Where Water Unites Antiquity and Present Day

Hello all! Sorry it has been so long since our last post...having full-time employment has definitely put a slight cramp in my energy to write on the blog! Haha...

In our efforts to continue traveling once a month (though we did miss February, due to job interviews and starting work), last weekend we took the train out to Bath, which is about 1 1/2 hours outside of London. Situated on the River of Avon, Bath was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. Just a bit of background for those who might be interested, according to UNESCO, the inscription "World Heritage Site" is a "designation for places on earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy." Thus, the city of Bath is included in a long list of 890 infamous natural and cultural sites, such as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, and the Grand Canyon in the USA.

After arriving on an early morning train on Saturday, we settled into our adorable hotel just over the shop-lined Pulteney Bridge (the Redcar Hotel, equipped with a quaint hotel bar, run by the receptionists, and a full English breakfast on the weekends - which, for the record, means eggs, sausage, toast, and beans), and began our explorations. The city of Bath appears to have a bit of something for everyone - the antique and fascinating Roman Baths, a Fashion Museum, the Bath Abbey, cobble-stoned streets lined with high-end boutiques and major retail chains, The Sally Lunn House (the oldest house in bath, dating back to the 1400's, infamous for the Sally Lunn bun, eaten with just about any sweet or salty spread you can imagine), and of course, the modern-day Thermae Spa for pampering spa treatments. A quaint and lovely town, Bath is associated with many historical figures - once home to novelists Jane Austen and Frankenstein's Mary Shelley, astronomer William Herschel (who discovered the planet of Uranus), and frequently visited by Charles Dickens. Even Louis XVII and Napoleon III spent brief exiles here, while American rock and roll musician Eddie Cochran (late 1950's) died here following an automobile accident on his UK tour in 1960.

With the goal of having a relaxing overnight away, we managed to effectively balance site-seeing with leisurely strolls, tea in the Royal Victoria Park, and an hour soak in the Thermae Bath Spa on Sunday morning, before we boarded the London-bound train to head home. Fortunate to have an entire weekend of sunshine, Bath was the perfect weekend escape! Below are some of our favorite photos, with a bit of history to go along with them....

The Roman Baths
Built by the Romans in the town once known as Aquae Sulis (the "waters of Sulis"), the Roman Bath complex was built over the course of 300 years. Home to various hot, warm, and cold baths for public use (at that time), these structures were built around natural hot springs that continue to exist and pump warm water today. With a gorgeous blue sky, we were fortunate enough to capture some amazing reflections of the architecture in the Bath waters....

Overlooking the River Avon

The Quaint Shops and Restaurants

Lounging with a cup of afternoon tea in the Royal Victoria Park
(Home to 57 acres of outdoor gardens, ponds, and a small golf course)

The Thermae Bath Spa Cross Bath

Fueled by the natural hot springs of the area, the Thermae Bath Spa Cross Bath enables modern-day visitors to lounge in the natural waters (which, are of course, highly chlorinated for hygiene purposes). Capable of holding 12 visitors, we were fortunate enough to have the place to ourselves for the full hour (well, us and the "lifeguard.")

Relaxed and ready to head home, post-bath...

Up next...Bryan's mom Jana and step-dad Brian arrive next Saturday, for a one-week stay in London. Our first family visitors! Very exciting!

-B&B

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." - Loran Eisely

A Different Playbook

October marks the precious yet fleeting overlap of hockey, baseball, basketball, and American football, and this past October in particular is when we packed our bags for London! Many of you know that I am an avid sports fan, and while I would never trade our London adventure for a few sporting events, I have definitely had to adapt to the circumstances. Since Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is just 2 weeks away, I thought it'd be appropriate to post some of our London sports ruminations...

- In the U.S. over 27 million people play fantasy sports and I am proud to be one of them. If you're not familiar with this growing trend, this is how it works. Basically at the beginning of each season you draft players to a team that you manage, with the potential to trade players with other teams in your league and add/drop players that are still available. You then win or lose based on accumulating certain stats each week. So you're essentially the coach, manager, and GM. I've played with a group of friends since college and thanks to technology have been able to keep playing while in London. Besides not being able to watch most of the actual games, I've been able to compete in my league fairly well. As most fantasy fans will attest to, there's nothing quite as intense as participating in your draft whether it's live or online---a mixture of suspense as you await your pick, combined with the anxiety of being on the clock making your choice...good times. Anyway, our online basketball draft this year turned out to be on the 1st weekend we arrived in London. Since everyone else was in the U.S., the time was set for 7pm CA time....3am London time. So while staying at my cousins (still looking for our flat), I woke up promptly at 3am, and prepared for my draft quietly, in the dark, on the ground, next to the bed, while Brandina was fast asleep 3ft behind me. Two hours later at 5am, my back sore from being hunched over with paper scattered about, I quietly shut down my warm laptop and crawled back into bed, waking up just a few short hours later to continue our search for a place to live. Needless to say, Brandina had little sympathy for me.

- Unless you have a specific sports package here, most NFL games aren't shown in the UK. Some bars show a few games, but that would get expensive, so I spent most of the season watching a few of the "early" games (6pm for us) streaming poorly online on my computer. When the Chargers decidedly made the playoffs though, we planned to go watch the game at this BBQ place called Bodeans with some friends. When we were informed that they canceled their satellite and would be streaming it online onto their big screen, I should've seen the red flag. We opted to stay home, since we could watch the same poor quality on our own computer. A few hours, some beers, a pair of headphones, me in the dark again, and 3 missed field goals later, we begin our mourning process as the Chargers choked again...not sure if it would have been any better had we watched on a quality TV.

Brandina decided to capture the moment

- The Super Bowl is arguably the most watched event in the U.S., and since there are quite a bit of Americans in London, the bar industry has decided to capitalize. We learned the hard way that if you want to watch the Super Bowl somewhere you need to book well in advance. Most restaurants and bars hold big "Super Bowl Events" complete with a cover, drink and food specials, and long lines. Since we waited until a few days before, the only place with space was Planet Hollywood. While we were hoping for something a little less "chainy" it actually ended up working out well. It cost just £5 per person and that included a drink. We were able to snag a table and a good view of the tvs. While there was obvioulsy a large contingent of Americans, I was actually surprised at how many Europeans were there, rooting on "their" teams. Everything seemed pretty normal, until one of the first time-outs, when out of nowhere, these high school cheerleaders began performing in the middle of the restaurant! This was apparently part of the "event," though them falling 3 times as they performed some lifts probably wasn't on the agenda. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm not even sure what they were cheering. I don't think they were rooting for a certain team..."Go American Football!" perhaps?? After Brees brought home the ring, we headed home at 3am on a Monday...good thing neither of us was working yet....

- As March Madness looms, I'm disappointed that I don't know anything about the teams this year, but I guess that hasn't stopped Brandina from beating me in the brackets before. I'm even more upset that barring a miracle win in the Pac-10 tournament, my beloved Arizona squad will end the longest NCAA tournament appearances streak at 25...a sad day indeed.

My love of sports isn't restricted by borders, and I am happy about all of the soccer (or football as they call it here) that I can watch in the UK, though I still need to learn the difference between all of the leagues. I also went to my first rugby game a few weeks ago with my cousins and had a great time, though our local team lost in the last second. I still have no idea about cricket, except that it's a good excuse to tailgate for 2 days.

Some quick hitters:

- We're hoping to go to the 49ers/Broncos game here in October, which should actually be a good game between these one-time legendary squads, as they've both rebuilt and are on the up-and-up. Go Niners!

- We'd also love to go to Wimbledon, but those tickets are pretty hard to get.

- There's a rumor that the 2012 Olympics are going to be in London....hmmm.

- Speaking of the Olympics, what a game last night! The US hockey team gave the Canadians quite a scare, forcing OT in the last 24 seconds, while the Canucks won, I think its safe to say the hockey tables are turning...

- Bryan

"I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures." ~Earl Warren

And for my fellow fantasy sports fans...

"Andre Dawson has a bruised knee and is listed as day-to-day. Aren't we all?" ~Vin Scully

My First Week of School

As some of you have already heard, yesterday I finished my first week at my new job! The official title of my position is "Transition Learning Mentor," and I am based at a local high school, a few tube stops + a short bus ride from our flat.

A little bit of background - the school system in the UK is quite different than in the US - children here attend primary school (elementary school) until what we know of as the 6th grade, until they are about 11 years old. Then they move on to secondary school (which we know as high school), except that secondary school here starts essentially at 7th grade, when the kids are 11/12 years old, rather than starting at 9th grade, like children do in the States (when they are closer to 14/15 years old). So, as you might imagine, it can be difficult and quite overwhelming for some kids to start high school as young as 11 years old, and be thrown into a large public high school mixed with students that are as old as 16-17. Thus, the Transition Learning Mentor position has been designed to provide clinical and mentoring support to those children transitioning from primary to secondary school - the 6th graders who are about to enter 7th grade. There is actually a Transition Learning Mentor Team throughout the borough - 6 TLMs in total, each based at a different high school, and each working with a different cluster of primary schools, led by a wonderful TLM coordinator with whom I've already met twice, and am VERY excited to be working with. I will be meeting for the first time with the entire TLM team next Friday, for a resource networking meeting. Perhaps I will bring some of my brownies along...

So, for this spring and upcoming summer terms, most of the work I will be doing will actually be at five primary feeder schools in the local area, preparing these children to move into high school in the fall (my first actual sessions/workshops at these primary schools will start the week after next). I will be working with whole classrooms and small groups of children, on issues that are most salient to them as they face an upcoming transition - anxieties about the changes between primary and secondary school, improving self-esteem, worries about bullying, making friends, developing organisation skills, etc. Then in the autumn, I will be working primarily at the high school, to help that same group of students actually go through the transition. Naturally, I will also be attending parent evenings, for parents of both the 6th and 7th grade students. The position requires A LOT of collaboration, as you can imagine, with the teachers at both the primary and high school level, the students and their families, and other staff. Thus, the role will be quite varied on a day-to-day basis, and will involve a significant amount of travel in the local area (all of the primary schools assigned to me are within walking distance, or a short bus ride away).

In reflecting back on this first week, I've felt at times a bit like Drew Barrymore in "Never Been Kissed." Though I'm obviously not posing undercover as a high school student, being in the halls, observing 7th grade classes, watching students at lunch, and just being in the high school environment is certainly nostalgic in many ways - memories of both the excitement and anxiety that come with being a teenager. My week has been varied in terms of duties thus far - trying to learn the ropes, pick up British school terminology and acronyms, meet the 7th grade students, meet the staff that I will be working closely with, and essentially find my place at the school (before I start leaving on a daily basis to visit primary schools). I've found the high school staff to be quite inviting and welcoming - there has not been an employee in my post for about a year now, so many of the staff have been eagerly awaiting my arrival (haha...you know what that means...let the work and referrals begin)! Being a public, community-funded school, the demographics of the high school are extremely diverse - about 50+ languages spoken. The high school staff are also quite diverse in background, ranging in age, though many of the teaching staff are probably mid-twenties to early-thirties, which makes for a relatively young, energetic group of colleagues. Despite the diversity, however, my American accent is quite salient :).

Aside from the "normal" tasks of settling in, meeting A LOT of people, getting my staff ID card, satisfying curiosities about my accent and debunking myths about California only having one season (Northern California is completely overshadowed by its Southern counterpart, as far as the international community is concerned), and desperately trying to remember names (although the school is very formal, so most staff call each other Ms. and Sir in front of students anyway, which makes the whole remembering-name thing slightly less daunting), this week has also been a week of many "firsts," lessons learned, and lessons taught...

• After over 20 years of my own schooling, I finally went to my first detention. My direct supervisor at the high school is a lovely woman, with a very busy schedule and quite a few student disciplinary responsibilities (her role is similar to that of a Vice Principal in the States). After a very long day early in the week, detention was the only relatively quiet place that we could meet and discuss a few particulars about the job. :)
• "Ms. Morrison" - oh wait, is that me? Aside from the doctor's office or the airline ticket counter, I'm not sure I've ever been called Ms. Morrison....or had to introduce myself this way, for that matter!
• "Brandina" is apparently an instant give-away among adults that I must be American - it seems that Americans ARE the bandwagon for unusual names :). Surprise surprise.
• Few things rival the entertainment value of holding an actual sheep's heart, fresh from the butcher shop (while assisting in an anatomy lesson), opening the crevices with my glove-covered hands (so adventurous students could properly stick or shove their fingers inside), and watching the boy vs. girl student reactions. I'm sure you can imagine! Even just writing this little snippit about the experience makes me smile.
• Who ever would have thought that a free cappuccino/coffee/espresso machine in the staff lounge could bring SO much joy? Conversation over the water cooler takes on a whole new meaning when you are sipping on a chocolate-laced espresso.
• The most important lesson I've shared with students so far - Disneyland is in California, while Disney World is in Florida. The travel time between the two is approximately five hours by plane (followed by wide eyes and gaping mouths), which I know is quite shocking, considering one could fly from London to most places in Europe in half that time. The U.S. is actually quite big you know (accompanied by a rough visual demonstration of U.S. geography). Oh, and Disneyland Paris is, in fact, in Paris.
• And, of course, this blog entry wouldn't be complete without a photo of me leaving for my first day of school (I dragged Bryan out of bed to take the photo and send me off in the rain!):

Yesterday was TGIF indeed, as I think I reached the initial base of the new job learning curve, and headed home exhausted, slightly overwhelmed, and ready for the weekend. On the docket for next week - gathering and organising resources to use in the primary schools (I am kicking myself about my enormous binder and box of activities and resources for using with children, that is sitting in our storage unit in San Diego), hopefully obtaining keys to an office, so I can start to feel settled, and getting back to the gym! The school's gym facilities (which are shared by members of the community, similar to a YMCA), complete with weights and cardio equipment, is free for all staff. A nice perk indeed. For the weekend...relaxing, dinner with friends, laundry, and shopping.

Love to all! - Brandina

P.S. You may have noticed some apparent spelling "errors" in the paragraphs above - these are actually British spellings (they like the letter "u," and rarely, if ever, use the letter "z"). Now that I will be writing progress notes and other documents at school, the time has come for these spelling changes to be habit :).

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children." - Sitting Bull

"During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy." - Joann C. Jones

"Mystery in Hampstead": Route 24

This morning we traveled via tube and overground train up to Hampstead, a rather suburban area of London, infamous for its ability to allow visitors to "escape from it all." Boasting countless families, children, muddy dogs, and some of the most expensive houses in London (home to more millionaires than any other residential area in the UK), Hampstead is both quaint and indulgent at the same time.

We began our walk by ascending to Parliament Hill in the southeast corner of Hampstead Heath parkland, offering a vast and expansive view of the city; some believe this viewpoint acquired its name from the Gunpowder Conspirators, who had planned to meet here to watch the destruction of Parliament in 1605. Others believe this hilltop may have been a stronghold for Parliamentary troops during the Civil War. Today, it is home to several benches, visitors, popular swimming ponds, and the regulars - runners, frisbee-throwers, and dogs trampling through the muddy grass. Our walk continued through Hampstead, allowing for glimpses of several famous homes, including the former homes of lovestruck British poet John Keats (Ode to a Nightingale), controversial architect Erno Goldfinger (who built a modernist home in a very traditional neighborhood, causing great controversy at the time and inspiring creation of the main villian in the book Goldfinger, from the James Bond series), actor Sir Gerald du Maurier (the original Captain Hook), and Admiral Barton, who built his home with a ship's quarter deck on the rooftop, equipped with working cannons (inspiring Admiral Boom's house in Mary Poppins). Throughout the walk, Brandina snapped a few photos of the weathered, multicolored brick walls that can be seen all over the city - the colors of which are absolutely stunning, and reminiscent of fired clay pottery. We ended our walk at the Holly Bush pub, where we met up with a group of friends for a traditional British pub lunch - full of meat pies, bangers and mash, and pints of London Pride.

View from Parliament Hill

Pond in Hampstead Heath

Bridge over ponds, Hampstead Heath

Admiral Barton's House (with the ship-deck rooftop)

Weathered, yet artistically stunning bricks

And, just for the record...who ever said sunsets in London aren't gorgeous?! Taken tonight, from the rooftop of our building:

On the upcoming docket...Brandina starts work this Monday as a counselor/tutor at a nearby high school (blog about that to come sometime next week), while Bryan continues the tedious job search, fending off the role of Johnny Homemaker.

Cheers! - B&B

"Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced; even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it.” - John Keats

"The Chilling Streets of Chiswick": Route 23

Hello all! Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since our last post....last week we had every intention of going on our London walk, but we were thwarted by public transportation issues. Alas, today we made it back into our walking shoes. In fact, we decided today that we will definitely have to purchase a walk book for whichever city we end up returning to in the States.

Today's walk took us outside the central city of London, which was a nice change of pace - we most likely would have never ventured out to Chiswick otherwise, so it certainly begs the question as to how many other little undiscovered pockets and suburbs of this city rest at our feet! Set along the banks of the River Thames, Chiswick is primarily a residential area, with neighborhood pubs and churches sprinkled throughout the winding streets (and very old homes that used to be pubs---taking the idea of a "man-cave" to a whole new level...). As with many pockets of this city, Chiswick is famous for its countless ghost stories. Apparently, the ghosts of London do not discriminate, as they allegedly appear in all types of locations - cemeteries, homes, pubs, parks, and alleys. We haven't had any sightings yet ourselves, but rest assured - that would definitely make the blog!

Most of the houses in Chiswick, especially those along the river, have names --Walpole House, once home to one of Charles II's mistresses, Red Lion House, Osiers House, etc. -- which felt a bit like meandering through a college Fraternity Row. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, these homes boast gated riverfront terraces and boat docks, some littered with patio furniture and garden statues, all with a stunning view of the Thames...

(Bryan couldn't resist touching the water...
which he decided was probably warmer than the air)

We also went by St. Nicholas Church, home to the remains of Oliver Cromwell's two daughters, and through the Church's extremely old and spooky cemetery, with moss-covered headstones commemorating deaths from the 1700's+. Felt like something out of a movie...

We ended our walk at the Chiswick House, once a "lunatic asylum," and now a restored English Heritage site. Winding through the surrounding gardens, the noise of traffic and cars is completely silent. A slice of tranquility before stepping out onto the main thoroughfare to catch our bus home...

-B&B

"If my ship sails from sight, it doesn't mean my journey ends, it simply means the river bends." - John Enoch Powell

More Than Your Average Bathroom Tiles

Cobblestones, decorative tiles (azulejos), scenic viewpoints (miradouros), salty foods, and sunshine - Lisbon. Our recent trip to Portugal's old and rustic capital city was quite picturesque, given the plethora of hilltop castles and palaces, seemingly endless canyons of red rooftops and small alleyways, antique trolleys and trams, and tiles literally everywhere - streets, buildings, bathrooms, and metro stations, all adorned with tiles. Lisbon - think hilly, waterfront San Francisco meets protective, old-world Middle Eastern Architecture for a casual lunch date over local beer and french fries, later meeting up with graffiti-artist Rebellious Youth and sultry, somber Bluesy Singer for a bottle of house wine and dry cheese.

Our three-day stay in Lisbon involved a LOT of walking (a bit of a task after Brandina bruised both of her knees on the first night after slipping on the smooth, slippery tiled streets), snapping literally hundreds of photographs (which have now been edited down to 169 pics), and indulging in regional specialties, including whole roasted chickens, pork & clams, custard tarts, cheap house wine, and roasted chestnuts from numerous street vendors. We did, of course, have a few of our safe favorites, such as pizza and kebabs (which, by the way, we discovered we have eaten in every new city thus far...looks like a kebab tradition has begun). We took a day trip out to nearby Sintra, a small hillside town known for its extravagant palaces, once summer homes for the royal family, made famous by the poetry of British Lord Byron, who described Sintra as "a glorious Eden." To immerse ourselves in Portuguese architecture and culture, we took rickety tram #28 to Alfama, the old city of Lisbon, where we roamed the streets, visited the miradouros, climbed around at Castelo de Sao Jorge, and spent an evening listening to live Fado music. Fado, or "fate," has a bluesy feel to it, with a slow and somber singer accompanied by a couple of stringed instruments. Our final day involved a short-trip to the suburb of Belem, boasting a glorious waterfront, unobstructed views of the 25 de Abril bridge (which looks remarkably similar to the Golden Gate bridge), and several monuments dedicated to the rich history of Lisbon as a port city.

Below are some photos from the trip (and if you want to see the full 169, send us an email, and we can send you a link to our online album!)

SINTRA:

Palacio da Pena, Sintra (wildly painted, combining Gothic, Renaissance, Manueline, and Moorish architecture, reminiscent of a Disneyland castle or the Excalibur hotel in Vegas, boasting a gorgeous view of the Atlantic coastline):

LISBON TRANSPORTATION:

Elevador da Gloria

Elevador de Santa Justa (built to transport
people from the lower neighborhood
to the higher neighborhood,
similar to Elevador da Gloria)
City tram with Castelo de Sao Jorge
on the hilltop

THE MIRADOUROS IN ALFAMA
View from Miradouro de Santa Luzia:
Wall tiling at Santa Luzia, depicting
Lisbon's Waterfront, prior to the
Great Earthquake of 1755:
View from miradouro at Largo das Portas do Sol:
View from Miradouro da Graca,
with Castelo de Sao Jorge
Views from Castelo de Sao Jorge,
with 25 de Abril Bridge behind the cityscape:
Bryan, King of Castelo de Sao Jorge
Tile map of the city skyline at
Castelo de Sao Jorge
(a little shout out to Northern
California in the center!)

Richness of color in the city
streets, winding alleys,
and local restaurants:

BELEM:
Padrao dos Descobrimentos, a monument
dedicated to Henry the Navigator
(note the immense size of this
monument, with Bryan seated nearby);
25 de Abril bridge over the Tagus River
In front of the Torre de Belem,
a fortress built to defend
entry into the city

Boats lining the waterfront

-B&B

“Wise is he who enjoys the show offered by the world.” - Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet