I'm back! Hurrah! And can I just say that Belfast is the most fantastic place? The city centre is just gorgeous - filled with beautiful old buildings that haven't been fucked around with/knocked down like in a lot of places. The shopping area is spacious and clean and bright. Everyone was really nice and friendly, and there were TWO comic shops *throws a party* There was also an absolutely fabulous international market around City Hall with loads of foreign food, craft and alcohol. Being quite the fan of foreign food, I bought some very random German, French and Spanish sausage (yummy) and a truck load of sweets. The market also made me feel really Christmassy for the first time this year (even though it's still onlu November). My Mum and I were sitting in a German beer tent, happily drinking down a delicious weissbeir. It was really cold, and you could smell the delicious scent of weinerschnitzel. The people at the table with us were inviting us to join them in a game of strip poker, and the Christmas lights were twinkling all around us. And suddenly, I just thought 'isn't Christmas wonderful!' =D

I had a great time, as I'm sure you can surmise from that disjointed introduction! Our hotel was lovely, and right next to the bus station, which was extremely handy. Especially on the way back when we were absolutely laden down with bags. The one slightly disturbing element was that right across from the hotel entrance there was a big mural saying 'Welcome to Loyalist Sandy Row. Home of Ulster's Freedom Fighters.' It was an unpleasant reminder that Northern Ireland is STILL massively divided, and likely to be so for years to come. And, of course, Loyalists are hardly friends of people from the Republic...

But that's besides the point! I got my comics! COMICS!

( Comic ramblings, cut for those of you who don't give a crap )

katherine_b, I read Peace Comes to the Chalet School on the journey and it was just wonderful! After the first two chapters or so, I completely forgot that I was reading a fill-in. I teared up at the various reactions to the announcement of peace, and I loved reading about all the Old Girls you managed to fit in. I especially enjoyed Margia's appearance and the speech she gave to the school. EBD always implied, but never directly said, that marriage wasn't the be all and end all of everything, so it was wonderful to see Margia voice those thoughts and inspire the school. You even gave Frau Mieder's foreign-sounding English, which EBD forgot to do half of the time - that made her so much more authentic for me =) The very academic notes at the end were wonderful, and really showed how much thought and effort you'd put in to the whole book. To summarise, I loved it, so congratulations on a job more than well done!!!