Sista Sista

Belfast Week 5

Europe and study abroad is everything it is cracked up to be, but sure, people don't mention that they miss their families. My family loves to travel. My parents did their honey moon in Europe, traveling to a new city every day. They packed their bags and only bought a train pass in hopes that they would find a hotel with available rooms. I'm convinced me and my sisters inherited this trait. Sarah did a semester abroad and Alicia is always down for a vacation. Our family has the goal to see all 50 states, which is still in progress. So, as you can imagine, I have been missing them on my extremely exciting adventures abroad.

Well, good news, the cool cats visited me for week 5 in Belfast and we had a wicked good time! They flew into Dublin and immediately got on the bus to Belfast, God love them. I sprinted to the bus stop because they did not have phones and or my address so if I wasn't there on time they would've been stranded. I arrived 5 minuets past the time of their arrival time and was convinced I missed them, until I saw the bright blue bus pull around the corner. Lich and Sarah stroll off the bus, and I WAS PUMPED!! Obviously, Sarah needed an iced coffee so we strolled over to Starbucks, where the first of many laughs occurs. For some reason, Belfast is filled with automatic doors. You aren't allowed to try to push or pull the automatic door which does not work well for us impatient people *cough ** cough* Sarah. Sarah slams into the door because she doesn't realize it is automatic, not only does she do this on the way into the Starbucks but also manages to do it on the way out with her giant suitcase! Lich and I can barely control our laughter, it's good to have them in Europe with me.

Shockingly, they make it through the first day with only two quick naps. We hit the raincheck café for lunch and then Maggie Mays for dinner. We stroll into The Dirty Onion in hopes of live music, but realize there are lessons to learn how to play the traditional Irish drum. We convince Lich to hop into the drum circle and so she can learn how to play! Sarah and Alicia really struggle with the names of the pubs here. They kept wanting to call the Duke of York The Dark Horse and The Dirty Onion The Crusty Onion, which only frustrated me. But, looking back haha who would go to a place called the Crusty Onion? I suppose the same people who would go to the Dark Horse?

Day 2, Lich and Sarah take a day trip to Giants Causeway and the Rope Bridge which Lich was fascinated by! We went to Grannie Annie's for dinner and chatted about their adventures. To end their time in Belfast we attempted to go to Fiber Magee's for live music but were a bit too early. Exhausted, we headed back to the apartment for a quick nap before going to The Thirsty Goat for live music. At the Thirsty Goat we were greeted with people dancing and singing...the vibe was good, what a way to end their time in Belfast!

Next stop for the three Glasheen girls was Cork! We arrived at the airport, get all the luggage off the bus and went upstairs only to realize that I had left my phone on the bus. Sarah and Lich start yelling for me to run to catch the bus at terminal 2 but I don't think I can make it. I break into a full on sprint across the Dublin airport to catch the bus and I see it! I'm really going to make it. I'm two strides away from the bus and it pulls away!! NO! Luckily, a lovely women looks at me in my frazzled state and says "honey, are you okay?" I quickly try to explain that my phone is on that bus and she looks at me and says "this one?" HALLELUJAH!! I HAVE MY PHONE, that was a close one.

Quick turnaround once we get off the Cork bus; we headed straight for Blarney Castle. At Blarney, we found out lich is terrified of heights. The closer we got to the top of the castle the more her knees buckled. We confirmed all three of us have a small fear of heights because we hung onto the guide for our lives when we had to drop back to kiss the stone! Sarah was obsessed with the poison garden, she can definitely tell us which plants not to eat LOL. On our bus ride back to Cork from Blarney, travel agent Sarah thinks she knows exactly which stop to get off at. Yeah, definitely not true. As we are sitting on the bus we hear a loud pounding behind us. We turn around to see Caroline standing knocking frantically on our bus window mouthing "GET OFF! THIS IS YOUR STOP". I'm now certain we cannot go anywhere without causing commotion HAHA.

We decide to plant at Reardens for the rest of the night for live music and dinner. A few drinks in Sarah spills her drink everywhere, classic. We were joined but some of Caroline's Cork friends who we danced the night away with! We decide we should leave since we have an early train ride to Cobh in the morning. On our walk back we all have a bit of a glow going on. We get to the bottom of the hill near Caroline's apartment and Sarah looks at me and says "In relation to here, where is that Fast Al's you guys talked about?" OH GOD...NOT FAST AL'S!! We had already past it but the crowd had decided it was the move! Caroline, was not super on board with Fast Al's and really had a craving for Hillbillies. Lich turns and says "lets go to Fast Al's first" Caroline throws a first into the air and yells "MORE CHICKEN, LESS FAT!!" and takes a nose dive to the ground. Her first bump was a bit too intense HAHA. None of us, including her, know why she yelled this but it was absolutely hilarious! We make the move to Fast Al's, which we should know by now is just a bad idea. Eventually, we safely make it back to the apartment.

Day 2 we go to Cobh, still one of my favorite places, but it's a bit rainy so we head back early to catch an earlier bus to Dublin. We have a great steak dinner in Dublin to celebrate our last night together and cheers Nana Ollie with a bottle of wine. She would've loved to be on this trip. Sadly, Dublin was our last stop on our sister-Europe trip. Where shall we go next girls?

To Boston they go and for me, another night in Dublin. I excitedly await the arrival of Sar Woz and Liv London!!

Until next time.

PQTH,

HAN