Buy Polish Sweets from Wedel, White Marshmallow Covered in Caramel and Many More flavours

 If you visit Poland or anybody from Poland is visiting your country for a holiday or exhibiting at an exhibition, ask if you can try, or if they can buy you some Polish sweets. They are unlike anything you have had before. 

My Polish friends from the jewellery show in Singapore kindly gave me a box of Wedel 'chocolates'.  You might call them sweets, although several varieties are chocolate covered. 

They come in double layer boxes of small cylinders.  Three strips of six, 18 per layer, 36 to a box. That is one a day for a month, if you are living alone, or your partner does not eat them. Or one each for two of you after dinner every evening for two and a half weeks. 

They are very more-ish. As with chocolates, you need to limit yourself to none if you are trying to lose weight, one if you wish to stay the same weight, and two at a weekend or if you are happy to put on more weight or start dieting on Monday.

The Story Behind The Sweets

The Greeks started it, with their myths about bird milk. 

Shops

You can buy them in London, England, which has a large Polish community. Look for Polish shops and delis.  The supermarkets stock them too.

Online

Online I found them at assorted prices. But the cheapest ones were the same price if you had to pay high postage. So if you can get them with free postage that brings the price including postage down from a whopping 20 to a reasonable 5 (pounds or various dollars, American, Singapore, Australian).

If you look at all the varieties online, if you visit Poland, you can take your picture to compare, in supermarkets, in the duty free shops on the way out with your last cash. 

If you are not travelling but being visited by travellers, or meeting them, or are expecting to see a visitor or seller from Poland, ask them to bring you back either any variety or the one you find hardest to get or most expensive, including postage, online.

What travellers can see:

First look for the Wedel logo. An elaborate E, two letters e in the name, and a diagonal Italic f shape curve underneath.

The firm is big, huge. This is their fine factory building. The polish word for factory is similar to the English word fabric, fabryka.

However, holidaymakers are more likely to want to visit the original Wedel shop and tea place. 

Or a shop such as this one in the Intercontinental hotel in Warsaw, Poland's capital.

In the Poish language cz is pronounced like ch. The c becomes a K. The t becomes a d. Czekolada - chocolate. (Pronounced check - oh-larder.) You can translate using translate Google, and click on the symbol under the word to hear the pronunciation. 

b

Back in 2017 you could see the Wedel sweetmeats symbol on the Polish airliner or the airline LOT

Description	LOT (Ptasie Mleczko Livery), SP-LDF, Embraer ERJ-170STD
Date	29 January 2017, 09:37
Source	LOT (Ptasie Mleczko Livery), SP-LDF, Embraer ERJ-170STD
Author	Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia

Look at the picture closely and you will see the chocolates and a bird shape.

If you are ever in Russia you might see the Russian equivalents of the Polish sweets. there is also a white cake which looks a bit like cheesecake.

Useful Websites

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ptasie-Mleczko

A useful summary of different types of Polish chocolates, their colours, ingredients and names.

https://www.polonist.com/polish-candy-sweets/

How to make a travel scrapbook or photobook

Captain Cook kept a log book. 

Marco Polo's travel records, with coloured pictures and text, coloured contrasting fonts, and a fancy border. 

Christopher Columbus wrote records. 

The Titanic has records. 

Your baby photos and baby travels will be interesting in years to come. I was recently asked by my grand-daughter's other grandparents, 'Do you have any photos of your son, so we can see if she looks like her father at that age?'

I hunted all over the internet. Nothing from forty years ago.

I looked in a couple of boxes of old photos. I found one of him in the USA aged about seven. 

Then I searched framed pictures on the walls. I found two school group pictures. But no baby pictures.

Finally, looking for a family tree book, I found a baby album! I had started compiling when I bought it from the hospital trolley when he was born. Baby's first year. Four more good photos. One shows him trying to eat sand at a Lido (Ruislip in London) and grimacing. 

The in-laws were impressed and delighted. They said, 'He looks just like her. She looks just like him!' 

I bought a baby book second hand from the second hand charity shop in London. I prefer to keep books and photo in London. If you carry them around, they can get bent or lost. In the tropics, the heat makes the paper go brown and develop brown spots, or go mouldy - or get insects. Books 

The simplest book has a cover picture of a country or the traveler. Use a map or signpost or picture of yourself or your family at the location. (If you want to take a local photo, think of the classic, some say cliche, a picture of a tourist with their right arm outstretched, apparently holding up the Leaning tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower or any local skyscraper.) 

Cover the book with wrapping paper, such as birthday paper, anniversary, Xmas. Make a mosaic from the photos inside. Photos can be horizontal, vertical, or turned at an angle.

Out of focus pictures or faded pictures can be a backdrop to text.

Make A Book

The Pages

To make a book from scratch, you can fold A4 paper or card in half. Take half a dozen pieces. Stitch them together with one to three stitches along the seam, securely knotted on the outside. 

Put together two to six sections like this. 

The Spine

Cut a piece of fabric larger than the spine and glue the paper folds to the fabric. 

Outside hard Cover Base

Then add card for the hard-backed cover. You could use thin card from a new shirt. Two of these stuck together. 

Alternatively, thicker card from a cereal packet. Or corrugated paper from packaging. 

Cover with wrapping paper - cut larger that the cover to fold over. Cut two slits to go inside the spine. 

Use plain coloured paper for the inside cover. Cut this slightly smaller than the book pages, big enough to stick over the outside cover. 

I would stick on a printed photo on ordinary paper. If possible, print with a frame printed around it. 

You could create a window. Or use the window for framing photos from a craft shop, or download an oval or rectangular frame pattern and cut it out.

You can also buy book protectors in transparent plastic, cheaper if you buy half a dozen rather than just one. If you can't find the right size, instead cut the card cover to fit the plastic over-cover.  

Windows

You can create windows from window envelopes.

Your Travel Record Book Titles

Think of an alliterative title. For example: 

A-D titles

Angela's Adventures. Ava's adventures.  Air travel and Anna. Amy in Asia. Astrid's travel around America.

Baby's First year travels.  Baby's First Year in England. Bob's Biking Tours,

Carole's car journeys. Clare's Climbing Holidays. Clara in Canada. Claud's Cruises. Charlie and churches. Carrie at College. Caroline's Coach tour(s). Camping with Corinne.

Dining out and in with David.

E-K titles

Emily Emigrates. Exploring with Emily.

Frankie and Family holidays, Frances flies around the world. Fun times with Florence. Florence in Florence. Fanny in the Fall. Fun with a foodie family. Flora's first year. Fiona's first five years. Fanny's/Philip's photos.

Great times with Greta. Global traveller Gwen. George and the Great outdoors. Greg's Guided Tours.

Harry's Hiking. Happy days with Hilary. Holidays in Hungary. Our history of Hatch End. Home and Away with Harriet. Harry's Holidays.

I Ingrid in Italy and other countries. Imogen In and Out.

Jerome's Journeys.

King of the Road, Karl.

L-R titles

Lovely views of life in London.

Mark in the Middle East. Maureen at Music Festivals. Mike's meals out. Me and my take out (UK take away) food.

New things seen by Nora and Nigel

Old and new New York. Old and New Newcastle. Olive in the Outback. On the road with Olga.

Peter in picturesque places. Pictures of Pinner. Penny the passenger. Philip at Public school. Pamela's parties. Pammy's paintings. 

Quiet times with Queenie. Queenie and her Quests.

R to V titles

Raymond's Road trips with Louise.

Sailing with Simon and Suzie. All Seasons with Sarah and Steven. Solomon's Synagogue visits. Susan at School. Sonya's sketchbook.

Travel with Tony,Tony's Travels. Tessa's Travelogue. Tim's Travel Journal. Terence Tours Temples. Touring with Tom.

Umbrellas and Sunshine Days with Urs with Willisula. Ulysses at Uni.

Victor and volcanoes, Vera in Venezuela. Virginia's voyages. Veronica's Vacations. Valerie's voyages. Valerie's visits.

World traveller Winnie. Wanda waking, walking and sleeping. Wild times with William in the Wild. Warren in the Wilderness.

Xanthe in Xanadu - and other places. Xanthe's excellent trips. Xanthe and her ex travelling.

Young Yvonne in Yellowstone

Z Zoos and Places seen by Zoe

We have a well travelled grand-daughter. She has been to the UK, France, Andorra, Spain, Israel.

I looked for a baby album or baby's first five years. I found one with acid free paper. 

Stock Image

Personalized Baby Photo Album with Babys Handprint (Holds 200 photos-4x6- acid free)

Place For Baby Handprint; Place For Baby Handprint

Published by havoc, 2005

ISBN 10: 0741684438ISBN 13: 9780741684431

Seller: Ebooksweb, Bensalem, PA, U.S.A.
Contact seller

Seller Rating: 

Book

Used - Hardcover
Condition: Acceptable

US$ 32.64

Convert currency

Free shipping

Within U.S.A.

Many book sellers offer free postage within the USA or the second book delivered at no extra cost. 

I found that 26 US dollars (the combination of a book price and postage to Singapore) is equivalent to about 22 British pounds sterling.

For the UK, you can find books occasionally in Charity shops, as well as on Amazon.co.uk

Useful Websites

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

Abe books (for second hand books with reasonable postage costs)

The history of travel writing and notable books, blogs and awards:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_literature#Travel_journals

For the cover

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Book

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Travel_writing#Q1072723

https://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Travel-Journal-Leather-Notebook

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New Wallpaper?: Start Again or Paper Over The Cracks and Preserve History?

In my previous post I talked about laying a driveway and laying a carpet. Now I shall discuss wallpaper and lino for bathrooms and kitchens.

Wallpaper
I had a quotation for putting up wallpaper. After starting, the workers decided they had to strip off the underlying wallpaper, and the underlayer, and re-lay lining paper. More time and expense.

They claimed that if they put the new wallpaper on top, the old wallpaper would come away from the wall. They showed me the seams.

I said: "I don't have the time nor money for a longer job. Stick down any loose corners with wall paper glue."

Since the worker was expected at another job shortly, he agreed. It worked out just fine.

History of Wallpaper
At the same time I read a newspaper account of an old home where the owners discovered as many as seventeen layers of wallpaper from different eras. They were able to restore a home to the Victorian era, using the old wall paper or by copying the design.

Preserving Walls
Another building, a church or chapel, was renovated. Under the later wallpaper and cladding, they were able to reveal a priceless medieval painting.

To my mind, a building has its history, which it is important to preserve.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please save links to your favourite posts.

Teaching English and maths

I teach English. As a home tutor I was also asked to help pupils complete their French, Maths and history projects. 

I remember a Korean boy asked me for help with the maths.

 I said, "I can't teach maths. I teach English." 

The pupil said, "I need you to translate the English instructions. What are subtract and multiply?" 

"Okay," I demonstrated. 

His workbook had the answers at the back. 

What had he done wrong? I could see in one answer he had added instead of subtracted. 

Then he asked, "What's the difference between division and long division?" 

I gradually got drawn into it until I was teaching maths.

 I will teach anything if I am paid.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Memories Of Old Huntingdon, Ivy-Covered Old Bridge Hotel, Walls, and Three Bridges

The river Ouse with traffic hurtling across the new bridge past the peaceful swans below.

The Old Bridge Hotel.

The Old Bridge Hotel Wine Shop.

The pedestrian only bridge.

The swan swims towards us.

The swan passes under the arch of the old bridge.

The River Ouse risen in the rain under the old bridge's arches in April 2018. We drove to see the flooding and found the roads closed.

The sign telling you that the A1 takes you to Huntingdon, which also has a mainline station, and that the Huntingdon area was chartered way back in the thirteenth century.

Useful Websites
To visit the Old Bridge Hotel wine shop and restaurant and hotel:
http://www.huntsbridge.com
To buy their wine online:
http://www.oldbridgewine.co.uk
http://visitbritain.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, Travel writer and phtographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite blogs.

What Impressed Me at a Singapore School?

Problem
We have a meeting at a school. I imagine it will be run down and depressing. Hard to find and reach?

Answer
Not at all. A bus stops outside. We are out in the rain between the gatweay and the front entrance. However, the covered path from the front entrance to the school building at the back has open sides but a roof as protection against sun and rain. Along the side of the open-sided corridor created, is a wavy line with historic photos and cpations explaining the history of Singapore and the school and all the inspiring pioneers and people and pupils.

Upstairs in the corridor is a panel of grammatical tips for good English, tongue twisters, common errors by Singaporeans, sentence structure.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

In the audiotrium, the seats have swivelling trays so you can rest your notepad and pencil. The stage, of course, has a screen for audio-visuals. Up the side aisles, on the walls, are posters with inpsiring messages and sayings, quotations, from famous people.

Outside, turning in the opposite direction another wall has the history of common objects.

The school was in the East of Singapore near Bedok MRT (railway station).

What an inspiration. Not just artwork, but fascinating facts.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Starbucks in the station at Baker Street; for quick coffee and souvenirs

Returning from an event at London Business school,after drinks at the crowded The Windsor Castle pub, we were looking for a coffee bar. We ran through the pouring rain and puddles. I wished that London had the covered ways which Raffles built in Singapore.

Dreaming of Covered Ways
Raffles organised the famous (famous in Singapore) five foot ways. I can't remember whether their main purpose was shelter from the sun or rain, probably more from the sun, as in many hot countries, but equally effective in rain.

Dreaming of Colonnades
London is such a rainy city. We should be building colonnades and soft, rubbery or bouncy awnings which could double as safety nets. These barriers protect those underneath from items dropped out of windows. Awnings could help protect flat dwellers and window cleaners or other outside workers from impact falling accidentally, or to escape fire, all the way to the ground or landing on concrete.

Starbucks
(Safety announcement over, let me return to the subject of coffee at the station.) Our last chance for coffee before boarding the train was at the Starbucks inside the station. My first impression was lukewarm, but I gradually warmed to the location.

Seating
My first thought was, no proper tables and seats, no toilets. The latter problem was soon solved. Ladies toilet nearby. Lots of cubicles.

I return. Back to Starbucks. Seating? No comfy sofas. Not the usual creature comforts. Stools at a central island. I have no choice. My two friends are already seated.

My friends are drinking their coffee. Now, what about the coffee?

What kind of coffee? A poster on the wall tells you about the coffees and the history of the company.

Now that my eyes have raised to the story of Starbucks, I look along the wall at the shelves of souvenirs above. I could buy a Starbucks theme mug, or a souvenir of London mug, large or small.

I must have passed through Baker Street station hundreds of times. I know London Transport's Lost and Found up on Baker street, the Sherlock Holmes museum opposite the Lost and Found. The museum has a shop with souvenirs of Sherlock and London. I know the statue of Sherlock Holmes outside the other station entrance, and Madame Tussauds and The Planetarium. I have passed the souvenir shop upstairs near the Sherlock Holmes statue. I didn't know the station, toilets, the Starbucks coffee shop or the Starbucks souvenirs.

If you are passing through London, and don't want to spend time, because you are catching the train on to home or Heathrow, a handy stop.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, English tutor and speaker.

Goodwill and Gifts for travellers

I clicked on a BBC analysis of when Jesus was born. I was very impressed by the way the animation presented the 'facts'. They had 'theory one' and 'theory two'. In the past I have often read of different or conflicting theories. This gives the readers a confusing choice. Worse still, the prospers of these theories often attack each other. History or any kind of enquiry takes you into a battlefield. How much better to present it as a choice. If you don't like one theory, and remain unconvinced, don't worry, here's another possibility.

Similarly, academic papers are often submitted in a style attacking other authors and get rejected. Reviewer Trevor Sharot writes advice on how the writer could re-submit a paper to make it more acceptable. 'How to ender yourself to your readers. Some of whom could have written the papers which you are attacking.'  The rule is simple. Speak well of all.

The same applies to travelling. You can start with a compliment or thanks to the taxi driver. 'What a lovely clean car you have.' 'I'm so glad you saw me.' 'What a lovely sunny day.' 'I expect the rain brings you more customers.'

The greatest gift is goodwill.
Merry Christmas. Season's Greetings.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Do you trust reviews?

I often go to TripAdvisor because it offers a range of comments. Also you can find information in one column which is scattered over numerous pages on the company's own website.
 Great to have a forum on the Daily Mail allowing for lots of comments on parking charges. Yes, I do think parking charges are highly relevant to what you remember about an attraction.
  That's what I look for, on any site, comments on charges, service and the basics of what you actually see. So many websites say merely, a huge variety of historical items. That's why my reviews tend to focus one one or two items you can actually see.
 On TripAdvisor I read a section of views, the five star and one star. Often I visit a restaurant regardless. And yes, I would like to know about how the place was under previous ownership. It might be opened up by the brother of the previous owner, or the manager who has bought the place from the retiring owner. I want to know whether it is just as good as last time I went when it was under the old owners. I want to know whether the new owners have improved a place my family refuse to visit because they did not enjoy it under the old owners. If the place has stayed the same, I want to see my last review, so I can recall that parking is difficult, or you need a token for parking, and the recent reviews may not yet have commented.
   As a regular reviewer I also use websites as a way of recording my life history. If I want to remember the name of the coffee bar we went to this time last year when we visited the Edinburgh festival, I can find it in my history. If the old reviews are removed, my own reviews and family photos of our birthday party are gone forever. I would be better off recording my views on a blog. Or printing a book of my blog for my own records.
   If somebody moans about the long wait at a venue that may be true and relevant to those in a hurry. But if I want to spend all evening at a stately home restaurant on my birthday then I can judge whether the long wait was important.
   If somebody complains about the price, but your boss is paying, then you need not worry about the price. If the review is out of date, but the broken item was broken two years ago and is still not repaired, you know the place is not well maintained.

For more on the debate:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3132937/TripAdvisor-forced-apologise-deleting-negative-reviews-country-house-estate-employees-asked-to.html#comments 

Angela Lansbury B A Hons, author, travel writer, photographer, speaker.

Happiness is Lunch in Hawtrey's Restaurant at the Barn Hotel, Ruislip

Look for the history of the hotel in the restaurant menu and wine list.

The hotel has a fire in the old hearth in the old part of the original building. It leans as much as 16 degrees! (Now shored up, apparently.)

If you have lunch in Hawtrey's Restaurant, you'll appreciate the hot bread. See my review on Tripadvisor.

The menu changes weekly.

The hotel has a car park.

If you are coming by train, the hotel is next to Ruislip station if you are coming here from central London, or meeting a friend, family, or colleagues who are coming from central London.

Ruislip station is not to be confused with the other Ruislip stations. Check the website.

Planning a walk around the city or walking to a station?

Use Google maps to plan your entire walk and check local landmarks.

Google Maps
On business? In a hurry? Save time and anxiety if you are in a hurry to get to an association lunch or timed tour.
When you get a new phone, you can install a Google Maps ap on your phone.

Google Street View
Recognize landmarks so you know you are on the right route. Even if you don't speak the local language.

If you are meeting visitors, sound really knowledgeable about the local area.Take time to check the history of statue. Ancient buildings. And modern buildings.

In London, which bridge are you crossing? When was the Gherkin built and by whom and is it all offices or are there shops? Best place to take a photo? From inside or outside, underneath or across the river?

Is anything worth stopping to see and admire and take a photo for the folks back home? Note a selfie spot for your overseas or out of town visitors.

Are there major roads to delay you? Can you walk a more interested route by the river? Avoid alleyways at night? Check where the children are walking and what tie they should arrive.

Check a cafe where you can all meet if its raining and one of you is delayed in a traffic jam or railway  go-slow. Is there a free toilet nearby?

Does the pub or station have a place to park? What's the cost? A place to pick up visitors at the station without incurring a parking fine?

Can you walk home instead of taking a taxi, and burn off the calories consumed during lunch? Is the uphill walk too long for granny or the teenagers in high heels? Is there a great view from the hilltop on a fine day?

When walking from the station, what is the name of the road you must take or ask for? If you take the earlier or later turning? How do you get back on your route? Are there any long cul-de-sacs you should avoid? Is it quicker to go back retracing your steps, or can you simply continue on the new alternative route?

Printed Map from Google Maps
It may be easier to print off a map, rather than rely on satnav having a good internet connection on your hand held phone at the destination. If your phone dies you will be glad to have the map. Why should your phone die? It might if you are in an underground railway giving advice to a friend who is lost and phoned. Your phone could die if you are between high buildings and lose connection. Or if its late in the day and you've taken lots of photos and videos.

Take a phone charger and cables. You can buy a stored battery type device to carry with you, about the size of your phone, a lighter smaller one for short trips, a bigger, heavier one for longer trips. Remember to take it with you.

You can give it to anybody who goes back to the station to meet somebody who is late whilst the rest of you wait in a cafe.