I'm back!

Currently I'm sitting in the Chicago Admirals Club lounge waiting for my flight to board, in about another 4 hours. The plane leaves here at 8:25 landing in Tulsa at 10:20.

My photo bucket has been somewhat updated so please take a look. After an 8 &1/2 hour flight, customs, security checkpoints that I can't even count, and a pounding headache; there isn't anything much I can add today that will be coherent or of particular interest- maybe more tomorrow. Can you say, jet lag?

My Bucket  

On the way back home!

We've been without an Internet connection for the last several days which is why there have been no updates.

Today we are taking the train back to Manchester where we will be staying the night prior to my flight first thing tomorrow morning. Damn. Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Here is the latest picture we took yesterday in Moelfre on the shores of the beautiful Irish Sea. At the moment my connection is still limited since we are in a cafe, so I will have to upload the rest of my pictures to PB later on.

Hope all is well at home and I'll see ya'll soon!

~Rebecca

It was really, really. really cold!

Mushy peas?

What are mushy peas? Mushy peas are very much like our re-fried beans, except made with green peas. Andrew says that you buy the peas dried and already broken up, put them to soak over night then cook them the next day. They are actually quite good.

We spent the day at Beaumaris castle on Anglesey. Tonight I'm much too tired to upload to PB, so for now I'm posting my proof of life photo.

I hope all is well at home.

~Rebecca

Taken outside a 600 year old pub.

Sorry, I know!

It has been subtly and tactfully brought to my attention by my best friend Sandi that I've been remiss about my blog posting. Sorry, but for the past several days, after being dragged over half of North Wales, I've been too tired. But I will take the gentle suggestion of my dear Sandi, and post at least one proof of life photo along with one sentence declaring my well being daily. Except for today because we didn't do anything so I didn't take pictures. You'll have to check out my photo bucket. Here is the link. I've loaded up several new photos taken over the last few days.    Wales, 2011  The album itself is empty, but is divided into several sub folders according to where the pictures where taken, so go ahead and click on the mini albums!  :)

Right now we are sitting in the cafe next door to the laundrette waiting for our clothes to wash and for brunch to be served. Unlike at home, here you can leave your things in the wash and not have to worry about someone taking them if you're not right there with them.

Over the last few days I've seen so much of this beautiful country that I don't even know where to begin in telling about it all. The grass is greener, the air cleaner and don't even get me started over the new foods! I have to admit that I have found a vice that I'm not sure how to deal with once I get back home: Clotted cream! O.M.G! It has the taste of fresh whipped cream, but instead of being all light and fluffy, it is the consistency of caramel! Take a cherry or sultana scone and spread it with strawberry jam then slather on the clotted cream....... it's like a party in your mouth! 

Moving along.

This week we are playing it by ear so I have no idea what we'll be getting up to until the day before. Tomorrow we are going to Anglesey to visit Beaumaris. At some point this week we are heading back to Conwy because I have to see it once more and have another plate of fish and chips with mushy peas.

Until tomorrow, I hope everyone is well and I look forward to sharing more when I can.

~Rebecca

Oy!

We spent the day at Penrhyn castle, which was actually very lovely. But..... The walk up the driveway is a mile from the bus stop, partly up hill. Part of the walk was a shortcut through the castle lawn, which soaked through my shoes to cover my feet in freezing cold early morning dew, which matched the odd mixture of sweat that was brewing under my damn jacket because I had some cold/hot temperature issue my body was trying to figure out. When I asked if I wanted the camera for photo opportunities, I growled, "No", in my sweetest possible voice. All I could think was I wanted the dry pavement because my feet were wet. Andrew was incrediably sweet and did his best to make me feel better.

It was nice to see where Andrew spends so much time and to meet all his friends and coworkers. Everyone here has been so kind and warm, I really have been lucky to meet so many nice people. We did spend half the day at the castle. After learning all about the Penrhyn's, we had afternoon tea in the castle tea room. I had my Earl Grey with a flapjack. Now, a flapjack isn't what we also call a pancake. It looked like a light and fluffy square of spice cake, but ended up being a very yummy, but heavy and filling sweet oatcake that sits in your gut like a brick.

After tea we made our way out of the castle and walked down to Porth Penrhyn where we caught the bus to upper Bangor where I went to my first proper British grocery. They have so many of the things we do at home, but it's all packaged differently. They have Pringles, but in flavors like Prawns, Cheese and Paprika. The bakery area has packaged breads, but also these bins filled with rolls that are just open for anyone to rummage through with bare hands! I was appalled and Andrew looked at me and asked what. What? Really? There may be a set of tongs, but who actually uses them? And God knows where hands have been and when they were washed last, not to mention just the open air with the germs of all the people walking by. Yes, I had a small germ-a-phobe moment in the middle of Morrisons bakery section.

I've yet to adjust to the cars driving on the other side of the street thing, nor have I been able to make sense of the seemingly excessive use of round-abouts. For those who don't know what a round-about is; think the traffic circle on Admiral in Tulsa, that's a round about. But instead of the one we have, they use them instead of our four way stop intersections. Now imagine that on a bus, looping its way through town.

Today was so long that by the time we got home I wasn't sure if I needed pain medication for my feet or nausea medicine for the motion sickness I get everytime I'm on a bus. Yes, the girl who gets car sick sitting in the back of a car is using a bus as my main mode of transportation. The first shopping trip we had to make was to Boots (pharmacy) for motion sickenss medicine. Ohmigosh! That reminds me, in Boots, they had a mini Loreal Mens display with a picture of Gerry! It took everything I had not to squeal (louder than I did) and lick the display (which I did not)!

From now on I will be posting one proof-of-life picture per entry and including the rest by adding a link to my photobucket account. The process for posting them here is too long and the photobucket is much easier.

Hope all is well with everyone at home.

~Rebecca

Our Day In Conwy

These are some random photgraphs taken yesterday at Conwy, which is just over 700 years old. We started with a very British lunch of fish & chips with mushy peas (don't ask) followed by a trip into the sweet shop where I tried clotted cream fudge. It tastes a lot like caramel, but with the consistancy of regular fudge. We then walked around part of the castle walls surrounding the town which afforded some of the great views for these photos. Once we were finished seeing all Conwy had to offer we popped into the meat market to pick up pork & apple sausages to make bangers and mash for dinner.

Today was a nice day for staying inside since it's rather rainy and cold, but weather permitting tomorrow we are going to Penrhyn Castle.

Day1 - Croeso y Pesda (Welcome to Bethesda)

My first full day here was a great one. We ventured down to the village for lunch, taking photos along the way. The first pictures are of the mountains range surrounding the village. Next there are the pictures of the Ogwen river and part of the forest that surrounds it. 

I've taken 265 photos in two days and I'm too freakin' tired to post any more tonight.