A pint of Guinness anyone?

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Australia Vs Ireland, Landsdown Rd

Okay people, I haven’t done one of these in a while so I’m taking you back to the 17th of November. This was the weekend that almost sent me broke. But it was one hell of a weekend.

The weekend starts with me moving back to the Piccadilly back packers in Piccadilly Circus. This is where I met 4 Swedish guys. Hey don’t ask me there names, I could barely remember mine at the end of the night. And after a quick feed at the local way over priced Indian restaurant, we walked into the Soho red light district. Why I hear you ask? Why not, because they tell me that in Sweden you don’t have areas like these. Hey who am I to argue. Never been there myself. After an hour or so the guys come up empty handed. And we finally go off for a drink. Now one thing that I was told many, many moons ago from my father was have one Newcastle Brown see what you think, have two and you will think you can stop a train but I will get back to that in a sec. Well we and up in a rock bar after losing two of the guys (the two Swedish guys I’m left with…wait for it…work for Volvo. One is a muffler mechanic and the other an auto electrician. Man you can’t get more Swedish then that.) Okay so enough of the stereo typing the Swedish guys and back to the night it self. The place we go to is called the Crow Bar. I’m a bit weary of this place as it is a rock venue, the name and the sorts that were walking in were not the normal clientele that I normally run with but hey, you’re in another country. I had a warning as the guys had been here the night before that it gets pretty load. A trip to the toilets to get some toilet paper for the ears solved the problems (not really but I keep telling my self that.) When the band starts its back to the toilets for more toilet paper! After a few pints of Carlsberg its time to try what one of my new found Swedish friends is drinking, a 550ml bottle of Newcastle Brown. Hey can’t be that bad if the Swedish guys drinking it. Well it’s not that bad, and after about…well quite a few…enough to make me lose count (about 6-8 I think) we call it a night. The band wasn’t half bad, verging on the good side of things. But I had a fun night. It had been a while since I had gone out to see a live band. The funny thing about the night is my Newcastle Brown drinking buddy had no idea where the hell he was and left it up to me to find our way home. After scaring a few girls trying to get directions I realise that the best bet is the man selling hamburgers and sausages on the side of the road (don’t care how good they looked I wasn’t temped…no I was but luckily I had drunk all my money.) Well I was right on the money getting home. And the next morning I must say I was feeling quite chipper. Only problem was I spent too much money and couldn’t afford to eat for most of the day, but I was worth it.

The next day sees me fly out to Ireland to see Marie and Shaun. I had bought tickets to the Australia Vs Ireland rugby match but after a lot of stuffing around and couldn’t get my hands on a Australian passports for my Irish counterpart that I was going to take, she had to step back as we couldn’t get her in and a call to Marie went out. The funny thing was that when I went to pick up the tickets (these were supposed to be ex-pat only so you had to take you passport in to prove it) the woman gave them to me and didn’t even ask to see any id at all! But back to the trip, after not eating much all day I found my self sitting waiting at the airport wasting away. That was until two ladies boarding a flight before me, buy a beer and just before they even take a sip they get called to board. Looking around they see me and say hey would like a beer. We haven’t touched it. Hey why not, it’s lunch (at 1930hrs). What a way to start a trip. I land in Dublin and head to Marie’s work, which has to be a 5 star hotel, where I have to go get her house keys. After feeling really under dressed and uncomfortable (every person I walked past wanted to take my bags, part of the service I have been told) I arrive at her house after taking an Irish short cut (never trust a Irish cab driver who tells you he grew up in this area and he will save you some time and money). Now this is a nice very modern place (every room has a trouser press!?) But it’s off to the pub when they both get home. A few pints of the good stuff (Guinness) for health purposes of course. And I was out like a light.

The big day, Australia Vs Ireland. Now I’m not very confident about taking this game out so I’m playing it down but if the weather is anything to go on its going to be good. This is were I learn that the Irish weather can change a great deal in minutes, and it wasn’t for the best! One hour from kick off the sky greys over and the heavens open, then the wind starts. Crap its cold. The wind cuts you in half and I’m wearing as much as I can to stay warm. With the change of the weather my hopes of a win are sinking very fast. If you stay out of the wind you’re just wet and that’s not bad. But the wait for 40mins for a bus and the long walk to Lansdowne Rd was enough for me to lose all feeling in my feet. The seats them self are nicely located with a bit of shelter from the rain and wind. At the start of the game it’s 6 degrees with light rain, but half time the rain is big and coming in fast, almost hail like and a lot dam colder (see video footage for weather conditions just after half time. Take not of the goal posts moving). Marie and I survive the game and head in the driving rain to a pub. Don’t care where, we got thumped so lets a have a drink and focus on the world cup in France next year.

After getting on the wrong bus and heading over the bridge to the wrong side of town (yes there is a wrong side of town in Dublin. One side is rougher then the other I have been told) we walk back to the Temple Bar area and wander round trying to find the pub, by the name of The Porter House. This is a massive three of four story building that has a brewery inside. It has the largest range of beer from all over the world and it gives a brief description of the country and their beer making capabilities (the yanks get a flogging in this pub. Flee dip and tasteless I think were two phrases that described the taste of there beer.) A strong porter to get the warmth back into my body and away we go. Very nice pub grub with an upmarket ingredient twist is the only way I would describe the food. Very yummy I must say. With all the beers to try we spent a few hours in there (about five or six hours, with at lest two an hour). The stand outs were chocolate porter and the coco nut beer (smelt like coco butter from the body shop.)

But after many a pint and Shaun meeting up with us after work it was time to head to the next spot. Being a Sunday night there wasn’t a lot open to late. We dropped into one pub just before it closed and then on to a bar after about 1am. Now the Irish aren’t the biggest drinkers of cocktails so when you enter a bar and garb the cocktail list you don’t see much that stands out. Every where I went, the beer range was excellent but the rest was very lacking. So it was with great dare that the three of us decide to order cocktails. I must say that the young guy behind the bar wasn’t half bad, but when the manager popped up and started to show off his talents it was time for me to head to vodka. Why vodka I hear you ask? Well after about 6 hours of drinking beer you kind of get a bit tired of it. We did manage to befriend a few American professional poker players that were out for a party. And boy did these boys throw some cash around. There was a group of about 6 of them that travel the world and play poker for a living. They also in there spare time, we found out, like to bet on other things, gee what a surprise. We met them when I was tapped on the shoulder by one of them asking if he and his friend could guess my weight. It was a bet and all I had to do was stand up. I oblige stand and to my amazement one of them was as close to 2kgs. What threw them both was they had to convert it from kilograms to pounds. After this all three of us watched them work a few more people and they were right within no more the 5kgs each time. And these sort of games continued all night along which keep us all entertained. But with a few drinks in me, a few drinks when I get back to Marie and Shaun’s I don’t sleep to well.

The day I fly out isn’t much to say other then I was taken out to the movies (which I hadn’t done in so long). Not to exciting I hear you say, but those dumb paddies have got this car park thing sussed. Now I don’t know (and it is very strange that I got so excited over this) if this is anywhere else in Europe but in the car parks of shopping malls in Dublin they have little lights above the car park. When the car park is free the light is green. When its red then the park is occupied, it’s not hard to figure out but why don’t other places have this simple device? You can see these lights all the way down the row you’re driving, and makes trying to find a spot so much easier. Hey I told you that it wasn’t very interesting. But that’s were I leave my Irish contacts and my ex-pat friend for now. I’m sure to return again soon I hope.

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