Saturday 30 June 2012

Saturday.




Well, we're home again, and back in business. We got home at about 2.30 p.m. today.  I'll give you the bare bones of the last three weeks (I may give them in more detail later). On Saturday the 10th of June we motored over to Harwich, and drove onto the ferry to Esbjerg, in Denmark. When we got there we drove across Denmark, and eventually took another ferry from Elsinore to Helsingborg. We then drove up Sweden to Ostersund (taking three days about it) and arrived just nicely in time for our grandaughters' end of term service and speech day on Friday afternoon. We then spent a day or two looking round Esbjerg and eventually motoring out to Ruth and Lasse's farm house for a day or two.  I think I must explain the next bit of our summer trip :- I am coming up to a significant big ZERO birthday. As I've always found the Norwegian 'Stave Churches' fascinating, and had never seen one, it turned out that Ruth (sharing the expenses with her siblings) had arranged to take Ann and meself on a tour of the Stave Churches. They had also presented me with the definitive text book on the subject, which gave me a day or so to read up on the subject, and after a good deal of discussion with Ruth decided on the four best ones to look at in depth, and to see another three of them in passing. Some days later when were discussing this choice with the guide to Reinli Church (a young lady who is very deeply read on the subject) told us that we could not have made a better choice than we did. Last Tuesday we had lunch with Ruth, Lasse, Tuva and Freja in a town call Gjovik (pronounce Yorvik, and exactly the same name as York had in Viking days). After lunch we said goodbye to them, and drove down Norway, and into Western Sweden. Then down past Gothenberg, and eventually back on to the Helsingborg to Elsinore Ferry, across Zealand Funen and Jutland to Esbjerg, onto the ferry  yesterday evening, arriving in Harwich about noon, and home, stopping off for lunch at Mistley.
We had driven 2,481 miles, and our new  Honda Jazz had averaged 55.1 miles per gallon over the whole journey.

P.s. The two photos were taken at Harwich on the way out. The first shows a very fine old Lagonda car (and if you examine our nearside wing mirror to the right of the picture you will see my reflection staring jealously at the Lagonda!!)  The second picture shows a Volvo sports car that its owner (to the left of the picture) told me had purchased new in 1966 and driven ever since.

Saturday 9 June 2012

Saturday.


Took above photo through the car window, when coming home through Lavenham at the end of April.

Been a good busy week, as, in fact, I think  the next week or so is going to be. So much so that I don't expect to be blogging for a  short while (although I will, of course if the opportunity arises).  I plan to reopen regular waffle sessions later this month.  In the meantime I wish you all a very good summer.

                                              Mike and Ann.

Sunday 3 June 2012

Sunday.


 Today we went, just before midday, to our friends Sue and David's home, to a ninetieth birthday party they were holding for our mutual friend Coral, pictured above.  It was a very pleasant, relaxed, get- together, with a buffet lunch. A good many of the guests were contemporaries of Coral, who has retained a very sharp mind, together with an excellent memory, and mostly we all knew each other, so that it became rather a party game, guessing how we all came to know Coral. Coral is very well travelled with a wide variety of interests.  The buffet lunch was light, but excellent, accompanied by a pink, effervescent (not sure I've spelled that right- so 'sparkling'), and pleasantly dry wine, that David had provided called Cava (Spanish I think).  I've had it there before. David has rather a taste for Southern European wines, and this one went very well with the lunch.

The above photo was taken by Sue using my camera. Thank you Sue.


We wandered down their lovely garden to thank Sue and David for their hospitality just before we left. Although the day was just like the 3rd of June, 1953 (wet and miserable) there must have been a few minutes break in the weather at this point - the garden was reasonably dry. Sue and David gave Coral a lovely and memorable birthday party.
  Driving home the High Street was closed for 'a street party'. I can just remember the street parties at the end of the Second World War, and today's street party here was far more like a street fair.

This evening friend Hilary came and had supper with us. She lived next door to friend Eileen, and did a great deal of the nursing during Eileen's last week or so of life. Hilary also took Eileen's funeral service last Wednesday, so she's had an awful lot on her plate of late. I think she was glad to come out for a quiet meal - just the three of us.
Time to knock off now, I think, So - Good Night All.


Friday 1 June 2012

Friday.



This morning walked into town to go to cafe church. Whilst partaking of coffee and a croissant, and with the assistance of Robert and Sheila, started on the Telegraph crossword (newspaper are provided at Cafe Church- well the Telegraph and the East Anglian are).  Ann and I then walked over to the Ansell Room, where Ann helps with a monthly lunch for the elderly. This month's lunch was a rather special one to mark the jubilee. The above photo shows Ann, Liz, and Sylvia discussing arrangements.

  


Above photo shows the pudding that each of the recipients received. Fiddly job I should think. Imagine putting together eighty of these!

 Then home, and a sandwich lunch. Ann then went back to help serve the lunch, and eventually to clear the tables, wash up, etc. , and I sat down to finish the crossword, which I did with the assistance of Sheila, who popped in on her way home (she lives a few houses down from us) to help with it. Didn't take long. Spent most of the rest of the day in my workshop. Must knock off now and try and clear my bench .  So - Goodnight All.

P.s. Should perhaps stress that the crossword I finished at home was in our own copy of the Telegraph. Would not have you think that I'd half inched (pinched, Lori. Snaffled in other words) the Cafe Church Telegraph in order to finish the Crossword at home. Sheila (being a Lay Reader at the Church) would not have countenanced this, leave alone have helped me with the crossword, had she suspected such a felony.