AUGUST HOLIDAYS -PART 5

Today we are off to the Isle of Iona. It was a 30 mile drive toFionnphort from where we took yet another ferry ride to cross the Sound of Iona and arrive at this historic island.At one time there was a considerable population living on the island but failing potato crops and a lack of demand for harvested seaweed caused a migration to Mull and the Mainland.

This is the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. St Columbus built a basic Abbey(pictured bottom right) in the 600's and it was replaced by a more substantial structure in later years. As usual the Vikings had a few unwelcome visits, but the Abbey survived until the Reformation when Cromwell's lot knocked it about. In 1899 the Duke of Argyll gifted the abbey to the island but forgot to make any grant or contribution to it's upkeep, and it was some years before funds could be raised to start the restoration. This has been partially completed and the site contains many valuable relics in particular many stone crosses dating back to the 10th century. There are many traditional charming stone cottages such as the one pictured bottom left.

We had lunch in the Argyll Hotel - a superb meal not over the top price wise. Then a walk up the hill to catch the magical views over the surrounding water, and back to the ferry. Driving home we searched out the Mausoleum of Governor Macquarie who was born on Mull. The building is maintained by the National Trust Australia and records his life, in particular his Governership of OZ. Picture top right.

The next day started off with Carol discovering that the frame of her glasses had broken. Panic! She suggested superglue which yours truly said would not work, so it was decided to take the ferry across to Oban on the mainland and find an Optician to get them fixed. Well that was the plan, but none of the opticians had on site repair facitilies so we bought the bloody superglue and it worked.Good one Len.

Oban is a 45 minute ferry ride and takes you past Duart Castle which is even more impressive from the water. Carol waved to her mate the Maclean boss! Oban (pictured top left) is a fair sized town and set around the harbour with lots of fish eating places. We had prawn sandwiches (delicious) and and ice cream after touring around the town. We also visited the library and used their internet service free of charge.

AUGUST HOLIDAYS -PART 4

The first day on Mull we drove along the coast to the main town (Only town) Tobermorey.Reminiscent of Cornwall but with it's own Malt Whiskey distillery.
We found out that there was a coastal walk along to the Lighthouse so we set of full of energy. The track wound through very wooded cliffs with great views of the Loch every now and again. After half an hour we passed a couple of people coming the other way, and asked them how much further to the Lighthouse to which they replied "you are nearly halfway!" As Carol didn't have her walking shoes on and the track was becoming very muddy we decided enough was enough the Photo of Len resting says it all! Then two blokes came past with buckets full of Winkles - still haven't found oout what you do to them!
Back in the town, we bought a roll and a piece of Ham and Veal Pie and sat on the beach watching young Scots splashing in the water.
We drove back to Salem via Laggunulva where the ferry goes the short trip across Loch Tuath to the Isle of Ulva. There were two guys unloading nets full of Scallops which they had been diving for. They offered to sell us a dozen for ten quid, and as they were big and fresh we snapped up the offer.
Opening scallop shells is a bit tricky but we managed and that night Carol cooked 8 of them with a leek and white wine sauce and the ten quid purchase price was suddenly very cheap.I have not had scallops like them.

The next day we drove to Craigmure,the village where the Oban ferry operates from.There is little else there, but we did visit Toorosay Castle which is home to a family who have lived there for many years. The gardens are magnificent and the house contains stacks of family memorabillia. In WW2 the patron of the family escaped from a German POW camp and later wwrote a book about his adventures. The Caastle is pictured above right.

Then it was over to Duart Castle which sits on a clifftop guarding the Sound of Mull. It is a 13th century fortress brought back to life 100 years ago by Sir Fitzroy Maclean chief of the Clan Maclean. Wonderfully presented, the history of the Maclean Clan is laid out in detail. Carol was looking at one of the exhibits when a bloke wandered up to her. He was wearing a kilt and a tatty sort of shirt -introduced himself as the Chief of the Clan Maclean. He said he did not reside there full time because it was a bit rugged particulalry in the winter! They have one function a week - Maclean Clan descendants want to get married there, some want to renew their wedding vows and others just visit their clan home. Photo top left.

We were a bit distracted by RAF Tornados practising their low level flying across the Sound of Mull - wave top flying at 600 mph was a thrilling sight.

Just acr

AUGUST HOLIDAY- PART 3

Couldn't resist another couple of scarecrows from Kettlewell!

The last two days at Cononley provided a return trip to Bolton Abbey, a spectacular 0ld ruin set in superb countryside. We wnt for a walk along the river and watched a couple of fly fishermen trying to catch a trout - no luck. As we walked back to the Abbey I ran into one of my old golfing mates from the Ramsey Golf Club which just goes to show what a small world it is.Inside the Priory (which adjoins the ruins) and has had continuous worship since the 13th century,we got talking to a lovely old fellow who, when he found oout we were from OZ started talking cricket, and then told us that Freddie Trueman had been a parishioner for many years and was buried in the Abbey grounds after dying a few months ago.
On the way back to Cononley we stopped in at a little garage to see if we could get the knocking noise at the back of the car sorted out. They put it up on a hoist and after some tiime found a loose nut on a sway bar, tightened it and all was well. The charge -10 quid. As Carol had spent the last actual cash that we had with us at the Bolton Abbey shop - we tried to pay by card. "Sorry we don't take cards. "Forget about it, have it on us and enjoy the rest of your trip to Scotland!!" was the response!!
On the day before we left we visited Skipton market which occupies both sides of the main street and has unusually good quality goods. Carol got her winter jerkin and I bought two long sleeved shirts getting ready for winter. Finally managed to drag Carol away, and we packed ready for an early start to Scotland the next morning, and then went to the local to have a meal. But the little pub was packed and we couldn't bear the thought of battling lots of noise and smoke so we opted for Chinese from across the road which was excellent.
So off at sparrows for Bonnie Scotland - just a wee few miles up the road. We thought about diverting iinto Glasgow City but the amount of traffic deterred us and we stayed on the super freeway which took us some 18 miles across the whole town at 60mph. Then it was up to Loch Lomond.

This is one of the great scenic drives, alongside the Lake, and then up into the mountains. We stopped in at the National Trust Glencoe museum and were lucky enough to get in on a half hour talk about the kilt and Scottish life from a dinkey die McTavish!!The real kilt doubles as a sleeping blanket and several yards of spare material hang around the back.

We came to the ferry at Corran - a short hop across the Loch and then a 25 mmile drive to catch the next ferry across to Fishnish on Mull.The road quickly changed from a normal highway to a one way track with passing spots which considerably reduced the speed of travel. But we made the ferry on time, and a 15 minute voyage across the Loch brought us to Mull. A few miles away we came to Salem where our cottage was. It was ideally situated with a general store and post office almost adjacent, a pub and fresh seafood outlet a few steps away. We were looking forward to exploring the island and nearby islands, and fortunately the weather was ideal.

AUGUST HOLIDAYS- PART 2

Arrived at Cononley after some pretty fast Motorway driving, and settled into our cottage. Mrs Coates, the Landlady, had made a batch of scones for us, and told us that we should make a visit to Kettlewell where there was a Scarecrow Festival. The next morning we drove up to Kettlewell and wandered through this beautiful village and were astounded at the number of scarecrows that had been made. Every single house and business in the village had one exhibition or another, and the whole thing was done to raise funds for the local school. My favourite was the one above. We had lunch at the Bluebell Inn and then Carol found that this was the place where the original Calendar Girls had developed their idea of a nude (seniors) calendar.We bought the 2007 version.

The we drove to Wensleydale Cheese Factory and tasted and bought some of their lovely product.While in the shop there I saw a book about stonewalls in Yorkshire. These dry stone walls are everywhere and I found the answer to my question of "I wonder how many miles of these walls athere are?". The answer - some 4000 miles of them!! As they were constructed by one single builders in the main, the mind boggles ast the thought of how long it all took.

Next day we took advantage of a lovely sunny morning to drive up to the Lake District.By chance we finished up at a place calle Haverthwaite where a steam train line connected with Lake Windemere and a steamship cruise of the Lake up to Bowness. Here we stopped off and had lunch at an old Pub which was frequented by Charles Dickens. Carol was keen to see the house where Beatrix Potter lived and we found it just before closing time. Carol went in and I stayed in the car park chatting to a guy from Melbourne. The back to Windemere via the wrong road which meant queueing for half an hour to get the ferry across the lake - but beautiful sccenery and well worth the wait.

AUGUST HOLIDAYS - PART 1

Our planned holiday for this August was for a week in a cottage in the Yorkshire Dales, and then on to a week in a cottage on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.

En route to Skipton iin Yorkshire where had booked our cottage, we decided to visit Shrewsbury and then spend a night at Chester. Shrewsbury was delightful, and we arrived on the opening day of the Flower Festival. By chance we were at the entrance to the Castle and Regimental Museum, when a bus stopped and unloaded the Regimental Band of the Shropshire Light Infantry. This looked promising so we stood around while they assembled, and then the Mayor and Mayoress of Shrewsbury drove up in a vintage Rolls Royce. All very interesting. The picture above shows the 16th century market square.

Leaving Shrewsbury we headed for Chester and as Wales was not far off the route, we decided on a diversion to at least see a bit of Wales. We soon knew we were in Wales because the signposts started becoming bilingual. Once more we hit the jackpot and arrived at a little town Llangollen. There was a Thomas the Tank Engine railway running up the mountainside on a scenic run, and a beautiful river (The Dee so beloved of cryptic crossword setters). A canal ran along the high bank of the town and we saw several narrow boats drifting along above eye level! We took a trip on a horse drawn narrow boat which was totally relaxing. Photo above.
We had been told that we should visit the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (in Welsh this is spelt Ddyfrbontysblennydd!). What an amazing sight.The aqueduct (like a viaduct but carrying water) is 127 feet above the River Dee and the span is 1037 feet long. It is basically a metal canal connecting the Llangollen Canal to the Shropshire Canal. It was built in 1805 and we walked part of the way across and saw a narrow boat making the crossing - picture above. Then it was on to Chester where we had booked a night in a hotelon a dinner bed and breakfast deal.

When we booked in we were told that as there were three coaches booked in, the earliest we could sit down for dinner was 8.30,but could probably arrange something at the bar.As I find it hard to eat while asleep, we approached the barman, who said hang about! Came back shortly sayiing we had a table booked for 6pm! In the morning when we paid the bill, there was a charge for dinner which we queried and were given an amended bill which deleted the entire dinner charge including a bottle of wine! Carol pointed this out to them (I was going to keep Mum) but the reply was that the dinner charge was all in one and could not be separated - so a free bottle of very nice wine thankyou! And then we visited Chester. See part 2.

START OF THE SEOND YEAR

Well we have left Ramsey and The Fens and now live in Essex. The move went quite well, with Carol managing to stack the back of the Vectra with more things than would normally fit into a two ton van. The flat at the stables waas inspected by the school and we were cleared to get our full bond back. Our neighbour Ed (the Canadian) gave us a gift of a Snow White Dwarf in appreciation for the times we had had together. Ed has a miniature Dwarf which he takes everywhere and always includes in digital photos he takes. Our dwarf above!!

So by mid afternoon we had finished carting all of the things we had brought, up the stairs and into our new abode. The flat is excellent, modern and bright and well furnished. We have unpacked and there is still space in a few drawers. This is a really lovely area to live in, quiet and somewhat up market - ideally suitable for a couple of Aussies!

So far we have been exploring the area. A trip to Southend on Sea was a bit disappointing, because the tide was out, and a few hundred meters of mud flats is a bit off putting. And the famous Fish and Chips were at best described as ordinary. But the tide came in with a rush and Carol was bit more impressed. Of course it is holiday season so there are scads of people around.

We also went to Canvey Island which is on the Thames Estuary and visited Hadleigh Castle, or what remains of it. It was built on a high part of the land in the 13th century and overlooks the entire Thames Estuary. It was later used by the wives of Henry v111 - Ann Boleyn/Catheriine of Aragon and Jane Seymour before he had them beheaded.

At the weekend we took the train up to London from the local station.Parked the car at the station car park for a quid all day, and paid 9 quid each for a return ticket to London including a day free use of London Underground and Buses - wonderful. We went to Hyde Park and just avoided getting involved with a big demonstration against Israel's bombing of Lebanon, and walked across to the Serpentine Lake where lots of people were out in paddle boats/row boats/canoes etc .We shared a sandwich for lunch (bloody expensive is London) and then walked along to Knightsbridge which is the site of Selfridges of course. Would be lovely to shop there with Bill Gates' credit card. Saw a couple shirts that appealed but managed to resist them at 125 quid each!

Hopped on the tube to Green Park and walked across to Buck Palace where we had hoped to be able to get in to see the Queens Chambers which are open to the public for a few weeks at this tiime of the year. No luck! All tickets sold for that day, but we will make another trip later on and pre book by internet to see the Chambers/Gallery and Royal Mews for a mere 25 quid each - Liz doesn't come cheap.

We are off to Yorkshire at the end of the week, having booked the same cottage that we had in April this year so that we can further explore that area, and also get across to the Lake District.Then w have booked a cottage for a week on The Isle of Mull which should be fascinating.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE!

Well it has been a while since the last blog and it is not because we have been hibernating. Durin the time that has elapsed we have had a visit from David and Nancy (neighbours from Toowoomba) a visit from Graeme and Dianna (riends from Hervey Bay) and my brother Peter and his wife Mary spent four days here which enable us to show them the Fens.

In addition we have been up and down to Basildon in Essex where Carol will take on a new teaching post starting September 4th. While we are sorry to leave Ramsey, the school really has been unbearable for Carol and we did not come here for her to pursue a career in education anyway!!! Basildon is 25 miles east of London, which of course puts it in the category of commuting country for people working there.While the proximity will be very nice for day trips up to the Big City, it has the downside of making accomodation expensive. We were lucky to find a 2 bedroomed fully furnished modern apartment for monthly rent of L650 plus council and water rates which will probably be another L100 a month!! But as Carol will be a contract teacher she will now get paid for holidays and the school has promised to expedite her becoming a Qualified Teacher which brings with it an increase in salary.
The newly refurbished Vauxhall -new muffler/new dampers/new shockers/new tyres has thrown up a new problem. When we purchased the car last year Carol took the Registration papers into the Hartley Wintney Post Office to get the Registration Disc, paid the rego and duly got a disc to show the rego expiring 31/7/06. When we did not get any renewal advice from DVLA- I rang them, and on quoting the Registration Number was informed that the car was not ours as it was registered in the name of the previous owner. All we think is that the HW Post Office (which closed for building alterations the day after Carol paid the Rego) somehow did not send the transfer details to DVLA. Horror - officially we have to fill in a special form which will take 6 weeks to process and in the meantime we are not allowed to drive the car after 31/7. Stiff cheese mate - we are moving to Essex on the 1st August and have a cottage in Yorkshire booked for a week, followed by a week in a cottage on the Isle of Mull in Scotland during the Summer holiday period.
So this week we are busy cleaning and packing to make our move next weekend. We made a last weekend trip to see one of the famous country houses last weekend - photos above. This pile is in fact still occupied by the descendants of the family who constructed it starting in the 16th century. The only remaining parts from that period are the original kitchen and a staircase used by the servants to deliver food from the kitchen. Various other residents have had their way with alterations and rstoration, but the main feature of the house is the enormous number of paintings which adorn the walls. Unfortunately photos were not allowed inside, but each room that we visited had it's walls completely covered with paintings. And in addition the cielings were painted with frescos. Incredibly we were told that the original ceiling paintings had not been retouched since being done 300 years ago. The property, Burleigh House is surrounded by magnificent gardens designed originally by the famous Capability Brown. There is a Statuary Garden with various works of art displayed including the one shown above (3 copies came out for some reason!!!!)

BLAKENEY POINT

Firstly some news! Carol has been appointed to a school near Basildon in Essex as an English teacher starting in September. The school was most impressive with an organised and efficient administration and an enrolment of some 800 students.The school is about 25 miles east of London and only 14 miles from Southend on Sea a popular seaside resort of Londoners. There is every likelihood of school furnished accomodation which will make the move a lot easier. After the traumas of the school here, Carol feels that her teaching skills are now recognised and she will be pleased to wipe the dust off her Ramesy shoes. It will be a bit of a shame in many ways particularly leaving the golf club here which I have thoroughly enjoyed, but on the other hand, we have just about covered all of this area with our weekend visits and new vistas await us.

So this weekend we took off for Blakeney Point having been told about the facility for seeing seals and bird nestings on the National Trust reserve. We took our Canandian friend Ed Jay from Flat 1 with us, and drove some 80 miles north East to the coast. For 7 quid each we toook a boat ride out to the Point and saw a pack(?) of seals basking on the sandy shingles seemingly oblivious of the onlookers. Just a bit further away we saw the nesting Sand Terns which migrate here from Africa each year to breed. There were many hundreds of them and quite a few chicks making a tremendous noise. We were not allowed to land because this would disturb the Terns and they would fly away leaving their eggs at the mercy of marauding seagulls and oyster catchers.

We were then taken to beach further away and given an hour to wander along the foreshore. Here we found roped of areas when Oystercatchers had laid their eggs on the pebbles - see photo above. Carol had packed morning tea which we enjoyed sitting and taking in the beautiful scenery across the bay. There were dozens of boats running back and forth and as it was a lovely sunny day - the whole thing was very memorable.

Then back to shore and we drove to the village of Blakeney where we discovered the delights of fresh seafood from one of the many caravan cafes. Ed bought a tub of cockles and winkles which we ate with our crayfish sandwiches. I don't think they will be a commercial success! Carol had a dressed crab which was so fresh she was worried it might bite her. Then a pint in the local pub and wouldn't have called the king my uncle! On the river bank outside the pub, there were people fishing for crabs - it entails putting a piece of bacon on the end of a line (no hooks allowed) and patiently pulling the crab out of the water - seemed too easy.

We drove back along the coast to Cromer, another popular seaside resort with guest houses and hotels lining the seafront and amusement parks and all the paraphernalia that goes with an English seaside resort. People were actually bathing and or sun bathing on the beach(?) which goes to prove why Britain won the war!!

I have been having a difficult time with British Gas over our recent Gas bill for 250 quid. It is out of all proportion with our usage for this little four roomed flat, but getting any response is proving hard. I rang their help line three times with promises of action, and then resorted to emails which eventually drew a response to the effect that the bill was based on their usage estimate.They quoted a meter reading which had no relationship to the actual when I looked at it. Then they quoted a meter serial number which they maintain was for a new meter installed on 22nd December 2005.So happens we were in Vienna on that date and anyway the meter which we have looks like it was on the Ark.

Getting nowhere with my explanation of all this in another email, I finally sent an email in which I described their Service Pledge as being bullshit. This brought a reply that they did not respond to emails containing blasphemy or foul language! Heartened by getting at least a reply I then sent a resume of the whole episode and now, some weeks later, have still heard nothing!! At least I am not paying the bill until someone somewhere wakes up and looks at our meter.

IT'S SUMMER TIME

The last few days have been beautiful with clear blue skies and sunshine. Temperatures have "soared" to the high 20's and shorts are the order of the day.I have not adopted the stylish short black socks and sandals however, but have to admit that the legs are a bit white!

On Sunday we took ourselves off to Houghton, situated on the Great River Ouse just a few miles from here. It is interesting that Houghton is pronounced Hoeton, not Hawton,Huffton or Howton, but a neighbouring village Broughton is pronounced Browton - so much for the idiocyncracies of language.

The car park beside the National Trust Water Mill was packed and the caravan park chockers, while people everywhere were picnicking, and as can be seen from the photo above, some were even indulging in swimming - I mean to say - the water must have been bloody cold.

The river, although not very wide is navigable and a constant stream of canal boats (they arre known as narrow boats) ply the waters with cruisers,rowboats,punts and dinghies.

We walked along the river bank through fields lush with grass and buttercups, a very pleasant walk and then drove home stopping at the local pub in Broughton to have a pleasant pint of beer sitting ojt in the beer garden. Hard to beat.

NORWAY 3

After a large buffet breakfast designed to minimise the need for lunch(!) we walked towards the city centre and found the Tourist Information bureau where we purchased two Oslo Passes which allowed us free entry into all museums and exhibits and free trsansport travel for 24 hours.We certainly got our moneys worth.
Starting at the City Hall, we saw the magnificent main hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is announced annually. The decoration in this hall is a work of art. Next we took a bus across to Bygdoy where we went into the Norse Village Museum and saw an amazing 12th Century church constructed of timber and with hardly any windows.Other buildings such as a farmhouse,barn,drying hut/storerooms were preserved in their original state. A separate section had replica village street scenes of the 18th/19th centuries.

A few meters away we visite the Viking Ship Museum, a most impressive display centred on the restored relics of two V iking Ships which were discovered in the 20th century in burial sites. The total covering of earth had preserved the ships and a lot of their contents and they had been painstakingly restored.

Then a short walk to the Kon Tiki museum where the actual Ra2 was on display and a detailed explanation of the construction and voyage of this craft made interesting reading.The original balsa wood raft "the Kon Tiki" was also on display.

Another short walk into the Fram Museum.The Fram was the Polar exploration ship which was purpose built as the strongest vessel in the world to withstand ice pressure. It made three voyages t o the Artic, the last with Amundsen in 1910-12.It is exhibited as the original with interior and objects.Surrounding the ship are pictures/models of the history of Norwegian Polar exploration.

We went back to the city by ferry across the har bour and found ourselves talking to a couple from St Neots (about 15 miles from Ramsey) -they were on a cruise ship heading for Russia. By this time breakfast was a distant memory and quite by accident we saw a sign for a Sushi shop.Needless to say we went in and enjoyed excellent sushi and green tea. Thus refreshed we headed to Oslo castle.This medieval castle from the 14th century was rebuilt in the 17th century and is still used today by the goverment for representation.There are magnificent halls and dining rooms which regularly host Government functions. It also contains the Royal Mausoleum a Norwegian Westminster Abbey.In the grounds of the Castle there is a museum dedicated to the Norwegian Resistance during World War II. Models,documents,posters,recordings and historical artifacts make for an unforgettable experience of the extent of resistance to the German occupation.

We had been told by the chap in the Tourist Information bureau to take a train ride up to Frognersetered from where we would get a panoramic view of Oslo. He also told us that while up there we would be able to get the best pastries in Oslo!Alas when we reached the place,which was the last stop on the line, we found nothing to see or eat!! Apparently we should have got off at the previous station where there was a television tower which provided the scenery!.He had also told us to walk down to Holmenkollen where the Olympic Ski jump is situated. This got a bit confusing as the signs gave alternative trails leading through the woods and eventually we took to the highway.Then we could not find the railway station and your correspondent was starting to feel all of his 75 years so things got a little tense (who's bloody idea was it to walk down?) but at the car park near the ski centre we saw a group of young people getting into their cars, and Carol asked them if they could direct us to the station.They gave her the instructions and as we were walking away they called us back to ask if we were Australians.One of the girls was a Chinese lass from Sydney. So then they offered us a lift to the station, and as we said we were going down as far as Majorstuen to see the Vigeland Park, they kindly drove us down to a much more convenient station.

Got on the train and then managed to geet off at the wrong station, so had to wad 15 minutes for the next one to finally get to theVigeland. This park is full of statuary created by Gustav Vigeland -all portraying man woman and child as family.Quite remarkable and enhanced by a group of musicians who, obviously a voluntary group of players, were conducted by a convivial fellow who made the whole thing both good to the ear and amusing at the same time.

By this time it was 8pm and even C arol was admitting to a degree of sightseeing burn out, so we trammed it back to our hotel. Much to our surprise and great relief we found that the hotel cost included a light dinner.So with this bonus presenting itself, we lashed out on a couple of glasses of wine each which cost what we would have anticipated having to pay for dinner!!

Our train to Stavanger left at 7.10am and we decided against getting a taxi as we still had valid Oslo passes, and caught a tram to the station and so onto our train. The journey of 7 1/2 hours passed quickly enough and Sarah and Baard were there at the station to meet us.

And so we had a pleasant dinner with them (the Leg of Lamb we had taken over) and then up the next morning to catch our flights back to London. A wonderful experience.

PS the camera batteries were low in Oslo and I had forgotten to take the converter plug for recharging them - so no pictures of Oslo. .

NORWAY 2

We left Bergen early on Tuesday morning for Myrdal which we reached after three hours of watching exhiliarating country pass by.At Myrdal we changed over to the Flam railway. This is a private company which runs one of the worlds most amazing lines descending nearly 900 metres down into the little village of Flam which sits at he head of the Aurlandsfjord.The journey takes an hour and covers 20 kms,through 20 tunnels and it took 20 years to build.On the way down a stop is made at a viewing platform at the Kjosfossen Falls pictured above. During this stop music comes up from the falls and two maidens dressed in traditional Norwegian costumes appear from the rocks and dance. This is part of folklore.
On arrival at Flam we disembarked and were faced with the site of a giant cruise ship moored almost on the end of the rail line. As we had a few hours before retracing our steps to Myrdal where we were to catch the service to Oslo, we went for a walk up part of the valley and caught a great view look up the fjord and this put the size of the cruise ship in perspective.

The Oslo train arrived right on time and we sat back and enjoyed our five and a half journey over some incredible snowfields, and fin ally a 13 km tunnel into Oslo. A taxi ride took us to our hotel where we booked in at 11pm still with plenty of daylight left!

NORWAY 1

Above - Len looking down on Bergen and a happy Mum and Daughter!! Top photo is of the Briggen in Bergen (see later)
We arrived in Stavanger on Saturday afternoon and Sarah and Baard were there to meet us. A short drive to Sandnes and we were in their flat and unpacking the goodies we had bought with us - Lamb and Steak - not to mention a number of bottles of wine. While the wine was a bit of an afterthought it turned out to be a good investment when we discovered that a half bottle of wine in Norway sells for some $30! A bottle of beer was only $12.50!!
On Sunday we all took off in the Mercedes wagon to explore Stavanger an old fishing port which is now a centre for the oil and gas industry in the North Sea.We walked through the old part of the city with fishermen's cottages lining the streets next to the water - all timber homes and cobbled streets.
Then we took off for the mountains some 40 kms inland .We stopped at Byrkjedalstun (don't ask me to pronounce it) where we had a super lunch.Carol and I had Salmon Trout,Sarah had a casserole and Baard had an Elk Steak. And the cost was more reasonable than we had anticipated. The drive continued through long tunnels (one was 3.8 kms long) and into valleys and beautiful mountain scenery. It was our first taste of what can only be describe as magnificent country.

Monday we took the express ferry from Stavanger to Bergen, a four hour trip up various fjords calling in at several villages en route. At one of the larger stopping points we literally sailed up the main street to drop off and pick up passengers.Arriving in Bergen we saw our first cruise ship.These enormous ships take tourists up the fjords all along the west coast of Norway and seem to dominate their surroundings. Bergen itself is a charming city surrounded by high hills. The quayside part of the city has a fish market where every sort of seafoods is displayed and made us wish she could buy some and cook it ourselves. Along the quayside were the old original buildings called the Briggen -somewhat reminiscent of Hobart but all buildings in timber. We had fish and chips on the wharf and then found our hotel which was good value and included an excellent breakfast buffet.We took the venicular railway up to the mountains to gain a glorious view of Bergen. The railway stopped at several stations on the way up and down,where local residents used the transport as their means of getting into the city and home again -who wants to drive!!

We decided to find our way to the Railway Station as we had an early train trip the next morning, and were glad we did as the directions we had been given took us to the Bus Station!! Then we drew the curtains in our room to shut out the light (at 10.30pm) and went to bed.

PICTURES FROM ICELAND

BELTON HOUSE AND ISAAC NEWTON

Today we decided to drive up to Grantham where there is an excellent Saturday Market. We have been there before, and were looking forward to buying some meat from the character we had met last time. He is a real salesman - and we bought a bag of Lamb Chops plus a Leg of Lamb for L10 and the a bloody great bag of chicken breast for another tenner! Enough meat to last a month. Also some great meusli and herbs,vegetables and fruit, and then had a stand up lunch of Paella from a Spanish kiosk.

Then we went about the business of National Trusting and took off for Belton House, another country house set in magnificent park like grounds. In the entrance we were just in time to hear an introduction to the property by one of the volunteer guides. This is the first time that we have struck a presentation of a Trust property and it was fascinating. The House was built in the 17th century by a London lawyer Sir John Brownlow who, apparently was earning a sum of 6000 pounds a year in his job - a sum which translates into millions in todays terms. He wisely decided to buy some land and build a family home - and thus we have this magnificent country house which remained in the family until 1984 when the current Lord Brownlow gave the place to the National Trust.

The house is totally open to view and as the guide suggested, it does represent a very liveable family home, albeit of fairly generous proportions!! As is typical of these old country houses the bathroom facilities were limited, but, as personal hygiene was not a major daily consideration until the early 20th century, the lack of toilets and baths was to be expected.The gardens and parkland surrounding the house were more desirable features and truly beautiful.

We left Belton and drove off to find Woolsthorpe Manor which was the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton - the bloke who sat under the apple tree and discovered gravity. He was born here on Christmas Day in 1642. He was fortunate in having an Uncle who, recognising his intelligence, persuaded his mother to send him to Cambridge University -otherwise he would probably have finished up as another sheep farmer.He left Cambridge temporarily when the Plague hit that City and it was during the next two years while living at Woolsthorpe that his creative genius developed.He developed Calculus/reflective telescope/theory of gravity and laws of motion and thoeries on light over the next few years before returning to Cambridge to a teaching/research career.

The house itself is evidence of the fairly comfortable circumstances in which he lived, and is well maintained in as much originality as possible. Adjoining the house is an orchard where the actual apple tree still grows despite having grafted new limbs to an ancient trunk.There is also a Science Discovery building which houses a really super hands on array of exhibits portraying Newtons basic discoveries. The supervisor there (we were the only patrons) adopted us to demonstrate the various exhibits,but I have to confess that his explanation of calculus was "in one ear and t'other'!!But I did understand the experiment with light rays and found that by blocking one colour from white light the other colours appear -so there!

WADDESDON -THE ROTHSCHILD COLLECTION

We took advantage of our National Trust Membership this weekend to visit Waddesdon, an impressive country estate just outside Aylesbury about 70 miles away. We took Ed Jay our Canadian teacher who lives in Flat One with us.

The estate was created by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 19th century and he filled the Renaissance style Chateau with the best collectio n of 18th century French art including paintings,furniture,carpets and curiosities in the world. It is an incredible display of wealth and makes one understand how the French Revolution occurred!!

Added to this is the beautiful garden and surrounds, with fountains and statuary abounding and an aviary which houses many exotic birds some of which are endangered species.

The whole place is open for sightseeing, and contains room after room of exhibits and memorabillia of the family which is most interesting.There is a wine cellar contining vintages from the Rothschild Estates in France, and the wines are for sale. Carol did not respond to my suggestion that we buy a bottle of 1978 Claret at L550 - the thought of popping the cork of something at $200 a glass was too much!

When we got back to Ramsey we found that it had been raining all day while a mere 70 miles away we were wandering around the magnificent gardens in sunshine.

LADY'S WOOD AND SUMMER!!

Friday last was summer.24 degrees and a number of my senior golfing mates were there with white legs bravely displayed in shorts! Saturday was also "mild" so Carol and I went for a walk at Upwood and visited Lady's Wood which we had been to before when the winter scene was on. What a transformation - all the trees fully clothed in their leaves, crab apples with glorious white blossom and best of all - a carpet of bluebells. The country has burst into life and we are now waiting to hear a cuckoo although Arthur "The Thatcher" tells me that they have been noticeable for their absence in the past few years. But we have seen a number of swifts and house martins (at the old Houghton Mill) and not as I had expected building their nests on the walls of the Abbey Stables Flats where we live.