Bobbies on by circles....

Well I did see two on horses and two minding  Parliament.

Yes Westminster Abbey and the Tower of Big Ben is still here

We appreciated Phil and Julia coming and meeting us helping us with further initiation of the Underground and London.

 A wosh, and a roar and  we would be off on a noisy,rattling, shaking ,underground moving experience.

Mick and Lisa had said leave our manners behind and just go for it. Karen was a bit slow at one station and I had just got on and the door was shutting so I put my arm out! Ow!! the door shut on it!! Fortunately it opened again , Karen jumped on and we we off.    

I think we have seen or been to every Monopoly name. 

arty and 

It was great going with Phil around the University of Arts London which he had a big hand in building.

A Lot of people would come up and acknowledge him , what a massive project and what a wonderful historical, up to date place for the arts to thrive.

Well I will let some pictures speak. 

I liked the herbs outside the restaurant, the ping pong tables, and the many other miracles which have been worked out an old   granary site to an exciting place student  compete to attend.

 Off to France in the morning .

Arohanui.

God bless,

Ian and Karen Davidson

Ps went to Lion KIng

Blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover

Actually we didn't see any  blue birds,however we did sing the song on our way to Dover .

Iconic names and places have come alive Canterbury Cathedral , Sandwich the Grand Old Duke of York..and of course the white cliffs of Dover,and Dover Castle.

Staying with Lisa ,Mick and  Chloe has been great lots of laughter and local knowledge giving us a inside information of what to see.

Our base has been the village of Aylesham, like Reefton and Tennant Creek a mining town where people in the community are known to each other.  We have felt very much at home here.

The size and history of Canterbury  Cathedral the organ music and pealing bells the high roof and looking out seeing the stories told in  stained glass.

Hearing that they were all taken out during the war and put in a coal mine for safe keeping. Men on the roof to throw the incendiary bombs to the ground . A railway line put into the cathedral to fill the insides with earth to protect it from shockwaves if bomb landed. 

It felt like a special place I even saw that one the Bishops buried there was a Davidson.

I 'll finish this now as we off in a tube??!! To London Town!

Here are some recent pics

Arohanui

God bless

Ian and Karen

 

   

'England Swings Like a Pendulum Do'

Haven't seen the Bobbies yet!

I did however had some duct tape off me by Irish customs as we left from Cork.

I had used it  to patch a travel worn suitcase.  They thought I might tie someone up! 

The rope I use for magic tricks was beside it ,they were not worried about !

What a wonderful welcome In England from Lisa and Mick at the airport . We were looking to go through customs instead  there was a yell from Lisa and great hugs and kisses.

 

Some of their family and friends around at their house for a  joyful greetings welcoming us last night. 

There was  the great All Black ,Springboks battle on the tv . Great!

We are in a village set in the  beautiful Canterbury countryside not far from Dover we are off to visit the Cathedral today.

God bless

Arohanui

Ian and Karen Davidson

Cork

Some pictures from the walls of Cork. 

off to UK 

God bless

Arohanui

Ian and Karen Davidson

Heart of my heart !

'Heart of my heart.' 

That is what a group of singers' sang to us when Karen asked are you going to sing to us and they did in the restaurant last night here inWaterford.

I had nice little balloon heart to give them .

The European championship of Barber Shop singers is being held here this weekend.

Waterford pics coming up . I didn't realise the Vikings used to hang out here.

Sorry Joel some pirate's stole the cannons!

Soon of to Cork. 

God bless Arohanui 

Ian and Karen

aren

City of a thousand welcomes

In Dublin's fair city....the taxi driver sang to us from the airport with us filling in the gaps as he checked out that we knew the song.

Molly Malone stands now in bronze the locals call her,' The Tart with the cart !'

The taxi driver quizzed me on my knowledge of the All Blacks and the names of the other NZ sports teams. Saying he would charge us more if wed didn't know the answers. 

Had a Guinness pie for tea last night and porridge like we had in Scotland for breakfast.

It is raining at present keeping the Emerald Isle nice and green.Very nice.

I write this on a bus with WiFi heading for Waterford where my great grandmother Ellen Macdonald came from.

The Irish are very friendly and welcoming, stories and songs all around.

This is another step along the way for us.

God bless

Arohanui 

Ian and Karen 

Rome

The saying ,'All roads lead to Rome.' Is true when it comes to tourists  

The  colosseum and sacred sites are thronged by thousands .

All a bit much for these two 'outback wanderers.'

We have snapped a few pictures enjoyed people watching and write this from the airport hotel where tonight we meet up with  Allan and Margaret my brother and sisterin-law.

A big thunderstorm here yesterday with lightening and thunder storm putting on a a dramatic show 

dwarfing all the statues and mighty building of Roma.

The rain birthed many sellers of umbrellas and ponchos we bought a couple and made our way to a hop on and off bus. 

It cleared after a couple of hours  which meant  last night we could be serenaded below our windows by a man with his guitar sining for the on the restaurant on the path late night dining.

We had gone out earlier and had a fine Italian meal .

Tomorrow we head for an Irish adventure.

Arohanui 

God bless

Ian and Karen Davidson

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