I should have been...

in this 8th century castle for my birthday today, enjoying a lavish meal and good wine with Brunsli and Breadfruit. However, due to a minor(replace with major) mishap with my passport and the fact that being part of the EU doesn't really count for much when it comes to travelling to Spain, I had to cancel and stay in England. To say that I was disappointed would be a major understatement. Despite the fact that they weren't expecting me to be in the country, my family and friends rallied round to celebrate with me (and to cheer me up) throughout the weekend and today. On Saturday I went to Shish for a meal with friends; I have to admit to having mixed feelings about the food, I enjoyed my starter but wasn't enamoured with the main course. It has a great atmosphere and was packed on all floors, but I think it is a place to visit for drinks and snacks. We had post dinner drinks here and I loved it; the decor is great, it's a bit like popping into someone's house for a glass of wine!
On Sunday I enjoyed a mulled wine and mince pie evening at my Dad's, this was preceeded by watching the nativity story at the local church.
Today I was treated to breakfast in bed, a lavish lunch and then a wonderful Thai meal in the evening along with a large number of my family.
I had a fantastic birthday and feel lucky to have such wonderful people in my life; you all know who you are and I love you all.

Back to the slopes

You'll remember that my first time skiing was last year; you'll also remember that I had a really good time (see here, here, here and here) and that I invested in a few lessons while I was there. But, for some reason, this year, I didn't enjoy the skiing as much as I had anticipated. It could have been due to the absolutely freezing conditions; yes I know it's meant to be cold, but we were buying additional items of thermal ski wear on a daily basis (my purchases included this very handy ear-muff/head band thing). It could have been due to me spending a lot of time worrying about what was going on back in England with the new house purchase.

However, I suspect it was largely due to the fact that my skiing just wasn't up to scratch. I spent such a lot of time on my bottom or taking my skis off and walking down the mountain! And of course there was the day I thought my number was up...

How old is too old to wear a bib?

This delightful accessory is provided when having the speciality fish broth at a lovely little restaurant in Briancon. The dish is only served on Fridays and is popular with both locals and tourists; I used my best French to book our table as soon as we arrived in town. The substantial broth contains a variety of seafood and fish and lots of potatoes, it's served with rustic bread, cloves of garlic, garlic mayonnaise and Gruyere cheese. Whilst it does have the potential to be a bit of a passion killer, it is absolutely delicious and perfect comfort food to eat after a day in the snow.

BTW, look at how burnt my cheeks are!

Je peu parle Francais!

Not entirely in keeping with the sentiment of my last 'tagged' post, I managed to spend a little time brushing up on my French. Although I had every intention of working on my language skills on a daily basis for six weeks in preparation for being in France, living life got in the way and I found myself having to do final cramming sessions two days before heading to the airport.
I am pleased to report that whilst in Briancon, I did a very good job!
Although I was able to converse on a basic level with some confidence, I came across lots of people who wanted to practise their English; so I often found myself in conversations that took place in two languages!
I use the Instant French system, which works towards the student learning a bank of words that can be used in everyday situations. I have to admit to paying very little attention to the grammar, which means that I use my word bank to construct sentences as if I were speaking in English. Of course this is not the right way and certainly not the way I was taught at school; but I seem to make sense to the people I'm talking to and that's all that matters, right?
In the future I would like to enrol myself on a course, when I can find a window of time in my very busy life!

How did this feature in my Skiing holiday?

In search of Clooney

With all of the border crossing we did, I could be forgiven for being a bit confused about which country I was in! However, when we headed for Como, I knew we were in Italy and even more exciting, we were near George's lakeside hideaway.
Behind it's city walls are a host of historical buildings, including the beautiful Duomo (cathedral). We were able to enjoy a gentle stroll through the streets, an espresso in the town square and a wander through the Farmers Market. As well as the opportunity to taste lots of wonderful organic food and drink, the market presented us with another unforgettable experience!

We made our way to Lake Como, which is the third largest in Italy (I visited the largest one earlier this year). Travelling up into the mountains allowed us to take in more of the stunning views; Breadfruit was a dab hand at driving up (and back down) the very-narrow-very-definitely-only-big-enough-for-one-car mountain road. Whilst I love living in London and the hustle and bustle of city life that goes with it; I really appreciate times like this when I am able to experience more tranquil settings (and of course fresher air).

I was convinced we'd stumbled upon Mr C's place when we found this house; I was wrong!

This is actually Villa Olmo, which once housed Napoleon Bonaparte.
Apparently the Clooney villa is a little smaller!

I like to be in America

Although I am now on holiday from work, I was at school today rehearsing. We have a very big show on in a few weeks (can you guess what it is?) and I still have some choreography to finish. The students were in good spirits considering they're supposed to be relaxing at home, and we managed to get alot done. Actually, I had some help from Brunsli and Breadfruit, who helped me to choreograph the prologue in Italy!

Look away now, if you don't like things with eight legs

We came across this "little" blighter whilst walking up a hill with beautiful views, near Breadfruit's Mum's house. Unlike me, Breadfruit is not scared of spiders, so he moved in for a closer inspection. Brunsli and I stood about twenty feet away explaining (loudly) why he shouldn't be so close to it!

We had a good look at the picture when we got in and Breadfruit worked out that it was a Wolf Spider. Although I find it difficult to look at the picture, i thought it would be rude not to share it with all of you!

(If you zoom in on the picture, you will see that it has its family on its back!)

From designer treats to delicious eats

After having a fantastic lunch in Italy, we crossed the Swiss border; Brunsli and I went to a huge designer outlet shopping centre and got stuck into some retail therapy. I was amazed by the huge number of Brits there; they were literally being dropped off by the coachload. I resisted the urge to go mad with the temptation of all the % I would save and made only one (or was it two?) small purchase. We followed our shopping trip with a walk around Breadfruit's idyllic hometown in Switzerland; a real treat for a city girl like me.

We popped over to Italy again, briefly, before going to Breadfruit's Mum's house.
Signora Breadfruit is a lovely lady and she made me feel incredibly welcome in her home. We shared stories about her visits to London and my previous trips to Switzerland AND (drumroll please) she immediately recognised my hair as being the same as Brunsli's!
The evening ended with the four of us going for dinner in a wonderful restaurant, which served traditional Ticenese food. Chestnuts are a local delicacy and during the meal I tasted them in several forms, including the delicious ice-cream pictured bottom left. The region also produces a very nice red wine; a few bottles of which made it back to London.

Blog Idol - a meeting realised

When I made the decision to get Sisterlocks I wasn't completely sure about what I was getting myself in to. As I searched the net for more information and of course pictures, I came across these things called blogs; among them was a blog that was to become my hairpedia. In the four months leading up to my SL installation, I regularly checked in with Brunsli's Hairstory and managed to read all of the archives! I found the blog more helpful than the official SL site and the insights into the rest of her life were entertaining; along the way I asked her a few questions, which she kindly answered and I also developed my hairtie addiction.
So, when the chance to meet up with Brunsli (and Breadfruit) presented itself, I jumped at it. The rugby (come on England!) and the travel chaos it caused, prevented us from meeting in Paris, but we were able to find a solution with a new location.
I have to admit (and I didn't tell her this, so shhhhhh) that I was very nervous about meeting Brunsli; what if she didn't like my hair! However as soon as we met, my nerves quickly disappeared; she is as wonderful in real life, as she comes across in blogosphere and (I hope she agrees!) we got on very well.

That was too easy for you

Who was I trying to kid with that picture? That was indeed the unmistakable hair of Brunsli.
And of course I had no trouble finding her at our meeting point; she was the woman with great locks talking to the man with great locks!

More buck for my pound

Super T arrived back home today after his trip to Orlando; by all accounts he had a wonderful time. He made good use of the favourable exchange rate; the near empty case he left with, came back bursting at the seams! I've never been to America; now that I have heard about his adventures, I am even more determined to get over there. I think I will take advantage of the strong pound and start buying my $$$ now...

"Light" reading - update

I spent more time snoozing in the sun in Egypt, than I did reading for work! So I now have just over a week to get through everything; even though I've had nearly six weeks to get this done. There is something about the long summer holiday that makes me a little lazy and I just find it so difficult to get back into work mode. But I'm trying, really I am...

Eilat

Our hotel was located about 15 minutes from the Taba Gateway; making it very 'easy' for us to cross the border and visit Israel.

I use the word easy loosely, because I actually didn't think they were going to allow me into the country. Having passed the 'pop quiz' on questions relating to my passport and getting the all clear from the metal detector and being frisked, I had to wait while my passport was subjected to a number of tests. This included it being placed in a machine (which thankfully flashed 'PASS') and then the outside of it being tested with with pieces of material in long wands, the material was then run through a machine (which again thankfully flashed 'PASS'). I have no idea why I selected for this out of the group of five I was in; perhaps because I no longer resemble my passport picture...

One of things that struck me during this fairly uncomfortable experience (I did start to feel sick and did want to cry; not that I am guilty of anything) was the number of women working there. Trust me, they were not women to be messed with; they and their guns made me a shadow of my usual bubbly self. It was a real contrast to our hotel where all of the staff were men.

Anyway, the last part of the process was a little easier; "no, I don't know anyone in Israel", "I've come to sight see and shop", "I am here for the day", "yes I know those people, they are my family", "thank you very much, I will enjoy my stay".

A short and nearly very expensive taxi drive(the driver wanted us to pay $50 which is £25, when I said we were paying in Shekels, he charged us about £5!) and we were in the heart of Eilat; the shops and beach were buzzing with people. We started at the shopping centre; a little bit of retail therapy and a great lunch later and we were ready to walk along the beach.

There was a great atmosphere in Eilat and I'm sure it's really lively at night; the sand wasn't the cleanest I've ever seen, but the water was lovely and blue.

There was a real mix of people there, although it did seem to be the place to be for the young and trendy. We came across a group of crazy boys having the time of their lives, jumping off a bridge into the sea; I thought about giving it a go myself, but worried about what it might do to my hair!

As we were leaving I couldn't help but a take a few pictures of the airport, which I thought was oddly placed in the middle of the road.

I didn't have any trouble leaving Israel; perhaps that means I'll have no trouble getting in the next time I visit!

Waterworld

We spent a day at a watersport centre, trying our hand at various activities.

The centre is situated down at Taba Heights resort, a short taxi drive from where we were staying.

My SO and I went out on a catamaran, my sister and my brave little JB went parasailing and the others went out on the banana. Whilst the other activities were fairly short, we were out on the catamaran for two hours. It was an amazing experience and I even managed to sail it! From where we were, we had an excellent view of the coastline of Jordan. Our skipper, Mahmoud, explained that it was about 15km across to Aqaba, 5km of which was international waters; if we crossed this part we'd have been in trouble!

They said it was an experience, but both JB and my sister said they'd never go parasailing again!

The others began their ride, all waves and smiles, but after about 6 minutes they were thrown quite violently into the sea. They were OK; although watching everything from the shore was really nerve wracking. They all decided that they'd had enough of watersports for the day and cancelled the waterskiing lessons they had booked for later on in the afternoon!

I'd love to do the PADI Scuba Diving course to take, but didn't think it was fair to spend 4-5 days of this family holiday doing it. Definitely on my list of things to do; this would be such a lovely place to go back to and do the course.

We met this girl and her friend at the watersport centre; they were selling bracelets and necklaces that they'd made. The girls are Bedouins and lived in the mountains close to the Taba Heights resort. They spoke perfect English and when I asked them who had taught them they replied "the people"; isn't that amazing? The Bedouins are the only real inhabitants in this region; all of the staff at the resorts are given accommodation in the hotels. They work for a month or two and then return to their homes for a week; however if the hotels are really busy it could be anything up to four months before they get a break. They all work tirelessly seven days a week and by all accounts for not much money.
Back to the girls, they seemed to take a real liking to us and spent most of the day talking to us and watching our watersport adventures. This is obviously the way they have developed their skills in English. They both came from fairly large families with 7 or 8 siblings each; selling their crafts at the centre each day was their way of contributing to the family income.

Sand, Sea and Jordan

The hotel had it's own beach a short walk (or very unnecessary shuttle bus ride) down the road, which we visited a few times. We played some football, took some pedaloes out and relaxed in the shade.

I impressed myself by swimming in the Red Sea; although I love to be in water, I usually only paddle in the sea. But, the water was so clear and so warm, I just couldn't help myself; the only thing that got me out was the salt, which became overbearing after a while.

There were some great views to take in from the shore, including this one across to Jordan.

Although we didn't go, it is possible to visit Jordan quite easily; a ferry crosses from nearby Taba Heights to Aqaba in about an hour and from there it's a two hour drive to Petra.

Making a splash

We only had to step out of our rooms and we were at one of the hotel's pools (aah, the advantages of being on the ground floor!). Of course that also meant that we were in with a chance in the 'race for the sun lounger' competition - can you believe that some guests had staked their claims before 6am! What is that all about?
This pool was the quietest one - probably because it didn't have a bar at it!

My swimming is not up to much; I can do a few laps and then I am totally out of breath. I have been meaning to book myself some lessons to brush up on my technique for the longest time; I'll have to add it to my list of things to do this lifetime. Anyway, I decided to buy myself a float to take with me and spent about 40 minutes a day using it to go up and down in the pool.
I love being in the water; there is something very relaxing about it. And of course now that my hair is not an issue, I can enjoy it all the more :-)

Taba

I hadn't done any major research into the area we were visiting; just booked the holiday and got ready to pack. I knew we were near the sea and some distance away from Cairo, but that was about it. "I think we are landing in the desert!" I said to my SO as I looked out of the window and could see nothing but the lights of the runway; when we made our way to the hotels, through pitch darkness, in a convoy of coaches, with what appeared to be a police escort, I started to worry slightly. I know I wasn't the only one because nearly everyone was sat bolt upright holding onto the backs of the seats in front of them!

Thank goodness our hotel was the first stop, because I'm not sure my poor little heart could have held out much longer. On arrival, we were struck immediately by how quiet it was; not in an eerie way, more a peaceful and relaxing type of quiet. Our rooms were nice and spacious and all next to each other; after dropping our cases off, we sat at the poolside under the most amazing star filled sky.

The welcome meeting with our holiday rep the following morning proved to be informative; not only about things to do, but for learning a little more about where we were.

The last portion of the Sinai to be returned to Egypt from Israel (1989), Taba is slowly being developed into a beautiful resort at the tip of Egypt's Red Sea Riviera. On the Gulf of Aqaba, Taba borders Israel and is directly opposite Jordan. The area is popular with Israeli tourists, although this has decreased since the bombings in 2004.

Situated in the part of Egypt that is in Asia and not Africa, our hotel was backed by the Sinai Peninsula mountains

With the Red Sea to the front

See you when I get back!