Goodbye Stratford

 

Last week we packed up our house and said "so long" to our new friends in Stratford-upon-Avon. We all felt a bit sad that our time there is over. The boys had already put down little roots. We didn't foresee this a year ago when we started planning this adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

It was nice to welcome family and friends from Canada in the last month or so, to ease the impending extraction.

 

Ken's niece Maddy, en route to Spain, 

 

Louise and Dahlia,

 

 

Michael and the Grenfell theatre students,

 

 

 

Jennifer, Mike, Claire and Sam,

 

And my (Nancy's) parents, seen here navigating the London Underground like pros. We loved making and sharing discoveries--so much fun with you all!

Some things we'll miss about Stratford:

National Trust sites,

fish and chip take-away,
using our bikes everyday.

Old stuff everywhere,

 school uniforms,

riding on the train.

 

 

The canal,

my quiet spot to work everyday in the Shakespeare Institute (says Ken),

the back alley short-cuts to school.

 

Chimney pots and other roof-top decor,

playing football in the abandoned lot,

a slower pace of life.

I will miss Hemming and Peace Funeral Directors at the end of our street. The men who worked there would often be out in their smart-looking red waistcoats washing and polishing their vehicles. It was a daily reminder to "seize the day".

Most of all though, we'll miss our new friends here. You know who you are!

We've left a piece of our hearts in Stratford and I think we'll come back again.

 

 

How to Speak English

As Canadians, one of the things we learned while living in the UK is how to speak ‘real’ English. Here’s a list of vocabulary items for Canucks (or Americans) who want to make themselves understood:

Canadian                                                           British

soccer                                  =                           football

cleats (soccer)                   =                             Boots (football)

underwear                         =                             pants

pants                                   =                           trousers (don’t get these mixed up)

lineup, line                         =                             queue

take-out (food)                  =                             take-away

elevator                               =                             lift

high street                          =                             main street

movie theatre                    =                             cinema

movie                                   =                             film

bathroom/washroom       =                             toilet/ loo

math                                     =                             maths

goof/dork                           =                             prat

jerk                                        =                             git

friend                                    =                             mate

dessert                                 =                             pudding/ pud

cookie                                   =                             biscuit

candy                                    =                             sweets

fries                                       =                             chips

(potato) chips                    =                             crisps

pop                                        =                             soda

buns                                      =                             baps

eraser                                   =                             rubber

rain boots                            =                             wellies

dump                                    =                             Tip

garbage can                        =                             bin

gas                                         =                             petrol

store                                     =                             shop

booger                                 =                             bogey

lice                                         =                             nits

Some British words have multiple meanings and uses, e.g. bits. ‘Bits’ can refer to parts of a thing(including private parts), but it can also mean little particles (like pulp in orange juice, one variety of which is “Smooth, No Bits”. When a person is very emotional or upset they are “in bits”.

attractive/ hot                   =                             fit

stupid                                   =                             daft

awesome/ excellent          =                             brilliant

gross/ filthy                        =                             mankey

crazy                                    =                             mad

like, want                            =                             fancy

ride (a bike)                        =                             cycle

rent                                      =                             let

making fun of                     =                             taking the mick

skipping off (school)          =                             skiving

 

Expressions

Hello                                      =                             y’alright?

 Hey!                                     =                             oi!

Pronunciations

yoghurt (first syllable rhymes with ‘frog’ not ‘go’)

vitamins (first syllable rhymes with ‘bit’)

aluminum (stress placed on the third syllable, not the second)

 

 

 

 

 

Barcelona Dos

Another sunny day in Barcelona.
 

 

 

I loved these ornate lamps and lamposts everywhere. They looked like fancy earrings to me.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

There was a large area devoted to buildings for the 1992 Summer Olympics, eerily empty now. Ben in front of Olympic Stadium:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking downhill from these building, we came across the most extraordinary "city of the dead": 

 

Montjuic Cemetary, built on the side of a hill facing the sea, is a huge necropolis (56 hectares) where many of Barcelona's eminent citizens rest, including artist Joan Miro. We were almost alone here among the winding "streets" of glass-fronted mausoleums and statues and felt overwhelmed by the flowers, small tokens and names upon names, representing lives lived.

 

 

 

 There were orange trees everywhere in public parks, with of temptingly ripe-looking ones at the top and not so many on the lower branches. Everyday I mentioned to Ken that they looked tempting, and that other people must pick them or there would be more within reach. I guess he got tired of me saying that and so this day, just after this photo was taken, he picked one for me. Unfortunately and fittingly, the orange tasted very bitter and was inedible--a marmalade orange I guess. Served me right. Maybe there are CCTVs with camera trained on tourists like us, just for a laugh when we bite into those oranges.

We bought a bag of oranges every day after that.

There were many stunning fountains in Barcelona. This was our favouite:

 

Sometimes the boys get tired of art galleries and museums, and so Ken and I take turns visiting them on our own. I loved my visit to MACBA, a contemporary art museum. The boys loved their visit to the zoo. No pictures of the zoo to show however, since I had the camera! 

 

 

After several museums, I feel quite satiated, like I can't absorb any more extreme beauty. Thankfully, art is everywhere outside, waiting, when I feel this way!

 

 

  

 

Always wished for one of these. Maybe someday.

 

 

Even though the beach wasn't really "in season", we loved walking along the waterfront.

 

 

 

Two Canucks could not resist dipping their feet in:

 

 

One die-hard Canuck left dipping his feet in:

 

 

 

Hope to come back again, Barcelona.

 

Whew! Now it was time for a more managable pace back in England.

 

 I've been thinking about this sabbatical as a mix of 'fast travel' and 'slow travel'. Paris and Barcelona were the fast, whereas the day-to-day living in England is the slow. Both are great and have lots to teach a person.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barcelona Uno

Wow. Barcelona. What an amazing city. Yes, tapas, art, parks, whimsical architecture, but so much more!

We couldn't bear the thought of being on our own at Christmas, stuck in our townhouse, so we jumped at the chance to visit Spain. This time of year is a little cold for a strictly beach holiday, so we decided on Barcelona in hopes of some "city delights". The first thing Ben noticed when we stepped outside the airport was the palm trees. He ran across the street to touch one.

Once we got settled in our apartment (more about that later), we took a stroll down La Rambla, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Barcelona. This street bustles with tourists, artists, human statues, fortune-tellers, dancers and musicians. Here is La Boqueria market:

Along with these rabbits, the market had incredible seafood.

 

Barcelona (the Catalan locals pronounce it "Barth-e-lona") is laid back, yet it has a lively, colourful street-life.

                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our budget travels, we don't do lunch in many fancy restaurants.

      But the boys wanted to eat at a fancier place, "just for once", so we did. Paella was on the menu.

Many of Barcelona's architectural treasures were designed by Antoni Gaudi. We learned a lot about Moderisme, Spain's version of Art Nouveau. Gaudi's Sangrada Familia was the highlight. Is it possible for a place to feel whimsical and sacred at the same time? Of course. This did. Frommer's guide says, "At first glance, it seems as though a careless giant has dripped melting wax over a Gothic cathedral." True! The walls have this crazy wobbly, holey look like coral or eroded rock. But look more closely and you see meticulous detail, all of which fits into a master design. The spires are topped with clusters of fruit, and giant stone lizards crawl along the face, It seems that Gaudi wanted to build a cathedral which celebrates nature in all its glorious multiplicity and variety, and the artist behind it all -- the God of creation. 

 

Many cathedrals are overwhelming and awe-inspiring; the Sangrada tends more toward the imaginitive, the fantastical, the joyous, the humorous. Yet the joy is powerfully counter-balanced by the sorrow and suffering in the vignettes of Christ which are very moving.  The cathedral remains unfinished, still under construction after 130 years. I hope I live to see it complete.

 

Another Gaudi-designed treasure is Park Guell, a magical place. Wacky, gorgeous, mosaic-covered fairy-tale houses and viaducts, green space, playgrounds and interesting plants await you. We all loved it.

 

But of all the lovely parks in Barcelona, the boys loved the Parc de Llabarinth the most. As the name suggests, there was a giant hedge-maze in the centre.

 

 

Ken and the boys chased each other around in there for almost an hour.

 

 

Ken sneaking a minute with his book while the boys played some more.

 

Back to the topic of our apartment...

We have been using an agency called Air BnB throughout our adventures. On this site, people rent out their own apartments, houses, or other living spaces. This has been an invaluable discovery. It's better for our boys to have a bit more space than a hotel or B n B, and I like having a kitchen for quick meals if we're tired in the evening, and it's much cheaper than renting out 2 rooms in a hotel. Plus, you get to live like the locals do, in a way.

 

This is Miguel's apartment where we stayed. Isn't it lovely?!

 

I'll tell you more about Barcelona in a couple days!