Astral (?) legacies

The Milford Hall Hotel is such a pleasant place to be in the morning - the bed is so comfortable that we wake after sleeping like the proverbial babes. Breakfast in their Steakhouse Restaurant overlooks the gardens filled with pale pink (and perfumed) roses with irises and blue pansies - just lovely. We need something a little hearty for breakfast as we are not sure when (if) we will get lunch. After our now customary muesli, Michael settles for scrambled eggs with sausage and mushroom while I have my eggs poached. The waitress initially delivers bacon instead of sausages - but that is an absolute no-no (it gives me the runs - not good if we are planning a walk) so we have to insist that it was sausages we ordered! No problem - cheerfully and apologetically rectified.

This morning is a little overcast, but not unpleasant and in fact is probably preferable to a stinking hot day. For this morning, we are (finally) off to explore Stonehenge. Passing fields of bright red poppies, it only takes us about a quarter of an hour to drive out through the little town of Amesbury and as we feared, as we drive down the hill to the turnoff we can see lots and lots and lots of people at the monument. Stonehenge sits on a triangular piece of land bounded by two very busy roads and, at all times, there is traffic streaming past.

The car park is on the opposite side of the road to the henge and once you have paid your entry fee and collected an audio guide, you walk through an underpass tunnel so that you walk up a ramp and come face to face with the - people! Seriously, as you walk up the last turn on the ramp, the standing stones rise up from the ground bit by tantalising bit. And yes, there are hundreds in pilgrimage around the stones with us.

You cannot get up close and personal to these stones, but rather are kept at a distance of 12 to 50 metres by a low, roped barrier. As you walk around the henge you are guided by the audio guide. This is a very clever way to keep the flow of people moving around the stones - as there are bus-loads constantly arriving. It doesn't matter what language you speak, the stones have a dialogue for everyone. There are school groups, and tour groups, families, couples and singles - all sharing a well-trod path in the grass, learning as they go.

But it is the sight of these stones, standing silent, vigil to history through the millenia that have control. Control of the landscape. Control of the people. Control of our journey. In themselves they tell a story - one of amazing achievement at a time when man supposedly roamed the earth with clubs and crude societal skills. What hogwash! These people had highly developed analytical skills, project management skills and understood their environment far better that we have given them credit. In fact, it begs the comment that these skills lost, have taken mankind a hell of a long time to re-learn!

At end point on the path around the henge sees total strangers talking with each other, asking others to take a photo or two (hundred) of them with the Stones behind them in the photo. As well as the main commentary, there are lots of opportunities to get further information through the audio guide. And it appears that most people do listen to all the information, given the length of time they are holding the guides to their ears!

It takes us about an hour and a half to walk the 500 metres around the henge during which time we take about 185 photos from all angles - using both our cameras. Anyone want a blow by blow guide to Stonehenge?!! It would not matter if I uploaded all the photos we took, they just don't do Stonehenge justice.

Finally we have had our fill and wander, quite dazed back to the cafe near the car park for a drink. Michael then walks out to some of the barrows - the long burial chambers that are in the landscape around Stonehenge. We have seen a number of these in other locations - some long, some round, some horseshoe shaped. But the area immediately around Stonehenge has a concentration far denser than anywhere else in England, Europe or even the world. There are hundreds, big and small, in the surrounding paddocks.

By this point it is after 1 pm and we next head over to Middle Wallop (don't you just love the town names!) to the Museum of Army Flying.

It's the long hot summer of 1940 at Middle Wallop, where pilots of No. 609 Squadron are lounging in deck chairs or lying in the shade from the wings of their Spifires. Suddenly - the shouts of "SCRAMBLE"; "Don't just stand there..get one up!"; "Message from Dispersal: 'Intercept Angels in Red Sector at two-five!' "

However, today there are no signs of those harrowing moments when Britain was against the ropes. Middle Wallop is now host to the Air Army Corps and 2nd Regiment School of Army Aviation. The guttural sounds of Merlin engines bursting into life have been replaced by the thumping of helicopter rotors; and those ghosts of the past have been commemorated in the Museum of Army Aviation.

Where the Fleet Air Arm Museum is rambling, this museum is small by comparison but just as compelling. It chronicles Army aviation history from the early days of balloons, the Great War through to present day. Yes, and I wet my pants several times as well! It's such a great resource, the exhibits are not just restricted to aircraft alone; for there are uniforms and life size dioramas. When I walked into the reception area and payed my entry fee, hanging over the entry door into the museum was a propeller from an Royal Aicraft Factory powered Re8 - (this represented the first of my many dribbles....)

World War 1 section has life size dioramas, which includes: armourers at work; ground crew prepping a Sopwith Pup (YES, an original aeroplane); a tribute to the Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force Aces - Albert Ball, Edward "Mick" Mannock, Billy Bishop, Arthur Rhyse-Davids, James McCudden...just to name a couple. Around the corner is a Victoria Cross chapel dedicated to those very young (at that time) recipients.

World War 2 section concentrates on the family during these dark years, whereas the military is represented through those unsung heroes the Reconnaissance, Training and the Glider Regiments. Seeing a Miles Magister and Beaver aeroplanes, along with a variety of gliders including the Horsa Mk1. Korea through to present day, there is a smorgasbord of helicopters, from a 1941 Rotochute through to an Apache Attack Ship. (By this time I'm crossing my legs!)

On the way to the museum, we pass the sign to the Danebury Hill Fort. So once Michael had had his fill, and I had completed another 40 odd pages of Sarum, we left the museum to go have a look at the fort. This one is an earthen bank fort as opposed to a built structure and although it is hard to get an idea of the size from the photos, Michael says that walking around the perimeter wall he surely got a sense of the size and the aerial view in Earth Google sure shows how large it is!

If you would like to know what it is like to live with an amateur historian, with an insatiable appetite - ask Maria! Hill forts, standing stones, henge's and stone circles - if you've seen one, then you haven't seen all of them. Each and every site is different and can only encourage questions that knock on many doors but open only a few. The Danbery Hill Fort is just mind blowing as to the circumference of the perimeter wall mound, and attempting to visualise the fort's arrangement in the 'mind's-eye'. Just as confounding, is the surrounding ditch from which rose the wall mound. The fascination with hillforts is the sheer logistics in establishing such a structure - was it just one clan or several who built them and was the system of rule empirical or oligarchic?

Walking up to this hillfort was a Herculean effort, as the gradient was very steep. The defensive advantages was most apparent when I arrived at the peak - a 360 view all around. Due to a copse at the centre of the fort's interior, it was difficult discern the diameter of the wall mound? So, as with Old Sarum, I walked the perimeter of the wall mound, which took me ten minutes to complete. Archaeologists from Oxford University conducted excavations between 1969-88, estimated the total area of the fort to be approximately 5 hectares.

And then we are off to Southampton for 4 nights. We are staying in the penthouse apartment of the former railway building, The South Western Hotel, right down on the waterfront. This building is something else - with a hue vaulted entrance hall complete with original painted ceilings, gilt edge mirrors and the rest. The bedrooms in our apartment look out over the water through porthole windows (5 floors up!) and we have 6 rooms at our disposal (so we can hide from each other if need be :-D ). Michael cooks tonight - a stir fry with lots of veges - mmmmm. No dessert - one course is fine after weeks of restaurant food!

Oh, back to the hotel just for a moment. The hotel was built in 1868 as the Imperial Hotel but re-named the South Western in 1870. Built with the centre of an open design which allowed guests easy access when arriving or departing at the Terminus Station which was located behind the hotel. The station has long gone, however the original awning is still attached to the hotel and the railway line is still in use.

Were you aware of the connection between Southampton and the RMS Titanic? After leaving Belfast, where Titanic was built, the liner sailed into Southampton to take on her maiden voyage passengers. This hotel also has ties to the liner mainly through two of her passengers: J Bruce Ismay, the Chairman of the White Star Line [which owned RMS Titanic], and Thomas Andrews the Titanic's designer stayed in this hotel when the liner was in port. After the decline in transatlantic ocean passenger services the hotel closed and later converted into the offices of the Cunard Shipping Line in 1962! Cunard had merged with the White Star Line in 1932.

London - various views

London beckons and even after another pretty full day there is still more to see - gee, I guess you could live here all your life and still not see it all. We still haven't managed to get to a show this trip even though we had hoped to go tonight. But no, none of them are showing on Sundays! Not ONE. Oh well, guess they all want at least one full day off too. Pity though.

We contemplated going in by public transport, but then again, it is a Sunday and they run far less frequently. It also means a walk of three quarters of a kilometre before we even begin (pooh pooh if you must, but the hip is variable at the moment!) Anyway, thanks to Kate and the London public transport map, I have found a parking station only one block from the ferry terminus at Tower Bridge. So, we bravely tackle the Sunday London traffic.

And do you know - it really wasn't all that bad - I mean there was gridlock around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly for a while but it gave us the opportunity to get some great photos! And that magical little parking fairy is alive and well. We get to the Tower Place car park in Lower Tower Street and find it maybe 10% full and for a miserly £2.50 for the day!!! So there, all you Londoners - if you are prepared to brave the traffic, this has to be the cheapest park in town on a Sunday. Other days it is £2.50 per hour - still relatively cheap but even I wouldn't want to take on weekday traffic in the city, and of course there is a £8 congestion tax during the week as well.

We looked at the various cruise on offer on the Thames and decided on the City Cruises one from Tower Bridge to Westminster. Once we had our tickets in hand we join a long line of people waiting for the next boat. We are underway when the skipper announces the safety talk and adds that although their primary purpose is to get us from one point safely to the next, and that while they are not tour guides, that they will try to point out some of the buildings and other points of interest along the river. Now that commentary was great - all the major and many of the minor points of note are identified as well as all the bridges under which we pass (or see) in a wonderfully witty way. My favourite comment was about this building which was described thus: "we are not sure who owns or inhabits this building but we are sure that it must be the National Window cleaners training school!"

There is polite laughter at the explanation given for the common name for the newest bridge across the Thames - the Millenium Bridge, a suspension footbridge, was tagged “the blade of light”. Locally it is known as the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge as it was closed just three days after being opened in 2000 when it began to shake with the sheer volume of people walking across it! Hmmm, so it was designed not(?) as a footbridge?? Strengthening took another 2 years and as extra £5 million, but seems to have worked as there are no more reports of wobbles!

We reach Westminster Pier in the shadows - literally and figuratively, of the Houses of Parliament (correct name is the Palace of Westminster) with the clock tower that encloses that most famous of all bells - Big Ben). It doesn't matter that I had seen these before, and I doubt whether it would really matter if you saw it every day, this iconic London view is breath-taking. The gilded spires and vanes, the intricate and beautiful stonework and the leadlight windows that throw back splinters of reflections at you are things that I could easily look at day after day, year after year. We were lucky enough to be within view for two of Ben's tolling - only on the hour, at 3 pm and 5 pm. And as we are walking back to the boat just after 5 o'clock, just have a look at the beautiful sunny day! I suspect that back at home 5 pm is much much darker coming into winter. We see Westminster Abbey in the background but having seen many great cathedrals, have no desire to venture over.

One of Michael's keen interests lies in the two world wars and today we head down to the Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum at the Clive Steps on King Charles Street. As my interest is not so great (and I had seen the hidden bunker near St Andrews which is the other end of the story) I opted to wait in the shop and watch the video they were playing (and save $25).

The Cabinet War Rooms were an underground complex used by the British Government as an operational command centre during the Second World War. After the capitulation by Japan in 1945 the complex was abandoned and later re-opened to the general public in 1984. In 2003 the complex was again closed for expansion works, and re-opened in 2005 with the additional space converted into a museum documenting the life of Winston Churchill.

One would not require an interest in military history to appreciate the desperate years Britain had to face from an attempted invasion in 1940 to the constant threats at severing its life lines. The complex has been restored with its original features and equipment, including a wax figure of Churchill in the pose of talking to President Truman on the transatlantic link. Unlike like the element of paranoia experienced in the Cold War Bunker we visited in Scotland, the Cabinet War Rooms had a distinctive air of 'business as usual'. However, I developed a distinct impression, one would have had to enjoyed the confined space of a submarine to have lived in the complex.

As the various attractions are now closing, we returned on the ferry from Westminster to Tower Bridge and back to those commentaries. There is a nice little chunk of London now owned by the Kuwaiti Royal Family - an area now known as New London City in the area of Chambers Wharf - complete with the means to meet all their needs physical and spiritual and including a private hospital. What gets up the nose of the Brits is that these people are exempt from paying tax in the UK!

So, back on the other bank I went into Starbucks while Michael took a walk across Tower Bridge to the HMS Belfast. Unfortunately as it was after 5 pm, it was closed. And we could not get into the London Tower either because it too was closed. But he got some pretty darn good pics.

Time to move on and find something for dinner - we key in a restaurant address from Fliss' 10 year old London guide. It was no longer there, but we came across an area filled with pubs and eateries near the Great Ormond Children's Hospital and looking at the menus on display opted for The Swan pub that has existed on this site since 1757!!! Did not look at all tired and the young kids behind the bar made sure things kept moving. Our meal?:
Entree
Hot Cheese platter (boxed Camembert served with toaster baguette fingers and a balsamic onion confit.
Mains
We both had the Traditional Sunday Roast (Roast of the Day - beef - with roasted and new potatoes, seasonal vegetables - carrots, beans - Yorkshire Puddings and gravy)
We arrive back at our accommodation after 10 pm, tired but satisfied with our day and with the 592 photos taken today! And we are now planning on how we can cram as much as possible into our last 10-12 days in the UK.

Oxford - City of the dreaming spires

This morning is a little overcast with the weather forecast for 23°C and possible showers. After a nice but over-priced breakfast - £12.95 per person and everything was in bain maries with only fried or poached eggs cooked to order, we first caught up with Gen on Skype where I asked her to post some summer stuff to us. The only light top I have is the one I wore from Sydney!

Then it was in to town to get the CitySightseeing Oxford red bus! It did not take long for us to realise that the city, like many other university towns, exudes a beat that is very contagious. There are people everywhere - students, tourists and locals. Mind you, the fact that it is the Monday of a Bank Holiday weekend and a beautiful sunny day at that probably influences it a little!

Ah, Oxford the city of yellow limestone buildings, learning and - Morse. The first impression this city affords the visitor is a vibrant tremor which ripples throughout the city. Unlike other university cities we have visited the university IS Oxford city, impressed throughout like a perpetual signature. Apart from the hussle and bustle, there is certain element of calmness which made us feel very much at ease. We take one full route of the bus tour, soaking up the information and trivia that is thrown at us at every twist and turn of the bus. The commentary, while taped, is very thorough and a good mix of historic fact and interesting anecdote.

We had arranged to meet Elaine and Helen who we first met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. They live here and have invited to spend a day with them in this, their home town. Despite the public holiday, the Parking Fairy is on duty and we get a parking space nice and close to the bus stop for the bus. We only have time for a once around before we go off to meet the girls. As we alight, we organise a swap for a two day pass, having decided to spend another night in Oxford. Thankfully the hotel has a vacancy and we can even keep the room we are now in.

We meet Helen and Elaine for a drink at the Eagle and Child pub (known locally as the Bird and Baby pub) - parking right outside! It's where Tolkein, CS Lewis and that crowd used to hang out. Helen came outside - they were a little worried they might not recognise us, until they saw the hat walk past - thank god we went back for it in Shannon! It was great to see the girls again and Helen tells us that it was here that 'The Inklings' - a group of Oxford writers met to test out their writings including The Lord of the Rings and the Narnia books.

After our drink Helen offered to take us on an 'insiders' tour of some of the Oxford University sights. As she works for the University, Helen could walk us in to a number of colleges that we could not have otherwise seen. From the pub we walked down Broad Street where we pass by Blackfriars Hall for graduate students - mostly in the area of theology. But our first venture into the world of the academically privileged came at Balliol College. When first you walk through the gate and in to the manicured lawns, beautifully kept gardens and stunning (absolutely stunning) buildings you walk from the hustle and bustle outside into a place of peace. The contrast is amazing. Exeter College has recently undergone a restoration project - and the new stone, while lighter in colour, are just as well made as the older stone. Hertford College while closed to the public was open to us thanks to Helen's pass. And students being students, ignored the 'Please keep off the grass' sign!

The architecture in Oxford is just amazing. The colleges, having successfully turned out model citizens, were often bequeathed funds for the construction of new buildings, meaning that as time has passed, these colleges have grown not only in size, but also in grandeur. And they are truly beautiful. At first, we were horrified to be shown graffiti on the quadrangel walls of these hallowed halls - but they commemorate wins at the Head of the River and are actually done in chalk (although they are still clearly visible from 5 and 6 years ago).

The Bodleian Library is the most amazing space. From its awe-inspiring exterior to the dignified quiet of the Divinity School that commands awe, respect and q-u-i-e-t. There are ceiling rosettes that recognize the contributions of library benefactors. It is just amazing. Students can't gain access into this cathedrals of libraries until they sign (they used to have to recite) the Pledge:
“I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library.”

We leave the colleges for a time and walk under the Bridge of Sighs modelled on the famous Venetian example before we squeeze (ok, a slight exaggeration) down St Helens Passage, winding our way through tiny back lanes to the Turf Tavern for lunch. With such a beautiful day at their disposal, it seems half the local population has found their way to this tavern that would never be found by tourists. This is a special place for Michael as this is the tavern that is the setting for many of the Inspector Morse episodes. Helen had a BLT for lunch while Elaine, Michael and I had salmon and Brie fishcakes. We all washed it down with Appletiser - a sparkling non-alcoholic apple juice and soda drink.

Our appetites well sated, we stroll down passed Trinity College with its impressive wrought gates allowing a glimpse into a very privileged world while at the same time keeping the outside world well and truly at an arms length.

There are lots of students walking and cycling in formal dress with different coloured flowers in their lapels. Helen explains that even though it is only Week 7, student exams are underway. Students all sit their exams in the Examination Schools Building and in full academic dress. Can you imagine that - not only is there the stress of the exams, but they have to get kitted up in the penguin suit! And the flower in their lapel denotes the year of their examination - white for first year exams, pink for the centre years and red for final (usually 3rd) year exams.

"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Ratty talking to Mole, from Kenneth Grahame's classic: "The Wind In The Willows.

The girls were giving us the quintessential Oxford experience so they then took us punting on the Cherwell River from The Cherwell Boathouse. Before we headed out Helen bought us Pims - when quizzed if this was a real English tradition, she laughed and said it is far more local than that - it is quite an Oxford drink! You should have seen the drama it took to get me in to the boat. There was a huge step down from the jetty to the boat, and it was in to something that moved further away from you as you got in, unsteadily. But evetually I was in, as was everyone else and we were off with Helen punting leisurely down the river.

About a mile down the river, Elaine took over and we continued on our merry way. At the turn for home, Michael took over and the girls could not believe what a natural he was. Must say, my man did look good as he stood above us and calmly poled us the whole way back to the docks. At one point we passed another punt where the woman punting was standing on the other end of the boat. I asked Helen if you could punt from either end and she commented (almost derisively) that that was the Cambridge way to punt - ah yes, university rivallry is alive and well!

Ha ha, if getting in was a drama, you should have seen me trying to step up out of that moving boat! But with lots of encouragement and ingenious (if not inelegant) moves, out I got. What a fantastic afternoon on the river with the ducks, oh, and the occasional other boat!

So to finish the day, we went a little way out of the City to a pub restaurant called The Trout Inn. This was another of Morse's favourite hangouts. It is located on the Isis river - part of the headwaters of the Thames River. They too are very busy and the girls tell us that it is busy - especially on weekends. The menu is varied and interesting. Helen and I begin with Mojitos - hers was a Royale (with champagne) and mine was a Raspberry Mojito with raspberry coulis and fresh raspberries - gosh, it went so well with lime! (Kamala and Carol - you gotta try it! That is, if you can get raspberries, he he he!) For starters we all shared Box Baked Camembert with Onion Jam and Breads and Greek Mezze with Taramasalata, Hummus, Tzatziki, Feta and Flat Breads.
Mains were:
Chargrilled Lamb Rump with Chorizo, Onions, Peas and Rosemary Potatoes (Michael and Helen)
Spit Chicken with Roast Garlic and Lemon Thyme Mayonnaise (Maria)
Spit Chicken Mushroom Forestiere (Elaine)
Desserts:
Plum and Apple Crumble (Michael)
Marshmallow Cheesecake with red fruits (Maria and Elaine)
Gosh the food was great, the setting fantastic and the company the best!!
As we said goodbye to Helen and Elaine outside the pub after 10:30 pm we did so in the raucous company of a peacock perched high on one of the chimney pots!

How cool - here we are in Oxford and as I type the blog, Inspector Morse is on TV - and it is set in Oxford! And the episode (The Wench is Dead) is about the boatmen - wow, we did that today!!!! And finally just before midnight, the showers predicted this morning have finally started! What a FANTASTIC day - thanks ever so much Elaine and Helen - and we are holding you to your promise to come and spend some time with us in Oz.

Where the witch met Wedgewood

After a great night last night we slept very soundly. Lots of families staying in the hotel, so it was awake to the noise of littlies this morning. Breakfast this morning was - interesting! Self service cold buffet - boxed cereals, bread for toasting, croissants, packet cheeses, butter and jam, orange juice and coffee. Lots of families with young babies running around - not our idea of a relaxing breakfast. Still, it is included in the room rate so no real complaints!! And there would have been nothing to stop us having six or seven helpings if we so wished.

Michael has known for years the story of Molly Leigh, the witch of Burslem. And now, here we were right in the area. So after breakfast off we went to visit the graveyard of St John's Church of England. Graves are normally aligned east-west but her grave lies north-south - the only one in the cemetery to do so. After her burial, she was supposedly seen large as day in her cottage. So the pastor who buried her worried that being a witch, she could get out of her grave! So they dug her up and re-aligned the grave! Andn this time, they put in her pet raven for good measure - alive! This poor unfortunate woman was most probably rather eccentric following the tormenting by local townsfolk as she was reportedly very ugly.

When we finally find the Church, there is a man taking the children's Sunday School outdoors in the beautiful sun. He explains that the Church gets lots of visitors to visit the grave (something he finds bemusing) and that one day some years ago, the church warden received a phone call saying that people had been chipping away at the grave, stealing pieces and selling them on eBay! In fact, the phone call went something like "Hey Pastor, I have just seen a piece of Molly Leighs grave for sale on eBay!" Some people will stop at nothing. He goes on to tell us that they then concreted over the parts that might be easily broken off. So the grave looks fairly uninteresting even if it does attract a lot of attention at Halloween.

So once we had left poor Molly to rest in peace it was over to the Royal Doulton outlet shop. Now I am not sure what it is about the china and glassware industry at the moment, but Spode is in administration with a huge fire sale of their factory stock taking place. The last day is today, but as the sale has been going on since January, I decide that there probably isn't too much of interest left. And in January 2009, Wedgewood also appointed receivers.

The Doulton Shop was wonderful. We bought quite a bit of stuff - plates, figures, wine decanters and for the princely sum of £20 we can have the whole lot shipped home by courier - it will probably be there is less than a week! I was hoping to find the matching teapot for our fine china dinner set, but it is a discountinued pattern and the only piece that have left is a covered sugar bowl, which we already have. And this was literally the only piece they had!
From there we drove back to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre and Factory. This is a truly amazing place. We begin in the museum where you could easily spend half a day. There was so much to see. Items to touch, voices from the past talking about processes and successes to listen to, drawers to open and explore. Then there was the amazing collection of china that dated back to the early 1700s right through to the present day - some of the most amazing and beautiful pieces we have ever seen! No photos allowed - they want you to buy the book!

And then we went in to the Wedgewood Visitor Centre proper that is attached to the factory. As well as an extensive museum collection of its own, there was a film on the life and work of Josiah Wedgewood and then more amazing pieces on display including all the special one-off commissions that were still in the ownership of the family or the company. But the highlight was going in to the open plan hall where all the processes involved in the making of Wedgewood pieces are demonstrated by factory artisans. And you can throw your own piece of Jasperware, paint a hand made flower or make your own Wedgewood jewelery. These people were so friendly and eager to have a conversation, explaining in detail all they do. To see the speed with which a carnation blossom was made, or watch the very steady hand of the lady painting the burnished gold on to a miniature plate was amazing.

We then took a quick drive through the centre of Stoke-on-Trent although everything was very quiet as it is the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend here. Stoke Minster was beautiful from the outside (it was closed) and Michael found Josiah Wedgewood's grave. It is set in beautiful and evocative grounds. The rest of Stoke however is looking quite depressed - any wonder when local factories that have been in operation for over 300 years are being closed down by some economist from the US.
Off to Oxford with Kate doing the navigating now. Very well I might add. Even when we decide to take a little detour to have a look at some of the architecture, she keeps her cool and in a calm and never exasperated voice just recalculates the route to get us back to the roads leading toward Oxford. We have the option of missing tolls (that will be handy in Europe) and even changing the route ourselves to get off the motorways.

We get to Oxford at 6:45 pm with the sun still high in the sky on a day that got to 22°C. Look out Europe, here comes summer - for goodness sake, someone remember to tell the Irish!!! It is so warm that I change into a summer top for the first time literally since we left Sydney on 13th December last year. Tomorrow we are meeting up with a couple of girls we met on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. But tonight, we are craving some asian flavours - coriander, chilli, ginger and lime. So we ask the receptionist for a recommendation and she suggests one in town. However when we get there it is closed - thankfully I had looked on the web as well and had another couple to try - we plugged the address of one into Kate and drove across town to the Thai Orchid Restaurant.
Our waiter was Pheng - very attentive and pleasant and when we mentioned the blog asked for the address straight away - that was a first. The menu has an extensive range of food and after some discussion we ended up with:
Entrees
Beef satay (strips of beef marinated in spices, grilled on charcoal and served with a lightly spiced peanut sauce) Michael
Thai Orchid mixed starters (a selection of authentic Thai starters with various sauces) Maria
Mains - we shared:
Pla Yang (Fresh sea bass marinated in lemongrass, lime leaves and fresh herbs)
Ga Yang (Chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, fresh chilli, coriander and fresh herbs and barbequed over charcoal. Served with chilli sauce)
Larb Gai (Minced chicken, fresh herbs, chilli and lime juice)
Khao Soway (Steamed rice)
Desserts - we both had Khanom - a sweet from the trolley - Banana Parfait - thick chunks of fresh banana, light layers of sponge cakes and lightly whipped unsweetened cream crowned by a halo of spun sugar. Michael added fresh fruit salad to his and I stole a piece of his mango - mmm, it helped to soothe the palate.

The meal was so delicious - it is these fresh flavours of Asia that we miss every once in a while. That Larb was the best we have ever tasted and boy, did it pack a punch! Certainly cleared the sinuses as well. Thank goodness for that mango!

Postscript
For the first time in ages we have had a good look at our blog statistics and are blown away by the visitor numbers and hits. To date, we have had a total of 2837 individual visitors to the site with a total (of a staggering) 9184 hits! Wowee. Never expected it to be so popular! We are still averaging about 20 new visitors each day and have some wierd spikes where we have got 70 - 100 new visitors in one day. And that doesn't include all of you who check it out regularly.