Hi Everyone...yes, we are fine but have just found it more difficult to post the blogs. The reason is that since returning to the UK and moving on to other places, we now come home in the evening to friends and so spend the evenings chatting and not blogging.
The Czech Republic was of course a wonderful experience for both of us. After Karlovy Vary we returned to the same hotel in Prague arriving at lunchtime and in the afternoon we wandered down to the astrological clock. The following day we took the bus up the hill to the monestary and the castle and walked down the hill visiting as much as possible along the way. We were both extremely tired and walked very slowly and really couldn't be bothered to fight the crowds. People had told us that Prague was the most beautiful city in Europe but we had been so taken with Karlovy Vary that it really didn't strike us this way. It is very lovely but I'm not sure that we would use as many superlatives. Michelle kept commenting on the huge amount of graffitti everywhere and was particularly upset when it defaced the beautiful buildings. While Karlovy Vary seems to have been totally cleaned up, Prague is a bit of a hit and miss affair with some things having been cleaned up and others looking pretty sad.
Michelle can post here pictures of two lamp posts. They are identical and stand within 100 yards of one another. One is completely rusted out and really grotty looking and the other has been cleaned and freshly painted and is beautiful. We particularly noted the famous bridge in Prague, the one with all the statues which has not been cleaned up at all. It seemed strange to us. Anyway we had a wonderful 6 days there and wouldn't have missed it for the world.
On our return to London we took the coach back to Victoria and passed the Natural History Museum. This building has been totally sandblasted (or otherwise cleaned up) and it is certainly as beautiful as anything we saw in the Czech Republic. London has certainly cleaned up a lot of buildings since I was last here, particularly the churches but other building as well. It is just that they aren't all in one location.
The next day we reluctantly said goodbye to the lovely apartment that had been our home for almost 3 weeks although I have to say that we were looking forward to getting the car and being kind to our feet! We went back to the airport to pick up the car and spent quite a while figuring out where everything was. On this occasion nobody even came to the car with us. They just gave us the key, pointed to the parking lot and waved goodbye. We thought we had found everything important ...the lights, the wipers, etc etc....until we came to buy gas. Some days have gone by since I wrote anything so I'll skip ahead and tell you what happened a couple of days ago when we thought we'd buy gas. We pulled into the gas station and looked for the button to release the gas cap cover. I couldn't find it anywhere. Michelle got in the drivers seat to look. She couldn't find it anywhere. We moved the seat back...still couldn't find it. So...feeling rather silly but thinking that there must be some new thing either with newer models or perhaps something specific to the UK we waited until another customer drove into the gas station. I was happy that it was a very young guy because I figured he'd just think I was some silly old lady....which he probably did, but I explained the problem to him explaining that despite my accent, I wasn't living in this country and had a hire car. As all you Brits will guess, he walked over to my car, tapped the gas cap cover and the thing opened. So...for the sake of you Brits I have to tell you that in Canada all our gas caps are locked and it never occurred to us that yours are not.
So back a few days, we drove the car to our next stop which was Olney, a delightful little village near to Milton Keynes. My school friend Carole has recently moved here from Cornwall so it was great to see her lovely new old place and then go out for dinner and to get caught up on all the family news since the last time we had been together. The next day we drove an hour across country to my old friend Moni(ca), emphasis on the friend not the "old" who lives with her husband in Baldock. They had just returned from vacation so were both still on holiday and we had a lovely lunch with them before returning to Olney where Carole had been joined by Bob,yet another friend from many years ago so we spent another evening chatting and recalling old times. Carole and I had fun telling Michelle all the naughty things we did together while we were at school.
The next day we wandered around Olney and had another lovely lunch before heading off for Ilkeston in Derbyshire. This was Friday and we are now with friends Maggie and Lew who have a lovely house and garden. We elected to spend Saturday around the house and realised that we were more than ready for a lazy day.
On Sunday we were off again to meet another friend with whom I made contact through Friends Reunited an English website that connects people who went to school together. Sheila and I were not really in the same crowd although we spent 6 years in the same class and it was really lovely to see her again and to catch up on our mutual friends and current lives. We met at a lovely pub that Roger and I have been to many times and which I wanted to show to Michelle. The place and food were as always excellent and after our meal we all took a lovely walk along the tow path next to the canal. Michelle even got to see a boat passing through the lock.
We had two more calls to do after lunch. The first was successful, a trip to see Aunty Lily's house, now sold. It at least gave Michelle a look at a place about which she had heard so much if only because Roger and I spent a lot of time there in the last couple of years of Lily's life.
Unfortunately the neighbours were not at home but that gave us a time, so we thought, to go to Asda (Walmart) to check out the clothes. Unfortunately British Sunday laws interferred with this trip as they closed almost as soon as we got there but we saw enough to know we have to go back.
Today Monday 1st August we tripped out with Maggie while her husband went golfing. We went to another place that was an old haunt of mine and Roger's but found the pub had changed hands and didn't appeal to me any more. It turned out to be a stroke of luck as we found an alternative place to eat and had an absolutely wonderful meal. Boy, have we been eating well on this trip but everywhere seems to provide much more meat than we are used to.
Our plans for tomorrow are to go to an old home (big old house) and on wednesday we are going to York for the day. One week from today is the day we will return to Canada so not much more time but still a few more places and people to fit in. Will try and write some more as we can and I hope Michelle can add a few more photos.
To all the "Novel Women", my bookgroup friends....I miss you all and part of me is looking forward to being back home. I'm bringing some goodies with me and will have to throw out a few things in order to get them all into the suitcase.
Thanks for your emails those of you who have written. I do check my gmail every day.
Sue
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