Lunch at Cardiff Bay

Last night we all decided to eat out at a nearby pub, the White Hart in Talybont on Usk. It was an eighteenth century coaching inn and very quaint, with very good pub food. Today was yet another beautiful sunny day in Wales, and James and I decided to visit Cardiff. Our reasons were that a) we have never been there and b) we were nearer it than we are likely to be in the foreseeable future. So we said our goodbyes to the rest of our group who were setting off on the long drive north, and James and I headed west. Having just a few hours to spare, we decided to go to Cardiff Bay which is the regenerated area where the old docks were, and which we have seen on various television programmes including Dr Who and Torchwood. It did not disappoint, the area is smart and nicely designed, and includes the Welsh Assembly and the Opera House. We were instantly attracted to "The Doctor Who Experience" in its own building, so we signed up for the next tour. What fun! The tour (clearly designed for children but attended on this school day only by geeky adults like us) took us through several rooms where we had to avoid Daleks and wrestle with the controls of the tardis in order to save the universe. Then we were let loose in an excellent exhibition hall full of original costumes of all the doctors and their assistants, as well as scary monsters such as cybermen, Daleks, weeping angels eyc. It was tremendous. Then we walked all the way round the waterfront and had lunch sitting outside Carluccio's in weather so warm that we had to sit in the shade. It is a lovely area and I would have no hesitation in returning there, though I can't imagine when that will happen. 

My three boys

I'm sitting in the sunshine outside our hostel in Wales and I have just spoken to all three of my boys! First Ally phoned me from Cambuslang about an admin job that he is doing for me; he is also taking care of the cats who were misbehaving in the background. Then Davie phoned; I had left a message for him because he hadn't been replying to texts for the last few days. It turned out that his phone has been out of battery and texts sent during that time haven't come through. He is still having a great time in Dundee, although like it like many of the other students he is suffering from "Freshers' Flu" and was coughing horribly. He said that one of his lecturers sends the students who are coughing to one corner of the lecture theatre, which he calls the plague pit! He says that he is pleased that he has started the course in first year rather than second year, because it's very fast moving and already building on what he knows. 

Inspired and cheered by talking to two of my sons, I decided to give Jamie a call in Edinburgh, and he answered the phone straight away, he had been just about to get into the shower. We had a brief chat and made some plans to meet up just after David's birthday for a meal.

It has been really nice to speak with all three of my lovely boys.

Usk Valley Trail

James was working on Friday and Jennifer came up to the Ardencote Manor to join me for the morning. We had a really lovely time; we went to the jacuzzi and chatted in the sunshine, then we had lunch in the attractive dining room and chatted some more. I wish we could spend more mornings like that! Then James arrived back at the hotel early afternoon and we set off for our two hour journey into Wales, which unfortunately turned into a three hour journey due to roadworks. I haven't been in Wales since a one night stay in North Wales about 45 years ago as part of a family holiday. As I recall, the bed and breakfast that we stayed in was dirty, the owner would nowadays be under great suspicion for the way he touched Jennifer and me, who were both under ten years old at the time, and it was raining. However it would be unfair to dismiss a whole country based one bad experience - especially the rain, of which we have plenty in Scotland - and it is only by chance that I haven't been back since.

Well, Wales is certainly looking beautiful today in the warm Autumn sunshine under a cloudless blue sky. We are staying in the Brecon Beacons area in a very pretty hostel built from grey local stone, where James and I have an ensuite room. It's basic but clean and it's set in a gorgeous valley. After the others set off for their walk up the hills, I sat outside in the sunshine before going on my own walk through the woods, down across a field and along the river on the Usk Valley trail. My crutches were useful on the uneven ground and I made good speed. I spent a while sitting beside the river reading my book and it was absolutely idyllic. So idyllic that it made me sad. 

Sleep at last

We have just arrived at the Ardencote Manor Hotel for the first night of our September weekend holiday. It has been a long day, arriving at school at 6.30 a.m. and then a non-stop busy day until James picked me up from school to go straight to the airport. All went smoothly on our journey but there was a good bit of stumping around with my crutches through the airports and then to the car hire place at Birmingham Airport. Half an hour later here we are at the hotel. I feel so tired that I'm actually nauseous and I can't wait to jump (well, hobble!) into bed and sleep, sleep, sleep!

06.15 it's early!

It's nearly quarter past six in the morning and I'm waiting outside the house for the head teacher to pick me up to go to school! This is because this week the group that are going to Uganda in October are "living like a Ugandan" by walking for 2 hours before the school day starts, which is what many of the Luwero children have to do. Of course, because of my broken ankle I am not allowed to walk far, but I am going in at the same time as the others to show my support! So I wave them off from the school at 6.30 a.m, work for two hours and then lay out the breakfast for their return. This consists of porridge provided by the canteen staff, which we eat at tables in the school hall to raise awareness of the project. Then the walkers go off to have their showers and I clear up. It's a mad week but to look on the bright side I'm getting lots of work done and the cats are loving being fed at 6 in the morning! And although I'm standing in the darkness there is a beautiful stripey sunrise beginning in the east.

In town on crutches

This afternoon I got my hair cut which was a relaxing if horrifyingly expensive experience. I'm sure that there are much less expensive hair salons but I hate getting my hair done and this is the only place where I have ever felt comfortable during the experience. I finished my P. D. James autobiography - how I would love to have met her but too late because she died last November - and started one of her books "The Maul and the Pear Tree".

I have been in Glasgow while using my crutches several times now, and am amazed at how much attention and indeed kindness this produces in the people I meet. People rush to open doors for me, offer to help me up and down steps and a Central Station this afternoon a ticket collector hurried to open up the gate for disabled customers for me. "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers!" to quote Blanche Dubois. 

Murder polis

I haven't been doing much blogging recently but there is nothing the matter, I've just been very busy. 

Today Alasdair and James went to Southport by train to an air show which they enjoyed very much. They set off very early and didn't get back until 9:30 p.m. James suspected that Alistair was somewhat hung over, because he spent most of the journey south either asleep or visiting the toilet. Luckily he perked up by the time they arrived. I got texts during the day describing idyllic scenes of sunshine and aeroplanes, with the highlight being James' beloved Vulcan being escorted by the Red Arrows. Tonight, while awaiting their return. I watched Edward Scissorhands for the first time ever. James was incredulous that I had never seen this before but I have never felt inspired by the snippets I have seen. How are right I was. I thought it was absolute rubbish although James and I will have to agree to disagree on that, because he loves it.

As for my broken ankle, I think it is definitely healing, because it's less sore during the day - but by the evening it's murder polis! 

Empty chair at the table

Three of us met for lunch today at Amarone; me, James and Heather. Missing and of course much missed was one member of our usual quartet - Ewan is at a conference in Birmingham this weekend. Lunch was delicious and I devoured my spicy sausage pasta in Ewan's honour as it is the type of dish that he enjoys. I am managing very well with my walking boot and crutches, and I was assured at the fracture clinic on Friday that my bone should heal in due course; the walking boot is just used to hold it in the right position. I'm so glad that I haven't had to get a cast because I am allowed to take the walking boot off for having a shower or for my beloved baths. I must admit that my ankle does ache a bit at times but then I only broke it five days ago so hopefully it will improve soon, and I'm going to take Heather's advice to consume lots of dairy products to speed up the healing process.

Broken ankle

I have had a few falls since my eye surgery, my eyesight is not quite the way it was so I need to be more careful. Yesterday I managed to mis-step on the wee steps in the bedroom when I was getting changed after work, and as I crashed to the floor I heard an ominous crack from my ankle and a horrible pain shot through it. I screamed a bit, much to Ally's derision, but after a while the pain subsided and I gingerly stood up and found that I could hobble around without too much trouble. I thought it must be a sprain.

So I continued to hobble around all day at work today, but it was really sore and swelled up - it looked like the ankle of an elephant! Following the advice of my colleagues I took myself off to Accident and Emergency at the hospital near the school. I was so sure that they would tell me it was just twisted but after an X Ray I was told that I have broken my ankle. I am so annoyed. I was given a moon boot to wear (not a glamorous look!) and I have to report back to the trauma clinic in two days. My ankle feels a lot more supported by the boot but it's a bit achey so I'm off to bed. 

Busy busy week

All is well but I've been very busy this week so no blogging. I decided to get ahead with my paperwork for work while James and the boys are in France; this time of the school year is always very busy with setting up all the plans, so this week has been a good opportunity to get ahead while not encroaching on family time.
I have heard from James on a regular basis and I'm glad to say that the holiday has been going very well. The weather in France has been mixed but more good than bad and the only real hitch has been that some members of the group became ill with extreme tummy troubles after drinking water from a mountain stream. One of those three was David unfortunately and I think that there was one day in particular when he was struggling and Jamie had to carry his pack for some of the time. However James says that he didn't let it spoil his holiday and is now much recovered. The boys sent me a photo from the elephant fountain in Chambery this afternoon. James and I were there a very long time ago when we were younger than the boys are now - it's strange to think of our  grown up sons standing in the same place as young Susan and James - I wonder if our ghosts are still there, from when we had all of our lives in front of us.