Guten Tag

Hello! I am back from my adventures in Germany, long and somewhat tiring yet completely amazing as they were. It is gonna be a LONG blog, so I'll jump straight into it...

26/4- I arrive at the Airport in Manchester about 4 hours early, as I was going to have a look at Manchester, but it was too hard to find a park, and I didn't want to get lost, so I gave up. I flew into Hannover, arriving at 10.30ish, getting my pack and catching the train to the main station, or Hauptbahnhof as they call them there, arriving at 11.05pm, when my train came at 11.55pm. This is what I saw of Hannover.

Then I got on my night train, which was an experience. It was ALL boys, sleeping and smelling up the carriage, and snoring. I was worried about falling asleep and missing my stop at Frankfurt and ending up in Zurich, which is where the train was going. That turned out to not be such a problem as I got about 35 mins of sleep in total. When it got to Frankfurt it stopped short, and gave no warning, so I had to shove past all the sleeping bodies, to get to the exit, and when I get there, I literally have to climb down the stairs and jump down the last bit to the ground as the platform was about 5mtrs away, and I was exiting onto the ground. All the time getting yelled at in German by the train guard cos they almost left and I would have still been on the train! Then I got my train to somewhere else... umm... Aschaffnburg and then from there I caught the intercity express to Nuremberg.

27/4- So technically a new day, although I had not had more than 45 mins sleep in the last 25 hours. I arrived at 8am in the brilliant sunshine and went to the hostel where they let me leave my pack, and pay, but obviously the room wasn't able to be checked into yet. Then I headed back into the Hauptbahnhof and found the info place, and got myself on a 2.5 hour coach tour of Nuremberg, seeing where the rallies were held, and the windows of the room where the trials were held, and then we went into the Castle and walked our way down through and to the main square, where we were dumped and left to find our own way back. I was BOILING and my feet really hurt from all the pack carrying, so I found an Australian Gelato place and had one (not really any different to any other Gelato). I went back to the hostel, checked into the room, put on some shorts and a new top (as I had been in the same clothes for 27 hours) and left again to go on the U-bahn (metro) out the a park we saw on the bus tour, with a lake, and I sat out there for a while and went for a walk around the lake. There were signs everywhere with poison skull and cross bones and no swimming pictures, yet there were all these old people in speedos and bikinis *shudder* swimming in the lake!! Then I headed back, got showered and packed my stuff ready for my early start the next day and went to bed at 6pm, after my 35 hour long day!

28/4- I got up at 5 something to head for the station to catch my train to Munich. I slept pretty much straight through the night for 11hrs and didn't notice any of my 5 or 6 roommates come in, let alone the fact when I woke up there was a person above me, so they not only had to get up there, but also make the bed, and I felt nothing!! I arrived at Munich at 7.45 and had to meet my tour opposite the Hauptbahnhof at 8.30am. It was another glorious day and I was even wearing 3/4 length trousers and a singlet! I discovered my 3 day tour wasn't a 3 day tour, it was 3 days of tours/journeys combined randomly. Day 1 was a castles tour out from Munich. We went to Linderhof castle first. It wasn't as much a castle as a large house, that was owned by King Ludwig II.

He was a bit crazy. Like he didn't like to see other people, so he had a winch put in and the floor under his dining table could be wound down, so the servants in the kitchen downstairs could set the table and wind it back upstairs again for each course. Then from there we went to Oberamagau which was the token buying stuff stop,where the tour company gets a cut of the takings. Then we went to a little place in Bavaria that has another King Ludwig II castle and a King Ludwig I castle, a few hotels, a couple of souveneir shops and that's about it. When we got there they said the tour could go and have lunch at this restaurant in a hotel, and they would go check me in. I was staying in the gorgeous place flanked by 2 amazing castles. I could see the pretty castle we did a tour of out my window!!! It said in the room that it was €120 a night! I usually pay €15-€20 a night!! Then once checked in I caught the bus up to the castle Neuschwanstein. It never got finished but the few rooms that did get finished are on show, and they are all based around Wagner's operas, as a whole stage set. Odd. After I had a meal up on top of the hill and then I walked back down and went around the the lake, which was beautiful, so clear and peaceful, and just sat and chilled out in the beautiful sunshine, with the Alps all around. The only downside was the large amount of bugs, that grew as the sun started to disappear closer to 7pm. If it wasn't for that, I could have sat there all evening until the sun set. If I was rich I would like to retire to somewhere like there. Except the tourists all come through and ruin it all. But when they go away, like all their coaches left at about 6pm, it was SOOO peaceful and beautiful. 29/4- I woke up, had my continental breakfast, then was to meet someone from the hotel who would take me to the bus stop where I would catch the bus up the romantic road. This bus actually goes every day either up or down the romantic road, so they cross at some point, then they go the other way the next day. We did make a couple of short stops to get off an use the bathroom etc. It was me and a Japanese couple for almost all of the trip. The first place we stopped at was not far away, called Wieskirche where there is a pretty church. However it was Sunday, so there was mass. Then we went to a couple more places, Nordlingen, then Dinkelsbuhl, eventually ending up at Rothenburg ob der Tauber where I was met by a taxi and taken to my hotel/guesthouse. I dumped my stuff and went out to explore, grabbing a small dinner. They have these things in Rothenburg called Schneeballen which seem to be native only to there. They are like biscuit scraps that are then put in a special mould and cooked to make them go into a ball. Eating them is like eating a 3D puzzle, as you need to work out where to take the next bit. It wasn't very nice though. Then I went on a Nightwatchman tour that I got a free ticket to as part of my "3 day tour".

It was good as he gave some of the historical stuff, and most of it was stories rather than facts and figures. He was funny too. Then I went back to the hotel, at 9.25, and it was all locked up so I had to use my key to let myself in the back door and then up to my room!

30/4- I got up the next morning, got dressed, had my free breakfast and went exploring. The guide of Rothenburg has a suggested walking tour you can do. Number one on the tour is the town hall, which has a tower you can climb to get amazing views of the city.

Climbing the stairs was a world of fun, as they got narrower and more rickety the higher you went, starting as marble spiral and ending up almost a ladder they were that far apart and that much of an angle. The last little bit to get up the top I had to leave my backpack with the guy you pay, cos I would never have gotten up there with it on! The views were good though. Another perfect day.

Then from here I went to the Christmas store, which is the amazing, maze of a building that has everything Xmas, including loads of wooden ornaments made from Black Forest wood. They had giant displays of things too which were impressive. And then upstairs was a Christmas museum where you could see how the use of trees and ornaments started in Germany. I then went to the church, St Jacobs, which had an amazing carved wooden high altar. And from here I walked down to the first point you can climb the wall that surrounds the town. I walked as far as you can around the wall, which is a fairly long way, before you have to get down, and join it again a little way on. The wall got bombed in the war, so they pleaded for help worldwide to rebuild the wall, so the damaged section has plaques all along with people's names and where they come from, as they donated to "buy" however many mtrs of the wall. It is cool up there because everything inside the city wall still looks like it would have done hundreds of years ago. All the buildings are all built in medieval style, so it looks like you could still be in those times, apart from the odd street light. However outside the wall are modern buildings, schools, coach parking etc. It's like 2 different worlds.

I went into the torture museum, which ironically is in what used to the the nunnery of the church it connects to. I then had a bit more of a wonder and went back to the hotel for my transfer to the bus to continue to Frankfurt. I arrived at about 9.30, checked into my hostel and went to bed.

01/05- (my legs were so sore this day from the steps the day before, and all the pack lugging around (12kg) and the sitting on trains and walking. It actually hurt to sit/stand/walk/go downstairs) May the 1st. I went to the info place which was supposed to open at 8am, but opened at 9am. That was my first warning sign. Then I asked if they had any bus tours or anything as I was only there for that day, and she said there was nothing because of the bike race. That was my second warning sign. Then I went for a walk around and the main square in the old part of town is all set up for something, with a stage and sound checks happening. That was my third warning sign. The whole town shut down because not only was there this bike race around the streets in a 4.5km circuit 2-3 times

There was also May Day protest march, through the streets and into the old square. So I finally found a spot on the Main that had boat cruises up and down, with info, so I booked myself onto one of them, and spent 2 hours cruising up and down the river. You got a really good view of the skyline and could see what it gets called Mainhatten. (Its officially Frankfurt am Main as there is another Frankfurt somewhere in Germany) I was on top of the boat, and it was another really sunny day, and I actually got sunburnt on my arms. When I got back from the cruise I walked over the bridge to the other side and had lunch on a floating restaurant, which impacted the sunburn. Then I went for a stroll through Museum central, where all the museums are in a row. Then I walked back to the old town, sat and had a gelato watching the people pack up from the last of the protest rally, and then went back to the hostel. Even though there wasn't much available to me for tourism-ing, I got to see a relaxed, laid back side to Frankfurt many people probably wouldn't,because everything was shut people were just sitting on the riverbank with impromptu picnics and having lunch in cafes and going for a family stroll.

2/05- I started my day getting hit on by a guy as I waited for the train at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. He asked me if I wanted to go to coffee, and my train was just pulling in, so I said I had to get on that train. Awwww. Oh well. Anyways... I travelled the nearly 3hrs to Cologne... or Koln as it is in German. When I got out the station I was amazed to see this huge cathedral towering over the whole of the city. Usually stuff is miles away from the main station, but this was RIGHT next door. It was literally breathtaking.

I dumped my bag in a luggage locker at the station and headed to information, where they gave me some tips on a bus tour and some other options. I went for a stroll to find a chemist as the sun was making my sunburnt arms from the day before excruciatingly burning and I needed some aftersun and some sunblock. Once I had applied both of these I felt better. Then I headed back for a bus tour of the city, where we got to go over the other side of the river and get off the bus to take photos looking backwards towards the city, and see the skyline.

Then when we got back I went on a guided tour of the cathedral... aka the Koln Dom. It has a pretty amazing history, such as it was stopped building for hundreds of years and for the whole time a wooden crane sat on top of what it now a spire, and the crane attracted crowds to the cathedral as it was a landmark in itself! And all the mosaic tiles on the floor of the cathedral are by a local firm called Villeroy and Boch.

After that tour I went back to get my pack, and book a seat for my train trip the next day, and then caught the U-Bahn to the sticks where my hostel was. I was SO annoyed because it took me an hour to find the hostel once I left the station, walking around in the heat with 12kg+ strapped to my back. I even had to ask for help in an office block and the guy had to find someone who spoke English to translate his directions! I'm glad I didn't waste time in the morning when I got there trying to find it. When I finally got there I checked in, went up to my room, had a shower, and couldn't be bothered going anywhere else.

3/05- I got up, had breakfast with my 2 nice roommates, then caught the U-bahn back to the Hauptbahnhof to catch my train to Hannover. Another almost 3 hr trip. Another glorious day, although there was a bit of cloud cover. When I got to Hannover I put my back in a locker again, then went to info and asked about a tour, as I only had 2hrs before I had to head to the airport. There was a coach tour that was 2.5hrs. GRRR. Or there was a walking tour where you follow the red line on a map. They even dumbed it down and you literally followed a red line.

I went to the town hall and climbed the steps to the top of the tower, but most of this one is done by lifts, so that was good!! Great views, once again. Then I followed the red line all the way around some more churches and stuff, and came back to the Hauptbahnhof just in time for my train to the airport, where I flew out from.

Upon arriving in Manchester I picked up my bag, then drove from the carpark to the other end of that street where my guesthouse was, and watched some TV before going to bed.

4/05- I got up, had breakfast, then loaded the car again, and drive to Liverpool. Once there I parked up and got on the open top bus tour, doing one full loop first, then getting off at the Beatles Story, which was a pretty cool tour of their history. Then I went to the new "ultramodern" Catholic Church.

And then I walked down the road to the Anglican Church which is very big and has a cool little garden where there obviously was once a cemetery, so they have used the tombstones as retaining for the embankment.

Then I went back to my car and drove down to Marion's place where I did some washing, watched a DVD and went to bed.

5/05- We got up fairly early and drove to Salcey forest where there is a wooden walkway called the treetops walk. It was quite cool to be up that high, but unlike the ones in Australia where you would see parrots and possums, snakes and koalas, we saw a robin, a squirrel and some tadpoles!

Then we went to a place called Orley, where we had a mooch, then we went back and I baked 72 cupcakes for the band fete. That night I took them all to Louise & Dom's new place where we decorated them all.

6/05- We had a lazy day and I watched another dvd and did not a lot else. Then we all had dinner and I drove back down.

7/05- Today was the band fete, or as I have come to affectionately call it... a fete worse than death. It was ALMOST called of because of the weather, however it started to clear and we had not too bad a day, except for the stupid wind that made everything difficult, especially playing music that kept flapping away. Everyone commented on how nice my cakes looked! It'll be interesting to see how much money the band made. I won 2 prizes in the raffle at the end! YAY ME! Anyways, that brings us up to now. As I have spent the last hour and a but typing this, and now I need to add photos and I'm done. There is going to be a quiz, but I need to go to bed as I am working tomorrow, so I will put it on in a day or 2. And the winner of the last prize for telling me something surprising was my friend who told me he got engaged.

Hola!

OK, I am back! I have had a busy couple of weeks, but here I am! First of all let me start before the school holidays. I did 3 days work at the school I am used to, with a challenging class. They work on a rotational system, where the teacher sits with one group and does a focused activity and the other children do other activities. This was chaos as they were horrible, so I scraped that fairly quickly and had them doing whole class lessons which seemed to work better as I could supervise. I also had them doing a whole class reward system to get to have "golden time" on wed afternoon, but this wasn't working as then no one was accountable. So when they came back from lunch I had a list of everyone on a huge piece of paper with 10 spots next to their names, where if they got to 10 ticks they would get golden time, which worked much better. Plus, as there is a MASSIVE range of abilities, I implemented the rule of "be the best you can be, not the best someone else can be" and this inspired the less able to try a bit harder. The next 2 days were better, much better, still chaos, but organised chaos. Everyone ended up having golden time, although 5 or 6 had to do some boring work sheets first before they could do free choice activities. Then my holiday started. YAY!

Thursday 5th- I drove down to Devon to visit my Aunt and Uncle down there for the Easter long weekend. We spent the first day just chatting and catching up, as it was around midday/early afternoon by the time I got there. My other Uncle came over for dinner and it was nice to catch up with him too.

Friday 6th- We went to a fishing village called Looe in the glorious sunshine. So sunny in fact I had to buy sunnies as I hadn't thought to bring mine with me! It was very nice there.

Saturday 7th- We went up to Dartmoor and had a walk around. We walked to where the 10 commandments have been etched into stone slabs. And there are loads of Dartmoor ponies that are pregnant, wandering around, but we didn't see any males, so there must be one male pony working overtime!! Sunday 8th- The Easter bunny came! He found me! Even on the other side of the world! We went to have a carvery lunch, and then I drove home again.

Monday 9th- I got up, unpacked from the night before, packed again and drove up to my Aunt's in Milton Keynes, where I spent the night.

Tuesday 10th- At the awful time of 5am, we left the house and drove to the airport to catch our 7.50am flight to Alicante, Spain. There we had hired a car, and my Aunt, Linda, drove us from the airport to the flat in Javea. We left glorious sunshine to arrive in overcast conditions. We arrived at the flat at around 2pm. We unpacked and got settled and then went out for a walk around.

Wednesday 11th- We drove around to better acquaint ourselves. We went to the old town, where we got out and walked around. They have a cool church there which is built to reflect the fishing port heritage of Javea so it looks like a boat, and when you go inside it is like you are under a boat. Even the Crucifix was made out of boating materials like nets and ropes. We then had lunch on the beachfront with one of my Aunt's friends, Ken, and lucky we were undercover as it decided to rain. I also had an attempt of driving as I was scared of driving on the wrong side of the road (aka the right side of the road) so I had a bit of a go. It feels all wrong and you want to hug the edge as you feel you should be on that side of the car.

Thursday 12th- We drove to Madrid, which is a good solid 500ish KM. Linda drove to Valencia, on the smaller more populated roads. I then drove across the middle of Spain. This was right up my alley, cos it is like driving in Australia. Long roads that have very little exits or cars. The scenery was amazing. Just like the outback, sandy, spinifex, eucalypts, but... very hilly. Which was the major contrast as much of the same in oz is dead flat. We did find the plane in Spain, and it did have rain! But it fell mainly on the coast, so that was a lie! My undying belief in musicals has been shattered!! When we got closer to Madrid we swapped back again, which was good, as Madrid had round abouts with about 9 lanes all coming in at them from different directions and it was chaos! I almost hyperventilated and I wasn't trying to drive in it!! Finding the hotel was interesting, however we got there eventually (an hour later) thanks to my awesome sense of direction (and the fact Madrid has a ring road so you just keep coming back to that and try again). Then we unpacked and went on an open top bus tour, just missing rain showers!

Friday 13th- Wow, I didn't realise it was friday 13th til I typed that. Oh well! We split up after breakfast as Linda wanted to see the botanical gardens and the trees, and I wanted to see the Parque De Madrid which is a massive public park, with awesome different areas, and so peaceful, considering the 13 lane roads are just outside the gates. Everywhere had roses growing along trellis as borders, that when they are in bloom will look spectacular. Then I ventured on the Metro, to head back a different way, and we met back up for lunch in the Plaza Mayor, after which we headed back to the car and drove back to Javea. We arrived to find glorious sunshine at 7pm, so we went home via a restaurant on the beach front where we had cocktails (well, I had a mocktail).

Saturday 14th- I headed off on my own to a local cave, that was shut when I got there. Had I known this I possibly would not have set off, as it was over a mountain or 2, on tiny little windy windy roads that at certain points had nothing to stop you crashing down the side, and at other points had overhanging rocks sticking into the lane marking. Luckily it wasn't a busy road, as I had to drive in the middle most of the time to feel safe. Bit it had hairpin bends and other such fun things! There were amazing views up there though, and a couple of houses. Then when I got back it decided to pour with rain (lucky it didn't while i was up the hills!) and I went with Linda and Ken to a lahdidah restaurant, La Boheme, owned by the same guy who owns Acqua, for lunch. They had proper food, and I had 3 tapas sampler, as Spain does calamari (aka calamares) which i was MUCHLY excited by, as England has no clue about this! Then when we got back we had quiet time, then a low key dinner, after which Linda's brother- and sister-in-law who also have a flat and were out came over for nibbles. While they were over it absolutely POURED down with rain. I so far had managed to either be inside the flat, in a car, or in a restaurant each time it rained.

Sunday 15th- The sun was trying very hard to come out. We met Ken and the sibling-in-laws for brunch on the beachfront at 11am, then Linda and I drove to Cap La Nau which is where one of the lighthouses that flanks Javea is, where there were some good views. Then we went to Platja Granadella (Granadella beach) which is a tiny little pebble beach down some more windy roads from the mountains. It was very nice down there, very secluded and protected as it is in a tiny bay. I even got my feet wet in the water, which was refreshingly bloody cold! Plus pebbles are SO annoying to walk on cos they hurt! Next we went to Moriara, the next town along the coast, and had a walk along the waterfront there. Then back to Javea for mocktails and I took my Aunt to dinner in a place called Scallops.

Monday 16th- Huzzah! The sun was finally here to stay! We went to Denia market, then came back to have lunch at Tango's which is a little restaurant, nothing special, except it is RIGHT on the waterfront and you can hear the waves lapping at the rocks below the wall as they slowly wash in. It was glorious, sitting there in the sun, listening to the soothing sounds of the sea, and eating calamari! I left happy,with a tan on my arms, and even a little bit of sunburn on my chest! Then we went back, sat on the terrace and read in the last few rays of the sun. After which we went down to Acqua again for our last farewell cocktails, and watched the sunset behind the villas, streaming light onto the smooth water, with Mt Montgo, in the background. Glorious!

Tuesday 17th- We got up, tidied the flat, and headed off the airport. Another glorious sunny day. Everyone at the airport was coming back from school holidays and whinging about the weather! Oh well. Such is life! At least I got to see it as I should. I haven't let the weather affect me so far, and I wont let it start now!

Wednesday 18th- last day of my holidays I spent getting my car sorted. Took it in for a wheel alignment, £5.50 each wheel. Ended up needing a new front tyre, £74.50 and needing new front brake pads £76 which I am going back to do tomorrow. I was the only female in the place. The guy tells me to come have a look at the brakes, and then in his most professional "you're a girl so you wont know anything" voice proceeds to tell me that the brakes are important because if I let them wear down too much, when I go to brake one day I might not be able too. WOW! All this time I had NO idea what they were for!! How silly of me. Good thing there was a boy to explain it all for me! *rolls eyes*. But the good news is, the car doesn't shudder when I drive it anymore! YAY!

So, yeah, it has been really sunny and nice here. I have been going out to work the last 2 days in just t-shirt and trousers. Which is a BIT chilly when I leave the house and it is 8'C but by lunch time it is about 20'C. The scary thing is, I was in shorts on Wednesday and it was only about 16'C. What am I going to do when I get back to Aus and it is so much hotter!? If I am finding 16'C hot, I am going to be stuffed in 30+!! Mind you, if it is that warm here now, it might get to that here soon!! Who knows??

I'm off to Germany next, so I probably wont post anything between now and then, as it is next thursday I go. 1 week, 6 towns! EEEK!!!!

APRIL FOOLS!

Well... I'd just like to start off by saying HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY ERNIE!!!!!! Wow, he's a real dog now, not a puppy anymore. And I'm not there to see him *pout*. This is him at his 2nd b'day party at the preschool with cakes the kids decorated for him. (no, he didn't eat all that, the kids did, he had a tiny little piece of cake)

Ok, now, not a lot has gone on over the past 2 weeks. Just LOTS of working, and I cleaned my room, and that's about it. I am now into the last 4 months over here (possibly 3 months if I can't get my correct return date!!!). That means I have survived 8 months over here. Feels like so much longer, because of the amount of stuff I have done. I can't wait to sleep. It feels like I have spent the last 8 months being sleep deprived!

I have spent the last 2 weeks doing 4.5 days work each week. The first week I was supposed to do a day of 2 1/2 days but the second school was MILES away and I didn't know this when I accepted it, then I couldn't find it in the street directory because it was that far away. Then I got traffic, so I was about 1/2 way there and it was already nearly 2pm, so I wouldn't have been there before 2.30, so they cancelled me and I drive home. Grrr. The school I was on on Friday afternoon was one of the worst schools in Bristol (I think I have been to the 5 worst schools now). I had a yr 3/4 class and there was 2 of us in there. And they were not too bad, because they had "golden time" which is basically a reward for friday afternoon, but when the other lady was trying to speak to them in a group it was chaos. There were kids walking out, kids hiding under tables, kids telling each other they were gay. Lovely stuff! The school was so bad that they had an independant assesor in to try and work out a classroom management plan for the kids. Thats why I was there, cos the teacher was out discussing with him. At the end she came back in and said what he had come up with (desks 2 by 2 in rows all facing the front) and I told her my thoughts and suggested a reward system I had seen work elsewhere in a similar class, and she was very enthusiastic and was going off that weekend to make this display for them. She said I was welcome back anytime. So I guess I could always have this as an extra side job, because obviously seeing how different schools cope with these "challenging" children has given me some pointers on what works and what doesn't. It was nice to have my opinion recognised, cos usually supply are ignored and deemed unimportant.

This week I had a luxury. Well... after monday, where I had a kid sniffing glue sticks and another kid attack a child, and was threatened! (JOY). I spent 2 days working in Clifton. This is the posh part of town. The nost noticable difference in the school was the yr 4 class I had on the first day had 38 kids in, and just me, and it didn't feel like that many kids once. I am usually in a class with no more than 20, and a support teacher, and it feels like about 50. They were great! A couple of the played up, as kids do, but if you wrote their names down it was serious! They actually behaved better! I had to speak to 2 of them at break about something they had done that was quite serious, and you should have seen the change in them after this, they were quiet and just got on with it. The next day I was in yr 2, and they were a more lively class, but there was less of them (25) and we still got on with it.

So yeah, that was my exciting last 2 weeks. Woopdidoo! Work work and more work!!! It's easter next weekend, and I will be down in Devon for that, then from there I will be turning around and driving back up to Milton Keynes to stay the night because Tuesday morning we fly to Spain really early. So yeah, I probably wont be blogging for a while intil after spain. And then I only have a weekend before Germany. Germany is turning into a saga. I am flying in and out of hanover, which has been booked for ages, but when I came to look at it closer, Hanover doesn't even have a youth hostel. So I have forked out for a drain pass for 6 days. Then I fly in at night, get on a train, go to Nuremberg over night. Spend that next night in Nuremburg, then go to Munich the following morning early, to meet a 3 day coach tour up the romantic road to Frankfurt. Then I stay 2 nights in Frankfurt, the next night in Cologne, then go to Hanover again for my flight back, all in 8 days. *sigh* it makes me tired just thinking about it!!! This is all that on a map (each colour is a different part of the trip, the other straight lines are the rail network)....

Ok, so that's the end of that. Happy Birthday to Ernie. I am sad that I am not there for it, but these things happen *pout*. Have a good easter everyone, see you when i get back from Spain!

I would walk 5000 miles and I would walk 5000 more...

Ok, that's a lie! I wouldn't walk 10,000 miles, I probably wouldn't even walk 10 miles... but... this is leading somewhere... I promise... stay with me... I pulled into the driveway today after being up at Milton Keynes for the weekend and my Mileage went over to 30,050. When I bought big red it was 20,050. So I have done 10,000 miles exactly in 7.5 months. Not bad! And I haven't even done that much visiting places in weekend, that's just working and driving to airports and to relatives! That's just over 16,000km.

Oh, and I'm green this week cos it was St Patrick's day yesterday, so I decided to do green as my tribute to it. As much as I would have liked to have been in Ireland for it, I'm kind of glad I wasn't because of the drinking aspect. They mentioned on the radio that one town is having an invisible parade, where everyone dresses up, lines the street and a commentator announces the next float in the parade, but there is nothing coming down the street, yet the crowd still cheers. Ahhh, to be mental, to be mental! Anyways, yes, that's the highlight of my week. The weather has gone schizophrenic today, and there was glorious sunshine this morning at my Aunt's up in Milton Keynes, then it clouded over, then it rained, then it had tiny hail, apparently some parts of England got blizzard hail, last night was super windy, Northern Scotland had hurricane strength winds! MENTAL! It was also like 15'C yesterday, and 7'C today. Silly! Mind you, I have another cold, with a head full of snot, and a temperature, so I am feeling superhot all the time. (and not Superhawt, cos snot is never an attractive quality!) Sorry if anyone is eating while reading this! I shall conclude this topic by saying using 4 boxes of tissues in 4 days has left me with a very sore nose :(

I am very disappointed with the number of entries I got in my fairy quiz. COME ONE PEOPLE! I am starting to think no one is reading this anymore. *grumbles* So far the best is 2 correct answers. Clearly no one has been talking to the fairies and asking them.

Umm, what else happened last week? Not a lot. I discovered that my cousin who had a slight bingle with her old car had to write it off, cos it was worth less than the cost of fixing it, but wasn't a complete wreck. So now all of my pommy cousins have written off cars. The best I managed was a couple of weeks ago I had a fight with a lorry on a roundabout and it won, and my car had a big chunk of paint missing from the rear passenger door that the lorry took as a souvenir of the event. Luckily that's all I did, cos it sounded WAY worse from inside the car and I was so expecting the wing mirror to be ripped off, but instead it just folded in, and I folded it back out. Now some of you must be thinking 'wow, 2 speeding fines and an accident in that short a time, that's bad' but let me refer you to how much driving I have done, and it seems not quite so bad!

It is mother's day here today. I had a class of yr 5 kids on thursday that were making mother's day cards in the afternoon and they kept asking me what else they should put on them, and I kept replying 'Elephants! Nothing says "happy mothers day" like an elephant' and they all thought I was weird, and that it was some bizarre Australian tradition. One girl actually drew a picture of her mum riding an elephant, cos she thought her mum would like an elephant!! Hey, if u can't mess with children's minds, who's minds can u mess with?

The school I was at on friday was ok (yr 5 as well... i get more yr 5 classes than any other grade, random), but it was a messed up day cos it was red nose day, so they were a bit excited by that, then it was p.e. so that was exciting too, then in the afternoon 9 of them went to a netball tournament. So it was a bit chaotic. It was one of the first classes I haven't had work left for me, so I just used some lessons I have put together and played games and stuff with them I have learnt from other schools. In the afternoon I did a lesson on Aboriginal dreamtime stories I have adapted for all age groups and get the kids to write their own stories about Seahorses or Fish and how they got something in the format of 'how the birds got their colours' etc. We were having a rather relaxed day so there was lots of mucking around and joking, and the stories were great, because they used this humour in their stories too. At the end of the day they asked if I was back Monday cos I was 'The funniest teacher ever' and when I said no, they moaned. Then one kid (the class clown) came up and shook my hand and said it was a pleasure to meet me. So yeah, that put a smile on my dial.

Anyways, I need to put away washing and tidy stuff so I can find my bed so I have somewhere to sleep! (mum, just ignore that last sentence... and think happy thoughts!)

Slàinte

Ok, so, hello in Ireland is Hello (unless you speak Gaelic, which clearly I don't) but they drink a lot, and I did learn how to say Cheers in Irish, so I thought I'd go with that! Ok, so, I just got back a couple of hours ago. I had a really good time, however the weather was mental! Blue skies one second, pouring rain the next, gale force winds and then perfectly still. It was all over the place. Was quite cold too, especially with the wind chill factor. But I struggled on through!
8/3- I arrived in to Dublin on the most knuckle clenching landing yet, due to the gale force winds, and not helped by the fact there was only 23 on the plane, so it was rather light! I trudged to the hostel, dumped my stuff and went for a walk, grabbed a bite to eat, and then met up with yet another internet person. I got my own private guided walking tour of what to bother with and what not to in Dublin, and then we had a hot chocolate in a cafe, and I headed back to my hostel.
9/3- I got up early and walked to the place where my '3 day Western Rocker' tour was leaving from. The first stop on the tour was Locke's Distillery where we had a tour of the old distillery, which is not purely for tours, and got to taste the Whiskey, which was... horrible!
Then from there we went to the old Monastic settlement of Clonmacnoise where we got an audio/visual intro then could roam around. It was blue skies when we got there, then it rained, and the whole time it was so windy I climbed up a little wall to take a photo and almost got blown off!
Next we drove through the Burren Plateau which is all limestone and the largest area of natural deforestation in Europe. We stopped off to see Pol na Brone Dolmen which is an ancient burial tomb that would have been under ground, but it had had the soil swept away and eroded away from around it so now it stands above ground. There is a cool fairy tale that goes along with it, that this man and woman fell in love and she betrayed her husband to be, who was high king at the time, and ran off with him, and he put a curse on them and said that she could stay with this man, so long as they didn't make love on his land, so they built these all across Ireland as they were running from him, so as not to break the curse.
Then from here we drove through a little town called Lisdoonvarna which every year has a matchmaking festival, and it all sounds a bit wrong, because rich American divorcees come to find themselves an Irish farmer, and 60 yr old men get with 16 yr old women. Wrong! Then from here, as the weather was no too horrible, we drove out to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a bit misty, but not pouring with rain which it can be. Again, it was SUPER windy. They have recently spent millions on the site putting up a windbreak wall as people kept getting too close to the edge and getting blown off! It was quite impressive, with the sun streaming through the clouds as well.
Then on from here we went to Doolin, where we stayed for the night. Most of us went down to the local pub for traditional Irish stew and I tried Guinness (with blackcurrant in it, which is the girly way) and it still tasted like filth. 10/3- We got up in the morning and drove for a fair way to the Tarbert Ferry which took us across the Shannon river. We drove through the Sliabh Mish mountains to Dingle, where we stopped for lunch. Dingle is a small fishing town that has a bottle nosed dolphin called Fungie (as he used to follow around an old sea dog who had crumbs and stuff in his beard and fungus grew there) that is their major claim to fame. We didn't see Fungie that day, but there is a brass statue of him!

Then we went for a drive around the Dingle peninsula which would have been spectacular if there wasn't so much mist you couldn't see what was meant to be out there! We went down on Coumeenole beach which had foam from the waves blowing all around with the wind! Then we drove on down to Killarney, where we had a group dinner in a restaurant, then went and saw a traditional Irish story teller, who was good, but had a way of yelling all the time, which would have been fine on stage with 200 people, but we were like 20 people in a tiny room. So we could have done without the yelling.
11/3- We had a long drive to Blarney Castle. On the drive, as with every other drive we had had on the trip, there was lots of fields, and sheep, and occasionally goats. It was very pretty, but very repetitive, so hard to stay awake for it. In Blarney we climbed the steps (which got increasingly more narrow in their spiral that at the top I had to take off my backpack cos I got stuck) then at the top, I kissed the Blarney stone, which is an effort in itself, as you have to lay down and bend over backwards to kiss it. So now I should have the gift of the gab (as you can tell by this mammoth blog). Then we went for a walk around and saw the witch's kitchen, which is in the stone under a giant tree and even has a chimney stack, pretty cool.
On from here we drove to the Rock of Cashel, another castle, and then back to Dublin. When we arrived back it was pouring with rain, so I trudged back to the hostel, showered, and went to bed.
12/3- I went on the open top tour around Dublin, and got off at the Guinness Store House where I learnt how Guinness is made and did a quiz, so now I am an honorary master brewer's apprentice! Then at the end you get to go up to the gravity bar for a free Guinness (which I did not indulge in) and the view is very nice. Then back on the bus and around to Kilmainham Gaol where you got to learn a lot about the uprising in Ireland and how the leaders of this were put in gaol there and then killed. I also saw the smallest pub in Dublin and I was amused to discover the mailboxes were green in Ireland! Then I did a bit of wondering around, waiting for 8pm, and watched the sun setting over the river Liffey, which splits Dublin in north and south, and in the evening I went on the Dublin Ghost Buss Tour which was very good. You learnt about some of the haunted places, how Bram Stocker might have come up with Dracula, how to body snatch, all with a very funny guide who liked to scare the crap out of people. There were 2 Chinese girls who were so scared of him they ran away every time he walked near them. It was very funny. We got off twice, once to go into an old graveyard and a haunted church, and the second time to go to the most haunted place in Dublin, where lepers used to be allowed to stand outside and listen to mass.
And then today I came back. Woopdidoo! So yes, it was a good time. I enjoyed it. Loads of interesting history and random facts were passed on to me. And I even have another quiz for you all.... this time it is on Irish Fairies. As with last time, email me your answers and the first to get them all correct (easier this time with multiple choice) will get the prize:
1- Is a fairy ring:
a) a ring of stone placed in the bottom of the garden by fairies?
b) a ring of mushrooms that fairies sit on?
c) a ring of flowers that fairies dance around?
d) a ring of trees that people must not go inside?
2- If your normal, happy child suddenly starts crying all the time, it could have been swapped for a changeling baby. If you suspect this is the case, how do you prove it?
a) drop water on it's forehead and if it steams the baby is a changeling
b) throw the baby in the fire and if a puff of purple smoke comes out, the baby is a changeling?
c) hold the baby underwater for 1 minute and if it doesn't struggle it is a changeling?
d) place a cross on the baby and if it leaves a burn mark it is a changeling?
3- If you want to make a wish at a fairy ring do you...
a) walk around the outside anticlockwise singing your wish?
b) walk around the outside clockwise singing your wish?
c) walk around the outside anticlockwise thinking your wish silently?
d) walk around the outside clockwise thinking your wish silently?
4- Is a Fairy tree...
a) a magical tree that fairies live in which can bring good luck?
b) a tree that is part of a fairy ring?
c) a tree that has been carved into by a fairy with a spell?
d) a single tree randomly placed in a field that if cut down will bring bad luck?
5- If a Banshee knocks on your door does it mean...
a) someone inside the house will die?
b) the person who answers the door will die?
c) a curse has been placed on the house?
d) she has run out of sugar and wants 2 borrow some?

Ok, so, that is my quiz. Good luck to all. And I hope you liked my long rambling blog!

Airports are FUN

I am at Bristol ariport waiting for my flight to be called to board to Dublin. They have the most depressing anouncements here, that sound like sumone is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to read it. The "please look after your belongings and keep them with you" one is AWEFUL!
I am on here for 2 reasons... 1- to announce the winner of the sound of music quiz, and 2- to waste time as I have looked at the 3 shops and read a magazine and am trying to avoid buying a slice of cake from starbucks.
So, sound of music quiz... noone gave me completely full and accurant answers, (noone, as in none of the 2 ppl who entered), so the winner goes to the most correct answers which is Susan (I only know one Susan, so you know who you are). Who will be receiving their Austrian themed prize shortly once i get back from Ireland and mail it.
The answers were (and i cant remember the order), the lake from the back of the vontrapp house (the building was not the house used though), the row of trees outside the actual von trapp house used for the swinging from trees in curtain clothes, the inside of the church maria got married in (which is supposedly in the abbey but is actually about 40 mins drive away), the pegagus fountain from the do re mi sequence, and the little man they tapped on the head in that sequence. There's 13 of them all together in the mirabelle gardens. (i think that was all of them). I will check and change later if I missed any.
What have I got up to this week? Monday evening I took part in an aqua aerobics class, at the local swimming pool, which was good, because it showed that I am still quite strong as I was doing the stoopid drag yourself across and back with just you arms things quicker than everyone else. I am going to do these thurs and mondays now to keep fit.
Thats about it. Thats my boring week.
OOOHHH!!!! flight has just been called! I'm off now. Will blog again when I get back!

*yawn*

It is 7am on a Saturday. Why am I up? Well, apparently it's a new thing my body is trying out thats called wake up rediculously early no matter what time you went to bed. *grumble*
So, the last week has been a boring week. Monday I didn't work as my knee was sore and I didn't want to overwork it so I bludged all day. Tuesday I was working at St Paul, in Cabot Primary (worst achieving school in Bristol, Bristolis one of worst achieving cities in England), and again Wednesday. Thursday I didn't work (more about this later) and Yesterday I was in a lovely reception class with delightful little kiddies in a silly names town called Fishponds. Then after work I drove up to my aunt Marion's on her request where I am writing this from now.
Anyways, yes, the highlight (and lowlight) of my week has been Cabot. Tuesday there was big assembly in the morning to celebrate Abolition 200, which is essentially the same as the Aborigine's 'sorry' campaign, but this is a year long thing about black slaves and how they got freed, and how they want to govt to say sorry fo enslaving them. There were tv crews and newspaper reporters and photographers. They picked Cabot as there is literally not one white kid in the school, they are all indian, jamaican, african, muslim countries. And the school is in such a disadvantaged area it was a political stunt too to bring some attention to it. Anyways, this dude, Denis someone, played a half hour set on his trombone, which he had hooked up to microphone and that to guitar pedals, so he could distort and record himself to create his own harmonies. It was pretty cool. And I was on the midday local news program, and my hands were in the local paper. I missed it unfortunately cos it was the morning paper, and not in the afternoon one. Grrr.
That morning, I was teaching the yr 3 class, who I had taught before, months ago, but they remembered me. I was in by myself, which you aren't supposed to be in that school, as there are so many behaviour issues you need support. But at least I knew them. In the afternoon I was sent to yr 2. I was there for a 1.5 hours, and I had a support person who ruled with an iron fist, yet they were still feral. Then she left for 5 mins to go to the bathroom, while they were having free play, and when she was gone they trashed the place. Tipped out every toy, mixed them together and threw them around the room. A bunch of 7 yr olds. And nothing I said or did got them to stop. She came back in and went mental at them and got them to tidy it up. I felt so helpless, and stressed. The second day I was back in yr 3, fine,exceptone of the kids tried to blame me of discrimination based on religion and said she was going to the head. I called her bluff and told her to go then, and she backed down. But I at least knew this was just one of her stunts, imagine if I didn't know the class and they tried that, you'd shit yourself! And then after that day, and the yr 2 situation, I wasalready frazzled and stressed, and I was supposed to be back on Thursday, all day, in yr 2. I debated right up until 7.15am, after I had had my shower and everything whether I could do it or not. On one hand, they were only 7 and I should not not go to work unless I am sick or wounded or dying, on the other hand, I was actually petrified of a room full of horrible little 7 yr olds. So i chickened out and didn't go. I felt horrible, but I couldn't physically or mentally face them again.
My other news is... which I have been looking into on and off since I got here... I re-joined weight watchers. I have been a good girl and been points counting all week. It's interesting tho, as I have no scales, so I guestimated by start weight and I have no way of knowing how much I have lost, but at least I know it works from last time. I am doing it online, instead of the meetings, which is cool, cos there's online forums and an online tracking thing, instead of needing pads and writing everything down. SO yeah, it's only week one, but so far so good. I have stuck to it, and even managed to save a bunch of points, and considering we are going to lunch tomorrow, I suppose that's a good thing! Perhaps that is why I have been getting up at stupid times, cos I have been eating less crap?
Anyways, that is my exciting week! I am off to Dublin next Thursday afternoon, so hopefully my next blog will be more exciting, but less eventful!
P.S. noone has got the right answers in the sound of music quiz (noone being the 2 ppl who bothered to enter) and number 3 seems to be the stumper. If Idon't get a correct guess by Thursday the prize will go to the closest guess of those 2 (or anyone else who enters).