31 Aug 2009

As most of you know, I recently travelled to the U.S. to pick Michael up from his holiday with his dad in Virginia. I made some rather last minute changes to my plans a week or so before visiting, and must say that I am happy that I had done so. I had a very busy and fun filled week!

It all started with a flight on U.S. Airways from Gatwick to Pittsburgh International. Generally a good flight, but a bit maddening to be getting a connector from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh when I was going to be turning around and heading to New Jersey anyway. Michael had flown into Pittsburgh in July, so to fulfill his round trip, we had to continue flying in and out of Pittsburgh. That aside, I did get a good deal on a rental car. A very cute Dodge Journey that even had a small built in cooler in the dashboard for drinks, which is a fantastic idea...if it didn't continuously get jammed.... I stopped using it because it is really annoying to be thirsty and keep hitting the button over and over and over again while driving and not being able to get your drink!



The first night, I stopped in Somerset Pennsylvania which is about an hour and a half outside of Pittsburgh. I stayed at the Super 8, which I have recently become aware is part of the same family of hotels as Days Inn. I don't like Days Inns. They are generally smelly, and the last one that I stayed in in Newark was disgusting. Really. Disgusting.

Super 8 was okay though. Let's face it...it is budget accommodation, so it is not "lovely", but it was adequate, with working AC, clean bedding, and towels, and no overpowering smell hiding something ....mysteriously wrong...

Pittsburgh was surprisingly beautiful. I was impressed to come out of a tunnel and see the city in all its glory. I grabbed the pic offline, because quite frankly I wasn't prepared to see a city when I came out of that tunnel.




After a restful stay at Super 8, I stopped by Wal-Mart for some necessities to bring back to the U.K., then drove the next 4.5 hours to Highlands to visit friends and join their end of summer BBQ. We played Rockband, we had shots, we at ribs, and dogs, and brownies, and I crashed at 2am...exhausted. The next morning, all of the crashers and hosts walked down to the pancake house for breakfast and after leaving behind my make-up (sigh), I drove over to my Dad and Stepmom's house.



My stepmom is part of the praise team of her church. They do concerts several times a year, and I have had the pleasure of attending several of them. This one was particularly nice, as it was in Ocean Grove at the pavilion right on the boardwalk. They sounded fantastic, and not to brag, but my stepmother's voice sounded lovely!



We all sing along :)

After the concert we went to Chili's for dinner. It was delicious! Then we headed to the house and kicked back for the night, watching a movie and eating a really delicious fruit ice pop.



Around noon the next morning (Monday), I took Sally (or Sally took me), to Northern Virginia to visit Sue and Danny. When I got there Sue was making dinner, and after a really tasty spicy chicken, we went to the pharmacy to buy some replacement makeup, toothbrush et al. We stayed up quite late catching up, then off to bed. I took a picture of Sue that was supposed to go right here...but I think she would kill me :)

After driving a few more hours I met with Lisa for lunch. It was so fantastic to catch up with her! As always, we had plenty to talk about, and I hope that she comes to visit me soon!

Around 3 I drove to Michelle's house to meet Mike. I stayed for a few hours and watched Mike and Nick swim in the pool, and chatted with Gerry, Michele and Rachel, before heading to Waynesboro and checking into Super 8 number 2 which was not a nice as the first one (no elevator and 50lb suitcase to lug up the steps with no help), but the room was fine...





Gerry, Michele, Mike and I met the next morning at Cracker Barrel and had a nice big breakfast before we headed off to West Virginia. It is not a drive I particularly enjoy, as it is through the mountains, very desolate and slow going due to the inclines, declines, hair pin turns and wildlife that assualt your senses for about 3 hours of the trip. I prefer interstate, where you can become zombie-like and drive in a straight line.

It the thick of our desolation I came upon a van in front of us. As I got closer I was alarmed to see that the only vehicle I had come across in the past hour was a van transporting an Inmate work crew! I am sure that this could be the opening scene of a very scary movie.




We survived unscathed though, and arrived at Mom and Patrick's house to a warm reception, a lovely ziti dinner, and loads of fun and engaging conversation. Not to mention, an ice cold gorgeous guest bedroom! My mother made brownies for us too! I also took the time to go through the recipes that my mother has collected...many of them are family recipes or recipes that I remember as being favorites during my childhood, and I scanned for myself. I am very happy to have added these to my own collection.




On Thursday evening we went to Tygart Dam, and had dinner at the lake. The food was tasty and the view was really fantastic.

On the way back from dinner we saw a very interesting sign which was photoworthy as far as I was concerned. It is the sort of thing that makes me miss America.

The next morning, we drove to Pittsburgh in torrential downpours, took off on time, made our connector with no issues, took off an hour late from Charlotte in a plane that was blowing AC that smelled like poop...(which is why it was an hour delayed...they were trying to figure out what the smell was and never had!)..landed at Gatwick and were finally HOME! Michael was elated to be back able to play in his room again and when I went up to check on him he was looking around the room with a giant smile and dreamy eyes while playing Lego.

We have had a full and busy week since we arrived home last Saturday, and I will be blogging about that in short order.

Til then....

17 August 2008

Well, here we are, half way through August and I haven't posted a blog for most of the month. Well, there isn't a lot to show you this time. We have both been busy with coursework, and life is quiet without a 7 year old in the house!

Mike is having a great holiday with his Dad. He is doing lots of swimming, lots of video gaming, and sounds like he is very relaxed and happy when we talk.

The garden is coming along wonderfully. We have had loads of courgettes and the tomatoes will be ripe before the end of the month.

I have improved the cornflake chicken recipe by adding honey to the melted butter coating before rolling it in cereals and it is delicious, made a small crocheted coin purse, with a sewn in lining and I am working on a cardigan. I have material to sew an Advent Calendar and stockings for Christmas, so there is plenty to do.



I had my MRI appointment this past Friday. It was uneventful. The only eventful part was I had to drive myself as Neil was taking an exam and I was unable to locate Sally, the GPS and had to resort to finding the way to the hospital with old fashioned Googlemaps instructions. Now, being from America, I was under the very dangerously wrong assumption that From home- To Hospital directions would be sufficient to get me both to and from my destination. What I failed to take into account was the dreaded roundabout. In the US...if you take a right on the way there..you naturally take a left on the way back. In the UK, if you take the 3rd exit off the roundabout....you take the ....oh...wait..how many exits ARE there on this roundabout? sigh...

I went the wrong way. Lucky for me, after backtracking I spotted a "Crematorium" sign....the absolute indicator of the way home. It is sort of sad that I can always find my way home by following the signs to the crematorium.

Speaking of Sally, we have discovered geocaching. The high tech treasure hunt made possible by the global positioning satellite. We took our first trip out to find the hidden treasure this evening and found a 35mm canister with a log book to sign. It was pretty silly, but there are LOADS of these things all over, and many have codes that have to be deciphered or clues to crack. The perfect family friendly activity!

We had a nice day out Sunday. Meeting Rod in Brighton and taking a walk down the seaside, grabbing lunch at the American Diner, and then kicking back on a bench and people and plane watching until Neil was sufficiently sunburned.

On Friday I fly to the U.S. I am sure to have a plenty to blog about my trip, and, much like this blog, it will be devoid of pictures.


Til next time

30 July 2009 Canterbury, Dover, Hastings

Canterbury Cathedral

Welcome again, to the Tiny Paper. I realize that we have back to back entries, but with Neil in London today I felt that it would be nice to blog about our latest tour while it was still fresh in my mind.

On Tuesday we packed our overnight bags and drove south east. Taking the shore all the way to Dover, and finally ending in Canterbury. The drive itself was peaceful and relaxing, and it was a beautiful day. We packed cheese and tomato sandwiches, grapes, and water, and we stopped at a South African specialty shop in Newhaven to pick up some biltong. We spotted some dried mango and picked that up as well. Then we drove along the shore toward Hastings, where we stopped to get a few pics on the beach, and of the net huts along the shore. Hastings hosts a re-enactment of the 1066 Battle of Hastings every year during Hastings Week, which I would love to attend on 17 October for the Bonfire and Fireworks display.





the Hastings net huts and a cool vendor kiosk

We then drove on to Dover, to visit Dover castle. The Keep was closed for renovations, and had been since October-- to re-open on Saturday. Still, the castle has loads to see, and we walked the very steep, heart attack inducing grounds to the lowest point (the war tunnels), to the tip top (the lighthouse and abbey).

With the magnificent sea views--on a clear day you can see the coast of France, which we did-- fabulous and numerous buildings and museums, and the unique and intriguing wartime tunnels, we decided that coming back to Dover with Michael would happen soon enough. We enrolled in the English Heritage program, so that we can attend for free entry in the future, and bring up to 12 children with us!!! (ew...why?) ;P


The castle keep



The lighthouse and abbey

We had a picnic lunch of our cheese and tomato sandwiches and grapes whilst sitting against the wall and admiring the view in the picture above, then trudged downhill (thank God), to the car and proceeded to Canterbury, where we had booked a room for the night.

We arrived about an hour later at The House of Agnes. We couldn't have been more pleased with the location. We were told that due to renovations we would be unable to use the parking that was alloted, so we were given a ticket to park in one of the pay parking lots. It was only a few steps away from the Inn, so we weren't bothered at all by this supposed inconvenience. The Inn was only a block away from town center, where a quaint pedestrian High Street waited.





As we walked down High Street, admiring the old and unique architecture, we were amazed to look down a side street and spot the Canterbury Cathedral. Of course, we walked that way, and spent the next few hours exploring the grounds of the Cathedral and some of the rooms. We did not take the tour, as we decided, again, that we would come back with Michael and do the tours with him, but there was no need, as our time was filled with all of the sites one could see in a day.




The cathedral has many distinct architectural features, gardens, and ruins. Our favorite location being an herb garden surrounded by ruined walls of a building that we can only imagine was once there.


The cistern below, was one of the water collection points that provided water to the entire Cathedral.




We ate dinner at The Weavers Restaurant, which not only provided an unusually cozy atmosphere, but delicious food and lovely service. Neil had a T-bone, and I had a turkey and cranberry pie. I am still craving more of it. It was amazingly good. The Weavers also is the host of the river tours that are pictured below. There are many river tours in Canterbury, as well as a host of museums and gardens all within walking distance.

I am eagerly awaiting our return to Canterbury. We have fallen in love with this gem, and highly recommend it as a weekend getaway.

Til next time

Part 3 London / Brighton

The Brighton Pavilion. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and English Heritage Site



Welcome to the third and final installment of Meet the Luczaks British Invasion. It isn't easy to fit in all of the wonderful things to see and do in the United Kingdom with only a week. Indeed, it is impossible, but we managed to do quite a bit more in the last few days of the visit.

On Monday, the 21st, we took the train into London. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace and we had the surprise privilege to view the changing of the guard. After viewing the time honoured tradition, we walked alongside Saint James Park, and were delighted to be met by the guard marching back up to the castle. We couldn't have been any closer to them, as you can see from the picture below.

In front of St. James Park. Me, Mike, Patrick and Mom (and I made that pink and green top!)

We then walked up to Trafalgar Square and settled on a pub for lunch. We ate at The Silver Cross. The food was nice and the pub traditional, but a bit pricey and because of it's very desirable location for tourist traffic it clearly doesn't feel the need to go the extra mile in service or quality. Still, we made the best of it and had a lovely lunch. (Well, Neil had a lovely lunch of our leftovers since they didn't bother making his order!)

We then went towards Parliament and Big Ben. This was the point were the tiredness began to settle in. Unless you are an avid walker, doing the bus tour of the sites if you are only going to have a day in London is probably a better idea. We took at break at this point and sat in front of Westminster Abbey. The square in which these buildings are located are steeped in history and there is plenty of people watching to do if you get tired of looking at the buildings.

We then walked along the Thames before heading up to Covent Garden, which is always milling with tourists and locals watching the various street shows. We stopped at Scoop, just off of Neal Street and got a few gluten free gelato cones. Then while the grandparents and child rested, Neil and I snuck off to Forbidden Planet and grabbed some comics for the trip, most notably a nice Batman comic for Michael to read on the plane on his way back to the States for his summer holiday. We then caught the train home, having had a very full day.

On Tuesday we drove south to Brighton, which is one of my favorite places on earth. We ate at Frank and Bennies, the family favorite, and queued for the Brighton Pavilion tour. The Pavilion looks as if a tornado picked it up out of India and plopped it down on the English coast. It is totally out of place and ridiculously conspicuous. Inside, a bit of a cheesy audio tour offers lots of insight into the lives and times of the royalty of the day. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed in the pavilion.

On Wednesday we rested and packed for the trip. Michael was very excited, and we were excited for him, but it was not easy to see them off at the airport. It was reported that the flights were fine, and Michael had a nice few days with my mother and Patrick before his dad picked him up. He is now happily swimming and playing video games in Virginia.

Til next time.

Part 2- Bath and Stonehenge

Welcome back to The Tiny Paper and Part II of the weekly blog.

Here we go, on a journey to Bath and Stonehenge, Saturday 18 July.

We packed up from our Bungalow in Wales and drove South West toward Bath, sadly having missed, due to rain, the outdoor Friday evening production of Merchant of Venice, or as Mike repeatedly, mistakenly referred to it as, "The Virgin of Menace". We were originally intending to go to a dog show in Mid England, but decided that we would much prefer seeing Stonehenge if we had to choose between the two. Since we were heading in the general direction of one of my most esteemed locations, I requested that we stop in Bath and see the Roman Spa and Pump House. One of the many locations on the UNESCO list of world heritage sights. UNESCO is The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, and it has an incredible list of locations designated for their cultural and scientific significance. Bath, and the Roman Bath & Spa are both on this list.

At this juncture of the trip, it was clear that my travel mates were completely accommodating my wishes on this side trip. Neil was certain that I would be quite disappointed with the Spas, but since I had wished to see them for so many years, I felt that good or bad I would be satisfied having experienced what I had so long dreamed of.

I am also very fond of Bath, having first heard of it while reading Jane Austin novels in my late teens and twenties. It always seemed to me such a rich and historic place, full of special character.

After parking we walked over to the Jane Austin Centre. We briefly walked in, but people were packed in like sardines, and I had the impression that it was a rather over-rated gift shop. I can not state that as fact, as I couldn't see a darned thing, but that is what it felt like. I would like to visit Bath again, and I would definitely take a look at the Centre again to see if I missed anything interesting there.

(I look ridiculous in this picture because of the crowds and irritation in actually getting to FINALLY take the picture!)

We walked south, following the signs to the Roman Baths and Pump House. Bath does have a lot of character and it is a bustling town centre as well. We walked around a corner and we were faced with the most beautiful Abbey. Next to the Abbey was a very long line, in drizzling rain, for the Roman Bath and Pump House. I felt that I should carry this burden, as no one else seemed quite as keen to see it as I was, so I suggested they tour Bath Abbey, while I waited in line and obtained the tickets for the Roman Baths.

They were quite impressed with the Abbey, and we got our audio tour head sets for the Roman Baths. Michael was ecstatic about this new form of media, and quickly and enthusiastically set about finding numbers and programming them into his Audio device.

The Roman Baths are stunning. I have never seen anything quite as unique and interesting as this ancient YMCA. There is a plethora of artifacts, and the audio tour is interesting and complete. To walk on flooring that was once obscured, then excavated and restored to a fraction of it's once known splendor is a treat to the senses. White stone, green water, gemstones, pewter curse cards, and tombstones that had been found recycled as part of the cities walled defenses can be seen.

There are many corridors and rooms to discover, and there are signs that tell you that you are NOT to drink, or even touch the water as it is untreated. I am a bit of a worrier about illness as many of you know, but even the germs and certain death from the black plague could not keep me from dipping one finger into the hot running water that flows into the pool, and it touted to be 10,000 years old. In the picture below, Mike and I proudly display our naughty fingers....and I haven't died yet!



After our amazing tour, which we were all very pleased with, we decide to eat. We had lunch at gascoyne place. Check out Mike's fish and chips!

I could have spent several days in Bath, but we had an agenda, so off we went toward Salisbury and the infamous Stonehenge. A lovely 1 and a half hour drive through the countryside and little villages with thatched roof Tudor cottages.

It was raining when we got there, but stopped while we were about 1/3 rd of the way through the tour, which also conveniently supplied Audio sets.

Stonehenge is amazing. It is prehistoric, and mossy. You can almost see how cold and solid the stones would feel if you could touch them. The symmetry is beautiful, and you can only wonder what the plan was when these stones were moved here and what purpose they would serve. As you look around at the massive green mounds throughout the pastures, you learn that these are where bodies were buried thousands of years ago. Before we left, a rainbow appeared behind the heel stone, offering the perfect ending for our tour.

Part 3, to be posted in the next few days, will take us to London, and up to the very hour in which I write this now, wherein Michael is riding through the mountains of West Virginia, beginning his summer vacation in America.

Til next time

21 July 2009 Part 1

Welcome to the last week of Michael's year 2 education, and the beginning of our summer vacation!

Mikes school trip to the British Wildlife center. He said it was a very fun day, he saw otters and owls, amongst other things, and picked up a lovely 1£ souvenir that split open in his bed that evening, dusting the bedding and the boy, who had to be placed in the bathtub and cleaned off.

We awoke at 5:30am on Wednesday and quickly dressed before heading to Gatwick airport to pick up my mother and stepfather. They were on-time, and a bit weary from the travel, having come from West Virginia via Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, so we headed home for them to get a bit more rest and Michael went off to school.
It was report card day! Michael got the year 3 teacher he had hoped for and we were pleased with his report card. He is reading above average and I have tested him at a Grade 4 level (year 5 here), so approximately two years ahead of grade level. My brother Michael and I consistently tested 2 to 4 years ahead of grade level as well, so I believe that is fairly standard for our socio-economic background.

Maths are a little disconcerting. Particularly when I come in to the picture. I sometimes feel that Michael is not drawing a logical conclusion and just guesses. I become flustered and irritated, but Neil is very good at sitting with him patiently and figuring out ways to explain math that Michael can grasp. He is doing better, and he does meet grade level requirements, but I think that he is bright enough to be consistently ahead in all of his school subjects.

Over the summer Mike will be keeping a journal, and he kept the journal on our trip to Wales. He writes his three favorite things of the day, for penmanship and so that we can keep up with his days while he is gone, and drawing a picture each day. We do Three Favorite Things as a family discussion at dinner time each night, so this was an easy transition to put to paper.

On Wednesday Evening we drove to the pub right down the road from our house, the Hillside Inn. It is a quaint, traditional pub, and we chose a table in the back rear corner. The menu was loaded with traditional pub fair, and we all did our best to keep with the spirit of things by ordering the British favorites, with mom and Patrick opting for the Beef pies, Michael choosing his standard fish and chips, I tried the Toad in a Hole, and Neil decided to for-go the rib-eye and dig into the roast lamb. With a few drinks, some Bailey's and coffee, and truly attentive wait staff, I think that Mom and Patrick had a wonderful pub experience. The food was delicious.

On Thursday morning Mike dressed in his Uniform for the last time this year and Mom, Mike and I picked up his friend Harry for the walk to school. We were running slightly behind, but I chose to take them the pond way since it was the last walk to school for the year. On the way back, I took Mom through Milton Mount Gardens.
After an hour of frantic packing, Neil and I returned to the school to attend "Sports day". Michael was on the red "Saturn" team, and the children had a circuit of events eg. spoon races, wig races, hobby horse races..et al. in which scores were tallied with the final score leader at the end of the circuit winning the event. This year, Saturn won! With Venus in second and I don't even remember the other two teams, but I did make a mental note that there was no Uranus. We had a slight hand injury when Michael dove rather dramatically through the ring of fire, by some miracle, it wasn't a holiday cancelling injury!

Then off we drove to Wales. It was about a four hour drive, with loads of stunning scenery on the way. Once we arrived in the Brecon beacon area, we were met by roads that became more narrow with each subsequent turn, with 10 foot hedges on either side, leaving no room whatsoever for maneuvering, it was quite a shock when a tractor, or large bus, suddenly appeared in front of us, and either us, or them would have to back up to the nearest slightly less narrow spot, so that we could squeeze around each other. I would have been an absolute basket case, but Neil seemed to handle the pressure pretty well.

When we arrived at Wern-y-marchog it was raining and cold. A small, weathered woman in her 60's was washing a vehicle, and she barely gave us a glance, which seemed rather odd since we were sitting in her driveway and were an hour later than our expected check in time. We watched Neil converse with her, and it was looking rather tense. We heard Neil say "Are you joking?"

He walked back to the car, and proceeded to gather the reservation paper. The owner was not expecting us. No. We were not supposed to arrive until August. She was expecting someone else on Saturday. Wow.

All of this was sorted out and apologies accepted. We brought our luggage in and picked our respective bedrooms. The house was a sprawling bungalow, and the furnishings were warm and cozy. It reminded me of a dolls house, and the atmosphere felt genuinely that of a working farm. The kitchen was large and well stocked. The living room cozy with an electric and wood burning fire. Should that have mattered in July? No, it shouldn't have, but it did. In Wales, they never pack their woollies away. That was what the nice lady at the outdoor store told Neil as he picked me up a brand new pullover, as I only packed short sleeved items. We kept the heater on in the living room, and we looked out on the most spectacular panorama from the picture window. The greenest hills and pastures, with hedge fences, full of fluffy white sheep. Streaming water and a wind that pounded relentlessly through the night. We had a lot of privacy, and it was a definite immersion into the Wales countryside.

There were many magazines, local community maps an brochures, children's puzzles and a bookshelf stocked with books for both children and adults, which Michael was delighted with, as they had several Mr. Men books for him to enjoy.

I could comfortably stay at the accommodation for a month or more. It was absolutely lovely and perhaps we will visit again.

After checking in and dropping off the luggage we went to The White Swan. I was famished to say the least. It was 6pm and we were told that they don’t open or serve until 7. In fact, none of the local pubs and restaurants open before 7. They encouraged us to take a seat and wait. Gave us some chips and at 6:30 told us that the cook would make our meals. We were so delighted and it was very thoughtful of them to start early just for us. Neil, Patrick and Mom had the Leg of Lamb, Michael had the fish and chips, and I tried out the Beef and mushroom pie. All of the food was fantastic, but the real treat was the friend wait staff. Upon thanking the manager at the end of the meal, she gave me a warm hug and thanked me for being so complimentary. It really was a fantastic experience.
On Friday, faced with drizzling rain and hoping to see some magnificent Wales architecture, we drove an hour south to Caerphilly. Upon entering the town you can’t help but gape at Caerphilly Castle. A large moat surrounds the expansive and foreboding fortress, you are transported in time to an age of trebuchets and great halls. Cold, dank spiral staircases that led up to circular rooms with vast fireplaces. Murder holes and arrow slits at every turn.
Caerphilly has struck the perfect balance of exhibition and education. It is informative, yet not invasive to the experience. Michael was delighted to “discover” the castle, which, as impressive as it was for the adults, is the stuff of dreams for a seven year old boy.

After wards we had lunch at GLANMOR, and picked up pastries for the next day’s breakfast as well before driving to Cardiff with the hopes of squeezing in Cardiff Castle. We drove there knowing it was a gamble, as it was close to closing time. We didn’t make it, but I enjoyed driving through Cardiff, which is the capital of Wales and has some stunning architecture.

Part 2 of the week coming soon....