Suburban Lush

"Orangefest"

The 12th of July weekend is a four day weekend here in Northern Ireland. It is an annual protestant celebration, commemorating the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. For weeks in advance Union Jack flags are raised, crates are piled up for bonfires, and drummers practice on the streets, but the main action starts on the 11th night, when huge bonfires are lit. The itself 12th consists of parades, drumming and marching. During "The Troubles" this was a weekend of huge conflict and, even now, many residents leave Northern Ireland for the weekend as resentment flares up and fights start.

This year the tourist board started marketing the 12th as "Orangefest", a show of cultural diversity. While many people still left Belfast, we were unexpectedly there as all our plans had fallen through (insert rant about various peoples' unreliability here!). The centre of town was quiet on the 11th night and my friend Zoe and I headed out for an informal pub crawl of Belfast's historic pubs. It was quite a good night to be out, as we didn't have to wait in line for drinks and got a seat in every pub we visited, and the atmosphere was friendly.

Because the 12th was a Sunday parades were held on the 13th, and John, Zoe and I decided to head out for a look. Of course we stopped at a couple of pubs first, because what is a celebration in Northern Ireland without a couple of pints of Guinness? And then we joined the masses to watch the parade in the rain before getting so bored and wet that we needed to desperately seek a pub for another recovery pint. Unfortunately it appeared that all pubs were shut while the parade was on, but after much searching we found one - Kelly's Cellar, a staunchly Irish pub, rumoured to be an IRA meeting place, was apparently the only pub open in Belfast.

And yes, there were some riots, but all in all it was a pretty quiet weekend for Belfast.

Lists

Four things I have done in the past week:

• Caught, and mostly recovered from, a stomach bug. Really, not pretty. I had two days off work, and probably should have taken more time off. On the plus side, I'm looking a bit thinner now!

• Had a visit from my parents. Unfortunately I was sick most of the time they were here, so we didn't catch up as much as we were hoping, but I really enjoyed seeing them. They were here for a week, and we managed to squeeze in some shopping and a few dinners. My uncle, cousin and aunt were also over from the mainland, so it was a big family catch-up.

• Watched Sense and Sensibility for the first time. And enjoyed it. Quite a nice way to spend a Friday night when you're stomach is still a little too fragile for drinking.

• Paid late fees on a library book. I'm horrified that it is taking me more than a fortnight to read a  book at the moment. I must get myself back into the reading habit.

Hopefully next week will be a little more exciting. We have a 4 day weekend due to the 12th of July. We originally had plans to head to the Galway for the weekend with one of our flatmates, but she decided at the last minute that she didn't want to go and, as she was going to drive there, we had no other way of getting there. Might head to Dundalk for a night or two with our other flattie and see where she grew up.

Italy & Switzerland - Part 2

Its not often that one experiences a temperature drop of almost 30 degrees in the space of a few hours. The road between Menaggio and St Moritz is full of hairpin bends and an elevation gain of 1600 meters, which means we left 30 degree weather for temperatures close to freezing.

We arrived at St Moritz close to 7pm, found our hostel and showered. The hostel provided half board, so we had dinner there before heading out to explore the town. While St Moritz is a bustling ski resort in the winter, it was very quiet on a Monday night in June. We found a couple of bars but neither were very busy, and the most exciting sign of life we saw was a mouse running through the bar as we were sipping our pints.

The next morning dawned fairly clear. After breakfast, we stopped at the supermarket before catching a bus to the cable car. We took the cable car up to the first stop to start our walk for the day. The original plan had been to walk from the cable car up to Fuorcla Surlej (a mountain hut at 2755m) and work our way back down the valley. Unfortunately snow covered the path, and Colin wasn't too keen on the idea of walking on snow. We put our heads together and came up with a plan: Christian and I would walk up to Fuorcla Surlej and return the way we came. In the meantime, Colin would settle himself in the cafe at the cable car station and wait for us. We would then have  lunch and walk down the mountain back to St Moritz together.

Christian and I headed off, following the footsteps of those who had gone before and occasionally sinking deep into the snow. It was tough work, but we reached the hut after about 40 minutes. We had been hoping for views across the valley to Piz Bernina, but cloud was coming in quickly obscuring our view. We had a quick photo and chocolate break (the hut was closed, so no coffee and cake for us) before returning to pick up Colin. As we headed back, the snow began to fall, and we spent some time fooling around sliding down slopes - mostly on our feet but occasionally on our backsides. We reached the cable car station and found Colin warm and well-caffeinated.

We had our sandwiches and all three of us headed off down the mountain. There was not much snow on the ground for the descent, but it was snowing on and off until we reached lower altitudes. The walk was lovely, and a nice break from the hard slog we'd done the day before at Monte Grona. At first we were above the tree line on stony ground and spotted some marmots before we dipped down below the treeline. As usual we eventually came across a refuge where we stopped for coffee, cake (for the boys) and apple strudel (for me) before continuing on our way. The walk brought us right back to the hostel and we were back in time for dinner.

Having decided that we'd had all the fun that could be had in St Moritz the night before, we decided to head to the nearby town of Pontresina. Pontresina was a lovely town which felt much more "real" than St Moritz. St Moritz had been full of YSL and Gucci shops, while Pontresina sported a number of good looking climbing/hiking gear shops. The place was livelier too, and we settled down in comfy armchairs in a nice pub for a couple of pints.

After two nights in St Moritz we'd felt we'd had enough, and the next morning all three of us were happy to be back in the car and heading South to the warmer climes of Locarno, the southernmost town in Switzerland. Located on the Northern tip of Lake Maggiore, Locarno is Italian speaking, very Italian feeling, with a warm climate. No more Swiss food, we were back on to pizza and pasta in the sunshine. We'd booked into a bed and breakfast just off the lovely main square. When we went to check in it turned out that the owners were away and had left the keys with the proprietor of the restaurant next door. Unfortunately it appeared that they had forgotten about our booking and hadn't told him about us, but after a few extended telephone calls we managed to get it sorted out. We dropped our bags in our room and went out to explore the town/go for a run. I bet you can guess which of the two I did!

We caught the funicular railway up to the sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso and the boys headed off running. Being far more sensible, I walked along with my camera, making my way back to the lake and the central piazza for a gelato. We decided to splurge for dinner and went out to a lovely restaurant specialising in seafood. I had a divine gazpacho to start, and linguini di frutti di mare which was full of mussels, clams, squid and fish and served with a simple  garlic, parsley and white wine sauce. After dinner we took a stroll to the lake shore before enjoying a limoncello at an outdoor cafe.

The next day we had a fair amount of driving to do. But first of all we took some time to do some shopping in Locarno, checking out the market which had sprung up in the piazza, before hopping in the car and heading to Zermatt through the Simplon Pass.

Zermatt is a car-free town, and so we parked in Tasch and got the train in. Zermatt is a picture post-card of a town situated in a long valley at the Northern base of the Matterhorn. We'd rented an apartment for a couple of nights, and our balcony looked out across the town and to the Matterhorn. Enjoying having a little space to ourselves after staying in hostels and bed and breakfasts we picked up a bottle of wine in town to drink on the balcony before heading out for dinner. Seeing as we were in Switzerland we decided to go out for a local desh - cheese fondue. After an evening dipping hunks of bread into a boiling pot of cheese and wine, washed down with more wine, we strolled (or staggered) back to the apartment.

The next morning dawned overcast but not rainy. We'd spent some time the night before planning our walk for the day - a mammoth 22 km trek. We headed straight out from the apartment after breakfast, making our way up to the Eidelweiss hut, where we stopped for a drink. We pushed onwards and upwards to the Hotel Trift. It was a hard slog, almost straight uphill for close to three hours. At Hotel Trift we turned to ascend some more across rocky fields past flocks of Valais sheep.

We crossed the Hohbalmen Traverse, a long narrow track through the fields with a steep drop-off down one side. The path eventually dropped back down to the riverbed, and we followed the river back down the valley, stopping in Zmutt for a coffee. It began to rain just as we left Zmutt, our first rain for the trip, and we hurried back to Zermatt.

That evening we went out for dinner at a lovely homely restaurant - the kind where they offer you second helpings. The boys had soup to start, but I opted for a "country patter" consisting of cold smoked meats, pickles and cheese. For a main Colin and Christian both had venison, and I had a veal bratwurst served with potato gratin and spinach and washed it down with a delicious French red. We shared a toblerone mousse for desert (and I had a hot chocolate) before we headed back to the apartment, exhausted, full and truly content.

The next morning was spent shopping in Zermatt before we started our trip back through the Simplon Pass towards Milan airport.

We had a couple of hours to spare so we stopped at our third (and final) Italian lake: Lake Orta.

We stopped in Orta San Giulio, a lakeshore town popular with Italian tourists. The main piazza is right on the shore, with beautiful views of the lake's islands. Unfortunately we didn't have time to take a boat trip out to the islands, but we did have time for a gelato before heading on to the airport and back to Belfast.

Italy & Switzerland - Part 1

I just got back from a fantastic holiday. My friends Colin, Christian and I had been planning it for a while - a week of walking in Italy and Switzerland. Spending our first night at Como, making our way up Lake Como to Menaggio for another night, heading on to Switzerland: two nights in St Moritz, dropping back down to Locarno, the southernmost town in Switzerland, before our final two nights in Zermatt. It was a packed itinerary, and we hired a car to take us to our destinations: a lovely italian Alpha Romeo Mito - a sporty wee thing which barely fit all three of us plus luggage.

We flew into Milan late on Saturday night. It was pouring with rain so we threw our luggage into the car and shot straight off to Como. Como is a lovely town at the Southern tip of Lake Como, Italy. It is THE location for summer homes (George Clooney has one, but we didn't see him there) and luckily it wasn't raining when we arrived. After a quick check-in at the hotel, we headed out for a late dinner. We settled ourselves in a restaurant on the lake shore and relaxed with a bottle of red wine, squid carpaccio, and prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella before sinking our teeth into divine Italian pizzas. After dinner we wandered along the shore. The Saturday evening atmosphere was fantastic, and there was a band playing in one of the piazzas so we sat down at a nearby bar and shared a bottle of prosecco before meandering back to the hotel.

Sunday morning we explored Como in the daylight, before driving up the Western coast of Lake Como to Menaggio. We parked the car in Menaggio and caught the ferry across the lake to Belaggio, where we had a leisurely lunch and went for a lovely walk to Pescalio where we had lovely views down the lake. We returned to Menaggio on the boat and the boys, mad men that they are, headed out for a run while I explored the town and sussed out a place for us to have dinner. We relaxed over dinner before heading back to the hostel for the night.

We were up early the next morning to climb Monte Grona. The day was hot and sunny and we drove along hairpin bends to Breglia to start the walk. We followed signs up to the Refugio Menaggio, a mountain centre at 1400m on the Southern slope of Monte Grona. At the Refugio we had a coffee and a slice of torte before pushing up to the top of Monte Grona for lunch. The summit is at an altitude of 1700m and the walk itself is quite exposed, with fantastic views down to Menaggio, Bellagio and beyond. There were a few places where the path was narrow with steep drop off, and as Christian suffers from vertigo he needed a bit of coaxing. The last couple of meters required some rock climbing, but there were chains to help you up. Both Christian and I made it to the very summit, but Colin decided against the last scramble and scouted out the lunch spot. The views from the top of Monte Grona are amazing. On one side they sweep down to Lake Como, and down to the lakes on the other side. The walk itself was incredibly steep, and hard work in the hot sun, but definitely worth it.

That afternoon we left Italy and drove to St Moritz, Switzerland.

Girls' Weekend

Five girls, a whole weekend, and a cottage at the beach: recipe for relaxation!

My friend Eva's parents have a home in the South (aka Ireland), beautifully located in Stroove, County Donegal, walking distance to the beach and local pub. They were going to be away for a few days and so a group of us decided to head over there for a weekend away, leaving straight after work on Friday to make the most of it.

We debated all cramming into one car, but decided that it would be practically impossible to fit 5 girls, luggage for the weekend, and enough booze to last us 2 days into the car and, even if we did manage it, it would be a pretty uncomfortable 3 hour journey. We arrived at our destination at around 9:30 and settled in for a quiet and relaxing night: pizza and wine in front of the roaring open fire.

Saturday dawned clear and sunny so after breakfast we headed off on a walk around the headland. Nothing too strenuous, and only about four miles, but with beautiful views out towards the sea and across to Binevenagh. The afternoon was spent relaxing in front of the tv and getting ready to go out for dinner with some wine and a bottle of bubbles.

The Drunken Duck where we ate dinner was only a short walk away. Since it was located so close to the sea (it had fantastic sea views) we all ordered fish, which was divinely fresh. Each main was served with a choice of a side, and in typical Belfast style we ended up with 4 different potato sides (baby boiled, champ, "Thai" mash (think mashed potatoes with Thai sweet chili sauce) and garlic fried), and one side of vegetables. I'll let you guess who chose the veges! After another couple of bottles of bubbles to wash dinner down we were ready to head to "Michael Johns", the local pub. The pub was very quiet, but we managed to convince the proprietor that he should turn on the radio to drown out the sound of the humming fridges. Luckily we didn't need anyone else around to make for an enjoyable evening and we settled ourselves in a corner for a couple of pints. And then a couple of vodkas. And then staggered back to the cottage wearing hi-visibility jackets as we were walking along the road in the dark.

Never ones to be too sensible, we opened a couple of bottles of wine and continued drinking. My memory of the evening gets rather blurry at this point, but I distinctly remember some dancing and us all singing aloud to Roxette. Thank goodness there were no neighbours to hear us! Deirdre was sensible and headed to bed around 4, and at around 5 my cousin Alex fell asleep on the lounge floor as the remaining three continued to party around her. I think we all rolled into bed just after 6am, but I have no idea how I got up the stairs and into bed.

Sunday morning was rather quiet. Luckily we'd all been sensible enough to drink large cups of water before bed, so once we got up we felt ok. We cooked up a fried breakfast and then moved to the lounge to veg in front of the tv. After a quick walk in the afternoon it was time to head back home, exhausted and hungover, but happy.

Catch-up

The last couple of weeks I've found it really hard to sit down and write. Its not as if I don't have anything to write about, or that I don't have the time, its just been difficult to convince myself to sit at the computer and think of an interesting way to say things. And the times I have sat down to write it feels a bit  boring, and rather like I'm writing a list of "been there, done that".

It might be because I sit in front of the computer all day long, and when I get home the last thing I want to look at is a screen. So instead I read, or head out for a walk, potter around the house, or just chat to John and the flatmates.

So, in order to actually get something down, here is a bullet-point list of information:

• Last weekend my friends Anne, Jen and I headed down to Dublin for the day to catch the matinee of All My Sons by Arthur Miller. It was a fantastic production and a fabulous day. Before hopping on the train we went to the markets in Belfast to get a picnic lunch. We shared a bottle of bubbly on the train on the way down. When we got to Dublin it was pouring with rain, and we made our way to the Porterhouse Brewing Company in Temple Bar for a pint and to have our 'picnic' of bread, three types of cheese, tapenade and hummus before heading to the play. Gin and Tonics were drunk on the train on the way home, and we were off to a party as soon as we arrived back in Belfast.
• I haven't been cooking much lately, but I've found the best lunch ever in Smitten Kitchen's Mediterranean eggplant and barley salad (also an excellent BBQ or potluck dish), and a gloriously sinful desert in her double chocolate layer cake.
• While I've always felt that I'm not much help at the pub quiz (I jokingly call myself the team mascot), I have discovered that I'm the only one who can answer most of the literary questions, which pleases me greatly. Unfortunately there are only two more quizzes before they stop for the summer, so I won't have much opportunity to show off my new-found skills.
• The weather has been fantastic recently, and I've found a lovely walk just near my house. Within 20 minutes you feel like you are far away from the city and, as I walk along, I am truly relaxed.
• For some unknown reason I'm missing my parents a lot at the moment. I don't feel homesick, and I don't want to go home, but I miss hanging out with them. I miss my Dad's martinis and my Mom's cooking, and most of all I miss their fantastic company. I'm really looking forward to when they come visit me in a few weeks' time.

So there you go, a 5 point summary of where I'm at right now.

Leave To Remain

John and I were in the 2008 European City of Culture (aka Liverpool) today so that John could complete his application for a visa to allow him to stay in the UK for the next two years as my partner.

We were rather amused at the concept that we would have to go and prove we are a couple.

There was a somewhat stressful moment when they told us we didn't quite have the correct documentation and they would have to hold on to our passports for a couple days. We pleaded with them and fortunately they agreed to grant the visa there and then, but it was touch and go for a while.

Our appointment was at 1.20 pm, and we finally left the immigration office just before 5.00 - leaving us just enough time to rush to the airport for our flight back to Belfast.

So, we can stay in Belfast for another two years. We're not sure that we'll stay for that long, but it is nice to have the option.

Too Sunny To Post

The weather here has been fantastic. Absolutely amazing. Blue skies and temperatures of 23 degrees. And since we didn't get any days like this last year, and will probably only get these few days of it this year, I've been making the most of it.

The sunny weather started on Friday, so after work John, our friend Warren, and I headed to our local pub and had a few pints in the beer garden. I had thought that nothing could beat a pint of Guinness on a rainy day - turns out its just as (if not more!) delicious in the sunshine.

Saturday was spent hiking in the Cooley Mountains near Carlingford in the South (Ireland to the uninitiated). The walk began at Slieve Foye Wood car park, and from there we headed up a fairly steep incline. I don't usually drink the night before a hike, and I have to admit that I felt all 3 of my pints during the climb! We traversed Eagle's rock and climbed to the top of Raven's rock where we had fantastic views of Carlingford lough, up the Newry canal, and even across to the ever familiar Mournes. We continued along the plateau to Carlingford mountain where we stopped for lunch before descending towards Carlingford Town via the Colwyn Gap. We bypassed the town (much to the despair of all those who wanted to head straight to the pub) and cut through Slieve Foye Wood and back to the car park.

Distance: 11kms/ 7.5miles approx.
Time: Approx. 5 1/2 hours
Terrain: mountain paths and open mountain,forest tracks
Highest point: 579m
Map: OSI 1:50,000 Sheet 36.

We enjoyed a post-walk pint in the beer garden at the lovely O'Hares Pub in Carlingford before heading back to Belfast, sunburnt and happy.

On Sunday, a few of us from the hiking group decided to revel in the sunshine at Mount Stewart, a National Trust property comprising of house and gardens. The last Sunday of every summer month they put on a "Jazz in the Park" afternoon, and we headed there with a picnic of french bread, brie cheese, olives, strawberries and champagne. While the jazz was not very good the atmosphere was fantastic, and we managed to while away the entire afternoon relaxing on the grass, taking the odd stroll around the gardens, and climbing on statues.

Monday night was again sunny, and my cousin Alex had kindly offered to drive me down to White Rock to visit my Gran. We had a lovely visit with a bottle of wine (why is it that summer weather always means more drinking?) before Alex and I walked along the shore for dinner at Daft Eddy's, a fantastic pub on the shores of Strangford Lough. We sat outside and enjoyed the view while eating divine food (sea bass with salsa verde and slow roasted cherry tomatoes for me, salmon with grilled aubergine and a mint and yogurt dressing for Alex) and sipping a lovely red wine.

There is no rest for the wicked, and on Tuesday night I headed to my usual pub quiz at The Dirty Duck. I restrained myself and had only one pint, but we again enjoyed amazing weather and stunning views, even if we didn't win the quiz. Although seeing that the prize is 4 bottles of wine, that might have been a good thing!

Resolution Redux - May Eddition

Here we are at the beginning of June, and time for another update. I know posting has been slack here recently, and I'll try to fix that. I do have plenty to tell you, I'm just too busy to bother!

See more movies: I saw Star Trek, which I enjoyed immensely, even though I hated the series, and John and I watched Speed Racer the other night, which was truly awful. I also watched Hunger, a movie about the hunger strike in Northern Ireland back in 1981 which, while horrible to watch, was an excellent film.

Read more non-fiction books:  I'm still working my way through (and still enjoying) EB White's letters.

Try two new recipes a month: I tried out my first ever pancake recipe, and finally managed to make my stir-fry with oyster sauce turn out successfully. I also tried a new chocolate cake recipe and made a (recipe-less) seafood chowder for the first time, which I must get round to telling you about!

Explore local sights: I went to a play in Belfast, and yesterday attended Jazz in the Park at Mountstewart, a National Trust property. I also took a long walk along the river near my house, before catching the train back to Belfast.

Do more hiking and work to improve my overall fitness levels: I have been hiking quite a bit lately. We walked in the Mournes early in the month, had a weekend away in Donegal, and did a long hike in the sunshine on Saturday at Carlingford, just over the boarder in Ireland.

Say yes more and take all opportunities presented to me: I been pretty darn busy this month. A couple of pub quizzes, plenty of quiet drinks with friends, a play and a jazz festival, and the odd dinner out. The last three days have been gloriously sunny, and I've been making the most of it.

Pancakes

At my parent's house, we always have a cooked breakfast on the weekend. Pancakes, waffles or BLTs were our standard fare. It's a habit I've found hard to break, and so have my parents. Family friends know that when they stay the night at my parent's place, there will be pancakes for breakfast, usually served with maple syrup, cream and a thick home-made blueberry sauce. I am not a huge fan of sweet breakfasts, so John and I will usually have mushrooms on toast or BLTs on the weekend mornings that I'm not off hiking.

A couple of weeks ago I made a divine chocolate cake (recipe here soon, I promise!), which called for buttermilk. After using what I needed for the cake, I had a cup of it left, so this morning, in celebration of the long weekend, I made pancakes for the two of us. I've made pancakes plenty before, I have a friend who demands them every time she stays at my house, but I've never bothered with a recipe. I'd just mix self-raising flour, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla and milk until I had a mixture of the desired consistency. And while there was never anything wrong with my pancakes, I decided this morning that if I was going to make pancakes, they had to be perfect - light and fluffy with a hint of crispyness on the outside, served smothered in syrup. So I found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen and got to work.

As usual I changed a couple things in the recipe. I used self-raising flour, rather than all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder because I am lazy, And as I only had one cup of buttermilk rather than the required 1 1/2, I used half a cup of milk to make up the correct amount.

Ingredients (makes 5 medium-sized pancakes)

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbs butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon extra for brushing griddle

Preheat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the buttermilk and melted melted butter. Separate the egg, putting the white into a separate bowl and adding the yolk to the flour mixture. Whisk the egg white until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour mixture to combine into batter. The batter should have small to medium lumps, you don't want to over-mix it. Gently fold the egg white into the batter.

Using a pastry brush, coat the warm pan lightly with butter. Pour or ladle some batter into the pan, until there is a circle of batter of your desired pancake size. If you can fit more than one pancake on the pan at a time, go ahead and do this.

When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges flip over. Patience is a virtue here, don't try to flip them too soon or batter will ooze out. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining batter.

If you are making the pancakes to serve all at once, put the cooked pancakes on a heat-proof plate and place in the oven on low heat. Just add the pancakes to the plate as they come off the pan.

To serve, stack the desired number of pancakes on a plate, putting a small pat of butter between each pancake, and another pat on the top of the stack. Cover lavishly with your favourite syrup (we used golden syrup - John's choice, not mine!). Dig in.