23/24 October

Wow - what a day. A long one, a very long one. We left Enfield mid afternoon yesterday, Peter dropping us off at Terminal 5, for our BA from Heathrow to Lusaka, Zambia.

A nine and half hour flight, but overnight, so we all managed to get a little sleep, at least.
Arriving in Lusaka was a different world. Heavy rain, hot and humid. Clearing immigration was an agonizingly slow process, but was a good lesson in slowing down from the bustle of London.
Checked into our domestic flight to Mfuwe, which was very much like the trip from Toronto to Kingston. A small airplane, and a small destination airport.

But all in all, good flights overall, and no real hitch.
The drive from Mfuwe airport was a quick immersion into African village life along the road to Kafunta Lodge, located on the bank of the Luangwa River, just outside the national park.

But – no time to rest!
Lunch immediately on arrival in the main ‘lounge’, overlooking the river and wildlife as far as the eye can see.
Giraffes, hippos, elephants, warthogs, antelope, and oh, such a varieties of birds. All from the lounge!
A couple of hours for some unpacking and a brief nap, then off, on our very first safari – a three hour drive through the bush, with an eyepopping stop on the bank of the Luangwa River



to watch hippos, and elephants crossing.

Back to Kafunta Lodge after sundown for a further hour of night safari . . . by power flashlight. . to sight our first leopard, stalking it’s dinner (no, dinner got away).
But our dinner waiting for us on arrival back at the Lodge!

Time for some more family catch-up, at Jamie Italian, St Alban's with the Buckleys.

Europe and beyond . . . .

My annual trip to Rungis has coincided with our family dream to go ‘on safari’, and thus this year I don the guise of advance party. Perhaps the word party is a little over appropriate . . . .
Heading out a week or so before Mar and Jenn, off to the UK to take a few days to adjust to jet-lag, one of those little things in life I find less easy to cope with as the years roll by. The ‘girls’ will go through the same process later this week, all in preparation for the trip south. We want to be in top form for hippo and elephant watching.

Meanwhile, this last week has been full of pleasant surprises and catch-up.

A trip down to Cardiff from London last week, to spend the evening with Di, Lisa and Chris. Been awhile since we’ve seen each other. . . .

The trip also provided the opportunity of tracking down long lost relatives. Family genealogy has been one of my passions for a number of years, and a long lost aunt discovered led me to the door of her son – my cousin – in Portishead, just outside Bristol. An afternoon of chatting and comparing family past over cups of tea, and a photo of my aunt May and Charles Harding on their wedding day in 1930.

That was a real turn up for the books!

The week then preparing for the annual gathering of like minds in Rungis (Paris) for the Association Francaise des Collectionneurs de Baionnettes, a bunch of blokes from around the globe with a common interest in rusty steel.

Always a pleasure to meet up with old friends, trade yarns and perhaps discover that elusive piece missing from your collection. It also doesn’t hurt that Paris is a treat to visit. See the sights, visit a museum, and party just a little . . . .

2021

Irish Spring - 2013

We didn't get much of a chance to post views of our trip this past Spring. Returning home, the summer has been filled with house building, and not much chance for anything else. But with the end in sight, and essentially only painting to finish a couple of rooms, we're almost done.

Time for some 'catch up'.

Ireland has been beckoning for some time now, and although it was a very wet spring in most of the UK and Eire, we seemed to strike it lucky, and had only a couple of days with rain. Temperatures were cool to cold, I guess expected for that time of year, but the sunshine allowed for a lot of picture taking. It didn't seem to matter where you point a camera, the views are spectacular.

Our first few days were spent in Belfast, catching up with friends and taking advantage of some of the really excellent restaurants.

A visit to Belfast Botanical Gardens was ideal on a wet day. Certainly not crowded!

Leaving Belfast behind, and onwards to the north coast, Co. Antrim and the rightly well-know town of Bushmills. Off peak, and a luxuary stay at the Bushmills Inn, just down the road from the distillery.

We were fortunate to hit the coast in the wake of an Atlantic storm, the little harbour of Dunseverick offering a spectacular display of the power of water . . .

Surely Ireland must have some of the best beaches in the world . . . . Whitepark Bay. If only is were warmer . . .

Ballintoy is another small, picturesque harbour just up the coast. Lots of history, but now a tourist attraction.

This time of year . . . no tourists . . . just us!

Lots of castles, or what remains. Dunseverick Castle, very medieval.

. . .and you can't leave Antrim withot a visit to the Giants Causeway . . .

Further along the coast . . .and another castle - Dunluce!

But it's the ocean that dominates. You can easily imagine how the men of the Spanish Armada must have felt when they were swept around the west and north coast of Ireland, storms destroying them against the rocks . . .

Farewell Bushmills. A friendly place . . .even the postmaster wanted to get in the picture . . .

Springtime in Co. Mayo. What would spring be without wild primrose, golden gorse, lambs (mmm - yummy!) and beautiful vistas.

Who needs beaches in Spain, with this at your doorstep?

. . .and who needs a restaurant, when you can picnic like this -

. . with a view like this!

If you're a fisherman, well, rivers like the Bundorragha, and many like them, offer good sport.

Our final stop - Dublin - a great B&B, and a tour of the City, before heading back to Belfast, and flight home!

Easter 2012, Conac, France

Return to Conac for an English family Easter . . .some random pics of the marshes and Gironde estuary, Easter dinner, egg hunting, resting, and dog walking!