Bec & Dave's Blog: November 2008

Well, we are at the end of our first (and mercifully last) November in London. I think it has been grey, cold and drizzling EVERY single day. (We have been trying, not too successfully, not to have wistful thoughts of where we were this time last year.) Sightseeing-wise, we have used the yucky weather to knock off a couple of museums, have visited St Paul's Cathedral (almost being blown away when we emerged at the top for the views over London) and earlier in the month attended the annual Lord Mayor's Parade. Dave has also attended a Tottenham v Liverpool Carling Cup football game with Jarratt, and we have been to see Dylan Moran (very very funny). Otherwise life has been fairly quiet, and Dave has been putting in the hours at the York. So we are both happy to see the end of the month tomorrow!
December promises to have more to amuse us. Tomorrow night, we are ice skating at Somerset House, and Saturday we are off to Stratford-Upon-Avon for the weekend. Also coming up we have a couple of excursions planned to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, a couple of trips to the ballet, and are planning to get down to Trafalgar Square to see the lighting of the big Christmas tree and to hear a few carols. I also have a Christmas lunch coming up at work - a yummy three course meal (turkey, Xmas pudding, the works) and wine for 10 quid!
We have also just booked our first trip for next year!! We will be off to Cork for two nights to celebrate our anniversary in January. We are quite excited about our plans for next year – not least a return home!! As soon as we find out, in early January, if we have been lucky enough to score Ashes tickets in the Lords ballot, we will be able to confirm a date for our return, somewhere between late June and early August.
We will update you again shortly after our weekend away.

Tottenham v Liverpool

At the top of St Paul's Cathedral

The past three weeks we have had the company of Ophelia, one of my friends from home. Saturday three weeks ago I flew to Vienna to meet her at the end of a month long Europe trip (for her not me...I wish!!) We spent 5 pleasant nights in a delightful (well apart from one 'incident' that led to us getting one of those nights for free!) apartment, or should I say apartments. Both of us having been to Vienna before, we took our time, drinking lots of coffee, eating cakes, catching up on a year's worth of goss, shopping and doing some sightseeing, such as the lovely Schonbrunn Palace. We also managed to squeeze in a day trip to the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, only an hour by train from Vienna, which I have to say we were both a little underwhelmed by. But the food was great.
The sixth day we hopped a train to Budapest, where we were joined by David, flying in from London. We spent three days exploring the city (and its' pubs), including Castle Hill in Buda (lovely views) and the streets of Pest. Also of note was our introducing the sometimes fussy Ophie to the world of hostels, dorm rooms and (oh shock horror) shared bathrooms! We took a day trip to a little place called Szentendre on the Danube Bend on our last day.
Ophie has been staying with us in Earl's Court up til today. We have been trudging off to work while she got to do all the fun stuff in London! Friday night was Halloween and we visited Dave's place of work, The York at Islington, where the theme was pink for breast cancer. We were both impressed at Blues' outfit! Saturday we had breakfast at my favourite London cafe, The Breakfast Club, at Angel, followed by some retail therepy on Oxford Street on what was a drizzly Saturday afternoon. That night the three of us were off to see Avenue Q, which had us laughing nonstop, at some things more than others.... (what do you do with a BA in English?...yes VERY hilarious Ophie.) So with the internet song in our heads (that we may or may not have been singing on the tube..hehe) we headed home with every intention of getting up early to go to Greenwich...
...which didn't happen. We did head down to Brick Lane in the afternoon though, for a curry and some shopping at the markets (namely DVDs, pretty dresses, and FCUK rip offs).
The rest of November looks a bit quiet, I think we are supposed to be saving some dosh! But Saturday night we are heading out to watch fireworks and picnic with J and Bec, and later in the month we have tickets to Dylan Moran!! Yay!! The next trip though will be Stratford-Upon-Avon in December - just for the weekend - where we are seeing some Shakespeare (of course). We are also starting to plan for next year, although a lot depends on the work situation, which is a bit more uncertain for me than Dave at this point. But everything will sort itself out.
Hope everyone is well, and enjoying the hot weather, cos we are freezing!