London

Wow! The last two days have been like a whirlwind!!! We have discovered that London needs a week on its own...we just can't get it all in!! Today we really only got in the Tower of London and walking 7 miles to it and back...so that encompassed a lot of territory! The Tower of London was amazing...we got the audio tour and took about 3 hours to get through it all...it is so much more than just a place where folks were held prisoners. The crown jewels were absolutely amazing and the armor that the Kings wore were spectacular. We were so tired though after walking all day and not eating lunch that by the time we got to a pub at 7 we were delirious...at one point I wanted to sit down and cry...every bone and muscle in my body ached! But some food and drink cured it, along with Advil, and now we are soon to retire to start all over tomorrow!  It is so interesting to travel with other folks...and we all have our little personality quirks...and somehow we have worked the issues out...we have been together a really long time now and I am sad that our journey is almost over...it is one for the memory books for sure! Feeling very privileged and honored to be able to have experienced this...and looking forward to sharing it with anyone who is interested!!! Go to FB to see the pics...will add more later! Cheers!

Last day in Italia and my birthday

Today is a big day...MY BIRTHDAY!!! In Italy...hardly can believe it! Started the day with packing extra things to ship since the airlines in Europa are very stingy with there weight limits! Then coffee, exercise video and a beautiful breakfast on the veranda by our personal chef...high styling! Then we all put on our Italian sundresses we bought yesterday in Porto Venere and Lerici and headed into the walled city of Lucca to use internet...not much luck with getting work done but did get pictures uploaded to FB of yesterday's trip...which was amazing! Oh, I forgot, that before we came down the mountain we went to the estate of the Barroness which our farmhouse is located on to buy olive oil to have shipped back to the states...yummy! Then we mailed our stuff and went for a local lunch outside the walled city...the waiter thought that Martha was a movie star :)...now I am again in yet another internet cafe writing this and finishing work I could not get down earlier.

Driving in Italy is so very tricky but we have managed pretty well so far...they are crazy over here for sure! We were quite proud of ourselves for getting all the way to Porto Venere yesterday...and what a beautiful drive!!! Porto Venere is what Porto Fina used to be prior to American tourists finding it...so quaint....lots of European tourists, swimming and sunbathing (women without tops) playing in the water. From 2 to 4 each day most shops shut down and everyone takes a rest...because it is so hot and there is not very many places that have air conditioning.

The toilettes that are public are very interesting...see FB for pics...glad to get back to England to sit down while relieving myself! The people have been very nice on a whole here and it has been fun for me to try to speak their language in my limited way...and they appreciate the effort. And even with few words one can navigate and get what you need...including map reading...however, it has taken all 4 of us in the car to figure it all out!!!

Lucca is the birth place of Puccini...might go to a concert tonight, but knowing us, we will just go swimming for awhile...ok, to go as time is over for the internet.

Ciao

Italia

WOW! Sorry it has been so long but no internet service in the 1500 old farmhouse and cottage! So, have had to rely on internet cafe's and one is not always available or the traffic is so bad we can't find a parking space and give up. Below is what I wrote in a word document a couple of days ago.. 


Florence Italy...

Today was a real adventure. We got up to a beautiful breakfast of frittata with tomatoes,  a huge bowl of fruit, croissants, fresh preserves, honey, butter, Nutella, peanut butter, and great coffee...on a beautifully set table with a gorgeous Italian table cloth...very impressive! Then we navigated the mountain road down to Lucca to get the train to Florence...about 1 1/2 hours away. There is some English but mostly you better know some Italian words...but it really is amazing how few words you need to know to get by with!!! So, we got the train and then when they came to get our tickets, we got fined because we did not validate at the yellow box...5 Euros for the total of us four...geez, ya thing they could have told us...but if we had read our tour book it did tell us that :(!!

The train was very old and not as clean as the trains in England or as new...but we got there safe and sound. Florence is a big, bustling city with every tourist from every country there today...in other words it was crowded!!! And the lines to get into the museums were long...so we didn’t get to see David up close and personal, but did get into the Duomo, a life long dream of Katie’s and into the Uffizi to see all of the art of the 14th, 15th 16th and 17th century artists, a dream of Martha’s. Mind blowing to say the least, especially if you have ever taken Art History...here is what you have studied and read about right before your own eyes!!

Outside in the squares the art and sculptures are also amazing...and interspersed with McDonalds, Ben and Jerry’s and Footlocker. We had lunch at Il David’s...horrible service but the food was very good. The city is made up of narrow streets with century old buildings, cobble stone or dark brick roads, little cars, motorscooters or motorcycles, bicycles, and buses. So you take your life in your hands wherever you walk. The motorcycles and scooters do not care where you are because they are going to have the right of way...pretty interesting and sometimes frightening. And Katie got her foot caught in a hole in the street and down she went...sprained her ankle but all is well after finding an ankle wrap, Advil and Skelaktin...oh and some Vodka. 

We got home around 9 pm, which is still light, and made a great dinner of antipasto from different items in the refrigerator...Kathy is a super gourmet cook, so we have not gone hungry and Martha is wonderful about creating ambiance with candles and flowers...right out of a magazine. Tomorrow we are off to the coast to look around and see the beaches. We were going to hike but are giving all of us a rest...including Katie’s ankle. Will let you know how Thursday goes!

Lucca

Ok...so posted and then lost it...so this will be short...it is wonderful here here! When I have time and am not in a hurry, I will post more...my first rendition was awesome but gone because the internet cafe timed out!!! So you can go to FB in a few days to see pics and I promise to post more soon. suffice today they drive crazy here, the roads roads are narrow, we don't speak Italian and grocery shopping was a hoot...and you have to PAY for the cart...WHATEVER!!!

Food superb, company grand, views are incredible! Off to Florence tomorrow and Cinque Terra on Thursday...I am having a blast! Love you all and miss you terribly!

July 17 2010 in Ely

Today has been a recharge day and just taking it easy. I slept in till 9:30 this morning after a busy day at Peterboro Cathedral and Cambridge Shakespeare Festival to see Taming of the Shrew. A packed day that started at 8 am and ended at midnight with lots of miles of walking!!! So today I just wanted some laid back time. So after sleeping in, I got dressed and walked to Starbucks for coffee (yes, it felt like being at home :))...then I was on a hunt for a new card reader for my camera disc so I could upload pictures to the computer...seems mine fell out on the train last night when we were returning...heard something drop, we all looked but saw nothing, and then went on about our business...I should have paid more attention! Didn't realize till this morning that I had lost it...and it was no easy feat to find another one! But alas I did and was oh so happy...did not want to wait until coming back to the states to share pics.

After a leisurely morning, I bought some greek salad and crackers at the local Saturday market in the square, brought it back to my room, had a delicious lunch with apple,  cheddar cheese, salad, and diet coke while playing on the computer. Then off to the cathedral to do a brass rubbing of the Madonna and the child...now that was fun and it is beautiful!

Our rehearsal was next in the Lady's Chapel, which has the most amazing acoustics...our evensong was ok but it was in a new seating order and it was really hard to hear your parts...but we survived! We then were invited to the Assistant Dean's house for  Brandy and sweets...got a tour of the house which is part of the Cathedral grounds and dates back to the 12th century...this always blows me away!

Dinner was next at a Thai restaurant which was fabulous and now I am going to bed! There is a band playing downstairs and I should go dance, but I am exhausted, so it is bed for me!

Will keep you posted!

Cnady

Cambridge

Today was a pretty laid back day with a trip on the train to Cambridge. I was awestruck as we took a cab to the place where we were going to set into the Cam River to go punting...the history and the buildings were overwhelming after all these years of reading and hearing about this city. The weather was a bit windy and cold but we went punting on the river (like a gondola ride in Venice) anyway. This s a super way of seeing all the colleges that make up University of Cambridge, which are closed campuses to visitors. We had blankets and a very cute young man who was our guide. Then it was off to see Kings College Chapel...oh my...wish we could have heard the choir sing in that magnificent building! Then off to lunch with food items I doubt you would find in the USA...blood pudding, Pigeon, pearled barley, to name a few.

Our evensong tonight was again quite good...we sang the Sumsion piece tonight that is my favorite. One of our friends videoed it and I am going to try to upload to FB. The Dean and Canon are very nice and have invited us to have Brandy after the Saturday service at the Canon's backyard. I don't know if that is normal protocol but we feel pretty special!

Then a few of us went to the movies again to see The Infidel...hysterical British comedy about a Muslim that discovers he was adopted and is really a Jew...if it comes to the states so see it! And once again the ads were great....same as Tuesday but just as good seeing them again.

Tomorrow is an off day with most of the choir going to London...since we four will be there after traveling to Italy, we are staying here and taking the train to Peterboro for the day and then perhaps back to Cambridge tomorrow night to the Shakespeare Festival. Whatever we do it will be adventurous and informative and fun!!!

The First 4 Days in Ely

Hello to all who are following:
Sorry it has been a few days but I was hoping I could upload pictures to this and so have been fussing with that and not writing. So if you want pictures, right now you have to go Facebook to see them until I figure something else out!

So let's see...we got here in Ely at 12:30 on Sunday afternoon...the flight was long and the Virgin Atlantic staff were not too friendly. They actually scolded my row at the exit for not watching the video on what happens in case of an emergency...then they quizzed us on what we would do if we started going down! We all passed the quiz without watching :)...sleeping was light, getting through customs was a breeze, and then the charter bus ride for 2 hours to Ely...glad I can sleep most anywhere!

The hotel is very quaint and old1 We had to lug our baggage about a block to the hotel, store our luggage for a few hours and then check in. The day we arrived was really warm so learning we had no air and no elevators was a bit much for most folks. But we put smiles on our faces and had cocktails, went to evensong at the Cathedral, and then dinner at the hotel. Then off to the local pub to watch the World Cup. Basically we were doing anything to stay awake so we could finally sleep. The hotel is really a old English Inn that has not been renovated in a very very long time...and on y floor we have an exposed pipe dripping into a bucket...do I smell mold???!!

Monday cooled down some...spent the day exploring this little village and taking pictures of places and interesting settings. Rehearsed and then sang, went to dinner and to the pub! Got to do some dancing in the pub but not enough for me!!!

Eating seems to be the main activity we do...I am now on a fast! LOL...(right now I have BBC Comedy on TV and it is cracking me up). So, Tuesday we spent really walking the Ely area, having a lunch in a pub, learning about the Cathedral and Ely. Ely used to be an island in the 6th century and in the 1600's they found a way to make channels and use the land for agriculture. Very interesting...also went to the Oliver Cromwell house, found a lovely country store, and great walking by the river. Then to the movies where the ads prior to the movie were hysterical and full of sexual overtones selling shampoo, milk, butter, alcohol...we the Americans were howling in laughter!!!

Today we went to Norwich, a city of about 150,000 with another beautiful Norman Cathedral that was saved from destruction during the 1600's. Our docent was an elderly Englishman with a great sense of humor. The a few of us walked to Mark and Spence (a grocery store) through this great outdoor market in search of Ginger Stem cookies which I still haven't found...maybe in London! Then we were looking for a place to eat lunch, couldn't find something, so I went into a hair salon and the wonderful stylist left his client, came outside and showed us were to go. We had this marvelous Spanish meal of tappas and Sangria. Then back to the bus for evensong rehearsal at 4 and service at 5:30. Then back to a different Indian restaurant for dinner...now I am done with food for awhile!:)

Tomorrow we are going to Cambridge to go Punting (something about a boat and a pole in a river). Should be interesting! I have looked for a dance studio but they all seem to be on holiday and there are no lessons or groups...ugh! So I am just practicing in my room and I hope that I remember how to do it  when I return!

I just love it here...the beauty of the landscape, the ancient buildings and my amazement at how the builders accomplished what they did in such difficulties...mind blowing! And the English gardens are so beautiful...I could live here!

Signing off for tonight...go see the pics cuz they are really fun!

Nite, nite!