Anna officially hates Christmas.

Ok.... so I don't really hate Christmas, it just sucks being on the other side of the world and not having the usual family and week long build up to Xmas Day.. plus its winter here and so cold... its not supposed to be cold at Christmas!!!

The only good thing is that we are doing about 90 covers for Christmas Lunch and about 70 on Boxing day Lunch.. So I am not going to be bored. I am going to be busy... time is going to fly past, which will be good with the way I'm feeling at the moment.

Plus I have a whole week in Scotland to look forward to.. the 4th January is not far away.

Anyways.... for those who are still reading the world's most boring blog.....

I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a lovely start to 2009..

Anna.

Well, it has officially turned freezing cold in this country. It is frosting as early as 8 o'clock so its is always bitterly cold. It is never windy though so we get nice clear days but oh my god, so so cold. This is what I woke up to the other day.... from outside my bedroom window..

I also managed to take some pics of my work.... they are taken at about 4 in the afternoon so it's getting quite dark but it makes them really pretty...

Oh my gosh... it is over a month since I've updated.. oops... So I am back in England, I have a job in Moulsford on Thames- which is the area in which they film Midsomer Murders for those interested. I'm working in a restaurant called the Beetle & Wedge Boathouse, and am living in a nearby village called Cholsey in staff accommodation.
The only bad bit at the moment is that it is winter!! Well, not officially but it might as well be, I haven't been so cold in such a long time. It was sleeting and pouring with rain this afternoon and it has been getting darker a lot earlier, at about 4 -4.30. it's crazy.

best be getting on with things now.... xxx

Alright, so I am having a lazy afternoon while in Madrid.. I am flying back to London tomorrow, applying for jobs left, right and centre! But I found some time to upload some photos... coz I have been super slack at doing it... So here goes... (and in no particular order, I can't be bothered sorting them!!)

Santorini... beautiful beautiful place. Pity though, it rained on our only full day there.

Paros... pretty beach, we did a boat cruise the next day around antiparos... so so much fun swimming in the sea.

Ahhh... an evening in roma.... the colloseum- took my breath away.

Rome again, the Panthenon.

Vatican City- I was being really lazy this day and didn't want ot face the enormously long lines to go inside, they were ridiculous... but was pretty on the outside.

Venice- this is me and some more Busabout people doing our gondola ride.. such a fun time... our driver was soo funny.

Venice some more... the view from the top of a tower, looking at the entrance to the Grand Canal.

Sunset over Venice.

Ios- by far my favourite Greek Island.. and I think this may be the best sunset I have seen... should I say that I also saw the sun rise the next morning?

Mykonos- this is Little Venice.. the brownish looking building you can see with Rhapsody on it is a cocktail bar we visited. So expensive.. I paid €9.00 for a daquiri- thats $18.00!!

So I have so many more photos but really can't be bothered putting them all on here!! But these are the pick of the bunch and I will try and put some more up soon.

Hello peoples...

So since I wrote on here last, I have been through Florence, Nice, Monaco and am now in Barcelona. Seems like a lot, but time has just flown by so very fast. I am flying back to the UK in 5 days! Which I think could not have come at a better time, the funds are running a little low.. Europe is expensive!

So Florence was very pretty... there isn´t a whole lot to do there except Museums and Art Galleries.. I lined up for half an hour, paid €10 and saw Michaelangelo´s David. I was slightly gob-smacked actually, he was a lot bigger and way more detailed than I thought he was going to be. That is about all I did in Florence.... was really tired from a few big days in Rome....

Then to Nice, France. In the French Rivieria, it is so beautiful... I can´t wait to put some photos up to make you all jealous! There isn´t much to do there except laze on the beach and shop.. so thats what I did. I did get to Monaco for most of a day... and as it turns out, there ain´t much to do there except go into the casino which i couldn´t afford. Even eating in Monaco is really expensive. If I was a godzillionnaire, I think I would really like it there but oh well. Saw some really nice cars.

Then Barcelona... I have only been here a day and I´ve been walking around all day, it has been really nice. Again, it seems like a big shopping city.. looking out the window of the hostel, and there is a Cartier and a Diesel shop.... if only! I am off to do a spanish cooking class tonight.. Sangria, Tapas, Paella and Gispacchio... going to be fun. Then tomorrow, Naomi is coming to meet me and we intend to see the nightlife in various depths. Should be fun!!

It seems I am becoming more and more slack at updating my blog. I am leading such a busy life you see!! Anyway I am currently in Rome.. having spent 4 days here already and still have another 3. I have yet to venture inside the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum because the lines are horrendous. I am going to try again tomorrow though. Apparently lunchtime is the prime time to go. I did get to the Colloseum and the Parthenon which was just as exciting. If ruins and ancient history are your thing, Rome would be heaven for you. Me... I'm not crazy about it. It is a gorgeous city but thats about where I get sleepy.

But.....I had the best time ever in the Greek Islands. I gotta say before I went, I was a little nervous- I'm not sure why but I was. First stop was Mykonos- gorgeous. Little Venice, the windmills, the beach, the cocktails. amazing. This is the island where the white buildings with blue roofs and window shutters are most obvious. Next was Paros- where we did a boat cruise around Antiparos... I thought I would get seasick, but I was absolutely fine. Could be to do with the copious amounts of Vino I consumed before noon.. but I did get to swim in the sea which was a lot more salty than I expected but so so warm.

Next up was Santorini, which sadly was raining, pretty much the whole time. But we still had fun, I managed to visit Kamari, one of the black beaches. Then we had a blast out dancing that night, along with some more cocktails... I think this was the most scenic island.

Then we went to Ios.... which was my favourite. We stayed right on the beach... there isn't much to do except laze on the beach all day- which was perfectly fine by me. Still managed to squeeze in some cocktails [see a theme here?] and a little dancing and partying. Lets just say I almost saw the sun rise about 3 nights in a row!!

This last 10 days has definitely been my favourite so far on my tour.. but i have more to go!!

Venice is officially my favourite city. I did not realise it is the way it is, about 2 kms offshore from the mainland of Italy. Pretty much built up from swamp. But it is soo beautiful. Went on a gondola ride with 3 other people from Busabout... made it cheaper and was fun. Our driver (is that what they are called?) was hilarious, he was singing the entire time and pretended to hit his head on a bridge just to make us all laugh. Then, when he was taking a picture of the of us, he acted like he threw my camera into the canal. Scared the living daylights out of me. On my last day there, me and another 2 girls went to Verona, where Romeo and Juliet was supposedly set. Saw Juliets Balcony... pretended to be her... stood on it, had my pic taken. Good times.

I then set off on my epic adventure across the ocean to Greece. I was supposed to be on the deck for the entire time, which is just a concrete floor, nothing else. But since the mother of all thunderstorms came rolling in as we pulled out of the harbour... I splashed out and brought myself a bed. Best thing I ever did.... It rained all the way to Greece. And I slept like a baby to the sound and rocking of the ocean. 24 hours later I arrived in Patras. Greece's stinkiest and dirtiest place. Only just beating Athens. It is an amazing place but really has got some cleaning up to do. I walked up to the Akropolis this afternoon, which I was also a little disappointed with. Tourists by the gallon and all the ruins had scaffolding around them... I know, I can't help it but sucks it had to be there while I was there. I got some cool pictures though. I'm off to Mykonos tomorrow, then Ios, Santorini and Paros before getting back to Athens. Then I fly to Rome in about 10 days time. Should manage to breathe in between!!!!

Hugs and Kisses xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I have finally got some time to sit down and write on my blog..... I am in Munich now, having spent the last 4 days here, and am off to Venice tomorrow.

Vienna was stunning. Everyone else around me didn't like it so much but I thought it was gorgeous. I met an Auckland girl called Olivia, so we hung out and explored together which was cool. First day there, we went into the main centre of Vienna and saw the enormous St Stephens Dom. Gorgeous. Still not finished though... after all these years. Then we saw the main palace in the centre of town and wandered, got ourselves lost in the city. Such a good time. In the afternoon we took a tram out to a HUGE cemetery- 2.5 million people there. We saw the graves of some famous composers- Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Brahms and Schubert. Really pretty place. The next day was a late start due to the late night.. we made our way to Schonbrunn palace- which amazingly was the Royals Summer Palace, even though it was a 5 minute tram ride out of the city. This is an amazing spot. There is a zoo out there, saw some crazy animals... hippos, porcupines, polar bears, pandas. was a fun day.

St Stephens Dom

Mozarts Grave at the cemetery

The Beautiful Schonbrunn Palace with Vienna behind.

And now to Munich... The Home of Bier, sausage and Lederhosen. I am actually quite surprised at the number of men in the city just casually wearing their leather shorts. And they are not flattering in the slightest!! My first day here I went down to Neuschwannstein, the castle which is set down near Fussen, about 2 hours south of Munich. It was really pretty. I did an organised tour, which set off at 8.20 in the morning and our guide was a really arrogant South African called Brad. After the castle, we did a hike (yea, I know) through the other side of the Castle to what they called an Alpine Slide- was basically the Luge in Queenstown but a lot less fun!! and then we did a bike ride through the countryside to a really scenic lake, about 20 minutes away. I don't think I have rode a bike since the bus stop days at the farm, so it was good fun.

The next day I hung out with Heather, one of my roomates, and we went into the Marienplatz, and watched the Glockenspiel do it's thing. Then we walked around the city and saw the various sights. We had to go to the Hofbrauhaus, and try out a Stein of the local brew. Took me awhile, but I got through all 1000ml of it!!! Very Proud. Then we went to the Virkualianmarkt, which is basically a food court but outside under some chestnut trees. All the food was sausages, or schnitzel or beer. They class beer as a food group in this city.

The next day I went to Dachau, the First Ever Concentration Camp in the 2nd World War. It was such an amazing day, opened my eyes to a lot of what happened, making me want to learn a whole lot more. I did a tour with a guide who was really passionate, which you don't seem to find in tour guides, and he wasa textbook full of information. Just cannot put the words together of who to explain how mind altering it was!!

Today is my last day in Munich. It's raining, cold and I am not going to do anything. I have been going pretty hard and fast since Prague so it is really nice to have a lazy day. Plus, it's Sunday. nothing is open. Except the kebab place, gonna get one for lunch!!!

Neuschwannstein Castle

Glockenspiel

Me, with my beer and enormous pretzel at the Hofbrauhaus.

Cremation ovens at Dachau. There were 5 like this in the room.

The main gate at Dachau- up until 2001, no one was allowed to walk through this gate. Arbeit macht frei- literal meaning, working sets you free... A Complete Lie to fool the higher powers.

So, I feel like Prague has let me down a little. Or maybe I had heard so many good things about it that i put it up high, and it just didnt pull through!! Don't get me wrong... it is a gorgeous city but i kinda thought it was going to be 10 times better. There are copius amounts of eye candy though!! And tourists up the wahzoo!! Especially in this hostel... Contiki, Topdeck and Busabout all stop in here. Australians for miles!! And the language is crazy! Usually you can sort of make some kind of rhyme or reason to what Europeans are saying. But Czechs... nothing!! Off to Vienna tomorrow which hopefully will be fun. My favourite DJ isn't playing at the Hostel Bar tonight so I am off to bed early.

4 SLEEPS UNTIL MY GREAT EUROPEAN ADVENTURE!!!

I have decided England just can't do junk food like home. Especially lollies. They are rubbish here. And chips- or crisps here.. seriously missing the Garlic Aioli Health Plus and Sour Cream & Chives Grain Waves. My mouth is watering.... Although Walkers Cheese and Onion are to die for. But it is the lollies I miss. Even the Jelly Beans are way different and they taste worse. I probably shouldn't eat them anyways. But they're so addictive.....

I can't believe it is only 3 weeks today until I fly to Prague. Time has flown. Brought a new swimsuit today for my trip- I am going to the Greek Islands after all. And the sales are on.. so i got a bit excited and brought a few tops as well. Mum- you'll be seriously jealous with the sales over here. Freaking amazing. And sooo cheap. You need to come over at the end of the seasons cause it is wicked. And all the new boots are starting to come out. Exciting!!

OK Tyrel.... Here is the new cartoons of the famdamily!!

So...it turns out I am quite boring over the last couple of weeks. I have been trying to save money for my trip round Europe. I did shout myself to see Mamma Mia last week. I know I am going to get hassled for saying this.... but I thought it was lame. But the music was fantastic... I brought ABBA Gold after seeing it. Just thought the story was lacking something.

Anyway....Got Bored last week and found a Cartoon Website.... Here is my family. Lotsa Luv..

I got back from Ireland in one piece.... just!! I did have a fun time, but Dublin the city was a little disappointing.. it was full of American tourists and kinda dirty. But I really enjoyed the day trip up to Fourknocks, Monasterboice and Mellifont Abbey. It was a really fun day. Except when I almost knocked myself out with a brick wall. I've still got a lump on my forehead and have had headaches for the last 3 days!

But anywho... I managed to go to the Guinness Storehouse and have a look around the brewery. You'd all be proud.. I made my way through a pint of Guinness! Random Fact... they produce 4 million pints of Guinness every day and half that is for Ireland. And Arthur Guinness signed a lease for the St James Brewery in 1904 for 9000 years!

Also I was going to do a Literary Walk around Dublin, but being typically irish, it rained every day bar one so didn't get that far.

I was going to stay in Birmingham for the day on Thursday when I came home but the radar system went down at Dublin airport so my plane was delayed for 2 and a 1/2 hours so I was exhausted when I got back.

Here are some pics....

This is one of three Celtic crosses at Monasterboice. They are set amongst a cemetery and ruins an old monastry chapel. And they stand about another 10 foot above me.

This is Christchurch Cathedral in the heart of Dublin.

Me and my Guinness at the Gravity Bar at the very top of the Guinness Storehouse. 360 degrees of glass windows.

The Spire right at the middle of O'Connell St. They locals call it either the Rod to God or the Erection at the Intersection.

This is Mellifont Abbey.

This is for Mum & Beck.... everything you see is U2. And this is just one wall.

Big decision to make...... got 4 days off soon..... Ireland or Paris???? Any suggestions????

I just spent the last two days in London.. Saw Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre. It was so good. It was really fantastic, I think I am going to have to go back to the West End for some more shows!!

I played a tourist for a while as well. I walked up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. Then I walked to Piccadilly Circus via Pall Mall... exciting. Then went down Oxford Street. People and Shops for miles. I love H&M and River Island... very cool.

Then on Thursday I went up on the Eye as it was a really nice day.. blue skies but windy. All good. Then I met up with Nat and Kerrie at the Borough Markets for lunch. Had the best Chicken Burger Ever. Then the walked back down towards Waterloo and dropped into the Globe and had a look around. Then came back to Sulgrave.

Some pics from my adventure....

This is the view from Waterloo Bridge as me and Nat were walking home after Dirty Dancing- but it really doesn't do any justice. Such a pretty view.

Piccadilly Circus

Me up on the Eye...with Big Ben and Parliament in the background.

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to Anna,
Happy Birthday to me.

For some reason today, I am extra home sick. I don't know if it is just coz it's my birthday this week, or if I am just over working at this pub. I don't know. Everyone is hassling me this week with my accent and I can't seem to speak without having to repeat myself 10 times. Gets annoying.

I am extra looking forward to London on Wednesday. Just need to get out of here. And I am going to buy boots. Maybe go up on the London Eye, if it is good weather. Might even venture to Buckingham Palace. See how things go. And of course there is Dirty Dancing.

Miss you all... xxxxxxxxxx

Only one week until.....

I've had... the time of my life.... no I never felt this way before.... yes I swear.... It's the truth...... And I owe it all to you....

I actually cannot wait... I am sooooo excited.

OK Mother.... I got off my behind after talking to you this morning and took the very long, exhausting six minute walk to the Sulgrave Church.

It actually is very gorgeous. And such a lovely morning, sun shine and blue skies. One thing I have noticed in this country, all the churchs are surrounded by graves. Makes them extra special.

Here are the pics.....

Oh my goodness.... it is June already..time sure does fly.

Now to do what I must. I am sorry to say that from September 17th through to the 24th I am unfortunately going to have to sail around the Greek Islands. It is a real shame and I wish I could get out of it, but it seems I paid in full. Oops.

Ah ha.... that's right baby... it is 8 full days of sunshine and greekness for me. YAY.. I can't wait!!! Might even find me a handsome Guido Hatsis while I am over there.

So.. to make all of you lovely people in the freezing cold New Zealand jealous... here are some pictures of my future endeavours...

luv anna (p.s... 16 days until my quarter pounder!!!) xxxxxxxoo

Hello everybody..... Update from sulgrave!..... Nothing terribly exciting has happened this week. Except England bet NZ in the cricket... and the 14th teenager was murdered in England this year.... and The Star Inn had a Tequila and Karaoke party last night, I know, an odd pairing but it was a lot of fun. I was a good girl and stayed away form the tequila (grose!!) but I may have sung a little karaoke.. It was a great night and since it was a Bank Holiday today, everyone is able to recover without working, except for me!! Lunchtime today was rather busy and not fun with only a little sleep.

I am very excited that Me and Nat are going to see Dirty Dancing on stage at the Aldwych Theatre in London on my birthday. It is going to be so much fun. I know some people are going to be very jealous... hehe..

It's raining again today (surprise, surprise!!) but it is supposed to be summer even though it is seriously cold. I am having quiet days off this week, going to watch DVDs all day tomorrow and I might venture into Banbury on Wednesday to kill some time!!!

I caved to Facebook and joined too... so anyone who wants to add me.....

Love Anna.

This is me and Helen- one of my co-workers

These are some of the local girls... Joy (my boss), Phinella, Imogen, Helen and Louise.

I have just been to Stratford-upon-Avon for the day. Karrie came up from London and we went on the train for the day. We were planning to stay the night, but it turns out the hostel is an hours walk out of town! Pretty useless for a backpackers. Anyway we ended up just staying for the day and looking around. We went to Shakespeares Birthplace, Shakespeares Grave- which I was a little disappointed with.. the Holy Trinity Church which is where the grave is has kinda capitalised on the fact that Shakespeare is there... charging to get in and having a souvenir shop in the corner. Kinda Cheesy. But I am glad I went, was worth it. I have although developed a souvenir addiction. I am slightly obsessed!! Anyways.. I have brought a bus ticket for around Europe. I can pick up the bus whenever and wherever I want to and carry on around for 9 stops. So I think I am going to start in Prague and go through Vienna, Munich, Venice, Rome, Florence, Nice, Barcelona and finish in Madrid. I think I'll hang out in Spain for a little while longer and then maybe pop over to Morocco for awhile. Well that is the plan at the moment, whether or not I stick to the plan is another story!!! Here are some pics from Stratford. Top is of the Holy Trinity Church and the bottom two are of Shakespeares Birthplace.

Hey people...

I am typing this on my laptop. I finally connected!! I had the best time in Bath. It is the most gorgeous place ever. Went on a red bus tour and went into the Abbey. Also had a look around the Roman baths. Amazing. I meet a cool girl called Karrie at the backpackers there. She's an Aussie and doing the same as me, travelling alone. We went out in Bath on both nights and may have had one too many refreshments (oops!!) Anyways.. the next day I went out to Stonehenge. Also amazing. A bit of a reality check. Apparently the big people think they have been there for 5000 years. Thats 3000 BC!!! Am back at work now and then I am meeting Karrie in Stratford upon Avon on tuesday for a couple days. Should be fun. Here are some pics from my travels. One is from inside the baths, the other at Stonehenge and then me in front of the Christchurch Cathedral in Oxford. Much love. mwah.