July 29, 2017 Belfast

My $1 tea jar

Rain Rain Rain Over the coal at the docks

Fabric finally

On the shuttle on the way into town Lily and I both discover we have both nearly dead cell phones. Last night we had arranged to meet Steve and Susan at a pub for lunch and just before leaving the room gotten a message from him that he gave us the wrong address- plan to meet at Titanic exhibit- 11:30. Now our phones low on battery would present communication challenges and of course no photos.

Luckily I had explored fabric shops and charity shops before we left this morning- so at least we had the addresses of our destinations. We stop at the visitors center and discover the Titanic exhibit is on the other side of town from where we are going- then we get a text with a new pub name and address- and its in our direction! We head to the first charity story only “around the corner”- a bit more than that- and we are off. Lily gets a silk handmade wall hanging in a frame she did not want but they made her take. I get a jar that I can keep my tea in at home- a fun old looking jar. We exit and Lily sits to get her silk hanging from the frame and leave the frame at the litter basket. Off we go finding a couple more along the way.

We have quite an adventure getting to my fabric shop! Good news is along the way we find many charity shops. There are no street signs so our map is of little use. We ask a couple of locals for directions only to be sent in the wrong direction! We finally find the long awaited D0ngall Pass and decide we must have turned the wr0ng way as there are 0nly international markets al0ng the way. (my o has quit w0rking on my new c0mputer) We turn ar0und and head d0wn an0ther street- m0re charity sh0ps- and find 0ut we were right. The issue is that streets can change names at every stop light- s0 y0u never kn0w (like this 0 n my keyb0ard).

We make the sh0p and it is great! Finally. Very cr0wded with many fabrics but I find my treasure. I buy a celtic knot panel and matching fabric. Lily sh0ps at a next door antique shop. Success. I ask f0r directions t0 lunch and it gets interesting again.

T0day is Steves birthday- he wanted us t0 join them f0r lunch- we disc0ver that the pub name he gave us does n0t match the address. D0 y0u g0 t address 0r pub name? I ch00se address. I send him text and email h0wever they have not been w0rking well (like my 0). We arrive at the pub at the address early and wait t0 hear from or see them. Sure enough they als0 figure it0ut and Steve guesses I will be at the address. We have a great lunch of Irish Stew and carmel desserts. I head t0 the ship t0 d0 s0me laudry (after hearing their argument st0ries fr0m yesterday!). Weather was beautiful- 6 miles- great day f0r me.

As I write this while my cl0thes dry I peer 0ut the wind0w and see a huge downp0ur of rain! I’m confident that Steve and Susan g0t wet at the B0tantical garden. Lily just returned and she managed to stay dry.

We have an amazing dinner at Grand Cr0wn and head t0 the Beatles sh0w. it was a packed h0use and such fun. I wait until the casin0 opens and Lily chills in the room. Great day!