It's Exactly One Year When We Last Visited Central LONDON!

It was April 2008 when "I First Visited England For The Very First Time", and I remember exactly the excitement I had felt as I asked everyone to visit all the places they mentioned before I got here! Imagine in just a few week visit here, we even managed to visit the CENTRAL LONDON at "London City Walk I Would Never Forget"(because of my aching feet!!!LOL) . Here are some of photos....

SPRING 2008 in Kensington Gardens

Then we headed straight to the 'Buckingham Palace' - serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. We also went passed the 'House of Parliaments' and the 'Big Ben' itself. AMAZING!!! Really, an ABSOLUTE BEAUTY!! We took some photographs and headed straight to the 'London Eye' direction, took some photographs down the road with its background, showing the river at the back of the 'Big Ben' and the 'House of Parliament'.

Photos at below right were at the "TOWER OF LONDON", in the rainy morning (on our 2nd day before we came back home in the afternoon)....Hubby and I will be seeing Central London again maybe in a few weeks' time for my visa application, to visit Philippine Embassy too and Angolan Embassy for hubby's working visa. But one thing I can assure you friends, I won't be posting much of photographs especially of myself as won't be posing much anymore (you'll be surprise my size compared to these ones hahahaha), so here are the photos of the places we would possibly be visiting again....
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Related Articles:
London City Walk - A Walk I Would Never Forget
Visited The Beautiful CORNWALL
Lovely Time At St. Ives, Cornwall
Adventure In Geevor Tin Mine
Visited England For The Very First Time
Bonding with my In-Laws

Bonding with my Family in UK

Few weeks before we went home in UK, we were already told that my hubby's Dad was going to have his operation on his right arm (not entirely sure if right or left side). In any case, we didn't make any plan at all of going to anywhere around UK apart from our plan to visit my family in the Philippines, though we were not sure either if we could as well. Is short, it was depending on his Dad's condition when we get home! Anyhow, we didn't know the plan was changed until we arrived (his parents picked us up at the airport), and they both told us that his operation was moved to another month later. As usual, they were both pleased to see us again, though he had to wait for another month and would go through experiencing occasional pains. I really felt sad when I heard the news, but happy at the same because this would mean for us to have time together, going around the county or any places altogether.
We arrived on a Friday morning (which normally is unless we decide to change our flights), which we generally stay over the weekend and go to our flat by beginning of the week (either Monday or Tuesday morning). My mother in-law always prepares special English foods for us during our stay in their place, which is why I have put on so much weight! LOL, uuummm blaming my mother-in-law and her food or not doing any exercise at all! hehehe... I tell you what, every single time we come back from vacation, every one would notice that I put on weight again, and MUST BE THE ENGLISH FOODS!!

By the way, speaking about putting on weight after marriage, seriously, I have read one article about how the lifestyle of married couple changes as soon as you get married (only to those stay together). I would wish to stay single again, hehehe...

Anyway, it was nice to see my hubby's nephew Alfie as well. He has grown up a lot since last April, he is as cheeky boy as ever!...whatever he sees around, he'll try to do it himself...he is such a clever child really. So they had to buy small things for almost anything in the house, from broom, pail, hoover, brush & dustpan set, etc... as you can see, he waters the plants.

September was such a lovely time of year, Autumn and close to winter, which you begin to feel the cold puff of air. We've really had experienced a nice weather when we were there, not until the last week before we left. In some stage, we went out to buy plants for our future garden, but then we didn't have much time to finish it.
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Related articles:
London City Walk - A Walk I Would Never Forget
Visited Beautiful CORNWALL
Lovely Time At St. Ives, Cornwall
Adventure In Geevor Tin Mine
Visited England For The Very First Time

Still on Holiday - Enjoying

Hey guys, I know you have missed me as I have not been around for quite a while now, have missed blogging too. There were couple of occassions that I wanted to sit down and start writing or even saying hello to my friends, but I the trouble is, and it could be even worse if I do, as I don't want to miss things here in the UK that we would be enjoying, since it is extremely lovely here at the moment, which is not too cold! Still summer though its quite close to winter now, loads of clearing sales everywhere (summer clothes).. LOL, which I don't want to miss, shopping and going around with my hubby and his family, which I do really enjoy a lot.

By the way, I would still be out until end of this month as my hubby and I will be going to our other home - which is the Philippines! Yes.. I have loads of things in my mind to write to share with you but again I don't have enough time.

Only one thing that is certain to happen, I WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK SOON. God bless you all guys, more stories as soon as I get back.

Adventure in Geevor TIN MINE

Underground Cornish Mine Tour

The fact that we are both working in a diamond mine here in Angola, Africa it did catch my attention to visit this famous Tin Mine, though it was had been a long time wish of my husband. If is located in the far west of Cornwall, on the Atlantic coast (one of tourist attractions in Cornwall). This is a fabulous exhibit of Cornish mining history and known to be the largest preserved mining site in the UK.

We went for an hour guided-underground tour which detailed us the fascinating process of extraction through 18th and 19th centuries. The miners were left showing the visitors around the empty shell of a place that had so recently been such a hive of activity. The grief was palpable. It seemed no more appropriate take photographs there, than it would be at a funeral. Since then, the mine has been developed as a tourist attraction bringing jobs, of sorts, to this depressed part of the world. With the passing of a generation, Geevor will no doubt take its place as just another ride in Theme Park Britain. In the meantime I feel privileged to have known it in its prime, and to have been touched by its passing.
Indeed our guide was a former miner with first hand experience of working underground. Did you know that in the early 19th century boys as young as 8 worked underground. Everyone, including the women and girls on the surface would work six days a week, 10 hours a day. Miners had to buy their own tools, candles, and explosive (note dynamite was not invented until 1867). Miners and their families lived in small cottages often rented from the mining company,

Climbing hundreds of feet up and down ladders to reach the work face. Often having to walk several miles to and from work, in clothes wet with sweat from hours of underground toil. Diseases such as bronchitis, consumption and rheumatism were rife. Air was 'bad'-polluted by dust and fumes from detonated explosives. A miner was often no longer fit enough to work underground beyond the age of 40. A far cry from the romantic view portrayed in so many tourist brochures.

The adits we explored were in places only 5 foot high, and barely wide enough for two people to pass. In several places the reddish colored vein of tin ore could clearly be seen illuminated by our guide's miners lamp. After the underground tour, put your hard hat to one side and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in the cafe (open from Easter to the end of October). "Good home made food and one of the best views in Cornwall."

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Lovely Time at St. Ives, Cornwall
Visited Beautiful Cornwall
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Lovely Time at St. Ives, Cornwall

It was funny because when I first heard about St Ives and when we started talking about of visiting this place, that this is every nice, and people around UK are fun of coming here to spend holidays instead of going outside the UK! Uuummm quite interesting isn't it? Then I thought that all the St. Ives products have manufactured or originally came from this place... I had a laugh from them really...LOL
St. Ives, Cornwall is a small town in the far west of the county. Though originally a fishing village, it has for the last 150 years become both a popular holiday destination and an internationally renowned school of painting. This place (Cornish: Porth Ia) is a seaside town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England UK. The town lies north of Penzance, and west of Camborne. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing as an industry. The decline in fishing, however, has caused a shift in commercial emphasis and the town is now primarily a holiday resort. St Ives was incorporated by Royal charter in 1639. St Ives has been named best seaside town of 2007 by the Guardian and has become renowned for its number of artists.

With narrow winding cobbled streets and passages, a magnificent harbour, and superb beaches, all just around the corner from Lands End. In summer the hanging basket flower planter displays all around the Harbour and the Main Streets are a delight to the eye. Those in front of the St Ives Tourist Information Centre, at the Guildhall, deserve a particular mention.

This is a place that truly has something for everyone. Families can spend countless hours playing in the golden sands of the resorts gently sloping beaches, or simply, taking a relaxing dip in the un-characteristically warm sea.

Visited Beatiful "CORNWALL"

My husband's brother lives in Cornwall, located in South Western tip of England. In theory, it should only take 7-8 hours to get there from Kent, but it took us almost 10 hours because there were two series of accidents at this famous long M26 motorway. They didn't see each other for couple of years, and I was there too for the first time, so we took the chance to travel. On the photographs below, from left my husband, myself and his brother and his wife next to him.

I tell you what? It was gorgeous!! Stunning place which is known for its deserted coves and picturesque characters. It is also blessed with glorious gardens and with a mild climate. I enjoyed walking around the narrow streets in small towns, with shops around. Most of all eating their traditional Cornish fare of Pasty, Saffron Cake and my favorite Cornish Cream Tea.

There is as much folklore around the Cornish Pasty as there are recipe variations. One such tale said it was bad luck for fishermen to take a pasty on board a boat, but then again I know a modern day skipper that 'loves his pasties'. A very famous photograph from the late Nineteenth Century shows a group of tin miners at 'Croust Time' , that is meal time to you and I, tucking into very large pasties. Incidentally the mining boom was largely over by the 1860's Such pasties would have meat at one end and a fruit filling at the other.

Saffron is an ingredient imbued with an air of exoticism, sensuality and beauty. Its musty perfume and concentrated potency both awaken the senses and astonish - how can such a tiny amount of what looks so meaningless release such color and scent? The labor intensity of harvesting saffron (each stigma removed by hand, 4,300 flowers to be visited to form an ounce of weight), and thereby the cost of the end product, have also added to its status. Stories of Phoenician sailors landing on the rugged Cornish coast to barter with saffron in exchange for tin, have increased its romantic image.

The famous cream tea, the star ingredient none, regardless of regional squabbles and bread type, is of course the clotted cream. Native to the west country, this sturdy, pale yellow cream is made by heating unpasteurized in shallow pans floated on boiling water so that it "scalds", whereupon it thickens and the cream rises to the top forming the 'clots'.

Anyway, so much for these fattening Cornish foods but seriously, I love them! What we did just eat & traveled around Cornwall. By the way, on our way going there, we stopped to see this famous "Stonehenge" a prehistoric monument located in English county of Wiltshire. It is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones.


We went to "St. Michael's Mount", the most famous of Cornwall's landmarks, which has fascinating history, is stepped in both legend and folklore, it has a stunning panoramic views across Mounts Bay to Lands End and The Lizards. Boasts a pictureque harbour and has a spectacular castle complete with magestic gardens. Click here to read the whole story about this mount.

There are loads of beautiful towns and landmarks Cornwall has to offer to tourists, and we also we went to loads of places, like in St. Ives, our Geevor Tin Min tour which I will be telling you about this later. To view more pictures, click here.

Visited England for the Very First Time

It was our both plan to see my husband's family, to visit them in the UK before our 'Wedding in Mauritius', which supposed to be June last year to meet his family for the first time. Also was going to have another and proper Engagement Party then (after our Engagement in Angola), but time didn't permit me to go home with him as our company didn't manage to organize my visa to enter the UK. I know it happened for a reason, which we didn't know. All I know was, that everything will just fall into place in its proper timing! Though I was very upset, imagine of staying here alone in the middle of nowhere alone for one month!

Anyway, it was only after we got married that my application went through and absolutely fast! It only took me a week to process, for obvious reason - we've got the marriage certificate which strongly proves our relationship... WOW, wonderful wasn't it? We applied in Luanda, Angola.

At last I went to see England for the very time only last April this year! What we did was, visiting loads of interesting places around KENT (Tenterden) were my husband lives. I experienced snow for the very first time, it was my first Sunday (after 3 days we arrived), it did snow, but wasn't that thick! Look at me, I really had to stay outside to feel it.. LOL...

..and my favorite shopping place, in Ashford still part of Kent....that cute little boy is my hubby's nephew (first grandchild on his side too)..

Then we visited the famous "BODIAM CASTLE" (located in East Sussex), the perfect example of a late medieval moated castle. In Roman times, it was a main crossing point for the road leading from Beauport near Battle to the North Kent coast. It was also used as a port from which to ship the Iron Ingots produced in nearby Sedlescombe , Staplecross and Stonegate .
First picture from left - my husband (Stuart), my mother-in-law (Trish), myself, my sister-in-law (Debbie-wife of my hubby's brother), Stuart's brother (Andrew), and my father-in-law.
"It was great despite totally unpredictable weather and days that you would think weren’t going to be good.. but then they turned out to be great!” This trend of passing storms then sun, then passing storms then sun.. Weird really, "welcome to England's weird climate" everybody was saying to me, until next time. See more pictures here.

Next: Our trip to Cornwall and in Central London....