All 27 entries tagged Family

Brief reflections on Bali

First day back in the office after a fab holiday in Indonesia. We sent most time in Bali, but we did go to another couple of islands out there too – Gili Trawangan and Lombok.

We flew from LHR to Doha, got a connecting flight to Jakarta (via Singapore) and then flew Jakarta to Bali (Denpasar airport). The journey took about 30 something hours but was well worth it.

We stayed a couple of nights in Kuta before flying to Lombok where we got a boat to Gili T. We stayed in Gili T for a few nights and then got a boat back to Lombok where we took a trip to some waterfalls. Stayed in Lombok for one night before flying back to Bali and heading to Ubud which is in-coast and is the central cultural area with lots of art, wood carving, temples etc. We stayed two nights there and then went back to Kuta for about 4/5 nights. We then flew to Jakarta where we stayed overnight and then flew back to LHR the following day (the journey home seemed much longer than the journey there!)

Was a fab holiday and we did so much stuff that it feels like it was longer than a fortnight! We did surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, visited waterfalls, rode an elephant, went to the monkey forest and lots of other stuff! Will try and write a few more details soon…

Eleanor Lovell : 23 Jul 2007 17:28 |  Tags: Bali Cousins Family Holidays |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Celebrate good times…

...COME ON!

I predict exciting days ahead…

Next weekend is my cousin Laura’s wedding. I can’t wait! It’s a momentous occassion. People who know me know how many cousins I have and how important they all are to me. I have one male cousin out of a total of about 15 and he is the only one who is married. Laura will be the first of the girls to tie the knot and it is going to be a good party!

The preparations for the wedding have already taken about two years (it seems like more!) but the big day is creeping closer and suddenly becoming a lot more real! Last night was the wedding rehearsal at the church… I hope the actual day isn’t so chaotic – none of us could stop giggling… especially since the grooms middle name is Algy.

Tomorrow my cousin Maria comes home from Indonesia – the last time she was home was last summer so she hasn’t seen my flat yet! I am very excited about showing her so have got lots of housework to do tonight to make it nice and tidy! We are going out tomorrow night for a few drinks to celebrate her coming home and my cousin Katrina who lives in Leeds is also home for the weekend.

On Wednesday my aunty Mag from Dublin is coming over with my second cousin Sarah who is about seven years old. On Thursday I am going to take her and cousin Rosie to Twycross Zoo for the day with a picnic and everything!

Then it’s Easter weekend and final preparations for the big day. My cousin Catherine and her daughter Caitriona are coming from Dublin on Saturday and then all the family will be home except for Joey who can’t make it as he is in America : (

On Easter Sunday we have to go to the church so the florist can dress the altar and pews and we have to do a quick run through for my cousin who missed the rehearsal!

Then the wedding is on Easter Monday – I can’t imagine the chaos on the day and the tears and the excitement. Laura, the bride cried walking down the aisle for the rehearsal let alone the real thing! The reception is being held at Nailcote Hall and the food and everything sounds lovely. DJs from BRMB radio station are the entertainment for the evening so it should be a great party! Tuesday I will be recovering from the hangover and enjoying the wedding breakfast at Nailcote Hall and then Wednesday it is back to work!

A busy week and an exciting one! Bring it on….

Eleanor Lovell : 30 Mar 2007 14:52 |  Tags: Cousins Easter Family Flat Wedding |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Dublin

Follow-up to Look out Dublin… from For blog's sake

Had an amazing weekend in Dublin a couple of weeks ago. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to get around to writing about it – have been a busy girl!

The Camden Court Hotel was lovely and was reasonably priced considering it included use of the spa facilities – pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi etc and a yummy fried breakfast each morning.

On the Friday night we went to Luigi Malones restaurant which was delicious. Had Chinese Parcels for starter and for main had Steak Fajitas – really nice although I think they overdid it on the garlic! Would definitely recommend it though!

On Saturday we did all the Dublin sights – Grafton St, Trinity College, bridge over the Liffey, O’Connell St, Ha’Penny Bridge, Temple Bar, St Stephens Green – was a lovey sunny weekend too so could sit out in St Stephens Green with a coffee from Butlers Chocolate Café – (really nice Caramel Macchaitto) and watch the world go by – quite relaxing considering it was a hen weekend! On the afternoon we went and chilled out in the hotel spa in preparation for the main event – the Saturday night out.

On the Saturday night we went to the actual Temple Bar – obviously the main stop for all tourists so it was rammed and full of trashy hens and stags! We left there and went to… erm, some other bars – I don’t recall the names! Was good fun though! There are more photos in the Hen Weekend gallery

Sunday we just did the spa and then went into Dublin again. Everyone was a bit worse for wear from the following night so we all just headed to another lovely coffee shop (again can’t remember the name…)

Anyways, as you can tell the weekend is now a bit hazy in my mind (partly because it was a little while ago and partly because it was a hen weekend!) I will have to take another trip back there soon to refresh my memory!

Eleanor Lovell : 28 Feb 2007 12:30 |  Tags: Cousins Dublin Family Hen Weekend Holidays Wedding |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Look out Dublin…

This weekend, I am heading to Dublin with about 24 other ‘cluckers’ for my cousins hen weekend! I am scared – it’s gonna be messy.

I hate the idea of hen weekends – a big gaggle of drunken women leering at men and wearing L plates… but I am sure it won’t be as trashy as that!! Anyway, given that today is valentines schmalentines day, I think the hen weekend might be well timed for us single hens!!

We are getting to the airport at about 2pm on Friday afternoon and then the flight is at about 4pm, so we will have chance to get a couple of drinks at the airport (and time for a few little surprises). My cousin doesn’t know how she is getting to the airport yet either, and that will be another funny surprise (photos to follow!)

We are staying in Camden Court Hotel in the centre of Dublin. The last time I was in Dublin was when I was about 8 years old! It’s a bit naughty that I haven’t been there for so long, especially since my aunt, cousin and goddaughter live over there!

On Friday night we are going to Luigi Malones Italian restaurant and then on Saturday we will be heading to Temple Bar, and I am guessing (the rather cheesy looking!) Boomerang Nightclub. I imagine that a few drinks will be consumed and there will be a few stories to tell come Monday! Good job I have booked the day off work to recover!!

Eleanor Lovell : 14 Feb 2007 13:27 |  Tags: Cousins Dublin Family Hen Weekend Holidays Wedding |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I am a proper fully fledged adult…

So today my first mortgage payment was debited from my bank account! Being an official home-owner suddenly seems a bit more real!!

Yesterday, my parents came around for tea. It was really nice to be able to invite them around to my flat and give them food – I won’t say ‘cook’ them food as I think that is over-egging it a bit. We just had garlic slices, feta, peppers and chillis in oil, cold meats, salsa, houmous, breadsticks to start and then beef burgers with onions and cheese. Yum yum. I would have liked to ‘cook’ something more credible but Mom bought the burgers and insisted we have them! I was going to do Pumpkin Soup but forgot to get the recipe off Casey – oops.

The first day that I got the keys to my flat, the man who sold it to me gave me some champagne, chocolates and flowers as a gift so we opened the champagne and had that with dinner and had the chocolates after. I think that was the first time I have had champagne with a beef burger!

We also got some more odd jobs done around the flat at the weekend. My dad made me some great new shelves last week for my bedroom so we fitted those in place properly – and naturally, decorated them with fairy lights!

And my aunt bought me a really lovely clock for my lounge. It is especially nice because I was with her and my cousins when I went to New York and Grand Central Station.

The flat is getting more and more homely every day and I feel really settled there already. It feels like I have lived there for ages!

Oh – except I am still waiting to get my sofa!

Eleanor Lovell : 06 Nov 2006 13:44 |  Tags: Cooking Family Flat Mortgage |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Is it too soon to be excited?

At the weekend I booked my flights for my summer holiday to Indonesia – am going to Bali, the Gilli Isles and Lembongan and I am pretty excited! The tickets arrived in the post on Tuesday – I was quite impressed!

My cousin Maria lives in Jakarta and works in the British International School over there so she regularly visits Bali for long weekends and half term breaks etc. She has just returned from a week over there and I think she is already making plans for our holiday – she isn’t called ‘military Moylan’ for nothing!

I will be travelling there with my cousin Katrina (Maria’s sister) and Kat’s boyfriend Dave. I had a fab time in Barcelona with Maria and Katrina this summer so am expecting even more fun next year!

Just need to save all of my money until then – pretty tricky with a mortgage etc but will be worth it i’m sure!!

On this cold wintery day, it’s nice to have something sunny to look forward to!

Eleanor Lovell : 02 Nov 2006 13:03 |  Tags: Bali Cousins Family Holidays Indonesia |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I love my flat

Had a busy weekend of DIY in my flat – it does sometimes come in handy having a dad who is a carpenter.

Got lots of odd jobs done… put blind up in the kitchen, put coat hooks up in the wardrobe, fitted a booster aerial to my TV… Dad made me a stand for my TV/DVD player etc. I even used the washing machine for the first time and put the bin bags out on Monday! : )

The living room…

The living room…

My new TV stand…

The kitchen…

My girly bathroom…

There are still a few things to do. I need a couple of shelves in the bathroom and a new mirror, I need to figure out how to use the heating (at the moment I am relying on the blow-heater in the lounge) and I am still waiting for the sofa! Shouldn’t be too long now, but in the meantime am feeling the hippy vibe sat on a mattress in the lounge with a couple of big cushions!

Eleanor Lovell : 24 Oct 2006 13:13 |  Tags: Castle Bromwich Diy Family Flat |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

2 years ago

Two years ago today my uncle died. It was a Saturday – 18th September.

I was shopping in Solihull with my cousin Clare, Mom and Dad were on the Isle of Wight to celebrate my dads birthday, my cousin Rosie had been rockclimbing for her friends birthday party… i’m not sure what everyone else in the family were doing but everyone was just doing the normal Saturday things… no one could possibly have expected the what happened that day.

My uncle had been refereeing a rugby game in Bloxwich – Bloxwich 2nds v Droitwich 3rds. He regularly refereed games, and before he was a ref he was a player for Old Saltleians. He loved the sport. Fifteen mintues into the game he collapsed and wasn’t able to get back up. He was just 51 years old.

As well as loving Rugby, he loved teaching. He was a teacher at schools across Coventry and Warwickshire. He was Deputy Head at St John the Baptist School in Smiths Wood, where he met my aunty Mary. He also taught in Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth and eventually became a schools inspector for Peterborough Education Authority.

I can’t believe it was only two years ago. I mean, it does seem like a long time ago that he died, but it doesn’t seem like he has been gone long.

icBirmingham – Referee dies during rugby game
icSolihull – Tribute to Rugby Ref
BBC News – Rugby referee dies during match
The Harp – Local Referee Dies During Match
Droitwich Rugby Football Club – Tribute to referee Tony McDonald

Eleanor Lovell : 18 Sep 2006 09:56 |  Tags: Family |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Birthweek

Follow-up to Non–birthday from For blog's sake

Last year, my birthday was a bit of a non–event. I started work here on the 15th August and my birthday was the following day so I didn't have much time for celebrations – I was too concerned with starting a new job and making a good impression.

This year, my birthday is a non–event for a different reason… There are so many other things going on that I haven't really organised a specific birthday celebration – the whole week will just be a variety of celebrations…mostly other peoples.

On Friday (11th) I am having a night out in Birmingham with my cousin Maria as it will be her last chance for a Brummie night out before she goes back to Indonesia on the 18th. On Saturday (12th) it is my Mom's birthday and I will be deserting her (sorry Mom!) and heading to Leeds with to my cousin Katrina's, house warming party/bbq/night out. We are staying in Leeds on Sunday night too and going out in Chapel Allerton where Katrina used to live. Me and Maria will get the train back to Birmingham on Monday – not looking forward to that hangover.

I have the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off work – I suspect I will need this time to recover(!) Not sure what I will be doing yet but guessing it will involve playing tennis and going shopping for some new house stuff in anticipation of all of my birthday money (wishful thinking!) My cousin Anna also gets back from her travels in America on Monday so will have to catch up with her and reminisce on our New York adventures. Wednesday is my birthday : ) – think I will just spend it relaxing and going for a nice meal with my parents.

On Sunday (20th), I am heading to London for the day. My friend Zoe is having a picnic in Regents Park for her daughter's first birthday. It will be a lovely day and our trips to London are always a a great opportunity to catch up with old Uni mates. Another mate from Uni, Olivia, is coming from Shrewsbury to stay at mine on the Saturday before going to London – We will, of course, be going out in Birmingham for another non–birthday booze–up.

So as you see – a very hectic birthday week with a lot of non–birthday celebrations! Am looking forward to it!

Eleanor Lovell : 07 Aug 2006 14:23 |  Tags: Birthdays Family Keele |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I love Barcelona

Follow-up to Barcelona from For blog's sake

I have just returned from Barcelona. In my experience it was a very cool, beautiful, cultural, fun and relaxing city. There's a great miscellany of people all living alongside each other – locals, businesspeople, tourists, streetsellers, hookers, entertainers, travellers – and they all convene around Las Ramblas…the entertainment centre of the city.

There is also everything you could want from a city – culture, architecture and art, history, sun, beaches, an excellent metro system, brilliant bars and restaurants, shops, the list goes on…

Most city breaks tend to last a few days but we were there for six nights in total so were able to balance the 'city break' sights with the beach holiday relaxation. We generally did a tourist attraction in the morning (11am – 1pm), beach in the afternoon (1 pm – 6pm), sangria and tapas (6:30pm – 7:30pm) and then back to the hotel for a quick change before our evening out from about 9:30pm onwards. We often didn't eat dinner until 11pm and the pace of life was so chilled.

Here's a brief overview of what we did while we were there…I will try and blog some of the funny incidents that occured some other time, such as:

• Street acrobats trying to hoist my cousin, Maria, onto their shoulders as part of their act
• Losing my skirt
• Having my handbag stolen
• Potentially not having any money
• Ordering steak tartar not realising it was raw steak

Anyway, back to what we did…

First night – Wednesday
Arrived at the hotel
Dinnner: Pizza Mazarno, Las Ramblas

Day One – Thursday
Beach: Nova Icaria
Dinner: Tapas bar in Placa de la Seu Maria or Katrina - can you remember the name of the restaurant?
Bars: Went to Placa Reial. Had a drink in an Irish bar and then went to Jamboree

Day Two – Friday
Sights: Sagrada Familia
Beach: Ventured to Bogatell but wasn't so nice so went to Nova Icaria
Dinner: Steak tartar place – name?
Bars: Fonfone, Moog, Pipa Club (don't ask!)

Day Three – Saturday
Sights: Museu Picasso
Beach: Barceloneta
Dinner: Fritz, Port Olympico
Bars: CDLC, tried Catwalk but was too late to get in.

Day Four – Sunday
Beach: Nova Icaria
Sights: Estadi Olimpic, Palau Nacional at Monjuic, Magic Fountain
Dinner: Txapella Tapas Bar, Passeig de Gracia (the best tapas ever!!)

Day Five – Monday
Sights: Parc Guell
Beach: Nova Icaria
Dinner: Agua, Port Olimpico
Bars: CDLC then had to go to police station to report stolen handbag(!)

Day Six – Tuesday (our last day)
Beach: Nova Icaria
Dinner: Tapas at Txapela before heading to the airport

More photos in the gallery

Eleanor Lovell : 27 Jul 2006 15:43 |  Tags: Barcelona Family Holidays |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem