It's hard to believe that it has taken us over a year to tour the Greene King Brewery in Bury St. Edmunds, a town about 10 minutes away. Greene King supplies the majority of cask ales to pubs in East Anglia, and has been brewing beer for over 200 years. We've been meaning to take the tour since we first got here, but just never got around to it. On a nice day at the beginning of April, we decided to go with some of our friends who recently moved here. During the tour, we got to learn all about the cask ale brewing process, take in the beautiful views of Bury from above, and then of course taste lots of beer!
At the end of March (I can't believe it's already May!), we went to our first Premier League football (soccer) match! Jordan found tickets to see Arsenal play at Birmingham, which is only a couple hours away. The only catch was that he could only find seats through Birmingham... meaning that we were going to have to sit with other Blues supporters. We figured it wouldn't be a big deal - people do it all the time in the states, right?
After speaking with some of our English mates, we quickly realized that this was actually quite a bold move. Later, I found out that Jordan had to become a member of the Birmingham fan club in order to purchase these tickets. We decided we'd wear our Arsenal kits (jerseys) anyway, but just keep them covered with our jackets. (Thank goodness it was a chilly day!)
We got to Birmingham with an hour to spare before kick-off, and spent some time walking around to experience the pregame festivities. We passed a pub with signs posted saying "HOME SUPPORTERS ONLY", with lots of tough guys standing outside (picture shaved heads, tattoos on their heads and fingers, scars, and drinking cans of beer that they bought at the corner store). I was considering taking a picture, but for my safety decided against it.
We found the appropriate entrance for our tickets (they separate the home and visitor sections), and walked past yet another sign that reminded us that we were about to enter a section for "Blues Supporters ONLY". We found our seats, and double-checked that our jackets were zipped up to our chins. When Arsenal scored, we celebrated quietly by giving each other a fist bump with our hands at our sides. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was really exciting to see the home team erupt when Birmingham scored. The passion that the English have for football is unbelievable. They get extremely upset when they're losing (screaming expletives and all), and celebrate like crazy when they score. This game was an unforgettable experience for both of us, but I think we'll try a bit harder to find tickets in our team's section next time.
Unfortunately I'm home sick today, but it gives me the perfect opportunity to tell about our most recent adventure...
During the second week of February, we went on a ski trip to Zermatt, Switzerland! Our friends Kyle and Andrea came along with us, and we stayed in a fully-catered chalet. Zermatt is one of the most unique and beautiful places I've been yet, and I would totally recommend it to anyone who loves the outdoors!
First of all, Zermatt is interesting in the fact that the town has not allowed combustion-engine cars since 1947. The reason for this is that they want to preserve their beautiful view of the Matterhorn (see below). The only cars you will see in town are electric-powered taxis and buses. You have to be careful walking around, because the electro-taxis are almost silent, so they can creep up behind you rather quickly! Because of the car ban, it is a bit of a haul to get into Zermatt. We had to fly into Geneva, and then take a three-hour bus ride to a train station about 20 minutes out of Zermatt. We rode the train in, and then had to take an electric taxi to our chalet. However, it was well worth it, and we TRULY felt like we were able to "get away from it all".
Our chalet housed 10 guests including us, and we were extremely lucky to be staying with a wonderful bunch of people. One family was from Scotland, visiting their daughter (and sister) Rhona, who was our chalet host. We were able to get to know them all really well, and we have hopes to visit them up north the next chance we get!
Rhona cooked breakfast for us each morning, and had afternoon tea and a yummy cake awaiting our return from the mountain each day. Then we were served a five-course meal every night, with unlimited wine! Talk about being pampered!
At dinner the first night.
Jordan and I spent four out of seven days skiing, which was plenty for us. Two out of those four, we bought passes allowing us to ski over on the Italian side of the mountain. After our first run in Italy, we stopped for a Cappuccino, and then continued skiing until lunchtime. It was much more reasonable to eat on the mountain in Italy, so we indulged in some lasagna and spaghetti.
Here we are, loving the snow in Zermatt!
After warming up with a cappuccino in Italy.
Crossing back into Switzerland after skiing in Italy.
We took countless pictures of the Matterhorn, because the look of it differs so much at different times during the day and as the weather changes. By the way...you might recognize it. The Matterhorn is displayed on the logos of Toblerone chocolate and Paramount Pictures. :)
Walking through town at night.
We decided to go tobogganing one evening with some of our mates from our chalet. We had an awesome time flying down the mountain after one another. Half way down, our guide took us to a little pub for a drink, and we raced down the rest even faster!
Getting ready to go!
Skiing the alps was definitely a big mark on our "list of things to do/places to see", and we had a wonderful time! If you would like to see some more pictures from our trip, Click here to view my album on facebook.
First of all, happy new year everyone! We hope that you all have had a blessed holiday season surrounded by close friends and family. This year, we were ecstatic to be together for the holidays, but being so far from home was definitely something new for us. We have each been away from our respective "homes" during both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we were always with one family or the other. This year, we were both thousands of miles away from anything familiar.
Luckily, Jordan's mother and step-father came to visit for the week of Thanksgiving! It was awesome to get to spend some one-on-one time with them. Jordan met them at the airport at the beginning of the week, and the three of them spent two days sight-seeing around London. I came down to meet them after work on Tuesday evening, and Deborah and Randy were kind enough to take us to see Billy Elliot! The next day, after touring the Tower of London, we rode the train back up to our neck of the woods.
Jordan and his mother in front of the Tower of London
Deborah and Randy :)
That night our friends Leslie and Phil came over to help prepare our Thanksgiving feast! (Leslie has been dubbed "English Mum", and Phil is our friend in town who is a wonderful chef. He develops menus for new pubs, and helps to get them off the ground and running.) Basically, we had a cross between an American Thanksgiving and traditional English roast. They made Yorkshire puddings, honey-roasted parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, and pigs in a blanket, in addition to my stuffing, rolls, pecan and pumpkin pies, etc. Oh, and of course the herb-butter rubbed, and citrus infused turkey, along with the best gravy I've ever had, a-la-Phil. It was amazing to say the least. And I got to use my china for the very first time!
Phil and Leslie, hard at work!
The best picture I could get of our fabulous feast!
Sadly, Deborah and Randy were only here for a short week, but we made the most of our time with them. We took them to see the Abbey Gardens and outdoor market in Bury St. Edmunds, went for a nice walk through Cambridge, and even had afternoon tea at an award-winning tea house in Ely. We also made a couple of trips to Cooper's favorite place in the world--the heath in Newmarket.
Shortly after Deborah and Randy left, our friend AJ came to visit from Germany! AJ was in Jordan's squadron at the Academy. We had a great time while he was here, and we can't wait to visit him sometime soon!
On Christmas Eve, Jordan, Cooper and I had a nice, quiet evening at home. I made prime rib for dinner, and afterward we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine by the fireplace. We talked to family on the phone for a while, and were successful in staying up to go to midnight mass at Ely Cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful, and was such a memorable way to spend Christmas Eve.
Our yummy Christmas Eve dinner for two. (Cooper got some scraps too!)
In front of the Christmas tree in Ely Cathedral. It was huge!
We woke up early to open gifts on Christmas morning, then we ate breakfast and spent a good part of the day on the couch reading and just enjoying each other's company. Later in the day, we went to our friends Daniel and Kirstie's (Leslie's son and daughter in law) house for dinner. It was nice to be around their two daughters to see the magic in their eyes on Christmas, although it did remind me of how much I miss our four favorite girlies back home.
Our Christmas tree.
Cooper puting Mommy's loot of new clothes to good use!
Kirstie asked me to make "something chocolate". I found a fantastic recipe for the most chocolately chocolate cake I've ever had. It was so good!
For Jordan's birthday, I was excited to give him a gift that I secretly bought in Greece! He had his eyes on a couple of different chess sets, and while he was gone I found the perfect one! It's hand-made out of olive wood, and the pieces are made of bronze. It was really fun to give him such an unexpected gift! Unfortunately Jordan had to attend an all-day training session on his actual birthday. I had taken the day off, and ended up just preparing for the guests we had arriving that day. The Scholbrocks, (who are some long-time Quintana family friends) came to visit for a few days. We enjoyed showing them around town, and spending quality time with them. It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces around the holidays.
And finally, for New Year's Eve we decided to throw a party at our house. We decorated the house with streamers, and even confetti-filled balloons. It was great to ring in the new year with all of the new friends we've made throughout the past year. We are looking forward to an exciting year ahead, during which we plan to do a lot of traveling!
So I feel like I just finished posting about how quickly October seemed to pass, and now it's already December?! Holy cow!
Jordan was scheduled to go on a TDY to the Greek island of Crete during the second week of November. At the very last minute, I decided to ask for the week off so I could go with him. And I am so glad that I did! (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but under USAFE command, spouses are allowed to tag along on certain TDY's.) Jordan and his crew were scheduled to go from Mildenhall to Crete, then they had a day off before flying to the desert. Another wife was along for the ride as well, so the two of us had no other choice but to lounge in Greece for the week while the boys refueled some planes on their way to the desert. Rough life, I know.
Fortunately, lodging was full on the Navy base, so we were able to stay in Chania (pronounced "Hania"), a beautiful town on the North coast of Crete. Just a little tidbit--Archaeological artifacts have proven that Chania has been inhabited since 3000 BC without intermission! Crazy, huh?! The tourist season ends in October, so it was rather quiet when we were there. But it was really nice to walk around freely and not have to worry so much about big crowds.
Kitty (the other wife) and I spent a lot of time wandering in and out of shops and art galleries, while exploring all of the tiny little streets in Old Town Chania. We enjoyed breakfast at our hotel every morning, leisurely lunches, and dinner at new and different restaurants each night. The traditional after-dinner drink in Greece is a shot of Ouzo, an anise-flavored spirit. We hated the taste of it, but as they say...when in Rome, do as the Romans do. One particular evening, our waiter decided to give us a second complimentary round of Ouzo, which quickly turned into about seven. We felt bad not accepting something that he clearly cherished, so down the hatch went the ouzo!
On another note--The feta cheese was AMAZING!! I have never had a Greek salad that tasted so good! And the olive oil... sooo flavorful! I gave the kalamata olives a fair shot, but I guess olives just aren't for me.
And now, for the pictures!
This is on our first night there, enjoying our first Mythos with dinner. The guys had the next day off, so we went out with the crew afterward and had a great time.
Good form of transportation if you ask me...
Looking out into the harbor at the lighthouse.More Harbor. The sun was going down, so it's a little dark. Exploring some of the old town streets. Me :)
That small little shrine to the left of the doorway had a candle in it, and when most Greek people walk past, they stop and make the sign of the cross. We saw these all over the place.
Kitty and me on one of our girls nights out.
One day, Kitty and I decided to be bold and take a cab to a nearby town called Kolymbari. It was beautiful there, but after lunch it began to rain really hard, and because the tourist season was over, we had a bit of a rough time finding a cab back to Chania...not to mention finding someone who spoke English! But we lived to tell about it and saw some beautiful sights!
Also in Kolymbari
This picture was taken on an early-morning walk around Chania. Jordan came back in time for dinner, so we walked around until we found the perfect spot. Soooo pretty. Enjoying some Cretan wine on our last night.
Crete from the air... we have decided that our long-awaited honeymoon is going to be a Greek-island hopping trip! :)
Switzerland...A ski trip is definitely in order!
On the flight back, as we were about to arrive in Mildenhall we were informed that the winds were out of limits (40 mph cross winds!), and we were unable to land. Sitting in the cockpit and listening in as the pilot, copilot (Jordan), and boom operator figured out where we were going to divert to was intense! It was a great display of teamwork, but I must admit that at times I was a little nervous. We ended up diverting to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. So we had some schnitzel and a hefeweizen, and called it a night. The next morning (Sunday), we flew back to Mildenhall, and I was able to make it back to work on Monday!
Is it just me, or did October just FLY by?! I thought I should post some pictures from the last month to let everyone know what we've been up to...
First and foremost, JORDAN CAME HOME!!
The following weekend was Halloween, and we brought Cooper to the "Strut your Mutt" competition on base. He wore his ladybug costume, as you can see below. He even won the award for best trick! (Jordan taught him how to balance a treat on his nose, and then flip it up and catch it in his mouth on command.) We dressed up for a Halloween party as well. I was dressed as a jockey, and Jordan as William Wallace. He had wanted to be a horse to go along with my costume, but we decided it was a little too last-minute to try to make a horse costume from scratch. It's lacrosse season again! Jordan is playing with the Cambridge University team. The picture below is after they played against the Slovenian national team. Our old roommate Scotty came to Mildenhall! Scott lived with us when Jordan was casual at Travis AFB in California. I suppose a couple of pictures from early November couldn't hurt either...
Our friends Daniel and Kirstie (and their girls Frances and Kassidy) invited us to watch fireworks in Lakenheath in celebration of Guy Fawkes day. Guy Fawkes was a conspirator who attempted to blow up the houses of parliament in London on 5 Nov 1605. Bonfires and fireworks are lit all around the country on and around 5 November in commemoration. It is said that some people celebrate that Guy Fawkes was captured, and others celebrate his attempt.
It was POURING rain that night, but we still managed to have a great time watching the fireworks. The following night, we went to our friend Phil's restaurant in Bury St. Edmunds for a real ale tasting party/bonfire.
