Wow, it's been a long time since I've written. How time flies when you're having fun and resting. Let me see if I can bring you up to date in one sitting. Details on some areas might have to follow later.
The last time I wrote I was in Wales and that was just at the end of my two week work period. Well, Wales was so nice that I actually stayed there for a couple of weeks. C and M were wonderful hosts and I relaxed at their place in Cowbridge while they both ran off working every day. Then sometimes they would come home at night and get me a drink and make me dinner. It really was too much but it sure was nice.
I had good intentions of getting out and going for long walks but alas, there is not a drop of Welsh blood in me and I just couldn't face going out in the almost continual drizzle and rain. I never would have believed how much it rains in Wales if I hadn't witnessed it myself. Of course they then all tried to tell me that they had gone for months all summer without rain so this was really needed so I couldn't very well complain. Besides, rainy days make for great reading and relaxation.
I did spend a lot of time at the computer sorting out my pictures, or at least trying to. With my camera and no instructions, and their computer with no instructions, I didn't get far. The pictures are all on their machine and sorted by city or sight and labelled. However, that's where they will have to stay because I could not resize them or save them or send them to anyone. Days of work and only C and M will get to enjoy all those pictures.
On days off, we did do some touring around the Welsh countryside. We went to Cardiff Bay one day and walked along the promenade enjoying the sights and sounds. We also did some shopping that day. We toured the Welsh Cultural Centre, which is a huge complex and does a great job of showing Welsh life over several hundred years. We also went to Llandaaff Cathedral and Castle Coch. At the Cathedral we arrived just in time for Even Song with the boys choir so that was a treat, especially since it was Thanksgiving Day. And I must say that even though they looked like your typical devilish little boys, they really did sound like angels. Castle Coch is a beautiful old castle built on the side of a hill and as in many royal settings, the view is fantastic. Well, let me say that I assume the view is fantastic. It was rather foggy and misty when we were there so visibility was definitely limited. However, you could certainly see the potential for a fantastic view.
I went back to Cardiff to the castle one day and that was very interesting. I believe it was the Marquis de Bute who built it and it is quite old. The rooms are very unique and the decorations quite unusual. One of the Marquis (the third I think) was very much into education and actually spoke 21 languages. The children by the time they were ten each spoke 5 languages. One room is Arabian in style. Another is all about the seasons and zodiacs and other phenomenon. The library is huge, as you might imagine. The nursery has children's stories painted all over the walls. They had all the modern conveniences and the castle was the first place in Wales and the third in England to get electricity. I don't remember a lot of the details but it was interesting and the grounds around it were very nice.
I also took the train to Bath one day and that was a great trip. I took a bus tour around the city and then only managed to really see the Roman Baths and the Abbey, both of which are very impressive. I had been to Bath before but the Roman Baths have changed substantially and they now have a wonderful audio tour and much larger exhibit. That may account for the fact that I didn't see much else while I was there! The Abbey is always neat to see, especially the front decoration with the one bad angel falling down the ladder while all the other good angels are climbing up. That was about the only part I remembered ffrom last time.
Those tours coupled with many days of lying around reading and relaxing, filled up my two weeks in Wales. Finally it was time to move on so on the 11th I moved on to London. I spent 10 hectic days touring around London and then moved on to Lille, France, which is where I am now located. I will visit a partner school tomorrow and then move on to Paris for a week or so hopefully visiting a potential partner there and doing a lot of sightseeing. Then I will move on to Nice to visit yet another partner. After that it will probably be Barcelona but beyond that I have no idea. Italy seems to be the favoured choice of places yet to see but you never know. By then I really might just want some warm weather, although I really can't complain because it has been 17 to 9 degrees Celsius most days or the last couple weeks.
I think that's all I have time for tonight. I guess details on London will have to wait until the next installment. I understand from the folks at work that some of you have been wondering about my regular e-mail address, as opposed to replying to blogs, and that address is k.jaynebrooks@gmail.com so please feel free to write anytime. I don't guarantee checking and replying to e-mails every day but I seldom miss more than two days.
Until next time ...
Jayne
The last time I wrote I was in Wales and that was just at the end of my two week work period. Well, Wales was so nice that I actually stayed there for a couple of weeks. C and M were wonderful hosts and I relaxed at their place in Cowbridge while they both ran off working every day. Then sometimes they would come home at night and get me a drink and make me dinner. It really was too much but it sure was nice.
I had good intentions of getting out and going for long walks but alas, there is not a drop of Welsh blood in me and I just couldn't face going out in the almost continual drizzle and rain. I never would have believed how much it rains in Wales if I hadn't witnessed it myself. Of course they then all tried to tell me that they had gone for months all summer without rain so this was really needed so I couldn't very well complain. Besides, rainy days make for great reading and relaxation.
I did spend a lot of time at the computer sorting out my pictures, or at least trying to. With my camera and no instructions, and their computer with no instructions, I didn't get far. The pictures are all on their machine and sorted by city or sight and labelled. However, that's where they will have to stay because I could not resize them or save them or send them to anyone. Days of work and only C and M will get to enjoy all those pictures.
On days off, we did do some touring around the Welsh countryside. We went to Cardiff Bay one day and walked along the promenade enjoying the sights and sounds. We also did some shopping that day. We toured the Welsh Cultural Centre, which is a huge complex and does a great job of showing Welsh life over several hundred years. We also went to Llandaaff Cathedral and Castle Coch. At the Cathedral we arrived just in time for Even Song with the boys choir so that was a treat, especially since it was Thanksgiving Day. And I must say that even though they looked like your typical devilish little boys, they really did sound like angels. Castle Coch is a beautiful old castle built on the side of a hill and as in many royal settings, the view is fantastic. Well, let me say that I assume the view is fantastic. It was rather foggy and misty when we were there so visibility was definitely limited. However, you could certainly see the potential for a fantastic view.
I went back to Cardiff to the castle one day and that was very interesting. I believe it was the Marquis de Bute who built it and it is quite old. The rooms are very unique and the decorations quite unusual. One of the Marquis (the third I think) was very much into education and actually spoke 21 languages. The children by the time they were ten each spoke 5 languages. One room is Arabian in style. Another is all about the seasons and zodiacs and other phenomenon. The library is huge, as you might imagine. The nursery has children's stories painted all over the walls. They had all the modern conveniences and the castle was the first place in Wales and the third in England to get electricity. I don't remember a lot of the details but it was interesting and the grounds around it were very nice.
I also took the train to Bath one day and that was a great trip. I took a bus tour around the city and then only managed to really see the Roman Baths and the Abbey, both of which are very impressive. I had been to Bath before but the Roman Baths have changed substantially and they now have a wonderful audio tour and much larger exhibit. That may account for the fact that I didn't see much else while I was there! The Abbey is always neat to see, especially the front decoration with the one bad angel falling down the ladder while all the other good angels are climbing up. That was about the only part I remembered ffrom last time.
Those tours coupled with many days of lying around reading and relaxing, filled up my two weeks in Wales. Finally it was time to move on so on the 11th I moved on to London. I spent 10 hectic days touring around London and then moved on to Lille, France, which is where I am now located. I will visit a partner school tomorrow and then move on to Paris for a week or so hopefully visiting a potential partner there and doing a lot of sightseeing. Then I will move on to Nice to visit yet another partner. After that it will probably be Barcelona but beyond that I have no idea. Italy seems to be the favoured choice of places yet to see but you never know. By then I really might just want some warm weather, although I really can't complain because it has been 17 to 9 degrees Celsius most days or the last couple weeks.
I think that's all I have time for tonight. I guess details on London will have to wait until the next installment. I understand from the folks at work that some of you have been wondering about my regular e-mail address, as opposed to replying to blogs, and that address is k.jaynebrooks@gmail.com so please feel free to write anytime. I don't guarantee checking and replying to e-mails every day but I seldom miss more than two days.
Until next time ...
Jayne
posted by Jayne Brooks @ 7:07 AM
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