Wednesday 9 November 2011

HOME–ARMIDALE–NSW- ‘And in the end’..

The line "And In the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make"
is essentially the Beatles closing statement.
It is the last lyric on the last album they recorded
Home at last!
After a very looong thirteen weeks.
The weeds in the garden are up to our armpits!!!
BEST BITS
  • Learning so much about communism and the cold war – actually UNDERSTANDING the bits you see on the news.
  • Getting to see LOTS of London and being able to share this with Mum & Dad.
  • Venice,,, is gob smackingly beautiful.
WORST BITS
  • The food, in most places. (the UK was OK)
  • The aches and pains – getting too old to do this.
  • Cultures with different views on good manners.
I went to Woolies today, to buy food as the fridge is empty. 
A lady said ‘sorry’ when she bumped into me. I nearly hugged her!


THE END
Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim

Tuesday 8 November 2011

BEERWAH–QUEENSLAND– Doggie Bloggie


Sean and Emmy picked us up this morning from the airport.
There was an explosion of doggie love when we got back to their place.
And guess what the doggies have surprised us with their own blog!


What have they been doing while we have been away?


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Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim

Sunday 6 November 2011

IN FLIGHT– Remember, remember the fifth of November.

Gunpowder treason and plot. The 5th November is Guy Fawkes night in the UK
Great trip home.
We were given an upgrade to business class and I was actually able to sleep on the plane.
The food was good too.
We arrived in Sydney at 8.30pm and am staying at the Mecure Hotel near the airport.
Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim

Friday 4 November 2011

KENSINGTON–LONDON – ‘Ready Freddie’…..

Quote:- A crazy little thing called love – Queen
The final day.
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We had to go back to Harrods so I could buy the 2011 Christmas bear.
This year, his name is Freddie.
He’s the size of the smaller one in the above picture, I couldn’t afford the big fella.
Freddie is tucked bottom up into the corner of my suitcase, and everything else is packed around him…
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I know  ----   now its all getting beary silly!
But we thought we’d get as much out of the last day as we could and got tickets to a show.
We went to see WE WILL ROCK YOU. (see, continues the Freddie Theme)
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Featuring the music of Queen and written by Ben Elton,
Ben Elton was famous for writing Blackadder and The Young Ones
We will rock you was great, we really enjoyed it.
Afterwards, we took a late night walk down Oxford street, in the rain.
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The Christmas lights are on and it is all pretty..
Kim says, “Its time to go home Graham”…
Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim

Thursday 3 November 2011

KENSINGTON – LONDON – Its the final countdown

Finally, the last couple of days before we head home.

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Today we went for a walk up Portobello road, which is a markets, bric a brac and antiques area.

Graham finally got a battery for his watch so he doesn’t have to ask me “what's the time” anymore!

Then we went over to pay Laurie and Kelly a visit who kindly invited us to stay for dinner.

I think it was the first PROPER home cooked food we have had since we were last there in August.

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Above: Kim meets a famous bear at Paddington station.

(Paddington Bear of course)

It feels like such a long time since we started this journey…

Looking forward to lots of doggie love.

Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim

Tuesday 1 November 2011

KENSINGTON–LONDON – Art in London

Today we spent 6 hours at the National Gallery!

My poor feet… But it was wonderful.

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Above; Trafalgar Square with a beautiful late afternoon sky. Notice the Olympic countdown.

We saw some beautiful and famous works.

These are my favourites that I really wanted to see…

The Arnolfini Portrait 1434 by Jan van Eyck,

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I’ve always loved this painting because it is so odd and there is so much to see in it.

The oranges on the windowsill, the funny shoes, the little doggie, the mirror with the artists reflection and the message on the wall.

I also love the ambassadors, painted in 1533 by Hans Holbein the younger.

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For similar reasons, there are so many things to see in it, including the bizarre skull that is meant to be a puzzle and can only be seen from an angle.

( I didn’t realise how similar these paintings are until I put them together on this post).

I was also loved the Turners, including this one that was voted the UKs favourite painting.

The Fighting Temeraire.

Look at the wonderful colours.

The story is that the Temeraire was one of the last sailing ships and in this painting it looks like a ghost that is passing into the sunset, while being led by one of the newer steam powered boats that superseded it.

The Temeraire fought at the battle of Trafalgar and here it is being led to be broken up.

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Also we loved the Canaletto's, the Constable’s, the Van Gogh's and Reuben's nice rounded ladies.

The Constables were a surprise, I’m use to faded prints but the originals are full of life and texture.

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Above is the Cornfield by Constable 1826.

 

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Above: Canaletto's Venice 1740 and my Venice 2011…!

Has Venice changed?

Not a lot!

Until next time, Red heartRed heartRed heart Kim