Monday, April 27, 2009

I'm in Belfast and it's absolutely baltic with the weather shifting between sunny breaks and raining buckets. Also, the internet connection at this office is sloooooooow.

Yesterday my bus drove past a bunch of cops sporting machine guns at the end of a closed off street. It's still a great city though. Later this evening I'm meeting up with my cousins in bandit town (a.k.a. West Belfast).

On the flight over yesterday afternoon, I got to chatting to the dude beside me on the plane, who spent the weekend in Glasgow for his "stag weekend". I can officially say I have now heard it all because, get this, dude lives in the Shankill Road area and is a Celtic fan.

5 comments:

Flippin' Yank said...

I haven't seen the PSNI sporting automatic weapons since I've lived here. That's new.

There are a lot of Celtic fans living here in the Shankill they just don't go out walking around in the gear. LOL!

As for cheap eats I've been trying to compile a list and it's a short one b/c I cook most of the time cuz I'm a food snob and am consistently disappointed whenever I eat out.Not sure if they are still open, but here goes...

Stay away from Victoria Square it's expensive.

Around the City Centre, Northern Whig, The Apartment are medium priced, Morning Star is great food, great place but a bit pricey. Chalet D'or, Isabelle's, Blinker's cheap places but all greasy spoons. All Chinese takeaways are cheap. We frequented The Emerald on the Dublin Road across from Pizza Hut but not sure if it's still there.

Take a dander around the university lots of cheap places to eat there. Walk up Stranmillis Road. Sinnamon is a good place for breakfast. Lolita's for Indian. And lots of other takeaways. Conor Cafe is excellent but a bit pricey.

On Eglantine Avenue there's Thai Tanic, decent Thai Food. The Mad Hatter is next door, great breakfast place. Lisburn Road has all the hip restaurants from expensive (Shu, Porterhouse among others), numerous cafes, Simply Food Marks & Sparks, and The Yellow Door Deli, great sandwich place.

Up the Shankill from Chinese, Thai, Indian, Pizza, KFC, Subway, chippies. There's Tudor Cafe, a hole in the wall where you can get a whole Sunday Road dinner for like 5 quid. Shankill is easy to get to from City Centre, just take any 11 bus off to the side of Shitty Hall on Wellington Place.

That's it off the top of my head. Hope this helps.

Flippin' Yank said...

Oh and I also forgot...Botanic Avenue! You're bound to find cheap eats there.

Jennifer said...

It was a machine gun and the street was completely closed off.

Thanks for the list. I walked by Apartment but wasn't entirely inspired to go in...

I ate at Thai Village, across from the Emerald on Dublin street and it was really good! Yesterday, I had lunch at Snax in the City on linen street, around the corner from the BBC, and it was really good too!

I'll check out that Northern Whig place because apparently they have a deal with the Movie House???

Loth said...

My late uncle was called Billy and was a raving lifelong-season-ticket-holding Glasgow Rangers fan. Oh, and he converted to catholicism to marry my aunt. That's true love for you!!

Helena said...

I've yet to visit Ireland, the accent is just bewitching.

I don't know much about football but I know my two son's are raving Rangers and Chelsea fans, so a couple of Xmases ago (ish) my daughter, who lives in London, bought them tickets to go see both play a friendly against each other! That's my girl!