15 January 2009

And so, the adventure ends. Ray has been in Houston for a couple of months now and I've spent the last few evenings purging, packing, sorting and stressing. The movers arrive next week and I'll leave this tiny, but comfortable flat. Ray is sorting out the new home stuff back in Houston and hopefully, this stress will end soon. I am sure that there will be some things (and certainly a few new friends) we will miss here in the UK, but it's time to get back to Texas. We'll keep the blog online for a while and reminisce when we can. It was a wonderful opportunity and we are thankful. Blessings and good health to y'all (It never REALLY left our vocabulary). Ta!

Saturday 8 November 2008

As Ray headed home to Texas this week, I also flew south to Brazil. A week long workshop in Rio de Janeiro occupied most of my time, but as the returning flight to London wasn’t until Sunday night – I took advantage of a summer weekend in Rio. The temperatures were a lovely 27°C (about 90°F) and it was such a nice change from the cold and rainy London.

On Saturday, our hosts in Rio arranged for a private taxi to take us on a personal tour of the city. Linda and I had a wonderful day seeing the sights. We drove past the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches full of sun lovers and frolic.

We went into the city and visited a beautiful monastery church filled with gold and wood carvings. We visited the Catholic Cathedral (one of the most modern Catholic churches I have ever seen). Our driver took us on a hairpin turn road up the mountain through the Tijuca Forest. And that last 100 meters that we had to walk was the steepest path ever!

Once we reached the top, we were treated to a fabulous display of hang gliders and parasailing. Apparently, the weather conditions were perfect – and it was truly amazing. We sat in the spectator area overlooking the forest and the coastline and watched the sport for an hour or so.

We stopped for a fabulous Brazilian BBQ lunch. This is the red meat feast with servers bringing skewers of meat and carving it directly onto your plate. Delicious!

Next was Sugarloaf Mountain and its cable cars made famous by Roger Moore in Moonraker. Yes, I rode the cable cars (both of them) all the way to the top! It was a beautiful view and the clouds moving across the mountaintop were awesome.

Our last stop was Corcovado Mountain and a visit to the large statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor). We waited all day for the clouds to clear so that we could see the Christ (this is how the locals refer to it). And finally, as our afternoon was ending, the clouds parted. It was really an amazing site and we were able to get up close for a few photos.

Christ certainly has the best view of this beautiful city.

Saturday, 1 November 2008

Yes, it’s true... The adventures are coming to an end. My assignment here in London is completed and I will be returning to Texas on February 1. Ray has gone ahead of me and is starting to get things organized a bit. This has been such a great opportunity for us and we have seen so much and travelled to places we never expected to visit. We’ll miss tracking our adventures here, but appreciate all of the comments and feedback left here for us these past few years.

I expect that there might be a few more postings before this is all over!

Thursday 23 October 2008

Another pub update. Including our visit to the Lake District, I now sit at over 175 pubs individual pubs visited.

Dare I attempt to reach 200?

166. Ladbroke Arms: Nice enough little local type place, but inside has gone gastropub. Grab a pint and sit outside in front.
167. The Uxbridge Arms: Tucked away from the rush near Notting Hill, this is a great small traditional “local” pub. Nice little wrap-a-round bar with a friendly atmosphere.
168. Windsor Castle:(Notting Hill) Simply a great place, a rambling mix of interconnected small rooms with VERY low doorways in the partitions making for an almost maze-like feel. One of those quirky type places I enjoy so much.
169. Churchill Arms: Inside and out considered one of the great pubs of London. COVERED in blooming flowers on the outside, the inside is an eclectic mix of all sorts of decorations. Go see it for yourself!!
170. Watermill Inn:(Ings, Cumbria) Great pub that brews its own ales. Several rooms with a lodge feel: low ceilings and wood burning fireplaces. Try their Collie Wobbles ale. Good stuff.
171. Queen’s Head Hotel: (Troutbeck, Cumbria) Excellent inn-styled pub with several local ales and nice food. Two separate fireplaces and a quirky four poster bed bar and to its character.
172. The Golden Rule: (Ambleside, Cumbria) Nice enough place that’s popular with the walkers. Cozy with several well kept regional cask ales.
173. Drunken Duck: (Cumbria) Out of the way place that is known for brewing its own ales and its views. Seems now it’s more interested in being a restaurant rather than a pub. View? Only if you are interested in crossing the road and sitting on their picnic tables.
174. Badger Bar: (Rydal, Cumbria) Part of the Glen Rothay Hotel. Lovely rustic pub feel with a great assortment of regional ales. Beamed ceilings, old school furnishings and creaking floorboards. My kind of place. I quite enjoyed it.
175. The Sun Hotel: (Coniston, Cumbria) Pub associated with the 16th century inn. Some places maintain their rustic, authentic feel, but this place just seemed a bit run down.
176. The Duke of Lancaster: (Lancaster) Avoid this place like the plague. Seriously.

Friday through Sunday 10-12 Oct 2008

This past weekend, we travelled up north to visit our friends Christine and Mark, and also take in what most may consider the most scenic part of the U.K., the Lake District.

Our base camp for the weekend was the lovely Queen's Head Hotel in Troutbeck, a 17th century Elizabethian four poster bed inn. It was a great authentic place, with low ceilings, creaky floors, excellent food, very nice beer/pub and our room, without a doubt, had probably the BEST door ever!!!

One of the first sites we took in was that of the Bridge House in Ambleside. Built sometime in the 16th century this tiny structure served as an apple store, a weaver's mill and at one time was the home for a lady with SIX children!!

The area is known for inspiring the works of poet William Wordsworth. We visited Dove Cottage, his residence for a bit, and also walked the path that is said to have inspired his work, Daffodils. Down further that path is the very scenic waterfall, Aira Force. Well worth the small climb to reach.

Most of time though, when the weather cooperated, we dropped the top on Christine's convertible and just took in the great scenery.



Occasionally, we stopped and walked a bit on the several paths available.

Along with the scenery, we enjoyed some of the local fare including several excellent rustic pubs and regional ales, but most of all it was a relaxing weekend with good company.

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

One last post about our Austrian-Bavarian trip that I want to capture. It seems that with the furor of rushing through in an attempt to SEE everything, sometimes the simple sights are the ones that leave the most impression.

Whether they are the churches at almost every turn...

The colourful winding valleys of European city streets...



The quaint sleepiness of the Bavarian villages...

The subtle changing of the seasons...

or the drastic impression of the Alps themselves.

As much as I try... pictures can never capture the moment.

Monday 6 October 2008

I am SO behind in my blogging responsibilities.

After just celebrating my 49th birthday with beers in Munich, nothing helps one feel younger than watching 60+ year old men dressed up in leather pants and performing their collection of rock tunes.

Thanks to a free ticket (danke Elizabeth. Seeeee, I’m still speaking German), I took in what turned out to be a quite entertaining concert at The Royal Albert Hall by The Moody Blues. Since Nights in White Satin was always a popular song "back in the day", rivaling Stairway to Heaven as that ONE slow dance opportunity during high school dances, it was an evening of flashbacks.

They are still quite popular here and didn’t disappoint the packed house. There were a couple songs where they showed their age, but can you REALLY be disappointed in a show at The Royal Albert Hall?

Of course not.

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

Neuschwanstein Castle

Mad KingLudwig’s homage to his muse, Wagner, this 19th century castle not only is the most photgraphed building in Germany, but was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.

This was one of the sites on this trip I was looking most forward to seeing. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate as it rained during our excursion and we couldn’t take photos of its over-the-top interior.

But I was a man on a mission. As Amy, and most everyone else in our tour group, chose to find warmth and something to eat, I scrambled looking for “that perfect picture”. St. Mary’s bridge is located above the castle and was to be a perfect vantage point for taking such a photograph. I was off, bundled up as the temperatures dropped and precipitation fell I scoured up the mountain only to get…

“Ellsworthed”


Yes… seems the castle was undergoing renovations. So… see Pat? It’s not just you.

Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest

Built for Hitler as his 50th birthday gift, this chalet styled building sits high atop the German Alps. I expected more of the building itself actually… but the views from its location were spectacular.



Dachau

The Nazi’s first concentration camp and the prototype for the rest of the camps. This was just a very sobering experience.
I’ll let the images do the work.


The overcast day highlighted the somber tone of the entire visit. It was almost fitting as the sky and the Memorial to the victims leave one with an almost haunted image.

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

Munich

Munich was a blur. We only spent one full day there and gave a valiant effort to see as much as we could, which included a drive through bus tour.

We did walk about the Marienplatz with its Town Hall and got to watch the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in action. Built in the early 1900’s it is a cachophony consiting of 43 bells and 32 life sized figures re-enacting 16th tales including a knightly joust.

It was also the last weekend of Oktoberfest whilst we were there, and… um… how can I put this? It was a zoo.

We never made it into the fest fairgrounds, but did make it into the legendary Hofbrauhaus, and… um… how can I put this again? Oh yeah, a zoo. Not a bad thing, mind you, just thousand upon thousands of beer drinking, sausage devouring, stein swinging revelers. Was quite the experience, JUST to see it.

Just because we didn’t get to experience the TRUE Oktoberfest pagentry, it didn’t stop us from sampling the some of the more healthier Munich cuisine, pig’s knuckles and beer.

It was a wonderful week in Austria and Germany. Yes, I sang a bit, had a few beers and a few sausages...but I did NOT eat pigs knuckles. We met some nice folks on this tour and Ray forgot to mention that he picked up a Black Forest Cuckoo clock to go along with my Venetian chandelier from last year!

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

Salzburg

Against its Alpine backdrop and renown as the birthplace of Mozart, Salzburg proved much more than just Sound of Music opportunities. Well… for some of us.

Sitting perched high above the city on Festungsberg hill, the High Salzburg Fortress made for some very picturesque city views.

And the occasion picture postcard sunsets.

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

Innsbruck

Located at the foot of the Alps and host to the Winter Olympics in 1964 & 1976, Innsbruck was my favourite city visit of the trip. It’s pedestrian friendly main square and side streets were lined with colourful 17th and 18th century style buildings.

The Golden Roof

Highlighting the main square in Innsbruck is House with the Golden Roof, which was constructed for the royal family by the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I.

Wilten Basilica

We also made a stop at the gorgeous Wilten Basilica which was built in the mid 1700’s

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

Vienna

This capital city was once the seat of the Austrian Empire and the playground for the wealthy Habsburg Monarchy.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Considered to be the most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephen’s is the seat of the Catholic Church in Austria. A combination Romanesque and Gothic building its construction began in the 12th century.

The exterior highlight is its ornately decorated coloured roof which consists of over 200,000 glazed tiles.

Opera House

Vienna has always been synonymous with the greats of classical romantic era music. Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss all lived, composed and played in Vienna. One of Vienna’s prime performance venues is its Opera House, and it was something else.

The Habsburgs

This family was in power in Europe for almost 6 centuries acquiring immense wealth and truly didn't hesitate to show it off. We visited the Palace Treasury and Amy decided that instead of a new house, she would like this tiny emerald.

They even showed off in death as you can see from the sarcophagi in the family crypt.

Schönbrunn Palace, built in the late 1600’s, was patterned after Paris’ Versailles and is a close second in its grandeur and incredible formal gardens. Basically, the Habsburgs used it for entertaining purposes throwing grand parties here. Not a bad summer cottage.


Culinary Delights

Some fancy, some not so fancy, but in each instance, OH so good. One of my “missions” on this trip was proper sausages. While I’ve quite taken to British fare, I really don’t care for their sausages. I reached nirvana when I introduced myself to a käsekrainer, a german styled sausage with cheese included in the meat. Grilled by street vendors and served in a roll, I had one at every opportunity.

Then we enjoyed a proper original Viennese treat. Sitting at a table outdoors of Hotel Sacher, we sampled a Sachertorte at its place of origin.

Saturday through Sunday 27 Sept - 5 Oct 2008

The hills are alive...

With the sound of…

Amy singing Sound of Music songs in my ear.

We FINALLY can check off that last “must see” trip as this past week we ventured into the land of the Von Trapps, lederhosen, yodeling and um…. Beer. We flew out of London, landed in Vienna and then proceeded across Austria via coach with various stops that included Salzburg, Innsbruck and finally ending in Munich just in time for the last weekend of Oktoberfest. This was one of those non-stop, see as much as you can in as short a time as possible type adventures that left us quite dizzy, but in the end will be one we remember for quite a while.

There was SO much to do; I will have to publish this in installments, so…

Let’s start at the very beginning.

A very good place to start.


Let’s not kid each other. As most of you know, this tour has been on Amy’s list from the start of our time here in the UK and we tried to squeeze in as MUCH of the Sound of Music items as we could.

She saw Alps (which… if you’ve been with her to a Sound of Music sing along - you know this rhymes with yelps).

She stood on the steps and near the fountain in Mirrabelle Gardens in Salzburg where the children sang Do, Re, Mi.

She “hid” in the cemetery. .. Yes, she's there-

And she visited the actual church where the wedding was filmed.

And no… she didn’t sing.

Not once. Yeah, right....

Thursday 25 September 2008

I sense a macabre theme.


This morning's commute into the office was confounded by...

Another fatality at a rail station on my travelled route.


I'm starting to get a complex.

Wednesday 24 September 2008

Just another daily commute.

I never realized just how much I’ve adapted to not having my own vehicle. Until yesterday.

Not feeling well, I decided to go home early yesterday.

So after the 15 minute walk to the station from our office complex, I hopped on the train towards home. About 2/3 of the way there, the train is held at one of the intermediate stops with the announcement that there was a fatality at a station ahead. Not knowing how long we would be delayed, I followed the throngs of other mid-day travelers to the bus depot outside and jumped on the next bus towards Wimbledon where I could then catch the tube back towards Victoria Station, my original destination.

Without realizing, or for that matter planning it, I seamlessly completed the trifecta of mass public transportation: Train, Bus, Underground.

Who needs a car anyway?

Friday 19 September 2008

Time for a pub update. 200 total just might be within my reach.

153. Buckingham Arms: Lovely frontage from the early 1800’s, but interior has been completely “modernized”. However, sitting in the front bay window does have a nice feel to it. Probably the safest place to have a pint as it is near New Scotland Yard.
154. Swan Tavern: HOW have I missed this one till now. I must have walked past it several times on my walks. Tucked away in an alleyway near Monument tube stop it has the tiniest of bar spaces downstairs with another equally interesting upstairs bar. VERY cool little spot if you’re about during the week.
155. Cock & Woolpack: Best thing about this very sterile pub in the Square Mile was the adventure it took to find it. Not worth the effort re-visiting, despite the name.
156. Hoop & Grapes: The exterior frontage is the highlight here as it has the original timber front that survived the Great Fire of 1666. Grab a pint and sit in front as the interior has been gastro-pubbed.
157. The Ship: Round the corner from Tower Hill. While it is in an interesting enough building, again the rest has been lost as the inside has been completely modernized.
158. The Wykeham Arms: (Winchester) VERY unique former 18th century coach’s in with an odd collection of knick-knacks hanging from the walls. I liked it. Not everyday one can sit in an old school desk complete with inkwell and enjoy a nice pint.
159. The Black Boy: (Winchester) Multi-levels, multi-roomed, creaky floors almost “musty” atmosphere with stacks of books, stuffed animals, movie posters… Yeah. I could drink in this place everyday. Gives “character” a whole new meaning.
160. The Crown & Anchor: (Winchester) On the High Street and nothing special. Very sterile refurbished interior.
161. Hyde Tavern: (Winchester) A very small “local” place in an old building (crooked walls & uneven floors) and a little out of the way, but not bad even considering the modern furnishings that took away a bit of its authenticity.
162. Town of Ramsgate: (Wapping) Small, narrow place dating back to the 17th century. Small terrace in back overlooking the Thames adds a bit to this very authentic pub with a great local feel to it.
163. Captain Kidd: (Wapping) Only about 10 years old, but made to feel older. Timbered ceilings and stone floor aren’t bad on the inside, but has a very expansive outside area w/ views of the Thames. Not bad.
164. Prospect of Whitby: (Wapping) Considered the oldest riverside pub in London. Stone floors and a really cool pewter trimmed bar. Hangman’s noose swings near the riverside balcony as it is located next to Execution Dock. Really liked this place and its small nooks to sit and drink.
165. The Chamberlain Hotel: A Fuller’s remake, but instead of a bank building this is in the hotel lobby. Very nicely done as is most Fuller’s creations. Very clean and decorated like a proper study hall.

Wednesday 17 September 2008

Obviously, this past weekend was spent following the path and aftermath of Hurricane Ike as it ploughed through Texas affecting so many of our friends and family. The BBC and international media really latched onto Galveston official’s plea to the island’s unprotected west side to evacuate or “Face almost certain death”, becoming the event’s buzzwords here. Except they did embellish a bit… twisting the context to include Houston and then all of Texas.

I have a certain disdain towards the over-accentuated headlines that some media establishments will use to grab attention. But that’s another blog entry for another time.
I might even discuss Jim Cantori.

While displaced for a bit, all of our family members made it through the ordeal.

To all our friends and readers, please comment to this post (IF you have power) to let us know you are ok.

On a more upbeat note, we did enjoy a nice evening (in between songs at the piano bar) this past Saturday visiting with my cousin Cindy and her partner Adrian as they were travelling through London on a European adventure of their own. Amy is also practicing her pirouettes in anticipation of spinning on a mountain top somewhere in Austria as in a few short weeks we finally get to take that Sound of Music tour.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

Tuesday Morning Football

So what if it was already in the fourth quarter.

So what if Denver was already ahead 27-0.

So what if the announcers were the 3 Mikes (Greenberg, Golic and Ditka WHAT were they thinking?).

Channel 5 here shows MNF live, and due to this west coast version of it in Week 1 of the NFL season I was able to sit in the comfortable confines of my lounger in my flat and watch LIVE "American" football.

So what if it was 5:30 AM.