Happy May! (I'd advise you not to read this on an empty stomach)

Hello!

It is finally gorgeous in Cardiff. Here are a couple pictures I took in Cathays Park while I was waiting for my Cytogenetics lecture to start.

It looks like a promo shot for Cardiff University 

Yesterday, my friend Laura B. and I went to the Pettigrew Tea Rooms and had a light lunch out in the sunshine.

Lavender Earl Grey, because I'm posh like that. 

We both had the soup of the day (Parsnip. We had never tried parsnip before, so it was a culinary adventure for us both) and sandwiches. The portions were very generous, we were pleasantly surprised! Of course, we did have to save room for cakes...

Flour-less chocolate cake with almonds. Delish!

We did a little clothes-shopping after that. Laura had to leave to get to a lecture, so I continued browsing around for a little bit. The clothes I brought with me were picked with January weather in mind, so it was nice to find sundresses and skirts! I still don't really understand how UK sizing works, so I felt like a frequent-flier into the fitting rooms. Luckily, I found some cute things that work for me. Now all I need to do is get some sandals or something...

This image amuses me greatly.

I had a quick turn-around to get back to my flat and drop off my loot. I met up with my friend Kirsten B. (and Laura tagged along!). We went to O'Neill's for dinner. It was fantastic! I hadn't been there since  my first night in Cardiff. It was just as awesome as I remembered. Great atmosphere, tasty food, awesome friends. What more could I want? 

Dinner: Wild Boar and Chorizo burger and Club Orange

It was lovely to have some girl-time, share laughs and talk about absolutely outlandish things. We were totally eyeing up the cute Irish bartender while we were there too (I believe he was an Ulsterman, let the scandal commence!).

For those not in the know, I have small hands. When I saw that this espresso mug was in proportion, I had to get a picture of it!

My dessert: a frothy mixture of meringue chunks, whipped cream, strawberries and Bailey's. This marks the first time I've ever had to show my ID in order to purchase a dessert.

All the waitstaff who passed our table (including the aforementioned Irishman) told us that this dessert was their favourite. I was not let down. I highly recommend it.

There was a guy playing acoustic guitar in the pub towards the end of our desserts. After we finished up, we went to check it out. It got a little embarrassing when some drunk guy tried to impress us with his dancing, then asked the musician to dedicate a song to "the three ladies in the corner". Awkward...

As we left, we heard the sounds of jazz seeping out of another bar. We got really excited and promised ourselves that we'd come back and explore it another time.

Today, I went to my favourite coffee shop in the world, College House. I've been hearing about something called a "flat white" and I was intrigued. The staff were tickled that I was curious and open to trying something new.

Flat White and a Ham and Roquito Pepper flatbread.

It's like a latte, but there's a higher proportion of espresso to milk. It was surprisingly smooth. The bitterness of the espresso was balanced by the creamy milk. I might have a new fave...

I had a pretty extensive talk with Dan, one of the guys in charge, about coffee drinks. He was super informative. Now I kinda want an espresso machine for myself.

And incase you've been wondering how the cooking for myself is going, here are my latest and greatest creations:

Lentil Salad and Chicken. I made a dry-rub for the chicken out of what I had on hand (which turned out to be a Memphis rub, fancy that) and poured lime juice over it while it cooked. Probably one of the best meals I've made. 

Ginger Rice and Steak with lime and cracked black pepper. The rice was kinda bland, but the beef was awesome. My flatmate Hugh got to try some steak and he liked it too! 

Not bad for someone who was culinarily-challenged in the beginning of the year!