London
Well we flew into London on Valentines Day, the flight was pretty smooth and quick and we had no hassles with our baggage – it was the first time we flew with only cabin luggage and nothing else. We arrived at Gatwick in no time at all and then took the Gatwick express into London which took about 40 minutes to Victoria station. Once we arrived at Victoria we decided just to Cab it to the hotel, instead of trying to find our way round the tubes at that stage.
I don’t know what I expected from the hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised, although the hotel was in the middle of Camden town it was actually a block away from the main street, so there was no noise from the revellers in Camden town. Once we unpacked and sorted ourselves out, we arranged to meet “M” who I had not seen for 12 years, she only lived about 4 stops away from Camden so it was perfect.
We took a slow walk from the hotel and then found an outdoor pub where we decided to have a seat and wait, Em was hungry so D went off to get her some chips. I went down to the lock to meet “M” who had not changed a bit, it was really so good catching up and we just chatted and chatted. We eventually decided to go up and get an early dinner.
We then arranged that M would pick us up on Sunday morning and take us on a tour of London. After Breakfast on Sunday M was waiting at the hotel, it was great being driven around London, through Regents Park, past Piccadilly over Tower bridge, past Trafalgar square and St. Paul’s, we passed all the places we had only ever walked past before. M then dropped us close to the hotel and we went for a coffee at Nero’s (the best coffee in London). M took her car back home and was going to meet us back in Camden as J & L were meeting us there too. L was as always dead on time and arrived round 1 ish.
We had a wonderful afternoon, just chatting and catching up, the drinks were cheap and they had a full on Sunday Roast, Em was quite content sitting in the pub for a change, but eventually we had to leave because children were not allowed in the pub after 6 or 7, so we all went back to our hotel which was just across the road and sat in the lounge drinking and chatting.
I think M & L left at about 10 ish and J stayed till about Midnight, it was really great catching up and I can’t wait to see them all again.
Monday we took it pretty easy and did very little sight seeing, took the tube to Piccadilly and then went to Hamley’s much to Em’s delight; from there we went to Trafalgar square and then took the tube to Baker Street to get some lunch. After lunch we walked around Regents Park and then took the tube back to the hotel. We then headed out to meet M as she had invited us for a special spaghetti dinner, (M’s famous spaghetti sauce which I hadn’t had for about 14 years) it was just as nice as I remember it.
Too soon it was time to say Goodbye and we headed back to the hotel. Tuesday morning was the big day we were going to meet Gwen at Gatwick and fly back to Dublin. After Breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed out to Victoria station to get the train to Gatwick, we were hours early as Gwen was only arriving at 15:35 from Madeira. At Victoria we stopped for coffee, it was at that point that I just stopped feeling well, anyway we finally made it to Gatwick after the train was delayed due to a fatality on the track, the train was packed because the train had to take a detour and therefore had hundreds of people going on the detour to another station.
Dublin
We arrived at Gatwick and found a coffee shop right outside the international arrivals where we could sit and wait for Gwen to arrive. Within an hour she was there, we had not seen Gwen for 2 years, which was the last time we were in SA, it was so good to catch up. Luckily we had parked the car at the airport in the Short Term parking so it was easy just to get our bags, get in the car and be home in no time at all.
Wednesday was a lazy day, we got up early as Em was thrilled to have someone that she could sleep all night with and then wake them up to give her Breakfast so she could go downstairs and play. The weather turned out to be pretty miserable so we just went off to Dundrum for an “Eddie Rockets” lunch and some essential shopping and headed home.
On Thursday we decided to head down to Kildare Village retail outlet, D needed some new jeans and they have loads of designer shops, so Gwen could possibly find some presents, I was not feeling the greatest and the pains in my chest had worsened. So after doing a bit of shopping we headed home, D then took me off to the doctor.
Friday was a bit of a blur as I think I slept most of the day while D and Gwen and Em went off to Marlay Park. Lisa was coming round for Dinner so I had to get everything prepared.
Saturday I took Gwen to meet the SA girls at Wild & Green, can you believe there are about 10 of us now it was Lisa, Leany, Nat, Carla, Tracy, Kelly, Mandy, Me and then Gwen. (Hope I didn’t leave anyone out). We sat around for ages talking kak and then headed home; I still was not feeling so great.
All too soon Sunday arrived and it was time for Gwen to head back to Madeira, it was very sad saying goodbye and at that instant I suddenly became really home sick, not to the extent that I wanted to pack my bags and go back but just the fact that I missed everyone back home.
South Africa
It’s crazy how everyday of my life I think about the people back home, but I guess everyone has their own lives and life just goes on. At this stage I can’t wait for our trip back to SA as it will be 2 years and 4 months since the last time we stepped down on South African soil.
I was telling a friend that I was watching “Wild at Heart” on Sunday night, it is a programme filmed by the BBC almost a weekly kind of soapy, the acting is not great and Deon Stewardson is a bit of a pain – but the only reason I watch it, is because it is filmed in SA near Hartebeespoort dam. In the episode on Sunday there was a terrible storm with thunder and lightning, and it made me remember things I had forgotten, how you can get soaked in a second when there is a thunder storm, the smell of the bush after the rain has subsided and all those beautiful memories and smells of living in Africa that you just don’t get anywhere else in the world. I have a feeling that we will go back, maybe not for the next 15 years or so, but eventually.
I guess Africa will just always be in our blood! And to those of you who experience life in Africa on a daily basis, appreciate what you have, because when you no longer have it, you really miss it! Its funny Em talks about going to live in Africa so often, so who knows we might all end up back their eventually, till then we will enjoy the time we have here.
M is coming over to visit us on the 13th of March it is going to be so good seeing her and showing her “our” Dublin.
To all of you who had the patience to read this long post – I thank you!!!
Well we flew into London on Valentines Day, the flight was pretty smooth and quick and we had no hassles with our baggage – it was the first time we flew with only cabin luggage and nothing else. We arrived at Gatwick in no time at all and then took the Gatwick express into London which took about 40 minutes to Victoria station. Once we arrived at Victoria we decided just to Cab it to the hotel, instead of trying to find our way round the tubes at that stage.
I don’t know what I expected from the hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised, although the hotel was in the middle of Camden town it was actually a block away from the main street, so there was no noise from the revellers in Camden town. Once we unpacked and sorted ourselves out, we arranged to meet “M” who I had not seen for 12 years, she only lived about 4 stops away from Camden so it was perfect.
We took a slow walk from the hotel and then found an outdoor pub where we decided to have a seat and wait, Em was hungry so D went off to get her some chips. I went down to the lock to meet “M” who had not changed a bit, it was really so good catching up and we just chatted and chatted. We eventually decided to go up and get an early dinner.
We then arranged that M would pick us up on Sunday morning and take us on a tour of London. After Breakfast on Sunday M was waiting at the hotel, it was great being driven around London, through Regents Park, past Piccadilly over Tower bridge, past Trafalgar square and St. Paul’s, we passed all the places we had only ever walked past before. M then dropped us close to the hotel and we went for a coffee at Nero’s (the best coffee in London). M took her car back home and was going to meet us back in Camden as J & L were meeting us there too. L was as always dead on time and arrived round 1 ish.
We had a wonderful afternoon, just chatting and catching up, the drinks were cheap and they had a full on Sunday Roast, Em was quite content sitting in the pub for a change, but eventually we had to leave because children were not allowed in the pub after 6 or 7, so we all went back to our hotel which was just across the road and sat in the lounge drinking and chatting.
I think M & L left at about 10 ish and J stayed till about Midnight, it was really great catching up and I can’t wait to see them all again.
Monday we took it pretty easy and did very little sight seeing, took the tube to Piccadilly and then went to Hamley’s much to Em’s delight; from there we went to Trafalgar square and then took the tube to Baker Street to get some lunch. After lunch we walked around Regents Park and then took the tube back to the hotel. We then headed out to meet M as she had invited us for a special spaghetti dinner, (M’s famous spaghetti sauce which I hadn’t had for about 14 years) it was just as nice as I remember it.
Too soon it was time to say Goodbye and we headed back to the hotel. Tuesday morning was the big day we were going to meet Gwen at Gatwick and fly back to Dublin. After Breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed out to Victoria station to get the train to Gatwick, we were hours early as Gwen was only arriving at 15:35 from Madeira. At Victoria we stopped for coffee, it was at that point that I just stopped feeling well, anyway we finally made it to Gatwick after the train was delayed due to a fatality on the track, the train was packed because the train had to take a detour and therefore had hundreds of people going on the detour to another station.
Dublin
We arrived at Gatwick and found a coffee shop right outside the international arrivals where we could sit and wait for Gwen to arrive. Within an hour she was there, we had not seen Gwen for 2 years, which was the last time we were in SA, it was so good to catch up. Luckily we had parked the car at the airport in the Short Term parking so it was easy just to get our bags, get in the car and be home in no time at all.
Wednesday was a lazy day, we got up early as Em was thrilled to have someone that she could sleep all night with and then wake them up to give her Breakfast so she could go downstairs and play. The weather turned out to be pretty miserable so we just went off to Dundrum for an “Eddie Rockets” lunch and some essential shopping and headed home.
On Thursday we decided to head down to Kildare Village retail outlet, D needed some new jeans and they have loads of designer shops, so Gwen could possibly find some presents, I was not feeling the greatest and the pains in my chest had worsened. So after doing a bit of shopping we headed home, D then took me off to the doctor.
Friday was a bit of a blur as I think I slept most of the day while D and Gwen and Em went off to Marlay Park. Lisa was coming round for Dinner so I had to get everything prepared.
Saturday I took Gwen to meet the SA girls at Wild & Green, can you believe there are about 10 of us now it was Lisa, Leany, Nat, Carla, Tracy, Kelly, Mandy, Me and then Gwen. (Hope I didn’t leave anyone out). We sat around for ages talking kak and then headed home; I still was not feeling so great.
All too soon Sunday arrived and it was time for Gwen to head back to Madeira, it was very sad saying goodbye and at that instant I suddenly became really home sick, not to the extent that I wanted to pack my bags and go back but just the fact that I missed everyone back home.
South Africa
It’s crazy how everyday of my life I think about the people back home, but I guess everyone has their own lives and life just goes on. At this stage I can’t wait for our trip back to SA as it will be 2 years and 4 months since the last time we stepped down on South African soil.
I was telling a friend that I was watching “Wild at Heart” on Sunday night, it is a programme filmed by the BBC almost a weekly kind of soapy, the acting is not great and Deon Stewardson is a bit of a pain – but the only reason I watch it, is because it is filmed in SA near Hartebeespoort dam. In the episode on Sunday there was a terrible storm with thunder and lightning, and it made me remember things I had forgotten, how you can get soaked in a second when there is a thunder storm, the smell of the bush after the rain has subsided and all those beautiful memories and smells of living in Africa that you just don’t get anywhere else in the world. I have a feeling that we will go back, maybe not for the next 15 years or so, but eventually.
I guess Africa will just always be in our blood! And to those of you who experience life in Africa on a daily basis, appreciate what you have, because when you no longer have it, you really miss it! Its funny Em talks about going to live in Africa so often, so who knows we might all end up back their eventually, till then we will enjoy the time we have here.
M is coming over to visit us on the 13th of March it is going to be so good seeing her and showing her “our” Dublin.
To all of you who had the patience to read this long post – I thank you!!!
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