Slaithwaite visit

Slaithwaite is a village in northern England, in Yorkshire, about an hour from Manchester. Now tell me, looking at the name, how would you pronounce it? Slayth-wait, right? Oh NOOOO, of course not--I never did get it right but it's something like Slaw-wit. I tell you, that northern accent is VERY different from what I've been hearing in the south!

Mary and I went there last weekend to visit her friends Camilla and Harry, who she met in Bosnia while working, and their two children, Alex and Kate. We had such a great visit! The village has lots of canals, and old mills--that whole area was big in the production of wool and weaving. We were told that it was the area where the Luddites were, opposing industrial growth. Frankly, I think those Luddites were on to something.

We were also in the area where the moors are--they are quite dramatic. Hikers regularly get disoriented there when the fog descends. There's a range of mountaines called the Pennines that runs up to Scotland and the area is well known for hikers. The mountains were so much more imposing and BIG than the hills we've seen here in the southwest.

I so enjoyed being with the children--really bright, really delightful. Kate was scornful of Mary using the word "pants" when she meant "trousers"--"pants" here only referring to underpants, OF COURSE, as any five year old knows! We had so much fun playing with them--and their parents were the greatest hosts.

So now we are back in Peasedown, waiting for Mary's aunt and cousin to arrive from London, for the weekend, and that is going to be fun.

Thanks to those I've spoken to or emailed with who have commented on the blog...I sometimes think I am writing to thin air and it's always encouraging to know that people are reading and (I hope!) enjoying.

6 more weeks til we return to Canada. Yippee!

Karen

Morocco!

Well two weeks in Morocco has left my head so full of thoughts and memories, my eyes so full of visual beauty and my heart so full of feeling! I wish I could post all my pictures, and even that would not be enough to try to show what an incredibly diverse and beautiful place it is.

I managed to learn how to cross the street in Marrakech so as to avoid being hit by motorbikes, scooters, bicycles, taxis and donkey carts. We stayed in a beautiful riad with a gorgous rooftop view (bedroom pictured above)--but it was down some confusing winding alleys that sort of scared me at first.

There are a LOT of cats all over Morocco...and I don't think they are pets, but they don't look too neglected.

We took an 11 hour bus ride to the Sahara. OK, so that was kind of crazy but we bonded with our fellow passengers, and I had a long conversation in French with a Moroccan guy who was a film critic and was heading to a film conference. We then took a taxi, crammed in with other people--off in the distance we could see a sandstorm on the horizon. With the sun setting, it had the strangest light--kind of gold and purple and pink.

Anyways, LONG trip to get there, and then one day of solid rain (they say it rains like 3 days a year, lucky us eh!) but the next day was sunny and hot again and off we set on camels for 3 hours, into the desert to stay overnight with a Berber family.

Riding a camel is a once-in-a-lifetime experience--because I am never getting on one again!!

Really, it's not that hard, but hard on the body--I could hardly walk when I got off, and then the next day we turned around and rode 3 hours back...so we were both hurting. But seeing the desert that way was astounding--just all red sand and blue sky.

Unfortunately some big Sahara car rally was taking place, so every once in awhile some huge 4X4 with a million logos plastered on it would crest a dune and drive along. They are destroying the desert--their tracks last for decades. GRRRRRRR

We got to visit a small village in the interior because Mary knew a Peace Corps volunteer, Johanna, who lived there. She spoke the Berber language so we were really lucky to get to meet some women, and girls, who lived there. Girls finish school at 13 and then kind of wait around to get married. The picture above is of Johanna with three girls who took us out riding on donkeys--donkeys are much easier than camels but they definitely have minds of their own (as in dragging us through the underbrush so they could go get a drink of water).

Johanna wears a short sleeved T-shirt, long sleeved shirt over, leggings and a long skirt, in order not to offend...and she has to wear that in the summer too, when the temperatures reach like 45! Meanwhile, some tourists in Morocco were going around in tank tops and mini skirts. I guess they don't care or didn't even bother to find out what was considered OK.

We went to a town on the Atlantic and rented a beautiful apartment. Well, OK, there were three flights of crumbling stairs to climb up to get to it, and for 2 of the 3 days we were there, they had several deposits of cat shit on them...but once we got to the apartment, it was just gorgeous! (pictured above). Lots of beautiful Moroccan fabrics and colours and dishes--we just loved it. So nice to get a chance to cook food--we went to the fish market and bought fish--I was amazed by the varieties of fish they sold, like tons of different eels and other things I didn't even recognize--actually I was kind of horrified. But then again, I got used to seeing men on bicycles with sheep heads draped over the handlebars. (Apparently there is some kind of soup made with a whole boiled sheep head that is quite a delicacy in the souk in Marrakesh. Have to admit, I didn't try it.)

Buying things was challenging. The first price quoted was probably 3 or 4 times the actual priceand then you had to haggle. I didn't want to get ripped off but I also wanted to pay a fair price for them--but I had no idea what a fair price really was! Twice I had actually walked out of a store, saying the price was too high, and been chased down the street by the shop owners assistant to say, OK, we accept the last price you offered. I was missing Canada--I thought, just give me a price tag and tell me what I need to pay!

Marrakech has a huge square with snake charmers, monkeys, dancers, story tellers, henna painters--plus a million horse drawn carriages, motorbikes, donkey carts etc etc. I loved it but could only handle it in small doses. At night they set up stations where food is prepared--we ate there every night. You see us pictured above with two men from Australia who we met and went out with--they were charming (and young!) But you have to be so careful--we'd order say one plate of roasted eggplant and they'd bring two--and of course charge you--so you had to watch so carefully. We ordered calamari--the waiter said, how about the mixed fish plate (which was almost double the price)--we said no, forget it...and then he brought us calamari. that got tiring, always guarding against being ripped off.

We went to two hammams, the bath houses for women. It was quite incredible! We went to local ones, so not ones that were fancied up for tourists (which I am sure would be fabulous too)

They have this soap paste that looks like a mixture of cooked dates and axel grease that you slap all over yourself, and then a woman basically scrubs you down with a sort of loofah-type mitt. It's not gentle but you sure feel clean afterwards!

Mary and I both had some stomach troubles--Mary got laid up for a day, but we're glad it was only a day. We moved around a lot, which was great for seeing so much of Morocco but maybe a bit too ambitious for gals of a certain age :-) We were both glad to get home, but I am so glad I got to experience Morocco and the images will stay with me for a long long time.

This weekend we're off to visit old work friends of hers who live in Manchester (northern England)...and the weekend after we're excited to be welcoming her cousin Gay and aunt Joanne for the weekend.

And then, it will be only a month til we head back home, May 31. We are looking FORWARD to that, believe me!!

Hope all are well...and that we get to talk soon

Karen

Cote d'Azur

My brother Jim and I just returned from five days in Nice, on the French Riviera. Yes indeed, Nice is nice!! It captured my imagination, and while I know it gets totally crowded in the summer, too many people, too expensive, it still let me dream of what a life would be like living amidst that temperate climate, the gorgeous colours of buildings, the expanse of sea, the fantastic food, and the easy pace of life. We had some cool weather and some rain, but still had a fabulous time.

One day we took the bus to Monaco (only one Euro!!) so got to see the coastline and then the casino, Monte Carlo (pictured). I also took the picture of the pink motorbikes there just because they looked so cute. Monaco is beautiful and so clean...and wow, there are a LOT of rich people there. I haven't seen so many fur coats worn since--well, I have probably never seen so many fur coats in my life. If those women were walking in Vancouver, they would be sure to get a can of red paint thrown on them!

There are pictures displayed of Princess Grace (the former Grace Kelly, American actress). Jim said, and I think he is right, she was their equivalent of Princess Di.

Another day we took the bus the opposite direction and saw Antibes, which felt like a Nice-lite. Beautiful market place and all kinds of neat shops and cafes, but my heart really belongs to Nice.

Nice used to be part of Italy and it feels like a mix of Italy and France--how great is that!! So many buildings that are coral, orange, red, rust, peach--you can see the Place Massena above, which was beautiful...also an aerial view (we climbed up on top of a hill, which had such lovely parks and great views). Of course we saw beautiful churches, mansions that were so ornate inside, tons of art. One day we made our way to the Matisse museum. I love Matisse...there weren't tons of his works there but I still enjoyed it. It was also in a rich neighbourhood so there were just so many beautiful old buildings and gardens to admire.

Then we headed to the Chagall museum. I like Chagall but have seen quite a few of his works, so I thought, oh well, this will be nice. No, it was FANTASTIC! It was all these huge canvases he had painted specifically for the museum, on biblical themes. We stood in front of each one with our mouths hanging open.

The other beautiful thing that so impressed us was the display of foods. One store pictured above specializes in olives and olive oil. We bought olive oil soap there. They had gigantic vats of olive oil, made of brass, and you could bring your bottles and purchase oil in bulk. And then the candy and chocolate stores were just so incredible too, as well as the pattisseries (pastry shops) with their amazing displays. Oh, and did I mention the ice cream? And pasta? And wine?

It was so easy to walk pretty much everywhere we wanted to go, and there were tons of cafes to stop for a coffee or a beer. People watching was just great too--the Europeans are just so, well, European...such flair, style...and then at times such excess. Of course Jim and I got pegged as tourists just by our sensible North American coats and shoes. But I did manage to communicate in French sometimes and that always feels good.

Mary was batching it for the five days we were away, working on some writing. She was so great, had a big batch of soup prepared for us when we got home, and a bouquet of flowers to help ease the pain of re-entry. Jim has left to head home to Toronto today--we were up at 4:45 am to get him to the train, to head to the airport. It was really a great visit.

And in less than a week, Mary and I are off to Morocco for two weeks! It is spring break at school for her...we are leaving March 18 and will be back April 2. We'll be in Marrakech, then heading to the Sahara--we are going to do a camel trek in the desert and then overnight with a Berber family. Yes, I know, me, who is afraid of horses, on a camel--I am just not thinking about it too much. We'll also go to visit a women's co-op and meet up with a young woman she met when she worked there, who is an American working in Morocco, so it will be very interesting to get into a smaller village.

Meanwhile, England is having big wind storms. We have been shielded from the worst of it, but still this morning when I was driving Jim to the train station in our little car, I was definitely wrestling to keep it on the road. I am so looking forward to spring and some warmth--though Morocco will definitely offer us sun and heat, and England should be warming up by April (and really it hasn't even been that bad a winter.)

Mary's birthday is this Saturday...we're going for dinner and martinis at one of her school mate's

homes. Time ticks along, and while I am enjoying so much I am experiencing, I think of home often and am counting down the weeks til I return to Vancouver.

Hope to post again before Morocco. Be well, all!

Avebury

My brother Jim arrived on Friday and we have been having a great time. Just like Mary and me, he managed to catch a bit of a cold in London but a few days of restful country life here has him on the road to recovery. Mary planned an excellent day's outing for us--there is an amazing amount of history to see in the vicinity.

First we saw the white horse (pictured above)--it is carved into the hillside and filled with chalk. Very impressive to see! There are tons of these around this area--no one really knows what the inspiration for them was. Then we headed to Avebury, where you can walk around the stone circle. It's amazing how close you can get to them, and how uncrowded with people it felt--especially considering it was Mother's Day here! we also saw Silberry Hill (not pictured)--it is the oldest prehistoric artifact in Europe. But it is just a hill sitting in the middle of a field--no one knows it's purpose, and I have to admit all I could think of was Centennial Hill, in the suburbs of Toronto, which is a ski hill formed out of garbage.

But back to the tour! Then we had lunch in a beautiful old country pub, where Charles Dickens apparently used to eat. After that it was on to Lacock, an old English village that has been used to film some of the Jane Austen films. Mary and I had gone there in the fall, but this time the Abbey was open--it's pictured above. It was very impressive--HUGE rooms, archways, stone floors. It was built in 1137 or some incredibly early year like that. The grounds were impressive too, and you can see one field where tons of purple crocusses were in bloom.

Finally we headed to Castle Combe, another gorgeous quaint village with amazing stone buildings with slate roofs. We were gettting tired by then so just drove through, and I didn't get any pictures, but Mary and I are planning to return and explore a little more.

Jim is in Bath today, exploring the Roman Baths, then he and I will go back tomorrow to see more of the sites...and then Wednesday we are off to Nice! More pictures and stories after our return.

Karen

life is tickin' along

Mary and I have both recovered from our colds and life has been feeling more upbeat these days. We did another pub walk last Saturday, 4 miles so not too long. We saw ducks, fields, a sweet brook, and a gorgeous little village called Slaughterford (not so gorgeous a name really). It was all stone houses and walls, and if it wasn't for seeing the occassional car, we could have easily convinced ourselves we were back in Jane Austen's day.

My brother Jim arrives this Friday--he's in London right now for a few days. He'll be here for five days and then he and I will go to Nice, France for five days--where the forecast is for sun and highs of 20!! I can't wait. Spring flowers are steadily coming on here, and it is getting warmer, but I am just greedy I guess and want MORE sun, MORE warmth!

M and I went to a piano concert last Saturday at the university. It was really fabulous--solo piano, but so varied a program and really very lovely.

So we are at the end of February...three more months til we return to Vancouver! One of the things I'll miss though when I leave, is all the different English accents. I just like the sound of it and the different words used. Of course, I am tired of people asking me where I'm from, since I keep thinking that I don't have an accent myself :-)

Hope to get some good pictures of Nice to post. Bye for now!
K

London

Here are some shots of our recent trip to London. The pastoral one is from a walk we did the week before--just to show you what a contrast it was to land in the big city of London. It IS big...really too overwhelming for my taste, and Mary's too. We arrived fine but then ended up with out suitcases on a tube that was crammed with people--we just had to shove in and stand, nose to armpit with the masses.

It got very cold and windy, so some of our plans for walking went out the window. However, I did get to meet with Oliver, an ASL/English interpreter from the US working in London and it was great to hear about his experiences working in the UK--plus he took me to a fab Vietnamese restaurant for lunch, and then to a cool place for a glass of wine, so that was fun.

You also see the Tower Bridge, and Mary in front of it--that was one of the freezing cold days though, where we ended up abandoning our walk and sitting having coffee and reading the newspaper for hours.

But our highlight was meeting with Jane and Sharon, two Australian women I met this past summer in Spain, who are living in London. We met them at the Tate Modern, browsed some of the great exhibits, then went for Turkish food and finally went to a women's dance. The dance was in a bar that overlooked the Thames, where we could see the boats going by and the lights on St. Paul's cathedral. It was really something! We had a great time with them and they are going to come for a visit in May.

However, going home we discovered that our train wasn't running, and there was no night bus from our tube stop and no one seemed to have any idea how we would get where we were going, so ended up taking a mini cab for more money than I care to mention. That was a lot our experience--trying to figure out transport and maps, looking at everyone else walking around with their "London A-Z " maps and no one seemed to know where we were talking about. We were going to meet at a cafe for Valentine's Day--I spent 45 minutes walking around the neighbourhood til I finally found it, almost by fluke..and then spent ten minutes on the cell phone with Mary trying to describe landmarks I could see out the window. She made it too, and decided to have a martini to get over the frustration...oh sorry, no olives :-) This seems to epitomize our English experience--you just can't always get what you want--and they don't really care either!

Mary didn't get as much reading done as she had hoped so she is glad to be back here and heading to the university again. We both have colds so are sniffling away, but at least the weather forecast looks warmer in the days ahead. We're planning on a quiet weekend, possibly another pub walk.

Mary swears she is never going to London again. I'll be going in early April, to an interpreter's conference--I am co-presenting with Deb, my friend and colleague who I met up with in Ukraine last October. But I plan on staying in the hotel and not venturing out around the city much--though we did get tickets to see Billy Eliot, the musical--music by Sir Elton John--and I am very much looking forward to that.

Hope you are all seeing signs of spring approaching.

Karen

life ticks along...

It's been unusually sunny and warm here, and that delights me. More spring flowers every day, and cherry trees in blossom. We've been warned it could get cold again, possibly even have a freak snowstorm but I am just enjoying this weather while it's here.

We had another 5 1/2 mile hike last Sunday with the Wild Women Walking group. There were about 14 of us...everyone so friendly and interesting. It was another gorgeous view of English countryside, and not much mud. The only scarey moment was walking through a field where a horse took offence and kicked at one of the women. It seemed more like a warning than a real attempt to hurt but scared us all pretty good!

We all went to a pub for a pint after and had some great lessons in English expressions--for example, "I was absolutely gutted!" means really upset, devastated, torn up about something. And when you think something is really ridiculous, you say its the "horses bollocks". I think that one is somewhat rude :-)

M and I are off to London tomorrow, Feb. 13, for 5 days. We've ditched the trip to Brighton and won't be returning to London after, so we'll be back in Peasedown by the 19th, not the 26th as I had written earlier. It's a lot easier for her to work at her office at the university, and I am doing a bit of work too and needing to have a stable place to work, so moving around too much seemed like not the best thing.

My brother Jim will be coming at the end of February and he and I are heading to Nice together for five days, so hope I will have some great pictures to post after that trip.

It was my birthday last Saturday. Thanks for the cards and ecards and phone calls. Mary made me a fab breakfast and took me into Bath to a great Italian restaurant, which was very nice. We missed our community of friends though...we are looking forward to being home again.

More after London.

K.