Bath continued

Fox and Hounds ( Wednesday luncheon)

Our gorgeous jewels, Jennie's on the top and her cameo and Lynne's on the bottom.

Cream tea in The Hand Tearoom, Bath.

2 girls, Beemer, a lab and a lamb????

Trickers beautiful handmade shoes that we want to buy our men.

The pump room in Bath, complete with string quartet and chandelier.

Exploring Bradford upon Avon & Bath

Clive hard at it in the study, Rosa off to school with her friend Vanessa and Lynne with Jennie along side the Avon.

Its Thursday it must be Bath

Clive & Lynne's 18th century weaver's cottage in Bradford upon Avon A huge Wiltshire ham ploughman's in the Fox and Hounds ( a pretty thatched pub) in Devizes.

This is Paul prooving he is every bit as stylish as Ross with a very similar choice of shirt colour.

Wednesday 26th April

Walked the hounds around the grounds @ Chateau James this morning. Bluebells and primroses are out. Saw violets at Sotheby's yesterday by the way. Polished the antique diamond rings, did the full make-up (including the touche eclat) and the liquid eyeliner and zoomed off in the Red BMW down the lanes of West Sussex towards Stonehenge. Quote from Mrs Blackburn
" I am driving a red BMW do you seriously think you are going to overtake me in that Suzuki!"

Stonehenge was impressive but less that informative, Avebury was very spooky, Swindon was a bit down market. Lunch at the Fox in in Devizes was excellent- Wiltshire ham ploughman's in a thatch roofed pub, luverrly!

Clive, Lynne & Rosa Robson are our next hosts with the most. Bradford-on-Avon (near Bath) is gobsmacking. An old weaving town on the river Avon...the old (back to Saxon times 700's) Bath sandstone buildings race up the steep hills as in Greece or Italy. Unfortunately this meant trekking up lots of steps and a lot of heavy breathing...but it was worth it for the views which included golden cockerel weather vanes, White horses etched in chalk on the hillsides, ancient tudor tithe barns, frantic canoists on the river and long boats on the canals.

Sorry no pics tonight as I have left the cord back at the mansion.

makeover beauties and frolics at the manor house

Brighton

Jennie's Earl Grey tea cup tells a story! Brenda's ex-friend did us a make-over.

Guildford

Neil has a briefcase!!!!


The tower of Guildford castle has magnificent gardens.

Neil 'n'Sue's

Thomas in action playing right back for Send United. Lovely time with the Woking Outteridges. Rather emotional but worth it.

Neil 'n'Sue'

Still on Saturday

Drove home over Blackheath where preparations for the London Marathon were in full swing...loos, outside broadcast vans and railings everywhere.

Quick change and off to a barn dance for Alison and Jonathan's 25th wedding anniversary (note: barn dancing is a very bad idea after hiking all over Paris and London for a week).

During the barn dance, the conversation turned to Bollinger (naturally!) and Hilary Sexton let it slip that there was a bottle in her fridge..this warrented a detour on the way home as according to Denise there was a grave danger of said Bollinger going off as it had been in her fridge for much too long. Luckily we arrived on time and were able to slurp the delicious drop before it was too old and off..narrowly avoiding disaster I'm sure you'll agree!

Returning back to HB's bought about a series of unfortunate events! Somehow the latch had been turned on the front door and we were locked out.. we wondered if Bill was trying to tell us something, especially when he wouldn't wake up and let us in. This meant we had to knock on Susan's door in the middle of the night and take advantage of her hospitality. We had to leave early the next day as Neil was to pick us up at Hil 'n'Bill's at 8.30am and there was much groaning!

Cars 'n' boats

Thames barge Groooovy mini

Our personal pick and one each too!

After lunch at the Cutty Sark we visited Greenwich markets and bought- coffee flavoured with maple syrup & walnuts, Amaretto & Marzipan Italian nougat

Back in Londres

Apologies for the absence of posts but there's little time/facilities for internet access and connections can be so slow that one posting can take half an hour. It is going well this morning as it is very early so I am catching up!

Saturday saw us back in Greenwich, visiting the Maritime museum, the beautiful painted Hall in the Royal Naval College, wandering along the Thames. Lunched at the Cutty Sark pub, steak and ale pies and scampi.. We didn't forget the pork scratchings either! (top pic)

Paris was full of music

One of the nicest things about Paris was the music everywhere. This accordian man on the metro is just typical...along with Peruvian pan pipe players, North American Indian drummers, Classical music on a xylaphone, every student in Paris is strumming on a guitar in a park somewhere or on the path by the Seine.

Left is Lynne relaxing in the Jardin des tuilleries after giving Stefano the flick...it wasn't easy!


Top right Lynne with Ross's Panama hat (hope he likes it)

Leaving Paris

Shopping, shopping, shopping! Tin Tin stuff, leather bag, wine, sweets, t-shirts for Bruce and Katrina(Yes Kym and a snow dome). Pompidou centre for lunch- crepes, quiche, tasty salad dressing with moutarde and sipping Muscadet. More shopping back at Lafayette - Jennie's Longchamps bag. Walked up to Monmartre...our feet are killing us! Rushed back to the hotel, checked out and grabbed a taxi to the airport.

Up the Champs Elysee

After leaving the Louvre we wandered through the Jardin des Tuilleries and up the Champs Elysee gathering admirers as we went. Visited a few shops, Louis Vittant was interesting but still unaffordable...Jennie briefly considered buying a bookmark or something.

Then it was-'Let the shoe shopping Begin!' Our feet were so sore by this time we had to get comfy shoes. Baguette for lunch in Galleries Lafayette (great dome!) .

Next stop Eiffel Tower, Jennie went up Lynne ate crepes! After that a boat trip on the Seine which took longer than expected due to a medical incident (not us luckily) This meant another late dinner ('bout midnight!) . We munched on snails, frogs legs, salmon and boef bourgignon. And wandered back to the hotel with men falling at our feet! (drunken students).

We are lovin ourselves!

Honestly how French can you get?









Note Michael Schumacher's helmet
Day two in Paris started with a wonderful breakkie. Wandered up the Seine to the Louvre where Jennie dived in to hunt the Mona Lisa whist Lynne sat in the HOT sun outside (yes hot sun!!). It was here that Staphano the geriatric, Spanish, flamenco guitarist (top right) was unable to resist her charm!

April in Paris

Hotel is fantastique! room 606, on the top floor. Explored around Norte Dame for and hour or so, bought Merlot, Brie, Roqueforte, tomatoes and baguette for pm snack in room. Had a four hour nap and hit the town at 10pm, luckily everything was still open, ate at Jardin de Roy: Moules & steak. The waiters are very friendly! Very intersting nightclub opposite with young men in nothing but Calvin Klein boxers clapping and dancing on the tables. Desert of profiteroles and expresso at the little wife cafe next to the hotel.

Orff to Paris

Dobn't we look elegant! Jennie with her Burberry Scarf and Lynne's furry hat is just divine I think you'll agree?

I don't think much of yours Lynne!

The beefeaters and yeoman are a tad snooty being too busy to have photos taken

It's a bit old . . . .

Day Three:
Set off on our own with our special little travel cards on the train to London Bridge. Walked across Tower Bridge through to St Katherine's Dock (nice old Thames barges), horrible monstrosity of Starbuck's gazebo in all that lovely old area. Tower of London (Beefeaters and Yeoman of the Guard with attitude!) No ravens due to bird flu. Crown jewels were totally overrated and underwhelming. Lunch at Dickins Inn - cold pie and NZ wine (Spanish wine is cheap and nasty). Met a wire haired relative of Jack's named Roxy. Trinity Square (lots of willies & bosoms!!! - statue willies and bosoms that is). Jumped on bus for another look around. Checked out National Gallery. Highlights - Turner, Van Gogh, Surat. Finished with some culcha at Southbank. Roast lamb for dinner. Early night.

Day Four:
Old Askeans meet Jennie! Hiliary x 2, Sue, Karen, Debbie all go to Terry's mansion at Buck's Green. Pics to follow once access to a hardrive happens. Paul, Alex, Livvy, Sascha(the dog) & Looby Loo(lamb) were very welcoming hosts. Lunch - yummy! Specialty of the house - Dishwasher steamed whole salmon. Lots of wine, hilarity, memorabilia supplied by Madam Brown. Choofed off late arvo (Aussie slang) for the long drive home.

Where to start?

BA Lounge, gate one, terminal four, Heathrow. It's so hot in here! But we do have internet access so here goes....Where to start indeed
Day One-Tour around London courtesy of Chauffeur Bill. All the sights: Harrods, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, City, Fleet Street, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Greenwich Park and all before breakfast time on Good Friday which meant there was no one else there!
Walked in Avery Hill Park in the afternoon, lovely spring buds, hyacinths and daffodils. The palm house was also very impressive but they need to clean the windows!
Roast beef with horsradish, mustard & honey, chocolate, orange and almond tart.

Day Two-Early morning walk(5am) exploring Eltham via High Street, beautiful tudor barn in Well Hall. Greenwich, Markets (food has much improved, gourmet sausages, Italian noughat), Cutty Sark, lunch at the 'Yacht' (haddock & chips (bit greasy) but tasty. Deptford Markets after lunch (where Jennie purchased a Burberry scarf for £1!!!!!!! - it was so real). Whizzed out to Bluewater (huge mall) where Jennie bought some simply devine 'platted calf' boots. Bird's Nest pub in evening to see Bill's mates' blues band. Too bloody smokey for words, Lynne never thought she'd go outside in Deptford for fresh air!

even more

Lovely Liv!