Back home

Leslie and I safely arrived from Heathrow to LA last night and didn't lose any time in reacclimating ourselves into the american cuisine. Here we are at In and Out Burger. We'll fly to our home full of boxes tomorrow. PS, the rest of our Italy was awesome, complete with cuisine, snorkeling in the coves, gellati!

Day 15 -16 Italia!

Yesterday Leslie and I arrived at one of the most beautiful towns either of us has ever been to: Vernazza! We took an interesting flight on Ryan Air, but hey, it was cheap! When we got off the plane we were talking to the people behind us and it just so happened that she was an English teacher that lived close to the train station we needed to go to, so she took Leslie and I there. We then promptly boarded the wrong train and had to back track, but it was worth it. After a few curveballs, Leslie and I arrived 3.5 hours late to Pensione Sorriso. We then went to the piazza and had a wonderful dinner by the Medeteranian Sea. Today we explored the other towns by walking to them and taking the train. We went to one of the beaches which was a blast and very relaxing. Then we decided to go one town over to our Vernazza, but got on the wrong train and it took us to Riomaggiore. So we decided to have dinner there at Gigi's to have the four cheese pizza that Jon and Lainskee told us we had to have. It was pretty good, but everyone kept looking at us funny when we asked for Gigi's, because it totally wasn't the name of the place. But whatevs. We then walked one town over and caught the train. Magnifique!

Days 12 and 13 - Transition

Yesterday we spent confirming flights and reservations, changing money, and cleaning up a bit in preperation for our trip to Italy on Sunday. We went into Norwich and had our first official shopping spree which was really fun. We finally got some official pictures of Norwich the city as we went back that night for a meal and dessert out with Alex and Ellie. It was so fun and we found ourselves deep in conversation yet again. Today we were very excited to pack and prepare for our trip as well as a small bbq Alex and Ellie were having for some friends of theirs while they're in town. It's been very fun and we are now officially extremely excited to leave for Italy tomorrow morning!

Day 11 - Cambridge

Today, Leslie and I took a day train to Cambridge and had a little look around. We saw King's College and had fish and chips, part III, for me. We had a good time passing through a museum and stopping here and there for ice cream and shopping and such. We then took the train back and were picked up by a freshly be-haircutted Alex who whisked us home to a delicious homemade chicken salad dinner made by his wife. The three are pictured here having just completed their first ultrasound. Getting really excited for our anniversary trip to Italy!

Days 8 -10 Mulbarton/Norwich

These past few days have been the perfect change of pace. Our home away from home in Mulbarton has been a perfect blend of seclusion and proximity to Norwich. We've had fun playing lots of games and doing lots of reading and thinking and praying. On Monday after such activity, we struck out to discover a little of Norwich sans camera and we were disappointed that we didn't bring it. Norwich is a very old town where most of the buildings are from the 1500's. We went into their magnificent cathedral and toured about, then Alex and Ellie dropped us off at the theater and we had dinner and a movie along the strip of shops by the river. The next day we discoverd the attic where the drums and the table tennis reside and had a blast. Then we biked into town and saw the old University of East Anglia and had our first pub lunch. It was great. Cap it all off with a cookout of Salmon a-la-Andy and THREE episodes of the Cosby Show 2nd season. Today after much lounging around on a rainy day, we decided we needed to get out of the house so we went bowling for about two hours. We're all a lot better (and soarer) than we were two hours ago. Now it's off to curry night at the rectory!

Happy Birthday!

Day 6 and 7 - Wimbeldon!

This past weekend was consumed with the Wimbeldon Finals. And Oh! What games they were! We watched a little of the match between the Williams sisters and then headed back to Mulbarton from the cottage after having intersected with Jess and Ann Mary (Ellie's folks) before our departure. Then we arrived home to the rectory and got settled in to our much bigger home for the next week. On Sunday we went to Gateway Vineyard in Norwich, than a trip to the grocery store, and then hurry home for the finals between Federer and Nadal. We watched the entire match, all seven hours of it (rain delays included). But at the end it was worth it, as you can see from the video. We had to walk around the Commons once just to wind down after such an epic match up.

Day 5 - About the country side

Friday was the fourth of July and it found me wearing my England T-shirt as sort of an apology and, "Hope we can still be friends." We went to Blickling Hall and actually got to go inside it and around the gardens. We later renamed it BlingBling Hall. It was really amazing going through all its rooms and halls, but the garden was the most magnificent. After our tour there, however, we were able to walk through the gardens, which were phenomenally beautiful. At the end of our tour we even got to play a game of croquet on the south end...and the Americans did their country proud, pulling off a one-two shut out! We then took the long way home and enjoyed the best fish and chips dinner we've ever had.

Day 4 - The Cottage

Today we enjoyed our first full day at the cottage. This dwelling is over 300 years old and was made for and by much shorter people, but it is absolutely charming. We woke up at a goodly hour and then started out for a day of sight-seeing about the country side. We see our first estate, much to Leslie's delight, called Holkham hall. Then we had a picnic by the sea. After that we went to another town where we got ice cream and immediately got caught in the rain. We held up in an old stone basement/ruin for a few minutes than decided to duck into a cafe before it got really bad, which it did as soon as we left the shelter in search of the cafe. Water damage was nill and the tea was perfect. I popped in and lifted up my head and realized: "I've been here before." Indeed I had when I'd been visiting seven years ago. We popped in and out of a few more little towns along the coast and then headed home for a nice dinner of fajitas and a walk in a beautiful nature reserve just outside the cottage. Then back home for some Cosby Show.

Back from the Cottage

We've just returned this afternoon from three wonderful days in what is exactly what you would imagine when I mention the term: English Cottage. Ducking in from room to room, a starecase no bigger than a closet, and memories as far as the mind's eye can see. Hopefully tonight we will be able to post some highlights. We'll most likely call tomorrow if we can get our calling card situation straightened out. We'll be watching Wembeldon for sure tomorrow at 2PM as Nadal meets Federer. We've really been engrossed in the action. More to come.

Day 3 - To the Cottage

Today, Leslie, Ellie, Alex, and I drove the 2.5 hour drive north to Mulbarton where Ellie's parents live. I got to see the church where Alex and Ellie were married. It was the first time I'd seen it in six years! We had a lovely lunch waiting for us when we arrived. In an hour or so, we're going to head to the cottage, a fifty minute drive away, where we'll spend our days looking at olde English estates and eating on the shore at restaurants that I'm sure invented fish and chips. We'll be there until Saturday so updates will be sparce as I'm pretty sure the cottage is not equipped with high speed internet, or a computer. Should be fun.
PS Jenn's cookies have been famously received now in two different parts of England. Ellie mom loved hers this afternoon. These sweeties are litrally world famous!

London - Day 2

On Tuesday, Leslie and I had some time to ourselves to bash about London. We saw the changing of the guards which made our legs, back, and skin sore and was otherwise not too remarkable. Then we walked through St. James Park and sat down to study the Bible (Leslie) and sleep (Andy). We then found a fun restaurant off the Thames river, had lunch, then met up with Alex and Ellie at Covent Garden. They had a bunch of cool shops and wonderful street performers. Most of the pictures are too big to post and forget about the videos, so we'll have to have a slide show at our new house shortly after we return. The most memorable part of the day was when we when out to dinner with Alex and Ellie that night and then saw A Mid-Summer Night's Dream in the Globe theater, where Shakespeare's plays were originally performed. We got home late and slept even later.