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Belfast, France, Ireland, moving, Northern Ireland, photography, photos, pictures, Southern California, Titanic Quarter, Titanic Quarter Belfast, travel
I originally wrote this post on June 12, 2012, but because I’ve moved this blog to a new address, I’m in the process of reposting old material. I should have reposted this on my two year anniversary, but that came and went without me even really realizing it. I’m now quickly approaching my third year since moving to California from Belfast. Please enjoy a list of things I miss about Europe and photos from my last day living in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Eurolinguiste 
Belfast looks gorgeous, Shannon. And walkability (and corner bakeries) are such good things. We have a stellar neighborhood bakery, btu she only makes pain au chocolat once in a while. Which is probably a good thing (you know… the evaporation…).
While you can’t make SoCal more compact (I lived in San Diego for a few years, so I hear you on the necessity of a car), you can bring a bit of Belfast to you, right? Monthly crepe parties, a multi-lingual book club… and a very, very expensive espresso machine.
We did get an espresso machine as a wedding gift which I am so excited about, but we can’t “bust” it out until we move in September. So I’m stuck waiting… And more waiting…
You’re right about the crêpe parties though. As far as the multilingual book club, I’d have trouble finding others here.
Thanks for your suggestions – I hadn’t thought of many of those!
I guess I pictured you in a big city where you would easily be able to find folks for a book club. Bummer.
You have far greater willpower than I do, Shannon. I cannot imagine waiting until September to use a new espresso machine. You are amazing!
Gah – I had written a reply and the new notification window closed it on me. Again.
I had written a long response, but I’m a bit peeved at the comment window. Sorry.
In short, if you knew the conditions that the espresso maker was going to be set up in, you would wait until September too. Trust me, it isn’t willpower! 🙂
Fair enough. It must be huge to keep it boxed until autumn.
I am sorry about the comment window! What an enormous hassle.
I think I may stop using the comment window entirely.
Speaking of espresso makers, I should tell you about the time I had espresso grounds explode all over the kitchen at my parents house.
And the speaking of explosions, I should also tell you about the time I tried to recap sparkling wine.
I’ve never been to Ireland (though we’re going for our honeymoon), but I love the parts of Europe I’ve visited so far, particularly Paris and London (obvious, I know). I lived in NYC for five years and I miss it horribly. I used to adore just walking around the city for hours at a time. I also miss having decent public transportation. Not to mention the food!
I totally hear you on walking around! Have fun in Ireland on your honeymoon. Whereabouts are you going?
We’re going to Dublin, Edinburgh, and London for our honeymoon. We wanted to see more of each country, but since we have to schedule it around law school we don’t have as much time as we’d like.
Wow – you are really going all over! Dublin is really nice – make sure you visit both sides of the river!
I agree. It is only convenient when it DOESN’T delete your comment…
I have never exploded an espresso maker (yikes!), but occasionally my french press explodes hot coffee and grounds everywhere. Which sucks. The last time it happened, Alice asked, “Why is your coffee being so dramatic?” Good question, dear.
Now, the sparkling wine thing is terrifying. I have a little plug deal I got at a wine shop specifically for sparklers. Was it that? If so, I don’t think I will try it again…
No, thankfully now I have the right one. My mother had received an expensive bottle of sparkling wine as a gift and she really wanted me to try it. I opened the bottle, then when I tried to stop it, I used a normal stopper not really thinking about it. It was one of the ones you put in and push the button at the top to close it. I closed it and the next thing I knew was that me and everything behind me was covered in wine. The cap had exploded – half was in the bottle and the other half was in my hand. It emptied literally the entire bottle. I felt bad since it was a nice bottle but my mom’s response was “It’s okay, I don’t like sparkling wine anyway.” She also didn’t think that putting a normal stopper in the bottle would do that and said she was glad I did it and not her because she would have done the same thing. How was I supposed to know?
Oh, that is awful! Thank goodness your mother was so great about it.
Also I love Alice’s question. I think you should add “dramatic coffee” into the dictionary even though it is a phrase and not a word.
Oh, you pay attention to The Dictionary! Thank you! It might be my favorite part of the blog…
Of course I pay attention to the dictionary!
🙂 Yay!
Funny, I kept thinking I miss this and this too lol the only thing I don’t miss is walking everywhere and bumping into my friends. I live in such a small town here, I don’t have that issue
You are lucky 🙂
i find it so interesting that we’ve had such similar recent paths. you moving from belfast and myself and wifesy moving back from scotland. we’ll be coming up on a year that we moved back this august. so bizarre. i couldn’t agree with you more on EVERY point that you stated. however, socal is an even BIGGER change for me because you can walk everywhere in new york. if you haven’t been to new york, you should go. due to everything you’ve mentioned, you’d love it. it is one of the very few cities that is european in its sense of bakeries and walking distances and things like that. what new york misses sometimes that europe has is a quaintness and a history unlike any other. and i’m with you – things are so much slower in europe. i mean this as a total compliment. (nothing is ever slow in new york and i don’t feel like things are slower in cali either.) but, europe, lingers and i like that. i was blogging a tiny bit while i was in scotland and i was always amazed at how the internet would ‘wake up’ once the u.s. was online. i could literally feel how there was more activity whether it was blog posts or emails… so interesting, the whole thing, and there are days where i really miss europe too… great post. xo, sm
Thanks SM – I have actually been to New York three times and played there twice! You were definitely right about the fast pace – whenever I walked down the street I felt like I was getting bowled over (is that the right expression?).
So glad I made it onto your list for blogs to catch up on!
In your comment, you mentioned a lot of ways that Europe isn’t like NY (with Europe winning), but I have to tell you I would take NY pizza over European pizza any day. Plus I loved the sandwich shops there!
I feel like my reply went all over the place. Hmm…
Great post. Thanks for sharing… I hope you get to see some of your pals again soon! I have lived in London and Rome and miss all of the above things too! Especially walking… Now I have a hefty commute to and from work, and have to make up for time lost by running (literally sometimes) around my office instead of emailing.
I grew up eating crepes (Norwegian Pancakes we call them) and my little cousins kick my butt every time as well! I might have to go see them and have a party – good idea!
Are Norwegian crepes different from French crepes?
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