I took 6 days off work to meet Gigi in England and spent some time using my Britrail ticket. The trains are a bit topsy-turvy at the moment and I had to make do with some rail-replacement buses at times. We met in Cambridge at my cousin-in-law Lizzie’s place where Gigi lived last year.
We did the tourist pose-y thing. The weather has been really warm. I heard someone say something I never thought I’d hear in England: “I hope it rains soon”! Even the Isle of Man is starting to look brown and dry, and there was a dreadful bushfire in Yorkshire while we were in England.
Interspersed with the beauty of Cambrdge is a sadder side with lots of homeless people sleeping on the streets. this was taken at about 5am
You could say we “did Oxbridge” as we also visited my second cousin Ivor in Oxford who gave us a tour of “Hogwarts”.
We had a drink in the Turf Tavern where Bob Hawke entered the Guinness Book of Records:
And Gigi showed she was eligible for a position advertised at a tapas bar:
We went punting the next day with Ivor and his family but I was afraid of getting my phone wet so didn’t take any pictures. Thanks to Jo, Ivor’s wife we have a few but she’s not in them. Lots of fun – we have some wonderful relatives!
I managed to fit in a few Scrabble games in Warrington, I still don’t have anyone to play with on the Island. I’m missing Toastmasters too.
Gigi came back with me on the ferry
She came to see the new property. By the way the building application went in 2 weeks ago and stripping out will start soon. It’s all taking a bit longer than we’d hoped, I think we’ll have most of winter in the rented flat.
She tested out my bike – sort of:
And won!
I only have one day left with her, then she’s back to Cambridge and back to Australia on Thursday/Friday. I will miss her very much.
Am hoping my little duplex in Spearwood will sell soon so I can afford to visit her in Australia early next year!