Busy weekend in London

We just had the most amazing weather again in London. It was great. The sun was out with hardly a cloud in the sky. So DIY Lee was out again and this weekend was finishing off the front path as we needed to add the fancy bits beside the cement. I can proudly say that I dug my very first trench. Lee and Benny may have said I dug just a little too dip I thought it was perfect. While I'm writing now it is 8:15pm on Sunday and the boys are doing some work on the raised garden bed. Who knew the office workers could be so handy out in the yard. Lee does think it is weird that we call it dirt as the British call it soil. I had a great time digging as there was no worry of spiders, insects or  toads. All I came across was cute little worms. Benny is now an expert in mixing not just concrete but mortar as well. We didn't expect that coming to London we would learn so many handy DIY tricks. I have told Benny that maybe we could lay some pavers at the Taringa apartment when we get back. We are still working out the exact plans for next weekend.

After the DIY day we went to meet some of Lee and Melissa's friends at Regents Park. Regents Park is so lovely. We went down round 6pm and sat drinking pear cider, beers and eating lovely nibbles. There were so many people out soaking up the sun. It was a little weird seeing people sun baking in their togs beside a duck pond, but I guess they are not as spoilt as us with the sandy beaches. It was such a lovely evening, we're looking forward to many more times in Regent Park.

Today we had an arty farty day. We went and met my friend Nathan and some of his friends to visit the Victoria & Albert Gallery. It was such an amazing building and according to Google the greatest art and design museum in the world. I would have to agree.  You can't see the whole gallery in a day as there is so much to explore. We were only there for a few hours and we only saw 3 rooms - jewelry, theatre costumes and photography. We had a great lunch at the gallery as well. The room was a mix of very old with modern. Benny and Nathan had meal jealousy as I had the most amazing frittarta I have ever had in my whole life.

Tonight I'm preparing for my job interview tomorrow at great ad agency. Hopefully it will be okay as I've done a lot of research into the company and client. Fingers crossed. We also have another appointment with a real estate agent in Putney. We think he might be the one who can find us the perfect place as he is a lucky little Irish man.

The search goes on...

For the past two days we have visited more apartments, slowly narrowing down where we think we'll live. We saw a few today, some even with river views. The hard part about looking for a flat is generally we find one each day that we would really like. The annoying thing is that with no job we need to pay so much money upfront.

Yesterday, we both sort of fell in love with a place that was over budget.  Have a look and see what you think. Lovely apartment in Putney It had a cute garden and very close to the tube station. Lots of room for visitors and the best oven and cook top for Benny's cooking. If we both get jobs soon, hopefully we can negotiate and get it or at least try and find something similar. It had such a great homely feel as soon as we walked in. It reminded us of our place in Taringa as it was underground but still had so much light. I'm in love with it, I just wish we were in the position to rent it.

Yesterday was also a big day. I had to get my eyebrows waxed. It is always very nerve racking finding someone that is as good as Kenny at Graceville. Well I'm now glad I wear glasses and they'll grow back. It's a little uneven. Benny assures me no one will notice. The problem with trying to get your eyebrows waxed in London is they like to use this ancient Indian technique of threading, which doesn't use wax. It is incredibly painful. I will have to do some heavy research in the next few weeks to try and find someone that uses wax.

Last night we went to our first Quiz Night. We can proudly say we didn't come last but we didn't come close to coming first. One question I did get right on the table was what instrument has jingles? The answer is the tamborine. Benny got the sport answer correct, no surprise. What is the most common first name of an English cricket captain? Michael. Overall we had a great night catching up with Benny's friends that moved here in March. I'm still trying to get used to only having one size to choose from when ordering cider or beers. They only offer pints. They are huge. One drink will do me for the night.

Today after apartment viewing we went shopping in Oxford Circus. It was scary. So many people and very little help from the sales assistant. I'm trying to find a pair of black heels for job interviews. Who knew it would be so hard. After 4 hours of exploring stores we had no luck and went home very tired in need of an afternoon cup of tea. We're going to quiz Melissa on places without crowds to find some work shoes. We are still so tired.

Tomorrow I'm off to meet with another recruiter who thinks she has some work. Fingers crossed.

Very sore feet

Today we hit the streets in search of areas that we might like to live. We walked so far about too many kilometres. Maybe 15 kilometres according to Benny. We started the journey at Liverpool St and stopped for yet another awesome coffee from Nude Espresso. After the coffee that was when the many steps started to explore London.

We have many appointments over the next few days looking at places. It is definitely interesting looking at how people live. We looked at a place today that we didn't think it would be possible that someone would live there. We were wrong. Apparently the owner lives there. It was so disgusting. We have taken this one off the list. We are looking for places that have room for people from Australia to visit. No need to book in advance availabilities are looking fine at the moment except of the Christmas period were we will have the lovely Em and Sam visiting.

A few things that we have noticed over the past few days are the following:

• Meat is ridiculously expensive about $14 Aus a kilo for chicken breast
• As I don't have a job I have time to smell the roses while walking and they smell amazing
• There are not too many people who speak English that live in London and ride the tube
• No one really wears helmets when riding a push bike
• Flowers are really cheap
• There are not many toilets. Rule of thumb when you see one you must go. 
• The Fosters ad uses interesting 'Aussie' talent Fosters's Ad

Just a weekend in London

You wouldn't believe it but we have bought the sunshine to London. We had the most magnificent weather on the weekend. Saturday morning we were up early, Ben off to the Walk About Pub to watch the Australia vs South Africa play in the Tri Nations. I met my old client Nathan from Energex at Liverpool St for a little tour of the area.

The tour started at a Nude Coffee. Drinking coffee in London has only just started taking off in the past few years. The only way to find a good cup of coffee is to go to a cafe that is run by an Australian or New Zealander. What we've been told is that Brits generally burn the milk. After my very good coffee the walking tour began. We explored the area of Shoreditch, visiting the Broadway Markets and having a drink at a very busy pub.  Shoreditch is a mixture of Fortitude Valley and Paddington. You could explore the area all day as there are so many cool shops. The was a very cool cafe that was half a bike shop and half cafe. You could sit and eat your breakfast while watching your bike being serviced. Very interesting concept. I could see it working in Brisvegas with the number of cyclists.

Ben and I returned back to Melissa and Lee's house after a lovely day of exploring. Lee is like a DIY man on the weekend. This weekend the aim was to concrete the front path. Ben joined in with mixing concrete and laying it with Lee and another friend James. Due to the long hours of daylight they finished concreting at about 7:30pm. Once the DIY session finished the BBQ began on the Weber.

After the BBQ we had a bonfire. Now it has to be explained that you can have a fire in your backyard at anytime in London. We started the fire at about 10pm, the only thing you have to check for is if the neighbours have their washing out. It was a lot of fun having the bonfire. We were burning garden rubbish, the old timber shed and anything else that needed to be burned. We all couldn't believe you could just have a bonfire in your backyard. It was a lot of fun and no police or fire brigade turned up as the fire was very controlled. We used a watering can to help control the flames. Lee and I were past fire wardens so we were prepared for anything.

Sunday was spent applying for jobs and researching where to live. We were even able to use the outside clothes line to dry our clothes. Melissa says this is very rare. I spent the afternoon soaking up the sun with Melissa outside while knitting Benny a scarf preparing for the cold weather to hit. To really take advantage of this excellent weather we made rissoles for burgers and ate them outside for dinner. Hopefully the next few weekends will be filled with so much sunshine. We are hoping to maybe go camping this weekend.

What a day

Well Melissa is right, it really does take you one hour to get anywhere in London even if you do think it is a short distance. Today we ventured out this morning as I had a meeting with  a recruiter. The recruiter was really lovely. No surprise the meeting went for a long time as both of us were a little bit chatty.

After the meeting Ben and I ventured to check out some London apartments. It was definitely interesting. We had a  lovely man named Edward taking us around. He was so English. He was very sweet letting me enter first through the door. It is so sad that not more Australian men never do this. He took us to two place. One of places that had a very unusual smell which we'll pass on. The other one was perfect in a brand new complex. It has under floor heating, sounds just a little bit fancy. The last place we looked at was really nice but it failed one of Melissa's tests, it's ex-council.

This weekend we are seeing friends and updating our resumes to hopefully get jobs very soon and maybe having another London BBQ.

Servus (bye-bye) Inzell

It's official we finished our first European summer holiday. It has been so great. 

The last three days in Inzell has been fun. A few days ago we went to the Chiemsee, which is a huge freshwater lake about 45 minutes from Jutta's house. Renate gave Ben a ride to the lake in the Morgan. He looked really handsome, I think we might need one when we return. 

The last time I visited the lake was in the middle of winter and absolutely freezing cold with no one around. However, our visit was a perfect summer day.  We were in shock with how many people were there on a Tuesday and it wasn't even school holidays in Bavaria. 

In the lake there are many islands.  We visited the two main islands by ferry. The two main islands are the Herreninsel (gentleman's island) and Fraueninsel (lady's island). The famous King of Bavaria in 1878 built some crazy castle on the Herreninsel. He was also the dude that built the famous Neuschwanstein Castle that inspired the Disney Castle. Unfortunately the lines were too long for a tour. One of the highlights was seeing the fountains working and not boarded up like they were in winter. 

The lady's island housed the nun's only a few hundred years ago, 782, as well as a small village. Today it just has a church, a few little pensions, B & Bs, cafes and little shops. One little shop made hand painted crockery. Benny may have let me purchase a lovely teacup for the many tea times in London. There is a little cafe that serves up the fresh trout caught in the lake. It was so good to finally see this lake when it isn't in the negatives degrees. 

Yesterday, was not such perfect weather. It was a not so hot summer day of 8 degrees. We decided that the day be best spent playing the most amazing German board game, Siedler (Settler). However, the rules of playing this game in Germany is you must speak German to make  it more authentic. Benny was fantastic. Everyone was very impressed how he went with learning a little bit of German over just a small space of time. 

Our 5 days in Inzell were just great to catch up with my German family. The Bavarian food was just amazing. We both jumped on the scales on the last day of the summer holiday and surprisingly none of us put on weight. I am surprised with the litres of beer that Ben has sampled throughout Slovenia and in Inzell.  

Today we travelled to Salzburg to catch a plane back to London. It was a funny feeling landing in London knowing that it isn't really a short holiday and that soon we'll have a postal address here. We finished the night with our first Indian dinner and it was pretty yummy. It is up the road from Melissa and came highly recommended. It may give Punjabi Palace in West End a run for its money. 

Tomorrow we are going to view a few places to live. Melissa has instructed us to do a few little checks before signing our life away. For example heating must work, shower must have pressure and it mustn't be an ex-council home. We are also going to make sure there is plenty of a room for our friends and family to pop in for a visit. 

Hallo von Deutschland

So it has been one crazy whirlwind since Piran. We found out after a few days in Slovenia that Slovenians really are not in a rush. Everything is so slow. When we were trying to leave Piran to visit Ljubljana the bus turned up late. We were a few hours behind schedule which wasn't perfect because we only had one night in the capital. After finally getting off the long and very slow bus trip we were in Ljubljana. Thanks again to Rick Steve's tour book we read to never catch a taxi without booking it.

Off we went in a taxi booked by the tourist office to our hotel. We stayed in an apartment above a bar in the pedestrian only area. Even though we only spent a little time there we found it to be a very  beautiful city. It is only really small with just over 250,000 people. The number one thing according to the guide book to do in this place is people watch. He wasn't wrong. Everyone does it, including the locals. They all sit facing the footpath like in Paris.

We wish we could have spent a bit more time here. We'll  be back hopefully soon to explore some more. Here are just a few of the pictures. We spent most of the time walking around. We did visit the fresh produce markets and caught a cable car (small one) to the top of the castle.

One more thing to add is that I was bitten by a scary European wasp in the last 30 minutes before we left on the train to Germany. A lovely man behind us told us to wet a match and rub it on the surface of the bite. Thanks to the man's advise or the papaw papaw balm the bite disappeared after a few hours.

The train to Jutta's house in Inzell Germany was only about 5 hours. Some of the scenery out of the window looked like a painting on the wall. It was so incredible how large the mountains are in Austria as we travelled through. We arrived in the evening and sat down to a traditional Bavarian snack of meat, cheeze and breadrolls. We now know why I became so fat after my first visit here as there is so much selection.

It was so crazy to see Inzell with not metres of snow. I struggled to recognize places I'd driven through so many times. Jutta and her family ordered a real summer's day for us on our first full day here. We were off for the day to the Konigsee. The Konigsee is a lake with a cute little church in the middle. The lake is surrounded by big mountains. The second largest mountain in Germany is actually here.

After many years of seeing Renate's 1975 Morgan under the cover I was given the opportunity to go for a drive in it. Hans drove me through the mountains to the Konigsee which is close to their home to meet the others. The drive was incredible. I felt like I like a movie star with the wind blowing in my hair.

 The Bavarians love hiking. So Jutta and her family decided to take us on a big walking trip. I couldn't believe how many people were out hiking.  I am still so sore from the walk. Luckily we caught the cable car to the top of the 1800m mountain and only had to walk down. We felt like we were in the movie 'Sound of Music'. The only thing that was missing was the matching outfits and songs. One of the highlights of the walk was coming across the scary German snake. The scenery was gorgeous we could not have asked for a better day. Hans however, had warned me that the weather changes very quickly and guess what rolled  in ... a storm as soon as we were safely home.

Today, the weather was rubbish. It was like a wintery Brisbane day. It was really cold. I took Benny for a tour round the village. As the weather was not too great  we spent the afternoon in Salzburg.  Jutta is only 45 minutes from the Austrian border. It was so crowded. We had to drive to four different multi-storey carparks to find a park. Salzburg goes a little crazy in the summer. Even with a day like today I couldn't believe the crowds.

Tomorrow we are off to another lake. We are really loving it here especially Renate's home cooked meals. I have been privileged enough to get Renate's recipe to her famous potato salad.

Two nights in Piran

After leaving the very relaxing Bled we moved onto Piran. Piran can be best described as one of Slovenia's most beautiful coastal country villages. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea on such a small area of land just across from Croatia. It is unbelievably beautiful. You can walk from one end of the town to the other in about 1 hour tops. It is hilly and filled with lots of tiny streets. The place reminds you so much of walking down the streets of Venice, not only because there are very few, if any cars but because it was part of the Venetian Empire in the 13th Century.  All the houses have washing hung out the windows and planter boxes. The houses on the outskirts have vines of fruit growing up them such as kiwi fruit and grapes.

Accommodation is very scarce here so when we booked months ago all we could find was a hotel. We were lucky enough to be right on the water, unfortunately no sea views were allocated in the budget. We could walk to the water in about 20 steps after leaving the hotel lobby. It was great. We went swimming everyday, the water was a perfect temperature. The only weird thing is you lie on concrete instead of sand as you enter the water via the piers.

The highlight of Piran was on the last night. We had met this kind of crazy, pot smoking hippy in an shop equivalent to 'Tree of Life' who told us to jump on board this little boat which used to be a trawler. The first night we chickened out on eating there. When we got on board the owner of the boat spoke not much English. There are only two things on the menu, spaghetti with muscles and grilled fish. The owner came to to the table with about four types of fish that had been caught that day. We chose two to share between three of us. It is served up whole. It was so tasty. We all thought it was the best fish we had for a really long time. 

This morning we waited quite a while for a bus to take us to Ljubjana. We will be here for one night only before we say farewell to Di and Rick.