Anniversary supper at Saba, Dublin

these two horrible shots taken by Niall the waiter :)

this one taken by Dion :)

So Craig and Jo dropped us off at Saba for our anniversary Thai meal.

Clearly a very hip and happening place as we waited 40 minutes (40 minutes!) for a table. While we waited, D had a coke and I had a lemonade.

Eventually a table was ready and we took our seats.

Saba was very loud, edgy, and not really romantic. The food was very, very good though.

We had a starter to share with chicken satay, and a few other nibbles - I think we had 4 pieces each. Then for mains I had a Thai Mussamen curry (my favourite Thai dish) and Dion had Pad Thai. D had a brownie for dessert, and we had a tea (me) and Americano coffee (D) afterwards.

All of that came to 71 euro or R850!

(Here in SA, it would have cost about R220 :)) That is our most expensive meal ever. None of the South Africans could believe it when we told them until I hauled out the bill!

Also, waiting time plus eating the meal took less than 90 minutes!

Imagine how surprised C & J were to get a text message so quickly saying, "we're done" :)

Our 14th wedding anniversary and 22 weeks pregnant

Wednesday 29 April 2009
 
As is our custom, lazed in the morning and hung around some more in the afternoon with Craig and Jo until time to go to Craig's appointment.

On the way, we were involved in a bumper bash which felt worse than it was because of the way the Irish people drive (similar to Joburg drivers). However, the "baby girl" (who we now know as Kendra) stopped moving for a good few hours. I had to threaten her with a doctor's visit if she didn't move by a certain time and she then co-operated.

Meanwhile, we had the bright idea to amuse ourselves at the shops while Craig was working.

Except everything was closed except Tesco.

Well then, Tesco it is. Stocked up on chocolates, biscuits, hot chocolates - things we can't get in South Africa.

that jacket could just about button up...

look at those gorgeous grey skies behind gorgeous D

More on the evening to follow...

Meeting up with Jo in Henry Street

Tues 28 April 2009

Dion and I woke at 8.30 but we're so slow that we only left the flat at 12.00.

Showers, eating, faffing around, unpacking, then a last little snack before we left.

Yes, that's how we roll.

Funny when we arranged to meet Jo at 2 pm under the Spire at Henry Street (I get a kick out of that - have always wanted to meet someone at a landmark - is it weird?), we thought it was very late.

Turned out we had to do quite a bit of rushing around to make it on time!

Took the bus into the city and walked up O'Connell Street while detouring into Penney's.

We found each other easily. Notice the spire in the background and the Penney's bags. No, I don't know who's the guy on the right of the picture.

Jo insisted on a pic without the guy...

Some more pics, this time with Jo



After a bit of shopping, we decided to get some tea and scones. Quite honestly, any excuse to rest my pregnant body which was not used to all the city walking.

doing one of my favourite things in the world - eating tea and scones (this was at Brambles) and talking!

We then went to book our tours for the rest of our holiday. We LOVE tours without which we do a lot of faffing around and no real holidaying.

The three of us then took the LUAS to Craig's work where we detoured via the canteen for the most delicious chocolate doughnuts ever. Seriously. We'd been dreaming of these doughnuts for a YEAR and they did not disappoint. Also had a chance for a quick catch-up with Colette.

Then went home for supper. Dion's note in the book says "helped to make Chicken Korma". I don't remember the helping part but maybe Dion helped and I vegged?

Dublin city pics

It used to seriously annoy me when Dion would stop in the middle of nowhere to take city pics until I saw the Singapore night city pics.

So now I know that even though it is still sooooo frustrating when I want to go go go, it'll be worth it afterwards.

And it always is.

Look.

look at that blue building to the right of the pic. That's where we're supposed to get off the bus. This time (our first to the city in about a year) we forgot which is how we ended up here.

Here's that blue building again

And here's a close-up of the blue building, taken by me from below. I've a slight obsession with windows and doors.

Arrival in Dublin

Monday 27 April 2009

Well, we arrived in Dublin to......... wait for this........... 5 degrees Celsius weather.

I put my jacket to use immediately.

The taxi set-up is really great - you simply queue and as taxis arrive, you jump in. Very organised and soooo not South African. I also loved the way the rates are plastered up everywhere so you know what you're in for before you even get into the taxi.

So we took the taxi to Chapelizod - 40 Euro. I hyperventilated just a little bit :)

After checking at the pharmacy and calling our friend, Craig, we eventually receives the keys from the guy at the Spar in an envelope marked with our names but also with the exact address of his place.

Again, a realisation that we're not in South Africa as the flat would have been burgled and stripped bare!

Hauled our luggage in and immediately went to sleep (Dion). I had to eat (remember, babies!) first so I quickly had some cereal and then went to sleep.

Around 11-ish, Craig phoned to say he'd bring us the car so we could get around.

Lovely thought but not happening as we were still recovering from the flight. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Dublin was quite terrible - naughty children, full plane, no stretching out, bad food, etc.

Craig eventually popped in around lunch time, we briefly caught up (Dion's still sleeping through all this commotion) and off he went back to work.

Jo then arrived at around 3pm so we finally met in person and got to catch up with some nice girl talk until Dion woke at about 4pm.

Craig arrived from work proper sometime later and off we went to the Spur (the Spur! in Dublin!) for a buy one, get one free chicken meal.

So ends day 1 and the slothfulness.

Desperate smokers in Abu Dhabi airport

Sunday 26 April 2009



We flew Etihad Airlines as they were the cheapest flight to fly directly to Dublin and bypass Heathrow. Being 22 weeks pregnant with twins, I knew one thing - I did NOT want to go anywhere near the madhouse that is Heathrow. So Abu Dhabi airport it was.

The aircraft itself was beautiful and the stewardesses were friendly and customer-focussed. BUT and this is a big BUT - the food was terrible and there really wasn't enough choice.

E.g. When I was pregnant I couldn't eat mayonnaise at all and all their sandwiches had mayonnaise on WHITE bread no less (I also don't eat white bread) so I couldn't eat them, well unless I wanted to puke it all out. Um, no!

It seems the twin-ness of my pregnancy was a novelty as I had many people checking on me all the time. I got extra blankets, pillows (just not food!), and lots of enquiries throughout the flight.

Leaving Joburg on our last pre-babies trip

Sunday 26 April 2009

This is our luggage, ready and waiting to go to the airport.

I am finally that person I've always wanted to be.

Dion's is the bigger suitcase and mine is the smaller blue hand luggage piece, a whole 9.8kg. Yesssss!

Aside from this, I carried my jacket (under no illusions about Dublin's weather) and my handbag - that's it!



Blogger doesn't want me to change dates - this was 26 April 2009

Day 9 - The Lake District 3

Pics taken once the rain stopped

So I'm starving and we decide to get out the car and find some food. Shouldn't be too difficult, right?

WRONG.

We go to cafe after cafe and they all only have sandwiches that have been made hours earlier (I don't eat sandwiches that haven't been freshly made because I hate soggy anything; Dion's not fussy, of course). Their kitchens are all closed at 4:30 in the afternoon - what on earth?! In a tourist destination!!!

And here's another difference between South Africa and England.

If you walk into a restaurant here and the kitchen's closed, they'll usually say "try so-and-so, they only close at ______" which is normal South African helpfulness. You might even get the person walking you to the place.

Over there, it was just "sorry, the kitchen's closed" with a "you can like it or lump it" expression on the people's faces. Okay then!

Eventually I remembered "that lovely smart place we saw driving in" and we went to see if their kitchen was open. Indeed it was - happiness is... I mean, look how happy I am just to be warm and about to be fed :)

And then while they were making the food, I took pictures of some of my favourite things - trees!

This is what the hotel looked like from the outside

To date, the most expensive sandwich ever. We paid about 13 pounds for this (R200 - in South Africa, you'll pay about R25 - R30 for the same ham and cheese, and you'll get chips with it)

The tea was delicious and more importantly, hot! And those 6 chips were the entire portion - I think it cost about 3 pounds (R50)

And then we set off for Edinburgh!

Day 9 - The Lake District 2

More pics driving through the rain...

Look at the car's display. 4 o'clock in the afternoon and 18 degrees.

the rain's finally stopped and it's time to get some food!

Day 9 - The Lake District 1

It was pouring with rain when we got to Lake Windermere so the Dry Macs came out to play.

I was amazed at how rude the drivers were (compared to the courteousness of drivers on the "motorways" in the rest of England), hooting at us if we even dared to roll down the window to take a pic or two (which is why the angles on some of these are so weird) in the rain.

And I thought Joburg drivers were aggressive!

Day 9 - leaving Birkinhead on the way to the Lake District

Only South Africans will really "get" why I took this picture. We are so lawless that we dump our trolleys anywhere we feel like so to see people actually putting their trolleys back where they belong deserved a pic :)


This one too! hello - we don't have these in SA and I don't think they'd work either because remember, we see people parking in disabled spots all the time without being disabled, in case I didn't make that clear!

look at those cute, fat sheep

on the English highways (or as they say, motorways), it all looks like this - green, lush vegetation

driving into the Lake District - don't these look so charming and oh so English?