A Fitting End to the Summer

As of September 1st, all of the leaves on the campus where I worked suddenly fell to the ground and declared that autumn had arrived. I do love autumn. It’s a bit cooler, I can start wearing cute coats and sweaters and the trees look so nice and colourful (though admittedly not as nice and colourful as they do in Canada in autumn). This does mean that summer is over however and I was still waiting for it to really start!  

Here’s a look at what I was up to for the second half of the summer. First, I should share some news: Dan and I are engaged! To celebrate we travelled to Strasbourg, France. The location was chosen a bit randomly (Ryanair had a sale where flights to Strasbourg were £7 per person – can’t pass that up!) but we ended up absolutely loving it and hope to go back soon. Strasbourg is a lovely medieval city on the French/German border in a region called Alsace. Because of its location, it’s a wonderful mix of French and German foods, German and Belgian beers (the best, in my opinion) and all kinds of delightful architecture. Amazingly it wasn’t destroyed during the war and all of the old buildings still stand today. They also do Christmas markets in November/December which I think would be really beautiful and somewhat magical. Plans for future travel! Here’s a look at a few of the places we visited:

Clockwise, starting at the top left, 1) we took a boat tour of the city which I definitely recommend; 2) we had a caricature done, great fun!; 3) a pretty bakery; 4) Maison Kammerzell, we had dinner there on our last night and saw that many famous people (e.g., Putin, Robert Downey Jr, famous French people) have eaten there. It’s an old restaurant hotel dating back to 1427, it was fancy, delicious and beautiful inside; 5) a restaurant by the water where we tried (and loved) Munster cheese; 6) cathedral seen from the boat; 6) amazing giraffe-man statue; and 7) the “ancienne douane” also seen from the boat.

Neither Dan nor I are big fans of visiting churches but we did take the time to visit the cathedral in Strasbourg. It is truly an architectural masterpiece. Unfortunately none of the pictures I took inside came out very well but here are a few from the outside:

While we were in Strasbourg, we ventured on a day trip to the town of Colmar. It is a lovely small town about a half hour away from Strasbourg by train. There isn’t much to do in Colmar, I think half a day is definitely enough, but it is very cute and worth a quick visit. In Colmar we took a touristy little train ride (I couldn’t pass up a miniature train!) through the town and then had a really good lunch and wandered around taking pictures of a town that very much reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.

Now, for the best part of our trip, the food & drink! What you see here is only a sampling (we must have each gained at least 10 pounds from this trip but it was so worth it!). Pictured are pork knuckle braised in beer sauce, Munster cheese with potato pancake, choucroute (or “meat mountain with sauerkraut”!), pâté, flammenkueche (a type of really thin German pizza with creamy cheese and bacon), Dan in front of the world’s largest cheese dome at La Cloche à Fromage (it’s actually the world’s largest cheese dome, it holds the record – it was very impressive), an obligatory black forest gateau, Bugles (I thought these were extinct!), the world’s best charcuterie plate in Colmar and some vol-au-vent, the raclette cheese (melted tableside) with pickled vegetables, charcuterie and potatoes and what I consider to be the best “café gourmand” I’ve ever had. All this was washed down with amazing beers, delicious sweet German wines like Gewurztraminer and Riesling and a local drink called “Crémant” which is like a prosecco/champagne hybrid often drank with a shot of fruit liqueur which we really enjoyed.

If I couldn’t convince you to visit Alsace because of the architecture and loveliness of the cities and towns, I hope that the pictures of mouth-watering food and drink may have helped!

Once we got back and start to eat tasteless healthy food, we resumed normal life in London. We were visited by foxes in our backyard again which I find very exciting every time it happens, we went to London’s Chinatown where we watched little fish cakes being made and I randomly found a memorial to William Wallace near the place where he died.

We also went to Hyper Japan once again which is a convention of all things Japan (food, travel, anime, cosplay, videogames, etc.) where we tried Okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake/omelette filled with vegetables and cheese), we saw really weird things for sale – golden poo!? and we got to play with the latest videogames from Nintendo (and got nifty hats to take home).

Lastly, the last weekend in August, our neighbourhood was host to the Notting Hill Carnival. It is Europe’s largest street party and attracts around 1 million visitors! It’s basically a celebration of all things Caribbean and there is a parade that goes on throughout the day with amazing costumes, music and food. We got some amazing jerk chicken from “Mr T” and his enormous BBQ and it was so delicious. While the carnival can be a bit overwhelming due to the sheer size of it, it is good fun and, I think, a lot safer than it gets credit for. I have to say though that living 2 streets off of the parade route, I will be going away for Carnival weekend next year – the level noise was unreal and the revelling goes on until the wee hours of the morning (on a school night).

So that wraps up summer 2015 for me. It was a good summer and I’m looking forward to what the fall brings and to coming home to Ottawa for Christmas. It will be Dan’s first visit to Canada and in winter no less, it should be fun. So until next time, a quote:

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”

Albert Camus 

Summer Days at Last!

May and June have flown by and summer is finally here! It is a very hot 35 degrees today in London and a lot of people are sipping Pimms and eating strawberries and cream at Wimbledon while some of us (me!) have to work. Even though I am Canadian, no one at my work agreed that I should get the day off. How unfortunate that I can’t take advantage of the fantastic weather! Before I move on to what I’ve been up to lately, let me wish everyone a Happy Canada Day! Here is an amazing picture I found on the Canadian expats Facebook page. I just can’t get over how amazing it is:

So I have busy with fun random things lately, here’s a sampling and great examples of why living in London is so amazing – there is never a shortage of things to do!

In May I went to see a live taping of the Graham Norton Show where tickets are free! When you get tickets, you don’t know who the guests are going to be but I got very lucky and one of the guests was Simon Pegg who I absolutely love! Kylie Minogue, Michael McIntyre and Brandon Flowers were also on the show. It was a really fun experience and Graham Norton is hilarious both on and off the screen, I definitely recommend this if you find yourself in London, you can’t go wrong with free tickets anyway really! Try to spot me in the audience if you can:

In May I also let out my inner geek and went to the Legend of Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses concert and to the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular which were super fun. The Doctor Who one in particular had many of the show’s villains and monsters walking around on stage and in the aisles during the show which was really fun. To cap off May, I also met up with friends to watch the Eurovision song contest on television which is a bit of a big deal over here (depending who you ask). It is an extremely cheesy American Idol-type of show where each European country (and somewhat confusingly Australia this year) gets to send one performer and people from all over Europe vote for their favourites. Sweden was the winner this year replacing last year’s Austrian (bearded!) lady Conchita Wurst. It’s not for everyone but we did have fun, enjoyed some Pimms (my new favourite drink since moving to the UK) and sported furry moustaches in honour of Conchita:

In June I celebrated my 30^th birthday (cue hysterical tears) and went to a few nice places. First, we went to Escape Rooms where you essentially get locked in a room for an hour and you have to solve a series of puzzles, riddles and everything in between to escape the room. We succeeded with 6 minutes to spare! It was very challenging but also very fun. I’m a little bit hooked and can’t wait to go back and try to solve some of their other challenges. Here is Team Poutine’s victory picture that now hangs on the walls of Escape Rooms:

On my actual birthday I took the day off of work and was treated to a day at the London Zoo. Those who know me know that I love giraffes and I was very pleased to spend a part of my birthday with 3 lovely giraffes. The London Zoo is very nice. The animals look healthy and happy, the enclosures are clean and there is sufficient space for them to roam and even hide if they want to. Here are a few of my pictures from the zoo:

For dinner we went to Berner’s Tavern which is a fantastic restaurant. The vibe is casual yet classy and there is only one enormous room where the walls are lined with framed pictures and paintings from floor to ceiling. The food was fantastic (probably the best chicken I’ve ever had) and they gave me a nice little cake and birthday card when they found out it was my birthday. The cocktails are also very unique and fun. I had the “Cereal Killer” which is rum, Kahlua, white chocolate liqueur, coco pops milk (that’s right!) and chocolate bitters served in a very cute tiny milk bottle and candy stripe straw. It was a really great place for a special occasion.

I also had a chance to visit Borough Market, London’s oldest fruit & vegetable market (although there is so much more there now!) and it was amazing. Here is just a taste of what you can find there:

Lastly, after a year and a half of waiting, I finally went to see a movie at the Electric Cinema. This super old cinema is expensive but worth every penny. You can either sit on the 2 seater sofas at the back, on your very own armchair (with footstool) or on one of the 2 seater beds at the front and all seats have cashmere blankets! We opted for one of the beds at the front and it was fantastic! Not only are you super comfortable and cozy during the movie, the cinema offers snacks like nachos, burgers, chicken wings, candy, etc and drinks (champagne, beer, wine, etc.) that you can enjoy during the movie. I will definitely be back – especially considering that it’s less than 5 minutes away from my house!

I plan to now enjoy summer, try to spend as much time outside picnicking in London’s many parks and enjoying everything London has to offer in the summer, including the sometimes unbearable heat in a place where air conditioning is not always that common. Here’s a quote that summarises how I feel about summer here:

“Ah summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

Russel Baker

The few and the many

On this 70^th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, I felt it was appropriate to write about recent developments in my life and, more to the point, my recent travels.

First, I’m happy to report that the tough times are over and that Dan and I are still happily living in our flat in Notting Hill and that we are now both employed! I think it might be good to note for future Swappers or anyone planning to move to the UK that the norm is to be paid monthly, usually at the end of the month. You do learn to adjust to this even if, like me, you were used to being paid every two weeks; however, it’s good to keep in mind that when you start a new job, you may not get paid for a month or even longer depending on what time of the month you start your job. This is just another reason why having savings (more than you think you’ll need) is very useful and maybe even necessary! It did take a long time for Dan to find this job (about 3 months) but this isn’t uncommon. While there are obviously a lot of jobs in a big city like London, there is also a lot of competition! I found that it is important not to get discouraged and to keep trying and adapting your applications to suit what employers are asking for. It’s always good to ask for feedback when you get rejected and ask how you can improve. I think this was a good strategy for Dan and he succeeded in finding a job he really enjoys.

Second, my dad and his girlfriend came to London for a visit last week and then we all travelled to France. While we did take the time to enjoy some tasty French food and wine along the way, we spent the majority of our time in Normandy visiting WWI and WWII sites such as Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Ste Mere Eglise & the Airborne Museum and some military cemeteries. The majority of our visit was very solemn and I think we all developed a deeper-than-ever respect for the men and women who selflessly fought for the freedoms, rights and liberties we enjoy every day and who helped shape our world into what is it today. I am grateful than ever and am remembering them today, on this anniversary of VE Day.

In London, we visited the usual suspects like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London but we also visited the lesser known Churchill War Rooms. This is one of my favourite museums in London. Essentially, the bunker was sealed at the end of WWII and only reopened as a museum in the 1980s. This means that everything is as it was on the day the war ended; think coffee cups, cigars, litter but also, more interestingly, maps where Allied and German positions were marked based on best guesses. Here are a few pictures from London and the war rooms:

In Normandy, we started our visit at Vimy Ridge (I encourage everyone to read about Vimy Ridge if you don’t know the full story, it is fascinating), a WWI site of great importance to Canadians as it is the first time that Canadians fought together as one and defeated the Germans in a very difficult battle. We were fortunate to see the stunning and enormous monument and then we went for a (free!) guided tour of the trenches, underground bunkers and tunnels/subway systems. Here are a few pictures from Vimy Ridge:

We also stopped by a lovely fishing town called Honfleur for lunch. It had a wonderful Normandy small-town vibe and could only have been improved by better weather. I would definitely recommend stopping here if you find yourself in Normandy.

We then travelled west and stationed ourselves in Caen from where, over the next couple of days, we visited Juno Beach, the Canadian beach on D-Day. We also visited Ste Mere Eglise (of Band of Brothers fame) which was the first French town liberated during the Battle of Normandy.

And we visited a Canadian WWI war cemetery, a German WWII war cemetery and a Commonwealth (mostly Britiish) WWII war cemetery. IT was emotional to see the amount of graves in each cemetery and to read the personal messages on some of them. Personally, I was touched by the grave of a 21 year old Canadian soldier from Ottawa.

I think visiting significant historical sites such as the ones above is something everyone should do at least once in their life. It puts things in perspective and makes us appreciate what we have, which we sometimes forget to do. In closing, I leave one of my favourite war-time quotes:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Winston Churchill

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

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