It's all in the game: Belfast New Years Eve, Amy’s Bed and Breakfast and Safa Indian restaurant,

In true BBC form due to situations beyond our control we had to change our program, this meant going to Belfast on New Year’s Eve instead of spending it with Bob in Kilkeel. We booked in a B&B on the Antrim Road, Amy’s Guest House, it was a small, clean affair in an Edwardian terraced house, it had recently had some renovations done and a slap of paint, though there was still some work to be done (the en-suite door was very ill fitting) it was well worth the money.

We arrived and Nick the owner was on duty, he had given his “girls” the New Year off, he is a dried out alcoholic, so as he said, “it was better to stay out of the way of temptation”. He showed us to our room,which was small with the bed taking up most of the space, though I have been in smaller cabins at sea, it wasn't much bigger, but for a couple of nights it would be more than adequate.

There was a small newly furnished en-suite, it would do us for our main reason for being there which was to be near to the Stena Terminal for the ferry to Cairn Ryan the next morning and still central to town. Down in the residents lounge/dining room Nick made us a smashing pot of tea, showed us the workings of the TV and after answering our queries about buses into town and a Taxi the next morning left us to our own devises.

On the ground floor, adjacent to lounge/dining room is a well equipped kitchen which Nick said we were at liberty to use.

We decided as it was New Year’s Eve to head into town on the bus, there is a stop just across the road at the corner of Cliftonville Road and Antrim Road, this takes you straight into the centre of Belfast, we hopped onto the number 12A paid the 3 quid each and were soon set down on Royal Avenue. In front of us was the well adorned, tastefully, in its Christmas lights.

Friends who live and work in Belfast had informed us that Safa was a very good Indian restaurant and was very central, we found Bank Street and a light trail set into the pavement led us to the famous Kelly’s traditional Irish pub, next door and upstairs was Safa Indian Restaurant

We were cordially greeted at the door, inquired if we had a reservation (were these the wrong sort of Indians?). Answering no, he consulted his large diary and seating plan and gave us a nice table for two not far from the door. Inquiries as to what we would like to drink, saying they had Kingfisher beer on tap. We were presented with the menu, this is quite extensive and covers most of the foods from the Indian sub-continent, but what hit me right between the eyes was “goat”, but before I could inquire my hopes were dashed, sorry sir but there is no goat on the menu, it is out of season,the goat-meat that is supplied in Northern Europe is kid that was born in early spring, raised throughout the summer and slaughtered in autumn, this was very late December so I was out of luck. “But we do have some very nice lamb, sir” came the offer. So we ordered our meals.

Papadoms to start for both of us, this came with three dishes consisting of a light vegetable pickle, a mango chutney and a spiced yoghurt dish.

Next the true starters : A mixed platter for two consisting of onion bhajee’s, chicken and lamb tikka pieces, Samosa's, spiced chicken wings and small kebabs. All very well cooked and tasting fantastic.

For the mains: I had ordered the lamb tikka cooked in the tandoor oven, it was succulent pieces of Irish lamb, perfectly seasoned, this was accompanied by a vegetable tandoori sauce, perfect absolutely perfect.

Linda had ordered a chicken Balti, which she said was also perfectly cooked and the chicken was butter soft without falling apart, with the sauce had just the right amount of heat (for her).

We had plain boiled rice, a chapatti and an onion and garlic Naan as the accompaniment.

The waiter service was perfect, it was prompt and well organised, very friendly without being overbearing, just a polite” is everything to your liking” a couple of times. The whole bill came to 65 quid for the two of us, now that was a gift.

We decided to have a look in next door at Kelly's Cellars, we walk along the outside passing a fella having a fag, he said in a broad Belfast accent ”aye get yersels insoid noy, ter’s a waam foyer and gud Craic in tear”, we took him at his word, so inside we went, it was quite full and most of the tables were taken, but we managed to squeeze onto a couple of seats at the table nearest the door, I ordered a pint of the black stuff for me and a gin and tonic for Linda, plonked them on the table and just then the chap that had accosted us outside, came back in from his fag break, and seeing us said with a twinkle in his eye,” I tol yi a liddle loy abaut ti foyer”. But the Craic was good and though they had no live music, the canned music was great, something for all tastes, from fiddle and pipe to modern cat-a wailing. The clientele was as varied as the music, flat capped and over coated wizen old knackers to high heeled scantily dressed young fillies a veritable mixture of Belfast night life, what a wonderful place, a must for visitors to Belfast.

We decided to move on to the Titanic Quarter, but before we reached there, Linda needed, urgently, the little girls room, so we back tracked to a bar we had seen a few minutes earlier, The Garrick Bar

this is a real old bar with cut-glass mirrors and hanging chandeliers, well-kept and so Linda ordered us drinks and promptly disappeared to the toilets, we found a couple of seats in the well frequented but not overfull bar and savoured our drinks while pondering what to do next, we decided that we would head back to the B&B and watch the New Year in on the tele. We grabbed a cab and in next to no time we were back on the Antrim Road and our B&B.

Linda wanted to watch something on TV so I went up to our room, and switched on my PC, to read my e-mails and catch up with the news via skype from my daughter who is back packing in Laos (following in her fathers footsteps). I then decided to stream tv and just then it was time for Mrs Browns Boys film and then Jules Holland Hootenanny, Linda came up and we started watching it together, I must say I did not see in the New Year as I was fast asleep by that time.

Next morning we had decided on no breakfast s, we were travelling Stena Plus and would eat on board, Nick had actually taken 10 quid off for not taking breakfast. The taxi arrived as ordered and it was off and in plenty of time for the ferry (Linda likes to be super punctual).

A good night was had in Belfast, I do believe that I would do it again if catching the early ferry as it means it is stress free, though I will also say if travelling only to Ireland I would prefer to travel via the France to Rosslare ferry, it is much more civilised, cuts out the England crossing with the Oscar wild, the Oscar Wilde is a fantastic ferry with excellent meals, though saying that, the DFDS from Newcastle to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam) also has very nice restaurants on board and I do get to see my sister only 15 minutes from the DFDS terminal at North Shields.

We had a safe journey from Linda’s brothers, where we had left the car across the breadth of the UK (Port Logan to Backworth), stayed the night at my sisters, went shopping for a few necessaries at the local Morrison’s and caught the ferry the next day.

We had a nice meal onboard, then decided to have an early night and have a read and I done a bit of writing up for my blog. There were a few bangs and crunches as the vessel ploughed through the Troughs and over the peaks, but I slept through it, it would seem that Linda did not.

Next morning I was up early and caught the watery sun coming up over the North Sea as we approached the coast of Holland. If I have a long journey ahead of me I never eat breakfast as if do then I have to take my diabetic medicament, this can cause a violent bowl movement 2 hours later, it is not nice if caught between service stations. So I tend to starve myself instead, Linda had a continental breakfast and read her book.