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A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Trieste Italy

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Monday, 17 June 2024

When I awoke at half past seven this morning The Splendida had already docked. It was a beautiful, clear morning and Trieste looked magnificent.

When researching this trip the kids all felt that the excursion to Venice was way too expensive and that they would do it on their own. They would take a water taxi to the city and perhaps go for the gondola experience.

The Earl woke up with a cough and a blocked nose and did not feel well so he opted to give today a miss. We had, in any case, decided not to go with the kids but to explore Trieste on our own. With him not being up to anything, I decided to go along with the kids.

To quote Robbert Burns, “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.” We discovered that there is no water taxi from Trieste to Venice! There is one from where the ships used to dock near Venice but they are no longer allowed to do that. The only way to get there would be a two to three-hour train trip. As it was already 10 o’clock when we discovered our error it was too late to rush off and risk missing the train back before the ship departed! So instead we explored Trieste on our own and did an hour-long hop-on hop-off bus trip! Note to self – There was a reason the organised trip to Venice was so expensive – pay the price or miss out! We had all been to Venice before so we weren’t too disappointed,

The architecture in Trieste is influenced by the period when the city was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1867 and 1918.

Piaza Unita
Sasha waiting for the girls in the shade of a statue
Neptune

Photos from the bus trip are below. We listened to an audio guide through our earphones but taking photos through the windows of a moving bus was not easy. I am showing just a few. Everybody in Trieste, we were told, loves swimming and we drove past a very long promenade which I think is called Barcola. There are play parks for children and plenty of trees providing shade. For most of the locals, it is part of their routine to swim in the sea every day during the summer months.

Waiting to board the bus
Our Ship dominating the port
The canal
Teatro Romano was built in the first century AD.
Neoclasical Style Church Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo
James Joyce lived and wrote his novel, Ulysses in Trieste. His kids were born here too.
Part of The Barca

When we got off the bus we treated ourselves to some amazing Italian gelato. I then took some photos of some of the many sculptures

Sculptor Fiorenso Bacci’s bronze statue depicts a bersagliere carrying a Tricolour Flag as he enters the city. Three girls from Trieste are intent on sewing the flag that would wave from the bell tower of San Giusto on 30 October 1918.

Le Ragazze di Trieste sewing the tricolour and the bergsalierie carrying it
In 1916 Naszrio Sauro was hanged as a traitor by the Austrians as he fought for the unification of Trieste to Italy

When I got back to the shop Earl was feeling a bit better. We will go to dinner and the theatre tonight. The ship departs at 7. Tomorrow is a sea day so no internet.

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Bari, Italy

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Sunday, 16 June 2024

The MSC Splendida docked at Bari at 07:00. Our clocks were put back an hour at midnight last night. Departure was at 14:00 so our visit to the town of Bari was brief.

Of course, it was hot! The Earl decided not to come with us. Instead, he explored the ship and had a great morning.

Dominika, Sash, Lisa, Lollz, and I walked all the way into town. We walked along the waterfront and went to see the Basilica of San Nicola. We then explored the narrow streets and the town square. We visited another church too. The photos depict all of what we saw on our excursion.

The ship
The Adriatic Sea in the background – Sasha, Lollz, Lisa, Dominika
Such a beautiful walk
The basilica
Statue of Saint Nicola
Lollz and I lit candles for my parents
Love the narrow alleys
Lisa in bari
Dominika
The Theatre

When we returned, the Earl told me he had found a quieter spot on Deck 14. We found a table easily and soaked in the hot tub before swimming in the pool, There were very few people in this part of an otherwise very busy deck.

The ship departed later than scheduled as some passengers had not yet embarked. We think they forgot to put their watches back an hour and were confused about the departure time!

Earl in the hot tub
VIew of the ship from an upper deck
Costa Deiizia was docked near us. The Earl and I enjoyed a Costa Cruise in 2019

We all went to the theatre together this evening. The show was called Light and Shadows and the performer, a man and his lady assistant, simply used their hands and a few simple props to create the most amazing images on a screen. It was an amusing and excellent performance for which they received a standing ovation,

After the show, we had drinks in one of the lounges. We usually go to the early sitting for dinner but Lisa and Dominika assured us that there would be space at their table so we went to the later sitting. There was a chance we would not be allowed in and would have to go to the buffet but it all turned out well.

This waiter entertained us with a magic trick
Then made a crown for The Earl

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Corfu

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Saturday, 15 June 2024

Yesterday we reported to housekeeping that a small section of the carpet near the entrance to the bathroom was slightly damp. It didn’t bother us but we thought they should know before the situation worsened. They responded immediately and sent somebody to investigate.

Later in the evening, the phone rang and someone from the Guest Service Team thanked me for the report and asked whether I’d like to change cabins. I declined, not wanting to move to a smaller cabin. I said we were satisfied with the cabin but just wanted to alert them that the carpet was wet and that it might become a worse problem if the leak wasn’t found and fixed.

This morning there was a knock on our cabin door. I thought it was the maid needing to start her chores. But no, there stood a waitress with a platter of pastries.

“Room service!” she said.
“But I didn’t order anything” I replied. “It’s complimentary,’ she smiled

Surprised, I took the platter and then opened the card. It was from the guest service team, apologising for the wet carpet and thanking me for reporting it! The pastries were a token of their appreciation! How amazing is that!

We’d already eaten three before I took the photo!

Oh, but those Greek genes run deep! Both Laurie and I are thrilled to have arrived in Greek waters. I woke up this morning and marvelled at the beauty of the Mediterranean as our ship made its way to Corfu Port.

Click on the first photograph to enlarge it then use arrows to view the slide show. Press escape to return to the blog.

The ship only docked at 13:00. We all went into Corfu Town together. The ship offered a bus service for MSC passengers but the return fare was 10 euros per person. One of the servers in the buffet told us that it was not far to walk so we decided that we preferred that option. But we were ushered to a free shuttle to the terminus, and from there we took a bus for 4 Euros per person return. The Earl was relieved as he is not up to a thirty-minute walk at 30 degrees C!

Corfu town is just what you’d expect of a Greek Island. We loved exploring the narrow streets, quart yards, and quaint shops. Of course, it’s touristy but lovely all the same. I did not intend to spend money, but could not resist a pair of Greek Key earrings. All the jewellery was stunning and I wanted to buy more and maybe I will at the next Greek stop.

The girls all wanted to look at the fabulous clothes. The Earl spotted a dress that he said I just had to have. There was a gold one and a turquoise one. He wanted me to have the gold but Lollz was already trying it on. I fancied the turquoise and tried it on and the Earl said that it was stunning – and yes I should get that one instead. So, of course, he bought it for me! Lollz got the gold one. She said we could swap from time to time!

After wandering around for a long while we went to a Greek coffee shop. I ordered Greek coffee which I haven’t had since I was a child. It tasted like home! We ordered dolmades and olives to share. There is nothing to beat Greek snacks!

Corfu town
The Fort
Typical street
Dominika and Lollz
Eating a dolmade
Horse and Carriage – how sweet

At four o’clock, Earl and I left the others to continue exploring and took the bus back to the ship. We went to the pool for a swim and had a pina colada before dinner at 06:30. The kids all decided to have a late dinner so they did not rush back from Corfu Town.

Me, enjoying the crystal clear seawater pool
Pina Colada went down well
The view from our cabin’s balcony
I am wearing a Greek dress which I bought in Greece in 2018 – when in Greece wear what the Greeks wear!
Italian Antipasto – cured meats and pickled artichokes – I also have a teaspoon of Italian blood running through my veins.

After dinner, we went to see “Rock Royalty” at the theatre and it was spectacular!

The ship departed at 21:00. Next stop – Bari, Italy!

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Splendida Day 2

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Friday, 14 June 2024

Today was a sea day. After all the excitement of embarking yesterday, we only got up at 09:30, and by the time we were ready to face the day breakfast at the restaurant was over so we went to the buffet. It was quite busy but there was an enormous variety of food from which to choose.

We have the Easy Drinks Package which allows us unlimited orders of a variety of drinks costing 7 Euros or less. This means we don’t have to drink the dreadful on-tap coffee in the buffet but instead get an Americano or cappuccino from the bar. These coffees are amazing and as good as one would get in Italy.

We have the MSC For Me app which means we can access all the cruise information and also without purchasing a data package, make contact with other passengers if you scan them in. We can message our kids but unfortunately, their phones don’t ping and unless they keep checking they don’t know that a message has come through and vice versa!

The weather today was warm but the wind was blowing and it was not pleasant outdoors. We spent most of the day chilling in the cabin and on our balcony. We did not see land for a while, but eventually, there was land ahoy and we guessed we were passing some Greek Islands.

Being close to land meant that our mobile data kicked in and we were able to check messages, log into social media, and blog!

The Earl has been struggling with back pain so he decided to book a massage at the salon. Lisa showed him how to register his credit card so that it would be linked to our cruise cards. When they returned to our cabin he told me he’d booked one for me too!

At 14:15 we reported to the salon and were assigned the most amazing masseuses. My lady was South African and what a brilliant job she did. The massage included the back, neck, head, arms, legs, hands feet, face, and head. It was wonderful!

After our massages, we went to the buffet for a snack and drink and later met up with Lollz and Sasha for pre-dinner drinks.

The food on the ship is amazing. You have the choice of early or late sittings, or you may go to the buffet at any time. I prefer to have dinner in the restaurant although the choices are more limited. It’s just lovely to be served and to enjoy a good wine with your meal. Sasha and Lollz feel the same but Lisa and Dominika prefer to either eat later or to go to the buffet at a time of their choice.

I had spanakapita for a starter this evening, Lasagne as a main, and baklava for dessert. Ear and Sasha had calamari and prawn starters, then a grilled seafood main followed by ice cream. Lollz had a salad to start, veal as a main, and ice cream for dessert. She also had red wine while the Earl and I had white and Sasha stuck to water. Lollz thought her wine was splendid and we enjoyed the white too.

During the dinner, the staff entertained us with a march through and some dancing which was great fun.

After dinner Earl and I went to the Theatre and enjoyed a spectacular show of acrobatics, magic, song, and dance.

Watch this space for a report on our visit to Corfu.

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – MSC Splendida

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Friday 14 June 2024

We are cruising close to the coastline of Greece and I have managed to connect to the internet. Below is yesterday’s report.

Thursday 13 June 2024

Yesterday we left the hotel at 11 and our transfer dropped us at the cruise terminal at 12 noon. Check-in for The Earl, Lollz, Sash, and me, took under an hour and we were able to go straight to our cabins although we didn’t get our luggage until a few hours later.

We are on the Fantastica package, so we have a slightly better choice of cabin than the Bella package. The better the package the higher the deck number. The Earl and I have been assigned a cabin for the mobility challenged so is much bigger than a standard cabin. We did not request this but it is certainly nice to have! Sorry, the photos have not loaded in the correct order. No time to fiddle.

Click on the first photograph to enlarge it, then use arrows to view the slide show. Click Escape to return to the blog.

Our lovely cabin
Breakfast on our balcony at the hotel before we left
A tram in Istanbul
View from our cabin before departure
Lollz, Sasha, The Earl on Deck 14
Pool area
View from the deck
South African!
More South Africans on the left and a Turk
Glitzy Ship
The Sun Princess (Love Boat) leaving the port
View of roof gardens in Istanbul
Typical Istanbul Scene

Lisa and Dominika flew in from Poland and checked in much later. We were wandering around the top deck when they spotted us and joined us for drinks. What a happy reunion.

It was Sasha’s birthday and the lovely South African barmen gave us each a tequila on the house to celebrate!

Lollz, Sash, The Earl and I had the early sitting for dinner and afterward we went to the theatre for “Tales of Istanbul’ which was lovely

The ship only departed at 11 pm and we were on deck to bid farewell to Istanbul. It was very viby if a little crowded but the views at night were awesome.

Theatre production of Tales of Istanbul
Music played as the ship left the port
The Golden Bridge that joins Europe and Asia

More to follow when and if I can connect to the internet!

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Istanbul

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Wednesday 12 June 2024

What an amazing two weeks we have had in London. But the next half of our adventure is about to begin. After cold and cloudy England, we are now headed for the Mediterranean Sea where the sun shines brightly every day!

This morning we made an early start and took an Uber to Gatwick at 07:00 arriving an hour later. We checked in and then went to have breakfast. Our plane was delayed by half an hour so we had a long wait. It finally took off closer to 12 than 11. We landed at 17:30 Turkish time. We flew from Gatwick but Lollz’s friend Sasha flew from Heathrow and his plane was also delayed. By the time we had all gone through passport control and collected our baggage, it was almost 18:30. I messaged our hotel which was providing a shuttle and they were very accommodating. Finally, we made our way to Exit 8 and waited another few minutes for the shuttle to arrive, then it was about a 20-minute drive to Airport Hotel Melanj!

Istanbul reminded us of home. The vegetation is very similar and it was a welcome 30 degrees C. We left London’s 13 degrees C far behind us!

The hotel is in Arnavutkoy which is about 32 km from the city center. Our room is very small but clean and comfortable and we have aircon and free wi-fi. A cat has already made friends with us. The hotel has a few pet cats and a lovely dog.

A tiny room – Cheap and cheerful
And a cat who owned it
It has a balcony with a view!
He made friends with The Earl
And then settled on my lap for a nap.

At eight o’clock we went in search of a local Turkish restaurant and were delighted to find one a short walk away. The area is not elite. There are shops, motor mechanic workshops and other businesses in the area and they were all still open. A lot of the buildings were shabby and in need of maintenance.

We loved the restaurant we found. The photos will show exactly what it was like. The locals eat here and the food is excellent.

A very simple restaurant with a deli
Food is cooked over hot coals
The chef shows off his kebab

I had a lamb and aubergine kebab. The others all had the same – lamb but not with aubergine. Our meals were served with rice and a salad and they were very spicy. No alcohol was served at this restaurant so we just had mineral water.

The Turks are lovely, friendly people and it is clear that they want you to enjoy yourself. Considering that rice and vegetables were included the meal was not expensive.

We are only spending one night here and what a great experience it has been.

An Istanbul Sunset

Tomorrow we board the MSC Splendida! I will not have internet at sea so my blogging might not happen until I return to Struisbaai.

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Stoneleigh Weekend

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07 June to 09 June 2024

Lollz had plans to spend the weekend with a friend in Poole so she left the flat on Friday morning and took a bus to her destination.
Earl and I had brunch at a lovely Brasserie, Gazette, near Plantation Wharf. He had Eggs Benedict and I indulged in a croissant with avocado pear and two cups of excellent coffee. The restaurant is French and they certainly know how to make café!

Eggs Benedict and Croissant

Later in the afternoon, we walked to Clapham Junction to get the 16:03 train to Stoneleigh where we spent the weekend with our good friends, Paddy and Dick.

In 1988 I brought Lollz to England and it was a first for us both. She had heard that the British fishmongers wrapped their fish and chips in newspaper and that was what she wanted to try. However, by then, it was considered unhygienic and we could only get it served in a takeaway box. So when on Friday, Paddy and Dick ordered fish and chips in, I was delighted to find it was wrapped in unprinted newspaper! I had to take a photo for Lollz’s benefit.

A small portion was big enough for two!

We had a wonderful catch-up after not seeing Paddy and Dick for many years. I had been over in 2013 and 2018 but this was the first time Earl had seen them since they’d moved over here. The men went to bed at half past nine but Paddy and I sat up chatting until after 11!

On Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast and bonded some more with Paddy and Dick. We also took a drive and visited Richmond Park This land was bought by Charles 1 in the seventeenth century and is home to more than 650 fallow deer. Being the nature lovers that we are, we were delighted to see a herd of deer. The stags had the most magnificent antlers.

Click on the first picture to enlarge then use arrows to watch the slide show. Press escape to return to the blog.

There were so many trees and lots of birdsong
A Common Kestrel was kind enough to pose for a portrait
How lovely to find these deer
You feel you can stroke their antlers but don’t dare!
A beautiful display of antlers
Thanks for having us, guys.

Later in the afternoon, Paddy and Dick took us to their daughter’s home where we had a magnificent meal. Lindsay and Dan have two little boys. Jeanette, their other daughter, and another South African couple, Ben and Sasha were also there with their two kids so it was a very happy gathering. We were also celebrating Paddy’s birthday.

It was quite cold this morning but the sun came out later in the afternoon and we were able to sit outdoors till quite late. It’s lovely to see these ex-pats enjoying a wonderful lifestyle in England. They have not forgotten how to braai! (Dan is not South African but since his marriage to Lindsay he has taken to being the braai master and he is good at it!)

Dan and Lindsay’s garden
Dan cooked a leg of lamb in The Egg which is like a super large Weber. Chicken was done in a Weber too.
Socialising
We had a delicious meal
Happy Birthday, Paddy.
The water feature lit up at night

All too soon the weekend was over. It was so amazing connecting with Paddy and Dick. Years ago when they were still in SA and our offspring were still kids we thought we’d never age. We laughed as we compared health issues and medications and agreed that despite all that we still feel like we did way back then. We feel extremely lucky that our kids are settled and happy, creating stunning memories, and still want us to share it all with them.

Thanks, Paddy, Dick, Dan, Lindsay, and Jeannette for being such awesome hosts and making our stay so enjoyable. We loved catching up with you all and we absolutely loved meeting your little boys for the first time.

While waiting for our train at Stoneleigh station, I heard and saw some parakeets flying over. Then to my great joy, one settled high up in a branch on a tree and I managed to get some photographs. These rose-ringed parakeets are wild living non-native birds. It is believed that the population began when some escaped pet parakeets never returned to their cages and began breeding. They are perfectly happy living as immigrants in the UK!

We began the weekend at Gazette and as Lollz was only due to return much later on Sunday evening we decided not to shop for supplies but indulge in dinner out, once again at this lovely French restaurant. A good way to begin and end our weekend!

Octopus for me
Rabbit for him

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Buckingham Palace, Paternoster Square and Covent Garden

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The weather has not changed. Every day we dress in summer clothes but take along jerseys and jackets. When the sun comes out it is quite warm but mostly the skies are overcast. Today it did not rain.

When one is used to driving everywhere, taking buses, trains and underground tubes can be exciting but also a little scary. The Earl was with us today and was a tad nervous about the whole procedure. Of course, he wanted to know how it all worked too. Tapping his card to get in and out of the underground was completely confusing. How does it know where I’ve been and how much money to take off? I have no idea but I told him to trust the system and soon he was happily tapping like the rest of us. All the walking was a challenge too. He seldom walks anywhere! Well, today he clocked up over 14000 steps!

We walked to Clapham Junction, took the train to Vauxhall, changed to the underground then used the tubes to get us to Green Park and then St Paul’s where we met Lollz’s cousin, Kevin for lunch. After lunch, we took a bus to Covent Gardens and then took the tube and train back to Clapham Junction.

Green Park and Buckingham Palace

Click on the first photo, then use the arrows to watch the slide show.

The Goddess Diana is seen as you come out of the Green Park Tube Station
Green Park is – well – Green
Queen Victoria Memorial Statue
The Victoria Memorial Statue
The sculpture represents their relationship of mutual trust and harmonious coexistence.
The torch held by the man symbolizes progress, youth, and the dawn of a new era.
One of the King’s Guard.
After a spell of standing dead still they get to march up and down a little
Pall Mall
Lollz and The Earl taking a break

I find the King’s Guards fascinating. Imagine being clad in those red tunics and strange bearskin hats and standing to attention, not moving for ages. At first glance, they look like statues. The two we saw had a break from stillness and marched up and down a few times. Phew -that must have been a relief.

St Paul’s, Paternoster Square, and The Millennium Bridge

After disembarking at St Paul’s Station we found ourselves in Paternoster Square where we were to meet my nephew, Kevin. Having only heard the word Paternoster associated with a small West Coast Town I wondered what it might mean. Google is such a help – The Lord’s Prayer. That made sense as it was in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral! We ate lunch at the Paternoster Pub. Kevin and Lollz ordered sandwiches – Kevin had a BLT which was fine but Lollz’s cheese sandwich was inedible. I shared my Caesar salad with her instead. The Earl had pork bangers and mash which was excellent. They did not charge us for the cheese sandwich!

We found Paternoster Square quite fun. They had some wildlife sculptures on display. These sculptures are done by a husband and wife team who are very much into wildlife conservation. You can find out more here A Wild Life for Wildlife – Gillie and Marc®↗

The Dome of St Paul’s peeping through
Patternoster Pub
Lollz with Cousin Kev
The Earl and me
Information on Gillie and Marc
Baby hippo and elephant sculptures
The Earl with the biggest Gorilla sculpture ever
Walking in the streets of London!
St Paul’s
The Millennium Bridge

Covent Garden

I wanted to go to Covent Garden to see street performers like mimes, acrobats, magicians, etc. I was disappointed that not much was happening. We only saw a magic act and an artist painting a portrait of Amy Winehouse while playing a recording of her singing.

My brother Nicholas worked at this perfume house when he first came to England.
Covent Garden
Stunning shops
The Magician was quite good
Clever and messy artist

Some photos Lollz took with her phone.

On the Tube Train
Buckingham Palace
St Paul’s
Millennium Bridge
Covent Garden
Covent Garden – Need to make a call?

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Greenwich

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Tuesday, 4 June 2024

After a very busy weekend, I felt rather tired last night and slept late this morning. Lollz, Earl, and I only surfaced after 9 o’clock, made breakfast, and then headed to Plantation Warf to catch the Thames Uber. This was another exciting adventure as we do not have anything like this in the deep south of Africa.

My brother, Nicholas, was going to accompany us to Greenwich but work commitments prevented this so we went on our own. The trip took over an hour but it was lovely to see London from the river. The Earl loves anything nautical so this was just up his street – or should I say river?

Click on the first photograph to enlarge and then use arrows to view the slide show.

Thames Uber Clipper
At the jetty
Tying up
Inside seating
The Earl loved it
Altura Towers where we are staying
Westminster
Passing The London Eye

This eagle symbolizes the bravery and sacrifice of RAF personnel throughout history.
Cutty Sark is a restored historic clipper ship. Built in 1869, it is the world’s only surviving tea clipper and was designed to be the fastest on the China tea run. 

We visited The Maritime Museum which was very interesting. The sea has definitely played a huge role in the history of the world. Seeing all the exhibits made us realise that we all have different emotional connections to the sea. All my life, I have lived near the sea, and cannot imagine being away from it for too long. I found the polar exploration the most interesting in this museum but all of it was excellent. There are several interactive devices which makes it all the more interesting.

Entrance to the Maritime Museum

Click on the first photograph to enlarge then use the arrows to watch the slide show.

The sea has played and important role in the lives of men throughout the ages
St George
Ship Badges
This is the badge of HMS Bulawayo launched in 1947
Polar Expeditions

On the return River Uber we took some more photographs. Then we walked to the Waterfront Pub for dinner. It was quite cold by this time but there were some interesting birds in the shallows of the river.

A Black-headed Gull
Modern London
Tower Bridge
Grey Heron
Great Crested Grbe

The Grebe shown in the photographs is a Great Crested Grebe which is the same species as we see in South Africa. The subspecies P. c. cristatus is found across Europe, including England. It breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes and winters on freshwater lakes, reservoirs, or the coast.

The African subspecies, P. c. infuscatus, occurs in South Africa. It is mainly sedentary, meaning it doesn’t migrate extensively.

Although they belong to the same species their subspecies adaptations and behaviours differ slightly.

The Grey Heron is the same one that we find in South Africa as they occur in temperate Europe and Asia, as well as parts of Africa.

It resides in much of its range but some populations from northern regions migrate southwards during autumn.

A Travel Adventure with Our Children – Life-long Friends

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Friday, 31 May 2024 to Monday 3 June

A Train Adventure

WIth our overnight bag packed Earl and I set off to get the train from Clapham Junction. Our darling daughter, afraid we would not cope alone, walked to the station with us. We booked our tickets on Trainline, a wonderful app that gives you all the information needed. On this App we had our tickets with bar codes. I tried to tap in the same way I do with a credit card but this did not work. Fortunately, their was an attendant at the barrier. He showed us where to tap and we were in. Only ticket holders may pass through the barrier. Once on the other side we stood still and confused wondering which platform we had to find. Clapham Junction is huge! I am sure we would have got it right but Lollz asked the attendant if she could please assist her aged parents to find the right place, He very kindly agreed! It really was lovely to have her guide us to Platform 16 and see us safely onto the train.

Looking across to Platform 17 – On the trains you are always warned to MIND THE GAP
We do not do trains in South Africa!

Trainline is quite new to me. I had not investigated all its functions but once on the train I perused it and found that it tells you which platform to leave from, tracks your journey, informs you which station comes next, whether there is a delay, and what your ETA is. It would take just over an hour to get to Tring, but we would have to change at Watford Junction. We would have eight minutes to get from Platform 8 to Platform 10. But then the app informed me there was a slight delay and we would only have five minutes! Would our ancient legs move fast enough as we also had to drag a bag along with us! And being the train novices that we are we had no idea how far away this platform would be. Fortunately, the steps were not too difficult to negotiate and we made it down and then up with a minute to spare! What an adventure!

My BFF met us at Tring station. We have been friends since we were seven years and although we have only had brief spells of living in the same city or country we are still soul mates!

What a joyful reunion it was! The weekend was full of lovely activities including country walks, a visit to a quintessential English village, and an excursion to Bletchley Park.

Click on the first photograph then use arrows to see the slide show.

Off for a country walk
An old Norman Church
Graveyard a little neglected but how sad that these parents lost two children
Cute garden decor
We need the bees!

After having a lovely lunch at an Italian restaurant on Saturday we visited Aldbury.

The quintessential English village of Aldbury
Imagine having a post office and a post box again!
Red hot pokers and pink roses growing in an allotment garden
Common Wood Pigeons
Blackbird – female

On Sunday we visited Bletchley Park which was an incredible experience. Bletchley Park was kept a secret for many years and those who worked there signed the Secrets Act and it would have been treason to tell anybody where they worked or what they did. It was here where all the code-breaking efforts took place during World War 2. The most brilliant person at that time was Alan Turing who worked tirelessly to decrypt the Axis powers’ communications, significantly contributing to the Allied victory. The Victorian Gothic mansion and picturesque grounds were chosen as it was far enough from the city to be safe from bombing. Critical wartime intelligence work took place there and nobody was aware of it. This museum is well worth a visit. You could spend hours there and still not take it all in.

Before leaving we had lunch at the Bletchley’s restaurant and I was amused to see some posters from the war days.

All the guides and stewards wear color and tie
The Mansion
This is where Alan Turng worked
Deniston’s Office
The LIbrary
I wonder if this was obeyed!
Only housewives?

The sun goes down very late at this time of year. At about 7 pm we set off for a walk along the canal to see the narrow boats and water birds and ended with a drink at a pub.

Canada Goose
Narrow Boat coming through a lock
A juvenile Eurasian Blue Tit
Greylag Goose
Swans and cygnets
Robin Redbreast

On Monday my brother who lives just half an hour from Jen came for a short visit and then gave us a lift back to London. Lollz joined us for lunch and then we took a Black Taxi back to Battersea.

Best Friends Forever – We even cross our legs the same way!
Lunch with Nicholas