Central Europe 2018

Time to take a breather and to catch up with old friends! The sun returns!  Hasn’t been away for long! Now we can explore our beloved Dorset again: And to re-acquaint ourselves with Weymouth - many a happy summer’s day was spent here in our childhood. Mostly on this crowded beach though - where the safe shallow waters and deep sandy beaches are the perfect childhood haven. Along with all the tourist trappings - pin ball arcades, candy floss, stickers of sticky rock, and donkey rides - all still there.  No Punch and Judy puppets though - those are a thing of the past now.

The weather has changed - some welcome rain, but not enough to dampen our spirits on our last few hours in Devon.  Terry gave us a mini-guided tour of the Roman city wall - I hadn’t realised that the Romans came this far south!  And as the sun occasionally broke through the clouds we happened upon some pomp and ceremony outside Exeter Cathedral - I think it was a citizenship ceremony. Time for coffee - in the rather special cathedral cafe - got a chance to practice my photographic skills for capturing the colours of stained glass windows. The city centre is an electric mix of old and new. It’s a city worth taking time to explore - something we ran out of. Farewell Devon.  We’d love to come back.

Who’d have thought?!  Tropical weather in Devon!  Even breakfast and dinner out in the garden!  The weather did break on the third day here, but it was in fact, most welcome to get a refreshing breeze and shower or two of rain. Not before a sweltering day at the Eden Project.  Somewhere we’ve known about for years but never had the chance to experience.  What an amazing place!  To think, only 20 years ago it was an old clay pit!  Now look at it -  We were very fortunate because the walk to the top of the Tropical Dome was open - once the temperature reaches 40 deg its closed off - it was only 37 when we were there - and hour later it was closed!  We were able to take advantage of a narrow window of opportunity by arriving early, just at opening time before the sun was too high, but Phew, it was steamy! Such a fascinating place to go.  It changes each season, and they are constantly renewing and refreshing their plants. What a contrast th...

We  hired a car and left “the big smoke” behind us.  Away from steamy London the weather by the sea in Devon is much more pleasant..  And just perfect for a slow stroll around this picturesque little seaside town. And finished the day eating fish & chips and supping cool drinks on “the back beach” with Julie and Terry, then joined by their daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren.

Water - Water!  That’s what we need on yet another hot day. We started with a museum, thinking it would be a cool place to be.  Turned out it was - though dark as well.  We went to Dennis Severs House in Spital fields.  A strange little museum which is like a time capsule of life in and 18th Century world of a family of silk weavers.  Quite Dickensian, cobwebs, decaying and fragmenting parchments and clothing along with the detritus of everyday life.  They said “as if the owners had just stepped out of the room for a few minutes”.  Cups of tea half drunk - fresh bread sliced ready for the taking: fireplaces with the sooty embers of coal in the grate.  And on the top floor, a couple of lodgers rooms where Fagin in Oliver Twist could easily have lived! It was all a bit weird.  Anyhow, it was just a couple of blocks from Spitalfield Market where we had lunch.  But we made our choice of venue BEFORE Alan spied these offerings - I think he wa...