D-Day

On June 6 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers invaded Normandy in an act which contributed to the end of World War Two. Equally momentous, on June 6 1994 I sat in my PJs and watched The Longest Day in my Ashhurst lounge (put on by TV1 to mark the 50th anniversary of the landings ) and wrote in my diary that I would love to go to Normandy one day. Last weekend, I finally made it. Yay!

Tane looks at the NZ graves

We visited Omaha Beach first, the place where the Americans landed and home to the cemetery shown in Saving Private Ryan. The whole experience was a bit surreal however in that I really didn't feel as moved as I should have. I am not sure why, possibly a combination of not feeling like it was my history (given the number of American flags I almost felt like I had no right to be there at all) and the number of loud Americans hanging out at the site.

Omaha Beach

The next day we visited the Commonwealth Cemetery, which was much more what I had been expecting. The atmosphere was more sedate, and the cemetery more tasteful. It was very moving finding some NZ graves there, serving as a reminder that D-Day was about people from all corners of the earth.

A German grave

The most moving thing for me though was seeing a small section of German graves. This was the first time I had ever seen some, and if the names and dates inscribed on them were anything to go by the Germans that perished seemed to average about 18 years old, making them all of 7 when Hitler came to power. Should you ever visit the D-Day sites yourself I recommend visiting Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. However I also recommend that you do what very few others seem to do - visit the Commonwealth sites as well, and see the German graves. As well as being interesting, it gives the experience some perspective.

France ... mmmmm ...

The Normandy and Brittany regions of France are awesome. There are ruins, as well as other interesting old things to visit. There is pretty countryside, and cute wee towns. Best of all, though, there is what I believe to be the best food in the world. The food is so good, in fact, I am resisting drooling into the keyboard just writing about it. Of course there is much more to say about our time in France and I am sure I will over the next week or so, but in the meantime here are a few of our food pics:

The sea, the sea

As Lauren can testify, I nearly went into hysterics when I saw my first stretch of Cornish beach. The one thing I regret more than anything else about living in London is that it's not on the coast. Having grown up in a town a few minutes drive from sweeping sandy beaches and living in Wellington, with its harbour and bays, for most of the last few years in New Zealand, I love being near the sea.

Sunset at Mount's Bay near Penzance.

Which is one of the reasons why I loved Cornwall so much. People who say the UK has no good beaches are twits. True, they don't have nearly as many as New Zealand, so the ones they do have get packed in summer, but Cornwall is studded with gorgeous little harbours.

But much as I love the sea and have spend a lot of time swimming and bodyboading in it, it does freak me out a bit. I think it's the idea of being in this alien enviroment with brutal, pounding waves and vast depths. Maybe I'd end up like this ship we saw on the way to Land's End. Am I alone in this fear of the great blue yonder?

It's kind of like gulls. Listening to their calls is relaxing and watching them float on the breeze is beautiful. But they really are psychotic. Ever seen them fight over scraps, or peck at a wounded bird? The British ones are worse than the ones back home - bigger and with these yellow eyes that look more than a little insane. No wonder Lauren thinks there's a global seagull consipracy.

St Ives

There is a reason that Britons flock in their thousands to Cornwall. It's lovely - not only is Cornwall home to the best beaches I've seen since Turkey, but St Ives where we stayed is now in the running for the Lauren's Fave Place in the UK award. Bath and York ought to watch out.

White sand + Diet Coke + T-shirt weather = Haaaaapy.

St Ives feels like it ought to be on the Mediterranean rather than in England with its windy roads and white sandy beaches. We spent a happy few days exploring the town and its surrounds, relaxing, getting fresh air and a fix of beach. It was too cold to swim but that's a good thing - had it been warmer I suspect the town would have been so full it wouldn't have been as relaxing to visit.

Tane near Land's End. Walking around the cliffs near Land's End is great, although Land's End itself a bit weird and creepy.

Being in Cornwall was great - not only did we have a fabulous time, but it now feels like summer is finally on its way. Especially as news reports are saying that it is predicted to be a good one. Bring it on!

Whingeing Poms and Loud Americans

Being in the US and coming back to the UK has got me thinking about different attitudes in different countries. Stereotypes are dangerous, unfair and sometimes just plain wrong. However, often there is a kernel of truth. Nations do have cultures, with people tending to behave in ways that fits in with most other people, which is what many stereotypes are based on.

A couple of stereotypes that I'd be interested in getting your thoughts on are the friendly American and the negative, complaining Brit.

One of the things that struck Lauren and I being back in the States was just how good the customer service is. People serving us were so polite, friendly and helpful. I'd never noticed customer service in the UK or NZ as being particularly bad before, but in comparison it really isn't flash. A nice smile and cheerful snippet of conversation is not what you expect from the minimum wage slave behind the till in Pac N Save or Tesco.

Flags ringing the Washington Monument. Yanks do love the Stars and Stripes.

Back in London, I've been extra aware of how many Brits - especially in groups - like to have a good moan about something. How you'll hear something is 'rubbish', when it's merely mediocre, or 'decent' when it's very good. On the bright side, British pessimism makes for lots of great comedy and a healthy scepticism about people in authority.

I think New Zealanders have picked up some of this in our cultural baggage. There's the tall poppy syndrome for example - the urge to cut down people who stand out from the crowd.

Guardsmen at Windsor Castle, no doubt off to wet their stiff upper lips with a pint of warm ale and a moan about the boss.

So, what do you think of these stereotypes? Gigantic generalisation for sure, but is there something to them? Is so, why do you think it came about? Is it the British weather (I don't think it's that bad at all)? Is it the space and freedom of America, the optimism of people coming to the New World? What about other stereotypes - like the coarse, cocky, boozing Aussie? Or the cold, humourless German (completely untrue in my experience)? I'd interested to read your thoughts.

The people we meet

Today I was thinking about some of the interesting people you meet when going about your day -to-day life. You know, a person whose name you don't know but face you recognise, a person that is a complete stranger bar the odd incidental conversation. I am sure you can think of a few that appear in your daily routine, and I'm interested to hear about it. These are a few of mine:

1. The girl in the store outside Victoria Station that sells me Chupachups from Lublin, Poland. Yesterday she told me that Chupachups are more common in Lublin than London, and went on to say that she used to think Lublin was a big city until she moved here.

2. The Kurdish guy that sells me Diet Coke in Ealing Station. Although he grew up in Iraq he's adamant that he's Kurdish, not Iraqi. He's currently setting up a Shisha Bar in South Ealing, which I assume has gotten off the ground as these last few days there has been another Kurdish guy selling the Diet Coke.

3. The men that run an awesome diner in St Martin's Court, part of the maze of streets between Leicester Square and Covent Garden. One is half Greek and half French, and the other Italian. They both have massive smiles and greet customers with a mix of Greek, French and Italian which I find hilarious.

Who are yours?

Two years

We've been hitched two years. Yay! It's been grand, being married (or should I say Civil Unioned) is cool, although think it is my choice of husband that has made it such. Although I could go on, to spare you more OTT cheesiness, I'll just post some pics instead.

Two years ago ...

One year ago, in Paris ...
Now! In New York ...

Obamarama

Last weekend we were walking to the White House and noticed a crowd. Nosey as ever, we went to investigate. On closer inspection, we realised that not only were there lots of people standing around, but plenty of police as well. Eventually, we also noticed this sniper hanging out on the building above us.

Given that the entire situation felt like something from a movie, I was not surprised to find out that the Obama clan were inside the church across the road. Naturally, we hung around in the hope we'd see them. The wait was fun - the crowd was in good spirits in spite of the number of police around, including one on a bike that would cruise up and down to eyeball us every now and then. Strangers were chatting, and everyone was clutching their cameras ready to pounce the moment the First Couple appeared.Sadly for us, Obama snuck out a side door and we only got a fleeting glimpse of Michelle. The whole situation was hilarious though, and another reminder of both what an important man Obama is and that Washington D.C. is where it's at. Anyway, with cut-outs like the ones below, who needs to see him in the flesh anyway? ;)

Best jumping photos ever

I love jumping photos. Sure, you look ridiculous while taking them, and a lot of the time your camera ends up filled with photos of people in weird squats. Ones like these taken yesterday in the lovely city of Washington D.C. make it all worth while though - even if Ngaire did land on a strange angle after the last one and had a limp for the remainder of the day. Good times.

The Washington Monument

The Lincoln Memorial

New York, New York

There is reason that so many people wear t-shirts that say "I Heart New York". New York rocks. It's a crazy place filled with yellow cabs, bagels and places that remind me of the movies, and more fun in an "I cannot believe I am actually here" kind of way than anywhere I have visited yet.

Tane at Wall Street.

There were three highlights for me during our visit - going to Planet Hollywood and a Broadway show with Ngaire, visiting the top of the Rockefeller Centre, and taking a boat to Liberty Island. Seeing the Statue of Liberty was especially fun after we decided to by green foam hats to mark the occasion as these were perfect for some shameless posing.

If I were to name my top place in New York, though, it would have to be Times Square. Before I saw Times Square, I considered NY all hassle and no charm. Who knew that dozens of crazy neon lights and a three level M&Ms store would change my mind?

I loved New York, and can't wait to go back again one day. For a small island, Manhattan is somewhere that I could happily spend a lot of time in, even if dodging the yellow taxis is a daily occurrence. I didn't buy one of those cheesy t-shirts, but if I feel the same next time might just. Brooklyn Bridge, right before we approached some sifty looking Italian-Americans (one with a cut lip) in a parking lot for directions. We are sure that we interrupted a clandestine meeting and are lucky not to be swimming with the fishes ...

Gettysburg

Last week I visited the American Civil War battle site Gettysburg, the location of what many historians argue to have been where the Civil War turned against the South.

Like many other battlefields, little remains apart from grass, memorials, plaques and the odd cannon. It is still well worth a visit, however, especially to the gift shop where you are able to buy Confederate flags, Civil War chess sets and Abraham Lincoln memorabilia. The town of Gettysburg is charming, and my only regret is not reading up more about the battle before going there. I really enjoyed visiting nonetheless, and look forward to going back one day with Tane in tow.


On the left, Mikey looks a tad happy for someone born in the South. The photo on the right shows one of the many Confederate flags shown at the site.

London in the spring

In case you were wondering if Lauren was the only one having a good time, over there in the US, I should say that its pretty darn wonderful here in London at the moment. It's funny, it's not until living in this part of the world that I really appreciated what a big difference the change in the seasons makes. New Zealand doesn't have the major shift from winter to spring that the UK does, particularly because it's closer to the equator and most of the trees are evergreens. Here it was dark at 4pm back in December, but is now light until 8pm. All the trees that were grey skeletons a little while ago are now either covered in blossoms or emerging leaves. This weekend we could wear shorts and the parks were packed. It's amazing what a lift it gives to people. Sitting St James' Park yesterday, surrounded by groups of people chatting, laughing or reading, you could almost see the happiness radiating off everyone.

So here are a few reasons why spring is great.

1) Flowers! The daffodils are out everywhere and the flowerbeds are filled with colours.

Yes, I've put up two flower photos. It's true. I am a girl.

Perfect weather for football in Kensington Gardens.

Andrew Burge is in town!

OK, so my old uni flatmate, divemaster and traveller extraordinare Andrew visiting Europe actually has nothing to do with spring, but it was really cool catching up with him after a few years. Pity my photo in front of the Diplodocus in the awesome Natural History Museum was a lot less than awesome.

But despite it being so nice in London at the moment, I'm really, really looking forward to joining Lauren over in the States on Thursday. Yay!

Roadtrip, wooo!

I have been spending the last few days on the road with my best friend from school, Rachel, and her two kids. It has been great fun, especially spending time with them and watching the USA whizz by out the window. It really is a massive country, we drove for two days yet only passed through four states and covered in area of about 1 cm on my map.

Rachel with Mikey and Emmelia

The highlight for me, apart from spending time with the kids and catching up on years of conversations with Rachel, was seeing two Amish people on a horse and buggy in Upstate New York. That, and discovering dark chocolate peanut M&Ms. Happy. The wee Deck whanau has headed to South Carolina now, but I'm hoping to see them again soon. It's great that my friends live all over the world and that I am travelling myself, but it does make me a little sad that there are all these little people that I am not seeing growing up.

Capitol

Does it reflect badly on me that when I was standing on the steps of Capitol all I could think about was the many episodes of The Simpsons where they visit? Is it true then, that there is a Simpsons moment for every occasion? I think that there is - especially in Washington D.C. I haven't yet decided if that enhances or takes away from the experience of being here though!

Arlington Cemetery

There is something very eerie about being in a place where hundreds and thousands of people that fought in various wars are buried. Whatever your politics, it is impossible to be in a place like Arlington and not agree that war is tragic. Nonetheless, Arlington Cemetery is still a fascinating place to visit. JFK is buried here, and you can see the eternal flame that sits on his grave. Bobby Kennedy is here as well, as is the tomb to the unknown soldiers.

The highlight for me, however, was the Iwo Jima statue. When I was at Otago I used to have the photograph on my wall, and have since seen the cheesy-yet-interesting-although-in-need-of-an-edit movie about the men in the statue, Flags of Our Fathers. So, while I know that the original photo was staged and the statue itself in an odd location in the cemetery (it almost felt like it was in a parking lot, I'd be interested to find out why it's not with everything else) it was still cool to see it with my own eyes.

Dr Pepper and D.C.

Yesterday I travelled to the USA for the first time in over seven years. It is great to be back though, and not just because of the Dr Pepper and pizza. I'm also hanging out with Dad in DC for the first time in almost two years, and getting to be shown around Washington D.C. by someone who lives here at present courtesy of the Fulbright Scholarship system.

Dad at the back of the White House. No sign of the Obamas, alas, although the town is still filled with inauguration memorabilia.

Washington DC is a lovely city, The Mall awesome to walk around as is seeing so many sights that I've seen millions of times before at the movies. No disrespect to Cheese-heads from Wisconsin, but already I like DC an awful lot more than the American Midwest I became familiar with last time. That's not just because of the frequency of hot dog stands for us to fill up on Dr Pepper and hot dogs at either.

Unfortunately, Tane isn't here with us but joining me here next week. Just to show he's not forgotten, though, I wanted to post this pic Dad took of me texting him while standing outside Capitol.

A day trip to Windsor

Yesterday Tane and I decided to make the most of the glorious beginning-of-Spring weather and join Patti for a visit to the Queen at Windsor Castle. Well, maybe not the Queen herself, but we did visit her house and she was home and that's probably as close as we hois-palois will ever get.

At least I got close to some men wearing fluffy hats the remind me of toilet plungers on their heads

Windsor Castle, a short trip from Ealing, is remarkable. The castle is amazing to look at from the outside, and the interior that is open to the public filled with so many treasures and works of art it took us a good two hours to look around. The highlight was Queen Mary's Dollhouse, complete with running water and bespoke portraits on the walls. This was followed by the worst part of the Castle in my opinion, a room filled with treasures plundered from the Empire which I felt was not remorseful enough about the circumstances in which the goods were acquired. These objections aside, however, it can't be denied that the castle was filled with goods worth more than I could ever hope to earn in a millennium. With Heathrow close by, though, it is amusing that you may be the Queen of England and still be in a flight path.

The flag in the photograph flies when the Queen is in residence. Given the number of planes flying around while we were there I am also curious what the Queen thinks of the proposed third runway ...