The Second City
Monday morning we woke up in Belfast and the nice weather had subsided and it’s now grey and damp , the mood has totally changed and it was time to hit the road . We packed up and called our taxi and went to wait for it but it never showed ? We were told the taxis usually arrive on one side but today it arrived on the other and we didn’t notice but eventually caught on and got in our taxi to the George Best Airport in the city which is small so shouldn’t be a problem .
Ist the airport we checked our bags and had no issues really and it’s amazing that here in Belfast the oversize area is plastered with Belfast Giants murals so you would figure they know all about hockey gear . Only small issue was that I had to take my blocker/catcher and put it in Andi’s bag to keep mine from being overweight . No big deal .
After dropping bags we I grabbed a coffee and a sandwich as I didn’t think there were restaurants here but I was wrong as we found them all lined up after the security point which also was quite simple to get through . Andi ordered some chicken strips and they sent two orders accidentally so I had a wee nibble also . When we boarded plane we had to walk on the runway and the dummy in front of me decided to have a quick vape ! On the runway with all that diesel in the air this moron felt compelled to spark his vape and he got spoken to quite sternly . What an idiot !
Aer Lingus didn’t have reclining chairs and it was a short flight over to Birmingham. When we landed we didn’t have to clear any security or anything and our bags were on the carousel already when we got to it which was amazing . I grabbed a SIM card at the shop on the way to the taxi stand and we made our way to our hotel which is EasyHotel . It was a cheaper option . Check in was no problem but then we got to our room which is more like a walk in closet lol !
The room is so small it’s just two beds with no where to put your bag , no table or chair and the only place to really stand is in the shower or at the front door . This is gonna be fun drying our gear . We don’t plan to be in the room much anyways and it’s time to head out to meet everyone to go watch the Aston Villa match .
First stop is BrewDog which is right next door . Andi and myself grabbed a couple pints waiting for Paul Harris and Steve Mat from Belgium and a couple other Belgian Lions and when they arrived we had a couple more pints then piled into a taxi to get to the Villa Fanpark to grab another pint before heading in .
Met up with my mate Oli who sorted us our tickets and bought him a pint then we had to make our way to our seats . Andi and myself are both in the Lower Holte End but not in same section so we go our separate ways and plan to meet for a half time pint . The game kicked off and immediately I watched Emi Martinez fumble the ball into his own goal ???? Oh no …. Villa pulled even but Liverpool went up soon after and at this point I realised I had open seats beside me so when I saw Andi at half time I told him to come sit/stand with me .
Took forever to get a drink and I bumped into another Villa mate named Karl Bowater in the concourse which was nice . Great seeing you mate ! Then we headed to our seats and by the time we got there the game had not only started but Liverpool had already scored a third goal so Villa are down by two goals now . It wasn’t looking good but then we brought on Duran and the whole team had this spark and next thing you know it we banged in two goals to bring the game even !!!! The stands went mental …. We had the row behind us almost on top of us with everyone jumping and going ballistic . The rest of the match felt like Villa could pull off the upset but we settled for a draw .
After the match we went to the Aston Tavern and had a couple pints then they closed and I called an Uber . I saw the car coming then it disappeared , we were out in the rain and a vehicle with an Uber sticker arrived and didn’t say anything and just sat there …. I tried calling another Uber but I had three unfulfilled rides and we stood out in the rain with a couple local ladies trying to get home also . I approached the Uber and asked if he can take our order and he wanted £15 ? That’s double the quoted fare ! The ladies said don’t pay him and he just sat there …. I’m not sure what the scam is here but if you’re advertising for Uber and I’m calling Uber shouldn’t you just take me for what that cost is through the app ? I told the driver off and we eventually chased him off and then finally we got a ride after I took photos of his plates and everything . Of course I’m planning to file a complaint but for now it’s time to squeeze into our closet for a nights sleep 😴