Tuesday 13 December 2016

Time for a change

Sunday 27th November to Sunday 4th December 2016

As planned we did move off on Tuesday, but only just a mile where we have moored the boat up.
 
She looks mighty fine there with all of her friends - the weather was even fine
when we were leaving
We had a lovely meal with Stella and Dave at Barby Sporting Club that night – we have been before and for a place that is a bit out of the way, the food that they serve is really quite good – that is not just the opinion of Diane and I, but Stella also and she is a chef who really does cook well.

Tuesday night was a wee bit on the cold side (no, that’s not quite right – it was bloody cold) – getting down to -6C which was low enough to freeze the canal and lo and behold we had a tough time moving the boat to where we had to go.

Eventually that was all sorted and we moored it up all safe and sound – had to be really, because we were about to catch a taxi, which we did to Rugby Station and then the train to Birmingham to spend the night – The Premier Inn as usual – with a great nights sleep.
 
A lovely night sky and the German markets - all in Birmingham

This does not count as a true Santa photo my lovely -
it is not a real Santa

The following day which was now Thursday, we made our way to Birmingham International for a 13:30 flight – heading via Dubai to Melbourne – landing at 23:55 on Friday night (local time).
 
The train was a bit full so we were out in the vestibule with
the cases

Diane couldn't help herself - on the flight they were showing the movie Jason Bourne -
so naturally she had to pause it and get a shot with Ferndale in it.

Our lovely daughter, Sam, picked us up – lost a bit of her beauty sleep in the process, and we all managed to finally get to bed about 2 am – some of this time was simply spent talking once we did get home, but that is where we now are and will be for few weeks to come.

I managed to get a decent sleep, but Diane could not and she was still a bit tired on Saturday and succumbed to an afternoon nap.

We did, however, manage to get a few things done that we had needed to get done here.

The purpose of the trip is primarily to see Diane’s mum and dad for an “on-site” assessment of their health and well-being, as well as celebrating her mum’s 80th birthday (although she thinks that she is only 39) and also a service to celebrate the renewal of their marriage vows – now is your time Dad to ……. – but if you do it may be a funeral we are attending!!

Diane will fly up to Queensland on Tuesday and leave me here, and I will follow later in the month – closer to the actual time for everything – gives her Mum less time to remember her incantations and turn one of us into a frog or a newt or some other amphibian.

Upon our arrival, which was in the middle of the night, the temperature was a mild 13C, but Saturday warmed up to about 20-21C and Sunday has been a bit warmer in the high 20’s (but a bit humid).
  
It has been great to see Sam again, although we had only just seen her in London; it has been about two years since I was last here, but like any home-coming it has been easy to re-assimilate back into the lifestyle here.
The cafes are just great and after catching up with our neighbours – Frank and Helen – we did venture down to Puckle Street and had a late brunch – it simply is wonderful along here where dozens of cafes and eating places are vying for your business and it really is true of most places in Melbourne – If you are not up to the standard required by the public, then you will not survived – and the public is pretty demanding of high standards.

Anyway, we enjoyed it very much and will be trying out a few more soon.

This will, in some ways, be the preview for our return back to here for good – for the time being we are simply soaking it all up and enjoying a change.

Now this is a real Santa photo - the 2016 version; just
waiting for the one from LA with Mitch and Sara


1 Mile
YTD:  837 Miles (1347 km) , 452 Locks, 12 Tunnels, 21 Lift Bridges, 5 Swing Bridges

Total: 4632 Miles (7454 km), 3151 Locks, 124 Tunnels, 66 Lift Bridges, 172 Swing Bridges

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