It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It’s been a while since I last wrote and fall has come and gone in London. While this typically means more rain (and then lots more for winter!), it was still wonderful to see the fall colours around the city. Here are a few pictures of autumn:

What have I been up to these past few months? Well, September was a busy month as my friend Jen visited and we went out exploring quite a bit. First, we went for fancy afternoon tea at Brown’s Hotel. It was very luxurious and everything tasted amazing – definitely worth the expense.

Second, we went on a day trip to Oxford, Stratford (where we visited the house Shakespeare grew up in) and Warwick Castle. It was great to get out of London for a day and see the English countryside. I think living in London has made me forget that there is so much to see and do outside the city.

Third, we travelled to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. That was quite an adventure and great fun. I definitely recommend everyone go at least once in their life. It’s a rich cultural event and not only about the drinking (although the delicious beer and food are a big part of it). We also had an opportunity to visit the former Dachau Concentration Camp while we were there and that was a very solemn and somewhat overwhelming experience. Again, this is something that everyone should do. We all learn about war and other atrocities in school but it’s quite a different thing to see it in person. It definitely made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in Canada and made me appreciate even more the rights and liberties that come along with it (I love you Charter of Rights and Freedoms!). On a happier note, this was my first trip organized through BritBound and I was very impressed. Everything was very well organized and we had a blast. I will definitely be participating in future BritBound travels (including the trip to Bruges in December!).

October was a bit of an emotional month for me as there was a tragedy in Ottawa which made international news; a soldier who was guarding the war memorial was shot and killed and the gunman then terrorized the city for hours while he hid in the Parliament. I was glued to the news for a couple of days as I watched the events unfold and it was difficult to be far away from home when something like that was happening only a couple of blocks away from where I used to live and work. I’m happy and grateful my family and friends are all safe and hope that something like this never happens again. I saw this the day after the shooting and just have to share it because I think it’s simply amazing:

In October I also moved into my new flat and I’m happy to say that it’s going great. Here are a few pictures of my new neighbourhood: Finsbury Park. I definitely find it more “British” than where I used to live. As a side note, it is unbelievable the amount of stuff I have managed to gather (hoard?) in my short time here. I’m also including a picture of Dan looking less than impressed at all the stuff he has to help me move (this is only some of it!).

November has really flown by. A quick yet quick visit from my friend Breanne

and I also had a chance to see the poppies at the Tower of London which was a great experience. This was in honour of the 100^th anniversary of WWI.

The fact that winter is coming (insert corny Game of Thrones joke here) means that Christmas isn’t far off either! I love Christmas and I am especially excited for Christmas this year as it means that my mom, my brother and his girlfriend are visiting and we are going to Scotland. While snow isn’t very common in London, there is a (small) chance that there will be snow in the Scottish Highlands for Christmas. I have to say, I will be a little disappointed if there is no snow on Christmas eve/Christmas morning. Speaking of snow, it snowed for a whole 2 minutes this week. Like all of the other people on the street, I snapped a picture as quick as I could (after I stopped squealing with delight and running around like a person who’s never seen snow before). While we got a few flurries here, people were quick to send me pictures of what it looked like back home – I definitely don’t miss that!

My next post will likely be after Christmas since I will have pictures of the Bruges Christmas Markets and Scotland to share. London has already started to “Christmasize” which is getting me really excited. The smell of hot cider and mulled wine is in the air and there was even a real reindeer in Covent Garden the other day!

So, for those of you reading this: Merry Christmas and thanks for reading along as I wrap up a wonderful first year living in the UK. It has been an amazing year and I look forward to another great year ahead. As always, here is a quote to end the blog post:

Ho Ho Ho

Kris Kringle

A Bittersweet End to the Summer

And just like that, my first summer living in Europe has passed. I had a bit of a shock in July when I realized that I have been living in London for six months already! It got me thinking about what I have accomplished in those six months; I can proudly say that I:

• Found a permanent and well-paying job;
• Have a great boyfriend: Dan;
• Made some good friends;
• Visited new (Wales) and old (Paris, England) places;
• Got hooked on some aspects of British culture (Percy Pigs, BBC, the Tube);
• Missed some aspects of Canadian culture (Kraft Dinner, proper peanut butter, clothes dryers); and
• Somewhat embarrassingly started using British words in my everyday vocabulary (although I still have my Canadian accent!) such as: "hiya" (hello), "I'm not bothered" (I have no preference), "ring" (call), "ga-ridge" (garage) and "alright?" (how are you) just to name a few.

All that said, I haven't written all summer so here's a bit of what I've been up to:

• Geeked out a bit at the London Film & Comic Con where we saw some amazing costumes and met Hodor from Game of Thrones.

• Injured my hand in the most British way possible: a tea-related incident! (Boiling water spilled all over my hand)

• Went to a few great BBQs, despite the traditionally wet British weather.

• Celebrated Dan's parents' 50th wedding anniversary, semi-tortured a dog (Daisy) by making her wear hats and visited Haylings Island which is one of the beaches where the Allies practiced the D-Day landings.

• Had a wonderful visit from my friends Lauren & Nick who replenished my Canadian supplies.

• Met Casper the pub cat (this one is just too cute for me not to share).

As the rain drizzles outside ("drizzle" is me downplaying the water pouring out of the sky for my own sanity) and the temperature drops several degrees, it has become clear that summer is over in London. Not to worry though, it has been a great summer and the next few months will be very fun and exciting! What's next for me this year?

September

• A visit from my friend Jen and a trip to Oktoberfest in Munich

October

• A visit from my friend Breanne
• A move - my flat has officially been sold and I have to find a new place to live. While this is still a bit of a stressful process, it's nothing like when I first got here in January!

November

• Wallet recovery!
• London sightseeing (I have really been neglecting this)

December

• A Day trip to Bruges to see the Christmas markets
• A visit from my mom, my brother and his girlfriend then travelling around the Scottish highlands for Christmas.

I am still shivering and soaked from the rain as I write this so I feel that this is the perfect quote to end this blog post:

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
John Steinbeck

Does June Exist in Europe?

I've been meaning to write since the peanut butter tragedy to update everyone on that situation but it seems that June just came and went in a flash! First things first, my mom has replenished my peanut butter supply so I have been saved - thank you Mom!

Now, on to the fun stuff! June was a terrific month, My friend Jen visited in the earlier part of the month and it was really nice to see a friendly, Canadian face. We hit the London shopping scene, went to see a show (Wicked) which I really enjoyed and I was treated to a very nice meal at Scott's. Here are a few pictures from that meal - it wouldn't be right if I didn't post a few food pictures on here:

 

Jen and I also travelled to Dublin (yay cheap Ryanair flights!) for what we called "O'Chan & McNewtown's Irish Adventure". I had always wanted to visit Dublin/Ireland I was very excited for this trip. The big highlight in Dublin, for me, was the Trinity College Library Long Room. The Book of Kells is housed thre and amazing in its own right but for me, seeing the Long Room was a dream come true. I have always had a fascination with libraries (I blame Beauty and the Beast - my favourite movie - for this) and this library was at the top of my list. Seeing it in person was everything I hoped it would be and it was truly breathtaking. Here is a picture of the library:

Fun fact: I had always wondered how you get between the bookcases on the upper level given that there are only staircases at each end of the library. A friendly security guard let us through the velvet rope where, from from within the alcoves, you can see that there are "secret" doors built within the bookcases that allow for people to make their way around the upper level.

Another thing not to miss in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse. While I have never been a Guinness drinker (I like my beer liquid), I learned how to properly poor my very own pint of Guinness in the Guinness Academy and it tasted amazing! I learned that the Guinness Stout in Ireland is actually a different brew than the one you drink abroad and it is MUCH better and easier to drink! The Guinness storehouse is worth the visit and there are also several very good restaurants in there; we had delicious Guinness Irish stew! Here are a few pictures from that adventure:

While Dublin was a good destination for a short trip, the day trip we took through the Irish countryside was a big highlight and I will definitely return to Ireland to visit more small towns and mountains. Irish people are also extremely funny, friendly and very welcoming. Here are a few pictures from the day trip through the Wicklow Mountains:

For the later part of June, my mom came for a visit bringin loads of Canadian supplies with her, including the peanut butter mentionned above. I was excited for my mom to visit, especially since this was her first visit to London and to Paris, where we went for the weekend using the extremely conveninent Eurostar. In London we visited The Wolseley for dinner and went to see my favourite musical: Les Misérables. Here is a picture of the amazing cheese soufflé at The Wolseley:

For our weekend in Paris, we visited all the of the major landmarks and got a lot of shopping done on the Champs Élysées. We also ate VERY well, here are a few pictures bound to get your mouth watering:

          

This week was the first time I spent Canada Day outside of Canada. I met up with some fellow Canadians and we had some pitchers of Pimms (my new favourite British discovery) and then made our way to Maiden Lane where we found hundreds of Canadians celebrating our nation's birthday. It was really nice to hear the familiar Canadian accent, drink proper Canadian beer (Sleeman's and Moosehead were available) and to sing our national anthem with pride. If I couldn't be in Ottawa to watch the fireworks display, this was truly the place to be for Canada Day!

Now that everyone has gone back to Canada, I think July will be spent dieting (June was very much a culinary indulgence month!) and budgeting for future trips! I can't wait to see what else this summer holds for me! As usual, a quote to cap things off:

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.
F. Scott Fitzgerals (The Great Gatsby)

(Proper) Peanut Butter Withdrawls

This morning, at approximately 06:50, London time, I ran out of Kraft peanut butter. This is a sad, sad day in my life. Luckily, my mom is coming for a visit next week and will replenish my supply but I thought I would share this in the hopes that no other Canadians whose diets revolve around Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter as much as mine does, forget to bring enough peanut butter with them when moving abroad.

As always, a quote to cap things off:

Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter.
James A. Garfield

And Now for Something Completely Different

It has been a while since I last wrote but I have been busy! Now that I have established a routine of sorts for day-to-day life in London and that my major moving expenses are done, I have finally had time to travel and have some fun.

Before I get into the travel, a bit of advice: there are many meetup groups and Facebook groups (Canadians in London, BritBound) aimed at Canadians in London looking to meet new people. Many of these revolve around specific interests (art galleries, sports, foodies, etc.) but there are more general ones like the London Canadian Expats group. I have attended a few of this group's events where over 100 Canadians show up to watch hockey games, have a drink or more recently, to celebrate the May 2-4 long weekend. This event was great as only Canadian music was played, Canadian drinks were imported (Clamato for Caesars and Sleeman's beer) and most importantly: poutine was served (with real cheese curds!). It's always nice to meet other Canadians when you've been away from home for a while and this was a really fun night. I really recommend joining these gropus and making the effort to attend a few events when moving to London. Here's a picture of my perfect Canadian meal:

Plug: The Poutinerie was authentic and delicious and can be found at London's Brick Lane Market every Sunday.

Now for my travel! My first trip since moving to London was to Cardiff, Wales. Before going to Cardiff I was warned not to bother as it's a rough and depressing place. I ignored that advice and I'm so glad I did! A friendly taxi driver in Cardiff explained that it used to be a rough city about 20 years ago but that a lot of work has gone into changing its image and vibe. I was really impressed by Cardiff (it helps that the weather was in the 20s and sunny!) but it is a lovely City with lots to offer! Here are a few of the places I visited and recommend:

1.  Doctor Who Experience 

Don't forget to try to find the secret entrance to Torchwood at Ronald Dahl Place (fellow Doctor Who/Torchwood geeks will know what I'm talking about here)!

2.  Cardiff Harbour

You can take a water taxi to the City Centre to/from here which is more enjoyable
that a real taxi, bus or walking. There are great restaurants, pubs and shops along the quay here. There was also, very randomly, a Royal Navy ship docked open to the public while I was there so I took some time to visit:

 3.  Cardiff Castle

Beautiful old castle (those who know me know that I am slightly obsessed with castles...so this was a mandatory stop)

 

Other things worth noting in Cardiff are the high street (across from Cardiff Castle) which has lots of restaurants, pubs and shops, including covered arcades that are quite charming:

This is also a good place to treat yourself to a Welsh Cake which was a very delicious and happy discovery. They are kind of like a soft shortbread cookie with raisins and sugar...more delicious than they sound - especially if you can find them freshly baked and still warm! Excuse my while I wipe the drool from my mouth...

While this short trip to Cardiff for a very affordable £6 bus ticket (coaches here are MUCH better than the Greyhound busses we have back home) was a great weekend getaway, I am looking forward to upcoming trips to Dublin, Paris, Munich and Edinburgh over the next few months. 

Stay tuned for more tales from the land of tea and crumpets - and abroad! As usual, I end with a quote; this one is aimed at those who told me not to bother visiting Cardiff:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

 Mark Twain

My adventure so far...in pictures!

Since I last wrote, I have welcomed my first visitors from Canada (my aunt and uncle on their way back from visiting Belgium!) and I have been visiting a few local attractions. Here are a few of my favourite pictures so far.

Obligatory shots of Big Ben and standing in front of Big Ben with my visitors:

You can't live in London and not once go on the London Eye (Ok, you can...but I'm still a semi-tourist so I went anyway):

 

 Some of my favourite food places so far (the pictures are from The Delaunay):

 A quick visit to Portsmouth Harbour, those are (clockwise): the HMS Warrior, the HMS Victory and Admiral Nelson's cabin aboard the HMS Victory:

 A shot of the view from my flat at sunset and what I see on my daily commute to work (side note: I found out last week that my workplace - Charterhouse Square - is built on the site of a black death mass grave. They will be conducting an archaeological dig there later this year, what an equally fascinating and grim discovery!):

 Some random pictures of attractions I have visited over the past few weeks. They are (clockwise): The Natural History Museum, the Royal Institution of Great Britain which houses the singing periodic table, some friends and I at the Royal Institution, the Victoria & Albert Museum and some of my favourite pieces from the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art.

And finally, the main reason that I don't miss Canada:

Instead of ending this blog post with a quote, I attach this great picture tweeted by SWAP earlier today: