Monday, November 16, 2009

The Ollis' in Stonehenge

A few months ago in September we took a trip and stopped at Stonehenge. We had heard mixed comments about it so we weren't really sure what to expect. Many have said it's much smaller then they imagined.

The thing that surprised us both, that you can't see in this picture, is that there is a highway right next to the beautiful field that Stonehenge in on.

Although Stonehenge is fairly small, it's still a pretty amazing thing to see. It dates back something like 5000BC and the stones actually came from Wales. The fact that people were able to move stones that size, that far of a distance is impressive to say the least.



Some of the stones were less intact than I realized. Even though it was a windy, cold day the sky was clear and perfect for pictures!




A wall mural of the original structure in it's entirety.




Love that wind in the hair!





Just the two of us....




This was the B and B we stayed in that night, before heading to Bath the next day. This is a really, really old wind mill converted into a home and B and B. I'm sorry I can't remember it's age, or when it was converted! I do know it was abandoned in the sixties, so the renovation is fairly recent. It was a pretty cool place- the bed was round, Hunter had a little cot to sleep on, and the bathroom was great! There was a few steps up into it, and there was this nice jacuzzi! Breakfast the next morning was a little awkward though... there were two other older couples, so no other kids. We ordered pancakes to be on the safe side, but they were strange and had a weird apricot sauce....not our thing but it's fun to try something new.
So despite what others say, I definitely think Stonehenge is worth seeing! If you get the chance-take it! Or you can come visit us and we'll take you :)

~Candace







Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Veterns Day Salute


Thank you to all those who have served and are serving today. We appreciate your sacrifices to protect our country and its freedoms.

Special thanks to my Grandpa and his service in Germany. Will never forget what you did.

Another special thanks to my dad-in-law, brother-in-law, and of course my own special Sergeant.

Love you all.




http://media.photobucket.com/image/madingley+cemetery/TRAFALGAR22/Madingley%20American%20Cemetery/P7130492.jpg?o=5

This is a photograph of Madingley Cemetery. It is near Cambridge, England, about 30 minutes from where we live. It hold American soldiers from WWII. On Veterans Day a ceremony is held to honor those who gave their lives for their country.

We hope to one day be in attendance of that ceremony while in the UK.

Take time to thank a veteran today!

~Candace

Friday, November 6, 2009

Divided by a Common Language- round 1


NO language barrier? I'm not so sure!


The other day as we were taking the tube (subway) into London, a man said something that made me laugh. He and Aaron were having a hard time understanding each other. They were actually saying the same thing- just pronouncing the word differently. "I suppose we are two nations divided by a common language" the man said.
So, I thought I would publish a list of words that we've learned since coming almost 7 months ago. Some you may know, others not so much. Then there's a few that you just think, "What?"
The list became quite long, so I'm only posting part of it. I hope some make you laugh!
Pram- baby stroller
Bangers- sausage links
Cooker- oven
Car park- parking lot (ok, this one makes sense)
Rashers- bacon
Scones- biscuits (usually made with fruit of cheese)
Biscuits- cookies
Lounge- living room
Extractor- over head range fan for the stove
Water closet- down stairs half bath
Rubbage- trash
Hob- stove top
To let- for rent
Motorway- Interstate
Garden- yard
Boot- car trunk
Bonnet- car hood
Fueling station- gas station (that one is kinda duh)
Cheers- thanks or bye (very versatile word really)
Till- cash register
Quid- buck (as in money)
Mash- mashed potatoes
ATM- cash machine
SatNav- GPS
Chemist- Pharmacist
Trousers- pants
Pants- underwear
Cinema- movie theatre
Chips- french fries
Crisps- potato chips
Hoover- vacuum




More to come later!


Love to you all,
~Candace

The Beautiful City of Bath


Back in September we took a trip to Stonehenge and the city of Bath. Bath has to be the most beautiful city I've ever seen! (Not that I've seen a lot cities, but WOW!) It's very picturesque and romantic; and for some reason strangely quite. We saw the most famous tourist attractions, but there is SO much more. It would be easy to spend days there.
One of the most interesting things I learned there was that Jane Austin lived there, and drew inspiration for her writings from the beautiful area. There is a Jane Austin museum there I would like to eventually visit.

In this first picture is the famous Pulteney Bridge- though I'm not sure what it's famous for. Just on the other side of the bridge we found Aaron's new favorite shop, an antique map store. He purchased a map of the city we live in that is over 400 years old! For a little perspective, that's older than the Declaration of Independence!


We didn't get close enough to this monument to see what it really was, but I thought it looked like an exact, smaller Washington Monument!

The beautiful streets of Bath :)

This was beautiful to see in person.

For a funny (and a little disturbing) note: For those who have seen the movie Wall-E, remember seeing the pictures of all the captains, with Auto in the background? That's what the security camera behind the statue reminds me of...Big brother is watching!
The gorgeous Bath Abbey Church! This is still an active church today, and was originally founded in 1499! I would LOVE to attend one of their Sunday morning services. They are well known for performances from their choir and visiting choirs.

So, it took us a while to figure it out- but these were real people! They were really good, and we wouldn't have known if it weren't for them VERY slowly raising their cups to their mouth as if to take a drink. I can't imagine how uncomfortable it must be to be completely covered in gold paint!
This is the Roman Baths (hence the name of the town!). The hot springs were thought to have healing powers, which is why the Romans turned it into a bathing place (don't know about you, but public bathing doesn't sound good to me!). There is still a spa today! The original pump room has been turned into an elegant tea room, where you can also sample the hot springs water. It's warm and has a strong mineral taste, but if I live to be 200 we'll know why (I really don't want to live to be 200 for the record).

Second floor view of the baths.

Hunter touching the "healing waters." :)

So this was a first for us....it's not secret that the English like their cafes. Almost every store of reasonable size has it's own cafe. But a CHURCH with a cafe??

So that's the highlights of Bath! We definitely hope to visit it again while we're here in England. There's just so much to see and we didn't even put a dent in it. And it's just plain pretty!



~Candace