Halloweens Here!
It’s the 31st October and Halloweens here!
Where did Halloween come from?
The word itself, "Halloween," has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day", is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
The still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would put out the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all sorts of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Now adays Halloween is more about trick-or-treating, in which children dress up in costume disguises and go door-to-door in their neighborhood, ringing each doorbell and yelling "trick or treat!" Children dress up as Cats, Bats,
Witches, Devils and angels, or you could even dress up as a pumpkin!
Weird Halloween traditons:
Bobbing For Apples For thousands of years, apples have been considered a symbol of love and fertility. The Romans celebrated their own type harvest festival called Pomona. This gay evening festival was dedicated to Pomona, the goddess of orchards and the harvest (or gardens and fruits) and it occurred around November 1st. As a tribute to the goddess for a bountiful harvest, the ancient Romans celebrated by offering nuts and fruits, particularly apples. Pomona merged with the Celtic festival of Samhain around 50 B.C. when the Romans conquered much of northern Europe. Most likely, our modern tradition of apple bobbing on Halloween stems from Pomona festivities. However, another resource tells us that apple bobbing is derived from the Druidic ceremony Ordeal by Watere. This signifies the passage of soul to the hereafter over the waters that separated them. It used to be called "snapping for apples".
Pumpkin Carving Traditionally, the jack-o-lantern was carved from a turnip, potato, or beet and lit with a burning lump of coal or a candle. These lanterns represented the souls of the departed loved ones and were placed in windows or set on porches to welcome the deceased. They also served as protection against malevolent sprits or goblins freed from the dead. Turnips and gourds were not as readily available in the Americas so the pumpkin was used and found to be quite an adequate replacement.
Halloween Joke:
Q: Why did the Vampire subscribe to the Financial Times?
A: He heard it had great circulation
Another Satisfied Customer:Dear Astral Travel,I want to say that our group of Dartmouth students and professors found ourrecent trip with David to Old Sarum, Salisbury, and Avebury to be superb--itwas an utter success and deeply memorable. Our tour guide David was agem--passionate, articulate, highly informative but with a deft touch. Wehad a wonderful rapport with him and I hope you will convey our wholegroup's appreciation for his prodigious skills. He made the experiencehumanly and historically outstanding--a fantastic venture backwards in timeand history.Thanks to you and please convey our fond appreciation to David.best regards,Michael Ermarth and Barbara Will (and the Dartmouth students)History Dept.Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH.
The Playboy of Avebury?
Well it's the weekend and with the rest of the staff off enjoying themselves it's Michael here in the office keeping on eye on things so that all the tours operate smoothly. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning as tonight at 03:00 the clocks go back an hour - it's a little much for most tourists as they are just getting used to being in a new time zone and the clocks change yet again - add to this that most people don't keep much of an eye the time while they are on vacation and I can hear the calls tomorrow morning already:
'Hello is that Astral Travels? I've been waiting for over half an hour for my tour -where are you???' After which I'll have to explain about the time change. Everyone normally has a laugh about it and is thankful for the extra cup coffee that they can have before departing.
Last weekend in Glastonbury was excellent - and on the way back we decided to stop at Avebury. Most people haven't heard about this little gem tucked away in the countryside - it has a larger stone circle then Stonehenge and .......... well really that's about it. There's a handful of houses, a small shop/post office and of course (like every British village) a pub!
The stone circle at Avebury completely surrounds the village as has been reconstructed from the original stones that were excavated from the area along with concrete pillars that mark where the missing stones used to stand. The really odd thing about all of this work to put the stone circle back together (and one of my favorite stories) is that it was all privately funded in the 1930's by a man by the name of Alexander Keiller. Alexander was a man born of privilege who inherited a huge amount of money at the age of 9 (from a great marmalade fortune - believe it or not) and became something of a playboy in later life. Alex was a playboy with difference - his interests were fast cars (he set a company that copied Rolls Royces at one point), women and in strange twist - archaeology. In short the Avebury that we see today is down to not only his funding but also his passion for the area and its ancient secrets. In 1943, Keiller sold his holdings in Avebury to the National Trust for £12,000, the agricultural value of the 950 acres he had accrued and not reflecting the immense investment he had made at the site.
In 1966, the museum at Avebury and its contents were donated to the nation by his widow, Gabrielle. Avebury was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986, and in 2000 it received over 350,000 visitors. We visit Avebury on several tours that we offer - however without Mr Keillers efforts the great stone circle in the village would by now be just another urban myth.
If you compare English to German…
….. some things are so weird!
There are quite a few things which are so different between two countries which, at the closest point, are only just over 300 miles apart! Here is a short insight of what I still find bizarre:
English: The decimal point is a dot, certainly not a comma!
German: The decimal point is a comma, certainly not a dot!
English: A billion is a thousand times a million.
German: A billion is a million times a million. (A thousand times a million is a “Milliarde”)
English: You count yourself fortunate if you get five weeks holiday a year.
German: You find it normal to get six weeks holiday a year.
English: A hotel room might not always be en-suite but most likely has tea & coffee making facilities.
German: A hotel room is always en-suite but never has tea & coffee making facilities (Germans wouldn’t drink instant coffee anyway…! he he)
English: Any shop will take your credit card.
German: Not every shop will take your credit card and for those that do, if you paid by credit card, you would look like a yuppie or snob, as people usually pay with cash.
English: You probably still measure everything in feet, pounds, and gallons (but this will depend on your age) despite the EU having made metric measures mandatory for most things. You'll definitely still think of distances in miles and order beer in pints, though.
German: You measure things with the metric system, like all sane countries do ;o). The only exception is that a Pfund (pound) is half a kilogram or 500 grams, although there's no such unit in the official metric system.
English: You open your presents in the morning on Christmas Day.
German: You open your presents in the evening on Christmas Eve.
English: Your beer comes in a pint and hardly has any or no head (you would complain if it did, as a head means less beer in your glass)
German: Your beer comes in a nicely shaped beer glass and your beer has a proper thick head (you would complain if it didn’t, because no head means a badly poured beer) 
Exciting News! We are going to the World Travel Market next week:
WTM 2006 is a business to business exhibition that provides a unique 
opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.
It takes place at ExCeL London, 6-9 November 2006.
Over 5000 suppliers of travel and tourism products from every sector of the travel industry will be exhibiting at WTM.
I’ll keep it short this time, as I am very busy working on my German blog: http://welcome2london.blogspot.com/ as well as the German website... (link to follow very soon).
London's Own Language
Cockney Rhyming Slang!
London isn’t only famous for the London eye and Houses of Parliament and all the other must see attractions, but also for something you can’t actually see, but only hear…….. Cockney Rhyming Slang! Cockney Rhyming slang is used daily by thousands of Londoners in everyday conversations and it is a language itself!
While walking around London you will hear phrases used continuously. So Cockney Rhyming Slang is Londons very own unique Language.
The word ‘Cockney’ is the term used to describe anyone said to born within the sound of the Bow Bells – The Bells of St. Mary Le Bow Church in Cheapside London.
It is thought the Cockney Rhyming Slang originated in order for non - locals to not understand what was being said by locals in the east end of London some say it was to assist criminals so that the police could not understand there conversations.
Cockney rhyming slang used to be a form of Pidgin English (any language created spontaneously) designed so that the
working Eastenders could have a good old chinwag without the posh Londoners knowing that they were talking about them. Now a days people just make it up for a laugh, so young streetwise Londoners say things like 'Ah mate, 'ad a right mare I did, got chucked out me pad, blew me lump, and now fings wiv the trouble and strife have gone all pete tong!'
Rhyming Slang works by replacing words with shorter phrases that rhyme with them often to quicken speech. The principle is to decide what it is you want to say, and then find words, which bear no real relation to what, you're going to say, but which rhyme loosely with your phrase. For instance, the term "Ricky Gervais" would be used to refer to one's face, as "Gervais" rhymes with "face".
Here are some examples:
Airs and Graces – Faces
April Showers – Flowers
Ha’ Penny Dip – Ship
King Lears - Ears
Noahs Arch – Park
Pigs Ear – Beer
Quaker Oat – Coat
Wobbly Jelly – Telly
You and Me – Tea
So if I were to say to you “There might be a bit of pleasure and pain in Steffi Graf, so brin’ your Quaker Oat”
I’m saying there might be a bit of Rain in Bath so bring your coat!!
So finally,
Me names Chloe and I 'ave just learnt Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I will be hammer and tack next bubble and squeak, Have a Robin Hood Day.
Bye for na.
(My names Chloe and I have just learnt Rhyming Cockney Slang, I will be back next week, have a good day. bye for now)
Anovver corn on the bloomin’ cob yogi bear play:
(Another job well done!)
“Dear Astral Tours,
Last Saturday, October 14th, we took the Stones and Bones tour from our hotel, Jurys Kensington in London. We had just spent a week and Ireland and found London a bit overwelming. Then came Saturday. We were picked up exactly on time by your driver and taken to a point where we switched buses. We then met our driver for the day David. I regret we did not get his last name.
Off we went to see Stonehenge. This was the most incredible day we spent in England. The tour was full of great places. The drive was enjoyable and relaxing. Lunch was fantastic. But the best part of the day was David!!! His extensive knowledge and style of imparting his knowledge made the day. He was very detailed without being boring or lecturing. He made Old Serum, Avebury, Silsbury and the Salsbury Chaple more interesting because of taking a few minutes to explain some history before letting us go on our own. He was concerned that he ran on time. He pointed out extra little sites on the drive.
Now let me tell you about Stonehenge. To see Stonehenge in person was a dream of my husband and I. When we arrived, of course we were very anxious to get to the stones. David stood and explained so much to us, we were dazzled. We didn't need to walk around with the electronic tour glued to our ears. This made the whole experience so much better than we imagined it would be. Again, his explanation was thorough, simple and exciting. We understood everything he said. We left awestruck by Stonehenge and by David.
Everywhere we went was the same. He is an amazing person who so obviously takes pride in himself, his country and his job. The fact that he is self taught and is so well read expressed all of this.
Please know that if we or anyone we know goes to London, we will highly recommend your tours and hopefully that we be able to experience a day with David as their guide.
This is a memory that we will cherish, talk about and have for a very long time.
Lastly, when we left the bus, he showed concern for our safety. He dropped us at our hotel door and commented that I should be very carefully about the way I was carrying my purse.
Please thank him for us again and let him know the impact he had on our first vacation out of our country.
Sincerely,
Frank and Maureen”
Halloween
I can’t believe it’s that time of the year again, all ready the summer hasn’t long gone and Halloween is all ready dawning on us. The decision on what Halloween costume to wear to this years Halloween party.
Let’s be honest everyone loves a good Halloween costume. With a little imagination, just about anyone can create Halloween costumes based on common phrases or punch lines. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
Deviled Egg: Dress in all white and paint or attach a yellow circle to your stomach. Then wear devil horns and carry a pitchfork.
Gold Digger: Put on a gold dress. Sprinkle gold glitter in your lip gloss. Paint your nails gold. Paint a toy shovel gold, and carry it with a bag of gold rocks.
Halloween Recipe
For cookie shapes, try bats, cats, witches, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, leaves, moons, broomsticks, cauldrons, spiders, eyeballs, tombstones and any other spooky shape that you can come up with! You can usually purchase the cookie cutters in some of the listed shapes, and if autumn’s got you in a creative mood…create your own!
The Origin of Halloween
Halloween's roots can be traced back to Celtic culture in Ireland. According to their "Druid" religion, November 1st was New Years' on their calendar. The celebration would begin on October 31st, and last into the following day. The spirits of all who died in the prior year, would rise up and roam the earth on this night.This is an evil night when spirits roamed the streets and villages. Lord Samhain, the lord of Darkness, would arrive in search of the spirits to take them to the underworld.Halloween as it is currently celebrated with costumes, trick or treat, and superstitions, takes from this Druid Holiday.
Another Satisfied customer: STILL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!..
And because we have done boththe Evan Evans & Golden Tours, we can unequivocally say that smaller tourshave so more advantages-more personalized, less "herding" of people, lessoverwhelming, etc.,We just got back from London, and once again had a great experience with oneof your full day tours.We did our first Astral Tour back in June 2003. It was the Culture VultureTour with Dave, and he's an absolute stitch of a character..He isenthusiastic & very personable. He took us to some wonderful back areas ofthe beautiful and pristine Cotswolds region, and we experienced for thefirst time how thoroughly enjoyable smaller tour groups were.
Our next tour was the Leeds/Dover/Canterbury Tour in June of 2004, and onceagain, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.Just this past weekend, we took our third full day tour, with the Bards &Battles Tour of Oxford/Stratford & Warwick Castle.Our 8 yr. old daughter thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Debbie's wonderful guide to,and stories of Oxford - esp. the tidbits about Harry Potter. She enjoyedthe attention she received from this vibrant lady. Please send her ourspecial thanks, and please let her know that the "magic conker" (chestnut)that she gave to our daughter made it to the U.S. We quite enjoyed Debbie'senthusiasm and knowledge. Our driver was Robert for the day, and while he was more reserved thanothers we had previously, we quite enjoyed his knowledge of history, and hispatient demeanor.
Thank you for the wonderful way you treat your customers, from the bookingprocess, up to when we are dropped off after the tour.We enjoy the people you employ to do the tours, and when we see enthusiasmfrom your guides, it makes the customers more interested and relaxed, andprovides for a greater enjoyment of the tour experience as a whole.
I'll be back next week.
Dan
Glastonbury this weekend
Well the weekend has almost landed so I suppose it time that you hear from one of the' old hands' in the office as you heard from all of the new staff earler this week. My names Michael and I've been with Astral Travels for around 9 years now working mainly in the office - besides the founders I'm the second longest serving employee.
Heading to Glastonbury this weekend and for those who haven't heard of the place it's a small town in rural Wiltshire. The drive from the office isn't too bad and as I've got freinds to stay with live just outside of town.
Glastonbury itself has many different sides to it - it one way it reflects what getting away from London and into the countryside is all about - people sre friendly then they are London and have more time to spend chatting - shopkeepers are glad to see you even if you aren't making a massive purchase. All in all it's a more laid back experience then London. Glastonbury besides being having the normal population of farmers and normal 'country folk' is also the new age centre of Britain - several lay (energy) lines cross the area and there are many myths and legends that are connected with the town itself. There's plenty to do in town - Glastonbury Abbey has the resting place of King Arthur and the Chalice Well Garden is where the Holy Grail was buried. The shops reflect what Glastonbury is about specialist book shops along with clothes shops and jewelery shops that are all run by local artists and craftsmen - the chain shops haven't found their way here yet - there's not a Starbucks in sight.
I'll probably climb the Tor (a huge man made hill) at dawn - it's a bit of trek but well worth when you get to the top - you can see for around 20 miles in all directions and there's a great mellow feeling you get watching the mist rise across the fields. No doubt I'' come back to work a new man on Monday.
Astral Travels is only tour company that visits Glastonbury - if you like the sounds of the above why not join us for day that you won't forget.
Click here for details.
All the way from Good Old Germany…..
… which is not far at all, to be honest… it could take me longer getting a train into London (which is about 30 miles away from our Marlow office) than sitting on a plane for 45 minutes to step off on German ground….!
I am Conny (Cornelia - really, but no-one is allowed to call me this, apart from my dad when he is trying to tell me off…. Luckily this era of my life is well and truly over).
I started working for Astral Travels this summer and don’t regret the move at all. It is exciting changing jobs and this has been very challenging and a lot of fun as well. I get to talk to and help so many people from all over the world every day… I just love it!
It wasn’t like this always though... when I arrived in the UK, it wasn’t easy! All these different accents and habits… amazing! So scary and weird! I went to Australia last year and obviously found it to be very similar to England (apart from the weather!!!)… However, every day it still amazes me how different everything is to life in Germany.
Anyway, the following does sum it up a bit… and this is especially for all you lazy English (no – British!!! … my boyfriend (or do I need to call him “partner” since I am nearly 30 now???), is Scottish and has promised me to learn German for 4 years now!!...), but I appreciate your attitude, because you don’t HAVE to learn it, ‘cause the whole world speaks English anyway… ja ja, I know!...…
Anyway, here it is:
Why English is tough
Twenty-one reasons why English is hard to learn:
01. The bandage was wound around the wound.
02. The farm was used to produce produce.
03. The dump was so full it had to refuse more refuse.
04. We must polish the Polish furniture.
05. He could lead if he would get the lead out.
06. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
07. Since there was no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
08. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
09. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10. I did not object to the object.
11. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12. There was a row among the oarsmen on how to row.
13. They were too close to the door to close it.
14. The buck does funny things when does are present.
15. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18. After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21. How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
There is another thing I thought might be interesting for some:Did you know…
… The daily Usage of the German Flag is sooo different, compared to many countries……
The German flag is used in an entirely different way than the English (or British) flag. Here in England you can see the flag wherever you walk. In Germany, people are not proud of their flag. Nobody wears t-shirts with their flag or flies the flag openly. In fact, people would find you strange if you did.
I believe, this might be quite interesting, especially for The British nations who are used to seeing their flag or the union jack everywhere.
In Germany it's a really different thing. If you travel through the country, you won't see any (or not many) German flags. You probably wonder why? Maybe you won't believe it but this goes back to World War 2, even if this war has been fought 60 years ago. The Germans still don't show any pride in their country.
But, maybe, the Football World Cup 2006 has changed attitudes towards patriotism?? (I hope so!)
As we all know, Germany was the host of the football world cup 2006. This event seemed to have changed the German's perception towards their flag and patriotism. Before the event you rarely saw any German flags flying in the country, but once the first game started, you could not buy a German flag in any shop due to the incredible demand.
This may not be a big deal to the English, but as stated above, there has never been this kind of flag waving in Germany since the end of World War 2, not even after Germany won the world cup in 1954, 1974 or 1990.
If it was just plain support - and this might have well been the case - then everybody will be looking back at all the articles written about this topic and wonder why it was such a big a deal. However, if the new found relationship between Germans and their flag did picture a change in people’s patriotism, then the world cup 2006 was the trigger of an incredible change in German culture which can only be seen as a very positive step forward.
I’ll be back soon – with my own German Blog (!) and many more strange English ways (from a foreigners point of view….) as well as the many joys to be discovered here!!!
Ohhh, and by the way…. The Scotsman and I were on the “Total London Tour” last week. The London Eye was breathtaking!!! Even with that rather grey sky…. How amazing!
Chloé!
Hello there! My name is Chloé and I have been working at Astral Travels for the past 6 months and am the newest member to the Astral Team. My first season at Astral has been a very busy one and I’ve enjoyed every minute of the madness!
About me!
I’m 19 years old (almost 20) and Live in Marlow! I Left school after my A levels and started a career in Nursing but had a radical change in career and decided that the tourist industry was for me!
I was lucky enough this summer to go on the History and Mystery tour, not only did I get to visit the awe-inspiring Stonehenge but I also got to visit the Roman Baths and the Beautiful Village of Lacock. I have always wanted to visit the Roman Baths and had finally got to do so; I loved the History and stories surrounding the spectacular Baths. It was also great to meet some of the clients I had booked on to the tour and put names to faces!
Joke of the day:
Q: At lunch, what did Obi-Wan say to Luke? A: "Use the forks, Luke.”
Halloweens coming up and did you know:
The biggest pumpkin in the world tipped the scales at a whopping 1,446 pounds. This gigantic gourd was weighed in October 2004 at a pumpkin festival in Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada.
Another satisfied customer:
Hi Chloe Just a quick thank you for all your help with our trip to London on Thursday. The day was a great success, the pupils and adults all had a really enjoyable time, and they learned a lot too. Between us we managed to arrange the perfect weather too! So all in all a 10/10 day!Please would you also pass on our sincere thanks to Tim and to Michael, the driver. They were both great and nothing was too much trouble.
Once again many thanks to you and your colleagues.
Best wishes
John
Dan has arrived at Astral Travels
Hello everyone I’m one of the new staff members Dan, I’ve been here about 7-8 months. I am pleased to say my first season with Astral Travels has been a busy one and with the winter looking busy there’s no time for a break.
About me
I am 20 years old single guy and have a real passion for travel and love playing football; I’ve studied travel and tourism at school for 4 years & lived in Marlow England all my Life.
I’ve been on all of our tours this summer and the highlight was going to Stonehenge Special Access, it was amazing to be so close to the stones and with the sun setting made it feel magical. I would recommend to every visitor to England to see Stonehenge up Close.
Did You Know?
Britain’s most popular ‘fast food’ has got to be fish and chips. Fish and chip shops first made an appearance at the end of the 19th century and since then have been a firm favourite up and down the country. The dish is simplicity itself: fish (usually cod, haddock or plaice) is dipped in a batter made from flour, eggs and water and then deep fried. Fish and chips are served over the counter wrapped in paper, and traditionalists prefer to eat them straight out of the paper because they taste better that way!
Joke of the Day
Sorry, Chris and Susan aren't here right now. Please leave your name and number after the tone. If you are calling regarding an outstanding debt, please leave your message before the tone.
Greetings from the ManagerMy apologies for the extended delay in updateing our blog, it's been quite a season. Oh boy, do we have some exciting news in the pipeline. A BIG welcome to our new team members in the office; Dan, Chloe and Conny and two great new guides on the road Paul and Graham. They will be introducing themselves on this blog in the very near future (all have great travel backgrounds and a passion for Britain - won't tell you how much it cost me to 'poach' them from our competition, however every penny was worth it!)- watch this space..
You must excuse me, its very late, my kids are missing Daddy and I am helping with the morning hotel pick ups so off home
Look forward to sharing our news with you shortly.
P.S Have had 2007 Stonehenge special access dates confirmed with the English Heritage - Check out our` website.
Did you know ?The phrase "By hook or by crook" - There are several derivations given. One is that peasants were permitted under the ancient forestry acts only to take from the forests that which they could reach from the edge with their hooks or shepherds crooks. Another version has it that Cromwell vowed to take Waterford in Ireland attacking either via the villages of Hook or Crook.
Another satisfied customer...Dear Astral Travel Team
Just a short note to say thank you so much for a lovely trip. Did the Oxford/Stratford trip with Dave and Debbie yesterday. It will definately stand out as a memorable moment. I'm actually quite happy with the fact that we got some rain, must be my romantic side, as I saw the real English weather.
The day was quite full, however, I got back home and felt refreshed. The tour was well planned and professionally executed. Dave's eccentric comments often had me smiling and please tell him I say that he did a great job entertaining us and getting us home safely.
Kind regardsElouise Moolman
Pumpkin Carving Traditionally, the jack-o-lantern was carved from a turnip, potato, or beet and lit with a burning lump of coal or a candle. These lanterns represented the souls of the departed loved ones and were placed in windows or set on porches to welcome the deceased. They also served as protection against malevolent sprits or goblins freed from the dead. Turnips and gourds were not as readily available in the Americas so the pumpkin was used and found to be quite an adequate replacement.
