The Belfast Beat

Tompers and I have returned from our second trip to Belfast and I can proudly report I have been to every google recommended drinking establishment in Belfast and I am certain I could provide a very excellent pub crawl in the city, but for research purposes and nothing to do with your man I should probably make a return trip to suss out more ventures. That being said, I would highly recommend making at least a weekend out of it, and of course my rules apply of only one drink per establishment, and best to start out drinking as much Guinness as you can handle before switching to something else. (Guinness is low in alcohol and calories #bonus) Also crucial, drink water! I always seem to forget that over here, however I am smart enough to keep a couple of litres of water beside the bed. Evian has these great lids so if you’re dealthly hungover you can sort of prop the water bottle on a pillow next to you and it acts like a hamster water feeder. 

Tompers came up with this innovation (he holds the bottle on the pillow for me, although I’m sure you could make it work without him) and it’s brilliant. No need to lift your head.

Here is a list of my recommendations for the Belfast Bar Blitz:

·         Bittles Bar *

·         Cosgroves Bar

·         Duke of York *

·         Filthy McNasty’s *

·         Lavery’s

·         Morrison’s Bar

·         Pavilion

·         Robson’s

·         Fibber Magee’s

·         The Basement Grill

·         The Belfast Empire Music Hall *

·         The Crown Liquor Saloon *

·         The Eglantine

·         The Garrick

·         The Hatfield House

·         The John Hewitt

Of the establishments that I’ve visited in the 4 days I have spent in Belfast these are the ones I recommend checking out. I’ve gone to the trouble of putting an asterisk next to the MUST SEE’s as Tompers has reminded me not everyone can drink as much as me, or would want to. Also now that I think of it there are places I still want to check out there. I guess another trip is going to have to happen.  After all I would love to dine at EIPIC.

Now for the story of Belfast… As you might have read I met a man when I was up in Belfast the first time, for Good Friday. You see after Tompers and I had adventured all over the city, I returned him to the hostel at half four for his nap because he was exhausted and touristed out. Craving a pint of Guinness I decided I should head out to the first stop on my list of places I wanted to see. This being The Crown Liquor Saloon. A tourists must see bar. Also the most overwhelming mess of stained glass, and patterned tiles the world has ever seen. (Okay maybe not the world, but it was enough to make me cringe a little) Standing at the bar drinking a pint of Guinness this English Bloke started chatting me up. We ended up getting on rather decently so I told him I was going to head to get something to eat, and he asked if he could join me. Seeing as I didn’t know anyone in Belfast I figured having a new friend along could be fun, so off we went. I ended up spending the evening bar hopping with him and he was decent company. A bit odd, but aren’t we all, and he was paying for everything (bonus). The next day he met up with me to do some more bar hopping, and I decided I wanted to catch an earlier bus home as my original ticket was for half eight but I decided I wanted to catch the bus at half five to get home a bit early and avoid having to wait around in Dublin for an additional hour for the bus to Galway.

Well the last place on my stop was Robson’s, and the man behind the bar had the most amazing accent. I always forget how much I love the Northern Ireland accent until I spend an entire day listening to some bloke with a posh English accent. Tompers little ears sure perked up. Some shameless flirting may have occurred, the English lad went out for a smoke and the barman took the opportunity to ask me for my number.

Oh and I missed all the earlier busses. I took the bus at half eight. Tompers made me or I probably would have sat at that bar all night.

So upon realizing it was time for me to leave and the English bloke still had not returned (I had been using his charging cube) I fired him a text message saying I had to go, and that I was leaving it with the barman for him. He proceeded to tell me he was in the hospital and had been hit by a car…

…the universe hit him with a car so the barman could pick me up?

                …Or did he throw himself in front of a car after spending two days trying to pick me up completely unsuccessfully and see me instantly lust after a man serving us drinks…

I’m still not even sure what happened with yer-man... Did he even get hit by a car?  Do I care? No, not really. 

your man, from Belfast...

So I’ve been living in this amazing little city, which really feels like a town. I know I have been bad about keeping up with my blog so I figured tonight with the house to myself and an epic hangover (I’ll explain later) it is time to sit down with a glass of vino and do some writing. That and a lovely American couple seemed genuinely interested in my life and asked about our blog. Tompers, always one for spotlight, is stoked.

There are five things I now know to be true…

-The isles are emerald because it never stops raining

-It only takes four Guinness to get drunk (because that is the number before I switch to hard liquor, or stronger beer)

-The sun shines in the morning at about half seven for approximately long enough to get me out the door for a run before it starts raining

-The tiny hill by my house is “massive” and my running up it is insanity

-Belfast has the best accent, Donegal isn’t far behind, the people in Galway now sound normal

So much has happened here I’m not sure where to start, Tompers is SUPER excited about the sheep we saw at Father Ted’s house. (It’s a show, you should look it up because it’s class)

 So we’ve been to the Burren, Aran Islands, Connemara, and Belfast. I know Belfast is a different country, but it really shouldn’t be. The little trips I have started taking have really made a big difference on my mental state. Belfast was a game changer because I realized there is no reason why I can’t use my days off to travel somewhere everything is SOOO close… And in all honesty I went up to Belfast because I had Good Friday and Saturday off, and they do not serve or sell alcohol in the Republic of Ireland on Good Friday… and you see Belfast is in the United Kingdom. Why wouldn’t I go there?

Tompers is demanding I explain why Belfast enchanted me. Other than the fact this English bloke paid for pretty much everything, then when he saw I was into the barman (at the pub we were at for a pint because it was close to the bus station and I wanted to catch an earlier bus cause he was clearly going to be tagging along and was starting to annoy me a bit) told me he got hit by a car.. I wasn’t into him that way anyway and I did try to by rounds and he said he didn’t care. Why am I defending myself? Some English bloke paid for everything, cause I’m fucking fun to be around.. #winning. Period.

Tompers agrees…

Oh right, back to Ireland… So the Burren… Father Ted’s house (which was based on the Aran Islands (allegedly) but is actually in the Burren). We went down for the day to do this 6km hike. The tourist website said to pack food, water and a compass. Thank god I didn’t listen to it because at the turn around point of the hike I could still see the car… the faking car was still visible because we had to drive it to the actual start point because the road was flooded out. Sure wish I had a picture so, because it was unbelievable.  All in all it was a bit shite, but I got to cross ‘er off the ol’ bucket list. I should mention all we wanted after our freezing cold rainy hike was some soup and NOTHING was open. Ended up at some thatched roof pub, which wasn’t all that warm, eating sub-par soup that wasn’t even hot…

Aran Islands of which we did Inishmore, might be worth another trip out to do the other two, we had this fantastic day at the beach…

I had some friends from Canada who happen to be in Galway one night, which thankfully I was not working and we were able to meet up and I took them on a tour of my lovely little city (love that I can call this place home). Turns out this city is so much fun. Having them with me made me realize I actually do live in this crazy city which feels like a small town and there is always craic to be had.  

I guess we’re back to my epic hangover. Your man from Belfast came down, you know the bar man. Cause turns out I’m that pretty, and Tompers left quite the impression as well. You know what I love about this place, is I feel like I don’t know anybody, then I’m out with somebody and turns out I know everybody. I feel like that should be song lyrics. Maybe I’ll write a song, my housemate did buy a piano and she’s way better than she thinks she is.

This is all I have to sum up many months, but it has made me realize it is time to start living here. A
little bit of roots wouldn’t be so bad… would it? As for your man from Belfast only time will tell. Tompers is keen on GTFO-ing Ireland, but he loves the sunshine more than me. And there is none of that here. Have I mentioned for the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE (well at least the life I remember) I have NO tan lines… I reckon my parents were class enough to keep me out of the sun as a babe so. 

Times, they are a changing...

A smile creeped across my face late at night, sitting alone in bed. TBH Tomps is with me, but as of late he just stares out the window on days we are not adventuring and I feel as though I have trapped him in a box. The poor bear needs to get out.. He’s started a countdown to Australia… Maybe he needs sunshine as much as me.

This blog has been hard to write because I was feeling stuck, and I’m starting to get ants in my pants. Tompers is restless and I feel his need to move in an overwhelming way. I think a big part of this feeling is all thanks to that accident and the pain I find myself feeling every day, and the frustration of not being able to physically do what I want. It is time I make peace with it. So here goes nothing…

I’m starting to collect pieces of who I want to be when I grow up… Which I guess means I do plan on growing up one day. Animal rescue it high on the list, I miss my pups every day and I’m ready to get a pup of my own to keep. A MurMur who never leaves my side and loves me as much as I love him and his furry little happiness. The thought of going back to school and being responsible seems like far too much commitment for me, but maybe now it is time to look into alternative education. Travelling the world is such an amazing experience. There is a part of me that thinks I might never stop moving. Seems 6 months in one place is long enough for me to be ready to hit the road again. I have decided I will definitely be spending the summer in Galway. Now is just the decision of when to get back to travelling before I return to Kelowna Spring 2017.

So where to from now?!? ..

So I went off the deep end…..  A touch. 

Turns out my self-control needs some testing... 

I am a true addict at heart. I just swap one addiction for another and right now my life is without an obsession. Turns out that is a bad place for me to be. 

So what did I do today? 

I decided tomorrow I need to swap my addictions to a new challenge. I want to be in the best shape of my life. I learned one very important thing when I came back from South America. It might seem obvious to some, but to me it really is a game changer. I have a problem with alcohol. 

It’s not the classic AA sort of thing. I can control my drinking if I want to, the problem is I don’t want to. More than anything what I have realized is the best shape of my life was acquired while I wasn’t drinking. I love alcohol and I LOVE wine, but the problem is when I tie one on, I do it proper.

I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to stop, does that make me an alcoholic? 

But I reckon it’s time. Now that my neck/back only hurts 65% of the time. I’m so tired of it, the pain that is. I WANT to be fit and healthy. 

There are just no calories left for alcohol if I’m going to do this right. I took before photos. Let’s see how this goes. I want to shape up because within two years from now I want to attend a 3 month surf camp in Straya… 

my life does have goals, they are just different from yours..

Burt Bacharach

Raindrops are falling....

As soon as I think or say the words I remember Docherty Avenue, sitting in a hot tub. In fact, every time it rains I think of this song...

Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
Crying's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me.

... And I say this like it’s something new here, the raindrops falling that is. I’m not sure the streets ever dry. The whirlwind of my “settling down” involved a night in Dublin which resulted in a handprint shaped bruise on my ass. Could I expect anything less from the Irish lad I had been chatting up for over 5 weeks while I was in Poland? Funny how we have now ran out of things to talk about, the physical chemistry is there the depth is missing. But, there is something lovely about a simple man with simple goals, his happiness is easy to achieve. It’s just a bit dull for the likes of me who discusses politics these days, is it too much to ask for a beautiful man with deep thoughts? Could I be content without a real discussion? We did have a rather entertaining argument about pairing socks. The jury is still out.

Sometimes tinder produces some gems and sometimes it’s an overly awkward pint, and me trying to be polite about getting the fuck out of there as fast as I can. I have come to the conclusion I’m starting to like men closer to my own age now that I’m all grown up. *cough* But seriously, I feel like I’ve been dating 36 year old men my whole life. I guess I’m still trying to find the same man I dated all those years ago that intrigued me. Only, now it seems ten years later that 36 year old men are not the same as they used to be. Which is probably why I found myself changing my “discovery preferences” on my Tinder account yesterday. Maybe it’s just old men on Tinder that are weird? Anyway enough of that rubbish.

There is one Irish man in my life over the age of 30 but he is in a league of his own. Maybe it was him telling me all about the Irish independence while my mouth was full, or my reading of “A Little History of the World” to him whilst sitting on him, that put him there. Comfort in your own skin is not something to be taken lightly.

I have hap hazardously tumbled into this incredible situation. My house mate is this cluster of brilliant white light. With a never ending positive wave, a sheer inability to sit still and a genuine gratefulness for the world around her. Sometimes you meet people in life at the most brilliant times. She reminds me so much of Carebear, she almost laughs the same. I guess she has always said if she won the lottery she would get a live in chef. So, she thinks she has won the lottery, and I think I have because I ended up in this amazing place that is Galway; thanks to her. I feel like if I can capture just a little bit of her and carry it in me it forever; it will make me an infinitely better person.

The church bells are ringing, Mumford and Sons is on the CD player (yes a CD player, it also plays cassettes what are those eh!) The sun is peaking through the rain clouds and I am filled with overwhelming feeling this is where I am meant to be at least for the time being. Why Galway I will never know but I think I need to thank Randell for that one.

I haven’t even bothered to look for a job yet, maybe that can be my new year’s resolution. Always best to pick one you can keep! For now I pass my days in the kitchen, not getting caught up in the consumerism of the season. I have resolved to spend Christmas here with Tompers and he has not requested anything for Christmas, although I may try to find him a green geansai.

Oh mother dear, I'm over here and I'm never coming back. What keeps me here are pints of beer, the whiskey and the craic!

Sláinte!