tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26448190192887165932024-03-21T10:25:52.934-06:00Life in LondonFascinating tales about my life on the way to and living in LondonKathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-3137811692784601492009-12-28T10:44:00.007-07:002009-12-28T11:12:25.201-07:002009 in review (Jan - Sept anyway)<div><div><div><div>Well, as promised - 2009 in review! I already did a review of the last 3 months being back home in my last post, so I am only going to cover my time in Europe this time. As a side note, I had a lovely Christmas and it was very white!<br /><br />2009 once again saw me in 12 different European countries (kind of in order, I think): England, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Monaco, Italy (for about 30 minutes!), Belgium and Germany. I'm pretty proud of myself because I exceeded <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/01/2008-in-review.html">last year's record</a> of 11 European countries in less time and with only a few repeats! So, here they are all linked up, with a few extras thrown in for fun. For more details and pictures, check out my Facebook albums for each trip.</div><div><br />January - skiing in <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/02/skiing-in-alps.html">Switzerland</a></div><div><br />February - London snow storm</div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70KCIFfK3UbuR3uKEKbH7Oj0-eQccozw4WVVrMAk8oh8zNL44RbkErU6XpjHauPaXumu5bgFN8BhgnrTlTAFbGbB5YPdbAe2nZd7zxQZqfX6zE4B-5ND5j7z2z4D-chmcZNFDkmEM8ljr/s1600-h/New+Flat+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420348730896440578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70KCIFfK3UbuR3uKEKbH7Oj0-eQccozw4WVVrMAk8oh8zNL44RbkErU6XpjHauPaXumu5bgFN8BhgnrTlTAFbGbB5YPdbAe2nZd7zxQZqfX6zE4B-5ND5j7z2z4D-chmcZNFDkmEM8ljr/s320/New+Flat+005.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div> </div><div>March - move to a new flat in <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-digs-in-sw.html">SW London</a></div><div><br /></div><div>April - <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/04/easter-in-cotswolds.html">Easter trip to the Cotswolds</a>, day trip to <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/04/dover-cliffs.html">Dover</a></div><div><br /></div><div>May - day trip to South Downs Way, Poland - <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/05/poland-as-promised.html">Krakow</a> and <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/05/warsaw.html">Warsaw</a></div><div> </div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420350699254863842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegJuQ7cDNpRcZMLRvTxF-Co1S-FbeNHH0l9wgd5zeRFWIwLVYWrgRfx4NFO-p1uU2YEJIBf8_uy2n1E6IL5ZGgvAwIZC1kq6bhNHVaJZ6FwxWp1JHEXD1SnjNd3HFaP3HbhkDWJiWGdan/s320/South+Downs+Way+027.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>June - 3 weeks at home in Denver :)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>July - Paris for the <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/07/le-tour-de-france.html">Tour de France</a>, 10 days in Scandinavia - <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/07/stockholm.html">Sweden</a>, <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/07/norway-voss-geiranger-oslo.html">Norway</a>, <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/07/copenhagen.html">Denmark</a></div><br /><div>August - day trip to Canterbury</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420350713436356882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFqtZxercIGCRXHW_pTpXr7n9IqpOZJq7WpqeAhGyRrorAe884mnpB_gqKQLnZgLrhkD-0I5p25i83joIW7vLk36h5IJ_umet66WRe6lE8-JS_iuguu5TltdBWKw_5g-W0bDhm7Kpbowe/s320/Prague+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>September - <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/12/farewell-tour.html">Prague, Alsace, French Riviera, Monaco, Brugge, Munich</a>, saying goodbye to London, Tara's wedding</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420350719584040242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_l0TBQiks_G0hPCG1KKOj6O87PtysFD8Kk8Mv3A6P5EBEP72ZAdJlJsUSwT5oIz6HVATRijz__IOcb4mjYYqZym7EAXsImwfVMLaT5ofwMoClxODmLIdKIRNOcksslzlJjF0q3WpDC-oR/s320/Prague+028.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420350727144279202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOy124UgMRj-uBsbfHirdHLFs-eFUr4z1CO1E00eIpekdmxQXehQgIMixiWB31B6lVbzLI7RzoIKMGWRSUUkXtS-Oe-qHUpDxG8tiBR1zPVTmbEIb0v7KU62ro5BdAh0IMR03eXU9DkJm/s320/family.bmp" border="0" /><br /><div>I think this will be the final post in my "Life in London" blog. I hope everyone has enjoyed it! I might miss blogging, so stay tuned....maybe I will pop up somewhere else in blog land!</div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-19581256670138046922009-12-18T13:16:00.013-07:002009-12-18T14:17:36.975-07:00Farewell Tour<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>WARNING: I have just discovered how to put links in my blog (thanks to Mom's help - when did she get more tech savvy than me??) so there are more links than might normally be necessary in this post!!</div><br /><div>I've been feeling for a little while that this blog is not really complete yet. I haven't let you know about my last (big) trip in Europe!! But first let me update you on more recent happenings. Then, I'll cover what I call my "farewell tour". Hopefully before the end of the year I'll do a 2009 in review like I did <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2009/01/2008-in-review.html">last year </a>and then this blog will be officially dead. But I'll leave it up and running if you'd like to peruse past photos sometime...<br /><br />So I moved back to Denver in September. I can't believe it's already been 3 months! My return to the States started with a trip to San Diego for my beautiful cousin Tara's wedding. You can check out the pro photos <a href="http://garyandcourtney.com/blog/?p=1359">here</a>. (My camera broke on the last destination of my farewell tour...) Needless to say, it was a gorgeous day, a gorgeous wedding and I thoroughly enjoyed spending my first days back on US soil celebrating with my family.<br /><br />Then it was right to Denver and right back to work the next day! I am working at a company called Liberty Global, which is the second largest cable TV company in the world. I work in the tax planning department which basically means I help the company make wise decisions tax-wise on pending acquisitions of companies, sales of companies and other restructuring within our company. We have only foreign operations, so what I do on a day to day basis is very similar to things I was doing in London. I work with two guys in my small sub-group and our whole tax department is closer to 15 people which is a great size. I am enjoying working in "industry" as opposed to public accounting and getting to know a new company is a welcome challenge.<br /><br />I have attended some sporting events, even a Monday Night Football game courtesy of my new company. :) One thing I missed in London was American sports (if you recall, I went to the NFL in London <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2008/10/are-you-ready-for-some-football.html">last year</a>) so I'm thankful I've already been able to get to some pretty big games. Ben and I keep busy with lots of remodeling going on, including the biggest project of the whole house: the kitchen! Much of the rest of the house is coming together and is drastically different than even 6 months ago when I last visited! </div><br /><div>Overall, I'd say my life is pretty much "normal" and I've adjusted back very very quickly. I do have some pretty painful moments of missing London and my amazing friends there. But we have all been good about keeping in touch through email and Facebook and one of the perks of my new job is a high possibility of European travel. So as soon as I get pegged for one of those trips, I'm taking some extra vacation days and visiting everyone!!<br /><br />I'm looking forward to a pretty peaceful Christmas season, with only Ben's and my immediate family in town. Even so, there is still plenty to do, particularly in this last week before the big day! I've always enjoyed these "quieter" Christmases without the hustle and bustle of out of town guests because there is more time to focus on the real reason for the season. </div><br /><div>OK, the real focus of this post, none of the boring "life since Europe" stuff! My summer was pretty slow on the travel front, minus my big Scandinavian trip and a quick weekend in Paris. Oh, and 3 weeks in Denver. But anyway, relatively slow I guess. When I decided to move home, I also knew I wanted to take a big trip to tick a few more destinations off of my wish-list. So I set up an itinerary, bought Ben a ticket to London, made oodles of arrangements for flights, hotels, trains, cars, etc and then we were off! I am proud of my arrangements and organization for this trip, especially the prices I found considering how quickly I planned it. Guess it just goes to show some of the sweet skills I learned in London. :)</div><br /><div>Our first stop was Prague, Czech Republic. This is a very popular desination for tourists and for very good reason. We loved the winding, narrow streets; the huge central square with churches, shops, food and an astronomical clock; the bridges over the river; the sprawling castle grounds and so many other things! We were both exhausted so spent a lot of time relaxing amongst our sightseeing. One day we even took a day trip to visit a church decorated entirely in bones of people killed during the Black Death!</div></div></div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416679750978788386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5RggHyEOfrHbrORGN9BIvlB8rlGMpsatZgUbnvXRuGCuZgX0KctgCsejPiEZv2E5A6eM3B1209zU62DAL3MRoJw3iCng3hD6p0FtjbnAYNpzbHeBjpQLDbtN6KSJLYfUNro203G8nysw/s320/Prague+085.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416679738655442242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwK0atEe5SDyD459Zn4kpR7LTM2xj-cmk_C8hDEUnryw1sp3iut3Zi_ORUMgIiYLURhfe3F4agF0AETWYfyEifO7D_8manz8RTX4GOnMyt978sMU4v7YGlx5B1_WESlszVvolsPzrPmXdb/s320/Alsace+074.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416679758333181858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IIybQnJ8nz0tbwKplZLy3Nh1b__8QZKMheba5t7shc6SYvnRoBcbwtAN6NRhVaJWzhl47XKcj1UjgpbN4lXWESxjmPoQIhSJFZAHAvMhG_8FrJSBBQvJzx-YaVkT7_LBQ-cZ8USm7UMO/s320/Alsace+104.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Due to some airline going out of business (how rude), we had to do some last minute scrambling which included heading back to London for just one night. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things. Our next stop was in north east France, a region called the Alsace. It's a wine region nestled right up against some beautiful hills on one side and the German border on the other. The architecture of each village was amazing and we also enjoyed touring an old castle, originally built in the 1200s!!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416680566925705602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuasFUF0LzOW12hTI7-dCUhdG9O6IuY00I4yZkusJG3wQy1b1Fi0mymz_-cO58cYTs4HjghMQ0vvjUb2OM4-OiDUZ6q-jblbyZPMlciNNDzd0KRjtP-6QnsblarSRzdPvE_9zflBPXTMJ9/s320/Alsace+144.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416680574734364594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR_kcLNsVoxisT5qJo8XNl7dWRrHTVCCeSGEYZk5XwnShZXLhwcYxSjClxOSQTAcyyvU-EHa_z6OS6Zh1G3W3s_lgGphCuz6VVr0GG_t6fjX4niYUJNWn2oDkHvlHgAr2x5QPHrU5G5Ew/s320/Alsace+236.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416680592226940578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZc7boXL6l_dHcB3PGRvxC7iLGsnhReX79v8xrXZW3B77aGNpy6xroBVxf601vSyg-QkN3Q82hYOpYevcOY7-Jd6kSWvctfR5TjB5gygaEmrGoegEXL2M0_dG5IcxAfUtHBxGZRtNMyMX/s320/Alsace+332.jpg" border="0" />Then we flew to southern France, hoping for a beautiful beach getaway in the French Riviera. However, due to high winds and not just a little rain, those dreams were a bit crushed. But we cruised around in the hills of the area (more like cliffs along the coast), explored in Monaco and around the Monte Carlo casino and even took a little side trip into Italy for a couple hours! The wealth in the whole area was pretty astounding, as evidenced by the cars in Monaco and homes all along the coast. It was a nice time and I'm glad I can say I went, but it was definitely a low point in our trip overall.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416681421604880034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzwKFSLJMPB2unX67SGGz-5wl6KlqnN7r5TsoIyLThIgotFozjrbJ8eO-_-oEUvGIVyOoPEmvYA8fIiUnOMCuHBU5XZHKjSBdmuFlSlMtyzFxvt5Roku8Hr2ybkQ2y1NdmzF4jY3SZkXx/s320/Nice+September+2009+115.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416681412225440306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMNgK3dTSn5esToC5X2McsmgHG9AsvGVxh1J92bdWtz1JGQ-2snQ-r8ZJ5qaJlXgyx5C3z1CEGDJMsmIbyIhU0bqKRFQ8j1QR9ajntG7JO7s3AroNiZOwiBrs287jUFSZ_yH6MGfU673P/s320/Nice+September+2009+029.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416681430026799090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdnWr2_2lTxBM8doimVFaonpKYptGHoa9czDMcOQqut8CD5ZKd3nODnqRFfc5j9E7CFhYku1cRFrKHS2noUS4Rc_ESU90TxmvyUyePbNV9EnPlTfLTpsrDHIhH-mfVy7MveR2gUxDjqkG/s320/Nice+September+2009+107.jpg" border="0" />Next stop: Brugge, Belgium. Now before we went here, Ben was a bit unhappy about the fact that a) we were only going for 24 hours and b) he had never heard of Brugge and barely heard of Belgium. But it turned out to be fantastic and we wanted to stay way longer! Brugge is a small city about an hour north of Brussels. We flew up to Brussels and then boarded a train for the short ride. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering the streets of Brugge, snacking on Belgian waffles and frites (french fries, which the Belgians insist they invented). We ate 2 dinners because the food was so good there! We couldn't get enough of it and I definitely think this maybe somewhere we visit again. :)</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416682450295849234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLZpzDgY0kGOs32921c810tE6nIbhou86iaJ9EXB52GAT93VyK-_YLNU2GXgB9SdVZ40Hqa9roQCp8IZXn16t53tub26LcK_XCru82itQar7PI5w8EcLuheHyqMtEOnmNjQNFW5E3A-Zz/s320/Brugge+006.jpg" border="0" /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416682459936947858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SW-9R0mlPFOeEe4Er7TBHGaWpztNqUBAxImtpKjEhh-RHPbonoU8HcxUNFdIIlIDbzzmmjRjhzhwOhgYq9RMPJ_sMoikIiQYlVp9ax5LAfhRtKS4Tx9VqJL8jLo8Z4of9hhzLiPXKkFU/s320/Nice+September+2009+122.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416682465994352242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EpVaFwmKFs6HM6KwWUEWr75u-A_GXQTpjvj5Z1uTv7a5WwZK69VysV5atVGzVQe_TFBQj52OM1e17lBjJWb5tVgEACbRtxSLx_poylCqQACg28c5kutbG0ce45x8nlpdLBhv5vFIv9dZ/s320/Nice+September+2009+132.jpg" border="0" />Thankfully the trip just kept getting better when we headed to our last stop: Munich, Germany. I had made plans for this leg of the trip way back in February with my closest friends. I had no idea at the time that it would turn out to be a farewell trip or that this would be my last time to see them in a very long time. But, it all worked out and here we were all together in Germany! We had a fabulous weekend and I wouldn't trade my friends for the world. The highlight was staying in a very fancy hotel right by the train station where we were able to relax after a couple weeks of what felt like being constantly on the move. </p><p>The sad part about Munich is this is the city where my trusty camera broke. I've had the camera since right before I moved and ironically it died on my last trip. I had to rely on others for pictures which was also a great thing because there were others to rely on!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416683348168667810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_-5uipUZ7O56_zg7kzigDrZhIzCLm5RXYJMx5FUojvio5Ge55qGprARzpkXRpTX-okgwx1ELEvlXtAgEeUZR9NFqfN8mpIhKUYxzED1L_4eNhyGVFyJhVoYP_yZPPhGpLkTQx4GEO6BU/s320/Munich+005.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416683355028486882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCBielnU6a1ftwzblbOoL10kS5drgBpBg1uCgnZs5CTqPGQODDmSM8Cf5JZS790LAZqZPGldK1OpbBw8Hvhaa_ySMIHiq7zYKsoHpE0a_RcXYbpF7uooEhsp2Ez7UkTEq6LsuAxxzRv6B/s320/Munich+024.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416683363733362594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiwdyClbdJbk1xMT5doYZHE75zFN8AZkPxhtFakGRx5w_RPeytZPzd-7jUhngNjdKLipOs-bLfRjLNFkoYTuh5MXidj_kH7sTO7eKmot0qP7EcIPrdokwOBjlbPu4GbgEAU-w57_P__SG/s320/Munich+014.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Ben went on to Zurich with my friend Brandi. (For pics of Zurich from October 2008, check <a href="http://kathyinlondon.blogspot.com/2008/10/zurich.html">this post</a> out.) I returned to London for a couple days to wrap up loose ends at work, finish some packing and say some final good byes. Ben joined me for one more day in London and then we headed back late in September. I would say the farewell tour was a success and while there are still some hot spots on my list that I haven't gotten to yet, but I definitely was able to cover off some of the major ones and end my European adventure in style. </p></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-28149271373026625702009-08-10T06:11:00.003-06:002009-08-10T06:15:20.038-06:00AnnouncementFor those of you who don't know (or haven't heard from my mother), I've decided to move back to Denver! I have taken a job at a company in Denver doing tax planning and structuring work and am excited to move into this new phase. I'll be leaving London in late September, but only after I take a 2 week trip to some spots I have not been yet. :) After that, I'll head to my cousin's wedding in San Diego, then home to Denver for a day before I begin my new job. After I'm settled, I'll have to post my farewell trip photos and probably say farewell to the blog as my life will take on a much more mundane aspect I think... Thanks to everyone for following along with my adventures and encouraging me with sweet comments!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-79424438387024037892009-07-31T09:59:00.003-06:002009-07-31T10:03:29.308-06:00Le Tour de FranceLast weekend I took the train to Paris with some friends to watch the last leg of the Tour de France. It was such a cool experience to be standing on the sidewalk, watching the racers whizz by on their way to the finish!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364654910799341298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpbUuCYJKDO-nVfIwvsP5f8nxzEBt4IvoHlv8SxG43cbgzxNnWqBR290D9sfSa1QyaikWwP9_urDIxhULS70HnO4Tceqs-bum6Bg7i1AXEnxIocAjPk7vMYmFGF0_Mw5uOGTicAvaKuvY/s320/Paris+July+2009+118.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">Notice Lance Armstrong right in the middle of this photo - black socks and shoes, blue uniform!<br /></p>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-49416372997375727462009-07-24T06:50:00.005-06:002009-07-24T07:00:11.346-06:00Copenhagen<div>In a drastic contrast to Oslo, I LOVED Copenhagen! The city was bright and friendly, had amazing architecture and such a fun vibe. It helped that the weather was gorgeous and I got to take a free canal boat ride all around the city. The buildings are painted all different colors and are well-kept. I have to rank Copenahgen as one of my top 2 favorite cities in Europe so far (tied with Krakow)!!</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010098417834418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeskd4WEwoJDVZRue71Z_tHscMLsIY5dfFQWi2gl54g4HSBODy1YyyIi1peKmot59aE4p0TWcco7k-uuZY6frgu0T99ZkLZPup53ZgnoqIggKutufQlBKs1s52iqbl7p6m62n6HHCVx9m/s320/5692_139323491080_704226080_3485923_7387839_n.jpg" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp9DEcRNLytImcq2l19jZK9-bRHWIHO1RMZTZb2YpvHQgmez5lrrC9x7iRgUj3XoNIymITFciURUsv6W2U9ZeY4lFWnvyts3Wb8F-7PDEImI3cYlbhIAU8dZD2cJuqOW5S6gTSF5J3oN0/s1600-h/Scandinavia+538.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010481013939490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp9DEcRNLytImcq2l19jZK9-bRHWIHO1RMZTZb2YpvHQgmez5lrrC9x7iRgUj3XoNIymITFciURUsv6W2U9ZeY4lFWnvyts3Wb8F-7PDEImI3cYlbhIAU8dZD2cJuqOW5S6gTSF5J3oN0/s320/Scandinavia+538.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL43eQm4QupYxIWrfQ0FFASj9Yax9iGmgJfPxK4-rlTZGPddR1XwDTYLuwRh0DYTGa9sK6k0nPh-Q-qwDtInXWRFsHF0sIDDxCCN5FGFD-Wll57C2YNkXzwoD6MpgMlvuTTVodxeXkr2c/s1600-h/Scandinavia+492.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010121662190610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDL43eQm4QupYxIWrfQ0FFASj9Yax9iGmgJfPxK4-rlTZGPddR1XwDTYLuwRh0DYTGa9sK6k0nPh-Q-qwDtInXWRFsHF0sIDDxCCN5FGFD-Wll57C2YNkXzwoD6MpgMlvuTTVodxeXkr2c/s320/Scandinavia+492.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PMTMuDaSLftK9glp73OHgAygfrpy3S5TZZlfsJC8Z3ANfMCZ2GyJSL-Gycg7rU8OSzTwID2Fyi0rLItmbQ9E-IVhI-syWNiMO3IYN_12BTbWMPv7WSaHNVRkf7dBHtdB33zGhmhI39yE/s1600-h/Scandinavia+477.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010112980585890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PMTMuDaSLftK9glp73OHgAygfrpy3S5TZZlfsJC8Z3ANfMCZ2GyJSL-Gycg7rU8OSzTwID2Fyi0rLItmbQ9E-IVhI-syWNiMO3IYN_12BTbWMPv7WSaHNVRkf7dBHtdB33zGhmhI39yE/s320/Scandinavia+477.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugMOKituEVoL0P8xOdypkXbzwiXHX39DpHK7zjgeTnnd3yhGzc1CyIw2rU7dNm4fhyDcUdC9-u665Hp5DbtCoJRNqIffx1OtnRcnYejkjXI0uuc517aWREYgmefcWHUGYjzvlTO9USe89/s1600-h/Scandinavia+430.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010107148175202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugMOKituEVoL0P8xOdypkXbzwiXHX39DpHK7zjgeTnnd3yhGzc1CyIw2rU7dNm4fhyDcUdC9-u665Hp5DbtCoJRNqIffx1OtnRcnYejkjXI0uuc517aWREYgmefcWHUGYjzvlTO9USe89/s320/Scandinavia+430.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyFXRh_1uLdK2vQiRxJYbf8OdwixJCde4beSUjI-XweVoRaU3113zg0UrOv0p6lJj33Q0n9cmV7U-ozC6jG06qaIrVqpkdbPxvh3ZTeMRfpcgt4El2fAxsd63dRYr7q7Y0DXxhMjrEl-9/s1600-h/Scandinavia+407.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362010104075092034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyFXRh_1uLdK2vQiRxJYbf8OdwixJCde4beSUjI-XweVoRaU3113zg0UrOv0p6lJj33Q0n9cmV7U-ozC6jG06qaIrVqpkdbPxvh3ZTeMRfpcgt4El2fAxsd63dRYr7q7Y0DXxhMjrEl-9/s320/Scandinavia+407.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-10757227660127363542009-07-24T06:26:00.007-06:002009-07-24T06:50:23.506-06:00Norway - Voss, Geiranger, OsloI have to admit that I find it harder and harder to blog since I post so many of my pictures to Facebook. I'm guessing that some of you out there aren't on FB or aren't my friend, so I do feel that I need to keep this up! However, if you notice the quality of my posts falling off from last year's, the reason is probably because I've already been messing with pictures I post here for close to 2 weeks and am getting a bit tired of it. :) <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>We traveled all over southern Norway it seemed! There aren't a lot of big highways, so I spent a lot of the time feeeling ill as the bus wound around curvy roads and up and down steep hills. We saw so much water, so many mountains and so many trees. The countryside was undeniably beautiful. The scenery was so dramatic and shocking at times to see the steep cliffs and water falls jutting right up from the sea-level fjords! There was quite a lot of rain and chilly weather, but that didn't really dampen our spirits too much.</div><div><br /></div><div>We spent some time in some smaller places like Elverum, Voss and Geiranger before heading to Oslo. We went white water rafting in Voss, rode a train through the mountains and took a cruise down a fjord in Geiranger. We had to have a few ferry crossings as weel. Prices on everything are very high in Norway, even on gas which is interesting since most of Norway's riches come from oil! </div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't terribly impressed with Oslo (I think this might be the first time I've said this about my travels). It seemed very industrial and cold, but somehow was voted the 6th most livable city in the world, or something similar. There is lots of public art, most of a modern nature. Um...I don't have much else to say really! I'm sure there are nice things about Oslo and I was initially disappointed that we only had one day there. But in the end, I was happy to be making progress towards Copenhagen again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh - almost forgot my favorite part of the trip! Bobsledding in Lillehammer!! We went down the actual 1994 Olympic bobsled track in a bobsled with wheels attached. We experience 4Gs of force and were going 100 km/hr. It felt like a super awesome roller coaster to me and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute (OK, second really since the ride was only 67 secs long!). I'd love to visit again in the winter and try it on ICE! :)</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362006609038942434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pp4EZ9ccGiCJoW5A6AzF3p1Wg9nb7HEtA9-EjqDuKJQWRC7VlwaStw18SeayoFaiQfJZkOaaRZOxcSlKibfhds_ADjpcjR82RY32T4_5J_5Gb3JOli9zAhDb3myLiDr2s3oPDpGu3Lo6/s320/Scandinavia+180.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362006609514817794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgqtz_VJx93B62Vf10oYwNY4oslZ6ewKiHyhI_fscghlJNHf60cnkh3RHIvmQNgebMlQu-SMtntwpyy98-hO3JoF5zmJwe35i_ioOdsa_vXtVmiSPkjnDuobE5vb0zJJRwJf2qFQsYJYd/s320/5692_139317336080_704226080_3485732_7879631_n.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362006617372238546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUOkA8D-pciKqj2-Y57fkoa0mypu6_r1l4y4BkyyqKAaRUQmvZWoz7nhpQYAvEoLCG7EtWN-lPADgatrt3jE7YVAAGO14lcWMX4s-8Fqj3c75Sj6YZ8X4R0RcnY2LUaSK6wBaifB1LZwJ/s320/Scandinavia+241.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362006619180112930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbsQ8SNAx37B1leN2CrTS_5ILATO4Ezyh1g8v_1U6NJX2Oy1MtfXerW8Mm8ge0xnah92WzRsGitrnAfhA5M4n94j7N4zDVYLMI02ftZClBIUlCB0nj-x1jzBOUjLLDXG7gVk9XjME-K1t/s320/Scandinavia+276.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362007035054003090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupW8YCoHkQhA-q5hyPaequmK3w3jtqOz18cliCrLlJMS9Km8hoH4PHLJqG5Ml7dFyvPMVAD7YM-wAmeKi3SehoCMvX7nekzlg_TJf5X3Zf0VU7iBL9t_LSOhliktFz52mPDngjVCSp6Pj/s320/Scandinavia+199.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362006622918865586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFX8exdgo76bnxyGeoYwWdAdDsy3FZIhdCBk9yIJ5WcCnlmHwFvBQIbvrmusbg8wEwcYLnQoXmrPKmdarn8LyrwHckS9-zWzP3r27XvBRMAWf8RpnPOnFVKkF5D4Rc0DqzPHRBmWg6csZm/s320/6131_233245410353_897110353_7918348_5139526_n.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362007062095645586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qr6F6w6ZhYb8U__jnef2aXvvvtYHaTLeqZkXT1BTIONMNFSkSbpm_O4mFEVXIEvwE44Ir_YwhAO4vNm1XQF2St_vuNMfianooP4y0AhnFphHh9Hy20EB9NFNjOQ0df1lo5AJsVgYgKCF/s320/Scandinavia+354.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362007045620752290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UlO6OXsLjntHoGXngAXoz8NPw51whcfFDnz5YEGldoN4LWHM7GJ7BuFcboX-tf4pR-Xhewh94oTbOqRwWlnnhQqTfWth-d4_5eCJpu2Gl6HZXilJiDqzmGjPDAmiqdXgFsG9VLW1pTl6/s320/Scandinavia+350.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362007052967001106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqCKXXH7BqnKfSDDrPjsauXD4qVnbQvmEj0aT8bzVO84RV3X2SzcLDWCkZexU3LPqNSFs1FwAcZIONQWIxUHUnHPfbIXf5cc9k_H3nnVlnZhIMD0YslkdNr_U_LofUORQDk3azgSR_Xt-/s320/Scandinavia+385.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362007050880010002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6KAQGFuCknyjfwYwvRDDuB0Bae9WugvJBVoVpyhAX1VstQ6yDnPWs0-e_H_8l1Rhroq_C4V9Hd9jrL_l4W76AF-Sm6c-qFPUztt0tlXg-DtFHLdHUgTik0N-tG6qnHL6nIlyiNupQO-r/s320/Scandinavia+359.jpg" border="0" /></p>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-74088555765581408402009-07-24T06:21:00.003-06:002009-07-24T06:26:17.203-06:00StockholmAfter a bit of a delay, here is my official Stockholm post. Unfortunately, I rarely had internet after Stockholm so wasn't able to keep up to date as I wanted. Plus I was having too much fun enjoying the very light nights and getting to know my new friends! <div><div><div><br /><div>Stockholm is a beautiful city with lots more history than I imagined. Like I said before, it is a great combination of old and new and has a very active feel to it. I spent two days there, wandering around, eating moose burgers, shopping and checking out the changing of the guard. Here are a few pictures from those days.</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362001730197443602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp28HNVkoh5SJV8Dkwzjguuy7ZrdBHPCUul3dWFNJJNMc2wA5yl2Jad26aAz8ra5djzvJIL-lDm5vHxA6bXZVKycUVo4vtgmMubqgSb22E99729ZQEj0VjOHCVknpZTkqqT91MOiCseFb-/s320/Scandinavia+116.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362001715182631682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvP-9zIU-iej6BKItmpPjAr-fU5grtDlgk_mycmOYtZzibZqSFmn1VGvDalPwmrW5Kog9K_pHd2xLFoncZ5RYk6xymcRh3zZnLmyOlfOVxbnXfGzFgvRefqi_uMuMrtWxy5p7NR703Ojy/s320/5692_139313881080_704226080_3485605_8355828_n.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362001717288466322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeydSh0wmSAr1UrqroeXOtRBAsipGyyJNnVT6wbsaV30k0nnA_ZhmG7AuBfugBe6J-KK34pt3X1nkkMKN6nKxdrc353QVWExjWTtZL3MYlsIaQtP0IbuWah6NgJyIl-Cwpd_CFWkwFw5zT/s320/Scandinavia+111.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362001723589028210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNcQ7IdRy7ojjqogUG5Rdod8TMs01i6Yo761y3rjHCEWPcb_od3sjyGg9mMVjHFABUS72esA58j7uAj4KFUfsS__qTs40VZNLsKR5wd4VA5SQDF5BFmEfNJMw5kw5-KrnbpuKiPV-0lLx/s320/Scandinavia+084.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-14165736189534329852009-07-13T13:14:00.000-06:002009-07-13T13:15:36.155-06:00OopsSo clearly I wasn't able to get internet access after the first couple of days. Plus, we were very busy touring! Anyway, I will post a full update (possibly in a few parts) sometime soon. But right now, I have some major work deadlines that need to be looked after...Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-46279484303533173932009-07-05T23:45:00.003-06:002009-07-05T23:47:06.395-06:00Into NorwayI spent yesterday wandering around Stockholm again, but this time with new friends! We visited the Vasa museum where an old war ship is preserved (it sank in 1628). Then we wandered around the old town and did some window shopping. We watched the changing of the guard and even had moose burgers for lunch!!<br /><br />Today we head into Norway, first stopping at one of the largest lakes in Sweden (there are 10,000) for a picnic. Should be a long day of travel, but I'm looking forward to getting to know my new friends more.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-90246329931790684682009-07-04T08:06:00.004-06:002009-07-04T08:11:57.153-06:00Strolling in StockholmWell, this is day 1 of my Scandinavian tour. I will be in Stockholm through tomorrow night, then we are headed all around southern Norway, back to Sweden for a quick stop and then to Denmark. I arrived in Stockholm this morning, but don't meet my tour group until this evening. So I took some time to wander the city on my own. Stockholm is made up of a bunch of islands and canals (check out a map-it's pretty cool looking!) and also seems to have quite a bit of forest around.<br /><br />I got myself to the center of town and then headed out to one of the main islands which is made up of parks and museums. I had some lunch there, did some fantastic people watching and strolled around looking at the impressive private boats.<br /><br />The people here are tan, fit, friendly and welcoming. The city is clean and proudly mixes old and new. Everyone seems to be active and there are lots of people outside enjoying the summer weather. <br /><br />I'm not sure if I'll get to blog every day but I will do my best to keep this updated as I go along. Unfortunately no pictures because I don't have my own computer. :( I'm going to take a quick nap now since I've been up since 5 am and still have 2 hours to meet my new friends!<br /><br />Happy Independence Day!!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-35523469161801350662009-05-28T02:13:00.011-06:002009-05-28T10:16:28.911-06:00WarsawOK, so then we were in Warsaw. It was the hottest day of our trip, so finding the hotel with our bags was a bit uncomfortable. But we found it and got ready to head out. Our hotel was a bit east of the center of town AND there was a lot of construction going into town, so getting where we wanted to go was a challenge at first (and took awhile!). But we finally made it and were happy to sit down and check out some more yummy Polish food. Afterwards, we enjoyed walking around the Old and New Squares and taking in the culture around there. <div><div><div><div><div><div><br />There seemed to be a heavy classical music culture (of course, Chopin was from Warsaw) and always I was struck by the tenacity and courage of the Poles. The entire city of Warsaw was destroyed and pretty much evacuated during WW II. However, today it has been rebuilt to its previous glory and you would never guess that the city was literally a pile of rubble 60 years ago. That just goes to show that the Poles have a deep sense of national pride and put a lot of effort into rebuilding their lives instead of just moving on or giving up. </div><div align="center"><br />Royal Palace </div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340907912391643106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk-ys4LNYX57RVWwUEpurX1aIkDWIKTobWIarxmUWuF5GOX4lUGy4PeOwYA9w_4kB-LpVD551gVTBCBhIDPA8IoJ8pT-ovl9WlcCFM_OfjQZIUKa6cJbz7fbt6WVEDrvKEZEoXOQsSIyR/s320/Poland+May+2009+275.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><br />Old Square </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908011226201346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6249cpeQUJXaNdREKljyVfti3SerRsk7LNU8p8E9buSjzB_tqKNjf8p3QKFEMJpwEfFcLcMVZ5E0-bDDvzuOd4eFUQbzPuc40k-CkUoYrFH8CjqYDlhxUIcIumMOdwck0SNx6OGs6fFJP/s320/Poland+May+2009+297.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><br />City Walls </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908166445920498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF85jJUKXPw3W48OLUVlUsxuLVj5rRygnVAW9SX3RummKPlRtQ8Dc9p9-t0CoR2GTC52oXbe_LPnCARo4fvkleaJ00AC2WxxBfO5UzGEen_8V3xWWhbF-cTxNm6VAoncfCIqaT39waOYs7/s320/Poland+May+2009+300.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908249854959986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmHPhpS1P9jsoFiudLuBFCyZ1i1cIsZk21Jalk0K53GWdxVdE6XOEb00OhviZWQhLo8OZEmg7D0gtvuZA3q-BmT6V3WB6ZT7VJxsRWQPncr_XY5gC3fbPQqyiDbpWxJzl1D0bT5viMx5c/s320/Poland+May+2009+307.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><br />New Square </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908093990262914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5EG8FfsWwegJxaaOomqylr7pj-sc9_7uCDkErx5NBzHcBroImpdsro5i91dc4jDQN7Be368XDYPPeUMv0WeRWE4_HvjVllnOvsU2Y5eJ8Wm7m6dqxN0-gsD7KAvIfqPqcaDdsVxgksNH/s320/Poland+May+2009+314.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>On Friday we tried to visit the Russian bazarre but it was pretty dead and there was no English spoken anywhere, so it ended up being quite difficult. So we headed back to the Old Town and toured the Royal Palace. This building has also been rebuilt and restored and it was spectacular! </div><br /><div align="center"><br />One of the many thrones </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908430068395314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1_yXaRXjjVdyRexK9yTOezPkM44r7ZuBRIlijfO0s5POJT43WxQeQmZ2YdNeGYA6U75TErLuC2pYHAlnngq0TM5S5a2g2XpQXAG5UVgU6FATm4f5RVA2awKJTGQd1LvKrAQXmx1cIGo6/s320/Poland+May+2009+373.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Some old masters (Rembrandt) </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908523237774082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUxAqoWQcZAGcMPq8XgaPdnXwgLsGh8AHaHC3BdCcIABi3kJKeQ_0K68uFQPJkGCoFE-6tQfnv1tL4nBcW9TKeBIgu2F0sSSkWl_XIgvlbx5TScw2zS2942iLbcWeOGYgpNg4xxDg0-u7/s320/Poland+May+2009+398.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br />Magnificent architecture </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340908616066540786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0-fBwit5hEmCBVWfvG1-QxjGk9q8UPhAWsicPT6TXheB7caJ7euv3UFBjt91zVm7M5Dcp1odLTNVa-Ux847C2vwYhMpM7v5PdV8A1l_1FABiZYNkK37MkpX5Jn5gVxWuCfm5IYWud-_1/s320/Poland+May+2009+394.jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>After that it was time to head back to the airport and back to London. We were both very pleased with our trip. Ben was able to explore his homeland and is excited to return with his mom sometime. I had never really thought of Poland as a destination, but now I would recommend it (particularly Krakow) to anyone thinking of venturing to Eastern Europe. </div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-79255988097967697702009-05-27T13:33:00.023-06:002009-05-28T02:14:52.857-06:00Poland - as promised!I absolutely LOVED Poland! Perhaps it was because of the company, the nicer than normal hotel, the decent weather, the cheap food, the not too crowded cities or the Polish culture. Whatever it was, this was a great and FUN trip!<br /><br /><br />We started in Krakow on Saturday night (after Ben had flown all night from Denver the night before, poor thing) and headed straight out to check out the city. Then on Sunday we hit up all of the hot tourist spots in the main part of town - central square, castle, fire-breathing dragon (not real and not real big). We had some great food and made some new friends to boot!<br /><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Main square - centuries old and the largest in Europe</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340779542709550978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3k6HLkESkPy18WJvj1JHkF6iAIAr3Tr1Il_3NAYQwey_W35quekz__H_tq1Nqa1jMLM6175n5oIBKWQJ8wyYpVetsFOYHVkx-bE4LEeRgHlZoJTxvTOple7Eu15gWnsE6U9S3VWfWtxU/s320/Poland+May+2009+014.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Castle hill</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340779632777232546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPccO4VnETdLcAzXU9LG_tWOrQPR93olnsh-G_PaWbzMjTUppWAK71Cd11j5x-vEMh2gTaD78JtjSBMqEofF8iTJQz-hkv6bbCWrPYblze23dn172m4WMY9FUeGHjZzo-06VUZeBRmuPyS/s320/Poland+May+2009+044.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">Looking over the river</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340779733750118402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcPTlRHX2k2jRbV0OE7eDgXvKJtfNcC_4qa_788Sw6jXQv8TowgFPmtorZgPrO7QCWszHl3x3eh4kOz-v_fipj0w9GCn7bOEZTns7nmfvmi91qNwSk8opP5l7LbkaUStZe0O_U9PqtyQ-/s320/Poland+May+2009+053.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">Fire-breathing dragon (told you)</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340779806882142434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__MfefmUCac4C4CLH1t3TEsj9kkj1z8n_wMutgcWfvQzD5fXfw5U2jmwJIKnkOsooa2YBfozqM6EpD9NPdvYpfm6LdCW4MEekHZE5HJmn0H85-ivcw03ZgWoJCN5VCMj0p8QWWbrobJFq/s320/Poland+May+2009+058.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Tasty treat</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340779913823528402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmls53kvyEAMnzqcrJb0UTJHfVoUpUEmKtE1Ndby02IwNqhiEBCbdL2-t23jik9Y2neT0vjc6xb2sDVrnDEMvLwxwjT3OAJlVjkahoEf2jNmNP4b4eM68mxEFfyPu2Fwm4H9FrRWKhRrRh/s320/Poland+May+2009+067.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="left">Monday we took a small day trip out of town to visit the salt mine. The mine has been in operation since 1300 something (I think) and has 9 levels. We were able to visit parts of 3 of them, but only saw about 5%!! The highlight of the tour was a massive chapel in the middle that was entirely made of salt - the walls, the floors, the pictures, the statues - everything! We both thought the mine was pretty sweet, but were happy to be back in some fresh air and a little sunshine at the end.</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="center">One of the caverns finished in 1666</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780039697087682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdibm560kcYieaT3QXzJEeQzAS7dG87Zq84V7J2s4wAEaWB6L-nm3Em9mYrMH7UNCoVshrHOAs4IojtYA1tfma-44OuiOeZOTBtJdpk18-lf-OESitTeSNC_FGqDVFr3AbudE7YOjuenc/s320/Poland+May+2009+093.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">The miners made many statues throughout the mines</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780113429188722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqoW-qkQIvKJ3-AfY4bqDf-3wTtncy1qV-IUXwUJnwp9u3Pgy8_2UWgFrs0DqgggJcjAdFF4LLgAEYf-AAhW9ZeYZ1cf3lxSHQcqYRQ301QSgujsLQBhx34XCOmyY6ADwxg0rYiRX2Zc0/s320/Poland+May+2009+098.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center">In the chapel</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780251350662914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68wp07qcMrtr-p7W6qDSbs1OVBGZdb0ECIDFO1197GDUU4c3rFodnJb_d4cOnFMtdCHWTmNCzRbpXf4vsxqMOwjq7TJglIBL2dMEhc6pnKbN9yt3RtEKbLJ6UKWEs2pDun9eJC54UDlwh/s320/Poland+May+2009+114.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">By Tuesday we were realizing that we were going to want more time in Krakow than we had previously planned (until Wednesday). So we arranged to stay another night in our hotel. Since we were traveling by train to Warsaw, it was easy to postpone buying those tickets. So with all of that settled, we set out to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau - the Nazi prison/death camps. This was a very sobering trip and it didn't help that it was gloomy and rainy most of the day.</div><br /><br /><div align="center">Entry to Auschwitz I</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780396707486754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxtEBGnSEke0Y_FoqZBkJdDAnga6SpPnoNjVoXLvGFjnTOj4BZTGrt3eXCMeowGKn0-WQNSF1j5ErN5TCqu9N2CecGAfTHouibaNw0I5ZdgbmZXp-f54vKBCxxVsAN-cddtjrtY93_yqb/s320/Poland+May+2009+154.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Birkenau - much bigger and more morbid, if possible</div><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780509145975778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bdiIdH9KYB3CZdeAj04dooaEV08n1NaIWMrUN30c_-0fsxTkfP1adVBBXXNAkqkmai_PPnTMHgnQx23JiuLdM-NurzPqg2vULZOfSCj-tciEBk4YOt1TSUunKjAoCeaSyqJRdu68vEk3/s320/Poland+May+2009+176.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">The Nazis burned most of the barracks (each of which held at least 700 people!) when they retreated. These chimneys remain as a grim reminder.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780680587563442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGc6EGT9Y3tcXiGNU7WqgQlJ-x5SomzAigM1CGubxiY_c4wK24aYwZAiYbdTZu-Wb4pCdYlGv1uTVi_gxjcw1uMTrztQ2cvdLxC-ioMayZ-fDe3Ru-X7OOy5mq2HFtub9MLBQ_r4celcL/s320/Poland+May+2009+174.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Ruins of the gas chambers where many Jews were sent if they were deemed unfit to work</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340780822008603794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha167fxNKe-_bIIgc31znPexXljCco5aHzAuXGIhD449APtIE6nzgw93VFdq9C5PV-DnymOc97X7hekdi_a_2o2Og6a78sbuoetG-Cc2YbmQAcaqi55UvryWkw3pUD7Iwuz2s09yvAiZLu/s320/Poland+May+2009+178.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="left">Thankfully we had ALL DAY on Wednesday to still explore Krakow! We did a lot more wandering, especially in and near the park that circles the middle of town. We also did some souvenir shopping and just enjoyed the day.</div><br /><div align="center">A cute restaurant</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340781095652564130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6vG7dxmY6dyn7uZETZRv09NY8SWS4_17vnTqz5mv5r8Uy8o6_0Zsnu7ERqSv9uns5ASOeX786APBJlqUDTCclSr38xezBgSghQCbth31ZLh1EfzejAc_C6xNB998vusINQyXXf1KlKUv/s320/Poland+May+2009+266.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">People watching</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340781217477858530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7obggMiP2qQs4QIaKjwJVODTStvsuCq1FX2Nt2UVKofDr2Y0qEb6_XAHlpU48gjlfq3n_SlwVnVDcGBM0P2bo3ktQ97uWAyH06MU0dSwUzWxOoZkokAvVMszyDSyWveR-VnhMUd3VdLJl/s320/Poland+May+2009+208.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div align="center">The Park</div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340781432559533618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYODA5XA4-6LZuNxbvZUI8mDDxOusyEtHdC9Igun5k6DWY_I1bfrd-n2mFeHCGAe0_OI5G262UUldpsGYE0xTwsRpHeVtR1YE9dX0duGaYxuiONgNljtFhzlsej6XQXcAFbcSWXGyphYH/s320/Poland+May+2009+146.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"></div><p align="center"></p><p align="center">Grilling our own sausage </p><p align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340781695074630482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDn7L3wr6i9RaV5Y35b2HEKUIhD5m1mSKz-_QNPMCvuHm8i77su4SFN5oBJIF0hScZxIjuw8mQ07IQgJfmyJa2k9r_nsWLItQ6GH19hRVhyBHtIgMRz6MCf_kYkfBf8KV_Xqc3y72lA6D/s320/Poland+May+2009+251.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />On Thursday we boarded a train to Warsaw. This train was different than the trains I use in England. It was much more "old-fashioned", if you will, as in it had compartments with 6 (1st class) or 8 (2nd class) seats and a door that opened onto the hallway. We traveled 1st class and shared our compartment with only one other person, so we were very comfortable. We slept quite a lot and watched the countryside pass. If you must know, it looks a lot like Wisconsin - lots of deciduous trees, mainly farms and some small hills.</p><p>I'm going to have to take a break and show you Warsaw later...but hopefully this is enough to keep everyone happy!</p>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-23079415977787950002009-05-15T06:35:00.002-06:002009-05-15T06:38:24.284-06:00Kathy is...<ul><li>Going to Poland tomorrow!</li><li>Very busy at work, even though it's not busy season.</li><li>Not very good at updating her blog (but then again, she hasn't been farther than the southern suburbs of London since Easter).</li><li>Wishing it was warmer/sunnier in England.</li><li>Wondering if she's ever going to hit all of the must-see locations on her "list".</li><li>Ready to begin her summer travel season.</li></ul><p>Pictures of Poland to come the last week of May!!</p>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-47655719284235398912009-04-16T06:02:00.011-06:002009-04-16T06:16:19.227-06:00Easter in the CotswoldsI had the fun privilege of traveling with 4 of my friends (2 from work and their spouses) to the Cotswolds for Easter weekend. In the UK, Easter is a 4 day weekend and a lot of people celebrate by doing some traveling, even if it's not far. The train ride we took was just shy of 2 hours, but it was like being in a different world! The weather was "typical" English - cloudy, a bit rainy, with some spots of sun - but that didn't dampen our spirits.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>On Friday after a yummy lunch at the pub we were staying in, we took a long country walk on some steep footpaths. The Cotswolds are very hilly and we experienced the hills first-hand while we were scrambling up the muddy paths and trying not to slip and fall coming down! There were lots of sheep around and even though it was raining, we had a good time and felt that we got plenty of exercise so we could justify a 3 course dinner. :)</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325259351618920818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2nRAkUecKjA_QbEjbGSqY3mQ39ePSMBWtgFChF1BmfYWW8vsN27uaVLLGMzD4Zhp5aBhQEYWdpMPr8GAvchhOJ5OJNyW8CAeFC3k8AIgsFv-KsZxqpvEVQYcVH2wRjhb0uBLQWHzJ94H/s320/Cotswolds+009.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325259534507365874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GmjRMkntM1x515HHqOEN07cUjXavWyVwZWqEI2fxBEThdkcJTzbzcvGKiXc8Ezr0PsE05GTZkALxrZ1lMCIQNtAl5LGtuiqK9jmcaD7TabiPDKezcIEZjfXHrei4GuWpMSI_G_DZAFVc/s320/Cotswolds+029.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325259629469240930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd2YsHXStJnwQ3Od4O_ttDc933AlIW_B3VQCH_XYSKv9FLUziTlvf_B3OXiqNz47hE-YKLv89vJVTozFoHZHuCzCEajK7KeugwGBzkNIB_yPUAfgQDTYuaHEO70uMgAs6CDXUOwA2g-tw/s320/Cotswolds+040.jpg" border="0" />Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day! We had arranged to rent some bicycles from a shop in another town so after breakfast, we headed over and picked them up. They gave us a very detailed map with several long rides through lots of villages highlighted. We had a fabulous time cycling up and down the hills (well, the uphills weren't too fabulous), checking out the villages along the way, taking lots of pictures of the countryside and enjoying the sunshine and sheep. I think we visited/cycled through 7 villages and they were all distinct in their way. We stopped in quite a few to do some extra "sight" seeing, including a long stop for lunch and a wander through the church in Chipping Camden.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325260451351987794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAthORDFKhjG4XN3Lhgcud7lZyw57906YZeoBtrpLGt6ll7wq1mMIvAIL0pc7V6Swo27MagNbh8dfbZ7RK9qcFcCuYK6Phka2TFHtJ-Pp_WOYnmqbNQN4D8sPF7W_riGaqdEYl6ooXLWQ/s320/Cotswolds+061.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325260538559748450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhK6Z5i9HJh8DZLJGd4ZH9BguDj4QemvTSc0SkcyGupYF6ahBNXtimGHmeMfJbyjnoNLB9bdKNzL-Ys5Q_S9_OcmJg6qJgEeXYJtM-wVI5cwZEAoB01duKj83gu0bWg1RR3ptkxmBbKN5/s320/Cotswolds+071.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325260611821494338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWa_30AQsDUrqOsBXkdp71rDkF-iYWio8alL67wlgspk6fhxohUFIRbI5m1zH7vz2iDmFyy3ywzv1c71Lwz9Wb7YPlcdJOPdNybHltiCpQAk9UyzKV3zfxHRF9B6LFkgSQ7uYonC1AQrD/s320/Cotswolds+072.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325260732088546354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGc1NCXYA9IeivsAAurH-NqIBR2bDtC8p-g-UJUbfPXXgwvxK6UC91kTG45hLhQL7K_J7OwGCZiCj7aaJWCTa78myY9VojR-OrRjF5-ZoSse4DV6-Y3X6ObfQa2N6H_ldpzHkudODKZEuF/s320/Cotswolds+089.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325260807332893314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JrksuYEIH_WLEqEBWx88TXn_7E-ZgGjCHc-wU_BTN2m8CBafDtUb5g-E1voD7WctWzZMvpUOn5npedmuemL3YAHqIJFyjKDsp0oNGPMZ4A6YXY9gTsvR5RQmm5-YQi-OgrkEkJSZG_Z2/s320/Cotswolds+101.jpg" border="0" />On Sunday we celebrated Easter in the church in the village we stayed in. It was a traditional Anglican service in a beautiful building and I really enjoyed worshipping there! After church, we had a bit of a wander around, found some lunch and then headed back to London. It was a fantastic weekend and I'm so happy that it all went well and we were able to take a good break from the demands of London and work.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325261730982941090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fAh1MauhphGG20OWcrVL_UjOV1nR5QmdmbGpYMRG8NT_serm1qp8wKfhFdY3-Wb8kBdvq6G4Twljmi8DjDANjNC6x765KZHxnWgRIm98er8hID-7lJeZT7RtTUmlHLoLzlg6DpcUp0dD/s320/Cotswolds+103.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-38058376857544227592009-04-08T09:49:00.011-06:002009-04-08T10:03:44.987-06:00Dover CliffsLast weekend I once again started my day trips around the UK. Last year I was able to start doing these almost as soon as I moved here, but this year my work schedule was quite a bit different in February and March so I had to delay until April. Thankfully, the UK has impressed me once again and I am ready for more and more day trips in 2009!<br /><div><div><div><br /></div><div>I went with a work friend, Lauren, down to Dover where we explored the castle and took a hike along the cliffs. Thankfully the weather was SUNNY and pretty warm, especially since we were outdoors all day and walked about 10 miles, much of it uphill it seemed!</div><div><br /></div><div>The castle has been there for hundreds of years, but was especially strategis in WW II due to its underground tunnels and crucial look-out points over the Channel. We toured the tunnels and wandered around the castle grounds some after we had a brief picnic lunch. We were both antsy to find the cliffs and start hiking in the open though.</div><div><br /></div><div>After getting some interesting directions, we walked about 2 miles, mostly along a country road that wasn't quite wide enough for 2 lanes AND us, until we got to the beginning of the cliff paths. By that time, clouds had entirely covered the Channel so it was very difficult to see past the ferry docks, let alone all the way to France! But we enjoyed a good hike and took some fun pictures - which hopefully you enjoy as well!</div><div align="center"><br /><br />Entrance to the underground tunnels<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322349734598530082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m_AleTkvvz-MVwM1bfI7tV5vXjDKNf3960jIitSdZSWOLzYgI3ZnBqLSOAgC9fEeryTy_F-s68LSTxBNfURgCmP7FZ_rGB0Fk6VR-qZ4WtWmquFbj0tqZVQkmVaLplE2vhzLhKyXFIdQ/s320/Dover+035.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div><br /><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">View of the castle from the cliffs<br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322350317393193730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7eUtAFLr_KC_0ZYc54p69gxVSnsQhjYnGH2XCJM49xBAGJterIG3RCuRvTod-ZILcruOOwE2-mv1Hr4uNQpp9ctR_zVfHlQxyY2mKaBxniJUHXHiBqA9314JSqkqvhxxP-i863K0xCM7/s320/Dover+041.jpg" border="0" /></p><div align="center">Me on top of the cliffs with the Channel behind me</div><div align="center"><br /> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322350460440257442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg50gfoluB50213qg7aYKfdbfhOX0HvAbq4UWdMUsyfG52g6Ac5xkoVouA5SrbdofK64w-x1UvGZjLz_ChaviU06ywtpZJ5T8AbEMCvhznFrqk2ZxQ1JWw1RwV4At__BHXQiFWy_8zdAY/s320/Dover+049.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">The White Cliffs of Dover</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322350541645478290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNefe1ThbftwCUePWPbbBMuMvjKtjs3snVShvYdSCsVBL92zWmLZoFwWh9WSyF3SfPb6mVRuVN8CZFBCb1T7jmX-lcbh8Q91aZ7Fhrf_caowm2iSiFfxOfQTH-TvVM7GUIKcvGr9w8mM5/s320/Dover+051.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">A view down to the beaches below - the cliffs were literally bright white!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322350719627463170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs722mMrFxEzv9R3RZ0yQpZuZOkjuuIpf6lwuxdqWUhb_Mrb21U_HJ1XASju6EIQ8NBMfLgCRT-gk8dBXj2URO_c77hTkP3R3EsLiiuLrrWihmygg1iiOdZzVGEHu5gw1SgpGN64i7O7eh/s320/Dover+062.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">And in case you didn't believe I have a friend......this is Lauren :)</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322351068267007234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9xGo6HYVgAikfagwSrbAp3z-_DTpbZB8QvTPVIEk6ozZ45OI2dxgTW4VJzf87NNUEEXDvfxJdUOoFU5EQGNLhvQh67BFwSwZ8UkthqoB2H5sboQBlPGgNu4IdRIiNSmuKXGDlf0pnmRV/s320/Dover+048.jpg" border="0" />Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-78240523368268323982009-03-21T04:36:00.010-06:002009-03-21T04:58:43.429-06:00New Digs in the SWI am all settled in to my new flat. I love the area and the commute has been easy so far (and no longer than my last commute). My flatmate is great! She is a flight attendant so is gone about half the time and when she's around is good to talk with and learn about the area from. <div><div><div><div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315589422447129778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yMm3Z0O9BXbpcvnRbZBch82JaXLOO00q-t5VZL0ufBOllK72bCSxPEhjC-ByNHFl3-6ZmPfDxt22DTtwSG9bC0UJKdOGcDCHd8Pz17MtBBLDWsVmWaOcG0eneu5wlKfQP4Axpv-QLn0E/s320/New+Flat+023.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315591573812549026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakhMJac0Pr7QfSByfZA_lVjUvBZRuGXJkGB9znJLzPMgI6lhr3TMkiHzzBgyATbgFHfRgNhpFFiUsU3l9450vZ9LfumccldIWv1pUK8S-N_c3rpRdL43FwGsnPS-kZn929QrxmFHLQY2v/s320/New+Flat+025.jpg" border="0" /> <div> </div><div>Speaking of area, my flat overlooks a private park which I walk through each day when I go to work. The park is beautiful and some of the trees are starting to bud so I know spring is coming! On the other side of my flat is a street that is completely lined with trees and lots of old-fashioned buildings. I live right across from a big, old church as well.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315593320729904130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzEenpHelKqjzsM5O-FEuw0p1JL0-co5cE7bihLAuVEu8DvwzD7iI-26ihguhzziF5br0aUzlGbJjAx8Q7zOJ9H3jp-0QKhpSA4uc0SH6YvdA5_3xuxnAGh1ees5h91zGW5nTu8Kzu2Kk/s320/New+Flat+028.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315592531034857074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFulpPkNRxlNzGVhaO2qz_3i5jzPRqxIhE-MrLX3bm22YSBOZS6JSrWXetfDGZCVAyyibeP_OoB9sHA7OSeJmvbbQLJjbNPrB-bX-gGsadWHHQ7QSEhracmm0Z5FNahF1nNy5TIMFm8Pbx/s320/New+Flat+029.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div>My flat is walking distance to lots of great parks and shopping and even some of the museums. Right after I do this, I plan to get out and do a little exploring on foot to see what I can find! I already went out this morning to the massive Tesco (grocery store) that is just 3 minutes away and was shocked at just how huge it was. I'm very excited to be in a new place, mostly because I have a new perspective on the city and get to explore new places!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315591031939749858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNlvlI2hbsnF9JyB6-cBZ0fhJYhtq8PGsIQnrsUcXxK_U-yCbhTCJ5yKK49eYacUwwJ2sVwy3IylA9hGA3b7vGg0uvKRG5MBXil9NgVq_6W_FqV3Q-5vIh01_aMoalrW8KZrgIdO0zAGY/s320/New+Flat+026.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-12607785292202336382009-03-08T07:38:00.002-06:002009-03-08T07:43:12.099-06:00Moving!As has been my habit over the last few months, I took a few minutes one day this week to do some online flat hunting. I came across one that looked perfect for me and contacted the lady. I figured since it seemed so right that it would already be gone or some such thing so tried not to get my hopes up too high! However, she wrote me back and set up a time for me to come by on Saturday.<br /><br />I spent about an hour yesterday looking around and having a chat with Louise. I took the room on the spot and am moving next weekend! My new flatmate is fun and outgoing and is a flight attendant on big, long British Airways flights. She and I got along well and even though I am moving into somewhere smaller, it is a much better location and the whole situation will give me a new perspective on London that I've desperately been needing!<br /><br />So on top of lots of work, I have a busy week of packing ahead of me. I am currently procrastinating by writing this blog, but I suppose I should get up and attempt to pack a few boxes... I'll give you an update and some new pictures after I get settled in!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-74667087926999560572009-03-01T13:09:00.003-07:002009-03-01T13:17:11.226-07:00I'm alive - don't worry!Some of you may have been wondering where I've disappeared to. The answer is - my desk. Even the porter (doorman) in my building saw me yesterday and asked if I had been gone somewhere because he never saw me coming home from work! This has turned into my busiest busy season yet but it's not all bad. I have worked some very long weeks and my brain is beginning to turn to mush, but I have learned a lot and feel that I'm settling into my new manager role.<br /><br />So I haven't been able to take the day trips I was fortunate enough to take last year, or even wander around London. My weekends are generally spent at work and if I do have some spare time, I usually nap, read, catch up on emails or buy milk! The simple things. The truth is I have come to the point where I am exhausted mentally and physically, so the few hours I get on Sunday after work are so very precious.<br /><br />Right before all of this started, we had a snow storm in London. It made international news, so I'm sure you heard about it. It wasn't very much snow by my standards, but it was so beautiful to see all over the city. Plus most of the transportation (well, the above-ground stuff anyway) shut down so most of the city had a snow day and I enjoyed watching people have fun in the park.<br /><br />Well, I was just going to upload a picture of the snow, but apparently I don't have any and I'm too comfortable on my bed to go see if they are on my camera. Sorry, perhaps another day! For now I am going to concentrate on getting into bed and doing my best to have a good night's sleep before another very busy week.Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-79927723742102202972009-02-02T06:12:00.002-07:002009-02-02T06:17:38.755-07:00Skiing in the Alps!Last weekend I took another girlie trip to Switzerland and this time we went skiing in Davos. We were there just before the World Economic Forum, but didn't manage to see any famous movers and shakers. But we had a fantastic time skiing and enjoying the town. The weather was perfect all around - enough snow to have great skiing and enough sun to enjoy the lovely days.<br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298188490982490050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SKictiJkI-4D4O-JCgusCQvlLwL6htajzfcSNYNlqJcUOFn3LBDMSJkPTuaJ6DRNSkmLsx2K8Sk-DNyYwRJkoVwJjyFT18O4Te_qLDHeJtoQ04sdkyyDEqpAk_LlfFYgO1zi8clkR6Wr/s320/Switzerland+2009+020.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-36073173029709105332009-01-10T03:58:00.017-07:002009-01-10T04:39:18.929-07:00Colorado ChristmasJust a note: I have formatted this NUMEROUS times and Blogger won't cooperate. So I'm sorry that the words get a bit out of whack farther down the page. :(<br /><br />Every other year my mom's familiy all gets together for Christmas in Colorado. 2008 was a Geary family Christmas year! I was happy to be able to see all of my family at once after being away for so long...especially since they had all gotten together over July 4th without me! We always have a good time eating and catching up, as well as doing fun things together like shopping, movies and skiing.<br /><br />This year was no exception as we all scored tons of presents (I brought everyone presents from around Europe which were a BIG hit!)...<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0CAR_mVnImkZt2gmCFvp5b9bBF3jYYNO-Fn14jjzD51ngyLYmASi9Rgx44CQkJWs7_nvOvEJ9VVMoZtF7gSVwWIcYhgDelGLhAly9LWIxyLRN7jysrZCm4JLL90Gniow57hisSZ_WxSZ/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289618845407082434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0CAR_mVnImkZt2gmCFvp5b9bBF3jYYNO-Fn14jjzD51ngyLYmASi9Rgx44CQkJWs7_nvOvEJ9VVMoZtF7gSVwWIcYhgDelGLhAly9LWIxyLRN7jysrZCm4JLL90Gniow57hisSZ_WxSZ/s320/Christmas+2008+039.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div></div><div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuMs4nMs8w0RA7ApnTj8pQj-VqcK44eFapCcKrYZac_Iri0MoXOTJHngQBJidgN5Becv_YMUsjDlFzQ5M3EffJZ-M4ExLAGCbWDyB5t4l_Wbk7ML6tJyKflBEBZtRJBNuy2gl9zbhhdOJ/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+055.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289621091468578434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuMs4nMs8w0RA7ApnTj8pQj-VqcK44eFapCcKrYZac_Iri0MoXOTJHngQBJidgN5Becv_YMUsjDlFzQ5M3EffJZ-M4ExLAGCbWDyB5t4l_Wbk7ML6tJyKflBEBZtRJBNuy2gl9zbhhdOJ/s320/Christmas+2008+055.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>had a great time laughing together...</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPLaSvXwVAEqaf8kW8OtV8Mz_4RKIxKiK_AICOPS4xSi8qhasiL_75L6DLe6ZSD1boOrPWH6WuXCPiw8dKO4-Oj0yUFH5D0qEqHDBH_Js4VKThDfv5jU-g-UcBCoVVk6ClvQAd-ppYPJ_/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289619452084878930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPLaSvXwVAEqaf8kW8OtV8Mz_4RKIxKiK_AICOPS4xSi8qhasiL_75L6DLe6ZSD1boOrPWH6WuXCPiw8dKO4-Oj0yUFH5D0qEqHDBH_Js4VKThDfv5jU-g-UcBCoVVk6ClvQAd-ppYPJ_/s320/Christmas+2008+044.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv84eixSHX10I15hTC38rO17gRzW1JCXn7lMOXg_qKYhw8Lnfb7tRKqwAQt4HEiopl5vGC0O83YtJ4ZuiUgWuVqIJ1WKSfuvWxNtZpsq27JqXbCfSK5Jat4R2V51eBl5RW3Sr68AigcCA4/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289620551765998978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv84eixSHX10I15hTC38rO17gRzW1JCXn7lMOXg_qKYhw8Lnfb7tRKqwAQt4HEiopl5vGC0O83YtJ4ZuiUgWuVqIJ1WKSfuvWxNtZpsq27JqXbCfSK5Jat4R2V51eBl5RW3Sr68AigcCA4/s320/Christmas+2008+041.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>cooked and ate more than our fair share of food...</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjv7Rps1wVlUlduWKqy56hpOmzEPaJE5iMhLIaFCwNMJ6ATedBawNKH6hZ5Dmsq6dULF2vhPs5LvR3skdmc09m-7IvnjOZCoaCWdvzgFE68S6vMF4zXKQetXUiX1hPyke4txtW9MEHG6j/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+057.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289621786437869282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjv7Rps1wVlUlduWKqy56hpOmzEPaJE5iMhLIaFCwNMJ6ATedBawNKH6hZ5Dmsq6dULF2vhPs5LvR3skdmc09m-7IvnjOZCoaCWdvzgFE68S6vMF4zXKQetXUiX1hPyke4txtW9MEHG6j/s320/Christmas+2008+057.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>went to tea...</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKK83I_8JYJow_0n3vFv8yB7GytjkL8JcLFw26r3KD-ZaruvuS7SBtJlad0d5jGryJrOagncvKoOE1AOd3bOq8HOW5K8NQDPgED6js_Cp7h6y6yn5oV5uw19izDGX0_hlXeVlilka7Mw6b/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+064.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289622370874382066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKK83I_8JYJow_0n3vFv8yB7GytjkL8JcLFw26r3KD-ZaruvuS7SBtJlad0d5jGryJrOagncvKoOE1AOd3bOq8HOW5K8NQDPgED6js_Cp7h6y6yn5oV5uw19izDGX0_hlXeVlilka7Mw6b/s320/Christmas+2008+064.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>played the wii...</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN69pHJ_exdQbuYI_vdE0tSvf9IRTfZdl8fX3uHRVqMERECIQUB2gIl-mWITnFqkfJIjnSEonkHKCqLB1hOMaUgbPrbKsyPHKpl9QnV3Prn64Ds3A1r6xVXZN6mK-vOpwfpOi9S7ELdXNa/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+059.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289623043640753826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN69pHJ_exdQbuYI_vdE0tSvf9IRTfZdl8fX3uHRVqMERECIQUB2gIl-mWITnFqkfJIjnSEonkHKCqLB1hOMaUgbPrbKsyPHKpl9QnV3Prn64Ds3A1r6xVXZN6mK-vOpwfpOi9S7ELdXNa/s320/Christmas+2008+059.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>rode the ski train to Winter Park...</div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FfeDlcp9tBj07axIjSIYFH_Yhbv5tiaHeIt_PNNNwqT_IMWSatzeuqR0GUlUb4P8pFpH0ec_CgCO3n2g3bTgeQ5VJP-Cp3a3H5DQl28FWzv5hV3XP_yvlBFixgn4bNn5zw2sT7YV4-zN/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+071.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289623789996932594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FfeDlcp9tBj07axIjSIYFH_Yhbv5tiaHeIt_PNNNwqT_IMWSatzeuqR0GUlUb4P8pFpH0ec_CgCO3n2g3bTgeQ5VJP-Cp3a3H5DQl28FWzv5hV3XP_yvlBFixgn4bNn5zw2sT7YV4-zN/s320/Christmas+2008+071.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ufb37VwL7JLco6Xuqu765B1xTiGqsIafb7onPHJci1jddU6THAiq6akK8-ahvwirOL2WD3qGjxkhy6XzJgBLBHwe3_6mydSnXXAEY1L7QxclDXn0HJ0hyC3X_m9nV3QondnfFKHrev0/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+073.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289624757157716978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-ufb37VwL7JLco6Xuqu765B1xTiGqsIafb7onPHJci1jddU6THAiq6akK8-ahvwirOL2WD3qGjxkhy6XzJgBLBHwe3_6mydSnXXAEY1L7QxclDXn0HJ0hyC3X_m9nV3QondnfFKHrev0/s320/Christmas+2008+073.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>did some skiing...</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudg-FdmIwdt0398hHjfNVHu1lwpqhyqJPLdbKJzIjrLOi3mz7KcriH6VaoQGNZe2067taMhPo_IsVzdjBobnra5Xbm_Oa3Dh-lvWnIIsU9i_reOiXRMkNfiyrj7O5i8bSOImsCMepVDKy/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+083.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289625131877730146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudg-FdmIwdt0398hHjfNVHu1lwpqhyqJPLdbKJzIjrLOi3mz7KcriH6VaoQGNZe2067taMhPo_IsVzdjBobnra5Xbm_Oa3Dh-lvWnIIsU9i_reOiXRMkNfiyrj7O5i8bSOImsCMepVDKy/s320/Christmas+2008+083.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>and generally did our best to stay warm!</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rKLHu47z26PTjyI0dx5ePOOunQtXyl8P5DxU6hioFNloAXFMM2LevMYM9lnNwDO0tsQMXndMOSrlYlEYhyphenhyphenYT97dob73hO-8RwTCxFSPxFarHNScoT6ZcdVgpAfjuCgoB4qVMKTPO0QA2/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+075.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289626151013366194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rKLHu47z26PTjyI0dx5ePOOunQtXyl8P5DxU6hioFNloAXFMM2LevMYM9lnNwDO0tsQMXndMOSrlYlEYhyphenhyphenYT97dob73hO-8RwTCxFSPxFarHNScoT6ZcdVgpAfjuCgoB4qVMKTPO0QA2/s320/Christmas+2008+075.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-43273851814813640622009-01-04T12:12:00.018-07:002009-01-04T13:21:48.238-07:002008 in Review<div>Well, it's a few days late, but here it is as promised: 2008 in review!<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div align="left">As you know, I started 2008 in Denver and moved to London at the end of January. Since living in London, I have visited 11 European countries (in order of my visits, as close as I can remember):</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">*England</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287534654161672578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-uuEKA4scNvLfkiLAcx29JkU3BfTM8_IyCiFM7llRbC00Og55gVEckMMXd1NOrZoDZQlNTI4mF-fV19_ctWC_UQ8l48nPoKAKXaC8Kb8BX9LPVKrSIHUr08Mh5gY1pg5KJarZV-FOCwd/s320/Going+Away+084.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="left">*France<br /></div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287521123436318434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YQkRp5vf8v-Mfefw434T7GMk-MZaJH-98KF92HzIMbk2lIXm5BrZv3NxUCuWq6uFpJuSFxNEUTP67fSUa68KMGSLBvG56wf7-VFG4Y8bjaIrQTlK2kWoeSByp8Vrxg0wU_ZkaTeLr64r/s320/Going+Away+150.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Spain</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287521867816732754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-h3XRxij2oYV0WIouOhxXt0ReE-JfUQX-KxufSN2GvzGcOmaggcNBF2czP06qgtEheCT-zfoEMpvMewyKFS-N2zliFBr8Pnasd4Od76HplD36ksZnFW1qi4jyWPmbrqGjOiJdKyRaaxn/s320/Barceloan+010.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Portugal</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287535299482479426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5Le0s-OEEGhhiLChIZeNKRk8enngG2E-iv-tF_oJVGETWghPgh1Uj3TLCc7kqiiX-3Zc8FekrBcYC0e5yHHdXw9qQf-_oCFu3-gyIZDVlG7fxsNRwJhyphenhyphenZK0Ma52Cx6gWifuldZGm5fqs/s320/Lisbon+027.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Hungary</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287525470137657170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNcH23vycR4DNW0wvIDPuH0hDOfJQfFVkaaWHeUTnoHIyv971lruABW3VjRSMAUe_WLoNkugGM3fK-uGWjM2hgRZqHVWm2JZl3ZcCXIZDtLW_CBpLJ7dCIwii3PGroAMZenX8xZYeh5eu/s320/Budapest+May+2008+098.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Italy</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287526109132191586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSyUSrru2jSBY2WeAemb6RU_sktUBfTZBL7L7IvbMEgqvQhcGVmcLmb2Aj95vxQyv23OzGJoUfQP7_xHNx3KEVOjli18LL7EXZBGaMCuYqatfD5zoxLqIBf9X-_y_oEFM-a9wMrwsUJb_/s320/Italy+June+2008+382.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Greece</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287526885228640818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DioT0IOg8gRWD3iQrJ5K6D9ROL2fYhZQ1k01-3OUZxtdM0Q0tdJTiEDrSabJGWCfPWNTkD64iRcPrSbqL2v-c5b85OAoFqCKBOmAmiVf0-LJYQEmbF44ixbmt-PZKqVORoT_NU1Vizc4/s320/Athens+and+Aegina+084.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Wales</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287527512205597138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wlwzXrH27Ic9wxemb7a7RT16m0OieNGSLSarWGOnwyEi2LSpSJ0mCS8djICONGd3qTrIJL2TMpA7PPaLycDDVH5EVIv4IaNeakpgyCUrzrWlIegPWCT5EA3O5t9SuTft47Rs9GtJvtnS/s320/Cardiff+August+2008+026.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Switzerland</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287530222209416866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO1p06p6mkhlKSHg74SN9rLQZdvMLqNTy9k9H7m7o-Mok6P-o05ingJwn5PFqrUnU8WGKj0refNmfA0dPaNMXOuDxNSkH-NRiLX1QWIc4gUlK_NKrQaiE23kplJENIhcg1kSxR3b-Sjpy/s320/Zurich+054.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Scotland</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287530781703324066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi023DsRSx4algz0ou1u6ILvDpaLji2bB3f5t5368NHtIIsz2DozgsJB4DBMZCJxUH12TqH_WUPp5roQlfwMGu8DAerMVFh2ozEfWDkz0G60rjmwIOur24kQqPclxz5SEQqYzw9gNBbQsbl/s320/Scotland+October+2008+022.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>*Spain (again) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287531973920204546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WZMJWugbUZcsSEn1zE-uf7QTaCWsnw1rCndGZlvt5CeElMfFyMDvKOYojVg3Kt2aohXEQFmKqXmzfBUEr_HGxIGw46ozUb_Bx9QK0d7qCm3G5ZX8PYz0MgwGmQFX8s07DspkRELpG6ms/s320/Granada+048.jpg" border="0" /><br />*Germany</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287532711462581042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Qzg6TF4zW3CC_0kjhff3GxfNHiXH0izJ45BbaJCUiMLCNPlJuwqmMEbysvMR00hMNhWobfjZoP_juSAuf5_bhARcfsQHB6um3-_woWci1REQqaWCgIQNcX8TeRUKZszkVFsTAY9RoFkH/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+037.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>In England, I have taken multiple day trips to places like Bath, Oxford and Cambridge (along with a few others) and a couple of weekends away to Cornwall.</div><br /><div>I went home in September for a weekend and just returned to London today after 4 weeks in the US attending training and visiting for the holidays.</div><br /><div>I have enjoyed my job at Deloitte doing US corporate tax and just received a promotion to manager which I am really excited about!</div><br /><div>I have had visits from Rachel, Aimee, Sarah, Sandra, Kara, Jessica, Ben, my parents and Craig and met up with Jess and Jaime in Athens. Forgive me if I've left anyone off...</div><br /><div>All in all, I am very thankful for 2008 and the blessings I had! I am looking forward to some more big trips in 2009 and will of course be sharing them with you here!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-38340292857581520892008-12-19T10:56:00.001-07:002008-12-19T11:00:05.390-07:00Christmas FestivitiesBefore I left London, I was able to join in on a few Christmas festivities. We had our office Christmas party which was a lot of fun. Also, I went ice skating at an outdoor rink at Somerset House. The night was beautiful and I had a good time skating and meeting new friends. Earlier that evening, I went over to Sarah's and she and I enjoyed some Christmas treats and a chat before I left London for the holidays.<br /><br />Since I've been back in the States, I've been in Denver, Scottsdale and Las Vegas! I just missed the snow in Las Vegas (that would have been festive!) but it was pretty chilly when I was there anyway. I love that all of the casinos are decorated so beautifully for Christmas. I always enjoy the Bellagio fountains and so it was an extra treat to have the show set to Christmas music! Now I am back in Denver - working, visiting and getting ready to celebrate with my family next week.<br /><br />I'd like to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year as well. May you enjoy making many happy memories with your family and friends this year!Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-10737394117072369002008-12-04T06:57:00.009-07:002008-12-04T07:18:01.151-07:00Nuremburg, GermanyWell, here it is everyone - my last European trip of 2008. *tear* I had a fabulous weekend in Germany with my friends the Wildes. You'll recall that they are my friends who I met through a mutual friend when I moved here and they have been SO good to me. Sarah regularly cooks me fantastic meals and we shop and relax and go to church together. The Wildes let me stay with them when I was homeless for a week in February and they have never stopped being amazing to me. In fact, tonight we are going to have a quick Christmas get-together so I can see their decorated apartment and try minced pies for the first time!<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>Anyway, last weekend Sam, Sarah and I went down to Nuremburg, Germany to visit the Christmas Market there. Germany (and some surrounding countries) are famous for their Christmas markets and Nuremburg came highly recommended. There are many traditional German gifts and food items and we just wandered around for hours soaking it all in. And stimulating the European economy, of course! I'm so excited to give my family the gifts I bought! Enjoy the pictures of the market and the town. </div><br /><div>I head home on Saturday for 4 weeks in the States to work and celebrate the holidays. I have been busy this week with packing and organizing for that trip. While I'm there I'll post some about my Christmas festivities in London as well as things I'm doing at home. Plus, I've been thinking of a 2008 year in review with a few select pictures (that you've already seen)...stay tuned!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275935543535489330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqxJigZEPYPt3uSS-vTTaogHyamVcUuud_1wP9zY36sotxJ49kd1sxuPZs8_R1FJl7CdHZqO1nWD9ZjO4xtvkgg86J6Y3wnvv4c5hNYRXzoVhZJI5CI6rAUPOZB9zI3C9v1_AZZGw8N-5/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+011.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275935953022415122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4fLSO0vp2ZliKnWwB1lzmeBs9cTBCooPRKAXxdy6azzmCMOMOMJ3WkJ0qf-mFTOeqEeOCwFdhFyjRFD2OYoJSKi9AWAO26-oRYWa0pwYfJv4Ji1G2JwxO6PF-SZXOyyz12ecTqMithd0/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+019.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275936311188515602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOEZcAapRJv_sS0Ehancu8kJlMhBViGImHlFPGqGAfZDOmXlziL8NQJs-TJfA20IBGSc63Esj5Bd07t6t8akoK1BZjtlClyaMcz6F4c0ph8-of6rG-3tgj9w_wABgZS3BckePLsYCGCDm/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+035.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275937003971470690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT11FAUjdXzoXTVrIxnEQWCiIr3pbZJ8cCy55px6t8bIFoaVlLzm4lvTEtCvJMnbJ63nCrAR3uSeCXI3pATNlQO3GnO7sg1oq-susLR52gZEytps6hjZUzqZtadKEhvZ601cTVQrn8pZzk/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+037.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275937553249747266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsD954xgjrcaUB3OtgXB_sLyChN6RR4WAyR7vUTOQsJaLlj5PT-ud3SUsbiVGPhbS7d8ov2y_AbC_H2W5GkjgH2lyILBCh9165Yv28GIrs2UV2GFHGHXDdhBiunC3O7Ai9H74bgeEczri/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+044.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275938697372274354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wuoaQVRiL5J0J2Jd_fMI6lWiXA1aKWkBpl5O2N1290eBr7sVY9UzdAKGy58ESIWvv3QjEGdEwPeKE74TlonBQyTjbnB4nPzGP6ifv6szcgUCJXK_bzqZieZVNiEOQXPxGbR2BcjwLgiw/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+052.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275938045260636322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qh0CAUDeI2a6vpPW7nAOLxZVrCUOE1FAaDWVQkFXMQOQg2WXlU0eTCMZ3g8LqnTyVLD06ej0ejVsWmMKVB-ir-_x_qpsVTzA8Ss5Oc24grpctaHum9E2YzzbowxJWqxHh97jDLTsCF9h/s320/Medieval+Banquet+November+2008+020.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-63226766436992740342008-11-14T09:54:00.018-07:002008-11-14T10:09:00.470-07:00Granada, SpainLast weekend I took a quick trip down to the south of Spain. It's been sinking in more and more lately how lucky I am to just be able to jump on a plane and spend a couple days in a completely different country! It's not that I ever took it for granted really, it's just been something I've been thinking about.<br /><br />Anyway, I went down to Spain with Chad and Laurie who are friends of mine from Denver who also live in England (but not London so I don't see them often). Chad had studied for a year in Granada so knows the city and the area well. It was so nice to have a tour guide and we were able to check out a lot of his old haunts. It was a pretty laid back weekend. The biggest thing we did was explore the Alhambra. Then we wandered around a couple of the areas of the city and ate tapas and watched the sunset.<br /><br />On Sunday we drove back towards the coast and enjoyed some time on the beach! I always love places where you can be in the mountains and on the beach in the same day and the south of Spain is like that!<br /><br />Enjoy the pictures...I only have one more European trip before I head home to the States for about 4 weeks. I'm sure I'll be updating from there about my holiday experiences in London and at home.<br /><br />P.S. I am doing this at work since my internet at home is out of commission for a bit. The upload speed is WAY faster here so there are more pictures than usual (and in no particular order)!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJroh_pL9Ov2L7g2pEWXeembit65yIrrfpBSHqGJhWizH7zlXVHct5PaBmC79ZKviwUBpeTsoea7J61NgoWWj_wgv9-5o3g_u7V8-jrOHjT3JfYb_USZ-nPZWNPF_b9I2yAJJcmy764a6/s1600-h/Granada+092.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560667443540754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJroh_pL9Ov2L7g2pEWXeembit65yIrrfpBSHqGJhWizH7zlXVHct5PaBmC79ZKviwUBpeTsoea7J61NgoWWj_wgv9-5o3g_u7V8-jrOHjT3JfYb_USZ-nPZWNPF_b9I2yAJJcmy764a6/s320/Granada+092.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzZe6KO2hSY5kETbICDOqCkK2CMhG0-yYTlCQPbJYXN7wgSP0-K0Fnn94K_43IMFiI8zeeNCn8SPtUFGemvQKXnoMXA3ecIMYuqUYiWFlSNzd-WSHjGwyF9kzzcFBIrUFEZCd84gpAcy6/s1600-h/Granada+047.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560467863352834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzZe6KO2hSY5kETbICDOqCkK2CMhG0-yYTlCQPbJYXN7wgSP0-K0Fnn94K_43IMFiI8zeeNCn8SPtUFGemvQKXnoMXA3ecIMYuqUYiWFlSNzd-WSHjGwyF9kzzcFBIrUFEZCd84gpAcy6/s320/Granada+047.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8pyTblYpzMWC9ldUcbM4N_1SGaz24-3gpaV7lpYTbAKJbdYcawvid8vszvlvJRwqycZOBsaKTAoZV_AOrEuzQOhnbsr2kODsNES4iiev-Mdq6eese7Ioos3kDP-gIIRfjrM8aXuxVvlH/s1600-h/Granada+027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560337143047554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8pyTblYpzMWC9ldUcbM4N_1SGaz24-3gpaV7lpYTbAKJbdYcawvid8vszvlvJRwqycZOBsaKTAoZV_AOrEuzQOhnbsr2kODsNES4iiev-Mdq6eese7Ioos3kDP-gIIRfjrM8aXuxVvlH/s320/Granada+027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme3vHa9O6yYWwKedpZWHmrNlllr7KOAKkiYwg-q5-zWodKLfrF6GoOS0ngb4hbbGxcWyUsBVLqHurBSUFNKp_vOCQrQPt9H8LmqxfU8vwtsUEpeV5HtL-eNBv4Q18NjrGjB6rJtc340WN/s1600-h/Granada+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560259519587426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme3vHa9O6yYWwKedpZWHmrNlllr7KOAKkiYwg-q5-zWodKLfrF6GoOS0ngb4hbbGxcWyUsBVLqHurBSUFNKp_vOCQrQPt9H8LmqxfU8vwtsUEpeV5HtL-eNBv4Q18NjrGjB6rJtc340WN/s320/Granada+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib828qW9B5YSxmeZke2LA6mv6nAEV9OcQsRfymh6jr991iQ0sUk1LY1sgALAtcxWFavillw6fY-9jA4Jyy65iKMzQhkM-_fOwDf4te6kBU7lTFKFwh9670HzElYMz0gfJR8OfO7-8epMrC/s1600-h/Granada+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560171231930610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib828qW9B5YSxmeZke2LA6mv6nAEV9OcQsRfymh6jr991iQ0sUk1LY1sgALAtcxWFavillw6fY-9jA4Jyy65iKMzQhkM-_fOwDf4te6kBU7lTFKFwh9670HzElYMz0gfJR8OfO7-8epMrC/s320/Granada+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560761287726866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmkUDWF9RB8UvF7kJjDKCqJPHUiKIhNzm3kOoSvsX3VRdlmbr9ZBL9omwBzAczBl-L_1Vlu3EN-xM3qxCwt7_uHSGGKAUoNmMigFpvfVyxS95rLQYndnqrT4hpfsRWKsoVL6wc3-i2NfP/s320/Granada+096.jpg" border="0" /> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmkUDWF9RB8UvF7kJjDKCqJPHUiKIhNzm3kOoSvsX3VRdlmbr9ZBL9omwBzAczBl-L_1Vlu3EN-xM3qxCwt7_uHSGGKAUoNmMigFpvfVyxS95rLQYndnqrT4hpfsRWKsoVL6wc3-i2NfP/s1600-h/Granada+096.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzZe6KO2hSY5kETbICDOqCkK2CMhG0-yYTlCQPbJYXN7wgSP0-K0Fnn94K_43IMFiI8zeeNCn8SPtUFGemvQKXnoMXA3ecIMYuqUYiWFlSNzd-WSHjGwyF9kzzcFBIrUFEZCd84gpAcy6/s1600-h/Granada+047.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8pyTblYpzMWC9ldUcbM4N_1SGaz24-3gpaV7lpYTbAKJbdYcawvid8vszvlvJRwqycZOBsaKTAoZV_AOrEuzQOhnbsr2kODsNES4iiev-Mdq6eese7Ioos3kDP-gIIRfjrM8aXuxVvlH/s1600-h/Granada+027.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268560579301606418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZYFQOQfwxR_wHI8p1qQ1ldc6bLZ-UH8aAOaEu24__X2dAKsAmoGmmv4TnG8NBoB2XNSXt_ZZNrr59fqsWnhRGDDZ_7IIpg62kOlplkyuEWIJVJkEF4cE_itPodD8GRAKkrCz2sX3pJGc/s320/Granada+079.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2644819019288716593.post-83628729355956378422008-10-28T13:41:00.004-06:002008-10-28T13:51:29.179-06:00Are you ready for some football???The NFL came to London this past weekend. I am a big football fan and my team is the Broncos. Unfortunately the Broncos weren't scheduled in London this year, but the Chargers and the Saints were. I bought tickets months ago and woke up SO excited on Sunday! I miss football and even though I try to watch the Broncos game online each week, it's just not the same as watching in the States or going to a game.<br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">The vibe here in London was a bit different than at home. There were a lot more Brits there than I would have thought and a lot of them were wearing various team jerseys. It was a Saints home game and they ended up with the win after a really good game. Wembley Stadium is massive and is part-covered so that was nice since it was raining earlier in the day. Game time weather was nice and crisp and I enjoyed every second!</div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">Wembley</div><div align="center"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262293378101635250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmDbH7d5YJpGiLrs8r6u-rvvroDTp7Jfg8QgBix-wnSCYDB4DuA32CUxvccvVe8MTZbci3R5XcR1rui8IC51Yx_reQEEF3SAPGXQkgwTCm6iRZC-zEPuQOyPROOJvoqerPJN_6yCUFscW/s320/NFL+London+2008+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><br />Pre-game show</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262294653712408946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0ElLNITlqIQNhrV7cE2ru4TekapP99Tn_JwqNGv7qeMlKC-J8S1wokpOmE3Ly0z_9zjoZ_UY1H6p_HVD9JMTzSWI8chznG1R33LTpIfLYanGPI9TVFUut-ZDCjsNb04wjMAB1Eas5tTd/s320/NFL+London+2008+008.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">Great seats at a great game!</div><div align="center"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262294046019203058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXDbNcLSl9nMYSedpZzYFLN3MzCftkQf4wQq9rnDJuauG-Fr8p9jayBodqan4aEXFsKfU8tC3K3EWZxnD4Vl7dDYjdZkm0L2HL314lrbldDXmh2MN3FH4S6XadiZj6G0OqiVyoqoGyKcL/s320/NFL+London+2008+016.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div>Kathyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04254652650520256486noreply@blogger.com1