Shawna's Visit

My friend Shawna came to visit last week! It was fabulous....except for the part where we both got the flu. Yes, she traveled thousands of miles to see us from Chicago, and then she & I both got sick. Not that I could (really) control it, I still felt AWFUL (literally and figuratively) about it. Luckily the bug was short-lived so we still had plenty of time to shop, explore the English countryside, and to do some crafting! 

Our guest room awaiting Shawna's arrival....

Upon arrival her England, Shawna and I spent the afternoon in Stratford Upon Avon and we toured William Shakespeare's house. The next day we headed to a few of the idyllic towns in the Cotswolds to experience some of the English countryside charm....

This little shop called the Cotswold Cheese Company is really neat but sadly was closed on the day we were in the town. 

Some of the 

A scene in Burton-on-the-Water.

We had fun shopping around for Bits & Bobs at various shops during the week Shawna was here....

Shawna on a bridge in Burton-on-the Water, which is often called the Venice of the Cotswolds.

Moss is everywhere in England. Sometimes it is very pretty. It adds nice color to otherwise gray stones or walls!

Then, during the middle of the week, illness set in.....so our outings consisted of going upstairs to the second floor of our house to work on a project of re-arranging and organising my craft room. I promise I did not ask Shawna to organize my belongings while she was a guest in my house, but rather she proposed the idea. She really did seem to enjoy the project, which is great for both of us since I probably would not have done it on my own....and goodness knows Scott would not have been interested in such an endeavor! 

This photo does not show the entire "project" from start to finish, but basically we re-arranged the room completely and moved my sewing table to the small end of the room and made space to house the many tubs of my fabric along the long side of the room. Additionally we re-organized the sewing table so I now have more space to use part of the table for cutting my patterns, while still having space for both my embroidery machine and my sewing machine. 

After we re-organized the craft room, it was time to do some crafting! We put a darling little "J" applique on this t-shirt for Shawna's daughter so she could have a coordinating spring outfit in purple. We probably could have spent the entire week of Shawna's visit crafting but we did force ourselves to get out and see many of the sights around England as well...

When the weekend arrived, we were both finally feeling much better and so we went with Scott into London for the weekend before Shawna had to leave. We started with a trip to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard, or Guard Mounting as it can be called. The Guard which mounts at Buckingham Palace is called The Queen’s Guard and is divided into two Detachments: the Buckingham Palace Detachment (which is responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace), and the St. James’s Palace Detachment, (which guards St. James’s Palace). These guard duties are normally provided by a battalion of the Household Division and occasionally by other infantry battalions or other units.

The handover is accompanied by a Guards band. The music played ranges from traditional military marches to songs from films and musicals and even familiar pop songs. The Guards band marches down The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace.

And we march too....

Getting closer to the Palace entrance....

Watching the ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace.

The guards who have just left their post walk back through by St. James's Palace.

When Guardsmen are on duty, the soldiers are drawn from one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards. These soldiers were changing guarding duties of St. James's Palace.

After watching all of the guards marching, it was time for a lunch at Harrod's! 

The beautiful cheese plate for lunch at Harrods.... YUM.

Harrods' Food Courts are AMAZING. Shawna inspects the pastry selection in one of their bakery sections. 

Outside of Harrod's after a nice lunch and a bit of shopping there. (Scott, the photographer, somehow managed to cut out the most important bit about this photo - the Harrod's green awning!) 

After dinner in London, we walked from our hotel along the bridge across to the London Eye. Even though this photo is dark, here you can see we had a perfect glimpse of Big Ben and Parliment in the background.

Scott was there too! :)

It was a great treat to have a good friend here for the week and I hope she comes back soon! 

A Day in our Nook of England

On Friday we had visitors and I spent the day in our "nook" of England showing them around a few towns. We had a nice sunny day to do some sightseeing and I enjoyed playing tour guide near our house. 

After I collected Jenn & Erin at the train station, we went straight to William Shakespeare's birthplace and house. We toured the house where we learned about William's father, John, and his mother Mary who were very well-to-do according to standards back in their time. William's father, John, was a glove maker and prepared the animal skins, made the gloves, and sold them to the towns people all from this house in Stratford. Luckily, the house does not smell like it did when such an activity would have taken place. 

The backside of the Shakespeare Home, facing their gardens. 

After a nice lunch in Stratford, we jaunted over to Warwick where we visited Warwick Castle and toured the Castle grounds. 

A gate/entrance area within the castle. 

Inside the state rooms.  It is elegant and beautiful. 

More rooms to see. Sadly, not all of the state rooms were open during our visit. Some are closed right now for renovations. 

The waterfall and water mill on the castle grounds. 

Inside the castle walls. 

A view of the state rooms and green space at the Castle. The tented part is some dungeon exhibit they have going now. 

Heading towards a tower at the castle. 

The view of Warwick's town centre and also of St. Mary's Church, as seen from a tower look out point at the castle. This church was founded in 1123 by an Earl of Warwick. 

After going up, we must go down....more steep stairs to maneuver in a tight space! 

The view from a tower at the castle, looking towards another tower within the castle. 

Jenn at the top of a tower at Warwick Castle (Dionne Warwick Castle as she joked!!). 

We ended the day back at our house and Scott was able to scoot out of work on time to join us for a drink and a quick snack before Jenn & Erin departed back to London that evening. I had a nice time showing the ladies around in our area of England, but I particularly enjoyed hearing Jenn's stories about her new life as an expat in Russia right now. Maybe someday we'll be able to visit Jenn & her husband in Moscow....

Cassie, Jenn, & Erin after a full day of touring.

The Hostess

Tomorrow begins my role as the hostess with the mostess!

I am awaiting the arrival of Jenn and her friend Erin who will be visiting us for the day from London. However, Jenn really is coming via Moscow, as seen here: http://damasiuslife.blogspot.com/

I cannot wait to hear all about Jenn's new adventures of navigating through Russia while we tour the English Countryside tomorrow.

Then, on Monday morning, I am headed to Heathrow Airport to collect my dear friend Shawna for her trip to see us! Shawna's husband, Brad, surprised her with a ticket to visit us at Christmas and he has been kind enough to take over kid duty for the next week. Poor Scott has a week ahead of girl talk, cocktail hours daily, crafting, and antique shopping to endure [not that he's invited!]. 

So I'll be busy galavanting around the UK this next week playing hostess and tour guide....and will be loving every minute of it! 

Let's Make a Deal

Shopping in Marrakech is an experience....and is a negotiator's dream! Within the souks, everything and anything is up for bargaining, if you can sway the local salesman, who can be quite persistent. 

Ask the price of an item and you will be given a figure about 3 times the final amount you should hope to pay. We had great fun navigating the souks of Marrakech and enjoyed "window" or stall shopping to see the vibrant colors of the berber rugs, the leather goods, scarves, tea sets, lanterns, and more. The continuous hassling from the local salesmen started to wear on us a bit during our trip, but it was all part of the experience and the fun of shopping in the souks. 

Walking through the souks - people and items everywhere. No street signs or arrows in there so I was thankful to have my navigation system with me (aka Scott - he always seems to know where we are without a map!). 

Watch out! A biker might just run you over....they do sometimes sound a horn, but you best move quickly to step out of their way. Better yet, if you are not quick on your feet, a donkey might just run over your foot as they trot through the winding souk streets. 

Navigating our way through the souks - stalls are every which way surrounding you...

All of the items for sale throughout the souks make the stalls vibrant and colorful. It was great fun to shop and bargain for the local treasures we purchased while there! 

Local Berber quality made carpets are for sale.

Spices....

More spices....

Scott tries to buy some Amber.....little did he know he was being charged about double the amount we should have paid! 

Lanterns....

Pottery....

Straw bags....

Handwoven scarves and blankets...

Leather goods...

Traditional tea sets and painted glasses...

More lanterns (my favorite item we saw during this trip)...

Shopping for Spring

Shopping for clothes here in the UK is expensive. I often find the prices of clothing are the same in GBP as they are in dollars, thus making them (at the moment) 1.5 times as much more expensive than US items would be. Furthermore the quality is not always the best for middle of the road brands (comparable to Ann Taylor and AT Loft, J. Crew, Banana Republic, etc - my "regular" US stores). And then to add more personal woes to this subject, I find it near impossible to find TALL pants over here, which I need due to my height. 

While I do moan a bit about the lack of clothing shopping I do here, I have found one UK based brand that I have fallen in love with......BODEN. They offer TALL dresses, LONG Pants (Trousers here), size 42 shoes (11 US size women's), and overall offer a preppy but classic look that I just adore. I am hooked! Boden does actually have a US arm now as well so I am very pleased to know that when we return to the US, I can continue my shopping habit with them. 

Last week I was invited to a Boden "shopping party" locally and so of course I attended, ready to make purchases from their new spring line, and ready to scoop up the savings offered at the event. The box of my purchases (3 out of the 4) arrived the other day and I am quite pleased. Boden is one UK clothing company that has made a repeat customer out of me! 

My most recent purchases - a fun print tunic top, long white trousers, and pewter colored sandals. These items are being packed for our Moroccan trip so I am sure they will surface in photos soon! 

These new sandals arrived in a box with this adorable green & pink shoe bag. I love such practical extra touches...it makes me a happy customer! 

Our Love of London

There's no secret that Scott & I both LOVE London.....it is one of the most fabulous cities in the world. We try to take advantage of going into London as often as we can (without of course over-doing it because it is VERY expensive!) While we would love to be living in London proper, our bank account is much better off since we are not! At least we are able to visit for a weekend or even just the day, as we did on Saturday. We trained it into the city in the morning to poke around, and then met our friends Beth & BJ for a long lunch, followed by a few afternoon drinks....it was another lovely Saturday in London...

Scott riding the TUBE as we head to Oxford Street for a little shopping before lunch.

We walked from the Oxford Street shops, through Soho and China town on our way to the Covent Garden area for lunch. The China town streets were colorful and beautifully decorated in honor of the Chinese New Year. 

Lunch for this Saturday was Mexican! Cafe Pacifico is located in Covent Garden, right near the Tube Stop and it was a good find. 

While the margaritas were not quite as good as they are back in the US, they were some of the best we've had on this side of the pond. I can fully endorse the food at Cafe Pacifico......I would say it was even a step up from the Texas Embassy (another mexican restaurant in London). Mexican food is so abundant in the US that I never even thought I would miss it as much as I do over here. Luckily we are close enough to London to get our Mexican food "fix" when we can! 

More on Sandwich Filings....

Last night I was talking to my friend Amy in Chicago about sandwich fillings over here. Amy is currently enrolled in culinary school and just happens to be finishing her sanitation course at the moment. She made the comment that she has learned a lot (more than she probably wanted to know) about food borne illnesses that arise when sandwiches - and their fixings (i.e. mayo, deli meat, etc.) are out in the open for too long. 

Our discussion prompted me to tell her she probably would never want to eat at a sandwich shop over here since so many of their sandwich "fillings" are mayo based. Personally, I do not like mayo. I eat it sparingly - in maybe some chicken salad or dips, and occasionally on a turkey tom sandwich at Jimmy John's. I would much rather have mustard instead. Something about the consistency and processed nature of mayo does not appeal to me. So, these "fillers" over here have little appeal to me since almost all of them are bound with mayonnaise and more mayonnaise.

This morning I went for a shop (as they say here) at my local Sainsbury's. I took this photo of the deli fillers section of the aisle to showcase another angle of this sandwich "filling" normality here. 

Choices of the "deli fillers" section include: Free Range Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Filler, Deli Melt Tuna & Red Onion Filler, Deli-Fillers Seafood Cocktail, Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich Filler, Tuna & Sweetcorn Sandwich Filler, Egg & Bacon Sandwich Filler, Cheese & Onion Sandwich Filler, Chicken Tikka Deli Filler, and more....

When I looked up Deli Fillers online, I saw that Sainsbury's is offering over 24 kinds of deli fillers on their website; Morrison's boasts over 20 varieties on their online site; and Waitrose has at least 10 varieties of fillers in their "essential" line alone. 

I suspect there is an ease of preparation for lunch sandwiches when using these fillers. No need to spend a lot of time fixing a sandwich - just slice open the baguette and dump in some deli filling.

This is one part of local living over here that will not become habit for me....I will stick to my club sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! 

Sandwich Fillings

One of the small things I miss over here is a good deli sandwich. Some may argue that they exist, however I seem to constantly encounter sandwich "fillings" as the more common lunch sandwich offering in our area of the UK. 

While I do miss a good reuben or turkey club sandwich, I have grown fond of a few of these sandwich "fillings." My favorite is the smoked salmon sandwich on brown bread. In fairness I used to eat smoked salmon on bagels with cream cheese (or lox on bagels) in the US, but I did not find it served as a lunch/deli sandwich as often back there. 

A sandwich with smoked salmon filling on brown bread, as served to me at a little cafe in Stratford. It was tasty! Note, rarely are sandwiches served with crisps (aka chips) in cafes. They always seem to include a side salad or garnish if you may - or more likely you will have a side order of chips (aka fries). 

The smoked salmon filling is usually widely available and has become my preferred choice lately. The other fillings do seem a bit strange compared to my old favorite of a Jimmy John's turkey tom sandwich. I finally took a photo of some of these "fillings" on a menu of an English eatery. And often the "fillings" are available either on sandwiches or on top of a jacket potato (a baked potato - they LOVE potatoes here). 
It also seems they LOVE mayo here. The Prawn Mayo filling is bizarre to me. I am sure if I grew up eating it, I would love it. Same with the cheese & beans. Furthermore, when I see Cheese & Beans on a menu, I would think - "melted cheese with beans...." - thinking along the lines of baked beans and velveeta type cheese. 

It is not. 

Often times when the "fillings" include cheese, it is shredded, and VERY rarely is it ever melted. In fact, it seems the English love cheese sandwiches. Just cheese and maybe some chutney. I enjoy a grilled cheese.....but a non-melted shredded cheese sandwich? I think I'll take a pass. 

Another note on the menu items above here - the bacon is of course what Americans know as ham. Not a deli ham, but more along the lines of a Canadian bacon type of ham. 

And not to miss - the "Tuna & Sweetcorn Mayo" filling is slightly cut off at the bottom of the photo. Very bizarre.

I am positive my stance on the sandwich fillings is purely a reflection of my preferences from where I was raised. I am sure that if Scott & I had both grown up eating beans on toast - or - cheese & beans on a baguette, we probably would find Ham & Swiss on rye a bit strange as well. 

The sandwich I do miss most is a good corned beef sandwich on rye.....but I will leave that topic for another blog post as corned beef has an entirely different meaning over here.....

Hotel Searching

In order to prevent us from developing a case of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) from the lack of sunshine here this winter in the UK, Scott & I will be heading to Morocco in a few weeks for a short holiday. We are looking forward to experiencing the vibrant city of Marrakech and are also looking forward to a few days of no winter coats, sunshine, and (hopefully) no rain! 

We decided to book a small Riad as our hotel for this upcoming trip. There are so many unique Riads in Marrakech from which to choose, and although we did not end up booking this particular one - Riad Zolah - www.riadzolah.com, I was very impressed with their unique offerings as part of their daily room rate: 

Our rates are quoted per room per night, and are inclusive of our full range of generous extras which most other riads either fail to provide, or for which they make additional charges. Your price includes:

·       Round Trip airport transfers. 
·       Breakfast. 
·       Free loan of local mobile phone (roaming rates in Morocco are very steep!). 
·       Mineral water on demand (help yourself from our guest fridge). 
·       Tea, Coffee, Fresh orange juice on demand. 
·       Complimentary Moroccan leather slippers for use in the riad and then to take home. 
·       Bose iPod docks in all rooms (and even the loan of our pre-loaded iPod!) 

·       Riad-wide WiFi Internet access, in addition to a dedicated PC for our guests' use. 
·       Local taxes.

This Hotel was the first one I have ever seen allow for a temporary mobile phone. Very cool touch I think!

We decided on another Riad since Riad Zolah was fully booked on one night we wanted to stay there. Instead, we are staying at this riad - another small Riad in the centre of town with just 6 rooms. I hope the stay will be as lovely as the photos look.....

X

X signs off....or X as a British signature seems to be a popular thing....what exactly does it mean??? I am a bit confused on the meaning behind it because I thought it was meant to be a signature for close friends....a "kiss" so to speak.....

It is somewhat common in the US to use the "xoxo" - meaning hugs & kisses - as an ending or a signature. However, the " X " seems to be the British version of that. I never see the "O" in there.

So, given that this X tends to be used when corresponding with close friends, imagine my surprise when I received an email from a work client/colleague/acquaintance and HE ended his email with 

X

There was no name, no "bye", no "regards", etc. 

I was surprised and still am a bit perplexed....

I am wondering if I have the meaning of this signature incorrect??? Would you use such a signature or ending in a business setting? 

Hide and see if I can find....

Ever since we were robbed over here in our last house, I am always a bit paranoid that we will be broken into again when we are away on vacation. "Touch wood" (as they say over here), we have not had a repeat incident or any problems in our new house, but I still worry when we prepare to go away. 

As a result, I have been hiding important things before we leave (i.e. jewellery, documents, etc.) so if we were to get robbed, it would be difficult for a robber to locate these valuable items. While hiding these items makes me feel better about the probability of a robber finding them inside our house, I am now faced with the problem that I cannot find these things myself! I have now (temporarily) lost a stack of Euro bills that I had hidden somewhere over the summer, and now since our recent trip to Italy, I have forgotten where I hid my nice jewellery..... I guess I will pray to St. Anthony tonight and then embark on another round of seek and hope I find in the house tomorrow....