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What a View

It's a beautiful sunny day in Belfast..and I'm stuck here at work.

I shouldn't complain. I've only been here since Wednesday. With Monday and Tuesday off, I worked my first ever 3 day work week.

I must admit, we haven't really seen that much sun since we arrived. People used to tell me you'll miss the sun. Well, I am actually, missing the sun.

When I was in Toronto, I loved to wander at lunch in the sun, grab a vendor dog or a huge box of salad from the salad bar and sit outside, enjoying the nice day. When summer came, it was always hot - most days there was always sun. YOu would rarely have a rainy day in the summer.

Over here, they always say, "you never know". They always are hesitant to speak of the summer months with too much enthusiasm in case the weather Gods are listening and decide to keep the sun away.

Last summer was spectacular in Leeds and here in Belfast I'm told. There was sun pretty much every day. I just assumed this was normal as it was what I was used to.

Not so normal. It has been rainy and windy most days I go for my lunch walk. But I have found something just as gratifying to do on my lunch break.

Every day, I leave my office at lunch and wander over to the mall across the street. With a big Sainsbury's grocery store, I always find an excuse to buy more food.

As I wander from the office, across a round-about, across a busy street I always make sure to look to my right.

There, towering above the city, off in the distance are the hills of Antrim - that's just what I've decided to call them because they are my breathtaking work-view. Somewhere beyond them I know there is the Coast Road - the drive that made me fall in love with this place.

This mountain view is the view that reminds me I'm here. You can see houses set along the mountainside. You can see beautiful green, probably so beautiful because of all the rain - I guess that makes it worth it.

Today was even more fantastic - the sun was bouncing off the tips, creating shadows for the buildings below.

You actually feel like you're in a little village in the valley of spectacular mountains.

I never thought I'd live or work in a place that would make up for the lack of sun.

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