Hogmanay

FIRE!! There is nothing which screams to the primeval part of anyones psyche like a fire. We were fortunate enough to be invited to spend Hogmanay in Scotland and be taken into Biggar, who host a fire festival.

The roots of Hogmanay are a bit fuzzy but its believed that it ties in with the Norse celebration of  winter solstice among the Norse as well as incorporating customs from the Gaelic celebration of Samhain ( which is celebrated in various forms throughout the UK featuring fire).  Usually in Scottish villages there is a precession of fire bearers, a pipping band and fire ball swinging before the huge bonfire is lit and dancing begins. 

I found it interesting that traditionally Christmas was not celebrated as a festival and that Hogmanay was the more traditional celebration in Scotland ( though now with commercialisation its anyones game)

The day before New Years is spent cleaning the house spotlessly and ensuring that everything has been aired.

We went into Biggar to check out the huge bonfire heap which had been accumulating for over a week and I have to say it was impressive. Sat on the main street, tonnes of waste wood pieces and logs were thrown up higher and higher.  I've taken a shot of the kids in front of it for scale. 

A huge precession marched up the street to the sound of many bagpipes wailing their tune. ( an eerie sound - as there were no cheers - silence all but for the bagpipes and roar of the fire bearers)

Fire bearers nearly stood shoulder to shoulder around the fire and waited for the signal to lower their burning brand.

It went up with a huge WHOOMPH! and began crackling madly. I can imagine a few people lost eyebrows and eyelashes being so close. 

We stayed for a while to watch the flames lick high into the inky darkness; that is, until the smoke almost overtook us. We were soon blanketed in thick smoke and had to escape to the car to get away from it.  Great night though!

Happy new years one and all.  May the dark young man who steps across your threshold bring fortune, happiness and health to you and your family.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Castlerigg Stone Circle is situated near Keswick in Cumbria and to my mind probably the most atmospheric and dramatically situated of any of the ancient stone circles.  So many people believe that Stonehenge is the only stone circle in the UK; which is mad; especially given Avebury is only 10 miles away and just as impressive.

Castlerigg is around the same vintage though, believed to have been raised in about 3000 BC during the Neolithic period.

We were fortunate enough to be there on a crisp beautiful afternoon, just as the last rays of sunlight burst over the snow capped mountains.  The light was incredible. Set high up on the hills with panoramic views of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop, its a breathtaking spot to be.

It certainly has a powerful energy surrounding it; and I was glad to have been granted time to wander inside the stones and meditate.

Christmas Day 2014

Stockings are set with care, bribes are out and children snoozing, desperately trying to stay awake to take a peak of Santa Claus.

I'm eternally grateful for the wonders of technology. Christmas morning ( Aussie time) was something I could share with my family, while here, in the dark and cold, we were still waiting for Saint Nick to arrive. It was wonderful to see and hear my family back home getting stuck into presents, firing up the nerf guns and getting ready for a big family meal together.

Here, in the Lakes District, we slept to a respectable 7 am and called more friends and family, chatting till mid morning ( and hunger overcame the desire to talk)

One of my favourite breakfasts is smoked salmon Eggs Benedict. Its one of those luxury breakfasts that screams "holiday". I also adore a fruit platter ( most meals if we have to be honest here)

The kids were very excited to see what Santa had brought; the toss up between the books and the new ipad ( what great kids I have!)

Continuing the tradition of wearing silly hats at the main Christmas meal, we have Morgan sporting his turkey hat and Lilly wearing a very fetching reindeer hat.

Again, through the wonders of tech, we were able to share our meal with Michael, who at some terrible time in the morning in Australia, also put on a silly hat and joined in virtually.

I didn't go stupid on the meal - just the traditional stuff - turkey ( so succulent!) roast veges, brussels sporouts, honeyed carrots and minty peas, cranberry sauce and a thick gravy made from pan juices.. yummmmm.

We toasted absent family and friends, were grateful for a wonderful year and welcomed in the new opportunities 2015 will bring us. 

Though it is promising to snow later in the week, it doesn't look good.  We are in the lovely town of Ambleside in the Lakes District,where the home is snug and warm. Our plans extend to watching Christmas movies on the box and eating popcorn.

Wishing all our loved ones a wondrous festive season.

Christmas Card 2014

Merry Christmas to all our friends, family and loved ones. 

A note ( and apology) on my Christmas Cards - I had planned to be ever so organised with Christmas cards this year, having ordered personalised ones early in October. After a month and they not arriving, I had to re-order - which was a pain to start with, but a little difficult to manage given our traveling lifestyle ( no set address for periods of time). In the end, I received them late November, wrote and addressed them, sent off the European ones and sent the Australian ones in a large envelope to my mum to put stamps on and send from there.. Sorry Aussie mates, its been 4 weeks and that envelope has not yet arrived... I just hope it does eventually arrive and you do get a card.. But just in case..... this is what it looks like.. and I'll type the message I had on the back below.

As you read this, we will still be in Europe, hopefully experiencing a white Christmas.

2014 has seen the three of us travel much of Europe, complete the Camino and most importantly, begin to come to terms with the cards we have been dealt.

Christmas is a time for celebrating family relationships and for gratitude - this Christmas will be no different. With a tumultuous two years behind us we are looking forward to an exciting, bright future, filled with travel, spending time with loved ones and family while living our lives to the fullest potential. Though we will be far away from loved ons, Christmas, like all of 2014, has been a time for out new family to bond and begin to plan out future. 

With much love Annie, Morgan and Lilly Mitchell. 

,

He's behind you!! Pantos - Mother Goose at the Salisbury Playhouse

The stage was set for Mother Goose Panto at Salisbury and I was completely entranced the entire time.

For those who have never seen or heard of a panto, let me share a few insights and historical facts with you.

Its a purely British institution performed around Christmas time. Though often there are celebrities as the star act, it is not a must. Based on the Italian comedia dell'arte, its slapstick and physical comedy rolled up with bawdy banter, songs and dance, often with a local twist and often referencing television or cultural events from the year. 

What really sets it apart from 'normal' styles of theatre is the audience participation; something that I doubt would work or occur anywhere else in the world. Most characters have a key action or word that they illicit a response from the audience with.  Everyone knows that when the baddy comes in everyone boos and hisses. When a character begins an argument with "Oh no I don't", the audience yells "Oh yes you do". Other instances include characters hiding and only the audience can see them, yelling " They are behind you!" and sighing and sympathising when a character is poor or is having a bad time with "Awwwww".

Pantomimes run along a set storyline with a dame, who is normally very poor (and played by a man) with a young man ( played by a woman) who has a love interest. There is a battle of good against evil, with a moralistic message, culminating in temptation and good finally triumphing, ending with a wedding or a party.  Other ingredients include a 'messy' scene where two or more characters get extremely wet or messy with gags on the audience of fake buckets of water.

Pantomimes are normally written with risque lines so that the adults in the audience have a good giggle and the kids are none the wiser.

Reflective of the Greek and Italian Comedia Dell'arte performances, the 'good' characters enter the stage on the right ( symbolising Heaven) and the 'baddies' entering from the left ( symbolising Hell).

I particularly enjoyed the slapstick humour and the nod to the Laurel and Hardy skit of the wallpaper glue. 

Character performances were strong, comedic timing was smooth and practiced and best of all, the actors looked like they were enjoying themselves, rather than running on automatic. 

A huge thank you to Sally who surprised us with this kind gift of tickets to see this wonderful performance and introduction into a very special British institution.

Blustery Blowing Glastonbury

Back again at one of my favourite spaces in the world... Glastonbury; and in particular, the Tor.  Thought its a blustery, chilly day, I couldn't pass the chance to walk up it again and breathe in the calming energy of the place. 

After being in the highlands of Scotland, its incredible how mild the winter is here down south, still is. I also cannot get over how green everything is - still. It will be a big shock to go back to Aus and experience a cold winter there - where everything dies and its all brown and yuck. 

We climbed the Tor and nearly got blown off the top! The pictures below are of the kids running in the wind and leaning into it -being blown around alot.

Magical or no.. its a beautiful, peaceful spot.

Christmas Markets in Bruge

We had a brief - but fantastic nights stay in Bruge - especially to visit the famous Christmas Markets.

To add that extra special Northern Hemisphere Christmas atmosphere, there is an ice rink in the middle of the square. There are beautiful fairy lights encrusting the trees, making them glisten and shine.

The markets are relatively small, with perhaps 50 stalls in all. Most of them are food stalls, each I suspect, pumps out its sweet or savoury smells to entice passerpbys. 

We indulged in hot chocolates and then a special marshmallow chocolate dome sweet; followed by the most enormous hot dog in history. 

We ogled the hand crafted toys and beautiful  Christmas ornaments, which were showcased with twinkling lights and mirrors. It truly felt like we were transported into a fairy land. 

We really splashed out ( ha ha not really) and bought two tiny wooden carved tree ornaments.

Perhaps it was a long way to come and drink hot chocolate and get a wooden tree ornament, but the experience will stay with us, and as I say to others - we don't have things like this in Australia.. so its important to grab the opportunity to se and experience them first hand when we can.

I've been to Bruges before and spent time wandering its tiny streets in the summertime. Its unique ancient medieval Flemish city where much of the architecture has been preserved with the streets traffic free making it very easy to explore on foot. Oh - and Bruges is also a chocolate lover's paradise! mmmmmmm..

It was also heartening to know that the "camino kids have still got it!"  Our room ( gorgeous by the way) was a little way from the city centre. Our host pointed us up the street and said "keep walking straight, you'l run into it".. we hadn't imagined that we needed to walk 4 kms.. but we did easily.  Though it was chilly, we had our fluffy coats and gloves and our normal silly banter kept us going. It was great to know we could walk 8 km in an afternoon and not really worry about it.

Brussels

Brussels boasts some iconic photographic spots - the Atomium, Mannikin Pis and the space-age Atomium.

One of the lasting visits was the Atomium which looms 102m over Brussels like some space age alien from a bad sixties movie. 

We didn't go inside due to time restrictions, but I've been told that it houses nine separate studios showcasing art and creative displays.  The house-sized metallic balls are linked by steel tube-columns containing escalators and lifts. The balls look like a school chemistry set to represent iron atoms in their crystal lattice.It was built as a symbol of postwar progress for the 1958 World’s Fair ( Expo) and was scheduled to be destroyed but in a last minute bid, it got saved and turned into a world class art gallery and restaurant. 

We spent a day wandering the medieval streets and wandered the beautiful square, which was dressed especially for Christmas. 

Other attractions included the Mannikin Pis and the Janneke Pis ( which I will blog about separately) 

When in Brussels, one MUST eat the frittes.  They are soooo good. We lined up for about 10 mins at one of the most famous places to eat fries - and were not disappointed. Creamy inside and so crisp and deliciously fried on the outside - accompanied of course with creamy mayonnaise.  

We also ate waffles and had hot chocolates .. mmmm.what a piggy day - but so delightful. 

One of the must "dos" is a leisurely wander into the Les Galerie Royales Saint-Hubert. Its a famous 19th century shopping arcade, where chocolate shops carry more security that a jewelery shop and looks every bit as beautiful and precious.  I've read that over 6 million visitors walk up and down it a year. Judging from the prices of the food and chocolates, if everyone of them bought just one tiny piece, the owners are very happy people.

We indulged by visiting one shop and buying one ( yes - truly) 1 - piece of confectionary each. 

Below is a photo of Lilly choosing a traditional Belgium jellied fruit sweet. the one below is of me at the start of the long walkway.

The Cat on a bike is a sculpture was created by artist Alain Séchas for the city of Brussels in 2005. He reportabley was paid 100 000 €. yeah.. I am wondering too. Still, its one of THE things to go and look at and scratch your head about, so we did.. got the photo and are still wondering.

Manneken Pis. Probably the most overrated underwhelming tourist attraction

One of the most iconic statues is the Manneken Pis in Brussels. You have to know it.. You know.. The fountain of the little boy peeing ????

The incredible amount of tacky tasteless merchendising that surrounds it is embarrassing and for the most just plain disturbing. 

Regardless as to when you go, crowds mill about it, with endless tourist groups shoving thier way to get close to the railings. 

I've got to say, its one of  the most over rated underwhelming tourist attractions, only just being beaten by the Mona Lisa. 

Tiny... Dark... And wierd.

Today when we visited, it was dressed in football regalia. Apparently its dressers are so busy now, it has a schedual of costumes you can refer to and can visit its wardrobe in a museum - which has hundreds of outfits.. I know.. Disturbing.

So.. Here he is in all his tiny glory..

The Statue has origins from the 13 th century, though the one on display is from the mid 1900s.. Apparently, strangely, people keep stealing it..

There are a number of myths about its origins which mostly involve a small boy getting lost and then being found by townsfolk peeing in the corner of a street. One involves the boy saving the town by peeing on the fuse line of a set of explosives.

Anyway - you can decide for yourself which story best suits truth.. probably none of them. 

In the early 90s this statute was commissioned to raise awareness for cervical cancer. Its called Janneke Pis, and for security reasons.. she hides behind a metal cage.  I've heard there is a dog pissing fountain too, but my map wasn't picking it up on my phone, so we didn't pursue it.

Our wonderful Scottish HelpX Host - Conner

What a complete gem of a placement with helpx we have just had. We ae so so sorry to have left and wish we could not only return, but stay longer.

 I can unequivocally say in the 18 months we have been involved with HelpX, that this has been the most welcoming, enjoyable and brilliant placements we have experienced.

In the lowlands of Scotland, our placement was only an hour away from Edinburgh but still in the vast spaces of sheep country. Immediately we arrived we felt part of the family. 

This is the conservatory and below is a picture of me in the back yard.

Conner is warm, generous and kind. What an incredible talent, passion and patience he has with his baking! We were honoured to be part of the daily bread baking process and I have come away with so much knowledge not only about the process, but the chemical background of why certain ingredients react they way they do; I can’t wait to test these recipes out myself! Conners collection of recipe books is astounding. His cooking was first class and we were so spoilt every meal. Healthy, nutritional and wholesome meals which will become from family favourites of ours. I am used to taking the cooking tasks on when I go to a helpx role, so it was a real treat to cooked for.

Mary is witty and full of wonderful facts about her country. Her amusing sayings and folk wisdom had me laughing every day. She is now our beloved Scottish Grannie.

Iona is an inquisitive, delightful and caring child and one Lilly immedialty loved and called sister.

 We slotted into their lives and assisted in a number of tasks, enjoyed every moment we were there. I am so grateful for this experience and know we have lifelong friends coming away.

We were very sad to leave and truly wished we could have stayed much longer.

So - if you want a placement where you feel and are treated like family, want to be immersed with Scottish village life and come away with baking skills ( and weigh a few pounds more!) then don’t hesitate - apply now to be Conners next helpers.