July 7th -12,2007 - Last Week Already !!

Greetings All,

After a day for rest from a busy long weekend we head of to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry better know as OMSI. The museum was founded in 1903 and has had five relocations due to eviction, outgrowing premises and  growing exhibits. Its current location on the east bank of the Willamette River. Our trip is involves a bus ride and two trams. Once in the city we do get a bit turned around trying to locate the second tram and it is amazing the number of people who have not heard of the tram line. Near the  tram stop is a number of small sculptures that show the wildlife of Oregon. The trip takes just over a hour and it is all

 part of the adventure for Paul as he is excited about the bus and tram rides.
He still knows what bus number we took with him and tells us when we chat with him on Skype. There are six themed halls as well as a planetarium a ultra large screen theatre and auditorium with a stage for science fairs. It is a non-profit organisation. All the exhibits are hands on and educational but we think s bit old for Paul. He is happy to push buttons pull ropes and touch the items they are allowed to handle. Pictured on the right is a picture of him pulling ropes that teach the kids about mass and displacement. He manages to get the heaviest weight right to the top by pulling down and squatting. Not a easy task as I struggled with two hands and walking away from the exhibit. We wonder around trying out the various and exhibits and then we find the shipping container exhibit. This allows the kids to load blocks on a container move it along the dump the blocks. A popular exhibit with the boys it seems and Paul waits patiently for his turn, A older boy calls Paul over and shows him how things work and they play together for a bit. So nice to see a polite young man take interest in a younger child and share nicely. His parents should be very proud. We take a break for lunch and once again the food offered is fresh made and a large variety. After lunch we head up to the second level to check out what is on display for the kids but it holds little interest to Paul except a large area to run around and left off some steam. We vist the container exhibit once more before heading home. I should mention there is also a submarine in site but there are height restrictions. Paul makes it over the bulkhead doors easily but he is just not quite tall enough to be allowed on. I am sure is three months time he will have the height restriction beat as he is very tall for his age of 3 ½.  The trip home is as exciting

as the trip out for Paul as he points out trucks, construction vehicles
 and buses we pass on route. I love what Portland calls seniors on their tickets. Honored Citizen ! Mom and Dad beat us home on this day and Paul is excited to tell them about his adventure.

Saturday rolls around quickly thanks to the long weekend before and we head off to the Farmers Market to pick up the kids weekly supply of fresh fruits and veggies a program that they have signed up for where produce from local farms is packed and they just pick up on the Saturday morning at the market. They get a good selection of seasonal produce that is organically grown and fresh.

The kids take us out to Christopher's favourite Micro Brewery in Hillsboro for dinner. Here I finally get a picture of me and Paul. I have busy making sure that I had a lot of
pictures of Paul with Grandpa but none with me. Paul continues to amaze us with the variety and quality of food he eats. He is not a fuzzy eater at all and will try anything. Hopefully this will carry on as he gets older.

Our last Sunday with the kids turns out to be quite a dramatic experience.
The day starts out normal with swimming for Paul and laundry, packing for me. Then it goes downhill . The kids have to go into work for a couple of hours and leave us in charge. Paul is down for his nap and all is quiet. Sitting in the kitchen all of a sudden there is a young turkey on the porch railing.

I get Paul up to see the bird as he is not asleep then call for Smudge their French Bulldog to get the bird. We then discover there is no dog around. I email the kids and ask it they took the dog to work them and get the dreaded reply "No". We chase the bird out of the yard then proceeded to search for the dog. I go into the neighbours yard and discover a dead chicken on the ground while calling Smudge, no dog comes and it is very hot out. The turkey mean while has wondered down the road to another neighbours yard that has another young turkey in it. We think nothing of it as we figure the bird must have come from there. The kids have now returned and the hunt for Smudge is really on. As it turns out Christopher let Smudge out earlier and never brought her back in a bit of a relief for us as we feared we had failed somehow. I tell Christopher about the dead chicken next door and he goes and checks and finds Smudge in the yard lying beside another dead chicken the far side behind the porch. If I had gone further into the yard I would have found the dog along with the second bird, turns out she broke through a rotten part of the fence and proceeded to kill the birds as they are hunters by natural instinct. Explains how the turkey came to be in our yard and the other turkey a few houses down.  Poor dog is now labeled the "Chicken Killer" None of the family is at home until much later in the evening. Christopher meets with the son to explain what happened and finds out when the parents will be home. They check out the fence and it turns out to be rotten at the bottom in a few areas as a result of how landscaping was done . In the end compensation for the birds was worked out after we had left and Christopher made fence repairs so Smudge could not get through. The only concern the family had was the kids being attacked by the dog. Christopher explained that the breed is a natural hunter but the kids where very safe as they would not have a dog that was a threat to children. What a way to end our visit drama all around but thankfully resolved.

July the 10th and we are off to Seattle. Christopher and Paul drive us up to the Marriott by the airport as Christopher has booked the day off. We do not fly out till the 12th but as it is a 3 hour drive going up in the afternoon the day before makes much more sense then getting up at a ungodly hour to get to the airport. I have my last bit of time with Paul in the back seat ,reading,playing and checking out the views along the way. Turns out the drive takes longer due to construction and the traffic is heavy so a good choice on our part. Once at the Marriott we get the Paul and his dad some supper so they can head home. I am very good with my goodbyes and hold it together completely. It is not until we are in the members lounge that I lose it when our waitress asks where we are headed and what has brought us to the hotel. Poor dear did not know what to do . I must tell you at this point that the snacks on offer in the lounge were not what we where used to in the UK but they did have a full half of smoked salmon. I am not a fish lover but I tried a bit of Fred's and it was the most delicious salmon I have ever had. I devoured a large junk , the Northwest Coast really knowns how to smoke.
Dinner was scallops which I do love done in a asian style so snacks and dinner was amazing end to our trip. We have a bit of a sleep in as we are 10 minutes by shuttle to the airport and our flight is smooth. We have ungraded to Premier Economy and I would recommend it ti anyone taking a long flight. Spacious seats, better meals with real cutlery . You even get a little menu that gives your dinner with two choices for your main. A little bit of class for the journey home. We have also booked first class for our train ride back to Liverpool as the tickets were super cheap due to a anniversary promotion Virgin had. Sadly there is a death a Milton Keyes and all trains are cancelled. We check and ours should be still available but sadly because of the earlier cancellations no first class service so we have yet to experienced it . The last Picture is somewhere over
Greenland form the plane.
This has been all about family and making memories and I hope you have enjoyed it .

Bye for Now,

Sandy & Fred

June 28th-July 5th 2017 - Fun Days with Paul

Greetings All,

Our routine with Paul continues with plenty of play and learning time. Paul has come up with a scheme to extend his time for going to bed. His mom tells him kiss and hug everyone then to bed for his story and sleep. Dad and Grandpa get a kiss and hug but he refuses to come to me and marches off to his room. Just as his door is to be closed for story time he says in a loud voice "Wait wait I forgot to say goodnight to Grandma " then run back to me for lots of kisses and hugs. This only gives him a couple of extra minutes but he seems proud of himself that he has developed this strategy .

On the 28th we head off to The Children's Museum. Founded in 1946 as a Adventure House It moved to downtown Portland in 1950 and had a pet library from which children could check out animals as well as interactive and informative exhibits . The museum also held regular arts and craft workshops as well as sports and other activities . It moved to its current location in March 2001 with a mission of  collaboration to create a transformative learning experience through arts and science. With 9 indoor exhibits as well as outdoor exhibits to explore.
                                       
  The first open area is all about health , with Grandpa
 and Paul brushing the alligators teeth. Our next stop was Groundworks exhibit and this was by far Paul's most favourite . We spend a good hour here with Paul  playing with the various shovels and construction tools. Sadly some parents just dump the kids to play and pay no or little attention to them. There are a couple of kids who are quite obnoxious and do not play well. We decide it is time to move on . Paul however does not want to leave so Grandpa has a few words with him. We leave but his bottom lip is trembling and I am thinking please don't cry . With promises to return again we head off to the waterworks exhibit and woodland exhibit. Paul is soon distracted with the puppets, tree's and playing with Grandpa. We have a brief stop for lunch and while the eating facilities are small the food offered is very good ,far better then what the zoo offered and is freshly made. After lunch we head outdoors to see what is being offered. Of course the first thing we come across is a large sand area with construction toys . Paul is once again in his element. As he digs in the sand he comes across a tiny. dinosaur . We manage to explore the maze before heading back in to explore the rest of the museum and return to the Groundworks room as we promised Paul.


 We get some more pictures before leaving . Outside Paul enjoys playing the piano and has a imaginary train ride with us on a model train that is also outside the museum . We discover the train whistle really works.
It has been a enjoyable day and I would highly recommend having a membership to this museum if you have young kids and of course live in the area and make the suggestion to the kids.

Friday is baking day as the kids have invited friends over for a Bar-B-Que on Saturday. Meaghan has a cake mix and we decide to do cupcakes. Paul once again assists me .He really enjoys cooking and baking which I think is something all kids need to learn   and starting young never hurts. Dessert is done both for tonight and Saturday . I do some of the food prep for the Bar-B-Que n Saturday.

Saturday  morning sees us off to Home Depot for a program they run the first Saturday of the month a building of various items for kids. Each time a child completes a project they receive a badge which goes on their work apron. This month they are making bug boxes , Paul and Fred are intently working on their project. Paul manages to hammer Fred's finger quite well and I try not to laugh. Paul declares in a very loud voice that is was Grandpa's vault as he wasn't paying attention. I get to paint with Paul once the building is done then we are picked up by the kids and go into the store for Fred and Christopher to check out styrofoam as a base for the pool. We have put the pool up but the yard slope downs it is uneven. Also in the shade so the water never really warms up. Christopher has picked a stop at the bottom of the garden  by the veggie plot and his hops . With a bit of router-tilling we get the ground level and move the pool so the kids can play in it on Sunday. While Paul naps I prepare the salads for the afternoon. I really miss entertaining and Meaghan is happy to let me take over the food preparation . Company arrives and we have a great afternoon meeting the kids friends and      

their son Nahor. The kids are very entertaining and really enjoy the pool as well as the sandbox. Dinner is a success and Christopher's home brew goes down a treat with the company who are beer drinkers.

Sunday as it is a long weekend there is no swim glass so we are off for a hike n the Hoyt Arboretum. The Arboretum is home to over 6000 trees and shrubs with 2000 species from all over the world, of which 63 are endangered or vulnerable. There are over 12 miles of hiking trails and we do a relatively short one 1 ½ miles one way. It is uphill hike but the
trail is a easy one. Paul and Fred enjoy a special bond and lead the way . We reach the top of the Arboretum and the kids head back down to get the car while Fred ,Paul and I wait for them to return. We purchase a snack for Paul and are entertained by a group of hikers.

The afternoon see's us off the the friends of Christopher and Meaghan's who we met on Saturday for a BQ and fireworks as it is Independence Day. We also experience a extra bit of pride as Nahor introduces us as Grandma and Grandpa to his friends that are already there.  The fireworks are scary for Paul so we head inside too play. We head home before it gets really dark in hope we can get Paul to sleep before the big fireworks go off. As Portland is close to Washington there are many illegal fireworks going off. These are more spectacular and louder then the ones available in Portland but Paul sleeps through all the noise thankfully..
It has been another action packed week and our time is passing far too quickly.

Bye for Now,

Sandy & Fred

June 23-25th - Bend and Celebrations

Greetings All,

Christopher and Meaghan have arranged a long weekend away for all of us to Bend to celebrate Christopher's birthday. We are off early in a lovely van that provides all of us will plenty of space. We head down to Bend which is located in central Oregon and take a route that follows the Cascade Range.  The picture on the left is of Mount Washington that we pass by as we are driving down. We stop for lunch at a micro brewery that Christopher has researched and wants to try. After a great lunch we continue on our journey and stop at a National Park on the Deshutes River to stretch our legs
and allow Paul to burn off some energy as well as water Smudge.
It is quite hot and there are a number of tubers on the river. It looks so inviting and I would have loved to be able to join them. Christopher takes a family selfie as we hike along . Smudge soon becomes tired due to the heat so we head back to the car and into Bend. Bend was originally a logging town but now is a gateway to many outdoor sports. There is a big beer festival this weekend and is one of the main reasons Christopher wanted to celebrate his birthday here.

We get settled in and have great rooms that are adjoining which give Paul a bit more space to run around and allows the kids to sit with us when Paul goes to bed. Fred and I head over to Walmart to get some liquid refreshment for all of us and pick up a swimming pool to take back for Paul.
We head out for supper but the place is jammed due to the festival so we find a different location and enjoy a very leisurely supper.

June 24th we are up very early and Paul joins us for a second breakfast as he has been up at 6:00 AM and already has eaten. He has another healthy breakfast with us , the kid sure has a hollow leg. We are off Newberry National Volcanic Park and are there by 9:00 AM as the weather is calling for high 90's and we want to hike before it gets to hot.

The area we explore is the Lava Cast Forest. The volcano erupted 7000 years ago and the forest was formed when the lava overtook old growth forest and then cooled to form casts of the trees that once stood there. The trail is a mile and is easily walked as it has been paved. It is really amazing the conditions of the casts given the age of the area and weather erosion that occurred over the years. The picture on the left is a cast of a tree trunk though it is hard to tell from this picture. Check out my Facebook wall to see more pictures . The area has new growth  and while dry the ground it is rich in nutrients. Mother nature always finds a why to get the most out of the land. The second picture is if the twisted trees that dot the area. To get the most out of the rocky soil the roots and trunks twist around to pull out the life giving nutrients that they require to grow. We spend a good couple

of hours taking photo's and exploring before heading back to the hotel. We stop to pick up some lunch for Paul and Meaghan as Paul needs to have a nap and Fred Christopher and I are heading into a beer garden at one of the micro breweries that has events going on. Entrance if free but we have to get a bracelet allowing you to purchase alcohol. Christopher gets asked for ID and I laugh saying he is 35 today. Bad Mom that I am he is 36 today  as he quickly corrects me. Thankfully they have cider as well which is nice and chilled as it must be in the 90's now. We share a wood stove cooked pizza and find a seat . There is little or no shade and I manage to get quite a bit of sun sitting . We meet a nice young couple who are hiking the area and they tell us about Smith Rock State Park a area to check out on our way home. We spend a couple of hours there with Fred and Christopher enjoying samples before heading back to the hotel. Paul has had a good nap and Meaghan, Paul and I head down to the pool. Paul has become a bit of a dare devil in the water and we have to watch him very closely. His lessons have paid off and he has become quite the little swimmer.  Refreshed we now head into Bend for Christopher's birthday dinner. The main streets of the town is closed down for the festival but we manage to get a good parking spot that is not to far of a walk. We have to bring Smudge as while the hotel is dog friendly they do not let you leave the dog unattended . This puts a bit of a crimp in our dinner plans as we have to sit outside to eat and it is very hot.

I never thought I would complain about the heat but it is almost unbearable. We get seated in partial shade at a very small table then move to a larger table that has some shade as well,however we forget the sun moves as it sets so we all end up in the full sun.  The birthday boy is pictured on the right. He is very happy that he has gotten to sample all the beers he wanted to.


The 25th sees us up early as we are heading home but are stopping on the way to take in some sites. Fred, Paul and I are dropped off at the High Desert Museum for opening time 9:00AM while the kids pack up the car for the trip home. It is great as we basically have the place to ourselves.

Opened in 1982 as a guiding principle of education and experience and is a Smithsonian Affiliate. We explore the main building which has a number of galleries with Paul. In the Hall of Plateau Indians I tell Paul that had I lived in the 1800's that I would have lived in a tepee like the one pictured on the left. He has no concept of time and now thinks this is what we live in now. trying to explain to a 3 ½ year old is quite challenging. We head to the outside exhibits and one of Paul's favourites is the Autzen Otter Exhibit.

The river otters are very playful and they seem to look at Paul . He is very excited telling us he's looking at me Grandma and Grandpa. We explore the outside exhibits which show life in the early 1900's and well as a Bird of Prey Centre. We are all done the museum by 11:00 AM and it is starting to get busy. We head out outside to contact the kids but they are already waiting for us.

Our trip back takes us into entirely different landscape then the one down. We are travelling through arid desertlike  landscape of Northeast Oregon. There are numerous farms along the way and I am amazed that they manage to etch out a living given the dry conditions . We stop at Smith Rock State Park located in central Oregon's high desert. We hope to do a bit of a hike here but the temperature is already in the high 90's

Given the heat we opt to do a short walk to get some photos and let Paul burn off some energy. Smith Rock became famous in the mid 1980's as a rock climbing destination and offers routes for beginners and experts alike. Even now in the high heat of the day there are a number of climbers Smith Rock and are just tiny moving specks to the naked eye. Photo op done we now carry on with our journey. We were going to stop at a mining site that the kids have visited before to do some rock hounding but the temperature outside has hit 110 F so we all agree it is far to hot to stop.  We stop in a small town at a Safeway to pick up sandwiches and drinks to eat in the car to continue the trip home. We slowly travel out of the desert region and into more reasonable summer temperatures We have one more stop as Paul is getting cranky with the long drive and stop at a rest area on the Columbia River. There is a nice breeze off the river and Paul gets a chance to run around . From here it is just a short drive home. We have had a wonderful weekend and seen some new sites with family.

Bye for now,

Sandy & Fred

June19-23,2017 - Day's of fun with Paul

Greetings all,

We are now settled into a good routine with Paul . Once the kids leave for work we spend time either reading, doing puzzles or Fred heads off to the park before it gets too hot as summer has returned and it gets very hot on the slides. Morning snack, more play time then lunch. Nap time which can last from 1 hour to 3 hours. While Paul naps I use the time to prep for supper so that we can spend all our time with him when he is awake. I bought him a bubble blower which he loves, it makes clusters of bubbles which he chases. We also spend a lot of time in his new sandbox that his Dad made doing the one thing Paul loves the most building foundations with his construction trucks.

The 20th the weather forecast calls for a bit cooler weather in the 70's rather then the 80's so we head off to the Zoo. We take the bus and tram to get there ,all part of our adventure. A day pass for us as honoured citizens is $5.00 in total and allows us unlimited travel on the bus and tram, Paul of course is free. We wait for our bus to arrive Paul asks if we have snacks and tells me he is hungry. We have only left the house which is a 2 minute walk. I tell him he has to wait until we get on the bus before snack time . This turns out to be a routine with Paul whenever we go out. Paul excitedly points out buses, tractors and construction vehicles we see on our journey to the zoo.

Since our last visit 2 years ago the zoo has gone through a number of upgrades. Our first area to visit is the Great Northwest and the bears. The picture on the left is of a black bear giving him or her self a wash. Using one paw to place the water on a leg while licking the water off. We spend time exploring the first half of the zoo , Paul is much more interactive with the various climb on features at the zoo and we get some good photo's before stopping for lunch. After lunch we head off to the African Savanna to see Paul's favourite animal the Giraffes. On

our way over to see the giraffes we come across tortoises that are mating. The area is full of young kids and their parents and Paul of courses asked what are the turtle's doing. I answer him honestly saying they are mating. Why?? Paul asks so I tell so they can have babies I get a number of horrified looks form parents but Paul's curiosity has been satisfied . At this point the male starts grunting and I say to Fred typical male. Paul then mimics the noise the tortoise is making , at this point a father who has been keeping it together loses it completely and bursts in to laughter which his little one wants to know what is so funny. Paul walks away still mimicking the tortoise . Fred and i have a good laugh over the parents reactions and Paul's antics. Paul watches the giraffes and enjoys a snack  before we head down to the train that runs on a narrow gage track. The engine as pictured on the left

has a mail box on it that is still a recognised legal mail box . Paul enjoys the ride snuggling up to grandpa .
We have enjoyed a full day at the zoo and head back on the tram and bus with Paul enjoying the last of his snacks . We can't seem to keep his tummy full.

Our next two days we follow are usual routine and get ready for a long weekend away with the kids to celebrate Christophers Birthday.

Bye for now,
Sandy & Fred

June 11-18,2017 -Aloha, Oregon and Family

Greetings All,

Well almost two months has passed since we were in Oregon to visit our kids and grandson but thanks to not having internet for that period of time the blog has had to wait.

 We have taken a direct flight from Heathrow to Seattle, Meaghan and Paul greet us with this lovely sign made by Paul welcoming us Grandma & Grandpa. Paul was not very eager to get his picture with the sign or us as it was a 3 hour drive from home to get us. Traffic is very busy on our return and I have Paul to entertain which keeps me distracted which is a good thing as I am a horrible passenger. We arrive safe and sound although a bit tired and get settled in in no time at all.

Our first few days are spent playing with Paul with Grandpa taking him to the park in the mornings when it is dry as seems we have brought the English weather with us, and me tiding up around the house. The 15th we decide to bake and Paul is a great assistant .
We make Rhubarb Betty for dessert and Paul
proudly announces to his Mom and Dad we have a surprise for supper tonight when they return from work.

 During the week we learn very quickly Paul's tricks during nap time which he still needs as he is very cranky when he doesn't get his sleep. We quickly get into a routine around Paul's schedule as he is up bright and early 6:00 to 6:30 AM and get to bed at a decent time so we can keep up with him. The weather finally improves and its is now hot and sunny. Our son Jonathan and his wife Amy come down from Vancouver on the 16th so the whole family can be together for a visit. It is a emotional greeting for me as we have not been together for over two years. We have a nice bar-be-que for dinner  of ribs,potato and tossed salads lots of wine and other drinks catching up on what has been happening.

We are all up and out early and head up to Washington and Long Beach reported to be the longest beach in the world. Founded in 1880 by Henry H Tinker and was called Tinkerville. We have a nice walk along the beach allowing everyone to stretch their legs and Paul to expend some energy which he has plenty of. Pictures are taken and Paul collects some shells . The picture at the left is if us with our two sons Christopher and Jonathan, Amy and Paul. We were unable to get a photo of all of us and there were no people around . After exploring the beach we head into town for lunch and then head to Marshes Free Museum built in the 1980's to show off
the wonders of the Northwest. It is a very weird place with stuffed animals, penny machines, plates and clothes. You can see pictures on my Facebook wall of the curiosities of Marshes.

We now head of to Cape Disappointment and the lighthouse . Located at the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean the cape earned its name when Captain John Meares failed to cross the river bar in 1788. This feat was accomplished in 1792 by American Captain Robert Grey.  There are 1000's of ship wrecks in the area due to the treacherous waters. In 1862 during the American  Civil War fortifications were established here to protect the northern approaches  to the mouth of the river from attacks from the ocean from both confederate and foreign raiders.

It is a long steep climb up to the lighthouse and Paul keeps shouting "Come
on Grandma" and runs back to pull me along. He races his Aunty Amy to the top of a very steep hill shouting for the rest of us to hurry up . Oh to be young again and have the energy he has , I would even settle for a quarter of it. We spend a good 20 minutes at the light house mostly to catch our breath and for Paul to have a snack. While up there every once and awhile the wind brings with it a horrible smell. We later find out it is bird poop from the Cormorant population that nests there.

It has been a full day with family and we head back home for our last full family dinner . BQ lego of lamb,BQ potato,asparagus and potato salad from yesterdays meal. Dessert of fresh strawberries and ice-cream.  All washed down with wine. So when your youngest and his wife are scientist and they don't have enough decanters for the wine this serves as a very good wine decanter.

We have had a amazing weekend with our kids, it was so nice that we could
all be together as a family something I do miss with living across the pond.

Cheers for now,
Sandy & Fred

March 13-16,2017- London Visit for Passport renewal

Greetings All,

I have been very tardy in doing this post as it in now May  2 months since we headed down to London ,one of my favourite places to visit as there are always new things to discover.  We take the train down and have a very relaxing trip. Once checked in at the hotel we head off to get my pictures done for my passport down to Pimlico a old stomping from when my brother and sister in law lived in the area. . Once we have my photo's we head off to the Cask Pub that has one of my favourite ciders Pheasant Plucker. Sadly they are out so I try a Hills Cider that is from Adelaide , Australia.  We had back to the hotel  and dinner for a early night as I want to be at the Canadian Embassy to get my passport renewed first thing.

We are up and off early to the embassy which is now by Trafalgar Square. The picture on the upper left is a new sculpture thumbs up  called "Oh Really" We discover a lovely little park Victoria Embankment Gardens while on our walk about the city . A quiet oasis in the middle of the
busy city. The garden is in full bloom with sculptures commemorating different battle and artists about the park. The one on the right is to Arthur Sullivan 1842-1900 a composer part of the Gilbert & Sullivan fame.

We stop for lunch at the Clarence  Pub on Whitehall and a break before continuing our walkabout.  We head off to Leicester Square to check out what is on at the theatre.  There have been a few changes to the area . There is now a large lego store and the figures  are amazing. The kids in the store are having a great time and the staff seem to love  working there. There is a little guy dressed up like spiderman and the staff make a big fuss over him.

Our last stop is back to the Cask for my Pheasant Plucker and Fred enjoys a Marianna Trench a pale ale. We have walked 5 ¾ miles today and I am going to have a much needed rest for my back before we head out to supper.

Our last full day in London sees us out early to try and get tickets for Les Miserable but the seats are not so great so we decide to give it a pass on this trip. Still doing the tourist thing we head down to Westminster Abbey to tour since the last time we visited was in the 1970's.

A church was first built on this site in 1080 . The present day churches construction began in 1245 by Henry III who selected it for his burial site. The abbey became the site for the coronation of Norman Kings though no one was buried there till Henry III. Since that time all coronations now take place in the abbey. The picture on the right is of the tomb of Elizabeth I. We spend a good couple of hours exploring the Abbey, photo's are not allowed so I downloaded from westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/picture-gallery. Though I did take some in areas that where not part of the main church. Check out my Facebook wall for pictures.

Tour completed we head down along Southbank another favourite walking area of ours. Strangely there are no buskers along the banks which is very unusual ,we are not sure if it is because we are outside the main tourist season or new rules are in place. We stop at The Doggetts Pub on Southbank for a late  lunch before heading off to Victoria and Albert Museum.

Once again it has been 7 years or so  since we last visited this Museum . The picture on the left is of a beautiful Murano glass sculpture that hangs in the main entrance of the museum. We wonder around for about a hour before heading back to the hotel. We have walked 4.1 miles today and my sciatica is absolutely killing me. Time to lie flat for a while before heading down to the hospitality room  courtesy of the Marriott for snacks and a few drinks before packing for the trip home.

 It has been a lovely break in one of my favourite cities but we have to now seriously looks for a new place to live as our landlord has given us notice. The trip home is very noisy as Fred had not booked us the quiet and there is a large group of kids that are heading up to Liverpool to party and have started on the train.

Ta ra for now,

Sandy & Fred

January 9 - 17,2017- Maldives and 65th Birthday Celebration

Greetings All,

We are off to a much anticipated trip and one place that has been on my bucket list. Our journey starts in Liverpool with a number of modes of transport. Taxi,train,taxi, train, 2 planes and a speed boat.
Our trip for the most part is uneventful with the exception of the strike in London on the tube line and a passenger who could not read what seat she should be in. Our first flight  from Heathrow to Doha had a rather large women sat beside Fred . She pulled out a phone and stated talking on it hitting Fred a number of times so much that Fred swore at her. As this was happening a young girl came along and declared that she was sitting in her seat. The steward come along and the young lady tells him not to worry she will take another seat to which I jump up and say no , you want your seat ! I turn to the steward and tell him have the lady move to her proper seat, I am sure the poor young girl at this point wonders what kind of crazy women she is looking at.  Once everyone is properly seated I thank the young lady and tell her she has no idea what a life saver she is. It is a long flight 6 hours to Doha and I could not imagine Fred's discomfort had not the girl taken her proper seat. We have a short stay in Doha before boarding our second plane to Male a 4 hour flight. The time difference from Liverpool to Male is 8 hours so we arrive in the Maldives about 36 hours later. The picture on the upper right is of the various atolls taken from the plane as we approach Male. Our flights are on Quatar and is a airline I would recommend. The seats and leg room are good , the food is better then we have had in a while plus we have proper cutlery .

We take a speed boat from Male airport to our resort  and get checked in and unpacked. We have a quick drink before showering and changing for supper. The picture on the left is the view from our  over the water bungalow, it is low tide so the water is calm and you can see the fish. It is now after 5:00PM  Maldivian time and it is still very hot . We enjoy a drink at the bar before heading into dinner.

Our table is decorated to wish me a Happy Birthday. The staff is very friendly and the food is buffet style but a good variety and quality given our previous experience with buffet style while on vacation.  I am presented with a birthday cake by the staff and it is delicious though rather large for two people. I share it with two other couples before we head off to bed as it has been a very long day.

We are up at sunrise as our Bungalow gets the sunrise and sun for the greater part of the day. After a good breakfast I get my float and head off our deck to float in the ocean. It turns out the water is way too rough and I have to get rescued by Fred . A major disappointment for me  but I would rather be safe. We head off to the beach but because of the lateness of the morning there are no lounges left. We do manage to get Fred a seat under the trees and I decide to stay in the water on my float for the day. We finish our day at the beach rather early around 3:30 PM as I have managed to get a good burn staying out so long. Back at the bungalow it is still very hot on the deck though we now have some shade.  We shower and get ready to head down to the bar and the sunset.

The sunsets are gorgeous and over rather quickly. We spend every evening enjoying a drink and the sunset. We have opted to totally relax and not take part in any of the excursions as we are only here for 7 days plus they are very expensive and we consider overpriced given what is being offered.  The picture on the right was taken by a staff member with my iPad . He really got into taking pictures and left us with many to choose from. We think the tree we are sitting under is a Banyon tree given how the roots are .

As I stated earlier the dinner buffet is varied and they have a different theme night . We really enjoyed the Indonesian Night and Japanese Night that came complete with sushi,both fish and vegetable and tempura . We have met a nice couple from Worcester  UK Simon and Karen and enjoy a couple of evenings over drinks with them.

Time has passed nicely and we have enjoyed our time here. We were asked by Karen and Simon would we return. I must honestly answer no. I have ticked off a place on our bucket list and have been a bit disappointed with the over the water bungalow but my reasons are there are so many more places to explore n the world and we are not getting any younger.

The picture on the left is of the sunrise on the day we left. We are off early to Male at 7:30 AM. We are not sure why we had to be at the airport so very early. The flight to Doha is uneventful and not full so I move up a seat and Fred and I have plenty of room for this portion of the flight. We have about a 3 hours stay in Doha and explore the airport which is huge and full of rather exotic and expensive shops. Some amazing restaurants as well as places for those with a much smaller budget.

The last picture is me and I joking say my long lost brother. Our last flight is uneventful  until we arrive. Despite everyone being told to remain seated people get up while we are still taxing in. Once we arrive people are told to again take their seats as the police are coming on board. . We never see the police as the steward comes and takes away a rather surprised passenger . Once off the plane I have the best experience yet through customs. The agents are friendly and chatty and we are through in no time.

We are staying in the Marriott overnight as it is now 10:00 PM and our room has been upgraded to a executive class room. Newly refurbished the shower is a walk in with large square shower . The TV screen is well over 60 inches and very thin.  We finish our travels with a quick drink in the bar  while there we hear a bunch of Americans discussing Trump and wondering what would happen if he was bumped off before he becomes  president . We head to bed as it has been a long day for travel.

We are up before the alarm as we are still on Maldavian time and enjoy a nice breakfast. The last part of our travels we head back to the airport to catch the Heathrow Express into the tube station the the tube to Euston and our train back to Liverpool. The weather is the same as when we left wet and cool.
We are glad to be home and have enjoyed my birthday celebration .

Till our next adventure,

Sandy & Fred