Last Wednesday and Thursday I escaped Uxbridge to spend two gorgeous days in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. My first trip to Wales was full of warm sunshine, some sightseeing, and relaxation in the park. Some places I explored: *Cardiff Castle--Located in the city centre, Cardiff Castle contains 1,900 years of history. With parts built by the Romans and the Normans, the castle was restored in the 19th century by the third marquess of Bute. He hired the Vict...

My apologies to everyone for not updating sooner. I've had a rough couple of weeks. With my dental issues and nasty colds and just a general inability to concentrate on anything, I didn't quite have the energy to log on. But now I'm back in action so here goes... The weekend before Easter (31 March-1 April) Julie and Tim invited me to visit them in Oxford. It's always good to see them and have a chance to catch up. The weather was beautiful and w...

My apologies to everyone for not updating sooner. I've had a rough couple of weeks. With my dental issues and nasty colds and just a general inability to concentrate on anything, I didn't quite have the energy to log on. But now I'm back in action so here goes... The weekend before Easter (31 March-1 April) Julie and Tim invited me to visit them in Oxford. It's always good to see them and have a chance to catch up. The weather was beautiful and w...

Last Saturday Brunel International sponsored a daytrip to Canterbury, and of course I couldn't pass up the chance to go. We had a very knowledgable tour guide who shared a great deal about the history of the city and Canterbury Cathedral. He took us on a walking tour of the city, and we had some time to explore the cathedral. A bit about Canterbury Cathedral:The cathedral is best known as the destination of pilgrims seeking the shrine of Thomas Becket, archbi...

Welcome to St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, Take 2! Last Friday I made my triumphant (OK, maybe not exactly triumphant...) return to Ireland after five years! In some ways it felt like only yesterday that I was leaving after my two months of student teaching there and in other ways it made me feel incredibly old to think that it had been five years. It was a good feeling to be back, and I found many things had changed (at least from the way I remembered them) in...