tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83270864001725152192024-03-13T12:41:12.204-07:00Rich-I-AmAn ordinary guy with extraordinary powers!Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-5771982686058669212012-09-25T03:03:00.000-07:002012-09-25T06:26:52.489-07:00Our Last DayToday is our last day in England. We've had an action packed 2 and a bit weeks going from London, to Durham and lastly down to Petersfield. In between we've seen and done a lot including the London Eye, Hampton Court, York, Durham Cathedral and Stone Henge. More importantly we've been able to visit with family and friends along the way. We stayed with Florie and Alan in Durham and visited with other relatives. We stayed with John in Petersfield and he spent a couple days taking us around the area. We had a great time with great people and hope to do it again one day.<br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-70157385574397904702012-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:002012-09-23T09:46:10.925-07:00My Travel PartnersI've been lucky enough to have spent the last 2 weeks with my parents
traveling England. I've really enjoyed traveling and exploring with
them and so I thought I would create a post of some of the pictures I
took of the two of them. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFRc43IoRbk/UFj20pLZxtI/AAAAAAAAAOs/-wASvjjJ98U/s1600/P1010153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFRc43IoRbk/UFj20pLZxtI/AAAAAAAAAOs/-wASvjjJ98U/s400/P1010153.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pimlico, near our apartment</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RKgF4b-SlL0/UFj241GIsqI/AAAAAAAAAO0/fDc_Bm6bEA4/s1600/P1010178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RKgF4b-SlL0/UFj241GIsqI/AAAAAAAAAO0/fDc_Bm6bEA4/s400/P1010178.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parliament Buildings </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSBfgwNHzJU/UFj28u8-VWI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xZhNb2XwzIM/s1600/P1010252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hSBfgwNHzJU/UFj28u8-VWI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xZhNb2XwzIM/s400/P1010252.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tube</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tPmGq1Rx0bA/UFj3BBbh8jI/AAAAAAAAAPI/3Qu7QnJvYIE/s1600/P1010322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tPmGq1Rx0bA/UFj3BBbh8jI/AAAAAAAAAPI/3Qu7QnJvYIE/s400/P1010322.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of a Double Decker bus, London</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjMPWbRYMfs/UFj3FOxHFNI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/F2Oi2x3xWMs/s1600/P1010381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EjMPWbRYMfs/UFj3FOxHFNI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/F2Oi2x3xWMs/s400/P1010381.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The London Eye</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsNnVVCm_qo/UFj3JbAJK5I/AAAAAAAAAPY/GUnVLBXOMBQ/s1600/P1010430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsNnVVCm_qo/UFj3JbAJK5I/AAAAAAAAAPY/GUnVLBXOMBQ/s400/P1010430.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The London Eye</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpu9d_UVorY/UFj3NdwwuSI/AAAAAAAAAPg/ws2T50mUEFI/s1600/P1010498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpu9d_UVorY/UFj3NdwwuSI/AAAAAAAAAPg/ws2T50mUEFI/s400/P1010498.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopped in for a pint</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiL1PY91S6Y/UFj3Rlyj8VI/AAAAAAAAAPs/SqThz6g5KyI/s1600/P1010789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CiL1PY91S6Y/UFj3Rlyj8VI/AAAAAAAAAPs/SqThz6g5KyI/s400/P1010789.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Britain at War Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hampton Court Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3fnV2Kw2Dc/UFj3esXhuoI/AAAAAAAAAQE/MwbIafvR6mk/s1600/P1020075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n3fnV2Kw2Dc/UFj3esXhuoI/AAAAAAAAAQE/MwbIafvR6mk/s400/P1020075.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train to Durham</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYGgeeQ0DpU/UFj3i--9mQI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/acZ44BP04z0/s1600/P1020126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BYGgeeQ0DpU/UFj3i--9mQI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/acZ44BP04z0/s400/P1020126.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feast with the family</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7V_U6zT2V4/UFj3nDpQCmI/AAAAAAAAAQY/aiyibosbLKA/s1600/P1020386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7V_U6zT2V4/UFj3nDpQCmI/AAAAAAAAAQY/aiyibosbLKA/s400/P1020386.JPG" width="300" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York Cathedral</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIUguBIaqTk/UFooWXh18pI/AAAAAAAAARc/JYDPjpl0kn4/s1600/P1020570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIUguBIaqTk/UFooWXh18pI/AAAAAAAAARc/JYDPjpl0kn4/s400/P1020570.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Durham .... with the Cathedral Towers in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8v1M6mXmr0/UF81RnMi5tI/AAAAAAAAAVw/c3djB84v6-U/s1600/P1020916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A8v1M6mXmr0/UF81RnMi5tI/AAAAAAAAAVw/c3djB84v6-U/s400/P1020916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The English Countryside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sY-gCyGSiJs/UF81k3yZM1I/AAAAAAAAAV4/3FlA8_3uz40/s1600/P1020967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sY-gCyGSiJs/UF81k3yZM1I/AAAAAAAAAV4/3FlA8_3uz40/s400/P1020967.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Henge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rVefE44tPT8/UF81ww1EknI/AAAAAAAAAWA/a0-7HItfFHY/s1600/P1030057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rVefE44tPT8/UF81ww1EknI/AAAAAAAAAWA/a0-7HItfFHY/s400/P1030057.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avesbury</td></tr>
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Thanks Mom and Dad for a great time and wonderful memories<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gDgespMOr48/UFj3WKAVNuI/AAAAAAAAAP0/QYOp-QQmcy4/s1600/P1010827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gDgespMOr48/UFj3WKAVNuI/AAAAAAAAAP0/QYOp-QQmcy4/s640/P1010827.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Mom and Dad !</td></tr>
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-24411563832519077342012-09-23T02:26:00.001-07:002012-09-23T02:26:18.207-07:00Stonehenge and More<span id="goog_562465372"></span><span id="goog_562465373"></span>Yesterday we all piled into John's car and headed out for a drive thru the beautiful English countryside where the houses are quaint, the roads are narrow and the rolling hills seem to go on forever. This took us to Winchester. There is, of course, a Cathedral among other things to see. We tried to see the "Round Table" of Knights of the Round Table fame but there was a wedding happening so it was closed to the public. <br />
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Next we headed off to Stonehenge. Unexpectedly it seems to be out in the middle of nowhere, still living in the middle of a field. True, there are highways nearby but there are no buildings that I could see. The Stonehenge itself was interesting because of mystery that surrounds it. Given the number of people who visit stonehenge, you can't get up close. That would change later in the day. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOfJaML3G8Q/UF7RHdhqCvI/AAAAAAAAAU4/3UmOrrqRRCs/s1600/P1020976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pOfJaML3G8Q/UF7RHdhqCvI/AAAAAAAAAU4/3UmOrrqRRCs/s400/P1020976.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonehenge</td></tr>
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We then decided to go to a town called Avesbury but not before stopping off a Woodhenge. You see, whoever made stonehenge made all sorts of henges in the south of England and they use different materials. The woodhenge didn't survive, being made of wood and all, but it has been re-created to give you an idea about how it looked. Woodhenge was followed by Avesbury which is a really cool place. Like the rest of the theme of the day ..... there is a henge here as well that surrounds the village. This henge is made of stone but the major difference is that it is totally accessible which I thought made Avesbury better than stonehenge. There are gates that let you into the fields where the stones are and these fields were full of sheep. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbZm3VRMzwU/UF7Tczae9wI/AAAAAAAAAVI/22Mciku211c/s1600/P1030056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbZm3VRMzwU/UF7Tczae9wI/AAAAAAAAAVI/22Mciku211c/s400/P1030056.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avesbury</td></tr>
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A great big thanks to John for driving us around and making this day happen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujDBxDmmz2k/UF7UhqGIvkI/AAAAAAAAAVU/d9aIaiEuhlU/s1600/P1030017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujDBxDmmz2k/UF7UhqGIvkI/AAAAAAAAAVU/d9aIaiEuhlU/s400/P1030017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As John would say .... the White Hair Brigade!</td></tr>
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-25790935246609986482012-09-21T14:48:00.001-07:002012-09-21T15:20:09.501-07:00MMMMMMM .... FoodAlthough the food in England is pretty much the same as in Canada I thought it would be good to share some of the meals I've had since being here. There are a few things that I wanted to have while here. One is the Bangers and Mash and the other is the scones with clotted cream and jam. Both were excellent but the scones-cream-jam combo wins. Eat it ..... eat as much as you can! It's excellent! And a big thanks to Florrie and Alan for making them for us. Anyways .... I've not been very good at taking pictures of food and drinks but I did remember to take a few so I thought I would post some of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tfvu7Ny7-Q/UFju-cwHc4I/AAAAAAAAAN0/4Fewvx5FZ4E/s1600/P1010601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tfvu7Ny7-Q/UFju-cwHc4I/AAAAAAAAAN0/4Fewvx5FZ4E/s400/P1010601.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pimms : An English summer drink. I love the mint</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q288OBKFwZ0/UFjvCToILSI/AAAAAAAAAN8/QpP9dScPTdg/s1600/P1010602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q288OBKFwZ0/UFjvCToILSI/AAAAAAAAAN8/QpP9dScPTdg/s400/P1010602.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach Salad .... Yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9NhQMlZZRhY/UFjvGcxa1CI/AAAAAAAAAOE/HpdV1Wcev2A/s1600/P1010849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9NhQMlZZRhY/UFjvGcxa1CI/AAAAAAAAAOE/HpdV1Wcev2A/s400/P1010849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bangers and Mash</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feast prepared by Florrie, Alan and their family</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It doesn't look like it but this is the strangest so for ..... any guesses? It's Pigeon with Blood Pudding and Peas and it was excellent! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scones, Clotted Cream and Jam .... excellent !!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steak Pie, with a something or other to let the steam out.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_79112101"></span><span id="goog_79112102"></span><br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-80478575747913698132012-09-19T15:18:00.000-07:002012-09-19T15:18:04.499-07:00Thank you Florrie and Alan !!Our time with Florrie and Alan is nearly at an end. We leave tomorrow morning, the 20th, for Petersfield. This post is to say a very grateful Thank You to Florrie and Alan for all of their very generous hospitality. We were well fed, toured around Durham, York and many places in-beween, and spent time talking about times past. I could not have imagined that we would be so well taken care of. Thanks!<br />
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Just so you know ... they didn't want me to post their picture but I unexpectedly found this one online <br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-66413802597827725442012-09-19T14:30:00.000-07:002012-09-19T15:32:49.294-07:00No Ordinary Public PathWhen I think of public paths I think of sidewalks and walking paths thru parks and such. In Durham they go one step further (pun intended). If you are walking along the road beside fields or paddocks you will see an unobtrusive green sign that says "Public Footpath". These paths lead thru the fields that contain the sheep and cows of the farms. You see ... it is the responsibility of the farm owners to ensure that there is a path thru their fields including the means to hop over the fence. So today I went for a walk around Florrie and Alan's neighborhood and made sure that I use the public footpath. To be honest the first few steps past the cows and sheep were a little bit nervous but they paid no attention to me and I enjoyed my walk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asked this guy to step aside .... but he persuaded me to wait :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A step over the fence</td></tr>
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-53338780051979232672012-09-19T14:11:00.000-07:002012-09-19T14:11:22.093-07:00Durham CathedralFlorrie and her daughter Rachel took us to Durham today. We walked thru the city taking us to the Durham Cathedral and past Durham Castle. This cathedral is much different than the York Cathedral in that the Durham Cathedral is of Norman design whereas the York Cathedral, although it was originally Norman, is now a Gothic Cathedral. The interesting part for me about the Durham Cathedral is that it is the first use of the pointed archway allowing larger and thereby heavier roofs and towers. Without this innovation the York Cathedral could never have been built. I know ... I'm showing my inner geek but I really enjoy that stuff. You can't take photos of the inside of the Durham Cathedral so these pics will have to do.<br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-26963191536825885592012-09-18T13:26:00.001-07:002012-09-19T13:36:19.059-07:00What a Shambles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today Alan and Florrie took us York. It's about 53 miles south of Durham. Like many of the cities of northern England there is a massive Cathedral in York. We spent a few hours checking it out. The mind blowing part for me is the constructions and design. I can't imagine how they built such a thing so long ago (Constructions started in 1080 if I remember right) with limited technology. From 1080 it wasn't until about 450 years later that it was considered completed. It has changed since then due to fires, partial collapse due to sinking foundation and other mishaps. Amazing!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York Minster</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York Minster</td></tr>
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Next we were off to walk along the original wall surrounding the city. It's about 3 km around and we walked a small section. I find the history surrounding England, just as I did with Scandinavia and Japan, to be amazing. Imagine all the people thru the ages who walk the same section of wall as we did and the stories that they could tell. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old city wall surrounding York</td></tr>
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We topped the day off with a walk around the streets or York. The most
interesting place was called the Shambles which is a narrow pedestrian
street with interesting buildings and tourist shops.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Shambles" in York</td></tr>
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Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-48021064198783908412012-09-18T12:58:00.000-07:002012-09-19T13:36:54.634-07:00England ... The Working MuseumWe went to a historical town called Beamish yesterday. They call it a "working museum" as the people who work here actually use the buildings and equipment as they did in the past. Most of the homes had fires lit and the workers were there baking or washing or whatever they were up to. It's set around 1800-1900 or so but there were buildings that originate from around year 1000. It's a typical historical town that shows how the people lived in the day. The buildings are old but as far as I can tell they look pretty much the same as those buildings and homes in the actual villages and town around Durham and I'm sure those all over England. This makes a lot of England a working museum as far as the buildings are concerned. Anyways, Beamish shows how the coal miners lived and worked back in the day. To say it was difficult work conditions would be an understatement. 8 hours in the mine working in virtual darkness without a mask or earplugs. The average life span of a miner was 47 years. There weren't many other options so the mine it was and for many from the age of 14. No Thanks!!! <br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-42990115396127892272012-09-16T14:49:00.000-07:002012-09-19T13:35:49.292-07:00Off to visit the relatives<span style="font-size: small;">There are 3 parts to our trip as I mention in my blog entry "What time is it ....... travel time". The first part was our time in London which has come to an end and we are now onto part 2 ........ Northern England. We have family that live in Durham and so a good part of yesterday (Sept 15th) was a travel day to the north. We took the train to Durham from Kings Cross which takes about 3 hours. I expected to see lush green rolling fields but since there has not been a lot of rain the last few weeks I saw dried, brown rolling fields instead. This is good because it means that we have enjoyed great weather since we've been in England and yesterday was no different. Arriving at the Durham train station we met with my mom's cousin's husband, Allan. We will be staying with Florrie and Alan while we are here. Luck has it that another of my mom's cousins, Jimmy and his partner Leanne who live in Toronto are also visiting and we have 2 overlapping days together before they leave. So after settling in, a group of us headed to the local pub to watch a football match between the local premier league team Sunderland and Liverpool. Several drinks later it was back home for a few more drinks and a lot more laughs. It was another great day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Today Florrie and Alan unexpectedly arranged a big gathering with family and friends. They put on a feast for about 20 or so and we talked, laughed and drank all afternoon. I managed to step away with mom and a relative, Mark, for a short walk near the house. It's beautiful as you can see. </span><br />
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Mom outside the pub<br />
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The fields surrounding Florrie and Alan's home<br />
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Florie and Alan's Home<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Florrie and Alan's Window</td></tr>
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-65954633268067769092012-09-14T14:14:00.000-07:002012-09-19T07:14:12.667-07:00Funny Mom PhotosSome of you know this and for others this is new info but my mom loves to take funny photos. She likes wearing hats, pretending to eat things, having things sticking out of her or anyone else's head, sitting beside any sort of statue or figure and that sort of stuff. She'll ask you to do it as well. This trip is no different. There are many of me and my dad like this on my mom's camera that I don't have access to but if I had them I would gladly share. I will add to this post along the way cuz I KNOW there will be more of these ........... Enjoy the pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Tower of London</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Wine Fountain inside Hampton Court Palace </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Wine Fountain inside Hampton Court Palace </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Durham Cathedral</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-47778097174158423442012-09-14T13:50:00.001-07:002012-09-16T15:06:39.430-07:00Off With Her Head !!<br />
Today was the best day so far for me. We made the effort to travel to Hampton Court Palace. It took us over hour by subway then train to get there but it was well worth it. For those who are not familiar Hampton Court is primarily remembered for being the main residence of King Henry the VIII. He's the tyrannical king remembered for beheading two of his 6 wives among many other things. This is an amazing place for anyone interested in his life and the life in the Tudor times. Also the gardens are truly amazing. We spent the whole day here and it is a must see if you have the opportunity.<br />
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Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-7591694623834635612012-09-14T13:43:00.000-07:002012-09-16T15:04:18.622-07:00Here There and Everywhere <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nbaj99y1Z-w/UFOV8oWlaLI/AAAAAAAAAJc/PAsZdkVbFFY/s1600/P1010693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nbaj99y1Z-w/UFOV8oWlaLI/AAAAAAAAAJc/PAsZdkVbFFY/s400/P1010693.JPG" width="300" /></a>I'm not going to go into too much detail about today as it was a busy day heading to many sites and we didn't make it to all that we had hoped. We started out Day 4 heading to the Tower of London. It was excellent and I was surprised to learn that it housed a veritable zoo with animals from around the globe. <br />
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Following a caffeine recharge we went to the Britain at war Experience. There were several things that were on display that were familiar to my mom as she spent the first 12 years of her life living in Britain. <br />
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Next was The War Rooms which are now called the Churchill War Rooms. This was a hi-light for me as I am fascinated with the second world war and the lengths taken to succeed. This underground bunker was used by Churchill and his staff along with the military leader to command the allied effort. Amazing!!<br />
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We followed this with a walk to Trafalgar square then a pub dinner. It doesn't actually sound like much but it was a long, exciting day.<br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-79513991302986908002012-09-12T15:24:00.002-07:002012-09-17T15:29:21.443-07:00Vancouver in LondonAliisa and I spent the day together exploring the suburbs east of London. We hopped on the #24 bus and rode until the end of the line which is Hampstead Heath. The bus was a great way to see the city especially if you get to sit at the top front of a double decker bus. Once there we explored a park called South Hill Park hoping to see some views of Central London which didn't work out quite as well as we hoped but still good. We wandered thru the side streets between the sometimes quaint, sometimes massive but always amazing homes. Wandering past a real-estate agent confirmed that even the smallest most humble abode was well ... and I mean ... WELL beyond my means.<br />
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We stopped for lunch at a small cafe and to my surprise there was a large, funky outline of Vancouver. I was totally not expecting to see that. Best to show the photo than try to describe it. (ya I know ... I'll Photoshop out that other person later :)<br />
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Our trip back proved to be interesting. We hopped off the bus at Camden as we noticed a market on our journey out. It's called the Horse Tunnel Market and this was a market like none I've ever seen. There were all sorts of stalls from Clothing and jewelry to ..... well ..... black leather chaps if you were needing to replace your shabby old ones. I know that my description doesn't seem to set this market apart from any other but believe me, this was a unique place for sure. For instance, if you were looking to have your feet pampered instead of getting the old, boring pedicure why not slip your feet into a tank full of fish and have or water bound friends take care of that dry, scaly skin. Maybe I'm just out of touch but WTF is that all about!?<br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-79114083026634696712012-09-12T14:38:00.001-07:002012-09-16T15:03:44.296-07:00"Eye" See<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 2 : <br />
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After a much needed nights rest it was off to Buckingham Palace. We had a 9:45am tour. It's an amazing palace as you probably all know and to be inside was surreal. It was a self guided tour with the audio playback things that you listen to while you walk. The tour sticks to the state rooms which was cool because I remember seeing many of these rooms in photos or on TV. Unfortunately the "No Photos" rule is strictly enforced and I wasn't about to chance it so if you'll have to do this one yourself. It's definitely worth it. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjq6uG1lOys/UFD_nMrQShI/AAAAAAAAAII/0tbQjgLxtBg/s1600/P1010346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjq6uG1lOys/UFD_nMrQShI/AAAAAAAAAII/0tbQjgLxtBg/s400/P1010346.JPG" width="300" /></a>This was followed by the Mews which houses the Royal horses and limousines. Pretty good as well but I found the palace to me more interesting. After a rest back at the apartment we took a double decker bus to the London Eye. Definitely worth the price of admission!! The views are amazing and it gives you a very good perspective of London. So we finish there head out on a walk across the bridge who's name I forget and we unknowingly walk to river boat cruise that happens to be included as part of the London Pass that we bought before arriving ...... so on the boat we go. There wasn't supposed to be commentary on the cruise but one fellow with the entrepreneurial spirit provided some great commentary along the 30 min trip to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. He explained about the many bridges and the buildings along the river as we traveled along. The hi-lights for me were the replica of Shakespeare's theater The Globe, and of course The Tower Bridge. We didn't go into the Tower of London as it was getting late and they were closed. We were getting a bit chilly so we went to warm up with a pint at a nearby pub then found ourselves on the tube back "home". A successful day for sure!<br />
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<br />Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-31555114099210916042012-09-12T14:26:00.000-07:002012-09-12T14:26:38.257-07:00Nice work Mom!<br />
Sorry about the delay in blogging ..... had some issues with time and internet but I intend to post regularly from now on. <br />
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After a gratefully uneventful flight we arrive at Gatwick Ariport. It took us longer than expected to get thru customs and immigration (about an hour and a half) and nearly missed the driver that we hired ahead of time to take us to our Hotel. Luckily he waited for us and took us to the Dolphin House Hotel in Pimlico. <br />
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Now about this hotel. It is an amazing place which is actually a section of the larger Dolphin House Complex. There are 8 "houses", each being a full fledged apartment block. The property also includes a restaurant, bar, fitness centre, Spa and a large outdoor common area in the middle. Our apartment is amazing thanks to mom's finely tuned bartering skills. We had booked a two bedroom one bathroom apartment and as we are checking in she cleverly asks "can we get an apartment with 2 bathrooms?" to which the desk agent must have heard ..... "We want a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom pad with separate living room and kitchen ........ or I'm gonna pop a cap in yo a**!" because this guy gave us just that!! So now we are staying in a massive apartment (it's gotta be 1000 -1200 square feet) with more room than we know what to do with. Nice work "gangster mom"!! <br />
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After checking in we went met up with Aliisa and went for a walk along the River Thames to parliament house and back where we promptly nodded off. A good first day.Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-32986121572306624672012-09-08T11:57:00.002-07:002012-09-08T11:57:42.451-07:00What time is it? ............ TRAVEL TIME!!It's that magical time of year that I always look forward to, Travel Time! Here's the plan. I'm off to England for about 2-1/2 weeks along with my Parents. During that time we will meet up with my friend Aliisa (see the Finland posts) for the time that we are in London which is for our first 5 days. The following 5 are spent in and around Durham which is in Northern England and the last 5 days will be in and around Petersfield which is in Southern England. I'm Hoping to have some great adventures along the way to post here. We leave Vancouver at 3:30pm tomorrow Sept 9th and arrive at Gatwick airport at 9am on Sept 10th. Can't wait, let the fun begin!!<br />
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Cheers!Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-58769291413394220672011-09-23T00:43:00.000-07:002011-09-24T10:12:44.483-07:00Last Post ...I think I'll wrap up my blog about this trip now. I'm at the airport in Amsterdam waiting for my flight to Seattle. There are more things that I could have written about like the boat hostel in Stockholm or the thrift shop that was owned by Canadians and filled with Canadian and American second hand clothes. The weather, the people, the drunk man on the ferry and on and on. But that is all behind me now. The only thing that I have left to say is THANKS to Aliisa for making this trip what it was. She organized most (and when I say most I mean all) of the things that we did. Tallin, the ferry to and the flight back from Stockholm and the two (how lucky am I) hockey games that we went to .... and more. They have called my row to board so I'm gonna have to go now. <br />
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Thanks Aliisa !!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e61Sa5luBfc/Tnw4FiYDl4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/6waGvuhoCPg/s1600/P1030058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e61Sa5luBfc/Tnw4FiYDl4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/6waGvuhoCPg/s400/P1030058.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-1685368747873131742011-09-22T11:59:00.000-07:002011-09-22T11:59:14.413-07:00Swedish Elite League<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Aliisa organized to go to a Swedish elite league game. Amazing experience. I thought that the fans in Finland were crazy but the Swedish take the cake for sure!!! The riot police were out in force before the game and they were not sitting idle .... they were moving the hooligans along while we were waiting in line to get into the stadium. There were clearly two sides in the stadium and they had a serious hate for each other. They don't even sit in their seats .... they stand on them! It was Mayhem ..... and a lot of fun! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwdhcD_I9MxFYAetwSEKlublsJEXCVfau2tHOpLiE97pjdroKtEhh88ky3ivrw82YuBN5sWjCNMwsK5JYjmIg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-15368201140444460522011-09-22T10:53:00.000-07:002011-09-22T12:02:46.516-07:00Stockholm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Ferry docks right in the heart of Stockholm so you get an excellent view from the ferry. A beautiful city for sure! The buildings of the old city look so closely packed it hardly seems possible to navigate between them.<br />
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Later in the day after making our way to the hostel we went to the old city. It is even more impressive up close! If you ever come to Stockholm check out the old city. I was impressed with the old city in Tallin but this is decidedly better. Many of the buildings date back to the middle ages. We had lunch in a dungeonous restaurant below the city. We walk through the narrow cobble stone streets, checked out the shops, listened to the sounds and smelled the smells of the city. An amazing experience. <br />
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The next night we went back to see the city at night and it was again very impressive. Like walking through a movie set or something. I don't think that the below pictures do it justice but have a look for yourself.<br />
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We headed to the decks that were above the water line and had a look around the boat. There are 3 bars in total and pretty much everyone is in one of the three. It was pretty funny as the music was from the 50 – 70's and I would say and the average age was about 105. The cruise line clearly caters to the majority crowd. Anyways .... we hung around listing to what sounded like polka for a bit and continued exploring. Karaoke, an English style pub and some roulette (lost 10 euros) rounded out the night. <br />
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One of the things that people do is they go to the duty free shop and buy a bunch of alcohol and then they get their drink on in a big way. You could see the blurry eyes on the breakfast buffet crowd the next morning. While eating breakfast, outside the windows were the Stockholm archipelago. It reminded me a lot of the islands between the mainland and Vancover Island. A few hours later we were in Stockholm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LkC4f8FN8Zw/TnttLSG70EI/AAAAAAAAAHY/xNGU0Fdfk6M/s1600/P1030584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LkC4f8FN8Zw/TnttLSG70EI/AAAAAAAAAHY/xNGU0Fdfk6M/s400/P1030584.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-50656846671918493922011-09-22T10:04:00.000-07:002011-09-22T10:22:25.747-07:00Rudloph for lunchIt's been a few days since I've had the chance to post. A lot has happened and the next few posts tell the story. <br />
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So, before boarding the ferry to stockholm we went to lunch at a traditional Finnish restaurant. Luckily Aliisa's frined Siina's mother works there and except for one other table we had the whole place to ourselves. This made for a great lunch :) Finnish food is pretty hearty. Stews, meat, potatos ... etc. There was bear, elk and other meats but I knew as soon as I saw it on the menu that I would have the Reindeer. Yes ..... Rudolph was on my plate :) It was excellent of course! Christmas has been cancelled .. sorry children of the world but ... I was hungry. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVU-JGMX1rM/TntqVXDLg_I/AAAAAAAAAHM/p7TAloHMhnc/s1600/P1030496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVU-JGMX1rM/TntqVXDLg_I/AAAAAAAAAHM/p7TAloHMhnc/s400/P1030496.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-55501021537509399412011-09-19T02:17:00.000-07:002011-09-22T10:23:18.941-07:00The next few days :In a few hours we are heading to Stockholm, Sweden. I'm really excited as I have never been. I've not done a lot of research so I don't really know what to expect. I suppose it will be a lot like Finland but we'll see. We take a ferry to Stockholm which takes about 15 hours. 2 nights in Stockholm (and one hockey game!) and then fly back to Helsinki Thursday. I'm going to try to update this blog while I am there but I'm not sure I will be able to. If not I'll post again on Thursday which is my last night before returning home. The time is going very fast of course with all these new experiences. It's not over yet though ..............Rich_16http://www.blogger.com/profile/11617934243066589591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8327086400172515219.post-50246152375818000042011-09-19T02:03:00.000-07:002011-09-22T10:23:46.222-07:00Oh Baby!So yesterday morning was a special day for Aliisa's family. Her sister Josefiina had a baby boy. 4 kilograms. His "temporary name" is Sulo. Congratulations!<br />
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Aliisa and her new nephew - Sulo <br />
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The previous night we went to Miia and Lauri's place. I had met them in Vancouver so it was good to see them again. They actually had a friend from Vancouver staying with them so it was a bit strange to hear someone who sounds like me. While there I tried some of the Finnish "Tar" alcohol. Yep ... that's what it's called. It smells like smokey BBQ sauce to me and it tastes better than it smells. Apparently it's made by burning pine cones and ..... well ..... from there I can't see any way of making alcohol, but they did. <br />
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One thing you'll notice soon after visiting Finland is the drinking culture. The Finnish know how to drink. Drinking in public is totally acceptable and you see it every day. This is totally different to Vancouver of course so it is a bit strange to see so many people doing it. Just go out on a Friday or Saturday night and the streets and squares of the city are full of people drinking and having a good time. <br />
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So here is a funny video. While at Siina's house we took her dog Milo for a walk. I don't think Siina will let me take Milo ever again.<br />
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