I can tell what you're thinking. A book review on Brian's blog? First of all, this is where I go to read about random European adventures and see what Brian is up to in London! Second, Brian doesn't really read!
Well, hopefully that's gonna change a little; and don't worry, the review won't be long. One of my goals this year is to read a book every month. Not a significant accomplishment to many of you, but for me it's pretty good. My first book, which I completed during my travels in Switzerland, was a book given to me by my Dad and Kathy for Christmas. It's called Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard. It's a true story about a recent college grad who left home with the clothes on his back, $25 in cash, a sleeping bag, and restricted from using previous contacts or relying on his college education. He randomly set out to the city of Charleston, SC where he had a goal of getting a job, saving $2500, have a working automobile, and a furnished apartment. All within one year.
I found the story itself really intriguing, and reading the real life experiences he had with other homeless and disadvantaged people were both funny and sad. You could tell it was Adam's first time writing anything significant and the writing was sometimes a little dry, but the story kept my interest in what was going to happened and didn't cause any hesitation to keep reading. Kinda how I see this blog; not literary by any means but people tell me they enjoy reading it and continue to do so. It also shows pride and the great opportunity that exists in America for those who are disciplined and willing to work hard. You'll also learn a little about homeless living in the south which is interesting enough.
If you're looking for a different type of story and a quick read, I would recommend this book. My next book was recommended to me by my friend Ryan. It's an English authored book called Girlfriend 44.
1.28.2009
Snowboarding in Switzerland
Bonjour! Last week, I spent a long weekend in Switzerland snowboarding with Hayley and Kat. Our co-worker's (Sam's) parents have a condo in the resort town of Leysin, situated about 2 hours from Geneva near the French/Swiss border in Switzerland. Hayley and Kat were in the middle of their two week holiday in Switzerland, and I went to join them for the weekend.
See some sweet pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/LeysinSwitzerland?feat=directlink
My journey started mid-afternoon on Friday. I left work a bit early and made my way to Luton airport. Although flights are often cheap from "London," it means you have to use airports that are actually outside of the city. After dragging my carry-on backpack and heavy snowboard bag on the tube, I caught a train to the nearest station and then a bus to the airport itself. I arrived in Geneva after dark, grabbed a sandwich and pretzel roll in the airport, and caught the next train to Aigle - my connection to Leysin. After arriving in Aigle, I spent an hour in a nearby cafe before catching the next train to Leysin. This entire area is in the French portion of Switzerland, and since I don't know any French, I just pointed and pretended to get along with "Bonjour" and "Merci" like usual. The train journey from Aigle to Leysin was on a cog train and took about 25 minutes. It went from an elevation of 365 meters with no snow in Aigle to 1263 meters in the village of Leysin, where it was dumping new snow. They already had a few storms pass through over the week providing huge amounts of fresh powder, and this storm meant my timing was even better. It had been dark during the entire train ride from Geneva, so I was excited to see the surroundings the next day.
When we woke up the next morning, it was still snowing. Nice, big flakes. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see any mountains. But it did mean that the slopes were going to be incredible! The three of us walked down to the lifts around 10am to start our day. My two-day lift pass cost me the equivalent of about £60...not too bad. Leysin is one of the smaller and lower resorts in the Alps and my hopes had not been high for the snow conditions or terrain. However, it ended up being one of the best weekends I've had snowboarding. I did the first few runs with Hayley and Kat, trying to offer help and taking some pics. When they went in for a break, I decided to go off on my own for a bit and explore the mountain. I went to the furthest lift on the backside and the conditions were incredible. It was Saturday, but I only saw a handful of others and I had fresh tracks for every run.
The landscape itself was dotted with old wooden cabins and the occasional Chalet flying it's Swiss flag. The old Chalet's are incredible wooden buildings that provide food and services for skiers. My favorite had homemade desserts and loaves of freshly baked bread along with a cozy inside and plenty of outdoor seating with incredible views. Although there are few "on-piste" runs (groomed or well known trails) marked on the map, the "off-piste" (non-groomed, moguls, or trees) options are vast and the conditions were some of the best that I have experienced. One thing I noticed about the map is that it is much less detailed than those that I am used to in North America. It often only shows one or two runs per lift and no off-piste detail.
A ski pass at Leysin also allows you to use the resort of Les Mosses, connected by a shuttle bus. I thought I would take advantage of that, but never saw a reason to leave Leysin since the conditions were so great. It also looked like most of the lifts at Les Mosses were drag lifts, and I didn't feel like giving effort both up and down the mountain.
The weather on Saturday slowly began to clear up, which provided excellent views of the surrounding mountain range and the valley below caked in fog. I eventually stopped for some lunch and enjoyed some goulash (meat stew) and freshly baked bread. I then met up with Hayley and Kat for a few last runs of the day. We all enjoyed a few post-boarding beers and hot wines at the chalet near the bottom of the lifts and then walked down to the village to stop at the grocery store. We bought some stuff for dinner, including some great regional cheeses and some fresh bread. We still had some time to kill before meeting Kat's friend at the train station who was coming to visit for the night, so we checked out another local pub before heading back home. Kat's friend, Isa, lives in the town of Neuchatel, a 2 hours train ride away. Lucky for us, she brought with her some local sausage called Saucisson Neuchateloise. It was excellent and went very well with our pasta! That night we enjoyed a great meal in, a few beers, and even watched Hunt for the Red October on VHS. I had never seen it before.
We woke up on Sunday to the most perfect day you could imagine. Not a cloud in the sky and, in all, around a foot of fresh powder from the last 24 hours. The others were a bit tired (and sore) from the day before, so I headed down to the lifts on my own to get in an excellent morning of fresh tracks on the back side of the mountain. The slopes were a bit more crowded due to the weather, but still nothing that stopped me from carving my own lines all day long. I also discovered that the very top of the mountain was open, which hadn't been open the day before. The resort actually has "two" summits. The first, at 2048 meters, is La Berneuse. There is a glass building with a balcony at the top where you can enjoy food and apparently a revolving bar. The other top at 2205 meters, Chaux de Mont, provides excellent views and difficult skiing. I did two runs from Chaux de Mont, and they were by far my favorite runs of the day.
I met up with Hayley and Kat when they were ready to go in the mid-afternoon and did a few runs with them. We took turns taking pics and videos of each other on the runs. I even tried a few jumps in the terrain park. I probably got a whole inch or two of air. Hayley and Kat eventually headed back down to the bottom Chalet while I did one last run. Even though my legs were shaking by the time I was done, I had put in a great weekend of snowboarding. We enjoyed one last slopeside beer and headed back to the grocery store and our place for another dinner in. We were pretty beat by the end of the second night, so we eventually turned in pretty early.
The next morning, I was up at 4:30am to catch the first train out of Leysin and back to the airport. I enjoyed one last piece of French food, a fresh croissant, and boarded the plane on my way back to London. I want to thank Hayley and Kat for letting me crash with them for the weekend and an excellent time! I can't wait to board my next European resort!
PS - There were other pics taken with other cameras, as well as quite a few videos. Once I get all of them, I will post another blog!
See some sweet pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/LeysinSwitzerland?feat=directlink
My journey started mid-afternoon on Friday. I left work a bit early and made my way to Luton airport. Although flights are often cheap from "London," it means you have to use airports that are actually outside of the city. After dragging my carry-on backpack and heavy snowboard bag on the tube, I caught a train to the nearest station and then a bus to the airport itself. I arrived in Geneva after dark, grabbed a sandwich and pretzel roll in the airport, and caught the next train to Aigle - my connection to Leysin. After arriving in Aigle, I spent an hour in a nearby cafe before catching the next train to Leysin. This entire area is in the French portion of Switzerland, and since I don't know any French, I just pointed and pretended to get along with "Bonjour" and "Merci" like usual. The train journey from Aigle to Leysin was on a cog train and took about 25 minutes. It went from an elevation of 365 meters with no snow in Aigle to 1263 meters in the village of Leysin, where it was dumping new snow. They already had a few storms pass through over the week providing huge amounts of fresh powder, and this storm meant my timing was even better. It had been dark during the entire train ride from Geneva, so I was excited to see the surroundings the next day.
When we woke up the next morning, it was still snowing. Nice, big flakes. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see any mountains. But it did mean that the slopes were going to be incredible! The three of us walked down to the lifts around 10am to start our day. My two-day lift pass cost me the equivalent of about £60...not too bad. Leysin is one of the smaller and lower resorts in the Alps and my hopes had not been high for the snow conditions or terrain. However, it ended up being one of the best weekends I've had snowboarding. I did the first few runs with Hayley and Kat, trying to offer help and taking some pics. When they went in for a break, I decided to go off on my own for a bit and explore the mountain. I went to the furthest lift on the backside and the conditions were incredible. It was Saturday, but I only saw a handful of others and I had fresh tracks for every run.
The landscape itself was dotted with old wooden cabins and the occasional Chalet flying it's Swiss flag. The old Chalet's are incredible wooden buildings that provide food and services for skiers. My favorite had homemade desserts and loaves of freshly baked bread along with a cozy inside and plenty of outdoor seating with incredible views. Although there are few "on-piste" runs (groomed or well known trails) marked on the map, the "off-piste" (non-groomed, moguls, or trees) options are vast and the conditions were some of the best that I have experienced. One thing I noticed about the map is that it is much less detailed than those that I am used to in North America. It often only shows one or two runs per lift and no off-piste detail.
A ski pass at Leysin also allows you to use the resort of Les Mosses, connected by a shuttle bus. I thought I would take advantage of that, but never saw a reason to leave Leysin since the conditions were so great. It also looked like most of the lifts at Les Mosses were drag lifts, and I didn't feel like giving effort both up and down the mountain.
The weather on Saturday slowly began to clear up, which provided excellent views of the surrounding mountain range and the valley below caked in fog. I eventually stopped for some lunch and enjoyed some goulash (meat stew) and freshly baked bread. I then met up with Hayley and Kat for a few last runs of the day. We all enjoyed a few post-boarding beers and hot wines at the chalet near the bottom of the lifts and then walked down to the village to stop at the grocery store. We bought some stuff for dinner, including some great regional cheeses and some fresh bread. We still had some time to kill before meeting Kat's friend at the train station who was coming to visit for the night, so we checked out another local pub before heading back home. Kat's friend, Isa, lives in the town of Neuchatel, a 2 hours train ride away. Lucky for us, she brought with her some local sausage called Saucisson Neuchateloise. It was excellent and went very well with our pasta! That night we enjoyed a great meal in, a few beers, and even watched Hunt for the Red October on VHS. I had never seen it before.
We woke up on Sunday to the most perfect day you could imagine. Not a cloud in the sky and, in all, around a foot of fresh powder from the last 24 hours. The others were a bit tired (and sore) from the day before, so I headed down to the lifts on my own to get in an excellent morning of fresh tracks on the back side of the mountain. The slopes were a bit more crowded due to the weather, but still nothing that stopped me from carving my own lines all day long. I also discovered that the very top of the mountain was open, which hadn't been open the day before. The resort actually has "two" summits. The first, at 2048 meters, is La Berneuse. There is a glass building with a balcony at the top where you can enjoy food and apparently a revolving bar. The other top at 2205 meters, Chaux de Mont, provides excellent views and difficult skiing. I did two runs from Chaux de Mont, and they were by far my favorite runs of the day.
I met up with Hayley and Kat when they were ready to go in the mid-afternoon and did a few runs with them. We took turns taking pics and videos of each other on the runs. I even tried a few jumps in the terrain park. I probably got a whole inch or two of air. Hayley and Kat eventually headed back down to the bottom Chalet while I did one last run. Even though my legs were shaking by the time I was done, I had put in a great weekend of snowboarding. We enjoyed one last slopeside beer and headed back to the grocery store and our place for another dinner in. We were pretty beat by the end of the second night, so we eventually turned in pretty early.
The next morning, I was up at 4:30am to catch the first train out of Leysin and back to the airport. I enjoyed one last piece of French food, a fresh croissant, and boarded the plane on my way back to London. I want to thank Hayley and Kat for letting me crash with them for the weekend and an excellent time! I can't wait to board my next European resort!
PS - There were other pics taken with other cameras, as well as quite a few videos. Once I get all of them, I will post another blog!
1.16.2009
Manchester v Chelsea
It was my first weekend back in the UK and I was off on another last minute trip. This time it was up north to Manchester, the 2nd biggest city in the UK. More importantly, it's home to the Manchester United football team. That's soccer to all of us non-European folk.
See Pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/ManchesterVChelsea?feat=directlink
Manchester United is like the New York Yankees of football. One of the most popular football clubs worldwide with around 330 million supporters, their fans make up almost 5% of the world's population. This makes it extremely hard to get tickets, especially to a game against one of their main rivals in a heated race to be atop the Premier League. Fortunately, Hayley's dad has some great connections and one of them came up with two extra tickets to the game last Sunday. Better yet, he booked a hotel for us to stay in after the game as a early birthday present to Hayley. We started the four hour drive early in the morning and got to Manchester with plenty of time to have some lunch and meet the ticketholder at a local pub.
Man U's stadium, Old Trafford, is one of the premier stadiums in England and holds 76,212 spectators. The grounds, also known as the Theatre of Dreams, has been the club's permanent residence since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence from 1941 to 1949 following the bombing of the stadium in the Second World War.
For those of you that don't know the culture of European football, it's absolutely manic. The area surrounding the stadium quickly filled with thousands of people as gametime approached. Before the game, they lined up outside pubs waiting to get inside. They packed the streets and bought souvenirs and food from one of the many street vendors. Police on foot and horses kept everything under control, but it didn't stop fans from yelling at the opposition. Songs and chants were breaking out constantly, and everyone knew the words to everything. Entering the stadium was no different. Small groups started singing a chant, which would quickly catch on and spread throughout the entire grounds. Having the worst thoughts of crowd mayhem in mind, I was slightly surprised by how civilized things seemed to be. However, the small visitors section was lined by an unbreakable force of police to keep anything bad from happening.
The game was great! I was fully decked out in a brand new t-shirt and scarf and ready to show my Red Army pride. Unfortunately, our seats weren't together, but it didn't stop me from having a wonderful experience. The first goal, scored by Manchester, caused the grown man sitting next to me to give me a hug. Apparently my palm held in the air waiting for a high-5 wasn't good enough. We went on to score two more without the opposition scoring at all. It was an amazing game overall and the true Manchester fans were on a high for days. It's like the Yankees beating the Red Sox, or Oregon beating Oregon State. It was a big deal and I was happy to witness it.
After the game, we went back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. We took a cab down to the central area of Manchester. We had a huge Chinese meal in China town and then strolled down to Canal Street, a strip of bars and restaurants on a few pedestrian-only blocks along a canal. We finally headed back to the hotel as we were both wiped out and knew we had a long drive back Monday morning to get back to work.
On our way back the next day, we decided to take a slight side-trip to the Snowdome, an indoor ski/snowboard slope. It was actually quite impressive and filled with machine made snow. Escalator style belts take you up the hill so you can ski down the slope which is 170m long by 30m wide with an incline of around 1:7. You pay by the hour and rentals are included. Our hour of boarding was a lot of fun and I tried give Hayley some pointers while I practiced riding goofy. It was a good end to a great weekend!
See Pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/ManchesterVChelsea?feat=directlink
Manchester United is like the New York Yankees of football. One of the most popular football clubs worldwide with around 330 million supporters, their fans make up almost 5% of the world's population. This makes it extremely hard to get tickets, especially to a game against one of their main rivals in a heated race to be atop the Premier League. Fortunately, Hayley's dad has some great connections and one of them came up with two extra tickets to the game last Sunday. Better yet, he booked a hotel for us to stay in after the game as a early birthday present to Hayley. We started the four hour drive early in the morning and got to Manchester with plenty of time to have some lunch and meet the ticketholder at a local pub.
Man U's stadium, Old Trafford, is one of the premier stadiums in England and holds 76,212 spectators. The grounds, also known as the Theatre of Dreams, has been the club's permanent residence since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence from 1941 to 1949 following the bombing of the stadium in the Second World War.
For those of you that don't know the culture of European football, it's absolutely manic. The area surrounding the stadium quickly filled with thousands of people as gametime approached. Before the game, they lined up outside pubs waiting to get inside. They packed the streets and bought souvenirs and food from one of the many street vendors. Police on foot and horses kept everything under control, but it didn't stop fans from yelling at the opposition. Songs and chants were breaking out constantly, and everyone knew the words to everything. Entering the stadium was no different. Small groups started singing a chant, which would quickly catch on and spread throughout the entire grounds. Having the worst thoughts of crowd mayhem in mind, I was slightly surprised by how civilized things seemed to be. However, the small visitors section was lined by an unbreakable force of police to keep anything bad from happening.
The game was great! I was fully decked out in a brand new t-shirt and scarf and ready to show my Red Army pride. Unfortunately, our seats weren't together, but it didn't stop me from having a wonderful experience. The first goal, scored by Manchester, caused the grown man sitting next to me to give me a hug. Apparently my palm held in the air waiting for a high-5 wasn't good enough. We went on to score two more without the opposition scoring at all. It was an amazing game overall and the true Manchester fans were on a high for days. It's like the Yankees beating the Red Sox, or Oregon beating Oregon State. It was a big deal and I was happy to witness it.
After the game, we went back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner. We took a cab down to the central area of Manchester. We had a huge Chinese meal in China town and then strolled down to Canal Street, a strip of bars and restaurants on a few pedestrian-only blocks along a canal. We finally headed back to the hotel as we were both wiped out and knew we had a long drive back Monday morning to get back to work.
On our way back the next day, we decided to take a slight side-trip to the Snowdome, an indoor ski/snowboard slope. It was actually quite impressive and filled with machine made snow. Escalator style belts take you up the hill so you can ski down the slope which is 170m long by 30m wide with an incline of around 1:7. You pay by the hour and rentals are included. Our hour of boarding was a lot of fun and I tried give Hayley some pointers while I practiced riding goofy. It was a good end to a great weekend!
1.10.2009
Happy New Year!
Hey Everyone,
First things first...I hope all of you had a great holiday season! Whether I got a chance to see you or not, I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. So far, it seems to be going pretty well. I'm back in cold, cloudy London. It's nice to be back, but did I mention it's cold? Because it's really really cold. The thermometer reads around freezing every day, but it feels like twenty below. It must be the moist, humid air.
I've included a few pics of my trip, most of which involve food. I guess it's becoming a theme, but on this trip it was more important than ever. I wanted to visit as many of my favorite places as I could, and I would say it was definitely a success. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Christmas2008Stateside?feat=directlink
My trip back to the States was wonderful! It was like I had never left, and I fit right back in with all of my great friends and family. The trip started with a horribly long and delayed flight, a snowstormed and crazy Chicago airport, and my first week in Colorado. It was nice being back in the Boulder office seeing everyone again. And it was really nice seeing all of my great friends there. I have to thank Ryan & Brianne and Julie & Steve for letting me crash at their places. It was great catching up with everyone, enjoying a few beers at the Sun, having a traditional sushi night, going to our favorite China Buffet, and having happy hour at the Med. I even got to touch pearl street and enjoy a Rio margarita. Most importantly, I got two great days of snowboarding in! Well, maybe the first day's negative temps with 30mph winds didn't make it that great, but the 2nd bluebird powder day at Vail made up for it.
I was very lucky to fly into Oregon as scheduled due to the Great Arctic Blast of 2008. Portland/Salem saw more snow than they have seen in over 50 years and it shut down the city, like normal. My flight did arrive, but my dad didn't. So I sat in the airport 3 hours waiting for him to finish his 5 hour drive to pick me up; a drive that usually takes less than an hour. It was great seeing all of the family for Christmas and the following week. And of course the Bergey siblings were up to no good as usual. I miss you guys a lot! We had a good Christmas eating way too much food, playing Wii and eating more food. Throughout the week I was able to enjoy all my favorite food establishments and do way too much shopping to take advantage of the cheaper prices outside of London. I was also able to make up for some lost time and watch plenty of football, including Oregon beating OK State in a great Holiday Bowl game! New Years Eve was spent with Michelle and Blaine and we had an awesome time at the Alibi...one of my best new years yet!
Unfortunately, the trip allowed me to gain about ten pounds, so here I am starting the new year out right. I'm back at the gym getting back in good shape with another goal of running a half marathon. Maybe this year my knee will hold up and I'll actually run the race. I'm also planning a couple snowboard trips now that my board is here, and looking forward to my mom's visit in April.
It was so nice to be back in the States and I think it made me realize that I'll be back at some point, for good. But until then, I'll be here enjoying Europe and waiting for my friends and family to visit. Cheers!
First things first...I hope all of you had a great holiday season! Whether I got a chance to see you or not, I wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. So far, it seems to be going pretty well. I'm back in cold, cloudy London. It's nice to be back, but did I mention it's cold? Because it's really really cold. The thermometer reads around freezing every day, but it feels like twenty below. It must be the moist, humid air.
I've included a few pics of my trip, most of which involve food. I guess it's becoming a theme, but on this trip it was more important than ever. I wanted to visit as many of my favorite places as I could, and I would say it was definitely a success. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Christmas2008Stateside?feat=directlink
My trip back to the States was wonderful! It was like I had never left, and I fit right back in with all of my great friends and family. The trip started with a horribly long and delayed flight, a snowstormed and crazy Chicago airport, and my first week in Colorado. It was nice being back in the Boulder office seeing everyone again. And it was really nice seeing all of my great friends there. I have to thank Ryan & Brianne and Julie & Steve for letting me crash at their places. It was great catching up with everyone, enjoying a few beers at the Sun, having a traditional sushi night, going to our favorite China Buffet, and having happy hour at the Med. I even got to touch pearl street and enjoy a Rio margarita. Most importantly, I got two great days of snowboarding in! Well, maybe the first day's negative temps with 30mph winds didn't make it that great, but the 2nd bluebird powder day at Vail made up for it.
I was very lucky to fly into Oregon as scheduled due to the Great Arctic Blast of 2008. Portland/Salem saw more snow than they have seen in over 50 years and it shut down the city, like normal. My flight did arrive, but my dad didn't. So I sat in the airport 3 hours waiting for him to finish his 5 hour drive to pick me up; a drive that usually takes less than an hour. It was great seeing all of the family for Christmas and the following week. And of course the Bergey siblings were up to no good as usual. I miss you guys a lot! We had a good Christmas eating way too much food, playing Wii and eating more food. Throughout the week I was able to enjoy all my favorite food establishments and do way too much shopping to take advantage of the cheaper prices outside of London. I was also able to make up for some lost time and watch plenty of football, including Oregon beating OK State in a great Holiday Bowl game! New Years Eve was spent with Michelle and Blaine and we had an awesome time at the Alibi...one of my best new years yet!
Unfortunately, the trip allowed me to gain about ten pounds, so here I am starting the new year out right. I'm back at the gym getting back in good shape with another goal of running a half marathon. Maybe this year my knee will hold up and I'll actually run the race. I'm also planning a couple snowboard trips now that my board is here, and looking forward to my mom's visit in April.
It was so nice to be back in the States and I think it made me realize that I'll be back at some point, for good. But until then, I'll be here enjoying Europe and waiting for my friends and family to visit. Cheers!
12.07.2008
Christmas Scenes from London
Although I definitely had the bug to travel for another long weekend this Christmas month, I decided to spend these last couple weekends in London before heading back to the States for the holidays. Amidst the overcrowded streets and the looming credit crunch, there were some great holiday sights to see.
View pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/HolidayScenesInLondon#
I'll try to make this brief, but if you want to know more about anything I saw, just ask!
The borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (my home!) was decorated for the season quite early with real Christmas trees on the light posts and a large tree in Lyric square outside my work. The brand new largest urban mall in Europe, just two tube stops from me, was decorated in splendor. Our first (and only) snowfall so far occurred in October, the first time since the early 1900s. The premiere shopping roads of Oxford and Regents Street downtown were aglow with lights, music and fabulous window displays. The shops big and small were filled with festive goods and far too many people; I did learn that one should never go to Harrods during the Christmas season unless you don't want to see anything but more people. There are many great ice skating rinks around town, including the most scenic one (in my opinion) at the Natural History Museum, and the largest one set aside a German Christmas Market in Hyde Park. I had some great bratwurst, a pretzel and some German sweets at the Christmas market, and I even enjoyed some traditional German Christmas Stollen at a local Germany bakery.
Some very exciting changes took place at work this month as well. Us RegOnliners moved to our own office due to overcrowding in the original office we shared with our parent company. The office is very nice, and much more comfortable and quiet than the old one (and smells nicer too). We also had our own Christmas party last week where we enjoyed an excellent night out in London! We started at the Ice Bar, which is a bar made completely of ice...even the glasses! It is a constant -5 degrees celsius and all of the ice is shipped from an ice hotel in Norway. New ice is shipped every 4 months and a redesign is done then. After we had enough of the cold, we visited a few pubs before heading to Los Locos for dinner. We were very lucky and got a nicely decorated table that was empty because a reservation hadn't shown up. I have to admit that the Mexican food was very tasty considering it was in London! We had an absolute blast and more pics can be found on Facebook if you're interested.
I hope to post some pics and blogs about some of my experiences in the States. I'm sure I'll be in a bit of shock hearing American accents everywhere and refreshing my memory on why the US is such a great place. I hope to take note of everything that strikes me as odd because I think it'll be quite strange from a different perspective. Anyway, I figured I'd write some kind of Christmas message while I have the time. The city of London is a confusing place. Part of me gets fed up with the hustle and bustle, the over-crowded everything, and the lack of public friendliness & overall Christmas cheer. It can be a very impersonal place. However, it's also a great place that is full of culture, excitement and charm if you know where to look. When you find some of those places, it's even more pleasant because it's not expected. Sometimes you just have to look a bit further for something you're missing, but it doesn't mean that it is any less significant. I will be the first to admit that I sometimes get lost with everyone else, getting impatient with slow people on the way to work or not smiling to strangers on the street. But I've tried hard these last few weeks to make a difference to a few people, whoever they are, by giving up my tube seat or smiling to the random passerby. This isn't meant to be some cheesy Christmas lesson, but I do want to say one thing. Wherever you are and whoever it is with, it's never an excuse to forget your roots. Enjoy the season and what it has to offer. I'll see you all soon!!
PS - I'll be in Colorado the 16th-23rd and then in Oregon until January 3rd. If you want to see me please let me know! Email, call, text, facebook, blog comment, whatever. I'll be working while I'm in Colorado and I'm afraid the time is going to go real fast. I'll have my cell activated starting on the 16th and you can reach me at 303-995-7741. Cheers!
View pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/HolidayScenesInLondon#
I'll try to make this brief, but if you want to know more about anything I saw, just ask!
The borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (my home!) was decorated for the season quite early with real Christmas trees on the light posts and a large tree in Lyric square outside my work. The brand new largest urban mall in Europe, just two tube stops from me, was decorated in splendor. Our first (and only) snowfall so far occurred in October, the first time since the early 1900s. The premiere shopping roads of Oxford and Regents Street downtown were aglow with lights, music and fabulous window displays. The shops big and small were filled with festive goods and far too many people; I did learn that one should never go to Harrods during the Christmas season unless you don't want to see anything but more people. There are many great ice skating rinks around town, including the most scenic one (in my opinion) at the Natural History Museum, and the largest one set aside a German Christmas Market in Hyde Park. I had some great bratwurst, a pretzel and some German sweets at the Christmas market, and I even enjoyed some traditional German Christmas Stollen at a local Germany bakery.
Some very exciting changes took place at work this month as well. Us RegOnliners moved to our own office due to overcrowding in the original office we shared with our parent company. The office is very nice, and much more comfortable and quiet than the old one (and smells nicer too). We also had our own Christmas party last week where we enjoyed an excellent night out in London! We started at the Ice Bar, which is a bar made completely of ice...even the glasses! It is a constant -5 degrees celsius and all of the ice is shipped from an ice hotel in Norway. New ice is shipped every 4 months and a redesign is done then. After we had enough of the cold, we visited a few pubs before heading to Los Locos for dinner. We were very lucky and got a nicely decorated table that was empty because a reservation hadn't shown up. I have to admit that the Mexican food was very tasty considering it was in London! We had an absolute blast and more pics can be found on Facebook if you're interested.
I hope to post some pics and blogs about some of my experiences in the States. I'm sure I'll be in a bit of shock hearing American accents everywhere and refreshing my memory on why the US is such a great place. I hope to take note of everything that strikes me as odd because I think it'll be quite strange from a different perspective. Anyway, I figured I'd write some kind of Christmas message while I have the time. The city of London is a confusing place. Part of me gets fed up with the hustle and bustle, the over-crowded everything, and the lack of public friendliness & overall Christmas cheer. It can be a very impersonal place. However, it's also a great place that is full of culture, excitement and charm if you know where to look. When you find some of those places, it's even more pleasant because it's not expected. Sometimes you just have to look a bit further for something you're missing, but it doesn't mean that it is any less significant. I will be the first to admit that I sometimes get lost with everyone else, getting impatient with slow people on the way to work or not smiling to strangers on the street. But I've tried hard these last few weeks to make a difference to a few people, whoever they are, by giving up my tube seat or smiling to the random passerby. This isn't meant to be some cheesy Christmas lesson, but I do want to say one thing. Wherever you are and whoever it is with, it's never an excuse to forget your roots. Enjoy the season and what it has to offer. I'll see you all soon!!
PS - I'll be in Colorado the 16th-23rd and then in Oregon until January 3rd. If you want to see me please let me know! Email, call, text, facebook, blog comment, whatever. I'll be working while I'm in Colorado and I'm afraid the time is going to go real fast. I'll have my cell activated starting on the 16th and you can reach me at 303-995-7741. Cheers!
12.04.2008
Prague, Czech Republic
Greetings! I know it's a little late, but this blog is about my recent trip to Prague with a few friends both new and old. I was joined by Hayley and her two friends from home, Nikki and Liam. To spice things up a bit, I'm going to try and make this an educational post. We'll see how it goes.
Photographs from Prague can be seen by visiting the following link: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Prague#
Our journey began in the early hours of the morning on Saturday the 29th of November. We woke from our B&B a few miles from Gatwick airport and caught a taxi to the terminal where we checked in at 5:30am. Gatwick is the world's 25th busiest airport and just celebrated it's 50th anniversary this year after Queen Elizabeth II opened the airport in June of 1958. After passing through security, we enjoyed a hearty English breakfast at a Wetherspoons pub. Especially impressive was my hot chocolate, loaded high with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.
Our EasyJet flight to Prague took approximately two hours. Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Its official name is Hlavní město Praha, meaning Prague, the Capital City. Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1100 years. The city itself is home to more than 1.2 million people and is traditionally one of the most cultural centers of Europe. Although it did receive decent damage from World War II, it was relatively untouched compared to neighboring European areas. Upon arriving in Prague, perhaps the most immediate difference we noticed was the currency. Having not yet adapted the Euro, the Czech Crown has no cents. A one crown coin is worth virtually nothing in our countries, but the 2000 crown note is worth approximately 135pounds. It took a good day to get used to the currency and how much we were actually spending.
Prague is one of the easiest and most hospitable places I have visited so far. It was extremely easy to find our bus that took us to the Metro (underground) line that took us a couple blocks from our Hostel in central Prague. Further, whenever we spoke English, no one ever stuck up their nose or gave an attitude. Instead they willingly assisted us with what we needed, usually with a smile and friendly gestures. As we explored the city, we noticed how amazingly clean and well preserved everything was. Slightly reminiscent of Rome, you could wander the streets for hours and never see the same thing twice; constantly being amazed at what you were seeing. Definitely a place more deserving than only a two nights stay.
Across from our hostel was a lovely Italian restaurant where we enjoyed some lunch. It may seem odd that we chose an Italian establishment, but I can assure you Italy is much closer to Prague than the US or UK and my "Lumberjack" fresh pasta was delicious! Our hostel was located a 2 minutes walk from the Old Town Square, the main hub of the entire city and an oasis for those wearied by Prague's narrow streets. The square is surrounded by many architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and the baroque St. Nicholas Church. The square was also bustling with tourists and locals visiting it's huge Christmas Market which offered a number booths with local crafts, food and hot mulled wine. We explored the Christmas market and I had my first taste at what I have named a Turtle. These soft, sweet pieces of rolled dough are actually called Trdlo, but not knowing how to pronounce the word I opted for an easier version. They are made by rolling sweet dough into a long pretzel-like string, wrapped around a metal ring and then dunked in sugar. The rings are then placed on a rotating rotisserie over a fire. After a few minutes, the dough is slid off the rings and served warm when you tear pieces of the delicately soft, warm dough off and eat them. A true delicatessen that I enjoyed far too many times during our trip.
Our first visit was to the Astronomical Clock and Tower, near the center of the square. The clock is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. For a small fee, you are able to climb to the top of the tower offering magnificent views of Prague from above. Take notice of these photographs in my gallery.
Since it was now late afternoon and we had already been up for too many hours, we decided to head back to the hostel for some rest before heading out that night. Nikki, Hayley and I joined some other annoying Americans (as always) in the common room where we watched a highly thought-provoking film. The name of the film has slipped my mind, but it involved a few horrible actors dancing in a stereotypical teen movie where the guy gets the girl and the girl wins a dance competition. While Nikki and Liam took a nap, Hayley and I decided to explore the area a bit more and get some dinner in the Christmas market. We both enjoyed some wonderfully prepared mulled wine and a chicken shish kabob. We then went back to the hostel to freshen up before embarking on our pub crawl for the evening.
As with most big European cities, Prague is well-known for it's vibrant nightlife. Traveling by myself, I usually don't take advantage of what European cities have to offer at night, but this trip was different. I was joined by three others, all anxious for a good night out, and that is what we had. We joined the organized pub crawl and went to our first pub. It was here we enjoyed unlimited drinks and a shot of Absinthe. Banned almost everywhere in the early 1900's due to it's high volume of alcohol, Absinthe saw a revival in many European countries within the last couple decades. It tastes utterly disgusting and similar to black licorice, but everyone has to try it once.
We then continued to our 2nd pub, which was much more like a club. We visited with other members of the tour and even got a few dance moves in before heading to our final destination for the evening. Meanwhile, our hosts continually carried around bottles of orange vodka for us to try. The third pub/club was a very unique venue covering three floors, each with it's own atmosphere. We decided to perch on the top floor which was most like a traditional Czech pub. We did occasionally venture to the other floors where we enjoyed some dancing and extremely sketchy bathroom behavior. At some point during the evening, I walked Nikki back to the hostel and then returned to the pub. The rest of us all made it home at different times and I'm afraid to say they were all too late in the morning. However, an excellent time was had by all and it will definitely go down as one of the best nights any of us have had out on the town.
The next morning was a bit rough, but we all got up at a decent time in the morning, took showers, and headed to a Chinese establishment two doors down from our hostel for some early lunch. I enjoyed some excellent sweet corn and egg soup and sweet and sour chicken. We then decided to make our way across the Vltava river to Prague castle atop the hill overlooking the metropolis. The Charles Bridge is the most well-known and popular crossing of the river. Constructed in 1357, the bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide. It is protected by three bridge towers, one of which is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700. It was a truly fascinating place and offered many excellent views of the the waterfront and the castle above.
We then meandered the streets on the other side of the river, slowly gaining elevation before arriving at the castle. The Prague castle is one of the largest castles in the world and stretches back to around 870BC. The castle includes the gothic St Vitus Cathedral, romanesque Basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defence towers. Due to the frigid temperatures that never exceeded 0 Celsius, and a long queue, we decided not to enter the castle but did spend some time exploring the area, enjoying the view from the castle walls and taking many photographs. On our way back from the castle, we stopped for a late lunch where I enjoyed some traditional Czech beef goulash with potato bread pancakes. It was interesting nonetheless, and was topped off with yet another Turtle from the market. On our way back toward the hostel, we did some shopping at some of the many shops and markets in the area and then dropped Nikki off at the hostel for some rest. Meanwhile, Liam, Hayley and I wondered into an old pub where I enjoyed some espresso and they enjoyed a pint of fine Czech beer.
Czechs drink more beer than any other country in the world, an average of 338 pints per person per year. With that said, it's not hard to find a lovely traditional pub with long wooden tables where you can join some locals for a pint of wonderful beer that costs the equivalent of about 1pound. Even the KFC's in Prague serve beer. Although Prague is getting more touristy, and therefore it's prices increasing, beer can still be found very cheap. After a drink and further exploring nearby streets, we decided to stop for some dinner at a Czech restaurant. I ordered a delicately prepared roast duck served with homemade sauerkraut and potato dumplings. It was absolutely wonderful and the first time I've ever eaten a considerable amount of duck. Potato dumplings/potato bread pancakes are very hard to describe. It looks like bread but it's far too dense and thick. However, it's not a potato because it's too breadlike. All I have to say is that not even I could finish all of them because they are too thick and a little bland. The four of us then enjoyed a couple drinks in our local favorite pub beside the hostel and finished the night sipping some mulled wine outside in the square. A perfect finish to a great trip.
The next morning we were up early again to catch the metro and then bus to the airport where we caught our mid-morning flight back to Gatwick and the busy, crowded and less-polite city of London. As always, the highlights of the trip involved good people, great food and endless exploring of yet another beautiful European city. I hope you have enjoyed this slightly education and hopefully not-too-boring depiction of my trip to the Czech Republic.
Photographs from Prague can be seen by visiting the following link: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Prague#
Our journey began in the early hours of the morning on Saturday the 29th of November. We woke from our B&B a few miles from Gatwick airport and caught a taxi to the terminal where we checked in at 5:30am. Gatwick is the world's 25th busiest airport and just celebrated it's 50th anniversary this year after Queen Elizabeth II opened the airport in June of 1958. After passing through security, we enjoyed a hearty English breakfast at a Wetherspoons pub. Especially impressive was my hot chocolate, loaded high with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.
Our EasyJet flight to Prague took approximately two hours. Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Its official name is Hlavní město Praha, meaning Prague, the Capital City. Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for more than 1100 years. The city itself is home to more than 1.2 million people and is traditionally one of the most cultural centers of Europe. Although it did receive decent damage from World War II, it was relatively untouched compared to neighboring European areas. Upon arriving in Prague, perhaps the most immediate difference we noticed was the currency. Having not yet adapted the Euro, the Czech Crown has no cents. A one crown coin is worth virtually nothing in our countries, but the 2000 crown note is worth approximately 135pounds. It took a good day to get used to the currency and how much we were actually spending.
Prague is one of the easiest and most hospitable places I have visited so far. It was extremely easy to find our bus that took us to the Metro (underground) line that took us a couple blocks from our Hostel in central Prague. Further, whenever we spoke English, no one ever stuck up their nose or gave an attitude. Instead they willingly assisted us with what we needed, usually with a smile and friendly gestures. As we explored the city, we noticed how amazingly clean and well preserved everything was. Slightly reminiscent of Rome, you could wander the streets for hours and never see the same thing twice; constantly being amazed at what you were seeing. Definitely a place more deserving than only a two nights stay.
Across from our hostel was a lovely Italian restaurant where we enjoyed some lunch. It may seem odd that we chose an Italian establishment, but I can assure you Italy is much closer to Prague than the US or UK and my "Lumberjack" fresh pasta was delicious! Our hostel was located a 2 minutes walk from the Old Town Square, the main hub of the entire city and an oasis for those wearied by Prague's narrow streets. The square is surrounded by many architectural styles including the gothic Týn Cathedral and the baroque St. Nicholas Church. The square was also bustling with tourists and locals visiting it's huge Christmas Market which offered a number booths with local crafts, food and hot mulled wine. We explored the Christmas market and I had my first taste at what I have named a Turtle. These soft, sweet pieces of rolled dough are actually called Trdlo, but not knowing how to pronounce the word I opted for an easier version. They are made by rolling sweet dough into a long pretzel-like string, wrapped around a metal ring and then dunked in sugar. The rings are then placed on a rotating rotisserie over a fire. After a few minutes, the dough is slid off the rings and served warm when you tear pieces of the delicately soft, warm dough off and eat them. A true delicatessen that I enjoyed far too many times during our trip.
Our first visit was to the Astronomical Clock and Tower, near the center of the square. The clock is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. For a small fee, you are able to climb to the top of the tower offering magnificent views of Prague from above. Take notice of these photographs in my gallery.
Since it was now late afternoon and we had already been up for too many hours, we decided to head back to the hostel for some rest before heading out that night. Nikki, Hayley and I joined some other annoying Americans (as always) in the common room where we watched a highly thought-provoking film. The name of the film has slipped my mind, but it involved a few horrible actors dancing in a stereotypical teen movie where the guy gets the girl and the girl wins a dance competition. While Nikki and Liam took a nap, Hayley and I decided to explore the area a bit more and get some dinner in the Christmas market. We both enjoyed some wonderfully prepared mulled wine and a chicken shish kabob. We then went back to the hostel to freshen up before embarking on our pub crawl for the evening.
As with most big European cities, Prague is well-known for it's vibrant nightlife. Traveling by myself, I usually don't take advantage of what European cities have to offer at night, but this trip was different. I was joined by three others, all anxious for a good night out, and that is what we had. We joined the organized pub crawl and went to our first pub. It was here we enjoyed unlimited drinks and a shot of Absinthe. Banned almost everywhere in the early 1900's due to it's high volume of alcohol, Absinthe saw a revival in many European countries within the last couple decades. It tastes utterly disgusting and similar to black licorice, but everyone has to try it once.
We then continued to our 2nd pub, which was much more like a club. We visited with other members of the tour and even got a few dance moves in before heading to our final destination for the evening. Meanwhile, our hosts continually carried around bottles of orange vodka for us to try. The third pub/club was a very unique venue covering three floors, each with it's own atmosphere. We decided to perch on the top floor which was most like a traditional Czech pub. We did occasionally venture to the other floors where we enjoyed some dancing and extremely sketchy bathroom behavior. At some point during the evening, I walked Nikki back to the hostel and then returned to the pub. The rest of us all made it home at different times and I'm afraid to say they were all too late in the morning. However, an excellent time was had by all and it will definitely go down as one of the best nights any of us have had out on the town.
The next morning was a bit rough, but we all got up at a decent time in the morning, took showers, and headed to a Chinese establishment two doors down from our hostel for some early lunch. I enjoyed some excellent sweet corn and egg soup and sweet and sour chicken. We then decided to make our way across the Vltava river to Prague castle atop the hill overlooking the metropolis. The Charles Bridge is the most well-known and popular crossing of the river. Constructed in 1357, the bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide. It is protected by three bridge towers, one of which is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700. It was a truly fascinating place and offered many excellent views of the the waterfront and the castle above.
We then meandered the streets on the other side of the river, slowly gaining elevation before arriving at the castle. The Prague castle is one of the largest castles in the world and stretches back to around 870BC. The castle includes the gothic St Vitus Cathedral, romanesque Basilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defence towers. Due to the frigid temperatures that never exceeded 0 Celsius, and a long queue, we decided not to enter the castle but did spend some time exploring the area, enjoying the view from the castle walls and taking many photographs. On our way back from the castle, we stopped for a late lunch where I enjoyed some traditional Czech beef goulash with potato bread pancakes. It was interesting nonetheless, and was topped off with yet another Turtle from the market. On our way back toward the hostel, we did some shopping at some of the many shops and markets in the area and then dropped Nikki off at the hostel for some rest. Meanwhile, Liam, Hayley and I wondered into an old pub where I enjoyed some espresso and they enjoyed a pint of fine Czech beer.
Czechs drink more beer than any other country in the world, an average of 338 pints per person per year. With that said, it's not hard to find a lovely traditional pub with long wooden tables where you can join some locals for a pint of wonderful beer that costs the equivalent of about 1pound. Even the KFC's in Prague serve beer. Although Prague is getting more touristy, and therefore it's prices increasing, beer can still be found very cheap. After a drink and further exploring nearby streets, we decided to stop for some dinner at a Czech restaurant. I ordered a delicately prepared roast duck served with homemade sauerkraut and potato dumplings. It was absolutely wonderful and the first time I've ever eaten a considerable amount of duck. Potato dumplings/potato bread pancakes are very hard to describe. It looks like bread but it's far too dense and thick. However, it's not a potato because it's too breadlike. All I have to say is that not even I could finish all of them because they are too thick and a little bland. The four of us then enjoyed a couple drinks in our local favorite pub beside the hostel and finished the night sipping some mulled wine outside in the square. A perfect finish to a great trip.
The next morning we were up early again to catch the metro and then bus to the airport where we caught our mid-morning flight back to Gatwick and the busy, crowded and less-polite city of London. As always, the highlights of the trip involved good people, great food and endless exploring of yet another beautiful European city. I hope you have enjoyed this slightly education and hopefully not-too-boring depiction of my trip to the Czech Republic.
11.28.2008
Thanksgiving in London
Many of you have asked whether or not I would be doing anything for Thanksgiving since I'm in a country that didn't slaughter Native Americans for their land. Well, the answer is YES! Sam, a co-worker of mine, graciously offered his flat so Ellen (an American co-worker) and I could take the day off and cook an amazing feast for friends...and we did just that. It ended up being an amazing day and probably the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. I have to warn you that the following pictures contain a lot of food in all forms. A lot.
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Thanksgiving#
Preparations actually started weeks ago when Ellen and I visited a small shop we found that sold a lot of American food staples. We picked up things like canned pumpkin, creamed corn, ritz crackers, cornbread mix, stove top (as a back up) and a few things for us like Kraft mac and cheese. Then last weekend Hayley drove us to a large supermarket where we bought everything else we needed...including way too many lbs of potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, stuffing fixins (including some wonderful British sausage), green beans, gravy flour, butter, extra serving platters/bowls/utensils, and tons more. Finally, on Wednesday after work we picked up our 9kg (20lb) fresh turkey from Whole Foods. It was an amazing, free-range bird that had never been frozen. It even had some real skin left on it's legs and some random feathers sticking out here and there. On Thursday morning we were ready to start cooking!
First went the pies...three pumpkins pies to be exact. Then the turkey covered in seasoned butter and stuffed with veggies to flavour the gravy. While the turkey cooked we prepared everything else and had everything prepared to be warmed up in the oven once the turkey was done. People started arriving around 6pm, bringing appetizers and drinks, football (soccer) came on the tele and everyone was having a great time. We eventually ate, and kept eating, and then ate some more. There was plenty of food for everyone and by the end of the night we still had half of the mashed potatoes, half of the stuffing, half of the rolls and almost half of a turkey left!! It was amazing.
Due to a few visitors from the States, the crowd was about half American and half English. We even went around and made everyone say what they were thankful for. I'm not sure what made it such a great day. It could be because it was just me and Ellen that planned and prepared everything which is quite an accomplishment for about 15 people. But it also had to do with the people that were there and the great time had by all. It will definitely be one to remember.
Sam deserves the biggest thanks of all for letting us use his flat (and double oven) for the day and hosting a bunch of annoying Americans when he wasn't feeling very well. Thanks also goes to Hayley for being the greatest friend and always doing whatever she can to help out. Thanks guys, it was great!
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Thanksgiving#
Preparations actually started weeks ago when Ellen and I visited a small shop we found that sold a lot of American food staples. We picked up things like canned pumpkin, creamed corn, ritz crackers, cornbread mix, stove top (as a back up) and a few things for us like Kraft mac and cheese. Then last weekend Hayley drove us to a large supermarket where we bought everything else we needed...including way too many lbs of potatoes, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, stuffing fixins (including some wonderful British sausage), green beans, gravy flour, butter, extra serving platters/bowls/utensils, and tons more. Finally, on Wednesday after work we picked up our 9kg (20lb) fresh turkey from Whole Foods. It was an amazing, free-range bird that had never been frozen. It even had some real skin left on it's legs and some random feathers sticking out here and there. On Thursday morning we were ready to start cooking!
First went the pies...three pumpkins pies to be exact. Then the turkey covered in seasoned butter and stuffed with veggies to flavour the gravy. While the turkey cooked we prepared everything else and had everything prepared to be warmed up in the oven once the turkey was done. People started arriving around 6pm, bringing appetizers and drinks, football (soccer) came on the tele and everyone was having a great time. We eventually ate, and kept eating, and then ate some more. There was plenty of food for everyone and by the end of the night we still had half of the mashed potatoes, half of the stuffing, half of the rolls and almost half of a turkey left!! It was amazing.
Due to a few visitors from the States, the crowd was about half American and half English. We even went around and made everyone say what they were thankful for. I'm not sure what made it such a great day. It could be because it was just me and Ellen that planned and prepared everything which is quite an accomplishment for about 15 people. But it also had to do with the people that were there and the great time had by all. It will definitely be one to remember.
Sam deserves the biggest thanks of all for letting us use his flat (and double oven) for the day and hosting a bunch of annoying Americans when he wasn't feeling very well. Thanks also goes to Hayley for being the greatest friend and always doing whatever she can to help out. Thanks guys, it was great!
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