Every foot of this world needs an inch of Belfast -Elton John

So, I really am getting bad at this! Promise, I will try harder.
I had a pretty busy week by my standards, which was great. Last weekend, Mark, a volunteer in Edinburgh, came to visit. He arrived early Saturday morning, so Lauren got up and met him at Roast, our fav coffee shop in town. We caught up and decided we would fill our day in town, waiting for the noon parade. It was the Lord Mayor's Parade, basically just because the Lord Mayor wants one. From Roast we headed down to city hall to browse around the continental market that was back in town for the weekend. We then cruised down and did some window shopping and on around to the Albert Clock, the Fish, and the ring of thanksgiving- the usual city centre tour. From the ring, we made the loop around to St. George's Market and wandered around there a wee bit. We busied ourselves with some more window shopping then claimed our spot to watch the parade.

Now, I love parades, festivals, anything like that, so I am fairly easily impressed. However, this parade was amazing and the best I have ever seen! (okay, seen in real life- which consists of Chapel Hill Christmas Parades, Boone homecoming/Christmas Parades, and St. Paddy's in Belfast) This parade made St. Patrick's day look like a huge laugh, which is pretty sad for Ireland. The theme was love, and it was so so good. We had a great time watching everything and took some class pictures. Here are some of my favorite floats/groups!

After the parade we headed home to have a chill afternoon. Having Mark around is good craic because he is pretty dang funny. We had amazing fish and chips for dinner, rented Miss Potter and John Tucker Must Die, and I finally found my staple wine from college: Sutter Home White Zin. YUM. In total, it was a perfect night. Plus John Tucker is pretty hysterical.

Sunday Morning, Mark came with me to church for our youth service. I was a terrible friend and ran around like a chicken with my head cut off getting the kids set and everything ready, but he forgave me. The service was ok, a wee bit shaky at times- and they tell me they don't need to practice pssh.. : ) But good none the less. We weren't going to have youth group that night because I was sleepy, we had Guysmere the weekend before, and gosh, the youth service was enough stress for me! But they all complained (a good sign, I suppose) and so we planned to go bowling. After church Mark and I set off to the castle. It was a pretty day, so that was good. We walked around a wee bit, then took a bus into town for our much awaited Kangaroo Burgers at the Continental Market. Yes, sad and crazy, I know, I ate kangaroo. It was similar to lamb in case you were wondering!


From there we walked up to the university area to see Queens and the Botanic gardens. On the walk up we passed a building with a sign in Brail. HAHA. or so Mark thought. Yes, a picture is truly necessary!

We walked around Queens and spent a lot of time in the Greenhouse and the Rose Garden in the Botanic Gardens. The roses are so massive, and smell so good! We were lucky to have sunshine the whole time, making it much more enjoyable! We walked back into town and saw the smallest house in Northern Ireland which is the manse for Great Victoria Street Baptist. Pretty funny. We also cruised by the Crown Bar, a famous pub that is described as follows: with its swing doors, wooden floors and private booths, the Crown's more Wild West saloon than old Brit pub. The only light is from ancient ceiling gas lamps and rays of sun through Victorian etched-windows. Then back home to be lazy!


Sunday night we headed to The Point, intending to go bowling. Due to my lack of planning and reserving lanes, we ended up at Soda Joe's American Diner, haha. We got milkshakes, made with nesquick strawberry syrup (eww) and onion rings. Mark and I were ashamed that this place is called an American Diner yet does not serve grilled cheese. I mean, seriously. And the rep it is giving milkshakes is pretty sad as well. We had a good time joking around with my youth, answering tons of American questions, and laughing at things from home we each had forgotten about but reminded each other of. Good to have some more fellowship time with my youth too, they really make me smile.

Sunday night we headed out to Kelly's Cellars for a night out with Marty and Krisie. We had a great time laughing and just being dumb, as a typical night out is. Krisie decided to tell us that her birthday had been the past Wednesday and she had failed to tell us, intentionally, so we made plans to celebrate during the week.


Monday, we work up early to meet with Doug and go on an outing! We headed to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum after our usual breakfast of Tesco Donuts with Doug. The folk and transport museum is a collection of really old buildings from all over Nireland put into a village layout, kinda like Colonial Williamsburg, complete with people in costume, making wheaten bread in the crazy old ovens. We walked around the village part then out to the rural setting as well. The old mills, old woodworking shops, and farmers were really cool.

Interestingly enough, one of the row of houses in the village was home to a family whom Doug knew when he first came to Belfast 27 years ago. He did youth work in a part of town called Sandy Row, and Tea Lane was home to 12 of the youth he worked with. How cool that these kids he knew can now bring their grandchildren to a Museum Village to see the house they grew up in! Man, I wish I could say that! (okay, I do really like 317 Brandywine, so M&D don't uproot the house to a museum of uh houses...) One of the other very exciting things to me within this place was the thatched roof cottages. I just think it is so cool that they made roofs out of stalks of some plant. There is a thatched roof cottage on the way to Guysmere and Jonny McCormick and I had a good laugh at my comment during the rain. Apparently they don't leak like I would have thought, nor do they mildew- which that i just can't believe since I am sure they stay wet. Overall, super interesting place. The picture above, second row in the left is one of my favorites. It is of the biscuit box, the old fashioned way to sell some bickys! Very cool.

After a busy weekend, the week followed suit. Tuesday I left my house at 10.15 for Newington Day Centre and didn't get home until 11.30. I felt like I was back in college where that was my typical routine. It was refreshing and exhausting to be that busy. I spent the afternoon at the office, then called in with Rosemary and her family for dinner before meet up with some other ladies from church to count the money raised in the Christian Aid door to door collection. Honestly, I have never seen so much money! And it was to sit and chat while we counted.

The rest of the week, I busied myself with window shopping and meeting Rachel for tea in town and another busy day in the office Friday. Doug called as well, after speaking with the Vine Centre where I will hopefully start working this coming week. Thursday I spent about an hour on the phone with my friend Molly who was on her way to my former summer home, Camp Illahee. Really, it is strange to not be there (or going there). I am going to miss it, but am hoping to take my youth here camping to make up for my lack of Brevard time. Mol did make my day when she told me that camp closes on the 18th of August, the final day of baby camp (the one week Jr. session we have so lovingly renamed) SO, I am super hoping to get up there- uh the morning after I fly in. All of course depending on the speed with which I can get my license reissued and learn to drive again! And convincing my mom that she can part with me! But the prospect is what is getting me through the summer.

Today I have had a very lazy day, reading, making lists, writing letters, and catching up on things. It is rainy and windy, so what else would I really do with my day?