Tami & Greg's Blog

Week 3: August 28 - September 3, 2011

2011-10-08T00:27:00.003-04:00

This week was also fairly uneventful, more time in the class room learning. At first it was kind of annoying but we really were learning a lot and in a couple of weeks we would appreciate all of the learning that we got.

On Monday I got to see a carnivore switch. Let me explain this to you. We have a large arena inside of the carnivore area, each of our large carns gets to go into the arena a couple of times a week. When a carn comes out of their enclosure and into the arena, or vice versa leaving the arena and going back into their enclosure, this is called a switch. It is a very detailed process that involves at least 3 people and I got to watch this for the first time. I also spent some time doing volunteer hours around the zoo. It was a hard working day for me.

Tuesday was the day of doing our falcon knot for a test. Once we did the knot on the fence we then did it on an actual bird. I was in line to do my knot on Alba, the barn owl. Well, let's just say that Alba was not in a good mood and kept trying to foot me in the face. This means that she kept jumping off of the glove and at one point had her large talons coming towards my face. Somehow I never overreacted and Cassie was able to get Alba back under control. I was bummed that I didn't get to hold the owl yet, but I know there is time in the future. I also practiced my knot on Arrow the red-tailed hawk.

This is when Alba was about to try to foot me in the face.

Once we left the falcon knot testing a small group of us accidentally walked up on our mountain lion who was out on a walk. He had gotten very spooked and was in no mood for more people around. We slowly backed up and let him pass before continuing back to class. Later on I helped some second year classmates (including Bubs) fix a bedroom box in the capuchin behlen.

Saturday was my first time doing All Day Area at the zoo. This is when you get to the zoo before 10 AM and are there until 5 PM. Each hour you rotate to a different area of the zoo to do watches on specific areas or answer phones or sell tickets. The day goes by fairly fast, I was surprised by this, and you have lots of interaction with the public.

Week 2: August 21 - 27, 2011

2011-10-08T00:06:00.003-04:00

This was the first week of actually being in the program. However, not much was done, aside from lots of classes, lectures, and talks.

However, on Tuesday, I was able to manage to go on a walk with Spitz the serval, Gus & Tucker the New Guinea Singing Dogs, and a Nigerian Pygmy Goat. I also got some time in on the Butterfly project. Currently we are trying to breed Lang's Metalark butterflies. I actually found 1 that had eclosed (came out of it's enclosure)and moved 2 larvae.

Spitz the Serval

Wednesday brought about a walk with Nick the miniature horse and I got to learn to clean out his hooves. It's exciting because I have never really worked with horses at all. I also spent some more time in with the butterflies and got to watch them feed for the first time and then built some new feeding boxes.

Nick, the miniature horse

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful. At this time I have some free time and I know that it won't last long, so I am making sure to enjoy it.

Tami & the EATM program

2011-08-18T21:34:00.003-04:00

Week 1:

So, our blog is now going to be a focus of me over the next 2 years, during my school program.

To start off.....what is EATM? EATM stands for Exotic Animal Training & Management, and it is a program that only exists in Moorpark, CA. Greg and I moved back from London directly to California so I could try to get into this program. Initially, my goal was to train dolphins and other marine mammals. At this point I think I still want to work with marine mammals, but I am also learning so much about other animals that I think I might change my mind and just be very open to other animals, including primates.

I had taken lots of classes already, and then didn't get into the program in 2010 so I worked full time at General Motors for nearly a year. On Friday, April 29, 2011, I got THE call. I had finally been accepted into the program and was going to start in August.

That brings us up to today. Monday was the first day of orientation, but only in the sense that we had to get all of our shots and physical out of the way. Tuesday was the first real day of orientation. This week has been spent learning practices, procedures, rules, the ground, animals, and so much more. I think my head is going to explode at this point. Tomorrow (Friday) is an all day work area. I got assigned to weeding...yay!!!! (not!)

Will give more details next week, just know that I am super excited to be starting to work with animals....something I have always wanted to do :)

Brain Training Videos

2009-09-08T10:42:00.003-04:00

Here are a few videos of Brain during training over Labor Day weekend, she is my shining star right now. Pinky doesn't do much, although I finally got her to go down the tube at the beginning and partially through the first rope, but Brain is already down to the next level....Yay Brain!

We have made it to California!

2009-08-10T00:12:00.002-04:00

For those who don't know, Greg and I have moved to California so I can go back to school.

We left Friday night, with a very bumpy beginning. We had a tire blow out at exit 101 (near Social Circle) in Georgia, so only got 1 1/2 hours away from Augusta. We then had to wait 4 hours before we could get back on the road. Since we didn't leave til Greg finished work it was now after 10 pm so we just stayed with my Dad in Atlanta for the night.

We woke up early on Saturday and left Atlanta around 5 am. We drove through the rest of Georgia, through Alabama, up I78 to Mississippi then Tennesse and on to I-40 in Arkansas at which point we drove through that state, Oklahoma, and into Texas, where we stayed in Shamrock. This was nearly 1100 miles in 1 day.

Sunday we again woke early and left around 5 am again. We managed to drive through the rest of the panhandle of Texas, through New Mexico, and through Arizona and into California all the way to Barstow.

On Monday we have only about 1 1/2 hours to our new townhome that we will be living in for the next year or two.

Just wanted everyone to know that we have made it to the Golden State.

Island Hopping

2009-08-05T09:57:00.008-04:00

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Today was going to prove to be a mixed bag of a day. We started out with breakfast in our hotel, since it was included in the price we figured we would just eat there instead of spending extra money. We then walked to Port Beverello, which was much further than we realized, about a mile or so and in the heat we were feeling it. When we got to Port Beverello we had to figure out the ticketing system and stand in line for almost 20 minutes to get ferry tickets to Capri. There was a boat to leave in about 5 minutes so we really wanted to catch it, since they only ran every hour. We luckily got on and even got seats upstairs in an air conditioned area.

We made it to Capri after about 45 minutes on the boat and then walked around Capri trying to figure out what to do. I was not feeling great but wanted to enjoy Capri as best as I could. We found a place for me to pick up some anti-nausea medicine, which did help a lot. We started out by taking the funicular up to Capri Town. We walked around looking at all of the amazing homes and beautiful scenery and even ducking into a few shops along the way, including a Prada or two. Capri Town is definitely all high-end shopping, the tourist shopping is located down at the port. We didn't buy anything but we did stop in at Bar Tiberio for some lunch and people watching, Greg even enjoyed an ale while we there.

Looking down at the island of Capri from Capri Town:

After lunch we took the funicular back down to the port area and took a boat to the Blue Grotto. Everyone (including guide books) had told us that the Blue Grotto was 1 huge tourist trap, just trying to make money off of nothing. They were right, but it is absolutely amazing inside and we didn't mind paying the price for it. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the Blue Grotto and then all of the boats just wait there turn for the row boats to come up and pick you up. Greg and I were fortunate enough to get in a row boat by ourselves. To get inside the Blue Grotto we had to sit down on the floor of the boat and pretty much lay down completely. Then, the driver of the row boat grabs a chain that comes from out of nowhere and pulls really hard, making the boat go underneath a rock. You are entering a cave, but there is no visible entrance to the cave, it is almost completely submerged. When you go in the water gives off the most amazing blue tint. It is due to the reflection of the incoming light on the white walls. We spent about 7 minutes inside before we do the same thing again to exit. Oh, just to let you know how much the boat goes down, the driver was pretty much laying on top of me, kind of scary but neat.

The entrance to the Blue Grotto:

Me & Greg in the row boat inside the Blue Grotto:

The amazing water inside the Blue Grotto:

We took the 30 minute boat ride back to the port at Capri and bought some souvenirs and gelato before getting on a hydrafoil to Sorrento. When we got to Sorrento we didn't really know what to expect. We weren't sure where the town was so we just started walking. We walked UP and UP and UP these steps until we finally reached the main area of Sorrento. We went into some souvenir shops and even bought some local Limoncello (yummy) from Limonora. Limoncello is one of those alcoholic drinks that you can just drink and drink, but be careful because it has a very high alcohol content and people can tend to drink a bit too much. We take our limoncello in stride with only one serving at a time.

The coast off of Capri:

The stairs we climbed up to get to Sorrento's main area:

Limoncello:

Next we walked to "The Beach". Let me explain, the beach in Italy is nothing like what we are used to. There is no white sand, almost no sand period. When they go to the beach it is little resort areas that have long decks built over top of the water. Their actual beaches are usually lots of rocks (not pebbles, but big rocks). There were even people laying out on the sidewalk so they wouldn't have to pay to get into one of the little resorts. We didn't bring any bathing suits with us so we couldn't lay out, plus it was starting to cool down a bit. So, we just went into The Beach resort and had some water and watermelon while enjoying the sound of the ocean and doing a bit more people watching. I will say that this is when I decided I do NOT like seeing men in white speedos. There is just something wrong with that.

The coast of Sorrento:

Shots of the beaches in Sorrento:

After a while we caught one of the last ferries back to Naples. We decided to do a bit of walking, since it was still full day light and only around 6 pm. We went by Castel Nuovo, Palazzo Reale, Galleria Umberto, Piazzo Plebiscito (looks likes a mini Vatican), Gambrinus (espresso and some babas for desert), down Via Chiai (shopping area but closed), and to Piazza dei Martiri (lion statues). We then walked to the main street and had dinner at Antonio & Antonio where we enjoyed the typical pizza and caprese. After dinner we went back to our room to unwind and enjoy some wine with our babas that we had purchased from Gambrinus. It was all delicious. So, even though the day started out a bit rocky with me not feeling well and the madness of getting to Capri it ended up very nicely.

Castel Nuovo:

Piazza dei Martiri:

Piazzo Plebiscito:

Park across from Castel Nuovo:

On the road...I mean, rail....again

2009-06-25T06:31:00.009-04:00

Friday, June 12, 2009

Our last full day in Tuscany we decided to head down to a town called Saturnia. We had seen postcards of it and decided, why not? It was a 3+ hour trip each way, through very small winding roads that you thought would not take you anywhere, but we finally made it. Saturnia is known for it's natural thermal springs. The ones that smell like sulfur. It's absolutely beautiful though. The rocks are all stained white and the water rushes down from this massive waterfall. We put on our suits and ended up playing in the rocky area for about an hour before deciding to get back on the road.

Greg in the Saturnia springs:

Me in the springs:

The Saturnia Thermal Springs:

We snacked along the way, saving our appetite for dinner and started heading back to Greve. On the journey back we got caught in a detour and had to take some rather interesting roads back. The main one led us through this tree lined path that looked more like a driveway in Gone with the Wind and then actually through a small river. Greg said we were getting our tires cleaned for free. We even managed to go down a road that our small care barely fit down.

The little river we had to drive over:

Whew! We made it back to the apartment and decided to hang out by the pool for a bit. We were going to go swimming but the water wasn't quite warm enough so we just hung out with our legs dangling in the water and enjoying some of our prosecco that we had bought. We then decided we needed a shower before dinner, since we smelled like rotten eggs.

Us by the pool:

Since this was our last night in Tuscany we hit the back roads to the rural restaurant from the other night and ate at La Cantinetta di Rignana. Greg had the Bisteca Fiorentina and I had potato ravioli. Greg had been waiting for this steak, but it was highly recommended. Most restaurants only serve it as a 1 kilo steak (Massive doesn't describe it), but this restaurant actually cuts it for you to the size you want. Greg told them he wanted a small one and still ended up with one that was almost 1/2 kilo, it was still huge and Greg didn't even finish it. We had a great dinner, the service was great, and we were at a table where we could watch the kitchen, so it was a nice time. With our bellies full we headed back to the apartment to play some cards and finish packing for tomorrow.

Greg's steak:

Saturday, June 13, 2009
We finished packing and checked out of our apartment and immediately got in the car towards Florence. We were going to hit some of the spots that we missed on Sunday before getting on the train to Naples. Our first stop was at Piazzale Michelangelo to see the 3rd David statue. This one was just as big, but it was bronze, and since it was outside, completely green.

The other David statue:

Greg and me at Piazzale Michelangelo:

Views of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo:

We then drove towards the train station and found a spot to park at before running into Deanna's for a pastry and Cappuccino for Greg. Now that we had some sugar in us we headed by Santa Maria Novella and then the Museo dell'Opera. It was closing last time we came by so this time we were able to go in and actually see the 2nd Pieta by Michelangelo (we saw the 1st one in Rome).

Donatello statue at Museo dell'Opera:

Michelangelo's Pieta:

After we walked through and saw everything the Museo dell'Opera had to offer we went by Santa Croce to see the tombs of Michelangelo, Dante, and Galileo. The rest of the church was closed for service but the tombs were in the back where you could still see them and take pictures. From there we went by a local favorite, Gelateria La Carraia 2, for some yummy gelato (Yes before lunch).

Tomb of Michelangelo:

Tomb of Dante:

Tomb of Galileo:

After the gelato we went to the Museo del Bargello to see the Donatello & Michelangelo statues, as well as others. This building was once a Cathedral that was turned into a prison, so you could see where the walls had been covered in beautiful frescoes, then covered in cement during the prison time, and now the frescoes were slowly being recovered. We then found a small pizzeria to have a quick lunch before getting to the train station.

Donatello statue:

Room that was a former prison:

The train trip to Naples was very uneventful, we just looked at books and talked for the entire journey. When we arrived in Naples it was like complete culture shock. Tuscany had been so easy going and laid back but Naples was absolute chaos. The cars here basically drive wherever they want, whenever they want, and the scooters just go whichever way they choose. It was complete madness and I am sooooo glad we did not choose to drive around here. We took a 20 minute cab ride to our hotel, mainly because we got stopped for a motorcade, and it was only 8 euro, we were shocked at how cheap a taxi is here.

We got to our hotel and were so pleasantly surprised, we knew it was nice but didn't realize how nice. It is a 4 star hotel right on the water front, across from Castel Dell'Ovo and had amazing rooms and views. It is one of those hotels that they use for conferences all of the time. We got to our room and then decided to take a walk down the water front. We walked by Castel dell'Ovo towards Santa Lucia and could actually see Mt. Vesuvius. We went by the Fontana Dell'Immacolatello and then back to the hotel to change out of our shorts and sweaty tops. We realized that everyone there was dressed just a bit better than us so we got some nicer clothes on and headed to dinner at a restaurant right down the road, called Regina Margherita.

Marina near our hotel:

Our first view of Mount Vesuvius:

Fontana Dell'Immacolatello:

Us at the waterfront:

Castel dell'Ovo:

Quite interestingly it is a pizzeria that does sushi as well. So that's what we had, sushi & pizza, good combination (almost as good as sushi & burritos, but not quite). It was a great meal but we were exhausted, so it was time for bed.

Sushi and Pizza...yummy:

When in Pisa.....do as the tourists do

2009-06-25T03:58:00.009-04:00

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Today we headed out to Pisa fairly early. On the drive down we couldn't find much on the radio but we did find 1 thing that made us laugh. They were actually playing "3 is the magic number" from Schoolhouse Rocks, and we just laughed and sang along.

When we got to Pisa we parked and walked until we found the Leaning Tower. While we were there we did the touristy thing, and took the typical pose with the tower. I was actually very impressed by the tower, I hadn't expected much, since most people said it was disappointing, but it was actually very pretty and amazing. We did not walk up it as the next appointment was about 4 hours away and we weren't planning on staying in Pisa that long.

Greg holding up the tower:

Me holding up the tower:

Me & Greg with the Leaning Tower:

Some sort of Karate class?:

While in Pisa we did go into the Baptistry and the Museum. While we were in the Baptistry a man came in to do some voicework to show off the accoustics, it was astounding to listen to. The Duomo across from the Baptistry was amazing as well, but we did not go in. After we walked around the grounds and took our cheesy shots we then went into the Museum. The museum was pretty good, a lot of sculptures from the Leaning Tower and Duomo that were removed for safety and a lot of models but the best part was the views of the Tower. It was absolutely beautiful.

The Cathedral (Duomo) in Pisa:

Inside the Baptistry:

The Pisa Baptistry:

Shot of the Tower, Cathedral, and Baptistry from inside the Museum:

Ancient Hippogriff:

When we left Pisa we drove to Lucca, a nearby town that is basically a small walled city. When we got there we were starving so the first thing we did was find a small pizzeria and eat. We then decided we were going to rent bicycles when we came across a place, the thing to do here is to ride bikes around the small streets or along the top of the wall. However, we walked and walked, and saw many churches and sites, but never came across any bicycle rental places, so we just kept walking. After going inside Baptistry of St. Giovanni to see the archaelogical sites and Roman baths and ancient graffitti we went into the Duomo to see the Cathedral of San Martino and the Illaria del Caretto (tomb of Caretto's 2nd wife). This tomb was done by the famous artist Jacopo. We continued on at this point into the Cathedral Museum.

Baptistry in Lucca:

The altar area:

Inside the archaelogical area of the Baptistry, this mosaic floor dates back to the 1st century:

Ancient Graffitti (and the drawing of what you are seeing):

The Dog on the right hand side:

Cathedral of San Martino:

We next walked by Torre Guinigi (Palace tower) and to Piazza Anfiteatro. This piazza is so amazing, it is a complete 360 degrees around of buildings with just a couple archways to exit. It is very intriguing. It is also a place where they have horse competitions. Here we grabbed a gelato and sat out on the piazza to enjoy. I do have to say that this was the most confusing city we had been to so far, the streets never really joined up and since they were so narrow you couldn't look up to find cathedrals and towers. After we walked by a few more small churches we found our way back to our car.

Piazza Anfiteatro:

Our next stop was going to be Monsummano Terme, a natural thermal spring, but when we got to the town we couldn't actually find it so we just decided to head back to Greve. It was kind of funny though, the Tom Tom was trying to get us on the motorway but the entrance it was trying to use was long gone so we had to take a very long detour. We eventually made it back and were able to do a wine tasting at Vicchiomaggio and then another at Castello di Verrazzano, where we bought some excellent Chianti Classico (mainly so we could get some wine glasses as well).

Afterwards we decided to stop by this wine store in Greve, La Cantina, to see what they had, we knew they did tastings as well. It was actually very interesting the way they have it set up. You buy a card with money on it, how much ever you want to put on it. Then there are these stations with about 20 bottles each hooked up to, and you insert your card, push the button related to the wine you wish to sample, and it spits the wine into your glass and deducts the appropriate amount from your card. That way you can try as few or as many as you want and you don't have to wait on someone to give it to you. Tastings were priced from .60 to over 6.00 each, so depending on what you tried you may be able to sample a few or a lot. We sampled about 6 different wines, we tried to pick ones we hadn't had yet and different ones that were recommended by our book. We didn't buy any though, we already had enough to last us the rest of our trip.

Wine sampling at La Cantina:

We had dinner at Caffe le Logge in Greve, which was pretty good, before doing our daily routine of cards and wine at the apartment. It was very nice to be able to unwind and relax.

Pigeon....really????

2009-06-25T03:26:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Today was a fairly uneventful, but fun, day. We had breakfast at the apartment and then went into Greve so Greg could get his daily cappuccino and then did a bit of souvenir shopping. We then jumped in the car and drove back to Castello di Gabbiano for a wine tour and tasting. The guide was very friendly and was explaining to us about the Gabbiano vineyard and wines and why they plant roses at the end of each vine. We found this interesting since we were curious about it. He said that roses and vines catch the same diseases but roses will always catch them first, so if there is a disease in that row they will know based on the roses state of being. So, they are there for a reason and not just to add color. Anyways, Greg and I were the only ones on the tour for the first 15 minutes and then a couple from NC showed up, so it was actually nice to have someone else there. We then went down to see the wine cellar that was dated from around 4th century or so before doing a bit of tasting.

Gabbiano property:

We were able to taste 4 different wines, 2 grappas, and olive oil, all which is made on this property. If you have never had it, grappa is very strong and harsh. However, the grappa that they made and aged on their property was much smoother, almost like a whiskey, so we ended up buying some, along with a bottle of wine and olive oil. As we were heading to the car we saw the big white dog that we had seen a few days prior and gave him some loving as well. We were going to have lunch here but it was still too early (only around 11:30 am) and so we decided to go back into Greve and just get some pizza.

Gabbiano plate:

In the cellar:

The pizza place we wanted to go to doesn't do pizza at lunch, only dinner (doesn't make any sense to me either), so we found another place at Casa del Popolo, that definitely catered to locals. The pizza was good, the service was not. As it was our mid point of our trip we decided to do some laundry. We found a place, and it didn't take too long so we were able to get back on the road and actually visit some other areas in Tuscany.

We drove to Castellina in Chianti, another small hillside town, and walked around town for a bit before grabbing some gelato. This town is very cute and has a thing with odd female statues. Before getting back on the road we decided to stop into a cafe and grab a coke and small snack. As we were leaving Castellina we stopped by and saw an Etruscan tomb. We started to walk into it (it is completely underground) but it was so dark and creepy and there were warning signs torn down that we opted NOT to go any further. It was neat to see how these tombs were built under hills though.

Looking over Castellina in Chianti:

The main church in Castellina in Chianti:

The Etruscan Tomb:

Greg entering the tomb:

We still had a bit of time when we headed back to Greve so we stopped in to Vescine Vineyard and had a tasting with another family from Chicago. The guy doing the tour had a really good personality and we tasted about 7 different wines from their estates all over Italy before purchasing an excellent bottle of Prosecco and Chianti Classico before getting back in the car and heading towards Greve. We tried to go to another vineyard in Radda but they were closing up. We then drove through Radda (a different way back) to get to a recommended restaurant that is considered very rural. They weren't lying, the restaurant is completely off the track and away from everything, over 2 miles down a dirt road, and sits on the side of the mountain so you have spectacular views. We got there about 6:30 pm and they didn't open until 7:30 and we didn't want to wait that long, so we got back in the car.

The Chianti Classico label at Vescine:

After driving around for a while we settled upon going back to Castello di Gabbiano for dinner. This was our favorite meal of the entire trip, quite unexpectedly. Most places that you eat at in Italy charge you a cover charge AND 12.5% gratuity, so definitely watch your bill. Also, they will leave a basket of break on your table and if you eat from it they charge you per person on that too. Well, Gabbiano was not like that. We sat down and they immediately brought us a glass of prosecco and a small appetizer. We then ordered crostinis and chianti beef for additional starters. For our main meal Greg had a pork fillet in rose sauce that was very good but didn't touch my meal. I ordered rissotto with pigeon (yes you read that right), and it was out of this world. The two chunks of pigeon on the side were not great, it is all dark meat and a bit chewy, but the rissotto with small shreds of pigeon in it had the best flavor of any rice/rissotto meal I have ever tasted. We both devoured as much of it as possible before calling it quits.

Greg & I with the big white dog at Gabbiano:

As we left the restaurant the white dog was lying close to the car so we gave him some love before heading back to our apartment to play a few rounds of cards with our newly bought wine and then calling it a night and heading to bed.

Under the Tuscan Sun

2009-06-23T08:39:00.011-04:00

Monday, June 8, 2009

This is our first day around Tuscany and we really wanted to see as much as possible. We started the day with breakfast at our apartment again before getting in the car. We first went to the main square in Greve (the town where our villa is located) to look at the butchers, bakers, souvenir shops, and a cappuccino for Greg.

The main square in Greve:

The boar at the butchers:

Once done with that, we spent much more time there than we had expected to, we headed towards Siena. It was such an amazing drive through the hills and vineyards, unbelievable scenery. Once we got to Siena we immediately headed into the main area of town. We went by Il Duomo which was built in pink and white marble. It was stunning on the outside but there was quite a line to go in so we did not wait around. We then did a bit of shopping and then stopped for lunch at Taverna Il Capitano. While the food was good, the personalities were good, the service was slow. We were really ready to get a move on.

View along the way to Siena:

Siena has a snail as their emblem:

Romulus & Remus statues are very prominent in Italy:

Us at Il Duomo in Siena:

Il Duomo:

After lunch we went to Piazza del Campo and by Palazzo Publicco and Fonte Gaia. We went into more shops and took lots of pictures before getting in the car for our next destination, San Gimignano. Again, the most spectacular views along the entire drive.

Palazzo Publicco:

Birds drinking from Fonte Gaia:

Fonte Gaia:

San Gimignano was a cute little country town, it looked like entering a Medieval town, walls and all. Along the outer walls of San Gimignano you could get some amazing views of the hills and towns below. We first stopped in at Combattenti so Greg could get an espresso, and then all 3 of us enjoyed yet another wonderful gelato. The other thing San Gimignano is known for is it's towers, this small town has 14 of them. We did see all of them while walking around.

The main wall at the entrance to San Gimignano:

Me and Mindrey at the entrance to San Gimignano:

Yummy gelato:

More views down:

We walked over to Torre Grossa for some great views then to Piazza delle Cisterna. Next we continued to Rocca, which is an old fortress now in ruins that has olive and fig trees growing in it. There is a watch tower still here where you can get amazing views over the city and see most of the towers. We slowly made our way back to the car, stopping to buy some wine for dinner, pastries for breakfast, and souvenirs.

Views from Rocco down:

Climbing up Rocca:

Greg and Mindrey in front of the towers:

On the way back to our villa we stopped be Castello di Gabbiano to see if they were still doing tastings, but they were already closed. We did see a super cute dog though. We ended up having dinner at Caffe Lepanto in the Greve main square before heading back to the apartment for some wine and hanging out time.

Some unusual animals in the water, being fed by a local grocer:

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Today was going to be a bittersweet day, we had more to do and see but Mindrey would be departing from us, so we were sad about that. We began with breakfast at the apartment as always and then started our drive to Cortona. We thought we would squeeze another city in before having to take Mindrey to the train station. Along our drive we stopped in Levanella of Montevarchi to stop by the Prada outlet. There is a joke there with me and Greg. We finally found it, the store is not marked at all so you just have to know where it is, we got directions from the information center. We didn't buy anything, but still enjoyed looking.

We got back in the car and continued our drive. We finally made it to Cortona, which is an amazing hillside town in Tuscany. It looks so neat when you are driving up to the city. We walked to the main square and had lunch at a cafe in Piazza di Reppublica. Of course we then did a bit of shopping and looked at the exterior of all of the buildings. We then walked to the outer edge and saw some wonderful views of the hills and lake. The views all over Tuscany are just amazing, like nowhere else we have ever been. After a bit more walking and looking we left town to head back towards Florence.

Like the neon:

Hillside town = steps:

Looking down at a cemetary:

Mindrey, me, and Greg in Cortona:

Views from Cortona:

The main square in Cortona:

They have an escalator built into the hillside of Cortona, too funny:

When we left Cortona we were trying to get back to the road but instead took a short cut down a path straight down the side of the hill, it was kind of fun. When we got to Florence we had to navigate through the traffic and mad roundabouts, I would never recommend driving in Florence if you don't have to. It was crazy but we made it to the train station and got Mindrey on her train.

Some of the sites as we left Cortona:

???

Greg and I then drove back to Greve and did a bit of grocery shopping at the co-op and then some gelato at the shop nearby. We then headed back to our apartment to cook dinner, play cards, and unwind.

Sunset from our villa:

They call it Firenze

2009-06-23T07:46:00.007-04:00

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Today was to be a day full of culture and rain. We had purchased supplies to have breakfast at our apartment before driving back to Florence for the day (the Italians know the city as Firenze). We were a bit nervous about parking, but luckily we found a parking garage near the Uffizi Gallery that we were headed to. We dropped off the car and immediately went to Uffizi to pick up our tickets and then made our way inside.

Part of Uffizi:

Some of the highlights of Uffizi Gallery include: Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Botticelli's Primavera, Leonardo Da Vinci's Annunciation, and his Holy Family, among thousands of other pieces of art. We had been walking around for a couple of hours we decided to take a break in the cafe. We enjoyed a drink and pastry and some good views over the city before diving back into the gallery. When we were done we walked towards the Duomo. On the way we passed through Piazza della Signoria and saw one of the replicas of David and many other huge statues. I did not realize how big David was going to be, but the real one and the 2 replicas are each 17 feet tall. We took some pictures and admired all of the statues before continuing on.

Piazza Della Signoria, me & Greg with David replica:

Piazza della Signoria:

Hercules by Bandinelli, the only original left:

Neptune fountain by Michelangelo:

At the Duomo we saw the amazing bronze doors of the Baptistry called the Gates of Paradise. We tried to go into the Museo Dell'Opera but they were closing up for the day. The weather was not looking very nice so we decided to go ahead and grab some lunch. We ducked into a place close by called The Yellow Bar just in time. As we were sitting there waiting to order the skies opened up and it was not only raining, but hailing as well. Greg had fagioli all'uccellieto (cannolli beans in tomato sauce) that came served in a large frying pan, it was very tasty.

Bronze doors of the Baptistry:

The Baptistry:

Front of Duomo:

Tower of Duomo:

After lunch we proceeded to walk through the San Lorenzo Market, darting in and out of tents in between the rain drops. It was now time to go to Accademia Gallery to see the real David statue. When we got in we saw not only David (which was super impressive) but lots of other Michelangelo statues as well. Accademia wasn't nearly as big as Uffizi so we didn't spend too much time there.

When we left we walked over to Cariba for some Sicilian style gelato (more ice milk than ice cream). Once we had devoured our gelato we headed to Palazzo Repubblica and saw the famous boar statue and down onto Ponte Vecchio. This is mainly full of gold shops so we didn't purchase too much, but we did still look. We were about wiped out so we headed towards the car, stopping to pick up a few items for dinner, and then drove home. We spent another evening cooking at the flat and just hanging out and enjoying our time together.

The Boar near Palazzo Repubblica:

Ponte Vecchio:

Closed shops look like little treasure chests on Ponte Vecchio:

Uffizi from Ponte Vecchio:

Just like The Italian Job

2009-06-23T06:02:00.009-04:00

Friday, June 5, 2009
We woke up and showered and then headed to the bus stop to go to Venice. We arrived early, especially in Italy standards, and found a bakery to grab some pastries from and then Caffe Ateneo so Greg could get a coffee. Let me just say this, I cannot tell you exactly where we went or what bridge we went over, all I can say is we walked ALOT. We walked over more bridges than I have ever seen in my life and through more canals than I knew could exist, and I have been to Amsterdam. We went into most shops to look at masks and other souvenirs.

A gondola in front of Pont Rialto:

We finally made it to San Marco Square and the famous San Marco's Basilica and Doge's Palace. This is the iconic Venetian spot with the large cathedral, on the waterfront, and the thousands of pigeons around. Interestingly we found out that this is the ONLY spot that you can legally feed pigeons. We didn't go in, the lines seemed massive, but the buildings were amazing. Doge's Palace is even pink. (When we made it back to London we immediately pulled up the Italian Job and it looks exactly the same as it did in the beginning of the movie)

San Marco's Basilica:

Yes, pink lamppost:

Towers in Piazza San Marco:

Piazza San Marco:

Doge's Palace:

We had been walking for hours at this point so we decided to go into Harry's Bar (they supposedly invented bellini's) but with some confusion we could not go in either because Greg was wearing shorts or because they didn't do drinks only until after 6 pm, still not sure which reason it was but either way we couldn't go in. We decided to get on a water bus instead and head to the Rialto Market, the foot market in Venice. When we finally got there they were all packing up, but it was mainly fresh fish and vegetables so wouldn't have been good for what we were wanting anyways. So, we found a place nearby and grabbed some pizzas at Trattoria Antica Torre. We also had entertainment with 2 pigeons that kept fighting.

Canals and gondola's around Venice:

We then continued walking around Venice (I really had no clue it was so big) and bought masks and souvenirs before taking a gondola ride around the city. Yes, it is very cliche and quite expensive, but it was fantastic. The gondolier was great, lots of personality and took us not only through the Grand Canal but also through a lot of the smaller canals. When we got done we did some more shopping at which time it started to rain.

On the gondola:

We ducked in and out of shops during the rain and made it to the Jewish Ghetto. The museums were closed but seeing it and the walls and memorials was really interesting. The city gathered all of the Jews up and made them all live in this one completely enclosed area during the war. There were only 2 bridges that got into the ghetto and they were guarded at all times so nobody could get in or out. It was very fascinating to learn about. We couldn't make a decision on dinner so we ended up back at Brek's before catching the bus back to the hotel. While there
we hung out and had some bellini's with some pastries we had bought before going to bed.

A lone gondolier before we left Venice:

Saturday, June 6, 2009
We left Venice for Florence after having an okay breakfast at the hotel. It was quite an experience getting to Florence. Our train was 40 minutes late by the time it got to us and then around Carmeggio it just stopped for a while. They finally made an announcement (in italian) that there were problems on the tracks between Bologna and Florence. A very nice lady on the train translated for us and let us know what they had said. What this meant was that there was only 1 track and that only 1 train could go through that area at a time, so everyone was having to wait their time. This made us an additional 2 hours later, but it was no big deal at all. We hung out on the train, playing cards, and enjoying the sandwiches that I insisted we buy before we got on the train.

When we got to Florence we picked up our rental car and set about finding our villa. It only took about 50 minutes to get to our villa in Greve in Chianti (Tuscany) from Florence. It was amazing being in this place surrounded by olive trees and grape vines. Mindrey had been getting sick so we let her rest and Greg and I went into Greve and found the grocery store to pick up supplies. Our apartment at Patrizia Faliciana was a full 2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment with a full kitchen, dining room, and living room so we wanted to utilize it. We bought groceries and came back and cooked dinner. Mindrey got up in time for caprese, bread with olive oil, spaghetti, and wine. We even got some gelato to make sure we did not miss a day without it.

Enjoying our first meal:

Around our villa:

Romeo, Romeo....

2009-06-23T04:17:00.009-04:00

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - Thursday, June 4, 2009

On Wednesday Greg and I flew into Milan, Italy to start our 2 week stint around Italy. Mindrey flew in from Georgia to meet us, so we were ecstatic. We landed and found her, even though she had been waiting a bit, and then immediately got on the bus to Central Milan. We searched around in the train station for a bit and found a place to drop off our luggage so we could do some things around Milan. That was a nightmare in itself. They will only accept up to 20 Kg per piece of luggage, as to where the planes take 32 kg so we had to do some maneuvering around (luckily I always pack an extra bag and Mindrey had some free room as well).

We then took the metro to Duomo station and had lunch at Zucca. It wa a bit pricey but right in front of the Duomo in Milan, so had a spectacular view. When we were done with lunch and Greg and Mindrey had their cappuccinos (this will be a recurring theme) we headed to the Duomo. We walked around inside and marveled it but the outside is what makes it so spectacular. There are over 3500 statues on the exterior alone.

The Duomo:

Stained Glass window inside:

St. Bartholomew Flayed statue:

You can also walk up to the roof, so we did. While the rest of Milan does not offer many attractions the view of the top and from the top of Duoma made up for. It was unbelievable, the pictures will speak for itself. After spending quite a while up there we headed back down and to the train station. We grabbed some gelato, it was hot outside, and then grabbed our seats on the train to make the journey to Verona.

From the roof of Duomo:

Madonnina Statue:

Looking straight across the roof:

3 of the hundres of spires on the Duomo:

All 3 of us with the Duomo tracery:

When we got to Verona we headed to our hotel to check in, Hotel Scalzi. It was a great hotel, we got a 3 person room and it was almost as big as our last flat (just kidding but it was big) and was newly remodeled. We them walked towards the main part of Verona to see the Roman Arena in Piazza Bra and grabbing some dinner at Le Cantine de L'Arena. We thoroughly enjoyed our pastas, cheeses, and red wine before walking back to the hotel for some sleep. Mindrey was starting feel the effects of jet lag.

Roman Arena in Verona:

Wearing our crowns from Ippopatamo:

Thursday, June 4, 2009
We all woke up and took some much needed showers and then headed down for breakfast in the hotel, it was just okay. We walked to Piazza Erbe to wander through the market stalls and then onto Giulietta's Casa, balcony, and statue. This is the balcony that inspired the balcony in Romey & Juliet by William Shakespeare. We took our pictures and wrote on the wall before continuing our journey. We were glad we went early since it became very packed through the rest of the day, and you couldn't take pictures hardly at all.

The balcony & Juliet statue:

Tami with Juliet:

Mindrey with Juliet (you rub the boob for good luck):

Wall and gate where love notes are written:

Our love note:

We walked by the Dante statue by Palazzo del Capitano and by Sata Maria Antica church. We continued walking by Santa Anastasia, San Pietro Martire, into some art shops, over Ponte Pietra, and then to the Teatro Romano and museum. The ruins and the theatre were great to see, and the views from inside the museum made the walk over completely worth it. Verona has some amazing city scenes.

At Teatro Romano:

Views over Verona from Teatre Romano:

We had lunch at Ristorante Della Ragione on the square and then some gelato from Ippapatamo before jumping onto a train to head to Venice, which was 46 minutes late. Oh well. We got to Venice and grabbed a taxi to our hotel, Alla Bianca. We couldn't figure out where our hotel was and with all the luggage we just figured it would be easier. Good thing as it wasn't easy to get to. We aren't staying IN Venice, just right over the bridge, since the places are way too expensive there.

We had some time when we got to the hotel so we found out how to get into Venice and went to the bus stop. We walked around for a couple of hours, ducking into shops and admiring the canals before going into Brek for dinner. We had read about Brek in our guidebooks. It is essentially the equivalent of a fast food Italian restaurant, but the food is good and cheap. Once we were done eating we decided it was time to catch the bus and head back to the hotel for the night.

A few shots around Venice:

Dance Little Sting Ray Dance

2009-06-22T11:32:00.004-04:00

I feel very English now

2009-06-22T09:54:00.005-04:00

Friday, May 29, 2009
My last day of working with the NHS proved to be one full of mixed emotions. I was very sad to say goodbye. I loved working with everyone there and since the project isn't quite complete I feel torn about leaving it undone. I am not used to not finishing something. But everyone there was very supportive of me. I wish them all well. I was looking forward to my 2 week holiday in Italy though, so it was a very confusing day.

After work about 12 of us went next door to The Southern Belle (how appropriate) for a few leaving drinks for me. I want to say Thank You to everyone there, I had such a great time. Thanks to Claire, Adam, Margaret, Lizzie, Andy, Greg Tellis, Cathryn, Hilary, Vanessa, and my Greg. We enjoyed drinks and a few of us even enjoyed dinner later on. Thanks again!

My going away drinks Andy, Me and Greg

Claire & Vanessa

Cathryn & Vanessa

Greg Tellis, Adam, Andy, & Hilary

Margaret, Laurel, and Lizzie

Sunday, May 31, 2009
Greg and I went to Claridge's for a proper English afternoon tea. Yes, we have had afternoon tea at other places, and besides the Orangery, this one is my favorite. It is in a swanky hotel and their china is stunning, Tiffany blue and white striped. They bring you each your own pot of tea of your choosing along with a plate of sandwiches. When we were nearly done with the sandwiches they asked if we would like more. WHAT??? You never get free refills of anything in London.

Before afternoon tea, we stopped by the Taste of Spain and Greg won me a Woody Woodpecker doll:

Exterior of Claridges, yes they have doormen:

Me & Greg enjoying afternoon tea:

We graciously accepted some more egg salad ones. When your tea is low they take the pot away and bring you a fresh one. Again, free refills, we were shocked. Next they brought us a plate with 4 small deserts and another plate with 2 scones each and cream and jam. We ate our scones and started to split the deserts when we were asked if would like any more scones or deserts. I absolutely could not believe it. Had I known that we could have more scones, I wouldn't have gotten more sandwiches. Oh well, we were getting pretty stuffed by this point so we refused. We finished our tea and headed back home, there was no way we were moving after that. What a wonderful tea.

I absolutely love the china:

Land of Eden

2009-06-22T09:46:00.009-04:00

Sunday, May 10, 2009
Our second day in Cornwall was going to be pretty exciting. We had breakfast at the hotel again, this is when we found out we were in the wrong dining room the first day but this time got our own table in the correct room. We then started to drive to The Eden Project. This is another place that I had been wanting to go to since we moved to London nearly 2 years ago. It looks like this land with 3 huge golf balls. What it actually is is the largest man made ecosystem in the world. There are 2 different biomes, 1 is Mediterranean and 1 is rainforest.

Eden Project biomes:

Some of the garden around the art on the outside gardens:

When we got to the Eden Project we walked through some of the outdoor gardens first and then went into the Rainforest. It was HOT, just like the real rainforest would be, very humid. We saw lots of enormous plants and trees as well as the biggest banana tree I have ever seen. There is even a waterfall and a re-creation of a hut in Africa inside. This place was much bigger than I had expected. We spent about an hour in the first dome alone.

Inside the rainforest biome:

Large spotted ivy:

Jackfruit, the largest fruit in the world, I believe:

Me with a huge banana leaf:

Beautiful leaves:

Us at the waterfall:

I love the colors on this one:

We then stopped for some water, we needed to rehydrate, and then went into the Mediterranean biome. This one was beautiful, they had built walls to look like houses in Greece, all white washed with blue roofs with the very vibrant flowers around them. There were even cacti, grape vines, and citrus trees with the largest lemons I have seen (until I got to Italy at least). We spent another 45 minutes here and then decided it was time to eat.

Beautiful pink flower in the Mediterranean biome:

This lemon was close to the size of my head:

Such an array of colors from the mediterranean flowers:

Bird of paradise:

We ate lunch at Eden Project, enjoying another pasty (but the first one was still the best) and a jacket potato (baked potato) along with the Eden Project beer and Cyder. We then finished the exterior gardens and museum and then went to the gift shop and started our way down the road.

Me with the biomes:

Greg at the biomes:

A large sculpture made out of old electronics, the teeth are computer mice, and note the washing machines and all:

Our next stop was at Lanhydrock, which is a very nice palace. We took a tour inside and then walked the grounds. We grabbed an ice cream to have out on the front garden and then it was time to head back to London.

Lanhydrock Palace:

We got back to London at nearly 8 pm, after sitting in some traffic, but it was a great weekend. I wish we would have had more time in that area, it is unbelievable.

Yes, cows crossing a bridge over the highway:

On our journey we encountered at least 50 of these VW Vans:

Corny in Cornwall

2009-06-22T09:25:00.008-04:00

Friday, May 8, 2009
After work I picked up a car and we drove down to St. Ives in Cornwall. It was a much longer drive than we had expected and we didn't arrive til nearly midnight. It was nice being in a car again, singing to the music and playing Mad Libs. However, we were staying in an old castle, Tregenna Castle, and it was so beautiful and the most comfortable bed we have slept in for 2 years, what peaceful sleep.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
We got up fairly early and had a full english breakfast at the hotel with a large group of Mazarati people. We found out later we ate in the wrong breakfast room, oh well. We got in the car and drove down to Penzance (yes, as in the Pirates of...) to try to get onto a dolphin watching excursion. Let me preface this by saying that the weather was not that great, it was cold and overcast. We found Marine Discovery and made a call. They told us they were booked but that we could get in the 1 pm ride, we said that was fine and started to walk towards town to decide what we wanted to do. The people from Marine Discovery called us right back and told us that they actually had 2 spots open for the ride in 5 minutes if we could get over there. We jumped in the car and rode over just in time.

The marina at Penzance:

Greg and I should have turned around and walked away at the first site of what they were handing out, large fishing pants, uh oh. We got on the boat, and we were forced to sit right up front, like on 2 saddles. Needless to say the currents were super strong and the boat was basically a dingy and we ended up soaked, especially our feet and my pants. It was freezing and my eyes hurt from all of the salt water and we didn't see any dolphins, but we did see some seals and amazing coastline scenery, including St. Michael's Mount, lighthouse that commemorated sailors who died, Minack Theatre, Mousehole, and some other small villages, so it wasn't a waste and we did enjoy it.

See, we should have turned away:

St. Michael's Mound:

Lighthouse from the boat:

What a cute seal:

Tami on the boat:

Minack Theatre:

The first thing we did when we got back to land was shop for some inexpensive shoes and socks for me, there was no way I could walk around in wet shoes and socks all day. We then went into a local bakery for some Cornish pasties and sausage rolls. They were very good. Thanks Claire for advising us to go to a bakery and not a chain pasty shop. We also stopped in to Green Bean for some coffee and Tea Pigs tea.

With dry feet and full bellies we got back in the car and drove back to St. Ives. We spent some time walking around the town, buying souvenirs, candy, FUDGE :), local beer, and wine. We stopped in at Sloop Inn Tavern that was on the waterfront for a Doom Bar and Rattler Cyder then headed back to our hotel. It was time for afternoon tea and the Cornish do it different then the rest of England so we wanted to enjoy. The main difference is that they put on their jam first and then the Cornish Clotted cream, as to where everywhere else does it Devon style with the cream first then the jam.

This seagull was mean, it just took a tray of food from a guy while he was eating, you have to be careful around them:

Our castle is the one on the top of the hill, as seen from St. Ives:

Scenery we encountered between Penzance and St. Ives:

It was still fairly early so we got back into the car and drove to Land's End. This is thefarthest southwest point of the United Kingdom and the steep rocky cliffs against the water are so amazing to see. There is supposed to be a signpost that you can take your picture with but they took it down at 5 pm, and it was about 5:30 pm now, so we didn't get to take a picture with it. We walked around for a bit and then decided to take a scenic trip back to our hotel.

The coastline at Land's End:

Greg and I at Land's End:

Another area of Land's End:

We went through so many small (and I do mean small) roads looking for some ancient rock formations but could not find them, they were not marked on the roads. We also drove through many small villages, this is what you think of when you think of English countryside, the winding roads with the hills and greenery. Stunning! Along the way we saw many wildlife creatures: horses, birds, rabbits, dogs, and more.

Scenery of the countryside during our drive:

A cute bunny we encountered on a small road:

One of the many small roads, only wide enough for 1 car:

We made it back to our hotel after 8 pm and took a stroll around the grounds. They have a full golf course, a walking trail, waterfalls, and many gardens. It was nearing 9 pm when we went inside and the kitchen was about to close but they let us eat dinner there anyways. We had a nice steak dinner, one of the few places where their steaks are decent in the UK, and then went to bed.

The waterfall in the gardens:

Greg with a tiki in the gardens:

View of St. Ives from our hotel:

May Bank Holiday Weekend

2009-06-22T06:03:00.008-04:00

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Today was very productive and busy. We have a list of things that we want to try to do before heading back to the States and we were able to mark a few off today. We had an unexpected surprise though, a baby bird in our backyard. He was so cute and sweet and we played with him a bit before he got bored and left. We then went down to Borough Market for a quick coffee before taking the Clipper to Greenwich. We walked around Greenwich town and found Greenwich Union for some Fish & Chips and Meantime beer. We then walked through Greenwich Park over to the National Observatory.

The baby bird:

Telescope at the National Observatory:

Here we were able to go through the museums and stand on 2 Hemispheres at one time. This is the place where all time for the world is set and determined. Once we got all of our pictures we wanted we walked through the Greenwich Market and then took a boat down the Thames River, past the O2 Arena, and then on to the Thames Flood Barriers. They were really neat and actually bigger than I had expected.

Me & Greg at Greenwich:

Me, standing in 2 hemispheres:

Prime Meridian Line:

The Thames Flood Barriers:

O2 Arena:

When we got back to Greenwich we walked under the Thames River over to the Isle of Dogs and from there got onto the DLR front carriage for an amazing ride around the different wharfs to Bank station. We then headed to Westfield to hit Wagamama's for some dinner. It was a bit chilly so some soup would hit the spot.

Tami walking under the Thames River:

Sunday, May 24, 2009 - Brighton!!!!
We had been wanting to go down to Brighton ever since we moved to London and we finally have done it. We thought it was just going to be a peer with the beaches but there was so much more. Our first stop in Brighton was the Royal Pavilion. This palace was absolutely stunning inside and out. It was completely done up in Chinese decor and looked sort of like the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately no pictures on the inside or I would show you the most elaborate chandelier I have ever seen, complete with a massive dragon.

The Royal Pavilion:

After the Royal Pavilion we went to Harry Ramsden's for some fish & chips. This was one of the places that was recommended by all of the books. When we got there there was no line so we thought maybe it wasn't really that good, but the food was excellent. What was funny was the interior, it reminded us so much of Denny's or any other American restaurant that serves diner style food. When we left there was a line at least 20 people long waiting to get in, good thing we beat the crowd and now we know we were at the right place.

Next we walked across the street to the Sea Life Acquarium Brighton. We spent over an hour there looking at all of the fish, turtles, sting rays, etc. The cutest thing was the baby sting rays. I had never really noticed this before but the way their tank was set up you could see everything about them. When they are babies they are nearly clear, you can almost see through them. There were a couple of babies that were playing along the side of the tank (not the bottom), so you could see all of their bellies, legs, eyes, and everything clearly. And when they started to move it looked like they were dancing....hilarious.

A baby sting ray:

A Sea Turtle:

After being entertained by the rays we left and walked down The Lanes for some window shopping. We then went by Chockywoccydoodah chocolate bar but were still too full from lunch to actually get anything. Next we walked by the ruins of the West pier, it burnt down some time ago, but the skeleton still remains, but is slowly sinking. We then walked along the beach. Let me explain the European beaches to you. It is NOT anything like what we think of as beaches. They call them pebble beaches, but they are not. They are full on rock beaches. Everywhere that we have gone (except Barcelona) is like this. Small rocks, but rocks none-the-less, that people just put their chairs and towels on and lay on, I don't know how they do it, I cannot even walk on the rocks.

Some chairs on the rocky beach:

The old pier:

We made it down to Brighton pier and spent quite a while there playing games and riding some of the rides, it was like being at Coney Island. After a few hours at the pier we walked back towards the train station passing by St. Peter's Church and then on to find the Banksy art that is famous here. It is of the 2 bobbies kissing. We stopped into the Grand Central Pub for a pint before getting on the train back to London.

The Brighton Pier:

Banksy art:

Banksy-like art in Brighton, with my prize from the pier:

Monday, May 25, 2009
Today was another day of checking things off of our list. We went up to Kensal Rise and had breakfast at Harvest, just pastries, nothing major. We were going to go to the Diner but they weren't open yet. We then took a bus over to Battersea Park to see the Peace Pagoda, Power Station, the park, and 2 bear-sized dogs. They were so cute but there is no way that the owner lives in a flat, those dogs were massive.

Battersea Power Station:

Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park:

We decided to walk instead of catch the bus that we had gotten off of (big mistake) and ended up walking across the Prince Albert Bridge and ended up walking for nearly 45 minutes more just to find the nearest bus stops. Once we finally did we were exhausted but finally got on a bus and went to Holland Park. We walked through Holland Park and to the Kyoto Gardens, which were stunning.

Kyoto Garden in Holland Park:

Greg on the bridge in the Kyoto Garden lake:

Beautiful bluebells in Holland Park:

Once done at Holland Park we caught a bus to High Street Kensington where we had lunch at Whole Foods. A combination of sushi and burritos, could a meal get any better. We then jumped on another bus and went to Prince Albert Gate of Hyde Park and over to the Serpentine Gallery. The fountains in front (and the insides) were used as a location for the second Bridgett Jones' diary movie. We had been wanting to go here since we moved here but were always on the wrong part of Hyde Park, so we finally made it. And wouldn't you know it, the fountains are gone so they can build new fountains...uggghhh.

Next we jumped back on the bus to Oxford Circus. We were hot and exhausted so we jumped into Starbucks for a cold drink. Just so you know, we don't ever go to Starbucks, there are too many good coffee places around London, but this is the only one we could find at the time (it was in the book store we were shopping at). We did a bit more shopping before throwing in the towel and heading home.

May I spend time in London?

2009-06-22T05:37:00.008-04:00

The month of May kept us around London a bit but also took us out of London for a weekend. This post will focus on some of our last weekends in London. Also, there were 2 bank holidays in May, so we did get some time to do a few things.

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Not too exciting but we met up with Diana and Tim at Borough Market for some shopping a drinks. Afterwards, Greg and I had tickets to see Romeo & Juliet at the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. We had already seen a couple other plays but this is the one that I had really wanted to see. It was wonderful, we had great seats, the weather was so nice, and the actors were fantastic. Friar John was played by the father from The Whale Rider, so it is always good to see someone on stage that you have seen in a movie as well.

Delicious cheese sandwiches from Borough Market:

Romeo & Juliet cast:

Actor from Whale Rider:

The band:

Sunday, May 3, 2009
Greg and I were planning on meeting up with Lisa, Lilli, Terry, & Dean at Golder's Hill Park for a picnic. On the way I managed to run into Laurel, a wonderful lady that I work with, and her son Charlie. We walked with them to the park before heading our separate ways so we could meet up with everyone else. We walked around the park for a while, including the gardens, and then found a picnic table to enjoy our food.

Greg, Terry, Lisa, Dean, & Lilli at Golder's Hill Park:

Around the park:

We had such a good time, although the weather was cold and absolute crap. After we ate we went into the butterfly house, though there were only a few butterflies. After walking around a bit more we went our separate ways and Greg and I headed home.

Me with Lisa:

Butterfly in the butterfly house:

Monday, May 4, 2009
We didn't do too much during the Bank Holiday, but we did go to Little Venice and saw the boat show:

The next weekend took us to Cornwall, but that will be discussed in a later post.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
We stuck around London and started our day in Soho. Greg got a flat white from Flat White, he will sure miss those when were back in the States. After walking around Soho for a bit we took the tube out to the Arsenal Stadium. We needed to go buy a couple of souvenirs for people, and then we headed to the Camden Town Markets.

We had sushi at our favorite spot, Bento, and then did some shopping in the markets and at Cyberdog. We will miss the markets so much. We also went to the Original Doc Marten shop and I bought some real Doc Martens, pink ones of course. After much time spent at the markets we met Lisa & Lilli for some coffee and pastries at Caffe Nero. Greg and I then walked back to the markets and headed up to Gilgamesh for some drinks and tea. Gilgamesh is interesting in itself, it is a sushi / persian restaurant and over the top decorated in persian / egyptian decor.

My pink Doc Martens:

Inside Gilgamesh:

Entrance to Cyberdog:

Our next stop was meeting Diana & Georg at Wahaca in Covent Garden. Lawrence was working, so I did talk to him a bit and got some t-shirts as well. Today was definitely full of many of the things that we love about London and will surely miss.

Greg, Lawrence, and Me at Wahaca:

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Today was a rainy day, so we didn't do much, just enjoyed a Sunday Roast from Paradise.
Hadn't shown the girls much, so wanted to put a picture of them up...they have been very playful lately, including Chewy:

Being a Disney Princess is nice

2009-06-22T04:59:00.005-04:00

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Today was the day that we were going to finally see the Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration to Disney's Castle. I was absolutely thrilled.

Our day started out fantastic. Our hotel stay included breakfast and unlike most European hotels, this breakfast was beyond belief. It was by far the best hotel breakfast I have ever had. Not only did it include the typical meats, cheeses, breads, and fruits, it also included 3 types of sausage, 4 types of eggs, Belgian waffle stand, chocolate fountain with strawberries to dip in it, pretzels, and more. Yummy! With our belly's full it was time to head to Hohenschwangau.

We walked over to the train/bus station to get a bus to the castles but found out that only a couple actually run on Sunday's and we had missed the first one and the next one was still over 45 minutes away so we decided to take a taxi. It is only 10 Euro to get to the castle and we found another couple to split the taxi with so it only cost us 5 per couple, how cheap is that. We got to Hohenschwangau and decided to not only see Neuschwanstein but also Hohenschwangau castle so that was our first stop.

Hohenschwangau Castle:

Neuschwanstein Castle:

Hohenschwangau was King Ludwig's childhood castle, the one he grew up in (or at least one of them). He also lived there while Neuschwanstein was being built, he had a telescope inside so he could watch the progress on his new castle. Hohenschwangau is yellow on the exterior and the interior walls are all painted with different fairytale stories, it was amazing on the inside, just like a fairytale. After we went into Hohenschwangau it was time for the real castle, Neuschwanstein.

Shot of Hohenschwangau with the lake:

Side shot of Hohenschwangau:

A fountain at Hohenschwangau, he was infatuated with swans:

The town of Hohenschwangau now has it's own maypole:

We decided to take the horse carriage ride UP the mountain to the castle, glad we did. We waited our turn and finally go to go inside. It was almost as amazing as the first on the inside (the outside was by far the most beautiful even if it was only gray). However, you only get to see a few rooms, King Ludwig died before the castle was complete so it just never got done. With that being said, the Throne Room was so over the top beautiful, with the enormous chandelier and colorful walls and the tiled floor, it was unfathomable almost. We went through the rest of the castle rooms that you can visit before re-evaluating the time.

Our carriage ride:

Tami at the Neuschwanstein Castle

Greg at the Neuschwanstein Castle:

The side of the Neuschwanstein Castle (you cannot take pictures inside):

A train only leaves every hour or two from Fussen to go back to Munich so we thought we should try to catch the 1 pm train, so we would have a couple of hours in Munich before having to fly back to London. This meant we ran down the mountain to catch a bus back to Fussen. Now, it normally takes 30 minutes to walk down the mountain, Greg and I managed to run down in less than 10. This is not the first time we have done something like this, we ran up the mountain in Hawaii when we were short on time.

We managed to get to the bus stop with less than 4 minutes to spare, caught the bus, and made it to the train station with enough time to pick up snacks and drinks for the train, we didn't actually eat lunch somehow. We took the 2 hour journey back to Munich (I slept mainly) and then went to Lowenbrau Keller biergarten for a nice Franziskaner Rus and Lowenbrau Triomphante. We then took the S-bahn train to Frauenkirche. This is the famous German church with the two onion shaped domes, one we had never got to see in our other 2 visits.

Lowenbrau Keller:

Frauenkirche:

After admiring the church we walked to the Hofbrauhaus for dinner, this is my favorite beer garden. We enjoyed our pretzels, pork schnitzel, potato salad, cheese spatzle, and of course beer. Once we were done we took the train back to the airport, only to realize that I had the wrong time in my head and we were an extra hour early...oh well. We hung out til our flight and then flew back to London.

Hofbrauhaus Pretzel:

3rd times a charm

2009-06-21T04:37:00.004-04:00

Saturday April 25, 2009

We made our 3rd trip to Munich, but this time it was for something specific....Neuschwanstein castle.

We flew in to Munich on Saturday, then took a 45 minute train trip to Munich central, then another 2 hours on a train to Fussen, where we were staying. Although the country side is absolutely beautiful and completely reminded us of The Sound of Music, I was ready to be done travelling. When we got to Fussen we checked into our hotel, Kurcafe, which is on the main square and absolutely beautiful.

Scenery from the train, there is no way you cannot tell me this looks like Sound of Music scenery:

After getting checked in we walked around town a bit and eating lunch at Rathaus Cafe. We had some traditional pork schnitzel (although they just call it escalope) and potato salad along with some german beer. It hit the spot. We then went shopping for a traditional dirndl and other souvenirs. A dirndl is the outfit that the german beer maids wear, I got one in pink and green, very cute.

It was very sunny and warm outside so we decided to stop for an ice cream break from Ital Eiscafe. After devouring our ice cream we walked over to Bergvesten und Talsperren, the castle in Fussen. While we were there the bells went off and it was so lovely to listen to. It's really interesting because the castle walls are all decorated with different window frames, borders, and textures, but it is all painted on. It looks very real and 3 dimensional but it isn't.

Bergvesten und Talsperren:

Greg and me in the courtyard:

Part of the wall of the castle, just painted, not real:

Nice window in the courtyard:

Again, painted, not really 3 dimensional:

The church at the castle:

We then went to Basilika St. Mang (church) and then to the Cloister St. Mang courtyard before walking across the bridge to see the most beautiful yet odd blue water. We stood around enjoying the water for a bit before continuing our walk. We next hit Franziskaner kloster, a monastery with a very neat graveyard.

Very aqua water:

Graveyard at Franziskaner kloster:

Once we were done walking around Fussen we headed back to the main square. There was a music festival going on so we hit Via to listen to the Latin band and have a beer or two. Kreg first got a Kaltenberg that was very bad before getting a Konig Ludwig Dunkel, while I enjoyed a Konig Ludwig Weissbier. We decided we didn't want to eat at Via so we went across the street to our hotel for dinner, it was nearing 9 pm at this point. We got pork with mushroom gravy and spatzle that was fantastic and another order of cheese spatzle. While in Germany you have to eat as much german food as you can, it isn't found in London much. It was a wonderful meal.

We were going to hit one of the other bands around town but it was getting late and we had had a long day so we just headed up to our room. Since our hotel overlooked the main square, and our room was on the front as well, we opened our window and just enjoyed the Latin band from across the street. We enjoyed it but it must have bothered some people. The hotel left ear plugs on everyone's door for them if they needed, but we did not. It was off to bed to get ready for the big day tomorrow.

They're called Danishes and not Swedishes for a reason

2009-06-21T04:08:00.005-04:00

Sunday, April 19, 2009

We continued our journey in Copenhagen by taking a bus for some breakfast in Christianhavn called Lagkagehuset. We had read about this place and it was a place that Samantha Brown went on her travel show, and it seemed like it would be really good. That is an understatement. This place is a huge bakery, one where you have to take a ticket and wait for your number to be called (like the DOT but pleasant). While we waited we looked through the nearly 50 different pastries and breads that they had on display to decide what we wanted. Also to mention, something else that the Danish are known for is drinking chocolate milk with all of their meals. So, when our number was called we bought some Danishes (they just call them pastries, everyone else knows them as Danishes because the Danes make the best!!!), chocolate milk, coffee for Greg, and Vienna Breads (?). What a delicious breakfast.

Some danishes / breads in the window:

After breakfast we found Waldo (Wally to some). Greg and Waldo enjoyed a coffee together:

With our sugar rush fully in swing we started walking. We walked up to the Vor Frelserkirke (church with the very cool winding spire on top), then to Christian's Kirke (another large church), and then onto a bus. While on the bus we went by the Bersen building again (the stock exchange building with the entwined spire of dragon's tails) before see the Fisher's Wife Statue. We got off the bus here and walked through the Latin quarter and by Trinitatis Kirke (the church with the round tower). Next we walked by Helligandskirken, yet another large church, and did a bit of window shopping along the way. It was still too early for lunch and for any shops to be open, most do not open on Sunday's anyway so not much was going to be done. We then ducked into an Italian Deli for a quick coffee for Greg.

Vor Frelserkirke:

Fisherman's Wife:

We proceeded to jump on the S-bahn train to the Carlsberg Brewery. We got lost on the way and ended up having to take a taxi to get us the rest of the way. It wasn't nearly as close to the train station as we thought and we went left instead of right, oops. Oh well. We did the brewery tour and then got our free drinks while just relaxing and enjoying some peanuts. We even went by and took our pictures with the famous Carlsberg Elephants.

Tami with a Carlsberg Elephant:

Greg with a Carlsberg Elephant:

An old Carlsberg delivery cart:

Carlsberg had over 15,000 bottles on display, so many different beers and countries:

Once we were done there we took a bus back to Radhuspladsen and had lunch at The Royal Cafe. This place was known for it's smushies. They are a cross between sandwiches and sushi, sort of. Unfortunately we didn't really get to have any because on Sunday's they only do a brunch menu and not their regular lunch menu. We were striking out with this place, we had tried to go for dinner the day before but they closed at a crazy time like 6 pm? No big deal though, we had their brunch menu, some soup, and 1 smushie (it was shrimp so Greg did not get any). We then did a bit of souvenir shopping before getting on the train to head back to the airport to fly back to London. Another great trip done.

Me and Greg hanging out by the canal:

Have you seen Hans?

2009-06-19T11:43:00.007-04:00

Saturday April 17, 2009 - Copenhagen, Denmark

We flew in on Friday night but did not get until late and went straight to the hotel, luckily it was close to the station.

We got up Saturday morning ready for something, although we weren't quite sure what. We didn't know what to expect of Copenhagen, but it proved a great trip.

We started out by walking to Radhuspladsen (Radhus Square) which is the main square. We first looked at the Hans Christian Andersen statue (this is his home and he is very big here). We went into Radhus, which is the Town Hall, and it is amazingly decorated inside. They have lots of justice of the peace weddings here, they flow through continuously because the building is so amazing. We also saw the Astronomical Clock (through a curtain since they had it closed for some reason) but it was very impressive.

Greg with Hans Christian Andersen:

Sea Creature statues at Radhus:

Ceiling inside Radhus, very detailed:

Next we walked across the square and into the Hans Christian Andersen museum. It was cute, each room was set up like a different story and you could press a button and the story would be told to you. We breezed through there and then hit the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Museum) to see the Three Graces and the Degas Ballerina, among other things. Before you ask, yes it is the same Carlsberg as the beer.

Inside the Hans Christian Andersen Museum:

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum was loaded with Rodin statues:

We love all of the Three Graces statues:

Greg with The Thinker, outside the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek:

It was time for lunch so Greg and I walked over to Ida Davidsen, which has over 150 open faced sandwiches. It had been recommended in our book and Samantha Brown went there. However, when we got there we found out they were closed on the weekend, we were very sad about this. So, we headed towards Nyhavn and had lunch at Hyttefavet. If you look at the pictures of Nyhavn (the famous canal and colorful Copenhagen buildings) you can see it, it is a yellow building with red writing. After lunch we walked around the canal a bit to get pictures of all of the colorful houses and to see the ones marked as Hans Christian Andersen's homes. We then had ice cream at Vaffelbageren, which a chocolate covered marshmallow on top.

Nyhavn:

It was time for a boat tour of Copenhagen. The boat took us by the Opera House, the new theatre for 2008, Statue of David, Elefanten / Sixtus (original flag of Denmark), Modern statues build by slaves, Little Mermaid statue, Amalienborg, Christianhaven houseboats, Vor Frelsers (cool winding spire on the top of this church), the Black Diamond, Bersen stock exchange building with the 3 dragon's tails entwined to make the spire, and back to Nyhavn.

Bronze statue of David:

Bersen building Spire:

The Black Diamond:

We then went for a bit of shopping at the Amber Museum and then walked to Kongens Have and Rosenberg Slot castle to see the crown jewels. We then walked to the Statens Museum where they were supposed to have this massive statue of dogs, but it was already gone, so we just looked at all of the other amazing sculptures that they had. We continued walking until we found another H.C. Andersen statue in Kongens Have and then on by Alexander Nevsky Kirke (an amazing Russian church). The next church we went by was St. Albans Kirke (a very small white church that was divine) and then through the castle grounds over to the river.

Kongens Have:

Some of the crown jewels at Rosenberg Slot:

Russian Church:

St. Alban's Church:

We finally made it, it was so far away, but here we are.....the Little Mermaid statue. On the boat you only get to really see the back so we wanted to see the front of it. It's amazing how small it actually is. It's was also interesting learning that the head on it has had to be replaced or just put back on more than one time, as people keep vandalizing it or stealing it (not sure why). We took pictures here and then began our walk back.

Tami with The Little Mermaid:

We went back by St. Albans but this time was able to see the Gefionspringrandet (huge Fountain/Statue) since we were on the other side now. We walked by Marmor Kirken, which is part of Amelienborg. This is the 4th largest dome in Europe and the church is made of marble, very impressive. We were going to go by Cafe Royal but of course they were closed but eventually we did stop to get coffee (for Greg) and a brownie, we were very low on sugar after all of the walking and needed a perk. We walked through the Latin Quarter back to our hotel to drop our stuff off.

We went back out and headed to Tivoli, which is an amusement park / garden with lots of restaurants, games, and rides. We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant that was shaped like a pagoda and then rode some rides and played some games before heading back to the hotel a bit before midnight. It was a busy, long day.

Old Fashioned Tivoli Sign:

Me and Greg on a boat ride at Tivoli with the Pagoda behind us:

Lanterns in the Chinese area of Tivoli:

April Fools......Not!

2009-06-19T10:55:00.006-04:00

The beginning of April kept us around London again.

On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, I had a bit of excitement....but Greg thought I was playing an April Fool's Joke on him. I got to work (I was working at Charing Cross Hospital) and there were tons of police blocking the parking areas. When I got to my office I noticed snipers on the roof as well as more police. I asked my boss, Claire, what was going on and she told me that Michelle Obama and Sarah Brown (Gordon Brown's wife) were supposed to visit a hospital today but didn't realize it woud be ours, it was never announced to the media. Turns out the Maggie Cancer Center was opened by Sarah Brown and today was the 1 year anniversary of it opening so they were to visit it. I did go out and take pictures (with my phone only) of the two of them going in and out of the building. Ms. Obama is stunning.

On Thursday, April 2, 2009, Greg and I walked to the Brent Museum. They are housing the Divine Egyptian Cat statue there. There is a replica in the British Mueum, that we had just seen, so we wanted to see the real one now. We live in the council of Brent, so it was only a short 20 minute walk away.

On Friday, April 3, 2009, Greg and I went to the Grosvenor House to see the red carpet entry to the Galaxy British Book Awards, I had gotten the tickets from Lizzie at work. I was so excited, I got Julie Walter's autograph (Ms. Weasley from Harry Potter). We even saw Jerry Springer and a few other celebrities, but most were British celebrities that we did not know. We found Crazy Homies for dinner, where we had some good mexican food and margaritas.

Julie Walters:

Jerry Springer:

Interesting tattoo:

Saturday, April 4, 2009, was a busy and early day. We got up and headed to the Monument, which is a memorial tower to the fire of 1666, it is the exact same height as was the depth of the fire. We walked up all 311 steps to get some amazing views over London. We even got a certificate when we walked back down, saying we had done it. We then walked by the St. Magnus the Martyr Church and then across London Bridge and met up with Diana, Georg, and Tim at Borough Market (yes again). We all then walked down the river to Southbank where we went to the very small chocolate festival. That's okay, we had lunch at the Canteen.

The Monument:

Stairs inside the Monument:

Me and Greg on top of The Monument:

Greg, Georg, Diana, and Tim enjoying a beer in the sun near the Chocolate Festival:

Greg and I then left them and walked to the Southbank Centre, by the Beach in London (?), Blackfriars, St. Brides Church (yes, it looks like a wedding cake), St. Sepulchre-Without-Newgate Church, The Old Bailey, Postman's Park, and the only original Police Box in London that is still standing. We were exhausted at this point.

The Beach, there was a sand castle contest, only it was living rooms and not castles:

The spire of St. Brides Church:

The lone police box:

On Sunday, April 5, 2009, we still walked a lot. We took the train out to Richmond and walked to and through the Richmond Park where we went by King Henry's Mound, Isabella Plantation, and the rest of the way through. We then made it to the river and stopped at Stein's for spatzle, potato salad, and beer. Before getting back on the train we stopped by Danieli Gelateria for some good ice cream

A parrot in the park:

Isabella Plantation flowers:

Easter Weekend: April 11 - 13, 2009
It was a rough weekend for me, my best friend's father was killed in Augusta and unfortunately I could not be there, my heart went out to Chad and I cried for him all weekend. However, we did enjoy the weekend with a bbq on Saturday with Georg & Diana and then one on Sunday with Lilli & Dean (Lisa was not feeling well enough to come unfortunately). On Monday we did the touristy thing and took the London Open-top bus around, just to see everything and more from a different angle.
To get supplies for the bbq we went to Westfield, where they had a giant Lindt bunny rabbit:

During our Sunday bbq, I made Lilli, Dean, and Greg have an Easter egg hunt (inside since it was raining) (Daisy Adair was trying so hard to help):

Greg and I on the top of the open-top bus, yes it is raining:

Driving under Tower Bridge:

We got off the bus to go into Hyde park at one point.
Peter Pan Statue:

This is the pet cemetary in Hyde Park:

The rest of the month was spent out of the country.

Marching around London

2009-06-19T10:24:00.006-04:00

So sorry we have not posted but now is the time to play catch up.

During the month of March we stuck around London ALOT, but we got to do a bunch of things we wanted to do before heading back to the States in July.

On Saturday March 14, 2009, we managed to spend nearly 8 hours around Oxford Circus. Still not sure how we did that, considering we go there all of the time, but we did get to explore different things. That night we met up with Georg and Diana to celebrate Georg's 30th birthday at Imbiss.

Happy Birthday Georg:

On Sunday March 15, 2009, we did a bit more exciting things. We watched the St. Patrick's Day parade where the most entertaining group were Goth Pirates??? Then we went to Southbank and enjoyed the first beautiful day in London in a long time by grabbing sandwiches and eating outside by the river. Then we went and saw Wolverine on the IMAX. We also met Lisa & Lilli at 55 in Camden for a couple of yummy drinks.

Before the parade we found the Churchill and Roosevelt statue:

Still not sure how the Goth pirates made it to a St. Patrick's Day Parade:

A more traditional group:

Greg enjoying the sun at Southbank:

The following weekend was a bit more relaxed although we did hit our favorite place, Borough Market to meet Diana, Georg, and Tim for some food and shopping. We bought fresh veggies and headed home to enjoy the weather with a BBQ. It ended up raining on Sunday so we stayed in bed all day watching tv (hadn't done that in ages).
Georg, Diana, Greg, and Tim at Borough Market:

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, we decided to go to the British Museum. We had no clue how big it was but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent a couple of hours there exploring before leaving to meet Lisa for a bit at a nearby pub. Then we hit Candycakes for some delicious cupcakes, Pollocks Toy Museum, and then back to the British Museum to finish our exploring. By then we were exhausted so we popped into Princess Louise for a Samuel Smith ale/cyder and then My Old Dutch for some savory pancakes.

We always enjoy the Egyption exhibits in museum:

Mummified cats:

A Greek dog:

It was really interesting, since we had just been to Athens, but these are actual pieces of the Parthenon that are now stored in the British Museum, instead of onsite.

This is part of the top portico:

One of the temples from the Acropolis:

A Greek Statue:

Some of the old toys at Pollocks Toy Museum:

Sunday March 29, 2009, took us to Hammersmith to watch the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race that occurs every year. We even met up with a work friend, Lizzie and her daughter Sophia. We had lunch at the Crabtree and walked the length of the river to Putney Bridge where the beginning of the race was at. Once done we took the bus home and relaxed, had to get ready for the week.

The Boat race:

Lizzie and Sophia at the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race

We are in the land of Danishes

2009-04-18T03:19:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say hi from Denmark!

Greece is the word.....

2009-03-22T13:26:00.011-04:00

Sunday March 8, 2009

We got up early as normal for us and grabbed breakfast in the hotel restauraunt before heading out to the Acropolis. Our plan was to get there as soon as they opened since everything in Athens closes around 3pm this time of year. We walked by the Herodes Atticus Theatre on the way over to the entrance. At the entrace, we realized that the time we thought they opened was wrong and we still have 30 minutes to wait. While waiting, we watched the Evzone guards come out and get onto a bus, getting ready for the changing of the guard later on. The Acropolis finally opened and we went in. Luckily, all of the attractions were free on Sundays until the main tourism season starts up.

The Evzone guards leaving the Acropolis:

The first main part of the Acropolis was the Propylaia, which is the main entrance to the temples, with a steep staircase with columns leading up. Once you go past that, you get to the Parthenon, which is the major attraction. It was huge, with tons of columns and lots of details such as sculptures and reliefs. Also impressive was the Erechtheion, a temple that was dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. The statues were impressive, but unfortunately they were copies and we couldn't see the originals since the museum onsite was closed for renovations. After that, we walked back down the hill and over to the Dionysus Theatre. The chairs were inscribed with names of priests of Dionysus to reserve their place. This is where the plays of Sophocles and Euripedes were originally performed.

Tami and me at the Propylaia:

The Pantheon:

The Erechtheion:

We took a side exit from the Acropolis and headed over to the Temple of Zeus. Right at the beginning of the area, there was Hadrian's Arch which was erected to seperate Old Athens from New Athens (new being a relative term.) From the original 104 columns, all that remains are 16. Even with so little still standing, it was pretty impressive and large. There were some other ruins around in this area, but they were not nearly impressive. Afterwards, we walked up the street back towards Parliament, stopping only to see the remains of some Roman baths. Once we got to Parliament, we waited for the changing of the guard ceremony. They have one hourly every day, but they have a more formal version on Sundays at 10:30. When they finally showed up, they were accompanied by a band (unlike the British one, they didn't play 80's pop songs). For the guards that switched out, they have a very formal way of marching. They lift one leg perpendicular to the ground, point their toes in the air and hold it for awhile before taking their step. It takes a long time to get anywhere!

The Temple of Zeus:

The Evzones High-stepping it:

We then proceeded to the Syntagma Metro Station where old cemetaries had been found while they were excavating. They ended up displaying everything they found in the actual station, which was very interesting. We then walked through the National Gardens over to the Kollimarmaro Stadium, which was originally built 4th centry BC, and then was renovated and used in the first of the modern Olympics back in 1896. We snapped some pictures, then headed back to Plaka to see about getting some lunch. We found a place called Koouikor Grill House which was a bit touristy, but had good Greek food. Tami had Souvlaki and a glass of retsina (which tasted like drinking a tree) and I had a Gyro with a glass of Alpha beer. We then walked over to O'Bretto's, a store which makes and sells their own liquors. We both tried a small glass, Tami had banana and I had coffee. They were excellent, and we would have bought a bottle to take home if we had checked luggage. We then walked through the Plaka area, stopping in stores along the way if they caught our interest, until we made it over to Kerameikos which are the ruins of the old city wall. By this point, it was starting to rain, so we just looked at the main statues in the area before heading back into town. We tried to go to the Agora, but by the time we found the entrance, they had already closed. We could see most of the ruins from outside the gate though, so we were happy.

The Olympic rings at Kollimarmaro Stadium:

Kollimarmaro Stadium:

The colorful wall of Brettos:

The walls at Kerameikos

We walked back into Plaka and decided to stop at a Taverna and have a snack. We stopped at a place and Tami got a Banana Split and a tea while I got a Baklava and a Greek coffee. By this point, most everything was closed and our feet were sore, so we decided to take the bus back to the airport to wait for our flight back to London.

No Bulldogs in THIS Athens

2009-03-22T13:05:00.010-04:00

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Woke early at Yotel for a 6 am flight to Athens, Greece. We arrived in Athens a bit before noon and made it into the city around 1:30 pm. On the way we saw a line of cops with riot gear and full body shields and then a protest march. Luckily we kept going and made it to the city center for a less uneventful weekend. So far in 2009 Athens has been ravaged with riots and protests due to police shooting a student and just political unrest. A week before we arrived there had been more protests but we didn't know about it until the day before we flew out. Luckily there really wasn't anything going on while we were there.

When we arrived at Syntagma Square we immediately started walking towards Ermou Street. This is a highly popular shopping street, though we didn't do any shopping. We walked by Kapnikarea, a small church located in one of the junctions on Ermou. We continued walking until we found the flower market that was very pathetic so we were only there less than 5 minutes before continuing on by another large church on the way to the Central Market. This is probably the largest meat and fish market that we have ever seen, with hundres of stalls selling almost any kind of meat and fish you can think of. It was neat but very grotesque, with lots of open bodies having all of their guts hanging out and tables of just animal heads.

Kapnikarea:

Octopus at Central Market:

Flags at City Hall:

When we left the Central Market we walked by the City Hall building and then to Loumidis coffee store. Greg bought some coffee (which ended up being horrible) and some wonderful Turkish delight. We left the store and walked to Panepistimio where we had lunch at Evergreen. Greg and I both got a beer from a local brewery called Craft. Greg's beer was a very odd smokey lager that tasted like a bbq in your mouth. He finished dinner with an espresso that came with sparking water to clear his pallette, weird.

Agii Theodori:

After lunch we went to Agii Theodori (another small church) and then to Le Chocolat to buy some wonderful Greek chocolates. Next we walked to the Parliament building to see the Evzones (Greek guards) and the tomb of the unknown soldiers. The Evzones are some of the most interesting guards that we have seen anywhere. They wear traditional Greek outfits that have a skirt and pompoms on their shoes. We were told that they may look like sissies in skirts, but they are highly skilled and very strong. Our next stop was the Mitropoli church, which was stunning inside, and then to Starkbucks so Greg could get his coffee mug that he collects. After that we did a bit more shopping in some souvenier stores.

Le Chocolat window display:

At Parliament, the Evzones:

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers:

Parliament as seen from Syntagma Square:

Just one of many silver wall plaques in Mitropoli:

Our journey then took us by Hadrian's library, Tower of the Winds, and the Roman Forums. These are all ruins that are still standing. It is mainly a lot of columns and some steps but the Tower of the Winds is still intact. The Church of Agia Aikaterina was the next place we stopped by and then to Hotel Herodion to check in. We took a quick nap and grabbed a snack at the bar while waiting on our bus to arrive, we had an excursion planned for the night.

Columns at the Roman Forums:

Hadrian's Library:

The Tower of the Winds:

Our bus arrived and took us around the ports of Piraeus so we could see the boats and some of the stadiums at night that were used during the Olympics. After the trip around Piraeus we headed to Taverna Kalakerinos for our dinner. There were about 14 of us in our group and we all gathered around the table to enjoy the show. There was a Greek band playing and singing while dancers, belly dancers, and another singer also performed. Our dinner consisted of a lot of Greek traditional foods including, Moussaka, Grape leaves stuffed with minced meat, cheese pastries, sausages, squid, Greek salad, souvlaki (yummy chicken skewers), rice, potatoes, Ouzo to drink, and honey & sugar donuts for dessert. It was all very good and we were stuffed and happy when we left. When we got back to the hotel we took a look out of our window and enjoyed the view of the Acropolis lit up at night before heading to bed for the night.

Looking towards the lights of Athens from Piraeus:

Some of the dancing at Taverna Kalakerinos

A little information about Athens, it is full of stray dogs. We had read this before we went but didn't give it any thought until we were there. It was true, there were stray dogs everywhere, at every square and every historical site. At Parliament there was a dog sleeping at the base of each side of the steps. In Panepistimio there was a yellow lab laying in the grass near the large statue. We saw dogs walking down the streets, lying around, guarding entrances, everywhere. We even saw one sitting in the middle of an intersection (not a busy one) just watching both ways. All of the dogs, except for 1 that we saw, were large, mostly mixes but including those that looked like border collies, labs, shephards, etc. We learned that the dogs are actually very well taken care of by the city. They are all spayed/neutered and tagged as well. Before the Olympics in 2004 they gathered up all of the stray dogs and made sure they were clean and fixed and then let them back out. All of the dogs are very friendly, and like I said, very well taken care of, not one looked skinny. However, there was not 1 that looked like a bulldog, GO DAWGS!

Here are just a few of the dogs we saw, the first one is my favorite:

Flowers galore in London

2009-03-04T16:42:00.007-05:00

For the past two weekends we have just been hanging out around London, taking it easy (not really). On Saturday, February 21, 2009, we went to the National History Museum to take in the Wildlife Photography Exhibit and some of the rest of the museum. The photographs were amazing, especially those of the underwater wildlife. One of my favorite pictures was of 2 fish under water, a larger fish and a smaller fish in it's mouth. The truth to the story is that these large fish line up in front of the smaller fish, who then cleans the inside of their mouth. So, the big fish is not eating the smaller fish, but allowing the smaller fish to eat. Too funny.

There were lots of other pictures of birds, fish, leopards, mushrooms, and more, it was all very amazing. We then walked around the museum a bit, but got tired of all of the kids running around so we headed out to meet up with Lisa, Lilli, and Dean for lunch. We enjoyed a loooooong lunch at the Latin Corner, but were definitely ready to head out of there. After hanging out a bit Greg and I headed off towards Oxford Circus for some shoe and book shopping.

On Sunday, February 22, 2009, we decided to spend the day at Kew Gardens. We had heard a lot about Kew and knew they were having an orchid festival and we really wanted to go. We didn't know how massive Kew Gardens was, and spent all day there, when we thought we would just be there for 2 or so hours. We walked around all of the temperate houses, orchid displays, and many other buildings. We had lunch at one of the cafes and even walked up to the top of the trees to take a peek around. We headed towards the pagoda and stopped in for a spot of tea and souvenir before leaving the gardens a little before 6 pm. We were flat exhausted after all of that walking.

peek a boo

flowers at Kew

This one made us think "feed me Seymour"

Tami next to some pink flowers (of course)

Kew also had birds

Greg made a friend

We loved the Chinese Pagoda also

The following weekend proved to be just as eventful. On Friday we went to Diana & George's new place for some cocktails. I'd had a headache all day so we didn't stay too long but had a good time hanging out with them and their friends. On Saturday it was errand day, I got my hair done and Greg picked out new glasses (since his old ones are beyond broke) and did a bit of shopping at the mall.

Sunday, March 1, 2009, was market day for us. We have a list of things we want to do before heading back to the states and we try to mark a couple off each weekend. We started out earlier, 8:30 am, and went to the Columbia Road Flower Market where we took in all of the amazing flowers and plants. It is mainly for people who are planting in the gardens, but had a massive selection of fresh cut flowers as well. I walked out with bright blue roses, tulips for Lisa, and an amazing tropical flower mixture. There were also some small bakeries at the Flower Market where we bought some bread and cheeses.

the end of the flower market

the flowers Tami got

fairly scary car we saw down at the market

Our next stop took us to Petticoat Market, this one was not really our scene. Petticoat started out as a lace market but is now mainly cheap clothes and linens, we just breezed through before getting to Spitafields Market. This market was much nicer, we didn't buy anything but really enjoyed looking around. We stopped in at Market Coffee House for a bite to eat and some warm drinks. We then walked over to Brick Lane. It was packed. The market there was more like a very low end flea market, again we did not buy anything. Once you got through the flea markety area you get to the area that we were headed to. There are a couple of bagel shops there which we have always heard good things about. Here they are beigels and they were only 20 cents each, what a deal. We picked up half a dozen from the Beigel Bake and were on our way, they were delicious.

bagels!

Afterwards we headed to Camden to meet Lisa for a coffee and then headed back home. We are trying to take every minute here and do something wonderful and memorable.

In a couple of days we are off to Athens, Greece, stay tuned for that.

Favorite pics from Ice Hotel

2009-02-22T16:01:00.005-05:00

Strangely, they didn't want to smoke at the Ice Hotel :)

Ice chandelier in the main entrance

Greg at the ice desk in one of the rooms

Tami lounging on one of the large beds

One of the more interesting rooms in the hotel

Outside of the Ice hotel

Drinks from the ice bar with glasses made of ice

The Mush-room which we ended up staying at

Tami getting ready for bed

Ready for bed

The Ice Chapel

The view from the dog sled

Herd of reindeer we ran across while on the sled

Greg and Tami getting ready to go back into the cold

The dogs pulling the sled

Greg, Tami, Luigi, Gavin and the driver

Tami with a husky puppy

Both of us on the snowmobile

It was so cold that ice crystals were forming on our eyelashes

Tami's snow angel

What pretty lights......

2009-02-22T04:52:00.005-05:00

Saturday, February 14, 2009

We awoke to a guy serving us a hot cup of Lingonberry juice at quarter to eight in the morning. The juice was yummy, but the guy was pretty stingy with it and we would have loved for it to be hotter. However, we did have a full day ahead of us, so we went ahead and got up, braved the cold to get inside, took a shower and got ready for the day. We went across the street to have a breakfast buffet that was pretty good. Then we checked out of our cold room and got ready for some dog sledding.

A guy drove us to the kennel with six other people to do some sledding. On our trip we had Gavin and Luigi, two guys from Chicago that had flown in just for the weekend and managed to get the exact same schedule as we did (we flew in on the same flight from Stockholm, ate supper at about the same time, scheduled all of the same activities, etc.), so we had seen them around and had started talking with them already. The other four were two mother/daughter groups from Edinburgh. The girls from Scotland had booked to drive two sleds themselves, while the rest of us were just going for a ride. We ended up on a sled with Gavin and Luigi pulled by 12 huskies. The dogs were very eager to go... barking like crazy and one kept jumping trying to get the sled started.

When we did finally start, the mother right in front of us was riding the brakes and going pretty slow, but our dogs were having none of that, so we took a turn badly and the sled tipped over. Of course, only Tami and me fell off since we were in the front. However, we got back on fairly quickly and went on. I tried to record some with the video camera, but it was very cold and wasn't long before my hand started to feel numb. We rode on the sleds (which could be very stinky at times) for over an hour and a half through frozen lakes and rivers, and picturesque forests filled with snow covered trees until we got to a cabin. The cabin is where we stopped for lunch, but not before we saw a herd of wild reindeer roaming the countryside. We all piled inside and got close to the fire to start to dethaw while the sled drivers made lunch. We started out with flatbread and mushroom soup, then had some moose stew with mashed potatoes (which sounds horrible, but was very tasty... it basically tastes like beef), then we had some coffee and tea. After sitting around talking for a bit, we bundled back up and went back out to the sleds for an equally long journey back to the kennels.

This part of the trip had several hills that we had to go up, and we felt bad for the dogs because they struggled to pull all five of us at times. We really wanted to get out and help them, but weren't allowed to. We did have a little excitement since one of the dogs had to be pulled off and put on one of the sleds because of problems with a prior injury. We also had to stop at one point for them to rearrange some dogs because some males just realized that one of the females was in heat. We did make it back eventually and were able to go see the racing dogs and pups. Our guides did both tour guides and actual dog sled races. They were in fact training that night by taking some of their racing dogs out for a 100K run (we only did 28K total that day, so they have a long day ahead of them). We even got to play with two of the pups who were going to be trained to pull sleds. They were so cute, only 8 months old, but very scared. After a bit we put them back with their moms and we headed back to the Ice Hotel.

When we got back we checked into the Ice Hotel warm rooms and did a bit of souvenir shopping, got a snack and hot chocolate, and then headed back to our warm room to take a quick nap. We knew we were going to be out late on the snowmobiles so thought we should rest up. When we got up and ready we went and met the rest of the group going, there were a total of about 40-45 people. We had to split up into 3 groups and we luckily were able to get up with Gavin, Luigi, and the moms and daughters again. We had had such a fun time that we all thought we should continue our day together.

They started out by getting us all helmets, showing us the snowmobiles, and then getting them started and ready to go. It didn't take too long and we were off. Both of us wanted to drive so we had to take turns, Tami started off as the driver and immediately we were having fun. We drove for quite a while, maybe 30 minutes before our driver stopped us. We didn't really understand why at the time but he stopped us in the middle of a frozen lake and told us to cut our engines. When all of the snowmobile lights went out it was pitch black dark outside except for the thousands of stars and a green light in the shape of arc to our left. He told us that that was the northern lights. It was very pretty but not really what we had expected. We all ran around and did jumping jacks for about 15 minutes to warm up a bit, while admiring the lights and the stars. We have never seen so many stars before ever. Tami even said it looked like being in a planetarium. We got back on our snowmobiles and Greg took over as the driver and we drove for about another hour or so. We took turns and every so often we would stop so our guide could check us for frostbite and give us a few minutes to warm up. After over 2 hours out on the snowmobile we made to our wilderness camp.

In case you are curious, during the day the temperature was about -22, so at night on the snowmobile going 35-45 mph you can imagine that it is nearly -40 or so. We wore 3-4 layers of clothing, that included thermals, jeans, pants, ski pants, sweaters, sweatshirts, snow jackets, several layers of socks, mitten and feet warmers, a couple hats, and a balaclava, and yet we still were freezing. It was so cold that there would be ice forming on your eyelashes and eyebrows, your balaclava and other outer gear would be covered in ice and snow. We were so happy to be taking a break inside a small round cabin that had a fire in the middle. Here we were given salmon sandwiches, cheese rolls, moose soup, lingonberry juice, and lingonberry cake, with coffee or tea. We sat around in the wilderness camp for well over an hour before our guide started to clean up. During which he told us numerous stories about things he had seen and done and what he really loves about his job. While he was taking a load out to the trailer he saw more northern lights and told us all to come out, after all that was what this trip was about.

We all ran out side and watched the green lights appear again. We managed to walk down the hill to the frozen lake we were at to get a better view and then the real show began. The lights started moving across the sky, becoming more and more vibrant, changing shapes, and then the dancing began. It was amazing, the most beautiful and wondrous thing we have ever seen. We all tried to take pictures and videos, but nothing would capture the moment. It is just something that will ever be ingrained in our memories, but no actual photographs. Our guide told us that they had not had any lights like that in a long time, and definitely not this past season. We were so lucky to have seen it. We spent nearly 30 minutes in awe, watching the sky and the ever changing shapes and colors. I really wish we could share it with everyone.

Eventually the lights began to fade and everyone was very cold again, so we got back on the snowmobiles for the journey back to the ice hotel. It only took about 20-25 minutes and we were there, but those were the coldest moments we had to endure. When we got back, the 8 of us weren't really ready to say goodbye and goodnight so we hit the Ice Bar one last time. All of them got a warm drink while Greg & Tami got ice drinks, this was after all the last time in the Ice Bar. We then headed across the street to the N'ice Bar at the restaurant where we all had another round. We sat around chatting for a while and the bar was getting ready to close up, so they asked if we wanted last round. One of the moms suggested we do a shot.

So, Tami went up and ordered a round of shots and we took them back to the table. It was a Swedish drink that was strong but nice. We all said cheers and Greg, Tami, Luigi & Gavin downed it, (the two daughters had to share one since they were underage) and the moms were sipping. They were shocked that we were all done, and we convinced them to do what you were supposed to do with a shot, and they obliged. It was great fun and we chatted some more until we all decided it was time to head to bed. On the way out Tami decided that she wanted to make a snow angel, so she did, right in front of the restaurant. The snow here is perfect for it.

On Sunday we woke up and got ready and went to breakfast before checking out and heading to the airport. We were on the same bus and same plane as Luigi & Gavin so we were able to chat with them a bit more, exchange info, and say our final goodbye's to them.

By far this was the most memorable experience we have had and would recommend it to anyone.

Sweden Ice Hotel pictures

2009-02-18T04:08:00.001-05:00

We do plan to come back and finish posting about our trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. Until then, we have uploaded all of our pictures here if you're curious to see:

Ice Hotel pics

"I can't put my arms down"

2009-02-14T04:22:00.005-05:00

On Thursday, February 12, 2009 we decided we would go ahead and stay at or close to the airport, since we needed to be there at 5 am for a 7 am flight. We stayed at the Yotel, which is a Japanese inspired hotel in the aiport. It is not capsules, like some, but it is small rooms, that have everything in them, they are small but very nice and accomodating. With that out of the way we were up early on Friday, February 13, 2009 to make our way to Sweden to stay in the Ice Hotel.

We took a flight to Stockholm and then transferred to Kiruna, there we caught a bus that took us to the hotel. When we arrived we were given time first to actually wander around inside the hotel to take a look at all of the rooms. They have basic ice rooms and snow rooms (snow rooms are basic rooms but ice rooms are more like a suite that has a table and chair in there, too made of ice). The beds are a block of ice with a piece of wood fit into the top, then lined with foam mattresses topped with reindeer fur. The nice rooms and really interesting ones were considered Art Suites, these have their own theme designed into them, each one is different, each designed by a different artist. Some are very odd, some are nice, but each has it's own personality.

We looked at all of the rooms, some very very neat. One that we liked had massive pillars that were carved into the shapes of womens legs wearing high heels and then carvings of high heels around the room. Another looked like you would be staying in an spaceship or the top of an apple tree, things like that. One of our favorite rooms began at the entrance way and continued all the way through, it was carved entirely like a mushroom forest. There were mushrooms all over the walls and ceilings, and the pillars in the room were the stems of the mushrooms, so you were looking up at the underbelly, not the tops. After we walked around we were told that we could upgrade to an art suite, since there were some available, and so we did. The mush-room was available so we took it.

We took a walk around to the gift shop and the reception area before making our way back to the main dressing area to get our snow suits that they lend you. They are not flattering but they are supposed to help you stay warm. We kept saying we felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. We took a walk around the chapel in between wedding ceremonies before heading off to the Ice Bar for a drink. The Ice Bar is sponsored by Absolut and was cool, except that the one in Queenstown was much cooler to us. We enjoyed our drinks in our ice glasses and hung for a bit and then went to the main lounge in the reception area, since it was warmer. We had a drink here before heading to dinner at The Restaurant across the street.

Supper was very good. Greg had a mushroom broth with mushroom salad and walnuts as an appetizer in honor of the room we were staying in that night, followed by a very good risotto which had a bunch of stuff that we couldn't identify in it.... but it was still good. Tami had a King Crab salad that was covered in cucumber broth as a starter and then had Pike-Perch with linguini which was also really good. We were too full for desert, so headed back to the changing room to hang out a bit.

It was too early to go to sleep, so we hung around the fire and played cards until we were sleepy. Then we collected our double sleeping bag and headed for our room. It was quite an interesting experience. The coldest part was walking to the room since you have a short section where you are outside. Once you get all snug in the sleeping bag, you're pretty much set. Tami had to go to the bathroom a couple of times which was cold since you had to walk through the hotel, back outside, and into the changing rooms to get there. But all in all, it wasn't bad at all. We will say that it was much more comfortable than you would have thought it would be.

We don't have access to post pictures yet, but don't worry... we will add plenty later.

Dirty Dancing with the Chinese at St. Paul's

2009-02-03T14:52:00.007-05:00

The last two weekends we spent time around London, taking in some of the things on our list to do before we have to leave.

On Friday, January 23, 2009 we went to the Noel Coward Theatre and saw the show Avenue Q that involved puppets. It was absolutely hilarious. There are not many places where you can see puppets on stage singing about porn, being gay, and sex. But, if that's what you want to do this is the place to go.

Saturday, January 24, 2009, took us to St. Paul's Cathedral. This is the most beautiful cathedral in London. It also has the second largest dome in the world, behind St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican City. We took in all of the sculptures and altars and then walked up the 300+ steps to the Whispering Gallery. Here you can stand on one side of the dome and whisper into the wall, and someone else around the dome can hear it. It is very neat but kind of spooky too. We then continued our way up the winding steps to the second gallery that takes you outside where you can see spectacular views of London. We then walked back down the steps to look around the crypt that even houses the tomb of Horatio Nelson, before grabbing sandwiches at the cathedral gallery.

Me and Greg on the second gallery of St. Pauls:

The front of St. Pauls Cathedral:

Queen Victoria statue in front of St. Pauls:

View of St. Pauls Gardens, Cathedral, and dome:

The following Friday, January 30, 2009, Greg and I had a date day. He took a half day at work and we headed out towards Covent Garden. We ate lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant, Mela, and then decided to go to a couple of places on our "things to do" list. We went to the London Bead Shop and I bought pink, yellow, and white beads to make a bracelet. We went to Monmouth Coffee so Greg could get his favorite coffee and then stopped into Candy Cakes to pick up some cupcakes for later. Our next stop was a place called The Dress Circle, this is a shop where they sell nothing but cd's, programs, and other memorabilia from London and Broadway shows. I purchased an Equus poster from here. They even had a Gypsy Broadway program starring Patty Lupone.

Now it was off to our main event, Dirty Dancing, on stage. It was a great show. Followed the movie pretty much to a T, but very nice to see it done on stage. I thoroughly enjoyed it. After the play we went to a Belgium pub called Lowlander for a couple beer samplers. We then took a bus to meet up with some friends for dinner at an Austrian restaurant, called Imbiss. We hung out with Diana, George, and their two friends for some food and a board game.

Dirty Dancing Stage:

Lowlander Beer samplers:

Saturday we moved our motorcycles to our new garage, nothing too exciting. However, on Sunday, February 1, 2009, we spent all day in the Trafalgar Square/Leicester Square/Chinatown area to celebrate Chinese New Year. We were there practically all day and had a wonderful time. We watched the tiger dances, the people in the tiger and dragon costumes, the shows put on by local chinese groups, enjoyed the food, and the decorations. We did duck into De Hems, a Dutch pub, to get a drink and a rest from the cold. It snowed of and on all day, but it was also windy so it was very chilly. The day ended with a Chinese fireworks show in Leicester Square. All in all we had a blast.

Greg and me in Chinatown:

One of the tigers doing the Tiger Dance:

Chinatown decorated for chinese New Year:

Fireworks at Chinese New Year Celebration:

And as you probably know, Monday, February 2, 2009 was a great start to the week, with the snow all around.

What a way to wake up......several inches of snow!!!!

2009-02-02T02:32:00.008-05:00

Monday, February 2, 2009

Happy Groundhog Day, but better yet...tons of snow.

We have never lived in a place with so much snow, only seen this much in Switzerland. Daisy Adair loves it too. While living in London it has snowed here but never this much. Overnight we got at least 3 inches, if not more, and that is on the road. It is such a lovely site.

Here are a few pics that I could get with the girls outside. And the best part is it is supposed to continue and not get much above freezing so may be here all day. Hooray!!!

A very dark pic of Daisy Adair running around:

Our front garden:

Around the backyard:

Our snowman...ready for some football:

We walked to the grocery store this morning and this was just the snow around our area of town, we went by the cemetary and the canal and the scenes were very picturesque:

The girls in the snow:

Girlie time around London

2009-01-22T14:32:00.007-05:00

Once we got back from Rome we spent the next couple of weekends just hanging out around London. We will be spending the next few here as well. But, we did some pretty neat things and I wanted to put up a short post about it and some pictures.

On Friday, January 9, 2009, Greg and I did our traditional annual event of going to see the Nutcracker. This year we saw the Royal Ballet's production. It was magnificent. The costumes, the theatre, the dancing, and the story. This is about the 15th time we have seen it together but it is always good to see different versions of it. The Royal Ballet's version was much more classical ballet and the costumes were very English, as opposed to the Russian versions that we are used to seeing. It was brilliant.

On Saturday, January 10, 2009, we went ice skating at Tower of London. Last winter we skated at the Somerset House so this year we wanted to go somewhere different. It was very nice being right next to the Tower and the River but the ambience at Somerset House last year was much more romantic. The other thing was they weren't even playing music outside, which made no sense at all. However, it was a great day because we did have snow flurries on and off, so it made the mood for ice skating much more appropriate.

Each of us on the skating rink:

After skating we went by the National History Museum (which also had ice skating and seemed nicer than Tower of London) to watch the 1st Annual Ice Carving Competition. There were 6-8 teams carving large block of ice into various statues. The penguins were definitely our favorite. Greg then took me to see Bride Wars. All in all, a very girlie weekend.

The Penguins Ice Sculpture:

Thank you Greg!

Rome around the World

2009-01-20T05:46:00.009-05:00

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Our third and final day in Rome was fantastic, and a little more laid back than the other two, although not by much. We woke up early and had breakfast at the hotel before our bus picked us up at 8:00 am to start our day. The bus took us to Castel St. Angelo where we toured the inside of the Castle for over 2 1/2 hours. We also learned from our tour guide Vincento about the significance of Ponte St. Angelo, which used to be known as Elios' Bridge. The inside of Castel St. Angelo was very interesting, you could still see parts of the very impressive floors, ceilings, and walls, but most of it has since been taken away. On the top there is a massive statue of Michel the Archangel. The Bridge itself was lined on both sides with statues of Angels created by Bernini.

Castel St. Angelo:

The Archangel Michel on top of the Castel St. Angelo:

Bernini's Angels on the Ponte St. Angelo:

From Castel St. Angelo you have the most amazing views of the River and of the Vatican. This is where we were able to catch the best pictures of the dome. Running from the Vatican (the Pope's room to be exact) all the way to Castel St. Angelo is a secret passage inside of a fortress wall. This is how the Pope could run to safety when the Vatican was under attack.

St. Peter's Basilica Dome inside the Vatican City from Castel St. Angelo:

Me & Greg at Castel St. Angelo with St. Peter's Basilica in the background:

Once we were done inside the castle it was time to head back to the Vatican City. Since today is Sunday, the Pope comes out and does his blessing. Greg and I decided that it would be a great thing to experience. We had a few minutes to kill before the actual Blessing began so we all ducked into a shop to look around. When the Papal Blessing began we all went outside to enjoy it, there were thousands of people standing around. A lot of people were waving flags and banners, but most of us just stood around, watching and listening to the Pope. We could make out a few things that he said (Italian and Spanish have a lot in common) and when the official sermon and Italian blessing were done he then did it in several other languages. We still could not quite understand what he said when he did the English version but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

The Pope in his window giving the Sunday morning Blessing:

Me & Greg at the Sunday Morning Papal Blessing:

Just some of the masses of people at the Papal Blessing:

When the blessing was done we took our leave and began walking. We were headed to Trastevere and had lunch at Margherita Osteria Pizzeria (the original place we wanted to go was of course closed), but we thoroughly enjoyed our margherita pizza, caprese, bruschetta, wine and beer. We then headed up to Giancolo, where you are supposed to get amazing views. We walked up to the top and saw the Spanish Embassy, Mausoleum, a huge fountain, and spectacular views, but could never find the puppet theatre that we were looking for. We decided rather than continue to wander around this park aimlessly we would just head back down and visit some other areas of town. When we got back down toward Trastevere we went to a cafe where Greg could enjoy an espresso. SHOCKER!.

Greg with an espresso:

We then continued our walk around Rome, we walked over the concrete island (Isola Tiberina), saw the Templi del Foro Boario, Santa Maria en Cosmedian, Archway to the Forums, Santa Sabina, and many other remains and ruins before making it to our actual destination, Pyramid of Caius Cestius. This pyramid has been around since 12 BC (can you even imagine anything being that old in the States). It was quite large but apparently was made of brick and then covered with marble instead of the traditional way of being made by Egyptians. Along side the Pyramid was a small castle and then parts of the Aurelian Wall.

Templi del Foro Boario:

Pyramid of Caius Cestius:

Remains of the Aurelian Wall:

Once done we hopped on the Metro to get back into town. We went to the Piazza del Popolo where the oldest obelisk is erected. Surrounding the obelisk are four lion fountains,on which I climbed. The whole piazza is surround by a bunch of small sphinx statues, more fountains, and then steps up to a park. We ducked into Cafe Canova for some delicious gelato, and of course Greg had a cappuccino. We then jumped back on the metro to head to the hotel. We went into a few shops for some local souvenirs before heading to the hotel to pack before dinner.

Me on the lion fountain in Piazza del Popolo:

We ate dinner at Ristorante Terme di Diocleziano in which we ate beef cannoli, spaghetti alla carbonara, consomme, prosciutto with buffalo mozzarella, and wine of course. We then headed back to the hotel for a couple hours of sleep. We were up at 3 for the taxi to take us to the airport so we could head back to London. Note: Nothing in the Rome airport opens before 7 or 8 am.

Rome with a view

2009-01-13T05:50:00.009-05:00

Day 2 in Rome: Saturday, January 3, 2009

Today was going to be an amazing day, we were going to the Vatican. We woke up early and had breakfast at our hotel before jumping onto the metro to get to Vatican City. We met up with our group before battling the mobs of people trying to get into the Vatican. We had gotten very lucky. We originally tried to book one of the "intimate" tours but they were completely booked. These tours only take up to 8 people instead of the standard 20 or more, but at least we could book at all, so we took what we could get. But, let me tell you, only half of our group actually showed up, 9 did not, so we got our 8 person group anyways. Yay! This is definitely the way to go. We saw groups of nearly 100 people and their tour seemed so chaotic so we were happy to only have 8. Our guide Michelle was amazing as well. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to really enjoy what she did. It was raining when we tried to enter so we had to fight our way in through all of the umbrellas but we finally made it.

A Statue from around 2 A.D.:

This statue supposedly inspired Michelangelo to make his men very muscular, it also inspired Rodin's The Thinker:

We spent almost 4 hours walking through all of the thousands of statues, museums, Raphael rooms, Sistine Chapel, and so much more. They say if you spend 60 seconds looking at every piece of art in the Vatican then you could spend 12 years inside. It was all so surreal and amazing. The age of the art is also amazing, seeing statues that dated back to 2 A.D. It was very hard to fathom it all. We learned so much about Raphael and Michelangelo's personal history, about each of them painting their rooms, where they received inspiration from other statues inside, and so much more. The Raphael rooms were a great treat but of course the main attraction was the Sistine Chapel. I couldn't believe how high the ceiling was, it was intriguing to think how Michelangelo stood up for years on end painting the ceiling, usually without any breaks for weeks or months at a time. Nobody in this day and age would have that kind of patience to do a masterpiece like that. We stood in the Chapel looking up at the ceiling for quite some time before heading out.

The Teacher painting by Raphael:

Sistine Chapel ceiling:

One panel from the Sistine Chapel ceiling:

Our next stop was inside St. Peter's Basilica. One of the highlights inside is Michelangelo's Pieta, which shows the Virgin Mary holding Jesus' body. The rest of St. Peter's Basilica was just as impressive. All of the enormous statues, high ceilings, and the main attraction of the copper altar piece done by Bernini, known as the Baldacchino. The church supposedly is built on top of where St. Peter is buried. Outside the Basilica is Piazza St. Pietro. There of course was another huge obelisk, which was put in front of a Christmas Tree and very large Nativity scene. I will say we probably saw 30 or more nativities while in Rome. After taking tons of pictures of St. Peters Square and the columns we headed into the Post Office to pick up some souvenirs before heading to find something to eat.

Front of St. Peter's Basilica:

Michelangelo's Pieta inside St. Peter's Basilica:

The copper altar by Bernini, known as the Baldacchino, where St. Peter's body supposedly lies below:

The St. Peters Statue where everyone rubs or kisses his foot for luck:

Me inside St. Peters, with the pews and altar behind me:

Greg inside St. Peters with one of many statues behind him:

A couple Swiss guards outside St. Peters:

We ended up stopping in at L' Insalata Ricca for some pizza, bruschetta, wine and a Peroni. Next we walked to Museo della Anime del Purgatorra (Church of Purgatory) but unfortunately it was closed so we walked to Piazza Navona where we walked around a Christmas market that was still going on. In Rome they celebrate until after January 7th. On the 7th the Christmas Witch brings presents to the kids, there is a parade and party on that day as well. All of the stalls had witches on brooms and we didn't understand until we learned about the Christmas Witch on Sunday. We did find a very nice, hand-painted glass ornament of Rome for us to take back. We then stopped in at a local gelateria for some gelato. Greg had a biscotti flavored and I had a cherry and cream flavored one, yummy.

Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona:

Our gelato:

We then went to Cafe Sant Eustachio near the Pantheon so Greg could get a cappuccino. After a short walk we ended up in Campo di Fiori. We bought some wine and an Italian charm for me before going to the Imperial Fora to have a look around. Here is where we saw one of the Romulus & Remus statues that are very popular in Rome. We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We went to a place that was close by, it was so cold that we didn't want to head too far, called Gran Caffe del Passeggero where we indulged in bruschetta, gnocchi, spagetti alla carbonara, frascati wine, tiramisu and cannelloni. After that it was back to the hotel for some shut eye, we had another early day tomorrow.

Romulus & Remus statue:

As well as the regular buses, Rome has several of these cute, short buses that run around the smaller streets:

Roman Birthday

2009-01-12T15:45:00.010-05:00

We arrived into Rome late on Thursday night, January 1, 2009, nearly midnight. Our trip officially started on Friday, January 2, 2009....Greg's birthday.

What a better way to start a birthday than at the Colosseum. It was amazing, one of those places that you always dream about but never really know if you will be able to go to. It was everything you would imagine it was, as was the rest of Rome. The Colosseum was mostly intact, but you could definitely tell where the age has made it's mark. The actual floor of the Colosseum is completely gone, but they have replaced some of it, just so you can see what it did look like. Underneath the floor of the Colosseum was very neat as well, all of the walls to the rooms that once were. This is where the animals and equipment for the fighting used to be stored. Everything came up through a hole in the ground to appear. We arrived at the Colosseum super early, which was a great thing. It was nice and empty for us most of the time, and you could tell that the crowds were really arriving when we were ready to leave. It was great to get out of there before all of the mobs arrived. After nearly 2 hours walking around the Colosseum we decided to head on, good thing we did as there were now hundreds of people in line to try to get through security and come in.

Colosseum exterior:

Tami & Greg inside the Colosseum:

Looking across the Colosseum, including the below ground area:

When we left the Colosseum we walked by the Arch of Constantine and then up toward Palatine Hill. We didn't actually pay to go inside, but we did walk around the fences and took pictures of some of the ruins inside, more columns, arches, steps, and all. The most amazing thing about Rome is that you will be walking down the street and then all of a sudden there will be part of a column or some other remnant of a building just standing there next to.....could even be right next to a hotel or restaurant or something still in operation. When we walked back down Palatine Hill we were accosted by two of the men who portray Gladiators, for tourists of course. We took some pictures with them.

Afterwards we walked up to Domus Aurea to see Nero's Golden House. We walked around the park and saw a lot of ruins, but weren't sure exactly which ones were Nero's Golden House, or if we were even in the right area. Oh well. We decided to just head on instead of continuing to search that area. We then walked to a church that was recommended by my mom, Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains). The outside of the church was very unimpressive but the inside was amazing. The ceiling and back altar walls had beautiful paintings on them, there was an enormous statue area that included Michelangelo's Moses, along with a glass box with Saint Peter's supposed chains inside. The entire church was very nice inside. We spent nearly 30 minutes inside before continuing on.

The Arch of Constantine:

Michelangelo's Moses inside San Pietro in Vincoli:

Our next stop took us to the area of the Roman Forums. This included the Forum of Nerva, The Forum of Julius Caesar, the Forum of Augustus, the House of the Knights of Rhodes, the Trajan Forum and column, and Mamertime Prison. This was such a vast area with lots of columns, steps, doors, and more just lying around. It is so hard to explain but very interesting to see. The Trajan Column was the only one completely intact still. There is also carvings all the way around and up it, it was so detailed. Another building that was in the area that was impressive was Il Vittorio (monument erected for Emmanuel II, it is also known as the "Wedding Cake"by the Romans since they don't like it, it's too modern for them).

Looking around at the Forums of Nerva, Augustus, Julius Caesar and the House of the Knights of Rhodes:

Detail on the Trajan Column:

Remaining columns at the Trajan Forum:

Il Vittorio:

We continued on our way we walked by Gesu (a very nice church but we did not go inside), then down to Area Sacra which had more ruins that also included a cat sanctuary. It was very odd seeing these ruins that were overrun by many cats, I think we saw more than 20. We then decided to stop by Fontana delle Tartarughe (Fountain of the Tortoises) then to Bernasconi so Greg could get a cappuccino. This was our first coffee shop where it was basically a walk up counter that you grab your drink and a pastry and eat quickly. These places are all like this and are constantly bustling with people. We had some amazing pastries, but can't remember what they were called, think they started with a "k". I did try a hot chocolate, but it was way too thick so decided at that point that I would not be drinking any more in Rome.

Ruins with the cat sanctuary:

Fountain of the Tortoises:

It was now time for lunch......we were ready to eat after all of that walking. We went to a pizzeria near the Pantheon called Zio Ciro where we had bruschetta and margherita pizza (this would be a reoccurring lunch), but it was delicious. After lunch and some wine we decided it was time to go into the Pantheon. The Pantheon was nothing like we had expected, honestly we didn't know what to expect, but it was breathtaking. It is completely round inside, with marble floors and walls, and the Oculus in the dome center. It is completely open and when it rains it actually rains inside. Along with the statues inside there is also Raphael's tomb. We then decided to go to the Cremeria for some gelato (supposed to be the best in Rome), but they were closed.

The Oculus inside the Pantheon:

Greg with a column outside of the Pantheon:

So, we went around the Pantheon and saw the ruins of the Basilica of Neptune and then to the Elephant Obelisk, which was sculpted by Bernini (a very famous artist in Rome). Behind the Elephant Obelisk lies the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (another amazing church). Inside here, along with the amazing paintings, was Michelangelo's Risen Christ statue. Across the way was a cute shop that had all kinds of Italian foods and drinks and other souvenirs, mainly geared towards the kitchen. We bought some past and tea towels before heading out. Our next stop took us to Tazza d'Oro, another coffee place for Greg so he could get another cappuccino. I got a tea as well. By then it had started to rain so we went back into the Pantheon to see the rain fall through the Oculus, it was so pretty.

Bernini's Elephant Obelisk (1 of 14 obelisks in Rome):

Michelangelo's Risen Christ inside Santa Maria Sopra Minerva:

We then walked to the Trevi Fountain where we partook in the tradition of throwing the coin over your shoulder backwards into the fountain. The Trevi Fountain was even larger and more impressive than I had imagined it could be. Next we walked to the Spanish Steps. We saw the Sinking Ship fountain (La Barcaccia) and then headed up the steps. I do have to say, the Spanish Steps were smaller and more narrow than I had imagined them to be. It was actually kind of funny, it was raining pretty good so when you looked out from the steps there was just a massive sea of colored umbrellas. At the top we went into Trinita Dei Monti, another very nice church. We walked around a bit before heading to Piazza Barberini to see the Triton Fountain and then up to the Capuchin Crypt. The crypt was amazing, but we couldn't take pictures inside. Inside the church crypt were a bunch of rooms that were completely decorated in human bones, including the ceilings. There were completed mummies in monk robes and walls of skulls placed on top of each other, along with many other bones placed in patterns.

Tami at the Trevi Fountain:

Tami on the Spanish Steps:

Nearby was the Scallop Fountain and then we headed to Piazza Repubblica and then back to our hotel. It had been a long, tiring day so we took a short nap before taking a shower and then a cab to dinner. We had found a restaurant in our book that was supposed to be very romantic so we went there, it was called Arnaldo ai Satiri and it was amazing. We had Rigatoni al carbonara and Tagliatelli cacio e pepe (with parmesan and black pepper) along with caprese and a trio of bruschetta. We also had a nice white house wine. It was raining pretty hard when we got done eating so we took a taxi back to the hotel to get some rest for the next day.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T04:18:00.001-05:00

Welcome to 2009. We hope everyone had a great New Year and look forward to posting more adventures.

We are off to Rome today, what a way to start 2009.

Happy 10th Anniversary in Gran Canaria

2008-12-28T16:36:00.006-05:00

Monday December 15 - Monday December 22, 2008

For our 10th wedding anniversary we decided to take a trip to the Canary Islands, to Maspalomas in Gran Canaria to be exact. We were hoping for some warmer weather and a bit of sunshine. We did get some sun but only the first day or so were nice enough to really enjoy in your bathing suits. Most of the time the wind was cold (and it was windy) and the sun was covered by sporadic clouds. However, as always, we made the best of it and had a wonderful week.

A view of the mountains on the interior of the island:

We arrived on Monday, December 15, 2008 and stayed until the following Monday. Our anniversary was on Friday, December 19th, so halfway through the trip. Once we arrived on Monday morning we took a short 20 minute bus ride to our resort, Maspalomas Princess. The hotel was very nice, but the people did not really care about the guests at all. It was kind of annoying that none of the staff were helpful or anything, and they acted like the were doing you a favor by answering a question or even getting you a drink when in the restaurant. Not good for a 4 * hotel. When we got there and checked in we didn't really do too much. We walked around the resort to get our bearings and even stopped in at one of the pool side bars for a drink before heading to the beach to walk around and see the lighthouse as well.

The beach and dunes at Maspalomas:

a sand dragon on the beach:

the lighthouse:

Dinner, the same pretty well every night. After a day out and about we would come back to the room, take a shower and get ready, then head down to the buffet dinner that awaited us. After dinner we usually would end up hanging out in the piano bar or going back to the room for some cards on the balcony and having a glass of wine. Either way our evenings were very laid back.

Most mornings were the same as well, we would get up, get ready for the day then head to the breakfast buffet before continuing on. Tuesday was more of a welcoming day, so we just hung out by the pool, had very bad massages, lunch at the Bamboo Garden chinese restaurant behind the resort that was wonderful, some ping pong, and our typical evening.

Wednesday was the BEST day while we were there. After breakfast we were picked up by a bus (coach) for a camel day. We started out at Rancho Verde, a camel rescue center, to see many young camels, female camels, and a couple males, mainly Andre the Giant. He alone has apparently fathered over 500 camels in his short 25 years. It was so much fun watching the young camels playing, they would bite each others legs and wrap their legs around one another. Then we got back on the bus and headed to the Camel Oasis where we got ride a camel. Not how I had expected, but they have a wooden contraption over the camel and each person sits on either side. It was a lot of fun and the camels are amazing animals. They walked us through the desert for about 45 minutes before heading back to the main camp area. There we had Arabian Tea (which tasted kind of like strong mint tea) while waiting for our pictures to develop. Then it was off to Meloneras for a tea or coffee and some cake. We decided not to take the bus back to the hotel and instead walk around Meloneras for a bit.

Aren't they so cute:

The camels playing:

Tami and Greg riding around the desert:

Greg with a camel:

Meloneras was a great place, kind of wish we were staying there instead but no big deal. The little area is complete with restaurants, shops, hangouts, a casino, and the beach and lighthouse. We walked around and ended up eating lunch at El Senador for some spanish tapas, including Papas Arrugadas (boiled potatoes coverd in a red mojo sauce)....yummy. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Thursday we did a catamaran cruise. It was a lot of fun but the guides weren't quite as friendly as we would have liked. The cruise took us around the coast of Gran Canaria, to the most western tip, we could even see Tenerife through the clouds at one point. We did spot a couple of Reese dolphins that came super close to the boat. We were served drinks and lunch on board and then given the chance to go for a swim. Even though it was FREEZING we decided to do it, since it is our only trip to the Canary Islands. We did and it was cold. The last 45 minutes of the boat trip had the bartender also acting as our entertainment, singing songs from Elton John, Randy Travis, Barry White, and Eric Clapton. We were on the boat for over 5 hours and had a relaxing time. The rest of the night involved mini golf before the evening ritual. I will point out that this was the ONLY night that the dinner differentiated, they had a Mexican themed night, fun but still not quite up to Jamaica standard. After dinner we did sit in the piano bar and talk with some people we had met on the cruise, Dave & Anne, and then played cards with another couple, Angela & Martin.

On the Catamaran:

The coast line of Gran Canaria:

Tenerife:

Us in the freezing water, look closely for the goose bumps:

Friday was our anniversary.....Happy 10th. We took a dolphin cruise today. It was okay but wish we had done something else. The cruise was a bit disappointing, didn't see too many dolphins and had to ask the guide twice what kind we were seeing. On the way back the seas had gotten so rough that everyone was freezing and a few people even got sick. We made it back to shore....finally, and then got left at the pier by our guide (uggghhhh!!!). We had to run for almost 5 minutes to catch up to the bus, and we were only able to because they had to wait for someone to wait for them to open the gates. Oh well, we made it. We were just very happy to get back to the hotel and get done with that trip. We decided to cheer ourselves up with some yummy chinese food. Later on we got ready for dinner out. We took a cab to Meloneras and walked along the ocean front to watch the sunset before dinner. We even watched a surfer for a while, it was so nice and romantic. We had dinner at Ciao Ciao, which was a recommendation, and the food was great. The seats outside under the heaters had the most amazing view of the ocean with some palm trees, so all in all it was a great evening.

The two of us during sunset:

Saturday we took it upon ourselves to do something. We took a bus up to Las Palmas, which is at the opposite end of the island from where we were staying. Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and has a connection to the US because it is where Christopher Columbus last stayed before finding the Americas. We went to the Casa de Colon (Columbus house & Museum) and to the Catedral de Santa Ana before hitting the streets for a bit of retail therapy. Afterwards, we found a pizzeria on the beach and enjoyed a nice lunch outdoors. It was a beautiful day. We then hit a mall before catching the bus back to Maspalomas. When we got back we went to Meloneras where we stopped at Boulevard Oasis for the most delicious banana split and Greg had a coffee. We walked around a bit and then headed back to our hotel for dinner, drinks, and conversation with Dave & Anne, and Sharon & Trevor.

Catedral de Santa Ana

One of the many altars inside:

Sunday was our last day in Gran Canaria and we had absolutely no plans. We decided to go hit the sand dunes and play around for a bit. It is amazing there, just like being in the desert. We then walked around the beach, watched the wind surfers, had a drink, and then lunch again at El Senador again. We tried to then hang out at the pool but it was just a bit too cold so we hung out on our balcony instead where we could get some sun without the cold wind. We took it easy reading, playing cards, and then grabbing some ice cream from a nearby pizzeria. Then it was off to get ready for supper again. We hung out again after dinner with the two couples that we had met and then Monday morning we were off back to London.

Here are a few pictures of the sand dunes and both of us playing in them:

Greg in the ocean

Happy Birthday Daisy Adair!

Happy Christmas

2008-12-24T19:17:00.001-05:00

We want to wish everyone a Happy Christmas from London!

Eat turkey, open gifts, and enjoy spending time with everyone. We are there in spirit.

The girls would like to say Merry Christmas too.

We are in Gran Canaria!

2008-12-17T04:45:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to send a quick note to let everyone know we are in the Canary Islands, enjoying the beautiful weather.

We will say, so far, Jamaica is better though.

We are off to ride camels shortly but will put more details of our trip when we get back to London next week.

Tami & Greg

Walking in a Wetter Wonderland

2008-12-14T09:00:00.009-05:00

Saturday, December 13 2008

We had plans today to go around and sample the Christmas activities around London, meeting up with some friends along the way. However, when we woke up, we quickly found that the theme for the day was going to be water. Rain.... and lots of it. However, we did not let this dampen our Christmas spirit and decided to proceed with our plans.

We got up and went to Borough Market. On the way, we ran into the other theme for the day, that London transport can suck. We took the tube down and had to change trains at Baker Street. We waited and waited, and when the train came in, they decided to take it out of service. Which meant that we had to wait for the next train, and when we did, it was packed since all of the people on the canceled train were on there with us. However, we eventually made it and went to buy a hot apple cider with cinnamon for Tami. We then ran into another problem, I didn't have my money clip with all of our money. My first thought was that I had been pick-pocketed, which I found strange since I'm normally very paranoid and careful. However, I soon figured I must have just forgotten to grab it in the rush to leave in the morning. Fortunately, our bank accounts weren't quite empty so we could get enough cash to still have a good day.

After that, we picked up a coffee from Monmouth for me (which has the best coffee in the world) and then a couple of sausage rolls from the Boston Sausage Company. We munched on them as we walked around a bit and picked up some mistletoe to decorate the house with. Then, we made our way down to the Frost Fair that was going on at Bankside (close to the Thames).

Greg at Borough Market with the Christmas Trees....all short and stout:

The rain was pouring down and the wind could be vicious, as we found out when it snapped the handle off of my (admittedly cheap) umbrella (brolly for you English blokes). However, I put it back together as best I could and we soldiered on. We stopped at one of the vendors that they had setup and Tami bought a little Russian nesting doll and another doll decoration for the tree. We then went into the Tate Modern museum to see if they had a replacement umbrella for me. There were a few interesting statues on the turbine level, so we went and saw them as well (it gave us a chance to dry out a bit). It was about this time that our friends texted us and cancelled getting together. I think we're the only ones that can stand to go out in bad weather! There were no umbrellas to be found, so we went back in to the wet and cold.

Inside the Tate Modern Museum:

The Pimm's Booth:

Some of the vendors at the Markets along the Thames:

We wanted to have our pictures taken with the Huskies, but they weren't going to be open for another 20 minutes, so we decided to just continue our trek up the Thames, going up to the festival at Southbank which was inspired by the markets in Cologne. It was a cold, wet trip that involved dodging a lot of puddles, but we enventually made it. However, we were a bit disappointed because it was just a few vendors and most were the same as you see at other markets such as Camden and Covent Garden. We did find one that had some nice German stuff, so Tami got a small nutcracker and a cute ornament that looked like a German windmill. We also bought a cute gingerbread cookie similar to the one we bought in Munch. We bought those and decided it was time for lunch. Only one thing would do when we had been in the cold for so long...... Chili Chicken Ramen from Wagamama's!

Our German Christmas Cookie (says "Nice Christmas")

The London Eye, decorated for Christmas (or at least it's base):

We ended up heading to the Wagamama's in Leicester Square, but while we were on the bus, we noticed that the horse guard was out at the Horse Guard parade. We quickly hopped off the bus to get pictures, and then made our way on foot via Trafalger Square which had a huge Christmas tree. It could have stood a few more decorations though. After that, we finally made it to Wagamama's for lunch. I had the Chili Chicken Ramen, which is a spicy soup filled with lots of good stuff. Tami opted for the Cha Han instead, which is basically fried rice (mine was better...no it's not). Afterwards, I had a craving for a Beamish stout, and I knew a pub close by that had it. So we headed up only to find out that they had quit serving it (even though they still had signs all over the place.) So we abandoned that plan and headed for the Tube to go down to Harrods. While enroute to Harrods, something was going on because the train did not stop at Knightsbridge, which is where Harrods is located. We had to get off at the next exit, and take a train back up. We actually missed the first train that came in because it was so packed!

Tami with a Horse Guard:

One of the Queen's Guards

We finally made it to Harrods to pick up some ornaments by request for people back home. That took awhile because Harrods was having a big sale and the place was shoulder to shoulder. We finally got what we were coming for and headed out to Hyde Park, for the Winter Wonderland. We had gone last year and enjoyed it so thought we would go again. This year it was over twice as big and had much more to offer. We stopped first thing at a German pub and got some hot mulled wine to take the chill off. I wished that I had more room because the beer looked really good, but we had plans to do afternoon tea later that afternoon, so didn't want to fill up. Afterwards, we walked around the market which was really nice. There were tons of rides which we didn't try, but they looked fun. We did pick up some hot roasted chestnuts from a vendor since neither of us had ever tried them before. When we took our first bite, it reminded us of roast pork for some reason. Not bad, but a squirrel almost attacked me to steal one from me.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland from across the pond

Our mulled wine.....it was good:

One of the vendors at Winter Wonderland....one of Tami's favorite German X-mas things:

Santa on his sleigh, in front of the Paulaner sign. I expected him to have a stein in his hand......

the killer squirel:

The chestnuts that he was after:

After the Squirrel encounter, we caught a bus over to Selfridges on Oxford Street to see about getting some afternoon tea. We did get tea, but the tea and food just couldn't compare to the Orangery which is still our favorite. I couldn't recommend the place we went to, but it wasn't horrible. Afterwards, we looked around the Christmas department in Selfridges which was much more impressive, then headed out to Oxford street to see the window displays for the big department stores. Selfridges and Debenhams were the best by far. They both actually put some thought into it and made it fun, rather than just putting out bland manequins. We walked up Oxford street looking at all of the lights, but about this time we were starting to get tired (finally). We ended up going over to Marks and Spencers to grab some food for supper to take back with us, and headed home to watch the X Factor finals. We did all of this and made it home by 8:00 PM.... we're that good.

Santa delivering presents by Tube.... one of the window display in front of Selfridges:

One of the window displays for Debenhams:

The Christmas lights on Oxford Steet

Quick Hello and Update

2008-12-12T11:29:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since we have put a post up but thought I would just say a quick hello and give an update.

We haven't been doing too much. As most of you know we came back to the states for a very short, busy Thanksgiving trip. We had a great time, but didn't feel like we got to sleep much at all while we were home. We were constantly staying up late, getting up super early, and running from place to place. But, it was all worth it. It was so great seeing everyone, shopping, and filling up on turkey and other Thanksgiving traditions. Thanks to everyone for being so accommodating to us.

Other than going to the states we haven't been doing to much, just staying around London and doing things. We have recently helped Lilli celebrate her 18th birthday. Lilli is one of the two people who watch the dogs for us, they are so good with them and the dogs adore them. We had such a great time at Lilli's party and again on her actual birthday at dinner and a bar. Since she is now legal she bought the first round.

We went last Sunday to see the Ballet version of Edward Scissorhands, it was quite interesting but a lot of fun. We are still going to see the Nutcracker (going on 16 years of seeing it now), but couldn't get tickets until after Christmas, so this was our before Christmas ballet.

This weekend we will be getting together with some friends and going to enjoy all of the German inspired Christmas markets near the Thames River, and seeing all of the lights and window displays that Oxford & Regent street have to offer. Should be a very Christmasy weekend.

For those of you who don't know, Greg and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary on December 19th. We are going to enjoy it in the Canary Islands. We leave on Monday for a full week, and we are so excited about going. It will be nice to go somewhere sunny, beachy, and warm, since we didn't have much of a summer at all in London this year.

That's about it for now, just wanted to give a quick update.

In case I forget to later.....Have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Love, Tami

we're heeeerrrrrreeeee

2008-11-26T19:25:00.002-05:00

We landed safely back in Atlanta today, coming home for Thanksgiving. Our trip started out badly since the first two trains to go to the airport were cancelled. After that train got going, things started to go good again and we didn't have any more problems. Now we're getting ready to eat lots of turkey and spend times with family and friends.

Oxford Street - A Magical Place

2008-11-13T16:32:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, Greg and I head to Oxford Street. But, tonight was not a typical night on Oxford Street. Tonight was the night they would light up the streets and buildings with the thousands upon thousands of Christmas Lights. I was so excited but had no clue what I was about to encounter. Not only were the lights being turned on but there was a mini concert, including Chase Crawford from Gossip Girl, the cast of the West End show Mama Mia!, 4 of the X Factor finalists (like American Idol), and the Sugababes (a UK female singing group).

Chase Crawford from Gossip Girl:

Cast of Mama Mia!

We gathered in a small area on Oxford Street that had been shut down to traffic (there were a couple thousand crammed into 1 small block) to watch the show. Seeing Chase Crawford was good, he plays Nate for those of you who don't know. Mama Mia cast was good, but we had seen them perform the same 3 songs at West End Live in the summer. The X Factor contestants were great to see, since I really enjoy watching that show. Daniel, Rachel, Ruth, and Alexandra all performed. I wish that Diana had been well enough to have been there, Eoghan was at his famililies to see his new sister, and not sure where the group JLS were, they would have been good to see as well. They sang their #1 single, Mariah Carey's "Hero", and then the Christmas Song "All I want for Christmas is You". It was so much fun. Then the Sugababes came out and sang a couple of songs before doing the countdown for the lights. The lights were so pretty and there was even a fireworks display.

Ruth of X Factor:

Daniel & Rachel of X Factor:

The Sugababes:

The lights on House of Fraser:

But, that was not the best part of the night. We had gotten some tickets to see Katy Perry. It was a publicity tour, so not a full concert but she did perform 3 songs accoustically and then signed autographs. It was good to talk to her, she was pleased to hear an American accent as well. She is a great performer, and I think she sounds even better without all of the extra stuff. She is an entertainer, I will say that.

Me & Greg at the show:

Lilli & Dean joined us at the concert:

Katy on stage, she reminds us of Carole:

A horrible pic of me, but the only one with Katy Perry:

After that we stopped in a sushi place for some dinner, and then back home for some sleep.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-31T05:59:00.003-04:00

Just wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. Wanted to share some pics of costumes and pumpkins with you. Dan & Rebecca had never carved a pumpkin, we had them come over and we showed them the way.

Here is Greg and his skull:

Me and my witch:

Rebecca and her oh so cute heart pumpkin:

Dan and his very happy pumpkin:

All 4 pumpkins lit up for the night:

Ready for Halloween:

Daisy Adair wasn't too fond of wearing a costume:

Chewy was tolerant:

And Willow, well, she loves it:

My pumpkin dressed up herself: