homeward bound!
So the festivities are over, waving goodbye to Mini Tree done and back to the air and trainathon for me, my first stop over a week ago being Cork! An exciting journey indeed given that the weather on the Tuesday (upon noticing that there were no train breakdowns or plane delays to be getting on with, despite my having booked travel weeks in advance and given the shadowy powers that be more than enough time to organise a monumental fuck up) predictably decided to make it’s presence felt and start up with, well, mischief.
Fortunately my journey was unaffected, but having spoken to others I certainly appear to have been lucky, although I arrived in Ireland’s second city distinctly green thanks to the less than desirable flight-in-small-plane-in-a-hurricane phenomenon, and the discovery that my entire working wardrobe was thoroughly dampened with Tesco Fiery Ginger Beer after I had chucked the can I hadn’t drank in my case before boarding the flight rather than bin it on arrival at Manchester Airport – I know, muppet – was less than helpful (and see pic). I will be keeping a close eye on things prior to my afternoon flight back from my current stomping ground of Belfast tomorrow, although all appears to be calm. No need to be thinking of that just yet, mind…
Cork, admittedly, passed by in something of a blur and any intention I had of going exploring was soon put paid to, mostly by the singularly enthusiastic and charming (if occasionally unintelligible) locals, and also by the completely knackered broadband in my hotel, this necessitating virtually every spare moment to be spent in a nearby McDonalds availing myself of their hotspot. The coffee’s actually not bad (and shamefully, nor were the Big Macs). I do recommend a visit purely because the place is rather lovely and the punters likewise, and even despite the hiccups I will certainly be going back.
After three nights of not much fresh air, virtually no sleep, a LOT of silly phone calls and a last minute hunt for Barry’s tea and Tanora fizzy pop (a tangerine lemonade which is possibly the Cork equivalent of Irn Bru) to take home before the train went (the Tanora didn’t last that long), I arrived in Dublin on Friday evening to the blessed relief of luxury digs complete with giant room, cloud-like bed (and Bed: Singular it was, rather than two beds of minutely differing heights clipped together and covered with a fitted sheet) complete with proper down accoutrements and marble bathroom with a proper bath which was as far as I got before coma set in, although not before a quick welcome dalliance with a charming young man who (amongst other things) reassured me that nobody else could understand people from West Cork either. And after a long weekend of shenanigans in the capital (including a delightful early doors send off on Monday morning following which I will not be short of Kindle-reading matter for a very long time!) I crossed the border around lunchtime and alighted in Belfast shortly before 2pm to yet another very well appointed temporary residence. But more of that shortly.
I will be back in Scarborough on Friday, and whilst I don’t expect to be available much before Monday (bar for those sensible folk who have already got their appointments all arranged in good time over the weekend), the phone will be on and any enquiries are welcome; my February London visit is fast approaching and the Friday is already almost fully spoken for. More tales of the Emerald Isle next time, but suffice to say it’s been a good one and I will be back!
Time for bed, said Zebedee. I shouldn’t say it, but I’m ab-so-lute-ly bloody knackered…
More soon. Promise.
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