Posted Apr 24, 2009, 8:38 pm
I'm really looking forward to travelling mainly because I live in a small flat near the University of Santiago de Compostela, and so I'm just surrounded by books and students most of the time--which, don't get me wrong, can be very exciting and interesting at first (and María and Irene are always good fun), but I think I need a change right away!
.
I Hope to meet you very soon
Posted May 6, 2009, 7:44 pm
I have arrived in England!! The weather is not very good - clouds, but luckily no rain! Weather is looking better for the weekend so hope to see some sights of Bristol!
Tomorrow i am going to work with DeliciousJu - she has been telling all her work friends about me, i am a little nervous but apparently she has some toys there for me to hang out with while she works
Here are some pictures one me so far, Baubles was here to great me & is going to help me get settled in & then she will be on her way to visit you! Choco Bear is who i will be sleeping with tonight & Daddy Blue Bear sits on top of the waredrobe & makes sure all the toys are safe
I will write again soon!
Lots of love to you & Maria
Pisoni xxxx
Posted May 8, 2009, 9:59 am
Wow what a few days it has been - was so nice to meet everyone in Julie's work, they were very nice & we have re-cruited another TV to go on a voyage accross the world too - Mr Bananas!!
I have also picked out a great postcard to send home to you when Baubles leaves for Spain!
The weather is looking brighter which is nice - i miss the sun
Tomorrow Julie is taking me to a nightclub as her boyfriend runs a dance event - I will get to meet all her friends & i am hoping to get on the decks & have a mix, and maybe even meet some dj's .... i am very very excited, but a little scared as there will be allot of people there - Baubles is going to come with me to keep me company
I will put up some more pictures tonight for you to see!
Love you lots,
Pisoni
xxx
Posted May 8, 2009, 6:04 pm
Posted May 12, 2009, 7:43 pm
Wowee - what a weekend - we (Me, Baubles & Mr Bananas) went out clubbing with Julie - we got to meet some great people & i managed to get on the decks too - it was amazing! Below are some pictures of what I got up too .... Me on the decks, Me & the other TV's on the decks, Me & MC Smiley, Me & Marc Smith (DJ), Julie, me & Cat Knight (singer), me having a drink, and end of the night!!!
Yesterday we had some new arrivals - Claire Tamias & her friend Rattie arrived .... it was great, we have a proper little family now
This weekend we send Baubles over to you! I will be sad to see her go, but now there are a few of here it will be lots of fun! You will love having her around, and we will always be on the look out for her travel log updates
Then the rest of us are off on adventure around Bristol - lot's more places for us to visit
Then next weekend is going to be the best weekend - Julie is taking us to see Girls Aloud in concert in the city of Birmingham, then we are going to the theme park Alton Towers too - all very exciting!! Her friend who we are staying with has a dog, 2 cats, horse & hamster .... lots of animals for us to meet, we cant wait
Life missions are doing well - party done last weekend & concert next weekend - trying to hunt down some native animals, but the best i think we will find is a swan which is the Queens animal!
Lots of love
Pisoni
xxx
Posted May 18, 2009, 10:58 am
What another great weekend - me, Claire Tamias & Rattie said fairwell to Mr Bananas (on his way to Canada) & Baubles (who is on her way to you) on Saturday! And i also posted off my postcard to you - hope you get it ok - wonder who will get to you 1st - Baubles of my postcard?
The 3 of us that are left then went around Bristol - we learned quite allot as we were going round - did you know Bristol dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, and was started by a smal settlement, Bristol was formally known as ‘Brigstow’.
We headed through this beautiful park - Victoria Park, then walked along by the Harbourside in centre of Bristol - we found some ducks & swans to feed - Swans are known as the Queens animal & are protected!
The Bristol Harbour used to used allot, but as ships got bigger there wasn't enough room & they had to close it back in the 1800's! They moved to docks to where the Bristol Channel meets the Severn Estuary - now called Avonmouth / Royal Portbury Docks!
We did get rained off though for a while - horrible english weather! We decided that would be a good time to stop off & get some food - it was yummy yummy
From there we went to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge - it is right above the Avon Gorge, it was amazing, with brilliant view of Bristol! We were so high up though - nearly thought i was going to fall off! In 1753 a Bristol wine merchant, William Vick, left £1,000 in trust in order that when the fund had grown to £10,000 it should be used to build a bridge. It was won by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1830. He was only 24! He died in 1859 and the bridge was completed and opened five years later in 1864. The bridge is 1352 foot long, the span between the piers is 702 feet long and it is three feet lower on the far side to counteract an optical illusion.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, did more than anyone to shape the face of modern Bristol today, his legacy also includes the boat SS Great Britain, and Temple Meads Old Railway Station.
We then went to College Green - there was a huge Council biulding & Catherdral there which dates back to 1140!!!
We saw a real castle too - After the Norman Conquest of 1066 this castle was built on what is now known as Castle Park.
On our way home we found an actual dinosaur in the shopping Mall Cabot Circus - glad he was in his cage & not running round the streets after me, ha ha!
We are all off to see Girls Aloud this week & then to theme park, going to mission around the Midland area of the UK with Julie & her friends - very excited!
Have a great week!
Lots of Love
Pisoni
xxx
Posted May 26, 2009, 4:37 pm
Wow - what a fantastic week away on my travels with Claire Tamias - Wednesday we went on a train & travelled from Bristol to Birmingham to see Girls Aloud in concert in Birmingham National Indoor Arena - we staying in nice hotel, walked along the canal to get to the arena - it was huge - thousands of people there & we were only 17 rows away from the front - had the best night ever!!
I am so pleased i have had chance to go to party & concert since i have been over here .... in June there is another party - Amsterdam, Holland - a 12 hour party on the beach - party, dance kind of music! And then in July there is another concert on the beach at Weston Super Mare near Bristol - pop & commercial music - Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris, The Gossip, The Enemy to name just a few
Here is some info on the history of Birmingham that you may find of interest:
BIRMINGHAM
Anglo-Saxon tribes started to settle in the region around 700 A.D. Tribes such as the Hwicce and Anglian Mercian's started to make the area their permanent home. Evidence of Saxon settlement is apparent from the name endings of some of Birmingham's well known localities. The suffix -ley means clearing in a forest. The town of Birmingham was a hamlet hence ending in ham. In 1166 when Peter de Birmingham bought the right to hold a weekly market in his castle. The market prospered and Peter laid the foundations of the town of Birmingham.
By mid 1300's the town was listed as third town in size in the county of Warwickshire. Coventry and Warwick were larger. Aston, once the larger settlement now became Aston beside Birmingham. The Birmingham market grew from strength to strength with traders selling their cloth ware and metal goods. In 1511 the Clerk of Ordinance placed an order for horseshoes and weaponry for the Royal Army. Trade links were being forged with East Anglia and Bristol.
In the mid 1600's, with a population of some 7000 inhabitants, William Westley by 1700 drew up a town plan and calculated the population of Birmingham as 15,000. In 1801, at the time of the first census Birmingham had a population of 73,670, which meant it was one of Britain’s largest and most important towns.
In the 19th century industry in Birmingham was still dominated by metalworking. The workers of the town still made nails, brass goods (such as bedsteads), nuts and bolts, screws and buttons. They also made pen nibs and toys. There were also jewellers and gunsmiths in Birmingham. In the late 19th century railway carriages were made in Birmingham. So were bicycles. Glass making was also an important industry. From the end of the 19th century there was also a cocoa and chocolate industry at Bourneville.
Interesting Events in History Time Line:
1832 The Botanical Gardens opened
1852 The first public baths opened
1856 The first public park in Birmingham opened
1879 The Council House was built
1885 Museum and Art Gallery opened in
1889 Birmingham was made a city
1837 A railway from Birmingham to Manchester and Liverpool was opened
1838 Birmingham was connected to London by rail.
1861 The first public library in Birmingham opened
1873 horse drawn trams ran in Birmingham.
1874 The first modern fire brigade in Birmingham was formed
1879 The first telephone exchange opened in
1882 The town gained its first electricity supply
1890 The first electric trams ran
1885 A Municipal School of Art opened
1891 Municipal Technical School opened
1909 Birmingham University was founded in
1913 Birmingham Repertory Theatre was built
1960-1971 An inner ring road was built
1971 New Street Station was rebuilt
1973 a shopping centre was built over the station
1980s it was refurbished and renamed the Pallasades
1987 The Pavilions Shopping Centre opened
1987 the City Council unveiled a new City Centre Strategy, the city centre was to be rebuilt and refurbished
1991 The International Conference Centre and Indoor Arena opened in 1991.
2000 Mailbox Shopping Centre opened
The Bull Ring shopping centre was built in 1964 & the re-developed & re-built in 2001
Today industries in Birmingham include car manufacture, engineering, finance and also tourism.
Today the population of Birmingham is 1,025,000.
** On Thursday from Birmingham we travelled to Burton Upon Trent where Julie's friend Jo picked up & took us to her house in Swadlinlicote **
We drove past the Coors Beer factory in Burton upon Trent - it is really famous - look what i found out for you:
Burton upon Trent is a lovely market town which is most famous for its Brewing Industry.
In 2002, Coors acquired the England and Wales business of Bass Brewers and created Coors Brewers Limited (CBL), the United Kingdom's second largest brewer with more than 20% market share. With the number one brand in the UK, Carling, CBL is a solid presence in the seventh largest market in the world. The company employs approximately 2,500 people in the UK, 9,500 worldwide and has breweries in Burton, Alton and Tadcaster.
On March 31st, 2009, Coors Brewers changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing (UK) Ltd. This is a move which clearly signals the companies™ parentage and recognises the significance of both Molson and Coors families in co-creating one of the worlds™ most significant brewing organisations, with operations spanning the globe from the United States, Canada and Mexico through Europe to China and Japan.
Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Timeline:
1744: William Worthington starts brewing in Burton-on-Trent, UK.
1777: William Bass starts his own brewing business in Burton, UK.
1784: British ales were exported to St. Petersburg and the Baltic's.
1799: Exports to North America.
1839 to 1944: The introduction of the Birmingham to Derby and Midland Railway provides the opportunity for fast transport and new lines.
1850: Bass production tops 100,000 barrels.
1876: The Bass triangle is registered as Britain's first trademark.
1877: Bass produces more than 1 million barrels a year.
1900: There are more than 32 breweries in Burton, including 87 miles of private brewery track and 36 level crossings in town.
1926: Bass and Worthington breweries merge.
1940s: A declining overseas market for Burton beers and the effects of two world wars lead to a spate of brewery mergers from the 1940s onward. With the aid of new technology, the remaining breweries are able to concentrate on fewer sites.
1954: Carling Black Label launched in the UK. First brewed at Hope & Anchor Brewery, Sheffield.
1960s: A new series of mergers leads to the creation of Bass Charrington, the UK's largest brewer.
1969: Bass Charrington is renamed Bass Plc.
1998: Carling Black Label re-branded as Carling.
2000: Interbrew acquires Bass Brewers.
2002: Coors acquires the England and Wales-based business of Bass Brewers from Interbrew and creates Coors Brewers Limited, the UK's second largest brewer with more than 20% market share.
2003: Carling becomes first and only UK beer to achieve sales of 5 million UK barrels per year.
2006: Carling is the UK's biggest selling beer brand.
2009: Coors Brewers Limited changes it's company name to Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Limited.
SWADLINLICOTE - here is what i found out about this town which we drove around:
Swadlincote is the main ‘town’ in South Derbyshire, with a population of around 30,000. The town also includes the settlements of Church Gresley and Newhall. It dates back as far as 1086 where it is described as Siuardingescotes, a small manor which was part of the parish of Church Gresley.
It was once a coalmining area - documents have been found to date back as far as 1294!! But it was not until the late 18th century that coalmining and clay extraction took place on a large scale. Over the next century a number of collieries, brickworks and potteries sprang up, including Sharpe’s Pottery in 1821 where the world’s first rim-flushing toilet was made, Bretby Art Pottery, and T G Green Pottery, famous for the highly collectable Cornish Ware Range. As the industry grew, the skyline became dominated by chimneys and kilns. At one time it was possible to see up to 70 chimneys from almost anywhere in the town without turning your head.
In the mid 1900 more than 6,600 men were employed in the mines and production averaged 2.7 million tons a year. Output peaked in 1964/65 at 3.7 million tons. But production declined from the late 1960s by which time Swadlincote was suffering from a shortage of stable building land and had become scarred by colliery spoil heaps, and clay holes. By 1982 there was only one colliery remaining in South Derbyshire, Cadley Hill.
Swadlinlicote lies at the heart of the National Forest. The National Forest is a forest in the making, transforming 200 square miles of central England. Already more than 7 million trees have been planted and woodland cover has increased from 6% to nearly 18%.
It is an inspiring example for the country, in the face of climate change and other environmental pressures
It is a place of enjoyment and learning for its residents and visitors
It is a place of contrasts, where people find quiet relaxation and active leisure
It is a working forest providing new and sustainable livelihoods.
**We got to meet Jo's pets when we arrived - Sooty & Smokey the cats, and Millie the dog. And some other toys too - Bob the Penguin & a huge monkey which clapped his hands! We went to British Car Auctions where Jo works and me & Claire went & sat in an actual Fire Engine - it was huge, the fireman were very nice though - we want to try & find a nice policeman to have picture taken with but they are allot scarier then the fireman!
Saturday we went to Alton Towers - it's a massive Theme Park in the middle of the country side in the Midlands area of England! It was a little scary to go on the actual rides & no seats were small enough to strap us in & we didn't want to get dropped or lost, but we managed to have our pictures taken on 2 of the water rides - The Water Rapids & The Log Flume - they were great, Claire was thankful not to get wet, but i loved it
The weekend ended with a great fry up for breakfast on Sunday!**
All the pics will be added in next day or 2 so you can see what i have been up too .... hope you like them! What a great adventure, i cant wait for our next weekend out & about
NattNoy the Blue Nose Bear is on his way to England to stay with us - cant wait to meet him & have another TV come & stay, Julie is setting up another TV to go on an adventure soon so there will be quite a few of us!
Take Care, Lots of Love Pisoni
xxx
Posted May 26, 2009, 9:57 pm
Posted May 28, 2009, 8:06 pm
Well we had a mid-week adventure, Julie & her friends invited me & Claire out to the cinema last night to watch Night At The Museum 2 - it was very good film, i ate so much though - McDonalds before & then lots of popcorn inside too, i was about to burst!!
When we got back home we noticed a pracel by the door - guess who it was? Natt Noy, a new TV that has come to stay with us!
It was getting late so we all quickly went off to bed as we were getting up early & going with Julie to work as she wanted everyone to meet Natt Noy!
We went on the bus again, adn even stopped off in the supermarket - monkey nuts were so yummy!!
Hope you are well & Baubles is settling in ok - she looks like she is having fun!
Will post some pictures soon for you to see!
Lots of Love, Pison
xxx
Posted May 28, 2009, 9:48 pm
xxx
Posted Jun 2, 2009, 9:59 pm
It's been another non stop weekend, after only being her a few days we said a quick goodbye to Natt Noy who has gone off on his own adventure for a few days to see where he was born! Then on Saturday we - me, Claire Tamias & Co Co Rabbit (Co Co is one of Julie's new TV's, she will be hanging out with us before she heads off Japon) started our own adventure ..... on the train we went again as we were off to Taunton to see babysit for Charlie, Julies Brother!
We did get to see much of Taunton this time though - But did learn about Taunton while we were there:
TAUNTON:
Taunton began as a Saxon village in Somerset. It was called Tone Tun. The Saxon word tun means farm or estate. The word Tone is Celtic and may mean roaring river.
By the early 13th century there was a fulling mill in Taunton. After wool was woven it was fulled which means it was pounded in water to clean and thicken it. From the 13th century Taunton was famous for its wool industry. By the 15th century wool from Taunton was being exported to France, and by the late 16th century it was being exported as far away as Africa
In 1451 during the civil wars known as the wars of the roses a battle was fought at Taunton. In 1497 a man named Perkin Warbeck attempted to overthrow Henry VII and make himself king. His men occupied Taunton Castle but they fled when a royal army approached. There is now a pub named after Perkin Warbeck in the centre of Taunton!
The Market House was built in 1682 with assembly rooms over it. The assembly rooms were used for events like balls and card games. Market House is still a centre point of Taunton, with pub below & rooms still used for events upstairs!
In the late 18th century wool manufacture in Taunton declined but silk making was introduced into the town in 1778. The railway reached Taunton in 1842. Queens College was built in 1843. It was named after Queen Victoria. Taunton school opened in 1847. Kings College opened in 1880.
In 1974-75 a motorway was built past Taunton - the M5. Today the population of Taunton is 61,000. It is in the country of Somerset & just half an hour away from Bristol on the train.
Taunton also has a a vast military history too:
UK Forces:The Royal Marines are the amphibious commando force of the Royal Navy. In recent times, the Royal Marine Commandos have been deployed to Afghanistan and played a major part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. They have a marine base at Norton Manor Barracks, Taunton, Somerset. 6 Riffles Army Regiment, Taunton: 6 RIFLES, formerly the Rifle Volunteers, comprises over 450 territorial officers and soldiers and covers the Southwest. The Battalion has Company Headquarter locations in Truro, Exeter, Taunton, Dorchester and Gloucester and provides the population of the West Country with the opportunity to be part of an increasingly active and operationally capable Territorial Infantry, illustrated recently with tours to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 6th Battalion will provide support to Regular Rifles Battalions on operations and training, ensuring that The Rifles establishes itself as a truly integrated national Regiment.
The Castle Hotel: The Castle at Taunton is steeped in the drama and romance of English history. Once a Norman fortress, it has been welcoming travellers to the town since the 12th century.
Over the past 60 years, the Castle has been owned and run as a luxury hotel by the Chapman Family. The Castle Restaurant is ranked among the top 40 best places to eat in Britain by The Good Food Guide.
Somerset County Cricket Club: Is based in Taunton. It hosts many tournaments. It is on just on the Rover Tone, and was founded in 1875 . It is having allot of redevelopment done to it at present to add more seats, extend the restaurant & to add a conference centre to the grounds!
The weekend weather has been better then expected - with record high temperatures hitting the UK - hotter then many parts of France & Spain from what we read in the papers! We did a little sunbathing in Julie's mum back garden, was so great! Also met Julie's cats - Charlie & Hixxy, they were great although i don't think Hixxy likes elephants very much!
We stopped off at the Somerset Cricket Ground, could only see the entrance as it was all locked up - but did see that they have a whole stand named after the famous player Ian Botham! Next on the way home was the beach - we had a ice-cream & sat on the deck chairs to relax! We walked long the water front as the sun was setting, was stunning!!! We wanted to go on the Pier, but it got burnt down last year - they are going to build another one though, maybe i will get to see that one day!
One last stop before bed & that was a quick drink before bed, he he
Sunday we went to the 'Downs' - it was beautiful - 400 acres of grassland stretching from the very cliffs of the Avon Gorge to the edges of the Victorian-built suburbs & it is just at the top of area called Clifton in Bristol - it's a very posh area of the city!! We went up there for a bike ride .... was so nice riding round as there were so many people up there playing football & having BBQ's - proper English summer! I managed to sneak in another drink before home to bed - was shattered after all that travelling & sun!
I am resting up for now, but will be going to do a little more sunbathing this week i think - want to try & find a nice big puddle to soak in, he he!
Hope you are doing ok! I saw the update with Baubles - looks like you are having a great time!
A quiet week ahead for me until we head back over to Taunton to see Julie's friend Helen for a party & BQQ - cant wait
Lots of Love
Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jun 8, 2009, 10:38 am
Well the BBQ ended up being cancelled, Julie's friends daughter was ill so had to stay at home in Bristol!
It wasn't that bad though, we went to watch the England football qualifier game against Kazakhstan for the World Cup next year with Julie, her boyfriend & her friends - it was great to watch the game, England won - i am a little confused as to whether i should be cheering England on or not? I am going to go with i should be supporting England as i am staying here
Here are a few things i found out about England Football:
England Stats:
England's first official International Match: England vs Scotland, 30th Nov 1872. At West of Scotland Cricket Club at Partick, near Glasgow.
Biggest Win: 1882 - Ireland 0 - 13 England
Biggest Defeat: 1954 - Hungary 7 - 1 England
World Cup: 12 Appearances & Winners in 1966
European Championships: 7 Appearances & best result - 3rd in 1968 & Semi Finals in 1996
Most Caps: Peter Shilton (125)
Top Scorer: Sir Bobby Charlton (49)
Home Stadium: Wembley (opened in 1924 in a match against Scotland, closed them in 2000 . The new 90,000 seater Wembley costing £800 million, hosted its first match on June 1 2007)
Traditional Colours: Home - white shirts, navy blue shorts and white socks. Away - red shirts, white shorts and red socks
Current Captain: John Terry - (Plays in Premiership for Chelsea)
Current Coach: Fabio Capello (Appointed 14 December 2007, Qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa his objective.)
Because of a disagreement with FIFA over payments to amateur players, England did not enter the World Cups in 1930, '34 and '38.
After the Second World War, England rejoined FIFA and duly entered the World Cup in 1950, hosted by Brazil. England, hampered by climatic conditions, failed to progress beyond their qualifying group. And it didn't really get any better for the years on from that either: In the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, England fared better, losing in the quarter-finals to Uruguay. Four years later, England drew all their group games and failed to qualify for the knock-out phase. In 1962, England progressed to the quarter-finals where they were beaten by Brazil.
However - England's finest international hour came four years later in 1966, when Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley on 30 July 1966. Grouped with Uruguay, Mexico and France, England drew one game and won the others to progress to the quarter-finals where Argentina lay in wait. England won a bruising encounter 1-0 and then beat Portugal 2-1 in the semis. In the final, England won 4-2, after extra time, with Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick, the only man to do so in a World Cup Final - how amazing is that?
Unfortunately though England's next-best performance wasn't until the World Cup was in 1990 when losing to West Germany on penalties in the semi-final!
England also enters the UEFA European Football Championship (formerly the European Nations Cup).
England first entered in 1962/63, losing in the first round to France. In 1968, England fared better, getting to the semi-finals, a feat they repeated in 1996.
Following the arrival of Sven-Goran Eriksson as Head Coach in January 2001, the England team enjoyed a period of inspired form, recording 5 successive World Cup victories against Finland, Albania (twice), Greece and Germany, before securing dramatic qualification for the Finals with captain David Beckham's last minute equaliser against Greece.
At the Finals in Korea and Japan, England qualified from the 'group of death' recording a memorable victory of Argentina in the Sapporo Dome. A three-nil win against Denmark in the pouring rain set up a quarter-final against Brazil and Michael Owen gave the Three Lions great hope when he opened the scoring early-on. However, goals from Rivaldo and Ronaldinho sent England home and crushed their hopes of lifting the World's biggest prize.
England also reached the quarter-finals at Euro 2004. having negotiated a tricky group involving France, Croatia and Switzerland, England crashed out on penalties to hosts Portugal.
In their last World Cup, in Germany, it was almost a case of Deja Vu as Portugal again knocked England out of the competition on penalties at the quarter-final stage. That game marked Eriksson's last in charge and new Head Coach Steve McClaren took over as England looked towards their Euro 2008 qualification campaign.
Steve McClaren was in charge of the Three Lions for 18 games, winning nine, but after missing out on qualification for Euro 2008 his contract was terminated on 22 November 2007.
A slight problem with Julie's camera though so no pictures to show from this weekend - a little dissapointing but she is definitely going to get it fixed for this weekend as on Friday we are flying over to Amsterdam for Defqon 1, the dance festival on a beach @ Almere Strand - yay - we are so excited
Hopefully the weather will be better too as it has done nothing but rain all weekend here - there have even been problems with flash flooding in some area's on England - this is crazy for June????
I expect you & Maria have much nicer weather then we do?
Hope you are ok,
Lots of love
Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jun 17, 2009, 11:22 am
What a week it has been!!
On Thursday before we went to Amsterdam Natt Noy arrived back with his new friend Gulliver - Natt had been away to the Tatty Teddy Factory, we sat up & listened to their stories of their adventure to Chichester .... sounds like that had a great time!
Then we all helped Julie pack her bags ready for Amsterdam - had to make sure all the important bits were packed - i was in charge of checking we had the tickets, wont get very far without them will we?
Even had some input on Julie's decide on her outfit for the the party we are going too on Saturday - Defqon 1, she showed us a video of the party on her laptop - wow!!!
Friday afternoon the destination is Bristol International Airport to get out flight - seatbelts on, checked the safety leaflet too - always best to be prepared!!
An hour later we arrived in Amsterdam - 1st stop was the only windmill in Amsterdam - De Gooyer windmill, also known as the Funenmolen is now a charming brewery and popular gathering place. The Netherlands is famous for its windmills - Amsterdam only has six that have survived the times, of which the De Gooyer mill is the closest near the historic center. It towers over the Nieuwevaart Canal, Molen De Gooyer was built in 1725
Saturday was the day of the party Defqon 1 - Julie packed us her in backpack & off we went on the train at about 11am, it was very busy - we guessed there must of been about 150,000 people at least, 8 different rooms, lots of bars, food stalls & music everywhere - it was mad, was such a beautiful day too - the sun shined all day for us!!! We had such good fun, Julie bought us 'go fast' energy drink to keep us going through the day, he he
Sunday was our final day in Amsterdam & we went for another walk around as Julie wanted to show us some more sights ......... first things first though - Julie took us for a coffee to wake us up!
We walked through the Red Light District & was the ladies in the windows 'working' - was very odd to see but glad we went through it as it is such a huge part of the lifestyle in Amsterdam! We also went to the Hemp Museum, Vodka Museum & Sex Museum! And not forgetting the 'coffee shops' where they sell & smoke marijuana ..... Amsterdam is a crazy place!!!
Before we knew it it was time to head off back to Shiphol airport & our flight home
Going to have a quiet few days chilling, i think this weekend we are off to the Museum to see the graffiti artist 'Banksy' & his work .... you should google him in the meantime - he is from Bristol & very famous over here now with his work!
Lots of Love, Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jun 17, 2009, 11:49 am
Posted Jun 23, 2009, 10:12 am
Well it has been a busy week since we came back from Amsterdam - we have welcomed Chance to the group - he is great, he bought us all over lots of sweets to eat - yummy yummy!!!
We went to Julie's work again too last week .... we went with Chance so he could meet everyone there at Motability, it was a good day
But, then we did have said goodbye to Claire Tamias & Co Co Rabbit - they are off to new hosts now - hope they have a great time, we will miss them
Julie made us feel a little better though by taking us out clubbing - her boyfriend was dj'ing at a club in Bristol so we went down with them to watch them play - it was great fun to out clubbing again
We were going to go & see the 'Banksy' gallery, but the ques were too long - some people waited an hour to get in!!! We will wait till it get's a little quieter, then go see it
A quiet week this week while Julie is in work, weather is horrible & grey outside .... there is meant to be a heatwave, but i cant really see that happeing!!
Hope you are ok?
Lots of Love, Pisoni
xxxx
Posted Jun 30, 2009, 11:19 am
Had a nice chilled weekend after the partying last week .... was lovely!
I helped out Julie with a little bit of sewing on Saturday, the weather wasn't nice at all so didn't want to go outside!
The sun even managed to come out for us on Sunday so we all went up to the 'Down's' with Julie & her friend. The Down's is a massive area of green grass & trees - it gets really busy up there on nice days with people having BBQ's, playing football & relaxing
After all that relaxing it was time to head home & cook some diner - 'bolognaise pasta' - me & the other toys helped Julie make it from scratch - will have to make it for you when i get home
We warmed up the pan, added the mince beef, cooked it till it was nice & brown, then added chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic puree & lots of herbs. We left it to simmer while we boiled the past & put the garlic bread in the over. We had to grate lots of cheese too - we had a few sneaky mouthfuls while we waited for the food to cook - the smell was making me so hungry!!!
10 minutes later & it was done - it was delicious!
Hope all is well, and you & Maria are ok!
Lots of Love, Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jul 10, 2009, 2:43 pm
Sorry for the delay in writting to you, Julie hasn't been very well so we have been at home with her & helping look after her! But now she is feeling much better has managed to get you our latest update
I went to see 'Banksy' Gallery at the Bristol Museum. It was amazing - he is so cleaver .... here is a little bit about him to explain about his gallery & his work:
He is a anonymous graffiti artist from Bristol and has been around since the early 90's, although it was since 2000 when he hit the big time with galleries accross the UK & USA, getting caught up in contoversy & media wondering who he is!
His art is often about politics, culture, and ethics, and combine graffiti writing with a distinctive stencilling technique!
Here are some of his highlights:
2002 - Gallery in Los Angeles
2003 - a show called "Turf War", held in a warehouse in USA
2005 - he had a display of his own oil paintings for a twelve day exhibition in Westbourne Grove, London
2004 - i think this is the best thing he has done so far ...... he produced a quantity of spoof British £10 notes substituting the picture of the Queen's head with Princess Diana's head and changing the text "Bank of England" to "Banksy of England." The individual notes have since been selling on eBay for about £200 each.
2006 - held an exhibition called Barely Legal, billed as a "three day vandalised warehouse extravaganza" in Los Angeles. After this famous people like Christina Aguilera bought some of his work for over £25,000 - WOW!!!!
2007 - At Sotheby's auction house in London they auctioned three works, reaching the highest ever price for a Banksy work at auction: over £102,000!!
Banksy funnily updated his website with a new image of an auction house scene showing people bidding on a picture that said, "I Can't Believe You Morons Actually Buy This Sh$$."! I thought that was very funny, Julie said it was very much what Banksy is about & stands for!!
Later in the same year a new record high for the sale of Banksy's work was set with the auction of the work 'Space Girl & Bird' fetching £288,000 (US$576,000), around 20 times the estimate at Bonhams of London!!!! Can you believe how much money people pay for his work? It's amazxing considering no-one know's what he looks like, he he he
Also later in 2007 Banksy gained the award for Art's Greatest living Briton. Banksy, as expected, did not turn up to collect his award, and continued with his notoriously anonymous status - very cool guy indeed
And another major thing for 2007 was that he made a replica of 'Stonehenge' from portable toilets for Glastonbury festival - it looked really funny, and they had some of the toilets at the gallery we went to see too!!
2008 - in London, Banksy hosted an exhibition called The Cans Festival.
2009 On June 13, 2009, the Banksy UK Summer show opened at Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery - this is the gallery we went too!!
It features more than 100 works of art, including animatronics, paintings, drawings & him adding his own work to art that already exists - adding a 'Banksy' effect .... you will see what i mean in the pictures!!
He had over 8,500 visitors to the show on the first weekend!!! People from all over the world have trvaelled to see his gallery!!!
Banksy himself states, on his website:
“I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy, but anyone described as being 'good at drawing' doesn't sound like Banksy to me.”
Pretty amazing guy eh?? And super cool i got to see his gallery while i was staying here, very Brittish & very Bristolian too
The pictures will be uploaded soon for you to see
Only a day left to the weekend!! We are off to see Julie's family, taking her little brother to the cinema to see Transformers, cant wait!!
Lots of love Pisoni
xxxx
Posted Jul 11, 2009, 12:52 pm
Here are my pictures from the Banksy Gallery
The last picture is an actual piece of work he did on the side of a building in Bristol - some nasty people decided to paintball it though so it doesn't look as good as it used too
Tomorrow me & the other toys are off to see Julie's family & go to the cinema to see Transformers 2 - cant wait
Have a nice weekend, lots of Love, Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jul 14, 2009, 8:45 pm
I had a very busy day on Sunday, me & the other toys went with Julie on the train to Taunton ... when there we met up with Julie's Granddad & went out for some lunch in a local pub, it was lovely!
Then we went off to see Julie's brother Charlie - we chilled & hung around Julie's house while we waited for everyone to get ready! We played with Charlie in the arcades - i went on this car racing ride with him, it was wicked, we didn't do so great though, we came 15th!! Next me & Chance played a game of air hockey, that was great & i won too - ha ha!!
Julie bought us a big tub of popcorn & drink that we shared with her brother ... we couldn't wait to tuck in, we were starving!
The film was amazing - i cant wait for the next one to come out, sure we will have a long wait though!
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the train station & head home to Bristol
I am resting up this week as we have a really busy weekend this weekend - Julie's friend Jo is down & we are staying in hotel for 2 nights, i am going to show the other toys some local sights around Bristol that i went to previously, some great views for them to see!!
On Sunday it's T4 on the Beach, in Weston Super Mare, which isn't very far from Bristol! It looks amazing .... there is the main stage, and then 2 other smaller tents! Pop music mainly - Calvin Harris, Dizzeee Rascal, Basement Jaxx, The Saturdays & Metro Station to name a few! Fingers crossed we have some sunshine - not looking very hopeful at the moment though - grr!!!
Have a great week, Lots of Love Pisoni
xxx
Posted Jul 21, 2009, 4:13 pm
Wow - what a weekend, busy non stop & not even the horrible English weather kept me from having fun! Me, Natt Noy & Chance had what must be the best weekend in England so far .....
On Saturday i helped Julie & her friend Jo, show the other toys a few sights of Bristol! We went where i went before, The Avon Gorge & The Clifton Suspension Bridge, this time we got to see some new views ...... in the distance on the pictures, and if you look really carefully you can even see the country Wales
We walked around Millennium Square, and by the river & the harbourside in the centre of Bristol - all very odd that we are in the centre of a city, yet it can be so quiet & peaceful at the same time! Then finally we went to 'Blaise Castle' - even i hadn't been there before!! It's a beautiful 650 acre grounds with what looked like a mansion, lots of grass, forest & wildlife!! Julie told us it was over 5000 years old!!!! We walked around some little trails & walk ways, it is a little eerie in places though, definitely wouldn't like to of been there in the night time!
On Sunday we got up early & walked to the train station - we stopped of quickly though & relaxed by 'Bristol Bridge' - it goes over the River Frome .... we even spotted some swans chilling out there - they were up early!
Half hour later & Weston-Super-Mare here we are
We made our way to T4 On The Beach ..... it was raining, not best way to start the day, but we came prepared with umbrella & ponchos ..... while we waited to get in they had 'Red bull' planes doing stunts in the sky - they were so cool
Once in we had the best day ..... it was very Busy & very wet in places so trying to take pictures was quite hard but managed to get a few of us through the day .... the Tour Bus where they were doing interviews, around the festival & in the crowd for the last set & with our Poncho to keep us dry! We saw so many music acts .... not sure how many you will of heard of, but you should look them up - JLS, Peter Andre, N-Dubs, Ironik, The Gossip, Metro Station, Daniel Merrywhether, Florence & the Machine, The Saturdays, Dizze Rascal, Calvin Harris, there were celebs around too - Gok Wan who does girls TV Programmes - 'Fashion Fix' & 'How to Look Good Naked', saw some of the cast of teen / young adult shows - Holyoaks & Skins! I am sure i have missed some people off, ha ha!!
But, the best thing was going to the signing tent & got autographs off to JLS - they were runners up in 'X-Factor' TV programme last year - they were amazing - the last pic is the best pic as it shows off the autographs, tickets & memorabilia from the day
Found something else British for you to see .... we had the Fire Engine when we went to Derby a few months back, and Weston-Super-Mare bought us a Policeman & Police Women to have some pictures taken with .... wicked
We queued for ages for the train ..... lots of people all trying to get home just like us But, we made it back eventually & had time to get one last picture, and then relax & get some proper sleep!
All the pictures will be up soon from our adventure!!
Hope you & Maria are ok in Spain .... Lots of Love, Pisoni
xxxx
Posted Jul 22, 2009, 8:26 pm
Posted Jul 27, 2009, 12:58 pm
Well, the weather has been horrible in England all weekend
We managed to pop out down the pub for a few drinks on Saturday but we stayed in for the rest of the weekend as Julie had a great idea to keep us entertained, she explained to me & the other toys all about English money!
We learnt a lot today .....
The 'Royal Mint of the United Kingdom' is the body who manufacture coins in the UK. It began its operations in 'Tower Hill' London, but moved to 'Llantrisant' South Wales in 1968, and has operated there since 1980!
Coins were originally hand-hammered, which is an ancient technique consisting of stricking two dies together with a blank coin in between them - can you imagine how many people it took to make all the coins needed for a whole country? Luckily, since 1662 have been ' milled ' - which means machine made.
Prior to decimalisation (15 February 1971) the British coins were:
half crown (2s 6d)
two shillings or florin
shilling, sixpence (6d)
threepence (3d)
penny (1d)
halfpenny (½d)
farthing (¼d)
Current British coins are:
1p
2p
5p
10p
20p
50p
£1
£2
In the years since decimalisation a number of changes have been made to the coinage:
* 20p coin was introduced in 1982
* £1 was introduced in 1983 to replace the Bank of
* England £1 banknote which was discontinued in 1984
* 1990s the Royal Mint reduced the sizes of the 5p,
10p and 50p coins
* £2 coin was introduced in 1998
In 2008, all coins aprt from £2 were redesigned - they introduced reverse designs that each depict a part of the Royal Shield of Arms, aoprt from the £1 which had the whole Shield of Arms on it!
Also, all current coins carry a Latin inscription 'ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR' meaning "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith"
And finally, all modern coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head - currently Queen Victoria II . The direction in which they face changes with each successive monarch!
Now on to the notes ..... Banks first made banknotes in 1694 - that was years ago
!!! And, until the middle of the nineteenth century - weirdly, privately owned banks in Great Britain and Ireland were free to issue their own banknotes! But, 'The Bank Charter Act 1844' gave exclusive note-issuing powers to the central Bank of England.
The first coloured banknotes were issued in 1928, these were also the first notes to be printed on both sides.
Like the coins all current notes have Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse side, as well as hidden watermark. On the reverse though, there are different people dependant on the note:
Current British Notes:
£5 - has Elizabeth Fry on the reveres
£10 - has Charles Darwin on the reverse
£20 - has Adam Smith on the reverse
£50 - has John Houblon on the reverse
There are no Welsh banknotes in circulation - Bank of England notes are used throughout Wales as the last Welsh banknotes were withdrawn way back in 1908!
Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes are very unusual, firstly because the notes are issued by retail banks, not central banks! And secondly, as they are not legal tender anywhere in the UK – not even in Scotland or Northern Ireland! Both use Bank of England, £ sterling as their currency.
Julie had some notes that we had pictures with, but the rest we had to look up on the internet ..... we even found some pictures of the really old coins too!
With all that learning we built up an appitite, and Julie thought it would be great idea to make her some tortilla wraps for tea ... wraps, chicken, lettuce, cucumber, sour cream & salsa dip, and lots of cheese, between the 3 of us it was done in no time - we defrosted the chicken and cut it up into little pieces! We heated up the pan with oil in it & let the chicken cook!
We sliced up all the veg, grated a huge pile of cheese, popped the wraps in the mircowave for a minute, de-greased the chicken & 'voila' - food ready - it was yummy
The pictures will be up in no time for you to see
Have a good day! Lots of Love, Pisoni
Posted Jul 28, 2009, 8:28 pm
Posted Aug 3, 2009, 8:03 pm
Last week we celebrated a birthday with Natt Noy, one of Julie's other toys! It was fun .... Julie got home from work, we took Natt downstairs, Chance covered his eyes until we were ready then we surprised him with a birthday banner, and a cake with some candles on it .... Happy Birthday Natt Noy!!
Lot's of Love, Pisoni
xxx
Posted Aug 4, 2009, 6:47 pm
I had a busy weekend this weekend - Saturday was out last day with Chance, he is off to Fife in Scotland .... it was sad to see him go, we will miss him lot! We gave him one last hug & away he went
Me & Natt Noy made the most of the weekend, for once in about a month the sun was shining, yay!!
Bristol have a yearly event over 3 days called 'Bristol Harbour Festival'! It takes over the city centre & by the harbour, just streams of people, food & drink stalls from accross the world, as well as massive stages and area's with all kinds of performing arts ..... music playing, people dancing etc, it was amazing! It attracts more than 200,000 visitors over the weekend too!
We walked into the city centre from Julie's house as it was such a nice day - we went past a massive church - St Mary Redcliffe Church - It was built in the early 14th century, but parts of it date back to the 12 century! It is very medieval / gothic in design, and inside is a superb collection of carved bosses, elegant eighteenth century ironwork, beautiful stained glass and a world famous organ.
Way back in 1574 Queen Elizabeth even said to have proclaimed the Parish Church of St Mary Redcliffe to be the "fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England." The oldest part of the church, the inner porch, dates from the 12th century with its black Purbeck marble columns!
We wondered through the streets at the festival & had a look around the different stages, then walked along the river back home - Julie pointed out a boat called 'The Thekla' - the boat stays docked & is used as a nightclub, venue for small bands to play in!
Today Julie told me i am off on a new adventure this weekend - she is posting me off to San Diego, U.S.A ... later in the week Julie is going to show me where it is on the map to make sure i don't get lost, i cant wait
Lots of Love, Pisoni
xxx
Posted Aug 12, 2009, 10:47 am
Here is my last update from England .... Julie showed me where i was going on the map, then i had a massive hug with Natt Noy before i hopped in the envelope & off i went, i am soooooo excited!!!!
I will update you as soon as i get there!
Lots of Love, Pisioni
xxxx
Posted Aug 15, 2009, 3:11 am
I arrived in sunny San Diego today after an easy but long voyage. I am Nancy's first ToyVoyager!! She enjoyed the postcard and note from Julie. She visited Bristol many years ago.
This evening I am resting while Nancy and her puppy, Mitzi, play and do their things. Nancy is not too sure that I will be able to be photographed with Mitzi as Mitzi is pretty playful. She's a seven month old Maltese and Poodle - a Maltipoo!
Tomorrow we'll take some photos when I am a bit less jet lagged.
Good night for now,
Pisoni
Posted Aug 18, 2009, 3:30 am
I had a relaxing weekend getting over my jet lag.
In the photos you can see me sitting in the sun with Mitzi. Mitzi is cute and fun but she tends to get a little rough so Nancy has to put me up where Mitzi can't get me most of the time.
The weather is very pleasant, sunny but not too hot. I may get a little tanned!
We enjoyed the chocolate that Julie sent - ate it all up before we took the picture after my arrival!
See ya later,
Pizoni
Posted Aug 25, 2009, 1:30 am
I just wanted to let you know that I am still enjoying the mild San Diego climate.
We will start seeing the sights soon beginning with a trip to Palm Springs Sept. 1 and then after a few days there we will stay at the famous and beautiful old Victorian Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
I am especially excited about our trip to Disneyland for Nancy's birthday in September. We are both looking forward to that.
More photos to come in a week or so.
Take care,
Pisoni
Posted Sep 5, 2009, 4:53 pm
Posted Sep 5, 2009, 4:55 pm
Posted Sep 5, 2009, 5:16 pm
But, unfortunately, with all of the excitement for Mitzi to meet a new visitor, Nancy L, and all the comings and goings to the car, Nancy forgot the most important bag on a chair in the office! So there I was for four days and unluckily (or maybe, luckily) Mitzi didn't find me there.
So now I am recouping and enjoying the luxury of the world famous Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, Ca (a suburb of San Diego.)
We have a room with a view of the ocean and it is just beautiful!
Here are some photos:
Posted Sep 12, 2009, 3:29 am
We had a cabana by the pool which was very nice.
Then we spent time down on the beach which is beautiful. The weather was perfect and the ocean water was warmer than ever! Usually the water only gets up to 70 degrees F but it was 75 today!
Posted Sep 12, 2009, 3:48 am
Posted Sep 23, 2009, 3:45 am
We drove up from San Diego in about 1 1/2 hours to find a nice, sunny day at Disneyland. (Nancy says it never rains there!)
We rode many of the rides but unfortunately, two of the best were closed: The Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain. They were being decorated for Halloween. Oh well.
We rode It's a Small World, Pirates of the Carribean, visited the Castle and Mickey's house where we actually met Mickey Mouse! We shopped on Main Street and rode a bunch more rides until 7:00 when we went to dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.
We arrived home at 11:00 after a really fun day!
Posted Oct 3, 2009, 3:51 am
A new, tiny TV arrived today. His name is HolgiHH and he's a cute little donkey from Germany.
We are looking forward to going to Las Vegas near the end of the month.
Posted Oct 17, 2009, 2:58 am
It's been awhile but we've been home most of the time.
But a new TV arrived this week, a little duck named Teuksoon or Teuki. Here's a photo of where the three of us TV's hang out with another little dog that looks like Nancy's real dog Mitzi.
Today it was nice and warm so we all went to the beach. That is the Ocean Beach pier in the photo and there were lots of surfers there.
Next week we're off to Las Vegas where we see the other Nancy again! She's the one we went to Coronado Beach with.
Have fun!
Posted Oct 24, 2009, 2:48 am
We went east in San Diego where we visited Mission Trails Regional Park. This is the largest urban park in the country at 6000 acres and shows the natural habitat of San Diego.
Nancy ran the annual photo contest here for 10 years; it's a good place to take photos!
We visited the San Diego river which is very small as this is a very dry place, some people don't even know that there is a San Diego river! In 1813 Spanish priest, Father Junipero Serra, had the local Indians build a dam on the river for water for his new mission. The first two photos were taken at the dam. The other two show the natural habitat.
It was hot, almost 90 degrees F, in October! This is not uncommon in San Diego, as they often get hot, dry winds off of the desert in the east. This is the season that there have been terrible wildfires over the whole county in past years.
Posted Oct 28, 2009, 5:00 pm
We all arrived in Las Vegas: the two Nancys, HolgiHH, Teuki, and me!
The first night we stayed at the Palazzo which is part of the Venetian. Then we moved to the Wynn next door the next night. The Nancys had visited the Wynn's casino last year and were looking forward to staying there one day. It was even nicer than they expected.
The room was on the 33rd floor and had a huge window looking towards the mountains. Everything on our floor and room was cream and salmon colored which was very pretty.
Here are some photos of the hotels and the inside of the Wynn; they have beautiful flowers, plants and mosaic floors.
Posted Oct 28, 2009, 5:34 pm
A man drove up in this beautiful Pink Cadillac and let us sit in it!
How cool is that?!
Posted Oct 30, 2009, 9:59 pm
First, I forgot to show the photo of us in our nice bed at the Palazzo. We love these fancy hotels!
The rest of the photos are on our road trip to the Red Rocks National Park right outside of Las Vegas. The weather at night is cool and only in the 70's during the day. We all thought it would still be in the 80's so it wasn't real good weather to go to the pool.
But it was good hiking weather. We spent about five hours driving and taking hikes in various parts of the park. It was a good day!
From the photos you can see why it's called Red Rocks Park.
The last photo shows the last part of the park that we visited. It was a natural meadow with pink rocks. It was so pretty!
Monday we stayed in the casinos because it was only in the low 60's and way too cold for the pool, sadly. But we had a fun time in Las Vegas!
Posted Nov 4, 2009, 2:35 am
Posted Nov 4, 2009, 2:39 am
Well, it was a sad day today as we said goodbye to HolgiHH. Although he didn't go very far away - just to a family in another part of San Diego. It was fun to meet another TV host though.
So to cheer us up Nancy took us to see the San Diego Trolley. It was a beautiful sunny day today.
Posted Nov 12, 2009, 4:04 am
This is Nancy, Pizoni's hostess in San Diego. I just saw Pizoni off today, back to his home in Spain. We were all very sad.
The first photos are of Mitzi and Teuki saying goodbye at my house.
Then, I thought I would take Pizoni for a treat before his long trip home so we stopped at the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
He also wanted a photo with my car.
So, Pizoni, we miss you and hope you get home quickly and will remember you fondly as my first ToyVoyager!
Posted Nov 29, 2009, 3:36 pm
It is kind of bad weather here!
See you!