Salisbury Cathedral

A visit to England was right up my alley because of my obsession with all things gothic. When I was in secondary (middle) school, I could name all the six wives of Henry VIII in a flash but struggled with remembering just one name of our eight ...er was it seven Sultans who ruled Malacca! I was a big fan of British author Jean Plaidy (1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993) and read almost every single novel from her Tudor Saga series.

This gothic cathedral is one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Britain. How can one not marvel at the beauty and scale of the building?

Apparently, parts of the building are watered by an underground stream where the water level is checked 7 times a day! If it ever dried up, the building would collapse!

The Spire
Erected 800 years ago, the spire stands at a whopping 404 ft, the tallest church spire in England.

The cathedral is also home to the best-preserved of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta

How can a building of such splendor be built in those medieval times without the use of today's machinery? WOW!

The Nave

The infinity pool at the entrance of the nave

The tomb of a knight

The mechanism of the turret clock displayed at the nave of the cathedral

In those days, turret clocks were highly regarded for timekeeping and this ancient clock of the cathedral since 1386 is still ticking away, making it the oldest working clock in the world.

The Cloisters

Despite the crowds, I was struck by the tranquility of the place.

At the time of our visit, Sean Henry's exhibition was on.

Ancient meets modern

Sean Henry's sculpture of a modern man placed on the west front of the cathedral

Stonehenge

I don't think I'll ever forget my first glimpse of the stones in the distance as our coach was approaching this mysterious landmark that has stumped the world for 5,000 years. Visiting Stonehenge was on my bucket list.

Watching the spectacular monolithic stones rise against the horizon was beyond description.

The stones in all their glory

Stonehenge is one of the seven wonders of the medieval world. There are theories abound surrounding the inexplicable rock formation. How did these ginormous stones get here out in an empty field in the middle of nowhere, remote from any settlements? Who assembled them?

Was it a religious temple? A sacrificial temple for the gory rituals of the Druids? An astronomical clock? A Bronze Age burial ground? Was it built by aliens?

You could almost feel the energy from them. I've read somewhere that cellphones start to play up when you're near the stones - something to do with the powerful magnetic force from the stones - the kind of force needed for a landing ground for alien spaceships! What do you think? I'll go with the alien theory.

A million visitors from across the globe flock to Stonehenge every year.

Those mounds you see in the distance are round barrows, a form of burial monument associated with the earlier half of the Bronze Age. They contain the cremated remains of the people/beings who built Stonehenge.

The boys and Hubby, however, did not share my fascination for the great ancient circle. And Mr. Krabs here didn't fancy coughing up £20 (that's almost 100 ringgit) to get past the fence to a slightly closer fence for a half-hour audio tour around a pile of stones you can't touch or go near!
It was just as awesome peering through the chain-linked fence.

*The photos above were taken through the fence

Buckingham Palace

Here we are at Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837.

Did you know that Buckingham is pronounced as Buck-ing-um? The h is silent as in all English place names like Clapham, Birmingham, Cheltenham, Debenhams, etc.

It was surreal, standing here at the palace where the Royal Wedding took place only a few months ago.

In June 2003, three German tourists climbed over the walls and camped overnight on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, believing it to be Hyde Park. Sarah Ferguson found them barbecuing sausages on the lawn. When her royal highness interrogated, "Do you know where you are?" The campers nonchalantly replied "Hyde Park!", unaware that she was the Duchess Of York herself!

Then there's this tale of Michael Fagan, the prowler who broke into the palace and entered the Queen's bedchamber in the early hours of 9 July 1982. The Queen woke up when the Irish intruder disturbed a curtain, after which he sat on the edge of her bed talking to her for about ten minutes.The Queen was only able to raise the alarm when Fagan asked for a cigarette and she called for a footman who held him until the police arrived.

Disclaimer: The facts shared here are as told to us by our tour guide who was quite a funny guy. Half the time, we couldn't tell if he was serious or merely pulling our leg. We were all foreigners in the tour group he was leading.

Rodney with Phil Bennett, our tour guide of Evan Tours. Phil was fun and quite the entertainer! Loved his humour! It seems that he has been told many times that he looks like Matt Damon. He does, actually, minus the bowler hat and pipe!

The Reluctant Travelers

Note to self - Never EVER drag two reluctant boys (one teenager who didn't think that traipsing down the streets of London was fun and a tween who had serious withdrawal symptoms away from his computer) along to a family vacation that lasts about a week. I would've gladly left them at home except that nobody wanted to babysit them! I mean, who wants to be stuck with a hormonal fourteen year-old who's determined to make you a recipient of The-Worst-Mother-Of-The-Year award or a precocious twelve year-old who drives you crazy with his incessant questions? And I was beginning to think that an overseas family vacation would be easier now that they are older! Wrong!

Give me those babies/toddlers anytime!!

One - You can't shove a pacifier into a teenager's mouth when he whines about entering yet another cathedral or church or abbey.

Two- You can't strap them into a stroller and shop till you drop.

Three- You can't smack their behinds when they bicker over who gets the window seat on the plane, in the coach, train or tram.

What was I thinking? Coercing one and a half teenagers into holing up in the same room for more than 5 days? It was against all the laws of nature. In their defence, London isn't exactly the perfect place for a family vacation. Checking out cathedrals, museums, historic places and shopping isn't a teenager's idea of fun.

Anyway, I was about to plot my revenge by writing the boys off my will for snafuing the vacation when Josh gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks Mom. London was awesome!"

So, did we have a wonderful time in London? Absolutely! London was surreal and everything I had imagined it to be. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. And yes, with the boys in tow. Nah, they're not that bad. At least it didn't turn out to be a National Lampoon vacation!

Here are a few random pics to share. I will upload the rest in my upcoming posts.

Salisbury Cathedral

The iconic red double decker buses and phone booths

Big Ben

The Tower Bridge

Admiralty Arch

One of the statues at the Queen Victoria Memorial

Canned Sardine Curry

Canned food was our staple when we were in college but after one-too-many meals straight from the can, my roommate and I became creative and you'll be surprised at the many ways we could rock a can of sardines! My roommate was Indian and she habitually sprinkled curry powder to everything she cooked - instant ramen, baked beans (it tasted like chili con carne), and even on spam! Some dishes tasted weird but this sardine recipe is really good! The tomato sauce from the canned sardines just blends perfectly with the curry spices. My boys always lick their plates clean whenever I prepare this dish.

Ingredients :

1 canned sardines in tomato sauce
2 tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 cup water
Salt to taste
2tbsps cooking oil

Blend
100gm shallots
50gm garlic

Mix into a thick paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsps curry powder
a few tbsps water


Method :
1. Remove sardines from can, retain the tomato sauce. Set aside
2. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry blended mixture until fragrant.
4. Add mustard seeds,coriander seeds and curry paste. Mix well.
5. Add water, the canned sardine’s tomato sauce, tomatoes, and bring to the boil.
6. Lower heat and add in the sardines, cook for 1 min.
7. Add coconut milk and salt and simmer for another minute
8. Dish out, serve hot with rice, bread or paratha

Back To The Start

This is so hauntingly beautiful, I had to share it.

The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system.

                                                   

Beautiful in every sense of the word.

So I guess it all boils down to making a choice of either paying the farmer (for the more expensive naturally-raised meat) or the doctor.

Dear Photograph

DearPhotograph is a site that invites readers to submit a photograph of the present with a juxtaposed picture of the past. The site is only a few weeks old but it has attracted a large following. Love the poignant caption of each photo.

Dear Photograph, We were inseparable for 26 years, till cancer came her way. Can you please give me my sister back?
Loesje Kessels

Dear Photograph,
Dad is gone…but the strength of his arms will always be around us.
Holly

Dear Photograph, Those were the days, when Mom would put us in matching clothes.
Fabio

Dear Photograph,
28 years ago I never realized how much Lakeside would become my rock with all the moving around we did. It will always feel like I’ve come home.
Stephen Bailey

Dear Photograph,
Letting go of my mother’s hand the first day of school was always the hardest.
Liz

Dear Photograph,
I hope I’ve made my dad proud.
Ryan

Dear Photograph,
Please tell Tobby I love him. I’m so sorry I didn’t have the courage to say “goodbye”…
Always in my heart.
Michelle

Dear Photograph,
The old swing is empty, but this Mama’s heart never is.
MaryAnn Yutzy

Dear Photograph,
Summer days at the bay, there’s nothing like it…I hope my son will keep the family tradition for generations to come. Lindsay

Dear Photograph,
These were your first big steps of many that will be made in your lifetime.
Love, Mommy

More pics at http://dearphotograph.com/

W/W - Canna

"Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God"
Job 37:14

I thank thee, Lord for common things...
For each known bird that flies and sings...
Each blade of green grass...sweet wild flowers...
Refreshing breezes....cleansing showers...
Each newborn day...soft fall of night...
For gentle shade and glorious light.

I thank thee for the commonplace...
For all the loveliness and grace
Of Earth beneath and skies above...
Showing the bounty of Thy love.

Author Unknown

Sunday Citar - Sincerely Wrong: An Improbable Journey

I've made many friends through blogging and one of these terrific bloggy buddies is Sandra Kovacs Stein aka Great Granny Grandma whose blog greatly inspires me with her messages of God's love for us and the awesome ways He has worked in her life. If you haven't already met her, Sandra is the mother of two children, a grandmother of seven and a great-granny to two little ones. Sandra never ceases to amaze me! Her book entitled "Sincerely Wrong: An Improbable Journey" has just been published! I am so proud of her! Her book is beautiful! And you can tell from the very first page that she loves the Lord and wants to share the tremendous and awesome love that He has for each and every one of us.
After the tragic loss of her husband, Sandra went on a quest for a sense of purpose in her life, taking the wrong path in what she sincerely believed to be the truth in New Age and occult doctrines. At 39, she became a published numerologist and was unconsciously misleading others into buying a lie that her vulnerability had deceived her into believing it.

Sandra's book is a powerful testimony of how she was rescued from the darkness that was engulfing her. Writing this book wasn't easy as Sandra is a private person. In her afterword, she says "if my story can help even one reader come out of the darkness and into the light, then baring my soul will have been worthwhile".

Following are excerpts from her book.

"My exploration of New Age and the occult did not begin until after my husband's death. It started very furtively, after I read an article on transcendental medication. At the time, I had been feeling stressed and rundown, and was looking for something natural that might help me feel better The testimonials of how this method of relaxation not only reduced tension., but improved physical and mental well-being as well, persuaded me to try it.."


"As for the tragedy of a wasted life, has it truly been so? If I had pursued my talents and education to the fullest, would I ever have felt a need for the Lord or for His saving grace? Would I have spent my life chasing after the things the world has to offer, instead of the things that have eternal value? Would I have missed God's gift of salvation, a greater tragedy by far? Life has become fulfilling and exciting. I can't wait to see what the Lord does next!"

Click here to purchase her book or double click on the book icon at the right sidebar of her blog for the free pdf version or here for the kindle link to her book.

Note that this is not a review. I am sharing this 'cos Sandra's genuine, compelling testimony has deeply touched me and I too, want to help spread the word of God.

Let's show a fellow blogger some bloggy love and give her a shout out at Sandra's blog At The Foot Of The Cross. You can also communicate with her at skstein2010@gmail.com

Thank you, Sandra for being an instrument of God in leading us back to the right path.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6

Sunday Citar is hosted weekly by Tabitha .
*Citar means "to quote" in Spanish

Link up your post and have fun meeting new friends on your hops!

Bart Soutendijk

Bart Soutendijk 'draws' with wire. He makes murals for public, commercial, and residential locations out of wire. His wire sculptures adorn the walls of hotels, airports, hospitals, museums etc.

Cowboy Breakfast

Airport

Golf Swing

Conductors (60 X 85 inches) a portrait of Sir Georg Solti -- purchased by the Hot Springs Convention Center.

A 35 by 80 inch mural of dogs flushing out Bobwhite Quail for an outside porch on a home in South Carolina.

Kids Fishing (36 X 58 inches) was one of three sculptures installed at the Little Rock Convention Center, Little Rock, AR.

Jazz Funeral

C'est La Vie