An American Perspective: What It Feels Like To Live In England

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">If you've been reading my blog for a while,</div><div style="text-align: center;">you know I LOVE living in this country</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is so beautiful and so interesting</div><div style="text-align: center;">- filled with history and culture galore -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But what does it <i>feel </i>like to live here?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CWJ28QWN4oJCnotwR6zwSiDCEs_YTHK25EyhovA1lCl3C-ka3Tev0NyI9DFBeDGJB_RAjeswXQVT8zlz8PzTxP_7FVelYkng__4kfVRZzo0xOX0HeUlkbW_WL5VZBCZV07bHn2xTaPWg/s1600/England+counties-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CWJ28QWN4oJCnotwR6zwSiDCEs_YTHK25EyhovA1lCl3C-ka3Tev0NyI9DFBeDGJB_RAjeswXQVT8zlz8PzTxP_7FVelYkng__4kfVRZzo0xOX0HeUlkbW_WL5VZBCZV07bHn2xTaPWg/s1600/England+counties-001.JPG" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It has taken a while to get a visceral sense</div><div style="text-align: center;">of the size and population of England</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">England is roughly the size of Louisiana,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and one would need five Englands to fill the state of Texas</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLP28sDPvfYmyopVMAZPFNxPwbOB2EqhJ65dQ_1ITBNpcG45s-gfaIMd6UtH31t9R7L402wfIGqWBcJXjD4ImZ4GoIgz6sN4glgizh_levH80WqGixqS5LmGUIkyyJDaakC9FnQqhGKAH/s1600/USA+UK+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLP28sDPvfYmyopVMAZPFNxPwbOB2EqhJ65dQ_1ITBNpcG45s-gfaIMd6UtH31t9R7L402wfIGqWBcJXjD4ImZ4GoIgz6sN4glgizh_levH80WqGixqS5LmGUIkyyJDaakC9FnQqhGKAH/s1600/USA+UK+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shows the whole UK, not just England<br />via <a href="http://www.sarmonster.net/UK.htm">Sarmonster</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It takes appropriately 45 hours to drive the US from coast to coast</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In Europe, you cannot drive 45 hours in a straight line and still be on the same continent</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Starting from the closest European point to England (Calais, France)</div><div style="text-align: center;">you could be in Beirut, Lebanon in 45 driving hours</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Moscow is only a 26 hour drive from Calais</div><div style="text-align: center;">(only 19 more hours to go for the equivalent of the US drive)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy6uyyMyXVAxQGaAo_olhUWc1vR8qBa4iWW48KDZx2FXSSlQL4fErl6RNfUvwEjoQHAQ87KHosMSOUDuKeEAc7ZDvpTbH026HGYb3A61hxw8Kv3D6P1Z3wFNtRyUB5TxCw5DZ2tu03Jvg/s1600/45+hr+driving+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy6uyyMyXVAxQGaAo_olhUWc1vR8qBa4iWW48KDZx2FXSSlQL4fErl6RNfUvwEjoQHAQ87KHosMSOUDuKeEAc7ZDvpTbH026HGYb3A61hxw8Kv3D6P1Z3wFNtRyUB5TxCw5DZ2tu03Jvg/s1600/45+hr+driving+map.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="https://maps.google.com/">GoogleMaps</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In contrast, I can be almost anywhere in England within 5 or 6 hours<br />(if traffic cooperates)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway, you get my point</div><div style="text-align: center;">But not so fast...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fill up Louisiana with all the people in California (the most populated state),</div><div style="text-align: center;">and then fill it with half those people again</div><div style="text-align: center;">You've almost reached the 1,054 person per square mile in England</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This leads to an intricate web of roads to maneuver daily<br />and a large infrastructure in place to serve the population</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Not only is the population more dense in England,<br />but the things to do and see is fantastically dense too<br /><br />So this <i>feels</i> different than America</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi9TWqWUMqq5CD0hdqgNvzRA08a3QqYI9pOwB_HosTXIN0PxfqD4rJ6uGaKq90QCAybFyoacJCkeiQuMyAKhX3pyHeIxH3RieSue2YAJI3ToNVF-K9ltyn8SpY3x7Qjk5Fo5A8D_pPWSD/s1600/Countries_by_population_density.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi9TWqWUMqq5CD0hdqgNvzRA08a3QqYI9pOwB_HosTXIN0PxfqD4rJ6uGaKq90QCAybFyoacJCkeiQuMyAKhX3pyHeIxH3RieSue2YAJI3ToNVF-K9ltyn8SpY3x7Qjk5Fo5A8D_pPWSD/s1600/Countries_by_population_density.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Population per square kilometer (2006 data) <br />via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_density">Wikipedia</a> </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Generally speaking, the English can visit their families by car or train</div><div style="text-align: center;">It is easier to see childhood friends when they are just a drive away</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In contrast, many Americans fly to visit friends and family</div><div style="text-align: center;">which makes reunions less frequent</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And because we live on an island,<br />every time we fly, we are traveling to a foreign country<br /><br />Flying to a foreign country entails border control lines upon arrival<br />followed by passport, visa, and paperwork checks when we return to the UK</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It can feel like we live on a cultural island from the rest of Europe as well,</div><div style="text-align: center;">as English is the official language only in the UK and Ireland</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mainstream film, television and music<br />generally come from within the country and the US,<br />not from Europe<br /><br />Although the UK is part of the European Union,<br />they retain their own currency<br /><br />So it feels like we live on an island in a number of ways</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgO_FPGyarDGCK5OzeKmqw7NQ6BGaW7IvU9-5rJrSaIqLB0wOrtEioAIvv-8wGh2ybtNjhBTNCcufhTle9VQqnKRtTUapO91k7AEVIF6XErTgM_QoAa67yqGlYS81MeVnzYhmEh7T2atg/s1600/Rectified_Languages_of_Europe_map+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgO_FPGyarDGCK5OzeKmqw7NQ6BGaW7IvU9-5rJrSaIqLB0wOrtEioAIvv-8wGh2ybtNjhBTNCcufhTle9VQqnKRtTUapO91k7AEVIF6XErTgM_QoAa67yqGlYS81MeVnzYhmEh7T2atg/s1600/Rectified_Languages_of_Europe_map+(1).png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Languages in Europe<br />via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rectified_Languages_of_Europe_map.png">Wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Stick with me for a few more observations :) ...<br /><br />American news has an equal dose of local and national headlines</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>while English media tends to cover more nationwide stories than local tidbits<br />As a result, I don't feel I really know what's going on in my local community</div><br /><div>And while American epicenters for politics, finance, fashion and entertainment<br />are spread between Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles,<br /><br /></div>London is <i>the</i> heartbeat of the country in all of these industries<br />(making it such an AMAZING city!)<br /><br />And when I say 'country',<br />I may be referring to England or the United Kingdom</div><div style="text-align: center;">(for England is a country within a country)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Another oddity is<br />there are two governing bodies at work here:<br />the United Kingdom <i>and</i> the European Union<br /><br />Living in a country with a constitutional monarchy has been interesting<br />It actually seems quite efficient to share<br />the dance of international relations between the Queen and Prime Minister<br /><br />The Queen is the face of good public relations for the UK;<br />meanwhile, the Prime Minister tackles the hard political issues at home and abroad<br /><br /><div>I can't avoid mentioning that taxes and the cost of living are very high,</div><div>making it harder to save money here than in the US</div><div><br />With higher taxes comes a larger government presence<br />which provides health care for all and generous welfare for many<br /><br />The government design still feels very foreign to me,<br />and I admit I still find it confusing as to how it works legislatively<br /><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvGDM1d1nLgXZBqlFRdxFXM6fJHDAUe4R3tAsXst1XK4yGhIfwfPzGDFRBOC6V2shn9yJQ112OCC77IfYZdl2zCbbiTxWLLZ5L13NHrTiu1vH3C4L9oThyphenhyphen8-Iw1QfTpIatgz3_4D0Bl3z/s1600/global+tax.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvGDM1d1nLgXZBqlFRdxFXM6fJHDAUe4R3tAsXst1XK4yGhIfwfPzGDFRBOC6V2shn9yJQ112OCC77IfYZdl2zCbbiTxWLLZ5L13NHrTiu1vH3C4L9oThyphenhyphen8-Iw1QfTpIatgz3_4D0Bl3z/s1600/global+tax.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interactive map shows US with 35% marginal tax rate and UK with 50%<br />See more via <a href="https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/General-Tax-Tips/A-Global-Look-at-Personal-Income-Taxes-Interactive-Infographic/INF17032.html">TurboTax</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Of course I knew about England's famous wet weather before we moved here<br />And to be honest, it hasn't been that bad<br />(although this year has been breaking records)<br /><br />There are so many different types of rain to experience<br />that it doesn't get monotonous<br />- fine and misty, scattered showers with 'sunny spells', occasional hard downpour -<br /><br />Thunder and lightening rarely occur<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UCjg3V59UVD_gb8kDO8jIKBWJFfv1MsQL3Z3qUyatD5H8SDuIlZ6_7KrhWQDQN0Kqw6dg7A3KqZk0k64usZYR2fUDjjSw4Oi00cBNWHMseT9ijh9B8j_eehu3nYgthxy7hjNqfY4DwQk/s1600/rainfall+uk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UCjg3V59UVD_gb8kDO8jIKBWJFfv1MsQL3Z3qUyatD5H8SDuIlZ6_7KrhWQDQN0Kqw6dg7A3KqZk0k64usZYR2fUDjjSw4Oi00cBNWHMseT9ijh9B8j_eehu3nYgthxy7hjNqfY4DwQk/s1600/rainfall+uk.JPG" width="513" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">England averages only 33 inches of annual rainfall<br />while Scotland & Wales receive much more (mostly in blue)<br /> via <a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/rain/how-much-does-it-rain-in-the-uk">MetOffice</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The English have an expression<br />'Just get on with it'<br />which goes hand in hand with a rainy life<br /><br />Most events carry on, regardless of rain or shine<br />In fact, you plan <i>for</i> rain<br />with a backup plan if it is sunny and warm<br /><br />But it was the winter darkness I had not prepared for mentally<br />Sharing the same latitude with Kiev (Ukraine) and Krakow (Poland),<br />the sun rises late (8:06 am)<br />and sets so early (3:51 pm) in the winter<br /><br />But the reward is very sweet with<br />LLLOOOONNNGGG days of daylight in the summer<br />(over 16.5 hours)<br /><br />And thanks to the Gulf Stream,<br />England is warmer than other countries sitting on the same latitude<br /><br />With warm-ish summers and mild winters,<br />temperatures do not fluctuate a lot between seasons<br />It is almost always sweater weather<br /><br />The mild wet weather creates the perfect recipe<br />for the most glorious gardens and greenery you'll find anywhere<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhNed7T-bKdwrkuJTmPs3BSvgWCgTmHYCzGSR_C7iCZBAe55G5jtb55T1psgT3CVQp4c6Dc8-92iWzDgUtMTYQbifZJFHhdLG1ifzbO0alovUecxxeaInvYK4r4uzyt1E-JQ9z-WYktfE/s1600/gardens+uk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhNed7T-bKdwrkuJTmPs3BSvgWCgTmHYCzGSR_C7iCZBAe55G5jtb55T1psgT3CVQp4c6Dc8-92iWzDgUtMTYQbifZJFHhdLG1ifzbO0alovUecxxeaInvYK4r4uzyt1E-JQ9z-WYktfE/s1600/gardens+uk.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A map of public gardens approximately 2 hours from London<br />via <a href="http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/map_search.cfm/bfcategory/gardens">Britain's Finest</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />While the trees lose their leaves in wintertime,<br />the grass and hedges stay green all year<br />which brightens up the dreary days<br /><br />The mild winters bring early springtime,<br />and daffodils are starting to bloom now<br /><br />And that feels <i>very happy</i> :)<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

An American Perspective: What It Feels Like To Live In England

If you've been reading my blog for a while,you know I LOVE living in this countryIt is so beautiful and so interesting- filled with history and culture galore -But what does it feel like to live here?via WikipediaIt has taken a while to get a visceral senseof the size and population of EnglandEnglan…

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The Orient Express & Agatha Christie

<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">A murder mystery lunch on the Orient Express train was<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i>the perfect</i>activity to kick-off our book club’s latest choice,<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">‘Murder On The Orient Express’ by Agatha Christie<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyB8YflPfxAI2mAC9aW9Bl74ua8PL4jEiVYLA6-JKestEOf5y-1gHkOREsDCQxiSQxShyphenhyphens-B9W__JUws8RbWop1EeKDhyAyRtLa8ko45zRbgSvQjfApav_qXe4O5lhgr5RtkQY2APG99s/s1600/DSC09162-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyB8YflPfxAI2mAC9aW9Bl74ua8PL4jEiVYLA6-JKestEOf5y-1gHkOREsDCQxiSQxShyphenhyphens-B9W__JUws8RbWop1EeKDhyAyRtLa8ko45zRbgSvQjfApav_qXe4O5lhgr5RtkQY2APG99s/s1600/DSC09162-003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Each train carriage had its own personality and history<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I believe our car was built in 1927<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I imagine the Titanic had a similar air of opulence and elegance</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Spectacular!<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4szr9yhzCSn3pTLUUPDL1I55dvuT-IKJknNHL3LYDnUxci1CNuLRuQoQ8P5gAWGCl1B9GERnB0fEhP2al7gRj0d5-aEcbWy4H4qpjaJQzYpbUTLxvpVg02h3aBYGr1NHz2-kveUsRALDA/s1600/DSC09165-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4szr9yhzCSn3pTLUUPDL1I55dvuT-IKJknNHL3LYDnUxci1CNuLRuQoQ8P5gAWGCl1B9GERnB0fEhP2al7gRj0d5-aEcbWy4H4qpjaJQzYpbUTLxvpVg02h3aBYGr1NHz2-kveUsRALDA/s1600/DSC09165-003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Departing from London Victoria Station</td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The train traveled in a loop for five hours <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">through the Kent countryside and<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">past towns such as Ashford and Whitstable<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The food kept coming with first class attention to service and detail <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYE85uev00jFTmJSSx7w5REY6H056gPmeFQQDNrHXQ5fRrBtD0e0KXjteFwSbq_riYq6h-SCrGCfvfWPlkZt2vL7d6xiI9NpDcMWKTWgf3W3U9RDd7JWiFOdDbztuuT9hSBzY_qCjk2_J/s1600/DSC09178-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYE85uev00jFTmJSSx7w5REY6H056gPmeFQQDNrHXQ5fRrBtD0e0KXjteFwSbq_riYq6h-SCrGCfvfWPlkZt2vL7d6xiI9NpDcMWKTWgf3W3U9RDd7JWiFOdDbztuuT9hSBzY_qCjk2_J/s1600/DSC09178-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whizzing past Kent oast houses</td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Meanwhile, we had a murder mystery to solve<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">They informed us that an English aristocrat had been poisoned during a recent dinner party<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The dinner guests/suspects of the crime walked through the train<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">giving clues about themselves and others<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">We were encouraged to ask questions to help unravel the truth<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75lWduzBxWtGsbsUcAmE3t6lR7zH3CrHwrEfOhSRN6bdCYY28aSYavLym7n-EErIhac9i2L09SZRD13UnWYxHAqcPFjYNivpVYMzCL-sH39PwEqNZEMLLmJvHKAe35xZ5qpL47qJlbepb/s1600/DSC09175-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75lWduzBxWtGsbsUcAmE3t6lR7zH3CrHwrEfOhSRN6bdCYY28aSYavLym7n-EErIhac9i2L09SZRD13UnWYxHAqcPFjYNivpVYMzCL-sH39PwEqNZEMLLmJvHKAe35xZ5qpL47qJlbepb/s1600/DSC09175-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two suspects</td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Our table figured out the who, but not the why<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I was tickled by the unexpected twist of the motive<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The murder mystery lunch uses the same script for three years<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">It just so happened our script was retiring after our trip<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXcIh7grr1QK_3ENlP56N07AtIzlOIJosDtxJrlL7rLsA0J8cwzzvqsP1Fea3ASRbCMA-e0BsExAz8khdRHxBFq_P_b9jFy3VyDvuX63uKtJ3kp-MbmAHAUWWO-8ZzWg4Sgoe5QDrkNMX/s1600/DSC09180-004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXcIh7grr1QK_3ENlP56N07AtIzlOIJosDtxJrlL7rLsA0J8cwzzvqsP1Fea3ASRbCMA-e0BsExAz8khdRHxBFq_P_b9jFy3VyDvuX63uKtJ3kp-MbmAHAUWWO-8ZzWg4Sgoe5QDrkNMX/s1600/DSC09180-004.JPG" width="514" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I was surprised to learn Agatha Christie is<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">the third most widely published author of all time in any language<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare,<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">the Queen of Crime has sold over a billion copies of books in English<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">and another billion in 100 foreign languages<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Celebrating its 60^thanniversary in London’s West End this year, <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Agatha Christie’s ‘Mousetrap’ is the longest running play in history<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uHJKREPGvZPX2r3pbGO4VvmWFDkwAps_RKf1G9afUMplFV2Th-byTfqoJFBesOwIts7eNijpkg9IhPAbyxs9pn5YmdgkXkoQWloLi6s8WrqOaKV7GwCDHzFbWNnjL6UU5e7ioYfBUSLh/s1600/Agatha_Christie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uHJKREPGvZPX2r3pbGO4VvmWFDkwAps_RKf1G9afUMplFV2Th-byTfqoJFBesOwIts7eNijpkg9IhPAbyxs9pn5YmdgkXkoQWloLi6s8WrqOaKV7GwCDHzFbWNnjL6UU5e7ioYfBUSLh/s1600/Agatha_Christie.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agatha Christie<br />via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie#Books">wikipedia</a></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Born in 1890, <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Agatha had a ‘happy childhood’ in Torquay, Devon <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">with her American father, English mother, and siblings<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Coming from an upper middle class family, <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">she was well-traveled <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">On a trip to South Africa,<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Agatha became the first British woman to surf standing up<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">During World War I, the author and playwright served locally<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">in the Voluntary Aid Detachments<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"> where she learned a lot about pharmaceuticals (and poisons) <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">while caring for the wounded</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">By 1916, she started writing mysteries partly due to a bet with her sister Madge<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">She attributed her inspiration to Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIQSAhNLOLywxObD0TxsJvUezxZwmTaWm8VfpkBj5_dvFsFQcPxTcfGbvQvAGqQBrsbssNdQuv4vRovYIJ16ol2ovFh4nhQGqsRHPZH6ke92ttljZ1mr0M60qvy_O5H1fSfMZY8kKfehe/s1600/P_Investigates_BJ_HB_UK.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIQSAhNLOLywxObD0TxsJvUezxZwmTaWm8VfpkBj5_dvFsFQcPxTcfGbvQvAGqQBrsbssNdQuv4vRovYIJ16ol2ovFh4nhQGqsRHPZH6ke92ttljZ1mr0M60qvy_O5H1fSfMZY8kKfehe/s1600/P_Investigates_BJ_HB_UK.JPG" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />via Agatha Christie <a href="http://www.agathachristie.com/about-christie/christies-life/poirot-is-born/">website</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The numerous Belgian refugees present in the English countryside during WWI </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">led to the creation of Christie’s famous Belgian detective character, Hercule Poirot</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">On August 6, 1975, Poirot became the only fictional character to have an obituary <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">in <i>The New York Times</i> due to the character’s death in ‘Curtain: Poirot's Last Case’</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The book actually was written in the 1940s but locked away by the author until 1974</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRw0SuNdeYF4JAj2t5_vr24708J4k8g084e7u6jqEk9dmpCB-9pscrb6rCfjzfncDZ6d8Jpib9F1SiKKIBn0gOeUUbSdpE3aGgUxSD5bszeu93Bpmzr8DvBby7TAYB47JtvRjwrMTwNVK/s1600/photo+1+%25287%2529-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRw0SuNdeYF4JAj2t5_vr24708J4k8g084e7u6jqEk9dmpCB-9pscrb6rCfjzfncDZ6d8Jpib9F1SiKKIBn0gOeUUbSdpE3aGgUxSD5bszeu93Bpmzr8DvBby7TAYB47JtvRjwrMTwNVK/s1600/photo+1+%25287%2529-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newlands Corner</td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">It is worth mentioning that in 1926, <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Agatha Christie became a bit of a mystery herself <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">when she disappeared after ditching her car at nature reserve, Newlands Corner in Surrey<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">After a nationwide manhunt, <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">she was found 10 days later in Harrogate, Yorkshire without an explanation</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Then in 1928, Agatha fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams of traveling on the Orient Express<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">She traveled to Baghdad to an archaeological site at Ur<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">where she met her second husband on a subsequent visit<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXar26HjZ8q8W-n3NZTrKPe8zW0HfhWmXGYRV22CEDbYYRb-mFxlDOHWS-qpmBfgvroXnl6PYAXeoiejzaOg4kuP4bGq3KpNMTrk80Re8EvhTxwsAMiSQnl-lRXEPiqQyEa8garzQ6hjD7/s1600/Agatha_at_Petra___500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXar26HjZ8q8W-n3NZTrKPe8zW0HfhWmXGYRV22CEDbYYRb-mFxlDOHWS-qpmBfgvroXnl6PYAXeoiejzaOg4kuP4bGq3KpNMTrk80Re8EvhTxwsAMiSQnl-lRXEPiqQyEa8garzQ6hjD7/s1600/Agatha_at_Petra___500.jpg" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawn to archaeology, Agatha visited Petra<br />via Agatha Christie <a href="http://www.agathachristie.com/about-christie/christies-life/a-new-start/">website</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">‘Murder on the Orient Express’ was written<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">in the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey in 1934<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The ornate hotel was built to host Orient Express passengers<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The last public appearance for Agatha Christie was <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">opening night of the film ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ in 1974<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">She said it was ‘a good adaptation’ but ‘Poirot’s moustaches weren't luxurious enough’<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The film was nominated for six Academy Awards with</div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Ingrid Bergman winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Agatha Christie peacefully passed away in her Oxfordshire home in 1976</div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- all photos my own unless otherwise noted -</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Related posts: <a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/sherlock-holmes-in-london.html">Sherlock Holmes In London</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Murder Mystery Lunch: <a href="https://www.orient-express.com/web/uktr/journeys/4_186336.jsp?ic=oe&ip=collection&icr=bp_murdermystery">Orient Express</a> (if have a group, ask for discounted rate)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Sources: Official Agatha Christie <a href="http://www.agathachristie.com/">website</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie">Wikipedia</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

The Orient Express & Agatha Christie

A murder mystery lunch on the Orient Express train wasthe perfectactivity to kick-off our book club’s latest choice,‘Murder On The Orient Express’ by Agatha ChristieEach train carriage had its own personality and historyI believe our car was built in 1927I imagine the Titanic had a similar air of op…

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