Finally I am trying to get back on track and fill in the last few weeks of our trip. My apologies if you've been looking for this.!!! So hopefully there will be a couple of posts over the next few days and then some more in a week or so time.
As the title implies I've been back to the UK for a short trip.
It was decided a couple of years ago at the annual “Family Gathering” (usually just my siblings and spouses) that a Great Green Gathering or GGG (our family surname) would be held this year. The hope was to get together my generation as usual and as many as possible of the grand-children and great grand-children to honour our parents died within 3 months of each other in 1996/97, aged 87 and 88.
It was decided a couple of years ago at the annual “Family Gathering” (usually just my siblings and spouses) that a Great Green Gathering or GGG (our family surname) would be held this year. The hope was to get together my generation as usual and as many as possible of the grand-children and great grand-children to honour our parents died within 3 months of each other in 1996/97, aged 87 and 88.
Carol and Stephen offered to host this in Beaulieu (where we house-and-dog sat last year) as they have plenty of room for tents etc! When the date was agreed, Chris & I had expected to be back in the UK but as we delayed in Trinidad we were still cruising and be on our way home. Luckily, though, the date coincided with the time we were due to be in the Azores and I decided I could fly home to be there.
Accordingly, I had booked my flights while in Antigua but unfortunately Chris felt that he could not come as well as there was still some work to be done and he did not know if we would be able to leave Moontide somewhere safe.
Horta has a tiny airport in a wonderful position looking out to sea, where there is still a viewing area before security!
Horta has a tiny airport in a wonderful position looking out to sea, where there is still a viewing area before security!
One of the other amazing features was the lounge where boat-crews flying home had added their pictures to the walls.
Once again there were some amazing pictures to look at - just as well really as not only was I notified that my flight was delayed by 2 hours early in the morning, but it was further delayed by another 11/2 hours whilst I was at the airport!
Luckily for me I had a long stop-over in Lisbon so it was not a problem - unlike some fellow travellers who were in danger of missing connections!
One of the other amazing features was the lounge where boat-crews flying home had added their pictures to the walls.
Once again there were some amazing pictures to look at - just as well really as not only was I notified that my flight was delayed by 2 hours early in the morning, but it was further delayed by another 11/2 hours whilst I was at the airport!
Luckily for me I had a long stop-over in Lisbon so it was not a problem - unlike some fellow travellers who were in danger of missing connections!
I had absolutely brilliant 2 weeks in the UK; spending time with my family, spending time at Carol & Stephens for a couple of days getting the car MOT’d at a garage in the New Forest so we would be able to use it as soon as we were back, moving on to my sons and then back again, of course, for the GGG itself.
It was an amazing weekend!! All the grand-children made it including my nephew and his wife from Canada. Not all the partners were there for a number of different reasons but 7 of the great grand-children made it too so there was a gathering of over 30, aged from 21/2 to 78!!!
Luckily, there was plenty of room both in the house (for the oldies) and outside for tents, a tepee and a campervan for the rest! Within half an hour of a new person arriving suddenly there was a new tent tucked away behind a tree!! The fridges, freezers, cool boxes and water-cooling buckets (all already fairly full) were soon overflowing with food, wine, beer, prosecco and even some actual champagne – a good time was certainly on the cards.
Luckily, there was plenty of room both in the house (for the oldies) and outside for tents, a tepee and a campervan for the rest! Within half an hour of a new person arriving suddenly there was a new tent tucked away behind a tree!! The fridges, freezers, cool boxes and water-cooling buckets (all already fairly full) were soon overflowing with food, wine, beer, prosecco and even some actual champagne – a good time was certainly on the cards.
Carol and her family catered for (nearly) us all on Friday night; with salmon, lasagnes, casseroles of pork and chicken - they had all worked so hard for us all! Saturday was BBQ time and everyone had bought enough (and more than enough) for themselves so the BBQ was awash with food; my sister-in-law and sister had brought cakes and deserts and we had all brought one piece to cheese to make up a huge cheese board. WOW what a feast we had. It carried on for Sunday lunch as my sister had brought a baked gammon (one of her specialities for family parties) so with that and any leftovers we feasted then too
It so great to catch up with my nephews and nieces and their families and we were so lucky with the weather. Stephen and Carol have a natural swimming pond and we were all able to take advantage of that during the day and some brave bods even had a mid-night swim on Friday!!
There jenga bricks that the little ones and my niece Rachel and Rob and Sarah made into a domino run off one of the tables that eventually worked at about 10.00 at night and on Sunday morning we were able to play croquet on the pitch(?) that Steve had marked out.
As what’s-his-name on Strictly Come Dancing would say it was FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!