Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve!  I'm not big on New Year's Eve, at least not the going out and doing the whole crazy party thing.  Actually, one of the best New Year's Stephen and I ever had was a faux New Year's Eve - we went out with some of our friends in Houston on Dec. 30 and really did it up as if it was the real thing - I'm talking makeup professionally done, limousine, fancy dinner, champagne toast at midnight, a crazy night out.  We had the best time!  Everybody around us may have though we were crazy, but it was so much fun and a lot cheaper than the real thing.  Recently most of our New Year's have been spent at home with friends and a good home cooked meal.  We miss our NYE buddies this year!  Tonight we are going to a party with our friends who live below us.  I am going over to their flat this afternoon to help make hors d'oeuvres.  

I'm actually not big on resolutions, I can't really remember a year that I've actually made one.  I like setting goals, I just don't associate this particular day as the time to do it for whatever reason.  But I did just read a couple things that have struck a chord with me, and while they're not resolutions I think I will keep them in my head as reminders of where I want to go and how I want to get there.  

The first one is from a blog called The Happiness Project.  I heard about this from my dad a while ago, I like checking in and reading it from time to time.  Sometimes it gets a little too flowery for me, but hey,  people find happiness all different kinds of ways!  There is a particular posting on the blog called Secrets of Adulthood where I read my first mantra.  This is it:  

"What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE AND A WHILE."

I like this because yes, what we do once and a while can be great efforts, large gestures, special moments, or just plain important.  But, what I do little by little, invest in every day, even if it's not a large thing, in the end plays a larger role.  I like thinking about this because I have room for adjustment here.  Some things I do every day are good and I'd like to keep them.  But some things need to be added in or changed.  So I'm going to try and approach goals this way.  What do I think is important?  If it is, I'd better have something about that particular thing in most of my days.  

The second thing I read recently comes from this blog entitled "Top Five Regrets of the Dying", and is this:

"It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way.  From the moment you lose your health, it is too late.  Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it."  

Health.  The ability to move easily and without pain, disease free.  What a gift, and it's something I rarely think about.  So this year I want to continue to make strides in maintaining/improving my health, and also using the time that's in my personal "healthy living" bank account while I still have it.  

So, happy New Year!  I will be spending a lot more time with friends and family in 2012, and that makes me very happy.  

Friday, December 30, 2011

Home from South Africa

We're home from South Africa!  It was a wonderful, amazing, spectacular trip and I am so grateful we got to experience it.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  

I have A LOT of pictures - I took 1,654.  Don't worry, I won't post all of them here.  I actually just finished a slideshow of the highlights of the trip.  I hope to blog about each stop on its own (there were four: Cape Town, the winelands, Knysna/coastal, and the safari).  But, until then, here is the slideshow!

(or you can go here to see it on You Tube if you want a full screen)




Thursday, December 22, 2011

Last day in Knysna

Our hotel in Knysna sits on the coastal waterways running through the little island of Thesen (it's like Venice but with beach houses) and across from the pool in the back are several houses that are close enough to hear the owners if they come outside. Yesterday I overheard two preteen South African sisters, one stepped outside specifically to tell the other one, "You stole my makeup... again." Ah sisterly love, it translates to every country! 

Until I can upload pictures, here is a good page to check out - Knysna is famous for "The Heads", the two cliffs that jut out and almost touch to protect the calm bay from the very active Indian Ocean (we went through the Heads on a boat, very big waves!) 

Or go here for Wikitravel... 

We leave Knysna today to make our way to Port Elizabeth. We're going to take our time getting there and stop in a few places that have been recommended to us - one area is supposedly the "Hamptons of SA" so we'll see what that's all about. We're just in Port Elizabeth for one night and tomorrow we are picked up and driven out for our last stop - the safari! This is where we will spend Christmas Day, which I imagine will be pretty memorable. I should have wifi there as well, but in case it doesn't come through, Merry early Christmas!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Knysna

We are in Knysna on a little island called Thesen. It's tiny, we're just off the main shoreland. Our hotel used to be an old industrial building that was converted and it's now this modern space. Very cool. We had clouds for the first time this morning, which was actually a good thing because we decided to go on our first run of the trip so it was a bit cooler. The run was painful! A full week of vacation eating does not a good run make. It was nice to see the island though, there's a pretty bay waterfront and the whole place smells like jasmine. 

We are going on a boat later this afternoon - we need to make use of this beautiful water while we have it, after this we head inland for the safari! Yesterday afternoon after we got settled, we sat outside at one of the waterfront bars and had a few beers and some oysters (this area is famous for their oysters), and the entire time we were out there the bar was playing Texas Hill Country music. I mean it actually included fiddles and lyrics about Austin and San Antonio ("San An-tone..."). We got such a kick out of that, we've not even heard that music in London! Good music travels anywhere. 

Must go, my mojito just arrived...

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Table Mountain

We hiked Table Mountain yesterday!

Well, to be fair we didn't hike up the mountain (we took the cable car), but we did hike all over the mountain once we got to the top.  We spent a few hours exploring as much as we could and man, talk about breathtaking views. 

Table Mountain was recently voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world.  I can't post pictures from my camera until we get home but go here to check it out! 

We are driving to the Cape of Good Hope today, should be pretty spectacular.  The weather here is absolutely perfect, high 60's/low 70's, sunny, no humidity, no mosquitos.  I want to move here. 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cape Town

We made it to Cape Town!  It was a bumpy 11-hour flight and I got no sleep, but so glad to be here!

I am so far away.  From everything else I have ever known. 

I am so far away that I'm in a different season - it's summer here.  Weird. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Another Christmas Commercial

Here is another Christmas commercial I see a good bit - it reminds me of my family every time I watch (not until the very, very end though, I don't think they're blue aliens).  


We're watching The Snowman next year, family!

Okay, back to packing.




Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Déjà vu

Tomorrow night we leave on our big Africa adventure.  Today was my last day at work before the holiday and tomorrow I will be running around like crazy and packing last minute.  Plus, the laundry list of to do items to get our lives moved from the UK back to the States has already kicked in.  Once again it's approaching Christmas and my mind is full with a billion things to do.  This feels very familiar, didn't I do this crazy move business last year?  Don't get me wrong, living here has been worth all the work it took to get here and then leave again, but I am already looking forward to next Christmas.  I am planning on a nice long break with family, where I can just drink hot chocolate and relax.  And not plan a big move.  But until then, safaris and mile-long to do lists await.    


Monday, December 12, 2011

Walk of Shame

There's a new ad out for Havey Nichols on the holiday walk of shame and I think it's pretty funny!  


Not nearly as annoying as most of the Christmas ads anyway!

Secret Cinema

This weekend we went to something called Secret Cinema - it was such a cool experience and I've never done anything like it!  Here's the deal - you buy (limited and soon sold out) tickets ahead of time to the event without knowing where it will be or what movie.  The week before you get an email telling you where the secret meeting location is and what the dress is.  Everyone dresses up to suit the theme of the movie, so that's your first clue as to what the movie is!  And, there are different dress assignments for different groups.  This was ours:


And here were the other two:




Here's what we came up with!



Most of my outfit I already had - the skirt, the heels, the pantyhose (with the black seam down the back), and the fur.  The fur collar and the pearls were my grandmother's, so they were authentic!  I bought the hat and blouse at a local department store (the hat was surprisingly easy to find, the Brits love their fancy hats!), and the final touch was the brooch which was actually part of what I wore on my wedding day.  Voilà!  1940's, or at least my attempt at it.  Stephen wore his tuxedo from our wedding and had his hair slicked back, I think he looked pretty great!  He also carried around a bottle of champagne and glasses as "props" (which didn't last very long).  

I am thoroughly impressed with the group that puts this event together.  They took an abandoned old building and transformed it into a hotel, police station, casino, bar and restaurant (the last three were fully functioning).  This building was 4 stories high and you were allowed to walk anywhere you could reach - all these different rooms and spaces had been outfitted to match the movie!  Incredible.

This is standing in the inner courtyard area, looking up.  All those floors had outdoor hallway/balconies that you could walk across and look down:



Me and Candice in front of the casino:


The guys all done up:



More from our group:


Inside one of the rooms:


The movie was set in 1940's Vienna, some Viennese performers - 


It's funny because the "cafe" was called Cafe Mozart, which is a real cafe in Vienna that we had just seen the weekend before in Vienna (blog forthcoming)!



Alex being a part of the decor:



The guys were "interrogated" and fingerprinted... something about illegal penicillin trade!


Candice was marked as a communist!  Uh oh!


We had a couple hours to walk around and explore the whole building, and the movie started at about 10:30 - "police" came from everywhere and herded us into a previously unseen warehouse type thing with a screen where the movie was shown.  It ended up being an old black & white movie called "The Third Man", starring a young Orson Welles.  It was a good movie, but most of the fun was all the craziness leading up to it!  Great night. 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Big Move, Second Verse

Well, we have news, we are moving again!  To New York City.  In February.

I'll have more details as they develop, but basically Stephen was given a good opportunity to move to the New York office, and we're going!  We have loved living here in London and are sad to leave, but we are both really looking forward to experiencing New York as residents.  Plus, we will be so much closer to all of our family and friends!  I know a lot of people travel to New York all the time, so you'll have to look us up when you're there and say hello!

Like I said, more details to follow, but that's the big news!

Before we leave here for good though, we are taking one last big trip... to South Africa!  I think I am more excited about this trip than anywhere I've ever been.  We leave on Dec. 14 and return on Dec. 28 and our itinerary includes Cape Town, wine country, the Garden Route, Port Elizabeth, and a safari.

I. AM. PUMPED.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Lauren's Visit, Part III

Back to London again!  We went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard.  Even after living here for a while I'd never seen this, but now I know why.  It's not really a show stopper (plus, we couldn't really see with all the people so that probably had something to do with it).  


My view:


Lauren in front of Buckingham Palace - the fence and the angle doesn't really show it, but the "kiss" balcony is right there:



We walked to Westminster...


...and went to the Abbey.


Out front there were thousands of little crosses each bearing the name of a man or woman in the armed forces - November 11 is Remembrance Day in the UK and marks the official end of WWI in 1918 and serves as a memorial day.  


The crosses surrounded the Abbey and were really a moving tribute to all of those who have served in the armed forces...




After we left Westminster we went to St. Paul's Cathedral - out front is where the "Occupy xxx" protesters have set up camp:


This is where Charles and Diana got married, by the way.  She was twenty years old and surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people and various heads of state when she had to walk down this huge aisle in her 25-foot train.  I think I would pee in my pants if I had to do that.   


The dome of the cathedral offers one of the best views of the city as long as you are willing to climb the 1,161 steps to the top!  Some of which is a tight squeeze.




Finally there!  Looking out from the top of the dome in the Golden Gallery:


The Millennium Bridge that crosses the Thames to the Tate Modern museum:


Looking down on the front of St. Paul's (protester camp on the right):


Of all of the wonderful places in London, of which there are many, the place that I love the most is the park right by our flat - Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park.  I have spent more time there than anywhere else, either taking Grady out or going on runs with Stephen, and I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have such a big, beautiful park basically right out my front door.  It's been so fun to watch the changing of the seasons in such a wonderful place, it always puts me in a good mood going there and I am going to miss it like crazy when we move.  



The Serpentine in Hyde Park:



The Lido Cafe, where I had my very first Pimm's Cup in London last year:


Our final night we saw a performance of Hamlet at the Young Vic theatre starring Michael Sheen - who played David Frost in Frost/Nixon (and... Aro in Twilight... not that I would know anything about that).  I love the Young Vic theatre, it's not very big so every seat is a good seat and it makes you feel like you are right there with the actors.  

Pre-theatre dinner:


We had dinner with my dear friend, Julie Linn, who was in town on business, but I somehow managed not to get a picture with her!  It was Julie's birthday that night and a lot of fun to celebrate together.

Lauren's flight left the next morning so I got up early with her and walked her to Paddington Station.  I cried when I put her on the train to Heathrow, I just couldn't help it.  I miss my family so much and having her there was wonderful, I got too used to it!  It's amazing how having family with you instantly makes any place feel like home, and our little flat felt a little more like home those six days I had her.  

Thank you for coming to visit me, Lauren!  It meant a lot and I love you! 

Friday, December 9, 2011

Lauren's Visit, Part II - Paris

Saturday morning we hopped on the train to Paris - Lauren from our hotel room...



The Eurostar - and train travel in general - beats flying by a long shot in ease of travel.  For most train travel you can literally show up 5 minutes before the train departs, check the board for your platform, and hop on the train.  No long security lines or baggage checks.  So easy!  The Eurostar is a bit more complicated because there is a security line involved and a passport check, but still SO much easier than even the best airport.  

The Eurostar is a very fast train.  Once you get going the higher speeds (and I think it goes up to 190 mph), when the train enters and leaves tunnels the pressure of the air changes so rapidly that I have to yawn and pop my ears.  Same if you encounter another train going the opposite way on the other set of tracks.  The actual underwater chunnel part only takes about 20 minutes to get through.  It's such a great way to travel - it takes you from the center of London to the center of Paris in about two hours.  Easy.  

Here we are in our first Parisian cafe!



Crossing the Seine River:



In front of Notre Dame:






Paris at night:



At night every hour on the hour for five minutes, the Eiffel Tower lights up!  It flashes and sparkles...



We were walking down by the river and Stephen had the idea to jump on a tour boat, definitely a touristy thing to do, but hey - we are tourists!  With champagne to boot...


The boat is a great way to see Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower up close...






Inside Notre Dame - Lauren's opinion is that Notre Dame was okay but she liked Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral better.  I have to say of all the cathedrals I've seen this year, it's not my favorite either (St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is, but how can you beat that??).  But it is pretty...





Outside the Louvre... it was such a beautiful day.  London had been cloudy (of course) when we left and sunlight is as big of an attraction as anything else!



You actually enter the Louvre through the glass pyramid out front - this is the view from the ticket lobby inside:



Mona Lisa - 



My opinion on the Mona Lisa?  Eh, it's okay.  Nowhere near the most impressive piece of art I've seen in person.  Not that I don't like the painting itself, but a) you can't get close to it, b) there are people all around you trying to take pictures, and c) you get about 5 seconds to see it before you are pushed out of the way by others in the crowd.  Everybody is there just to be able to say "I've seen the Mona Lisa".  So yes, I've seen it, but didn't really get to look at it.  And isn't that the best part about seeing something in person?


Lauren outside of the Louvre.  I love that's she's so game for all of the silly pictures I take of her.  :)


I've blogged about my love for French maracroons (macarons) before, and I can't visit Paris without a visit to my favorite macaroon shop.   



Lemon, rose (my favorite), Madagascar vanilla (Stephen's favorite), fleur de sel caramel (I think Lauren's favorite), and two different kinds of chocolate (one with chocolate from a single-origin grove of trees in Brazil or somewhere).  


Sitting in the sun in the Louvre grounds, eating our macarons:


Shortly after that we headed back to the train station to return to London... still more to come!