Winding Down with Friends and Family

When I planned this vacation, it was my intent to spend the last couple of weeks visiting with friends and family in the UK and that is exactly how it has worked out.  Thursday, I arrived in London to stay with my friends, John and Pedro, off and on before I fly home.  On the weekend, as I have already mentioned, I went to the Midlands.  There, I first started by having lunch with my third cousin and his wife before staying with friends (almost family) in Chesterfield.  I first met Jackie and Gary in 1979 on my first trip to the UK.  Jackie's mother was friends with mine.

Following my stay with them, I had an overnight visit with Jane and Mick, a couple I met on the cruise I took last fall.  They live near Derby so not far from Gary and Jackie.  On the cruise, there were 8 of us who hung around together and various members of the group have reunited since then.  It is lovely we are maintaining those connections.  Jane, Mick and I spent the afternoon putting together the beginning of a plan for them to visit Canada next year, including a stay with me.  I hope that works out.  Wednesday midday, I returned to London.

Jane and Mick's lovely kitchen - I'm jealous!

Above and below - dinner with Jane and Mick at Bistro Pierre in Nottingham

Thursday saw me heading out to Mountfitchet Stansted, a pretty village not far from the airport, where my second cousin lives.  We had a lovely pub lunch and then took her dog for a walk in some nearby woods called Hatfield Forest.  We encountered (or is that en-cow-ntered) a herd of "free range" cows.  Suki, the dog, seemed to take it all in stride.  Me, I wasn't so sure about them, particularly when two of the young bulls started head-butting each other near me.  I was wearing salmon pick and I sure hoped they didn't see it as a "red flag"!
  

Elizabeth and me at The Green Man Pub

The lovely old parish church of St. John the Evangelist in Bush End

Our lovely walk (lots of buttercups that Suki loved) in Hatfield Forest
along with the "free range" cows

Friday, I helped Pedro who was catering a number of events on the weekend.  One of them was a luncheon for Princess Michael of Kent.  I ended up peeling 8 bags of carrots for that.  Never in my wildest dreams - or nightmares - did I think I would ever be a royal scullery maid (or perhaps that is a sous-chef)!  No photos but trust me, I did the kitchen work - peeling for a princess, so to speak!

Saturday, while Pedro was somehow juggling the 3 events, John and I went for lunch with another couple I had met on the cruise.  Pat and Martyn live in Teddington, outside of London; however, we met for lunch at Martyn's club in St. James Place called the Royal Over-seas League.  We had before lunch drinks on the patio and there was an impressive fly-pass while we were sitting there.  Martyn tried to convince me he'd arranged it in my honour but I am pretty sure it had more to do with the trooping of the colours for the Queen's birthday.  Regardless, it was impressive to see the Red Arrows flying over.  Our lunch was lovely and, again, caused me to reflect on what a great time I had had on that cruise.  Such lovely people! 

John and me with Pat and Martyn

Last up on my UK itinerary was a trip to Dorset to see another one of my second cousins, Ann.  I took a Sunday morning train from Waterloo Station to Gillingham, the village near to where she lives.  She had organized a lovely lunch where I was able to meet some more of my relations, albeit we are now into "second cousins once removed" and third cousins.  Her village of Motcombe has its summer fete coming up and many of the houses have put scarecrows in their driveways or by there doors.  I wish I had had time of take pictures of the apparently more than 50 of them (I didn't see all of them).  I even forgot to take one of Ann's great rendition of Bob, the Builder in her driveway.  Her garden looked lovely as it was on the "open garden" tour last weekend.  

Ann's Granddaughter, Hannah, and her boyfriend, Nathan

Ann and her daughter, Catherine

Another granddaughter, Ellie, and her boyfriend Chris

Ann with Peter (her "man friend" (above) and with me  (below)

So, that is nearly it for this amazing 2 month vacation.  Budapest seems like a distant memory now.  John, Pedro and I went out for dinner Monday evening to a favourite Chinese restaurant of mine in Queensway, Royal China.

Wednesday I fly home so this is the last blog until next time.  Right now, that is tentatively this fall but the planning is yet to be done for that one!  I cannot believe how smoothly this trip went and, while there were a few glitches, they were manageable.  Maybe it is true what they say about "the devil being in the details" and, with all the planning I did, it worked almost perfectly!  How lucky I was!