Rugby, Leamington and a few other places
The fields in England are a nice change for the eyes as so much of the country is built up.
We spent a few nights at the Merchant drinking red wine.
Most of the time we had blue skies and sun. This is one of the two main streets in town, Sheep Street.
On the bus to Leamington we passed a few thatch roof houses. Cute!
Lovely weather in Leamington.
Just as we got off the bus we bumped into Earlsdon Morris - they dance with clogs (träskor)!
More majestetic stone buildings.
For lunch we went to Wetherspoons. I ate the chicken tikka masala which was a dream.
Daniel ate ribs (haha, no surprise).
Houses by the river running through Jephson Gardens.
Back in Rugby in the evening as the sun was setting.
After Rugby and our day trips to Leamington, Coventry and Birmingham we took the train up to Crewe. Our lovely family friends, Patrick and Monica, graciously let us stay in their house in Nantwich.
We had a few drinks when we arrived. The next day we spent in Manchester before our AMAZING meal the same evening. The following day we took the train down to Birmingham again and flew home in a mini-plane (with BMI).
A lovely trip.
- Nastasja
Rugby - day two
We did a lot of walking about and this place just looked so nice.
The Rugby Hotel.
We went to visit my cousin and her family at my uncle's house. My cousin Mercedes with her lovely little girl Lillie-May.
Mercedes and her boyfriend's son, Oakley - so cute!
'Lillster' has learned how to clap her hands!
My uncle Marcel with his grandson.
This my Nan, my Grandmother. Mrs Woon. She is one of the most incredible people that I have ever met and she still teaches me new things. She is always right, atleast until she is proven otherwise, haha. The water has to be actually boiling when we make the tea otherwise it isn't right. There are bigger serving spoons to be used instead of the normal ones. She always watches the TV series Bones, NCIS and Criminal Minds. She cooks the most amazing food. She taught us how to sew when we were young. We have always been allowed to help cook. And just everything is special with her. Even though it takes a bit of effort to get in a word edgeways with her (<3 haha), we had a lovely week in her flat. THANK YOU, NAN!
One of the beautiful buildings on High Street.
We didn't get round to eating any fish and chips, but this old place brings back memories.
We had lunch in town one day. I had a baked spud with butter, cheese, cottage cheese and baked beans. Daniel had a cheeseburger from the wagon next door.
Fresh cuts on the square. Meat from the locals!
We went back to the Webb Ellis rugby shop so that Daniel could buy a ball (not this one though). They keep them really cheap in the shop as they are made there and are an icon for the town.
Rugby School.
- Nastasja
Rugby - day one
A few weeks ago we started off our trip to England with a shrimp ceaser salad at Landvetter aiport. Yum yum!
We arrived at my Grandmother's flat and ate tea and chatted before we went to bed. When we got up the next morning we were served breakfast (Cumberland sausages, egg, bacon, and for me - beans and tomatoes, for Daniel - toast). Tea with a little milk jug to go with it.
It was in the town of Rugby where my mum and her siblings grew up, that the sport rugby football was created by William Webb Ellis. He attended Rugby School, one of England's most prestigious schools where people like the author of Alice in Wonderland, C.S Lewis also went. When Webb Ellis was playing football he picked up the ball and ran with it - from there rugby was invented.
We visited the museum and the Webb Ellis rugby shop where they make the balls in the building.
The shop a few doors down, the Rugby Tap, had a fun selection of beers and for those who like it - whisky.
In all the years I have visited I have never taken any photos of the buildings. And they really are so lovely.
Daniel pointed out to me that they put these spikes on lamps like this to keep the birds from sitting on them. Just a bit harsh....
The classic food wagons. Jacket potatoes (bakpotatis) with all the trimmings, or burgers and sausages in the other. Woop!
My beloved travel companion.
Everywhere was so green and the flowers were everywhere.
We spent many minutes in the Poundland shops around the area - everything is 99 pence (~10kr), haha.
We had lunch at the little café in Caldecott Park. Cheap as chips.
The town centre. The clock tower.
We peeked about in most of the charity shops. Everything is so cheap there!
More red brick <3
And chimneys.
On the way to Aunty Eve's house we stumbled upon a graveyard with war graves.
A group of Rugby School students in their uniforms.
The beautiful trees on Richmond Road.
There are more pictures to come!
- Nastasja
A day in Leamington
Took the bus to Leamington and spent the day there with the sun shining across the blue sky. Had a nice lunch at Whetherspoons and took the bus back to Rugby. Went back to Nan's and changed clothes before we shared this amazing nachos plate at The Lawrence Sheriff and had a few glasses of red wine. Just finished sandwiches, tea and crips back at Nan's. Tomorrow the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham awaits!
In Rugby
Lying on the sofa at Nan's whilst eating this buttery toffee and listening to her telling Daniel an extra time to boil the kettle properly for er tea.
"It has to be bubbling when you make mine!"
"Ooooh, I'm going to need more milk in than that. What do you call that?!"
Hahah.
So so so so happy being here. I love England.
- Nastasja
Lördag 8 mars
Nu är jag tillbaka på vardagsbloggen igen, även om denna kommer finnas kvar och uppdateras med våra framtida resor och så.
Ni hittar mig på: http://nastasja.blogg.se och möjligtvis http://thefoodtrain.blogg.se om det blir något matbloggande.
- Nastasja
Going home and being home
Hey guys!
As some of you already know, we flew back to Sweden on Wednesday. As we needed to have a ticket out of Thailand before we went there we decided to book our flight back to Sweden and then go to England for the rest of our budgeted money. We've kept it really quiet as it was probably a once in a lifetime chance to surprise people like we were going to do. I only told mum because she decided she was going to England with my sister two days after our arrival. We didn't let Chey know though. I also let one of my besties, Thure, know as I needed a partner in crime.
The last few days in Pattaya we sunbathed at the hotel we'd been staying at and went shopping. Daniel who is obsessed with watches bought some really nice new ones and I managed my best attempt at bargaining and bought a Jimmy Choo bag (fake of course). We ate icecream, went to Ripley's - Believe it or not!, got mani-pedis and visited The Sanctuary of Truth (the temple in the picture, completely made of wood). We weren't ill one second after our antibiotics so we have been able to really enjoy the rest of our trip. We got picked up at 5am from Daniel's uncle's on Wednesday and then went to the airport in Bangkok. (The week before we'd had a bit of a scare because the Thai farmers were on their way to the airport to protest because the government weren't paying them for their rice. China has stopped buying rice from Thailand because it's so corrupt. But they turned around when they were promised their money).
We flew just over 11 hours to Arlanda, Stockholm and were met by a cold airport, very very tall Swedish people and a bottle of water and a shrimp sandwich for 180kr. Crazy. There was also a bombthreat whilst we were there. Got on our last flight to Gothenburg, got our luggage when we got there and looked for our mothers who.... were at the wrong arrival hall. So we walked round and sneaked up behind them and surprised them.
Came home and juuuuust got inside before Chey got home. I peeked my head out the kitchen and her eyes were like golf balls and her response was: "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD. IS THIS REAL? IT CAN'T BE!", hahah.
Woke up at 3.30am on Thursday, jetlagged like mad. Went to the insurance company, invited cousin Krista back for lunch and then kind of waited around until Thure came and picked me up. We were going to go to Borås and surprise Sofie and go out partying. It was a sweeeet reunion and we were like two kids high on 1kg of sweets in the car all the way down. When we arrived at Sofie's I put a pillowcase on my head and sunk down in the seat. She came in and sat in the backseat and Thure was so excited she kept revving the car. I was filming under the pillowcase and after she'd guessed I was Hannah Wass I pulled it off and was met but a shriek and then TEARS. Our lovely Sofie never cries, haha. SO much fun. Went and bought alcohol, Indian food and then had a reallllly fun night that ended at 3am (23,5h being awake...).
Friday morning we cleaned and then went down and met Sofie for lunch and did some errands in the city. So surreal walking around there again. Walked back home, Thure on the phone to Nana trying to speak like I wasn't there, saying "I" and not "we". I drove Thure's clio back to Ulricehamn with a bit of trouble in town, haha. I text Nana back on whatsapp talking about stuff in Thailand. Had a conversation with Malin about her visit to the dentist, Let's Dance and that we'd be in touch during the weekend and it was a shame it'd be hard with facetime as Daniel and I were going to Cambodia on Monday, HA HA HA.
In the evening Daniel came home to mine with Swedish shrimps, marinated garlic cloves and olives. It was the weirdest thing seeing each other after just a few days, in other clothes than we'd had for months, and just... at home. But it was so nice. Thure and I were staying in touch and she then text me to say that Nana had arrived at Malin's and we could turn up. Daniel and I parked the car and sneaked up the stairs and knocked on the door and walked in, me with my heart in my throat. "Hello?". Walked out from behind the wall and was met by the loudest screams ever, Nana throwing sweets and breaking wine glasses, tears and absolute shock. BEST surprise ever. We stayed and were all high on adrenaline watching the film clip with Nana breaking the wine glass over and over again laughing uncontrollably.
The next morning Daniel and I booked our flight to England, so we are going 12-21 of March. We land in Birmingham and will either go straight to Manchester or Rugby. We then went down to town so I could surprise another very missed friend. Peeked inside the book shop to see when Marika left the till and then sneaked in behind the shelves. When the till area was clear I walked forward and asked if she could help me too. "OHHHHHHH!" she said, her eyes going round and her hands clasped around her mouth. Absolutely fantastic. Big hugs in the shop and promises to see each other soon.
We drove down to Borås, Daniel meeting friends for lunch (finally sushi, haha) and me going to another dear friend for a haircut and then a ceasar salad at Viskan.
The days back here have been mental but fun, and it feels good to be back. We've been away for 5 months and two days. The most incredible experience and we are both very proud of each other that we did it so so well.
Until next time!
