SISTER SETS SAIL

Not so Taste of London

2007-06-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine this scene…. After a relaxing morning, I have just watched an impressive game of rugby in a atmospheric walkabout pub... the AB’s have just beaten the saffies and I have been sipping on a couple of the best NZ brew available - speights!..... and in case this wasn’t enough already to make for a perfect day I was then heading to Taste of London, a rather prestigious food and wine event in London held at Regents Park….. or was I??

Things had a fairly abrupt turn about for me this day when I managed to lose my footing at the top of a stairwell leading to an Underground station at Charing Cross station so instead of wining and dining on some of the best tastes of London I spent an eventful evening at the A&E ward at St Thomas Hospital with only the taste of my own blood!

On reflection I believe I have been incredibly lucky… Even tho I have knocked my head around a bit, have a gash above eyebrow, cut lip and the general look that I have been used as a punch bag along with a severely fractured thumb I find it rather amazing that I have walked away so lightly considering the fall because other than a few weeks of some pain and discomfort all should be back to normal after a few weeks and will be getting hand therapy weekly which should mean full use of that again too – I guess that's another of my 9 lives used up :)

A huge appreciation to the Ambulance crew and hospital staff who took such good care of me and to Caroline who stayed by my side the whole time… and held my hand when I had my stitches done :)

A rather dramatic way to get a week off work I know and next year I think I will just take a cab to taste of London! below is a pic of me a few days after the event and I hope to be looking gorgeous again soon!

A Scottish Wedding - June 9, 2007

2007-06-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

I had just arrived in Africa on Jan 3 when I received the text from James informing me of his & Rhondas plans for a June 9 wedding to take place in Scotland – and 6 months down the track I had the pleasure of being a part of this momentus occassion at Loch Torridon, Inverness. - http://www.lochtorridon.com/

(In adhering to the rules of “what goes on tour stays on tour” this blog reflects a somewhat edited version of my weekend!).

Sinead, Ger and I made our way to Inverness via train, plane and automobile and arrived early evening to some of the most beautiful landscapes you will see in the UK, a fabulous castle called Loch Torridon and a bar that would make a whisky lover drool. Over the next few hours we ate seafood which rivals that from down under, mingled with fellow wedding guests, sampled the whisky and mellowed out with the location - a rather refined entry to the weekend.

THE WEDDING DAY:

James & Rhonda are one of the most inspirational couple I know – 2 fabulous individuals, who make one amazing couple – and here I was at their wedding day!

The weather was outstanding and we started the day with a scrummy brekky including the best haggis I have ever come across (everything was locally sourced/made) and then went for a walk around the loch where we managed to pick up a couple of dogs along the way that provided us with our entertainment... it was then back to Loch Torridon to get changed, toast Gers bday and have that necessary pre-wedding champagne…

The ceremony was at 4pm out on the front lawn by the loch – all the men were wearing kilts, the woman looked fine and Rhonda looked simply stunning (truly the belle of the ball)…

The evening seemed to continue on forever… there was champagne, whisky, fine food, Scottish dancing, cigars, more champagne, cutting of the cake, playing rugby/ bulrush on the front lawn (and on reflection probably should have changed out of my dress!) more dancing and laughing until it all becomes a bit blurry around the edges (a sign of a good party!)

The next day I was certainly feeling rough and the trip back to London was indeed a challenge! I felt sad to be at the end of such a great weekend and have to say goodbye to everyone…

What I remember most about the weekend, was the beautiful wedding of 2 people I care very much for, a fabulous group of their friends and family whom I really wish I could have spent more time with, a stunning location with views rivalling even my home country and that feeling of having experienced something quite special (well ok… except for that hangover!)

EQUUS - aka Harrys bits

2007-06-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 5 June 2007

I have seen and enjoyed many plays and musicals during my time in London and also lucky to have seen many wonderful actors such as Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Swayze, Christian Slater, Martin Henderson, Juliette Lewis, Kevin Spacey, Joseph Fiennes… and the list goes on!

Last night, I saw a play called Equus which I thought was simply stunning! The key parts were played by Daniel Radcliffe (AKA Harry Potter) and Richard Griffiths (AKA Harry Potters uncle amongst other roles). The story line is rather simple in that it is the story of a young boy who has blinded six horses in a random act of violence and begins therapy sessions with a psychologist who is trying to understand what is going on with the boy - however the play is much more complex and incredibly moving as you begin the journey into the boys mind and emotions. Everything about this play - acting, story, set etc is wonderful and I am so pleased I had the opportunity to see it in the short time it has been scheduled (just 6 months).

Before seeing the play, it was well known that harry bares his rear for a scene and he did not fail to disappoint tho I hadn't expected him to actually bare all….. (but who am I to complain!?)

Other news of the week - had my first game of tennis for 2007 on Monday eve! I didn’t disgrace myself too much (Mum, you may have a decent match on your hands when you come over at Xmas!) and I just love the sound of people playing tennis in the summer - its so relaxing :)

Off to Inverness tomorrow for James & Rhondas Wedding! more than a little excited!!

Summer has finally arrived!

2007-06-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

The All Blacks first game (and win!) of the international season against the frogs made for an excellent start to my weekend as you would expect... but we also had the best day yet of the 2007 English Summer - was simply stunning. Plans went out the window and 2 kiwis, 2 ozzies, 1 saffie, 1 german and 1 english rose gathered for an impromptu bbq in Steve & Hels back yard - made for a lovely arvo of fabulous foord, company, conversation and my first sunburn of the season!

As I currently look out my window the skies look a little cloudy.... but cant complain as today has also been beautiful weather wise... had a long and very overdue catch up with "Cool Aunty Jo" this morning and then a lovely run around the River Thames this arvo passing my fave spots of london in the summer! Has been a very social and enjoyable weekend and capping it off now with the productive bit and updating my site!

Back on the Court!

2007-06-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

I had my first game of netball last week after 9 years - the last time I played was in NZ! Was such a buzz! The first half was more than a bit dodgy but I was really amazed just how quickly things came back to me - by the 2nd half it was like I had never stopped (okay well apart from the fact that I was a shadow of my former talent) - Most important thing was that I had a ball!

In this weeks game I managed a few bruises and twisted knee but the worst part was that it was me who was penalised!!! (it wasn’t my fault honest…!) The last couple of weeks have brought back a number of memories about being involved with team sport (good & bad) but it has reminded me just how much I miss it...

The week was topped off nicely with a long bank weekend... I spent 1 night visiting a friend down south of London (where there are actually trees and open spaces), the following with a another good friend in North London and 1 night with Steve & Hels watching the newly released Pirates of the Caribbean, eating Turkish, and generally trying to keep out of the nasty cold & rainy snap that is interrupting our summer in London…

Piccy is of the kitty kat who lives down south and has no name!?

Race for Life

2007-05-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Sat May 19 : 2pm

The race for life is a series of 5km runs around London in aid of Cancer research. This year I decided to participate with workmate Caroline and sister-in-law Helen. I met a hungover Helen at Waterloo and we trained out to Richmond where we met Caroline and began some mental prep for the run! The sun was out despite the warnings of rain and the park had a high spirited feel with 2 thousand woman and their supporters chatting, laughing, stretching and getting organised.

After a pre-run aerobics session for a warm up (which at the very least got everyone in a good mood!) we set off… Our main aim was to complete the run with no walking and to achieve it in under 35 mins – and both were achieved successfully (if you don’t include the 5 second stop to wash down a sandfly that had decided to lodge itself in my throat! ) We finished with a 100 metre sprint through the finish line and then enjoyed the moment of having finally reached the end.

The event was well organised, a lot of fun and I would recommend it to anyone who has thought about getting involved next year! I raised £350 which was well over my target of £250 and am very grateful to those of you who contributed – makes a huge difference!

Now, I am working towards my next target of the Bupa 10km and if that goes well then hey, the world is my oyster right….

Back in Business!

2007-05-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

May 2007

Well after a year off, I have decided to re-launch my blog sight! Whilst almost impossible to capture everything that goes on in a week of my life I am going to aim to post some news atleast once a week!

To kick things off here is a brief overview of the highlights and lowlights of the past year (that i can remember...).

Hope you enjoy!

Highlights:

- Steve and Helen got married

- A lifechanging month travelling in Uganda / Kenya

- Had a few weeks back in lovely NZ

- AB’s won the tri-nations

- AB’s had a VERY successful European tour

- My boys the Crusaders won the Super 14 (in 06)

- Plenty of great London shows!!

- Played golf at Wentworth

- A Christmas in France

- Organised then partook in a reception at The House of Commons

- Visited Denmark / Sweden

- Got a tent for xmas (and then got to sleep in it for a whole month in Africa!)

- Taste of London

- Toast NZ

Lowlights:

- Leanne went back home to kiwi land

- I left kiwiland

- Still missing Africa

- A friends death

KRAKOW

2006-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

March 4-8

Heading off to Krakow meant the first trip to Poland for me… I didn’t know a lot about Krakow but had been a place of interest for me for a while.

I stayed at Mamas Hostel very central, just off the main market square and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone travelling to Krakow! Staff were fantastic, it was clean, comfortable, spacious and I met some very interesting people there…

Got in quite late on Saturday night, so after a quick chat I headed to bed for some kip. On Sunday I did a Jewish heritage walk, I opted for a guided tour this time due to the fact that I really wanted the knowledge on various things on this walk. My tour guide was Phil, and due to cold, non-tourist season, I was fortunate to be the only one taking the tour which allowed for us to talk a lot more about various parts of the tour, history and even good ol NZ which was of great interest to Phil. Many parts of the walk could be attributed to various scenes in the film “Schindlers List” which I found particularly interesting as I had not made the connection that Krakow was infact where this story took place. It really was such an interesting tour and I was very moved by the experience. Half way through the tour we also stopped off at a local pub and had a traditional drink in Poland warm (and spiced) beer (much better than it sounds I promise!)

After the tour I did a trip up to Wawel Castle which is set just off the centre of the city and along the river – a beautiful backdrop! Not as grand as some that I have seen but full of history and many a story to tell behind those walls I’m sure! After this it was back to the main square for a kebab (Krakow is full of kebab spots) – and it tasted fantastic!

That night Olivia (one of the girls I met at the hostel) and I went out and sampled the local booze – glass of apple juice accompanied by a very large shot a vodka! After a number of these we went to a Polish restaurant and had the most heavenly traditional Polish meal consisting of mushrooms (stroganoff style) and dumplings for starters, salmon and steak for mains and unfortunately absolutely no room for desert! Was an exceptional little restaurant…

The next day it was more walking around Krakow and after several hours of this I stopped off at a crepe place that had been recommended for lunch (very nice!) and then coffee at a local café… I then took myself back to the hostel for some afternoon R&R curled up on the couch reading a book. That night I ate at a Georgian restaurant, food was very enjoyable and so was the local Polish beer – oh and so was the gorgeous waiter that served me!!

The next day ZZ arrived early morning from Prague and after breaky at the hostel we took ourselves off for our day trip to Auschwitz. This was not the first visit to a concentration camp (the first one was Dachau in Munich) and to be really honest the first time you see and feel the horrors of such a place it is so utterly moving and emotional… something you can never forget. Given that Auschwitz was the second camp I did not suffer from shock and sheer disbelief as I had the first time. I still found it to be a very sobering and historic experience but was fortunately not left as heartbroken at the end of this visit…. I think this is an experience that everyone should do once in their lifetime… In the evening ZZ and I ate in a Medieval restaurant that served Polish food, once again the food was gorgeous and I found a new addiction with the local mushroom dish….

Next day we went to the Salt Mines – something I know very little about and they were simply fabulous – quite amazing to see these parts of our planet, incredible to think these places exist – was such a new thing for me to have seen and really enjoyed the experience.

That night, I flew back to London dreaming about what the next trip will be…. Krakow was a simple and pretty city so full of history… Polish people were lovely – so friendly… plenty of snow lay around the city and plenty of sun shone through the clear blue skies, the weather was amazing and the air so fresh!!

Loved my time at the hostel, particularly some of the interesting conversations I had with several people I met – the lovely thing about travelling and broadening your mind to new experiences…

Oxford Feb 18-19 2006

2006-02-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

Well I had waited a while for my first major outing for 2006 but it was worth the wait! This was my first visit to the lovely city of Oxford and I was fortunate enough to have a friend who lives in Oxfordshire and was happy to put me up for the weekend. Was needing a restful weekend in the outdoors and away from London and that is exactly what I got!

After a homemade paella and restful chat on the couch on Friday night, We made our way into the city on Saturday for a VERY greasy cooked brekky in a well known and highly recommended café called Browns Café – was indeed a proper fry up! After that we made our way along the streets of Oxford, down to the river where we walked along in the fog, catching glimpse of the rowers on the water and breathing in the fresh air….

Next stop, the pub – The Turf – allegedly the oldest pub in Oxford (but this claim is challenged by 1 other in Oxford). Was a gorgeous wee pub where even I had to lower my head at times for fear of hitting the ceiling. I enjoyed a nice pint of local ale before hitting the sights again…
We went next to climb the stairs of University Church (this kind of reminded me of a miniature Notre Dame) offering a great circular view of the city.

After this we stopped for coffee and cake before making our way to the Natural History Museum (becoming a major fan of these since Washington! – love loitering at the animal displays!) After the museum it was time for another pint at the other bar in Oxford which claims to be the oldest – The Bear –and this time I did manage to crack my head on a light shade in the toilet after successfully climbing some very dodgy stairs! Being completely knackered after the days events it was then home for garlic dough balls, pizza and vino!

On Sunday we made our way further into the country to a place Uffington where we went to see “The White Horse of Uffington” a man made imprint of a white horse on a hill, believed to be over 3000 years old – quite a spectacular vision form afar. We walked up on to the hill to the horses head, soaking in the country air – one thing that I rarely experience these days with living in London.

Oxford has some beautiful old buildings and I found it a very lovely city to walk around. It is a relaxed and intimate city and I felt very rested after my couple of days away - as usual cant wait until my next venture out of London.

Next destination – Krakow!

Xmas / NY 2005

2006-01-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Well this was probably the first official time that I have had to “host” Crimbo – Guests in attendance were cuz Tarlei & Mike who had come over from Australia for their Europe tour , Cuz ZZ… Jen and her dad joined us for brunch before heading off for a more traditional meal elsewhere…

My day started with another hangover, (as the previous seven days had!), ZZ lying in the bed next to me, Several phone calls, a few tears, and plenty of few laughs…Mike and Tarlei arrived just after 11 and then…. BRING ON THOSE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS!

Well after 3 bottles of Moet, a truck load of wine, and a few tequila shots later, the day had almost gone… ZZ and I finished off the night with a Pyjama dance and then it was off to bed – this being my first xmas in London and done in true family style!

Fave gift would have definitely been the beautiful scarf given to me by Mum – has hardly left my body since!

For New Year I decided to get away from London for a couple days so took a train to the Lakes to see Jake, Jo and the kids– typical visit whereby I arrive at 4pm on New Years Eve and the drinking commences… after a few beers, Jakes baby (6 litre bottle of vino) was opened, then it was on to the most amazing brew of mulled wine I have ever tasted and then back to more vino (the more adventurous of us decided to mix a bit of whiskey in with our wine) – No tequila, but there was sausage roll jenga…

While there was not a lot of action on New Years day, I did get out the following day for a walk near the lake a and a final pint before hopping back on the train back to London….

Am really ready to put 2005 behind me and look forward to 2006 - have a great feeling about this year!

USA

2006-01-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

November 2005

This particular blog has been a while in the making I know, but I will try to write a short (ish) overview of the wonderful 2 week adventure I had in the States just a couple of months ago…

It started with my arrival in Washington DC… I arrived mid afternoon on a Saturday and decided to head into the centre to catch the Washington Wizards play San Antonio Spurs (NBA) – On the metro I had a wonderful 1 hour conversation with a student from Bolivia (who had paid for my ticket due to my inability to work the machine!), and at the game sat and chatted with a young boy and girl along with their father, whom at the end of the game parted with hugs and best wishes for me – the kindness of these people was a very warm and welcoming entrance into this new city!

The next couple of days were filled with visits to war and various other memorials, The Smithsonian collection of museums (which could easily be the best in the world) and other various areas within the Washington district. I also visited Arlington Cemetery, for a few hours and I found this to be an incredibly moving experience, particularly the exhibition “Faces of the Fallen” which was a tribute to those that had fallen in this current Gulf War – I looked at every single face and read many notes that had been left, and couldn’t help but have a few tears to shed by the end – very sobering.

Was very impressed with Washington DC, not sure if I would want to live there, but I found it to be a very interesting city to visit with much to see of a very high quality - I had not expected to be so intrigued by all of the many things that I had not realised there was in Washington to experience.

After DC, it was off to NY, the place which had been such a major focus of this trip – wasn’t sure what to expect arriving in this big city that never sleeps but found it to be incredibly easy to navigate, never boring, very diverse, and completely crazy among other things!

NY was manic as I was always on the go doing something. Some of my escapades included, bus tours, harbour cruise around Manhattan Island, Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Central Park, Museums, NY Nicks, NY Rangers – my highlights had to have been Central Park, feeding a squirrel out of my hand in central park, Grays Papaya Hotdogs, The Rangers, and mouth watering steak (like I have not tasted since I left NZ - and possibly better!).

Met several people whilst here which meant that my evening entertainment was also taken care of - one guy, Grant, was from San Fran but had lived in NY before so it was great to have some local knowledge and someone to take me to the best spots… Below is a snap of me sampling the martini menu at a very classy wine bar...

Was absolutely shattered and ready to leave NY when the time came – decided I needed some R&R so made my way to Boston for a couple of days. I had not always planned to go to Boston but it ended up being quite possible the highlight of the trip – I simply fell in love with the people, the buildings and the atmosphere. I did a spot of shopping down Newbury St, did a trolley tour of the town, ate fish n chips at the harbour and enjoyed the most heavenly piece of carrot cake with coffee in a very cute little bookshop on Newbury St. I stayed in a gorgeous (B&B pictured below) and took a very laid back approach to the few days I had there – my time here was truly special and I am stoked that I decided to include this into my trip.

After Boston, I was off to Burlington, VT to have Thanksgiving with James and Rhonda, two of the kindest and special people one could spend it with. They also had the most gorgeous cat and dog, which of course completely did me in! On Thanksgiving eve we watched the traditional “Trains, planes and automobiles” over a few bottles of wine. I woke up on Thanksgiving morning to see snow falling all around their house which is surrounded by forest, everything was white and I honestly felt like I had died and gone to heaven – it was the most beautiful thing you could possibly imagine and I still dream about it! Friends came over for lunch, which consisted of extremely fine gourmet and it really was just such a special day that I was very grateful to have been a part of.

Was sad to leave James and Rhonda as I would have loved to have spent a couple more days with them and that is my incentive to return one day soon, but for now it was back to NY to spend my final wknd with the girls to celebrate Chloe’s birthday (which had been the reason I was over here in the first place).

Enjoyed NY the second time around for very different reasons as I was able to just go and relax and socialise for the last couple of days without feeling any need to be touristy. We all enjoyed some wonderful dining and good wine together and while Sinead and Janet hit the shops (something I had no desire to do) I took Chloe along to a Knicks game which ended up being a very adrenaline and entertainment packed event! My final hours in NY were spent strolling through Central Park one last time before heading back to the airport…

I do have much more detailed version of my trip for anybody that feels like reading it but I hope that this is still a good overview on my two weeks there. I cant wait to get back again – I really got just how big this country was and just how much I would still like to see and do in it!

P.S. Also have all my photos available on-line if anyone wishes to peruse the whole album!

ALL BLACKS 41 – WALES 3

2005-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday 5 November 2005

Another dream came true for me today – Watching the All Blacks play Wales at Millenium Stadium - and it did not disappoint (as the heading would suggest!)

As a rugby fan, the various stadiums in the world are a big part of the appeal and I had heard so much about the Millennium Stadium. It really was worth the talk and really did generate an amazing atmosphere when inside – also right in the centre of town (which means good news for the after parties!)

Left London at 10.45am on a train overflowing with people in black jerseys, with Steve, Nick and Lucy. Arrived at 12.45pm and snuck in a very civilised lunch with Nicks sister and whanau at a local French restaurant down the road from where they lived. Then it was off to the stadium, a few beers and some good craic!

Opening moments before the game sent shivers down my spine with Hayley Westenra singing the national anthem, my brother standing alongside singing it with me, marvelling at the brilliance of the stadium and of course the Haka. The game itself was only average (even though the scoreline was quite tremendous). I had expected a bit more passion and a tougher game. However with 1 down and 3 to go in taking the Grand Slam, I am not going to complain!

My man of the match scoring 26 points inclusive of two tries – Mr Dan Carter! First of his two tries pictured below...

After the match, celebrations were in order, so we went on a mission to find the best local craic and hospitality, flaming zambuccas, a dancefloor – and warm beer and chips for Nick! After we failed to find warm beer and chips for Nick (although we did find Burger King) it was back to his sisters place for her hubbys 40th birthday bash for the remaining time before our cab picked us up at 1am. Finally arrived back in London for some well earned kip at 4am!

I had a really special day – highlights had to have been the fabulous warmth and hospitality of the Welsh (truly fabulous people!), the stadium (and of course a very fine win), and spending some top quality time with my bro!

Big thanks to Nick for the match tickets, Steve for the train tickets and the whole crew for the great company – without em it wouldn’t have been possible!

London Film Festival

2005-10-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

Monday 24 October

The London Film Festival is currently being held at various cinemas in London and at the suggestion of Viktoriya, we decided to go and see a movie called “Matador” featuring Pierce Brosnan (as you have never seen Pierce Brosnan before). It was in Leicester Square, just near where I work. The movie itself was a very pleasant surprise. I knew nothing of it and probably would not of thought to go on my own accord. At the end of the movie, the director came out to meet people and answer questions from the audience. He was quite an entertaining guy and it was great to meet this person whose blood sweat, tears and dreams we had just been watching.

Going to the film festival that night was, again, one of those really fabulous spur of the moment things that one can do in London that makes life over here really special. The movie is going to be released in early 2006 and I would definitely recommend it!

Phantom of the Opera

2005-10-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Friday 21 October

I am very fortunate to be able to say that I have been to many shows in my 18 months in London - plays and musicals - some featuring some great talents such as Kevin Spacey, Val Kilmer, Rob Lowe, Marti Pellow and so on. It really has been one of the great highlights for me of living in London, to be able to just go to one of the numerous shows and be entertained by such wonderful talents, storylines, and surroundings.

When I went to see the theatre production of A Few Good Men recently, I was asked my friend Ger what my favourite show has been over the last 18 months. It was a very good question, and after some thought I could have narrowed it down a little, however all in all there was no winner – I mean how could I choose just one from all the wonderful shows that I had seen?

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of entertaining a Russian girl (Viktoryia) who was in London on business with our company and I decided to take her to one of the all time greats, The Phantom of the Opera. The show has been running since 1986. Well, at half time, I looked at her, and she looked back at me with tears about to fall from our eyes and I realised that I had finally found my favourite show of the last 18 months! The show was simply amazing, the storyline, the singing, the stage and prop work was all of such a wonderful standard that just left you feeling completely part of the show itself and full of emotional. The standing ovation at the end suggested that many in the audience had as wonderful time as we did.

I would absolutely recommend anybody taking the opportunity to see this show!

Hampton Court Palace

2005-10-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday 18 October

I had heard a lot of good things about Hampton Palace, and it certainly did not disappoint me, it even exceeded my expectations. Not your typical palace, with its architecture representing several different eras (Baroque, Tudor and Georgian…) and its history far more interesting than most.

Hampton Court has been home to many royals, the most famous being, Cardinal Worsley, Henry VIII (and some of his six wives! including Catherine Howard who was sent to her death by Henry and is said to still haunt the palace), William III and his wife Queen Mary II.

The day was one of the best value for money outings I have ever had in London. There are several tours that take people step by step through the different sections of the palace, led by people dressed in costume to represent the era of which they are talking through, you almost feel like you really have been transcended back in time and are actually there! The palace is much bigger than it looks or than I expected and has many stories to tell behind those walls I am sure! The palace gardens were enormous and so beautiful (and it’s not like I normally marvel at gardens!) I spent about 6 hours in the palace and still feel like I could go back again.

I found Hampton Court to be a very spiritual place to spend some time, and it intrigued me much more than than other palaces that I have seen in Europe. I would love to have known what life was like behind certain walls in certain times throughout the palace!

Thanksgiving - Canadian Style

2005-10-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday 15 October

On Saturday just gone, I experienced my very first Thanksgiving with my new flatmate Jen who is Canadian. Canada celebrate their thanksgiving on October 7. Having never been through the rituals of a Thanksgiving I was rather excited about having my first and it was good prep for the Thanksgiving I will be having with my friends in the states in a few weeks time!

Jen spent most of Friday and some of Sat preparing food - baked camembert and a variety of other cheeses she got in France, smoked salmon, array of veges, sausages, sweet potato mash with marshmallows (a family secret), pumpkin pie, and of course the Turkey! All of this was absolutely sensational of course and she was definately ready for her first glass of champers when it came time!

I think the most fun and enjoyable event of the night was the pumpkin carving! When Jen first asked me if I had carved a pumpkin before, I thought she meant cutting it up to put in the pot which couldnt have been further from what I was about to do. Between the 8 of us for dinner that night we teamed up to "carve our pumpkins" - a lot of hilarity followed but with excellent results at the end of the night. One pumpkin we all felt was the saddest pumpkin you had ever seen and we were certain he was going to end it that night by leaping off the balcony. My pumpkin, with the aid of a fellow dinner guest ended up being the biggest and scariest - would definately recommend this to anyone who has not done it before.

The night ended up with some good old fashioned girly talk about love, life and the meaning of the universe and I had a really fabulous first Thanksgiving!