well, since my last post i've done a bit of travelling... to Paris, back to the States, and to Malta. All of the trips were great, and i'm looking forward to more travel opportunities... but it is nice to be home for a few weeks...
Paris:
Mostly, it was cold. And the city was actually quite dirty... and yes, the people were sort of rude. Unlike most popular tourist cities, Paris did not make an effort to post signs, menus, etc in languages other than French. We did okay... finding places to eat, and ordering mostly sandwiches. Our hotel was a dump. Just thinking about how crappy it was makes me shivver (so if you're going to Paris, I can recommend a place to NOT stay).
Since i was so busy with work, I didn't have a lot of time to research things to do. So we started out doing the main tourist things within walking distance of the hotel. Then we decided that we could see more (and see different things) by taking one of the open top bus tours. We did see more, but we nearly froze to death in the process.
We also took the train to Versailles. The line for tickets there was very long (2 hrs), then the line to get in was long (another hour)... and on the inside, while it was super beautiful, you weren't allowed to take photographs, and you were ushered through the rooms like sheep. Some rooms I didn't even get to see the exhibit because there were so may people pushing me through. Overall, after spending 3 hours in line, we were only inside the palace for an hour. By the time we got out, we were too tired to walk through the gardens (but lets face it, it was winter, and they aren't spectacular at that time of year anyway).
The best part of the trip was having dinner at Chartier's. We had read in our guide book that it was a neat place, and that if you go there alone, you would be seated with others. So, as a couple, we did not expect to be seated with anyone else. Wrong... the place really only had 4-seater tables... so we were paired with another couple. They were just as thrilled about having to spend their "romantic" dinner with another couple as we were (much sarcasm). But through the course of the night, we got to know the couple, and became quite friendly. They live in London, and we exchanged numbers in order to get together sometime.
To see pictures of our Paris trip click: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160b7u6w.c03kozuo&x=0&y=2xtkig
States:
Getting to visit with my family was nice. I got to be my sister's first houseguest! She and her fiance just bought a house! It was cool seeing how her life is coming together. And I took a few days to visit with some friends in Maryland. Again, it was good seeing everyone... but because of a work trip to Vegas, there were still some dear friends that I didn't get to visit with this time. The rest of my time back in the States was pretty uneventful. I relaxed and did a lot of shopping. Just what I like in a vacation... The ride home was eventful, though... the winds in London were super high when we tried to land... i thought the plane was going to come apart! after the first attempt failed, we tried again... and again, the plane shook like i've never felt before... finally, the pilot decided it was too risky, and we diverted to Amsterdam. That would have been okay, if we hadn't been forced to sit on the plane on the tarmac the entire 3 hours we were there. Eventually, we made it back to London, and I was glad to be home.
Malta:
The trip to Malta was a little rushed. Having just returned from the States on Monday, leaving on Friday for a 2 day trip wasn't the best idea. But it was nice to get to see the sun for a few days. The weather was just right - not so hot that you had to wear shorts... and not so cold that you needed a coat. We also did one of the open top bus tours there too. In less than 3 hours, we were able to cover the major part of the island. It wasn't very beachy, but since I'm not a fan of sand, that didn't bother me. I enjoyed learning the history of the island and seeing the architecture more than anything.
Pictures from the Malta trip can be seen by clicking: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160b7u6w.1lh0kbj4&x=0&y=-hud64x
Like I said, I am glad to be home for a bit. It's springtime here in England... and I'm enjoying seeing the flowers in bloom, and all the bunnies hopping around. Yay Spring!
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter!
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
pictures
I think this link will take you to the online gallery where my pictures are shared. And if it doesn't work, just leave me a comment and I'll send you an email to "invite" you to view the pics... enjoy...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160b7u6w.cje1qp3s&x=0&y=l5b1bl
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=160b7u6w.cje1qp3s&x=0&y=l5b1bl
Yes, I know, I’m a slacker…
I could use the excuse that I was just too busy to update my blog, but that’s not entirely true… I had plenty of time to veg out on the couch watching movies, or dorking off on Facebook, so really, I had time to update here… I just didn’t.
Anyway, a lot can happen in 3 months. Here’s a brief recap:
In November, I got to know our next-door neighbors a little better… I locked myself out of our house, and they were nice enough to let me hang out in their home until the property management company could bring a spare key. The neighbors were super nice, and gave me the rundown (i.e. gossip) on the neighborhood.
Also in November, Chris and I went to Belgium. We spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Brugge. It was a very quaint city, and had lots of beautiful architecture. The weather was very nice for being outdoors (well, it was cold, but at least the sun was out), so we walked around the city quite a bit. We also got to visit an amazing ice/snow sculpture exhibit! And, of course, you can’t talk about Belgium without mentioning the chocolates… they were amazing! *drooling*
December brought happiness and some sadness. A few days before Christmas, Chris found out that he was accepted to Test Pilot School. It’s a great program, and super career boosting for him… but it’s in California, and he has to report in June of ’08. So there was the happiness of him getting accepted, and the sadness of me just getting here, and having to leave already. But, to throw a wrench into the works (like always happens with us), I had applied for a great promotion with my job, and shortly after Christmas, I found out that I was being chosen for the promotion… but with the stipulation on the promotion was that they were looking for someone who would be around for at least a couple of years. So, happiness – I got a kick ass promotion; sadness – I’ll be here while Chris goes to California.
Despite our conflicting careers, we still managed to have a great Christmas. It was our first together (even though we dated for many years, this was the first time we were actually together on Christmas). I decorated a little bit… it was nice to have an actual fireplace upon which to hang the stockings… and I even made the traditional Christmas dinner (but in two nights, because it was too much food for just one night). I still missed getting to spend the holiday with my family, but it was nice to be with Chris, and start our own traditions.
New Year’s Eve was quite fun, as well. We attended a party at one of the local pubs. It was a costume party (here they call it “fancy dress”). The theme was Red Carpet (movie stars and characters), so Chris and I went as The Tin Man and Dorothy. We had a great time, though I must admit that not having the big countdown was sort of anticlimactic. Everyone was just standing around, and then we heard Big Ben ringing over the radio, and that was it. It was the new year. We all held hands, sang Auld Lang Sine, took a sip from a communal cup of whiskey, and there were kisses all around. Definitely different that what I’m used to.
And for our latest adventure, Chris and I have just returned from Switzerland. We spent a few days in the cute little town of Adelboden. It was exactly what you would imagine a small alpine village to look like. And the mountains were amazing. Chris did some snowboarding, but I mostly just loafed around our cabin, and explored the town. I definitely need to brush up on my foreign languages, because you never know when you’re going to be somewhere where hardly anyone can speak/understand English. It was an adventure trying to communicate with the cabin’s keyholder, to let her know that we would be checking out early. It’s a good thing we bought a handy German phrasebook in the airport. We probably butchered the language, but at least we tried.
Well, this definitely wasn’t a “short” recap like I was hoping for… but there was just so much to tell. I guess that will teach me not to wait too long between posts. I was going to include pictures, but there just wasn’t room. I will add lots of pics to my Kodak Gallery, and I’ll post the link for everyone to view.
Anyway, a lot can happen in 3 months. Here’s a brief recap:
In November, I got to know our next-door neighbors a little better… I locked myself out of our house, and they were nice enough to let me hang out in their home until the property management company could bring a spare key. The neighbors were super nice, and gave me the rundown (i.e. gossip) on the neighborhood.
Also in November, Chris and I went to Belgium. We spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Brugge. It was a very quaint city, and had lots of beautiful architecture. The weather was very nice for being outdoors (well, it was cold, but at least the sun was out), so we walked around the city quite a bit. We also got to visit an amazing ice/snow sculpture exhibit! And, of course, you can’t talk about Belgium without mentioning the chocolates… they were amazing! *drooling*
December brought happiness and some sadness. A few days before Christmas, Chris found out that he was accepted to Test Pilot School. It’s a great program, and super career boosting for him… but it’s in California, and he has to report in June of ’08. So there was the happiness of him getting accepted, and the sadness of me just getting here, and having to leave already. But, to throw a wrench into the works (like always happens with us), I had applied for a great promotion with my job, and shortly after Christmas, I found out that I was being chosen for the promotion… but with the stipulation on the promotion was that they were looking for someone who would be around for at least a couple of years. So, happiness – I got a kick ass promotion; sadness – I’ll be here while Chris goes to California.
Despite our conflicting careers, we still managed to have a great Christmas. It was our first together (even though we dated for many years, this was the first time we were actually together on Christmas). I decorated a little bit… it was nice to have an actual fireplace upon which to hang the stockings… and I even made the traditional Christmas dinner (but in two nights, because it was too much food for just one night). I still missed getting to spend the holiday with my family, but it was nice to be with Chris, and start our own traditions.
New Year’s Eve was quite fun, as well. We attended a party at one of the local pubs. It was a costume party (here they call it “fancy dress”). The theme was Red Carpet (movie stars and characters), so Chris and I went as The Tin Man and Dorothy. We had a great time, though I must admit that not having the big countdown was sort of anticlimactic. Everyone was just standing around, and then we heard Big Ben ringing over the radio, and that was it. It was the new year. We all held hands, sang Auld Lang Sine, took a sip from a communal cup of whiskey, and there were kisses all around. Definitely different that what I’m used to.
And for our latest adventure, Chris and I have just returned from Switzerland. We spent a few days in the cute little town of Adelboden. It was exactly what you would imagine a small alpine village to look like. And the mountains were amazing. Chris did some snowboarding, but I mostly just loafed around our cabin, and explored the town. I definitely need to brush up on my foreign languages, because you never know when you’re going to be somewhere where hardly anyone can speak/understand English. It was an adventure trying to communicate with the cabin’s keyholder, to let her know that we would be checking out early. It’s a good thing we bought a handy German phrasebook in the airport. We probably butchered the language, but at least we tried.
Well, this definitely wasn’t a “short” recap like I was hoping for… but there was just so much to tell. I guess that will teach me not to wait too long between posts. I was going to include pictures, but there just wasn’t room. I will add lots of pics to my Kodak Gallery, and I’ll post the link for everyone to view.
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