Belfast (Northern Ireland) | A Friendly Hostel - Day 27

I leave the comfort of my Airbnb in Coleraine behind at around half past 10 am. The train to Belfast runs every hour at a quarter past the hour. I load my pack onto my back. Hmm, this actually feels pretty good. My legs are steady. This is the first time I've carried any distance in almost two weeks. I think I can make the mile walk to the station without too much grief this morning. Everything feels right.

I arrive at the station in time to catch the 11:15 am train. Wow! That only took me about 37 minutes with my pack! More importantly, I walked without any stops this morning. I'm feeling right but still sore. Nowhere near the pace, I had when I started this trip, but this is a significant improvement. My pack doesn't feel as light today as it did when I last walked into Donegal Town. It appears that my body has already forgotten the weight of my pack. I'll work on that later. This is a big win today!   

My intentions in Belfast are simple, 1) continue my rehab, 2) spend time in the Titanic Quarter, 3) experience my first hostel, and 4) discover Belfast. I arrive in Belfast around a quarter to 1 pm. I step out of the train station at Great Victoria Street. Belfast is alive with people moving in all directions. My schedule is tight, check-in is after 2 pm, and I have a deep tissue massage at quarter to 3 pm today. I head for EdŌ, a modern Spanish tapas restaurant, for lunch. My lunch date, see photo below, isn't big on conversation. Haha!

I place my order, octopus hash with a side of vegetables, steamed greens, broccoli, and carrots served with Crème Fraîche. I dice the octopus and mix it with the sweet potato and chorizo hash. The steamed vegetables are an excellent compliment. Just before 2 pm, I find my way back onto the busy sidewalks of Belfast.  

It is almost a mile to the hostel, then three more blocks to the spa for my massage at 245 pm. I decide to hire a taxi and save my legs. Not sure I could make the trek, get checked in, and walk the three blocks to my appointment in time. Greg, my taxi driver, helps me throw my pack into the boot of his car. He wants to know how my holiday is going. I tell him all I can in the 5-7 minutes taxi ride. The fare is 5 quids. "You've done a fair bit," Greg says. Yeah, I guess I have and smile. We pull up to my accommodations, Botanical Backpackers Hostel. "I'll wait here until you get inside," Greg says. It feels good to feel supported by someone I just met. Irish people are amazing!

I decided to try a hostel in Belfast and Dublin to experience the travel community. Hostels can be a great way to travel and save money. They seem to make sense in larger cities, while in my experience, Airbnb makes more sense in smaller towns and villages. Botanical Backpackers Hostel is a nice little place. Especially when you consider the cost is 20 quids per night and it includes breakfast. An amazing deal! Hostels provide a communal living arrangement at substantial cost savings in some cities. My room is on the 3r floor and has three bunk beds. I am the third person in the room. I grab one of the bottom ones. I don't want to climb a ladder in the dark right now. I place my valuable items in my locker, leave my pack in the room, and head for my massage.    

I spend the next hour and twenty minutes in bliss. I quickly realize many places have sore muscles besides my legs. This is going to do me some good and relax into the massage.

After my massage, I settled into my new accommodations. I notice the room now has 5 of the 6 beds occupied. I intend to not do a lot of walking today. Around 730 pm, I head for dinner a few blocks away. My choice tonight is Molly's Yard. Dinner consists of the Lamb Pot Roast with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Oh my gosh! Belfast is a culinary treat! My taste buds are loving this new experience. This sure beats the heck out of bad Chinese Take Away!

I finish off a great meal with a lovely dessert. Poached peaches with almonds, blueberries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream before calling it a night.