Thanksgiving Abroad

Today is Thanksgiving for Americans.  Right now, I should be in the kitchen cooking but thought I'd take the time to reflect a bit this morning after sleeping in.  Normally, by now, I'd be panicked that the 15-pound turkey I prepared isn't going to be cooked in time if it wasn't in the oven.  Or that the green bean casserole ... or the mashed potatoes... and did I buy enough dessert?  blah blah blah.  But I sit here writing instead.  Strange what clearing your head for a few months can do to you.

It's just three of us, as usual, this year, only this time it's my daughter, myself and a friend of mine who graciously came up to eat my cooking and help me with a few chores around here (like chopping wood).  This year I am preparing a turkey breast instead of a whole bird, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing and NY cheesecake for dessert.

We will have enough leftovers for a week probably even without a whole bird.  Truthfully, it's the only time of the year I even like leftovers.  The ingredients will be the same but the products were acquired a bit differently this year.

The many differences between the US and the UK

I'm driving down the road today and realize that I've been back in the US five months now, after four months of being there.  What made me think of this?  Strangely, I was thinking about how long it would have been had  I stayed the two months longer that I was supposed to stay there.  I would have only been back here three months then.  All relevant information, no?

I was thinking about some of the difference I found between a country divided by a common language (that's what they say right?) and truthfully, I think any American that had never been to the UK before would have been thrown through a bit of a loop at the differences between the two countries.  My daughter and I were talking about my trip there as a teenager, and how some things confused me.  The one thing that always humors her is how I complained that, in Italy, they served us weeds for salad.  My mother tried convincing me that they were in fact different kinds of lettuces in the world and these were simply one of those cases.  Being an arrogant teenager, I refused to consider the fact that they were in fact lettuce, and insisted for many years to come that we were fed weeds.  Victoria seems to find this funny.  I suppose it's a good thing I've been feeding her "weeds" all along and this didn't upset her on our trip there.  Crisis averted.  Whew.

We stayed in Wales for three of our four months and had some differences there.  I think Americans would be shocked at the freezer space (or lack of) since we are so used to buying large quantities and freezing things.  This became apparent when we were there for (American) Thanksgiving and couldn't buy a turkey until a day or so before due lack of space in the freezer.  We ended up buying a turkey breast.  It was only three of us for this occasion so wasn't that big of a deal.  (If you remember, my friend Kerry came to visit and to experience American Thanksgiving foods.    Keep in mind, the freezer in Wales was tiny - and we usually stocked bagged ice and ice cream in it.

Speaking of freezer space, that is another thing Americans would be confused about.  Where's the ice?  I personally do not know anyone in the UK who has an ice maker in their freezer - where I don't know anyone in the US without one!  As rare as freezer space was for us, this particular one in Wales held two bags of ice and we bought accordingly.  But when we'd go out to restaurants, we'd have to specify that we'd like ice in our beverage.  Americans reading this will gasp and find that inconceivable.

Also, beverages did not come with refills.  In America, you finish your drink and they come along with either a pitcher of tea or another full glass of soda or whatever you are drinking (and by soda I mean Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, 7up, Mountian Dew, etc etc etc.).  This simply does not occur in the UK.  If you want more of your beverage of choice, be prepared to pay for a second glass.  Of course this excludes adult beverages in both countries.

Restaurants are far different in the UK.  The first thing you will notice is the lack of drive through windows.  In the US, most places have a drive-though window.  In Wales, while there, the only drive through windows we could find were at McDonalds.  Thank goodness because the drivers window on the borrowed car I was driving (thanks again Sian and Ian for the car! and very sorry about the accident!) did not go down, which would have made drive through windows a royal pain in the butt.  Since we rarely go through them here in the US, it wasn't that much of a loss to us.  With that said, most restaurants around us were actually pubs.  Small, usually more dark than light, carpet on the floors, and a bar where you went and ordered any food you'd like and pay for it upfront.  In America, we call them bars and we go to them to drink and socialize but rarely eat anything more than bar food (potato chips, nachos, buffalo wings, etc).  Very few restaurants we went to actually had waitresses.  The Wyndstay Pizzeria in Machynlleth had waitresses though, which was one of our favorite places.  Pricey for pizza (if we are talking American prices) but this was in the UK and all food there was considerably higher.  But we didn't eat our too often.  Not only did the price affect us but the amount of service we ever received frustrated us to no end.  I emailed back a list of all the American restaurants we wanted to eat at upon our arrival.  I don't think I cooked for the first two weeks!  Seemed we were constantly in awe of how much ice our glass had at all times! ;)

Oh that reminds me - tips!  We rarely had to tip there.  Staff makes a decent salary and people don't have to tip as much.  Compared to the US, where waiters and waitresses only make minimum wage or less, and they make the most of their money in tips.  The opposite is true in the UK.  They all were shocked when I tipped.  Go figure.

Food usually tasted different even when we tried to make things we had here in the US.   For instance, we made tacos.  Close but very different.  Hamburgers were tastier there though.  And bacon?  Nope.  Even their "streaky" bacon (which is supposed to be close to our bacon) wasn't it.  Their bacon is more like what we know as Canadian bacon. Probably much healthier. Good but not what we know bacon to be.

We could discuss driving on the opposite side of the road but we won't.  Let's just say it's a HUGE adjustment.

People looking at you like you just slapped them.  Seriously!  Mostly up in Scotland people either looked at me funny or just ignored me after they heard my accent.  Mostly though, people were curious about why I was there.  I'm sure most Americans don't just choose to go to Mid Wales for three months.  I'm not sure if Welsh or British or Scottish people find American accents sexy at all, but I know that in America, women melt over British accents.

There's a million other things to discuss but will hold on to them for now.

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness
Marianne

Chicago and Back in 24 hours

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to Chicago for a day.  Yes, only a day.  Chicago from Dayton is a 5 hour trip.  We left early Thursday morning and came back Friday afternoon.  So not including drive time, a day.

This is a big water fountain in Millennium Park. There are two of them.  Water shoots out of the persons mouth onto the ground below - often covered with children enjoying the water. 

Anyone that knows me well, or actually, even just a little bit, knows that I love Chicago.  I've been to Chicago, London, New York, Dallas, Atlanta.  Give me Chicago any day.  Ok, maybe London over Chicago but Chicago is much more affordable to get to and once you get there, you can afford to eat food there too!

We arrived in Chicago around 1pm their time and went straight to the hotel and checked in.  We stayed just outside Chicago this time in a very affordable hotel.  It's about a forty minute drive to Chicago from here but considering we weren't paying for the hotel, it would do.  Usually, if I have my choice, I'd stay in Champagne Lodge and Luxury Suites but recently, they changed it to a members only hotel.  Yes, can you believe it?  The thought reminds me of joining Sams Club.   A few months back, I checked their pricing on their website and I don't believe the $25 option was available then but it is now.  But still... really?  I'm don't pay a membership fee to stay at the Hilton Hotels.  Just Sayin....

Ok - on to my trip.  We went from the hotel in Indiana to downtown Chicago this time on the train.  It was an Amtrak type train and cost us roughly $7 per person each way.  Not bad considering if I'd driven into the city, I'd pay approx $10 for tolls, $5 for parking, and whatever the gas would cost for 40 minutes in driving, excluding any delays due to construction, accidents, etc.  Riding the train was awesome going in to town.  I was able to stretch out, drink a bottle of water, watch the scenery going by without worrying about crashing into other cars or driving off the road, and occasionally close my eyes and daydream.  It took roughly an hour and a half to get there vs. forty minutes, but by the time you park and get on another train to take you into downtown, it's about the same amount of time, if not less.

We are sitting at the train station waiting and there was this woman there whom I late found out was 67 years old.  Let me tell you, this woman was awesome. She was with a friend of hers and she seemed so fun and full of life, it made me want to be more like her.  That is one of the awesome things about Chicago and bigger cities.  People watching is awesome.

The train took us to Millennium park where we exited and hit the street.  Ok, I will reveal my real meaning to go to Chicago other than my love of the place.  Chicago has hundreds of #Ingress Portals and I wanted to play enough to get me to the highest level available right now.  Turns out that is impossible most places except at Millennium Park because of the high buildings and the horrible GPS signals there due to them.  We were able to play a little bit but it was easy to get discouraged thanks to all the high buildings that I love Chicago for.  It's such a double edge sword!

We walked miles and miles in a day.  Walking the streets of Chicago.  Flowers were in bloom which were pretty but I had noticed on the train into the city that the trees didn't have leaves on them yet, as opposed to Dayton.  It amazed me how much a few hours more north could make in that aspect.  We passed a lot of really cool features in the city by just taking our time and walking around.  I randomly took photos of just " things"  like fire hydrants, trains, parking garage ticket machines, etc.  Things that make the " city " the " city" .

My favorite part of Chicago will always be Millennium Park.  Probably the most known park in the city, due to the "Bean".  What is the "Bean"?  Very few people actually know that it's really called the "Cloud Gate".   It's in the center of AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park in the Loop Community of Chicago.  It was designed by Indian born British artist Anish Kapoor and construction was started on it in 2004 and finished in 2006.  It's made of 168 stainless steel plates welded together seamlessly.  It really is an amazing piece of art.  Make sure you go see it if you are in Chicago.

The food in Chicago is always out of this world.  This trip we only ate at two of my favorite haunts.  Millers Pub and Portillos.  Millers Pub has the most amazing prime rib you will find in the city but make sure you are super hungry or plan on sharing it with someone.  It's a lot of food when you order that.  Portillos has the most amazing salads.  Their chopped salad can't be beat.  I actually take a cooler and bring them home with me when I'm anywhere near one of them in that area for dinner that night.

One of my favorite pizza places in Chicago is Gino's East.  Their famous for their deep dish pizza but I promise you - one piece is enough.

Gino's East Pizza

Prime Rib at Millers Pub

 

Chopped Salad for Portillos

 We stopped at Albanese Candy Factory on the way home for some candy as a surprise for Victoria.  They had this HUGE chocolate fountain that ran from the ceiling to the .... pot? I don't know what you call it since I'm not a candy maker... but it was pretty impressive.

Yes! That's chocolate all the way up there!

Chicago has everything NY has in terms of shopping.  They both have their pro's and con's but I prefer Chicago.  

Here's to traveling and exploring wherever you are at this time of your life.

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness

Marianne

Tea Comes to England

This was from Kendra Hunt Wilhelm's Thesis on Tea and I wanted to share it with you..

Tea Comes to England

In spite of its early discovery in Asia, tea was unknown to Europeans until the 16th century. The first western reference to tea was in a 1559 volume of travel literature entitled Voyages and Travels, compiled by Giambattaista Ramusio (Jonnes 1982: 101). It describes tea as a hot drink with medicinal qualities. In the 1560's, Father Gasper da Cruz mentions tea in a letter home to Portugal from China, and Father Louis Almeda does the same in a letter sent from Japan to Italy. In spite of these early reports of tea it was not brought to Europe until 1610. It was introduced to Britain by the Dutch and there is no record of its earliest entry into Tea was a rare luxury good and a social nicety for the rich. Served primarily to men, it was first called Cha, from the Cantonese slang for tea. The name changed later to Tay, or Tee, when the British trading post moved from Canton to Amoy, where the word for tea is T'e (Ukers 1935: 23).

In 1662 Catherine of Braganza of Portugal married Charles II and brought with her the preference for tea, which had already become common in Europe. As tea was her temperance drink of choice, it gained social acceptance among the aristocracy as she replaced wine, ale and spirits with tea as the court drink (Mintz 1985: 110).

In an attempt to please Charles II, the English East India Company brought small gifts of tea from Europe for Catherine in 1664 and 1666. Other than these gifts, the English East India company did not consider tea to be worth importing from China until 1668, and it was not considered a serious trading commodity for at least another nine years (Ukers 1935). In 1669 all imports from Holland were prohibited, including tea, granting the English East India Company a monopoly over this commodity.

First sold in apothecaries and a few coffeehouses, the acceptance of tea into British culture was relatively slow. In 1667 Thomas Garraway, the owner of a coffeehouse known as Garraway's, was one of the first to serve tea. According to Garraway's advertisements tea in Britain had only been used as a "regalia in high treatments." He advertised it as a medicinal drink, capable of curing almost anything, and charged £6 to £10 for a pound. His coffee house was a center for mercantile transactions, and he sold tea both by the pound, and prepared tea. Garraway's was not the only coffee house that served as more than simply a place to purchase, and drink, the new stimulant beverages.

Coffee houses were hubs of business and trade news, and patronized entirely by men. As coffee houses were places of sobriety and moderation, they were known as locales for discussions about literature, politics and art. One would go to a coffee house to read newspapers, hear the latest trade news, and to see friends. Most coffee houses had a distinct character and clientele, and every profession, trade and class had its coffee house of choice. By the 18th century, as coffee and tea began to enter the home, many of these coffee houses evolved into male only clubs. One of the better known coffee houses to evolve in this manner was established by Edward Lloyd in 1687. It later became the famous insurance company Lloyds of London (Twinings 1956: 7).
Coffee houses were so active in political discussion that the government felt threatened by them and made an attempt to abolish them. On December 29, 1675, Charles II issued a proclamation ordering that all coffee houses close permanently by January 10, 1676, as they were the "...resort of idle and disaffected persons" (Ukers 1935: 45). The outcry against this was so great he was forced to reverse his decision on January 8, and the coffee houses remained open (Ukers 1935: 45).

Catherine of Braganza's choice of tea was instrumental in the popularization of tea in Britain. Because tea was introduced primarily through male frequented coffee houses, there would have been far less social acceptability for women to drink this beverage had it not been for her example. Catherine of Braganza's use of tea as a court beverage, rather than a medicinal drink, influenced its popularity in literary circles around 1685. By 1686 tea was selling in markets, and the English East India Company considered it to be a part of their regular trade. It was no longer only a specialty item brought back by a ship's captain for personal use (Ukers 1935).
Until the 1700's, tea was a small part of Europe's trade with Asia. Prices were unstable until the 1710's, when direct regular trade between China and the East India companies created a situation in which larger quantities of tea were ordered because of an increased demand. In 1720, English Parliament prohibited the import of finished Asian textiles, with the goal of encouraging local textile manufacture. Until this time tea had been viewed as a secondary commodity, but now it was regarded with increasing interest, and it replaced silk as the primary Chinese export. Fortunately for the merchants who were forced to stop importing silk, tea drinking was gaining popularity in Britain.

Because of the increased tea trade a direct trade route was swiftly created between Canton and Britain, and tea prices stabilized (Smith 1992: 275). The market was flooded with green tea from China. Both tea and coffee were increasing in popularity during the beginning of the eighteenth century, but coffee became more difficult to import as demand for these two commodities grew.
Until the beginning of the eighteenth century, the only regions of the world supplying coffee were Arabia, New Guinea and Eritrea, a province in Ethiopia. All of these area were then free of European control, and incapable of increasing the amount of coffee produced. Although the Dutch attempted to grow coffee in other regions of the world, Arabian coffee remained the most popular. Coffee supply and prices were unstable, and rising demand pushed prices higher. Tea supply and prices stabilized earlier than coffee, so merchants preferred to deal in this commodity, and consequently advertised it more vigorously (Smith 1992: 275).

It has been suggested that tea gained popularity over chocolate and coffee in the late 1700's because it was more patriotic to drink tea, as it came from British colonies, whereas coffee came from the non-British Arabia, and chocolate from the Spanish and Portuguese controlled Americas (Smith 1992: 277). This was true during later years, but this theory neatly overlooks the historical fact that during the time in which tea actually supplanted coffee, both commodities were imported from politically independent nations; coffee came from Arabia, and tea was grown in China. It was not until the early nineteenth century that tea was grown in British colonies such as Java, India and Sri Lanka.

The amount of tea imported increased again in the first half of the eighteenth century. From 1650 to 1700, Britain imported about 181,500 lbs of tea. In the 1750's about 40 million lbs of tea were legally imported to Britain. However, as the smuggling trade was active in the eighteenth century, and it is very difficult to estimate how much tea was actually imported and consumed (Schivelbusch 1993). It is likely that as much tea was being smuggled in from Europe as was legally imported by the English East India Company. Sawdust, sand, and other floor sweepings were sometimes added to the tea by smugglers and traders to increase its volume despite legislation passed against the practice in 1725 (Drummond and Wilbraham 1939: 242). It is hard to imagine what this would have done to the quality of the taste of the tea, and how an infusion made of tea that was often mixed with these other "ingredients" could have become popular. It has been suggested that this adulteration of green tea made the public wary, so there was a change in preference to black teas. It is uncertain, however, why the demand for tea, green or black, increased so quickly during this time period, especially given the for questionable quality.
One reason tea became more popular than coffee lies in the nature of its preparation. Coffee grounds can only be used to make coffee once, as reusing grounds yields coffee with a far inferior taste. Tea leaves, however, can be used several times without a marked taste difference, although the resulting beverage is weaker than the original infusion. Until tea dropped in price in the middle of the nineteenth century, members of the working class in Britain bought second hand tea leaves from the bourgeoisie and let the tea steep longer to compensate. The amount of tea used can also be reduced, and a weak cup of tea is far more palatable than a weak cup of coffee. The price of tea per pound is always higher than that of coffee, but a smaller amount of tea is used per cup than coffee, making it more economical. (Drummond and Wilbraham 1939).

Chinese tea was imported until 1833. Due to increasing tensions between Britain and China, trade was restricted in 1831 when China only allowed foreign merchants contact with the Canton port. In 1834 all ports were closed to foreign vessels by an Imperial Edict from the Chinese Emperor until the end of the Britain-China war in 1842 (Ukers 1935: 77). 

English Breakfast Tea

The first tea from Java did not appear until 1835, and very little was produced in Java until a few decades later, so it is not clear where the British imported the bulk of their tea from between 1834 and 1842. The tea trade with India did not start around 1838. However, prices for this tea were very high and supply was not regular until the 1860's. In Sri Lanka (Ceylon) tea was not grown until the 1880's. Although tea drinking was common, consumption remained modest, at about three pounds per person a year, until the 1840's when consumption began to skyrocket. (Ukers 1935)

Clipper ships, first built in the early 1830's in the United States, provided the fastest means of transporting tea between China and the west. They became common in the early 1840's, in Britain when trade with China resumed. They could travel to China and back in the same amount of time an earlier ship sailed half the voyage. Tea Clippers were vital to the tea trade until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and were in operation until the end of the 1880's. During their heyday the Tea Clippers caught the attention of the public and there were many popular and well publicized races between ships, often with large prizes for the crew of the winning ship (Ukers 1935). The increase of tea on the British market due to the clipper ships aided in driving down the price of tea so members of the working class could afford it.

Blending teas began around 1870 when tea merchants such as Twinings began to blend different varieties of tea from differing regions to achieve a stable taste. Twining's English Breakfast Blend, for example, has tasted essentially the same for decades. Now the consumer was sure of exactly what flavor she or he was buying, and would be more likely to buy more once a favorite blend was discovered. A reduction of import duties lowered the price of tea, so buying more of the favored blend was economically easier than ever before. Tea prices plummeted with the introduction of black tea from Sri Lanka in the middle to late 1880's.

During the First World War there was a strong temperance movement and tea became a popular alternative to alcohol. By 1938 the per capita yearly tea consumption reached 9.11 pounds, and tea was firmly established in British culture.

Click here to view and purchase British tea and biscuits!

November in Wales

November in Wales leads to some pleasant weather if it wasn't for all the rain.  It rained and when we thought it had rained enough, it rained more just to prove to us that Mother Nature had a sense of humor.  Whether that was a good or bad sense of humor - we are not quite sure of yet.

At this point, we had been in Wales for almost two months and had been doing quite a bit of driving around and checking things out.  Victoria was singing with a Welsh choir once a week which I think was a good experience for her.  We drove up and down the coast, admiring the scenery.  Sheep abound everywhere in the area.  The water was beautiful and the beaches led to some research being done about the rocks we found on the beaches there.

As the month grew on, the weather got colder.  The rain continued.  It made it rather dreary.  We'd seen a considerable amount of the area by then.  Thoughts of Thanksgiving started coming to mind.  I started asking around about finding a turkey since I had very little success even finding sliced turkey for sandwiches, with alone anything that resembled the actual bird.  I guess I had never given it much thought that turkeys are very American.  I asked at Morrisons (http://www.morrisons.co.uk/), one of the local grocery stores (in Aberystwyth - about 45 minutes away) if they had or would be getting any.  The very helpful man told me mid-November, in preparation for Christmas.  Knowing that the freezer was barely big enough for the ice we had in it, I knew that would be perfect timing to buy a bird.  

At one point, I couldn't drive for a few days, which was extremely frustrating.  I stood up to walk somewhere and my foot was dead.  Down I fell to the ground, apparently thinking my hand would stop me and I ended up falling onto it.  Wow, did that hurt.  I landed on my knee (which I had recently had knee injections) which scared me, and did considerably more damage to my hand.  It was so bad, I actually went to hospital in Aberystwyth thanks to the kind help of Jayne Hopkins.  I wasn't even able to drive because the car was a 5-speed and I couldn't use my left hand to change gears.  Jayne was kind enough to come pick me up and take me to the hospital, where they x-rayed it and decided it was just badly bruised and twisted.  It took a good month plus for all the swelling and the bruising to go away, but thank goodness it's as good as new again.  And again, thanks to Jayne Hopkins for her very generous help.  

Thanksgiving came and our friend Kerry came up and spent a few days with us.  Taking him around and showing off the area was fun.  We even went to Portmerian again!  The weather was a bit cool but the rain held off a few days for some sightseeing!  Thursday we cooked and cooked and had a typical American Thanksgiving with a turkey breast (decided a whole bird for three of us was a bit excessive! and expensive in the UK!), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, dessert.  We had a good time and afterward spent time finding the funniest and most weird videos online that we could come up with.  We had a great time!

We tried not to hold onto many of our American ways, so much, as this was a trip to teach Victoria that there were other ways of doing things.  Thanksgiving, however, was an exception.  How could you turn down a chance to make amazingly good Thanksgiving food!?  (Side note: good thing we did Thanksgiving too!  We didn't do Christmas but more on that later!)

By this point in the month, we discovered we'd be needing wood before too long, since it was our ONLY source of heat for the house.  They'd left us with quite a bit and a check to order more.  The man delivered the wood the same day I called which happened to be Kerry's last few hours with us.  Thank God too because I'm not sure I'd had gotten all this wood stacked alone! Trust me - there was more than what you can see here!  Thanks again Kerry!

I'm off - till my next posting...

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness

Always,

Marianne

Our first week in the UK!!

So welcome to the first week of our trip to the UK!  We arrived in London Thursday, September the 13th.  Our flight was uneventful but I do have to say - I don't care for O'Hare airport in Chicago.  For us tech junkies, there are almost no plugs in this airport.  The only plugs we could find were on these chairs - a total of four chairs.  Pfft.  But my flight left 30 minutes late and arrived in Heathrow 30 minutes early!  Yay tailwinds! Neither Victoria or I slept on the flight so, by the time we made it to Heathrow, we were already tired.

Our first adventure was into town to have lunch and get my cell phone sorted out.  We had Indian food and it was good!  It was my first time, so I was a bit apprehensive. Getting a cell phone sim card was not as easy, but we managed.

This was all down on Oxford Street.  Our first real visit into the city.  We were tired, a bit cranky, and in desperate need of sleep.  We headed back to our hotel and we were asleep by 6:30pm.  We awoke at 8:00am!  You cannot imagine how exhausted we actually were.  We started traveling by arriving at the airport in Dayton at noon the day before.  Then four and a half hour layover in Chicago didn't help.  LOL.  We slept so soundly!

The next three days were spent in London doing the sightseeing thing.  Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster, Camden Town, etc, etc.  We didn't go in much - but with the time we had, just kinda did an overview. We talked to people we met - even the grumpy guy on the subway who did not appreciate it when I said "hi" after hitting his hand while sitting down next to him.  Victoria reminded me not to talk to people again LOL!  I suppose I don't listen well ;)

Portmeirion - A day in history

Wales.  The United Kingdom.  Britain. Scotland. Northern Ireland.  No matter what you call home, the beauty here is amazing.  I've been in the UK for 28 days now, and every day, I see new beauty in it.  Every day, I discover something new about this place that I love.  I've learned that I am stronger than I thought in some ways too.

These days, I'm in the middle of no where.  I'm building fires to keep warm.  I'm washing laundry and hanging it by the fire to dry.  I'm chopping wood and I'm burning that wood to warm our water.  The store isn't just around the corner so I am having to plan a bit better what we will do for the week.

Even our outings are a bit more planned.  This week we went to Portmeirion. 





Portmeirion is a cute place. It's in Gwynedd, North Wales. If you ever heard of the tv series "The Prisoner", it was filmed here.  It was built starting in 1925 and was finished in 1975.  It's the dream of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, this town resembles an Italian villa.  Quaint is a word I don't use often, but this would fit that bill.  It's been compared to Portofino, Italy but Sir Clough Williams-Ellis repeatedly denied this.  He did, however, draw from a love of the Italian village stating, "How should I not have fallen for Portofino? Indeed its image remained with me as an almost perfect example of the man-made adornment and use of an exquisite site." 


When we arrived, a lot of the shops were still closed, so we set off to the Town Hall for a traditional Welsh breakfast which was very good.  Way more food than we could eat though!  Wasn't a bad deal - breakfast this big for around $8 and full of protein to keep us going all day.  Don't buy bottled water here though - it was like $2.50 each!  I didn't care for the sausage much - they could stand improvement on that one but I've never been a big sausage fan to begin with - so maybe I am a little biased on that one!






We then headed down to the beach.  It was an amazingly beautiful day with the sun shining down on us, a cool breeze (but not too much!) and the view was stunning!  The sand was soft and not a rock in sight, as we have found many on some of the beaches.  The view of the water and of the town from this direction were both quite impressive!  From there, we headed back to the town and explored a few more of the areas.  They have their own pottery design and quite a few of the stores were dedicated to this cause.  Definitely, a nice place to visit.




If you haven't heard of The Prisoner, you can view them on www.Youtube.com  and search for it by name.  Make sure you start at Episode 1 and not the Series Finale like I did - it won't make any sense if you watch it backward (speaking from experience here!). 

I'm sure Portmeirion had even more features than what we saw but it was a lovely day out with no rain and a lovely town to explore.  If you are in the area (and I hope you do visit Wales one day!), be sure to make this one of your stops.  Thanks Steve for the heads up! ;)   You will want to watch at least the first episode though so it makes more sense to you!

Here is a link to the rest of our Portmeirion pictures!  http://s1145.photobucket.com/albums/o504/ItsTheWriter/MarianneUK/Wales/Portmeirion/

Till we meet again...

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness
Marianne

The time is drawing near!

Today is Saturday, September 8th, 2012. I leave for the UK September 12th at 3pm.  It's surreal to imagine the time is here.  I've been so consumed with getting ready.  Our bags are packed to the brim with things that I apparently think I cannot live without while there.  I've purchased a back up hard drive for my computer for files.  I've updated mine and my daughters glasses just in case (we needed new ones anyhow).  We've both had physicals and such that we needed.  After all, six months is a long time when you are that far away from your home!  You just never know what will happen!

My cat Callie knows something is up.  She insisted on lying on my bag, on top of brand new blue jeans!!!  Victoria relocated her for me and she came back for more.

MarketDay meets the Baileys

Market Day - September 27, 2012

Victoria and I embarked on a delightful journey to our inaugural Market Day in the charming town of Machynlleth today, immersing ourselves in a vibrant tapestry of colors, aromas, and lively chatter. The atmosphere was electric, buzzing with the energy of enthusiastic vendors and eager shoppers alike, all converging under the open sky to partake in this beloved local tradition.

As we meandered leisurely along the bustling main street, we were greeted by an unexpectedly rich array of stalls, each one a small treasure trove of its own. From the glistening scales of fresh fish to the robust, hearty aroma of quality meats, and even to the meticulous craftsmanship of watch repair, the market unfolded before us like a storybook of diverse chapters.

We indulged in a delightful shopping spree, filling our bags with an abundance of fresh fruits and crisp vegetables, each piece seemingly kissed by the morning dew. The sausages we procured were artisanal, crafted with care, and promising a future meal of comforting warmth and savory delight.

The market was not merely a feast for our culinary desires but also catered to a spectrum of other interests. Stalls adorned with books promised adventures bound within their pages, while clothing racks displayed a myriad of textures and styles, inviting us to refresh our wardrobes with their offerings.

From whispered tales and shared experiences, we understood that this market holds the distinguished title of being the largest in the vicinity. It has triumphantly endured, blossoming with unabated vitality, even as some of its counterparts in neighboring areas have gracefully bowed out of the scene.

The Machynlleth Market Day, with its rich offerings and communal spirit, not only provided a splendid day out but also gently whispered the tales of tradition, resilience, and community, which have been woven into its existence throughout the years. It was not merely a market; it was a vibrant celebration of life, culture, and shared humanity, which we were elated to be a part of.

(sorry for the stock photo)

Till we meet again!

Peace ~ Love ~Happiness
Marianne

Polly Want a Cracker? Maybe Indian Food Instead?

Hey! Pennal?  Ya - it's quaint - and small.  But since I've been in the UK I've done my share of sightseeing... and even learned to drive on the left side of the road!  Yes, it is different than what I am used to but I'm a fast learner.

We are in Wales after four days in London sightseeing.   Yesterday was a week, and we've learned to build fires to keep us warm and to heat our water for cleaning, dishes and showers.  Let me tell you - you only push the glass door shut with your fingers ONCE before you learn that skin singes instantly when something is that hot!  But the good advantage of this is that this hot fire dries clothes unbelievable fast!  Seriously - it dries big heavy towels, my jeans, sweatshirts, etc in 15 min.  A dryer doesn't work that fast!  And look at the money saved!

The first week here was mostly dry.  It's now cold and rainy and I have forgotten what the sunshine feels like on my face. 

We went to the beach!  To my shock, it was covered in rocks!  I've never seen such a harsh beach before.  I sat up in the sand of the dunes, but Victoria and Howl pretty much stayed down by the water since Howl loves the water.  It was great to sit in the sun and listen to the ocean lap up against the little bit of sand on this beach.  This particular beach is on the opposite side of not only a train track, but also a golf course in which you have to walk across.  There are literally signs that say to stop and look left/right for golfers - since golf balls do damage.  Ya think?  Fore!  

(Just in case you were wondering..."Fore" is another word for "ahead" (think of a ship's fore and aft). Yelling "fore" is simply a shorter way to yell "watch out ahead" (or "watch out before"). It allows golfers to be forewarned, in other words.

The British Golf Museum cites an 1881 reference to "fore" in a golf book, establishing that the term was already in use at that early date (the USGA suggests the term may have been in use as early as the 1700s). The museum also surmises that the term evolved from "forecaddie.")

The house is cute.  Built in the 1800s, the doorways are lower and Victoria finds herself forgetting to duck!   The only heat we have is from the fireplace and we find ourselves getting a lot of fire-building practice! After a while, it's nice and cozy in the family room - but the other rooms are still a bit chilly.  Thank goodness for a warm blanket on the bed.  

The animals here are a trip.  Howl is the dog.  The two cats are 'Monkey Cat' and 'Merlin'.  Oh and did I mention the chicken, Polly?  She's a hoot.  She hears the door and comes running.  She wants food.  Not just corn, but cut-up leftovers of whatever we eat.  Hmmm, we are having Indian tonight - wonder if she likes spicy foods?  She also stalks me.  If she doesn't see me, she'll get up on a bench outside and stare at me through the window.   She apparently likes the table too.  I suppose no surface is safe from Polly.

Till we meet again.

Love ~ Peace ~Happiness
Marianne

All Packed and Two Days till Leavin on a Jet Plane

**Setting Sail on a New Adventure with My Sidekick, Victoria!**

In a mere two days, my spirited 14-year-old daughter, Victoria, and I will embark on an adventure of a lifetime. While my passport boasts stamps from the US to the romantic alleys of Italy, France, and my all-time favorite, the UK, this journey is unparalleled. It's not just another trip; it's a six-month-long voyage with my daughter, exploring the world as we've never done before. Can you imagine? We won't be back until March 6th, and the anticipation is electric!

The weeks leading up to our departure have been a blend of nostalgia and surreal excitement. I've been incredibly fortunate to reconnect with old friends in the UK and make new ones, especially some wonderful souls from Google Plus. Their outpouring of support, sharing everything from train schedules to local hidden gems, has been heartwarming.

Our journey begins with a vibrant long weekend in London. While I've wandered its streets before, seeing it through Victoria's fresh eyes, on her first trip abroad, promises to be special. She's already made a list! Topping it are the majestic London Eye and the trendy Drop Dead London store. 

By Monday, we'll transition from the city's hustle to the tranquil embrace of Mid Wales. I've committed to house-sitting for Sian, a homeowner with a delightful ensemble of pets - two curious cats, a playful dog, and an endearing chicken (who, amusingly, is thick as thieves with the dog!). Adapting to the rustic charm of a home where fires warm the rooms and water, and embracing a wholesome, unprocessed culinary lifestyle are changes we're both eagerly looking forward to.

One of the things I'm particularly excited about? The serene writing opportunities this journey promises. Back in Ohio, my writing sessions were often punctuated by the buzz of daily life. But in the peaceful Welsh countryside, with only Howl, the dog, for company, I anticipate many uninterrupted hours of writing.

And there's more good news for fellow travel enthusiasts! I've been invited to chronicle our house sitting experiences for www.trustedhousesitters.com. Additionally, I'll be sharing our Welsh adventures on www.smittenbybritain.com. I promise to keep you all updated with our tales!

Until then, sending waves of joy, adventure, and warmth from our corner to yours!

Cheers,

Marianne

London Eye

This is Howl :-) Sian's dog

\

Crash Bang Boom - getting covered with Insurance

I'm house sitting for a couple in Pennal, Wales for three months.  They are graciously giving me the use of their car to drive while they are gone.  In America, car insurance is easy to obtain if you have a drivers license.  But guess what?  It's not so easy for Americans to obtain insurance in the UK for a LOANED car (not rented from a ''car hire company" as they call it).  Do they Americans are all nuts?  We drive insane?  Um - don't answer that.  

So Sian spent weeks calling around finding a company that would cover me.  We finally found one - Yay!  But the cost?  Almost the equivalent of $500!!!  For three months!  Really?  So my  rationing for this is that 

it would cost me much more money per day to rent a car and have it insured.  

Then Sian reads the fine print... it's not fully comprehensive!  It will only cover fire, theft and the other car.  Ok, that's something but not enough for $500.  So the hunt is back on....

Then a friend of mine searches online and he finds something.  I tell her to check out Norwich Union.  The next day I see an email in my inbox from her... I close my eyes quickly saying repeatedly "Please be good news! Please be good news!" Upon opening my eyes, I notice that the subject line says Ï love Norwich Union"!  

She calls them and finds out yes! They will cover me!  And for only £80!!! Woot!  And it's fully comprehensive!  I'm so excited I could jump hoops!  The difference is what I paid for the hotel room for London at Hilton Docklands!  Woot! Doing the happy dance!

Could use some more good news this week!  Anyone got any???

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness

Marianne

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Tick Tock Tick Tock says the clock.  For me, though, it's the calendar speaking to me.  Exactly one month and one hour to go till my plane flight takes off for Chicago.. then on to the UK.  ONE MONTH!  In some ways, it seems so far away, and in others, right around the corner.  Nerves have set in a bit - it's a big trip.
I've flown overseas before, but not for six months, and not being responsible for my teenage daughter while there.  I've always been on my own before, mostly.

So many things have had to align for this to happen.  I had to find a place to stay.  Check.  I'm house sitting for a couple who is going to Australia for three months in Wales.  I had to have transportation while I was in Wales.  Check.  Sian is graciously loaning me her car.  I had to find insurance to cover me driving said car.  Check.  Sian found a policy to cover me - 290 pounds for three months.  Ouch.   but Check.

I'm not sure where I am staying the second three months yet.  More things that need to fall in place.  I am willing to take a leap of faith though and believe that it will fall into place while I am there.  I'd love to find a job there.  More things to fall in place.

All my friends are concerned that we will be bored in Wales.  Wales happens to be a new place for me so how can we get bored?  Plenty of places to go explore.  We'll have a car so this is not a problem.  I'm sure we'll make friends with some of the locals and this will help too.  All will be good.  How could I be bored with Snowdonia nearby?

Snowdonia, by the way, is Wales largest mountain which stands at ,1,085 m high.  In Welsh, it is called Eryri.  Some say it means Eagle, but was proved to mean it stands for "Highlands"by Sir Ifor Williams.  From what I have read, there's hiking and a lot of really awesome nature to be found in Snowdonia and appears to be one of the wettest spots in the UK - although this years rain has not be calculated in that theory yet (ok maybe someone has but I haven't seen it yet LOL).   Here's a pictture of Snowdonia from Wikipedia page - so I take no credit for it :)

Snowdonia

Love ~Peace ~Happiness
Marianne

It's Raining, It's Pouring - Hopefully not everyone is snoring!!!

Sometimes disaster hits and we are knocked on our feet.  What we choose to do with that disaster is solely up to us.  We can either just accept it and be swept away with the flood - or we can fight back, swim against the current and pop our head up on the other side of the waterfall.  


My new friends that I will be house sitting for in Wales chose to do exactly that!  As in my previous post, they had 1.5 feet of water, mud and silt in their house due to flooding a month ago.  They are not the first and only people in the world to ever have their house devastated by a disaster.  But it was their disaster and they, in my opinion, have dealt with it with much grace.  Luckily, they are insured and they have a great positive attitude.  They've been in contact with me and the trip is still on and she's pleased that I am willing to still come.  I told her, "Of course I am!  I made a commitment to you!"  I would have been crushed if they had to cancel their trip but would have completely understood.  She said she would have understood if I changed my mind about coming to their house.  Now, how could I miss the opportunity to meet this chicken???

Sian's Chicken

In line with what my blog is all about - melting the technology part of computers with the human part of life, I have been in contact with a few places and people in the Mid Wales area that I am staying in.  First, was Sian, the woman I am house sitting for.  It's been fun learning about their animals, children, life.  I don't know very much, but what I do, they sound like fascinating people.  I think what bonded us was three things.  1.  My love for animals.  They knew their dog, two cats and one chicken would be well cared for.  2. My sense of adventure matched hers.  They are going to Australia while we are in their home.  3. My feelings on education.  Life is not always books and four walls.  As a child, I often took my daughter out of school for a day to take her places.  I felt she needed to know that life is the world - not just a classroom.  Sian is taking her two children with her to Australia  with the same life lessons in mind.  


I've been in touch with Lucie Llewellyn who owns and runs The Escape Guest House in Pennal with her husband Stuart.  I found them by watching the videos of the flooding in Pennal and they were being interviewed.  I happened to be on their website when I viewed them in an interview for the news.  Was quite startled at the coincidence.  I emailed them to make sure they were the same people and they were!  We've emailed a few times back and forth discussing Pennal and the area, their family, etc.  Very nice people.


I was driving around on Google Maps and saw a fish shop called Top Shop.  I emailed them and the owner, David Hennighan emailed me back explaining they were having their this summer and it'd be a shame I'd have to miss their special day.  Congratulations for them for celebrating their 23rd anniversary! (My lucky number by the way)  I recently emailed him back asking why it was called "Top Shop" as I have asked a few people if that was a common name for a fish and chip place in the Uk, and no one had been able to say it was.  His answer was: "aware it has always been know as top shop,the only reason i can think of is because it is the last shop on the left hand side of the street as you are looking from the town clock,so maybe thats the reason, TOP OF TOWN hence Top Shop,i might be wrong but it seems logical."
We will have to go try their fish while we are there.


I was also in contact with Roxane Smith who has a few music groups and invited Victoria to sing in one of them while she was there.  She hasn't answered my emails for awhile though so I am hoping that invitation is still there.


Another contact I made was with Emma Macey with Film15 in Wales.  They teach their students about film.  I thought it would be cool to introduce Victoria (my wonderful daughter) to that, but she explained that most of their stuff is done in the summer.  Since we'll be arriving in September, it'll be over.  She did mention the art center in Aberystwyth.  I'll be looking more into that today.


I also have been in contact with Jacqui at the White Lion Hotel in Machynlleth.  She didn't offer much insight on her first email other than it'll be nice to meet in Autumn.  My second email to her was about the flooding and she explained that they were not affected in Machynlleth, but talked about a few of the places that were, such as Pennal.  

I also contacted a few local stores that have not responded.  One was a green store that sold a lot of natural products from skin care to paint.  Seemed like an interesting place.  I'll still stop in despite their lack of communication.  

I also emailed the Centre for Alternative Technology whose website is: http://www.cat.org.uk/ .  This is from their site: CAT is an education and visitor centre which demonstrates practical solutions for sustainability. We cover all aspects of green living: environmental building, eco-sanitation, woodland management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and organic growing.  


CAT is in Sians backyard practically.  I can't wait to explore it some, and meet some people there.  They too have not acknowledged my email though.  I emailed them asking if they had any volunteer opportunities that we could get involved with.


So you can see, I am busy reaching out to people in Wales.  One of my friends on Google Plus, Hannah, has been most helpful in things, which I am grateful for.  She is a wealth of information and I'm grateful :)

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness


Marianne

But I don't speak Welsh....

Luckily, I'm told, that Welsh people are bi-lingual.  They speak Welsh and English.  Does that mean I will understand what that person sitting across the table from me at the pub next to the house I'm staying at in Pennal is saying?  I sure hope so.  I'd hate to be smiling and nodding to be polite and be offering to sell my first born child just for a ride into town!  I'm pretty sure Victoria will NOT appreciate this.

This past few weeks have been hair raising for not only me, who has been sitting on the edge of my chair, but for the people in Mid Wales.   They have had some really bad storms lately as well as flooding and threats of dams breaking and washing them all away!  Here's what happened:

Apparently, the storms they had were normal for autumn there, but not spring/summer.  Without getting detailed about it, these storms came in and flooded different areas of Mid Wales.  The home that we are house sitting for this fall was flooded with 1.5 feet of water and mud.  I learned of their fate by an email answer to one of mine, after people I know in the UK kept texting me to look at the news for the UK and that area.  People who have never heard of Pennal before me saying I was going there were now hearing of this small village on their local news.  WoW!   So I go to the BBC's webpage and search for Pennal.  This video is found in my search:

Blown away from this video, I immediately emailed Sian who a few days later answered telling me that they had flooded and would be moving out for 10 days as the insurance company does their magic.  The animals were fine (a dog, two cats and one chicken), so were the humans, and that they'd be in contact in about two weeks.  So I proceeded to bite my nails as I waited to see if their trip was still on to know if mine was still on.  If they canceled, I'd completely understand.  I can't imagine my home being flooded and what stress, frustration and anger it might cause.  Plus regardless of insurance coverage, things always cost more than we all think they should or could when it comes to home repairs.  

Finally, this past week, I got an answer that they were not back in the house but all was going well and it was still a go.  Yay!  

Remember when I started this blog?   My goal was meet people online before I go and connect with them when I get there.  Well, related to this weather story - let me tell you what I was doing when I was texted about this flooding.... I was researching businesses in the area and emailing them to introduce myself.  At the time, I was reading this website:  http://www.aberdovey-escape.co.uk/ .  No biggie you think, right?  Well, no, I suppose it is not.  But ... then again... I switch over to the BBC website to check out the flooding and I find this video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18389616

Did he say he owned The Escape Bed and Breakfast?  Yup.  Here I was on their website without knowing what was going on and now I'm watching the owners on the web!  I've emailed them and verified that, indeed, these were the people on the news and it was their website I was on.  Amazing how the internet brings news from such a small town in the UK to people all over the world!  

Here's a another video that shows the seriousness of their flooding.  Note the water flowing through yards about half way and the firefighters/rescuers punching holes in peoples doors to let out the water!  I'm not sure if the pressure from the water prohibited the door from being opened or if they were locked doors.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18378593

My heart really does go out to all these people.  People in the US get flooded mostly from hurricanes and such storms and it's really an awful thing!

Pennal - where we are staying - flooded :(

At least the dam didn't break but still, enough is enough.  I'm sure flood warnings today are not a welcome thing.  I hope it dries out soon!!!!!

Peace ~ Love ~ Happiness

Marianne