WOW!! Its been a while.

Hello all!! I am sorry again for the long time between blog entries.

Ultimate Frisbee in the UK

As you may know, I have joined a Girls Ulimate team! The season is different here as the season consists of 4 weekend tournaments that occur during the University school year (Almost 100% of the players are students from 18 to 24 yrs of age) They don't play any mid week games as a city will have only one mens team and one womens team, and there is no one else to play against.
This means that weekend tournaments are taken seriously as they determine your standings in the league. (No beer coolers on the side line, just water and gatorade)

My first tournament was in Cardiff (Wales) where I elected to stay in a hotel in stead of camping with a bunch of 19 yr olds. This was a good decision as trying to keep up with them the first day (3 games of 90 minutes) almost killed me. Thank goodness for soaker tubs, hot showers and a good mattress. Without these things I don't think I could have moved let alone played on the Sunday. I had a lot to learn this weekend as playing on an all girls team changes the game (I have only played mixed before)...they don't sprint as fast as the guys can to catch long discs for example. Our captains, Kate and Tamzin had lots of patience with this team of misfits (I was on the 2nd ladies team...comprised of beginners and others who haven't played in the UK before)
Despite playing our hearts out in each game we lost all 6 games. And only managed to score 1 point. (Although we forced each team to the time limit in reaching the final score of 15) It was amazing how much the other womens team from Sheffield and the mens teams supported us at each game and how much I learnt from the tips they gave on the side line. This was tougher ulitmate than I have ever played before. The women's teams her in Enlgand are amazing.....
I was a walking ghost at school on the Monday, as I had lost my voice and could hardly move from the beating my body had taken.....I am to old to play with 19 yr olds!!!!

The next tournament was two weeks later in Mansfield (closer to home so I could sleep in my own bed). The weather was amazing at 26 degrees each day, but oppressive with the humidity, as players were dropping from heat exhaustion all over the place. We still didn't win any games this time, but at least we came close. We played some of the same teams from the last tournament and gave them a better game this time.....we had definitely improved. We managed to score almost 25 points in 5 games. Again the atmosphere on the team was uplifting despite our continued losses and we did win the "nicest" team award.....usually given out to a bottom team as a kind of pat on the head for trying.

This was the last womens/mens tournament as Universities are finished untill September. To fill the summer months they run a mixed Ultimate tour (4 weekends), I have signed up and I am excited to see who will be on the team.

Premier League Sports

Well it is a cold, wet weekend and I spent much of my time outdoors at sporting events. On Friday I went out to support the Leeds Rhinos (the local rugby league team) Hot tea in one hand meant I couldn't clap with the other fans around me, but I made up for it with my pathetic attempt at singing. (Mostly I hum along to the familiar tunes.....for example "Oh when the saints go marching in.....") If I could only understand what the chants and songs were saying..... I still struggle to hear past the Yorkshire drawl.

While the Rugby on Friday was fun, my main activity this weekend was the Football game on Saturday. I have been told on several occasions that England has some of the worlds best football teams, and Deborah (my Principal at school) her husband Alistair and their Daughter Eleanor deemed to take me to see my first "Premier" league football match. The premier league being the highest league in the UK, including teams like Manchester United and Liverpool. Unfortunately getting tickets to see any of the top 6 teams would be like winning the lottery....highly unlikely. Well, Alistair mangaged to get tickets to see Wigan (15th) and Tottenham(11th) Loaded with a map, treats and winter wear (it was really cold and windy) we set out to Wigan (west of Manchester) The map wasn't all that great, but it didn't matter as all we had to do was follow the reams of traffic heading into the city center....where else would people be going on a cold Saturday afternoon, if not to the football game!!!
The game started quickly with both teams scoring a goal within the first 10 minutes. Wigan played an amazing 2nd half and deserved to win, but they manged to hit the crossbar on an open net that cost them the win and gave them the tie. Maybe next time....
Every game I've been to, wether it was rugby or football, has one end of the stands designated as the oppostions seats. The opposition fills one congregated section so that they can raise their voices with power against the cheering of the home town fans. (also to protect them from being hurt if they were mixed in with the hometown fans) It is wild!!! Normally the opposition section jeers back and forth with the section of local fans that sits closest to them. (with a horde of police and security officers between them) It seems as if they aren't even watching the game, they are so busy singing and chanting back and forth at each other.

Thank you Deborah, Alistair and Eleanor for taking me with you. I had a great time!!

Slip n' Slide Ultimate

Well I have joined a local Ultimate team....local being two cites away in Sheffield. (30 miles from Leeds) I met them for my first 3 hour practice on Saturday April 12th. If you have ever played an outdoor sport in Calgary you would know that it doesn't take much for them to close the fields due to rain....not so in England. It had been raining since Thursday and was still raining as I arrived in Sheffield....but practice did not get canceled. I laced up my "cleats" and walked out to meet my new teammates, surprised to find that my feet were sinking into the grassy field up to my ankles. Surely we wouldn't play!!!! About 30 minutes into practice it was impossible to see who was on which team as every one was covered in mud from diving for the disc or just slipping in the wet grass. I have never had so much fun! The rain wasn't cold as long as you were running, and the mud added a new aspect to the game.....nobody could run far or fast! I can't wait to go to our tournment in Cardiff this weekend...I am sure the weather will be much better....but I am bringing several changes of clothing just in case!!


I spend Sunday in Haworth, the village where the Bronte Sisters grew up and lived. All three sisters were published authors but you may remember that Emily Bronte wrote "Wuthering Heights" while Charlotte Bronte wrote "Jane Eyre". The small town and museum were cute and worth the visit. I have purchased a copy of "Wuthering Heights" from the house (which is now the museum) where Emily wrote it. Never having read it before, I will let you know my thoughts when I am finished.

Spending Easter in SPAIN

Dave ( a friend from Calgary) and I went to Spain for my Easter break!!

And any time you travel with someone new there is a period of "Learning". ....... Learning how the other prefers to travel, tour and relax.
Anyone who has traveled with me learns quickly that I like to walk everywhere. There is only one reason that I insist on doing so much walking....to burn off the calories of the LAST meal so that I feel less guilty about the NEXT meal. In fact the only reason I excercise at all is so that I can eat freely. My one rule in traveling has always been to avoid eating at an establishment I could find in CANADA (Subway...McDonald's...etc) I assume ALL others feel the same way as me (I can be very small minded about somethings) Dave, on the other hand doesn't travel to eat, he travels to see the sites. So he prefers to eat at McDonalds, knowing that he can fill a void in his stomach as quickly as possible leaving him more time to see the next tourist attraction. All I have to say is that we had to learn to compromise over the food issue, I would drag him into some Spanish restaurant where the staff didn't speak any English and then the next meal we would go to McDonalds (or something similar) where we didn't need our Spanish phrase book to figure out the menu.

Writing about food has reminded me of two times where my LACK of Spanish, left me with something I didn't mean to order. In Taragona I ordered a "glass" of wine and got the whole bottle! Dave doesn't drink and this meant that I had to finish the whole bottle myself......I do love a challenge. Dave didn't think I could do it, but I showed him!!
The other time was in Sevilla, where after our meal the waiter came to our table and rattled of something in Spanish. I assumed he was offering a choice of after dinner drinks...tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Well I recognized the word for chocolate and thought "hey why not have a hot chocolate". Well the drink never came, but I wasn't disappointed as the waiter brought out the hugest piece of chocolate cake, drenched in a warm chocolate sauce....hmmmm.

My lack of Spanish also caused a problem on the train to Sevilla. The toilet had a funny button on the outside, which I pressed and it let me into the facilities. Once inside I was faced with 4 funny buttons, all of which had instructions written in Spanish....I couldn't tell which one was "lock" or "Close" or "help I am Stuck". I had to call Dave over to stand by the door so that nobody got in from the outside....who knew I would need the Spanish phrase book just to pee!!


Our travels took us from Barcelona to Madrid, then on to Valencia and ending in Sevilla. My favorite parts of Barcelona involved the art work by Gaudi. The Guadi park and the Casa Batillo had amazing examples of his sculptures and decoration. Well worth the cost of admission. (The Sangrada Famila was a beautiful church right outside our hotel that is a must see!!) We also did a day trip from Barcelona to Taragona. A small town south of the city which was founded by the Romans. You can still see the original ampitheatre and walled town built by the Romans hundreds of years ago. Well worth it!!

Madrid was great because we were there over the Easter weekend, and Dave and I (being practicing Catholics) were blown away by the reverence given to this weekend. From the packed churches to the crowds watching the multiple street processions, the city was alive with a Christian spirit. The museums were also very good. I especially enjoyed the Thyssen Museum, although the Prado Museum is the one everyone talks about. Don't forget to tour the Football stadium, it has a very good museum as well.

Valencia was all about slowing down. Dave and I rented bikes and cycled down the main park to the beaches on the Mediterranean. We putzed around enjoying the change of pace from Madrid and Barcelona. We didn't realize it until we were actually there, but the Cathedral in Valencia holds the Chalice from Christ's "Last Supper" WOW!!
I convinced Dave to take a tourist boat that went around the "Port of America" I didn't tell Dave that the small cruise included all the wine and mussells you could eat for 13€.....Dave doesn't eat seafood or drink.....all the more for ME!!

After a long train ride, we arrived in Sevilla. All of the cities had many beautiful churches, my favorites being in Sevilla. The Cathedral Y Giralda housed the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and the Basilica Macerena was just peaceful and all encompassing (I could have spent hours there in quiet reflection). Sevilla is famous for is muslim/moorish influences, which can best be seen in the palace Real Alcazar....a definite must see (Take a picnic lunch with you to enjoy in the extensive park behind the palace).

We took the time to see a show with Flemenco dancing and Spanish guitar which was beautiful We also went to a bullfight.....which was barbaric...I have never seen something so cruel.

Each city we went to was very different. I couldn't tell you which was my favorite....they were all beautiful and fun and interesting. All of them very Spanish, but none of them the same. I am convinced that I need to learn to speak Spanish so that I can come back to Spain and experience it less from the touristy side. Carmen, sign us up for Spanish lessons in the Fall!!

Ireland with Carmen

Despite Carmen being hung over from the night before, we got safely on the plane and landed in Cork, in the south east side of Ireland and our first destination was the "Blarney Stone" in Blarney Castle. The Castle grounds and ruins were extensive and it was too bad we did not have more time there. But we did kiss the Blarney stone, at great personal risk, not only were we going against the rumour that you could get Herpes, but the actual act is also very dangerous. To reach the stone, a man (Who knows who he is.....but his accent was really neat) has you lay on your back and grasp two handle bars while he basically lifts you backwards over a 100 foot drop so that your lips can reach the stone!!! (Your hips are over the drop, if the strange but funny man didn't have a good grip on you, you would fall.)



Carmen and I were estatic at how awesome our trip was and we were only 3 hours into our 8 days in Ireland...... This feeling didn't last long as we headed out on the roads in a rental car at night to find our way to Killarney. We knew were we were going, Carmen had figured it all out.....but the road signs are really small and were not reflective in the dark. In short, we got LOST, not once, not twice, not even three times.....but 4. (Blame the country not the drivers!!) I didn't think I would ever see a place with worse road signs than England (especially in the cities) but Ireland takes the top prize. (This is the only negative we could find from our whole trip....not bad)



The country is beautiful and I would recommend that anyone who goes to Ireland should rent a car and drive around. The things Carmen and I saw are well represented on my Facebook pictures and you should go take a look. There are many things we didn't get to do....hiking in Conamarra Mountains or Visiting the Arran Islands for example. But the people were very friendly and laid back, and the food was good if you like potato based dishes. (Carmen's dream come true.....the girl likes her potato's)



Make sure you take the time to see the north and the south and all the parts in between. Plan on at least 1 Irish breakfast (starve yourself the day before) and trying Irish whiskey, Irish Coffee, Irish Cider, Irish Moonshine, and Irish Stew. Don't forget to have your Baileys Irish Cream in your morning coffee to kick start your day. Skip the black and white Pudding....this is not a desert......nasty stuff that is made up of the leftovers on the butchers floor. (Much like the beloved hotdog in content without the good taste...ICK!!) If you get a chance to give advice on the "Horses"....Do so...but be gone before the race is over. (We were asked more than once which horse we would bet on. WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HORSE RACING!!) Bring your walking shoes, a raincoat and a hat that won't fly away in the wind and you are set to experience all the country has to offer.

Loved Ireland , and I hope to go back in the spring/summer to do some of the hikes and walks better left to more time and better weather.

Cheers

Carmen arriving in England

Carmen (My sister) came to visit on Feb 8th. She arrived in the middle of the day on Friday (11:30 am) while I was still at work. She flew into Manchester, then had to take the train to Leeds, then a bus to the house and finally find the key I had hidden in the backyard and let herself in. Knowing all this, I started calling the house around noon in an effort to see if she had made it inside. When I received no answer, then or any of the other times I called (every 30 minutes untill 3pm) I grew quite concerned.
Did she arrive ok?
Did she get on the right train?
Maybe she missed the bus stop and was riding around Leeds lost.
She could have been stuck in the backyard in the rain, unable to find the key I had left for her!

I was starting to panic......

Well I rushed home from work convinced that Carmen would be tired and angry for not being able to get into the house, only to find that she had just gotten in and was quite tipsy!! (DRUNK!!)

Not only did she get into the house okay at 11:30 Am, she also navigated her way to the local pub where she met Martin (the bar keep) who kept her entertained tasting the local beers for 3 hours.......She wasn't in the country over 2 hours before she had a beer in her hand. (This reminds me of my first day in England.....do you remember Rob? I also had a beer in my hand from Martin the barkeep within 2 hours of being in the country)

Carmen had a good intro to the English lifestyle that day as we met John and Amy for curry at Abids and then headed over to Simon and Cathy's place to watch the Rugby game on TV. (BEER....CURRY...RUGBY....3 English staples)

Saturday had us heading out to YORK, where we had our first "CREAM tea" (another english tradition) at Betty's. Hmmmmm good stuff. We met up with the Leeds crew (Cathy/Simon, Amy/John, Gill/David, and Jenny/John) for a quiet evening of drinks at the pub. This quiet evening had us being kicked out of the pub at closing time (11pm) after Carmen and Cathy demonstrated their aerobic abilities for climbing under tables in crowded places. Gill and David so kindly offered to have people over to their place for more refreshments and the evening continued....all I have to say is that the next day, while in the airport waiting to go to Ireland, Carmen made several trips to the washroom.....DID YOU HAVE THE FLU Carmen???? OR where you HUNG OVER!!!

A taste of Carmens first 2 days in England, More to come!