High on a Hill Stood a Lonely Goat...

Before traveling to the Alps, its important to watch movies that have extensive mountain scenes in them in order to be fully prepared for the experience. Films such as The Sound of Music, Homeward Bound, and any other action movies that involve mountain climbing or Tom Cruise are suitable choices. 

Its also important to practice one's French, so before leaving, count to three everyday and repeat "Bonjour"  and "C'est La Vie'' at least once every hour, on the hour, in a back-of-the- throat, French-like manner. Due to this ritual practice, upon arrival, I became instantly fluent in the language; so much for all those years of silly Spanish classes! So while one is reading this, feel free to thank me later and capitalize on the knowledge about to be written from these bi-lingual fingers of culture: "Papiers" written on a trash can means, "This Is A Trash Can" and "Creperie" means "Delicious Food Served Here, Good Thing You're Just A Tourist And Will Be Leaving Soon Or Else You Would Become Morbidly Obese".

 

Here are a few photos of highlights from the trip:

It took not one but two gondola rides to reach the look out area, but it was worth it because we had a prime view of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. George took this picture, which explains the angle.

The sunset from the middle deck of our chalet. 

Cheese! The moon's made of cheese. Thats where they get it, everyone knows the French are moon farmers. This is a small grocery store in which everything was crazy expensive. 

Pretty lake near the golf course.

This is from the day we went on a 6 mile hike, which I ran 1/3 of due to no restrooms being available in the wilderness and my intense habit of consuming water. It was bittersweet.

Yo! Delay! He? Who?

I've just returned from my yodeling lessons in the Alps, on the glorious French side. We traveled through Geneva, and upon returning the rental vehicle had to pay 30 Euros for accidentally going on the Swiss side of the city, so I've been in three countries today. 

I would like to, first of all, dispel a few common myths: 

Marmosets; didn't see any, except on every postcard in every shop

Mountain goats; again, none to behold, except via postcard

Croissants: yes, they're better in France(so is stinky cheese). 

More Home Shopping

In continuing my search for the perfect home, I toured Wightwick(Wit-tick) Manor on Wednesday. The Victorian-era home owners were seemingly obsessed with Pre Raphaelite paintings and the works of textile designer William Morris. Due to their obsession, I now obtain the ability to identify a William Morris design from more than a mile away.

We also went to Bridgnorth; I had been before when I was young but forgot the name of the town, so upon waking up in the car it was like I was waking up in a memory, which was a weird feeling. Bridgnorth has a cliff railway that takes people from one level of the town to the other, and the streets are filled with cute little shops.

Brignorth along the River Severn.

The Cliff Railway

Wightwick Manor:

Everyone needs their own darkroom in the garage area.

This is just a small part of the estate.

In the garden

I think the giant hedges shaped into peacocks add to the general aesthetic of the home.

Hark, a Lark!

Tuesday, Aunt Liz, Uncle Les and I walked around Sutton Park, which is a huge area covering several miles in their town(Sutton) and called home by roaming ponies, cattle, water fowl and several other crawly creatures. My mom and sister Abigail didn't realize the vastness of the park and got really lost last time we came.

I have made several recent discoveries, including: 

1) Brazil Nut Yoghurt, where have you been all my life? 

2) Tomatoes on toast, sounds shady but turns out to be delish.

3) Hot water bottles, the kind one fills and puts in the bed to warm their feet. This is a brilliant idea and whoever invented it is officially my hero(its a cold island, even in the summer).

Waterfowl around one of Sutton Park's many pond areas.

The birds get really excited when people come over to the edge and fight each other for bread.

A Buyers Market

Here I am at a National Trust site in beautiful Ilam

I was thinking about entering the home buying market, what with the sub prime mortgage crisis going worldwide, so I toured some properties around town with my Aunt Liz and Uncle Les. Upon arrival Monday, I realized people can be very silly and materialistic: hence, a little place called Chatsworth.

Question: ''What is Chatsworth?''

Answer: A big house. 

Question: "What qualifies as a big house?"
Answer: Well if it isn't grand enough for one's lavish tastes, they should give up ever being satisfied because the place is m-a-s-s-i-v-e.

The film, The Dutchess, with Kiera Knightley was filmed on the estate and costumes from the production were on display. Chatsworth is in the area where Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy would have had his Pemberley estate and Chatsworth is mentioned in the TV series/movies; Jane Austen traveled along the same route we did and so would have Elizabeth Bennett, had she been real. If one cannot tell, I'm mad about P&P lately. There is a lovely cafe, tea room and restraunt in the old stables so we had lunch there; I tried the Rum and Raisin ice cream from the Chatsworth dairy farm and it was really good, the people running the cafe had never heard of soy milk before though. On the way back from Chatsworth we stopped in a place called Ilam and saw the pretty hills, gorgeous church, and huge hostel there.

Oh that's a lovely jumbo-sized calendar you have of plastic babies dressed in weird halloween costumes! Check out my Rembrandt.

A house is not a home unless it has its own sculpture gallery(just for the ones that don't fit anywhere else).

Just had this layin' round, some guy named

 Salvador Dali made it.

Chatsworth from the lawn.

Like most people who aren't particularly into music, they have a few grand pianos laying around.

These chickens are free range at the Chatsworth farm and apparently into art.

Never know when the Chorley family will be joining us for dinner, better be ready just in case.

Even the garden was intoxicated with art. I especially liked this merwoman.

Here, There and Everywhere...

I was in London again Saturday to see the Tate Modern art gallery and chill with Monet, Picasso, Pollock, Rothko and Mondrian, and although they were dead silent I had a good time. Inspiration scale: 11 out of 10.
I must have looked official because on the walk back to Waterloo from the Tate I was asked for directions by some English women. I wonder if they took me seriously after I opened my mouth and revealed an American accent...

After my trip to the gallery, I carried on to Birmingham where I was picked up by my Aunt Liz and Cousin Thomas and driven to their lovely home in Sutton Coldfield to visit with them and Uncle Les, who is in crutches and a brace after he decided to jump off a mountian in Scotland a few weeks ago.

Sunday, Thomas and I drove to several different places including Chorley, Litchfield and Cannock Chase, then my Aunt Jane and Uncle John came over with cousins Rachel and Daniel, who have gotten really tall and old, which doesn't make sense at all because I haven't aged whatsoever.

They give the times until you get there, so its basically just like Disneyland.

There is construction going on outside the Tate but they are sure to get the message across that is in fact, just temporary.

Some old buildings on the walk from Waterloo to the Tate.


Thomas in front of Litchfield Cathedral

One of the many Chorley's!

Sunday Thomas and I went to Litchfield and went around the Cathedral there as well as the town area, then carried on to Chorley, the illustrious town that was named after yours truly.

Here I am inside Litchfield Cathedral-

Erasmus Darwin(Charles' grandfather and a well respected botanist, though not as adventerous or well known as Charles)is buried inside.

Inside Thomas' Morris Minor.

Trees are a few of my favorite things...

Three things I am enjoying today:

The amazingly large trees that are everywhere here.

Sundried tomato and olive hummus with celery 

Flavored rasins(sounds weird but they are)

Project Runway Season 5, and Stella, the 'letha designer who wants to design outfits for olympians out of black because "there are a lot of bikers in the US who watch the Olympics". 

Fresh air; sure it rains a lot here but that makes the sunny days nice and clean.

Headbands

Bicycles 

People who are awesome at what they do: see Tom Daley, British Diver who is 14 and going to the Olympics.

By request, I am now posting a few pictures of where I live. Creepy weirdos on the internet, please ignore this information. 

Houses are differently proportioned here; instead of spreading out, they go up. This is actually not a small house- it has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office, playroom and solarium.

George, age six, definitely into football(soccer) and knows pretty much everything about it. He is really sweet and fun and gets pretty silly.