What's good:
* Winter is never that bad! The temperature may drop to 4 degrees at night and the days may only get to 16 (which feels very cold, even though it was colder in the UK), the cold weather only lasts a few days and then warm (even hot) weather is back!We recently had a whole week of glorious, warm days and nights.
* People are friendly - mostly. It was quite a welcome change to experience the friendliness of people in PE - even shop assistants are smiling and helpful. It really is the 'friendly city'!
* Petrol attendants - I had one hilarious (and unsuccessful) attempt at putting my own petrol in a car in the UK, and so it is really great to have someone do that for you - even if you have to make sure that the right petrol is put in and that the petrol cap is put back on!
* The Beachfront - PE still has one of the nicest beachfronts. Km's of sandy beaches and a lovely long walkway along most of it. Combine this with some nice places to eat or have a drink and you realise you don't really even need to go away on holiday - it's all on your doorstep.
* Wide streets and big parking bays - its wonderful to be able to get in & out of parkings and to be able to drive down streets without performing amazing manouevres to get out the way of a bus that is coming towards you in a street that can only fit one car (let alone a bus!).
* Language - it's good to be back in a place where people understand you!
What's not so good:
* Prices - everything seems to have almost doubled since we were here 4 years ago - but salaries have stayed the same! Combine this with high utility bills and I'm not sure how people survive.
* Paying car guards - it can be quite costly if you go to a number of places. There are car guards just about everywhere and you feel obliged to pay R2 even if you only go in for 5 minutes or even if your husband waits in the car (effectively guarding it himself) - the car guard told me that he had watched over him too! You can end up paying R10 a day or more, depending on how many places you go to. Ok, it probably is comforting to know your car will (hopefully) still be there when you get back, but maybe its time for the shops to employee their own car guards so one doesn't have to pay, pay, pay!
* Home Affairs! Well, I don't think it would be news to anyone that going to Home Affairs is a complete nightmare! I had to get my ID book updated and it was a most frustrating affair! I also got to experience the Traffic Department - equally frustrating! Be prepared to wait a long time!
* Not a nation of animal lovers! The shocking stories in the newspapers of poor treatment of animals makes you realise this is not a nation of animal lovers. Compare this to the UK where you can get just about anything a pet of any sort could possibly want (remember Reggie was the most pampered rat in the world) and the fact that animal shelters really do look after the animals they take in - it is a sad reality that SA is very far behind in this respect.
* Crime - not that we've been affected by crime, but just the fact that you can't go many places that you would've gone or do things you would've done for fear of it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Back to the beginning
PE Girl has found her way back to PE! We have been back since 13 May and loving it. A lot has changed in the 4 years (almost exactly) since we left. More on that later.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Flickr photos
Don't forget you can click on the link to the left to look at more photos.
Just click on 'Click here to look at more photos' - which will take you to photos in my Flickr album.
To come back to my blog, click on the 'Back' button.
Just click on 'Click here to look at more photos' - which will take you to photos in my Flickr album.
To come back to my blog, click on the 'Back' button.
Places to see, things to do
NORTHWICH
Northwich is a city that is near to where we live that also has an interesting, historical background. Rock salt was discovered in the 1670s which led to the establishment of a number of mines in the area, but the lack of good transport links hindered progress. The solution to the problem was the Anderton Boat Lift, built in 1875, which transfered boats hydraulically between the canal and river.
Here is a picture of the boat lift - you might just be able to see a boat coming out of the lift
Subsidence became a serious problem for the town from the 1870s as brine pumping was used to extract salt from flooded mines, which led to the dramatic collapse of buildings, canals and roads. After this, new buildings were built with light timber framing which could be jacked-up if the ground gave way and, in the worst cases, they could be moved to new locations.
A major programme was launched in 1987 to stabilise the abandoned salt mines beneath Northwich.
AVIATION VIEWING PARK
Manchester Airport has an Aviation Viewing Park where you can go to watch the planes come & go.
You have to pay to enter. There are 3 wooden viewing platforms that are raised up to give you a good view over the fence, which are very popular with photographers and plane enthusiasts. There is also a restaurant that is situated next to the Concorde Hangar where you can pay extra and have a tour of the Concorde.
Here are some photos from the Aviation Viewing Park
A viewing platform with a plane going by
An Emirates plane - just landed and taxiing to the terminal
A Virgin Jumbo taking off
The Concorde hangar with restaurant through glass windows
THE TRAFFORD CENTRE SHOPPING CENTRE
The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located in Greater Manchester. The planning process for the Trafford Centre was one of the longest and most expensive in the history of the United Kingdom. Ultimately the matter was decided by the House of Lords. The Trafford Centre was opened in 1998, after the idea was born in 1984.
It has 137,346.65 square metres of retail space and attracts 30 million visits annually. There is plenty free parking and you will find most of the shops you have come to know & love in the UK including a 4-storey Marks and Spencer. There is also a branch of Selfridges – the first Selfridges outside London.
The food hall is quite impressive – you start by going through an area with different restaurants to a large open food hall that has takeaway food all around a central seating area. It is shaped a bit like a ship.
Another part of the shopping centre is called Barton square which is linked by a glass-covered bridge. The architecture of the square is italian and includes many statues and a large fountain. There is also a campanile tower. The shops in the square are mostly homeware like Next Home, BHS Home and M&S Home.
Northwich is a city that is near to where we live that also has an interesting, historical background. Rock salt was discovered in the 1670s which led to the establishment of a number of mines in the area, but the lack of good transport links hindered progress. The solution to the problem was the Anderton Boat Lift, built in 1875, which transfered boats hydraulically between the canal and river.
Here is a picture of the boat lift - you might just be able to see a boat coming out of the lift
Subsidence became a serious problem for the town from the 1870s as brine pumping was used to extract salt from flooded mines, which led to the dramatic collapse of buildings, canals and roads. After this, new buildings were built with light timber framing which could be jacked-up if the ground gave way and, in the worst cases, they could be moved to new locations.
A major programme was launched in 1987 to stabilise the abandoned salt mines beneath Northwich.
AVIATION VIEWING PARK
Manchester Airport has an Aviation Viewing Park where you can go to watch the planes come & go.
You have to pay to enter. There are 3 wooden viewing platforms that are raised up to give you a good view over the fence, which are very popular with photographers and plane enthusiasts. There is also a restaurant that is situated next to the Concorde Hangar where you can pay extra and have a tour of the Concorde.
Here are some photos from the Aviation Viewing Park
A viewing platform with a plane going by
An Emirates plane - just landed and taxiing to the terminal
A Virgin Jumbo taking off
The Concorde hangar with restaurant through glass windows
THE TRAFFORD CENTRE SHOPPING CENTRE
The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located in Greater Manchester. The planning process for the Trafford Centre was one of the longest and most expensive in the history of the United Kingdom. Ultimately the matter was decided by the House of Lords. The Trafford Centre was opened in 1998, after the idea was born in 1984.
It has 137,346.65 square metres of retail space and attracts 30 million visits annually. There is plenty free parking and you will find most of the shops you have come to know & love in the UK including a 4-storey Marks and Spencer. There is also a branch of Selfridges – the first Selfridges outside London.
The food hall is quite impressive – you start by going through an area with different restaurants to a large open food hall that has takeaway food all around a central seating area. It is shaped a bit like a ship.
Another part of the shopping centre is called Barton square which is linked by a glass-covered bridge. The architecture of the square is italian and includes many statues and a large fountain. There is also a campanile tower. The shops in the square are mostly homeware like Next Home, BHS Home and M&S Home.
Eating out in Cheshire
We have been in Cheshire for just over 6 weeks now and these are two places we have tried out (and yes, one's a chinese buffet!)
JABULA, ELLESMERE PORT
On our 2nd day in Chester, we came across a South African restaurant called ‘Jabula’. Jabula means ‘happiness’ in Xhosa and Zulu. I couldn’t believe it - we had to go in and check it out. It is situated on the waterfront next to the Manchester Ship Canal.
They have an extensive dinner menu including many South African dishes like bobotie, Durban curry and springbok steak. The lunchtime menu had other favourites like savoury vetkoek and boerewors rolls. They also stock South African & Kenyan beer as well as South African wine. The décor is very African and Johnny Clegg was playing in the background. I had a savoury vetkoek which was filled with mince and came with chips. Richard had pap & wors – which was very tasty. For dessert we shared a lemon meringue pie. It came in a little individual pie dish, served with cream, ice cream and a drizzle of lemon which made it all very tasty. There weren’t any other South African desserts available though – just cheesecake and chocolate cake.
The prices are very reasonable and the staff are all South African. There is also a little shop upstairs where you can buy all your favourite goodies.
So that was a good find!
BUFFET CITY, CHESTER
Of course we had to find a good Chinese buffet in the area. After much research on the internet, we settled on one in Chester called Buffet City. As with other Chinese buffets, we always find a few different dishes. This time dim sum, vegetable omelette and beef satay. There was also a salad bar with some very nice fresh salads. And most importantly, there was a dessert section which included jelly with a condensed milk topping, litchies, fruit cocktail and chocolate cake. These were just the ones I tried, there were a few other desserts including deep fried peanuts in a sugar coating!
In all they have 60 dishes for £6.90 each (Saturday lunchtime price), so well worth it – and we hope to be going back again!
JABULA, ELLESMERE PORT
On our 2nd day in Chester, we came across a South African restaurant called ‘Jabula’. Jabula means ‘happiness’ in Xhosa and Zulu. I couldn’t believe it - we had to go in and check it out. It is situated on the waterfront next to the Manchester Ship Canal.
They have an extensive dinner menu including many South African dishes like bobotie, Durban curry and springbok steak. The lunchtime menu had other favourites like savoury vetkoek and boerewors rolls. They also stock South African & Kenyan beer as well as South African wine. The décor is very African and Johnny Clegg was playing in the background. I had a savoury vetkoek which was filled with mince and came with chips. Richard had pap & wors – which was very tasty. For dessert we shared a lemon meringue pie. It came in a little individual pie dish, served with cream, ice cream and a drizzle of lemon which made it all very tasty. There weren’t any other South African desserts available though – just cheesecake and chocolate cake.
The prices are very reasonable and the staff are all South African. There is also a little shop upstairs where you can buy all your favourite goodies.
So that was a good find!
BUFFET CITY, CHESTER
Of course we had to find a good Chinese buffet in the area. After much research on the internet, we settled on one in Chester called Buffet City. As with other Chinese buffets, we always find a few different dishes. This time dim sum, vegetable omelette and beef satay. There was also a salad bar with some very nice fresh salads. And most importantly, there was a dessert section which included jelly with a condensed milk topping, litchies, fruit cocktail and chocolate cake. These were just the ones I tried, there were a few other desserts including deep fried peanuts in a sugar coating!
In all they have 60 dishes for £6.90 each (Saturday lunchtime price), so well worth it – and we hope to be going back again!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Buffets - a brief interlude
You may have gathered that we like our buffets. We do like to try out other restaurants too, but buffets offer such value for money and when you’re saving hard, buffets are the best value.
I guess my love of buffets started in PE when we used to regularly go to 'All you can eat night' on Tuesday nights at Pizza Inn on Cape Road. They very sneakily only gave you thick-crust pizza which meant you filled up quickly. I'm pretty sure 21 slices was my absolute best.
Arriving in the London opened up a whole new world of buffets and for a South African with limited funds, this was great! A place called 'Deep Pan Pizza Co.' offered all you can eat pizza, pasta and salad and I went there often.
We have since moved around the UK and experienced a whole variety of buffets - which I have listed below.
We mostly seem to go for chinese buffets and have tried at least one in the following cities: London, Durham, Newcastle (Metrocentre), Southampton, Portsmouth, Aldershot, Dublin, Belfast and Chester. Its hard to pick a favourite, but we do know that Mr Wu in London, with its choice of just 8 dishes, really doesn’t compare anymore.
These are other buffets we have tried out:
American Style – Big Lukes at the Metrocentre, Newcastle
We were drawn to Big Lukes as it offered things like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and spaghetti bolognese. Unfortunately everything was really tasteless and disappointing
Japanese – Zen in Southampton
Zen had a buffet on Sundays for people to try various different Japanese dishes including sushi. The sushi was extremely tasty. The main dishes were very similar to chinese food, dishes like chicken skewers in satay sauce, vegetable tempura and beef in black bean sauce
Thai – Kutis in Southampton
Kutis offers a very nice selection of Thai food at its lunchtime & dinner buffets. The buffet is very well set out so you can start with salads, then onto starters & soup, then the main dishes and then dessert. They change the dishes often too so you don't always get the same dish each time you go. They once had a fish soup which was really tasty - but I never came across it again.
Chinese AND Indian – Ghandi’s Chopsticks in Southampton
We had to try this one out as it offered a selection of Chinese and Indian food. However, Indian buffets are extremely filling as most dishes have potatoes in them. It was a nice experience, but I remember being too full to move afterwards.
Indian – Bombay Dreams, Montrose, Scotland
I really can’t remember much about this one, but I do remember it being a tasty indian buffet. One of my favourite Indian dishes is a spinach and cheese dish called Saag Paneer. Paneer is an unaged, non-melting cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice.
Indian - Moore Street Mall, Dublin
This buffet was in an international food market area in Dublin which included an African food buffet. The food was very authentic and very tasty. The best was the biryani dish.
Italian - Puccinis in Southampton
This was an interesting one and extremely filling. Dishes included garlic bread, pasta & sausage, Bolognese, lasagne and pizza. There was also a salad bar.
Spanish – La Tasca in Basingstoke
La Tasca offered ‘Tapas for a Tenner’ where you can order as many dishes from the tapas menu as you can eat (3 at a time). Unfortunately the dishes weren’t all that tasty – but we did manage to try them all. The choice included olives, garlic bread, albondigas (meatballs), patatas bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce), paella, mixed seafood and a selection of spanish meats. My favourite was the tomato & mozzarella dish as it was very refreshing.
Pizza - Pizza Hut - various locations
Pizza Hut offers a lunchtime buffet where you can eat as much pizza, pasta and salad dishes as you like. Pretty standard - pretty tasty.
SOUTH AFRICAN BUFFETS
South Africa also has its fair share of buffets and PE has some really nice ones. You won’t necessarily find a chinese buffet, but the buffets you will find are very nice. We have only been to 2 in PE and 1 at Spier wine farm, near Cape Town but we know that there are more waiting for us.
What is nice about South African buffets is that they tend to consist of a selection of your favourite South African dishes.
BUFFETS IN PE
PE Golf Club
There is a Sunday Family Carvery Buffet lunch every Sunday at the golf club and it is amazing! You just quite simply want to try every single dish and so you find yourself going back for more and more. Desserts were amazing here too and you have to try get to the desserts early as it seems its some people’s favourite part of the meal! I'm sure some people skipped the mains and went straight for the desserts!
Bayside Pantry (dinner)
Described as a gourmet buffet that includes salads, seafood, stir fries, carvery and desserts. It was another painful experience in that we were too full too move afterwards. Bayside also has a breakfast buffet which we look forward to trying out soon.
BUFFETS IN CAPE TOWN
Spier Wine farm
We spent a couple nights at Spier Wine farm during one of our holidays back in SA. Spier has changed and expanded since we were there - around May 2002. At the time there were 2 restaurants. We stayed 2 nights and tried them both out. The one restaurant offered a buffet and it was incredible – it consisted of South African and Cape Malay dishes. I wish I could remember it all, but I do remember that even though I was too full to move, the desserts had to be tried – all of them!
There is now a new buffet option at Spier called Moyo – which we also look forward to trying. It is an enormous outdoor restaurant with dishes like steaks, potjies, salads, fish, breads, calamari, and desserts.
I hope I have made you all hungry - and not ill from the thought of all that food!! I know I am hungry and dreaming of the next buffet experience!
I guess my love of buffets started in PE when we used to regularly go to 'All you can eat night' on Tuesday nights at Pizza Inn on Cape Road. They very sneakily only gave you thick-crust pizza which meant you filled up quickly. I'm pretty sure 21 slices was my absolute best.
Arriving in the London opened up a whole new world of buffets and for a South African with limited funds, this was great! A place called 'Deep Pan Pizza Co.' offered all you can eat pizza, pasta and salad and I went there often.
We have since moved around the UK and experienced a whole variety of buffets - which I have listed below.
We mostly seem to go for chinese buffets and have tried at least one in the following cities: London, Durham, Newcastle (Metrocentre), Southampton, Portsmouth, Aldershot, Dublin, Belfast and Chester. Its hard to pick a favourite, but we do know that Mr Wu in London, with its choice of just 8 dishes, really doesn’t compare anymore.
These are other buffets we have tried out:
American Style – Big Lukes at the Metrocentre, Newcastle
We were drawn to Big Lukes as it offered things like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and spaghetti bolognese. Unfortunately everything was really tasteless and disappointing
Japanese – Zen in Southampton
Zen had a buffet on Sundays for people to try various different Japanese dishes including sushi. The sushi was extremely tasty. The main dishes were very similar to chinese food, dishes like chicken skewers in satay sauce, vegetable tempura and beef in black bean sauce
Thai – Kutis in Southampton
Kutis offers a very nice selection of Thai food at its lunchtime & dinner buffets. The buffet is very well set out so you can start with salads, then onto starters & soup, then the main dishes and then dessert. They change the dishes often too so you don't always get the same dish each time you go. They once had a fish soup which was really tasty - but I never came across it again.
Chinese AND Indian – Ghandi’s Chopsticks in Southampton
We had to try this one out as it offered a selection of Chinese and Indian food. However, Indian buffets are extremely filling as most dishes have potatoes in them. It was a nice experience, but I remember being too full to move afterwards.
Indian – Bombay Dreams, Montrose, Scotland
I really can’t remember much about this one, but I do remember it being a tasty indian buffet. One of my favourite Indian dishes is a spinach and cheese dish called Saag Paneer. Paneer is an unaged, non-melting cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice.
Indian - Moore Street Mall, Dublin
This buffet was in an international food market area in Dublin which included an African food buffet. The food was very authentic and very tasty. The best was the biryani dish.
Italian - Puccinis in Southampton
This was an interesting one and extremely filling. Dishes included garlic bread, pasta & sausage, Bolognese, lasagne and pizza. There was also a salad bar.
Spanish – La Tasca in Basingstoke
La Tasca offered ‘Tapas for a Tenner’ where you can order as many dishes from the tapas menu as you can eat (3 at a time). Unfortunately the dishes weren’t all that tasty – but we did manage to try them all. The choice included olives, garlic bread, albondigas (meatballs), patatas bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce), paella, mixed seafood and a selection of spanish meats. My favourite was the tomato & mozzarella dish as it was very refreshing.
Pizza - Pizza Hut - various locations
Pizza Hut offers a lunchtime buffet where you can eat as much pizza, pasta and salad dishes as you like. Pretty standard - pretty tasty.
SOUTH AFRICAN BUFFETS
South Africa also has its fair share of buffets and PE has some really nice ones. You won’t necessarily find a chinese buffet, but the buffets you will find are very nice. We have only been to 2 in PE and 1 at Spier wine farm, near Cape Town but we know that there are more waiting for us.
What is nice about South African buffets is that they tend to consist of a selection of your favourite South African dishes.
BUFFETS IN PE
PE Golf Club
There is a Sunday Family Carvery Buffet lunch every Sunday at the golf club and it is amazing! You just quite simply want to try every single dish and so you find yourself going back for more and more. Desserts were amazing here too and you have to try get to the desserts early as it seems its some people’s favourite part of the meal! I'm sure some people skipped the mains and went straight for the desserts!
Bayside Pantry (dinner)
Described as a gourmet buffet that includes salads, seafood, stir fries, carvery and desserts. It was another painful experience in that we were too full too move afterwards. Bayside also has a breakfast buffet which we look forward to trying out soon.
BUFFETS IN CAPE TOWN
Spier Wine farm
We spent a couple nights at Spier Wine farm during one of our holidays back in SA. Spier has changed and expanded since we were there - around May 2002. At the time there were 2 restaurants. We stayed 2 nights and tried them both out. The one restaurant offered a buffet and it was incredible – it consisted of South African and Cape Malay dishes. I wish I could remember it all, but I do remember that even though I was too full to move, the desserts had to be tried – all of them!
There is now a new buffet option at Spier called Moyo – which we also look forward to trying. It is an enormous outdoor restaurant with dishes like steaks, potjies, salads, fish, breads, calamari, and desserts.
I hope I have made you all hungry - and not ill from the thought of all that food!! I know I am hungry and dreaming of the next buffet experience!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Do you speak English?
When you first arrive in the UK, you soon realise that even though you all speak English, you don’t speak the same English! Don’t tell a British person you like their ‘pants’ – it means underwear in the UK! I was asked how I knew what pants they had on?! All very confusing. British people also don’t understand South African English – saying ‘robot’ (traffic light) conjures up images of robotic creatures walking around.
Here’s a selective list of words that the English know and love, but which might prove eye-opening to those who don't speak the Queen's English.
absobloodylutely
Absolutely
alright!
Hello. A greeting. No answer is expected to what is inherently a question.
Also pronounced ‘awlright’.
argy-bargy
Arguing, as in “them two was having a right argy-bargy”.
bloke
A Man
box
Television, as in “Let’s see what’s on the box tonight.”
chap
A man. Usually associated with the speech of the upper classes, as in "I say old
chap, fancy joining us for a gin and tonic?"
cheap-as-chips
Extremely cheap
chew the fat
To chat
chippy
A chip shop. Except it’s usually a fish ‘n chip shop where you can also get pies &
battered sausages.
cream crackered
Tired out, exhausted. Rhyming slang for 'knackered'.
deep sea diver
A five pound note. Rhyming slang for ‘fiver’.
deffo
Definitely
geezer
A man - more ‘laddish'
giddy aunt
A mild exclamation of surprise, as in “oh my giddy aunt!”
good egg
A liked and favoured person
good on ya
Well done
governor
One's employer. Often spelt guvner.
grand
£1,000
a ton
£100
greasy spoon
An inexpensive café selling mostly fried things like bacon, sausages and eggs.
half-inch
To steal. Rhyming slang for 'pinch'. As in, “Who’s half-inched my pen?”
hole-in-the-wall
A cash point
innit
Shortened from "isn’t it"
jammy
Fortunate, lucky, as in “That jammy geezer just won a tenner on the fruit machines!”
local
A common term for a pub that is near to where you live, as in 'I'll see you down the local at eight”.
love
A friendly term of address, as in “Can I help you love?”
missus
The wife or girlfriend.
muppet
A foolish or stupid person, as in "Don't be a muppet”
nice one!
A general expression of approval.
numpty
Idiot
pants!
It can be used as an exclamation of frustration or to describe something that is bad or rubbish, as in “did you watch the Arsenal match, wasn't it pants?”
plonker
A stupid person
porkies
Lies. From the rhyming slang ‘pork-pies’.
prat
Idiot
quid
One pound
quids-in
In profit, as in "After the deduction of all my bills I was still quids-in".
skive
To avoid working, as in “the boss caught me skiving!”
shattered
Tired
skint
Without money
taters
Cold (pronounced tay-ters), as in "It's right taters today"
window licker
A name for the sort of nutter who sits next to you on the bus and does something weird.
Here’s a selective list of words that the English know and love, but which might prove eye-opening to those who don't speak the Queen's English.
absobloodylutely
Absolutely
alright!
Hello. A greeting. No answer is expected to what is inherently a question.
Also pronounced ‘awlright’.
argy-bargy
Arguing, as in “them two was having a right argy-bargy”.
bloke
A Man
box
Television, as in “Let’s see what’s on the box tonight.”
chap
A man. Usually associated with the speech of the upper classes, as in "I say old
chap, fancy joining us for a gin and tonic?"
cheap-as-chips
Extremely cheap
chew the fat
To chat
chippy
A chip shop. Except it’s usually a fish ‘n chip shop where you can also get pies &
battered sausages.
cream crackered
Tired out, exhausted. Rhyming slang for 'knackered'.
deep sea diver
A five pound note. Rhyming slang for ‘fiver’.
deffo
Definitely
geezer
A man - more ‘laddish'
giddy aunt
A mild exclamation of surprise, as in “oh my giddy aunt!”
good egg
A liked and favoured person
good on ya
Well done
governor
One's employer. Often spelt guvner.
grand
£1,000
a ton
£100
greasy spoon
An inexpensive café selling mostly fried things like bacon, sausages and eggs.
half-inch
To steal. Rhyming slang for 'pinch'. As in, “Who’s half-inched my pen?”
hole-in-the-wall
A cash point
innit
Shortened from "isn’t it"
jammy
Fortunate, lucky, as in “That jammy geezer just won a tenner on the fruit machines!”
local
A common term for a pub that is near to where you live, as in 'I'll see you down the local at eight”.
love
A friendly term of address, as in “Can I help you love?”
missus
The wife or girlfriend.
muppet
A foolish or stupid person, as in "Don't be a muppet”
nice one!
A general expression of approval.
numpty
Idiot
pants!
It can be used as an exclamation of frustration or to describe something that is bad or rubbish, as in “did you watch the Arsenal match, wasn't it pants?”
plonker
A stupid person
porkies
Lies. From the rhyming slang ‘pork-pies’.
prat
Idiot
quid
One pound
quids-in
In profit, as in "After the deduction of all my bills I was still quids-in".
skive
To avoid working, as in “the boss caught me skiving!”
shattered
Tired
skint
Without money
taters
Cold (pronounced tay-ters), as in "It's right taters today"
window licker
A name for the sort of nutter who sits next to you on the bus and does something weird.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
All about Chester
We are living in NW England in the county of Cheshire. Chester is one of the largest cities in Cheshire and certainly one of the most beautiful and historical cities I have seen. I have been out and about a bit in Chester and this is what I’ve seen and learned about the city.
The Walls
Chester is also called the Walled City as it has the most complete circuit of city walls in the country. The city started out as a Roman fortress 2,000 years ago. The Normans extended the original circuit, building freestanding walls and adding towers, gates and a ditch.
A walk along the walls is a great way to see Chester - the full circuit measuring about 3km. Amongst other things, you will see the cathedral, the castle, the river and the racecourse. The racecourse is the oldest racecourse in the country and was once the site of a massive Roman harbour
This is a picture of part of the race course, also showing some of the wall (ok, I'm not a great photographer... yet)
The Cathedral
There has been a place of worship on the site of the present cathedral for more than 1000 years. In the Dark Ages the Saxons built a wooden church on the site. In 1057 the church was rebuilt and later refounded as a Benedictine monastery. It was made a cathedral when Henry VIII dissolved the monastery in 1540.
Because of its history, the cathedral has architectural styles from almost every century since the 10th - from norman arches to gothic columns, amazing medieval woodcarvings to spectacular stained glass.
Chester Castle
Chester Castle isn’t as you’d imagine an old majestic castle to be. Apparently is was once very different to how it now looks. William the Conqueror built the original structure in 1070 - basically an earth mound with a timber tower and an enclosure defended by a ditch. The tower was later rebuilt in stone with much of the work completed in the Middle Ages. After Cromwell’s success in the civil war, he decided to make the castle ‘uninhabitable’, and most of the medieval structure was destroyed. In the 18th century the ruins of the old castle were removed and a new outer wall was built to a design by Thomas Harrison. A massive gateway in the Greek Doric order was later added. Harrison's new-look castle was described as 'one of the most powerful monuments of the Greek revival in the whole of England'. The castle was used as a garrison, prison, exchequer and county court into the 19th century and the present County Hall was later built on the site of the prison.
The Rows Shopping Galleries
Shopping in the city centre is quite something. Besides enjoying walking down pedestrian-only, cobbled streets with shops on either side, many are housed in the 700 year old Rows shopping galleries. These are a unique medieval system of covered walkways with shops on two levels. The shops on the ground level are often lower than the street, so its like walking into a crypt or vault. All very old and interesting – and covered! Those folks from the middle ages knew how how make a good shopping system. There is also a shopping centre called ‘Grosvenor Shopping Centre’.
The following pictures are of the Rows - trying to give you an idea of how it looks.
This one is of a 2nd level walkway - with shops on the right and a sloping shelf to the railings.
The Architecture
Much of the architecture of central Chester looks medieval and some of it is, but by far the greatest part of it, including most of the black-and-white buildings, is Victorian. The black and white revival began in the 1850s. Architects were encouraged to use the 'rich and lively facades' of the Stuarts as a template for restoring buildings.
There are also genuine, half-timbered buildings from the Jacobean Renaissance. A good example of one of these is the pub called Bear and Billet Inn. This was the town house of the Earls of Shrewsbury and once stood in its own grounds – built around 1664.
This is a picture of the Bear and Billet Inn
The Walls
Chester is also called the Walled City as it has the most complete circuit of city walls in the country. The city started out as a Roman fortress 2,000 years ago. The Normans extended the original circuit, building freestanding walls and adding towers, gates and a ditch.
A walk along the walls is a great way to see Chester - the full circuit measuring about 3km. Amongst other things, you will see the cathedral, the castle, the river and the racecourse. The racecourse is the oldest racecourse in the country and was once the site of a massive Roman harbour
This is a picture of part of the race course, also showing some of the wall (ok, I'm not a great photographer... yet)
The Cathedral
There has been a place of worship on the site of the present cathedral for more than 1000 years. In the Dark Ages the Saxons built a wooden church on the site. In 1057 the church was rebuilt and later refounded as a Benedictine monastery. It was made a cathedral when Henry VIII dissolved the monastery in 1540.
Because of its history, the cathedral has architectural styles from almost every century since the 10th - from norman arches to gothic columns, amazing medieval woodcarvings to spectacular stained glass.
Chester Castle
Chester Castle isn’t as you’d imagine an old majestic castle to be. Apparently is was once very different to how it now looks. William the Conqueror built the original structure in 1070 - basically an earth mound with a timber tower and an enclosure defended by a ditch. The tower was later rebuilt in stone with much of the work completed in the Middle Ages. After Cromwell’s success in the civil war, he decided to make the castle ‘uninhabitable’, and most of the medieval structure was destroyed. In the 18th century the ruins of the old castle were removed and a new outer wall was built to a design by Thomas Harrison. A massive gateway in the Greek Doric order was later added. Harrison's new-look castle was described as 'one of the most powerful monuments of the Greek revival in the whole of England'. The castle was used as a garrison, prison, exchequer and county court into the 19th century and the present County Hall was later built on the site of the prison.
The Rows Shopping Galleries
Shopping in the city centre is quite something. Besides enjoying walking down pedestrian-only, cobbled streets with shops on either side, many are housed in the 700 year old Rows shopping galleries. These are a unique medieval system of covered walkways with shops on two levels. The shops on the ground level are often lower than the street, so its like walking into a crypt or vault. All very old and interesting – and covered! Those folks from the middle ages knew how how make a good shopping system. There is also a shopping centre called ‘Grosvenor Shopping Centre’.
The following pictures are of the Rows - trying to give you an idea of how it looks.
This one is of a 2nd level walkway - with shops on the right and a sloping shelf to the railings.
The Architecture
Much of the architecture of central Chester looks medieval and some of it is, but by far the greatest part of it, including most of the black-and-white buildings, is Victorian. The black and white revival began in the 1850s. Architects were encouraged to use the 'rich and lively facades' of the Stuarts as a template for restoring buildings.
There are also genuine, half-timbered buildings from the Jacobean Renaissance. A good example of one of these is the pub called Bear and Billet Inn. This was the town house of the Earls of Shrewsbury and once stood in its own grounds – built around 1664.
This is a picture of the Bear and Billet Inn
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Spring is here.... not!
I haven't updated my blog for awhile. I would like to be showing you pictures and telling you things about the interesting and historical area we are now living - but its too cold to go outside!
Spring officially arrived on 20 March and here are some pictures of the lovely spring weather we have been experiencing. These were taken on a trip across the Pennines. The Pennines is a mountain range that separates NW and NE England. These were taking from the car as we drove through.
Spring officially arrived on 20 March and here are some pictures of the lovely spring weather we have been experiencing. These were taken on a trip across the Pennines. The Pennines is a mountain range that separates NW and NE England. These were taking from the car as we drove through.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
New things
Just a little note to say I've added a new link to the left - 'My Photos' - this will take you to my online photo album on Flickr. If you click on the words 'Click here to look at more Photos' - this should let you see all the photos. If you just click on one of the mini photos shown, it will take you to that photo and you will then have to click on 'pegirlintheworld's photostream' which will be on the right of the flickr page. AND... once you've looked at the photos, you should click the 'back button' (at the top of the screen) to get back to my blog.
PS - most the photos currently on the Flickr album are of our flat in Cheshire, which we moved into recently. It's a really old, characterful building with beams and low ceilings and is one of the most spacious flats we've ever stayed in.
PS - most the photos currently on the Flickr album are of our flat in Cheshire, which we moved into recently. It's a really old, characterful building with beams and low ceilings and is one of the most spacious flats we've ever stayed in.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Goodbye Dublin, Hello (again) England
We have now left Dublin for the North West of England. We travelled over on a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, which is in North Wales. We have now been on 3 different ferries between England and Ireland. The 1st ferry trip, we booked a cabin suite – which was good because we had smuggled little Reggie into the cabin with us. The 2nd ferry, we went as foot passengers on a fast ferry called the ‘Jonathan Swift’. This is a small ferry and only takes 1.5 hours to cross the sea between Dublin and Holyhead.
The last ferry we used is called the ‘Ulysses’. This is a big car ferry – one of the largest in the world. It takes 3.5 hours to cross the sea.
This is a picture of the back of the ferry whilst we were waiting to drive onboard
This time we booked Club Class which means you can sit in an area at the top and the front of the ship. You also get free drinks and snacks which includes tea/coffee, juices, wine, salmon on bread, cheese (brie, cheddar, blue) & crackers, pastries, muffins and brownies. Of course, I love anything ‘free’ and was having wine at 8.30am and probably ate an entire block of cheese.
You can just see the Club Class windows sticking out behind the ferry building
The bar area where you can find all your free snacks
A 'dance floor' area in the corner with the TV - presumably the evening ferry trip is a bit more lively?!
Club Class was nice and empty on this particular trip - which was good (more free food for me!). Around the rest of the ferry there is a shop, a cinema and a couple bars / restaurants.
It was a nice day and the water wasn’t too rough.
Goodbye Dublin
Through the harbour walls and out in the ocean
The last ferry we used is called the ‘Ulysses’. This is a big car ferry – one of the largest in the world. It takes 3.5 hours to cross the sea.
This is a picture of the back of the ferry whilst we were waiting to drive onboard
This time we booked Club Class which means you can sit in an area at the top and the front of the ship. You also get free drinks and snacks which includes tea/coffee, juices, wine, salmon on bread, cheese (brie, cheddar, blue) & crackers, pastries, muffins and brownies. Of course, I love anything ‘free’ and was having wine at 8.30am and probably ate an entire block of cheese.
You can just see the Club Class windows sticking out behind the ferry building
The bar area where you can find all your free snacks
A 'dance floor' area in the corner with the TV - presumably the evening ferry trip is a bit more lively?!
Club Class was nice and empty on this particular trip - which was good (more free food for me!). Around the rest of the ferry there is a shop, a cinema and a couple bars / restaurants.
It was a nice day and the water wasn’t too rough.
Goodbye Dublin
Through the harbour walls and out in the ocean
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Dublin - The End
We are about to leave Dublin and I realise that I have hardly written about the things we’ve been up to in Dublin, so here goes.
SIGHT SEEING
Phoenix Park
Near to us is a large park called Phoenix Park. It is 707 hectares and in it you will find the Dublin Zoo, the President of Ireland’s house, the United States Ambassador’s residence, the police headquarters (police are called Garda in Ireland), a castle, some monuments, some deer, lots of trees, dog walkers and quite a few crazy runners in small shorts with frozen legs.
The National Gallery of Ireland
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dublin has its own National Gallery. It is quite a bit smaller than the London one but it has some famous paintings. There are quite a few by the Irish Artist, Jack B Yeats.
The National Museum – Decorative Arts & History
The National Museum of Ireland is split into various buildings across Dublin, each housing something different. We went to the one with Decorative Arts & History. The building used to be a military barracks which was closed and re-opened as part of the museum in 1997 - it is still being renovated further. There is an interesting section on Irish history where you can learn about The Easter Rising (1916), the War of Independence (1919-1921) and the Civil War (1922-1923). Otherwise the rest of the museum is about the clothes, jewellery, coins and pottery of years gone by.
St Stephens Green
St Stephens Green is a rectangular park in the city centre near to Dublin’s main shopping street, Grafton Street and the shopping centre called St Stephens Green. There is a large lake and some statues and pathways all around and through the centre.
We didn’t spend that much time in the park, just walked through it to get to the shops. Once we walked through on a really cold day (26 December) and the water had frozen in the lake and the seagulls were crash-landing onto the ice.
Royal Canal Park
The area we live in is called Royal Canal Park and there is a canal that you can walk along. There are two big swans that live in the canal and a few ducks that we regularly go feed. It's nice to have some wildlife nearby.
Last week another swan appeared – it has some brown feathers, so maybe it’s a young swan.
SHOPPING IN DUBLIN
Dublin has a few shopping centres - these are the ones I have been to:
Blanchardstown
This is the one that’s closest to us. It’s quite nice and has a good choice of shops. It also has a cinema and free parking -which you don’t find very often these days.
Liffey Valley
This one is a bit bigger than Blanchardstown and bit further away. It has similar shops – a big Marks & Spencer and there is also a Spur! There is also a cinema and the parking is also free here.
Dundrum
This shopping centre is on the south side of Dublin. There are some different shops to the ones above, like Harvey Nichols and Hamleys (the famous toy shop). However, not all the shops are under the one roof and we found ourselves running across to the other shops in the pouring rain.
I still don’t understand how in the UK and Ireland, where it is so cold and wet all the time, shops are still out in the open.
Parking at Dundrum is a bit of a nightmare. We went there close to Christmas and spent absolute ages trying to find a parking, and then when we wanted to leave, we couldn’t find where we had parked! And you have to pay per hour.
St Stephens Green
This one is in the city centre – at the end of Grafton Street, which is a popular shopping street. It was built in 1985, in a style that makes it look like a big Victorian greenhouse. Unfortunately the shops aren’t that interesting. We did, however, find a nice Chinese buffet on the top floor which had lovely views over St Stephens Green.
EATING AND DRINKING
In the City Centre
The city centre is quite large and similar to London. The River Liffey runs through it and there is shopping, eating and drinking to be done on both sides.
I’ll start the journey North of the river in a street called Parnell Street. Here we found a butcher that stocked biltong – yum! There is also an Australian Sports Bar called ‘The Woolshed’ which has South African beer and boerewors rolls on the menu. There are many different areas in the bar to sit and watch sports on loads of TV’s and projector screens – like all good sports bars should have. Unfortunately the boerewors roll was disappointing and the bottle of Castle was warm and cost €4.60! We were there when England lost to Ireland in the 6 Nations rugby and realised it was completely full of Irish fans (even though there was Super 14 rugby on at the same time). I’m not sure how authentically Australian the rest of the menu is – they offer things like an Aussie burger –which has lettuce, tomato, beetroot, pickle and cheese topped with a fried egg (?!), also a ‘Chook Burger’, ‘Fiddly Fingers’ and ‘A Bloody Good Steak’!
You can then head down O’Connell Street which is the main street that runs from Parnell Street down to the river. It is a really wide street (49m) and has nice wide pavements to walk on. There are some interesting old buildings on either side, some converted into shops. Down the centre of the street there are monuments and statues of political leaders. Right in the centre there is ‘the Spire of Dublin’ – which is a 120m high sculpture that looks like a needle. On our first day out into the centre, we popped into the Gresham Hotel for a drink. This is a 4 star hotel on O’Connell Street with a lovely seating area with big leather couches and chairs.
At the end of O’Connell Street, you cross over the river on O’Connell Bridge which is the bridge that is as wide as it is long.
The next stop is Temple Bar
Temple Bar is ‘Dublin’s cultural quarter’. It is also the main drinking area for tourists – everyone heads here. There are many traditional Irish pubs to go to and a number of restaurants. The streets throughout Temple Bar are narrow and cobbled.
We went a couple of times to a pub called ‘The Temple Bar' that has live music in the afternoons and evenings. We also went to a restaurant called ‘Frankies’. This restaurant is owned by Frankie Dettori (the jockey) and Marco Pierre White (the chef). The atmosphere, service, cocktails (many!) and food are all very good.
From Temple Bar you can then head down Grafton Street, which is a more upmarket shopping street, which eventually leads you to St Stephens Green park and shopping centre. On Grafton Street is a restaurant called ‘Captain America’. It’s a bit like Planet Hollywood in that it is American and is filled with music & film memorabilia. We went there and had a really large meal of nachos, garlic bread, burgers (me – mushroom & wine, him – the New Yorker), chips and a butterscotch milkshake.
Another street that runs parallel to Grafton Street is Dawson Street where you will find an interesting bar called Café en Seine and another Marco Pierre White steakhouse. ‘Café en Seine’ is a large café / bar. The décor is interesting - described as decadent art deco reminiscent of 19th-century Paris. It is big enough to get lost in - there are three floors and a 4-storey high glass roofed atrium at the back. We popped in here for a drink one day.
If you walk along St Stephens Green (the North side), there are two members' clubs and a historic hotel, the Shelbourne Hotel. The Shelbourne was built in 1824 and has been restored to a luxury 5 star hotel. We stopped here for a cocktail. There are lovely fireplaces in the lounge to thaw out next to.
Another place we went to for a meal and a drink is the Westin Hotel. This hotel is situated near to Temple Bar. It used to be a bank and was built in 1863. The historic building was transformed in 2001 into a luxury 5 star hotel. We walked into the reception area on a cold winter’s day and found a lovely warm fireplace welcoming us. There are a number of dining areas and we decided to try out ‘The Mint Bar’. The bar is in the former bank vaults and looks amazing.
We had some great cocktails and good food. After the meal, we popped up to the 'Atrium Lounge' for a drink. The lounge has a glass ceiling 5 storeys up and is a very relaxing place with its big couches to lounge in. Just be careful you know how much your whiskey costs before ordering it – some will set you back €25! Each! For a little glass!
There are so many streets to explore in Dublin city Centre - with restaurants, bars and shops - that you would really need a long time in Dublin to see everything.
Other areas
Near to us we found a great old pub called ‘The Hole in the Wall’. We found it when we were wondering around Phoenix Park. We’ve been there twice now (once to watch SA lose the rugby to Ireland). It's a long pub with lots of different seating areas where you can get food to eat or something to drink. There is also an off-licence where you can buy bottles of wine. We sat in a section next to a fireplace. The pub is filled with all sorts of old pictures and bottles and things – really interesting. We have only had drinks there but the food going passed us looked pretty good, especially the burgers!
SIGHT SEEING
Phoenix Park
Near to us is a large park called Phoenix Park. It is 707 hectares and in it you will find the Dublin Zoo, the President of Ireland’s house, the United States Ambassador’s residence, the police headquarters (police are called Garda in Ireland), a castle, some monuments, some deer, lots of trees, dog walkers and quite a few crazy runners in small shorts with frozen legs.
The National Gallery of Ireland
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dublin has its own National Gallery. It is quite a bit smaller than the London one but it has some famous paintings. There are quite a few by the Irish Artist, Jack B Yeats.
The National Museum – Decorative Arts & History
The National Museum of Ireland is split into various buildings across Dublin, each housing something different. We went to the one with Decorative Arts & History. The building used to be a military barracks which was closed and re-opened as part of the museum in 1997 - it is still being renovated further. There is an interesting section on Irish history where you can learn about The Easter Rising (1916), the War of Independence (1919-1921) and the Civil War (1922-1923). Otherwise the rest of the museum is about the clothes, jewellery, coins and pottery of years gone by.
St Stephens Green
St Stephens Green is a rectangular park in the city centre near to Dublin’s main shopping street, Grafton Street and the shopping centre called St Stephens Green. There is a large lake and some statues and pathways all around and through the centre.
We didn’t spend that much time in the park, just walked through it to get to the shops. Once we walked through on a really cold day (26 December) and the water had frozen in the lake and the seagulls were crash-landing onto the ice.
Royal Canal Park
The area we live in is called Royal Canal Park and there is a canal that you can walk along. There are two big swans that live in the canal and a few ducks that we regularly go feed. It's nice to have some wildlife nearby.
Last week another swan appeared – it has some brown feathers, so maybe it’s a young swan.
SHOPPING IN DUBLIN
Dublin has a few shopping centres - these are the ones I have been to:
Blanchardstown
This is the one that’s closest to us. It’s quite nice and has a good choice of shops. It also has a cinema and free parking -which you don’t find very often these days.
Liffey Valley
This one is a bit bigger than Blanchardstown and bit further away. It has similar shops – a big Marks & Spencer and there is also a Spur! There is also a cinema and the parking is also free here.
Dundrum
This shopping centre is on the south side of Dublin. There are some different shops to the ones above, like Harvey Nichols and Hamleys (the famous toy shop). However, not all the shops are under the one roof and we found ourselves running across to the other shops in the pouring rain.
I still don’t understand how in the UK and Ireland, where it is so cold and wet all the time, shops are still out in the open.
Parking at Dundrum is a bit of a nightmare. We went there close to Christmas and spent absolute ages trying to find a parking, and then when we wanted to leave, we couldn’t find where we had parked! And you have to pay per hour.
St Stephens Green
This one is in the city centre – at the end of Grafton Street, which is a popular shopping street. It was built in 1985, in a style that makes it look like a big Victorian greenhouse. Unfortunately the shops aren’t that interesting. We did, however, find a nice Chinese buffet on the top floor which had lovely views over St Stephens Green.
EATING AND DRINKING
In the City Centre
The city centre is quite large and similar to London. The River Liffey runs through it and there is shopping, eating and drinking to be done on both sides.
I’ll start the journey North of the river in a street called Parnell Street. Here we found a butcher that stocked biltong – yum! There is also an Australian Sports Bar called ‘The Woolshed’ which has South African beer and boerewors rolls on the menu. There are many different areas in the bar to sit and watch sports on loads of TV’s and projector screens – like all good sports bars should have. Unfortunately the boerewors roll was disappointing and the bottle of Castle was warm and cost €4.60! We were there when England lost to Ireland in the 6 Nations rugby and realised it was completely full of Irish fans (even though there was Super 14 rugby on at the same time). I’m not sure how authentically Australian the rest of the menu is – they offer things like an Aussie burger –which has lettuce, tomato, beetroot, pickle and cheese topped with a fried egg (?!), also a ‘Chook Burger’, ‘Fiddly Fingers’ and ‘A Bloody Good Steak’!
You can then head down O’Connell Street which is the main street that runs from Parnell Street down to the river. It is a really wide street (49m) and has nice wide pavements to walk on. There are some interesting old buildings on either side, some converted into shops. Down the centre of the street there are monuments and statues of political leaders. Right in the centre there is ‘the Spire of Dublin’ – which is a 120m high sculpture that looks like a needle. On our first day out into the centre, we popped into the Gresham Hotel for a drink. This is a 4 star hotel on O’Connell Street with a lovely seating area with big leather couches and chairs.
At the end of O’Connell Street, you cross over the river on O’Connell Bridge which is the bridge that is as wide as it is long.
The next stop is Temple Bar
Temple Bar is ‘Dublin’s cultural quarter’. It is also the main drinking area for tourists – everyone heads here. There are many traditional Irish pubs to go to and a number of restaurants. The streets throughout Temple Bar are narrow and cobbled.
We went a couple of times to a pub called ‘The Temple Bar' that has live music in the afternoons and evenings. We also went to a restaurant called ‘Frankies’. This restaurant is owned by Frankie Dettori (the jockey) and Marco Pierre White (the chef). The atmosphere, service, cocktails (many!) and food are all very good.
From Temple Bar you can then head down Grafton Street, which is a more upmarket shopping street, which eventually leads you to St Stephens Green park and shopping centre. On Grafton Street is a restaurant called ‘Captain America’. It’s a bit like Planet Hollywood in that it is American and is filled with music & film memorabilia. We went there and had a really large meal of nachos, garlic bread, burgers (me – mushroom & wine, him – the New Yorker), chips and a butterscotch milkshake.
Another street that runs parallel to Grafton Street is Dawson Street where you will find an interesting bar called Café en Seine and another Marco Pierre White steakhouse. ‘Café en Seine’ is a large café / bar. The décor is interesting - described as decadent art deco reminiscent of 19th-century Paris. It is big enough to get lost in - there are three floors and a 4-storey high glass roofed atrium at the back. We popped in here for a drink one day.
If you walk along St Stephens Green (the North side), there are two members' clubs and a historic hotel, the Shelbourne Hotel. The Shelbourne was built in 1824 and has been restored to a luxury 5 star hotel. We stopped here for a cocktail. There are lovely fireplaces in the lounge to thaw out next to.
Another place we went to for a meal and a drink is the Westin Hotel. This hotel is situated near to Temple Bar. It used to be a bank and was built in 1863. The historic building was transformed in 2001 into a luxury 5 star hotel. We walked into the reception area on a cold winter’s day and found a lovely warm fireplace welcoming us. There are a number of dining areas and we decided to try out ‘The Mint Bar’. The bar is in the former bank vaults and looks amazing.
We had some great cocktails and good food. After the meal, we popped up to the 'Atrium Lounge' for a drink. The lounge has a glass ceiling 5 storeys up and is a very relaxing place with its big couches to lounge in. Just be careful you know how much your whiskey costs before ordering it – some will set you back €25! Each! For a little glass!
There are so many streets to explore in Dublin city Centre - with restaurants, bars and shops - that you would really need a long time in Dublin to see everything.
Other areas
Near to us we found a great old pub called ‘The Hole in the Wall’. We found it when we were wondering around Phoenix Park. We’ve been there twice now (once to watch SA lose the rugby to Ireland). It's a long pub with lots of different seating areas where you can get food to eat or something to drink. There is also an off-licence where you can buy bottles of wine. We sat in a section next to a fireplace. The pub is filled with all sorts of old pictures and bottles and things – really interesting. We have only had drinks there but the food going passed us looked pretty good, especially the burgers!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Dublin - The Good, The Bad and The Strange
I’ve been in Dublin for over four months and these are my observations
THE GOOD
Historical
Dublin is over 1,000 years old and there are many historical buildings to be seen. The university (Trinity College), which is in the heart of the city centre, was founded in 1591 and famous people like Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift went there.
Guinness
Yes, everyone raves about the Guinness in Ireland, and it is very tasty. The Guinness brewery is in the city centre and was established in 1759.
Countdown Timers at Pedestrian Crossings
So those impatient people can see that there are only 10 seconds more to wait (only at a few lights in the city centre so far).
Spin Roller Discos
Not that I’ll ever go, but for a girl of the 80’s, who loved her roller skates, this sounds great!
Watching Airplanes at the Airport
Like in PE, you can park your car along the airport and watch the planes come and go. The airport is quite busy too – and it seems like it’s a popular pastime by the number of cars that are always parked there.
Paying for shopping bags.
I suppose this is good because it saves the environment, but it’s bad because I still forget to take mine and they charge 22c a bag.
THE BAD
The Water
You can’t drink the tap water. I have tried and it’s BAD! On doing some research on the internet I saw that some areas even tested positive for ‘ecoli’ in their drinking water. If you want to be drinking your 2 litres a day, it can work out quite costly and not to mention how many plastic bottles you can accumulate (at least you can recycle these).
Driving in the City Centre
It is quite frustrating and nearly impossible. There are lots of ‘bus only’ lanes and loads of ‘no left turn’ and ‘no right turn’ signs -and sometimes you really can’t fathom out why you shouldn’t be allowed to turn left, especially when not turning left means circling the entire city centre - again!
Once we were on a road in the city centre which turned into a 'bus only' lane - and there was nowhere else to go but continue on it. It doesn't make sense! Combine this with all the one-way only streets and you can be circling the city centre for hours trying to get to a certain place. And don’t forget about the rude taxi drivers who think they own the roads – just because they know where they’re going.
Traffic Lights
You never know what’s going to happen at the traffic lights. Once we were all stopped at red lights and then they all changed to green and everyone got to go at once. There are also crazy double traffic lights to direct traffic that’s turning separately from traffic going straight (not just a nice green arrow). It gets very confusing because when I see green, I tend to just want to go.
And sometimes you can wait forever to go and sometimes the light is green for 10 seconds (honestly) and by the time the person in the first car has engaged brain and gear, its red again.
The Little Green Man – as in SA, it doesn’t mean you can safely cross the road. Well it should, but due to the confusion of the split light above, sometimes cars will just go.
Roundabouts
Well, the world over I do not think roundabouts are a very good idea. It seems motorists believe they have to go really fast around them – so that other cars will never get the chance to go. The build-up of traffic at roundabouts leads me to believe it really isn’t a good idea.
Supermarket Specials
We have now been ripped off at 4 different supermarkets on 6 occasions. The price on the shelf is not what comes up at the till. And usually I only notice when we’re in the car or at home! Once – a bit annoying, twice – come on already – but 6 times – in 4 months!
** and it just happened again. Went to the local supermarket and spent ages picking a tub of cream (there is a lot of choice). Settled on one for 1.59, but when we checked out, it came up as 1.99! Not worth arguing about, but ripped off again!
Dublin is Expensive
It’s right up there with London. Parking in the city centre will set you back around 3 euros an hour – that is if you can find your way into the city centre and then find a parking. A pint of beer / Guinness will cost around €5 – which at the current exchange rate is £4.50 (R51!) You pay around £3 – £3.50 in the UK (R34). A burger & chips will set you back around €14 (R144). And then there are the toll roads and tunnels getting to the city centre, the tunnel costing €10 during the week. Groceries cost 2 – 3 times more than in the UK. Public transport is expensive – and not that available. And if you wanted to buy a little 2 bed flat, you would spend around €250,000 - €300,000 (around R2,500,000!).
Dublin is Busy
Just like London, it is a major tourist destination and the city centre is always packed.
THE STRANGE
Pricing
One day we were looking at DVDs to buy and the prices for the same DVD would vary, like one was 10.99 and the other 14.99 – for the exact same DVD!
Another day I was looking to buy some soap and this is what I found - 1 bar = 0.69, and a 2 bar pack = 1.69. Clearly buying the 2 bar pack was not a better offer. A couple weeks later, I checked the pricing again and this time, the 2 bar pack was on special for 1.41 – still not a bargain!
ATMs
Normally you would go to the ATM and expect to withdraw amounts of 20, 50, 100 etc. Well, not in Dublin. Here you get to choose from 30, 50, 70, 110 -and well, its not easy when you’re trying to figure out how much that is in pounds and the machine threatens to shut down and swallow your card if you don’t stop standing there looking confused and do something
Renting DVDs
We went to go rent some DVDs. Basically, you can rent 1 DVD for €4 for 1 night or there is a special where you get 2 DVDs for €6 for 2 nights. So we decided to get the 2 DVD special for €6. Went to the counter and were told it would €8. When we looked confused, the shop assistant said ‘oh you want the special?’. Well, we would be pretty stupid to not want the special seen as we are getting 2 DVDs?
Women in Pyjamas
Women have taken to going out in their PJ’s. I see it all the time – am I the only one who thinks this is strange? On looking at this on the internet, I see it’s not just Ireland, but the UK too and it has hit the headlines because a major supermarket has banned people from wearing nightwear when shopping – ha ha ha ha!
THE GOOD
Historical
Dublin is over 1,000 years old and there are many historical buildings to be seen. The university (Trinity College), which is in the heart of the city centre, was founded in 1591 and famous people like Oscar Wilde and Jonathan Swift went there.
Guinness
Yes, everyone raves about the Guinness in Ireland, and it is very tasty. The Guinness brewery is in the city centre and was established in 1759.
Countdown Timers at Pedestrian Crossings
So those impatient people can see that there are only 10 seconds more to wait (only at a few lights in the city centre so far).
Spin Roller Discos
Not that I’ll ever go, but for a girl of the 80’s, who loved her roller skates, this sounds great!
Watching Airplanes at the Airport
Like in PE, you can park your car along the airport and watch the planes come and go. The airport is quite busy too – and it seems like it’s a popular pastime by the number of cars that are always parked there.
Paying for shopping bags.
I suppose this is good because it saves the environment, but it’s bad because I still forget to take mine and they charge 22c a bag.
THE BAD
The Water
You can’t drink the tap water. I have tried and it’s BAD! On doing some research on the internet I saw that some areas even tested positive for ‘ecoli’ in their drinking water. If you want to be drinking your 2 litres a day, it can work out quite costly and not to mention how many plastic bottles you can accumulate (at least you can recycle these).
Driving in the City Centre
It is quite frustrating and nearly impossible. There are lots of ‘bus only’ lanes and loads of ‘no left turn’ and ‘no right turn’ signs -and sometimes you really can’t fathom out why you shouldn’t be allowed to turn left, especially when not turning left means circling the entire city centre - again!
Once we were on a road in the city centre which turned into a 'bus only' lane - and there was nowhere else to go but continue on it. It doesn't make sense! Combine this with all the one-way only streets and you can be circling the city centre for hours trying to get to a certain place. And don’t forget about the rude taxi drivers who think they own the roads – just because they know where they’re going.
Traffic Lights
You never know what’s going to happen at the traffic lights. Once we were all stopped at red lights and then they all changed to green and everyone got to go at once. There are also crazy double traffic lights to direct traffic that’s turning separately from traffic going straight (not just a nice green arrow). It gets very confusing because when I see green, I tend to just want to go.
And sometimes you can wait forever to go and sometimes the light is green for 10 seconds (honestly) and by the time the person in the first car has engaged brain and gear, its red again.
The Little Green Man – as in SA, it doesn’t mean you can safely cross the road. Well it should, but due to the confusion of the split light above, sometimes cars will just go.
Roundabouts
Well, the world over I do not think roundabouts are a very good idea. It seems motorists believe they have to go really fast around them – so that other cars will never get the chance to go. The build-up of traffic at roundabouts leads me to believe it really isn’t a good idea.
Supermarket Specials
We have now been ripped off at 4 different supermarkets on 6 occasions. The price on the shelf is not what comes up at the till. And usually I only notice when we’re in the car or at home! Once – a bit annoying, twice – come on already – but 6 times – in 4 months!
** and it just happened again. Went to the local supermarket and spent ages picking a tub of cream (there is a lot of choice). Settled on one for 1.59, but when we checked out, it came up as 1.99! Not worth arguing about, but ripped off again!
Dublin is Expensive
It’s right up there with London. Parking in the city centre will set you back around 3 euros an hour – that is if you can find your way into the city centre and then find a parking. A pint of beer / Guinness will cost around €5 – which at the current exchange rate is £4.50 (R51!) You pay around £3 – £3.50 in the UK (R34). A burger & chips will set you back around €14 (R144). And then there are the toll roads and tunnels getting to the city centre, the tunnel costing €10 during the week. Groceries cost 2 – 3 times more than in the UK. Public transport is expensive – and not that available. And if you wanted to buy a little 2 bed flat, you would spend around €250,000 - €300,000 (around R2,500,000!).
Dublin is Busy
Just like London, it is a major tourist destination and the city centre is always packed.
THE STRANGE
Pricing
One day we were looking at DVDs to buy and the prices for the same DVD would vary, like one was 10.99 and the other 14.99 – for the exact same DVD!
Another day I was looking to buy some soap and this is what I found - 1 bar = 0.69, and a 2 bar pack = 1.69. Clearly buying the 2 bar pack was not a better offer. A couple weeks later, I checked the pricing again and this time, the 2 bar pack was on special for 1.41 – still not a bargain!
ATMs
Normally you would go to the ATM and expect to withdraw amounts of 20, 50, 100 etc. Well, not in Dublin. Here you get to choose from 30, 50, 70, 110 -and well, its not easy when you’re trying to figure out how much that is in pounds and the machine threatens to shut down and swallow your card if you don’t stop standing there looking confused and do something
Renting DVDs
We went to go rent some DVDs. Basically, you can rent 1 DVD for €4 for 1 night or there is a special where you get 2 DVDs for €6 for 2 nights. So we decided to get the 2 DVD special for €6. Went to the counter and were told it would €8. When we looked confused, the shop assistant said ‘oh you want the special?’. Well, we would be pretty stupid to not want the special seen as we are getting 2 DVDs?
Women in Pyjamas
Women have taken to going out in their PJ’s. I see it all the time – am I the only one who thinks this is strange? On looking at this on the internet, I see it’s not just Ireland, but the UK too and it has hit the headlines because a major supermarket has banned people from wearing nightwear when shopping – ha ha ha ha!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Where is Spring?
Its nearly the end of February, Spring is officially here on 20 March, and yet this is what we have been waking up to the last few days... SNOW!
Ok, you can't see the snowflakes very clearly, but let me assure you, it is COLD! It is DULL! and it has been like this for about 3 months now! Enough Already!
Ok, you can't see the snowflakes very clearly, but let me assure you, it is COLD! It is DULL! and it has been like this for about 3 months now! Enough Already!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Towns of Malahide, Howth and Dun Laoghaire
Over the weekend we did some sight-seeing trips to seaside towns near Dublin.
Here is a map showing the east coast and the towns of Malahide, Howth and Dun Laoghaire that we went to.
Malahide
First we went to Malahide. Malahide has a small town centre with shops, pubs, restaurants and a lovely big, old hotel called the ‘Grand Hotel’. There is also a marina with modern flats built around it, which reminded me a lot of Hythe Marina Village.
We went to a lovely old pub called ‘Gibneys’ for some lunch. The pub is divided into 7 different lounge areas, some with their own fireplaces. We managed to get a table right next to a lovely roaring fire – it was another very cold day. The food was very enjoyable and reasonably priced.
Howth
After Malahide, we took a drive to Howth (remember, rhymes with both)– which is another seaside town we explored a few weeks ago. We took a drive up to the top of the mountain and had a view across Dublin Bay. We had some lovely fish 'n chips to eat which we got from a shop at Howth harbour.
Unfortunately I don’t have many photos – it really was too cold for all that! (If you don’t believe me, we woke up on Sunday to a layer of snow! Where is spring?).
This is a view from the top of the mountain across the bay.
Dun Laoghaire
The following day we took a trip south of Dublin to Dun Laoghaire.
Dun Laoghaire is the Gaelic (Irish language) name for the town, pronounced phonetically as ‘Doon Layer-eh ‘.It can also be pronounced in its English form as ‘Dun Leary’.
Laoghaire was a 5th century (around 480 AD) High King of Ireland, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain. Dun is an Irish word meaning fort
Like Howth, Dun Laoghaire began as a small fishing village, but since the 19th Century, it became part of the sprawling suburbs of Dublin.
The harbour, one of the largest in the country, has a ferry port which links Dublin with Holyhead in North Wales. The harbour was built to provide a refuge for ships headed for Dublin as entry to the river Liffey could take awhile and gale force winds and rough seas would shipwreck them before they could reach their destination. When King George IV visited the new port under construction in 1821, the name Dun Laoghaire was dropped in favour of the name ‘Kingstown’; the town returned to its former name in 1921 – a year before Irish Independence.
I have 'borrowed' this photo to show you the harbour.
This is one I took which is across the sea, looking at Howth - where we had our fish 'n chips at the top of the mountain.
Here is a map showing the east coast and the towns of Malahide, Howth and Dun Laoghaire that we went to.
Malahide
First we went to Malahide. Malahide has a small town centre with shops, pubs, restaurants and a lovely big, old hotel called the ‘Grand Hotel’. There is also a marina with modern flats built around it, which reminded me a lot of Hythe Marina Village.
We went to a lovely old pub called ‘Gibneys’ for some lunch. The pub is divided into 7 different lounge areas, some with their own fireplaces. We managed to get a table right next to a lovely roaring fire – it was another very cold day. The food was very enjoyable and reasonably priced.
Howth
After Malahide, we took a drive to Howth (remember, rhymes with both)– which is another seaside town we explored a few weeks ago. We took a drive up to the top of the mountain and had a view across Dublin Bay. We had some lovely fish 'n chips to eat which we got from a shop at Howth harbour.
Unfortunately I don’t have many photos – it really was too cold for all that! (If you don’t believe me, we woke up on Sunday to a layer of snow! Where is spring?).
This is a view from the top of the mountain across the bay.
Dun Laoghaire
The following day we took a trip south of Dublin to Dun Laoghaire.
Dun Laoghaire is the Gaelic (Irish language) name for the town, pronounced phonetically as ‘Doon Layer-eh ‘.It can also be pronounced in its English form as ‘Dun Leary’.
Laoghaire was a 5th century (around 480 AD) High King of Ireland, who chose the site as a sea base from which to carry out raids on Britain. Dun is an Irish word meaning fort
Like Howth, Dun Laoghaire began as a small fishing village, but since the 19th Century, it became part of the sprawling suburbs of Dublin.
The harbour, one of the largest in the country, has a ferry port which links Dublin with Holyhead in North Wales. The harbour was built to provide a refuge for ships headed for Dublin as entry to the river Liffey could take awhile and gale force winds and rough seas would shipwreck them before they could reach their destination. When King George IV visited the new port under construction in 1821, the name Dun Laoghaire was dropped in favour of the name ‘Kingstown’; the town returned to its former name in 1921 – a year before Irish Independence.
I have 'borrowed' this photo to show you the harbour.
This is one I took which is across the sea, looking at Howth - where we had our fish 'n chips at the top of the mountain.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Belfast - a weekend away
We made a trip up to Belfast for a weekend getaway. Belfast is about 2 hours drive North of Dublin. It is in ‘Northern Ireland’, which is part of the UK. You wouldn’t know where the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is except for the fact that suddenly the road signs are in miles (Northern) and not Km (Republic).
Anyway, it was very cold up there and so we didn’t fancy going sight-seeing. I wanted to check out a new shopping centre that had recently been built called ‘Victoria Square Shopping Centre’. It was built as part of the regeneration of Belfast and the website looked rather nice. However, when we got there, it was very open plan –i.e. exposed to the icy winds blowing through! I have never been in such a cold shopping centre and it certainly didn’t make me want to stay and shop!
There were some restaurants on the 2nd level – like a Spur, Nandos, Pizza Express and Frankie & Benny’s – and our favourite, a chinese buffet! Of course we had the chinese. Well, it was by far the best chinese buffet we’ve ever had – and we’ve had loads in different cities. The assortment of food was new and tasty – dishes like egg fu yung, bbq pork, chicken satay – which we haven’t found at chinese buffets before. There was also a cold / salad section with things like mackerel, crab salad and various salads. And then there was a dessert section – which we don’t usually find for a lunchtime buffet – banana fritters & syrup, apple strudel and custard, chocolate cake, jelly, ice cream etc. etc. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves.
Afterwards we went up to a look-out point in the shopping centre which has a glass dome and you can see all around Belfast. Here are some pictures from up there.
See the snow on the mountains in the distance?
We stayed at the Radisson Blu hotel, which is very near to the city centre. The hotel is lovely. We had an amazing suite.
The best part of the hotel was the buffet breakfast in the morning. Just like the Chinese buffet the day before, this was the best breakfast I’ve ever had! You could have as much of anything as you wanted and the selection was quite amazing.
There was at least 5 juices including tomato juice (with Tabasco & Worcester sauce), about 10 different cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, ham, salmon, cheese and fresh breads & rolls. Then the pastry selection – there were croissants, custard danish, maple pecan danish, chocolate chip muffins and blueberry muffins – I think I had one of everything and two of some.
some of the pastries I polished off
If you're not too full after that lot, there are still the hot dishes to go. These were sausage, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans, sautéed potatoes, potato farls, scrambled egg, boiled eggs and black or white pudding. The potato farls (bread) and the white pudding are the traditionally irish parts of the breakfast. The world farl originates from the Gaelic word fardel, meaning four parts. This refers to the way the bread is typically cut and served in quarters. The farls are made of mashed potatoes that have then been fried.
a picture of potato farls - to give you an idea
Anyway, so yes, it was more of an eating trip!
Belfast does have more to offer - its a very historical and cultural city - we just didn't do any of that on this visit. There are some beautiful, old cathedrals. The Titanic was built at a shipyard in Belfast and sailed from there to Southampton where she then left on her maiden voyage on 10 April 1912. And you can take tours to the more political areas, where you can see large murals painted on buildings and walls which depict history and political views.
See two examples of murals painted on the sides of buildings below - one of the Titanic and one of Bobby Sands.
Anyway, it was very cold up there and so we didn’t fancy going sight-seeing. I wanted to check out a new shopping centre that had recently been built called ‘Victoria Square Shopping Centre’. It was built as part of the regeneration of Belfast and the website looked rather nice. However, when we got there, it was very open plan –i.e. exposed to the icy winds blowing through! I have never been in such a cold shopping centre and it certainly didn’t make me want to stay and shop!
There were some restaurants on the 2nd level – like a Spur, Nandos, Pizza Express and Frankie & Benny’s – and our favourite, a chinese buffet! Of course we had the chinese. Well, it was by far the best chinese buffet we’ve ever had – and we’ve had loads in different cities. The assortment of food was new and tasty – dishes like egg fu yung, bbq pork, chicken satay – which we haven’t found at chinese buffets before. There was also a cold / salad section with things like mackerel, crab salad and various salads. And then there was a dessert section – which we don’t usually find for a lunchtime buffet – banana fritters & syrup, apple strudel and custard, chocolate cake, jelly, ice cream etc. etc. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves.
Afterwards we went up to a look-out point in the shopping centre which has a glass dome and you can see all around Belfast. Here are some pictures from up there.
See the snow on the mountains in the distance?
We stayed at the Radisson Blu hotel, which is very near to the city centre. The hotel is lovely. We had an amazing suite.
The best part of the hotel was the buffet breakfast in the morning. Just like the Chinese buffet the day before, this was the best breakfast I’ve ever had! You could have as much of anything as you wanted and the selection was quite amazing.
There was at least 5 juices including tomato juice (with Tabasco & Worcester sauce), about 10 different cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, ham, salmon, cheese and fresh breads & rolls. Then the pastry selection – there were croissants, custard danish, maple pecan danish, chocolate chip muffins and blueberry muffins – I think I had one of everything and two of some.
some of the pastries I polished off
If you're not too full after that lot, there are still the hot dishes to go. These were sausage, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans, sautéed potatoes, potato farls, scrambled egg, boiled eggs and black or white pudding. The potato farls (bread) and the white pudding are the traditionally irish parts of the breakfast. The world farl originates from the Gaelic word fardel, meaning four parts. This refers to the way the bread is typically cut and served in quarters. The farls are made of mashed potatoes that have then been fried.
a picture of potato farls - to give you an idea
Anyway, so yes, it was more of an eating trip!
Belfast does have more to offer - its a very historical and cultural city - we just didn't do any of that on this visit. There are some beautiful, old cathedrals. The Titanic was built at a shipyard in Belfast and sailed from there to Southampton where she then left on her maiden voyage on 10 April 1912. And you can take tours to the more political areas, where you can see large murals painted on buildings and walls which depict history and political views.
See two examples of murals painted on the sides of buildings below - one of the Titanic and one of Bobby Sands.
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