Return to New York: Walk Down Memory Lane

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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I thought I could summarize all of our long weekend activities from last weekend into one post, but as it turns out, there are 77 pictures I want to share, so I’m splitting them up into two posts. First off will be the day we spent revisiting my old stomping grounds and faded memories in the areas of Westchester and Brewster. The rest will come in another post! Now, join me as I go down memory lane…

beautiful day for a road trip with clear blue skies and little traffic on the roads

A perfect start to our trip!

large truck with bales of hay tied down

This reminds me of the time my friend yelled HEY while driving… what she meant was HAY (on a truck), lol.

dillsburg tobacco outlet convenience store with gas station

I’d like a side of gas station with my tobacco outlet please.

driving torwards george washington bridge from new jersey side

Crossing over…

free samples of sliced honey crisp apples at whole foods

A quick pit stop at a ginormous Whole Foods leads us to these yummy apple samples.

free samples of tortilla strips and guacamole dip at whole foods

We totally pigged out on the chips and guac alongside some employees. It had quite a kick!

marinated mushrooms with garlic and herbs at olive bar in whole foods

I was sooo excted when I saw marinated mushrooms, but after buying them and trying them, I found they weren’t the taste I was looking for.

venus flytraps for sale at whole foods market

I *almost* bought one of these, but I’m holding off til we move.

holding cart basket with wheels at whole foods

What a fun basket cart you can wheel around!!

colorful kayaks lined up outside ll bean store

Such pretty colors. I’d love to hop in one and explore a river.

driving along small road with trees growing close on both sides

I’d forgotten what it was like to drive on roads like these.

westchester community college parking lot by academic arts building

The first memory we revisited: Westchester Community College, where I had Chinese school on Sundays. I still remember the parking lot area!

westchester community college academic arts building

And that’s the building where I learned many years of Chinese and took a cartooning class, a paper cutting class, an oil pastel class, and more…

brand new wendy's building with very modern look

Whoa, check out that super modern Wendy’s!

freeway exit sign for brewster

IT’S MY TOWN!!!

brewster train station

Good old train station where we’d pick up my dad after work.

former house in brewster hill

Aww, my old house! We were the first tenants; I wonder how many have lived there since.

former house of pearson's in brewster

I took a quick peek at the house where I used to babysit a family of 5 kids. The only family I’ve ever babysat for!

sunset and lake in distance viewed from brewster hill with steep road going down

Our neighborhood is up on a STEEP hill. I don’t know if you can tell but take a look at the person walking up. Great views from here!

henry h wells middle school panoramic

Hello, middle school. This is where I learned how to make tweeties, played full-contact basketball with the guys, and went to some awkward dances.

brewster hill general store

Across the street from the middle school is the deli that I remember so fondly.

brewster hill general store menu of classic sandwiches

They still have my fav sandwich, the Pesature, which I liked mostly because I knew the people it was named after.

holding up menu for brewster hill general store inside store by deli

I love this place because of the deviled eggs. I’ve never been able to find ones that I like better.

pesature sandwich and deviled eggs from brewster hill general store

So of course, I had to stock up on those eggs! The nice lady threw in two for free when I got half a dozen. NOMMMMM

pretty pinkish sunset through bare tree branches

Such a pretty sunset out here.

panoramic of brewster high school

My old high school, which did not have the left half when I moved away. Too bad I couldn’t see the old part, where I knew everyone in my graduating class (and many in other grade levels too), took way too many classes at once, learned of 9/11 (and got sent home), and always had snacks to share with friends.

fidder on the roof poster and picture of cast from brewster high school 2002 performance

I watched Fiddler on the Roof when I was a sophomore and it was cool to find the poster up, albeit at the far end of the hall where it might get phased out in a few years. I still recognize many people in the pictures!

brewster high school pride of 2004 poster for graduating class

If only I’d stayed to graduate from this school, I might just have made it on this poster.

stone brewster high school sign lit up at night

It was a brief visit, but good to see my old school. Go Bears!

tuned to z100 radio station in new york region

Tuned in to my radio station from back in the day. Over a decade later and I still like what they play.

stew leonard's world's largest dairy store storefront at night

I only vaguely remembered Stew Leonard’s and I really wanted to show Panda the singing cows.

panoramic of stew leonard's interior section with fruit stands

It’s massive inside and like an IKEA, where you follow a single path winding through the store. Tons of electronic animals will sing to you as you pass by or press a button.

stew leonard's checkout aisles

It’s such a homey feel in here.

stew leonard's christmas trees all lit up and stowed away in tented area

As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of Christmas trees that were hidden away in a tent. I just had to investigate!

There were so many memories that came back to me, like that pizza place we JROTC kids used to walk to and the trek from the middle school to the high school for track practice and the peacock farm near the high school and the hidden trail that we’d run on for gym sometimes and the few driving lessons I took (including the awful mistakes I made) and riding my bike into town and volunteering at the library that was practically smaller than my house and hanging out with the guys from the group home and all my crazy nicknames (like China White, which I’d completely forgotten) and so much more… coming back after getting a better sense of where things are on a map really helped me with my scattered memories. I was able to piece a lot back together and I had a ton of random stories to share. It was a fabulous time!

UK Vacation Day 6 Recap

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Day 6 of our UK trip was a wonderful day of revisiting memories and sharing them with Panda. We wandered all through York and checked out a bunch of stores, buying some items but mostly browsing. I got a chance to feed some ducks and geese by a river, which I loved. We even had time to enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s before returning to the hotel to rest and wait for the train to Edinburgh. A few hours later, we were stepping off onto Scottish soil and making our way to the hotel (getting a bit lost along the way). Once we finally found it, we happily settled in and enjoyed the welcome gifts and nice warm quarters.

[Need more recaps? Here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 recaps.]

view of york eye and train station from hampton inn by hilton hotel window

Good morning, York!

yorkshire soap co bath butters and soap on specialty tray

I had a lot of fun choosing what to get from the Yorkshire Soap Co.

holding up yorkshire soap co shopping bag and cute paper box

Yippee, now I’ve got awesome bath products from lovely Yorkshire.

cat scarves at the cat gallery in york uk

Cat scarves?! I was really tempted, but next time…

guy fawkes born here sign in window

Did you know Guy Fawkes was born in York?

collage of person taking picture of york minster and photo taken of york minster

Panda got a shot of me getting a shot of York Minster.

collage of york city walls

Our wanderings eventually took us outside the city walls.

guy on stilts and man with ghost walk sign promoting york ghost walks

Fancy a ghoulish tour? Then meet these guys for the Ghost Walk!

purple windblown street performer frozen on bike in middle of road in york

Hehe, check out this windblown street performer.

storefront for evil eye lounge asian fusion food and bar

Evil Eye lounge! All I remember is weird beds upstairs and Asian fusion downstairs (with a bar too, of course).

collage of mr chippy fish and chips shop

Panda had to try some fish and chips. Tasty!

standing in middle of road walking streets of york

Caught me wandering.

collage of sainsbury grocery store and products inside

The Sainsbury that I once walked all the way back from with my groceries!

trees overgrown on bridge over river with lily pads and boat

I wish we could get on that bridge.

collage of river and hungry geese and birds being fed

I had to stop and feed the birds. It’s a compulsion.

grinning happily while feeding ducks and geese in river

Can you see how gleeful I was? I love animals.

collage of ducks and geese in river being fed and following food along bank

A ton of them joined in when they noticed food and I had fun walking along the bank sharing the wealth.

collage of pigeon and black duck waiting for food

Even this pigeon wanted in on the action. Check out the cool black duck too!

collage of person leaning over bridge feeding birds

At one point, I leaned over the bridge to feed them.

walking on bridge holding plastic bag with wind blowing hair around

After running out of food, I happily walked off into the wind.

large marketing suite building

If they can make their marketing suite this big, I wonder what the places they’re selling are like!

collage of old cars on display in plaza in york

Back in the center of town, we discovered some old cars on display.

large owl eye contact cases and googly eye iphone case

Random browsing brought me to these adorable contact lense cases!

exterior view of betty's cafe tea rooms in york

It was cold out, so Betty’s was especially inviting to us.

collage of betty's tea room afteroon tea set

I loved warming up to a pot of tea and some snacks. Afternoon tea rocks!

old toff's club in york now rebranded tokyo

Back by the hotel, I hardly recognized this as the old Toff’s where I went clubbing once. (I much preferred the Gallery.)

hampton inn york bridge entrance

Does this look like a proper hotel entrance? Cuz it totally was.

view of edinburgh castle at night from princes street

After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Edinburgh and got to see the castle from afar!

free glass bottles of strathmore water and jars of the dormen nuts and candies

All settled in at the hotel, with these nice treats waiting for us.

UK Vacation Day 5 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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By day 5 of our trip, Panda and I had made it up to my old stomping grounds of York. I went over some of this in my post in honor of York, but here’s another look at it. We walked around town before meeting up with Philosopher and reminiscing about old days with him as we returned to the Uni of York campus. We took a break for lunch at one of my fav sandwich shops, then checked out the rest of the university. Later in the day we wandered back into town and explored a bunch of shops before ending up at York Minster. From there, it was time to grab dinner and hang out with Philosopher a bit more before sending him off… til next time!

[If you missed out on the others, here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 recaps.]

hampton inn by hilton in york uk

We stayed at the Hampton Inn right by the train station, which was quite modern and new.

city of york council courtyard

We were right next to the City of York Council, which had a nice courtyard with a quote by WH Auden, who was born in York.

pathway in york with red brick buildings and black metal fence

Off we go to the more busy side of town!

akbar's restaurant in york

I remember eating the largest naan ever here… it was at least the size of my torso and came hanging from a giant hook.

river ouse in york

The River Ouse running through town.

red brick buildings in york with york dungeon and gallery night club

Good old York Dungeon, which I’ve never been in, and Gallery, which was my go-to club.

sunny british street with people walking

Met up with Philosopher and started our stroll to the Uni of York campus.

sunny with dark clouds in sky

The day couldn’t decide if it’d be sunny or cloudy, which made for some cool skyscapes.

foot with knuckle portion rubbed raw and red

I thought my flats would be fine for walking but my feet got rubbed raw.

university of york alcuin college m block flats building

We used to live here in M Block!

staring up at brown's of heslington deli sign

For lunch we went over to Brown’s in the little town of Heslington.

brown's of heslington sandwich, tyrrell's potato crisps, and ribena drink

Brown’s sandwiches are yuuummy!!

collage of university of york buildings

After lunch we went on a little tour of the main campus area.

chasing and trying to catch university of york bird

On our way back towards town, we came across a bird that the guys tried to corner.

edible york mini garden area with plants growing

Love the green initiatives popping up.

clifford's tower up on hill with stairs

We’d never actually been to Clifford’s Tower so we decided it was time to take a look.

view from top of stairs at clifford's tower

Got up to the top of the stairs for a great view, but didn’t feel like paying to enter so we left.

large map of york

Back in town and where to go?

native american street performer playing music

We came across street performers doing Native American music, which was quite good.

pink silicone ice cube tray in cat shape with cat-shaped cubes

I never knew we had a cat store in town! And check out the ice cube tray I knew I had to have.

spider living inside mug in gift store

Browsing a store, I found an unwanted resident in one of the mugs for sale.

view of york minster from side angle

We then approached York Minster and went inside just in time to catch the evensong performance.

interior of gert & henry's restaurant cottage

For dinner, it was Gert & Henry’s for their Sunday roast.

collage of gert & henry's food including lemonade and sunday roast

A delicious meal to warm up to.

Pre-drywall walk-through

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Panda and I had our pre-drywall walk-through at the condo this week, where we got to check out the general frame and make sure we were getting outlets, cables, and ceiling rough-ins where we needed them. It was cool to be able to see the place in this unfinished condition right before they get the drywall installed and the interior starts looking like a home.

view upwards of wood beams supporting interior of condo frame mid-construction

There’s a whole lot of wooden beams!

colored stickers on window indicating approvals for construction of new condo

Got all the approvals in order for gas, plumbing, wiring, etc.

unfinished porch with single wooden support post

The porch is still in the works.

new condos construction site

The next building is already well underway.

pile of white panels laying on ground by construction site of new condos

Outside there are a ton of materials still to be used.

wooden beams for framework of walls and ceiling of condo under construction

This is where our sales guy explained to Panda how I get the walk-in closet. 🙂

bathtub sitting in wooden framework of new condo being built

Can’t wait to make good use of our new tub.

open hvac box with wiring and piping

All kinds of HVAC stuff going on in here.

wooden framework of stairs and walls

One last chance to see the stairs from this side before the walls get in the way.

large blocks of insulation sitting on wooden beams for future ceiling

There are random chunks of insulation everywhere.

trees and shrubs laying on ground getting ready to be planted on new condo lots

Many more trees to be planted between us and the single family homes we face in the back.

UK Vacation Day 4 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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On our fourth day in the UK, we wrapped up our time in Cardiff by checking out the castle and taking an AquaBus down to the bay. I decided to give the seagulls by the bus stop my buttercream frosting on a whim, not thinking they’d completely devour it. We got a chance to shop around Mermaid Quay down at the bay and grabbed some yummy lunch before walking back to the hotel. I found the coolest set of hooks to put by the door at our new condo while there. Along the way back, we stopped to get me a cool purse and some Welsh stuff (I chose a set of coasters). Then it was off to the train station to make our way to York!

[Need to catch up? Read Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 recaps.]

collage of breakfast items offered at executive lounge at hilton cardiff

We started off our day with breakfast in the executive lounge.

panoramic view of living room space in suite at hilton cardiff

We got a suite this time, with a large living room.

collage of room and bathroom at hilton cardiff

The bedroom had a post in the middle, which made it feel like a smaller cozier space. The bathroom came with separate bathtub and shower!

view of multiple floors of hilton cardiff hotel from inside glass elevator

The glass elevators offered a view of a lobby area and many floors.

front entrance of cardiff castle

Off we went towards Cardiff Castle across the street!

pausing to eat cupcake in middle of street in cardiff

I took a moment to eat the celebration cupcake.

typical welsh road in cardiff with buildings close together and welsh flags everywhere

Tons of Welsh flags flying in Cardiff.

butte park entrance path with sign in cardiff

We kept going to Butte Park, where the nearest Aqua Bus stop was located.

collage of seagull eating buttercream frosting

As we sat waiting for the bus, I put out the buttercream I hadn’t eaten. Little did I know the seagull would gobble it up.

seagull pecking at ground very close to person's feet outstretched on the rocks

These seagulls were pretty bold.

aqua bus water bus arriving at bus stop dock in cardiff

Here comes our Aqua Bus!

swan with butt sticking up and head submerged in water seeking food

On the way down to Cardiff Bay, we caught this swan sticking its butt up as it dove for food.

bevy of swans gathered at driveway that slopes down to the water

So many swans out here!

view of mermaid quay at cardiff bay from south side

Arriving at Cardiff Bay, ready to explore.

mallard duck with large swollen cheeks the size of ping pong balls

Aww, look at the duck with its giant swollen cheeks!

street at mermaid quay, with gbk visible on right side

Time to do some shopping. The gbk is where we ended up getting lunch.

standing on sidewalk near wifi signal, looking at phone

I often found myself stopping to access wifi to save on data.

wooden moustache with set of six hooks

I’m so glad I found this moustache hook thing. My first purchase for the new condo!

collage of gourmet burger fish burger, cheeseburger, and fries

At gourmet burger kitchen, I got the Captain Cook (fish burger with rocket salad), which was a completely new and DELICIOUS taste for me. Panda got a cheeseburger and we shared shoestring fries. The ketchup container is so cute!

panoramic of wales milliennium centre at mermaid quay cardiff bay

As we left, we passed this giant building – the Wales Millennium Centre.

cluster of black and red wild berries on bush

We came across some berries that I was tempted to pick, but who knows if they were ok to eat…

row of european houses in cardiff

What cute rows of houses!

marks & spencer teriyaki beef salad bites in mooli ribbons

At the train station, we browsed food and I wanted to try these but still had plenty of food.

wifi signals at cardiff train station with italian-inspired names

What’s up with all these Italian-inspired wifi names at the train station?

collage of cardiff train station and train arriving

Waiting for our train to take us from Cardiff up to York!

collage of yelp notice of queen status and new gold theme

Woo hoo, I became the Queen of Cardiff on Yelp while I was out there!

long watering pole for reaching plants up high

At one stop, I noticed how easily this guy was watering the flowers. Cool tool!

We got to York after dark so that’s all the pictures for the day!

Furloughed fiancé

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , ,
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Panda sent me a funny article about the spouses of furloughed employees and how they’ve had to adjust to different behavior from their partner. It highlighted one woman whose husband is at home now and is cooing with the cat, organizing their CDs, and otherwise staying active with random stuff. She works from home so she really notices the difference. For me, there was quite a change too (I say was because Panda got called back as of yesterday, so now he’s deemed “essential” and they’ve put him back to work). We actually got to enjoy the furlough a bit since we don’t live paycheck to paycheck and I believe Congress agreed to give backpay so we can definitely hold out until the government shutdown finally ends.

quesadillas, tortilla chips, salsa, egg drop soup, iced tea, and a candle on dinner table

One night, I came home to this!

So what was it like for the 9 days that he was home? Well, for one thing the chores got done – floors were vacuumed, clothes were laundered, dishes were washed, and meals were cooked. I got to come home to a hot meal waiting for me quite a few times AND he even got up to cook me breakfast a few mornings. Twice, we were able to eat lunch together. He got to sleep in and get some reading and exercise in. He was able to help me pick up packages from the rental office (I never get home before they close on weekdays). He even had time to help me play a game on my iPad so I can advance faster. 😛 Not too shabby.

Did I enjoy it? You know, it really was nice. I like having a house spouse. I’m not a chores kind of gal so I loved having all that being taken care of. However…

cardboard box filled with over two dozen face mask individual packs

Packages like these could be opened pronto instead of waiting til the weekend!

Once Panda went back to work, I found that I really enjoyed having him look all professional and important as he headed out the door. I liked knowing that he was spending his days interacting with plenty of smart people, working toward a goal. I was comforted that he had that social interaction since sometimes his communication skills need work. 😛 And of course, since he’s the breadwinner of the family, I certainly like knowing he’ll be bringing home a paycheck. After all, our new condo purchase is riding on it! Definitely couldn’t afford the mortgage on my income alone. Still, sometime down the line I’d be totally open to a lifestyle change where he stayed home and took care of the household, if he wanted it. For now, we’re enjoying our DINK (dual income, no kids) status. It’s a nice life. 🙂

Battle of the Brawn

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , ,
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nerf gun held up at the ready prepared to shoot

Ready for an attack.

Sometime last week, I found myself getting involved in the Nerf gun battles at work. One of the fun parts of working at a tech start-up are these random breaks we can take. Today I really got into it after being attacked (for no reason!) by Brawn. We had some back and forth attacks in the afternoon and towards the end of the day, I found myself holed up in a room with Jokester as Brawn tried to barge in. We have these doors that are glass with a wood frame, so it was pretty terrifying to be facing the enemy with just glass between us. I couldn’t help shrieking and squealing a few times – hopefully I didn’t disturb many people! A lot were wrapping up for the day or gone already, so I think it was fine. Then again, I was having too much fun to care enough… 😛

bloody fingers cut in multiple places

Battle wounds.

I’ve managed to be a pretty worthy adversary, though I’m all paranoid about being attacked now. So anyway, there I was stuck in a room with Jokester (who, by the way, was attacking me from behind). I managed to shove my foot in the door to prevent it from opening too much as Brawn and I shot at each other through the crack. I held off pretty well and was having a grand old time until I felt my finger get wet, which was really weird. My first thought was that somehow they’d spilled water on me (or did Brawn spit on me?!). Alas, when I looked down I found my finger was covered in blood. I hadn’t even felt how I cut myself, but apparently my finger got caught on the trigger and got a little shredded up. Ouch. I let Brawn in the room at this point since he seemed to feel bad for me, but then he turned around and shot me in the gut! That guy can’t be trusted, lol. But hey, at least then he went and got me a paper towel to clean up my blood. My right hand will have to be out of commission for a little while now, but I’m sure I’ll make do with my left.

Oh government shutdown

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , , ,
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Well, they did it. Congress actually threw us over the cliff this time. Over the past few years, I’d hear about another fiscal cliff and Panda would joke about getting furloughed. Now we’re on Day 1 of the government shutdown and after a few hours in the morning to wrap things up for the indefinite future, he came home from work to wait it out.

capitol hill misspelled as capiton hil on tv

So eager to talk about the shutdown that they didn’t spell-check Capitol Hill.

We’re in a really good position, with ample savings and my income to get us through. So many others are nowhere near as fortunate and it’s just absurd that this in-fighting from our own government is affecting all these lives. I’m just glad that we don’t live paycheck to paycheck, but even so I do hope this doesn’t last long. We’re trying to save up for the new condo after all! In the short term, Panda gets to enjoy some quiet time off and a taste of what life for me was like the past year. I tried to recruit him to help me at work, but instead he’s getting things done like chores and a dentist appointment. Alas, a girl can wish right? So long as the shutdown doesn’t extend for too many weeks, we’ll just take it like an unexpected vacation (for him). There are even a bunch of restaurants offering discounts or free items for federal employees. Maybe he can go enjoy those!

It’s so sad that today is Yosemite’s anniversary and people can’t even go enjoy it. I feel bad for all the tourists who are around the nation, wanting to enjoy parks and museums and zoos… but getting shut out. I’m looking to the supposed leaders of our country to find a compromise soon.

UK Vacation Day 3 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Check out my UK Day 1 recap and UK Day 2 recap, then read on for Day 3! We spent about half the day prepping for and traveling to Cardiff, then got a chance to explore the city in the afternoon and evening. It was a nice quiet, yet active time together in this beautiful place. 🙂

view of victoria station in london from nearby hotel

From our hotel, we could see Victoria Station, so it was very easy to get to the train!

interior of victoria station in london with skylights and british flags

The interior of Victoria Station is nice and airy, with plenty of natural sunlight.

bike parking area with dozens of bikes inside victoria station in london

There were a ton of bikes parked there.

delice de france baguette display at victoria station in london

Before boarding the train, I browsed the selection at Delice de France for my lunch.

chicken chorizo baguette sandwich from delice de france bakery

I ended up getting the chicken chorizo baguette to eat on the train and it was delicious!!

pink and blue striped circus tents beyond railroad tracks

Along the way, we saw the circus in a town.

first view of the streets of cardiff

Hello Cardiff! I’m finally in Wales!

dog standing with large piece of tree branch in mouth

What an ambitious dog, carrying around a giant tree branch.

grouping of flower pots in tree shape

The flowers make the street all pretty.

congratulations message written in chocolate on plate with vanilla buttercream cupcake

Yay, celebration!

heavy cloud coverage over buildings in cardiff

It’s sunny but it’s gloomy ’round these parts.

view of cardiff castle from nearby hotel

Got a view of the Cardiff Castle from the hotel lounge.

small garden with maze-like design in cardiff

A fun little garden area across the street.

collage of executive lounge snacks including fruits, desserts, condiments, cookies, and sugar

The executive lounge provided a variety of snacks!

pink gumdrop station in cardiff for recycling gum

Haha, can’t say this is what I imagine when I hear “gumdrop” but it’s a nice way to discourage gum where you don’t want it.

small purple flowers

We walked through an industrial zone that was intimidating, but at least there were pretty flowers!

swan on picturesque river in cardiff wales

We tried walking to this Cardiff Bay we heard about, but couldn’t quite figure out what there was to see. It was pretty along the way at least!

white swan swimming on river in cardiff

So many swans around here! I love it.

As we were walking along the river, we heard a splash and saw some movement out of the corner of our eyes. We thought it was a bird diving into the water to get a fish, so we watched and waited for it to come up. A few minutes later, what did we see? A GINORMOUS FLYING FISH! I mean, it was like a foot and a half long and propelled itself out of water better than salmon swimming upstream. I tried to get a video of it but we never saw it again. Sad times.

brains brewery across river with silver tanks and colorful tops

After giving up on going so far, we headed back and I wondered what those colorfully-topped silver canisters are for.

yellow flower on stem in slim vase centerpiece

We stopped for dinner at an Indian place, with pretty yellow flower centerpieces.

glass of clear sparkling lemonade drink with lemon slice inside

This was not what I expected when I ordered lemonade, but it was amazing. I want more!

appetizers at indian restaurant in cardiff wales

Yuuum, enjoying our appetizers.

plates of indian food including naan bread

We both enjoyed our dishes and the garlic naan. Wonderful meal together. 🙂

church clock tower against blue sky in cardiff

I enjoy the little alleyways and cobblestone streets, and of course the architecture and beautiful blue skies.

red flower floating in water as centerpiece with mug of water on table

Back at the hotel, we enjoy a little break in the lounge.

layers of dark clouds with thin bright area in middle

The clouds are moving in!

fridge and shelves with small glass bottles of sodas and drinks

Oooo yes, I love these little glass soda bottles!

free bottles of wine in executive lounge of hotel

In the evenings, the executive lounge offers free wine here. I’m sure that made some folks happy.

UK Vacation Day 2 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Continuing from my UK Day 1 recap, here’s a look at what we did the second day of our UK trip. We did a lot of walking as we went from the Victoria region to Buckingham Palace, through Green and Hyde parks, into the Science and Natural History museums, and back to Victoria.

english breakfast buffet with hash browns, baked beans, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and waffles

The day started off with breakfast at the hotel, where we encountered some traditional English items like baked beans and cooked mushrooms. Panda loved it!

roll mops au vinagre platter at hotel breakfast buffet

I also discovered some things I couldn’t quite figure out, like these “roll mops.”

tourist taking picture of buckingham palace guard

We then walked to Buckingham Palace, stopping along the way at a gift shop where Panda found tea towels for our moms.

view of gates to green park and tourists walking around outside buckingham palace

From Buckingham, we went over to Green Park, which was new to me.

red street running along buckingham palace lined with trees photo bombed by pedestrian walking by

As we crossed the street I wanted to get a shot of the thick trees lining the road and it totally got photo bombed.

stoplight with red person riding horse crossing light

Apparently there are a fair share of equestrians around here since they have their own crossing lights!

large tree in park with branches growing down creating cave space underneath

This is the second time I’ve seen a tree like this (the first time was at Hershey Gardens). I want one in my yard!

looking out from underneath tree branches nearly touching ground

I couldn’t resist going into the little tree cave for a moment. I mean, it already had an opening!

squirrel standing on hind legs looking far away

This adorable squirrel looked so forlorn when the squirrel it was chasing went through the fence. Why it didn’t just follow I don’t know.

bunch of pigeons and one squirrel eating on grass

Seems like the pigeons and squirrels get along quite well here.

crowd of pigeons eating in park by people's feet

Pigeons are always pecking, which makes me wonder if they’re ever not hungry…

two baby coons at edge of pond near nest in reeds

I found some cute baby coons nesting in the reeds. Aww!

ruffled pigeon standing at edge of pond with feathers everywhere

Haha! This ruffled up pigeon was cooling its feet in the pond.

black bird with neon greenish yellow feet walking into pond

Click on this pic and zoom in to see the freakin’ NEON feet of this bird.

brown and white duck with black accents swimming in pond

Now there’s an unusual duck with pretty black trim.

swan drinking water at edge of pond with kids standing nearby

There were a ton of swans around and it doesn’t look like I’m that close, but it felt like I could touch it!

kids chasing geese in park

Some of the kids enjoyed chasing the ducks, geese, and swans into the pond.

wooden and cloth lounge seats by willow tree in park

The park provided tons of chairs for anyone who wanted to relax. So nice.

pasta bake and salad with san pellegrino orange soda drink and black pepper and sea salt chips

After the park we went to the Science Museum, where I got a delicious pasta bake lunch.

zoomed in look at purple sapphire engagement ring under microscope

Next up was the Natural History Museum where we came across a microscope and decided to take a look at my ring up close.

red and white street sign with sticker grafitti

On our walk from the museums back towards the hotel, we came across signs that had been tagged with fun stickers.

ton of train tickets laid out on table as they are printed out

Before going to the room, we stopped at Victoria Station to pick up our train tickets for the duration of our trip. It printed out so many!!

bowl of wagamama ramen dish with pork, shrimp, wakame seaweed, fish cakes, and tea egg

For dinner it was Wagamama and I unknowingly went to the exact one I’d eaten at years ago.

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