Joyeux Noel en jolie Paris!

Well our 10 day Christmas and New Year trip is off to a fabulous start – three days in and it’s hard to imagine going back home to London!

The tour kicked of bright and early at 6.45am in East London on Christmas Eve, where we set off for Paris, France. We’ve become old hats at crossing the English Channel, but in no way were we prepared for the stormy seas and swells that caused almost the entire boat to turn green and run for the bathroom. If you weren’t feeling sea sick, the smell and sight of people vomiting left, right and centre, with some poor sods not even making it to the bathroom, was enough to turn anyone’s stomach. Both Brad and I were queasy as anything, as was our new friend Alicia. Her boyfriend, Rob, had a stomach as strong as steel though after growing up in Paihia and working on the fishing charters. He gave us the handy hint of looking out the window, but although this kept the vomit at bay, it didn’t stop us running outside just in case... Eventually we embarked in Calais and exchanging war stories, we hopped back on the Expat bus and drove on in to France.

We got to Paris at 4pm and we spent a few hours checking out our hotel room, which was in Jaures and although not completely central, it’s just a few mins walk to the Metro station, as well as walking down to the local boulangerie for a very late lunch! We were supposed to stop for lunch but as our English driver had to get back to his wife and family for Christmas and his plane had been cancelled due to the snow, we pressed on ahead.

The group, which is split up into two different buses, then set off on the beginnings of an exploration tour. Paris is the biggest city in Europe and there is just so much to see, so splitting it up over three days was a good plan. Which is why we found ourselves on Christmas Eve outside the breathtaking Sacre Couer, pinching ourselves at our good fortune. Inside was just as gorgeous as the outside and we lit a candle for Nanny and Desna, as we have done in all the beautiful cathedrals we’ve visited.

Next stop on the tour was Montemarte, a little section of Paris situated on the highest hill. People split up to have dinner, but as Brad and I weren’t hungry, we braved the cold and instead opted to wander around the little cobbled alleys popping into souvenir shops in search of a Parisian ‘little thing’. Not surprisingly there are a million souvenir shops in Paris (not an actual fact, although there are approximately 20,000 cafes and restaurants) with each shop’s merchandise just as identical and crappy as the last! We didn’t walk away empty handed though as we purchased a Paris corkscrew to open the bottle of red wine we had brought earlier in the day... That’s another fact about Paris I’ve forgotten to mention – the wine is amazing and ridiculously cheap! We’re talking between €1 – 5 a bottle!

The tour finished up outside the Moulin Rouge where we took the ubiquitous photos, before calling it a night. A few others were continuing on to the pub crawl, but we decided against it as we’d had an early start, it was Christmas Eve and we were like walking ice-blocks. Did I mention it’s freezing and it’s only going to get worse the further we venture?!

Christmas Day got off to a ripper of a start, after I opened one of my Christmas presents from Brad to see a play ring and a note from Brad asking me to marry him. I was rather shocked and sat there rather confused for a good few seconds before of course saying yes! He picked his moment right – I was lying in bed, hair all over the show, looking like death warmed up! But not for long as we soon jumped up and rung our families before fleeing down for breakfast (included as part of the tour)! A very happy, yet surreal occasion and the past few days have felt very weird, albeit a lovely weird feeling of course! So here we are Christmas day, newly engaged, stuffed with baguettes and cheese and off with the rest of the group to continue the tour around Paris!

We saw some beautiful sights including the opera house, Palace de la Concord (Paris’ largest park), The Louvre and Notre Dame, before heading to the Latin Quarter for Christmas lunch! Keeping with the traditional Christmas theme we opted for snails and frogs legs, among various other things and alongside Rob and Alicia, we gorged ourselves silly on all things nasty and nice. Snails are not bad at all – like, as we all agreed, a seafood mushroom! Frogs legs, on the other hand, are another matter all together. They actually come out looking like half a frog, including spine and dangly floppy legs with little frogs feet still attached. They smell a little fishy and taste similar to chicken, although the floppy legs seem to detract from the actual taste and you can’t help but freak out with each little nibble!

After lunch Rob, Alicia, Brad and I decided to ditch the group, heading to check out Paris’ iconic sight – the Eiffel Tower of course, followed by a scenic cruise on the Seine River. After finding out that the Eiffel tower was closed due to the frost and snow and the Seine tours weren’t operating thanks to the high water level from the snow, we decided to wander around the beautiful Christmas markets, sipping at mulled wine, before making our way down the Champs-Elysees. The Arc de Triomphe was lit up in all its glory, which we appreciated by taking a few photos and admiring the sheer carnage caused by the Christmas traffic. You might be interested to note that you cannot get insured to drive around the Arc de Triomphe and looking at this intricate and crazy intersection, it’s easy to see why!

Next stop was a restaurant on France’s most famous street, the Champs Elysees, where we drank plenty of red wine and stuffed ourselves silly. Brad opted for another famous French dish, Beef Carpaccio, which is raw beef, while I went for the safer pasta option. Three bottles of red later, we hit the streets, stopping to check out the street performers and pick up some crepes from the Christmas market... Because it’s Christmas after all and if you’re not disgustingly stuffed to the point of sickness then you’re doing something wrong!
This morning, after a breakfast of cheese, baguettes and yoghurt, we set off with Rob and Alicia for another full day of sightseeing. This time we were in luck as the Eiffel Tower was open, although only to the second viewing platform, which was high enough for us. Next time we’ll come back in summer and head straight to the top as apparently the view is like something straight out of Google maps!

Of all the sights we’ve seen and the places we’ve been (what a rhyme!), the Eiffel Tower is definitely the most breathtaking. You think because it has been so over-exposed that it won’t leave you in awe, or literally leave you rooted to the spot, but it is truly magnificent. Just amazing – so tall, prolific and absolutely astonishing. I appreciate that there are a lot of adjectives in this sentence, but I’m just trying to convey an ounce of the effect it has – it’s such a sight to behold. We’ve been lucky enough to have been able to explore for three days so we’ve seen and appreciated it at many angles and many different times, but each time you just find yourself gobsmacked and reaching for the camera yet again!

It was at the Eiffel Tower that we picked up our ‘little thing’ – a mock of the rivets used to bind the tower together. Very different and not at all like the usual touristy crap you see being tooted on the streets or littering the shelves of shops everywhere! We love it.

Next stop, the Seine River, where we were lucky enough to jump on a cruise – high river and all! A lovely way to travel, despite the sub zero temperature!

Lunch was spent at the Christmas market where again we over-indulged in crepes, frites, sausages and baguettes, before heading to the mighty Louvre museum... Something that I was very excited about, yet strangely nervous as well given we were about to see world-renowned and revered artworks by some of the greatest artists to have ever lived... Needless to say we rushed through the Louvre, heading straight to Mona Lisa. It was impossible to miss thanks to the huge crowd and flashing cameras, despite the ‘no flash’ signs littered everywhere and practically tattooed onto your face when you entered the building! Honestly, why people couldn’t just turn their flashes off is beyond me. She was amazing, although a lot bigger than we expected after everyone cops on about how tiny it is. It’s a good A2 size, which is more than big enough and the whole experience was very surreal! We also saw Venus de Milo’s Aphrodite statue, as well as countless other works!

Next thing you know we’re stuffing our face with chocolate flan, well I am to be fair, Brad is sipping politely at an iced Mocha and we’re struggling to stay awake! We all decided to head home via Palace de Concord, followed by the supermarket to pick up another seven bottles of wine. When in Paris after all!

Paris has been crazy – so many surreal experiences all in the one Christmas weekend! I’m not going to be able to leave the hotel in Jungfraujoch as I’ll need a good long while to recover. We have an early start tomorrow and the bags need to be in the bus by 6.15am, before arriving in Interlaken, Switzerland in the evening.

We’ll love and leave you now but you’ll no doubt hear from us from Switzerland. We’ve been thinking of you and missing you all – even more than usual given the festive season.

Lots of love,

Me and my fiancé!

xxx

IncrediLille, but ever so inediLille

What a weekend – but with blizzard-like conditions in London, a car with free petrol, and a famous French Christmas market, why not nip over to Lille, France for the weekend? This was precisely our line of thinking which is why myself, Brad, Philly, Ryan and Jess set off Friday evening armed with plenty of food, drink and sleeping bags just in case we had to sleep on the side of the motorway on account of getting snowed in. It sounds ridiculous, but after hundreds of commuters had to do this very thing last week, it was a situation that wouldn’t have surprised anyone if it had of eventuated. Thankfully and most surprisingly, we had no trouble on the roads – something which could be put down to the fact that no one else is as stupid, but I prefer daring and free-spirited! Although it did get to -11 as we were driving to Dover, so who knows how free-spirited we would have been if we had to spend the night on the side of the road in a car without heating!

The ferry ride over was delightful (there is no other word of it really) on account of a delicious picnic Brad had prepared that day and I’m not just talking chips and chocolate. Think spinach quiche, sweet chilli pesto and grilled cheese pita bread dipping sticks, baguette with hummus and dips, carrot sticks, muffins – the works! A few of the tender bellies amongst us didn’t even get seasick which was grand as it meant we could sit back, relax and enjoy our cider, or coffee in Brad’s case.

After disembarking in Calais and stopping to pick up some supplies, we made it to Lille just after midnight (11pm British Standard Time) – just in time to play a few cards over a few social drinks... Or so we thought. After I bailed out at 3.30pm on account of nearly falling asleep at the table, the team continued on with the festivities until the early hours... and I do mean early hours. At 6am I had to get up and tell them to keep the blimmen racket down and to gently remind them that we had a whole day’s adventure to look forward to in just a few hours. This went down with a lead balloon and after I was accused of being a ‘fun sponge’ (sees the fun and soooaaakkks it up!) I gave up and went back to bed!

Needless to say the next day started a little later than originally anticipated, but nevertheless the team were in relatively fine form. We stayed in an apartment right in the centre and in the thick of the action, so after a quick stroll through the streets of Lille, which borders France and Belgium, we were at the Christmas Markets. Given the late night, nobody was particularly hungry so we strolled around the markets, soaking up the Christmas atmosphere and listened to the French versions of Christmas Carols. After a while though we decided to venture to a local restaurant for food, local being the key word here. After navigating my way through the menu and providing translations where I could, Brad and Ryan decided they wanted to order the sausage. Sausage didn’t seem to be on the menu, but I asked the waiter who confirmed this fact... Most confusing as Brad and Ryan pointed out a woman who was stuffing her face with what seemed to be sausage, but we brushed it off and just ordered two of what ‘she was having’, or andouillette. We usually adopt a ‘when in Rome’ philosophy whilst travelling and we all ordered a traditional Northern French dish, but what we were served defied belief... It really blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. After Ryan enthusiastically cut off a slice of his sausage and started to chew, no-one thought twice of the confused look on his face... That is until Brad took a bite just after him... After pushing their plates away in confusion and disgust, they both declared that there was no way on earth they could eat it... Confused Philly, Jess and I leaned forward to try it for ourselves, but none of us got further than halfway before the over-powering stench of faeces hit us... And this, I swear, is no exaggeration. We were sitting there gagging away, even more so when we looked at the old French bird going to town on it... My meal of moules (mussels) was inoffensive, but gritty as can be and Philippa’s croquettes were filled with fish parts, including what looked like a little worm! Jess escaped relatively unscathed with a croquet monsieur (similar to a ham and cheese toasted sandwich), but after being surrounded by the stench of faeces, who really feels like tucking in to a toasted sandwich?

When the waiter came back our worst fears were realised when he confirmed that andouillette was ‘pork insides’ and with a smug French smirk, most certainly wasn’t sausage! Still curious, a quick Google search confirmed that andouillette was in fact pig colon and, according to the Things That Stink website, is only for those “who don’t object to the taste or aroma of faeces”. Needless to say, we had all lost our appetite...

After our bite of lunch, we headed back to the town square where we had a look around the shops, explored the city and even took a ride on the giant Ferris wheel in the centre of the Christmas celebrations. While the view was amazing, the snow and wind made it FREEZING, not to mention the fact that it was ridiculously high and we were doing more than just shaking like leaves... For some odd reason, when the wheel stopped while we were at the top to let more passengers on, we were suddenly greeted with the smell of andouillette! It was a great experience though and all for just €4.

We spent the rest of the day wandering through the streets, having snow fights and eating crepes – tres beau!

That night we decided to head to the local supermarket (which can only be described as a hypermarket as it was that big) and pick up some snacks for dinner and a few drinks. After defrosting and eating up a storm we decided we couldn’t face heading out into the blizzard again, so we stayed tucked up in bed, watching weirdo programmes on TV with me translating wherever I could, playing Hide and Seek and various other childhood games. A great night!

Sunday morning we set off into the depths of Lille, stopping at a famous French cafe chain called Paul for a French breakfast – this time sans pig anus – before venturing out into the Christmas markets again. Mulled wine, crepes, waffles filled with vanilla cream... this market really did have it all! We picked up our token ‘little thing’ for our shelf, which was a Christmas crèche which is essentially a wooden egg with a little nativity scene inside. It sounds a little crazy, because it is! After waltzing around the town, we decided to head off back to Calais, via Dunkirk, or Dunkerque as the French say, which as you may know was made famous by the allied evacuation during WWII. After a little frolic on the beach, we set off for Calais where we enjoyed a dinner of McDonald’s, French style. After our adventurous weekend of eating, we felt we were more than entitled for something a little more straight forward!

Our trip back on the ferry was lovely and passed very quickly thanks to 101 games of cards, and before we knew it we were back at home and once again setting our alarm clocks for the following morning – depression!

One of my favourite parts of the weekend was getting to practice my French – the French are renowned for being a little anti-English and many refuse to speak English at all. We didn’t mind though as I knew enough to get by and even when I didn’t, asking ‘Excusez-moi, mais parlez-vous en l’Anglais?’ (pardon me, but do you speak English?) usually won them around!

It was a delightful weekend with delightful friends. The snow really does make everything so beautiful and I’ve surprised myself at how accustomed I have become to the cold. If you wrap up to the nines (and I’m talking two pairs of pants minimum), you can easily manage. You just need to allow an extra 10 minutes either side for taking off and putting on the endless layers!

Up until this weekend we haven’t felt very ‘Christmassy’, which we put down to the fact we were away from home, but now we’re starting to get those festive feelings as we walk through piles of fresh snow, sip on mulled wine, gaze at the fairy lights and sing along to carols – it’s almost impossible to not feel a little jolly. To top it off, there’s a Christmas celebration on every second night, so not even the Ebeneezer Scrooge could fight of the festivity!

Love you all and thinking of you all in sunny New Zealand. As I type this it is 3pm and the sun is already setting... Hmmmmm!

xxxx

A Wales of a time

Hello everyone from a freezing cold London – so cold that we are expecting a snowing downpour in just one hour’s time. Pretty blimmen cold!

This weekend we headed to Cardiff for the highly-anticipated All Blacks game which we purchased tickets for during our first few months in London, and despite the severe weather warnings and the snow, off we set on Friday evening after another week of work. As always, traffic was terrible but we arrived in Cardiff just before 9pm, so it could have been a lot worse and by other reports, we seemed to fare quite well.

We met Ryan (flatmate) and his mates as the bar where they were drinking with the bar-man and the father of the owner, Douggie. After a few drinks we headed out to meet up with the rest of Ryan’s friends, who were staying at a different hostel. All in all there were about 10 people who officially made up the ‘Cardiff crew’, plus all the random people you bump into from back home, of which there are always a few! We had a grand night heading home via the infamous ‘Chippie lane’ – a place where you can get deep fried food for cheap at any hour of the night... After a few onion bhajis, a pizza and a few cones of chips, we were ready for bed.

Despite our every intention not to, it ended up being a big night and we got to bed at about 4.30am, waking up at 8am to put some money into the parking metre – not the best start, but the atmosphere was epic which made the lack of sleep worth it. After the boys had a few morning drinks with Douggie and I had spent an hour putting on as many clothes as I possibly could, we set off and after the obligatory snowball fight, we settled into a Welsh bar and managed to score a table – no mean feat given half hour later you couldn’t move on account of it being packed with so many people.

The game was really out of this world and the whole thing was such a surreal experience. The stadium is huge and so steep – our seats were at the back and the merest glance down was enough to turn my stomach. I clutched that hand rail pretty tight when making my way up and down the stairs. A real highlight for us both was the minute of silence in memory of the miners – 80,000 people fell silent and you could have honestly heard a pin drop. It was certainly an experience we will never forget.

After the game we set off to a bar called Tiger Tiger – a great spot, which was rumoured to be hosting the mighty Abs later on in the evening. While we didn’t see any current Abs, we did happen to spot Paul Tito and Casey Laeulala and I just managed to restrain myself from telling him you’d named your cat after him Mum! We had a great night dancing away, but true to form, I couldn’t last as long as the other boys and Ryan walked me home a few hours before the rest of them stumbled in. Because Ryan has spent a bit of time in Cardiff before, we just followed him around the weekend and never learnt our way... It was welcome relief to not have to navigate, but at the same time Ryan was not impressed he had to leave the warmth of the club to accompany me home through the blanket of snow and -5 degree weather!

The next day we decided to take the scenic route home, darting off to wherever took our fancy. This is always a great approach and although it often brings added stress with a longer route and additional traffic, often you stumble across little gems that make the stress worthwhile... This time was no exception and we managed to stumble across one of the prettiest places to date – Caerphilly. A small village north of Cardiff which is home to a medieval castle, complete with moat and a leaning tower, which rivals that of Pisa (or so says Lonely Planet). Snow had freshly fallen the night before and the sight really did take our breath away. The snow was like powder – so much so that we could barely make a snowball, let alone a snowman. Brad managed to muster through it though and produce our very first snowman of the season. Despite only being 20cm tall it was a snowman all the same! After all that work in the snow, we were frozen solid and the only option was to head to a cosy little pub for a Sunday roast – Turkey for me, lamb for Brad – bloody good tucker! It was the best pub lunch we’ve had and despite having just had a hearty dinner as well as a supper of peanut butter on toast, my mouth is watering at the thought of it!

After lunch we slowly made our way back to London, skidding around the ice on those smaller roads, so we stuck to the main roads which had been salted, arriving back in London at around 5.30pm. A perfect day to finish a perfect weekend!

This weekend we’re off to Lille, France with the flatmates and Philly to check out the famous Christmas Market... We’ll be experts by the time the week is out as we’re also heading to the famous Winter Wonderland Christmas Market in Hyde Park tomorrow evening.

After a snow-filled weekend though I have managed to pick up my first bout of the English flu and was sent home from work today on account of looking dreadful.... Teary eyes, runny nose and continuous sneezing – not fun and I’m anxious to kick it in the bud as I don’t want it to interfere with tomorrow night’s ice-skating and mulled wine escapades!

Love to all in sunny New Zealand. Missing you all heaps, although the snow and sub-zero temperatures are helping to keep it at bay!

xxxx

Autumn adventures

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t venture off travelling every weekend and we’ve had quite a few lovely autumn weekends in London over the past few months.

We always head out at some point over the weekend, whether that’s to a destination village pub for a hearty roast, or some neighbouring place for a day trip. It’s nice to get out off London and see the countryside – particularly because England in autumn is one of the prettiest sights we’ve seen, with all the red, brown and green it’s just like a scene out of a movie – bella bella bella! Brad travels all over the show (well South England anyway) every day with work so we often head back to the cream of the crop during the weekend.

This weekend was no exception as we headed to a tiny wee place called Ettington, 15 minutes drive from Stratford-Upon-Avon, for the weekend, where we stayed in a luxurious old English manor. We spent the weekend exploring this one-shop town, and even attended a local art fair as a relatively famous artist lives there. The rest of the weekend was spent stuffing our faces with the most delicious country pub food, including pigeon, black pudding, rack of lamb and enough apple crumble to sink a ship!

Sunday we headed into Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is the birthplace of William Shakespeare don’t you know! We had a lovely day strolling around the town and the river Avon, as well as taking the time to pick up a few bits and bobs. Shopping in London is a nightmare so we jump at the chance to be able to actually try things on in a shop, rather than wait for an hour in a queue.

Another highlight of autumn has been a casual stroll through Hyde Park with Shady, Emily and Philly which ended in a leaf throwing fight, as well as hand feeding squirrels. The confident wee beggars just come running up to you – especially if you have food in your hand, and even climb up you if you let them! I couldn’t believe my eyes – they are sooooo adorable! After watching Brad feed them like they’d just recovered from a famine, I decided that I wanted a piece of the pie. I stuck my hand out and just as a fat one scampered over to me, I was all of a sudden quite terrified! It’s one thing to watch others feed them, but an entirely different matter when you’re bombarded with hungry squirrels. Thankfully I got a grip after seeing a two year-old feeding them like nobody’s business.

We’ve also discovered the key to making it through the long, cold winter.... A mid-weeker trip to the pub! It’s amazing how this simple outing helps to keep the homesickness at bay. No longer do you sit and anxiously await the weekend, rather you have just three days to wait until the next reprieve! Last Wednesday saw us gather at the Chicago Rib House where we stuffed our faces with ribs and 2-for-1 cocktails. When we first arrived and started working we couldn’t understand this mid-week business, but it’s amazing how quickly you come around. After all, there’s only so much ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’ that you can watch. My other personal favourite is ‘Dating in the Dark’ – a dating show where couples meet, as the name suggests, in the dark. One is always inevitably disappointed... I’m not sure whether you have seen an episode, but as I’m sure you can tell, you see our need for a good old-fashioned pub thrashing each Wednesday!

While I remember, does anyone need any Kate and Wills paraphernalia? It’s great being over here while this news is a hot topic, but really, enough is enough! Themed plates, cups, pencils, t-shirts... you name it. I’ve picked up a few things for your Christmas presents, so you can all look forward to a ‘Prince William and Kate Royal Engagement 2010’ mirror in your Santa sacks this year. I know what you’re thinking and don’t worry, it’s not at all tacky. It’ll fit right in there with the butterfly on the outside of your house or the gnomes in the garden! Not that I’m complaining as we have a an extra four day weekend next year to look forward to, which has already been accounted for – Turkey here we come!

Love to all and will update again soon with our Cardiff weekend adventures!

xx

Let it be Liverpool!

We loved Liverpool – what a great city! There is such a divide between North and South England and it is really hard to see why. The people were friendly, it was so much cheaper than London and the city is quite picturesque!

After being picked up from work on Friday evening by Brad, James and Emily, we set off for Liverpool, where Emily had books us into a cosy little hotel called ‘Roscoe House.’ The drive wasn’t too bad (says the girl stuffing her face with chocolates in the back seat) and we seemed to get there at no time at all, pulling up to Roscoe House at around 10pm.

Our room was huge and more like a giant studio apartment and it overlooked a few pubs and clubs that the boys made good use of that night, while Emily and I slept soundly. That is we did sleep soundly until the boys got home at around 4am, full of stories that had gone on over the night. It seems their accents went down a right treat and although they couldn’t understand a word the Liverpudlians were saying, they made a ton of friends!

The next morning we were up and about by 10am, much to the boys distress. The car was parked on a local street and we needed to move it to the Liverpool Cathedral where we could get parking for just £6 a day – bargain price when compared with the hefty charges London parking wardens throw at you!

Seeing as we were already there, we checked out the Liverpool Cathedral which was lovely of course, although considerably more modern than what we have grown accustomed to – 100 years seems like nothing after the ancient sights we’ve been seeing as of late! By this stage we were ravenous so we headed to a local cafe for breakfast. From here our intended destination was the Albert Docks where we thought we would walk around and catch take a harbour cruise on the famous river Mersey. Although we did end up here, we got a little side-tracked on the way and stopped off at 101 shops on the way, buying all sorts of goodies for people’s Christmas presents!

We then stumbled across a Christmas fair where Brad and I went on this huge swinging ride, which gave great views of Liverpool, but left Brad shivering like anything as he hadn’t worn a jacket! Not a good idea in these temperatures!

Our next stop, at long last, was the Royal Albert Docks where we waltzed around, checking out the exterior of the Beatles museum (we weren’t to be fooled by a tourist trap like that!), before heading to the ferry station where we picked up tickets for an hour long harbour sight-seeing cruise. Again, the temperature was freezing and my fun was somewhat dwindled due to worrying about poor frozen cold Brad, but regardless it was incredibly pretty and we learnt a lot about the history of Liverpool along the way – particularly during war time.

The tour concluded at 4pm and of course, it was already dark, so while the boys hot-footed it to the nearest pub to watch the rugby (not an easy task when nearly all of the pubs are playing the football), Em and I strolled through the streets of Liverpool, desperate to take up the chance of shopping when there were no crowds. Alas, we weren’t in luck and the only thing I managed to pick up was a jersey for Brad! While the people are lovely and the shops are far less-crowded than in London, sadly the fashion in Liverpool is nothing to aspire to. Everywhere you look you could see girls painted to the nines with make-up, covered in diamantes and bows... I tried to keep an open mind but when Em and I found ourselves in a packed shop selling fluffy bags covered in diamantes and putrid patterns, we decided to call it a day and off we went to join the boys. We eventually found their pub of choice and nearly immediately we were forced to turn around and find a bar of our own on account of the place reeking of vomit, so while the boys watched the ABs we gorged ourselves on £5 pizza and £1.50 desserts – rhubarb crumble anyone?

Bit of a cringe-worthy yet funny story, over the past week the Brits have been donning their poppies in memory of their soldiers lost at war. While Remembrance Day was officially last Thursday, the country has been having moments of silence all week in honour of fallen soldiers. The bar Brad and James were in was split-level and the All Blacks happened to coincide one of their countless tries with a moment of silence. Oblivious to the national holiday, the boys started whopping and cheering to their hearts content only to be met with dead silence. They looked down over the mezzanine to see a hundred Brits standing in silence with their heads bowed! Poor wee beggars were mortified!

The boys joined Em and I after the game and us girls soon got carried away with the cider and cocktails. It didn’t end up being too late on account of the boys having had a big one the night before and us girls being feather weights, and after deciding that we wanted to head home to get a bit more made up (the Liverpool girls were really putting our natural, ‘just been shopping all day and have frozen my arse off’ look to shame!), we crashed and burned the moment we set foot inside the door. Instead of heading back out, we caught up on what had been happening on our beloved X Factor programme that night as we had missed the episode. For those that don’t know, X Factor is a 10x better version of Idol. The country is hooked and the elimination news often makes it to the front page of the newspapers!

We had an early start Sunday and couldn’t stay to explore a second day as Em and Shady had a flight to Morocco to catch. You could spend a good week in Liverpool, more if you factor in the surrounding area, and we will definitely be back sometime soon. I’m keen to check out the night life a bit more than what I did this weekend.

So off we set for home, via a little town out of Preston called Banbury Bridge where we met some of James’ extended family. His father had left Banbury Bridge when he was just eight years old and set off for Otorohanga, New Zealand, falling out of touch with his cousins back in England. Through technology, they all managed to make contact just five years ago and are now as close as anything. This was the first time James has met his Dad’s cousin and she was just wonderful. Her and her husband were so welcoming, even asking us back to stay when we are there next. She called Brad ‘love’ and took us on a tour of the town in which Mr Bailey grew up in. It was awesome – we really got to see a glimpse into what it would be like to live in a small village in England. We would have loved to have stayed longer, but Morocco was calling and we made it back into London at around 5pm just in the nick of time! It was perfect really as it meant Brad and I started the week with a clean bedroom and clean washing – most unusual given our weekends as of late!

This weekend we are off to Stratford-Upon-Avon, with Cardiff calling the week after for the mighty ABs game!

Watch this space!

xx

I Amsterdam

This weekend saw us cross four countries until we reached our final destination Amsterdam, The Netherlands – just another casual weekend living this side of the world! After departing London, we embarked on one of Sea France's luxurious ships and found ourselves travelling through France, Belgium and The Netherlands before arriving in Amsterdam, tired from the journey but otherwise excited.

Niels lives in essentially a University hostel so it took us right back to our days of study as we navigated our way through communal hostels to his room, where he had a mattress already set up with our name on it – brilliant.

We kicked off our fleeting weekend with our tried and trusted walking tour and although it wasn’t as good as the other tours, it was certainly worthwhile. There didn’t seem to be as to learn re the history of Amsterdam and we also had our very own local tour guide in Niels, but of course we did learn a few facts around what Amsterdam is renowned for – hookers and drugs! I’ve listed a few facts for you below in an attempt to give you a virtual tour of Europe...
• The hookers you can see standing in the windows of Amsterdam are essentially running their own business. Pimping is illegal in Amsterdam and the woman standing there have hired their windows at a cost which is based upon the location.
• Contrary to popular belief, Marijuana isn’t actually legal in Amsterdam. Rather it is decriminalised and rather than prosecute like in NZ, the Police choose to look the other way as it is ‘better for business!’ A true reflection of the good old Dutch values – money makes the world go round!
• There are as thousand bridges in Amsterdam.
• The smallest house is just 1.8 metres wide – we have the photos to prove it!
Our guide was actually Swedish and had zero sense of humour – something which was demonstrated when he asked the group why Dutch people were so tall. When Brad answered ‘clogs’, he simply turned and without a trace of irony explained that his theory wasn’t correct as when they took their clogs of they would once again be short. Niels, who spent six months studying at a Swedish University, explained that the Swedish are renowned for being quite humourless – mind you they are also absolutely stunning, so perhaps they can be forgiven.

Amsterdam is a really beautiful city, which the humourless Swede likened to half an onion... Granted it’s a pretty odd analogy, but it certainly makes sense as the narrow alley ways and canals act as different onion layers.

After narrowly avoiding being hit by a bike we decided to join what Amsterdammers refer to as 'cyclopaths'. Hired bikes and we were away sailing. In Amsterdam everyone gives way to bikes - if you're a pedestrian or even a car it can be a scary position to be in as you're constantly being mowed down by cyclists ringing their little tinkley bells to death!

Nice city could easily live there. All canals and cobbled streets. No hugely old buildings but lots of character.

After hiring our beloved bright red bikes we were away sailing and soon we were whizzing and weaving through Amsterdam’s alley ways and over endless bridges in no time. Having Niels was fabulous - he took us through the roads less travelled and we really got to experience the complete package - not a tourist in sight.

We managed to stumble across a real gem - a local flea market. Brad and I could have lost ourselves in their for hours - particularly in one stall where we each picked up a pair of puffy snow boots, or moon boots, straight out of the 80s! Brad's have a crotched strip and mine look like patchwork curtains. Hilarious, yet already we know we'll wear them to death - not bad for five euro. I also picked up a retro little satchel bag which is perfect for travelling.

We then whizzed around some more, stopping in the park to climb a huge old tree where we sat up there watching the world go by for hours. Very Peter Pan like.

They do say that trying the local cuisine is the best way to suss out a culture and what better way than with a traditional dinner... Don’t ask me, I wouldn’t know because as soon as those boys saw that ‘all you can eat ribs’ sign it was game over! The whole concept was a bit of a scam though as the waiters brought the ribs out at a snail pace, meaning we ended up in a waiting game standoff. Let’s just say the Commerce Commission and Fair Go would have had a field day! By the time the boys had their fill it was quite late, although Niels called it a day decidedly earlier after a particularly unflattering photograph was taken of him that morning!

We had grand plans of heading back into the red light district to scope out some more prostitutes and visit a 'peep show', which are weird booth type things frequented by creepy creeps, but after our huge day of sightseeing we fell asleep at just 2am.

Our next day got off to a rip-roaring start when we woke up and realised that because daylight savings was at end, we had an extra hour added on to our time in Amsterdam – brilliant. Amsterdam’s such an amazing place that the extra hour was very much appreciated. After the obligatory hostel shower and hours wait while Niels did his hair, we were back on the bikes, whizzing around the streets of Amsterdam. This time we headed out to the streets less travelled where we went to a delicious little cafe where we stuffed our faces. I had a blueberry mascarpone and pistachio pancake roulade, which is apparently quite the traditional Dutch breakfast, while Brad went for the good old fashioned Irish breakfast – when in Amsterdam after all!

We had the most enjoyable five or so hours of biking around, with Niels as our personalised tour guide pointing out all the local haunts, including Anne Frank’s house, world-famous museums and more hookers - delightful! There really is something for everything in the red light district – girls of every age, size, ethnicity and... gender. They all pout like anything, stick out their hips and try to lure you in. Despite the fact they did this to every male that walked past their window, one lass had Niels blushing and giggling like a school girl when one tried to invite him in with a suggestive lick of his lips. He swears he didn’t, but we wouldn’t have been all that surprised if he popped back once we had all left! He did seem to be taking a careful note of the street and window number...

We also got to check out these world famous peep shows – well Shady and I did anyway due to a lack of change. Two euro goes in and I'm standing there mortified while some woman who couldn't look more bored stands there and half heartedly shakes her hips – not an experience to write home about and I spent more time wishing the ground would swallow me up, than looking eagerly on like the other dirty perves I could see with their noses pressed against their windows!

Amsterdam is an amazing place and there really is something for everyone. We’re going back for New Years as part of our tour, which is just as well as one weekend is certainly not enough! It is such a liberal and accepting city, which was always years ahead of its time and it is easy to see why many Jewish families flocked to Amsterdam after they had been pushed out of the rest of Europe.

Most of all, it was a truly fabulous weekend with fabulous friends and it was amazing being able to spend the weekend catching up with everyone. Niels was an expert guide and placed our fun as his highest goal, and I don’t even want to think about how much we are going to miss Shady and Emily when they go home in December. Riding around on our bikes made us feel five years old again and really knocked years off our lives – forget about a facelift, bike riding and climbing trees is where it is at!

Good times, good company, a perfect weekend!

Xxx

Let’s make like a banana and split!

There is just so much to see and do in Berlin that just two days is nowhere near enough. For this reason we decided to split up on our last day in Berlin, with Brad and Cara heading out on an alternative tour of the city, while I opted for the day trip to Sachenhausen – the concentration camp which all the others were modelled on.

Obviously my day was considerable sombre so in order to not leave everyone feeling depressed, I’ll kick off, with Brad taking it up the rear (ha-ha).





Day two – Kylie’s version

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Martin Niemöller, 1946

A trip to a concentration camp doesn’t seem like the most light-hearted way to spend a day and I know some don’t even want to hear about things like this on account of it being too sad and difficult to deal with; nevertheless I believe it is crucial that people see these sorts of things and spread the word as a reminder of the suffering humans are capable of inflicting upon one another. Turning a blind eye and not wanting to know was exactly what happened during the times such camps were in operation, and it’s through continuing to speak about what happened that helps to avoid atrocities like this from happening again in the future. Ignorance is bliss but sometimes ignorance is just ignorance.

As you can tell my trip to Sachenhausen had quite a profound effect and the entire experience was somewhat sombre, but very moving. Sachenhausen was the model concentration camp – the camp that the Nazis used as a model for their other camps across Germany and Europe. While it was predominantly a working camp and not a death camp like Auschwitz, a great deal of death occurred here through murder, disease and malnourishment. I can’t imagine what sort of emotions would be stirred up from visiting a death camp, but when in Poland I will most definitely go and see one – as said earlier, I really do believe it’s our duty.

I won’t share some of the awful sights we saw or the terrible stories we heard, other than to say it is overwhelming and well beyond comprehension. The day I was there it was five degrees, raining and with an icy breeze – I was freezing wrapped in a winter coat and scarf. The prisoners of Sachenhausen suffered through -30 degree temperatures in thin cotton pyjamas on next to no food. It defies belief.

When arriving at Sachenhausen you are greeted with wrought-iron gates which bear the sign ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’, or ‘Work shall set you free’- something which never actually occurred as the only way you would be free from Sachenhausen is if you left through what the guards referred to as ‘Tower Z’ – the cremation chambers. Not one person ever escaped from Sachenhausen.

It was also interesting to learn that the concept of concentration camps wasn’t new to the Nazis and many other groups have adopted these internment camps in the past – including the Russian Red Army who took over Sachenhausen for five years where they interned Nazis and other prisoners of war, after liberating it in 1945.

I’ll leave you with some food for thought that our guide mentioned to us... ‘I ask that you exercise your democratic right to speak up as it’s through your voice that we can help prevent atrocities like this from happening in future, because danger can creep up on you when you are silent.’

Day two – as experienced by Brad
Cara and I went on the ‘alternative walking tour’ which basically showed the underground culture and street art in Berlin. Much to Kylie’s disappointment I’m sure, we ended up with the female Jim Carey as our guide. In reality she was okay as a guide as long as you didn’t get stuck up the front walking beside her where she would say random things and crack up to herself.
The tour started in a ‘squat’ (which is a place where people live illegally as they don’t pay rent), which if you were not on a tour and just walked past you would have crossed the road (not in the way Sharon does to get to a sale, but more like Rob avoiding a small dog on a leash) as it was an old building covered in graffiti. Inside you were greeted by even more graffiti, and upstairs there were rooms converted into art studios, by street artists making everything from jewellery to prints. It was a very cool place and apparently it is bustling at night time with tourists and locals aplenty.
To keep it brief, the rest of the tour we looked at some art galleries, a lot of different street art where we learnt how to identify a few famous (in the street art world) artist’s work, and some murals that covered the sides of four storey buildings. It was definitely an awesome experience to see behind the scenes of a city that is so rich in culture. All in all a fun day of sibling bonding (haha Kate).

So that’s it for us and our time in Berlin – what a city! Our next adventure is to Amsterdam during the last weekend of October, so watch this space!

xx