50 Years Ago...

I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in that crowd on the grassy knoll fifty years ago today.  I can't imagine being anywhere and hearing news that the President had been assassinated. I can't imagine what life was like in the US in those days and weeks that followed this tragic news.

I've been to the book depository in Dallas a couple of times. Most recently when I worked Super Bowl XLV a few years ago. In honor of the horrific events that took place in Dallas exactly fifty years ago today, I plan to start reading a new book this weekend!  I have heard so many good things about this Stephen King book!

I'll be sure to review it once I finish.  It's a massive book though so it may be awhile! 

Andrea :)

Off to Plovdiv for a Bulgarian Wedding

After an exciting week in Burton, Chris and I ventured back down to London for an overnight stay nearby the airport.  We were able to meet up briefly with more family the evening before we left for Bulgaria.  It was nice to visit with Chris' Aunt Hortense, cousin Michael and Cynthia, and their kids and grandkids.  We had a nice meal and were even able to call home for a few minutes while we were there.

Michael was so helpful to drive us out to our hotel nearby the Stansted airport that evening as well.  The hotel was very modern.  We even had to use the hotel key card to get the lights to turn on in the room.  Very high tech!  We weren't there long as we had to be up and out to the shuttle for the airport around 4am.  Our flight was set to leave around 7am and since there was only one flight into Plovdiv that day, we knew we had to be on it!

We were flying Ryan Air.  That was a new experence for Chris.  I was prepared for the strict baggage limit, mad rush for seats, and somewhat frightening landings, but Chris was in for a real treat!  Nevertheless, we made it! We landed in a more deserted part of Plovdiv surrounded by mountains.  It was beautiful...and very warm!  It was in the 90s while we were in town...much different from moderate England.  We waited a bit at the airport before the shuttle arrived to whisk us off to the hotel.  We saw lots of interesting scenery on the way to the hotel.  Definitely a diverse place!

Soon after we landed, we logged into the free computers in the lobby to report to all concerned that we arrived.  While we were taking advantage of the free internet, we ran into the bride's sister...which turned out to be a lifesaver.  Let me back up a little bit...you see, we were in Bulgaria for my college roommate's wedding.  We don't speak Bulgarian and we had been warned it might be tricky to make it to the church for the traditional Bulgarian ceremony.  Enter the bride's sister...who also went to college with me!  We were SO glad to see her and even more excited when she volunteered to let us join her and her husband on the way to the church! 

At the traditional service, Chris and I understood nothing that was happening due to the language barrier, but it was fun to watch the various traditions and guess at their meaning. During this ceremony, everyone was standing so I was able to move around and get some nice pictures. After the ceremony, we briefly walked around the area with our gracious makeshift tour guide before we headed back to the hotel for the civil ceremony.

The civil ceremony was held on the front lawn of the hotel and was strikingly similar to the format of the weddings in America. While it was still in Bulgarian, it was a bit easier to follow. There was one unique tradition of breaking a loaf of bread while back to back in order to determine who would have control of the household. The bigger piece would control...and, of course, the bride got the bigger piece!

After that ceremony, there was a period of time where guests were able to present gifts to the couple prior to heading upstairs at the hotel for the reception.  This was also unique and very neat. 

The reception was very exciting!!  It was like nothing I had ever experienced!  To be honest, it was amazing!  There was traditional Bulgarian dancing, fun local traditions that once again the bride's sister so helpfully translated to us, and a never ending supply of food. 

The party went late into the night, but we had to turn in around 2am because we were headed off to tour Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, the next day.

Andrea :)

Weekend in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is one of our most frequent ventures.  Which is fine by me because I always have such a fun time with our friends there!  This weekend was no different even if it did end in an unfortunate super long delay in our return to the city!

We weren't in Pittsburgh too long this time so we had a jam packed Saturday of fun!  We started the day with a yummy breakfast at Dor Stop Restaurant.  We met one of my best friends from high school and her husband there.  This place was great!  Small and quaint, but the food was DELICIOUS!!  I was talked into the pumpkin pancakes and they were so very tasty!!  Chris took a chance on the special - cherry walnut pancakes.  He was not dissapointed either!  Michelle had jumbot.

After breakfast, we were off to the Pittsburgh game with Chris' college buddies.  The game started off a little slow before Pitt came back to tie the game halfway through the 4th quarter.  Then, it was all over when UNC returned (for the second time in the game) a punt for a TD.  Boo for that, but it was a gorgeous fall day with fabulous friends!

We capped off the night with a trip to the Hofbrauhaus for dinner. If you ever find yourself there, be sure to order the fried pickles!  They were SO good. 

It was great to be able to catch up with everyone! We don't get to see this awesome group of friends as often as we would like, but we always have fun when we do get the chance to visit with them!

How was your weekend?

Andrea :)

National Brewery Centre

We spent our last day in Burton exploring the National Brewery Centre which incorporates a large part of the original Bass Museum.

The website boasts that tours allow for learning about the legendary Bass family and their role in the development of brewing as well as providing more insight into the social history of the development of brewing with real life experience and stories of people who helped to build Burton's renowned brewing reputation. 

We learned way more than we could possibly retain about the early days of brewing in Burton.  The history was fascinating.  The stories proved to be an array of fun tales.  We definitely enjoyed learning from our knowledgable guide.

We also found out more about the all important role of steam in the brewing business.  There was a train car on site as well as an extensive model town with lots of interactive features along with a train that passes through town.  Very neat!

Transporation was key to the brewing industry as we saw lots of elaborate vehicles and some pretty nice horse drawn carriages, too.  We were even able to briefly visit the HUGE shire horse stables.  I was amazed by the size of the horses!!

We also saw some of the various advertisements for the Bass Company throughout the years and spent a brief moment with soccer's covented Carling Cup.

And, of course, at the end of the tour, we did a little tasting.  I even ordered some scones...so GOOD! 

We had a lot of fun on the tour.  So glad that we were able to fit it in before we left!  That night we ventured out to a restaurant with the Senior family for one last dinner.  I was finally able to have some yummy fish and chips!

The next morning, we headed off to London where we were set to depart for the second half of our European Adventure.

Andrea :)

In case you missed it, please check out all the fun we had in the Midlands here: Meeting Family, Touring a Cathedral, Watching a League Cup Soccer Match, and Visiting a Fancy Estate.

Chatsworth House and Gardens

As you might recall, I wasn't feeling great at the soccer match so I was a little bit leary about how the next day would turn out.  Fortunately, I woke up feeling pretty good.  I skipped breakfast since we had roughly an hour or so drive ahead of us to reach Derbyshire.  I didn't want to chance having any issues during the drive. 

By the time we arrived at the Chatsworth House and Gardens, I felt nearly back to my old self.  We had a little picnic lunch before we spent some time looking around.  I drank a sprite and nibbled on a few crackers and cheese.  I was able to keep everything down which was a great feeling!! Since strollers and pets aren't allowed in the house, Chris and I were the only ones to take a tour.  Fortunately, there was lots to see and do in the garden area as well.  It was a win for everyone!

The Chatsworth House is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.  It has been passed down through 16 generations with the architecture and collections evolving for five centuries.  There are over 30 rooms to explore so it can definitely take a solid couple of hours to make your way through all of them.  Chris and I found some rooms more interesting that others.  My favorite was checking out the state rooms and dining areas.  They are always so elaborate!

There was a neat room that was designated as a type of playroom for young children that had older and current pictures of the Duke and Duchess' family.  I enjoyed looking at those for a bit.  The other area that I thought was really fun was the section that included photos and props from the filming of Pride and Prejudice.  In that movie, the house was Mr. Darcy's home.  It was really cool to see all the information about how the house was used in that film.  They had a whole display about it.

 

After we toured the house, we headed out to the gardens to meet up with the Seniors.  They had a fun time playing outside and seeing all the sites in the garden area while we were inside the house.  Chris and I briefly walked around the gardens.  We took a couple pictures and enjoyed the nice weather for a bit before we all ventured back to the car for the long ride back to Burton-on-Trent.

That night, Chris and I had plans to watch Newcastle at the nearby pub - The Blacksmith's Arms. However, when we arrived they told us they didn't have access to the channel and directed us to another nearby place that might have it available.  We walked to that spot, but they were showing the Celtic game and would not show Newcastle until it was finished.  We were annoyed by that so we decided to go back to Blacksmith's.  I'd been wanting some fish and chips and was STARVING since my sickness had me running on nearly empty for about 30 hours at that point.  Unfortunately, they had just run out of fish and chips.  I settled on chicken nuggets and chips instead.  It hit the spot.

Our time in the Midlands was dwindling down at this point.  We had just one more day until we headed down to London and began a whirlwind of a week across multiple countries.  Our last day in Burton was sure to be a good one.

Andrea :)