A brief visit home

I had decided a few days home would be fun and to go to Clare and Andrew's party in Bristol, so I booked a flight from Lisbon. Ed had said he would pick me up from the airport.

I was leaving Saturday morning and spoke to Adriano the kite instructor. Why drive to Lisbon? leave your bus here in the field and take the train, much faster and more comfortable. I'd already booked parking for the bus but hey, sounds a good plan. I'd booked my flights, now for the rail ticket. Well, that was easy until I came to pay. The rail website (CP) wanted my address but didn't accept my postcode. Additionally it gave me an automatic password I didn't take down. Spent the rest of the day sorting this out, eventually establishing that Portuguese postcodes comprise four digits so I asked someone in the shop for theirs. This did the trick, even with my London address!

The taxis arrived at 6:00 Saturday morning, I was ready apart from having mislaid my keys! No problem, the driver drove across the field in his silent Tesla and called me. Sure enough I had managed to stack a box on my keys and would never have found them without the call. The journey to Bristol was simple and Ed picked me up from the airport.

We arrived at Andrew and Clare's and started to erect the tent, my accommodation for the night, when Andrew announced that another guest was unable to make it so I was upgraded to a bedroom! Having been living in a field for the past six weeks, normally showering in the open, a bath with hot water, what luxury and a great start to the weekend!

The party kicked off with a Ceilidh, great fun and a huge ice breaker. The food was wonderful and we sat around chatting to other guests.

Dancing subsided around 2:00 in the morning. At this time Andrew says, let's go carting. How so? it was dark, the carts would make a load of noise and where is the track? Craftily hidden in this amazing flower meadow.

Ed drove back to London and it proved to be painfully slow, with the M4 closed, we were diverted via Guildford - and then home. Not by cart as the picture might suggest, but in Gill and Ed's camper.

Andrew and Gill in the carts.

Eltham Palace

Has anyone been to Eltham Palace? if not you should go. I went with Kirsty and had a really good day. Henry VIII spent a lot of his childhood here but the palace fell into disuse before being bought by the Courtauld family who built a stunning Art Deco home incorporating the great hall from the original palace.