Category: England

Mini-Golf Champions at Eastington Park

Published on by NoelleLeave a comment

As the US celebrated the three-day Memorial Day weekend, it was a long weekend for us in the UK as well (I checked what the actual holiday was and apparently it’s just ‘spring bank holiday’… ah Europeans).

Friday I headed to Cheltenham (which is quickly becoming my home away from home… away from home) to Mark’s house. His friend Tim and Victoria got married on Sunday, so we met with others who were attending the wedding on Saturday, and then went to the ceremony itself on Sunday.

I’ve been to a few weddings, but the setting for this one was probably one of my favorites. The wedding (ceremony and reception) took place at Eastington Park, which is a former manor house that has been transformed into an inn that hosts weddings. There was a nice terrace overlooking the garden which was adjacent to a farm. The ceremony itself was outdoors and we were blessed with warm, sunny weather for the (intimate compared to other weddings I’ve been to) group of eighty or so attendees. The majority of the reception was indoors, but we went back out on the terrace in the evening just in time for the married couple’s first dance, and then finally ended the night inside for some late night dancing.

Manor
View from our room at Eastington Park

I only noticed a few differences between a US and UK wedding – namely that in the US we typically have the best man and maid of honor give a speech, versus in the UK the father of the bride, groom, and best man give a speech (although in this wedding, the bride gave a quick one as well). They also didn’t have a DJ but used Spotify instead, but I think that’s becoming more of a trend as it can save thousands on the cost of the entertainment.

IMG_7310 (1)
Ohhh weddings!

This wedding also had a MINI GOLF championship – as the bride and groom are enthusiasts. Mark is also a huge mini golf fan, and we had just played a few weeks ago, so we ended up WINNING the championship by only getting nineteen on a course of nine holes. We were later presented with a small trophy to take home.

Tuesday it was back to work and gloomy weather, but Marianna and her boyfriend Aaron arrived and are staying with me for the week, so I’m looking forward to having some company from home.

Till next time all!

All around London and England

Published on by NoelleLeave a comment

Travel was the theme of this past week. After returning back to London from visiting home on Wednesday, I worked Thursday and Friday and was on the road again for the weekend.

On Thursday my friend Miriam and I got drinks at a restaurant called Duck and Waffle. It’s a fairly well known restaurant in London, and is on the 39th floor of a building near Liverpool Street. It looks out above the Gherkin, which is one of my favorite modern buildings in London. I took the picture below of the view – I think this is probably one of the best (scenery) pictures I’ve ever taken.

13244853_10205941888177425_6020003111267406952_n

This weekend was Mark’s birthday – and also what I joking referred to as my ‘Tour de England’ – as we visited a total of three cities in one weekend (four if you count London). Friday after work I took the bus to Cheltenham where he lives, where we went out to a pub to celebrate his birthday with his friends. Then, Saturday we hit the road around lunch time and drove to the outskirts of Manchester, where we partook in another birthday party for his friend John. After spending the night in Manchester, his friend drove us to Birmingham so we could both catch our respective trains back home. I would have liked to spend a little time actually exploring each city, but we just didn’t have enough hours in a day to do it all. I thought it was a rather successful weekend though!

IMG_7282
Birthday boy and I

I got back home Sunday evening and decided to make the most of the rest of the daylight. I went for a walk to Clissold Park near my house, relaxed reading a book (Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson – so good) in another green space near my house, and treated myself to kabob dinner at a restaurant on my street. It was nice to just unwind and relax before my work week began. Below are some pictures from my walk in Clissold Park – the tombstones are from the early 1800s!

Canal in the park
Cementery in the park
Clissold Park bench
My neighborhood park

I really love learning about history, so Monday evening I did a Jack the Ripper walking tour through London Walks. It was a two hour walking tour that went through the City of London and briefly into the East End of London where I learned about the victims of Jack the Ripper, what Victorian period London was like, and who some potential suspects were. What I really liked about London Walks (http://londonwalks.com/) is that they are a bit more of a niche walking tour company (neighborhood/topic specific, rather than just general London info), so I hope to do more walking tours with them.

IMG_7293
Jack the Ripper walking tour guide

The rest of my week I’m planning to relax as I have a busy weekend ahead. This weekend I’m heading back to Cheltenham because Mark and I are attending the wedding of one of his friends. Then, on Tuesday Marianna and her boyfriend Aaron are coming to stay with me. I’m excited to have some familiar faces around!

Till next time!

Two Months in London!

Published on by NoelleLeave a comment

As crazy as it sounds, it doesn’t seem like its only been two months in London – I feel like I’ve been here for much longer! In the two months that I’ve been here I’ve explored quite a few places already, so that’s probably made it seems like its longer than its been. I’ve also gotten into the groove of things and feel like I’m progressing with the city.

One thing that’s taken some getting used to here is the weather. Winter here was about the same temperature as DC, but now it’s almost May and the weather is the same as it was in February. I’d say it’s typically about 45-50 degrees (Fahrenheit), and there’s not much variation from that.

Over the weekend my friend Jing and I took the train down to Eastbourne (a city on the English Channel) and hiked uphill to a chalk cliff called Beachy Head. It was a really pretty hike and area. Once at the top, you could see the cliff, the brightly colored water, and view of Eastbourne in the distance.

13010610_10205802122403368_8507476715048603960_n
Beachy Head cliff and lighthouse
13096221_10205802119403293_4053175472007876661_n
Jing and I

This upcoming week I’ll start studying for my LAST final exam of grad school EVER which is next Saturday, the 7th. I already have in mind to go get a celebratory drink after I finish!

Now that I’ll have so much free time from grad school and not having to do homework, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself. I definitely want to get back into a good workout routine, so that’s a priority. I also have seen a few Meetups for evening walks in different London neighborhoods, so that could be a good way to explore more of the city as well. And, in typical nerd fashion, I’m excited to have more time to read books, rather than textbooks.