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!

Home Sweet Home, Belgian Beer & Crazy Golf!

I got a much appreciated lie-in this Monday, as I didn't need to collect Aum from Pontefract until lunchtime. The rest of the start of the week was pretty subdued, though I had a delicious dish at the country club on Tuesday - mushroom and pumpkin casserole (which had five different varieties of mushroom in) with bread-crumbed rice balls, and a side of foccacia with oils. The sauce was hearty and full of smoky flavours, perfect for autumn, and I enjoyed the slightly unusual accompaniment, it perked the dish up rather than it being served with normal rice or potatoes.

On Thursday it was Vogue's Fashion Night Out in Manchester (see previous post) which was really fun, a great excuse to dress up and have a wander and a couple of drinks with the girls on a school night. We ate dinner afterwards at Wagamama; I had yaki udon, which warmed me up after a cold night walking around.

On Friday I met up with Claire and Helen from university in Manchester (I haven't seen Helen in nearly two years we worked out!) and we went for lunch at Home Sweet Home in the Northern Quarter, that I have been eyeing up for ages! I had a salted beef sandwich, which was served on rye bread with mustard mayonnaise, and followed this with an amazing chocolate cake with pink glittery icing and chocolate Freddo heads on the top! The meat in the sandwich was jam packed in, and really succulent, and the hot aftertaste of the mustard worked perfectly.

On Saturday Mum and I went to Leeds to visit Jasmine, and we went shopping in the city centre. I got a blue leopard print skater skirt from New Look for £6, and we had lunch in a little independent cafe. We got three paninis (chorizo and emmental, chicken and bacon and meatball and mozzarella) and shared them all which was a tasty way of sampling lots of flavours! 

In the evening Mo and I went to Mort Subite in Altrincham for a couple of drinks. I haven't been there before, but I preferred it to the other two Belgian bars nearby, as I only really drink the fruity variations and there was a much wider range to choose from there. I had one that was apple flavoured, and one that was a berry medley of six fruits, which was 8.5% but tasted like pop! Afterwards we met up with a few others in Slug and Lettuce, and ended the night in Bloom before getting cheesy chips!

On Sunday Mo and I fancied doing something, so went to the Trafford Centre for a KFC and a game of crazy golf. It was really fun actually, and something a bit different to do. We both got pretty competitive, but Mo won in the end, by two points! Then we went back to my house for a roast dinner, including homemade raspberry crème brulee - Mum surpassed herself as usual.

Traveller's Tales

Liverpool

Yesterday, a group of us went to Liverpool for a night out with a bit of a change of scenery. Abi and I got a train from Manchester at 2pm (lucky for us it was delayed, as we'd have missed it otherwise!) and we walked to the hotel we were in to check in and dump our bags. We walked to the wrong Travellodge to begin with, but luckily ours was only around the corner!

We had a quick cup of tea and then went out for a wander around the shops. There wasn't much to see, and we'd only been shopping in Manchester a couple of days before so didn't need anything, so after a while we gave up and headed towards Wagamama for some tea. We had a nice glass of wine and shared some duck gyozas (that were free as they were so late arriving) and then I had the chicken and prawn pad thai, a new addition to the menu that was very much appreciated!

Afterwards we went to an off license to buy some wine, and then went back to the room to start getting ready and crack open the booze! Emily and Natasha didn't arrive until half nine,  so they got ready speedily and we finished our drinks and headed out at just gone eleven. We went out on Seel Street, starting in a bar called Aloha, that was downstairs and Tiki themed. We had as couple of cocktails and a dance before moving on.

Emily and Abi went to another bar called Saltdog Slims whilst Tasha and I went to a cash machine, but by the time we got there the queue was huge, so we moved onto the final place, Heebie Jeebies, and the other two met us in the queue once they had finished their drinks. Drinks weren't that cheap, but it was fun and the music was decent, and two of the boys I went to Benicassim with were out that night, so they came to meet us in there which was cool. Unfortunately we then realised that Abi had had her phone stolen, so her and Tasha went off on a wild goose chase to find it, and we all met up later back at the hotel.

This morning we were all feeling the after-effects, and so once we had checked out we went for breakfast at a place next door to the hotel called New York Diner. I had a bagel with mushrooms, bacon, cheese and scrambled eggs, which went down a treat and sorted me out in time for us to get the train home at 2pm. A fun adventure!

Days Out...

Cheshire Oaks

Now that I don't work at the pub on Saturdays I have the novelty of a two day weekend, so today my mum ad I decided to go to Cheshire Oaks for a shop and some lunch. I have been looking for a nice winter coat for a while now, so thought that I may be able to get a decent one a bit cheaper with it being an outlet village.

We set off at just gone ten so arrived at eleven, and managed to get a car parking spot close to the shops, which is definitely a bonus. The first purchases of the day were from Warehouse, a really nice pair of red and black print silk trousers that are pyjama style, and a nylon burgundy track jacket with a gold zip that has a sport-luxe feel. I then found some really nice Miss 60 jeans that were stonewashed denim and had leather laces down the calf. They were £68, which isn't bad for a good pair of jeans, but with it being a fairly substantial buy I left them so that I could have a little think about it!

I got a top for the gym for £4 from the Nike shop, and then found my perfect coat - in Next of all places! It is corally red, the exact colour of the strap on my Mark Jacobs bag, so it seemed like a good omen. I had budgeted about £120 for it, but this one was only £30, so I felt less guilty for buying lots of other things that I didn't desperately need. 

By this time it was around 2pm, and we were both feeling peckish, so stopped at Wagamama for some food. I love the place, but my mum had never been, so it felt like the perfect opportunity. I chose the new dish called asai udon: flat noodles in a tamarind sauce with egg, tofu, prawns, lime and garnished with peanut, while my mum went for my favourite, cha han, a rice dish with mushroom, sweetcorn, mangetout, spring onions, prawns and chicken. It comes with a side order of pickles and a bowl of miso soup - an acquired taste, but I love it! 

My first purchase after lunch was a pair of brown leather flatforms with leopard print on the front and a buckle across from Soled Out- they are gorgeous! I also bought a pair of dark purple tights from M&S, and two t-shirts from Vans that were buy one get one half price, so it was only £10.50 for them both! They are fairly simple, but will be perfect to wear with jeans for work.

By this time we were flagging, so stopped at McDonalds for a coffee and cake, (everywhere else was packed full and it was too cold to sit outside) and then we drove home; but not before I sneaked back to Miss 60 for my jeans!

Weekly Update!

Recovery and A Night In Horsforth

After travelling to Letchworth last Sunday, Monday of this week saw the mammoth drive back, via Banbury and Stoke to drop my various passengers off. I was so tired that rather than drive all the way home, I stayed over in Crewe, as a five hour journey completely took it out of me!

Feeling much more refreshed on Tuesday, I headed back to Timperley and after unpacking went on a very pleasant run. I had been dying to go for a while, but the last few dregs of snow and bouts of rain had put a stop to my previous attempts.

On Wednesday, I did some editing. I am the editor-in-chief of Tattered Lace, a magazine that the Fashion Society started producing last year, and we are now on our third issue. I have three editors (Fashion, Culture and Beauty) and they each send me articles from their respective sections once they have been put together and proof read. I then have to make sure the content is right and do a final proof-read before forwarding them onto our wonderful producer, who collates it all with the photoshoots from our creative director, and makes it look all pretty. It is hard work and often very hectic, but so worth it for the gorgeous issues that we make!

Wednesday night was both amazing and devastating, as I went out to Wagamama's with my friends, and then on to a few bars and ended in 5th Avenue nightclub in Manchester. I had such an awesome time, until I lost my purse at the end of the night, and had a drama with people staying in my house! The following day I mostly moped around feeling sorry for myself, and sorted out the what seemed like masses of lost cards I had to replace.

On Friday, after a nice lie in and a five hour shift, I headed to Leeds with my parents and sister to visit my aunty, uncle and cousins there. My eldest cousin

is in the army and I hadn't seen him for over two years, so it was great to catch up on what we'd both been up to, even if it did make me feel hugely insignificant partying at uni while he has been stationed in Afghanistan! We opened belated Christmas presents first, and then headed into Horsforth where they live for a few tipples. After slightly more than a few, we walked back home and enjoyed a gorgeous curry before hitting the sack considerably later than usual.

Yesterday we woke up quite late, had a fabulous cooked breakfast (the full monty- black pudding and all!) and then drove back home. After a spot of shopping in Sale I then stayed in for the rest of the day, playing on The Sims 3 (sad, I know, but it's a new experience!) before catching an early night ready for going back to work today. Not the most exciting or productive week, but there's been worse.

New Tastes...

Wagamama, Manchester

Last night, three friends and I decided to go for a meal and a few drinks in Manchester, as we are all heading back to uni soon. It is a tradition amongst us all to go to Wagamama, as it's cheap, a bit different and really tasty! We hopped on a train, and were soon sat in the warmth of the restaurant on their trademark communal benches. For those that haven't been before, Wagamama serves Asian food, with a few quirky culture differences to how you dine.

For a start, as mentioned before, rather than having individual tables, there are long benches to sit on, so everyone sits together in rows. I personally like this, as it means

even dining alone you can get talking to people, and it makes it feel sociable and informal. As well as this, the food is served when it is ready, regardless of English tradition, so often one dish appears, and others in the group may be waiting ten more minutes before they get theirs. This could be awkward if you were eating with someone who is strict with etiquette, but I tend to go with friends, so we just start while it's hot! The menu is split up into different categories depending on what the dishes mainly consist of (rice, noodles etc) and then you can order various sides as well.

I ordered Cha Han, which I have had before and really like. It is 'stir-fried rice with chicken and prawns or tofu, egg, mangetout, mushrooms, sweetcorn and spring onion' AND IT comes with a little bowl of miso soup, and pickles. My friends had all ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry (they get it every time!) and mine happened to arrive first, so I tucked into the miso soup while we waited for theirs to come. It was all gorgeous, and I don't think it would come as a surprise to people I know that I would head back there in a flash. It is also relatively healthy, and has plenty of veg in it, so I feel less guilty for eating out!

After the meal we went for a few drinks in the Northern Quarter, which then turned into a few more drinks on Deansgate, and a night ending in 5th Avenue. But then the unplanned nights are always the best!