Cambridge United Football

Went to my first football match yesterday to see Cambridge United play Forest Green Rovers. Fifteen of us chartered a bus to take us to the match approximately 3 hours away. This was my first UK football game and one to remember! The ride up was uneventful, however the trip back was a "total breakdown" to say the least. After the ride up, a good pub lunch and an exciting game despite the cold and snow we were all looking forward to a warm, relaxing bus ride home. About 2.5 hours out from Cambridge the bus breaks down. The quiet, elderly bus driver pulled to the side of the road and we all got off into the cold night air and no road side services I might add! After 15 minutes of letting the bus cool down we were thankful to be on our way. Whew! Just get me home to a nice warm house and all the conveniences there. But no! Another thirty minutes down the road it's time to pull over again! After what seemed like forever, we were "On the Road Again" heading home on a wing and a prayer. Finally made it home around 9:30 pm after being gone for 13.5 hours. In spite of the stops and go's, I wouldn't hesitate to go to another game again but only if it were closer to home and I could go with the same group of guys!

"Football"

It's been a while since I posted on my Blog. For those of you who have asked and for those of you who are following my Blog, I will be attending my first European "Football" match this weekend. I'll be posting my pictures and comments on Sunday so be sure to check back.

Church in Cambridge

This is the church across the street from Cambridge University. Notice the amount of people in the streets. In addition to this normal congestion of people there is also a fair amount of auto traffic plus you have to watch for bicycle riders. Students and faculty ride bikes everywhere.

Cambridge University

I attempted to take a photo of the entrance to Cambridge University however,since it is so huge it would not fit into the frame. In addition, it was also graduation today and the college was closed to visitors so this picture was taken from the street.

Pembroke Street

This is the street in front of Pembroke College. I thought it would be a good picture to post to get a visual showing how close the buildings are to each other.

Pembroke College

This photo is of the center garden at Pembroke College Cambridge. The college was founded in 1347 and is the third oldest of the Cambridge colleges.

Barry and Nadia

Barry and Nadia

UK phone booth

I know in today's society we all have cell phones or as they are called in the UK mobile phones but I thought this would be a good photo to post. This is the typical phone booth that you might see in movies and around the UK.

Hold please, I think it's the Queen calling...

Anatolia Turkish Cusine

Saturday night a few friends and I went to the Anatolia restaurant in Cambridge where they specialize in Turkish cuisine. This was my first expereience with Turkish food. The food was colorful and fresh, not at all spicy as I thought it might be. I'll say the food, at least mine had more flavor than expected. The atmosphere was cozy and comfortable. When seated upstairs you do not feel as if you are sitting on top of the table next to you. I included their web address in case you would like to review the menu and style of food served at a Turkish restaurant. As always I do not endorse the restaurant. http://www.anatolia-cuisine.co.uk/index.php

Russian course

Today was the first day of my Russian language class. I am really excited about the class and hopefully by the end of the course I will at least be able to read a menu and order a meal. Russian is the largest native language in Europe and there are substantial Russian speaking communities in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Portugal just to name a few. So, I expect that I will have a better chance of understanding the culture and getting around when I visit some of these countries. I’ll let you all know how it goes!

На здоровье ("Na zdarov'e")

HOOK'EM HORNS

This says it all.

Guest room

This is my upstairs guest room. I know it looks as if I cut part of the picture off or I do not know how to take pictures, however the rooms as many of you have heard are rather small over here. I am actually standing in the doorway of the room. It's big enough for a queen size bed, two night stands and enough room to walk between the wall and the front of the bed. Anyway, the room will serve it's purpose when guests come to visit. The windows overlook the garden. If you are curious, the long white object under the window is the heater. It has a dial on it, so if the house were warmer than you would like you can control the temperature in your room.

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a fun, safe and memorable New Year celebration. This year I rang in 2010 with some friends and a small gathering at their home. Nadia cooked up a feast of authentic Ukrainian food. There was so much to choose from that I made sure I had a helping of everything. Ukrainian food is made up of different origins, Russian, Polish, German, Hungarian just to name a few, a lot of pork, vegetables, sausage and berries. It was all great! Needless to say the food is filled with flavor and is hearty and filling meant to keep you warm on those cold nights in Eastern Europe. I’ve been invited to travel to Ukraine and I’m excited to see another country and experience the whole culture.

At midnight we watched television to see the City of London shoot fireworks from the London Eye (the largest Ferris wheel in Europe over 400 feet high) and the River Thames. It’s a cantilevered wheel supported by an A-frame on only one side. If you like Ferris wheels and you are not afraid of height, this is a must see and ride.

Please remember to check back regularly for more updates and photos to my blog as 2010 promises to be a year filled with travel, fun and new experiences.

“Another fresh new year is here.
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt and fear
To love and laugh and give.” William Arthur Ward

Cheers!