Sat, 05 Jul 2003

author Tim	location Onboard Stena Line ferry bound for Fishguard, Wales
posted 21:24 BST 07/07/2003	section Europe2002/Europe/Ireland/Ireland 2 ( all photos )

Sugar Club ( 1 photo )
Early Saturday afternoon when we awoke, the day looked like a good one to do not much in from the start.
First thing was first, we needed to do some shopping. Gail had organised our combined birthday celebration (hers is on same day as mine) for that night, at a trendy place where you had to wear any shoes except Trainers (that's sneakers for Aussies). Guess what the only pair of shoes I had bought in with me were. So, with the advice of Gail and her sister Emma (who spent the afternoon at Gail's house where they all fussed over her eleven month-old girl Eimier), we headed for a cheap place to pick up clothes and did so. First day in living history where I came home with new clothes and Liz didn't!
Lunch was at O'brien's Irish Sandwich Bar, which I had been to the London branch of and was quite impressed, before we headed home with our spoils (including a cheap Gameboy for the long nights when we have run out of books to read in the van).
Gail's invited friends arrived late to eat small portions of the huge quantities of assembled snacky foods, have a few drinks and then embark on the fifteen minute walk to the venue for the night's entertainment, the Sugar Club. Not being clubbing people ourselves, Liz and I weren't holding out for much and at first we weren't impressed. The hefty entry charge, and the fact that we were taking it easy after the excesses of the previous days meant that the hot smoky environment had us asking for the keys for the walk home at about midnight.
But, little did we know, there was something special waiting in the wings to save the day/night - The Camenbert Quartet. This was easily one of the best bands I have ever seen play live, having a go at anything and everything, multi-media presentation looping away in the background with "Buy Now" flashing across the stage as they mentioned their own album, and above all playing good funny music, having a good go at themselves in the process.
Two hours later, we retired our battered ears to the relative silence outside the club, walking back to Gails place to once again inflate our air mattress, build a room and flake out. Just like the van!

(customised)