Ah Liverpool...You Didn't Disappoint!

Hello again!

Thought I'd already given up on this blogging thing again, right? Ha! Not quite...but I'm not making any promises...

So, my opinion about Liverpool didn't really change from my previous post. It was rainy and cold, which has more to do with the region than the actual city. So I'll try to elaborate. From what I was able to see (albeit, I didn't see much)...Liverpool is quite industrial...meaning there isn't much in the way of pretty architecture, parks, etc. And more worrisome than that - the city was pretty much deserted in the evenings. Lots of boarded up stores and empty restaurants. Maybe a sign of the times?? Not sure. Here are some highlights in an otherwise grey city...

[Cool tower...just thought it was interesting - slant mine, not the tower!]

[Just off the river inlet]

[Some folks sailing at dusk]

Despite all this - I will admit to having a grand time on my recent visit! Crazy? Not so... I travelled to Liverpool for a work conference, and thankfully had wonderful company on my visit! Aurelie found The Cavern Club, which apparently is the place where the Beatles really got their start. It's a tiny, cramped pub - basically underground. It's damp, dark, and has no air conditioning. With an amazing stroke of good fortune, our conference coincided with the start of Beatles' Week. So, the Cavern Club had quite a line up of coverbands to keep us entertained despite the heat! We quickly forgot that there was work to be done the next day. Pints were plenty...and so were the dancing, sweat, and my requisite kissy faces!

[Next to the Cavern Club Wall...lots of famous names written on here!]

[The gang: Lianne, Stephen, Aurelie, and Lee]

[The girls...we started off so nice (and relatively cool!)]

[Kissy faces with Aurelie after Pint #??]

[My requisite kissy face again...this time with Paul?]

Thanks, Liverpool, for the good music, good company...and terrible hangover the next day. The norm for Liverpool, I'm sure. I imagine most people leave the city in the same fashion...

I just can't stop listening to this!

So, I can't stop listening to Imogen Heap! Do you know of her? She's just released her latest album, Ellipse...which is fantastic! And listening to her other albums, I definitely recognized a few songs. Who knew I was already a fan!? Amazing!

Came across her with my fun little player Spotify...which I posted about some time ago...I think only on Facebook, though. Sadly for my friends back home, Spotify is a Euro thing...but trust me it's amazing!

{album picture found here}

My quest for new music today came from Red Boots' post. I her via my friend MJ's blog and now I'm hooked. So cute! But like her, I have been listening to 3 albums on repeat for the last few weeks:

1. Fleet Foxes
2. The new DMB
3. Neko Case (who I just bought tix to see!! SO excited!!)

What music are you listening to? Any recommendations for me?

Anyone up for some Liver(pool)?

[Liverpool, England - image found here]

So, I'm off to Liverpool tomorrow for a conference. I have to say, I wasn't thrilled when the company asked me to go. For one thing, I'm off on holiday at the end of the week and have much to prepare. But truth be told, aside from the Beatles, I've not heard of anything good really coming out of this city. I mean, it's own residents are called "Liverpudlians"...or worse sounding, "scousers"!

Doing some digging online, though, and I found the picture above. That doesn't look so bad?! And Liverpool was awarded the European Capital of Culture title in 2008. So, I'm wondering if I have made some assumptions about Liverpool that are unfair. We'll see...

I set off in search of the "cool factor" that Liverpool has to offer. Let's hope I'm successful! Look for updates soon!

A Gap

So, you probably noticed a bit of a gap between my last 2 posts... If you didn't, well, you weren't really paying that close of attention, were you? Or you'd given up on ever seeing another post from me and are so completely astonished, you forgot that it's been so long! Either way...I'm acknowledging that I suck at blogging. But I'm working on it...again...harder this time!

A lot has happened between my last two posts! Here's a short recap:

Soon after my visit to Ireland, I welcomed my dad to Great Britain. It was his first trip to London, and although it was a short visit – we made the most of it! We had a pretty laid back weekend, but I managed to squeeze in a few sightseeing attractions for him (he’s notorious for not liking touristy things!). The airline lost his luggage - he had to check the bags because I asked for goodies from home – including two HUGE tubs of American-style peanut butter!! (It’s amazing what you miss... ) So after a quick spin through John Lewis (love!), we saw Buckingham Palace (I’m a regular at this place!), St. James Park, and the London Eye. As luck would have it – it was the Queen’s birthday, so we enjoyed an air show in her honour! Old planes and even the Red Arrows did a flyby over the River Thames and across Buckingham Palace. I told Dad that I’d asked for the air show for him...and he humoured me with a big thanks! We spent the rest of our time together exploring my little neighbourhood of Putney. A few walks along the riverbank with a pint or two along the way and we had a great time! I was quite sad to see him go, but I’m sure I can entice him back with the promise of more English ale...

[Dad along the River Thames - that's St. Paul's Cathedral in the background]

June seemed to be a family affair...because a week after Dad’s visit – I hopped a train down to Southampton for a quick visit with Mom. Miss Linda Rae has taken up instructing bridge lessons on cruise ships and scored herself a trip on the Queen Mary II. The ship left NYC and made a pit stop in Southampton, England. Although we only saw each other for a few hours – I think it was a good recharge to get us through the next few months before my next trip home! Southampton seems like a really nice area. I didn’t stick around to explore, but I plan on making a trip back down sometime soon. It’s on the coast (naturally if cruise ships dock there, right?!) and has a lot of British Naval history. Anyway...it’s on the list to explore some more!

I rounded out June with a music festival: London’s Hard Rock Calling! It was a 3 day affair...although I only mustered energy (and money) for a 1 day pass. Luckily, I thought my day’s line-up was the best! The day started off hot and sunny with The Pretenders rocking out! Chrissie Hynde was so on point – she was amazing! It seemed like the whole band was every bit still in the prime of their careers! After The Pretenders, hottie Ben Harper was up...and good gracious, was he incredible! I mean...drop dead gorgeous and with a velvet voice! Who could ask for anything more? Certainly not Laura Dern! The final act we saw was Fleet Foxes. I was in awe. A-MA-ZING! Love doesn’t even begin to describe it! Unfortunately, as the day went on...the clouds, rain, and lightning (yikes!) set in...so I wussed out and fled the show. Sad news was that I missed Neil Young... I’ll probably live to regret that, but I was cold (it was sunny and hot early, so I was ill-dressed for the 20 degree drop in temperature!), I was wet (aforementioned downpour), and sufficiently over the mass of people crowded into Hyde Park. All in all, it was a great day and Michaela and I enjoyed what we saw...so it was definitely a success!

[London's Hyde Park...the day started off so lovely!]

[With Michaela]

[Health and Safety Reminder...no more blue skies!]

July started off with a visit from my high school friend Cheryl Boudreau and her fiancé Scott. They arrived just in time for the Wimbledon Championships (pretty slick planning on her part!). We managed to score tickets on the last day of the tournament for the men’s final match up. Of course...we weren’t in Centre Court - those tickets would have cost a fortune! But we were in the court just next to Centre Court and watched the e-n-t-i-r-e match on the jumbo screens. Talk about a game...holy cow! Now, I’m not normally a huge tennis fan, but Cheryl and Scott are fans of tennis and HUGE fans of Federer...so naturally I chose to root for Andy Roddick! It seemed like things were going in my favour a few times there – but Federer pulled it out in the end and won the match. After the initial disappointment I was okay with the end result because I really wouldn’t have liked spending the rest of the day with a sulky Cheryl...so I guess it was a win-win for “our” team!

[With Cheryl Boudreau at Wimbledon]

It was fabulous spending time with Cheryl and Scott. We did quite a bit of sightseeing and lots of eating out! I had to kick them out of the country just so I could fit into my trousers again! Too much eating out!

[Cheryl and Scott - that's Parliament behind them]

Within days of Cheryl and Scott leaving – I set off on another adventure up to Ireland. (Can you tell I like it up there?!) This time I headed north with Sabrina. We set off for Ireland and tested our luck on the country roads of Cork and Kerry. Was it ever worth it!! The trip was absolutely amazing and I met a new friend Christie, who I adore as well! The 3 of us took Ireland by storm and managed to 1. not kill anyone by driving on the wrong side of the road (Christie and Sabrina get full credit for that!), 2. kiss the Blarney Stone (yuck!), 3. drive the Ring of Kerry, and 4. see a proper Irish band play old Irish tunes in an official Irish Pub. Gotta love it! Here are a few photos:

[Christie, Sabrina & I at Blarney Castle...about to kiss the stone!]

[The walk up to Blarney Castle]

[Me in the gardens at the Blarney Estate]

And check out Sabrina's recap of the Ireland visit on her travel blog: http://www.sabrinasingh.blogspot.com/

Just before the trip to the south of France – I had another set of visitors: Billie (Jennifer) and Thomas Eybl. Now, I’ve known the Eybl’s since college. When you look up “good people” in the dictionary – these folks are staring back at you! We met when my parents were moving me into my apartment in Columbia senior year. Literally, they offered to help my dad and I carry furniture up the stairs (the elevator was too slow for my dad!)...and they didn’t even know me! I loved living next door to them and have enjoyed staying in touch through the years. Billie just finished her Masters and Thomas is about to start Law School, so they decided a European Adventure was in order before the next stage in their lives takes off. On the agenda were Paris and a visit to see me!

[Billie and Thomas Eybl]

I’m starting to think I could maybe get a side job as a tour guide here in London...but it’d have to be my 3 top sites...because I took them to Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and St. James Park! Surprise!! We did manage to squeeze in a trip that I hadn’t done yet – which was a river cruise up the Thames to Greenwich. It was amazing! I saw a view of London I hadn’t seen yet – plus I got to see where time starts – the Prime Meridian Line! So cool!!

[Royal Navy Academy - Greenwich England - and a view of London]

Well, that brings us up to date with the South of France trip.... I think maybe writing a little every day would be easier than writing a massive update. Must remember this in the future! Here’s to staying in touch!

P/S: Already have my next vaca planned – headed to CROATIA!!! SOOO excited!

I think I'm in love...

I’ve just returned from the Cote d’Azur (the south of France) and it was lovely! I think I might need to live there. I mean, who wouldn’t love waking up to this every morning?

[That was my view each morning from the hotel room. Sigh...]

Two girlfriends from the office and I decided to fly to Nice and take a few days off from the London hustle-and-bustle! We left a lot of sad and jealous faces in the office late day on Wednesday. But a short EasyJet ride from London Gatwick and we were in the south of France and all was forgotten! We got in pretty late on Wednesday (lost an hour going), so we decided to just head to the hotel and get a good night’s sleep to prepare for the long weekend ahead. Naturally we grabbed a bottle of wine and sat on the balcony to ease into the lifestyle!

Thursday started off great with a wonderful breakfast on the balcony overlooking the Promenade des Anglais and the Nice harbour. Then we jumped in the car and headed to Italy. We’d heard the beaches there were sandy (most beaches along the coastline there are rocky...which needless to say makes laying out a little uncomfortable!). Not sandy beaches to be found, but we enjoyed ourselves just the same.

[A little Italian city just over the border of France.]

[The beautiful beaches...can you spot the Speedo?!]

Thursday night we headed to Old Nice (Vieux Ville) for dinner. Funny story about Thursday night... First, some background info: part of why I was so excited to go to the Cote d’Azur was to practice my French. Almost 6 years out of university (French was my major) and I’m reduced to miming my thoughts and piecing together some broken phrases. Aurelie (one of my travel compadres) is French, but she was determined to make me practice my French. So, Thursday night we set off in search of a restaurant serving a local favourite – mussels and French fries, or “moules et frites”. I stopped in to ask a barman where he recommended we go and confidently proclaimed we were looking for mussels and fries. Unfortunately for me, French is one of those languages where a slight inflection on one syllable changes the whole meaning of the word! So, with a big old smile on my face, I apparently asked for a restaurant serving “donkey" and fries!! Thankfully I didn’t realize my mistake until I retold the phrase to Aurelie – who proceeded to laugh the whole night at my expense! All in good fun, though...because we found the mussels and had a great meal!

[Amy Chason, Aurelie Pearson, and me in the Vieux Ville.]

Friday we were up and on the beach again! This time we decided to stay in Nice and enjoy the beaches right in front of our hotel. Pretty convenient, I would say!

[View from our hotel balcony along the Nice harbour.]

Friday night we headed back to Old Nice...it’s just too beautiful to pass up! An old friend had recommended a wine and cheese bar – so we thought we’d check that out. It was great! And they had a piano player, so the mood was perfect! After a few glasses of really good wine and taking in some great music, we headed to the plaza for dinner and some crepes! Soooooo good!

[Me, Aurelie, and Amy at Wine Notes, a great bar in the Old City with fab wine and cheese!]

[Amy and I enjoying our crepes...no, I didn’t eat 2, I was holding Aurelie’s!]

Saturday we decided to head out to Monaco. Just a short 30 minute drive from Nice, it’s the smallest but most expensive country I’ve ever been in! We’re talking Ferraris, Rolls Royce, and Bentleys everywhere you look. And don’t get me started on the yachts around the harbour! I will be on one of those yachts next time around...I’m sure of that! We made a complete day of the trip to Monaco and stayed to gamble at the casino that night. I lost money on the Blackjack tables, but I didn’t lose quite as much as the man next to me! Holy cow! It was quite the experience though!

[The Cathedral in Monaco...where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III are buried.]

[The harbour at Monaco...so many glorious boats here!]

[All dressed up and ready to gamble!]

And Sunday we had to say goodbye to Nice and get back on a plane to London. Sad to say goodbye to the lovely Cote d’Azur, but I am quite sure I’ll be back. Can’t keep me away from this:

[Sunrise in Nice...we were up ridiculously early, but this made it worthwhile!]

Big Week in Review

Well, it seems I have a lot to catch everyone up on!

Ireland was SO much fun! It was a short trip...but we definitely packed a whole lot in. I made it in about an hour late (thanks Aer Lingus!)...and arrived to the smiling face of my dear friend Jack Quinn. Jack and I met in France back when I was studying at the Universite de Haut Alsace. We became instant friends and thankfully have stayed in touch through the years. He’s the perfect cross between a brother and friend. I adore him!

Jack dropped me off at Jordan’s house in Booterstown, just outside Dublin. Jordan (see photos in previous posting) has been my friend through thick and thin and I love her. She and her hubby live in a cute house with ocean views. After some coffee and a nap (makes sense, right?), we dolled ourselves up for a night out.



Jordan picked out a fab restaurant along the coast and then we headed into town for drinks and to meet up with Jack. Give me some drinks and a camera – and I’m a happy girl! Loads of fun!




Back in London – and needing some rest – I joined my lovely new friend Sabrina for a walk in the park. It was such a beautiful day, we couldn’t pass up an afternoon in the sun. So we headed to St. James Park – smack dab in front of Buckingham Palace. We grabbed some food and had an impromptu picnic in the park.

People in London take every opportunity to enjoy the sunshine. I’m learning fast that you have to take advantage of the sunshine...it’s not always guaranteed! Plus, who doesn’t love a picnic?! I’m becoming a big fan!





The work week flew by...thankfully! After such a busy weekend and not much sleep...I don’t think I could have handled much more than a 4 day work week! Plus, I had a date with Eric Clapton to look forward to! That’s right...THE Eric Clapton. He played at the Royal Albert Hall. It was AMAZING! The venue alone is spectacular...and to see him there was outstanding! And even at 64 he can make love to a guitar like no one else. Holy cow! I think I might have a crush...

Not a whole lot can really compare to Eric...but even still the rest of this weekend was nice. The weather has been fantastic...so a couple more days laying out in both the backyard and the park (Hyde Park today), plus a few beer gardens in between have made this a pretty great one. It was all topped off with a Skype chat with the family tonight, so can’t really complain!

Hope you have a great week!

A Weekend for the Irish

As if one weekend would be sufficient...but a girl's gotta start somewhere!

I'm off tomorrow (bright and early) to visit one of my dearest friends, Jordan. We met and sealed our forever friendship during a "study abroad" year in college. We like to say that we went through hell together and will be forever connected. I'm so excited to spend time with her and catch up. It's been about 4 years since my last trip to Dublin...so I have much catching up to do.

Here are a few snapshots from our past visits. I like to think we're getting better with age and don't take ourselves too seriously!

Tributes

I took a new path to the train station this morning and stumbled across this sweet little memorial:

This street is lined with these big beautiful trees and homes (promise to take more shots of this street soon) and the fact that this particular tree has become a tribute made me happy and sad all at the same time. It's not really clear in the picture, but they've placed little plastic frogs hopping to the door as well as planted the flowers. So much thought and energy went into this little space. I have no idea who/what is being memorialized...but I'm not sure it matters. Just knowing someone cared enough to do it breaks my heart.

Have been giving lots of thought to making the most of today....every day. Our days get so busy with deadlines and obligations to others, that I think we ofter forget to stop and breath once in a while. I know I do.

I hope you stop and enjoy something beautiful today. Or at least be happy that it's Thursday, and the weekend is almost here!