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Isle of Wight in a Day

2010-07-25T15:41:00.007+01:00

Having lived on the South Coast and been able to see the Isle of Wight from the shore most days I thought it was high time I payed the island a visit. James and I booked a day trip on the ferry from Portsmouth then did a search on their tourist website so we could decide what we could squeeze into one day.

Pictures

We started by turning left as we came out of the ferry terminal so we could drive around the island in a clockwise direction. The first stop was a windmill in Bembridge . Unfortunately it didn't open until 11am but we jumped the fence so we could walk around the outside. It has been reconditioned and was huge. It was perched on top of a hill so there was also a good view of the surrounding countryside.

Next stop was some disappointing botanical gardens at Ventnor. They were attached to a garden centre and a lot of it appeared to have died. From there were got a pub lunch of fish and chips before driving to see the Needles on the eastern tip of the island. We must have picked the windiest day of the year, it was almost impossible to hold the camera still. Whilst the Needles were good to look at there was an old 50's style funfair and some tacky tourist shops aimed at selling rock and filling glass bottles with coloured sand. It was a shame because it made the whole area look run down and slightly cheap.

From the Needles we drove into the centre of the island to Carisbrooke for what turned out to be the highlight of the day. Carisbrooke castle was interesting to look around and seemed to have been kept in good condition. Charles the first had been imprisoned there prior to being executed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell among others.

From Carisbrooke we went onto Cowes for a wander around the town and dinner before making our way back to the ferry port. Although it was a good day I came away with the feeling the Isle of Wight was a bit run down. A lot of work needs to be done to the worn roads and considering tourism is one of their main industries their attractions could do with some work too.

France 2010

2010-07-02T12:47:00.010+01:00

On the 26 June James and I were lucky enough to set off for France to stay in Maison de Pruniers for the second time on the grounds of the Chateau de vigiers close to Bergerac. This time we were accompanied by Charles and Sarah. A lot of preparation had gone into the trip. As the boys had decided it was their opportunity to travel in style, though not necessarily in comfort, it was the goal for both of them to have fancy cars in time for the holiday. James sorted this out by February this year when he invested in his canon red Lotus Elise 111R. Charles however cut it close by finding his Mercedes SL500 at the end of May, it did however put a permanent smile on his face. We again took the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, this time fast cat, and true to it name it was. From Caen we drove to the house in about 9 hours which includes a few short stops and some lunch. Even though I knew what it looked like the house is still impressive and the surroundings beautiful. I think the others felt the same.

Pictures from France

Having spent so long travelling on the Saturday we decided Sunday was to be a day of rest. All we did was visit the supermarket to stock up on cheese, meats, breads and pudding of course. This seemed to set the tone for the rest of the holiday during which we all felt continuously full having eaten so much. The rest of the day was taken lazing around the pool, watching England crash out of the world cup and watching some of the tennis from Wimbledon. Such a hard life.

During the rest of the holiday we made an effort to spend lots of time in a similar way with many hours whiled away by the pool reading, playing cards and chess. We did however go on a few day trips. On Monday we made our way to Ste-Foy-la-Grande the local town for lunch and a stroll along part of the Dordorgne. On the Tuesday we drove to St Emillion to sample some of the local wine following a tour around an old limestone quarry beneath a chateau. The wine at St Emillion is so good because of the water drainage the limestone plateau the town is built on provides. However the limestone was also good as a building material so for many years it was quarried and shipped to Bordeaux until this was made illegal to protect the wine industry. The journey back from St Emillion was fun too. We had all squeezed into Charles car, and I do mean squeezed. It only has little seats at the back so the front seats have to be moved as far forward as possible to get everyone in. You then sit slightly wonky in the back to get your knees in. Whilst driving home Charles went over a hump back bridge slightly too fast and the roll bar on the back of the car popped up. I was lucky but poor Sarah got a thwack to the back of her head. At least it worked I guess.

On the Wednesday we went to the market in Bergerac. It was a large market surrounding the church in the centre and had everything from fruit and vegetables to meat, breads, clothes, jewellery and wicker baskets. From there we drove a little South to the Chateau at Monbazillac. It is a 400 year old house and was interesting to look around. We also tasted some of the sweet desert wine they produce there. Surprisingly even James liked it so we had to invest in a couple of bottles.

On Thursday we hired two canoes and had a paddle along the Dordogne from Bergerac to Gardonne. The French girl we hired them from apparently used to live in Bristol, a few doors down on the same road as Charles had when he was at University. Proof the world is smaller than it used to be. The canoeing was good fun though a little on the hot side. The whole time we were in France the temperature ranged from about 30 to 38 degrees. Hats and suncream have been a must and we have all come away with slight panda eyes from our glasses. For the most part we were able to drift along the river because the current in the centre was so strong. Along the edges of the river where there was shade the water was much slower so paddling was required. It was fun to paddle against the current in the centre of the river. With two people rowing as hard as we could we only managed to move a few meters up river.

Friday and Saturday were rest days. On the Friday night we caught the train into Bergerac for some dinner which we followed with amazing ice creams from a shop with almost too much choice. I went for the blackcurrant flavour in the end which was amazing. One I think I will try at home with my ice cream maker. Saturday morning Charles and I drove to the train station to collect his car. I was insured on James car for this trip so I could have a go. On the way back we found the road to be blocked by about a dozen horses which had escaped from a nearby field. As a result we took a long and unsuccessful diversion to see if we could find the back entrance to the Chateau. Of course we couldn't so had to go back the normal way once the horses had been moved by the police. We had been gone so long that we found James wandering towards the chateau entrance thinking I had driven his car into a ditch.

A few evenings we had thunder storms after dark, though it didn't really rain. We stood out and watched the lightening in the distance several times. Others nights it was so warm that we sat out and watched the stars, even watched the moon rise on one occasion. Jackets were not needed at all and it only got dark after 10pm each day.

Sunday we had to get up at stupid o'clock in the morning to catch the ferry at Caen in the afternoon. We made such good time that we managed to sit on the beach in Caen with a picnic before starting the trip back to the UK. We sat on deck with cocktails in the sunshine before having a posh buffet dinner. Traveling by ferry is far better than air travel I think. As we came closer to the UK the skies became overcast and the water more choppy. Easy to tell we were nearly home.

Tower of London

2010-06-25T16:15:00.004+01:00

Yesterday evening James, Sarah, Charles and I started our holiday early. As Charles' dad is in the army we managed to get invites to a Champagne party at the Tower of London which is his base.

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We travelled up on the train with gin and tonics provided by Charles, then caught the tube to the tower. It was nice to go and see it all without loads of tourists around. It was also nice to have an excuse to dress up. After the Champagne we made our way round to St Catherines dock for a pizza dinner before getting a lift home with Charles parents.

Friends Reunited

2010-06-21T19:31:00.007+01:00

This weekend Lucy, Lee, Jez and Ashmai came to Emsworth. It was the first weekend since the beginning of August 2008 that everyone managed to be free at the same time. Thankfully we have a big enough house that there was room for everyone. Lucy and Lee arrived first from Cambridge closely followed by Jez. We started with some welcome drinks before having a wander around the mill pond to show them the best of Emsworth. On the Saturday evening we went for dinner to Nicolinos the little italian resturant with mammoth portions. It was a leisurely meal that left us full to bursting point. Jez even treated us to some bubbles to celebrate our get together.

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On the sunday I woke early to collect Ashmai from the train station. When we got back to the house the others were just getting out of bed. It didn't take long to get ready though before heading off to West Wittering beach with a picnic. Jez had brought a frisbee with him which it turned out too windy for, but we did have a go. Whilst Jez and Lee went off to get a football James had a go at flying a kite and the girls had a good catch up. We were not expecting the huge red and black football the boys returned with. Only when they got closer did we realise it was a beach ball. That was also quite light and got caught in the wind, not before Lucy and I had a chance to show off our girly kicking skills, or lack of as the case may be.

Jez also had a go at flying the kite before challenging Ashmai to a run around East Head, the natural sandy Spit that makes up West Witting beach. Ash did really well and got all the way around only to let Jez do it a second time. Far too much energy for his own good.
After a few hours on the beach we headed back to the house to have a BBQ, not that we hadn't eaten enough already. Most of it was healthy though. Whilst I was getting the food ready James took everyone out for a ride in the Lotus. Better before they had eaten I thought. By the time dinner was over and we had taken a few photos it was quite late in the evening so I took Ashmai and Jez back to the station for their trip back to London. Lucy and Lee were staying another night so they would have a shorter trip to the airport the next day as they were off to Kenya for a week. We finished the evening in the Coal Exchange.

All in all a lovely weekend with good weather and great company. A far overdue reunion. We have promised not to leave it so long again and plan to see each other more regularly too.

Camping weekend

2010-06-13T22:02:00.006+01:00

Having cancelled a trip to Croyde in Devon last year due to rain, James and I made it there this weekend. After two days we were joined by Stuart and Nick. We were lucky enough not to have a spot of rain so camping was good fun.

We stayed at the same campsite as a few years ago but this time we were joined by a group of ducks whilst setting up the tent. The first evening we went for a wander on the beach then ate an enormous dinner at the local pub before watching gladiator 2 (erm Robin Hood) at an old fashioned cinema in the local town.

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The next morning we woke early because it was so hot in the tent. Then following a breakfast cooked in the tent we drove to Woolacombe beach as Croyde had no waves. It was lovely and warm so it made for a nice afternoon. I had my first go at surfing in what must be around two years and managed to stand very early on so finished the afternoon feeling very chuffed with myself. James an I then climbed up a sand dune on Croyde beach to watch the sun set. About 9.30 we were joined by Stuart and Nick so had some drinks before bed.

On the Saturday we went to Woolacombe again to have a surf. There were very few waves but it picked up a little in the afternoon. I managed to stand several times again before heading back to the tent. After another enormous meal we caught a cab into Woolacombe again to visit the local club. Well the only club in Devon it seems. Not great to be honest but we did get to dance a little.

The last day we had to pack up camp by 11am. After this we had the mandatory pasty before sitting on Putsborough beach for the afternoon. Lots of sun but no surf, it was still a lovely afternoon. All in all it was great to get away. Although I have only spent 4 days in Devon I feel as though I have been away on holiday because the weather was so good. I have even caught some sun, can't quite say I am brown though.

Splashing about in the summer

2010-06-13T21:52:00.004+01:00

We have finally had some reliable sun this year and as a result we have all made an effort to get out on the water. Having threatened to get a kayak for several years now I have actually got around to doing it. I bid on ebay and managed to win a bright yellow kayak.

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Apart from being very heavy and needing two people to carry it to the water, it is still good fun to paddle around. Though not always in a straight line.

Nottingham

2010-05-23T21:47:00.005+01:00

It has been the hottest weekend of the year so far and James and I made our way to visit Joe and Durga on the outskirts of Nottingham. As we left after work we made a dinner stop approximately half way. The last thing we wanted to do was spend a fortune on some greasy food at a service station. Instead we took a random road off the motorway and drove until we found a village. We were lucky to find one with a quaint pub set outside a large cricket green. We ate whilst watching lots of small children having cricket lessons.

Click here for the pictures.

On Saturday we made the most of the sunshine and drove a short way into the Peak District to go for a walk. Joe has recently bought himself an old red lotus. We drove in a convoy of two Lotus Elise cars, one old one new, one bright and one dark red. We walked for about three hours in the peaks. We had deliberately chosen a gentle walk along a river so we could stay in the shade for a while. There was an old lead mine shaft which we stopped to have a look at. The owner of the mine had built his house above the opening of the shaft to stop it from flooding with rain water. This house is now a ruin but it was interesting to see. The highlight of the walk was finding a beautiful field that had been allowed to grow wild. It was completely covered in thousands of dandelions, a sea of yellow.

That evening we went for a drink in Nottingham. The weather made it feel more like being on holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean. Joe and Durga suggested a top floor bar that had a large balcony so we could sit outside. Of course once home the boys insisted in ordering giant kebabs, which in Nottingham you can get delivered like a take away.

On Sunday the weather was even better. We had lunch sitting in the garden of a pub then went to take the obligatory photos of the two cars parked next together. We then left to make the three and a half hour journey home. It was so hot we couldn't drive with the roof off for fear of looking like a beetroot by the time we got home.

Family weekend part deux

2010-05-10T22:31:00.005+01:00

As is gradually becoming a family tradition Charlotte, Gail and I met up for our 6 monthly reunion this weekend. This time we were also joined by Alex. The destination this time was the not so sunny Colchester where we stayed in Charlottes new house. Charlotte moved in with a friend two months ago, then two days before we got there the number in the household doubled to four. Her housemate Dawn had bought two tiny kittens so they were obviously our entertainment for the day. In the evening we made a trip to the local Thai resturant and then onto the bar where Charlotte works on a Friday evening.

On the Sunday we had a wander around Colchester and a nice lunch before heading home in the afternoon. For more pictures click here.

Cyprus

2010-02-22T22:53:00.006Z

Well at home it is approximately zero degrees, raining sideways and just being generally miserable as it normally is in February. Perfect time to get a cheap last minute deal to somewhere in the world that is warm. This is how we ended up in Cyprus. 26 degrees in February. That will do!

The hotel is ok, seems to be a saga mecca but I guess that is because of the time of year. We are staying in Coral Bay 15 minutes down the road from Paphos in the west of the island. It is strangely quiet. Most of the bars, restaurants and even some of the hotels have closed for the off peak season. It is nice though. I'm not sure I would want to be here in the summer when it is fully of the rowdy Brits abroad.

We are a few minutes walk from the local beach. Almost empty at this time of year. Were not getting the clear blue sky we thought we might. We have been told by a taxi driver it is all dust from the Sahara dessert that makes the sky grey. When the dust clears though it is beautiful. The sun feels strong and we are able to wear shorts and skirts and still be warm. On our first day here we took a bus to the local harbour. It has been done up to appeal to the tourists and has lots of bars and restaurants. No where that seems to be traditionally Cypriot or sell just Greek food. I was a little upset when I spotted Pizza Express. It is a little like a home away from home. Everyone speaks English perfectly too. we are told the main industry here is the tourist industry and more than 90% of the tourists are British.
Day two we went on a dive. My fifth attempt at scuba. We went in off a small cliff that we had to climb down. Easier said than done when you have a tank on your back and you are carrying your flippers. I basically fell in right at the end when I slipped. Once our instructor have removed one of my flippers and then put it back on my foot the right way up We had to time it right to dive down between the waves. I struggled a little to start with I thought the water was really murky until I realised my goggles were all fogged up. Glad the instructor in Bali had made me practice taking goggles off under the water. I was able to demist them and see much more clearly. There were fish. Lots of weeds and some caverns to swim through. A very different dive to what I have done before. Were were wearing thick wet suits because the water was only 18 degrees, much cooler than diving in Bali.

Day three was our day trip day. We had to get up at stupid o'clock to be on the tour bus by 7.15am. We were the first on the bus but went onto pick up about forty or so other people. We were also the youngest on the bus by about 40 years with the exception of two other girls and one guy who seemed to be on holiday with his parents. We drove across the border into the Turkish territory. It was quiet interesting. Our tour guide was six at the time of the occupation in 1974 and told us how she was evacuated from the North of the island with her parents during the bombing. Until 6 years ago no one was able to pass across the boarder. Now though they let people with foreign passports and their guides.

Once through the passport control we went onto Salamis were there are some Roman ruins of a amphitheatre and some baths. Initially we decided not to go and see them as the price was not included with the tour. However we changed our minds and went on after the rest of the group had paid. By paying at the ticket booth rather than the Turkish guide on the coach we got in cheaper. Haha. From Salamis we went onto the walled city of Famagusta. There were apparently 160 churches within the walls of the city. Most are now in ruins but some remain. All the churches and Cathedrals on the Turkish side of Cyprus have been either pulled down or converted into mosques. We went inside an Gothic cathedral that had been converted. The crossed had been removed as had all the pews. All that remained was the shell of the building and a carpet of prayer mats inside. Outside they had built a dome onto the top of one of the outbuildings.

From Famagusta we took the bus to Ayia Napa where we stopped for lunch. The resort was built from scratch in the 90's for the younger tourists that visit the island. Prior to the occupation the majority of the tourists went to the North of the island but now all those hotels are either destroyed or owned by the Turkish. Ayia Napia was strange. It was very quiet and most of the bars and restaurants were closed. We ate lunch in a small cafe then wandered around the harbour before taking the bus back to Paphos. Rather than going straight back to the hotel we decided to get some food in town. It was our first chance to have some Cypriot cuisine. I had a meat and rice mixture wrapped in vine leaves with local vegetables and James had a classic Greek kebab.

Sunday was out last full day of the holiday. We had already discovered that no buses run and most remaining things are closed on a Sunday. Activities were pretty restricted so we had reserved this day as a lazy day around the hotel pool and beach. We did have our best meal though. We managed to find a Cypriot restaurant down the road which was open. We had a meze which was a mix of lots of meat and fish dishes cooked in the traditional way. Very nice but very filling. When we finished they bought us too small glasses of some sort of spirit. I liked mine and said to James it was like sweet dessert wine. He frowned at me and said it was far from sweet. Turns out they had brought him brandy and me a dessert wine. Spirit for the man and sweet for the girl. At least my taste buds hadn't gone mad. They were exactly the same colour though.

Have a look at more photos.

Bali

2009-12-16T16:47:00.009Z

Having done a week of busy surgical nights followed by four hours sleep, what better time to be leaving for Heathrow to jump on a plane bound for South Korea. After 10 hours 50 minutes I had a two hour stop before getting a second flight to Bali. Just over seven hours later I was walking into a very hot and sticky airport terminal. James met me at the airport and from there we made our way to Kuta, the hotel and the rest of the group already out there.

My first day was nice and relaxed. We had a wander around the market, sat by the pool and wandered down to the beach. A long strip of white sand dotted with sun umbrellas and surfers. We couldn’t walk very far without being pestered by the locals desperate to sell anything from ice cream to silver.

Day two James and I left the group and set off on a trip to Lovina in the north of the island. We stopped in several places on the way including a place where coffee was produced and a Buddhist temple. It’s there I discovered pineapples grow in shrubs. Don’t know why I always thought they grew on trees. We also stopped by the road side to see one of the volcanoes on the island.

We arrived in Lovina by mid-afternoon and booked into a hotel. It was lovely, a lot of the places in Bali seem to have little individual buildings that have a bedroom and bathroom plus the all important air conditioning. Whilst in Lovina we had a walk along their black volcanic sandy beach and ate some sea food at the local restaurants. It’s only a small place so there wasn’t a huge amount to do but we did wake bright and early the following morning to go and see the dolphins. Lots of people were doing the same. We got in a boat and motored out into the harbour. Eventually someone caught sight of the dolphins and all the boats motored off in that direction. There were lots of them including some babies but they were very quick and difficult to take photos of.

On the way back to Kuta we stopped in several places, a Buddhist temple on a lake which was pretty. I got stopped by some Malaysian tourists who wanted to take a picture of me because I was so pale and blond. We stopped at the tallest waterfall in Bali but had to go and see it with an umbrella because it was raining so hard. We also fed monkeys strawberries at the side of a road.

The next day in Kuta James, Stuart and I started our diving courses. We did a morning in the class room learning about safety and the equipment. We then spent the afternoon in the swimming pool. I was funny because the pool was at a posh hotel so all the richer tourists spend their afternoon watching us look silly in out scuba gear floating around in their pool.

The next day we made our way to Tulambon on the East coast. Our hotel backed onto the beach and in two days we did four dives from the beach. James did all of his around a ship wreck. Stuart and I did different ones. The first was directly in front of the hotel on a coral reef. The first dive was amazing. I didn’t have any difficulty equalizing my ears and breathing was easy. The coral was beautiful and there were so many bright fish to look at. The second and third dives about 50m left of the hotel and were around the wreck James was diving on. Once we saw him navigating down a rope into the wreck. The coral and fish had completely taken over the wreck so it was really interesting to look at. Our fourth dive was about 50m to the right of the hotel and was off an undersea wall. It was where the land falls away under water. It was a real test to get our buoyancy correct so we didn’t sink or float. Our instructor was very thorough. He kept making us practise clearing our masks, sharing our oxygen and emergency assents. He did look a little silly though wearing his Mickey Mouse ears and bow tie. At least we weren’t going to lose him.

From Tulambon we were dropped off in Ubud inland were we met up with the rest of the group. In Ubud we went to the monkey forest where a monkey decided to sit on my lap so it was easier to pick the beads off my bag. It was much cooler here and seemed to be a much area. There were lots of posh restaurants and bars to try.

From here we made our way to the most southern part of Bali and stopped in Uluwatu. It is where all the surfers go for the best waves. We stayed in a hotel with a beautiful infinity pool with a view of the sea and the lights of Kuta in the distance. We watched the sunset from a wooden platform off the edge of a cliff then went swimming in the pool in the dark because it was so hot. The next day we made for the beach at Padang Padang. Our last proper beach day as a group. It was a beautiful beach with white sand. I shade bathed the whole day as it was so hot but still managed to burn my ankles.

The next morning it was time to make a move back to Kuta. Stuart had decided to come home a day early and Amy was due to leave again for Australia so four of us made our way back. We had time for a day of shopping and a giant prawn dinner before catching a flight for the 21 hour trip home. We had flown from 38 degrees to 5 degrees in temperature and really noticed it.

To see more pictures click here.

New Car

2009-09-19T21:08:00.004+01:00

Well here is the replacement:

Much prettier in red I think. Thought I would take a picture of this one early on....just in case.

Car Accident

2009-09-03T18:30:00.008+01:00

Well I did promise I would put up some pictures of my new car. I didn't realise how little time I would have to take them. Just two months after I bought it I have written it off.

Whilst travelling to Emsworth from London, I was within five minutes from home when someone pulled out of a side road in front of me. I was unable to stop. Having initially hit the brakes slowing me down from 50mph to about 35-40mph I hit him in the side in the area of his rear wheel arch.

I remember thinking "Oh no my new car", the next thought was "oh air bags". I forgot I had them. They all went off, my bonnet crumpled and my windscreen cracked. When I had batted down the air bags I thought the other driver had driven off. He hadn't, just moved his car to the side of the road and then helped me pull open my car door so I could get out the car.

We called the police who had to get their pick up truck to move my car from the road. Then the insurance nightmare began. The accident was not my fault and a minibus with witnesses stopped to tell this to the police.

More Photos

My only injuries were burns from the airbags and a sore shoulder. My car was the biggest injury it was pretty mangled whilst the one I hit had some minor scratches. Moral of the story if you want to walk away from a crash drive a Seat Leon. If you want to crash in style hit a Rolls Royce!

Family Weekend

2009-07-26T19:16:00.004+01:00

We have started a new tradition. Every six months or so Charlotte, Gayle and I get together for a weekend to have a catch up. An attempt to make up for not seeing so much of each other since Charlotte and I moved away from Stevenage twelve years ago. Around this time last year Gayle and I went to visit Charlotte in Colchester. Earlier this year we stayed in Stevenage with Gayle and now finally it was my turn. They both came to stay with me in Emsworth. We started with a quick lunch then made our way out onto the water, the best way to see the real Emsworth.

Kayaking

James was kind enough to take us out on his families tin dingy, Tinnie. The tide was high in the early afternoon so we launched Tinnie from the end of James' old road. Charlotte and I started off in the Kayaks whilst Gayle and James motored to Fowley island. The island is a doughnut shape with a center containing calm and wind shielded water good for first Kayak attempts. Charlotte swapped with Gayle and James also had a go before Gayle and I pirouetted back to the shore.

Later on that evening we made our way to Portsmouth for dinner and drinks where we continued to exercise our voices. I woke the next morning croaky from all the talking... not like me at all. After a lazy afternoon wandering around the village and watching a DVD the weekend was over. Its Charlottes turn next time.

Susie and Ed's Wedding

2009-07-24T12:19:00.009+01:00

Congratulations to Susie and Ed who got married on 27th June at a lovely picturesque church in Cuckfield Sussex. They were lucky enough to choose one of the only hot sunny days we have had this year, perfect for the pictures outside the church. It was good to see friends who haven't been seen since around the time of our graduation. Whilst the families of the newly weds ate their wedding breakfast we made for a local pub for a good catch up before making our way to a party in a marquee for the evening.

For more pictures click here.

A great band made the night with lively music that ensured everyone was up and dancing the night away. There were also hot dogs to be washed down with glasses of Pimms whilst we watched a huge firework display behind the marquee.

New Home

2009-07-24T11:55:00.003+01:00

Lots of new things are happening at the moment. A new car, a new home and soon a new job. I have been lucky enough to take all of my holiday for my current job in July. Along with compensatory leave after nights and days in Leu from bank holidays worked I am only working a total of nine days in july. Perfect opportunity to move out of the grotty hospital accommodation a month early and move into a bright and spaceous, three storey town house in the center of Emsworth with James.

Its great to have spare space to have people come and visit. It is also in a great location. Less than 20 seconds from the nearest shops and local pub, its also about 100m from the sea and the same from the mill pond. When showing Mum around one evening she said 'I feel I'm on holiday'. A great contrast from living in the city of London for eight years. I'm loving it already. No more comuting, Yeah.

New Car

2009-07-24T11:43:00.004+01:00

After surviving years of living in the east end of London and being broken into on several occasions, my nine year old Punto was nearing the twilight of its life. The final straw, after months of threatening it with a replacement, was when the brakes started to fail on the way home from London. I had already booked test drives for the following morning but didn't realise I would also be buying the same weekend.

I test drove four cars to make my decision but settled on a one year old Seat Leon 1.4 sport. Larger than my last car but still small enough to park. It is far more fun to drive than my last car and even accelerates when going up hill, and with passengers in the back seat. No more leaning forward to help when overaking. Very exciting.

There does appear to be a trend starting with my cars though. My first had four gears, my Punto had five. This has six. Will they make a car with seven for my next upgrade?

Holiday in the USA

2009-04-15T00:33:00.011+01:00

After 3 weeks of wrangling I actually managed to get two weeks off work all in one go. A good amount of time to make my first visit to the States. We flew into Chicago for the start of our trip. During our two and a half day stay we had a look at some of the local sights including the aquarium and Sears Tower. However perhaps the most impressive were the sculpture called Cloud Gate and the view from the pier. Cloud Gate is a piece of modern art that I actually like and judging by the number of people looking at it, so do lots of others. The most difficult thing about it was getting a photo that does it justice. The pier where the aquarium and planetarium were gave brilliant views of the cityscape which were uninterrupted across the lake. So impressive in fact that we thought it worth a visit in the dark to see it all lit up. Even if our taxi driver thought we were mad, it was worth it.

From Chicago we drove in a hire car East towards Buffalo. The idea being to take four days and stop at anything interesting along the way. We soon discovered that interesting things were lacking so apart from a night in Cleveland we decided to speed up this part of the journey and got to Buffalo in 2 days. Perhaps the most eventful part of the drive was getting a flat tyre which had to be changed and then swapping our rubbish Chrysler for an almost as rubbish Hyundai. Oh well.

Once in Buffalo we made the trip to the Canadian border to see the Niagara falls. There was still snow on the ground when we were there so some of the best look out points were closed. Unfortunately there was ice in the water too so the famous Maid in the Mist was not running trips for tourists to see the falls from the bottom. Still worth seeing though. Strangely enough there seemed to be a lot of static on one of the viewing posts, mine wasn't the only hair standing on end. Of course as were were on the Buffalo part of the trip, we had Buffalo wings for lunch.

A day early we made our way to New York City on a night bus. It seems they have the Megabus in the States too. In our five days in NYC we made a point of seeing all the sights including the statue of liberty from the Staten island ferry, the Guggenheim museum of art, the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square, China Town, Little Italy and of course Broadway. By the time we had finished in New York our feet well and truly ached. I did manage to get James to watch Chicago so I can now say I have seen a Broadway show! We also met up with one of James' friends from his time living out in the States. It was a fun night and ment we were able to see part of NYC that was off the tourist trail.

To See more pictures click on this link.

From New York we caught a second Megabus to Philadelphia. We struck lucky and were upgraded to an executive suit in our hotel which acted like a cherry on top of the cake. Whilst in Philly we visited the Liberty Bell, the museum of modern art and the Mutter museum. Of course at the museum of modern art we had to walk up the steps from Rocky and stand in Sylvester Stallones footsteps. The Mutter museum was put together by a doctor who thought the only way to study medicine was to see real diseases. Therefore it was full of jars of specimens, just on a much larger scale than the old library at university. I was surprised at how clean everything was in philadelphia. Considering it was a large City it didn't feel it. We also met up with one of James' old work collegues for dinner which was good too.

In summary,I think the most impressive thing I saw was the skyline of Chicago at night. The best meal was some amazing ribs in a small brewery/pub found in a back street in Philly - I only had the starter but still couldn't eat it all. The nicest thing was how friendly everyone was and how willing they are to help, e.g the guy who insisted on helping change the car tyre. The funniest thing was how people didn't understand what I was saying unless I spoke slowly. Seems they don't hear our accent that often especially outside of the cities. I only got an "I love your accent" once.

Prancing On Ice

2008-11-27T15:53:00.005Z

It may be the last place people think to go to in the winter but recently James and I went walking at the beach. It was freezing cold and really windy but a good excuse to dust off my walking boots from Nepal. Still had to tog up with lots of layers though. Probably looked very silly driving down there in a roofless car with hats, scarves, gloves and thermals on. However the sky was clear and the sun was out. Thats out excuse anyway. There were an surprising number of people out walking their dogs and sailing their yachts. Having bought himself an new camera on the way back from Amsterdam it was a good chance to get in some practise. Luckily the sunset gave a very pretty background to the scenery.

The beech has not been our only walking destination recently. A few weeks ago we went for a mini trek up to Kingly Vale, a hill with some impressive landscape around. While we were up there we decided to go up over the top on the hill. This meant wandering off the normal path. However it also meant we got to see a herd of deer. Initially we only saw three. Two females and a stag with huge antlers. Once they saw us more were revealed as they ran off into the woods. There were probably about ten in total. Amazing.

Last weekend was the coldest by far yet this winter. So cold that the Mill Pond in Emsworth froze over completely. This obviously gave a chance to go ice dancing, well sliding anyway. Slightly nervous at first that we would get wet feet the confidence quickly grew when a couple of 16st ish guys jumping up and down didn't make it crack. The whole town seemed to make the most of it by playing ice hockey, curling bricks with garden brooms and dogs skidding in all directions.

Last Minute Holiday

2008-11-24T21:47:00.009Z

What should you do on a long weekend? Skip the country of course. This was exactly the idea James and I had when we decided to book a last minute get away. Having surfed the interweb to find the best deal possible we made a snap decision to take a risk and go for a short break in Amsterdam in a mystery hotel. Risky you might say. However we got lucky and ended up staying in pretty nice hotel not far from the Schipol airport and a short train journey into the centre of Amsterdam.

A picture of one of the canals with an example
of some typical architecture in the background.

Once in the small city centre we made the most of being able to walk to most places though on several occasions we came close to being run over by bicycles. We went on the obligatory canal trip to get an overall view of the city sampling views of the strange tall houses they have there. We also wandered down to the Van Gough museum and had a nose around some botanical gardens.

Amsterdam is a city full of museums and loads of tourists. However it does also live up to its name. It is a very forward and liberal city and mixed in amongst the houses and shops were the brown cafe's and red lit windows it is now famed for. All very bizarre. All in all our weekend was a short trip away but definitely worth while.

My Summer

2008-09-15T22:14:00.007+01:00

Well as it has been so long since my last blogg several things have happened. The first of which was my friend Ashmai's hen party followed by her wedding. For her hen do the theme was 'the wild west' which of course meant that we all had to dress up as cowgirls complete with hats and cowboy boots. However there was one big surprise and that was Jez, who as the token male at the party, decided to go all out and dress up as an Indian including the long black wig and giant feather head dress. We must have looked ridiculous as we caught the tube to the comedy club for the evenings entertainment. Though it was all good fun.

Ashmais wedding was on the 8th August and was held at the conservatory in the Barbican center in London. Ashmai looked lovely in her dress and Ted looked great in his suit complete with blue swede shoes. Lucy and I along with some others were her bridesmaids and it was our job to make sure the isle was sprinkled with rose petals as she walked down the isle. The conservatory made a pretty backdrop for the wedding photos and when I finally manage to get mine off my camera I will put some up for you to see.

I suppose the biggest thing that has happened in the past month is that I have started work. I have moved up to London once again and am living in the grotty doctors accommodation at Epsom hospital. I have been lucky though, my surgical firm is fairly quiet compared to the medical firms that I will be doing later in the year so it has been fairly gently getting used to having to work. It is strange though finally being able to sign the prescriptions that I write rather than getting someone else to sign them for me. As a speciality urology is not bad. Very few patients seem to have post op complications and are quite often very cheerful which is nice.

Working full time (well on average just over 50 hours a week) means that I have tried to make the most of my weekends. A couple of times I have been out on the water trying to learn to sail. Its really hard, when the wind gets up I get very nervous. There are lots of expensive boats on the water I don't really want to crash into to. Lets just say that I'm not a natural, I am determined to get there though and hopefully will be able to do a sailing course during some of my holiday next year. On one of the windier days I let James show me how it is done. I'm not sure I want photographic evidence of how poor I am at sailing just yet.

The next exciting thing is I have a short week this week as I have taken a few days off work so James and I can go to Amsterdam for a short break. Hopefully it will be good fun. It is our last minute alternative to camping in Devon and going surfing. Didn't fancy our chances with the great British weather.

Graduation

2008-08-01T14:38:00.004+01:00

Well I have finally done it. I graduated on the 11th of July in the grounds of Charterhouse square which is the original setting for the St Bartholomew's medical school. In a ceremony held in a giant marquee a few hundred of us collected a certificate after a nervous walk across a wobbly stage in heels that were threatening to go over any second. Possibly the most impressive part of the day was the correct pronunciation of every ones name by the lecturer calling us to the stage.

To see other photos click here

The final part of my university career came today when I received my degree certificate through the post. So that's it then, I am officially a doctor who is registered by the general medical council and who is on call for her first ever day at work. Just my luck, I have been landed with a extra long shift where I will be on my own in the evening covering the surgical wards. Well at least I will find out fairly quickly if I can put all that training into practise.

Holiday in France

2008-07-10T11:39:00.006+01:00

I have just returned from a nice relaxing holiday in the South of France. James and I were lucky enough to spend a week in a huge house based in the Dordogne region. In the very peaceful setting of a beautiful golf course, Maison des Pruniers was large enough to sleep 6 people and had its own swimming pool, though we had it all to ourselves. Our first day there was a Sunday and we discovered very quickly that nothing was open so we were forced to sit by the pool and catch up on some fiction reading ... such a hardship... a lovely change from all those medical text books.

Maison des Pruniers

During that week we made several trips, driving into the surrounding area. We spent an afternoon in St Emillion, a hill top town that is at the center of Bordeaux's wine making industry. There we climbed a tower to get a great view of the town and some of the surrounding vinyards, followed by a tour of one of the local vineyards. We had an introduction into the process of wine making, the history of St Emillion as well as a chance to taste some of the local wine.

Looking over St Emillion

We also made a trip to the prehistoric caves at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil where we had a tour of the cave Font de Gaume. The cave was discovered in 1901 and is believed to have been first inhabited by stone age people approximately 25,000 BC. The tunnel like cave is now the only cave still open to the public that contains multicoloured paintings. The paintings included pictures of mammoths and bison. Some included carvings into the rock, others followed the natural shape of the rock to highlight features of the painting but all were more like artist impressions of the animals rather than the stick animals I was expecting. On the way back to the house from the caves we made a quick stop into Bergerac to have a short wander around the city.

Another afternoon we hired a canoe and went for a paddle along the Dordogne river. It was less hard work than we were expecting due to the fast current, thankfully we weren't going in the opposite direction. The river is wide and enclosed by all the trees on the banks so you feel enclosed from the roads running along side it.

On our final day in the South of France we made a trip to Bordeaux, where we parked the car and then caught a tram into the city center. We had a wander around the city, saw a strange fountain which sprays water onto the pavement to reflect the surrounding buildings. We also went on a climb up over 200 steps to get a view over the city from a bell tower and ate lunch in one of the cafes which spills out of the restaurant onto the street.

The fountain in Bordeaux

After packing up and leaving the house we decided to make two stops on the way back to the ferry port at Caen. First was the port of La Rochelle, a small town with lots of posh looking yachts in the harbour. There were a huge range of fish restaurants and creperies to choose from so we sampled one of each and followed them by watching the Wimbledon final in an Irish pub. Yep those pubs are everywhere!

The second stop on the way back to Caen was at the town of Vannes. In the center of Vannes there are some really old looking streets which are cobbled and have what can only be described as Tudor esk. They looked almost cartoon like as the architecture was so different from everything else we had seen around France.

It was a lovely and much needed holiday, though I have to admit although James and I made the effort to try with the French language we don't feel we have improved much. Quite often we spoke in French and got replies in English. Sometimes we managed a combination of French and English, accidentally using English words without realising. At least we tried.

Have a look at some photos from our holiday.

End of an Era

2008-06-24T15:55:00.006+01:00

Well the time has arrived. After 20 years of full time education I have finally finished with school and am about to leave the East end of London and enter the grown up world. Things have changed a lot since I was learning how to make bubble pictures by blowing through a straw into a cup of paint and washing up liquid. Three schools, one college and two universities later and I have found myself with a degree in medicine.

Admitttedly I did use the long route to get here. It may seem that I have avoided growing up and going out to work, however I think that my first degree put me in a great position to cope with the medical course. Being that tiny bit older certainly seems to gain you that extra bit of patient trust.

The last few weeks have been a little sad though. First I had a BBQ at my student house as a leaving celebration with a few of my friends. Then my family came to London to help me move most of my possessions out of the house. I am now rattling around in my room without much in the way of furniture and only the bare minimum of essentials.

It will be a shame to have to leave however it is also exciting. I will be moving onto the next stage. I have a job at Epsom hospital so I will finally be able to put a use to all that knowledge I have spent the last 20 acquiring. So amid all the promises to friends that I will keep in touch (and I will) there are mixed feelings. It is sad, exciting and nerve racking all at once though I feel it is definitely time to move on.

It is the end of one great era but happily the start of another which I am sure will be just as challenging but hopefully just as enjoyable too.

Louises' wedding

2008-06-08T14:48:00.003+01:00

Well lets just say I have been to two weddings this year and the weather couldn't have been better for either. First was Lucy's where everything was covered in a blanket of snow and then yesterday I went to louises' for which the sun came out and it was lovely and warm.

The wedding was held at Portsmouth registary office where there was a short service. Louise wore a lovely pink dress having chosen not to go for the tradidional white. However Louise always great in pink and it suited her perfectly. Following the service Kelly Charlotte and I threw some matching pink confetti over her and her new husband and then lined up for some photos.

We then all moved on to Portsmouth sailing club for some drinks, food and the speeches. The cake was made by a relative of Ed's and each tier was different to keep everyone happy. Having tried the fruit it quite upsetting that I didn't have room to try the chocolate or the madiera as it was delicious.

Congratulations Louise and Edward Goodenough.

Click here for photos

How to leave a comment

2008-05-23T09:07:00.002+01:00

I have noticed that people who comment on my blog do it by email or by text. However there is an easier way that is built into the blog. If you press the comment link at the end of each blog entry the form below is opened.