OFF IN A DREAM...

I’ve been having these dreams,
And so it seems,
I’m headed to a land far, far away,
For three months ago, I was sent there to stay.
Off on a jet, clear across the pond.
To the British Isles, where I would grow quite fond.

I’d settled into my flat and found my way ‘round town,
To Chichester, down south, with a cathedral of its own.
At Autumn, publishing kid’s books, was where I would be
In a barn mostly full of ladies with lovely accents unlike me.

Over weekends I'd venture out to places not so far.
Whether by train or a plane on a bike or via car…
To Sweden, Ireland, France, Italy and Wales,
Visiting friends, seeing architecture and learning historical tales.

It all seemed to go by so fast,
This fairytale of a girl in a dream is now past.
For off on a jet, I’m afraid I must go.
And where it takes me next, only in a dream I will know.

Cardiff, the Capital City of Wales

Merry-go-round at Mermaid Quay

Cardiff Castle

After my little soiré night out with the ladies from work, I decided to take advantage of the long Easter weekend and head to Wales.  Cardiff is only 4 hours by train from Chichester and is the capital of Wales, so I bought my ticket and off I went.  I stayed at The Royal Hotel, right in the heart of City Centre.  It was a great hotel and I recommend it to anyone heading out to Cardiff!  Just a short walk from the train station, I checked in and headed off to wander the city streets!  Just down High Street you can see the 2000 year old Cardiff Castle.  It is simply breathtaking and is surrounded by Bute Park, a gorgeously serene area where everyone goes to wind down, read a book or enjoy a nice picnic lunch.

The shopping here is another top notch experience. All along High Street, you can find yourself meandering through historic arcades, fashionable stores and along Mill Lane, the best in outdoor terrace restaurant dining! The Millennium Stadium is also here, home of the Wales Rugby team and a beautiful landmark resting alongside the River Taff.

Millennium Stadium

Although there is a bus that takes you from City Center to Mermaid Quay, I decided to take a nice morning run along the River Taff bike trail.  Just about 2 miles away, sitting on Cardiff Bay, is none other than the chic, sophisticated and beautiful waterfront, Mermaid Quay.  In the skyline is St David's Hotel, one of the city's most plush hotels, while along the bay, the Mermaid Quay hosts shops, restaurants, bars and cafés all suitable for entertaining my people watching hobby.  This, I have to say was my favorite area of Cardiff.  It's no secret I love the water and anything that is near it!  Mermaid Quay isn't just a beautiful bay, but a host of history, heritage and culture as well, with the Norwegian Church, the Millennium Centre and Pierhead to enjoy.

Mermaid Quay

It was such a gorgeous weekend and I'm so glad to have been able to experience this small bit of beauty in Wales.  Being here made me feel so thankful for my life and relish in the true meaning of Easter, God's gift of not just life, but eternal life.

My Going Away Soiré with the Autumn Ladies

I can't believe it's here.  Three months have gone by so fast, yet I feel like I've been gone forever.  It's bitter/sweet of course as I will miss all these lovely ladies I've grown so accustomed to seeing every day.  They organized a 'night out' for me that included a mini bus into Portsmouth and drinks (thanks to the CEO and of course, Sarah!).  We all had so much fun!  I even rode the mechanical bull!  It's crazy to think that this might be the last time I see these girls... although I hope not!  What a wonderful experience it has been to live and work in England over the past 90 days.

I have been so fortunate to get to explore England and even beyond, to Paris, Ireland, Wales and my last stop before home being Italy this coming Saturday!  The weather has been beautiful and warm here these past few weeks, making it even harder to say good-bye! Oh, how I'm going to miss the lovely people, the delightfully posh accents, the serene walks and the gorgeous train rides into London!

Only a few days left, and the Royal Wedding, of course, and then I'm off with all my bags, headed to Heathrow Airport...

Bike ride to Bosham

Another gloriously beautiful day in England and the forecast looks like it's going to stay that way over the Easter weekend as well!  After work today, I decided to jump on my bike and head over to Bosham, just two miles to the west of where I live.  I'm so glad I decided to go!  The weather was great... sandals and a tank top, a warm breeze and amazing scenery along the way!  Bosham is such a cute place!  Sitting along the water across from Del Quay and Chichester Bay, it's so picturesque.  I can't believe I only have ten more days left living in this beautiful country!  Time has flown by.  I'm off to Wales for Easter weekend, so stay tuned!

Visiting Old Friends in Ireland!

Dunguaire Castle, Ireland

This weekend I took RyanAir from London Gatwick Airport to Dublin, Ireland to see my long-time friends Claire and Cormac near Galway.  It was so great to get to hang out with them again and see the countryside of Ireland!  It has been six years since we last saw each other, but when I got there it seemed like just yesterday!  I was so fortunate to have such great hosts for my quick weekend trip to Ireland.  They took me around the west coast from Galway to Lahinch.  It was all very beautiful and I was so grateful for the nice weather as well.

Cliffs of Moher

I got into Dublin on Friday night and took the Citylink bus across the country to the west coast.  Lucky me, Claire found a 1 Euro each-way deal on the bus online, so it was very cheap transport for a 3 hour trip!  Cormac picked me up at the bus stop and we grabbed a pint of Guinness at a little local pub with a thatched roof in Oranmore.  After that, we headed back to his and Claire's place.  Late night to bed, but early to rise to get in some good site seeing and get Cormac to Lahinch to catch some good waves.  On the way, we stopped to see the Dunguaire Castle near Kinvarra and take a few photos. While Cormac surfed his little heart out, Claire and I ventured up to the Cliffs of Moher.  What a beautiful view on a beautiful day!  We grabbed a nice lunch in Lahinch and then headed back to Oranmore to rest up for a little bit, have some home cooked chicken curry for dinner and then head into Galway for some drinks with a bunch of Claire and Cormacs friends.  It was a great night and so much fun to get to hang out and meet all of their friends.

Guinness =)

The next morning was nice to sleep in a little bit before heading into town to see Galway during the day.  We wandered around town and over to Salthill, where they have a nice beach walk and town and then headed across the way to grab lunch with some friends at an amazing place on the water looking across the water towards Galway.  As if we weren't all stuffed from eating crab cakes, baked crab and Guinness, we decided to check out a local home made ice cream at a farm nearby.  It was so good, but I was officially stuffed!  We toured around the Finavarra Tower, an old British fort nearby as well.

Salthill, Ireland

The weekend flew by fast and before I knew it, Sunday evening was here.  Claire made some spaghetti bolognese and we lounged around before heading off to bed.  I was off, back to England on Monday morning, but it was such a great trip.  Ireland is beautiful and my friends are amazing hosts!  I can't wait to someday host them out in California.  Claire and Cormac, thank you so much for showing me such a good time and I wish the best for you both in your upcoming wedding!!!

Spring Has Sprung in England!

Arundel Castle

This past weekend was hands down the sunniest and warmest weekend in England since I've been here! I was fortunate to have my friend Dominic in town to visit, so I decided to take advantage of the company and amazing weather and head out to Arundel to finally check out the castle I've been gawking at from the train window over the past two months.  For some reason my train instincts failed me and it was a bit of a jigsaw ride on and off the trains to finally make it to the Arundel stop!  Oh well.  It was an adventure!  

The walk to the castle was beautiful, and Dom and I even stopped to enjoy an ice cream cone on the way!  We saw everyone else with them, so decided to follow suit!  Do as the Romans do, right? Ha! I had the most amazing honeycomb ice cream!  

Once we got to the castle and paid the fare, we entered the gates and gazed in awe at the enchanting, massive castle that was over 1000 years old!  The gardens were all in full bloom and I saw flowers I've never seen before in my life.  Spring was finally here! It was such a great day, wandering through the castle, learning the history and soaking in all the beauty. 

After Arundel, Dominic and I headed back into Chichester to change and grab a coat before jumping on the train into Portsmouth Harbour for an amazing Italian meal at Zizi on the Gunwharf Quays.  We made it in time to watch the sun setting over the water.  What a beautiful day!

Earl Gardens at Arundel

Sunday morning I enjoyed a home cooked breakfast by Dominic, and some incredible Buck's fizz (a sparkling wine drink infused with orange juice). Since it was such a gorgeous day I convinced Dominic to go on a run along the Centurion Way trail towards Goodwood.  After about 5 miles, we realized we were going in the wrong direction and Dom was probably ready to shoot me for taking him on such a long run, so we decided to stop for lunch at a cute restaurant called The Earl of March.  We sat out on the patio and enjoyed some mussels, chips and salad and even had an amazing view of Goodwood race tracks in the distance!  

Centurion Way

We had to call a cab to get us back to my flat so we had time to go to the store to get stuff for our mexican fiesta later that evening.  Tesco closes at 4pm on Sundays, and we made it back just in time to purchase our feast for the evening.  Dominic took over the kitchen and chopped up some amazing pico de gallo and cooked up a delicious assortment of fish and beef tacos, beans and rice.  What goes better with a mexican meal than margaritas!  What a great dinner!  And awesome company!  This weekend was a great start to my first spring in England!  I was off to the London Book fair the next morning for a few days and so grateful for the beautiful weekend filled with great company and amazing weather!

Paris ~ la deuxieme partie

Champagne at Marly's

How many times do you get to galavant off to Paris twice in one month???  Well I did!  Two weeks ago I went with my parents for the first time, and this past weekend two of my lovely friends came into town to visit me, so we set off across the English Channel via Brittany Ferries early Friday morning in hot pursuit of the Parisian culture.  One small glitch in travel was the port strike in Caen, causing us to reroute to Cherbourgh and jump in a comped one-hour taxi ride over to Caen before catching our train into Paris.

The Louvre

I booked us an apartment at Rue de Pelican just behind the Louvre and it was everything and more than I expected!  It was the perfect location with a friendly landlord and great, roomy accommodations at a surprisingly reasonable price too!  After checking in and settling, we wandered a bit and enjoyed some champagne at Marly's in front of the Louvre, watching the sun set behind the building with a silhouette of the Eiffel tower taking our breath away.  Yes, I was here, in Paris, again.... two weeks later!  It was like a dream.  And the weather was perfect.

Le Kong with Mei Ling

We had dinner reservations at Kong, where my long-time friend Damian works and made us reservations to sit at one of his tables.  Mei Ling, Lauren and I got dolled up and headed over to Kong, up the elevator to the top floor and enjoyed a nice ritzy expensive cocktail before  being seated by my lovely friend, Damian all decked out in his suit and tie and completing it with a smile and as Mei Ling would say "dos besos" for each of us.  Dinner was amazing, as was the rounds of champagne we continued to enjoy, followed up with dessert and a little dancing down in the bar area until Damian got off and we headed over to meet up with Remi for a drink and some good social chat.  It was a long day, as we were up early to catch our ferry, and a late night, but still amazing none-the-less.

Up in the Eiffel Tower

Saturday morning was much more difficult jump start, I have to admit, and I encouraged to girls to check out the Notre Dame, since I had been there already, so I was able to take a little longer to get going.  We headed to the Palais Royal, perused the shops, walked across the locks of love bridge into Latin Quarter, looked through old books in the Shakespeare & Company Bookstore, wondered over to the Pantheon, and then headed back to the apartment to refresh for dinner.  We met up with Remi at his restaurant, Chez Julian, for a drink and then over to a great little Italian joint (forgive me for the lack of a name...???).  We enjoyed a waiter-recommended red wine and pasta and stopped into a small restaurant on our way back to sip on a cappuccino and enjoy a dance-off between Mei Ling and some local guys inside the bar.  For those of you who don't know my friend Mei Ling, she has some mad dancing skills and pretty much schooled the guys completely!

Nutella & Banana Crepes at Eiffel Tower

Sunday we geared up for a boat ride on the Batobus to the Eiffel Tower where we grabbed some nutella & banana crepes and cappuccinos before standing in line to go up the elevator for the guaranteed best view of the city.  From there we ventured back on the Batobus, exiting at the Notre Dame and a short jaunt over the bridge for some blog-recommended ice cream.  On a sugar high, we were off to Montmarte via metro to hike up the hill to the Basilique du Sacre Coeur.  It's crazy how 'red light district' Montmarte is considering the amazingly spiritual and beautiful church on the hilltop above.  The Moulin Rouge is right in the heart of sex shops, clubs and music stores.  We were glad we made the venture in the daylight!  Back on the metro to Champs Elysses to see the Arc de Triomphe and walk down the street most notably known for its shopping.  We decided to have dinner near our apartment and head in earlier than than past two nights so the girls could get up and hit the Louvre when it opened before we had to head back at noon.

Monday was a long day.  Early morning rise to the Louvre, check out of our apartment, metro to the train, where Damian saw us off with his adorable daughter, and onto the ferry back to England, four hours later.  I was so sad to leave this amazing city.  I will go back again someday!  What an amazing place.

At the train leaving Paris 

Stockholm Sweden for St. Patty's Weekend!

Gamla Stan, Stockholm

The past five days I was in Stockholm, Sweden visiting my fellow co-worker and GROW-er, Kim!  I got a killer deal on Ryanair for a $38/rt flight from London to Stockholm, so I couldn't resist!  I got in LATE on Wednesday night, or EARLY Thursday morning, whichever way you want to look at it!  I made it to Kim's after getting off the plane, catching a bus into the city and then jumping into a cab to her flat and arriving on her doorstep at 1:30am, Thursday morning.

Kim had to work on Thursday, so I went into the office with her to see the Bonnier AB I've heard so much about and meet all those with whom I've emailed but never seen!  After a tour and a cappuccino, I was off to venture the city until lunch, where I would meet back up with Kim.  I meandered around, hitting Gamla Stan (old town) and finding the Nobel Museum.  After buying a few souvenirs it was time to meet Kim, so I busted out my trusty iPhone and Google Mapped my way back towards the office.  After lunch, my adventure continued.  Walking across bridges, taking photos and taking in all the amazing scenery.  That night Kim and I planned on heading out to an Irish pub for St. Patty's Day, so we started off with some wine, bread and cheese at her flat before searching for our first Guinness of the night!  We found a great pub and posted up on some stools at the bar and enjoyed some good Irish beer and people watching.  On our way back, we ran into a Kareoke bar and figured, what the hey.... so we got up on stage and belted out a duet to Pat Benetar's 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot'. I'm sure we did great, but I am definitely glad no one we knew was there to watch!

Me in the snow!

Friday, Kim was working the big, Bonnier Sales Awards Gala, so I set out to tour the city.  I found an Urban Outfitters, so I decided to go inside.  WOW.  Best Urban Outfitters I've ever been to!  Amazingly, I made it out without a purchase.  Around noon, I was hungry and to my surprise, I found a TACO Bar!  I happily wandered in and ordered the 'super' nachos, and I put this in quotations because their idea of SUPER is not America's! Regardless it was appetizing and I enjoyed every chip!  On my way back to Kim's it started to SNOW!  I, of course, felt as if I were in a winter wonderland (and I'm sure many around me thought I was crazy, taking pictures of the snow), but I definitely enjoyed it and eventually found a cute coffee shop with big windows where I could sit and indulge in a cappuccino and continue to watch the snow fall.  

Stockholm, Sweden

Saturday, Kim and I decided to venture to the world's largest IKEA.  We took the metro and then jumped on a bus and there it was....huge.  Yes, it was very much like the IKEA's back at home, but just BIGGER.  We decided we'd eat there and ordered the Swedish meatballs and potatoes, very authentic!  Kim even bought a few items and braved the crowd.  That night Kim made us reservations at the Ice Bar, where you have to wear parkas because they keep it about -2 celsius to prevent the ice bar from melting!  It was fun.  We were served drinks in ice cups and even met a few people!  After forty minutes, everyone is required to leave, due to the extreme cold, I think... That or to make as much money as they can in a day, shuffling groups in and out every 40 minutes!  We met up with another GROW-er from Sweden and found a cool 25 and older hip-hop dance club, Le Bon Palais, to hang out and get our groove on at!  Fun times!

Kim and I at Ice Bar Stockholm

Sunday, was needless to say a L-A-Z-Y day, being that we were out so late and all.  We met up with some of Kim's friends and ventured through SoFo, the hipsters shopping area and then got stuff for taco night and had Kim's friends over for tacos and ping-pong.  Monday I had to leave in the afternoon, so I met Kim for a great sushi lunch and then jumped on the bus back to the airport.  Sweden, you were amazing... I will be back again someday!  And Kim, you are the hostess-with-the-mostess!  See you again in Rome!!!

Site-Seeing England's Southern Coast and Midlands

Beachy Head Lighthouse

After hitting Paris for the weekend with my parents, we drove back to my temporary home in Chichester from London in my parents rental car, or care hire, depending on what country you are from!  My dad had quite the experience driving a "manual" on the opposite side of the car and on the opposite side of the road in a country he is not familiar with!  We did make it back safely, though, thank the Lord!  I had to go back to work on Monday, so my parents settled into my flat and figured out what sites they wanted to explore during the days while I was working.  It was so nice to come home from work and have my parents back from a day of site-seeing, mom making an amazing dinner and talking about their recent adventures over a glass of wine.  They went around to Portsmouth Harbour, Southhampton, out to Portland, Winchester and Arundel all during the week while I was at work. On Friday, I had the day off, so we decided to head East to the Seven Sister white cliffs and Beachy Head lighthouse.  It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for the walk along the high cliffs along the coast!  On our way back, we stopped in Brighton, walked down to the Pier and through the Royal Pavilion, then decided to have dinner at a Wagamama.  It was a great day!

My parents at Clifton Suspension Bridge

On Saturday, my parent's last, full day here, we got up early and headed to Stonehenge. I grabbed a coffee and a scone and ventured around while my parents went inside to do the tour (I had already done the tour, so didn't want to bother ;-)).  It was lucky I didn't go inside, because I got to see a pack of hare's jumping around and playing tag right in front of Stonehenge!  I got a great video of them too!  After Stonehenge, we jumped back in the car to walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.  Man, was it high! Built in the early 1800s, soaring across the Avon Canal.  My mom did well, considering here extreme fear of heights as we walked across it and took some amazing pictures with an incredible view looking out over the town of Bristol.

Me at the Roman Baths

Backtracking back to Bath, where we first passed by, we parked and walked along the Avon Canal and into the city, where we stopped at a Pasty Shoppe to get some lunch first before going into the Roman Baths for a tour.  It's really amazing how so many years ago, they had a full service day-spa with natural springs and saunas!  I loved it!  It made me want to go get a massage and sit in a mineral bath.  The Bath Abbey beside it was large and gorgeous, as are all the cathedrals in this country!   I just can't stop taking photos of them all.  There is so much history here!  Before heading home, my mom and I grabbed some cappuccinos, we stopped in the Jane Austen Centre, where she lived for six years and then were set, ready for the 2 hr drive back.  We went into Chichester city centre for some burgers and fries and then back to my flat so my parents could pack up their stuff for their flight on Sunday.  It was sad to see them go, I have to admit.  It's always nice to have company to enjoy the days with!  Especially when its family!  I am heading to Sweden on Wednesday to catch up with Kim, so that will be exciting!  Stay tuned for more fun travels while I'm out here.  Only 56 days left!

A Weekend In Paris…

Me & Mom at Notre Dame

My parents flew into London on Thursday afternoon, so I met them in the city via train and we did a “quick” version of the London tour, starting at Big Ben, jumping on the Thames River boat tour to the Tower Bridge and walking back towards Trafalgar and Leicester Squares and catching a few z’s before jumping on the Eurostar early on Friday morning off to Paris!

Me & Damian at Kong Restaurant

The Eurostar was great.  Going almost 200 miles/hour from London to Paris, we were scheduled to arrive around 11:30am.  Upon arrival, we got some EURO cash and jumped in a cab to our hotel, and with only a little hesitation towards the language barrier.  After arriving at Hotel la Boétie, I called my long time friend and former neighbor and coworker from when I lived in Australia, Damian.  He came and picked us up and took us to his friend (also my former neighbor) Remi’s restaurant, Chéz Julian, where he managed.  We had the most amazing lunch experience, with Champagne, fois grois paté, salads and fish.   It was also where they filmed a Gossip Girl episode too!  After lunch, Damian drove us to the Notre Dame where we departed ways and ventured around the great cathedral and through the Louvre gardens back towards Champs Elyssés, where our hotel was.  Our hotel was decent.  No hair dryer and lacking internet access in the rooms and only one electrical outlet, but the location was perfect.

Eifel Tower

That evening, Damian was working at Kong Restaurant, an amazing Japanese fusion restaurant at the top of a building overlooking Notre Dame with all glass walls and ceilings.  We made our way via the Metro over to the Chatelét exit and arrived (almost) on time.  He made us a reservation at the table where they filmed the Sex In The City I movie and served us in his suit and tie.  Looking debonaîr, he brought over champagne, wine and shrimp rolls for a starter.  We ordered tuna, lobster udon, yellowtail and miso soup.  Everything was amazing.  We finished off with some delicious desserts and a cappuccino and of course Damian comp’d nearly everything on the bill!  I felt so spoiled and my parents were definitely enjoying their first ever European experience!

On Saturday we ventured out to the Eifel Tower and jumped on the hop-on/hop-off riverboat cruise to see the city via the River Seine.  The day was filled with beautiful sites, amazing weather and tons of incredible photos.  Oh yes, and crepes.

Mona Lisa at the Louvre

Sunday was an early morning wake up in order to hit the Louvre Museum when it opened at 9am.  We were lucky enough to be in Paris at just the right time.  The Louvre is free the first Sunday of every month!  We got in via the metro line and headed straight for the Mona Lisa.  Much smaller than I had imagined.  It’s still a bit odd to think that that painting has become so famous.  I saw so many other amazing paintings that I personally think were much more beautiful!  After a few hours meandering throughout the Louvre, we headed back to our hotel to get our bags and back to Gare Du Nord to catch the Eurorail back to London.  The next adventure would be the rental car my parents decided to get for the remainder of their trip.  My dad driving on the opposite side of the road in a manual car 60 minutes to my temporary hometown!

London Fashion!

Yesterday I ventured back out of the country with my co-worker Kathryn to experience to fashion industry of London... the notorious "fashion week."  We got our catwalk tickets and headed back into the city for one of the best people watching I've done since Disneyland!

We perused through designer discounts and sipped on Chambord and Champagne before taking our seats at the catwalk to see the latest in fashion and design for the upcoming summer.

No, I did not purchase anything, but left satisfied with my goodie bag filled with "real" coffee, mints, gum, hair spray and mouth wash!  Ha!  All-in-all, it was a great day.

Winchester.... In the U.K. not California!

Winchester Cathedral

Today I ventured out to a town not too far away from me, Winchester.  Just about one hour by train from Chichester, I arrived around 11am on a somewhat sunny saturday!  Winchester is most known (at least to me) for being the home of the Winchester Cathedral, the burial ground for well-known author Jane Austen.  Most of you might know, that I'm from a small town in California called Winchester.  Let me just tell you it bears no resemblance of this place! The town was so beautiful!

King Arthur's Round Table

I meandered around to the Winchester Castle, the Cathedral, down High Street and along Weir's Walk where the river runs by.  Then on to Winchester College, Jane Austen's last home before she died and the Roman city walls along the Wolvesey Palace ruins.

Me inside the cathedral

After a lot of walking, I found a quaint little pub with two fireplaces burning warm to sit and have a pint of beer and some yummy butternut squash spaghetti!  I made it home just as the sun was setting and now I'm so exhausted!

Tomorrow its off to London for Fashion Week's catwalk at the Somerset house!

My Bonnier Spotlight Interview

Autumn Publishing Office

I still continue to feel blessed to be on this adventure.  One month in and still two more months left to go, I finally feel as if I'm settling in!  

Today, I was featured on Bonnier.com, spotlighting my GROW experience here in England.  Check it out here:  http://www.bonnier.com/en/content/meet-lauren-machen.

It just so happened to also be a gorgeous sunny day!  According to the news, the warmest day since November!  I can feel spring at my fingertips!  

Portsmouth Harbour, England

HMS Victory

Southsea Castle

Portsmouth Harbour

So I jumped on the train and ventured out to the West about 20 minutes over to Porstmouth Harbour, a port town famous for its historic naval dockyard and the newest addition to its skyline, the Spinnaker Tower.  You can also catch a ferry, cruise ship or hydrofoil here and venture on to France, the Channel Islands or just across the way to the Isle of Wight.  On arrival, it was a beautiful sunny day, very rare for England I've now come to realize, although was lucky enough not to experience until now!  Everyone was out and about and I immediately discovered the port's footpath along the water and followed the locals, tourists and whomever else down the path.  The first place I hit was the historical dockyards of the royal navy.  Here they housed the HMS Victory and Warrior ships and museums for tourists to peruse and photograph.  The ships were amazing.  Some of the oldest boats in the world!  Onward to the east of the dockyard was the Spinnaker Tower, in Gunwharf Quays, a very busy shopping centre filled with shops, bars and restaurants galore...As you can see, it kind of reminds me a little of Seattle.  If you keep heading east along the water, you walk through a small carnival pier and eventually will run into Southsea Castle, where there is a beautiful lighthouse perched on top and you can see out on the English Channel for miles!  This castle was built in 1544 during the reign of King Henry VIII as one of his forts.  I was so lucky to be here on such a gorgeous, sunny day!  I definitely got my walking in for the day and around 5pm decided to finally jump on a train and head back home to relax.

Chichester, England

My Flat

Chichester Cathedral

Only a 90 minute train ride south of London, I arrived bags and all onto the platform of the Chichester Train Station to meet my new boss for the next 3 months, Gwen.  We loaded up my bags into her brand new Audi and drove off to see my new digs.  My place is great.  A two-bedroom, one bathroom flat in a complex across the street from Tesco's, a large super-market type place similar maybe to a super Walmart.  The flat was furnished with nice purple couches, a dinette, king-size bed and a wardrobe closet.  A washer/dryer combo fit snugly into the kitchen just below the electric tea kettle, which would be my new daily morning ritual instead of the good ol' coffee pot!  Figuring out my surroundings was my biggest challenge set before me.  Thankfully my first week on the job, my coworker Amy picked me up and dropped me off so I could get acclimated a little better without worrying about how to get myself off to work!  I later found out that it would be either a brisk 20 minute walk into town to catch the bus or a nice 40 minute walk along the footpath through the fields towards the Appledram"barn," or that which is the offices of Autumn and Bonnier UK Publishing.  I've gotten used to the so called daily commute now and like that I now have three options of transport... (1) walk/bus - 25minutes, (2) walk - 40minutes or (3) bike -15minutes. My only caveat to all of these of course is the weather!

Appledram Barns - Autumn Publishing

Market Cross

Chichester is a quant town, home of the over 900 year old cathedral that sits smack-dab in the center of town.  The Market Cross is also a very beautiful historic structure with a prominent clock tower mounted on all four sides.  There are plenty of shops and restaurants to peruse around in as you meander around on the cobble stone streets.  Just beware that everything closes around 5 or 6pm and on Sundays at 4!  Oh and the bars and restaurants never stay open later than about 11:45pm, so don't plan on seeing much night life here!