered! Afterwards we went for a few drinks in a bar called 37 Dawson Street, which was dark and luxurious, with animal heads on the walls and flocked velvet wallpaper... and expensive drinks! At one point I was going to get a mojito, but stuck to a gin and lemonade when I heard they were 15 euro.

A few of the girls wanted to go home then, but Lydia, Lizzie and I decided to stay out and go to a bar on the same street called Cafe En Seine. It was a similar style to the last place, but huge, with glass ceilings and chandeliers like something out of Moulin Rouge. They played some great music so we had a boogie and then got a rickshaw home which was so funny!

The next day we had a lazy one, and packed up ready to leave before going for breakfast. We went to a cafe called The Elephant and Castle, where I had French toast with berry compote, maple syrup and whipped cream - so good. We wandered around the shops for a while and got a coffee before the taxi came to pick us up (rather late - we actually had to steal someone elses!) and I was back home for 6pm after such a fun weekend with all the girls!

Weekly Update!

Back to working life!

This week was slightly confusing as I only arrived home from Dublin late on Monday evening, so I felt like I was a day behind for the whole week!

Tuesday I was back at work, which brought me back to reality, but it wasn't too bad as Chris stayed at my house while I was there, so when I came back I just chilled out for the rest of the day, eating nice food and watching rubbish television! Wednesday and Thursday were pretty boring, I was just doing jobs and filling my time with mindless things, although I did manage to buy a few Christmas presents.

On Friday I had my hair tinted a silvery-grey colour, which I really like, and it is a welcome change from the normal blonde I have been for a while now. I have been coveting the shade for ages, so it is good to finally see what I look like with it. I went out for a few drinks at one of my local pubs in the evening; it has recently been refurbished so we were all curious to see what it looked like. It is much more luxurious in there now, I think it is trying to compete with the upmarket gastro-pubs that we are surrounded with near where I live.

The following day I worked at the pub, and then drove straight to Lancaster for a night out with my old university friends. I picked up my friend Emily and her boyfriend on the way, as they fancied a change of scenery, and Chris was there visiting too. We drank for quite a while in the townhouse on campus, before going to the Pendle Witch and then to good ol' Hustle the shooter bar, for some disgustingly strong shots. After that we went to Sugarhouse, which was nicely bustling, and had a tequila stand for the night. I saw a few familiar faces, and got tipsy enough to forget about hectic life for a while which was fun.

On Sunday I drove us all home, and Chris came back with me for a Sunday roast (though it was toad-in-the-hole, so cheating slightly!). We were knackered so had a little catnap in the afternoon, before I took him to the station to catch a train back to Crewe. The weekend went too fast, especially seen as it is my last free one before Christmas (!) but it was fun all the same.

Traveller's Tales...

Dublin (Part 2)

On our second day in Dublin we had a nice lie in before heading back into the city for some more exploring. We stumbled across the vintage section, and had a lovely brunch in a little independent cafe called Irie's. It was only 8.50 euros for homemade carrot, parsnip and swede soup with bread, a BLT toasted bagel and a cup of tea, totally scrummy and an absolute bargain!

Sufficiently full, we then went for a walk, and were going to hire some bicycles to have a ride around, except we realised we didn't have the money between us for two deposits, which was a little upsetting! Instead we went up to the castle and had a look around, although it definitely wasn't the typical castle I expected, it was more like a town hall! We decided not to bother with the guided tour, as there was quite a crowd, so we went for a drink in a little bar that had a music shop above it.

After that we went to another bar called The Porterhouse, which is well known for doing lots of different ales and speciality drinks. I just had wine, but Chris tried a few different beers, including one specially brewed for the bar. We stayed for quite a while as there was a live band on playing traditional Irish songs which was a very pleasant way to spend Sunday afternoon.

In the evening we went to an amazing 50s style diner called Eddie Rockets. Inside it has jukeboxes, waitresses in white and red uniforms with little hats, black and white tiled floors and red bar stools with mirrored tables. I had a chicken burger with swiss cheese, while Chris had the Smokestack with applewood smoked cheese, onion rings and bacon. We shared some mini quesadillas for a starter, and I had an oreo cookie milkshake which was amazing! After we had eaten we went for a cocktail at the Hard Rock Cafe, which had a selection of drinks for only 5 euros.

On our final day we packed up and left our bags at reception, before going for a cooked breakfast. We then caught a bus to Dublin Zoo, and spent the day there. It had a good range of exhibits, and we watched the sea lions being fed which was fun. There were a few of the enclosures that looked a little worse for wear, but there was a lot of renovation work being done at the time, so hopefully they'll all look lovely and new fairly soon.

After we had been to the zoo, we went back into the city centre and had a final coffee back at The Church bar, and then got some tea at a little cafe in Temple Bar before going to collect our suitcases from the hotel. We the got a bus back to the airport, and were back in Manchester for 11pm. A great trip away!

Traveller's Tales...

Dublin (Part 1)

Last weekend I went to Dublin with Chris for 3 days. We got a very early flight on Saturday, so once we had got the bus into the city it was around 9.30am. We bought a 3 day pass for 13.50 euros to give us unlimited bus travel, which was definitely worth it considering just getting to and from the airport would have set us back 12 euros!

The first thing we did was walk onto the main street, and gather our surroundings before going to good ol' Costa for a coffee and cake (not very Irish, but hey). Then, after the caffeine had woken us up a bit, we went for a mooch around the shops, including into Forever 21, which I have wanted to go in for ages, but didn't get chance to in London.

In the afternoon we went to The Church bar and restaurant, walking past the huge metal spire in the centre of the main road along the way. I had a Caipirinha cocktail, which despite being a bit of a killer at 9 euros, tasted amazing. Afterwards we walked across the river to the district called Temple Bar, and had another drink at a place called Havanas. I was a little bit ill on Saturday, so for my second drink I had a Bailey's hot chocolate to try and perk me up.

After our wandering, we decided to try and find our hotel. After getting on the right number bus, but going in the wrong direction, we eventually got there at around 6pm, and collapsed on the bed after an exhausting day. A quick change of clothes and spruce up of makeup, and we headed back into the centre for a meal at Dada, a Moroccan restaurant that we had reserved in advance. It was quite pricey, but absolutely amazing! The atmosphere was relaxed but formal, and the interior made you feel as though you were actually in Morocco - including the temperature!

We each ordered a glass of wine, and for starter I had mini sausages with caramelised onions, and Chris had a kebab type thing (I can't remember the actual names, and the website's an Irish one so I can't check!). My main course was one of the most interesting dishes I have ever had. It was a pastry shaped like an envelope and dusted with icing sugar, and in the centre was a mixture of chicken, quail, apricots, almonds and spices. I must admit, after realising that the white dust on the outside was icing sugar, I was a little dubious, but the combination of all the flavours, and the spice with the sweet apricots was just amazing! It came with a little salad and some orange segments, but I only just managed the pastry alone, as it was very filling.

Chris had the slightly more usual roast duck, but it was in a sweet sticky glaze that tasted lovely, and had peanuts sprinkled on top, so was still not an average meal! The whole thing including a tip cost us 70 euros (approx £61.50) which is more than a typical meal out for us, but I'd say it was definitely worth it for the different food, and overall experience. It was for Chris' birthday after all!

We were really tired after our long day, and I had been suffering with flu, so we went straight back to the hotel to bed, and saved our energy so that we were wide awake for the following day.

Weekly Update! (From Sunday)

Chaos, Curry & a Holiday!

Last week was rather chaotic! After working all of Monday, and getting some amazing Thai food free on the job, I had Tuesday evening off, so spent it at the gym and doing some reading. I also found time to buy a lovely pair of shoes from River Island, that I have been coveting for a while after seeing them at the Trafford Centre. A spontaneous sale drove me to buy them, as they were reduced from £68 to just £43! They are the second pair of new shoes I have bought, after choosing some from New Look on Sunday evening as well, but I gave three pairs away last week, so it's allowed! On Wednesday I went to see Wild Beasts at Manchester cathedral (see previous post) which was brilliant.

Thursday was my day off, but it was spent taking Chris to the train station, tidying my room, packing for Dublin and blogging, before I went round to my friend Emily's house with the girls. She made us a gorgeous red Thai curry with rice, and we had some wine and a chatter, and some lemon meringue pie that I took round. It was a really chilled out evening, with excellent company, which was lovely after rushing around all day!

On Friday I went to work and then came home to finish packing, and I took a quick trip to the gym. I had an interview in the evening which went really well, and then went to Wilmslow station to pick Chris up. We decided against going for a drink after as we were both super hungry, and came home to make fish and chips instead- delish!

The next day we were up ridiculously early (5am!) to catch a flight to Dublin for a few days as a late birthday present for Chris. We got back very late last night, hence the delayed blog post. See the next couple of posts to see what we got upto!