Some pics needing stories

It's when you look through photos to add here that you realise how much is missing! The trip to St Albans; the one to Marseille to catch up with Jacqui; the wander around Black Park and it's movie and TV history; the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower; having Jo and family to visit. Best I get on with catching up. After a coffee and small break. In the meantime here's a few pics. 

Black Park lake

On the water with Jacqui - Lovely day out wandering on Ile Pomegues

Palais Longchamp, Marseille - Where there's a lovely cafe with wine across the road.

Cassis harbour, France

My happy place - Plage la Grande Mer

The night tower - Stories of old told by a yeoman at the Ceremony of the Keys

Boats at rest - Marseille harbour 

Marseille from the top of the hill
 

Fun times with Jo and family, love it when friends visit

A bit chilly here

I'm that person who wakes up to snow and goes a little crazy, just a little more kid like than usual really. It snowed last week, it didn't last long on the ground but it was lovely while it did. Photos from every window of course, and a short video. I can love snow because I'm inside in the warm looking out. It's been chilly here lately, colder than the last winter I had here. I checked out the latitude, distance from the equator, compared to New Zealand and guess what, I'm living at the southern equivalent of just south of the south of the south island. South is cold in New Zealand, south of the south is more like artic. I shouldn't have checked really, it made me feel colder. 

This hot house flower and her beau are heading south, not the cold south south more a tropical north south, in early January. I can't wait to get grandbaby cuddles, although there's only one left at that squishy cuddly stage. The others will just have to endure. It's essential to be able to chat to them and Facetime is great. I had an Aria chat today, a 'what I want for Christmas' chat with a bit of Lily thrown in. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone and getting some beach time. In NZ my family are laying my mum's ashes to rest in a place special her. She passed away in June after a long illness, hard to watch from a distance. 

I'm between contracts at the moment and having time on my hands is a bit of a gift. I was given a folder with my dad's mum's family history and have been exploring what's there and what more I can find out. In the process I've discovered more about my dad's dad, my favourite person the world until he died in 1979. He went to war as men did back then and served in Egypt and other places. My great great grandad Thomas Galloway Aitkin also went to war, the first one, and I found out a bit about him as  well. He was gassed and wasn't well when he returned. He was allocated farmland as a returned soldier, a story similar to the one written by Maurice Shadbolt in Strangers and Journeys. Looking at a photo of Thomas I can see who my eldest son looks like, an uncanny likeness. 

 There's more to explore including the places over here where they emigrated from. My people came from Scotland, on both sides of the family, lowland and highland Scots. My dad's family came to New Zealand early and ran whaling stations in the south, plying the waters for the riches whales and seals brought. A brutal cold existence in a harsh climate. They built the wharf at Lyttleton where the 'first' settlers landed; they fed them and laid out where they were going to live. Ironically, land already settled by local Māori who must have been puzzled by the surveyors pegs.  

My mum's family, the highland Scots, landed in the south and brought their Scottish culture to Southland and Otago. Farming land and laying down cities and towns on Māori lands. Such is New Zealand's story. The trip north to Scotland will have to wait until summer and by then I'll have a trail of discovery mapped out. I can't wait, love a good road trip and my last one exploring there was in 2013. The one where I stood listening to the guide at Stirling Castle telling a story and realised it was the story of my family. It was emotional when the penny dropped. 

This past week has been an indoors one mostly with one trip to London to explore the Natural History Museum. I love geology and the museum had some amazing displays of our earth and it's riches. I could see some pieces I have in the collections, some of the shells and stones I've collected over the years. It was cold, nothing my new long wool coat couldn't cope with. 

The coat I bought recently for Remembrance Sunday at the cenotaph. I had a privileged position after being escorted through horse guards to Whitehall next to Downing Street. So good to see members of the royal family and other special folks laying wreaths; listening to the bands and watching them march past; and enjoy the parade of old soldiers, young servicemen and women; and the Blue Light contingent. We had lunch after at Westminster Hall. A day of commemoration done as only the Brits can do it. 

That's about all for now. Here's a few pics of recent weeks. 

So different here now the leaves have fallen

My birthstones

Natural History Museum 

Chelsea Pensioners

The Cenotaph

Further to the last story

One of my great joys is chatting to my family on FaceTime, mostly a weekend thing. Sometimes we have quick chats, others lovely long sit and have a coffee together chats. Like this morning with my NZ crew. Such a gift. Noah was lovely and chatty, and I caught up on his news. I can't wait to see him and his mum and dad in February, and maybe humiliate myself with a round of golf with the young master! I was surprised when Noah knew who Rowan Atkinson was and details about his amazing car collection. I may need to google that myself! 

Talking about bagpipes, I remembered one of the reasons they so resonate with me. When I was about 7 or 8 years old my dad was fishing for whitebait in our local river. A fierce river with strong flow and currents. He over reached to pull in his full net and fell in. I was on the river bank playing and watched him disappear under the water. It was terrifying and I still remember those feelings whenever I stand too close to fast water rivers. 

Next moment a man nearby jumped into action to rescue him. Dad was in full fishers gear including thigh waders and Lucas shed his waders as he reached out and grabbed dad as he went by. I remember quite a battle getting dad out, heavy with the water in his boots and panic, and others helping. Thankfully my Dad lived to fish another day and I had a new hero, Lucas. 

Lucas lived just down the road from us in our very small New Zealand town, and he was Scottish. Best of all my hero played the bagpipes. I used to lie awake in bed and listen to him practice on warm summer evenings when kids were supposed to be asleep, my windows open to get the best sound. I wonder where he is now, my hero. 

Here's a clip of Highland Cathedral showcasing the beauty of Scotland.

Hello, I'm Rowan

Well of course you are, quite a famous Rowan I've always loved! I have the most surreal experiences when I'm out and about with Jules, this time at the Guards Chapel last evening for an amazing concert. The event was organised by one of Jules' long time friends and we were invited guests. Along with Rowan Atkinson aka Blackadder and Mr Bean! We didn't get to interact much as he was in high demand. It was enough for me to say hello, to sit in the same row, to be in his orbit for a short time, and enjoy his speech from the pulpit right in front of me. Moments to bottle for this kiwi lass from the country. 

The chapel is amazing. I've stood outside before watching some dignitaries after an event, including one wearing a korowai. A korowai is a cloak New Zealand Maori wear as a symbol of prestige, and the one I saw was beautiful. Made with feathers and worn with pride. The apse inside the chapel is old but the main body is more modern because it suffered damage when it was bombed in WWII with the loss of everyone present. This tragedy is one of many in London, it's easy to forget the impact of the WWII bombing on this beautiful, vibrant city. 

An elderly lady next to us told us the story, some of her family were killed in the blast and memorialised in the dedication at the front of the chapel. This from the website:

The roof was badly burnt by incendiary bombs in 1940 and other damage was sustained during enemy raids from time to time, but it was Sunday 18th June 1944 when disaster struck. At 11.10 am during morning service, the chapel was hit by a flying bomb which entered at the western end and exploded, killing 121 soldiers and civilians, including the Director of Music and five musicians from the Band of the Coldstream Guards. The chapel was completely destroyed with the exception of the apse, but the six silver candlesticks were unmoved by the explosion and the candles remained burning.

It was hard not to look around and see the changes forced by the bombing. The apse is quite beautiful, the modern part hard concrete and wood with colours (old flags used in battle) hanging out from the walls. The picture below shows these. 

But we were there for a celebration, the 25 Anniversary Concert of The Royal Tournament. The concert highlighted some of the special music from the Royal Tournament with the Band of the Royal Yeomanry playing for the guests. The Royal Tournament was first held in 1880 with the final one in 1999, hence the 25th anniversary concert serving to keep the traditions of the Tournament alive. The Tournament began as a series of skill at arms competitions and quickly evolved to include military bands and a variety of acts and displays. Kind of like the Edenborough Tattoo. There are some clips of the action on the website here. 

The band set up two rows in front of us and it was amazing to be immersed in the music, and my favourite thing, watching and listening how the music is put together. The interactions between the instruments making beautiful music guided by the band master. I knew many of the pieces, like the 1812 Overture, I vow to thee my country, and the theme from the Thunderbirds. Best of all for me was when the piper arrived in full regalia, piping up the aisle to stand before us and play Highland Cathedral. Being of Scottish heritage (way back) and having family who play the pipes, it was a moving and profound moment for me. I've been to where my McKenzie family lived and will go back there again soon. 

It was raining when said our goodbyes and left the chapel, a wet wander through the quieter evening streets. Past Big Ben and onto the Bakerloo line back to Baker Street for a quiet Wetherspoons stop on the way home. What a wonderful night out, one of many lately. Going to town never gets old for me, even the hustle and bustle of negotiating the evening tube and stations and getting across the rush hour roads. 

The colours

Band prep

A wet wander back 

Portugal II

I met Terrie in the Cayman Islands through the sail club and thought it was about time to catch up again. The toll roads in Portugal are a bit of a treat. Low traffic and not too many booths. Going the green lane meant driving straight through so it was a quick journey up into the hills to Terrie's place, a lovely little taberna in Miranda do Corvo - Tabuas. We picked up where we left off and caught up with all the life gossip in between. A nice, relaxing interlude, especially enjoyed by Mr 14 because there were plenty of animals to play with and willing pool players to challenge. 

On we went to Coimbra, exploring the Universidade de Coimbra one of the oldest universities in the world founded in 1290. A very beautiful spot where JK Rowling got the idea for the gowns in Harry Potter. According to a local friend the students still wear these gowns. Porto was calling so on we went, driving through the one way system to pick up the keys to our next Airbnb. I parked the car with the help of a local man, he found me the park, I paid him, located the parking building nearby and found a supermarket. One with lots of seafood and fresh salad things. Dinner was prawn cocktail and salmon with a side of octopus. Not bad with lovely local wine. 

Porto, we weren't there long before we realised this was a much nicer place than Lisbon! Day one was a cruise on the River Douro to see the bridges and get the lay of the land. It was well worth it. We debated about a wine cruise but with three of us that was pricey and took out a whole day. We settled for a ferry to Gaia and a wander up to the Taylor's Port place. The tour and port tasting were an outstanding experience. I didn't know much about the history of port, only that I liked it, and I wondered how my dad would have loved this experience. He was my early port drinking buddy. 

I'd never tasted white port, it's great on it's own and in the negroni we enjoyed with the breads, olives and cheeses. What a lovely spot to while away an afternoon under the grape vines. We rode on the gondola to save our legs on the climb up to the bridge. The next day we did a walking tour, another must do in Porto. William the guide took us around some special places we would not have found on our own and provided both knowledgeable commentary and restaurant recommendations, highlighting the best local cuisine. 

We were sad to leave Porto. We kept the car an extra day so we could take our time on the drive down to Lisbon via Sintra. We nearly missed Sintra out and I'm so pleased we didn't. While I wasn't so interested in a palace, I was interested in seeing places with older history, Moors, Romans and other older inhabitants. The Moorish Castle was a climb up and the steps around the walls were a bit challenging in place but the view was outstanding. Walking on pathways and up stone steps where people have walked for so many years, I felt the weight of time in the artefacts and evidence of settlements. Peaceful despite the number of people wandering. 

As I mentioned it was a long walk day, up through the nicest parklands to the castle, around the castle, then down towards the car. Down the wrong way. Down the long way needing to go back up to get to the right place! Note to self, take control of navigating at all times even under pressure from the males present! I was a bit grumpy by the time we reached the car and headed off towards Lisbon. Staying near the airport was wise,  easy to drop the car off in the morning and get a ride to the airport. 

I was sad to be leaving Portugal, a place I'll go back to again. Nazare to see the waves and Porto to spend more time there. 

Porto from the river

Eiffel's Bridge

Roll out the barrels - Taylor's Port

And the important tasting!

Barrel boats on the river

Up at the castle

Towards Pena Palace

Burial place of remain uncovered during construction

Portugal

School holidays and summer, must be time for a trip somewhere? South of France was top of the list, and too hard to get because of the Olympics and trains and planes not quite going where we needed. Portugal it is then, such a hard decision! I loved my 2013 trip to Lisbon so it was a no brainer to go and explore more of this beautiful country. Airbnb came up trumps with some great accommodation and the BA flights were quite cheap. I also have a lovely friend from the Caymans living there so we got to catch up at her lovely taverna in the hills. 

Lisbon didn't disappoint, it was hot and busy and lovely to revisit and show my two travel buddies around. The hills were just as steep, the trams too packed to ride on so we wandered places with stops for the lovely pastries, custard tarts, coffee and wine on the way. We explored the tourist areas, riding on the funicular and visiting the castle and other spots. A swim was needed after a couple of hot days so off we went to Cascais on the train. 

The sea was freezing, very refreshing, and on the way back we visited Belem Tower. Wandering in the tower and up stairs to the top. There was a long queue outside and luckily I'd got some tickets on the Get your Guide app as walk up tickets for the day were sold out. Visiting late in the day meant watching the sky change colour, just beautiful. 

We picked up a car from near the airport so we could travel north, visiting special places and spending time in Porto. Drive on Holidays is the best company with friendly helpful staff and the great cars, and so much cheaper than the mainstream car hire companies. Best of all it was in an industrial park near the airport not at the airport meaning I didn't have to negotiate airport traffic on my first drive on the left for a while! There were a few false starts then we were off to Nazare via Peniche. 

Nazare, a place I've always wanted to experience, and photograph the big big waves. Alas that's a winter pastime so  we just got to stand up by that famous lighthouse and wonder at how the waves could reach so high,  astounding really! I had the biggest smile the whole time I was there, enjoyed riding the funicular from the beach to the town above and the wander down to the fort and lighthouse. Next visit will be in winter. The apartment we stayed at had a washing machine and best of all an outside line on pulleys to use, very much a novelty. The paddle in the sea was very refreshing, watching the cool sea mist roll in over the town and the people departing the beach. 

While I love Portugal, I do love a sea swim and the water is just too cold for me. The Atlantic coasts are amazing, the seafood fresh and delicious, the people friendly and helpful, the climate benign. All things that might attract me to live there, except for the cold sea. 

Speaking of helpful people, the place I parked the car, or rather large SUV, was a bit of a challenge to get into and out of. Down a narrow alley, between two low poles, and left into an angled and sloping park. No place to turn so backing out was the only way. Mr 14 stood by one pole, Jules the other as I backed up the steep hill. Then the cavalry arrived, two lovely local men who guided, yelled, gesticulated, scratched their heads and conferred. All in Portuguese! Between them and my other two helpful males, and with much waving of arms, I made the 27 point turn needed to get out to the alley. I think the locals may have been impressed, especially that I thanked them in their own language. Suffice to say after that I was confident to drive anywhere! 

Next stop was Terrie's place, off the motorway and up into the hills. Thank goodness for Google maps. More about that next post. 

Funicular fun!

Inside the Belem Tower

Belem Tower

Deserted beach

Cold sea

As the mist rolls in

To the lighthouse

A surfing mecca

Widgets?

It's been frustrating these past months not being able to access my blog and I hope this hasn't been happening to my readers too. Today it didn't work - then it did! Fingers crossed the widgets have given up or are all gone. Not sure what widgets are or how this happens. I did try and change a small setting so hopefully?

Well there's been a bit going on since my last post so here's a quick round up. The promised return of bendyness to my elbow was not a case of waiting but of hard and painful work, including time with some lovely NHS physiotherapists and my osteopath. I now have strength back and much of my original movement, not quite straight or able to touch my left shoulder yet. Working on that. I can now comfortably use my laptop, thankfully. 

I did manage to move house with all the discarding, packing and unpacking, cleaning and buying new stuff that entails. The new place is wonderful, open and bright and so much bigger, with a proper dining room and a big kitchen. And needing all the things an unfurnished apartment needs. Thank goodness for Ikea and furniture floor stock sales. 

I've spent some time living in furnished apartments and it's lovely to have things we've chosen and things from storage not seen in a while around us. Like my lovely carpets now in pride of place on the floor and my art now on the walls. The travel bits and pieces are placed in temporary spots and the books are still packed. We really need a bookcase to properly unpack, one we hope to get second hand. Probably my favorite thing I unpacked was the silver cutlery set from my childhood, makes me smile every time I use it. 

The village we live in is towards the end of a tube line and we're only 10 minutes walk from the station, a real bonus. The tube takes us on little adventures to places to wander nearby, to quaint villages, canals, stately homes and castles and to the city to explore new spots. Hopping on the tube to London never gets old for me, although I suspect it does for my lovely travel buddy. He's well used to the commute for past roles, that makes him the perfect guide really. 

Last Monday the day dawned sunny and warm so instead of a gym visit, off we wandered to Covent Garden. As usual we walked far to far, visiting Harrods and wandering along the Serpentine after a cider at The Punch and Judy. We got front seats to watch the busker action below, fewer people on Mondays! By the time we got home we'd wandered about 26,000 steps. I was a bit tired, a bit tanned and very ready for a sit down on our comfy couch! 

Rickmansworth is only a couple of stops away so we wandered to Watford along the Grand Union Canal another day. I love wandering along the canal towpaths. So much to see, this time we followed a boat navigating the locks so got to see them in action. Thankfully there's a Wetherspoons there so we could rehydrate. I suspect I've visited a good percentage of Wetherspoons since I've lived here. Cheap and cheerful, and some of the better fish n chips I've had here. 

I'll stop here, there's more to share including the Malta stories. Let's hope those pesky widgets decide to leave my blog alone from now on!

The Serpentine near the Lady Di fountain 

Grand Union Canal

Past the lock