March 2015

March madness maybe the best way to describe the month. We've been on fire watch.

It began with reports from Cape Town of fires in the area heading towards Hout Bay. With no news coverage in the UK, we had to contact friends and family and search online for information and hope that it didn't spread as far as our property. It certainly looked bad but in the end it didn't affect us, though next week we will see for ourselves the extent of the damage caused.

These are NOT pictures of Mt. Doom from "The Lord of the Rings"

Flora Bay, very near Hout Bay.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly known as the Cape Argus Pick 'n' Pay Momentum Cycle Tour) had to be reduced from the normal 109k to just 47k as many of the roads became too dangerous to use or were closed. The change, unprecedented in 38 years of racing history, went ahead in support of the brave men and women who had risked their lives to battle the fires that had wreaked havoc on the Southern Peninsula.

We had a report from our friend Lynne, in Hout Bay, which I reproduce here. 

(A glossary will appear at the end to translate some of the words used): 

*dagga (marijuana)

*bergies (mountain homeless people)

*stompie (cigarette butt/fag end)

*sms (Short Message Service - SA version of text  message)

Then no sooner had the situation eased, when we heard of a fire in Clapham Junction. Late on a Friday afternoon, the London Fire Brigade were called to the Battersea Arts Centre on Lavender Hill. The air was choked with ash and smoke and those nearby were told not to open their windows. Unfortunately, the Grade II listed building was badly burnt, but at least no one was injured. The smoke had spread to such an extent that by the time Margaret got off the bus at Wandsworth Bridge and walked home, she had inhaled so much smoke, she wouldn’t have needed the smoked nuts we usually ask for at one of our new favourite pubs ‘The Cat’s Back’.

Battersea Arts Centre - Friday 13th March 2015

February 2015

This month has involved extensive armchair travelling.
It began with a visit to 'Travel Destinations' at Olympia, which was pretty much the same as previous years but always fires the imagination and the possibilities. Added to this we have been following my son and his girlfriend as they make their way in and around South East Asia. This has resulted in our atlas being dusted off and google searches galore, as we locate them in places we have never heard of before.
Planning future trips to Venice and finding a hotel there has taken up part of our waking hours with the remaining time divided between discussing our visit to Cape Town and arrangements for staying there in our flat. 
All this following the whereabouts of the gadabouts (7 hours ahead in Vietnam), our own mind expanding travelling, reading books and viewing websites* is exhausting and I'm getting itchy feet.
'Chocks away ginger', nearly time to fly and leave the armchair for awhile.

Relax and enjoy the flight in luxury with armchair-airways dot con !

* fyi see:
http://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/thinkpuglia/guide-to-puglia/towns-and-cities/alberobello.aspx
and
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/northeast-vietnam/halong-bay

2015: January

New idea for 2015. We'll post a monthly blog, about just anything we've been doing, with news and links to our other page 'trips' when relevant.

Square-eyes….

This month we have mostly been watching telly. (And going to the pictures).
Whether this has all to do with January being grey and dull and it makes you want to hibernate, or following Christmas you're now trying to save money after dispensing with too much of it the month before, take your pick. All I know is Margaret hit the button on our 'Sky TV on demand' and 'Download Abbey' was in progress. Over the next few days all forty odd episodes appeared in our Planner box and the Downton Abbeython had begun.
Somehow over the last four years we have not, like most of the world, got caught up in watching this TV series. But hooked we are now. Trying to avoid people telling us what has happened isn't easy, though we are racing through the episodes at such a rate we'll soon be up to date, if that's correct terminology for a period drama set nearly a 100 years ago.

Contributing further to our square-eyed persona has been a number of movies. 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' - 'The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies' (Bill) - 'Interstellar' - 'Paddington' (Margaret) - and 'Birdman'.

Hopefully February will see us come out of hiding and more sociable behaviour will resume.
x M&B

Seasons in the Sun

To show that there's more to Hurley than just pictures of water…..

Spring - Rain - Bluebells.

This one is not in the sun, but note the matching umbrella I'm wearing.

Tithecote Manor, Hurley

Driveway envy.

House on the Littlewick Green. 

Not a made up place, but a quintessential English village.

The Rising Sun Public House.

'Our local'

Retro Weekend

This banner really says it all. A weekend of retro fun for old retro people. The air display was worth the entry fee alone but for the price they threw in stalls full of clothes and memorabilia (also a lot of junk), vintage cars, bikes and caravans. Loads of fun and already in the diary for next year. Here's a few pictures I took:

Air Display

Annie's Cake Bar

Amazing clouds too !

Van Improvements

Sporting a new look for the summer, latest picture of our weekend retreat at Hurley showing off some home improvements.

1. Boxing in around van (to keep out the cold and wind).

2. New replacement fencing at back. 

3. Repainted picnic table (half hidden by garden re-arrangement).

4. Painted green gates. (even if you hardly notice, please tell us how nice they look, as they took us ages to do. I thank you).

First year Wedding Anniversary - photo call

This picture is brought to you by Seven Seas Trying for a baby - vitamins and minerals - proud sponsors of the ITV weather.

Shocked ? We all look it !

*Actually 4 months old Jack is my second cousin's little boy. We just borrowed him for a while.

Cape Town (Part 2) finally!

As students and followers of our blogs may have noticed the final 'part two' of our Cape Town holiday has yet to make an appearance.
After taking longer to conclude than anticipated we can finally reveal "THE PLANS".

While 'it' was rather long winded, it's best that we aren't, so here's a summary, some pictures and the location, location, invitation!

I have previously mentioned this part concerns swallows and flying south, which is roughly how it all started....
Having spent the best part of last year searching and looking for properties we thought we'd just take a look around after friends spoke of people coming to Cape Town to escape the northern winter, calling them 'swallows'. This certainly appealed to me.We eyed up Hermanus first and then, in Hout Bay, realised this too was affordable. We wanted a simple lock-up and go that we might be able to rent out. Hout Bay, which as well as being a lovely place to be, offered the added bonus of good friends living just around the corner.

KEY:  25 minute drive to Cape Town centre         30 minutes to the airport.

We were shown a place we liked and with the owner selling the flat fully furnished and at the money (plus a favourable exchange rate) it appeared like a good investment. "Let's give it go and see how it works out" was my view.

We made an offer, agreed a price and our final day in Cape Town took us back to the agents Rawsons to go through the paperwork and sign documents on a two bedroom, fully kitted out flat. Confident in the ability to complete the purchase via email we retired to the 'Woodcutters Arms' for a celebratory drink with Lynne Fouche (our appointed inspector and henceforth known as Agent Fouche).

Following a number of hold ups, beyond our control, we have finally completed. Have a tenant in place for a year, after which, we hope to go out next year to spend some time there ourselves.

We've had slightly mixed reactions to all of this and not wanting to get to philosophical - but "Life's to short" and "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" are two cliches that spring to mind and this philosophy has been under-pinned since by various friends and family who have recently suffered serious health problems. So YOLO. ("You only live once").

Our invitation to everyone is you're welcome to come to Cape Town. We have the ideal place to stay.

First floor flat – front door and separate balcony to the right. Parking space below.

Living Room

This aerial shot probably doesn't tell you a huge amount unless you know Hout Bay. 
But it does show the sea (bottom left), about half a kilometre away. We're near Hout Bay Manor.
For more location info, check out www.houtbaymanor.com/contact-us

Thailand - Lang Suan

Helpful location map.

Let's start with introducing everyone.
(Left to right) People first: Bryan, Leila, Margaret, Kyoko and Colin. The dogs: which have names based on their colour, Psycho, Gogo, one of the Williams sisters, Bia, Sticky (in front) and finally the other Williams sister with Colin.
If I have this wrong or you want the names explaining, see Colin!
The remarkable thing is they are all in the same place at one time.

Lang Suan aka Colinland.

As promised an expanded entry of our stay with Colin and Kyoko at their lovely beach house.

Various location shots and people walking dogs pictures. I hope this shows you how nice it is and what a great time we had there.

Location shot.       Bay                          Beach                            House

     

The view North

The main house and a small part of the garden.

View of the main house from the guest house.

Let's end with another picture of us and all the dogs. Did anyone move ?

  
















Leila had this great idea that Kyoko should have her name on the entrance sign you see as you arrive. I tried to copy the original style and Margaret painted it and as you can see Colin hammered it home. Here we are at the unveiling ceremony. 6th March 2014.

Cape Town Part Two (2):

For those fans and followers of our Blogs (and I know you're out there) who have been waiting diligently for the final and concluding part of our recent trip to Cape Town, please bare with us awhile longer. There has been a hold up in proceedings and we'd rather wait for the outcome before telling this tale. Something about counting chickens before they hatch ! – so "Part Two: THE PLANS" is still TBC. For now let us entertain you with another picture from Hurley-on-Thames of the Hight Street last week that resembled more a tributary of the river rather than a road. Things are improving, but we are not out of the woods (or rather the water) just yet.

Hurley-under-Water

Ring in the NEW

A Happy NEW Year.... only so far it isn't very new and has a distinct 'déjà vu' feel to it.

Budget cuts, debt crisis, increased train fares and if that's not enough wet blankets there's the weather!

Floods, rainstorms, rivers bursting their banks, more floods! It's been so dramatic the geography and coastline of Southern England has changed forever.

See: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2534511/UK-weather-50ft-waves-hit-coast-1-6inches-rain-fall-sodden-ground-today.html

London and the Thames (due to the barrier being closed) has largely been spared, but upstream it's a different story. Our van at Hurley is cut-off, unless you're prepared to wade knee deep through the road that's become, along with the adjoining fields an aquatic habitat more suited to the ducks and swans. 

It's worse than last year (see our January 14th 2013 'déjà vu' entry). And it's not over yet, there's more where this lot came from.

Still we're not as badly off as some folk, judging from the nightly news bulletins.

For the record here's our photographic contribution .... with a few comparisons for you to see the difference.

This is the road.... ! (Our car (the tiny red dot) parked as near as I could get)

The 'Normal' view of the road we take out of the park. (Rainbow effect is occasional)

The scene yesterday. Can you see the Swan floating along in the distance ?

Our usual view from the van (see below)

NEW Lakeside view

And a NEW Water Feature

Cape Town - Part Two

As promised the second part of our recent holiday to Cape Town that involved some drama. I've decided to call it "Rains and Bees and Plans" (sung to the tune of 'Trains and Boats and Planes').

THE RAINS

These started on our second day as we drove towards Hermanus. On our arrival there it was falling down and the downpour continued non-stop for the next 27 hours resulting in flooding as rivers burst their banks. Depositing debris over the roads and onto the beaches and into the sea. A drive up to Caledon was not possible (see picture). 

This is the Road to Caledon. Or not !

We were told all this rain was due to a weather system called a 'cut-off low'. Never heard of this? See: www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/Cut-off-low.htm - if you're interested. Basically the slow-moving rain clouds were trapped and it just kept raining until it could rain no more. 

Though the weather cleared for our journey back to Cape Town we could not have gone back the way we came as the road was closed. Also our decision to drive further north and not take the Franschhoek Pass was lucky as this pass was not pass-able and we would have been forced back if we'd tried to go this way.

This same bad weather was the reason a few days later we found Chapman's Peak Drive closed, and it would remain so for the whole holiday.

A ball of bees

THE BEES

Our first morning at Margaret's mums place we noticed all these flying insects from our bedroom window. Causing the gardener Simon to take cover until the air cleared.

As we all ventured back out into the garden I noticed inside a tree, clustered around a branch, a very large wriggling ball of bees. To say this looked like trouble is an understatement. We drove to the Local Municipality to report it and organise a bee man to come round. Some advice suggested they may not stick around and fortunately before the 'bee' man arrived the entire ball of bees flew off to trouble someone else.

Later that same day, probably while our heads were still a little buzzy, our hire car began to rebel. First we set the alarm off, somehow! Then we couldn't get the petrol cap open at the filling station. Out came the car manual, for a second time, but to no avail. We simply couldn't open the thing and we were in dire need of petrol. A passerby helped us with an enlightening display of car key remote pressing and pushing on the petrol cap cover. 
Nothing about any of this in the manual....!

THE PLANS

This final part is all about swallows and flying south for the winter. It spreads over most of the second week of our trip and is very much an on-going story.... 

So Part Two of Part Two will follow shortly...

Newspaper article after the storm

Clearing up, after surviving the big rain of 2013