Catch up Time!

At last we have an opportunity to access the internet. It is now Tuesday and I will have to do a catch up now right back to Saturday so here goes. I suggest a good strong coffee to keep you awake! Friday 17 June I last wrote at 2am this morning so I need to backtrack to the rest of the day. After doing a load of washing Dave, John (cousin) and I went to the local swimming pool for a swim. There are only two 50metre pools in the South of England and this is not one of them. It was most strange. Dave's lane started from the left but my lane started from the right and swam in a circular direction. Of course I only discovered this by accident when I calmly started off on the left side of the pool and nearly collided with someone coming in the other direction who explained how it worked. It was a lovely day so after a lovely lunch back at the house the four of us decided to drive out into the country and go for a walk and visit a few old English pubs. On the way we went to a lookout at Box Hill with great views in every direction then on to Gomshall where we went for a 5mile (8km) walk through Little London, Shere and back to Gomshall. We stopped on the way for a drink at a gorgeous old pub. The landscape and gardens everywhere were just gorgeous. It was a great walk but we had to beware of stinging nettles in the narrow pathways. We saw a number of frisky bunny rabbits and green sweeping hills. After our walk we drove to a pub in Wotton Hatch for dinner where we sat out in the beer garden. It was really pleasant. In the UK the popular drink is Pims. It's rather nice. I've never seen it in Oz. It's a bit like vodka or even vaguely like a lemon, lime & bitters only stronger - could be addictive! Saturday 18 June Saturday dawned a beautiful sunny day and in fact reached 30deg by mid-day. Dave and I went for a 52 minute run first thing back to Epsom Downs (where the Derby is held annually) and across the downs and back a longer way than previously. We then packed our bags, said our goodbyes and drove to Messing in the Essex countryside where Dave has an aunt. There we had a yummy lunch and spent a very pleasant couple of hours. We met up with her son (another one of Dave's cousins, his wife and 15yr old daughter who had just sat a music exam) and walked to the local All Saints Church where the first vicar dates back to the 12th century. Next we drove on to Stansted Airport, returned the hire car and were in plenty of time (in theory) to catch the plane for Ireland. What a debacle that turned out to be! The cut-off time for the flight is 40mins prior to the flight (we found this out later) but we were there an hour before and queued up in the line for our flight or so we thought! However after a long wait we discovered by chance that we were in fact queueing for a flight due to take off an hour after ours. The cut-off time for our flight had now passed and as a consequence we had to pay an extra $100 each to catch a later flight. The plane was absolutely choc-a-bloc and nobody was given seat numbers - it was a case of pot luck! We travelled Ryanair - not to be recommended for future travellers. However, we're stuck with it for our return flight on Friday so we'll be very cautious! We collected our hire car (a Toyota Corolla without airconditioning) after our arrival in Dublin and drove through to Arklow, about an hour and a half from the airport where we spent a very pleasant night at a lovely little modern bed and breakfast. We were made very welcome and I have to say we have found the Irish hospitality amazing. We walked into the township just before 11pm and bought a sandwich and yoghurt for tea and returned to our B & B about midnight. It was probably about a 5mile (8km) walk and very pleasant. The streets were lined with pubs and people on the streets. The main street alternated pub, shop, pub, shop and singing and music drifted out the doors. It was a great atmosphere and a balmy evening. Sunday 19 June We started the day with a lovely Irish breakfast. This is typically eggs, bacon, sausages and toast, juice and coffee with Irish soda bread or scones - a great way to start the day. We packed up and drove to Avoca - the town where the tv show Ballykissangel was filmed. It was a delightful quaint town with some great photo opportunities. My new little camera seems to be performing well and is very easy to use. We had a drink at the pub which featured in the tv series - fun. Next stop New Ross where we had a break to walk through the town, then on to Waterford where we had a guided tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory - amazing to see how much work goes into making one piece of crystal. To become a cutter requires a 5 year apprenticeship followed by 3 years of training, to become an engraver requires a 5 year apprenticeship followed by 5 years of training - very specialised work indeed. Next stop Ardmore where we walked down to the beach so that Dave could paddle in the Atlantic Ocean - brrrr, even HIS toes turned blue - it was icy cold! Sunday was a stunning day weather-wise - in fact quite hot. Where is all this cold weather Ireland is purported to have? I only brought jeans with me having been told it wouldn't be warm enough for shorts. Fortunately I have lots of t-shirts - I might need to shop!! Our car has no airconditioning so we drive with the windows open as it becomes very hot and stuffy very quickly. We drove on to Cork where we stayed in a very old B & B. It was very different from the night before but still comfortable. We were really tired and went to bed about 9pm - very unusual for us. It's still daylight here until after 10pm so it was most strange going to bed in daylight! Monday 20 June Had an enormous Irish breakfast again and this time our hostess gave me the recipe for the Irish soda bread they always provide. It's an acquired taste but I have certainly acquired it - especially when it has sultanas in it! This morning we drove to Blarney where we firstly visited Blarney Castle. Here we walked up many many narrow winding steps through the castle ruins past many turrets to the top where we had our opportunity to kiss the blarney stone while being held upside down. This is supposed to give one the gift of eloquent speech so watch out - I'll start talking more than I already do! It was all very interesting and the grounds were very extensive, green and beautiful. From there we walked to the Blarney Woollen Mills - a retail heaven. I bought quite a few little gifts and Dave bought himself a really nice jumper. Next we drove to Cobh (pronouned Cove) - this is the last port of call for the Titanic before it sank. It was after 5pm by then so the museum and heritage centre had closed but we were still able to sight lots of photos and writings about the history of the place. It was a cloudy day today and much cooler than yesterday even requiring a sweatshirt for part of the day. We rang and made a booking at a B & B in the countryside past Kinsale. It was a farmhouse and quite a way off the beaten track along a winding country road. There we had another fantastic welcome and on their suggestion we drove back a couple of kilometres along the road to a restaurant called the Pink Elephant for dinner. The setting was awesome. It overlooked the Atlantic Ocean and a full moon was lightly visible through the clouds. The meal and the service were superb with desserts to die for! I did ask for a decaf coffee afterwards but I rather suspect it was the real thing cos I had a dreadful night - I don't think I slept a wink. In fact I was feeling very chatty so poor Dave had to be kept awake listening to me. I think it must have been the effects of that blarney stone! I do need to make a comment about the Irish townships. They are so gorgeous. The houses are either terraces or semi-detached painted in all different colours and the doors are all brightly painted in bright colours too. There are hangin baskets of flowers on the lamp-posts and everywhere is is green and pretty. A note for CJ and JS - I did have a cappuccino today in an Irish pub (mental note, never order coffee in a pub) - it was bubbly froth and the coffee was so disgusting that I ordered a Baileys which I poured into the coffee to make it much more drinkable! The original coffee rated a 1 but once the Baileys was added it moved to an 8!! Tuesday 21 June This morning we went for a run - our first in Ireland. It was about 5km along a winding country road in a loop back up a steep hill to the B & B. On the way we were met by a herd of cows coming in the opposite direction. A number of them were so anxious to avoid us that they started climbing over each other to get out of our way. We had our breakfast with company this morning - two elderly gentlemen from Wales and an American couple. It was interesting sharing news about our travels. One of the Welsh gentlemen asked us all sorts of questions about running. He said he felt guilty cos he was lighting a cigarette as we ran up the hill! This morning not only included an Irish brekkie but we also had fresh fruit salad and yoghurt and our hostess gave us a doggy bag with left over scones so that we had lunch as well - great. We drove from there back to Kinsale for another look at all the cute nooks and crannies and delightful little shops. Then we drove on to Timoleague Abbey to have a quick look before driving along the N71 to Skibbereen, Bantry and on to Killarney which is part of the Ring of Kerry. The road here showed us quite a different part of Ireland. The terrain is quite treacherous being steep, narrow, very windy and rugged. We noticed the very unusual sheep - more like mountain goats judging by the rocky terrain. They had black faces and horns. The views were magnificent but not being very keen on heights I felt a tad scared on those hills beside sheer drops down the cliff face. What fascinated me was the number of cyclists we came across on those steep narrow roads. How terrifying - I just can't imagine the sheer terror I would feel cycling down those extremely steep narrow hills with sheers drops facing ongoing traffic on every bend - let alone the uphill climbs! I have to say however that the view at the top of those hills is well worth the climb - wow - I just didn't stand too near the edge and I was VERY glad when we reached ground level again. So here we are now in Kilarney. Our B & B is very large and not so personal this time. This seems to be a popular tourist spot as it borders the Ring of Kerry and every second place along the main street is a B & B. Tomorrow we'll drive round the Ring of Kerry, to Dingle and maybe on to Limerick! Now it's 10pm and my tummy tells me it's time for a little something to eat! Phew - I've caught up at last! And there's plenty more adventures to come!

What Hours We Keep!

It's 1.50am - I don't believe the hours we're keeping! I think I have a second wind when I sit down at the computer in the early hours of the morning. Today started with a run at 7.30am - a drizzly morning but we wore singlets and shorts so fairly temperate. We ran to Epsom Common and to the race course where we noticed that Ronan Keating is performing on 7 July while we're in Italy! Apparently the Queen takes her horses to that race course. It was a good run - steady hill on the way there but the way back was great - about 7km all up.

We caught the train to town again after brekkie and went on London buses and the underground to negotiate our way round various places. Also had a coffee in a chocolate shop - they put chocolate slices on top of the froth and a free chocolate truffle came with it - yum! The coffee would only rate a 5 though - the froth was too fluffy! Believe it or not I had a really good coffee in Starbucks in Epsom just after we arrived on Tuesday. Now it could have something to do with the fact that I hadn't had a coffee since we left Canberra but gee I enjoyed it and I never drink coffee in Starbucks. It would rate a good 7! CJ take note!

We had a trip on the London Eye this morning which is new in the last couple of years. It's like a giant ferris wheel only it goes very slowly and you are inside glass so it feels safe! I thought I would be terrified when I looked at it up in the sky but it was amazing. The only problem was the weather - bleak and drizzly so the views were dimmed somewhat but it was still fantastic. We decided, cos of the inclement weather, to gain some culture indoors so we spent the afternoon in the Tate Art Gallery. It was really good. I used an audiovisual guide which made it really interesting. Then we caught a bus to Notting Hill Gate where we used to work in the 70s and went on a trip down memory lane. The building is still there but it's a real estate office now. We worked there when it was an Architects' firm and very new. It still looks good more than 30 years later. To continue the nostalgia bit we had dinner at a fish restaurant where we used to go to - very expensive fish and chips - I think it translates to $60 with a glass of wine! Then it was a mad dash on the train back to the city to go to see the Lion King. We went to Covent Garden Station which is very far underground and thought we'd take the short cut from the bottom as there was a queue for the lift and we ran up 197 steps in a spiral - thought they'd never end. Arrived at the theatre with 1 minute to spare and then had to run up another 100 steps to our spot up in the gods! It was a great show but we bought a bottle of coke each at interval cos we were so tired that as soon as we sat down we kept nodding off - no fault of the show, it was fantastic - bright, colourful and very cleverly done, but gee the theatre was very hot! By the time we walked through Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly after the theatre and caught the train back to Epsom it was well after 1am. John and Gill were still up - they keep late hours too! They arrived home about this time this morning from Portugal. They're such a lovely couple. Tomorrow we should be able to spend some time catching up with them at last. We may have a day in the country instead of dashing back into London.

London Welcomes Us - with Rain!

And so ends our first day in London - wet and cold to start although the sun attempted to come out later in the day. Today we took the train from Epsom, where we're staying, into London city where we saw the usual sights - Piccadilly, Carnaby Street, Trafalgar Square, Soho, Covent Gardens etc then went on to the theatre to see 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'. It was great. It's fun to be in London again, lots of walking and sightseeing and gorgeous accents, but I wish the weather was warmer! The shops were open til 8pm in Oxford Street so we browsed through them in the evening as it's still light here until about 9pm. We had a meal in town before catching the train back to Epsom. It's almost midnight here now so will go to bed as no doubt it will be another full day tomorrow. We plan to go on the London Eye and round the city again, maybe to the art gallery. It's Dave's birthday tomorrow and we've bought tickets to the Lion King tomorrow night after a meal in the city. Meals and clothes are very expensive here. The trick is remembering to convert in your head to Aussie money as it's very easy to think £2 is cheap for an icecream when really that's about $5. We bought the cutest icecreams in the theatre at half time - the old fashioned sort in cardboard containers with plastic spoons inside served on trays by ushers in the theatre - reminded me of half-time at the movies when I was a teenager. Fashions in the shops are interesting. It appears that cork chunky heeled sandals are back in fashion this summer. I wore those in the early 70s - never again. I don't think it's a very flattering style of shoe. I discovered a delightful shop on the way to the railway station in Epsom. It's a dolls' house emporium and wow, it has the most gorgeous treasures in it. The lady who was serving gave me a lovely fat brochure which I'll enjoy drooling over! I bought a universal battery charger for my mini ipod and two little t-shirts today - I am hoping for some warm weather in Europe!

After 27 hours from go to whoa we finally arrived at Heathrow Airport in London. It's been such an exhausting few days and I can hardly believe we're actually here at last. That last stage from Singapore to London felt like forever. I watched lots of movies, read a bit and listened to music but slept little. Dave managed a fair bit of sleep but we both have a lot of catching up to do. I'm hoping to sleep for hours tonight. I finally went to bed at 4am on Monday morning after downloading 200 songs to my mini ipod so I'm due for a good night's sleep! We collected a red Ford Fiesta hire car from Heathrow and drove to Epsom where Dave's cousin lives. They're in Portugal currently but left us the key to their house. They return on Thursday. This is a delightful house - so full of character. The garden is just beautiful and everywhere is so green - it rains here, frequently! Our bedroom is in the attic at the top of three flights of stairs. It's just like a 'Milly Molly Mandy' room! The only problem is the bathroom is one flight down - hope I don't trip over in the dead of night! When Dave collected the key from the neighbour he lent Dave a big map book on England - a lovely old gentleman. We drove to Sainsbury's to buy a few groceries and everybody is so friendly. I just love listening to English accents. They're all different and so interesting. It's so lovely to be here again but I'm so looking forward to that bed tonight. I'm hanging on as long as I can to try to avoid jet lag. We're 9 hours behind Australia so it's 5.45am on Wed over there but here it's 8.45pm on Tuesday night! The forecast tomorrow is for rain. We're taking a train into the city - can't wait to revisit London. My last visit here was 13years ago and so much has changed!

One more sleep!

Where do I start? It's been quite a week! Here I am at well after midnight the night before we leave taping hundreds of songs on my computer in order to download them to my mini ipod. It's taken most of the afternoon with my son Peter's help and now I'm on my own still going strong! It's my last major task now. Jocaine (daughter-in-law) was over this afternoon doing my ironing, helping make pizzas and generally being wonderful and Talia (Miss' almost-three year old' grand-daughter) was being as cute as ever. I am doing a re-pack in the morning. I've decided I'm taking too much. Last minute running gear is still drying. Yes, I did go running this morning down to the lake to meet up with the others and run the lake circuit with them. Peter, Dave, Cathy, Helen & Trath ran with me. It was so nice to have such good company and later two coffees and brekkie when Geoff, Nerida & John joined us. I even took a photo. The time for the actual run (approx 14km for me) was nearly a minute slower than last week but I felt so comfortable that it didn't matter. I actually felt on quite a high chatting with all these great friends. The family and a number of close friends joined us at a dinner on Friday night to celebrate Dave's retirement. We went to Legends in Manuka and had a great evening. And yes, I did swim my 20 laps that morning with Cathy and Dave. Yesterday and today there was last minute shopping to do but I think (I hope) that we are almost there. Tonight Marilyn visited to have a farewell drink with us and tomorrow we'll visit Andrea & Ray to see how their extensions are progressing. We want to see the "before" and "after". I had my nails done Thursday, my budget training Friday (oh joy) and all those last minute emails attended to at work and now tomorrow (actually today now) is THE day. At least I'll have most of the day to re-pack and change my mind three times! I'm finally starting to feel excited. I can't believe this time tomorrow night I'll be trying to sleep on a plane probably flying over Darwin towards Singapore and on to London. Woo hoo - we're almost there!

Dave retires!

Today was Dave's last official day at work forever - wow! I am so envious! Mind you, he'll probably go back on contract work for a few months each year but that's different. I started off the day with brekkie with three girlfriends at Red Belly Black, then I had a meeting in town followed by coffee with another friend then lunch with yet another friend before going to the hairdresser to have a short haircut before I leave. Today I also found the most fantastic Canberra cookbooks to take with me overseas for gifts for our hosts. (I DO work inbetween all this important stuff!) The photos of Canberra and the recipes from classy restaurants are stunning - drool material. I want one myself. It was exciting to find I have two comments on this blog site. Thanks Aki and CJ. Cool, people are actually reading this - I should be able to spice it up a bit next week! I went to the AIS track after work and managed a main set of 6 x 400m. I was so unmotivated and had to force myself to go but I'm really glad I did it. You always feel better afterwards! There were only two of us on the track. We did lots of drills and stretches too. It was good. In fact I wore shorts tonight after feeling far too hot in leggings on Monday night.

One Week to Go!

Went for my early morning swim at Civic - 20 laps - felt good but my time showed otherwise - 30secs slower than last week. Never mind, at least it felt comfortable. Today I actually collected my European passport - a big relief with only a week to go. Tomorrow is the dentist and the public trustee to make a will!! All these last minute things keep cropping up. I managed to catch Geoff's training group at Parliament House tonight. It's very tricky making it by the 5.30pm start but it's a very good work-out and well worth it when I can make it. We did lots of hills (637m laps Wombat tells us) - 6 laps plus the warm up tester and a lap of Parliament House to warm up then cool down! Hard work but saves me rising early tomorrow. I do need more hill run practice though!! However no more of Speedy Geoff's training group til August now.

Countdown!

This morning I ran from home down to Lake Ginninderra where I met up with friends, son & hubby & we ran round the lake then returned to Black Pepper for a drink & were joined by more friends. It was a good run and a very good coffee! It was about 14km for me and I needed that run. Friday morning I swam my 20 laps at Civic Pool and finally improved my swim time. I've entered on-line for City2Surf so I guess that means we'll be running while overseas. Dave has promised to run with me. It's great that he's taken up running and can keep me company. I'm sure there's a strong possibility I would end up lost in Italy somewhere otherwise! Apparently the apartment we have in Florence for a week is near a large park which might make a good running spot. The Vet's Half Marathon and the Sydney Half Marathon are in August/September so if we do have good opportunites to run distances I'll train for them too but I guess we have to play it by ear. The holiday fun comes first! There's only one week tomorrow til we leave - woo hoo!

Wednesday 1 June

I went to AIS track at 6pm after all and ran 8 x 400m as the main set before dashing home after stretches to babysit Miss Two Year Old grand-daughter. It was a good training session but I felt a bit sluggish - started off in gloves and long sleeves but soon stripped down to singlet and "gloves off" as I warmed up. Received an email from our friend in Vienna to say we're welcome to stay there for a few days during our travels. My European passport still hasn't arrived. I think I had better chase that up this week.