Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 16 October 2016

We walked a few yards from the above scene, and found a nice, modern pizza restaurant where we sat under their awning and ate one delicious pizza between us, with a drink.  A man played on a real piano nearby,and although there was a horrendous queue, the loos were at least modern ones, LOL!! Whilst we ate, the heavens opened, and we watched everyone scurrying for shelter.

It stopped raining when we left to walk back through the city to meet our bus. Notice how thick the walls, and how solid everything was built. They had been invaded several times from the sea, and were determined to build something impregnable.

Another tiny alleyway:

Back outside the entrance gate:  the Saint was called Saint Blaise.

We went to find our bus back.  Here is a view of the sea from the little square there:  a lot of people were taking selfies of themselves at every opportunity, it was almost dangerous as the selfie sticks could hit you in the eye if they waved them about!!

Right after snapping the above, the heavens opened!....  we had left our coats on the ship as we decided to take a chance and not carry them all day. We had just a tiny umbrella which we huddled under and watched everyone else get soaked to the skin!!   Some poor girls were in summer dresses and looked so miserable - at least I had cut off slacks and a blouse!

A coachload of very wet tourists were returned to the ship, thankfully it took less than half an hour. We almost ran to our quarters.  A cup of tea was in order and a change of clothes! This is who greeted us in our cabin:

Friends had told us that this towel sculpture is common on the ships!  Another one, another day!

LINDY   Some great photos and I just love the towel sculpture.

We went to see a recording of "Miss Saigon" at Vue cinema yesterday. It was quite brilliant. We are now determined to see it for real when it comes to Edn early in 2018.  It was our friends funeral today and we would have gone if we hadn't booked for this. We would have had to give it a miss. Glad we didn't.

Today Benson had his haircut, and then a walk at Dores on the banks of Loch Ness.  Only one hiccough, a filling or tooth has broken so will have to try to get an emergency appt tomorrow. Anyway back to Benson and for the first time he will be fashioning a coat on cold winter days. Kate Moss, you can cry your eyes out!!!

Aw, we want a pic of him in his stylish coat, Dibnlib!

Miss Saigon sounds wonderful. I'm sure your friend would not have wanted you to miss it.  It's a real nuisance when a tooth breaks, good job you can get some prompt attention.

Hello, there.  I’ll start with our update this time.

I’ll start with the Flanders and Swann tribute last Wednesday; we really enjoyed it; they sang 22 numbers, most of which we recognised, with some audience participation.  Then I realised, on a different level, how non-PC the words were, some of the songs really inacceptable these days in the way they objectified women!  Bird Club that evening was very good – Andy Howard (as mentioned above by Dibnlib) is concentrating on his “high five” of the Cairngorms: Dotterel, Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, crested Tit and Mountain Hare.   The whole second half of his talk and slide show and videos was taken up with the Hares, and his knowledge of them is amazing, as well as his expert photography.

Thursday was Soup and Sweet lunch at church.  OH went to help set up, fetched me to sit down to lunch together, and then I stayed around while he helped with the clearing up.  It won’t happen next month as the joiner is coming that week to modernise the kitchen (fittings from Howdens).

Friday we stopped for lunch at the OTB on our way to Carlisle for shopping at M&S Food Hall and more mundane items at Asda.  We are still finding our way around at M&S, but I am very pleasantly surprised by the number of special offers they have.  I did investigate their Christmas ordering, but the food does seem rather overpriced compared with their normal stock items.  J didn’t go to band practice and has decided to leave the Baptist Church (for about the fourth time) and start searching again.  So the three of us stirred the brandy into my Christmas mincemeat – a family tradition.

On Saturday packing and furniture moving from J’s room continued; that was his first night sleeping on the lounge floor.  That will be easier now as the new single mattress was delivered this morning.  My throat started to hurt that evening, and I felt bad on Sunday, so OH went to church on his own and then did some electrical work and plaster preparation for decorating

Prep work continued today, with walls and woodwork being rubbed down and washed.  Tomorrow the ceiling will be painted, and J will coat the woodwork in the built-in cupboard.  Microwave man should be fitting the new doorlock in the afternoon.  I have been trying to keep up with two people’s work, including tasks which I had relinquished due to pain and difficulty; it has been a struggle with this cold and cough, and lack of sleep last night, but that should improve now there will be less dust to aggravate it!

So that’s basically what we have been up to, and no major plans for trips out etc in these holiday weeks.

I think I shall have to postpone comments till tomorrow - just seen the time!  Best wishes to All.

Home. Knackered. Will catch up later or in the a.m.

Take care all

Glad you're home safe, Annette.

OG - Youre still doing too much!

I still have to catch up with you all. I just don't seem to have any energy or ability to concentrate. Sorry, folks. I'll do better in the next couple of days.

Annette: Did you see this strange sight in your sky?

Painting has commenced – maybe I can get fully caught up here!

Linda – lack of alcohol doesn’t bother me – just used to regard spirits as medicine (hate the taste), and would only have an occasional single glass of red wine, although I do use them in cooking.  Dubrovnik looks interesting, and I love the towel sculpture on the ship.

Brenda – your DiL deserves a medal for her progress in physio – but I suppose she has been really super fit with all the triathlons.  “Boys” haven’t got time to look after me – I think OH is now deaf to the coughing which goes on day and night!  And because he is busy, I am doing more than usual rather than less!  I hope your DiL and your OH both get good news soon!

Heather – sorry about latest dilemma for your brother.

Rosy – thanks for recommendation, but I won’t touch Lemsip – OH swears by them, but I have to leave the room as I can’t stand the smell.  I tell him they prolong the cold by suppressing the symptoms!

Annette – good to see you arrived safe at home – hope you can get a few rest days now!

Dibnlib – hope you managed to get sorted at the dentist today.

Diane – good to hear from you, but do look after yourself!

Friend from church just arrived with his newsletter contribution for typing up – so that gives me something to be getting on with this week!