Flowers in our Garden

Our garden isn't that spectacular, however when you photograph one blossom it can lift your soul.  Give it light and colour.

 A friend who lives out of Port Wakefield, South Australia gave me a tiny pale lemon CLIVIA - well after half a doz years it has bloomed spectacularly.  Great for cut flowers.

My white wisteria, spectacular.  I even think the rusty old fence enhances it.  Sadly, all to come down soon.

 Views of our lovely lake.

8 Aug – Heathrow via underground railroad to Hitchin (one hour north). Peterborough Cathedral, London etc

8 Aug – Heathrow via underground railroad to Hitchin (one hour north). 

Arrived in Heathrow, visited the ATM for some local cash, coffee/lunch and now hit the underground.  What an experience, glad we did it though.  As soon as we came down the elevator a woman rushed up to me and said,

Can you tell me how to get a train to #$%@?  I said, I’m an Aussie and just arrived.  She laughed and said, I have been here for 22 years and haven’t a clue.

Good start.  We found everyone so very, very helpful.  As soon as we got a map out or looked at a board someone would come help.  Bloody expensive train journeys though.  Thirty pound ($60) to travel 2 hours – when you compare our $2.50 AUD for all day travel in Australia – well $#%^@.  Have found out since though, if we google railway senior UK, you can apply for a Railway card so long as you have a UK address.  No where for luggage on those English trains either – very difficult for travelers, as the trains are so crowded.  And they are not always on time, one train was cancelled due to no driver! Understandable.

HITCHIN:  - What an amazing, little country village (well not so little, but seems that way).  We stayed for 8 nights in THE PRIORY – lovely grounds, big room, whopping big English Breakfast.  Had a great time catching up with friends who were so very, very hospitable.  Ian spent at least four or five of the days at Aircraft or Maritime museums or shows.   I enjoyed some of them, travelling into Greenwich and also at the Old Walden Airshow.  

Can't you just imagine Dickens living here?  Look at that amazing woodwork detail.

Begonias to die for. 

Now this is living in a Narrow boat.

Beautiful pub in Hitchin

PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL – 

Trained it out of Hitchin (so easy to walk to the station) to Peterborough to see one of the best examples of GOTHIC architecture.  Was just amazing.  These days we marvel that  our technology has enabled us to shine, but wow – the master craftmanship in these buildings.  I remember reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet which is a great insight into master craftsmanship. 

I stood where Mary Queen of Scots had been first buried (then moved to Westminster Cathedral in London.) My ancestor, Louise Barber was about to be burnt at the stake by bloody Queen Mary and her fauners when Good Queen Bess usurped her position.  Fascinating stuff. 

Catherine of Argile (Mary’s mother) is buried here.  I thought King Henry VIII chopped his wives heads off in quick succession, but no.  Catherine was married to him for 20 years, she died in a nunnery.  She was very well educated and had been bethrowed to Henry’s brother when she was 4 and he was 2.  When the brother died, they just married her off to the next in line, as her parents the King and Queen of Spain wanted fingers in the pie of every line in Europe.  Must read up more of this.

Great day here between the rain showers – good walk around town and what a fascinating place it is.

Intricate detail in the buildings in Peterborough

Add caption

17 August – Gerrard dropped us in London, we stayed at the Heathrow Premier Inn – called it the Inn of the door slammers – everyone slammed doors all night.  I think I prefer B&B’s to Inns.  We found it fascinating to walk around and through a huge cemetery to paddocks with horses so near to the major airport.

7 Aug – Flew on Icelanic Air from Anchorage to Iceland - Reykjavik

7 Aug – Flew on Icelanic Air from Anchorage to Iceland .  Left at 3.30 pm flew for 6 hours and arrived at 6 am.  How magic is that.  Views amazing of the North Pole region – rocks and ice.  Saw a wonderfully clear view of Mt McKinley out of the plane windows.

Not only did we get perfect views of Mt McKinly while in Denali National Park, Ian captured this out of the Iceland Air window while flying to Iceland.  Unusual to get such a clear pic.

This was the only trip where we were worried that we wouldn’t be able to offload and then catch our connection to Heathrow.  It is so funny to think we were worried now.  We just walked off the plane, around the corner and there we were ready for Heathrow!  Am sad we didn’t have time to stay in Iceland.  Reykjavik to Heathrow – 2 hours.  So much better than the usual routes through New York to Heathrow which are  so much longer and more expensive too.

21 July – Cruise from Vancouver to Whittier in Alaska

21 July – Cruise from Vancouver to Whittier in Alaska

Very exciting to board the Norwegian Sun for our first cruise.  My brother had booked our cabins for us and he asked if Ian and I minded getting the cabin for persons with a disability.  Well, we are always going to have a disability in future – good large cabin.  More space than anyone! J

Was very lovely to just relax and let all the crew do the work for us.  Wonderful meals – we mostly ate at the restaurants rather than the buffet.  The three course meals were just lovely and smaller.  Picking from a buffet tends to overload your plate and person.

We stopped off at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway – wonderful Alaskan towns with great character.  Our friends were really disappointed as they had booked a train ride – there had been a landslide the day previous and some of the passengers had been thrown off the train into a lake!  Pretty cold.  At Juneau, Ian and I hopped on the Mt Roberts Tramway which is a cable car up the mountain, great views, walks, coffee and documentaries on the area.

We were just viewing the amazing Glacier Bay from the ship when the Captain announced that we had to turn around as someone had a heart attack and we had to get them to a point where a small boat could pick them up and take them to the helicopter.  Judging by the amount some people ate, it’s a wonder that we didn’t have more heart attacks!!

Lovely freestyle cruise, and seven days is just perfect.  Of course when you have seven other fun people to play with it makes all the difference.

Amazing vistas from the Cruise boat - great views to do your daily walks to.

 

Norwegian Sun certainly dwarfs the town

Skagway Wooden Architecture

Norwegen Sun from Skagway

Look how close the Cruise ship is to the town

Monster Rhubarb

Phew

 

 

 

Nearly to Anchorage - we brought the great Aussie weather with us all the way

Vancouver in Canada

17 July – Honolulu to Vancouver via Canada Air

Arrived early morning and met up with Dave and Sue our friends from home, at the airport.  We caught a taxi out to Lavender House B&B at New Westminister.  Just lovely, very good setup for six of us as Faye joined us here.  Close to a wonderful fruit shop – blue berries amazingly cheap.  Supermarket down the road and great park.  We caught the train to various areas for walking and viewing.  Caught the ferry out to Vancouver Island – Buchart Gardens are amazing.  Sure they would be in the top three gardens of the world.  Victoria, the Capital, on Vancouver Island is a remarkable city – must stay there next time.

Float Plane City, well we thought that until we found more in Alaska.  Wanted to go for a fly but time didn't permit.

Ah inspiration, when I am home am going to do flowers like this.

Even flowers in Houseboat.  Inspirational

Not a shed on stilts, its a Sculpture

Capilano - not just a swing bridge, but a series of adventure bridges (even people with crutches were walking it - being bounced around)

 Isn't fun, fun?  Good company makes all the different, especially when life just radiates from their faces.

Up, up and away