Adios, Benning Bungalow

In May, I sold my baby (T and S had to deal with me closing - so sorry!).  Hopefully she's ok after the floods this last week.  It was a huge decision...my tenant was moving out and I didn't want to deal with finding a new one.  My tenant had been so great that I really didn't want to deal with being let down by a new one.  I also worried about the house and putting too much burden on my property manager (my dad).  So it was time for it to go after almost 7 years.  It feels really strange as besides family and friends, is my last tangible connection to Houston (other than stuff in storage).  These are the last pictures I have of her...goodbye Benning Bungalow!

My property manager checking out the back 40.

Looking good...

That's the lemon tree that I bought and A planted for me.  It was such a baby...I see one lemon on there, but my mom said it was producing.

The antique roses A planted for me.  Dad took grafts of them for the next house...hopefully that works!

King's day 2015

After A&A left, it was a quick turnaround back to the NL for King's Day 2015.  M, A & I got to the Hague mid afternoon on Sunday and enjoyed a nice dinner before going out to the stages for the evening's entertainment.  I didn't take a lot of pictures because I wasn't tall enough to see the stages, but it was a fun night.  The Grote Markt was packed with people, but the band wasn't as good as last year.  However, we did find another stage with some folk music being played which sealed the deal for me.  So much fun to watch the Dutch dance to folksy music..lots of Cotton Eyed Joe, swing your partner going on.  

King's day boasted the most beautiful blue skies.  We worked a bit in the morning and then headed out for drinks on the Plein followed by dinner that evening.  Such a relaxing day after the mess of the last few months.  Sad that was probably my last King's day for a long time.  Happy Koningsdag!

A&A come to London

A & A came to visit!!!  And it was everything I thought it would be, plus more!

Obligatory first picture on the tube...after a long flight.

After they got cleaned up, we went to Central London for an orientation walk around.  This included the must do London Eye, which I think has the best views in the city.  We went right at dusk, so we got both the lit up version and some day time shots.

Me and my favourite sister :)

Me and my favourite brother :)

The happy couple in London

All three of us

Post card photo from the bottom of the eye...with the classic red bus in front.

Adam was my hero...made amazing breakfast tacos from the tortillas they brought from the airport.  Best Saturday morning breakfast ever.

It was Aly's birthday on Saturday!  But we sort of technically celebrated Adam's which is 4 days later because...

A friend of mine helped me buy tickets for Crystal Palace vs. West Brom in the Palace. We got up early, had those amazing tacos and then headed to Victoria to grab a train to the station.  We got out at Norwood Junction and went to a very traditional fish and chips shop, followed by a walk to Selhurst Park for a bar pre-gamer, which was in the stadium. So thankful for the hints my friend gave...it certainly made me look smart because we felt like VIPs.  After a few drinks, we headed to the seats, which were excellent.

We got the first day of sun of the year with great weather.  The seats were close enough to the crazy CP fans but not amoungst them, which made for an excellent atmosphere.

We can see the CP players!  Go Eagles!

The crazies just next to us.  After that, we got Adam a jersey and required scarf.  It was then off for some Indian food in Tooting Bec (thanks A).  Food was excellent and cheap. Sounds like a perfect birthday for Adam!  Adam had to take care of Aly's during the week...

On Sunday it was off to the Crabtree for Roast, which was great.  Pictured with their post Roast puddings.

Then we went to the V&A museum, which I hadn't done.  We wandered through, looking at all the incredible design elements housed in the museum.

Massive art in the entrance hall

Massive art from the Greeks, Romans, etc...

More art

After the V&A, we wandered around central London some more.  I gave them an orientation from Leicester Square all the way to Westminster, showing all the major sites they should see while I was in the Hague for the week.  I got back early on Friday, seeing them in the evening for the last night before they flew out on Sunday :(

I can't wait to see them again!!!

Oxbridge 2015 Boat Race

This year, rather than having to fly over for the boat race, I live right on the river where the race is held!

I had plans for the evening, so I only saw the first race, which was the first ever Women's race.

The boats are coming....

There they are!

And there they go...Oxford won and they also won the later men's race! I haven't been to Cambridge, so I guess I'm an Oxford fan!

London Roman Ruins

On my next free weekend, I did a guided walking tour with "London Cultureseekers" through the City to see various Roman ruins.  The entire City portion of London is built on a old Roman fort, going from Tower Hill to Blackfriars.  There are some really interesting old walls (medieval and Roman) that have been incorporated into various office buildings and hotels in the area. Another interesting fact is that all new construction in the area requires a professional archaeologist on site at all times during excavation.  It makes any building very expensive (in an already astronomical location).

I saw a lot of new areas I never would have expected to see...definitely will do one of these tours again! 

Welsh weekend

A really good friend, J, invited me to go to Wales with him and his friends for the long Easter weekend.  We drove up with A on Friday morning, enjoying the countryside along the way (eweing season - all the little lambs were out) and trying to find the house that A had booked.  The house ended up being an old chapel with some art hung on the walls for sale with beds and a kitchen.

We stayed in a small village that there is no way I can pronounce (Llwyngwril).  Welsh apparently don't like a lot of vowels in their native tongue.

The little village is highlighted on the train chart that we walked down to find before the next day's adventures.  The train had a little depot covering and notices that you had to wave down the train to get it to stop.  

On our little walk down to the train depot

On the walk down to the seashore - surrounded by mountains, sheep and villages.

Beautiful sunset and seashore covered in pebbles

A look down the very cold coastline.  After our little hike down to the sea and train station, we booked a table at the only pub in the village.  They also had a local talent on tap for the music that night....local being the operative word.  Food was good and the people watching was hilarious.

We got up early to catch the train that runs once/hour.  After flagging it down, we did the wonderful train trip up through several villages and towns to Porthmadog.

Just a short video of the most incredible train trip I've ever taken.  Sheep running in the fields, right next to the shore, incredible mountains.

View from the train, beaches becoming sandy.

Train got a little spooky when crossing a few of the bays - straight over the water on a very skinny rail bridge built for what looked like one train.

The water is right there!

Gorgeous "marshes" on the final leg into Porthmadog.

Once in Porthmadog, we took a STEAM train up through the mountains.  It was really gorgeous.

Waterfalls on the route up through the mountains.  We stopped at the last village to shop for Welsh slate, which is a specialty of the area.

Then we stopped in Barmouth on the way back to get some ice cream and walk on the beach.  The weather was incredible, nothing but blue skies.  We also got groceries for the evening and cooked a fabulous pizza dinner.

Cold but beautiful beach.  Actual UKer's were in shorts.  I was still bundled up!

That night we played Reading Monopoly as all of the group I was with work in Reading.  I didn't understand a lot of the inside jokes about Reading, but the wine probably also had something to do with that.  Fun evening!

Then it was off the next day for a lunch in Royal Leamington Spa...mmm Sunday Roast.

Scenery along the way

Thanks to J for inviting me!

Windsor Wander

On my next free weekend in March, it was off to Windsor on Saturday.  Windsor is a great day trip location from London Waterloo...12 GBP return for the train (1 hour) and drops you off right at the castle.  The town is adorable too.

After arriving, the first thing I did was the castle tour.  I recommend booking tickets in advance...but I didn't do that.  The line was thankfully not too long, partly because the weather was cold and rain threatened throughout the day.

First stop is St George's gate on the audio tour.

View inside the gate

The queen's flag was flying, meaning she was in residence for the day.  The column in the middle contains her private residence and her working areas.

She has a well manicured moat to protect her!

View from the other side of St George's gate.  You can't take pictures inside the castle.  I highly recommend a tour though.  Some of the rooms in there are the best I've seen in Europe, even though a portion of the castle burned as recently as the 90s.  St George's hall with the coats of arms is one of my favourite rooms in all of Europe.

Then it was off to the chapel, where King Henry VIII is buried with his beloved Jane Seymour.  The inside is gorgeous as well, a must see.  Plenty of other kings and queens are interned there as well.

Then I took the short walk to Eton to see the famous school that educates future prime ministers.  

The school was closed for visitors, but that didn't stop hordes of tourists (and myself) from taking pictures at the entrance.  I can't imagine going to school there - must feel like such a fish in bowl or animal in a zoo.  But I wouldn't turn down the opportunity for my kid to go there...

View into the main courtyard

The school chapel.  Completely different from my school chapel at home.

Then it was off for a late lunch at an RS recommended place on the river.  Swans everywhere!  This was my trip to scope it out before more friends visited.  Definitely recommend!

After the train ride back, I spent the rest of the weekend catching up on shows I hadn't seen, including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (just ok - I thought it would be funnier) and The Play that Goes Wrong (excellent - slapstick humour...exactly what I needed).