The Trikidoo, a bicycle meant for four! It's funny how you go into any one of the three Teeton boys' garages and you find a mass of bikes! Big brother, Paul takes the cake though! If anyone believes in pedal power, both Paul and Andrew swear by it and Paul manages to get his family of 6 around the streets of Rugby with ease on the trike that manages to fit two children on a bench behind the rider and one little ‘un' up between the handlebars and the rider himself. It's a sturdy velo and safe, but it seems it needs gears now. This was evident on our ride through the school that occupies most of the southern streets of the town of Rugby, past St Marie's, the children's primary school, past their very elegant church, St Marie's and it's cloud piercing spire and along the cycle path about two kilometers to some more school playing fields, the polo turf and the stables. Older brother, Bede is an athlete in the making. Due to his extensive gym training up until now, (he has been a member of a gymnastics club), he has exceptionally good upper body strength and has mastered rope climbing, which he demonstrated at one of our many stops along the way. He also loves his bike and is very capable on it indeed. Jemima whomis now 5 and Delilah Rose, three, sat like two very well behaved princesses behind Paul. The weather was freezing for a summers day and there was a biting wind, yet we were having fun, just doing things together. In the afternoon we had a great walk to a number of the key points of interest around the Close, the green where rugby the game was first played thanks to pupil, William Webb Ellis. A well known film, Tom Brown's schooldays is set set at the school and we recently watched the latest version of the film, starring Stephen Fry. He acts as the famous headmaster of Rugby school, Mr Arnold, his first name escapes me at the moment. Arnold introduced many structures to his school in the mid 1800s such as the house system, team sports or games and so on. It was so successful in its implementation that it was adopted by the English public schools on mass and of course found its way to the colonies, hence we South Africans are also familiar with Arnold's school sporting and leadership structures. It was good to have rugby practices taking place, teams taking part in pre season training that I must admit looked well planned and rigorous. We visited the beautiful chapel with its world class stained glass windows (I feel I can say that now), the Big Old School Room, various tastefully arranged quads and the school shop where we bought two lovely prints, one for Paul. The streets are flanked by boarding houses, one after the other and of course we bumped into many of the staff who stopped to congratulate Paul on the birth of Adelaide six days earlier. We had a family evening, the cracking open of a gorgeous bottle of real Champagne and it ended with Paul taking me out for a pint or two at a lovely pub, five minutes walk away, The Merchants.
The day of our departure from Rugby was a satisfyingly, slow morning just spending time playing Scalelectrics, trains, jumping on the trampoline and nattering over several cups of coffee. I hate to sound that I'm over emphasizing the bonding that we were experiencing, but I have to reiterate the feeling the kids, Carol and I got, staying with Paul, Liz and the family. It was just so DAMN GOOD to all be together!
Our farewell was a sad one as we will miss the wonderful moments we experienced. We had to go via the village of Teeton, since it was only seven miles east of the town. We had our photograph at the sign at the entrance to what is actually a hamlet rather than a village, and went via Northampton back to Blackheath.
It was great to see Andrew again and we went out onto the Heath to enjoy another five star picnic. I'm going to miss the bottles of Tanglefoot, Fursty Ferret and Bishops Tipple.
Another late night, another early morning. Let's do this thing, was the saying when we planned to go sight seeing, so with a London transport day pass, we boarded the train for Waterloo station, and walked up to the War Museum at Elephant and Castle where mom once taught. I think she'd be impressed with the place now. We spent four hours there and found it fascinating. We coul come back two more times and still not see everything. Picnic in the gardens, washed down with a good coffee and we then hopped on a bus for Parliament square. Front seats, double decker and a fabulous guide in Andrew made the short trip interesting. We ambled down Whitehall, past No 10 Downing street, past the closed entrance to horse guards parade, under Admiralty arch and then back to Trafalgar square. G and C had their photos taken with one of the sentries, Gus knocking his sword as he tried to give him bunny ears for the photo. The guard flinched. We were rather embarrassed though. South Africans!
The rest of the afternoon was spent very pleasantly doing a brass rubbing in the basement of the church, St Martins in the field, in Trafalgar square. The time went so quickly! It was Andrews birthday the following day so to celebrate it we decided to buy tickets to a concert by a string ensemble and harpsichord at seven. It was brilliant and although we had very uncomfortable seats we really appreciated the incredibly high standard of the performers. They played Mozart and Vivaldi. We intended to walk back to Waterloo over the Hungerford foot bridge but got sucked into the vibe that was, The South Bank. An incredible son et lumier in the Houses of Parliament and an electronic house music performance caught Gus's attention from afar. Everyone was in such good spirits,seemingly without too much spirits, and we had to pull ourselves away to catch the 11.30 train back to Blackheath.
The M25 was quiet at 9am this morning and the trusty camper van and Andrew got us to the Easyjet check in on time.
Andrews generosity has been overwhelming and words cant express our gratitude to him.
Our flight to Rome was uneventful, although the weather was wet and NOT what we were expecting. Our plans to go for a last dip in the Med were a complete mess, firstly by the weather, secondly it was Sunday afternoon and no place to have lunch/supper. We eventually ended up going from the airport to Porto, the mouth of the Tibre, then to Parco Leonardo, a massive shopping mall, having a very ordinary pizza slice and the having to catch a train with no ticket (the Tabac shops had sold out), but it was only a 5 minute ride and we chanced it getting to the airport unscathed.
I am now sitting in Dubai airport terminal three, an impressive place with a quiet spot to lay our heads. No sleep last night for some! It's 6am and 33 deg. Outside.
I am now sitting in my office back at work. It's all rather surreal!
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Rugby......the town.....the school
As I said in an earlier blog commentary, “Traveling ain't for sissies!" Waking up from an evening in London and the excitement of the Proms, took some effort, however, we were all SO excited to see Paul and family in Rugby.
We loaded the camper with our rather empty looking rucksacks and headed out of London through the Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames and past Stradford and it's Olympic venues. It was good to see the stadium and other venues. We arrived in Rugby at about midday and met the cousins we'd been so looking forward to seeing. Paul and Liz's house is gigantic in size in comparison to so many homes in England, excluding those of the gentry. He has a wonderful garden, large trampoline, a conservatory (the makings room), and literally, hundreds of toys. The electric railway down In The cellar, and a grand staircase leading up to four bedrooms upstairs. The upstairs is a great launching pad for missiles of various sorts and when down below, it's worth looking up first to check you're not the next target. All great fun and the family works in amazing harmony with manners and politeness firmly set. Liz and baby Adelaide, just four days old, are very well and we've all had long periods of taking it in turn to hold the beautiful little girl. Bede is seven and without a doubt THE BIG BROTHER, very sensible, polite and very able sporty and bright! Gemima is five, the big sister, so caring and sweet, obviously switched on and also just as agile as her brother. Delilah Rose is three and I just love the way she makes everyone know she's there. She gets her way with her uncle through her big eyes and hubby little face, she is delightful but I think the family believe its not the terrible twos but rather the ‘terrible' threes they're going through with her at the moment. As I write all five children are on the trampoline have a ball.
Rugby School is not a Campus in isolation to the town of rugby, it stretches out for the High Street, where the grand buildings give way to what seem to be large Victorian red brick buildings, the Houses, or boarding houses as we know them. The main green is about three rugby fields or more big and is surrounded by the chapel and various other buildings including Paul's Politics block. Gus can't get over the superb condition of the fields, the grass so lush and well groomed. There is a tarred pathway all around the fields, a superb running come cycle track for the children who competently cycled from home and then around it. Bede did several laps while we were there this morning. We've popped into the main shopping precinct this afternoon with a sleeping Gemima, and we were very impressed with the neatness of the town Centre, a very pleasant small town.
Today we've come up to Alton and a spectacular trip to Alton Towers theme park which as I write is thrilling the children in more ways than one. We head back to Rugby this evening.
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We loaded the camper with our rather empty looking rucksacks and headed out of London through the Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames and past Stradford and it's Olympic venues. It was good to see the stadium and other venues. We arrived in Rugby at about midday and met the cousins we'd been so looking forward to seeing. Paul and Liz's house is gigantic in size in comparison to so many homes in England, excluding those of the gentry. He has a wonderful garden, large trampoline, a conservatory (the makings room), and literally, hundreds of toys. The electric railway down In The cellar, and a grand staircase leading up to four bedrooms upstairs. The upstairs is a great launching pad for missiles of various sorts and when down below, it's worth looking up first to check you're not the next target. All great fun and the family works in amazing harmony with manners and politeness firmly set. Liz and baby Adelaide, just four days old, are very well and we've all had long periods of taking it in turn to hold the beautiful little girl. Bede is seven and without a doubt THE BIG BROTHER, very sensible, polite and very able sporty and bright! Gemima is five, the big sister, so caring and sweet, obviously switched on and also just as agile as her brother. Delilah Rose is three and I just love the way she makes everyone know she's there. She gets her way with her uncle through her big eyes and hubby little face, she is delightful but I think the family believe its not the terrible twos but rather the ‘terrible' threes they're going through with her at the moment. As I write all five children are on the trampoline have a ball.
Rugby School is not a Campus in isolation to the town of rugby, it stretches out for the High Street, where the grand buildings give way to what seem to be large Victorian red brick buildings, the Houses, or boarding houses as we know them. The main green is about three rugby fields or more big and is surrounded by the chapel and various other buildings including Paul's Politics block. Gus can't get over the superb condition of the fields, the grass so lush and well groomed. There is a tarred pathway all around the fields, a superb running come cycle track for the children who competently cycled from home and then around it. Bede did several laps while we were there this morning. We've popped into the main shopping precinct this afternoon with a sleeping Gemima, and we were very impressed with the neatness of the town Centre, a very pleasant small town.
Today we've come up to Alton and a spectacular trip to Alton Towers theme park which as I write is thrilling the children in more ways than one. We head back to Rugby this evening.
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The Proms. The Royal Albert Hall!
Cheeses, hams, rows of unblemished tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, the smell of freshly baked breads, very special breads. This was the Blackheath Sunday morning produce market. Wow, such quality, the Blackheathians are spoilt! We Did need to pick up a picnic to share with Caroline, Tim, William and Alex, so this was a great opportunity we hadn't expected to stumble upon outside the front door of the flat.
We met the Woods at the Science museum and the children went their separate ways while we caught up after 7 years since heaving sen them last. The meeting progressed to a spot in Hyde Park not far from the Albert Memorial, the temperature just pleasant enough. It was lovely to stretch our legs walking to the very sensible memorial to Princess Diana at the Serpentine, which can be described as a wide furrow in an oval shape on a slight slope. Children paddled their way up, down and through the water, it was lovely to see a memorial used in this way, Diana must really enjoy seeing so many happy faces.
Speakers corner was Very busy but dominated by people expressing their religious views. I suppose it was Sunday!
It was so easy to get our £5 tickets for the evening Proms concert. The Royal Albert Hall was one place I regretted not getting to while living in England and now we were there, at other Proms wow! The interior of this amazing venue is so impressive it added so much to the Ravel, Strauss and Wagner, the 130 piece orchestra delighting the packed auditorium. It was another evening never to forget and before taking the 10.40pm train back to Blackheath we spent 10 minutes on the Hungerford footbridge marveling at this very special city. All that glitters, IS London!
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We met the Woods at the Science museum and the children went their separate ways while we caught up after 7 years since heaving sen them last. The meeting progressed to a spot in Hyde Park not far from the Albert Memorial, the temperature just pleasant enough. It was lovely to stretch our legs walking to the very sensible memorial to Princess Diana at the Serpentine, which can be described as a wide furrow in an oval shape on a slight slope. Children paddled their way up, down and through the water, it was lovely to see a memorial used in this way, Diana must really enjoy seeing so many happy faces.
Speakers corner was Very busy but dominated by people expressing their religious views. I suppose it was Sunday!
It was so easy to get our £5 tickets for the evening Proms concert. The Royal Albert Hall was one place I regretted not getting to while living in England and now we were there, at other Proms wow! The interior of this amazing venue is so impressive it added so much to the Ravel, Strauss and Wagner, the 130 piece orchestra delighting the packed auditorium. It was another evening never to forget and before taking the 10.40pm train back to Blackheath we spent 10 minutes on the Hungerford footbridge marveling at this very special city. All that glitters, IS London!
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Phantom and pedaling through puddles
Caitlin didn't say a word all the way back to London! She was clearly very hearts sore of having to leave her family in Poole. Liz, Andy, Rosie, Aaron, and of course Pete and nicky had just shown us all such love and kindness. We'd had time to play and chat, laugh together and connect, we all felt an emptiness when we finally said our last goodbye to Pete at a laybye near a roundabout tht would take us out onto the motorway back to London. The M3/M25 intersection was slow going and so too the M25/A2, so we were beginning to wonder if we'd get to Her Majesties Theatre on time or not for out meeting with The Phantom, thanks to a very generous gift from Liz. I dropped the family off at the flat and the went on to Lea High Street to drop off the hire car. I was supposed to ride the fold up bike back but I'd forgotten it had a puncture so had to run it back, retuning to the flat for a quick turnaround back to Blackheath station and the train in to Charing Cross. We got to the theatre, grand from the outside in one of the most impressive parts of the West End, and there was a wonderful ‘London feel' to arriving for the show. The foyer, staircase and cloakroom was very smart but couldn't have prepared us for the grandeur we experience as we walked in. A lot smaller tHan I thought, but what amazed me was how the design of the theatre rose up from the pit, very steeply to the gallery way up there. I hadn't seen the orchestra pit walking in so up until the interval I had thought he music had been a pre recording. We peered into the pit at interval and saw the orchestra , about 20 to 30 musicians. wow! What amazing acoustics the theatre had. The show didn't disappoint in the least, the acting, the set, the costumes, the detail, QUITE amazing. At one point in the show a chandelier dropped from the heavens to ooo's and ah's from the audience. During the interval, fifteen minutes, we gobbled down the quiche Andrew had so thoughtfully arranged, picnic basket and all. The show came to an end all too quickly! We took a short walk up to Picadilly Circus which was alive with activity as usual and the children were clearly captivated by the lights, the crowd, the hum. Leister Square, 500m on was just as impressive, in fact I've always enjoyed it more. They've neatened up the place, modernizing the layout of the garden and paving. When they advertise the fact a movie has premiered at Leister Square, we can picture it.
London is an amazing city. It has a beat like no other city we've visited. The Thames, not only is it so pretty, but it is a working river like a huge highway with tourist boats, commuter catamarans and the obvious presence of police launches and naval craft. At night it is simply beautiful. Lazier lights projecting images onto bridges, large flood lights circling in the sky and like open bracelets the the colours flank the river on both sides. Paris and Rome had their very own beat, Paris a lot slower to Rome and less congested, but London PUMPS with people of every kind, those making it tick and those enjoying it like us! I don't think there is any city in Europe that can match it and only New York comes close that I've experienced. The arteries of London are beige, Purbeck stone moulded by Christopher Wren and the likes and with commuter traffic limited its runs black and red with taxis and London buses. Boris Johnson and the British cycling Olympians are doing wonders to promote the bicycle, almost to the extent that it's the cyclists and rickshaws that rule the road. Cheers to that!
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London is an amazing city. It has a beat like no other city we've visited. The Thames, not only is it so pretty, but it is a working river like a huge highway with tourist boats, commuter catamarans and the obvious presence of police launches and naval craft. At night it is simply beautiful. Lazier lights projecting images onto bridges, large flood lights circling in the sky and like open bracelets the the colours flank the river on both sides. Paris and Rome had their very own beat, Paris a lot slower to Rome and less congested, but London PUMPS with people of every kind, those making it tick and those enjoying it like us! I don't think there is any city in Europe that can match it and only New York comes close that I've experienced. The arteries of London are beige, Purbeck stone moulded by Christopher Wren and the likes and with commuter traffic limited its runs black and red with taxis and London buses. Boris Johnson and the British cycling Olympians are doing wonders to promote the bicycle, almost to the extent that it's the cyclists and rickshaws that rule the road. Cheers to that!
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Broadheads - arrow craftsmen of note and much, much more
The tide was beginning to turn so we had to get to Poole yacht club, board the boat, a six berth vessel, perfect for a night in a secluded corner of Poole harbour, one of the worlds biggest and most beautiful natural harbors.
It was so lovely being with cousin Pete and Nicky again. It had been about seven years since we had last seen them in South Africa. For them, spending a night or two on their yacht is a regular weekend activity and they had everything to make it an amazing experience. We moored in a beautifully quiet spot near Anre and Round Island and while Nickynwas cooking the Salmon and beans, a seal frolicked around the boat, inquisitive, but not that brave. It was a very good nights sleep and a time to remember, with the “ting, ting, ting" of the rigging tapping against the mast and the waster lapping against the hull early in the morning as the tide came in.
Under sail we calmly made our way to the back of Brown Sea island, Gus sitting on the bow, looking out for obstructions. Pete asked him at one pint if the coast was clear and the reply from Gus was no, and that there was a canoeist up ahead and that it looked like he was on a death wish, looking to collide with us. As we drew up alongside him it turned put to be a long, lost friend of mine, Tim Bryan! What a wonderful surprise set up by Pete. We took the whole day catching up. Tim and I had done many adventurous trips together and in many ways he was one of my adventure mentors. While we chatted on board, Gus, Caitlin and Pete paddled the canoe and learnt to windsurf. THey had a brilliant teacher and learnt fast. It was time to return with the tide to the harbour but not before dropping Tim off at a point in the harbour called Sandbanks. After the Condor, a channel island ferry had crossed our bows, a giant in comparison to us, Tim jumped into his canoe, put on the spray deck, did two Eskimo rolls and waved goodbye, in true Tim style. Supper that night was an English speciality, a visit to the ight chippy to pick up fish and chips before meeting cousin Liz, her husband Andy and Rosie. We had w wonderful reunion supper on the stainless steel deck overlooking green fields and hills. We spoke late into the night!
Back on the bikes the next morning, Pete, Gus and I cycled from Sandbanks, over the ferry to Studland beach and through the beautiful forests, along lanes and bridle paths while the rest of the gang played crazy golf and and then made their way to Corfe castle where we met them at around lunchtime. The National Trust were putting on a medieval display for the holidays and what an education it was. Demonstrations and talks on cooking, hobbies, body armour, weapons, archery and the history of the castle itself. The children were enthralled, and we were all fascinated to hear that a Broadhead was a person who made a particular type of arrow head for use in battle or hunting. We had our picnic on the beautiful lawns and around 4pm we decided to head home.
It was an action packed day and it was to the lawn that two keen swordsmen took, with Andy being a Great Britain fencing coach, and one with such passion and enthusiasm for his sport, Gus and Caitlin had a life's dream come true. Both, as small children, used to battle it out with swords and now they'd been given a real lesson. The fencing lesson gave way to homemade pizzas in Pete's pizza oven out in the garden. We all mingled and chatted until late into the evening. Before departing the next morning, round two of the fencing contest took place and Pete found time to help G &C make a boomerang with his woodworking equipment. He's a sharp arrow is Pete, multitalented and he and Nix have the kindest of hearts. I can't find the words I would like to use to convey our gratitude to all of those who met us in Poole that week. It was one of those few and very special moments that ones privileged to have in life. It gave us all a great sence of belonging to a wonderful family!
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It was so lovely being with cousin Pete and Nicky again. It had been about seven years since we had last seen them in South Africa. For them, spending a night or two on their yacht is a regular weekend activity and they had everything to make it an amazing experience. We moored in a beautifully quiet spot near Anre and Round Island and while Nickynwas cooking the Salmon and beans, a seal frolicked around the boat, inquisitive, but not that brave. It was a very good nights sleep and a time to remember, with the “ting, ting, ting" of the rigging tapping against the mast and the waster lapping against the hull early in the morning as the tide came in.
Under sail we calmly made our way to the back of Brown Sea island, Gus sitting on the bow, looking out for obstructions. Pete asked him at one pint if the coast was clear and the reply from Gus was no, and that there was a canoeist up ahead and that it looked like he was on a death wish, looking to collide with us. As we drew up alongside him it turned put to be a long, lost friend of mine, Tim Bryan! What a wonderful surprise set up by Pete. We took the whole day catching up. Tim and I had done many adventurous trips together and in many ways he was one of my adventure mentors. While we chatted on board, Gus, Caitlin and Pete paddled the canoe and learnt to windsurf. THey had a brilliant teacher and learnt fast. It was time to return with the tide to the harbour but not before dropping Tim off at a point in the harbour called Sandbanks. After the Condor, a channel island ferry had crossed our bows, a giant in comparison to us, Tim jumped into his canoe, put on the spray deck, did two Eskimo rolls and waved goodbye, in true Tim style. Supper that night was an English speciality, a visit to the ight chippy to pick up fish and chips before meeting cousin Liz, her husband Andy and Rosie. We had w wonderful reunion supper on the stainless steel deck overlooking green fields and hills. We spoke late into the night!
Back on the bikes the next morning, Pete, Gus and I cycled from Sandbanks, over the ferry to Studland beach and through the beautiful forests, along lanes and bridle paths while the rest of the gang played crazy golf and and then made their way to Corfe castle where we met them at around lunchtime. The National Trust were putting on a medieval display for the holidays and what an education it was. Demonstrations and talks on cooking, hobbies, body armour, weapons, archery and the history of the castle itself. The children were enthralled, and we were all fascinated to hear that a Broadhead was a person who made a particular type of arrow head for use in battle or hunting. We had our picnic on the beautiful lawns and around 4pm we decided to head home.
It was an action packed day and it was to the lawn that two keen swordsmen took, with Andy being a Great Britain fencing coach, and one with such passion and enthusiasm for his sport, Gus and Caitlin had a life's dream come true. Both, as small children, used to battle it out with swords and now they'd been given a real lesson. The fencing lesson gave way to homemade pizzas in Pete's pizza oven out in the garden. We all mingled and chatted until late into the evening. Before departing the next morning, round two of the fencing contest took place and Pete found time to help G &C make a boomerang with his woodworking equipment. He's a sharp arrow is Pete, multitalented and he and Nix have the kindest of hearts. I can't find the words I would like to use to convey our gratitude to all of those who met us in Poole that week. It was one of those few and very special moments that ones privileged to have in life. It gave us all a great sence of belonging to a wonderful family!
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Fifteen years on - Salisbury
Guildford, M3, Farnborough, A303, Salisbury, familiar signs leading us to Salisbury and ultimately, Poole for our few days with family. I'd collected the hire car from Enterprise car hire in Lea High street and we were in a hurry to get to Salisbury to show the children where Gus was born and where we'd started out our married life. We had to make a short detour of Stonehenge and by pulling into a layby and having a quick peek one can easily do this over a fence. To Amesbury and then down the beautiful Woodford valley that we'd got to know so well fifteen years ago. It was our first trip down a typical country lane and Gus and Caitlin were wowed by the way the beautiful trees created a tunnel of emerald green down which we were driving. We passed Sting's house, Lake House at Wishford Cum Lake, passed the Bridge Inn Pub and we got out to see if the large trout could still be seen from the grassy bank we so often took visitors to when they visited us innSalisbury. They were still there and so too the Coots and ducks. Up past Old Sarum, then down into the city we drove, a short detour taking us past Red House in Moberly Road where Carol lived before we were married. We parked behind the market square, and being a Tuesday it was market day, it still felt just the same. We only had an hour parking so we had to dash into the Cathedral school, gaze up at the tower, my first room, then go around to the Queensgate Cottage, our first flat of married life, and then behind the lake to Marsh Close and the rugby and cricket field. We bumped into Phillip Dixon, an ex colleague and he joined us on our scurry through the Close to the Crane Bridge flat where Gus first lived and finally past the poultry cross back to the car. Just before leaving the city, we drove past the Odstock Hospital where Gus had been born, the car park and buildings of maternity wing just the same.
Somehow, without gps or maps I managed to remember my way to Pete and Nicky's home on the outskirts of Corfe Mullen. As we drove up to the house Pete was closing the garage door. Spinning round and in the same motion he let rip with a party popper, streamers flying. We were in for a special time!
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Somehow, without gps or maps I managed to remember my way to Pete and Nicky's home on the outskirts of Corfe Mullen. As we drove up to the house Pete was closing the garage door. Spinning round and in the same motion he let rip with a party popper, streamers flying. We were in for a special time!
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London......by bike
One could have been waking up in a small cottage in the New Forest we had had such a peaceful nights sleep. Andrews flat is a gem, so cozy, so tastefully kitted out with mod fittings,and so many reminders of the fact that we were in a Teeton home.
We were itching to get into London so before long we were out the door on the bikes and pedaling down through Greenwhich Park. Andrew by the way had to go into work a nd thankfully he had a quiet introduction back into things with most folk still on holiday.
Greenwhich Park is a hive of activity for the Olympics, with it being used as the venue for the equestrian events. As a result most of the paths were closed off but we managed to find our way to the observatory, the spot that marks the point between East and West. A wifi hotspot allowed us to email a photo of Caitlin in front of the observatory to her teacher. They had recently covered this in geography.
Our next stop was the Naval College, now Greenwhich University and the Trinity Music school which Gus was keen to visit, since he's writing the Trinity grade 6 flute music exam this year. He wasn't disappointed I don't think. Music wafted out of many windows to the large courtyard we were in. We were most impressed with the Painted Hall where Lord Nelson was laid in state after he died. The artwork fascinated us all even after our visits to the Ufuzi and Louvre, not an inch of the walls or ceilings left un-painted! We Also visited the Chapel which was beautiful. Moving on we cycled past the Cutty Sark, the large Tea Cutter that has been so well renovated after a fire recently. £12 entrance fee! We skipped on to the foot tunnel that took us to the Isle of Dogs (King Henry VIII kept his dogs there). Following the cycle path along the Thames, in and out of the parks and tasteful estates, past the Vaptain Kidd and Grapes Pubs and when we got to a path detour we made our way into the Limehouse Link tunnel. Oops! How we got there I have no idea, we followed the signs! We were relieved to get out safely! We stopped at a small supermarket where an assistant spoke no english at all, our first introduction to the multicultural society London now has. We sat and had our ham and cheese rolls with a good view of Tower Bridge and the Shard, before moving through St Catherines Dock. It was nice and warm, yet cloudy and it seemed everyone was out and about! We cycled across Tower Bridge and think walked back. It is a beautiful landmark! Cycling past Tower of London and Temple, we negotiated The Strand to a very, very busy Trafalgar Square. A photo opportunity on the lions, a demonstration outside South Africa house and Olympic flags and banners graced the square. We didn't stop at no. 10 Downing Street for long as Caitlin couldn't wait to get her first glimpse of Big Ben. She wasn't disappointed, Parliament square looked impressive in so many ways, infant the whole city was PUMPING? The mass of cyclists at each traffic light was something I'd never witnessed in London before. Was this a result of Olympic and Tour de France success? The mayor of London has joined Paris in introducing a brilliant pay and ride bike system with good bikes that you can pick up for a small fee a deposit anywhere where there's a drop off point. You get your deposit back when you return the bike to the ‘slot'.
We pedaled across Westminster bridge to the garden on the south bank where the London eye is located. This garden was humming with activity. Mime artists, magicians, break dancers, musicians, skate borders, crazy fun fair rides, a superb children's play park and again, so many reminders of the Olympics.
We were now shattered, so to finish off the day sharing a pint with the setting sun and Andrew who had me us there, was a real treat!
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We were itching to get into London so before long we were out the door on the bikes and pedaling down through Greenwhich Park. Andrew by the way had to go into work a nd thankfully he had a quiet introduction back into things with most folk still on holiday.
Greenwhich Park is a hive of activity for the Olympics, with it being used as the venue for the equestrian events. As a result most of the paths were closed off but we managed to find our way to the observatory, the spot that marks the point between East and West. A wifi hotspot allowed us to email a photo of Caitlin in front of the observatory to her teacher. They had recently covered this in geography.
Our next stop was the Naval College, now Greenwhich University and the Trinity Music school which Gus was keen to visit, since he's writing the Trinity grade 6 flute music exam this year. He wasn't disappointed I don't think. Music wafted out of many windows to the large courtyard we were in. We were most impressed with the Painted Hall where Lord Nelson was laid in state after he died. The artwork fascinated us all even after our visits to the Ufuzi and Louvre, not an inch of the walls or ceilings left un-painted! We Also visited the Chapel which was beautiful. Moving on we cycled past the Cutty Sark, the large Tea Cutter that has been so well renovated after a fire recently. £12 entrance fee! We skipped on to the foot tunnel that took us to the Isle of Dogs (King Henry VIII kept his dogs there). Following the cycle path along the Thames, in and out of the parks and tasteful estates, past the Vaptain Kidd and Grapes Pubs and when we got to a path detour we made our way into the Limehouse Link tunnel. Oops! How we got there I have no idea, we followed the signs! We were relieved to get out safely! We stopped at a small supermarket where an assistant spoke no english at all, our first introduction to the multicultural society London now has. We sat and had our ham and cheese rolls with a good view of Tower Bridge and the Shard, before moving through St Catherines Dock. It was nice and warm, yet cloudy and it seemed everyone was out and about! We cycled across Tower Bridge and think walked back. It is a beautiful landmark! Cycling past Tower of London and Temple, we negotiated The Strand to a very, very busy Trafalgar Square. A photo opportunity on the lions, a demonstration outside South Africa house and Olympic flags and banners graced the square. We didn't stop at no. 10 Downing Street for long as Caitlin couldn't wait to get her first glimpse of Big Ben. She wasn't disappointed, Parliament square looked impressive in so many ways, infant the whole city was PUMPING? The mass of cyclists at each traffic light was something I'd never witnessed in London before. Was this a result of Olympic and Tour de France success? The mayor of London has joined Paris in introducing a brilliant pay and ride bike system with good bikes that you can pick up for a small fee a deposit anywhere where there's a drop off point. You get your deposit back when you return the bike to the ‘slot'.
We pedaled across Westminster bridge to the garden on the south bank where the London eye is located. This garden was humming with activity. Mime artists, magicians, break dancers, musicians, skate borders, crazy fun fair rides, a superb children's play park and again, so many reminders of the Olympics.
We were now shattered, so to finish off the day sharing a pint with the setting sun and Andrew who had me us there, was a real treat!
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Monday, August 27, 2012
White cliffs of Dover
Our last goodbye of Paris took us back through the Bois de Bologne to the periferique, a ring road around the city that enables one to get out of the city easily. The ladies of the night had gone home and the Bois took on a refreshing look once again. Anyway, this trip is supposed to be an educational one and it did provide an opportunity to discuss certain topics slightly out of our norm.
All the way since Toulouse the VW camper had been playing up and little did we know that it was the engines water pump that was causing the problems. Every hour or so we'd have to pull over and top up the water level, so we did sort of 'limp into Dunquerque. There was Excitement at their first boat trip across the sea to England and of course setting foot on Blighty for the first time and little knowledge of the fact that the engine was now lacking power, and that we may not get to London, it was touch and go.
The shipping lane was busy that evening as we sat on the stern deck, we felt understandably chilly for the first time on the trip. Such was the excitement on seeing the white cliffs, that when trying to quickly get into a position to have a snap with the cliffs in the background, Gus took a spectacular tumble, sliding into the railing and getting to his feet in one motion. We drove straight to London, rather cautiously, passing Canterbury with a faint glimpse of the Cathderal and the signs to Bishopsbourne. I felt a rush of nostalgia after all the times we'd had down in that neck of the woods while Paul had lived there for so long.
Andrew drove straight to Point Hill above Greenwhich Villge for us to see London at night. It was beautiful, Canary wharf to the Shard, and evening a fireworks display somewhere in the far off distance. Walking back to the car we saw a fox, so close! It had been a stressful day, especially for Andrew, not knowing if we'd make it without the help of RAC breakdown services, but we'd made it to 11a Shooters Hill Rd, Blackheath, a great little pad!
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All the way since Toulouse the VW camper had been playing up and little did we know that it was the engines water pump that was causing the problems. Every hour or so we'd have to pull over and top up the water level, so we did sort of 'limp into Dunquerque. There was Excitement at their first boat trip across the sea to England and of course setting foot on Blighty for the first time and little knowledge of the fact that the engine was now lacking power, and that we may not get to London, it was touch and go.
The shipping lane was busy that evening as we sat on the stern deck, we felt understandably chilly for the first time on the trip. Such was the excitement on seeing the white cliffs, that when trying to quickly get into a position to have a snap with the cliffs in the background, Gus took a spectacular tumble, sliding into the railing and getting to his feet in one motion. We drove straight to London, rather cautiously, passing Canterbury with a faint glimpse of the Cathderal and the signs to Bishopsbourne. I felt a rush of nostalgia after all the times we'd had down in that neck of the woods while Paul had lived there for so long.
Andrew drove straight to Point Hill above Greenwhich Villge for us to see London at night. It was beautiful, Canary wharf to the Shard, and evening a fireworks display somewhere in the far off distance. Walking back to the car we saw a fox, so close! It had been a stressful day, especially for Andrew, not knowing if we'd make it without the help of RAC breakdown services, but we'd made it to 11a Shooters Hill Rd, Blackheath, a great little pad!
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Location:Shooters Hill Rd,,United Kingdom
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Cycling around Paris
As we went round the many roundabouts that took us around then outskirts of Pau we occasionally got a glimpse of that amazing backdrop that is the Pyrenees mountains. Pique de Midi, Vignimale, they were all there. Event
ually we were on the new freeway, passing Bordeaux, Bergerac and Poitiers, the countryside flattening out significantly, with kilometers of maze fields and the the forests near Biscarosse that I'd visited on two occasions previously. It was all coming back to me. At the city of Tours we cut up along the Cher River to our campsite at Bleres.mit had been a solid 8 hr drive for Andrew and we couldn't have asked for a better position to spend the evening relaxing. It was moms birthday and we gave her a call. The seemingly static river, joggers and cyclists enjoying the path on the bank and hot air balloons overhead. Delightful!
By midday we had reached our campsite on the edge of the Bois de Boloigne and the banks of the Seine and were heading into Paris on the bikes. Andrew stayed at the campsite waiting for the RAC man to come and sort out our car problem, but as it happens, he never turned up. Such a pity! Our trip around Paris took us first through the park on wonderful little tar and gravel paths that cut through this forest in the middle of city. We passed a large lake with people boating on it, passed families on bikes and lovers on the lawns. Soon we were negotiating roundabouts and traffic driving in the opposite direction to what we are used to. Paul and Liz's bikes have been a godsend, perfect for the task. Avenue Foch (finish of my 2nd Paris marathon years ago) and the up to the arc de triumph. We walk/rode down the champs Elise, Gus and Caitlin wowed by the beautiful shops, Louis Viddiun in particular. Across the Place de la Concorde, past the Eglise de la Madeleine and then up the hill to Monmatre and the Sacre Coeur. We sat on the steps listening to the street artists, guitarists, opera singers, and a variety of other performers. We popped our heads into the Basillica but were disappointed by the seeming lack of Reverence paid by the tourists inside while the mass was in progress. I went to a little supermarket to pick up a picnic supper while the others walked through the busy little Place in Monmatre watching the street artists. We had our supper on the pavement with a very good mime artist as the centre piece to all the action. With lights, our ride back to the camp site took us past the Moullon Rouge, down to the Louvre, past the fun fair, with sounds, lights and smells dazzling the senses. Down the Seine and the back to Ave Foch then through the Bois de Boulogne. The forest is not the same place during the evening as it is during the day,mew were soon to realize, but we stayed together and navigated our way with the help of the iPad, back to camp. Andrew was there sprawled out on the ground reading his kindle and enjoying a bottle of wine, a handful of candles creating a lovely peaceful picture. We joined him for a glass and some cheese, eventhough it was 12.30.
The following morning saw all 5 of us cycling back through the forest and straight to the Tracadero and the Eifel tower. The lines were far too long so we decided to come back in the evening. Our cycle was amazing as we went passed the military museum, the Palace de Invalides where Napoleon is buried then up the river to the Pont Neuf and Notre Dame. We went in, and although the cathedral is large and the stained glass windows so beautiful, the lack of reverence by the throngs of tourists disappointed us. It was time for lunch so the job of finding a supermache was at hand. We had to go some way before finding baguette and 'the president', before settling down in a lovely garden on the Pont Neuf. The heat was intense but the shade, just cooling enough. Having the bikes was the best way of getting around the city as we picked up the vibe and saw so much. Our next stop was the Louvre where Gus, Caitlin and I went in to see the Mona Lisa, Vinus de Milo and more. Carol and Andrew sat in the Place waiting for us while we were lead through a corridors and corridors of art that took ones breath away. The audio guides the children hired were a necessity and gave them direction. Both of them amazed me the way they enthused about what they were seeing. We could have stayed a lot longer! We met up again and strolled through the beautiful Jardin de Touleries gardens, stopping for Caitlin and Andrew to have a ride on one of the fairground attractions. It was an artificial log ride on a water shoot. At least one could cool down a bit dipping ones hands into the water, as the temperature was above 40degrees that day. Riding down the south ban k of the river seine this time we had planned to go to the Eifel tower when the ticket lines were shorter and they were. 600 odd steps later and we were looking down on Andrew, a mere dot sprawled out on the grass with ou bikes. One forgets when climbing this amazing structure,must how exposed you feel walking up it. Every half hour they turn on the flashing lights for five minutes which gives it an extra special feel. By the time we were back with Andrew, cAitlin was in in need of something that would get her the 10!or so kilometers back through the Bois de Bolonge to our camp. A strawberry, vanilla ice cream cone did the trick and by 1am we were all fast asleep!
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ually we were on the new freeway, passing Bordeaux, Bergerac and Poitiers, the countryside flattening out significantly, with kilometers of maze fields and the the forests near Biscarosse that I'd visited on two occasions previously. It was all coming back to me. At the city of Tours we cut up along the Cher River to our campsite at Bleres.mit had been a solid 8 hr drive for Andrew and we couldn't have asked for a better position to spend the evening relaxing. It was moms birthday and we gave her a call. The seemingly static river, joggers and cyclists enjoying the path on the bank and hot air balloons overhead. Delightful!
By midday we had reached our campsite on the edge of the Bois de Boloigne and the banks of the Seine and were heading into Paris on the bikes. Andrew stayed at the campsite waiting for the RAC man to come and sort out our car problem, but as it happens, he never turned up. Such a pity! Our trip around Paris took us first through the park on wonderful little tar and gravel paths that cut through this forest in the middle of city. We passed a large lake with people boating on it, passed families on bikes and lovers on the lawns. Soon we were negotiating roundabouts and traffic driving in the opposite direction to what we are used to. Paul and Liz's bikes have been a godsend, perfect for the task. Avenue Foch (finish of my 2nd Paris marathon years ago) and the up to the arc de triumph. We walk/rode down the champs Elise, Gus and Caitlin wowed by the beautiful shops, Louis Viddiun in particular. Across the Place de la Concorde, past the Eglise de la Madeleine and then up the hill to Monmatre and the Sacre Coeur. We sat on the steps listening to the street artists, guitarists, opera singers, and a variety of other performers. We popped our heads into the Basillica but were disappointed by the seeming lack of Reverence paid by the tourists inside while the mass was in progress. I went to a little supermarket to pick up a picnic supper while the others walked through the busy little Place in Monmatre watching the street artists. We had our supper on the pavement with a very good mime artist as the centre piece to all the action. With lights, our ride back to the camp site took us past the Moullon Rouge, down to the Louvre, past the fun fair, with sounds, lights and smells dazzling the senses. Down the Seine and the back to Ave Foch then through the Bois de Boulogne. The forest is not the same place during the evening as it is during the day,mew were soon to realize, but we stayed together and navigated our way with the help of the iPad, back to camp. Andrew was there sprawled out on the ground reading his kindle and enjoying a bottle of wine, a handful of candles creating a lovely peaceful picture. We joined him for a glass and some cheese, eventhough it was 12.30.
The following morning saw all 5 of us cycling back through the forest and straight to the Tracadero and the Eifel tower. The lines were far too long so we decided to come back in the evening. Our cycle was amazing as we went passed the military museum, the Palace de Invalides where Napoleon is buried then up the river to the Pont Neuf and Notre Dame. We went in, and although the cathedral is large and the stained glass windows so beautiful, the lack of reverence by the throngs of tourists disappointed us. It was time for lunch so the job of finding a supermache was at hand. We had to go some way before finding baguette and 'the president', before settling down in a lovely garden on the Pont Neuf. The heat was intense but the shade, just cooling enough. Having the bikes was the best way of getting around the city as we picked up the vibe and saw so much. Our next stop was the Louvre where Gus, Caitlin and I went in to see the Mona Lisa, Vinus de Milo and more. Carol and Andrew sat in the Place waiting for us while we were lead through a corridors and corridors of art that took ones breath away. The audio guides the children hired were a necessity and gave them direction. Both of them amazed me the way they enthused about what they were seeing. We could have stayed a lot longer! We met up again and strolled through the beautiful Jardin de Touleries gardens, stopping for Caitlin and Andrew to have a ride on one of the fairground attractions. It was an artificial log ride on a water shoot. At least one could cool down a bit dipping ones hands into the water, as the temperature was above 40degrees that day. Riding down the south ban k of the river seine this time we had planned to go to the Eifel tower when the ticket lines were shorter and they were. 600 odd steps later and we were looking down on Andrew, a mere dot sprawled out on the grass with ou bikes. One forgets when climbing this amazing structure,must how exposed you feel walking up it. Every half hour they turn on the flashing lights for five minutes which gives it an extra special feel. By the time we were back with Andrew, cAitlin was in in need of something that would get her the 10!or so kilometers back through the Bois de Bolonge to our camp. A strawberry, vanilla ice cream cone did the trick and by 1am we were all fast asleep!
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Location:A2,,United Kingdom
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Cauterets via the amazing Col de Aubisque
The drive out of Cauterets took us down, down and down to the valley floor and then towards Bun, a small little hamlet in among a number of quaint villages in the valley. This is where a few years ago, Nana, Pops and Andrew had spent a week in a small house they'd rented. I'm certain I had seen the cream colored building on the side of the hill. The large white rock face of one of the mountains near the Col de Solour stood gleaming in the setting sun. The Col is not that long by Tourmelet standards but it certainly is one of the prettiest. The mountains on these Cols look very different to what we'd seen before and the road from Solour to Aubisque was like none other too. Here there was a scary vertical drop to our right of possible a thousand feet or more as the road cut into the vertical drop above us. At times we were taken through tunnels. It was after just having been through one of these tunnels that I heard a loud thud to my left and a flash
of silver went by. We were all rather shaken by a minibus that had overtaken us on this narrow road and his wing morrow had caught ours as he sped past. How Andrew held his nerve I don't know, but he didn't flinch, even with the incredible drop to the right on his side of the vehicle. Shortly after this we past yet another French farmer dressed in traditional Berea and sporting a large handlebar mustache. They seem to be very common among the farmers. It looked like a family affair as his wife stood at the door of a little make shift stall selling home made cheese and his young son was bringing in the sheep. He looked on and could just manage a raised hand as we greeted him as we passed. It was the end of the day so, granted, many tourists had passed before us and he must have been tired. We'd hoped to camp ontop of the Most impressive col de Aubisque, but the wind was biting,Mao we won't down the other side just passed the ski resort of Gaurets. We found a nice grassy layby that even had a picnic table and set up camp. It was fascinating tom watch the cloud roll up from the valley below and at the same time to had a beautiful rainbow stretch over the mighty chunks of limestone that make up the mountains in this region of the Pyrenees. At 7am the following morning, andrew, Gus and I hopped on our bikes for a ride to the top of the Col. It was certainly as impressive as anything we'd done before and the summit was very pleasant too. Large, lazy horses stood around the three oversized bikes, one yellow, another green and the third a polka dot white and red, representing the colour jerseys worn by the three different category winners in the tour de France. There's a lovely, simple, little hotel at the top, what a place to stay. The ride down was exhilarating. Gus and I carried on all the way down to the town of Larun, nestling in a bowl of mountains, passing quaint little villages all the way down. Just before we got to the bottom, on one of the many hairpin bends, I stopped to take a video shot of Gus with the town in the background. It looked so tranquil! The meeting point with the car was a little patisserie in the town and the prize, ‘pain au chocolate'. Yum.
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of silver went by. We were all rather shaken by a minibus that had overtaken us on this narrow road and his wing morrow had caught ours as he sped past. How Andrew held his nerve I don't know, but he didn't flinch, even with the incredible drop to the right on his side of the vehicle. Shortly after this we past yet another French farmer dressed in traditional Berea and sporting a large handlebar mustache. They seem to be very common among the farmers. It looked like a family affair as his wife stood at the door of a little make shift stall selling home made cheese and his young son was bringing in the sheep. He looked on and could just manage a raised hand as we greeted him as we passed. It was the end of the day so, granted, many tourists had passed before us and he must have been tired. We'd hoped to camp ontop of the Most impressive col de Aubisque, but the wind was biting,Mao we won't down the other side just passed the ski resort of Gaurets. We found a nice grassy layby that even had a picnic table and set up camp. It was fascinating tom watch the cloud roll up from the valley below and at the same time to had a beautiful rainbow stretch over the mighty chunks of limestone that make up the mountains in this region of the Pyrenees. At 7am the following morning, andrew, Gus and I hopped on our bikes for a ride to the top of the Col. It was certainly as impressive as anything we'd done before and the summit was very pleasant too. Large, lazy horses stood around the three oversized bikes, one yellow, another green and the third a polka dot white and red, representing the colour jerseys worn by the three different category winners in the tour de France. There's a lovely, simple, little hotel at the top, what a place to stay. The ride down was exhilarating. Gus and I carried on all the way down to the town of Larun, nestling in a bowl of mountains, passing quaint little villages all the way down. Just before we got to the bottom, on one of the many hairpin bends, I stopped to take a video shot of Gus with the town in the background. It looked so tranquil! The meeting point with the car was a little patisserie in the town and the prize, ‘pain au chocolate'. Yum.
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Monday, August 20, 2012
Off the bike and pick up the hiking poles
As we've progressed along our Pyrenean journey, we've noticed the valleys getting longer and steeper. No more so than the valley that stretches up to the massive peak of Vignemale, with it's glacier at its feet. The town of Cauterets was our base the night before our 9hr hike to the foot of the glacier and back down. Cauterets is a pleasant, touristy town with a great adventure sports atmosphere. The gondolas from the town centre seem to continuously ferry hikers and downhill mountain bikers in their droves up to the ski slopes. The trail head for our hike began about a 15min drive further up the valley at the Port de Espagne where massive amounts of water cascade over impressive waterfalls from the incredibly steep and rugged slopes of the valley. The fist short section of the hike is to a beautiful lake so that families of very young, old or unfit can also get to it in a short gondola ride. What struck us about this first section were the beautiful waterfalls, steep ascent and the very strange looking Fir trees with their random, stunted form and their rust colored bark. After the lake the climb got a lot tougher, yet more and more beautiful in that the rugged steps up from one plateau in the valley to the next brought the towering peak of Vignemale and the glacier closer and closer. The path made its way through skree slopes and morain, big slabs of rock that had in some time or other come crashing down from above. One felt very vulnerable in this Rugged landscape. By lunch we Made it to a point about a kilometer from The glacier AND it proved to be' a good spot for our picnic lunch. Not only was it understandably cooler up there but a cool breeze began to pick up and the clouds started to rise up the alley towards us. We made our way down again, appreciating the views from the return angle, and finally the rain hit us only 15 min from the end. We'd loved to have got to know Caurterets better but time didn't allow it. Oh, one comment from Gus, as he looked up at the mountains on exiting from the supermache before leaving the town was, “Wo, how's that for a view from ones local supermarket. We are certain he's appreciating the beauty of the place!
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Sunday, August 19, 2012
Col de Tourmalet to Cauterets
The road surface was so smooth it made for a totally unfamiliar sound as we steadily but cautiously negotiated the switch backs at first, then passed the ski resort, then the avalanche tunnels and finally three or four heavily wooded switchbacks till we decided our turn around point would be a small service station at the bottom of the Col de Tourmelet. By now it was quite hot, but we were looking forward to this for months and thanks to Andrew, mom and dad, a dream was coming true. Once we'd passed through the wooded switchbacks we could get a good view of Piqué du Midi, one of the highest in the Pyrenees. While we were on the velo, carol and Caitlin were on a 3 hour hike towards the summit from our camp at the top of the Col. The Kenyan cycling team were training on the mountain that day and their coach and the riders had a few polite things to say to us as they passed us several times. We had passed a comment such as, “Go Africa!"
Or something like that, anyway. Gus was showing really good climbing ability and most off all he was in a really good frame of mind. He has matured enormously as a cyclist, in fact both children have shown remarkable stamina in so many ways. In fact, we've had several 7am to midnight days, some on a trot, and they've never complained or lowered the moral of the unit!
As we continued up the massive climb to the Col de Tourmelet, we were so often reminded by the Tour de France, names of riders and teams painted all the way to the summit at regular interact. You could just imagine throngs of fans lining the roads, motor homes almost impossibly tucked into tiny layby's and screaming enthusiasts cheering on the riders. The gradient of theroad road strangely increased dramatically through the ski resort of la Mongie where Gus and I popped into a smart hotel to fill up our water bottles. We were, however, nearly there and the best part to come. Short little switchbacks, the road a lot narrower now, with beautiful grassy banks, and of course the Lamas, a signal we had almost completed the dream! I got ahead to take a photo of Gus crossing the white line marked on the road. Immediately the road begins its descent! Andrew, Gus and I sat at the quaint old restaurant, with all it's cycling memorabilia, and tucked into the legendary almond tart and blue berry tart. Gus's mouth and tongue was proof of the pudding, he'd conquered the Tourmelat, in under two hours, 1hr 48min! Carol and Caitlin thought we'd take a lot longer so were enjoying their 3 hr hike on the tops of the dramatic Pyrennes, giving them stupendous views of the plains below, stretching towards Pau, and Pique Aneto on the other-side in Spain. We'd left a bit of tart for the girls! Gus and I took the opportunity to ride down the otherside to the town of luz st Sauveur, a glorious descent that made us wonder if we'd done the more pretty and more difficult side of the Col or not. It was special!
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Or something like that, anyway. Gus was showing really good climbing ability and most off all he was in a really good frame of mind. He has matured enormously as a cyclist, in fact both children have shown remarkable stamina in so many ways. In fact, we've had several 7am to midnight days, some on a trot, and they've never complained or lowered the moral of the unit!
As we continued up the massive climb to the Col de Tourmelet, we were so often reminded by the Tour de France, names of riders and teams painted all the way to the summit at regular interact. You could just imagine throngs of fans lining the roads, motor homes almost impossibly tucked into tiny layby's and screaming enthusiasts cheering on the riders. The gradient of theroad road strangely increased dramatically through the ski resort of la Mongie where Gus and I popped into a smart hotel to fill up our water bottles. We were, however, nearly there and the best part to come. Short little switchbacks, the road a lot narrower now, with beautiful grassy banks, and of course the Lamas, a signal we had almost completed the dream! I got ahead to take a photo of Gus crossing the white line marked on the road. Immediately the road begins its descent! Andrew, Gus and I sat at the quaint old restaurant, with all it's cycling memorabilia, and tucked into the legendary almond tart and blue berry tart. Gus's mouth and tongue was proof of the pudding, he'd conquered the Tourmelat, in under two hours, 1hr 48min! Carol and Caitlin thought we'd take a lot longer so were enjoying their 3 hr hike on the tops of the dramatic Pyrennes, giving them stupendous views of the plains below, stretching towards Pau, and Pique Aneto on the other-side in Spain. We'd left a bit of tart for the girls! Gus and I took the opportunity to ride down the otherside to the town of luz st Sauveur, a glorious descent that made us wonder if we'd done the more pretty and more difficult side of the Col or not. It was special!
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Saturday, August 18, 2012
Luchon de Bagneres to Col du Tourmelet
It was a beautiful morning as we left Luchon, it's roundabouts all still decked out artistically for the recent tour de France. Our journey to the Col de Tourmalet took us through some exquisite valleys and over the renowned Cols of the Peyreseude and Col de Aspin. It was here that we opened 'The President', as we now have affectionately named the Camembert we have for lunch. Joining it was the salami or sausisonne. We had a beautiful view from the top looking right down into the valley as the road snaked seemingly endlessly up to the top of Aspen. There were lots of cow bells clanging, a heard had its home in among the picnickers. One particularly cheeky cow tried to splice Andrew with it's horn. This years Tour de France had come in the opposites direction to which we were Travelling, but I think on alternate tours they switch direction as the Cola are equally tough and as beautiful on both sides. Soon the sign read, Tourmelet, a famous and very well known mountain climb in cycling circles. By the way, there are almost as many bikes here as cars! The road starts gradually at first but soon leaves two or three little villages behind as it enters the forested slopes of the mountain and then the gradient steps up a gear or three. The switchbacks are not that short on the east to west climb as we were to see on the west to east climb the following day. Passing the massive ski resort and passing through avalanche tunnels on the way one comes out of the trees and then the switchbacks begin in earnest, with LANCE and WIGGO still painted in big letters on the road. We found a place to camp up on the top of the Col behind a ski lift and were immediately taken by the large number of very inquisitive Lama's roaming with little tinkly bells around their necks. We had a lovely Braai tht evening with a bottle of cheep but very palatable red wine. Oh tht ws after the Gin and tonic Andrew had prepared for us, with slices of lemon. What a place to sit and take in ones surroundings, facing the massive rock cliffs, with Vultures swooping up high on the evening thermals. Oh they were also joined by a para-sailer. That night small gusts of wind pulled the fly sheet off Caitlin's tent, however getting out of the camper gave me an opportunity to witness an enormous amount of activity in the night sky. Short flashes of shooting stars, something to remember.
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Friday, August 17, 2012
St Lizier and Luchon de Bagneres
The Midi Pyrenees are breathtakingly beautiful and our stock phrase has been, “Nothing could had prepared us for that!" the narrow valleys all run north to south towards the peaks that rise dramatically in so many differing forms, to heights over 3000m. We began our week in the mountains in the 'Savage' region of the Midi Pyrenees, a wilder, less touristy area, that although it didn't have such dramatic peaks as what we were still to see, the Cirque de Cagatelle took our breath away and we gasped in awe at the natural amphitheater we hiked to. We thought we'd built up a good level of stamina and that our knees were prepared for steep climbs from all the steps in Rome and the Cinque Terra, but nothing could have prepared us for the 5 hour hike. The gradients were severe! At first ones starts in beautiful natural forests but after a while you find yourself above the tree line, staring at massive skree slopes and jagged mountain tops. At the end of the hike up the valley we were presented with a Pyrenean lake in yet another dramatic bowl at the end of the valley. All plans for a swim were frozen by the icy water. We were hampered slightly for a day or two by a radiator coolant light that kept on coming on, so we did have to make a trip to St Gaudens to have it checked, but nothing came of it. Andrew's VW camper is a very well kitted out home on wheels, with all the necessaries to make the nights comfy. Bar two nights, Andrew, Gus and Caitlin have been in three small tents and Carol and I have had the fold down back seat bed in the van. it's our job to get the espresso and tea on in the morning, using the built in gas ring. The fridge is great, thus keeping milk is no problem and we even have ice cubes for our Gin and tonics in the evenings.
Both the Luchon and St Lizier camp sites were great with lots going on as families of French and Spanish went about doing their thing. The heat of the previous two weeks was Broken on our day in Luchon by low cloud that hung over the town that more often than not hosts a leg of the Tour de France, so a day in the saddle was agreed upon by dad, Gus and Andrew, while Caitlin and mom walked through the pretty spa town with all it's pavement restaurants, adventure shops and creperies. It was good to see how French families spent a Sunday, out in the garden with a Braai going or on their bikes like us. Our goal was to ride to the summit of Superbagneres, the mountain standing right behind the town. Well, we'll have to say it again, nothing could have prepared us for the 5 hr ride of which three and a half were spent climbing the many switchbacks up to the ski resort and large, old hotel on the summit. It was here that Gus first began to show his strength as a climber! The bikes Andrew had arranged for us were perfect for what we wanted to do! Froi Grais (duck) for supper with a bottle of very good red wine at R35 went down very well.
Unfortunately the next morning ewe had to wait for a mechanic to come and check on the car again (he couldn't either find the problem), so we only got going at about 10.30 after a shop at the Supermache which we all, especially the younger two, found very interesting. We all had a great time tasting a variety of cheeses.
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Both the Luchon and St Lizier camp sites were great with lots going on as families of French and Spanish went about doing their thing. The heat of the previous two weeks was Broken on our day in Luchon by low cloud that hung over the town that more often than not hosts a leg of the Tour de France, so a day in the saddle was agreed upon by dad, Gus and Andrew, while Caitlin and mom walked through the pretty spa town with all it's pavement restaurants, adventure shops and creperies. It was good to see how French families spent a Sunday, out in the garden with a Braai going or on their bikes like us. Our goal was to ride to the summit of Superbagneres, the mountain standing right behind the town. Well, we'll have to say it again, nothing could have prepared us for the 5 hr ride of which three and a half were spent climbing the many switchbacks up to the ski resort and large, old hotel on the summit. It was here that Gus first began to show his strength as a climber! The bikes Andrew had arranged for us were perfect for what we wanted to do! Froi Grais (duck) for supper with a bottle of very good red wine at R35 went down very well.
Unfortunately the next morning ewe had to wait for a mechanic to come and check on the car again (he couldn't either find the problem), so we only got going at about 10.30 after a shop at the Supermache which we all, especially the younger two, found very interesting. We all had a great time tasting a variety of cheeses.
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Milan, Toulouse to the Pyrenees
We arrived at Milan Central station, a massive, Musolini style building, all facade and not much more. We walked through the financial part of town and then into the famed fashion district, passing famous fashion brand shops as we trekked in smelly hiking kit with no concern for any form of fashion. It was a long heavy hike into town, (backpack on back and day packs on fronts), about 3km, but we made it to the Piazza La Scala with it's statue of Leonardo de Vinci and the opera venue of note, the famous La Scala theatre. From here the enormouse Victor Emanual shopping arcade, with it's Gucci, Rolex, Armani names, oh and Mc Donald's, lead to the Grand Duomo Piazza. Inter Milan were playing a European Cup match that evening at the San Seiro (spelling) so the piazza had a heavy police presence and small groups of fans were beginning to gather when we eventually decided to take the metro back to Milan Central. This was only after we'd had a rather dry ham and salad roll while walking around the Duomo. Other than the Duomo, Piazza and Victor Emanual arcade, Milan seemed a rather dull place in comparison to Rome and Florence. Maybe we needed to stay longer. We couldnt as we had a plane to catch, so it was all aboard the Malpensa airport bus which took around 40 minutes. Checking in and boarding Easy Jet was a breeze. All our air tickets and some train tickets were booked over the Internet from home and we never ever had any hassle.
Gus and Caitlin had window seats and were thrilled to see the Alps down below at one stage. We touched down in Toulouse after a one hour flight, there was no emigration (Carol and her SA passport and visa breathed a sound of relief) and there was brother Andrew to meet us. It's been so, so good to see him.
A quick drive through the central Place (now not piazza), an impressive place with all of Toulouse out sitting at pavement restaurants enjoying a wonderfully warm evening. Driving past the Toulouse rugby club we made our way to the campsite near the airport where Andrew had arranged a wonderful meal of Samour Sparkling wine, French red wine, cheeses and suasissone. Our time in France had begun well.
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Gus and Caitlin had window seats and were thrilled to see the Alps down below at one stage. We touched down in Toulouse after a one hour flight, there was no emigration (Carol and her SA passport and visa breathed a sound of relief) and there was brother Andrew to meet us. It's been so, so good to see him.
A quick drive through the central Place (now not piazza), an impressive place with all of Toulouse out sitting at pavement restaurants enjoying a wonderfully warm evening. Driving past the Toulouse rugby club we made our way to the campsite near the airport where Andrew had arranged a wonderful meal of Samour Sparkling wine, French red wine, cheeses and suasissone. Our time in France had begun well.
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Location:Cauterets
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Good bye Fantastic Florence
What has really surprised us on so many occasions has been the number of free musical performances we've stumbled upon, walking down narrow little streets in Florence, we popping into a small church where an organist was giving a marvelous organ recital. In Assisi there was a very good choir practicing in a tiny hall, Gaudio! In one street in Florence, either someone was playing the piano extremely well or a CD was in full swing, but the music wafted out of the two wide open shuttered windows to the whole street tw floors below. Last night a man playing toccata and fued (i think thats right) on an accordian, played with such vigour, just as it should bwe played, but the beautiful sound filled the Piazza De la signoria. When we attended mass in the Duomo, the organist stamped the pedals with gusto, surprising us all as the priest procession made their way down the isle. Music is a part of life here it seems, just as art is. Its wonderful! We LOVE Florence. You can spend all day ambling with no real intent, but just soaking up the atmosphere. On our way to supper we past a small square behind the Uffizi where a guitarist and vocalist sang romantically to relaxing patrons. I couldn't help leaning over to give Carol a hug and a kiss. caitlin loved this and thought we lingered a little long in that pose. I forgot to mention that Gus and Carol were asked to collect the offering at mass. I think they did a good job!
We just spent the evening ambling along and soaking it all in. The pizza the others had was very good value by Italian standards, 5 and 6 euro each and I had a delicious spaghetti bolognaise for 6 euro. We had bread on the table we didn't have to pay for and there was no service charge. You can't sit down for a meal for less than this. The service was so friendly, Gus and Caitlin were aloud to watch their pizza being made. Everyone was so friendly towards the children and a baby with a couple next door entertained us well. It turned out we'd stumbled upon a trattoria frequented by locals, what a gem. As Laurie Lee puts it, “We walked up the banks of the Arno River under the gaze of a full antique moon!" It was especially warm last night and everyone and their dog was out on the Piazza Michaelangelo that gives one the most incredible view of the city. We didn't linger too long there, our beds were screaming at us to walk the 200 odd steps in their direction of the campsite. Wow, what a position for a campsite. This morning we took the bus down the hill to the city, down an avenue draped by Plain trees, with cyclist galore, and these were real cyclist, not commuters. Joggers too made use of the wide pavements and we passed a man chatting to a lady on a bench but between them, sitting on the bench, we're 5 Boxers (dogs). What a site!
We boarded the train to Lucca. goodbye Florence, we'd love to meet again! In the words of a Narnia song Caitlin's been singing, “We'll come back, when we're older, no need to say, goodbye!"
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We just spent the evening ambling along and soaking it all in. The pizza the others had was very good value by Italian standards, 5 and 6 euro each and I had a delicious spaghetti bolognaise for 6 euro. We had bread on the table we didn't have to pay for and there was no service charge. You can't sit down for a meal for less than this. The service was so friendly, Gus and Caitlin were aloud to watch their pizza being made. Everyone was so friendly towards the children and a baby with a couple next door entertained us well. It turned out we'd stumbled upon a trattoria frequented by locals, what a gem. As Laurie Lee puts it, “We walked up the banks of the Arno River under the gaze of a full antique moon!" It was especially warm last night and everyone and their dog was out on the Piazza Michaelangelo that gives one the most incredible view of the city. We didn't linger too long there, our beds were screaming at us to walk the 200 odd steps in their direction of the campsite. Wow, what a position for a campsite. This morning we took the bus down the hill to the city, down an avenue draped by Plain trees, with cyclist galore, and these were real cyclist, not commuters. Joggers too made use of the wide pavements and we passed a man chatting to a lady on a bench but between them, sitting on the bench, we're 5 Boxers (dogs). What a site!
We boarded the train to Lucca. goodbye Florence, we'd love to meet again! In the words of a Narnia song Caitlin's been singing, “We'll come back, when we're older, no need to say, goodbye!"
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Umbria to Tuscany, mmmm - different!
I thought I'd posted a section of our time in Assis but can't seem to find evidence of that so let me cast my thoughts back 3 days. As I said the drive to Assisi was glorious,and driving into the tow itself was hair raising, with steep narrow streets just about as wide as our tiny Lancia five door. Our accommodation inassisi was with Annelise and her family in two lovely old fashioned decorated rooms, both with a gorgeous view onto red roofs and with a gap in two buildings that gave us a wonderful view of the patch work Umbrian countryside far below. Every now and then the strangely different but beautiful singing of birds was joined by bells of differing pitch from various churches around the town. The streets were so clean, the town was just perfect. A picturesque little piazza in the centre had a big fountain with cool, cool water, and it was here that we sat for ages late into the evening, along with everyone else. Brothers in brown cassocks were everywhere and so friendly, I chatted to one from Bosnia. The Basillica of San Francesco is actually three churches on top of each other which was quite extraordinary. At the bottom was the tomb of St Francis, quite an inspiring and dedicated follower of Christs etching. There were relics of his just next door to the lower chapel above the tomb. His coat, sandals, scratchy head dress etc were al on view and quite amazing to see how things that old had been so well preserved. Again the murals that adorn the lower and upper basillica were breathtaking, depicting the life of Jesus and St. Francis, and then there was the Judgement day painting which Caitlin was particularly interested in. We attended evening prayers with the brothers and with the beautiful singing made it a memorable and moving experience. The upper basillica is of Gothic design and this prompted an interest in architectural designs from Gus. Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic and all that, a great lesson for him and has established some sort of bench mark I think for him for the rest of the trip. We all agreed we should have had at least two nights in Assisi and were very sad to leave.
Travelling comes with ups and downs and a language missunderstanding led to us being slapped with a R390 parking fine which made us feel horrible. Caitlin gets affected by this sort of thing, our big -soft hearted little angel. Umbria is quite built up in comparison to Tuscany which we drove to from Assisi. We drove through the forested hills to get to Siena and found the campsite outside the city with ease. Thanks again Kerry and Rhoda.
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Travelling comes with ups and downs and a language missunderstanding led to us being slapped with a R390 parking fine which made us feel horrible. Caitlin gets affected by this sort of thing, our big -soft hearted little angel. Umbria is quite built up in comparison to Tuscany which we drove to from Assisi. We drove through the forested hills to get to Siena and found the campsite outside the city with ease. Thanks again Kerry and Rhoda.
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Location:Viale Michelangelo,,Italy
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Beautiful, beautiful Tuscany
It has become our stock phrase, "Nothing could have prepared us for THAT.
Donatello, Raphael, Giotto, michael Angelo etc. the detail the stories behind the paintings, the artistic periods, the detail, the colours ant artistic techniques. Our feet took flack but we had some Haribo sweets to keep us going.the painting by Uchello of the battle of san romano 1432 by Siena v Florentines was amazing. But over and above all we were witness to, I was astounded at the knowledge Gus already had, from Venus in different poses from different artists to Michaelangelo and his first painting of a small boy when he himself was only 14. Michaelangelo was so astounded by the brilliance of his pupil he stopped teaching from then on. Well done to Guss art teacher. Caitlin had a knack of spotting the smallest detail and she was taken in by the evil looking characters, the skeletons and those in hell, wishing theyd lived better lives. The Uffuzi is an amazing place and one doesn't have to be an art lover to be taken in by the place. The views over the Arno river and the Pont Avecio were the best we'd seen.
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Donatello, Raphael, Giotto, michael Angelo etc. the detail the stories behind the paintings, the artistic periods, the detail, the colours ant artistic techniques. Our feet took flack but we had some Haribo sweets to keep us going.the painting by Uchello of the battle of san romano 1432 by Siena v Florentines was amazing. But over and above all we were witness to, I was astounded at the knowledge Gus already had, from Venus in different poses from different artists to Michaelangelo and his first painting of a small boy when he himself was only 14. Michaelangelo was so astounded by the brilliance of his pupil he stopped teaching from then on. Well done to Guss art teacher. Caitlin had a knack of spotting the smallest detail and she was taken in by the evil looking characters, the skeletons and those in hell, wishing theyd lived better lives. The Uffuzi is an amazing place and one doesn't have to be an art lover to be taken in by the place. The views over the Arno river and the Pont Avecio were the best we'd seen.
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Thursday, August 2, 2012
Our road leads from Rome
8am Gus and I went to get picnic provisions from the ‘supermarket' but they needed 5 minutes to offload a van so we popped into the Tabac for an expresso and Gus had a chocolate croissant. I had asked for a double expresso, so they came in two separate tiny cups. Gus had to have the other one. (I think he enjoyed it). Bags and all we said goodbye to the flat and hopped on the first bus that came along that took us straight to the Eurocar depot. So I guess we eventually Sussed the bus system. Following Rita's commands (a valuable loan from Kerry and Rhoda - thanks chaps for the gps) we made it out into the countryside on the small roads in no time. A short stop in a wonderful hilltop town Narni, to take advantage of the beautiful views and free wifi, two pizza slices were also ordered as it was lunchtime. Our next stop was Spoletto, but not before we had taken several lengthy tunnels deep under the Appenines, driven up numerous hair pin bends, climbing through olive groves and passing more spectacular hill towns with natural forests from valley floor to summit. Spoletto was our supposed lunch stop so we took our picnic up 8 escalators to the top of the hill overlooking the town. That was a first indeed. We sat on the edge of a pretty gorge next to the via duct that spanned the valley. Bread cheese and ham, olive oil and Lemmon juice!
50 km later and we entered Assisi. We were late and made our way straight to the Basilica of St Francesco, how appropriate we should be there. We immediately attended evening prayers in the crypt next to the tomb of St Francis. Lovely singing! We spent some time looking at the incredible murals depicting the Iife of the saint, covering the walls of the two churches built on-top of each other. Ambling through the narrow streets, oh so picturesque, oh so romantic, oh such fun. Gus kept on shouting out, "I love Italy', - not too loud, but it is quite obvious the children have been totally taken in by the town as it sits high upon an Umbrian hill, overlooking the patchwork countryside. We stopped for our first pasta at a Tratoria which proved to be just what we needed, restful and tasty. For the rest of the evening we just popped into interesting shops and spent ages sitting at the fountain in the main square, watching, chatting, laughing and reminding ourselves just how lucky we are. Thank you Lord! Thank you family!
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50 km later and we entered Assisi. We were late and made our way straight to the Basilica of St Francesco, how appropriate we should be there. We immediately attended evening prayers in the crypt next to the tomb of St Francis. Lovely singing! We spent some time looking at the incredible murals depicting the Iife of the saint, covering the walls of the two churches built on-top of each other. Ambling through the narrow streets, oh so picturesque, oh so romantic, oh such fun. Gus kept on shouting out, "I love Italy', - not too loud, but it is quite obvious the children have been totally taken in by the town as it sits high upon an Umbrian hill, overlooking the patchwork countryside. We stopped for our first pasta at a Tratoria which proved to be just what we needed, restful and tasty. For the rest of the evening we just popped into interesting shops and spent ages sitting at the fountain in the main square, watching, chatting, laughing and reminding ourselves just how lucky we are. Thank you Lord! Thank you family!
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Location:Assisi
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
A side street near Piazza Republican
Travelling is not for sissies! That's what we've had to remind ourselves as we've had to dig deep today with lots of walking and the usual 30 deg in the shade heat. As I write, Carol an I are outside The Empire Pizza place (one can't call it a ristorante or even a trattoria) sitting at two bar stools and a little bar table. Gus and Caitlin are sitting inside watching some fencing on the Olympics TV channel.
The day began with a visit to an Internet cafe and then bus 258 to the massive Pilazza Venizia and it's monument Vittorio Emanuele II. That's where I sent the photos from that you hopefully got. Free wifi in many of the Piazzas. We walked down to the Bocca Della Verita passing enormous ancient buildings and ruins. We didnt put our hands inside the mouth of the Bocca (as the story goes, if they ask you a question while your hand is in the mouth of the BOcca, it bites it off). We didnt give ita try. (R5). This is where The camera decided to pack pack, really, really sad and mostly to Gus as this was ‘his' job, to take the photos. He took the job very seriously and did a great job. To get over the disappointment he walked down the middle of Circus Maximus. Our bus from here took us to the start of the Apian Way, The Queen Of Roads as its known. Its amazing how this road still is in such good condition 2000 yrs on. By now we were in the pleasant country side walking through Olive groves, past a shepherd and his flock (sheep) till the Catacombs. 40 miles of underground burial passages for Popes to plebs. 500 000 Christians were buried in a 15 hectare site, 4 stories deep, quite amazing. Many, before Constantine legalized Christianity in 300 AD, died as martyres. The story of St Cecilia was particularly moving, dying for her faith at 12, Caitlin's age! We had in fact visited the Church of St Cecilia in the Trastevere district on the first evening. Look up the story of Santa Cecilia, it is a very interesting and moving one.
We joined some Korean nuns on the Apian way to the catacombs, and while we were down among the graves, their party broke into beautiful song.
The 2000 year old frescos that are as they found them, still so clear, simple descriptive and simply beautiful. Late afternoon we returned to the city by bus and tube, this time the Termini Area to visit the church of Santa Maria in Maggiore, wonderful frescoes but m ore wonderful, while folk walked round quietly, a service was in full swing in the side chapel, confessionals were busy, and the church was a church, well used and not just an amazing building. Moving across the road to Santa Pressede, where the same was occurring, mass was being said and the church was busy for all the right reasons.
By now we were absolutely finished!
The pizzas did just the trick and we caught our bus back to our delightful neighborhood, stopping off of course for the treat, gelato.
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The day began with a visit to an Internet cafe and then bus 258 to the massive Pilazza Venizia and it's monument Vittorio Emanuele II. That's where I sent the photos from that you hopefully got. Free wifi in many of the Piazzas. We walked down to the Bocca Della Verita passing enormous ancient buildings and ruins. We didnt put our hands inside the mouth of the Bocca (as the story goes, if they ask you a question while your hand is in the mouth of the BOcca, it bites it off). We didnt give ita try. (R5). This is where The camera decided to pack pack, really, really sad and mostly to Gus as this was ‘his' job, to take the photos. He took the job very seriously and did a great job. To get over the disappointment he walked down the middle of Circus Maximus. Our bus from here took us to the start of the Apian Way, The Queen Of Roads as its known. Its amazing how this road still is in such good condition 2000 yrs on. By now we were in the pleasant country side walking through Olive groves, past a shepherd and his flock (sheep) till the Catacombs. 40 miles of underground burial passages for Popes to plebs. 500 000 Christians were buried in a 15 hectare site, 4 stories deep, quite amazing. Many, before Constantine legalized Christianity in 300 AD, died as martyres. The story of St Cecilia was particularly moving, dying for her faith at 12, Caitlin's age! We had in fact visited the Church of St Cecilia in the Trastevere district on the first evening. Look up the story of Santa Cecilia, it is a very interesting and moving one.
We joined some Korean nuns on the Apian way to the catacombs, and while we were down among the graves, their party broke into beautiful song.
The 2000 year old frescos that are as they found them, still so clear, simple descriptive and simply beautiful. Late afternoon we returned to the city by bus and tube, this time the Termini Area to visit the church of Santa Maria in Maggiore, wonderful frescoes but m ore wonderful, while folk walked round quietly, a service was in full swing in the side chapel, confessionals were busy, and the church was a church, well used and not just an amazing building. Moving across the road to Santa Pressede, where the same was occurring, mass was being said and the church was busy for all the right reasons.
By now we were absolutely finished!
The pizzas did just the trick and we caught our bus back to our delightful neighborhood, stopping off of course for the treat, gelato.
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
Oh for a coffee
Leaving Port Elizabeth in the pouring rain and chilly wind we've just climbed off the Boeing 777 into temperature of 34 degrees at 4.30am. The flight to Durban gave us a chance to see the Maluti mountains covered in a thick blanket of snow. The Shark tank made to look minute next to the Moses Mabida Stadium. king Shaka airport was very quiet, yet most impressive. So spacious. The departure lounge was a good spot for a game with the woba ball. Emirates were superb but they couldn't give us the sleep we would have liked, so we are slightly jaded right now as we wait for the bureau de change to open so we can buy a coffee to prop ourselves up with. Coming over Dubai at night is quite amazing really as all the roads leading into the desert are fully lit.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Dubai airport
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Family travels in Europe 2012
Months of planning have generated much excitement in our little Woodridge 'island'. The map of Europe has been up on the wall in the lounge for some months now, we all know where the Cinque Terra is, Bagneres de Luchon was viewed in the Tour de France last night so it's all becoming real now. Soon we'll be with family we haven't seen for a long time and in fact some we've never met before.
Just a few finishing touches before we lift off in a weeks time!
Just a few finishing touches before we lift off in a weeks time!
Location:Port Elizabeth,South Africa
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