CRUISE PART 3

Hello Friends,

After another lovely day here in Box we are just having a wee shower of rain, this will help Peter as he thought he might water the potato plants tonight !!

Now I better get the last part of the cruise story down before it all becomes a distant memory !!

The island of Lanzarote certainly was different from any other I have visited in many ways and certainly in the way that they grow the vines that make the lovely Spanish wines. On our way down from the top of the Volcano (one of only about 10 on the island) we stopped at a vine yard where we were all given a glass of wine...it was very nice !! pity it was only one LOL. All around was the vine growing area which stretched up the side of a hill. The “earth” of course is volcanic and so a very dark colour almost black actually and the vines are not grown in the normal “lines” but are enclosed in quite small horse shoe shaped walls built from the volcanic rocks. There is an indent in the middle where the vine is planted and where they grow protected from the dry winds, any moisture is retained within the hollow...I have put on a picture but they are not exactly as clear as I had hoped. Anyway Lanzerote was good so good were our guides that they did not realise the time we had taken and we were supposed to be back on board our hip by 1.15...it was 1.30 when we rolled up !! we were rushed aboard and almost before we were on they were bringing up the gang plank !!!

Our last stop on the trip was Vigo which if you look on a map is in the top left hand of Spain. We stopped there last year. We did not organise a tour as we knew just where we were going and knew that we could get around the town fairly easily. It is only a short stroll from the ship and although once again it was not as warm as one would have expected at this time of the year in Spain it was ok for getting around. The town is actually in two parts the lower area and much higher part. To get up to the top part one can take a lift (elevator) in a shopping complex up to the 3rd. Floor and exit from there take a walk across a bridge and there you are at the top of town..once up there we were met by a Spanish band playing...music ?....well they seemed to be enjoying themselves !!! then we headed back into the shopping mall for the usual coffee...and back on board our ship....

You may be interested in some facts about the independence of the Seas..

it is 1,112ft long, 185ft wide, has 15 passenger decks,14 elevators,aprox 3,634 guests, 1,360 crew. The Alhambra Theare holds 1,320, 3 main dining rooms hold between them 1,885 guests, of cousre there are another 4 eating places a self service area that holds 774 a cafe with 74 and two smaller dining rooms as I have never been there don't know how many they hold !! so it is all in all a pretty large ship. It amazes me that especially when the sun is shining most of the areas look fairly empty !! oh I forgot there is also a British style pub and a champagne bar !!!

and so the story ends...where it started back in Southampton where Peter was waiting to bring us home.

Next time I come back I will tell you what we have been up sinse we came home which has been equally exciting !!

Love One Another .

cruise update 2

Good evening again. What a lovely sunny day we have had here it has even been quite warm !! forecast says back to rain tomorrow !! Have made most of the day though, after church and lunch Peter and I visited a Nat. Trust property near here in the village of Lacock where they were having a “hawk” experience day...more about that sometime. But before I forget I will get on and try to get the next episode of cruise        Lol

I finished episode one just as the worst of the storm left us and the Captain decided to that we would not stop at our first scheduled Island .... Madeira...We were all rather disappointed as we had been looking forward to seeing the many spring flowers there. However as we had ..lost...7 hours sailing time it was the best way to just go on to our next stopping place which was the largest ( I think) Canary Island...Gran Canaria..We were fortunate to have been able to book wheelchair friendly transport for each island that we stopped at, as soon as the ship docked we were ...off...as were I think most people, probably glad to be on tera firma after the storm !! Our coach took us first to a town called Maspolamas where we had an hour to look around, to be honest there was not a lot to see but we did have a stroll round a shopping centre, back on the coach and along pretty roads the eventually took us down and round many corners to a pretty village called Magan. I could have stayed there quite easily it was so pretty, the houses all led down to a small harbour full of yachts etc.the streets were all narrow lined with white and pink painted houses festooned in beautiful flowers the bougainvillea was particularly gorgeous. We managed to have a bite to eat in a little cafe in a square whilst being serenaded by a lady playing pan pipes..just perfect..All to soon it was back on the coach and back to the ship. Our next stop was the island of Tenerife, Our coach took us high up into the Canadas national Park it has a rather bleak barren volcanic rocky terrain. We stopped for coffee one point and the ..rain came down !! we were informed that it had only rained twice this winter!! this was the second time, Thankfully our driver drove on to another very nice cafe where we were served lovely coffee and biscuits...and even better, was that the owner would not take any money from us !!

Next day found us at Lanzarote. This island is different from the other canary Islands, in fact different from anywhere on the planet. It has an unusually striking appearance, often descibed as Lunar or Martian like. The landscape the result of the islands volcanic origins.As the climate is very dry and there is little erosion the terrain looks much as it did right after the last major eruptions in the 18th and 19th centuries.We really enjoyed this island and found it fascinating..we were driven into the Timanfaya National Park and when we reached nearly the top we stopped at a restaurant for coffee and were able to see just how close the the surface the volcano still is as it was only about 2 feet down the we were able to gaze in wonder at the still hot lava...A guide gave us a handful of gravel like stones and they were to hot to hold in ones hand I had to throw them from hand to hand till cool enough...this after the last eruption in I think she said 1802 or thereabouts. On our way back down it was great to be able to take photo's of the lava flow etc. and near the bottom to stop at a vineyard, where we were given a lovely ...free ..glass of wine !! I will leave to next time the description of how the vines are grown quite unique to Lanzerote.

So there we are part two...I will try to get the final part written tomorrow!!

God bless  and remember to

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

cruise part 1

Good Evening Friends.

How are you all, it seems an age since I was last here giving you any news but time just seems to fly when you are having fun...and fun I sure have had these past three weeks or so. As you know it was cruise time for Sybil and Mary again and so on Sunday 22nd. April we were whisked down to Southampton, Peter driving us down in my car ( it is easiest using ,my car to transport the wheelchair) Soon we were aboard the independence of the Seas. The same cruise ship that we were on last Sept. It was great to be aboard and knowing where everything was, made it all the easier to get around. Our cabin was not quite ready so we made our way to one of the cafe's and had some lunch before making our way to the 10th “floor” where our cabin was, it was identical to the one we had last time but one level up. Before we left port we had the mandatory safety drill, was it my imagination or were there many more attending the drill....maybe the grounding of the cruise ship recently had something to do with it !!

6pm was dinner where we met 4 very nice table companions an elderly couple (who came from Trowbridge a village only about 7 miles from us here in Box) and two ladies from near Manchester. After dinner we went along to the theatre for a Welcome Aboard Showtime, it was very good and from there it was, for Mary and me, bed time!! ( I have to say that it would appear that the ship wakes up after about 10.30pm but that is not for me !!!)

Mon. dawned nice and sunny but a bit breezy...The Captain's voice then came over the tannoy welcoming us aboard for the second time ! And to inform us that we were going to hit some stormy weather going through the Bay of Biscay and that there were anti sickness pills available for anyone who might need them ...mmmmmmmm.....Mary and I decided we would be ok, probably woudn't be too bad anyway..famous last words...as the day went on the seas did get a bit rougher and by mid afternoon the Captain once more informed us that he was locking all the outer doors as a preventive measure as he didn't want anyone swept overboard....laughs galore !! by now the people wandering around seemed to drift away ( to their beds/cabins? Perhaps ?) Mary and I found our fav. Cafe on the promanade and a front seat so that we could watch the antics of various people as they tried to stay upright...then we heard crashing sounds as glasses went flying from a table nearby, next the shops closed as the wine and spirt bottles were in danger of flying through the air etc etc etc... At dinner that night we were two down as our friends from Manchester were in their cabin ! I wonder why ? I admit that mary and I did have an earlier night than usual that night....well there was not a lot going on. The storm grew ever wilder, we had a TV in our cabin where we could watch the forecast and see the wind speeds etc. also the ships speed which had dropped from aprox 19 knots to 7knots. I have to say that both Mary and I found it all quite exciting especially later when the Captain informed us that at one point the wind had reached hurricane speed, and it had been the worst spring storm he had ever had in the Bay...just think we survived it all.    If you are interested, Mary, when the ship started to roll a bit just stood stock still and anchored her two crutches and feet as firmly as she could and waited till it leveled out again...only a couple of time she found herself grabbing the wall !! Because of the delay in getting through the storm we were unable to visit the island of Maderia which was a pity as I especially would have liked to see the spring flowers that it is famous for at this time of the year.

This has gone on long enough.....next episode  tomorrow.

Good night God Bless.....

 
.Love One Another

Tonight rather than tell you what we have been up to this past week.....not a lot !!....I thought I woudl tell you the story about a famous wee dog that everyone in and around Edinburgh seems to know.  He was certainly my favourite dog when I was young and we did not have a "real" dog.    This dogs name is

Grayfriars Bobby,  He belonged to a policeman in Edinburgh called John Gray and this is what happened to him once his owner John Gray died.

John Gray's faithful dog Bobby mourned his master for 14 years, until his own death in 1872.

James Brown the keeper and gardener of the burial ground remembered John Gray's funeral and he said the Skye terrier was one of the most conspicuous of the mourners.

The grave was closed and the next morning James Brown the curator found the Skye terrier lying on the newly made mound of earth. Old James could not permit this, for there was an order at the gate stating that dogs were not admitted into the Kirkyard. Accordingly...Bobby was driven out.

Next morning the same thing happened again, Bobby was lying on the grave. The third morning was wet and cold; James Brown took pity on the faithful animal and gave him some food.

Bobby made the Kirkyard his home. Often in very bad weather, attempts were made to encourage him indoors, but he was not having any of that.

At almost any time during the day, he would be seen in or around the Kirkyard. He had made many friends.

A weekly treat of steak given by Sergeant Scott of the Royal Engineers from Edinburgh Castle. Punctually at the sound of the One O'clock time gun, Bobby would appear at the Coffee House for his dinner.

The stone where Bobby sheltered had been there for many years. The higher one was put up in the year of the battle of Waterloo to commemorate a woman called Jean Grant and it is inscribed with a text from the Bible - which may well equally apply to Bobby. ‘With such sacrifice God is well pleased.

There is a lovely bronze statue of Bobby near the churchyard throughtout the many many yeras he has sat there thousands of children and adults have stopped to give him a pat....including me !!

I hadn't thought if Bobby for a long time until a photograph appeared in an Edinburgh Paper the other week and it is this  that I will put at the top of this entry.

As Bobby loved his master all his life may you also be able to
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

missing days...

Oh my goodness I have never been away from my blog for quite so long...I am sorry if you have missed me...Mind you I sometimes wonder if I write this to a few friends and invisible number of folks  and wonder if I should keep it up...But then I get the odd e.mail asking if all is well  and that....well...starts me off again  LOL

So here goes... March has been an up and down  month.  My sister Margaret was in hospital and I spent most days going back and forth into Bath.  However I have also been renewing friendships with friends who I am in contact with only occasionally. Early in the month my friend Margaret and her friend Clive (who I had not met) came down to Bath for a few days and so we all met up for a coffee which soon extended to a late lunch after a wonderful walk..or in my case a trundle...along the Kennet and Avon Canal that runs by a very old Inn called the George where we had had our coffee..and then lunch. As it was at least 10 years since we met you can imagine the chat and news we had to exchange. Poor Clive...mind you he could chat as well and he and Mary got on well whilst Margaret and I chatted away...It was a lovely early spring day and some of the canal boat owners were busy getting their boats ready for the season so there was quite a lot of activity going on.     A little later in the month Julie (an adopted sister really more than a friend) arrived to spend the weekend. It is always lovely when she is here.  As Margaret was still in hospital Julie joined me in visiting her so that was nice and we also had dinner out at the George..again...on the Sunday we met up with Beth and Max at Dyrham Park and had a lovely walk in the early spring gardens and a nice lunch in the National Trust Cafe...all to soon it was time for Julie to leave us once again and catch the train back to London....

Thankfully around the 13th of the month Margaret got home and although she is still very weak we are glad she is home and we have been able to get carers to come in 4 days a week and with Barbara my niece and I filling in the other days she will hopefully gain some strength....

You may remember that last year I was really lucky getting some new dresses....Well this morning when Helen came to do Mary's feet what did she bring ?   you guessed...another dress !  it is a real beauty a lovely burnt amber colour in pure shot silk (the materiel is over 50 years old and was bought in Singapore apparently !!) it fits beautifully. I am so lucky...I will hopefully have a photo taken wearing it soon....probably on the cruise...and will let you all see it, I do know though that no photograph will do it justice....

The last 10 days of the month we have had the most amazing weather certainly borrowed days from summer I think we will have to remind ourselves when we moan...as we will...when we get wet days in July !! Mary and I have been able to sit out most days in between doing our usual daily things !!we have visited a couple of Nat. Trust gardens, and it is so nice to see the blossom on the trees etc etc Our fav, garden The Courts is very near us and I plan to TRY to remember to take a photograph from the same spot each time we go to show the changes in the year... TODAY though we had a bit of a fright !! winter has returned....cold wind and frosty morning. in Aberdeenshire there is a small that last week had the highest recorded temps for any March on record around 80deg I think....this morning they had 6ins. of snow !!!  I don't think we will have snow here but certainly a few really cold days....so from nice cotton dresses back to jeans and jumpers !!

Well friends please once again forgive me for my absence but remember that I appreciate you all

never forget to       LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

I hope that this finds you all well and happy.  It has been a lovely few days here weatherwise with above normal temps. We really have been so lucky this past winter it has been the mildest for a number of years. The only complaint is from water boards as there has been so little rain that it is feared that come summer they will be forced to bring in water restrictions, I think wessex water who provide our water has said that our area is not one that is in a critical situation but one can never tell.

Last week Mary and I seemed to be making good use of each and every day. Mondays as always we have Pam my friend over and then we all go to guild our speaker last week was explaining all about submerines ! not somthing I thought would be very interesting but it turned out to be better than I expected...Tuesday as we did not have bible study ( it being school mid term holiday and our minster tries to have the holiday with her son)  we went to a place called Radstock. I had read that the museum there was having a display of over 200 patchwork quilts..normally it is about a 40 min drive to Radstock...however we hit road works and it took us over an hour to get  there....never mind...lets get parked I said ,and we can have coffee before we start in the cafe, ( I had read up all about the museum!!) we got to the door and I pushed..no response..Mary had a go...same... now sensible people would have checked the opening time !! as you know by now I can occasionally LOL be not very sensible....the place did not open till 2.30pm we were there banging on the doors at mid day !! Now I do not really know Radstock very well at all so did not know where we could go so decided just to continue on the road that we had parked in hopeing to perhaps find somewhere....after about 1/2 mile Mary remarked that the road was getting a bit rough..I said ..no worries it's a back road...and drove on...another 1/2 mile on...and we came to a dead end !!! it certainly was not the best trip ever !!!  but we plan to go again hopefully one day this coming week...in the afternoon this time LOL............  Thurs. found us up bright and early as we were going into Bath to see a recording of one of our fav. TV shows called "Flog It" people bring their antiques etc to be valued and if interestng will be filmed for the show...Peter took a day of work to take Mary and me...as we had to be there real early Mitch my BIL said if we parked by the house he would take us down town in his car as there was very little parking around the Assembley Rooms in Bath...This all went smoothly and we had a lovely few hours. I had taken a few limited edition paper weights to be valued but as they are comparativly new they were not of much value ! the autograph of Princess Diana that she signed in our visitors book when she visited Mum and I would have been more valuable if it had been on a page on it's own  (when we asked her to sign we said it would be in the visitors book amongs others) it might bring £30 if I had wanted to sell...which I didn't.  Peter took some old 78 records only one was of any value and that was an Elvis one which might get £70. !! but as we hadn't gone to really have valuations it was just nice to watch how the programme was made...another enjoyable day...

Sunday I had a day of rest  so to speak and did not go to church !  We had arranged to go to Bristol.  Mary Peter and I to see the of Wildlife of the Year Photographic exhibition.  I won't drive in Bristol so Peter was the volounteer !!!  we met Beth and Max there and we all agreed that it was a great exhibition there were about 100 pictures taken by all sorts of people down to ages 10 !!  Afterwards Beth and Max took us out to a very nice pub for lunch....another lovely day..

This past week Mary and I were at the theatre in Bath again, this week to see the play The Kings Speech..The production was a coup for Bath as it is one of only 5 places before it goes on to take London West End by storm. after that it heads for Broadway... It is certainly one of the top must see plays of the year. I hope that perhaps you have seen the film and but please if you ever get the chance to see the stage version do go . It is wonderful and there was a standing ovation at the end...

Just before I came on here tonight I was looking at an article on the web site of the National Trust they were descibing some names of places for a walk and they struck me as so funny I thought that I should share them with you to give you a laugh as well....... so get your walking boots on and we can stroll through

Scrubby Bottoms  in Wales,   Booby's Bay in Cornwall,  Windy Gap in Surrey, Slappers Rock in Cornwall, Kiss me Arse Steps again in Cornwall.  Scratch Arse Ware in dorset,  Cock up Bridge in Cambridge   Pisser Clough in Yorkshire and our last one will take us over to the Isle of Wight where we stroll along

The Nostrals  !!!!

Good Night Friends and remember always  to LOVE ONE ANOTHER....

Africa revisited...

I am glad that you enjoyed the trip to the Game reserve when we were in South Africa.   Mary and I do enjoy South Africa very much and another holiday we had was one when we stayed in Cape Town. This really is a lovely city which is dominated by the famous Table Mountain, take the cable car to the top,  where there are stunning 360degree views across Table Bay, the Cape Flats and back across the chain of mountains making up Table Mountain. We then descended and drove through city, the tour guide pointing sites of historical and architectural significance, including the oldest building in South Africa, built in 1666, the Castle of Good Hope. We then continue to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which are famous for winning flower shows around the world. These gardens are especially lovely and they also had a very good place to eat....most important !!.... as usual there was a very tempting shop as well  !

Later we head down to Hout Bay for a boat trip to view Cape Fur seals on Duiker Island. The seals I must say are a rather smelly bunch !!  we had an opportunity to visit Robin Island where Nelson Mandela was help prisoner for so many years but we decided to give that a miss.

No visit to Cape Town is complete without a visit to the Cape of Good Hope Reserve down the Peninsula, which the famous navigator Drake said it was "the most beautiful Cape in whole circumference of the world", stopping at the Penguin colony in False Bay and also at Cape Point in the reserve, where we take a funicular ride to the Old Lighthouse, built in 1860. We return via the famous Chapman's Peak Drive,  which curves around the edge of the mountain carved out where granite and sandstone meet. This is a breathtaking experience of mountain and sea-scape's. There are many wild goats, sheep etc in the reserve as well as the baboons...they are a real pest if anyone gives them half a chance they are off with your handbag, wallet, whatever ...I did not stop long enough to be accosted by them !!!.

Another day a visit to the winelands area of Stellenbosch which is synonymous with South African wine industry, was on our "to do list"   Franschhoek and Paarl were the first two areas we stopped at for a wine taste then it was on to. Stellenbosch it houses the largest Uni. in the Cape being the second area to be established after Cape Town, back in 1679. It has saved most of its original architecture and we visit the Period House museum with antiques of each period and style of house dating from 1690 - 1850's. We stopped again for wine tastings as well in each town/village... It was a VERY MERRY trip !!! 

So there you have it two different views of South Africa...

We have had a good week here in Box. The snow came last weekend and although it kept us in over the weekend by Monday it had all gone and my pal Pam was able to get over for her usual weekly visit. and in the afternoon we had our Wesley Guild meeting and despite the cold we had a good many members turn up. This week we had an elderly couple come to give us an update on charity work that their daughter does on the small island of Dominica (not to be confused with the other Dominica the large island in the Caribbean)

with the help of some of our guild members and many more people they are able to send much needed things over there by ship. The gueest Banana boat company have been very good at transporting things for us for many years now..

Wednesday Mary and I went into Bath to the theatre we had vouchers and money gifts at Xmas and we used them to book a few shows. This week it was  The Calender Girls...perhaps my US friends might not know of the Calender Girls they were a group of ladies belonging to an organisation called The Woman's Institute who had to think up ways of raising money for charity,,,they came up with the ...for them...shocking idea of doing a nude calender. Of course it had to be all done with the utmost discretion...and despite a great deal of opposition they did it.  Having written that down it gives no real clue to the hilarious play that it was, the acting was wonderful I had tears running down my cheeks with laughter !!!  (The actual Calender Girls has been made into a film as well as the stage play if you ever get the chance to see it please do)

Now this morning we awoke to another fall of snow, again it is not lying to thickly indeed by this afternoon it has almost gone and certainly the roads are clear, our only fear now is if we get the hard frost forecast any wet on the roads will freeze so it will be icy in the morning.  We will wait and see...

So there we are friends another glance at what Mary and I get up to both here and abroad !!

Remember  to  LOVE ONE ANOTHER.