Get Together

 It was a lot brighter today, but there was a chill wind.

Ross, the heating engineer, arrived soon after nine. He laid out his plan of attack and immediately began by completing the pipe lagging in the garage and then came inside to start on the new thermostats for the underfloor heating. That's where things started to go wrong. The controls and their installation instructions seemed very vague. A phone call to the manufacturer did not help. In the end, he wired them up and tested them with a multimeter. This revealed that the 12V feed to the heating manifolds was actually DC, not AC. This required a rethink. The rethink concluded that new manifolds were required that would work with a 24V AC feed and this meant a new wiring centre. He tidied up and left to fight another day.

Meanwhile, Diane had gone to Zoe's. She had invited us, and Jane and Trevor for lunch. I went across to join them when Ross had finished. As usual, she laid on a wonderful spread and we had a splendid afternoon of chit-chat and laughter. Late in the afternoon, Pete arrived to collect Ellie for the weekend.

By six, we were home. I started moving the stuff we had shifted for Ross back into the understairs cupboard and laundry cupboard. I will leave Diane to put the various potions and spells into the correct cupboards.

Quaint

 It has been a day of sunshine and heavy showers. After breakfast, my first activity was to scrape and replace the decorative silicon sealer from beneath the bifold doors in the Orangery. The old sealer had failed in a few places and we were starting to see some ants come to join our Kindle sessions. It didn't take long to sort out and it seems to have done the trick.

We headed to Sainsbury's for our weekly shop after dropping off some bags at the charity shop. Sainsbury's seemed to have been swallowed in some form of time warp. It was full of shuffling souls wandering around with no apparent purpose. Technology had failed. We actually had to load our trolleys, unable to scan and pack as we went about our shop. It was like stepping back into the Victorian era. Certainly, many of the shoppers would remember Her Majesty well. With our trolley bursting at the seams we queued for a till. Yes, can you believe it? We actually had to go through a till and pack our shopping as it emerged on the conveyor. It was like a theme park showing how people used to shop in the old days.

We had the usual Kindle time this afternoon as we alternated between lovely sunshine and torrential showers.

Stroll on

 It was much brighter today. There were some clouds, some of which looked threatening, but they came to nothing and dispersed by late morning. I decided to make the most of it and, after breakfast, headed out for a walk along the beach at Bognor Regis. I parked at West Park and headed along through Marine Gardens and onto the Esplanade. Being half-term there were families on the beach and the promenade was getting quite busy. My audiobook muttered away in my ears as I walked east past the Pier, past Butlins, past the Lobster Pot and all the way along past Middleton-on-Sea. It was delightful. I spun around after about 4.5 km and headed back the way I came. I was out for about 90 minutes and had a thoroughly enjoyable walk.

Meanwhile, back home, Diane had been on the phone with Zoe who was threatening to rejig Ellie's bedroom (again). We wait with bated breath.

We had Kindle time in the Orangery this afternoon. To be fair, I had to wimp out as it was just too warm for me.

Foul

 We woke to heavy rain. It was a foul start to the day.

Whereas I didn't have to venture out, Diane was due to take Ellie to the dentist. Fortunately, by the time they had to leave, the rain had stopped and it stayed dry until they were back home. Ellie used her booster seat instead of the child's car seat. It seemed much more convenient and it meant that she could travel in the front. I decided this was a sensible investment and ordered one from Halford's for collection later.

I stayed at home doing some filing and some technical reading. The phone rang. It was the heating engineer. He wanted to come over and check a few things over to ensure he was ready for Saturday when he plans to come back and finish the installation.

When Di returned from Chichester, I nipped to Halford's for the booster seat. The young assistant seemed a bit out of his depth. When he finally established that I was collecting an item, he went off searching for it. He returned, empty-handed and asked his colleague for the key to the collections locker. As they left the booth I called them back and pointed out that the package I had come to collect was on the floor, behind them, in the booth. Red-faced, he handed over the package and I returned home.

It has been very wet again this afternoon, and quite chilly. I spent my Kindle time in the kitchen. It was too cool for the Orangery, today.

Bank Holiday

It wasn't so bright this morning. In fact, we had a brief shower during breakfast and it looked threatening every now and then. By lunchtime, it had brightened up considerably and we had a lovely afternoon.

After breakfast, I started the chores by steam cleaning the hard floors downstairs.  I have this down to a fine art; it was all finished and dry by the time Diane returned downstairs. I took the opportunity to finish one audiobook while doing this and started on a new one. With the new book chatting away in my ears, I headed out for a quick walk (hoping to avoid any showers). I was not the only one. As I walked an anticlockwise circuit I passed a woman walking clockwise. I thought nothing of it until our paths crossed three more times as we walked in opposite directions.

I arrived home in time for lunch. I had decided on Okonomiyaki. This is a Japanese cabbage omelette/pancake that I saw on a TV show several years ago. I looked up the recipe and gave it a whirl. I must say it was delicious, and I will certainly do it again. The original recipe used ordinary green cabbage but I only had red cabbage. It wasn't quite as enticing to look at as the recipe online but next time I'll try with green or white cabbage.

We had some Kindle time during the afternoon... a Facetime call from Ellie, and a flying visit from Zoe.

Well, that's the Bank Holiday over. Back to work... oh no, I forgot, I've retired. Every day is a Bank Holiday.

Sky Fall

 We woke to another glorious morning. There was a quite a breeze, but the sun was warm and the sky blue.

Diane wanted to finish painting the garden pot covers, so we set up her paint station and she went to work with the paintbrush. When that was finished, she applied some feed to the Acers before pottering for an hour or so and then went to Zoe’s to advise on her planting scheme.

Meanwhile, I tried to find a solution to a problem we have been having with the SKY-Q box and MiniBox. The SKY-Q box has been failing on a regular basis. It sounds as if a jet engine has fired up and it is totally unresponsive. Occasionally, this happens while we are watching, but usually when it is in “standby” mode. Powering off and back on solves the problem until next time. After much reading, I concluded the first thing to try is a full software update. That took about 10 minutes. Then I looked at the various network settings - which appeared to be fine. SKY-Q was fired up and now we will have to wait and see. The MiniBox was less straightforward. This has not connected successfully for several months. After various checks, I concluded that it needed a complete reset and then I would join it back to the SKY-Q. This took several attempts but eventually it worked and all seems to be well.

I went for a brief walk before lunch and settled down for Kindle time during the afternoon.

A theme

 We woke to glorious sunshine. It was a typical Saturday, leisurely start, breakfast, and my weekly call with the cousins. There was little to report from the call, though Red Tim had to sign off early to go campaigning.

I paid a call on Wickes for a masonry brush and some blue Cuprinol wood stain. The concrete planter on one side of the garden was in need of a coat of paint. The paint, I had. A suitable brush, not so. I changed into suitable work clothes, applied a good coat of the appropriate masonry paint, and then left it to dry. While the sun was baking the paint, I cleared the filaments of blanket weed from the rill. This took ages and had to be done by hand. I had tried to listen to my audiobook on the AirPods while clearing the weed but only succeeded in dropping one of the AirPods into the rill. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have done any harm. Several kilograms of weed later, the rill was clear.

Meanwhile, still on the theme of paint, Diane wanted to paint the wooden shells I had built to put around various pots. We put down dust sheets and found trestles on which these units could stand while she covered them in the blue Cuprinol stain. It didn't take her too long and all of today's painting has come out very well.

I spent some time with the Kindle this afternoon but swapped back to the AirPods and audiobook when it was time to start on dinner.

Colourful

There was a problem at Sainsbury's yesterday evening. As a result, Zoe had to go to work and so Ellie came round to stay with us overnight. We were both up and about before Ellie emerged from her bedroom. Zoe came around in time to join us on the walk to school.

After breakfast, we had a busy hour or so. Di had to do her INR tests and then we had to go to the surgery for further blood tests for each of us. For Di, this was a further INR test to check the calibration of her home testing machine. The calibration check was fine, so it only needs a further check in December.

From the surgery, we headed to SpecSavers (in Sainsbury's). Our new glasses were ready for fitting. With several pairs each, this took a little while but we left with our arms full of glasses that should be perfect for the next couple of years.

We had some Kindle time after lunch but then had to prepare for the "Colour Run". This was an event arranged by the Friends of Bartons (a parents' association for Ellie's school). The idea was that participants would run around a marked course and have paint powder hurled at them. It was a fundraising event and entirely voluntary for the children. 

Ellie had decided that she would do it, so we took her goggles along (they were mandatory) and at the allotted time she lined up to start the course. Grandpa, wearing his diving mask, decided that he should join in. The whistle went and 15 minutes later Ellie was splattered with some paint powder and I looked like a walking Jackson Pollock painting. It was great fun. Diane remained well clear and acted as a photographer for the family participation.

After it was over we headed home, still covered in paint powder. I'm convinced I was being targeted! Ellie went straight upstairs for a bath and hair wash and I headed for the shower to try and remove the rather fetching colours from my hair, and every other nook and cranny the powder had found.

Pete came along soon after 16:00 and collected Ellie for the weekend.

Brighter

It's a lot brighter again today. The sun is out and it is quite warm. Ellie was dropped off soon after 07:00, as usual. We dropped her off at school and then headed back for breakfast.

The morning saw the usual Sainsbury's shopping trip. We met up with Zoe while we were there. She was in a very good mood as she had just heard about her annual bonus. Back home with all of the shopping, we stashed everything away and then I went through the usual update of the accounts. 

After lunch, we had the usual Kindle time until we had to collect Ellie. The Orangery was so warm that I had to retire to the family room for a cooler seat. Ross, the heating engineer, dropped by to check the voltages of the underfloor heating controls. He will have to replace all of the controls and hopes to be able to finish everything on Saturday.

I collected Ellie after her "Craft Club" and she came home to spend the following 45 minutes eating every snack she could find in the house.

More grey

 Today was even more overcast than yesterday and we had light showers on and off from lunchtime onwards. Apparently, Zoe hadn't been feeling too well last night and went to bed very early. Ellie was eager to tell us this with a message as soon as we got up. I wandered around to take her to school and Zoe had obviously benefitted from the good night's sleep as she was much better this morning.

After breakfast, I completed some domestic chores and then headed out for a walk before the forecast rain set in. I headed along the old North Bersted Street, across the bypass and up towards Shripney. I went a fair bit further than yesterday before turning back.

Di had an appointment with the doctor soon after lunch but we got some Kindle-time before she went to join Zoe on the school pick-up. She also had a long telephone chat with Denise while I was preparing dinner. 

Not much else to report.

Grey

 It was a cooler, greyer start to the day. There was no sign of blue sky and the temperature seemed very cool after the last few days. Ellie was dropped off for breakfast and to prepare for school. We walked her to class and then headed home for breakfast.

While Diane cleared some ironing, I headed out for a walk with another audiobook playing through the AirPods. I stuck to the immediate neighbourhood for most of the route but did venture down North Bersted Street. The flooding had finally subsided and I was able to cross the bypass and carry on towards Shripney. I only got so far, however, as I stumbled into a film shoot. Rather than disrupt them (they did wave me through), I turned back and retraced my steps.

After lunch and Kindle hour, I headed back out for another brief walk before collecting Ellie from school. She was clearly tired when I met her. She was very quiet and didn't ask to stop at the park on the way home. When we did get in however, she wanted to play with her science set. We covered the table in a protective cloth and retrieved the instructions before setting about performing several experiments from the instruction book. It was great fun and not too messy. Whilst the first experiment failed (it was meant to show how liquids of different densities can lay ontop of each other without mixing - well they did mix) the other two were moderately successful.

Yesterday I ordered a keyboard/case for my new iPad. It dropped through the letterbox late in the afternoon. I've connected it to the iPad and it looks very good - I only hope that it works better and lasts longer than the last Apple keyboard I had on an iPad.

Great book

 We had another glorious start to the day. Zoe was starting at 09:00 so we didn't have Ellie here, I wandered around for the school run at 08:30.

After breakfast, I paid some bills and started experimenting with the photos that had given me trouble at the weekend. Counting up, there are only 38 to deal with. I tried the first one, blew it up to full size, and then edited it so that I could save a copy. Sure enough, the copy had discarded the "Live" (i.e. motion) aspects of the photo and saved it with the correct metadata. It will be tedious, but I have a way forward.

Diane was due at the surgery for a blood test at midday. I needed to get out for a walk so I could return in plenty of time (we were expecting a delivery). I plugged my AirPods into my ears and set off. The book was reaching a climax and I was thoroughly enjoying it. When I returned home, some 4km later, the book was on a bit of a cliffhanger. I paused it for later.

After lunch, we had a Kindle hour before collecting Ellie. I deliberately set off early. My plan was another short walk and another 20-30 minutes of the book. It wasn't finished by the time I met up with Ellie, but she wanted to go to the park. Ideal! I took her along to the park and plugged my AirPods back in. Fifteen minutes later, Ellie had had enough on the swings and my book was finished. I can absolutely recommend "Dry Bones" by Peter May - it was an excellent and quite gripping story.

Promenading

We woke up to a glorious day. No clouds dared to sully the azure blue of the sky above this part of Sussex. After a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge, I donned my sunhat and sunglasses and headed for the beach.

I parked at West Field and set off for a walk along the promenade. A few distant clouds ensured that we were shielded from France.

I was surprised that there were not more people about. There were kids playing on the beach and a few sailors preparing their boats for launch, but the promenade was fairly quiet.

I carried on past the pier and on past Butlins and The Lobster Pot. The pipes that had interrupted the route for the last few months had finally gone. No detours were necessary.

The path, which had been covered in shingle and stones during my last walk, was now clear and I carried on eastwards to the Summerlee Estate where, at the 2.5 mile mark I turned and headed back.

It was a lovely 80-minute walk by the time I returned to the car.

Back home, Diane was about to hit the garden. I helped out with the leaf vacuum and cleared the well-dried leaves from the bottom of the garden. Di pottered on with some dead-heading, general tidying, watering, and so forth.

After some lunch, we sat in the Orangery with our books.

Not Much

Very little to report today. I had the usual call with my cousins. Even that was a bit reserved today; there was the usual banter, some talk of our various travels, and it was just rolling onto politics as Zoom timed out (fortunately).

The rest of the morning was spent with photos and accounts. The photo work was looking at the images taken over the past few weeks and then downloading them so that I could file them properly in my library. It brought up a few problems where some photos had been taken using the "Live Photo" option and Google downloaded those as MP4 instead of HEIC or JPG and stripped out any date or location information. This is a problem that I will have to return to in the future. I suspect there is a way to do what I need, but I may have to handle each photo individually.

Meanwhile, Diane was looking for her pink purse. She had put it away before we went on our River Cruise. She needed to find out which drawer held this beloved accessory. In the end, she spent all morning and all afternoon searching. It was only after a break for dinner this evening that she finally found it.

I spent the afternoon in the Orangery finishing today's book.

Configuring

 The day started (thank goodness). Ellie arrived soon after 07:00 and was immediately glued to the iPad I had prepared for her. There was more to do, but she was eager to learn the email, the messaging, and the Facetime apps. By the time we took her to school, our message systems had been swamped with messages from Ellie! I suspect we will regret this.

After dropping Ellie off at school, I spent the morning getting the keyboard working and configuring the educational apps so that she could use them for her homework.

Late in the morning, I went for a walk, again stopping off at the school to give Ellie her ear spray. After lunch, I continued my search for a suitable keyboard for the iPad. This involved online chats with an AI system and eventually, a human! Keyboards were found, but the Logitech site would not let me order them.

I collected Ellie from school and she rushed home to experiment with her iPad.

Oops, I did it again

 Ellie arrived soon after 07:00. After breakfast and morning ablutions she came down to finish the project where she was making a shield. We removed the masking tape, finished shaping the shield, and then added gold tape. Unfortunately, it was raining by the time we set out for school - we had to wrap the shield in plastic so that the paint would not run.

In the background, I was looking at the possible keyboards that I could get for Diane's new iPad. I have found a couple, but they are not cheap and there is no colour option other than dark grey. I need to think about this a bit further.

We had the usual shopping trip to Sainsbury's and were duly soaked when we left the store at 11:30. Back home we started to unload, and then I popped across to the school to give Ellie her ear spray.

I was just starting lunch when the front doorbell rang. We were not expecting anything, or so I thought. Another iPad was delivered. Oops. It was an accident, honestly. I should explain. When I tried to order Diane's iPad the order seemed to go through the process, but later I received a message to say the Bank had declined the payment from that account. I thought no more about it and re-ordered from a different account. The new order was fulfilled yesterday... and I continued to receive messages saying the payment was declined on the original account. I (incorrectly) assumed the order would be cancelled. It wasn't. The debit was finally applied and today another iPad arrived. So, what to do? After some thought, I decided to keep it and recycle my old iPad.

Talking of recycling, I have started to rebuild Diane's old iPad for Ellie. I was thinking of recycling my old iPad for Kim.

Upgraded

 We had our usual start to the day with Ellie arriving, like a whirlwind, soon after 07:00.

Di cracked on with some ironing while I did my monthly check of energy consumption

I went for a walk late morning. It was glorious, with bubbly clouds decorating the horizon and a comfortable temperature for striding out. I stopped off at the school to give Ellie her ear spray, then headed home for a light lunch.

After lunch, with no clouds in the sky, we sat in the Orangery with our Kindles and made the most of such a lovely day.

We collected Ellie and she got on with her homework and then worked on her project (making a shield). It's is almost finished and we should be able to take it into class tomorrow.

Diane's new iPad arrived late afternoon. I could fire it up and transfer her old iPad across while I was preparing dinner. I'm very impressed with the speed and clarity of the device. I need to find a suitable case and keyboard, but that's a task for another day.

After dinner, we both went back to the Orangery for a while to enjoy the warm evening.

Upgrade

 I whizzed around to Zoe's to participate in the morning walk to school. Ellie was a lot better this morning and eager to get into class.

Back home I grabbed breakfast and then pottered around the house before updating the accounts. Late morning I set off for a walk, catching up on the audiobook that I haven't touched for a couple of weeks. I stopped off at Ellie's school just before their lunch so that I could apply her ear spray (the school are not permitted to do this). It took all of 5 seconds.

After lunch and the usual Kindle hour (or so), I went to collect Ellie. She had some homework to complete and was, at first, a little truculent. Once I had explained how to do the homework she got on with it and, on a roll, continued with handwriting exercises, and school project work with Nana. There was no stopping her.

A couple thoughts aligned...  Diane's iPad was short of space, and Ellie's "Surface" was giving trouble and wouldn't retain its charge, nor upgrade to Windows 11. I then accidentally ordered Diane a new iPad with the thought that we could recycle the old one for Ellie - both problems were solved.

Spectacular

 Ellie was dropped off soon after 7 am. The decision had been made that she would not be going to school until Zoe had taken her to the doctor. She has been complaining about a rash, a sore throat, and earache overnight. We gave her breakfast and got her washed and dressed, then waited for Zoe to make contact.

Zoe, unexpectedly, arrived on the doorstep. Her manager had sent her home to look after Ellie. We waved them goodbye and waited to hear how things went at the surgery.

After the comings and goings of the last few days with the plumber, I fired up the steam cleaner and gave the hard floors a good clean. It was time for us to head for the Optician when that was done. We both had our 2-year check-up scheduled. We both got a clean bill of health (though both of us have incipient cataracts which will require monitoring). We both had changes in our prescriptions; in my case, the prescription is going down. We had a great laugh with the staff as we selected new spectacles and sunglasses. The new glasses should be ready in a couple of weeks.

We heard from Zoe and Ellie is ok but needs some moisturising.

We had a quiet afternoon with our books.

Nada

 Sunday has been a day of nothing. I have done nothing or almost nothing.

Zoe came to see us mid-morning. We used the time to book our flights to Turkey in the summer. As a follow-on, I set up my notes folder for the trip, including packing lists, things to do, a summary of the holiday, and flight bookings for all of us (except ~Jon and Kim who had already booked their travel).

Other than that, the day has been quiet with the exception of the visual flipping of digital pages on my latest Kindle books (another one finished today, and one started).

When Ellie got back from Pete's there was some concern over skin blemishes so Diane had to go and take a look. We are still not sure what it is, but she is a bit uptight so we will have to keep an eye on her this week.

Slow Progress... but progress nevertheless

 The day started with the usual call with my cousins. While the call was in progress, Ross arrived to complete the boiler installation (at least, that was the plan).

I hung around all day to answer questions, make decisions, and offer a pair of hands when required. Things could have gone better. As water was reintroduced into the system a couple of minor leaks were evident. Unfortunately, both leaks were in pretty inaccessible places and took a lot of time, patience, and effort to rectify. Bit by bit the problems were eliminated and the system refilled and bled. The boiler was fired up and the hot water system warmed up nicely. It was now time to change the existing thermostatic controls. The upstairs 'stat was installed and programmed into my phone. The heating started to come through. His attention then turned to the underfloor heating zones. Again, this did not go smoothly. When the old 'stats were removed it was clear that they were using a 12V signal... the replacement 'stats were 230V. Oops. Replacement 'stats will be ordered and he will complete the installation later in the week.

I'm glad this is not a project I was attempting myself.

Domestic Bliss

 We all woke up around 07:00. Ellie played on her tablet for a few minutes and waited for Nana to get going. I went down and started on breakfast. Zoe turned up so that she could walk to school with us. She wasn't due to start work until lunchtime.

I returned home for breakfast and then started to look at river cruises for 2025 and beyond. The first problem was that no 2026 cruises have been released yet. The second problem was how to compare the cruises given that the inclusive list has value, but varies from one carrier to another. I decided to forget the inclusions for now and just concentrate on the itineraries, the headline cost for similar accommodation, and dates.

Having tucked a few candidate trips away in the spreadsheet, I closed the laptop. It was time to do some domestic chores. Obviously, the laundry has been almost continuous since we got home. The consequence is a pile of ironing. Being a Renaissance man, I grabbed the surf ironing board and worked through the first pile.

I had an hour or so with my book before collecting Ellie and I took her to the park on the way home from school. She wasn't with us for too long before Pete arrived to collect her for the weekend.

Best Laid Plans

We had another glorious start to the day. Diane went to Zoe's to escort them on the school run and I stayed home ready for Ross, the heating engineer, to arrive. I used the time to refine the shopping list for today's exciting excursion to Sainsbury's.

Ross arrived soon after 09:00 and set straight to work. Today's focus was pipework in the garage (where the boiler is situated) and then into the utility room. We left him a key and the garage door remote controller before heading off to the shops. Sainsbury's seemed very quiet but it occurred to me that shopping there was either good training for a SAGA excursion, or a SAGA excursion was good training for Sainsbury's.

We arrived home to find Ross had gone. It was a good job that I had left him the keys. When he returned he explained that the builders had put a plastic pipe in the walls to feed to the garden tap. This could not be detected by his scanner. It could, however, be punctured by his drill - and was. The water was switched off and he had gone for a replacement joint. Oops.

We collected Ellie at 16:00, after the "Craft Club". She is staying with us overnight. As time wore on, it was clear that Ross would not finish today. Whilst this is no problem for us, he has the gas switched off, and we cook on gas. Ellie was getting hungry and wanted pasta with her burger. The burger could be cooked in the Air Fryer, but how was I going to cook pasta? It finally dawned on me that I could do it in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. I managed Ellie's dinner and, with a bit of lateral thinking, I managed to use the Air Fryer for the Manzo Piccante I had planned for our dinner. In fact, it worked quite well.

Back in the swing

 After our wonderful week away, and a very good night's sleep, we were back in the swing of things today. Ellie was dropped off for breakfast and to get ready for school. Normally, I would walk her to school with Diane (unless the weather is unpleasant, in which case I make sure Di stays at home). Today, Diane escorted her as I had to stay put for the arrival of the heating engineer.

Ross, the engineer turned up soon after 09:00 (so I could have been on the school run). He was very efficient and got straight down to things. He started draining the radiators and left them to trickle clear while he removed the old boiler. He then brought me the new control units so that I could complete the initial set-up. He, meanwhile, started on the installation of the new boiler. Holes were drilled, flues were widened, and piperuns were calculated.

While all of this was progressing, Diane drove across to collect Jasper from the Cattery (she had to wait until after 11:00 so that he could get changed after his Pilates session). I cracked on with the accounts, the shopping list, holiday feedback, and so forth. Ross continued to pop in and out to check things or discuss progress and plans.

During the afternoon I managed to get a short time with the Kindle before a chap came to measure up for a quote for pressure washing the paths and patios. 

Diane had collected Ellie and she stayed with us until Zoe finished work. By 17:15 they had gone and Ross had gone and silence prevailed once more.

Travelling

We had an early start. Our suitcases had to be left outside the cabin by 07:00 so we had to get washed and dressed so that the last items could be stowed. Because everyone was in the same boat (quite literally) we all turned up for breakfast at the same time. The scrum around the buffet table reminded me of the open warfare that you see at W.I. Jumble Sales or the Boxing Day sales. We sat and left them to it before approaching the buffet with grace and sophistication.

The coaches arrived, our suitcases were loaded onto the relevant coach, and then we were whisked off to the airport. The check-in was chaos. There were 4 desks open, but one closed almost immediately. We stood in a queue that snaked back and forth and moved at a pace that would suit a snail with a limp (all right, the metaphor doesn't quite work). It took us 90 minutes to get our boarding passes and headed for security. That was more efficient and we were soon walking to the departure hall and looking for Jane and Trevor (who were miles ahead of us due to the vagaries of luggage loading on the coach). The first order of the hour was a drink. We found a suitable bar and stayed there until we had to go to the gate.

Loading the plane was another Saga (did you see what I did there?) as all the wrinklies blocked the aisles and prevented people from boarding behind them. Once everyone was settled, we took off and had a good flight back to London. We were met by our Saga driver and escorted to the car where we settled down for a pleasant ride home.

Our bags are unpacked and the washing machine is hard at work. It has been a great holiday.

Budapest

There was no view from the cabin as I went to check the weather when I got up. Another slab-sided riverboat had docked right alongside us overnight. We had a busy day scheduled so we met for breakfast at 7:45.

The first excursion was a coach tour of the two cities, Buda and Pest. Not to put too fine a point on it, it wasn't a great success. Don't get me wrong, the cities are wonderful, but the coach zigged and zagged through the traffic and the guide tried to keep up a running commentary. Hundreds of buildings and landmarks were pointed out as we swept by. Photography was pointless through the coach windows and in many of the streets, you could only see the bottom parts of the buildings. It would have been nice to stop in Heroes Square, but no, we swept onwards. We finally stopped near the Basilica and all traipsed off the bus.

The Basilica was impressive (the 3rd largest church in Hungary) but we didn't have time to go inside. Instead, we trekked onwards listening to her monotone descriptions.

We eventually arrived at Liberty Square near the US Embassy. Then, the theory stated we had free time until we needed to return to the bus. In practice, because many of the group wanted a WC and the guide didn't know where the nearest was, the group stood, legs crossed, arguing for 25 minutes before heading back through the square towards the Basilica and coach. It was a torturous walk and I was getting worried when the third snail overtook us and shook his Zimmer frame at us.

The coach took us back to the boat and we grabbed a beer while seriously debating whether we should bother with the afternoon's excursion. Eventually, we decided to go. What a great decision that turned out to be. Our new guide, Christina, was the best guide we have had across the week. She kept an eye on the group and kept us together. She gave a brilliant commentary as we wandered the Castle Hill of Buda and was able to answer every question that was thrown at her.

We started by climbing the steps to the old palace. This is now a library and various administrative buildings. It is undergoing extensive renovations and it is already clear to see what a significant improvement is emerging from the workmen's effort.

The views from the terrace, overlooking the Danube and Pest, were quite stunning.

From the Palace, we walked past the President's and the Prime Minister's residence and then onwards to St Matthias Church and the Fishermen's Bastion. The church is stunning. 

It looks almost as if it has been iced by a master baker, and then someone has laid jewels scales across the complex roofline. We stood and gawped at the building before being left to our own devices for an hour. 

We had been keeping an eye on an elderly lady called Liz. She had struggled a bit with the stairs (well, there were a lot of them) so we took her to a cafe for a drink. She was an absolute scream and we had a great time. We had a little shopping to do before meeting up with the rest of the group and returning down a different load of steps, to the coach and ultimately the boat.

With an early start tomorrow, we did the bulk of our packing. At the start of the cruise, we had booked a table in the speciality "Delta" Restaurant. The four of us met on the top deck and then made our way astern. The restaurant is quite small so you are only entitled to use it once during the cruise. The starters and desserts come from the main restaurant, but the entrees are cooked on-site. We all chose the Aberdeen Angus beef which was superb, though Di and Jane weren't impressed by the vegetables or the dessert.

We lingered over the meal but eventually retired to our cabins to finish packing (though Trevor and Jane went out for a short walk, first).

Esztergom and Budapest

We sailed through the night, finally docking at Esztergom around 05:00. I know, because I had been awake since 02:15, and been unable to drop back to sleep. Though excursions were available, we decided to have a quiet day and do our own thing.

Our own thing started with a leisurely breakfast after which we slathered ourselves in sunblock and gathered our things for some exploration.

Esztergom is the former capital of Hungary and is dominated by Castle Hill and the Basilica. Archaeological excavations have shown settlements on the hill dating back 20000 years to the end of the last Ice Age. The first named settlers, however, were the Celts, who settled in the area about 350 BC.  The Magyars came to the region in about 900 AD and Vajik, who became known as St Stephen, was born in the palace on Castle Hill. 

The impressive Basilica that now dominates the hill, is the largest church in Hungary and is dedicated to St Stephen. 

Our boat was docked in the river beneath the walls of the Basilica so we wandered into town and found our way to the "Cat Stairs". This is a series of 200 or more steps that wind up the side of the hill along a 16th alleyway. 

It is a steep climb but affords some fabulous views. This photo is looking up the Danube towards Bratislava and, in the foreground, shows our boat.

When we arrived at the Basilica, Mass had just started so tourists were not allowed in. We wandered around the outside and chuckled as a young priest, wearing his cassock, sped past on an electric scooter.

Passing the finishing line for a cycle race (we did not participate) we walked back down through the streets and found a small riverside cafe where we could stop for a coffee. Suitably refreshed, we walked along the riverbank and crossed a bridge before walking along the opposite bank back to the boat.

Trevor and Jane decided to go back up to the Basilica, as Mass should be over. We left them to it, grabbed a cold drink and retired to our room. Di had an email that she wanted to send and I needed to start the blog for today.

At about 14:00 we slipped our moorings and headed out into the river where we did a graceful about-turn and then headed off towards Budapest, our next stop. During the gentle cruise, there was an opportunity to hear an hour's presentation about Budapest. We arrived a little late and had to listen from the very back of the lounge which meant that we couldn't see the screens but had to make do with the commentary.

As we approached Budapest, I went up on deck where the lady who had provided the presentation was pointing out all of the points of interest. It really is a most picturesque city. (This photo shows the parliament building).

After we had docked we attended the farewell reception (held a day early so passengers can focus on packing tomorrow evening). We were introduced to all the members of the crew with the exception of the galley staff, who were busy preparing dinner.

I nipped away from the reception as it was coming to an end so that I could secure a larger table for dinner where this intrepid foursome was joined by Carol and Ian. Dinner was excellent, as usual, and when the dessert course was served we finally had a chance to thank all of the galley staff.

The sun had set and the lights of the city sparkled across the water. DI and I went up on deck to enjoy the sight. Jane and Trevor left the boat and went for a walk.

We returned to the lounge and sat chatting with Carol and Ian about blogging, DNA tests, and genealogy. Jane and Trevor returned from their walk and explained how one of the bridges was closed to traffic and became a place for youngsters and families to gather and party. It sounded like a very civilised idea.

It had been a lovely day, but it was time for bed. Di and I left them to it and headed for our cabin.

Bratislava

We woke to find another river cruiser docked right against us which came as a bit of a shock. At first, I thought we were docked against a wall, but soon realised it wasn't a wall I was looking at, it was a cabin in the next boat. I'm glad I was fully dressed when I opened the curtains (and I bet they were too). Once we could see some sky, it was clear that we had a lovely sunny morning, but a trip to the top deck revealed that it was a bit deceptive as it was a little chilly and there was a fierce wind.

We met up with Jane and Trevor for breakfast and then pottered off to get ready for this morning's excursion. We left the boat and boarded a "land train" (this was like the little trains that ply back and forth along the esplanade at Bognor Regis. As we set off for an initial tour around the city we became aware that these land trains are not designed for cobbled streets or streets with tramlines. It made a brave attempt to shake the fillings loose from our teeth.

After about 10 minutes we arrived at the castle overlooking the city. The castle commands an impressive site overlooking the current city but artefacts have been found dating from the Neolithic period some 5,000 years ago. 

I was surprised to learn that in the late Iron Age, Celts established an important fortified settlement, known as an oppidum, on the castle hill which is where Bratislava Castle stands today. This era is significant because it marked the first time Bratislava functioned as a true town. The Celtic influence seems to have declined at the end of the 1st century and Roman influence grew and Germanic tribes moved into the area. 

The castle has been through a number of renovations and is now a major tourist attraction. The guide pointed out that 3kms to the west was Austria and 7kms to the east was Hungary.

We hopped back on the land train and deposited near the gate to the old town. Our guide then took us on a walking tour through the charming little streets and squares, pointing out locations of interest and providing a historical context. It was a bit like walking through a film set... other than the fact it was teeming with people and tours.

When our tour was finished, we met up with Trevor and Jane and stopped off to get a gelato before retracing through some of the more charming parts of the old town.

We left Jane and Trevor to explore further while we returned to the boat for a sandwich and cold drink with the idea of having a quiet afternoon with our books.

After a cold drink we headed up on deck and settled down in the sun for several hours. Across the river, an outdoor concert was just kicking off so we had background music and the delicious smell of street food wafting across.

We left Bratislava and sailed down river towards Esztergrom - our destination for tomorrow.

Over dinner and found ourselves chatting with a couple from Letchworth; he, bizarrely, was a Wolves supporter. It just goes to show that you can never be too careful. 

Before settling in for the evening's entertainment, I took a walk on deck and watched as the day faded to night. I returned to the lounge in time to see our approach to a huge lock. One boat was already in the lock but there was room for us to pull alongside. The gates closed and we started to descend. I would estimate that the drop in level was about 20 metres. It was most impressive.

We went back to our cabin at about 22:30 and had an early night.

Krems and beyond

The boat remained docked in Krems overnight. Today we had an early start so my alarm was set for 06:00. We met up with Jane and Trevor for breakfast and then went to join our respective coaches. (They have split us up so we don't cause too much trouble!) 

The coach left the marina and took us over the Danube and up to Göttweig Abbey which dominates the countryside from its hilltop location. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was founded in 1083 but rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th Century after the original buildings were destroyed by fire. We switched on our QuietVox boxes and the tour began. Like yesterday, we were taken to the Imperial Wing to view the various rooms. It was interesting but not as impressive as Melk.

Again, this is a working monastery with some 30 monks and 3 novices. We didn't get to see the parts of the monastery used by the monks (understandably). Like yesterday, we finished the tour at the church which was, again, Baroque in style. This was more gaudy than Melk and somehow lacked atmosphere. Having said that, there was a chapel in the crypt that was quite lovely. 

We finished the visit with a wander around the upper gardens and then made our way down for a coffee before rejoining the coach.

After the Abbey, the coach dropped us in the heart of Krems for a guided tour of the old town. QuietVox again provided direct commentary from our guide as we wove through the streets. 

Krems and its twin district of Stein were really quite charming. It is one of the oldest settlements in the Wachau Valley and artefacts dating back 32,000 years have been found nearby. (Venus of Galgenberg). 

The town is a maze of cobbled streets and alleys. Our tour lasted about 30 minutes and then we were left to our own devices for a wander through the streets. We stopped in one store so I could buy an adapter to charge my MacBook (the only adapter I had forgotten to bring).

We got back to the boat in time for a spot of lunch and the sail away. The boat left Krems and started on the 170km journey east to Bratislava.  It was particularly interesting as we went through the first lock. (We had traversed it during the first night afloat, but hadn't seen it for obvious reasons). It looked as if we descended about 10 metres as the lock equalised the level with the next stretch of water.

By mid evening we had arrived in Bratislava and docked. We met up for dinner and then settled in the lounge for the evening's music quiz. It was nearly midnight when we finally stopped talking and went to bed.

Melking it

The sun peeked through the curtains this morning, urging us out of bed for a day of exploration along the Danube River. 

Our boat glided gently through the picturesque Wachau Valley, the mist clinging to the vineyards that terraced the rolling hills. After a hearty breakfast, we joined our fellow travellers for a fascinating excursion to Melk Abbey. (Jane was unwell and wasn't able to join us, today).

Founded in 1089 by Benedictine monks, Melk Abbey is a crowning jewel of Baroque architecture, having been extensively rebuilt in the early 1700s.

Our group was divided in two, each led on a captivating tour through the abbey's opulent Imperial Wing, now a museum showcasing its rich history. 

The Imperial Wing was where royalty would stay, when in Melk. It boasts a corridor over 600 feet long with guest room all along it. When the Empress Marie Therese would visit, her entourage would comprise over 200 people - hence the extensive accommodation.

The highlight for many was undoubtedly the library. Here, over 100,000 books and manuscripts whispered tales of the past, some dating back to the 13th century. This is the second library for the abbey as the first burnt down in 1297. (There was a second fire more recently, in 1974. This fire caused significant damage to the interior and artworks of the library, necessitating a lengthy restoration project, which is still underway).

Our guide, Sylvia, expertly navigated us through the halls, her knowledge and engaging delivery bringing the abbey's history to life. Though the abbey peaked at about 100 monks, and at the time of the reformation dropped to 2, it is now home to 22 monks and a public school for some 850 students.

(Note that photography was not permitted inside the building, so this picture of the library was taken from a postcard0.

Following the tour, we found ourselves in the awe-inspiring abbey church. This architectural masterpiece embodied the grandeur of the Ecclesiastical Baroque style, leaving us speechless (and, unfortunately, witnessing a few flashes despite the "No Photography" signs. Again, my picture is taken from a postcard). 

A refreshing Weissbier on the terrace with its breathtaking views provided a welcome respite. We then enjoyed a brisk stroll through the beautiful gardens before reluctantly rejoining the bus.

Melk Abbey was stunning. I would recommend it to anyone touring in this part of Austria.

Back on board, a light lunch fueled us for the return journey through the Wachau Valley. As we retraced our route, the sun beat down on the deck, occasionally punctuated by refreshing gusts of wind. Despite the contrasting elements, the afternoon unfolded beautifully.

The charming villages dotting the Danube's banks were a photographer's dream, and I couldn't resist capturing countless photos of the passing countryside. Jane came up on deck for the last 30 minutes, feeling a bit better, at last.

We docked at Krems at about 17:00. There is an excursion this evening but we have chosen not to participate. We met up with Jane and Trevor and were joined by Carol and Ian for dinner before retiring to the lounge for an hour or so to talk while listening to a traditional Oompah Band.

Oh Vienna

I was awake early, very early. I forced myself to stay in bed rather than risk waking Di. We met up with Jane and Trevor in the Panorama Restaurant for breakfast and made sure we ate well so that we wouldn’t need to stop for lunch. After breakfast, we joined the rest of the passengers for an introductory briefing in the lounge. This was (surprisingly) quite interesting. One impressive gizmo that we all have in our cabins is the QuietVox device. This allows you to read an interactive map by zapping icons on the map; provides a commentary as the ship sails along the river by linking to the GPS to inform you what can be seen at that point; and it provides a link to your guides as they escort you around the various destinations.

We had the rest of the morning to ourselves so the four of us headed across to the Jubilee Church of Assisi. It is the church we can see from the boat so it only took about 5 minutes to get there. It was stunning with buttresses, towers, and domes all seemingly intersecting and creating fascinating rooflines. We made our way around the building and then entered through a side door. It was a large church with a simple but inspiring interior. We spent quite a long time wandering around before we managed to drag ourselves away.

From the church, we crossed the Danube to the island. This island is a green space with walkways and cycle tracks, picnic areas and playgrounds. It stretches for 21km and is used extensively by the Viennese. 

After a walk, we returned across the bridge and settled down on the top deck of our boat. We grabbed a sandwich at lunchtime and then joined up with our respective groups for our tour of Vienna.

The first part of the tour was by bus. We wound our way through the city with a guide pointing out all of the places of note. When we arrived at the historic heart of the city, we left the buses and were split into smaller groups for a walking tour with a guide who spoke to us through the QuietVox. This worked really well and seemed to manage quite a range. We headed up towards St Stephen’s Cathedral with all of the sites of note pointed out on the way. Somewhere along the route, I managed to drop my sweater and though I went back to look for it, it had gone. Doh!

Vienna is beautiful. There is no doubt about it. It is also immensely photogenic.

We made our way back to the pickup point independently of the group. Diane wanted to stop at the Gelateria which was reputedly the best in the city. This posed a problem. The menu was all in German and with the exception of vanilla and banana, everything else was hidden behind German words which I didn’t recognise. This isn’t good enough. They seem to have their own words for most things, you’d think they didn’t speak English!

Back on the boat, we had a quick drink in our room while getting ready for the evening reception. The reception was very similar to the introductory meeting we had last night. The Cruise Director introduced the Captain and he introduced the heads of department, then we had a briefing on tomorrow's excursions. We sat with Jane and Trevor and a couple, Carol and Ian, we had met at the airport. They seem to be positive, funny, charming folk and have just slotted into our group.

After dinner (Caesar Salad then Salmon, if you must know) we wrapped up and headed to the top deck to watch as the boat threw the shackles of Quay Number 4, and manoeuvred out into the Danube. We watched as the lights of Vienna slipped by and we slipped under its bridges to make our overnight escape towards Melk.