Chapter 35

Pip n Annie go home.

The escapees returned to their nest.  Not quite in the state we left it, but we are so pleased to be home again.
We were met at the airport by our two gorgeous girls and son-in-law.  Qatar airlines were excellent, and we managed to get a few hours sleep.  London to Doha six hours, then Doha to Melbourne fourteen hours - how did they manage years ago with so many stops?  Pip remembers his first flight to Australia in 1963 when he stopped 7 times before arriving in Melbourne and it took 44 hours!
Within 15 hours of returning we were at a tribunal, trying to recover costs for damage to the new carpet we had laid just prior to departing, plus a few other items, from exiting tenants.  Very formal, but we walked away with 60% of replacement costs.  Better than nothing.  Now we have to fix it all up.
The next task was to unpack the numerous boxes that lined the walls in every room.  The girls had done the kitchen, so at least we could eat!   And interestingly, they used old photos to see where pictures, furniture and knick knacks were to be positioned.  Very clever!
The weather was a warm 35 deg, so we put away the thermals and put on shorts and sandals!  Expected forecast was four days of mid forty.....ouch! 
The garden was not up to my standard, but with a few weekends of toil, it should be looking great again.  I did miss my dirt and the garden recycling bin was full within days.
Our social calendar had started to fill fast, but it will be a bit one-sided for a while, as we don't have a dining room table, and the cupboards are bare.  Have to restock the pantry with everything a cook could possibly need.
The days after we arrived were spent reconnecting broadband, TV and phone lines, and temperaments being tested by useless utilities!  Many cups of tea before six and glasses of alcohol after six.
It's amazing how comfortable it feels again. 
Summer days, the Australian Open on the TV, BBQ burning, and outdoor life. Ahh!

That's it for this escape.  No more posts.  Back to the routine....

Love Annie xx

Chapter 34

Final month, festivities and farewells - Part Two

We continued north on our journey, with our next stop Rhyl in North Wales, to visit some more friends (Chris & Sal) for a couple of days. We were actually all together this time last year in Singapore, so it was nice to meet up again in a different part of the world.  We popped into Liverpool for the day, an hour away, for some Beatles nostalgia.  It is 50 years since they shot to fame.
Firstly we took a private tour of places such as Strawberry Field, the homes where each of the Fab Four lived, with Paul's home on the posh side of town, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby's grave and learnt the meaning behind many of the early lyrics. We were then dropped at Albert Dock on the waterfront to go on a magical history tour of the "Beatles Story", a large exhibition taking us back to the sixties to how those four young lads created "Beatlemania".  It was fun and we were singing their songs for the rest of the day.  Who knows which country we'll see Chris and Sal next?

North Wales to Cambridgeshire next, to a cute village called Ely, (pronounced Eelee).  Our B & B was right on the River Ouse, full of long boats, a familiar sight here and one we would have loved to have experienced. 
The imposing cathedral is the centre of attention here.  Built in the 12C it is a beautiful creation of stone, wood and stained glass, and deemed to be one of the most magnificent in England - which is saying something.
A famous resident of this village was Oliver Cromwell.  We visited his home and learnt all about the man that had the Kings head lopped off to become Lord Protector, and that Christmas was banned under his watch!  It was his mission to cleanse the people of decadence apparently (wouldn't be popular in our house!)........it lead to drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling and other forms of excess! 

View from B & B room

Ollie's house

Ely Cathedral

Our next overnight stop was Sandwich, in Kent.  The name is of Saxon origin meaning sandy place - the word sandwich as an item of food came into being centuries later, and is associated with Lord Sandwich (the 4th Earl).  It was one of the Cinque Ports (military and trade ports), but because of the evolving coastline, is now two miles from the sea! 
We stayed at the Bell Hotel, which has been on the same site in some form since the 14C.

Bell Hotel, Sandwich

There is a nearby hamlet to the south called Ham.  A signpost some miles away in the village of Worth points towards both Ham and Sandwich, thus reading "Ham Sandwich".  The sign has subsequently been removed due to repeated theft. 

What was the greatest thing before sliced bread we asked ourselves!

We drove through many quaint villages on our way back to London, including Broadstairs, Deal and then Dover to catch a glimpse of the White Cliffs.  The weather was rotten, and the sea was a boiling grey mass. 

Not-so-white cliffs on this day.

The last of the festivities was of course New Years Eve.  Unfortunately, the weather was not feeling festive and was chucking it down.  This time of year can be a bit of a coin flip with Pip and me, some years we feel like partying and other years, we wind our clocks forward and go to bed at 10pm.  This year was a relaxed dinner with family, then we watched the traditionally impressive fireworks with Big Ben and the London Wheel as the backdrop, on the TV.  Not forever flowing bubbles, but we did stay up long enough to pop a cork, so the old and the new years shared one thing in common.
We spoke to our girls and Tim, who were a day, a month and a year ahead.......how bizarre.

Polo, or the "sport of kings", is synonymous with the elite of society and just a short canter from Henley-on-Thames and set on 260 hectares are the grounds of the Black Bear Polo team.  We were fortunate to be invited to visit a friend (Jo), who together with a huge team, has an amazing job of looking after the polo stud, some 300 or so horses.
What an experience seeing this place, especially getting muddy with the one year olds!  And got to use my new wellies again!

Entrance to the stud farm 

Surrounded by 1-year olds

We then popped into a cute village called Hambleden, for lunch. The whole village is owned by the same guy who owns the stud!  According to Wikepedia he purchased it a few years ago for a meagre £38 million! 

Our last hurrah here in London, and our Christmas present to each other, was dinner, bed and breakfast at the Savoy! (Again an internet deal).  How posh we felt walking in, not as a sightseer but as a guest.  Located on The Strand, it was the first luxury hotel in Britain, and established an unprecedented standard of elegance and luxury.  Refurbished in 2010, it was just amazing or "Brill" as they say here!  Many famous guests too numerous to list have stayed here, as well as film locations including Notting Hill and Entrapment.  The Savoy Court is the only named street in the UK where the vehicles drive on the right hand side of the road!  It was so special and a wonderful memory.  Another bucket list item ticked! 
While we were in London for 24 hours, we did a bit of sightseeing.  We visited the Victoria and Albert Museum to see an exhibition about Pearls - their beauty and allure across the centuries and cultures.  Really good. 
Another bucket list item was to visit Abbey Road. Tick. I walked across "that" zebra crossing, how weird that felt. I did keep my shoes on though. 

Boy, you're gonna carry that weight!

And of course a last stop at Harrods, for a browse.  We looked at the posh watches (one cost £19,060) and then headed to the food section to buy four cakes which were more in keeping with our budget (£6.50).

Our last day was madly packing and lots of weighing!  Oh bugger, how did we accumulate so much?  I am sure I wore all the same clothes for months!
So another farewell, this time to Valerie and Derek, who have been wonderful to us for opening their home and allowing us to feel grounded in London.  Our adventure would not have been realised without them.
Big, big thank you!

Off to Heathrow, to catch our flight and we were going home! 
How nice that sounded.
We have had an absolutely amazing 15 months, but time now to play Mum and Dad, and friend!

Hope you have all enjoyed my ramblings.......I have enjoyed writing them.

Till our next adventure.
Annie
Xxxxx

Chapter 33

Final month, festivities and farewells - Part One

Once we decided to return home to Australia, our calendar started to bulge - plus we had Christmas - so bodies bulging as well!
I had subscribed to many email alerts to get good deals of things happening in London.  One which caught my attention was Swan Lake being performed at Sadlers Wells.  This was a much acclaimed modern interpretation of the classic ballet, so this pas de deus pirouetted off to see it.  Absolutely amazing!  Music brilliant and the "gay" interpretation of the story, interesting.
I needed to explore Regent St and Oxford St again, but when I saw Pip's face, (how "long" is long) about a shopping expedition, we agreed that he would go to the Imperial War Museum and the London Transport Museum while I did this. Better for me as well, as there is not always a "husbands" chair around.  I thought I would employ Santa's little helpers, (my credit cards) for the day!
The winter weather was dealing out some chilly but wonderful sunny days, so we went further into Kent to explore where Pip's mother was born - a seaside village called Faversham.  We went to St Mary's Rd and stood outside #35, the actual house where she entered the world, one in a long row of terraced houses.  After this, we headed about 3km to St Bartholomews in Goodnestone, a simple and unassuming Norman church in a field, where his grandmother was married in 1920.  After here, we went to the cemetery to see where some family members were laid to rest. 

35 St Mary's St

St Bartholomews church

Another trip down memory lane was to return to the home Pip lived in when he was a small child, a place called Chislehurst, again in Kent.

House at Chislehurst

Staying in the area, we visited the Chislehurst Caves, a labyrinth of man made tunnels totalling 35 km, forming an underground maze over 6 hectares, and up to 30m below homes and woodlands.  Originally dug for chalk and flint, it first opened in 1900.  They have been used for munitions storage, concerts, mushroom growing and an underground "town" or air raid shelter protecting over 15,000 people every night during the blitz.  Complete with church, hospital, and a citizens advice bureau!  Some of Pip's family were evacuated here during WW2, so quite pertinent.

Inside the caves (pinched from Web)

A pre-Christmas treat with Pip's cousins was a "White Cliffs of Dover" journey with the leisurely pace of steam travel.  A dozen carriages pulled by two beautifully preserved steam locomotives - "Black Fives - 44871 & 45407, The Lancashire Fusilier".  We enjoyed a five course meal in a wood-panelled Pullman-style dining carriage with a few festive "bevvies"!  Round trip around six hours.

Near the top of our bucket list, was to experience a performance at Royal Albert Hall and what better time than Christmas.   The performance of Carols by Candlelight by a large choir and full orchestra in full 18th century costume was exhilarating, and the music consuming.  We did get the chance to sing as well, a bit daunting in the venue where we have seen DVD concerts of Rod Stewart, Simply Red, Adele and many others perform.........but we made an all out effort, albeit out of key!

Orchestra & choir

Before the show

Ah, then Christmas was upon us......... the time of nibbles, turkey, ham, mince tarts, wine and chocolates.  Not only was the stocking stuffed but we were as well!  The amount of food was as impressive as it was excessive. 
We enjoyed an "Eve" lunch with family and friends at the local pub.

Then it was Santa's big day.  We woke up to the delicious smell of the bird roasting, and the table set for the repast.  The tree was guarding a wealth of gifts which seemed to have grown overnight.  To our amazement, Hamish (cousin's dog) had earlier sniffed under the Xmas tree and had torn the paper from the only present that was addressed to him!  Cleverly, he ignored other gifts containing chocolate.  Clearly, he couldn't wait for everyone else.  It was a wintery day, but we were snug, and so different to Singapore last year! 

 

We headed north in our Rav 4 rental car to Stratford-Upon-Avon to meet up with friends.  The purpose was the season start of the hunt - a traditional Boxing Day event.  Hunting is an issue that divides the country, but Warwickshire has a very strong tradition with this sport dating back to 1791.  We were keen to be a spectator along with about 1000 other people at Upton House to watch them head off over the fields.  Exhilarating! 

 

We went for a walk in our "wellies" and then headed to the pub - only to help stick with tradition, mind!  This was followed by another tradition, "Christmas leftovers" for lunch, but what a great spread!

We then said our sad goodbyes to all the Hawksford family.  They have been wonderful to us, and we can't thank them enough. MWAH!

Lots more festivities and farewells to come.  See you in Part 2 shortly...

Till the next blog.

Love Annie

XX

Chapter 32

Training the Continent.......Part Three - Belgium 

Our train trip from Wurzburg involved two changes, one in Frankfurt and the other in Brussels.  From A to B about five hours with our destination Ghent, Belgium.  Small enough to be cosy, big enough to keep us occupied, plus close enough to places we wanted to explore.
We decided on an apartment this time instead of a hotel, as we were based here for five days.
Ghent is the cultural capital of Flanders and quite eclectic.  Not a big town, the population is only a quarter of a million, but with 297 bars at the last count! 
The town centre has a large part that is car free, which makes strolling around the cobbled streets across rivers and canals a joy, and because the bombs of two world wars didn't cause too much damage, the historical heritage has remained largely intact.

Ghent

Ghent

Ghent

Ghent

"Castle of the Counts", in the heart of the city, was built in 1180 as a residence for the Count of Flanders by Philip of Alsace, and visited by Philip of Canterbury and his wife.  Endless staircases leading up the towers, cold dungeons and huge halls - very impressive. Torture chamber gave us some good ideas!

Castle in Ghent

As everyone knows, there are delicacies you must try while in Belgium - waffles, crepes, beer (10% alcohol) and last but not least, the chocolate. Well, tick, tick, tick and tick. Did that, and all delicious. We are not getting on the scales for two weeks! 

Chocolate Santa

We took a day trip to Antwerp, just under an hour away, where we arrived at Centraal Station.  Dubbed the "Railway Cathedral", it is a landmark of the city.  Built C1900, the interior is lavishly decorated and the platforms are covered by a huge glass and iron vaulted ceiling.  Very impressive.

Inside Antwerp Centraal Station

Looking at Antwerp station

We have been so fortunate with the weather and this day was beautiful and sunny, so wandering through the city was relaxed and interesting as we visited Grote markt - the central square, which in fact is actually triangular shaped, with the huge 16C city hall  on one side.  The Cathedral of Our Lady built in 1400, which is a masterpiece of stone lacework and dominates the skyline.  t'Steen, the 800 year old castle, (or what remains of it), the oldest building in Antwerp.  Groenplatz or green place - one of the most popular squares, with a statue of Rubens - Antwerp's most famous citizen, in the centre.  More Christmas markets around each corner!  
No chestnuts for Pip though.

Antwerp

Antwerp

Next day trip was to Ypres, about an hour and a half away from base.  Local Flemish spelling is "ieper" pronounced "ee-per".
We decided to take a personal tour of Flanders Fields, the generic name for the WW1 battlefields, which include Ypres, Passchendaele and the Somme, to understand better the monumental events of that period of history.  We met Jack, our guide, in the central square of Ypres, and because it was December, there were only three of us on the tour, Pip, myself and a lovely young guy called Tomas.  Jack was a passionate WW1 historian, so he peeled back the layers, to show and talk us through the sites where eight decades ago a generation fell and the world changed forever. 

Canadian memorial garden

Hill 60 trenches - deemed authentic by Jack the driver

We drove through innocent farmland which all those years ago was a desolate wasteland of shell holes, (4.8 million were dropped), bomb shelters and trenches.  It was so flat that Jack had to point out when we were going up any hill at all, and that the Germans managed to secure any land which had any height advantage.
A war poem, "In Flanders Fields", written by John McCrae, a Canadian physician, is one of the most quoted poems from the war.
We visited many cemeteries, all a bit different, but all immaculate.   We asked Jack whether WW1 German cemeteries received minimal visitors (as did the WW2 cemeteries).  He said that this was still the case, although more and more German visitors were starting to come.  Significantly, the German cemeteries are not government-funded and are relatively austere compared with those of the allies which are immaculate. 

British cemetery

British cemetery

British cemetery... German bunker in the foreground

German cemetery

Inscriptions at German cemetery

One headstone read -
"On fame's eternal camping ground, their silent tents are spread"
Again, I thought of my gorgeous nephews, and how different their lives are.  Some of the graves were of 15 year-olds. Unthinkable.  We also learnt how important the Australians were in this region, and it made us very proud!

Cathedral at Ypres

Inside Ypres cathedral

The tour ended at 5pm, but we stayed on in the town to attend a special tribute - the last post - a moving ceremony held every night since 1928, at 8pm at the Menin Gate, a Memorial to the Missing.  Traffic is halted and the crowds gather inside to listen and reflect on the 54,000 still unidentified missing soldiers with no known grave.  It was very moving.

Under the Menin Gate

Last post, then Reveille

The last day trip from Ghent by train was to Brugge, about 40 minutes.  We visited here 37 years ago, but don't remember much about it, so it was good to return.  It was sunny again, but so, so cold!  It's the coldest I have been in ages!  Even the thermals couldn't keep up! 
We decided on a horse and trap ride around the town.  Nice relaxed way to soak up the environment - with a much appreciated fur blanket over us!  The horse was called Tanos, and he did a great job clip clopping over the cobbles.

Beautiful place, but quite busy with tourists.  Again, the City Hall an amazing piece of architecture, as were the canals and cute streets.

Inside City Hall at Brugge

Brugge town square

There were some "interesting" statues in Brugge as well!  Pip was trying to think where he could put one in our garden at home.

Annie lazing by the pool at the end of the day's walking.  Told you it was cold!

Our next and last stop in Belgium, before we headed back to London, was Brussels.  At the station before we boarded the train, we were fascinated by all the bikes. The bike park was nearly as large as the car park!  Now I understand where the term "Park and Ride" comes from!  Very icy seats. 

Some of the bikes parked at station

We chose a central hotel in Brussels, as we only had one full day, with two half days either side to wander and explore.  Coincidentally, all of our accommodation on this European jaunt (Luxembourg, Berlin, Prague, Nuremberg  Ghent and Brussels) has been on the 5th floor.  Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and home to many European and International Institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, NATO etc). There are long boulevards and beautiful parks and a royal grandeur in public buildings.  It is officially a bilingual (French and Flemish) city, so Pip clicked the brain back into French mode! 
In keeping with the French theme we dined at a restaurant called L'Estrille du Vieux Bruxelles.  Excellent fare, quite reasonably priced and tucked down a side path so not a real tourist puller.  We walked home via the central square and watched the Light Show on the buildings.

Light show at Brussels main square

The grand 30 hectare Cinquantenaire Park, and the adjacent horseshoe shaped exhibition complex with the triumphal arch as its centrepiece  was where we stopped to visit Autoworld.  A car museum with a collection of 350 old-timers both European and American from the late 19C to the 1970's.  My Dad was top of mind the whole time I wandered and paused over these immaculate machines. He would have loved to have seen this place! 

Arch of Independence next to Autoworld and Military Museum

Our last day on the continent was relaxed and easy. Time for a last minute soak of Brussels and then off to board the Eurostar back to London.
We have had a "brill" time!  Temperatures while we have been away have been very cold, but we have not raised an umbrella in three weeks!

Till the next blog
Love Annie
Xxx