London – Pamper Stamper

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December 16, 2014September 21, 2018

So Very Thankful!

I have had the most amazing year! It started with a trip to Palmerston North, New Zealand, for the birth of Robin’s and my fifth grand child G5 in February. Then in March came a trip to Sydney, Australia, for the birth of our sixth grand child G6. And following that in April our seventh grand child G7 was born in London. Yes that’s right! Three grand children in three months! How often does that happen?

In May I had another trip to Sydney to catch up with that lovely new grandson, as well as two sons, two daughter in laws and three grand children, including G6.

In August five of us left New Zealand for Poland. We had a wedding to go to! Second son was getting married to D2 and nine family members were travelling over for the celebration. That meant I was meeting up with C1 and grand daughter G3, and C4 and D3 from Sydney, as well as travelling with Robin, Judy (my sister), Len and niece Teresa. And, we were meeting little G7 for the first time!

We stayed in Poland in a Palace! It was a fabulous place. Somewhere buried deep in my blog (around August 2014) is a picture of the palace. The wedding was amazing!

From Poland we went to Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania. This was all part of an ‘Insight Vacations’ tour called ‘The tour of the Balkans’. It was a marvelous experience and fully covered in previous blog posts as well!

After the tour I flew to London (alone) and arrived on the 15th of September. The rest of my family who did the tour flew back to New Zealand. I have had the most amazing three months here looking after my grand daughter G7 while her Mum and Dad went to work. And I have made the most of that time! I have connected with a local Church and the super friendly people there by attending some Sundays, but also by taking G7 to their playgroup most Friday mornings. It has been great! I also took G7 to the local library most Wednesdays for music and movement in French! I loved it, and so did Sophie. That child just rocks to every beat of music with a huge smile on her face!

At every opportunity I went into London to ‘Hillsong London’ church and I would spend the whole day wandering around the popular tourist spots in the city. I spent a couple of Saturdays in the city as well so I could see everything! I have thousands of photos! I also took G7 into London and met up with C2 and D2. After work we explored London by night. So completely different than during the day. The lights and sights are superb!

From the 4th of November until the 26th of November, my sister Judy came over from New Zealand to holiday with me. The second weekend she was here we flew to Switzerland for three days. We stayed in Zurich and discovered the city. We also did a tour of wonderful Lucerne and then went up Mount Pilatus by the cog railway. Oh my goodness those places are a must to visit! I have loaded heaps of photos here on my blog as well. Go have a look and be inspired to go there yourself! You won’t regret it!

Judy and I also went to two shows, ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Billy Elliot’, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We wandered through museums, shops, the winter wonderland and went on the London eye together. So many fun and memorable moments!

C2 and D2 also took me to Oxford, and then Judy and I to Winchester to see the Christmas markets there! So many wonderful, amazing experiences! And it hasn’t ended yet! On the 19th, C2, D2, G7 and myself are flying to Sydney and meeting husband Robin, daughter C6 and her boyfriend, who are flying the same day from New Zealand. We will all be staying with eldest son C1, D1 and grandchildren G1, G3 and G6. And eldest daughter C5 who is in Sydney already, waiting for us to arrive! We will be meeting up with youngest son C4 and D3 before they fly to New Zealand to meet D3’s family for Christmas. We will be having a fabulous Christmas in Sydney together! It certainly will be a time of celebration.

When I think of all that I have experienced this year and of the wonderful provision from God to be able to do it all (and an understanding, loving husband), I feel amazingly blessed! I feel so full from all of the most wonderful experiences and relationships in my life, and feel so emotionally satisfied and happy. Sometimes I feel like my heart could burst with joy from all these experiences 🙂

Now I am not sharing all this to show off, or to make you feel jealous of me, or to make you think that I am perfect, have an amazing personality, a great character, are better than others and somehow deserve this life. I am human, I make plenty of mistakes and I fail at times, my life hasn’t always been this wonderful in fact it has had many troubles. I am only in this place at this time because of my gracious and merciful God!

Here is the reality of my life, and a little of my past and the sadness I have experienced….

In 1989, when I was 33 years old, I was living in a half finished house and I was solely paying the weekly mortgage payments. I was a single mother of four young boys and I was supported by the New Zealand Domestic Purposes Benefit, which was barely enough to survive on. My ex-husband had left me and the boys and he wasn’t making life easy. I was continually under pressure to ‘hold it together’ for the sake of my children especially when their emotions were also in a mess. They couldn’t really understand the changes that had happened in their lives, and to be honest neither could I.

Emotionally I was a wreck! Not only was I suffering huge rejection from my ex-husband, but I also felt rejection from those who thought I was somehow not worthy of their friendship any longer as I was now a solo mother. I had lost the title of being a wife and had also lost status in society, as I was now officially on a benefit! Some women couldn’t associate with me any longer as somehow I became a threat to them. As a single lady, I was seen as available, I could maybe attract interest from their husbands (even though I had four children). From men, they felt it would ruin my reputation to be seen with me? Of course, having suffered the devastation of a broken marriage I wanted to go break another marriage and cause damage in their life as well! Really? And being a single women with four children, it actually hurt to be with couples and see their happy family, knowing our little family was broken and suffering.

My ex husband played the blame game often (of course it was all my fault), and I developed the habit of needing to defend myself both to him and to the many he had convinced of his innocence, and to our past friends. And I’m not saying that I was completely blameless, but I was completely faithful!

Divorce leaves behind broken lives! And it can take years for those lives to be restored. And even when you think you have it sorted, something happens and before you know it, you find yourself back in the middle of an emotional crisis again! And as a survivor, you do get yourself back on track eventually, but it is a process, believe me. And I have fallen many times over the years. I am a whole lot better than I was, but it is still very sad how deep rejection, or the feeling of being unappreciated, can wound the very soul of a person! It’s also very sad to suffer at the hands of those who have never experienced the hardships of divorce and all that goes with it, and they cast you aside when you show any degree of weakness in your emotional life. I take hurts very deep, and have reacted upon that hurt spirit, rather than see myself as God sees me… totally loved unconditionally, and totally understood. And, I have had prayer and ministry for the brokenness, and I believe that God has helped me incredibly. The upsets from the past come further and further apart now and are much less severe.

As you would know (if you have read ‘About me’ here on my blog) I am a Christian. I know the love, value, acceptance and belonging that comes from receiving Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I know peace and joy, and I live a very rich and fulfilled life. I’m not saying that if you become a christian, you will have problem free living. I haven’t had life easy as a Christian, but I have a God who says ‘Cast your cares on me for I care for you’. And He never fails to bring comfort and joy. Yes… it is well with my soul! That doesn’t mean that the echoes of the past don’t come back to haunt me, and that you forget the events of the past, but with God’s help you can forgive and the memories are much less painful.

Many years ago a lady came to me in church, and said that she felt she had a scripture for me. It was Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Well I think God has blessed me with the reality of that scripture for a few years now but even more so in this year. Yes I am so very thankful for the wonderful year I have just had and I thank God daily for it! And I am so thankful for my wonderful family who I get to share this life with. And, I am also so very thankful for the friends I have, who have stood by me and loved me no matter what, and still encourage me to be the best me that I possibly can 🙂

I love you all xoxoxo

I wonder what God has in His plans for us in 2015!

Isaiah 61:3 To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of dispair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

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December 4, 2014December 4, 2014

Three Wonderful Weeks!

Last Wednesday I took my sister to Heathrow airport and said goodbye to her! It was a really sad time! And for a couple of days I missed her terribly. Having someone to share my everyday moments with had been so very special. Talking to a baby all day just isn’t quite the same. And because I am only here in London for three months, I haven’t the same friendship base that I have back home in New Zealand. I must drive Daniel and Marysia to despair when they get home from work. I chat about every little thing that Sophie and I got up to during the day, and believe me it’s not all that interesting. But still, I am loving my time here and I do try to make the most of every day. And, I am happy 🙂

Judy had flown over from New Zealand to London to keep me company for three weeks, and we certainly made the most of our time together. Not only did we see some amazing places, but being together did something in my soul. I felt such joy at being able to share my ‘life in London’ with her and also seeing new places with her by my side to chat over details and laugh! Boy did we have some good laughs! I am so spoilt to have a sister that I get on so well with and we enjoy each others company…. lots!

Judy arrived on her birthday, the 4th of November, and that is the day our fun together started. Sophie and I got up early to catch a bus to the train station, and then the Piccadilly underground to Heathrow airport, terminal two. The trip takes approximately an hour and a half on the tube, and ten minutes on the bus. It was a good trip and we stood at arrivals and waited excitedly to greet Judy as soon as we could see her. And then it was back on the tube with baby in pram, and my sister and suitcase in tow! Then dragging that suitcase on and off the train, up the escalator, on the bus, off the bus, and then down the road to home 🙂 All to be reversed the day Judy left hehe 🙂

The next day Marysia stayed home with Sophie, so Judy and I could spend the day in London together. Our first stop was Harrods!

Me with my cup of tea :-) — Me with my cup of tea 🙂

Our plan was to go and book in for the tour of Buckingham Palace. Both of us have been to London before and had the celebratory photo taken outside the palace gates, but we hadn’t been inside. We ventured off feeling very excited at the prospect only to be told once there that the palace was now closed to visitors until after Christmas!!! How disappointing! But we were told we could tour the Royal Mews instead. The stables with carriage houses? Why not? So off we went and if you have a look at the photos, you will see that we had plenty to look at. Actually it was really quite interesting.

Here I am with one of the first carriages we saw

And we did get another photo taken in front of Buckingham Palace :-) — And we did get another photo taken in front of Buckingham Palace 🙂

A lovely view on the walk from Buckingham Palace

And as we were going to Piccadilly Circus for tea and a show so we just had to have a look at M&M world!

Our next venture into London was to meet up with my friend Bessie. We decided that Westminster Abbey would be a great place to start. Unfortunately we didn’t realise that there was a huge ceremony going on in town to remember the soldiers from world wars one and two. The town was crowded and the two places we wanted to see were just packed with people.

Westminster Abbey on a very busy day in November. Celebrating and remembering 11/11/1945

Little crosses in place in rememberance of the lives lost

And a little video of my visit to Wesminster Abbey in October…

The Parliament Buildings and the Clock Tower, Big Ben! View from the Westminster Bridge.

At Westminster beside the Thames is this artwork!

More on another wall :-) — More on another wall 🙂

We walked to Covent Garden and saw the Christmas decorations there

It was amazing at just how much effort had gone in to decorate the buildings

And then as it was getting late in the day we caught the bus to london Bridge and the Tower of London. the traffic was horrendous and the bus trip took way longer than it should have. We arrived as it was getting dark but we still managed to see all the wonderful ceramic poppies that were ‘planted’ in the Tower of London, also to help us to remember the lives lost in wars.

The poppies in the ground of the Tower of London with London Bridge in the distance

Another wall of the Tower with the poppies below

It was as if they were pouring from the wall!

Now there is a train station by the Tower of London but it was packed with people. It also had steps and we had Sophie in the pram. So after a long walk Judy and I managed to get to another station that had a lift and us three very tired people managed to get home again. What fun!

On our next venture into London we visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Waiting patiently outside for our turn to go into the house

Judy in Sherlocks Lounge :-) — Judy in Sherlocks Lounge 🙂

Judy with Sherlocks hat and pipe :-) — Judy with Sherlocks hat and pipe 🙂

We wandered down to Oxford Street and walked through Selfridges. Selfridges is voted the best department store in the world and has all the designer collections and must haves (toys and gifts) for the whole family.

Now who could buy me this for Christmas?

Just a small portion of the Play-Doh display

Selfridges had the most amazing Christmas decorations!

I think I could make these amazing Christmas Stockings!

Selfridges had a room that was just about Paddington Bear!

And their window displays were a work of art inside and out! Fully decorated :-) — And their window displays were a work of art inside and out! Fully decorated 🙂

And then we move on to John West Department Store and their Christmas toy is the Penguin named Monty. These sell out every day! — And then we move on to John Lewis Department Store and their Christmas toy is the Penguin named Monty. These sell out every day!

Here is a link to their very cute Christmas advert…

We finished off the day with a meal at Bubba Gumps Restaurant... Yum! — We finished off the day with a meal at Bubba Gumps Restaurant… Yum!

Our next venture into London was to see the British Museum

And then on to the Victoria and Albert Museum

Here's Judy on the steps. The place is huge! — Here’s Judy on the steps. The place is huge!

Still the museum but the other side of the inner courtyard

Our first view of the Prince Albert Hall

Next day! On our way to the Zoo we stopped at Camden Town. Well known for the shop fronts, Goth clothes for sale, the markets and the Camden Lock.

And evidence of our very short trip to the London Zoo. Sophie was having an off day and cried the whole time.... so we left! — And evidence of our very short trip to the London Zoo. Sophie was having an off day and cried the whole time…. so we left!

London by night.. along bankside :-) — London by night.. along bankside 🙂 The top of St Pauls in the middle!

Early on in our walk along the bank of the river Thames. Great views.

A Carousel by night :-) — A Carousel by night 🙂

The Parliament Buildings and Big Ben at night

Looking across the Thames at the London Eye :-) — Looking across the Thames at the London Eye 🙂

On the last Friday that Judy was in London, we caught the train into London again, but this time we were to meet up with Dan and Marysia after work.

We went to Borough Market for lunch with Marysia and afterwards went for a walk to St Pauls to meet up with Daniel after work.

Outside The Shakespeare Globe Theater. The ‘YOU+’ Sign was for a friend 🙂

Crossing The Millenium Bridge with St Pauls Cathedral at the end.

I crossed this bridge earlier in my time in London with Sophie after visiting the Tate Museum.

Pushing Sophie across the Millenium Bridge

St Pauls Cathedral. — St Paul’s Cathedral.

We had time to spare so we went to the Museum Of London. And it was well worth the visit :-) — We had time to spare so we went to the Museum Of London. And it was well worth the visit 🙂

The night Sky at St James Square. Walking to Piccadilly Circus for tea.

After Dan and Marysia finished work we all went to The Rainforest cafe for tea. A great experience and Sophie loved the animals.

Here’s a short film of Sophie with the gorillas at The rainforest Cafe…

We visited Fortnum and Mason on our way to the Train Station. A very extravagant shop! Here is one of the displays.

Another shop display. Just one of the very many I could have taken photos of. They were all very special.

Here's another example of the fabulous displays in this shop. — Here’s another example of the fabulous displays in this shop.

No! This one is definitely better :-) Sorry Judy :-) — No! This one is definitely better 🙂 Sorry Judy 🙂

A mall with it's christmas decorations... but it was closed this night. — A mall with it’s christmas decorations… but it was closed this night.

On Judy’s last Saturday we all went to Winchester to have a look at their Christmas markets. It is a two hour drive south of Barnet where Dan and Marysia live, but it was definitely worth the trip.

One of the many stalls selling food and Mulled wine.

The brave people trying out the ice skating rink... in the rain and cold! — The brave people trying out the ice skating rink… in the rain and cold!

The stalls were all around the Cathedral and on the main streets

The main street with the old buildings and crowds of people

So on the Sunday, the last day Judy and I could venture out without Sophie we decided to do all the other things we had planned to do, but just hadn’t had time. We left nice and early and caught the tube to Baker Street station. The first place to go was Madame Tussards Wax Museum. What a lot of fun!

Yes that's me and Johnny Depp! — Yes that’s me and Johnny Depp!

Looks like Judy is trying to push Marilyn off the stage hehe

Why oh why Robin??? You look so happy here, and were so successful and loved! Money and fame sure doesn't bring happiness! — Why oh why Robin??? You look so happy here, and were so successful and loved! Money and fame sure doesn’t bring happiness!

The wax museum was very interactive. You could pose with all the models and the 4D movie experience at the end was all laughs. Judy and I had so much fun and were so thrilled we went!

And from the wax museum it was onto the London Eye! What an amazing experience, even in the rain!

Here's Judy in the eye :-) — Here’s Judy in the eye 🙂

The fantastic view, even through wet windows!

And after that fabulous experience we went on the London Dungeon Tour. I have seen this advertise the last twice I was in London but thought it would just be all touristy and not really worth going to, but it was well worth it. It lasted an hour and a half and was entertaining the whole way through. Great actors and also great scene sets!

Lastly for the day we wandered through Hyde Park and the Winter Wonderland. Luckily this was the first weekend it had opened. We were able to wander around and enjoy the place. I went again the following Saturday night with Marysia and Sophie in her pram and it was a nightmare. The people were squashed in like sardines! And we had to find Daniel. Consequently we didn’t stay long!

The Haunted house. The only ride Judy and I went on! It was great!

On our ride. Like kids again :-) — On our ride. Like kids again 🙂

Monday we relaxed, Tuesday we walked to Alexandra Palace and Wednesday was the trip to Heathrow Airport by the Piccadilly underground line!

It was uphill all the way to the Palace, but a great walk :-) — It was uphill all the way to the Palace, but a great walk 🙂

Alexandra Palace. This isn't far from Dan and Marysias place. Judy and I walked to the Palace, had a super lunch, and then back home again in the dark. — Alexandra Palace. This isn’t far from Dan and Marysias place. Judy and I walked to the Palace, had a super lunch, and then back home again in the dark.

Another view of Ally Pally :-) — Another view of Ally Pally 🙂

Now in amongst all the above places and things we saw, Judy and I also went to two shows, both were wonderful! We went to Les Miserables after our first dinner at Rainforest Cafe. Both great experiences! And we also went to Billy Elliot. That was actually Judys Birthday present as she arrived in London on her birthday 🙂

We also had the three day weekend in Switzerland. So all in all we definitely had three amazing weeks together. And can you see why I missed her so much when she left?

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September 20, 2014September 21, 2018

I am in London!

Well….. I have arrived! And I am so happy to be here. G7 is gorgeous and she doesn’t seem to mind that this strange lady has taken over looking after her every day while Mummy and Daddy go to work 🙂 And I am so very thankful 🙂 Imagine if she was so shy and cried every time she looked at me. Instead, when she sees my face she smiles and talks to me in her baby talk…. I love it! I am such a super spoiled Nana 😉 and I love her dearly. We are going to have so much fun together for the next three months!

I arrived Monday afternoon and C2 and D2 showed me around the local area. Three parks within a half hour walk! I ventured out for my own discovery walk Wednesday afternoon. I wanted to see what the local area had to offer a visitor from far off who was a little scared to take buses and trains yet! I found lots of little dairies, hairdressers, land agents, fruit and vegetable shops, off licenses and a mini supermarket. There is a school over our back fence, so joyful sounds of children playing are heard at play times, lunch time and after school. Within two blocks I found a very old church dated back to 1884. It was called ‘Christ Church’ and is a Baptist church by denomination. The notice board advertised bible study groups, friendship groups, the Sunday service times, and a mothers and toddlers playgroup held every Friday morning! Yay… I decided that this will be my weekly activity and also a great opportunity to meet other locals, also very good for G7 to be with other babies and help with her social development 🙂

So today is Friday! Playgroup day! Arghhhhh… And I am off!

I am feeling a little apprehensive! I don’t know anyone! New in town! A foreigner! And a little old to be a playgroup mummy! How will I fit in?

I loaded the nappy bag with everything I may need for G7. It was bulging! I had forgotten just how much stuff babies may need on outings! And off I went!

I survived and I’m now back home again….

Yay! I had a great time 🙂 This playgroup is held at ‘Christ Church’ on Bellevue Road corner. The ladies that run it are extremely friendly and caring. They made me feel very welcome 🙂 There were 12 caregivers/mummies that came along with what seemed like hundreds of kids! Man it was noisy! I’m not used to so many children’s play noises all at once anymore. G7 loved it! She happily lay on the floor kicking her feet and joined in making noises! The young mums were very friendly as well, but best of all, there were two other Nana/caregivers, who I approached as soon as I could, and then sat with for the rest of the morning. One was her first time as well, and the other her second. We happily chatted while watching and interacting with our grandchildren and other children as well. I got offered cups of tea with plastic plates and plastic biscuits, which I played along drinking up my ‘cup of tea’. It was fun!

Next week I am meeting up with Helen at the local coffee shop for coffee together before playgroup. Helen is looking after her grand daughter every Monday and Friday. She drives a little way to playgroup! Both her and grand daughter are lovely. I may have found a new friend within a week of being here. This is such a great start and I am feeling very happy and contented.

I came home with a very sleepy G7 who is now way out of routine. She didn’t want to drink her second bottle of the day with all the fun going on around her. I finally managed to get her to drink it when we got home, and she is still sound asleep. It’s now 1.15 and by now she is suppose to have had her lunch time solids and another bottle! Hopefully she will be a hungry little girl all afternoon or Mummy D2 may growl at me hehe!

I also had a lovely skype chat with my man at home in New Zealand while G7 is sleeping. This day has been so good and it is only early afternoon.

Okay G7…. enough sleep. Nana is ready for our next adventure together 🙂

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September 13, 2013May 15, 2015

The Final Day Of Our Holiday!!!

No!!!!! The holiday has come to an end…and we had to say goodbye to Daniel and Marysia early in the morning. They had to go to work in London, and we had to leave for the airport at 5pm. With our bags all packed and the beds stripped and towels in the wash, we venture off again in Marysia’s little car. Teresa is beginning to get quite the expert I must say.

We venture to the nearby town of Windsor. After the nerve wracking experience of finding a petrol station, we find a carpark and off we go and explore Windsor on foot. The Windsor Castle dominates the town so it is very easy to find your way around. The gates of Windsor are at the end of the Windsor Great Park. Last year when Judy, Len, Robin and I came over we walked the great walk with Dan, Marysia and Glenda. It was fantastic. The whole grounds are owned by the queen and yet the public can wander through, ride bikes, horses, or just have family picnics and outings there. The deer even roam around in the park. We didn’t have time to do the walk this time but it was great to be able to show Teresa what it was like. I have put a photo up of the gate with a rusty old padlock on it. The story behind it is that when king Albert died, his wife Victoria was so sad she had the gate padlocked and it hasn’t been opened since then. He used to go out that gate every morning on his horse for a ride and Victoria couldn’t bare to be reminded of it…she loved and missed him so much…Awwww Outside Windsor Castle, there is a rather enigmatic Royal Air Force blue post box standing side-by-side with a red pillar box. The blue post boxes were introduced to important sites in England (such as Windsor Castle) between 1930 and 1938 to receive air mail post for Europe. They only lasted eight years because of the rapid expansion of air travel in that period, and also the RAF in the build up to the Second World War, but a few of them can still be seen today. A much wider and longer-lasting legacy of the brief blue boxes can be seen on the airmail stickers used today by Royal Mail, which are still Air Force blue to match their old post boxes. And as you can see by the photos below..we found the blue post box!

Windsor Castle grounds - part of! — Windsor Castle grounds – part of!

Windsor Castle wall with Windsor shops on the left

Standing at the Windsor end of the great walk

In front of Windsor Castle and at the end of the long walk

While at Windsor, we did a little shopping, had a nice lunch and just explored the Windsor town. Very soon it was time to get back to Dan and Marysias and get ready for our taxi pick up.

Standing in front of the old train engine called The Queen

All went smoothly and we were at Heathrow airport before we knew it. Our flight was leaving at 10pm. We had a meal shortly after take off and then we all slept until nearly at Singapore. The Singapore stopover was a little easier than on the way over as it wasn’t as long, but the flight from Singapore to Auckland was painfully long! Because we had slept on the first flight we were only able to manage a couple of hours sleep on the second flight. We arrived in Auckland at approximately eleven am. And we had an arrival party. Merv (Teresa’s husband) and the four children were there to meet us. Jessica arrived shortly afterwards and we all enjoyed a fabulous reunion lunch together. Judy and I then had a three hour wait for our flight to New Plymouth. And I couldn’t stay awake! I had to lie down on an available seat, most uncomfortably, and with my backpack as a pillow….and sleep.

For the next three days I was asleep at 7.30 and awake at 5am. I do not cope with jetlag at all. But, I would put up with it anytime to have another amazing holiday like the one I just had. I am happy to say that this time I am home and feeling settled. After my last holiday I just couldn’t settle in to normal life…I fought it every day! But, I have felt strongly about getting this holiday all posted on my blog, and then I can move on to my next venture…more about that in my next blog post. Until then….no more holiday posts for me. The holiday has ended…thanks for reading. I hope you feel encouraged to travel yourself. Insight Vacations do amazing tours to lots of different destinations. I would easily go on another tour….want to join me?

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September 13, 2013May 15, 2015

London!!!

Two days travelling around and exploring inner London…..perfect!

Yes two days in a row and we were up at 6am, ready to catch a ride into London city with Daniel and Marysia. They have to leave home at 7am to be at work in time. Phew…what a mission! Four of us getting ready for the day in one hour! It isn’t a quick trip back home if we forget anything. And our ride home would be after work at 5.30pm, then traffic willing we would get back home at around 7.30pm. What a long day for all the commuting workers of London!

So us three girls trotted off to the great unknown….no actually Judy and I had both been to London before. I nearly lead us all astray as Hyde Park was much bigger than I remembered. Apparently we had only walked a tiny wee bit last time, and to get to the place that I had walked was going to take about an hours walk to get there. And to Judy’s grace and willingness (haha) we walked Hyde Park. What an amazing park to have right in London itself. Actually London has lots of parks in the inner city. It is very well planned. So we joined all the cyclist and joggers and started our own walking group of three on a very pleasant Tuesday morning 🙂

Representing NZ soldiers killed in the war. The NZ Memorial

An early morning walk to brighten up the day :-) — An early morning walk to brighten up the day 🙂

We walked all the way to Buckingham Palace via the Wellington Arch…took some photos to prove we had been there and then caught the hop on/off bus to discover more of London. Passing such monumental places like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, The London eye, Tower bridge, Tower of London, Piccadilly circus, Victoria Street Shops and Harrods of London….to name a few! We decided to stay on the bus and go right around the whole route. That way we could decide on the places we wanted to stop at the most.

A smallish crowd outside the palace today

By the time we had finished going round the route we were starving. The decision to get off near Trafalgar square was unanimous and we found the first food place to eat at. Marysia had suggested two places that are great for fast food, yet healthy and relatively cheap. We were within a block away from a ‘pret a manger’ which was one of her suggestions, and we weren’t disappointed. Fabulous food! And apparently they are owned by McDonalds…who would’ve known! A shopping trip to Victoria Street was in order as we had a ‘need to shop’ urge come upon us (well actually Teresa more than Judy and I, but we were happy to go with it).

We joined the bus trip again and found our way to St Pauls Cathedral. Here we were meeting Daniel for our adventurous trip back home. Two very full train trips and a short walk to the car park and we were off. Three hours later we arrive home very tired and hungry. It was a very bad day for travelling on the motorways….apparently!

The next morning was a repeat of the previous day but Marysia was the driver. Our first stop was the Tower of London. We had tickets so headed straight for fast track entry. Luckily we arrived early and there wasn’t too much crowd. But we found this place amazing and ended up spending all morning and until 1.30 there. The Tower of London is a must see! We didn’t go there last time and I am so pleased we managed to fit it in this trip. So much history and a well preserved castle. The crown jewels are also kept there so we were able to do a walk through and see the amazing richness of them all.

This window caught my eye. I had to focus in the cross. Very significant I think!

The Tower bridge from the Tower of London

We wanted to go on the Eye but just ran out of time. Maybe next time :-) — We wanted to go on the Eye but just ran out of time. Maybe next time 🙂

From The Tower of London we walked down to the fery terminal and caught the ferry up to The London Eye. Our plan was to have a ride in the eye. Sadly it was almost 2.30 before we got there and we still had so much to see. The queues looked very long and the trip around in the Eye is nearly an hour long….so it had to be by-passed this time round!

Our last place of interest that was a ‘Must see’ for us was Harrods. So after a lovely roast meal lunch in ‘Shakespears Pub’ combined with a shandy….we followed with a Harrods Beer (wine for Teresa), olives and almonds in a Harrods restaurant! Oh to live a life of luxury. Sadly we couldn’t afford many purchases at Harrods, just a memoir or two 🙂

Us in one of Harrods many themed restaurants/dining areas :-) — Us in one of Harrods many themed restaurants/dining areas 🙂

Now to cap the day off just nicely we hopped back on the bus and took a trip to Notting Hill. We wandered through the shops and markets of Portobello Road. What a amazing place to visit and meander through. A few purchases made here and we wandered around to find the little bookshop from the ‘Notting Hill’ film. I will include a photo, but need to mention the bookshop from the film is actually the little shop on the right of the now new copied Notting Hill Bookshop. Still….we went there!!! After our leisurely look around Portebello markets and shops we caught a taxi to the huge Westfield nearby. Marysia met us there and we picked up lovely chinese takeaways to eat as the day ended. Another perfect day…I am so blessed!

The Little white building is the actual shop in the movie Notting Hill

The Hummingbird Bakery :-) — The Hummingbird Bakery 🙂

Notting Hill Bookshop...film one is the place next door on the right :-) — Notting Hill Bookshop…film one is the place next door on the right 🙂

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September 13, 2013May 15, 2015

A Forever Friend

Nearly five years ago a very close friend of mine decided that she needed a change in her life. So she bravely decided to apply for a job in the UK, through an agency called Oxford Aunts. See my friend Glenda is a nurse and had been managing a rest home for the previous eight years (approx), and assistant manager for nearly six years before that. Oxford Aunts finds nurses employment in elderly peoples homes as a live in care giver/nurse/home helper position. Glenda was perfect for the job and has been living with and looking after some very nice elderly people ever since. The present lady she is looking after is in her 90’s and is an artist, who is still doing art and even has a studio on her top floor of her house. I have been to see Glenda the previous two trips to England and I couldn’t be here again and not get to see her! So the last full day in London and we arrange to meet and spend the day and evening together.

Teresa very bravely drove Marysia’s car to Henley on Thames where Glenda lives. We had a few giggles as the indicator is on the opposite side to most cars, and it was a manual…Teresa drives an automatic! We had the window wipers going a few times even though it was perfectly fine. Glenda was waiting outside for us, had a car park sorted for Marysias car, and once the greetings were over, we were off. Glenda had planned a little tiki tour of Henley on Thames and some of the surrounding villages. I always find it interesting to see what Glenda has discovered in her little ventures around England and am amazed at how knowledgeable she has become. She probably knows more about her area than many locals. Henley on Thames itself is an awesome little town. I would love to live there too!

This place is right at the end of the bridge into town

We went into an old antique shop that is filled to the brim!!! so to speak. This was a sign at the door.

The gatehouse at George Harrisons place at Henley on Thames

The first little village we came to is the village that Glenda is going to be celebrating Christmas in with her new found friends in England…and there is quite a sum of them! Approximately 27, mostly from New Zealand or Australia, will get together and have Christmas lunch and festivities together.

A lovely back garden with a stream flowing through

Our drive through trees as tunnels to the first villsge

The next place was an amazing little village where ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ is filmed. We were able to even go in the little church and have a look inside, and then wander through the church grounds. In this village there is also a windmill that you can see on a hill nearby. ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ was filmed there.

There you go...a letter box and phone box together....and Judy posing for the photo :-) — There you go…a letter box and phone box together….and Judy posing for the photo 🙂

Can you see the windmill in the background. 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' was filmed there — Can you see the windmill in the background. ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ was filmed there

The 'Vicar of Dibley' church. Dawn French must love being filmed in this lovely little church. — The ‘Vicar of Dibley’ church. Dawn French must love being filmed in this lovely little church.

The Parish of Turville. Home of the filming of the Vicar od Dibley

We carry on driving through some other little villages and find a quaint little pub for our lunch. We also saw lots of thatched roof places..I love them!

Another lovely little village and the church

Now…Judy and I have seen the rivers with the locks on them to move the boats from one level to another, but Teresa hadn’t seen anything like that at all. So that was our next place to go. The little place was so scenic we sat and watched lots of boats go through the gates, both directions. It was just a lovely peaceful and very rewarding afternoon.

We were watching the boats go through the locks from the bridge

We decided to sit down and relax...a very pleasant afternoon — We decided to sit down and relax…a very pleasant afternoon

The lock gate starting to open — The lock gate open at the other end, letting a boat into the lock.

We ended the day with a lovely meal together at a little pub about an hours drive from Henley. We got back to Glenda’s place in the dark and then Teresa bravely drove us back to Daniel and Marysia’s place. What a fabulous catch up with Glenda and a most perfect way to do it. Thank you my friend Glenda. Love you always…..mwah

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September 8, 2013May 15, 2015

Windlesham here we come!

Our Eurotunnel booking from Calais to Folkestone was for 8pm. So, we had all day to travel from Paris to Calais and it is only a three hour trip. And…we woke up to a beautiful morning in Paris. A little sleep in was in order, a nice leisurely breakfast, and we eventually check out if the Hotel at 11am. It was kind of a sad feeling to be leaving Paris. There is still so much more to see and explore and there is also the thought that I may never get to visit Paris ever again. But I am much luckier than some people, I have now been to Paris twice. I need to be more thankful! So we get out on the highway after doing a couple of circles around the Arc De Triomphe. Daniel says that you can’t drive through Paris without experiencing this amazing piece of roadway. Ahhhhh it’s just crazy. People just changing lanes and pulling out in front of you. Fun! We laughed all the way around…twice. What a memory! The decision was to get off the big motorways and drive through some local villages. Our lunch stop was Amiens, a town that has a cathedral that looks just like the Notre Dame. Same design and artwork! But this place was worn out and crumbling. Such a sad sight as in its glory days it would have looked marvelous. I guess if it was in Paris, it would have been fully restored.

Inside the Cathedral...at the entrance — Inside the Cathedral…at the entrance

We walked the length of the Main Street admiring the town and found a nice restaurant for lunch…outside seating to enjoy the beautiful sunshine. An hour later and we were still waiting for our food. I guess the chef had packed up all the lunch menu ingredients as it was nearly three o’clock. And when the food finally came it really looked like it had been thrown together in a hurry. I think they had forgotten out order! Our first bad dining experience, not bad for a month away!

We headed for the coast and although we couldn’t see the sea it was great to know that England was just across the shore and that was where we were heading. Arriving at Calais was a great feeling and getting in the queue to board the Eurotrain was exciting. We had crossed to England like this last year but Teresa hadn’t ever, and it was great to share this new experience with her. It only takes 35 minutes, but to think you are in a tunnel under the sea…and still sitting in you car…on a train carriage…makes it quite an adventure. Another great memory!

So after driving on Europe’s roads for nearly a month, we drive off the train and onto England’s soil. It’s a funny feeling but somehow you feel like you are home. My ancestors do come from England but that was a very long time ago. Robin was born here and he didn’t go to New Zealand until he was three years old. He still has lots of aunts, uncles and cousins in the Bournemouth, Poole area. We visited them the last two trips over. Sadly I won’t have time this trip. I must look up Dad’s side of the family sometime. The roads here are really wavy and as Daniel speeds along you almost feel like you are in a boat…although its bumpy as well. Daniel thinks its because when the roads were built, they never planned for the amount of traffic that actually uses the roads now, and to repair them would cause major traffic delays. And lots of complaints…so everyone just puts up with the roads like they are. We arrive at Daniel and Marysia’s place at eleven pm and Marysia cooks tea…bless her! It’s so nice to be ‘home’.

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July 26, 2012May 15, 2015

And we are off!

A very early morning today! We had to get the rental car back to sixt, take our baggage out of the rental and load it into their airport shuttle van, and get to the airport by 8am. It was a bit of a stressy drive to the rental place, rather unnecessarily so as there were hardly any cars on the road. London doesn’t come alive very early on a Sunday as the shops etc are closed until 11.30! Fabulous idea I think! We had a couple of hours to fill in at the airport but that was okay as we had a lovely leisurely breakfast to drown out our sorrow of that part of our holiday being over! Not that we are not thankful. It ha been amazing! But it means that normal life is just around the corner!

The flight went quite fast…although 10 hours long. I watched 3 movies! All approx 2 hours long each. The best was a movie about an autistic boy who lost his father in Sept 11 at the World trade Centre. I cried most of the way through the movie! I think it was called ‘Extremely loud incredibly close’. We arrived in San Francisco at 1.30pm to a beautiful hot and sunny day.

We are staying at the Raddison at Fishermans wharf. So, once we were unpacked, we wandered off to discover Fishermans wharf. It was buzzing with thousands of people and street performers. We had a lovely meal at one of the many fish based restaurants….all while we were fighting off falling asleep. Our bodies were still in UK time and it was the middle of the night for us! We even went through the wax museum to fil in time. I thought it was great! I was the only one of us who hadn’t been through one before!

We finally hit the sack at 9.30 exhausted! I was asleep first believe it or not! First time in the whole trip! I was so tired! Anyway so far San Francisco looks great! I am going to enjoy the next 3 days 🙂

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July 25, 2012May 15, 2015

Windlesham and Windsor – Our final day in England!

We had a fabulous evening with Daniel and Marysia and a really good nights sleep. The plans for today were to do the walk through Windsor Park starting off at Virginia Waters, and then walk the long mile and end up at the Castle. We woke to a beautiful sunny and hot day. So pleased as it would have been less fun to walk it in the rain. We had planned for Glenda to get to Dan and Marysias place and we go together, but she got stuck in traffic and was running late. So the plan was changed and we met Glenda at the park.

The walk was great and along with the views we had plenty of time to chat and enjoy each others company. We arrived at Windsor Castle just after lunch time so we found a cafe and had lunch together. After lunch we walked down to the river and looked at the swans and the boats. Lots of families were at the river and surrounding parks because of the beautiful sunny day.

We had to catch the 6pm bus back to the gates to Virginia Waters and the Windsor walk entrance so there was time to have a coffee at a cafe near the Castle. We arrived back at Daniels around 6.45pm. Glenda was able to stay for tea so we all went to the local Indian restaurant and enjoyed our last meal together.

What a fabulous time we have had in England! Tomorrow morning at 6am we are off to Heathrow airport to catch our plane to Singapore. This certainly has been a full holiday! It’s hard to remember the details of our whole time away. I will be reading this blog to help jog the memories. Onto the next chapter of the holiday….

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July 25, 2012May 15, 2015

Bournemouth to Daniel and Marysias place

After a reasonable nights sleep we were up bright and early to get started on our big trip to Windlesham. We had so much planned. Our first stop was a little pub in Bournemouth for breakfast. We found a park on the sea front and were blessed with amazing views over the ocean. The sky was a beautiful blue and hardly any clouds and the sea was calm. Bournemouth has an amazing beach, and Poole even better. They just don’t get a long hot summer!

Len has family in Tiptoe, which is just north of Bournemouth and in the New Forest. New Forest is very different from other parts of England as it has lots of wide open spaces and also forestry areas. It also has animals roaming free all over. You see horses, deer and cows often and they are very near the road. We travelled through New Forest after having a lovely morning tea with Lens cousin and his wife.

We drove on to Salisbury to have a look through the Salisbury Cathedral. It is a great Cathedral to visit as the grounds are well kept and picturesque, and the Cathedral itself is very tall, big and interesting both on the outside and the inside. We took heaps of photos and decided to have lunch in their cafe as well.

The next place was a place that Judy needed to see. Stonehenge! Len, Robin and I had already seen it, but it was still good to visit again. Once again we took plenty of photos and the added bonus was that we got in free! We brought tickets to the English Heritage when we first left on our tour of England and they have well and truely paid for themselves.

From Stonehenge we had the biggest part of the journey, and that was to get to Henley on Thames to meet up with Glenda for tea. We were so pleased to get there as we were stuck on the motorway for ages as there had been a car accident. Henley on Thames is a beautiful town filled with historic buildings. Glendas place was one of them. We wandered through the town and along the river than had a lovely meal together.

The final part of the trip was to get to Daniel and Marysias at Windlesham. They have such a neat little place and it was so good o finally be with them again. We had a big catch up, had Daniel blow a candle on his belated birthday cake that Marysia had made him, had supper then went to bed. What a very long day…but a very good day as well.

The photos for today were loaded in yesterdays blog by mistake so that is where they will stay until I have time to fix them up. I hope you enjoy looking at them. We have seen some amazing sights!