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Escape to USA, France and UK
  • Rosie Marzouk
7月 – 12月 2021

Escape to USA, France and UK

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1Amr and Omnia in silhouette
    2Art in the Tuileries13Chez Denise

    Musée d’Orsay and more

    2021年10月26日, フランス ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    First I have to say how good it is to spend time with Omnia. This is the first time she has been let loose after all the lockdown time the UK had, and she was basically on her own…so it is extra good that we can all enjoy out time here together. We have quite often met her here, so we know what we all enjoy. She spent the lockdown keeping fit, and could probably outwalk us!

    Today was partly cloudy, cool and lovely. We got the metro into the Louvre stop and walked leisurely over the bridge to the musée and again had no trouble with queues with our online tickets. Much more relaxing than the Louvre as it is easier to get around and not get lost. Enjoyed the wonderful art and lasted till about 2.30 when we exited and went to a nearby brasserie for a light lunch and a sit down!

    Then we headed over to the shopping area…spent time in UniQlo …I wasn’t tempted, too crowded and nothing I couldn’t live without, and it is so stifling in masks…had a drink at our usual cafe - they know us now, and we don’t need to show out Oz covid certificate! Now getting ready to set off to dinner at Chez Denise, one of our very favourite places!

    Well, just back from Chez Denise, and it never lets us down…it was wonderful…can’t describe adequately the vibe and fun people have there. The food is wonderful - and abundant! We know to order one entrée and one main to share (and even then Amr has to eat more than 50% of it!)…the waiters are funny and relaxed and it is noisy…you get a litre of wine (red or white) and pay for how much you drink. You can get proper labelled bottles etc, but the house wine is good and quaffable so that’s what we do. Omnia had a leek entrée and a salmon main which was excellent, and Amr and I shared half a chicken and some mash that rivals Paul’s. We started with the chef’s terrine. And we all shared a crème caramel…it is another place where you are close to your neighbours and chat about the food and whatever comes up. It is always full..the table near us that is empty was booked for 9pm. We were amazed watching people demolish their enormous plates of food!! We always come there and I think we always will when in Paris! Now off to bed.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Small part of the Hockney
    2Where could this be..?1St Germain des PrèsSecond best eclairLuxembourg gardens at 4pm

    Yet another perfect Paris day

    2021年10月27日, フランス ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    This will have to a quick précis of our day as it’s already 10.25…but again it was perfect weather…totally clear sky, cool, sunny…what more could you ask for? So after breakfast we set off for our visit to l’Orangerie. This was the best yet as it is so small and manageable, and we enjoyed it without feeling at all museum-ed out. As well as the Monet waterlilies there was a wonderful Hockney exhibition of his work during lockdown at his retreat in Normandy. He had drawn on his iPad which he frequently does, and then printed it all out in a long (90 metres) display going through the seasons in wonderful colours and the Hockney way…and there was the other collection of great impressionists and other that are always there. Lovely morning.

    Then we walked along Blvd St Germain admiring the beautiful buildings, visited the St Germain de Près church where we lit a candle for Ira, then had lunch at a crêperie…continued along walking, Amr bought an eclair from the patisserie that won 2nd prize in 2018 for eclairs and Omnia had a croissant that had won first prize! (I was too full of crepe)! Continued wandering round the old haunts, past the Pantheon and along rue Mouffetard full of little eateries.

    Omnia had to leave us and head back to the hotel for 2 meetings online, and Amr and I continued, stopped and had a glass of wine in a square and to our surprise a March of small children all dressed up and making a racket came along with a banner “heureux Halloween”…I didn’t know it had spread to France…then we walked back to rue St Jacques, near our old hotel Esmeralda, to look for - and found - Camino shell markings on the pavement, marking the way for pilgrims leaving Paris at Notre Dame to walk to Santiago. We had not thought about it before, but that is probably why it is called rue St Jacques…we then moved on to the Luxembourg gardens which was alive with people on this lovely afternoon - children floating boats in the pond, people sitting in the chairs around the water, and walking and playing. We sat and read kindles and enjoyed the scene.

    Then Amr had a successful time first in a CD/DVD shop he remembered on Blvd St Michel and found a particular movie he was looking for unavailable in Oz, and also looked at the little booths along the banks of the Seine and had another success there. Very happy. Then we walked all the way back to Gare de Lyon. Left at 7 and walked back to Île St Louis where we had a couscous dinner, an ice cream after and a coffee back near St Michel. It was much quieter than the hubbub of the afternoon, but still alive. Got the metro back, but still did another camino day of walking!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1Relaxing before the museum
    1Cartier jewellrySnails for JamesDesserts5The "cake"

    Another cloudless day in Paris

    2021年10月28日, フランス ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    This can’t continue…it has been a beautiful day again. We had our last museum day - the Musée des arts décoratifs. Got there early - found our tickets were for 11 o’clock, so we again wandered to Concorde and relaxed in the sun till it was time. The museum had a special exhibit on Cartier and Islamic art. That was so lovely - with so many exhibits showing the influence of the Islamic geometric designs which was so prevalent in the early 20th century, and the beautiful jewellery….there was also a history of photography exhibit which wasn’t too exciting, and the permanent exhibits were also not fabulous - some good art nouveau furniture, but the Art Deco section was closed.

    After that we had a “light” refreshment in a cafe, but it is never as light as you hope! We wanted to save ourselves for tonight’s dinner at La Coupole - a beautiful art deco restaurant where we went with Michael and family, and Omnia, in 2015! (Where James says he still vividly remembers that I had snails!).

    After lunch we did more walking, along rue St Honoré, (popped into the Jaeger le Coultre store to see their reverso exhibition), up the Champs Elysées, round the étoile (the Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by cranes at the moment) to Ave Foch and admired the magnificent apartment buildings and wide boulevards. Beautiful. And though there are always many people walking round those places, there is still a conspicuous lack of tourists - asians, Americans and arabs. All of Paris seems to have had a cleaning during the lockdown - many had already been spruced up, but now the stone buildings are gleaming, and the gold trim everywhere is almost too bright and shiny! But it all looks good. Dinner report later.

    Well now time for the dinner report…and maybe we had the best night of the trip!! We went by bus - we discovered a bus from here to Montparnasse, which works perfectly…slight panic as Amr (the efficient one) thought the booking was for 8 and found it was for 7.30…so we raced out the door, ran for a bus which had just come (running across a red man pedestrian light) and got there just about on time. Wonderful large space, art deco and a real vibe. We had a crazy waiter which was a bonus…first he said to Amr you are stressed and gave him a shoulder massage!! So that was a good start…he kept joking all night - in a good way - and recommended an Alsace Pinot, said it was better than what Amr had been going to order (and cheaper) and it was delicious. It is a large restaurant and it totally filled up. We had a Dutch (Dutch and Italian actually) couple next to us who we had a chat to, but when they left their table was very quickly filled…the streamlining of these restaurants is amazing to watch…and Amr had commented that one section was empty, when on the dot of 9 o’clock 60 young and gorgeous people all trooped in for some celebration- probably birthday as they were all much the same age…buzzing and buzzing…we saw them light a sparkler effect on an artificial cake to sing joyeux anniversaire for someone at a nearby table…then before we knew it, they did it to us, and sang it in English! Quite crazy! And our waiter took photos, and did one as a selfie, which just gets the top of his bald head, but it shows the room and vibe a bit.

    The food was superb. I had an entrée of 6 snails, so I could show James another photo of it in the same restaurant, Omnia had onion soup and Amr had a Guinea fowl and pistachio pâté. For mains Amr had kidneys in mustard sauce with spinach - delicious and what I would normally have ordered, but these days I only want small amounts and enjoyed having tastings of his! Omnia had a great seafood dish and I had a cheesy ravioli dish..yum. We got 2 desserts - Omnia chose profiteroles as she was looking for the perfect one, and I had a pavlova with chestnut cream and mandarins…both wonderful. Hard to relate the true feel of the night, but it was one of the best!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    On the walkway
    Place des VosgesIn the Bastille Opera

    Finally some rain, and the opera!

    2021年10月29日, フランス ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Even later tonight - it’s about 11.25 as we have just come back from the opera!! But to briefly remember the day - first we set off walking along a viaduct walkway (viaduct des arts or something) we see from our hotel window…and we find it goes all the way to bois de Vincennes one way (the end of the 1 metro line) and to Bastille at the other end…so we walked along it - very pretty with gardens and trees, at about the height of about 5 storeys up. And such an easy way to get to Bastille, prettier and shorter. Had a wander through the Marais and then got a metro to get to Galeries Lafayette for a bit of leisurely shopping. Home for a bit of downtime before heading off for an early pre opera dinner near the Bastille opera.

    What a thrill to go to the Paris opera for the first time, and to see Rigoletto! A bit of a kerfuffle at the beginning as Amr’s phone had a barcode but no numbers of seats and we found that we had needed to print them out…(unusual these days - and we couldn’t have on our travels anyway)..but the helpful man printed them for us and we were fine. The building is modern and not all that attractive from the outside, but really good inside I thought..sort of modern art deco style - squares and straight lines. And the opera was wonderful of course. Didn’t know the singers but loved them - especially Gilda (Nadine Sierra if anyone has heard of her), and Rigoletto was Ludovic Tézier…another fabulous day.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Walkway
    21Favourite metro entrance

    Last full day in Paris

    2021年10月30日, フランス ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We are getting sad to think that this French immersion is almost at an end. Today we had nothing planned, except a dinner at night at a small restaurant Amr had read about on Ile St Louis. It was still rainy this morning - but when I say rainy, for yesterday and today, it is very light, sometimes just showery, and hasn’t hindered us at all, or got us wet. Rainproof jackets were all that was needed, not umbrellas. And in the afternoon it cleared up, and will stay clear in the morning till about midday when the prediction is that it will rain all afternoon as we go to the airport.

    So after breakfast we decided to walk along the viaduct in the other direction and realised what a long and beautiful walkway this is. Landscaped with trees and gardens, must be an ex railway line as it goes through tunnels - very short, just under roads - or over roads…anyway that was fun and we ended up where we’d never been before and got a metro back to Opera and planned to have a visit in the gorgeous Garnier opera building, as we’d seen signs that you could visit every day between certain times, and there was a notice saying that there was an “exceptional closing” this Sat, Sun and Mon, so that plan was off. We walked along the boulevards, into some of the arcades, had a light lunch and Amr and I decided to see the Bond movie that was on - original version with French subtitles…perfect. Omnia was happy to potter off shopping. For the first time they questioned our covid pass at the cinema, said did we have also photo ID, which we didn’t. After a bit of carry on she let us in, but first time in over 2 months we’ve had any problem. Enjoyed the movie…mad as always, but the “original” version didn’t include even the English title at the beginning! And it was funny as at the beginning, without giving anything away, the movie starts with a bit of French dialogue (which of course in this case didn’t have English subtitles) and we wondered if we were in the wrong movie for a brief time! After the movie we walked round the Palais Royal and the gardens there, and got the metro back to have a pause before we went out for dinner.

    Had a really lovely last night dinner. Small place that seemed always full - as a table emptied it was quickly filled. Basic well done French food. For a French farewell I had duck with a honey and grape sauce with veg, and a crème brûlée…yum…Amr had rabbit and Omnia had fish…all happy. Walked back along the river, lovely evening, quite mild and clear. Daylight saving ends tonight, so it’s not really 11.30 now - only 10.30!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1
    Jardin des plantesWalkway from the road1

    Farewell France, now at Liverpool

    2021年11月1日, イングランド ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    This has been a weird day, as all travel days are. It is midnight here, which means it’s 1am in Paris, and yesterday that would have been 2am as today was the first day off daylight saving…so I am going to be very brief.

    The first part of the day was just lovely. After breakfast Omnia had some friends to meet, and Amr and I went walking round the familiar and favourite little streets, went into the botanical garden and had a great time. The rain predicted for 11 am didn’t happen, in fact it was bright, so it was perfect. Went back to the hotel at 1pm to check out, left the bags and walked to Bastille to have a latish lunch because we knew we wouldn’t have dinner as we had an evening flight…that was lovely too, but it had started to rain a little by 1 o’clock…still walked back to get bags and get a bus to Gare du Nord, where we could get the RER to the airport.

    That was when things went downhill…the bus to the station was fine, in fact quite a nice circuit through the city. But when we found the right platform, and we had seen departures signed for CDG, there was a small notice saying there were works (track works) and you needed to get the train to a station at the end of the line that doesn’t normally go to CDG, and there transfer to a bus…sort of fine, but there was confusion as it wasn’t a large or clear sign…anyway, after waiting a while we did get that train (which stopped at every station, was a locale, not the usual express through)…and we did all cram into a bus and end up at CDG….but that was just the beginning. When we found the EasyJet bag drop we found that it was a gigantic queue, as there aren’t the bag drop machines, and it was virtually a check in queue, for at least 10 or more flights, as everyone had to be individually dealt with at the desk. We were early (as always) and thank goodness as it took well over an hour to get through, and you had to produce not just passport, but covid certificate (fine) and the UK’s latest bureaucratic nightmare to all arriving passengers - a locator form which you fill out on line…this is to say that you have booked and paid for a covid test 2 days after arrival at an approved place and you get a number…(this is so they can check strains apparently)…so this why it was all so lengthy and complicated…we had ours but it is so crazy. Then security with all that carryon, and boarding more checking.

    Then finally boarded, no action and finally an announcement that there was a medical problem and they were waiting for paramedics (who took the passenger off the plane, thank god he didn’t have a bag to get out of the hold!), so we left late, but only arrived about 20 mins late at Manchester. And the passport check on actually entering the UK was just a formality…no asking for any forms. They let the airlines do all the hard work…

    Anyway, we are now here at Omnia’s house, and all good. She had organised “her” driver to collect us all (she travels quite often, or did pre covid, so knows a regular driver)…so that was a good ending, (although it is English weather - cold, wet and windy) and now we will try and un-hype and get to sleep…    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1Liverpool tree tunnel
    2The Mersey

    Unpacked in Liverpool!

    2021年11月3日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    It’s now Wednesday here, and we are not living out of a suitcase for the first time in 2 months! We are having a relaxing time with Omnia, unwinding and making plans for London next week. It was rainy and windy when we arrived on Sunday night, and fairly rainy on Monday, but yesterday and today are really pleasant - cold and fine.

    Amr and I go walking along the walking/cycle/jogging path nearby, that we always walk on when here. It is a lovely long flat path - obviously another ex railway track! We seem to specialise in walking along these…and like our ones along the camino this one is also a tree tunnel and very lovely to walk along. Today we discovered a turnoff that leads to a Costa coffee, and an Aldi! Had a good coffee there.

    Yesterday we went into Liverpool centre to have our compulsory 2 day post entering the UK covid tests. Surprise surprise we were all negative! So no more bureaucracy there…and there are no mask mandates here at all which is a relief and very welcome.

    Amr has been busy booking concerts in London and Liverpool, and also restaurants, and lots of good things planned! It is rather relaxing to be the land of English speakers, but the variety of accents you hear is amazing, and sometimes like a foreign language!

    We have just returned from a long walk along the waterfront…that is the Mersey. Here it is a huge waterway, which of course accommodates huge ships and a busy port. Much larger than any of the rivers we have seen recently. It was beautiful when we started, then clouds built up, but we are home now so doesn’t matter if it rains. The trees are beautiful in every stage of autumn - some totally bare, some still with all their green leaves and some in between, looking gorgeous with their branches half bare and the other half coloured and still hanging on.

    We have eaten at home the last 2 nights, but tonight we are going to a Turkish restaurant which will be lovely. We are ready for a variety of tastes after a long spell of French food!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1The very ornate pub
    1Famous men's loo1

    Life in Liverpool

    2021年11月6日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We are chilling in Liverpool with Omnia. Went out to dinner on Wednesday night…Omnia called it Turkish, but it did quite a range of food, even unto lasagna, and was very well patronised. A good meal.

    Yesterday, Friday, Amr and I went to a movie - The French Dispatch - which was a weird movie, can’t totally recommend it, but it was fun to go to! We got a bus back from the city centre which was a new experience here (Omnia had dropped us there) …we are getting to get our bearings. Then last night we again went into the city for a fancy dinner that Omnia organised..really nice restaurant- the Carriage Works - right near the Liverpool Philharmonic hall, where we will be going to 2 concerts when back from London.

    But before the dinner we went to a nearby pub for a drink as we were early. This was quite an experience…the Philharmonic Pub…was built about 1900, and is totally over-decorated everywhere…floor, ceilings, walls. Quite OTT! Amr even took a photo of the men’s loo which was known as the fanciest in England!

    Then we had dinner which was great, and I was happy as it was small artistic dishes rather then huge platefuls! And the dessert which we shared was a fancy orange ball filled with chocolate ice cream, a MasterChef type dish, which the menu says has its own blog! Also yesterday was Guy Fawkes day, and as fireworks are allowed privately there was a continuous noise of explosions and crackers most of the evening and night, even though it was a little drizzly!

    Meanwhile we walk, and relax, and on Monday get a train to London.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    At the cool bar!
    Great nails!Yum food

    London calling

    2021年11月8日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Today we got the train to London…lovely to be in this favourite city. Checked into the hotel, and went off walking through the familiar streets. We had for once booked breakfast at the hotel, but found that due to covid breakfast consisted of a pick up bag at reception, to eat in the breakfast room or in your own room…we had the option of cancelling and getting a refund which we took up…much preferable to go to a patisserie nearby…otherwise all good…no mask mandates, and we had a wonderful walk along Cromwell road to Knightsbridge, along Piccadilly, up Bond street, along Oxford street and down Regent street!

    After a sojourn in UniQlo we met Isabella, Louise’s daughter, who has been here during the whole covid experience having arrived in London in January 2020…so we were the first people from Oz she has seen since then, and we had a wonderful catch up and dinner. First Isabella led us to a very cool bar, Opium, which needed to be booked, had a bouncer and which we reached by climbing many flights of stairs!!…and then we went to Nopi, an Ottolenghi restaurant that we love. Fabulous to bond with Isabella, and food as always yum. We will have another dinner together in 2 weeks before returning to Liverpool.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1Kensington Gardens1Round Pond1Green Park1St James Park2Decor in our bedroom!

    Lots of walking round London

    2021年11月9日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Today we set off at about 9, and had breakfast at the Caffe Nero up the street. We had planned to have it at the hotel, but as a covid change breakfast now consists of a pickup bag of goodness knows what from reception, we took up their offer to cancel and got a refund of about £90! So Amr got bananas and mandarines from the shop which we had in the room, and then pastry and coffee at Nero…perfect.

    It being a cloudless and glorious morning we set off walking, this time up Kensington High Street and into Kensington gardens. Went through into Hyde Park, and up to Marble Arch where they have built an artificial “mound”…Amr climbed the many stairs up to the top but I stayed below on a bench, when I noticed huge clouds gathering…but nothing dramatic happened, it just became a cloudy day, no rain. At that point it seemed a good time to venture into shops, and we went to M and S and Selfridges, and I bought some boots (low and black) so that I don’t have to wear my walking shoes all the time, even when trying to be dressed up!

    Then we wended through Mayfair, loving all the buildings, then as it was still a lovely went again into parks - Green Park, and then after passing by Buckingham Palace to St James Park…so lovely at this time of year with the autumn leaves. Can’t remember the exact route, but we walked along the Strand and on to Covent Garden and sat and had a drink. Thus fortified, we decided to walk back, along Piccadilly, Knightsbridge, and Old Brompton Road…so it was quite a walking day all told…about 21 kms my Apple Watch tells me.

    Omnia arrived by train from Birmingham where she had been with friends, and got to the hotel around 7. So we all went down to the Indian restaurant down the road which we have been to quite a few times in the past and had a delicious meal….flavours we haven’t had for quite a while.

    Tomorrow evening we have a concert in the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank…I think we are all going to shop and do our own thing till we meet up in the afternoon….will be good.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    In the Wallace collection

    Another London day

    2021年11月10日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Just back from a fabulous concert…the London Philharmonic and Schumann’s piano concerto plus Sibelius symphony No 2…both familiar and special favourites! So my brain is whirling with delicious music.

    We started out this morning, doing separate errands…Amr wanted to do some shopping, and to call in on Spiked where Brendan O’Neil is the editor…and I had a small amount of shopping…I find that I only enjoy shopping if I have something I am looking to buy, not just wandering through shops without purpose, so it was a bit frustrating as it was a misty moisty day and not good for sitting on a park bench to read which I would have enjoyed…but it wasn’t actually raining most of the time so just walking the streets in the lovely cool air was better than inside!

    Amr and I met up at 1 o’clock and had a little sushi lunch in Selfridges (weird because of covid it wasn’t a train, you had to order online and your food came round on the train and stopped at your place!!)…and then we went to the Wallace Collection which is an amazing collection of paintings and other artworks in a big private house in Manchester Square (which inspired Frick to make his collection similarly). That was excellent, then we went to Piccadilly Circus to meet Omnia who had been also doing her thing, and we walked down to Embankment and found a place - Italian this time - to have dinner before the concert. Had a pizza for the first time for months! A good day.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Bela Bartok along the way
    One room of modern artAt the Barbican

    Another day, another concert

    2021年11月11日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    A good day again. We started out going to the Tate Britain, the original one on the river bank near Vauxhall bridge. That was good, and amazingly uncrowded, as is the whole city. You can walk down Oxford street without being permanently on a collision course with people. We actually walked to the Tate which is a fair way from Earl’s Court…we had been going to get a tube to Victoria but decided to walk and it was longer than we had anticipated.

    After a sandwich at the gallery cafe, Amr and I both took the underground - he to do some of his special things - the TinTin shop, Jermyn street for shaving things, and I went back to the hotel for some downtime. I find I am finally getting to the end of sightseeing and doing interesting things!! And it was good to just read and relax for a little while. Then we met up again at 3.30 and made our way to the Barbican as we had a concert there tonight and we wanted to find our way as it is out of our usual London area…we have been there before, but ages ago. So we found it - such an ugly area of huge concrete buildings built in about the 50s or 60s and the concert hall part is not user friendly either so it was good to find where we needed to be. We also found a nice Italian restaurant in the building too where we booked to eat before the concert, and that turned out to be excellent.

    Having sorted it all out we went to a pub on the corner - the Jugged Hare - such a typical pub, until it suddenly became totally crowded with rather spivvy financial types all having after work drinks (?at 4.30!)… Anyway, we met Omnia and had the good dinner, and a fabulous concert! The London Symphony Orchestra this time, and another great programme - Saint Saëns piano concerto No 2 (a special favourite) and Beethoven Eroica!!! What could be better…and even the shorter starting work was 18th century music by an unknown (to me) composer and not some modern discordant stuff. So very happy - I think they are putting on programmes that they know people love after the drought of concerts during covid! And it looked like a full house and it was excellent to see lots of young people, not just old fogeys, so there are some young generation lovers of classical music…refreshing to see…they seemed enthusiastic and happy. Not many photos…    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    The tax collectors!
    1Before the evening hordes

    A drizzly London day

    2021年11月13日, イングランド ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Today was a bit rainy but it didn’t matter as we planned to spend it in the National Gallery. We walked there, via Green Park, still looking gorgeous, with leaves just dropping down all the time as you watched. Past Buckingham Palace where they were about to change the guard and there was quite a crowd, and on to Trafalgar Square. You had to book in with a QR code - this was to control the numbers in the gallery, but in fact there wasn’t a crowd and you could have walked in, except they had set this up in case so you had to log in and do all the palaver! Anyway, we got in and we and Omnia went separate ways as it is impossible to all stay together…Amr and I for the first time almost feel we went through in proper order and not getting lost or straying into a completely new era of paintings! We had fun and took our time, and had a break in the middle. Very good, and at one stage we heard what sounded like pouring rain, and it probably was, as when we finally emerged there were lots of puddles, but by then it was almost sunny…it was lovely seeing old favourites…one is the Tax Collectors, which we always rudely send to Peter. And to quietly find some Caravaggios that we almost walked past…and to look at things in more detail.

    After that we walked to Regent street, in an alley where Amr has found a favourite coffee shop, and then we wandered back to Leicester square and Covent Garden as we were going to a play at the Gielgud Theatre, and before that an early dinner at Dishoon - a fantastic Indian restaurant. Amr had researched that and found that they only take bookings before 6, so we had a reservation for 5.15, and were so thankful for that….when we arrived (and met Omnia there) there was a line right down the block waiting…we got in almost right away, and could see why there was such a queue…fantastic food, Indian as we haven’t had before, and it deserves its reputation. By the time we left the line was even longer.

    Then we went on to the theatre and saw The Mirror and the Light…the stage adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s books about Thomas Cromwell…excellent and I enjoyed it immensely…not sure how it would be if you weren’t familiar with the history etc…but we loved it..although maybe not as good for Omnia as she hadn’t had those history classes or read the Mantel books.

    No more cultural bookings now. We do have a Syrian restaurant booked for tomorrow though which should be great. We had found the museums delightfully not crowded, but Friday night, walking round Leicester Square and Covent Garden, even on a cold wet November day, there were lots of people, and when we went through Piccadilly Circus to get the tube home it was very packed. Already Christmas decorations are being put up, Christmas markets being set up, and all festive.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    2Beautiful trees - bare on top
    211

    Saturday - a parade and a Syrian dinner

    2021年11月13日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Not drizzly today. Omnia was visiting friends, so Amr and I did our walk into the city centre after breakfast at Caffe Nero, our regular. Walked up Edgeware Road looking at Lebanese restaurants where we will probably eat tomorrow night. Lots of middle eastern eateries there. Then we walked down Oxford street, I had another small binge in UniQlo and then on to Amr’s coffee place where we wanted a bite to eat, but they only had cake today (which we ate)..then we got the underground to Blackfriars as we decided to watch the Lord Mayor’s Show - a huge parade, an annual event held on the 2nd Saturday in November, for the inauguration of a new mayor. We hadn’t heard of it before, but a woman in a pub told us it was a fun thing to do. They parade through the City, and there was quite a crowd…we looked it up and chose a time and place that they said was less chaotic, as the parade was returning back..Quite cold waiting, but it was good…sort of traditional, with bands, guards and soldiers in uniform, cartoony crazy groups, chandlers, wheelwrights, everything you could think of ending with a very tutti frutti ancient carriage with the Lord Mayor himself!

    Then I returned back to the hotel, Amr went to Harrods with some errand regarding watch straps (the eternal quest!) and we all met at 5.15 in Piccadilly as we had a restaurant booking for 6 pm. It was the only time we could book (Saturday night, even a couple of weeks ago) and it was a Syrian restaurant that had a great review. It was in Kingly place, off Carnaby street, and at 5.30 the whole area was totally chaotic with masses of people. Kingly place is a sort of courtyard with three levels of restaurants, and just finding the place, which was on the top level, was a feat in itself. But it was worth it. There were 4 of us, as Omnia had asked a friend to join us, a delightful man, Edward, who is English (though has spent much of his life living in other places) and now lives in Sweden with his Swedish wife of 40 years. So there we were, from different countries, in a Syrian restaurant in London, with an Italian waiter, drinking Spanish wine! The food was amazing, we did get a photo, but by that time we had demolished most of the food! Anyway, a great night, and early also, which was good as Edward gets a morning flight back to Sweden tomorrow. The crowds going back not as bad as earlier (though many many people out and about) as they are all still out and not going home for ages yet!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    3Christmas decorations on Oxford Street

    Another day, another parade

    2021年11月14日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Amazingly varied day today. We went to the Remembrance Day Parade, which is held on the Sunday closest to November 11, and is often the day after the Lord Mayor’s Show which we saw yesterday, which was fun but frivolous by comparison. Today was totally different - this was a serious ceremonial, with prayers and a hymn at the cenotaph in Whitehall, all the pomp and circumstance of bands and perfect marching, followed by the march of the veterans which lasted for almost 2 hours. We had to go through 2 security checks, and there was a large (and friendly) police presence. It was very moving, especially the 2 minutes silence after Big Ben struck 11 (Big Ben is covered with scaffolding and is not normally striking at all at the moment, but obviously was made to work for this occasion)..the total silence of the enormous crowd was quite overwhelming. The queen was to have been present but at the last minute had a back strain and was not, and Prince Charles laid a wreath. From where we were we did not see him, or Camilla and Kate on the balcony, but we were front row further up Whitehall. While we waited for the 11 o’clock gong, the band played wonderful things - British folk songs that I knew from childhood - the Minstrel Boy, Men of Harlech, as well as Rule Britannia and Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations…wonderful stuff. After a couple of hours of standing we were pretty cold and stiff!! Very glad to have gone and experienced it all. Like our Anzac Day ceremonies on steroids.

    All around Westminster was blocked off for hours so we took the tube to Sloane Square to find a warm place to have some lunch…all busy Sunday morning, and we walked in towards Knightsbridge and found a pizza place which was just right…shared a pizza and a salad and felt revived. Then Amr and I went on to the Victoria and Albert museum, Omnia went back for downtime. We had tickets for a special exhibit on bags in the V and A, and we all met up at 4 which was the allotted time. Quite fun, but I’m not a bags person really - not fancy bags, just practical bags, especially for travelling! So that was good, and afterwards we walked from there to Marble Arch and to find a good Lebanese restaurant on Edgware Road. Had a great meal, a delicious feast, but forgot to take a photo.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1Kyoto garden in Holland Park
    1Wreaths at the Cenotaph2

    A day of mooching around

    2021年11月15日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today we had no plans, except for dinner. After breakfast Omnia left for Euston to get a train back to Liverpool. We set off walking…just love walking the streets, looking at the buildings and walking through the parks. We went up to Kensington High street, and then on up through Holland Park…a new route for us. So beautiful…Holland Park is much more dense in undergrowth and trees, and there were many squirrels frolicking around. We came across a perfect Japanese garden…then walked to Notting Hill Gate…I’m always interested to see it as that was where I stayed when I very first came to London in 1964…and it is quite ordinary…along the main road, which becomes Bayswater Road it is not very beautiful or special…but we kept walking along past Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park and got to Marble Arch and Oxford Street. Sat and had light lunch and went down Bond St to Fortnum and Mason’s, then down to Whitehall to see the cenotaph now that the barriers are down. Stopped and had mulled wine in a pub, passed the Horse Guards as they were changing guard (2 horses in and 2 horses out!), and went back up to Piccadilly. I went back to the hotel for a short break, and Amr stayed on to window shop and look at things…

    We met at 6.30 and went to a fab restaurant that Amr had heard about and booked..a special occasion for our 34th wedding anniversary on 13th (when we also had a lovely dinner with Omnia and Edward at the Syrian restaurant)…it is called Noble Rot, sounds weird, but is quite excellent. Up one of the narrow streets in Soho, it is a house, quite small with many levels. Buzzing and totally full so they are doing something right. Tables filled again as soon as people leave. We shared an entrée - poached trout with spinach noodles and creamy sauce…just divine..then I had a pork chop with pumpkin and Amr had hake. Both spectacular. And a ricotta panna cotta with roasted quince and nuts and chocolate flakes for dessert. And a Rioja red.

    London (UK altogether) is expensive we find. Not like when our dollar was worth 34pence, but still eating out is huge compared to Oz, and that is not cheap either. To have bread and butter tonight cost £4.50!! That is about $8 ….mind you it was fabulous bread. The French would be horrified…bread is supplied free with any meal, as much as is needed…and French bread is matchless. This is just a comment..we are not agonising about costs..we are so lucky to be here, and are enjoying every bit.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Albert Memorial - what a beautiful day!
    Peter Pan1

    Now at Olney, bonding with Gill and Bob

    2021年11月16日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    This morning was a cloudless, bright and perfect London day. We spent the time doing more park walking as it was so glorious! Found ourselves in Kensington Gardens, past Peter Pan, the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall…it was wise to enjoy the sunny morning, as by afternoon it clouded over!

     Our train to Milton Keynes left at 1.45 - only a 35 minute journey - but it was a fast train that left from Euston, so it became quite a “journey”. Gill and Bob were there to meet us, so lovely to see them!! We are again the first Aussies that they have seen since covid. We met them in 2019 in Buxton for a couple of days, and before that where they used to live in Scotland, in the Borders. So this is the first time here in Olney where they moved about a year ago. Lovely little town and we will explore it with them. We are staying in the local pub - The Bull - which is just lovely. Have a fancy room which we forgot to take photo of before we got it all messy, so will try to remember tomorrow if the room gets made up again …(these covid days rooms don’t always get done each day..). We are a walking distance from their place, and are at the moment relaxing before dinner.

    When we arrived we went to their house and had a cup of tea and initial chat, then went back down to check in and unpack and we had a look round and found a bottle shop to get wine. Gill has made a lasagna for tonight - yum - she is a wonderful cook and hostess, and it is good to be staying at the pub as she doesn’t have to be a 24 hour hostess and can have breaks from us! We are however taking a backpack of washing to put through her machine…undies are fine, but hard to wash and dry shirts and skivvies and pants in hotels!

    …well now back from dinner…lovely home cooked dinner. Lovely evening. We will leisurely meet them tomorrow morning after breakfast here…and am sure it will be a hearty English breakfast…there were many diners in the restaurant here…a good sign on a Tuesday night.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    13

    Lovely day with Gill and Bob

    2021年11月17日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Today we had a leisurely breakfast - delicious full breakfast, eggs, toast …not great coffee!..we had that later…met Gill and Bob and they took us to castle Ashby nearby, though they hadn’t been there before, where we walked round the gardens…the castle itself not open now…the gardens were lovely, and the old church and churchyard, very peaceful and not many people.

    Came back and Gill whipped up some bruschetta for lunch and we went off again and they took us round the countryside to the farm where Gill lived as a child - this is the area where both she and Gill had lived as children, so many memories. Very pretty farm areas, with the river Ouse winding through. We passed through many delightful villages, very “English” with pretty cottages with thatched roofs, old churches, village squares…one of these was Newport Pagnell which is the home of the Aston Martin! Amr and Bob were very excited with the rather beautiful cars on show!

    Then we went back and had a cup of tea, watched Jeremy Clarkson on his TV show trying his hand at farming that we hadn’t seen, before going back to the hotel for R and R. Then Bob came down at 6.45 and we got fish and chips which we had at their place and a plum pie! What more could you want.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Olney church
    Woburn Abbey

    Another leisurely and delightful day

    2021年11月18日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Another peaceful day with Gill and Bob. After breakfast we walked with them through the market which happens on Thursdays in Olney, then round the town discovering little alleys and places we hadn’t seen, through the fields to the river - the Ouse - which turns up everywhere we go! Had a plowman’s lunch at G and B’s, then they drove us to Woburn Abbey, fairly close. The Abbey is closed for the season, but we had a great walk through the enormous grounds - this is the land of the duke of Bedford (or now his son, the marquis of Tavistock) - and it is a deer park and, except for the stags that seemed to stare at us a bit menacingly, was very beautiful and peaceful, and again stunning with the autumn colours.

    Back for dinner with G and B, and now back and ready to leave in the morning. We get a train back to London in the morning arriving at Euston, and then go to Paddington to get the train to Bristol, where we arrive at about 4 pm. A travel day coming up!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Our rather big Ibis room!

    Travel day to Bristol

    2021年11月20日, イングランド ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    I didn’t write up last night as not a lot to say, except we made our farewells to Gill and Bob and got the train from Milton Keynes to London. Then made our way by tube from Euston to Paddington where the Bristol trains leave from. Filled in the wait time having a little lunch and got the train, arriving at Bristol just after 4. Found our Ibis hotel fairly close to the station and actually have a large pleasant (usual familiar!) room for our 3 days here. Had been going to stay with Michael and Kathryn (all their children have now left home) but at the last minute Kathryn was told she had to strictly self isolate before she had an operation - she is donating a kidney to her brother and with the high covid rates extended the time of isolation…so it is sad that we can’t actually see her in person…will have to FaceTime…

    Last night Michael met us at about 5.30 and we went to a pub where we met Anna who has arrived from Birmingham, and we went and had an Indian meal. So lovely to see them and have a catch up…it is always a few years worth, except Michael and Kathryn we last saw in Sydney when they stayed with us in March 2020 and got one of the last flights back to the UK before everything shut down!! Michael now has quite long bushy hair and a beard, a result of the lockdown! Suits his persona as a teacher. Seeing them all (plus Margaret, Kate and Seamus (twin of Jess)) for lunch today. And we will try and catch Matt Vale! Will be a lovely Bristol interlude.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Kathryn sneaking out
    The wine machine

    An amazing Gorely day in Bristol

    2021年11月20日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Today has been fabulous. Michael called for us at about 10.30 (he came on one of those electric scooters, very handy for getting round town!)…and then we walked on a slightly circuitous route, with a historic guide as he is a historian and a teacher, pointing out the interesting buildings and telling us the stories behind them…ending up at Margaret’s place which is an apartment overlooking the river where we have visited and stayed a few times. On the way he had arranged that we met Kathryn,who is isolating but for the moment just has to keep her distance and she came in mask and we chatted and bonded and walked together for a while. SO good to see her, and it is killing her that she can’t join in all the fun. Anna was at Margaret’s and we then all walked a short way to the Pump House - a classy pub where we had lunch. Kate and Seamus were already there - Kate drove down from London and Seamus is at University in Manchester (he is exactly Jess’s age). So it was a lovely group, and we realised it was exactly the people who had been in Sydney after Tony’s terrible accident 20 years ago, almost to the day (it was November 18). Kate had brought Seamus then as he was a small baby, too young to leave. And I think it is the first time since then that we have seen the siblings all together - usually it is Kate in London, and the others in Bristol.

    Anyway, it was a wonderful lunch, and we didn’t dwell on the anniversary of Tony’s death. They are such a lovely and interesting family, and we just get on so well….family bond. After lunch we went back to Margaret’s and chatted, and ate chocolate biscuits…then Michael said he’d better go back and look after Kathryn, get her food etc!! And Anna and Kate said that we should now go on to a pub they knew…we weren’t sure how the day was unfolding, but were happy to go along…that pub was full of a group, so we found another and settled in, and Seamus and a friend joined us (he had left after lunch to go to watch the football match as he avidly follows the Bristol team)..it was a draw so all was well…so the afternoon progressed into evening, and we were happy…we left that pub and walked to find somewhere where we could eat, even though we mostly didn’t want a meal after the big lunch, but we finally (it was Saturday night, and most potential places were full) found the perfect place.

    It was a wine bar where you could also get small plates of tapas etc…just suited us perfectly. And it had an interesting system…bottles all lined up where you could select a wine and it would pour you a glass, and charge your card…hard to explain, but once we worked it out it was fun…Amr says to mention that the wines cost from £4.60 a glass to £15, but Felton Road was £5 more than that! So we had a wonderful chat and bond with Anna and Kate…first I was hoping that they weren’t on duty doing the family entertainment for the visiting relatives, but it certainly wasn’t that…we all have a lot of history and memories of happy visits and funny things and we had a wonderful and surprising day…

    We found our way back to the hotel, and plan to meet for breakfast…with Michael too…Kate and Anna will return home in the afternoon…lovely times.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    2Famous Brunel bridge - low tide1With Matt Vale

    Last Bristol day

    2021年11月21日, イングランド ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Another beautiful day. We woke to a clear blue sky!! Michael rang to say that we would all meet for brunch at a place Spicer and Cole at 11 am…we knew the area - Queen Square - and went out walking in the lovely morning, found the cafe which was very popular on a Sunday morning, and after a bit of walking round we queued up, figuring that by the time we got to the front of the queue and they could find a table for 6 it would be about 11, and it was perfect - the others arrived and we were seated almost straight away. So that was Margaret, her 3 children (all now in their fifties) and us.

    Lovely brunch, and afterwards we all went back to Margaret’s except for Anna who peeled off and left to drive back to Birmingham. Then Kate collected her bits and pieces (Margaret said she always leaves something) and set off too to drive to London via a friend in Somerset.

    Finally we took our leave of Margaret and Michael, Amr and I set off walking towards Southville where he lives, and where we had arranged to meet Matt Vale who now lives and works in Bristol (he is Cathy and Pete’s nephew). Walking through Bristol with Michael is an amazingly entertaining experience as he knows so much of the history of the city and the buildings and bridges (of which there are many)…a wonderful walk. Nothing is straight and I get totally disorientated - things turn up that we have passed before where I least expect it! But it is not too large a city, and Amr has a good sense of direction, and we always find our way back to Temple Meads which is the station near our hotel. The Avon river snakes through, but it has been cut off, and a new cut built (in the early 1800s) to make shipping easier, so there is an area of the real river that is blocked off, called the floating harbour. It is all really muddling walking round to know if the water is the river, the new cut or the floating harbour! A reason for all this is the huge tidal fluctuation here - the second greatest in the world I believe. When we went on our walk this afternoon the water level was almost zero - in fact Michael said he couldn’t remember seeing it so low, but you could see from all the wet edges how high it would be rising at high tide.

    So we ended up arriving at Michael and Kathryn’s place, and we had another distant contact with Kathryn (she had come with Michael to the brunch place and waved to us all and was jealous …) it must be SO frustrating not to be allowed to socialise…finally made our farewells with Michael, and then walked back to where we were meeting Matt, at a coffee shop. He and Millie arrived and that was also lovely. Millie, who has not yet met any of Matt’s family, was lovely and we had a good catch up. Matt, like all the Vale’s, is so warm and fun…we enjoyed that and then walked back to Temple Meads. They had all said it was about a 45 minute walk, and to keep walking straight ahead till we got to the river…then turn left…anyway, we made it happily…it is cold now, but good walking, and Amr amazingly recognised landmarks (the curry restaurant of Friday night) and we found our way very well! And it took 43 minutes!

    Not really hungry after brunch, but there is a little Italian restaurant near us (the rest is pretty dead on a Sunday, it is a Monday to Friday area) and we had a delicious light meal- just right, and are now having our complimentary glass of wine at the hotel (we are such faithful Ibis members) before we retire for the night!    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    Lovely London streets1

    Back to London, another beautiful day

    2021年11月22日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    We can’t believe this weather…it was cloudless and gorgeous today, though cold. But it can’t be so terribly cold (it is in single figures) but I realise that we don’t need gloves (though hands usually in pockets), and our ears are not freezing off…no hats needed. We got the train from Bristol at 10 am and were back at the hotel near Earl’s Court before 1. Left the bags there as too early to check in, and we walked to Knightsbridge, fulfilling several missions of Amr’s…

    Then I turned back, such a pleasant walk, as I wanted to change and settle in before we went out to dinner tonight. We have another great room…I think we are now honoured Ibis members (!!), and maybe that is why we seem to have good rooms, or just luck, and we always get a voucher for complimentary drinks.

    We arranged to meet at Marble Arch at 4.45, as we had a reservation at 5.45 to have dinner with Isabella again at a restaurant in Notting Hill Gate. Isabella had heard of it and booked. The days are so short now…even by 3 the sun is low, and by 4 it is getting dark, so by 4.45 it was quite dark, and cold. (I love it). We walked along Bayswater Road and Notting Hill which took a while, but pleasant walk, and found the place in Portobello Road - Gold Notting Hill. And it was fabulous, and popular. A great vibe, and exceptional food. Small share plates and a delicious variety. And we finished quite early, having had an early reservation, so back and snug in our room.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    1
    Yoga for ducks2

    Last whole day in London

    2021年11月23日, イングランド ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Yet another cloudless day…God is smiling! It was so beautiful that we first had another park walking morning…through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, just magic…then had a coffee, and then a sushi lunch on Piccadilly before going to the National Gallery again for a revisit to our favourite paintings….spent a pleasant couple of hours there, and then walked up Regent street, visited Hamley’s, and walked round in the disappearing light and the increasing cold.

    Had an early dinner at a restaurant we had seen that had a freezer full of beef in the window, and who had a pre show special menu. It was great (though I ended up not having beef..) and then we went to a chamber music concert in St Martin in the Fields church in Trafalgar Square…Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart and Telemann…what could go wrong! Now back, had our complimentary glass of wine (Australian!) on our return to warm up in the foyer…tomorrow afternoon we take the train back to Liverpool, and rejoin Omnia.    もっと詳しく

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  • Rosie MarzoukEscape to USA, France and UK旅行者
    2Sonny's card collection
    Netsuke at the V and A2Liverpool decorations

    Train back to Liverpool

    2021年11月24日, イングランド ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Not a lot to say…we had a last morning, walked to the V and A and had another wander through there..last time we mostly were at the bag exhibit….then walked back, so that was the walking for the day…just about enough to satisfy my Apple Watch, although during the train journey it prompted me to stand!! So bossy, but I ignore it.

    Easy train journey, arrived at Lime Street at 5.20 and Omnia met us, and we all went to a Spanish tapas place we had booked before we left. SO good, and then we came back, unpacked, Amr did a wash, and we all watched Shetland which we had started before, and had to pick up all the intricacies…

    Amr has been taking funny photos that he thought would amuse Jaxon and Sonny…and he has an app that can send them as a post card through the snail mail…they have been a success - he sends them from me, so I get all the credit and he does all the work!    もっと詳しく

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