Boil, Bake and you have Bagels

After a wondeful Saturday in the garden we launched into cooking. Ben and I traded anniversary gifts that inspired such actions. I got a wonderful griddle pan which we see being used lots on the Ready Steady Cook show here and Ben a pasta machine of which he has much practice with already do to Dan's machine. But our true adventure was the new world of Bagels, though it may seem a lot of work and quite a time to make it is well worth it. It is fun and taste though don't think you will come up with attractive bagels like the store first go though this recipe comes out taste first try.

We got this recipe from http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/brea0007.htm and we would strongly recommend the boiling water to be sugared as they suggest. We used golden syrpe

The Museum

We finally made it, we finally checked out the museum. It was wonderful though quite similar to the feeling of checking out the Louvre, there is too much stuff to take in. So after a few hours nothing registers. It was amazing to see tools thousands of years old, amazing books and art work from individuals first days after landing in a new land. But I must say I am disappointed that all this stuff is still here. The museum has so much that they only ever have a third of the collection on display. I think its time to make a few presents to the countries that all the stuff got stolen from.

anyway enough of me, here is some pics....

Happy Birthday

We would like to wish all the lovely people with birthdays around now a great day. Even though we are not there to celebrate with you, you will be in our thoughts and prays. May all your birthday wishes come true.

Happy Birthday

Laurence
Ludo
Jane
&
Chelsea



For April we also want to mention the Lovely Mahalia and hope she also has a great birthday

Spamalot

Unreal, this musical type production is an excellent show with a faithful feel to the original Python. The lady of the lake gave her all in voice as well as extensive bosom. The costumes were amazing, I loved all the girls ones, they were all super glittery and shiny. The knights embodied all true python silliness and the French were a laugh a minute though I did think that the monk with the holy grenade didn't once nail it, the 'Five is right out' needed a bit more squeak. There were laughs aplenty with impromptu noises off stage and stating the obvious.

Its Blooming

Here is our garden, not great pics but it is hard to get a good angle. We have lots of bulbs flowering and our seedling for the veggie patch is coming along nicely. Though this is not yet photo worthy. Ben has been busy fixing up the boarders of the garden, you may notice the parcle placement of our little wooden boarder. Our sweet peas are growing in leaps and bounds, can't wait for the flowers and we are still fighting the grass and the moss.

Happy Birthday

Thank you everybody for your thoughts and gifts. Here is the lovely cake that Ben made for me, yum.

To London, To London

Back we go to explore more of this busy busling city. Though I must admit that our goal was not met, we had wanted to go to the Bristish Museum. Alas we added watching the guard change and a trip to Harrods. Its got us to the muesum, as we walked there, with only 15 minutes to see the all. So it will have to fill another tale. For now we will just report on the amazing and lengthy process of the guards being changed at Buckingham Palace. The guide tells you to get they at least an hour before the event and by the pics of crowds you can see why.

We did check some lovely stuff on our way to the palace....

We got to town at 9.30, and arrived at the palace around 10ish and the show started around 11ish, going on passed the lunch hour.

here we have the crowds and the nice policemen on horsies


next come the first band....


followed by the the guys in uniform with their fluffy bear hats


All very cool but I would suggest that if you don't have the stamina bring a chair. We treated ourselves to icecream at Harrods which was well over priced, I think it worked out to be around 25 aus to have two scoops of ice cream and a milkshake. But it was worth every tasty bit. yum.

Lunar Eclipse

On Saturday night there was a total lunar eclipse, where the moon moved into the shadow of the earth for a coupla hours. Europe and Africa had the best view of it, and surprisingly enough it was a lovely cloudless night over our little village.

So armed with the camera and tripod, I wandered outside a few minutes before it was due to begin and waited for stuff to happen. Well - this is the first lunar eclipse I've seen, and it's, er, slow. So instead of sitting outside in the cold like an idiot for an hour and a half I returned to the warm lounge room and instead wandered out every five minutes or so to admire the view, and take a photo.

It was pretty spectacular!












Once the moon was completely in the Earth's shadow, the only light from the sun that was reaching it was the little that was refracted onto it by the Earth's atmosphere. This bathes the moon in a beautiful faintish deep red light. As there is next to no light pollution out here in the countryside, it was very visible indeed.





Lovely.

Three Quarters Baked

Eight weeks to go....

Blooming Marvelous

A few of our lovely bulbs

Lovely Lyon

What a wonderful time we had, all thanks to Graham and Megan. Thank you so much for an excellent and exciting adventure.

The tale starts on Friday afternoon where we met Graham and Megan at the train station. We got a tour of town, walking through amazing market places, where there were endless number of different cheeses. There were meats and fish and wonderful fresh fruit and veggies and still more different cheeses. Yummy and it didn't stop there as there where glorious lolly shops, chocolate shops and pastry stores on every corner. It was very hungry making.

We first headed for their hard won flat. It took Megan and Graham about three months of arguing with the French to get a flat that is only a holiday rental normally. I don't think either of us would be that brave, I think Ben and I would say they don't want us and leave. But they won, after putting money down only to find out the flat had been given to someone else. They have a cute little place like the one we had in Newtown. With the loft bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and joint lounge/dining area.

We set down our bags and headed off on a shopping adventure. Here we got our first try on the metro, it is amazingly easy and fun. I would recommend it to all even if you don't speak or read french. Most of it you and figure out and the ticket machines usually have an english option. We went over the lovely rivers running through Lyon to the biggest supermarket I have ever seen. You could barely spot the far wall it was so big. It did not just sell food though, you could buy a stove if you happen to lack one or maybe some building material if you fancy knocking out some bookshelves or even redo the wiring in your house, which just between you and me I think much of Lyon's wiring needs doing, not to mention some plumbing.

The shop..


They do love their roller blading here, they have organised groups roaming the streets at night..


After stocking up on cheeses, pastries oh and some healthy stuff for dinner we went back to catch up on all the gossip of moving to and living in France. Quite a tale of adventure and adversity but with a triumphant ending. We even tried out some french wine with dinner, always an experience when you know little to nothing about the areas. It was ok! and dinner and dessert was wonderful. Once the pastries were polished off we went to sleep, gathering energy for our new day.

Exploring Lyon, we set of with our all day metro tickets, love the metro. Headed for the very top of Lyon where you can see for miles. We got a cable car up to the top, even the stations are steep..


There is a stunning Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière at the top..


as well as an ancient Roman ruins. Lugdunum, as this area was known, was officially recognized by the Roman senate in 43 BC. Parts of it live on today on Fourvière hill, and can be reached by a funicular or on foot. There is a large theater (oldest in France), which is still used for events today.


We finished the area with a tour with a walk through the streets of the old Lyon. They also have these great little tunnels down the city that were used by the silk traders. They were a bit to spooky for me though.


Walking around we got to see the very surprising walls about the city. They have taken advertising to a new level. Companies sponsor the works but they are truely groovy as you will see


We broke up our adventuring with a pastry stop with coffee and the contiuned after dinner with a night tour of the lights. Very beautiful..


They have something very interesting called touch parking, I think I could come up with more colourful language then touch if it was my car...


All too soon it was time to say goodbye. After a super tasty pastry brekky we were off to the train again. We would also like to say thank again to our lovely hosts for a wonderful holiday and hope to see them soon.