Travels 2010

Our itinerary for the next few months:
June 14 Fly to Istanbul
June 20 Cruise from Istanbul around Black Sea to Athens
July 2 Fly to Uk to see Pelagia (and Andy and Christy of course)
July 3/4 Oxford for 400 year birthday of Wadham College
July 5-8 Cotswolds
July 9-10 - Clanfield OX for Lucas' birthdays
July 11-13 Old Methodist Church - B&B Suffolk
July 14/15 Lawtons in Essex
July 16 to August 8 Seaford with Pelagia ( and Christy while Andy is in Borneo)
Aug 8-11 London
Aug 12/13 Seaford
Aug 14 Fly to Inverness to spend week in Brodie Castle
Aug 21 Iona Abbey
Aug 27-29 Glasgow
Aug 30-Sep 2 Lake District
Sept 3/4 Oxford - more Wadham celebrations
Sept 5 - 20 Seaford except 10-12 in Dorset
Sept 20 Fly home
Sept 22 HOME

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Pelagia Pearl born June 8

Christy and Andy had a daughter yesterday - 2 weeks early so she caught us by surprise. All 3 are doing well - and Grandma is recovering. Pelagia was 6lb 12 oz and 56 cms - surprisingly long given that neither of her parents are over 168cms. Her first name is Greek and means 'of the sea'- very appropriate as our family first met Andy back in about 1992 when he spent his Uni holidays as our sailing and windsurfing instructor at the Christian watersport centre on Corfu where we spent our summer holiday. The following year he was at Kos when we went there and he and Christy became 'an item'. The next year when they were both working on Kos in their hols he popped the question and they became engaged. So the greek islands are close to their heart. Those of you who know Andy are aware that he is a watersport fanatic - one reason they live right on the seafront in the UK - so a name with assosciations with the sea is very fitting. Of course it was also the name of the Penelope Cruz character in Captain Corelli's mandolin.

Pearl too has links with the sea as well as the name of Christy's paternal grandmother. And my mother has just phoned up and excitedly told me that the meaning of her name 'Marjorie' is also pearl. How about that for keeping everyone happy.

Now some photos - including Pelagia looking right at home at 8 hours old. I can't wait to see her - 3 weeks to wait!!

Richie and Kimberley's Wedding - April 15, 2010

Just a few photos from my camera. Be warned - there will be more!!!!!
It was a fabulous day - even better than we could have hoped for.

Lunch at Watson's day - the day before the wedding.

Rowan and Shannon's Wedding

Rowan and Shannon's wedding - Armidale March 27, 2010. A beautiful day.

Amira

Amira was born on October 1 - a beautiful daughter for Natalie and Jono and great grandaughter for Phil.

Hawaii in pictures

Our friends Mel and Mim, our hosts in Hawaii - they were both colleagues of Phil's at Uni of Canberra many years ago but have kept in touch.


A lovely welcome lei.



The beach near Mel and Mim's and the spot for our daily swim - a blissful 26deg in the water.


We spent a great evening at the Sheraton listening to these guys sing local songs.


The clouds never lifted form the tops of these mountains behind Mel and Mim's the whole week.


A local twist on eco lodge accommodation.


No visit to Hawaii would be complete withou a visit to Waikiki - yes it is VERY touristy but still a great place for a drink and a spot of people watching. Notice the tip of Diamond Head in the background - we climbed it later in the week.

Visiting the American War cemetry with Mim.


Spent a couple of hours in the Art Gallery - lovely collection of impressionists and some Dale Chihully glass - the only negative - we got a $50 parking fine while we were there - we obeyed the sign that said ' max 2 hours' but didn't read the one that said 'clearway after 4pm' - luckily the policeman was still on the phone ordering the towtruck when we turned up otherwise we would have been in for an even bigger shock.




Looking down from the top of Diamond Head - quite a climb but weel worth it.





Great snorkelling at Huanan Bay.

Visiting Pearl Harbour breaks your heart - the thought of the bodies of all those young men still below the waves.




At the Dole pineapple plantation.



This is a photo for Christy and Andy who LOVE hibiscus and manage to grow quite a few indoors in England - they don't thrive quite like these though.








We spent several hours at the Polynesian Village which showcases the arts and crafts of about 10 different countries of the Pacific region - a really enjoyable experience and the gardens are just delightful.


This girl is from Mongolia - hard to imagine a bigger cultural leap - not to mention the change in climate. All the staff at the Village are also students at the adjacent Mormon Uni and will return to their home countries once they graduate.









This is the old pedal organ in the chapel in the Polynesian Village - my mother will recognise it instantly - she played one for MANY years at the Banyo bapist Church in Brisbane and I slept/played/yelled next to the pedals form when I was 2 weeks old.