Barcelona

I have heard it said “The rain in Spain stays mostly on the plane.”

After many cloudy, grey and rainy days in London, that sounded good to me.

A quick two hour flight and short bus ride got us to our hotel on Plaza de Catalunya. 

Highlights:

El Barri Gotic: (Gothic Quarter)

I loved the old Gothic quarter with narrow windy streets, filled with cute little shops and cafes/bistros/restaurants.

Laundry

I had never heard of a combination laundry machine with both a washer and dryer in one unit before. (I must have lived a privileged life in North American.)

But when space is a premium, as it is in London, this is an awesome idea.

One machine to do both functions - wash and dry! Brilliant!

However.... the machine is small.... and.... the time to do one load, both wash and dry, is not short.

Yes, you are reading it correctly, one small load takes 3:38hr. YES! Three hours and thirty eight minutes. For ONE load! 

NOTE TO JOHN: Do not leave the laundry until the last pair of socks and undies!

Saturday Morning Coffee

John likes to go to coffee shops for his daily jolt of java. 

On his Saturday morning coffee run we found this in the little park around the corner.

It would appear that we didn't get the memo telling us about the park's

dress code.

Morning Walk along the Thames

On a Wednesday morning I was walking along the Thames and happened upon this brigade. 

I don't know about you, but, I'm not used to seeing guys wear white tights, high heals with fancy buckles, short red velvet knickers, matching flared red velvet coats, coordinated red caps and carrying sticks. 

Well, I'm certainly not used to seeing that during the day. Especially midweek!

I am not sure who they were, or, what they were doing. But they certainly looked historical, official and picture worthy. (That could be one description.... there could be others.....)

So, my theory, which is my very own, is that the guys with the sticks are historically replicating oarsmen rowing very important officials along the Thames to equally important meetings.

That's my story and I'm going to stick with that until someone tells me something better.   

Our Own Home - REALLY?

John and I are thrilled to say - WE FINALLY HAVE A HOME!

It has been a L-O-N-G haul. (It literally took 3 months.)

On our fifth (yes FIFTH!) round of negotiations, paperwork, deposits, contracts, lawyers, delays, AWOL landlords, etc., we finally found a landlord that has integrity and stood by his/her word. (I will hold my tongue and not say another word about our negative experiences with multiple UK landlords/property owners.)

So, I will talk about our new home.

We love it!

Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day is on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. It is to commemorate Armistice Day and the end of WWI.

This year, the 100th Anniversary of the start of WW1, the Tower of London was home to a phenomenal tribute.

Ceramic poppies, one for each of the 888,246 soldiers from Britain and the Commonwealth countries killed in war, were installed over the grounds to pay remembrance. (The Commonwealth countries included are Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore and India.)

The Lord Mayor's Show

The Lord Mayor's Show begins with an early morning barge procession down the Thames River. Not wanting to miss a thing, I dragged John and some friends along, extra early, to make sure we could get there ahead of all the people.

"All the people", on the Westminster bridge, at 8:30am, turned out to be - us. I am quite sure I will never hear the end of that.

So, we had breakfast, wandered around Borough Markets, and savoured some mulled wine before heading over the Thames River to St Paul's Cathedral to stake our spot for the land parade.

This year marked the 799th Anniversary of The Lord Mayor's Show in London. (As we would say, "this is not their first rodeo.")

Clapham Junction

I found this character in Clapham Junction. 

A couple of people were taking pictures. So I screwed up my courage, swallowed my self esteem and asked if I could too. 

S/He said yes, but I had to pay "a couple of quid", and, that I needed to pay in advance because it would be too hard to chase me with high heels on. 

I didn't know what to say. 

So I rummaged in my purse and tried to carry on a "normal conversation". 

Its funny, usually the cell phone takes good pictures, but this one is blurry. 

Maybe it was because during my "normal conversation" I asked him/her if s/he lived in Clapham Junction, and s/he said "No. Not unless you have a bedroom for me"! 

GASP! 

What do you say to that?!?!?

House Hunting - I can't believe it!

I can't believe it!

I found out a couple of hours before receiving the keys to "our" new place, that we will NOT be getting the keys, and that we will NOT be moving.

And the reason? Because the landlord, despite accepting a substantial deposit, SOLD the house on Friday.

So, after living in Jolly Ol' England for 10 weeks, looking at countless properties, giving deposits and grinding through paperwork on three homes, they have all fallen through, at the last minute, and we still do not have a place to call home.

Please, tell me when the glamour and excitement of being an expat and living in London begins.

Borough Market

Borough Market is a fantastic find.

I like to think that it is a great little secret.

But, somehow, I suspect that millions of others have been there before me.

Weekend in Brussels

One of the joys of living in London (actually, anywhere in Europe), is that "everything is so close".

Our first trip abroad was to Brussels.

St Pancras Station is the start of the two hour Eurostar train ride from London, under the English Channel, to Brussels. 

 

I love this station - huge, old and historical combined with modern touches.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium, home to the UN and NATO. It would be safe to describe it as a very international city.

I will not embarrass myself or pretend to be a tour guide director or expert. So here are a couple of highlights for me....

The Town Hall is a beautiful stately building.

Now, take a closer look and notice the lack of symmetry.

Over the course of years that it took to build it there were several contractors, that, neglected to confer with each other. A legacy example of poor communication.

House hunting - and the beat goes on....

The story behind home #3.... A developer had recently converted an historic old lens factory into an apartment and townhouse complex. Very cute and we just loved it.

An investor was in the process of purchasing the unit we were interested in, and, after he took possession we had a contract to rent it from him.

Prior to the landlord's purchase being completed, there was a "snagging list" (punch list) of items that needed to be fixed. This delayed closing the purchase transaction. A bit disappointing, but manageable.

First Overnight Adventure - to Bath, Somerset

Our first overnight adventure was to Bath, a two hour train ride west of Woking. (I now quote time in terms of train travel.)

In order to sound like a local, you have to pronounce Bath as the locals do...... Don't pronounce the "a" like in "apple". Instead drag out the "a" like you do when you open your mouth for the Dr and say "aaaaaawwwww". Make it sound like "Baaaaaaaawwwwwwth".

I would say we North Americans struggle with it. Our faces do weird things when we try to say it like the locals. We lower and extend our jaw and voices, and try to look very serious as we say it. I don't think we do a very pretty job of it. But that's just my opinion.

Bath is a beautiful old historic city set among rolling green hills.

I will not embarrass myself by pretending to be a history, engineering or architectural expert.

Still Homeless

Despite having lost track of how many homes I have looked at, you have no idea how much I wish I could say that we have found a home.

 As we are finding out, first hand, the laws for selling and renting a home are a little "different" here in the UK than what we are used to.

My opinion, through personal experience, is that it would appear the laws favour being the seller, or, the landlord. And the tenant, or the purchaser, bears a lot of risk and expense.

The system is set up that a verbal agreement is made between the tenant and landlord. The tenant then gives a substantial deposit to the landlord to show their good faith and intent to rent the property. The tenant must then complete an extensive and expensive number of checks, i.e. gas compliance certificate, mortgage compliance, etc and paperwork to complete the transaction.

Meanwhile, the landlord takes the deposit cheque, does not sign any papers, but SHOULD remove the property from the market while the tenant completes the necessary checks.

Signs

It is good to know that the Late Night Ferry in Portsmouth advertises itself to be "RELIABLE", as opposed to promoting themselves as "UNRELIABLE".

Comforting to know.

It has been a very hot news topic of late.

Welly Wanging

We found this sign in Hampstead Heath Park on a Sunday.

What, dare we ask, could "Welly Wanging" be?

(Not to be confused with the other British national sport, "Willie  Wanging".... It's a guy thing....)

Why is Rob the "Current Leader"?

And what did he do to earn this dubious distinction?

Exploring Little Venice and Camden Markets

Sundays are a great day to explore.

Last Sunday John did a fantastic job planning our day and charting new territory. (I will praise him profusely so that he keeps doing it.)

We didn't plant any flags to claim new land as ours, but we did check things out.

We started with Little Venice in the Paddington area.

The canals were very peaceful and serene and we felt like we had discovered a secret little hideaway.

Ducks and swans slowly meandered nibbling the green algae on the water's surface.

Look What I Found!

.... close to the British Museum.

Umbrellas!

An entire building dedicated to.... umbrellas! And walking sticks. Since 1830.

People here must really love their brollies...

And I am starting to understand why.

THE WORLD FAMOUS JAMES SMITH & SON UMBRELLA SHOP

The world famous James Smith and Sons Umbrella Shop was founded in 1830 and is still owned and run as a family business. For 175 years the company has been making umbrellas, sticks and canes for both ladies and gentlemen and their reputation as the home of the London umbrella is well justified.

The historic and beautiful shop is on New Oxford Street in the heart of London’s West End and is a stunning reminder of the Victorian period. The shop retains the original fittings designed and made by the master craftsman employed by the business and is a work of art in itself.

Gadzumped

In case I haven't already mentioned it, I hate househunting. Especially when I am desperate to find a home.

After a grueling search, I finally found an old Victorian rowhouse and put an offer on it.

It seems that here the paperwork involved in renting a property is more complicated than what we are used to and it takes a while to pull it all together.

After over 2 1/2 weeks of paper shuffling we were preparing to move in on the Friday. On the Wednesday afternoon, after delays and stalling from the landlord's side of the table, the landlord's agent called to say that the landlord had been entertaining another offer, for more money, so if we wanted him to sign the papers in order to move in a day and a half, as planned, we needed to give him more money!

As the locals say, we were GADZUMPED!!!

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a harbour city with a long and proud naval history.

Its about an hour and a half train ride SW of Woking. (I now express distances in terms of travel time on the train.)

John and I went down on a Sunday to check out their awesome naval museum. It is a huge facility and pretty impressive. Definitely worth the train ride.

There are 2 former working naval ships on display that you can crawl around. A haven for boat enthusiasts. The engineer in John was fascinated. And I have to admit, I found it interesting too.

Our first stop was a ship called "Warrior" which first set sail in 1860. It was was built to protect England from Napoleon and was the first iron clad sailing ship. The shell was 4" thick! The ship operated under sail and when necessary was assisted with steam. It was the first of its kind.

Does Anyone Here Speak English?

Regent Street was packed with people Saturday afternoon. (Actually, I suspect it is probably always packed.)

Generally, I am not a People Watcher. However, being surrounded by huge crowds, with little choice, I started to pay more attention to the mass of people around me.


                                                                             
It revealed a very international crowd.

I heard so many languages that in all honesty, it got to the point that I had to look twice if I heard someone speaking English - with any accent.

Patience Required

Things don't always happen at the pace we want.

For instance:

Mobile/cell phone - took two days.

Bank account - after 10 days and two pre-booked appointments with a Banking Specialist, where the first appointment was 2 hours and the second appointment an hour, we finally have a bank account. Yeah us. Ha! We still don't have our banking cards. Hopefully they will come this week. We can't get a charge card - and can't start the application process for at least 3 months, and then, maybe we can get one in 6 months. I could do another entire blog entry on HSBC, but really, why spew nastiness in a blog that is supposed to be fun?

Bed delivery - 3 weeks. I was told they don't keep them in stock and they have to order it from the factory before it gets made.

Laundry - both the washing machine and dryer are the same machine. It takes 2 hours to wash and then at least another 45 minutes to dry. That totals close to 3 hours per load. That's a long time to be running around naked.

Shoe Heaven

I had never been to Harrods, but knew it is an upmarket store. So while I was in the neighbourhood, I figured I should check it out.

The store is huge - covering over 5 acres and a million square feet of selling space. It is the biggest department store in Europe.

According to Harrods' shop windows "Shoe Heaven" had just opened on the 5th floor.

BTW - In North America, we would call that the "6th" floor, but never mind, that is another story unto itself. Besides, I really can't imagine that I will be able to change a nation and get them to re-number all their floors to coincide with North American norms. There are many other quests that I am far more likely to succeed at.

A Tribute to Fallen Animals

I found this near Hyde Park.

It is a very touching tribute and memorial to the animals that have valiantly fought in wars.

As it so truthfully says - "Animals in War - They Had No Choice".











If you click on the pictures you can take a closer look at the words.

Language: Nuances or Barriers?

Many nations speak English, but there are variations and nuances in accents, even within the country.

For instance, my ears hear the British pronounce words that end in an "a" with a sound like an "er".

The reason I notice this..... is because I always hear that I am "Linder from Canader". REALLY!?!?

I always thought I was "Linda from Canada".

Another thing my finely tuned ears (HA!) hear, is that the British pronounce "th" as an "f".

So I hear a British person say "I fink blah blah blah.......", when in fact I believe they are saying "I THINK blah blah blah."

Where the real difficulty for me arises is with the word for 3 - for the number "THREE". I hear them saying "FREE".

Electronics and Comunications

I think its safe to say I take my electronics and telecommunications for granted.... So much so, that when they don't work, I am at a loss. (Actually, I PANIC!!!)

The day after we arrived I was so proud of myself as I headed out to get mobile phone service. Within about an hour or more, and a bunch of trips between the local Sainsbury's (grocery store) and phone store, and with much help from the phone store guy, I was able to get cell phone service on my phone. I was incredibly proud of myself!

It received calls and made calls - YEAH ME!!!! (And the phone store guy!)

However, unbeknownst to me, some minor "nuances" stood between my cell phone and getting the desired Internet service.

Managing without a car

Our objective is to live without a car.

We think its a novel concept and will be fun....

Oh..... and ONE of the realities of not having a car...... Grocery Shopping!

I think John will do a great job of carrying things!!!!

Having said that, do realize, that in reality, in most likelihood, LINDA will be doing most of the grocery shopping!

Do also realize, that in reality, in most likelihood, we will probably always be short on groceries and need to go to that local pub around the corner.....

;-)

My mother never raised dumb kids!!!!!

:-)

House Hunting with a Mission!

I hate House Hunting with a Mission.

I find it is always so stressful trying to find a place that ticks all the boxes. Or, close to all the boxes. Or, please just give me SOME of the boxes!

Now let me define House Hunting with a Mission - it is NOT looking at beautifully decorated show homes, scouting for re-modelling or re-decorating ideas, in price ranges you can't afford, and at houses you have no intention of buying, and in actuality really aren't thinking of moving anywhere anyway. That is not House Hunting with a Mission.

I'm talking about "I NEED a home, and I need it NOW, and I need it HERE, and I have a certain BUDGET." For me, I'm talking stressful. THAT is House Hunting with a Mission.

Umbrellas

John advised that perhaps I would like a new umbrella for the occasional rainy day we'll encounter in London.

He looked on the UK Amazon site for umbrellas - and found one for 250 POUNDS!!!! (TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY!!!! POUNDS!!!!)

I am starting to worry - they must really covet their umbrellas if people are willing to pay that kind of money!!!!

I wonder why they like their umbrellas so much.....?????

HURRY UP!!! And Wait....

Once we found out we were moving, August was a VERY busy month for us.

We took Bucky back to Florida to go to Guide Dog U.

Then I went up to Ottawa to visit my parents and sisters (and get a dose of Canadiana back in my blood!)

John went to Calgary and the mountains for his Annual Boys Canoe Trip. (He obviously did NOT draw the short straw!)

Then, we sorted the house for storage, purge, Salvation Army, air shipment and suitcase haul.

Then sold two cars.

Then kept the house in pristine condition for rental showings. Then found some great tenants (we hope!) - YEAH!!!!!

Opened bank accounts in the US with links to the UK.

What did I forget?

Tropical Island

After sending Bucky off to College (Guide Dog U) we were empty nesters and decided we wanted a new adventure.

So John went to his boss and asked for an assignment located on a tropical island, with palm trees, gentle warm ocean breezes, sunny days, sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water.

John's boss said "GREAT! You'll LOVE London!"

We said "AWESOME! When do we leave?"

We are sooooooo looking forward to our new adventure - living on an island!

And so it begins.....