Does 60 into 4 go?

Well, 60 is certainly divisible by 4, but I am wondering this morning when we get up, whether we can get our total luggage allowance of 60 kgs into 4 bags - 2 large suitcases, one on-board size suitcase and one packpack. We seem to have accumulated far more 'stuff' than we left with!

We have gathered a bit of other currency too and I will need to put this somewhere safe to exchange when we get back to Sydney. Better be careful though, last time I put something somewhere safe, I lost my little purse that I bought last time we were in Switzerland in 2006! Found it this morning! No point in exchanging the money here though as you lose on the double exchange between currencies (initially to pounds and then to Aussie $). In hand we have:
- 196 Chinese Yuan Renminbi
- 150 Czech Republic Koruny
- 120 Polish Zlotych
- 300 Croatian Kuna
- 650 British Pounds
Plus god knows how much more in loose change - that little bag is surely heavy! We will change the notes and the coinage can go to the airline's UNICEF collection bag when we complete our flights. Trouble is, that all the currency that we are changing does not really amount to a great deal!

We are packing one suitcase with the mid-season and winter clothes we have been wearing and also putting other things we won't need immediately in this one. The other ones will have the 'summer' clothes that we will need when we land in Sydney. And then is our bright little small carry on size suitcase that I bought to take to Paris when I met Helen, we will put a change of clothes (hmm memories of being in Atlanta, USA with none of our baggage and no 'smalls') and precious elements such as the cameras and my jewellery. We also have the laptop (my precious!) and a backpack with books etc. Gosh!

And I have just uploaded the last of the photos on to the external hard drive and on to DVDs - so I know exactly how many photos we took! In fact, there are a whole heap of statistics that are interesting:
- 21 countries (Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, United States, Spain, Portugal, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Vatican City, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, The Netherlands)
- 54,917.25 kilometres driven (doesn't include the side trip to the USA)
- 79,050 photos taken!
- countless new friends

Now, hows THAT for some numbers!

There was one last dinner to be had at the Premier Inn. And while the menu was the same there were still choices that we could try for the first time. This time it was
Entrees:
Drunken duck Pate - smooth pate enriched with sweet wine, truffles and Bramley apple jelly served with toasted rustic ciabatta and spiced onion marmalade (Michael)
Crispy seeded chicken strips served with Mandarin chili sauce (Maria)
Mains:
Smothered chicken - grilled chicken breast topped with crisp bacon, Cheddar and mozarella cheeses served with chips and seasonal vegetables and hickory sauce (Michael)
Rump Steak served with chips, garden peas, sauteed mushrooms and grilled fresh tomato(Maria)

We had goodbye calls to Steph and Felix and to Anna today which was lovely and we have phoned the mums to confirm our departure tomorrow. We are not phoning every Tom, Dick and Harry. Its time to go quietly!
So everything is finally in the bags - but we still have to get them on the scales and on to the plane though! We suspect we are somewhat over the weight allowance!!

Penultimum - almost there

Gosh. Everything is galloping along now. Its time to leave Wingham and head for the City. While we enjoy the buzz of being in large cities, it is the smaller towns that we prefer. This actually stands us in good stead for our return to our home in Maryborough. For those who are not local to us, we live in a regional city on the sourthern central coast of Queensland with a population of around 28,000 people.

It is a vibrant City that I am getting more and more excited about returning to and seeing through different eyes. For the visitor, there is so much to see, and for the resident, there is so much to get involved with - it is one of the most connected and caring places I have known. And it is just such a nice place with a balance of great history and modern conveniences!







Anyway, we are not there yet, but getting closer! Our room at The Dog Inn has been amazing. But if we thought ours was good, the four poster room next door that we see as we are about to leave is even grander (but it only has a bath, no shower, so no good for me ). Built in the 13th century this building has been adapted to encompass all the modern conveniences so that the rooms are all comfortable to be in whether they are one of the eight rooms or the public areas. We finally leave Wingham after saying farewell to Austin and Tim (it's Dan's day off - bugger).

Passing through rural southern England we pass one of the warning beacons that were established throughout much of England as a warning mechanism at the time of the Spanish Armada threat in the 16th century. We have set Kate to the 'avoid motorways' options so that we can spend our last little bit travelling through the countryside. We pass through the Herne area and see a second windmill for the day, but this one is close enough for us to pause for a few moments and have a look - only from the outside though as it is only open to the public for a couple of hours on Sundays in the summer! Ah well, an outside look will just have to do.

Little do we know that indeed from here all roads lead to London and that as we go en-route to Heathrow where we are staying for the last three days, we pass one street away from where we started this epic journey in December last year in Earls Court!

The travelling is very slow as we crawl through the outer inner suburbs of London as we head for the M4 and another section of the great ring road that takes traffic around the outskirts of this great city.

We have yet to finalise the packing and when we empty the car for the last time on our arrival at the Premier Inn Heathrow, I look at all our 'stuff' (and that does not inclide the 40 kgs we posted home from Germany last week) I wonder how in the hell are we going to fit it all in!

The Premier Inn is one of the Accor chain of hotels and is one of the closest to Heathrow. Sitting just on the other side of the M4 motorway, there is a connecting shuttle service to Terminal 3 where we will leave from on Sunday morning. They also offer a combinaton package for accommodation and meals and we have booked 3 nights. The last thing that we need to do now is sell the car . . . (after giving it a very good clean first!)

Dinner is from a restricted menu that is still extensive enough to offer choice. And as the restaraunt is run by Indians I reckon the curry just might be a good choice! From the menu we choose:
Entrees:
Soup of the day (White onion and Blue Cheese) served with warm rustic ciabatta bread (Michael)
Crispy seeded chicken strips served with Mandarin chilli sauce (Maria)
Mains:
Sausage and mash - Premium pork sausages and mashed potato served with garden peas and caramelised onion gravy (Michael)
Chicken Makhani curry - Chicken breast marinated with yoghurt and spices in tomato and cream curry sauce served with basmati rice and naan bread (Maria)
Michael opted for Profiteroles filled with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate flavour fudge sauce for dessert while I had a second glass of Pinto Grigio! Cheers

Canterbury Tales and family connected

The morning sunshine heralds a beautiful day ahead - well, at least for the next two hours. We amble downstairs for breakfast where we are greeted by Tim...ah, he is the relief Chef. Austin has today off and after the incredible dinners he has prepared for us, we forgive his absence. However, Tim prepares our hot breakfasts, presenting me with two gloriously poached eggs and Michael a hearty 'full English'!

With breakfast out of the way, we make our way onto the main street to watch the scheduled Rememberence Day March prior to the service. And I stress here the march and service were scheduled. It's 10:35 so I make my way to the church, while Michael heads down to the High Street in readiness for the march. I wait and wait at the church, 10:40 has passed when the march was to commence - but, there are no sounds of a band or presence of the local Constabulary. Anyhow, Michael returns just as perplexed stating that "there's nobody around for the parade?". It is somewhat of a mystery as Michael had asked at the post office earlier about details of the parade, and was told the ceremony was to commence at 10:40.... Anyhow, we entered the church and paid our respects to the fallen in our own quiet way.

We admire the church's architecture and fixtures. It is indeed a wonder at the history of many of Englands' houses of worship, and here at St Mary the Virgin is no exception. There is a list of all the Vicars, Rectors and Provosts who have ministered at this church from 1228 to the present. Within the churchs' eastern transept is a monument commemorating a family of note - the Oxinden's - the monument was erected in 1682! And in the true spirit of christianity, the Anglican Parish shares its church with the local Catholics who celebrate Mass here each Sunday.

Time is marching on so we return to the Dog Inn to get the car and head for Canterbury. Now, the Dog Inn is one of two once identical buildings that stand side by side on the road from Wingham to Canterbury - and they date back to 1286! By this time the clear skies become shrouded by clouds, and no sooner are we on our way it is evident that rain is imminent. Canterbury is only seven miles (11 kms) from Wingham and we travel along the narrow roads which ribbon through the countryside.

Arriving at Canterbury our first stop is at the ruins of Canterbury Castle, and although the rain has begun to drizzle, this does not stop us from exploring this celebrated monument. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror marched hastily through Kent to Canterbury. In October 1066, Canterbury was the first town to submit without resistence. To consolidate his power, William ordered the construction of royal castles at Dover, Canterbury and Rochester. These castles were initially built from timber upon the 'motte-and-bailey' configuration and only much later the castles were rebuilt in stone.

All that remains of the castle today is a section of the perimeter wall and the keep. However, in the 'minds-eye', one can visualise the enormity of the structure. Eventually rebuilt with three storeys and enclosed within a bastion wall, the importance of the castle diminished by becoming overshadowed by Henry II's larger fortification at Dover. Regrettably, Canterbury Castle was relegated as the a prison for the County of Kent administered by the Sheriff and in the most recent times lost a lot of its mystique when it was used as a coal store and gas works.

The rain has begun to fall in earnest, I return to the car and leave Michael to continue drooling for a while longer. Want to kow more? Click here.

When Michael finally returns, we leave the castle to find a carpark closer to the Canterbury Cathedral. After wanting me to drive through restricted areas, and us having to continually turn back, Kate and Frances eventually guide us to an available parking bay at the city walls, which is not far from the Cathedral. Feeding the ticket dispenser gives us a maximum stay of three hours and so we set off to see what we can see. Walking through the streets of Canterbury is like entering a time portal, with buildings dating from the 13th century occupied by artists, artisans and bakers displaying their wares in shop windows. Michael is enjoying the ambience as he is swept along by the imagery of his beloved Canterbury Tales.

Finally we arrive at the Cathedral precinct, and enter the precint's main portal at a cost of $13AUD each. However, the entry fee is worth every cent as the Cathedral is indeed a magnificent structure. I'll let Michael take over from here, so he can enlighten you...or put you to sleep?

I am just passionate over medieval architecture, in particular places of worship - moreso if the style is Gothic, Perpendicular Gothic or Gothic/Renaissance. At the danger of me rambling, may I recommend this link for the Canterbury Cathedral.

As with most of these monuments built before the Reformation, one has to remember that the pioneering architects/engineers designed the buildings on parchment and only aided by quadrants, line-of-sight and plum bobs! The work of the masons, sculptors, scriveners and carpenters who contributed to the Cathedrals' construction is truly mind-blowing.

The Cathedral was filled by visitors and a small company of proud volunteer guides who were most eager to answer, with enthusiasm, any question pertinent to their Cathedral. I soon discovered the knowledge which these guides possess, when I made enquiry as to one of the stained glass windows. Only several of these windows are original from the 12th century, which somehow were spared from the destructive force of the Reformation!

Fortunately, photography was permitted ( except when visiting the crypt) so the camera worked overtime snapping images of the exterior and interior. The Cathedral also boasts its own 'Compass Rose' installed into the floor of the central nave in 1988. As with most Cathedrals, at intervals throughout the day a benediction is given by a member of the clergy. Today was no exception, as a Friar (with the aid of a PA system) requested everyone to stop and listen to the benediction - a time for reflection whatever ones persuasion...yes, even for us non-believers.

We could have spent further hours here - it is such a fascinating place. It was here that Thomas Beckett was murdered, and that the first French Hugenot service was held here hundreds of years ago and continues to this day! There are amazing stained glass windows, a beautiful cloister and chapter house, a peaceful crypt where you can see the remaining pillars and wall of the Norman church that once stood on this site and dates back to 579 AD. There are tanglible links with Australia too in the form of stitched kneelers int he front row and a memorial to Lt. Col Sir George Gipps, Governor in Chief of New South Wales. And today, on Rememberence Day when we were reading in The Times this morning about the release of the records of the British Flying Aces including Major Edward Mannock VC, here we are standing in front of his memorial! Its a small, small world.

Gosh, and there was so much more - you had better check the link before I too carried away! From here you exit through the souvenir shop where we stop to buy a few small reminders - we have to be careful because we are getting very very close to our weight limits for the air trip home!

Michael wants a quick look at the City Walls so I return to the car while he makes a dash for the stairs. The walls are surprisingly intact, and yet are now a part of the modern city. Traffic enters through a number of the original gates, the Dane John gardens dating back to the 12th century and has existed in their present form since 1790 and have recently been updated to include a thematic chidren's maze. A monument now stands atop a Roman burial ground that existed before the construction of the city walls in the 3rd century and now serves as a vantage point for views across the city.

I pack away the souvenirs we bought and get some little treasures out for Anna and Gary then get in the car and programme Kate. And that is when I see a traffic warden making his way towards our car, checking wether parking tickets have expired - and in response Michael is running full pelt from the other direction. Michael manages to get here first. Just! Mind you, we still had 1 minute left on our ticket!

Its 4 pm and fast heading for dark when we leave Canterbury for Bracknell to have one last visit with Anna and Garry, Curtis and Nathan. Its a two hour drive on the M26 - one of the major ring roads around London. Traffic is heavy as we are just coming in to rush hour, but for the most part we are able to do a respectable 70 miles per hour. I have reset Kate to measure in miles - can't be bothered with all the constant calculations from km to miles and back again. Feels odd though and my perception of distance is not so good - luckily for me, 100 yards is close enough to 100 metres and I can judge that pretty well!

We arrive at their house in Binfield just after 6:15. There is great excitement all round - Anna has kept her job (when all 6000 were given notices re planned redundencies for 1500 and no assurances), they have sold their house to a cash buyer and their offer on the house of their dreams just up the road has been accepted - all in the space of about 3 days! We took the champers!! Gary has picked up McDonalds for the boys and once they are settled upstairs, we order Chinese and spend a couple of hours sharing it and the stories of our respective highs since we last saw them in June. It has been lovely sharing a bit of time with them this year. Its heading for 10 pm when we finally say our goodbyes for the year and head off.

Our trip back to Wingham is much quieter than the trip over. We are able to travel at a constant speed and make the trip in about an hour and a half - even if it is in and out of light rain!

Ickham not Wickham!

all the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
on an autumn day
Yes, California dreaming is playing on the local radio station - very fittingly! There is nothing so miserable as when it is 4:30 pm in the afternoon and totally dark with all the street lights on.

After a lazy morning we set out from Wingham for a bit of a drive around the area. And it really is no coincidence that we are staying here - there is a Wingham in the Taree area on the central north coast of New South Wales - so we came to see if there was any resemblence. And you know, there is - lots of cattle and rolling hills! And they are of a like size.

First stop is the small village of Ickham that is a mere 2.5 kms away by road, but a million miles away in terms of how different it is. Wingham is located right on the very busy Canterbury Road, while Ickham is caught in some time warp on a small back road. Just outside town we pass fields that are being beseiged by geese - lots of geese, hundreds of geese - and as Michael gets out to take photos, their brief reprieve on the ground from the journey south for the winter is interrupted as the take flight again.

From here we turn towards the north coast of this part of the UK towards Sheerness and the Isle of Sheppey. As we travel along we see signs to the Spitfire Museum at Manston and would you believe Michael's luck - our route takes us right past it. Go past? Never! So off he goes and I pick up my book.

"Fighter trail etched white on blue,
Bomber Captain, Seaplane Crew.
Like gods, these men, though wrought as we,
Are brushed with immortality.
Their youth not lost to as years go by,
But grandly, in a moment souring high,
Through conquered sky."
- Harold Balfour

With it's memorial garden overlooking the Manston aerodome and the singular bronze statue of an RAF pilot, the museum is more of a memorial to Airforce personnel of all nationalities. However, on entering the building you get the distinct impression it's dedicated to the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane and the respective crews.

The museum is quite small but full of memorabilia, including a restored Spitfire XVI and a Hurricane II and displays of ordinance carried by both aircraft. There is an impressive array of uniforms belonging to aircrew and which have been donated to the museum. A selection of aviation art is also displayed which mainly concentrate on the Battle of Britain. Whether a visitor has any interest in aviation is immaterial, this is a memorial and museum which has been tastefully designed.

So from Manston we follow the coast around to Herne Bay. This historic town is on the southern estuary of the Thames River as it empties in to the North Sea. Known for its old pier and it's impressive clock tower there is also a solitary statue of a Coast Guard statue patiently and vigilantly out to sea - making sure that all are safe, and ready to jump into action if anything goes awry out to sea.

We are still not at Sheerness despite it only being 60 kilometres from Herne Bay. You see we are averaging about 30 kph! Where there are not small towns end to end, there is farming land - marshy land that now supports sheep grazing. And there is only one narrow road that goes right through this area. And time after time we find ourselves in a bottleneck of traffic as we come up to temporary traffic lights around roadworks. It is well dark now, and not quite 4:30 in the afternoon! There is no point going any further so we make the decision to turn back for Wingham. All in all, the last couple of hours has been frustrating to say the least. And as if to add insult to injury, we hear regular traffic updates on the local radio that seems to put us in the very middle of the jams! Wait? Is that them in the car behind us??? Could be as we pass just in front of the landmarks they name time and again!!

We eventually get back to the Dog Inn and a well awaited Cider. Austin our chef has promised us Steak and Ale Pies for dinner even though they are not on his menu for the night. That menu has surprised us a little. While it is always great to find great food in the most unexpected of places, we really did not expect to find a chef of his calibre in a small town miles from where the major restaurants lie. He explains that not only is he the chef for the restaurant here, he is also head chef for the group of hotels owned by the owners. And although we are really looking forward to our pies, when the waitress gives us the menus to choose entrees, we groan at the other choices we might have had. (Pardon the shadows on the menus please)

Still, we had asked for the pies and we are looking forward to them. For our entrees tonight we decide on:
Pan fried tiger prawns, chorizo and plum tomato (Michael)
Homemade lemon and coriander fishcakes, garlic tartar (Maria)
Our mains were those amazing pies - heavy with succulent chunks of tender beef in a deliciously rich ale based gravy and topped with the cleanest, crispest shortcrust pastry - mmmm
"Dessert menu?" she asked. "Oh yes please" was Michael's reply (even though we probably didn't need it!)
Plum Clafoutis with raspberry coulis and the ripest red strawberries (Michael)
Warm apple, sultana and calvados pancake with creme anglais (Maria)

Ah the day has been redeemed! Onya Austin!!!

The weather matches our mood

Leaves swirl up and around us as we drive down the road from Ypres and as we pass under the trees, they continue to drop on to the windscreen. A full European autumn is an amazing experience. Again, it is raining, reflecting our emotions. My how our senses are heightened today. We have become used to the idea of going home, but gosh, how I wish we had more time here. Our last little time as we leave Belgium is spent letting Michael have a quick look around the New Poperinge Military Cemetery where there are a few Australian tombs scattered amongst the French ones.

Then, without the need for a real rush, we set Kate to direct us to the Eurotunnel departure point off the motorways and are so rewarded for doing so. There are cows grazing in the meadows and windmills on the hills - quite a few of them! We pass through the autumn rain and look out over valleys shining in rare spots of sunshine. The air is so crisp and clean and the colours are so vibrant.

We come in to France for the last time this trip and it is as beautiful as we remember it from the numerous trips we have made across the country over the last eleven months. The villages seem to be hugging the roads as though to say goodbye - yep, we are again passing those houses built right to the edge of the roads. Autumn here is a very busy place here and we pass lots of mounds of swedes (yellow turnips) and sweet potatoes recently dug and now set for drying. And the farmers are busy ploughing and fertilizing their fields. You know everywhere we have been there are a few constants - the smell of 'fresh' fertilizer, the heavy density of livestock and the farm implements pulled along the back roads by tractors!

All too soon (but not too soon) we arrive at Calais at the Eurotunnel terminal. As we pull up to the ticket tag machine it 'recognises' the registration number of the car and automatically prints our windscreen tag. We just have enough time (6 minutes) before they make the first boarding call to allow Michael to go and change our last Euros for UK pounds. Then, through border control and we join the first couple of cars waiting to be loaded on to the train. And then, just after 13:00 pm we are loaded on to the train and at 13:20 pm we leave the continent of Europe for the last time in 2009 for the fast half hour journey under the weight of the English Channel back to the UK.

And then without any fanfare (just a voiceless reminder on the intercom to remember to turn our clocks back an hour and to drive on the left) we are back in England - back on the 'right' or rather make that the correct side of the road! We are back in the land of small roads again - passing cars so closely on the local main roads that I wonder if we are not going to lose our side mirror.

We have decided to spend a couple of days in the south east of England having a bit of a look around the only part of England that we did not see when we were here earlier in the year. We have booked in to The Dog Inn in Wingham, near Canterbury. The building dates back to the early 13th century and our room on the first floor is supported by the most amazing big beam. The public areas downstairs are warm and the fireplaces are roaring away, keeping the cold outdoors where it belongs. The ceilings are lined with hops, now dried after hanging there for a year. This is no so much a pub, as a restaurant with rooms. We meet Dan behind the bar and Austin in the kitchen. Something that Austin is cooking smells fabulous and wse go to the kitchen door to find out what it is - ah, rabbit for a dish for tomorrow.

So we go up to take our luggage and unpack the barest of things as we have become accustomed to doing before heading back downstairs for dinner. The menu is surprisingly well developed with traditional foods presented in very modern combinations - something we are not expecting. After agonising on the offerings we choose -
Entrees:
Sherry's duck egg crostini with a poached egg, wilted spinach, curry oil (Michael)
Rillette of wild rabbit and smoked bacon, sweet plum tomato chutney, walnut bread toast (Maria)
Mains:
'The Carpet Bag' Roast fillet of beef stuffed with oysters, streaky bacon waist coat, grill garnish, bearnaise sauce and chis (Michael)
Breast of free range chicken, crispy parma ham, white pudding, cream tarragon dressing (Maria)
Desserts:
Sticky toffee pudding and vanilla seed cream (Michael)
Dark chocolate loaf, black cherries in kirsch (Maria)

Wow, what a meal. Congratulations to Austin who has managed to achieve the same level of finesse that we have experienced in meakls in France. We retire satisfyingly full to retire to our warm bed for the night.