This weekend we decided we must enjoy summer as the Brits do and headed southwest to the Devon area. We have a BearingPoint coworker who owns a B&B in Paignton, a block from the beach, so four of us girls went to his place for a brief holiday. The train ride was an experience, as it turns out its Bank Holiday weekend (like our Labor Day). Everyone and their cousin seemed to be heading south. Two of my coworkers, on a later train than I, had the privilege (ha, ha) of riding in the luggage compartment. Oh, my.
The weather could not have been more brilliant. Unlike London (cold and rainy lately is the norm) we were brought to clear skies where warmth had returned. My first thought upon arrival was – “Check this out! It really is summer! Even in England!”
Since I arrived earlier, I got the opportunity to spend time with our host’s family and then go for a sunset stroll on the beach. It was truly beautiful there with the beach, cliffs and gorgeous homes. The shore was like being in Newport, but with a quaint fishing village on the end. I sat on a bench and just stared at the ocean, my peaceful place. No matter what is going on, I’m always content by the ocean. When my coworkers arrived it was quite late so we turned in early to ready ourselves for the next day.
We started the next day with a gorgeous English breakfast and a stroll around town. The town was a bit more Ocean City, but it was fine. We spent about an hour there before heading to the beach, where we’d spend the majority of the day. Ah… sun….
Around 1PM we took a break to check out some more shore scenery. You could get all sorts of yummies on the boardwalk from fresh mussels and squid to homemade donuts that were kinda like funnel cake. We had lunch of a traditional fish and chips.
We spent the rest of the day by the water, jumping in it at times. It was quite cold, but heck, I’m from New England, so I’m tough, ha, ha. It was truly relaxing, all of it, and I desperately needed it after all the churn I’ve continued to feel in life lately. I’m so thankful that God keeps meeting me and calming me, and yet, I still live in that wound up place more than I’d like. Working on it. Three weekends in a row, at three different beaches, in three different countries is a good start though. : ) We all need to know where that peaceful place is for us, that place we are serene and recharge. For me, it will always be by the water. Fun fact – though each beach was so separate, they not only share an ocean, but in some regard, all face each other. Kinda wild.
Dinner was at a lovely Oceanside restaurant. After we went out to the deck bar and just gabbed for quite some time. It was different though than conversations I’d ever shared with these women; we all were really opening up and talking from our hearts… our angst, our fears, our recent joys and accomplishments. It was good. I kept thinking that one thing that bummed me out in Portugal was not having the opportunity to just be with friends, sipping wine by the Oceanside. I got my wish… just a week later. : )
I felt so blessed by this time with these ladies… and yet they shared with me how much they appreciated me which of course blessed me more. Two of them are more than 10 years younger than me and if you remember your 20’s (those of you through), they can hold even more uncertainty than we’re feeling now in our 30’s. It was just good to talk with them. Authenticity wins again. I’m always so worried that I’m too open and too emotional, yet again, that continues to be what makes me real and approachable. Hmmm… I think too, it was good to have each other to talk about the trials of being an expat (one living overseas). There’s such uniqueness in what we’re doing and I’m not alone in some of the confusion and uneasiness.
Sidebar and some random thoughts –
It had been a good week, sharing with many others in similar places in life as me. Tuesday I had dinner with Kathy Baxter and we shared the awkwardness it feels to not really know where home is, where you fit in, to which country or culture one really belongs. Its something I’m not sure one can understand unless you’ve been here before. The back and forth makes it even stranger. For this reason, I’ve been trying to stay in Europe more lately and DC less. If I’m to be in Europe, I should be in Europe. God wants me here to teach me and grow me and I want to learn.
Wednesday I went to All Souls to bible study and sat at a table with representation from all over the globe. We too talked about the blessing of having this opportunity, but the odd emotions that often accompany it. But then Thursday, I had dinner and watched a movie with some coworkers. I look back on the week and it’s a week that feels more like normal life than any thus far. That same night though, I got a scare when I rec’d an email stating I might be done as early as Sept. 15th. I realized maybe I’m not ready for that. I good friend said, “Well, maybe you’ve learned and done what you were meant to, and now its time to come home.” There may be some truth in that, yet I was relieved when I found I had at least a few weeks beyond Sept 15th. Really has made me think though. Coming home will not be what I might expect, or even what any of you might expect for me. DC isn’t home any more. Home is different. I’m different. Others are different. It will be starting over and rebuilding, not just slipping back in. Time does not stand still and I need to prepare myself for that. Kathy gave me a great book. It’s called The Art of Coming Home. It postulates that the reverse culture shock of returning to what one once considered home is far more traumatic than adjusting to the new culture ever was. Not to mention, we return to find so many of the problems and pains that we’d escaped by going overseas, are right where we left them and must be dealt with. I have a lot I need to deal with back in the States. I need to not only enjoy my last few weeks here, but really begin to prepare my heart and mind for a transition back to the States.
Anyway… back to Paignton…
We had a wonderful night of laughing and bonding and sharing stresses and encouraging one another. It was a very good night. Another night that in fact makes all this madness so very worth it.
Today (Sunday), we returned to the beach to try to relax for a few more hours. The realities of the world and our crazy lives had begun to creep back in, yet we very much enjoyed sitting in our little chairs, staring at sailboats slip by and children playing. We soaked as much back in as possible… and headed for the train station.
Hope to be back in time for church tonight. It will be good.
Not as many pics from this trip… but here you go!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Portugal: Aug 15-19
This one is hard to write about, because I’m trying to sum up about 30 pages of paper journal notes into one brief blog. Portugal was amazing. Nothing I ever expected, but exactly what I needed. I originally through I’d be with friends, but I ended up on my own. That initially created some anxiety, but ended up delivering an amazing adventure, mixed with great relaxation, and beautifully orchestrated moments with God. I’ll give you highlights of what I did and some thoughts here, but if you want to know the grand details, stay tuned for other MySpace blogs (on what God taught me in Portugal) or schedule some time to chat next time I’m in the US. God is so good and he was ALL over every moment of every day of this trip. It was awe inspiring.
My flight was delayed which was a bit frustrating, as Leonard told me he was on his way to Lisbon to meet me for dinner. I was fortunate though that through a serious of God things, I ended up flying business class. So though the delay was exasperating, I got the joy of sitting in the executive lounge and journally. Got was teaching me about trusting him and going with the flow... and fortunately I was learning without throwing into a full on panic, as things were further delayed. Eventually though, we were off.
I had been fortunate to find a great little hotel about a 20 minute walk from city center(no frills so inexpensive, but fine). I got in too late to see Leonard, but we made plans for breakfast the next morning.
So I started Day One with breakfast with Leonard. Fortunately he knows the language so it helps me feel a bit less lost. We met this little elderly lady who was sitting alone sipping coffee. Leonard began to chat with her in Portugese. Turned out she'd just lost her husband. So sad. She was so sweet though and grateful for our kindness so it added to the pleasant morning.
From there, we headed to the airport to pick up Amy and Melissa. They would be heading up with Leonard to the north and then back down to Morocco and Spain later in the week. Short as it was, it was good to see them and helped me to continue to gain my Portugal “sea legs”. I knew I wouldn’t have much time with any of them, but I prayed God would even give me a short bit with them just to easy by anxiety of traveling alone and get my off on the right foot. God provided and it really helped.
They dropped me back at my hotel and my adventure began. Courtesy of Rick Steves (awesome travel books!), I had great tips on how to spend my day, so I began to be filled with confidence and excitement. I walked into the center of town and explored. Walked through the Baixa down to Comercio Square on the water. Neat place. I sat there for a bit, people watched and journaled some more. Visually followed a trolley and figured out how to get up the Alfama, an amazing section of Lisbon up high on a hill.
The windy hills up to the Alfama by trolley made me think of San Francisco, as oddly so did the view up top, as I looked out onto the bay and the wide expanse of bridge crossing it. The city looked so peaceful from up there… the amazing history mixed with bustling commercial area. The Alfama is full of quant neighborhoods, truly Portuguese, that I wandered through to make my way up to the castle.
I entered Castel de S. Jorges to this brilliant overlook area. It was gorgeous! I took many more pictures and sat down again to journal and people watch. There was a lot to see, but I’d promised my self, that in the interest of needing this time to think and wind down from the stress of the past many weeks, that I’d take it slow and do a lot of just sitting. So I stuck with the plan. I spent about a half hour just chilling there before I met these two (beautiful!!) guys from Vancouver. They asked me to take their picture and we started chatting. They asked if I’d seen the castle yet. I said no, thinking S. Jorges to be more view than castle. They went to explore and I followed about 20 minutes later.
Man! Was I wrong! The castle was amazing. Very cool. I wandered all around, climbing, exploring, taking pictures. I ran into my Vancouver friends again and we laughed together about my silly comment. I spent a bit more time up there before heading down to see the rest of Lisbon.
There were so many nooks and crannies to see and plenty to take picture of. I explored all over town. Monuments, shopping areas, old churches. As it moved into evening, I prayed for a good place for dinner. I hate eating alone so I just hoped the right place would jump out. Just then this little waiter comes up to me to show me a menu. The place was perfect. I had a delightful evening and Nu-nu took very good care of me. I went home content and pleased. My first day had been wonderful. I occurred to me that I felt truly happy.
Day two began with a trip out to Belem. Belem is another section about 3 miles from the center of town. I visited a monetary and two incredible monuments. Check out pics to see these amazing places. And I can’t forget the amazing custards! They have these incredible little custard tarts… like nothing you’ve ever tried!
I spent most of the morning and early afternoon there, before heading out to Estoril, this wonderful beach. Ah… beach. I desperately needed some sun and beach. London had been so dreary lately in every way; we’d almost forgotten it was summer. And the beach always has this wonderful calming affect on me. It was a perfect afternoon.
Just as I was beginning to feel a bit lonely, I met Alicia and her boyfriend, fellow North Americans working in Europe, but on a brief holiday. It was a joy to chat with them as if we were kindred spirits or friends who’ve known each other forever. That’s part of the joy of traveling, the people you meet. You have this camaraderie, b/c you’re doing a lot of the same things, feeling a lot of same things, and all on this great adventure. It’s like you instantly understand each other, when those at home don’t always get it. No offense of course… but its such a different life, the good and the bad, then unless one has been here, its hard to understand. So chats with fellow travelers are not only fun and wonderful, but refreshing too… b/c they help you feel a bit less crazy and alone. I mean, Europe is wonderful, no arguments to that. But working overseas isn’t always the glamour people think. It can be hard and you get lonely and tired… but then feel guilty about that b/c you should be having the time of your life. Its just tricky some times.
Anyway… They took off, I spent about another hour or so, and then back into Lisbon for an interesting meal. The food was great and a met a few more really cool Americans traveling around. But it was good I had their companionship or the rest of the night would have been a bit scarier. To this day, we don’t really know what was happening, but a woman at the table next to us was having some medical emergency and just kept shrieking and screaming in agony. We had no idea what to do, especially as we were in the middle of our meal… but together, the four of us tried to make the best of it. Weird night. I took a bit of a stroll and then off to bed.
Day three started a bit earlier b/c I had to catch a train to Sintra. Sintra is up in the mountains about an hour or so away and another amazing place of sites to see. I saw two very cool palaces, the National Palace and Palacio de Pena, both World Heritage sites There was a castle up there too, but I didn’t have enough time, and having living in Ireland and now England for the second time, I’ve had no shortage of castles in my life. And of course the view was spectacular. They say they were build up there b/c they were the closest points to the gods and the commoners could always look up and see who was in charge of the land. Hmmm…
Anyway… Then I caught a bus. Well, cabs and buses in Portugal are a bit of an adventure. They are not for those who get car sick! Oh my! I took this bus out to the most westward point of all of Europe, Caba de Roca. Pretty cool. Then I continued to Cascais, another delightful beach town, where I’d spend the remainder of the day on the beach, before strolling the quaint resort village. As the sun began to set, I followed a long train of people heading around the peninsula to the west side for the sun set. “The Place of the Sun” as its called (well… in Portuguese, but I don’t remember what it is). I sat on a rock and journaled until it was time for some of the most remarkable pictures of my trip. I’ve seen better sunsets… but heck, I was in Portugal! All this, realizing again, that I was really truly utterly content and happy. Hmmm… strange… very cool.
I walked back into town for a lovely little dinner and chat with an Irish couple and then jumped back on the train back to Lisbon. It was my last night, so I took a quick stroll to see all the monuments lit up so delightfully and then off to bed.
The next morning I stayed close to home, b/c I was flying in the afternoon. I had back down to city center to do some last minute shopping, picture taking, journaling and trolling. Went back to the Baixa, down to Comercio. Got into a great conversation with a Canadian couple, on their first ever trip out of Canada. I just felt led to approach them when I heard them speaking English and stumbling with a map. They’d just arrived that morning and were trying to get their bearings… a little uneasy. Ah… me, three days earlier. I think they were blessed by my welcome and it was good to once again have someone for me to chat with. Traveling alone can be cool… but I’m thankful for each person I met and chatted with, as it kept me from losing my mind!
So it was back to the hotel to grab my belongings and then to the airport. My flight was significantly delayed… AGAIN. But I was in Business Class… so off to the lounge for some treats and journal time. Good stuff.
I can’t even share with you all God taught through this experience but it was amazing. I feel like I’ve regained a contentment, a trust in him, a confidence and appropriately sense of myself… that I hadn’t had in some time. Now wrapping this up in the Outer Banks two weeks later, there is still a neat peace about me, where things just don’t throw me like they did a month ago. God supplied for all my needs then, in a hundred and one miraculous ways… and he continues to supply them now. I have nothing to fear.
Wanna see the extended version of the photos? Click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingReg.jsp?Uc=86i6ztv.akatz06n&Uy=jnvq85&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=697550225831_316442942503
My flight was delayed which was a bit frustrating, as Leonard told me he was on his way to Lisbon to meet me for dinner. I was fortunate though that through a serious of God things, I ended up flying business class. So though the delay was exasperating, I got the joy of sitting in the executive lounge and journally. Got was teaching me about trusting him and going with the flow... and fortunately I was learning without throwing into a full on panic, as things were further delayed. Eventually though, we were off.
I had been fortunate to find a great little hotel about a 20 minute walk from city center(no frills so inexpensive, but fine). I got in too late to see Leonard, but we made plans for breakfast the next morning.
So I started Day One with breakfast with Leonard. Fortunately he knows the language so it helps me feel a bit less lost. We met this little elderly lady who was sitting alone sipping coffee. Leonard began to chat with her in Portugese. Turned out she'd just lost her husband. So sad. She was so sweet though and grateful for our kindness so it added to the pleasant morning.
From there, we headed to the airport to pick up Amy and Melissa. They would be heading up with Leonard to the north and then back down to Morocco and Spain later in the week. Short as it was, it was good to see them and helped me to continue to gain my Portugal “sea legs”. I knew I wouldn’t have much time with any of them, but I prayed God would even give me a short bit with them just to easy by anxiety of traveling alone and get my off on the right foot. God provided and it really helped.
They dropped me back at my hotel and my adventure began. Courtesy of Rick Steves (awesome travel books!), I had great tips on how to spend my day, so I began to be filled with confidence and excitement. I walked into the center of town and explored. Walked through the Baixa down to Comercio Square on the water. Neat place. I sat there for a bit, people watched and journaled some more. Visually followed a trolley and figured out how to get up the Alfama, an amazing section of Lisbon up high on a hill.
The windy hills up to the Alfama by trolley made me think of San Francisco, as oddly so did the view up top, as I looked out onto the bay and the wide expanse of bridge crossing it. The city looked so peaceful from up there… the amazing history mixed with bustling commercial area. The Alfama is full of quant neighborhoods, truly Portuguese, that I wandered through to make my way up to the castle.
I entered Castel de S. Jorges to this brilliant overlook area. It was gorgeous! I took many more pictures and sat down again to journal and people watch. There was a lot to see, but I’d promised my self, that in the interest of needing this time to think and wind down from the stress of the past many weeks, that I’d take it slow and do a lot of just sitting. So I stuck with the plan. I spent about a half hour just chilling there before I met these two (beautiful!!) guys from Vancouver. They asked me to take their picture and we started chatting. They asked if I’d seen the castle yet. I said no, thinking S. Jorges to be more view than castle. They went to explore and I followed about 20 minutes later.
Man! Was I wrong! The castle was amazing. Very cool. I wandered all around, climbing, exploring, taking pictures. I ran into my Vancouver friends again and we laughed together about my silly comment. I spent a bit more time up there before heading down to see the rest of Lisbon.
There were so many nooks and crannies to see and plenty to take picture of. I explored all over town. Monuments, shopping areas, old churches. As it moved into evening, I prayed for a good place for dinner. I hate eating alone so I just hoped the right place would jump out. Just then this little waiter comes up to me to show me a menu. The place was perfect. I had a delightful evening and Nu-nu took very good care of me. I went home content and pleased. My first day had been wonderful. I occurred to me that I felt truly happy.
Day two began with a trip out to Belem. Belem is another section about 3 miles from the center of town. I visited a monetary and two incredible monuments. Check out pics to see these amazing places. And I can’t forget the amazing custards! They have these incredible little custard tarts… like nothing you’ve ever tried!
I spent most of the morning and early afternoon there, before heading out to Estoril, this wonderful beach. Ah… beach. I desperately needed some sun and beach. London had been so dreary lately in every way; we’d almost forgotten it was summer. And the beach always has this wonderful calming affect on me. It was a perfect afternoon.
Just as I was beginning to feel a bit lonely, I met Alicia and her boyfriend, fellow North Americans working in Europe, but on a brief holiday. It was a joy to chat with them as if we were kindred spirits or friends who’ve known each other forever. That’s part of the joy of traveling, the people you meet. You have this camaraderie, b/c you’re doing a lot of the same things, feeling a lot of same things, and all on this great adventure. It’s like you instantly understand each other, when those at home don’t always get it. No offense of course… but its such a different life, the good and the bad, then unless one has been here, its hard to understand. So chats with fellow travelers are not only fun and wonderful, but refreshing too… b/c they help you feel a bit less crazy and alone. I mean, Europe is wonderful, no arguments to that. But working overseas isn’t always the glamour people think. It can be hard and you get lonely and tired… but then feel guilty about that b/c you should be having the time of your life. Its just tricky some times.
Anyway… They took off, I spent about another hour or so, and then back into Lisbon for an interesting meal. The food was great and a met a few more really cool Americans traveling around. But it was good I had their companionship or the rest of the night would have been a bit scarier. To this day, we don’t really know what was happening, but a woman at the table next to us was having some medical emergency and just kept shrieking and screaming in agony. We had no idea what to do, especially as we were in the middle of our meal… but together, the four of us tried to make the best of it. Weird night. I took a bit of a stroll and then off to bed.
Day three started a bit earlier b/c I had to catch a train to Sintra. Sintra is up in the mountains about an hour or so away and another amazing place of sites to see. I saw two very cool palaces, the National Palace and Palacio de Pena, both World Heritage sites There was a castle up there too, but I didn’t have enough time, and having living in Ireland and now England for the second time, I’ve had no shortage of castles in my life. And of course the view was spectacular. They say they were build up there b/c they were the closest points to the gods and the commoners could always look up and see who was in charge of the land. Hmmm…
Anyway… Then I caught a bus. Well, cabs and buses in Portugal are a bit of an adventure. They are not for those who get car sick! Oh my! I took this bus out to the most westward point of all of Europe, Caba de Roca. Pretty cool. Then I continued to Cascais, another delightful beach town, where I’d spend the remainder of the day on the beach, before strolling the quaint resort village. As the sun began to set, I followed a long train of people heading around the peninsula to the west side for the sun set. “The Place of the Sun” as its called (well… in Portuguese, but I don’t remember what it is). I sat on a rock and journaled until it was time for some of the most remarkable pictures of my trip. I’ve seen better sunsets… but heck, I was in Portugal! All this, realizing again, that I was really truly utterly content and happy. Hmmm… strange… very cool.
I walked back into town for a lovely little dinner and chat with an Irish couple and then jumped back on the train back to Lisbon. It was my last night, so I took a quick stroll to see all the monuments lit up so delightfully and then off to bed.
The next morning I stayed close to home, b/c I was flying in the afternoon. I had back down to city center to do some last minute shopping, picture taking, journaling and trolling. Went back to the Baixa, down to Comercio. Got into a great conversation with a Canadian couple, on their first ever trip out of Canada. I just felt led to approach them when I heard them speaking English and stumbling with a map. They’d just arrived that morning and were trying to get their bearings… a little uneasy. Ah… me, three days earlier. I think they were blessed by my welcome and it was good to once again have someone for me to chat with. Traveling alone can be cool… but I’m thankful for each person I met and chatted with, as it kept me from losing my mind!
So it was back to the hotel to grab my belongings and then to the airport. My flight was significantly delayed… AGAIN. But I was in Business Class… so off to the lounge for some treats and journal time. Good stuff.
I can’t even share with you all God taught through this experience but it was amazing. I feel like I’ve regained a contentment, a trust in him, a confidence and appropriately sense of myself… that I hadn’t had in some time. Now wrapping this up in the Outer Banks two weeks later, there is still a neat peace about me, where things just don’t throw me like they did a month ago. God supplied for all my needs then, in a hundred and one miraculous ways… and he continues to supply them now. I have nothing to fear.
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Wanna see the extended version of the photos? Click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingReg.jsp?Uc=86i6ztv.akatz06n&Uy=jnvq85&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=697550225831_316442942503
Chelsea Football! Aug 14
What a sweet treat this was! Seems BearingPoint has season tickets to Chelsea football matches (soccer). Brian somehow acquired the tickets for the Birgmingham City game and invited us girls. What a fantastic time!
I can't say I ever considered myself a soccer fan before, but this match was truly a blast! What energy! Cheering, shouting, dancing... almost like being back at Penn State. We just smiled ear to ear with glee. You'd think we'd been Chelsea fans forever b/c with each score, we'd leap from our seat to cheer and with each miss, huge growns of disappointment. Its a quick moving game. Lots of action. These guys are sooooo good!
In the end it was Chelsea to win it. Wow what a day. We didn't want to leave the grounds as the partying went on... but we head back into the City to enjoy the rest of the evening. It was a fantastic opportunity and truly British!
I can't say I ever considered myself a soccer fan before, but this match was truly a blast! What energy! Cheering, shouting, dancing... almost like being back at Penn State. We just smiled ear to ear with glee. You'd think we'd been Chelsea fans forever b/c with each score, we'd leap from our seat to cheer and with each miss, huge growns of disappointment. Its a quick moving game. Lots of action. These guys are sooooo good!
In the end it was Chelsea to win it. Wow what a day. We didn't want to leave the grounds as the partying went on... but we head back into the City to enjoy the rest of the evening. It was a fantastic opportunity and truly British!
Keeping it Local - Aug 13
This weekend I decided to stay in town... and yet, I wanted some type of adventure or to see something new. I'd been meaning for some time to catch up with Kathy Baxter (Fred Marsh's sister) so we decided to visit Hampton Court, one of the royal palaces, for the day. http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/
The day was gorgeous and Kathy and I had a delightful time. I arrived a bit before her so sat at a small cafe to have breakfast while I waited. We then set out for the palace and took a delightful tour full of history. We heard all about Henry the VIII and learned more about his first few wives and the succession of his thrown. Interesting. After the tour we continued to explore, visiting the chapel, the massive kitchen, and some other bits.
Being as beautiful as it was outside though, we spent the majority of our time in the gardens. Wonderful gardens, including the world's oldest and largest grapvine, still producing vibrant grapes each year. You can't even believe this creature until you see it. Anywho... Kathy and I just walked and walked around all the various gardens and shared stories of what's going on in each of our lives. It was very encouraging to me to get time with Kathy, as she knows better than most what its like to try to live on two continents and start to wonder where home is. Kathy's originally from California. Several years ago she set out to Bosnia to be an missionary (spent five years there), then spent a year in Wales, before getting married and moving to London just under a year ago.
Its seems like we talked about everything under the sun, so much so that we got lost and trapped! We went to check out this other area and got ourselves locked off the grounds, outside a gate, in the middle of a field. It took us about an hour to work our way back to civilization! Ha, ha.
We concluded the day with a maze. Not too tough, but good fun. We joked that the day helped us both get over some odd fears, mine of mazes and her's of geese (longer story - had to do with getting lost in the field, ha, ha). In all seriousness though, it was the perfect day, an absolute gift, to help me relax after a very stressful week.
The day was not through though! I left Kathy to head back into town. Joined Milann and Alyssa for dinner at a Mexican place. It was actually pretty amusing. It was one of only two places to which my entire set of flatmates from London 14 years ago went togehter(we all worked in restaurants so it was hard to get us all out at the same time). I laughed at this realization (and the scarey memories attached).
We got back to the flats pretty early, so Milann went up and Brian came down to join us out at Smiths of Smithfield, a delightful relaxing pub. We just sat on this great leather couch sipping wine, chatting and listening to music until midnight before heading home to get some shut eye... and yet... turned out it wasn't time for bed!
For the sake of confidentiality, I'll keep this next part short... but I have to share. As I mentioned, the latter half of the week had been completely exasperating and anxiety ridden as I delt with visa issues. Earlier in the week I had some nice experiences (went to a very good bible study and much to my surprise ran into a friend of a friend). But late in the week was no good at all. I kept hearing God in my heart remind me to hang on and not get discouraged. He had something for me. I reached out to many friends for prayer... and it was delivered.
Getting to the story - I had a relative of a coworker stay with me for the weekend. She was a lot of fun, but the good part was when she noticed the card of the gentlemen I'd run into earlier in the week on the coffee table. He works for the church and she began to ask questions. Turns out she's a Christian but has really been wrestling the last couple of years with faith. She hasn't really had anyone to talk to about it. All this to say we ended up having an amazing conversation for two hours. It was most certainly God ordained. I certainly wish I would tell you more b/c the whole conversation was such a blessing and encouragement to both us... but I'm sure you can appreciate, why I can't. Just know that I'm smiling and God is very, very good... and very, very attentive.
Well... that's that for now!
The day was gorgeous and Kathy and I had a delightful time. I arrived a bit before her so sat at a small cafe to have breakfast while I waited. We then set out for the palace and took a delightful tour full of history. We heard all about Henry the VIII and learned more about his first few wives and the succession of his thrown. Interesting. After the tour we continued to explore, visiting the chapel, the massive kitchen, and some other bits.
Being as beautiful as it was outside though, we spent the majority of our time in the gardens. Wonderful gardens, including the world's oldest and largest grapvine, still producing vibrant grapes each year. You can't even believe this creature until you see it. Anywho... Kathy and I just walked and walked around all the various gardens and shared stories of what's going on in each of our lives. It was very encouraging to me to get time with Kathy, as she knows better than most what its like to try to live on two continents and start to wonder where home is. Kathy's originally from California. Several years ago she set out to Bosnia to be an missionary (spent five years there), then spent a year in Wales, before getting married and moving to London just under a year ago.
Its seems like we talked about everything under the sun, so much so that we got lost and trapped! We went to check out this other area and got ourselves locked off the grounds, outside a gate, in the middle of a field. It took us about an hour to work our way back to civilization! Ha, ha.
We concluded the day with a maze. Not too tough, but good fun. We joked that the day helped us both get over some odd fears, mine of mazes and her's of geese (longer story - had to do with getting lost in the field, ha, ha). In all seriousness though, it was the perfect day, an absolute gift, to help me relax after a very stressful week.
The day was not through though! I left Kathy to head back into town. Joined Milann and Alyssa for dinner at a Mexican place. It was actually pretty amusing. It was one of only two places to which my entire set of flatmates from London 14 years ago went togehter(we all worked in restaurants so it was hard to get us all out at the same time). I laughed at this realization (and the scarey memories attached).
We got back to the flats pretty early, so Milann went up and Brian came down to join us out at Smiths of Smithfield, a delightful relaxing pub. We just sat on this great leather couch sipping wine, chatting and listening to music until midnight before heading home to get some shut eye... and yet... turned out it wasn't time for bed!
For the sake of confidentiality, I'll keep this next part short... but I have to share. As I mentioned, the latter half of the week had been completely exasperating and anxiety ridden as I delt with visa issues. Earlier in the week I had some nice experiences (went to a very good bible study and much to my surprise ran into a friend of a friend). But late in the week was no good at all. I kept hearing God in my heart remind me to hang on and not get discouraged. He had something for me. I reached out to many friends for prayer... and it was delivered.
Getting to the story - I had a relative of a coworker stay with me for the weekend. She was a lot of fun, but the good part was when she noticed the card of the gentlemen I'd run into earlier in the week on the coffee table. He works for the church and she began to ask questions. Turns out she's a Christian but has really been wrestling the last couple of years with faith. She hasn't really had anyone to talk to about it. All this to say we ended up having an amazing conversation for two hours. It was most certainly God ordained. I certainly wish I would tell you more b/c the whole conversation was such a blessing and encouragement to both us... but I'm sure you can appreciate, why I can't. Just know that I'm smiling and God is very, very good... and very, very attentive.
Well... that's that for now!
A Visit to Philly and CT: Aug 4-8
Well, maybe its cheating to write about time at home in my UK blog, but when it comes to my neices, I break all the rules. I just can't help but tell you all about them. But.. before I got to CT, I had a great journey to Philadephia with a bunch of friends. I believe there were 40 of us in all!
My friend Steve led us around for the day. We ordered cheesesteaks at Gino's (and ordered properly!), did some shopping, saw all the historic sites, walked up the Rocky steps (by then it was just too hot and we were too tired to run, ha, ha), and finished the day at a Phillies game. It was all GREAT fun. Check out our pics below.
I stayed in Philly that night. Courtesy of too many Hilton miles, I had a free night and free breakfast in a delightful suite near the Liberty Bell. I only wish I'd had more time to really enjoy it! Fabulous hotel and couldn't believe they'd given me a suite! But... my babies were waiting. On to CT.
I'll let more pics show you our fun... but the next three days were filled with lots of wonderful times with my neices. Beaches, visits to Friendly's, cookouts, sandboxes... all sorts of good times. They're just amazing to me; I don't get nearly enough time with them. Its wild too to watch their personalities develop. They're very different, but both wonderful girls. Lexi is more quiee and often prefers to play alone. But she is just about the sweetest little creature I've ever met and a total cuddle bug. I hug from her can melt you. Evelyn is high energy and brilliant. She talks up a storm and is very independant. When she says my name with her big smile ("Auntie Anj!") that smile becomes instantly contagious. And they get along quite well. I could watch them for hours. By the way... did I mention I have a nephew on the way. He's due to join us in October and there's another little on on the way come January! (Different siblings of course, ha, ha)
Ok... enough of my chatting. Here they my two girls. More later!
My friend Steve led us around for the day. We ordered cheesesteaks at Gino's (and ordered properly!), did some shopping, saw all the historic sites, walked up the Rocky steps (by then it was just too hot and we were too tired to run, ha, ha), and finished the day at a Phillies game. It was all GREAT fun. Check out our pics below.
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I stayed in Philly that night. Courtesy of too many Hilton miles, I had a free night and free breakfast in a delightful suite near the Liberty Bell. I only wish I'd had more time to really enjoy it! Fabulous hotel and couldn't believe they'd given me a suite! But... my babies were waiting. On to CT.
I'll let more pics show you our fun... but the next three days were filled with lots of wonderful times with my neices. Beaches, visits to Friendly's, cookouts, sandboxes... all sorts of good times. They're just amazing to me; I don't get nearly enough time with them. Its wild too to watch their personalities develop. They're very different, but both wonderful girls. Lexi is more quiee and often prefers to play alone. But she is just about the sweetest little creature I've ever met and a total cuddle bug. I hug from her can melt you. Evelyn is high energy and brilliant. She talks up a storm and is very independant. When she says my name with her big smile ("Auntie Anj!") that smile becomes instantly contagious. And they get along quite well. I could watch them for hours. By the way... did I mention I have a nephew on the way. He's due to join us in October and there's another little on on the way come January! (Different siblings of course, ha, ha)
Ok... enough of my chatting. Here they my two girls. More later!
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Belgium! July 20-22
I’d thought about visiting Belgium for some time, but I don’t think I expected to enjoy it so much. Its one of those places you hear little about, so you don’t know what’s in store. With Jessica there though, it just seemed the right place to visit now, especially as the Eurostar makes it so easy.
I arrived on a Friday night and ducked right out to where Jess was staying. Had a lovely evening with her and two of her friends before an early turn it. We had a busy day planned the next day.
We started early to Brugge. Everyone had said it’s so wonderful, so we were eager for a full day there. It wasn’t long until our first chocolate shop and visits to lots of lace shops. Beautiful lace. We visited a church with a Michelangelo sculpture. It was incredibly moving, a statue of Mary holding Jesus as a toddler. We took a horse and carriage ride around town. We took a boat ride through town (its kinda like Venice). Saw lots of beautiful sites. The center of town is almost like a gingerbread village.
Returned to Brussels in the evening to meet up with some other of Jessica’s friends. Had a lovely dinner where I actually found a beer that I like! Strange, huh? So yum. Lace, beer, chocolate, waffles – Is this place cool or what? : ) After dinner we walked around Brussels. Lots of cool little shops. We hung out in the Grand Place. I love the Grand Place. It’s truly an amazing place. As the sun went to sleep, we went up to a park to see some fireworks. I love fireworks!
Jess and her friends went back where she’s staying but I opted to stay in a hotel in the center of Brussels, right near the Grand Place. It could not have been a more perfect location and a delightful little place. I went back to the Grand Place to just sit and people watch until 1AM. Met a nice guy from Spain. We chatted for a bit and then I went back to the hotel for some shut eye.
The next morning I walked around a bit, checking out a cathedral and then went on a formal tour all over Brussels. Good stuff. Then I had a delightful lunch of mussels (another Belgium specialty) and chips. Met up with Jess to stroll more about town, see some sites and do some last minute shopping before returning to London. Oh! And one last wonderful waffle!
It was good to get some time with Jessica. She’s at the point in her stay in Brussels where she’s happy to be there, but still getting adjusted and a little homesick. Goodness, I sure know how that feels. Being with her and having fun joking around was just a neat break, like a taste of home. Each time I get to experience Europe with a friend from home is a special blessing.
I’d chosen to go First Class on Eurostar. Great call. Travel at its most spoiled. Had a delightful ride home, just relaxing and savoring the great weekend I’d had.
Here’s pics!
I arrived on a Friday night and ducked right out to where Jess was staying. Had a lovely evening with her and two of her friends before an early turn it. We had a busy day planned the next day.
We started early to Brugge. Everyone had said it’s so wonderful, so we were eager for a full day there. It wasn’t long until our first chocolate shop and visits to lots of lace shops. Beautiful lace. We visited a church with a Michelangelo sculpture. It was incredibly moving, a statue of Mary holding Jesus as a toddler. We took a horse and carriage ride around town. We took a boat ride through town (its kinda like Venice). Saw lots of beautiful sites. The center of town is almost like a gingerbread village.
Returned to Brussels in the evening to meet up with some other of Jessica’s friends. Had a lovely dinner where I actually found a beer that I like! Strange, huh? So yum. Lace, beer, chocolate, waffles – Is this place cool or what? : ) After dinner we walked around Brussels. Lots of cool little shops. We hung out in the Grand Place. I love the Grand Place. It’s truly an amazing place. As the sun went to sleep, we went up to a park to see some fireworks. I love fireworks!
Jess and her friends went back where she’s staying but I opted to stay in a hotel in the center of Brussels, right near the Grand Place. It could not have been a more perfect location and a delightful little place. I went back to the Grand Place to just sit and people watch until 1AM. Met a nice guy from Spain. We chatted for a bit and then I went back to the hotel for some shut eye.
The next morning I walked around a bit, checking out a cathedral and then went on a formal tour all over Brussels. Good stuff. Then I had a delightful lunch of mussels (another Belgium specialty) and chips. Met up with Jess to stroll more about town, see some sites and do some last minute shopping before returning to London. Oh! And one last wonderful waffle!
It was good to get some time with Jessica. She’s at the point in her stay in Brussels where she’s happy to be there, but still getting adjusted and a little homesick. Goodness, I sure know how that feels. Being with her and having fun joking around was just a neat break, like a taste of home. Each time I get to experience Europe with a friend from home is a special blessing.
I’d chosen to go First Class on Eurostar. Great call. Travel at its most spoiled. Had a delightful ride home, just relaxing and savoring the great weekend I’d had.
Here’s pics!
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Amy Visits London: June 21 -25
I've already shared with you about Amy's and my visit to Wimbledon, but I'm a bit tardy in sharing the rest of our time together in London. Amy visited back in late June, so being that its now August, you can tell how remiss I've been. I guess stress and exhaustion can do that to you. :( I guess though, that's why I've been so blessed by the visits of Lori, Mike and Amy. God always knows what we need and provides it. May and June I really needed visitors and these delightful friends abliged.
Amy arrived on a Friday around noon. This was back when our office was in Paternoster (we've since moved to London Bridge) so it was easy to cut out in the middle of the day and greet her. We chatted a bit, got a bite to eat, and then I sent her off to visit the magnificent Tower of London.
After work, I met her up by Regent's Park, where she was visiting with another friend, Jill. We enjoyed some time at Jill's and then set off for a walk in the park. The Queen's Rose Garden was in full bloom... unlike when Kevin and I visited a few months ago. We took lots of fun pics. Later that evening, we enjoyed a delightful dinner at an Indian restaurant by the BT Tower. I took her for my famous evening stroll (Trafalgar, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Thames at night) before heading home to crash.
We had a relaxing morning, topped off with coffee and croissants, before setting out to Borough Market. After all these months, I still hadn't been though its practically around the corner. Its a traditional European market with all sorts of cheeses, flowers, wines, vegtables, fruits and other products. We grabbed a nice selection of cheeses and some bread for a snack later.
From there we headed to the center of town to visit Covent Garden. We wandered around there and discovered this delightful children's book store. After visiting there a bit, we went to the tea shop Mike and I had found. Unfortunately, at this point we realized Amy had been pick-pocketed and her camera was gone. We obviously were very disappointedd. Amy being the Godly woman she is though, handled it like a champ. I would have been freaking out. Though sad... after we did what we could, she insisted we carry on and enjoy the day. We journeyed to Trafalgar to sit on the National Gallery's steps to enjoy our cheese and bread.
Late afternoon it was time to head out for our main event of the day, Hyde Park Calling. This event is a big music concert in Hype Park. Headliners were Crowded House and Peter Gabriel. Crowded House was amazing. Unfortunately the weather wasn't and it began to pour so hard I'd thought we'd drown! We're tough though, ha, ha. Peter Gabriel started out a bit slow, but in the end, we were quite pleased to have seen him and he completed his second encore with "In Your Eyes". After a brief scuttle with a drunk Brit (don't ask) we worked our way to the Tube. I've never been on it so insane! When we arrived back at Blackfriars, getting off was like being spit out of an alien! Quite funny actually...
When we got back, we stopped by the flat to get my camera and then returned to Paternoster to recreate some of the photos lost to our theif. St. Paul's is just amazing at night; we had to capture it.
Sunday we slept in again and then head back to Regents Park. We had a bit of time before heading over to Taste of London, so we went back to the gardens to recreate some of those photos. I mean, the camera was a clear loss, but the photos were still the greatest disappointment. We wanted to recreate all we could. Unlike the crazy rain the afternoon before, this day was a bit clearer and just fine for photos and a stroll. Its always a delight just to hang out with Amy and chat about life, so it was a great setting to just do some catching up we hadn't gotten to do for a while.
Taste of London was a lot of fun. Great food, nice wines, and we got to see Gordon Ramsey do a cooking demonstration. Another leisurely afternoon at a fine event.
To tidy up the evening, being Sunday and all, I was thrilled to take Amy to HTB to see this church I so love. It was a special evening, where the set up was quite different and Tim Hughes actually played (he only rarely leads worship these days). Made it the perfect night for Amy to visit because the whole service was even more amazing than normal. The Lord is so present there, his Spirit so alive. I'm learning a lot from this church. In many ways its quite like MBC at home; but in other ways quite different. The two are a nice balance. Anyway... that whole evening was another nice experience. After church, being still stuffed from Taste, we got a snack for home and just chilled the rest of the evening. We had Wimbledon to prepare for!
Well... I've already written on our journey to Wimbledon. Amazing experience. If you haven't already read that one, check it out and see the pics. Later!
Amy arrived on a Friday around noon. This was back when our office was in Paternoster (we've since moved to London Bridge) so it was easy to cut out in the middle of the day and greet her. We chatted a bit, got a bite to eat, and then I sent her off to visit the magnificent Tower of London.
After work, I met her up by Regent's Park, where she was visiting with another friend, Jill. We enjoyed some time at Jill's and then set off for a walk in the park. The Queen's Rose Garden was in full bloom... unlike when Kevin and I visited a few months ago. We took lots of fun pics. Later that evening, we enjoyed a delightful dinner at an Indian restaurant by the BT Tower. I took her for my famous evening stroll (Trafalgar, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Thames at night) before heading home to crash.
We had a relaxing morning, topped off with coffee and croissants, before setting out to Borough Market. After all these months, I still hadn't been though its practically around the corner. Its a traditional European market with all sorts of cheeses, flowers, wines, vegtables, fruits and other products. We grabbed a nice selection of cheeses and some bread for a snack later.
From there we headed to the center of town to visit Covent Garden. We wandered around there and discovered this delightful children's book store. After visiting there a bit, we went to the tea shop Mike and I had found. Unfortunately, at this point we realized Amy had been pick-pocketed and her camera was gone. We obviously were very disappointedd. Amy being the Godly woman she is though, handled it like a champ. I would have been freaking out. Though sad... after we did what we could, she insisted we carry on and enjoy the day. We journeyed to Trafalgar to sit on the National Gallery's steps to enjoy our cheese and bread.
Late afternoon it was time to head out for our main event of the day, Hyde Park Calling. This event is a big music concert in Hype Park. Headliners were Crowded House and Peter Gabriel. Crowded House was amazing. Unfortunately the weather wasn't and it began to pour so hard I'd thought we'd drown! We're tough though, ha, ha. Peter Gabriel started out a bit slow, but in the end, we were quite pleased to have seen him and he completed his second encore with "In Your Eyes". After a brief scuttle with a drunk Brit (don't ask) we worked our way to the Tube. I've never been on it so insane! When we arrived back at Blackfriars, getting off was like being spit out of an alien! Quite funny actually...
When we got back, we stopped by the flat to get my camera and then returned to Paternoster to recreate some of the photos lost to our theif. St. Paul's is just amazing at night; we had to capture it.
Sunday we slept in again and then head back to Regents Park. We had a bit of time before heading over to Taste of London, so we went back to the gardens to recreate some of those photos. I mean, the camera was a clear loss, but the photos were still the greatest disappointment. We wanted to recreate all we could. Unlike the crazy rain the afternoon before, this day was a bit clearer and just fine for photos and a stroll. Its always a delight just to hang out with Amy and chat about life, so it was a great setting to just do some catching up we hadn't gotten to do for a while.
Taste of London was a lot of fun. Great food, nice wines, and we got to see Gordon Ramsey do a cooking demonstration. Another leisurely afternoon at a fine event.
To tidy up the evening, being Sunday and all, I was thrilled to take Amy to HTB to see this church I so love. It was a special evening, where the set up was quite different and Tim Hughes actually played (he only rarely leads worship these days). Made it the perfect night for Amy to visit because the whole service was even more amazing than normal. The Lord is so present there, his Spirit so alive. I'm learning a lot from this church. In many ways its quite like MBC at home; but in other ways quite different. The two are a nice balance. Anyway... that whole evening was another nice experience. After church, being still stuffed from Taste, we got a snack for home and just chilled the rest of the evening. We had Wimbledon to prepare for!
Well... I've already written on our journey to Wimbledon. Amazing experience. If you haven't already read that one, check it out and see the pics. Later!
Monday, August 13, 2007
A Relaxing Weekend - July 14th and 15th
Some weekends are just made for relaxing. And some times its only when we relax in a city, can we really take it all in. On this weekend, I purposely decided to pretty much, do nothing of significance. I woke late, lounged around the house, and then took my bible, a book and my journal to St. James Park. It was a gorgeous day and I just laid on my blanket in the middle of my favorite park and took it all in. At one point I'm certain I dozed of... just as one can when truly content. It wasn't an exhausted desperate nap, as I've felt I needed so many times before, it was a delicate, "I love this place and can smile here", kinda nap.
I don't even recall what I did that night, but I'm sure it was fine. Probably nothing. I recall earlier in the week when I'd arrived, I was a bit homesick. I'd had a great Fourth week in VA. But now settling back in, it was fine. The Lord had spoken to me that week and I was reassured that I was indeed to be in London, and that he was with me. I felt a peace that I'm here to learn and grown.
Sunday, wanting to at least slightly dig into my "must see list", I set out to visit another church I had been meaning to see, All Souls. It was fine, but I think I really like HTB the best. The worship is unmatched and only parelleled by Frontline.
I spent the afternoon with my flatmate and her parents at the Cabinet War Rooms. Its all about Winston Churchill and WW2. Very well done; I quite enjoyed it. I find I'm pretty ignorant of history, but enjoy the nuggets I take in from time to time, esp when in Europe. It highly recommend this site for anyone in London.
I had a bit of time before HTB (still needed my fix, even though I'd been to church in the morning) so I headed back to St. James Park, just around the corner. Still in a state of contentment, I collected myself an ice cream and went to sit on the lawn by a gazebo with an orchestra playing Les Mis tunes. It was neat. I stayed about a half an hour and then off to HTB. It was fantastic as always.
Such a simple weekend. Maybe that's what made it perfect.
I don't even recall what I did that night, but I'm sure it was fine. Probably nothing. I recall earlier in the week when I'd arrived, I was a bit homesick. I'd had a great Fourth week in VA. But now settling back in, it was fine. The Lord had spoken to me that week and I was reassured that I was indeed to be in London, and that he was with me. I felt a peace that I'm here to learn and grown.
Sunday, wanting to at least slightly dig into my "must see list", I set out to visit another church I had been meaning to see, All Souls. It was fine, but I think I really like HTB the best. The worship is unmatched and only parelleled by Frontline.
I spent the afternoon with my flatmate and her parents at the Cabinet War Rooms. Its all about Winston Churchill and WW2. Very well done; I quite enjoyed it. I find I'm pretty ignorant of history, but enjoy the nuggets I take in from time to time, esp when in Europe. It highly recommend this site for anyone in London.
I had a bit of time before HTB (still needed my fix, even though I'd been to church in the morning) so I headed back to St. James Park, just around the corner. Still in a state of contentment, I collected myself an ice cream and went to sit on the lawn by a gazebo with an orchestra playing Les Mis tunes. It was neat. I stayed about a half an hour and then off to HTB. It was fantastic as always.
Such a simple weekend. Maybe that's what made it perfect.
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