Weekly Chat Sunday 26th June

Hi folks, thought I'd start us off.

Not much to report but I managed to master posting videos on the Daily Update today.

Have packed my case, just got to do OH's today and pack the car up tonight ready for the early morning start on Monday.

Will have a lot to catch up on when I get back but hope all goes well with you all and thinking of you TerryM, OH, and the funeral this week.

Take care all, God Bless.

  • My trip to Germany & Vienna. First flight to Singapore 7 & half hours, then to Frankfurt another 12 & half, arriving 5.35 am (!). Train to Mainz, arriving at hotel long before room ready, so off for a wander. Two wonderful days exploring Mainz, a lovely city, with buildings that make one's camera go click, click click, narrow winding streets, wonderful old churches, a fascinating museum of printing  (the Gutenberg), a market square full of fruit, veg & flowers for sale and all labelled so I could practise my Deutsch, a curious fountain.

    I dined on grilled salmon and schokolade mousse (yuuuuum). Next night I ventured down the street where apparently they did not speak English. They were Italian. I was feeling quite proud of myself for understanding the German menu (had beef roulade stuffed with zucchini & onions). Then I tried to ask for the dessert menu. They had labelled it 'patisserie', no that didn't work, I tried 'dessert', 'menu', couldn't think of German word for menu, finally I got angry, saying 'mehr' & 'more'. Then the horrid waitress brought me an English/German menu . . . and it turns out she spoke & understood English after all.

    The next day I was struck by a sore throat & chest congestion - must have caught it on 1st plane <sigh>.

    I am posting most of my pics on my flickr page, a few every day. AQ's pics  If you are interested, you will just have to keep checking. 
    EDIT The sequence starts with "Singapore airport".

  • Hey Lynette: Thanks (again!!) for starting us off. Off to check the last bit of last week's chat.

  • OK. Am back.  Went to breakfast with friends this morning; we ended up having mimosas (buck's fizz) coz one of them has had a book accepted for publication by Thomas Dunne, a St. Martin's Press imprint. Nearly put me to sleep.  Anyway, stayed downtown to putter and managed to see the Solstice Parade. Huge fun: Lots of loud music (Caribrean/South American/African) accompanied by dancing groups (lots of young women all minimally costumed (that is, clad) and thoroughly enjoying themselves), plus acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, and folks of all ages and shapes, some dressed up as giant insects, flowers, etc.  A great hoot.  The parade started at noon and State Street is a long gradual uphill grade to the park where the festivities continue all weekend; they had folks along the way squirting the dancers with water to cool them down. The floats and wagons the bands were on weren't motorized and had to be pushed (lots of muscular young men to do that)  Anyway, then went to the Mission rose garden where I came across a party of about 10 having a picnic right beside the bed I'm responsible for. The really odd thing was that they had stashed their coolers and picnic baskets right in the bed, on the soil, between the bushes.  I mean, this is a huge area with good amounts of shade and loads of grass and it wasn't crowded at all but there they were, almost camped on the rosebed.  When they saw me arrive with all my gear,  they happily moved to sit right on top of some other bushes!

    Lynette: Have a LOVELY holiday.

    Djoan: Gorgeous clematis! Very exotic.

    OG: Ah. See that son has been in touch; hope he's okay with his birthday "date" with the unemployment folks.

    patriciat: So sorry to hear you have muscle pain now - is that shingles-related?

    Alicat: Good grief - a fish on a garage roof? Wonder whose dinner that was.

    OK - off to check the nest. Have a lovely Sunday all.

  • Patriciat  sorry to hear about the pain you have but from what I've heard Shingles is very painful.  I hope the doc can give you something to help.

    Alicat Bobbie must be very tolerant.  We bought Mia a Santa suit when she was still quite young as a joke for Christmas morning but she was not impressed!  What a huge fish.  Whoever dropped that must have been most upset.

    OH got up quite early to take Mia for a good long, fun walk.  they've gone down by the river.  When they get back she'll need a bath and then when dry will be having her flea and tick drops applied in readiness for our Scotland adventure next weekend.  The only time she hasn't got at least one tick was when we went in November last year.  We always treat her but if I find one I always have to remove it rather than wait for it to die from the drops.  I'm not entirely convinced about them as we'd been back days once and I found a huge one that was still very much alive.  They make me squirm.

  • Morning, Everyone.  Just come on to say Hello, as lots to get going on this morning, then hopefully will be able to sit in the garden this afternoon. The sun came out whilst we were having breakfast, and now its warming up, as promised.

    Enjoyed watching Coldplay at the Glastonbury Festival last night, what an atmosphere they have, there.  Last week we watched the Cardiff Singer of the World contest, which was equally entertaining: I have very wide tastes in music.

    Just broke off and went over to the Daily thread, as EJ is shouting!

    Will read back over the above, later - have a good Holiday, Lynette.

  • patriciat:    Have put a PM on Your Page.

  • Some lovely pictures on Marie Winn's blog.

    In case people do not know here is a link to the main forum. All threads pop up here (including Loch Garten Group) when they get posted to.

  • Hi folks, no, I've not gone yet.   Gloriously sunny and hot day here after a gloomy start.

    AQ - quite an horrendus journey  then, but glad you had a lovely stay in Mainz - you certainly got around. I think it is all part of the experience learning to try and speak the language of the country you are visiting even if it is just the basics.  Am going to learn a few words of Sri Lankan for the visit in Nov. Must remember to look at your pics.

    Annette -  Sounds great, bucks fizz for breakfast, with the trip downtown and to see the Solstice Parade as well.

    Tiger - thanks for the link will take a look.

    OH has just packed his case so all we have to do later on is pack the car ready. Always go with a mountain of stuff and usually don't need it all.

  • Good Morning All. Quite misty when we went to church but the sun is now shining and pleasantly warm. Not hot or humid yet.

    Patricia, I had heard that shingles could be very painful. So sorry. I am sure the Dr. will be able to help.

    Lynette, Have a fabulous holiday.

    Alicat, I can't help with your fish ID but I guess it won't smell too good this morning.

    OG, Your son's nine weeks in his temporary job seems to have passed very quickly and now he has to start that 'signing on' routine again, and on his birthday. I really do hope another job turns up quickly for him.

    Must go and have a look at AQ's photographs.