tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345819752024-03-05T02:55:39.523-08:00faites simple<i>"faites simple"</i> - Escoffier<br>
<i>"the avoidance of all unnecessary complication and elaboration"</i> - Elizabeth DavidElianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.comBlogger600125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-21462693091543285532016-01-22T05:51:00.001-08:002016-01-22T05:51:37.494-08:00Weeks 2 and 3Week two's book was Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. And overall it went really well. The one slight glitch was that my butcher didn't have the cut of meat I wanted on the day I wanted it. So I had to rejig the planning mid-week and then Tom decided to pop to London for a night, so one night we just had an easy pasta.<br />
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Monday: Braised eggs with lamb, tahini and sumac<br />
Tom and I thought this was delicious - girls were a little less enthusiastic. But you know, whatever, that's tough! Broadening their food horizons...<br />
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Tuesday: Latkes with a carrot and beetroot salad and sour cream<br />
I don't remember enjoying cooking this but the day was a bit frazzled and so was I. Tasted good and all vanished very fast.<br />
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Wednesday: Herb pie<br />
This is a filo pastry pie with ricotta and other cheeses plus loads of herbs and greens. To be honest, I just do what I usually do so I'd say my version was inspired by Jerusalem rather than the recipe being slavishly adhered to.<br />
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Thursday: Leftover pie<br />
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Friday: Easy pasta - mozzarella, pesto and cherry tomatoes<br />
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Saturday: Slow cooked veal with prunes and leek<br />
Oh my lord. This was amazing. I think I may have let the sauce get too thick early on though I rescued it with stock and it wasn't burnt. I didn't use veal. I used beef shin and three thick slices with bone and marrow weighing over 1kg came to around a fiver. And it made this fabulous meal.<br />
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Sunday: Leftovers<br />
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Funny thing about this book - it looks a tad scary. Long wordy recipes. Long lists of ingredients. But actually everything was really easy to do and tasted so good. Especially the beef.<br />
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Which brings us to Week three.<br />
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Slightly tricky week. The boiler stopped working and there was a cold snap. Thick frost outside. Really cold inside - I live in a barn so big spaces which are hard to heat at the best of time and the insulation could be better. The boiler started again on Tuesday evening.<br />
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Meanwhile I chose the Ballymaloe Cookery Course Book which is one of my go-to references but actually kind of failed to inspire. It is wonderful at telling you the definitive way to do things and it does have a plethora of recipes. I just couldn't work out what to cook that would get me excited to be in my kitchen. We have eaten - just not from the book. So next week - another book. And tonight an egg curry with dhal with cabbage and rice.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-23996553504879258262016-01-10T12:12:00.002-08:002016-01-10T12:12:30.736-08:00"You eat well here" Project for the year"You eat well here" is something my brother-in-law has been known to say when visiting. Which is good.<br />
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But while pulling out all the culinary stops is easy to do when people come to stay and you clear your diary for them, day to day it is very easy to get into a rut. And all the time my many many cookbooks are sitting there - some almost untouched, some with a few well worn pages but generally unused.<br />
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So I got to thinking and came up with an idea. This year I will plan the week's meals in advance on Sunday evening, and to make better use of my embarrassingly unused cookbook library, I will cook from one book each week. Planning will make sure I use up my veg box, and I can head to the shops on Monday morning to make sure I have everything I need ready for the week ahead.<br />
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So far it's all going swimmingly well. It is of course just at the end of week one so we shall see but already I've noticed a couple of things. We are eating more interestingly and I'm getting much less stressed about it even though I'm cooking better and more varied food. I think it's because once I've done the planning on Sunday and shopping on Monday I hand over to whichever author is in charge and just follow instructions. No 6pm "what is in the fridge?" moments. Plus it's way more fun because I like to cook and try new things.<br />
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Last week I started with Diana Henry and her book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-From-Plenty-plentiful-extravagant/dp/1845335074" target="_blank">Food from Plenty</a></i>. I picked up a slightly damaged copy for pennies in a book sale at a local library, and this is the first time I've tried any of the recipes. Here's our menu for the week:<br />
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Monday: Moroccan fish cakes with cucumber salad, hot sauce and roast potatoes<br />
Tuesday: Nicoise vegetable stew with rouille and fresh bread<br />
Wednesday: Roast chicken, French peas with lettuce and mashed swede and parsnips.<br />
Thursday: Leftover cold chicken with spring couscous.<br />
Friday: Roast squash and red pepper (instead of spinach) lasagne.<br />
Saturday (Tom cooked): Vegetable korma and rice.<br />
Sunday: Leftover lasagne.<br />
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I'm hoping to add a post a week, mostly as motivation to myself.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-20292935583847962912015-03-21T15:25:00.000-07:002015-03-21T15:25:15.353-07:00Sourdough everydayIt's been over a year since I posted on this blog. A year of sourdough baking. My leaven is still alive and bubbling and producing lovely loaves. I have gone from novice obsessive through frustration to baking, every couple of days, loaves which are quite beautiful and tasty. I'm not quite sure where I went from the obsessive to the relaxed taking it all for granted stage, and every now and again I think I ought to go back and check I'm "doing it right" and then I remind myself there isn't really a right way. There's just good or bad bread and that's the test.<br />
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The first step on the journey - starting the leaven - was handled by Dan Lepard and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845333896" target="_blank"><i>The Handmade Loaf</i></a>. The next step - understanding the process of making sourdough and baking a beautiful loaf was in the hands of Chad Robertson and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tartine-Bread-Chad-Robertson-ebook/dp/B00F8H0FNW" target="_blank"><i>Tartine Bread</i></a>. I bought the book last spring and read the first section on making a good loaf - 27 pages for one recipe! I read it and read it and read it (this was the novice obsessive phase obviously). And started following it to the letter. And bought extra equipment. And slowly adapted the technique to work for me. Some things have stuck - float that starter to see if it's lively enough - and others have somewhat disappeared - folding every half an hour for how ever many hours sometimes just doesn't happen. I'm not sure I could say when I changed things. And no day of baking is exactly the same - schedules, temperatures, flour mixes, all change.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1gu1QzlO_QMyJNbUH4igQD3TZAjPSrrcThcP8o98y90-ZoJoUbBRkj99_z8Jl1-osWH-eFg1Hg5QrohO7w_Ttdaj_-WgSDJCRe-5ZZzATy8Nyk4LeWiA7th2oHmyFza0TW92WQ/s1600/IMG_20150321_195940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1gu1QzlO_QMyJNbUH4igQD3TZAjPSrrcThcP8o98y90-ZoJoUbBRkj99_z8Jl1-osWH-eFg1Hg5QrohO7w_Ttdaj_-WgSDJCRe-5ZZzATy8Nyk4LeWiA7th2oHmyFza0TW92WQ/s1600/IMG_20150321_195940.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beloved Dutch Oven by Lodge</td></tr>
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One thing I do consistently is use a Dutch Oven to bake my loaves. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lodge-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Shallow-Skillet/dp/B0009JKG9M" target="_blank">The one I have </a>has a shallow lid/skillet which is easy to flip loaves onto, and then the deep casserole goes on top. If you've never tried baking a loaf in a casserole you won't believe the difference. For half the baking time the loaf is sealed in, in a moist atmosphere, allowing the loaf to spring beautifully upward before the crust sets. And then half way through the lid comes off and you end with a crunchy shiny crust on the outside.<br />
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I may blog more about other changes and techniques another day. But here is a loaf I baked today.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cherry and fennel bread - makes two loaves</span><br />
(based on a recipe from <i>The Handmade Loaf </i>but using proportions and techniques from <i>Tartine Bread</i>.)<br />
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200g leaven<br />
700g warm water<br />
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mixed together and to which I added<br />
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200g unsweetened dried cherries<br />
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300g swiss dark flour from <a href="http://www.shipton-mill.com/flour-direct-shop" target="_blank">Shipton Mill</a><br />
700g organic strong white flour also from Shipton Mill<br />
1tbsp fennel seeds<br />
20g salt<br />
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Below is a picture of the dough just mixed together.<br />
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And this is the dough after half an hour, and then stretched and folded and popped into its box. I started using a box because it keeps in the moisture better, and I can see what is going on easily. It's not glamourous but it works.<br />
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After several stretch and folds, and a good few hours of abandonment it looked like this.<br />
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Shaped into a boule. It's amazing how doing this every couple of days has improved my technique. Well not really, but I am still amazed.<br />
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And the final baked loaf!<br />
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-10560033590595392472014-01-14T07:05:00.000-08:002014-01-14T07:05:38.855-08:00Experiments in bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My leaven is alive and well. I used it for the first time on day 5 of the process of stimulating fermentation and at that stage I also used dried yeast. A week of so later and I'm baking using only the leaven. The first loaf for this is pictured below. Lovely, isn't it?</div>
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Unfortunately once I cut into it I discovered a hole large enough for potholing. The flavour and texture were good but it wasn't very good for sandwiches...<br />
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The latest attempt is below and I think may still suffer from the cave effect though not quite as badly. I've googled the problem and come up with all sorts of explanations - poor loaf shaping, over proofed bread, uneven yeast distribution, baking on a hot tray. Nothing definitive of course and there seem to be as many people asking how to get bigger holes in their bread (though perhaps not Wookey Hole sized holes) as there are looking into how to get a more even texture.<br />
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I shall try different things and see what happens. One thing I am trying is leaving the bread to rise over night. Last night I left the dough out to rise in our cold kitchen and shaped and baked this morning. Today I'm leaving the dough to rise first time around in the afternoon and then I shall shape and put in the fridge over night to bake tomorrow morning. It's partly an experiment to work out what works for the bread and partly to work out what works for my timetable.<br />
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So far what I have noticed is that the texture of the dough is much more silky when using the leaven. Also the oven spring is good (i.e. the amount the bread rises during baking) but the texture is a little uneven. Oh and the bread doesn't taste particularly "sour" which I think may be because I am refreshing/feeding my leaven daily. Meanwhile my leaven is bubbling away nicely and being fed daily on flour and water.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-84545219047146567582014-01-05T09:55:00.001-08:002014-01-05T09:55:54.290-08:00Disciplined or perhaps notWell I missed yesterday's intended post. And I found myself getting up after going to bed to feed my leaven.<br />
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This year I was trying to get a touch more disciplined. I'm aiming to blog more, make bread more regularly and better (hence the leaven), plan meals a week ahead so we eat well, I have to shop less frequently and I miss that "oh crap it's 6pm and I don't know what's for supper" moment. It isn't that I've got any big ideas for projects of 2014. But in case anything does crop up it would be good to feel I have the time. And I do have a lot of small ideas for projects so perhaps they add up to something.<br />
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One of those small ideas being this:<br />
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One square a day. So far this is doing better than blog posts. I had planned one a week but then I realised that would be a pretty small blanket by the end of the year. So it's one a day. Another thing to remember. Or forget.<br />
<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-71235832291851929402014-01-03T13:46:00.001-08:002014-01-03T13:46:57.365-08:00Cooked: a reviewI do not read non fiction easily or comfortably. It takes time with no plot to draw me on. Michael Pollan's writing though proves the exception and so <i>The Omnivore's Dilemma</i> was an excellent read and<i> Cooked </i>even more so.<br />
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Divided into four sections - fire, water, air and earth - it traces Pollan's exploration of each "element" of cooking and human development of and by that same cooking technique or style. I found the sections on air/bread and earth/fermentation particularly enthralling. I am currently tempted by a home grain mill (bonkers I know!) and was ecstatic to get <i>The Art of Fermentation</i> by Sandor Katz for Christmas (sauerkraut here we come!). I am a complete novice in all things microbiological so am filled with wonder at the microcosmos that lives within and around us. Fortunately I am utterly crap at housework and have never been one for antibacterial washes so I wasn't dismayed but rather reinforced by learning just how many good bugs are around to help us stay healthy.<br />
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I came away from the book with a renewed sense that cooking is a fundamental life skill, one which gives us a daily opportunity to maintain, develop and improve our creativity, health, and social relationships. And I continue to be amazed by human creativity in the field of food - not the Heston Blumenthal style of creativity though that is pretty amazing too - but rather how on earth did humans develop a multitude of wonderful cheeses, breads, beers, wines etc. way before they actually understood what was really going on inside those foods. And how have those foods evolved with us, and helped us evolve. It's a fascinating but also easy and entertaining read.<br />
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Now I must just go and feed <span style="font-family: inherit;">my <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis...</span></span><br />
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-8304330585494199842014-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:002014-01-02T15:08:45.970-08:00Two cooksToday I spent cooking mostly. Soup for lunch. Then a batch of bread (leaven is only on day two so it was made with dried yeast). Then a variety of curries for a vegetarian supper with the in-laws. And Millie made a mincemeat lattice tart.<br />
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It's been a growing pleasure this past year to watch and cook with Millie who at eleven has taken to the kitchen with gusto. Today she tackled flaky pastry. I have to stop myself being bossy and I have to let myself let her make mistakes. Mostly though it's just lovely watching my tall slim girl work out what needs doing and how from recipes, and seeing the pleasure she gets when it works out. She regularly cooks us dinner these days - so much more accomplished than I was at eleven! She has started her own cooking blog <a href="http://milliecooks.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Millie Cooks</a> - please do visit. Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-34893258870880422312014-01-01T09:54:00.000-08:002014-01-01T09:54:30.510-08:00New year, new start, new starterYou may have noticed that I haven't been around much. It isn't that I haven't wanted to blog. I have just found it hard to put thoughts into words, or feel it worthwhile to do so. But in a new spirit of discipline and because I think if I'm going to blog again I should just get on it with it, whatever blather I come up with, rather than wait for the perfect words which probably won't come ... anyway... in this spirit, I have decided to attempt to blog daily about whatever.<br />
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So here goes.<br />
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I've been reading <a href="http://michaelpollan.com/reviews/cooked-by-michael-pollan-review/" target="_blank">Cooked by Michael Pollan</a> and am inspired to bake in a more creative, concentrated fashion than I usually manage. To that end:<br />
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I was using leaven/wild yeast/sour dough starter in my bread last year, at least until I went on to Germany in the summer and forgot to make provision for the starter while I was away. Then I was mostly using it as an addition to my three loaf batches of bread which also included dried yeast. This time I'm going to see if I can bake on a more regular basis using just this leaven as a raising agent.<br />
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Day one and I've put flour (strong white and wholewheat), warm water, raisins and live yoghurt in a jar. I am not a purist as you can see. You can just use flour and water and some people apparently get a bit sniffy about other additions but if it's good enough for Dan Lepard, it's good enough for me.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-54691132733472305212012-10-24T01:46:00.000-07:002012-10-24T01:46:03.675-07:00AdjustmentsAs I write, I am sitting in a beautiful barn conversion surrounded by fields full of sheep, trees in autumn leaf and very very grey skies. Later there will be the smell of wood smoke.<br />
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And Tom is in New York. So we have gone from our commuter lifestyle back to our life of Tom here all day or Tom not here at all. Takes a bit of getting used to. Last week I was complaining because he was stuck working in our house while the workshop internet connection was sorted out and now of course I miss him. Still, I like the fact that I now know where he's heading off to, and who he'll be seeing and staying with once he gets back to San Francisco.<br />
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When we lived here before it felt like Tom had two lives - one here and one somewhere on the US West Coast. Now it feels like we all do. Hence the photo at the top of the page. I don't know why I didn't ache for London the way I do for San Francisco. Perhaps because it is still so reachable. Perhaps because I was tired of it after 17 years, but was really only just getting used to California. I don't regret returning to Wales but I do regret having to leave, if that makes any sense. A friend (hello Doug!) said San Francisco would probably start to feel like home when we left - wise words.<br />
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So what's going on?<br />
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The girls are doing well. There's a bit of what Emilia calls "girl mayhem" in Year 6, and she's thoroughly unimpressed by the obsession with boys, shopping, fashion etc. There are apparently so many more interesting things to talk about and "I'm ONLY 10!". Lottie meanwhile is inventing games where she and her friends cook boys. Once they've caught them of course.<br />
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I am gradually sorting out our new home. I am plodding through changes of address. Yesterday I baked my first loaf in at least two years and I am really out of practice - it came out looking like a large boxing glove. I am rubbish at remembering the chickens. They have been forgotten a couple of times and we have now delegated a lot of the care to Lottie (aka <a href="http://welshchickengirl.blogspot.co.uk/">Chicken Girl</a>) because she is way more responsible than I seem to be. I am putting off working out what I shall do for the rest of my life as thinking about it makes my head ache.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-72744852744625129182012-10-05T01:17:00.000-07:002012-10-05T01:17:20.345-07:00Moving (again)This weekend we move into our semi-permanent home. We will be living in a furnished barn while its owners go travelling in Europe. There will be chickens (two to start with) and sheep (six), large fields and a garden to run around in, and a separate snug office for Tom in the stable block. I think we're all looking forward to getting ourselves a bit more settled though we will miss the friends.<br />
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As to actually moving, we have boxes to take and clothes to pack and odds and sods around the cottage to pick up. Lots of odds and sods. I should probably be doing something about it, but I'm not. Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-70317219714402025962012-09-17T13:11:00.001-07:002012-09-17T13:11:20.156-07:00Settling in while unsettledI am in a strange phase of this move. The girls have just started their third week at school and so far things are going well. The girls were a little nervous but came home very confident and happy on the first day, and continue to do so. And so far they seem to be finding work well within their abilities ("easy-peasy!") and making friends is going well too. Lottie has had at least three invitations to parties and Millie has a sleepover coming up.<br />
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Tom continues to work remotely and has a routine of sorts involving regular meetings with his colleagues in California slightly but not extremely after hours. He's booked his first trip back for work too, which he's looking forward to because not only will he see his mates at work but also will be staying with and seeing our good friends in San Francisco.<br />
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And meanwhile, I still have no permanent home. We finally got into our container - it had rusted up over the last two years so needed the help of a welder to get back in. But we have nowhere yet to put things and there's still a lot we need to buy - towels, duvets, mattresses, plates, wine glasses.<br />
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I am trying really hard to live by the following rules:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFImMmgBE_874tZJ0vDFrbXxRsnVzW6TWER-Wiat5_ucWEzmJ3byBVVLdyoDf6IJWByYVuaygQyl-68Zy7cqm2b9Qr17xwlWRsb7o19yFaIiQvDhb8NOq7sxbwXRV6n7ALx-gEPg/s1600/20120917_202318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFImMmgBE_874tZJ0vDFrbXxRsnVzW6TWER-Wiat5_ucWEzmJ3byBVVLdyoDf6IJWByYVuaygQyl-68Zy7cqm2b9Qr17xwlWRsb7o19yFaIiQvDhb8NOq7sxbwXRV6n7ALx-gEPg/s400/20120917_202318.jpg" width="300" /></a> *</div>
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But don't feel sorry for me. We are having a great time living next door to our friends. The children treat the cottage and house as one large house to rampage around or as smallest friend said yesterday "have a shouty time". The adults get to share a cup of tea, glass of wine, the school run, dishwasher tablets or bin liners.<br />
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So it's all good but I am <i>still</i> in limbo.<br />
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*Found this at the Renegrade Craft Fair in San Francisco - you can get one for yourself from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theheated">theheated</a><br />
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-22831572823748779142012-09-04T06:33:00.000-07:002012-09-04T06:33:06.942-07:00It takes time ... (back to earth with a bump)Today is the first day of school. The whole family went and it was good to see familiar teachers, parents and children. And then I went to Waitrose in our new car for groceries. And I wandered around Abergavenny looking for odds and ends that we need. There are lots of odds and ends that we don't have.<br />
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And so here we are. Normal life. Well as normal as it can be given that we don't yet have a permanent home. And it's all rather exhausting. Moving is. And setting up home again is. And I knew it would be like this but I'd sort of blocked it out of my mind. It isn't as tiring and stressful as it was to move to San Francisco. Of course that was also very exciting in the way that "abroad" and "new" are but it was also confusing and worrying sometimes and it took us months to find our feet which my mind is conveniently forgetting at the moment. All I'm remembering right now are my friends, and the school I knew backwards, and Mission Pie and burritos and hearing Spanish and Chinese all over the place.<br />
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So yes. Feeling a little "homesick". But then I always felt a little homesick in California too.<br />
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So I have to hold on to the lovely good things about being here - family, friends, beautiful beautiful Wales, country life (trying to catch chickens seems to loom large at present) - and forget all the ploddy, setting things up side of stuff, and working out what I will do here.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-21753301763284919202012-08-31T03:58:00.003-07:002012-08-31T03:58:20.191-07:00Aaanndd we're back in WalesWe've been here just over a week now and are adjusting quickly to country life. Within moments of arriving in the Black Mountains, my sequined Toms were off, my green wellies were on and I was on baby alpaca feeding duty! Which was a little unexpected.<br />
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So where are we? Well, we are staying with <a href="http://suzanne-alpacafarmer.blogspot.co.uk/">alpaca.farmer</a> for a month or so before we move into slightly more permanent accommodation. And as the alpaca farmers are currently on holiday, we are on animal duty - 29 alpacas, nearly 50 chickens, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs. We have divided up responsiblities so I am handling the alpacas (feeding one 3 times a day and just checking the others are all present and active), Lottie has taken on the chickens (she LOVES them), Millie takes care of the cats, and Tom got the guinea pigs (not hugely enthusiastic about that, I must say).<br />
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Meanwhile, we are also trying to get set up for real life back in the UK. So far we are in the process of looking for a car which is an essential here in rural Wales. We are about 20 minutes from the school by car, and will be a lot closer but not able to walk as the road is fast and there are no pavements. Our days of Zipcar only are over.<br />
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And the girls and I stocked up on school uniform ready for their return to their old primary school on Tuesday. We have also bought new wellies and fleeces and raincoats - it has rained a bit every day since we got here. This is normal. And actually I don't seem to mind much at the moment. I guess the novelty of having a bit of cooler weather and wet hasn't worn off yet after that scorching summer on the east coast.<br />
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And the other part of life has been reconnecting with family and friends. The girls had a playdate with friends yesterday, we saw my cousins and family for Emilia's birthday earlier this week, and last Sunday we spent the day in Hay-on-Wye with Tom's parents. So while just as when we moved to SF, we had a lot of sorting out today and buying of dull stuff like hair dryers, this time we also know people and they appear to be pleased to see us again which is lovely.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-47051424306417619512012-08-26T10:52:00.000-07:002012-08-26T10:52:07.517-07:00Good times with good friends in Canada: Part 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh clams, wine - we won't dwell on the mosquitoes....!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching up with friends from San Francisco</td></tr>
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-90626066684433639932012-08-26T10:40:00.003-07:002012-08-26T10:40:51.909-07:00Good times with good friends in Canada: Part 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry picking</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_46V2oktc4FniUpX-LZo8urdC2q8I0Mq2Oh-iWhvbU3DKfoagu-kO1xngWH82kHw98CkGk03In0ij21wv3Ci7w1rr5QanddKwf8YwoTSD9kj8kcB5A7VmaVXbX2BRVqlCLFW-iQ/s1600/DSC_5855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_46V2oktc4FniUpX-LZo8urdC2q8I0Mq2Oh-iWhvbU3DKfoagu-kO1xngWH82kHw98CkGk03In0ij21wv3Ci7w1rr5QanddKwf8YwoTSD9kj8kcB5A7VmaVXbX2BRVqlCLFW-iQ/s320/DSC_5855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympic pose no. 1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRzFOH2coAiEcimsPm-DLMQbtU7o5jtwLlvaojMUamnaSFGBBIPXvmOi_rVbktmOZkrcXN8vgQwXHAjlZdf_G3JVpwavxm2tbWpbiEl5lNisb-4DAOgSCCLG8TXmj4rvTFevh4g/s1600/DSC_5862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRzFOH2coAiEcimsPm-DLMQbtU7o5jtwLlvaojMUamnaSFGBBIPXvmOi_rVbktmOZkrcXN8vgQwXHAjlZdf_G3JVpwavxm2tbWpbiEl5lNisb-4DAOgSCCLG8TXmj4rvTFevh4g/s320/DSC_5862.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympic pose no. 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAU_Myoae5zwxE9VY3dNfCtKqqP7k2SqcEPg_KUAW8DciSPrr1vJE4xrNf0KwYwXaJKifppFWwKR7e-ynlFxQrsBsy45TEYAdRBWgtACmggTnsaCt3ZCTfOihodY0FSbjqN_FnA/s1600/DSC_5885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAU_Myoae5zwxE9VY3dNfCtKqqP7k2SqcEPg_KUAW8DciSPrr1vJE4xrNf0KwYwXaJKifppFWwKR7e-ynlFxQrsBsy45TEYAdRBWgtACmggTnsaCt3ZCTfOihodY0FSbjqN_FnA/s320/DSC_5885.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEA6vbCGhLgcfYN-yMbglpoCO4FJMJVPWKqKs2FoK2u2QRtJMO-Mn01Fy7GBtuguxTv_InnZeSXmtvVUnJuCQtXs_CAnzEjZAHTqHADU90XkcqUkj4Bu3dxAjcHymUzS76wlhKGQ/s1600/DSC_5926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEA6vbCGhLgcfYN-yMbglpoCO4FJMJVPWKqKs2FoK2u2QRtJMO-Mn01Fy7GBtuguxTv_InnZeSXmtvVUnJuCQtXs_CAnzEjZAHTqHADU90XkcqUkj4Bu3dxAjcHymUzS76wlhKGQ/s320/DSC_5926.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends reunited</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS7SXZdiTdqA70CCrDqZDVp5F_dJrYn-kb4Lyrj2r0pBXXfERMORzhQWAKIdnTc9RR-HnmNVlkxuuU7WnDxqvzaBG2xzbEF_B42qtwUXIjsPo-hMRG9KG9irr6B8nivmhXOyCLg/s1600/DSC_5932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWS7SXZdiTdqA70CCrDqZDVp5F_dJrYn-kb4Lyrj2r0pBXXfERMORzhQWAKIdnTc9RR-HnmNVlkxuuU7WnDxqvzaBG2xzbEF_B42qtwUXIjsPo-hMRG9KG9irr6B8nivmhXOyCLg/s320/DSC_5932.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning chess</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74-fgY5VlKc_Uc_B4tryWRZnDUtFhKz4oh0k607TJfCJv9UrUatbEkHfpLmG2rWQt8J-qHECl6nhBD91JH2INya63giwOruGgkYUNrGeyGofr2Fh1zlAWF_29mqQHRzspMjw0IQ/s1600/DSC_6422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74-fgY5VlKc_Uc_B4tryWRZnDUtFhKz4oh0k607TJfCJv9UrUatbEkHfpLmG2rWQt8J-qHECl6nhBD91JH2INya63giwOruGgkYUNrGeyGofr2Fh1zlAWF_29mqQHRzspMjw0IQ/s320/DSC_6422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New swimmer no. 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8O6GncsJS3NO6bTlrr0xYvnORXmT-IQHZ-AeYIryFVkkTqFHswwC7BO3TIwSll2TeM5ErtYEWVy0Zhkt8untjCBbgl1-qJP6giV0V-fzaWO12iBQjrBgUQsp6hwkRC4w00hGOA/s1600/DSC_6446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8O6GncsJS3NO6bTlrr0xYvnORXmT-IQHZ-AeYIryFVkkTqFHswwC7BO3TIwSll2TeM5ErtYEWVy0Zhkt8untjCBbgl1-qJP6giV0V-fzaWO12iBQjrBgUQsp6hwkRC4w00hGOA/s320/DSC_6446.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New swimmer no. 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLue_5g7oUoiR-ng3cH50Eo8tRmRkumfHbJfOxMdLxCAsTRudQ3x0htSzMTiBrBMrhgBk3SKjWn-HbsklE3FXeYfxTdOUnQOOZR3nI0cpzuLwOtgAavZPjNuwUSJPOcQwCXnhgBg/s1600/DSC_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLue_5g7oUoiR-ng3cH50Eo8tRmRkumfHbJfOxMdLxCAsTRudQ3x0htSzMTiBrBMrhgBk3SKjWn-HbsklE3FXeYfxTdOUnQOOZR3nI0cpzuLwOtgAavZPjNuwUSJPOcQwCXnhgBg/s320/DSC_6459.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner - still living at this point</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KozgLMP95LFShQ0aYtFjgZTEjzhrS_ohOLqjsgI9JqC4y4dsKIXKqKpGDKt57JB_t-qo8D5QA2L_0K5gWynx-7SZVXqi783xic5k4BR-MnGwQfXIyuqOw4Fg0MjPY4mN_RexGA/s1600/DSC_6508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KozgLMP95LFShQ0aYtFjgZTEjzhrS_ohOLqjsgI9JqC4y4dsKIXKqKpGDKt57JB_t-qo8D5QA2L_0K5gWynx-7SZVXqi783xic5k4BR-MnGwQfXIyuqOw4Fg0MjPY4mN_RexGA/s320/DSC_6508.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And yes, she ate ALL of that lobster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaobndlOZSQw90dmRrWIuzPWN9JSjrb2R1O06UFEbzXX7zAppGnFcp6qqYNqFbZV6qnHF0OmkLxHt4hP55exQMAQ4_5gTGhBTG1NYgzpNj2dVdWCxBZ7NNBRdxMNOpOB-PLBf1VQ/s1600/DSC_6535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaobndlOZSQw90dmRrWIuzPWN9JSjrb2R1O06UFEbzXX7zAppGnFcp6qqYNqFbZV6qnHF0OmkLxHt4hP55exQMAQ4_5gTGhBTG1NYgzpNj2dVdWCxBZ7NNBRdxMNOpOB-PLBf1VQ/s320/DSC_6535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More new skills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X-14w6zxIfplf-O74s3FyJnnbGwreItJ3hDN79fOEP6Op_eIflZLgmkRvelY6r30FMD_Gdv7ctXv5dIMuxpSZbR6ovgXtg8HcPINcnFUYluMITpy1DTZhdXL0vJ_vWvKg9slNw/s1600/DSC_6549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X-14w6zxIfplf-O74s3FyJnnbGwreItJ3hDN79fOEP6Op_eIflZLgmkRvelY6r30FMD_Gdv7ctXv5dIMuxpSZbR6ovgXtg8HcPINcnFUYluMITpy1DTZhdXL0vJ_vWvKg9slNw/s320/DSC_6549.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Lemon, the dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Gx8F9uyHrun335HpXDD1ioPVQMq3Q328Cmu7qnhgrSllDp27Y4etqezytCyq7gQLLUGr0WCBt6MPJoas0DbwPSjb4T4IXjVcLaV0JeqGNwBrp8wrk7m_J8OGz_qjyqatOBgfw/s1600/DSC_6552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Gx8F9uyHrun335HpXDD1ioPVQMq3Q328Cmu7qnhgrSllDp27Y4etqezytCyq7gQLLUGr0WCBt6MPJoas0DbwPSjb4T4IXjVcLaV0JeqGNwBrp8wrk7m_J8OGz_qjyqatOBgfw/s320/DSC_6552.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday Nicki!</td></tr>
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-9207090287169853222012-08-26T10:04:00.001-07:002012-08-26T10:04:30.979-07:00Whale watching in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKgMhLgnqTqYCLgOjv2CtqBIAM_Aqvr4CsGSSgIZpGMuWQ9h-E2VnfTQO2vP1li6tMnL7eqrTEmMmkwS0VaBIOcot4I8AmXxRxXc4HKJjWNnh7RrNXdq-FzBL8y2L9Eki7bYP3Q/s1600/DSC_6040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKgMhLgnqTqYCLgOjv2CtqBIAM_Aqvr4CsGSSgIZpGMuWQ9h-E2VnfTQO2vP1li6tMnL7eqrTEmMmkwS0VaBIOcot4I8AmXxRxXc4HKJjWNnh7RrNXdq-FzBL8y2L9Eki7bYP3Q/s640/DSC_6040.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Humpbacks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best tail picture of many. </td></tr>
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-9728922682574082642012-08-26T09:50:00.001-07:002012-08-26T09:50:34.951-07:00Governor's Island in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-78690630139661130532012-08-26T09:30:00.002-07:002012-08-26T09:31:07.957-07:00Coney Island in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-81741166766838966562012-08-20T10:43:00.003-07:002012-08-20T10:56:22.970-07:00Friends in PhiladelphiaWe spent a lovely weekend visiting our American friends from Stoke Newington, last seen briefly on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Corey and Tom's two older children are about the same age as my girls, and they've added another baseball dynamo boy to the family. The girls had a great time as you can see from this blog <a href="http://acrossamericawithmillieandlottie.blogspot.ca/2012/07/philidelphia-and-friends.html">here</a>.<br />
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We visited briefly the historic sites. I think we were a bit exhausted after the previous heavy history and museum weekend in DC. So instead we headed to the wonderful Reading Terminal Market and then home to hang out before heading out to a fantastic and magical fireworks display in <a href="http://www.longwoodgardens.org/">Longwood Gardens</a>. The fireworks were gorgeous, the setting lovely and afterwards we walked (with hundreds of other people) in the dark around the garden to look at <a href="http://light.longwoodgardens.org/">Bruce Munro's light exhibition</a>.<br />
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Now I'm sitting in Canada, and I realize we managed to see every old friend we had in North America on our journey and even added a few San Franciscans en route. It has been one of the best things about our trip, being able to spend time and catch up with old friends see too infrequently.<br />
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-12733147120416007182012-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:002012-08-17T09:00:01.783-07:00Washington DC in wordsWe spent a long weekend a month or so ago in DC. We were very lucky to find a lovely vacation rental for our short break, six blocks from the Capitol building and very close to Eastern Market, and it had wonderful air conditioning. Tom didn't want to leave.<br />
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We took the train. First proper train journey in the US. Cost a ton as I didn't book far enough ahead. No reservations though. You have to hunt for a seat. And what a hassle getting onto the platform. They don't let you down until the train is there. Which leads to a couple of hundred or more people trying to fit through a small gap onto an escalator onto the dungeon like platform/track. Think Birmingham New Street - not my favourite station... Apart from that it was fine. Except when we discovered that the reason our chairs were facing each other in a four was because one set wouldn't turn around. The guard accused us of turning them around, which elicited protests of cluelessness and innocence. How on earth was I supposed to know you could swivel the chairs round to face the opposite direction? Also how can you design such a system but can't manage to issue seat reservations.<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />So DC.<br />
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There is something so tidy about this place. Planned. Utterly unlike the kind of messy capitals that Europe has taken a couple of millenia to produce. It has a slightly unreal feeling. All those suits walking around engaged in the business of government or law or lobbying. It is also quite lovely. We were staying in Capitol Hill close to the last remaining covered market (a legacy of sensible 19th century planners) which is undergoing a renaissance with new interest in organics and fresh food and so on. We walked as much as we could bear - it was in the 90s and sweaty. We also hung out in museums.<br />
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We visited the Lincoln Memorial and stood where MLK stood to make the "I have a dream" speech.<br />
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We walked through the Vietnam Memorial, through to the WWII memorial, the Washington Monument, past a glimpse of the White House and on to the American History Museum. The transport section was excellent, as was the Jefferson exhibit on his slaves. And the Greensboro counter performance was spell-binding. Really. I don't normally go for this kind of "acting" but she had everyone in the audience engaged and recreating the experience of the sit in. Chills down my spine. We also saw Kermit and Dorothy's slippers and Harry Potter's outfit and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven clothes (that man is tall!).<br />
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Day Two involved a visit to the Library of Congress - great for this bookwormish family, and a tour of the Capitol. This was quickish, well organised and distinctly apolitical. All the clips of the Congress cut off any speeches made by modern day representatives before they said anything too difficult. The statues donated by the States were fun. Lots of people you have never heard of. And lots and lots of Native Americans - ironic really.<br />
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Day Three was spent at the National Museum of the American Indian which was wonderful. It is formed around a superb collection covering the entire two continents and centred on the collection of George Heye. Sections cover particular themes - spiritual life, modern day, history - and are curated by the tribes themselves, which gives them a viewpoint, depth and currency that marks them out from more traditional museums. We've seen some stunning Native American collections in museums across the US but this was probably the best.<br />
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We then walked next door to the Air and Space Museum. Unfortunately this was fuller than Heathrow on the first day of the summer holidays during a baggage handlers strike. And actually its layout is a touch old fashioned as everything is divided up into rooms which increases the feeling of being surrounded by people. So actually I had a better time at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. But the exhibits are wonderful - Lindbergh's plane, the Wright brothers, loads of cool NASA exhibits. I'd say try to go on a day out of season.<br />
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And on our last day, Emilia requested we visit Ford's Theatre. That is, the site of Lincoln's assassination. This is also a National Park. The museum is a touch cramped - the theatre is still a working theatre and the museum is underneath - but filled with fascinating information and artifacts. And then we went up to the theatre auditorium itself to hear a monologue by a park ranger on the last day and the assassination. It was superbly done. No props, just the location and one man talking us through what happened. He did it excellently.<br />
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After that Millie and Lottie wanted to go to the International Spy Museum. This isn't part of the Smithsonian so not free and was actually pretty darned expensive. At first I thought, oh lord what a rip off. I think it was the whole "you're a spy on a secret mission, here's your identity, blah blah blah bit". But in fact once you got into the exhibitions proper it was very interesting with a full history of spying, from the ancient world onwards. We got as far as the Cold War and then had to get our train.<br />
<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-12841014050225843902012-08-17T07:41:00.000-07:002012-08-17T07:41:00.454-07:00Washington DC in pictures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supreme court under scaffolding as was much of DC</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1nhPAMYLlqt0gQOE5WRV95V8eOalz4j2RQQxUsL2XpGkyDyU3_la_LCX89iA5vCNDWP9uR7h_91Jy2yWp4H0jkasW_cvgfAvWZ0R5f5DM14fUY0yz4V972O05zjjuTCyb_WvsQ/s1600/DSC_5392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1nhPAMYLlqt0gQOE5WRV95V8eOalz4j2RQQxUsL2XpGkyDyU3_la_LCX89iA5vCNDWP9uR7h_91Jy2yWp4H0jkasW_cvgfAvWZ0R5f5DM14fUY0yz4V972O05zjjuTCyb_WvsQ/s320/DSC_5392.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqvVNo290-9MUh6DCU5BAwYDGty2rH4OWzaayZ8TF-KHLzDtt_oEzW2Bm5Vw9ioyz8NEdRao6ve70OylWSnlddx08wARWNif-JgsWelaMKjlJDeypHUFTqt3lcldMzDre9hCF6w/s1600/DSC_5401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqvVNo290-9MUh6DCU5BAwYDGty2rH4OWzaayZ8TF-KHLzDtt_oEzW2Bm5Vw9ioyz8NEdRao6ve70OylWSnlddx08wARWNif-JgsWelaMKjlJDeypHUFTqt3lcldMzDre9hCF6w/s320/DSC_5401.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-YCfKzkFPDOz6m9MLOWl3-Ry5hxju3mxDsoGnl-BIz4AQAb5Ji4Jc25QvbBARH0u9Iw7sueXwy7wmjCQsrQTf_bCkDvchLnwQUllhCIeKifCrbLl1EYwP4MwuzWpbg74nOAarQ/s1600/DSC_5424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-YCfKzkFPDOz6m9MLOWl3-Ry5hxju3mxDsoGnl-BIz4AQAb5Ji4Jc25QvbBARH0u9Iw7sueXwy7wmjCQsrQTf_bCkDvchLnwQUllhCIeKifCrbLl1EYwP4MwuzWpbg74nOAarQ/s320/DSC_5424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a very fancy-pants building!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRO73gmUDp40ATX7xD1JrXW67dUpqnEPIietr2PLkNxhjn8gCsgEoJSRqd2C5IRERoIM1wGTNH1FXQBmNNxH53VdKaLvoLOLHTvb21WMhBtevhsm9ivJAHpQAVO1XkxxlyAf_Iw/s1600/DSC_5427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRO73gmUDp40ATX7xD1JrXW67dUpqnEPIietr2PLkNxhjn8gCsgEoJSRqd2C5IRERoIM1wGTNH1FXQBmNNxH53VdKaLvoLOLHTvb21WMhBtevhsm9ivJAHpQAVO1XkxxlyAf_Iw/s320/DSC_5427.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFfXSDcXu-uIGp176cZrY0ZuTjDCicev4hng8x6wkC7AWzGbiEdj5FeyE8cHDsyCIEed4oclR99rY3F7v2WnnjLd5REyFwUuHFo8Tk0Ii5nPgcxjm45gBL6LmjApa1Nbeo0puHg/s1600/DSC_5429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFfXSDcXu-uIGp176cZrY0ZuTjDCicev4hng8x6wkC7AWzGbiEdj5FeyE8cHDsyCIEed4oclR99rY3F7v2WnnjLd5REyFwUuHFo8Tk0Ii5nPgcxjm45gBL6LmjApa1Nbeo0puHg/s320/DSC_5429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside that dome</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwcnGbtQthLHomkVOAZssGPnOwtdiblGYYRqq5W4b2rONwGCNk4HZ6vz6Wd0QWjhFC1zYS2Ph3N8bqKgdaY7XDOpiWNNSxAYswtOmiUuLTvKCujsL5SUiU-1KCVrVQ3AvAwS7XA/s1600/DSC_5454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwcnGbtQthLHomkVOAZssGPnOwtdiblGYYRqq5W4b2rONwGCNk4HZ6vz6Wd0QWjhFC1zYS2Ph3N8bqKgdaY7XDOpiWNNSxAYswtOmiUuLTvKCujsL5SUiU-1KCVrVQ3AvAwS7XA/s320/DSC_5454.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E18j79fmh3YE0Yne46WqZdUrlB3jLjJc1EMW88lYHNuueaD-4oqbKlOz8L-m6FKDt8pjkSwJp8NtvEj1p-T5QNl4F2G6oWr2aq39eyVRlUK0poRUN9c7BWN-Gvrxk0ewaHAWTg/s1600/DSC_5457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E18j79fmh3YE0Yne46WqZdUrlB3jLjJc1EMW88lYHNuueaD-4oqbKlOz8L-m6FKDt8pjkSwJp8NtvEj1p-T5QNl4F2G6oWr2aq39eyVRlUK0poRUN9c7BWN-Gvrxk0ewaHAWTg/s320/DSC_5457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVSxlO8NCLyw-2fThWxbFtgwe40PtK8jtaboqTIcjs_LUeJnvzfbcWiUSfy9Tckf3ACZsUTQH6PzlulrX64zpdpGmBUp1u1A5p3vexJ3eO1v_8la6U7LSkfPl-T6j3372_Hfw3Q/s1600/DSC_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVSxlO8NCLyw-2fThWxbFtgwe40PtK8jtaboqTIcjs_LUeJnvzfbcWiUSfy9Tckf3ACZsUTQH6PzlulrX64zpdpGmBUp1u1A5p3vexJ3eO1v_8la6U7LSkfPl-T6j3372_Hfw3Q/s320/DSC_5458.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Native American Museum - thoroughly recommend</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The actual Wright brothers plane plus huge crowd and wonderfully enthusiastic docent somewhere in there</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That waistcoat from the Apollo 13 mission</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spirit of St Louis - wow. My dad would have loved to see this. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz2sb4gPfs6gX4efh-1AeIvPHHC5l85hX9xRsp8t8Yo2Mwc-UMcjZhRjpr7ZbkCVsHH1OddrvL6i1EjEJzzx6CYGo22ClZXbyy2Vg96X_5E80Tvd4fs2oA8P7-Yav6EQngx7oiw/s1600/DSC_5477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBz2sb4gPfs6gX4efh-1AeIvPHHC5l85hX9xRsp8t8Yo2Mwc-UMcjZhRjpr7ZbkCVsHH1OddrvL6i1EjEJzzx6CYGo22ClZXbyy2Vg96X_5E80Tvd4fs2oA8P7-Yav6EQngx7oiw/s320/DSC_5477.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We appear to have taken more pictures of this building than any other...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See!</td></tr>
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-67699230831780853302012-08-16T07:03:00.001-07:002012-08-16T07:03:39.056-07:00Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: some wordsI'd visited NY twice before but never managed to get properly off Manhattan. Or indeed above Central Park. No excuse this time.<br />
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If you are going to go to the Statue of Liberty you really must also go to the Ellis Island Museum. She has all the landmark status, but the Museum is much more interesting. And leave time. It is a day's outing and we could easily have spent more time at Ellis Island.<br />
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Oh, and get the free audio guide - it really won't be the same without. They do a children's version as well as the adult version.<br />
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The Statue of Liberty was what you know, only closer. Currently you can't get right up to her as they are doing some restoration but there she is, and there is a detailed talk with clips and quotes and so forth telling you about her history and what she means to people. It isn't as jingoistic as Mount Rushmore thankfully.<br />
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Ellis Island is quite another experience. This was the gateway to America for much of the early 20th century. I hadn't realised that operations didn't start until 1892 so my own ancestors, who moved to Texas, didn't travel through here. But Tom has a 3x great uncle who arrived in 1909 (we checked the lists online when we got home) and it was something to imagine him, leaving his family and arriving alone from the West Midlands and climbing the stairs as we did into the great hall above.<br />
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The museum itself is short on artifacts but has wonderful photographs, is well laid out, taking you through the immigration process, and the audio is superb. First person accounts abound bringing the whole experience alive. Ellis Island was the busiest port of entry and some 40% of US citizens can trace their family back to the museum.<br />
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History is messy and the history of the US is no exception. At the same time that the Lakota Sioux were being driven from their lands in the Black Hills and forced onto spartan reservations, Europeans were arriving in New York, leaving and in some cases fleeing, poverty and oppression. And racism was evident in the process as the Chinese and Japanese were treated very differently, and as the US authorities attempted to engineer the make up of its future population along racial grounds. And sexism too abounded. Women could not enter the US alone until after World War II, the assumption being that they could not support themselves. Children under 16 travelling alone after 1907, were returned to their home country. There were heartbreaking stories of people being turned away but actually the vast majority of arrivals were allowed entry.<br />
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In a sense our travels from west to east have been a journey through time. From the first missionaries of California, in the 17th century, from Spain, via the explorations of Lewis and Clark and the experiences of the Native Americans in the West and further east until we reach New York and the huge rush of immigration of the 20th century. One aspect of our journey which I have loved is the way that everything has linked together, echoes of previous stopping points are found all along our route. While the travellers of the past arrived first at Ellis Island, it was one of our last stopping points, and we have seen some of what they might expect.<br />
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There is a staircase out of the hall after you have been processed. The stairs either side are for those let in, the middle for those being sent home. We walked down the middle but willingly, unlike those whose steps we followed.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-32134950660862894002012-08-13T07:59:00.000-07:002012-08-16T07:04:03.100-07:00Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-21961038771336889482012-08-08T10:00:00.000-07:002012-08-16T07:04:28.724-07:00The Metropolitan Museum of ArtI LOVE the Met. It's like the British Museum, Tate, V & A and National Gallery rolled into one. In a gorgeous building which goes on and on and keeps giving you new treasures.<br />
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I love the Met so much I joined as an Associate member and went three times.<br />
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A sampling of the treasures we loved:<br />
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All things Egyptian especially William the blue hippo (Lottie) and the truly amazing models of Egyptian life from a tomb and the statues of Hatshepsut and the temple.<br />
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The Rembrandts. And the Hals portraits. And a magnificent Brueghal. And the portrait of Lavoisier and his wife.<br />
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The Spanish courtyard which seems almost secret hidden down corridors and suddenly found.<br />
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The room of Singer Sargents - can he paint me please? him or Gainsborough or possibly Modigliani. And another of room of Paul Klee. And another of Cezannes (more wonderful apples amongst other things.)<br />
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Incredible Benin brasses. Sadly by the time we found this collection my kids were dead on their feet and starting to grumble. So merely glimpsed but loved.<br />
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The Schiaparelli/Prada special exhibition which was packed with older ladies who lunch poring over the detailing. The girls and I had a great hour doing impossible window shopping.<br />
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Pollocks and Warhols and Twomblys (Twomblies?) and an Anselm Kiefer as striking as the one that made an impression on me in Des Moines.<br />
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I could go on. The Museum does. It is amazing and wonderful and probably my favourite museum in the world. Even Lottie loved it (because of William).Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34581975.post-88697416984808994622012-08-07T13:25:00.000-07:002012-08-16T07:04:35.229-07:00Queens Museum of Art, NYThanks to my friend Moriah (I say this a lot, because Moriah is wonderful and knows so many interesting places to go to and things to do).<br />
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Anyway, as I was saying, thanks to my friend Moriah, the girls and I set off one particularly hot and sunny day, for Queens (G to 7 which is an L train and thus more fun and less smelly than the subway). We were heading to the Queens Museum of Art to see the Panorama of New York.<br />
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First we had a picnic in the park in front of this fabulous fountain - from the World's Fair of 1964-5 and I think featured in the first Men In Black.<br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">And into the Museum for some cool art - temperature and quality. The highlight for the girls was certainly the panorama which is a scale model of the whole of New York, built at the time of that World's Fair. There's a raised walkway around it, some of it glass so that you can see the model under your feet. They update it when they need to, though the World Trade Center Towers won't be removed until the new complex is built. </span></div>
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The Museum also has a scale model of the water system of New York state - sorry forgotten the geographical term, but it's basically a landscape model including all the rivers etc.<br />
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And lastly but definitely not least there was an excellent and interesting exhibit on art from the Caribbean. It was grouped by theme rather than period so that old paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries appeared next to contemporary art and installations. It was very refreshing to see so much, to me, unknown work.Elianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05968705297223998016noreply@blogger.com0