A semi-early start to view more of the coast today, stopping by the stones of the Merry Maidens, where supposedly 19 maidens were dancing on a Sabbath, this irked the gods and they were cast into stone. It basically is an ancient stone circle of 20 stones.....in this part of England, there are these stone circles placed there from ages ago (similar to Stonehenge) that likely had some ritualistic religious purpose, but the people who placed them there were long gone before they could be explained. I danced in the circle on the Sabbath, but I wasn't turned to stone....so I think that pretty much discounts the legend. Then again, I'm not a merry maiden......
We stopped back in Penzance for a visit to St. Michael's Mount. It is an "island" just off the mainland that is accessible by foot during low tide, but boat during high tide. Many years ago, there was a sighting of St. Michael, and a few years later, a monastery/castle was built here to pay tribute to the sighting and it has been there since. The castle now is the home to the St. Aubyn family for the past several hundred years, and they share in the upkeep with the British Heritage society for people to visit.
After that, off to the Eden Project (http://www.edenproject.com/). This is a former strip mine in the Cornish countryside near St. Austell. To revert it back for public use, a group created multiple geodesic domes that cover a "park" that contains plants imported from across the world. This includes a section called the "rain forest" which really feels like it is when you are inside. They keep it hot and humid, and the foliage towers over you. They also have little simulated waterfalls. It was rather an impressive project, but was disappointed there weren't more people there to support it. It does contain a plant that supposedly smells like rotting flesh, but we weren't able to find it.
And then the final drive back to civilization.....we never thought that Bournemouth would feel like a metropolis, but it did after our visit to Cornwall.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
17-May-08 Trip to Cornwall - part dew
What I hadn't realized before we headed to Cornwall, is that there is a local language spoken fluently (as a 2nd language) by about 500 people, called Cornish. It is similar in nature to Welsh, such that "What do you want to drink?" is "Pandra vynn'ta dh'y eva?". To which I might reply "Pinta korev marpleg" (a pint, please). And counting from 1-5....onan, dew, tri, peswar, and pymp.
Today I traveled to Land's End, the western edge of England, not the retail store. There's a rugged coast with medium-sized cliffs and rocky outcrops. While the view is great, there are the tacky tourist traps, including a Dr. WHO exhibit, homemade crafts, etc., including scrumpy - an alcoholic cider, of which I bought a cheesy version. I'm told scrumpy is made from the dregs of the apples....rotted cores, wormy pulp, stems. how yummy.
I also ventured to the nearby towns of Falmouth (mostly just a nice bay full of cruise ships, this is actually the 3rd deepest bay in the world after Sydney and Rio de Janeiro) and to Truro, an historic market town with lots of great boutique shopping. Here we encountered one of the first Starbucks we've seen outside of London. It was good to get our 'fix' and was wired all afternoon.
In the evening, another visit to the irreputable bar from the night before (The Longboat), with an equally amusing crowd. And during the night, we were approached by a Cornish woman who was totally mental. Most of the time she was just talking to herself but sat next to us at a table and occasionally would include us in the middle of her own conversation. I won't go into more details, but she was rather scary. (After we returned, we were told that life out there can be remote and people are unique, to say the least.)
Today I traveled to Land's End, the western edge of England, not the retail store. There's a rugged coast with medium-sized cliffs and rocky outcrops. While the view is great, there are the tacky tourist traps, including a Dr. WHO exhibit, homemade crafts, etc., including scrumpy - an alcoholic cider, of which I bought a cheesy version. I'm told scrumpy is made from the dregs of the apples....rotted cores, wormy pulp, stems. how yummy.
I also ventured to the nearby towns of Falmouth (mostly just a nice bay full of cruise ships, this is actually the 3rd deepest bay in the world after Sydney and Rio de Janeiro) and to Truro, an historic market town with lots of great boutique shopping. Here we encountered one of the first Starbucks we've seen outside of London. It was good to get our 'fix' and was wired all afternoon.
In the evening, another visit to the irreputable bar from the night before (The Longboat), with an equally amusing crowd. And during the night, we were approached by a Cornish woman who was totally mental. Most of the time she was just talking to herself but sat next to us at a table and occasionally would include us in the middle of her own conversation. I won't go into more details, but she was rather scary. (After we returned, we were told that life out there can be remote and people are unique, to say the least.)
16-May-08 Trip to Cornwall
Today, BK and I took a weekend trip to the Cornwall area far west of Bournemouth, to the southwestern tip of England, leaving after work on the Friday. There are parts of the drive that were single carriageway (2-lane road), but surprisingly most of the drive was at least dual carriageway (4 lane road, with a grass/wall median between both sides). The trip took about 3.5 hours to get from Bournemouth all the way to Penzance, where we stayed.
As it was late, we didn't get to see to much of the countryside, but the road was certainly hilly and twisty/curvy in many parts, and slowed down to 30mph as it went through small villages.
After we arrived, we ventured out to a local pub for a pint. It was a little rougher crowd, many of the individuals extremely drunk. At one point, one younger bloke dropped his trousers and waddled around the bar dancing like a chicken. But the funny thing is that nobody paid any attention, as if it was just a normal occurrence. I suppose in that part of the country almost anything happens and people are numb to idiocy.
All in all, it was amusing to people watch and talk with a few of the locals. You get the sense that there isn't much going on in that area, and it's just getting worse with fewer people traveling there for getaways.
As it was late, we didn't get to see to much of the countryside, but the road was certainly hilly and twisty/curvy in many parts, and slowed down to 30mph as it went through small villages.
After we arrived, we ventured out to a local pub for a pint. It was a little rougher crowd, many of the individuals extremely drunk. At one point, one younger bloke dropped his trousers and waddled around the bar dancing like a chicken. But the funny thing is that nobody paid any attention, as if it was just a normal occurrence. I suppose in that part of the country almost anything happens and people are numb to idiocy.
All in all, it was amusing to people watch and talk with a few of the locals. You get the sense that there isn't much going on in that area, and it's just getting worse with fewer people traveling there for getaways.
15-May-08 Council Tax
Aside from the "national income tax", individuals are also subject to council tax in their area of residence based on the location and dwelling where they live. There are different "bands" that determine how much someone will pay for council tax. Band A is cheapest, all the way up to Band G, etc. Most flat units are somewhere in the C or D band. Interestingly, the closer you are to the town centre, the higher the band in some cases. But obviously, the higher value properties (detached houses) also have the higher band, as well as those along the seafront.
Council tax covers the equivalent of a state/city income tax in the US. There are 10 installments during the year (not 12....not paid in 2 months of the year). You can either pay monthly, quarterly or annually for the amount. This goes to support the expenses of the municipality - streets, sanitation, public works, emergency personnel, administration, etc.
There are constant gripes about how the council spends the tax money, so it's the same in any location!
Council tax covers the equivalent of a state/city income tax in the US. There are 10 installments during the year (not 12....not paid in 2 months of the year). You can either pay monthly, quarterly or annually for the amount. This goes to support the expenses of the municipality - streets, sanitation, public works, emergency personnel, administration, etc.
There are constant gripes about how the council spends the tax money, so it's the same in any location!
14-May-08 Bournemouth Attractions
While London has the London Eye ferris wheel to see the sights, Bournemouth has the Bournemouth Eye, which is a hot air balloon raised in the sky for a viewing attraction. This is within the town city centre, in the middle of the central park leading down to the seafront.
Bournemouth also has the BIC (Bournemouth International Centre), hosting various musical and dramatic events. Upcoming performers include Avril Lavigne and Jay-Z, amazingly enough.
There are a couple of summer festivals on the pier and several sights to see, but the main focal point in the area remains the beaches. To read the comments on the Daily Echo web-site (www.bournemouthecho.co.uk), there are a lot of complaints about the lack of things to do in the area other than the beaches, and just don't understand why people would want to come here just for that.
Bournemouth also has the BIC (Bournemouth International Centre), hosting various musical and dramatic events. Upcoming performers include Avril Lavigne and Jay-Z, amazingly enough.
There are a couple of summer festivals on the pier and several sights to see, but the main focal point in the area remains the beaches. To read the comments on the Daily Echo web-site (www.bournemouthecho.co.uk), there are a lot of complaints about the lack of things to do in the area other than the beaches, and just don't understand why people would want to come here just for that.
13-May-08 UK Bank Holidays
This is a schedule of UK (England/Wales) Bank Holidays for the next couple years:
England and Wales 2008 2009 2010
New Year's Day 1 Jan 1 Jan 1 Jan
Good Friday 21 Mar 10 Apr 2 Apr
Easter Monday 24 Mar 13 Apr 5 Apr
Early May Bank Holiday 5 May 4 May 3 May
Spring Bank Holiday 26 May 25 May 31 May
Summer Bank Holiday 25 Aug 31 Aug 30 Aug
Christmas Day 25 Dec 25 Dec 27 Dec
Boxing Day 26 Dec 28 Dec 28 Dec
While they do have St. George's day and recognition of other events and people and saints, there is not a public holiday for them. Early May holiday is actually really May Day. But the spring and summer bank holidays are just to have a holiday, or at least with the several people I asked at work, they could not explain why they were holidays then....though they do equate to Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays in the US. And finally, Boxing Day (Feast of St. Stephens in Ireland) is not a national sporting holiday, but rather a tradition from medieval times when a box of food/gifts was given to the peasants and less fortunate the day after Christmas.
And Northern Ireland, being the odd lot that they are, celebrate a public day-off holiday with St. Patrick's Day (surprise, surprise!!) and Battle of the Boyne/Orangeman's Day. The Scots celebrate the Feast of St. Andrews (not with a round of golf, but rather a jig in the town square) and also an extra day after New Years (Hogmanay) for further recovery, I guess.
England and Wales 2008 2009 2010
New Year's Day 1 Jan 1 Jan 1 Jan
Good Friday 21 Mar 10 Apr 2 Apr
Easter Monday 24 Mar 13 Apr 5 Apr
Early May Bank Holiday 5 May 4 May 3 May
Spring Bank Holiday 26 May 25 May 31 May
Summer Bank Holiday 25 Aug 31 Aug 30 Aug
Christmas Day 25 Dec 25 Dec 27 Dec
Boxing Day 26 Dec 28 Dec 28 Dec
While they do have St. George's day and recognition of other events and people and saints, there is not a public holiday for them. Early May holiday is actually really May Day. But the spring and summer bank holidays are just to have a holiday, or at least with the several people I asked at work, they could not explain why they were holidays then....though they do equate to Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays in the US. And finally, Boxing Day (Feast of St. Stephens in Ireland) is not a national sporting holiday, but rather a tradition from medieval times when a box of food/gifts was given to the peasants and less fortunate the day after Christmas.
And Northern Ireland, being the odd lot that they are, celebrate a public day-off holiday with St. Patrick's Day (surprise, surprise!!) and Battle of the Boyne/Orangeman's Day. The Scots celebrate the Feast of St. Andrews (not with a round of golf, but rather a jig in the town square) and also an extra day after New Years (Hogmanay) for further recovery, I guess.
12-May-08 Creams
As the UK is famous for it's afternoon tea, they also usually serve it with cream and/or scones and various creams. The thicker and heavier the cream, the higher the butter fat content.
In the US, we have half-and-half which is about 15% butter fat, coffee cream about 25% butter fat, and heavy/whipping cream at 40% or so.
In the UK, they have similar names (half cream, not half-and-half) and same butter fat, but they go a step further. Double cream is at 50% butter fat, meaning half the content is butter, so it's extra "creamy"; this is usually used for puddings and piping in pastries.
But the king of them all, clotted cream is a whopping 55-60% butter fat. It is created through a heating process to capture the cream at the top and then skimmed off. This is usually served with scones and muffins as a spread. If you travel through Cornwall and Devon, everything there is made with this. Clotted cream fudge, clotted cream bread, clotted cream ice cream, etc. It's a wonder the Brits are not falling over from a heart attack daily.
In the US, we have half-and-half which is about 15% butter fat, coffee cream about 25% butter fat, and heavy/whipping cream at 40% or so.
In the UK, they have similar names (half cream, not half-and-half) and same butter fat, but they go a step further. Double cream is at 50% butter fat, meaning half the content is butter, so it's extra "creamy"; this is usually used for puddings and piping in pastries.
But the king of them all, clotted cream is a whopping 55-60% butter fat. It is created through a heating process to capture the cream at the top and then skimmed off. This is usually served with scones and muffins as a spread. If you travel through Cornwall and Devon, everything there is made with this. Clotted cream fudge, clotted cream bread, clotted cream ice cream, etc. It's a wonder the Brits are not falling over from a heart attack daily.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
11-May-08 Side Trip to Bath
Yesterday we drove about 1hr 40 min to the old city of Bath, England. There are remains of the Roman baths from Roman times, where you can drink a glass of water fresh from the underground springs. It's safe, but it smells of sulfur and tastes quite "minerally". You can take a tour of the old roman baths and structure, but as we've visited here before, we skipped the tour this time.
There's an old famous bakery there, Sally Lunn's bun shop. So it's a little cheesy, and there's a whole tour of the old traditional stone bakery (we skipped the tour), but you can order a bun and get clotted cream (basically a thick sweet cream for putting on breads/pastries), and tea. The bread IS good, but don't think it's the be-all, end-all of breads.
The last time we had visited the city of Bath, was in 2001. Since then, it has added a number of upscale retail shops along the streets, including Gap, Disney store, etc.
I think the best part of the trip was the drive up the A350 through the area around Blandford Forum, a group of multiple communities nestled against high hills, with sprawling green fields/pastures and dotted with little quaint villages. As we started out late in the morning, we didn't have time to make any stops along the way to see the towns. The drive up was using a medium-sized road, that required us to slow down to 30-40 mph as we went through the towns. And there are a number of speed cameras along the way to make sure you comply.
There's an old famous bakery there, Sally Lunn's bun shop. So it's a little cheesy, and there's a whole tour of the old traditional stone bakery (we skipped the tour), but you can order a bun and get clotted cream (basically a thick sweet cream for putting on breads/pastries), and tea. The bread IS good, but don't think it's the be-all, end-all of breads.
The last time we had visited the city of Bath, was in 2001. Since then, it has added a number of upscale retail shops along the streets, including Gap, Disney store, etc.
I think the best part of the trip was the drive up the A350 through the area around Blandford Forum, a group of multiple communities nestled against high hills, with sprawling green fields/pastures and dotted with little quaint villages. As we started out late in the morning, we didn't have time to make any stops along the way to see the towns. The drive up was using a medium-sized road, that required us to slow down to 30-40 mph as we went through the towns. And there are a number of speed cameras along the way to make sure you comply.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
10-May-08 Yobs and thugs
The newspapers that I review constantly use the terms yobs and thugs to describe the derelict young population wreaking havoc across the country. As I looked up yob, I found this "backslang for boy" and "A person who engages in antisocial behavior/behaviour and/or drunkenness." from Wikipedia. Also sometimes called yobbos.
Anytime the newspapers write about these terrible nuisances, it is about this pervasiveness their behavior and how the police are doing little to crack down on this.
When I read the Bournemouth Daily Echo today, it had an unusual way of dealing with this. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/display.var.2261678.0.terror_teen_is_banned_from_estate.php
So, the gist of the above article is that the person is banned from appearing in 3 locations, and is not allowed to congregate with 4 specific other people or congregate in groups of more then 4 youths, unless accompanied by adult supervision. That hardly constitutes much of a punishment. This type of "punishment" is called an ASBO, Anti-Social Behavior Offense (??) No time served in a juvenile detention center, which is what the US would have done.
Anytime the newspapers write about these terrible nuisances, it is about this pervasiveness their behavior and how the police are doing little to crack down on this.
When I read the Bournemouth Daily Echo today, it had an unusual way of dealing with this. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/display.var.2261678.0.terror_teen_is_banned_from_estate.php
So, the gist of the above article is that the person is banned from appearing in 3 locations, and is not allowed to congregate with 4 specific other people or congregate in groups of more then 4 youths, unless accompanied by adult supervision. That hardly constitutes much of a punishment. This type of "punishment" is called an ASBO, Anti-Social Behavior Offense (??) No time served in a juvenile detention center, which is what the US would have done.
09-May-08 London Re-visited
The trip to London via train on Thursday was very efficient and ON TIME both ways. As we approached nearer to London, it became standing room only for the last 40 minutes. This was an early morning train so many people were using it as a commute to work.
The train arrives into Waterloo station on the south bank of the Thames River, across from the Victoria Embankment area on the north side. From there you can switch to the Tube (subway) to reach anywhere in London. Depending on how far you want to travel, you will have to get tickets for Zone 1 (london main area), or Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. depending on how far out from the city centre you want to go. When you buy the ticket from either the ticket window or kiosk, you will use that to enter the subway and then again when you exit the subway. So if you only buy a Zone 1 fare, but you will depart from Zone 2, etc., you will have a problem when you try to depart the station. For day trips where you will use the train a lot (most cases), you should just buy a day card, with unlimited travel within 24 hours. Sure, it's a little more upfront, but pays for itself the more trains you take.
The noticeable thing about the Tube? It's very clean.....the corridors, the trains, everything. I supposed that's going to be the case in the more touristy/professional areas, but wonder if the same in the locations further out where there may be fewer patrols.
The weather for the prior day was upwards of 75 F, so a little warm and muggy for London. As I walked to Green Park to head into Mayfair area, the grass was full of mostly younger individuals lounging around, eating, sleeping, partially sunbathing.....and all within sight of Buckingham Palace.
The train arrives into Waterloo station on the south bank of the Thames River, across from the Victoria Embankment area on the north side. From there you can switch to the Tube (subway) to reach anywhere in London. Depending on how far you want to travel, you will have to get tickets for Zone 1 (london main area), or Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. depending on how far out from the city centre you want to go. When you buy the ticket from either the ticket window or kiosk, you will use that to enter the subway and then again when you exit the subway. So if you only buy a Zone 1 fare, but you will depart from Zone 2, etc., you will have a problem when you try to depart the station. For day trips where you will use the train a lot (most cases), you should just buy a day card, with unlimited travel within 24 hours. Sure, it's a little more upfront, but pays for itself the more trains you take.
The noticeable thing about the Tube? It's very clean.....the corridors, the trains, everything. I supposed that's going to be the case in the more touristy/professional areas, but wonder if the same in the locations further out where there may be fewer patrols.
The weather for the prior day was upwards of 75 F, so a little warm and muggy for London. As I walked to Green Park to head into Mayfair area, the grass was full of mostly younger individuals lounging around, eating, sleeping, partially sunbathing.....and all within sight of Buckingham Palace.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
08-May-08 Trip to London
As I'm going up to London tomorrow for the day, thought I'd get a jump-start on tomorrow's blog. The train ride from Bournemouth to London's Waterloo station takes about 1 hour 55 minutes, and the round trip outside of peak days is 71 GBP. I can even park my car in the parking lot with no problem, and only a small parking fee for the day.
From Waterloo station, I can then take the Tube (subway) to various points in the city. The tube is not the most efficient (lots of delays, incidents, closures), but is still usually the fastest to get around London.
I've been told that occasionally the trains do become standing-room-only for peak periods....but I doubt there's that much of a mad rush in Bournemouth. I'm supposing it gets busy as it gets closer to the London stops. Surprisingly, there are a number of people living here who do commute up to London for work, in some cases daily. At 71 GBP, that's a little expensive to do daily.
From Waterloo station, I can then take the Tube (subway) to various points in the city. The tube is not the most efficient (lots of delays, incidents, closures), but is still usually the fastest to get around London.
I've been told that occasionally the trains do become standing-room-only for peak periods....but I doubt there's that much of a mad rush in Bournemouth. I'm supposing it gets busy as it gets closer to the London stops. Surprisingly, there are a number of people living here who do commute up to London for work, in some cases daily. At 71 GBP, that's a little expensive to do daily.
07-May-08 Ultimate Politeness
Today I was in a meeting with an external vendor and they were unhappy with the company's area performance. They never came out and said they were upset, but went round and round about some things they would like to see different. What I was told later is that meant they were really upset. Go figure!
The equivalent discussion in the US would include expletives and raised voices. The funny thing was that in most cases, the vendor actually said what they could do to help the process, when they really meant was "what the hell are you doing about it".
These kind of discussions occur all the time, they are never likely to say "no" or "I'm upset with you", as that would put the other person directly at unease. Instead, they use lots of words to imply the problem or make a suggestion, when they are really telling you what to do, not just recommending.
I must be an anomaly as I just speak what I mean and what I feel, and too bad if they are at unease. They should be, right?
The equivalent discussion in the US would include expletives and raised voices. The funny thing was that in most cases, the vendor actually said what they could do to help the process, when they really meant was "what the hell are you doing about it".
These kind of discussions occur all the time, they are never likely to say "no" or "I'm upset with you", as that would put the other person directly at unease. Instead, they use lots of words to imply the problem or make a suggestion, when they are really telling you what to do, not just recommending.
I must be an anomaly as I just speak what I mean and what I feel, and too bad if they are at unease. They should be, right?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
06-May-08 Neighborhood Notables
In my neighborhood, it is mostly houses or flats in buildings no more than 2 stories high, so it's very residential and fewer transient residents. Just a block away is a garden area where many people walk their dogs throughout the day/evening.
There are a number of cats that prowl the area, but all are domesticated as they have collars. Next door, they have a falcon, tethered to a rope, and just sits outside during the day. But there are TONS of birds in the neighboring trees, including pigeons and many more than I don't recognize. In the late evening, they come out and sing, but even more so, when I leave for work, it's almost deafening.
I'm lucky to have a back "garden", with a stone patio, a small patch of grass, and a couple tiers of various plants/grasses. It's relaxing in the evening after a long day, but it's been cool so you can't sit outside too long.
I'm sure many might find it boring, but the people in the area seem rather friendly and open, since there are fewer tourists and fewer short-term renters. If I say hello and open the conversation, they are willing to converse, but they would never venture to be so rude as to initiate the conversation with a stranger. Not sure if it's common in most areas, but in the 'hood it is. I will say though, when I've talked to my neighbors, they do share what goes on along the street, who is who, who works where, etc. Yep, it's a small town atmosphere.
There are a number of cats that prowl the area, but all are domesticated as they have collars. Next door, they have a falcon, tethered to a rope, and just sits outside during the day. But there are TONS of birds in the neighboring trees, including pigeons and many more than I don't recognize. In the late evening, they come out and sing, but even more so, when I leave for work, it's almost deafening.
I'm lucky to have a back "garden", with a stone patio, a small patch of grass, and a couple tiers of various plants/grasses. It's relaxing in the evening after a long day, but it's been cool so you can't sit outside too long.
I'm sure many might find it boring, but the people in the area seem rather friendly and open, since there are fewer tourists and fewer short-term renters. If I say hello and open the conversation, they are willing to converse, but they would never venture to be so rude as to initiate the conversation with a stranger. Not sure if it's common in most areas, but in the 'hood it is. I will say though, when I've talked to my neighbors, they do share what goes on along the street, who is who, who works where, etc. Yep, it's a small town atmosphere.
Monday, May 5, 2008
05-May-08 Weekday Mornings in Barcelona
We woke up at 7am and ventured out early into Barcelona. We ventured into an open-air market (mercado), with multiple stalls of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat (chicken, pork, beef, sausage), fish, nuts, flowers, cheese, spices, and a whole lot more. There were several located throughout the city, just opening as we ventured through at 8am. There were a couple Boqueria Bars in the mercado, where we stopped for croissants and cafee con leche (coffee with milk). It was interesting to see all of the vendors opening up and layout out their produce for the day's work, and bantering with each other in the process.
Most of the stores were closed the previous day on Sunday, so we were able to enjoy a couple hours of shopping before we had to head back to the bus to the airport. There are no major department stores in the city centre, they are all little boutique stores side-by-side. We did see some familiar store names: McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, Foot Locker, H&M, Nike, and Sephora, but a lot more that we'd never heard before. Prices weren't too expensive for Euros, but the conversion to US dollars would probably be fatal to the wallet.
As for trying to find a traditional US breakfast, McDonald's wasn't open until 9:30, so we headed to a little Italian place for a morning baguette, covered with smoked ham and cheese, and a glass of Fanta. Unfortunately, had little time to dawdle and back to Girona Aeropuerto for the 2-hour flight back to Bournemouth, and a return to work the following morning.
While most of Spain speaks spanish (it has some pronunciation differences compared to Mexico/Cuba), the area around Barcelona speaks Catalan, which is somewhat of a blend between French, Spanish, and Italian. So even though I had a little background knowledge of Spanish, it still threw me for a loop. But in most cases, they all spoke at least broken English, if not better.
Most of the stores were closed the previous day on Sunday, so we were able to enjoy a couple hours of shopping before we had to head back to the bus to the airport. There are no major department stores in the city centre, they are all little boutique stores side-by-side. We did see some familiar store names: McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, Foot Locker, H&M, Nike, and Sephora, but a lot more that we'd never heard before. Prices weren't too expensive for Euros, but the conversion to US dollars would probably be fatal to the wallet.
As for trying to find a traditional US breakfast, McDonald's wasn't open until 9:30, so we headed to a little Italian place for a morning baguette, covered with smoked ham and cheese, and a glass of Fanta. Unfortunately, had little time to dawdle and back to Girona Aeropuerto for the 2-hour flight back to Bournemouth, and a return to work the following morning.
While most of Spain speaks spanish (it has some pronunciation differences compared to Mexico/Cuba), the area around Barcelona speaks Catalan, which is somewhat of a blend between French, Spanish, and Italian. So even though I had a little background knowledge of Spanish, it still threw me for a loop. But in most cases, they all spoke at least broken English, if not better.
04-May-08 Barcelona fun!
Later on Saturday, we landed at Girona airport (1 hour NE of Barcelona) which is a cheaper alternative to fly from Bournemouth. There was a very convenient bus service to the Estacio del Nord (North bus station). From there, we just hopped in a cab to our hotel in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona (Barri Gotic). We ventured 1.5 blocks onto La Rambla, a main pedestrian thoroughfare in the heart of Barcelona. There is a pedestrian area that runs down the middle, with flower booths, street performers, sidewalk cafes, tapas bars, and you name it, all up and down this area, about 1.5 km long.
On Sunday morning, we ventured out among the city, starting with a double-decker bus through 2 routes in the city. We ventured along the port, along the Mediterranean Sea, though the Barri Gotic, and all through the city. The highlight was seeing Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, what some deem as great modern architecture, and others consider a gawdy, tacky, overdone construction disaster. The cathedral is still unfinished, despite continuous work since Gaudi's death in 1926.
There were a lot of other sights.....structures/murals by Joan Miro, more buildings by Gaudi, ancient Roman walls, Gothic churches, meandering old-world narrow streets, open-air plazas, the 1992 Olympic stadium and Olympic park. And if you are not afraid of heights, you can also take a tram to the top of Montjuic to see a spectacular sight of the city and seafront, although we did not have time to see. There were so many things we did not get a chance to experience, such as Picasso Museum, Gaudi's Museum, many more churches, etc. If you plan to travel to Barcelona, I recommend at least 4 FULL days to be able to see some great things.
What I was really surprised to see was all the tourists on La Rambla and in the gothic area. We sat at a cafe drinking Estrella Damm cerveza or sangria, while watching all the INTERESTING individuals go by. We expect that most of the people walking by were tourists, but still was quite a sight. Everything from flashy, to fashion wanna-be's, to downright tacky, to tragic. Jeans, capri pants, parachute pants, white go-go pants, moccasins, white dress shoes....we saw it all.
Dinner was at Les Quinze Nitz in the Placa de Reial, where the food and wine was reasonable but the line to wait was a little lengthy. It was a nice relaxing evening, and we overheard someone at the next table talking about growing up in Springfield, Missouri. Small world!!
On Sunday morning, we ventured out among the city, starting with a double-decker bus through 2 routes in the city. We ventured along the port, along the Mediterranean Sea, though the Barri Gotic, and all through the city. The highlight was seeing Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, what some deem as great modern architecture, and others consider a gawdy, tacky, overdone construction disaster. The cathedral is still unfinished, despite continuous work since Gaudi's death in 1926.
There were a lot of other sights.....structures/murals by Joan Miro, more buildings by Gaudi, ancient Roman walls, Gothic churches, meandering old-world narrow streets, open-air plazas, the 1992 Olympic stadium and Olympic park. And if you are not afraid of heights, you can also take a tram to the top of Montjuic to see a spectacular sight of the city and seafront, although we did not have time to see. There were so many things we did not get a chance to experience, such as Picasso Museum, Gaudi's Museum, many more churches, etc. If you plan to travel to Barcelona, I recommend at least 4 FULL days to be able to see some great things.
What I was really surprised to see was all the tourists on La Rambla and in the gothic area. We sat at a cafe drinking Estrella Damm cerveza or sangria, while watching all the INTERESTING individuals go by. We expect that most of the people walking by were tourists, but still was quite a sight. Everything from flashy, to fashion wanna-be's, to downright tacky, to tragic. Jeans, capri pants, parachute pants, white go-go pants, moccasins, white dress shoes....we saw it all.
Dinner was at Les Quinze Nitz in the Placa de Reial, where the food and wine was reasonable but the line to wait was a little lengthy. It was a nice relaxing evening, and we overheard someone at the next table talking about growing up in Springfield, Missouri. Small world!!
03-May-08 Heathrow Airport
Today I picked up DF from the London's Heathrow International airport, which is several miles west of main London (actually in the town of Slough). It can be fairly confusing as the M27, M3 and M4 all converge in the same area, so you have to just follow the signs. Heathrow has 5 terminals.....American/United from Chicago all fly into Terminal 3. You will hear all sorts of terrible problems about Terminal 5, the newest from British Airways, which just implemented new luggage system and it was horrendous with losing luggage. It still isn't fixed.
While it may appear to be confusing at the airport, I followed the directions right to Short Stay parking, and there was a walkway from the parking area into the terminal. It actually was very simple, waited for DF to exit customs with luggage in tow, and headed back to the car, and then off back to Bournemouth. The driving time is 1.5-2 hours, depending on traffic.
In afternoon, we drove out to little Bournemouth airport to take off for Barcelona for 2.5 days. Parking in Bournemouth for the 2-3 days was a whopping 27 GBP!! Extortion! Although very small, the airport was bustling with individuals headed out for the 3-day weekend (Monday is National Holiday in Britain).
Interesting tidbit, at Heathrow they used the term "kerbside" parking....odd way to spell "curb".
While it may appear to be confusing at the airport, I followed the directions right to Short Stay parking, and there was a walkway from the parking area into the terminal. It actually was very simple, waited for DF to exit customs with luggage in tow, and headed back to the car, and then off back to Bournemouth. The driving time is 1.5-2 hours, depending on traffic.
In afternoon, we drove out to little Bournemouth airport to take off for Barcelona for 2.5 days. Parking in Bournemouth for the 2-3 days was a whopping 27 GBP!! Extortion! Although very small, the airport was bustling with individuals headed out for the 3-day weekend (Monday is National Holiday in Britain).
Interesting tidbit, at Heathrow they used the term "kerbside" parking....odd way to spell "curb".
Friday, May 2, 2008
02-May-08 Weekend in Barcelona
Tomorrow I will be picking up DF from Heathrow EARLY tomorrow morning and then going to Bournemouth. From there, we will be taking the afternoon flight on Ryan Air (ryanair.com) from Bournemouth airport (yes, it is small) to Barcelona (actually, Girona airport, just 1 hour outside Barcelona) for a whopping 115 GBP for the both of us. Ryan Air (and also Easyjet, easyjet.com) are regional European carriers that fly very cheaply among European cities. They operate only 1-2 flights between certain routes and pack them on. It's QUITE cheaper than even Southwest Airlines in the US and very safe. In some cases, the flights are £1 but you then have to pay taxes and fees, which add up quickly.
But for such a fairly cheap fare, you can quickly go to southern Europe. In fact, when I compared it to taking the ferry over to France from Poole Harbor, it was cheaper for us to fly. And it will be 22 C, a wee bit warmer than Bournemouth.
No, I'm not trying to get out of England that quickly. We've just always wanted to go to Spain and it's a 3-day weekend. Monday is a national holiday, although I still really don't know what it's for. In fact, nobody that I asked at work had a clue why. I guess just a reason to have a day off....and I'm not arguing. :)
But for such a fairly cheap fare, you can quickly go to southern Europe. In fact, when I compared it to taking the ferry over to France from Poole Harbor, it was cheaper for us to fly. And it will be 22 C, a wee bit warmer than Bournemouth.
No, I'm not trying to get out of England that quickly. We've just always wanted to go to Spain and it's a 3-day weekend. Monday is a national holiday, although I still really don't know what it's for. In fact, nobody that I asked at work had a clue why. I guess just a reason to have a day off....and I'm not arguing. :)
01-May-08 Quiz Night at the Pub
I currently have a work colleague staying with me for 2-3 weeks, who is here in the same location for 1 year. I will refer to him on-going as BK, and he's staying with me until he can settle into his own flat, which will be only 1 mile down the road.
Last night BK and I went to a pub just 1 block from the flat called The Commodore (http://www.pub-explorer.com/dorset/pub/commodoresouthbourne.htm). I had the beef and ale "pie" and he had chicken crusted with goat cheese. No mushy pea fritters! Relatively good, although the food at the Spyglass and Kettle a couple day earlier was better. The Commodore did have better atmosphere and was busy with locals.
We partook of the various selections of beer....John Smith's, Greene King IPA (I will explain IPA in a later blog), Carling ice cold, Tanners Jack, Ringwood Ale and Abbot Ale.
This night was Quiz Night....this is quite common in a number of the pubs in the UK (as well as karaoke, but not at this location). The theme is music-based, so the DJ/moderator ask 30 questions, and the "team" that gets the most correct win a prize, and it's 1 pound to enter. (Or 1 "quid" if you use the alternate word.)
The only problem is that it's mostly based on music hits in the UK, not the US. While there is some overlap and related questions to singers we BK and I knew about (Tiffany, Elvis, Beatles, Aerosmith, Scott McKenzie, Four Seasons, etc.), there were several where I had no clue (Pulp, Eddie Cochran, Tom Steele, Supergrass). Anyway, out of a possible score of 50 points, BK and I only managed 10. AND, we even got beat by the 60-year-old couple.
Last night BK and I went to a pub just 1 block from the flat called The Commodore (http://www.pub-explorer.com/dorset/pub/commodoresouthbourne.htm). I had the beef and ale "pie" and he had chicken crusted with goat cheese. No mushy pea fritters! Relatively good, although the food at the Spyglass and Kettle a couple day earlier was better. The Commodore did have better atmosphere and was busy with locals.
We partook of the various selections of beer....John Smith's, Greene King IPA (I will explain IPA in a later blog), Carling ice cold, Tanners Jack, Ringwood Ale and Abbot Ale.
This night was Quiz Night....this is quite common in a number of the pubs in the UK (as well as karaoke, but not at this location). The theme is music-based, so the DJ/moderator ask 30 questions, and the "team" that gets the most correct win a prize, and it's 1 pound to enter. (Or 1 "quid" if you use the alternate word.)
The only problem is that it's mostly based on music hits in the UK, not the US. While there is some overlap and related questions to singers we BK and I knew about (Tiffany, Elvis, Beatles, Aerosmith, Scott McKenzie, Four Seasons, etc.), there were several where I had no clue (Pulp, Eddie Cochran, Tom Steele, Supergrass). Anyway, out of a possible score of 50 points, BK and I only managed 10. AND, we even got beat by the 60-year-old couple.
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