I managed to get my pictures of Belfast online. If you click following link, you normally would be able to see them: http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=129i7fn7.nybw94j&x=1&y=g0j4sf.
Hope you like them. Looking forward hearing from you all.
saskia
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
Fourth Irish Sunday
The fourth Sunday I spend in Ireland is nearly finished. Another great day it was. Think it was nearly fifteen degrees, no wind, blue sky and loads of sunshine. Just can’t get over it. This is the fourth time that I’m in Ireland and despite all the ‘bad weather warnings’, I always had pretty good weather. Am starting to believe that it is just me. Because so far, the weather gods are definitely with me.
Julia and I went to Killarney today. It’s a funny thing, those Sunday trips. I stay in bed late, take my time to shower, have breakfast and than there is Julia proposing to drive somewhere. Killarney it was today. As she has some serious troubles with her hips and back, she most of time stays in the car. To enjoy her music and read a bit in the biography of Bill Clinton she got from her son Michael. So she just dropped me of at one of the entrances of Killarney National Park. Up to me to discover and explore. Reminds me always of my previous holidays in Ireland, travelling on my own through the country. And especially when the sun is shining as it was today, it isn’t hard to get in a holiday mood. It was really a pity I didn’t had a camera. Last weekend I borrowed the one from my office. But didn’t think about it this weekend. A shame. Killarney National Park is just amazing. Impressive. Walked to the waterfall. Nice walk. I only spend a short time in Killarney today, but I’m definitely coming back during the holidays. There is a nice hiking and cycling path around Kerry (the Ring of Kerry it’s called) and I definitely want to check it out. So if someone of you guys felt called to accompany me on a ‘couple-of-days-hiking-trip’, know you’re definitely welcome.
I have other big news for you all. Finally found a place to live in Cork City Centre. It’s a house about ten minutes outside the city centre. On a hill. I have to share it with four other people. A guy from Norway, one from Scotland and another from France and a girl from Canada. Only met the Norwegian and the Scottish one last Saturday. They looked all right. The house looked nice as well. My room is really small, but there is spacious kitchen (with washing machine and dryer, microwave). Besides there is a dining room and a sitting area with television and video. There even is a small garden, so we can have barbeque in the summer. Have to pay 65 euro a week plus bills for electricity and gas. Not too bad for Cork City. Although I definitely have to find a part time job for the weekends, as I’m only getting 115 euro a week from the Energy Agency. Ireland is amazingly expensive. Anyway, mail, post-packages (Belgian chocolate: the darker the better!!!!) and the latest gossips can be send to:
Julia and I went to Killarney today. It’s a funny thing, those Sunday trips. I stay in bed late, take my time to shower, have breakfast and than there is Julia proposing to drive somewhere. Killarney it was today. As she has some serious troubles with her hips and back, she most of time stays in the car. To enjoy her music and read a bit in the biography of Bill Clinton she got from her son Michael. So she just dropped me of at one of the entrances of Killarney National Park. Up to me to discover and explore. Reminds me always of my previous holidays in Ireland, travelling on my own through the country. And especially when the sun is shining as it was today, it isn’t hard to get in a holiday mood. It was really a pity I didn’t had a camera. Last weekend I borrowed the one from my office. But didn’t think about it this weekend. A shame. Killarney National Park is just amazing. Impressive. Walked to the waterfall. Nice walk. I only spend a short time in Killarney today, but I’m definitely coming back during the holidays. There is a nice hiking and cycling path around Kerry (the Ring of Kerry it’s called) and I definitely want to check it out. So if someone of you guys felt called to accompany me on a ‘couple-of-days-hiking-trip’, know you’re definitely welcome.
I have other big news for you all. Finally found a place to live in Cork City Centre. It’s a house about ten minutes outside the city centre. On a hill. I have to share it with four other people. A guy from Norway, one from Scotland and another from France and a girl from Canada. Only met the Norwegian and the Scottish one last Saturday. They looked all right. The house looked nice as well. My room is really small, but there is spacious kitchen (with washing machine and dryer, microwave). Besides there is a dining room and a sitting area with television and video. There even is a small garden, so we can have barbeque in the summer. Have to pay 65 euro a week plus bills for electricity and gas. Not too bad for Cork City. Although I definitely have to find a part time job for the weekends, as I’m only getting 115 euro a week from the Energy Agency. Ireland is amazingly expensive. Anyway, mail, post-packages (Belgian chocolate: the darker the better!!!!) and the latest gossips can be send to:
Saskia Van Goethem
Saint Luke’s
7 Mount View Terrace
Ballyhooly Road
Cork City
County Cork
Ireland.
I’m moving in next Monday (the 14th), so that I can spend Paddy’s day in the big city. Looking forward to it. Although I’ll miss Julia. ‘Cause she really took care of me those first weeks. I wanted to buy her that book on Eastenders, but looks like it is sold out in every bookshop in town. Gonna buy here some ‘Winning Street’ scratch cards. She loves watching that lottery game on television and it’s always more exciting watching a game if there is maybe a very small chance that you possibly have the prospect to win something. Or not.
It’s late now. I need some sleep. Here you all soon. Enjoy the week.
Saskia
It’s late now. I need some sleep. Here you all soon. Enjoy the week.
Saskia
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Belfast Part 2
Last summer when I was in Ireland I climbed Croagh Patrick. It was one of the most gruelling things I ever did in my live. ‘Cause I wasn’t prepared for it at all. I left the youth hostel in Westport thinking ‘let’s just climb that bloody mountain and take some pictures of the place where Saint Patrick chased the snakes from Ireland’. It took me actually more than two hours to get to the top and getting down was even harder. But it was indeed worth being on that particular place where Ireland’s patron saint had been hundreds and hundreds of years before to free Ireland from the snakes.
So, great was my consternation when Jonny announced Sunday morning that we were going to go the place where…..Saint Patrick chased away…..the snakes. We were miles and miles away from Westport, so it was quite clear to me that he was talking about another mountain than the one I climbed. And indeed, rumours go round that it wasn’t Croagh Patrick, but a place called Slemish where Saint Patrick performed the miracle. Rumours indeed, ‘cause Jonny, I’m still not convinced. But I’m indeed grateful that you drove us there, as there is now not the slightest doubt anymore about me being to the place where Saint Patrick. Feels great anyway.
After the obliged picture in Slemish we drove back to Jonny’s place. Taking a shower, drinking a nice cup of tea and getting ready for a very exciting sport afternoon. Well, for the boys anyway. Katie and I weren’t too keen on spending the whole afternoon in a crowded pub to watch rugby and the Liverpool soccer match afterwards. So the boys dropped us of at the Ulster Museum. We spend a good bit of the afternoon there. ‘t Was nice. They have a varied collection, from paintings from the old Flemish and Dutch masters, till the first Egyptian mummy outside Egypt and a good bit on Irish history as well. Meanwhile Ireland beat England in the Six Nations Cup, which was great indeed. We arrived in the Globe when Liverpool started the overtime against Chelsea (although I’m not for one hundred per cent sure if it was Chelsea. Was it?). Till about ten minutes before the end of the match it looked like Liverpool was going to win and that we were going to get some very happy guys back home, but then there was the own goal. A shame indeed, and it got even worse as Liverpool eventually lost the match with 2-3 (or 3-2, don’t even know which team was visiting. Shame on me again). Jonny was disappointed. Think they deserved to win the game.
Anyway, there wasn’t too much time for grieving as there was still another big thing on the program. Luka Bloom indeed. Again indeed. So we went back home, where Jonny’s mum served us a delicious spaghetti and than back into the car, towards the Waterfront Hall. The concert hall looked very modern, very spacious, impressive. Luka was playing in the Studios. I found us a nice seat on the fourth row. The show was good. Although he played nearly exact the same set list as in Dublin, the atmosphere was completely different. No drinking here. Full attention. A very modest audience. Which made it very intimate. No standing ovation (there was one in Dublin), only one encore (there were two in Dublin), but nevertheless a great show. And he did play ‘I’m a bogman’. The song the three of us were waiting for, especially after the macabre experience we had there the day before.
I was kind of expecting the weekend to be over after the concert, but I was definitely wrong there. So after the gig back in the cab, towards Jonny’s local pub again. When we arrived there, the door was already closed. But people were still in, so after a short chat with the ‘very dangerous looking bouncer with the earphones’ Jonny managed to get us in. We were just in time for ‘last orders’ (a very peculiar Irish (and English) phenomenon: just order as much as you can, ‘cause there is no chance to get another drink after that call). And still the party wasn’t over. Back to Jonny’s kitchen. Where I had…..my…..first…..dancing lesson. Yes mum and dad, me dancing in a ‘stranger’s’ kitchen. After Darren and his fiancée left, Jonny’s mum and Pat just started to dance. I initially opted for the safe way: sitting in the corner of the kitchen, sipping my white wine, taking a picture from time to time. But the more drink there was served, the more obvious it became there was no way for me to escape the ‘dance floor’. And I did enjoy it. And indeed I was a bit clumsy at the start. But who cared? The five of us were kind of drunk, so it was just a matter of having a good time. And I definitely had. The hours flew by and before we knew it was half past five. I had to catch my bus at eight. As there was no time left to enjoy a good night’s rest, we just took a one-hours’ nap and get up again at a quarter to seven. Jonny’s mum had breakfast ready for us (she didn’t went to bed yet). Isn’t she great?
I nearly missed my bus back to Dublin ( the driver wasn’t very happy about waiting for me running to the ticket office to buy a ticket). The way back was hell. I hoped to sleep, but just couldn’t. Suffered a small hangover. Had to change bus two times and was afraid to miss my stop by falling asleep. Anyway, I arrived in Mallow around five, which wasn’t too bad. I had kind of planned to have a quick sandwich and get into my bed. Suffering from a headache, I wasn’t in the mood for chatting at all. But I forgot about Julia of course. So the minute I entered the house she started firing questions on me about the weekend. “How was it? Did you spend a lot of money? Isn’t amazing how quick time goes? How was the concert? Did you find a place to stay in Dublin”. I know she was just interested but it just wasn’t really what I needed at that time of the day. So I politely answered some of her questions and sneaked upstairs after about an hour. Fell asleep at six ‘o clock and slept till my alarm woke me up the next morning for another day at work.
A great weekend it was indeed. Although we didn’t see too much of Belfast itself, I definitely had a great Northern Irish experience up there. It was more than a hospitable welcome. The Antrim Coast was just amazing. Was overwhelmed by the weather. I know people in Belgium are suffering a very severe winter at the moment, but weather last weekend was just amazing. Blue sky, no wind, the sun shining. Think “the bad weather myth” is just a story the Irish made up to keep those bloody tourists out. And right they are.
Saskia
So, great was my consternation when Jonny announced Sunday morning that we were going to go the place where…..Saint Patrick chased away…..the snakes. We were miles and miles away from Westport, so it was quite clear to me that he was talking about another mountain than the one I climbed. And indeed, rumours go round that it wasn’t Croagh Patrick, but a place called Slemish where Saint Patrick performed the miracle. Rumours indeed, ‘cause Jonny, I’m still not convinced. But I’m indeed grateful that you drove us there, as there is now not the slightest doubt anymore about me being to the place where Saint Patrick. Feels great anyway.
After the obliged picture in Slemish we drove back to Jonny’s place. Taking a shower, drinking a nice cup of tea and getting ready for a very exciting sport afternoon. Well, for the boys anyway. Katie and I weren’t too keen on spending the whole afternoon in a crowded pub to watch rugby and the Liverpool soccer match afterwards. So the boys dropped us of at the Ulster Museum. We spend a good bit of the afternoon there. ‘t Was nice. They have a varied collection, from paintings from the old Flemish and Dutch masters, till the first Egyptian mummy outside Egypt and a good bit on Irish history as well. Meanwhile Ireland beat England in the Six Nations Cup, which was great indeed. We arrived in the Globe when Liverpool started the overtime against Chelsea (although I’m not for one hundred per cent sure if it was Chelsea. Was it?). Till about ten minutes before the end of the match it looked like Liverpool was going to win and that we were going to get some very happy guys back home, but then there was the own goal. A shame indeed, and it got even worse as Liverpool eventually lost the match with 2-3 (or 3-2, don’t even know which team was visiting. Shame on me again). Jonny was disappointed. Think they deserved to win the game.
Anyway, there wasn’t too much time for grieving as there was still another big thing on the program. Luka Bloom indeed. Again indeed. So we went back home, where Jonny’s mum served us a delicious spaghetti and than back into the car, towards the Waterfront Hall. The concert hall looked very modern, very spacious, impressive. Luka was playing in the Studios. I found us a nice seat on the fourth row. The show was good. Although he played nearly exact the same set list as in Dublin, the atmosphere was completely different. No drinking here. Full attention. A very modest audience. Which made it very intimate. No standing ovation (there was one in Dublin), only one encore (there were two in Dublin), but nevertheless a great show. And he did play ‘I’m a bogman’. The song the three of us were waiting for, especially after the macabre experience we had there the day before.
I was kind of expecting the weekend to be over after the concert, but I was definitely wrong there. So after the gig back in the cab, towards Jonny’s local pub again. When we arrived there, the door was already closed. But people were still in, so after a short chat with the ‘very dangerous looking bouncer with the earphones’ Jonny managed to get us in. We were just in time for ‘last orders’ (a very peculiar Irish (and English) phenomenon: just order as much as you can, ‘cause there is no chance to get another drink after that call). And still the party wasn’t over. Back to Jonny’s kitchen. Where I had…..my…..first…..dancing lesson. Yes mum and dad, me dancing in a ‘stranger’s’ kitchen. After Darren and his fiancée left, Jonny’s mum and Pat just started to dance. I initially opted for the safe way: sitting in the corner of the kitchen, sipping my white wine, taking a picture from time to time. But the more drink there was served, the more obvious it became there was no way for me to escape the ‘dance floor’. And I did enjoy it. And indeed I was a bit clumsy at the start. But who cared? The five of us were kind of drunk, so it was just a matter of having a good time. And I definitely had. The hours flew by and before we knew it was half past five. I had to catch my bus at eight. As there was no time left to enjoy a good night’s rest, we just took a one-hours’ nap and get up again at a quarter to seven. Jonny’s mum had breakfast ready for us (she didn’t went to bed yet). Isn’t she great?
I nearly missed my bus back to Dublin ( the driver wasn’t very happy about waiting for me running to the ticket office to buy a ticket). The way back was hell. I hoped to sleep, but just couldn’t. Suffered a small hangover. Had to change bus two times and was afraid to miss my stop by falling asleep. Anyway, I arrived in Mallow around five, which wasn’t too bad. I had kind of planned to have a quick sandwich and get into my bed. Suffering from a headache, I wasn’t in the mood for chatting at all. But I forgot about Julia of course. So the minute I entered the house she started firing questions on me about the weekend. “How was it? Did you spend a lot of money? Isn’t amazing how quick time goes? How was the concert? Did you find a place to stay in Dublin”. I know she was just interested but it just wasn’t really what I needed at that time of the day. So I politely answered some of her questions and sneaked upstairs after about an hour. Fell asleep at six ‘o clock and slept till my alarm woke me up the next morning for another day at work.
A great weekend it was indeed. Although we didn’t see too much of Belfast itself, I definitely had a great Northern Irish experience up there. It was more than a hospitable welcome. The Antrim Coast was just amazing. Was overwhelmed by the weather. I know people in Belgium are suffering a very severe winter at the moment, but weather last weekend was just amazing. Blue sky, no wind, the sun shining. Think “the bad weather myth” is just a story the Irish made up to keep those bloody tourists out. And right they are.
Saskia
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