Venezia

I can't believe it's already been two months since our trip to Venice! I was so excited with the way we planned this trip because it was so spontaneous of us! Since we have x amount of bills to pay, debts, and savings to worry about each month, we had talked about a little getaway since my homesickness was at a peak in winter, but never really moved forward with that plan. Then for a few days in February, we talked about where we would go if we could and decided it would have to be Venice! On Leap Day (Feb 29), EasyJet was having a big sale on their flights and we found a really good deal to Venice and just went for it!! It was literally something we'd discussed for just a few days before booking. Ironically, our plan was (still...) to get away from the miserable gloom that is English weather, but lo and behold, the weather predicted rain and thunderstorms just before we left! Nonetheless, it's all about the experience, which is really what I should keep reminding myself in the meantime about living here! 

We had been really anxious for the entire three months leading up to the trip. We found this adorable apartment to stay in and had been in touch with the owner in the months prior to our stay. We'd researched restaurants and gelato shops (none of which we actually went to) and did a little studying and practicing of the beautiful Italian language. This was also going to be our very first flight together!! :-) Kinda crazy, right?!

When we arrived, we paid for our extortionately priced bus and vaporetto tickets (more on this later), and made our way to the gorgeous island of Venice. My first feelings about this incredible place reminded me of the way I feel when I'm at Disneyland. A blissful, romantic feeling completely overwhelmed me, despite the gloomy, misty weather.  As we tried finding our vaporetto route, we were told the America's Cup was currently happening (not sure how we didn't know about this!), so we weren't able to get off where our apartment was. Turned out, it was actually happening right in front of our apartment which was pretty exciting!! Luckily we took an early flight from Gatwick and it was only about 1:00pm when we got to our apartment so we had plenty of the day left to explore (and eat!).

We had decided that 200 Euros would hopefully be enough to get us through the few days we were there, but we were proved wrong pretty quickly. When we'd arrived at the airport, we paid for our return bus tickets, and 12 hour vaporetto (waterbus) tickets to get us to our apartment once on the Island, and for both of us, this came to 55 Euros. Ouch. I had been told that Venice was expensive but I didn't take it into serious enough consideration, clearly! Because it's such a tourist trap, shops and restaurants get away with and take full advantage of ripping you off. Peter and I do pretty well on a tight budget and tend to go for the cheaper options, but even the cheapest option in Venice is still ridiculous and it became really hard for me to wrap my head around and justify. That being said, we couldn't really afford much other than food.

I thought our apartment was located in the perfect part of Venice. It wasn't in the crazy hustle and bustle  where all the annoying tourists lurk, but it was just on the outskirts where some of the locals live. One downside of it being such a tourist trap is that it's actually a challenge to find locals and listen to them speak or watch them live their day-to-day lives. I really enjoyed that part with where we stayed-- we could see everyone's laundry hung above us just outside the door to our entrance, and we could hear the locals walking by daily.

We spent a lot of time getting lost and did a lot less planning than I wanted to. The walk from our apartment to St. Mark's Square was about 15 minutes, so we wandered up that way everyday and used it as our landmark. One of the days turned out to be ridiculously rainy and wet, so much so, that when we got home, we had to peel our clothes off and lay them on the heater to dry them out. We stopped in a cafe that day, hopeful that the rain would die down, and when it didn't, we popped into a shop, bought a pack of playing cards and headed back to our place to let it pass. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity to rest our feet since we'd been walking and exploring non-stop. 

Although the restaurants are too overpriced for me, the quality and taste of proper Italian food is more than enough for me to go back. I don't think I have ever wanted pizza as much as I did in the few days we were in Venice. The great thing about that is there are little carts/shops all over where you can pick up a slice to go for about 1,50-2 euros and the slices are massive!! As a bonus, I was overjoyed to find my most favorite toppings everywhere!!! Prosciutto & artichokes=heaven! (Artichokes are all over, which is heaven in itself for me!) It's been far too long since I've had some variety in food and Italy was the best place to indulge in that. Of course we also had to stop for a few gelatos...my favorite being pistachio, surprise surprise! Overall, the food is simply to die for and I certainly look forward to my next visit to that beautiful, delicious country!

Putting the gloomy weather aside, the over-priced (but extremely delicious) food, and a few minor flaws in our apartment (two single beds put together to make one which wasn't very comfortable to say the least), I must admit that it was such a perfect getaway for us and I know we'll go back one day when we can afford to spend out a little bit more. It was the perfect excuse for Peter and I to put our phones away and focus on each other and let the romance-filled air totally consume us. I felt so much closer to him and could actually feel the growth we'd made together from those few days away in that gorgeous city of love.

Watch our video below!

Venice from Lindsay Reynolds on Vimeo.

I've been tucking these away in to the back of my mind for a while and thought I'd finally share. So, after living and observing for 9 months in England, here are my likes and dislikes thus far. Mind you, they're in no particular order.

My Likes:

• Our house.
• The annual leave and maternity leave is great. It really is. American's are known as work-a-holics, and now I understand why.
• Nature. The greenery, the trees and flowers, the animals. Country life.

• Spring. So far I'm not the biggest fan of all the April showers, but I am so happy the weather is slowly getting warmer and all the flowers are in bloom. I adore the newborn lambs, goats, and llamas all over.

• I love how close we are to Europe. Flights are cheap and convenient, as is the Eurotunnel and ferry! 

• The history. Being physically present helps me appreciate the history this country possesses, and the buildings! Many of them still have thatched roofs, lots of tudor houses with visibly crooked beams, and the cathedrals.

• I love my in-laws. I am so blessed to have them. I honestly would not be as confident, or feel as safe and secure here without them.

• It's legal to drink in public!
• The public transport isn't always wonderful, but compared to ours in the states, it's pretty damn good. Plus, most of the busses are double decker :-)
• London. I don't think I could ever get sick of London. And it's only an hour away via train/car!

• Daylight savings in spring and summer. I haven't actually experienced summertime sunsets, but from what I hear, it's still light out around 9:30-10:00pm. Win!
• Good wine and yummy cheese.
• Everyone has a garden that are typically filled with homegrown flowers, fruits and veggies. This has been an inspiration to me to start growing our own! So far we have basil, thyme, rosemary, tomatoes, strawberries, squash and spring onions growing!
• It's a new challenge for me. I was ready for a big change and a good challenge and it's been exactly that.
• Being with Peter. I probably say this way too much, but I never knew there could be someone so perfect for me!  I am fascinated at how two people from two different continents can be so connected. I love starting and ending the day with him. I love watching us grow, change and progress in our relationship. Our love constantly assures me that we've made the right decision and have followed our destined path.

• Making new friends and meeting new people.
• Peter and I cook dinner every night. We rarely eat out, probably not even once a month. In San Diego, it's too easy to always eat out!
• Snow days. Especially if work is cancelled! ;-)

My dislikes:

• I am too far from home.
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
• Lack of SUN. San Diego officially spoiled me! For 24 years, I've been used to a warm sun, a tan, Vitamin D, the freedom to be outside anytime of the year, pretty much any time of the day. Here, it's quite the opposite!
• Certain things are really expensive. Electronics and jeans to name a few.
• Shops close too early! Like, between 5:00 and 6:00PM, and I don't even get off work until 5:00! This means that shops are insanely busy on the weekend. No. Thanks.
• Daylight savings in winter. I'm dedicating an entire paragraph to winter, so you're sure to hear about this again. It's dark when you wake up, and dark when you get off work. Sun goes down around 3:30pm. Hybernation, anyone?
• I don't necessarily dislike the food here, but I obviously can't quite satisfy my Mexican or sushi cravings. The food here is stodgy and filling and is admittedly easy to get sick of after a while. It's not as exciting to me anymore when we do go out because you can almost always guess what's on any menu, and nothing really tickles my fancy anymore.
• No hiking and no racquetball. Ask anyone what a hike is and they'll define it as a long walk. Haha. There is squash, but it just isn't the same, and it's kind of expensive.
• No toilet seat covers and you'll rarely find paper towels. Most "toilets" only have hand dryers.
• If you're looking for a plain cup of coffee, you'll likely only find an Americano (espresso). Not the best when you're after filtered coffee, it seems to be kind of rare.
• I never realized until now how much I look around for people I know. There are so many times I think I see someone I know, and then I have to remember, oh yeah, it can't be!
• When people ask me where I'm from and why I moved, the majority of replies are something along the lines of, "And you came here? I know where I would have moved!" Ugh. I know I shouldn't let that get to me, especially after the number of times I've heard it! 
• Winter. Winter is pretty much non-existent where I come from, which makes it especially rough experiencing what everyone else knows as 'the most wonderful time of the year.' I can honestly say that winter has been my biggest struggle so far. From November until...now!? May!? it's grey and cold. Sometimes it's windy, sometimes it's rainy, SOMETIMES the sun peeks through. When I've talked about it with other people, some have suggested I may have S.A.D, Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you've ever thought or been told you may have a disorder, then you probably know how overwhelming and scary it sounds. It's hard to swallow that it could actually be true. I know S.A.D is fairly common, but when I think about the symptoms: Depression, sleep problems, lethargy, over eating, loss of concentration, social problems, anxiety, mood changes..and how close they are to what I was experiencing--it's actually quite scary how spot on it is! Here are a few of my winter struggles...
• No tan. I know this sounds vain, but I've always been tan, even in winter. I'm ashamed to admit, that when I looked in the mirror and saw a pale body and face, I found it hard to recognize my normal self.
• No motivation to work out. I love running and hiking and biking, but when it's cold, I have no motivation to go out in it. Peter and I even signed up to a gym, but that didn't really help as much as I hoped it would either.
• Weight gain. As stated above, over eating was one of those symptoms that I unfortunately had. I don't remember actively thinking about it, but because I missed home and couldn't handle the cold, I just allowed myself to fill up at dinner time and without working out as much as I am used to, I just naturally gained weight.
• Comfort food--another explanation for the weight gain. Soups, warm pies, pasta, hot chocolate...anything warm and filling is all you want during cold winter days.
• Since I've never seen myself so white before, I am still embarrassed to show my arms or legs at the gym. I know I shouldn't be, because if I am white, then so are others, but it's just not what I'm used to seeing!
• Mood swings. One day I was happy, the next few, I was sad. Repeat for a few months.
• Home sick. The cold weather brought me constant reminders of everyone and everything I left behind.
• Feeling drowsy, tired and unmotivated. I know you've felt it before on a gloomy day! This is almost daily and soon enough you don't know any other feeling....until the sun comes out again and you suddenly feel alive!
• This sounds really silly, but I can remember so many times I didn't want to wash my hands in a restroom because it was so cold out and you know the water is going to be cold too!! 
• You can't really leave the house with wet hair. I'm so used to showering in the morning and letting my hair dry naturally--only if you want to freeze your butt off would you do this in winter!
• Our hot water takes forever to warm up in winter! Three people showering within a few hours of each other was a little risky...
• Seeing friends and family's pictures of San Diego or a sunny day on facebook. This always hit home. There's nothing quite like realizing life (and sun) still goes on with or without you.
• People vacation to the sun. In San Diego, you vacation to the snow. I'd much rather the latter, please!!

Until next time!

well well well, if it isn't crash bandicoot.

I have no excuse for letting time get out of control and not blogging more. After all, I am mostly a part-time worker, but who wants to sit around and blog on a day off? I'd much rather waste my time on facebook and spend countless hours on pinterest. Ha! True story, mostly. I really need to allocate more time to blogging, as it is mostly like an online journal that's always fun to look back on. I always wait so long to the point that I have to start writing lists of all the things I want to blog about! It's like an essay you have too many ideas for and you're dreading sitting down to write it out perfectly. So many of my ideas aren't even the usual catching-everyone-up on the fun things we've done since my last post, which I'm sure people already know about thanks to facebook! I'll quit with the rambling and try my best not to make this post too long. So here goes....

Since my last update, we've had Amand's super quick weekend visit, a just-as-quick trip to France with the parents, mine and Cat's 68 mile charity bike ride, we've booked a short trip to Venice for the end of May (so soon now!) and Peter and I celebrated our one year anniversary! Aside from those events, I've been wanting to write about my move to England; the positives and negatives that I've faced these past 9 months.

First we had Amand's visit. His work sent him to Galway, Ireland, for a few weeks and he planned a quick weekend trip to come see us. Of course the weather had been getting really nice--sunny and warm, but when he came, it turned to the usual, if not worse, English weather we all know and don't love. (Can you tell I am bitter?!) Peter and I drove up to London to fetch Amand and....funnily enough, we saw Dave as they exited their terminal!! We were supposed to meet Dave the weekend before, but apparently he couldn't change his flights and as I found out that day, they kept him an extra week! It was great to see him and he was finally able to meet Peter! After leaving the airport, we drove into central London (well, we parked in the 02 stadium) and tubed into central London for an entire day of sightseeing. I honestly think I could sightsee London like a tourist all day, every day. I love it! We showed him everything--I won't list it all because if you can think it, we probably saw it. The weather cleared up and we were left with a gorgeous view of Big Ben and House of Parliament at sunset. We also went into a wonderful little gem of a restaurant in Covent Garden for lunch, which had the most incredible meals on the menu. If you know me, then you know I can get really grouchy when I'm hungry, and we waited a little too long to start looking for lunch, but it was all worth it in the end when we found this place (after already leaving one place that only served pies...)!

Alrighty, next on the list was our quick day trip to France. Peter's parents will find any excuse to book a Eurotunnel ticket, even if it's because they're running low on wine and want to venture over to France for the day for more. This was the first time that Cat didn't come with us, so although she was missed, we took full advantage of the extra room in the car and thoroughly enjoyed our day, it was like a double date with the in-laws! It was so special! We did the usual stop for gas and a quick breakfast, coffee and croissant usually, and then drove straight to Vimy Ridge. Peter kept going on and on about wanting to show me the trenches and how much I'd love them, but to be honest, I typically don't have much interest in war or history, so I was a little skeptical but didn't want to shoot him down (ha, no pun intended!). When we got there, we took a little tour of the underground tunnel, then the trenches, and I actually loved it probably the most! That might be my problem with war and history...the fact that you usually only hear about it and I'm more of a tactical-visual learner, so being there in person was really amazing. The trenches between Germany and Canada/Europe were literally only about 25 yards away from each other- absolutely crazy! After our educational tour, we drove into a sweet little town (I can't remember what it's called..) for lunch and a gorgeous little walk. It is so nice that we're so close to France that we can just nip in a quick day trip and still make it home at the end of the day. On this same trip, Peter and I stocked up on a case of wine (6 bottles which usually last us a while), and once we were back at his parents, they ordered us an Indian takeaway! They sure do take excellent care of us. I am so lucky and so appreciative. My time here wouldn't be the same without them! 

 Next on the list of events is mine and Cat's 68 mile Big Bike Ride! Cat recently got into taking spin class at her gym and was inspired enough to get a new bike! I mentioned that if she got one soon enough, we could sign up for the 68 mile ride together! She was certainly up for it, so we did! We both managed to do really well, considering we've never done one before and both really seemed to enjoy it! It was the perfect weather, with gorgeous scenery of South East Kent's countryside in spring, and we finished in 7 hours! We made a few friends along the way who we had a very similar pace to, and that helped incredibly. It's definitely inspired me to get out on my bike more!

Next is our one year anniversary! I can't believe how quickly that year went! So much has happened in the past year! As a little present to ourselves, and to celebrate getting out of Peter's overdraft, we looked into flights to Venice, and because Easyjet was having a 30% off deal for Leap Year, we booked our flights that day for May 20-23 (full days on the 20th and 23)! YAY! Believe it or not, it's going to be our first flight together!! We can't wait. It's been on our minds and topics of many conversations since the day we booked it. We also managed to find this adorable little apartment where we'll be staying: click here to view!

So on the day of our anniversary, peter and I took the day off. It ended up raining, so we slept in and headed into town for a little coffee date. I took my laptop with us, so we decided to look through our wedding pictures :-) We hadn't really looked through them together since the wedding! For presents, all I wanted was a nice dinner that night; whether we went out, or cooked something nice together, didn't matter. Eventually, we decided on The Ancient Raj (previously mentioned as the best indian in Canterbury!). For Peter's present, since we're still kind of on a tight budget, I let him blow up one of his favorite pictures from Bruges and buy a new frame for it. It's now a lovely addition displayed in our hallway :-) Our dinner was booked for 7pm, and when we got there, the waiter sat us down at our table which had two "Happy Anniversary" balloons on it!! I forgot to mention, the night before our anniversary, Peter's parents gave us a card with a £40 voucher to spend at The Ancient Raj!! So our delicious meal was on them!! :-) We had enough to get dessert, and after, the owner came out to congratulate us and gave us a free liqueur! During our dinner we reflected on everything we've gone through in the past year. All the changes we've made, ways we've grown, and discussed our future goals. It was the perfect excuse to reflect and plan out our new goals. All I can say, is that I am so happy to have found him. We are so connected in every way. I can't wait for us to go through life together!

I think this post has become long enough, so I'm going to do a pro/con list next time, including my thoughts on Spring! Until then, cheerio!

Listening to: Paolo Nutini, obsessively!

Watching: Homeland, Britain's The Apprentice, and Britain's Got Talent

Nibbling on: Girl Scout Cookies

Missing: Toilet seat covers & Flip flops (however, this list is endless)

Biggest Challenge: Weather

Coming up: Venice!

Valentine's Day

Peter and I were kind of off to a rough start this year with saving money. With Mir coming just before Christmas, then Christmas, Kirsten's visit and spending New Years in London, Peter's birthday on January 5th, then my birthday on January 20th, Peter's car service (including a new clutch for a whopping £780!)....we didn't even have to discuss a Valentine's Day budget. Luckily though, we were both on the same page, as usual, and only spent £9 on each other!

This sweet little basket was waiting for me on Valentine's Day morning. He knows me so well. Berries, grapes, chocolate, my favorite chips, a picture of us, and daffodils!

Since we don't have any vases small enough, I used an idea I saw on pinterest not so long ago, and decorated an old sauce jar. I simply cut out some scrapbook paper, taped it together, and wrapped a little bow around it. Cute huh?! 

My presents to him were a little silly, I thought. I found a new razor with two blades on sale for only £4.99!! So I got him that, and also a new black fountain pen for work. On top of those, I also registered a new email address for him, and starting January 17, I wrote him a love email (almost) everyday until Valentine's Day. That was fun, and I'm pretty certain he like that idea :-) I also, just because I had the day off, decorated our house with cute scrapbook paper flag banners (another pinterest idea) hanging around the windows, TV, and into our kitchen, and I ironed a weeks worth of his work shirts, since he absolutely dreads doing that. All in all, it was the sweetest Valentine's Day I've ever had! Plus, we got a fantastic dinner deal from Marks and Spencers, for only £20! Here's what we had....Breaded crab cakes for starters, a peppercorn rump steak with gastropub chips (fries), and peas, and for dessert we had a raspberry vanilla panna cotta. Plus, it came with champagne and a box of chocolates. Perfect! Much better than going out and spending a fortune--and it's always fun being in the kitchen with him!

By the way, how cute was the Valentine's Google Doodle?! Here it is, in case you missed it!

Just before Valentine's Day, we got hit with some major snow. It was actually really nice since we didn't get any in December or January--it was cold enough to have snowed though! It was my first ever, actual snow day. Work was called off for me on Sunday, so Peter and I went out for a walk. It was stunning! The entire time I kept thinking to myself that my struggle with winter was so worth it just to see this snowfall! I think we ended up walking and taking pictures for about 3 hours that day :-)

I forgot to mention our birthdays! Peter's parents made it a family tradition to make a three course dinner of your choice on your birthday! So for Peter's, we went over and had Pâté, a meat fondue and bread and butter pudding! yum! We also went out with Kerry, Heather, and JP to an Indian Restaurant called Ancient Raj , Peter and I had been here on one of our monthly dates and LOVED it! For my birthday, we finally booked our wine tasting in Brighton. Actually, I tried to get it sooner, but the only date they had open was my birthday, so we took it! That turned out to be freezing cold, but still lots of fun and absolutely delicious! I'm not sure what I was expecting when we drove in....lush green vines? No...it's winter, so the vines were completely dead. Anyway, we got a tour, tasting, lunch, and a complimentary bottle. Then, we used our vouchers for free admission into the Royal Pavilion which included scones and tea! We love that place and will be heading back in summertime when the weather is nicer. Then it was off to Pete's parents for our dinner, and Andrew was also here for three weeks, so he got to experience the birthday fun, and even helped Cat make the dessert--a fruit tart! For starters we had a baby spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, and bleu cheese. I love these kinds of salads, but they don't really have them here, so it was new for them and I'm pretty sure they all enjoyed it! Then we had steak with dauphinoise potatoes and cauliflower cheese. A few days after, we had my dinner with friends, and I chose the Duke William pub--their food is delicious and it's so cozy! Peter's mom took Miranda and I there for lunch one day, and I had to find any excuse to go back! 

Next on the agenda is Amand's visit on March 3rd! He's in Ireland on a work trip for the next 4 weeks, so he's stopping by for a quick visit! Can't wait!

'Til next time...

Films in 2011

As I have previously blogged, I mentioned hubby Reynolds' love for film. Well, up until fairly recently, I haven't really had an appreciation for good film: the acting, directing, score, etc. My taste in movies are the cheesy, mostly sappy, romantic-comedy ones that all the girls love. The guilty pleasure ones. You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, hubby Reynolds has since shown me what a good movie really is. I am still a little hesitant when he wants to show me a movie, because I always assume it's a guy movie, but they're always so good. Here is my list of movies that I've watched since being in England,  since August 1st! They are all great, but I'll bold my favorites.

Shallow Grave

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Help

Water for Elephants

Senna

The Sting

It's a Beautiful Life

Closer

Deathproof

Collateral

The kids are alright

Gone baby gone

True Grit

The Graduate

Dumbo
Tangled
French Connection

Zodiac

Man on Fire

War Horse

The Descendants

Se7en

Pulp Fiction

Fight Club

American Beauty

The Lovely Bones

Julie & Julia

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

BUCK

Into the Wild

Poltergeist

Life in a day (free on youtube!)

I also really got into Gavin and Stacey and watched all three seasons in about two days!

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string..."

These are a few of my favorite SCENES: