First Week Back

We have survived the first week back, mostly unscathed - Matt started the week off by being hit by a car while cycling to work on his bike!  He is fine now!  He landed on his knee and bashed it up quite badly.  The silly driver just wasn't looking properly, and managed to drive over his bike on her way to park up around the corner too!  We are getting the cost of the bike back from her though, so all's well on that front.  We had an inset day on Monday, so there were no kids in. Matt should really have gone home, but he had lots of work to do so just stayed in.  It wasn't until we were on the tram home and he went ghost white that the adrenaline left him!  He slept for 2 hours when we got home!

So, an eventful start to the week.  The kids came back in on Tuesday, and the week has been long and hard work, not for any particular reason, that's just how it is when you've had three weeks off.  The summer term is a very nice one, with lots of three and four day weekends.  We have lots of visitors coming out to stay with us, and we are planning lots of trips to the lake for BBQs.  The weather has been lovely, and it has inspired me to start doing the Couch to 5K pod casts.  You go running three times a week and build up to 5K over 9 weeks.  I've finished the first week, and it's gone really well, so I'm pleased.

Yesterday, we went with a couple of friends to see the new Avengers movie in Dusseldorf.  The film was really good, and Matt was happy with his Avengers keyring that he got when he bought the popcorn!  We went for a Chinese buffet before it, which was fantastic!

I don't have many photos to show from this week, but since I have been mostly helping people doing new displays (I've made a Tardis and Dr Who Minion, giant flowers, a huge French flag etc), I thought I would share some of the creations from last terms Year 5 play, including the Achievement Award that I got from the Year 5 kids for helping out.

 

Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

Now don't get me wrong, I love living in Germany and we have a great life here, but nothing quite gives me the same sense of happiness that being by the seaside does.  The above photo is of Hengistbury Head, near to were Mum and Dad live in Hampshire.  Matt and I spent a week there during our Easter holidays, and it was lovely and relaxing.

Lola is so photogenic, but she does get this look in her eye, right before she pounces at your head!

Matt and Lola enjoying an afternoon sofa cuddle.

We went out for dinner with our lovely friends too.  It was great to have a catch up.  We caught a glimpse of the new cruise ship in Southampton too.  4000 people it can hold.  It's gigantic!

My brother and his girlfriend also visited Mum and Dad for a few days, which was nice to have us all together.  The boys played golf, and the girls went for tea and cake... and then we went for afternoon tea all together.  Basically there was a LOT of tea and cake!

We went out to Christchurch to the little museum there, which I was hugely impressed with.  It has a lot of local history and local stories that go with some of the objects on display.  Very impressed!

Below was my favorite item.  Can you guess what it is? ....

No?  Neither could we!  Turns out it's a silver spoon warmer.  I desperately want one!

And there was dressing up too of course.

The above is a clock made from a boat's propeller.  The wood looked wonderfully smooth.

There were some lovely gardens at the museum too.  We had such a nice time there.

Christchurch Priory is beautiful, and you can wander around some of the ruins there.

On Friday we went back to London to Matt's parents, and on Saturday night we went to a good friend's engagement party.  It was wonderful to be reunited with my oldest mates, and a good time was had by all.  

Back in the UK and Now A Published Author

It's been a lovely week being back in the UK.  We landed on Tuesday evening, and it's been quite hectic since then.  On Wednesday morning I met my lovely friend Annmarie in London for a coffee before she caught the train back to Newcastle.  We only had a couple of hours together, but it was so nice to see her, and made me realise how much I miss her company.  On Wednesday evening, Matt and I went to Putney for a curry with our friends who are expecting a baby in May.  They seem remarkably calm about it all!

On Thursday, Matt had to go into central London to get his passport renewed via the 4 hour service.  Matt's Mum and I met him at the Museum of London after his initial appointment.  We wandered around happily for a bit looking at the Roman exhibition mostly.  I love the MOL, it has so much to offer.  Plus, a museum that has Palaeolithic artefacts is always a bonus for me.

After lunch in a Wetherspoons, joined by Matt's brother, Matt picked up his passport, and we all headed off to our second museum of the day; the Natural History Museum, for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition.  I have been to the exhibition a couple of times before, and really love it.  This year they celebrate 50 years of the exhibition, and the standard was as high as ever.  The only trouble is that the exhibition space is nearly totally pitch black.  They photos are all backlit, with the blurbs about them backlit too.  I find that I get a headache within the first 20 minutes!  You can find the link to some of the images from this year here.  My favourite photograph is called Cardinal Sparks, in the Natural Design category.

By Friday afternoon I was at Mum and Dads, and am loving my time here, relaxing and playing with the lovely puppy.  Mum and I wandered around the shops today, and it was so nice to just chat.

The most exciting news this week is that my article that I have been working on since 2013, has finally been published by Museum Management and Curatorship Journal.  Here is a nice screen shot of my name in print!!!

Six Lakes Park and Gelsenkirchen Zoo

This week has been lovely and relaxing, with a few days spent 'slobbing' about the house and doing crafting (with Matt playing Football Manager on the laptop - I have literally had to wrestle it off him in order to post my blog).  We have done a couple of day trips, which have been very chilled out.  The first was a bike ride to the Six Lakes Park which is about 3 miles from our house.  We cycled about 10 miles in total.  It was nice to get back out on the bikes, which remind me of nice weather!

We came home via an ice cream parlour... of course.

Today we did a trip to Gelsenkirchen Zoo, which we had heard really good things about.  It's not a huge zoo, but the layout is the best I have ever seen, and the animals have a lot of space.  The zoo is split into three areas; Asia, Africa and Alaska.  Everything in each area is themed on these places, including the animal habitats, the walks to get from animal enclosure to enclosure and the cafes.  There is a huge amount of detail, and every effort has been made to represent the animals in their natural habitats.  There is a specific route to follow through each area, ensuring that you see all the animals, and it leads you back out to the main entrance, where you can pick a different area to explore.  It works really well.  

We definitely did the best area first; Alaska.  The bears were fantastic, and below is a photo of a Kodiac Bear, the largest bear in the world.  It certainly was impressive.

There was a ride in the Alaska area too.  Not speaking much German, we assumed it was a walk through thing and in we went.  We were led into a huge Igloo type area, with rows to stand in and a hand rail, with three large TV screens at the front,  Suddenly our igloo had broken free of the ice and was hurtling down some rapids, displayed on the screen, and the floor was moving too!  Really throwing us around.  It was great, until we 'landed' in the sea during a storm, and thank goodness it ended there because I was starting to feel motion sick!

We did the Asia section next, and were greeted by this wonderful Siberian Tiger......

... who happened to have positioned himself right in front of the viewing window.

Below, I think is some sort of Panda... or Lemur...  The photo really made us laugh, as he was stuck up on a pole about 20 feet off the ground, looking exactly like a fur hat.

A stop off in the Monkey enclosure for tea and cake.

This little Giraffe was having a bath, given to him by his Mum, which seemed to be thirsty work...

We went on a little boat ride in the Africa section to see some Monekeys and Flamingos. 

This is Matt and his 'pick 'n' mix baby'.

... and a very pleasing Insect Hotel.