Gilbralter...

The Rock of Gibralter towers over the coast of Spain that touches it on each side. We drove there from our rental apartment in Calahonda, Spain in a steady rain. The low hanging clouds allowed little site seeing, but it did not stop the towering rock from darking the sky a bit more.

Gibralter is a British Territory and once we got past the border control, we felt like we had returned to England. Everything was in English and we had quite a selection of pubs and other English department stores to choose from.

Because Gibralter is very small, everything is smashed into a very small area. As you leave the border control, you drive right over a giant runway. With all the tight security restrictions in the States, I was quite surprised to find myself driving on a runway!!

We squeezed our rental car around tight corners, navigating slowly up the Rock of Gibralter. Many corners were so tight, there was several shades of paint from the side of cars decorating the buildings. The roads wasted little time taking us up and we were soon looking down on the Strait of Gibralter. It was easy to understand why this was such a strategic military location during World War II. At its narrowist point, there is only 8 miles that separates Africa from Europe. As we looked down at the water, you could easily see Africa off in the distance.

We drove up as far as the roads would allow and then we got out and started walking. As we we turned the first bend in the road, we met our first monkey sitting on a wall at the road's edge. It just sat there looking at us giving us no indication whether or not it cared about our existance. It was strange meeting up with a monkey outside of the zoo. It just did not seem natural, but we found many more monkeys during our walk that day. There were all shapes and sizes. Some looked like they were going to grab us around the legs if we got too close, others looked like they wanted to play. We were advised by a lot of signs that the monkeys did bite, so we tried to keep our distance.

We did make it to the top, but the clouds hid any views from us.

Jamón ibérico...

We always make sure to get a little Iberian Ham when we are in Spain. We learned about it on our first trip last year. It has a very distinctive flavor and can be very expensive. We tried a little portion this time that cost 60 euruos a kilo. The thing that amazes me is that there is so much of it to buy. Everywhere we go, you can find a corner of a store filled like our picture here. There seems to be an endless supply of it in Spain, yet they cans still sell it for high prices. I suppose the cost is supported by what needs to be done to produce it. I won't even attempt to explain Iberian ham, but I will supply you with the Wikipedia definition. This is much better than my limited knowledge of it and as I researched it I learned a little more about it too.

According to Wikipeida.com...

Jamón ibérico is a type of jamón, a cured ham produced only in Spain. It is at least 75% Black Iberian Pig, also called the cerdo negro or black pig, the only breed of pig that naturally seeks and eats mainly acorns: according to Spain's Denominación de Origen rules on food products jamón ibérico may be made from cross-bred pigs as long as they are at least 75% ibérico.
The Black Iberian Pig lives primarily in the south and southwest parts of Spain, including the provinces of Salamanca, Ciudad Real, Cáceres, Badajoz, Seville, Córdoba and Huelva. Immediately after weaning the piglets are fattened on barley and maize for several weeks. The pigs are then allowed to roam in pasture and oak groves to feed naturally on grass, herbs, acorns, and roots, until the slaughtering time approaches. At that point the diet may be strictly limited to acorns for the best quality jamón ibérico, or may be a mix of acorns and commercial feed for lesser qualities.

The hams are labeled according to the pigs' diet, with an acorn diet being most desirable:

The finest jamón ibérico is called jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn). This ham is from free-range pigs that roam oak forests (called la dehesa) along the southern border between Spain and Portugal, and eat only acorns during this last period. It is also known as Jamón Iberico de Montanera.[citation needed] The exercise and the diet has a significant impact on the flavor of the meat; the ham is cured for 36 months

The next grade of jamón ibérico is called jamón ibérico de recebo. This ham is from pigs that are pastured and fed a combination of acorns and grain.

The third type of jamón ibérico is called jamón ibérico de pienso, or simply, jamón ibérico. This ham is from pigs that are fed only grain. The ham is cured for 24 months.

Trip to Ronda, Spain...

Our first outing in the south of Spain was a drive to Ronda. We turned north from the beaches of Marbella and started our ascent to one of the most breathtaking towns I have ever seen. The road to Ronda was a very winding two lane road plagued by slow moving dump trucks and fast moving cars passing the trucks on the inside of every turn up the mountain. The road had random stretches of guardrails and short stonewalls, but nearly every one had a missing section or was seriously damaged. Neither this nor the steady rain seemed to put any concern into the minds of the passing drivers. The fact that we were traveling up a steeply graded road did not seem to slow anyone but us. Perhaps it was chorus of whimpers from his three passengers that made Dale slow to a crawling speed. I would have taken pity on the fact that Dale had to crawl along the mountain roads, obviously wanting to go faster, if I had not been so nervous myself!

We arrived to a village perched on the side of a cliff. The view was amazing. From the edge of the village you look down on crumbling walls, dirt roads, olive groves and abandoned stone ruins that made you imagine times past. We wandered the streets in the steady rain taking stock of the beautiful doors that decorated every building and home. There were no doors put on buildings simply for use. They all were strong, heavy beautifully made doors beautifully carved and nearly all carefully tended. The doors are one of my favorite things to look at in Spain.

Ronda is well known for the impressive bull ring built at the edge of town. Within the complex is a small museum and horse training center. We saw people working with horses, the bull ring and all the gates and ropes used on the day of a bullfight. To see a bullfight must be a statement to society as well because the cheapest tickets to be had were 50 euros per person. We had to settle for sitting in an empty bullring, but even that was fun.

Early flight to Spain...

When you are sitting in front of a computer making travel reservations, anything seems possible. As I made our flight reservations for our trip to Spain, I looked at the cost grid and decided that I was willing to get up really early in order to save some pounds in airfare. However, as I struggled out of bed at 3:30 am this morning, I declared that there actually is great value in the time you spend sleeping and have thus declared that I will never again try to catch a 6:25 am flight.

The good side to this story is that we arrived in Spain at 10:30 am despite it being one hour later in time zones and we had an entire day to unpack, explore and enjoy a nice dinner. The bed was quite comfortable when I finally crawled in at the end of today.

Thanksgiving...

I now have a much better appreciation for all the Thanksgiving meals that I have enjoyed at other peoples houses. After years of being spoiled by the wonderful cooking of all my fabulous relatives and friends, I decided it was time that I held a proper Thanksgiving feast for other people. This idea led me to host a Thanksgiving dinner for some neighborhood friends this past week. I must say that it is a little more difficult to celebrate Thanksgiving here since we still have work, school and after school activities on Thanksgiving Day and the day after.

The run up to our Thanksgiving dinner was a test of our organizational skills. If I did not have my dear friend Michele Bote to help me every step of the way, I am pretty sure I would not have been able to pull it off. In fact, if you read her blog, Michele's cycling blog noted under "My favorite Blogs", you will find her own account of her Thanksgiving week here. We did our best to pack in as many site-seeing trips as possible in between our cooking sessions. However, time was against us since I had to pick up the kids from school at 3:00pm each day.

Despite the fact that we were spreading ourselves thin trying to see the sites, fit in bike spinning classes, and eat meals other than the big one we were trying to prepare, Michele and I managed to present a lovely feast to our guests from England. They were all gracious and enthusiastic about our tradition and made the day even more special.

For our dinner we smoked a 20 lb. turkey on a Weber along with as many traditional dishes as we could create. This included sweet potatoes, stuffing, oyster dressing, green beans with bacon, cranberry relish, a big salad and mashed potatoes with gravy. We had pumpkin pies and apple pies for dessert after which we all had to roll ourselves out of our chairs.

The hardest part of our wonderful feast was the next day when everyone had to get up and go to work and school. Because it was a workday, our Thanksgiving meal did not commence until 6:00pm. After a late evening on Thursday, all I wanted to do was curl up under a blanket and do nothing on Friday. However, when I showed up at the school grounds Friday morning to drop the kids off, I was greeted with wide smiles from all my guests who expressed their great hope that I would host Thanksgiving again next year.

The rising and setting of the sun...

Our clocks turned back from BST (British Summer Time) on Sunday, October 28. The main reasons given for the use of summer time are the saving in power given by the longer hours of daylight in the evenings and the increased useful daylight leisure time available to those who work. This differs from the US where (starting in 2007) the time change does not take effect until 2 AM. on the first Sunday in November. This is a change from past years due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Now the US time changes are different that the rest of the world. When the US time changed prior the the UK back in March 2007, I remember hearing a great deal of concern, voiced particularly by the financial markets, that the time difference will create problems.


The reason the US opted for a longer period of daylight savings was stated by the authors of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005. The amendment to shorten the winter, lengthen the summer and save energy by extending daylight saving time by at least four weeks, was, proponents claimed, going to save "the equivalent of" 10,000 barrels of oil per day. It remains to be seen how much energy will actually by saved, but hopefully the US will actually "save" that much oil, not simply put it to use in some other mode.

I have not quite adjusted to our time change here. The sun rose at 7:05 AM this morning and will set at 4:20 PM. I have been scrambling to get dinner on the table, thinking that it is later than it is with the darkness closing in on us so quickly at night. By November 30, the sun will rise at 7:42 AM and set at 3:56 PM and by December 22 (the shortest day of the year), we will only enjoy a mere 7 hours 50 minutes of daylight when the sun rises at 8:04 AM and sets at 3:54 PM. At the rate I am going now, by December we will be eating dinner at 4:30 PM and be in bed by 7:00 PM! I am sure I will adapt, but I don't think I will ever quite get adjusted to quickened pace of the setting sun here in the UK.

Accents

I came across something interesting today while reading the British newspaper, "The Guardian" http://www.guardian.co.uk/. This paper is the UK's equivalent to the left-leaning Washington Post. In the Financial section there was an interview with an American named Jules Kroll. He was described as having a "refined east coast accent." What does that sound like I wonder?
Further reading reveals that he was born in Brooklyn and currently works in Manhattan. Ahhh... so that's what "refined" sounds like to the Brits.
-Dale

Life according to the exchange rate...

When we first moved here, we thought that the exchange rate of dollars to pounds was pretty sad. However, I had hope that it would improve. After looking at the steady decline of the dollar over the previous year, I thought that it would have to end at some point and start to improve against the pound eventually. My thoughts were that it could not possibly continue to get worse.

Now, we have been living in England for a year and I can say that I was absolutely wrong. To give you a feel for the state of the dollar against the pound, here is a graph of how many dollars it takes to buy one pound (notice how the bars keep getting taller) since the beginning of 2007.

I try hard not to think about the dollar cost of everything when I buy it. However, it certainly can put a damper on the fun fare food when you realize that the candy floss (cotton candy) that you just bought your two children cost you $16.

Cycling in England...

During group rides, if anyone gets a puncture the group will stop and wait for them. We do this because the route changes every week and the route is invented by the ride leader as they go. Also, the rides are usually quite long and riding by yourself for 60+ miles is no fun especially if you set off to ride with a group. As we stand on the side of the road and wait, I take the opportunity to look at everyone else's bikes. I find it interesting coming from groups rides full of Orbea, Trek, Litespeed, Cannondale, Specialized, Scott, Colnago, and Lemond bikes to here where you see primarily Trek, Dawes, Ridley, Ribble, GT, Scott, Bianchi, Pinnacle, Saracen, and Ridgeback with a few Cannondales and Specialized bikes thrown in. I had never heard of half of these bike brands until we moved here.



A more recent popular item on road bikes here are compact crank sets. These are cranksets that have smaller front chain rings (34/50) that enable you to pedal in an easier gear as opposed to the standard sized chain rings (39/52) that come with road bikes. What is interesting is that this type of gearing is good for hill climbing or better yet mountain climbing and in Cambridgeshire it is difficult to find a decent hill. This made me wonder why compact crank sets are becoming so popular here. The reason given to me is because most people here like to do audax and sportives.



Audax are long-distance cycling events, using a system of timed checkpoints used to record a successful ride. "Classic" audax events are 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km (200km is approximately 125 miles). However, the events can have unlimited mileage depending on the organizers. I have heard a lot of talk within the group rides about events lasting several days. These events almost always are found "up north" where there are lots of long climbs making compact crank sets a wonderful invention.



Audax events are not races. On the same theme, 'support' - for example a following car - is very much frowned upon. If you have a mechanical or are too tired to continue, you better have your cell phone with you. The organizers don't provide any broom wagons at the event. There are maximum and minimum time limits, which basically decide when checkpoints are open so that you can get your card stamped. Each rider carries a 'brevet card' which is stamped at intermediate checkpoints and at the finish, and which is later returned to the rider as a certificate of their achievement. From what I have heard about the venues for these events, finishing one is quite an accomplishment.



I found a good explanation of sportives at the following website: http://www.kilotogo.com/faqs.htm . The sites states,

A sportive or cyclosportive is a mass-participation bicycle
event that combines elements of road bicycle racing and long distance bicycle
touring. Many cyclosportive events attract a wide range of riders, from
dedicated racing cyclists to leisure cyclists wanting a challenging ride, and
allows them to test themselves over a race-proven route. For example, l'Etape du
Tour is held annually in France and allows amateur cyclists to race over the
same mountain roads used by professional riders in the Tour de France; the Gran
Fondo Felice Gimondi uses roads near Bergamo that test riders in the Giro
d'Italia. Some cyclosportives offer a choice of routes of different lengths or
difficulty.

A cyclosportive falls between a traditional road race and
a non-competitive randonnée or Audax event. Riders sometimes carry a number and
the time they take to complete the course is recorded, and there is sometimes an
upper time limit within which the course must be completed (unlike many
randonnée events, there is no lower limit constraining riders from completing
the course quickly). The routes will usually be well sign-posted and/or
marshalled (some cyclosportives in Europe take place on roads which have been
closed to motor traffic for the duration of the event), riders will be able to
use feeding stations positioned at intervals along the route to replenish their
food and drink supplies, and mechanical and medical support may also be
provided.

Some attract thousands of participants - since 2000
l'Etape du Tour has offered places to 8,500 riders each year.

You have to be very fit to do sportives and audax events require you to do a lot of mileage. All of the people with whom I do weekend rides do these types of events. They are not interested in racing, but they certainly have the fitness for it. With so many non racing events available to anyone with a bike, it is no wonder that the average fitness level of cyclists in this country is high. The only thing keeping this country back from producing an unending supply of great cyclists is the weather.

Two bicycles per person...

In the States, we have two car families. You rarely see families existing with less than two cars. In England, you will find two bike cyclists. In the States, I never had more than one "active" bike. There was no need for one. The weather there gave you more than enough days in a row of dry weather to compensate for the occasional rain shower. On those rainy days, only the truly devoted went out riding and those of us who avoid getting wet at all costs, look at these people as if they might have a little water in their brain for displaying such crazy behavior. In England, it was pointed out to me from the beginning that if you did not ride in the rain, you would not spend much time on your bike. Group rides are not cancelled due to rain here. In fact, it does not even seem to diminish the ride numbers. I know this, not because I like to turn up for rides in the rain, but because I am a ride leader now and it always seems to rain on the weeks I am slated to lead.

The rainy season is upon us as we enter the month of October. On last week's ride I noticed people have started to get out their "winter" bikes. The faster, road bikes are being hung up and the second bikes are showing up for the group rides. Winter bikes are usually built on heavy, steel touring bike frames complete with mudguards. Last week, a guy asked if I would switch bikes with him at the tea stop. Continuing the laugh, I went over to his bike and moved it off the fence where it was leaning. I immediately noticed that the bike must have weighed at least 50 lbs! I think that if I could manage to ride such a heavy bike all winter, I would be much better for it in the spring.

Despite the weight, the winter bikes serve a great purpose. They protect all the money you sink into your good road bike. After nearly a year on the road in England, my one bike shows all the reasons why people have two bikes. The damp, wet conditions corroded my brake calipers and I am replacing my rear brake caliper for the SECOND time since I got here. My bottom bracket is being replaced after only a year and a half of riding. I have to use oil the consistency of molasses to protect my chain and cassette from rust. Our training wheels are complete with slime liners, a strip of plastic that acts as a barrier between your tyre and your tube to prevent punctures. We did this after suffering several punctures a week caused by the wet pavement and sharp stones. Our heavy duty tyres have so many cuts in them that they look like we rode them over a bed of nails (but the slime liners work!!). I even have a new set of mud guards for the winter riding (I have not put them on yet because I stand the thought of adding so much weight to my bike).

Up until now, I spent my energy trying to keep my bike as light as possible for the group rides. Now my time is spent waterproofing and trying to keep all the squeaks away. One of these days I am going to have a winter bike and it will probably weigh nearly 50 pounds too. But if I make it through winter without giving up, my OTHER light, road bike will make riding up hill a cinch!!

Driving in the UK...

We have been driving in the UK for nearly a year now. It is legal for up to a year using a valid foreign driving license. After a year, you must obtain a British license in order to continue to drive legally. Thus, I come to my current blog entry, about getting my driving license for the UK.

I feel like I have a good grasp for the rules of the road and if in doubt I have always asked someone for help. Today, Dale and I went to a driving class and we had to pass a written test in order to get a British license. As we went through the material for the test, I found my confidence waning a bit as I realized that I was not absolutely sure what several signs meant. I feel rather defensive about it because if you looked at some of these signs, it is not immediately obvious what they are meant to state. Therefore, I want you to look at several signs and see if you can figure them out.

Here are a few of the signs that you would need to know the meaning of in order to pass your driving test in the UK,
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The first sign... hmmmm. A blank circular sign. Seems obvious, doesn't it?

The second sign you see all over the place. It means don't do something, but the question is what is it you are not suppose to do?

The sign with the red "X" you see on all the divided roads and motorways. They are commonly at the end of the ramps as you merge onto the roadway. I panicked the first time I saw one worried the road must be in someway closed!

One would think that the pictures on the fourth sign means that cars and motorcycles are allowed.

Finally, the last sign is often posted at the end of villages and towns. Hmmmm.... what could it mean?

Well, a few of these signs I had to look up, a few I had to ask other drivers about and one (the first one) I never knew what it meant! I feel so much safer now that I know the meaning of these signs! Just in case you are curious to the meaning of these signs, they are as follows:

1. No vehicles except bicycles being pushed

2. No waiting

3. No stopping

4. No motor vehicles

5. National speed limit applies (30 mph in developed areas, 60 mph on back county roads and single lane, 70 mph on divided highways)

All, I can about the national speed limit is that is a base to start from for most drivers here. As for the road signs, I am constantly learning. :O

As a parting note to all, I would like to leave you with this sign which you would encounter at least thirteen times if you had to drive to work with Dale (26 times round trip). Notice the direction of the arrows.

Yes, these are cows...

In honor of my favorite blogging friends, I am posting these pictures of the "Highland Cows" that I pass regularly on my bike rides. Since my friends think pictures of cows are blog material, I had to get in on the game!! :) Actually, I love passing these cows on rides and I must admit that this is definitely one of the reasons I like riding my bike (too)!

Colorful girl...

Alyssa attended her first "pamper party" held by one of her friends from school. The results were quite colorful, so I had to get them on film. :)

School started on September 5th after a six week break. Alyssa is a 5th year this year (4th grade). She is excited that this year she gets a locker all for herself. Her class is "mixed" meaning that the class is made up of 5th and 6th year students. This is the case for all the classes at Hardwick Community Primary School. The school is only half the size of our previous elementary school in Maryland, so they mix the years in order to achieve proper class sizes. The younger classes are much larger than the older classes, so Nathan's year 3-4 class is nearly 30 students!! However, both kids seem happy with their classes, so we are off on another year of English education.

billboard in Belgium

This was one of many billboards on the way to Brugge. It's in Flemish... "Te snel rijiden blidjft je achtervolgen" means driving too fast will always haunt you.

-Dale

Blackpool

Blackpool is the UK's answer to Atlantic City and Wildwood, New Jersey. You take the M6 north passing between Liverpool and Manchester to get there.

Folks in northern cities have a noticeably different accent to those in East Anglia.

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

Big Sporting Weekend

I was in the vicinity of two big London sporting events over the last two weeks... Wimbledon and the Tour de France. Wimbledon was a tube stop on the way home from a day at another work site in Feltham, a bit southwest of London. It was 30 minute walk to the walled tennis compound. I was surprised to see a world-famous tennis center right in the middle of a very nice residential neighborhood! It had rained on and off the entire day and when I got there (around 4:30 pm) everyone was streaming out. Payed £2 for a cab ride back to the tube station.

The whole family went down to London for the Tour de France prologue. My strongest impression from the day was that bike racing is probably better viewed live on a really nice TV at home. It was very crowded over the entire 8km course. Cory somehow managed to find a very nice spot in front of Buckingham palace. Although it required constant vigilance to keep people from sliding in front of us. One funny thing did happen while we were watching... There was a young Australian couple next to us and they had a big inflatable hand that they waved when the riders came through. Seems pretty normal. Near the end of the day a lady stormed up to him and said that he should not be waving that hand because it's probably scaring the riders! "Not to worry" he said, "They are professionals and they are really good at tuning out distractions." She seemed OK with that.

Just so you know, the kids' last day of school is Friday the 21st. I have actually enjoyed having more frequent, but shorter breaks throughout the year. I'm not sure what the kids will think when school starts in 6 weeks!

The first game of the Premiership football regular season is less than a month away!

-Dale

English education...

Alyssa and Nathan are nearing the end of their first year of school in England. July 20 marks the end of term and the kids are looking forward to their summer break. I have watched them adapt throughout their school year. Alyssa talks with her friends with a full British accent, but speaks to us using her usual American phrases. Nathan feels changing his accent is not true to his character, but he uses a lot of English phrases not used at home. However, what amazed me most was the writing project that Alyssa brought home from school today. It was if a British child had written it. It uses words that no American child would even know. So, I have pasted a copy of it in the blog so that you can see for yourself. If nothing else, the story is very entertaining. Amazing what a little international influence can have on a child.

It's raining AGAIN!!

I spent over four hours last Sunday riding in the rain. I did not want to go. I knew it was going to rain, but I made a promise to lead the Cambridge Cycling Club's Sporting Club run. The ride is usually 80-90 miles and I had laid out a route a few weeks ago as I was a little nervous about leading the Brits around their own country. I found myself wishing as I rode into town in the light drizzle that no one would be fool enough to come out in the rain, but I knew that the wish was futile. Everyone rides in the rain here. As someone explained to me shortly after my arrival to the UK, "if you wait for it to be nice out, you won't do much riding".

I arrived at the starting point of the ride to find a crowd of people ready to ride. Not only that I had most of the regulars ready for my ride. They were all curious as to where I would lead them. I think they were there for the novelty of the American leading the ride. Thus, I was not going to be able to duck out of the ride.

When we arrived at the tea stop, I could have watered the plants with the water held by my gloves alone. The rain was steady and the streets offered inch deep puddles to ride through. When I finally returned home after the ride I could not feel my toes they were so cold. It was June 24 and the temperature was 56 F. In Maryland, it was in the 90s! Now that is summer!

It is now Friday and it has rained every day since Sunday. I have spent a couple days in it on my bike trying to keep up my training, but after today I don't think I can do it again. They are calling for heavy rains tomorrow and Sunday. I feel like the ocean around this island is going to fill up and just cover up England and that will be it. Everyone here is tired of the rain. It has been unseasonably cold and rainy for June. However, someone else told me that July is the rainy season. Yikes! I think I am going to find out where I can get a boat. It may come in handy in July!

Bike racing is all about my friends...

I love to ride my bike because it offers so much to my life. It gives me my health, my peace, my space, and best of all some of the best friends anyone could wish for. I returned to Maryland for a quick look at our home away from home. I got to see my close friends and I got to do a few bike races too. I saw so many wonderful faces and I was sad only because I could not talk at length with all the people whom I miss.

Racing bikes brings together people with great discipline and patience. Discipline for the huge amount of training it takes to be a successful racer and patience for the time it takes for the training to take hold. Everyone suffers in bike racing no matter how fit they are. Everyone has really strong days and equally bad days. Yet the seasoned racers continue to put in the time, the energy and the hope that one day the strong day will hit on a race day and success will finally be found. It is funny how when you suffer next to someone, respect comes in naturally to the friendship. I find myself looking forward to everyone else's success just as they would pat me on the back for any success I might find for myself. These are the friends that I miss the most. They fill my heart with happiness and laughter. They always make me smile no matter how tired I am from bike racing.

Fun friends...

Having good company makes any experience a fond memory. This was definitely the case during our trip to Prague. Daisy, Grant and Emma made our stay truly delightful. Emma found herself sandwiched between Alyssa and Nathan from the moment we arrived to the day we departed. The kids were so happy together it was contagious. Daisy and Grant were very gracious hosts. They took us to a weekend picnic where we got to meet their wonderful friends and enjoy fabulous food. We saw life outside the city of Prague in a beautiful neighborhood. In addition, Dale and I each got to take a bike ride with Grant. He showed us each the countryside in Prague which included a 14th century castle, open countryside complete with rocky hillsides covered in pine needles and the dachas (country homes and favorite summer retreat for the upper and middle classes of the Russian society) that were given out during the communist occupation of Czechoslovakia. When I saw the dachas, they looked like tool sheds but they were surrounded by immaculate gardens. Grant explained it is still tradition for people to empty out of the city on the weekends and they come out here and tend their gardens and stay in the dachas. It was evident that they spent a lot of time on their gardens as there was not a leaf out of place. You can see the dachas on Grant's blogsite. Grant has loads of great Prague pictures on his site. To get a real feel for biking in Prague, you must read it! You will notice that his blog I have referenced begins with a snail picture. We stopped twice so that Grant could rescue the snails off the trail. The first time he stopped so quickly I nearly rode over him! The wildlife in Prague will be protected while he is there.

The Czech language...

I have studied Russian, French and Latin (when I was in fifth grade and I did not know it was an extinct language), I know a little Spanish and I feel like I am catching on quickly to British phrases, but when I entered the little market near our flat in Prague I felt like I had never spent a minute in a foreign language class.

A visit to Prague...

One of the best advantages of living in the UK is that the cost to travel to Europe is very reasonable. We recently took advantage of the low fares and traveled to Prague. The city is absolutely incredible. Buildings throughout the city are intricately carved and decorated. From far away, it looked like the buildings had been painted, but when you moved closer you could seen that the designs were maid by scratchings on the stone. Today, we enjoyed walking around the Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. We watched the changing of the guard and enjoyed walking through the magnificent cathedral. I am still amazed at the history and how far back it can be traced. When I saw the dates of service of this person, I joked to myself that they made up the dates! This piece of history is most amazing when one considers that Prague has been claimed by various kings and empires, survived occupation by the Nazis followed by the Communists, ending only with another revolution in 1989 and has only been part of the Czech Republic since 1993. As I walked through the streets of Prague, I tried to imagine what it was like living through the last 50 years of this city's life.

English football

The 2006-2007 English top league football season has come to an end and Manchester United is the league winner. There are no playoffs and no superbowl... the regular season winner is the league champion. The three bottom teams are removed from the top league and replaced by the top three teams from the lower league. Every year this provides a bit of drama. This year the last team was relegated based on the results of their final game of the season.
English top league teams also qualify for European Competitions based on their finishing place in the English league. The top 4 teams this year compete in next year's UEFA Champions league with the other European top league winners. Teams finishing in 5th, 6th and 7th place qualify for the less prestigious UEFA Cup.
English football teams are becoming very international. Nowadays, as many as half of the players on a top English team may be foreign born.

Stay tuned... I'm going to try and figure out Cricket next!!

-Dale

And now in the center ring...

Introducing our fabulous plate spinner!!!!! Nathan performs his amazing plate spinning technique at Hardwick Community Primary School's Circus Day.

My buddy "Phog"...

Have you ever heard a pheasant's song? It is actually closer to the sound of sqidding tires than any sound made by birds. It is also quite loud. It is loud enough to travel through shut windows to wake you up in the morning. So, I have attached a picture of "Phog the pheasant" that frequents our back garden. I am not sure it is him all the time as there are quite a few pheasant around us. However, that is what we call every pheasant the ventures into our yard. Phog is now my alarm clock in the morning. Somedays he slacks a bit and I don't get up quite as early as I need to, but most of the time he is very punctual.

Sea of yellow...

Here are a couple of pictures of the fields that surround our little village. The fields are full of rape seed and they have yellow flowers. I feel like I am riding through a sea of yellow when I am on my bike. It is amazing scenery.

Springtime in Paris...

We spent another week in Paris and this time the weather was brilliant. We enjoyed warm, sunny days that required a jacket in the morning, but by mid-day I would start fantasizing about shorts. We spent this week going from park to park. The gardens were in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous to walk through. We both got a bit sneezy on our second day, but we were happy to take the pollen in exchange for the warmth. I took a few picutres of the trees next to Notre Dame as the kids played in a nearby sandbox. It was a good week to just walk around and smell the flowers.

Registering a car in the UK from the US...

Just don't even try... I have never seen so much red tape in my life. At first it seemed straight forward. You just import your car, get it inspected, register it, then drive it. In reality, it goes something like the following steps.

First, find someone to bring your car to the UK that is not going to charge you so much that you are required you to refinance your house. This will take several weeks and mean talking to multiple companies whose fees differ by over $2000.00. This, of course, makes you wonder why the cheapest importer is so cheap and why the others charge so much more. Being that you actually like the car you are bringing over and you don't want it filled with fish when you pick it up, you take another week to decide which importer to use.

Second, you must figure out how to clear your car through customs once it arrives in the UK. You have several options all depending on the length of your stay in the UK. Since you are not sure the exact time you will be spending in the UK, you will have to guess. I am sure major complications will arise if you have not guessed correctly.

Third, after you have paid an additional fee to get the car cleared through customs, you have to find the port to which it has been delivered, take a car, train, and a taxi to the port and then drive it 2 1/2 hours home. In meantime, you have to have another person to drive your car, parked at the train station, back to your house.

In order to pick up your car, you must show proof that your car is insured in the UK, show proof of work status, show your passport, show your car title that had to be submitted to the exporting company, stamped by the US government and a cleared export, and sent back to you, and pay the company in cash since they don't accept credit cards.

Fourth, once you have the car, you have to get a "light conversion". This will again cost you several hundred dollars and will require a shop to change the colors of your turn signals, brake lights, add a rear fog lamp (HUH?!), and redirect your headlights since you will be driving on the left side of the road.

Fifth, now you have to get a "MOT" which is a test to verify the car is road worthy. However, getting the test is difficult since the car does not have the same identification numbers as do cars manufactured in the UK. The MOT service center will refuse your first request for the MOT since they don't know how to identify it. You will then be responsible for finding out the method of identifying cars and then letting the shop know so that they can put the necessary information into the computer and then run the tests.

Sixth, once you have that piece of paper, you have to get another piece of paper from the Customs & Excise Customs House to classify the imported car. This will take several more days and require you to know intimate technical specifications for your car that are not published in your owners manual. However, you will be able to find them on the Internet but it won't prove easy since the car is over 3 years old.

Seventh, you will now submit all this paperwork along with your check for car tax and registration costs only to have it immediately rejected with the statement that you need either a certificate of conformity for the car or another series of tests called an SVA which will cost you another $300. You will call the manufacturer of your car and allow all the representatives to route you to other departments before they finally tell you to call another organization. After making several more international phone calls, you find out that US cars are not issued certificates of conformity. In desperation to avoid another $300 in fees, you go back to the person that told you that you did not need an SVA and ask them what to do. They will insist again that all you need is an MOT and will provide a stamp on your MOT form so that you can send it in to the DVLA again.

Eighth, you will send your paperwork and check into the DVLA again with all the information they requested and they will reject it again, saying this time that the Customs and Excise form you received from the customs service has an incorrect date on it and you have to get it reissued with the correct date on it or they won't process your form. They will also want more technical information about the car which will take you several hours to find. To add to your frustrations, they will also ask for another 2.75 since the registration rates and taxes just went up.

Ninth... you are now current on my car registration fiasco. I am waiting on a response from the Customs department about reissuing the form. I doubt this will come easily. I am probably going to pay the "other" test which means that the first MOT test I had will no longer be needed. I have had a car that I cannot drive for over a month sitting in my driveway and all I can do is look at it collect dust.

I have yet to come across a Department of Motor Vehicles in any country that has any interest in you or your car.

The most wonderful food...

I challenge anyone to go to France and not LOVE the food. Admittedly, there are a few delicacies that would make a persnickety person fidget. Escargot may not be your first choice on the menu, but the no one eats that daily. The thing about French cuisine is that the basic staples in their diet are amazingly delicious.

My first love in France is the baguette. It is light, crusty with a soft center. It has all the qualities that make food fun to eat. When we visit Paris, there are at least seven boulangeries (bakeries) within two blocks. Every morning, afternoon and evening, you can purchase baguettes that were pulled from their ovens only minutes before you arrived. The shops are not large, but always have a steady flow of loyal customers.

Then you have the fromage (cheese). This can be put on the baguettes or eaten alone. Any method will do. You can find cheese at the "fromager" or you go to the marche. You will arrive to find such a large selection of cheeses that choosing one seems an impossible task. In the markets the cheese selection fills an entire aisle. The only aisle that is bigger is the one that holds the wine.



As if these basics would not stave off hunger for the picky eater, you can find the most amazing selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, nuts, and dried fruits at the local markets. They set up stalls the day before and the market covers over three city blocks. Not only do they have fresh food, but you can also find a nice pair of shoes to go with your groceries from an adjoining stall. It is such fun to wander through the stalls. It seems like there is one of every imaginable food available for your to purchase by the kilo. The stall workers call after you as you walk past trying to entice you with their deals. My biggest problem is that "my eyes are bigger than my stomach". :)

School lunches...

Remember when you were going to grade school and the school lunches? I remember talking with my friends about the revolting things they served. I remember seeing giant cans of peas sitting on shelves in the school kitchen and a giant tub labeled "lard". I could not believe it when I saw it. Even then, the days when the only criteria for what I put in my body was whether or not it tasted good, I was frightened by that tub of "lard".

I continued to eat school lunches through high school and even though I complained about them, there were a few lunches that I actually liked. They were the ones that included cinnamon rolls or ice cream sandwiches. I liked the chili and the tacos and, of course, the pizza. My kids today favor the pizza lunch over all others. In the US, my kids had pizza every Friday for lunch and they never got tired of it.

Now, eating lunches in the UK? This is a bit different. I have attached a picture of the school lunches here. At first, I did not understand half of the items on the menu. Alyssa had to come to my rescue. She decided that she was going to try school lunches (mainly for the social aspect of where you get to sit when eating). I get to ask her each day about the lunches. Some of the stuff she is not too sure about, but others she is able to explain. It is very eyeopening what the British children favor and what they don't like. Apparently, Shepard's Pie is top notch.

Take a look at the menu now (click on it to look at a larger version) and decide what YOU think is good. However, don't expect to find tacos or chili on the menu.

It's spring in the UK!!

Spring is here! I have attached a picture of the daffodiles that line the street in front of the school. The line runs nearly a mile down the main street of Hardwick. It is lovely!

Amazingly, people are actually complaining about the fact that the UK has had the warmest winter since they started keeping records in 1635. Amazing! In all truth, it has not been THAT warm here this winter. Unlike the January in Maryland, we have had a pretty steady stream for 40 degree F days until March hit. We had some lower temperatures, but it rarely was below freezing during the day. In March, we have had 50 degree days until this week when Mother Nature did her usual move for March and it snowed. The daffodiles have been up since the beginning of March and the crocuses too. The flowering trees are starting to lose their petals now and the leaves are starting to fill in. The rape seed fields surrounding us are making my nose run like a hosepipe. However, I am not complaining! I welcome a warmer winter.

The part of the winter that the complainers did not mention was the fact that here we have had higher than normal rainfall. Now for the UK, that is something to talk about! There is not a week that goes by where it is dry for more than three days in a row. The football pitch (soccer field) at the top of our street has spent most of the winter under an inch of water. The only thing that keeps the water from standing too long is the constant wind gusts that have done their best to dry things out. It seems there has been a battle this winter between the wind and the rain to see which element can cause the most havoc. I think they are tied!