Viv's birthday

John and his dad

I had 2 cakes!! a chocolate cake that Hannah and Tim made, with help from Christie, and an icecream cake that Sally and Lyn brought over.

Joshua helped me to blow out the candles!

Me, Hannah and Tim at the dinner table

My chocolate cake

My extended birthday is nearly done

It is now 11pm in Texas, and everyone has gone home, so it is just Meg, Dave, John and I chatting. John and his dad are talking work stuff and Meg and I are mostly listening...

We had 15 here for dinner, and have decided to make the table somewhat bigger for Xmas day lunch as there will be another 2 people to sit at the table! 
I opened my presents from NZ this afternoon when Hannah and Tim  came over - many thanks those people, I loved my cards and gifts!  The Texans gave me a book, a sweater, and some almond chocolate :)
Hannah gave me a lovely top and Tim found a zester and cheese grater that  I have been wanting - good job!  I have new earrings from John that I have put in tonight.
 Tomorrow I think we are going to the ice-skating rink here in the Woodlands - I will watch but I think John will don a pair of skates.
Like everyone else we are getting organized for the big day, and I think I will need some beauty sleep to get through all the socializing.

Dinner at a Chinese Restaurant and at Colwyn's

The top  and bottom pictures were taken at Beijings and the middle one is at Colwyn and Christie's. Note the Texas ribs on the Texas plate!  They were so yummy!

The Woodlands

Tis the night before Christmas - no hang on, tis the night before my birthday (close), which is actually my birthday in NZ!  We have been in The Woodlands for a week tonight - a week of shopping, dining, chatting, laughing and generally having a very fine time. John's mum and dad gave us money for Xmas this year as Megan has recently had a new knee installed and is not too mobile.  We had lots of fun shopping for gifts, and I spent a fair amount of time wrapping gifts last night and this morning.  The Christmas tree is looking very festive with all the gifts piled underneath.
Hannah and Tim are staying with Colwyn and Christie and their two chn - David 18yrs, Danielle 16 yrs. David has his license so is able to transport them here and there - today to the movies - Tron, which is a new movie out this week.
I have had fun shopping in the supermarkets here - the different foods and the variety is really fascinating.  Lots and lots more 'fast food' in that all you have to do is 'heat and eat'.
The weather has been unseasonably warm - today in the 30's, so I am not needing my coat or jumper at all.  Apparently it will get cooler in a few days. Of course the house is air conditioned/heated ; whatever is needed.

Hannah, Tim and I in front of the Screamer rollercoaster. the circle with the yellow centre is where it does a loop-the-loop!

The Screamer

Final Hurrah in LA

For our last day in LA we hit Disneyland again in the morning. Our first ride was Raider of the Lost Ark which I found less stressful than Space Mountain - thank goodness, although the big boulder coming right at you is somewhat unnerving.  The scenery is so well done, right down to the smallest details. We toured Toontown and rode the roller coaster there that is certainly scary enough for me! We did some more of the original rides for the rest of the morning, then returned to the hotel for a rest over lunchtime.  When we got back to Disneyland later in the afternoon, we decided to check out California land as Tim and John had not been there on this trip.  We found the vineyard and stopped there for some light refreshments. Then Tim decided that he was going on the Screamer roller coaster. Let me tell you, that thing is huge and so fast! None of the rest of us would go with him so he went on his own.  He loved it - something I will never understand!  By  this time it was quite dark, so after watching the parade, we wandered back to the bus and went home to the hotel.  The chn had a sleep in the next morning while John and I packed, then we walked down the road a way for brunch at a breakfast chain called ihop. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our 3 hour flight to Houston, which was calm and uninteresting - just how I like my flights!  The family were there to meet us at the airport.

A Day in LA

Yesterday we did a tour of LA, starting at 9am and we arrived back here at 5pm.  It was full-on all day, but really great. Our driver (we found out at the end of the tour) knows Serj Tankian - musician. They grew up together.  It was really weird as Hannah had just been listening to one of his songs on her IPod.  Anyway we toured all round downtown LA, then on to Hollywood with the walk of fame stars in the footpaths and the hands and feet in front of Man's Chinese Theatre.  I must say I was thinking of the old, old tv series when we were in Beverly - Hills that is, swimming pools, movie stars! Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive are now on my - "oh yes, I've been there", list. We saw the oldest surviving house in LA on Olvera Street, which is very Latino. They were celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe in the square there. I bought a couple of small maracas and Tim found a hat for Craig. We had lunch in the Farmers Market - sort of reminiscent of  Melbourne markets but not as good. It was very hot and stuffy in the middle of the markets. Venice Beach was a great place for people watching. We saw the outdoor gym where various strong men from the past have worked out - Sylvester Stallone and Arnold S used be there apparently. Lots of weed was offered for sale and the usual junk. Lots of strange characters inhabit the beachfront promenade - one guy was wrapped up in a large piece of reflective cardboard, with just his head poking out the top, groups of guys were crumping etc. We ended the day in Fisherman's village in the Marina Del Ray which is the world's largest man-made small boat harbour.  It reminded me a little of West Beach in Adelaide.

That evening after a rest, we went back to Disneyland - Downtown Disney for dinner in a lovely restaurant called Las Uvas. The food was excellent! Then we saw firework display and a big light production with Mickey Mouse. All in all a most fantastic day.

Disneyland

We spent the day in Disneyland today. From the first ride - Space Mountain - we had a great time. Although that ride was a little too adventurous for me and John! Hannah and Tim had forgotten how 'thrilling' it really was and apparently said sorry at some stage during the ride. I didn't hear, was too busy concentrating on staying alive! We did 8 rides today, then John and Tim came back here to the hotel around 4pm. Hannah and I stayed to see the Aladdin show and did a spot of shopping in the new Disney Way shopping district. We arrived back at the hotel around 7pm to find a note from John and Tim to say they had gone next door to the restaurant for a beer, and that we were to join them when we got back. We ended up having dinner there and now we're all ready for sleep as we have a day exploring downtown LA tomorrow.

Anaheim

We are settled into our suite at the Staybridge, and everyone is having timeout before we go out for dinner.
Our flight was uneventful, yay! We had seats near the front of the plane (thanks Noelene) and so were served quickly with our meals, and got off the plane quickly too.

The weather here today was quite warm, with no need for jumpers or coats. We checked in to our hotel,  then went for a walk to find somewhere to have lunch. We channeled 'The Big Bang Theory' and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, which is where Penny works in the TV series.
We wandered round the shops and Tim found himself a very cool Harley t-shirt.

We are all pretty tired tonight. There is only a 3 hour difference between here and NZ (give or take a day or two) but after very little sleep last night on the plane we are all a little the worse for wear.

Carl's 16th Birthday

David Gilmour Sonnet 18

The Goldfish is back in the Pond

Bueno, Yo soy en mi casa. 

After a very long trip, I am finally home, in front of a warm fire, on a gray misty day, missing the sun!
I flew the last leg Air New Zealand - they were the best airline for food and service, and had plenty of leg room.

I did sleep a bit on the plane which made the time go quickly for me, but today I couldn't keep my eyes open.
Noelene called in on her way to Pukekohe, and Mum, Dad and Annette were here for breakfast. John had lit the fire and it was so warm and comfortable lying on the sofa, that I just drifted off to sleep.
I am sure that tonight will not be a problem as I had been awake for nearly 2 days, so today's nap was a catch-up!
This morning my bag was about 4th on the carousel and I went straight through customs so I was feeling very fortunate, as I had heard a few stories while in Spain of lost luggage, never to be found. There was a woman on the same flight as me from Amsterdam, whose luggage did not make it even as far as Osaka, and a friend's luggage stayed in Frankfurt yesterday, whilst she flew on to Sydney.

The gods of the luggage carousel were obviously on the ball for my suitcase - must have been the pink plastic handles that I had torn off a shopping bag and tied onto the handles of  my bag in the hotel in Madrid!
My challenge now is to organise my photos and videos into a reasonable order - shouldn't take more than... a month or two perhaps!

Turning Japanese

Hola todos
I am writing from a Refresh Room in the airport at Osaka, and am trying to find my way on a Japanese keyboard so please excuse the mistakes.

I nearly didn‘ｔ　make the flight here as the plane was delayed in Madrid/ There was only enough time to make it from one gate to the other and I walked straight on to the next plane. There was a small glitch at passport control when the man told me that I was in the wrong line - that the one I was in was only
for European passports/  I ask you, if the sign says All Passports, what is a girl to think? He said that I didn:t have the right stamp or some such thing/ I told him that my flight was leaving and I had to get through - he let me - I guess he didn:t want a tantrum!

As I have a long wait here in Osaka, I decided to book some time in the refresh room, where I have had a shower, a drink, I can use the computer and have a sit in a massage chair.  I thought it would be a good idea to relax a little before the next journey.
I have a book to read and there are some shops to look at - don:t panic John!
My plane lands in Auckland at 5.30am Tuesday morning - am looking forward to being home. It has been a wonderful trip.

Proof

Bueno, here is the proof! This is the Director of the Centro de los Lenguas Modernas Granada University and me, with my certificate.
Today we had classes as usual until 12.30, when we did an evaluation of the course and then were presented with our certificates.
We wandered back to the hotel and I packed the rest of my things, and brought my suitcase downstairs and asked the barman if he would weigh it for me, as there is a large scale in the kitchen. Much to my amazement, it was slightly under the weight limit!!
After such good news, I went and had a final swim in the pool.
Around 7pm, a group of us gathered in the bar, then a couple of Canadians asked if I wanted to go out for tapas with them. We found a restaurant that had vegetarian tapas as Lorraine doesn't eat meat. We shared a jug of Tinto de Verano and a pizza as well - all in all a lovely evening.

This is of most of our class. Some had already left to catch planes etc, but most of us are in this photo. A couple of the professors said that we had been the best class for quite a while. I bet they say that to all the classes!
Pues, it is time for me to say "Adios Granada" as I have a very  early start in the morning to catch my flight to Madrid.

Me and Tina - from Tauranga - on our last day, having coffee in the cafe at the Uni

Ultimo dia

8.30am and my last day at Granada University. This morning we have 2 classes, but they will be a little shorter as we have our evaluation and presentation of certificates today.  I have packed my bag, nearly, and had to go out last night to buy a bigger carryon bag as I had run out of room - yes I should have listened to you Noelene!
Last night a big group of us went to the Generalife to see a Ballet/Flamenco in the gardens. They have large area which holds around 300 or so seats, and a big stage, and often hold performances there. It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in sight, and the flamenco was spectacular. Sorry no photos as one was not permitted to take video or photos :(
We took a taxi there, but walked home - downhill all the way, and stopped for a drink with a couple of friends at a cafe not far from the hotel.
After chatting to Kay and the students from school, I posted a blog that had been waiting for some photos, then saw that Hannah was online, so ended up talking to her too which was lovely. As the performance hadn´t started until 10pm, it was reasonably late by the time I got to bed. This morning it was a bit of an effort to open my eyes. Mind you, tomorrow will be worse as I have to be up at 5am. Today on the walk to Uni, my legs felt like lead - must have been the steep downhill walk last night, my muscles are not used to it.
Bueno, es la hora salir.
Hasta luego

La Catedral de Granada

Yesterday we had the last of our compulsory cultural visits, this one to the Cathedral in the middle of town. It was built in the early 1500s by Isabel and Ferdinand, King and Queen of Spain at the time. We had a guided tour by one of the lecturers from the Uni who has a PhD in Art History, so as you can imagine, it was pretty detailed.

The inside of the Cathedral  is absolutely massive. This shows one small part of it.

We had to meet in the middle of town by a big fountain at 4.30, so a few of us decided to stay in town after Uni. We took our lunch - crusty rolls with Serano ham and local cheese - and picnicked in a park in town. I use the term 'park' loosely as there is no grass at all, just dirt.

One of the streets leading into the centre of town. It was very nice under the trees
By 4.30 the temperature was 40 degrees and climbing, so it was a relief to finally go into the cool of the Cathedral.

The organ in the Cathedral.
We arrived back here at the hotel in time for dinner.
From 10-12pm we had a get-together with all the students from our group - 36 in all, in one of the restaurants here at the hotel. They had a bar organised and a disco AND flashing lights!!  Actually it was good fun and everyone danced in a big group..We even did Saturday Night Fever, but they missed a few of the steps Kay!!

Now I need to go over to the Post Office and send a few things back home as my suitcase is overloaded!
Only 36 hours until I leave for Madrid...

The Mists of Time

Because it is so hot here, and the outdoor restaurants want people to patronize their establishments, they have come up with a great idea. The large roof covers all have a network of hose with attached nozzles which spray a very fine mist over the diners.  You can't really feel it but it cools the air and the people.  I stood directly under one of the nozzles last night, and it didn't even make my hair wet, but the effect was excellent - very cool.

If you look carefully you can see the mist in this photo. We were there around 6.30pm which is too early for the locals - they arrive at 8ish.

We had a couple of interesting cocktails here, one made with mint and strawberries and the other with basil and lemon - very delicious.  The tapas was prawns and olives.

 The hotel I am staying in has an  interesting choice of music - it is 7.30am and they are playing - "Ï've got you under my Skin" and similar songs by some generic American woman! 

Una copa con tapas.

A wonderful tradition that happens here in Spain in the evenings that would be great in NZ is ‘una copa con tapas’ a drink with tapas.

Tapas is a plate of food that is served with your drink – anything from a plate of olives, to a roll with ham and cheese, or a delicious tomato, feta and basil mix.
Here in Granada and some other cities in the south of Spain, tapas is free, but in Madrid you pay extra.

Each restaurant or bar has their own special varieties, and these are served in a certain order and change from day to day. With your first drink, you may receive a plate with slices of ham and hot chips. With the next drink, it could be a plate of small bread rolls filled with ham and cheese, and potato chips.

One restaurant I went to had a plate of casseroled pork as the first plate, and tomato basil and feta for the second plate.

There are enough servings of tapas for each person who orders a drink.

In the south, the tapas are reasonably simple and unadorned. In other cities in the north, the tapas are extremely ornate and are comprised of several different methods of cooking. These latter examples are those that are priced separately from the drinks.

The other day I had a plate of tapas that was a fritter on a slice of corbata bread. It was delicious. Others are a simple dish of chicken or pork pieces served with pieces of bread to soak up the juices.

Malaga

Jane Lee (no, no relation, although she is an adopted sister) and I went out for a drink and tapas in town tonight after a day swimming in the Mediterranean sea at Malaga!

It was very easy to stay afloat as the salt content in the water is extremely high. The beach slopes sharply from the edge of the water, which is fine when you are going in, but somewhat difficult to get out of. Jane ended up crawling on her hands and knees! ( lots of laughter involved). She tells me it was the only way she could get out.  We  caught a bus from here in Granada at 10am this morning and arrived in Malaga at 12noon. After a wander down the main drag, we hired a Italian to cycle us down to the beach - as you do.

It was one of those bikes with a little cabin thing on the back - you remember John, like the one we hired in Auckland on our honeymoon.  Anyway, this Italian had lived in Christchurch for a while and had a Maori motif tattooed on his arm.

We hired two lounge chairs under a sun umbrella and spent a couple of hours dipping in and out of the sea.

Centro de Lenguas Modernas

The street outside the Centre

 

El patio del Centro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are photos of the building where I have classes each day. This 'patio' is right in the middle of the building. Last week they pulled shades over the patio to keep out the sun, so it is a lovely cool place to be in between classes. Each class lasts for  2 hours - it is a long time some days!

Just another day - IN SPAIN

The title won't mean much unless you have seen an episode of Sponge Bob when he has to work 24 hours a day - but basically it means that you can put up with anything in the right setting.
Today is Wednesday on this side of the world, and I am once more in the hotel lobby making use of the internet connection - along with various other students from all over the world.
Last night I went out with a few friends to find a new place to sit awhile. One of the girls had read in Lonely Planet that there were some good places close to the Cathedral, and eventually after a few wrong turns, we found the right place.  The bar we chose was called 'La Bella y La Bestia  " of  Disney fame. I was happy as Hannah and I had been to see Beauty and the Beast in Madrid a couple of years ago.  We ordered our drinks and enjoyed the view, and the tapas. Of course we were the beauties and there was also a beast - a drunk gypsy at the next table with 2  hungry dogs!

Beauty and the Beast

Brenda (Canada) Pia (Philippines)Yo y Loraine (Canada)

L