Once More Around the Sun

We did Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ in reverse this year – we went to the land of the ice and snow to the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow and I have to tell you a little midnight sun goes a very long way!  We were delighted to watch the sunset in Singapore on our way home.

We kicked off with a mainly wet week on a sheep farm in the Cotswolds but our rather smart cottage was spacious and very comfortable and the occasional view through the mist quite extraordinary.  I damaged my already swollen feet and gammy hip running through Changi Airport to get from Gate 192 in one terminal to our connecting flight at an equally high numbered gate in a different terminal with little time to spare.  As a result I wore thongs for our first two weeks in the UK and chuckled to myself as people whispered “He must be from New Zealand.”

We drove to Bath and Stonehenge where we did the evening Inner Circle Tour but by that part of a very long day my feet said “NO!” so despite cool temps I removed my thongs and paddled about the stones barefoot in my shorts and Hawaiian shirt which perplexed the Americans in the group who seemed satisfied once I said it was a religious thing – Barefoot Antipodean Druids.

A week in London followed but it was hot and most of Britain has been constructed to exclude cooling breezes, not to take advantage of them, so a temperature that would be simply warm in Sydney was downright uncomfortable in London.  We cruised to the Thames Barrier last time and loved it so went up stream to Hampton Court this trip and I would have loved that as well had we not then gone into the palace.  I’ve come to detest everything to do with Henry VIII who should have been drowned at birth.

But back to loving things: we saw The Book of Mormon again and it was just as good as the first time; then followed that up with Miriam Margolyes in Madame Rubinstein at a small theatre in North London and had the best evening.  The play was excellent and we met a very interesting older couple over dinner – both actors.  We spent a most pleasant couple of hours with them.

The train up to Edinburgh was a treat which we wished took longer as the same distance in Australia would.  We were immediately struck by just how much you could make from starting up a stone and masonry cleaning business in the Scottish capital – or then again, perhaps they like everything filthy.  A couple of days were enough as the throng of the tourists and associated retail experiences combined with all the grime to become quite oppressive.  That and the constant tales of who was hung; drawn and quartered; or burnt at the stake on which corner.

We hopped a train to Glasgow and immediately loved it.  The pace was slower, the people more relaxed and there was no tourist crush.  We arrived with a passion for architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald so set off to see as much of their work as we possibly could and were not disappointed.  We also tried a deep-fried battered Mars Bar which contains all three basic food groups – salt, fat and sugar.  It was excellent!

Those of you who are JK Rowling fans will probably remember the Glenfinnan Viaduct from Harry Potter and the Temple of Doom or some such movie.  We went to see the viaduct and ride the Jacobite – not for any other reason – and what a great ride it was.  It’s a two hour run from Fort William to Mallaig on the coast across from the Isle of Syke with a two hour turn around so you become well acquainted with the old fishing port and buy expensive glass.

We were seated with Americans on both the outbound and return journeys, pleasant folk in each direction who immediately announced that they did not vote for Trump.  It was an interesting introduction but if I was an American tourist I’d have done the exact same thing.

Three days wasn't nearly long enough to do the Scottish Highlands justice in terms of its scenery but I've now tasted everything I want to eat in that part of the world. I went to great lengths to pre-order a meal not stuffed with black pudding on our dinner train excursion out of Aviemore but there it was, in front of me, well and truly stuffed!  The people were lovely though.

We had a long day’s drive down to Lin near Durham through some spectacular scenery which left us wanting more so here's hoping we have at least one more trip left in us.  And it was lovely being back with her and wee Westie, Piper, but we were only there two nights before the three of us drove down to Manchester to meet Lin’s cousin Margaret who took the train up from London to join us on our travels around Iceland.

As we approached Keflavik Airport next day, Iceland’s stark grey lava flows were a severe contrast to England’s green and pleasant fields but we spotted the odd non-monochromatic patch on the one hour bus ride from the international airport to the domestic airport in Reykjavik.  From there it was on to Egilsstaðir which is the main town in the Eastern Fjords where we collected our Kia Sorrento for the nine day drive back to where we began.

Parts of Iceland are a little like New Zealand while others are reminiscent of Canada but the whole place is uniquely Iceland. It's barren, it's green, it's icy, it's dry, it's mountainous and it’s flat but the one thing it’s not is crowded – except for Keflavik Airport which was chockers.

My Iceland highlight was standing before the Lögberg or Law Rock at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) which was the site of the world's first parliament in 930. Forget what you've been told about the Greeks, they just provided us with some of the vocabulary as well as tzatziki and souvlaki.

We had a few more nights back in Sunnybrow with Lin then two nights in the rather charming and very well-named village of Cawthorne in South Yorkshire. Then it was on to Lara, Nikos and Yiannis for a magnificent solstice dinner by the stream that runs by their backyard in Ely near Cambridge. Next morning left us time for just one more glorious English garden at Anglesea Abbey which was neither an Abby nor by the sea but did boast an impressive collection of nude male bronzes and etchings which came as no surprise once we learned that the late owner was a single chap and a good friend of the equally late Queen Mother who was his regular guest.

Jan and Tony are well and still our greatest support.  They had a wonderful time cruising around the UK and Ireland just after we returned.  They looked after our house and all therein while we were away and even stayed over to keep Kev company.  And speaking of His Grace, he’s looking great.  He turns 18 in February and is still sparking on most plugs most of the time.

Peter’s been fortunate enough to have speech therapy at St Joseph’s again this year and it makes such a difference.  They are amazing people.  He’s been well in himself but I’ve had ups and downs with MRIs and CTs and lots of doctors but we now seem to be on top of most things.  I’m in awe of healthcare in Australia where I’ve had world class treatment for little or no cost.

Peter and I weren’t in any awe about having our relationship subjected to a pop poll though.  It seems you can do all manner of things to LGBTIQ people that you can’t do to wealthy white conservative men who were the driving force behind the madness but love won the day.

We wish you all the best as the year draws to a close and hope 2018 brings you happiness and health.  Our challenge to each of you is to do something nice for somebody you don’t know.

Much love

Glenn, Peter (Lyle to some), Kevin, Fluffy, Uranus, Baby Blue, Sylvia, Margaret, Hazel, Truganini, Oodgeroo, Mr & Mrs White (Goo Goo & Barabajagal) and Peggy