Joburg no more

Wow!
I didn't realise; it's been almost 3 years since we got back to Scotland from Benoni. In the intervening years we became grandparents to Callum now 18 months old and our elder son and his wife are expecting a brother or sister for him in September.
As we are about to head to HongKong for a three year work assignment (I'll be a trailing spouse, sounds like a pot plant) I'll be setting up a new blog about our life out there.Watch this space!

Last leg of Road Trip

Tuesday 8 July Cape Town

Still raining! We drove right down to the Cape via all the small coastal towns. At Muizenberg, Les told me a story I’d never heard before. When his Dad was in the Royal Navy, he was in Cape Town; or rather he docked at Simon’s Town Naval Base. Les remembers a picture of him taken outside a café which was built in the shape of a huge dog! We went to the museum in Simon’s Town and the elderly lady there remembered it! It was called “The Spotted Dog” and is sadly no more. However, such was its fame that an almost same-size replica statue has been built on the site in commemoration. We retraced our steps for about 20k and sure enough, there it was! How amazing! The drive round the coast was wonderful but as we had already covered the road from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town, we opted for the Boyes Drive road the second time. Now we were high up above the coastal villages, mountain on one side, road clinging to the edge over a sheer drop with the ocean on the other side.
Next stop, Boulders, to see the penguins and there were loads of them, comical wee things!
We finally reached the Cape of Good Hope in torrential rain, so it was pointless going up the funicular to the lookout as there was absolutely nothing to see, not even the sea! Instead, we drove down the low road which took us under the lookout point to the actual Cape of Good Hope. The weather improved slightly and the wind dropped as it was a little more sheltered there. A drive back via Hout Bay had to be “renavigated” as the famous “Chapman’s Peak” drive was closed due to the dreadful weather. Anyway, I had already had quite enough of clinging to a mountainside for one day!

Wednesday 9 July. Paternoster
Woke to ….more rain, so we headed north towards the picturesque seaside hamlet of Paternoster. When we got there, the sun came out and we were able to walk for ages on the deserted shelly beach. The fishermen’ cottages and colourful boats were lovely. As soon as we could see Cape Town in the distance on our retun journey, the rain started again! Now it has cleared slightly so Les has gone for a walk while I write this and get the old blog posted!

Thursday 10 July Cape Town
Awoke to brilliant sunshine and we could clearly see the mountain from the bedroom window. A quick phonecall confirmed that the cable car was running and off we went. It was spectacular and not as scary as I imagined. At the top, the clouds were wispy and cleared enough for us to have some great views of the bays around Cape Town, most of which we have visited in rain! Then we found the Lion Battery on Signal Hill and were just in time to get there for the ritual firing of the noon day gun. The Naval officer in charge told us that there are now only three time guns in the world; that one, the noon gun in Hong Kong and of course our own Mons Meg one o’clock gun in Edinburgh. So now we have heard all three! A young boy, I think he was the officer’s son, was carrying the gunpowder bag. It was a really old leather thing and I was chatting to him when he reached out and handed me the primer from today’s firing! It’s a small brass shell case and Les is well chuffed about it. So am I for that matter! We spent the afternoon walking round the city cemtre and also visited the slave museum which was very well done. Sadly, we didn’t get out to Robben Island as the ferry was off until today due to the weather.Tonight we are going out to dinner with some friends of Janie and Peter who live over here and both work for the British High Commission. Tonight is one of their few free nights as they seem to attend a lot of Embassy “dos” Tomorrow we leave for Beaufort West which is the home town of Christian Barnard, the heart transplant pioneer, then on to Kimberley to see the Big Hole.

Friday 11 July Cape Town to Beaufort West
We had a great night with Bob and Sandra; drinks at their house then dinner at a nearby winery. Because their house is officially British soil and they are both Vice Consuls, they are required to have a portrait of the Queen on display in their house. Very Colonial!!
We had quite a long haul to Beaufort West through snow covered mountain passes then across part of the Karoo desert region. We arrived in time to have a walk in the one-street town and visit the Christian Barnard museum which was very interesting. The museum is housed in an old church which was the church where Barnard’s father was the minister. We also visited the birthplace, a small cottage “manse” next to the church. That is where Christian Barnard’s ashes are scattered and there is a plaque with the words “I came home” which I thought was a nice touch.

Saturday 12 July Beaufort West to Kimberley
Another long haul, this time through the Karoo which is semi arid desert with not much to look at; miles and miles of nothing, yet beautiful in its own way. It certainly gives a feeling of how vast this country is. As we approached Kimberley, we took a detour to visit Magersfontein, the site of a very bloody Boer War battle involving thousands of Scottish troops. The museum was excellent and we saw the memorials to all the Scottish regiments; Seaforth Highlanders, Highland Light Infantry, Black Watch, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. It was all very well researched, with the names and ranks of all the soldiers who were killed, including pipers and drummers. These were boys of around fifteen years old. What a dreadful experience for them. The battle was a disaster for the Scots; their general misinterpreted the position of the Boers and as a result the Scottish troops were massacred. The stretcher bearers couldn’t get across the fields to the injured, who then had to lie in the blistering African sun all day. The Boers were not, as expected, at the top of a hill; instead, they had dug trenches at the bottom and this was the first instance of trench warfare which of course was soon used again by both sides in the First World War.
The hotel in Kimberley was superb; brand new, with wonderful décor, huge chandeliers and magnificent fresh flower arrangements. It was right at the edge of the famous “Big Hole” and had a viewing deck where we could see right out over the hole. The hole is famous because it is the largest hand dug hole and was where Cecil Rhodes made his fortune, but in fact the diamond mine at Cullinan near where we live is actually much bigger.
We had planned on staying two nights in Kimberley but we faced a problem; the hotel had no water! This is not the first time we have encountered this, it happened at Bakubung when Martin visited. So we decided reluctantly to bail out and I am writing this in the car as we head for home. We had considered staying another night or two elsewhere, but to be honest we can’t really be bothered lugging the suitcases in and out of another hotel, so we are just going to head back to Benoni, even though it is again quite a long haul, about 500k. The route this morning is still through the last part of the Karoo and we have seen lots of wildlife. Firstly we passed a huge lake which was pink with flamingos, hundreds and hundreds of them, so that the water’s edge looked pink. Then we passed quite a few monkeys and some mongooses as well as a couple of ostriches. Some of the cows down here are huge and have enormous horns and very patterned hides. These are called Nguni castle.

End of the Road Trip
We finally reached home at 4.30pm on Sunday, having driven 5027 in just under three weeks. It has been a remarkable experience, we have seen so much of this country. Now it’s on with the laundry!

Great Road Trip Part 2

Wednesday 2 July 2008 Plettenberg Bay (See view from deck)
We woke feeling much better today, but the house reeked of woodsmoke from Les’ firemaking efforts. Today we bought coal! We drove to Knysna which is a posh coastal resort just 14 miles or so along the N2 Garden Route. Along the way we encountered some strange contrasts; on one side of the road, a new executive housing development with houses costing from £400,000 was under construction whilst on the other side was an informal settlement of ramshackle shacks. (See pic)How galling for these people to look out of their homes each morning and see what the (mainly) white rich people can afford to live in, whilst they are still waiting for the promised housing. Now some families were allocated housing, during the apartheid years, but this was often arbitrarily allocated, with some families being sent far from their homes to live in what was termed “Kaffirland” (a now illegal derogatory term, which I hope I am excused for using as it is an historically correct term as far as I am aware) or the tribal homelands whilst fathers stayed behind in cities to earn money to support the family. The informal settlements apparently only came about after the end of apartheid when people were free to move wherever they wanted and some chose to go “back home” but of course there were no houses there for them. It is a sorry reflection on the new era that people are still living in these shacks. They are all over South Africa, in every province; the race divide is still there, for whatever reason politicians or anyone else might like to give.
Just stopped writing to go out onto the deck to watch a huge school of dolphins, at least 20-30, swim and leap right past our window! It is 5.30p.m., just getting dark so the picture quality wasn’t great, but just to see them was fantastic!

Thursday 3 July 2008. Plettenberg Bay
Some days, you just can’t win!
The day started with some basic chores; dishwasher and laundry both needed doing. Firstly, Les put a dark sock in with the white washing. Bad start. Then we went shopping and as I was finished first, I decided, since we are after all on holiday and meant to be relaxing, to wait for him at a pavement coffee shop in the sun. When he arrived, he declined a coffee and as soon as I had taken my first few sips, said, “I’ll get the bill, then.” When reminded about this being the relaxing part of the road trip, i.e. no rush to get anywhere, he said, “Well we have a lot to get through today!” !!! So I swallowed down the cappuccino and we headed off to find a Khoisan cultural village listed in my guide book. We drove hither and thon. Nothing. (It’s not the first time “The Rough Guide to South Africa has let us down…it’s a VERY rough guide!!) He said, “We are just driving about.” Not now bothered about the village, I said, “That’s right, we are on holiday, we can just go down that road or along this one. It doesn’t matter. Do you want me to drive?” After a curt refusal, I said, “I’m quite enjoying this, the scenery is lovely” We were in the Tsitsikamma Mountain National Park. He said, “Well, I’m not. I can’t look at the scenery, I’m driving.” !!! Then we stopped for lunch. I suggested we get a sandwich and a cake and have half of each; we often do that when savoury and sweet are both fancied, but the appetite is not able for a whole portion of each. He agreed, so I ordered the sandwich and he went off to look at the cakes. When it all arrived, I remarked on how difficult it would be to cut the sandwich as it was a Portuguese prego steak roll, which includes a fried egg. ( I know, you’re thinking, yesterday she was vomiting seven kinds of diced veg and today she’s eating a steak and egg roll? But wait, it gets worse!). He said, “I don’t really want a bit of that anyway. I’d like to eat all of this apple cake” I was so annoyed, I wolfed the whole lot, egg and all, without pausing, resulting in chronic indigestion and when belatedly offered a bit of apple cake (which looked a bit dry anyway) I declined… and then proceeded to eat the chips which I had already decided I didn’t need and didn’t even want in the first place. But we is still pals, especially when he removed the Biggest Spider in the World (official) from the hallway leading to the bathroom. This thing was a genetic mutant on steroids. It was at least five or six inches across, head the size of, say an olive, body the size of, oh, a small tomato and it was an orangey-brown colour.

Friday 4 July Plett and Knysna
We decided to try again for the Khoisan village. We found the general area and spoke to the lady in the tourist office. The place no longer exists! Instead, we visited the site of the world’s highest bungee jump from the Bloukrans Bridge. (See pic)We just looked, mind you! Then we went back to Knysna to catch a bit of their famous annual oyster festival (I know, I know, not a good lunch choice after three days driving from loo to loo! We didn’t eat any!). We spent a pleasant afternoon pottering around the shops and harbour and home for our last night in Plett.

Saturday 5 July Plett to Agulhas
Off and away by 9.30. We drove more or less without stopping to Cape Agulhas; 7 hours! Once we had left the main highway and headed out over the peninsula, there was nothing on the road. The scenery was like the Yorkshire Moors, except we saw baboons and mongoose (mongeese? mongooses?) by the roadside. The point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet (see pic)is the most southerly point on the African continent, next stop Antarctica. As a result it is common to see penguins and whales around the coast here. We didn’t strike lucky regarding the penguins, but a huge whale was “fluking” (It means putting it’s tail up out of the water, it is not a typo) just off shore which was pretty spectacular. The guest house was very comfortable and there was a nice wee pub cum restaurant about 100 metres away. Although we are used to most of the population speaking Afrikaans, it was a bit of a shock to meet people who couldn’t take our booking or explain the menu in English!


Sunday 6 July. Agulhas to Cape Town
We set off to drive to the mother city, Cape Town but as we were in no hurry, we took the scenic route right round the coast past some really stunning scenery and a field full of blue cranes; the bird kind, not for construction! A long stretch had the blue ocean on one side and bushes of beautiful pink king protea flowers on the other. The weather deteriorated as we approached Cape Town and it was a misty drizzle by the time we reached the hotel. The table most certainly had its table cloth on! The hotel where we are based for five nights is big and quite modern. The room, bath, bed, breakfast, etc are all excellent. On the first night, we went down for the included dinner. When we asked for the wine list, we were politely told, “Sorry, Sir, we don’t serve alcohol here, this is a halaal restaurant.” Well, Les was off out of the chair like a whippet on Race Day! But all was not lost; they had another restaurant elsewhere! Whew!

Monday 7 July Cape Town; the Wine Routes
Superb breakfast and off in pouring rain to “do” the wine routes around Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. I did the tasting at La Motte which was exceptional. Les was driving! We spent the evening at the V&AWaterfront, which is 5 minutes from the hotel with the complimentary shuttle bus. It is a redeveloped dock area which is now home to several hundred up-market shops and a wonderful choice of restaurants.

The Great Road Trip

Well, here we are in The Mother City as Cape Town is known. There is internet in the hotel room so here goes with the first part of the Great Road Trip

Thursday 26 June 2008. Gauteng to Free State

We left Benoni around 9.00am and travelled down the highway towards the Free State, stopping after 3 hours for an early lunch. Just after the stop, we saw the first sign for Cape Town…only 1174k to go to our halfway point! We reached River Destiny lodge around 4.30. It was 3.5k down a red dirt road. (See pic of car!).We passed a herd of small bok and a large ostrich en route. The lodge was situated right on the banks of the Orange River and in summer would be an idyllic spot, but this was the middle of an African winter, so it was just above freezing by 7.00pm. The room was clean but spartan and had no heating! We spoke to the young man at reception who told us, “No we have no heaters, but you’ll be warm enough in bed with the blankets pulled up tight.” Africa is not for sissies, eh! The dinner menu was predictable but delicious nevertheless and also enormous! We had lamb chops with chicken kebabs (called sosaties). We resorted to type as true Scots and saved a kebab each to take away for Friday’s lunch! Having utilised all the spare blankets and pillows from the two spare single beds, we slept well enough and awoke to a severe ground frost. The river was shrouded in mist.

Friday 27 June. Free State to Eastern Cape
Breakfast was enormous and then we were on the road again by 9.00a.m.
We stopped for lunch at one of the many beautiful picnic spots along the road and enjoyed the “free” lunch! The flowers and wildlife were amazing! (See pic)We stopped to let a meerkat cross in front of us and he then reared up on his hind legs to watch us go off down the road. Soon a small monkey crossed and as we were remarking on that, we saw a herd of wild ostriches by the roadside. Just a shot while later, we stopped again to watch a huge bok looking at us from the verge. This was a leisurely journey, not all on motorway, with sunshine all the way. We reached Port Elizabeth around 3.00pm and just as we entered, via the not so pretty industrial area, the rain began. We drove right down to the main beachfront area but the rain and a decidedly winter feel made it seem slightly seedy to our eyes. We didn’t linger long and within an hour we were in St Francis. Our next port of call was the Port View Place B&B, in Port St Francis and it was absolutely stunning. We were met by the caretaker who showed us into the most spectacular lounge and kitchen then up to our fabulous room. (See pics of lounge and view from balcony).She then told us that we would have the whole house to ourselves! The Eastern Cape is reputedly the poorest province in South Africa but a tour round the fabulous houses here would belie that! The main village of St Francis is built around a series of canals or inlets on the Kromme river estuary and most of the houses had access to the water from their garden. The roads were connected by a series of pretty bridges. Our location, in next door Port St Francis, had a decidedly Mediterranean feel, with stunning houses and apartments built around a working harbour which has expanded to include a marina and a good selection of pubs and restaurants, all easily reachable on foot via a series of alleys and covered boardwalks. A wonderful seafood dinner and a stroll home ended a long day.

Saturday 28 June. St Francis
Breakfast was specially cooked and served for us by two people and afterwards we set off to the small shopping area in St Francis. It really was a bit of a backwater…they were still selling Friday’s newspaper! After a browse round some very upmarket shops, we drove to a nearby beach at Seal Point and spent a couple of hours walking along a beautiful shell beach. There was no one else in sight and the beach was covered in the most beautiful shells, all whole, so not many people ever walk there. Next we headed for Cape St Francis, to visit the lighthouse and penguin sanctuary. Back at Port St Francis, we watched some chokka boats at anchor and then booked for dinner. This restaurant was also wonderful. Chokka means squid or calamari and having watched some fishermen preparing the calamari fillets on the harbour side, we had to sample this local delicacy. They are prepared without the use of any implements. In the natural state, they are reddish coloured and altogether about 10 inches long. About half the length comprises head, stomach and tentacles, which are all pulled off in one tug, leaving the “tube”. The red membrane is peeled back then the whole tube is turned outside in revealing a long thin transparent bone just like a piece of strong clear plastic. The resultant tube is rinsed and soon enough finds it way to the table, either served as steaks or cut into rings. The taste and texture are nothing like I have tasted back home; they are soft, with just a little give and very sweet. It was an excellent dinner, especially as it was accompanied by grilled kingclip, our favourite fish

Sunday 29 June. St Francis
After our personally prepared breakfast, we took a look at the private beach. A tame cat latched on to us with little encouragement and when we went onto the sand, he came too. I’ve never seen a cat on a beach before! Next we drove to Jeffreys Bay, the premier surfing spot on the Eastern Cape. It was a little too “Blackpool” for our liking but we did find a very nice art gallery and bought a painting before heading back to stock up on deli items so we could eat in, to watch the UEFA cup final. We had a lovely spread of pate, olives, mussels, cheese and fresh bread. Mmm….

Monday 30 June. St Francis to Plettenberg Bay via Dehli (belly)
At 4.00a.m., I saw the whole deli spread again… and at 6.00am… and at 8.00.a.m...
I skipped breakfast and soon after, Les reappeared to hog the bathroom as our deli spread wreaked havoc on his insides. We took it in turns before finally having to hit the road by 10.00.a.m. in order to reach our next destination, hopefully in time to catch the owners who were to hand over keys. After a shaky journey, we reached Plettenberg Bay just after noon and were met by the maid. We were too poorly even to unload the car so we just sat in the sun on the deck, looking over the Indian Ocean. What an amazing location! The house has access right onto the beach in the bay, bordered by the Tsitsikamma Mountains on one arm and Robberg nature reserve on the other. An idyllic spot indeed. The house is homely and comfortable, with a “Chamomile Lawn” feel to it, very much a family home and not often rented out to others, I would guess. It was built in 1952 by my friend’s grandfather and is used mainly by family and close friends, so we are quite privileged to get to use it. You know the kind of people you are mixing with when the first entry in the visitors’ book is Cynthia Bagshawe-Smith .
We ate and drank nothing and were in bed by 8.30p.m.

Tuesday 1 July. Plettenberg Bay
We woke feeling a little better and I felt even better still when Les shouted, “There’s a whale in the bay!” And there it was, right outside the window! Close enough for us to identify as a Southern Right whale, so called because they were the “right” kind to hunt, yielding the best crop of oil for lamps and bones for Victorian corsets. After a quick trip to the shops and a very light breakfast, we were well enough for a long walk on the beautiful beach right outside our door. The sun was shining and although there were a few people on the beach, even a couple in swimming, it was almost deserted. The sand was soft and golden, absolutely perfect. There were a few more unusual shells to add to my collection, as well as some lovely pieces of driftwood, but they were left behind as I don’t know about the import regulations on things like driftwood! We watched as a “whale tour” boat passed by, everyone standing up to get a picture of “our” whale. We just hope they didn’t scare it away, or worse encourage it inshore as it already looked to us to be near enough to paddle out to! In the afternoon we felt well enough to venture into the small town which had loads of fancy interior stores and a very good bookshop. The sun was out and it was warm enough on the “sunny side” of the street, but pretty chilly on the shady side. We bought some fire logs and Les collected some kindling from the shore so he could make a nice fire in the lounge. Now, after a light chicken dinner, this is a scene of tranquillity as I type this and Les reads by the roaring log fire. There is a television, but so far as we can make out, it has picture only, no sound comes out no matter what Les does to the remote or box front dials. I am quite glad of that as he would watch any old rubbish! At the last place, as well as football, we were entertained to a darts match.

This will be the last time

Not the last blog, not quite yet! But here’s a list of all my “last times”….Last Tuesday was my last time helping at the school. Thursday was my last time at my philosophy class. Monday is my last day at water aerobics. Tuesday coming will be my last day at the library. Now you may be thinking, “But she isn’t due home for another month!” Well, it’s because we are about to embark on the longest holiday ever (unless you count my last 8 months, of course!). On Thursday 26th June we set off to drive down to see the southern part of the country, staying one night en route at a riverside lodge before arriving at a seaside town called St Francis where we will stay for three nights B&B. Then we drive to Plettenberg Bay where we will have a week self catering in a beachfront house. Next stop, a B&B at Cape Agulhas, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Then it’s on to a hotel in Cape Town for five nights before heading inland to Beaufort West. Then up to Kimberley for three nights in another hotel before calling in for one night on the Vaal river. We arrive back here on Wednesay 16th July. Then the fun begins, NOT. After I have dealt with all the laundry, I will spend Thursday cooking for our Scottish dinner party on the Friday. Cullen Skink, Haggis neeps and tatties, oatcakes and cheese and cranachan will feature. I need to get ahead on the Thursday, because on Friday, the packers arrive at 8.00am to pack up all our things, including my African drum, for shipping back to Scotland. Saturday we will be out for a farewell lunch with Les’ work colleagues, then on Sunday we leave the house and move to a hotel where we are meeting friends for a farewell dinner. Monday I need to return to the house to ensure the furniture is safely removed and on the Tuesday we fly home, arriving back in Scotland on Wednesday 23 July! I’ll probably need a holiday to recover!

Six weeks to go

I have again had no internet connection, so therefore no blogging! This is a real nuisance; imagine if someone was trying to run a business from home!
Yes, folks, six weeks from now we will be back on Scotia's shores! We are trying hard to fit in a load of social engagements before our departure; the total stands at two lunches and three dinners so far. Plus we are hoping to arrange a Scottish night here in our house to let some of our friends taste haggis (tinned, unfortunately, due to import regulations on fresh ones) and maybe even try a wee jig (we have a Jimmy Shand CD!!!) Then we are also in the throes of arranging accommodation for our road trip. The distances between the places we want to see are immense, so it will take careful planning. You don’t want to be caught in the middle of nowhere at night without accommodation booked over here, believe me! When we tour in the USA, we usually just find a hotel en route. Things are very different here.
My last session at the school will be next Tuesday as they stop for three weeks holiday on Friday 20th. I think my group has improved but it may be that they just feel more comfortable about reading aloud now. Whatever, they seem to enjoy reading and I have taught them some simple songs. We are reading a book about farms and so now they know “dingle dangle scarecrow” and “five little ducks”. Mind you, the book talks about the crop of corn, so I have to improvise, as they know it as mealie! Still, they coped with most of it, even to the extent they tell me they have a shop in their township where you can indeed buy five eggs, just like the number in the picture! Then one girl told me, “Ma’am, we don’t buy eggs, we have chickens”. I’ll miss them! They are happy with so little, their eyes lit up when I took in leftover fruit and they were ecstatic to receive a new pencil each. They gathered them all up and gave them back to me, not realising they were a gift. I’ll miss the aqua class too, even if it is wet! Mind you, it was a bit like North Berwick this week as the generator to the gym tripped out on Sunday, giving us freezing cold water.
Martin has taken a job in Oz selling maths books, I think it’s to schools, not sure really, it may be like those guys who pitch up in the staff room during break and everyone ignores them!

Oor Hoose

Living/dining, through to kitchen


The kitchen sink, lovely but useless!


Fancy basin in bathroom 1

Fancy basin in bathroom 2

I promised ages ago to upload some pics of Oor Hoose, so here they are. I have had no internet connection for over a week, hence lack of blogs.



Martin has gone back to Oz and is currently job hunting. Les has returned from his travels to US and UK and so things are settling back into the customary pattern here. You have probably read or watched TV news about the xenophobic violence here in the Johannesburg area. We are not affected; it is a problem between different ethnicities of black Africans. Basically many black South Africans still live in shacks in townships or informal settlements. Fourteen years ago after the democratic elections they were promised houses. They have been very patient, I think. Our province is still 55,000 houses short of the target. Now they see black people from other countries such as Mozambique and Zimbabwe fleeing violence and poverty and they are perceived as getting better treatment as refugees than the indigenous black people. One newspaper letter writer said, “We already have nothing; now we are being asked to share that nothing with people from elsewhere. I don’t condone the attacks but I understand them”
Gloria, my black friend who lives in an informal settlement near the township of Tembisa says that she hears screaming and shooting nightly although she has not been affected as there are “none of these people (foreigners) at my place”
Other than that, we have been planning our final “road trip” as we are taking three weeks to see the Cape area before we come back to Scotland. We also have a load of dinner invitations to return, so we will need to get started on that before we get to the stage of eating strange leftovers lurking in the freezer. Talking of strange, on Saturday we were invited out to dinner and the starter was home made game terrine, made from game birds actually shot by our host! Not for the veggie minded, eh?
Car problems…again… We now have a silver Audi, the black BMW has a puncture. So to date we have had…Grey BMW, silver BMW, grey Audi, white Mercedes, black BMW and now silver Audi. Honestly, a Micra will never do now!