A Walk in the Park and Along the River Lee

If these trees could talk!!

Crocus

Can Spring be springing?

Right after we saw this little guy...

we saw a brown hairless tailed squirrel run across the path in front of us!

Egyptian Geese

Canadian Geese... A long way from home!

Cute Coots ;-)

A Moorhen

Swan

House boats parked along the River Lee

House boat planters

People live on these boats.  I would like to find out what they do.  We see them travel up and down the river.  It must be a hard life, especially in the cold of winter.

Not all the boats are lived in but this one had a nice herb garden planted around it.

An look... The Anchor of Hope Pub on the way home...

Hope you enjoyed!!

Suz

PS - I fixed it so you add comments on the blog....

Flat in Wapping

We submitted an offer on an apartment in Wapping - London Borough of Tower Hamlets - along The River Thames. 

There is a lot of history in Wapping.  Because Wapping is situated along the river it was a key maritime port for importing and exporting... and pirates.  The Execution Dock was located in Wapping.  Pirates that were convicted were hung at Execution Dock.  Other prisoners were also executed here.  They were taken from prison on the south side of the river, across the London Bridge and past the Tower of London to the dock.

In 1811, the Ratcliff Highway Murders took place.  There were 2 murders 12 days apart.  The fact that these murders took place inside homes made them different and more frightening to locals.  Several books have been written about the murders.

Painter, James McNeil Whistler lived in Wapping in the early 1860's and painted several paintings of Wapping and the River Thames.

John newton, a hymn writer, was born in Wapping.

Cher lived in Wapping during the the 1990's.

Fictional character, Dr. Lamuel Gulliver from 'Gulliver's Travels', lived in Wapping before going off to sea.  And then there was 'Toothless in Wapping' from PlayStation 2's game Stuntman.

We still have some paperwork to do before we can move and the apartment needs to be painted, etc.  We will not be moving until February 20...  But here are some before pictures...

The outside... (bus stop across the street... 1 bus for Marco to go to work and 1 bus to Liverpool Station or St. Paul's Cathedral

Reception Room - a.k.a. Family Room

Kitchen... small but nice!

Balcony with river view

View from balcony.... 1 of those buildings is Marco's office

I forgot to mention.... London Bridge is a short walk away and across the river is Butler's Wharf.  Butler's Wharf is supposedly where Charles Dicken's characters Fagan and his pick-pocket boys hid out!

Apartment is small but we are very excited!!  There are 2 bedrooms so we have room for visitors....  make your reservations now!!

Enjoy!

Suzanne



It's a female thing....

And Marco's not happy!  To take public transportation around London (taxis are exempt) passengers have an Oyster Card.  You load your card and when you use up your balance you 'top it off'.  One day, I got on the 393 bus with Marco and I did not have enough for a full ride.  I paid the 2.30 for the ride.  When we switched to the 254 bus, I asked the driver if I could still use my ticket from the 393... he wasn't suppose to (technically) but he let me pass.  Marco was very surprised!

Another day, I tried to take the ferry but the ticket machine was not working so Omar told me to pass.... he told me when I got to the ferry to tell Michael that he said I could pass.  The ferry is 6.00 but with an Oyster card you get a discount of 5.10....  Marco could not believe my luck!

There have been other instances but....  Today, both Marco's and my Oyster cards were at the end.... we paid our way into Canary Wharf (cash).  While I was in town, I 'topped off' my card.  Marco did not.  On the way home, I used my Oyster card.  Marco tried to pay cash... the driver did not have change so he gave Marco a (yellow) ticket!!  I proposed at the next stop that Marco would take my Oyster card and I would pay cash.... Marco got on the bus.... I gave the drive 3.00 and he gave me 1.00 back and I got a ride!!!

It's not just a Southern thing!!!

Enjoy!

Apartment Search

Real Estate is a little different in Europe.  An agent can only show what is listed by their office and office typically only list in their area.  I landlord or home owner can list with more than one office/agent though.  Part of Marco's relocation package is 3 days with  a relocation specialist who arranges viewings with multiple offices.  Yesterday I spent the day with my relocation specialist and let me just say.... it was quite an adventure!

Clare picked me up at Marco's office and I could tell right off this was going to be interesting.  We got lost going to the first apartment...  come to think of it, I think there was only 1 that we got to on the first try!  After the first 2 apartments, Clare informed me that we could do much better!  I had to stay alert because we had multiple conversations going on at once!

Clare has 2 kids, a girl and a boy... she use to have a Jack Russel but when it died, her husband wanted a 'proper dog' so they got a working Spaniel.  The dog needs a lot of walking.... Clare's daughter was hit by a truck when she was 11 but was just bruised badly..... she has a cheeky sister-in-law.... her husbands great, great, great grandfather was an illustrator for Charles Dickens.... she had children later in life.... her doctor said she needs to drink my water....  she explained the coins to me - there is a Pound coin but if you take 2 50p coins, that equals 1 Pound, and 2 20p plus 1 10p makes 50p, and 100 1p coins make 1 Pound, etc, etc.... like I don't know simple math??  I'm she shared more info with me but you get the idea!

The day ended with Clare driving me past the last apartment (at 3:00) and telling me that I could meet the listing agent there at 4:00.  Clare dropped my at a Starbucks a few blocks away so she could head home before traffic got out of control!!  I met the agent at 4:00 to see the apartment and then she had to give me directions on how to get back to Marco's office.  It was a really cool area but the apartment was too small.  One of the warehouses in the area is where Charles Dickens based his book 'Oliver Twist'.

There was 1 apartment that has potential but it is way over priced.... I guess I get to look forward to another day out with Clare!

Enjoy!!

In And Around Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery Museum

A lion from Trafalgar Square keeping an eye on Big Ben

Olympic countdown in front of The National Gallery Museum

The Underground

Her Majesty's Theatre  (we were going to meet for a show but The Queen had something come up!)

The famous RED phone booths

Apple Market

London Ambulance Service... not sure how this works... must be for minor injuries

Bagpiper!

Hope you enjoyed!!

(Photographs by Marco)

Marco's Bus Trip to Work

When Marco goes to work from our current apartment, he has to take 3 buses.  It takes more or less than an hour and a half (1 way).  This is sort of a visual of his trip to work...

The row houses on his way to the bus stop (stand)....

Apartments across from the row houses...

Mount Pleasant bus stop to catch the number 393 bus to Upper Clapton

Waiting for the bus....

There is the 393 but going the other direction...

The 393 just dropped off at Upper Clapton....

Waiting at Rossington St. (Upper Clapton) for the bus number 254....

More apartments....

Local shops across the street from the bus stop... Orthodox Jewish man pushing a baby stroller.

(I found out what 'Off License' and 'License' means... it is the permission to sale alcohol past certain hours and on Sundays)

Not your regular Walgreens or CVS ;-)

(After Upper Clapton, there is a large Muslim Mosque at Clapton Circle)

Bus number 254 made it so the next stop... Hackney Town Hall.

Now to wait for the bus 277 to Canary Wharf

Theatre next to Hackney Town Hall

Shops and apartments.... here comes the 277!

Canary Wharf.... suits gather here during lunch and breaks for food, coffee, smokes, etc.

Reuters posts news updates in the gathering square for people to stay current on the daily news.

 Canary Wharf to the Underground....  there is also a whole world down there with restaurants and shops!

Canary Wharf has all the major banks (even a Bank of America!)...

it is sort of likes NY's Wall Street

Taxi....

Marco's office.... Citi

Hope you enjoyed the trip!!