Bath: Part 12: Favorite Foods...

I couldn't end this mini-series without mentioning food.... so to end my mini-series on our trip to England....here are the foods that I so enjoyed and miss. My mouth waters as I look at the pictures right now.

Yes, I love cottage cheese and tomatoes. Cottage Cheese is
not an easy find here in the land of the tropics.

Natural yogurt with fresh RASPberries! YUM! I make my yogurt
here, but the fresh berries are hard to find. Thankful for Costco
and their frozen berry selection, though.

Frozen PIZZA! Yes, I love those things!

Ok, not a total favorite, but could not go to England and
NOT have the Fish 'n Chip, now could I? btw, I could totally
feel my arteries contract with every swallow! 

And the last is for my favorite! I love QUARK and
raspberry jelly on bread! My in-laws introduced me
to this wonderful breakfast treat many years ago and I was a happy
little tourist to find it in the stores of England as well.
Funny thing is I still can't tell you exactly what it is, except
it is a kind of cheese...between cottage cheese and cream cheese.

Well, that is all folks. No more pics of England. No more stories of England. No England...for me right now anyway.

I'm going to change up my posting a bit.  I would like to continue with my WIP Wednesdays, which I've not done in some time. *Shame* (Quote from my good South African friend)

But, I would like to add a Friday's post about what I'm doing with home schooling my special needs daughter. I hope to start tomorrow with some pics of her and her classmates...we have a home school coop going on.

So, until tomorrow....ciao!

Bath- Part 9: Jane Austen

OK, I'm trying to whip through our summer a few months late, and I have a few more posts to go so hang with me. Now you just can't go to Bath, UK and not visit the Jane Austen Centre....well, I went and let me say this. Jane Austen fan or not this could be skipped. It just wasn't worth my time or my money. Maybe it was because it was my afternoon alone to walk the streets, read, write, or whatever else I fancied. Or maybe it was because I had already been to some really neat museums that were cheap and well done. I just didn't find this place worth it.  I'm not sure what I was expecting....maybe things about Jane herself? But, there wasn't that much. It was mainly about her books and that time period.  So, if you REALLY like that time period and are all caught up in all her books, then maybe you'd like this place. But, I doubt it. 

The doorman...he was "cute" and made a fun picture.

Nice display of her at the end of the tour.

Sally Lunn's famous buns. I went here for the afternoon tea
after visiting the Jane Austen Centre.

No joke, this is the very room I had my tea. It was just too funny
for me, especially since 1)I'd just been over there 2) had brought
Northhanger Abbey to read and 3)not a die hard fan, but do
appreciate her writing for the fact that people will always relate to
the many characters of each book. That is brilliant.

And for my dining experience I received a free
admission ticket to Sally Lunn's original kitchen
and museum.  It was just a room, but nice the same.

I had a scone at Sally Lunn's, not her famous bun.
But, I did buy one to share with the family. It is just
a big round loaf of white bread. Glad I had chosen
the scone with clotted cream. YUM!

Bath - Part 8: Roman Baths

Yes, we did finally go to the place where Bath got it's name...although we didn't step into the waters, a bit toxic now. Nor, did I get the chance to experience the Spa treatment at the modern day facility...kids....maybe next time we'll go without them. Anyway, this little trip was just Marcus and I. He was so pumped to go and see it all. (I know, history nerd like his dad).  The best part about this place was the kid friendly audio tours that came free with the ticket. (Ok, probably not "free", just included in the price of the ticket..but worth it).  

Marcus in front of the characters on his audio tour. I only had
one character..and he was just boring, so I switched to the kids'
version. So much better and the facts were more interesting.

Looking into the large outdoor bath. It was outlined with
statues of famous Romans. 

Marcus standing next to one of them.

Roman piping...looks better than what I've got
these days...no rust problems. But I guess, they
corrode and well rust is way easier to deal with then
flood waters, eh? and lighter.. 

Part of a statue...I thought she had on a funny
hair piece, but from the pic below I was wrong.

It was her hair! Glad I'm not taken by it, 'cause I
don't have time to do that everyday, nor the household
help to do it for me! HA!

More baths...there were actually many different rooms
underground. Walking around on top, you'd never know.

At "Spot This" from our Bath Book. It is King Bladud,
the prince with leprosy.

Natural springs still flowing in....

A cold bath. It is now has coins tossed into it.

They had actors dressed up walking around! 

I talked with this guy and he carves these figures out
of stone. He is an actor and a music teacher.

Bath-Part 5: Ralph Allen

Ralph Allen....who is that? Before going to Bath, I would not have had a clue....but after going to the Postal Museum and reading about him a bit more, I'd say I have a bit of an appreciation of him. He came to Bath to work at the postal department....he climbed the professional ladder of the time and became mayor.  He made his money by his introduction to faster mail routes. With this money he built a huge estate in Prior Park (which we didn't go and see), built cottages for the people that worked for him, and helped build the Mineral Water Hospital.

So, ya, a guy that gives back to the community...that's always a positive for me.

Kids in front of an English Mailbox.

The Postal Museum was, by far, the most entertaining of Mr. Allen's notorious background.  It was very small, but very well done. It was perfect for us because it was raining and we couldn't be outside that morning. The kids were able to do a lot of hands-on activities and games to learn more about the development of the postal department of Bath.  I think the favorite activity for all three was the dress-up corner. The kids were able to dress up as a postperson with a satchel of postcards inside.

At the Postal Museum. Matthea perforating her stamps. Kids all had fun with this hands-on activity. 

Marcus and Megan in the dress-up corner.

The Water Mineral Hospital was built within walking distance to the hot springs.  Patients could then go from their room to the healing waters daily and more conveniently than before. We didn't go inside, but passed by it quite often on our way to the park. And as I'm writing I'm now wondering if it is still even a hospital....hmmm, guess I wasn't that interested in it while we were there, eh?

Finally.....

Ok, I finally finished a Jane Austin book. I say finished because I started one and seriously thought, "This woman is highly over-rated!" I think I only got into 3 chapters and decided to just quit. Do I dare write the title?

Why not, just please don't throw tomatoes at me through our screen (that would be an awful mess)....anyway, it was...."Emma".

What was it about the book I didn't like? I just couldn't get into the language and the descriptions....guess I'm a die-hard MG/YA reader with lots of good plot and not so much description. Also, Emma was just one of those characters I wanted to smack in the face. Lately, I've been wondering if she is one of those characters that after about chapter 20 you begin to like. Kind of like the TV show "The Office" (US version)....Michael Scott was like that. He really annoyed the pants off of me for about the first 10 episodes (and that includes the first season of what 4 episodes or so?). But, then it was strange...I remember watching an episode and thinking...."Awww, poor Michael!" and then thinking, "Poor Michael? What?" But, it happened, I liked him and all his crazy screw ups as a boss." Hmm, should I give "Emma" another chance? Or should I just watch the movie? I'll have to think on that one....

So, why DID I pick up another Jane Austin?

1. We ARE going to Bath, UK for a few weeks this summer AND I just couldn't go there without reading something of hers.

and

2. My good friend and die-hard Jane Austin fan suggested "Pride and Prejudice".

OK, much better. At least I could relate to Lizzy....I actually couldn't put the book down at points in the story. Hard to believe after my "review" of "Emma", huh? But, it is true. Cross my heart and all that.

(Have I redeemed myself for all you Jane Fans? Especially you Ginann?)

So, now what? Start "Emma" again? Pick up another book by Jane? Probably, NOT. I need to be reading books in my writing genre, so maybe at a latter point in time. But, I am headed over to my friend's apartment, the Jane Fan, to check out her Jane Austin DVD library to get more of a feel of this author before our trip in about a month. I don't want to look like a total American idiot walking through her Centre clueless of everything...

So, what is your favorite Jane Austin book and why?

Or for those like me....what book of Jane's have you read and why you didn't like it?