Monday, September 24, 2007
Paddington Station
Carolyn, Dan, Helen and Monte standing next to the statue of Paddington Bear in Paddington Station, London
Touristy London Weekend
Another week has flown by and another London weekend to write about. This Saturday I took a train ride with my friend Helen and two other BAC colleagues and we traveled to Bath, England. This town is famous for the presence of Roman Baths in the middle of the town and the architecture which is heavily influenced by times when Romans were settling in England. We toured the city, shopped in the stores along the cobblestone streets, ate lunch in a pub, viewed the baths from the outside and took pictures near the bridge that was lined with stores on both sides (only 3 in the world like this). See pictures above!
On Sunday there were more visitors in town from Charlotte here for work and I went with them on an all day double decker tour bus ride around London. It would have only taken us about 2 hours to see the city, but because of a large cycling event in downtown, many streets were closed and so we lasted ALL DAY on the bus in order to see all the landmarks. we got off and walked around Piccadilly and Buckingham Palace, then ventured home where i fell into bed, exhausted from the weekend
My stuff from the US arrived this week so i have unpacked almost everything and the flat is beginning to feel like my own. I can not fit everything into the small closets so i might have to go buy some additional storage units but all in all, it is starting to come together.
it is my birthday week this week and i am looking forward to celebrating it next weekend. Jason arrives on Friday and then we head to Belgium!
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying college football season. It is definitely really strange not to watch Gameday on Saturday mornings!!
On Sunday there were more visitors in town from Charlotte here for work and I went with them on an all day double decker tour bus ride around London. It would have only taken us about 2 hours to see the city, but because of a large cycling event in downtown, many streets were closed and so we lasted ALL DAY on the bus in order to see all the landmarks. we got off and walked around Piccadilly and Buckingham Palace, then ventured home where i fell into bed, exhausted from the weekend
My stuff from the US arrived this week so i have unpacked almost everything and the flat is beginning to feel like my own. I can not fit everything into the small closets so i might have to go buy some additional storage units but all in all, it is starting to come together.
it is my birthday week this week and i am looking forward to celebrating it next weekend. Jason arrives on Friday and then we head to Belgium!
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying college football season. It is definitely really strange not to watch Gameday on Saturday mornings!!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Summary of Week 2
How fast time flies by ... 2 weeks completed at work already and 3 weeks in the UK and it feels as though I just left Charlotte yesterday. Nothing too exciting to write about from last week really, just me trying to get into a routine and start to make an impact at work. I spent a good amount of time last week at work conducting meet and greet meetings with my teammates and clients and spent the evenings working out and figuring out how to turn on my stove and dishwasher at home - all the kitchen appliances are very modern with touch sensors. Julie, my best friend from school, had her second baby this week - a healthy baby girl named Payton so that was exciting news!! Also, the landlord delivered the bed to the flat (there had been a temporary one for the last week and a half) and i was very disappointed. Its a platform bed, VERY low to the ground and now i can not see out my bedroom window - I am not happy about it and hope they can raise it with risers of some sort. more to come on this
This past weekend I went to a birthday party for a woman from work on Friday night, and went out to dinner with friends I had met a few weeks ago on Saturday night. I managed to find the ND game on television at the Sports Cafe on Saturday after dinner. The bar was packed with Americans watching various college games that were televised. The game, obviously for those who follow ND, was the worst yet, and it confirmed my feeling that i am glad i picked this year to go abroad. The social outings here on the weekends are interesting because most pubs close down around 11:30, so many then travel to 'clubs' to continue the evening. I am definitely not used to having to stand outside in a line or having to have your name on a list to get in to a venue. The tube shuts down at 12:30, so the last trains are packed with people - rush hour style - or you get a bus which often run 24 hours. Taxi's are really difficult to flag down and very expensive
I've learned to take the bus around the city as well as the tube, to get to my destinations. Its actually a nice way to 'see' where you are going vs being underground and then just appearing at the next location. Although ... Mom, Debbie, Grammy Jo - this means that i am a BUS person!! I made my way to Oxford street on Saturday - crazy amounts of people everywhere - think Michigan Avenue with many, many more people. Then on Sunday i made my way to the Sloan Square and Knightbridge shopping district and spent 45 on the first floor of Harrods - wow. I have never seen a food court, or food halls as they are called, that was so amazing. I truly felt that i was in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.
Sunday there was a festival along the south side of the Thames so i strolled along the water for a little while as well. Again, loads of people everywhere. And then on Sunday night, the entire sky was lit up with fireworks right out my window and in the shadow of the London Eye to celebrate the end of the Thames Festival. I got some neat pictures of the fireworks so i will post those as soon as i can.
Jason will be here in less than 2 weeks for my 30th birthday and our visit to Belgium - so looking forward to it! My 'stuff' from Charlotte has arrived and is scheduled for delivery this week so that should keep me busy in the evenings. Still no TV or Internet at home, so i have been reading a lot. Almost done with the Harry Potter series!
Miss you all - much love - CJP
This past weekend I went to a birthday party for a woman from work on Friday night, and went out to dinner with friends I had met a few weeks ago on Saturday night. I managed to find the ND game on television at the Sports Cafe on Saturday after dinner. The bar was packed with Americans watching various college games that were televised. The game, obviously for those who follow ND, was the worst yet, and it confirmed my feeling that i am glad i picked this year to go abroad. The social outings here on the weekends are interesting because most pubs close down around 11:30, so many then travel to 'clubs' to continue the evening. I am definitely not used to having to stand outside in a line or having to have your name on a list to get in to a venue. The tube shuts down at 12:30, so the last trains are packed with people - rush hour style - or you get a bus which often run 24 hours. Taxi's are really difficult to flag down and very expensive
I've learned to take the bus around the city as well as the tube, to get to my destinations. Its actually a nice way to 'see' where you are going vs being underground and then just appearing at the next location. Although ... Mom, Debbie, Grammy Jo - this means that i am a BUS person!! I made my way to Oxford street on Saturday - crazy amounts of people everywhere - think Michigan Avenue with many, many more people. Then on Sunday i made my way to the Sloan Square and Knightbridge shopping district and spent 45 on the first floor of Harrods - wow. I have never seen a food court, or food halls as they are called, that was so amazing. I truly felt that i was in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.
Sunday there was a festival along the south side of the Thames so i strolled along the water for a little while as well. Again, loads of people everywhere. And then on Sunday night, the entire sky was lit up with fireworks right out my window and in the shadow of the London Eye to celebrate the end of the Thames Festival. I got some neat pictures of the fireworks so i will post those as soon as i can.
Jason will be here in less than 2 weeks for my 30th birthday and our visit to Belgium - so looking forward to it! My 'stuff' from Charlotte has arrived and is scheduled for delivery this week so that should keep me busy in the evenings. Still no TV or Internet at home, so i have been reading a lot. Almost done with the Harry Potter series!
Miss you all - much love - CJP
Monday, September 10, 2007
First Weekend in London
Its Monday and i am writing to quickly recap my first weekend here in London. At first, i was a little worried about not having anything to do, but as though who know me well know, i tend to fill my weekend schedules up pretty full very quickly.
Friday night i went to the gym, then made my way down to the nice restaurant in my apartment building. I treated myself to steak and chocolate cake and wine - very nice - but terribly expensive!! I watched a little of the rugby world cup on the television screens in the restaurant and read my book at a nice corner table overlooking the river. Very nice dinner and some interesting people watching
Saturday morning i ran by the river for a while, then did cleaned the flat (used the 'hover' instead of the vacuum cleaner! In the afternoon i met up with a few friends from work and we went to the Proms in the Park - which is a large, all day musical celebration in Hyde Park. We brought in wine, cheese, fruit and other snacks for a picnic, then joined the 300,000 plus crowd listening to the live concert. The music ranged from Chico (their American Idol star), to opera singers, pop stars, rock bands, orchestra, etc - a great variety. the finale was a set of British songs giving honor to the country (God Save the Queen, Rule Britannia, etc) and hundreds of thousands of people waving their Union jack flags and singing their nation's anthems proudly. it ended with a nice fireworks celebration and a mass exit to the tube stations and bus stops to get home. i really enjoyed the day - the people from work were all very friendly, the food was actually good and the music and atmosphere was quite fun. i came home exhausted at 11:30
Sunday i met a few girls from work for brunch in a northern area of London then walked around to see the little Venice neighborhood. there are small canals where people rent houseboats for the summer months and 'live' on these boats for a few weeks at a time. it was a nice summer Sunday and a great way to see another part of London. then i did some shopping for the flat, walked back to my place and found a local catholic Church so i could go to mass
the Westminster cathedral is catholic and is about a mile walk or a short bus/tube ride north of me. the cathedral is gorgeous - very old, obviously, and very ornate. quite different from st Gabe's in Charlotte. i spoke to the priest after mass and he was very nice - there might be a closer church to where i live, but he welcomed me back anytime.
hope all of you had great weekends. i stayed pretty busy and was tired by the end of the night last night. back at work today and getting into the swing of things
enjoy the week - CJP
Friday night i went to the gym, then made my way down to the nice restaurant in my apartment building. I treated myself to steak and chocolate cake and wine - very nice - but terribly expensive!! I watched a little of the rugby world cup on the television screens in the restaurant and read my book at a nice corner table overlooking the river. Very nice dinner and some interesting people watching
Saturday morning i ran by the river for a while, then did cleaned the flat (used the 'hover' instead of the vacuum cleaner! In the afternoon i met up with a few friends from work and we went to the Proms in the Park - which is a large, all day musical celebration in Hyde Park. We brought in wine, cheese, fruit and other snacks for a picnic, then joined the 300,000 plus crowd listening to the live concert. The music ranged from Chico (their American Idol star), to opera singers, pop stars, rock bands, orchestra, etc - a great variety. the finale was a set of British songs giving honor to the country (God Save the Queen, Rule Britannia, etc) and hundreds of thousands of people waving their Union jack flags and singing their nation's anthems proudly. it ended with a nice fireworks celebration and a mass exit to the tube stations and bus stops to get home. i really enjoyed the day - the people from work were all very friendly, the food was actually good and the music and atmosphere was quite fun. i came home exhausted at 11:30
Sunday i met a few girls from work for brunch in a northern area of London then walked around to see the little Venice neighborhood. there are small canals where people rent houseboats for the summer months and 'live' on these boats for a few weeks at a time. it was a nice summer Sunday and a great way to see another part of London. then i did some shopping for the flat, walked back to my place and found a local catholic Church so i could go to mass
the Westminster cathedral is catholic and is about a mile walk or a short bus/tube ride north of me. the cathedral is gorgeous - very old, obviously, and very ornate. quite different from st Gabe's in Charlotte. i spoke to the priest after mass and he was very nice - there might be a closer church to where i live, but he welcomed me back anytime.
hope all of you had great weekends. i stayed pretty busy and was tired by the end of the night last night. back at work today and getting into the swing of things
enjoy the week - CJP
Friday, September 7, 2007
Week 1
Well, its Friday afternoon and I survived the first week of work in england!
I must admit, Monday night was a bit difficult as it was the first night here on my own. I would be lying if i said i didn't cry, but i got through it and made it the rest of the week without any tears. I think the biggest difference for me is just the feeling of coming back to a flat that i dont know well and not having any friends to call, people to go to dinner with, tv to watch, etc. I am working on getting cable, internet, phone etc set up at the flat, but things take quite a bit longer here to get set up. So, anyway, i have been doing a lot of reading in the evenings and having a lot of reflective quiet time on my own!
Work is going fine. the team here is very nice and friendly. There are 3 from the UK, 2 from the USA, 2 from Australia, 2 from New Zealand....quite a fun mix. Not sure how many socialize together after work, but i am bound and determined to get a happy hour of some sort started sometime soon. I am taking the time to get to know my teammates and learn the business now while my calendar is not too packed with meetings
Taking the tube each morning has been interesting. The tube strike at the beginning of the week caused a little havoc, but that is resolved now and i am riding it with out much trouble. Still working out the fastest route to work which may take a few more days to figure out. I am getting pushed around a bit on the escalators and such but trying not to let it frazzle me.
I found the gym here at work and went Tues-Fri of this week. Its a small gym - nice, clean and new, with nice trainers who already know my name and have noted that i will be a regular. the treadmill is in km per hour and the weights are not in pounds so that will take some time getting used to. thinking about trying to get into the London marathon for this spring ... i will keep you posted
i have plans to go with some work colleagues to a symphony concert in Hyde Park this weekend which will be nice. i am also going to try to buy a tv and a radio so its not so quiet in the house when i get home at night. wish me luck. might take a walk around Westminster tonight and 'people watch' all the 'tourists' in Trafalgar square...since I'm a local now of course :)
i miss you all dearly and look forward to hearing from many of you soon
I must admit, Monday night was a bit difficult as it was the first night here on my own. I would be lying if i said i didn't cry, but i got through it and made it the rest of the week without any tears. I think the biggest difference for me is just the feeling of coming back to a flat that i dont know well and not having any friends to call, people to go to dinner with, tv to watch, etc. I am working on getting cable, internet, phone etc set up at the flat, but things take quite a bit longer here to get set up. So, anyway, i have been doing a lot of reading in the evenings and having a lot of reflective quiet time on my own!
Work is going fine. the team here is very nice and friendly. There are 3 from the UK, 2 from the USA, 2 from Australia, 2 from New Zealand....quite a fun mix. Not sure how many socialize together after work, but i am bound and determined to get a happy hour of some sort started sometime soon. I am taking the time to get to know my teammates and learn the business now while my calendar is not too packed with meetings
Taking the tube each morning has been interesting. The tube strike at the beginning of the week caused a little havoc, but that is resolved now and i am riding it with out much trouble. Still working out the fastest route to work which may take a few more days to figure out. I am getting pushed around a bit on the escalators and such but trying not to let it frazzle me.
I found the gym here at work and went Tues-Fri of this week. Its a small gym - nice, clean and new, with nice trainers who already know my name and have noted that i will be a regular. the treadmill is in km per hour and the weights are not in pounds so that will take some time getting used to. thinking about trying to get into the London marathon for this spring ... i will keep you posted
i have plans to go with some work colleagues to a symphony concert in Hyde Park this weekend which will be nice. i am also going to try to buy a tv and a radio so its not so quiet in the house when i get home at night. wish me luck. might take a walk around Westminster tonight and 'people watch' all the 'tourists' in Trafalgar square...since I'm a local now of course :)
i miss you all dearly and look forward to hearing from many of you soon
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Back in London safe and Sound
We made it back to London last night safe and sound after another LONG day of driving. We noted that the highway driving here is still very intense - people zig zagging from lane to lane - and it was an exhausting trip home.
We programmed the nav system for Chinatown for one last meal out on our way home last night, and ended up right in the heart of it around 9pm. we ate a delicious dinner of fried rice and chicken and vegatables in Chinatown which overlooks the theatre district. Great place to take friends when they come to visit.
Driving back to my place was a little confusing, as the navigation system seemed to get a little confused, and we drove through the heart of the Buckingham Palace grounds. Luckily it was late at this point and no police seemed to notice :)
Jason dropped me off here at the office this morning and i am now alone, ready to begin this interesting adventure. It definitely does not feel like I really live here yet, and probably wont for a while still. I have orientation at work this morning, then a free afternoon to get settled. Hope to get some groceries tonight so i dont have to eat out (way too expensive) and then continue to get things organized in the apartment
Day 1 of work - here we go!
We programmed the nav system for Chinatown for one last meal out on our way home last night, and ended up right in the heart of it around 9pm. we ate a delicious dinner of fried rice and chicken and vegatables in Chinatown which overlooks the theatre district. Great place to take friends when they come to visit.
Driving back to my place was a little confusing, as the navigation system seemed to get a little confused, and we drove through the heart of the Buckingham Palace grounds. Luckily it was late at this point and no police seemed to notice :)
Jason dropped me off here at the office this morning and i am now alone, ready to begin this interesting adventure. It definitely does not feel like I really live here yet, and probably wont for a while still. I have orientation at work this morning, then a free afternoon to get settled. Hope to get some groceries tonight so i dont have to eat out (way too expensive) and then continue to get things organized in the apartment
Day 1 of work - here we go!
Great day in Edinburgh
Sat was a great day in Edinburgh. Breakfast at the marriott in the morning - again food is a little different (baked beans and black sausages for breakfast - yuck. i found some rice crispies though. we then drove into town and parked along the old castle walls. the city is really magnific with the castle sitting above the city perched on a rocky hill and the old and new sections of town intermingled beneath it. there is shopping galore everywhere you look including "american" stores and tourist traps selling "original" scottish garb - i tried to get jason to wear a kilt but he was not buying it :)
we toured the castle first - saw the honores (crown jewels of scotland) as well as the stone upon which many kings of scotland were annointed. we watched from above as they shot off the 1pm cannon - very loud and they were setting up for Europe's largest fireworks show - too bad we will miss it tonight. we strolled down the Royal Mile which is a long cobblestone street with many old pubs and restaurants as well as shops and small "closes" (alleyways leading to other streets and more shops). we found three Christmas shops - mom , you would be proud - but only walked away with a few small commemorative ornaments.
lunch was a small bowl of soup and salad at Deacon Broodies, which is the pub where the main character from Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde created his infamous reputation (J bought a t-shirt:) Then we continued our walked up and down small streets, poking our heads into stores here and there, and admiring the goregous views of the truly European feeling city. we looked everywhere for a place that might be showing the ND game on Sat night but did not have much luck (considering hte outcome of the game whcih we checked this morning, i am glad we did not waste our evening watching it.)
in the evening, we ate dinner at another cute restaurant on the edge of the royal mile, then made our way to a SMALL pub where we were able to listen to live Scottish/Flemish music for a few hours. The fiddler and guitarist were authenic for the most part, but every few songs Jason and i recognized an American tune with a scottish twist.
coming out of the pub around midnight, we again we awed at how many people were still on the streets and how many pints they had consumed. It is a very "festive" crowd here in Edinburgh.
overall, we really enjoyed this city - the sun shined for most of the day - and the feeling of old mixed with new was quite unique
heading back to london now, so C can get ready for her first day of work tomorrow!!
we toured the castle first - saw the honores (crown jewels of scotland) as well as the stone upon which many kings of scotland were annointed. we watched from above as they shot off the 1pm cannon - very loud and they were setting up for Europe's largest fireworks show - too bad we will miss it tonight. we strolled down the Royal Mile which is a long cobblestone street with many old pubs and restaurants as well as shops and small "closes" (alleyways leading to other streets and more shops). we found three Christmas shops - mom , you would be proud - but only walked away with a few small commemorative ornaments.
lunch was a small bowl of soup and salad at Deacon Broodies, which is the pub where the main character from Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde created his infamous reputation (J bought a t-shirt:) Then we continued our walked up and down small streets, poking our heads into stores here and there, and admiring the goregous views of the truly European feeling city. we looked everywhere for a place that might be showing the ND game on Sat night but did not have much luck (considering hte outcome of the game whcih we checked this morning, i am glad we did not waste our evening watching it.)
in the evening, we ate dinner at another cute restaurant on the edge of the royal mile, then made our way to a SMALL pub where we were able to listen to live Scottish/Flemish music for a few hours. The fiddler and guitarist were authenic for the most part, but every few songs Jason and i recognized an American tune with a scottish twist.
coming out of the pub around midnight, we again we awed at how many people were still on the streets and how many pints they had consumed. It is a very "festive" crowd here in Edinburgh.
overall, we really enjoyed this city - the sun shined for most of the day - and the feeling of old mixed with new was quite unique
heading back to london now, so C can get ready for her first day of work tomorrow!!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Cardiff and the LONG drive to Scotland
We came to Cardiff for the nightlife, but did not realize that the night life is really only hopping when University is in session. A student town, Cardiff is lined with bars and restaurants that are packed with people from about September through June - but deserted in late August. oh well! we did manage to have a pint in an old converted theatre that was about 100 years old - very cool.
up on Friday morning for a run through downtown Cardiff and into the castle grounds. Stopped a young teenage rugby player and recieved an impromptu lesson on how to throw a rugby ball and which local teams to cheer for. Did a little shopping (magnet, ornament and learned that the Red Dragon is the symbol of strength and victory in Wales, and now on the Welsch flag.)
We then headed North and began our LONG journey up to scotland. Again using hte Neverlost Tom Tom to guide us, we followed the main highways, through the round-a-bouts and drove along the country side. THe drive in total was supposed to take 6 hours but traffic was horrible for the majority of the drive. 100 miles an hour, then a dead stop and standstill along major motorways. Imagine driving up 95 on the wednesday before thanksgiving from DC to NYC and then back again. UGH. Jason did his best driving, and i tried to stay calm in the passenger seat but was getting car sick and frustrated most of the way. THe motorway opened up around Liverpool though, and we spent the last 4 hours viewing the goregous countryside of northern england and the rolling hills of scotland. beuatiful!
we made it to Edinburgh late last ngiht and drove into the old part of hte city to see the castle on the hill all lit up at night. we found two neat irish bars and "people watched" for an hour or two. the only place serving food at 10 a night (we had not had dinner yet) was an american joint, so we ate burgers and fries and chicken parmagianna. plus a brownie sundae of course
the old city looked incredible at night and we walked through the cobblestone streets, peaked in the windows of many closed up shops (including a CUTE christmas store, can't wait to go back today) and strolled past the castle cathedral and graveyard, lit only by the light of the almost full moon. very cool
we are looking forward to touring Edinburgh all day today and then finding some live Scottish or Irish music tonight
I have a little bit of a sore throat - i think its the cooler temperatures and the inability for me to dry my hair anywhere, but i should be fine. we are off for another adventure :)
Carolyn
up on Friday morning for a run through downtown Cardiff and into the castle grounds. Stopped a young teenage rugby player and recieved an impromptu lesson on how to throw a rugby ball and which local teams to cheer for. Did a little shopping (magnet, ornament and learned that the Red Dragon is the symbol of strength and victory in Wales, and now on the Welsch flag.)
We then headed North and began our LONG journey up to scotland. Again using hte Neverlost Tom Tom to guide us, we followed the main highways, through the round-a-bouts and drove along the country side. THe drive in total was supposed to take 6 hours but traffic was horrible for the majority of the drive. 100 miles an hour, then a dead stop and standstill along major motorways. Imagine driving up 95 on the wednesday before thanksgiving from DC to NYC and then back again. UGH. Jason did his best driving, and i tried to stay calm in the passenger seat but was getting car sick and frustrated most of the way. THe motorway opened up around Liverpool though, and we spent the last 4 hours viewing the goregous countryside of northern england and the rolling hills of scotland. beuatiful!
we made it to Edinburgh late last ngiht and drove into the old part of hte city to see the castle on the hill all lit up at night. we found two neat irish bars and "people watched" for an hour or two. the only place serving food at 10 a night (we had not had dinner yet) was an american joint, so we ate burgers and fries and chicken parmagianna. plus a brownie sundae of course
the old city looked incredible at night and we walked through the cobblestone streets, peaked in the windows of many closed up shops (including a CUTE christmas store, can't wait to go back today) and strolled past the castle cathedral and graveyard, lit only by the light of the almost full moon. very cool
we are looking forward to touring Edinburgh all day today and then finding some live Scottish or Irish music tonight
I have a little bit of a sore throat - i think its the cooler temperatures and the inability for me to dry my hair anywhere, but i should be fine. we are off for another adventure :)
Carolyn
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