August bank holiday meant
a busy and enjoyable few days. Family, of course, over the holiday, full of energy and news of wedding plans (all coming together well) and holiday experiences. We enjoyed some lazy time in the garden and a trip out to the New Forest, well more like the coast opposite the Isle of Wight where it was warm enough to swim, when the tide finally came in. Chrissie had Barney & Martha sampling edible seaweed. And he introduced them to Ursula le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea, which they loved.
Barney is now officially in secondary school which he us enjoying. It's a well thought of Catholic school with a smart uniform and compulsory individual laptops (which parents have to rent for the child's whole school career!) He's enjoying all the options of secondary school, like drama.
So now's it's September. I've never liked Autumn as it means 'Winter is coming', end of Summer. So we've decided to get some sun and go on a Nile Cruise! Very exciting. Not too long a flight to Cairo and then 2 weeks gently sailing along the Nile, stopping at various important sites. The boat is an old English 1918 gun boat. King Farouk had it until his overthrow and it has been done up for Brits to indulge in 2 weeks ultimate comfort. We've treated ourselves to a suite, with balcony and bigger room to be comfortable (bath & shower) so if I feel unwell or tired, Geoff can go off on the tour & I can laze about on board. There is anyway quite a lot of sailing time, so it should be restful. We fly back from Aswan. Getting health insurance was really hard: many companies want you to guarantee you'll still be alive 6 months after your return! But we did in the end, and cheaper than first quoted as apparently Egypt counts as Europe!!
The alternative was the south of Spain, Seville & the Alhambra etc but that does include a lot of hardcore walking/sightseeing.. My advice to you all is, if you can, to do the things and see the places you want to while you can! You never know when a nasty joker will pop up and you'll lose your chance. Costa Rica is too far now and I really wanted to birdwatch there and go through the Panama Canal. And I would have liked to go back to Hawaii which we love but it is too far (sorry, Sam & Donna)
Last Thursday, we met Geoff's cousin's widow, Graciela, who's an Oxford academic, for lunch then a very interesting visit to the Raphael's Drawings exhibition at the Ashmolean.. some wonderful work though a little overwhelming in its quantity! Drinks with friends from across the road, and a visit from my sister Shelagh have all helped make the week go with a swing. We're always pleased to have friendly visits, though I apologise in advance if the first thing you see on arrival is the rather tightly packed sleeping figure on the conservatory sofa!
Barney is now officially in secondary school which he us enjoying. It's a well thought of Catholic school with a smart uniform and compulsory individual laptops (which parents have to rent for the child's whole school career!) He's enjoying all the options of secondary school, like drama.
So now's it's September. I've never liked Autumn as it means 'Winter is coming', end of Summer. So we've decided to get some sun and go on a Nile Cruise! Very exciting. Not too long a flight to Cairo and then 2 weeks gently sailing along the Nile, stopping at various important sites. The boat is an old English 1918 gun boat. King Farouk had it until his overthrow and it has been done up for Brits to indulge in 2 weeks ultimate comfort. We've treated ourselves to a suite, with balcony and bigger room to be comfortable (bath & shower) so if I feel unwell or tired, Geoff can go off on the tour & I can laze about on board. There is anyway quite a lot of sailing time, so it should be restful. We fly back from Aswan. Getting health insurance was really hard: many companies want you to guarantee you'll still be alive 6 months after your return! But we did in the end, and cheaper than first quoted as apparently Egypt counts as Europe!!
The alternative was the south of Spain, Seville & the Alhambra etc but that does include a lot of hardcore walking/sightseeing.. My advice to you all is, if you can, to do the things and see the places you want to while you can! You never know when a nasty joker will pop up and you'll lose your chance. Costa Rica is too far now and I really wanted to birdwatch there and go through the Panama Canal. And I would have liked to go back to Hawaii which we love but it is too far (sorry, Sam & Donna)
Last Thursday, we met Geoff's cousin's widow, Graciela, who's an Oxford academic, for lunch then a very interesting visit to the Raphael's Drawings exhibition at the Ashmolean.. some wonderful work though a little overwhelming in its quantity! Drinks with friends from across the road, and a visit from my sister Shelagh have all helped make the week go with a swing. We're always pleased to have friendly visits, though I apologise in advance if the first thing you see on arrival is the rather tightly packed sleeping figure on the conservatory sofa!
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