Monday, July 19, 2010

G R O C E R Y S H O P P I N G . . . . .


Grocery shopping is a different experience here. This is something that I have had to get used to in the last couple of weeks. The carts in the store are WIERD!! First of all they are all chained together and you have to put £1 in the little coin slot so that the chain will be released--thus you are entitled to drive a buggy-cart-whatever the thing is around the store. It is possessed. The wheels on it are not right. I don't care which side you push, pull or YANK...it will not go straight! I found myself leaning and pulling on it as hard as I could to keep out of someone else's way. OH--and that's another thing..."I" am always in someone else's way. It's another thing to get used to--people don't really move over or step aside in an aisle or on a sidewalk. I think if I didn't move over then they would run me over. No big deal. Different country, different ways. SO, today is Monday and I had errands to run--not in a car mind you--I have none. I walked down to the cleaners with one pair of slacks in a plastic grocery bag. Dropped them off, continued on, crossed the bridge over the river, went to a couple of other stores, stopped in the bank to change the pin on my new debit card and also to ask them how to fill out a check :) -- they are different than ours, went to the post office to mail KATIE pooh her birthday card. In the post office you have to take a number. There were 27 people in front of me. Hmmm...I didn't want to wait. I kept my number, walked back home, dumped the packages, took a bathroom break, drink of water and then grabbed my groovy new grocery cart (displayed for you in the above picture--hehe), went back to the post office with now only 3 people in front of me! Got the card mailed and was off to the grocery. In the grocery, I strategically loaded up my groovy new grocery cart from heaviest objects to lightest and also had a hand basket with some stuff in it. Went to the check out unloaded it all, paid, reloaded it all and then headed back home with my cart and one bag in my hand. So, I'm walking along---the sidewalks are stones, uneven...I bit the dust--you know--FELL DOWN!!!!!!!!! Holy noodlehead!!!!!!!!! I was stunned!!! :) hehe....so it's on a narrow street and this car is right next to me and the guy says with English accent, "Are you OK?" I said I was and that I just needed to wear different shoes the next time I did this! 10 more steps and from another car the man asks me if I am OK. Funny times!! So there you have just a bit from my day. I sure hope yours was as great as mine!! :)

ARLEY HALL AND GARDENS









Arley Hall and Gardens - found this online and it is about 1/2 hour's drive from where we live. Normally you can tour the Hall but there was a wedding so we just did the gardens. There are a lot of different gardens, all different and so pretty. Fun day! I'm totally in love with the English gardens here. The flowers are beautiful. There is also an old barn on the property where you can buy lunch - yum yum!

Chester Cathedral








This Cathedral was unbelievable! Wood carvings were so intricate, needlepoint cushions on the pews, mosaic murals depicting events from the Bible. The Cathedral was very large and spacious with a self-guided tour using headphones, so we could wander wherever we wanted to go and at our own pace. Loved it!

2nd picture: the organ sits just beneath all these organ pipes and all of this is located above one of the huge archways on the side of the Cathedral. On Tuesdays they give free organ concerts that we plan to go to tomorrow.
3rd picture: "The Bishop's Pulpit" - right behind the wings is a very large OLD Bible
4th picture: "The Bishop's Throne" which is called the "Cathedra". Because there is a "Cathedra", this is a "Cathedral"