Chaos and Tranquility

 It was very grey when we started the day. The forecast indicated that it would remain dry - but overcast. Once my ablutions were complete and our morning tea and coffee were ready, I sat and wrote up yesterday's blog. We met up with Jan and John for breakfast and decided on the day's plan of action. Jan wanted to visit Charlestown (which is only a mile from here) and then we had to find another destination. Over breakfast, we decided on Pencarrow House, the other side of Bodmin.

We drove to Charlestown (we knew from a previous visit that the footpath across the fields and cliffside was hard going). It became clear immediately that there was a lot of work underway in the dock and parts of the village were blocked off.

Frankly, Charlestown was a disappointment. It used to be so quaint with a large schooner nestled in the dock and a thriving village, but now it seemed a bit neglected. We walked down to the end of the dock and Diane and Jan went into the little souvenir booth. John and I watched the waves gently lap against the beach. It wasn't actually raining, but we seemed to be in some low cloud which reduced visibility and felt like a fine drizzle. We walked back towards the car park and stopped for a coffee. 

Plan A (Pencarrow House) had changed. We were now working to Plan B which took us to the Pinetum Gardens on the outskirts of St Austell, about a mile from where we were. I must. have driven past these gardens many tens of times over the years, but never noticed them. That was a shame. They were an absolute joy. The gardens formerly known as Pine Lodge Gardens, is a 30-acre estate located in Holmbush, just outside St Austell. Established over 40 years ago by Ray and Shirley Clemo, the gardens were developed with a passion for plant collection and landscape design. Shirley Clemo, recognized for her expertise in horticulture, was awarded an MBE in 2011 for her contributions to the garden. 

The gardens are divided into ten individually themed areas, including a Japanese garden, a cottage garden, and a winter garden. They house one of the largest plant collections in Cornwall, featuring a diverse array of species from around the world. We bought our tickets and started to roam.

We started in the arboretum which and then looped through the estate to the Winter Garden, where we zigged and zagged along the paths and through the planting.

We then walked down to the lake - careful not to annoy the geese and ducks as we walked across their domain. It was still very grey, but the cloud had lifted so it was no longer wet. The sun was even brave enough to poke its head through the cloud occasionally.

Our next stop was the Japanese Garden. This was enchanting but would have benefitted from some dapple sunlight to lift some of the colours. We spent a long time there, drinking in the tranquillity.

We wandered onwards to the Cottage Garden which nestles in front of some holiday accommodation. Exploring the paths and walkways, we ended up in the Bridge Garden, where a low bridge coated in wisteria, spans a small pond. (Unfortunately, the wisteria was past its best). A small waterfall cascades into the pond, providing the gentle sound of running water.

It was time for a cup of tea. We stopped at the cafe and chatted over a pot. It was clear that we were all enchanted by the place.

After finishing our tea break, we moved on to the Courtyard Garden and then the Water Garden. We paused here. We seemed to be the only visitors in the whole garden and we took the opportunity to just sit and soak in the atmosphere.

Eventually, we stirred ourselves and returned to the car. We had been in the gardens for about 4 hours and loved every minute of it. It is an oasis of calm that I am sure we will return to in the future.

Back at the hotel, we sat out on the terrace with a drink, soaking in the afternoon sun (that had finally put in an appearance).

We met up for dinner and enjoyed the excellent fare for the last time, this holiday. Diane started with Prawns (no octopus), and I had Cornish crabcakes. We both chose the salmon for our main dish. When dinner was finished, we put on our jackets and went for a walk up the hill overlooking Charlestown.

Old Haunts

 It was a stunning start to the day. The sun was shining brightly and a few clouds scattered across the sky to provide some punctuation against the blue background. As I drank my morning coffee and wrote yesterday's blog post I felt that we could almost be abroad somewhere.

We met up with Jan and. John for breakfast and as we munched through our fruit, yoghurt, toast, eggs, sausages, bacon and mushrooms, we discussed a plan for the day. John volunteered to do the driving and we decided to start the day at Lanhydrock.

We have visited several times in the past (though the last time was in May 1991).

Lanhydrock Estate is only 8 miles from Carlyon Bay and was the home of the Agar-Robartes family. They made their money providing fuel for the tin mining industry and having accumulated wealth, were able to provide money-lending services in London. They rose to prominence and built a fine manor on the outskirts of Bodmin. 

The house has been through some ups and downs having been almost abandoned when the family relocated to London and then restored only to be devastated by fire. The house as we see it today was restored by the family in Victorian times and provided with all the mod cons of the age.

We started our visit by looping through the gardens around the church and on the hillside above. I don't know how many grounds staff the Trust has working at Lanhydrock, but the whole estate was pristine. The lawns would rival any golf green. We continued our route and stopped at the church. It was a lovely, serene, bright church and seemed very inviting.

Continuing our route we ended up in the courtyard where we stopped for a coffee and a comfort break before starting our tour of the house itself.

The tour started in the extensive kitchens which, as I mentioned earlier, were full of the mod cons available at the time. They were very impressive, particularly the vast cooking range. From the kitchens, we moved on to the nursery and young family spaces. Finally, we entered the main door of the house and toured Lord Agar-Robartes more formal rooms - the vast entrance hall, the dining room,  the estate offices, the bedrooms, the long gallery, the billiard room, and so forth. The tour finished in the NT Shop (as they always do). It had been a wonderful few hours and Lanhydrock never disappoints. We took an electric buggy back up the hill to the car park and set out for our next stop.

Fowey (pronounced Foy, just like Joy, as it says on the poster in the car park) was another favourite haunt. John drove us across and we parked at the top of town. Fortunately, there is now a shuttle bus to take you down the hill to the town centre.

The blue skies had turned grey and it was a bit chilly as we started to wander around. We decided that a cream tea would be a sensible treat and found a small tea shop. As we finished arguing over cream first or jam first and tucked away the last of the crumbs from our scones, we got talking to a couple at the next table. It turns out they hail from Weston-Super-Mare and know all of the areas that Jan knew. What's more, the chap was in the RAF and he and John had a number of shared acquaintances and experiences. What a small world!

There was a queue for the bus back up the hill, so we decided to walk. I had forgotten just how steep it was, but we managed to take it slowly and all safely arrived at the car park. We were soon back at the hotel where Jand and John went to their room and Diane and I sat on the terrace reading until it was time to dress for dinner.

For tonight's dinner, Diane skipped the starter but I had some sea trout, then for the main dish she had lamb shoulder while I went for some sea bream. After dinner, we went for a walk up the hill towards the path to Charlestown. The breeze had dropped and it was quite mild and still.

We wandered past the multi-million-pound houses wondering how the development got started and what the owners actually did to make their money. It was an idyllic spot and had the most spectacular views.

We had enjoyed another lovely day and retired to our rooms soon after nine-thirty. We managed some reading before dropping into bed.

Out and about

 I slept remarkably well... and that made one of us. Di had a poor night's sleep which she blamed on eating later than usual and going to bed too soon after eating. We spoke with reception and have changed our meal time for the rest of our stay.

When I opened the curtains there was horizon to horizon unbroken grey cloud - but it was dry and mild. We met up with Jan and John for breakfast and decided on the day's plan of action. 

We hopped in the car and I drove us down to Caerhays Castle and Gardens which nestles right on the coast between Dodman Point and Portloe. These gardens are only open from February to the first week in June and contain an astonishing collection of Camellias and the National Magnolia Collection. We were a bit late in the season to see these at their best but there were a few specimens hanging on.

We bought our tickets for the garden (deciding not to do the castle tour) and set off weaving our way up and down the hillsides and zigging and zagging along the various pathways. A few sections were hard going and we had to slow down to catch our breath but we took things at a sensible pace and enjoyed the views.

As we finished, we stopped at the tea room for some well-deserved refreshments. By this time, the sun had broken through and it was delightful sitting in the courtyard with our coffee. We finally stirred ourselves into action and stopped in at the little shop where we were greeted by the shop assistant who was one of the most naturally funny people we'd ever met. We didn't buy anything but we stayed there chatting to her for ages. She is wasted in the shop - she should go on the stand-up circuit.

Back at the car, we decided our next stop would be Mevagissey. We fought our way through the tiny Cornish lanes, having to back up several times to avoid oncoming vehicles and duck into passing places for others. We parked in the centre of the quaint harbour town and went for a stroll. The tide was out, leaving the fishing boats high and dry for the next few hours.

We looped around the harbour wall on the south side all the way to the end where we stopped to watch the world go by. Eventually, we turned and retraced our steps, stopping at an ice cream shop for some rich Cornish ice cream cones.

We continued the loop along the north side of the harbour where we had a good view across the outer harbour (from where they were running boat trips). As you can see from the photo, this morning's cloud was but a distant memory.

At the end of this walkway was a tiny little beach that looked quite sheltered and enticing. I fear that our bucket and spade days were over, so we just stood there and watched before turning back to the car park.

Back at the hotel, we sat out on the terrace, lapping up the sun, some tea, and a pint of Doom Bar. It was the perfect end to the afternoon.

We dressed for dinner (you never hear of people undressing for dinner, but then you don't want to get splashed by hot soup). Diane had the prawn starter again (without the octopus) and I had grilled mackerel. For our main course, Di had poached plaice and I had hake.

After dinner, we all went for a walk around the grounds before retiring to our rooms around 9 pm.

We sat and read for an hour or so before bed. It had been a lovely day. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Get set, Go.

 We planned to get up early, but I was wide awake by 5:00 and reading the news in the kitchen by 5:15.  Never mind, it got the day underway. We had breakfast, finished the last-minute tidying and packing, loaded the car and hit the road at 8:40. Being half-term the route to Chichester was quiet, as was the the Chichester bypass.

We settled down for 4 or 5 hours of quality time on the King's highways. As usual, it was very slow between Portsmouth and Southampton, but then it freed up until we had passed Bournemouth. From there it became a slow-moving procession most of the way across to Honiton. This appears to have been the aftermath of a collision outside Bridport. that had closed the road and caused a vast tailback that was taking time to clear. (I would like to put out a request to all motorists - if you intend to get into a collision, cause road closures,  and get taken to hospital, please choose days when Diane and I are not travelling. Thank you).

At Honiton, the roads cleared and we whizzed across to Exeter where we stopped at the services for a coffee and a snack. We were soon back on the road and the last 78 miles of the 220 were a pleasure. 

We checked in to the hotel and were able to go straight to our room to unpack. Our room is on the western corner of the 2nd floor and has a spectacular view across the bay.

Once unpacked, I struggled with the WiFi for a while before giving up. We went down for a drink and I asked at reception about the WiFi. It turns out that it was down and had been reported. (Sure enough, a couple of hours later it all seemed to be working again).

Jan and John were at reception when we got there. We left them to get their luggage and unpack while we went to sit in the sunshine and enjoy a cool and refreshing drink while watching the other guests playing on the putting green, swimming, or playing tennis. It was a perfect afternoon.

Jan and John came to join us for a while, and then we all went for a walk along the clifftop before retiring to our room to dress for dinner.

We met up in the bar before dinner and made our way through to the dining room. Dinner, as you would expect from this hotel, was excellent. I started with gurnard with dahl and tempura broccoli and followed this with salmon. Di had a prawn starter (without the octopus that was on the menu) then she too had the salmon. 

After dinner, Jan and John retired for the night, but Diane and I went for another short walk. It was a delightfully warm evening and we seemed to have the place to ourselves with the exception of the birds who were chattering away in the trees.

On Your Marks...

There had been rain overnight but it was almost dry by the time I came down for my first coffee. The day was such that the rain was never far away and we had showers throughout the day. 

I worked my way through some ironing during the morning but was warned off Di's stuff, which she wanted to do. As I was finishing, Kim turned up. She was helping Zoe out by caring for Beau (the cat) while Zoe and Ellie were away. She was making the most of the peace and quiet to get some studying done in preparation for an exam she had scheduled for Friday. It was lovely to see her, and we had a couple of hours of chat before she left to go to Zoe's.

We heard from Zoe. She and Ellie were at the roller rink and Ellie was clearly a natural, being one of the only kids to be skating unaided, As we chatted, E`llie circled the rink and looked well-balanced and totally at ease.

Having completed most of our packing for tomorrow, Di and I settled down for some Kindle time. It was a bit too chilly for the Orangery so we sat in the lounge and read. Zoe phoned, again, she was trying to book an adventure but the WiFi signal wasn't strong enough to authorise her payment... Dad had to help out. So it looks as if they have some sort of treetop/zipline adventure scheduled for later in the week.

All but the last-minute packing is done.

Spa

It's Bank Holiday Monday and I don't have to get up for work (like every one of the last 3,979 days). I congratulated myself and wandered downstairs for a coffee and jumpstart the day.  

Jasper was the first significant item on today's agenda. We had to get him into his carrier and take him to the cat spa where he will be pampered for the next week. We got part of the way there when we realised that his medication was still sitting in the kitchen. We did a U-turn and headed back home. Meds were collected, and we set off again. Mark (the Cat Whisperer) was waiting and greeted Jasper like an old friend; Jasper, in turn, settled immediately and went to find some fluffy slippers and a bathrobe.

Back home, we had various chores to clear. Di vacuumed the car, I checked the washer bottle, then I spot-cleaned various marks Jasper had left on the carpets. Finally, I updated the accounts.

Meanwhile, Zoe and Ellie were driving across the country. They are going away for a week's holiday at Center Parcs at Longleat. They seemed to have a good trip across the M27 and up through Salisbury towards Warminster. They were checking in soon after midday. I hope they have a wonderful week, but suspect we will get a call from them with all of the gossip from the first day.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time, and then while I started preparing dinner, Di went to Zoe's to feed Beau, the cat. Tomorrow we will start our own packing for a short break.

Id

I saw a lazy start to the day despite Jasper's attempts to drag us from bed. I read the news for an hour before Di came down for her morning tea. As I started to read the social media, I saw an announcement that the Government was planning to allow digital driving licenses later in the year. In preparation for this, you can now open a DVLA account. I thought this sounded like a good move so I went through the process. It did use what will become a single government account which was verified with the biometric information from my passport. It took a little while to get it all set up, but it now nestles on my various devices.

The next task for the morning was to fix the door handle for the utility cupboard. The relevant bolts had been delivered yesterday and I was eager to give it a go. As usual, it was a bit fiddly. The bolts had to be snipped off to the right length. This proved almost impossible so I resorted to a hacksaw. It was then a matter of feeding the male bolts through the door handle, the door and the opposing door handle into the female nut. It took me ages. Eventually, it was done and the handle is now functioning properly again.

I explained in yesterday's post that I had been having a few anomalies with Google Maps on CarPlay in the Skoda. I fixed it. I quit G-Maps, reset the CarPlay to forget about the Skoda, and restarted the phone. I then went to the car and connected it all up. I clearly got the newer version of CarPlay and everything seemed to work properly. I even have some new apps available. I had a bit of a cleanup, removing those apps I'm unlikely to use. That was it... done!

(During the afternoon, I helped Zoe sort out her SatNav. It was still connected to an old WiFi account and an old phone. That didn't take too long to clear up).

We had some Kindle time before I started on dinner. That was a bit of an issue. I had planned roast chicken, but when I opened the bag it was clear that the chicken was past its best. It was dumped in the bin and we grabbed some pork loin steaks instead.

A Bit of a Do

I was up at my usual time and was soon joined by Di. There had been a bit of rain overnight but it was dry by the time we were drinking our morning beverage. More rain was forecast during the morning, but nothing came of it.

The big event today was Auntie Jean's 95th Birthday get-together. At midday, we climbed into the car, set up Google Maps, and headed out onto the King's highways and byways. It soon became clear that the directions feature of Google Maps was misbehaving. The coloured line that is meant. to show the route was not showing and our advanced notice of turns was informing us of junctions we had already passed or were 6 miles ahead. We switched to Apple Maps which behaved impeccably.

We had a quick cup of tea at Trevor and Sue's. Denise and Becky were also there (staying the weekend). We finished the tea and then we all walked to Maycroft, where Jean is now living. The Care home had prepared an afternoon tea and birthday cake for Jean. We had the library to ourselves and soon the other guests started to arrive, these included Jean's friends from the home, Caroline and the girls, Pat and Lous (Sue's sister and brother-in-law), Kevin and Bryony(?sp)  (all the way from Cardiff), and Trevor's friend Roland. It was a good turn out and we spent several hours chatting over alcohol-free Prosecco and sandwiches. Eventually, the cake was cut, Happy Birthday was sung, and slowly people started to drift away.

We made our way back to Trevor and Sue's where she laid on a feast of salad and lasagne for all of us. We sat chatting over the meal and then drifted into the lounge. Before we knew it it was 21:00 and we decided it was time to leave.

We had a good run home and were feeding Jasper by 22:00, and in bed a few minutes later.

Screwed

We had a leisurely start since we didn't have to get up for Ellie. Having said that, I was up by 6:45 and Di was up just after 7:00. At the allotted time, I wandered to Zoe's to join the walk to school. We had a quick word with her teacher as there has been some confusion over TT Rockstars. Her teacher, whose birthday it was today, said that there was nothing to worry about. "Ellie isn't even on my radar; she is an angel and always completes all her homework." That was a good start to the day.

I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk, doing several loops of the estate (but avoiding the lake in case I disturbed the swans).

One of the doors to our utility cupboard has a loose handle. I was determined to tighten it so grabbed a stool and some tools and sat down to take the handle off and refit it. This proved to be a fruitless exercise as the through bolts were missing (I removed all but one last time I tried this). The only solution was to raid Amazon and get some replacement bolts sent. They should arrive tomorrow.

I went out for another walk so that I could collect some of Di's meds as I looped back through the village. I was out for an hour or so, but it was a lovely bright warm day and it was a pleasure to be out.

After lunch we had the usual Kindle time, I'm now well into my 60th book of the year and have several more stacked up on the Kindle to follow. Zoe and Ellie dropped in after school. Ellie is off to Pete for the weekend and then she and Zoe are off to Center Parcs for the week. We won't see Ellie until Monday week, so she wanted to come and give us a cuddle and say goodbye. Ahh!

Just Pottering

We had the last early start of the week. Ellie bounded into the house and was eager to show me the pages she had done from a Maths test book. She had done well, but we needed to clarify a couple of things about fractions that she hadn't appreciated. We took her off to school at the usual time and Di headed home while I went for my walk.

My pre-breakfast walk did not follow the usual route. I arrived at the path that circles the lake and found my path blocked by two swans and their cygnets. I tried to ease slowly and quietly past but they were not happy. They started to hiss and stamp their feet. I decided that discretion was needed, did an about-turn and developed a new route!

We were later than usual heading off to Sainsbury's. It was the usual raid but seemed to cost much more than usual today. That wasn't helped by the requirement for a tank of petrol on the way out. We managed to find homes for all the shopping and then stopped for some lunch. I then wrote up yesterday's blog before we settled in the Orangery with our Kindles. I finished another book just before we went to collect Ellie and her friend Bonnie from school. Zoe had finished work early so the girls weren't with us for long.

Di had a nice long chat with Denise while I prepared dinner. A quiet evening is planned.

BoB Lunch

 I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. When she did arrive it was clear she had the wrong shoes with her which meant I would have to go and find the right shoes before she went to school. We dropped her at school at the usual time and then headed home.

Diane gave me a lift to the station so that I could get the 9:26 train to Victoria. I settled into 1st Class and contemplated the news that the train was terminating at Gatwick due to a misplaced crew. A quick shuffle to another platform should allow me to continue the journey without losing too much time. I arrived in Victoria about 15 minutes later than planned and the forecast rain hadn't amounted to anything significant. I set off walking to the restaurant but the route around the front of Buckingham Palace was bedlam. Police were controlling the crowds and preventing people from crossing the roads. A troop of Lifeguards trotted by (I hadn't realised there was a swimming pool nearby). Eventually, I found a route around the back and continued my walk.

The rest of the Band of Brothers (Charlie, Peter, Michael, and Brian) were already settled in the corner of the pub near the restaurant. I grabbed a pint and joined them until it was time to head for "Vasco and Piero's". We had the glass booth set aside for us and settled down for a few hours of reminiscing, eating good food, and working our way through their beer stock. It really was a lovely few hours and we have already agreed to do it again in October. I started my meal with "Venetian Sardines in arpione marinated in juniper berries, red onions, and vinegar"; sardines can be a bit strong, but these were delicious and it was a dish I would certainly order again. For the main course, I selected "Linguine with Prawns", it was simple, creamy and an absolute winner. The service, as usual, was excellent and it seemed a shame to leave - bat as the time was edging towards 4 o'clock, we had to consider our journeys home.

I walked back to Victoria Station noticing some features of the route that hadn't been evident on the walk in the opposite direction, this morning.

I arrived in plenty of time for my train and settled in my seat. The trip home went without incident and we arrived at Bognor Regis spot on time. Di was waiting for me outside the station and I was soon home.

It had been an excellent day.

Puttering about

 It was an early start today. Ellie was dropped off on Zoe's way to work for 7 o'clock. She was already fed, washed, dressed and had her hair done. There was nothing for her to do when she arrived. She sat down with the iPad and got on with her times tables practice. We dropped her off at school, promising to collect her at lunchtime (but more about that in a minute).

I wandered off for my pre-breakfast walk while Di went straight home. Just after I got home, Zoe rang. The school had called and didn't have Ellie down for school lunch today (or the rest of the week), could we sort her out with a packed lunch? Well, no; we hadn't really got anything. We went to Zoe's raided the fridge and the larder and returned to make up a packed lunch, which I took to the school.

At lunchtime (after she had eaten the packed lunch) we collected her. She had been selected to represent the school at a Golf Day with some 16 schools participating. We drove her to the Chichester Golf Centre and left her with her team. They had several hours of golf challenges ahead.

We headed on down to Selsey and after a quick look around stopped at a restaurant (The Boulevard) and found a table out on the verandah. It was good simple fare, but a fairly extensive menu. We both chose a crispy chicken wrap but I ordered some Sticky Korean Chicken Wings as an accompaniment. It really was quite delightful, sitting in the sunshine and enjoying a tasty lunch. (It was also excellent value for money).

We headed home but soon had to return to the Golf Centre to collect Ellie. We were there in time to see the awards at the end of the day - though Ellie's school didn't win anything. She, however, had had a wonderful time and I confidently expect to see her lift the Solheim Cup in years to come.

We dropped Ellie at home and once Zoe was back, we settled down in the Orangery for some Kindle time. There's no need for any dinner tonight, we are still full from lunchtime.

Trimmed

 Jasper was not scheduled for choir practice this morning. I was awake, anyway, but was not subjected to feline arias from various operas. I got up anyway. Coffee was ingested along with the overnight news. Jasper slunk down the stairs and stared at me until I opened the doors and let him out (I would remind the reader that he has a cat flap that he refuses to use).

At the appropriate time, I walked to Zoe's for the long march to school (well 200m). We left Ellie at the classroom and I headed off for a short walk. 

Back home, earlier than usual, I had breakfast and got on with some admin before heading out for another walk. This one had to stop in the village so that I could get a haircut. (Looking at it now, several hours after the fact, I think it is a little severe!)

Once home, I updated the accounts and then made lunch. After lunch, it won't surprise you to hear that we had Kindle time until we had to collect Ellie. On Mondays, she has athletics after school and we were there in time to see her in her last race. She was running against a friend but over the 60m course, she had managed a 10m lead as she crossed the line. Grandpa (and Nana) were very proud.

We had a quiet hour with her, followed by dinner which she had just finished when Zoe arrived to collect her.

Compost

 I was drifting in and out of sleep, there was no particular imperative that would encourage me to get out of bed. I was resting. I was content. Then Jasper came into the bedroom, yowling at the top of his voice. That was it. I had to get up and my first lie-in opportunity was shattered. It was 7:00 and I was downstairs letting him out into the garden. That put me in a foul mood to start the day.

Over the next hour, coffee was imbibed and the news was consumed. When Di emerged I prepared myself for the day. Di wanted me to help her raid the local nursery, so I sat and reviewed some YouTube videos about AI, while she got ready. We headed off to Shopwycke and picked up a 75-litre bag of compost then headed home.

It was time for a walk. I looped around the lake and then up Berry Lane to North Bersted Street which I followed all the way to Shripney before turning and retracing my steps. I was out for just over an hour and was surprised by how many dog walkers I saw (compared with yesterday) - they were out in force, clutching the poop bags and their doggies' leads.

When I got home, Di was missing. She had been summoned by Zoe for some garden consultation. I made some lunch and was just sitting down as she walked in. She spent the afternoon pottering in the garden. I had settled down for some Kindle time but was interrupted by a call from Zoe who needed help digging up a plant that she wanted to move. I wandered round and dug it up for her (having had to return home to get a fork and spade, as she doesn't have any).

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing dinner while watching some more YouTube videos on AI. One statistic that stuck in my mind was that ChatGPT 4 has 1 trillion links in its language model, compared to the human brain which has 100 trillion. I will certainly explore the various AI engines in more detail.

Hijack

There is very little to report today. It has been another glorious day, weather-wise. I was up at 7:00 and read the overnight news while ingesting an invigorating coffee. 

I had the usual call with the cousins at 9:00. This included a story from last week's luncheon - or rather, the aftermath. Several of the cousins retired to The Mitre, a pub near Ely Place in Holborn (this area has great sentimental value for this branch of our family). As they left the pub, they got into a taxi and a stranger jumped in after them and tried to hijack the taxi. The cousins were having none of it and stood (sat) their ground, As the stand-off continued the taxi driver joined in and demanded the stranger get out. At this point, he became racially abusive. The taxi driver and the cousins phoned the police, who turned up and hauled him out. He was arrested and the cousins have been asked for a formal statement and need to be available to give evidence in court.

That could be the most interesting part of the day. I finished some reading and then got on with some ironing. di went to the garden to plant the flowers she had bought yesterday, while out with Zoe.

Once all of the coffee had percolated through, I headed out for a walk in the sunshine. I was out for an hour or so and then came back for some lunch and to settle down with my Kindle (Di was still pottering).  Zoe and Ellie dropped in briefly but were soon headed back to their garden to do some planting and mow the lawn.

Dispatch

There was no rush to get up but I was still downstairs making coffee soon after seven. I read the overnight news and then got ready for my school escort duty. It was a glorious morning, not a cloud dared sully the cerulean blue of the sky. It was beginning to warm up and promised a lovely day. Zoe and I walked Ellie to school and then I set off for my morning walk. I stuck to my usual route and arrived home about an hour later.

After I finished my breakfast, Diane left to go shopping at Haskins with Zoe. I finished some reading and then headed out for another walk. This tie, I was clutching an Amazon return for Diane, and my old, trusty Swiss Army knife for refurbishment. The knife has great sentimental value, so I trust it will be treated with care and returned as good as new. I called into the Post Office where the clerk treated me with the usual disdain, once she had condescended to come to the Post Office Counter. The parcels were dealt with and dispatched and I left wishing there was an alternative PO nearby.

I had walked for another hour or so and was ready for my lunch when I got home. After lunch, I settled down for some Kindle time until Diane returned. She was only home for about 30 minutes before going back out with Zoe to collect Ellie. Then she could settle down for the evening with her "medicine".

A.I.

Today was Zoe's last early start of the week and I was up at 6:30 to greet Ellie, who hadn't quite woken up yet. After a cuddle, she made her way up to Nana while I finished my coffee and made Nana's tea. The rest of the pre-school period whizzed by as usual and we walked Ellie to the classroom. It was as we left the school that I realised I had forgotten my phone (and hence my audiobook). The morning walk would have to wait!

Back home, we had breakfast and then I started to think about something Zoe had asked yesterday. As part of Zoe’s development plan, she wants to gain an understanding of how people see her. To that end, she is trying to get responses from about 40 colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. She has asked me if I can contact members of the family and ask them to provide THREE words that come to mind when they think of her. I sent out requests during the evening yesterday and already have a number of responses. I started to wonder, however, how she would analyse these random words and what she would do with them. I wondered whether A.I. could help.

I fired up ChatGPT and asked it: 

"I have asked some family and friends to tell me the first 3 words that come to mind when they think of me. These are the responses:" (I then typed in the list of responses I had received), and finished off the question with "What can you deduce from this about my personality?"

I was amazed at the response. It analysed the data and clustered words together to identify traits. It then justified its analysis. It was brilliant. Taking the bull by the horns, I then asked:

"Can you suggest a personal development plan, based on this analysis?"  

A few moments later I had a structured personal development plan, including reference materials,  timescales and so forth. As the day wore on, Zoe provided more of the responses from work and I re-ran the model. I have sent her the drafts but will wait for the last inputs from family and colleagues before finalising it.

I managed to go out for my walk late in the morning. It was a lot cooler today but was not uncomfortable. I was out for an hour or so and then came home for lunch.

The afternoon saw the usual Kindle time though I stayed at home while Di went to collect Ellie. We were expecting a delivery that would require a signature. It was due between 10:00 and 12:00. From 11:00 onwards DHL was telling me that the driver was only 3 stops away. I tracked him on the map as he drove all over this part of Sussex making deliveries and never reducing the count from 3. Eventually, he turned upper at about 16:00 with my new (backup) Swiss Army knife. My "old faithful" which must be over 40 years old is looking a bit battered and bruised so I want to send it away to be refurbished - but that can take 6-8 weeks and I can't exist without my trusty knife for that long. A backup was required.

Booked

 Zoe had an early start again today, so I was up at 6:30 to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. We had a brief cuddle before she had come round sufficiently to go up and say good morning to Nana. We dropped her off at school as usual. I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk and soon came to the end of my audiobook. I shall miss that book it had an interesting storyline and provided plenty of nostalgia (being set in the mid-1950s). I already had another book lined up and within a few seconds, I was transported from the Wye Valley (in the last book) to Amsterdam (in the new book).

After about an hour, I headed home for breakfast and to await the knock from Sainsbury's to deliver our weekly shopping. When I reviewed our list for the week, I decided it was a two-trolley list, and it would be easier to have it delivered. The agent knocked at the door and seven crates of shopping made their way into the kitchen. 

Once the shopping was stowed away, I set about some admin tasks. The accounts were updated and then I contacted the travel agent who has been handling the details for our cruise in September. I had to pay off the balance of the fare in the next few days so decided to clear it up today.

After lunch, we had the usual Kindle time (I'm in Cornwall on the Kindle) and then went to collect Ellie from school. When we got home, I set about gathering estimates and quotes for the transfers to and from the cruise terminal in September. This took an hour or so, but in the end, I selected the company we usually use for holiday transfers. That's all confirmed.

Tokuni nanimonai

If my memory serves me well, that title means "Nothing Much" and that's the theme for the day. I was up in time for Ellie's drop-off and she brought the sunshine into the morning. We dropped her off at school and I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk. There's nothing much to report.

Back home I finished my breakfast and checked my emails. I was pleased to see that Southern Railway had conceded that we were due a refund for the delays last Friday and now await payment. I upgraded the MacBook and iMac to Sequoia 15.5 without incident while Diane was having one of her regular calls with Marilyn.

Late in the morning, I headed out for another walk so that I could collect Di's meds from the Pharmacy as I looped around the neighbourhood. Lunch followed as did some Kindle time. I also tried to call our travel agent to pay the outstanding amount for our September cruise. In the end, I had to leave a message and still await a return call.

We picked Ellie up from school and Zoe arrived back at about 17:30 (having had a meeting in Crawley today).

That's it really. Tokuni nanimonai.

Order, order

 We were up early to greet Ellie as she was dropped off at 7:40. She was full of the joys of spring and brought a sparkle to the early morning. We dropped her off at school, as usual, and di headed home while I set off on my usual walk. I was distracted by my audiobook and took a slightly different route around the loop and managed to add an extra 500m to the usual route.

The morning was consumed with domestic chores, ironing, accounts, etc. I also sent in claims to the railway company regarding the delays we suffered on Friday.

After lunch, we had a good slug of Kindle time as Ellie does athletics after school on Mondays. I had reminded her, when we dropped her off this morning, not to slow down or stop trying until after she passes the finish line. She clearly took this to heart and said that she won both of her races today.

We finished the week's shopping list. Realising how big the order was, we decided to have it delivered. I spent the last hour or so entering the 70+ items that we need this week. I now need to go through the list and clarify the items where substitutions are not appropriate.

Extracts

It was nearly 7:30 before I went downstairs for my first coffee. It was nice to have a lie-in. It was a gentle start with a wander through the online news and social media. Diane emerged soon after 8:00 and we chatted over our breakfast beverages.

Cousin Tim had shown an interest in river cruises. Yesterday, I extracted the entries from this blog and turned them into a PDF that he could read as a stand-alone document. He wrote to say that it was just the sort of thing they had been looking for. I decided to extract a similar document for our trip along the Danube, last year. This way he would have a wider view of river cruises and some choice in destinations. Once this was done, I installed the latest Family Tree Maker Software (2024) which had been released overnight. This meant a full backup was required, followed by the installation and some testing. I'm pleased to say that everything went smoothly. I logged onto Ancestry for a quick review of the latest hints and clues - While I found a few new items of information (which I duly filed) there was nothing that really moved my research forward (or should it be backwards).

By now it was late morning and all the coffee had percolated through (if you get my drift). It was time for a walk. I went out for an hour or so, traversing my neighbourhood routes and listening to my book. A stiff breeze blew my hat off and blew one of my AirPods out. AirPod was replaced and the hat was secured with the chinstrap for the remainder of the walk.

We had a quiet afternoon in the Orangery, though I did have to retire to lounge when it got too hot for me.

I prepared a one-tray dinner for tonight. Jersey Royals were roasted in a little olive oil, and after 15 minutes some bacon lardons were added. Then, I created a bag of finely sliced carrots bathed in a little olive oil and mixed with a small squeeze of sweet chilli sauce. Finally, a huge cut of salmon was laid across the top and was "scaled" with fine courgette slices and sprinkled with roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. It was delicious and is certainly a dish I will prepare again. (I even have enough salmon left over for tomorrow evening's pasta.

A Quiet Saturday

We had a very leisurely start to the day. Coffee was injected into the relevant places and porridge was mixed with sliced banana. Being Saturday, I had the call with the cousins, though the attendee list was a little sparse after yesterday. I suspect there may have been the odd hangover as a few of them grunted over breakfast in the hotel where they had spent the night. (Surprisingly, not the cells at New Scotland Yard).

once the call was over, I set about a few chores before heading out for a walk. The walk had to include a stop in the village so that I could collect Diane's meds. I was out for over an hour and felt great for the exercise. I am also totally engrossed in my current audiobook and when I settled to do some ironing, I plugged in the AirPods and continued with the story (Bernard Knight's "Where Death Delights" about a pathologist in the 1950s).

After some lunch, we had an hour or so of Kindle time and then I popped to Sainsbury's for a quick top-up so that we could last through until Thursday. When I got back, Zoe dropped by for a quick chat and to collect Ellie's bike which had been left here yesterday.

A quiet evening is planned.

Family in the House!

Ellie slept through until nearly 8 o'clock. We had both been up for over an hour by the time she emerged. it proved to be a bit of a rush to get her ready for school in time, but she was delivered to the classroom as the doors opened.

We were in our finery. We had a trip arranged and had to make our way to the station to get the 9:26 train to Victoria. We settled down with our Kindles and the train trundled towards London. Unfortunately, when we got to Horsham, the train was held and eventually cancelled, due to signalling problems up near Clapham. We waited on the platform and boarded the next train. It too was held before finally starting to move. It was midday before we arrived at Victoria Station, some 45 minutes late. Though I had planned to walk the last mile, we decided that a taxi would make more sense. 

We were deposited at the Cromwell Green entrance to the Houses of Parliament, where we went through airport-like security checks before being given a pass to be allowed into the building.

What were we doing there? The Empson cousins (of Saturday morning Zoom fame) try to gather every couple of years for a luncheon. We had been invited to the last one at St Pancras, and now we were guests at this one. It was being hosted by Tim's local MP, Samantha Niblett in one of the dining rooms in The House. We were shown into dining room "B" just as everyone was gathering and started to circulate and chat with Empson and Law cousins. Originally Simon, from Australia, was due to be there but he had gone back at the beginning of the week when his wife had been taken ill back home. Chris had come in from Turkey (via Switzerland), and Chris's daughter Emily and her partner Yannick had come from Switzerland. Simon's daughter, Cate, had come down from the north-west tip of Scotland, and the rest of us had gathered from the home counties (and "up north" in Tim's case).

We settled in our allotted seats (allotted, that is, by my computer program) and, after Grace, we started on the first course and chatted with our nearby neighbours. 

The first course was cleared away and we all shuffled to the next allotted spot. I was seated next to the MP during the main course. She was absolutely charming and clearly very centrist in her thinking. I congratulated her on her election results. Given that she had help from Tim, it must have come as quite a surprise! I also chatted with Yannick during this course. He is a lawyer in Switzerland and, at my prompting, explained how the system worked between the Federal rulings and the individual Cantons. It was very interesting and seemed immensely sensible - but, I guess, that's what you expect from the Swiss. 

We performed one more shuffle when the plates were cleared away. I was sitting with Diane by then. The chat and the banter continued until it was time for Tim's speech.

After lunch, we split into two groups and the first group left with Samantha for some photos and a tour. 

We waited our turn and were whisked off to the terrace for a photo and then Samantha gave us a tour of the Westminster Hall, the Chapel (which was exquisite), the Lords, the Commons, and many of the ancillary spaces.

Some of the family were off to a pub and to make an evening of it. We said our goodbyes and left them to it as we left the Houses of Parliament and walked to Victoria to catch the train home.

The trip home was uneventful and we walked in the door just before 20:30. It had been a very special day.

Locks

I was up before 7:00 and Diane was up soon after. There was no imperative that drove the early start, just natural wakefulness. After sufficient coffee was consumed, I walked to Zoe's to accompany the school march to school. All of the children were dressed in red, white, and blue to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

I left Ellie in the classroom and then went for a walk. I took a different route from usual as I needed to get some cash from the hole-in-the-wall. It gave me a chance to catch up on the audiobook I had started before going away for the river cruise. When I got home, Diane went off to the hairdresser and I started on the admin for the morning. Parking was arranged for tomorrow, emails were sent to the Band of Brothers regarding the Spring lunch, and I called SAGA.

SAGA had sent a special offer as a "Welcome Home", this offered an upgrade on any cabin selected for a cruise booked this week. I phoned them and explained we had just booked a cruise for next year and should we get a similar discount. She agreed but had to get permission as it wasn't covered in the offering. She promised to call me back.

I went to my study and started processing the hundreds of photos I had taken over the last week or so. This took me the rest of the morning. After lunch, we sat in the Orangery with our Kindles until it was time to collect Ellie. It was while we were on the school pick-up that the phone rang and Fiona from SAGA confirmed the discount could be applied and waved her magic wand.

We stopped off at the park on the way home. As dinner approached, Di realised that Zoe had not left a school uniform for tomorrow, nor any school shoes. She went around to pick up the missing items only to find that she couldn't unlock the front door. Locks seem to have been a bit of a theme this week. She called and I went to help, clutching my keys in hand. I too was thwarted. We gave up, went home and then called Zoe in case she was unable to get in when she got home from work. She left work as soon as possible, came home and was able to unlock the door without any trouble. Pah!

Ellie is staying with us overnight.

A Few Degrees of Normal

 After an excellent night's sleep, I was up at 6:30. I had woken naturally and didn't want to disturb Di, so snuck downstairs quietly. Despite this, by 7:00 she was also downstairs clutching a cup of tea. I walked around to Zoe's to join the walk to school. Ellie still seemed very pleased to see me, knowing a degree of normality was returning. (Not that anyone would accuse me of being normal).

Back home, I demolished a bowl of porridge and we set off to claim Jasper from the Cat Whisperer. Knowing that we were on a tight schedule, he was waiting as we pulled up and Jasper was tucked up in the car for the journey back. As usual, he moaned and chatted the whole way home.

Next on our agenda was a trip to the hospital for a pre-assessment appointment for Diane. The hospital site was in chaos. There were cars everywhere and queues at all of the car parks. I dropped Di off at the door and went searching for a parking slot. My phone rang. It was Di telling me not to bother, but to come and get her. That was a quick assessment, I thought. She got in the car and explained that the appointment letter was not an appointment letter. It was sent out in error and she is still on the waiting list. What an impressive administrative function they have. They knew about and had reported this problem, but hadn't thought to send out corrections.

Back home, the umpteenth load of laundry was processing or being hung out in the sunshine and we settled down for a bite of lunch and then some Kindle time.

We collected Ellie from school, stopping at the park on the way home. Once home, Di sat with Ellie to make sure she finished her homework. Ellie then went out to play while I prepared dinner for us all.

Zoe came along just as we finished eating. Ellie was scooped up and off they went.

Disembark, Wiesbaden and Home

We were up early. Some guests had an early flight and were moving about soon after 04:00 - this meant that I was awake and would doze fitfully for the next couple of hours. Because we had done the majority of our packing yesterday, there was no panic this morning. We wandered down for breakfast at 7:30 and sat with Jane and Trevor before being joined by Carole and Ian.

With breakfast done, we returned to the cabin for final ablutions and to put the cases out. The crew would be along to collect them and load them into our coaches before we left. Those of us who were not on the early flight, gathered in the lounge until called to our coaches. Because our flight was not until the afternoon, Saga had laid on an extra excursion, stopping in Wiesbaden on the way to Frankfurt airport. The coach driver seemed a little confused when we arrived in Wiesbaden, he went to the wrong rendezvous point and had to double back on himself. Eventually, we met up with the other coach and the local guides.

Our guide gave us a brief history of the town, explaining that the hot springs have made it a settlement since before the ice age. The water rising from 2,000m below ground reaches the surface at about 66C. When we tried it at one of the 26 springs, it was certainly too hot for a comfortable shower or bath (though, as we were in the middle of a side street, it may not have been looked on kindly by the locals had we stripped off to try). My abiding feeling for Wiesbaden was that of elegance. The houses and public buildings were very chic, though the outskirts of town had some impressive technology parks.

We walked through a small arcade to the square in front of the main church. Unlike the other places of worship we have seen this week, it was faced in brick, which seemed a bit of an anomaly. They estimate that some 6 million bricks were used. From there we passed the town hall and looped up into the old shopping district before returning towards the concert hall and the casino. After a quick comfort break, we returned to the coach and made our way to Frankfurt Airport.

Even with the extra excursion, we still had an hour or two to kill before our flight. We sat at one of the cafes and grabbed a snack and a drink (and squirrelled more in our bags for the flight). The flight took off early and we landed 20 minutes early at Heathrow. Unfortunately, we then had to wait for a stand to become available, so lost most of the time we had gained. 

Once through passport control, the Saganauts gathered in the baggage hall to claim our luggage, said our fond farewells, and headed for the meeting point. Our driver was waiting and, like the trip last week, we were joined in the minibus by Robin and Marjorie and had to drop them off at Headley (near Bordon) on the way home. This meant that it was 19:20 before we arrived home, but Ellie rushed out of the house to give us a huge cuddle and that made everything right.

That's another lovely trip complete.

Mainz

After a gentle start to the day and a late breakfast, we had a quiet morning cruising up the Rhine towards Mainz. 

The weather was bright but it was too breezy to spend long on deck. We settled in the lounge with our Kindles. Mid-morning they showed a video documentary on the Rhine River. It seemed quite interesting (if a little dated) but I was only glancing up from my book occasionally. 

After the video, there was a trivia quiz. The Saganauts gathered and we worked through the questions. Clearly, our knowledge of Germany, German landmarks, and Saga desserts and pastries, was not as good as our general knowledge. We only managed a 2nd or 3rd place… but I did subsequently check one answer to find that we were correct and Katie (the question setter) was wrong but one point wouldn’t have made up the difference.

As the quiz finished, we arrived and docked in Mainz (where we had started last week). We had a light lunch and then prepared for the afternoon’s excursion. Whilst it was still bright and the sun burst through the clouds on and off throughout the afternoon, there was a very cool wind. Diane was wrapped up in a hoodie, and I was glad of my leather jacket.

Our guide, Thomas, was very enthusiastic and spoke excellent English. He led us along the riverbank, explaining a lot about the history of the city and its Roman origins. He showed where the Romans (XIV Legion) had built a bridge across the river, and explained that the east side of the river had been populated by “barbarians”, specifically the Vandals. It was the Vandals that finally crossed the frozen river and drove the Romans out of Mainz in about 510 AD.

We moved on towards the market square and cathedral. The cathedral had been used as a visual marker by the Allies during the war, and so it remained undamaged (along with the Medieval quarter) while much of the rest of the city was flattened. The reconstruction was not done sympathetically - there is a vast amount of concrete and a total lack of architectural imagination. 

From the market square, we made our way into the Cathedral of St Martin. Mainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical centre and pedestrianised market square of the city. This 1000-year-old Roman Catholic cathedral is the site of the episcopal see of the Bishop of Mainz and is a Holy See (the only other example being the Vatican) and was for many years the largest church in Europe. It was built in the Romanesque style and lacked some of the elegance of the Gothic architecture that came later. It was, however, massive. The Cathedral was very dark inside, but once my eyes adjusted to the gloom it was really rather charming. Conservation efforts began in the 1900s to save the cathedral from further damage. After a lowering of the groundwater (when. the Rhine was tamed), the wooden substructures became rotten and the foundations started to fail and needed to be replaced. Beginning in 1909 the old foundations were underpinned. Works stopped in 1916 due to World War I. Between 1924 and 1928 the foundations were completely reinforced by a new waterproof concrete. Concrete and steel were used to anchor the towers and main vault. Our guide told us about the organ. I would love to have heard it being played. The organ has 95 stops and is played across 4 manuals and pedals. There are in excess of 4000 organ pipes and they are distributed around the cathedral to provide the optimum sound.

We left the main church via the cloisters (I love cloisters) and walked on towards the Medieval Quarter. 

This provided some wonderful half-timbered buildings, including the building where Gutenberg became famous for his invention of the movable metal type printing press.

The official tour finished soon after we left that area. Jane and Trevor headed off to see a church with some Chagall stained glass windows. We made our way to the tourist office and then back to the boat where we grabbed a tea and a cake before heading for our cabin and starting to pack for tomorrow’s journey home.

The Saganauts met up in the library to enjoy the farewell from the Captain and crew and then went down for dinner. (I had some fabulous halibut and Di had salmon). 

After dinner, we all retired to the lounge for the farewell evening. Andy Foster was playing a mixture of requested hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. We sat chatting and ensured we got a team photo.

It had been another lovely day among friends.

Heidelberg

We sailed through the night— and I slept remarkably well. It was 7:30 before I headed for the bathroom and then made some tea and coffee. We were sailing through a very rural area, and the Internet signal was almost non-existent. This meant that my early morning blog habit and my photo processing were causing severe headaches.

We made our way down for a late breakfast; Jane and Trevor were just finishing theirs. We had a morning’s sailing, so there was no hurry to get ready for anything. Whilst, at first, it was a bit overcast, it did brighten up. It was very chilly, however, and even the crew had their big fleeces on when we traversed the locks. The upshot of this was that the lounge was very crowded as we sat and had a little Kindle time. Jane and Trevor tried to do some laps on deck, but found it a bit too cool to do many circuits. Carole and Ian sat down to join us, and we chatted through the rest of the morning.

We docked in Mannheim just after 12:30, but the afternoon excursion would not leave until 14:00. We wandered down to the restaurant for some lunch and then back to our cabin to prepare for the outing. We were booked on the “Heidelberg at Leisure” excursion. The coach whisked us to the city and dropped us at Neckarmunstplatz (which would also be our pick-up point).

Our guide was waiting for us and we set off into the old town along the high street (Hauptstrasse). Heidelberg University, founded in 1386, is Germany's oldest and one of Europe's most reputable universities. Heidelberg is a scientific hub in Germany and home to several internationally renowned research facilities adjacent to its university, including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and four Max Planck Institutes. The city has also been a hub for the arts, especially literature, throughout the centuries, and it was designated a "City of Literature" by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

She pointed out the views up to the semi-ruined castle on Königstuhl hill (where Jane and Trevor were going) and across the river Neckar. Then she walked us toward the various squares, providing a running commentary on the history of the city and the individual houses of interest. Modern Heidelberg can trace its roots to this 12th-century monastery. The first reference to Heidelberg can be found in a document in Schönau Abbey dated to 1196. This is considered to be the town's founding date.

We were going to sit down in the rather forbidding Protestant Cathedral (Gothic Heiliggeistkirche) where she had planned to tell us more of the story of the town, but there was an event in progress. 

Instead, we walked on to the Catholic Church of the Jesuits. Its construction began in 1712. It was completed with the addition of a bell tower from 1866 to 1872. The church was enchanting in its peaceful atmosphere and simplicity. 

We moved on to see the square by the university (and the gaol). We were then left with an hour or so to explore at will. We headed off down some of the side streets and bumped into Carole and Ian, so sat down at a bar and enjoyed a beer in the afternoon sunshine.

We decided to walk along the riverbank and look at the Old Bridge. The old stone bridge was erected between 1786 and 1788. A medieval bridge gate is on the side of the old town and was originally part of the town wall. Baroque tower helmets were added as part of the erection of the stone bridge in 1788. On the side of the bridge, there were marks showing how high the water reached during various flooding events. Like Worcester, several of these were above my head.

On the other side of the river were some stunning houses perched between the river and the cliffs. Our Saga rep, Roco, suggested that none of these sold for under 3 million!

Arriving back at the rendezvous point we met up with Jane and Trevor who told us about the visit to the castle and the vast barrel of wine that is held there. A photo shows Jane dwarfed by this barrel which could contain 221,726 litres of wine.

Back at the ship, we showered and then met up for dinner. We all chose steak and it was cooked just as each of us had specified. From the restaurant, we migrated to the lounge and set ourselves up in the corner ready for the evening’s quiz. As defending champions we had to keep up appearances. There was a fair bit of banter before the quiz started and some teams were clearly quite competitive. They were no match for the Saganauts, however, as we ran away with 30 out of 30 questions and won. We stayed on for a while listening to Andy Foster play various hits from the 60s and 70s - some were even brave enough to dance around their handbags (not the Saganauts, obviously). It was well after 23:00 before we said our goodnights and headed for the cabin.