Paris, a French wedding and New Years.

So back to London for a day, did the washing and then off at 8.30 am the next day to Paris! My flatties and I headed off on the Eurostar, then I continued on to my friend Leon's wedding an hour out of the city on the train.

It was absolutely amazing, the place we were staying at was sensational, and we meet up with some other kiwis on our first night, who we had dinner with in the CUTEST french village. None of us could read the menu, so our dinners were all a surprise! haha. It was in the country and sooo beautiful!

The next day was the wedding in a little village near where Caroline lived, so romance, so gorgeous! The ceromony was lovely and alot of it in French which was awesome to experience! Afterwards, we followed the wedding car through all the little villages to where we were staying and the reception was been held. It was awesome, complete with fireworks on the dessert table, a slideshow, hula dancing flowergirls and of course the haka, which the boys actually pulled off remarkably well! So wicked to be able to be there with Leon on his special day, they make the most beautiful couple! Everyone was so nice and welcoming, a really great, great bunch and loads of fun! So neat to see all the French traditions, including the onion soup at the early hours. Tres cool.

Lots of dancing and a rather sore head later we went back to Paris the next day and had a lovely dinner, Matt our friend ate frog Legs - gross, then we wandered Paris and marvelled at her lights..I even rode the ferris-wheel at the end of the Champs Elysees. Which seemed like a great idea till I realised how much I don't like heights!

The next day we tried to go to Versailles but it was shut, so we just wandered. We had booked a cute apartment in Bastille, which worked out real well. It was tiny but cool. Saw the new year in a club...WOW, what a yea 2007 was! So here I am back in London, freezing my butt off and trying to get back some sort of routine. It is one year since I arrived on the 28th where on earth did that go.

Here's to another year, hope 2008 is everything you all hope it to be. Represent ow.

Me xxxxoooo

Christmas in Amsterdam.

Well my lovelies, oh the adventures I have had. After finishing work for the year, Leon, Sarah and I headed to Amsterdam to have Christmas with Rosita, her sister Leila and her boyfriend Matty, who was over from New York. On arriving we were met by the wonderful tree they had decorated with little toys painted white, amazing stockings that Leila had sewn, and the Christmas table complete with white horses that galloped down the middle. The first night we headed out for tea with friends of theirs to a beautiful restaurant and then off to the red light district for those who hadn't seen it.

Amsterdam is beautiful this time of year, we zoomed around on bikes, through the parks where the lakes had frozen over and kids were ice skating past the little dukes who were walking over it. It is such a neat city, so chilled out and pretty.

On Christmas eve we went shopping with a 2 Euro budget per pressie to fill up eachothers stockings with. Then that night headed out to a club where they were playing 80s music all night. Despite the fact it wasn't dress up we did anyway and danced the night away. Then it was off home to go to sleep and wait for Santa.

Christmas morning, Leila and Rosita put on the most amazing spread, croissants, scrambled eggs, cherries, cheeses, hams..mmmmmm mmmmmm! Honestly I can't explain how indulgent our trip was. Everything about it was magic. It was so nice to be around close old friends for what was for me, the first Christmas ever I have been away from home!

We then opened pressies some which were hilarious, in particular the cheese Matty got me that actually came out of our groceries that we had got the day before, and the lovely 2 euro perfume he got Leon!

Christmas dinner was amazing Rosita cooked up a storm, so amazing that it nearly went cold as we took so long photographing it all! After dinner and all its yummyness we got into the arts and crafts. There were so many things to play with from our stockings, we all reverted to been little and started to build our treats! Matty and I made a lovely pig, (well tried Rosita had to do it in the end) Leila made rings for everyone, Sarah a town, Leon a car and then we combined to make a little house. Absoulety hilarious! Such a memorable Christmas!

Hope you all had an amazing time and are lapping up the sun down under it is FREEZING here, gutted!

Sending you warm fuzzies!

Lib xxxxoooo

A Yurdle Durdle Christmas.

Well my lovelies, I can't believe it has nearly been a year I have been here this is post number 91. It is so strange to be away from home at this time of year, we donned the lounge in fairy lights and hung up our 2 decorations a pukeko and a a buzzy bee on Sunday to get into the spirit of things.

I think I can fairly say this has being one of the craziest, most amazing, most challenging, exciting, breathtaking years of my life. I have learnt so much, seen so much and grown up so much. Times like these you realise how blessed you are to have the people in your life you do. Near and far. The new friends in London who are like a home away from home, the old ones who I am with always in spirit and a family who are so very, very special.

Things are winding down at work, I have got a new visa so am legal to be here for another couple of years and we are all counting down the last days till we are on holiday. On sunday we fly out to spend Christmas in Amsterdam, all rugged up ready for the cold. IT IS FREEZING HERE! Like I mean colder than I have ever experienced my bones are like chards of ice! But we are all lapping it up, spending as much time possible snuggled up in doors, drinking red wine and watching the hustle and bustle go by. Covent Garden looks so beautiful as does the Southbank...strolled along there on Saturday they have liitle stalls of mulled wine and roasted nuts - VERY cool. You feel like you are in a Charles Dicken's novel and it is all rather romance and delicious.

It has been a ride 2007 bring on another year of adventures. The last Yurdle Durdle adventure was a Christmas roast, with close friends, mulled wine, egg nog, trifle and carols. We dressed Yurdle Durdle for the occasion and had the most delicious time. Thought only appropriate for me to end the year with a picture of its sorts.

Happy Yurdle Durdle Christmas my darlings, I love you. I miss you my lovely little kiwis, and will be thinking of you as you wake up to Santa on what will still be Christmas Eve for us.

My love to the moon and back.

See you next year.

Me xxxxoooo

Christmas and the cold.

Well has to be said, it is weird being away from family this time of year and it been so cold! But London is beautiful with her lights, the hustle, the bustle, the crowds snuggled up in scarfs and hats. All rather busy at the mo, christmas party after party, and more drinking than ever. Something about red wine out of the cold. Here are some piccies from late. Leon and Sarah in Neal St on our shopping missions, the lights hung all over Hamleys, Leon's massive dinner and birthday cake, "Colin the Caterpillar" (now he has moved in) and a few bits and bobs. Off to Amsterdam for Christmas with Leon to see Rosita and her crew, then to Paris for Leon's (Rose's) wedding and New Years. What a year it has been.

Over and out my darlings, I love you of course, a thousand times over and some. Wishing you warm fuzzies over the silly season.

xxxxoooo

Home is where the heart is.

Well, I have been putting off writing this post as it took a while for me to be able to look at my pics without getting rather teary, but here you have it, my latest adventure was a trip home to the Land of the Long White Cloud. It was a mental 2 weeks, jammed packed with lunch dates and dinner dates, birthdays and parties, sushi and hummus and lots of love, sun and warm fuzzies. I was surprised at how easily NZ seems to fit, how easy it was to slot right back in and how good it smells. We really do forget how blue the harbour is, how fresh the air is and how lucky we are!

It was awesome walking through those arrival gates to see my family and be able to hug everyone in person. To see the girls and talk nonsense for hours, to watch the cousies light fireworks in the backyard on guyfaulks, to be able to have a Barbie, wear jandals and drive. Ohhh New Zealand I love you.

We had such an amazing time, truly a highlight of the year. It was wicked to be able to be there for Tessa and Dad's birthdays and catch up with all the people who mean so much to me. It made me remember just how much I love you all and how lucky I am. Here are the pics from my holiday. Four wheel driving, mountain biking, cuddles, parties and dancing.

It was amazing I miss you all so very much. It was not long enough, poor guy next to me on the plane to Singapore had to put up with 10 hours of me crying and if that wasn't embarassing enough the whole departure lounge at Singapore watched me sob on the phone to mum as she tried to convince me that turning around and coming back wasn't the right thing to do!

I have settled back into London life now, after a few unsettled days and lots of blubbering calls to Mum. It is freezing and I have taken to wearing ugg boots not only at home but to work as well. Have no shame. Just booking Salzburg for Jan and we are off to Paris for New Years so that'll be cool. Miss you all, and there really is no place like home.

As Fran's put it..."the easiest thing in the world is having you by my side and the hardest thing is having to say goodbye ...again."


My love to the moon and back,

Me xxxxoooo