Friday, 30 April 2010

Christmas 2009 in England and New Years 2010 in Ireland

To kick off the Christmas season in London my friend and colleague, Siew, and I planned our Paediatric Therapy Team's Christmas Evening 'do'.  After our annual Christmas lunch we arranged for the team to go ice skating at the Natural History Museum.  It was a perfect night- it snowed while we were skating!

Thursday, 17th December 
Sophie
Jess and Me
Cheryl-Anne
Claire, Siew, and Me
Siew, Louise, and Jess....in A and E (Accident and Emergency) since Louise fell...and broke her thumb :(

Monday, 21st December
MORE SNOW!

On my way home
My street

Wednesday, 23rd December
Took Dad to Ping Pong for dim sum in Hampstead his first night in London

Thursday, 24th December
Cooking brunch for Dad


Highgate Cemetery, Hampstead
One of the 'Magnificent Seven' ring of Victorian cemeteries that encircle London


We waited for the bus for almost an hour!

My favourite department store in London: Selfridge's

I left with a yellow bag!

Oxford Street

I took Dad to Claridge's for Christmas Afternoon Tea
Claridge's designer Christmas tree created by John Galliano for Dior

St. Paul's Cathedral
The queue to get in St. Paul's for the Christmas Eve Midnight Service
St. Paul's Cathedral (up close)
Inside St. Paul's
St. Paul's Cathedral


Friday, Christmas Day





Merry Christmas to Trish from Dad!
I gave Dad Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger because it takes place in Highgate Cemetery
Dad got me some oven mitts from Scotland
Steph got me some Madewell socks- you always need new socks
Dad made a roast for Christmas dinner.  I made Yorkshire puddings!

Dad and I went to the Charles Dickens House Museum on Christmas 
evening to hear a reading of A Christmas Carol



Sunday, 27th December
Trip to Oxford
On the way
From the train
On the city sight-seeing bus
At Jamie's Italian, a Jamie Oliver restaurant
It's hard to tell...but this is a satisfied face ;)  The food was yum.


Monday, 28th December
MY BIRTHDAY!
We had brunch at Patisserie Valerie in Green Park
Near Bond Street
A Fortnum and Mason window
Toasting to Rosie's new flat and my birthday

MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT:
                                                                               Clare, Me, and Rosie
Thanks, Dad!!!  It was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S


Thursday, 31st December
Dingle, Ireland
Aoife and her brothers
1st pub of the night
Aoife and Nicola
Nicola and me at Foxy John's, which doubles as a hardware store
Julie and me...on to the next one
Where we rang in the New Year
Nicola, Paul, and me
Aoife and me
HAPPY 2010!


Friday, 1st January

The house we rented in Dingle
Happy Birthday Nicola!
Starting out on the drive around Slea Head
Paul, Mike, and Aoife
Gallarus Oratory
Dead Man's Island
Clochar Beach
Famous potter, Louis Mulcahy
Aoife driving the Land Rover
Inside Paidi O Shea's Pub


Saturday, 2nd January
Aoife, Paul, Mike, and Trish leaving the house in Dingle


Paul and Mike drove to Belfast and Aoife and I went to Killorglin, Ireland
Snow dusting outside Aoife's parents' house
Aoife making Irish whiskeys


 Sunday, 3rd January

Killarney National Park
Killarney, Ireland

Farranfore, Ireland