0 Working, Thinking, Planning

We had a few flakes of snow today.

Just a few flakes.

I can't decide if I want it to snow or if I'm happy with the mild winter.

I'll probably get enough snow to satisfy me 

when we're in Bulgaria-

the weather forecast has had snow for the majority of the past three months. 

I'm plotting and planning some "fill-in" posts,

for days like today,

when nothing really happens.

Today, after we both got home from work,

we took the dogs to the forest near our house.

After I climbed a bit of a hill,

I got this view over the Washburn Valley:

Even boring days aren't so bad!

0 Postaway!

Like a Giveaway,

but different!

If you message me
(see that handy contact button up there?)

your post address,
(anywhere in the world!)

then,

sometime during 2012,

you will receive

either a postcard, a note, or a little something

from me.

So...

message away!

0 Thruscross Reservoir and the River Washburn

 Thruscross Reservoir is yet another reservoir not far from our house.  I consider it my personal nemesis, though, as the path around it tries to kill me every time I take it.  The path starts out nice, flat, and comfortable, travels alongside the water, past an old building half submerged, around a bend, and into the woods.  That's where the trouble starts. The path through the woods quickly turns rugged and windy, without clear markers- but that part alone I can handle.  Combine that with knee-deep mud, and I'm spent.  Add in a really, really steep hill at the end, and I'm dying and begging Sloan to pull me up.  Then the path goes through some fields and back to the car park.   The Yorkshire Water website says it's only 4.5 miles, but I'm pretty sure it's about 17. 

I've never seen the dam overflowing before- I told you we've had a ton of rain!

 Re: my earlier whinging: Luckily, there's another path.  It is on the opposite side of the dam, and goes alongside the River Washburn.  This walk is easy, flat, and not a doozy- so Max can do it, too!

 Told you everything is tinted green...

 Pretty views!

 Sloan's learned to ask before launching herself over stiles- and we weren't going over this one.  She wasn't happy with that answer, but she's learned to listen!

The stile without a pooch in the way.  That's a cricket field clubhouse behind the wall.

0 Fossil Hunting and the Pooches' First Trip to the Sea at Ravenscar

Last week we decided that today we would head up to the North Yorkshire coast and see the reportedly charming towns of Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby.  You might remember that our last attempt at Whitby was cut short by Sloan's daredevil tendencies...

Anyway, last night we went to bed around 1AM, but our neighbor's house alarm suddenly started going off-

and it continued- for 45 minutes.

During that time, Paul walked over to see if anything was amiss, or if any lights were on,

and no one seemed to be home,

so he called the police, but they said that unless it is an emergency,

they don't respond.

It finally stopped, but not until all three pets were upset, so our night was interrupted and overall crappy.

Needless to say, we got a late start this morning.

 While we were sitting in traffic in Harrogate (thirty minutes- argh!!) I noticed that the crocuses are sprouting in the Stray.  We haven't even had snowdrops yet- what happened to winter?!?!

 When we finally got to the coast, our first stop was the small village just south of Robin Hood's Bay, Ravenscar.  A friend of mine told me that Ravenscar is known for its beaches- not for the sand, but that there are fossils in the shale there.

We stopped, had some trouble finding a path (the visitors' center is closed for the winter), and finally made our way down a path- to an old alum works.  It was mildly interesting, but still didn't get us down to the shore.

The trees alongside the path- everyone who visits us comments that the whole of Yorkshire seems to be washed in a light lime green... it's true.

The cliffs and shore from the alum works site.

 The current clock-punchers at the alum works.

After this disappointing hike we drove up to the local hotel, Raven Hall, and I asked for directions down to the shore.  The very helpful lady there told me a route to a farm that allowed parking and had a direct path to the shore.  We drove... and drove... and found the farm.   We paid our £1 in the honesty box and trekked down... 

 to the beach!

 The beach has some nice sand to walk on, but most of it is covered in rocks.  

 Neither of the dogs has ever been to the ocean/sea before- it was really funny watching them run around!

 Max tried to drink the seawater, and made a surprised face that cracked me up.  He then was intent on "catching" the pools of water in the sand- he'd paw at the sand in the pool and watch the water fill it in, then repeat the process again and again.

 Neither dog wanted the waves to touch their feet, but Sloan was hilarious in her darting back and forth!

 Paul, fossil hunting.  He grabbed our regular hammer on the way out of the house, because the websites "said to have a fossil hammer and we only have this one."  

 I never get tired of those ears!

 Can you see the fossil?  Paul got it!

 Sloan tackled some seaweed.  I couldn't tell if she liked it or not- she wasn't eating it (she never eats sticks) but she was making funny faces whilst tearing it up!

 I absolutely love the North Sea.  I can't get enough of it or the Yorkshire coast!

 My little trooper made it through our first hike and about two hours on the beach- he's really healed up nicely!

Some of Paul's fossils from today.  It was a pretty fun day, even though we were too tired to make it to Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay- oh well, I guess we'll have to go back!

0 Auction Items of Note and Curiosity

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Do you have cases of moonshine hidden away from the authorities? 

Perhaps an underground poker lair?

Maybe just need a secret place to house your mint-condition My Little Pony collection?

Here's the item for you:

Your very own secret passage door, complete with fake bookshelf facade.

Yours for the bidding at Thompson's Auctioneers.

0 I'm Working on Ideas

to help fill the days when I don't have any pictures for you.

Like today, when I worked most of the day, 

and as soon as I got off work

the skies turned ominous and sleet-gray

and started raining.

Maybe I'll do some souvenir photoshoots,

or Stoke-finds pictures,

or auction buys pictures.

Any requests?

I'm also taking submissions of ideas

regarding a new title for the blog.

When we end up moving later this year,

chances are my witty and clever

"English As A Second Language"

won't make any sense.

I could change it to

"Re-Learned American"

but that's just not as fun, is it?

So if you have anything

witty, charming, adaptable,

and oh-so-me sounding,

send me a message.

Or comment.

Thanks!

Tomorrow we're headed up to Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby-

with the dogs, but Sloan won't be jumping over any walls this time!

Pictures are promised!

* Oh my gosh, I'm getting tired of my own words on this thing.  Hang in there, it'll get better, I promise!

0 English Weather

So I was super-excited to read

that tonight almost all of England 

has the opportunity to view

Aurora Borealis.

The phenomenon is usually

only visible in Great Britain

from the Northern parts of Scotland.

It's one of the things Paul wants to see,

on his "bucket list" I suppose.

(I'm not a fan of the phrase, for no discernible reason.)

I think it'd be pretty cool, too.

Especially with my camera.

However.

Today's rain and drizzle and suck-ness

has turned into a thick-as-butter fog.

Fog doesn't make for good sky-viewing.

Boo.

Oh, well.

We originally planned to go to the Shetland Islands

to see the Northern Lights,

or to Iceland.

I guess we'll have to stick with that plan!

0 December London Break is posted!

There are three posts for your enjoyment, including the best of

the Tower of London, 

Christmas window displays, 

Trafalgar Square in the early morning, 

how to get into a sold-out National Gallery exhibit,

a West End review, 

and a tale of a missed train.

Again, sorry for the delay- 

now I'm going back to Barcelona!

(well, pictorially, at least!)

0 Taking the Weekend Off

Sorry I haven't posted.

Yesterday was a lazy day for all of us;

the only productive thing we did was pick up a rug from the cleaners 

and take the dogs to Valley Gardens.

I seem to have a pressure bruise of sorts on the back of my heel

and my wellies are KILLING me right now.

Today started off nasty windy,

then turned blue-sky pretty

so I took the dogs out.

I had plans to take them to a nice river path,

but putting my wellies on in the doorway was excruciating.

So, back to Swinsty we went, 

because it's a fairly smooth-going path.

My Converse are now covered in mud,

and by the end of the 3 miles they even had me limping a bit.

Since we got home the dogs have been passed out,

because it's twice as exhausting to take a walk on lead...

apparently.

So that's good.


Other good news:
I've [finally] finished sorting the pictures from our
two day London break after Budapest-
yeah, it's ridiculous that it's taken me this long.
Posts should be up in the next couple of days!

0 Farm Delivery Friday Jan 20! and The Wellington Inn

Top row: calabrese broccoli, smoked haddock chowder, chicken and vegetable soup, milk
In box: parsnips, beetroot, carrots, onions
Middle area: purple sprouting broccoli, kale, fresh mozzarella, potatoes, hazelnuts
Front row: courgettes, parmesan, pears, grapefruit, lemons, butternut squash, dried garlic

 I feel like every Friday is a foodie Christmas at my house.  This week I am hosting my book club and, since I'm not really a cook and other people don't consider a well-rounded dinner to consist of cake, cookies, and ice cream, I'm making a pretty delicious chicken and pasta dish I found on Pinterest and modified.  This dish requires broccoli, so I'm going to stir things up a bit and use the two varieties I enjoy- hence the large orders of both.  

A pretty fantastic perk of Riverford is that each week's delivery comes with a newsletter and a few seasonal recipes.  These recipes are sized and punched to fit in the recipe binders and Riverford even gives an annual index.  Riverford doesn't stop there; they've gone on to produce two cookbooks that provide far more than recipes.  Each book sorts through vegetables, roots, fruit, and other delivery-goodies and provides a brief synopsis on growing, harvesting, and storing the ingredient before offering recipes using the ingredient in the section.  The cookbooks have proven to be invaluable, and not just because I'm not a natural cook- but also because so much of this produce is (quite literally!) foreign to me!

 I've mentioned our favorite pub, The Welly, in the nearby village of Darley.  We've been extra-frequenters this month, though, because January is 50% off main courses with vouchers they gave out in December.  We ate there twice last week and twice this week and have 3 more coupons to go- YUM!

The Welly has seating and food service in both the bar and the restaurant; we don't really have a preference between the two, although on a cold night the fireplace in the bar is a welcome sight.  Tonight when we arrive the entire place was packed, and the only table that was available was a small side table right near the entrance.  We took it, and I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures.

The menu board.  There is a set menu, seen in a basket above the table, but we usually find ourselves ordering from the board.  Dessert boards are lower, but not less important!

0 Travels and Trips to Europe

I'm starting to feel more and more desperate as our time here winds down.

There are so many places to see,

histories to discover,

and festivals to celebrate

and I'm not done yet.

We have giant maps of England and Wales, Scotland, and Europe

and have been marking off places we've been.

We're not checklist people;

we agree that seeing one place in depth is more pleasing 

than seeing five places "wham, bam, thank-you-ma'am" style (my words- sorry, Mom!).

However.

There is so much of Europe.

And then there's the rest of the world.

We're trying, doing our best,

and I'm reminding myself daily (multiple times a day)

to be grateful for the opportunities we've had already.

But there's so much more!

Right now I'm trying to plan a trip to Amsterdam at the end of April, to see the tulip festival.

Paul can get a whole week off, so we're going to see if we can do Amsterdam and maybe another city, too. 

Brugge?  Brussels? The Hague?

And should we fly and train between cities, 

or ferry and drive?

See. 

So many decisions.

We've got a trip to Bulgaria in February, 

and we're both jump-out-of-our-skin excited for it.

We're meeting some friends of ours who live in Germany

for a week of skiing at Bansko. 

(truth time: I'm not skiing; I decided back in Idaho that cold, falling, and broken tailbones are not for me.)

Paul and I are flying into Sofia, 

and have a couple of days planned for sightseeing there.

This trip will be more about fun and hanging out with friends,

but, of course, we'll fit some sites and museums into our time!

I've found that I absolutely love Eastern Europe.

Western Europe has so much to offer, and I definitely want to see as much of 

Germany, Italy, Spain, France, etc. as I can;

but Eastern Europe has such a refreshing mix of old and new- 

baby-new- most of the new is younger than me.
Eastern European cities and countries are so eager to show off their homelands,
whereas Western Europe is so aware of its greatness that at times it is aloof and distant.
Western Europe's greatness is well-earned and deserved,
 but the feeling of rubbing off decades of communist oppression to display
beautiful architecture and accessible sites unencumbered by hundreds of thousands of tourists
has endeared Eastern Europe in my heart.

There are so many countries left.

We haven't made it to Scandinavia yet.

This is a problem for me.

I want to see the fjords; I want to see the reindeer.

I want to visit the tundra and go numb from the beauty- although it'd probably be the cold.

I want to hike the cliffs (okay, maybe just one!) and I want to float down a glacial river.

They are expensive countries to visit, though.

So they might have to wait.

Wait until we've got a little more saved, 

and we can take a few weeks to immerse ourselves in Scandinavia.

One trip at a time-

and I'm going to love each one.

*note: I'm using the British version of "Europe" here, meaning the Continent.  We're both quite entertained by the firm belief here that England, Scotland, and Wales are not part of "Europe."  I'm not sure how the Northern Irish feel about it; and I didn't ask in Ireland- they're EU, but are they part of "Europe"?  Who knows...

Anyway, there'll be a post like this on Great Britain soon- we've still got a lot of this island left to see!

0 Where We Go: Bolton Abbey- The Strid

 Bolton Abbey has miles of footpaths that traipse through fields, along the River Wharfe, by the Abbey ruins, down to an old hunting lodge, and through the woods- The Strid.  The paths are peaceful, easy-going, and usually not crowded.   Today there were only a few people there besides us!  The dogs got to run around off lead a bit, even Max.   They refused to pose for a picture, though- I think the ground was too cold for their tushes!

 All our precipitation seems to have stopped since the freezing temperatures set in- all we've got is thick frost.

Other than the elbow-breaking windshield scraping and nervous spots on the roads, the frost sure is pretty, especially on English ivy!

0 Budapest is Done!

I'm finally done with my Budapest posts-

just over a month after we got home.
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Oops!

Now I'm concentrating on our London break 

then Barcelona.

All while keeping y'all up to date

on our everyday goings-on.

Today's goings-on were dull.

I worked;

Paul slept in (he works tonight)

and took the dogs out. 

It's gotten quite cold here;

this morning was below 0 Celsius.

Our house is cold, too,

so we're all- even Max and Mia-

under blankets.

Brrrrr.

0 Some Version of Winter is Here...

Swinsty Reservoir at dusk.  On a very cold day.

Still no snow (both a good and bad thing to me), but thick frost and fog.

The short winter days are probably my least favorite part of living here;
it's incredibly hard to fit everything into a day that's only got 7-9 hours of light.

Thankfully, it's not fully dark until 5PM these days,
which is nice.

In the meantime,
this week looks to be long and boring-
I'm working four days (boo!).

I keep typing maudlin ramblings about how I don't want to move.
It's all true.
I don't.

Unfortunately,
I won't have much choice.

We're not sure when, or where,
but it's probably* within the next year
and most likely back to the States.
Neither of which I'm happy about.


I'm really not having a pity party;
just trying to be more honest and personal
on the blog.

Sorry?

*There's really no chance we'll still be here a year from now; I'm just in denial.

0 Stoke Sales!

Today I went to Stoke-on-Trent with a friend of mine, 

to hit the potteries' sales. 

YAY!

This was my fourth trip (yeah, it's a problem... to Paul!).

I bought stuff, I'm enjoying stuff.

Paul's even enjoying stuff.

He won't admit it, though.

Hopefully I'll get some pictures and post them for you to enjoy!

0 Ruins

There's a path near our house that circles another reservoir (theme?) and also goes through the ruins of one of John of Gaunt's castles.  This old barn has nothing to do with the castle; in fact, it is across the reservoir from it.  But, given that the "castle" is mostly rocks overgrown with grass, the barn ruins are more interesting.  

Yeah... the British version of "old crappy building" sure is more charming than a rusted aluminum shed, isn't it?!?

0 Farm Delivery Friday Jan 13!

Top row: leeks, carrots, potatoes, celery, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, milk
Middle row (ish): fat-free yoghurt, chicken and vegetable soup, haddock chowder, parmesan cheese, calabrese broccoli, kale, lettuce, courgettes
Front row: apples, pears, portobello mushrooms, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, cucumber

 This week I ordered a "favourites box", which included orla potatoes, broccoli, leeks, cherry tomatoes, carrots, courgettes, portobello mushrooms, and celery.  The celery was swapped by the farm for the cucumber, but that's okay 'cause I like cucumber and I ordered extra celery!  I ordered extra leeks, carrots, and the other items shown.

 Cousins: cauliflower, calabrese broccoli, and purple-sprouting broccoli.  

Something I'd never heard of Stateside, purple-sprouting broccoli is delicious.  Right after I took this picture I ate a big bowl of it steamed!

0 This is Winter??

This is the mildest winter we've had here.

When we got here, everyone told us winters weren't that bad, and it would snow, but only a little.

Our first winter was snowy.  Snowy, snowy, snowy.

Our second winter was cold.  Bone-chilling freezing cold.

This winter?

Chilly, rainy, WINDY, but not wintery.

Which is good for our travels,

but I have to admit- 

a little snow every now and then does bring a whole new dose of pretty, doesn't it?

Oh, well.

I guess I'll just have to settle for gorgeous sunsets in the meantime.

0 Social Calls in Style

{link}
Over here in Great Britain there's a fantastic custom of auctioning off one's belongings.

These belongings are often sold due to a house clear-out, a move, or someone's death.

Sometimes these belongings are basic: couches, bookshelves, boxes of books or records.

And sometimes these belongings are fantastic.

Once there was a Victorian commode... 

that's right. 

A toilet. 

A big, wooden, throne-chair of a toilet.

I've gotten some wonderful things at our local auction; furniture, decorative items, a pair of stained glass church-doors, even an old letterbox.

This week there is a pony trap.

If you give a girl a pony trap, she'll need a pony to go with it...

0 Where We Go: Valley Gardens

Valley Gardens is a regular place on our itinerary.  It's a beautiful park on the edge of Harrogate that can  be enjoyed by everyone, as there are play areas for children, a bike/skate park area, some recreational sports (tennis, frisbee golf), a tea room, and an unofficial dog park.   Behind the garden park is a wooded area called "The Pinewoods" that we regularly park behind and stroll through in order to wear out a little of the dogs' crazy before we get to the social zone!

These terraced houses are some of Harrogate's prime real-estate- you can see why!

Sloan, making a friend between fetches. 

Somehow our dogs are magnets to mud puddles, and this one in particular enjoys running full-tilt through mud and muck!

2 Back From Barcelona

We're back;

clothes are waiting to be washed,

souvenirs are set on shelves,

and Paul is passed out on the couch.

My birthday was fantastic, 

a day full to the brim with sightseeing,

concentrating mostly on the modernism

with La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and Palau de la Musica.

That evening we went to a fantastic Catalan restaurant, 

Restaurant Pla

and then a flamenco show at the Petit Palau.

Tomorrow we get back to regular life,

running errands,

taking the pooches out,

me sorting pictures,

etc.  

Overall,

I highly recommend birthday trips.

Fantastic.

0 Seven Tips For Your Visit to Barcelona

1. Barcelona Card.  The city cards around Europe are a tourist's dream- not only for the discounts and the free or discounted public transportation, but for the additional locations and sites we find in the booklets that come with each one!  We were quite pleased with several of the smaller museums around Barcelona, particularly the Pre-Colombian Art Museum and Disseny Hub's design museum.  Disseny Hub consists of several museums, and the design one is just a few small rooms displaying several interactive science and technology based designs. We had a lot of fun going through, and it took less than an hour, so we didn't feel like we had to sacrifice any other sites for it.

2. This is one of the first things you'll read in any Barcelona travel guides, but be careful.  Petty theft and pickpocketing is rampant in the city, especially on the metro.  We heard a lot of stories from friends, and so were very wary our entire trip.  I saw one instance of two young men in a metro station- we were walking down the stairs behind them, and they were behind a woman with a purse hanging from her shoulder and a large kings' cake in her hands.  The youth closest to me held up his jacket, obscuring my view very obviously, and the one in front of him bent over- not for long, so I am assuming he couldn't get anything with her downward movement and her purse being closed.  I did stare at them the entire time (Paul says I have a staring problem, really I usually am just off in la-la land) because, as long as I'm not at risk of violent behavior (and everything I read said that there is very little violent crime in Barcelona) I don't mind being rather obvious- if you're aware of pickpocketers they won't target you!  The one who'd been bent over stared back at me for a while as we waited for the metro to arrive, but I didn't look away, and he soon did.  The woman got on the subway that we did, and the youths didn't.  Paul said he saw another incident where a man who was watching us turned around and began following us, until Paul made it obvious he saw him- then the man turned back around and walked away.  The crime seemed lower, as it wasn't high season for tourism, but, if you do go to Barcelona, please be aware, especially on the metro and in La Rambla.

3. Make yourself aware of public transportation.  Barcelona has a comprehensive metro system, and it's free with the Barcelona Card- which also means you don't have the added crime-victim time of standing at the ticket kiosks or digging in your wallet.  We took the train to Montserrat, which wasn't included with the Card, but wasn't very expensive (sorry, I don't remember the exact total), and it was really easy to figure out.  There are also funiculars and a cable car up to Montjuïc, the hilltop site of the Olympic Stadium and other prominent sites.   Taxis can be pricy and quickly add up in a city as large as Barcelona- so take advantage of the built-in transportation systems!

4. Here's a new one: we opted to try a new type of residence and booked our room through AirBnB.  This is a clever site which residents can use to let out a spare bedroom or their entire home to tourists.  It's often cheaper, plus you (hopefully) get a local's eye to your trip.  We stayed with Sonia, and she and Daniel were amazing hosts- helping us with little details like the train to Montserrat, the Modernisme Route map, and even helping us pick and reserve a fantastic restaurant for my birthday dinner.  Sure, hotels can offer these services, too, but we also paid under $300 for five nights in the L'Eixample district of Barcelona- a steal!

5. Take part in local culture!  We were lucky to be planning our trip over the time of the Day of Epiphany, and got to see the Three Kings' Parade and I got a Kings' Cake.  We also saw a flamenco show at the Petit Palau- the smaller (but acoustically equal) side venue of the Palau de la Música.  Sure, it's a little cliché, but I believe some things are cliché for a reason!
*side note- if you do EVER go to any type of theatre, please don't act like the gentleman sitting in the row in front of us and not only leave your phone ringer on but ANSWER it.  TWICE.  Paul and I assumed this was common knowledge etiquette by now, but apparently he didn't get the memo. Oh, and he was an English-speaking tourist.  I don't know who he is, but I'm hoping internet-kharma gets him.

6. Plan your time!  Barcelona is a big city- and has tons of things to do and sites to see.  We were there four full days and two half days and we still didn't get up to Montjuïc.  Barcelona is divided into ten districts, including the Old City and Gothic district, Ciutat Vella, L'Eixample, which houses many of the modernisme buildings, Barceloneta, with the beach, and many more.  Most of the districts are within easy walking distance, but some of the outskirts require a little more planning- like Park Güell, in Grácia.  Montserrat required an entire day, with the distance, seeing the buildings, and because we wanted to do a little hiking, and many people stay there for a couple of days to truly embrace the landscape.  All-in-all, I doubt you can ever have enough time on a trip to see all of Barcelona, but if you pick your "must-sees" and have general route-itineraries you can easily make the most of the time you have.

7. Being a dummy-head (I like mature insults), I just sat back and figured Paul's Spanish could get us around the city no problem.  I didn't learn any words, assuming random "por favor" and "gracias" could fill in when he wasn't around.  Well... Barcelona is in Catalunya, where they speak Catalan.  Many people there know Spanish (Castilian) and many know English- but the language to attempt if you want to show respect and be appreciated is Catalan.  Oh, and even if your brain automatically turns to German when you hear ANY foreign language, answering the man at the bakery with "Nein, das ist alles" is probably gonna cause a lot of confusion...

1 Barcelona: Architecture and Funny Bits

 Barcelona is best known for its modernisme architecture- but there are some other fantastic buildings as well.

 I couldn't figure out these eyeball-looking things.  

 Strange art?  World's biggest tangled wires?

 We walked through a park and these older gentlemen were just enjoying their morning.

 This is a candy shop called "Happy Pills."  You pick a medicine bottle and fill it with whatever candies you prefer.

 I believe this is some sort of mascot for Barcelona Football Club.

 Despite our hostess warning us that the water here is not tasty, people regularly drank out of and filled water bottles from these spouts all over town.

 This faded spray paint caught my eye- I couldn't tell if it was horses, monsters, or what.

I liked these signs- I believe they displayed the district.