England Part II: Bangers and Mash

As promised, we return for another hearty portion of England at Center Parcs. Uncle Steve rented out 4 cabins at this resort for a total of 24 people to stay. This place boasts a load of activities including jet skiing, paint balling, biking/hiking, a ropes course, climbing wall, indoor pools, spa, yada, yada, yada. The park was the backdrop for a family reunion. Before you get confused let me explain the family tree. Remember this is just Michelle's mothers side of the family!

The 3 sisters: The Awe -inspiring Angie Wells, The Vivacious Vera Bryenton, and The Magnificent Maureen Hancock

#1- Let us dissect it further: Mrs Angie Wells is married to Steve Wells (Uncle Steve) who had three children Nicola, Tamlyn, and Elliot.

Nicola is now married to Ian Tucker and they have two children: Dylan and Cerys.

Tamlyn married Conrad Burgess and they have two children as well: Maisie and Lucy.

And finally Elliot married Anna and they have one child named Ezmay.

#2 - Vera is married to Chris Bryenton (he was unfortunately away on business) and they have two children: Steven (also out of town) and Kelly.

Kelly has one son Kieran and in addition she brought her boyfriend Stephen and his son William.

#3 -Maureen is married to Derek Hancock and if you haven't been paying attention the last 5 months they have two children: Christopher and Michelle.

Christopher brought his girlfriend Elizabeth Maxon.

And Michelle brought me... phew!!! There will be a quiz later, so hopefully you paid attention. :)

The Center Parcs' cabins were top notch - Michelle lounging in the living room

The first activity on Saturday morning for the men was water skiing. For the majority of us newbies, we simply stuck to knee boards. Fortunately, it was not raining; unfortunately it was freezing and the water was frigid. This was just a little practice session before we started.

The only two who braved the water skis

We are not smiling are faces are just frozen the way!

Cerys, Maisie, and Ezmay being cheeky monkeys!

While the men braved the elements, the women got a spa day... 

From left to right: Anna, Kelly, Mich, Elizabeth, Tamlyn, and Nicola enjoying the jacuzzi pool.

Hope you brought your appetite - Join us for Sunday Dinner Roast

The indoor pool was equipped with a wave pool and several slides. Kieran, William, and I are enjoying a game of water volleyball.

Mich and my new room mates Dylan and Cerys. 

Ezmay, Maisie, Cerys, Lucy, Dylan, and Kieran just dancing.  All the children were so well behaved and very polite. And if you think they are cute just remember they all have English accents!

Charlie Bit My Finger - hahaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

Lost in translation: On closer inspection, the left side is taking a proper photo while the right side is making funny faces. Nonetheless, it was an eventful weekend with impressive and accomplished people. They truly made me feel like family and Michelle was able to reconnect with relatives she had not seen in years. It was as if we had known them for years and we were just meeting for an extended weekend retreat. We honestly cannot wait till next time.

All things must come to an end and the family said their goodbyes on Monday afternoon. Some left for London while others headed to Ipswich. We decided to make use of our time and join Uncle Steve and Aunt Angela in Haughley, a small village of Ipswich. The hospitality never ends.

The smallest pub in all of England, The Nutshell, located in Bury St. Edmunds only has a maximum occupancy of 10 people!

The rain has finally got the best of us :(  Tuesday morning we headed to Cambridge, home of arguably the most prestigious university in the entire world; Cambridge University. Aunt Angela and I with our umbrellas in a college courtyard.

Punting is the act of rowing a boat with a long, cylinder oar by pushing the oar along the river bottom. We grabbed some lunch and waited till the rain storm died down before we decided to take a boat on the River Cam. 

The shops and homes dated back 100s of years. This structure had a sloping roof and walls. 

We all had lunch at the Rainbow Cafe, which was a vegan restaurant and was ranked as the 35th healthiest restaurant in all of England.

Mich and I outside King's College

I can't lie I never actually punted despite my technique in this picture. Each year people try to punt and at least 15 fall into the river each day. Since it wasn't summer and it was cold, I decided to leave to the professional.

For all the music buffs, the bar in the background, The Anchor, was where Pink Floyd held their 1st live performance!

Cambridge University dates back 803 years with King Henry III. It is a university that has 31 separate colleges. Some famous alumni and/or researchers include Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking. Over 65 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to alumni and there has been 50 Olympic medallists. The two main colleges are St. Johns and Trinity. The two colleges produce world class rowers and their rivalry was heightened after a death during a race decades back. It's just like Gryffindor and Slytherin (Harry Potter reference). Trinity's wealth is estimated at over £1 billion. We literally felt smarter walking down the streets of this collegiate city. 

This picture is of the King's College Chapel. There is a secret society called the Night Climbers who place random objects on the top of the chapel's spires. These items include traffic cones, toilets, and even Santa hats. After several instances of having to retrieve these objects (that costs a lot of time and money) any student caught placing anything on the chapel will be expelled. 

A church converted into a coffee shop

The Red Lion Pub serving the finest vegetarian foods

Mich before her first blissful bite!

Mich, Tamlyn, Aunt Angela, and myself before lunch at Harriet's

Living in the country leads to endless fields for dogs to run and play. Michelle is having a cuddle with the Well's dog, Findley.

The Haughley Church

Michelle cooking rivals any restaurant we have been to. Plus there's plenty to share... DIG IN!

All right ladies and gentlemen that's all we have time for this episode. Here is Uncle Steve's Aston Martin. The car has enough power to spare and takes corners like a dream. I would of peed my pants riding in it but I didn't want to ruin the leather interior. Sadly, we will not be taking this vehicle to London tomorrow as we are departing back to the city for our final two weeks abroad.  It is getting me choked up thinking about our trip coming to an end *SIGH*. But still plenty for Mich and I to see so leave for dessert!!!

England Part I: Fish & Chips

Ya'll- rite...

Mich and I have 35 days in England. What trouble can we both get into!?! England is the polar opposite in every way compared to SE Asia, but it has been one of the most memorable parts of the trip. In fact, we both have fallen in love with London and would not hesitate at the chance to move here! Michelle's parents are of English decent and the majority of their relatives reside in this country. We were both looking forward to meeting them all.

After 5 months of constant backpacking, we came to the decision that we would strictly stay within in England's borders and plan a Euro-Trip in the future. We were anxious to visit some friends abroad, but we wanted to make sure that we saw as much of England as possible. We have already seen (and eaten) so much already. Take a glimpse into Part I of our England trip...Cheers!!!

Tradition English Telephone Booth: Shortly after this photo was taken, I purchased some pants. It was freezing cold out there.

A Holy Grail of Fish & Chips Eateries

We are staying at Nana's (Michelle's grandma) house, which is located in Little Venice. This posh part of town is a prime location to see London as everything is in walking distance. It is one of the most decorated real estates in London. While her flat was busting at the seams with all the additional house guests, Nana was extremely hospitable and genuinely enjoyed our presence. In this picture both Michelle and Christopher are hovering above Nana and Baby Liam. Liam is the son of both Aunt Gillian and Uncle James, which are on Michelle's fathers side of the family.

As a birthday gift, Michelle received 2 tickets to Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater in Leicester Square. She was nice enough to invite me along :)

She loves the Phantom of the Opera, maybe even more than me?!

Bravo, Bravo

The city is full of Barclay's Bikes Cycle Centers which allow you to transport around London all day for as cheap as £1. The only catch is that you have to make it from one stop to another in less than 30 minutes or you have to pay additional money. They are very economical but the machines can be extremely faulty. Christopher was wrongly charged £150 and had to call their customer service to get the charges rescinded.   

At Hyde Park giving Michelle a swimming lesson

Mich and I outside Buckingham Palace

Looks like the Queen is home

"Get a room you two."

If you go to London, you gotta mess with Royal Guards. Just remember NO TOUCHING. 

Double Decker Bus

There is a franchise called Wetherspoon, very similar to McMenamins in Oregon, that serve up hearty meals that usually include a pint of beer or cider. I am about to enjoy a steak dinner and a Guinness. One of my main objectives in visiting this country was to enjoy the traditional foods. At times I had to peek away from the nutritional facts. Michelle reminded me that it is not every day you get to visit England and it's inevitable that your waistline will expand while you are here so don't even try to fight it. 

Big Ben is seriously a lot smaller than I imagined, but still pretty sweet!

England's Parliament Building

Even the Wax David Beckham had enough charm to steal my girlfriend. I can't compete with that! 

Street performers on the river walk adjacent to the Thames River

Christopher had the impulse to climb this building moments earlier. He was stopped by undercover policemen and told to stop immediately or else he could be jailed as a potential terrorist. This building is the London's Anti-Terror Police Building. Still that didn't stop him from posing for this picture!

Fish & Chips soaked in Malt Vinegar with a side of tartar sauce, BOOMSHAKALAKA 

Aunt Gillian took us to a greasy spoon restaurant which serves traditional English foods. In fact, several years ago Nana owned a greasy spoon restaurant known as the Gammon Rasher which translated means the German Sausage. It was a working man's cafe where one could get his/her fill before or after a hard day's work. This English Breakfast consists of baked beans, 2 English Bacons, Sausage, 2 eggs, Toast, and a grilled tomato.

Portobello Market is a famous street that specializes in selling vintage clothing, knick knacks, and fresh produce.We are getting lucky with the sunny weather!

The majority of Britain's museums are free of charge. Which makes it very convenient for the budget conscious globetrotter. The first museum we visited was the British Museum.

The Egyptian Mummy Exhibit

The Olympics have come to London three times. The first in 1908, then in 1948, and finally this summer in 2012. The city is geared up for this summer's events and London is sure to be flooded with spectators.

Welcome to the Tate Modern Art Museum  

Modern art is very interpretive. Most of it, Michelle and I find ridiculous or hardly even understand it. This is a piece of cloth that is hanging from the ceiling that resembles an English flat. Some artwork was as simple as string hanging by 2x4s. People even pay 100s of thousands of dollars for the art that could be replicated by a toddler.

A Picasso

We had a chance to ride on the London Eye. It is a huge close caged ferris wheel overlooking the entire city. While it was quite spendy it was a chance for us to spend time with Nana's sister, Iris.

 

Bird's eye view

Looks like the height has got Baby Liam all tuckered out!

Ooh- La La

The London Eye from a distance

Another meal from Wetherspoons. In England families come together on Sundays to enjoy a roast. While the tradition is slightly fading in modern society, it still has a place in restaurants.

The Underground Railway - The public transportation while dated is a large network of buses, underground trains, and speed trains. People who drive in the city are taxed to drive their own vehicles so many rely on public transport. We are on our way to Romsey to spend a few days with Uncle Steve.

Windsor Castle

Romsey is a quaint town where Uncle Steve's business is located. It is just outside Portsmouth on the south coast of England. Michelle is posted outside this abbey (church). The entire city is old and has a very unique feel to it. It was good to escape the hustle of the city and just relax.

Monty's Restaurant - It was built in1677 which pre-dates the United States of America.

 The Best Bangers and Mash I have ever tasted. Kel's Irish Pub can't hold a candle to this restaurant.

Donkeys walking down the street, just another day in the New Forest/ Romsey area!

The Mayfly pub was the most traditional restaurant we have visited. There was a wood burning fireplace, hand pumped beer taps, low ceilings and local ales. It was beautiful place that has only gotten better with age.

Mind your head!

Uncle Steve treated us to lunch at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant in Portsmouth.

We visited the Royal Naval Museum when we were in Portsmouth. It the last place the Titanic set sail from before it sank to the bottom of the ocean.

It was also home to the HMS Victory which was Lord Nelson's flagship and set sail in 1765. It is the oldest ship still in operation. Many phrases like "Son of a gun" (Source -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_a_gun) and "Shake a leg" (Source - http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/shake-a-leg.html) originate from the storied past of this boat.

If that got your mouth watering just you wait for England Part II: Bangers and Mash. Michelle and I will travel to Ipswich where we plan to meet Michelle's mothers side of the family at an resort town dubbed Center Parcs... Cheerio ol' mates.