Winter Wonderland

Before the Christmas break, Erik and I went on a little tour of Hyde Park to see the Winter Wonderland. It was a bit of a crapshoot, considering they made us wait in a HUGE crowd of people to even get IN, but the beer market was sort of worth it. London is hilarious: it's the only place I know where two or three completely, distinctly different worlds can be smooshed together into one place and somehow do it congruently. Well done, London.

Here's the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square (apparently it's a big deal).

Wellington Arch

At last...the Winter Wonderland.

This place doubles as a fair, so we just had to tour the supremely cheesy rides that litter the place as we made our way out...

I'd say a great (midway) day all around.

Weather

According to this website, tomorrow the sun will rise in London at 8:06 am and set at 4:04 pm. Seriously? Less than 8 hours of light? How will I make it through to spring?

I'm Back

Well hello.

It's been far, far too long. This is the plight of the not-oft-read blogger: unless we make a career out of writing, something, at some point, will inevitably get in the way.

I've been working, applying, writing (things other than this), planning, hoping, flying, visiting, worrying, eating, gorging, drinking, signing up, and flying again. We go back to school tomorrow and I start my AQ course on January 11, the same day the results come out for the Year 11 exams they wrote in November. It's going to be a busy month, thinks I.

I have a hundred pictures to share and will get to it as soon as possible.

I have stories, too. And notes on the bebes (who are the light of the world) and pictures of sunrises. For now, however, I should go to bed. Tomorrow is a new, exciting day.

The Bible According to Hov

What what...


Image courtesy of Halifornia

Panettone French Toast on the Food Network

Thought this might be a little too perfect for Christmas morning...

Panettone French Toast on the Food Network

Travel: the Why behind the Move

Image courtesy of kvelv.tumblr.com


Maybe this explains it...

maybe this is why I've trekked across two oceans to get to two different continents...

maybe this is why I've left all I know, everyone I love, and taken a wild nearly-three-year-journey.

Is it possible that I've started to feel nostalgic for the early days? Is it possible that now with going home at Christmas that I'm starting to imagine life back in Canada? Amazing how time flies...

GLEE - Girls just want to have fun (Official Video)

Wow, Fynn, you just blew my socks off.

SUCH a Gleek.

The Urge to Plan

Image courtesy of kvelv.tumblr.com

Something about this gorgeous entrance way just spoke to me...

loudly.

Somehow I can see myself coming home after a long day at work and walking down this hallway.

Nice to think of these things, isn't it?

It's Enough

image courtesy of Bibbity Boppity Boo

Some really exciting things are happening on the home front thanks to my father and I just can't help but feel eternally grateful.

Things always work out exactly as they're supposed to.

Thank you!!!

Settling in...with Settlers: the first night in Bruges

Erik and I met up at St. Pancras Station where this giant Christmas tree made entirely out of lego was waiting for us. Yup, just for us.

We boarded a train to Brussels, switched over, and landed here, where some drunk women de-trained before us and exclaimed, "I don't know where we are, 'cause this sign says, "BREW-GEE!" " It was pretty hilarious. Welcome to Brew-Gee.



A winter wonderland awaited us (yup, us again) outside the train station...



...while a calm, ultra-European city provided a backdrop to the night outside our hotel window.




...And so it began.