By: Mercedes Hoyos

MY DREAM HOUSE WOULD BE.....

Everyone has a different idea of their ideal house. Most people would like to have a

house near the beach or an appartament near the town centre, close to the shops.

My dream house will be situated in the countryside, so it would be a state house. It will

have a giant swimming-pool in the back yard connected to an inner swimming pool for

the cold weather. The outside of the house will be very simple with no much decoration,

but with lots of windows on every wall.

On the first floor will be an enormuos living-room

and a kitchen, all in the same room. On the second floor, there will be the games room

and the bedrooms. The games room will be a room full of my favourite videogames, a

TV ocupying an entire wall with a comfortable sofa to sit and watch the movies that you

want, arcade machines and a stereo to listen to music while playing. My bedroom will

be blue, everything blue, with a kingsize bed, a carpet on the whole room and my own

bathroom with a jacuzzi. Then, on the thirs floor there will be my personal library (just

for me) with books from my favourite authors and a chimney to read near the fire in

winter.

 That would be my perfect house, I would love to live there someday, but I'll have to

work really hard to make my dream come true.

BY: ANDREA

My ideal home

Before you choose your home, you have to think about what it’s the best kind, because it’s the place where you are going to stay most of the time. The majority of people choose his or her home when they’re too young. What do you think about it?

My favourite kind of house maybe it’s a little one that it’s not far from the city centre. Then you can go everywhere walking or by car, I wish I could live in England and I would like to have a tiny pool in the garden and an orchard, too. But maybe in England the majority of the days are very cold so that is not a good idea.

Inside I don’t want anything different from the rest: a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom. However I want a big bathtub or maybe a jacutzzi to relax after work.

In my opinion it’s not very important to have a dream house but maybe for many people it’s important because they spend their day there but I prefer to be out with my friends or doing activities but sometimes I want to be relaxed at home.   

BY: MAITE AND PAULA GARCÍA

THE PERFECT HOUSE

My perfect house would be a detached house.

It would be huge, with just one floor but too large, and a garden with a swimming-pool.

In addition, it would have four bedrooms, a colourful living room and dining room, three bathrooms and a modern kitchen with black or white walls.

According to the bedrooms, these would be white or beige; with a double bed, a big dresser, a small table and a mirror.

In one of the bedrooms there would be a spacious and tidied desk. Apart from this, the living room would have a long sofa and in the middle a little table.

Although the kitchen could be connected to the living room, the style would be functional.

BY: INÉS

SWEET HOME!

People consider that the place where you spend the most of the time of the day is your home. I would like to have a house in the countryside, next to a small city, because I want to have a garden and nature all around me.

I will have a very big kitchen, because I love cooking. There will be a big island in the center of the kitche. In addition, I will have a big living room, but conected to the kitchen. I will have an open space. I will have a nice dinning room, to make great parties. I will invite all my friends and my family.

Upstairs, I will have four bedrooms, with big  windows and a lot of spaces. Also I will have a bathroom with a massage bath and a dressing room. I will have a ig balcony too.

I will have a big garden, because I like plants. I will do some BBQ parties. I will have a swimming pool too, for summer days.

What I noticed (England and Spain)

- Weather:

The weather in Spain depends on the season. Now, in summer, it's very hot.
But the weather in England is very changeable because one day it's raining and the next day it's sunny.

- Park:

In England there are a lot of green spaces but in Ceuta we have one and it is usually dirty.

- House:

The houses in England are better because the neighbours don't make so much noise. Also they have a garden.

- Meals time:

In Spain people usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner later than in England.

-Good Maners
I think that English people are more polite than in Spain they always say "please", "excuse me", "thank you" and "sorry".

- Summer holidays at school:

In Spain, children start their summer holidays in June and here the children start it at the end of July. In England they have 12 weeks whereas in Spain they have 15 weeks.

- Cars:

In England people drive on the left and in Spain they drive on the right.

-The coin:

English people use the pound meanwhile in Spain we use the Euros. I think it's a problem when you are going to travel because normally the exchange rate is high so it's expensive to go to England.

SIghts in London

St. James Park

St. James Park is a huge park in the centre of London. It is the oldest one in the capital. The park has a small lake with two islands: West Island and Duck Island.

 When the King James I came to the throne (17th century) he ordered that the park to have different type of exotic animals. The nobles would go for rides through the park.

Nowadays the park has a resident colony of pelicans which you can feed at 2pm.

The Mall

The Mall is  road in London, running from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square along side St. James Park. This road is closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays and on ceremonial ocassions.

 The Queen uses this road as a grand processional route. She rides in her golden carriage waving to the passing crowds.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is in the West End a district in London. It was once a former fruit and vegetables market.

 Nowadays there is entertainment and shopping where you can buy unusual craft work. It has 13 theatres and over 60 pubs and bars around the main shopping area of the old market. People love to wander around looking at the "buskers" street performers.  

Big Ben  

 Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell of the clock. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. The Tower was finished in 1858. Also it has become one of the most symbol of the UK.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge took 8 years to built and it was finished in 1894. The Bridge crosses the River Thames close to The Tower of London. It is 265 metres long. It's a moveable bridge which can be opened to accommodate boat traffic. If you have time you can go inside the Bridge to have a better view over London.

The Gift Horse

In Trafalgar Square there's always an empty space were they put a new sculpture every year. This year was a horse skeleton which is 15 feet tall twice the size of a real horse. It was designed by Hans Haacke. He wanted to do an idea about power and money. There is a blue ribbon on its left leg acting as a bandge. Also there is an electronic ticker which reflect to the city and the wealth gap between rich and poor.

The Changing of the Guard

The Changing of the Guard is a ceremony that takes place in Buckingham Palace. I think this ceremony is one of the main ceremony for the tourist because it's usually crowded, for example like yesterday when we saw it.

 The ceremony lasts about 45mins. Although we couldn't see all the ceremony. It's usually at 11:30am from April to the end of July. I think it's interesting to see the ceremony if you are in the city.

 This Guard is also called "The Queen's Guard". It is divided in two Detachment: the Buckingham Palace and the St. James's Palace. During this ceremony there is a military band which plays military marches from Abba's best hits or other popular songs.

Houses of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster. Here the Commons and the Lords meet. It is in the middle of London near the river Thames.

The House of Commons make laws and make sure the Government works correctly and the House of Lords draft the laws and questions now the Government works. It was destroy in 1834 by fire, but they re-built it 1840-1870.

Manley Mare

Manley Mare is an outdoor adventure park in Chesire where all the rides are made of old farming tools and equipment. Some of the rides are like an army assault course. There is muddy water and small ponds on every ride. On most of them it is very difficult to go on a ride without falling in the mud. There was a lake of muddy water and there where lots of children playing in it. At the begining we didn't want to get dirty, but at the end, all of us ended up in the water playing in the mud like the little children.
It was a very good experience because we had a lot of fun playing there. When we came home, all our clothes were dirty and we had to have a shower inmediatly. I had a lot of fun with my friends and I hope that one day we can go back again.

- Mercedes

I think that it was amazing. I loved it. I wanted to go on the rides one more time but my friends didn't want to. I had a great time and I got very dirty and wet. It was very cool.


- Pedro

I loved Manley Mere. The worst part for me was when I go to the muddy pond, I liked going in the water but I didn't like it in my shoes. It was always my dream to do an activity like this. It was very cool.


- Manuel

Well, I didn't like this place, because I don't like geting dirty. It was the first time that I had got dirty and I didn't like the experience. Walking with water in my shoes was horrible my feet squelched.(chapoteaban) Finally we had an enjoyable time. There were a lot of funny moments and rides. I wouldn't like to repeat it again.


- Marta

Geocaching

Geocaching is the largest treasure hunt (Busqueda del tesoro) in the world. If you want to play this game you must follow these steps:

- First, you have to create a geocaching account which is free. Then, you can start to explore and look for the geocaches. To find them you must use geocaching.com or the free official Geocaching apps to pick a geocache and navigate to it location. When you have found one you should sign and date the logbook (registro) which is inside the box, tube or tupaware. You can pick the present that is inside too but you have to put other present in it's place. Then you can share your experience online.

Come on, join it.

Ice Skating Rink

On Monday, we went to Ice Skating Rink. I've tried it before, but I didn't remember how to skate. So I went slow at first. When we entered, our first impression was that we were very cold. We went to put our skates on which took time. Once we had them on, we started skating on the ice. At the beggining, I couldn't skate because I was very nervous. But after half an hour we were skating better. We took some good pictures and videos .We also fell over which was hilarious. I have a very big bruise on my left leg from the fall. Finally, we had some sweets and we went shopping before going home.

I like it but it wasn't my favourite ''activity'' of the trip. I found it a little bit boring. Also I fell on the ice and I hurt my bottom and my knees.
Pedro.

I think it was cool. I have been ice skating before. This time I didn't remember how to do it. After some time I did well. I didn't fall and I had a good time.
Manuel.

I like skating especially at this ice rink. I have been ice skating before but this rink was bigger and better. It was even better because there were only a few people. I think we had a great time although it was very cold inside . I  couldn't feel my hands despite wearing gloves. I didn't fall over so it meant I didn't get wet.
Marta.

The day we went to ice skating rink I was nervous because it had been around 5 or 6 years since the last time I went. I  fell 3 times but I had a lot of fun with my friends anyways. It was really cool and I wish I could go again.
Mercedes.

Chinatown

Chinese people come to Liverpool because they wanted to trade with cotton and silk. Alfred Holt and his Company established the Blue Funnel Shipping Line. They traded between Hong Kong, Shangai and Liverpool. In the 1890s some Chinese people opened restaurants to feed the sailors in Liverpool port. Some of the men married with British women.

American Pancakes

Ingredients:
-135g plain flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tbsp caster sugar
-130ml milk
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-2 tbsp melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To serve:

-Maple syroup
-Melted chocolate
-Butter

Preparation method:

1. Sieve the flour, the baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a bowl. 
In a separate bowl, mix lightly the milk and egg, then add the melted butter.

2. Pour the milk mixture onto the first dry mixture and beat it with a fork until you have a smooth batter (like a thick milkshake). Leave it for a few minutes.

3. Put  a frying pan on  over a medium heat and add a small piece of butter. 
When it's melted, add a laddle of batter. 
Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble. 
Then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown.

4. Repeat until the batter is all used up.

5. Serve with melted chocolate, maple syrup or butter if you like. 

Widnes (where we are staying)

Widnes was once a marshland (fango) with  small settlements (asentamiento) on it. There is some evidence to show that the Romans passed through here before the 9th century the Vikings.

Widnes is an industrial town in Halton, Cheschire. It has about 70.000 population. It is on the north bank of the river Mersey. It is called Widnes because the Danish word "VID" meaning wide and "NOESE" meaning nose which refers to the piece of land going out into the River Mersey. Over the years the spelling changed but finally it came to be "Widnes". 
In 1814 the first chemical factory was opened. This was due to the good transport connections such as railway, main roads and cannals which enabled raw materials to be brought to Widnes. And the finish products (soap, bleach,etc) could be taken to anywhere in the country or overseas.

 As the town grew the chemist industry needed labour so inmigrants came from Ireland, Poland and Wales. These people ware escaping for persecution and poverty. Over the years Widnes was considered a principal part of the chemical industry until the decline in 1890's.

A Fine Day In Liverpool

Today we went to Liverpool by train. The train took no more than 15 mintes and we arrived at Liverpool's Lime Station which is the main Station.

Lime Street Station

Lime Street Station is the main station in Liverpool. This station was opened in August 1836, although it wasn't finished (until the following next year). It was designed by Cunningham and Holme. It was voted "Station of the Year 2010" at the Nationsl Rail Awards.

Christ the King of Liverpool Cathedral

 Yesterday we visited this Cathedral in Liverpool. It's modern. It is big. It was built in 1962 but the design for a Cathedral was proposed in 1953. There were 300 entries of architecs who wanted to design the Cathedral. Finally Federic Gibberd won.


  They took five years to buit it. It is 84.86m tall. The largest Catholic Cathedral in England. The catheral is one of the famous skyline landmarks of Liverpool. 

The two cathedrals are conecting by the Hope Street. The top of the Cathedral is like a crown. From a distance the building appears to becircular but it is made up of different shapes. 

The bells over the main entrance are named Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. 

 

 One of the most striking features of the cathedral is the quality of the light created by a large number of stained glass (vitral) in the walls and in the tower. During the day the inside of the cathedral changes colour depending on the weather. I like it because I could see many things.

Angelical Cathedral

Yesterday we visited a masterpiece. It was the Angelican Cathedral in Hope street. The style is Gothic Revival. It was built in 1904. Is the largest cathedral in Europe. 

There are some very interestings facts about this fantastic building.

It' has the world's highest and widest Gothic arches(33m).

Also it has the world's heaviest(31tons) and highest (67m) peal of bells. 
The high Tower Vault(53m) and the country's largest organ (10,267 pipes).

There were lots of things happening inside . I was surprised to see a restaurant inside the Cathedral. In my opinion this cathedral is better than the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King because of the work that has been done on it. It took 74 to built.

The three Graces

The three Graces are three buildings in the city centre of Liverpool down at the Pierhead. They are land marks of the city. 
 


They are one of the most recognised skylines in the world.

These majestic buildings were conceived and constructed as visible symbols of Liverpool's international prestige.

The three buildings are: The Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building.

The Royal Liver Building was designed by Walter Aubrey Thomas
The Cunard Building was designed by Willink & Thicknesse.
The Port of Liverpool building was designed by Sir Arnold Thornely.

On the top or the Royal Liver Building there are stand the two famous Liver Birds. They came to rest in 1911. They keep watch over the city. They are 18 feet tall. Then a bird falls Liverpool will fall also.



The myth says that the female bird looks out to the sea watching for the safe return of sailors while the male bird looks into the city keeping care of the families. When people return ro Liverpool they see the two birds which are a symbol of hope.

The Liverpool Museum.

The Liverpool museum is at the Pier head. The outside of the building it's very modern with neutral colors like white and grey. 
It has got three floors. 

The main entrance, and two more up stairs.
The museum shows a lot of antique Liverpool things; Like the Chippy, a lot of Beatle's things, some things of war, a lambanana,... 

And the history of the urban living in Liverpool and the Mersey culture. The museum it's very interactive. You can play and touch things, even you can wear clothes!.
It is the largest newly-built national museum in the UK. 
It has got more than 300.000 visits per year.

Liverpudlian's accent

The Liverpool's accent comes from  the people around Liverpool's port. Liverpool was a melting port of people from all over the world. The major influence comes from Irish inmigrants and the Welsh coming to the city. The mixing of different accents and dialects forms the Liverpudlian's accent.
 Liverpudlians are called scousers, so scouse accent is instantly recognisable.

 Scouse was a stew (a fish and potatoes dish) eaten by sailors. Over the years it became a popular working-class dish made of meat, if you were lucky, or if not just with vegetables.

 

The World Museum in Liverpool

The world museum

The World Museum is a large museum in Liverpool. It has an extensive collections covering archaeology, ethnology (Human culture) and the natural and physical sciences. It has got five different floors. On each floor, there is a different category. The best aspect of this museum is that you can interact with a lot of different activities.

Pedro.

A Full Traditional English Breakfast

People eat a Full Traditional English Breakfast (Fry -up ) at the weekend or on their day off. Also the Full English Breakfast can be eaten for lunch but it's called Brunch. This is because people get up late and they eat this meal at lunch time. It's typical to eat this in a Hotel to start your day well.
You will be amazed how many things there are in  A full English i.e fried, poached or scrambled eggs, bacon, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms,  fried bread or toast with butter,  sausages   baked beans black pudding and a mug of tea or coffee.

Manuel

London

St. James Park

St. James Park is a huge park in the centre of London. It is the oldest one in the capital. The park has a small lake with two islands: West Island and Duck Island.

 When the King James I came to the throne (17th century) he ordered that the park to have different type of exotic animals. The nobles would go for rides through the park.

Nowadays the park has a resident colony of pelicans which you can feed at 2pm.

 The Mall

The Mall is  road in London, running from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square along side St. James Park. This road is closed to traffic on Sundays and public holidays and on ceremonial ocassions.

 The Queen uses this road as a grand processional route. She rides in her golden carriage waving to the passing crowds.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden is in the West End a district in London. It was once a former fruit and vegetables market.

 Nowadays there is entertainment and shopping where you can buy unusual craft work. It has 13 theatres and over 60 pubs and bars around the main shopping area of the old market. People love to wander around looking at the "buskers" street performers.  

Big Ben  

 Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell of the clock. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. The Tower was finished in 1858. Also it has become one of the most symbol of the UK.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge took 8 years to built and it was finished in 1894. The Bridge crosses the River Thames close to The Tower of London. It is 265 metres long. It's a moveable bridge which can be opened to accommodate boat traffic. If you have time you can go inside the Bridge to have a better view over London.

The Gift Horse

In Trafalgar Square there's always an empty space were they put a new sculpture every year. This year was a horse skeleton which is 15 feet tall twice the size of a real horse. It was designed by Hans Haacke. He wanted to do an idea about power and money. There is a blue ribbon on its left leg acting as a bandge. Also there is an electronic ticker which reflect to the city and the wealth gap between rich and poor.

The Changing of the Guard

The Changing of the Guard is a ceremony that takes place in Buckingham Palace. I think this ceremony is one of the main ceremony for the tourist because it's usually crowded, for example like yesterday when we saw it.

 The ceremony lasts about 45mins. Although we couldn't see all the ceremony. It's usually at 11:30am from April to the end of July. I think it's interesting to see the ceremony if you are in the city.

 This Guard is also called "The Queen's Guard". It is divided in two Detachment: the Buckingham Palace and the St. James's Palace. During this ceremony there is a military band which plays military marches from Abba's best hits or other popular songs.

Houses of Parliament

The Houses of Parliament is the Palace of Westminster. Here the Commons and the Lords meet. It is in the middle of London near the river Thames.

The House of Commons make laws and make sure the Government works correctly and the House of Lords draft the laws and questions now the Government works. It was destroy in 1834 by fire, but they re-built it 1840-1870.