Suburban Lush

Fermanagh

I'm still recovering from the weekend, and its slow going. A bunch of us from my hiking group went down to County Fermanagh for a weekend of drinking and hiking.

We car-pooled down on Friday night. With the best intentions to leave almost straight after work we ended up getting delayed for various reasons and didn't leave Belfast until 8 pm. After stopping for dinner at Francos in Enniskillen (I highly recommend their moussaka, and their pizzas looked good too)  it was close to midnight by the time we finally arrived at our destination.

We'd booked into 4 holiday cottages just outside Belcoo, and because it was so late we behaved ourselves and went almost straight to bed in preparation for our hike the next day. Andrew, our fearless leader, had been down to Fermanagh to check out the walk a few weeks before, and here is his stirring report, provided to us before the walk:

This is a 13 mile route (21km) – easy on the paths to start, a short sharp climb up and down, but hard going across the bog after. This route took me 7 hrs last weekend.

Did I mention the bog – there is some mud, some water, some ponds and more mud …. Gaiters are highly recommended, I’d say a necessity. (Wellies, waders and a snorkel might not be required..) .. and I walked on a dry day after a few dry days!

If there is no breeze there are loads of midgies! Be prepared.

I mean really, if that doesn't make you want to curl up and go back to bed on a Saturday morning I don't know what does! But we are hardy walkers, so off we went, knowing that it would probably take us significantly more than 7 hours because Andrew is pretty fit and walking on your own is always faster than with a big group.

The walk started off along a lovely river-side trail, before breaking off and heading up-hill along a road towards Cuilcagh, our mountain for the day. Once we got past the end of the road the going was tough. Matting had been put down along the way so that you didn't sink into the bog, but the matting was slippery and so there was much sliding, with the occasional serious fall. It takes an unusual amount of effort to climb vertical bog, particularly when it is green and slimy in places. Cuilcagh is steep, and it was hard work getting to the top. I suggest you check out wikipedia if you want to know what the views are like from the top. What we saw? Was this:

Misty pea-soup, really.

We stopped at the top only long enough to take a photo, and then headed along the ridge, and down an incredibly steep slope. Some people opted to slide down the slope on their butts to avoid falling, and this might have been the best plan. The rest of us tentatively walked down, slipping occasionally. The hill was steep enough that when you slipped it was almost impossible to stop, and the people below you were in danger of being collected as you slid down.

Near the bottom we stopped for a well-deserved lunch, offering around treats and sharing hot-drinks with those who had forgotten theirs.

After lunch we re-entered the bog. To be honest, it wasn't that boggy at this point. At least not as wet as the vertical bog up the side of Cuilcagh had been. The weather had been dry for the previous week, and we were well equipped with gaiters. Even so, walking through bog is hard work - kind of like being on a stair-master for hours on end. But there was enough of a breeze to keep the midges away, and the cloud lifted to allow us views out across the golden grass.

The afternoon was long, and the entire walk took 8 hours. Once we got back on the road our spirits lifted as we believed we were entering the final stages of the walk, only to be told by Andrew that we had another 6 kilometers, and more bog, to go. By the end of the walk we were all pretty tired, but it had been worthwhile - lovely views, good exercise, fresh air, and no rain, which is always something to be thankful for when hiking in Northern Ireland.

Back at our cabins, exhausted but happy, we showered and prepared our BBQ dinner. Burgers, sausages, steaks, pork chops, with the odd vege-kebab thrown in for good measure. And of course plenty of booze. Our energy levels picked up with the food and alcohol, and we ended dancing the night away, despite having already walked for 8 hours. I rolled into bed at about 2 am, completely shattered.

Sunday was far more civilized. Most of the group had opted to do "water activities" in the morning, while four of us had chosen to go for a short walk. We drove out to the supposed start of the walk but, after a few confused miles, couldn't figure out where the trail started. In the end, we drove up the top of a mountain, where we were the only people apart from a woman and her son who arrived just after us. We admired the view lovely view across to Cuilcagh and made our plan for the rest of the day. We decided that, instead of walking, we would explore the town of Enniskillen as none of us had ever spent time there before. We were all in our walking gear, so did a quick change. Suddenly it dawned on us: the woman and her son who were also up the hill had seen four people arrive by car, have a quick look, change, and then get back in their cars and drive off. We had to giggle at the absurdity of it.

Enniskillen is a lovely island town, and we walked along the river and up the main street before settling in to a cafe for coffee, and both the boys indulged in hot fudge sundaes. We met the others for lunch in Cafe Merlot (divine fish pie and chips) and tried to convince them that we'd "been to the top of a mountain" but they saw through our deception and correctly guessed that we'd driven to the top.

It was a great weekend, and my first time in County Fermanagh, but I think my legs are still recovering.

Chatter

I wrote a lovely post about a divine coffee cake, which then got deleted. I don't know what I did wrong, but one moment it was there, and then next moment it had vanished into thin air. It was a lovely post, about a lovely cake - crumbly, light, perfectly cinnamonned (yes, I said cinammonned), coffee cake in the American sense. In other words, a cake to have with coffee, not a coffee-flavoured cake. I'd like to say I'll get around to re-writing it, but we all know that is unlikely to happen. Anyway, it was this cake, with a few changes (the major one being that I didn't bother with the rhubarb filling), and you should try it.

There has been a large police presence in Belfast the last few weeks. Roadblocks have been set up, cars are being searched by police with guns, and officers are constantly visible on the streets. The IRA (and their various factions) are considerate terrorists - they make bombs, but they then tip off the police to let them know where the bombs will be, or when and how they are being transported.

As a result we have plenty of bomb scares, but very few explosions. In fact, these days there are no explosions at all. The increased police presence is a sign of increased terrorist activity and, while the terrorist threat doesn't bother me much as its mostly a thing of the past, I have to say it will be good to get out of the city this weekend.

Beauty Queen of Leenane

I caught up with my cousin Alex for a drink after work yesterday. Whenever we meet up, Alex are not very good at actually leaving the pub, and would just end up drinking until closing time, even on a school night. So I very cleverly organised to meet up with her on a night where I had another engagement to attend at 7.30. We both agreed this was a good plan, as we would be able to have a couple of pints and then would be forced to part ways.

All went according to plan. We had two pints of Erdinger's Beerfest draft each, and, running a little late, I rushed off to meet up with other friends while she left to catch her bus home.

I'd made plans with my friends Anne and Jen to see The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Beauty Queen is a play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. Set in Galway, Ireland, the play is deeply disturbing, hilariously funny, and this production was fantastically directed and acted.

During the intermission we had a few glasses of wine and a handful of chips, and after the show we headed to the nearby Parlour Bar where we shared a bottle of wine. After the wine we went upstairs for a bit of a dance, before heading home at 1am.

It turns out drinking 2 pints of beer and 4 or 5 glasses of wine with only a handful of chips is a bit much for a school night - who would have thought!

Altbritain Circuit

I had the first hike in a long time yesterday, the Altbritain Circuit in the Sperrin Mountains. The walk is a horseshoe walk exploring the eastern tip of the main Sperrins range. The route visits four mountains, Mullagheneany (627m), Outghtmore (569m) and Spelhoagh (568m) and Meenard (620m).

We started with a steep ascent through Banagher Forest before breaking up above the tree line. After a bit more climbing we reached the top of Mullagheneany. The walk between Mullagheneany and Meenard is fairly easy but slightly boggy. After reaching the top of Meenard we doubled back on ourselves and walked along the side of Mullagheneany, avoiding the summit this time. After lunch we headed on to Oughtmore. From the top of Oughtmore we crossed Spelhoagh, after which we had a sharp descent before an equally sharp ascent to the top of Craigagh Hill, from the top of which we followed a rough track back to the road and to our cars.

The weather was fantastic, sunny with not too much of a breeze. I've never been in the Sperrins on a sunny day before and was stunned by their beauty. Rolling tussock-covered hills, not dramatic landscape, but stunningly beautiful.

Grade: Moderate/Moderate+
Distance: 8.4 miles/13.5 km
Duration: 5 hours approx.
Highest Point: 627m
Terrain: Undulating over track, tussock grass and open hillside, moderate ascents and descents.
Start/Finish Point: Glenedra Bridge GR 706003
Maps: OSNI 1:25,000 Sheets 7 & 8 or 1:50,000 Sperrins Activity Map

Ulster v Edinburgh

I went to a rugby match last night. Ulster vs Edinburgh. I have to admit that I don't know much about rugby. In fact, the only rule I know is that you can't pass the ball forwards. But it didn't matter. The atmosphere was great. Belfast can be a bit rough at times, but the crowd was in good humour. The Guinness was flowing and the match was a good one, with Ulster leading for most of the game but being beaten 13-16 in the end.

As we were standing around finishing our drinks after the match my friend Karen spotted a good looking guy into the crowd and shouted out to him, getting him to come over to her. She said she knew him from somewhere, and he kept on denying it before telling her that he was a Canadian over in Northern Ireland for the week, so he was pretty sure they hadn't met before. But Karen was not to be defeated. Realising that they clearly didn't know each other she reached out, touched him on the chest, smiled and said "oh you, well, what's your name?" and continued to chat away to him. It was a most predatory attack.

It was a good night, with a few of us heading to the pub for post-match drinks

Back to Nature

I'm squatting in the dark, pants down, when my friend Anne, also on a bathroom break, starts freaking out: "oh my god, there is someone over there!! What are we going to do?". My heart races and I pull up my jeans as fast as I can while trying to see where she is pointing. All I can see is pitch black. Anne has the torch but its a cheap one and doesn't project its light very far. I stumble back to where she is, and slowly my eyes adjust. She is pointing at a tree. My heartbeat slows back to normal and I manage to calm Anne down while telling her off for almost giving me a heart attack. Repeat this scene every time I make the mistake of going to the bathroom with Anne.

We went camping this weekend. Seven of us. Cooking over the campfire, drinking, trying to go to the bathroom in the dark and having a heart attack, sleeping in a tent which was clearly not pitched on flat ground. It was loads of fun. Plus weather was fantastic - possibly the warmest it has been since I arrived in Belfast in March last year.

We were in the Mourne mountains, a steep 45 minute walk from the carpark. My friend Julian goes camping every year with several of his friends for a "boys' weekend" but this year most of his friends couldn't make it so he invited his girlfriend Jen, Anne and I, as well as John, their friend Stephen, and his girlfriend Sinead. He camps in the same place every time, a lovely spot next to a stream. Its a hard slog to get there, especially when carrying everything you need for the night. John isn't an outdoors-man, so I helped him out by taking most of our stuff - a 60 litre backpack for me, plus a tent under my arm because it wouldn't fit in the pack, a day-pack for him with his sweater, a spare pair of jeans, and a couple of cans of Guinness (the rest of the 18 pack of Guinness was in my bag, together with dinner, a bottle of wine, sleeping bag, my spare clothes, and a few extra beers I was carrying for Anne). Not that I'm complaining - I would have carried far more just to have him experience the Mournes.

We arrived at the campsite late afternoon. First things first, we put our beers in the stream to cool,  before tents were pitched and firewood was collected. We sat in the sunshine sipping beer and enjoying being out in the wild. The sun set early, and  we lit our fire for warmth as well as for light as the evening was cold. Dinner was cooked over the fire: sausages in buns. Jen had wrapped some potatoes in foil and put them in the fire to cook on the embers, but by the time she judged them to be done they were completely burnt and inedible. We toasted marshmallows, drank, and chatted into the small hours before crawling off to our tents to sleep, toasty warm in our sleeping bags.

The next morning saw some of our campers worse for wear. Unfortunately we needed to be back in Belfast by mid-afternoon, and after cooking breakfast  we had little time for relaxing before breaking camp and heading back down to the cars.

It was a fun weekend, and a nice way to end the summer. Good company, not a drop of rain, and only  two minor injuries: I fell over on the rocks (before I'd even had one drink) and Julian slipped down a hill in the dark.

Also, I may have been a little over-excited about my wine, marshmallows, and my lovingly sharpened marshmallow toasting sticks:

Julie & Julia

I just saw Julie & Julia. I read the book several years ago (I think it was a Christmas present for my Mom which I promptly "borrowed") and enjoyed it for light, fluffy reading. The movie satisfied in the same way. The kind of movie that needs to be watched with girlfriends, while sharing a big bucket of buttered popcorn.

The two stories of chef Julia Child and blogger Julie Powell merge well together, with a smooth transition between the two. Meryl Streep is fantastic as Julia Child. A couple of the girlfriends I went to see the movie with thought she was a bit over the top, but then admitted that they had never actually seen footage of Julia Child. Amy Adams is adorable as Julie Powell, and Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina both put in good performances.

Its a light-hearted movie, with no brain activity required. Perfect for a mid-week night out. And the best scenes? Those when Julia Child's sister (Jayne Lynch). I almost died of laughter.

Dal

I'm trying out this dal recipe. I'll be taking it for my lunches for the next few days. So far it smells good!

Updated: I had some of the Dal for lunch today, served with naan bread. It was good, but next time (and there will definitely be a next time) I will add more cumin. And I might fry some chili up with the garlic, but then I like my food spicy.

Bread & Butter Pudding

Sometimes all you want for desert is something warm and comforting to finish your meal. The weather here has been fairly cold and rainy, making me crave comfort food. I thought bread and butter pudding was a very standard dish, but when I served it I discovered that I was the only person out of five who had ever had it before.

I found this recipe on BBC Food and it was perfect. Lovely and fluffy, no marmalade (I'm really not a fan of marmalade in bread and butter pudding) and not too rich. It does require some planning ahead, though.

Ingredients

25g butter, plus extra for greasing
8 thin slices bread
50g sultanas
cinnamon powder
350ml whole milk
50ml double cream
2 free-range eggs
25g granulated sugar
nutmeg, grated, to taste

Grease a 1 litre dish with butter. Butter each slice of white bread on one side only, then cut the crusts off the bread. Arrange a layer of bread, buttered side up, in the dish, covering the bottom. Add a layer of sultanas and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Repeat until you have used up all of the bread, finishing with a layer of bread. Set aside.

* Photo to come later, but I figured I better hurry up and actually post something!

Gently warm the milk and cream in a pan over low heat to scalding point. Don't let it boil. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three quarters of the sugar and lightly whisk until pale. Add the warm milk and cream mixture and stir well, combining until there are no lumps (if you do end up with some lumps, just strain into a bowl). Pour over the prepared bread layers and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg and the remaining sugar. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the custard has set and the top is golden-brown.

Serve with cream.

Resolution Redux - August Edition

Somehow it is September. What happened to the rest of the year? So, how have I done with my non-resolutions?

See more movies: I watched The Time Traveler's Wife, Taking of Pelham 123, and Mesrine, which I thoroughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend, provided you don't mind sub titles. I watched the original Jaws on DVD, which was a first for me, and also Wolverine.

Read more non-fiction books: I've finally finished EB White's letters. I really enjoyed it, even though it took me so long to read. I've also read Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah, which was inspirational. And I'm currently reading Some Times in America by Alexander Chancellor which, while an amusing read, is a little too full of name-dropping for my liking.

Try two new recipes a month: Corn Fritters have been on the menu this month, as well as a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. I also tried out a divine bread and butter pudding which I will try to get up on here before too long.

Explore local sights: We did a bus tour with our friend Susan from NZ, went to Belfast Taste and Music Festival, walked in a couple of country parks, checked out a lovey new restaurant, and went to the Tall Ships Festival.

Do more hiking and work to improve my overall fitness levels: I haven't been so good with this one lately. I've not felt very motivated for the gym, and there haven't been many interesting hikes to go on. The one exciting hike I had wanted to go on was cancelled due to weather warnings.

Say yes more and take all opportunities presented to me: Well, I think the number of local things I've attended is a good indication that I haven't said no to many offers. Also, I went to see Chicago with some family, and had a nice dinner out with a new friend.

Not too bad for this month, but I must work on getting out on a few more hikes in September.