I promise this will be my last post about France, this is after all supposed to be a blog about life in England. However, I do think my trip to France fits into the scheme of "life in England" because the proximity to the European continent is part of living here. In the US we vacation in places like New York or Florida or California, here the trips are basically the same distance but you need a passport to get where you are going.
I have made several different albums of the different sights in Paris that we visited so it is easier to navigate all of the photos. I will post the albums in kind of a "Top Ten List" fashion starting with my favorite site and working my way down.
Here is an album of general out and about in Paris photos which also includes the river boat cruise we took. Also, here are the photos from Vernon including photos of the beautiful cathedral there.
1. Giverny- no explanation needed!
2. Orangerie- a museum dedicated to Impressionism and the home of Monet's Water Lilies masterpieces!
3. Orsay- the best collection of Impressionest paintings! Also, a beautiful sculpture collection. I think this was the best laid out museum I have ever been to. The museum used to be a train station and has a very open floorplan. Many of the most famous Impressionist paintings by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and others are on display here.
4. Saint Chappelle- by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I literally gasped when I stepped into the upper sanctuary. Definitely lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful church in Paris!
5. Notre Dame- as beautiful as I had expected. What can't be captured in these photos was the beautiful chorale music that was being played there. The ambiance the music and the flickering candles created was so serene and memorable.
6. Arc de Triomphe- a wonderful view of Paris! The very long winding walk up (284 steps) was definitely worth the view at the top.
7. Eiffel Tower- if I were to do it again I would not have gone to the very top. The view wasn't all that great and the lines were very long at every level. I would have just gone up to the second level (which has a very good view) and then spent more time on the ground where the views of the tower were really amazing. The draw of the tower isn't the view from the tower but the views of the tower itself, especially the light show every hour on the hour.
8. Hotel des Invalides- this is where Napoleon's tomb is located underneath the golden dome of the church inside. This building used to be a military hospital and now houses the military museum. We explored the museum that covers the two world wars which was one of the best war museums I have ever visited. The church with the golden dome that is within was almost sickeningly opulent and Napoleon's tomb was gigantic. Hard to believe such a tiny man was encased in there.
9. St Sulpice- this was a very interesting and beautiful church. We stood on the Meridien Line, known to Dan Brown fans as the "rose line" although as the literature in the church explained this isn't truly the purpose of the Meridien Line.
10. Louvre- I didn't expect to enjoy the Louvre too much, I had heard the Mona Lisa is kind of a let down so I it was exactly what I expected. I am not a huge fan of classical style art so most of the thousands of paintings housed here aren't interesting to me. The one thing I really did love was "Winged Victory". I think it was the most beautiful sculpture I have ever seen and the location it is in at the Louvre definitely suits it.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Honeymoon in France- Part II
It has now been a couple days since Jason and I returned from Paris. I took over 1,000 photos (seriously) and I am overwhelmed with trying to decide which ones to post because I am sure nobody wants to go through the hassle of going through all 1,000 photos. Instead what I will do is create a bunch of photo albums from each location and if you would like to check out a certain thing you can. I will probably post these later this week.
Back to where I left off with my last entry, On the second day of our honeymoon Jason and I visited Claude Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, France. It was a long but manageable walk from our B&B to Giverny on the foot path that ran along the back of the house. The footpath actually used to be a railroad but parts of the railroad was destroyed in WWII so the remaining parts were turned into a footpath which is quite nice. The area is very hilly so it worked out that the foot path used to be a railroad because it made getting around much easier for us since it was straight and level.
I don't think I can come up with words to describe how beautiful Claude Monet's gardens are. The last day of our trip we visited the Marmottan Museum which is a museum in Paris dedicated solely to the life and works of Claude Monet. I remember the audiguide at the museum saying that after Monet planted his garden and created the lily pond he created around 300 paintings there, which I found interesting because it was about the same number of photos I took of the gardens. Every flower seemed to be different here, some of the blooms were about the size of my head and even a flower as simple as the daisy was extraordinary because the daisy plants were over 7 feet tall. The garden is still impeccibly maintained which is one credit I have to give to the French about their historical sites. Sites like Monet's Garden and Versailles are still maintained to the level of perfection as when they were functioning homes. Now, they are just there for the benefit of visitors and I can't imagine the money and manpower that goes into keeping them up.
Later I will post an album of all the photos I took in Giverny, but for now here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
Me in the "Grand Alley"
That is me over on the other side of the pond! The willow trees were huge!
The lily pond!
Another of the many photos of me by the lily pond
One of the many rows of the the "walled garden" directly behind the house.
Back to where I left off with my last entry, On the second day of our honeymoon Jason and I visited Claude Monet's home and gardens in Giverny, France. It was a long but manageable walk from our B&B to Giverny on the foot path that ran along the back of the house. The footpath actually used to be a railroad but parts of the railroad was destroyed in WWII so the remaining parts were turned into a footpath which is quite nice. The area is very hilly so it worked out that the foot path used to be a railroad because it made getting around much easier for us since it was straight and level.
I don't think I can come up with words to describe how beautiful Claude Monet's gardens are. The last day of our trip we visited the Marmottan Museum which is a museum in Paris dedicated solely to the life and works of Claude Monet. I remember the audiguide at the museum saying that after Monet planted his garden and created the lily pond he created around 300 paintings there, which I found interesting because it was about the same number of photos I took of the gardens. Every flower seemed to be different here, some of the blooms were about the size of my head and even a flower as simple as the daisy was extraordinary because the daisy plants were over 7 feet tall. The garden is still impeccibly maintained which is one credit I have to give to the French about their historical sites. Sites like Monet's Garden and Versailles are still maintained to the level of perfection as when they were functioning homes. Now, they are just there for the benefit of visitors and I can't imagine the money and manpower that goes into keeping them up.
Later I will post an album of all the photos I took in Giverny, but for now here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
Me in the "Grand Alley"
That is me over on the other side of the pond! The willow trees were huge!
The lily pond!
Another of the many photos of me by the lily pond
One of the many rows of the the "walled garden" directly behind the house.Thursday, August 28, 2008
Honeymoon in France- Part I
I have just arrived in Paris and we are getting settled into our hotel room. Here is my journal from the first day we spent in the town of Vernon in the Normandie province which is about 4 miles from the village of Giverny where Claude Monet's house and gardens are located. Days 2 and 3 are to follow shortly! I don't have any photos to post yet but I will post some as soon as I return to England.
Day 1- 25 August 2008
Vernon, France
Today is our first full day in France. Yesterday we arrived at our final destination “L'Hermitage” at about 8pm and then quickly went into town for our first French meal. We dined at a restaurant on the Seine and quickly learned there are many differences in the way the French eat. Most restaurants serve 3 course meals with a starter, main course, what I like to call a “cheese intermission”, and then a dessert. I find there seems to be a large selection of fish at French restaurants and it is obvious that the French take their food quite seriously. After dinner we walked (in the rain) back to L'Hermitage or the “Wierdo Cottage” as Jason likes to call it. Our room is the only guest room in the Bed & Breakfast so it is kind of like being the guests of this French family. The room we are staying in is a long open room with a large adjoining bathroom. It is connected to the main house of our hosts Alain and Ariane through their kitchen door. It is a very charming old place with a foot path at the back of the house that leads to the town centre of Vernon (prononced Vair-noan) to the left and Giverny to the right. I can't imagine a more perfect way to begin our stay in France. Our hosts speak English and life here is pretty slow paced which I think is good for the first days of our honeymoon and a better way to become acclimated to France rather than being slung into the metropolis of Paris.
If I can draw one first impression about the French people it is that yes, they do actually walk down the street carrying baguettes. This morning we saw several people walking down the street carrying nothing but a few baguettes wrapped in paper. I even saw a little boy on the back of his mother's bike clinging to a baguette as she pedaled him down the street. I was a bit surprised that this stereotype actually turns out to be true. I knew I would be sampling a lot of wine and cheese (oh the cheese!) but to be honest I am overwhelmed by how much bread these people eat. I have probably consumed a full baguette already today and I haven't even had dinner.
Now onto the cheese, ohhhhh the wonderful cheese. I seem to be ordering anything on a menu that I can find that has goat cheese. The goat cheese here is the smoothest, creamiest goat cheese I have ever had in my life and it is a-maz-ing!
At the end of Day 1, we had earlier inquired about something I saw on the website that a homemade meal could be provided for 15 euros a person. I honestly was not expecting the meal that Ariane prepared for us. Three courses, which seems to be the norm for French cuisine but I honestly didn't expect this from a home cooked meal served in a little cottage. As I write this it is now the last night of our stay here in Vernon and I have sampled the food here and honestly the best meals we have had here in Vernon have been the meals prepared for us by Ariane. This first night she cooked for us we had an appetizer of goat cheese on toast. Now, I have said before that I love my goat cheese and these little toasts with goat cheese Ariane prepared for us were so simple, but so very delicious. Upon my first taste of Ariane's food I realized that one thing I will be leaving France with is inspiration to make more delicious meals such as the ones she has served. Ariane is after all a home cook, and her meals were better than all of the restaurants we have dined in since coming to France.
I have to say that Ariane and Alain are the perfect hosts. While Ariane was preparing a perfect meal, Alaine served as Maitre 'd. They knew it was our honeymoon so Alain served us “royal kir” with our meal. Kir is normally a cocktail of black currant brandy and white wine, but when it is made with champagne it is called royal kir. It was a delicious drink, I suppose I would compare it to a Bellini expect with a sweet fruity brandy. For the main course, Ariane had prepared a traditional Normandie style chicken dish. It was tender strips of chicken breast in a light fragrant sauce made with a type of apple cognac and olive oil and mushrooms. It was served with a mix of cous cous, grains and herbs.
When I was taking meditation courses in Chicago our instructor had once told us that the Hindus believe the reason “mom's cooking” tastes so good is because when mom prepares food it is prepared with love for her children and this love transfers into the food she cooks which is why nothing can ever compare to mom's food. I don't know if I believe this or not, but it certainly makes sense. I think in the same way Ariane's joy and enthusiasm for cooking translates into the wonderful meals she prepares.
I don't think many people are as lucky as Jason and I are to have a mother from Normandie prepare us a traditional meal while we gaze out the window of this cottage at the cows grazing in the French countryside. After dinner Jason asked Alain what was in the sauce that the chicken was cooked in and Alain came out with two glasses of the apple cognac for us to taste. It was so strong, but still a nice way to end a meal. Ariane also served us a trio of ice cream, I believe it was praline, caramel and coconut.
As I began to prepare for bed I realized that the next day I would be fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing Monet's garden. What a wonderful way to spend the evening before. I imagine many of the people who walked the paths of the garden that next day had probably woken up in a hotel in Paris, boarded a train to Vernon and then onto a bus and were dropped off en masse in front of the reception office where they then purchased their tickets. This is a stark contrast to the night I spent before this dining on home cooked cuisine d' Normandie and waking up to an equally lovely breakfast of fresh buns and bread from the baker in Vernon and homemade jam before strolling down a foot path into Giverny. The next day was going to be an exceptional day for me, and I knew this as I lay down to sleep that night.
Day 1- 25 August 2008
Vernon, France
Today is our first full day in France. Yesterday we arrived at our final destination “L'Hermitage” at about 8pm and then quickly went into town for our first French meal. We dined at a restaurant on the Seine and quickly learned there are many differences in the way the French eat. Most restaurants serve 3 course meals with a starter, main course, what I like to call a “cheese intermission”, and then a dessert. I find there seems to be a large selection of fish at French restaurants and it is obvious that the French take their food quite seriously. After dinner we walked (in the rain) back to L'Hermitage or the “Wierdo Cottage” as Jason likes to call it. Our room is the only guest room in the Bed & Breakfast so it is kind of like being the guests of this French family. The room we are staying in is a long open room with a large adjoining bathroom. It is connected to the main house of our hosts Alain and Ariane through their kitchen door. It is a very charming old place with a foot path at the back of the house that leads to the town centre of Vernon (prononced Vair-noan) to the left and Giverny to the right. I can't imagine a more perfect way to begin our stay in France. Our hosts speak English and life here is pretty slow paced which I think is good for the first days of our honeymoon and a better way to become acclimated to France rather than being slung into the metropolis of Paris.
If I can draw one first impression about the French people it is that yes, they do actually walk down the street carrying baguettes. This morning we saw several people walking down the street carrying nothing but a few baguettes wrapped in paper. I even saw a little boy on the back of his mother's bike clinging to a baguette as she pedaled him down the street. I was a bit surprised that this stereotype actually turns out to be true. I knew I would be sampling a lot of wine and cheese (oh the cheese!) but to be honest I am overwhelmed by how much bread these people eat. I have probably consumed a full baguette already today and I haven't even had dinner.
Now onto the cheese, ohhhhh the wonderful cheese. I seem to be ordering anything on a menu that I can find that has goat cheese. The goat cheese here is the smoothest, creamiest goat cheese I have ever had in my life and it is a-maz-ing!
At the end of Day 1, we had earlier inquired about something I saw on the website that a homemade meal could be provided for 15 euros a person. I honestly was not expecting the meal that Ariane prepared for us. Three courses, which seems to be the norm for French cuisine but I honestly didn't expect this from a home cooked meal served in a little cottage. As I write this it is now the last night of our stay here in Vernon and I have sampled the food here and honestly the best meals we have had here in Vernon have been the meals prepared for us by Ariane. This first night she cooked for us we had an appetizer of goat cheese on toast. Now, I have said before that I love my goat cheese and these little toasts with goat cheese Ariane prepared for us were so simple, but so very delicious. Upon my first taste of Ariane's food I realized that one thing I will be leaving France with is inspiration to make more delicious meals such as the ones she has served. Ariane is after all a home cook, and her meals were better than all of the restaurants we have dined in since coming to France.
I have to say that Ariane and Alain are the perfect hosts. While Ariane was preparing a perfect meal, Alaine served as Maitre 'd. They knew it was our honeymoon so Alain served us “royal kir” with our meal. Kir is normally a cocktail of black currant brandy and white wine, but when it is made with champagne it is called royal kir. It was a delicious drink, I suppose I would compare it to a Bellini expect with a sweet fruity brandy. For the main course, Ariane had prepared a traditional Normandie style chicken dish. It was tender strips of chicken breast in a light fragrant sauce made with a type of apple cognac and olive oil and mushrooms. It was served with a mix of cous cous, grains and herbs.
When I was taking meditation courses in Chicago our instructor had once told us that the Hindus believe the reason “mom's cooking” tastes so good is because when mom prepares food it is prepared with love for her children and this love transfers into the food she cooks which is why nothing can ever compare to mom's food. I don't know if I believe this or not, but it certainly makes sense. I think in the same way Ariane's joy and enthusiasm for cooking translates into the wonderful meals she prepares.
I don't think many people are as lucky as Jason and I are to have a mother from Normandie prepare us a traditional meal while we gaze out the window of this cottage at the cows grazing in the French countryside. After dinner Jason asked Alain what was in the sauce that the chicken was cooked in and Alain came out with two glasses of the apple cognac for us to taste. It was so strong, but still a nice way to end a meal. Ariane also served us a trio of ice cream, I believe it was praline, caramel and coconut.
As I began to prepare for bed I realized that the next day I would be fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing Monet's garden. What a wonderful way to spend the evening before. I imagine many of the people who walked the paths of the garden that next day had probably woken up in a hotel in Paris, boarded a train to Vernon and then onto a bus and were dropped off en masse in front of the reception office where they then purchased their tickets. This is a stark contrast to the night I spent before this dining on home cooked cuisine d' Normandie and waking up to an equally lovely breakfast of fresh buns and bread from the baker in Vernon and homemade jam before strolling down a foot path into Giverny. The next day was going to be an exceptional day for me, and I knew this as I lay down to sleep that night.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
The Hartlepooligans
By popular demand, I will post some photos of the crazy people of Hartlepool. The people of Hartlepool call themselves "Hartlepoodlians" but my good friend Angela from Chicago has suggested a much more appropriate name- Hartlepooligans.
Last weekend was the Hartlepool carnival which was culminated with a "parade". I use the term parade very loosely. First of all, there wasn't really any theme to speak of. Usually when there is a parade I expect there to be an occassion or theme like "Thanksgiving" or "Independence Day" or even "The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup... AGAIN!" It doesn't really matter what the theme is, I just like know that there is some theme or purpose for the parade. This was not the case with Hartlepool's carnival parade. I think the only theme I might have been able to draw, since it was the only recurring costume was The Canoe Man:
If I never mentioned it before, there was a big story this year that made international headlines when a man from Hartlepool faked his own death in an insurance scam. John Darwin, now know to the Hartlepooligans as "The Canoe Man" was a neighbour of ours, living just a few doors down from us here on the sea front. In 2002 John Darwin was out canoeing one day in the sea (its actually more like kayaking) and he never returned. His body was never found after the Coast Guard searched for him and he was pronounced dead and his wife was awarded his life insurance money. For the past 5 years John Darwin has been living in a "secret room" in their home, but his act was up when he and his wife tried to purchase some property in Panama. When he realized the police were getting close to discovering his scheme he stumbled into a London police station claiming amnesia and no knowledge of the past 5 years but the police saw through his act and he was arrested. He and his wife were recently sentenced to 6 years in prison for their scheme.
In true English spirit, instead of sweeping this man under the rug or trying to keep it on the hush while the story blew over, the people of Hartlepool have embraced the Canoe Man and he is the butt of every joke and quite possibly the only theme that could be found in the parade.
Back to the parade, it can best be described as a bunch of drunk people dressed in Halloween costumes wandering aimlessly down a street lined with children. There were only two floats, one with the local beauty pageant winners and another that had an Easter theme- in August. The only thing I could think was that maybe they didn't disassemble their Easter parade float and decided to recycle it for this parade. The only other theme, which is thoroughly English, was "men dressed as women". We have a hula girl...
Her Majesty the Queen...
and of course, Amy Winehouse...
Mr. Winehouse was probably my favorite because right before this photo was taken he walked off the street, through the crowd and into the pub across the street and emerged with a pint of lager. I think it pretty much summed up the whole spirit of the parade. Other than the photos I have posted here, people pretty much wore whatever costumes they had and entered themselves into the parade. There was a troupe of Elvises, the characters from the Wizard of Oz, zombies, and numerous other random costumes with no relationship whatsoever to each other.
Well, that was my first experience with an English "parade" but I have to believe that there are better parades to be seen in England. Tomorrow Jason and I are leaving for our honeymoon in France. We will be gone for 12 days so I probably won't post next Monday. I am taking my computer with me, but I probably won't take the time to write a full post next Monday.
Last weekend was the Hartlepool carnival which was culminated with a "parade". I use the term parade very loosely. First of all, there wasn't really any theme to speak of. Usually when there is a parade I expect there to be an occassion or theme like "Thanksgiving" or "Independence Day" or even "The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup... AGAIN!" It doesn't really matter what the theme is, I just like know that there is some theme or purpose for the parade. This was not the case with Hartlepool's carnival parade. I think the only theme I might have been able to draw, since it was the only recurring costume was The Canoe Man:
If I never mentioned it before, there was a big story this year that made international headlines when a man from Hartlepool faked his own death in an insurance scam. John Darwin, now know to the Hartlepooligans as "The Canoe Man" was a neighbour of ours, living just a few doors down from us here on the sea front. In 2002 John Darwin was out canoeing one day in the sea (its actually more like kayaking) and he never returned. His body was never found after the Coast Guard searched for him and he was pronounced dead and his wife was awarded his life insurance money. For the past 5 years John Darwin has been living in a "secret room" in their home, but his act was up when he and his wife tried to purchase some property in Panama. When he realized the police were getting close to discovering his scheme he stumbled into a London police station claiming amnesia and no knowledge of the past 5 years but the police saw through his act and he was arrested. He and his wife were recently sentenced to 6 years in prison for their scheme.
In true English spirit, instead of sweeping this man under the rug or trying to keep it on the hush while the story blew over, the people of Hartlepool have embraced the Canoe Man and he is the butt of every joke and quite possibly the only theme that could be found in the parade.
Back to the parade, it can best be described as a bunch of drunk people dressed in Halloween costumes wandering aimlessly down a street lined with children. There were only two floats, one with the local beauty pageant winners and another that had an Easter theme- in August. The only thing I could think was that maybe they didn't disassemble their Easter parade float and decided to recycle it for this parade. The only other theme, which is thoroughly English, was "men dressed as women". We have a hula girl...
Her Majesty the Queen...
and of course, Amy Winehouse...
Mr. Winehouse was probably my favorite because right before this photo was taken he walked off the street, through the crowd and into the pub across the street and emerged with a pint of lager. I think it pretty much summed up the whole spirit of the parade. Other than the photos I have posted here, people pretty much wore whatever costumes they had and entered themselves into the parade. There was a troupe of Elvises, the characters from the Wizard of Oz, zombies, and numerous other random costumes with no relationship whatsoever to each other.
Well, that was my first experience with an English "parade" but I have to believe that there are better parades to be seen in England. Tomorrow Jason and I are leaving for our honeymoon in France. We will be gone for 12 days so I probably won't post next Monday. I am taking my computer with me, but I probably won't take the time to write a full post next Monday.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Stonehenge
This week Jason and I drove about 300 miles southeast to see Stonehenge. Jason had driven past and seen it before during training for the Navy but he had never actually been through to the site so this was a new experience for him too. Stonehenge is located just a bit north of Salisbury in a small town called Amesbury. As you come down the road flanked on either side by fields and flock of sheep of herds of cows, suddenly there it is. Its a very subtle environment, and the stones seem to just kind of fit in the environment like they have always been there and I guess in a way they always have.
We parked and went through the small setup they have on the other side of the road where you pay for entry and there is a gift shop and some food stalls and a booth giving out free audio tours. We both got the tours and headed through. The stones were cordoned off at about 20 feet around so although visitors aren't able to get too close to the stones, but still close enough to really experience and appreciate the site. It was good to know that preserving the stones for as long as possible is of the utmost importance and although it would be nice to get in close and touch the stones, you understand they by taking these steps Stonehenge is being protected so generations to come can experience and enjoy it.
I learned quite a bit from the audio tour, although I did know quite a bit about it already I really did learn things and see things I didn't know about. Here are some of the photos I took there:
We parked and went through the small setup they have on the other side of the road where you pay for entry and there is a gift shop and some food stalls and a booth giving out free audio tours. We both got the tours and headed through. The stones were cordoned off at about 20 feet around so although visitors aren't able to get too close to the stones, but still close enough to really experience and appreciate the site. It was good to know that preserving the stones for as long as possible is of the utmost importance and although it would be nice to get in close and touch the stones, you understand they by taking these steps Stonehenge is being protected so generations to come can experience and enjoy it.
I learned quite a bit from the audio tour, although I did know quite a bit about it already I really did learn things and see things I didn't know about. Here are some of the photos I took there:
Monday, August 11, 2008
My First Visit to an English Castle
On Friday Jason took me up north about an hour to Alnwick Castle, the home of the Duke of Northumberland. It was my first visit to an English Castle and upon entering the first giant stone archway there was a large sign that read "Welcome to our family home" and there was a message from the Duke of Northumberland about the history of the castle and what it means to his family. I couldn't believe as I stood there in this massive stone structure that this actually belongs to someone. Most parts of it have been turned into a museum but this is still a "family home" as has been for about 700 years. I can't imagine living in such an amazing place and that the numerous antiquities actually belong to a family. As amazing as it would be to live in this place, I also couldn't imagine my home being open to the public with velvet ropes and placards everywhere and security cameras and docents. To just have strangers roaming through the house and grounds would be a strange way to live, but then again only a small bit of the interior of the castle was open to the public and the rest I am sure is kept quite private.
We weren't able to take photographs of the inside of the castle, but it was really one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen. I have seen museums and things with these types of interiors but as I mentioned before I was so struck by the reality that everything in this home belonged to one family and this family lives among their own history. Every inch of wall, ceiling and floor was ornately decorated with the most expensive materials you could imagine. Every wall was crammed with paintings of family members ranging through all generations. I don't have enough time here to describe all of the amazing things I laid my eyes on as we walked through the state rooms.
After we walked through the state rooms and tried to absorb everything we could, although honestly I think I could walk through that place every day for the rest of my life and probably find some new little thing I had never noticed before, but aaaaaanyway- we walked outside and explored the grounds which was kind of the main attraction for me because that is where the Harry Potter scenes were filmed.
Here is the green outside the castle where Harry Potter's first flying lesson was filmed:
Here are some more photos from different parts of the castle:
Monday, August 4, 2008
My first week in the UK
In case you aren't already jealous enough, I am sitting next to my open front window watching the tide go out. The sun is shining and it is about 65 and sunny with a light cool breeze.
This first week here in the UK has been a bit of a learning experience, as I'm sure my next few weeks will be. Grocery shopping was an absolute nightmare, it was difficult to tell which brands were good and which food contained healthy ingredients. The good thing is that Weight Watchers has a huge selection of products in the UK. My favorite is the Weight Watchers rice pudding, it is delicious!
I also attended my first English wedding on Saturday. It was my brother-in-law's wedding and it was at quaint country inn about 30 minutes away in the village of Nunthorpe. There were a lot of things about English weddings that are very different. First of all, there are many children in the wedding party. There was one maid of honour and one best man and some ushers but they did not stand up for the whole wedding. There was a flower girl, a ring bearer and a few page boys which is something we don't have in American weddings. There were more children in the wedding party than adults.
I can't speak for religious ceremonies because I think they are a bit different, but the civil ceremony is a bit less formal than the traditional American civil ceremony. The ceremony is performed by a registrar and there is a recorder who records all of the vows and everything that is said at the wedding is written down for public record. The beginning of the ceremony was very different because it was a lot of legal talk, the bride and groom had to state their full name and then before the vows they had to pledge that there was no impediment to them being legally married. It sounded more like a court proceeding than a wedding at first, but I think its good to be reminded that marriage isn't just about love but the joining of two households and it is a serious obligation and responsibility. Then the vows started and the weddings guests are asked to stand for the duration of the vows, which were really quite long! Then the ring ceremony happens and then right there at the ceremony in front of the guests the bride and groom sign the marriage license and certify that the record of everything said at the wedding is correct.
There was no rehearsal dinner, so at the dinner the bridesmaids and best man and ushers, children and parents of the bride and groom were given gifts and thanked. The father of the bride, the groom and the best man all do speeches. My husband Jason was the best man and he told me a bit about the speeches. Like American weddings, the best man is expected to make a humorous speech (bordering on a roast of the groom) but the other thing I found interesting was that they also read a few of the wedding cards aloud. Then at the end of the dinner the bride and groom cut the cake. English wedding cakes are traditionally fruit cake but my brother and sister in law chose to have fruit cake, carrot cake and sponge cake. The dinner was pretty much the same as an American reception, the difference is that its split into two parts.
It is traditional in England for fewer people to be invited to the actual ceremony. In this case, there were 70 people invited to the ceremony and formal dinner afterwards. Then there was an intermission of a couple hours where the guests who were staying for the evening party could hang out at the bar. Then at 7pm there was a "disco" and also a buffet for about 120 guests. I have to say with such a long day (the ceremony was at noon) when the buffet started in the evening I was ready to eat again and was thankful it was there. At the beginning of the "disco" the DJ played some games with the children which was nice. Then there was the first dance but that was the only special dance. There was no daddy/daughter dance or bridal party dance or any other special dances. The rest of the evening was pretty much exactly like an American wedding with lots of drinking and dancing.
HATS! I was told it is mostly older ladies who wear hats to weddings, at this wedding about a dozen or so of the ladies of all ages wore either a small hat or a little plume of some kind tucked into their hair. Below is a photo of my favorite hat, I think it is fabulous and wish I had the "bullocks" to wear a red hat to a wedding! Most of the women who chose something more like what my mother-in-law (right) and sister-in-law (left) are wearing in the photo on the bottom.
This first week here in the UK has been a bit of a learning experience, as I'm sure my next few weeks will be. Grocery shopping was an absolute nightmare, it was difficult to tell which brands were good and which food contained healthy ingredients. The good thing is that Weight Watchers has a huge selection of products in the UK. My favorite is the Weight Watchers rice pudding, it is delicious!
I also attended my first English wedding on Saturday. It was my brother-in-law's wedding and it was at quaint country inn about 30 minutes away in the village of Nunthorpe. There were a lot of things about English weddings that are very different. First of all, there are many children in the wedding party. There was one maid of honour and one best man and some ushers but they did not stand up for the whole wedding. There was a flower girl, a ring bearer and a few page boys which is something we don't have in American weddings. There were more children in the wedding party than adults.
I can't speak for religious ceremonies because I think they are a bit different, but the civil ceremony is a bit less formal than the traditional American civil ceremony. The ceremony is performed by a registrar and there is a recorder who records all of the vows and everything that is said at the wedding is written down for public record. The beginning of the ceremony was very different because it was a lot of legal talk, the bride and groom had to state their full name and then before the vows they had to pledge that there was no impediment to them being legally married. It sounded more like a court proceeding than a wedding at first, but I think its good to be reminded that marriage isn't just about love but the joining of two households and it is a serious obligation and responsibility. Then the vows started and the weddings guests are asked to stand for the duration of the vows, which were really quite long! Then the ring ceremony happens and then right there at the ceremony in front of the guests the bride and groom sign the marriage license and certify that the record of everything said at the wedding is correct.
There was no rehearsal dinner, so at the dinner the bridesmaids and best man and ushers, children and parents of the bride and groom were given gifts and thanked. The father of the bride, the groom and the best man all do speeches. My husband Jason was the best man and he told me a bit about the speeches. Like American weddings, the best man is expected to make a humorous speech (bordering on a roast of the groom) but the other thing I found interesting was that they also read a few of the wedding cards aloud. Then at the end of the dinner the bride and groom cut the cake. English wedding cakes are traditionally fruit cake but my brother and sister in law chose to have fruit cake, carrot cake and sponge cake. The dinner was pretty much the same as an American reception, the difference is that its split into two parts.
It is traditional in England for fewer people to be invited to the actual ceremony. In this case, there were 70 people invited to the ceremony and formal dinner afterwards. Then there was an intermission of a couple hours where the guests who were staying for the evening party could hang out at the bar. Then at 7pm there was a "disco" and also a buffet for about 120 guests. I have to say with such a long day (the ceremony was at noon) when the buffet started in the evening I was ready to eat again and was thankful it was there. At the beginning of the "disco" the DJ played some games with the children which was nice. Then there was the first dance but that was the only special dance. There was no daddy/daughter dance or bridal party dance or any other special dances. The rest of the evening was pretty much exactly like an American wedding with lots of drinking and dancing.
HATS! I was told it is mostly older ladies who wear hats to weddings, at this wedding about a dozen or so of the ladies of all ages wore either a small hat or a little plume of some kind tucked into their hair. Below is a photo of my favorite hat, I think it is fabulous and wish I had the "bullocks" to wear a red hat to a wedding! Most of the women who chose something more like what my mother-in-law (right) and sister-in-law (left) are wearing in the photo on the bottom.
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