Kirstenbosch 17 June 2015

It was wonderful to be back in Cape Town, despite the fact that my arrival coincided with the first of the winter storms and at least half my friends were gallivanting around the world! The timing of my visit could have been better. But, as always, between the crappy weather there are always those beautiful days that Delphi calls "Emerald days".  Ann, who had also been gallivanting, but only inland, suggested that we meet at Kirstenbosch.

Almost 10 000 km's to Kew, it felt like it.

When you are away you forget the impact of familiar places. Entering the gardens feels like being in my own garden, just better. Home doesn't have a fountain or a Dylan Lewis sculpture. The strength and beauty of the work in that setting, unsurpassed.

We walked and talked all around the garden, catching up on all the family news and ended on the Boomslang. As it was midweek we had the walkway to ourselves. The views from here are always spectacular.

Ann, hiding behind a hat and glasses.

A very happy camper, really glad to be home but a little bit chilly.













Then, on to the tea room for the best scones in the southern hemisphere. Actually the food at the tea room is great, just ridiculously expensive.

Dubai 12 June 2015

I discovered quite early on that one of my main problems with Caring was the fact that I didn't have a home base. On my time off  I either had to beg accommodation from friends, who are incredibly kind, but you don't want to pitch up and announce that you've got flu. It tests the boundaries of friendship! Or find alternative accommodation somewhere else. It makes for a pretty rootless existence. After getting sick again and having to make a decision about what I was going to do I caught a flight back to Cape Town. The flight was an hour late leaving Gatwick and it never caught up the time so I missed my connecting flight in Dubai.

This must happen pretty often with Emirates as they appear to have part ownership in the hotel they put me up in. The hotel was adequate in a chain hotel kind of way, but the worst part was the temperature outside as you can see in on my mobile. The staff suggested I go shopping as my luggage had been mislaid as well and I hadn't even thought of the possibility of a delay so I had nothing useful in my hand luggage at all - that'll teach me. There was absolutely no way I was leaving the air conditioning!  I begged a travel toothbrush kit off reception, washed the undies and went to bed.  I didn't get to go out but I had pretty good views from the hotel.

We had to leave the hotel at 1 in the morning as the flight was at around 3am. It was still 35 degrees outside! The amazing thing was that all the construction sites were lit up as bright as day and buzzing with construction workers. I suppose it makes sense. Quite bizarre though.

The airport was also a hive of activity. People were shopping like there was no tomorrow.

I quite like flying Emirates but it's a really long way round and if you miss your connection you are going to sweat!

Sutton Hoo 10 June 2015

On a Hill just outside of Woodbridge in East Anglia is a burial site which could possibly have belonged to the Anglo-Saxon King Raedwald.  The site was only excavated just before the 2nd World War on the instigation of the owner, Mrs Pretty. When they discovered what an incredible site it was, the British Museum authorities took over.  It had apparently been known about and looted by Kings and robbers going back over the centuries, not least Henry the VIII apparently in need of funds. That is heresay - my client who lives close by told me that story and it certainly adds some interest.

When they dug into one of the mounds they discovered the richest grave ever found in Northern Europe - the remains of a ship and an incredible mask, sword, shield and belt buckle amongst other things. The artifacts here are just copies, the originals are in the British Museum. There is another dig close by which isn't open to the public but there are still burial mounds all over the place - the circles in the picture above. It's a quite an eerie place - quiet and windswept - a place to let your imagination run riot.

Also, grazing on the site are some really strange looking sheep. I think they might have just been shorn which is probably why they look so odd.

And the replica of the hull of a boat.

The end of the tour takes you through the house which belonged to Mrs Pretty called Tranmer House high on a hill overlooking the Deben river and Woodbridge.

It's a homely place despite it's size and visitors are encouraged to sit on chairs and get into the vibe of the house - isn't that unusual?

Minsmere 4 June 2015

Minsmere is a wonderful reserve with a mix of woodland, westland and coastal habitats. We caught a taxi, train and bus to get here but it was worth the time (about 2 hours) and the effort. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds) are incredibly well set up with facilities and resources. All the guides are volunteers and there are loads of them. For about three weeks over the period we were there,  there was a huge television crew broadcasting a programme called Spring Watch every evening. That may have been the reason there were so many visitors. They had set up cameras all over the reserve, in nests, up trees, underwater and in the reeds. The crew was surprisingly unobtrusive, you really had to look for them.

I was with my client so we were restricted to the areas he could get to. I would definitely love to go back and do the coast trail, but we did get to the North Hide where everybody was in a state of excitement. "Bittern flying!" - apparently an unusual sight. I did see it but it just looked like another bird in amongst a whole lot of others.

 

We also did the forest walk which was very easy going. 
Sorry about the strange photo sizes - trying out new arrangements - it's a bit of a hit and miss process!

Now these are stinging nettles - I've never encountered them before and they are a damned painful experience. They are also everywhere. They sting even through clothing. To be avoided at all costs.

After lunch at the restaurant we did the journey home in reverse order.

Boyton fields June 2015

On the days I didn't walk in the marshes I walked in the fields surrounding the village. There's lots of water in the area with all the rivers and being so close to the sea. There is a passenger ferry across the Butley Ferry but it's only really manned over the weekends. On the other side of the river is Orford Ness which has a castle and is on the coast - I didn't get there. With only 2 hours off a day, it would have taken much longer to get there and back. Bookmarked for the future sometime.

But 2 hours is enough to see quite a bit of the area. Lots of fields and more fields. A couple of very attractive houses and rivers and streams.

The view of the house across the fields is the house that I was working in. Everyone has conservatories but this is an extremely well designed one. We used it every day.

The following pics are gratuitous - I just like them. Hope you do too.

Boyton Marsh 30 May 2015

Very close to Boyton are the Boyton Marshes which are a coastal reserve in the lower reaches of the Alde-Ore Estuary with extensive paths on top of the berm which separates the Butley river from the salt marshes. The area is very flat and exposed so you can get quite blown to bits but I caught a couple of windless days and on the other days I just made sure I had a beanie with me. In fact, in those first couple of months in England I had a beanie in my bag at all times - it was cold!

This area is mostly deserted, just a few cows and lots of birds but it's really desolately beautiful. I went there often.

Look at the cygnet. This picture was taken from quite far away with the camera zoom and I only noticed the baby once I downloaded the pictures.

During the Second World War the marshes were used to train tank crews and the bunkers still remain. They are pretty solid.

The marshes are criss-crossed by canals so you have to be quite careful which fields you cross otherwise it's a very long way round.

Catch up!

I'm so far behind I know. Sorry everyone. I'm back in the UK after a brief sojourn in SA. Caring will be done no more and I have a few interviews for accounting jobs set up over the next few days but I'm getting way ahead of myself. Please bear with me, I'll get there. First I need to go back to the end of May.

Boyton, Suffolk - a tiny little village. One street (called The Street), at least 8 miles from anywhere. It's very isolated but also very pretty. In the 2011 Census the population was listed as 147.

There's an almshouse - you see these quite a lot around England. They tend to be quite old buildings run by charities and aim to keep people in communities.

There's a pretty church with an original Norman door which has been restored. It's a lovely spot, very peaceful.

And then there are lots of fields - potatoes mainly and some wheat. Irrigation continues around the clock. There are footpaths around most of the area so I was able to explore quite a lot.

The only shopping available locally - organic eggs and an honesty box. They were good.

The hedgerows in the area are amazing - 3 metres high, and dense enough to provide home for all sorts of birds.