Locking down in March 2020 - Farewell to Aberdeen

I had a number of trips to Aberdeen in March. Google tells me I was there 3 times - which is way above my average.  I wasn't expecting the final trip to be so soon.  

One of the students had moved home in mid-march after submitting an essay, with the idea that she wold be home for about a month, then would return for the summer term at Uni, finish her essays, and sit her finals.

What actually happened was that we took an emergency road trip to pack 2 years of things into the Aygo, and then clean up the flat before heading home.

The roads were strangely empty.  

 This is where Aberdeen University holds their Graduation Ceremonies. Not in 2020. We are so disappointed not to be coming north in June.

Lockdown in 2020 - the early days

Not much to say yet about lockdown. As we are in Scotland, we are following the rules set down by the Scottish Government.  

So we are all home - with the parents able to work from home, and the offspring finishing off their Uni work from a distance.

My desk for the next few weeks.

Run Run Rouen

So here we are in the post-brexit Europe.  Mrs C and I have a week off work, and a ferry booked!  Plans are to visit Rouen in time for the weekly "Parkrun" on Saturday morning, then head to Paris on Sunday. Stay until wednesday, then toodle on home to Scotland, hopefully in time for tea on Friday, and a quiet weekend before starting back to work.

The Weather has been wet in Scotland - with each weekend having a new "named" storm reaching our shores.  Ellen was gripping the wheel of Gino the Camper on the M6.

Funnily enough I also saw the northbound windsock exactly a week later, still blowing strongly!

So off to Rouen, where I lined up at the Start, on a chilly morning.  And just under 26 minutes later, I met Mrs C at the finish. Hand shakes all round and off we went back to Gino before having a lovely day in Rouen.

 This includes the usual - wandering round a market, stopping for lunch, 

getting a little lost with Google maps, a wee treat for Mrs C - some Monet paintings, and finally, a wander back to Gino for tea and an interesting night.  we hadn't realised that we were parked beside a music venue, but as the evening wore on the carpark got more and more busy, with every space taken.  

There was a French Rapper in town, and all the cool kids had come out to hear him.  

I heard them all come back to their cars at some point in the night, and by the morning, we were all alone again!

So, it was time to head for Paris.....

Oktoberfest 2019

Mrs C and I were lucky to have a few days holiday in the glorious pre-brexit (this time we really mean it rubbish) last days of October.  Due to our foolish leaders and shortsighted elctorate, Scotland is having to leave the EU, and a by-product of this was that we needed to be back in the UK before the end of October. 

So the plan was to take Gino the Camper to France (St Avold) and pop in to the TinTin exhibition nearby, then take in Nuremburg, the Romantic Road, Neuschwanstein castle, and home via Luxembourg (cheap diesel and coffee). Plans are good - but can be changed!

So after a quick visit to Scottish Fine Soaps factory shop (gifts for France) we rocked up in Hull docks in record time. 

Someone at P&O has decided that a 4 berth cabin is the same price as a 2 berth, so we were delighted (or I was) to not have a top bunk for the night. 

Then, the following morning, we headed off to try our new holiday technique - doing things on the way to our overnight campsite, then heading on the next day to a new adventure.

There had been a fair bit of googling in the preceding weeks, and we had decided to visit the Americal Memorial at the Battle of the Bulge.  (https://www.bastognewarmuseum.be/en/the-museum)  It has a lovely carpark, and an art exhibition including 3 of my favourite Trabbis and a tank.  All a bit obscure, but interesting all the same.

Then we were out of Belgium, and into Luxembourg (where the roads are smoother than in Belgium) and found our campsite.  

Off in the morning to find Vianden Castle (in Vianden!).  Some years ago we had been on holiday in Luxembourg with a guide and a brownie. One of them had "organised" a day out for us that included Vianden becuase it has a chair lift.  Never have I been wetter in Vianden until this visit!





 

The old order changeth

The old order changeth - said the carving in my school as you left the Quad, and headed down the corridor past the girls toilets and the three staffrooms (male, female and mixed - we were progressive then!)

Anyway, this post isnt about schooldays or ancient history. It is about the sale of the "German Luxury Caravan" as it was called at my work.

We have had it for 4 years, and have loved the upgrade from the original Hobby caravan we bought in 2005. 

We had sort of planned to change it after another year, but with one thing and another, plans changed sooner than expected.

So after a lovely week away near Cheltenham (staying in an "Adults Only" site) where there were no small bikes/scooters/weans, we headed home and started planning our next trip!  (And while in Cheltenham, I did the local parkrun  - but that was to be expected)  This was the same day as the re-enactment of the battle of Tewkesbury.

And the reason for the change was that we went to look at a few motorhomes, and forgot to leave our chequebook at home!

So we now have Gino de Camper, the Italian Motorhome.

Once you sell the caravan, you may as well sell the car too, as it was now surplus to requirements, and too expensive to keep for the 5 mile commute.

And finally, to round off the year, we have replaced old Spogl (above) with Stonic the Hedgehog (another Kia).

 It has been a busy few months!

Scotland France 2019

The autumn tests are here again.  Less forbidding than the 6 nations tournament in the Spring - as the series of 3 matches seems less important than the 5 vital matches at the start of the year.

We dare to dream that we can win a couple of games. 

So tickets were bought months ago, and the date kept clear. 

 Then we got the surprise news that some of our french friends were coming from France to see the match.  We had a fantastic time with them - before the match.

We couldn't see them during the match, but they were somewhere over on the West stand.  
This was my first time at Murrayfield where I wasn't wearing full winter frost protection.  I even had the sun in my eyes at one point.  
Once again Mrs C and I forgot to bring water.  It is a recurring memory of the year.

And afterwards: where should we go to eat?  The Festival was in full swing and Edinburgh was mobbed as usual.  We sat on the steps around George Square and remembered Uni days in the 80's.  

It's nice to look at these places and have memories - much more than many of the other tourists.  I wonder if its the same for others when we are visiting their towns?

Do you remember the pizza cafe in Teviot?   We went to a show at the fringe this year, and it was great to be back in the basement where I used to play pool with Colin (from Blairgowrie).  I hope you are doing well, whereever you are.

So finally, back in the car, a quick tour of Edinburgh (Holyrood Park, Parliament, London Road, Queen Street, and out over the new bridge to deliver our friends back to thier B&B in darkest Fife.

It had been a great day, and the score didn't matter.

30 Long Years

1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1989th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 989th year of the 2nd millennium, the 89th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1980s decade.

1989 was a turning point in political history because a wave of revolutions swept the Eastern Bloc in Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power sharing, coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin Wall in November, and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, embracing the overthrow of the communist dictatorship in Romania in December, and ending in December 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These are collectively known as the Revolutions of 1989.

1989 marked the beginning of the Heisei period in Japan, which lasted until 2019. It is also the latest year, when written in Roman numerals, to have an L, and Mrs C and I got married.

So we decided to celebrate with a few days away - like a second honeymoon.

Using the ryanair flight finder option, we easily selected Luxembourg. 

So now the photos:

The celebratory coffee stop

The art gallery

 A black ink fountain!

The anniversary feast

The view from the big lift.

 

Saturday's all right for fighting - get a little action in

As a Scot, the history we learned in School covered the Jacobites, the Russian revolution, East Africa, and more Jacobites.

It didn't cover the Wars of the Roses.   But I am educated, and know that this was fought between the Houses of Lancaster and York.  And I know where these places are.

But wait - the Battle of Tewkesbury (4 May 1471) was part of this war, and was fought in Tewkesbury.

Scroll forward 548 years, and Mrs C and I are enjoying a free day out, watching the re-enactment. (Check out the Archers in the background. 200 of them were shooting at each other all afternoon.)  

So we sat on the ground for a very long time.   And watched as the battle unfolded in front of us, with the action described by some highly respected professionals.

And the ambulance man was not here for long - the fighting can be a bit too real - and there are many collapses from the heat.

All good fun!

We forgot to take water with us. (again!)