Chapter 22
PAST and future 

When our family is together we call ourselves PALS, (Pip, Annie, Laura &Sasha), so with Laura in Darwin and Tim with us in this chapter it had to be PAST!...............on with the story.
Sasha and Tim's arrival for their O/S holiday, into Birmingham Airport to meet us after 6 months separation was convoluted to say the least.  Plans for an early flight were cancelled then rescheduled, then cancelled and rescheduled again, bottom line was, we hooked up but lost a day.
We all stayed with our friends near the Cotswolds, which turned into a celebration over "gin snacks" then Roast Lamb, as they have not seen Sasha for 7 years, and they had to check out the "new addition" to the family.  This family are very special to all of us.
Off we headed to London to continue the short time we had together. This we did via Oxford, then Henley-on-Thames, where we stopped for lunch beside the river to watch the "fit" men do a bit of rowing.  It was annual regatta time of year.  Good eye-candy!
In London we chose an apt  which is a part of a new concept of accommodation options, described as "unhotels".  These are private homes, rented out for short stays while the owners are away. Its like stepping into the shoes of a local and our choice was 3 days in Bermondsey, right on the Thames near London Bridge.  An entry on my long bucket list has included living in the centre of London, with a view, so TICK! And what a view.

View to the East from apt

A short walk over Tower Bridge for dinner to the heart of historic London, is an area called St Katherine's Docks. This area took its name from the former hospital, St Katherines by the Tower Hospital,  built on the site in the 12C, and was once a commercial dock.  Heavily bombed and damaged in WW2,  it has now been rejuvenated and transformed into an urban oasis of restaurants, housing, offices and a yachting marina. We sat by the water watching the bridges lift to let in the days sailors which was quite relaxing.

We decided on a boy's day and a girl's day the next day, so Pip and Tim went to the Science Museum and War Cabinet Rooms while Sasha and I did equally historically mind-challenging time shopping in Oxford Street!  Think they spent more money than us with entrance fees!  Sasha and Tim continued their exploring in London, while Pip and I relaxed and absorbed the amazing location of the apartment on the Thames.

View to the West from apt

Off to Paris........

We boarded the Eurostar, for the two and a half hour easy ride from London.  The apt we had booked in Paris was a last minute decision, so not wonderful, but close to the Metro and shopping and eateries in Montparnasse.  Pip and I decided on day trips from Paris this time, so the young ones headed off on their own the next day, while the oldies headed to Provin - a medieval town, an hours train ride from Paris.  This is one of the best preserved medieval cities in France, evoking the great splendor of the Counts of Champagne.  There is an impressive fortified city wall built during the 13C, and the town is now a Unesco Heritage site, with 58 listed monuments. We took the Petit Train around the village for an overview. 

Another day, another separation!  The young ones did the Hop-On-Hop Off bus, while we took the train to Melun, 55km SE of Paris,  to see the Chateau de Vaux Le Vicomte.  A mouthful isn't it....and an eyeful  when standing at the entrance!  This baroque french chateau stands on 500 hectares and was built in the mid 1600's (after demolishing 3 villages), according to the vision of Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's Finance Minister.  Poor Nicolas was later arrested and imprisoned as the Chateau was thought to be more opulent than the king's home!   Can't have that!  Today it is  privately owned by the Comte et Comtess de Vogue. The James Bond film Moonraker was shot there, for those JB aficionados.  
To see the extensive gardens we took a golf buggy ride, with me in control of the wheel ......first time I have driven in 9 months, and I had to keep to the right!

Tissues and hearts at the ready, we all took a 3 hour train ride from Paris to Carentan for a tour of the Normandy beaches.  Duncan, our guide,  met us at the station for the pickup and personal tour of the area.  He drove us to the stretch of coast famous for the part the area played in WW2, Operation Overlord, or D-Day.  On the 6th June, 1944 the long awaited invasion of NW Europe began when allied troops landed on the coast at the beaches with code names of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.  For those of us that have seen "Saving Private Ryan", it was dramatic to see glimpses of where the opening scene was filmed at the American War Cemetery.  We also visited Point du Hoc, a cliff top location between Utah and Omaha beaches overlooking the sea.  Many of the original fortifications have been left in place and the site is still speckled with craters, a result of the 1000lb bombs dropped there. A memorial stands on the cliff edge.

Aerial shot showing the craters at Point du Hoc

Our last day in Paris, so again we went our separate ways.  We headed 18km east of Paris to the Chateau-sur-Marne.  Built in 1699 for the treasurer to Louis XIV, it has just reopened after a 10 year renovation. Full of rich furnishings and rococo decorations, and sitting in an 85 hectare garden and parkland, it brings back to life the amazing history of the home.  The movie Dangerous Liasons was filmed there. 

 

As we were not around for Sasha's birthday last month, we chose our  last evening in Paris as a combined celebration and farewell, at a restaurant called Au Petit Riche (thanks Chris and Sal for the recommendation).  The waiters sang Happy Birthday to Sasha, which made her face redder than her lipstick!

The next day, Sasha and Tim headed to the Dordogne and we headed back to London.  So nice to spend time with them both.  Miss them already!
At last the weather was warming up, so a day trip to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was in order.  Reputed to be better than Chelsea, it is the world's largest annual garden flower show, set in the truly majestic grounds of the palace.  Covering 34 acres, we were foot sore when we headed home.  I have now joined the Royal Horticultural Society so I can visit more gardens here.

 

On a sad note, we attended the funeral of a very dear family friend.  In the past we have enjoyed many happy times with Eric (and Pip's Godmother Shirley), in their home in Ockbrook, near Derby.  He was truly a gentleman and a gentle-man.   Always smiling and happy to see you.  It was lovely to see all the family and the support they gave one another at this difficult time.  Vale Eric!

While in the Derbyshire Dales we visited Hardwick Hall, an Elizabethan country house situated between Chesterfield and Mansfield.  Built for Bess of Hardwick, the Countess of Shrewsbury and ancestress of the Dukes of Devonshire.  She was reputed to be the richest woman after Queen Elizabeth 1, and displayed her wealth and power by making a conspicuous statement by building her home with exceptionally large and numerous  windows at a time when glass was a luxury, leading to a saying........"Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall".  This was one of Bess's many homes, after marrying 4 times.  Another of her homes was Chatsworth House, which became the principal seat of the Dukes of Devonshire.  Hardwick Hall was handed to HM Treasury in lieu of death duties, in the mid 1950's.  Harry Potter enthusiasts may recognise the exterior as Malfoy Manor from the films. 

Our last hurrah, for a while, was a trip to Alderney, a part of the Channel Islands, to stay with friends who own a holiday home there.  An easy short flight to Guernsey, then a 10 minute, frighteningly small plane to this tiny, intimate and unspoiled  island.  At only 3 miles x 1.5 miles it has over 50 miles of winding lanes, centred around St Anne, a pretty village with cobbled streets and pastel Georgian houses, with a decidedly French influence.  As it happened, we picked the most amazing week of warm sunny weather to enjoy the 7 beaches with soft golden sand, as well as the miles of walks dotted with Victorian forts and fortifications dating from the Occupation during WW2.  A week after the islanders evacuated to the UK, the Nazis began to turn the island into a concrete fortress as a staging post between France and England.  It is now dotted with gun turrets, towers and bunkers.  You can see the French coast across the water, it is that close!  We ate amazing local seafood, accompanied with salads from produce picked up at roadside stalls, with "honesty" payment.

We spent 2.5 hours on one morning circumnavigating the island, and saw grey seals, puffins gannets, and the occasional shag on a rock (!), in addition to spectacular scenery.

View from Annette's house in Alderney

Annette's house (2nd of 4)

Victoria Street, Alderney

Puffins off Alderney

Our return flight to the UK had us in Guernsey for a couple of hours, so we took a taxi for a quick glimpse of this larger island.  Much bigger with a population of 75,000 - and traffic lights!  This included a stop at Little Chapel - small, yet 3 levels - covered in mosaic.

Little Chapel Guernsey

Inside Little Chapel

Back to the mainland on another silly small plane. Yuck.....

On our return to London,  we stopped at Upton House, near Banbury.  This was the country home of Walter Samuel, the Viscount of Bearsted and his family.  He purchased the home in 1927 and extensively remodelled it for his growing art collection.  The family accumulated their fortune through the family business, the Shell Transport and Trading Company.  This has evolved to be known today as Royal Dutch Shell.  The gardens were as just as impressive, with a swimming pool and huge kitchen garden.

Moving towards the future, our news is that we will be based in the UK ..........somewhere.  Pip has now secured a job, but at this point we are uncertain of location. TBA.  This is very exciting for us, as we will be able to stay close to family and friends here, as well as continuing our exploring.  This was our goal when we left Australia and we are hoping to set up "camp", so will let you all know for future visits!  We would love guests!

Till the next blog.
Love Annie xxx