One of the best parts about living overseas is learning about new customs and cultures. While the English culture is more closely aligned with American culture than Turkey, there are still some differences you stumble upon.

Vernacular (e.g. pants v. trousers, chips v. fries). Holidays (they take them, we don't). Mushy peas, clotted cream & pies (not the sweet kind).

Right now, one of those odd cultural occurrences is taking place. Guy Fawkes Day is widely celebrated throughout the UK on the 5th of November. I didn't know about it last year til the fireworks went off, then read about it and said oh, like V for Vendetta since nearly everything can be related to a movie.

This year, I decided to learn a little bit more about the holiday so I can celebrate it properly!

Its celebration spans all the way back to 1605 and Guy Fawkes gunfire plot. This is where 13 men plotted to kill King James I and blow up Parliament. A lot of the plot was around religion, part of the ongoing battle between Protestants and Catholics that began when Henry VIII originally brought Protestant religion to England (just so he could divorce his wife). Still in James' times, Protestant religion ruled, making these Catholic plotters angry, especially after James persecuted some Catholics in what was seen to be for his political advantage.The whole plot was foiled when the plotters warned their fellow Catholics not to be in Parliament that day, and later Guy Fawkes was found hiding below the building in a room full with gunpowder (hence the name the Gunpowder Plot), and the matches to ignite the whole thing.

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So why is this even celebrated still today? Sure, celebrate at the time, but it seems to me like an odd choice of an going holiday - 'hey, we almost got blown to bits, but didn't, so hooray!'

Following the failed attack, an act of Parliament was passed setting the date as a day of thanksgiving for the "joyful deliverance of James I." This act remained in place for over 250 years, until 1859. So perhaps out of habit, the holiday is still celebrated today and the event is remembered, as Yeomen still search the building upon the opening of Parliament for any modern day Fawkes.

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Today the date is celebrated not with bonfires to burn Guy (at least that I've seen), but with lots and lots of fireworks.  This year, they started the weekend prior, and will probably continue to the following weekend.  And I don't blame them, without the 4th of July to celebrate, everyone needs a good national holiday for fireworks!

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For my first couple of days in Cape Town, I had the company of my co-worker and her family, which was great to give me some built in fellow tourists for the first few days. Other than a day and a half in a similar situation in Hawaii, I have never done solo traveling.

As fate would have it, however, my final day in Cape Town was to be spent alone.

After my morning meeting, the day was mine. I already knew what was in the books for me - the famous wines of South Africa, and more specifically Stellenbosch. I had four hours before I needed to be at the airport, and while not nearly as much time as I would want, it gave me the time I needed to head out that way.

Since I didn't have a car, I hired a driver for the half day. He suggested we make a pit stop on our way out to Stellenbosch, which after hearing his idea I quickly agreed to. Even though I had seen cheetahs on our Kenyan Safari, this was a chance to get upclose and personal at Paardevlei Cheetah Outreach Centre.

In South Africa (and probably a lot of Africa), as farming lands and cities grow, the cheetahs in the wild are being run out of their natural habitat. When these farmlands encroach on the cheetahs homes, their food is taken away, so they tend to find new food sources, like the farmers cows and other animals. To protect their animals, farmers shoot or poison the cheetahs. The point of the outreach centre is to teach farmers how to live with the cheetahs, and inform them of alternative methods of protecting their livestock.

The way they do this is actually through Anatolian sheep dogs (from Turkey!). Cheetahs are not naturally aggressive animals, and therefore if they are challenged, they typically flee versus fight. The outreach centre not only teaches the farmers how to use these dogs, but also breeds them and provides them to the farmers. It has been so successful, there's now a waiting list for farmers wanting to get the dogs!

Back to the cheetahs though. They keep cheetahs at the centre to educate people on their true nature. I know some from our safari trip that they aren't inclined to hurt people, but it was amazing to be so close to one. They do stay with their handlers all the time, so they can keep an eye on their attitude and if they are open to having people around them. I got to visit Joseph and spent several minutes just stroking his fur and chatting with the handler about him. He's 11 years old, so he's an old pro at meeting people at the outreach centre.

After my encounter, it was off to try some wine! While I usually wouldn't drink before a flight, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. First up, we stopped at Bilton Wines for a chocolate and wine tasting. For each class of wine, they had a corresponding chocolate that were paired to bring out the flavours of each. I loved the cab so much that I bought a bottle and the delicious dark espresso choclate that I tasted with it.

Trouble of solo travelling? Finding someone to take your photo.

While I could have headed to the airport now and been there a few minutes early, we decided to squeeze in one last tasting. I figured it would be a good practice to help me to sleep on my long overnight flight back to London. We choose the picturesque Waterford Estate in Stellenbosch. The weather was lovely and I got to enjoy an outdoor seat in the sun, under the shade of the trees in their courtyard. Perfection. I got the chance to try three wines and three more chocolates, all lovely, but no space left in my suitcase to bring back. After the last of my wine, I took a few minutes to wander around the estate, with the lovely nectarine trees out front, lining the drive up to the estate.

And so my time in Cape Town came to an end. We drove back through Stellenbosch to give me some last glances of a place I had fallen in love with in only a few days. I know a trip back will be in my future, and perhaps next time with someone to share all my favourites of the city with!

South Africa has always been on my travel wish list - thinking of an exotic safari and perhaps some beautiful beaches. After our trip to Kenya, this got put on the back burner, since we had our safari adventure for the year (or perhaps lifetime!)

However, 2 months after my trip to Kenya, my luck self was back on a plane over Africa headed towards South Africa.

To be honest, I did have a stop in Johannesburg (or Joburg as almost everyone calls it), but it wasn't long enough to admire anything other than the terrible traffic and the inside of the airport for 3 hours because of a flight delay.

And while I made it to my hotel at 1 am, with a 5 am wake-up call the next day, my first views of Cape Town were magical. Driving in at night, you can still see the outlines of the mountain looming in the background, and hear the crash of the waves. My hotel, Camps Bay Retreat, had a rope suspension bridge that I had to walk across to get to the room, almost making me feel like I was on a jungle retreat.

Over the next three days, despite a large lack of sleep and very busy work day, I made the most of my time in Cape Town.

The first two days were spent close to "home" at Camps Bay. In my jetlagged state on the first day, I only made it down to the beach, but could have stayed for hours. It was a popular destination in the evening, with everyone from families, to couples, to people with their pups enjoying the beautiful weather (although not the water which is apparently always frigid).

We joined the ranks as we walked along the shore, climbed some rocks for a better view of the beach, then had dinner close by where we could watch the sunset over the water.

The next day was a stop to one of the main attractions in Cape Town - Table Mountain. As I was by myself, I took the cable car up, trying to ignore the heights and grateful that it got us to the top so quickly. I had planned to only stay up to snap a few photos, then head back to the beach, but after seeing the views, I knew it would be more than a pit stop.

I wandered along the front side of the mountain facing the see first, with beautiful views of the ocean, the city, Signal Hill and even Robbin's Island. Then I headed towards the backside of the mountain, with views still beautiful, although less protected by rails, so a tad bit scary for this girl with a fear of heights.


Walking back towards the front, I saw a 'table cloth' beginning to drape one of the mountains closer to the see, a phenomenon which gave the mountain its name. In the distance, was the Cape Point. I was wishing now that I had some good hiking shoes to join the others in heading that direction.  Since I wasn't so prepared, I took a seat (and a selfie) and just enjoyed the views before it was time for me to head back to the hotel for my braiia, a South African bbq feast on my last night in Cape Town.

Sometimes, it's good to remind yourself of how lucky you are and what a great situation you are in.

As an expat, it's easy to get into a routine just like you would in Dallas, or Houston or wherever in the world it is. Work on the weekdays, sleeping in on weekends, laundry, hanging out with friends. Sounds like fun?

But sometimes, as an expat, it's good to get a refresher for yourself on how fantastic your new home is and why you chose to live there.

With this, we've been making an effort to get out and see London! All of the well known tourist sites and some of the less known ones.

A few weekends ago, as the summer wound down to an end, we chose to see one of the most popular tourist sites - Buckingham Palace. As it was the second to last weekend of its opening, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

And while we were out, we went all out. We decided to visit Parliament too.

Bad news - no photos at any (bummer!).

Good news - both were some great places to visit.

First up, the Houses of Parliament.  This building had a whole history I didn't know about! Before becoming a government building, it was actually a royal palace.  Construction began in the 11th century under Edward the Confessor as a palace, so that he could oversee the construction of the nearby Westminster Abbey.  It was used for several centuries, as the true parliament began to unfold under the rule of the Plantagenets (Henry II - Richard III). Disasterously (and despite exclamations of the risks from others), the buildings of Parliament caught fire in 1834.

Westminster Hall - built in 1097 before the palace; one of the only buildings that survived the fire

So, unlike so many other things in London, the Houses of Parliament are relatively new!  Construction of the new palace began in 1840, after the gothic design was chosen from 97 entries from around the world. The successful designer was Charles Barry, with Augustus Pugin lending more of his input on the interior fixtures. While most of the building was done in 1860, the building of Parliament wasn't completely finished until 1870. However, when you walk through, you don't for one minute feel like you're in a building that could be deemed contemporary - it seems like you step back in time, with the vaulted ceilings, ornate tapestries, and paintings that were supposed to rival the Sistine Chapel. You can imagine the good old men, sitting around talking, smoking, alughing and dreaming up big things for England.

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As a resident of the UK, we have the chance to explore more of Parliament, if we write to our MP for tickets to sit in on session (including talks with the PM) or to climb to the top of Big Ben.

After a snack in the cafe at Parliament (where you can get a cuppa and scones!), we made our way up to Buckingham Palace.

The palace is only open 2 months of the year, while the Queen is out on holiday, or most likely visiting her home in Scotland. When she's away, they open up the State Rooms where visitors would be hosted to all of us who wouldn't have the opportunity otherwise. (Tip - book in advance!! You can also get tickets to tour the gardens, but these sell out early).

The State Dining Rooms Credit

While you have to queue to get in, once you get inside the building, it's a bit of a free-for-all as it is a self-guided tour. You can tell what's most popular as the tourists all push forward to get a peek at something the audio guide points out as important. I would probably have found the whole visit to be less than impressive if it weren't for the Coronation exhibit.

The Blue Drawing Room Credit

 With 60 years on the throne, the palace had a display on to celebrate the affair. Everything from the gowns and jewels worn on the day, to paintings to completed to commemorate the event, to recreations of the dinner table for the feast.  The best part of it (besides the clothes) were all the videos of the coronation itself and the excitement on the streets of London. As the first coronation to be captured on film, it's amazing to see things that can be described, but somehow only truly captured through the video.

After we made it through the rooms spanning 2 floors, we headed out the back, through the gardens to the real London. Perhaps, someday, I'll be back to explore more of Buckingham, and if I'm lucky, outside the State Room tour.

View of Buckingham Palace as we exited

Paul loves surprises. He loves surprises so much, he can't wait the surprise out. So rather than wait until my birthday or Christmas, he tells you about the surprise right away! I can't help but love his excitement about the whole thing.

For our anniversary, we decided to take a weekend trip to celebrate, since we have been in the process of moving countries for the last two years. And, to complicate the thing, we decided Paul would plan it all and it would be to a destination unknown to me!

I loved the idea at first - so much fun and suspense. Then the trip got closer, and I realised, I am not someone good to surprise. I asked lots of questions - what's the weather like, do I need my passport, is it a new country, will it be the beach, city or outdoors? Needless to say, Paul wasn't pleased, but kept the secret underwraps.

So finally, on our anniversary, I come home, having decided we are probably going to Cinque Terra, only to be told we'll be going to Salzburg!

I was excited. A new country and one thing I have been talking about since we moved to Europe - The Sound of Music Tour.

Our trip got off to a rough start after we missed our connecting flight to Salzburg, but we finally made it, just a few more hours later than expected. It was too late to go sightseeing, but we still wandered around the city centre a bit, finally stumbling upon a great little restaraunt for beer, goulash & dumplings.

Getreidegasse Street

 The next day was the main event - The Sound of Music! Paul had arranged this in advance, but rather than taking the typical bus tour, we took the bike tour. It was a great way to see the city, and very easy biking minus the one hill up to the abbey. It also meant we got to get off the bikes and get up closer than you would have in a bus.

Mirabell Gardens with Hohensalzburg Cathedral in the background

St. Peter's Cathedral - they weren't allowed to film SoM here but the producers recreated this cemetery in the studio

It was interesting to learn about how the film was shot, and some odd ways of going about it. For example, they used the front of one house (by the tree lined lane), but the back of another for the river & patio shots. And some things, like the intro scene and tree climbing, weren't even filmed in Salzburg, but the Lake District, which is a bit of a drive away.

The front of the Sound of Music house. It is now a music school

And don't worry, I found a few opportunities to do a sing along.

That night, we enjoyed music of a more classical nature. We took the cable car up to Fortress for a classical music concert. Salzburg is proud to be the birthplace of Mozart, although Mozart much preferred Vienna to his hometown of Salzburg. The concert was in the state room at the top of the fortress and was wonderful - not just Mozart, but several of the classics. We wrapped the night up at a roof top bar overlooking the fortress and river.

The State Room before the orchestra came in

The city from the fortress at nightfall

We decided to spend it at Untersberg, yet another cable car ride up a mountain. This one was quite a bit steeper than I would have preferred, but gave great views of the city. Unfortunately, the mist was rolling in our way up, so we didn't get the best views of the day. The mountain is a popular place to hike and houses all types of interesting natural attractions, including ice caverns.

View from the top of Untersburg

The end of our time in Salzburg came too soon, but we grabbed one last beer and some local food before we had to head back to London.

What to see
- City Centre: it is a classic European city centre, and company enough you can walk.
- Mirabell Palace: this palaces best views are from it's beautifully sculpted gardens.
- Hohensalzburg: hike up, or follow our lead and take the cable car to the top. There may be tours during the day, which are your best bet to get a better history of this fortress. The views can't be beat.
- Hellbrunn Palace: we made it out here to see the Sound of Music pavillion, but didn't have time to go in to see the trick fountains, which are supposed to be quite fun.
- St. Peter's Cathedral: this church has an interesting and beautiful cemetery (which they recreated in the Sound of Music's hollywood set), and some crypts which we didn't make it to. Right by the entrance is Salzburg's oldest bakery.