Holiday Thread

[Sydney_Bristow]

Woah. I know I have loads of catching up to do when I look at the free films forum, think to myself, uh oh...there's some expired stuff to clear up which is totally unusual because Beate usually gets there way before me (at Mach 4 speed!!!). So I think to myself, well this is odd. Hmm....wonder if Beate is away. Quick flick through the Holiday thread and the blissfully clueless moi is enlightened!! Yup...lots of catching up to do!!!

Beate
Great to hear you are having a good time. Sounds wonderful!! Did you win a comp? Belated congrats!!!!!!! Have a lovely time and I hope the weather stays good for ya!! xx

[superhero]

U back Beate? did u have a good time there in Cork?

[Beate]

Is Seafood Chowder an Irish national dish? I have never had it before but have now eaten it four times in the space of three days! It's even a misnomer as it's mostly fish in a creamy sauce. The first one was beautiful, lots of fish in a whitewine sauce. The second one fell flat, with barely any fish in a spicy vegetable stock sauce. The third one was lovely again, with leeks in a yellowy broth, and the fourth one, from our hotel, came close to the first in texture and quality. Food is really expensive in Ireland though. We got everthing pa*d for except on the last evening, but I saw the prices in the restaurants - woah! They really did stuff us, three course meals all the time, I have to go on a diet now I think!

When we arrived at Heathrow, we were allowed to use the Air Lingus Gold Circle Lounge, which was very swish, with comfy seats, free food and drink and a huge TV and papers to entertain us. I never want to sit again with the ordinary folk now, LOL!

Upon arrival at Cork Airport, we were met and transferred to the City Centre via minibus, straight to the first slap-up meal. If you ever go to Cork and have enough money, stop at the Boardwalk Bar and Grill, the food is excellent. I had monkfish, which was the catch of the day, and OH had a huge steak.

The next morning we started out at 8.30am (yikes!), picking up people from the various hotels on the way. Irish Coffee and team building displays at the Castlemartyr Resort, followed by whiskey tasting at the Jameson distillery. Lunch was had at the Electric bar in Cork, with view on the St. Patrick's Day parade which was 45 minutes long. I couldn't help comparing it with the processions every summer in my German hometown though, they go on forever. The Electric was a very nice building and the view was good, but the food was a bit mediocre, and once eating we couldn't see the parade anymore, which somehow defeated the purpose.

After that we went back to our respective hotels, and while prettyxcool managed half an hour in Cobh on the way, I went to the hotel's internet computer to catch up with you all. Unfortunately we then missed the minibus's departure to Kinsale as they had put the time forward by half an hour and not told us (they said they had but I would have remembered). So we had to hotfoot after them in a taxi. Not too impressed by that. Funnily enough we arrived at the first destination before them as they had to pick up other people and had a slow driver, while our taxi driver seemed to have sensed the urgency and repeatedly broke the speed limit.

So we got to the Carlon Hotel which has a beautiful sea view and got an Irish Coffee demonstration plus canapes. After that we drove down to Kinsale itself where we went on a short but amusing "ghost" walking tour. We were then dropped off at a pub for "pre-dinner drinks", followed by dinner at a restaurant nearby. That all dragged that long that we did not get back to the hotel until 11pm, totally shattered.

Unfortunately, it was another 8.30am start on Friday! Luckily the hotel provides wake-up calls. We started with a City tour and walked through the English market, where some of our group insisted on b*ying fresh fish and eating oysters, even though the tour guide tried to hurry them along. We also visited University College Cork, and most interesting of all, Cork City Gaol, the prison, which, as so many venues these days, can now be used for corporate events.

We then stopped at another bar in the city centre (Bodega) which used to be a market hall and is now an interesting mixture of bar and art gallery with paintings from local artists. You can b*y every single painting displayed on the walls!

We then went to City Hall which has a restaurant called Vertigo on the 17th floor with 360 degree panoramic views of the City. You can only book this space for corporate or private events, not for a spontaneous restaurant visit. The place was set up nicely for us, with several round tables, and we got a lovely three course meal again. Some members of the group were booked on the afternoon flight home so had to dash before the dessert. I was so glad that we were staying on, especially as the day was beautifully sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. We were generally very lucky with the weather and had no rain at all.

The afternoon itinerary for those staying on consisted of a Sea Safari on a Rib Boat, touring Cork harbour, which is the second largest harbour in the world apparently. You could have done other things that afternoon if you so wished like a visit to Cobh (with the famous Titanic connection), and knowing what I know now I should have taken them up on the offer. We had to put on a protective coat (the OH looks very fetching in orange!), plus life jacket, hat and gloves, then sit on a terribly uncomfy horse-style seat and hold on for dear life. And I had thought we were about to do a leisurely boat trip!

It was FREEZING. I mean properly hypothermia-inducing FREEZING. We got lovely shots of Cork from the harbour and we even saw some dolphins in the water, but have I mentioned yet how FREEZING it was? I will never ever again sit in a front seat on one of those contraptions. We were the wind breakers!

So when we finally got back to the hotel around 6.30pm, with no evening programme planned, we faced the decision of where to go for a bite, knowing that food is expensive and that we don't know Cork's restaurants from Adam. So we did something that felt at the same time posh and decadent and the easy way out - we got room-service in from the hotel-owned Bistro. It proved to be an inspired choice as the food was fabulous (fourth seafood chowder included) plus came to only 30 Euros for the both of us. Considering a main can easily cost 25 Euros in places, this was a bargain. I then had a bath to properly warm up and went on the hotel computer for another hour. We retired early as we were bone tired, so were a bit miffed when the wake-up call came an hour early. Turns out we ought to have rang reception and changed the time with them instead of trying to be techy and programming it in via phone as instructed by the manual. Yes, we had a manual in the room for all the techy things in it. There is air condition everywhere in Cork, every hotel room or restaurant seems to have it, and it is always put up way too high so you feel you are entering a sauna. My first step each evening was turning the room temperature down from 24C - who can sleep in such a heat?

The breakfast at the River Lee Hotel was properly decent too, with ham, salami and cheese with the bread and rolls, not just jam and marmelade like in so many English places! So we drove to the airport this morning in a pre-pa*d taxi and checked in. We did not have access to the VIP Lounge there but one of our party shamelessly blagged the way in for all of us. I am still not quite sure how he did it, but I think he mentioned the name of an Air Lingus sales executive we met on the trip, LOL. Flight back was good, and I upgraded myself to a seat in the first row, which is Emergency exit and therefore has plenty more legroom. This also meant I was first off the plane which was a new and exciting feeling.

My first impression on being home is - my God, is London noisy! The hotel had been so quiet that I even slept without my customary ear plugs - a very rare occasion.

I now have to sort out various teddy bears, shampoos from the hotel that came in a leather bag, Happy St. Patrick's Day badges, "living shamrocks" and other bits and bobs I acquired.

[weirdfilms33]

This merits the award for "Most overblown yet mesmerising post"

[June]

It was lovely to read about your trip to Ireland, sounds like you had a busy but very enjoyable time

[aruif]

that sounds just amazing Beate! I'm so glad you guys had a great time!

[prettyxcool]

Yep! I am still trying to get over it! We did have a great time Beate, didn't we? And lots of photos to prove it. I am absolutely shattered now though as when I got back on Saturday afternoon, just had time to freshen up and out to a friend's 30th birthday party in Bucks. Got home just after midnight and then up with the lark for a family day with mum, and another birthday tea party Sunday afternoon, then early start on Monday for work and then to Limitless in the evening, and this afternoon, a quick corporate do for afternoon tea. Finally, just able to spend the rest of the evening catching up on this forum!

And one great thing - I can see again, my conjunctivitus is healed, and am marvelling how beautiful Cork is (from my photos) as only had half a vision when I was in Cork!

[Diane65]

Sounds like you both had a brilliant time and you must be shattered.

[Yinster]

Away for the weekend soon once OH returns from work. Off to the sunny delights of Dundee. Back on Sunday via Edinburgh hopefully.

[Beate]

Have Ryanair lost the plot? They now charge 20 GBP/EUR for 15kg luggage and 30GBP/EUR for 20kg luggage. I can't get by on 15kg for a week, especially if I b*y German food by the kilo on the way home! It's especially annoying if the flight only costs 10 Euro. Sheesh. The problem is they still seem to be the cheapest airline, Germanwings and Easyjet charge a fortune to where I want to go.