So, where do I start? Last weekend, that would be 7th Feb weekend. We devoted the day to house/flat hunting which was ok, actually saw 3 clean properties which was a nice surprise but they were all too small. We innocently thought that the role of an estate agent was to facilitate entry for prospective clients into the properties on their books. However, after a few encounters we realised we may be wrong. It would have been an easier task to nip into the file store at MI5 for a cosy read than get into some houses with a 'to let' board outside. We trailed all the way to Belfast for one viewing and the agent couldn't even be bothered to turn up. Himself was proper cross. I do think that before some of these landlords put virtual pen to paper they should look up the meaning of the word "luxury", their interpretation is very different to ours. We nipped into another agent in our town and were greeted by a big man with a falsetto voice. Think the love child of Mama Cass Elliot and the lead singer of the stylistics. What a gentleman. He dispensed with all the vetting and security checks and simply handed over the keys saying bring them back when you are passing. This despite having met him all of two minutes ago. Himself just thought it was great so we trotted off at 9am to view property number 1. As we approached said property I did notice that all the curtains were shut and there was a car parked outside but didn't think too much of it. We let ourselves in and immediately decided we didn't like it, bearing in mind it was (supposedly) unoccupied it was crammed to the rafters with someone's belongings. We ventured through to the kitchen criticising quite vocally and were a bit surprised to see the dishwasher half emptied wine still out shoes cast to one side, it was then that I became very scared. It began to slowly dawn on me that this house wasn't empty at all and somebody was still living there and at 9am on a Saturday morning was still in bed. We sneaked out very very quickly. I had visions of someone legging downstairs and bashing me with a baseball bat thinking I was a burglar. The agent seemed surprised when we mentioned that it was full of someone's wordly goods and he jovially added "it wouldn't be the first time that has happened".
Anyway we are currently in negotiations for a big house up the road (decor wise think Changing Rooms) so fingers crossed chaps, if we get it we can have visitors, yeah, your own bathroom folks!
Saturday afternoon we integrated with the local community, by going to the car boot sale. Aah there were only 4 stalls and it was very cold. The stall holders were terribly jolly and fun so I made a sympathy purchase of a casserole dish, 50p! Actually it's quite nice and has been used twice, I'm probably saving the planet as well by recycling. Then we nipped over the road to our usual for coffee and a giant scone, you should see the size of the scones, they are small mountains.
Saturday night we went out with new friends! Great excitement, well they were new to me, Himself already knew them. We had a splendid time, my new found friends are horsey people, they have 20!! It was fascinating, I know so much more about horses now, so much in fact that I know I never, ever want one.
On Sunday morning it snowed a bit so we went to Stormont for a walk round the grounds. Stormont is stunning with beautiful grounds, covered in snow it is even more lovely. After our walk we came back to our hometown and went for lunch at our usual coffee haunt. It was surprisingly very busy and Himself actually walked hastily/ran, passed a very large family who were homing in on our cafe. Phew, he just managed to grab the door handle before the small child and get in first. I don't think the child was injured. Roasted pepper sandwich with chips was so big we couldn't manage a small mountain scone. We did however bring a couple of sweet things back to have with a cuppa, 4 sweet things actually. Over here all the cafes home bake, they are called tray bakes and they are a bit difficult to ignore, and also it would be rude not to have something off the tray bake, we don't want to offend our celtic friends.
On Wednesday this week we once again integrated with the local community by going to the village Art Exhibition which, I have to say, was quite impressive.
Thursday was a night at the theatre in Belfast, A Home Place by Brian Friel it was very good, a bit political (which was what I wanted) about the English being in Ireland in the early 1900s, the end was a subtle tragedy in more ways than one, Himself didn't get the ending so I had to explain.
Friday night was a small sherry in our local and home to a very heathy award winning tea. Coronation chicken with saffron rice seeing as you asked, actually the day before was a rather lovely chestnut mushroom roulade with stewed cabbage cooked in red wine. This is how I spend my days :-)
I do go to the gym now on the bus which is quite funny as a couple of times I have been accosted by elderly ladies who pick up on the English accent and want to chat. I have learned quite a lot from these new found if temporary friends, none of which can be put into print! I'll tell you when I see you!
Saturday (yesterday, catching up) was fabby. We did the coastal walk from Holywood to Bangor. We got the train to Holywood and walked along the seafront. There were some seriously expensive houses on this route, we also passed a flat to let that we fancied living in, after we phoned up to find out how much we accepted that it was just a fancy. We did however, start our walk without adequate provisions as we thought we would pass a coffee shop on the way. After about 6 miles we were a tad peckish and Himself was considering jumping ship and getting the train the rest of the way to Bangor (softy). However, as luck would have it, part of the walk was through a country park and the sign "Forest Cafe" had us running in that direction. There was a moment of worry when I said "what if we have diverted this considerable distance and it is shut?" but then I saw two magpies and knew we would be ok. And we were, that nice bowl of soup was most welcome. Whilst I was eating my tray bake (again, it would have been rude not to) I texted our chum Alan and he was on the Isle of Mull working! So we ran back to the coast and waved to him.
On our arrival in Bangor which is actually quite pretty we had tea and more tray bake and then got the train back. We reckon that we walked about 8 miles so were feeling quite proud of ourselves. We let ourselves down badly later on though. Instead of going out and doing the romantic Valentines Day bit we had egg and oven chips washed down with a bottle of £16.99 wine (well if you send me to the off licence that's what you get) I thought we were very decadent. We were in bed asleep by 9.45pm.
Sunday, that's today so we have caught up, we went to Tollymore Forest Park and did a 6 mile walk which was very pretty, a bit uppy and downy which made it more interesting. We did only manage to get 50 yards before we broke out the butties, (yes, we had learned a valuable lesson yesterday). The first part of the walk was by a cascading river which was just fabby. We were also introduced to a rather crazy sport, only as spectators I hasten to add. Blokes on mountain bikes just cycle at speed down through the forest trying to avoid anything that gets in their way, including us. They leap over fallen trees etc whilst trying to stay on the bikes at the same time. I did mention to Himself not to tell our friend Alan that this sport exists!
We are now on Monday morning, I shall perform more domestic goddess like duties and tonight we are off to the pictures in Lisburn.
Thursday was a night at the theatre in Belfast, A Home Place by Brian Friel it was very good, a bit political (which was what I wanted) about the English being in Ireland in the early 1900s, the end was a subtle tragedy in more ways than one, Himself didn't get the ending so I had to explain.
Friday night was a small sherry in our local and home to a very heathy award winning tea. Coronation chicken with saffron rice seeing as you asked, actually the day before was a rather lovely chestnut mushroom roulade with stewed cabbage cooked in red wine. This is how I spend my days :-)
I do go to the gym now on the bus which is quite funny as a couple of times I have been accosted by elderly ladies who pick up on the English accent and want to chat. I have learned quite a lot from these new found if temporary friends, none of which can be put into print! I'll tell you when I see you!
Saturday (yesterday, catching up) was fabby. We did the coastal walk from Holywood to Bangor. We got the train to Holywood and walked along the seafront. There were some seriously expensive houses on this route, we also passed a flat to let that we fancied living in, after we phoned up to find out how much we accepted that it was just a fancy. We did however, start our walk without adequate provisions as we thought we would pass a coffee shop on the way. After about 6 miles we were a tad peckish and Himself was considering jumping ship and getting the train the rest of the way to Bangor (softy). However, as luck would have it, part of the walk was through a country park and the sign "Forest Cafe" had us running in that direction. There was a moment of worry when I said "what if we have diverted this considerable distance and it is shut?" but then I saw two magpies and knew we would be ok. And we were, that nice bowl of soup was most welcome. Whilst I was eating my tray bake (again, it would have been rude not to) I texted our chum Alan and he was on the Isle of Mull working! So we ran back to the coast and waved to him.
On our arrival in Bangor which is actually quite pretty we had tea and more tray bake and then got the train back. We reckon that we walked about 8 miles so were feeling quite proud of ourselves. We let ourselves down badly later on though. Instead of going out and doing the romantic Valentines Day bit we had egg and oven chips washed down with a bottle of £16.99 wine (well if you send me to the off licence that's what you get) I thought we were very decadent. We were in bed asleep by 9.45pm.
Sunday, that's today so we have caught up, we went to Tollymore Forest Park and did a 6 mile walk which was very pretty, a bit uppy and downy which made it more interesting. We did only manage to get 50 yards before we broke out the butties, (yes, we had learned a valuable lesson yesterday). The first part of the walk was by a cascading river which was just fabby. We were also introduced to a rather crazy sport, only as spectators I hasten to add. Blokes on mountain bikes just cycle at speed down through the forest trying to avoid anything that gets in their way, including us. They leap over fallen trees etc whilst trying to stay on the bikes at the same time. I did mention to Himself not to tell our friend Alan that this sport exists!
We are now on Monday morning, I shall perform more domestic goddess like duties and tonight we are off to the pictures in Lisburn.
