I'm not sure that title makes sense but I really wasn't sure how to go about naming this post... It's hard to believe Ben and I have been in Belfast for just over one month. Belfast is a friendly city which has made our transition breezy but all the same, because this is our first month, many of our experience feel monumental. (Kind of like the time we got caught in a crowd of Dublin stormtroopers and still have no idea what was going on...) Here are just a few "first" successes:
Finally, we had our very first visitor! My cousin Linnea stayed with us following her year as an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea. She was kind enough to write a guest post which gives some insight into our first few weeks. I'll stop now so this post doesn't get crazy long ...Take it away, Linnea! [with photos and occasional commentary by Laurel] Note: this is also a "photo dump" post so it may take time for all images to load. Please let me know if you have issues! Or if you haven't seen enough, we can take care of that too! I had a really great time visiting my cousins! It was awesome to for the first time spend time abroad with Laurel. We spent a few days in Dublin. Dublin is a really good looking city. Its old buildings and timeless architecture make it a great place to wonder around with your jaw on the ground. We went to a pub for dinner the first day I arrived. Fish-and-chips and bangers-and-mash (sausages with mashed potatoes and gravy) were a delicious introduction to Irish food. I came thinking it would be bland but found that it was truly flavorful. Mashed peas with the fish and chips sounded repulsive but turned out to be delightful, my favorite part of that dish even. The next day we went to the Book of Kells and Old library exhibition at Trinity College. I couldn't imagine a more magical library. The next day we took a hike along the Irish coast [Bray to Greystones coastal walk]. The next day we made it back to Belfast. I was lucky enough to experience Belfast's "Culture Night" with over 200 events in one evening. There were all kinds of foods from different cultures. And there were dancing lessons and dancing performances. We especially liked watching the swing performance and Irish jig performance. I'm glad I got to see how well Belfast can put on a festival, it was very exciting. [Laurel adds: other Culture Night highlights include a "slow" bike race, free community meal using only discarded food to raise awareness about food-waste, "horse-racing", random clowning, sauerkraut, and community chalkboards. As exciting as all of that sounds, this is not an exhaustive list!] Laurel and Ben kept telling me that it is a very rainy place but it only rained a few times when I was there. It even stayed dry for most of our hikes! When we hiked just outside of Belfast, we could see the whole city and the coastline. It was a pretty high mountain, looking up to it after we came back down we couldn't believe that we did it. We also saw Belfast Castle. which seemed pretty modern although it was old. I wish I could live in a castle. The Giant's Causeway was so confusing. How did the rocks get like that? Octagonal columns form rock hills and floors. After we had lunch at the Causeway we did a five mile coast walk. Walking by steep cliffs was amazing. Even though we got rained on for about an hour we really enjoyed the view. We really liked the countryside there. We stayed in a village with nothing but a few houses, a hostel, a few restaurants, and a whole lot of grass and sheep. [Our visit north also including Carrik-a-Rede rope bridge and a glimpse of Dunluce Castle, used in Game of Thrones (though their version was slightly "enhanced")...it was such a beautiful weekend, I (Laurel) had such a difficult time leaving out pictures!] I really enjoyed drinking tea all of the time and trying all sorts of different types of Irish/UK treats. Along with biscuits and cookies that we had with tea we also made a Bakewell Tart and homemade cookies. And I tried a Sunday roast complete with a Yorkshire pudding.
The last place we visited was the Titanic museum. You can learn almost anything you want about the Titanic from there. The best part was learning how the Titanic was built and seeing a detailed video under the floor of underwater wreckage. The museum visit also included a tour of a hundred-year-old boat were we got to try on some 1900s style clothes and pretend we were Titanic passengers. Belfast, I'm really glad I got to visit you! Thanks Laurel and Ben! :) Here we are in Belfast, settling comfortably into our new space. Our spacious annex apartment is just south of Queens University. Every day, we try to walk in a new direction, usually until we come to a grocery shop that we will then explore. We tend to walk back with three or four more staple items, slowly familiarizing ourselves with shop offerings and prices. It is especially hard to find a store that has everything you want but we are fortunate to be close to many shop options. We also live right next to Ormeau Park, a large park that runs along the river Lagan and includes running trails, a golf course, and an indoor gym complex. We cross this park most often on our way to work and school. However, we also enjoyed snooping on multiple running events and a free concert this week (see video posted below), and discovered a walking exercise staton loop on the far side of the park (awkward to effective workout equipment placed every 100 feet or so). Beyond our neighborhood and university quarter, we have wandered around Belfast City Centre. On Saturday, we experienced St. George's Market, a grand affair of local craft and food vendors. We have also seen Belfast City Hall, the visitor center, and a very overwhelming shopping mall called CastleCourt. Still to see places include St. Anne's cathedral, the Titanic museum, Belfast castle, and walkable areas along the river Lagan. When we are not exploring the city, we spend our time reading. Ben began his online AMBS courses last week and I have suggested readings to complete before my term begins. We have also started the most recent Great British Bake Off series so if you need us on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm, we are probably not available! Because much of our exploration time is spent shopping or dealing with important things like bank cards and phones, our photography for the week is limited to food. It seems only appropriate, then, to end with an original recipe for fresh beet slaw! Fresh Beet Slaw with Parsley-Ginger Dressing1/4 white cabbage, shredded 1 large raw beet, peeled and shredded 2 carrots, shredded 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped finely 1-2 Tbsp mayo (optional) salt, pepper to taste Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, and parsley in bowl and stir until cohesive. Add mayo, if desired, for a creamier sauce. Spoon dressing into shredded vegetables, mixing until vegetables are generously coated. We saved our extra dressing to use later. *With our partially stocked kitchen, following recipes can be quite challenging. All of our ingredients, for example, were prepared using a vegetable peeler, 5-inch chefs knife, and wooden spatula plus forks and spoons. Whatever utensils you use, make sure veggies are chopped thin but not over-minced. In dressing, adjust the oil/vinegar/lemon juice to taste. Pictured below: 1) our first meal featuring "Nature's burger" mix from Prairie Harvest of Newton, KS, 2) leftover curry stir-fry and a sampling of fresh salads from St. George's Market, and 3) roasted veggies w/ garlic-cumin mayo, gouda, and smoked Irish mackerel |
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September 2017
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