Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Grafenwöhr and Weiden, Germany

Posted in Germany, Travel, Travels, US Military, tagged , , , , on Sunday, 30 December, 2012| 8 Comments »

Grafenwöhr was our stomping grounds from 2001 to 2005 and it was so nice to be back in the area.  It’s a beautiful location and it’s grown quite a bit since we left but it still has several historic buildings:

Water Tower, Grafenwoehr

Water Tower, Grafenwöhr

Forsthaus circa 1909

Forsthaus circa 1909

We lived about 30 minutes from Graf in the sleepy town of Neunkirchen bei Weiden. It has two churches, the kindergarten my daughter attended, lots of walking/biking paths and much more. We met many wonderful friends when we lived there and still keep in contact with them.  A flood of memories came rushing back as we drove into town:

sign for Neunkirchen

We saw a rainbow as we drove toward Neunkirchen ~ made me feel welcomed:

Rainbow

When we lived in Neunkirchen, we had two large dogs who loved running free in the forest surrounding the town.  We went back to see if there were any changes and we’re happy to report everything appears exactly the same.

Logan in the forest

Logan in the forest

It’s important to keep a lookout for interesting things when driving in Germany, you never know what you might see along the road. Here’s a tiny chapel:

Little chapel near Kaltenbrunn

or a cross along the road:

Bench and cross near kaltenbrunn

We went to our favorite restaurant, Pegasus not once but twice. We were considered stammtisch (a regular) when we lived in Neunkirchen.  We would walk in and they wouldn’t even ask our order ~ they would just bring our drinks and food to the table.  Unless mussels were in season, then John would change his order.  If you’re in the area and get a chance to go to Pegasus, I highly recommend the Scampi Diavolo.

On Friday, we went to lunch at Pegasus with our German neighbor, Norbert and his son.  Then today, as we headed out of town and at the last minute, we decided to swing by and eat there one more time since we have no idea when our next trip to Germany will be.  Surprisingly,as we drove into the parking lot, we saw Norbert walking toward the entrance!!  Must be fate ~ we couldn’t have planned it any better.

Pegasus at the flugplatz ~ our favorite restaurant

Pegasus at the flugplatz ~ our favorite restaurant

009

Neunkirchen is very close to Weiden which is a very pretty German town with a lovely pedestrian zone (Fußgängerzone).  It looks even prettier with Christmas decorations.  We met with our friends, Nadja, German and their two adorable daughters for dinner in Weiden:

With Nadja and fam in Weiden

More of beautiful Weiden at night:

Arch to Weiden

Archway to Weiden

Weiden

This was less of a sightseeing trip and more of a chance to reconnect with old friends.  From the looks of our photos, we ate our way through Germany!  Good food, Great friends!

Lunch with Youngs, Gilbertsons

015

Eating our way through Germany

Read Full Post »

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (Bavaria)

Posted in Germany, Travel, tagged , , , , on Wednesday, 26 December, 2012| Leave a Comment »

We landed in Munich, after a little over an hour flight from Gatwick Airport (London).  Once we got on the Autobahn, the Audis (and one Aston Martin) were flying by, making our car shake as though we were standing still. No doubt they were trying to break the sound barrier.

We traveled extensively during our 5 years living in Germany and several of those trips were spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  As always, it was great to see the mountains as we drove into Garmisch:

Garmisch Mountains

All the sights, sounds, and smells brought back a flood of wonderful memories.  My heart was a little heavy as I remembered our last visit to Garmisch which was New Year’s Eve 2005.  My mom spent the week with us at the Edelweiss Lodge and it was a magical time.  There was lots of snow, fireworks, trips to Neuschwanstein Castle and other local historic sites. For years afterwards, my mom would frequently tell me how much she enjoyed that particular vacation. Made me miss her more than usual.

Sadly, as we drove into town, we could tell there wasn’t a lot of snow.  Our main purpose for returning to Garmisch was to ski so we needed to chase the snow.  We found it in Ehrwald, on the Austrian side of the Zugspitz, which is the tallest mountain in Germany at 2962 meters.  It’s only a 30 minute drive from Garmisch,  20 minutes if you can drive like a German.

Admittedly, I’m a snow snob.  If it’s icy or slushy, I’d rather not go through the expense or pain (those boots are torture to me).  John learned to ski in Ohio so his idea of a good snow day is any snow at all. John and Logan hit the slopes with a smile on their faces:

John and Logan at base of the mountain

080

On our way out of town, we stopped at the Olympic Ski Stadium where the 1936 Winter Olympics were held. The stadium has hosted a variety of ski competitions and also has a ski jump school.  The ski jumps make my stomach queasy just looking at them:

Three Ski Jumps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Reading the signs in German are always fun ~ trying to decipher the words that have been cobbled together.  I actually figured this one out:

Ski School Sign

Logan sat in the old seating:

Olympic Stadium seats from 1936

Garmisch is a beautiful Bavarian town with lots to do whatever the season.  We’ve been to Garmisch over half a dozen times, at different times of the year, and it’s always been a fun time.   We’re heading north today ~ back to the Oberpfalz (Bavaria) where we lived for four of our five years in Germany.

Read Full Post »

Dennis Severs House

Posted in London, Travels, tagged , , , , , on Thursday, 20 December, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Even though I researched Dennis Severs’ House before going to visit, it wasn’t quite what I expected.  I must be one of the ones he referred to as “pigeonholed styles of intelligence” because I wanted a little more explanation about the rooms and perhaps a little more light (even if it was more candlelight) to see the rooms.  But I’m getting ahead of myself, let me start over…

A group of us expats met at the house at noon. There are very limited hours and days when the house is open to the public. For more information go to the Dennis Severs House website here. No talking or photographs are allowed inside the house.  I took a few photos outside but if you want to see additional indoor photos, click here for a photostream on Flickr.

18 Folgate StreetDennis Severs' House

18 Folgate Street
Dennis Severs’ House

Dennis Severs was an American artist from Escondido, California and he moved to London right after high school.  He was especially enthralled with the Victorian age and, in 1979, purchased a home (circa 1724) in East London, just steps from Spitalfields Market. He lived in the house from 1979 to 1999 and refurbished each of the 10 rooms to reflect the time periods between 1724 and 1914.  One room represents the Enlightenment Age, another the Romantic Age, and so on.  He lived in the house without electricity to better experience what it was like back then. His vision was for a person to feel like they stepped through the canvas of a painting and back in time.  The house is set-up as though the family living there just “popped out” for a minute.  There are food items on the tables, dishes in the sink, laundry hanging, a tea-cup spilled on the floor, etc.  Dennis Severs wanted those visiting to feel, smell, and hear the house.  He was adamant that it wasn’t a museum, but a spiritual experience.

The idea is great and I was so looking forward to it, but the execution proved harder to achieve. Letting yourself get lost in the experience is difficult because the rooms are small and you’re trying to avoid stepping into and in front of the other people.  A better experience would be to have the room to yourself, perhaps sit, and let yourself absorb the sights, sounds and smells.  That would require much better scheduling of visitors on the part of the Spitalfields Trust who owns the property.

I also didn’t like the typed notes found around the rooms which stated “if you’re looking at individual items, you’re not doing it right”.  It was jarring to say the least.  Who wants to be judged when you’re trying to get into the experience.  And who doesn’t look at individual items on display.  When I visit a friend’s home, I always look at their items on the mantel, in the windows and on their walls. Why else would they have them out in the living room?  The motto of the house is “Aut Visum Aut Non!” (You either see it or you don’t) ~ I get the feeling those running the visits don’t care one way or the other.

Would I recommend you go? I give a qualified yes.  Don’t go with any expectations of learning about a certain time period but go for the experience of seeing a “preserved” house and participating in something different.  I may return myself just to see if I get a different experience out of it, now that I know what to expect.

Dennis Severs House 4 stories and a basement

Dennis Severs House
4 stories and a basement

Read Full Post »

Old Marylebone Walking Tour

Posted in London, tagged , , , on Wednesday, 19 December, 2012| Leave a Comment »

After spending the morning at Camden Market, we were enjoying the outdoors too much to go back to the flat so we met up with London Walks on Oxford Street for a 2 hour tour of Marylebone, our London neighborhood.  We didn’t really meet on Oxford Street which is crazy crowded on a Saturday in December, right before Christmas.  We waited on Stratford Street which is just off Oxford. Here’s what we saw as we peeked out to Oxford Street:

Oxford Street on a Saturday

The tour started off a little rough when the guide asked if there were any Americans on the tour.  He then asked who the 8th president of the US was.  Hmmm… I went through the first six ( Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, ?).  John got Jackson as the 7th and then we couldn’t think of … Van Buren.  Ugh.  I need to study my presidents again ~ if nothing else but for the Pub Quiz.   His reason for asking ~ Van Buren lived on Stratford Place for a short time (1831-1832).

Peter was our walking guide (he’s in the white hat in the photo) and, as with all the other London Walks guides, I was impressed with his ability to tell such detailed stories all from memory (dates, names, locations) without once looking at a reference sheet. A tour of Marylebone wouldn’t be complete without the Wallace Collection and Peter didn’t disappoint.  I’ve written about the Wallace Collection before and it still remains one of my favorite museums in London.  The building was originally called Manchester House, after the 4th Duke of Manchester who had the house built between 1776-1788 because duck hunting was good in the area.  From 1791 to 1795, the house was used as the Spanish Embassy and the side street next to the house is called “Spanish Place.”

Peter our London Walks

Marylebone got its name from the St Mary’s Church and the church was situated on the Tyburn bourne (stream).  If you were to look at a map of Marylebone most of the streets are straight and developed on a grid like pattern. But Marylebone Lane stands out as an exception since that is where the stream flowed. Although the stream in this area is now hidden underground, take a look at the photo below and imagine the road being the stream:

Marylebone Lane  Also along Marylebone Lane, you’ll find shops and restaurants like “The Button Queen” which is dedicated to all things buttons:

If you need a Button

A famous resident from Marylebone is Octavia Hill who was instrumental in helping the poor with better housing and was the co-founder of The National Trust.

Octavia Hill

The house she lived in was next to this narrow Grotto Passage:

Grotto Passage, W1

I especially enjoy walking around Marylebone at night ~ as with most of London, the lights add a certain air of romance and elegance.

Hertford House (Wallace Collection) at night

Hertford House (Wallace Collection) at night

St James Catholic Church at night

St James Catholic Church at night

Durrant Hotel in Marylebone

Durrant Hotel in Marylebone

 

There’s a restaurant in Marylebone called “Odin’s Bistro” which has been in the neighborhood for years. Everytime I walk by the sign I think of the Cromwells, a very nice couple we know from our time in Northern New York.  They recently had a son and his name is Odin.

Odin's

When we first heard we were moving to London, we researched the neighborhoods and got a lot of advice from those already living here.  Many people assumed we would want to be further out in a bigger place with a yard but, we couldn’t be happier with our smaller flat even if it doesn’t have a yard or an extra bedroom. The location is perfect for us, especially since we’re only here for one year.

 

Read Full Post »

London: Camden Market

Posted in London, tagged , , , on Sunday, 16 December, 2012| 1 Comment »

There are several markets that combine to make up Camden Market in London and we started at the Inverness Street Market:

Inverness Street Market in Camden

Camden Market is off of Regents Canal, which was built in the early 1800s and  was instrumental in the development of the market area.  Unfortunately, once shipping became too expensive along the canal (1860s to 1870s), and other forms of transportation were used, the area was in disuse for many years. Thankfully, it was redeveloped in the 1970s and gets approximately 100,000 visitors each weekend.

Camden Lock

Camden Lock (2)

The area in and around Camden Lock was redeveloped into an arts, crafts, clothing and a very yummy food market.   There are tables where you can sit along the canal after grabbing a bite to eat from vendors serving foods from countries such as Peru, India, Jamaica, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Poland, etc.

Regents canal

Getting to the market was half the fun ~ we took a bus and got off at the Camden High Street stop.  The High Street has interesting, creative  artwork on the buildings.

Edgy Shops on Camden High Street

and the Union Jack Boot…

Union Jack High top

There’s a cool comic book store:

Comic book Store

A great place to get Halloween outfits is from the Victorian/Gothic/Pirate clothing store:

Shops on Camden High Street

There’s so much to do in Camden and, even during the day, it has a vibrant, edgy feel to it. The market is open 7 days a week, everyday except Christmas Day, from 10 am to 6 pm but not all vendors are there on the weekdays.  The tube stop is Camden Market but it’s a very busy station on the weekends.  So much so that on Sundays, Camden Market stop is an exit only from 1 to 5 pm.  If you want to catch the tube from Camden Market, it’s a short walk (maybe 10 minutes) to Mornington Crescent.

There is also a beautiful towpath which follows the canal.  From Camden, it goes towards Regents Park/Paddington or toward Kings Cross/Thames.  Originally, the towpath was used by the horses pulling the boats along the canal but now it’s for runner/walkers. There’s also a Regents Canal Museum behind Kings Cross Station.The photo below shows John and Logan on the path under Chalk Farm Road.

Regents Canal near Chalk Farm Road

It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and my only regret is we chose a Thai Restaurant on Camden High Street that turned out to be awful. Next time, I’m getting something from the food vendors at the market!

Read Full Post »

The Fourth Plinth Art Work at the Institute of Contemporary Art

Posted in London, tagged , , , , , on Tuesday, 11 December, 2012| 1 Comment »

On this crisp, sunny London day, my friend, Leslie and I snagged a front row seat on the upper level double-decker bus from Oxford Circus to Trafalgar Square.  A fun ride and just like riding the “hop-on, hop-off” bus without the hefty price and chatter. We were on our way to a wonderful art exhibit called “Fourth Plinth: Contemporary Monument” at Institute of Contemporary Arts.

In Trafalgar Square, there are four large plinths (definition of plinth = a block or slab on which a pedestal, column, or statue is placed) and one of the plinths has been empty until as recently as 1999. Since then, the Mayor’s office commissions modern artwork to display on a rotating basis.

Originally, the 4th plinth was supposed to hold the statue of King William IV but it was never installed.  The exhibit showed the model sized version of the artwork which have graced the 4th plinth to include video of Antony Gormley’s “One and Other” in which 2,400 people took turns on top of the plinth for one hour each and they could do whatever they wanted ~ some nakedness was involved.  Also on display are newspaper articles and opinion surveys.   Currently artwork by Elmgreen & Dragset called “Powerless Structures” is on the 4th plinth:

Rocking Boy

I love the Golden Boy and it’s a perfect representation of the “golden time” London is currently enjoying having had the Diamond Jubilee and the very successful Olympics this year. As I’ve researched more about the 4th plinth, it seems there’s a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of using it as a “stage” rather than putting a permanent artpiece there or leaving it empty.  My vote would be to continue the rotating artwork as it certainly has generated interest, reactions and lets everyone be an “art critic.”

Below is a photo of Logan in Trafalgar Square last August when we first arrived.  If you look over her right shoulder, in the far background, you can see the 4th plinth with the Golden Boy on the Rocking Horse.

Trafalgar Square

If you’re interested in visiting the exhibit, here are the pertinent details:

  • Free entrance (£3 suggested donation)
  • On display until 20 January 2013
  • Located at Institute of Contemporary Art, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AH
  • Opening Hours are 11am to 11pm Tuesdays through Sunday
  • There are several speaking events in conjunction with the exhibit, for more information go here

Read Full Post »

Regent’s Park Open Air Theater

Posted in London, Theater, tagged , , , , , on Saturday, 1 December, 2012| 3 Comments »

I’m a HUGE fan of Jane Austen with Pride and Prejudice being my favorite book in her collection. I immediately booked my tickets for Pride and Prejudice at London’s Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park as soon as I realized the tickets for the 2013 season had gone on sale.  Don’t know how John or Logan will feel about being dragged along ~ I can’t get either of them to watch the Jane Austen movies let alone read one of her novels.  Maybe the stage version will win them over.  Thankfully, they are both usually game to try something new.

The productions slated for 2013 are: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sound of Music, a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale which has been adapted for children aged six and over.

Regent's Park Fountain

Regent’s Park Fountain

I don’t have an actual photo of the Outdoor Theater having never been to it but the above photo was taken in Regent’s Park last August and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll have just as beautiful a day during the play because the weather policy is rain or shine, the show will go on.   If you want to see a photo of the actual theater click here.

If you have an interest in seeing a production, click here for more information and to book your tickets!

Read Full Post »

London: Pub Quiz and Tennis

Posted in Blogs I visit, London, Travels, tagged , , , , , on Wednesday, 28 November, 2012| 3 Comments »

Although I feel like I’m on a permanent vacation, listed below are a few thoughts on activities I’ve done that locals might do.  I’ll be sure to pass it on to the next Expat who asks about living in London:

1) Went to a Pub Quiz Night in St Johns Woods last night and had a great time especially catching up with my friend, Leslie. I’ve been to Pub Quiz Night twice and would recommend it as a fun night out.  Some pointers if you’re going to your first Pub Quiz Night:

  • The number one tip for Quiz Night is to have a British person on your team ~ preferably one who knows about Cricket, Rugby, Football (soccer) and British TV/Movies.
  • It’s best to have a team of no more than 4 people.   Any more than four and you spend more time second-guessing answers
  • Know your team members ~ don’t go with a super competitive team if you’re there just for fun
  • It doesn’t matter if your team member has an ivy league degree in quantum physics, they still might know jack about pop music so don’t be intimidated that they know everything even if they act like they do
  • Don’t get there too early or else the beer/glass of wine might muddle your thoughts.  After two glasses of wine, some answers were on the tip of my tongue ~ how could I have forgotten the title of “Jerry McGuire”  when I could remember all the actors in it and have seen it multiple times.  Thankfully someone finally got it!
  • It costs between £1-2 for each player and first place winners split the monies collected (usually).  Some pubs offer a bottle of wine, vouchers, etc.
  • I’ve been to The Warrington in Maida Vale http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/the-warrington-info-18136.html and to the Lord’s Tavern in St Johns Woods http://www.lords.org/lords-ground/lords-restaurants/lords-tavern/
  • Here’s a list to get you started if you want to partake: http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/quiz-nights-in-london-pubs-recommended-london-621.html

2) I was thrilled to find a group of ladies who play tennis (doubles) every Wednesday for 2 hours at Westway Sports Center’s indoor courts.  The group didn’t have space for a permanent member but I signed up as a substitute four weeks ago and have already played three times.  I prefer singles but am embracing the challenge of doubles.  Westway also has a climbing wall  for all levels ~ may give the beginners route a try.

Side story: Westway is close to the Latimer Road tube stop and that’s how I usually get there, but after a late night at the Pub Quiz, I decided to catch a cab there to conserve my energy (the Tylenol hadn’t kicked in yet).  The cab driver was taking a longer route than I preferred (cost me an extra £2) so I was getting a bit irritated with him but when I told him to drop me off and I’d walk the 100 meters to the front door (the car couldn’t get any closer), he said “Are you sure? Do you know this area? Do you work here?”  I wasn’t sure why he was asking so many questions but I held up my racquet and said “I play tennis here”  Then he said “I was just checking to make sure it was safe ~ the area looks a little run down from the last time I was here about 6 years ago.”  How kind that he was looking out for a woman alone.  I wanted to say “hmmm, I have a racquet and I’m not afraid to use it” but I just thanked him and hopped out.  As I got to the front door, I turned around and he was still there waiting to make sure I got in safely.

3)  Learned something new about traveling around London.  We get our US mail at West Ruislip which takes about 40 minutes (without tube delays) but I learned you can use your Oyster card (frequent travel card for the tube which you just keep adding money to) on any of the trains within the tube area.  So we hopped on the train at Marylebone station heading for West Ruislip and was there in 15 minutes and it cost the same as the tube!! May even check my mail more than once every 10 days.

4) I love reading blogs/informational websites on London.  Here are my favorites so far:

Those were the highlights of the day-to-day life in London ~ now back to a museum or guided walk.

Read Full Post »

Heidi and Colin’s London Adventure

Posted in Day Trip from London, Travel, Travels, tagged , , , , , , , on Saturday, 24 November, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I’ve got a good excuse for not being on facebook for a week ~ Heidi and Colin came to visit. Heidi is a good friend who I met when I moved to Germany in 2001.  Her son, Colin is 8 years old (soon to be 9) which I find hard to believe since it seems like yesterday we were visiting the Weiden Klinikum and he was one day old.

I’m very impressed how both of them dealt with the six hour time difference and jet-lag with no problem at all.  Heidi is an intrepid traveler and is passing on this wonderful trait to Colin.  Logan was in charge of making sure they felt welcomed to her room (she camped in our room for the week):

And in case they didn’t remember the time back in Texas

Hampton Court was on the schedule for Monday but since the landlord called and stated the window repairman would be coming to fix a window which has been broken since we moved in (and is very unsightly), Heidi and Colin ventured off to Hampton Court on their own.  Turns out, the repairman cancelled around 11.  I was bummed since I wanted to spend the day with my friends and I haven’t been to Hampton Court yet.

On Tuesday, we went on a “behind the scenes” tour of St Paul’s Cathedral.  I was a little disappointed as I was lead to believe we’d be going to the top of the dome (or at least higher than usual).  They even warned us about the 400 plus stairs and I wore my running shoes which I’m loathed to do in this fashion conscious group/town.  I was anticipating great views. It was not to be.  Our tour guide was informative and gushed when she spoke of Christopher Wren, the builder of the Cathedral.  I think she has a bit of a crush on him but I didn’t come away feeling I’d learned much about the history of the Cathedral that I didn’t already know (which isn’t much).  I’ll be going back for another tour soon.  There’s so much to see there and we didn’t scratch the surface.  Photos aren’t allowed in the Cathedral but you can check out beautiful photos on their website by clicking here.

After St Pauls. we walked over to the Tate Modern which is, hmmm how to I say this…. very modern.  After going through several of the exhibit rooms, Heidi and I gave each other “the look”  which we both knew meant let’s get the heck out of here.  Thankfully, Heidi and I have very similar tastes/tolerances.  Once we left the Tate Modern, we walked over the Millenium Bridge (for walkers only) to the tube station. Here’s Heidi and Colin on the bridge with the Cathedral Dome in the background.

On Wednesday, we thought Colin (being the 8 year old boy that he is) would enjoy the Guard Museum and the National Army Museum.  I hadn’t even thought of going prior to their visit since there’s so many other museums to see but I’m glad I did. I would highly recommend both of them.  The Guard museum is small enough to go through in about an hour and the Army museum is about an hour and a half or so.  And there’s a really nice gift shop at the Army Museum.

Wednesday evening, Logan and Colin stayed at the flat while John, Heidi and I went to an event with a few friends from John’s class.  It was an “American” themed evening with dinner at The Diner  (My dinner was good/Heidi’s a little too rare)

and then it was off to Rock of Ages which we really enjoyed. Although all the performers were spot on, my favorite is Simon Lipkin who plays Lonny the narrator.  He could easily interact with the audience and then drop right back in line with the story.  Very talented and can really rock the mullet hairstyle. The show is a little raunchy and a lot burlesque so if you’re in any way prudish I suggest you don’t go but if you want a good laugh and want to rock to the 80s music, give it a try.  I haven’t seen the film version but can’t imagine I’d like it  ~  it’s the live performance that made this so much fun.

After a late night at the theater, we got up at 0’dark thirty to catch the 8:30 train from Paddington station to Bath Spa.  Again no photos but this time it’s because I forgot to bring my camera.  Will have to rely on Heidi to send me her photos.  Speaking of cameras, Colin accidentally left his camera on the back of the stall door hook at the Roman Baths Museum and he/Heidi didn’t realize it until we were on the train to London.  Thankfully an honest soul turned it in to Lost Property!  Good karma for him/her.  Colin has some interesting photos on the camera and was relieved it’s not gone forever.

Bath is a World Heritage Site and truly a beautiful town.  I had fun just walking around the town spying a couple of locations I’ve seen in films such as “Persuasion” and “Vanity Fair.”  Unfortunately,  it was started to rain as we got off the train and it was VERY windy.  I lost another umbrella to the wind ~ this makes my third since moving here.  Guess that means I shouldn’t buy the cheap umbrellas and go for sturdiness.

For me, the highlight of the visit was the Roman Bath Museum ~ the self guided audio tour is interesting and the kid version was fun too. Colin clued me in when to listen to the kids version if there was something particularly funny or something “gross” like the killing of a sacrificial goat.  Sometimes it’s interesting to see life through the eyes of an 8 year old boy or, at least, try to figure out what they find entertaining.

Bath is also having their Christmas Market now.  Although Heidi and I are spoiled by having been to so many German Christmas Markets (they are the best!), we both enjoyed wandering the streets looking at all the vendors.  The vendors were selling quality items.

I’ll be going back to Bath soon with John and Logan. It’s easy to see why Bath is listed as a must see on all the travel guides and has been the number one city suggested by our British friends.

Yesterday (their last day) came way too quickly ~ they went to Hamleys (the FAO Schwartz of London) in the morning and then we went to the Wallace Collection for a student led tour.  The students were from St Vincents and are between the ages of 8 to 13.  I was impressed at their presentation of selected collection pieces.  Colin even got to try on a knight’s helmet.

For our final dinner, we went to our favorite neighborhood restaurant on the corner called “Gettis”  We’re always treated so well when we go there and this time was no exception.  The waiter picked up right away that Colin is a “meat only” kind of guy and so the waiter teased him for the entire meal that he was bringing “vegetables” for him.

…and Colin declared Getti pizza better than Pizza Express.

… and then we said farewell until next time.  Heidi and Colin stayed at a Heathrow hotel on Friday night so they wouldn’t have to get up any earlier than necessary.  Smart traveler!

Missing them lots ~ the flat is way too quiet!

Read Full Post »

Edinburgh Getaway Weekend

Posted in Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel, Travels, United Kingdom, tagged , , , on Saturday, 10 November, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I’m so thrilled to finally be in Scotland! I’ve wanted to visit here for many years and hope this will be the first of many visits.  We ‘re in the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh for a couple of days and next spring, we’d like to head further north and enjoy the Highlands.

We took the 2pm train out of the Big Smoke (I’ve recently learned this is a nickname for London).  The 4.5 hour ride was quite entertaining. As you can imagine, Friday afternoons are busy with commuters getting out of the city.  It was an oversold train and not enough seats for everyone.  Thankfully, we were able to get a seat.  Although the trains have some seats reserved, no one really pays attention to it and it caused a bit of a ruckus in the train car we were in.  But once everyone had a beer from the bar-car, things settled down until the Newcastle Soccer fans began singing their team song.  If you saw “Eurotrip” and remember the scene with the Manchester United fans, you’ll know what I mean.  John was going to say he was a member of the “Newcastle Fan Club of Ohio”  And even more entertaining was listening to some of the Brits discuss the US Election results.  The GOP definitely needs to work on their PR overseas.

Once we arrived (and after dropping off our luggage), we went directly into Old Town to walk around and get a bite to eat.  Edinburgh is a beautiful city and especially pretty at night with the lights shining.  Old Town in Edinburgh refers to medieval times and the Edinburgh New Town refers to the 18th Century time period.  Being from the United States, “Old Town” usually refers to the 18th century time frame while here it’s recent history.  Such a difference in historic perspective.

As of 1995, both of Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town are on the World Heritage Site.

John and Logan in Old Town

We woke up to crystal clear blue skies and decided to take a bus tour of the city and a walking tour of Old Town to get an overall sense of Edinburgh. We could see the castle from many angles but won’t actually tour it until tomorrow.  The castle is very impressive from below.  No wonder no one has ever been able to conquer the castle.

Castle from below

Old Town looking toward Grassmarket

Logan on the Old Town Tour

We came across a wedding party coming out of the St Giles Cathedral while we were on the walking tour.  I was completely distracted since I’m a drawn to weddings.  I love the idea of couples just starting off on the lives together.  Tried not to be a creeper but took a photo of them anyway

Scottish Bride and Groom on their wedding bus

This statue is a “Tribute from Men and Women of Scottish Blood and Sympathies in the United States of America to Scotland”

Although Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, they have their own designs on their money (it doesn’t have the Queen who is on the money in England).

Robert Burns lived in Edinburgh.

Robert Burns is a favorite Scotsman who wrote “Auld Lang Syne” which everyone sings on New Year’s Eve and last year was our first “Burns Night Supper”  (and we’ve already got an invitation to the upcoming Burns Night Supper in Jan).

We didn’t have time today to visit The White Hart which is the oldest pub in Edinburgh (dating back to 1516 and where Robert Burns frequented). Maybe tomorrow…

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »