A Day At The Beach July 10, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentSo yesterday we went to the coast in Normandy and walked along the never ending beach (it’s a depositional beach, so it is forever growing). It was nice to take our shoes off and feel the sand between our toes. The water was beautiful but a bit chilly. We joked about the invasion and how it must’ve been (considering it’s such an ideal beach). Our host has said that if we were to get out the beach early enough that there is a chance that debris from the invasion can be found.
There was a lively crab that we stumbled upon in the shallow parts as we walked. With a bit of trouble (evasive maneuvering on it’s part) and a lot of fumbling, our host finally was holding the crab. Also, there were tons of Hermit crabs that scuttled about as the waves receded.
As we walked we saw the high tide line of shells and bits of other debris. It all seemed fairly the same as what you’d find on any beach, except there were Cuttlefish bones randomly along the beach in the high tide line. I knew they came from the fish and the fish lives in the ocean, but I never thought I’d see the actual bone that you’d find in a bird cage just out in the wild! Wild might be an over statement, but you catch my drift. There was also a unique part to the beach which was that the beach is so long there are various places where water seeps out of the ground from about 100 feet away from the actual water’s edge and it makes a shallow river that flows into the ocean. It’s pretty neat in a sense that it also fills any depressions in the sand, so there are various places where it dips down slightly so there is a foot of water where children were splashing around like it was an overgrown puddle. So after having a lovely walk along the beach, we went to a small village on the coast and had a soda at a local cafe.
We people watched and joked around with our hosts for a while. It was a beautiful, clear day so many people were in the town with their dogs and sun block covered children with long sleeves on (the French are a bit over protective in reguards to their children and the sun). Normandy really is a wonderful place (although the best part about Normandy is still the cheeses). I am not a huge fan of sandy beaches and the whole ocean theme, but I must say that this beach is my new favorite.
Today it was not as hot and so Chris and Carl burned the branches that they removed from the trees along the back of their property. It was amazing how tall the flames were and the heat that came off of it was quite impressive.
Back In Normandy July 8, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentIt’s been very difficult to find affordable or even cheap lodging and experiences as the summer progresses. We had a Workaway scheduled in Ireland for the time before we meet with my mother but the couple began hosting a person already, so they canceled on us. We continued looking and emailing other prospective hosts, but with no success. So being optimistic, we looked to the hosts we had in Normandy. But they were full too. However they had friends that need some extra help.
We arrived in Caen, France and received a friendly welcome by our new hosts, Carl and Kris. Their home dates back to the 16th Century and are lovely! There are a couple of cherry trees and a ton of wild cherry trees here that are perfectly ripe and ready to be eaten (needless to say, taking a break here is very nice!).
The work is pretty easy, I have been weeding the grounds with the lady of the house while Chris has been trimming the hedges with Carl.
Tomorrow We’re going to the beach with our hosts since it’s been such nice weather. Exciting!
Holland: Amsterday And Leiden July 2, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : holland , add a comment
- Image by chris181m via Flickr
On Wednesday we said our goodbyes to our hosts and got on an over night bus to Amsterdam via London. That was a poor decision. I figured I could sleep on the bus since I have no trouble sleeping in cars, but I now stand corrected. There was no sleeping until the final hour before we arrived, which made us even more groggy than before.
So after we got to the hotel and realized that our room was not ready for us since check-in time starts at 2PM and it was currently 7 AM, we left our bags at the hotel and went to the city center for some breakfast (small selection of places are open at that hour in Amsterdam) and anything to kill some time (I think we both really wanted a nap more than anything). Amsterdam collectively is not a morning person, if you catch my drift. Needless to say time crept by that morning.
So after getting checked in and having possibly the best nap of our lives, we went back to the city center for some people watching. Amsterdam seems to lack benches in most of the city, but there are many planters that work just as well and with lovely views of the canals. The entire city was decorated with orange banners and balloons for the World Cup (soccer), which the Netherlands won today, in case you were wondering. At one place that we went to there was a group of street performers that were break dancing. It was amazing!
- Image by chris181m via Flickr
Yesterday there was a heat wave of some sort that has continued on today as well. I suppose we should be used to much hotter (considering it’s about 90F around noon) but there are very few places that have air conditioning. So we sit and sweat where ever we go.
So today we packed up and headed to Leiden where Minas picked us up and introduced us to his family and to the duck that choose to turn their garden into her nursery. The eggs hatched some time yesterday, so the baby chicks were so tiny and fluffy. So we had to catch them so his children could hold them. Then the mother duck decided that it was time to go to the canal right behind Minas’ garden, so then the chicks got all confused and stuck on the wrong side of the fence (so we helped them get out to the water).
Then he took us for the Greek food that was delicious for dinner. After eating way too much we went for a walk around Leiden’s city center. This city is lovely! There were tons of people celebrating their soccer victory in the streets with loud music and a lot of drinking. Many people in their cars (or even the city buses) honked repeatedly and people in their gardens set off fire works and blew horns. I suppose we shall see what Leiden really looks like tomorrow after the clean up crew does their job.
As for the Work away thing any the remaining time we have before we meet with my mother in Ireland, we have a plane in Normandy to work at that is owned by a friends of one our previous hosts. We shall see!
Work And Play The Time Away June 28, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Bath , 1 comment so farThe time has seemed to fly by here in Bath. The other day we spent all day “working” (answering the phone/ looking after guests). You know, watching movies, eating Ice Cream, and playing cards with their youngest daughter. Claudia, their youngest, is such a joy to play cards with since whenever she is bluffing or cheating she bursts into uncontrollable laughter(which is contagious by the way). We have learned some new card games such as 3 Card Brag. Who would have known work could be this not workie.
One of their cats, Pepper, is expecting and is very round and whiny (maybe she’ll produce little Peppers before we leave). Also, the cat that was hit by the car is doing much better and is constantly meowing for attention.
- Image via Wikipedia
We accompanied the family to Oxford, where their oldest daughter attended college. They went there for her graduation; we tagged along to see the really old city. It was quite interesting considering that a lot of the buildings look like churches, but they are actually all schools. It looks as though academics has taken over this Georgian city! We wandered around and found a nice grassy area in the gardens of Christ Church.
The church actually looks more like a college than most of the colleges do. It is really old and very well kept. This church is famous for having employed both the author of Alice In Wonderland, Charles Dodgson, and Alice Lyndell’s father (although it is a bit ironic that a famous Pedophile would be employed by a church and they would advertise it with a sign in their garden).
We’ve had a great time in Bath with our host family and have learned many things “British”. Unfortunately we’re moving on to the Netherlands on Wednesday where we’ll stay with Minas, a friend of Chris’ father after making a stop in Amsterdam. We’re going to miss our new friends, but moving on is good since it means new places and new people! Exciting!
Day Trip To Wells June 6, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Bath , add a commentYesterday we went with our host, Rob, to Wells, a town south of Bath. We also accompanied him to some reclamation stores in that area. We also drove through Glastonbury which is an interesting town to say the least.
Well’s cathedral was lovely. There’s a cathedral that is the biggest one I have ever seen! You could probably fit Notre Dom in the entrance hall. Next to the cathedral there is the Bishop’s Palace. It was beautiful but it makes me wonder why the Bishop would need a mote and huge walls with slits in them for firing a weapon. Inside the Palace walls there is a green space that two men were playing Crochet.
We tried Tiffin yesterday for the first time (I don’t remember ever having it before). It was delicious! We bought it right outside the Cathedral where there were many stalls selling locally made goods.
Rob was looking for six somethings that are interesting to make the legs to the island unit that is going into their kitchen, so we all basically went through tons of reclaimed items, imagining what they could become. At one reclamation shop there was an old CCCP (Soviet) Army tank that we had to take pictures with using chris’ phone (we’d forgotten our cameras ). There were also many other decommissioned Army effects such as the shells of missiles and funny little armored cars. A different place had nearly enough parts of different churches to make a whole new one. Pews and all. It was very interesting to see!
Driving through Glastonbury is a lot funner than most places. The residents there have used the fact that their town is thought to have once been Avalon, home of King Author, so they dress the part and set up shops with funny names (such as Lancelot’s Windows and Doors). They dress like they were extras in the Harry Potter movies with the cone-shaped hats with stars on them and robes. They have really found their niche!
Stonehenge May 30, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Bath , add a commentToday 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 farThis 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.
Saturday In Bath May 22, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Bath , add a commentSo 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 commentDay 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.
Looking to London May 14, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , 1 comment so farSo 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!
