UK #2

I will trundle on and hope that you are out there, Gentle Reader. You are very quiet!
I almost got up at 2.30am this morning to do computer stuff after yet another confrontation with a mosquito. That horrible whining in my ear actually woke me but I couldn't see it. Then just when I thought I could nod off again, back would come the blighter. Today I have bought some 8 hour mosquito spray so I hope it works.
So back to Brentwood in Essex. I am actually a bit vague about a couple of days here as we just pottered which was what I wanted and also I was a little bit poorly. First of all my tooth. Well, teeth. I had chipped a bit off a front tooth a few weeks ago but was about to set sail on my holidays and didn't have a chance to get it seen to. Last week it seemed that a little bit more had broken off and I had visions of looking like Mrs Hopkins in My Fair Lady. Except that in that instance I had blacked out a tooth to make it look like there was a big gap. In this case no blackening would have been required. (Mrs Hopkins: "And wot fings did she want? 'Er birdcage and 'er Chinese fan!") So anyway, Karen very kindly rang around dentists and got me an appointment with her own chap. He was South African but I didn't hold him personally responsible for the result of the 1995 World Cup Final. He had a poke at another tooth which was giving me a bit of gip (gyp? Is it even a word?) and said that the filling was cracked but he was reluctant to dig into it for fear of what might lie beneath. He thought it would last till I got back to NZ. No worries.
On Saturday I didn't feel all that great and I slept for a large part of the day. I had a little bit of a sore throat but nothing more than that. However, I was due to meet Daniel(sort of Son #3) and Helen the next day in Richmond, London, and was a bit concerned about passing on bugs. Normally I am a bit laid back about such things, as I think if you're going to catch something well you just will, but with all the publicity at the moment about Swine Flu... well, it's hard to know what is best. Anyway, I woke on Sunday still with a bit of a headache and still feeling wrung out. So I rang Daniel and talked to him and then Helen rang me back. They have a wee popsie - Isla, who is just a little bit older than Isla Kroon. I was really concerned for her and also for Helen who isn't in a position to be getting sick either. And to be perfectly frank, the thought of a 1 1/2 - 2 hour train journey seemed quite daunting the way I was feeling. So as you will have figured, we flagged it. I was genuinely disappointed as I so much wanted to see them all and it would have been good to have snapped some photos for Chris and Adrienne. (Daniel's parents in Nelson.) But there you go. Was I over-reacting? What do you think? I don't know.
On Monday the other tooth played up and the filling dramatically tore itself asunder. Oh boy! Big problems getting an appointment but I managed to squeeze myself in with my same man again. But not till Wednesday at lunchtime. There was no nerve pain as such, but the edges of the tooth were really rough and were rubbing my tongue and gums. Oh lovely..... It was unbearable really but being the brave little soldier that I am....
And was it on Sunday evening that I watched the footy on television? I think so. It was a testimonial match for Sir Bobby Moore who is dying of cancer, and was sort of a replay of the England v Germany match played in 1990. It was good to see lots of players I remembered and some I didn't. They took it seriously but Germany probably overdid the seriousness and didn't quite get the point. They had no concept of the spirit of the game really. England managed to win which was better then having to go to penalties which they did in 1990. And lost. Oh yes, it was played in Newcastle and there were a few celebrities on the bench for England including local lad Jimmy Nail. I would have liked to have seen him play but he didn't get on. Never mind!
And I have just heard right now that Bobby Moore died today.
Anyway, Karen and I went to Bluewater on Monday. It's a very large mall across the county border in Kent. There were no signs of a recession there - it was packed. School holidays of course and I guess that many of the people were school kids just hanging out. We hung out too, and I also bought a dress! Yes, a posh frock! Well, not a cocktail frock. I already have one of those for the cocktail parties I never go to, but a plain red 60s style shift that could be worn to school or even to a wedding. I don't know of any weddings coming up - are any of you planning something along those lines? I would like to come please. I have a dress I could wear. And I would be prepared to give you a horseshoe at the door if you would like me to. I also bought a couple of paperbacks. The mall was so large that by the time we had lunch and shopped a little bit it was time to go home. So there is potential there for a return visit.
Tuesday... pottered I think. And tried to get some mouth comfort. And failed. But Karen and Kevin have a great back yard to sit out in. The photo is of them taken at a park we went to for a bit of a walk. Except that I wasn't much up to walking. We also went to an art exhibition at this big woodland park and it was like so many art exhibitions. And the curate's egg. Good in parts.
Part #3 coming up.

UK Holiday #1

Now I know that I need to get cracking and start sorting through stuff. I need to go through papers and all my uni notes and see what I really need to keep and what I should biff. I need to take things off the walls. I need to decide what clothes I am going to leave here. I need to pack up stuff into boxes and post the boxes to New Zealand. I need to decide where I am going to leave the little piece of my heart which will always be in France. But I can't! Not yet! I just don't want to, and also I am feeling too tired. This holiday making business takes it out of one, what?
So in the meantime I will update my blog. I will write about my little sojourn to the UK, where I spent another lovely week with Karen and Kevin. The weather continued to be crap, but the hearts were warm. (How about that for a spot of schmaltz? True though.) I know I have already written snippets, but they were just tasters. :-)
I arrived last Wednesday afternoon on my little RyanAir Poitiers to Stanstead 'especially for Alison' flight. (It is just so nifty having direct flights from the teensy little Poitiers airport to Stanstead and Edinburgh!) One thing about about having no allocated seating and hanging round waiting and then having to queue, is that you usually get to talk to someone and you end up sitting by that person so you have someone to talk to on the flight. Which is quite fun.
So we move now to Thursday and Karen and I caught the train into London. We made our way to Hyde Park as we were on the lookout for the New Zealand memorial. And in fact, although I have driven past it, I have never actually been in Hyde Park before. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Pat!) First of all we came across the memorial to all the animals which were involved in the world wars.
It was quite impressive - well designed and well sculpted. Then we came across the very haunting memorial to all those who lost their lives in the tube and bus bombings of July 2005.
I have taken this piece from Wikipedia.
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of coordinated suicide bomb attacks on London's public transport system during the morning rush hour. The bombings were carried out by four British Muslim men who were motivated by Britain's involvement in the Iraq War.
At 08:50, three bombs exploded within fifty seconds of each other on three London Underground trains. A fourth bomb exploded on a bus nearly an hour later at 09:47 in Tavistock Square........ The bombings killed 56 people, including the four bombers, and injured 700. A permanent memorial was unveiled in Hyde Park on the 7 July 2009, the fourth anniversary of the bombings, as a tribute to the 52 murder victims. It's a simple but very moving memorial.
It was about this time that it started to rain. I hadn't brought a jacket with me, mainly because I refused to accept that it might rain! But it did. And heavily! So we huddled under Karen's little brolly and fell about laughing really at how wet we were getting. But what the heck! Anyway, in the rain, which fortunately turned to drizzle, we finally found the New Zealand memorial. Wow - it is just amazing. I think it's a 'must see' if you are in London.


The New Zealand Memorial in London's Hyde Park Corner commemorates the enduring bonds between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and our shared sacrifice during times of war. It is a symbol both of our common heritage and of New Zealand's distinct identity.
Designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble the memorial consists of 16 cross-shaped vertical bronze 'standards' set out in formation on a grassy slope. Each standard is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures. "Through the words and images, any New Zealander visiting the memorial will recognise home, and British people may learn something of the relationship between our two countries," explains Paul Dibble.
The memorial, was dedicated on 11 November 2006 and is expected to become a particular focus for Anzac Day commemorations in London each year.
I have taken that from the website of the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage. I hope they don't mind, but they explain it so much better then I could!


Karen and I hung about for quite a while - we didn't want to leave in fact. When we eventually did, we noticed that inside the adjacent Wellington Arch there was a sign for a Gift Shop. Never wanting to look a Gift Shop in the mouth we toddled in, only to find that in fact the Arch is hollow in one leg and houses a small museum and a viewing balcony at the top. The views were a bit disappointing actually, but on one level we discovered a display all about the NZ Memorial. It included a video of the dedication ceremony which we sat and watched for an hour! Another serendipitous discovery. It was just great.
Down on the ground and outside again we found that the sun had come out! So a great opportunity for a few more snaps to add to the zillions I had already taken. Oh Digital Camera Inventor, I bow down to you!
We then walked down past Buckingham Palace
and wended our way past all sorts of interesting places - the Canadian War memorial is worth a mention - to where we found the Phoenix Theatre. We had tickets for Blood Brothers. And we thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was pretty sad, but was really well cast, had great music, and all in all was an excellent performance. Originally we had booked to see Carousel but the season closed early, so this was our second choice. Well, my second choice! I love the oldies and I love Carousel, so I was disappointed not to see it but I'm glad to have seen Blood Brothers. I now would like to see Billy Elliot, The Lion King.... Even The Mouse Trap! I could happily have a London holiday and go and see a show a day!
The show got out at 1/4 to 6 and we then went round to Steph's house to feed the cat. (Steph is Karen and Kevin's daughter.) It took a while, just because it is a wee way away and takes a while anyway, but also because Karen had a variation on the normal route, and we did quite a bit of unintentional 'walking for fitness'! Lol. So it was pretty late by the time we got back to Brentwood in Essex, but a thoroughly enjoyable day.
To be continued.

Phew....

Tooth filled, pockets emptied. But by golly it was worth it. The very nice dentist fixed my tooth up and took away the pain! There's a lot to be said for that. I was quite happy to pay £120 for it. :-)

Teeth

Do you know, if I had paid to have all my teeth capped and beautified about 20 years ago, it would have cost a fortune, but NOTHING compared to what it has cost me over the years to maintain my creaky flaky yellowing brittle old teeth. Which used to be quite smart when I was young. Old ladies used to comment on them: "Oh, but you've got lovely teeth dear!" Hmmm!
And despite having spent a fortune on a crown and various other things just before leaving Auckland, I am now having another calcium deficiency melt-down. Or whatever. Recently I broke a bit off a front tooth. Well, it broke off all by itself actually. It was causing no pain so I thought I would hang on till I got back home. Last week, here in Merrie England, it flaked off a bit more. I was about to look like a witch. Fortunately I managed to get a dental appointment with Karen's South African dentist, who was quite excited to meet someone from New Zealand and we talked at length about rugby. It cost £106 which probably isn't too bad. I mentioned that I had a little bit of pain from another tooth and he said that yes, the filling was cracked, but he felt sure it would last the distance till I got back to New Zealand. Last night - just as if a great suction pump was at work, the whole damn thing just split in two. I was left with great jagged bits rubbing my tongue! I have been miserable all day today! My new best friend the dentist can fortunately spare me 15 minutes tomorrow - I hope he can somehow get rid of the sharp bits! I bought some temporary filling stuff from the chemist but it didn't work. So....in answer to the question... "What did you do in England?" "Oh, I came over here for dental treatment!"

Answer

You were quite anxious, weren't you, wondering about the correct answer? Well, George has confirmed that my hunch was right - it was the Gothic. I think that ER came out to NZ on a later tour in the Britannia. So there you are. Tuck that away for a quiz evening!

Hmmm....

Now I'm just wondering.... DID the Queen in fact sail out to New Zealand in 1953 in the Britannia, or was it the Gothic??

Flower of Scotland

I love Scotland. I really don't know if it is because of my Dunedin heritage, my ancestry, the general feel of the place or just because my friends Joan and Bill are so lovely that it is just plain nice being there. Probably the latter! It certainly wasn't the weather which inspired me this time, that's for sure. Have a listen to the wee (I'm talking Scottish here you know) video. It's Joan and Bill singing the Scottish anthem. Unplanned, unrehearsed. Beautiful!
I arrived on Monday night, having lost an hour, and we drove from the airport to Innerleithen, a little village in the Scottish Borders. Near Peebles, for those of you, like me, who have a geographical interest and like looking at maps. :-) We sat up and talked for quite a while, with me still in a Massachusetts time zone. Poor Joan and Bill! On Tuesday morning I slept in quite late and Joan was at work. After lunch Bill & I walked into the village and along the road to the cemetery. I was searching for any Rae ancestors who may have been resting there. They came from Innnerleithen and Peebles and the occasional other neighbouring town. The cemetery was very old and isn't used any more. It's in quite a bad state and very neglected, and many tombstone inscriptions were impossible to read. Some had fallen over. Also, there were large areas of ground that were just grass and it's possible I guess that some graves were covered over. So you will guess from that that I didn't find any Raes. There were a few Taits however, and they appear in the family tree too. And speaking of Raes, today is Grandma Scott's (nee Rae) birthday. She would have been 109! Bill and I then walked up a hill to St Ronan's Well. This is a spring with a reputation for healing, mentioned originally by Robbie Burns when he visited the village, then made famous by Walter Scott in his novel St Ronan's Well.

Bill, taken from the well.


Affluent members of Edinburgh society came to 'take the waters' and a bottling plant was established. I had a wee drink of the water so I am assuming now that I am protected from Swine Flu and any other things with may be waiting to pounce.
On Wednesday we went into Edinburgh and had a wander round a mall. We had a look at the exterior of the Royal Yacht Brittannia which is docked there as a tourist attraction. We didn't bother with the guided tour. I remember that the Queen sailed to New Zealand in that ship when she came out for her 1953/1954 tour. It was really SMALL! Indeed, I was very surprised at how small it was. I guess it's quite old. Not that old necessarily means small! But I digress.

Me in front of Lizzie's old boat.

We then went for a bit of a drive round Edinburgh and stopped at Murrayfield. Continuing with my tour of stadiums! It was very large and very impressive and I was glad to get the opportunity to have a look. I don't remember what I did on Thursday, (I know I watched some golf on television), but at night we went into the Forth Valley chorus rehearsal. Joan and Bill are both barbershoppers, and both are very involved. Joan has won several gold medals in the UK region, singing with her chorus and also with quartets she has been in. Mainly her quartet Spinning Jenny. Cool name, eh? Forth Valley won the UK contest this year so will be competing in Seattle next year at the International Sweet Adelines Contest. Anyway, back to the rehearsal. It was wonderful! Hard to believe that a rehearsal could be so enjoyable but it was. Their director is fantastic and the singing was inspiring. How about that? So it was a good night.
On Friday I must have watched some more golf, and also Joan and I went into the village and wandered round. There is quite a bit to see - lots of antique shops for example. As well, because it's a special week - something to do with St Ronan - all the shop windows were decorated in blue and white for a 'best window' competition. After that, Joan's sister and her husband called round for a cuppa and we all sat round and had a nice chat.
On Saturday Joan and I drove to a Park and Ride car park then caught the bus into Edinburgh. It was quite funny actually. Joan has never caught the bus there before, but we must have looked wise because people kept coming up and asking us all about the buses, where they stopped, when they were running etc etc. By simply reading the info posted we were able to provide answers! Or it could have been that my sip of the St Ronan's waters has indeed made me wise. About buses. We had lunch followed by a double decker bus tour, which was good. we had a 'live' commentator, which is much better than the headphones set-up. And the chap was very good, too.
We then walked round the town, checking out the occasional tourist spot. I didn't visit the castle this time, but rest assured it is still there looking mighty splendid. Our final visit was to the National Art Gallery which was super. We didn't have a lot of time left so mainly focused on the Impressionists. You might be surprised to hear that! Back home, and at night we went into the village to watch the closing ceremony of the special week. Which as you know was something to do with St Ronan. And boys dressed up as monks. And dux boys. And... I couldn't really follow it, but it's a long-standing village tradition which is great really. It involved the Pipe and Silver Bands performing and I loved it! I really enjoy band music. There were heaps of people around, and despite the intermittent rain, there was a great festive atmosphere. So that was that.
On Sunday morning I packed (Roger, where were you??) and got taken to the airport. It was a bit chaotic queueing for my RyanAir flight, but in the end it all went well, and the flight landed in Poitiers half an hour early. And now I am home. It's bleedin' hot, but that is not a complaint you understand! Yesterday I wrote wrote and wrote my blog. I think I should become a writer because I just love it. I also went and had a goodbye ice cream with my friend Yun. We have said goodbye at least a couple of times before, but this time was for real. He flies to Korea tomorrow, and when he gets back to do his art course in Paris I will have left for New Zealand. He is a very nice young man. This afternoon I am getting my hair cut. It is almost long enough to plait. And tomorrow I fly out to London for a week. Looking forward to it! Catch you when I get back.

This is Joan and Bill at their front door.

Moving on.

And yes, so we move on.... On Sunday morning I got up and started getting ready to leave. "Let Roger pack your suitcase Alison," called out Kathy. Well, I've been doing it for a while now and I'm sure I can... but hey, why not? Well, he is a Suitcase Magician! Honestly, I couldn't believe how clever he was at rolling and folding and putting things inside other things. I mean, I do that too, but whereas I do Shopping well, Roger leaves me in the dust when it comes to Suitcases. (And after my year of very little shopping I think that Jane will have added qualifications to her already impressive list and I will never catch up!)
Anyway, he took me into Boston and dropped me off at Logan International Airport which was very calm and stress-free. On to the plane and I sat by a pleasant young man called Thomas, on the 5 hour first leg to Reykjavik. In fact we had a seat in between us so that was cool. I was able to explore a bit more of Iceland's airport this time and there were some nice shops. It still isn't a place high on my priority list for a return visit, however. On leg two I found that I had been put in the sort of upper middle class section. Better then economy, but not quite business. It was fine by me! I should have tried to sleep but instead watched movies. Well, I was on Massachusetts time!
OK. So I had landed in Paris and it was 6.15am. My flight to Edinburgh was scheduled for 9.30pm. A long day. Nowhere to sit comfortably, no luggage storage facilities, nothing to do, and I needed some sleep. I really had no choice. At great expense I checked into the Hotel Sheraton for the day! It is right inside the airport - no shuttle required! Normally breakfast in the restaurant is 37 euros - eek - but I had somehow managed to find myself in a Club Class room so I got free breakfast thank goodness. I ate that - and stashed away some odds and ends for lunch at the same time, just like a real country bumpkin! I had a lovely bath and then slept till 2.00pm. It was just wonderful really. It was dead quiet and really peaceful - amazing when you consider where it is! So I just lounged about in their bathrobe until it was time to get ready for my flight to Edinburgh. This check-in also went very smoothly. EasyJet can be a bit - well, less than satisfactory, but the queue moved very quickly and the people at the front line were very friendly and helpful. It was great.
More to come.

Mass #7

Phew!
On Saturday July 11th Roger, Kathy and I set off in a northerly direction. Our first stop was Salem, famous, or indeed infamous, for the Witch Trials of 1692. We went to the Tourism Centre and saw an excellent video which played down the Witch Trials and played up the rest of Salem's history, such as its seafaring past and present. The reality is of course that Salem is associated with witches and that's that. Briefly, the Witch Trials were early examples of 'witch-hunting' and required a scapegoat for something which was difficult to explain. Intolerance was rampant - what has changed I wonder? To read about what actually happened and how innocent people can be so terribly vicimised by the power of gossip and lies, try this site. http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/
We visited the Witch Museum which had good tableaux and provided an excellent overview of events. It wasn't slickly organised but it was certainly interesting. The photo of me being a witch is a bit silly I guess, as Grimm Brothers witches and the like weren't anything to do with the nonsense that went on, but I need to lighten up as it happened a long time ago! :-) So here I am being a witch!
In fact I was terribly tempted - in the Gift Shop, where else? - to buy a wonderful door stop which was in fact a pair of legs wearing red shoes. I loved it, but it was VERY expensive!
We went on to Gloucester where we had lunch - beautiful fish and chips. We just happened to be there at the same time as a large tour group and it was interesting to watch the dynamics as they sorted out where to sit. One woman didn't settle for at least half an hour while she tried to accommodate all her friends with her at the same table, despite the fact that there were just single and double spaces left. Like, she was going to be separated from them for... how long? Anyway, in another one of those serendipitous moments, the restaurant owner had obviously been asked to speak to the group. So we got to listen too. He was hugely entertaining and had a wonderful knowledge of the local history. Frozen foods began in Gloucester, when a local man by the name of Clarence Birdseye noticed how food didn't spoil when he left it outside in the winter! I won't recount all the tales, but they were very interesting and well told.
We then drove to the lovely little town of Rockport. It is quite charming and has a great atmosphere, despite being full of tourists just wandering up and down. As we were!


I'm tired just writing all this, so as you can imagine we were pretty tired too after a very full day. Lots to see, and lots of driving. Roger and Kathy really went out of their way to provide so many interesting experiences for me over the week and a bit, and I had to work hard to convince Kathy that I was very happy to stay at home some days! She would have rustled up a further schedule had I wanted that. I thought that I was probably staying a bit too long, but Kathy was disappointed I hadn't booked to stay another week or two as there is so much to see. True! Another time perhaps. In fact Kathy is already saying, "When you come next time...." :-) Can you just imagine New England in the autumn? Glorious.

Mass #6

A chipmunk!



Yep, I'm still in New England! On Friday afternoon, July 10th, (in fact, the 10th of July - this year!) Kathy and I went to a replica pioneer farming community and village called Old Sturbridge Village. Wikipedia says: Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s (the Romantic Period).
It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres (80 hectares). In the early nineteenth century, the land on which Old Sturbridge Village now stands was a farm owned by David Wight. The farm included a sawmill, gristmill and a millpond which survives to this day.
It's a hands on place and there are the usual costumed guides going about their business. You can see a tinsmith, women making quilts, a gardener,
a printer with his press, a blacksmith, women dying wool from plant extracts, etc.
I especially loved the old general store.
It reminded me of the same kind of store that was in Alexandra when we used to stay with Grandma as very small children!
Now you are right to think that it probably isn't much different from the likes of Shanty Town. It's on a much larger piece of land and there is a real sense of it really being a rural community, but apart from that I guess these types of places are much the same everywhere. Which doesn't mean that having seen one you shouldn't visit another! It was a lovely day and Kathy and I enjoyed wandering around in the tranquil surroundings. And - here's the exciting bit - it had a Gift Shop to die for!! There were 4 parts to it, all the stuff was of good quality, and a person with shopping in her blood could easily spend quite some time there. Not that I did, you understand. But I know that it was good, because I am a Gift Shop Connoisseur. It's a skill one is born with. :-)

Mass #5

I am assuming you understand that Mass is an abbreviation for Massachusetts, and that you aren't thinking that I have had some sort of American divine intervention. :-)
Wednesday was another 'at home' day, which was good. On Thursday we were off again to Cape Cod. Kathy and Roger had some business to do down there, and of course it's a great place to visit, so it worked out really well. Now, another place name that conjures up a bit of magic for me is Hyannisport. The Kennedys and all that. And that's where we went! Hyannis first of all, where we had lunch in a great cafe, decorated like a 50s Diner. I had Clam Chowder because you have to really. And it was good.
We wandered along the street and I went to the Kennedy Museum.
The man on the door thought I was Irish as I had a musical lilt to my voice. I suspect that he was the Irishman - full o' the blarney! :-) I HATE hearing my throaty voice warbling away on tape - I don't hear a musical lilt myself! Anyway, I really enjoyed the museum. There was a video to begin with which was very interesting, and several other videos dotted around. They were such a wealthy family that they did things like filming family activities and taking lots of photos, which other families may not have done at that time. So great records were kept. My god, JFK was handsome! I have always thought that of course, but it just served to reinforce my point of view! Yes, I know he was a womaniser. But I thought he was wonderful, and that's that! :-)
After that, we drove to Hyannisport which is where the Kennedy Compound is. We walked along the beach and it was just lovely.
I walked up some little wooden steps at one point and looked across - rudely I guess! - at one of the Kennedy houses. There was a man sitting on a chair - a Cape Cod chair in fact! - and I'm SURE it was Teddy Kennedy. He has that square sort of frame that is quite recognisable. I think he's ill - is that right? But he could still have gone to the bach for a holiday. (Cute little bach really. Hahahaha!)
Gosh, it just oozed wealth around there, but the beach and general area was still quite simple in a way. In fact Cape Cod in general wasn't nearly as upmarket as I had expected. It was quite unspoiled in many places, and even a bit old-fashioned. But nice.

You did know you were in a popular tourist spot because the traffic on the Cape itself was very heavy.
Roger and Kathy caught up with the man they needed to see, and so we headed home again. A great day.

You're sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod!

Oh, I just had a thought! If Hayden can do a Stadium World Tour (well, it was just the West Coast of the US really) then I could do a World Tour of Songs. You know, Cape Cod, Loch Lomond, Sur le pont d'Avignon, I love Paris in the spring time.... Oh hang on. I've been to those places! But I still like the idea, so I'll try to think of more good lines!

Mass #4

My goodness. Monday has come around. Kathy was tutoring and I was glad to have a blobby day. I still wasn't 100% after my vomiting spree the previous night. I relaxed on the outdoor swing and read and dozed. Lovely! I also chatted to some of the parents who had come with their kids for tutoring. And I did manage to get to the local shops to have a wax. It was very interesting. Whilst my lips of course will remain sealed, I do have full details of the life story of Cara, my beautician. I asked not one question but did not need to!
Tuesday. Kathy and I drove into the outskirts of Boston, parked the car and took the subway into the city. Or it may have been a train and then the subway - I can't really remember. The weather had packed up again but were were made of tough stuff. It seemed that the best option for seeing the city was a Trolley Tour. Trolley, as in (think Judy Garland)
Clang,clang, clang went the trolley,
Ding, ding, ding went the bell ... Lovely!
There are Duck Tours which have amphibious vehicles so you get a bit of a trip on the river as well, but we were feeling wet enough at that stage so opted for the trolley. A qualification for the drivers apparently being the ability to endlessly crack very bad jokes. But I guess it's good that they are at least animated. We went round once, then hopped out at Fenway Park.

I quite like sports stadiums myself, (yes yes, I have school cert Latin and I know that it should be stadia, but that sounds like pretentious bunkum to me), but on the whole when I visit one, especially in the States, I feel as if I am there on behalf of Hayden. Who has actually, in his younger days, done an overseas trip just to check out stadiums! He loves American sport - mainly baseball and football I think. So we bought our tickets for the tour. The organisation was dreadful when you think that they do this many times a day, day in day out, all year round! There was no place to wait and we just followed a crowd and shambled over the road hoping for the best. There would have been over a hundred people in our group, but apparently that's normal. So, once again I ask - why was it so badly organised? We were supposed to get photos taken too, but I got directed to sit somewhere else and missed out. It didn't really matter, but it was weird.

The young man, Dave, who was our guide was actually very good and a natural teller of tales and I enjoyed listening to him. We walked round a bit more and that was it. We found out that usually there is a video as well. Don't know what was going on really.
Anyway, I liked being at the home of the Red Sox. And I ate a hot dog outside the stadium like all good Red Sox fans should.
Well, I don't know if I am a fan or not, but I suppose I am now! The souvenir shop was overwhelming and really expensive, so we ended up buying nothing.
Next Trolley Stop - Cheers! I had no idea what to order and the barman suggested a beer. I managed about 3 sips. I quite like that light coloured beer, whatever it is, but this drink was not my cup of tea at all. (Get that little play on words there?) I also had a slice of Boston Cream Pie, just to say I had. A tad stale and disappointing, I have to say!
This was the day of Michael Jackson's memorial concert, or funeral, or whatever it was. All the TVs in Cheers had it on and most people were watching it. I wasn't, but never mind. Anyway, it was quite cool being in the bar that provided the inspiration for the TV series. Although there was a bit of confusion as there is also a bar downstairs, and both that bar and the one on street level claim to be 'The' Cheers. Duzzin madda!

And so back to the Trolley, and we did another loop or two. At various times it was pelting down with rain so being inside was a good idea. We had thought we might walk in the Rose Kennedy Rose Gardens, and go to one or two other places as well, but it was just too wet.
And so we got the subway back to the car and tootled off home. I liked Boston and would like to go another time, as there is obviously so much more to see!

Mass #3

We had a very early start on Sunday as we were off to Cape Cod. Now does that just conjure up a magical picture in your mind or what? It certainly did for me.

"If you spend an evening you'll want to stay,
Watching the moonlight on Old Cape Cod Bay.
You're sure to fall in love with Old Cape Cod."

Well, that song is a regular head voice of mine. And here I was, off to Cape Cod! It seemed like quite a long drive, partly I think because there isn't really anything to see apart from trees on the side of the roads. We went to Falmouth and then doubled back and went to Plymouth, having collected Kathy and Roger's son Brett en route. Our first historic object to view was Plymouth Rock, where the pilgrims first set foot in their new country.
It's supposedly the real thing, and has an interesting past, having been chipped away at, moved, dropped and broken.... So now it is securely caged in!





Once again there was someone there to talk about it. (Everywhere we went in the States there were guides to interact with you and talk about whatever it was they were looking after or promoting. They were usually in costume and playing a part. I know that it's a way of having people around to keep an eye on things, but it's extremely well done I have to say.)
We then went on board the Mayflower.
Not the orginal, but a replica built about 50 years ago and sailed to Plymouth in 1957 as part of an international good-will project. Once again costumed role players were there, telling the story of the original voyage. I was most taken with one young woman.
I watched her for quite some time while she interacted with some young kids and answered their questions, totally in character. You could see the kids being really drawn into the history of the boat. It was just great.
We had a bit of a wander round and then watched the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. All the local fishing boats and some others were decked out in bunting - there's that word again - I like it! - and they sailed in convoy past a wharf and were blessed by someone. Not sure who really!
We also went on board some Tall Ships which were in port. They were interesting enough, although it seemed to me that they were there to promote their religious beliefs. They seemed to be owned and manned by religious groups who just sailed round the world asking for donations! (Do not write to the editor! I may have got that wrong! :-)But it did seem like quite a nice way to earn a living!)
We had a late lunch/early tea of seafood at the family's favourite seafood restaurant and after dropping Brett off we headed back home. There was a lot of traffic but in general it flowed pretty smoothly.
And the only bit to add is that I woke in the night and was VERY sick! I can't remember when I last vomited - probably more than 20 years ago. I dunno. But I sure made up for it. I just couldn't stop beng sick and it was really horrible. And apart from everything else, my muscles ached and ached for days afterwards. Yuk! I have to assume that it was the oysters I had at the restaurant, although it was a very busy restaurant with a rapid turnover of food, so one would have thought things would be fresh. But there you go.

Mass #2

On the Saturday Kathy and I wet to the Lexington and Concord areas. There is a huge amount of history in all of New England - the birth of the nation occurred here really.
We firstly went to the Minute Man visitor centre. The Minute Man is the general term used for the local soldiers during the American Revolution. Basically, they were all geared up so that they could respond to a call to arms and gather together in a minute. At the visitor centre we watched a video which was really excellent. It was more than just a video - it appeared to be almost like a hologram, with a 'real' soldier talking to us. And different parts the room lit up as they featured in the story. Oh, I can't explain it properly, but believe me, it was most impressive, and it certainly explained the start of the American Revolution very well. Who fired the first shot? Aha - we will never know.
We then got swept into an interactive thing which turned out to be learning how to fire a musket and to march. We were The Awkward Squad.
In fact, the young woman in charge told us that we were one of the best groups she had had - fast learners! I wasn't all that slick with the musket, (and in fact felt a bit of a dipstick playing with guns when I really don't like them - even pretend ones) but I was a whiz at the marching! You should have seen our wheels! Lol. After that we went along the road to a house which used to be a tavern and is (and was) situated on the road that the troops used during the Revolution.
Another costumed chap (a Minute Man) talked to us about the Revolution and he and a colleague showed us how to fire a real musket. (The Awkward Squad had wooden guns, fortunately!) He was really interesting.
Next stop Concord, and Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott.
Speaking as someone who loved Little Women and always wanted to be Jo, I was really chuffed to visit here. We had a guided tour and it was really interesting. (How many times have I said that??) But it really was. The house was surprisingly spacious and light with a writing desk for Louisa which her father had built for her - normally girls were not encouraged to 'work' as such. She mixed with some interesting thinkers and scholars of the day, and for more info you could check on Google, which will save me plagiarising anything!
Kathy and I then went back to Lexington to visit the National Heritage Museum which promised much but unfortunately delivered very little. In fact it is hard to relate the advertising flyer to the actual museum. There was very little to see, and not only that, but the cafe where we planned to have lunch was closed, despite the flyer saying it would be open. Oh well.....
So we went to Starbucks in Lexington instead and I had a very nice smoothie. And probably some food but I can't remember. It's true!

Massachusetts #1

OK. Photos are downloaded so here I go. On July 2 I got the train to Charles de Gaulle airport and after one of the most shambolic queueing systems I have come across I caught an Icelandair plane to Reykjavik. So I have now been to Iceland. Sort of! I am sure there are very good reasons to live there and indeed I am also sure that many people love it very much. However, from the air anyway, it was bleak, barren, drear, grey... We had left 45 minutes late from Paris so I didn't have very long to wait for my next flight. The reason we were late, incidentally, was because it was just like a madhouse at the airport. The pilot said he had never in his whole career as a pilot seen Charles de Gaulle airport so busy. So, leg 2. I sat beside a couple of nice chaps, which was just as well as our row of seats and one other were the only rows where the TVs didn't work! It was also quite exciting looking out of the window and seeing Greenland and icebergs. And then we flew over Canada which was really interesting and gave me quite a thrill. Amazing stuff.
And so to Boston. Kathy and Roger were there to meet me and off we went to Rutland, a small town about an hour away. I settled into their lovely house and it was time for bed! (Photo #1 is of Kathy in front of their house.)
On the Friday we went to a Warehouse kind of shop called Sams, and we also went to Shrewbury to another shop. We were getting things for the barbecue at night and also having a wee look round to see what we could see. :-) Then Kathy took me to Sterling which is the home of Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Yes, the nursery rhyme was based on real people and events! Years ago, the town of Sterling erected a lamb statue to celebrate the birthplace of Mary Sawyer. In 1815, Mary was followed to the schoolhouse by her pet lamb. Her classmate, John Roulston, wrote the poem. In fact, a town in New Hampshire claims that a poet from their town really wrote the rhyme. I am not especially bothered one way or the other, but anyway, I have seen the lamb statue!
That night Kathy and Roger hosted a barbecue for the neighbours to celebrate July 4th. (On July 3rd. Because that's when the town fireworks were on!) Being that time of the year, by the way, there were American flags and loads of bunting everywhere. It looked great!


We had just got going with the barbecue when rain started pouring down with a vengeance. We moved inside, but were a bit worried that the fireworks might have been cancelled. Fortunately it all cleared up, and we had the bonus of a most incredibly beautiful rainbow. Two complete rainbows in fact, one inside the other. My photos just doesn't do it justice.
It was stunning.

So then we walked cross the road with our deckchairs and sat and watched the wonderful fireworks display which we could see above Kathy and Roger's house. And so ended Friday.

Update

Just so as you know I'm still here.... Or there, or wherever. :-) I'm staying with my friends Joan and Bill in Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders. Tonight I'm going with Joan to her Sweet Adelines chorus rehearsal - Forth Valley won the UK gold medal this year so are off to International next year. They are very good! I'm looking forward to having a listen tonight and who knows, I might even be able to join in one or two songs!
I love Scotland. Perhaps it's my Dunedin heritage - I can't be sure. But it just feels good being here, despite the grey skies and intermittent rain!
I'll be back.

Off again

I guess I could have been writing in my blog, but I haven't recently for two reasons. 1. I haven't been able to download my photos and photos and stories seem to go together and 2. I try not to hog Kathy's computer. I just grab a moment or two to check emails in case Paul McCartney has sent me a message.
But just a quick word. I have had a wonderful time here in Rutland, Massachusetts. It's an area rich in history and is so very interesting. Kathy and Roger have been wonderful hosts and I have covered a fair bit of territory - from Cape Cod in the south to Rockport in the north. And I've been to Boston and can report back to Hayden on Fenway Park - the Red Sox stadium! I went to Cheers as well! The weather has been pretty ordinary, but has come up trumps when we needed it to. I'll write in more detail when I'm back home and can add photos as well. Today I am flying out. I leave Boston and fly to Paris via Reyjavik in Iceland. I get into Paris at 6.30 am and have a whole day to fill in before flying to Edinburgh at night. I really need to blob in a hotel room somewhere and get some sleep but the hotels at the airport cost an arm and a leg. I could go into Paris for the day but there is nowhere to store my suitcase - for security reasons they don't store luggage any more. So we will see! Something will happen one way or another. It always does! :-)

Neil

I hope Jo won't mind me writing this. I just want to pay my respects to Neil Breingan who died this week. He was the husband of my good friend Jo, and I guess I've known him for more than 30 years. Highly intelligent, wise, keen sportsman, quiz champion, teacher, man with his own mind, garage sale king, real Nelson identity and family man. I really liked Neil and my heart goes out to Jo.
And just finally, the one thing that will always stick in my mind when I think of Neil is the wonderful blackboard work he had in his classrooms. It's difficult to explain just how amazing it was, but anyway, he used to prepare the whole board for each week and it was simply an exquisite work of art.
I was so sad to hear that Neil had died. Another good man gone much too soon.