I've lost the will to blog, that is. I've always meant this to be a a somewhat chronicle of our time in London- and it has been. Just one with more pictures than thoughts, like actual blogs.
As there is not much to tell about my last couple weeks here, I feel as though have nothing to blog about. I do intend to make a few other posts about bits of London randomness, however. And I will address a couple items my readers are wondering about.
First, the riots. Sadly, our neighbourhood was affected, but we were safe and still are safe as disturbances haven't kicked off in a number of days (I think I'm about a week late in reporting our status.)
I leave for Minneapolis next Tuesday; almost one week. Gavin and Chewie are there already and the reason I'm still here is my work commitment through August 22. I'm working full time instead of the part time hours I normally would do, which cuts down on how much spare time I have explore. And given the short amount of time I have left here to explore, along with no Gavin or Chewie to accompany me, and the fact that working all day leaves me without much energy, I have little to no motivation for getting about town as I normally would. Hence, not much to write home about.
Who knows, maybe in the next few weeks I could actually eek out a nice round 100 posts. We'll see.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Home, Sweet Home
It's true - after (almost) a year in England, Gavin and I are moving back home to Minneapolis. While the decision weighed heavily upon us, in the end, it's for the best. But, I will be terribly sad to leave this amazing country. Not to mention the upheaval we've caused our renters.. oh, I'm so sorry, again!
Now that I know I'm on a limited time frame (we expect to move back mid to late August), there is still so much in London I'd love to see, do, experience! And travel. We never got to do the kind of travelling through Europe that I'd always envisioned. It's quite bittersweet. I feel as though I my time here is cut short. I was just starting to create a little space for myself, a job, a few friends. But there's so much good in going home: parents, best friends, reduced flying time to more beloved family and friends, northeast Minneapolis, sun that shines all day, a bigger backyard and deck... the State Fair!
Surreptitiously and just when I needed it, I stumbled upon this video.
Wonderfully perfect.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Sutton Hoo and Canterbury
The second half of my parent's visit was a bit more British, what with all the fish and chips, tube/train trips and cathedrals. Of course, there was still a large element of history involved, no doubt about that! We spent two days in the city; two days venturing out.
The first day, while I worked (hence no pictures;), everyone checked out the Imperial War Museum and Kensington Gardens and Palace. Then the next day, my mom and dad and I began our long journey to Sutton Hoo, a Viking burial ground north of Ipswich. Despite the 1 1/4 quarter *unmarked* walk from the train station to the site, once we arrived, the facilities and actual burial mounds were fantastic. We ate a well deserved lunch, then toured the museum before taking to the walking paths all around the property. The weather held off, even was a bit sunny for parts of the time. Which translates to: It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The long journey home? Not so much. But a great dinner at our local curry restaurant helped cheer everyone up in no time.
Our third day was spent in Canterbury and it seemed like the time just flew by. Most of the day was spent touring the Cathedral which we thoroughly enjoyed, despite the all-day university graduation ceremonies taking place in most of it. We did, however, receive a discounted admission price to offset not being able to tour most areas. We also went in the Roman Museum which contains an entire section of Roman tiled floor unearthed after the devastating WWII bombing of the city. Some of the museum was a bit hokey, but seeing that enormous tiled floor and numerous, incredible Roman artifacts was amazing. Then we walked over to the St. Augustine's Abbey ruins quickly before returning back to the train station. See? It went by too fast!
For the final day of our British adventure - as we had our fill of historical sites - we chose to slow our pace and switch our focus to a more cultured activity: Tate Britain and the Courtauld Gallery. Both (as per usual) were outstanding. At Tate, there was this awesome contemporary installation containing a maze of adjoining rooms.. you just kept opening doors into further and further rooms. The last room reminded me of the loading dock of the Walker. Every one of the rooms was designed in a slightly off-beat, slightly foreboding but a semi-humorous note. Naturally, I loved it! And I went though twice because the first time I thought my dad had gotten lost in it.. and he hadn't so I had to walk my parents through for kicks, a second time. We then enjoyed a splendid walk along the Thames to the Courtauld Gallery which contains so many Impressionist masterpieces it's almost too much to absorb in one afternoon. But we did our darnedest.
The first day, while I worked (hence no pictures;), everyone checked out the Imperial War Museum and Kensington Gardens and Palace. Then the next day, my mom and dad and I began our long journey to Sutton Hoo, a Viking burial ground north of Ipswich. Despite the 1 1/4 quarter *unmarked* walk from the train station to the site, once we arrived, the facilities and actual burial mounds were fantastic. We ate a well deserved lunch, then toured the museum before taking to the walking paths all around the property. The weather held off, even was a bit sunny for parts of the time. Which translates to: It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The long journey home? Not so much. But a great dinner at our local curry restaurant helped cheer everyone up in no time.
Our third day was spent in Canterbury and it seemed like the time just flew by. Most of the day was spent touring the Cathedral which we thoroughly enjoyed, despite the all-day university graduation ceremonies taking place in most of it. We did, however, receive a discounted admission price to offset not being able to tour most areas. We also went in the Roman Museum which contains an entire section of Roman tiled floor unearthed after the devastating WWII bombing of the city. Some of the museum was a bit hokey, but seeing that enormous tiled floor and numerous, incredible Roman artifacts was amazing. Then we walked over to the St. Augustine's Abbey ruins quickly before returning back to the train station. See? It went by too fast!
For the final day of our British adventure - as we had our fill of historical sites - we chose to slow our pace and switch our focus to a more cultured activity: Tate Britain and the Courtauld Gallery. Both (as per usual) were outstanding. At Tate, there was this awesome contemporary installation containing a maze of adjoining rooms.. you just kept opening doors into further and further rooms. The last room reminded me of the loading dock of the Walker. Every one of the rooms was designed in a slightly off-beat, slightly foreboding but a semi-humorous note. Naturally, I loved it! And I went though twice because the first time I thought my dad had gotten lost in it.. and he hadn't so I had to walk my parents through for kicks, a second time. We then enjoyed a splendid walk along the Thames to the Courtauld Gallery which contains so many Impressionist masterpieces it's almost too much to absorb in one afternoon. But we did our darnedest.
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| the only sign to let us know we were on the right track towards Sutton Hoo |
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| walking to the burial mounds |
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| the tide had come in by our walk back to the train station |
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| Canterbury Cathedral entrance |
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| St. Augustine's Abbey |
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| at another local fav, on our last night |
Thanks, parents, for compromising comfort and restful sleep to make it across the pond. Hope the actual vacation was worth the journey! We certainly loved having you here and will remember every minute of Normandy, Sutton Hoo, Canterbury and all the bits in between.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Normandy
Our long awaited and eagerly anticipated July visitors finally came... my parents! We had been planning their trip itinerary just about as long as we had been living in the UK. As they had been to England a few years ago, we were able to travel to another place we've wanted to go: Normandy, France. My dad (and I think Gavin deep down) has always wanted to see many of the historical locals of WWII. And it was all very moving.. if you've watched Band of Brothers (or actually haven't- still the same), just seeing pastures and hedgerows, you can imagine the devastation of war. So many of the memorials, beaches, museums and cemeteries were more emotional than I thought they would be.
We also saw Mont Saint Michel, off the south Normandy coast and the lovely and historic towns of Bayeaux and Honfluer during our trip. Gavin was an amazing driver- we forget how nice it is to drive on straight, navigable roads. My parents were pretty good sports to sit in the backseat everyday while we, ahem, discussed, routes to our destinations ;) Our base was a gorgeous bed and breakfast located in the charming village of Putange Pont Ecrepin, along the River Orne. During the Occupation, the Germans used it as a field hospital. It currently is an unbelievable idyllic French setting, nestled into the hills with a gorgeous view of the town below. On our last night there, we enjoyed Bastille Day fireworks from this awesome vantage point. It was wonderful! We also loved the many meals of baguettes, fromage, croissants, pizzas, charcuterie and cafes. Truly hard to leave.
And hard to choose pictures to post because I don't want any memory to slip.
Au revior, Normandie! Merci et Je t'aime!
We also saw Mont Saint Michel, off the south Normandy coast and the lovely and historic towns of Bayeaux and Honfluer during our trip. Gavin was an amazing driver- we forget how nice it is to drive on straight, navigable roads. My parents were pretty good sports to sit in the backseat everyday while we, ahem, discussed, routes to our destinations ;) Our base was a gorgeous bed and breakfast located in the charming village of Putange Pont Ecrepin, along the River Orne. During the Occupation, the Germans used it as a field hospital. It currently is an unbelievable idyllic French setting, nestled into the hills with a gorgeous view of the town below. On our last night there, we enjoyed Bastille Day fireworks from this awesome vantage point. It was wonderful! We also loved the many meals of baguettes, fromage, croissants, pizzas, charcuterie and cafes. Truly hard to leave.
And hard to choose pictures to post because I don't want any memory to slip.
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| on the Eurostar, ready to depart for Calais! |
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| spot where British glider-troops landed first on D Day... |
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| and the cafe that gratefully handed out champagne in exchange for liberation |
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| our LOVELY lodging... |
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| in this lovely town |
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| site of American paratrooper landing; if you look closely you can see an actual mannequin and parachute rigged up there to demonstrate how one paratrooper got stuck on the roof during the fight. reverent, right?? |
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| German battery, a few miles inland, but made to defend against Navy ships |
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| our beautiful town from our B & B |
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| Mont Saint Michel, from a distance, is gorgeous... |
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| then you start to see massive parking lots and... |
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| absolute hoards of people |
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| much better from farther away |
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| pizza and a cider was called for after that experience! |
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| another great little village, Ducey |
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| home of the 13th century Bayeaux Tapestry |
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| walking in horrible rain to tour another fantastic village, Honfleur; such a shame the weather was terrible. |
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| because, how stunning would this be in the sunshine??? |
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| so many sidewalk cafes to choose from! wasn't too hard to find one to enjoy a parting meal of moules et frites ;) |
Au revior, Normandie! Merci et Je t'aime!
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