Time in London Part III

So after walking around ALL day with a 14.5 kg backpack on my pact and feeling as though I'll be needing knee and hip replacements very soon, I decided to lighten my load and go to the British Museum. But they would only take 9 kgs so because I'm Dutch (read Cheap) I didn't want to pay for a 2nd back so I lugged around my remaining 5.5 kgs in shopping bags.

Wes, this picture is for you. Check out this clock!!!! 

 Here is the close up blurry version.

 Its funny the things that attract one's attention. I couldn't care less about the fine pottery that has been found around the world, or the old copper, tin or whatever the coins were made out of. But this Bog Man I found awesome!!  He was round in a bog and must have died like 500 years ago but is really well perserved. Cool eh??

 Mummies are ALWAYS cool.

 I thought that this wood carving was amazing!!  So intriqute. Sorry though you can't really tell.

The Island Dude!

Time in London Part II

 I can't remember if I put this guy on my last page, but oh well here he is again. Doing the proud walking. No smiling of course, but they do stomp really well.  Maybe they have to take Irish dancing to teach them. I should have asked.

 Still smiling but definitely not as brightly. Down this road was TONS of flags but would you know that every time I tried to take a picture I could never get the flags. Oh well, there's one thats blown down on the top right hand corner.

 I like British cars, tee hee.

 I didn't go in but I got the picture.

 London Eye

 Yup, this is about 4 hrs into my day and beginning to think about throwing my backpack into the river. If it was mine I might have done so.

 This might have been Shakespear's house. It was right next to the Shakespear Globe (next picture). I was way too tired to really care about asking so I just took the picture and I say that it is to everyone who asks.

 This is the famous 'London Bridge' that should have come down a long time ago (in my opinion) it really is an ugly bridge and it doesn't even go over any water!!!!

 This Bridge is the London Tower Bridge and is MUCH prettier!

 London Tower

There were two workers down in the Underground Train and another took a picture and they said 'No Flashes' and then were complaining to eachother about why people would ever want to take pictures of this because it isn't natural or beautiful. So I took out my camera and took 2 pictures. :)

Me ne fund!!!! (Finally!) My time in London Part I

 So this is called the Jewel tower

 This is me outside the jewel tower having energy because its been only about 20 minutes walking around with my backpack.

 Aahhh, West minister Abbey

I asked a man to help me find the Big Ben and then he told me directions but put in 'You DO know what the Big Ben looks like right??' Of course my pride got hit so I replied 'of course' and then walked away wondering if I really did or not, becuase in truth I did walk by the Big Ben without even seeing it. Ha ha!

Parliament buildings

 On the way to Buckinham

 Ah, the swan and umbrella.

 This is a monument to the Cdn soliders who fought in the war. Its supposed to have water flowing down to look like the leaves are floating downwards.

Parental trip to Jolla-Do this past June

Hey kids,

Your parents thought is was about time that we should download some pictures to post on our blog.  It's been awhile since I've done this and your (techno-wizard) Mom isn't around, but I'll give it a try - here goes.......

Montenegro trip

These are some of my pictures from my time in Montenegro!  We weren't in a 5 star hotel as we had hoped but were down graded again to the 4 star hotel which was still wonderful. I forgot to take pictures of the hotel though. But I think that you guys know what a hotel looks like.

 This is the beach and a rook that I thought was cool.

 These pictures are taken from the 'Old Budva" in Montenegro. The old town was a walled in area that had houses and shops.

 This is the wall of the old town and sun bathing. I never noticed but I'm so thankful that this man is wearing swimming trunks. I think that I've seen enough speedos for a while.....

 There were all these fish fighting over this piece of bread. 

 I really liked this place. It was cool and very beautiful. Beside it was a tunnel that brought you to another part of the beach.

 We had an OM Albanian fun night and our team put it on. We made everyone wear funny frog hats and then we had games for them to do.

All alone where we were, was a walkway along the sea and it was hotel after hotel after hotel. Very Beautiful area, but I don't think that I'd like to be there in July and August.

Montenegro is an amazing place. Very clean and pretty. I hope that you guys get to see it one day!

Love you,

Netty

Goings and comings and sore muscles.

Hello Family!

So I was on the way to Tirana and I think that i got lost.... I don't know where I ended up but these are some of the people that I met.

Northerners.... minus the head covering

"Don't I look pretty"

I didn't get the memo.

I went to Tirana this past weekend because there was a Campus for Christ 20th year anniversary. I know Aldo and his wife Blerina and they are working with High School Students in Tirana. I had a good time but I was so exhausted (sleeping late.... I'm the type that needs sleep) and trying to talk Albanian with an exhausted mind is like swimming through a big pool of chocolate pudding. 

I did have a nice time though walking around a park and enjoying being outside. I wanted to straighten my hair (mostly because I left their house early and didn't have time to do my hair so I wore a hat and then i figured that going to fancy evening with hat hair just doesn't do it in Albania where they dress up to the Nines! And also because I had about 3 hours to kill and didn't know what else to do and didn't feel like shopping....) Anyways, I did it, took the picture.

This week I'm going to be here on Sunday, I got confused with the week. Its on the 3rd that I'm not here as I'll be coming back from Montenegro.

There was a bus accident here just this past week and a bus with University Students went over the edge of a road and into a riven. 13 students have died and most others are still in various hospitals. There was a 'National Black Day'. All activities on the TV and festivals were canceled for that day. I heard from some friends who are working with the University where the students were from, that two of those who passed away were believers.

We painted our house on Monday and Tuesday. We just need to paint the two bedrooms and then we are finished. But we were too exhausted and maybe that'll be this next week's plans. The house was almost black from the wood stove smoke so we had to paint most of the living room/ kitchen area by hand. The walls also kept coming off every time we used the roller brushes. Ha ha. We'd be painting and then someone would say 'oh no' and then we'd have to scrape at the spot to get off the flaking wall. The paint is also really funny, its like powder. Is that normal?? Its wet but after it dries its powdery. Anyways we finished it and now its white!!!  We're excited.

I've been talking to Joy (grandpa's cousin Norm and Nana's daughter) and I'll be staying with them in Belfast for 5 days. My goal while I'm there is to find a scone the size of my head! (As told by grandpa on numerous occasions!) And to eat an Irish breakfast, which I'm told is a must!

I hope to talk to you guys on Sunday. Hey Wes, will you treat us by being on skype???

Love you guys!

Netty

Only in Quebec . . .

Yesterday, Montreal 'celebrated' its 100th day of student protests! (So much for my theory that the protests would end once summer began and the students started protesting on their own time.)  Anyways, yesterday the protestors (students and now concerned citizens of Montreal) invented a novel way of voicing their displeasure against the Jean Charest Government (the protest is no longer just about tuition, but the 'anti-protesting' law Bill 78, the blatant corruption and all other manners of annoyances - great and small).  At 8pm sharp, people in neighbourhoods around the city, leaned out their windows, stood on their balconies and made noise - they banged pots and pans, they shouted, they chanted and they clapped.  Today, at 8pm sharp it started again.  They've been at it for 1/2 an hour already, though it has gotten quieter (its tiring banging a pot - not that that I know from personal experience . . . ).  Today, one of the residents in the building seranade the mainly percussion beat with his/her sax - at one point they actually had a good thing going.   I tried to capture the sound in MP3 format, but I can't figure out how to attach it to the blog - anyone know who it can be done?