Happy Christmas from the UK!

No, that was not a typo - it's common here in the UK to hear "Happy Christmas" rather than "Merry Christmas." We've been hearing it all season, but neither of us has gotten used to it yet. And that's not the only difference we've seen as we've celebrated Christmas here...

First, we've been introduced to "Boxing Day" and Father Christmas. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas that is kind of like our Black Friday when the shops open up with tons of sales. It's also a time when families gather together for good meals similar to a Thanksgiving. Father Christmas is their version of Santa Claus, so you actually don't see the term "Santa" in very many places.

Second, it's been fun celebrating Christmas in a true winter climate. As you saw last week, we were hit with some pretty heavy snow, which was very unusual for this area at this time of year. It only started melting away the last 2 days, so we consider it close enough to be a "white Christmas."

Third, we've enjoyed learning about the food traditions for this time of year. A UK Christmas dinner usually features things like turkey, brussel sprouts, and stuffing (definitley NOT Stouffer's!). We had a great mince meat pie and Christmas pudding at our favorite pub recently, and we tried out some new recipes at home for Christmas Eve and Christmas this year. Brian made an AMAZING homemade squash soup tonight (yeah, we've gotten really into soups lately now that we are in a cold climate)!  Do you like the art he put into my soup?  =)

This Christmas was odd because it was the first time we have ever been away from our families and friends, but luckily we were able to talk to everyone today and even do a video chat to make us feel like we were home. And of course we had our dog here to keep us company. Here's Lilo opening up her Christmas stocking... Happy Christmas again everyone!

Our First Snow: A Winter Wonderland

As native Floridians, we don't have any experience with snow.  I have only seen it once, more than 15 years ago, and Brian had never seen it.  We've tried traveling to see it, but it's never worked out.  Luckily for us, though, snow came to us in England!

Several inches fell during the evening and overnight, and this morning we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland around our town.  We don't live in a major city, so we got to play in the soft, white, pretty snow.  We spent all morning making snowballs and snow angels and just taking in the scenery.  (There may have been an intense snowball fight somewhere in there too...)  =)  I'm sure everyone watching us play like little kids thought we were a little weird, but we had fun.  I told Brian that next time we need to wear signs that say "We are from Florida."

We even took Lilo out to play in the field where we normally walk her - we're not sure if she's seen snow before, but it didn't seem to faze her at all.  Everyone who knows our dog knows how much she hates rain, but she loved playing in the snow all morning! 

The snow could not have come at a better time.  Today was Brian's Friday off of work, so we played all morning and bundled up in the afternoon and enjoyed our first snow day.  Brian and I even made our English cups of tea to help keep us warm.  After talking with the locals today, we found out that Bury hasn't seen snow like this before Christmas in about 30 years.  The weather officials say the chances of an actual white Christmas are slim, but this was close enough for us.  =)

Here are some pictures from our adventures around town this morning - all were taken within half-a-mile of our home.  Hope you enjoy (especially our friends and family in Florida who have beautiful sunshine right now!  We loved the snow today, but I'm not sure how we're going to do with the rest of the winter!) 

And we couldn't resist sharing this cute video of Lilo and Brian playing in the snow. 

Budget Travel Series: Eating Out While Traveling

You don’t have to spend a fortune to have good, authentic meals when traveling. We have made errors, but now have a few techniques for eating well on a budget while traveling.

First, try to avoid eating in the main tourist areas if you can. They will be the most expensive, and in our opinion, the food quality is not as high. Even venturing off to a side street can make a world of difference.

If breakfast is included in our hotel price, definitely eat there. However, if it is an additional charge, forego it and find a nice bite to eat in a local café. You’ll save tons of money and see how the locals really eat.

For lunch, you don’t have to do a sit-down restaurant. Some of our best meals have been from take-away cafes where you can grab a sandwich and then go find a nice park bench where you can eat. In Cinque Terre, we had amazing tomato and mozzarella sandwiches for less than 4 Euros each; in Germany, we look for bratwurst stands; and in Amsterdam, we found great Middle Eastern kebab houses.

Dinner tends to be our nicest meal of the day, but even then we try to keep it affordable. We made a HUGE mistake in Ireland when we thought a Chinese restaurant would be a cheap option; it ended up costing us $70 for dinner and we didn’t even have alcohol. Ask the locals where their favorite places are to eat, and be sure to check with the hotel or B&B staff for good, affordable choices nearby. Our favorite meals have been the cheapest ones.

So that’s it for our budget travel series (at least for now until we learn new tips). We hope you enjoyed reading it and that you gained some helpful information. As always, feel free to contact us if you are traveling to Europe and have any questions. =)

Budget Travel Series: Transportation

Luckily, a good portion of European cities have amazing public transportation options. Sometimes though you do need to get a rental car. For both options, here are some tips that have saved us money.

In our opinion, there are only 2 times you need a rental car: 1) if you are touring a country and want to be on your own timetable and path, and 2) you are visiting multiple European cities that are not easily connected by public transportation.

If you must book a rental car, go for the smallest car you can. This not only saves you money in the rental price and gas, but it will also help you navigate the tiny, winding roads and miniscule parking spots throughout Europe. When booking a rental car, we start by identifying which companies are located in our destination airport. Then we find the best quote, making sure to check the special offers and other promotions at the time. Be aware that you will pay extra for more than one driver.

If you’re not renting a car, you first need to decide how to get from the airport to your hotel. Check for airport shuttles, buses, or trains to find your least expensive option. Many times Ryan Air and Easy Jet will offer a shuttle that coordinates with your flight times and takes you to and from the city center. Our biggest tip is to avoid taxis if at all possible.

Most major cities offer a multi-day, unlimited use public transit pass. We highly recommend these for larger cities when walking from Point A to Point B may be quite far. It’s also easier than trying to figure out every day what tickets you need to go where. The key is to do your research and plan your itinerary well to maximize your public transit pass (it also helps to marry an industrial engineer who always makes our trips so efficient!).

Stay tuned tomorrow for the last in our budget travel series: Eating Out When Traveling.

Budget Travel Series: Accomodations

The name of the game when booking accomodations in Europe is to find something that is clean, near the center of a city or close to public transportation, and most importantly, AFFORDABLE. You don’t have to stay in hostels to sleep on a budget in Europe though.

Trip Advisor has become our best friend when booking hotels in European cities. We find the top-rated hotels or B&Bs based on traveler recommendations and then start going down the list to find our least expensive option. Our experience has been that in large cities like Amsterdam or Munich, it’s least expensive to stay in a hotel. In smaller cities like Kerry in Ireland, you can find some real bargains by staying in quaint B&Bs.

Be aware though when reading reviews that European accommodations standards are very different than America’s. Rooms, and especially bathrooms, in Europe tend to be much smaller and aren’t known for the “frills” of some American hotels such as shampoo and conditioner, washcloths, etc. Our requirement is that they are clean.

Sometimes we try to save money by staying outside the main part of a city. When looking at hotel rates though, make sure to factor in additional transportation costs you will have to incur each day to go to the city. Norway, for example, had insanely high public transportation costs (about $8 for a one-way bus ticket), so for that city, it was worth it to pay a bit more to be in the center of town. You also lose time when you have to transport in every day, so if you’re on a short time schedule, decide if you want to save your money elsewhere and pay a bit more for the hotel.

Some cities are just more expensive than others, but in general, we have been very lucky with finding amazing hotels at very great prices. If you’re visiting a city we have been to, let us know and we’ll be happy to give you our recommendations. You can also check out our reviews on Trip Advisor. =)

Budget Travel Series: Flights

When in Europe, and especially when you are fortunate like us and live close to London Stansted Airport or Luton Airport, you have the HUGE advantage of two competing no-frills, budget airlines: Easy Jet and Ryan Air.

For Ryan Air, we look for the flights with the “Free Online Check-In.” This saves you the cost of taxes and fees, which is usually most of the price with these airlines. With the exception of maybe 1, all of our flights have cost us less than 50 GBP (~$83 USD) for a round-trip ticket. The bottom line is that we don’t go somewhere unless we can get a cheap flight. In our experience, Easy Jet is pricier than Ryan Air; however, they usually fly to main airports so you save the travel costs associated with getting to cities from rural airports. For Ryan Air, make sure to determine the cost to get to your final destination and incorporate that into your ticket price before deciding between the two airlines.

Both airlines make their money with the “extras,” and they get you with higher fees if you don’t know the system. Here are some of the tips we have learned:

1. The first “extra” is baggage. For no cost, you can take 1 carry-on bag weighing up to 10 kg (~** lbs) and measuring 20x40x55 cm. For our friends in the United States, this is considerably smaller than what you are used to taking on U.S. flights. For an additional cost, you can check bags, but you will pay based on weight (for example, you pay 20 GBP to check 1 bag weighing up to 15 kg (~** lbs) round-trip). As a result, Brian and I have gotten very good at packing our luggage wisely. We maximize our carry-on bags and tend to travel with only 1 checked bag that usually tops out at 14.9 kg. We have traveled only using carry-on, but some airports wouldn’t allow us to take our camera tripod on-board. (HUGE tip: Buy a small luggage scale to take with you. It saves you from having to redistribute weight at the airport, and even if there are scales in the airports, you usually have to pay for them.)
2. The second “extra” you will encounter during the booking process is the potential upgrade to speedy boarding. Both airlines do not have assigned seats; therefore, it is first-come, first-served. However, you do not need to purchase this upgrade. The key is to get to the airport early and patiently queue once the gate number has been announced. If you do this, you will get a good seat even on a crowded flight.
3. The next “extra” is food and drink on-board. Just like the movies, it definitely saves you tons of money to bring your own drinks and snacks. Ryan Air and Easy Jet offers them, but at ridiculous prices (I made this mistake once and paid 2 GBP (~3.33 USD) for a mini-can of Pepsi). Now, as soon as we get through Security, we buy a huge bottle of water or other non-alcoholic drink (you can’t bring your own alcohol on the plane). We take those and pre-packed snacks with us in case we want to eat something while on the plane.
4. Other “extras” that will cost you include Ryan Air scratch lottery cards, smokeless cigarettes, and duty-free items available through the airline catalogue.

So this is the first major part of how we have been able to travel affordably throughout Europe. Stay tuned tomorrow for our tips on booking nice, but affordable, hotels.

Budget Travel Series: Introduction

Brian and I have lived in the UK for more than 6 months now, and we have been able to see some of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The question we always get though is: how do you afford to do it? It’s taken research and experience, but we now have a system that allows us to travel in Europe on a budget without feeling like we’re on one. We stay in nice hotels, eat local food, and are truly able to experience the cultures by finding ways to save where we can.

Before you begin planning your trip, there are a few general tips that can make a difference. First, it is helpful to check out travel deals through Web sites such as Travel Zoo (www.travelzoo.com or www.travelzoo.co.uk). Myvouchercodes.co.uk can also offer you great savings on destinations in the UK specifically. Expedia and Travelocity are also great resources for traveler information, ideas, and savings. Many of these sites offer a regular, online newsletter with travel deals delivered straight to your inbox.

Over the course of the next 4 days, we will share our tips for saving money when booking flights, choosing hotels, getting around town, and eating out. We hope you will find the information helpful when planning your next trip to Europe!

Amsterdam: The Land of...well, you know... =)

Brian and I thought Amsterdam would be a fun city to visit, so when we saw cheap airfares, we booked our tickets quickly and headed over for a 3-day weekend. Some people may be hesitant to visit the city, but that would be a big mistake. It's a beautiful city with gorgeous canal homes, friendly people, and a lot of history.

We started off our trip by visiting the Anne Frank House, somewhere I have always wanted to go. It was very surreal waking through the actual house where the family lived for those years during World War II. It was extremely well-done and maintained a respect and integrity that I feared it would lack due to the vast numbers of tourists who visit the house every year. It's a definite must-see for anyone visiting Amsterdam.

Despite the not-so-great weather that day, we ventured onto the canals for a boat tour through the city. The houses along the canals are so beautiful and deceptively small. We actually visited a few of the historical ones, and once you get inside, you discover they are actually skinny mansions!

That night, we went somewhere I thought I would never go: the Red Light District. We went on a tour that was highly rated by Trip Advisor, and it was actually strangely fascinating to see this part of the city. Brian was 1 of only 2 men in our group of 10 which we all thought was quite funny. If you're in the city, I think it's something you definitely have to see. And before anyone asks, no, we don't have any pictures from this part of our trip. =)

Our final night in Amsterdam, we took part in the annual Museum Night, where you purchase one ticket that gets you into museums around the city from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. It was a blast! We started off with a secret Catholic church that had been built in a canal house attic, then went to a few more historic canal houses, and finally ended up at the Olympic Stadium from 1928. The Olympic Stadium was by far the highlight of the night for Brian - we even got to hold the official Olympic Torch!

On our trip, we also visited the Heineken Brewery, the BOLS Cocktail Museum, and one of the largest food markets in the city. Here are the pictures from our adventures. Hope you enjoy!

Friends in England =)

Since moving to England, we have tried to explain to our friends and family what it is like, but we really want everyone to come out and visit us to see it for themselves. One of our best friends Chris took us up on the offer and came out for a visit a few weeks ago. We had the best time showing him around our little town and then visiting Cambridge and London!

Chris started out here in Bury St. Edmunds where we took him to the local sites and of course our favorite local pubs. (He would never survive in England though because he got tired of pub food pretty quickly!) =) A unique adventure he and Brian did was to visit Go Ape! in a local forest where you could zipline and do ropes courses through the woods. Brian has been wanting to do it for a while, so I was glad one of his friends came over to go with him.

We also visited the Duxford Air Museum and Cambridge, which is still one of our favorite towns because of the college feel, great architecture, and yummy food we can't seem to find anywhere else close to us! We had a great Turkish dinner the night we were there with Chris.

After a few days in the more rural part of England, we caught up with Chris' friend Trisha who lives in London and Brian's friend from work to venture into London. The five of us ended up being in a car together for several hours in addition to 2 days of sightseeing so it's a good thing we got along so well from the beginning! =)

We started off by seeing Windsor Castle (the Queen was actually in residence there when we visited!) and Hampton Court Palace, one of the main homes of Henry VIII. Anyone coming to London should definitely visit these two places! On Sunday, (after the guys finished watching the Gator game early that morning), we did the hot spots in the center of London, including the Tower of London where we saw the Crown Jewels. It was definitely a fast-paced weekend full of a lot of history and walking, but I think I can safely say everyone had a good time. =)

Check out our photos from our weekend. Remember that you too can visit us here in England and be taken on a great adventure! Chris, please feel free to add your endorsements about what great hosts we were. (hint hint) Hope to see more friends soon!

Oslo, Norway - A Great, Unexpected Adventure!

Brian and I love traveling and experiencing different parts of Europe, but I don't think either of us ever thought we would see the real Norway (we've been to the fake one in Epcot a lot though)! =) However, when we found two round-trip plane tickets to Oslo for less than $100, we decided to go for it and experience Oslo.

Oslo is where the Nobel Peace Prize is from, and since we went not long after they announced that President Obama was this year's recipient, we visited the Nobel Peace Center. The center also had an exhibition titled "From King to Obama" where they compared President Obama to Martin Luther King, Jr. We thought this was interesting and possibly controversial to some people...

And of course when you think of Norway, you think of Vikings so we visited the Viking Ship Museum. It was actually really interesting, and it's always amazing to see artifacts that are older than the US!

Other than those two things, we really just enjoyed walking around Norway. It was cold, but with the sunshine, we didn't mind. There were beautiful parks EVERYWHERE where we got to see leaves that had changed colors. The waterways and fjords were gorgeous too - it was just such a peaceful and beautiful country. We definitely had a great time and hope to go back sometime, which is good considering we had no idea what to expect when we booked the tickets! =) Check out the sights in Oslo here.

Barcelona: The Land of Tapas and Interesting Architecture

Brian and I continued our travel marathon and headed over to Barcelona for a quick weekend. My brother recently asked me why we were traveling so much, and the truth is that 1) we love experiencing different cultures and 2) we are able to do it on a budget because of Ryan Air and because of tricks we have learned to keep travel costs down.

Barcelona was mine and Brian's first time to Spain, and we loved it! The weather was beautiful, especially after coming from cold England. The city was vibrant and energizing - we loved the people, the food, the architecture, and everything else. We actually spent most of our time just walking around the city and taking it all in.

Of course we ate tapas for lunch and dinner, and enjoyed the sangria too. =) We took a city bus tour to hit the highlights of the city and made a great stop at the Olympic Stadium and Museum. Brian LOVES the Olympics so it was cool to go visit where the 1992 games were held. We're trying to figure out how many more "Olympic cities" we can visit on our travels.

Definitely the most interesting building we saw was the Sagrada Familia by Gaudi. It's been in the making for 80 years and isn't expected to be complete until 2030. It is the most random building and collection of design techniques I have ever seen - Brian thought it was interesting; I honestly thought it was very random and a bit of a mess. I'll reserve my final judgment though for when the building is complete. =)

Our Spanish wasn't great, but we did the best we could and we found the people to be very friendly and helpful. We especially ran into bits of language barriers when we ventured out of the main tourist areas to eat at more local restaurants (we always try to do this because the food is usually better and less expensive).

Overall, this was an amazing trip and we definitely want to go back to Spain, especially when the weather gets miserable here and we need some good sunshine. =) Check out our photos here to see beautiful Barcelona.

Bavaria, Germany Part 2: Garmisch and the Zugspitze

After Munich, we explored other parts of Bavarian Germany. First, we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp. My mom was German, so I have always been very interested in the country. In both high school and college, I took a lot of German language, culture, and history classes. It was so powerful to be able to stand in the spots I had studied for so many years.

We then headed down to Garmisch to see the German Alps. We highly recommend this beautiful town for anyone visiting Germany. Brian and I have always thought that Epcot was a surreal or fake version of countries, but after visiting places like Garmisch, we see now that Disney got it right - these countries really are that surreal and beautiful.

While in Garmisch, we ventured up the Alps to the Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany at nearly 10,000 feet! It's pretty much an all-day adventure that includes a couple of cable cars and trains. In addition to the breathtaking view, one of the highlights for us was seeing snow. Brian and I are both native Floridians, so this was the first time Brian has seen real snow and only my second time (ironically my first time seeing snow was visiting my mom's family in Germany more than 10 years ago)!

During the winter, this area attracts tons of ski lovers. We're talking about heading back to try out the slopes and maybe even do some tobaggoning. In the meantime, here are some photos from this trip. =)

Bavaria, Germany Part 1: Oktoberfest!

This past weekend, Brian and I headed over to Munich, Germany, to see the real Oktoberfest. Since we were there on the last weekend of the festival, it was PACKED!!! They estimated 6-7 million people were going this year. Now if you think Oktoberfest is just for drinking, you would be very wrong - yes, there is a lot of beer flowing but there is so much more! All of the local breweries set up "tents" which are really elaborately decorated temporary buildings that can hold upwards of 10,000 people. Once inside, you grab a table (usually you are sitting at a large table with strangers) and then order your drinks and food. We always eat so well in Germany - the roast chicken, bratwursts, and homemade potato salad were delicious as always!

Beyond the tents, Oktoberfest includes "carnival rides," but we don't think that is the accurate term to describe them. These rides would fit right in with the best amusement park rides - they are crazy scary (probably even scarier if you've been drinking!). The carnival has several rollercoasters, two giant ferris wheels, and tons of rides that spin you and flip you and throw you into the air. We opted to avoid those rides... =)

After Oktoberfest on Saturday, we ventured into downtown Munich and visited the famous Hofbrau House. We had to shove our way in, but it was so worth it! The food and drinks were really good, and it was so much fun just to watch everyone around us. (Check out our photos to see the traditional German attire we saw all weekend...)

We weren't sure what to expect going into Oktoberfest, but it was a blast and we are already planning on going back next year. Check out our photos and let us know if you'd like to join us! =)

Our First Trip Home to Florida

Brian and I just got back from our first visit home since moving to the UK in April. It was so nice seeing our friends and family, but 9 days definitely wasn't enough time, especially since we were coordinating moving our dog here with us. This was the longest either of us had ever been away from Orlando and our families and friends so it was nice to go back for this visit.

Some of our favorite things we did at home that we have missed so much were:

• Going to Aquatica with our friends - It was so nice to lay on the "beach" there and enjoy the sun and water (especially the Raging Rapids Lazy River!)


• Eating sushi - We had a great dinner with our friends at Seito Sushi. I hadn't had really good sushi in 4 months so I was very happy that night!


• Eating more sushi =) - We met up with friends from Brian's work for another night of sushi at Amura. Gosh, what I wouldn't give for another Spicy Bubba Roll... =)


• Gator football. (Ok, this one is more Brian's than mine...) =) Brian had the chance to go to 2 football games with Chris, Sneha, and Kim. He'll get to go to 2 more when we are home again later this season. I think it's amazing that my husband who lives so far away from Gainesville now is still able to get 4 games in this season... Oh, and the games he doesn't go to personally, we are watching here on our Slingbox or traveling to London to watch them with the Gator Club there. Anyone who knows Brian wouldn't expect anything less though.

• Convenience. EVERYTHING is open so late. After dinner, we still had time to run errands around town.


• Space. Our home in the States now seems so big to us! There were times where I couldn't find Brian in the house easily; here we trip over each other all the time. And especially now that we have our dog here, we are really missing our backyard!


• Familiary. It was just nice to be back with everything we know and love. We adapted right back into our lifestyle at home. By the second day, I was eating and talking on my cell phone while driving (two things which you are NOT allowed to do here!)

Thanks everyone for making our first trip home so special! We can't wait to come back and see everyone again soon! (And of course everyone is always welcome to come see us here... hint hint) =)

Moving Our Dog to the UK

After months of preparation (and with A LOT of help from our dear friend Chris who watched Lilo when we first moved here), we have FINALLY been able to move our dog Lilo to the UK with us! She seemed to do fine on the flight from what we can tell, although she has slept a lot since then! She is adjusting well to her new home, and we are adjusting to having her here again. It's definitely harder to have a dog when you don't have a backyard though!

Prior to beginning this process, we read a lot of articles about moving a dog to the UK. If you think it's hard to move a person here, just try a dog. We read that a lot of people don't even do it, but I couldn't imagine leaving Lilo behind. Here are some of the tips we learned:

• Throughout the process, DOUBLE and TRIPLE-CHECK every step to make sure you have everything you need. There are checklists, but you are coordinating with so many different people and each of them makes you feel like they've never done it before. Don't rely on anyone - make sure YOU know the information and get what you need.


• The first step to moving a dog to the UK is to have a microchip inserted that meets international standards. DOUBLE-CHECK your vet uses the correct kind. Our's didn't even though she said she did, so we either had to start the 6-month process over or rent our own microchip scanner to bring with us (which is what we did).


• After the microchip, your pet has to go through a blood rabies test (the bloodwork is sent to a testing facility at the University of Kansas) and if that is all clear, they can enter the country 6 months later. Note - another option is for your pet to go into quarantine in the UK during this time, but we didn't want to do that so we left Lilo behind with a friend until her waiting time was complete.


• Now comes the fun of paperwork. You have to get certain papers done within very specific timeframes based on when the dog will fly into the country. For example, your dog has to be evaluated by a vet within 14 days of flight and then you have to send the vet's certificate to the USDA for their stamp (oh yeah, and you have to overnight everything because you need this before you can fly).


• Within 10 days of flight, you need a general health certificate for the airline saying your pet is OK to travel.


• Within 48 hours of flight, your pet needs to go back to the vet for a tick/tapeworm treatment.


• Then of course you have to make sure you meet the airline requirements for transporting your pet, which in our case meant buying a new crate and accessories (including Live Animal stickers) for Lilo.

We had to drop Lilo off at the World Cargo center 4 hours before flight (all dogs have to travel cargo on the British Airways international flights). You have to put them in the crate and they won't get out until after the flight. I had a really hard time with this so Brian actually handled this part. When we got to the airport, we were able to see them loading her onto the plane so we knew she would be with us. Check out the video below:

So as you can see, moving a dog to the UK definitely wasn't easy, but for us, there wasn't any other choice. It can be done - you just have to be diligent, patient, and have a little attitude at times. ;) In the end, it's worth all the trouble...

Deutschland Along the Rhine

Brian and I just got back from a quick weekend in Bad Kreuznach and Rudesheim, Germany. This was a very special trip for me especially because Bad Kreuznach is where my mom was born and raised and where she and my dad met and got married. I visited my mom's family there many times growing up but haven't been back in more than 10 years. It was so interesting to see stores that I remember going to back then. Brian and I spent most of our first day just walking around and enjoying a non-touristy German town. We even stopped and had currywurst for lunch (a hot dog in a ketchup/BBQ sauce sprinkled with curry powder) - yum!

After Bad Kreuznach, we continued driving to Rudesheim, Germany, a place known for Riesling wine. No one told us about the car ferry though! We were driving along and all of a sudden, our GPS told us to "board ferry." We hadn't heard that before but soon figured it out and drove onto the boat that would cross the Rhine River from Bingen to Rudesheim.

Rudesheim was beautiful and definitely worth a trip if you are in that area of Germany. There are vineyards everywhere! A highlight of our trip was taking a cable car over the vineyards to the Niederwald Monument. After that, you take a short hike through a beautiful forest and make your way to a chair lift that takes you through the trees to Assmannhausen, a town further down the Rhine. You finish with a ferry back up the Rhine to Rudesheim. All three legs cost 11 Euros total per person - definitely a great price for an AMAZING experience!

When we arrived in Assmannhausen, we stumbled upon an annual street party for the town. We grabbed a table, ordered some Schnitzel and beer, and enjoyed listening to the German DJ spinning the latest German songs! At times, the area was so beautiful and surreal that we almost felt like we were in Epcot!

Our final stop on our way back to the airport was Bingen. We enjoyed the Winter Festival throughout town and then grabbed a Bratwurst and German potato salad for dinner before heading back home.

Here are some photos from our trip. And if you're interested, click on the video below to hear some of the musical highlights of our lunch in Germany. Auf Wiedersehen for now! =)

Grocery Shopping in the UK

So now that Brian and I are really living in the UK, we have finally gotten into a normal grocery shopping schedule. It's funny to see the differences between grocery shopping here and in the States, so we thought we'd share:

1. Reusable bags are definitely a MUST over here. In our local grocery store in Florida, some people were using them and we were really starting to, but over here, you actually feel guilty if you have to request plastic bags (some stores even charge you for them). As a result, we have our Publix green reusable bags that we now take with us every time we shop. Definitely much better for the environment!
2. No bag boys - you bag your own groceries. And let me tell you, I have a whole new respect for the baggers at Publix. It's crazy when all of the groceries are coming toward you and you're trying to keep up! Plus with the reusable bags, you have limited real estate that you can use. I also have new love for my wonderful husband who is actually an AMAZING grocery bagger - he keeps everything so organized and always fits things into the bags perfectly. He usually does that while I am paying. As a result, I now dread going by myself - it's too much pressure! =)
3. Wait your turn! The check-out person will NOT start scanning the next person's groceries until the previous person has paid, put away their wallet, bagged their groceries, put them in the cart, and is walking away. In the States, there were so many times when I had to make sure my stuff didn't get mixed up with someone else's because they were trying to get us through the line so quickly - not the case here from what I can tell (although I really do appreciate it because I'm a slow bagger...) =)
4. And of course, last but not least, the food is different of course... =) I've already mentioned how they have non-refrigerated milk, how the stores don't refrigerate their eggs, and how a decent sugary cereal is hard to find. But it's also just fun to go through the store and see the different types of food. We're eating lamb now and usually at least one Indian meal per week. Plus we usually try one new British recipe a week which has helped us learn new terms for food (like mangetout is a snap pea).

We've been here for a little while now, but grocery shopping is still an experience each time I go. I usually end up having to ask the store people a million questions, especially if I am trying a new recipe. Everyone is really nice though, and with time, I'm sure I'll get to know the store (and the food!) just as well as I did at home... =)

Traveling the Rings of Ireland

This past weekend, Brian and I took a quick flight over to Ireland to travel the famous Ring of Kerry and Ring of Beara. They are routes that take you around the beautiful countryside and coastline of Ireland, giving you tons of opportunities to see amazing "scenic vistas" as we like to call them. =)

Our first day started off rough -we had horrible weather that blocked many of the views on the Ring of Kerry that we were supposed to be seeing. It also made driving VERY difficult! Not only were we driving on the left side of windy roads up and down mountains, but we also lost almost all of our visibility as we climbed higher toward the clouds that were settling in. It wasn't quite the day we were hoping for, but we still ended up seeing some great sights.

The second morning started off similarily, and a couple of hours into the Ring of Beara, we decided to cut our losses and take a shortcut home. Amazingly, though, along that shortcut the sun came out and we finally saw what everyone loved so much about these routes. We had the best day driving around and seeing the country from the high mountains and down to the coasts. We also saw beautiful waterfalls that were so peaceful! One of our favorite parts along this drive too was seeing the random sheep alongside the roads. You would be going 80-100 km/h and all of a sudden, have to break to make sure you didn't accidentally hit one! Here's a video of us driving by them:

So all in all, despite a very rocky start, we ended up having a great time in Ireland. We've included some photos from our trip here.

A 'Miracle' on the Way to Ireland

Brian and I have officially arrived safely in Ireland, BUT we had a rough day today in the airport. It started when we stood in a very long queue to get our passports checked and check-in our bag at the London-Stanstead Airport (very common for flights over here so we need to get used to it)! Then we made it to the plane and chose our seats which happened to be next to a very nice nun. A crew member from the airline then came on board as everyone was finishing boarding to ask if anyone had dropped a Samsonite money wallet. I looked at my husband as he checked to make sure he was still carrying our's (which contained hundreds of Euros CASH), thinking that surely we hadn't lost it. Wouldn't you know, WE HAD!!! Brian had it hooked around his belt, and when he took off his belt for security, he didn't think about it. It must have gotten pretty far with us though because they knew it was someone on our flight - we had no identification whatsoever in the bag. All we could do to claim it was to say exactly how much money was in there. We were so relieved that they found it and got it back to us before our trip. The icing on the cake was when the nun next to us said, "It's a miracle!" =)

(As a side note to this story, Brian believes this was our good karma coming back to us. A few years ago when we were at Epcot, we found a $100 bill on the ground. We picked it up and turned it into a cast member. A lot of people told us we were crazy! Maybe this was our reward for not keeping the money back then...)

After the money fiasco, we were all flustered and Brian then forgot to put on his seat belt and had to be reminded by the flight attendant. Yeah, we were total rookies today... =)

After all of that, we arrived in the tiniest airport we have been to in Kerry, Ireland, where we had to wait FOREVER to get our rental car (OK, more like 30 minutes). We were officially the last ones in the airport. I may have thrown a little bit of a fit with the rental car guy, but in my defense, it had been quite a couple of hours and I was just ready to get in a car and get to our hotel. =) We have a silver Ford Focus again, just like we did when we first arrived in England. Now I just need to try not to hit anything like I did on our Scotland trip two weeks ago!

More to come on the rest of our trip later!

24 Hours? Seriously?

One of the biggest lifestyle adjustments Brian and I had to make when we first moved to the UK was understanding that stores close EARLY!!! We were so spoiled in Orlando where 9 p.m. was a standard closing time, and a lot of stores were even open later than that. I was that girl who would run up to Target at 9:30 p.m. on a random night to pick up something real quick or just to get out of the house. Definitely can't do that anymore...

In town, most of the little shops close by 5 p.m. Gone are the days where we can run errands at night together when Brian gets home - I do all of that stuff during the day. The restaurants are open later though, thank goodness! And on Sunday's, you have a very limited window to get your stuff done - most places are only open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I love being lazy on Sunday's, but usually there isn't time for that!

At first, we got so excited when we saw 2 stores advertising they were open "24 hours". However, I don't think they truly understand the concept of "24 hours" like we do. "24 hours" is being able to run into Wal-Mart at 3 a.m. any day when you desperately need something. Check out the pictures below and judge for yourself... =)

Suffolk Pigs

Not to scare away any potential visitors, but we thought it was time to share pictures of the pigs we have in the Suffolk area of England. =)

As you drive from town to town, it's not unusual to see "pig homes," the structures you see in these pictures, in the fields. (Brian actually informed me that they are called bungalows.) We had never seen such large pigs before moving here. It's just sad to think though that pork is a really popular menu item here... =(

Check out this picture I caught when my friend and I visited the coast. We were on a tiny back road coming home when we saw the pigs right by the side of the road. Of course we both always have our cameras with us (you never know what you are going to see!), and we were able to get some great pictures. Until this day, I had NEVER seen a pig run - very interesting sight! (Of course I am not really in tune with farm-life!)

Road Trip from Scotland to England

Although we could have taken a major motorway on our road trip home from Scotland, we decided it would be more fun to take the backroads and make some stops along the way (I think Brian also suggested this because he knows how much I hate road trips and thought this would help keep me distracted)! =)

As we drove, we saw some of the most 'scenic vistas' we've ever seen! The roads were quite small and windy at times, but that wasn't the worst part. We kept seeing signs for "blind summits," and it wasn't long until we discovered what those were! For those who don't know, it's basically when the road you're on changes elevation pretty quickly, to the point where the car in front of you suddenly disappears until you then make it over the crest of the hill. Our stomachs kept dropping out from us, but luckily neither of us got sick.

We looked for brown signs during the drive which point out historic and other interesting points along the way. We were able to see a really cool bridge, a castle, a house where Mary Queen of Scots lived, and some other really cute towns. Plus, we made a stop on the top of a hill-mountain (couldn't decide which it was) at the border between Scotland and England. It was fun to see the giant rock with one country on each side plus see the flags of both countries.

Here are our favorite pictures from the drive. =)

A Wee Bit o' Edinburgh, Scotland

Brian and I ventured north this past weekend to visit Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was about a 7 1/2 - 8 hour car ride, but the scenic vistas along the way made the drive seem a lot shorter. Seeing as how Brian and I both grew up and have always lived in a place with little to no elevation, we are always amazed to see mountains and giant hills!

We arrived in Scotland on Friday around lunchtime and headed straight to Edinburgh Castle, which seemed more like a giant fort complex. It's always amazing to us to see such history in these places - you can even see the room where Mary Queen of Scots delivered the baby who would become the first King to rule over Scotland and England. The day was really rainy and cold though so after venturing around the city for a little bit after the castle, we sought cover in a restaurant where Brian tried traditional Scottish haggis, which is basically the intestines of a sheep...

On Saturday, we got up early and headed back near the castle to explore the Royal Mile that runs through town. It's supposed to be a good part of town for Scottish culture and shopping, but overall we were pretty disappointed. There were just so many cheesy Scottish souvenir shops, and once you've seen one or two, you've seen them all! We skipped the shopping and focused more on the cultural side of Edinburgh, which included visits to the Musem of Childhood where you got to see toys dating back more than 100 years and a visit to the Holyrood Palace which is the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen when she visits Scotland each year.

Probably our favorite stop though was to the Scottish Whisky Experience. You actually got 'into' a whisky barrel and traveled through the journey of making whisky (very similar to Finding Nemo or other rides like that at Disney, except with alcohol)! We then did a whisky tasting where we decided neither of us is really fond of the substance. The tour ended up with a HUGE collection of rare whisky bottles. Definitely a must-see for anyone visiting Edinburgh!

On the way home, we stayed off the main highway and took the more scenic backroads through Scotland back to England. More on that adventure to come soon... In the meantime, click here to see pictures from our trip to the city of Edinburgh.

Swine Flu in the UK

As is the case around the world, swine flu is a very hot topic in the UK right now. England has developed a very interesting plan to deal with the increasing number of cases:

• First, you are supposed to have a "flu buddy." This is the person who can go pick up your medications, etc. if you do have swine flu so you aren't out and about and infecting other people. Brian and I are officially each other's "flu buddies" now. =)
• Second, the UK actually doesn't want you to go to your doctor if you think you have swine flu. Instead, you are supposed to go online or call the swine flu hotline and check off what symptoms you have. If you meet the criteria for swine flu, you are given a prescription for Tamiflu that your flu buddy can then take to the pharmacy. The news said it was the first time you were able to get something like Tamiflu without actually seeing a doctor!

This website/hotline idea is very interesting because they are using those numbers to estimate how many people have swine flu in the UK. And they are saying that they are hoping that people won't abuse the system. With how scared everyone is though, I'm sure there are a ton of people who are calling just to have the Tamiflu on-hand in case.

The news is also reporting that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are now screening passengers to see if you have any hints of swine flu and will not let you fly if you have any symptoms whatsoever. Brian and I had both better be perfectly healthy on Sept. 4 because I want to come home!!! =)

In case you are interested, here is some official swine flu information from the NHS.

P.S.: There are actually notices at our gym that one of the daycare (or "creche") teachers has swine flu. Thank goodness we don't have kids yet!!!

Visiting Cambridge

Brian and I have been to Cambridge several times for furniture shopping, but we've always stayed on the outskirts of the town and not really seen the history and culture of it. So this weekend we decided to spend Saturday doing a tour and exploring Cambridge. We learned a lot about the history of the university and colleges there - our tour guide was a Cambridge grad and VERY proud of it! The sheer beauty of the chapels at the colleges we visited was amazing - a lot were constructed or finished during the time of Henry VIII in the 1500s.

We couldn't have asked for a prettier day to explore the town. While we enjoyed the sightseeing, the food we were able to eat was a very big highlight too. =) As I'm sure we've told you, we haven't been able to find really good Mexican food or any sushi in Bury St. Edmunds. Seeing as how Cambridge is a student town, we were finally able to find both! We enjoyed a beautiful picnic on one of the lawns featuring HUGE burritos that reminded us of Chipotle or Tijuana Flats. Then for dinner, we ate at a great sushi restaurant called Yaki-Teri (it's sister restaurant Teri-Ayki was right next-door). We were very happy (and full!) when we drove home.

One of the biggest touristy things to do while in Cambridge is to rent a punting boat to go down the River Cam. Smart as we are, we decided to watch along the river instead of actually trying it. That was definitely a good thing because people were getting stuck, getting wet, and just didn't seem to be enjoying it that much! It was so funny because we saw all these couples trying to make it like a romantic gandola trip in Venice, but it just wasn't working. Our recommendation for friends who visit and want to try this is to pay a little extra and leave the rowing part to the professionals... =)

View our photos from the day here.

Off to the Races!

On Friday night, Brian and I headed to a town called Newmarket for a Kentucky-Derby-type event: the Newmarket Horse Races! Having never been to a race before, we didn't know ANYTHING about wagering on horses so we just went with the names we liked (we bet on Magnificence, Black Sapphire, The Happy Hammer, and Aggravation among others). =) We did very small wagers so we weren't too upset when we didn't win anything by the end of the night.

The idea is to get dressed up, complete with hat and everything; however, almost everyone decided to forgo that on the night we went because there were terrential downpours at one point and then a steady rainfull most of the night... (what else do you expect in England, right?) We will have more glamorous pictures next year hopefully!

After the horse races, the Pussycat Dolls actually performed - we thought it was very random that they were in a small English town, but they gave a great concert!

We were outside in the cold rain for a long time, but we had a great time and definitely plan to go back next year. We will just need to study more and pick better horses... ;)

The Joys of Flat-Pack Furniture

We are currently in the process of furnishing our home, and with that comes A LOT of flat-pack furniture! Flat-pack furniture is huge here, mainly because most of the homes have these tiny little staircases. So in general, you just order the furniture in its flat-pack boxes, get those boxes up to the room where the piece will be located, and then assemble it. Our wardrobe (which took 7 hours to construct!) can't make it out of the room now without being disassembled. The quality has been good though, and we have gotten very good with putting things together now. We even bought an electric screwdriver this weekend to help speed up the process even more. =)

To complete the furniture purchasing for our new house, we traveled to London yesterday to visit the giant of flat-pack furniture - IKEA. We spent 3 1/2 hours through that giant store and are now waiting for the final pieces of the guest room wardrobe to be delivered so we can have it all set up for guests. =) (Quick note - I almost had a mental breakdown in the final pick-up areas of IKEA when we couldn't find the parts we needed for the wardrobe! That store is so overwhelming!)

Also as a note, as a result of all of this furniture, we have generated a lot of cardboard, styrofoam, etc. Our trash and recycle pick-up is quite interesting here - each one only gets picked up once a week. As a result, we have had to visit the local Recycling Center quite often lately! It's just this huge place where you can go to take extra household "rubbish" or recyclables that don't fit into your bins.

Final pictures of the house to come soon. We can't wait to be done with the purchasing and assembling of furniture!

4th of July in the UK

Yesterday marked the 4th of July -- it was definitely ironic for us to be celebrating America's independence from England while living in England! =) We had a great day though and tried to celebrate just like we would if we were home in Florida.

We started off by going to our semi-weekly market to pick up some fruits and vegetables for the week. For lunch, we stopped by one of the market stands and got a hamburger and hot dog in honor of the day.

After lunch, we headed down to one of the local pubs for a BBQ with Brian's colleagues (some American, some British). They had a real pig roast (which I just couldn't eat!), and other 4th of July favorites with a British spin. For example, we had a curry potato salad and we had English mustard instead. (British mustard is like our mustard at home except with a kicking dash of horseradish that can clear your sinuses!)

We also played our first game of Boules, actually a French game kind of like horseshoes. Amazingly, I ended up being really good at it - my team won the girl's game!

All in all, we had a great 4th! Next up: Labor Day, but this time, we will actually be in the States... =)

Yeovil and Bath

We just got back from an awesome 5-day trip to the western side of England. We started off in Yeovil where Brian did some work stuff, and then we headed over to Bath for the weekend. Gosh, Bath was amazing! The town was in a valley of sorts so as you went up and down hills around town, you got some amazing views. We did a lot of shopping and then of course did the traditional touristy things, including:

• Bizarre Bath - a comedy walking tour through the town


• Thermae Bath Spa - a modern take on the ancient Roman baths - we got in our bathing suits to swim in a rooftop pool and experience the aromatic steam rooms


• Roman Baths - absolutely amazing to see how much of the ruins still remain!


• Tower Tour - we climbed to the top of the tower in the middle of town, including a fun stop along the way where we saw the bells and the back of the clock face

For anyone coming to England, we highly recommend visiting Bath! Check out our photos from the weekend.

Our Home in the UK

After much unpacking and many furniture deliveries, we are finally REALLY living in our house and settling in. We love the layout of our new home, especially the back patio overlooking the creek. There are a lot of ducks living back there that are fun to watch, including a mama duck with five ducklings! Here are some photos from around the house.


Some of the more interesting differences between our US home and our UK home are:

• We don't have closests in our UK home (typical for over here). As a result, we have a large wardrobe closet that we actually built inside our room. (It'll have to be taken apart before it can leave!)
• Our bathroom has the weird half-glass door as part of the shower rather than a full door or shower curtain. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but if you're not careful, you can get water EVERYWHERE!
• We don't have air conditioning, so we have our windows open every day. (And as a note, they also don't have screens on the windows so we often have flys that come in!)
• Finally, our house is now "vertical" rather than "horizontal" - we don't have much space on each floor, but we have a total of 3 different levels, including the top floor that we mentioned before for our guests. =)

We are officially ready for visitors, so let us know if you are planning to jump the pond. ;)

The Slingbox - Our Connection to American TV

I hadn't heard of this before we were planning our move overseas, so I figured a lot of other people hadn't heard of it either. I wanted to take an opportunity to tell you about the most wonderful invention: the Slingbox. Brian's friends from work were nice enough to get it for us. Basically, it is a box connected to a DVR in the States that we can tap into from our computer over here. Our wonderful friend Chris has it set up at his house for us (he can really mess with us if he wants to though because he can record shows and change the channels)! We can set our recordings, watch live TV from Florida, and do everything else you would normally do at home with your DVR.

British TV isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be - we actually do have DVR over here too, which has been nice. (Once you've had DVR, it's very hard to go back to watching TV normally!) However, I can't imagine missing my shows from home, which is why I'm so thankful for the Slingbox. Even if England does have some of the same shows, most times they are at least a few weeks behind so you read stuff online before you have a chance to watch. But because of the Slingbox, I can watch So You Think You Can Dance, The Real Housewives, and the Food Network just like I would at home! It has been such a lifesaver, and I would recommend everyone living overseas to get one.

I do tend to skip through the commercials still though so let me know if any good shows are coming up over in the States that we need to make sure to record! =)

Cinque Terre, Italy

Brian and I just got back from a wonderful weekend in Cinque Terre, Italy, to celebrate our 4-year wedding anniversary. It's an area on the Italian Riviera made up of five little towns on the coast - we stayed in Vernazza (which actually turned out to be our favorite one luckily).

During our trip, we stayed in a little bed-and-breakfast called "Rooms by Martina." We were on the top floor with a balcony overlooking the coast - it was a great view, but it was 76 steps to get up there each time!!! The room was also the first I had ever stayed in that didn't have internet, phone, or TV. It actually ended up being a nice technology-break though. Here's a video of our view:

The weather wasn't perfect when we first arrived, but we ended up getting a lot time in the beautiful outdoors there (and hey, any weather has to be better than England, right?) ;) On our second day, we even did a 2-hour hike up a mountain - I'm not normally one for hiking, but Brian promised it would be worth it and it definitely was! I have never climbed so many steps in my life, but I also have never seen a coast from that view before.

We flew in and out of the Pisa airport so we actually made a stop by the Leaning Tower on our way home too. Here are some photos from our trip - hope you enjoy!

Furniture Deliveries and Repairs in the UK - "A Cup of Tea"

We've had a TON of deliveries and appointments lately as we have continued to set up our new house. Last week, we had a man come to check our gas lines. I had to move some dishes so he could check around our kitchen. He offered to help me dry them if I made him a cup of tea. I told him I was sorry but that I didn't have a kettle or any way to make tea yet since we weren't living in the house. Then a few days later, we had some furniture delivered. The men asked for cups of water, so I gave them some and they stood around for almost 15 minutes after they were done just chatting away! After a third similar incident, I began to wonder what was going on...

I asked someone over here who has been here for a while and was told that when people deliver items to your house or come to do repairs, it is customary to offer them a cup of tea and/or other refreshments. What?!? I am the type of person who wants the person to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I don't want to sit around and make small talk for a while! It's just such a different custom than what we do in the States.

I would like to note though that I am a quick learner and when the gentleman came yesterday to set up my phone/internet line, I did offer him refreshments. He was very nice and we got everything set up that we needed. I guess I can sit through a cup of tea every now and then... =)

Jacqueline Gets a "Ka"!!

My driving over here still needs some work (those confusing round-a-bouts still get me sometimes!), but it's good enough now that we felt confident getting a car for me. We bought a 2000 Ford Ka (we're not sure if it's prounced "K-A" or "Ka" like from New Jersey - we're going with "Ka" from NJ because it's more fun!) that I can use to get around town. You'll notice it's very small to make it easier for me to get through the tiny streets and into the tiny parking spots. Now I just have to hope that Lilo can fit into the backseat! =) For those who are wondering, I did get a manual - it'll be weird to shift with my left hand, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it soon! Here's a photo of me with the car:

We are picking it up Thursday after it has been detailed. Of course, this is assuming that I can get car insurance over here before then. I'm a little nervous because of my guardrail incident last year... Wish me luck!

First Home-Made Meal and Grocery Shopping in the UK

Although we aren't living in our new house just yet, we were able to cook in our kitchen last night for the first time. We haven't cooked in almost 6 weeks because of the move so it was definitely a big deal for us! We made a spaghetti bolognese with a small side salad and fresh garlic bread. Yum!

To prepare for our dinner, we made our first major grocery run here. In the States, we used to go shopping every week or couple of weeks and stock up. Here people go every couple of DAYS! I think it's because 1) our fridge and pantry space aren't that big and 2) they have great fresh markets here twice a week so people like to take advantage of those. In the grocery stores, you get nasty looks if you don't bring your own environment-friendly bags and you have to bag the groceries yourself. You can do a lot of grocery shopping online here too though and have everything delivered directly to your door free-of-charge.

Learning the different products and brand names is going to take some time. We didn't really think about the fact that you can't get what we're used to over here! Here are some of our interesting grocery store observations from the UK:

• The stores have a selection of "trolley sizes" - they even have charts that help you determine which size you might need depending on the shopping you're doing (we'll get a picture of this later to post).


• The ice cream selection is very limited. They have Ben & Jerry's, but it is very expensive!


• The eggs are not refrigerated.


• Milk comes in TINY little jugs to fit the TINY little fridges. They also have a big section of long-lasting liquid milk that is not even refrigerated (weird!).


• They have HUGE sections devoted to tea.


• At least where we were, we couldn't find sticks of butter - we had to get a big slab of it.


• They have so many different kinds of mayo, it's scary (I believe it is the favorite condiment of this country!).

We are making meal #2 tonight - we'll be having Indian food, of course! =)