Adventures with Bret and Claudia (Braudia)

We Need More Amsterdam

2008-08-19T10:50:00.003+01:00

Hi all. Bret and I are writing to you from the Princess of Norway DFDS cruise ship. It’s pretty cool, with several restaurants, lots of bars, and some not so spectacular entertainment.

The trip from Newcastle to Amsterdam is very long- 15 hours by boat each way! So as you might imagine, the ship tries to keep things as lively as possible. There is a ‘pirate’ for the children, which they love, a few shops, and a movie theatre, in addition to several singers and some dancers that parade around in feathery outfits. The cabins are very bare-bone, just a bunk bed and a small en-suite. I was hoping there would be a tv, but no such luck.

It has been very weird travelling by cruise. Neither Bret nor I had ever been on one, and though it has been a good cheap adventure, I can’t say I’d do it again. The ship sways wildly from side to side on the choppy North Sea, and the hum from the boat makes it feel like you are in a perpetual earthquake. I miss the speed and efficiency of flying. We were supposed to arrive in Amsterdam at 9am and depart at 6 pm, but there were quite a few details that were left out, particularly, that the boat does not actually arrive in Amsterdam, but in the industrial outskirts of the quaint city. Instead, we got off the boat at 9:40 and got on a 45 minute bus ride to city centre. Then, the bus picked us up at 3:30 from city centre. So effectively, we had about 5 hours in Amsterdam. We were not pleased by that…

But we made the best of it…after grabbing some dutch breakfast (delicious with cheeses and fried eggs) and dutch apple pancakes (like crepes) we rented some bicylces so we could go around the city faster. We realised that we would not be able to go to the Van Gogh musuem, but we could still meander around town.

What we did not anticipate was the bicycling skills of the locals. I hadn’t been to Amsterdam in 5 years, so I was quite surprised to see that people not only talk on their mobiles as they are weaving through heavy traffic, but they text as well. The locals are expertly with their bikes, ringing their little bells as they zoom past clueless tourists.

Aside from that, biking is quite easy in Amsterdam. It’s flat and beautiful. There are lots of lush trees, and there are canals everywhere. The city vibe is very informal. There are lots of cafes, coffeeshops (that sell more than coffee), and cosy little hang outs in quiet alleyways. You see many a stoned hippy staggering about happily on the neatly paved streets, but you see just as many people in business suits and doing exercise with their dogs. Amsterdam is the kind of place that invites you to relax and enjoy.

While the Red Light District is a must-see for its sheer shock value (there are literally women in lingerie standing in windows, beckoning men to come in to their brothel rooms), my fave area is the Jordaan. Here, the sleaze disappears, and you can really take in the beautiful Dutch architecture. Homes are tall and narrow, Georgetown style. They are all painted very cleanly and decorated very simply. The most elaborate thing you’d see in a home façade is a vine crawling up the wall. The windows are small, and as far as I could tell, the décor inside is elegant and simple. Not exactly minimalist, but not as boring as ‘contemporary.’ Just elegant and plain.

A big downside about Amsterdam is that, though small, it’s a circular city, so it’s almost certain that you will get lost. It took us a good 45 minutes just to find Vondelparc, the lovely large green space in the city. But riding around there was worth it. It’s not a ‘perfect’ park, more like a simple untamed natural place, kind of like Amsterdam itself. Sadly though, after riding around for a few hours, we realised that it was time to go back on the bus and head back onto the ship…

I like Lon lon lon lon lon don, in the sun!

2008-07-30T10:35:00.001+01:00

For those of you who have never heard of Stomp!, it’s a wonderful show where the actors use household items and rubbish to make music. It is very intense because it is essentially a whole lot of drumming. They use brooms, plastic bags, even water to form their sounds. And it’s very funny. There’s one guy who’s the ‘runt’ of the group, and the other actors make fun of him. There’s also another one who’s kind of a maniac, he had this crazy laugh that even made the guys on stage break character! What’s most interesting about the show is that all the emotion is conveyed with body language- no one speaks throughout the whole show.

After our show, we walked around the West End, which was bustling! The area has lots of little streets, so it’s really easy to get completely disoriented. After roaming around for quite some time, we found ourselves in Piccadilly Circus, which is the British equivalent to Times Square in New York.

Following the advice from the tour guide from the morning, we decided to stroll around Fleet Street in Old Town.

This, as we discovered, was a terrible idea. Apparently come nightfall, Old Town becomes Ghost Town. We were the only people around, aside from a drunken youth heaving his stomach contents by a tree. The streets were dark and the buildings were, as you might have guessed, old. Basically, we jumped right on the next tube stop, and went back to the hotel for an evening cocktail.

For our last day, we were planning on watching Batman in Imax, but the show was too late, so instead we decided to check out Camden Town and Regent’s Park. Oh, I loved it there!! It's so hippy and cool. And the homes are bautiful, too, with excellent gardens. I got myself a cute little dress at the Market, had a fresh juice, and then relaxed with Bret in the glorious, expansive Park.

But after some time, we were suffocating, so we decided to head over to the Science Museum where there would be A/C. Still feeling the need for a massive 3-D screen, we decided to watch the Deep Sea Imax show. It was amazing, aside from the Italian teenage boys talking next to us throughout the entire movie: “La barracuda es bellisima!” “que cretino!”

Exhausted from a fun-filled weekend, we made our way back to King’s Cross for Newcastle.

Well, I'll be damned! London Bridge fell down!

2008-07-29T10:48:00.001+01:00

After having lived the urban life in Newcastle for several months now, I’ve become especially aware of public transportation. And as far as I can tell, The famed Tube is amazing. Walk anywhere for 6 minutes, and a tube station will pop up. Better yet, the trains come every 2-4 minutes, so there’s virtually no waiting. And there are loads of connections, so you can get anywhere in just a few minutes.

Our hotel, called Kensington Rooms was located just 2 blocks from the Gloucester (pronounced ‘gloster’) Road stop on the Picadilly Line. The area of Kensington is super nice, with huge, well-kept homes, frequently painted white with shiny black doors. Our hotel was very nice and simple- modern, stylish, and a very good deal. The room was very small, but clean and neat, so for 90 quid a night, we were quite pleased.

After Harrod’s and checking out a few shops in Covent Garden (Paul and Joe was my fave), I made my way back home to meet my Bret and get ready for a night on the town.

A work colleague of mine who used to live in London recommended a Russian restaurant in Kensington called Nikita’s. It was lovely, and the food was AMAZING! To start, we ordered flavoured vodkas and caviar with hot, fat blinis, sour cream, egg, and onion. YUM!! Then for our main course, I had a juicy tender duck with mushrooms and Bret had the most delicate filet of steak, cooked medium rare. Oh, so juicy!! To finish, we ordered a hot, honey vodka . To end our night, we strolled around the neighbourhood and made our way to the gorgeous Kensington Gardens.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early to get tickets for The Lion King. However, as we found out, the cheapest tickets were going for £50 per person!! So we opted for Stomp! Instead. The show would be at 8, so we had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves.

First on our list was the Thames (pronounced temms) River, where we hopped on a tour boat. We saw the lovely bridges, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. The tour guide recommended that we amble along Old Town and Fleet Street to get a feel for Old London. So we decided we would do that in the evening after the show.

After wandering around a bit, grabbing some sushi, and making our way closer to the hotel, we decided to check out the Victoria and Albert Museum. I had heard marvels about this place, so I thought surely it would be worth going. Even though the fashion section was cool, I have to say, the rest of it was too…knick-knacky. There were all sorts of little things, little rings, little plates, little saucers…I can’t cope with all the tiny old stuff. I like big modern paintings and museums with action and adventure, so this wasn’t my kinda thing. Exhausted from a day’s walking, we went back to the hotel, to recharge for Stomp!

Pass the Oxygen Shot to the left hand side

2008-07-28T15:30:00.002+01:00

Hello Friends. Braudia, despite wading aimlessly through the treacherous seas of poverty, has gone on a fun-filled adventure once again. This time to London, the fab capital of England (and arguably the world). I hadn’t been to London since 2003, so coming back was a wonderful surprise. I couldn’t believe how many people were swarming the streets- it was exhilarating!! And wonderfully multicultural. So many Arabs, Indians, and South Americans. I was in heaven.

But that’s not all. Get this: it was hot. Not warm- HOT! I actually sweat!

I arrived to the steamy capital at 10am on Friday. Bret was still in Cambridge for his conference, so I took advantage and went off to do girly things, namely comb through the floors of Harrods!! What a display of conspicuous consumption! Everywhere you turn there are signs for Dubai Properties, opulent weddings, and glittering displays of Tiffany, Cartier, and Dior Jewellery.

Despite the fact that there was a 70% off sale, I still couldn’t afford anything. The beluga caviar in the food halls started at a hundred quid for a little vial (the most expensive being escargot caviar for about 400 quid). The food halls are glorious, with fresh exotic fruits, delicately prepared seafood, and decadent desserts. I got some loose mango tea for Bret (ok, so I could afford something) and then grabbed some cute canapés and a prawn pancake for myself. After I wolfed my food down, I went back for a bit of relaxation. Though I contemplated taking a bit of aloe vera juice, I opted instead for a healthy high of oxygen. No, not outdoor air, literally a tank of oxygen. I had seen oxygen cafes become all the rage in LA a few years back, and for 5 quid, I couldn’t say no to 15 minutes of lightheadedness at Harrods.

The spa woman disinfected the nose piece and started the machine of pure, unadulterated O2. I breathed in the fresh air, hoping to get a bit woozy, but nothing happened. After the 15 minute session, I realized I would get a better high checking out more merchandise, so I paid my bill and headed up to the ladies clothes. It was lovely. Diane von Furstenberg and Chloe have the best collections right now. But, as is often the case, the clothes I liked was not the clothes on sale…

While it was getting late and I was getting shopper’s fatigue, I knew I had to check out one more floor: the pet section upstairs. I had read that Harrods carried hypo-allergenic cats, and my desire to interact with fuzzy felines once again was strong. I made my way through the rows of doggie leather jackets, kitty ballet tutus, and delicacies from the Pet Patisserie, complete with ‘mutt-fins’ ‘e-claws’ and ‘pawfitterols’. When I arrived to the pet section, I learned the cats are called Siberian Forest Cats, and they are hypoallergenic because they lack the protein in saliva that makes people allergic. They were going for a mere £1200. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pet them because they were behind the glass. This was rather lame, as was the fact that they were sleeping. In the room next to them were the Papillion pups going for £1500. They were cute, but I think actually Andre is way cuter and more pure bred.

After hours of this mayhem, I decided it was time to leave Mr Fayed’s little shop and head over to Covent Garden…

Forthcoming

2008-07-24T13:34:00.000+01:00

Hi all,
For those of you that have been missing our little updates, rest assured that this weekend, Braudia will be partying in London Town!

So details to follow...

A Day at the Races

2008-06-29T20:40:00.001+01:00

Despite our aweful colds, Bret and I got gussied up yesterday morning (actually, Bret just put on a tie) and met up with a few of our friends to enjoy Northumberland Plate Day, the biggest race day in Newcastle.

I was surprised by how many people were at the races! The place was insane. There were groups of burly men eager to place their bets, crazy young 'hens' enjoying a day out with their girls, and groups of older ladies with far too much wrinkly cleavage spilling out of their chiffon floral dresses (as I took note yesterday, there is indeed an expiration date on breasts. and arms, and stomach for that matter).

Anyway, while I had on my very stylish coral bolero, I was very chilly because, despite being almost July, it was 60, windy, and cloudy. I shivered my way through the crowds and over to the bookies. I learned that there would be 6 races, and I had already decided that I would spend no more than 20 pounds on bets, so I was in no rush to place my bet. For the first race, most of us just watched to see if our horse predictions came true. At about 2:00, the horses came parading through the track. They were gorgeous- lean, muscular, and shiny. At 2:10, the first race began, and the horses sped along the track. From a distance, we could only see a mass moving steadily towards us. The crowds around us cheered fiercely. As the horses came closer, we noticed they were moving at about 30 miles per hour and being whipped strongly by the jockeys. It was exhilarating, so for the next race, we decided to begin betting.

I placed my bets on a horse that had good odds, I think his name was Joseph Henry. I put down 5 pounds each way, so that if he placed, I would get a bit of money back. Bret chose to bet on a horse called 'Burning Incence' because he liked the name. We decided to go right up to the track for this second race. Finally, the horses came parading through. My horse was running with his tongue hanging out and was foaming in the mouth. I took this to be a bad sign. Bret's horse looked good, despite his poor odds. When the gates opened, the horses shot out towards the track. We shouted for our horses, but sadly, neither of us won. We didn't even place! But there were 4 more chances, and I for one, had quite a bit more 'poundage' to spend.

So the third race was the big 2 miler. I eagerly placed my bets on another horse with great odds. We met up with our party and sat in the bleachers. Each of us bet on a different horse, so we figured one of us was bound to win something. But there were 22 horses and only 6 of us, so really, this was really just wishful thinking. As it turns out, my horse 'Desert Sea' which I had been tipped about on the bus came in third to last place. I began to feel like the bookies were riggging the races.

But what Norris told me was that in 'handicap' races, they handicap the best horse by adding weights so that it's a more even playing field. Confused by this whole process I decided to take a different approach. I would bet on the least likely horse. That way, if it won, I would get a huge return.

However, my horse, once again, was one of the lazy ones in the back. By this point, Bret had a terrible headache, I was still dazed from all my cold medicine, and we were losing miserably. Rather than brave the cold for another hour, we decided to say farewell to our friends and call it a day. It was exciting, the Pimms and Lemonade was delicious, but we needed our rest. We hopped into a cab and nappped it out back in Breamish Street.

Rain, rain, go away!

2008-06-21T21:49:00.001+01:00

Hello all,
It’s been raining all day today and Bret and I have minor colds. So instead of going on our Jesmond Dene bike ride like we had planned, we decided to have a day of library, shopping, and staying in.

Newcastle has many different regional libraries. But there are none really close to our house. Instead, we’ve gotta walk for about 15 minutes to get to the Byker Library, which interestingly also has a gym and pool. It’s quite a vibrant public place, and today we went crazy checking out books and cds! Some highlights include Lightspeed Champion and The Essential Simon & Garfunkel. I also got several books on gardening, including The City Gardener’s Bible, which I have already started; a very unusual graphic novel called Woman’s World; and a novel called Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living. However, I am a bit concerned because I have to make time to read for my book club, which has been going swimmingly, if you must know. For July, we’ll be going to Crook Hall to discuss Brideshead Revisited.

Anyway, so after our maniacal library spree, Bret and I parted ways, as he went to do a bit of grocery shopping and I went to do more clothes shopping. Plate Day is next Saturday, and I needed to get several accessories to go with my gorgeous new Adolfo Dominguez floral dress. I spent hours going from shop to shop, taking a quick sushi break in between. The worst was the shoes, because I only liked the ones that cost circa one hundred pounds. But luckily, I found some cute and affordable white wedges at Dorothy Perkins. Exhausted after an afternoon spent engaging in good ole fashioned British consumerism, I went home.

As I walked in, I couldn’t help but notice the wonderful smell in the house. Last week I bought some huge pink lilies, and they are very aromatic! Actually, a few weeks ago I was strolling down Gray Street, and the art galleries were having an evening event to promote Newcastle culture. I walk in to a gallery and notice that it smells absolutely divine! I ask the curator, and she tells me that she got the lilies at Grainger Market for just 5 pounds. So the next day, I rush over to Grainger Market during my lunch break to snap up these horticultural delights! For those of you unfamiliar with Grainger Market, it is a geriatric haven. I was the only person there under 75. I even witnessed an old man have a heart attack (this is not a joke: I really saw an old man have a heart attack. He collapsed, then awoke, was breathing horribly, and then started vomiting. Several people helped him, but no one was in the least bit fazed by the incident).

As I was saying, I walk into our flat and I realize that it’s time to prepare dinner. We have recently invested in a grocery box scheme. We used to do a ‘veggie box’ in State College, which would provide an array of seasonal locally grown veggies every week for a set price. But the one here is even better. We use G & S Organics, which provides not just veggies, but meat, milk, fresh-baked bread, and fruit, all organic for just 40 pounds a week. So tonight, I made the most delicious meal with ingredients from our box. First, of course, salad, with fresh lettuce, tomato, cucumber and radishes. Then I cooked up the rest of the lettuce with some frozen peas and some spring onions for a side dish. For the other side, I boiled up some broad beans and mixed in Parmesan and parsley with poached egg. For our main course, I made the absolute most wonderful pork chops ever. I don’t know why these pork chops were so tender- all I know is that I’ve never eaten any as soft. I put a soy sauce, orange, sugar marinade on them, and they came out lovely!

Anyway, so for the rest of the night, I think we’ll just nurse our colds and watch a movie or something. Hope you’re all doing well!

Photos of Our Newcastle Home

2008-06-16T21:49:00.001+01:00

A while back we promised to slap some photos of our new abode in Newcastle onto the blog. After two full months as city residents, we feel it is time to share. Here are just a few shots of 7 Breamish Quays from shortly after our arrival. Enjoy...

UK Phrase Confusion

2008-06-16T09:25:00.001+01:00

Hello all,
Most of you know that potato chips are called crisps here in England, and that french fries are called chips. But there are many other confusing words and phrases here that most Americans don't know about. I've been compiling a list of words and phrases that mean different things in England than they do in the US. Braudia would like to share them with you.

1. Are you alright?- Here in England 'are you alright?' simply means 'hello'. This was especially confusing for us in the beginning because people kept asking us: Are you alright?, and we kept wondering why we wouldn't be alright. We thought, 'Do we look sick or depressed? Why do people keep asking us if we're alright?' But eventually Braudia learned, though it still kind of throws us off.

2. Us: When I first started working at Social Services, the ladies who worked there would often say: 'Would you do this photocopying for us?' or 'Will you do us a favour?' I would look around the room and wonder who else was 'us' other than the person asking. But then I realised: Us means me. Of course, that's not always the case; sometimes us really means us. And some people don't use 'us' to mean me- they just say me. So you've got to judge the circumstances.

3. Dinner and Tea: This was a real mess. Dinner sometimes means dinner and other times it means lunch, and then tea sometimes means tea and other times it means dinner. I'd hear people say at 12:30pm, "I'm going out for me dinner" and think: 'wow, that's an early dinner,' or hear "This chicken is just left over from last night's tea," and I'd think 'wow, ambitious tea!' But then I realised: different words, same thing. So basically, while in America we say Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, in England, they sometimes call it Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea.

4. Lemonade: oh this is funny. If you want a lemonade in England, you've got to ask for 'Cloudy lemonade' because when you say 'lemonade' you get sprite. So a Pimms and Lemonade is really sprite with Pimms, not actual fresh sqeezed citrus juice.

5. 1st floor and 2nd floor: When you are in a multi-level space, such as a department store, you'll find that there's the basement floor (underground), the ground floor, the First floor above it, the second floor etc. In the States, First floor and ground floor are the same, but in England, first floor is the one above the ground- the first floor up. Needless to say, Braudia got off at the wrong floor several times in those early days.

So now if you travel to England, hopefully knowing these little differences will help you get by just a bit better!

ta-ra!

My Asthmatic Interactions with Marley the Horse

2008-06-01T19:44:00.001+01:00

The first day of June, everyone, and it's friggin freezing here in Newcastle. I sure hope summer gets better than this, cuz this is colder than a Miami winter!

Well, even if the temperature doesn't get any toastier, I'm determined to have some summer fun here in Newcastle. This weekend was no exception. On Friday I had my first horse-riding lesson, and on Saturday, Bret and I went to Alnwick Gardens.

After watching several horse racing programs on the telly and planning a trip to the races (June 28 for Plate Day!), I became inspired to attempt some horse-riding antics myself. So I signed up at Stepney Stables for a beginner adult class.

I was told to dress in exercise clothes and not wear trainers, so I put on some sweatpants and some riding style boots, paid my 16 quid, and got ready for my first time on a horse.

Stepney Stables is located just 5 minutes from my flat in the Ouseburn Valley. There is an indoor arena where we take our lessons, and the stables are just next to it. After getting fitted for a hat (a lovely black velvet one), Claire, the instructor called me in. 'Claudia, you're on Marley! Look at the board!'...she was a no-nonsense lady, so I knew I had to be extra alert...

For the beginner's class, little page girls walk with the horses so that we don't get flung off and break our necks. My page girl was Donna. She was about 12 or so, and also 'no-nonsense'. "Idiot!" she'd yell at the horse when he would'nt listen. 'Stop it!!" and smack him on the nose. I suppose one must be rather firm with horses, as they are big and strong. I certainly wanted a well-behaved horse for my first lesson!

After we all got on our horses (there were 5 of us), we started walking slowly around the arena. Little by little, the lesson became more complicated. We started doing rings, telling our horses to change directions, practicing the stop and go. I learned correct posture and how to hold the reigns. As the class went on, I grew more and more confident. I thought, 'wow, I really have a knack for this!' I started envisioning myself with my new Polo Ralph Lauren riding clothes, trotting about on my horse. Despite the large quantities of horse poo and the damp sweaty horse smell in the air, I felt very dignified up there. Surely Claire was impressed...'Claudia, there is no need to cross your reigns!! You are confusing the horse!" Ok, maybe Claire was not terribly impressed...suddenly I felt like an 8 year old girl at Martha Mahr Ballet. This was perfection at all times.

Except Marley was not interested in perfection. He was a beautiful pure white horse- one could imagine him running free on the hillsides, and it seemed that's exactly what he wanted to do...not obey passively in a beginner's riding class. He kept trying to pass the other horses. Needless to say, Donna was yelling 'idiot' every other second. But finally, Marley got a taste of fun when we started trotting! I'm not yet good at going up and down (I was kind of getting bounced around by Marley) but I think I could improve if I had more lessons...however...

As the class continued, I started to feel my breathing get shorter and shorter. Finally, by the end of the class, I was a complete allergic mess! I like to think that I am allergic to the mould and spores let out from the hay and NOT horses, but for the sake of my lungs, I will not try riding at Stepney again and wait until I can take a lesson outdoors.

The next morning, still feeling woozy from all the allergy medicine that I ingested, Bret and I set out to Alnwick Gardens, just a 30 min train ride from Newcastle. While it was a bit of a mission getting there due to a shortage of buses from the Alnmouth trainstation and the Gardens, the wait was worth it. The gardens are amazing! There are spitting fountains, there's a bamboo labyrinth, a rose garden with 300 different kinds of roses, an ornamental garden, and a poison garden with hemlock, cocaine plants, weed, belladonna, and other assorted recreational drugs and dangerous killer plants. Bret and I have grown inspired to one day have a beautiful garden of our own, which will include not only fruits and veggies, but lots of fragrant, dramatic buds. My personal faves were the Marjorie vine, High Noons, and the Concha vine. After learning all about flowers, we headed back home where I made a whole chicken roasted in cider with lettuce and cream, and a side of rich mashed potatoes!

Bath bomb, bath bomb, you’re my bath bomb…

2008-05-27T16:43:00.001+01:00

While it was Memorial Weekend in the US, we here in the UK had a ‘Bank Holiday’…which literally means the banks close and people hit the streets for some fun.

Of course, most Americans hit the beaches...we here in chilly NE England hit the pub…

Well, most of the time, at least. Actually, this weekend, we had quite a diverse range of fun. Our excitement started on Friday evening, when we all went to our friend Rob’s house for delicious bbq, whisky, cigars, and some exciting poker. It was my first time playing poker, and I’m happy to say that I won a few times. We each put £5, and I left with £1.50 2 hours after we started playing, so not too shabby, I think. The experience was complete: Rob even played some American Blues in the background…I felt like a drunken Sea Captain trying to make a few extra dabloons on the side…or something equally sleazy…it was great!

On Saturday, after a tormenting trip to the taylor’s (the Adolfo Dominguez dress my mum got me doesn’t fit!- my ribs are too fat), Bret and I went on a neighbourhood adventure. We found a geocache in Ouseburn, then went to The Cumberland Arms in Byker where I had a half pint of cider, and then we took a stroll ‘round the beautiful park nearby. I cooked a simple pasta dinner with Red Pepper/Limoncello sauce, and we headed out to the newly refurbished Tyneside Cinema to see Persepolis. The cinema is fantastic- gorgeous interiors, two bar/cafés, and excellent indie movies. Persepolis was funny and sad and interesting, though the beginning was a bit hard to follow with all the Iranian politics…

On Sunday, Bret and I started the morning in the Quayside Market, where we got tshirts, vine leaves, and good smelling bath bombs. After our decadent purchasing, we headed over to the gym, and I did the workout my personal trainer gives me (a tough 1 hour with 20 minutes floor/arm work, 20 minutes cross trainer on level 6 Kilimanjaro, and 20 minutes little elliptical on level 8 cardio) while Bret did some horrible, killer exercises. To replenish ourselves, we had lunch at the Royal Café- me a delicious celery/carrot/ginger juice and Chicken terrine with red pepper chutney and Bret a salmon/egg bagel.

Finally on Monday, we had the most exciting day of all: we went to the Northumbria County Show in Corbridge. The town is a half hour train ride from Newcastle, very beautiful with lots of trails surrounding. Because it was an unusually gorgeous day, the festival was packed! Almost everyone had a dog and/or baby with them. Needless to say, my cuteness cup got full pretty fast. And I haven’t even mentioned the actual show animals yet. We saw bunnies, horses, cows, alpacas, and sheep. I discovered that cows are skittish and slobber a lot. When I would pet them, they would often whip me with their tails (I think they noticed I was wearing a leather jacket- I know, how insensitive of me!). The alpacas were very soft and fairly friendly. And the sheep (poor sheep) were being sheared at record speeds. There was an ongoing sheep shearing competition, truly amazing to watch, in which men had to shear 5 sheep in under 5 minutes. After we saw a contest, we went round back to take a closer look at the sheep. The furry ones were quiet, but the sheared ones were baaing non-stop. They had lots of nicks from the shearing, some looked half-slaughtered to be honest, but overall, the shearers really did a great job. After 5 hours, we felt we were animalled-out and we headed back to Newcastle for some of Bret’s amazing chorizo chicken and lemon asparagus.

The Late Shows

2008-05-20T11:00:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone. Well Bret and I have settled into Newcastle quite well. Even though we live a bit outside city centre, we live in the arts quarter called Ouseburn Valley (think Miami's Design District, minus the prostitutes and robberies) so there are lots of cool pubs and art galleries nearby. Bret goes into work 2-3 times a week, and works from home the other days. I'm about to finish my third temp job (it's a bohemian life, indeed). I've got 2 interviews lined up, but if they prove unsuccessful, I'll simply temp part-time, so I can write more.

Anyway, so as I was saying, living in Newcastle has proven to be quite good for our social lives. There are always lots of events, festivals, shows, and there are lots of restaurants to try. Last weekend was particularly fun because we went to a shindig called The Late Shows. It's a yearly event in which all the museums and art galleries stay open until 11 pm. There is free wine, a free bus service taking you to the next gallery, and there's no cover charge.

Bret and I started the nite with our friends at Nancy's Bordello, an artsy gastro-pub with fab decor and lots of plants. We had ordinary pub food, but it was pretty tasty. Full and happy, we headed off to our first stop on the art tour: The Biscuit Factory. I had frequently seen signs for this place, but I had not bothered to investigate as I thought it was literally a place where biscuits were made.

However, as I soon found out, this was not Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! The Biscuit Factory is a wonderful large art gallery with lots of contemporary art work on display and for sale. I'm really into knit decor right now (I have a thick wool crysanthemum in my house) so I was particularly drawn to the cashmere cupcakes and cashmere bonbons. But there was also lots of wall art as well. I loved the thickly textured, brightly coloured acrylic still lifes, the primitive story-book farm scapes, and one artist's glittery weaved hens with their baby chicks.

Our next stop was Art Works, just a few blocks away. There we viewed more interesting contemporary stuff, but we were starting to feel the sensory overload. So, we opted for a switch: the science museum!

The Life Centre is a large museum, usually packed with small, snotty children. But for one nite, the children were asleep, and it was the adults that came to play. And what fun we had! We went through numerous exhibits about the arctic, world population, ageing, stem cells, the science of motion, and nutrition. Bret really wanted to see an astronaut special with Ewan McGregor, but we were too late.

To end the nite, we decided that we should head over to Jazz Cafe and wind it down with a sexy cocktail and some smooth tunes. But there was a cover charge, so unfortunately, we had to settle for an old unglamourous pub called Rafferty's. After our beers and ciders, Braudia parted ways from the others and headed home for a cosy nite of sleep...

Second Class Citizens

2008-05-14T15:32:00.001+01:00

Well folks, in case we haven't reminded you enough, England is a very expensive country. Everything is much pricier here, making it quite difficult to enjoy the things that middle class americans take for granted. Restaurants are terribly costly, the taxes are horrible (especially the local ones, uuugggghhhh), and rent is through the roof. We are undoubtedly, second class citizens. Despite what would be an extremely comfortable salary in the US, Braudia lives paycheck to paycheck, trying to make ends meet.

But if that's not bad enough, we get constant reminders of our second classness, so to speak. For example, the train. In every train, there is a first class car, while the rest are 'second class.' Further, in the stations, there is frequently a 'First Class Lounge' which us untouchables cannot contaminate. I find this all quite weird. Class is a big deal here in the UK, bigger than it is in America. Braudia does not fully understand the concept of 'poshness,' which we vaguely assume to be wealth, but not really because it seems there is an arrogant attitude that goes along with it. On the flip-side, you've got 'chavs'...which we have been told is something like 'white trash'...which brings me to my tale...

When I first arrived in the UK, I had very little clothes, as I could only bring 2 suitcases weighing 49 lbs each. So, first on my list, was to get some exercise clothes, as it was quite cold and I wanted to go jogging.

So I bought a Lonsdale tracksuit.

Lonsdale is a common brand that I had seen around quite a bit. The tracksuit was cheap and baby blue, so I was quite pleased with my buy.

But as I wore it more and more, I noticed that people were looking at me a bit funnily. I wasn't sure why, but I started noticing people's clothing. You see, if you go work out in England, you change out of your clothes immediately after you finish. You do not walk around in a tracksuit, unless...

I started to notice the kinds of people who did walk around in Lonsdale tracksuits. girls with huge hoop earrings, girls with bad English, pregnant girls smoking and drinking beer, girls who couldn't be more than 17 pushing strollers...

Finally, I learned- I was wearing the chav uniform! Wearing workout clothes in England does not mean you work out, it means you live in a Council House!!!

I have stopped wearing my Lonsdale tracksuit out in public. Going out in 'scrubby clothes' has a lot more significance here than it does in the US!

LL part deux

2008-05-13T13:53:00.001+01:00

So Saturday I had my monthly book club, and I couldn't go out to the museums with LL. Bret took them to the Discovery Museum to learn about Newcastle history, and then to the Laing Art Gallery (which I had recently gone to). It was a gorgeous day (yet again!! where are we, California?) and I got so hot, I had to give my Uggs to a Charity shop and buy sandals! I got home just in time to catch the horse races. Inspired by their fierce speed, I decided to go out for a jog- in shorts! But as you might imagine, one a beautiful Saturday afternoon, what would Brits be doing but...drum roll please....sitting out drinking! Needless to say, I was extremely out of place jogging while the rest of the country drank themselves to a stupor. But I knew I had to put in a bit of jogging, cuz Bret was preparing a hearty dinner of lamb shank, and I do not want to get portly.
Anyway, so when I returned, Bret was covered in blood. Ok, maybe not, but he might as well have been cuz, as it turns out, Tesco gave us something like 'Sheep's ribs and hips', rather than lamb shank. Bret was very disappointed he could not fit the slab of meat anywhere, so he threw it away and we bought pork steaks instead. His meal was quite delicious despite the impromptu preparation.

The next day, we all headed over to the Quayside market to sample the sundry items. There were more winkles and whelks, purses, books, and decorations. I bought some sweets, a torquoise wool pin and some lavender 'bath bombs'- fizzy good-smelling things that you put in the bath. We also stuffed ourselves with freshly fried sugar doughnuts and German Brats.
After moseying around a bit more, watching the boat races, and checking out a very weak exhibit in the Baltic Museum, we decided it would be best to head over to South Shields and check out the coast. Amazingly, it was like 15 degrees colder there, veeerrrrry foggy, and cloudy. So we cut the beach time short, and played some put put golf. Larry was the best, and Braudia needs to practice. Linda just took pics. Frozen from our putting, we opted for some world famous South Shields Indian, which we discovered is delicious and extremely affordable.

For our final day of fun, Bret and I took LL to see Jesmond, a leafy suburb of Newcastle, and Beamish, the historical outdoor museum (and my personal fave!).
Jesmond seems like a lovely place to live (if you have a car). There are posh boutiques, upscale restaurants, and old homes with lots of potential. Best of all, it's quite lush. But after meandering quite a bit through the shops and eating a lovely Italian meal, we decided to take a bus outside of Newcastle and experience the much talked-about town of Beamish.

Let me tell you, this is the cutest place in the world. first of all, there are lots and lots of big trees and thickly forested trails. This is very rare for England, and we were amazed to find such a fresh-air haven. Secondly, there is a 'museum' there. It's basically a giant outdoor space broken off into eras. You just walk or tram to the different times- the first a typical home from 1825, complete with people dressed up in period clothing, rabbits hanging from the ceiling, candles, old books- the works. There were horses that you could pet, a gross massive hog, geese- everything. We saw both a middle-upper class house, and a lower-middle class house. It was just incredible to see how today, even a poor person lives so much better than a rich person lived back then. Fascinating...

Our next stop was the 1913 town. Again, amazing! There was a grocery store, a freemason's lodge, an old Barclay's bank. Best of all, we got to see inside typical homes of the period. We saw the decor, baby high chairs, a bathroom, a dentist office. I was amazed...

But the best part was going to the 'home farm' of 1913. Here I got to pet baby lambs! I wanted to see inside the farmhouse, but it was already time to go...exhausted, we went back to Newcastle, had all you can eat Mongolian, and rested the night away...

Fun with Larry and Linda part 1

2008-05-13T11:56:00.001+01:00

Bret's parents arrived in Newcastle last Wednesday, and we had them running up and down the Northeast. Here's what we did:

Wednesday:
After an exhausting 5 million hour flight, Linda and Larry (hereon after referred to as LL) arrived in the sunny, yes sunny, city of Newcastle. In order to ensure that they did not sneak any naps, Bret walked around with them all over Newcastle. I was at work, so I couldn't join in the fun. But I met up with the crew for dinner at the Slug and Lettuce where LL ordered traditional British fare: Linda fish pie and Larry steak pie. Bret and I, having already sampled Brit gastronomical goodness, opted for Duck and Lasagne.

Thursday:
Another day of work for me, while LL and Bret headed into the quaint city of Durham. From what I heard, the weather was in the 70s, and the sun was shining bright. Bret told me that in the Spring, Durham gets really 'cutified' with all the flowers and outdoor sitting areas. While they walked, Bret continued the education that he had started the previous day. Linda wrote down all the unusual words: toilet (not restroom), swede (not turnip), way out (not exit). They had a traditional pub lunch, walked around some more, and then came back on the train to Newcastle. I joined them for a delicious dinner at The Big Mussel where Bret had mussels for the starter, while we had the crab and 'cado, and Linda and I had Salmon, while Bret and Larry had chorizo stew.

Friday:
Finally, I get to enjoy the gorgeous days because I opted to take 'holidays' on Friday and Monday and party with LL. Though the weather was beautiful, we decided that going to the Metrocentre was a must-do. Bret and Larry went to the bookshops, so that Linda and I could hit the clothing stores. We started at the department store House of Fraser, where I got a bohemian hot pink blouse for just 10 quid! Then we hit the high street shops, but we found Zara's to be the best one at the moment. However, the gorgeous floral tops were a bit over my temp salary budget, and so I just got a cute shirt for 6 quid.
For lunch, we remet the gents for a tasty meal in the Debenhams food court. Most of us had the lamb shank (so good, fell right off the bone), and Linda had the Leak/ham/chicken pie (also very good). Exhausted from all the shopping, we headed back into city centre to check out the Grainger Market. Bret and I tried some winkles from the seafood section (they're little snails), which we thought were quite delish. We have discovered that they sell these funny little critters in all the outdoor markets, so next time, I'll definitely grab a batch. For dinner, I cooked a lentil soup with butternut squash and some creamy pasta with asparagus and ham. We finished off the evening with a challenging game of Carcassone.

link farm

2008-05-07T14:50:00.000+01:00

Hello all,
I thought you might want to check out some websites that I have found interesting.

Humour:

Funniest fake news ever
www.theonion.com

Crack up stupidly with these anthropomorphized cats
www.thelolcats.com

Aesthetics:

Cheap, stylish, good
www.ikea.co.uk

High fashion at low prices
www.zara.com

My fave scents
www.penhaligons.co.uk

spend hours looking at interior decorating ideas
www.hgtv.com

Life:

Great way to keep your legacy alive
www.whenwordsmatter.com

Useful advice for anyone
www.quickmba.com/mgmt/7hab/

Just fun news
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/

You won't believe it, but it's true!
www.newsoftheweird.com

Get cultured, get literary
www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html

Edinburgh (pron: edinburuh…go figure)

2008-04-27T16:40:00.001+01:00

Newcastle is just a 1.5 hour train ride from the wonderful Scottish city of Edinburgh. So yesterday, Bret and I decided to head on up to the lowlands to experience the much talked-about city. And we had a great time…

The fun started at Harvey Nichols. Well, my fun, rather. Harvey Nichols is a very expensive, very haute couture department store. There is a doorman. There are Balienciaga handbags, there are 800 pound Chloe dresses. It’s the kind of place where you go to a ‘Champagne Nail Bar’ to..surprise surprise…get your nails done by thin asian woman who serve you champagne. It’s the kind of place where an eye brow shape costs 30 pounds. It’s the kind of place where you see many people looking and few people buying. Being a shop assistant at Harvey Nichols has got to be the most boring job.

But being a browser was great, as I said, for me…you see, Bret is the kind of shopper that likes to buy. If he can’t afford it, it’s no fun. I’m the kind of shopper that likes to see and touch. And for me, ‘shopping’ at Harvey Nichols is like going to an art gallery. The colours and designs fascinate me. I know I would never have an occasion to wear a Moschino 2 piece suit, nor would I even care to really, but I admire the craftsmanship of the clothing. Bret sees a Moschino suit, and he thinks stiff and asexual. Fair enough. I see his point. Needless to say, I had an impatient, huffing man reluctantly trailing behind me, until I realised that the poor man had had enough, and we should do something we could both enjoy: eat!

So Bret’s fun started when we went to the Underground Café and had our first (and only) traditional Scottish breakfast. It’s the same as the English Breakfast, but somehow much much better. The mushrooms were a little fresher, the egg a little yolkier, the bread tasted homemade, and the sausages were meatier. Satisfied by our meal, we decided to take in a bit of culture at the National Museum of Scotland. It was very lively with people of all ages! Musicians played their violins as gentlemen with tophats paraded the museum atrium. While there, we saw exhibitions on British animals, Ancient Egypt, the Instruments of Science, transportation throughout the ages, and typical rooms of the 19th and 20th Century. I was surprised that a typical room from ‘The Swinging Sixties’ looks like a typical room at IKEA, complete with paper lantern. I also really loved the 1 person 3 wheel car.

But we still hadn’t gotten to the truly Scottish bit of our trip: whisky and haggis. So we strolled down the Royal Mile (very fun, busy touristy pedestrian street in Old Town Edinburgh) and went into the Edinburgh Scotch Whisky Experience to learn the subtleties of fine whisky. We started off with a 10 year Auchentushan, which is a lowlands whisky and known to be quite easy to drink. According to the menu, it was sweet with a hint of tangerine and toffee, but Braudia could not detect such undertones. After, we had a highlands whisky, Ben Nevis 10 year. We noted that it was, indeed, quite smokey. But again, we could not detect the supposed ‘chocolate’ flavours in the drink. Feeling like we had had enough hard drink, we opted for a whisky liquor to finish our session. We chose the Lochan Ora, made with aniseed. This was undoubtedly the most delicious of the three!

3 whiskies and a good buzz later, we decided no trip to Scotland would be complete without first tasting the famous meal: haggis. Haggis sounds absolutely disgusting: it’s ground meat mixed with oatmeal. It is usually served with a rich whisky gravy and ‘neeps and tatties’ (turnips and potatoes). Our only problem was that it was 3pm: not lunch time and not dinner time. First we tried the Stac Polly, which 2 Scots recommended to us. But it was closed. We then went from pub to pub, restaurant to restaurant for about 1 hour. Until finally we found a nice restaurant which served it. And believe it or not, it’s delicious! Only thing is, you kind of feel like you should be toothless, cuz the food doesn’t require any chewing. Oh well, the swallowing was very satisfying…

Post whisky and post haggis, we knew we needed to take a little rest before we hit the shops for some actual buying. Luckily the sun was shining and it was about 60 degrees. Bret and I threw ourselves on the grass for a good half hour and for the first time in many months, actually enjoyed the weather. Half an hour later, feeling refreshed, we hit Prince’s Street for some good ole fashioned credit card swiping. Bret got two shirts at H&M and a pair of very nice walking shoes at Jenners of Edinburgh. I got some body wash at LUSH and some perfume from Penhaligon’s (the company that supplied our toiletries at the Mandarin on our wedding nite!). And with that, we hopped back on the train and headed back to Newcastle.

a paycheck a click away!

2008-04-14T15:37:00.001+01:00

Well folks,
I have sold my soul to the devil- my blog now generates income. Every time you click on an ad, I get like a buck or something. So click away!
Because I am trying to make a few extra bones, I'd put up a slightly anachronistic blog entry: the atrocious rental. I had actually written that one long ago when we were at Coronation House. So to clear up any confusion, "How to decorate an atrocious rental" does not pertain to our new home (as you will soon find out).

Now, on to bigger and better. Bret and I have had our first proper Newcastle weekend- and it was fab.

The fun started on Thursday when the Durham kids came into the toon for some dinner and a gig. About 8 of us went to "A Taste of Persia," and what a taste it was! I had a glorious lamb shank that fell right off the bone. The waitress told me I looked Persian, which made me feel very exotic indeed!

After our meal, we had some drinks at Rendez Vous, which is a new very colourful bar. I do not recommend it, though, because they do not have much selection. We were, in fact, planning on hitting The Long Bar, but apparently, there was a gang fight, so they temporarily closed it down.

To end our night, we went to the Academy and listened to Passenger, who played a very good show.

On Friday, we were planning on hitting the Ouseburn pubs, but it was raining very hard and I had 'homework' to do. You see, I lead a monthly book group, and I hadn't finished the book! So I had to stay in and read, but it was a nice change for a usual Friday nite.

On Saturday after my book group and a bit of shopping (usual pasttime here in the city- too much temptation), Bret and I made a simple pasta dinner with fennel salad. Then we walked over to the movie theatre. We had forgotten that going to the movies in England is a wee different than it is in the US. In the US, Bret and I like to check out what time the movie is playing, then if we have some time, we go to the bookstore and browse and then go to our movie. But here in the UK, bookstores close at 5, so while you wait for the movie, the only thing to do is drink. This is not convenient, because drinking makes us sleepy. We were really missing our Barnes and Noble days while we sipped our gin and tonics, but after walking around a bit, we discovered a lovely tea house open late and had some herbal infusions. Finally, it was time for our movie: 21. It was really entertaining! Spacey plays an excellent villain, Bosworth looks beautiful, and the main actor does a really great job.

But Sunday was the most fun because we started our new gym! It is amazing and really cheap. Just 44 pounds a month for our joint membership (which is excellent round here). And the gym is huge. It's in the shopping district of city centre, in a mall called Eldon Square. There is tons of equipment, lots of fun classes, courts, and we even get access to the pool! Bret lifted weights while I did a 'tone and stretch' class. I am now so sore from not working out in 5 months! But it's gonna be great.

That nite, we ate at Eye on the Tyne, a very nice restaurant with ok food. The rain had finally ceased and the river was like glass. After dinner, we walked around in the peaceful dusk, and went home to curled up on our couches with our Horlick's chocolate malts. We watched Brick, which I got from our blockbuster delivery service. Good times...

How to Decorate an Atrocious Rental

2008-04-11T13:53:00.001+01:00

How to Decorate an Atrocious Rental
By Claudia Vilato

With the housing market ever more uncertain, more of us are holding off on the mortgage and opting for the rental. But what’s out there isn’t always new, modern, or sleek. Let’s face it, for some of us, home is a 70s shag carpet with green walls, pink sponged doors, and blinking fluorescent lights. Here are some tips on how to make the most of your dump- I mean digs.

1. Work out the layout: Nurture your inner designer and make a bird’s eye view plan of each room to create your furniture layout. Take measurements and get large furniture items in the room first. Then work out the accessories.
2. Say No to Hodge-podge: If you’ve already got a gnarly home or apartment, don’t make it worse by loading up the room with mismatched furniture. Your grandmother’s 19th Century vanity does not match your white Ikea bed. Keep it consistent to create a mood to the room.
3. Simplicity is key: Start collecting knick-knacks and your home will start to look like a lion’s den. De-cluttering is the name of the game.
4. Develop your green thumb: Kiss your plant-phobia good-bye! Nothing enlivens a room more than a little Mother Nature in the home. Ferns, flowers, and potted shrubs not only improve indoor air quality, but fill up awkward or dull spaces. Vases with fresh-cut flowers or long-lasting cuttings like bamboo or eucalyptus also refresh a dingy room. Take a look at the lighting of each room, and choose your plants accordingly. Oh, and don’t forget to water.
5. Lights!: Nothing ruins a space more than dreary lighting. And in a rental, you can get stuck with some pretty horrendous illumination. So try to get floor lamps or table lamps whenever possible. Paper lanterns are a cheap and lovely, and if you can change the ceiling lights, go for track lights, down lights, or dimmers. Sexy and stylish should be your motto.
6. Clever cover-ups: We’ve all had to deal with it: the furnished rental. Why they so often choose couches and tables circa 1950 is beyond comprehension, but they do, and we’re stuck with ‘em. Do not just get an old sheet to cover up the furniture. Get proper couch and chair coverings. It will make all the difference. And if your dining room table displays a collage of fossilised macaroni, a funky mod tablecloth should do the trick.
7. Wall art: Ok, I know what you’re thinking, “If I had 500 pounds to spend, I wouldn’t be in this hole.” But art doesn’t have to be expensive. Clearance stores like the Gift Shop often have fresh canvassed photography for just 5-10 pounds. Second-hand art books can also provide some fantastic designs. And if the muses pay you a visit, a few deliberate paint splatters on a blank canvas sheet would make a great cover-up for that mould-infested hole in the wall.
8. Area rugs: They define space, add colour, and double up as great yoga mats. Place squarely in front of a couch, or at an angle to add interest to a bland room. Make sure it’s stain-free and vacuumed often.
9. Good smells: Ok, so you’re done with your décor, and you’ve transformed your ugly duckling of a home into an elegant swan. But the previous tenants smoked, had 3 cats, 4 dogs, and a cage of exotic birds. So what to do about foul odours? If you’ve got a carpet, get it steam-cleaned immediately. Wash the walls, vacuum with neutralizing powder, and light up your incense. No matter how beautiful your home, if it smells like a farm, you won’t have many visitors.
10. Don’t forget to tidy: I know, this is more a matter of discipline than design. But you shouldn’t neglect to give every room a good scrubbing at least once a week, kitchen and bath twice a week. To save money, buy an all-purpose cleaner which can be used on floors, surfaces, in tubs and toilets. If you’ve got a lot of stuff thrown about, buy organisers and wardrobe drawers. Oh, and just because your mom doesn’t nag you about it anymore doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pick up your clothes off the floor.

Braudia's 2nd Home Together

2008-04-09T14:07:00.001+01:00

We have finally done it: left Coronation House in Durham and moved to a nice, new flat in Newcastle. We rented a Peugeot station wagon for 3 days and drove back and forth all weekend in the snow. Yes, you read it correctly: snow! It's mid-April here in the UK, and there are still snowstorms. The weather hasn't changed much since we got here, and we're getting tired of this 7 month winter...but I digress, let me tell you about our new house.

We live about 1 mile away from the train station, in a quiet neighbourhood between the Quayside (party district) and Ouseburn (art district). We looked at many very nice flats, but most were too small. Finally, we found a 2 bedroom for the same price that we're paying now. It's a remodelled/furnished 2 bedroom/1 bath with hardwood floors, white walls, a green accent wall, and very efficient heating.

As you walk through the door, you see a hallway with several doors. The first door to the right is the bedroom. It has one window with vertical blinds (would have never chosen them, but hey, can't win em all) and natural wood furnishings. We have 2 wardrobes in there (no closets- damn Brits!) which we have filled with very effective storage from Ikea, a double bed, and nightstands on each side.

The bathroom is across from the bedroom. We took down the 'half-glass' shower door that was on the tub and hung up our shower curtain. For those of you who do not know, Europeans are very fond of the 'half-glass' shower door. It is the stupidest invention every because it doesn't prevent water from splashing outside of the shower. It also collects mildew. It also falls off sometimes. It is shit. Anyway, so we put up a normal shower curtain and bought a glass cabinet for our toiletries. Now our bathroom is virtually clutter-free.

As you continue down the hall (very nicely lit by a track light), to the right, you will find another door- the office. We are still waiting on James, the estate agent to remove some of the landlord's crap from the flat, including an extra bed, so this room has not been finished yet. All we can say is that it will have two desks, computers, and a bookshelf.

Finally, at the end of the hall, you reach the Living/dining/kitchen. It is all one room, but we have sectioned off the furniture in an L shape to create a living room/tv room nook. The couches are very dark leather and very nice. There is a large window which faces the church (its bell rings every hour, which sometimes wakes me up at 4am!). As in all European churches, there are a few dead people buried on the grounds. Unlike in the US, it is not freaky here to be living next to a 'cemetary' because they are everywhere. Even playgrounds are built on cemetaries (I suppose for some this might conjure up beautiful 'circle of life' imagery- new life and death coexisting peacefully- not so much for me, but I'm now used to it). We also get a small view of the river and the Millenium Bridge- which is super cool when lit up at night.

Finally, our kitchen is quite spacious. Our fridge is hidden in one cabinet and our freezer in another. We also have a washer/'dryer' hidden in a third. I put quotes around dryer because it sucks. It doesn't have an air vent, so it semi-dries. It also takes about 3 hours to wash, so we need to work on that.

Anyway, pictures are forthcoming. We must get the office done!

Easter Ireland

2008-03-24T18:03:00.001Z

Bret and I have just returned from a fabulous trip to Ireland. Even though we’ve already been to Dublin, we decided to go back because our friend Tom was going to be there with his rugby team. So we booked ourselves a cheap flight and a cheap hotel, and headed out.

We had great plans in store- party with Tom, hit the Irish pubs, go to the zoo, and shop. However, our plans went slightly awry. First, Tom’s rugby schedule changed- we originally planned on meeting in Dublin, but Tom’s team was actually scheduled to play in Limerick- on the other side of the country. So instead of partying with Tom in Dublin, we decided to take a 2.5 hour train ride to Limerick and have some drinks with him there. Though not heavy drinkers, Bret and I especially appreciated these drinks because the night before was Good Friday, and it is, as we learned, the one and only day out the year when the Irish do not drink. All the pubs were closed because it is, in fact, illegal to sell alcohol on Good Friday. So on this holy of holy days, we simply had a meal at a cafe, bought some roasted broad beans at a posh food store and watched Runaway Jury on the tele.

After a womderful night’s rest, we woke up to the crisp, sunny skies of Dublin. The hotel itself, the Camden De Luxe, was absolutely atrocious on the outside. It had these bars in the front, a dark little side entrance, and an old smokey lobby. Surprisingly however, the rooms were quite nice. Very simple (and surely the top comforter came from a charity shop, as it was covered in cigarette holes), but fairly clean and very comfortable. Best of all, it was right in the centre of town, just a 5 minute walk to Temple Bar- the hot area in Dublin. Dublin is a very vibrant city. There are lots of cool cafes, coffee shops, and international restaurants. In fact, for breakfast, we went to a Hungarian café- though funnily enough, we had full Irish breakfasts there. After our tasty morning meals, we hit Grafton Street for some quality Irish shopping. Bret bought some jeans at Dunnes Stores and I got a pair of super cute red shoes at Korky’s. After our hard work of spending, we replenished ourselves with fresh-made juice from a vegetarian café, and hit the train station to get to Limerick.

Limerick is not a cool town. It’s on a river, and there are a few nice shops, but it lacks the color and diversity that are so prevalent in Dublin and Galway. However, catching up with Tom was fun. We had our Easter Saturday drinks, and then went ate dinner at Rosie O’Grady’s. I had a very low-fat meal of traditional bacon and cabbage with mash and bechamel sauce, Bret had some funny-named Irish chicken, and Tom had duck. Feeling like we had had enough of ‘Stab City’ (as Limerick is so affectionately called by the Dubs to the East) we headed back to Dublin for a night out on the town.

Temple Bar was absolutely manic! The bars were so full, people had to congregate out on the cobble streets. Each pub has a different color façade, and they are all very well-lit. There are street performers, live bands, and wonderful food smells in the air. Bret and I were trying to find a comedy club, but we settled for Kiwi ice cream and hot chocolates instead.

On Easter Sunday, we reluctantly headed back to England. But we have lots of travel plans coming up:
1. Edinburgh in April
2. Amsterdam in June
3. London/Cambridge in July
4. Austria/Germany in October
5. Miami/Iowa/California for the holidays

A Week in the Life of Braudia

2008-02-20T20:40:00.001Z

We have comfortably settled into a routine here in Northeast England, so we figured it was time you heard about a typical week in the life of Braudia.

During the weekdays, the fun begins at 8am. That's when our alarm goes off and we get up. We head down for breakfast and watch "Wild Tales" or rather I, Claudia, watch Wild Tales. It's a kid's show about baby animals. I know, a bit juvenile, but they are so cute, and the stories are done really well! Once that's over, we watch a bit of the news and the weather. 'Round here, the weatherman always says more or less the same thing: "Another miserable day in the Northeast" or "It's absolutely horrible out there" or "It's going to be a bitter 2 degrees (celsius) out there"...it's funny cuz the weather isn't great, but it's not "horrible" or "miserable" all the time. It's just kind of blah, but the weather people make it out to be a daily drama. I guess we all need to have our fun, somehow...

Around 8:45, Bret and I head out on foot or on our bikes into work. We both work close to home, so we don't need to take any buses or anything. While at work, I just do my typing, photocopying, enveloping, etc, and Bret researches, plots graphs, and advises Astronomy students. Bret has two communal coffee breaks during the day where he gets to chat with other astronomers. During my work, I listen to music and podcasts (cuz my job is so easy!). Tuesdays are my favourite days, because I get to listen to my "60 minutes" podcast and "This American Life" podcast. Sometimes I also listen to "Left, Right, and Center" but I prefer the other two.

I get a one hour lunch break in which I leave the social services building and run errands around town. On Tuesdays or Wednesdays, I buy fruits and veggies at the local stand. Sometimes I go to the library to check my email (we're not allowed to access hotmail at work) or check out cds and dvds. Other times, I buy toiletries at Boots, the main British super-pharmacy.

At 5pm, I begin my trek back up the hill to our home. Bret and I split the cooking days, but roughly, he cooks 3 days and I cook 3 days, then we eat dinner out one of those days. We make really nice meals! Sometimes we do an all day crockpot (pork and stews are really good for this). Other times, we do whole chickens. These are great because they are cheap and we get lots of meat out of them. We eat lots of lamb, and I love making duck. We do not eat beef anymore because British beef is less than delicious. We have seafood one a week, and sometimes we have a high protein vegetarian meal, like tofu or mixed bean soup. I also like to make fancy salads and cut up fresh fruit. Oh, and we also eat lots of chocolate gateau for dessert!

Anyway, our grocery day is usually Monday or Tuesday, but we do not go to the store because we do not have a car. Instead, we get our groceries delivered from Tesco. We just go online and pick out the food we want, then pay an extra 4 pounds for delivery. We choose a time slot (say between 9am and 11am on Tuesday), and the tesco man brings the groceries to the door. I miss browsing through the aisles, but this is ultra convenient for us. On Sundays, we plan our week's meals, buy our stuff, and make it throughout the week.

Anyway, so after dinner, we do the dishes. We do not have a dishwasher, so we have a system, which is usually Bret washing and me drying and putting away. It's actually not too bad because we put on fun music and I drink a glass of wine while Bret drinks a beer. Then we either play a boardgame (I know, we are dorks, but they are so much fun!) or watch a movie and wind down.

The weekends are a bit different. On Friday nights, the astronomy department goes out to the pubs, and I meet up with them. It's lots of fun cuz I drink my ginger beer + whisky and then we all eat out at a restaurant or something. Saturdays and Sundays, we have little adventures. We might go shopping or go into Newcastle. This coming Saturday, we are renting out first car and going to the Kielder Forest in Northumbria! Bret often works out on the weekends, too, and I do a bit of writing. And of course, there's cleaning the house and doing laundry (again, music is key to making this a 'fun' activity) We love hanging out with people, inviting them over, and going to the movies. And we are super excited for the milder weather to come so we can have picnics and Bret can teach me soccer, I mean football!

So as you can see, we've got a nice steady life. We'd love to meet more friends (and I'd love a more challenging job), but we have our good times, given our limited means!

The Boxer Rebellion's Tight Tunes

2008-01-20T16:41:00.001Z

The crowd screamed “More, More!” as The Boxer Rebellion finished their short, but super sweet set at Fibbers nightclub in York last Friday. Their performance was part of a quick UK tour which coincides with the release of their new single “Evacuate.”

Their mainstream indie sound has been compared to The Verve and Radiohead, and it wouldn’t be surprising if these angsty introverts made it to the top. Sexy singer Nathan Nicholson crooned passionately, complete with twitching limbs and tragic eyes. Bassist Adam and guitarist Todd strummed with focused intensity, and drummer Piers held a strong, steady beat throughout the show.

They met through a message board back in 2001 and got together in London. Adam and Piers hail from the UK, but Todd comes from Australia, and Nathan comes from the Southern United States. Despite their cross-continental origins, they are yet to gain popularity across the pond and beyond. But if they continue performing like they did on Friday, that is sure to change.

Their first and only full-length album, Exits, was released in May 2005. They are not sure when they will release their next, but they featured some strong new hits, the most memorable being “Flashing Red Light Means Go,” with powerful drum beats and variable melodies. A few old favourites pleased the crowd, too, especially the dramatic lament “We Have This Place Surrounded.”

Download “Exits” now. We’re sure you’ll be screaming “More, More,” too.

Resting it out with Pinxos, Paella, and Peddling

2007-12-31T14:49:00.001Z

For those of you who have never been, Barcelona has an excellent public transportation system. There are plentiful buses, trams, trains, and a metro. But that’s not all- the city has recently started something called Bicing, a pick-up/drop-off bike system for locals. We tried to get bikes, but as we later found out, one needs to register and live in Barcelona to rent one. We are not sure if they are free or just really cheap, but they are great. There are Bicing stations all over the city, so you can pick one up in Plaza Catalunya, for example, and drop it off by the Barcelonetta Beach (as another example). I think every urban city should invest in this system because it is sustainable and fun. Almost everyone loves bike-riding, and it’s much faster than walking.

So anyway, on Wednesday, after a failed attempt to go to Montserrat (I was feeling sick) and successful attempt to sleep until noon, we decided it was time to hit the town. For lunch we had Pinxos, which are little breads with either tortilla or crab or jamon Serrano, or other yummy foods attached with a toothpick.

Full and happy, we walked around the whole city and took the metro to the beach. We strolled leisurely and Bret taught me how to skip stones. Then, we looked up at the distance and realized that there was a series of cable cars overhead. After looking at the map, we realized that we could take a car over the city to Montjuic, yet another part of Barcelona. The ride was lovely because it took us above the sea, and it was lots of fun to get such a nice bird’s eye view of Barcelona. After doing a few sprints around the mountain, we met up with my family again for some dinner. We walked around the whole city looking for places to eat, and finally settled on another Pinxos place in Old City close to the Cathedral. To end the night, we went to the newly designed hotel Ooomm, where we listened to live music and had Amaretto with Cream.

On Thursday, Bret was not feeling well, but he was determined to experience the town, so we rented tourist bikes (not bicings) and rode around the whole city. We have decided that the best way to see a city is by biking or mopedding. We had such a fun time biking through the Born and the Parc de la Ciudadella (where there are lakes, pathways, and a zoo). The sun felt so nice and warm, we decided it would be a perfect day for a paella on the beach. For those of you who don’t know, paella is a delicious Spanish rice made with peppers, squid, lobster, and shrimp. It was perhaps the most delicious paella I’ve had (next to my mother’s of course!), and the hot sun and crashing waves made the experience a completely hedonistic event.

To finish off our bike ride, we headed up through Poblenou, which is a quiet and quaint part of the city, and then Bret went back to nap while I wreaked havoc in the stores. Let me tell you that Catalonians are not known for their kindness towards strangers, and I experienced firsthand the wrath of the shop clerk. Ok, wrath might be a bit strong, but I was needlessly scolded in two stores for touching the merchandise. First, I went into a hat store, and after I had touched a hat, the shop assistant said: “Psst! No!!” and shook his head and wagged his finger at me. I felt like a naughty puppy, so I quickly scampered out to the open market. While there, I noticed a lovely antique typewriter. As I was testing it out, the seller came up to me and said: “Hey, what are you doing? That’s not a toy, you know.” Again, I cowered away. This was too much disciplinary action for a pleasant shopping trip. They could have put signs that said: No tocar, or gently told me that touching the merchandise was not allowed. But no, this is Barcelona, and you have to be a feisty little one to survive the stores. Once you know that, shopping is much better. I think, in fact, that Barcelona shopping is even better than New York shopping because in Barcelona, they have stores you can’t find anywhere else, while in New York, most stores are international chains. Sure, there are chains in Barcelona; in fact, my parents bought me some lovely outfits from the chain MANGO, but they also have little boutiques that aren’t all terribly expensive. I got this really cool felt necklace from a store in Gracia, the young, vibrant part of Barcelona. And there were some really fun pins and patterns in stores around Old City.

Anyway, we have been left visually and gastronomically satisfied. And we are ready for more international adventures. We hope, not only to hit up places around Europe, but even take advantage of the fact we are so close to Africa, and go to Egypt and Morocco. But for now, we’ll keep it quiet here in Northeast England. As they say in these parts: Ta-ra!

Bon Nadal: A taste of the good life

2007-12-30T23:29:00.001Z

Feliz Navidad to all, or should I say Bon Nadal! Catalan is everywhere in this fiercely independent Spanish province. In the morning, we did the traditional Christmas thing: Mass. We went to the Cathedral Santa Maria del Mar in the Gothic neighbourhood called the Born. This is by far the coolest neighbourhood in Barcelona because there are romantic little winding alleyways and funky boutiques full of Spanish goodies. The Cathedral was unsurprisingly very impressive, with its thick stone beams aspiring to the heavens and colourful stained glass windows forming kaleidoscopes on our faces. The Mass surprisingly (and luckily) was relatively short, despite having been in Spanish, Catalan, and French.

After our holy pilgrimage, we took a quick look at my grandfather’s lovely old flat, which was in the neighbourhood. But since we were starving, we did not linger long, and went to my cousins,’ Stella and Amadeo’s, place shortly after. They live on the other side of town, in a posh area known as the Eixample. There, we soon gathered into a nice sized group, including my six cousins, my parents, and the family priest. This old Jesuit man was good friends with Stella’s mother, who passed away a few years ago. The family has remained close to him, and kindly invited him to spend Christmas with us. Only problem is he spoke mainly Catalan, my cousins mainly Catalan and Spanish, and Bret only English. But I think we managed quite well.

After passing around some presents, downing some wine, olives, and fois, we proceeded to have lunch (at around 3:30!). We sat around at a very grand table with a large crystal chandelier and rococo paintings on the walls. After the little old priest had recited part of a prayer/poem that he wrote (in Catalan), which I gathered had something to do with sunrise, baby Jesus, and Santa, we proceeded to feast. And what a feast it was! Light macaroni soup to start, followed by Escudella- a fabulous Spanish dish of cabbage/potato/carrot/pork/blood sausage/chicken. Wine poured generously from every angle. And then it came: the climax of the lunch: lobsters. While at first we attempted politeness, given the formal surroundings, by the second lobster, we had dumped our manners out along with the lobster shells. And by our fourth lobster, we were competing over who could get the most meat out of the claws. Stuffed and happy, we finished our meal with traditional turrones and some Champagne. 3 hours later, after our hard work of eating fine food and imbibing our vino tinto and bubbly, we headed back to the Alexandra for a well-deserved Christmas nap.

Barthelona: Sun is shinin, weather is sweet...

2007-12-29T21:42:00.002Z

Well folks, Bret and I are back from our Catalonian adventure, and what a great time we had!

It was Bret’s first time on the Iberian peninsula, and I hadn’t been in 8 years, so I had forgotten quite a bit about it, like how sunny it is in Barcelona! Every day we were blessed with bright blue skies. The temperature, too, was glorious, usually in the mid-fifties. Despite this, wherever we went, we saw everyone bundled up with scarves and coats. Even most dogs were clad in their little canine sweaters! Barcelona is a very dog-friendly city. Actually, it’s a very pedestrian-friendly city, not only because of the weather, but also because the sidewalks are wide and there are many shops and cafes everywhere. We stayed in a wonderful little hotel called the Alexandra, right off the Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s “5th Avenue”. Everyday, we walked along the storefronts of Tous, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, and MaxMara.

But the shiny storefronts were hardly the only objects to dazzle our eyes on this trip. Barcelona was Antonio Gaudi’s design playground, and his art nouveau influence, with eccentric undulations and quirky mosaics abound. In fact, after greeting my parents and grabbing some tapas, we decided to head out to his famous cathedral La Sagrada Familia. It’s a fantastic and still unfinished structure which lights up gloriously at night. Across from the Sagrada Familia, there is a lovely park where children were playing futbol and ping pong. Like any cutting edge urban mecca, Barcelona is home to many bustling green spaces. My mom tells me that as a child when she would visit Barcelona for long periods of time, she would feed the pigeons in Plaza Catalunya and play in the Parc de la Ciudadella. These parks act as a sanctuary to garrulous groups, joyous (and tantrum-throwing) children, fetching pups, and romantic (frequently underage) couples.

Surrounding these parks, there is often a mixture of buildings: Parisian-style apartments, grand government structures, and sleek hotels. The old and the new comfortably co-exist in this cosmopolitan city. Ornate gothic churches sit alongside jagged-edged post-modern structures. The centuries compress within buildings, too. It is not uncommon to see an old 18th century exterior, with thick stones and dramatic doors, lead to a cleanly refurbished ultra-modern interior.

After appreciating the preliminary sights of Barcelona, Bret and I decided to head back to our own minimalist quarters at the Hotel Alexandra. As we lay in bed, we couldn’t help but notice that there was something curiously different about our setting aside from the obvious change in location from our English bedroom. Then we realised: unlike our bedroom in Durham which faces a noisy, busy street, this room faced an interior courtyard. We closed our eyes, and for the first time in 3 months on Dec 24, we had a truly silent night.

Hiking Scafell Pike

2007-12-25T10:08:00.000Z

Greetings from Barcelona!

Hello all. Claudia and I arrived safely in Barcelona earlier this afternoon and have spent the evening touring the area a bit with Claudia's parents (some tapas, Sagrada Familia, and gorgeous walks through the city). Tonight, we'll probably be heading out to the Ramblas and will soon have pictures and stories. For now, I'm taking some time, while Claudia gets gussied up for tonight, to write about my hiking adventure last weekend (December 15th). I was able to convince a couple of mates (Jim and Tim; hereafter, TNJ) at work to head out to the tallest mountain in all of England, Scafell Pike, for a bit of a ramble.

For those of you reading who may not be familiar (i.e., roughly everyone reading this), Scafell Pike is located in the Lake District and rises roughly 1000 meters above sea level. So Scafell Pike is by no means an enormous mountain in the global circuit of high peaks, but since the base of the mountain is near sea level (unlike many large mountains) and the terrain can be steep and rocky, this was a very good challenge for a one-day hike. TNJ and myself got a good start at the mountain shortly after 9:30am. Without including non-negligible detours that were taken, we hiked roughly five miles to the top of the mountain. The entire hike was done over very clear conditions in areas where there was no cover by trees. This made the hike quite windy and picturesque (see photos of our ascent). Near the summit the terrain became challenging to the point where we were climbing at what seemed to be a 45 degree grade in somewhat icy conditions. In fact the final quarter mile or so was covered with a thin glazing of very slippery and solid snow, which we climbed using small rocks that protruded from the snow-buried terrain. But in the end, we perservered and made it to the top with just enough time to get back before sun down (at 3:30pm here in northern England!!!).

Though this hike was not the most challenging physical trial, the experience was enough to get me thinking of undertaking more ambitious future climbs. Around here the big talk about hiking seems to be the "Three Peaks Challenge," which is a challenge to hikers to venture to the tops of the highest peaks in Wales, England, and Scotland all in one day. While I may not be up for such an ambitous adventure at this stage, my current goal is to complete each respective hike separately in the near future and to soon make it out to the Alps for some additional hiking adventures.

a crisp winter evening!

2007-12-11T22:48:00.000Z

Good evening everyone,
Bret and I have just returned from a night out to the Gala- our mini movie theatre here in Durham. They play two movies a day, and they change the movies every week. Last week we saw Darjeeling Ltd. (not bad) and tonite we saw Fred Claus (v cute). We use our Penn State ids to get a student discount, so the movie comes out to a bargain 3.60 ($7.40) instead of 5.00 ($10.20).

Anyway, so it was a gorgeous evening because it's now freezing, so the dew has frozen onto the sidewalks (pavement) and the grass, and everything looks like its been sprinkled with magic fairy dust! I just love it when it's cold and still, and you can smell the clean air. There was no wind, just beautiful stars, haze above the river, and glittery sidewalks. I miss the snow, but these brisk, tranquil nights are wonderful, too.

Aside from the gradual weather change, life has really picked up for us here in the Northeast. Bret is working on his research as intended, and I am temping for the time being. I've been working as a bookseller at Waterstone's and a receptionist at one of the University dorms. Both jobs are easy and a good way to pass the time, get out of the house, and earn a little money. But come January, I hope to get a permanent office job in Newcastle. We hope to move there in April when our lease runs out. We have realised that we enjoy urban life too much. Durham is quaint, but lacks cultural resources. If we lived in Newcastle, we'd have plenty of restaurants, shops, and gyms to choose from. Not to mention that Newcastle has both a bus and a metro system. It's much more action-packed and diverse. So if I get a job in Newcastle, essentially, we'd have a reason to move there. If I get a job in Durham, we'd "be stuck" in Durham cuz it wouldn't make sense to move to Newcastle if we both had to commute (the train is pricey). I'm sure either way it'll be fine. But it would be great to get out of these country 'burbs and move to a metropolis.

We are very excited for our upcoming future. We'll be going to Barcelona for Christmas (don't worry, I'll tell you all about it!). It's great cuz my cousins live there, and my other cousins are going there, and best of all, my parents are meeting us there too! Bret and I are excited to eat snails, rabbit, and octopus (which we don't get here in mince and mash land). A few months after Barcelona, we plan on going up to Edinburgh, the gorgeous and super hip city of Scotland. I was hoping to go to Russia this summer, but it looks like that one might have to wait...

Thanksgiving at the Coronation House

2007-11-23T23:27:00.000Z

When I proposed to the Brits in my department that we have Thanksgiving at my house this year, I was not thinking that it would have such a positive response. That's right! Last night Claudia and I celebrated Thanksgiving at Coronation house with nearly ten others; eight of whom were new to the experience.

During the day Claudia made sure to clean the house and make it look presentable for our guests. The bed was made, carpets were fluffed, candles were lit, plants and carpets were strategically placed, and the lighting was tuned to be just right. I have included some mildly artistic photos here to show just how sleek Coronation house can get with a little bit of TLC. You can compare these photos with those that I added last month when we first moved in.

Claudia and I spent much of the early day preparing dinner sides in the traditional Thanksgiving way: there's the stuffing, the cranberry sauce, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, and just when the kitchen was reaching capacity, there was the 11 pound turkey. Unfortunately things got off to a bit of a slow start ... someone (hmm, hmm ... Bret) mistook turmeric for tarragon and left the stuffing smelling like a typical Indian curry. This forced me to start again after waisting about an hour of time cooking some onions, carrots, and pear in turmeric. We'll try and use this odd mixture to make a soup.

After this rough start, everything seemed to fall into place without any further problems. We finished cooking around 6pm, in plenty of time for ourguests who began arriving at 6:30. The food was a smashing success! Others brought desserts, beer, and wine, making this one of the largest feasts that I've ever hosted. Everything turned out delicious and there was plenty to go around for all twelve of us. We spent the night dining, chatting, and playing mafia (see Halloween entry below) until things settled at 12:30 or so.

It's interesting to note that for the past two years I cooked Thanksgivingdinners in Pennsylvania for friends who were stuck in town, and each time I probably got around half the number of people that showed up last night. Of course this is mainly due to the fact that in the US, Thanksgiving is such a family-oriented holiday that few people are without their families. So it's pretty cool at how popular you can become by hosting such a gluttonous holidayin a foreign country. This implies to me that deep down inside, everyone is a fan of Thanksgiving.

Our day in York

2007-11-17T19:10:00.000Z

Phew! We have had a blast! Bret and I just returned from York. We left this morning around 10:00, and 45 minutes later, we had arrived in York. The minute we got into the train station, we knew we were in a cool city. The station was tall and grand, and there were bikes everywhere. Suddenly we had a realisation: Durham is a suburban wasteland compared to this gem of a city!

Ok, so Durham isn't that bad. It is gorgeous too, but much much smaller. York has lots more shops: department stores like Fenwicks, international shops like L'Occitane, and cool boutiques everywhere (Boho Belle was my fave cuz the clothes is so Kate Moss and the perfume was French). Basically it's got the shopping and restaurant life of Newcastle, plus the quaintness of Durham. For dinner we ate delicious South East Asian, but there was also a Pakistani restaurant, a Turkish restaurant, and Thai food. The most exotic we get here in Durham is a traditional Indian curry.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you what we did before dinner. First, we went into the cool cosmopolitan sandwich shop for lunch. After Bret downed some hummus and peppers and I chowed on chicken with mango chutney, we headed over to the National Railroad Museum, where we checked out old railroads and rode on a giant ferris wheel with magnificent views of the city. From the top, we saw green parks, stately homes, and the York Minster (the largest gothic cathedral in the UK).

After we finished the ride, we decided to head to York Minster ("The Minster") and check it out a bit closer. As we walked towards it, the bells tolled louder and louder (ding, ding, dong-ding, ding ... ding, ding, dong-ding, ding ...). People swarmed the narrow streets, and smells of delicious nuts, sweets, and butter filled the air. We had arrived in the hotspot of York.

The cathedral looked impressive. As we walked in, we could hear the boys choir singing dramatic classical songs. The ceiling rose up high, candles abounded, the mysterious scent of incense infused our noses. But then we realised that to experience more, we would have to pay 5 quid.

Suddenly feeling like the Durham cathedral (which is free) was good enough, we opted to walk around the York city shops rather than check out anymore of the minster.

In York, there is an area called "The Shambles." Actually, it's a really narrow cobblestone street, with tudor-style buildings that lean over the road. It's all windy and bustling. Really great fun! There was an outdoor market, some home decor shops, and cute little pubs. Really small alleyways are called "snickleways"...I think those were the little alleys leading out of The Shambles. They are dark and hovering and give the impression that a hairy burly beefcake bearded Viking will pop out on the other side (side note: York was the Viking capital in England).

After window shopping for hours, and feeling sensory overload, we attempted to head over to 'the tower'...all I know about this tower is that in the medieval ages (in this case the 1100s), hundreds of Jews and Jewesses sought out protection in this tower, but they were killed because they refused to renounce their faith. We didn't learn more because it was a 3 quid entrance, and we had already bought a few goodies at the shops. Opting for consumerism over history- we are so post-modern.

Finally, it was getting dark (16:20) so we decided on an early dinner. I ordered a Japanese box of squid and meat, pickled veggies, cooked veggies, cabbage, and white rice. Bret had a Korean Bi Bim Bap. Gastronomically content and exhausted from the day's walking and looking, we headed back to the train station, and finally made our way to the Coronation Station at around 19:00.

Our Hallowe'en Party, Guy Fawkes Nite, and more

2007-11-07T14:04:00.000Z

Ladies and Gents,
I have not forgotten my blog duties. I have been busy looking for employment, which has thus far been unsuccessful. I have discovered that teaching at a Community College is not the most sensible path, as I would have to go back to school for two years to get some silly certificate. If we were staying here permanently, it would make sense. But since we will only be here for 3 years and US Community Colleges do not require additional certification, it makes far more sense to work in another area, make money, expand my employment skills, and then return to my calling when we get to the US. Bret has been talking about settling down in Oregon. I have never been, but I took a city test, and Portland was my number one city. Health-conscious, dog-friendly, cultural, and clean. There I will be able to motivate young minds to enjoy reading and writing...
Anyway, this is not the time to think about the future. It's time to think about the past- past week in Durham UK, that is.
We hosted our first party on Hallowe'en (I don't know why the Brits do the apostrophe thing). As mentioned in a previous post, we decided to go potluck-style, given our poverty. I made a chicken mush in the crockpot, which turned out pretty tasty (though far from my best, I'm afraid), and our friends brought everything else, which means that we now have a 3 month supply of Gateaux and wine (another curious Brtishism: they call cake by its French name).
While we ate and drank, we dedided to up the merryness by teaching the Brits one of our fave games: Mafia. If you do not know how to play Mafia, I'll give you the quick explanation.
There is a Master of Ceremonies (Bret) to monitors the whole thing. Everyone is given secret cards to mean different things. You can get 1 or 4 options: Mafia, Detective, Medic, and Townsperson. The object of the game is to catch the Mafia, who is lurking amongst the group pretending to be a townsperson. Everyone closes their eyes, and the MC tells Mafia to open her eyes and 'kill' someone, then close her eyes. The MC asks the Detective and Medic to do a few things, and then at the end of the session, someone ends up dead unless the Medic saved the person. Everyone accuses each other of being Mafia. And then everyone votes on who to 'lynch'...if the Mafia was lynched, then the townspeople win, if not, you do another round of closing your eyes, etc. Usually, it takes awhile to catch the Mafia. And there are often a lot of innocent townspeople who are killed before the Mafia is killed. Anyway, it was really fun...

So we didn't have any trick or treaters. Hallowe'en is just starting to get big here. But it's not nearly as fun as in The States. And of course, there's no Thanksgiving, though we are going to host one for our friends. But amidst the super early Christmas decorations and shopping, there's a little Brit holiday called Guy Fawkes Nite.

Apparently, a Catholic named Guy Fawkes made a plot to blow up the corrupt Protestant Parliament (I do not mean to suggest that Protestantism is corrupt; only in this case I believe it was). He failed in his plot, and three months later, he was tortured and hanged. This all took place in 1605. And the country is still celebrating this nite. I think we are meant to be celebrating Guy Fawkes for his effort, but maybe we are celebrating the fact that he failed. I'm not clear on it.

Anyway, it's a big fireworks nite. And so Bren and Dave invited us over for some yummy lamb casserole and apple crumble with custard. We then went out to the freezing cold and watched the fireworks display. It was pretty fun, but not as cool as Independence Day in the states cuz Guy Fawkes nite doesn't have any music. I really thought they could have added a little Classical music, at least, but no, just pop pop, bang bang.

Anyway, so we are really pumped for the weekend, cuz we are going to see Into the Wild in Newcastle and have Jim and Kristen over for dinner. I am going to continue to look for a good job, possibly do some temping for the time being, and of course, do some creative writing. Surprisingly, I've been writing poetry. Most of it has turned out to be about Coronation House, actually. I have found the benefits of riding the bus: time to write. I just take my pen and notebook, and write while I wait and while I'm on the bus. That way, I'm not wasting time and I'm exercising my brain. I am not fond of being carless because buses take much longer, but at least I'm making good use of my time.

the NHS, Newcastle nites, and our upcoming party

2007-10-28T12:13:00.000Z

Hello everyone,
Happy daylight savings! or "Fall back" or whatever. I know that in the US, you don't turn your clocks until next weekend, but here in Northeast England, we have eagerly turned them back today. It was wonderful sleeping in until 10, which was actually 9. To celebrate, I made Bret and myself some scrambled eggs and toast with some strawberries that I bought in the town market yesterday. I love doing Saturday shopping in town because all the vendors have their veggies and flowers and meats. There is a butcher in the indoor market, and I plan on buying some yummy cow hunks next weekend.
After our breakfast, I set out on a 30 minute run around the farms and hillsides. It's a gorgeous day (55 degrees and sunny), and so I put on my ipod, set it to some hardcore techno, and hit the hills. there was lots of horse poo along the trails, but it's beautiful anyway. Even though we live in a 'suburb,' there are lots of farms around. Right by our home, there is a horse and chicken farm, where they sell free range eggs. We will buy some soon because I used up the last of our Tesco eggs today.
So anyway, house updates: we have a gorgous couch that is very comfy and sleak. It is sitting right under the living room window, where I have 4 potted mini arecas and a bamboo shade rolled up half way. I also bought a fern for our donated bookshelf which is in the dining room. And I got 2 ivy plants for the top of the bookshelf (the leaves will drip down as the plants grow). We plan on spray-painting the bookshelf black because right now, it's just wood color. We are also really excited to put my mom's art on our downstairs walls, and Carmen Ruiz's art in our bedroom.

My herbs are doing phenomenally. the parsley and cilantro (coriander) came back to life, and the mint is going crazy. We are having a Halloween potluck party on Wednesday in which I will make lots of mojitos, hot apple cider, and a rice/chicken crockpot casserole. I'm still not sure what I will dress up as. I'm going for clever and creative because I can't afford a 'real' costume. So suggestions are very welcome.

Anyway, about a month ago, Bret and I went to Newcastle. We decided to go to Eldon Square because we saw that it was a hip shopping area. However, shopping around here closes at 5 so we just kind of roamed around deserted streets. We had eaten some gross sushi that had been going around in a conveyer belt, and then we went to go play pool at a bar where we were the only people over 17. We wondered why everyone raved about Newcastle. It seemed like a boring dirty town to us. With bad food. We were so disappointed.

But on Friday, we gave it another shot- this time with locals. We went out with Mark Norris, Shelly, and we met two other scientists: Gaz (nickname for Gareth) and Hugh. Together, we hit up a decent little Greek restaurant (I had vine leaves, Mousaka, and baklava, of course) in which we imbibed large quantities of red and white wine. Then we met up with Mark's middle brother, who is a beat bobby (steet cop) and Gaz's woman, Teresa at Revolution. It's a super hot bar with loud music, posh decor, and lots and lots of people. I had one of my usuals: a cosmo. After Revolution, we went over to Quayside, the absolute cooooolest part of Newcastle. it's right by the River Tyne. The bridges are all lit up, there are street performers, lots of ethnic restaurants, awesome bars, and crazy clubs. It was a gorgeous nite- cool, full moon, wispy clouds racing overhead. We went to two more bars, and exhausted, we asked middle Norris to drive us back to Durham. We crashed at 2 am and didn't wake up until 10:30. While we were not hungover, we were definitly lethargic. Bret was kind enough to make me some homemade oatmeal with maple syrup and cream.

So finally, we are starting to see the great parts of England. Not only is the nitelife way better than we thought it originally was, but there are aspects of the government which are great too. For starters, guns are illegal in this country, even for cops. That means virtually no gun violence exists (of course, they can be purchased illegally, but it's still quite uncommon to hear of such crimes, unlike the US). The death penalty is also illegal, and has been since the 60s, I believe. And of course, they have state health care. Believe me, I believe in business and profit. And I mistrust all governments, in general. But matters of health should not rest in the hands of profit-makers. Setting myself up with the NHS couldn't have been easier. They didn't even ask to see my passport. I just went to the health clinic, filled out a little form, and now I have an appointment for a check-up this thursday. Prescriptions are super cheap, too. So no copayments, no ridiculous costs. Just a few pounds and that's it.

Coronation House Photos

2007-10-21T12:14:00.000+01:00

Here are some pics of our new digs. Hope they do it justice. Comments and decorating suggestions are most welcome. :)

Front door; note that the bushes have now been trimmed. Claudia is facing the street.

Our 2nd floor bedroom, pre-furnishings. Window faces street.

Our 2nd floor bathroom. Sexy candles now added to window sill. Window faces our yard.

Our yard.

Our first night sleeping arrangement. Kitchen in back at left and yard just outside window at right.

Our kitchen area; pre-furnishings.

Our Ikea bed.

Claudia in our office area. Bedroom in room behind her. Yard in front of her.

First dinner in dining room. Street behind her.

Reminiscings of our Honeymoon

2007-10-20T22:32:00.000+01:00

We've now obtained internet at the Coronation House, where I have been coronated as king ... of the house. Anyways, I've decided to post a few pics from our honeymoon in NYC and Ireland. Pics of the Coronation House will follow.

New York City Skyline

Claudia on a water taxi (Empire State Building in the background)

Downtown Ireland

Claudia and I on the top of a double-decker bus

Jumping for joy in St. Stephen's Green

Guinness mustache in the Guinness factory

Napping on the way to Galway

Downtown Galway

the latest gossip from coronation station

2007-10-18T11:26:00.000+01:00

So as it turns out, Bret has discovered a much unused gift: carpentry. He's a whiz putting furniture together, using tools, figuring out how things work, and installing. We have a new track light system in the office that we got for super cheap at B&Q (think Lowe's or Home Depot), and we're gonna get more. Today, after a another furious day of calling people and sending out my resume, I will go to B&Q to get a tree and some fresh soil. Unfortunately, my Parsley and Cilantro have died. But I am determined to develop a green thumb. I have placed 4 mini arecas on the living room window sill, and the mint and basil are still going strong.

We got the carpet steam cleaned yesterday because it was rotting, and the steam cleaner told me that the water was the color of our coffee table (the darkest, deepest brown you can imagine). I am not sure if the cigarette smell is gone, though, because now the house smells like dirty carpet chemicals. In any case, it looks much much better.

This weekend, we will install our blinds. We plan on doing thick venetians in our bedroom and the dining room, and bamboo in the living room. Soon, we hope to paint the walls, and in a few weeks we'll have our muted-chocolate couch from Argos.

I wanted to have a party for halloween, but the house will not be ready yet. So we're gonna wait and have a Thanksgiving party. We're calling it: "Making Peace with the Enemy" Party. We'll serve traditional thanksgiving food (I've already found an amazing Martha Stewart cranberry chutney) and invite all the Brits. In the meantime, we can only invite one couple at a time every weekend. This weekend, we hope to invite the Alexanders for some Butternut Squash soup, minty lamb lasagne, and poached pears for dessert.

I promise, pictures will be on the blog this weekend. You see, I write from the town library cuz our internet will not be working until tomorrow.

Notes from Neville's Cross

2007-10-14T12:59:00.000+01:00

Well friends,
The letting agency has already taken the house off the site, so we'll have to post pics soon. Having our own place is AWESOME!! The house is quite shabby, old, and dirty, but it's got lots of potential. The carpet is burgandy and gross, the walls are mauve, the ceiling has this tacky white floral paper, and the light fixtures are medieval or something. So we hope to a. steam clean the carpet to get rid of the cigarette smell. We have tried deodorizing, vaccuuming over and over again, fabreeze, plug-ins. It's hopeless, the tar is embedded.
b. paint the walls white. It is a dark house, and the mauve doesn't help. White will surely freshen it up.
c. change the light fixtures. Chandeliers are a thing of the past. We are down light and track light people.
d. the ceiling we'll keep (yuck)
e. we hope to get rid of the gas fireplace. it's soooo ugly.

Aside from these minor house horrors, the kitchen and bath are new and lovely. And we have a small city garden in the back which we will fill with ivy and evergreens.

We have already put HHHerbs on our kitchen window. We have parseley, mint, basil, and coriander (cilantro for you non-UKers).

We have also received our first batch of essential furnishings. Ikea delivered our coffee table, dining room table and chairs, cutlery, plates, and pots, our bedding and bed and bedframe, and some other things that we are gonna return cuz we grabbed the wrong stuff at the store.

We now need our couch (there was a mix up about that), and lots of accessories, like fat white candles, paintings, bamboo shades, desks, and of course, plants.

It's so fun to fix up our home...unfortunately it will have to be bit by bit cuz we are soooo poor. For the first time in my life, I've had to ration how much I can spend on food.

Pics forthcoming...promise. You will see the beauty unfold in the upcoming months.

we have a house

2007-10-09T15:59:00.000+01:00

that's right, not a flat- a house!! well, the flat fell through, after 2 weeks of chasing after them, pushing them, crossing our arms and giving them the evil eye, we got sick of it, told them that we were interested in another property, and in 3 minutes, the deal was done.
we measure for furniture on thurs and move in fri.

if you want to see pictures of it, go to google and search 'lets rent robinsons,' which is the letting agency. then, find the property entitled "coronation house" (that's the name of our house). click and you can see pics.

and when you do, you'll notice that the carpets are burgundy. they really make this lovely house look a lot more drab than it is. that's the only downside, really. it's got a garden, a new kitchen and new bathroom, a nice master bedroom with closets, and a little room we can use for guests and an office.

a bus on route to our gym passes by our front door every half hour. and it should be a 10 minute bike ride to the station.

there is also free parking for guests (we can't even think about buying a car at this point)

ah, finally. we have waited quite a while for this.

Rowing Upstream from the River of Sorrow

2007-10-06T18:32:00.000+01:00

Friends and Family,

This morning I went on a walk with my camera so I could take some picures to share. Claudia and myself have been slowly making the journey towards normalcy, despite not having a place that we can call home.

Actually, Claudia has been bouncing off the walls with joy because yesterday she was selected to interview (on Monday) for a position as a marketing assistant. Right now she is reviewing her interview strategy so that she is prepared for all kinds of questions. If you have any suggestions for Claudia, please comment!

Today, I went to Bannatyne's gym to sign Claudia and myself up for a membership. The gym is a 35 minute walk from Durham city centre and on a frequently-visited bus line. This is great, considering it's been roughly two months since we've had a stable gym and my muscle mass has begun to whither somewhat ... ahhh! Additionally Bannatyne's has free weights and machines, cardiovascular machines, exercise classes, a pool, steam room, sauna, restaurant, bar, squash courts, etc., etc...

After sculpting my guns, I met up with Claudia to go exploring in Durham city. We decided to head down to the River Wear and go for a row boat ride. This means I got to row the boat, while Claudia enjoyed the fresh air on this nice sunny day. If you're visiting Durham, I would recommend the row boats. It's a great way to see the surrounding area, while getting harrassed by local fishermen! To finish off our lovely evening, we ordered some paella, wine, and beer at the riverside restaurant "Hallathan's." For dessert was a delicious banoffee pie ... for those of you not familiar with banoffee, try it now! Fantastic!

So now, Claudia and I are going to take it easy and get a movie. We have high hopes for getting the "OK" to move into our flat this week, at which point we will be very busy decorating. Goodnight for now ...

Cheers,
-BDL

P.S. - Our potential flat is in one of the pictures above. The flat is above the Loyds bank.

A better day

2007-10-02T18:45:00.000+01:00

Good evening friends! We have sorted out our financial woes! Goodness, moving to a foreign country is so complicated.

But it's no fun to write about our troubles, and I imagine that it's even worse to read about them. Let's talk fun times.

I have started running again because it's nice and cool (some days not so nice and really damn cold, but for the past few days the weather has been lovely). We get lots of exercise just living in Durham cuz we have to walk everywhere, and the hills are quite unforgiving, but we need purposeless exercise, too. I just listen to my running podcast and follow the instructions. It's pretty easy so far, interval run and walk, so I'm using it to build up my speed.

We have also been doing a bit of cooking here at temp house number two. They have a gorgeous modern kitchen, so it's a pleasure to concoct our culinary delights here. Last nite, Bret made Andouille sausage with Red beans. Tomorrow, I will make steak or lamb. I don't know about you all, but Bret and I love "hominess." While we love to go out to the pubs and have a good time at a fancy restaurant, it's so cosy to cook a good meal and listen to music. We really miss playing boardgames. And we are so excited to have potted plants. Bret's into herbs (pronounced HHHHerbs) and veggies, and I'm a flowers kinda woman. MMMM, soon enough we'll have a home.

And soon enough, we'll be writing about our travels. Once we settle into our home, we will start taking day trips around the country. And in several months time, we'll be able to hit up other countries. Our first stops will be York and Edinburgh. Oh, and London, of course. Harrods, here we come!

one day we'll have a happy post...but today is not the day

2007-10-01T16:24:00.000+01:00

The situation is not getting any better. We keep calling the letting agency, but they don't return our call. The prob is that we had to pay 150 pounds to apply for the place. It is standard to have to pay an application fee when you rent a place. The thing is that if they do not want you to live there, you do not get your money back.

To make things even more complicated, the women who processed our account at HSBC totally effed us over (trying to keep it pg for the kids). We wrote US checks for our HSBC account and she told us that it would take 5-7 days. Well on day 8, I decided to find out why we still had zero in our account and the reason is because she made a mistake. For a large sum, it actually takes 8 weeks to get money into the account, not 5 days. big oops, and best of all, they do not want to deal with their mistake. We have to figure out a way to fix it. We are currently working on that.

still broke and homeless (but in a posh temp house)

2007-09-29T15:06:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon everyone! We are still poor and I'm still unemployed!!! yay!!
So, Durham is a really cute little college town. There are lots of pubs serving bangers and mash, mince pie, shepherd's pie, yorkshire pudding, and lots of other greasy goodness. Since Bret and I don't have a kitchen of our own, we must eat out for every meal. Needless to say, we have grown quite accustomed to British fare. Though restaurants are super expensive here. Everything is...

So, we still don't know if we have a flat yet. They take for freakin ever here to check the references, etc. I don't see why they wouldn't want us to live there, but anyway. Hopefully we'll hear something next week.

We thought our possible-soon-to-be flat was pretty good, minus the carpets, until we saw Jim and Kristen's pad, our new temp house. God they have amazing taste. They also live right in town, but the place is brand new. It's all Ikea-ed out and it's got these gorgeous hardwood floors, new kitchen and new bathroom. Luckily Bret and I get to sleep in the same room in temp house no. 2, so that's a plus. But it will be a real blow to have to hit up New Elvet. Sure, we pay much much less than they do, and we definately can't afford to pay more than the New Elvet spot, but it's no where near the poshness of Jim and Kristen's.

So since I've been compiling lists lately, I figure I'd continue on with the theme.
Today's list is Britain vs. USA.
Good stuff about Britain:
1. bacon and sausages (much better than America's). actually, breakfast in general is damn delicious here.
2. "Dentyl" mouthwash- this brand is amazing. You shake it and swash for 30 seconds. When you spit, the plaque collects in bits, and you have excellent breath for hours. No morning breath the next morning
3. outdoor aesthetics- let's face it, all of Europe is gorgeous. houses have colorful doors, ivy crawls up old stone mansions, and hanging baskets abound.
4. you can buy liquor in the grocery store (that's right- vodka, gin, the works...)
5. tesco, the walmart of britain, delivers groceries and other goodies to your house. Hello walmart, what are you waiting for???
6. public transportation is far more efficient. buses and trains are great.
7. less urban sprawl- more efficient city planning makes for easy movement for one place to the next.
8. old stuff in general. the history, the castles, the cathedrals...just beautiful. it's so romantic to hear the bells from the cathedral gonging away in the evening. So soothing and haunting at the same time.

Pros about the US:
1. stores don't close at 5. enough said.
2. everything is muuuuuccccchhhhhh cheaper. food, clothes, transportation, taxes, you name it, it's cheaper.
3. less beurocracy- this is a biased one. But the trillions of forms you have to fill out here for everything and waiting games that you have to play for a flat, a bank, a life really makes life less flowy, shall we say.
4. broader range of environments and weather. You can get hot, cold, medium, sunny, rainy, everything. here in britain, it's rainy and cold, and that's it.
5. family and friends....oh!!!!! the twins! kiki and roberto!!
6. size!! everything is bigger in the states. albeit, sometimes grotesquely big, but at other times, it just makes more sense. such as the washer and dryer. the fridge, everything, really.
7. when you rent a place in the states, it comes with everything, including a closet, and appliances. this is a rarity in Britain.
8. you are not charged for having a bank account.

We may have a flat...

2007-09-24T14:21:00.000+01:00

goodness gracious folks! it's been a stressful start here in the northeast. we are currently residing in temporary accomodations at an astronomer's house. it is a less-than-ideal situation because we cannot unpack and bret and i are in separate rooms. however, we are grateful that we are not out in the rain.

england and the US are similar in many respects of course, but there are lots of details that are completely different. here is a list:
1. one must pay 6£ a month to have a bank account.
2. one must pay 150£ to have a background check done if you want to rent a property
3. one must pay a council tax for renting in a property; 50£ a month
4. the routing number of a bank is called the sortcode
5. the checking account is called the current account
6. the 24 hour clock is used; not so much am and pm.
7. eating out at a restaurant is almost twice as expensive as in the US. that's right, a little sandwich (or 'butty') at a cafe is 5£ (10$).
8. yellow lines are not used to designate opposing traffic. white lines are used for both.
9. groceries are delivered to the house for a small charge (this is extremely wonderful)
10. many times a house will have a washing machine, but no dryer. and let me tell you, clothes does not try in 100% humidity.
11. there are no laundromats. none. it's not that we haven't found one. it's that they just don't exist.
12. most flats do not have closets. one must buy a 'wardrobe'...(special note: we have put in our 150£ application for a flat. a miracle: it has little closets!! but no fridge, dryer, or washing machine...)

Let me delve further into point number 12. yesterday, bret and i went to see two flats. they were quite a long walk, so we were hesitant from the start. but we were not expecting to receive so much unfortunate news. first, we get to a brand new flat- so new it's not finished.

then we go see another flat. it is in much worse condition- no fridge, unmatched piss-poor furniture, a hole on the attic, and mold on the walls. it's terrible, but it's finished. we ask how long it would take to get the flat after we have put in our application, and he said: 10-21 days!!! that's right. I don't know how it could take that long to check if someone has paid their rent in the past.

The prob is that our temp housing is only in place until Sept 30- so basically, we need new temp housing starting sunday. on top of that, add the background check time, and we're looking at the middle of october.

needless to say, we were very discouraged yesterday. luckily, bret's boss invited us to sunday dinner (really lunch, but it's a big wholesome English meal) and then we went shopping to Ikea.

God we love that store. We picked out all our furniture and budgeted, which put us in better spirits.

Today, however, we have really had luck. First we got our bank accounts hassle free. And then we checked out a cheap flat right in town that we really like. well, of course we'll have to get our appliances (the fridge will be the size of my armpit, as will the washer/dryer- they can come all-in-one here) but as I mention, there are closets!!

only thing is, the carpets are green. not funky astroturf green- I'm talking granny green. needless to say that the cool red couch that bret and i were planning on getting is out of the question. it would be horribly garrish. black would look too office building. white is a possibility- but they get dirty so quickly. although...we can get those ikea slipcovers...hmmm...

We Heart Ireland!!

2007-09-19T23:42:00.000+01:00

Phew! Our last day of honeymooning before we go home to Durham. Our flight is tomorrow afternoon, and we are really excited to have a home.

But Ireland has been divine! We spent two days in Dublin and today in Galway. Both cities are adorable- colorful storefronts, cobblestone roads, and quaint homes. Galway is a bit more intimate than Dublin, and Dublin has terrible traffic in the morning when the children are going to school. It seems that there are only Catholic schools around here. All the teenagers wear uniforms like my St. Theresa one. The skirts go down way past the knee and the socks go up to the knee. Carmelites, I'm sure...

So when we arrived on Monday, we were exhausted. The flight was 6 hours, so it's not that bad. But we were still way off schedule. We were dying to sleep but we knew that we had to be disciplined. So we headed out to the bus stop. But no buses were coming. After an hour and a half, the bartender from our hotel told us that the schedule was not adjusted to each stop. So if we read that the bus left Rathcoole at 14:00, that meant that it would arrive at our stop (which was the second) at 2:15. We were told that this is the custom all over Europe, so that's good to know!

Here in Ireland, they also drive on the opposite side of the street as in the UK. Their food is quite similar to England's, but it has actually been really delicious. When we arrived in the city centre of Dublin, we got ourselves some fish pie, which was very tasty. All the "pub food" is comfort food: shephard's pie, bangers and mash, lamb stew. Needless to say, very heavy. I must be sure not to eat red meat at Every meal or I will get in poor health! Luckily, we will cook healthy foods and lots of veggie dishes in Durham.

Anyway, on Monday we just walked around the city. There are these two areas of Dublin in particular which are super happening: Temple Bar and Grafton Street. Temple Bar has lots of pubs and restaurants. Grafton street has the high end shops. think Lincoln Road Irish style. There is this super posh department store called Brown Thomas which has the most gorgeous stuff! At the end of Grafton, there is a lovely park.

So Monday evening, Bret and I went to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant. But I fell asleep at the table! We decided that with such an incident, it was time to go back to our suburban hotel. We went to the steam room, and by 9pm we were out!

After 13 hours of rest, Bret and I decided to go back into Dublin the next day to check out the National Museum. it was great- with lots of artifacts. There was a section of Viking Irish, and section of Medieval Irish, an Egyptian collection (no, not ancient Egyptian-Irish), and a section of preserved people. Very cool- they have been preserved in the peat bogs of the Irish countryside. They look like leather, all twisted and flattened. One guy was only there torso up- apparently he had been disemboweled.

Today, we went to Galway on the train. The trip is only 3 hours and there are fluffy white sheep, rolling green pastures, and grazing cattle throughout.

Overall, vacationing in Ireland is highly recommended. But remember to bring lots of sweaters! It is windy and cold!

Before I conclude, let me tell you about a few more random observations I have made:
1. most houses have lace curtains.
2. there are beautiful hanging baskets of flowers all over. And most houses have flowers spilling off their window sills.
3. The hot water and the cold water are opposite- hot water on the right, cold on the left
4. the buses are double-decker
5. the pedestrian walk signs are not white, but a green man, then a yellow, then a red. when it turns green, there is a sound like a torpedo indicating to the blind that it is safe to cross.
6. the odd bus schedule we have already gone over...
7. black is a very common color for clothes, especially in Dublin. Clothing is more colorful in Galway.
8. Scarf usage is rampant here
9. Men dress much better here.
10. headbands are not frequently worn around here as they are still worn in the states.

Remember to leave comments if you are so moved. We love to know who is reading the blog!

Farewell USA

2007-09-16T17:44:00.001+01:00

Greetings, all. Bret and I are currently stuck in JFK because we have too much luggage and the luggage storage is full. So instead of having a fun-filled day in the city (we were planning on hitting up the MET), we must patiently remain in the airport. We can't complain, I guess, cuz we've had a great time in NYC. Let me tell you about it.

We arrived on Thursday morning at LaGuardia, only to discover that taking a taxi to our hotel in New Jersey would cost 80 dollars plus tolls. Tormented, we decided we would try taking the bus. But a man with a limo was desperate for riders, and he offerred us the trip for a total of 60 dollars. It was a white stretch lincoln, with tinted windows, tacky inside lights, and beverages. We shared it with a group of Spaniards who were going to the Upper West Side, so we got to ride through all of Manhattan down to North Bergen, NJ. It was quite a sight, arriving at the Super 8 in a stretch limo.

After settling in to our ascetic lodging, we ventured out to the city because we had an appointment in Chelsea for a sensory-deprivation floatation tank experience. It's basically a meditative spa treatment in which one enters an encased soundproof tub filled with a trillion gallons of epsom salt. Because there is so much epsom salt, you can't help but float. It is set to skin temperature so that after some time, you can't feel the water, and it feels like you are just floating in air. This experience is not for the claustrophobic. It is pitch black in the tub and you are in there for one hour. But it was very relaxing for the both of us. Although I swear, I still have salt in my ears...

That evening, we went out to Astoria in Queens to have dinner with my friend Monje and her boyfriend. It was lovely. They took us to Cavo, a Greek fusion restaurant with very impressive decor and beautiful gardens. I find urban green spaces the absolute most beautiful kind because they truly seem like an oasis amidst all the industrial decay. Throughout NY there are rooftop gardens which are both aesthetically pleasing and an efficient usage of space. Though if Bret and I ever move to NYC, I doubt we would be able to afford rent in Manhattan. Queens, Brooklyn, or Jersey City seem more within our budget. It's odd, while I really love all the action of NYC, I find it disturbing that there is virtually no "middle class" there. It's either filthy rich or working class. It must be frustrating for many to think that the money they make in NY would go much farther anywhere else than it does there.

Anyway, the next day, we decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather and walk around as much as possible. We started off our day with a water taxi which took us to SoHo. There, we ate at a lovely Greek cafe (the day before, we had eaten delicious [and affordable] Slovenian), and went to Dean and Deluca for chocolate trufffles. Bret and i both strongly agreed that they were nothing next to the truffles from our wedding. Needing some consolation from our over-priced and under-delicious trufffles, we went to the Heartland Brewery and had a seasonal sampler of seven 5-ounce beers. Yum! For dinner, we met up with Hollis, Jessica, and Franz at The Russian Vodka Room in Midtown. This place is really a treat. It's a dark loud restaurant/ bar. There's a fat man playing dramatic Prokofiev and Rachmaninov on the piano. And the caviar is divine! Needless to say, this was our "special NY meal" in which we put our cheapness aside and splurged.

Yesterday was a great day, too. We wanted to check out Brooklyn, so we went to meet Franz in his Williamsburg neighborhood. He took us around the borough, and we got to see the cool hipster vibe of this upcoming area. It reminds me of the miami design district, but less brand-name. After checking that out a bit, we decided to go to eat at the Red Hook Latino food and futbol festival. Bret and I both decided that it was not nearly as cool as Zimern and Bourdain had said it was. But it was very lively. To end our Brooklyn adventure, we went back to Williamsburg where we sipped down a few at Barcade, the most awesome bar I've been to in a long time. Basically, they have all these retro arcade games for 25 cents a game. I went nuts with Dig Dug. And Bret kicked butt on super mario brothers.

After walking around for days, we finally sat down for an off-Broadway show. I wanted something unique, so a Broadway show was out. But at the same time, I didn't want some weirdo avant-garde bs, so I wanted to really check things out before we bought random tickets.

Well, we lucked out: go see Iphegenia 2.0! Well, if you can get a seat. We were the last ones called for the waiting list, and they are sold out until Oct 1. The play was an excellent post-modern remake of the ancient Greek tragedy of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. It was smart, vibrant, and the acting was superb.

Goodness, this has gotten too long. My apologies. I hope to write shorter pieces more frequently. But as you may understand, NY wears one out! Talk again in Dublin. I think we can check our trillion bags in now.

Last Days of Splashy-Splash

2007-09-11T23:43:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon from South Beach!

Right now, I (Bret) am sitting on the balcony of the South Beach condo watching the waves of the Atlantic crash onto the sandy shores as I reflect on the last several days Claudia and I have spent here. We've been working hard here: bronzing our skin under the summer sun, floating like boueys in the waters, and discussing the various cuisines that we have endulged in over the last few weeks of our honeymoon. But our time here in the Miami area is coming to an end, as we will soon (Thursday) be leaving for the "cold" New York City.

Since our last adventure, we have continued our mission to try the widest variety of local foods that the Miami area has to offer. Recently we visited Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in the design district, where Claudia and I inhaled the offered vegetable (including lentils, collard greens, split peas, etc.) and meat (lamb, chicken, beef, and vegetables) combination dishes, respectively. All meals come with spongy bread that (in combination with your hands) is used to eat the ordered dishes; silverware was not an acceptable option for us adventurers! After our meal, we enjoyed a very generously-filled glass of drambuie and headed to the streets to check out some of the local art.

When we originally arrived in the neighborhood, we were almost the only humans in the vicinity. But after we gorged ourselves with Ethiopian food and our chosen elixir and exited the building, we found ourselves in the midsts of a not-so-lame party. All of the dozen or so art galleries had opened their doors to the public and were offering free items (wine, water, etc) to try and lure people in. And of course, since I did not want to drive on a full stomach, we decided that it would be best to simply let the forces that be guide us into a few galleries to check out the art ... and maybe we would have a bit of wine to wash down the Ethiopian. All-in-all, Claudia and I give the Ethiopian restaurant and design district an enthusiastic thumbs up.

In addition to our Ethiopian experience, we recently enjoyed the virtues of being near a grandmother on Grandparent's Day. On Sunday, we celebrated this holiday with Claudia's Grandma Blanca, who invited us to her home (in Kendal) to enjoy some delicious home cooked filet mignon with vegetables and fluffy-yellow-cake dessert. In addition to this wonderful end of the week meal, we went out to the local mall to shop for some European-style clothing at Zara. As you can see from the picture at right, I am truly ready for my imminent move accross the pond.

Honeymoon Part Deux: good eats, bike riding, and violent robberies

2007-09-08T19:12:00.000+01:00

Peops, it's been awhile, I know. Bret and I have left the keys and we have been inhabiting the SoBe condo. It's a tough life, really. Waking up at our leisure, and going for a morning dip in the pool. Then eating a hearty breakfast from Wild Oats, the local organic grocery supply. After, we do our exercise for the day: either hit the downstairs gym, go for a beach jog, or bike ride around town.

After this strenuous morning, we choose a location for lunch. We have eaten at the Gourmet Carrot (a Jewish Kosher hotspot), a German restaurant, and the yummy cuban market next door. Sometimes we shop after. Other times, we hit the ocean waters. In the evening, we either cook delicious steaks with aioli, or go out to eat. Our most delicious dinners have been Pascal's on Ponce for our Miami Spice venture (lobster bisque, a fancy mini-Bouillabaise, and the best tiramisu ever) and Shoji, the most amazing Japanese food we've ever had. We ate tuna ceviche, lobster-mango sushi, and an assortment of eel rolls and different carpaccios from the sea. HIghly recommended.

This morning, however, started off a bit differently. As usual, Bret and I got up and ate our breakfast. But he decided he wanted to rollerblade. So he rented a pair (I already have a pair), and we went downstairs to put them on. Suddenly, we hear the most fearful cries coming from the street.

"Heeeeelllllllppppp!!!!!! Sooooommmmmeeeeeeoneeeee caaaaaaalllll theeeeee pooooliiiiiiiice!!!!!!"

It was horrible.

Being the rubberneck that I am, though, I flew towards the action. But I did not have my key with me, so I could not leave the apartment area. I had to go back and get it.

When I did, I saw the victims. Miraculously, they were not hurt.

Apparently, they were having a garden plot meeting across from the apartment, when suddenly a man tries to rob one of the garden plotter's cars. The owner of the vehicle runs out to stop him, but the robber tries to run him over!!! The victim is taken around the corner on the hood of the vehicle and the robber gets out of the car and attacks him with a crowbar. The victim dodges the hit and grabs his car. The robber runs off, unsuccessful.

After hearing the good news that no one was hurt, I went for a rollerblade (Bret is still working on his blade moves, so he stayed in the parking lot), and when I got back, I saw the security guard staring out into space, wide-eyed. I smiled at her, but she said that with the violent morning, she was too scared to even get some food next door.

At least we're in good hands...

Braudia's First Moment in Sleaze Town

2007-08-31T21:35:00.000+01:00

Ladies and Gents, we are embarrassed to admit it, but we have just spent 90 minutes listening to a man tell us about Hyatt time-shares for the sole purpose of collecting 150 dollars worth in key west gift certificates.

It was painful. Totally worth it. But we will never do this again...we think.

If you recall, a few days ago, we were approached by an energetic fellow named "Paul Goodhead." We were afraid that "Paul" was a phony, and had taken 20 bucks from us because we looked happy, careless, and gullible.

However, when we showed up at the Hyatt, we realized that Paul was for real, and so was this time-share talk in exchange for 150 island bucks. We got our 20 bucks back and met another gentleman, who we'll call Frank (since we never paid attention to his real name) who proceeded to show us the Hyatt grounds.

The worst part of this whole thing is that we were the perfect clients for Paul Goodhead (the recruiter) to get commission, given our young-desperate for fun, free stuff to do look, but the absolute worst clients for "Frank" the actual time-share salesman.

And I think Frank knew this the moment he saw us.

Never in my life have I seen such a low-energy salesman. There was not an ounce of hope in his presentation. But he stoicly plowed through it, showing us the time-share spots in other locations around the country, telling us about how much financial sense it makes to have "ownership of your vacation"...

The first question he asked us: so how often do you come to Key West?

Braudia: Umm, well, we're here on our honeymoon

Frank: So you've been living in Coral Gables long? (We've been using my parents address for everything)

Braudia: Umm, well, actually, we don't have a place yet cuz we're moving to England.

Frank: thinks to himself "oh great, another 90 minutes of my life wasted" but says, "so, how often do you think you'll come down to Key West, then?"

Braudia: Ummmmm.....uummmm

yeah, you get the picture, and it only got worse.

Finally, after some silly video, we decided to come clean. Not only were we going to be living in Europe and traveling around there in a spontaneous, stress-free manner, but we didn't even own a house, much less would we care to own a vacation time-share property.

Frank: So what drew you in to this, anyway?

Braudia: the 150 dollars in vouchers.

Frank: well, I have an obligation to finish, so we can just continue then.

and he did. after 20 more minutes, we went downstairs, and the front desk girls gave us the vouchers. And now, we can go to another fancy lobster dinner- for free.

Grunts: It's What's for Dinner

2007-08-31T21:04:00.000+01:00

The other day, Bret and I went to a Vegan Health Food Store at Big Pine Key where we played oversized Chinese Checkers while munching on cauliflower, lentils, cabbage, and other "detox" food. At the store, I picked up an "Energy Times" magazine, some hippy-flaxseed recycled paper publication. In it, there was an article about the healing power of swimming with dolphins.

Inspired, I decided to get into this whole spiritual healing thing. Ok, so I don't need much healing, per se, but still, I figured if it's so wonderful for the depressed and autistic, imagine how wonderful it could be for someone who is happy and social? For 200 bucks at the Dolphin Research Center, I could swim with these geniuses of the sea...

When I got there, they threw me in with a group of seven people who were also doing this "dolphin encounter"...Now, considering my interest in achieving some awesome inter-special communication, I was expecting to be diving in and out of the water, playing ball with the dolphin, or if things turned dark, seeing the dolphin circle a part of my body indicating that I had a tumor or something.

I was not expecting to simply take turns giving hand signals to the dolphin so he could dive, "laugh," or splash. Don't get me wrong, it was quite cute and all, but it sure wasn't 200 dollars-healing my soul cute. The whole thing took a grand total of 45 minutes. One woman kept saying, "This is so worth it, this is so worth it"...and she was totally enamoured by the dolphin and kept asking the trainer to ask the dolphin to give her "a kiss on the cheek." Once her request was granted, she followed with "does it have to be on the cheek?" The trainers went silent for a moment before one spoke up, "We like to keep things platonic here." I wonder if she ever realized that the dolphin was not really giving her a kiss on the cheek, but pressing his mossy snout to her cheek in exchange for some sardines from the trainer?

In any case, fascinating, adorable creatures, but by no means a life-changing encounter- at least for me.

Later on that evening, Bret and I went to a party boat for a Night Fishing Trip. We had had such horrible luck a few days ago fishing from the nearby bridge, that we decided to give the whole fishing thing another shot.

The night was gorgeous: calm seas, a hazy, romantic sunset, and later, a tangerine for a moon- its orange glow reflecting off the black ocean.

The fish? Well, that's another story. We left at 6:30 and the boat would move to a new location every 15-25 minutes. Everyone around us was catching fish after fish. Except for Bret and me. Our rods remained sadly unbent.

Suddenly, at around 10:30, I caught my first fish! Shortly after Bret caught one, and we got on a roll! We got back, collected our grunts, had them filleted, and we're gonna make them tonite.

raw oysters, lobster, sunset, and splashing

2007-08-29T02:30:00.000+01:00

Hello all. I am currently digesting lobster tail with mango-cognac butter and chocolate fondant souffle + chocolate truffles, all courtesy of "Pisces" restaurant in Key West. Amazing! Well, and pricey. But totally worth it. I have admitted to Bret that I have a weakness for the "finer things in life"...luckily, I do not mind paying for my weakness, and he doesn't mind tagging along. He enjoyed an endive-goat cheese salad and a yellow-tail snapper with shrimp dish, as well as Creme Brulee for dessert. Also very yummy.

After the decadent dinner, we headed down to Malory Square where we got a glimpse of the sunset. For those of you who have never witnessed a Key West sunset, there's a reason why it is so famous. There's nothing like staring at a glowing fireball amidst dramatic clouds sink into the glistening ocean.

Two nights ago we tried to see the sunset, but we got distracted. You see, after a disappointing day of fishing and not catching a damn thing (and Bret burning his back due to poor sunblock application), we wanted a good adventure. We decided: what would be more Keys-appropriate and daring than a batch of raw oysters? I love these little critters, though I know that they can be a bit dangerous re food poisoning. We searched online and found several enticing raw bars in Key West. Raw bars tend to really overdo the whole raw food thing. They give you all these extra sauces to cover up the taste. But take my word for it: a little lime and slurp it down! No extra sauces needed.

After our dinner, we dove into the pool at the restaurant. It was a lovely and festive evening. There was a happening bar scene full of locals, a puppy, and good music. But we were soon told to get out of the pool because it was closed and they were "shocking" it with chemicals. We didn't ask what that meant. For fear of turning radioactive, we rushed over to the showers and left for a walk. If our hair suddenly falls out, we'll sue Dante's Raw Bar.

Walking around Key West at night is one of the most exciting things to do. There are cute shops, colorful people, and lots of outgoing individuals. One of those outgoing individuals is "Paul Goodhead," the man who either (1) scammed us into giving him 20 bucks, or (2) legitimately works for the Hyatt in some odd/ overly generous marketing promotion. As we were strolling about, Paul shouts at us:

Paul: Hey, are you on your honeymoon?
Us: Yeah, how did you know?
Paul: Oh, you just have the look of love in your eyes!
Us: (bashful chuckles)

He then goes on to tell us that the Hyatt has opened up a new location and that after a 90 minute presentation, we would get free wine and three 50 dollar vouchers to spend on the island. While the whole thing sounds incredibly suspicious, we decided that it might be worth it. Our appointment is at 11 am on Friday, and we have already given him the "refundable 20 dollars"...He showed us his I.D. and told some guy on a walkie-talkie (presumably the man is also affiliated with the Hyatt) that we'll be going on Friday. The papers and brochures he gave us look legitimate, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if I just lost 20 dollars to a conartist. We'll keep you posted!!!

We Found the Treasure!!

2007-08-25T13:22:00.000+01:00

Good morning friends! I am currently lathered in Calomine lotion because I got bit all over my arms and legs by some creatures (mosquitos? fleas? sea lice?). Unfortunately, the lotion is not working...oh well, it's the downside of being an explorer. Let me tell you what we did yesterday.

We started off the morning by going to our gym in Marathon Key. It is a very complete gym for a semi-decent price, and best of all: we are the only ones in it! Well, yesterday I did see an elderly lady walking on the treadmill, but generally speaking, it's empty. I worry about these types of non-touristy businesses in the keys. There is a health food store in Big Pine, and I've never seen anyone in it. There is also a Yoga studio which I plan on visiting at least once. I have never seen any cars parked in the Yoga studio spots...

After our gym fun, we decided to do a geocache. Now for those of you who don't know what that is, you can check out www.geocaching.com . Basically, it's a treasure hunt in which you use a GPS unit to find the cache. The "treasure" is nothing special: just a box with trinkets and a little notepad for you to write in. The whole point is the journey. There is usually a clue and you must use your sharp senses and wits to figure out where the cache is hidden.

So we looked online (you can do this too; they are all over the world) and found that there are three chaches in No Name Key. We decided to try the hardest one. And on the website they suggested we take a kayak to the coordinates. So we rented a kayak on Big Pine, and started paddling. It was awesome! First of all, Bret did most of the paddling (he likes to lead, and I like to relax, so it works out quite well). Second, the water was gorgeous. We saw fishies and coral, and I could have sworn that I saw a sting rey, but I tend to imagine a bit sometimes, so this is in question.

After half an hour of strenuous paddling on Bret's end, we tied the kayak to an old rickety dock. There were crabs everywhere and it was probably 100 degrees. I was basically drinking my own sweat. We searched the place, the clue being: "Above Ground". But it was tricky, because there wasn't really any ground as we were in a mangrove field. Bret was about to cut through the vicious mangroves to check out an old bucket which looked like a potential cache, when he got a eureka moment to check under the dock itself. Bingo!!! An old thermos was tied to the bottom of the dock. We had found the cache!!!

We kayaked back to Big Pine after signing the cache-log, and walked home.

That evening, we decided to hang around the area and go to Boondocks where we ate Filet Mignon and Lobster tail, a yummy key lime pie, and I had a Pinatini. When we finished, we played some mini golf, and I beat Bret 52 to 55. We would have played again, but it was scorching, and my creature bites were killing me. Instead, we went home and watched The Beach, which has inspired us to investigate traveling to Thailand.

Must go now. We want to find a nearby bar that has a pool, too.

Mopeds and more

2007-08-24T02:02:00.000+01:00

Today Bret and I went to Key West and rented mopeds, and let me tell you: I am ready to buy one! Ok, so maybe it would be more economical to get a used Smart Car or something, but still, excellent way to see a new city. You don't get tired as you would on a bike, and it's not as slow as walking, but you are still in the open air, unlike driving around in a car. I can just see us now mopedding across the Italian countryside on our "holidays"...

While on our moped travels, we did lots of exciting things: for lunch, I had a delicious Mahi salad, and Bret had an aioli chicken sandwich. We looked at all the adorable little pastel colored houses, we rode by trendy/wild Duval Street, went swimming at a beach, and best of all, we went to the Key West Winery, where we tried Grapefruit wine, Peach wine, Key Lime wine (our least favority- tasted kind of like Mr. Clean, and looked like it too), and the one we bought, Guava wine. After our moped travels, we went to a bookstore where Bret bought a "Learn to Speak Spanish" CD set and an astronomy book.

I regret to admit, that because of my "I don't burn, I brown, so I don't need sunscreen" attitude, I know look like a raspberry. Even my upper lip got burned, so bad that it looks like I got a bad electrolosis job or something. I now realize that living in PA for two years has changed my tanning abilities. I will load on the Paba tomorrow...

Maybe soon we will go to a fancy restaurant around here. I love cooking, and Bret's food is amazing (tonite's meal: Milanese Pork and Caprese Salad), but I cannot leave the Keys without having a fabulous lobster meal.

Goodbye for now everyone. I need to investigate this summer's Miami Spice restaurants. We hope to go to one before we go off to Europe!

Honeymoon Part 1

2007-08-22T00:13:00.000+01:00

Greetings all. We are relaxing here in Big Pine Key right now. Bret has just cooked a fabulous salmon with leeks, and I made baby spinach with lemon and pine nuts. We are also enjoying Helene's wedding present- Mango Wine. Yum.

So married life has been treating us quite well. Our wedding suite at the Mandarin was quite posh- rose petals on the bed and the bathtub and a breath taking view of the Bay. the next day we stayed at Silvia and Enrique's South Beach condo- another super posh experience- with dimmers, orchids, and a Tempur-pedic king size bed...

And for now, we'll be sitting back here in the Keys- my borther in law's place. It's a typical Keys home, very layed back and unpretentious, but comfortable and beachy. While there are homes all around us, nobody seems to be inhabiting them. As far as we can tell, we are the only lights in the neighborhood. Our only neighbors are the Key deer and the nasty iguanas.

We have many plans for the Keys, including nite snorkeling, kayaking, biking, fishing, and waverunning. Today we just went to Key West and explored it. We walked around Duval Street, had tropi-cocktails, jogged in the sauna (South Florida in August), and dipped into Smathers Beach- very slushy and gross, actually. We will be going to Key West often, but we also plan on going to Looe Key and the Tortugas (very piratey).

Well, that's it for now. Pictures are forthcoming...

Hello everyone!

2007-07-20T21:03:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone,
As you may already know, Bret and I are getting married (Aug 18!) and moving to the UK (where we will supposedly have superb free healthcare). We have created this blog so that you can all see wedding photos, learn about our travels, and virtually experience life in Northeast England (less rainfall than average!).