Oriana

We had a really great cruise and loved the Oriana. We crossed the Bay of Biscay in a Force 12 and hid the end of a tropical storm in the Med – but it was generally warm and pleasant at the various ports, and we could wear summer clothes. Cairo was very hot with a smog over the city – 18 million people and 16 million live on subsidised bread and beans. We were of course pestered a bit but there was no aggro – I liked the lively, cheeky people! The Pyramids and Sphinx were great – on the Giza plain above smoggy smelly Cairo.

We also visited archaeological sites in Greece and Turkey, and Sardinia and Spain. Ephesus at Kusadasi was stunning – it must have been a splendid city with it large Temples, Librray, Fountains, enormous Amphitheatre, Stadium, Gymasium (School) etc – nearby is the ruins of the Temple of Artemis (Diana of the Ephesians) like the great Pyramid of Cheops one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world – now just one great Ionian column. We went to great places like classical sites, amphitheatres and crusader castles on Cyprus and Rhodes, and visited Poseidon’s Temple at Sounion near Athens – and loads more stuff. Our cabin was large with separate living section and balcony, and we had wonderful service. The food was great all the time but I did manage to be selective and put on no extra weight. Penny enjoyed the cruise, went to talks and attended a Pilates course each day. It was a shock getting back to winter in Hampshire – but it is actually very beautiful here with our large trees, green hills, sunrises and sunsets – so I am back to granddad duties and the school run – and soon it will be Christmas… we are already thinking about another winter otr autumn cruise perhaps in the Caribean…

The Oriana

We embark at 13.15 tomorrow and are away for two and a half weeks - see my new Oriana Blog on http://onthemed.blogspot.com/ 

Stephanie and Leah - cousins

What to do on a wet Sunday afternoon? Have your photos taken. Our two oldest grandchildren. 

Here is Terstan again - we are having some warm sunny weather this October. I have been sitting out in my shorts and sunglasses feeling like its high summer - until about 4 pm when the evening begins to draw in - not like the long lazy evenings of the usual English summer!

Have fun anybody reading this - I dont expect there is anyone but what the hell - surprise me someone and make a comment....!

Terstan this morning 

Little black French dog 

Le Group Anglaise - but actualy we were from Argentia, Australia, USA, Ireland, Scotland as well as England - taken by Guillaume at a garden near Vendome 

Paul Davis took this picture of our Hornet's nest. These gentle giants are very large wasps, but less intrusive - they are meant to only sting if disturbed. They also fly at night and come into a lighted house after dark droning deeply but not chasing you like a wasp - this happened to us a couple of evenings ago - Penny caught it and put it out. They are a protected species apparently and good for the environment. 

Me Sonadora and trainer Stan Paul with Sonadora on August 20th - this picture was taken by Nicola Russell of the MS Trust 

My MS - an update

My MS was reviewed a couple of years ago by Pofessor George Ebers at Oxford - I appear to have an atypical form of MS, not usually found in people with a European origin - it is a form of Optico-spinal MS, and I am apparently some sort of transitional case between modern European MS and an ancient precursor from times when Europe was being re-occupied by people from Anatolia through north eastern Europe and then Finland after the Ice Age! (Finno-Ugric peoples like the Samis or Lapps, Samoyeds etc living as nomads in certain parts of north eastern Europe and Scandinavia today.)
This is of some interest to researchers, like Professor Alistair Compston at Cambridge, investigating the origins of MS and how the relatively common form of the disease developed in people of north European stock in the world today. The good side of this is that my MS has not progressed and I am relatively little disabled, still walking with a stick and having had no relapses for about 20 years - I have had MS now for 40 years and the worst symptoms were in the first 15 years when I had several episodes of optic neuritis and difficulties with legs and bladder.

The Cherry Eaters...

Stephanie with Kayleigh at Lyme yesterday

Tracy took this picture of me on Sonadora yesterday 

We went to the exhibition at OVADA in Oxford yesterday - I took this picture of Penny with part of her Art Installation

Diana and Dick St Ruth gave me this lovely Buddha rupa when they came to visit me at Lyme recently - it is there on my desl quietly contemplating the restless sea! 

I stropped off in a strop....

For Liz


“I stropped off in a strop – with the dogs.”

Truffle allowed these words to reverberate around his domed shaped cranium before averting his eyes and responding “All men are bastards” which he thought might be expected by Becky Creighton –Smith. She had pierced him through the heart with a laser-like stare and threatening smile.

Truffle had lived for over half a century and he was just beginning to understand women – or at least some of them. He was also trying hard to be a bastard himself, and thought that he might eventually succeed if he kept practicing – but had failed again.

By saying “All men our bastards” and colluding with Becky with the electric blue eyes he had yet again failed to be a bastard himself. Carl Jung had said something to the effect that nice people were people with nasty ideas – and Truffle thought that the opposite was also true – that bastards were men with nice ideas – and he wanted to be one very badly – to be like his friend Scrapps who referred to people who were not bastards as “motley fuckers”

Truffle did not want to be a motley fucker but he knew that the paranoid potter Scrapps had labelled him thus. What would Scrapps have said to Becky if this had happened in the pottery class? Truffle could not think, but it didn’t matter because at this point he felt a warm wet sensation on his left calf – and realised that one of Becky’s dogs must have peed on him – what now – to ignore it like a nice person with increasingly nasty ideas or mention it. Mention – hardly the right response – to complain – too wimpish – no he had to be a bastard!

Truffle tried to look at the stunning Becky, and said under his breath “Your dog has peed on my leg.” Becky pricked her ears, and growled “What did you say, you spineless jelly-bag – Truffle look at me - what did you say just now – speak up you silly little man!”

“Your dog – your dogs are very nice – all sugar and spice”

Becky curled her lip, and Truffle knew even more surely that, like most men, he was not a bastard but a motley fucker.

“Normal bollocks” barked Becky, and bared her canines menacingly.

Sandy

Sonadora de Esteban

Sonadora de Esteban

Sonadora, my fine Paso Fino mare arrived on Friday. She is recovering from her long journey from Florida via Amsterdam. See the Sonadora de Esteban page on my website.  

Emelia, Polly, Edward and Rosie at Terstan today - they are off to Australia soonish with Alice, their Mum, and Mike, their Dad who took this lovely shot by the River Test 

Here is Sonadora - I have now bought her and shipping her over here in June after a month's quarantine in the US. She is expecting a foal in April. I am looking forward to meeting her soon! 

Here is a picture of the lovely and beautiful Della with three happy dogs - Della is coming to live here while we are away for just over a week at Lyme and Cornwall - we will be back Easter Day. Thank you for all your love and help Della - always much appreciated m'dear xxx