What are you all up to
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It's been a bit of a day here. We were so worried about our son and his family in N.Ireland. When we contacted him he said that the door had blown of their shed, the garden was decimated and their dog kept barking at the wind but they were all fine and their electricity was still on. Then this evening we have had a phone call from our eldest grand-daughter (a teacher) to say that she and her partner have tested positive for covid. They have all just had their PCR tests (including their 22 month old son) and are waiting for the results. We were all supposed to be taking our great grandson to see Father Christmas on Saturday so that has been postponed for 10 days. I was on duty at the Cathedral this morning - it was organ tuning day - what fun - not😳. The weather has been cold wet and windy here but nowhere near as bad as other areas. I hope none of you have been too badly affected. Stay safe everyone.
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Had to postpone picking the bike up yesterday as it wasn't going to be ready until nearly 5 pm so told them we would pick it up on Thursday or Friday.
Looking on their web site,WN, they state a delivery service. Surely that''s the least they could do after all the cash you've spent on the bikes and the mishaps that have occurred in getting the right model?
BTW I like your new avatar.👍
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We want to nip into Evans cycles which is just along the way from them to get some cycling wear. They don't stock a great deal of this at the one we're buying from plus we might take the first bike back as we're getting an enhanced computer consul for both bikes in view of delays etc. and whilst they said they are easy to fit we might just get them to do it at the same time.
The avatar is better than the caterpillars I was going to change it to.
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Sorry to hear your family news Millie, hope everyone isn’t too badly affected.
Bit wild up here today, but nothing like as bad as elsewhere by the sound of things. Very cold, little bit of light snow, but we managed a good look around the outside area of Vindolanda, then retreated into the really nice cafe for a hot lunch and to thaw out a bit. Only four of us in there, so loads of space, and everyone doing all they should with masks, sanitisers etc….We spent a good couple hours looking around the Museum, never ceases to amaze this place, and unlike some of the NT and EH properties, it’s very much an ongoing project, so every visit has lots more interesting finds and exhibits. Some of the finds are so well preserved, and so personal. I always love the shoes, they have recovered over 4000 in total of all shapes and sizes. Photo attached, you need to zoom in to see the details. Outside of the really big London Museums, Vindolanda has to be my favourite Museum, so much to see, and so well presented.
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Appointment yesterday went fine, X-rays satisfactory, cast slightly modified to allow fingers more movement, and padding added to make it more comfortable. Another appointment on the 20th, and if all OK cast will be removed then.
In and out in 70 minutes, then had to hang around in the rather chilly foyer for quite a while till DD was finished in Ikea and could pick me up.
DD was here for a few hours today, so we have now finished assembling all the new garage shelving, just 2 of the 4 drawers still to put together, then we can start stashing stuff on shelves. Just wish it was not so cold down there!
DD has friends round tomorrow, so we will see if we can finish the rest of our Christmas cards, then on Thursday we will have no water (again!) so will go down to her place, weather permitting.
Very cold here, we had sleet and snow off and on all day, but all gone now.
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I love Vindolanda as well TDA, also love Housesteads. We had a few walking holidays in that area when we were younger and fitter.
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Had an email from the Passport Office today to say mine has all been approved. Margaret has already had her confirmation email. Fortunately all that worry about the photographs turned out to be unnecessary.
Wherenext, Did I saw you mentioned something about River Cruises up thread? Is this something you have done? If so any feedback would be welcome. I have looked at quite a few videos on YouTube, they seem very organised?
David
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Hi David
Nothing to do with me personally but MiL and Mrs WN usually have a foreign holiday in Summer and have been on a couple of cruises. One along the Duoro in Portugal and a sea cruise to Norway ffjordds. They were thinking of one in Germany for next year but MiL having second thoughts.
If you want first hand experience then Moulesy might be your man. I know he's done that Duoro trip.
I do know MiL prefers river cruises to sea ones, but only because of some nausea problems at sea. She definitely enjoyed the actual cruises.
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Thanks Wherenext
We have done a couple of sea cruises and enjoyed them. However we have never done a river cruise. As I mentioned I have seen quite a few videos on YouTube on the various travel channels. They seem very different from sea cruises and I wonder if we would enjoy them as much as they seem very activity based rather than the flexibility of choice of relaxation. I was more interested in the major European rivers as we would have travel by train rather than fly.
David
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Another bitterly cold day. I think it's time to dig out the winter bedding.
I'm writing Christmas cards, being thrifty and using several part boxes from previous years. I don't know if it's the cold or not, but my handwriting has deteriorated, or is it just lack of use?
It's funny (not) that it's me that buys and writes the cards, the same as buying and wrapping presents.
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Carol has always liked the idea of a sea cruise, but I'm not really too bothered, to be honest. I did investigate the possibility of a continental river cruise a few years back. I thought I'd found a 'dog friendly' Rhine/ Mosel cruise, but it turned out not to be dog friendly.... The dog would be a problem for us - she wouldn't stay with anyone for a long period of time and kennels wouldn't be an option.
David
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I used up most of my supply of Christmas cards last year. Just got to get to the shops to buy another stock!! 🙂. I can see the time ticking on and me not being able to get to the shops!!! I always write the cards and do 'the stockings' (the stockings is a story in itself) - I try to get Carol to choose presents and she usually does any wrapping
Of to direct the Tamworth U3A Choir in some Chistmas Carols and music for their December meeting in around 45 minutes time. Just going to get the keyboard, stands, speakers, electrics and laptop etc into the car before getting changed.
Since losing weight (planned, by the way), my dress suit is not much too big. I've been putting off buying another, as I still have weight to take off - and a reluctance to buy too early, in case the new one also got too big. Got to the point yesterday where I had to go and buy something. Couldn't get anything locally - ended up driving to Sheffield to get the right size....
David
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Goldie, this year I think some on my Christmas list will be getting a repeat of last years card! For some unknown reason I bought a lot of cards from one charity and there were plenty left over for this year. My wrists are very stiff when I write so it's hard work, I do the cards in batches, finally finished the task this week, my writing is awful, as usual!
OH has gone on the charity shop rounds, laden with another batch of clear out things. I've sent quite a few pictures off. We've run out of wall space and it's either the loft or the charity shop. Just sorting out CDs today, even though I can ask Alexa or whatever to play something it's hard to part with the music collection!
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Brue - Just sorting out CDs today, even though I can ask Alexa or whatever to play something it's hard to part with the music collection!
We have 100/1000's (who knows?) of CD's. I very rarely download anything (maybe the odd track that's not on an album). The CD's are all copied to the computer and played here, there and everywhere thought the house via the Bose speakers. I used to store them in alphabetical order (by artist), but until I get some more shelves they are stacked up wherever I can find a space. I can't imagine getting rid of them! They join drawers of Cassettes, and cases of vinyl (new and old from the 1960's onwards). And the 45's. And 78's for the old wind up gramophone. I'm not a hoarder honestly!
We're not connected to Alexa. If I want something to play I have to point and click. How old fashioned!.
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What a day weather wise up to now. Both morning walks have been undertaken in full wet weather gear because of driving rain and wind. It was really dark too up till a few minutes ago but seems to be brightening up at the moment so perhaps our afternoon walk will be a little drier.
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You live in the wrong part of the country, walked the dogs in glorious sunshine this morning, and just cycled down to beach house to check all ok after yesterdays storms, looking good, patio now level with beach wereas we used to have about a 10 inch step down, so any more storms could be a problem, have to say weather does not look great for tomorrow, but on Gkids duty tomorrow so will spend most of day ferrying around in the car .0 -
Filthy day here as well in North Wales.
Took the opportunity of doing some inside jobs that I've been putting off for far too long, plus sorted out our Broadband and Telephone call packages. Mrs WN finally able to get through to Wales NHS for covid pass for her mother.
Just waiting for a phone call from near neighbour to go and witness their will. Told them we were disappointed to know that we won't be in it.
Apparently they have to wait until one of their daughter's leave this afternoon. Will to be kept a secret so don't tell anyone! Might ask them if they've set up POA's as they're quite elderly, although I did see something in the media which lumped everyone over the age of 60 as elderly, I think it was to do with vaccines, as most things are these days.0 -
David
I think a dog would be difficult on either sort of cruise!!! Perhaps you could find a local dog sitter who could perhaps take the dog for the odd day before going to get used to them? I suspect Carol would enjoy a sea cruise as you are looked after very well. You might need another new DJ afterwards!!!.
This guy does a lot of videos on all sorts of cruising but this one is for first timers on a river cruise
David
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Bit cloudy here today so went for a drive to the bottom of the island. It was market day in Playa Blanca, at the Rubicon marina. Not as busy as last weeks. Speaking to some of the locals it's seems this is the time of year that the mainland Spaniards start arriving to their 2nd homes. We had noticed more Spanish around in restaurants and supermarkets but hadn't put the 2 together.
The resort says some from UK have already had to cancel for Christmas due to the change in Spanish rules which is now that children aged 12 - 15 have to be fully vaccinated to enter Spain, Covid tests no longer acceptable.
DK, we've looked at river cruises in Europe we fancy the Danube. Our first ever cruise was 25 years ago for our silver wedding, we did the Nile from Luxor to the Aswan dam and back. Very enjoyable but not to everyone's taste.
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David - as W said earlier, we did the Douro river cruise a couple of years back, September 2019 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We chose it because, having been on a couple of ocean cruises, I found the days at sea a bit tiresome, although there were plenty of activities on the ship itself I like to be able to get out sight seeing on dry land! This is where the river cruises win out. I think most of them run daily excursions, although you can opt out and explore the area you're docked in independently if you prefer. Early autumn is apparently the ideal time for that cruise as the vineyards are still green and lush - a couple of weeks later and they're bare. Can thoroughly recommend that one. And in May, fingers crossed, we have another river cruise (booked and paid for last year before being postponed!) from Lyon down to Avignon to look forward to.
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You can sightsee independently on sea cruises as well. Since most of the trips are over-priced, we research each port and only do organised trips if independent isn't really viable.
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Yes, I agree with that. As cruise novices we pre-booked a couple of excursions on our trip from Vancouver up to Alaska and although we enjoyed them we found that we could have signed up at the ports themselves for about half the price!
But it's the long, long days at sea which I didn't really enjoy even on that cruise - no scenery, few, if any passing ships and little wildlife! I don't swim or dance and there are only so many cookery demonstrations that you can take without going doolally, and lounging around on deck really isn't my thing either. So, for me, a river cruise, particularly combined with a city break (we had 3 nights in Lisbon on the Douro cruise) is definitely the more attractive option.
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Thanks for the feedback re River cruises. I suspect our next cruise will still be a sea cruise, we quite like the idea of the Eastern Mediterranean as I would love to visit the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Unfortunately P&O seem to have stopped a lot of their long cruise from Southampton in favour of Fly cruises which I am not interested in.
The excursions can feel like a rip off but you usually don't know that until you have a bit of experience. Fortunately many cruise ships stop in ports that are very close to towns and cities. On one cruise we stopped in Casablanca and we thought it prudent to have a paid for excursion there!!! Anyone thinking about a first seas cruise it might be worth thinking about the Fjords as its usually on the first and last days at sea and the rest of the time you are Port hopping everyday.
Back to river cruises I think the excursions are included in the price. I am not sure what options there are to do your own thing as I understand that some excursions start at one stopping point and pick you up at the next with the boat sailing between the two as you explore on land. So not quite sure how that works if you decide to explore independently?
David
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Pleased to report that after all the worry about the photographs we have both received our new Passports. My application was completed on 17th November and I think Margaret's might have been a day or two later. Despite that Margaret's new one arrived the day before mine. So, that is about 3 weeks which given all the doom and gloom about applying for new passports I reckon that is pretty quick and efficient? I thought they may have added the unused time left on the old passport but they have not done that. Its only a couple of months so no real issue.
David
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Ref passports. Same here David, I did mine on the 17th too and apparently it's on the way. I had left a gap when mine expired so no extra time! Well now where shall I go....?!
My BIL went to Paris recently on eurostar to see his elderly relatives, three of them developed Covid before he arrived!
As for Istanbul you could always try the overland train route, my sister and BIL joined a small intrepid party not long ago, and they travelled all the way from Paris via Budapest etc producing passports at a 3am checkpoint....a wonderful trip by all accounts.
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All this talk of cruises, we've been looking for one for January as its our golden wedding then.
It would be our 15th cruise if we decide to go on one. So far we have not booked one because its not going to be the experience that we have had in the past.
Everything looks OK until you drill down or speak to a rep. Dining is not as before, you will sit only with the people in your cabin, no mixed tables of 6 or 8.
Excursions, they couldn't confirm that these would happen or what they might be. Some stops you may not be allowed off unless you are on an excursion.
Evening entertainment not as before, very little of the Broadway type shows that is the norm on Sea cruises.
It's all the above that makes cruises attractive to us, if that is not going to happen then we are not prepared to part with the best part of £7000+ until we can be assured otherwise.
A lot of the sea cruises now are on ships that are huge, 3500 passengers is now considered a small ship.
Last Jan/Feb we did a Med cruise on a 6000 passenger cruise ship, never again. It was without doubt the worst cruise we have ever been on.
Nothing wrong with the cabin it was luxurious. The dining experience was awful no matter which venue you chose. Queues for the self service was horrendous, when you did get to the food it had all been trashed or the choice was awful, by the time you found somewhere to sit the food was cold.
The main dining rooms were no better, there was nowhere near enough waiters which meant that one could wait for 30 mins to give your order, another 45 to get 1st course followed by another 45 to an hour for your main course.
Quite often it was not even warm when you got it, hot didn't happen at all. Courses came out of order if at all, it was unbelievable how bad it was.
The restaurant manager was constantly being called to tables to hear of complaints. First sitting overrun every evening, which meant those on second sitting (21.15) didn't get to sit down until after 22.00.
I don't want to put other off but please do lots of research first then speak to a knowledgeable agent, lots of things have changed in the last 2 years.
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That sounds awful TG. Small ships are better (my own personal view) but everything is a risk at the moment. If the passengers are all ok, the crew might not be or vice versa. Neighbours recently had a cruise cancelled on the day were due to leave.
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