Being on vacation is hard work. For instance, I have just minutes to scribble this post. It's Tuesday morning. I'm in London at my cousin, Angie's, flat near Hampstead Heath. It's grey outside. We're about to take a walk into Camden Town. Last night Angie prepared the most delicious meal I have ever eaten. She made a biryani served with green beans in a curry sauce, eggs in a tomato/tamarind sauce, sauteed calabash, and carrots in yogurt. OMG! We had a Nederberg Sauvignon (South African) to accompany this. Dessert was pears poached in red wine with cardomom and cinnamon flavors. Angie's friend Suzie joined us so we had great company and conversation too.
In Cambridge on Saturday evening we had dinner with our friends Meena and Emanuel, whom we met in Cape Town a few years ago. The weather was pretty decent so we ate outside in their lovely garden. They prepared an Italian feast (Emanuel is Italian) and served excellent wine from the Verona area. Other friends of theirs were there too. It was great fun getting to know them. The conversation kept going to South Africa - all of us had some connection to the country. We raved about Cape Town's beauty and vibrancy and then expressed our great regret about the crime and poverty. C'est dommage!
Sunday, despite waking up to drizzly skies, we stuck to our decision to go punting. We prepared a picnic and off we went. The weather kept improving and it turned out to be a wonderful day out on the River Cam. Sailing along and drinking in the beauty of the trees and bushes flanking the river was quite magical. Jason and Daryl were quite the heroes, punting furiously, and getting us all the way to Grantchester. Midway along Jason opened up a bottle of champagne and got out the strawberries. Now let me tell you, if you haven't sipped French champagne and munched on strawberries (Sweet, juicy, English) while relaxing on a punt as it sails along the River Cam on an English summer's day, you haven't lived!!! I invite you to share experiences that can match this.
The two kids, Luc and Kristal, were thoroughly enjoying it all too. We were ont eh boat all of four hours. We would have got out for a tea at Grantchester, but for an overprotective family of Swans who wouldn't let us get past them. Oh well!
Yesterday, Monday, we went into Suffolk, to the villages where Daryl grew up. We visited his Grammar school in Bury St. Edmunds and strolled through the Abbey GArdens. An excellent cream tea in Bury kept our tummies happy for a long while. The day was peaceful and it was a real treat to take in the countryside. All lush and quite pretty. A walk through the fen across from Willow House (where Daryl was born) was splendid indeed.
Today we will be spending hte afternoon with our dear friends, Roger and Gil. Right now, I'm dashing off to Camden Town.
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