Merry christmas 2009

Lovely white snow everywhere. But no sign of jesus. Maybe he prefers new year

A side on view.

What a basketball

My belly button is no longer existent.

School reunion. Beth comes to England

Great to see Beth. Hasn't changed a bit!! Showed her the best Roast in the Yorkshire Dales-(glad she agreed with me!!)and took a trip to Benningborough Hall near York, where we had obligatory cream tea!

2 fat ladies at Calke Abbey- Derby

Fay and Nancy's European Tour highlights- Pisa & Lucca.

Recognise this!

The Duoma in Lucca- Lucca was a nice medieval town noth of Pisa and a lot quieter than Sienna, Venice or Pisa

Pisa- remarkably lovely- what a nice square and space

Fay and Nancy's European Tour highlights- Venice and Sienna

The tower of the Duoma in Venice- Robbie and I climbed the million stairs to the top of the dome and this was what you saw at the top- great views out over venice- although I must say, apart from the Duomo it was all a bit monochrome ochre!

I think this is one of the iconic photo spots of Venice with the famous bridge.

The square in Sienna- where it was baking! But they did make the THE BEST gelato. I would like to qualify that although I did eat lots of ice-cream, I am also pregnant!!

The red square of Sienna.

Us in the streets of Sienna.

Fay and Nancy's European Tour highlights- Tuscany.

Would you believe we managed to catch some open air opera- as there was some summer festival on throughout our stay.

Towers...

and more towers!

Some of the medieval towers of San Gimigano- apparently there was over 100 at one time! (a tower was a status symbol) The town remains very medieval due to building ban which came into force in the 1600's,as it was felt that the town was a rival power base to nearby Sienna. Subsequently the town has a great medieval atmosphere.

Lots of eating of pasta-all our home catering in Italian style of pasta and salad with great tasting tomatoes, olive oil and fresh produce (with Gimigano in the background). Lots of long blue hot days as well which required a dip in the pool each mid afternoon. Quite a contrast in weather to the rest of Europe which was under torrential rains.

Casa Claudia Villa- what a GREAT spot- with views of the San Gimigano each night.

okaay!! I won't deny it i get a bit behind with this blog!!! and now for TUSCANY!!- (read from bottom up!) and Bruges and Wales

Manage to catch some sun in Bruges on our way bakc to the ferry and onto the UK again.

Trip to Wales was pretty wet- stayed just up from Betws-y-Coed in small village called Trefriw- went to one of my favourite gardens-Bodnant Gardens and looook who we found!!! - Erica with her parents- What a small world!! Ended up for tea at Ross-on-Sea and had a wonderful evening!

and finally..our destination in Tuscany...Casa Claudia Villa with a lovely view of the medieval town of San Gimigano.

A better look at just how busy Lake Como gets!

A little look at Lake Como- now in Italy. (you can start to see I'm looking a little tubby these days- am about 16 weeks pregnant! -its not all meat pies you know!)

Stayed the night in Chur and then onwards- stopped for a nice little coffee stop in Switzerland - at Silvaplana near St Moritz before crossing the border into Italy whre the sun was really shining!! and much to my pleasure shined all week!

This is us on route with bubble and whistletop! The roof rack was very handy, but whistled the whole way to Tuscany! This is a little stop in the Swiss mountains heading over to the Italian Alps, finally we had escaped the torrential rain that had followed us all the way from Britain. Lucky we were heading so far south!!

Me and bump

Getting lots of sleepless nights now. Feeling extremely heavy! Am well above 97% for baby and fluid! How do you get the ship out of the bottle?

Roman heroes- Adrian comes to UK for Easter

Adrian hits York and Beverley- ended the day with a pub crawl all the way from Beverley to Leeds with me as nominated driver!

Adrian relaxing as usual in the compulsory visit to Nellies after his hectic day at the wall! Followed on with a pub crawl of village pubs between Beverley and Leeds. Unfortunately I was the driver!

Nice day for a Roman wall walk

Aids and Robbie make it to york wall. Very handsome!

Happy Birthday from Holy Island

Ruins of the monastery at Holy Island. Robbie really extended himself, and took me to a surprise birthday destination for my birthday. We ended up on the tidal island of Holy Island. It is one of the Lindisfarne islands off the coast of Northumbria. It has one of the oldest Celtic monasteries in Britain, and it is the place where the famous beautiful Book of Kells was written. You have to time when you try to get on the island as once the tide comes in....there is no access both on and off. So once your on, your there for the night.


Being the middle of winter felt like we had the whole island to ourselves. Spent an intimate night in the Ship Inn chatting to a couple from Cumbria , and of all places Addingham- in the Dales- somewhere Robbie and I have thought about moving to.

The castle in the distance.

I find it strange to see you such green fields which lead directly onto the shoreline....its not like the beaches in Oz.

No surprise...it was extremely windy and COLD!!.... back to the inn as quick as we can! These monks really did like their bleak exposed places!!

Happy New Year 2009 from Switzerland

HAPPY NEW YEAR all the way from Switzerland. After another Christmas eve in Beverley and a remarkable Christmas Day with Dorothy and Mike, Jules and Tina (not the least because at last Jules has a girlfriend!!) I managed to get Robbie on a flight to Geneva (no mean feat, for someone who is flight phobic!)- Stayed with Bob and Zena in their lovely chalet in Les Collons, somewhere up a mountain in the French speaking part of Switzerland. Had fantastic snow, especially on New Years Day- making for the best day to be a snowboarder!! (powder everywhere!)

Now that's what I call a 'cute' chalet, not sure about the windchill factor though!

New Years Eve was magical, as we watched from the balcony, with soft snow falling and fire-crackers flying.

Henry and Aimee enjoying some of the powder New Years Day.

What a wonderful cold winter its been!

View from 'Ikley Moor bah tat' or however they spell it!! Lovely snowy day up on Ikley Moor, if you look closely, you can see all the little houses of Ikley.

Even managed to get Robbie out for a cup of tea and a walk up to White Wells Baths on the Moor

Found loads of these spider webs in Meanwood Valley! They were draped across the dead branches of the floor of the spindly woods, the misty drops revealing the little spiders lairs!