Swans and Spooky Tombstones

Ashley and I rode our bikes up to the borough of Christchurch today. It was about a 25 minute ride from home.



I have to say, it is my FAVORITE place around here! Let me count the reasons why...

1) The swans!!!! (Watch the video below of Ashley feeding one!)



Swans are the Queen's bird. It's illegal to capture, injure, or kill them. In the Christchurch harbor, hoards of swans fight amongst each other for the precious bits of bread crumbs people throw at the them. Although beautiful, swans are known to be vicious hissing monsters. Luckily, we found a nice one.










2) Christchurch Priory Church & Cemetery



This massive medieval church sits in the middle of the town, surrounded my beautiful gardens and a creepy cemetery. And most impressively, it was built in 1094!! Can you freaking believe that! 1094!

Although we visited in the middle of the day, Ashley and I couldn't help but get a creepy feeling in and around the church. Being England's longest Parish church there were plenty of dark corners and stained-glass windows, candles and tapestries along the long walls. Haunting images of heaven, hell, birth, death, angels, demons, as well as skulls were carved into history. There were even narrow stoned passageways leading towards a lower level which was closed off to the public, which was very off-putting. Pictures were not allowed in the church but I sneaked in a few anyway. (Yea, I'm going to Hell.)















3) Ruins of Christchurch Castle



This castle was built in the 12th century, so sometime between 1101 - 1200 AD. Only a couple walls are still standing, but they're intriguing. A little moat even continues to run around it!





4) The waterways



Besides being invaded by swans, the harbor is a picturesque seafront where one can go fishing, rent a motor boat for a few hours, park a sailboat for the night, or get a tour of the small working Mill, called Place Mill.

Ashley and I rented a motor boat last year when I visited and it was fun. We should be doing that again shortly.







5) The quaint buildings



The crooked brick roads, the thatched roofed tea houses, the English flags adorning the walls of the narrow streets... THIS is England! HOW CUTE!

Thursdays Are Market Days in Boscombe

If you're wondering, Boscombe is a borough of Bournemouth. Boscombe is where I do my shopping but I actually live in Pokesdown, which is just a couple blocks away. Pokesdown is tiny! We're sandwiched between Southbourne and Boscombe. I swear! You just walk a couple blocks in any direction and you find yourself in another borough. Anyway, here's some pictures from today's market!











Check out that sweet fem-mullet above in the left corner! NICE ONE, MATE!

Cruising Along the Beaches of Bournemouth

A sunnier day...
















Beach is super close to my house, like a 10 minute bike ride!

♡ - Kristen

Already Feeling Settled

I’m still a little jet-lagged but besides that, I’m well good.

This past week I’ve been adjusting to English life. I’ve had a couple ciders. Got a new cell phone. Kicked back by the beach and got some sun. Went to a pub to see a friend of a friend’s band play. There was a pretty awesome beer garden in the back, which was sweet.



Ashley and I went out to dinner with his family the other day. We went to Toby Carvery, which is this restaurant/pub chain that has a buffet-style proper Sunday roast. Sunday roasts are a big deal here. It’s like a Thanksgiving dinner every week; turkey, ham, potatoes, yada, yada, yada and these funny Yorkshire pudding things. It’s not pudding at all actually, it’s like a soft pastry bowl that you smother with gravy and such and it kind of just melts in your mouth. Yummy.

Life without a car is good. I’ve been riding my bike everywhere, but I feel like I’m getting to know my way around a whole lot quicker. I make several trips each day to the main shopping area at the end of my street. There’s a bunch of coffee shops, clothing stores, all the usual stuff. They call the mall-like place in town, the arcade, and it’s really hot and stuffy in there.



I have a serious problem with my front door, well anything with a handle really. First off, Ashley and I had to go three days in a row to the locksmith to get my key copied and then remade and then remade. The man said something about making a copy of a copy of a copy doesn’t work well on the door. .. something like that. But even with the “right” key, I still can’t get the damn thing opened! I’ve come to the conclusion that American door handles and toilet flushers are just way easier to turn then English ones. I really have to make a concentrated effort and use force when using them. Haha

This is also the first time I’ve ever lived on a busy street, which has proven to be quite entertaining. There are these crazy-ass people that live across the street on the 2nd floor directly in eye-view when sitting in our front room. If it’s not this one fat guy standing oddly in the center of his room rubbing his belly, it’s random people popping up from all corners of the window, or people just appearing from the darkness, since there seems to be no light over there. It’s just funny. Then today I had the pleasure to watch all these policemen arrest this poor dude with bad hair after they searched his car and interrogated this girlfriend for ten minutes.



So my cameras been acting up, but I think I fixed it, so expect more photos from me very soon. oh yeah 2 more words!

spade = shovel
plasters = band-aids

♡ - Kristen

Across the Pond I Go

It's time!

These last days have been bittersweet. I've been bumming it with my parents for two work-less stress-free weeks now, enjoying a full fridge, mom's home-cooking, air conditioning, hundreds of cable channels, and pool access - all amenities I greatly missed during my not-too-long-ago college days. And now to have to say good-bye again... how will I survive?

In all reality, my heart has been aching to be reunited with my Englishman. And after seven lonely long months (with two visits in-between and A LOT of odd-hour Skyping) the distance is finally over.


"Absence is to love as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great."
- Roger de Bussy-Rabutin


Speaking of distances making the heart grow fonder, I do miss my California friends who have always supported me and made my home away from home that much more special. You all have a special place in my heart and I'm sure I'll be reminiscing of our sunny Cali adventures when the rain starts hammerin' down in England (and then continues to rain for 6 months straight! lol)

And a special thanks to my Nor-Cal friends and family who helped me move, gave me a place to stay and a place to store all my crap, and for taking care of my beloved pet rabbit while I am away. Thank you so much!!!!

So, farewell America, Mom, Dad, Michael & all my friends and family. I love you. You'll be undoubtedly missed. But do not worry fore I am in good hands!

Oh, btw, another English translation: snog = kiss

♡ - Kristen

God Save the Queen

Hello!

As most of you know I'm getting ready to move to England. With only two suitcases, just about $1500 and with no job prepared and no real acquaintances other than my long distance boyfriend, I'm rightfully nervous but excited.

I'll be living in Bournemouth, which is dubbed the "garden city by the sea". It's located along the English Channel coast, about a 2 hour train/bus ride southwest of London. I visited Bournemouth twice last year and fell in love with it. Not only does it have old English charm with its thatched-roofed Mary Poppins-like homes, grassy hills and countryside pebbled roads, but it also embodies a beach atmosphere with brightly striped umbrellas littered along the popular sandy ocean banks. (Oh! Did I mention the beaches are top-optional!?)

My new flat (I'm so excited to call it that!) is located on a main street, or what the English call a high street. I'll be sharing my new home with my boyfriend named Ashley and his two friends Aaron and Ollie, all of which are avid BMX riders. Needless to say, this is a dude hangout I will be infiltrating.

Since dating a Brit, I'm accustomed to some of the jargon and confusing rhyme slang used by the locals and all the English (I think?) for that matter.

For instance:

chin-waggin' = chatting
offie = an off-licensed shop (like a liquor/convenience store)
fiver or Lady Godiva or deep sea diver = a five pound bill
trousers = pants
pants or knickers= underwear
aubergine = eggplant
courgette = zucchini
chips = French fries
crisps = chips
bin men = garbage men
nackered or shattered = tired
hammerin' or pissin' it down = raining hard
pissed = drunk
mobile = cell phone
the tube = London's subway

*Not to mention there are words that are just pronounced differently, such as zebra, vitamin, aluminum and garage.

** I'll make sure to write down new words as I discover them.

Not only do I look forward to living in England, but during my six month stay I plan on several trips. Hopefully, if my finances will allow it, I will be visiting Venice, Munich, Prague, Amsterdam, Paris, and Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. I am very excited about this trip and hope you'll join me on my Blog as I have the European experience of a lifetime!

♡ - Kristen

Bournemouth Coast

Ashley along the coast

Me and Mary Shelley's grave. She's the author of
Frankenstein. She's buried in Bournemouth

The BMX bikes in the living room (haha!)

Standing in front of wild horses in New Forest.