Birmingham 2010

I returned home last night from my 7-week stay in Birmingham. And as promised, I have lots of stories and photos to share.

If you count from the time I left home to go to Piarco Airport, through my journey to Crown Point Airport, then on to Gatwick Airport in London and finally the long drive to Birmingham, taking the time difference into consideration, I had been traveling for an entire 24 hours!!! Jetlag is the only word that can be used to describe how I felt. I unpacked, showered, slept and was then able to function properly.

While I was there, I got the chance to spend time with two families with whom I am friends. The Bs have two beautiful girls and the Ds have an adorable boy. It was wonderful getting the chance to spend time with the kids...they seemed to have grown up so much since I last saw them! It's hard to be bored or depressed when there are kids around demanding your attention, wanting you to play or watch shows and movies with them, doing and saying cute things to make you laugh...just what the therapist ordered!

I also met up with my Italian friend CB who I worked with while I lived in Birmingham a couple years ago. We usually meet up online on Facebook, chat and play the occasional game of Scrabble but it was great seeing her again and chatting in person. She is sporting a new shorter hairstyle and looks great. She seems happy with her boyfriend and her two lovable doggies, Miles and Ella.

While I was in Birmingham between 2007 and 2008, I got the chance to visit a few amazing places but London was not among them for a couple of reasons. This time around, the Bs insisted that they were going to treat me to the whole tourist experience of London. We went by coach early one Saturday morning, took the tour bus to visit many of the noteworthy places in London...Hyde Park, The Marble Arch, Madame Tussauds (did not go inside), Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes statue, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum (did not go inside), Piccadilly Circus with the Shaftesbury Monument Memoral Fountain (topped with the statue of Eros), Trafalgar Square (with all the sites to offer there - National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, many fountains, lions guarding Nelson's Column and statues of great Britains), St. Paul's Cathedral, Paternoster Square, London Dungeon (did not go inside), Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Eye, London Aquarium and Movieum, Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, Westminster Pier with Boadicea Statue, Buckingham Palace with the Queen's Gallery and Victoria Memorial. In other words...I have a lot of pictures to share from that day trip!!! However, the absolute best and most memorable part of the day for me, was the City Cruise which we boarded at Tower Bridge and disembarked at Westminster Bridge, giving us a spectacular view from the Thames River.

A few weeks later, the Bs decided we would go for a weekend to Devon, which is considered the English Riviera because of the mild climate and many beaches. Again, this proved to be another occasion to take a lot of pictures. We stayed at a caravan park, another first-time experience for me, and for two days, with a map of tourist spots and a Satnav, we drove around the various towns (Torquay, Brixham, Paignton etc). The seascapes were breath-taking and worth being captured by both camera and on canvas by any talented artist who wielded a brush. The water was cold, although it was the height of summer and the sun was out in all its blistering force. I would definitely recommend this vacation for everyone and would suggest staying at least a week (more if possible) in order to have sufficient time to visit all the tourist spots. My most enjoyable experience there was at Berry Head, a national nature reserve at the southern tip of Tor Bay which boasts of 60 meter high cliffs overlooking the bluest waters imaginable!

While I spent some time with the Ds, we visited Fradley Junction. Our intention was simple...we were going to the canals there to feed the ducks. The fun started when we got lost twice (not once) on our way there. We did not see many birds to feed but we were fascinated by the opening-and-closing routines of the gates to allow boats through. There were also boats selling various items and we found ourselves participating in cheese tasting on one boat and sampling such delights as Amber Mist (mature cheddar laced with whiskey) and Brandy Braf (brandy and apricot cheese), among others!

With the Ds, I also went to Merry Hill Mall to so some shopping. It was my third visit there and the place is so huge that, as is always the case, we found ourselves walking around in circles...imagine having to use a map to navigate the shops in the mall! We also went pet shopping twice, since their son's first fish went belly-up after a few days and we had to get a new fish to replace it and mend his broken heart.

There are so many memories I brought back with me from my trip that I can't relate them all right now...we got stuck in a lift between floors; I almost fell out of another lift which apparently exits on the opposite side from the entrance; ate 4 all-you-can-eat buffet meals at 2 different Chinese restaurants; celebrated the birthdays of both Mr and Mrs D (the 12th and 14th); the elder daughter of the Bs, took part in a singing show at Canon Hill Park and in her school play - Hairspray...like I said, there are just so many great memories. I can't wait to sort through all my pictures and post them so that my friends and relatives can share in the experiences I had during my trip. Who knows when I'll do anything so enjoyable like that again!