November/December

Guy Fawkes (or Bonfire Night) is celebrated in London at the start of November with a series of big fireworks displays around the city. With the assistance of George we managed to get ourselves onto a river cruise from which to watch the fireworks. We met with our friends at Westminster pier not quite sure which of many boats was ours. However, after some trial and error we made it onto the correct one and managed to stoke out a good (but chilly) possie on the top deck. The boat trundled its way past a lit up Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament as well as Battersea Power Station till we reached Battersea Park. They even fed us along the way. We were certainly pleased of our spot when the fireworks started as we had a virtually unobscured view of what was going on. Even better than the residents of Chelsea on the opposite shore. The boat then slowly made its way back up the river to drop us off, sufficiently impressed but also sufficiently cold to need to head home and defrost ourselves.

It was also time to say goodbye to another pair of flatmates. This time it was Lauren and Jeremy who were heading back to Australia. Moving in to replace them were Andy and Camille who were the people we had taken the room from when we had first moved into the flat. Things had come full circle for them.

November was when we made our first trip to a London Club (yes we are lame). It was Proud Camden which is in the old stables at Camden Lock. Pretentious doesn't begin to describe it, but that was OK because we were celebrating Kate and Tree's 30th birthdays in 50s style. Jess was looking sweet in pink and white stripey dress and Marcus was looking cool with his slicked back hair. The place was packed but it was good to catch up with everyone. We wondered what was happening when the woman with a snake showed up but the party continued well into the night.

We also made it back out to the O2 Centre in Greenwich. This time to see one of the biggest acts of the moment, Gorillaz. The members of the band are cartoon characters but unlike previous times the band has toured, this time they actually had all the people out on stage singing and playing. There were loads of guests, some we had heard of and some we had not. Little Dragon was one of the better ones and although De La Soul were an hour and a half late they made their presence known when they did show up and jumped around the stage full of energy. Not the best concert we have been to but was still a good night out.

We managed to score ourselves tickets to a special screening of the latest Harry Potter movie at the Imax. We weren't sure why it was special but when we got there there were people dressed up in all the wizarding gear including what appeared to be professional actors as Hagrid and Professor McGonagal. It was good to see what all the Imax fuss was about too.

We lost even more flatmates in November with our kiwi flatties Bex and Riki finishing up their Visas and heading back to NZ. A traditional last meal at Ziloufs was in order as well as having some people around for some, surprisingly, subdued drinks.

By December the cold weather had well and truly set in again but that didn't stop us heading down to Borough Market. Still as delightful and tasty as it was last time we wandered around picking up various delicacies so that we could cook them up for a flat Christmas dinner. As nobody was actually going to be around on actual Christmas we had to settle for having it at the start of the month but in typical fashion we ate (far too much), drank and were merry as well as hanging tinsel and decorations around the flat. It was also a good way to get to know our new flatmates, with the flat having basically changed completely in the previous month.

More Christmas celebration was in order with a trip after to work to Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park with Ian and Amy. It was pretty darn cold so we made the most of the mulled wine and the bratwurst (and the giant singing tree?) before beating a hasty retreat back to the flat.

Snow arrived in London towards the middle of December. It caused massive trouble for travellers with Heathrow and many of the other airports and train routes being closed for days. Luckily we got out the night before it all went down, on our biggest trip yet. This time to Denmark, Germany and Austria....

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/November2010 
https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/December2010

Vienna

It was a city new to both of us for our next trip to the continent. This time Vienna, the romantic capital of Austria. We arrived early on Friday morning, as the city was just awakening so things were looking pretty quiet. We hadn't done much research on this one so just decided to go for a wander through the city. It was like other European cities but you could tell everything was grander with more money. The buildings were big and well kept, the streets were clean and the people were well dressed. There was plenty of fur around and Marcus had to work hard to keep Jess away from it. In the main square Marcus introduced Jess to Leberkase. We also checked out the beautiful grounds of the Hofburg and parks surrounding it, including a meeting with Mozart and a Woodpecker. We continued our meandearing around the Ring Road, which surrounds the inner city of Vienna, checking out more of the grand state buildings and churches before wandering back into town for a sit down at one of the many cake and coffee houses for some very tasty baked delights. After all of that walking we put our feet up for a while before venturing out after dark to find somewhere to eat, where we indulged in Wiener Schnitzel, Pork, Sauerkraut and Knodel. After making a token effort to walk dinner off we wandered back to our cozy hotel for a good sleep. It was at this point we decided this was not going to be one of those holidays where you lose weight...

We arose early the next monring and after a tasty breakfast made our way to the Stadtpark with its manicured gardens and water features. After meeting up with Strauss we wandered down past the Palais Schwarzenberg till we reached our planned destination, the Naschmarkt. It is situated over the top of a canal and is a combination of food stall markets, restaurants and a flea market. The place was bustling with people so we stopped for some Viennese tea. We then took our time checking out the produce, pastries, meat and other things in the food market and the general random goings on in the flea market. We then wandered back to the main part of town to get something which Jess had been looking forward to since we arrived. The Sacher Tort. The Sacher Tort is a special rich chocolate cake that originates from the Hotel Sacher in the middle of Vienna, a bit like the Ritz in London. We took our seats beneath the sparkling chandelier and proceeded to order our Viennese Tea and Coffee and a slice of Sacher Tort each. It certainly was a rich tasty chocolate cake. Not one for every day consumption though. After heading back to the hotel to put our feet up again we changed our clothes and head back out again, this time taking the Tram out to to the Volksoper (People's Opera House) (we couldn't quite stretch the budget to go to the Staatoper (State Opera House.) After finding a surprisingly excellent pre-opera restaurant (where everything else around was a takeaway) we sat back to enjoy the opera of "Rusalka" by Dvorak. We weren't 100% sure what was going on all the time but in general terms water nymph falls in love with prince but has to give up being nymph to be human and spend time with the prince who eventually falls for someone else. If you have seen the Little Mermaid you know the general story. It was a modern take on an old story but the sets were amazing and the performers did an excellent (if not sometimes confusing) job. We were defintely more cultured for the experience.

The next day we made our way out on the train to Schloss Schonbrunn, a palace similar to Versailles and the historical home of the Austrian royal family. It was full of the standard opulence we had come to expect from touring around these grand palaces. However, as always it was the gardens which were really amazing. It was autumn so there were colourful leaves falling everywhere. The fountains (although not really working) were all very grand with all sorts of crazy carvings in them. The gardens at the back head uphill so when you get to the top you get a great view over the gardens and out into the suburbs of Vienna. There was also a proper hedge maze, with high hedges and twists and turns. We had some fun finding our way through that and the smaller hedge mazes nearby (for the kids...) We slowly made our way back to the main city, checked out of our hotel and then wandered around the city for one last evening. The Staatsoper is still accessable, even if you can't afford a ticket, because they broadcast what is happening inside onto a giant screen outside for all and sundry to enjoy. We made our last visit for some cake and coffee with just enough time to get out to the airport and back to London again.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/ViennaNovember2010

September & October - London & Leeds

We decided to keep it a bit more local for the rest of September. Following on from Notting Hill Carnival there is also the Thames Festival which has stalls and shows and all sorts of things all the way down South Bank. Good chance for us to start at Tower Bridge and leisurely wander our way down South Bank taking in music and food and performances. This all culminates in a parade which runs from Blackfriars, up the riverbank and then across the river and down South Bank again. It had been a long day by the time the parade came around so we had a glimpse of what was going on and then slowly made our way home through the crowds.

We also tried to get one of our old Wellington pastimes up and running again, the pub quiz. We made a few trips to the Tufnell Park tavern but Monday nights weren't working for us so this unfortunately died a death, maybe to be resurrected again one day...although we did manage to make it to the Tufnell Park Tavern in October for non quiz fun too. It was Amy's birthday and considering it is only across the road from their flat it was a perfect venue for a birthday dinner with all the usual suspects.

There continued to be museums in London which we hadn't yet made it to so we decided to remedy that a little more with a visit to the Science Museum. Not sure if it was just us having a bad day but we just weren't that interested in the exhibits as hard as we tried to be. I guess science just isn't our thing.

Another birthday we made it to in October was down in south London. This time we were celebrating Forrest's 30th birthday. Was great to catch up with him, Fagan, Monique and all the rest of their crowd. The KFC pie as a substitute for a cake went down a treat too.

By October the sun is still out but it is definitely colder. Still good weather for walking though so we made our way eastward along Regents Canal past Victoria park and all the way to Docklands with a stop at the Roman Road along the way. The Roman Road is in Tower Hamlets and is an old trading route but other than the sign telling you you are at Roman Road you wouldn't think it was different to any other road in London. Canal walking is good though. That is definitely something we will miss when the time comes to leave London.

Although the weather was starting to get a bit colder as we got into October we still decided to make our way out to Leeds Castle (in Kent...nowhere near Leeds), which was supposed to be the most beautiful castle in England. After getting the train from Victoria and a small bus to get there we were certainly impressed with its classical turrets and with a lake surrounding it. A look around the inside was more like being in a stately home than a castle, but that is because it has been lived in till relatively recently and can still be rented out for weddings and other occasions. We also took a look around the grounds of the castle, complete with beautiful manicured gardens, an aviary with all manor of exotic birds (although the Kea were hiding) and a hedge maze. This one was a proper hedge maze. Much better than what we had experienced at Hampton Court and it actually took us quite a long time to get through it. Once you made it to the exit you went underground into a cave grotto. Scary for kids but fun for the adults too.

In October (somewhat later than initially planned) Tom and Gini arrived back in London before making their way slowly back to NZ. We managed to catch them one night during their hectic schedule for a dinner of beautiful fish followed by cocktails at Ziloufs. Bon Voyage our travelling friends.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/September2010
https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/October2010

Naples & the Amalfi Coast

Our next Summer trip was to catch up with Tom and Gini while they were on their van tour around Europe.  We thought we would make a long weekend out of it so spent a couple of days in Naples seeing the sites before meeting up with tang in their Smurf Van and heading to Amalfi Coast. To be honest we weren't expecting much from Naples as we heard it was rather dirty and didn't have much going for it except inventing pizza.  We arrived at our hostel late on Friday night feeling rather tired.  After discovering how to get inside our hostel (buttons and buzzers and stairs and confusion...) we were pleasantly surprised with our room; it even had a kitchen and lounge area. Ahhh low budget luxury.  We were tired and hungry so weren't up for much of an adventure that night so the hostel man ordered us a pizza for our first taste of Naples pizza -Magherita and it was delicious and cheap. Yum!

The next day we awoke more refreshed and wanting to get some history in we headed to Pompeii. After some help from the locals about which train we should have been on (as opposed to the one we were actually on) we arrived at the site of the buried city of Pompeii.We were amazed in the size of the ruins and spent a good few hours wondering around. It was very different from what we had seen in Greece where over time the buildings had become ruined and run down. This was an instant event where the volcano had erupted and buried the entire city. Much of it is still to be excavated. You get a much better feel for what it would have been like to live in the city because you are walking around in the city, going into people's houses and seeing the places where they would have spent their life. The plaster cast of the victims frozen in time were very moving. After a good look around Pompeii we headed back to Naples for a look around. We stopped for some local Pizza although were very confused about what we were ordering and weren't particularly impressed when it turned out to be Margherita (yum) with Tuna (yuck.) The heat prevented us moving to quickly and we needed to stop for some yummy lemon slushy and beer on the way but we got a good look around the central part of Naples where the shops and tourist attractions are located.  That evening we headed out to an authentic Italian restaurant and had tasty bruschetta, pasta and a lemon dessert. After a full on day we then headed back to our hostel to put our weary feet up.

The next day we headed off to the fancy island of Capri (Capri Pants to Marcus).  We didn't see much more than Italian X-Factor (sleep time) on the ferry ride but once we arrived in Capri we could instantly see why it was such a tourist destination. It is stunning. After deciding that the cable car queue was too long and that it wasn't worth while waiting for a  bus to arrive we headed up the hill on foot. The walk wasn't too bad -  would be a lot easier if we were coming direct from NZ as London has taught us to struggle with even the slightest hill. That took us into the main town of Capri, up the top of the hill. It was tight streets for pedestrians only decked out with boutique shops, cafes and trinket shops for all the tourists, and they had certainly come. You couldn't move one way or the other without getting caught up in a guided tour. However, we made our way through the throngs (with a gelato along the way) and came out at the east end of town where it opened up a bit more and was a bit higher up too. The view at the top was definitely worth the trip. We then wandered around the other side of the hill through a garden where there was a film crew shooting a movie we think. Not surprising with the scenery up there. They were all speaking Italian though so not sure what was really going on. Through the other side of the park we reached the south coast where we were up for more stunning sea views. There were plenty of boats down on the water too showing that many of the rich visitors travel by their own boats to the island. We wandered down Via Krupp which was a crazy winding road down the steep hill to the water. After checking our watches we decided not to wander along the whole of the south coast, instead heading back up Via Krupp and through the town again to jump on the next Ferry back to Naples. It was then a rush back to our hostel to get our bags and then down to the main train station where we met up with Tom and Gini in their van (although somewhat later than we had planned.) Tom managed to navigate his way through the Naples traffic (I think the rules are drive wherever you feel like it) to get us out around the Bay towards our next destination, the Amalfi Coast. It was good to catch up with a browner (and in Tom's case hairier) Tom and Gini and hear jealously about how their travels had been going so far. Tom aided by the TomTom managed to guide us to the camp site, situated pretty near the end of the Amalfi peninsula in Nerano. After setting up camp we rewarded ourselves with a Birra Moretti and did some research into how we would spend the rest of our time around Amalfi. Tom and Gini treated us to a dinner of cheese, tomatoes, olives, basil and olive oil followed by pasta. Mamma Mia! After helping Tom and Gini with their Chianti it was time for bed in the spare room (or tent).



We arose at a leisurely hour the next day and wandered down to the beach by the camping ground to catch some rays. The place was jam packed with people and you could certainly tell the ones who had just arrived from London, with their white skin....After tackling some with jellyfish in the water we decided we were better off on land. We found the local bus and then (wondering how it would fit around the windy roads) made our way across to the resort town of Sorrento. Sorrento is one of those towns which was once pretty, and still is in parts, but sometimes you have to look under all of the tacky tourist paraphernalia to find that prettiness. We found a place to sit down for a nice seafood lunch and then went for a wander around the local streets. Tom and Gini got distracted by the cameo shop so we went and wandered around the town some more by ourselves, checking out a local wedding at the church and admiring the view out to the see. Sorrento town is on a cliff above the sea but you can also wander down to the beaches, which we did after Tom and Gini selected a suitable cameo broach. Unfortunately they were all private pay beaches and as the day well past lunchtime we decided it wasn't worth spending the money to go and sit on them. There was a little public beach which we went for a splash around on but with the sun descending over the horizon we decided it was time to return to the camping ground. After another stellar camping ground dinner from Tom and Gini and some sangria and limoncello it was happily back to bed again.


 
Our final day in Amalfi was spent with Tom piloting Smurfy along the winding narrow roads along the coast. The landscape is breathtaking. Like being in a James Bond movie (if James Bond drove a campervan). You have steep cliffs up on the left of you with house perched all over them and steep cliffs down on the right of you to the sea, with little beaches scattered along the way. It was very picturesque. We obviously weren't the only ones who thought so, as there was plenty of traffic to stop you travelling too quickly. We stopped for a laze on the beach out the beautiful town of Minori where we caught the last Mediterranean sun and sea that we were likely to see for a while. We also managed to find a pasta restaurant that specialised in ravioli. We can comfortably say that that was the best ravioli we have ever had. Satiated we climbed back into the van where Tom and Gini drove us to the airport to return to London and then proceeded on their way to the ferry in Croatia.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/NaplesAmalfiSeptember2010

August - Parties and Opera

After farewelling Jess' parents in Athens when we returned to London we were up for a few parties. Paul Zubkov who has been living in Germany for the past few years was visiting London and invited us out for a few drinks at Tiger Tiger bar.  Although we weren't impressed with the bar (think central London pretentious) it was great catching up with him and also with Forrest who we didn't know who had moved to London and couldn't believe it when we told him we had been living there for 18 months already. The night moved on to Wahaca for some yummy mexican food and then as it was a Monday we headed home to sleep.

Another regualar event in London is the Notting Hill carnival. It is where all the West Indian communities get together and have a massive street party. The day didn't turn out quite as planned but we still got to have some rum punch and goat curry before the rain poured down. We were rather unprepared so after sheltering under some trees we spotted a stand selling umbrella's and bought an appropriately theme Jamican umbrella. We then headed to have a look at the parade the costumes were amazing and the young girls had a much better spirit than us braving it in the rain. The carnival has a bad repuation for being hijacked by young gangs and the shops and houses were all heavily boarded up but we didn't see anyone causing any problems. Just hordes of people having some fund and enjoying the reggae. After having a wander around and a bit of a dance we headed back to the local bar (Zilouf's) for some more rum.

It had been a while since our last flat party this time from Jeremy's suggestion the theme was Spartacus. With leaf directions painted gold and finally getting the hang of tying togas, so we weren't being inappropriate, we were ready to party! It was typical of our Upper Street parties and Jess enjoyed catching up with Abbie and Andrew from work - even though it took a lot of convinicing to get them into costume!



It was also Emma's Birthday in August and this year she decided to have a girls night at the school disco - dress up compulsory! Jess headed over in school uniform to Emma's flat and was getting a few weird looks on the tube but she wasn't concerned.  After a few drinks there they headed to the disco which is held in an actual school hall in Great Portland Street. It brought back a lot of memories but luckily this school disco had a bar. We were surprised about how young the other people there looked as who would want to go to a school disco party if you had just finished school? We had a great night busting some moves.

On a quieter note we also thought it would be good to go to see something from the BBC Proms. They Proms are a series of classical music concerts sponsored by the BBC.  We decided to head off to the Hansel and Gretel Opera with Robin and Mary at the Royal Albert Hall.  It was a good night out and the Opera was much easier to follow since we knew the story line. Who would have thought we were so cultured?

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/August2010

Greece

We had always planned to go somewhere warm and sunny when Jess' parents were with us. So after much organising we managed to get ourselves to Greece for a week and half whirlwind tour. After a few hours flight delay (which is just par for the course in Europe, with strikes and weather and other things) we landed in sunny, dry Santorini. We were picked up by our host and driven over the outside of the island. We could see farms and homesteads and things down on the flat but didn't really get a good look at things. Our host had a boy come down and shift our bags, which was certainly welcome as it was really hot and we were up and down all sorts of little paths and stairs till we emerged at our blue and white house with a fantastic view over the famous caldera. After unloading and changing into something a bit more suited to the heat we grabbed a drink and something to eat and went for a wander around the town of Oia, where we were saying. "Touristy" is probably an understatement, however you can get over this as every way you look are the white houses and blue domed churches which Santorini is famous for. All the heat was getting to us so we decided to head down the dusty road to the nearest beach. Although an island, beaches aren't that common around that part of Santorini so we had to traverse a steep dirt path till we got down to the stony beach. Once we all made it into the water it was well worth it though. Nice and cool and clear. After a paddle around and some lying in the sun we made our way up to the strategically positioned bar just above the beach where we enjoyed some local Mythos (beer) followed up with a round of Ouzo. It was a slow walk back to the house. We made it back in time to see that the rest of the island had all come to visit to see the famous Santorini sunset. It was certainly impressive, but it is the sort of thing you enjoy more with one or two other people rather than one or two thousand. As the sun set and the weather cooled we went hunting for some dinner.

 The next day we arose at a leisurely holiday hour with plans to get a bit further afield. After some confusion about whether it was coming we piled into the local bus which took us down to the main hub of Santorini, Fira. Where Oia was touristy but charming, Fira was touristy and tacky. Every shop was trying to sell you something touristy and where there were some more traditional buildings around it was hard to see them for the stalls in front of them. Shame really. Nonetheless we had a look around and slowly made our way up to the top of the hill with a mind to getting down to the old port below. There were a few options, including donkey ride, walking down or taking the cable car. We opted for the cable car where we got a great view over the caldera. There wasn't a lot to see down the bottom but it was nice to have a walk around and see all the rich folks coming in on their private boats. We managed to avoid purchasing anything from the stalls or getting trapped in any of the restaurants that were convinced we needed to eat there. For some reason it seemed like a good idea to get a donkey ride back up the hill. For hundreds of years donkeys have been used to transport goods and people up and down from the port. So we paid some money to some shifty looking men and as soon as we turned the corner to the steps up we knew we had made a mistake. The place was lined with mangey looking donkeys hiding in the shade from the sweltering heat. Marcus was the first to be given his mount. Wheezing it slowly plodded it's way up the steps and after a few metres decided it had had enough and decided to relieve itself. Max and Bronwyn's donkeys didn't get on fought perpetually the whole way up. Jessica's donkey must have been a bit younger and it sped past the other ones to be at the front with a terrified Jessica atop it. Not sure if she was as terrified as the people who made the mistake of walking down the hill though. We had no control over the donkeys and they seemed to take great glee in racing full steam towards the walkers. We were very relieved to reach the top of the hill after an experience none of us wanted to repeat....

We needed to do something much more relaxing after that so we jumped on a local bus and made our way out to Santo Wines. Unfortunately we were too late for the tour of the vineyard, but luckily we were still in time for a tasting 5 glasses of wine and a shot of port per couple, along with some bread and crackers was definitely what we needed. We timed it just so we were getting on the bus back to Oia as the same time as everyone else who was off to see the Oia sunset. Luckily our practice at getting on to crowded tube trains stood us in good stead and we crammed ourselves in with no problem. There wasn't enough time to head down to the beach, however there was a swimming pool not too far from our house so we wandered over there and had a swim around, and then relaxed on the deck chairs, watching the sun set and enjoying some more Santorini

After all our activity the previous day we decided it was time for a relaxing day so we jumped on the bus to the other side of the island, at Agios Georgios, for a relaxing day on the beach. The weather was sweltering and the sand was hot. Luckily there were were flax umbrellas over our chairs to at least keep some of the burning at bay. It was a nice relaxing day spent reading, napping and swimming in the water. There were many people trying to sell us things but the only ones we were interested in were the drink sellers. Nothing better than a big beer down on the beach. This was our last day in Santorini so we made our way back to the house to pack up our things and then went looking for some dinner. There was a bunch of restaurants down at the port directly below the house so we thought we would give this a try. We picked a table seated ourselves and when Bronwyn asked about the specials they brought out the chef who said he could do us some fresh crayfish and pasta. When we agreed we didn't realise we were getting a mountain of crayfish, pasta, prawns, scallops....and more. Then the chef came out and chatted with us about the woes of Greece and how he would like to move to Australia. We told him if he moved to Wellington we would definitely visit his restaurant. Suffice to say we were late getting back to the house for our host to drive us down to the port. Although we take that as we were just operating on Greek time. Turns out we were still early arriving at the port, which is everything you expect from a modern port...dirty, busy and lacking in facilities. However, our ferry arrived, we found our cabin and come 1am we were fast asleep on the rolling sea...destination Crete.

 
The ferry rolled into Heraklion port. We made our way off onto the port and after some confusion around where our rental car was we were finally away and off to the sleepy seaside town of Agia Pelagia to the north. We arrived and made our way down to the waterfront and went for a walk along past the many (closed) restaurants. We weren't exactly sure where our accommodation was but some eagle eyes spotted some buildings up on the hill that looked like the ones from the website and after a bit of exploring and a tired looking receptionist we had ourselves a place to stay. It was still very early so we decided to head back to bed for a couple more hours sleep and then awoke refreshed ready to take on the day.

After some lunch down at the now open waterfront (which just seemed to keep coming...they know how to feed you in Greece) as we had a car we decided to make the most of it and so set off towards Souda Bay, the site of an ANZAC cemetery from World War II. It looked easy to get there on the map but the TomTom insisted on taking us down dodgy overgrown backstreets and through the middle of towns rather than straight there on the motorway like we were expecting. It was a good way of seeing the mountains, the sea and the towns all in one trip but it wasn't quite what we had intended. Turns out that's what happens when you set it on walking mode instead of driving mode...Nonetheless we made our way out to Souda Bay cemetery. The place was immaculately manicured. Clearly they held the ANZAC troops who gave their lives to free Crete from them Axis in high regard. The grass was green and well kept and the gravestones were all clean and had fresh flowers. We even identified some familiar names in the register although don't know if they are actually our ones. Crete was certainly a contrast to Santorini. The place is significantly bigger, and much more varied, with mountains, forests, beaches and lakes and towns and cities scattered throughout. It had its own civilisation before it became part of Greece, the Minoans, and it is something they are still fiercely proud of. After a much quicker journey back to Agia Pelagia, we went for a night swim and then found a restaurant where they let us eat in our wet togs and indulged in some more lamb and fish. When in Greece....

The next day we decided to take in a bit of that Minoan civilisation with a trip the ancient city of Knossos, the alleged home of Minotaur. The temperatures were soaring and the tourists were out in their hoards for Crete's biggest tourist attraction, but with the help of a now repaired TomTom Max got us there without a problem. As far as archaeological ruins go, Knossos is a funny one. It has been excavated and then in their wisdom the archaeologists of the early 20th century started to restore it, so it is hard to know if what you are looking at is authentic or just a replica. Nonetheless it was still very impressive and quite well intact. Some of the friezes were particularly impressive and they were also real. There were bull symbols all round the place but, alas, no sign of a maze for the minotaur to hide in. It was then back into the car and off east this time, down past the huge resorts full of sun seeking tourists.

We were very pleased we weren't staying there, travelling around on the little tourist train...There were more stunning ravines, mountains and shorelines and then we eventually turned away and climbed the winding road up into the centre of the island. After driving for a while we hit a plateau, a bit more of a climb and then another plateau, this one full of funny little windmills. Turns out they help keep the water moving to grow the local wine. After lunch at a cute local Taverna we carried on up the hill. As we reached the car park at the top it turns out that it wasn't ACTUALLY the top. We still had a pretty fair hike ahead of us in the stinking hot weather. Lucky we had brought some water with us. So what was worth all of this effort to go see? This time it was a natural wonder,  Ideon Andronl, also known as the Zeus Cave. According to legend this was the place where Zeus was born and then raised by the Goddess Rhea to hide him from his father, who had a nasty habit of eating his children. We couldn't see much as we descended down the stairs into the cave. As well as being cool temperature wise (which was sure a relief) it was also very cool being down in there. It was lit up with green lights which cast eerie lights on all the crazy shaped stalactites and stalagmites as well as the pools of water down the bottom. It is one of those places that you really have to see for yourself and one of the highlights of the whole trip. We emerged back into the heat and made our way down the hill again. We managed to drive back to Agia Pelagia while it was still light this time so packed up our togs and made our way down to the quieter beach in the other direction for another swim. The water was incredibly clear and there were little fishes swimming around everywhere. None of them bit our toes though, luckily...

The next day was our last full day in Crete. We journeyed back to the west again where our target was the city of Rethymno. The old town itself is largely Venetian so you could mistake yourself for being in Italy rather than Greece. The hot weather had brought out everyone so it was pretty busy but still not so busy that there wasn't time for a nice walk along the waterfront and around the old town. After some tasty pizza while sitting above the rocks at the shoreline we had more of a look around the old town. It was then back in the car for a drive south to ???? for another swim and a cocktail at this beach. This beach even had something familiar to all NZers...waves! On the way back we stopped at the amazing gorge which ran through the mountains. The landscape in Crete definitely has a lot of variety. According to Max, Bob Dylan use to live around there in a cave too.

The next morning it was up early and off to the airport for our flight to Athens. We have had mixed reviews from people about the capital of Greece, but the Olympics which were recently hosted there mean that the infrastructure was well established and we had no trouble getting from the airport to the centre of town. As soon as we arrived we could see the history everywhere. Everywhere you turned there were ruins being uncovered, even in the underground station. We could tell we were back in the big city again too, because the crowds were around and where the crowds go there are also people trying to get you to eat at their restaurant or buy from their shop. After dropping off our stuff at the hotel we grabbed some "traditional" Greek food. We could tell we were in touristville though, things just weren't as fresh and tasty as we had been having elsewhere. With full bellies we were off into the hot weather to check out some history. First stop was Hadrian's Library (not Adriennes...). Now you do need to use your imagination a little as what you see is only a small amount of what was originally there but was still very interesting. The place would have been HUGE. Definitely competing with many modern libraries for size. We then moved on to the Roman Agora, which is an old Roman forum or town square. Some of the columns were still in really good condition and the carvings on the outside of the Tower of Winds were still really well preserved. After a couple of hours walking around in the sweltering heat and an ice-cream to cool us down we made our way back to hotel for a rest and some cocktails on the rooftop. The rooftop had a great view of the Acropolis and we watched another spectacular sunset before find somewhere for dinner.

 We arose at a reasonable hour the following morning for a full day of sightseeing. We managed to beat the crowds to the Ancient Agora. This is down in a more sheltered green area than the more famous Acropolis, but there was still tons to see. It was a big area and every where you turned there was another temple or ruin or house of some sort all in different states of restoration or ruin. One of the highlights included the Museum of the Ancient Agora which is housed in the Stoa of Attalos. It is a big long columned building open on one side and full of old statues and artifacts from ancient Greek and Roman times. Another highlight was the impressive Temple of Hephaestus on the hill above the Agora. It is like a mini Parthenon with all the columns holding up a peaked roof with ancient Greek writing all over it. It was also cool to see the altar of the 12 Gods, which is dedicated to all the major gods of Ancient Greece.

From there we slowly made our way up the hill to the main tourist attraction of Athens, the Acropolis. The way up is well serviced with wide walking paths so although it was hot it wasn't too tough. We stopped along the way to take in the view and then after all that walking we finally arrived at the Acropolis itself. The place was teeming with tourists and you had to use your imagination a bit to pretend that there weren't cranes and scaffolding everywhere holdings everything up, but that aside, it was all still very impressive. The Parthenon is an amazing structure but the Temple of Athena Nike, with its still quite detailed statue columns was probably the most impressive building in the Acropolis. The sweltering heat meant that we couldn't spend too long up there, so we slowly wound our way down the other side of the hill under the cover of some shade from the trees. Just below the Acropolis is the theatre of Dionysus. No longer the scene of any performances, but you can still go in and sit in the seats and imagine what it would have been like watching a classic Greek Tragedy. In contrast to all the old ruins is the very modern National Archaeological Museum. It itself is built over ruins which you see being excavated through the glass floors. The Museum houses the greatest archaeological treasures that Greece has been able to unearth. Unlike the British Museum, there is plenty of space for you to walk around and take in all of the detail of the antiquities. They don't look too fondly on the British Museum, in fact, because the British Museum still holds a large number of items that were taken from Greece long ago and the Greeks believe that they should be returned. They have even left empty space for some of the most important objects. After lunch we continued our journey around the outside of the Acropolis, stopping to check out some more history along the way until we reached the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It has a huge area where it is situated, but unfortunately time has not been kind to it. There is maybe only a quarter of the columns left standing and just bits and pieces of ruins scattered about the area. Again imagination fills in the gaps. We managed to find some more time out of the sun in the Athens National Garden, which is an expansive park which makes its way up to the Greek Parliament, a large square stone building which looks like a large house and was fortunately situated not very far from our hotel. After heading back and putting our feet up for another couple of cocktails on the rooftop we found a place for our last dinner with Max and Bronwyn. They had an early flight to Barcelona the next day.

We awoke not quite sure how to spend our final day in Greece. We decided to wander back down to Parliament for the Greek version of a British favourite, the Changing of the Guard. We thought we had good spots staked out until the tour buses arrived and the hordes of people streamed in front of us. After trying to get a view over the tops of people's heads we saw a little bit, but eventually gave up and left half way through. We wandered up the road to get the cable car up to Lykvittos Hill. It was reminiscent of the Kelburn cable car but this one was all inside the hill so you didn't get any view from inside. That had to wait until we were outside on top of the hill. There was a little church situated on the top of the hill and if you walked around it you could get a view as far as the eye could see in every direction around Athens. After having seen enough we made our way back down again and went for a wander through the Monastiraki Flea Market. The place is a combination of cheap second hand rubbish, tourist tat and up and coming fashion shops. After spending some of our Euros on memorabilia it was time to jump on the train back out to the airport and bit farewell to Greece as our plane winged its way back to London.

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July - Vultures, Parents and the Queen

We started July with another concert. This time it was down to Brixton Academy for Them Crooked Vultures. For those who don't know the band has a star studded line up...Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age singing...Dave Grohl from Nirvana and the Foo Fighters on the drums and John Paul Jones from Led Zepplin on guitar. We were upstairs so not getting caught by all the young people moshing around downstairs (although London crowd so not too much moshing...) which meant we had a great view of everything. The opening act was some boys from Northern Ireland and they were LOUD. You could tell why they had been chosen cause they loved to experiment. When TCV came on they didn't disappoint either. They turned 45 mins worth of album into 2 1/2 hours worth of concert all of it intense and experimental and awesome.


We also jumped on the train and travelled up the country to Cambridge. We had done Oxford when it was cold and now Cambridge had decided to turn on the heat. We went for a quiet wander through the town, checking out the colleges and trying to avoid being run over by cycling students. Where the colleges at Oxford are all quite quaint and old fashioned, Cambridge colleges are still old fashioned but are much grander and more majestic. We paid a visit to the inside of King's College and checked out the outsides of many more, including Trinity with Sir Isaac Newton's tree. After a wander along the canal and some whitebait (not NZ whitebait..this stuff is HUGE) and Pimms it was time to head home on the train and put up our feet. It is hard to say which was better, Cambridge or Oxford...so we won't. Go there yourself and you decide.

The pace really picked up when we had our first visitors come and see us. Jess' parents arrived via Singapore, to make sure all was going well for their baby in London. We managed to get them home from the airport on Saturday night, but by the time they arrived they were pretty knackered so it was off to bed. The next day we got them up bright (but not too early) for a trip down Regents Canal. It was significantly warmer than last time we had tried it. We stopped at Camden for a quick look around the markets and some cupcakes. We then carried along the way and stopped for an ale and a cider at Regents Park. Bronwyn wasn't convinced about the cider but Max was willing to give the ale another try. We then made our way through Regents Park where we stopped for a nice picnic in the sun by the lake. After being sufficiently fed and sunned we continued along the canal till we got to Little Venice. After a stop for a well earned jug if Pimms it was back home (on the tube...) for a rest before heading out for dinner at the House.

Tuesday of that week we decided to take the day off work. We journeyed into Mayfair with Jess' parents for a special lunch at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges. Arriving early and wearing top hat and tails and dress with a hat paid off. Shortly after sitting down we were approached by the maitre'de and asked if it was a special occasion. We explained that it was so he promptly asked us whether we would be interested in sitting at the Chef's table. If you haven't heard of the Chef's table that is a special table located in the kitchen where you can see them preparing all the food. Not one to pass up an opportunity we said yes and before we knew it we were sitting out by the kitchen in our own booth. We decided we would only get the chance once so all sense went out the window and it was the 7 course menu for us. (We would worry about the bill later.) The food was excellent and although filling we certainly didn't leave a drop of those 7 courses on our plates. Also, between each course a different member of the staff, both kitchen and front of house, would come over and talk to us about what the course was and how things were going etc. We even ended up in some peoples' tourist photos when they came out the back to have a look at the kitchen and got a surprise when they turned around and saw us. It all finished with a look a tour of the kitchen and we were very happy with our lunch.

 

Thursday we took Jess' parents out to Chinatown for some 'authentic' Chinese food. This was followed by a trip to the theatre. It was the 39 Steps. This was one Jess' parents had chosen from NZ so we weren't quite sure what to expect. It wasn't a musical, rather a comedy where about 4 actors played about 40 roles, quickly jumping from one to the next and back again, all set against the backdrop of a murder mystery. Alfred Hitchcock even did a film of it. It possibly wouldn't be to everyone's taste but we certainly had a good night.

That weekend was the only full weekend Jess' parents had in London so we jumped on the Overground and made our way out to Richmond to visit Greg, Nicole, Emily and Flyn. We were also joined by Karla, James and Harry. London had turned on some good weather so it was picnic and a few drinks in the back garden (if you live far enough out you can have a back garden) and then we went for a walk down around the Thames. Was great to catch up with all the family. We finished the day with a drink and dinner down in Richmond town.

Sunday was spent somewhere we have spent a fair few Sundays since arriving in London, Spitalfields Market. Jess' parents got to enjoy the crush of the crowds and plethora of items on sale. Not a lot of shopping was done, but the London market experience is about being there rather than buying there. We then journeyed on to another market that we hadn't visited, Petticoat Lane. This was another of those down and dirty London markets where you can buy anything and everything at a bargain. It was pretty huge and pretty packed so we made our way through and then wandered down to Tower Bridge for a coffee and some cake.

Overall we hope our guests enjoyed their time in London. We went out to many other restaurants around the Islington area. If nothing else they couldn't complain of not having enough to eat. This was only the first part of their holiday though. More was yet to come...

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June - Heat, Hard Rock & Shakespeare

We started off June with a trip down to Shoreditch with Bex and Emma for some visiting of the markets and some Shoreditch afternoon relaxing. The place just teems with the young cool and trendy on a Sunday afternoon so naturally we looked well out of place but had an enjoying time nonetheless. Lauren joined us later and it was off down Brick Lane for our first Brick Lane curry. It was like being in Turkey all over again. "Come in, I do you good deal!...Free poppadoms!....Cheap Wine!" We finally settled on a restaurant which had been recommended to Lauren and after some half hearted negotiation sat down for our meals. Brick Lane was a reputation for being a bit up and down in terms of the quality of the curry you end up but luckily Lauren's recommendation had been a good one and we were very satisfied. Once full of curry the only way to go was home.

The following weekend it was time to get out of London again so we made our way on the train from Victoria down to Brighton. We were hoping for some of the British Heatwave to strike so that we would have a sunny day at the seaside. Unfortunately we were a bit unlucky and it was overcast and windy and even a bit cold. That never stopped us before though so we exited the station at the other end and made our way down the road (along with the rest of the crowds) towards the waterfront. After a visit to North Lane, which was fully of random funky shops selling all sorts of things from clothes to yoghurt to tourist rubbish, we continued down towards "The Lanes" which is a series of small winding streets filled with designer clothes stores and restaurants. We stopped in what looked like a nice fish restaurant but were disappointed with what we got but you can't win them all. We then made our way down to the famous Brighton waterfront where we went for a stroll along the the pebbly beach. There were a couple of people risking a swim but we weren't game enough to brave the cold. There were merry go rounds and stalls and all sorts of things to keep you busy down there. But we were inevitably drawn to the big one...Brighton Pier. It is a big wharf chock full of gaming rooms, food stalls and of course, right at the end of the pier were the rides. We wimped out a bit on the rides but still managed to indulge a jellybean milkshake, made with real jellybeans! We then wandered back into town looking for something to do so decided to go visit the Brighton Royal Pavilion. It was once a royal palace but was sold by Queen Victoria as it wasn't suitable for raising a family. The place itself is quite bizarre. It is a stylised version of what the far east was perceived to be like designed by people who had never even been there. There are domed roofs, exotic wallpapers of animals and plants from Asia and a gargantuan chandelier in the dining room complete with dragons. It was quite different than some of the other palaces we have visited and you can tell that it was a bachelor princes play house as opposed to a royal family home. Brighton is definitely somewhere we could return to when it was warmer.

It was also time again for the Toast NZ festival. This time it was out in Richmond, only a stones throw from Greg, Nicole, Emily and Flynn's house. This time it was at the Richmond Polo Club, which is apparently where the first Toast festival was held 10 years ago. It wasn't a scorcher like it had been the year before but it was still good to drink some NZ wine and enjoy some NZ music (care of the Feelers this year). Tom and Gini joined us later on and we managed to spot a few other familiar Kiwi faces in the crowd. We made our way back along the Thames to Richmond town where we stopped for a jug of Pimms on the riverside and enjoyed some dinner in the pub while the locals lamented the draw between England and the USA at the football world cup.

The following weekend was one of Tom and Gini's last in London before heading off on their van tour round Europe, so they decided to have one last BBQ at their flat. We joined up with them and all their other guests for a burning hot day in their backyard with burned (but not too burned) meat, salad and cider. It was good to catch up with Anna and her husband Perry too.

On possibly the hottest day ever in London we ventured to Hyde Park for Hard Rock calling. That is Hard Rock Cafe as opposed to Led Zepplin Hard Rock (although we will get to that next month...) We again met with Tom and Gini


After all that excitement we were up for something a bit more subdued the following week, so made our way up to the suburb of Highgate. We are a bit out of practice for walking on hills and Highgate does live up to its name. There are actually hills here. Good for the calf muscles. After some tea and cakes in the park we paid a visit Highgate cemetery. Doesn't get much more subdued than a cemetery. It has been around since the early 1800s and houses a number of famous people including Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide the Galaxy) and Karl Marx (socialist philosopher). The Karl Marx memorial seems to be a shrine for socialists from all around Europe, draped in their red flags. It is pretty hard to miss, as it has an enormous bust of Karl Marx on the top. We then continued on down toward Hampstead, had some lunch, and after a walk through heath felt like we had managed sufficient exercise and head home to rest our feet.

We also finally managed to get ourselves to the Globe Theatre on the banks of the Thames for a bit of Shakespeare, being Henry IV - Part I. We weren't quite sure what to expect from this. It had the potential to be a nasty tourist trap, but we were actually very entertained. The theatre itself is a replica of the original globe. The seats themselves are therefore none too comfortable, even with the hired cushion, but we still felt more comfortable than all the people with standing tickets. Many of them didn't last the full three hours, although we are pleased we did. The show itself was very entertaining (once we got into the swing of the ye olde English) and the acting was excellent. I think we will definitely be back at some stage.

Another after work activity involved Marcus going out for work drinks with some of the lawyers they use, but rather than just going to the pub they took him out to the 20/20 cricket at the Brit Oval, not far from where we used to live in Vauxhall. It was good fun going out and seeing some cricket and although it's not Lords it is definitely a cool cricket ground.
 
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May - Rolling and Rugby

With winter well and truly a season of the past May was a month of social get togethers and outings. We started the month with Beverley's birthday. It was at what turned out to be a great pub in Hampstead. They had an amazing selection of international beers and a very good roast. Marcus was in heaven. They even had a heated outdoor garden area with live music. Was almost like being at Zebos...(although I think it is all called the Southern Cross now isn't it Wellingtonians?)

We also made the journey back down to Earlsfield for Freedom Day. That is South Africa Day. Dana from Marcus' work had invited us down and Chris from Marcus's work was there too. We tried some South African beer and cider and of course the obligatory Boerwoers from the braai.

With two flatmates, Anna and Jeremy, celebrating birthdays in May it was time for one of the all too rare flat outings. Funnily enough we were off to somewhere we had passed every day near our old flat but never managed to get to...the Vauxhall Roller Disco. So with our fluro clothes (Marcus is never going back to Primark) and wheels strapped to our feet we were rolling around the floor in all our 70s and 80s glory. There were some people there who clearly spent far too much time roller skating but we stumbled and tripped without falling and even got confident enough to throw in the odd dance move. Good clean fun.

We were also lucky enough to manage to score tickets to go see Flight of the Concords at Wembley Arena. We met up with Tom and Gini and Abbie and "Murray" (Dane) and after the debacle which was getting into the new event were sufficiently amused with the thousands of other Kiwis and other non-Kiwi hangers on, who had come along. It was amazing to think that these two guys from Wellington who we saw 10 years ago at Downstage theatre are now selling out Wembley Arena night after night. AND they are basically still doing the same material. Good old Kiwi ingenuity.

It was also good to catch up with Pip for her 30th up in Stoke Newington. It was a horsey theme so we did our best to dress up for the races. Marcus even managed to score himself a blue ribbon. It was also a nice surprise to catch up with Michelle and Amrith who we didn't even know were in London.

Another highlight of the month was our first trip to Twickenham rugby ground for the London 7s. Anybody who has been to the Wellington 7s knows that the event is full of people dressed up as everything under the sun. Well London 7s was no different. In fact there was a world record attempt going on for the largest number of people dressed as Superheroes in any place at one time. Naturally we had to get in on the action so Captain America and Wonder Woman were joined by Catwoman (Bex), Zorro (Riki) and Summer Captain America (Tom). We got some funny looks on the tube but by the time we reached Twickenham we were each one of many. Twickenham itself is an impressive stadium. The place was probably only a third full but was still plenty busy. We were joined by Abbie, Jon and Dan, although they wussed out on the costume front. May have been the smart move because the day was scorching and with the huge stadium there was no wind to cool us down. Marcus managed to hold out until the direct sun struck us and then it was too much and time to change. Luckily the world record attempt was earlier in the day. The actual getting everyone together took ages and was a real shambles, but you get used to that in England, and all our patience paid off and we managed to break the world record! (Alas Melbourne broke it again the following week but we won't worry too much about that...). Alas New Zealand didn't make it to the final but at least they beat England. Overall an excellent day out. Jess even managed to watch some rugby!

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Dublin

With May bank holiday upon us it was time to get out of town again. Although this time we went off in the other direction to the Emerald Isle, Dublin to be exact. Upon landing we were introduced to something which became a feature of our holiday...rain. This wasn't the weak little rain we have become accustomed to in London, this was proper big fat heavy rain like you get in New Zealand. That's why both NZ and Ireland are so green. After checking in to our hotel we made our way across the Liffey and in hunt of something we could do indoors. We made our way down to Trinity College, home of Irish academics and the Book of Kells. It is a 1200 year old book which contains many passages from the new testament along with detailed illustrations and calligraphy. They have done a good job of presenting it along with a large exhibition explaining the book so less enlightened people, such as ourselves, can actually understand what we are looking at. After a look at the book we popped our heads outside to see if the rain had stopped. It had eased, but not stopped. We went for a walk up Grafton Street (the shopping street, but not any more exciting than what you get in London) and found a local pub where we could indulge in our first Guinness of the trip as well as trying out some Smithwick's Irish Red Ale. Not too bad. People always say Guinness is better in Ireland, but to be honest we couldn't tell the difference...With the rain largely gone for the time being we then went for a walk around the rest of the central town, discovering that it wasn't exactly huge. We paid a visit to St Patrick's Cathedral (yes the Irish one) which felt like more of a museum than a working church. It was full of plenty of history about Dublin and the church itself including a door with a hole in it, where a man had put his arm through after being besieged for a very long time and made peace with his besiegers. After a short walk we found ourselves back at our hotel. It was getting late so we made our way over to the Temple Bar area on the hunt for dinner and then quickly made our way away again after seeing the drunks and the hen and stag parties everywhere and so made our way to St Stephens Green, a nice little park at the end of Grafton Street. It looked like a nice neighbourhood where we hoped to find some nice restaurants. Alas, after much searching we found nothing at all we wanted to eat. We made our way back towards Grafton Street and found a street full of nice looking restaurants and were ultimately very happy with our meals. Local seafood and good wine. Can't loose with that combination.

The next day we went for a wander through Dublin again looking for some inside activity to avoid the rain. We decided to go for a walk around Dublinia, a sort of London Museum for Dublin. It is basically the history of Dublin from pre-historic times up until present. You could see it was largely targeted towards kids but there was a good balance between games and interactive activities (including the scary video face man) and actual information. Overall it was a good way to spend a couple of hours. It is also housed in Christchurch Cathedral which is somewhat more impressive than its South Island counterpart. There was a local arts festival on around some of the streets so we went and checked that out. It had a Cuba Street sort of feel to it and after checking out one of the markets we were off to THE tourist attraction in Dublin, the Guinness Brewery. Been a while since we last visited a brewery. It was in a bit of a seedy part of town but once we made it there and got our tickets we were off to learn all about the Guinness brewing process. The tour itself is in a giant pint glass up the middle of the factory. It was interesting but very similar to the Heineken tour we went on, only with more black and Toucans rather than green. We also learnt how to pour the pint of perfect Guinness and then of course drink it. We also checked out the view from the very top of the glass. You get a good view right across Dublin. Unfortunately there isn't all that much to see. It being our last night in Dublin we decided to see what Temple Bar had to offer in the way of food. Before eating we checked out some traditional Irish music in one of the pubs. I don't think Irish music is our thing but the hordes of American tourist seemed to be enjoying it. There wasn't much to say about the meal either. It was all perfectly fine, but we were happy to get out of Temple Bar and head back a couple of streets where we found some cool local bars which were much more enjoyable.

The next day we decided we had done our time in Dublin so jumped on the train and went south down the coast to the seaside suburb of Dalkey. After a stroll around the town and some lunch we went for a wander down what looked to be a walking path which eventually took us for a nice walk along the coast and then up through a park. If not for the stone walls and the castle at the top of the hill we could have been in New Zealand. It was great seeing some greenery and families out playing and looking out over the ocean. The rain even managed to hold off for us to give us a nice relaxing end to our Dublin holiday. With hindsight we probably should have spent less time in Dublin and done a bit more travelling around the rest of Ireland. Guess that is a good reason to come back?

Speaking of getting back we were lucky to get out of Dublin at all. It was right at the time when the Icelandic ash cloud was playing havoc with air travel. Flights were being cancelled left right and centre. Luckily ours took off but by the time we landed in Heathrow an hour later Dublin airport was closed...

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April - Sunhine and Greenery

With winter now behind us it was coats off and sunglasses on again. First sign of any sun in the UK and everyone swarms down to the park. So there we were, up at Highbury fields with all the flatmates enjoying the sun and pretending it was hot (when really it wasn't...). Nonetheless a bit of vitamin D sure helps everyone feel good. The onset of British Summer Time helps too. (That's daylight savings for those of you in the southern hemisphere...)

We also made our way to a park we really should have visited by now. Kensington Gardens is right next to Hyde Park and makes for a nice walk and sit in the sun in front of Kensington Palace. Didn't make it into the palace but it was still nice being out in the sun. Marcus saved some poor little French Boys from drowning in the pond (less dramatic than it sounds but they couldn't get out by themselves...) It is also in the Borough of Kensington (surprise, surprise) which is still definitely one of the nicest parts of London to be in. If only we had a few million pounds to buy there...

April was finally time for the first party since we had moved in to the flat. With the weather improving it was time for the "Welcome to the Summer" party. Togs and Jandals and a paddling pool full of beer and we were all set. Everyone had a go at the limbo stick, with varying degrees of success...

We also caught up with Robin and Mary again and took a trip down South to Kew Gardens. Kew is a a massive park filled with gardens, ponds, greenhouses and other things to see. The day was excellent and it was actually quite interesting seeing all the different types of trees, ferns lillies and there was even a NZ fauna section. Check out the red flowers. The place is huge and is definitely a good day walking around. Excellent spot for a picnic lunch. You even get to climb up a steel structure for a treetop walk. Was good for the view, but might be better when there were a few more leaves on the trees.

One of the good things about living in a flat with lots of people is you go do things that you might not otherwise try.  So at the insistence of Bex we all made our way down to Shoreditch for Ladi 6. She is a hip hop artist from Christchurch and the cousin of Scribe. It was New Zealanders all over the place with some funky South Pacific beats and a fun night out in London.

April was also time for our first second time in London. What we mean is that we did something which we pretty much did the same the year before. Once again we were up early (as Bex and Riki arrived home) to head down to Hyde Park corner for the ANZAC ceremony dawn service. This year it was an NZ hosted service, so we stood before the NZ monument, not nearly as cold as last year, but still just as moving. More waiata and haka. However this year we didn't go out somewhere afterwards, it was back on the bus and off back home again to bed.

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