Happy Birthday Mamilein

It feels weird to be on a different continent to you on your birthday but after last year you deserve a quiet one.  

Oh, Canada

After all of the planning and excitement, we are in Canada, GO seems as in awe as I am.  After checking into the hotel (brown, boring, ice and clean) we decide to go for a wander to get our bearings and try to get our heads around the city layout.  The hotel was in  downtown Toronto just off Dundas street and surrounded by saloubrious establishments, with the legalisation of Cannabis there were a lot of Smoke houses, cleverly positioned next to or nearby fast food restaurants.  We wandered around looking in the stores and made our first purchase, two large slushees from 7eleven.  They were just what we needed, cold and full of sugar.  We toured the Eaton centre browsing in the shops, I particularly liked Bath and Body Works.  I had an interesting conversation with one of the store assistants about why they don’t sell in Europe and he said it was because the legislation of what can be in products is tighter and so they can’t sell the products.  Good, if a little scary to know.  After watching the entertainment in Yonge Street, every Friday in the summer they have a mini music fest with different genres of music that you can stream online, we grabbed a bite to eat from a disappointing Popeyes and then headed back to the hotel for a well earned rest.

We were booked into the Chelsea hotel on Dundas Street, it was recommended by the travel agent and was a four star establishment, it was also huge and very busy.  There was a baseball game on over the weekend and conferences so the place was heaving.  Check in was a breeze, room 2434 on the 23rd floor, 23rd!!!  The room was fine, I have come to realise that in Canada and the Northern states, hotels are brown, beige and dark with loud air con all as standard.  I’m not good with hotels at the best of times and so have my own  quirky, some may say mental, strategies to get through a hotel stay.  Long sleeves and legged pjs tucked into socks and if I can’t bring my own pillow, which I did, I have a sarong that lies on top. Weird, but I don’t care. I soon came to realise that this would be one of the nicest hotels that we’d be staying in.  In all honesty I would stay there again if/when I return to Toronto.

 

Gingerbread Travels, Part One - Canada Here We Come

I set my alarm for five am to give me sometime to get organised and tidy the house a bit, for the burglars.  All week GO had said he’d drive us to the airport.  His only jobs were to organise his parents to look after the house and sort travel to the airport.  When he finally got round to booking a space he discovered that he had left booking the parking too late and it would cost a fortune £140 to park in our usual place.  Quick call to the local cab company later (thank you, me) and we had booked a taxi for less than half the price of parking.  GO was concerned about the cab driver knowing that our house was empty, so we arranged to be picked up at the train station. “I’ll drop you and the bags off, Park the car at home and then walk back down.” I planned everything around that plan, my outfit was for comfort and not weather dependant, I didn’t need any extras everything was packed in order of use.  I had a Mac in case I needed it in the mountains.  As I sorted and tidied he came down and said “I’m not driving let’s just walk!”  He obviously hadn’t looked out the window, at the torrential rain lashing it down, at the thunder and lightning.  I was too tired to argue so hauled my Mac out of the suitcase leaving a trail of destruction as I went and took off behind him, grumbling the entire way to the station.  By the time we arrived (it’s not a long walk) because of the rain I was as wet as a drowned rat, the Mac (bought a couple of years ago) was much too big and so it gapped a lot and water dribbled down it, down to my underwear.  My Toms, which were hand painted were soaking and all I could think was, he could have driven.  We got to the station, annoyingly, with plenty of time to spare so we just waited and waited and waited for our taxi. When he did arrive the driver tried to make chit chat, GO promptly fell asleep, it felt rude to fall asleep so I chatted.  While chatting somehow or another we got onto the subject of where we were headed.  I didn’t want to say Canada, I didn’t want to rub it in, I suppose. So I said Germany “Oh, I love Germany I lived there for thirty years in a place called Bielefeld.”  I was gob smacked, we talked the rest of the journey about places we knew, where we’d been and what was going on in Germany.  It turned what could have been a looooooong journey into a pleasant catch up. 

I hate getting to airports late, the stress and anxiety I feel is unbelievable so I try to arrive an hour or so before the airline recommends.  Air Canada recommended that we arrive 2 hours before our flight, so we were there 4 hours not before our flight but before check in opened.  We weren’t even sure if we were in the right place as it was the end of the airport, we were surrounded by scaffolding and that. plastic sheeting that you see on building sites.  My shoes were soaking wet, I actually rang the out.  After a forty five minute wait they began to make some sort of movement around the baggage drop area, I sent GO to investigate and confirm that it was where we could drop our bags for the Air Canada Rouge flight to Toronto. The little guy he spoke to confirmed it was and we lined up.  Within seconds the Queue behind us stretched the length of the terminal, maybe it was worth the early arrival. All bags dropped off and a quick hop through security, who am I kidding it’s never that quick or easy, we were flight side. 

I love flight side but Manchester has a poor choice of everything.  They must assume that everyone’s a footballer and minted as there are no food kiosks, or cafes everything is designer label and designer price tag.  We had a breakfast in an American Style Diner/restaurant and it was ridiculously overpriced, to make sure we would have something to eat I bobbed into WHSmith and returned with; puzzle books, water, fruit, chocolates, mints, magazines, crisps and two travel pillows.  All cheaper that the diner meals.

We waited in the terminal for our gate to be announced before heading towards it.  Then waited for boarding to commence, I have flown a lot in my life time and I know that you don’t need to queue up when boarding begins especially if allocated seats but I’m a sheep and I cannot help but join the queue, GO doesn’t. He took the time to put his flight socks, he felt self conscious wearing them and in all honesty I didn’t help by calling him “Prince George for most of the journey.

Once on the plane and settled, I bypassed all of the entertainment I had bought with me and hit the inflight magazine.  They always give you little hints and tips about places to go, things to do and locals tips.  I was flicking through reading all about the buzzing art scene and the new foodie trends in Toronto, when I turned the page to be greeted by The Singing Ringing in Burnley.  It really is a small world. There we were looking for recommendations for Toronto and Canadians travelling to Manchester we advised to visit Burnley. 

A touch of summer

I’m trying to live in the moment more, it’s not easy.  My mind is either in the past reliving/rehashing awful moments and the if only’s, or it’s in the future making up dire situations.  2019 has been full on, both personally and professionally (this is a story for another time) so when I have the opportunity to chill, be mindful, live the hygge life I am grabbing it with both hands.  GO is painfully understanding and his natural state is to go with the flow.  I used to be that way and I want to get back there, so I have made a conscious effort to live my life, to be more chill and bring the fun back.  I don’t want it to become a chore so I am taking it step by step.  I initially tried to be more active, maybe that was the problem, but I quicky realised that I’m just not in the mindset for that yet.  I’m tired and I need to refill that pot first, I have a plan for getting active and will get started once my inner self feels up to it.  How am in filling my well-being pot?  I started with a bit of soul searching, thinking for a times when I felt absolutely happy.  It wasn’t as hard as thought it’d be.  I quickly realised that to be happy I don’t need huge mega things and I have everything I need already.  Being around loved ones (naturally), twinkly lights, good food, fire, snuggling up, great music, bubbles and rocking.  I’ll explain. 

Most of my happiest memories have revolved around summer nights with my family. My parents are the king and queen of gemütlichkeit/huge/chillaxing and from a young age my best times/memories have been outside, toasting marshmallows on an open fire, with good food on the barbecue and great music blaring late in to the night.  This is what I have been trying to recreate my whole adulthood with limited success, I’d hit one or two elements but never the whole package.  

How does this memory walk help my live in the moment? I am making the most of any good weather and getting outside.  Within weeks of moving into the house I bought a fire pit, and a hammock.  When I used to spend the weekend shopping or spending money I’d feel good for a while, the euphoria would last a short time.  Now, if I have a free moment I grab my headphones and the hammock and chill under the tree listening to a podcast/audiobook/music and chill.  I have spent many and hour or two watching the clouds pass us by in the bright blue sky.  I feel content, relaxed and happy and the feeling lasts. Is it having the freedom to do nothing that makes me happy?  Is it the motion of the hammock?  Is it that I’m in my own garden?  Maybe it’s a summer thing, I don’t know but I love it and feel very content.  I think I’ve finally cracked it.  I have spent the whole afternoon in the hammock drinking ice tea, eating watermelon, listening to great music and face timing with my parents.  I may put a fire on later, or might not, we’ll see how I feel later.

Kind Regards Curly x 

Box ticking activity

I am always complaining at work that we are made to do things that are simply a box ticking activity but this weekend I don’t mind ticking things off the list, as longs as it’s the summer bucket list.

Many a time people have commented that I will say things that have no relevance, that have come out of no where or that I must have a list of things to say whether anyone else is interested in listening or not.  Funny, these comments don’t bother me.  There is usually a train of thought and it is often linked to whatever is happening or being said.  This happened this morning GO wanted to go to Blackpool to pick up some kitchen doors that where for sale.  I was up to my neck in reports but had decided to take a break, I excitedly said we should go and take a look.  We quickly realised that the doors were too big for our cupboards, it didn’t take long for us to agree we should go anyway.  “We can have a beach picnic.  It’s in the bucket list!”  I said, GO looked at me puzzled, apparently he doesn’t read the blog as religiously as he should (or ever) and didn’t know that we had a summer bucket list.  Things that I want to do this summer, so I sent him the list.  We were going to have a picnic on the beach.  We followed the signs for Lytham St Anne’s, we got lost.  I love getting lost, you always find new and interesting places.  We drove through little chocolate box award winning villages.  It came out of nowhere, there was a brown sign for a garden centre.  It was glorious there was a farm shop, garden centre, poultry farm, marina, curling hall, I honestly was beside myself with joy.  This is what I had been missing, it was like a Northern Millets Farm, minus the PYO fruit.  We wandered, looked at the plants and flowers, bought some picnic bits and pieces.  On the way out we stopped at the ice cream parlour and ticked off the first bucket list activity of the day.   

Just like Millets Farm, sort of.



For some reason this reminds me of Mamilein 

I love a big stag

Newest addition to the haus 

Not Italian but it’ll do

He always overdoes it

Why is everyone so dressed up?

As I got on the train I noticed that nearly everyone was dressed up to their eyeballs, I mean I’d made an effort but I’m no longer the spring chicken I once was.  I was wearing the maxi dress that has seen me through more leaving/birthday/hen parties than I can count.  It’s nice, dressy but really, really comfortable.  I can’t remember where it came from, I don’t care.  I have it in red but the black is better.  I dragged it out of the wardrobe for a hen do, this was my first day/night out since moving up North.  I’d been to and of term things but this was the first shindig that I had been invited to on my own.  It was also my first solo trip to Leeds, it won’t be my last.  Yes it was a long journey but it was so simple and quite reasonable, just a shame it was the hottest day of the year and the heaters were on full blast.

Summer Bucket List

Summer is here

Easter Guff

I’ve had so much fun decorating the house ready for Easter and dressing it in pale yellow, turquoise and greens.  I may have to have a colour scheme for each season.  Does that sound to pretentious?  Ah who cares it’s my house. 

Frohe Ostern

Easter is a two week break for me but only one for GO (don’t feel sorry for him he gets three weeks for Christmas) and traditionally we go away the my first his second week, then I visit my parents. This year as we have purchased a house we decided to enjoy it and make the most for having our own space.  Something we are still getting used to.  We/I planned a luscious three course meal and made the day a real celebration.  

Here’s to many more celebrations to come.