Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean

You may have noticed that it's been pretty quiet on the blog and social media lately.  That's because I'm in Texas bonding with my grandbabies and enjoying time with family and friends.  It seems wrong to spend much time doing anything but that.  But I have a quiet moment so I wanted to share some photos from a recent adventure back home in England.  These photos are from the most fascinating place.  This is Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean. 

The Jamie Oliver Cookery School

I've been missing London so much.  Surrey is lovely but I haven't yet found my groove here.  When we received an invitation from The Jamie Oliver Cookery School in Shepherd's Bush, we jumped at the chance for a date night in London.  The Cookery School is located at the Jamie's Italian Restaurant in the Westfield Mall.  So we jumped on the train and made our way into London for the evening. 

The Channel Island of Herm

I don't know about you, but I often dream of just escaping.  Running away from all of the stress and responsibilities of life.  At times I simply desire to be dropped off on a deserted island.  But that's a bit extreme, isn't it?  Some might even accuse me of being dramatic.  (Ha! Me? Dramatic?)  But what if that island was only a little bit deserted?  And what if there was a pub? And puffins?

Weekend Getaway to Guernsey

Matt and I often lament the fact that we can't travel full-time.  Oh, if only.  We just squeeze it in as we can and most of our travel involves weekend excursions.  We're always looking for someplace new to visit for a few days.  I've mentioned before that we usually start our search on Google Flights looking for inexpensive flights that are less than 3 hours in the air.  This was an easy one.  It took us longer to get to the airport than it did to fly to Guernsey. 

Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill

If you know me then you know I love a Gin & Tonic.  It's just one of the wonderful things that my British husband has introduced to me.  Crisp and refreshing, over ice with a twist of lime.  Yes, please.  We were walking through Heathrow recently and passed a Bombay Sapphire pop-up experience.  Two thought bubbles appeared above my head.  "Are they seriously just giving drinks away?" and "can you really get away with drinking before breakfast when you're in an airport?"  Let's just ignore the second question for now.  The answer to the first question was "yes, but first put on these VR glasses and take a quick virtual tour of our award winning distillery."  Between the virtual tour and the breakfast cocktails, we were convinced enough to visit the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in real life at the next opportunity.

Chobham Show 2016

So, we did make it official last year, I am a British citizen.  But, I'm not fooling anyone, especially since we moved out of the city into the country.  In London, I was one of many migrants.  Here in Surrey I stick out like a sore thumb.  I once described being an American in the UK like being a Labrador puppy in a room full of cats.  I've been feeling my inner lab much more since we moved to Chobham.  But I learned a few years into this expat experience that I should just embrace my American self and join in.  Most recently we went to the Annual Chobham Show.  The village show is a great British celebration and a great way to get to know our new home. 

Better with Age?

You might have noticed things have been quiet on the blog for the last week or so. That's because this roadblock of a post is sitting in my pending folder taunting me.  Last month I turned 50. Yeah, that's right.  Woohoo.  The big-five-oh.  Blah, blah, blah.  I feel I should write about it, commemorate it in some way.  It's kind of a big deal, I guess. But I really have no idea what to say about it. 

Galleon Cruise in Gdansk

Here are a few more photos from our weekend in Gdansk, Poland.  They're from our ride on a pirate ship and an important historical monument.  You may wonder why pirate ships in Gdansk, but it makes perfect sense.  Gdansk is one of the maritime cities of the Hanseatic League, an association of towns along the Northern coast of Europe that banded together in the 13th century.  The league dominated Baltic trade into the 19th century.  It was developed to organize and control trade, but it was also needed for protection from pirates.  So when you go to Gdansk, plan to ride on a pirate ship.

Gdansk, Poland City Break

I've said before that one of my favorite things about living in the UK is the close proximity to the rest of Europe.  After just a few hours on a plane, you can be in the most incredible city.  Like most of our weekend City Breaks, this one started with Google Flights. We filtered by flight duration (3 hours max), non-stop, and price (£150 max).  For 2 hours and less than £100, a trip to Gdansk, Poland was the obvious choice. 

The Colors of Mykonos

Oh, the debate I had with myself over the title of this blog post.  My readership is pretty much evenly split between the US and UK (with about 10% various other countries).  So...  do I use the American spelling "colors" and let half of you think I just can't spell.  Or do I use "colours" and risk the other half think I'm a wannabe Brit who will next start speaking with a fake British accent like Madonna.  Dilemma. Anywho,  I posted before about all of the reds of Mykonos.  Here are some more photos of this beautiful place sorted by color colour... err chromaticity.   

Girlfriend Getaway in Mykonos, Greece

Gina and I still talk about our last Girls' Trip.  A few years ago we had an incredible time in Provence with Erin and Sarah (miss you!).  Matt gives me the side eye when I still declare it the "best trip ever."  We've been talking about doing another trip since then.  But you know how it is... you keep talking about it but then it doesn't actually happen.  Life gets in the way.   The only way to get around that is to just book the trip!  So we did.  We booked a long weekend in Mykonos, Greece.  Guess what?  "Best Trip Ever!"

Everything's Rosé in Mykonos

Galileo eloquently stated that "Wine is sunlight, held together by water."   My girls' weekend in Mykonos, Greece with Gina was all about sunlight, water and wine.  The cycladic architecture of the Greek Islands features the iconic white-washed cube houses with dominant azure blue accents, all against the backdrop of the turquoise sea.  But while editing my photos another color also popped out of many of the scenes.    The deep rose color of the wine that we shared over our four day escape. 

Battle Proms at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey)

I'm counting down the days!  Two weeks from today my Mom and stepdad, Bob will be here!  We haven't had visitors from home in far too long and I'm aching to be with family.  They visited last in 2012, I can't even believe it's been four years.  One of the things that we did when they were here was attend Proms in the Park.  We've been a few times and it's one of my very favorite British things to do.  So a few weeks ago when we got an invitation from Branston to attend Battle Proms, we jumped at the chance.  When we found out that it was at Highclere Castle, otherwise known as Downton Abbey, I was giddy with excitement. 

The Savannah Bar & Restaurant London

Oh, how the days are flying by.  It's funny how the grass is always greener.  When I was working I just wanted to be at home.  Now that I'm home every day, I can't wait to get back to work.  Unfortunately, now that we're outside of London, getting out and about is a bit more difficult.  (I'm still working on that UK Drivers License and making slow progress.)  I was whining on Facebook that I'm going a bit stir crazy.  My friend Fiona from London Unattached invited me to join her for lunch in London at The Savannah Bar & Restaurant.  It was the perfect reason to get out of the house and back into London. 

Happy 1st Birthday, Michael!!!

Look who's turning one year old today!!  My sweet grandson Michael is.  I can't believe it has been a year already.  He is the most gorgeous thing ever.  My sweet Booboo just melts my heart.  We chat on FaceTime and he always gives me the most beautiful smile.  

I can't even put into words what it feels like to be a grandma.  It's like my child Jessica is the most perfect prism.  My pure white love shines straight into her.  My love for Michael is the bright multi-colored light that shines from that prism.   It's all brightness and light and I feel it in my core. 

Sorry to get all deep, but it's just the most precious gift.  Thank you, Sugar Bear, for making me a Gigi.  Happy Birthday, Michael!  I love you both more than words can say.  And to think there is another sweet little boy in our future!!

Happy Birthday, Michael!  I love you!!!

Love, 

Gigi

Fisherman's Village in Koh Samui

My final post about our week in Thailand and I'm now convinced that we need to go back.  And this time we need to stay even longer.  While we were in Koh Samui we mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the beach.  But we did venture a little bit further one evening to experience the Friday Market at Fisherman's Village. 

Koh Samui, Thailand

After our crazy few days in both Bangkok, Thailand and Yangon, Myanmar it was time to move on to the part of the vacation that I had been dreaming about.  As Zac Brown would say "I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand."  (You can take the girl out of Texas...)   Koh Samui is a large resort island off of the east coast of Thailand, second only to Phuket in popularity with tourists.  That is where we spent the reminder of our holiday, soaking in the sun.

Shwedagon Pagoda - The Crown of Burma

During our two days in Yangon, Myanmar there was one site that we could not miss.  The Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the greatest temples and religious shrines in the world.  It is the most sacred Buddhist Pagoda in Myanmar and known as "The Crown of Burma."  The pagoda is perched on a hill in Yangon, a beacon to both the devout and the curious.  The golden spire reaches 375 feet (99 meters) and can be seen from most every spot in the city.  It is a sight to behold from both afar and close up. I still can't believe we were able to visit such a wonder.

Two Days in Yangon, Myanmar

After five years, Matt and I do pretty good traveling together.  Matt traveled extensively and often solo for years before we met.  He's much more of an explorer than I am.  Let's just say I'm partial to a more leisurely pace.  But as I've gained more experience and confidence, our traveling rhythm has become pretty well matched.  I've expanded my comfort zone and he indulges me with a few hours or days where there's "no plan". (Well, that's not entirely true, with Matt there is always a plan.)  But, this slight difference in our travel style was never more evident than when we went to Thailand and included a side trip to Yangon, Myanmar. 

The Grand Palace in Bangkok

One last stop on our private tour in Bangkok and this one is not to be missed.  The Grand Palace was built in 1782 and has been the official residence of the monarchy of Thailand until recently.  The current King resides elsewhere but the Palace is still used for official events.  It's a large complex with various buildings, pavilions, halls, gardens, stupas and chapels.  This is also where you will find Thailand's most sacred site, Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  You could write a book about this place so I'll just share some of my favorite photographs from our time there and just a few quick tips if you are planning on visiting.

Wat Pho - The Temple of the Reclining Buddha

The next temple that we visited on our private tour with Your Thai Guide was Wat Pho to see the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.  Wat Pho is actually a large temple complex and home to the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. This was my favorite stop of the day (in addition to the Lotus farm).

Golden Buddha of Wat Traimit

It's time to show you some more photos from one of our most incredible trips.  Thailand was so high on our list.  We only had one week to spend there which is never going to be enough.  I was probably in love with Thailand before we even went, and it did not disappoint in any way.  I loved every site, sound and smell.  It was absolute magic.  We had such a short time in Bangkok, but we got in a much as we could by booking a private tour with Your Thai Guide.  After visiting the a floating market and a lotus farm, our guide Nina took us to visit Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha.

The Surrey County Show

I started this post yesterday and planned to get up this morning and add some text.  But I just can't do it.  With things going on at home and afar, I just can't get my blogging mojo back.  So I think I'll just go with that for awhile.  These photos cheer me up a little so I hope you enjoy them.  It really was a great day  

I have a quick suggestion for you.  If you live in the UK, mark your calendars right now for May 29, 2017.  I'll wait while you do that...  That is the date of the next Surrey County Show and the countdown has started, 318 days to go.   If you're an American in the UK, you will particularly love this.  It's like a really great County Fair with a very British twist.  It's a terrific day out!   If you have children, they are really going to love it. 

Life Lately

I'm back.  No, really.  This time I really am back.  I'm finally done with that crazy, daily 4 hour commute to London!  If you follow me on social media, I apologize for all of the ranting.  I can't even tell you how happy I am to be done with that.  My coworkers, I will miss.  That commute, not so much.  Here's a quick little update on what we've been up to lately.

Short Stay in Bangkok

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, then I apologize for my wacky timeline.  But, today we are going back to Thailand even though my social media feeds are all about Budapest.  I use post it notes and a calendar to schedule my blogs and those Thailand post-it notes have been shuffled around so much they are losing their sticky.  I've already written about our short time in Bangkok (the floating market and lotus farm) so that is where we'll pick up.  This week it's all about Bangkok, Thailand.

Gibraltar Inside Out Rock Tours

Our weekend in Gibraltar included a private tour with Inside Out Rock Tours and Carl.  We found them on the internet and Matt booked it last minute with a phone call from the hotel.  Carl was happy to take us on a private Standard Tour.  Because we opted for a private tour it was a bit more expensive, but it was worth it to have Carl and the van all to ourselves.

A Weekend Break in Gibraltar

At the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain there is a little spot of land with the most interesting history.  Gibraltar covers only 2.6 square miles and is a British Overseas territory.  I'd certainly heard of the Rock of Gibraltar, it's the logo for Prudential Insurance and I grew up hearing their advertising phrase "own a piece of the rock."  When we traveled through Spain by train on our way to North Africa a few years ago, we spotted the rock off in the distance.  But this time we were going to see the rock up close, inside and out. 

The Macaque Monkeys of Gibraltar

I'm baaaaaaack!!  Monkeys!!  Let's just ignore the fact that I haven't blogged in a month, shall we?  And look I brought you monkeys!!  Yes, it's a blatant effort to distract you from my lazy blogging.  But lapses happen because, well you know, "life".  Now I'm back and hopefully on a much more consistent basis now that we've completed our move to Surrey.  Next week I'll be telling you about our city break to Gibraltar.  But today we'll ease back into things with... monkeys!!  Macaque monkeys to be exact.

Bangkok Lotus Farm

While we were at the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market our guide Nina asked if we would like to take a boat ride along the canals.  Of course we did.  We eyed the line of people waiting to fill one of the colourful flat bottomed canal boats.  But Nina had other plans for us.  Smart girl.

Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market in Bangkok

I've been having so much fun editing the photos from our trip to Thailand last year.  (Yes, I realize how behind I am. I blame my job and my uterus. )  I still can't believe we were even there.  I don't think a day goes by that I don't long to be back.  I loved everything about Thailand, the smell, the people and just the feel of it.  We packed a lot into our one week trip and were only in Bangkok for about 36 hours.  I was determined to visit a floating market in that short time. The one we chose was the Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market.

My 500th Post and an update!

Guess what this is!  My 500th post.  Can you believe it?  I certainly can't.  Four and a half years of blogging.  If I'm honest, I feel like it should be more.  But every post represents a special moment or story, a place I never dreamed a might see.  A milestone in life that is deeply cherished.  My stories and memories.  And my connection to you.  To those of you that read my blog, follow along to encourage and support.  That's still the best part.  So thank you for helping me get to this milestone!  I also have to tell you about a new journey that we're starting soon.  I'm hoping that you'll come along because I will certainly continue blogging along the way.

La Belle Assiette Private Chef Dining Experience

We were recently invited to a dinner party.  I feel so adult when I say that. (You do realize that in my head I'm still 18.)  One of the things I pictured when we first moved to London is attending dinner parties.  You know, like the ones in Notting Hill.  That movie IS London to me.  So many cinematic impressions of this city, and they still linger even after four years of actually living here.  Don't even get me started on the Heathrow Arrivals scene.  Anyway, back to the dinner party.  This wasn't just any dinner party.  This was a Jury Validation Dinner Party with a private chef team from La Belle Assiette.  Fancy, huh?

TheFoodMarket.com #GloriousNaturalFood

Every Saturday morning, just a block away there is a terrific food market.  We love to wander over for some fish & chips or to buy some fresh cheese.  But some days we just want to stay in bed and can't be bothered.  On those days I always feel a little bit guilty.  I'm just certain that we've missed out on a new merchant displaying something wonderful that I must have.  Now I've found the perfect thing to assuage that guilt.  I can now snuggle under the duvet without that rush of FOMO.  It's a multinational farmers' market, an exclusive food hall and a health food emporium all at the click of a finger.  It's been developed by a team of ex-Amazon e-commerce experts and it's bursting with foodie delights - TheFoodMarket.com. 

Yotel London Gatwick Cabin Hotel

I am not a morning person.  At all.  Not even a little bit.  My husband can definitely vouch for this.  One of his least favorite things to do is to wake me up before I'm ready.  On our recent trip to Malta, in an effort to give me a few extra hours of morning shut eye and save him the drama, we tried something very different.  We stayed in a cabin at Yotel London Gatwick the night before an early flight.  Let's just say there were mixed reviews. 

Weekend in Malta - Part 2

As usual when we take a weekend break, we booked our return flight from Malta late in the day.  This meant we had most of Sunday to enjoy more of the sun and sea views.  

Weekend in Malta - Part 1

Oh dear, I think I've overdone it.  I'm five weeks post surgery and feeling good.  But, I was ambitious this week and we did some running around.  Today I'm back in bed, tired and sore.  Because it was laparoscopic and I don't have a big incision, it's easy to forget that it was still major abdominal surgery.  Even with the very slight setback, I'm so happy with my recovery.  One more week of rest and back to work.

January and February are typically travel periods for us.  Every effort is made to escape the winter blues.  Because we knew that there wouldn't be any trips for a few months, we managed to squeeze in two weekend trips in January this year.  The first was Malta.

Day Trips with British Airways

I have an epic case of itchy feet.  I want to go to all the places, all the time.  But Matt has it much worse.  He loves loves loves to travel!  Even the not so fun things like airports and flying (I still really hate flying.), he loves this stuff.  This is a man who has a spreadsheet showing every flight he's ever taken (over 600) and exactly how many miles he's flown (over a million).  He's even been known to fly out in the morning and return in the evening, just so he can go somewhere.  In fact, he's taken several day trips like this.  It's usually with his mates because I've been reluctant to suffer two flights in one day.  But I did join him for his latest trip to Hamburg, Germany.  So, I'll let him tell you all about taking a day trip with British Airways and I'll show you some photos from our time in Hamburg.

Saatchi Gallery - London

One of my favorite things about London is the free museums.  The Saatchi Gallery is right on our doorstep so I wandered over recently to see what I could see.  The current exhibition is called Champagne Life.  If you live in London and haven't seen it yet, stop reading and go now.  The exhibition will be over in a few days.  If you aren't in London then keep reading and I'll show you some of the artwork.  

Berlin, Germany City Break

I previously posted some photos from Berlin and our annual Christmas Market trip. We were only in this vibrant city for a few days and most of our time was spent at the markets.  But you can't visit Berlin and not see some of the famous sites like Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.  So, here are a few more photos of the city from our visit. 

Is it safe to visit Egypt?

The most common question that we get regarding our trip to Egypt is about safety.  Some do not consider Egypt a safe travel destination currently.  Although many do.  According to the UK government, "Over 900,000 British nationals visit Egypt every year. Most visits are trouble-free."  

Of course I was concerned when we were planning our trip.  We did hours of the research and I felt confident that we would be safe.  We can't tell you if it is safe to travel to Egypt, but I thought we should address the issue on our blog.  Because Matt is such an experienced traveler, I asked him to help me write this post to get the conversation started. 

Red Sea Fishing in Hurghada, Egypt

We decided to spend our last full day in Hurghada, Egypt out on the water.  We splurged a bit and chartered a fishing boat for the day.  It was just the two of us and a crew of four.  Our plan was to fish, snorkel, lunch and visit a sand bar.  It was the perfect way to spend our final day. 

The Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt

It's been almost three weeks since my surgery.  I'm amazed at how much better I'm feeling.  I'm still easily fatigued.  Any activity results in spending the next day in bed.  But did you notice I managed three blog posts last week?  I'm much more productive if I get out of the apartment and luckily there is a Starbucks just a block away.  At this rate, I'll be caught up in no time.  Today we're going back to Egypt.  I've done multiple posts from that one week, but it was such an incredible experience that I can't help myself.  Today I'll be showing you photos from the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor.

La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School

Our last move took us right into central London.  With the great location came several trade-offs... no bathtub, no extra bedroom, no outside space.  It also came with a kitchen that is smaller than the average walk-in closet.  I have one square foot of counter space, a fridge the size of a suitcase, and every time we use the oven I have to relocate all of the pots and pans that are stored in there.  Needless to say, it's not conducive to home cooking.  When invited to a cooking class held in the professional kitchens of La Cucina Caldesi Cookery School, I jumped at the chance to cook in a proper kitchen.  These are the people who wrote the book on Italian cuisine.  Actually, they've written several books on Italian cuisine.

A day at Hampton Court

I think I've mentioned before that Matt and I keep a list of things that we want to do in London.  Hampton Court Palace was at the top of that list for a long time and late last year we finally made the journey.  The royals used to travel from Hampton Court to Westminster via the Thames, passing through the locks along the way.  It sounds so romantic. I knew that I needed to combine that Thames boat trip with our visit to the Palace.  So on a beautiful fall day, we crossed this one off of the list.  

London New Year's Day Parade 2016

So now it's time to get caught up on my blogging!  I try to keep everything in chronological order but I've decided that's just not going to work.  So I'll be posting about the current year and filling in with prior year stuff as we go along.  We're going to be jumping all over the place.  It will be fun!  Let's start with day 1... New Year's Day 2016 and the London New Year's Day Parade. 

A more personal journey...

A week ago I was in surgery.  It seems like so long ago already.  I don't always post about such personal things, but I feel like i need to write about this.  Just once.  For a woman, a hysterectomy is one of those life events that splits time into "before" and "after."   Like puberty, a wedding or giving birth.  A feminine milestone that almost 20% of women will experience.  If you're a man and you haven't already clicked away, you may not want to read further.  Or maybe you will.  It's estimated that 1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, 2 in 10 from fibroids and 10 in 10 deal with various "female" and hormonal issues. I think it would be much better for everyone if we all talked about it a bit more openly. 

Art Deco in Bloosmbury Tour with London Unravelled

We've been living in London for four years now.  Lately we've been in a bit of a rut, work and home.  It's easy to forget all the wonderful things that we love about this city.   As we go into our 5th year we made a decision to see London with new eyes.  We have a blackboard and we keep it full of things we still want to do in London.  We're always coming up with new items for that list.  A walking tour is still one of my favorite ways to explore London.  I've been on several and I always find treasures along the way. My most recent walking tour was with the wonderful Yannick of London Unravelled. 

Oh, the Places we will go in 2016!

I realize that all travel bloggers do this kind of post and if I'm honest I tend to skim through them a bit.  But it's one of my favorite things to do, looking back at the places we've been in the past year and planning a whole year's worth of new travel.  I really document all of this for personal reasons, so don't feel bad if you just skim through this post.  After writing about what a difficult year I had in 2015, I must admit it was one of our best years for travel.