Rocket and Relish is one of the closest restaurants to my home in Belfast. Slim’s Healthy Kitchen is slightly closer, however, apart from the garlic aioli I don’t particularly enjoy the menu and the service is the worst I’ve experienced in the city. Anyway, when Mum came to visit and we wanted to go and eat somewhere close to home, Rocket and Relish is the obvious option.
If you saw the title of this post and expect all the answers to making post travel blues better, you’re in the wrong place. I don’t have the answers. Maybe if and when that day comes, I’ll write about that too! I started thinking about this issue when I read Ashley Abroad’s post “What I Miss Most About Long-Term Travel“. I knew I was sad to not be travelling. but I hadn’t really thought about what I missed or what I wished I had done/was doing. Continue reading
After the success of our family visit to the Tall Ships, we decided to have an outing to Rose Week at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park. Mum has very green fingers and loves all things flower related and I love walking around these gardens, regardless of the time of year (as long as it isn’t too wet).
When I spent time living in New York in 2011 (read about my epic first night here), I always found myself taking the subway to Coney Island. I found it a great place to relax, walk around and get lost in the atmosphere. It’s my ‘happy place’ of my favourite city in the world (apart from Belfast, obviously) . Here’s some of my favourite things to do when spending time at Coney Island. Continue reading
Something a bit different on the blog today. It’s not a post written by myself, but by the wonderful Nichola Harrison and Stephen Dean. It’s also not on a topic that I would usually cover here, but it is a subject that is very close to home for a lot of people. Today, I’m posting about the Strawberry Tea Party I attended for Breast Cancer Care.
Last week, I wrote about how Tall Ships fever had taken over Northern Ireland. Game of Thrones fever has been thriving in Northern Ireland since the HBO series premiered in 2011. For those who are not aware, a lot of the series is filmed in NI, with locations such as the north coast and Castle Ward as well as Titanic Studios. Over the past few years, tour companies have begun hosting excursions around filming locations and it’s even possible to complete some Game of Thrones archery in full costume. Continue reading
When you have a flight that arrives in Newark at midnight and have a connecting flight leaving at ten the following morning, most people would resign themselves to sleeping on their luggage in a quiet corner of the airport. Not me. I had to explore.
Belfast has got Tall Ships fever right now. On many billboards, you will find an advertisement for them. At many restaurants, you will find nautical themed menus. It’s difficult to walk down the street without seeing a child in a pirate or sailors hat.
The Tall Ships Races 2015 has been welcomed by the Lidl Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival. It is the third time Belfast has hosted this large event, first in 1991 and more recently in 2009, however it is the first time I have visited. The event runs from 2-5 July with events for all the family, and there’s even an appearance from the Red Arrows on Sunday 5th. I was looking forward to attending the event with my parents. Continue reading
The weekend of June 20 and 21 brought the first Fermanagh Food Festival. This excited me, more than it should have because I am used to attending similar events all over Northern Ireland. However, this is a first for Fermanagh! It’s great to see Fermanagh hosting a large event , and I hope that is becomes a regular occurrence.
I visited on Saturday 20th, around lunch time and there was a hive of activity around the Broadmeadow area of Enniskillen. The entry fee was a reasonable £3, and it was evident there was a lot to do. On arrival , I could see a helter skelter and a carousel. The inner child was screaming to go on them but my Mum and Aunt (my escorts for the day) didn’t fancy joining me.
I find that afternoon tea is the one time in my life I get to properly feel sophisticated. Maybe it’s the dainty sandwiches, or drinking from a tea cup. I get to feel a more refined human being for an hour or two.
When at home in Fermanagh, the Lough Erne is always my first choice for afternoon tea. I’ve always found a homely element to this hotel (there’s always a turf fire burning), not to mention it’s beautiful grounds. I was delighted when my cousin offered to take my Grandmother and myself there one afternoon.
The Lough Erne Golf resort is Fermanagh’s only five star hotel opened in 2007 and has since had vast international attention. They were a sponsor for Rory McIlroy (before Nike monopolised him), hosted the G8 in 2013 and their golf course designed by Nick Faldo will be the home of the Irish Open in 2017. Continue reading
The Sarah Story 