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Stonehenge May 30, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Bath , add a comment

Today was a perfect day for being outside so we took a tour to Stonehenge. The guide pointed out things along the route (50 minutes by bus). We were told that there is a crop circle in the lot next to Stonehenge but we didn’t see it at all.

We got to see the White Horse which is pretty cool but not the only one of its kind. There are many others similar to it. It is a huge carving of a horse on the side of a hill. It was done by removing the topsoil to reveal the rock beneath. The Celtics would do this to warn others that that hill was theirs and the stay away.

So at Stonehenge we got the free Audio guide that, for me, talked my ear off. But all the same, it was very interesting even though I had been there once before. I suppose it is one of those places you can visit a couple of times and enjoy it every time.

In the area around Stonehenge there are a considerable amount of mounds where important people were buried. These people would be buried with some of their belongings (jewelry, weapons, etc). Some times people were buries with their dog or horse too! And then they would put a huge pile of dirt, and sometimes, they would add ash from a cremation later on.

Stonehenge was built the first time by digging out a sort of trench and using wood instead of stone. They excavated the trench and found primitive tools that were carbon dated to reveal that the trench was dug over 5,000 years ago.  It was rebuilt twice after that using stones.Each time it was remade, the area inside the structure became smaller and smaller.

Bath’s Music Festival May 28, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Bath , 1 comment so far

This evening was quite  amazing. We went into town for the annual  music festival. It was apparently much larger but they have toned it down over the years. It was still great to see and be apart of.

There was a stage set up in the park situated between the river and the Abby. There was a guy playing his guitar when we first arrived. he was very talented but wasn’t that entertaining as a performer. Then a band of Indians started to set up and we weren’t that hopeful. But we were wrong! They were excellent performers that interacted with the crowd and made music that makes you want to dance.

They instructed the crowd in the beginning dance steps to Indian music (such as “changing the light bulb” or “brushing away the clouds”). It was so catchy that there were elderly people were up there “starting the scooter”.

When they finished playing the fireworks began and so we headed up to the Abby. The fireworks display was beautiful! It was very short (only ten minutes) but it was a good end to the evening.

The Cricket Match May 23, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : England , add a comment

Today we were pretty set on going to Stonehenge but then we got invited to go to a Cricket match. We thought to ourselves, “Stonehenge will be there every day, but going to a Cricket match is pretty rare for us”. So we got in the car with our host family and when we got there we discovered that admission was not 5 pound; it was 22 pound. Thinking that we weren’t going to experience Cricket, we were a bit depressed.

But Rob and Karen had an idea- go to a different Cricket match. There are apparently many of them going on all the time for different leagues. So we got back in the car and headed to the Bath Cricket Club, which both of their sons are members of, and watched a match between two teams from different areas of Bath (which is funny considering how small Bath is).The best part was that we got to experience it completely free!

It was an interesting experience since the spectators go to the game to only watch the game in between being social or even doing a crossword puzzle. It was completely different from what I have ever experienced at a sport event. The original game lasted about five days but the newer versions are much quicker (the 20/20 or the 40/40 matches). The game we saw was the 40/40 meaning each team gets 40 opens which consist of 6 pitches each (it still isn’t very quick). Right in the middle of the game they have a break for tea and sandwiches and throughout the game they take several breaks to have some juice.

It was hilarious in the way of the game taking so long. A player on the field spent most of his time against a wall with his girlfriend while the game was in play. He would get up and walk towards where the ball was headed and then, when it didn’t actually need him to do anything, he would go back to the wall and talk to his lady friend. Rob was making jokes about how the spectators just start clapping probably because they don’t know what is going on and someone else started clapping. Either that or people just clap when the players move around a bit (how many people actually pay attention?). Also, the game is so long that one has to pause the game and eat something? The whole thing is one big British comedy. Today was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we begin the work week again, so I’m not too incredibly sure if anything exciting will happen. Chris has been working with Rob to make his websites better and much more manageable while I move and sort kitchen supplies from their temporary storage area in the music room (they need the music room in working condition so they can reopen it to the guests for meetings and seminars). Although we’re thinking about taking an afternoon this week to go to Stonehenge since it will probably be less crowded during the work week.

Saturday In Bath May 22, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Bath , add a comment

So today was a lovely sunny day in Bath (and pretty hot) and we spent most of it in the city. We took a tour of the Roman Baths that are in the heart of the town and people watched for most of the early afternoon. Afterward we went to a garden party.

While in Bath it is interestinig to think that the city looks pretty and very old, but we were informed that the city was bombed in WWII and so only half of the old city remains. Bloomfield, the B&B we’re staying in, was not hit directly, but all of the windows facing towards the town were blown out. However, the city has made a great recovery since through its tourist industry (four million tourists a year). The houses in the old part of town are extremely expensive and there is the Royal Crescent which is possibly the most upscale you could get in Bath (an attic apartment costs around 600,000 Pounds).  Nicolas Cage and Johnny Depp both own houses around Bath.

I have been to the Roman Baths before but Chris had not, so we took an audio guided tour. It was amazing (even seeing it a second time)! However the audio guide was a bit lacking from what I remember the commentary being a couple of years back. A great example is the origins of the wishing well which came from the men throwing coins into the pool to watch the young boy swim after them as a form of entertainment (this has been changed to an offering to the gods).

This Roman Bath is situated on the only natural hot spring in the UK  and it became not only a place for recreation but also a temple for Minerva.  Many people came to the Bath for healing or,for military personnel, to ask for victory (Minerva is well known for being fond of battle). It was all very interesting and they have made tons of progress in the way of excavating artifacts from the bottom of the main Bath (people were notorious for throwing curses etched in a soft metal or “gifts” to the gods into the waters). Before the Romans, there were the indigenous people who didn’t live near the hot spring but the archeologists have found arrowheads and other small tools in and around the area of the hot spring.

After we found a nice coffee shoppe near the Baths and sipped at tea while people watching. It was hilarious! Some of the people looked as though their three year old dressed them and a hand full of others were in costumes! The people in costumes were looking for donations, so would make sense that they were trying to be eye catching. There were cow costumes, The Mario brothers, Bumble Bees, and many more.

Our host, Rob, has told us about a town near here that would be perfect for an afternoon of people watching. The people who inhabit it are apparently quite daft in the way of dressing. He said that they wear very Harry Potter-esque clothing (with the pointy hats and what not). That should be an interesting thing to see.

The garden party was lovely and primarily a social gathering (it was like a private picnic with only deserts). Our hosts for the evening were nice people. The man originally came from Holland and has the same interest in computers as Chris (they Geek-ed it up a bit talking about the conference Chris was just at in London) and his flatmate, a lovely young lady who is about to finish her degree in language studies.

Our hosts have given us the weekend off to explore and relax (also because Bloomfield becomes completely booked every weekend and so they don’t think they can get much of anything done while taking care of the guests). So, for tomorrow we have no plans yet but we’re thinking about visiting Stonehenge or perhaps one of the other rich and beautiful towns near here.

London To Bath May 19, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Bath, London , add a comment

Day three in London was nice. While Chris was at his conference I went to Ikea to see what they are like outside of the US. I got very lost for about 30 minutes after exiting the Tube station that the ad said it was at. I have since learned that when they offer a shuttle from another station, take it or be prepared to walk for an indefinite amount of time. It was interesting to see because the building was perhaps larger than the one I’m used to in Houston, and since European cities are always short on space, it was was amazing. The prices were even lower there too. I picked up a “Tea Towel” for 17 Pence which is a good size and I think it’ll come in handy for Picnics and such.

After three lovely days in London we headed to Bath, England to do some more Workaway. The place we’re staying at is a very nice and spacious B&B. The building itself is over 200 years old and is considered a historical sight. Our hosts are constantly working towards being eco friendly and encourage others to do the same.  Chris will be working on their website and possibly when we leave he will have another company to do SEO work remotely. There are some other opportunities for Chris to work his computer magichere long after we have continued our travels. It sounds promising but we shall see.

First Day In London May 18, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : London , 1 comment so far

The Ferry ride to the UK was quite the experience. I figured it would be a flat boat with cars and people intermingling with nothing to do for the long trip across the Channel. I was dead wrong! It was a full- blown cruise ship with four movie theaters, a couple of restaurants, and classes (like cooking and craft classes). There were even cabins people could rent. I was impressed. However, everything costs money, so I suppose, it was more like a moving shopping mall and hotel.

Today is the first official day in London but we arrived yesterday afternoon. We were going to go straight to the hotel and maybe walk around the area near the hotel, but while we were waiting in line to buy a one way Tube ticket, a lady approached us asking,”do you need zones 1 and 2?” and we confirmed. She gave us two day passes that she said she didn’t need. So, happy as a pair of clowns, we thanked her and went around the intercity for the rest of the day.

I am on my own today, for Chris is at his conference for most of the day. I went to Hyde Park and saw the chicks with their mothers (the Swans take great pride in their young and love to show them off). Besides the swans there is also the Egyptian Geese with their young (they looked really lazy and didn’t mind that I was practically hovering over them). The Egyptian geese chicks ran right up to me when I put my hand out which was adorable. I talked to a woman at the park and she said there were Coot chicks (little black fluff balls about the size of a Ping Pong ball) but I didn’t see them. It was quite lovely.

Looking to London May 14, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , 1 comment so far

So sorry for not posting in a while, we’ve been very busy between digging the pond and being social. The neighbors, Jeff and Lin, are currently hosting their first work away (he’s from Australia and this is his first work away job), so they have been coming over for tea or dinner. A nice lady from London, Alice, has joined us in our digging and it is her first work away experience also. So, needless to say there are a lot of laughs and stories of travel.

We’ve been experiencing new things with our hosts. They’ve introduced us to Jeeves And Wooster which is a comical show about a rich clumsy man(Hue Lorey) and his genius butler, Jeeves, who always has to fix the social problems that sprout up whenever Wooster is around (if you like Keeping Up Appearances, then you’ll love it). It’s hysterical! Then, there is a game called Tri-ominoes that we have been playing with Bob and Cory. It’s basically three sided dominoes which makes it a bit trickier. It’s a lot of fun though.

After a week’s work on the pond, we’ve finished digging and put the dam in place. We’ve had a lot of laughs in the pond (either get irritated at the amount of mud you get splashed with or you find some humor in the situation). This morning a duck came to inspect our work; it swam around a bit and left. I hope it tells its friends.

There were other animals we have seen while here, such as the Nutria. Also the dairy cows that make famous Normandy cheese (the main culprit of the pond filling with debris). I’ve been keeping my eye out for the cold-footed chicken and the sleeping sheep combination (let’s face it, they were made for each other), but it is just not happening for me.

We’re leaving on Sunday for London via the ferry and then a bus. The trip in total will be about seven hours and it costs around 100 pounds. Compared to the train (400 pounds), it is a good deal.

I can genuinely say I’m going to miss this place. Friendly people, beautiful scenery, and great food. We’ve been given two jars of Cory’s home made Chili Jam (think Chutney and we love it!), two bottles of pure Lavender oil, an oil burner, and a sachet of Lavender as parting gifts which we are mailing home. Somehow I get the feeling we’ve been spoiled which makes me sad for the next people we work for. I just can’t imagine how the next place could top this one, but we’ll see.

P.S. Happy belated Mother’s Day! And happy birthday to my mother. I hope it’s a good one!

Funny Surprises in Normandy May 8, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Normandy , 2comments

Today we went into town with Cory, our hostess, for some groceries and were told that it is a bank holiday. She gave us a tour of the town and in the middle of the tour we noticed that there was a bunch of young Marines unloading from a bus in the main square. They were in full uniform, including their large guns. It was hilarious because we figured they would march around, twirl their guns, or something, but nothing happened. They got into formation, their uniforms were inspected and adjusted (their leader reminded us of their mother, if their mother was a big well-decorated man), they moved  about twenty feet, and stood there for some time until we got bored and went into the grocery store.

So when we got back we headed out to the pond for some digging. Today we made a lot more progress than yesterday, but we also got stuck more too. The most memorable of the times was when Chris got stuck and went sideways into the mud and I went to help him, when my boot sank into the mud. He got out just fine, but I was pretty trapped because I wouldn’t put any weight on my right leg, for it would have sank too. So there I was knee-deep in the pond and Chris came to rescue me now. I grabbed onto his arm and pulled and out came my foot, no boot attached. So we spent about twenty minutes trying to dig my boot out while I did the flamingo in the pond. Then my other boot starts sinking… Needless to say, one of my socks is now very muddy.

For dinner tonight we had Curry  Chicken,which was very delicious and after we watched Cricket with Bob. We’re slowly beginning to understand how the game is played. They shared with us how the usual matches last for five days and when one goes to one is it for the social gathering more than the game. However, there is a new version that is much faster to gain the appeal of the younger crowd. Cricket is very complicated; everything about it is very specific down to which side of the ball is shined.Tonight the match was between South Africa and England (England won).

Sorry again about the no pictures in the post. We still haven’t figured out what is wrong; the Flicker button has disappeared.

Beautiful Normandy May 7, 2010

Posted by Chris in : Uncategorized , add a comment

We arrived in Flers, Normandy a couple of days ago and were and are stunned by the beauty of the region.  Yesterday, we spent a decent part of the day weeding the lavender gardens, a necessary chore to keep them growing at their best.  While weeding the gardens, we saw that there are two neighbors with sheep, Tiffany was ecstatic.  Near the end of our day, I glanced up and saw, in the field with 1 sheep and 2 lambs, that the adult sheep had a chicken perched on its back.

After we finished work yesterday, we had dinner and were informed that we would probably be cleaning out their pond today; the pond has become filled up with silt and other sediments flowing downstream.

Note: We are having some technical difficulties with inserting images
so we will be updating this post with images and further tales as soon
as we have that solved.

Two Days Left In Carassai May 2, 2010

Posted by tiffany in : Carassai, Uncategorized , add a comment

So Tuesday we should be moving forward to Normandy, France where we will be working at a lavender farm. The trip will take 10 hours over night for a total of 300 euro (the most expensive night we’ve ever spent here, considering it’s like a mobile hotel). We thought about flying there but the inflation is pretty bad (not to mention many of them are fully booked).

We’re pretty excited about the Workaway and this was a good experience for us, not to mention we’ve been talking to these people for about a week now and they seem pretty nice. They run a lavender farm that produces oil that are sold at a local shop.

So today was pretty much a day off. We kind of lounged around and watched  Doctor Who. Lunch was Spaghetti Carbonara with bacon, followed by salad and rabbit. It was delicious and we ate lunch with the whole family. It was special because we had rabbit that was raised at their house. Giuseppe was surprised to find his rabbits had multiplied.

We will probably take a walk down to the creek near here later this afternoon, so expect pictures! Ciao for now!