Thanks to Annika and Andrews kindness we were able to stay with them yet again in their small flat in Hackney.
We feel very at home in the area now.It is a very busy area very popular with young families ss the real estate is still afordable.Lots going on.
Annika took us to the local Saturday Broadway market.Wow delicious smells coming from every stall.Food from all over the world.Just too much choice.We ended up eating our spoils on a park bench, couldn't wait to get home.
We said goodbye to Ledbury and headed down to Bristol through a corner of Wales and over the Severn Bridge.
The ground was totally saturated with flooding everywhere.We felt for the poor farmers and Villages with water lapping at their doors.
We had pre arranged to visit the Camerom balloon factory where Jeff had his balloon made 32 years ago.We were given a guided tour by the man who had dispached the balloon all those years ago. He even produced the orrigional file.
It was getting late so we booked in at a Country B and B he recomended for the night.
It was a different experience for us.Very plesant .An enormous breakfast in the morning.
Dinner was in the local Pub.Really warm and cosy on a winters night.Dinner for me was Apple and Bramble Crumble with custard.Delicious!
The next day we drove to the outskirts of Bath and used the Park and Ride service to get into the town centre.
Unfortunately we arrived in the middle of a storm so we had to rush from shop to shop.(no canopies to shelter under)
Eventually the rain stopped so we were able to explore on foot.Five hours later it was back on the bus to the car.
We tried to find accommodation in Bath with no luck.We ended up in Swindon.
The next day we headed off in pouring rain towards Oxford.We wove our way through more flooded countryside and arrived on the outskirts at another park and drive and took the bus to the town centre.We walked and walked in the rain trying to take in all the history.Amazing old historic buildings.
The rain got too much for us so we then explored the covered market.
Darkness arrived at 4.30pm so it was back to the car and back to London in the driving rain.
Oxford will definately have to be visited again in the Summer.
We had a wonderful time in Ledbury looking after a Lurcher, Jack Russell, and two cats.
Ledbury we found was a very old market town dating back to to the 1200s, with lots of well kept ancient buildings.
It was great to experience the pre Christmas build up in winter.It all makes so much sense.
All the holly and fir wreaths on most door ways.Christmas lights brightening up the dull days and very early night fall, 4.30pm.
The que's outside the butcher's shop being warmed with mulled wine and fruit mince pies waiting to collect the turkey or goose for Christmas dinner.
The dogs had two walks a day which we enjoyed as there were so many places to explore.
One day we got lost and walked for miles, the poor dogs took a couple of days to recover.
Our first purchase was a pair of Wellington boots each as all the paths were thick mud.
The farmland in front of the woods was covered in apple orchards for cider.(I
would love to return in the summer.)
After a very plesant week in Hua Hin we said goodbye to the sun and boarded our flight to Gatwick.
We arrived at 6.30am on 17th of December to a bitterly cold reception. (Weather wise.)
Second time round we knew the rail system so getting back to Hackney was very straight forward.
We hit the ground running as we only had a day and a half before our first AA job in Ledbury.
We had an early Christmas dinner with Annika and Andrew before heading off.
December 10th arrived and we were off again.
We landed at Suvarnabhumi airport at midnight so made our selves as comfortable as possible before our bus to Hua Hin departed at 7.30am
The 3 hour trip went very by fast in our coach, we even managed to catch forty winks reclining in our luxury seats.
We stepped out from our airconditioned coach into the full midday heat and trundled our bags along to the hotel we had booked on line from the airport.
After a quick freshen up we were out to explore the sights.
It didn't take long find the beach and have a swim.
It was like being in two different worlds, beachside was in relaxed holiday mode.A short walk onto the main street was full on commerce, traffc snd constant noise.
We frequented the local night market for our favourite Thai foods.
Breakfast every day was on the beach.We would have a swim between ordering and our breakfast arriving.
We chatted to the parrot every day to and from the beach.
Jeff tried his hand at Kite Surfing.Unfortunately there was very litte wind.
Hua Hin was fully embracing the Christmas spirit with very elaborate decorations.
We returned to Christchurch via Auckland where we collected the remainder of our belongings.
We spent a few very plesant days with the newly weds and also bought a car before heading south.
It was great to catch up with friends and family over the 10 weeks.
The rest of our spare time was preparing for the next leg of our adventure.
This included emptying and repacking our storage unit in Cromwell to locate our winter woolies and finding all the documentation required for Jeff to apply for his Ancestry visa.
It was so good to experience some Central Otago summer before heading into the depths of an English winter.
The day after the wedding we had to make some plans for the next week.
On good advice we decided to visit the Yasawa group if islands.
So it was back to Nadi for a night then on to the Yasawa Flyer catermaran. Five hours later we were off loaded onto smaller boats and taken to the second to last island in the group Tavewa on the Blue Lagoon.(Paradise.)
We spent the next week exploring, swimming, snorkelling and enjoying island life.
One day we spent a hour on a very powerful jet ski circumnavigating Tavewa and other islands close by.
All too soon it was time to leave, so sad farewells were said and it was back to Nadi.
