Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 18 December 2016

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BRENDA   Do hope your OH gets well soon and that you stay germ free. Can't think where about in Scotland you will spend the hols, but hope you are both able to enjoy yourselves.

LINDY   We saw "Fantastic beasts...." this afternoon and did enjoy it. The special effects were amazing.

The forecast for Friday, Saturday is for fierce winds. Those making journeys may have problems.

Does anyone have a spare bed? I’m thinking of emigrating! Weather forecast for Xmas Eve 35 C, Xmas Day 37 C, Boxing Day 40 C. Warnings to those planning a BBQ that if fire bans, solid fuel BBQs not permitted. Today is a pleasant 24 and I have nanny duty – from after lunch to allow Dau some shopping time.

AQ yes indeed I have shall I forward post code.?

Looks like rain not snow:-)

Don't like news bulletins this evening - lorry "attack" in Christmas market in Berlin (Germany) and now a shooting in Zurich (Switzerland) where our Granddaughters are visiting the Christmas markets.  Wish they hadn't gone, as they could also be affected by air travel disputes - expected home Thursday.  Silly girls!

Been busy trying to get on with planning service for Sunday, at same time as keeping up with normal stuff as well as making a chocolate log!  Will also need to top up mince pies this week!

Busy day here; busy day out at daughter's tomorrow. Will catch up tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, Margo and Heather are in my thoughts.

Diane:   Do hope you're enjoying that warm Indianapolis house and that the holiday season isn't proving to be too hard.  I saw that the polar vortex is heading back to the Canadian border in a day or so (hopefully not to return). Take care.

Good Morning Everyone. What a busy time it is, I seem to be doing 3 things at once most of the day.  Certainly couldn't do any of it in that heat, AQ! Hope your nanny duty goes well, at least it's a short stint.

Thinking of Heather and Margo again today.

OG -  I have the ingredients for mince pies, but my OH just keeps getting shop bought ones thrown in his direction!

I've decided I'm indecisive, so I've decided to make a decision! --

I'm going to leave all the things I was going to start on today, and finish putting my pictures of our holiday on here, before the end of the year.  So here we go.......

We left off in the ancient city of Olympia, where the original Olympic Games were born and held for a couple of thousand years.  After admiring the various bits of architecture, and the strange empty plinths of the "cheaters" from ancient times, our Greek guide took us down an interesting slope and underneath a restored archway - what was going to be here?

It led us out onto a great empty space - but it was an important space:

  --- This flat area, with two grassy sloping sides to it, was the original site of the races run to see who could be the fastest in the known world! Sadly there is no "track" or anything to be seen, just a flat piece of ground and the sloping areas where the spectators stood to watch the athletes. (who ran naked)

What does remain, however, are the original starting blocks --  a long strip of marble pieces with slots in them for their naked toes to grip before hurtling off for about a hundred yards to the finish line.  Apparently, there was a rope which was dropped to signal the start.  After a couple of hundred years or so, it was decided to hold another race where they also ran back again, doubling the distance!

Of course, we all wanted to stand on these blocks and imagine the past centuries.  In front of us were a lot of people of all nationalities, photographing each other running up and down or strolling along the distance:  (I took some pictures of friends we had made on the ship, at their request.  My OH and I did not bother!)