Quick update before we leave on our cruise. Got a free upgrade and so now we are going to have a cabin with a balcony rather than the interior (cheap) cabin we booked. All looking good. Fly to Genoa, Italy tomorrow morning and have a day there before the cruise starts on Sunday (Nov 21). While very historical and interesting, Genoa is home to the famous pesto sauce, so that will be number 1 on the to do list. Really looking forward to our cruise, relaxing (on our balcony!) and visiting so many different places and countries.
Everything is in for the Chinese visas with exception of our final CELTA (English language teaching) certificates. We need to submit the original certificate for our visas, and so we are waiting while they are mailed from Cambridge (about 100 miles from where I am typing this) to Vancouver, Canada, and then back to us here! But all else is in place, including the surprisingly detailed background checks. All looking good for February in Shanghai.
Other news is that we found a cheap New Year trip to Paris! So we are booked on a coach from Essex to Paris via either a Channel ferry or (hopefully) the Eurostar train for 3 nights in Paris over New Year. That should do it for our travels for now..!!
Colorado is well settled now and is agreeing to walk nicely with mum and dad (but she wasn't sure if she thought that was a good idea initially). Mum and dad have learnt a bit more on how to manage the Princess, including to not leave loaves of bread or the food recycling/compost bin anywhere within reach on counter-tops. So, in addition to her regular diet of kibble, pigs ears and cookies, Colorado has sampled English bread - both wholewheat and white (no preference), coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags (English of course!) and the like. Mmmm.
We will be likely out of email/internet contact for the next two weeks. Will do a brief update if we can. For now, we're off to Italy, Sicily, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. Nice!!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Some recent photographs ...
Colorado arrives in the UK (at Heathrow Animal Reception Center) ...
Colorado's first day on the beach in Southend
Walking in the new neighborhood ...
Getting into the swing of it all in the UK ....
Bonfire night ... a huge (15-20 foot) bonfire and 17,000 people and fireworks ....
A recent trip to the Royal Horticultural Society Hyde Hall in Chelmsford
Our photos of the Lord Mayor's Parade in London are on our new cell/mobile phone which, until we read the instructions (which may be never) are stuck on the phone. Just think carriages and marching bands and lots of people....
Colorado arrives in the UK (at Heathrow Animal Reception Center) ...
Colorado's first day on the beach in Southend
Walking in the new neighborhood ...
Getting into the swing of it all in the UK ....
Bonfire night ... a huge (15-20 foot) bonfire and 17,000 people and fireworks ....
A recent trip to the Royal Horticultural Society Hyde Hall in Chelmsford
Our photos of the Lord Mayor's Parade in London are on our new cell/mobile phone which, until we read the instructions (which may be never) are stuck on the phone. Just think carriages and marching bands and lots of people....
Friday, November 4, 2011
First days in the UK
Well, we have all arrived safely in the UK. Quite a process really. We dropped Colorado off to the transportation company the day before and it was quite emotional saying goodbye and knowing we wouldn't see her again until we all reached the UK. The pet transporter told us to keep an eye on the right side of the plane when we were ready to board the following day, and we did get to spot Colorado's kennel with her ears ticking up being loaded onto the plane.
All went well with immigration and customs, and we were able to pick her up a few hours after we arrived in Heathrow. She was a bit wound up but has since settled in well to life in the UK and already knows the way to the local beach ....
With regards to the teaching jobs - we accepted the positions in Shanghai which should start in February,and so now we are busy (again!) getting all the documents and paperwork together to apply for our visas. There is quite a bit to do, so we are working on it an hour or so at a time. We brought every piece of paper we thought we might possible need from the States with us, as we didn't want to delay everything by missing that one vital thing. So far so good. But have to get it all done in a couple of weeks as we are off again ....
We started looking into our European vacation yesterday trying to find something exciting and a last minute good deal. Today we hit payday! Found a very helpful travel agent and booked a last minute Mediterranean cruise for only 25% of its normal cost! Quite a deal apparently. Offi in two weeks. So we have that sorted now - it seemed a bit more exciting that just going to one place! So we will be starting in Italy (Genoa) - where we have time before and after the cruise, and then Naples (Italy), Messina (Sicily), Rhodes (Greece), Lemesos (Cyprus), Marmaris (Turkey), Santorini (Greece), Olympia (Greece) and back to Italy. So no Malta for now ....
We're also off to the biggest Bonfire Night celebration in Essex tomorrow so that Evan can enjoy a truly British celebration (aka Guy Fawkes Night) with a torch parade, huge bonfire, music/bands and fireworks! Should be fun.
So all in all a busy few days but everything is going well.
All went well with immigration and customs, and we were able to pick her up a few hours after we arrived in Heathrow. She was a bit wound up but has since settled in well to life in the UK and already knows the way to the local beach ....
With regards to the teaching jobs - we accepted the positions in Shanghai which should start in February,and so now we are busy (again!) getting all the documents and paperwork together to apply for our visas. There is quite a bit to do, so we are working on it an hour or so at a time. We brought every piece of paper we thought we might possible need from the States with us, as we didn't want to delay everything by missing that one vital thing. So far so good. But have to get it all done in a couple of weeks as we are off again ....
We started looking into our European vacation yesterday trying to find something exciting and a last minute good deal. Today we hit payday! Found a very helpful travel agent and booked a last minute Mediterranean cruise for only 25% of its normal cost! Quite a deal apparently. Offi in two weeks. So we have that sorted now - it seemed a bit more exciting that just going to one place! So we will be starting in Italy (Genoa) - where we have time before and after the cruise, and then Naples (Italy), Messina (Sicily), Rhodes (Greece), Lemesos (Cyprus), Marmaris (Turkey), Santorini (Greece), Olympia (Greece) and back to Italy. So no Malta for now ....
We're also off to the biggest Bonfire Night celebration in Essex tomorrow so that Evan can enjoy a truly British celebration (aka Guy Fawkes Night) with a torch parade, huge bonfire, music/bands and fireworks! Should be fun.
So all in all a busy few days but everything is going well.
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