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valnyhout

23 Blog Entries
2 Trips
346 Photos

Trips:

Amsterdam to Athens and Everything After
Finding my British Roots, eh?

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/valnyhout




Baths and Babies

Bath, United Kingdom


Listening to the audio guide
On Sunday Sue made us a nice turkey lunch. Ollie’s grandpa Jack and the rest of his family came for lunch. We played a game called Articulate and we all laughed a lot. We went for a walk to a mere – kind of like a pond. In the evening we went to a pub quiz at the pub in Cockshutt. My team was me, Ollie and Mom and Dad. We didn’t win. Angela was on a team with Rick and Sue and Jack. They didn’t win either.


Me beside a Bath


Roman Spa
Yesterday we went to a city called Bath. We saw the Roman baths ruins – they were interesting and a little bit boring. It's sort of like a museum. They gave us phones that were audio guides so we could get information about what we were looking at. It was a place the Romans went to to swim and get exercise and go to the spa. There's one spa that is really warm and they used it for healing people who were hurt or sick. It is heated by the Earth! We saw where the ancient Romans had built a temple to the goddess Minerva.

The Bath Abbey
Beside the baths is the Abbey. This is a big, beautiful church that we went through. Me, Mom, and Dad went through. Ang and Ollie didn't go in. There were lots of plaques to read but most of them were in Latin. We walked around the city of Bath. It is very pretty.
We saw where lots of rich people live and the Royal Cresent, where they filmed some different movies. We had fish and chips for lunch and I tried a tostado for dinner.

We stayed in Bristol overnight. We checked into a nice hotel – they gave us wine while we lined up to register.


Me giving Alfie a kiss
Today we went to see baby Alfie. He’s really cute and really small. He's only 2 weeks old. He had teeny, tiny hands. He didn’t steal my glasses like Freddie. I got to hold baby Alfie. And the others took pictures of us.

Baby Alfie, Zoe, and me
Zoe and baby Alfie and me got our picture together. Dad has a cold so he didn’t get to hold baby Alfie. Alfie said to me that I am his Auntie. He calls me Auntie Val.

Now we are heading back to Sheffield. I miss you all at school!

British words of the day:

nappy= diaper
lorry= transport truck


permalink written by  valnyhout on April 21, 2009 from Bath, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Finding my British Roots, eh?
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Visiting Where Ollie Grew Up and Meeting New Family

Shrewsbury, United Kingdom


Me and Ang by the castle
Yesterday afternoon I went out for lunch in Sheffield with Mom, Dad, Ang, and Ollie. We had Italian. Then Ang went to work and Mom, Dad, and I drove to see Rick and Sue, Ollie's parents. It was like driving in a twisty-straw. The roads were really curvy. We drove through the Peak District and we saw sheep, cows, and horses. Dad was driving too slow and he was holding up the traffic! He was not used to the windy roads. Then we got to Rick and Sue's place. It's in a tiny village. Their house is really nice and big. Rick made a sign that said 'Welcome to Our Place, Val, Kris, and Dave.' My name went first--haha! Sue made us a nice dinner, then I got to see pictures of Ollie when he was little. Everybody went to bed, but I stayed up to wait for Ang and Ollie. They didn't get here until midnight, but I wasn't tired! Ang had to work late so that's why they got here late.


Ol and Me again
This morning we went to Shrewsbury, it's a really nice old town, it's where Ollie grew up. It's where Charles Darwin grew up too. Rick told us it's a medieval town. First we went to the castle. We climbed up to the castle wall and we could see the whole town and all the buildings. Rick and Sue took us on a nice walk through the town. We saw some buildings with little doors. People must have been a lot shorter back then.


Outside the castle


Me outside Bob Cratchett's
We also saw the house of Bob Cratchett from the last A Christmas Carol movie. Well, not his real house, but his house in the movie. There was a beautiful secret garden with flowers and waterfalls. We took pictures of the British duck in a pond.

We picked up Ollie's brother Tom and we drove to a pub half way between Rick and Sue's and Ben and Ellie's. It was in Worcestershire. We had lunch there. AND we met baby Freddie and his parents, Ben and Ellie! Ben is Ollie's other brother. Baby Freddie stole my glasses 3 times. It was really funny. He has a cute, smiley face. I gave him a teddy bear from Canada. Everybody snuggled with baby Freddie. He is always happy.


Freddie stealing my glasses

Freddie just learned how to clap and it's really cute. After lunch we went to the park and went for a walk. Everyone was there-- me, Mom, Dad, Ang, Ollie, Rick, Sue, Tom, Ben, Ellie, and of course Freddie.

British words of the day:
bap= bun or roll

permalink written by  valnyhout on April 18, 2009 from Shrewsbury, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Finding my British Roots, eh?
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Arriving in England and nightclubbing with Ang

Sheffield, United Kingdom


Ready to Board
We boarded the plane in Toronto with my dad wondering how the Knights game would end. He was listening in the airport but only until the end of the 2nd period. It was a long flight but good thing I had lots of stuff to do because my awesome teachers and class sent lots of fun actitivities for me. Finally we landed in London, England. I got to use my British passport! It was rainy and chilly when we arrived. We rented a car and had to get used to driving on the other side of the road.

Me and Ang at the nightclub
It's not that scarey. In England, Spring has already arrived. The leaves are on the trees, the grass is green and flowers are up. Maybe it will look like that at home by the time we get back. We drove up to Sheffield (a long drive) and Angela and Ollie were so happy to see me. We're happy to see them too. I like where Ang and Ollie live. It isn't like anything an apartment at home.


Dancing with a new friend
In the evening Angela took me to a special nightclub that welcomes people with all different abilities. I met lots of her work friends there and we danced to a live band. There was another room with a DJ. There was an open mike and I was going to sing but I was a little bit too nervous. I was knackered - that is a new British word I learned. We stayed out to 11:30 and then we had to wait for Ollie to pick us up.

Waiting forever for Ollie
It felt like we waited for Ollie for hours. Finally after a long, long day, off to bed.Today we are going to Shropshire, Ollie's Mom and Dad live there, right on the Welsh border.

permalink written by  valnyhout on April 17, 2009 from Sheffield, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: Finding my British Roots, eh?
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