Have found a wireless cafe here in Truro so can catch up a bit on the blog - but it is too exciting outside to spend too much time in here... The Old Stables is absolutely fantastic - we have plenty of room and it is situated in the most beautiful spot. The weather has been wonderful but today is a bit drizzly and feels as though we might be in for a storm.
Cornwall is very crowded even trying to walk along the street in Truro is quite a feat. Parking is very expensive but the traffic hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. The food shopping is very interesting lots and lots of pre-prepared things which are very easy to cook and so we have been enjoying some very good meals. The fruit and vegetables are very much better than I remember and much more flavour than in New Zealand. Some divine nectarines which didn't taste like cotton wool made a nice change. Also had some tiny green beans which were absolutely fantastic and I will have to get some more of those for this evening. The new potatoes are also very good - maybe its all the polution putting the flavour into things.
Talked with Heather last evening. She is heading back to Scotland on Wednesday having only just got back from Italy where she was with Sheena, Not sure whether we will be able to make it up to Scotland and back in time - will be talking with Brian this evening and see what the plan is there and then we can decide. We do need to be back in London by the 4th because we leave again for Paris on the 5th early in the morning. Seems like rush rush but actually we are very relaxed - having a very enjoyable time!
Great to get the texts about the cats. There are dogs on the estate which are always following someone but have seen very few cats on our expoditions.
Will probably be a few days before I get a chance to blog again but will text to keep in touch.
Hope all is well there - I am keeping blissfully ignorant of the news!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Let's try again
Well that was a mistake - it published without anything being written. Clearly I am spending too much time on holiday!
We are currently down in Exeter - well in Newton St Cyres to be exact. We are having a really wonderful break with Tony and Maureen. This is an absolutely idyllic spot, the weather is wonderful and we have been having a great time with Tony and Maureen. We have visited two pubs and had wonderful devonshire hospitality - great food and interesting people. The house is lovely, set in a beautiful estate with a lovely garden and very ancient trees. Yesterday a little vole came running across the drive to meet us and kept turning cartwheels in excitement it was very entertaining. I can't help wondering what B and S would have made of it. I have no doubt whatever about what Fossy would have done!
This evening we are off to Jill's for dinner and Dee and Edward are apparently going to be there so it will be a grand reunion.
The drive down from London was wondereful. The car is very comfortable and we made it down here in just over four hours including a stop for lunch. There was not much traffic and of course the motorways are very easy to drive - apart from keeping on being sucked in to exceeding the speed limit, which everyone was doing. I really enjoyed the drive which was a nice surprise.
Tomorrow we will be off to Cornwall and it will be good to relax. Darren is so busy it will be good for him to do nothing for a bit I think he is quite looking forward to it. I haven't managed to download any photos yet but will hopefully master that when we get to Cornwall. I am typing this on Mo's new laptop.
I will be in touch again when we get to Cornwall. I can't believe I have been here for 4 days already - time is just racing by!
We are currently down in Exeter - well in Newton St Cyres to be exact. We are having a really wonderful break with Tony and Maureen. This is an absolutely idyllic spot, the weather is wonderful and we have been having a great time with Tony and Maureen. We have visited two pubs and had wonderful devonshire hospitality - great food and interesting people. The house is lovely, set in a beautiful estate with a lovely garden and very ancient trees. Yesterday a little vole came running across the drive to meet us and kept turning cartwheels in excitement it was very entertaining. I can't help wondering what B and S would have made of it. I have no doubt whatever about what Fossy would have done!
This evening we are off to Jill's for dinner and Dee and Edward are apparently going to be there so it will be a grand reunion.
The drive down from London was wondereful. The car is very comfortable and we made it down here in just over four hours including a stop for lunch. There was not much traffic and of course the motorways are very easy to drive - apart from keeping on being sucked in to exceeding the speed limit, which everyone was doing. I really enjoyed the drive which was a nice surprise.
Tomorrow we will be off to Cornwall and it will be good to relax. Darren is so busy it will be good for him to do nothing for a bit I think he is quite looking forward to it. I haven't managed to download any photos yet but will hopefully master that when we get to Cornwall. I am typing this on Mo's new laptop.
I will be in touch again when we get to Cornwall. I can't believe I have been here for 4 days already - time is just racing by!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
So, here I am at the end of full day one in London. It is 11.30pm and we have been walking around since 9am this morning - I wish that I had remembered to bring the pedometer... Well, I had better back up a bit. The trip up to Auckland was forgettable. The weather was terrible and the flight was very rough ad late. We only just made it to the international terminal in time and got soaked dashing from the terminal to the bus. However, once on board all that was forgotten. The Air New Zealand premier economy was fantastic and well worth the investement.
I had a very nice woman who worked for Bendon next to me. She was only going as far as Hong Kong and then I had two seats to mysef for the second flight. The food was wonderful, the service was great. The only problem now is how am I going to survive cattle class on the way back!
We arrived at Heathrow to the classic british bureaucratic welcome. We had a ten minute walk from the terminal to the immigration and there were no toilets in between. At the immigration area we were herded like cattle into a huge pen to await Her Majesty''s officials. There were 18 desks but only 3 officials at the desks with a further five leaning against the back wall watching proceedings. People were getting crosser and crosser and I was remembering why I didn't live in England... An hour later I got out!
Darren was there to meet me and we set off for home, duly furnished with an Oyster card which is the latest way of getting around London cheaply. It is good - you just put it on a thing and it lets you through the gate and then you keen topping up the money.
We got home with two changes of tube. It was a fabulous day blue sky, warm and no wind! The flat is very nice and a good job had been done of tidying up before I got here. I slept like a log from 7pm through to 6.30 this morning. Today we went everywhere. Darren took me to the college where he had to work for a couple of hours. What a fabulous place to work, lovely people and a wonderful building and location right opposite the Albert Hall. He gave me a complete run down on the Englightenment ero and the history of Victoria and Albert and the marriage of art and science it was really fascinating. I went shopping at Harrods, Jaeger and Burberry - all had sales but the prices were absolutely sky high - so I didn't buy anything. After that we went to meet Angie for lunch at her work at the National Theatre on the South Bank. A lot of this area is quite new and very different to what I remember. Absolutely wonderful to walk through with all sorts of things going on and crowds of people around. Angie is very charming and entertaining and we all went and had a great lunch and made plans for the theatre this evening with some more friends. During the afternoon we visited the National Art Gallery and saw all sorts of paintings that we recognised - including the Hay Wain. We tried to get on the Londn Eye but the queue was horrendous and we thought that could wait for another time. This evening we went to see 39 steps which is a hit comedy show - very well done and absolutely hillarious - although by now I was starting to fade a little. The friends were all great fun - very nice group of people. Angie and Charlotte are taking me out on the night Darren goes down to London - I expect to have a great time!
Well I had better go now. Darren has fallen aslep beside me and he needs the sofa I am sitting on to turn into a bed. Off first thing in the morning to collect the car and head off the Exeter - will log in again to tell you all about that.
I had a very nice woman who worked for Bendon next to me. She was only going as far as Hong Kong and then I had two seats to mysef for the second flight. The food was wonderful, the service was great. The only problem now is how am I going to survive cattle class on the way back!
We arrived at Heathrow to the classic british bureaucratic welcome. We had a ten minute walk from the terminal to the immigration and there were no toilets in between. At the immigration area we were herded like cattle into a huge pen to await Her Majesty''s officials. There were 18 desks but only 3 officials at the desks with a further five leaning against the back wall watching proceedings. People were getting crosser and crosser and I was remembering why I didn't live in England... An hour later I got out!
Darren was there to meet me and we set off for home, duly furnished with an Oyster card which is the latest way of getting around London cheaply. It is good - you just put it on a thing and it lets you through the gate and then you keen topping up the money.
We got home with two changes of tube. It was a fabulous day blue sky, warm and no wind! The flat is very nice and a good job had been done of tidying up before I got here. I slept like a log from 7pm through to 6.30 this morning. Today we went everywhere. Darren took me to the college where he had to work for a couple of hours. What a fabulous place to work, lovely people and a wonderful building and location right opposite the Albert Hall. He gave me a complete run down on the Englightenment ero and the history of Victoria and Albert and the marriage of art and science it was really fascinating. I went shopping at Harrods, Jaeger and Burberry - all had sales but the prices were absolutely sky high - so I didn't buy anything. After that we went to meet Angie for lunch at her work at the National Theatre on the South Bank. A lot of this area is quite new and very different to what I remember. Absolutely wonderful to walk through with all sorts of things going on and crowds of people around. Angie is very charming and entertaining and we all went and had a great lunch and made plans for the theatre this evening with some more friends. During the afternoon we visited the National Art Gallery and saw all sorts of paintings that we recognised - including the Hay Wain. We tried to get on the Londn Eye but the queue was horrendous and we thought that could wait for another time. This evening we went to see 39 steps which is a hit comedy show - very well done and absolutely hillarious - although by now I was starting to fade a little. The friends were all great fun - very nice group of people. Angie and Charlotte are taking me out on the night Darren goes down to London - I expect to have a great time!
Well I had better go now. Darren has fallen aslep beside me and he needs the sofa I am sitting on to turn into a bed. Off first thing in the morning to collect the car and head off the Exeter - will log in again to tell you all about that.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Just about off
Ok, so it is an hour before the taxi arrives to take us to the airport. Richard is washing the dishes having set up this blog for me. The holiday resolution is to make sure I keep writing in it so that family and friends who are interested can take a look.
The weekend was busy - it was a really good idea not to fly out until this evening. Gave time to organise cat boarding etc and get all the washing a drying done - will be good not to come home to a pile of damp washing.
Cats have settled in with Gilly - hopefully she will not get scoopers elbow having to scoop out the litter trays for 5 cats. I must admit, although I will miss them, it will be good not to scoop for a months and also to be able to breathe without inhaling cat fur - to say nothing of not having to constantly brush down my clothes. I think a fair bit of fur is coming with me in the suitcase though.
Richard bought me the tiniest ipod I have ever seen and has just loaded it up with Darren's music. I will have plenty of time to contemplate the combined talents of these wonderful young men as I hurtle across the world in a tin can - Ugh!
Might see you in Hong Kong where we touch down.
The weekend was busy - it was a really good idea not to fly out until this evening. Gave time to organise cat boarding etc and get all the washing a drying done - will be good not to come home to a pile of damp washing.
Cats have settled in with Gilly - hopefully she will not get scoopers elbow having to scoop out the litter trays for 5 cats. I must admit, although I will miss them, it will be good not to scoop for a months and also to be able to breathe without inhaling cat fur - to say nothing of not having to constantly brush down my clothes. I think a fair bit of fur is coming with me in the suitcase though.
Richard bought me the tiniest ipod I have ever seen and has just loaded it up with Darren's music. I will have plenty of time to contemplate the combined talents of these wonderful young men as I hurtle across the world in a tin can - Ugh!
Might see you in Hong Kong where we touch down.
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