Lambananas

Yes, Lambananas.  Half lamb, half banana, 100% fun.

While Jessica and I were in Liverpool we found these adorable creatures.  Apparently they were part of an event in 1998, the largest (or Superlambanana... totally a thing... click here) is 17 feet tall and bright yellow.  It is something to see for sure.  There were about 125 made all together (much smaller than the Superlambanana) and some are still around the city while others have been bought and are now in private collector's homes.  Or wherever rich people put their fancy art.

I just loved taking photos when we found them, even if it annoyed Jessica to have to stop a lot for me to get a shot. :-)  She was a good sport for the most part and even pointed a couple of them out when I didn't seem them.

So, for your enjoyment... my collection of lambanana photos.

A Sgt. Peppery Yellow Submarine Lambanana

Restaurant lambanana

Not sure what this design was... a mixture of many different thoughts

And the reverse

Southwestern lambanana 

Other side of the Southwestern lambanana

Pop faces lambanana side 1

Pop faces lambanana side 2

Flower lambanana

Under the water lambanana

Lambanana covered in lambananas

Row of lambananas with a creepy clown in the front

Jessica

After three weeks I said good bye to my little sister as she went on her way to a music festival and I came back up to Scotland.  I had such an amazing time with her, it was the first time we were able to spend that much time together, just the two of us, and it was really great.  We spent time doing nothing, we traveled the U.K top to bottom, and we still really like each other.

I love how different all of us siblings are, and yet we have some very similar traits that remind us we are family.  Jessica is incredible and while I know she is still figuring out who she wants to grow into, I have no doubt when she gets there she will be great at it.

I don't even like diet coke, but I would share one with this kid

Yeah, this happened.... a lot on our train rides

Good thing she isn't a ham :)

Pretty much perfectly describes this one

We were trying out ideas for her next haircut

A mini Stonehenge in Cardiff

She has the weight of the world on her shoulders

There, there cute little rocks... do you need a pat on the back?

Kicking rocks and taking names

I want to rock... ROCK

Whole love this kid

She might be the smallest, but she is way fierce

Half sisters full of whole love

Salisbury

The last stop on our tour of the U.K was Salisbury.  We arrived Tuesday afternoon, found the house we were staying at, unloaded and went to dinner.  The room we rented was with a fantastic family in a great location; we could easily walk to the city centre, train station, and there was a little garden out the front door.

Wednesday we got up and headed out to Stonehenge.  While we had great weather, a fun time, and enjoyed ourselves, I don't know if it was everything it was cracked up to be.  The new visitors center is very large with a lot of history about the stones and their potential meaning, but the audio guides don't work for English, and it is kind of loud and therefore difficult to hear what is being said (which is a disappointment).  The location is set back far enough from the visitor center that a bus or tram is needed, or a nice 40+ min walk will get you there.  Overall, we had a good time, but I don't know if this is on the list of things we have to do again.

After Stonehenge we took the bus back to town and walked over to the cathedral hoping to get in to see the Magna Carta.  Unfortunately it was a little out of our price range to get in, and pictures are not allowed, so we skipped going all the way in and walked around taking in other sites along the way.  It was a nice way to end our tour of the U.K and our time together.

Gate entrance to the cathedral

Salisbury cathedral

One of the many canals in Salisbury

I mean it could be a post card

Yup, I am punny

Sometimes you just need to go kick rocks

Oh, we own our geekiness better than any others

Cardiff.... Who

After Liverpool, Jessica and I took the train down to Cardiff arriving late Sunday afternoon.  We found a great little hostel right on the river that was very close to both the train station, the castle, and the city centre.  We spent some time walking around, enjoying the park area outside the castle, and wandering around the shops in the city centre.

While in Cardiff, my sister Jessica was a good sport.  She let me drag her around the Doctor Who Experience for a couple hours... and didn't object too much to my total geek-out during the whole thing.  She had not even heard of the show until about a week before we got there, but went with me and laughed at me acting like a little kid as I roamed around and took about 150+ photos.  It was a blast and I will happily go back with any family/friends that want to come over and check it out. :-)

This park was next to the river and outside the castle walls and was just lovely

Cardiff Castle

View of the Castle from the park

Cardiff Bay

How we began the Experience

Don't blink... whatever you do, just don't blink

The Silence

So many TARDIS' in one location

Wall Art

David Tennant will always be my Doctor

How we felt at the end :-)

Liverpool

Saturday and Sunday, 7 - 8 June, Jessica and I took the train down to Liverpool and went out exploring.  Saturday was a Beatles day; we went to the Beatles Story museum and the Cavern Club that night.  I love the Beatles and we had a good time walking around, listening to their music, and then listening to new talent coming out of Liverpool in the Cavern Club (where the Beatles played well over 200 times and first became popular).  One thing I loved about the Cavern Club was the diversity of people in there, new and old mixed together and everyone was super friendly and just there for the music.  It was a fun night out in the city.  There are actually three different Cavern options - Pub, Club, and Lounge.  We only had time for the Club, but I will definitely be coming back to Liverpool in the future and will make it to all three (along with a football match :-) ).

Sunday we took one of the Sandman New Europe walking tours.  These are the best tours, if they offer them where you are traveling.  The tours are free, the guides are local, and you get a lot of history and culture in the 2+ hours you walk around with them.  I have done a few of these tours now and I have enjoyed every one.  We were told about the beginnings of the city, how it rose to be a super player in the world economy, how it was destroyed in WWII, and how it came back with the music it was producing.  Fascinating.

A good trip through the life and times of The Beatles

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes

We all live in a yellow submarine....

yellow submarine... yellow submarine

Basically one of the best quotes ever

Yes, there is a real yellow submarine ship you can take a tour on

Ah, look at all the lonely people

The largest Chinese gate outside of China... a gift for the town with the first Chinatown outside the mainland

If you remove the cars you will have the street where Sherlock Holmes (with Robert Downey Jr. was filmed)

This building is sad and has so much potential...

My friend John and I outside the Caverns

The Verdict... such a good band... check them out

Where it all began

WWII Monument

Outside City Hall

The birds at the top represent Liverpool.... one looking out to sea and the other keeping watch on the town

Liverpool... we had a blast... see you soon

As we left Liverpool and headed down to Cardiff, we had some really stunning views of the English countryside.

No photoshop, just a true view out the train window