Easter 2019

The Easter Moon is shining over Magdalena and I have to say I really like Easter time.

Christmas is so commercial, so much pressure to buy presents, spend money, but Easter has none of that, bar the necessity to buy a few chocolate eggs. Easter is a moveable feast based on the moon which provides us with a link with Pagan/Pre-Christian times.

DATES OF EASTER

Back in the 7th Century their was confusion between the Irish Church and the Roman Church about the date of Easter but the Synod of Whitby in 664AD brought the Irish into line.

In 1928 the British Government planned to set the date of Easter in the UK as the Sunday following the second Saturday of April. This would set the date of Easter between 9th and 15th April each year but although the Easter Act 1928 received Royal Assent, it was never brought into force.

As Easter is about rebirth after winter, being the Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, it should be in September/October in the Southern Hemisphere but here it is after the Autumnal Equinox so it follows the northern date.

EASTER SUNDAY

So the day itself followed a similar pattern as it would in Ireland, mass and then chocolate eggs.

EASTER MONDAY

We got Thursday and Friday off so Easter Monday is not a holiday here, it’s a school and work day. Here we are on our way there at 08:30am. This is a poorly taken selfie.

EASTER TUESDAY

So that’s it for another year, on Tuesday I polished off the last of my egg.

And watched the snooker. Something I remember from my childhood is eating Easter eggs and watching snooker. Poor Ronnie.

That’s it for now. See you soon.

April 14th-20th

This week is called Holy Week, or Semana Santa in Spanish, and this is how we spent it.

SUNDAY

Sunday was Palm Sunday so we went to mass and got our palms. We then had lunch and did various things during the afternoon. It was a nice day.

MONDAY

On Monday the world was shocked to learn about the fire in Paris. Here is us outside Notre Dame cathedral in 2014

Monday was a quiet day for us.

TUESDAY

On Tuesday a Dolores O’Riordan tribute act performed in work at 5.30 Very good music indeed.

WEDNESDAY

The news in Peru was dominated by the suicide of ex-president Alan Garcia, who was about to be arrested for corruption charges.

It was the last day of work for the week. Nice to have a break.

THURSDAY

This day is called Maundy Thursday in the UK, I’ve always thought that that is a curious name. We went to the theatre to see “Orlando” a complex play in which the main character changes sex and travels through time. Very entertaining indeed.

Before going home we had a bite to eat at a place called La Lucha, has to be done.

Thursday saw the first appearance of this year’s Easter Moon. Here it is shining in our district.

FRIDAY

On Friday, Good Friday, I woke up to the news of the murder of Lyra McKee in Derry. Such a senseless act, and those responsible must be brought to justice quickly.
Politicans on all sides were quick to condem the murder and rightly so and there can be no excuse for such a senseless, evil act but our politicians really need to get their finger out. Here we are 21 years after The Agreement and Stormount has been closed for over two years. I read an article of her’s in which she said more people have died from suicide since The Troubles than died in them; a truely shocking statistic that shows how our politicians have failed.

May Lyra rest in peace.

SATURDAY

Saturday started, as all saturdays do, with a visit to Parque Reducto No2 in Miraflores. There we relaxed for a few hours and had a picnic.

Liam is progressing with his cajon and the Easter holidays have allowed us time to work on this.

And at night it was my turn to go out for a few pints with my friends James and Damien. We went to our regular spot and then to Molly’s, it was good to catch up

So that is it then. All that is left is for me to say, HAPPY EASTER

April 6th-April 13th

So here is what we have been up to in the last week

MUSIC IN THE PARK

Something that has become a tradition now is to go to the park on Saturday mornings. A children’s band play every saturday morning and they give the children instruments. Excellent

ICE CREAM

Our Sunday afternoon ice cream is another tradition.

BREAKFAST

As is our midweek trip to D’Julia when Liam is at school.

BIRTHDAY PARTY

On Saturday 13th we also attended a birthday party, a friend from Liam’s old school. All good ☺

BREXIT

The saga continues. It looks like the UK will be involved in European Elections on May 23rd. Hopefully the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Change UK and our own Martina Anderson poll well, putting presure on the British Government to abandon Brexit.

DERRY GIRLS

I really enjoyed the second series of Derry Girls and the final episode brought back memories of watching the visit of the Clintons from my bed on 30th November 1995, dosed with the flu. I’m looking forward to the third series.

Derry Girls Episodes

EASTER IS COMING

Tonight we have a half moon and it will appear full on Thursday night. (It is a half moon but glare makes it look full) Easter is the Sunday after the first full moon after 21st March therefore it is next Sunday. Have a nice Holy Week. Bye.

March 30th-April 5th

Having previously worked in tax it is only right and fitting that I post to this blog on April 5th. Some carry on this week.

MUSIC IN THE PARK

On Saturday 30th, after a visit to the dentist, we went to the park where the group, La Esquina Musical, were entertaining the people.

They give the children instruments and let them play along so it was really fun.

MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day in Peru is the second Sunday of May but in Ireland it is the fourth Sunday of Lent so we celebrate double in our house.

After talking to my mother we went out for breakfast. Always good.

And that wasn’t all, after a visit to my Sister-in-Law Ivonne, that was followed up with lunch.

This is Chicken Maryland, a dish I like to eat in The Galleon Restaurant in Salthill, but I’ve also found it here in Lima in a place called Tanta.

BREXIT

I always include a paragraph on this because reading about it takes up so much of my week. Indeed, I read an article the other day that said it was making people ill. I believe I spend too much time thinking about it and a break from it would do me good.

News Story

On the BBC show Question Time last night Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness had this to say to the UK on the subject of Brexit

We would love you to stay, we respect your decision to leave, but we would like to know how you are going to go, and when.

I’m fed up with this uncertainty and would like to know what is going to happen.

Anway, like many I wasn’t overly worried about the constitutional position of Northern Ireland before the Brexit debacle, but I now firmly believe that Irish unity is the way to go. Scotland too, in my view, should seek to leave the UK as soon as possible.

That’s all for now, have a nice weekend.