Home safely

Thanks for your kind wishes in comments on my last post. I am home, in some discomfort but I'll be fine. A good night's sleep will help. See you all next week.

Pause

I made a start with our holiday posts but today I have surgery at a hospital and then on Saturday we journey to the Surf Coast where we will celebrate the twin boys' first birthday. We have booked to stay overnight. Hopefully I will be ok to go.

Mother is feeling constantly sick in the stomach, which began after her stay in hospital while we were overseas. She hopes to readmitted to hospital today. A substantial dose of a good anxiety medication might solve many of her problems. It is not that our medical system won't look after her; she constantly self diagnoses and won't take medications because 'they make me feel sick'. Well, she is feeling sick regardless. She is impossible at times.

So, probably no more posts for a few days.

This cocky greeted me a day or two after we returned from overseas. 

"Hello Andrew. I've missed seeing you on the balcony".

It walked along the balcony railing to get a closer view of me.

"You appear to have survived your overseas adventure."

"Yes, thanks, and thanks for the welcome home."

England 24-25 April

We caught a taxi to the airport, and let me remind you how I despise airports. It was however a smooth enough process. For some reason economy passengers were loaded before business class passengers, but no matter to us as we were in the airline's lounge waiting to be called. Free food, free drinks and tarmac views from comfortable seating.

As it was our first time travelling business class there were lots of new things to learn. Before take off we were given champers and the staff were all very pleasant, friendly and helpful. Our flight departed late afternoon so we were looking forward to a nice meal and a sleep in the flat beds, which is exactly what we had. The control buttons for the seat to make it stretch out into a bed needed such a hard push, but R's didn't and none of subsequent flights had such stiff controls. It was nice to have a decent sized entertainment screen but the film selections weren't that great, with a focus on American bang bang films and god awful American comedy shows. I did find the Kenneth Branagh versions of Murder on the Orient express (I always forget who dun it) and Death on the Nile. I can never get past David Suchet as Poirot. 

We did not have to collect our cases at Colombo, Sir Lanka as they were going straight through. We did have to pack our backpacks carefully so that we had what we needed for the 12 hour stopover in Colombo. 

The usual grumpy and expressionless border security staff sent us back to fill in incoming passenger cards and I had already arranged our ETA's, like a visa, for two days. There weren't queues, with plenty of border staff.  

We expected someone to be there to greet us with our names on sign boards but no. We had to find the booth that would arrange our transport to our hotel. I think it was a least half an hour from when we cleared security to when our transport arrived. It is the airlines responsibility but the service is provided by the hotel. It wasn't good enough, and naturally in time the airline will hear about it. 

A rather attractive lad led us out to the street to wait for our transport and did the usual subtle con as we waited for our transport. He claimed to have not seen Australian money notes. We knew what he was up to. R showed him a $10 note and he seriously admired it. R put the note back in his wallet and showed the lad a $5 note, and told the lad to keep it. He was quite sweet. 

The hotel was a fifteen minute drive away and it was set in a huge and lush tropical garden, some manicured and some not. A guard at the gate checked under our vehicle with a mirror for 'la bombe'. The hotel was fantastic. It was my and EC's favourite weather of course, hot and humid but not so bad at night. Yes, I am lying.

We had requested a room with twin beds. Instead we had a room each with a queen and single bed. In the shower I failed to notice the overhead monster rain shower head, as you had pull out a rod to make it work. (Foreign plumbing drives me mad) Instead I made do with the hand held shower. We had some buffet food and drinks at the hotel, included, and I can't remember the times now. A youngish waiter charmed us. His English was excellent and he had lived in Italy in the past. The staff were a bit more friendly and interactive than is my preference. We vant to be alone. We were advised a too early time to be at reception for our transport to the airport. There was so many security procedures at the airport, including our vehicle driving over an electronic checking machine to check for 'la bombe'. 

Our flight left a little after midnight. After dinner and a couple of drinks I fell soundly asleep and R had to wake me after the flight attendant failed to.

We landed at Heathrow at about 9.30 pm on the 25th. 

I barely took any photos. This is the fountain in front of the wonderful hotel in Colombo.

It was a hard call as to whether to sit outside in the heat under fans or inside with air con.

The pool looked so inviting. 

I am not sure where this was, whereby a robot moved around cleaning the floor.

A phone box. We must be at Heathrow, London. 

Simply the Best

I am home. Normal blogging will very slowly return. Being away from home for a month and returning to immediately having to sort out medical matters, tests etc, never mind the finances to sort out and a mountain of clothes washing, drying and food shopping. My ailing mother is still in the process of dying, according to her. In my absence as I read your posts, it was so tempting to comment, and I may have breached my no blog posts/comments when on holidays rule just once or twice. 

I am only posting this because Tina's death deserves five minutes of my immediate time. It is sad that she has died but from the music she has made, I am so happy to hear it all again all over the media. What a gal. It is interesting that she hasn't lived in America for decades. 

I kind of knew this but had forgotten that the dance to Tina's Nutbush City Limits is peculiarly Australian. It is a series of very repetitive dance steps and most Australians of my age and some years younger will vaguely, if not properly, know the steps. Gosh, I've completely forgotten how to dance the Macarena but the Nutbush dance was implanted into my life at a very young age. I can still ride a bicycle too. Piano playing, nah. 

Here are couple of clips I found on YouTube. Apparently the 'gorgeous young' of the  TitTok world has already rediscovered the dance and have published their struts online.

Well rehearsed spontaneity.

This is a little queer. I wonder why the tractor door needed such urgent attention? Maybe the answer is in the comments, which I haven't read. I quite enjoyed this clip. The lads move well and for once in a clip of the like, the woman doesn't dominate. Odd in a way. Such blokes don't unusually dance until they've had a drink or five.

From the the land of traffic cones

I've turned into a fat overeating of bad food alcoholic. Such is England and family. We are having a grand time, although we've struggled at times. There are just so many family people to see. 

Generally the weather has been shite. I hate English bathrooms.  I am missing my full flow very adjustable shower. Four people in a hoarder one bedroom house is difficult. 

I shouldn't complain. All is good, and I've kept a keen eye on your posts, but missing you all.

I've just come inside after watching kids bouncing around in the street on a pogo stick.

Bittersweet

It is unsaid between R and myself, but we both know this will be last time we will visit England. It will be the last time we see his family, unless any of the younger ones visit Australia.

It will certainly be the last time R sees his sisters. R is getting old, his sisters are too and I am not far behind. We are only going this time because we found some very cheap business class air fares. We are too old for cramped 23 hour economy flights. We are nervous and stressed. I tell R, we have done everything we can to ensure things work for us, but there is always the unknown.

 

As this is published, we may well be in a state of panic.

The bare bones are we arrive in Colombo with a hotel stay of around 12 hours included in the flight cost. We arrive in London about 8pm. We are staying in a nearby Heathrow hotel and have a morning flight (insert some bad words about BA domestic) to Newcastle upon Tyne. To return, we have a tickets booked for a train to London for a late evening flight and the the reverse of travelling to England.  

Normally I don't blog or interact but this time I may interact. We shall see.

Back in a month or so. Take good care of yourselves my friends. 

Vale Barry

It was sad to hear the most brilliant performer Barry Humphries died, but at 89 clearly his best years were behind him.

Here are a couple of clips, the first brief and I doubt I need to tell you who his character is in the first clip. The second is longer and Sandy Stone of a different era was my favourite Humphries' character. He was just such an amazing performer. I think we saw Dame Edna on stage ever so many years ago.