This bloody rain. Argh!!! I'm so bored - can't get outside, and there's no tennis on because of the weather. I just can't stand it - where is our summer? I actually put the heating on one day last week, and I'm still wearing jumpers and sweatshirts. It's so cold in my living room - it feels like February.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Doesn't take much.....
....to make me happy. My new Spurs shirt arrived in the post this morning, complete with the number 9 Berbatov personalisation on the back. Well, who else?!! I put it on straight away - it's a good fit and better quality material than last season's. With nothing better to do, I took the camera and tripod into the garden and took a few snapshots of myself. Vain or what? No, I'm really not at all actually; it just passed the time.
Can't wait for next season - only 42 days, 19 hours, 56 minutes to go until the first match away to Sunderland. Not that I'm counting! Life is just so dull without footie.
(Posted 29 June 2007)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Britons at Wimbledon
Well another year has passed and it's once again the Wimbledon Championships, which after football in general, is the sporting tournament I like watching the most.I've just watched the resumed match between Tim Henman and Carlos Moya. Light stopped play last night at about 9:20 when the match was tied at 2 sets all and 5-5 in the final set. Whatever you might say about Henman, he certainly entertains. The match was brilliant, going one way then the other. His serve and volley style of play is a dying trend; most players these days play from the back of the court. Coming back onto the centre court this afternoon to a packed crowd must've geed him up and finally he won the final set 13-11. This is only the third match he has won this year as he hasn't been competing so that's put him ranked at 70 in the world...and hence having to play a seed in the first round. Moya was previously number one so it was a good win.
Of course, Andy Murray had to bow out of the tournament this year due to a wrist injury which is disappointing. If there was ever someone to step into Tim's shoes and go one better and reach the Wimbledon final, then maybe this is the lad to do it.
I also watched a good match between British girl Elena Baltacha and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. The latter is seeded 19 so there was difference of 255 in the rankings. However, you wouldn't have guessed it in the first two sets which were very close. Baltacha was giving it her all but unfortunately lost in the end. Yesterday, comeback girl Martina Hingis, seeded 9, was given a run for her money against Briton Naomi Cavaday. Same scenerio really but she lost the final set 6-0.
Our number one player Katie O'Brien managed to get through to the second round though. I'll be watching her progress but I don't suppose it'll last!
Seems there is potential in English womens' tennis but not that killer instinct. I honestly can't see another British woman ever winning Wimbledon again. The last was Virginia Wade in 1977. It's been much longer for a British man: Fred Perry in 1936. Maybe we should stick to snooker and darts eh?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Washout Sunday
Last night Chris (John's brother) phoned to say that he was going to a caravan sales place in Stowmarket Suffolk the following day as he is interested in buying one. To make more of a day of it, thought he'd combine it with a visit to Framlingham Castle and so asked us along. I'd rather get out of the house as much as possible so said yes.
When I woke up this morning it was pouring with rain. Great castle visiting weather! I didn't cancel although I really felt like staying in bed and we got round to Chris and Sandy's at 10:15.
We followed them all the way to the caravan place and had a look around for a while, and they found a couple of possibilities. Onwards to Framlington Castle then. When we turned into the carpark from the village, I said to John that this felt very familiar. Chris went to buy the tickets and after entering the castle grounds, it confirmed my suspicions. Chris, John and myself had only visited this castle about two years ago! Sandy must've been with her family in Holland. So great - it's raining AND we've been here before! We didn't stay too long, in fact I remained inside playing with the kids for the entire time. I didn't see the point in getting wet when I'd been here before.
Instead of going straight back home, we decided to stop in Colchester. We arrived but John had to get back to Basildon to work so I joined Chris and Sandy in their car. Colchester Castle was just around the corner so we went there. I would've thought I'd been here before years ago but I had no recollection of it. It's not a bad castle actually - quite large and the outer walls are all complete.
The inside has been converted into a museum on two levels. We only had just over an hour to get around as it was due to close at 5pm, and fortunately the rain had stopped temporarily. Before heading home, we took Joey and Jennifer to a playground nearby, which they really enjoyed.
We finished off the day eating fish n chips back at their house. John had already let himself in as he has a spare key and then we headed home.
It was a miserable day weather wise and my back was killing me. I'll stay in bed next time!
When I woke up this morning it was pouring with rain. Great castle visiting weather! I didn't cancel although I really felt like staying in bed and we got round to Chris and Sandy's at 10:15.
We followed them all the way to the caravan place and had a look around for a while, and they found a couple of possibilities. Onwards to Framlington Castle then. When we turned into the carpark from the village, I said to John that this felt very familiar. Chris went to buy the tickets and after entering the castle grounds, it confirmed my suspicions. Chris, John and myself had only visited this castle about two years ago! Sandy must've been with her family in Holland. So great - it's raining AND we've been here before! We didn't stay too long, in fact I remained inside playing with the kids for the entire time. I didn't see the point in getting wet when I'd been here before.
Instead of going straight back home, we decided to stop in Colchester. We arrived but John had to get back to Basildon to work so I joined Chris and Sandy in their car. Colchester Castle was just around the corner so we went there. I would've thought I'd been here before years ago but I had no recollection of it. It's not a bad castle actually - quite large and the outer walls are all complete.
The inside has been converted into a museum on two levels. We only had just over an hour to get around as it was due to close at 5pm, and fortunately the rain had stopped temporarily. Before heading home, we took Joey and Jennifer to a playground nearby, which they really enjoyed.
We finished off the day eating fish n chips back at their house. John had already let himself in as he has a spare key and then we headed home.
It was a miserable day weather wise and my back was killing me. I'll stay in bed next time!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
My Saturday
Christin had to return to Florida tomorrow and so John and I met up with her in London for the last time. However, before we did that, we went to the London Dungeon, having got up fairly early to ensure we got there before it opened at 10am, and so to avoid lengthy queues. The last time both of us visited the dungeon was when we were kids, and it's changed a bit since then. Instead of just making your own way around the place, you are escorted in groups into each section. It is now divided into different subject matters such as Sweeney Todd, Great Fire of London, Courtroom, Gallows, Jack the Ripper, and much more. In the Courtroom, the banter by the guide was very funny and John got ushered up to the stand to be sentenced for indecent behaviour with a horse! In the gallows, they put you into seats which rise up into the air, stop level with hangmans' nooses and then drop you suddenly back down to the ground (much like a theme park ride but on a smaller scale). It was a lot of fun and passed a couple of hours.
We then called Christin to meet us outside the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road. The tube was hell. Someone had thrown themselves under a train and there was limited service. Also there was no service at all on the Circle Line due to maintenance work and so the carriages were all crammed - faces pressed up against the windows! The heat is a killer down there. I just can't imagine doing that every day in rush hour.
Anyway, we eventually met up and then looked for somewhere nearby to have lunch. Just around the corner was a decent looking pub and unbelievably and very appropriately for me as a Spurs fan, it was called The Tottenham! Poor Christin was full of germs and didn't look at all well. She should have been resting instead of being out with us.
Once we'd fed our faces, we made our way back to the theatre for the matinee performance of We Will Rock You. This was the second time John and I had seen it but Christin's first. The show was absolutely brilliant once again. I could see it over and over again; the music is fantastic (obviously being all Queen songs), and there are some very funny moments. The girl who plays Scaramoosh is particularly funny and the guy who plays the lead (Galileo Figaro) has a great voice - it's not easy performing Queen songs well but he pulls it off superbly. The atmosphere at the end of the show would take a lot of beating with the audience standing, clapping and singing along. There are many encores and of course ends with Bohemian Rhapsody. The only gripe I have is that my fave Queen song 'Don't Stop Me Now' is not performed in its entirity - only the first few bars half way through the show. You really come out of there buzzing - if you haven't seen it yet, DO IT!
We then called Christin to meet us outside the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road. The tube was hell. Someone had thrown themselves under a train and there was limited service. Also there was no service at all on the Circle Line due to maintenance work and so the carriages were all crammed - faces pressed up against the windows! The heat is a killer down there. I just can't imagine doing that every day in rush hour.
Anyway, we eventually met up and then looked for somewhere nearby to have lunch. Just around the corner was a decent looking pub and unbelievably and very appropriately for me as a Spurs fan, it was called The Tottenham! Poor Christin was full of germs and didn't look at all well. She should have been resting instead of being out with us.
Once we'd fed our faces, we made our way back to the theatre for the matinee performance of We Will Rock You. This was the second time John and I had seen it but Christin's first. The show was absolutely brilliant once again. I could see it over and over again; the music is fantastic (obviously being all Queen songs), and there are some very funny moments. The girl who plays Scaramoosh is particularly funny and the guy who plays the lead (Galileo Figaro) has a great voice - it's not easy performing Queen songs well but he pulls it off superbly. The atmosphere at the end of the show would take a lot of beating with the audience standing, clapping and singing along. There are many encores and of course ends with Bohemian Rhapsody. The only gripe I have is that my fave Queen song 'Don't Stop Me Now' is not performed in its entirity - only the first few bars half way through the show. You really come out of there buzzing - if you haven't seen it yet, DO IT!
My take
The last few years I've really been into reading autobiographies. There's probably not many left that I'd be interested in buying; I've already read about the lives of Geri Halliwell (very good), Ulrika Jonsson, Sharon Osbourne, Adam Ant, Gazza, David Beckham, Shane Ritchie, Frank Skinner, Graham Norton, Michael Flatley and Christopher Reeve. I don't even have to particularly be a fan of a person; if I think they've had an interesting life, I like to read about it.
I've just finished Gary Barlow's 'My Take'. I don't think I've ever read a book so quickly! Admittedly, I'm off work with not a lot to do and when it's nice outside, it's good to get your nose into a book. I literally whizzed though this one. Being a fan of Take That, it was one of the best reads to date.
Only six months to go before me and Al see Take That in concert. Can't wait.
(Posted 21 Jun 2007)
I've just finished Gary Barlow's 'My Take'. I don't think I've ever read a book so quickly! Admittedly, I'm off work with not a lot to do and when it's nice outside, it's good to get your nose into a book. I literally whizzed though this one. Being a fan of Take That, it was one of the best reads to date.
Only six months to go before me and Al see Take That in concert. Can't wait.
(Posted 21 Jun 2007)
An evening with Mary
Last night was Mary Poppins night. John & I hopped on a train just about to leave at 15:36 but it only went a few hundred yards when it stopped and an announcement said that if there were any passengers on the train, they would come and fetch us! As we were almost late for the train we hadn't heard any previous announcements and had to get off and walk back to the station and board the other train just about to leave. Apparently there was a fault and they had to disconnect four of the carriages.
Because of this, we were not on the train due to arrive at Leigh On Sea at 15:52 where we were collecting Sandy. John tried to call her mobile but had to leave a message - it turns out she has a new phone which we didn't know about. So she got on the train anyway thinking she might not have spotted us but then discovered we were definitely not on that train, so disembarked at Benfleet. Meanwhile Chris phoned John asking where we were and we explained what had happened. Therefore we collected Sandy from Benfleet station. What a fiasco!
We met up with Christin at Eros in Picaddily Circus and then walked around Leicester Square and onwards towards the Prince Edward theatre. We found a pub (The Cambridge) where we had something to eat and drink. Chris, who works in London met up with us and to his horror we'd already eaten. We couldn't have waited as we'd realised that the show was starting at 7pm not the usual 7:30. We had to rush the waitress up a bit but just about made it in time, leaving Chris sitting there to pay the bill!! Bless him.
This is the second time that John and I have seen Mary Poppins but Christin and Sandy had not. Of all the shows, this is my favourite and the second time it was even better!
There are so many different sets including the house complete with rooms and stairs, the park, and the rooftops. Brilliantly done and so colourful. The cast is superb, all great singers. The Mary and Bert were different to last time and possibly the children too but you can't fault them. The songs of course, have you clapping your hands and singing along, they are so familiar.
The pic above is the part where all the chimney sweeps get together and sing 'Step in Time', my favourite part of the show. After this, Bert walks around the entire stage, and when I say 'around', I mean up the sides and along the top, hanging upside down whilst still singing! The end sees Mary Poppins fly out of the stage high above the audience until she disappears. Amazing! And the encores were fab too. Am I selling it enough? GO SEE IT!
Christin had to get back to Kings Cross to get the connecting Thames Link train to St Albans. We escorted her only to find that nothing was boarding at Kings Cross and so had to make a diversion via another station. We had already planned to see her on Saturday, the day before she leaves for home in Florida so it wasn't quite goodbye.
I had a phone call on my mobile just as we were approaching the car the other end. It was Christin. "Guess what?" she asked. She said she just had to tell me that she'd been asked out on a date (again) by someone on the train. This is the third time during her stay in England. I don't know...these American floosies, what are they like? JUST KIDDING Christin! :-)
(Posted 20 Jun 2007)
Because of this, we were not on the train due to arrive at Leigh On Sea at 15:52 where we were collecting Sandy. John tried to call her mobile but had to leave a message - it turns out she has a new phone which we didn't know about. So she got on the train anyway thinking she might not have spotted us but then discovered we were definitely not on that train, so disembarked at Benfleet. Meanwhile Chris phoned John asking where we were and we explained what had happened. Therefore we collected Sandy from Benfleet station. What a fiasco!
We met up with Christin at Eros in Picaddily Circus and then walked around Leicester Square and onwards towards the Prince Edward theatre. We found a pub (The Cambridge) where we had something to eat and drink. Chris, who works in London met up with us and to his horror we'd already eaten. We couldn't have waited as we'd realised that the show was starting at 7pm not the usual 7:30. We had to rush the waitress up a bit but just about made it in time, leaving Chris sitting there to pay the bill!! Bless him.
This is the second time that John and I have seen Mary Poppins but Christin and Sandy had not. Of all the shows, this is my favourite and the second time it was even better!
There are so many different sets including the house complete with rooms and stairs, the park, and the rooftops. Brilliantly done and so colourful. The cast is superb, all great singers. The Mary and Bert were different to last time and possibly the children too but you can't fault them. The songs of course, have you clapping your hands and singing along, they are so familiar.
The pic above is the part where all the chimney sweeps get together and sing 'Step in Time', my favourite part of the show. After this, Bert walks around the entire stage, and when I say 'around', I mean up the sides and along the top, hanging upside down whilst still singing! The end sees Mary Poppins fly out of the stage high above the audience until she disappears. Amazing! And the encores were fab too. Am I selling it enough? GO SEE IT!
Christin had to get back to Kings Cross to get the connecting Thames Link train to St Albans. We escorted her only to find that nothing was boarding at Kings Cross and so had to make a diversion via another station. We had already planned to see her on Saturday, the day before she leaves for home in Florida so it wasn't quite goodbye.
I had a phone call on my mobile just as we were approaching the car the other end. It was Christin. "Guess what?" she asked. She said she just had to tell me that she'd been asked out on a date (again) by someone on the train. This is the third time during her stay in England. I don't know...these American floosies, what are they like? JUST KIDDING Christin! :-)
(Posted 20 Jun 2007)
Looby's past week
Luckily, I wasn't to be sad for long after Matt and Suz left as our friend Christin was over from Florida for her vacation. To explain how we know her: John's brother Chris and wife Sandy used to live in Jacksonville and Christin's Dad was Chris's boss. They became good mates and so met each other's families. Chris and Sandy have since moved back here and Christin came over I'm guessing about 4 years ago with her friend Jennifer (or Swampy as she was affectionately named by John) and they all came round to ours for a barbeque. Christin seemed to be the more chatty one (I'm sure she'll thank me for saying that) but since then we've kept in touch via e-mail and she stayed with us again a couple of years ago. Anyway, this time she is over for 6 weeks and has been seeing relatives in St Albans and Leicester but again stayed with Chris and Sandy for a little bit. They invited us over for a barbeque last Sunday after Christin had been there about two hours and it was lovely to see her again. Big hugs all round.
As I'm off work with my back pain at the moment, being active is the best thing for me and on the Tuesday, Sandy, the kids Joey and Jennifer, Christin and myself went to Dickens World, a new attraction in Chatham, Kent. It was all indoors and was a reconstruction of streets and houses at the time of Charles Dickens' life.
The staff were in costume and played with typical toys of the time. Christin and I went on a boat trip through the streets which wasn't that great - firstly you got to the place when you get in the boat and they tell you you are likely to get wet! They provide you with a plastic mac type thing which is already soaking wet, and the seats on the boat are also wet. So trying to manoevre yourself with a bag and camera and ensuring you don't get a soggy bum was quite difficult. It wasn't very impressive and the part where you get splashed, they turn the boat around and put you down a ramp backwards. We meandered around afterwards, then went to see a 3D picture show about Dickens' life. We only saw about 10 minutes before Jennifer (who is 9 months old) was getting a bit loud and so we left.
At £12.50 per adult, it's not great value for money. It's what I would call typical of the English to come up with a potentially great idea, then not follow it through and make the best of it.
Nandos was right next door so we all had a late lunch. Everyone was starving by that point. Note to self: DO NOT have 'medium' spices on my veggie burger in future. Fire extinquisher required.
On Wednesday, Sandy had already planned to go with Christin to the Pottery Barn at Barleylands Farm, Basildon. She invited me along too for a spot of painting your own pot....or plate or whatever was available. Although I am creative in many ways, painting just ain't my thing! I've always been pretty useless at it. However, for the sake of getting 'out of the house', I went along. Sandy had also invited along a friend of hers who had a toddler and so with 3 children in tow, off we went. I've never been to Barleylands before and was surprised that it was quite a big complex. Loads of craft type places, shops, a kids' area with trampolines, toy tractors, pets and sheep. In the Pottery Barn, there were shelves upon shelves of pottery already made, ready for someone to paint. Each item has a price and you pay an additional £6 for use of the materials. I ended up with a thin vase and started off painting flowers, then sunshine and decided on some ladybirds. Then the fire alarm went off! Everone had to evacuate and go into the children's area and wait. When we were allowed back, as it was lunchtime, decided to have a bite to eat at the cafe before continuing with our art. I could see that by painting individual bugs and flowers on this vase was going to take me ages, and because it was rubbish anyway, I decided to scrub it all out and start afresh. Something simple I felt, so ended up with multi-coloured wiggly stripes instead! I even got bored with that and having been sitting down, had to stretch my back so Christin finished it off for me. Christin did a mug with a picture of a nurse on it and the words 'Nurse Chistin'. Can you guess what she does for a living?! It was really cool though...or should I say 'neat'? They keep your finished item there for firing in the kiln and Sandy will be collecting them this weekend. I'm sure I'll find a great place at the back of a cupboard for it!!!
Sandy dropped me home and a short while after, Alice came round straight from work for a bit of a chin-wag. It was lovely to see her and catch up with stuff.
Thursday morning, Sandy, the kids and Christin came round for breakfast. John was doing afternoons so was there to cook his famous fry up. I told Christin to come on a very empty stomach because it would be a humungous plate full. That it was, but she managed to eat every morsel! Christin was now going to stay with us for a couple of days so Sandy went on her way, and I cleared up the mess the kids had made...soggy bread on carpet etc.
Christin very much wanted to go down the seafront as it's all very typically English, so her wish was my command. I really didn't care what I did as long as I got out and about. We parked just past the pier and went for a walk along the front. It was high tide so it made a change from looking at mud, and the weather was pretty muggy too. Christin roped me into a game of mini golf so I obliged and of course whipped her arse!! (Only kidding Christin, there were only 4 shots in it)!!
Christin will probably kill me for posting this photo, as all I kept hearing was "my face is so fat. my face is so fat".
We didn't know whether we'd make it to the end of the pier but thought we'd give it a go anyway. I couldn't believe that we had to pay £2.50 each for the 'privelege' of walking on those wooden planks! Goes to show how long it's been since I've been on there! We took it slow and the end looked a long way away even at the half way point. However, we kept chatting which makes you take your mind off the walking and so we made it! I suppose you can say "I've walked to the end of the longest pier in the world". We sat and had refreshment and then went and took some photos. On the way back to the train, Christin spotted a kiddies' ride which was Paddington Bear in a taxi. She had to stop and have her pic taken, but managed to get a bit stuck attempting to get inside the taxi next to Paddington! We did have a giggle. (see pic below) That made us a bit late for the train so I started running. Christin still had some diet coke and couldn't run with it so just left it on the boardwalk and ran after me! Litterbug! Anyway we JUST made it, and the first carriage I ran into was full of school children and nowhere to sit! Better than waiting another 30 minutes I'd say, especially as the weather had turned a but cloudy and breezy.
I made Christin have a little paddle in the sea, because, well, I dunno really...just because it's what you do at the seaside! You should have seen the fuss treading on the 'rocks' as she called them!! "They're only pebbles" I replied sarcastically!
She ended up washing her feet with our bottled water after only about 30 seconds in the sea. What a wimp!
Christin always wanted to go and take some pics of beach huts and so on the way home, I stopped near Thorpe Bay Yacht Club for that opportunity. Shame that some people don't keep them nice and more brightly painted but she got her wish anyway.
We stopped as Asda to pick up a few bits and also had a look in George. Christin tried on a dress which she's seen in Basildon but was undecided on. Seeing it was on sale she tried it on again but it was a little tight and they didn't have the next size up. Shame. Back home, we made sandwiches - a very late lunch as it was now 4pm. I suggested we looked at what was on at the cinema and other than Pirates of the Caribbean 3, I didn't fancy anything. Christin had already seen it in the States but was very keen to see it again and so that was what we did. The next showing was at 5pm so that was perfect. When we got there, I said I'd buy the tickets and Christin could go and get some popcorn for us to share. When I joined her she'd already got a large tub of salted popcorn which I didn't like so she asked for some of the sweet variety as well - a small portion for me though! The movie must have been two and a half hours long but we still couldn't believe they put an intermission 90 minutes into it! I've never enountered that before unless you're going back to the 70s! Anyway, it was a very good movie; I would say the last hour of it was the best, and definitely better than the second Pirates movie. Johnny Depp was gorgeous as per usual but I had to remark to Christin how yummy Orlando Bloom looked at the end of the film with his culy hair, bandana and a bit of facial hair. I've always had a weak spot for deep brown eyes but never had any attraction to him whatsoever before; but suddenly he looked very hot indeed!
Couldn't find mentioned yummy pic of Orlando!
Yesterday (Friday), we chilled out at home and in the garden (the weather couldn't make its mind up). John was on mornings today and so was home by 2pm. When we were on the seafront yesterday, Christin expressed an interest in the go-karts. I told her that they were useless and that there was a proper go-karting centre in Rayleigh. John goes quite regularly with his brother Chris and was more than happy to take Christin and talked me into it as well. I've never been before and have no interest whatsoever but for Christin's sake, I went along. When I saw the track and how fast the karts were going, I was really nervous and given the choice, would've backed out of it. Christin, however, was so up for it! We got into our overalls, gloves, balaclavas and helmets - my head is small but the smallest size helmet was too small and the medium size was too big! And so it wobbled and didn't feel right. Thankfully, the man in charge allowed us three to be the only ones on the track together. It wasn't that busy and after waiting for two other parties to finish, it was our turn. As I fully expected, I was absolutely useless at it!!! The accelorator was a bit stop/start, nothing in between, the steering was a bit stiff and every time I turned a corner I felt like I was gonna fall out! You only have eight minutes on the track to do as many laps as you can. I only managed to complete ten laps so I was really slow. John averages 27 seconds per lap; I started at 51 seconds and my best was 41. I was getting the hang of it on the latter few laps but came off feeling really nauseous. Never again for me! Christin, on the other hand, got the hang of it straight away and sped off way ahead of me. She absolutely loved it and we had a photo session afterwards.
That evening was spent playing Buzz on PS2, eating, drinking champagne (why not?), playing cards and watching some TV. Just generally chilling out.
Today, Christin had to return to St Albans where she was going to meet up with her cousins. It wasn't goodbye completely though, as John has booked for us to go to the theatre to see Mary Poppins on Tuesday evening and so we're meeting up with her in London for a meal and then the show.
It's been a really lovely week. It's just so nice having people stay with us. We love having company and it's a shame Christin wasn't with us for longer. However, next time she comes over, it'll be a bit more 'planned' and hopefully she'll stay with us for a week and we'll take her to Cornwall or somewhere she hasn't been before.
(Posted 16 Jun 2007)
As I'm off work with my back pain at the moment, being active is the best thing for me and on the Tuesday, Sandy, the kids Joey and Jennifer, Christin and myself went to Dickens World, a new attraction in Chatham, Kent. It was all indoors and was a reconstruction of streets and houses at the time of Charles Dickens' life.
The staff were in costume and played with typical toys of the time. Christin and I went on a boat trip through the streets which wasn't that great - firstly you got to the place when you get in the boat and they tell you you are likely to get wet! They provide you with a plastic mac type thing which is already soaking wet, and the seats on the boat are also wet. So trying to manoevre yourself with a bag and camera and ensuring you don't get a soggy bum was quite difficult. It wasn't very impressive and the part where you get splashed, they turn the boat around and put you down a ramp backwards. We meandered around afterwards, then went to see a 3D picture show about Dickens' life. We only saw about 10 minutes before Jennifer (who is 9 months old) was getting a bit loud and so we left.
At £12.50 per adult, it's not great value for money. It's what I would call typical of the English to come up with a potentially great idea, then not follow it through and make the best of it.
Nandos was right next door so we all had a late lunch. Everyone was starving by that point. Note to self: DO NOT have 'medium' spices on my veggie burger in future. Fire extinquisher required.
On Wednesday, Sandy had already planned to go with Christin to the Pottery Barn at Barleylands Farm, Basildon. She invited me along too for a spot of painting your own pot....or plate or whatever was available. Although I am creative in many ways, painting just ain't my thing! I've always been pretty useless at it. However, for the sake of getting 'out of the house', I went along. Sandy had also invited along a friend of hers who had a toddler and so with 3 children in tow, off we went. I've never been to Barleylands before and was surprised that it was quite a big complex. Loads of craft type places, shops, a kids' area with trampolines, toy tractors, pets and sheep. In the Pottery Barn, there were shelves upon shelves of pottery already made, ready for someone to paint. Each item has a price and you pay an additional £6 for use of the materials. I ended up with a thin vase and started off painting flowers, then sunshine and decided on some ladybirds. Then the fire alarm went off! Everone had to evacuate and go into the children's area and wait. When we were allowed back, as it was lunchtime, decided to have a bite to eat at the cafe before continuing with our art. I could see that by painting individual bugs and flowers on this vase was going to take me ages, and because it was rubbish anyway, I decided to scrub it all out and start afresh. Something simple I felt, so ended up with multi-coloured wiggly stripes instead! I even got bored with that and having been sitting down, had to stretch my back so Christin finished it off for me. Christin did a mug with a picture of a nurse on it and the words 'Nurse Chistin'. Can you guess what she does for a living?! It was really cool though...or should I say 'neat'? They keep your finished item there for firing in the kiln and Sandy will be collecting them this weekend. I'm sure I'll find a great place at the back of a cupboard for it!!!
Sandy dropped me home and a short while after, Alice came round straight from work for a bit of a chin-wag. It was lovely to see her and catch up with stuff.
Thursday morning, Sandy, the kids and Christin came round for breakfast. John was doing afternoons so was there to cook his famous fry up. I told Christin to come on a very empty stomach because it would be a humungous plate full. That it was, but she managed to eat every morsel! Christin was now going to stay with us for a couple of days so Sandy went on her way, and I cleared up the mess the kids had made...soggy bread on carpet etc.
Christin very much wanted to go down the seafront as it's all very typically English, so her wish was my command. I really didn't care what I did as long as I got out and about. We parked just past the pier and went for a walk along the front. It was high tide so it made a change from looking at mud, and the weather was pretty muggy too. Christin roped me into a game of mini golf so I obliged and of course whipped her arse!! (Only kidding Christin, there were only 4 shots in it)!!
Christin will probably kill me for posting this photo, as all I kept hearing was "my face is so fat. my face is so fat".
We didn't know whether we'd make it to the end of the pier but thought we'd give it a go anyway. I couldn't believe that we had to pay £2.50 each for the 'privelege' of walking on those wooden planks! Goes to show how long it's been since I've been on there! We took it slow and the end looked a long way away even at the half way point. However, we kept chatting which makes you take your mind off the walking and so we made it! I suppose you can say "I've walked to the end of the longest pier in the world". We sat and had refreshment and then went and took some photos. On the way back to the train, Christin spotted a kiddies' ride which was Paddington Bear in a taxi. She had to stop and have her pic taken, but managed to get a bit stuck attempting to get inside the taxi next to Paddington! We did have a giggle. (see pic below) That made us a bit late for the train so I started running. Christin still had some diet coke and couldn't run with it so just left it on the boardwalk and ran after me! Litterbug! Anyway we JUST made it, and the first carriage I ran into was full of school children and nowhere to sit! Better than waiting another 30 minutes I'd say, especially as the weather had turned a but cloudy and breezy.
I made Christin have a little paddle in the sea, because, well, I dunno really...just because it's what you do at the seaside! You should have seen the fuss treading on the 'rocks' as she called them!! "They're only pebbles" I replied sarcastically!
She ended up washing her feet with our bottled water after only about 30 seconds in the sea. What a wimp!
Christin always wanted to go and take some pics of beach huts and so on the way home, I stopped near Thorpe Bay Yacht Club for that opportunity. Shame that some people don't keep them nice and more brightly painted but she got her wish anyway.
We stopped as Asda to pick up a few bits and also had a look in George. Christin tried on a dress which she's seen in Basildon but was undecided on. Seeing it was on sale she tried it on again but it was a little tight and they didn't have the next size up. Shame. Back home, we made sandwiches - a very late lunch as it was now 4pm. I suggested we looked at what was on at the cinema and other than Pirates of the Caribbean 3, I didn't fancy anything. Christin had already seen it in the States but was very keen to see it again and so that was what we did. The next showing was at 5pm so that was perfect. When we got there, I said I'd buy the tickets and Christin could go and get some popcorn for us to share. When I joined her she'd already got a large tub of salted popcorn which I didn't like so she asked for some of the sweet variety as well - a small portion for me though! The movie must have been two and a half hours long but we still couldn't believe they put an intermission 90 minutes into it! I've never enountered that before unless you're going back to the 70s! Anyway, it was a very good movie; I would say the last hour of it was the best, and definitely better than the second Pirates movie. Johnny Depp was gorgeous as per usual but I had to remark to Christin how yummy Orlando Bloom looked at the end of the film with his culy hair, bandana and a bit of facial hair. I've always had a weak spot for deep brown eyes but never had any attraction to him whatsoever before; but suddenly he looked very hot indeed!
Couldn't find mentioned yummy pic of Orlando!
Yesterday (Friday), we chilled out at home and in the garden (the weather couldn't make its mind up). John was on mornings today and so was home by 2pm. When we were on the seafront yesterday, Christin expressed an interest in the go-karts. I told her that they were useless and that there was a proper go-karting centre in Rayleigh. John goes quite regularly with his brother Chris and was more than happy to take Christin and talked me into it as well. I've never been before and have no interest whatsoever but for Christin's sake, I went along. When I saw the track and how fast the karts were going, I was really nervous and given the choice, would've backed out of it. Christin, however, was so up for it! We got into our overalls, gloves, balaclavas and helmets - my head is small but the smallest size helmet was too small and the medium size was too big! And so it wobbled and didn't feel right. Thankfully, the man in charge allowed us three to be the only ones on the track together. It wasn't that busy and after waiting for two other parties to finish, it was our turn. As I fully expected, I was absolutely useless at it!!! The accelorator was a bit stop/start, nothing in between, the steering was a bit stiff and every time I turned a corner I felt like I was gonna fall out! You only have eight minutes on the track to do as many laps as you can. I only managed to complete ten laps so I was really slow. John averages 27 seconds per lap; I started at 51 seconds and my best was 41. I was getting the hang of it on the latter few laps but came off feeling really nauseous. Never again for me! Christin, on the other hand, got the hang of it straight away and sped off way ahead of me. She absolutely loved it and we had a photo session afterwards.
That evening was spent playing Buzz on PS2, eating, drinking champagne (why not?), playing cards and watching some TV. Just generally chilling out.
Today, Christin had to return to St Albans where she was going to meet up with her cousins. It wasn't goodbye completely though, as John has booked for us to go to the theatre to see Mary Poppins on Tuesday evening and so we're meeting up with her in London for a meal and then the show.
It's been a really lovely week. It's just so nice having people stay with us. We love having company and it's a shame Christin wasn't with us for longer. However, next time she comes over, it'll be a bit more 'planned' and hopefully she'll stay with us for a week and we'll take her to Cornwall or somewhere she hasn't been before.
(Posted 16 Jun 2007)
Local lad is Joseph
Well done to Lee Mead who won 'Any Dream Will Do' tonight and will go on to play the lead role in 'Joseph' in the West End starting in six weeks time. Born and raised in Southend-on-Sea (woohoo!) 25-year-old Lee has been a professional singer and actor for the past five years and has performed in various cabaret shows and on cruise ships. Well deserved I thought - he was my choice out of the three finalists as he had the best voice, stage presence and looked more mature.
I suppose tickets will now be like gold dust, but hopefully I'll get to see it at some point.
(Posted 9 Jun 2007)
I suppose tickets will now be like gold dust, but hopefully I'll get to see it at some point.
(Posted 9 Jun 2007)
Very emotional
It was Matt and Suzie's last day today before leaving for Dubai for 3 days then home to Australia. After one of Johnny's famous large cooked breakfasts, the guys did some packing. At lunchtime, Dave and Tina came round and we all set off to Old Leigh for a stroll and a spot of lunch at the Peter Boat. Not that Matt & Suz were ready to eat after their brekkie, but they managed to force something down. We spent a couple of hours just chilling. We had to leave about 3pm as Dave and Tina had to collect the girls from school and we all met up round my Mum's, who was looking after Ronnie. We spent about an hour and a half relaxing in the garden before time was up - we had to get back to our house so the guys could leave for the airport. Oh God, what an emotional mess I was! I just lost it big time. I cried before I'd even hugged Matt, I just couldn't hold it back. When Suzie emerged from the house a few minutes later, I blubbed again. I enjoyed having them stay with us so much; I'm really gonna miss them both. However, we have kinda pencilled in a trip to Oz next October to coincide with my 40th birthday, so hopefully if that becomes a reality, it won't be too long before I see them again.
I was sobbing for a while after they'd left and finally when I got it under control, I went into our bedroom when I saw a card and gingerbread bunny sitting on the bed. Well, the floodgates just opened again! I'm sure I'll be okay later on but it'll feel like an empty house now. :-(
One of those photos that just makes me smile!
(Posted 7 Jun 2007)
I was sobbing for a while after they'd left and finally when I got it under control, I went into our bedroom when I saw a card and gingerbread bunny sitting on the bed. Well, the floodgates just opened again! I'm sure I'll be okay later on but it'll feel like an empty house now. :-(
One of those photos that just makes me smile!
(Posted 7 Jun 2007)
No-one bends it like Beckham
Estonia 0 England 3 (Cole, Crouch, Owen)
I'm not gonna write an awful lot on this game tonight, as quite frankly I can't be bothered! I will make a few points though:
Joe Cole - good individual skill, great goal.
Becks - if he had gone off when he injured his ankle, I really don't think we would have scored the next two. His pin-point accurate curling passes are just sublime. No-one else bends it like Beckham and surely this is what England have been missing. I'd like to see him stay and reach a century of caps but it will be difficult when he's playing for LA Galaxy.
The game was not exactly sintilating but I suppose the 3 points was the main aim. I wish England would play at the same pace as the Premiership.
I hope all the lads enjoy their holidays now tonight's job has been done. Qualifiers resume in September.
(Posted 6 Jun 2007)
I'm not gonna write an awful lot on this game tonight, as quite frankly I can't be bothered! I will make a few points though:
Joe Cole - good individual skill, great goal.
Becks - if he had gone off when he injured his ankle, I really don't think we would have scored the next two. His pin-point accurate curling passes are just sublime. No-one else bends it like Beckham and surely this is what England have been missing. I'd like to see him stay and reach a century of caps but it will be difficult when he's playing for LA Galaxy.
The game was not exactly sintilating but I suppose the 3 points was the main aim. I wish England would play at the same pace as the Premiership.
I hope all the lads enjoy their holidays now tonight's job has been done. Qualifiers resume in September.
(Posted 6 Jun 2007)
Telly trouble
So, this is what happened. We switched on the telly Sunday and the colour's all weird. By Monday morning, all the people's faces are green - it was like watching Shrek or the Incredible Hulk. Celebrity Masterchef was impossible to watch when you're looking at purple food. Johnny assumed the tubes had gone and so got on ebay looking for a new one. As he likes to keep up with the times, he chose a 37" LCD TV which is a tad bigger than our existing 28" at a cost of £700! He rang the company who said it would be delivered today. However, after returning from a family meal at the Polash yesterday evening, we turned on the TV only to find that the picture had corrected itself. I actually hadn't noticed; someone else pointed it out, and it was like 'oh no'! Naturally we couldn't cancel the order so just had to ignore the fact that the existing tv was ok again.
Impressed I was when indeed the new on did turn up at about midday today. John put the old one upstairs in the spare bedroom and when he switched it on, the colour had gone all funny again. So, it hadn't been a waste of money after all!
Wow, this TV is huge but it's really cool. I love it. I'm not scared of 'big' anymore like I was when we upgraded from a standard square telly to the 28".
(Posted 6 Jun 2007)
Impressed I was when indeed the new on did turn up at about midday today. John put the old one upstairs in the spare bedroom and when he switched it on, the colour had gone all funny again. So, it hadn't been a waste of money after all!
Wow, this TV is huge but it's really cool. I love it. I'm not scared of 'big' anymore like I was when we upgraded from a standard square telly to the 28".
(Posted 6 Jun 2007)
Why?
Bloody hell! I'm 38 years old and I'm still getting zits. Another huge one has just appeared on my forehead - it looks like a third eye! When will I ever grow out of them? When I'm an OAP?!
Sorry - very random post. Can you tell I'm bored?!
(Posted 4 Jun 2007)
Sorry - very random post. Can you tell I'm bored?!
(Posted 4 Jun 2007)
England v Brazil friendly
Just catching up with some tv and stuff since returning from Prague. I recorded the match and watched it Saturday morning, fortunately without finding out the score beforehand.
This was the first international game at the new Wembley and something like 88,000 people filled the impressive stadium. Seven years is a heck of a long time to wait, but I guess it was worth it!
McLaren had done the decent thing and recalled Beckham to the side - I'm sure I was not the only one who was calling for his return since the poor form England have shown recently. However, he still still stuck with the partnership of Lampard and Gerrard in midfield which DOESN'T WORK! Lampard is so overrated in my opinion - I'm hoping when Hargreaves is fit again, he will be the replacement for Lamps. Shorey, the feft back for Reading was a surprise addition to the team; he has never played for England before.
Team line-up: Robinson, Shorey, King, Terry, Carragher, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Cole, Smith, Owen.
Although not a lot of goal scoring opportunities were created by England, the shape of the team, the passing and general play was 100% better than in the last two Euro qualifiers. I feel Beckham was the real difference. England always seem to play better when playing better teams anyway so it was nice to see Brazil not getting the better of us. Kaka didn't really get a look in, Ronaldinho had good spells but not enough to trouble us - our defence was solid. Ledley King (my Spurs man) had a very good game and I would hope that he becomes the regular first choice ahead of Rio Ferdinand.
The first half was goalless. England stepped it up a bit in the second but it was Brazil who came closest. Paul Robinson had hardly been called upon but when he was, it was with some brilliance. Ronaldinho first-time shot from Kaka`s pass took a deflection off King and Robbo somehow managed to react quick enough to pull off a stupendous save. Great work from the Spurs' duo there!
Just after the hour mark, Dyer and Downing came on for Cole and Smith. On 68 minutes a long free kick from Becks found the head of John Terry at the far post and in it went for a 1-0 lead. However, he had to be replaced by Wes Brown due to a slight hamstring injury. Brown's first contribution was a howler, stumbling on the ball just outside the box and giving away the ball to Alfonso Alves. Fortunately, Robbo did a good job of putting him off his shot which went wide.
Becks was substituted 15 minutes from time to a warm ovation, replaced by Jermaine Jenas, the third Spurs player to make an appearance.
Brazil were edging back into it, and it was in injury time that they equalised from a Diego header, which couldn't have been more frustrating. Still, it was a good warm-up for Wednesday night's game against Estonia in the Euro qualifiers. This is a game we must win.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
This was the first international game at the new Wembley and something like 88,000 people filled the impressive stadium. Seven years is a heck of a long time to wait, but I guess it was worth it!
McLaren had done the decent thing and recalled Beckham to the side - I'm sure I was not the only one who was calling for his return since the poor form England have shown recently. However, he still still stuck with the partnership of Lampard and Gerrard in midfield which DOESN'T WORK! Lampard is so overrated in my opinion - I'm hoping when Hargreaves is fit again, he will be the replacement for Lamps. Shorey, the feft back for Reading was a surprise addition to the team; he has never played for England before.
Team line-up: Robinson, Shorey, King, Terry, Carragher, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, Cole, Smith, Owen.
Although not a lot of goal scoring opportunities were created by England, the shape of the team, the passing and general play was 100% better than in the last two Euro qualifiers. I feel Beckham was the real difference. England always seem to play better when playing better teams anyway so it was nice to see Brazil not getting the better of us. Kaka didn't really get a look in, Ronaldinho had good spells but not enough to trouble us - our defence was solid. Ledley King (my Spurs man) had a very good game and I would hope that he becomes the regular first choice ahead of Rio Ferdinand.
The first half was goalless. England stepped it up a bit in the second but it was Brazil who came closest. Paul Robinson had hardly been called upon but when he was, it was with some brilliance. Ronaldinho first-time shot from Kaka`s pass took a deflection off King and Robbo somehow managed to react quick enough to pull off a stupendous save. Great work from the Spurs' duo there!
Just after the hour mark, Dyer and Downing came on for Cole and Smith. On 68 minutes a long free kick from Becks found the head of John Terry at the far post and in it went for a 1-0 lead. However, he had to be replaced by Wes Brown due to a slight hamstring injury. Brown's first contribution was a howler, stumbling on the ball just outside the box and giving away the ball to Alfonso Alves. Fortunately, Robbo did a good job of putting him off his shot which went wide.
Becks was substituted 15 minutes from time to a warm ovation, replaced by Jermaine Jenas, the third Spurs player to make an appearance.
Brazil were edging back into it, and it was in injury time that they equalised from a Diego header, which couldn't have been more frustrating. Still, it was a good warm-up for Wednesday night's game against Estonia in the Euro qualifiers. This is a game we must win.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
Prague: Day 3
So the final day of the trip had arrived. The weather had gradually been getting better and today was gloriously warm and sunny. We went back to the St Vitus's Cathedral this morning to check out the inside. The queue wasn't too long this time. The inside was fantastic and fortunately non-flash photography was allowed. There were so many gorgeous statues, stained glass windows and chapels. The most impressive of all was the tomb of St John Nepomuk, crafted from solid silver.
While myself and John decided to stick around the castle area for a bit longer, Matt and Suzie went off to the Old Town. We agreed to meet up at the end of Charles Bridge at 2pm for lunch. I'm glad we did stay as people dressed in medieval costume started to emerge and clearly there was something due to happen. Music was played and a jester danced.
Outside the gates, a procession started which then went all the way through the city. I knew this because of the trail of horse manure!
We then returned to the shop where we'd seen the paintings and made a purchase. The apartment was just two doors away and so popped it into reception who were looking after the luggage. We carried on exploring the city, taking different routes and eventually met up with Matt & Suz at 2pm. We went back to the Old Town Square for lunch as this was a very nice spot. We ate outside the Hotel U Prince. The menu was not a menu as you know it - it was a colour catalogue with a dish per page with a picture of it and in about 8 different languages. Menus in Prague are extensive - even I had to narrow it down to three dishes to choose from. I wasn't that hungry so opted for languini. Again, the food was delicious and the desserts were to die for. The prices were exceptionally cheap considering the location and being a hotel. We chilled out in that spot for a good two and half hours.
The rest of the afternoon was spend meandering around the shops in the square. Also Suzie and I went into a Salvador Dali and Mucha exhibition. The latter is the Czech master iof Art Nouveau paintings, which is a particular interest of Suzie.
The heat in this building was ridiculous and it was a relief to get back outside. The temperate had got hotter and hotter despite being after 5pm. I was gasping for some ice cold water and we joined John and Matt outside a bar/cafe. It wasn't long before we had to think about returning to the hotel to collect our stuff and head to the airport. How depressing - those three days went so quick.
To sum up Prague: very beautiful, friendly, great food. Highly recommended.
The flight was again delayed just over an hour and so we didn't land at Gatwick until midnight. We got back home at about 1:30am and by 2am I was in bed.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
While myself and John decided to stick around the castle area for a bit longer, Matt and Suzie went off to the Old Town. We agreed to meet up at the end of Charles Bridge at 2pm for lunch. I'm glad we did stay as people dressed in medieval costume started to emerge and clearly there was something due to happen. Music was played and a jester danced.
Outside the gates, a procession started which then went all the way through the city. I knew this because of the trail of horse manure!
We then returned to the shop where we'd seen the paintings and made a purchase. The apartment was just two doors away and so popped it into reception who were looking after the luggage. We carried on exploring the city, taking different routes and eventually met up with Matt & Suz at 2pm. We went back to the Old Town Square for lunch as this was a very nice spot. We ate outside the Hotel U Prince. The menu was not a menu as you know it - it was a colour catalogue with a dish per page with a picture of it and in about 8 different languages. Menus in Prague are extensive - even I had to narrow it down to three dishes to choose from. I wasn't that hungry so opted for languini. Again, the food was delicious and the desserts were to die for. The prices were exceptionally cheap considering the location and being a hotel. We chilled out in that spot for a good two and half hours.
The rest of the afternoon was spend meandering around the shops in the square. Also Suzie and I went into a Salvador Dali and Mucha exhibition. The latter is the Czech master iof Art Nouveau paintings, which is a particular interest of Suzie.
The heat in this building was ridiculous and it was a relief to get back outside. The temperate had got hotter and hotter despite being after 5pm. I was gasping for some ice cold water and we joined John and Matt outside a bar/cafe. It wasn't long before we had to think about returning to the hotel to collect our stuff and head to the airport. How depressing - those three days went so quick.
To sum up Prague: very beautiful, friendly, great food. Highly recommended.
The flight was again delayed just over an hour and so we didn't land at Gatwick until midnight. We got back home at about 1:30am and by 2am I was in bed.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
Prague: Day 2
After a good night's sleep I felt refeshed and raring to go. Today was John's 45th birthday and I'd brought a few cards with me to give him.
The plan today was to cross Charles Bridge and explore the Old Town, New Town and Jewish Quarter (time permitting). The weather was a bit better today: the clouds were clearing and the sun made an appearance. Hooray!
Charles Bridge is probably the most touristy part of the city, jointly with the castle I'd say. It's very picturesque with great views all around and of the cathedral and castle as the backdrop up on the hill. All along the bridge there are statues of Christ and various saints. Small stalls sell paintings and other niknaks, musicians play tunes, and artists do charicatures. Yes it's a tourist trap but it's not 'in your face'; I thought it added to the charm. There are so many photo opportunities just on the bridge alone so you can spend a fair bit of time there. Once across, you enter the Old Town area. We didn't follow a particular route, just wandered here and there, stopping at shops and then for refeshment.
The Old Town Square was stunning with beautiful buildings and architecture all around, including the Town Hall and Tower and the Astronimical Clock. People gather in front of the clock on every hour as two windows open which show figures of people walking past.
The New Town (if you can call it that - it was founded in 1348) took us into Wenceslas Square, which I had imagined was a old quaint place but it was in fact the main shopping area - what we would call the high street! At the end of the square was the National Museum which was a grand building. In one of the side streets, I saw some really great shoes, so unique, I just had to have a pair. All textile, with embroidery and string for laces - so difficult to describe but I've never seen anything like them. They had them in all different colours and designs. They had my size and were really comfy so I got them. Only worked out at about a tenner. Bargain!
Late lunch was al fresco at a pub and Matt had the national dish: goulash and dumplings. All the food here is so inexpensive, good sized portions and very tasty. I wouldn't have thought the Czech Republic is famous for its food but it should be - even small cafes and pubs are good quality.
We then headed for the Jewish quarter and we particularly wanted to visit the Old Jewish Cemetary. This remarkable site was, for over 300 years, the only burial place permitted to Jews. Because of the lack of space, people had to be buried on top of each other up to 12 layers deep. There are over 12,000 graves crammed into this small space but with an estimated 100,000 people buried there. It really is a weird sight with most of the grave stones leaning against each other at angles.
After wandering around more of the Jewish quarter, we ended up back along the river and found a nice spot to have a drink, with a good view of Charles Bridge. We then slowly strolled back to the apartment, got showered and changed ready for Johnny's birthday evening. We wanted to find somewhere nice (a bit posher) than the usual restaurant, and we all walked for ages and ages trying to find the perfect spot and also agree on a menu that we all fancied - me being the main problem. It would be so much easier to eat meat but my principle is stronger than my desire. Eventually at well after 9pm, we came across a specialist fish restaurant which had a great menu. Without even finding out the price of anything, we went in and Oh My God...what a place. This was as exclusive as you're gonna find in Prague I reckon. The decor was all contemporary with fish tanks and weird lighting everywhere.
This is how I imagine a top London restaurant would look like and famous people would be seen there. We were shown to our table and us ladies were given a small stool/chair to place our bags onto - never had that happen before! The prices were very expensive but hey, this was an occasion and we were going to just enjoy the experience. We took our time looking at the wine menu and ordering the food. The service was not rushed; it was just right, allowing us to chill out. A lot of the starters were not to my taste so I just ordered fresh seasonal fruit. However, it wasn't just an ordinary bowl of fruit, it was beautiful like a piece of art...and very yummy! The others had seafood including oysters which John had never tried before but absolutely loved them. For the main course, I stuck to what I know - grilled sole. John had a seafood platter which included the biggest prawns we'd ever seen. Suzie had a whole lobster and Matt had steak I believe.
For dessert, we ordered three dishes to share: pineapple and coconut ravioli, chocolate surprise and poached pear. They were to die for, especially the chocolate as every mouthful seemed to be different. There was certainly a very clever chef out in the kitchen. Suzie ordered a real sherry which I tried and instantly loved it, and so one was ordered for me and Matt joined me. Don't ever think sherry is like the stuff your Gran drinks at Christmas because it ain't nothing like that! We also asked the waiter if I could sample a liquer (raspberry flavoured) and he obliged. Just a sip and I lost my voice - it was like drinking fire with a hint of fruit! I passed on a glass of that.
When the bill came, Matt and Suzie insisted they pay as this would be their birthday treat to John. John went mental; he hates it when someone else pays for him. However, he was told to shut up! I thanked them for my dinner too. It was just a wonderful evening which will be remembered for a long long time. There was no-one left in the restaurant by the time we left just before midnight! Three hours eating must be a record for me but it was so nice to just take it slow and enjoy the experience.
On the way home, we stopped by the bar which Matt, Suzie and John ended up in on the first night here. It was full of locals, not somewhere you'd get many tourists. The music was loud, it was smoky but I was still in the mood for a cocktail. Suzie joined me with a 'Sex on the beach'.
Shortly after 1am we made our way back up the road to our hotel. And so to bed. What a great day!
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
The plan today was to cross Charles Bridge and explore the Old Town, New Town and Jewish Quarter (time permitting). The weather was a bit better today: the clouds were clearing and the sun made an appearance. Hooray!
Charles Bridge is probably the most touristy part of the city, jointly with the castle I'd say. It's very picturesque with great views all around and of the cathedral and castle as the backdrop up on the hill. All along the bridge there are statues of Christ and various saints. Small stalls sell paintings and other niknaks, musicians play tunes, and artists do charicatures. Yes it's a tourist trap but it's not 'in your face'; I thought it added to the charm. There are so many photo opportunities just on the bridge alone so you can spend a fair bit of time there. Once across, you enter the Old Town area. We didn't follow a particular route, just wandered here and there, stopping at shops and then for refeshment.
The Old Town Square was stunning with beautiful buildings and architecture all around, including the Town Hall and Tower and the Astronimical Clock. People gather in front of the clock on every hour as two windows open which show figures of people walking past.
The New Town (if you can call it that - it was founded in 1348) took us into Wenceslas Square, which I had imagined was a old quaint place but it was in fact the main shopping area - what we would call the high street! At the end of the square was the National Museum which was a grand building. In one of the side streets, I saw some really great shoes, so unique, I just had to have a pair. All textile, with embroidery and string for laces - so difficult to describe but I've never seen anything like them. They had them in all different colours and designs. They had my size and were really comfy so I got them. Only worked out at about a tenner. Bargain!
Late lunch was al fresco at a pub and Matt had the national dish: goulash and dumplings. All the food here is so inexpensive, good sized portions and very tasty. I wouldn't have thought the Czech Republic is famous for its food but it should be - even small cafes and pubs are good quality.
We then headed for the Jewish quarter and we particularly wanted to visit the Old Jewish Cemetary. This remarkable site was, for over 300 years, the only burial place permitted to Jews. Because of the lack of space, people had to be buried on top of each other up to 12 layers deep. There are over 12,000 graves crammed into this small space but with an estimated 100,000 people buried there. It really is a weird sight with most of the grave stones leaning against each other at angles.
After wandering around more of the Jewish quarter, we ended up back along the river and found a nice spot to have a drink, with a good view of Charles Bridge. We then slowly strolled back to the apartment, got showered and changed ready for Johnny's birthday evening. We wanted to find somewhere nice (a bit posher) than the usual restaurant, and we all walked for ages and ages trying to find the perfect spot and also agree on a menu that we all fancied - me being the main problem. It would be so much easier to eat meat but my principle is stronger than my desire. Eventually at well after 9pm, we came across a specialist fish restaurant which had a great menu. Without even finding out the price of anything, we went in and Oh My God...what a place. This was as exclusive as you're gonna find in Prague I reckon. The decor was all contemporary with fish tanks and weird lighting everywhere.
This is how I imagine a top London restaurant would look like and famous people would be seen there. We were shown to our table and us ladies were given a small stool/chair to place our bags onto - never had that happen before! The prices were very expensive but hey, this was an occasion and we were going to just enjoy the experience. We took our time looking at the wine menu and ordering the food. The service was not rushed; it was just right, allowing us to chill out. A lot of the starters were not to my taste so I just ordered fresh seasonal fruit. However, it wasn't just an ordinary bowl of fruit, it was beautiful like a piece of art...and very yummy! The others had seafood including oysters which John had never tried before but absolutely loved them. For the main course, I stuck to what I know - grilled sole. John had a seafood platter which included the biggest prawns we'd ever seen. Suzie had a whole lobster and Matt had steak I believe.
For dessert, we ordered three dishes to share: pineapple and coconut ravioli, chocolate surprise and poached pear. They were to die for, especially the chocolate as every mouthful seemed to be different. There was certainly a very clever chef out in the kitchen. Suzie ordered a real sherry which I tried and instantly loved it, and so one was ordered for me and Matt joined me. Don't ever think sherry is like the stuff your Gran drinks at Christmas because it ain't nothing like that! We also asked the waiter if I could sample a liquer (raspberry flavoured) and he obliged. Just a sip and I lost my voice - it was like drinking fire with a hint of fruit! I passed on a glass of that.
When the bill came, Matt and Suzie insisted they pay as this would be their birthday treat to John. John went mental; he hates it when someone else pays for him. However, he was told to shut up! I thanked them for my dinner too. It was just a wonderful evening which will be remembered for a long long time. There was no-one left in the restaurant by the time we left just before midnight! Three hours eating must be a record for me but it was so nice to just take it slow and enjoy the experience.
On the way home, we stopped by the bar which Matt, Suzie and John ended up in on the first night here. It was full of locals, not somewhere you'd get many tourists. The music was loud, it was smoky but I was still in the mood for a cocktail. Suzie joined me with a 'Sex on the beach'.
Shortly after 1am we made our way back up the road to our hotel. And so to bed. What a great day!
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
Prague: Day 1
I was exhausted when awoken at about 9:30. I'm cranky when I don't get enough sleep but I had to shake myself out of it quickly so as not to spoil the day ahead. Breakfast was included at this accommodation and although very basic, it would suffice.
The weather was overcast which was disappointing but at least it wasn't raining.
So the four of us headed out to do our first piece of sightseeing. The road we were situated in was right next to the castle, therefore this seemed the perfect place to start. The castle area is huge but is not like a castle as we know it; it looks more like a palace. Guards dressed in pale blue march around the area at regular intervals and two of them also stand in their boxes outside the main gates.
Totally enclosed in the grounds is St Vitus's Cathedral which was beautiful. Gargoyles looked down on the crowds below - this is one feature I always love taking photos of. The queue going into the cathedral was ridiculously long so we decided to come back another time, maybe slightly earlier in the day. On our way back down, we took in the views over the city.
Prague is devided into five areas: Prague Castle and Hradcany, Little Quarter, Old Town, New Town and the Jewish Quarter. Today we were just set on the first two. After the castle, we headed back down Nerudova Street which has loads of shops and cafes. Puppets are popular here, as are Russian dolls, glassware and Art Nouveau. We saw some very nice sephia and black and white prints of watercolours of various sites in Prague, and decided we'd probably make a purchase on the last day.
In the Little Quarter, Suzie stumbled upon a a sign which said 'Tower open' so without discussion, purchased tickets to climb it. It was well worth it with some great views over the city. Shame about the cloud though.
View over Charles Bridge
Our tummies then said it was time for lunch and so we proceeded to find somewhere. Our walk took us towards Charles bridge which we didn't want to cross today; this would be the next area to cover tomorrow. We found a nice cosy place where the menu was extensive and catered for every taste. Afterwards, we meandered around the shops and surrounding streets. Suzie loves old doors and handles and she was forever photographing those. Me, well I was happy as Larry as there was something to take a picture of around every corner. It is such a beautiful city and it doesn't take long for you to fall in love with it.
We went back to the apartment for a hour or so for a rest and to freshen up before dinner. We didn't venture far for our evening meal - literally a few yards down the road was a nice Italian restaurant. The owner came out to hand us the menu and obviously to try and coax us in. I then became 'The Boss' as I had to make sure there was something veggie or a fish dish on the menu that I would eat. They did sole which is one of my favourite fish so it was fine. We nicknamed the owner/waiter/general dogsbody 'Mario' - he seemed to be the only one working there apart from one other Czech waitress. Another table was giving the waitress grief as the service wasn't as fast as they'd hoped but after she came to our table, she quickly loosened up and started smiling. She was very sweet but didn't speak too fluent English; there were some funny moments when she would just stand there nodding after we'd said something and there was a lot of confusion over the desserts we ordered (we ended up with 3 not 2). The meal was superb though, we couldn't fault it. As not much sleep was had the night previous, we didn't stay out late. Bed was the place to be.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
The weather was overcast which was disappointing but at least it wasn't raining.
So the four of us headed out to do our first piece of sightseeing. The road we were situated in was right next to the castle, therefore this seemed the perfect place to start. The castle area is huge but is not like a castle as we know it; it looks more like a palace. Guards dressed in pale blue march around the area at regular intervals and two of them also stand in their boxes outside the main gates.
Totally enclosed in the grounds is St Vitus's Cathedral which was beautiful. Gargoyles looked down on the crowds below - this is one feature I always love taking photos of. The queue going into the cathedral was ridiculously long so we decided to come back another time, maybe slightly earlier in the day. On our way back down, we took in the views over the city.
Prague is devided into five areas: Prague Castle and Hradcany, Little Quarter, Old Town, New Town and the Jewish Quarter. Today we were just set on the first two. After the castle, we headed back down Nerudova Street which has loads of shops and cafes. Puppets are popular here, as are Russian dolls, glassware and Art Nouveau. We saw some very nice sephia and black and white prints of watercolours of various sites in Prague, and decided we'd probably make a purchase on the last day.
In the Little Quarter, Suzie stumbled upon a a sign which said 'Tower open' so without discussion, purchased tickets to climb it. It was well worth it with some great views over the city. Shame about the cloud though.
View over Charles Bridge
Our tummies then said it was time for lunch and so we proceeded to find somewhere. Our walk took us towards Charles bridge which we didn't want to cross today; this would be the next area to cover tomorrow. We found a nice cosy place where the menu was extensive and catered for every taste. Afterwards, we meandered around the shops and surrounding streets. Suzie loves old doors and handles and she was forever photographing those. Me, well I was happy as Larry as there was something to take a picture of around every corner. It is such a beautiful city and it doesn't take long for you to fall in love with it.
We went back to the apartment for a hour or so for a rest and to freshen up before dinner. We didn't venture far for our evening meal - literally a few yards down the road was a nice Italian restaurant. The owner came out to hand us the menu and obviously to try and coax us in. I then became 'The Boss' as I had to make sure there was something veggie or a fish dish on the menu that I would eat. They did sole which is one of my favourite fish so it was fine. We nicknamed the owner/waiter/general dogsbody 'Mario' - he seemed to be the only one working there apart from one other Czech waitress. Another table was giving the waitress grief as the service wasn't as fast as they'd hoped but after she came to our table, she quickly loosened up and started smiling. She was very sweet but didn't speak too fluent English; there were some funny moments when she would just stand there nodding after we'd said something and there was a lot of confusion over the desserts we ordered (we ended up with 3 not 2). The meal was superb though, we couldn't fault it. As not much sleep was had the night previous, we didn't stay out late. Bed was the place to be.
(Posted 3 Jun 2007)
Prague: the journey & arrival
Matt, Suzie, John and I left for the airport Tuesday 29 May at mid afternoon ; the traffic was kind and so we arrived in plenty of time. After checking in, we all had something to eat and drink at Garfunkels as we would be arriving after 10pm Prague time. Typical Easyjet, the flight was delayed about an hour as the plane hadn't arrived back. I know you can't expect the world from these low cost airlines but I haven't been on one yet that has been on schedule.
Once we had landed safely in Prague, we found a taxi outside, agreed a price and within 20 minutes we were at the hotel. All very easy but I'm sure the taxi driver thought he was Michael Schumacher! The room we had booked was in fact an apartment - the living room also had a double bed, there was a second bedroom and a separate loo and bathroom as well as a large hall area. Absolutely spotlessly clean.
It was 11:30 by the time we got to the apartment. The others wanted to go downstairs to the bar to get a drink; I was too tired and not in the mood so I stayed in the room and read the guide book for a while. I went to unpack and get ready for bed but realised I didn't know the combination to the lock on the suitcase. I went to freshen up in the bathroom but there was no hot water so I got into bed in my underwear, hoping the others would return shortly. I tossed and turned as I can't sleep without cleaning my teeth and my throat was really dry too. Three and a half hours later at 3am, the dirty stop-outs got back! Only then could I get to bed properly, but still didn't get to sleep straight away - it must have been after 4am when I finally nodded off as I remember the birds starting to chirp outside.
(Posted 2 Jun 2007)
Once we had landed safely in Prague, we found a taxi outside, agreed a price and within 20 minutes we were at the hotel. All very easy but I'm sure the taxi driver thought he was Michael Schumacher! The room we had booked was in fact an apartment - the living room also had a double bed, there was a second bedroom and a separate loo and bathroom as well as a large hall area. Absolutely spotlessly clean.
It was 11:30 by the time we got to the apartment. The others wanted to go downstairs to the bar to get a drink; I was too tired and not in the mood so I stayed in the room and read the guide book for a while. I went to unpack and get ready for bed but realised I didn't know the combination to the lock on the suitcase. I went to freshen up in the bathroom but there was no hot water so I got into bed in my underwear, hoping the others would return shortly. I tossed and turned as I can't sleep without cleaning my teeth and my throat was really dry too. Three and a half hours later at 3am, the dirty stop-outs got back! Only then could I get to bed properly, but still didn't get to sleep straight away - it must have been after 4am when I finally nodded off as I remember the birds starting to chirp outside.
(Posted 2 Jun 2007)
Sarah & Gary's wedding
The wedding was due to start at 2pm but what with the bank holiday traffic expected, we set out yesterday at 10:30am. Dave, Tina and the kids in one car - my parents, Matt, Suzie and myself in my Dad's car. John couldn't make it as he was attending another wedding - his best mate's: Dave (Nobby) and he was also doing the DJing (coming out of retirement as a favour). It's ironic that we haven't been to a wedding in a few years and then two get arranged for the same day! The traffic got a bit heavy on the M25 and it was worse on the M1 as we thought it would be but at least it was moving. My back wasn't good being cramped up in the back and not being able to move, and we reached our destination after 2 hours. The wedding wasn't actually taking place in Luton; it was at the Harpenden House Hotel in Herts - a few miles nearer.
Little Ronnie was running riot; I've never seen him with such a lot of energy so everyone took turns to keep an eye on him during the time we had to kill before the ceremony. Matt and Suzie had a bite to eat in the bar and the rest of us had refreshments. Poor Gary was wandering around looking very nervous and all you could hear was 'You alright Gary?'. And so with ten minutes to the off, everyone had to take their seats.
The room was very small but the ceremony was lovely - Sarah looked like a princess and her dress was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, Ronnie decided this was his time to get irritable and Tina had to take him outside. She therefore missed the entire thing which was a shame. Sarah had a few giggles midway through the vows but she managed to keep control. My Mum was filling up sitting next to me and I also had tears in my eyes - it doesn't matter who's getting married, I always find it very emotional.
After the photo session with the signing of the register, everyone
mingled for a while. We caught up with Uncle Tony and Auntie Betty (Sarah's parents) who now live in Cyprus, so we hadn't seen them for years. Bet looked fabulous in her outfit, definitely the mother of the bride and I told her so.
Shortly after, we had to make our way outside into the small garden area where the photographer got to work. The weather hadn't exactly been kind - although it wasn't raining, it was very gloomy and chilly. The previous day had been glorious and quite hot - that's England for you! I was snap happy with my camera as usual - the official photographer had a similar model to mine and kept remarking that I was standing in the right place for the next shot. Maybe that should have been my career?
It was about 4pm when we all finally sat down for the food. By this time, my back was killing me - probably the worst day for pain I've ever had. The starter was tomato and basil soup which was very nice. My veggie main was a stack of courgettes and aubergines with a mozerella topping. Not my taste but I got the servers to provide potatoes, other veg and a yorkshire pud to go on to the side! Dessert was chocolate mousse/cake which was very rich and I couldn't eat it all. I gave half to Ronnie who proceeded to get himself in a right mess with it but it was so comical.
Other than Uncle Tony (Sarah's Dad) reading out Uncle Roger's letter from Australia, the best man making a pig's ear out of his speech and Gary being pretty funny, I can honestly say I can't remember an awful lot of what was said as Ronnie stole the show. As if on cue, he would come out with a giant raspberry and had the whole room laughing. He was shouting quite loudly nearly all the way through and also he has this weird little giggle which was hilarious but you got the feeling that some people were resenting it. But what you can you do? You can't gag a child.
Once the tables were cleared, the evening got under way with the first dance. Sarah had chosen Daniel Bedingfield's 'If you're not the one' years before and despite Gary's efforts to change it, he had not succeeded. Hehe! Well done Sarah. Of course, I wasn't complaining, it's my fave song ever. Despite being in pain, I managed a few dances holding Ronnie, who I must say is a little groover! He loved it.
Shortly before 10pm we all said our goodbyes and left in the pouring rain (lucky it held off). It only took around an hour getting back which was very good going. Once back at my Mum and Dad's, I collected my car and took Matt and Suzie back to mine. Upon arrival, I fumbled with my bunch of keys and then realised with horror that I had given Matt my door key a few days earlier, and so it was inside the house! Maria (my neighbour) was away and so I phoned Dad on my mobile to check he still had a spare. Thankfully he did and so we all got back into the car and went back round there to collect it. That's all I needed with my back the way it was but it was a relief to finally get home.
Nb. Writing in lilac as this was the theme colour of the wedding!
(Posted 27 May 2007)
Little Ronnie was running riot; I've never seen him with such a lot of energy so everyone took turns to keep an eye on him during the time we had to kill before the ceremony. Matt and Suzie had a bite to eat in the bar and the rest of us had refreshments. Poor Gary was wandering around looking very nervous and all you could hear was 'You alright Gary?'. And so with ten minutes to the off, everyone had to take their seats.
The room was very small but the ceremony was lovely - Sarah looked like a princess and her dress was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, Ronnie decided this was his time to get irritable and Tina had to take him outside. She therefore missed the entire thing which was a shame. Sarah had a few giggles midway through the vows but she managed to keep control. My Mum was filling up sitting next to me and I also had tears in my eyes - it doesn't matter who's getting married, I always find it very emotional.
After the photo session with the signing of the register, everyone
mingled for a while. We caught up with Uncle Tony and Auntie Betty (Sarah's parents) who now live in Cyprus, so we hadn't seen them for years. Bet looked fabulous in her outfit, definitely the mother of the bride and I told her so.
Shortly after, we had to make our way outside into the small garden area where the photographer got to work. The weather hadn't exactly been kind - although it wasn't raining, it was very gloomy and chilly. The previous day had been glorious and quite hot - that's England for you! I was snap happy with my camera as usual - the official photographer had a similar model to mine and kept remarking that I was standing in the right place for the next shot. Maybe that should have been my career?
It was about 4pm when we all finally sat down for the food. By this time, my back was killing me - probably the worst day for pain I've ever had. The starter was tomato and basil soup which was very nice. My veggie main was a stack of courgettes and aubergines with a mozerella topping. Not my taste but I got the servers to provide potatoes, other veg and a yorkshire pud to go on to the side! Dessert was chocolate mousse/cake which was very rich and I couldn't eat it all. I gave half to Ronnie who proceeded to get himself in a right mess with it but it was so comical.
Other than Uncle Tony (Sarah's Dad) reading out Uncle Roger's letter from Australia, the best man making a pig's ear out of his speech and Gary being pretty funny, I can honestly say I can't remember an awful lot of what was said as Ronnie stole the show. As if on cue, he would come out with a giant raspberry and had the whole room laughing. He was shouting quite loudly nearly all the way through and also he has this weird little giggle which was hilarious but you got the feeling that some people were resenting it. But what you can you do? You can't gag a child.
Once the tables were cleared, the evening got under way with the first dance. Sarah had chosen Daniel Bedingfield's 'If you're not the one' years before and despite Gary's efforts to change it, he had not succeeded. Hehe! Well done Sarah. Of course, I wasn't complaining, it's my fave song ever. Despite being in pain, I managed a few dances holding Ronnie, who I must say is a little groover! He loved it.
Shortly before 10pm we all said our goodbyes and left in the pouring rain (lucky it held off). It only took around an hour getting back which was very good going. Once back at my Mum and Dad's, I collected my car and took Matt and Suzie back to mine. Upon arrival, I fumbled with my bunch of keys and then realised with horror that I had given Matt my door key a few days earlier, and so it was inside the house! Maria (my neighbour) was away and so I phoned Dad on my mobile to check he still had a spare. Thankfully he did and so we all got back into the car and went back round there to collect it. That's all I needed with my back the way it was but it was a relief to finally get home.
Nb. Writing in lilac as this was the theme colour of the wedding!
(Posted 27 May 2007)
Around & about (last 7 days)
So the day after Matt & Suzie arrived (Saturday) it was pretty much a chill out session for them, getting over the jetlag. The FA Cup final between Man Utd & Chelsea came and went and would be described as one of the worst in history from an entertainment point of view. Yawnfest! Chelsea won in extra time 1-0 and you've gotta say that neither team deserved to lift the trophy. That evening, all the family was invited round for dinner (all except Dave as he was working).
On Sunday, John, myself, Matt & Suz went into Battlesbridge to have a look around (as Suz said she liked antiques). We then went for lunch in a country pub called the Brewers Arms which we literally just came across and then drove a few minutes on to Hyde Hall which has some pretty gardens and ponds. It was a nice stroll around and the weather was quite warm.
We had planned to go to Cambridge on Monday (us four plus my Mum & Dad) but Dad wasn't feeling well, I wasn't either and also the weather was grim and drizzly. We decided to postpone that trip and in passing conversation John said he'd probably head into London to catch a show that evening. Matt and Suzie liked that idea so those three left mid afternoon, with me staying behind which I was more than happy to do as I was still feeling a bit rough.
Tuesday was a lovely sunny day so Cambridge was back on the cards. However, we'd already pre-arranged that today would be a day out with Dave and Tina and Mum and Dad would be looking after the kids. So the six of us descended on the university city which was so much smaller than I had remembered. Mind you, it has been a long time since I was there last.
Most of the universities now charge an entrance fee which I was surprised at so we didn't bother with those, and so we just strolled around the streets and stopped for lunch at a pub. Afterwards, we drove onwards about 15 miles to Ely, as Matt suggested having been there on a previous visit to England. There isn't an awful lot there - mainly the cathedral and Oliver Cromwell's house which is now a tourist information bureau. However, again it was a leisurely walk and we stopped off at a pub for a drink before heading home again.
Wednesday was the big game. Liverpool v AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens. Both Matt and Dave are Reds' fans and so me being me, had to make a big thing out of it. I'd already bought a huge official flag of the final, made a 'Come on you Reds' poster from newspaper cuttings and pictures off the internet, bought 20 red balloons and together with an England flag, used these things to decorate the living room. It looked great! I'd also had 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to create more atmosphere. I wore all red in support but naturally I will never forget I have lillywhite blood running through my veins. You wouldn't catch me doing this if it was Arsenal, Chelsea or Man Utd - whoever my relatives happened to be! Liverpool, I have nothing against personally.
Unfortunately a few hours before everyone was due to arrive, my Nan had an accident involving a tempremental washing machine door and she ended up in A&E which a gash in her arm. Luckily my Dad was there at the time and thankfully after a few stitches, she was ok and was allowed back home the same afternoon. And so, in dribs and drabs people arrived at ours for the pre-match barby (seeing as the weather was bing kind to us).
Liverpool played well, looking a far better team than Milan who were seeking revenge after the events of two years ago. Two minutes before the break, a free kick was given to Milan just outside the box and it was unfortunately converted, albeit with a wicked deflection. So 1-0 down at half time. Worse was to come as the Reds went 2-0 down late on in the second half and it was just about game over before Kuyt grabbed a goal back from a close range header with a few minutes left on the clock. Sadly not enough time to equalise and so Milan won the trophy for the 7th time. Not the outcome we all wanted and the boys were gutted. Shame. The champagne is still in the fridge.
And so on to Thursday. It was another beautiful day and apart from Monday, we have been blessed with great weather. Matt & Suz must have brought it with them. Today, we'd planned a day out in London and John had already pre-booked a show for the evening - Wicked, which Suzie particularly wanted to see as it wasn't due to start in Australia until 2008. The sun was blazing when we left Shoebury but once into the capital it was really gloomy. Shame - but at least it wasn't raining. We got off the train at Tower Hill and then set off on foot over Tower Bridge and along the South Bank. It was a nice stroll and Suzie and myself were snapping away with our cameras. We didn't bother with the tube at all - just kept walking. Eventually the clouds broke and it turned into a very warm day. We sat outside and had lunch which was very tasty. Me and Suz had crab and coriander fishcakes with fragrant rice, leaves and mango salsa. Yummy! Nearby was the Tate Modern so we decided to have a look as none of us had ever been in there before. Modern art is not really my thing and whilst I did find some of the pieces intriging, others were just plain irritating - especially the giant canvas which was entitled ' Grey' - it was literally just grey, nothing else. How can you possibly call that art?!!! We did have a problem with Matt inside the gallery - he just wandered off and no-one could find him. Next time we will be taking a leash!
The rest of the afternoon was spent carrying on along the South Bank past the Globe theatre, the London Eye and through Westminster. Loads of photo opportunities to be had so I was more than happy. We had to head to Victoria where the show was playing and decided to eat at the pub John and I had done last time we were here. Although there was nothing wrong with the food itself, we couldn't believe how many things off the menu they had run out of. Firstly, out of about 8 red wines listed they only had two choices, they'd run out of mushy peas, treacle pudding, cream, and they only had one steak and ale pie left which Matt ordered, only to find that he been given a chicken and bacon pie! No apology either. I know it's not exactly fine dining but that's the reason England gets a bad reputation.
With ten minutes to spare, we walked around the corner to the Apollo Victora theatre and took our seats straight away. Good ones too - row M of the stalls to the left of the stage. This was the third time John had seen Wicked and my second but the night was really for Matt and Suzie, who thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
I was pretty exhausted but it was a very enjoyable day.
Today (Friday) was much more relaxing. Late morning, the four of us went into town (Debenhams) to get Sarah and Gary their wedding presents for tomorrow. I know that's leaving it to the very last minute but I had intended giving them money, which had been requested by them as an alternative to a gift, which they could put towards their honeymoon later in the year. However, my Mum seemed to think that the honeymoon might not be happening so a gift would be more appropropriate. They had a wedding list and there was still plenty to choose from. Lunch was spent round my Mum and Dad's al fresco - pizza, salad and potato wedges which went down a treat. Dave was also there with Ronnie - Tina was at work and the girls were at school. When it clouded over and got a tad chilly we headed inside and had a game of Balderdash.
It's now 23:37 and I'm still writing this blog entry. My back is bloody killing me too. I really must think about getting to bed soon as it's going to be a long day tomorrow with the wedding and the travellling to and from Luton. The traffic is expected to be bad seeing as it's the bank holiday weekend, so we'll be leaving about 10:15, well ahead of the ceremony which is at 2pm.
Night night.
(Posted 26 May 2007)
On Sunday, John, myself, Matt & Suz went into Battlesbridge to have a look around (as Suz said she liked antiques). We then went for lunch in a country pub called the Brewers Arms which we literally just came across and then drove a few minutes on to Hyde Hall which has some pretty gardens and ponds. It was a nice stroll around and the weather was quite warm.
We had planned to go to Cambridge on Monday (us four plus my Mum & Dad) but Dad wasn't feeling well, I wasn't either and also the weather was grim and drizzly. We decided to postpone that trip and in passing conversation John said he'd probably head into London to catch a show that evening. Matt and Suzie liked that idea so those three left mid afternoon, with me staying behind which I was more than happy to do as I was still feeling a bit rough.
Tuesday was a lovely sunny day so Cambridge was back on the cards. However, we'd already pre-arranged that today would be a day out with Dave and Tina and Mum and Dad would be looking after the kids. So the six of us descended on the university city which was so much smaller than I had remembered. Mind you, it has been a long time since I was there last.
Most of the universities now charge an entrance fee which I was surprised at so we didn't bother with those, and so we just strolled around the streets and stopped for lunch at a pub. Afterwards, we drove onwards about 15 miles to Ely, as Matt suggested having been there on a previous visit to England. There isn't an awful lot there - mainly the cathedral and Oliver Cromwell's house which is now a tourist information bureau. However, again it was a leisurely walk and we stopped off at a pub for a drink before heading home again.
Wednesday was the big game. Liverpool v AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens. Both Matt and Dave are Reds' fans and so me being me, had to make a big thing out of it. I'd already bought a huge official flag of the final, made a 'Come on you Reds' poster from newspaper cuttings and pictures off the internet, bought 20 red balloons and together with an England flag, used these things to decorate the living room. It looked great! I'd also had 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to create more atmosphere. I wore all red in support but naturally I will never forget I have lillywhite blood running through my veins. You wouldn't catch me doing this if it was Arsenal, Chelsea or Man Utd - whoever my relatives happened to be! Liverpool, I have nothing against personally.
Unfortunately a few hours before everyone was due to arrive, my Nan had an accident involving a tempremental washing machine door and she ended up in A&E which a gash in her arm. Luckily my Dad was there at the time and thankfully after a few stitches, she was ok and was allowed back home the same afternoon. And so, in dribs and drabs people arrived at ours for the pre-match barby (seeing as the weather was bing kind to us).
Liverpool played well, looking a far better team than Milan who were seeking revenge after the events of two years ago. Two minutes before the break, a free kick was given to Milan just outside the box and it was unfortunately converted, albeit with a wicked deflection. So 1-0 down at half time. Worse was to come as the Reds went 2-0 down late on in the second half and it was just about game over before Kuyt grabbed a goal back from a close range header with a few minutes left on the clock. Sadly not enough time to equalise and so Milan won the trophy for the 7th time. Not the outcome we all wanted and the boys were gutted. Shame. The champagne is still in the fridge.
And so on to Thursday. It was another beautiful day and apart from Monday, we have been blessed with great weather. Matt & Suz must have brought it with them. Today, we'd planned a day out in London and John had already pre-booked a show for the evening - Wicked, which Suzie particularly wanted to see as it wasn't due to start in Australia until 2008. The sun was blazing when we left Shoebury but once into the capital it was really gloomy. Shame - but at least it wasn't raining. We got off the train at Tower Hill and then set off on foot over Tower Bridge and along the South Bank. It was a nice stroll and Suzie and myself were snapping away with our cameras. We didn't bother with the tube at all - just kept walking. Eventually the clouds broke and it turned into a very warm day. We sat outside and had lunch which was very tasty. Me and Suz had crab and coriander fishcakes with fragrant rice, leaves and mango salsa. Yummy! Nearby was the Tate Modern so we decided to have a look as none of us had ever been in there before. Modern art is not really my thing and whilst I did find some of the pieces intriging, others were just plain irritating - especially the giant canvas which was entitled ' Grey' - it was literally just grey, nothing else. How can you possibly call that art?!!! We did have a problem with Matt inside the gallery - he just wandered off and no-one could find him. Next time we will be taking a leash!
The rest of the afternoon was spent carrying on along the South Bank past the Globe theatre, the London Eye and through Westminster. Loads of photo opportunities to be had so I was more than happy. We had to head to Victoria where the show was playing and decided to eat at the pub John and I had done last time we were here. Although there was nothing wrong with the food itself, we couldn't believe how many things off the menu they had run out of. Firstly, out of about 8 red wines listed they only had two choices, they'd run out of mushy peas, treacle pudding, cream, and they only had one steak and ale pie left which Matt ordered, only to find that he been given a chicken and bacon pie! No apology either. I know it's not exactly fine dining but that's the reason England gets a bad reputation.
With ten minutes to spare, we walked around the corner to the Apollo Victora theatre and took our seats straight away. Good ones too - row M of the stalls to the left of the stage. This was the third time John had seen Wicked and my second but the night was really for Matt and Suzie, who thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
I was pretty exhausted but it was a very enjoyable day.
Today (Friday) was much more relaxing. Late morning, the four of us went into town (Debenhams) to get Sarah and Gary their wedding presents for tomorrow. I know that's leaving it to the very last minute but I had intended giving them money, which had been requested by them as an alternative to a gift, which they could put towards their honeymoon later in the year. However, my Mum seemed to think that the honeymoon might not be happening so a gift would be more appropropriate. They had a wedding list and there was still plenty to choose from. Lunch was spent round my Mum and Dad's al fresco - pizza, salad and potato wedges which went down a treat. Dave was also there with Ronnie - Tina was at work and the girls were at school. When it clouded over and got a tad chilly we headed inside and had a game of Balderdash.
It's now 23:37 and I'm still writing this blog entry. My back is bloody killing me too. I really must think about getting to bed soon as it's going to be a long day tomorrow with the wedding and the travellling to and from Luton. The traffic is expected to be bad seeing as it's the bank holiday weekend, so we'll be leaving about 10:15, well ahead of the ceremony which is at 2pm.
Night night.
(Posted 26 May 2007)
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