Pic of the Day [week due]

BCNJ DOUVRES & CALAIS

 

Interesting thing about passing through Dover and Calasis on the Ferry is the pocket of time you go through - when you do not know what time it is because from England to France you ahead one hour and France to England you go back one hour.

4 months.

4 months from my last Contiki trip and the travel bug is coming back to bite me again. That must have been the urge to pay off my Egypt trip 6 months ahead of time, saving $110. Now just to purchase those plane tickets which i have been looking at moving that trip up, defiantly not in the summer months (July or August) as it is so expensive, more than $2000 to fly round trip. Well compared to $1400-$1800 i can get in June, or September-December.

Got a nice tax return back but will not be able to see much of that, as i am making a nice large contribution into my TFSA for my Australia support funds, which will get me closer to my move date. Where first i anticipate September 2013 (that way it gives me some room to save) but defiantly looking forward to pushing that date up.

Nice thing about Summer approaching, all those part time summer positions are opening up (perfect for picking up extra cash) - so i am getting my resume out there. Do not get me wrong I do enjoy my job at the Hotel - Hospitality Industry is defiantly for me. I moved Hotels at such a perfect time, Independent to Chain. Funny how Life works out in your favor, if only it can bring you the lottery winnings. But really how fun would life be if winning the lottery was that easy. I know that i am stronger because I worked hard to pay for all three Contiki trips last year myself, working hard towards what I want - having that accomplished feeling.

Last night I applied to be a server on the Edmonton Queen Riverboat - good thing i have server experience. And thanks to my Marketing Diploma from Lethbridge College - Marketing has opened many doors for me, as it is a wide range skill you can do anything you set your mind to with such diploma.

Although, each day that Australia door opens a little more each day letting that light shine through so I know that is my destiny to move to the land down under.

St Patrick's Shin Dig Contiki Style

Those Contiki Withdrawals we all know and love can be a harsh thing sometimes. What better way to cure or set back those withdrawals a little by a Contiki Event - St Patricks Day.

1st ever Leprechaun Toss - who ever got the hoola hoops over that Leprechaun got their name entered into a draw for a trip for 2 to Ireland. 

Again, the party took place in Calgary at Tipperary's Pub - 2002 16 Ave NW Calgary. It is like I can not say no to a Contiki Event. It's like I have Contiki running through my blood veins haha. It is all good though. This by far was the best St Patricks Day I have ever had in all my years. I even went all out in Green apparel, and wearing the Contiki name proudly ;).

It is not an Contiki event until you get that snapshot with the Contiki girls. Say hello to Sheralyn, and Sheena.

Contiki Shenanigans may be over but the party continues on until 2am....

Pic of the Day [Week uno]

Don't look down. Especially if you are afraid of heights. It was really weird to be walking on the glass floor in the Calgary Tower - i found myself constantly walking on the metal beams because it was just too weird to be walking straight on the glass floor it self.

But on the plus side there is fabulous views of the mountains and marvelous views of the City of Calgary, goregous!!

Calgary's 7 top list of things to do:

#1 Calgary Tower

#2 Calgary Zoo

#3 Alberta's Kananaskies

#4 Calgary Stampede

#5 Wildrose Brewery 

#6 Canadian Rockies Hot Springs

#7 Calgary Walks

Is Big Ben really leaning?

It was fascinating to be in London, England - waking up in London it is beyond words to describe. I've seen pictures over pictures of all these sites but seeing them with my own two eyes and setting foot on London soil and looking up at these monuments were breathtaking.

Being in Westminster abbey was goregous - now i see why Princess Kate and Prince Will got married there. I remember just sitting down against the wall at the entrance looking around me and up in awe.... took my breath away. I could have sat there all day.

We walked everywhere and my feet were hurting and tired but i kept on dragging them onwards. I am glad I did. Next day i would change  my shoes which had helped not make them so sore. So there is your tip for the day: pack 3 or 4 pairs of shoes, changing your shoes will limit how sore your feet will get.

When I heard on the news that Big Ben was leaning - I told mother nature to stop it. Stop ruining these structures before i get a chance to see them. 

Do you see the lean?

How about now? ha ha okay this is just me tilting the camera on purpose. But it makes a great masterpiece. I love changing the angle on the camera to snap that everlasting memory, as sometimes seeing something in a different angle changes how you see it and makes its natural beauty recognizable, more foreseeable.

RESTAURANT GORDON RAMSAY

68 Royal Hospital Road

London SW3 4HP United Kingdom

When in London, eat as the English do. Very elegant, high class.

Service Hospitality high rate, each time you get up to go to the washroom they walk you to the door. Then they come back to the table and refold your napkin. Between meals they wipe the crumbs from the table.

Breaks in between courses – nice touch and great idea gives you some time to digest your food and really enjoy it. We also ordered one bottle of wine that night then after that we all just stuck with water, which by the way they charge you for it. They tried to get us to order another bottle of wine, but one was enough.

It was a small restaurant space, very elegant, high class. Defiantly know why you must book a month in advance - but very well worth it! Actually I booked five months in advance, this was an opportunity I did not want to miss out of.

Now unfortunately Gordon Ramsay was not there himself that night. But he trains his cooks very well because we actually heard the chef yell when the kitchen door swung open. Besides the yelling the Food is mouthwatering, delicious!

Choose your meal style – A La Carte Menu Three courses for 95£, Menu prestige Seven courses for 125£, Seasonal Inspiration Seven courses for 135£. 

 First course meal

Three course menus was plenty of food – I could not have imagined if we had chosen the seven course menus, which would have been a lot of food and we would have been there for hours. Our Dinner reservations were already at 8pm and we probably left, oh who knows when we left because i was not paying attention to the time.

After the meal they called us a cab and grabbed our coats. Thank you for a fabulous, magnificent London meal and the most expensive meal i will ever eat.... but only the best meal it was!!  

More elegant food pictures can be seen on my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AyKate