Birthday weekend in Belfast

I've been spending some much needed quality time with my lovely fella recently. John's birthday celebrations stretched across a whole long weekend, starting with a spa trip to edinburgh and then a few nights in Belfast. Here's how we got on!

Some coffee for the train journey - standard.

Sunny in the capital.

We got home and packed for our flight to Belfast the next day. However a certain someone was pretty determined to come with us! We stayed at the Park Inn in Belfast city centre, which I could not recommend highly enough. We got a great deal on the hotel which included breakfast and it was a brilliant big spread (I hate the really rubbish continental hotel breakfasts you get at some places) The staff were so helpful, and we actually got upgraded to a business suite for free as it was John's birthday. This was a much bigger room with a table and sofa area and a BATH! My knee has been really sore since my accident and a long hot bath is exactly what I'd been needing (we only have a walk in shower in my flat)

Oh... totally random but turns out the crew from the Girls Aloud tour were staying in our hotel too and we got given some complimentary tickets. So that night I ended up at the gig with John's best friends girlfriend :)

After the gig, the four of us went to the Empire to watch a blues band and I found my new favourite drink.

We ate at lots of awesome places but I especially fell in love with Bubbacue. Their pulled pork and home made ice tea was absolutely fantastic!

We ate lunch a couple of times in the Harlem Cafe which was just across the road from our hotel. It was decorated so nicely inside, and the milk for your tea came out of a little cow which I especially liked. Moooo.

We stumbled across a big Forbidden Planet store (like ten times bigger than the one in Glasgow) when wandering around the shops, and I got myself an Adventure Time graphic novel. I love watching Spongebob with John and we've just started watching Adventure Time too, it makes me smile.

There was an Andy Warhol exhibition on at the MAC, which was kinda small but I'm glad we went. Really didn't do much else touristy stuff like the Titanic Museum etc because we ran out of time.

John browsing through some records at St Georges Market.

As well as food stalls, there was music playing and lots of crafts and stalls selling old trinkets. I happened to stumble across the best stall of them all...

The Lily Pink Bakery! :) Run by the super lovely Claire from French For Cupcake, I have followed her blog for so long now and regularly drool over her wonderful baked creations on instagram. It was amazing to meet Claire properly, and finally get my hands on some of her fantastic cakes.

Thank you so much Claire! ♥ They were delicious, and I can't stop looking at a recent cake of hers with a My Neighbour Totoro theme. Quite possibly the best cake I have seen in my entire life!

We went out to a place called Filthy McNasty's on the saturday, which was a really good night (not that I can remember much of it) John also took me to the cinema to see OZ cause I'd been pestering him so much about it :) We had a hangover dinner with Connie and Martin at an indian restaurant called Mumbai 27 on the sunday night which was great too. Before I knew it our wee trip was over :( Lots of food, drink, dancing and shopping later I felt well rested and ready to come home.

Stumbled across a book in Urban Outfitters on the last day and had a good chuckle at this page. Very true - Siri just doesn't get Scottish accents!

I was looking for a wee something to read while we killed time at the airport so had picked up this book from UO. Have you read it?

After what is indeed a super short flight, we were home. Lots of hugs for Dexter who was patiently awaiting our arrival (he's possibly one of the neediest cats you will ever meet)