Silver jewellery from Europe

I never liked gold. I don't know why, but I wouldn't even buy a bag or a jacket that has a golden zip, buttons etc. Until recently...

As I was really looking hard for some nice and quality silver jewellery for a reasonable price here, and couldn't find anything that looks more sophisticated than the silver for kids, I decided to visit Pandora jewellery.

-PANDORA designs, manufactures and markets hand-finished and modern jewelry, and has the headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark.-

I knew Pandora before mainly for their charm bracelets, and was resistant to them as I normally like something more original, you see the bracelets everywhere.

So, when I visited my local Pandora store the first time I was nicely surprised, as they were also offering a different silver collection at that time. I was lucky to receive a couple of pieces of that particular one as my birthday present from my husband.
At the same time I had a look at the charms closely, and fell in love with them. So, now I am also a 'Pandora charm collector' :-) You can generally get the charms in silver, gold, glass, wood etc. but also, as I discovered,  in a silver-gold combination. That is when I realized that this Two-Tone style is my favourite . I am still a silver lover, but I opened up to just a bit of gold. I love it!

my recent addition - Love Struck charm - from my husband :-)

New Year's Eve or Silvestr...



I come from Europe, a place with such diverse cultures, customs and languages, so it is not easy to find an event that is celebrated uniformly across the continent, but there is one exception - New Year's Eve is celebrated everywhere. There are many ways to do so,  but there will always be food, drink, music, and fireworks. Whatever choice of venue, you usually have to book well in advance.

My husband and I will be celebrating at home this year. We have been really busy past 12 months - with our move and house projects, there was simply no time or energy to plan anything, but  I am actually glad, it will be a peaceful and relaxing Silvestr.

 

Here's what is New Year's Eve known in some of the biggest countries of Europe:

 

France - la Saint-Sylvestre

Germany - Silvester

Spain - Nochevieja or Fin de Año

Italy - Vigilia di Capodanno or Notte di San Silvestro

Czech Republic - Silvestr

Belgium - Sint Sylvester Vooravond

Hungary - Szilveszter

Netherlands - Oud en Nieuw or Oudejaarsavond

Poland - Sylwester

Romania - Revelion

 

 

 

ENJOY YOUR NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

 

 

 

Lyon - Fête des Lumières

I have just seen an ad on Euronews TV for Fête des Lumières or Festival of Lights in Lyon, France and have to mention this one as I have heard so much about it.
If you happen to be in Lyon or in the area, you have to see it. It is the best known and most popular festival of Lyon and this year takes place from December 6 to December 9 throughout Lyon.

 

 

 

 

 

2011

 

2012

 

This tradition began in 1852 when households illuminated their windows and balconies to celebrate the Virgin Mary. Today the Festival of Lights showcases the city's architecture, and also includes rivers and parks into the show.
Up to 3 million visitors come to experience this event (free of charge) in many different areas of the city, but the best spectacle is located in the city centre.

I would love to see it myself one day as I haven't had a chance yet. I think it is absolutely amazing!

Dual & multiple nationality

Earlier this year I heard that there could be some possible changes regarding the nationality legislation of the Czech Republic and it is now confirmed.

It will definitely make my life abroad much easier!

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"Starting from 1 January 2014 Czech nationals will be permitted to have dual and multiple nationality. In line with the trend prevailing in the EU, the Czech Republic will no longer insist on single nationality. ...Czech nationals will no longer automatically lose their Czech nationality upon obtaining foreign nationality." - mzv.cz -
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Here you can learn more about new Czech nationality legislation

EU Explained

 

 

I was looking for a book about European Union mainly because I felt I needed to learn the right vocabulary as I was struggling to find the words when talking about the EU. My country wasn't part of the EU when I started to learn English, later on when it joined the EU, I was living in Germany..., and here in the US you don't hear that much about the EU, so I was happy when I found this book. It is also very informative.

 

" The European Union Explained provides a concise overview of the structure, history, and policies of the European Union. Drawing on many years of teaching and consulting, Andreas Staab offers basic terms and interpretive frameworks for understanding the evolution of the EU; the overall structure, purpose, and mandate of its main constituent divisions; and key policy areas, such as market unification."