Back in the Classroom – Creative Expo Day and an Ignition Outing to The Navy

2013-07-26 | puppy1952

We are really back in the swing of things at my very active school. Looking back I have a feeling of satisfaction that so much has been accomplished because I never believe there’s enough time! The week started with a long ‘to do’ list and two big events to get through. In spite of this we managed to complete all the work planned, fit in an assembly practice and survive the ‘big events’

On Thursday we had our Creative Expo Day. Visitors shopping for the best school for their youngsters popped into our classrooms to see what sort of creative things we did with the children. The Grade Ones have learned all about 2D and 3D shapes and so we decided to do something creative around this. After viewing a PowerPoint presentation on shapes and where we see them in everyday life the children designed a model and then used toothpicks and Jelly Tots to construct a 3D building. What fun the girls had and how impressive their models turned out to be. Girl brains do not get the engineering thing quite as easily as boy brains but most of my princesses managed beautifully. There were one or two who insisted on making pretty shapes in 2D but that’s okay – they’ll get the 3D thing eventually

I wonder how I should design this thing

Totally absorbed in the task

I’ve done it

We joined ours together!

This morning there was great excitement as it was Outing Day! Everybody arrived with packed lunch ready and after reading and handwriting we set off to Simonstown. We call this kind of outing an Ignition Outing the idea being to ignite the children with an idea of what kind of career they might like to enter when they grow up. The naval officer who was our guide told me that he was inspired to join the navy at a young age when he went on a similar class outing. We joined our brother class on this outing and it was clear that it was a big hit with the boys. The girls, however, were also asking questions and thoroughly enjoying the experience although not quite so excited by torpedoes that killed the enemy.

Listening intently to all this new information

Looking at a Battle Ship

May I ring the Captain’s Bell? No!

It would be fun to be a Navy Diver

The children were allowed to explore the Naval Museum, saw a short video on how a helicopters are used for rescue and got to learn about a variety of things you could work at in the Navy. Our handsome young naval guide was brilliant with the children and they all went home with a good insight of what the Navy was about. Thanks to the Moms and Dads who gave up their valuable time to transport us there and back. We really appreciate it.

Weekend at Agulhas National Park

2013-07-24 | puppy1952

As if I haven’t been spoilt enough with overseas travel and being whisked away for a romantic reunion, I found myself off on another lovely weekend with my amazing husband. My school rented our house in Struisbaai for the Prefects’ Leadership training and needed someone to help with the fishing activity. We have always wanted to check out Agulhas National Park Rest camp so Earl volunteered to do the fishing with the kids and we booked into the rest camp.

We left home at 10 to 3 and had a pleasant drive arriving just before six. We booked in at the Sanparks office in Agulhas and then dropped the trailer off at our house in Struisbaai, said Hi to the teachers and boys staying there and then got Pizza from a a local plekkie in Struisbaai and headed to Suiderstrand where the Rest Camp is located.

The Pizza Place

The keys were waiting for us at the gate which is manned 24/7. It was dark when we arrived and very cold. We quickly unpacked and then enjoyed our pizzas before snuggling into our lovely big warm bed. No electric blanket but there was a heater!

Suiderstrand is about 10km from the Agulhas Light House. Accommodation comprises four two-bed and four four-bed self-catering chalets. Our two bed thatched wooden chalet was stunning. The kitchen was fully equipped with a microwave oven and two plate electric cooker. The fridge was big and there was little need to bring anything from home. It had a lovely fireplace and a weber for braaing.

The living area

Cosy Bedroom

Front Deck

The view was amazing. The weather was very cold and windy on Saturday but on Sunday it was still and sunny and we took a long walk along the pristine beach and then back through the fynbos.

On Saturday afternoon we went to Struisbaai and Earl did the fishing activity with the prefects on the beach. It was windy but the kids did not seem to mind. They had a wonderful time and one team caught a smooth hound shark which caused great excitement.

Earl Mentoring the next generation

The smooth hound shark

On Saturday evening Earl cooked a chicken in the Weber with sweet potatoes and lots of lovely vegetables. Dessert was nougat and rooibos tea in bed! In spite of having a fire it was freezing!

As I mentioned before Sunday was a stunning day – isn’t that typical – the day you need to leave is the day the weather improves! But it did give us a taste of what it can be like at this resort in good weather.

Shells on the beach

Unspoilt Pristine Beach

Perfect Day

Enjoying the sunshine

white-fronted plover

Karoo Prinia

Double Collared Sunbird singing

Showing his yellow epaulettes beautifully

View towards the chalets

At 11 o’clock we drove to Struisbaai to collect the trailer. On the way we net up with this black shouldered kite.

Black-shouldered kite

We stopped at Peregrine Farm Stall for coffee and croissants along with many others out on this beautiful Sunday afternoon

To end a perfect weekend we took ourselves off to Just Sushi for supper – Excellent as always!

Back in the Classroom – Third Term, Mandela Day and Creative Kids

2013-07-22 | puppy1952

Although I had enjoyed a stunning three weeks abroad on my own I couldn’t wait to get home to my husband and family. The plan was to land in Cape Town at lunch time on Saturday giving me a day and an half to prepare myself for school. But that didn’t happen did it! Because my grandson was to have a birthday party that night my amazing husband decided to whisk me away for a Romantic Reunion and save me from the invasion of a dozen teenagers!

The following morning we went to see my daughter in her new flat and then to lunch with friends! The last thing on my mind on Sunday evening then was school! Isn’t it amazing thought that when you’ve been doing this job forever you just walk straight in and it is as if you haven’t been away. The only thing I forgot was to bring back the freshly washed chairbags! “You see girls,” I said. “You should never be in a muddle on your first day of school. You should get everything ready the night before!” They all agreed but were very forgiving nevertheless. Within five minutes we were back into the swing of things. The girls clearly had a great holiday and were ready for action. They were excited to begin writing in feint lines and I am proud of how well they are coping. We also began our sum cards which are not very easy to set out, Moms and Dads and there were a few glitches about skipping a line and muddling plus and minus but it won’t be long before these little geniuses have that sorted too.

Mandela Day was the big event of the week. Sadly the day dawned rather cold and overcast and rain was imminent when we all went out to sit in formation on the netball court and sing to Madiba. The photograph of the children with a drawing of Mandela’s face is awesome. Go to the school’s webpage to see this. http://blogs.sunvalleygroup.co.za/

The Grade Ones were about to go and do their 67 minutes of community service and we were ready and armed with our black bags for a litter clean up. One of my princesses piped up “We can’t go out in this weather. It’s too cold. I might get sick.” “No,” I replied, “We’re doing this for Madiba – we must be strong and brave!” “Yes,” replied another “We’re not that kind of princess!” We’re certainly not – we’re the hard-working kind! But the heavens opened and the rain came down so our 67 minutes had to be postponed after all! Even tough princesses could melt in the rain. Instead of the litter clean up and gave the girls a brief lesson on the life of Nelson Mandela and showed them a clip from the internet planning to stop it if it was beyond their understanding. But they were riveted and had many questions to ask. They were horrified to hear that apartheid meant segregated beaches, busses and classrooms. I also showed them a clip of Johnny Cleg dancing with Mandela and that got some of them up and dancing too.

On Friday we got stuck into a cooperative activity. The girls brought boxes of all shapes and sizes and designed a city. The idea was to build the kind of buildings they would see in their community. I was delighted to see how well they worked together and how creative they were with the limited materials they had.

An Adventure Abroad – Whisked away for a Romantic Reunion

2013-07-13 | puppy1952

Travelling alone has been an amazing experience. I am used to having a husband worrying about checking in luggage, boarding passes, time constraints and direction finding. He fusses and checks and makes sure I have everything and frets over me like a male version of a mother hen. It is I who always says – stop fussing – relax and have fun. But I’ve relied on him specially to find our way to unknown places because I have such a useless sense of direction and a devil may care attitude to where I am in space. So when I found myself having to find boarding gates etc all on my own I realised how lucky I’ve been having somebody else to do the concentrating for me. However, I am now quite proud of myself for coping on my own without getting lost! My baby brother tended to take on the role of fuss pot when he was with me and tore his hair out at my apparent lack of attention to my surroundings but when I was alone, I coped didn’t I! Thank you men in my life – I really do appreciate your concern and yes – it is easier having you guys showing me where North is. And now I shall return to depending on my fabulous husband for travel support because I missed him too much to do this alone again – well not for a long while anyway!

Nicholas fought the London traffic to get me to Heathrow before 7 p.m. on Friday night. Terminal Three was hugely busy and I hadn’t checked in online! But a pleasant young man helped us self check in and when that didn’t work disappeared for a few minutes with my passport before returning with my boarding pass – an aisle seat hooray! We were told that the plane was delayed due to a fuel spill on the tarmac and Nick and I were about have a meal together when I checked the board to see that I needed to go to the departure hall. A quick goodbye and I dashed off – Nick had already ordered but fortunately I hadn’t. Checking through security did not go well. My shoes caused me to bleep – they had a metallic strip or something – and I was thoroughly searched. Then my bags held too many small bottles of liquid and they combed through both my handbag and cabin bag with great thoroughness. I had to part with a bottle of perfume and a tube of liquid foundation! Be warned – put shampoos etc in the hold luggage. What I find strange is that I could buy more at the duty free shop which would be put into a sealed bag – why couldn’t they just put my own stuff in a sealed bag?

Once that was all sorted out, it was a very long walk to the boarding gate – I had absolutely no time to shop nor to claim back the tax on my purchases! Boarding was almost immediate and done systematically – first class, parents with children then section by section so there was no crush in the aisles. I was delighted to find that I had a vacant seat between me and two unaccompanied teenaged girls. One was returning from visiting her aunt and cousins in Toronto – she was exhausted from her long journey. The other was from Sydney, had been visiting a friend in London and was on her way to an exchange programme at Reddam House School. The flight was smooth and having that spare seat helped with leg room and I slept on an aeroplane for the first time in my life! Virgin Atlantic flights are great but the legroom is very limited. I don’t know how tall people manage!

I had two hours to transfer at Johannesburg and it took that long to get through customs, go to the loo, collect baggage, find domestic departures and get through security to my SAA flight! When I got to my seat I found it occupied by a young boy. It was clear that he was with his family so I guessed there was some mistake. I approached the air hostess and asked her to sort it out. He was in the wrong seat and his mom asked if I would mind swapping – of course I wouldn’t. I found myself seated with a German family – Mom, Dad and daughter. They live in Cape Town and were returning from visiting relatives back home. The little girl attends the German School and Mom is a teacher there so we had a lot in common and chatted happily during the second half of the trip. I slept for the first hour! Am I getting used to flying or what! It was an airbus and the legroom on SAA was way better than Virgin Atlantic.

I cannot describe how delighted I was to see my husband waiting for me at Arrivals. And to make it even better he announced, “Jay’s having a party tonight so we’re not going home!’ He whisked me off to city hotel for a romantic reunion undisturbed by a teenage birthday party! He is a Procard holder and had a Freebie due to him!

So here I am at Protea Hotel – Fire and Ice. We had a high quality meal with excellent service and freshly back from the UK and Europe I really appreciated how comparatively inexpensive it was! In addition the Procard gave us two mains for the price of one! When travelling overseas be prepared to pay double what we pay here in Cape Town to eat out. That is what I worked on and having had a meal here at home I find that I am spot on. The Fire and Ice is an interesting hotel with a sense of humour. Going to the loo left you with choices – The Outhouse or Stage Fright? + a few others whose titles I forget.

The Lift is made to look like a shark cage

The View of our beautiful city

Our Vegetarian meal

The Outhouse

Stage Fright – Would you like to be watched while you perform?

So I am back in Cape Town but not yet home. Tomorrow I will pop in to see Laurie’s new flat and then it’s home to hug my grandchildren.

An Adventure Abroad – Buckingham Palace and Spoiling Myself

2013-07-12 | puppy1952

My adventure abroad is almost over and I have had an amazing time. Today I made up my mind to be extravagant. I would buy myself something special – why? Because I’m 60 and I can!

Before going to Paris, I saw a dress in a boutique called ‘East” that I just loved but I had not yet made the decision to spoil myself. The price tag on this item translated to more than I would dream of paying for a simple day dress! When I told my brother and friends in Britain they all looked at me strangely and said – Ridiculous – that is not a lot of money! Go and get the dress! I emailed my girlfriends back home and they all replied – Buy the jolly dress! So – today I went back to the same shop in Covent Garden only to find that they did not have my size! But I just loved that dress so tried one on in the bigger size – mmm – It looked great and I know a good dressmaker back home who could take it in just a little. I told the assistant I would take it but wanted to try one or two other things too. She hung the dress outside the cubicle while I tried on the other garments. I heard another client ask, “Do you have that in a 12.” “I will go and look upstairs,” came the reply. She returned to say that mine was the last one. I popped my head out and asked if perhaps there was a 10 upstairs – No – but there was an 8. I tried it and it was perfect! The other client was over the moon and we both left delighted with our purchases!

After this exhausting bit of shopping I just had to sit down and have something to eat but Covent Garden on a beautiful summers day is teeming with people and I couldn’t find an empty table anywhere. At Covent Garden Kitchen I saw a single lady about my age eating alone. I approached her and asked – “Would it be terribly rude if I asked to share your table?” If she did she didn’t say. As it turned out we got along very well together and by the time we parted company we knew a good deal about each other! She is from Windsor. Her daughter is getting married. She was shopping for something to wear. The wedding will be a fancy affair in France. Was the crime is South Africa as bad as she’d heard or would it be a good place for a holiday. Yes to both questions – just be careful, as you would in London!

The waitress was delightful. When she served me I just knew she wasn’t British. She spoke with the right accent but something about her made me think – South African? I can’t put my finger on what it was but I just knew. Was it her energy, the way that she moved, her manner? I don’t know. She took my order and then asked, “Are you South African? I know the accent, I was born in South Africa!” Her father was South African, her mother Korean! They divorced when she was 10 and her mother brought her to England. She sees her father regularly and will be visiting him in Jeffrey’s Bay in December. She can’t wait to have a braai and boerewors and cream soda that is green!

Anna the British/Korean/South African Waitress

From Covent Garden I took myself off to see Buckingham Palace. I got off the tube at Green Park and strolled through the park. Why is it called Green Park? Well because it is green – all lawn and trees and no colourful flowers. It’s a place where people got to relax, enjoy the sun or the shade and deck chairs are available for hire.

Green Park

Near the entrance to Green Park Tube station is the Diana Drinking fountain. It is the work of EJ Clack and paid for by the Constance Fund. It has drinking bowls for both humans and dogs. The statue depicts Diana unleashing her hunting dog as in Ancient Rome, Diana was the Goddess of the Hunt as well as an emblem of chastity. The fountain was erected in 1952.

The Diana Drinking Fountain in Green Park where people fill their water bottles.

After taking in the splendour of the palace I browsed around the souvenir shop and admired replicas of the royal household dinner services. There was a cheap version in tin – which would be in my price range! When the queen was still a princess she toured South Africa with her parents and sister. In fact she celebrated her 21st birthday in the country and was presented with a Diamond Necklace by the people of South Africa. Swarovski Crystals have made a replica at a fraction of the price! Today I indulged and bought myself the necklace with matching earrings. I am afraid that is as Royal as I will ever get to be!

Me in new dress and jewels

After drooling over the Royal Life Style I returned home and insisted that Nicholas and I dine out so I could pretend to be a real princess for one evening. After last night’s excellent curry we did not fancy Indian nor did I want Chinese so Nicholas went to great effort to find me an Italian Restaurant in an area he didn’t know very well. The food was superb and the Bulgarian waiter charming but paying the bill was an experience as they only accepted cash but allowed us to go to a wine shop up the road and use their card facility! Perhaps it was a bit dodgy? Who knows but we had a fabulous time.

Tomorrow I am going to see Jenny who is still very weak after her surgery. I don’t think I shall blog again till I return to Cape Town on Saturday. What an amazing holiday I have had!

An Adventure Abroad – Last Day in Paris

2013-07-11 | puppy1952

On Tuesday we were pretty tired after touring Paris so we bought delicious food from the local supermarket and ate it in our room. After I had blogged we felt refreshed and decided to pop out for a glass of wine and coffee. How wonderful to just step out of your hotel and just a minute away find a suitable pavement cafe with very friendly service. A charming young man, broke straight into English when he heard our poor to non-existent French. He was wearing an All Black’s supporter’s jersey and told us that he loved Rugby and the All Blacks (He was in fact not French but Spanish.) At the table next to us sat a man of mature years (about 65). His glass was empty, his change on a saucer in front of him and he was fast asleep. Our young waiter tried to wake him but was brushed off. He shrugged – I will let him sleep, he said. I know this man – he does not usually do this. And he slept on for another half an hour before getting up and taking his leave. I guess he’d had a hard day and just needed a drink and a snooze before going home to deal with whatever he had to deal with.

A Carafe of very good Sauvignon Blanc

The next morning we were up early and got packed up for our departure. We had our usual breakfast of Coffee and Croissants, this time at the same cafe that we went to last night. Everything went very smoothly! We then fetched our luggage, checked out and took the Metro to Garde Nord where we hired a large locker to leave our bags. We were then free to enjoy our last day in Paris!

First stop was The Louvre. I’d been there once before and loved it and couldn’t wait to return. And it was great – I hired auditory commentary and it was interesting to get the background into the various works of art. But at my first visit I there had not been all the crowds! It was unpleasant. In spite of the exhibition halls being huge you still had to contend with people bumping into you and elbowing you out of the way! The hall where the Mona Lisa hung was impossible. We took one glance at her and left! People were flashing cameras at her and getting heated and excited when they should really have just looked quietly and taken her in! One wonders what Leonardo would have thought of all the hype and fuss.

After we could stand it no longer we left and found a fabulous little eatery. It cost a little more than the snacks we’d grabbed previously but was not as expensive as I thought it would be. Linda had a Caesar Salad that she said was the best she’d ever experienced. I had a salmon and cream cheese bagel with came with fried potatoes. We were given a bottle of iced water and slices of baguette on the table too. People complain that the French are unfriendly and rude. We have only found them charming. The restauntier made a huge fuss of us saw to our every need. We were seated next to two charming businessmen who also helped us understand.

A splendid French Meal

Santé

After lunch we made our way to Notre Dame. We visited the crypt which was very interesting. The archaeological Crypt under the Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris was built to protect the ruins discovered during the excavations that began in 1965. The crypt was opened in 1980 with the aim of presenting elements from the successive buildings constructed on the site from Ancient times to the 19^th century.

Notre Dame

We decided not to explore the cathedral because the queue was extremely long. With a Paris Pass you are supposed to have fast track access but that was not happening and we were in no mood to fight the crowds as our time was limited. Instead we sat under some shady trees in a nearby park then had a drink at a cafe. We made our way back to the tube and crossed this interesting and romantic bridge.

It’s where young lovers lock thier love forever and throw away the key. The Pont des Arts, sometimes known as the Pont Amoureux or ‘Lover’s Bridge’, is the place where lifelong romance begins. Many couples engrave their names onto padlocks, lock it to the bridge and then toss the key into the Seine – a sign of their eternal love.

We then made our way back to Gare Nord where we took the EuroStar back to London. I had some Euros left so went to the bar on the train and got us each a carafe sized bottle of wine and some snacks. A very civilised way to travel.

Getting back to Nicholas was simple too and bless him, he had a wonderful curry dinner waiting for me. I was exhausted and went to bed straight after supper!

An Adventure Abroad – The French Metro, Hop on Hop Off Bus, Galeries La Fayette, The Eiffel Tower and Seine Cruise

2013-07-09 | puppy1952

Wow, What a day! Queues, heat, standing, waiting – but all worth it to see the amazing sights of Paris. Our plan for these few days is to breakfast on coffee and croissants, find a cheap lunch and maybe do supper at a pavement cafe. Breakfast this morning was a minor disaster. We stopped at a nearby pavement cafe ordered coffee and 2 croissants but I made the fatal mistake of asking for jam. Our waiter did not understand the word. Some other patrons and baguettes, butter, Nutella and jam so I pointed to the jam and said – that’s what I want. He brought me baguettes etc. Oh dear. No – That’s not what I want – croissant sil vou pleis. I waited a while and he returned to say there were no more. I actually didn’t believe him but there was little point arguing in English so I drank my coffee, Linda had her croissant and then we got a croissant for me from a little cafe!

Paris is the city of love as can be seen outside our breakfast place

Now the French Metro is not as user friendly as the London Underground. And that’s just not two old ladies who think this. We found young English couple looking to go to the same station as us equally confused. I asked an attendant where to go and problem was solved! We had to change trains and managed that with difficulty but we now fancy ourselves as experts!

Double Decker Metro Train

We got the Hop on Hop off bus from the foot of the Eiffel Tower and it was great. Earphones were provided and commentary in one’s preferred language could be heard. The music in between though became irritating. We saw all the wonderful sights of Paris the details of which were just too many for me to remember.

Hop on Hop Off Bus

The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was the main exhibit of the Paris Exposition — or World’s Fair — of 1889. It was constructed to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and to demonstrate France’s industrial prowess to the world. It was supposed to be dismantled after the fair but the Parisians decided to keep it. Imagine Paris without it? During the Second World War General von Choltitz was ordered to burn France but he refused and so many of France’s ancient buildings including the Eiffel Tower were saved.

We saw many other beautiful examples of architecture and magnificence but I will not bore you with them all here.

Linda and I hopped of the bus to explore the exclusive department store Galerie La Fayette. I have never seen so many shoes, perfumes, make up counters or clothes in my entire life. Every designer in the world must have been represented and it was crawling with thousands of shoppers. I found it quite stifling and I could not find one thing I liked. Or there were a couple of things that were okay but at an enormous price – like hundreds of euros. No item of clothing is worth that much money – well not to a pleb like me anyway.

We hopped back on the bus and got off at the Foot of the Eiffel Tower again. Then we sweated and fretted in a long queue for the privilege of ascending the Tower in a lift. Wow! The view was amazing. We went up to the second level but decided not to go all the way up which was really too high for two nervous old ducks.

After this adventure we found a shady spot near a library, bought a choc chip muffin and mineral water and sat and replenished ourselves before going on the Seinne Cruise. Another long wait in the queue only to have to wait half an hour as the barge was full! We were not happy about that as our Paris Pass was supposed to fast track us past long queues. Not so for all attractions we discovered. Anyway the cruise was lovely but when we got back we bought chocolate ice creams which we ate in the shade of the bridge and then got the Metro back home.

We bought baguettes, one filled with ham and salad and the other with chicken and salad, some juice and brought them to our room where we ate them for supper. Now we are exhausted and we’re going to bed!

An Adventure Abroad – Eurostar, Hotel Victory Galou, Basilico and Pavement Cafe

2013-07-09 | puppy1952

I began this post last night but the internet played up horribly and I had to give up. I am trying again. Hopefully, it allows me to finish this post and today’s

8 July 2013

I am having the most amazing adventure in Paris. Linda and I both suffer from the same malady of direction disfunction so we are enjoying getting lost together. Well perhaps she is not quite a seriously affected as me she has some notion of how to read a map – but I – I have no clue and I don’t even care! I just wonder around enjoying the sights and only worry about getting back to where I should be much later – much, much later.

We were up at the crack of dawn this morning and it was just a tad chilly. I donned cool clothes and added a long cardigan. Linda wore jeans and long-sleeved shirt. We parked at Hitchin and caught the train to St Kings Cross. Crossed over to St Pancras and had a cup of coffee and croissant before passing through customs and onto the Eurostar train. It was enormously comfortable and the trip to Paris Nord was quick and painless. I slept most of the way but did get to enjoy the journey through the French countryside.

St Pancras Station

Me with my Eurostar Ticket

Arriving at Paris Nord we tried to orientate ourselves and make sense of the instructions to the hotel. A certain French lady tried to help us but in the end we got a map from a nearby hotel and navigated our way with only one or two wrong turns.

Hotel Victory Glaou is not The Hilton nor The Savoy – but our room is somewhat bigger than the one Nicholas and I shared in Arras. We have a double and single bed and a table and chairs! The bathroom though small boasts a bath with a shower over it. The people are friendly and speak reasonable English.

After checking in we negotiated the streets of Paris once more and found the place where we had to get our Paris Pass. We then went shopping and Linda found something she liked, but I am still looking! We then returned to the hotel and had a nap before going out to look for a place to eat. We decided to find Sacre Coeur Basilica and this took a bit of navigation and by the time we’d found it and climbed the steps to visit it we felt we deserved a good dinner at one of the fashionable pavement cafes in the area.

Climbing the steps to the Basilica

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is known as Sacre-Coeur Basilca. It is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. It is located at the summit of Montmartere, the highest point in the city. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War 1 in 1919.

The View was worth The Climb

It was not easy finding a pace to eat. The weather is stunning. Every Parisian and Tourist is out enjoying the balmy evenings but finally we found a tiny hole in the wall restaurant among all the other more popular ones and the French restaurateur was charming. His English was limited and French almost non existent but we managed. I had a salmon quiche and Linda Lasagne – Italian I know but that is what she felt like. We shared a carafe of sauvignon blanc and ended with excellent coffee.

It was not easy finding a table at the many and popular eateries but we were lucky

Delicious Food

An Adventure Abroad – Red Kite and Woburn Abbey Estate

2013-07-07 | puppy1952

I do find all the names of places I visit confusing. Yesterday I mentioned the town of Hitchin but forgot to say the village near to this town where I am staying is Shillington. It used to be Shitlington but when Queen Victoria was about to visit it, they tarted it up and renamed it Shillington, Shitlington sounding a bit rude.

This morning after coffee and croissants for breakfast (We’re getting ready for the French way) we drove to Hitchin and bought our tickets for St Pancras. We will be leaving very early! Be warned those reading this blog and living in England. If you intend to take a train from your home station and then get the Eurostar – book a ticket from your station and it will be cheaper

We now have all our ducks in a row for our travels tomorrow. A Paris Pass entitles us to free Metro travel, entrance into most of the attractions and no waiting in long queues.

After all our chores were done we drove to Woburn Abbey Estate.

Hertfordshire is famous for seeing red kites and I have been looking out for them since my arrival. Linda was determined to find me at least one and drove to all the spots she’d seen them and to where she had heard they hung out. Finally I yelled – there’s one and we were lucky enough to find a turning to a farm gate where we could stop and observe this lovely creature in the sky.

Red Kite

The 13th Duke of Bedford moved to Monte Carlo in 1975. His son Robin, who enjoyed the courtesy title Marquess of Tavistock, ran the Abbey with his wife in his father’s absence.

The Marquess of Tavistock became the 14th Duke on the death of his father in November 2002. The 14th Duke was the briefest holder of the Dukedom and died in June 2003.

On the death of the 14th Duke, his son Andrew became the 15th Duke, and he continues his father’s work in running the Woburn Abbey Estate.

We explored the village and visited some of the Antique and Novelty shops.

Woburn Village

Antique Dinky Toys like my brothers used to have

After browsing for a while we went to The Black Horse for lunch.

A rather out of proportion statue of The Black Horse I think

We sat in under shady trees and enjoyed goats cheese and ciabatta and salad

The Woburn Abbey Deer Park is 3,000 acres in size and is one of the largest private conservation parks in Europe, surrounded by a seven mile long wall. We took a short drive through the section before you pay to enter and spotted some beautiful deer.

Snoozing in the shade

Having a snack

This evening Linda and I sat in William’s lovely garden and enjoyed Pims and a delicious supper of spit roast chicken, sweet potato and Greek Salad. Thank you Linda – you are an excellent caterer!

An Adventure Abroad – Hitchin and Cambridge

2013-07-07 | puppy1952

I am in the small market town of Hitchin, Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom and have had a delicious taste of Village Life. Neighbourliness and a sense of belonging are not dead and I found the people warm and friendly and quite different to the Londoners.

I love Linda’s cosy cottage and although she says she wishes she had a little more space, I think its incredible how well she manages the space she does have. To say the least her home has character!

I just love the red front door

And the welcome sign on the back door – Yes she does have a black cat

Whiskers the Black Cat

This morning we ‘went out’ for breakfast. This meant going to the local store which is also the post office to buy some croissants and enjoying them in the church yard.

The Corner Shop

Shop Keeper and Post Mistress

On our walk Linda introduced me to everyone we passed and they were all warm, friendly and cheerful.

Early Morning Horse Rider pass through the village

Early Morning Horse Riders pass through the village and call a cheery greeting to Linda.

It was a perfect day and lovely to sit in the peaceful churchyard and enjoy our croissants. A little Robin Redbreast hopped into view and posed obligingly.

Little Robin Redbreast

We chatted to a man who was tending his parents’ and grandparents’ graves.

The graves are tended with loving care

This Octogenarian has lived in the village all his life. Here he tends the graves of his wife and two of her friends.

The church dates back to the 18th Century

The Old School – now a residence

After a pleasant walk along country lanes and exploring the allotments we went home and enjoyed a cold ginger beer in this pretty little garden that Linda is looking after while her neighbour is away.

William’s Garden

This lovely butterfly enjoys the garden too.

Cambridge was our next port of call. It is about half an hour’s drive from Hitchin. You park some distance from the city and then get a bus in.

The University of Cambridge is the second oldest university in the English Speaking World. (Oxford is the oldest) It is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world. It was established in 1209. It now has 31 colleges and six academic schools. All these university institutions occupy different locations in the town and the student life thrives with numerous opportunities in the arts, sport clubs and societies.

But today we were there not for academia but for the shopping and the markets. The city was teeming with people and there was a lively vibe in every corner.

Not from 13th Century England

Cambridge today

Dressed up for the Shakespeare Festival

Me and a member of the Royal Guard

Button Necklaces on sale at one of the Markets

We had a thoroughly good time exploring the markets and shops and although there were many eateries; they were all full and expensive. So we decided to get wraps and juice from Marks and Spencer and found a comfortable wall where we sat and enjoyed our snacks. How sophisticated is that!

Me having a drink and M&S snack.

Later in the afternoon we browsed around John Lewis, did not find anything to buy and then went to their uncrowded restaurant for tea/coffee. We met Linda’s Italian friend, Maria there and it was great chatting to this lovely girl.

Linda and Maria

On our way home we stopped to take a photograph of the scenic view of Bedfordshire.

It had been a pretty hectic day and so we decided to go to the local pub for dinner. At 8 o’clock it was till warm and light and we sat outdoors in sleeveless dresses and no jersey.

The Local

Being shown to our table

Lambs liver for me, chicken for Linda

Cheers!

The food was good, the wine divine and the service excellent. The final test was the coffee and they passed with flying colours because I asked for ‘coffee that an Italian or Belgian would enjoy.’ “Yes, Ma’m – I’ll put an extra shot of espresso in it!’

An Adventure Abroad – British Rail, Meeting People, Good Friends

2013-07-06 | puppy1952

At last summer has arrived in the UK – so good to be in summer clothes and no jersey for the past two days!

Getting from one place to another in The UK is a breeze. I had a fair distance to travel today and at home I could not have done it without a car. Once again I found myself walking to the tube station with day pack on my back and dragging my trolley bag behind me. Nobody gave me a second glance, the train arrived within seconds and I hopped on. I have now got to know the system so well that when another tourist asked me which station he needed to get off at for Buckingham Palace, I was able to tell him!

I changed trains at Green Park to get onto the Victorian Line to Euston where I bought an overground ticket to Tring. I was early and hungry not having had breakfast. I was spoilt for choice but finally settled for Marks and Spencer where I got myself a croissant and coffee and sat down amongst a million other travellers to enjoy my snack. Finding which platform to get my train was a tad confusing but I managed it without help. I felt a bit of an idiot when my ticket wouldn’t swipe at the turnstile but a gallant attendant showed me that it worked differently to my oyster card and I had to put it into a slot where it disappeared and then came out the other end! Hopping onto the crowded train on Platform 8 I called out to the air – Does the train stop at Tring. A lovely young man told me that indeed it did and got into conversation with me. He was with his wife and 4-year-old daughter who were seated, but like me he was standing with the luggage and push chair. They had come up from Devon four hours away and were on their way to see Granny. It’s the first time that any British stranger has spoken more than 10 words to me on a train. In the 30 or so minutes we travelled together I found out that he had a lovely home overlooking the sea, was on his second marriage and had 3 other children, had never travelled out of Britain and worked at a zoo! I found it amusing that he had never heard of Cape Town and thought that Mandela was still President of South Africa.

Tring Station

I spent the afternoon with Jenny who is now home from hospital but very weak and still suffering pain. It was good to see her and all she wanted was for me to chat to her but begged me not to make her laugh – it hurt too much! While I was there her plumber came to do some work and I was delighted to find that he was from Pietermaritzburg and of course the job was done perfectly!

Linda fetched me at quarter to six. We passed by Dustable Downs and stopped to photograph this lion!

Lion marking a wild life park at Dunstable Downs

This is the information I Google about this landmark.

This is a creation of the 20th century, built in 1933 from a design by Mr. R.B. Brooke-Greaves to indicate the position of Whipsnade wildlife park. It is the largest of all the figures and after being cut in outline only it is now a solid figure making it a very impressive site even from some distance. Being so conspicuous it is effectively used to advertise the zoo. The lion was covered for the duration of the war with netting, turf and paint. The lion is occasionally illuminated and was so for the 50th birthday of the zoo in 1981, the lights have been recently replaced. The lion is home to a colony of cavies and wallabies which can be seen occasionally on the lion.

An Indian Ocean with an appropriate name

We stopped to pick up an Indian take-away and I was very impressed with the service. We were shown to a waiting area where we could watch Wimbledon and have a glass of wine. The menu was brought to us and it was very civilised. Within 20 minutes we had our meal which we took back to Linda’s house and enjoyed in the garden. Remember it’s light here till well after 9 and we sat outdoors without jerseys!

Linda in her lovely English garden

Red wine and curry – delicious

I was delighted to find this Song Thrush gathering berries for his supper

It was midnight before Linda and I after a good natter got to bed. I was too tired to Blog which is why it’s only appearing now!

An Adventure Abroad – Squirrels, Foxes and The Transport Museum

2013-07-05 | puppy1952

It is going to be a short blog today. Three days exploring the The Great War Battlefields with a brother who knows every detail of it, left me feeling somewhat exhausted so I had a bit of a rest day today – though you wouldn’t say it as I am Blogging past midnight!

My holidays are usually spent in some African Game Reserve but even in the city my eyes are always searching for wild-life. Today was the first really warm day I have experienced in London. The animals that inhabit Nicholas’s garden thought so too and I was privileged to spot a squirrel scampering about on the lawn before scurrying up a tree.

He found a tasty morsel

The wood pigeons are always in the trees in this lovely English garden.

I only set off to London after 2 o’clock this afternoon, The Transport Museum in Covent Garden being my destination. The lift/elevator is a time machine and it takes you back to 1800

Back to 1800

I spent a couple of hours in the past exploring this wonderful museum. Let the photographs do the talking.

Coach Travel - how exciting it must have been

A Horse-drawn Bus

People in a grand railway coach

Buses

The exhibits were superb and the explanations clear and concise. If ever you are in London The Transport Museum is a must.

Covent Garden is always an interesting place to visit with its pavement restaurants, markets and entertainment. I browsed around, bought some gifts and then went to meet Nicholas on the tube. He cooked a Tappas for dinner and then we went shopping at Tescos – at 11 o’clock at night – The shops stay open 24/7 in this place.

I know there is a fox in the garden and this evening he was kind enough to show himself. Foxes are not popular with people who share premises with them – do not stand in their droppings nor let your pet roll in it. The smell is impossible to remove.