Summer 2010: York

(An imported post from my previous blog)

I've been to quite a number of places in england and I have to say that this little city about an hour away from Leeds has got to be my favourite one of all (London is a t0tally different story however but let's save that for a different post ;P)! I love the whole architecture of this city, the quaint-looking rows of shops, the cobbled streets, the fresh bakeries, everything! the whole atmosphere makes me feel like I'm stepping in to an Enid Blyton story book. Something I could only dream of a long time ago.

We spent an entire day there walking around and exploring this medieval city. It was good fun! will let the pictures do the talking..

basically the whole city looks like this. two rows of fancy lookin shops on both sides a street. we got lost a couple of times. went round and round in circles. its like a maze I'm not joking!

the munkeh

Queuing up for tea at the infamous Betty's cafe of York! Apparently this place is a MUST visit in York so we gave it a shot. It is the only cafe in York with a queue to get in. We waited for what? 45 minutes or so before we finally got a table. The interior was very pretty with all the cute little floral and pastel designs. very, very english I have to say. but the food? hm I reckon the sultana scones from tesco tastes exactly the same if not better. lol Sorry for being such a party pooper but it is the truth! People who visit this place go on and on about how good it is etc but honestly it is not that great at all. I suppose we were just paying for the whole english tea experience.. :S

part of the interior selling sweets and cakes.

me waiting impatiently for tea..

I have to admit we were quite jakun with the pot of tea. There was this miniature sieve thing which we had no clue what was for until we looked over at the fella on the next table using it to sift his tea as he poured it out of the teapot. lol

 

Zara had some crazy summer deals then! HEE happy me.

erm.. some castle? or church perhaps?

The city is surrounded by this ginormous fort. Reminds me a lot of edinburgh castle!

on top of the fort over looking the outside of the main city.

The Charles Stewart Guesthouse

Initially when I found out I was going to Dublin for a weekend, I thought of staying in one of those backpacker dorms. I remember phoning my sister to ask her opinion and the first thing she said to me was 'Please book an ensuite hotel room. You will not survive a backpacker dorm!' LOL

I had a good think about it and figured hm she probably knows me better than I know myself sometimes so I went online and did some research for a reasonably priced hotel/bed & breakfast.
I was a bit skeptical at first when I came across the Charles Stewart. The pictures of the hotel didn't look very promising and if anything, gave me the impression that it was old and run down. It was quite highly ranked however and had really good review so finaaaally I thought ah why not!

I have to say, the reviews did not disappoint. I had such a pleasant stay at the Charles Stewart guesthouse. For the price (132 Euros for 2 nights), I have no complains at all! The bed was comfy, the shower was powerful, the room was clean. There was even a tea and coffee making facility, hair dryer on request and fresh towels every day - definitely couldn't ask for more. The location wasn't bad either. It was along O'Connell street, one of the main streets in the city.
 
 

  
 
 

Best part of our stay at the hotel has got to be the complimentary full Irish breakfast sets served on both mornings :)

Thank you Charles Stewart for the lovely stay!

Weekend getaway: Dublin!

Dublin is a beautiful city. I was delighted when I found out that two of my abstracts were accepted for poster presentations at the ICHAMS conference. It stands for International Conference for Healthcare and Medical students, organised by fellow students at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. I seized the opportunity to travel and I have to say, what a good excuse that was for a weekend getaway to Europe! I googled more about the city, booked a reasonably priced bed&breakfast with plenty of good reviews, read up on things to do and food to eat in Dublin, booked my flights, bought some Euros, printed my presentation posters and packed my bags. Next thing I knew, we were off!

Waiting to fly at Edinburgh airport

Day one!

We dumped our luggages at the bed&breakfast and went off exploring almost immediately!

River Liffey
It flows through the city centre and divides Dublin into North and South.

Breakfast at Mochaland Cafe, along River Liffey

Interior of the cafe

I went for the Irish breakfast set: Sausages, bacon, baked beans, scrambled eggs and toast served with a cuppa for 7.20 Euros.

Suffice to say I was disappointed to find out that there was hardly any difference at all between an Irish breakfast and an English breakfast -.-

Talented street performers everywhere in Dublin

Grafton street - the main high street in Dublin

Dublin is renowned for its night life - bars and pubs. Temple bar is possibly the most happening night spot in all of Dublin.

Pardon the tired looking eyes. I haven't had any sleep for more than 24 hours in this photo!

Possibly everyone in the bar was having Guinness except us. We opted for cider instead.. bunch of wussies lol

My starter: some deep fried fish cake thing which was pretty tasty. Do not be deceived - it filled me up completely and I didn't get to enjoy my irish stew. :S

Main course: Guinness and beef stew - a local Irish favourite served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and a pastry puff. It was gooooood. mmMm

Day two :)

Rise and shine!
All set for the conference. Little did I know that I was in for a very pleasant surprise :)

Poster 1: Eyelid Asymmetry amongst Malaysians: A Study of 2 Racial Groups

Poster 2: Clinical audit: Long term follow-up of women with genital lichen sclerosus

*Note to self: cut back on the seductive eyes when presenting! :S*

Yes folks, that is me!

Out of 56 presenters from throughout the world, little ol me won first prize for my lichen sclerosus poster! Believe me when I say that I did not expect to win at all. I did not practise my speech, not even once before the presentation. I have no idea how I won! Nearly fell off my seat when they announced the winner and I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot - explains the retarded smile in the picture above.

Oh and did I forget to mention what the prize included? A certificate of achievement, an online PasTest account and 200 Euros cash prize baby!!!!! :):):) Possibly the most generous conference prize ever. tee hee I was a very happy bunny!

So happy that I decided to splurge 44 Euros on a magical evening of food, folklore and fairies. I read about this on tripadvisor - good food, old fashioned story-telling, live Irish music? I was sold! The location was at one of the oldest pubs in Dublin - The Brazen Head which makes it all more exciting.

To all those heading to Dublin, make sure you include this in your itinerary! More about it here: http://irishfolktours.com/
It's ranked the number 1 night life entertainment in Dublin on tripadvisor :) you can't miss it!

The story telling begins

A very happy me! I went for this event by myself (yes, alone!) but it was not awkward at all.
I shared a table with a bunch of Malaysian students studying in Nottingham and an American lady who was also there on her own. It was such a lovely evening!

Live Irish music with lots of singing and clapping.

Mains: Poached salmon served in a creamy sauce

Didn't get to snap a photo of my starter but if I remember correctly, I had some chicken salad dish.

Random Malaysian student I met at the pub

Dessert: Traditional apple pudding served with cream and strawberry sauce complemented with a cuppa. mmMm :)

Day 3

Outside the Garden of Remembrance

Spot me!
Biggest post office in all of Dublin

I find this freaky. Every time a coin is dropped into the little cup, the guy (statue?!) with the guitar would play a tune. eeek :S

O'Connell bridge along River Liffey

Dublin: Home of the Guinness brewery!

I tried to fit in.. I honestly did.. but I took a sip of Guinness and peeeyew.
None for me thank you.

Learning how to pour the perfect pint :)

View of Dublin city from Gravity bar, the highest point of the Guinness storehouse.

Inside a cathedral. The interior architecture was breathtakingly beautiful.

St Stephen's Green

Conclusion?
Dublin is the perfect city for a short weekend getaway. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'll definitely be back one day.