It's been a while!

Dear all,

I haven't blogged for a while because I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do with this blog. I created this blog to keep my friends and family up-to-date while I was away for the summer. Now summer is over and tuesday is my first day back at work. My final year of secondary school starts Tuesday, so I have had one week after London to get used to my home again. I have to say, London was just too great, I miss it...

Home bittersweet home

Dear all,
I am in my own bed, in my own room with my own stuff around me in my own house but it somehow feels wrong. I feel like I belong in London, which I don't but still.

New things... Not my things

Dear all,

To some extend today was great but on the other hand, it had some negative things to it... "Why?" you may ask, well because I hate new things, I like the old way/stuff. Whereas a lot of 17-year old kids love new things, I resent them. As today was monday which means, new students, there were a lot of new things today...

Lasange, heat and exhaustion

Dear all,

Every day I wake up and I feel so excited to be in London. It is almost silly how happy I feel. I really wish I could stay here longer. London and it's people is or London and isis's people are growing on me. I have one week and one day left and I already feel sad I have to leave them all.

Big blueberry muffin

Dear all,

I have no idea when I can post this blog as the internet has decided it will not work... So if this post is posted on a sunday, forgive me for not posting it on the right day.

Today we wanted to go to Windsor Castle (I remember the name now). As dad wanted to be there early to see the changing of the gards, we left what we sminkies can call early. We are talking about 10am. Yes I know, my family loves to sleep long. Holidays should be lazy and fun and your own, right?

So Windsor is like this massive castle. I have seen many castles in my short life and this one can certainly qualify. Well, I can't really say anything about the inside, but the outside looked just fine! I can hear you think, why can't you say anything about the inside? You've been in there right? The answer is no... We went there, saw the changing of the gards and well after that there was this massive queu which we did not feel like entering.

So we went shopping around the town in stead. We said, we'll go later on when it's less busy. Little did we know it never got less busy. When we checked, it still was a wait much to long for us, so we didn't go in. But I enjoyed today. It wasn't perfect, there were some things less nice. For example, there was this sign saying: saturday market. I like markets, so dad and I went there. But when we followed the sign, we never found that market, we found a bunch of bricks. They made up a parking space and houses. :( Not cool Windsor! But something good came of it. Dad and I had no clue where the others were, so we looked around trying to find them. We found some lovely restaurants and picked one where we wanted to go for a drink.

Oh and we went in to this really funny sweety shop. Dad bought my mum fudge nougat! Mum liked it! :D (we found them after a while!)

We actually found them just by walking around. We eventually decided to go to the cinnamon cafe! Yay! Isn't that a fun name? I think it is... They did sell a cinnamon bun, but most of it was normal. For some reason I expected them to sell only cinnamon things. They did not do that, but they did have muffins. Blueberry muffins to be exact. And they were massive! Todays picture is of that muffin I had(sorry I had a tiny bite, forgive me, it looked amazing!)

Tonight is my last night with them, I'll miss them. Yes, the nerves are there( not constantly though), tomorrow is going to be the day! I'll try to post, but I don't know how it is all going to work out so maybe no post about sunday...

I am not at the end of this blog, and the internet is still gone(it has been since the afternoon). So I am.afraid by the time you'll read this, it will be sunday. Sorry!!

Love,

Simone

Yes, the internet didn't work untill now...

Fresh gardens

Dear all,

When you end up being lazy because of the on going heat, you have to push yourself to do something fun. And that is exactly what we did today! Hopefully it will cool down a bit soon because I am done with it. I know, I shouldn't whine about it, but come on. We all know I hate warm weather, so when I say I love England, I mean England AND its weather. Okay, not always, but most of the time.

My playlist loves the Snow Patrol music on it.. It keeps playing Snow Patrol! Dear playlist, there are other songs to choose from... Please pick something else too! Sincerely, Simone

Wauw! It worked! I am now listening to Yuna! She is really cool! I think I read somewhere she is from Malaysia. Awesome artist. She has this dreamy kind of music. And that is the kind of music I adore.

Right, today. Well, first we sat around for a bit. Had a lovely breakfast outside, did the dishes. Slowly we woke up. We sat for a while in the shade( the sun is still way to hot to be in). Basically what happened is, we took our National Trust guide and started looking for something. Well, the Ipad came and told us where we were and the National Trust app told us what was nearby. Anyway, we came across the West Green House Garden. So we went there, and had an amazing time! It was cool out in the Gardens. The was no house by the way. It was just a garden. And when I say garden, I mean, GARDEN. I think the lady said there were about 10 acres to see... I am not a gardenperson, but it was so lovely out there, even I enjoyed it...

After that it was only two pm and the campsite is too hot as there is not much shade. So we decided we'd visit another house. Again The National Trust guide came along. We picked The Vyne. Mum and dad had been there, but we just went again. It was a nice house, very dark though. And normally those houses have enourmous libraries. But this one had just a small one. Unfortunatly. It was nice though. Old houses tend to be cool, as was this one. So we've had a lovely day!

We decided we wanted to go for a pint at the pub. Well, dad and mum at least. I just wanted sparkling water. :D
So we looked and looked but didn't find a pub with some people around. And that is not easy to do in England, as pubs are everywhere. Eventually, we went to a pub called the wellington Arms. We've been there last year and it was a lovely place to be. We had a pint, and were hungry. So dad asked us if we would like to have a barmeal! Yay! So we had dinner at the pub! I had fishcakes :D

Now we're back at the campsite, enjoying the weather and sitting outside. Today was a.very good day. It might be the best day since we came here... We have now been here for seven days and I love it. England is not letting me down.

Tomorrow, my last full day with my family... I am going to miss them, sweet people. But I am also going to do what I have dreamed off for a long time. That makes this a little less scary. Tomorrow is also the day we go to the Queens home, and for some reason I can't think of the name... You'll see tomorrow :D

Love,

Simone

Polish waiters and French pubs

Dear all,

The day was again hot, I think mum said at some point it was 33 degrees. That is seriously hot weather! (did I spell it correct this time, Jan? ;-)) So Bury St. Edmunds today! Lovely town, with cute shops and other fun stuff to see.

So, the tent this morning was again way to hot in the morning. So we left it when it was getting to much of a sauna-like feeling. Luckely the rest woke up to, so we had breakfast in the shaduw and woke up slowly!

After some quick getting prepared to leave we left the campsite. I love sitting in the car and seeing the world passing by. I always feel slightly sad when we get back to the campsite. Although I always want to leave the car as soon as it stops. It can be very very very hot in there. It's funny, when you go to England, you expect to have not the greatest weather. But these past couple of days, we've had weather like we are in the south of France. I wish it was a bit cooler though. Oh well, it's never fine, is it?

Bury st. Edmunds was nice, though it did not have nice secondhand bookshops. I didn't buy any books today! Yay me! I try not to spend all my money on books. Last year I bought about 24 books. I know, that's bad... But it just happens to be my favorite thing to spend money on! And if you search well enough, you'll find something really nice for not to much money. You don't always have to read all the books other are reading too.

I was trying to figure out what to tell you about today and I cannot think of a lot of interesting things to say... We went shopping and went to the supermarket. Bought my parents a pie with my sister(we always do something like that).

Actually, there was a guy busking in Bury st Edmunds! I liked his voice, plus he was playing some of my favorite songs in his own style. That was rather nice! I don't think the others liked it though. But I always respect those singers on the street. I mean, I'd never do it! Way too scary...

Because it was so hot, we wanted to find a pub with a "beer-garden". Finally we found it! But when we sat down in the shade, and saw the menu, we realised it was a french pub! They only sold wine and regular drinks. No Englishbeer... Not that I mind, I don't drink. But my parents do... Anyway we all just wanted a cold, non-alcoholic drink.
The waiter came and he spoke with an accent. Mum thought he was French, but no, he was Polish! And very kind too! :D

That was our day really...

Tomorrow it is moving day! We are moving up closer too London, so when I leave for London, mum and dad will not have to drive me too far to take me there. It's only four days until I go.... I am nervous, but in a good way! I want these last four days to go very fast, but then again, I wish the days would just stop so I could have more time with the rest... I have never been away for longer than a week or so... Aaaah! (I am not a big fan of new things, so this is really scary(and fun))

Love,

Simone

Lazy daisy

Dear all,

Spending a day doing next to nothing can be fun. I used to love spending days on the campsite, just enjoying the day. Now I want to see stuff and explore the places I'm at. But today we stayed at the campsite! I am not the only one on vacation so we decide together! The day was another hot day, so the shade was my friend once again! Well, the shade is always my friend... Today's blog won't be very interesting, just me thinking "out loud" while I tell you about today.

Wigly wonkey pigs

Dear all,

This morning I woke up at, like, 8.15? Not sure, my Ipod and phone both were empty. It was cloudy and a little cold. I couldn't sleep so I decided to read. I am reading this book (Beware, it's Dutch) called "Godenslaap" by Erwin Mortier. It is amazing, the way it's written, it just gets you. Well, it gets me. It describes everything in a way so bizarre. Mortier actually used like one page to tell us there were stables. I found it brilliant. Anyway somewhere at 3/4 of the book, I read this sentence which really hit me. I have had it before in this book with a piece describing life. This sentence I was talking about, it was about wars. The book is about life around the first and second world war. It is told by an old lady, who lived through both of the wars. So back to the sentence, sorry I am so chaotic... The sentence is: (forgive me if I translate it in a bad way) Every peace is an interbellum. That really hit me. And I think it's true, sadly. So yeah, that was my lovely morning!

Last night we decided we'd go to wimpole hole estate. It is a house owned by the national trust. I don't know if you have heard of it, but it is really nice. They buy old houses with a history, and they keep them open for public. The mill I went to saturday was also owned by the national trust. If you go to England, you should check it out! I'll post the link to their website at the end of this blog.

We'd actually been at wimpole two years ago, but the wether that day was horrible. So we only saw the house and the tearoom, shops and second-hand bookshop. So today we did a walk around the gardens, they are massive and gorgeous. I am not a garden person but even I thought is was nice. Nothing like the gardens of Vilandry in France, but still nice. We also went to the home farm. That was soo nice! I really enjoyed walking there with all the animals. There were horses and donkeys, pigs, cows, sheep and so on! It was nice. Today's pictures are from the farm. So check them out! I'll try to figure out how to put up a video of the piglets drinking. That was soo cute! The way pigs walk, it is so funny. Like wigly wonkey! I found it lovely to see! Pigs are cute, at least, that's what I find... They do always look lazy, laying down, being fat... You know what I mean?

The thing about national trust is, they always have a tearoom or restaurant. And also a shop. And quite often a bookshop. The tearooms always serve massive pieces of pie or scones. It is always a pleasure to go in there and have a bite. They never let you down. So today, we went for a piece of pie! I had a piece of chocolate and walnutcake! It was delicious.

Last but not least, a very happy 14th of july to all the French people out there! I hope you have had or are having a good day! I always loved the parties the french would have. I have spent many summers in France and I can tell you, they know how to make a day great! I always found the french kind people but they can be, as the English, quite reserved. But on the 14th of july, you would just be a part of the big group. It was amazing!!

Something else, this morning I was checking my twitterpage and I saw people reacting to the news. Little did I know, Cory Monteith had past away. I read the news on the internet and I was so shocked. I used to watch glee, so I "knew" him. I have, obviously, never met him, but he seemed like a nice guy. I feel so sad for Lea Michele, she loved him. I was seriously shocked and sad, and i am only a little girl who doesn't even know the guy! So I can't imagine how Lea Michele and all his friends and family must feel.

This news brings me to ask, how is it possible that all those stars just die? At such a young age? It is just upsetting! It makes me wonder wether the industry is too tough... I wonder what you guys think? Would there be any kind of solution to fix this massive problem? I mean, this is not just a tiny inconvenience, this is peoples real lives we are talking about! Feel free to leave a comment.

Love,

Simone

The National Trust website: click here

The first day

Dear all,

Today is the first full day in England. It is a very hot day, which is a surprise as English wether is, like the Dutch, basically always bad. I don't mind that though. I like winter and cold wether, it's very cosy.

The mill I was going to see today was okay. I sort of liked it but it wasn't that interesting. It had some kind of bakerything on the top floor where kids could make a figure out of breaddough. And silly me, I did it too... Yes, a 17-year old girl sitting next to two french boys, they must have been like 5 and 6/7? It felt silly, the worse part was, I think they did a better job than I did! It was fun though. The fun part about the mill was the way it looked. The picture from today is showing the mill. And as a Dutchie, for me, when you say "mill", I think about a windmill, the old fasion ones though. So this being a watermill was quite a surprise for me. Different from what I am used to! But that's fine! I like it!

There was also the bookshop, with second-hand books. And yes, I bought books, again. I bought one thriller-detective something and a very old book with poems. I am not really into poetry but I quite liked the ones I read in there. The best thing is, it is not by just one writer but by a lot of writers. That way you get a wide range of poetry by different people, with all different stories. It is my first book with poetry, which is awesome! I really need to figure out where to put all my books... I don't want to spend money on a new bookshelf or shelves. But that's for later on to worry. Have you ever been in an English supermarket? I have many times now, and seriously, everytime I go there, I sort of freeze! I don't understand why, but I am always cold there. I have never had that problem with Dutch or French supermarkets though... We haven't decided yet what to do tomorrow, but we'll see. Tonight we will have a lovely dinner with some real English food... Love it! Yesterday night we actually had Chinese take away. We NEVER have take away, okay, almost never. Like once maybe twice a year. So this was awesome, being on holiday, having take away. I thought it was hilarious! Oh, we are starting to decide now what we want to do... But this blogpost is going up now, so it'll be a surprise for you! Love, Simone

Travelday

Dear all,

Today I have arrived at my first destination. I woke up at 6.30am, for me that's early. When I go to school, I don't leave my bed untill 7.25am. The only day I need to get up at 7am straight is when I go to work. Anyway, enough about that.

So, as I was going to England, we took the carferry. I have done that many many times, but I still hate it. I don't really get sick, I just feel sort of dizzy, and a little sick, but they have pills for that. I am a little clumbsy myself, so with a boat, which is not level, going up and down, me feeling slighlty weird... Well, I think you understand what happens... I look like I am drunk. And I don't drink alcohol, not a principal thing, I just find it disguisting(not sure this is the right spelling... Correct me if I am wrong).

So, after we arrived, we saw the cliffs of Dover. By car that is. And boy they are beautiful. I have seem them quite a few times now, but they still make me feel special. Like I am an ant, walking in between al those human beings. That's a bizar way to explain the feeling, but somehow it makes sense. Well, too me at least. Dutch coasts are sandy, we have no cliffs, it's so different. Weird isn't it, the way two countries, not far apart, can be so so different. The fotograph you see was taken on the boat, and it's not a very good picture... Sorry about that!

Now we are at the campsite, a small one, with lovely people. It is quite close to Cambridge. I like it here, nice and quiet. I guess I am not the kind of person who wants to see thousands of people on a campsite. I love peace and quiet.

Tomorrow we'll be visiting a mill, with a second-hand bookshop! Must be awesome!! I love second-hand bookshops. They make me feel like I am in a place where there are not only thousands of stories inside the books, like in a regular bookshop, but there are also the stories which come with the book. Some of those books may be old and have even more stories than just the one inside... Bizar and special, I find that.

Well, that's it for today! Tomorrow I will try to write another blog about my 4 week trip to England. I'll try to blog everyday, but I cannot say whether I have something interesting to tell you everyday..

Love,

Simone