We go home and take Cyril

Cyril only had a moment of ~Cyrildom, and that was brief, on our journey home. We stayed in an hotel in Puerto Rico, just opposite the CockFighting Club, on the fifth floor with very noisy air conditioning which fell apart in the middle of the night. We had two princess beds in a double room, I don't know who they thought that we would be bringing in, maybe a princess or two or maybe they expected a whale or two. The ceiling tiles were falling off! oh where was the Maria Callas suite of the Botel! We didn't have to be there long, and it didn't live up to its name which was the Coral by the Sea, no sea there, no coral either. This was more like the Hotel Midland in Mumbai. But cheap though and as we were asleep that was all that matters, who needs lapping waves and room service when you are asleep anyway and your dreams might take you to the place you were trying to avoid. We took a taxi back to the airport, and spent hours there, it was clean and we both had books. We flew to JFK, New York and into another shopping airport space, two hours there and we boarded our flight back to the UK. Mary met us, yippee, took us back to Lionel Mansions, we yawned our way down the A1 to daffoldils at Great Staughton. Liz has cooked the first supper in two months and it was fine. Letter opened, fire lit, children contacted, washing done, daffoldils picked. All that remains is to get into a good old English bed.

Caribbean Cruising with Bob

Bob's boat should be called the Botel because it is as good as being in a first class hotel with staff. Charlie met us at the ferry and scootled us across to the boat. We had the Maria Callas suite, aka, the Mr and Mrs Owner Suite. On board were the deputy lieutenant of Pembrokeshire, curiously, a Scot, and his lady wife. They had been sailing with Bob on Adastra for the last few days and had not had such good weather as we were about to get. In this part of the world you feel as if you are in a brochure, the sea really is turquoise, the sand really is white, yes there really are turtles and steel bands which echo through the evening into the early morning with that ring. All the days are now melted into a similar theme, sailing in the day, stretched out whale like on the deck, hoping that it would not be sick making, covered in sun bloc but hoping all the time to catch the sun. Every evening pronto the gin and tonic came up from the below with lemon and ice just as the sun shot down below the horizon, at twice the speed it does in Hammersmith or even St Neots when it just quietly drops in an English way, unnoticed below the horizon. And almost every evening we would don our slightly less crumpled garments and attempt to arrive on shore undamp and we would walk along the caribbean streets looking in at the restaurants which were French in flavour and expensive in genre. We ate well which was why Liz tried to swim every moment the boat was still and she could get over the side, remember the ~Ghirandelli chocolate shop, there was a long way to go. The absolute best thing which nearly rotted the resolve to leave the world and take to the way of the renunciate was the introduction to diving, admittedly just with a snorkel, but oh the quiet of that under water world, the beauty and uninterrupted life of the little brightly coloured fish, and the malevolent look of the ugly ones, the groupers and their mates. If I could stay ever young, ever safe from predators and just sink beneath the waves, oblivious of all the back and forth of life, I might forget that old age follows youth and just become a sea anemone.

Travel with Cyril

Travelling with Cyril

As we have travelled along Liz has been reading all of the Alexander McCall 44 Scotland Street Books which has sometimes been embarrassing because in public places, ie aircrafts, she will suddenly become mildly hysterical. These are the most delicious travel companions, written at the sort of speed which is restful and as well as being funny, they are full of observations of life which not only make you chortle but also nod in agreement. In the Scotland Street Community there is a dog called Cyril, he belongs to Angus who he loves and who feeds him little delicacies like cappuccino from the cup in Big Lou’s Café and glasses of beer in the local pub. So like a human is he that his thoughts have been recorded and amongst them has been identified a predilection to bite the ankles of a few chosen people. Suddenly Liz realises that Cyril is like Richard or Richard is like Cyril. When travelling, especially in airports and maybe in cars, Richard, who is usually excellently behaved, changes, his lip lifts and a snarl, not audible to many precedes a growl and beware the poor airport staff member whose ankles are luckily usually hidden below the desk. Identifying this characteristic as a hidden tendency, perhaps from a past incarnation, has vastly improved the travel routine, the Cyril factor is not allowed near those who might tempt his gold tooth into action.

We, without Cyril are now floating around the Caribbean on Bob’s floating hotel, the Adastra. It is just like the pictures, the sea is turquoise blue, the sands are white, the people have mostly got lots of money which has turned the little villages into offshoots of Gucci and Prada interspersed with wonderful French restaurants. Here the recession is not obvious. We have been swimming and snorkelling while Bob spoils us something rotten. This is the perfect end to our gap year, I think we have done everything that anybody could ever dream of doing.

more photos soon

just to say that it hasn't been possible to load any more photos up because the computers in business centres don't allow it, however, as soon as we get back home, we will load up a few more photographs to show what we did after Tasmania and of course we will tell everybody about Bob and his boat.

NO more chocolate please

We took the courtesy bus back to the airport, fortunately it wasn't yesterday's driver who Richard had expressed some displeasure to owing to the lateness of the hour and the fact that our modest little Holiday Inn Express was the last hotel drop off. We then took the train back to town and walked. We notice that all Americans have got excellent white teeth, and this is one of their gifts to the world and is perhaps why they all smile. They are just as polite as can be and even when you knock into them they say "And how are you today" as if they know you and might give you a kiss if you leant towards them.
Liz was allowed into two shops! and there are some of you out there who may benefit in a modest way. She now has a pair of Puma shoes and looking down at them thinks they look so good that they might be a pair of feet from an advertisement. Having worn almost nothing but open shoes whilst we were in Aus and NZ, this American spring has a distinctly chilly feel. So well equipped we could have walked for miles but because the trams and buses are so good and you can travel as an OAP for 50 cents, we rode down towards Market and then went along the Embarquolade passing the old wharves which are mostly now turned into warehouses for the bustling shopping area which constitutes San Fran high life. This goes all the way along to Fisherman's Wharf via Pier 39 which is a proper pier with a mass of restaurants all with the same menu, lots of souvenir shops and a roundabout. One of the sights though is to see the sea lions who arrived here after an earthquake shook them from wherever they were before. They lie in considerable piles of family on the different platforms which float along the side of the pier, mostly they were asleep but still put on a bit of a show for the tourists watching them. There was a great sweetie shop with barrels of sweeties and Liz was also allowed in here, not for long though but long enough Sophie, Lottie and Eleanor to come out with sweeties that fizz. Back on another 50 cent bus to the actual Fisherman's Wharf famed for crab chowder served in sourdough baskets, scooped out sourdough loaves with the chowder inside. We watched the bread being made through the window of Boudins, an old Bakery. Although some of it is hand made, mostly there are great bits of machine which knead it and steam it and shape the loaves because they need so many. These are then sent along in baskets overhead to the shop end where they are tipped into more baskets and sold or else they have their heads chopped off for the chowder to be put inside. We walked along to a restaurant where we had crab and that very good bread. This was very good but almost as good was the party in the middle of the restaurant who were celebrating several birthdays of several different members and they took up a lot of room and had us guessing who was related to who and whose child was whose. This is probably what happens when you have been travelling for so long! We just kept enough room to go to Ghirandelli's chocolate shop. DO THIS any of you and yes DO GET the huge chocolate sundae and DO GET TWO spoons for one because even the most intrepid chocolate eating person won't get through one on their own. We didn't want to do any more walking after this even with those good walking shoes, we just wanted to come back to the Holiday Inn Express and lie down and never eat anything again.

from san francisco

Not quite the end, but near. We arrived in San Francisco at near to midday this time, having left Auckland at 7.00 pm their time, we have gone backwards, travelling taking place on the same date. Somehow our brains must have known what was happening because neither of us slept for more than an hour which gave ample time for watching films. I should think that there are very few unviewed movies left, we have seen Slumdog Millionaire, Australia and Quantum of Solace amongst many, in fact Liz managed to watch 5 films en route this time. Once we arrived we found our way to our new Holiday Inn Express (very good value) had a brief rest and then took the airport bus back to the airport(free) and the subway BART into town. San Francisco is about 10 times as large and a million times as lively as most of the places we have been put together. Richard had already been here so knew what to do and we took a tram up the hill from Powell, got out at the very top and walked back down window gazing. We had a very good dinner in a jolly diner, jam packed and then walked about a bit downtown taking in the still busy shops and general feeling of spend. No obvious signs of recession, ie not many Sales but perhaps this was because San Francisco is unique and draws people from everywhere. Perhaps as a consequence of watching so many films and then taking in so many different impressions, we slept SO deeply that we didn't wake up until 9.00 am local time.

final call from this hemisphere

This is a final post probably until we get home and put up the photographs and tell you about our sailing with Bob in the Caribbean! We leave this afternoon after a very good and rather restful stay in Auckland where we have caught up with Molly and John Julian, lots of laughter and recounting old shared memories and of course finding out about what each of has been about during the last 30 years! During our time with them we went out by ferry to Waiheke, a small island about 30 minutes by boat from Auckland, and we had lunch in the New Zealand Royal Yacht Squadron, we joined a philosophy group in the very fine Auckland School House near Mount Eden, chatted about Justthisday 2009, we had a jolly evening with Mark and Elisse Broadwith after meeting small Broadwith person, a very fine specimen of mankind called James who was exceptionally good! We went out to dinner with them at a smart restaurant, Oh Calcutta, just round the corner from our apartment where lots of children who had been pupils at the Ficino School whilst he was headmaster, came up and greeted him, very touching, and the owner of the restaurant whose children had been there insisted that we had the very good meal and wine on the house. Now we are all packed up, we have washed and shaken every garment, we have said goodbye to almost everyone and are off for Richard's final bluff oysters, we are having lunch with Barrie and Emilie Preston before we drop off the car, the sat nav, god bless her, and get back in to travel mode. Richard is already thinking about what he can worry about but being so relaxed it is difficult for him to find anything. We thank everybody in Australia, and in New Zealand who has made beds up for us, given us breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea, amused us, shown us around and we will look forward to returning hospitality to anybody who comes our way.

Auckland to Coromandel and back

We went in to the Auckland harbour area for supper before hopping in to our two double beds which Ventura Inn provide, we wondered if this is for very fat people! Also they had a swimming pool which was on the roundabout in front of the reception, all blue but fenced in so that you would be sipping your pina coladas and doing your lengths whilst the traffic whirled past you. George and Sophie arrived while we slumbered and in the morning we took off via the coast road towards Coromandel which is a beautiful stretch of beaches and coves running up the east side of the North Island. Except for the fact that the road went up and down like a switch back and also wove a slalom like route, it was a great way to see that part of coast and mountains which in places tip down towards the sea. Arriving with Peter Bigge, who is just as nice as ever, we went for a swim at the end of his road which goes right down to the beach. There were quite good waves which knocked us about a bit. Peter and his wife Linda gave us a jolly nice dinner outside their house and we all departed for an early bed knocked out by sea and sun. The next day we explored back up the coast to Cathedral Cove. This is beautiful but you have to walk quite a steep path down and up and down and up again for about 40 minutes. Once there you have the most wonderful beach and sea and a huge cathedral like open arch made by the sea. Very good fun swimming there, whilst we were in the sea a large seagull opened Liz's bag and took out the packet of postcards which were in a brown paper bag. George took off up the beach after the naughty bird which caused a lot of mirth amongst other beach people. It finally dropped the bag in the sea so anybody who gets a salty pecked post card can blame the bird.
We had a cheerful evening at the fishing club in Wangamata which is where Peter lives, watched the tide go down emptying the estuary and again had a wonderfully early night. Peter cooks a great breakfast and on Monday after his scrambled eggs we left, heading back to Auckland in time to show George and Sophie the harbour and our Friday evening dinner spot, Portside which is just by the fish market. We took them to the airport, very sad to see them go after 4 weeks of seeing them every weekend.
We headed back in to Auckland, and to our rather smart serviced apartment which sports a washing machine and an iron so every garment which has been lingering in our suitcases has had spring treatment. Our first day here and we are taking life rather easy. We met up with Moles Julian and John her son for dinner, such fun to catch up with old friends, time just disappears and it made saying goodbye to G and S rather less awful

Wellington

On to Wellington, and we are now so taken with our GPS that I think that Richard plans to get one for domestic use! We were collected by Cathy Dean and taken to their 53 bedroomed house! We were staying in the School of Philosophy, Wellington, house which once upon a time was the headquarters of the Salvation Army. It was a training school but seriously impressive, high ceilings, great big rooms and all made very lovely and at the same time, nicely familiar to any philosophers reading this. We felt immediately at home and couldn't have been made more so than by the Dean family who managed to fit us in with several grandchildren and groups of philosophers all needing attention as well as showing us round and in every way giving us the best of times there. On the middle day we went out to their house by the sea for lunch and for a swim for the desperate to swim everywhere swimmer. The sun shone and it was a great drive along the coast. The vegetation had become more tropical again, not much but so interesting to see how this changes as you inch your way along the different latitudes. We went out for a particularly cheery dinner with Michael and Gillian Harris on our last evening and after meeting Bruce for lunch and packing our cases again, we took off for Auckland. However, we met an old friend, Mark Broadwith at the airport, he was coming to where we had just left! but we made a plan to meet up next week. We arrived, checked in to the Ventura Inn where we wait for George and Sophie and Liz picked up a brochure on whale watching in Auckland, they promise 75 per cent success in seeing whales and this is what she has come all this way for, maybe this is why swimming everywhere is such an obsession, she is looking for a whale. Will keep you all posted as to our success!

Arrival in NZ

We flew into ChristChurch, picked up our car and drove out along a flat flat road towards out destination. Where other airports were surrounded by car sales places, ChristChurch airport has tractor sales and saddlery shops! and the sheep graze almost up to the runway. This is one of the nice things about it, it is a proper growing place and as we discovered once we had been shown round the lovely farm where Graham and Sharon Peck now live, there is nothing which is not producing a crop from the grass, the sheep eat the grass, they get shorn for their wool and also bad luck on them, they get eaten! The deer eat the grass and their antlers are shorn for velvet which feeds mostly the Chinese and Japanese, and they are also then eaten, mostly by the Germans who like a bit of venison at the right time of year. We immediately felt at home as in home like Britain, the landscape although flat sports English oaks and other trees, there are sparrows and little birds as well as a lot of black and white magpies but there is less of the semi tropical vegetation, just enough to be interesting. Sharon's garden had phlox and wonderfully healthy roses amongst other more exotic things and I am ashamed to say that I trod on a baby hedgehog, I think it was dead before my little foot came crashing down on it. We had a good catch up with Graham and Sharon and were spoiled with every sort of delicious thing and with their time as well. We saw Jilly and Carl and their baby Ella and also poor Rowan who had dislocated his arm in a kayaking adventure. As they had a wedding to organise and also Rowan's arm to mend, we were incredibly grateful for all the trouble they took to look after us. Graham showed us round the farm which we loved, we saw where the sheep were shorn, where the deer were de antlered, and we felt great admiration for those two managing great big strong pushy deer in a shed with a lot of doors. However, if you should ever be a deer, what they do is to get you into the shed and then suddenly the left hand wall speeds across and traps your head so you can get your antlers shorn off. Best of all, despite the weather, they took us to Lake Tekapo which is a most beautiful turquoise blue and as we went over the hill, as promised, the sun came out and we went from one weather system to the next. They have a jet boat which is a speedy little number which skimmed across the lake when Graham drove it, but when he kindly asked Richard if he would like a go, as Richard's eyes lit up and he turned the ignition, the boat refused to go. We had a very adventurous return with Richard playing the part of Captain Bligh and I think I was Fletcher Christian. We paddled back across the vast expanse of turquoise blue water until we reached the side. Sharon ran back to get the car, I bravely walked along the edge in my clothes holding onto the rope until almost on cue I fell over a rock, splosh. Richard left the boat and almost miraculously Graham turned the key and the motor fired up again. What we should have done was put Jonah out in the middle of the lake! Anyway, great fun and thank you the Peck family for a really sploshing time! We'll be back

GPS guest blog in N Z

Just a brief report from the GPS to you all, especially my brother and sisters in other Budget Car Hire place in New Zealand. I received notice that I was to travel with Winston Churchill soundalike and wife when they arrived in ChristChurch, and of course had been warned that said lookalike didn't totally trust us. Fortunately, something must have happened, some magic occurred because he has been heard to extol the virtues of our

Australian Countryside

We leave Australia tomorrow for New Zealand after a weekend in a Swire farm house in new South Wales.  We went off on Friday evening in two cars, a friend of George's from Swire shipping came too and drove for 4 hours or more!  However when we got there we were at the top of a hill with a ha ha round the grass in front of a very nice modern house.  Of course it was dark when we arrived so after a cheery supper we all went off to bed.  It would be hard to describe how beautiful it was when we woke up, both beautiful in terms of landscape which rolled in comfortable hills away from the house with a green valley below which spoke of a river.  But it was beautiful because there was no artificial noise, just the sound of many birds and of course the cows and sheep who called across the space.  There were masses of swallows who were practicing their flight from the house and more exotic birds like crimson rosellas and flaming gallars as well as doves with cockades and many many species.  Richard saw some early morning kangaroos who obligingly showed up and then jumped away into the wood.  We went down to the river with fishing rods and walked along a fairish length, George and Liz swam, or sort of, got into a rather shallow bit just to show it could be done.  We had an evening barbecue, and again the morning arrived with all the glories of nature on display.  More dangling flies in the water in the morning before lunch and heading back into Sydney.  Will post some photographs before too long  but don't know when we will next be near a computer.

Tasmania

Our three days in Tasmania retrospectively fulfill all that everybody has ever said about Tas, it is lush and the weather rushes past on its way to somewhere else, never quite establishing itself as a this or that day, the sun shines and then it has to give way to a rush of cloud.  Everything is teeming, the sea with fish, the shore with crustaceans, the gardens with fruit, the hives with honey and the atmosphere is somehow teeming with dreams, perhaps you collide with the dreams of those who have dreamt here before.  We were in danger of sleeping like drugged people but in our waking moments we packed in a lot.  On the first morning we inspected that garden and all the fruit and Barbie's attempt to jam and dry the apricots before she starts on the plums.  We picked up eggs from the 3 hens who pottered around and once spotted were seen as definate producers of breakfast.  After a egg and apricot breakfast we were taken up to the top of Mount Wellington and then on in to Hobart.  From the top of the mountain which is made up of extraordinary rock formation, you can see for miles, miles of mountain and lake and little islands forced up by volcanic activity into the sea which definately was there first.  We went into Hobart which is quite a holiday spot with rather smart coffee shop and art gallery in an old jam factory.  We walked about the port chatting to a Greenpeace volunteer who was offering guided tours of the Steve Irwin, a boat which had been patrolling the whaling waters and which had been rammed by a Japanese whaler.  After lunch we returned to base, collected the bits for boating and just walked down straight in front of the house to collect the dinghy and board Honeywind.  This boat had been built by Philip and his father and had won many races in its time.  At the moment he is fitting it out for a prolonged round the world cruise and had interrupted his work to take us out for a few days to see the coast round this end of Tasmania.  The first night we lay in our bunk wondering if we should be frightened, the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, the rain poured, perhaps all those old spirits which teem in the air were coming to give a display of pyrotechnics.  However, we were in that Tassy state of brain meltdown so we gave up any idea of fear and went to sleep.  The following day we sailed around the islands glimpsing the coastline and seeing vineyards and little villages where Australians have now made into a great holiday spot.  The weather remained a bit blowy and so the more ambitious plans were shelved and we found a nice mooring near Woodbridge.  The names of places are good fun and jump up at you proclaiming the first person who got there and named it after home so Scottish names jostle with Cornish, Cornish with Dutch, and then good old East Anglia finds a place on the map.  We should just say how kind Philip and Barbie were to have us, what fun we had and how good it is to catch up with old friends.  We so appreciated all that they had done to get the boat ready and to give us a wonderful time which we wouldn't have missed for anything.

The next morning was much brighter and we sailed beautifully back towards Howden but stopping at a lovely beach where oysters lay waiting to be picked.  Liz and Barbie swam in wonderfully clear water and Philip and Richard collected a harvest of oysters.  Of course, opening them is more of an operation.  Interesting too that for us, these represent the smartest and most expensive dish on any menu but for the locals, they are just lying about cluttering up the beaches.  We sailed peacefully home, had a little sort out, and a final very good dinner and disappeared into that soporific state previously described.  

We left early the next morning and as the plane lifted back into the sky and we headed back towards Sydney, we felt our brains returning to a slightly more alert state.  I think that Tasmania is a bit like Devon, it casts its spell over you.  We found the book which Colin had recommended, In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare in paperback at the airport and started reading it on the way home.  This was rather like reading your stars the next day, you find yourself thinking oh yes of course that was what it was,  and this description of Tasmania and its kaleidoscopic nature and packed past made a lot of sense of what we had experienced.  Highly recommend the visit but definately read the book as well.

Sunday and off to Tasmania

We had a lazy Sunday, enjoying a cheery conversation with Maggie over her home made muesli and pots of jam on a big table in the crowded dining room. Not crowded with people but with large things and pictures leaning against the wall and in sight of a great looking but somewhat bohemian kitchen. Maggie was such a nice lady and I would commend anybody to find that Brooklyn Arts Hotel and book in quick. We then turned on GPS and allowed him to guide us back to Acland Street where there is a great street market which runs along the sea front. We pottered about looking at things, looking at the cake shops which indicate a strong Austrian tradition turned Australian in wonderful looking cakes. We found just the place for lunch where we could sit on the sea front side before and after eating and just look at the sea. George and Liz swam, and we watched the beach as it filled up with the golden ones who lay down again to catch those rays baring more bits of body than should rightfully be out on a Sunday. After all this lazing, GPS really messed up getting us to the airport and had to be put back in his black zipped bag. We had naturally left LOTS of time to get to the flight, some habits are hard to change, and G and S were able to get an earlier flight to Sydney. We had plenty of time with the Duke of Marlborough and Liz was able to read 44 Scotland Street, (Alexander McCall Smith) which had her laughing out loud. We took off for a short flight and landed in the dark at Hobart. These little domestic airports are just like a bus station, you walk off straight into arms of those who have come to meet you and your luggage arrives minutes later. Barbie and Philip were there to meet us, we packed ourselves into their car and drove about 40 minutes to their house. As it was dark, there was nothing to tell us about where we were but after a cup of tea we snuggled into bed and into the Tasmanian dream state

Days in Melbourne

The first day we spent with G and S was highly cultured! We took the tram to the centre of town to the National Gallery of Victoria.  There was the Gallery's collection and also a collection which had been bequeathed by someone who had collected paintings over the main periods of Australian Art.  Actually his collection was just as good as the Gallery's own collection.  We spent a good long time here and then sallied forth to a sustainable living fair which was taking place along the river.  Lots of motivated and worthy green people were offering their versions of saving the world and further along, lots of worthy and green people were offering organic beer and wine and competing hare krishna food and traditional Australian nosh.  We sat drinking organic beverages by the river while the sun shone.  Sushi for lunch and then we can't remember what we did next!  Richard thinks we went back and read the Duke of Marlborough which means a bit of a snooze, but I think we went somewhere else.  Oh yes, we collected the car and the GPS and went all the way out to Portsea which was miles! but see pictures of the sea.  Sophie and Liz complained mildly in the back that we were going such a long way we would hardly have time to get back in order to fulfil our evening plans but actually once we had put our toes in the sea we realised that it had been a good thing to get ourselves out of town.  That evening we had a bottle of champagne on our balcony and then went to a bar where some people had martini and some people didn't!   We had dinner at a terrific tapas bar, very good food and cheery and quite noisy.  In the memory it appears as a rather cheerful darkish coloured deliciousness with lots of laughter but no memory of about what.

Melbourne with George and Sophie

The day George and Sophie came to Melbourne, we spent with John Jepsen.  We had a nice morning catching up with e mail, sorting out our briney clothing and then collected Judith from an appointment for her poor wrist.  John took us all around the city, he didn't need GPS! and then we had lunch in the Botanic Gardens.  The Botanic Gardens in all the cities are wonderful and no wonder, this is a most wonderful place to grow things, semi tropical plants nudge up alongside English oaks and roses, agapanthus grow everywhere, there are statuesque pines and succulent varieties of things that grow in the English hedgerow.  After lunch we drove out to the Brahma Kumaris Retreat Centre in Frankston where we were given an interesting tour.  This was once a r and r for a bank and is on the edge of the bush with walkways through great trees.  This was a good introduction for the philosophers who were looking for somewhere out of town to have a retreat from time to time and the Brahma Kumaris let it out.  Also a good introduction for justthisday, the Brahma Kumaris are unfailingly nice.

Then George and Sophie came to play with us in Melbourne and the scene was set by the place we were staying, GPS found this rather difficult to find and actually took such offence that it froze for the evening.  We were in a bed and breakfast called the Brooklyn Arts Hotel which had 8 bedrooms all highly individual, and it was owned and run by Maggie.  We wish we had taken photographs but it was like living in an emerging artwork in the rather chaotic Victorian mode.   There was even a stuffed parrot in George and Soph's room.  We had a balcony with wonderful wrought iron work and large old comfortable chairs.  We were having dinner with a friend of George and Soph's, Richard Colville.  He was one of the same group that had started with George in John Swire but worked for Cathay Pacific which meant he got family flying perks, he was guiding his parents around Australia and they had an evening to spare before flying back to Hong Kong.  We met in a rather cheery French bistro with a wonderful menu.  The food sounded superb and actually was pretty good but just not quite as good as the words which described it.  We thought that those Cathay perks sounded pretty good for aged parents, the only trouble is that you have to wait until the last minute to know if you get a flight, however, if you are old(er) and retired perhaps it doesn't matter if you have to hang about on stand by especially as you might get a first class seat.   

Melbourne

The evening after all this busy day at Erasmus, we were again most kindly and elegantly entertained with our hosts at John and Philippa  Street's house.  This was a lovely event and so interesting to meet John and his camera which is in the photograph, and to see his exquisite photographs of particularly flowers where he catches the life in them somehow.  We were presented with a most lovely book which the Erasmus children had illustrated, a poem about the beauties of Australia, with each page illustrating the words.  This was/is a most moving account and certainly one of the things which has most struck us has been the art in Australia.  Partly this is because it is easy to follow the progress of ideas which were the backbone of settling the country through the art.  There is now a great interest in Aboriginal Art so that tends to feature strongly but in addition, there are realistic illustrative paintings from the earliest settlers, and romantic painters who added the noble savage into the landscape, and then the emerging new world, natives not in evidence, and then the emerging art of the culture which includes the ancient myth and method of aboriginal art.  As visitors, we are always gulping in the newness of places through the eyes, and it takes time for the images to settle and to produce a coherent vision of what makes a place what it is.  This has rather digressed from the evening but the evening was very much part of the picture which is building our memory of Australia.

Justthisday in Melbourne

Thanks to the Justthisday team who kindly came in to Melbourne, some from quite far away, to talk about what they might do this year.  Melbourne is hosting the Parliament of World Religions in December 2009 so there is a focus of interest on matters of the spirit and particularly on the common ground religious groups share right there in the city.  It might create a most auspicious atmosphere if the week before this convenes, groups in Melbourne came together to share the space which stillness is.  Anyway, we chatted about what we were going to be doing in the UK and we felt that with the contacts who are already keen to join in, a sizable wave of goodness might build up.  Of course Australia, not only is the best at sport, it gets to start each day before any of the rest of us so to start the day there would give it a good momentum.

Melbourne and visit to Erasmus

The best thing about the blog is that while she writes, he gets to read Churchill's Marlborough, his life and times, in 4 volumes!  We bought it in a second hand book shop in Fremantle and he is on Book 2.  She is reading In Tasmania which gives a great overview of the history of Tasmania which is not pretty.  It also gives a bit of an understanding of why you feel as you do feel when you are there.  However, although we are now back in Sydney, there is more of Melbourne to tell you about.  Philosophers especially will be interested that we went to the Erasmus School where we attended an assembly.  Quite fun to hear those familiar prayers with an Australian accent!  We were asked to address the children and Richard spoke about how Australians were the BEST at so many things, especially sport and that was because they loved and practiced it!  Elizabeth said that there was a prize for the whole school which was to be opened by Mr Jonathan Tickner for them all, and the prize was because they were the best school at being still.  Actually the other thing they must be the best at is at making scones! and we were given ample opportunity to try them.  The site which Erasmus occupies is huge, it belonged to an order of teaching nuns so it has a splendid old convent and then acres of school.  It houses both the Erasmus School and the Philosophy School in the evenings plus a few business lets on the top floor.  Before we had lunch with them, Marita, who was our guide, suggested we go to visit Deirdre Hassed, she is a calligrapher whose work is just so beautiful that you long to scoop it all up and take it with you.  We returned to Erasmus, had lunch with the VERY WELL BEHAVED children and then went into the Philosophy School part where we were to meet the Justthisday Melbourne team.

Guest blog, GPS

I was picked up from head office, as per normal and put into the hands of a nice enough looking couple going to Melbourne.  I started in my customary manner, asking them to fasten their seat belts which was received with an English expletive relating to the nanny state.  Not offended, I waited whilst they struggled to tell me where they were going.  The woman, rather to my surprise, found it fairly easy, the man seemed to think one of those bulky old maps would be preferable.  In my nicely modulated tones I directed them the very best way out of Sydney, the man seemed to disagree or just not understand my simple directions, I had to keep reconfiguring and each time I told them that was what I was doing, it provoked a reaction as listed above.  To begin with I considered changing to another voice to avoid confrontation, I can do a number of voices for all customers and occasions, but as we settled down on the motorway and I had time to observe my two new clients, I concluded that all this shouting was just a cover for deep sensitivity!  I came to rather like the man, he put me in mind of Winston Churchill whose vowels and consonants are exemplars to people like me.  I have to admit to misdirecting them in Melbourne, but as the woman said, this gave an opportunity to view the city.  They picked up some nice friends along the way, and stayed at some pretty smart addresses.  They also had an admirable selection of places to go and I much enjoyed meeting George and Sophie (who is very pretty)  I smartened up my diction a bit for her.  All in all, I was rather sorry to find myself back in the black zipper, pity I can't read the blog and follow their travels.  I believe that they will have a car in New Zealand, perhaps I can get a posting there.

Melbourne

There is more than one Acland Street!  GPS got it wrong first time and almost ceased to be considered a friend, he had to be turned off because each time we disobeyed he would say plaintively "recalculating".  We also had a map and found our way satisfactorily to our destination passing a perfect beach scene.  Irresistible to the swimmer in the party, we parked and before lunch, swam in what is a shallow and almost waveless sea.  This is because Melbourne is in a huge bay which stretches miles, see later posting, before it becomes the real sea again.  This salty expanse is perfect for sailing and for safe swimming and also for sunbathing.  

We can't help noticing that there are lots of golden bodies stretched out, turning every so often to get that enviable and even tan.  

After swimming we took ourselves to Eleura, a great Victorian house, of which there must have once been many in the hey day of Melbourne and its golden gold rush past.  The joy of these houses is that they are built for all the weathers which Melbourne enjoys, great balconies running round the whole house where you can sit in shade and catch any passing breeze.  We were welcomed by John Jepsen and Judith Lowenhertz.    Mr Jepsen leads the Philosophy School in Melbourne and is assisted by Miss Lowenhertz.  We looked a bit briney when we arrived but were still welcomed warmly! and shown up the great stairs to our very welcoming room.   After tea, which is common to all Philosophy School houses but is also as Australian as we might think it is English, and after a shower and a walk to watch the sun set through the smoke haze still visible here, we were incredibly kindly wined and dined by Mr Jepsen's senior ladies who had prepared a delicious dinner.   This was a wonderful start, some of the ladies are old friends, and one, Mrs Phillippa Street had been with us years before in Scotland, Marita Brewster and Judith had been with us just recently at Waterperry and Mrs Helen Nicholl's son Cameron had been a guest at George and Soph's wedding.  So much to talk of before retiring fairly early.  We were to have a busy time the following day.

En route for Melbourne

So off we set with GPS down towards Melbourne via Bright, a drive of about 1000 kilometres altogether, about 625 miles.  

The first and most obvious thing to note was the dry landscape.  Not only has Victoria suffered from lack of water, but all this side of Australia looks bone dry as one would expect as this is the beginning of autumn.  As we got towards Victoria, the dryness became more obvious and we passed little bits of burned out sides of the road increasing to vast swathes along both sides of the motorway as we came closer to Melbourne.  We took the road towards the alpine region which incorporates the snowy mountains.  Along this route, we passed clear signs of recent bush fire, roads closed and forests burned out.  We got out, not out of ghoulishness but because the sight of those gum trees, their trunks still standing but burned was somehow compelling.  The impression we received was of emptiness, all the life had gone, no birds and no movement except the wind which rather eerily passed amongst the trees as if counting the dead.  The contrast with the fruit and vegetable growing area which is where Bright is was also rather shocking, it is as if the fire comes and picks off one area and leaves another close by untouched. This small town is known for being close to the Australian ski ing area, it has a wonderful and dramatic autumn which brings in tree gazers who love the reds and oranges of the season, it  is a centre of paragliding and we rather expected to see the sky filled with multi coloured canopies with paragliders a dangling.  Our host, Bill Brooks is a keen paraglider, his lady friend, Phillipa is a painter.  His paragliding club flies from Mystic Mountain and we might have had an exhibition flight but there wasn't enough wind.  We went walking though down by a nice river which runs through the town before having supper.  There was lots to catch up on and we were royally treated, champagne to drink, curry for supper and then kippers for breakfast!   We left in good time the next morning for Melbourne, GPS in good form with lots of instructions to get us first back to the Motorway and then through Melbourne to Acland Street

Sydney

Rather a long gap but despite the fact we have been travelling about, we hope that we can make a good fist of updating you all on what we have been up to.  Before we left Sydney, we went to visit John and Libby Snowden and family at Coogee Beach.  Their house literally is a window on the sea, you look out straight into the great big rollers.  It came as no surprise to find that Coogee Beach features in the National Art Collections as a glorious seaside scene.  We had a lovely evening, caught up a bit and found ourselves thinking how despite the obvious changes which come with the passing years, much stays the same and the fact that we have all gone through similar experiences common to all householders and families, makes those passing years a flash in time.  The next morning, George and Soph dropped us off at the car hire place where we hired a new friend, GPS, Richard took a little while to begin to trust him but we found his company mostly helpful.  You can change him into a her and ask him/her to speak to you in all sorts of different ways including Australian English!  He doesn't say much as you go along the great highways between towns which is lucky because most of what he does say is hardly conversational.

Sydney

Sunday, Sydney and it was raining but in true British fashion, we donned our waterproofs and walked from Bondi Beach to Bronte beach where George and Liz swum.  Liz rather wary of seaweed even though we were swimming in protected water, every little piece behaves like a shark and there have been lots of shark warnings and shark attacks too.  There were some surfers who are always worth watching as they glide about in their black suits easily moving about in great waves searching for the perfect roller.  After finishing the end of the fish market harvest for lunch and sitting about for a while, George took us to their nearest swimming beach, another penned off area.  It was rather dark in the water and despite assurances from George, the image of sharks tearing their way through the bars from Jaws watching came close to prevailing and Liz squeaked a lot whilst she swum just in case squeaks might put off predators.  It is a striking visual combination, sand and sea and ships and Sydney city in the distance with the Bridge clearly visible.  

We were up early this morning to visit the John Colet School where we joined Assembly, sang Immortal Invisible, God only Wise, and the Australian National Anthem.  It is always fun to hear prayers so usually intoned in English accents rendered into Australian.  The charming head girl and boy showed us round and then we spent an interesting time with the Headmaster who amused us with some photographs of him with a younger Richard washing up at Waterperry and a photograph of a St James Assembly sporting 3 Edmunds boys, Nick, Sam and Bun.   Tonight we visit John Snowden, and off in the morning to Bright and Bill Brooks before a visit to Melbourne followed by Tasmania.  It is quite possible that it may be a week before we post up any more pictures or add any posts.

Sydney

Saturday and no work for the young so we all scramble up late.  I think we are still on Perth time or Dubai or London time, whatever, we seem to go into a deep sleep at about 3 in the morning and are oblivious of time.  However, we all take off for the Sydney Fish Market,( see pics,) which is the greatest fun, absolutely buzzing with every nationality, run by the Chinese, it has oysters in stacks, closed and being opened by speedy Chinese, and open in trays and in every size.  There are every kind of prawn, of wet fish, and poor live crabs hissing as a hand goes out towards them.  The best thing is that it doesn't smell of fish.  It is also a great eatery, people have plates piled high with mussels and abalone and sushi and shrimp and lobster mornay plus noodles and chips and children have handfuls of battered this and that.  We have a little something, Soph soup, George pizza, us, a plate of bits of fish, not sure if it is lunch or breakfast, but very good coffee with it and all the while people are still piling in.  Apparently it is open 24 hours a day and the Chinese are bussed in to run it in buses.  Then we go on to the Australian Museum where there is an exhibition of photographs taken between 1921 and 1923 in Papua New Guinea where George was posted.  It makes us realize that there are a lot of communities which we, the civilized have tried to change and that it hasn't always been a good thing. We leave and go on for a swim on Shark Beach, it has a net round it to keep us apart, we feel we need a bit of exercise because we have got a bag of every kind of fish delicacy for supper.  We eat not all of it, our eyes have been bigger than our stomachs and then watch Blood Diamond.  Am  left with uncomfortable feeling, part oyster but also a sense of having pillaged the sea and watching this film that our pillage as hunters and explorers has had some nasty results.  Am reminded of the story of the King who, whilst hunting comes across a man who has a pomegranate orchard.  The man squeezes a pomegranate and out comes pints of juice.  The king turns to his chancellor and says, these pomegranates are wonderful producers, we should tax them.  Oh yes your majesty, says the chancellor and smacks a tax on, VAT probably, then they depart.  A few years later they return, ask for juice and this time it takes lots of pomegranates to make a pint.  On enquiring why, the King is told that the reason is that greed for money has reduced the power of the pomegranate to provide.

Sydney

Wake up to Sydney mizzle and George and Soph already gone to work!  We scramble up and start sorting out our granny stuff.  By this is meant that of course we have brought too much plus picking up more in Dubai!  Next time we go travelling, we will realise that you only need enough not more than enough.  We take the ferry to Circular Quay which is central Sydney, right beside the Sydney bridge and just past the Opera House.  It is a fine site, and Richard tries to see where he was when he arrived in 1963!  Not much left, one low high rise and he remembers that the Sydney Opera House had just been started.  This arrival is different, he is no longer a teenager, (except at heart) and he isn't stepping off a boat as a paid skivvy.  We wander slowly up towards George's work, realising that we do not have a mobile phone to text him.  As we sneak into Swire House, he comes out of the lift and finds us looking rather uncertain, he says we look like naughty gap year students who have just come in to look around the smart offices in Sydney.  We go to a rather nice old market, now turned into smart designer shops and cafes.  Lunch, a wander round the Opera House and back on the ferry.  We all meet up with Soph, who has had a parent teacher function and have a rather nice dinner in a smart restaurant in an older part of Sydney.  Sydney is very cosmopolitan but not so spread out as London, we like it.

Arrival in Sydney and seeing George and Sophie

Up early and off with Dianne to pick up her grandson Tom.  We just had a short time to swim in the sea before going off to Sydney.  This was a great kindness to us, Dianne must have one of the busiest weeks of anyone in Perth and we enormously appreciated being taken to do our, at least Liz in particular's favourite thing.  We were then dropped off at the airport and lifted into the air again for a mere 4 hours and then down in wet old Sydney, rather welcome after all that hot.   We touched down and came off the plane expecting hours of collecting bags and I suppose we were thinking that we would have to go through customs and show passports etc so we hadn't even bothered to think about smiling.  Imagine how surprised our smiles were when as we came off the plane and into the airport, there were two smiling shining faces and although we knew we would be thrilled to see them, it was even better than we imagined.  George and Sophie are the best at coming to the airport and meeting us in Sydney!  They took us through Sydney to their flat which was looking so settled and everything now their own.  Pictures up, a lovely sideboard, dining room table and chairs, no sign of George's trainers or clothes on the floor.  This is a seriously married boy.   Well done Sophie!  We had a culinary creation from the new bride, well done Sophie, and a most comfortable bed.  We didn't wake up until after George and Soph had well gone to work the next day.

Perth, Art and Philosophy

On Wednesday, we went into Perth, first Liz to visit the Brahma Kumaris to talk about their participation in Justthisday 2005.  Carolyn and Eva were so welcoming and we had an hour or so of meeting.  On with Colin and Holly to Kings Park where we wandered around in very hot sun.  Kings Park is very large, it has both formal park and bush, some of which has suffered bush fire this last week.  In the formal or semi formal layout, there is an installation of sculpture and insets on a bridge done by Holly and a friend.  And for further interest oh blog readers, when it was installed it was put in by Jo Summers, so how about that for further coincidence.  We took photographs, (see down the side) and spent time admiring the inspirational concepts which had been incorporated in the specialist plantings, I fell in love with two trees, first the lemon scented gum for its pale smooth straight up to the sky trunk and then the scent which emanates from the leaves if you rub them.  And then there is a cheery tree called the grass tree which looks like a person, has a black stubby trunk and a grass skirt.  In clumps these look rather like teletubbies.  After lunch we went to the Perth Art Gallery and Culture Centre, saw some old aboriginal art which is becoming more understandable now we have been educated by H and C.  We were then dropped off in Bassingdean, another Perth suburb with Phillip and Dianne Kruger and family who run the Perth School of Philosophy and that really is an undertaking.  They have created a community with two houses, one in town and a retreat house in the suburb, and run this with great dedication.  After having supper with the family, we joined the School for the evening and much enjoyed a chance to step into another world.  Everybody was very welcoming and we were deeply impressed by the way everything had come into being and by its order.  

Fremantle with Colin and Holly Story

We had some wonderful days in Fremantle, walking about the town which is especially interesting because it is where so many immigrants landed, both originally when Australia was found and then during the years post war.  The influx is well recorded, both in the maritime museum and in the history museum which is situated in the old women's lunatic asylum, itself a part of the history.  What seemed to become apparent from both the museums and from the art, much of which was showing aboriginal art and modern, was a country weaving its identity from many different strands.  Of course, staying with Holly whose artistic work is about transforming one material from one state to another through immersion, sometimes literal in another substance, this was highlighted.  We loved the way Colin and Holly have created a place to be, both in the choice of pictures and placing of pictures and furniture, all of which makes you feel as if you are part of an art work, we loved the way they had made their lives, and the simplicity and care which manifested from them both.  Swimming was part of the joy, we swam early and late, and late meant under the huge full and just past full moon, in sea which was neither too hot nor too cold, and this kept us at just the right temperature to face the day and to transform us after the heat of the midday.  It seemed perfection! and so enjoyable, we ended our stay with  supper in Fremantle, outside in a cheerful restaurant in the main area, we walked in and out and enjoyed continuing a great catch up with two delightful relations.  The interesting thing about meeting someone who you knew a longish time ago, means that you get the fun of meeting somebody who is completely new, who has renewed themselves as we all do through experience, but also you have the sweetness of shared memories

Fremantle with Colin and Holly Story

We flew from Dubai to Singapore and Singapore to Perth. This was rather good bites at the journey and as we had gone 4 hours on from the UK by going to Dubai, we haven't expereienced anything other than a few early yawns and a thoroughly good sleep. Colin picked us up from Perth airport and we drove along to Fremantle. This is a nice tree ed area and everything looks prosperous, lots of new developements as we went along towards Fremantle, actually some of them quite like Dubai in being sort of all of a type in each developement. Where we are now with Colin and Holly couldn't be more different, theirs is an early house in a tree lined street with a wonderfully inviting garden. Colin is a builder par excellence, his speciality is restoring old houses in this area and adding on great backs. We went with him this morning to see a few of the projects he is working on and not only were we all admiration for the area and the type of house, but also for the standard of work he does. Their own house is the same, but with the addition of their way of living. It is very welcoming, everything is where you want it to be, even one of the loos which is just outside in the garden with a wonderful open not window, ie not glass, straight onto the garden. And every picture is carefully chosen and carefully hung, most interesting to see Hollys art and the whole setting. I went swimming with Colin yesterday evening at sunset, beautiful sea, full moon and two dolphins playing in the bay! How good is that!

before we leave Dubai

Again, this post is written before we leave Dubai where we have had a super relax, made even more luxurious by a stay at the Bab al Shams Desort Resort, a very smart hotel in the desert about 20 kms from Dubai itself across desert and past quite a lot of building sites on hold, a sign of the credit crunch. The hotel comprised courtyards with bedroom, (v luxurious) off them. We had two bedrooms on one of these. From here, we made our way to the swimming area where there were pools for every age and at every temperature plus a simulated rain place. There is water everywhere, running in conduits along the paths, in small pools in every courtyard and the effect is soothing. We were here because Nick was awarded two days here for getting the biggest Dubai office contract in 2008 and he and Mands kindly shared it so we had two bedrooms for one night. We went out with the boys plus Janice and Terry who had a good time playing and then came out to watch the camels and hawks which were provided for guest entertainment. Both Granny and Grandpa were hoiked up on to camels, poor camels and also held the hawk with its hood on. After the boys left we walked out across the desert to a vast desert banquet, Arab style. This was a buffet of every type and flavour, fish, meat, vegetable, kebabs, ice creams, baklava and full full full of people. There was colourful entertainment too, even a belly dancer, see enchanting pic of boys and belly dancer. Richard wondered if I might be trained up, think it might be too late. Back to Villa 9, and a day and a half of enjoyment of Dubai living. Haven't we been lucky

Dubai

We have a day before we return to Dubai and are determined not to spend any more pounds than necessary in our hotel. So we just have coffee! We find a taxi and a driver where we bargain for a price to take us to Byblos and then after lunch on to the airport. Our driver, a rather wizened Lebanese with little English pounds the air with his hand, offering us high fives when we discover common ground, so Good he cries when we find we all know Tony Blair's name. Richard wonders what Sam would be thinking as we all cheer T B as our mutual link. Byblos harbour where we go is lovely, tiny and fortunately not at all crowded, probably too early in the season and it is of course a weekday. The weather has that sort of freshness which is springlike,

travels in the Middle East

Early up and on the road to Lebanon. The hotel has organised a cheerful driver and with a mixture of French and English, he conducts us out of Damascus and over the mountains to Lebanon. The border is uneasily filled with soldiery and the passport and tax protocols are manouevres which we are glad to have a guide for. This is the top of the anti Lebanon mountain, and not far above us we see snow covered peaks. Over the border and the landscape becomes almost immediately richer, more fertile, the earth the colour of Sumac, a rich reddish colour which makes the sheep and goats a rich reddish colour too. Our first call is to the early Islamic town of Anjar which was discovered in the late 1940's. In the guide book it is spoken of as a unique example of a site from a single period, a trace of the Umayyads. We are the only visitors on a most beautiful day and we pick our way down its Roman layout, tracing the main street, the palace, great and small, marvelling at the intricate bits of pillar. The quiet and the absence of anybody else allowed the impact of the place to really impress itself on us. On to Baalbac next, across miles of Bekaa Valley where Turkish workers live in uncomfortable looking settlements and work on the rich land. Baalbac must rank as one of the wonders of the world, where layers of history are remarkably preserved. The temple to Bacchus is said to be the best preserved example in the world. Here, what impresses, is the sheer magnitude of construction, the huge pillars, some of which lie like fallen giants across the site, some of which tower huge and upward. Again, we are amongst a handful of visitors and the glorious weather with clear blue sky makes us, feel as we have discovered it for ourselves. We travel on to Ksara vineyard, just outside Zhale, this is most sophisticated vineyard in the French style, we are given a tour and a tasting and remarkably no pressure to buy anything. On to Zhale which in summer is where Beirutis go for days out. Small restaurants, most closed at this time of year line the banks of the river which tumbles down from the mountain, with that sort of bluey water that you associate with melting snows. Our driver then conducts us into Beirut which is a really imposing modern city, after our trave3ls so far, we feel dusty and out of place at the huge Phoenica Hotel which has and imposing marble staircase and security at the door. In the glass cases round the hotel are jewels which are so huge and glitzy that they would pull your ear lobes off. We wander round Beirut in the early evening looking for an ATM where we take out 4 million Lebanese pounds, 95000 of which we spend on a modest dinner in a smart Lebanese fish restaurant. I find myself full of wonder Isabelle if you read this at the way the Brahma Kumaris reach into all these places, the sense of aridity is palpable in both physical and subtle worlds and I imagine the kindliness of the BK's being like an oasis in a desert

travels in the middle East

We wake up in Damascus to the early morning intonation which starts at 5.00 am but we are glad to be up early as this is the one full Damascus day. This starts with hotel buffet breakfast which covers every taste, from olive and cheese to sweet jams and everything in between. Then out of the hotel onto the streets armed with a map of the Old City. This is easy to navigate and we make for the souk area first aiming to go to the great mosque after lunch and then to track down St Paul before retiring. The thing which amazes is the almost dustlike quality of the ancient place, it is a place which has seen so much and you can feel it. We have the feeling of being in the presence of an ancient being over whose face we, along with so many other people teem. Looking around it is clear that from time to time great movements in time, earthquakes, conflict and time itself, have worn lines in buildings which hang together almost unbelievably. The great Mosque, an architectural feat with a great courtyard and fine minarets at each corner is a place of pilgrimage for some, and a tourist attraction for others. Tracing St Paul is more difficult, although the guide book says that you can find the house of Ananias in Straight Street, Syria does not go in for blue plaques and we don't find it. We trace the way to the chapel which commemorates the window St Paul was lowered from but as its entrance is on the outer wall of the city, the direct route isn't open. We meet a kindly student who offers to show us the rope ladder which now hangs out of the student hostel and suggests that we shin down it. Passing through a wonderfully smokey student room, we survey the prospect and remember our age. Taking the longer route, we eventually arrive at the chapel and there is a window, and a basket! but clearly not the real one. At all the sites there is always an ancient who has a brush which he or she pushes around, hoping that the visitor will light a candle or perform some action which might produce some income. We retreat, no road to Damascus moment for us, and seek out a refuge from mezze and tahini, we find a cheerful Pizza restaurant, some Syrian wine and rather enjoy ourselves.

travels in the Middle East

First stop on our lightning Middle East Tour was Damascus. This is only a 3 and a half hour flight from Dubai but it is 2 hours difference in time so we gained a bit. This meant that we could go walking around the Old City where we were staying . Nick had booked us in to the Hotel Mamllouka, one of a number which have been created by restoring old houses. The hotel was approached with a certain amount of doubt by one member of the party because we had to get out of the taxi inside the gate of the Old City and proceed after the driver up alleyways which certainly didn't look as if they were going to have hotels off them. We came to a door which had a bell and a small sign saying Beit al mamlouka. Yes it did feel a bit like Ali Baba's house. The owner came to the door and we were shown up a corridor to the courtyard and then we knew we were in the house of Ali Baba. This house had been well restored, marble floors shone and the wall paintings had been delicately recovered, there was an orange tree and lemon tree with fruit hanging on the branches and the whole feeling was of great quiet. The sounds of the city did not come in except for the intoning of the imams and the ring of church bells. This was Sunday. We walked to the Street called Straight, and were struck by how contained Damascus Old City is, how easy to get around, how much it contains, and how very very old it is, we had dinner at an oldish looking restaurant and came to the conclusion that the Middle Eastern food ethic doesn't show any signs of portion control!

Dubai

Because we are just about to take off for the anicient part of the Middle East, it is a good time before I forget to write an appreciation of Dubai. This is my fourth visit and admittedly the weather has touch of perfection about it, it is like the best of English summer. However, this time I came with a question which was Am I on the right track and what's next? And for sure this is a pivotal time for us, a change from a working life to a more retired existence, it is a time of obvious change in the world too. What emerges f rom having a look is that moving into the new tends to be rather theatening, old is gold seems to ring true but it is no bad thing to be shaken out of an old way of looking and to step into an appreciation of what is clearly still full of goodness. Dubai, for all its brash extraordinariness, combining architectural aspects from every time and culture, provides a clean healthy environment, it provides jobs and as its host is the Arab World, it has a great appreciation and kindness towards families. No we won't be living here but I find myself moving from a faintly disapproving old granny way of looking at it to an appreciative enjoyment of what it has to offer. After all, if they open old people's homes over here, this might be the best place to be! Clearly for all the tradition in nursing and hospitality in the UK, old people's homes are not the place you want to end up in there. I am hoping if I can still read stories and do ironing that one of my children will take us in. So, off to the old world, to Damascus, perhaps for an enlightenment moment, to Baalbac for ancient ruins, to Beirut because it is still a beautiful place and perhaps to Byblos for lunch! We will update this when we come back here. Do you know that you can become a follower and send us messages, thank you Ray and Mary. Trying to retrain Richard not to get stressed in airports, so much nicer to be

guest blog/Amanda, Dubai

I am handing over to Amanda for today, suffice it to say that we have had a really lovely day in Dubai, the weather just perfect:-

Hello dear followers of the R&L roadshow. How priviledged am I to be the first guest blogger on this exciting travel documentary? Needless to say I would be less keen to contribute if we were all still stuck on that Mid West bible site. What to tell you? Well, it is already evident that this is surely THE way to do a gap year. Admitedly they did fly economy but arrived fragrant, with matching luggage filled with 'essentials' such as cashmere sweaters for Richard and pretty necklaces for Liz; no dreadlocks and grunge on this trip.

However, in the spirit of eighteen-year-old adrenalin sporting activities so associated with gapping (think bungee jumping) Richard very gamely agreed to come along to the go karting track at 9am this morning for a bit of Dubai Autodrome action. Even more gamely Liz agreed to be the driver for the second session. There were 6 drivers in the first session, all men, and Nick and Richard both sported blue crash helmets, the others in different colours. Each driver was dispatched from the pits and disappeared off out of view at speed round the first bend. Some time later, out shot the first driver and then the next and the next, until 5 drivers were visible screeching around the circuit in close proximity. Liz was loyally looking out for Richard ("where's my boy?") and excitedly mistook the one visible blue crash helmet (her son) for her husband exclaiming with satisfaction that having left the pits last he must have caught the others up. On went the race for some while, 5 go karts all haring round chicanes in quick succession, when finally another go kart quietly put-put-putted into view a long way behind the other 5. A gentlemen in a blue crash helmet, seemingly sporting a pair of crocs as his go-faster footwear, and riding his go-kart as sedately as if on his very own lawn mower, somewhere in the depths of Huntingdonshire. There was much mirth in the stands. Furthermore we couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the fact he'd have driven them all off the road had he been in his old Benz on the A1(M). Anyway Richard did respectfully well and Liz then followed with an equally dignified few laps and no parking tickets at all. Since I had spun mine on the second bend, I'm hardly licenced to be commenting to facetiously.

So this afternoon, after an alfresco lunch in our half finished garden and a dip for the brave (ie a swim in our as yet unheated pool for Liz, Nick and Max), we were looking for a way to keep a chicken-poxed 3 year old and a teething 1 year old entertained. Of course we also had a duty to show Liz and Richard who are already seasoned visitors to Dubai, a bit more of the ridiculousness of this place we've chosen to call home. We headed off to the Palm to the glorious Atlantis hotel and resort. We took in the spectacular aquarium - the "Lost Chambers" and Richard treated us all to an ice-cream. The Atlantis is the height of bad taste yet shamefully enjoyable at the same time, if only to ogle at the sheer scale of it all. But each 'adventure' be it the water park or dophinarium is cleverly concealed out of view for non-paying visitors. Out of view that is for most day trippers. But not if one of your party is a determined man in crocs who is prepared to clamber up landscaped banks and squeeze between rows of closely planted trees to reach a fence and then stand on tiptoes to gain a little lookee over the fence. Suffice to say the appetite is whetted sufficiently that you may see a further post about trips to the Atlantis when they come back to Dubai later this week after their sojourn to Syria and Lebanon. At which point I must leave you and hand you back over for the continuation of this traveblog.

Off we go

January 29th and we get a lift to Heathrow with Mary, and then queue along with many other economy travellers to check in. Travelling together, the actual travelling which is the queuing and finding the passports and navigating the security is the test! I think that it is as much a discipline for Richard to travel with Liz who is unfazed as it is for Liz to watch Richard becoming various colours towards incandescent as things don't seem to go plan. But we had reestablished cordial relations by the time we got through to departures and an uneventful flight landed us in Dubai. We are quite good at Dubai but as it was foggy it was not so easy to see if the taxi driver was going to Nick and Amanda's house, one of the travellers was doubtful about the ability of the driver, but didn't need to be. Fog lifted, and revealed a lovely day, House 9, Street 8, all now in its glory, see photos of smart house, smart pool, Nick and Amanda, little boys and a visit from various Crossman relatives. We are looking forward to a good sleep.

Suffolk

To start the travel, we went to Suffolk for the weekend. Possiblythis was to remind us just how wet England can be! The ground was sodden, the air was damp, the skies poured down more and more rain but we had a lovely time with Sam and Polly and their three children with the bonus of having Jonathan and Antonia. Now we are in the countdown, making lists of things to do, buying new toothbrushes, deciding which things will be useful in what place. It is difficult to imagine that in a week we will be in someone else's summer. We start off in Dubai with Nick and Amanda and from there we do a lightning tour of Damascus and Beirut, there should be plenty to report.

Gap Year Travellers

We are about to head off on our "Gap Year." In reality this is a whirlwind two month tour of various global locations where we will be finally catching up with many friends and family in their various locations. This is a way for us to update you on where we are and what we have been up to. We hope to be able to update it as often as possibly but we don't want to spend too much time at the computer screen while there is so much to see and do.

Lots of Love

R and L