Protected: Christmas Newsletter

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Saturday Morning Ritual

Most Saturday mornings I like to sit out on the Verandah and watch the garden. The weather is always warm – usually sunny and the bird life is amazing. Everyone else is asleep so it’s my time away from the hustle and bustle of weekly life. It’s become a routine and a great way to start the day. A cafetière of fresh ground coffee or hibiscus tea have become the drinks of choice. The camera is there just in case I see something. I have tried to capture the garden visitors along the way from Cape Robin Chat to Sunbirds to African Paradise Fly-catcher and everything in between.

Cape Robin Chat

Sunbird

African Paradise Flycatcher

Sometimes I have the laptop and use the time to catch up with news both personal and international.It’s a great start to the weekend!

 

However you start your Saturday have a great day!

Clumber

T Minus 8 Today another thing to tick off on the Bucket List. Clumber Park is a National Trust Property in a North Nottinghamshire; part of Sherwood Forest. It’s a place we went very much in our childhood and youth. A large open space for walking, picnicking, ball games. Today a place to wander as we circumnavigated the lake. Memories of years gone by and a chance to talk.

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

Clumber

 

What’s In Store For Us?

T Minus 62

I’m writing this from Lincoln where I am up for the day. It’s a chance to visit Mum and to bring her back to stay with us for the week, but there is another purpose to the visit. I am here to drop off some items for storage.

In recent weeks Anita has been frantically scanning all of our photo albums. These are now fully digitised (she was up until 5:45am and has stayed home to sleep). So these albums are boxed and ready to store. These are accompanied by our Vinyl records and the DVD cases emptied of their contents which we will pack.

Another milestone on our route out of here!

Dwelling Places

T Minus 65

I could have titled this post From Haverhill to Mwanza, but “Dwelling Places” it is.
One of my favourite words in the English Language is ‘dwell’ it has so much more to it than the word ‘live’ which is often used to replace it. Dwell has depth and solidity, a word of permanence.
The provision our new house to be and the imminent completion of sale on our current house has got me reminiscing about the places I have dwelt. From Haverhill in Suffolk to Lincoln to Nottingham to Milton Keynes to Mwanza.

 

Haverhill

Lincoln

Nottingham – Ancaster

Nottingham – Ancaster

Nottingham – Ancaster

Nottingham – Beeston Flats

Nottingham – Beeston Flats

Nottingham – City Road

Milton Keynes – Flat

Milton Keynes – Flat

MK – First House

MK – First House

Our House – First Day

MK – Our House

Mwanza – New House

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Room (On Board for One More!)

Room (On Board for One More!)

A submission to the Weekly Photo Challenge : Room 

 

Crossing the river Gambia in 2006 – was quite an experience – with lots of passengers, vehicles and a herd of cattle!

 

Banjul Ferry

People and cars on board

..and cows….

lots of cows…

… and more cows

Disembarking

People and cars off

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Ancient) Room

Ancient Room

A submission to the Weekly Photo Challenge : Room

Taken at Angkor Wat near Siem Reap in Cambodia. A place full of ancient rooms. Some like these had been swallowed up by the jungle before being rediscovered. Others within the main Angkor Wat complex are more in tact but show the ravages of time none the less.

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Hotel) Room

Hotel Room

A submission to the Weekly Photo Challenge : Room 

I took this photograph whilst relaxing after a long day on the coach from Buon Ma Thuot to Pleiku (Vietnam) and listening to the “Live at Bush Hall – EP” by Alison Moyet, which I’d  just downloaded over wi-fi. The hotel room was somewhat basic but little did I know that the bed in question had an ant’s nest in it – that night was not a pleasant one for sleeping!

Photographic Memories

T Minus 78

Over the last few weeks Anita has been scanning photos from the numerous scrapbooks and photo albums in our possession. There is no way we could even contemplate taking these physically and so they are being stored digitally to preserve their memory. Whilst abroad we will be storing the physical items.
Having now completed most of albums out attentions are now turning to those photographs which have never gone into albums. These are pictures long forgotten from those isolated day trips or events which for whatever reason never made it into an album. For speed I have photographed some of the photos but will replace this photo with the actual scans in time.

They an eclectic bunch from earlier years. This who knew me at the time I was at University or a Youth Leader at SMB or in One Way Drama Team or from some of the Holiday Clubs I did may see yourselves, as will family!

These photos are from a forgotten past – some haven’t seen the light of day in 20 years or so. Some are getting a little curled and will need digitising soon, de of the darker ones (night shots and dark rooms) have faded to opaque. Thankfully many survive in tact and an insight in to a pre-digital lost world. Here are some of these ‘blown up’ – scanning later!

Crete (1995)

T Minus 86

Nineteen years ago we headed off on honeymoon. It was our first holiday abroad as a couple. We travelled to Malia on the Northern Coast of Crete – in high season this is a busy resort full of young people. In May it is a little quieter, but with enough life to give it a good vibe.

Malia Dedalos

We arived at ‘Dedalos’ Hotel at 5am in the morning! Malia was to be our home for the duration of our honeymoon.Our hotel for the week was back from the coastal strip but close enough to the beach. We found a hairdressers ‘Anita’ juist round the corner from our hotel.
Outside the hotel and also down by the beach were lovely palm trees.

Malia Old Town

We much prefered the old town to the coastal strip which was a bit too ‘English’ for our tastes – we came to Crete to embrace Greek culture not to sit in bars drinking beer and eating fish and chips. So most evenings we found a local Taverna and had a Greek meal. The food was fantastic = we enjoyed sampling stifado, souvlaki and soutzoukakia to name but a few of the delicacies.

Malia (Crete)

Iraklion

Here in the capital of Crete we spent a morning wandering the harbour, and enjoyed looking at the Venetian fort which has a sculpture of the lion of St Mark on all 4 walls.

Knossos

The reason for visiting Iraklion was to travel to the Knossos. This Minoan Palace was the centre of a civilisation which flourished 10000 years ago. We were shown around by a guide who made the place come alive. She explained that the double headed axe was the Minoan symbol for sacrifice – similar to the cross in the Christian faith.

Knossos – Crete

Malia Beach

The beach was an obvious ‘must’ and Malia had a lovely sandy beach with clean warm water. We bought a disposable underwater camera with which to take some fun shots (long before digital cameras of course). We also decide to splash out on Parascending it was great fun.

Aqua Splash
We decided to head out to a local water park – but thinking it was fairly nearby we decided not to take a taxi (which was very expensive) and there was no bus. So we decide to walk. It took us a couple of hours to walk 7.5km up into the hills in the hot sun, but it was worth it. There were numerous water slides, lazy rides and crazy rides we had a fabulous time. Fortunately there was a bus back!

Santorini
One of the highlights of our holiday was a day trip cruising to Santorini and back. We got up at 4am to catch the bus to Agios Nikolaos where we caught the cruise ship. It was a 4 hour trip and we were accompanied by the sounds of Abba’s Greatest Hits all the way there. We docked at the harbour and looked high up the cliffs at the capital, Thira, right up the top. We decided the best way to get there was to go by donkey – it looked like it would be a long slow climb, but the donkeys ‘beetled’ up the mountain like there was no tomorrow and we were soon there. The view from the top was magnificent. The whitewashed stone buildings accompanied by deep blue roofs, doors and window shutters. There were a maze of side streets threading through the town and we followed these stopping off at a café and enjoying an ice cream.
After lunch we headed off to a volcanic island in the centre of the bay. Here we walked through ‘fields’ of black ash searching for the crater. It was so hot!
Someone even offered to take a photo of us together – in this time before ‘selfies’ it was the only photo of us together on honeymoon! Descending back down the mountain we took a plunge into the sulphurous waters, generated by volcanic springs. The water was warm. The t-shirt never recovered!

The journey home we were treated to a fabulous sunset and some Greek dancing.

Anapoli

One evening we went up into the mountains to a village where we enjoyed a Cretan Night of dancing and Greek cuisine. Beforehand we had the chance to wander around the village of Anapoli and look inside a very ornate Greek Orthodox Church.

Malia Palace

Smaller than the Knossos but within cycling distance was the Minoan palace. so we hired bikes and travelled the 3Km. With the help of the guidebook we were able to make sense of the ruins.

Nineteen

1. T minus 87

Today is our 19th Wedding Anniversary and a time to reflect on the past as well as look to the future – I share here  wedding pictures from that day almost two decades ago. These come from Anita’s Creative Memories scrapbooking album.

Weekly Photo Challenge: On The Move (3) – On A Tall Ship

In 1992 I had the amazing opportunity to spend a week on a Tall Ship (Morning Star) – crossing the North Sea  from Chatham, Kent (UK) to Vlissingen, Holland (Netherlands) and then cruising the canals and inland seas before returning. More of these pictures will be available soon on Netherlands 1992. This was very much On The Move but slowly!

View from the top of the mast

Morning Star of Revelation

Reading beneath the Bow Sprit

Moored at an island on an inland sea

Steering the ship

Container Vessel – Freight on the Move

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/on-the-move/

Spain (Seville) 1987

T Minus 117

As part of an aim to blog earlier travels before leaving for Tanzania, the Spain (Seville) Page is now live with content.

Follow the link to see much more detail and more pictures. 😀

Gray’s and Blues

T Minus 123

Today is a Bank Holiday in the UK and so with the weather looking good we headed of with Anita’s family to Gray’s Court a National Trust property near Henley on Thames. Some fabulous gardens built among the ruins of a castle and a fabulous bluebell wood. We had a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hidcote Gardens

T Minus 128

The danger in all this preparation we’ve been doing is that we miss out on the glorious Spring weather we’re currently having and the opportunities to visit some of our favourite places in England before we move away. Most weekends have been spent clearing, selling, painting and gardening. This week we have been taking things much more easy.

Today we have used our National Trust Membership before it runs out in May and have been to Hidcote Manor Gardens in Gloucestershire. We last went in Summer 2012 and thought we’d like to see what Spring has to offer.

Rather than share conventional photos on this blog I thought I’d share some I took using the Front Facing “Selfie” camera on the iPhone. I used this to take the plants from below as well as for more conventional “selfies”

Here also a few conventional shots just for the sake of it.

Gambia

T Minus 130

 

As part of an aim to blog earlier travels before leaving for Tanzania,  the Gambia Page is now live with content.

Follow the link to see much more detail and more pictures. 😀

Lanzarote

T Minus 131

 

As part of an aim to blog earlier travels before leaving for Tanzania,  the Lanzarote Page is now live with content.

Follow the link to see much more detail and more pictures. 😀

Cambodia

T Minus 131

 

As part of an aim to blog earlier travels before leaving for Tanzania,  the Cambodia Page is now live with content.

Follow the link to see much more detail and more pictures. 😀

Vietnam

T Minus 132

A day off preparing today – a heavy cold preventing me from doing a lot. Two viewings today – but as yet no offers on the house, so we wait.

 

As part of an aim to blog earlier travels before leaving for Tanzania,  the Vietnam Page is now live with content.

Follow the link to see much more detail and more pictures. 😀

Graham

T minus 133
As a child I wanted to visit every country in the world. As yet this aim has not been achieved. However, I have travelled widely in Europe and can count the following in the list of places visited