Preparing Saint Patrick's Day

 I took this picture last time we went to Marlow. One of their high street's pubs, the Duke of Clarence, was already advertising for Saint Patrick's Day. Now that's a pub after my own heart! Preparing for Saint Paddy's more than a month in advance. And it looks like they are starting the celebrations with a brunch, so they will start drinking before noon. How perfectly Irish. I am not sure if I will be around there come the time, but short of a typical Irish pub (how I miss the one we used to have), this might be the next best thing. Time to start planning, anyway.

Titanic on the bookshelves

During our trip holiday in Belfast, our favourite part was probably the time we spent at Titanic Belfast. Espeically Wolfie, who grew obsessed about the Titanic. Of course, we bought a few souvenirs, including this model of the ship, which I placed on the bookshelves. It just gives it so much style.

About Liverpool and Ireland

I recently reread Tremor of Intent by Anthony Burgess, my favourite writer. Subtitled An Eschatological Spy Novel, it goes beyond the spy thriller genre or the satire of spy thrillers to become a Cold War philosophical tale about guilt, Catholicism, good and evil, identity, well, a lot of things making our human condition. When I first read it, I hadn't lived in England yet, so this it gave me a new appreciation of the novel. And there is a quite I wanted to share today:

"The best Catholic schools are in the North, since the English Reformation, like blood from the feet when the arteries harden, could not be push so far so easily. And, of course, you have Catholic Liverpool, a kind of debased Dublin."

Now, I lived a year in Liverpool, before I got married. It was a long time ago, almost twenty years. Obviously, I don't know how the city is now. But at its core, when I was there, it sure was exactly that: a Catholic Irish city lost in England. Debased Dublin sounds right, although Liverpool does not look as nice. Then again, I haven't been to Dublin in nearly twenty-five years and I never lived there, so who knows. Anyway, I love that quote.

A Boar's Head

 You know how much I enjoyed our last holiday in Belfast. Sometimes it's not the big tourist sights that catch my attention, but the small things. One evenening, we had dinner at the Italian restaurant Fratelli, which goes really heavy, for some reason, on boar's imagery. Better than that: they actually have a true stuffed boar's head near the entrance. I loved it. I don't know why, but I always loved taxidermy and this beast looks deliciously sinister. And alive. Anyway, what do you think?

Chevreuil géant préhistorique

Photo prise à l'Ulster Museum lors de nos vacances à Belfast. Un squelette de chevreuil géant, je crois qu'il est préhistorique.

Irish Lager?

I tried quite a few beers during our last holiday in Belfast. Beers I drank time and again in the past, when I was a student here in England (more on that in a future post) and beers I never tried before. Including the Clonmel. I ordered it not knowing anything about it, except that it was Irish. It turned out to be a... lager. I don't drink lager, usually, it is against my most profound beliefs. I was surprised to enjoy it, it is very tasty for a lager, probably because it is Irish. Still, I think it's kind of weird, Ireland now producing lagers.

Titanic Games

There are a lot of things I learned on Titanic Belfast, a museum we visited with great interest. Wolfie most of all, as he is fascinated by the Titanic.In the last section of the experience, we discovered that there are games based on the ill-fated ship. Among them a puzzle and some board games. The puzzle looks very nice, so I will try to find it. But the board game is what truly caught my attention. We have too many board games already and too little time to play them, but all the same, I want to find this one, or another. What I find interesting about using the Titanic as a setting is that it adds a dramatic element to the game play. I think Wolfie and I might enjoy it a lot.

Irish Whiskey (on the Titanic)

I took this picture on Titanic Belfast, the fancy museum about the Titanic. We went to Belfast because of the museum, as Wolfie has developed a keen interest about the Titanic, which borders on obsession. I have to say, I loved it too, I found it very fascinating. You might not be surprised to know that they served Irish whiskey on board. Well, of course. I was actually happily surprised to discover that Dunville's still exists. So I could drink the same whiskey they served on the Titanic. Kinda cool to think about it. I don't drink much whiskey of any kind, but I do like it with a beer from time to time. So I might try Dunville's one day.

Le cidre en Normandie (et en Ulster!)

 Photo prise à l'Ulster Museum lors de nos vacances à Belfast. Un tableau de William John Hennesy, il s'intitule Fête Day in a Cider Orchard, Normandy. J'ai reconnu le cidre immédiatement, sans vouloir me vanter. Je n'ai jamais mis les pieds en Normandie (faudra corriger ça un jour), mais j'ai vu ce genre de méthode traditionnelle pour faire du cidre à bien des fêtes bretonnes.

True Irish Ghost Stories

I always buy at least one book when I go somewhere on holiday. It's just something I do, to give myself a feel of the place, if I have time to read some of it, or as souvenir, if I don't. Our last trip in Belfast was no exception. I bought True Irish Ghost Stories. Not sure how genuinely true they are, you know I am a sceptic, but this will come in handy during my countdown to Halloween. I find it important to have something Irish during the countdown, as Halloween is originally an Irish holiday. I also hope it will inspire my own spooky writing. Which is one of the reasons why I love to read these "real" accounts of the paranormal.

Tayto

Here is another post about our holidays in Belfast,a post about one of its most important, most typically Irish topic. Because of course, when one thinks of Ireland, one thinks of potatoes. For centuries, it was their main diet. It might still be the case. So it made sense that we tried some of their local crisps. The brand Tayto was pretty much everywhere. Apparently it is also sold in England, but I don't remember seeing them here. I took no chance and bought a few. They taste lovely, or at least that was my impression. It was love at first bite for me. I guess I must have Irish blood.

Renoir en Irlande

Voici une autre photo prise à l'Ulster Museum lors de notre séjour dans la ville de Belfast. Voir ce tableau m'a fait un choc, parce que je ne m'y attendais pas du tout: c'est L'Allée au bois de Renoir. Je sais que je vais avoir l'air bête, mais de voir un tableau d'un maître français en Irlande, j'ai trouv. que c'était un peu surréaliste. Même si Renoir était impressionniste. Pardon. Mauvais gag. Dans tous les cas, du Renoir, fallait que je partage.

Guinness and Patience

 I have a painful confession to make: during our holidays in Belfast, I barely drank any Guinness. That said, while it was my go-to beer when I was in my twenties, I seldom drink Guinness nowadays, except on Saint Paddy's. But there were plenty of other brands of beer to drink (I will come back to them in future posts) and well, so little time. But drinking Guinness I did: the very last day, waiting for our flight. Only half a pint, which is shameful, but I would rather not drink too much when traveling. So I err on the side of caution. The barmaid took my order, filled the glass, twice, to let the beer set. I am not expect on Guinness' pouring method, but she sums it up like this: "You need to have patience with a Guinness." Which deserves to be a new great unknown line. "Good things come to those who wait," as their old advertisement slogan said. I will keep that in mind next time I drink one.

Titanic Belfast

This is a picture of Titanic Belfast, a sort of museum about,well, the Titanic. One of the main reasons we decided to go on holiday to Belfast. Wolfie is obsessed about the ship and its tragic story. So we went there and had the "Titanic Experience" and we enjoyed it a lot. It was indeed an experience. I will post more about Titanic and Belfast, but let me just share this photo just so you can marvel at its architecture. I just love the building, made to look like the front of a ship, or maybe even an iceberg. And a star, the White Star Line that built and sailed the Titanic. It's both beautiful and impressive, classy and modern.

Le Harfang de l'Ulster

Photo prise à l'Ulster Museum de Belfast. Nous y avons passé notre dernier après-midi dans la ville et j'ai passé des heures à photographier des animaux empaillés. Ils me fascinent, que voulez-vous. J'y ai même trouvé une connexion québécoise: cet harfang des neiges, notre animal national. Il a l'air un peu rébarbatif, comme le sont souvent les animaux empaillés. Mais j'ai adoré les moments passés là-bas et le harfang m'a rappelé que le Québec a bien des points communs avec l'Irlande.

The Belle of Belfast City

You might know this song as I'll Tell Me Ma and I know I shared it before. I first heard it in a pub in Liverpoolon Saint Paddy's and I fell in love with it. Of course, as it is often called The Belle of Belfast City, I listened to it prior to and during our holiday in Belfast. Wolfie now knows some of the lyrics and has been humming it for the last few days. Ironically enough, I haven't heard much if any Irish music during our time there. I'm sharing the version by Possibly Irish, an American group from Oregon, because I quite like it. And also because I'm possibly Irish myself, sort of. I want to blog into more details about it, but apparently, some of my ancestors were Ulster Scots, so it is very possible that among my great, grandmothers, there were a few belles of Belfast City. I'd like to think so, ayway.

Titanic in Lego

 As you know, we went on holiday to Belfast ecently. Partially because Wolfie has an obsession for Titanic, which was built in Belfast. So anyway during our time in the city, we found out that there is a Lego replica of the world's most famous ship. I cannot remember how many pieces it has, but it costs the bargain price of £599.99. Wolfie suggested I'd buy it for his birthday. I told him we had no room to put it. I hope that will be a good enough excuse.

"Vivre dans ses valises"

Ma mère utilise souvent cette expression quand elle parle de voyages. C'est à dire toujours en déplacement. Mais je crois que l'expression peut fonctionner dans un autre contexte. Comme vous le savez depuis hier, nous sommes de retour de Belfast. Or, pendant quelques jours encore, je vais m'habiller avec les vêtements encore dans mes valises. Je vais aussi les défaire lentement pour redécouvrir nos souvenirs nord-irlandais. Et j'aime bien ce moment de retour de vacances, quand nous sommes à la maison, mais un peu en décalage mental, voire spirituel, quand l'endroit visité est encore en nous.

Back from Belfast City

 If you were worried about my silence (well, you never know) I was on holiday. And I am back. My family and I went to Belfast. Like in the song, which I sang over and over again, enough for Wolfie to hum it. It was my wife's idea. So we were not officially in a different country, but truly, by any practical means, North Ireland truly is a different country than the one we live in. I have been to the Republic of Ireland before and, while North Ireland is sort of separated from it and far less Catholic, you can definitely feel the Celtic roots. I will blog more about my experience in the upcoming days, but we all enjoyed it and sometimes I felt almost at home there.

Post Saint Paddy's Blues?

Well, here it is: another Saint Patrick's Day is done and dusted. I am missing it already. After a special day, I always feel a bit of melancholy. For the usual reasons: it was too short, I feel like I did not celebrate it as fully as I should have had, or as I once did. Also, more specifically, on the 18th of March, I often have the Irish flu. But not so much these last few years, being a father. But I feel generally less bluesy the day after Saint Paddy's in comparison to other holidays, mainly because Easter is often round the corner. And this year, Easter comes particularly early. All the same, I wish I had celebrated it a bit more.