Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 8 May 2016

Sorry not had a chance to catch up, arrived in Denmark this evening. We really enjoyed the ferry crossing from Newcastle to Amsterdam, fantastic breakfast on board, this morning, everything you could think of was there. Then a long drive through Dutch countryside, tulip bulb fields, so much colour and quite a few old windmills as well as many many new ones lol. Then through Northern industrial Germany. I have never ever seen as many HGVs as we saw on the autobahns today. We have visited South Germany, Bavaria,several times. Gentle visits, mountains and chalets. Today was an eye opener. Truly, the UK is a very small country!!

Then up into Denmark, a country we love. Travelling across Jutland and then across the water to Fyn, the middle 'bit' of Denmark. As we drove South towards Svendborg and the little island of Thurø where our friends live, we saw lots of old thatched roof houses. There are also plenty of this type of house on the small islands in the South.

Midnight here, OH is snoring gently and I'm going to say goodnight to all.

Brenda: Can't imagine why it would take five days to reconnect Margo. Then again, I read a report that a young lady was sent home by her employer for not wearing heels.  It is 2016 isn't it or am I in a time warp?

Lindybird: Does new fence for SiL mean you and OH are off on another trip?  Re the pix; I note the U.S. plaque was a lot wordier than the one from Buckingham Palace (but it was put up after the war, so assume Buck House was busy with other stuff when they did theirs). I liked the photo of the old moat. How old, do we know?  Don't worry, I can Google if it becomes critical.  :-)  Sorry about your friend...sounds like a good life.

Heather: Have a wonderful relaxing time. How long did the trip take - any idea how many driving miles?  

WendyB: Intrigued that Maltese road signs "behind you when driving."  Good you remembered the tickets; here they definitely wouldn't seat you without them!

dibnlib: Congrats on your win!  That's brilliant!  Have made a note not to adopt any turtles due to their being labor-intensive (or at least more than I want to cope with).

Rosy: Years ago drove my daughter (in a wheelchair after accident) right into a door in the hospital, my time/space brain bits apparently not talking to each other at the time.

Went to gym after morning doing my column and trying to come up with 100 chirpy words to describe a drag racing event (I don't know a hot rod from a dragster, or if indeed there's a difference). Anyway, have placed call to PR company handling the event to explain some basics so readers don't think I'm a complete twit!

Take care all

Monday OH hired me a walking frame, my doc’s first appt Thurs, it’s a clinic, so back to doc who treated sprained wrist, appt that pm. Blood test, tablets. Wednesday xray knee, cortisone injection in knee. Reduce dose of tabs as have nasty side effect. Now Thurs waiting for cortisone to check in. Verdict gouty arthritis <insert sweary words> even tho’ no results from blood test. Girl did a ESR or something instead of uric acid – I saw doc’s writing, it was clearly the latter. As GP clinic attached to local hospital, pathology & xray all on site. We borrowed a wheelchair both days to transport me as shuffle with walker too exhausting. So long waiting, OH had to take me to handicap toilet (or whatever its PC label is). OH was struggling with heavy door, soap dispenser high! On Monday we had tremendous storm, rain gales, we dodged the worst. Severe flooding from king tide at Port Adelaide, ½ doz jetties damaged.

Geez Louise AQ! Sounds like things are falling apart Down Under.    So. How is wrist?  And is it arthritis or gout in your knee?  No fun either way.  Do hope that cortisone shot kicks in quickly. Glad you missed the storm; no mention here of course. Oz might as well be on the other side of the universe as far as U.S. news coverage is concerned. (Besides, what could possibly compete with Donald Trump?)  Anyway, great to see you, but hope you see you feeling much better very, very soon!  Hugs from here. 

Annette: I didn't know you had a regular column freelance gig. I must have missed that. Well done! It's my understanding that: (1) a hot rod is a regular-looking street car -- often a classic car -- that's been "souped up" or modified to run fast and (2) a dragster is a specialized vehicle that's been modified or built to run on a drag strip (a straight strip of road, not an oval track). Some look like street cars, some don't -- depending on the drag racing "class". There are lots of classes (types of vehicles). Dragsters run on various fuels, such as gasoline or nitro. My Dad used to drag race once in a while when I was little. :-) 

Hi to everyone. I promise I'll come back and catch up soon! Best wishes to all. Loved your photos, Lindy.

Good Morning, All.

Goodness, AQ - I was worrying that your silence on here was not meaning things were bad.  You poor thing! {{HUGS}}   'Gouty Arthritis, or Arthritic Gout'!  ~  Neither sounds much fun :-(   And you both struggled in the clinic.....  oh dear. Do hope that things improve for you, fast.

Annette:  Don't know the age of the walls, would have to Google it myself,  I'm afraid.  The original city was built eons ago on a peninsula of land which means of course that it had the sea on three sides, reachable by boat only.  According to my guide book, the city was built in 1566 after several run-ins with rival factions, as it was strategic.   It was supposed to be impregnable within 6 months, but the work continued for three years before it was finished.  A lot of the old fortifications remain.

We're not planning any trips just yet, except perhaps to Wales, where we take Bonnie with us of course: but we want sis-in-laws garden to be dog proof in case we need to leave her there even just for the day. We need to know that a) she is safe and that b)  sis-in-law does not have a repeat of the nightmare she had when we were on our holiday in Feb/March.   My OH has now put up sturdy but decorative trellis above the fence he already erected, and fortified the gates!  There are still one or two small places she might try to dig her way out of, though......

Hi Diane:  I see you came on whilst I was wittering away.  Thanks for some explanation of the drag racing - I didn't know much about it, either.

By the way, the written quote came yesterday from the company we used re the misted up kitchen window.  Sharp intake of breath when reading their figure!!  My OH was immediately on the phone to an old friend of ours,  who put up our conservatory over 13 years ago but who we did not like to bother with our little window as he is now semi-retired.  He came round within an hour!   ~  his quote was HALF the amount of large local company.  We paid him cash on the spot and it should be fixed within a week or two......

HEATHER   Sounds like a nice trip. Hope all goes well for the rest of your break away. You ave been so busy recently, you need time out.

AQ  Sorry you are still suffering. Do hope things will improve soon. I have osteoarthritis in my right knee and recurring arthritis in my wrists so know a bit of what you are going through.

OH is just back from the walk that didn't happen.  Benson in don't want to go mode this morning. He may have gone if I had been going as well, but I stayed in was the washing machine was on and we don't like to leave it unattended.

There can't be enough superlatives for "Highlands:Scotlands Wild Heart" shown last night. It was the Beeb at it's best. For those who didn't get it, please make sure you watch it on "I Player" Quite simply brilliant.

Off for a swim shortly and hopefully lunch at Sutors delayed from yesterday. Then later we will go to Tiso to order some clothing and Merrell footwear.

dibnlib -  I'm still laughing at Benson saying he didn't want to go!!  They certainly know their own minds.

Enjoy your lunch and shopping trip. Edit:   Someone on the Facebook pages also said that the Scotlands Wild Heart programme was a must see.

The sun has come out, here and I have lots on the line.  Hope to get out the garden chairs but my OH is golfing this morning, and this afternoon has been persuaded, after an absence of two years, to turn out and help with a bowls game (Crown Green Bowls, here).  They may regret asking him as he is so rusty.  He also told them that this is a 'one off' event.  I shall wait and see.

More of the Malta pictures:

Here are some of the horses patiently waiting to take tourists on a clip clop tour around the city.  We didn't take them up on an offer to go, as I prefer to be on foot anyway, and also I felt for the horses in the heat.

a view out across the water from the furthermost tip of the peninsula:

Lots of towers and domes, everywhere:

Huge fortifications, enough to put anyone off thinking of invasion, I should think:  Note the large moat again!

Just a street scene:  (Edit, I now remember taking this pic because of the large section of very old wall on the right hand side, part of some original fortifications and now crumbling amongst the newer parts of the city.)

Another:

View looking back, from the old part to the modern city behind:

Another view: