Is This Really Ireland?

OK, so the weather here has been freakishly beautiful for the past four or five days. It hasn't rained in at LEAST 96 hours, which has GOT to be some kind of record. Eoghan says it's the mark of summer here; apparently it gets pretty like this for a week or two at the end of spring, then it turns rainy again. That's all the sunny summer weather Belfast gets.

Before it got pretty here, we spent some time going to the movies and exploring some local restaurants. All tickets on Tuesday are 3 pounds each, which we have been taking advantage of. One week we saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the next week was the new Dan Brown movie, Angels and Demons. I wasn't a big fan of the Da Vinci Code because I didn't understand a lot of the history and secret society mumbo jumbo, but Angels and Demons was straightforward and had some really good acting. It was set in Rome, and I particularly enjoyed realizing that I have been to every major place they visited in the movie... I kept thinking: I saw that fountain, I sat on that railing, I've seen the Vatican, I've been inside the Pantheon. If you want to see what I've seen in Rome, just watch this movie!

As for the restaurants, Arne has been treating me to dinner occasionally. He took me to the Moghul, an Indian establishment, and a Chinese buffet place, both just around the corner from Mount Charles. I fell in love with a dessert called 'banana fritters' at the Chinese place; who couldn't enjoy a banana wrapped in sweet batter and fried til crispy?

None of us have been wasting this wonderful weather. A few days ago Arne and I walked through the Botanic Gardens and stopped to look around in the Palm House at all the gorgeous flowers. Twice now we've met with friends to play soccer behind the PEC; in a little bit we'll be meeting them again for some more. Last night after soccer we had a barbeque in the street, and caught up with some friends we hadn't seen in a while. Some people are still studying for exams, like Laurent, who has a 3000 word essay due tomorrow. The light in his window is going to be on all night--although he's done the research, he hasn't written a word of it yet.

Also noteworthy is my taste buds' discovery of hummus. Maggie brought some to the barbeque and I tried it with tortilla chips... so tasty!

Yesterday morning I had brunch with Arne, Clarissa and Linda. We are planning a two-day trip to Donegal this Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow morning we will meet up at 11am to make arrangements for renting a car and hostel beds.

In half an hour I'll be joining some friends once more to watch them play soccer. At 6, Leanne and I will go to Tesco to buy some groceries, then come back to Mount Charles and cook a tasty dinner.

Loving Ireland!