Silence of the Cows

Dear Loyal Readers,

I write this post from the plush three star surrounds of Stoke Rochford Hall - think Downtown Abbey with fluro lighting and a mini bar.  The estate is stunning! The manor home sits on a sizable chunk of land that is lovingly maintained offering beautifully shaded walks through manicured lawns and parcels of gardens tastefully planted.

The only mild surprise was when walking along one such shaded path, I turned to my right and saw about 10 cows just staring at me through a nearby gate.  It was kind of eerie and weird as they were completely silent, just staring at me... like they wanted to eat me or something - yeah weird.

But, alas, I've skipped much.  This tale starts with two fat men crammed into economy seats on an Emirates flight from Adelaide.  After realising with regret that selecting to sit in the standalone two seater row riiiight at the back of the plane and next to the toilet was not the best start the our trip, it quickly went downhill after de-planing when I realised I'd left my trusty Gazman jacket in the overhead locker.  Cue totally exasperated facial expression from Todd.

Of course, nobody in the whole Dubai airport could actually assist with so seemingly simple a task as retrieving something someone left on a plane...!  I actually think I might've been the first person in the history of modern aviation to do this, such were the looks and conciliatory tones offered to me.  As it stands, the man from the Emirates lounge in Dubai is going to see if it can be posted to me (note that no breath shall be held on this matter).

Things looked up when we showered and relaxed in the lounge and had a little to eat.  In fact, the lounge had a man dedicated to polishing shoes for the use of travellers.  He approached and offered to shine my shoes!  I was of course immediately taken with the ye olde world charm of the whole thing and agreed.  He then disappeared with my shoes for like 30 MINUTES!  When he returned, he presented me with my superbly polished shoes and a receipt which seemed to indicate that I needed to pay 30 dhirams for this service.

Uh-huh.. totally suckered. (Refer to previous chapters where I have seperately been duped by a 'deaf' Frenchman as well as a woman 'giving away' roses outside a Viennese museum).

I then spent the next 5 minutes explaining that I had no cash to pay this man anything.  All the while this guy just stood there, smiling and saying "it's ok" BUT he just WOULDN'T LEAVE.  Eventually I stopped inventing different ways of saying "I have no money" and actually looked.  He was holding out a shoe horn for me, and had been the ENTIRE time.

With a soft thankyou, I took the shoe horn from him, used it to put my shoes on and handed it back.  Once all this was done, he smiled gave a small bow, turned and left.

Yep - totally mortified.  Upon reviewing the reciept, it clearly states that the service is 30 dhirams, however it's been paid in full - balance owing - zero.  There was actually no cost for the service.

Things improved when shortly thereafter we were boarding at the departure gate and the check in machine gave an angry "beep beep" when scanning my boarding pass.  I looked at Todd; could this be it?  The stuff of legends and fairy tales?  The magical, elusive, departure gate upgrade?  Sure enough it was and suddenly, it was all worth it... the running around, the drama about various bits of clothing, the waking up every time someone flushed the bloody toilet..... because we had ARRIVED!

Unfortunately I had forgotten that alcohol effects are increased when you're 30 something thousand feet in the air.  Having reverted to my early twenties mentality of "free alcohol means you drink as much as possible while you can" I fully expect that I managed to consume an entire bottle of Verve Cliquot within the first hour or so.  One of these glasses was downed whilst standing at the freaking lounge bar at the back of the plane ('cos that's actually why such tickets cost a bloody packet - you're paying for AN ACTUAL BAR ON THE PLANE - WITH COUCHES!).

Needless to say this improved things and we arrived fresh and ready for London adventures.  Lea had kindly offered to collect us from Heathrow removing the need for us to navigate the Underground and we enjoyed a lovely relaxed dinner with her and Sam at a place called Empress.

The next day, I spent several hours wandering London city (variously having Julia Roberts/Pretty Woman-esque experiences in shops along Regent Street - except the part where she comes back with wads of cash and tells those snobs where to stick it - that part didn't happen).

We had a light dinner at home and then headed back into the city to attend a performance of The Crucible at the Old Vic Theatre, near Waterloo.  The production was amazing, extremely well performed and totally gripping (despite going for about 3.5 hours!)

Today we spent some time tracking down old addresses of some of Todd's ancestors.  Interestingly, they lived really close by (within a few streets of eachother) so we were able to walk around and take some snaps really easily.  Lea had already warned us NOT to go randomly door knocking, but we did manage to locate a lady next door to one house who was happy for a chat and gave us some good pointers, too.  I convinced Todd that video would be a more interesting medium to describe what we were seeing (think "Walkabout Walthamstow, with your host Todd") but unfortuantely he cottoned on too quickly and you will not now be seeing YouTube clips of Todd describing various streets important to his family history.

After all this, a drive of a couple of hours to Stoke Rochford Hall in preparation for the wedding tomorrow.  Can't wait.

A New Adventure...

I'm not sure if I can really call the next adventure "Danoir's Italian Odyssey" as I'm not even going to Italy. I did try to squeeze it in (not entirely just for the purposes of this blog) however it wasn't to be.

So welcome fellow travelers, old and new, to this blog which is hitherto about my journey to the UK (and some other random places).

As I am completing final preparations for my departure (the obligatory pack and re-pack having been completed) I turn my mind to the weeks ahead. What adventures, opportunities and stories await? What chances for mischief, fun and excitement? Hold your breath, loyal followers*. Just a little longer. 

Danny.

*Not literally.

Whether the weather is hot, or whether the weather is cold...

All right, folks? I once again feel like I am in a Harry Potter movie! The variety of British accents all around make it seem slightly surreal!

The other night we went shopping at the local supermarket chain called Sainsbury's. An interesting experience as people are screaming at each other in various languages outside the front and you had to pack your own groceries. I have a new found respect for check out chicks the world over!

Not much to report, I am afraid. Yesterday was spent completing my uni assignment and last night was spent inside with a roast dinner! Very English...! Afterwards I watched a bit of tv... Lea and Sam (the people whose house I'm staying in) have SkyTV which has LITERALLY almost 1000 channels! I am in couch potato heaven! (Thankfully I was able to avoid the temptation to procrastinate and worked steadily on my assignment!)

Today the weather is forecast to be "sunny" with a top of 7 degrees. We'll no doubt have to make use of this fine weather to get out and about and see the sights. Today the plan is to see the Natural History Museum and perhaps one or two others. Hopefully I will have some pictures for you soon!

Catchya!

Wedding Bells...

Hi all... Apologies to all and sundry for the lack of recent posts.

I am currently lying on a plush rug on Lea's living room floor, attempting not to explode from having consumed some of the best Indian food on the face of this planet! Thank goodness for the merry little fire going in the fireplace. It's warming the room wonderfully (as my t-shirt cannot cover my food baby) whilst drying some clothes (will there ever be a time where we are NOT doing laundry?) and the Ariel washing powder scent is permeating the room... (I really will have to figure a way to bring some home!)

But how did I get here, well, first I have to tell you about the wedding! It was rainy, and whilst this was unfortunate, it did not at all detract from the wonderful day we all had. The ceremony was held in a beautiful little church in the town of Ravello, on the Amalfi coast. Todd and I have since spent a couple of hours there and have come away with a fortune in ceramics!

The church was dimly lit, as there was not much sunshine, however this gave the whole day a slightly "softer" effect. I don't know how to describe it better than that, but it was almost magical. A string quartet was playing beautifully in the corner of the church as Lea walked down the aisle, Todd at her side (giving her away). The white carpet down the aisle had been strewn with white rose petals and Lea's bouquet was a beautiful arrangement of sunflowers and white roses, which was replicated throughout the church.

Wedding Planner Shannon with Ashleigh whose catch phrase is "ciao!"

The ceremony was punctuated by pieces of music played by the quartet... truly beautiful! Afterwards we all met for a drink and photos at Lea and Sam's hotel and then off we went to the reception.

The reception was held at Mamma Agata's which is a cooking school in Ravello (http://www.mammaagata.com/). On this occassion however, Mamma Agata and her daughter Chiara had been cooking for us and the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD! The portions were generous, the quality amazing and the atmosphere, unbelievable! The table was set on Mamma Agata's terrace with a view overlooking the coast at night. Light came from candles on and around the table as well as a few lamps artfully placed on the walls.

Beautiful hand made pasta... mmm!

Mamma Agata's Lemon Chicken - to DIE for!

Lea (and Todd) looked amazing!

 

Both the cake and the view were spectacular!


The day before we were due to depart the Amalfi coast, Lea and Sam held a farewell brunch on the terrace at the Villa. It was catered by the same people who made the wedding cake and the food was, once again, just beautiful!

The next day, (Saturday) Todd and I said farewell to the group and drove to Naples (un-eventfully, I might add!) and then boarded our flight to London. We were very kindly picked up by Todd's friend Tom and we then had a wonderful dinner at a "gastro" pub with Tom, his fiance Jenny and Yolanda. The next day we also caught up with a couple of Todd's other London based friends at Tom and Jenny's place, (Jenny prepared the most amazing roast lamb as well as a pavlova!) after which, sadly, Yolanda had to say goodbye and leave for Heathrow for her flight back to Australia.

Todd and I have firmly agreed that we have to stop eating so much as we are steadily getting enormous - (of course, the Indian tonight doesn't count!)

Today... well, this afternoon, really... Todd and I went out and bought a wig... yes, a wig! I will insert photos as soon as possible, however it turns out that Barrister's wigs are significantly cheaper when bought over here, so Todd has taken advantage of the opportunity. I, of course could barely stop myself from laughing, however have conceded that it is a great purchase as  it will definately come in handy for the next dress up party I am invited to!!!

After this we stopped at the London Transport Museum which tells the story of the development of the rail, bus and now tram system in London. The museum is quite interactive and was actually really interesting. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so was unable to take a photo of me pretending to drive the iconic double decker that was on display... (I couldn't help sitting in the drivers seat and humming "Hail to the bus-driver" to myself... lame, huh?)

Tomorrow I fear that I have much Uni work to do, so traipsing around London may have to wait... will update and add photos soonest.

2 outta 3 ain't bad....!

Hey Folks... just a quick update, mainly for the "foodies" in the audience! Last night the "boys" went out for dinner to Rossellini's, a 2 Michelen starred restaurant in Ravello (a small town along the Amalfi coast). Below are some pictures from our meal.

Yes... I know what you're thinking... seven courses!!! But they were only small sizes!!! Even so, at the end, we were all full!

Today was spent relaxing and getting some Uni work done. We went for a swim in the sun which was just fantastic! Additionally, Todd and I had sent off some laundry to the town to be done for us. It apparently was going to cost about 6 euros per kilo... exorbitant!!! We weighed our stuff using the nifty luggage weigher (thanks Ju!) and found that it came to about 6 kg. Doing the math, we thought this was acceptable. I mean the only other option was really to go down to the boat wharf and beat the clothes against the rocks, 3rd world style.

The laundry came back (and thank god as I was down to my last clean pair of undies) and it has totalled 65 euros!!! That's around $100AUD!!! We of course had no choice but to pay it! Lesson learned, however... of course the Italians would charge delivery, not for the entire load, but for each bag!!!

The Wedding is tomorrow and we all can't wait. Apparently the food is going to be another highlight. I suspect I will need to be rolled into bed tomorrow night, both from alcohol consumption and from eating like a pig. Will keep you updated!