On The Island

All packed and ready to go I headed off for Stansted for my CTA flight (yes, they are still flying!) A good flight until I went to duty free on landing at Ercan. Three kiosks and I chose the middle one who wanted me to pay £3 more a pack of cigarettes, than the price I paid when I left. I paid the money and then went to Kaner who gave me the correct price, so I returned to the first kiosk and asked for my money back and also asked him why he thought he could get away with charging me more than he should have done and what a welcome for tourists, yes, they rip you off the  minute you step foot on North Cyprus soil. I gave him the change he had given me and he handed over ONE £20 note, no I had given him two. Well tried again! I just got the Cyprus shrug and gave him the cigarettes back. BEWARE of being overcharged on entering Ercan airport.

I arrived home and later collected Rosie from the kennels, as usual she went mad.

Mal carried on working while I went shopping for him to fill up the fridge, freezer and cupboards before my departure.  Me and thousands of others who obviously decided they were all going to need twice as much as usual just because it was a Bank Holiday weekend. The supermarkets were packed and queues to get out of anywhere.

In the evening I found it difficult to find somewhere to pack my case, exam papers and portfolios were taking over!

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More photos from Kew Gardens:

Mal took the day off from marking and I had the last of my birthday ‘treats’…….a day out at Kew Gardens. Thankfully the weather was really good. We decided to go by train as we would be walking round all day and I didn’t fancy doing all the driving as well. Yes, I now have a Senior Railcard!!

If you print out a voucher from the Internet, there are numerous places you can visit in London, show your rail ticket and voucher and you get 2 for one entrance, which of course we did and had concessions anyway because of our age. Oooh, I like this being 60!

It is years since either of us had visited Kew and it was a great day. I took so many pictures that I think I will have to spread them over a few days. I don’t like heights but decided I had to face my fear and so joined Mal up the steps of the Tree Top walk. I went up and up and started the walk and then it started to sway, that was it, Mal continued and I went back down…coward.

We stayed until it closed and then caught the train to Alexandra Palace to visit Tristan, Amanda and our new baby grand daughter Violet. She is gorgeous, yes, I know I am biaised about all my 10 grandchildren.  It was a long day and we didn’t get home until after midnight….exhausted.

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Mal heard from the opticians and having returned for a second test concerning the pressure behind his eyes, they are now refering him to the GP, who I guess will then refer him to a consultant.
I went shopping and Mal marked all day. Pretty boring stuff…for Mal I mean. All the shops seem to have deals on for the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend.

A day spent with Mal tearing open parcels and doing all the paperwork and stacking even higher piles of marking.  I cleaned up and tried to keep some of the caravan free for living in!

The weather started to change, no suprise. Mal went off to his meeting while I entertained myself round the shops. When Mal had finished we drove back, stopping at Bluewater in the quest to find a wedding outfit. More oranges and lime green…yuk! We then drove on to Herne Bay and stopped there for our dinner along the sea front. Yes, the weather had changed. The sea was rough and we nearly got blown away walking to the restaurant, the short distance along the sea front and it was a cold wind.  When we arrived back at the caravan, piles and piles of more parcels. The caravan is getting too small!

Mal and I went to Vision Express to have our eyes tested. I have to say that it was the most thorough eye test I have ever had. Yes, we both need new glasses.

Mal had ordered some jewellery on line from a jeweller’s in Chester for my birthday, to cut a long story short they took the money and then weeks later said they were not making the item any more. This left Mal little time to choose anything else, apart from the excellent Mediteranean flower book he bought me and also a squezze box (internet radio/ music centre). So, as both my engagement and wedding rings get really tight in the heat in Cyprus, I decided to have them made slightly bigger. My engagement ring was an antique ring bought from Cuttings in Margate  and they made my wedding ring to match it. As they are such a reputable jeweller we went back there. They will both be ready on Friday and Mal also bought me another antique diamond, platinum and gold ring, for my belated birthday present!

We then went back to the caravan and packed yet again and headed off for Coventry where Mal had another meeting the following day at the Hilton. There were no rooms available at the Hilton so we had to stay in the Premier Inn. I have to say we had our doubts but it was excellent and for food you use the restaurant next door, Taybarn….never heard of them but for £7.99, it is eat all you can!!  This includes soups, salad, chinese, grill, carvery, fish and chips, all the deserts and much more!!  We also discovered that OAP’s can eat there during the day for £3.99!! There really are some bargain meal prices to be had in the UK now. So, we had a good meal and a bottle of wine and then back to our room to watch the football. I know England won but not exactly a sparkling game on their part! We had the air con all night as it was still very warm – unusual for the UK in May!

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