Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Mushy Peas
Fish and chips just wouldn't be complete without.....
300g (11 oz) frozen peas
4 tablespoons double cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook peas, transfer all ingredients into a blender/ food processor and blend until it is still thick and chunky. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Five minutes before school lets out in year 2....
Me: "Okay boys and girls....we're going to play a game...it's called guess what country Miss Scriver is from...you have five guesses...GO!"
#1: INDIA
#2: PAKISTAN!
#3: Duh! You just wasted our guesses she's too white!"
#4 : CHINA!
Me: "Okay...I'll give you a hint...I had to fly across an ocean to get here."
#5: SCOTLAND!
Me: "No...I'll give you another hint, it snows a lot and we have a big leaf on our flag.... you are also on your last guess."
#6: SOUTH AMERICA
Me: "No"
#7: CANADA!
Me: "YES"
#3: "How do you get back to Canada after school?"
#1: INDIA
#2: PAKISTAN!
#3: Duh! You just wasted our guesses she's too white!"
#4 : CHINA!
Me: "Okay...I'll give you a hint...I had to fly across an ocean to get here."
#5: SCOTLAND!
Me: "No...I'll give you another hint, it snows a lot and we have a big leaf on our flag.... you are also on your last guess."
#6: SOUTH AMERICA
Me: "No"
#7: CANADA!
Me: "YES"
#3: "How do you get back to Canada after school?"
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Tower Bridge & the Tower of London
The Tower of London (one of England's best preserved fortresses which can actually still be used as a working prison due to renovations made during the war)
The Marble Arch, designed orginally for Buckingham Palace completed in 1833 but was disliked by the Queen and never used for it's original purpose. It also marks the area of the original execution grounds (gallows).
The Waldorf with all the red buses out front (how English haha). Many of the scenes from Titanic were actually filmed in this hotel because of it's luxurious turn of the century decor.
The Waldorf with all the red buses out front (how English haha). Many of the scenes from Titanic were actually filmed in this hotel because of it's luxurious turn of the century decor.
DAY #2 - London
Day number two in London was absolutely crazy! It was New Year's Eve and the city was insane. I was a little over excited and shot out of bed by about 8:00 am. We walked across Westminster Bridge to Westminster Abbey, it was so so pretty on the outside but unfortunately we didn't get to do in due to the massive line (about 100 or more people long at opening time) and expense. Afterwards we headed for a little stroll up the street to Buckingham Palace! After taking about a hundred touristy photos in front of the Palace we hopped onto a bus to do our second city tour (a slightly different route then the one from the previous day). We went all around the city past the Wellington Arch, Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square, St. Martin in the fields, the Royal Horse-guards, the Waldorf, the city courts, St. Paul's Cathedral, over London Bridge, over Tower Bridge, and past the Tower of London with amazing views all around of the City of London and the City of Westminster. After our tour we hopped off the bus for a quick lunch and headed to the infamous platform nine and three quarters at King's Cross! We ended our day of sight seeing at the amazing British Museum. Unfortunately we didn't get to go through the entire museum, but everything we did get to see was pretty cool (the marble carvings from the top of the Parthenon are housed here and they were pretty awesome).
After an exhausting day of sight seeing we headed back to where we were staying, but our day did not end there! We still needed to ring in the New Year. We freshened up and headed to our local corner store to grab some drinks (yes alcohol was allowed at this event...who knew!) and head to Westminster Bridge. Although it was only about 7:45 when we arrived at Westminster Bridge but the crowds were already starting to form. The bridges had all been closed to traffic at this point, so we wandered about halfway up the bridge between the London Eye and Big Ben and took a seat in the middle of the road. We ended up meeting some other teachers on the bridge (who sat in front of us) and the night was sooo fun with a DJ playing music all night until the countdown began! I've never been in such a loud and happy crowd and the countdown was insane. I had an amazing time and the firework show was unbelievable. Christina and I could hardly talk the next morning from screaming our heads off for about 20 minutes straight. I still get excited when I see video footage of it. Getting out of the crowd and back to where we were staying (usually about a three minute walk) was also an adventure in itself. It took us a full hour to move through a sea of people to get back but it was totally worth it...such a cool, experience!
After an exhausting day of sight seeing we headed back to where we were staying, but our day did not end there! We still needed to ring in the New Year. We freshened up and headed to our local corner store to grab some drinks (yes alcohol was allowed at this event...who knew!) and head to Westminster Bridge. Although it was only about 7:45 when we arrived at Westminster Bridge but the crowds were already starting to form. The bridges had all been closed to traffic at this point, so we wandered about halfway up the bridge between the London Eye and Big Ben and took a seat in the middle of the road. We ended up meeting some other teachers on the bridge (who sat in front of us) and the night was sooo fun with a DJ playing music all night until the countdown began! I've never been in such a loud and happy crowd and the countdown was insane. I had an amazing time and the firework show was unbelievable. Christina and I could hardly talk the next morning from screaming our heads off for about 20 minutes straight. I still get excited when I see video footage of it. Getting out of the crowd and back to where we were staying (usually about a three minute walk) was also an adventure in itself. It took us a full hour to move through a sea of people to get back but it was totally worth it...such a cool, experience!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
DAY #1 - London
The morning of day #1 Christina arrived at Heathrow! Woo hoo! After braving the tubes during rush hour and dropping all of her things off where we were staying, we dragged our jet-lagged friend out for some sight seeing!
We headed to Trafalgar square (of course stopping in front of Big Ben on Westminster Bridge to take some tourist photos) to meet Jordan (a friend from LU) for lunch before wandering through Picadilly Circus and back to Trafalgar to explore the National Gallery. The gallery was amazing to say the least! It houses everything from Leonardo to Monet to Van Gogh (including works such as Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers).
After taking in what the gallery had to offer, we hopped on a tour bus for a quick ride around the city to decide where our major stops would be the next day (when we could devote the entire day to sight seeing). After the bus tour we took a stroll around the Thames and crossed the Jubilee footbridge beside the London Eye (which is all lit up at nighttime).
Christina and I on Westminster Bridge with Parliament and Big Ben in the background!
Trafalgar Square from the steps of the gallery
The Eye at the end of our first day in London
We headed to Trafalgar square (of course stopping in front of Big Ben on Westminster Bridge to take some tourist photos) to meet Jordan (a friend from LU) for lunch before wandering through Picadilly Circus and back to Trafalgar to explore the National Gallery. The gallery was amazing to say the least! It houses everything from Leonardo to Monet to Van Gogh (including works such as Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers).
After taking in what the gallery had to offer, we hopped on a tour bus for a quick ride around the city to decide where our major stops would be the next day (when we could devote the entire day to sight seeing). After the bus tour we took a stroll around the Thames and crossed the Jubilee footbridge beside the London Eye (which is all lit up at nighttime).
Christina and I on Westminster Bridge with Parliament and Big Ben in the background!
Trafalgar Square from the steps of the gallery
The Eye at the end of our first day in London
LONDON BABY!
Less then 24 hours after arriving home from Germany we were packed up and headed off on our second adventure of the break...to ring in 2012 in LONDON. London is an amazing city and luckily for me I got to share it with one of my girls, who flew all the way in from USA for her first England experience! It was a crazy time to be in the city and it was sooooo busy but well worth it! We managed to fit in all the major sightseeing in two days as well as ring in the New Year in the middle of Westminster Bridge under Big Ben and the London Eye with an estimated 250,000 others. It was definitely the most amazing New Years Eve I've ever had....it'll be hard to top next year.
The first night we were there, Robyn and I decided to take a little stroll. We turned the corner about 3 minutes from where we were staying and were on Westminster bridge beside the London Eye and across the river from Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Needless to say I was so excited I called home from the middle of the bridge. "Hey Mom, you'll never guess where I am right now!"
The first night we were there, Robyn and I decided to take a little stroll. We turned the corner about 3 minutes from where we were staying and were on Westminster bridge beside the London Eye and across the river from Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Needless to say I was so excited I called home from the middle of the bridge. "Hey Mom, you'll never guess where I am right now!"
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Wurzburg Residence
On our second last day in Germany we went on a tour of the Wurzburg Residence. The residence was a papal residence commissioned by Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn and his brother in 1720 and completed in 1744.
The inside was restored to it's former glory after it was burned out during the bombing in March of 1945 in which 90% of the city was destroyed. Fortunately they had already removed much of the decoration and all of the furniture from the residence so those pieces survived.
In the massive staircase of the residence there is a fresco covering all the walls (which survived the bombing and fires) painted by a Venetian named Giovanni Tiepolo. The fresco depicts the peoples of the four continents on each wall (Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas ---lady America happens to be riding an alligator which I thought was pretty cool).The fresco also happens to be the largest surviving fresco in the world. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside so you'll have to google some images!
We also went on a walk through the gardens afterwards which were massive! They were so nice, I only wish it would have been the spring or summer so we could have viewed them in full bloom!
The inside was restored to it's former glory after it was burned out during the bombing in March of 1945 in which 90% of the city was destroyed. Fortunately they had already removed much of the decoration and all of the furniture from the residence so those pieces survived.
In the massive staircase of the residence there is a fresco covering all the walls (which survived the bombing and fires) painted by a Venetian named Giovanni Tiepolo. The fresco depicts the peoples of the four continents on each wall (Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas ---lady America happens to be riding an alligator which I thought was pretty cool).The fresco also happens to be the largest surviving fresco in the world. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside so you'll have to google some images!
We also went on a walk through the gardens afterwards which were massive! They were so nice, I only wish it would have been the spring or summer so we could have viewed them in full bloom!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Fortress Marienberg
The fortress over looking all of Wurzberg. The foundations were laid in 704 A.D. and was added to throughout the centuries all the way up to the 1700s. You can access the fortress by driving up to the back of it, or hiking up to the top on a path through the vineyards on the hill.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was so nice in Germany. We began by having champagne and followed that with a DELICIOUS dinner. In Germany they actually have all the celebrations (gifts etc) on Christmas Eve. The tree and all the gifts are hidden from the children until Christmas Eve so that everything is a surprise. The tree was amazing, it even had real candles on it!!
All the ladies at Christmas Eve dinner!
And the lovely tree with all the candles lit!
All the ladies at Christmas Eve dinner!
And the lovely tree with all the candles lit!
Germany
Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to spend my Christmas in Wurzburg (Bavaria) this year. We stayed for five days with Robyn's friend Leonie and her family. The city was so beautiful and amazing and I definitely had an amazing time...but unfortunately no snow!
The first evening in town we were pretty exhausted, but of course not too tired to visit the Christmas market downtown! We wandered around in the markets and had a couple different kinds of mulled wine (delicious hot, spiced wine...usually red but we had a white as well).
The next day Leonie took us to Sommerhausen, which downtown area is still largely surrounded by the original medieval wall, including a large turret which someone has actually converted into a house.
The tower located on the wall is known as the "blue tower" or 'Blauer Turm". Apparently the tower once had a subterranean dungeon.
Robyn and I with the turret in the background.
Weinhaus
The first evening in town we were pretty exhausted, but of course not too tired to visit the Christmas market downtown! We wandered around in the markets and had a couple different kinds of mulled wine (delicious hot, spiced wine...usually red but we had a white as well).
The next day Leonie took us to Sommerhausen, which downtown area is still largely surrounded by the original medieval wall, including a large turret which someone has actually converted into a house.
The tower located on the wall is known as the "blue tower" or 'Blauer Turm". Apparently the tower once had a subterranean dungeon.
Robyn and I with the turret in the background.
Weinhaus
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