Bye bye pussy cats, hello again Big Ted!

Millie cat struggling to stay awake

Newport was a place I can’t say we’ll rush back to, but success was achieved, I have a new passport! We had popped into the neighbours at Iain’s suggestion but at the words “it’s a criminal offence to lie on this form” they were understandably reticent about signing the photo to say they’d known me two years and the picture was of me! Fortunately it was unnecessary.

The cleaner came in on Friday which was a treat, so we went out to lunch. Iain had sent us so much local info about what is going on in and around Bristol. The last recommendation was, on Friday, for a band in the pub at the end of the street. Rude not to go and have a look, particularly on finding they were a 50’s rock and roll band. They were having real problems with their PA, feedback was prominent and they were very loud, so we did only stay for the first set but we had a dance before going home with ringing ears! 

Now here's a question: Is this Welsh Rarebit? We had four hours in Newport while we waited for Jackies passport to be made. Newport is in Wales, so it only seemed right to eat something local. We saw Welsh cakes, but what I really wanted to try was Welsh Rarebit, so I didn't think I'd have any trouble finding it. It was harder than we thought! We asked in several restaurants and cafes, no-one offered it. Someone recommended a place about 50 miles away, but then we saw a couple of people walking the streets with Newport Ambassador on their jackets. They'll know we thought. Looking rather puzzled one of them pointed us in the direction of the local butchers! Obviously he has no idea what it is then! Eventually, at a cafe in a market the lady behind the counter told me that its "just cheese on toast with a poached egg on top". I knew it was something like cheese on toast, but I told her I didn't know, she was the local expert and if she said that's what it is, that's good enough for me. "Can you make it?" I asked her, "I can do anything". This is what she served up. It tasted really good but Jackie insist it isn't proper Welsh Rarebit. As far as I'm concerned, I asked a local Welsh person to cook me Welsh Rarebit and this is what she served so, I think I can claim to have eaten at least a version of it. What do you think? 

A rather interesting suspended footbridge in Newport

Saturday we pottered before fish and chips and Strictly Come Dancing. Bev and Iain arrived back in the middle of the night in the pouring rain on Saturday night and it’s barely stopped since, they are not happy, they would have gladly hopped back on a plane at left us with the cats, it was very tempting... We had a good catch up with Iain and Bev on Sunday morning over bacon, sausage and mushrooms before heading back up to Alvechurch, empty the car, pick up stuff we want back in Helen and Ian’s loft and over to them for dog walk to the pub and then a lovely Persian meal.

The ruins of Newport castle, founded in 1372

We collected Ted this morning so he is now on Mum’s drive, via the garage to fill the new larger lpg tank with gas, but we didn’t really start on him. We were due at the nurse at 10.45 to see what inoculations we all need for South Africa. For us, only typhoid, for mum typhoid, hepatitis A and a flue jab, all done there and then. We were very impressed.

We’ve since been in the loft, done some last shopping and tomorrow we start sorting out to load. Tyres arrive, hopefully, on Wednesday and then we’ll book a ferry. Unless we end up going to Scotland! 

The 50's Rock and Roll band in the Kings Arms on Friday night

This is a possibility in our minds as the lovely Nicky that we go and stay with and ‘work’ for up near Elgin fell off a ladder on Saturday. All we know so far is that she has broken her leg, below the knee, in three places, and that she was being moved from Elgin hospital to Aberdeen when a bed becomes available! In tricky circumstances what are friends, who spend their lives ‘swanning about’, good for if they can’t be available when needed?

Champagne to celebrate the tenants moving in to our refurbished house in Alvechurch

Bye bye pussy cats, we're going to miss you! All four on the bed one morning. Shadow is curled up by Jackie, Millie is next nearest to Jackie, then Tinsel and finally Mr Pickles with his white chest. How do we know the difference between three black cats? It's not easy, but after a month we recognised their different personalities, their distinctive meaow's and their little differences in looks. Sorry about our rubbish in the background - don't tell Ian and Bev!

Nothing is ever straight forward!

Mr. Pickles cat being fed scraps of mussels

Mum’s last day was a little more restrained, we went to Portishead, to collect my new varifocal sunglasses, to Aldi to collect some food, and to the marina to have a mooch around and into the wetlands. Rounded off with scones and clotted cream in the garden.

Thursday mum went home, and we went booking... two days it took for flights out and return for mum, return for us, Exodus trip to get us from Johannesburg to Cape Town, car for the Garden Route, safari and lodging in Amakhala game reserve, which held us up, but did save best part of £1000 by speaking to a company in SA, and the other 10 B&B’s/apartments or other lodging B had selected on the web! Amazingly we only missed one of his choices, in Cape Town, where there is no shortage of other accommodation!

On our walk on the Gordano Round. This is at a place called 'The Bottoms'!

More from the 'Gordano Round' The sky was blue despite looking white

We booked the ‘guaranteed’ Exodus trip, which gives us a week to kill between it and the end of the Housesit. A week in Cape Town would have been preferable but if we’d booked on the trip going a week earlier, and then it had been cancelled we’d have potentially found ourselves with a big problem! So what to do in that week? A side trip to Zimbabwe to the Victoria Falls had already crossed my mind, and was suggested by one of our contacts at Trailfinders. And this is where it all becomes ‘difficult’!

I like photos like this; there are three major bridges in this photo (although it may be difficult to pick them out). The nearest one is the M5 bridge over the River Avon, centre left is the new River Severn bridge connecting England (in the foreground) with Wales (in the distance). It carries the M4 motorway running from London to Swansea in Wales. Behind that and only visible if you squint, is the old River Severn suspension bridge carrying what is now the M48 motorway between England and Wales. If you zoom in you can see the two white towers, one near the right, the other almost obscured by a wind turbine. Very difficult to make out, but it is definitely there

Abbots Pool, a local beauty spot on the Gordano Round

To enter South Africa we have been told we have to have a blank double page in our passports. Mum brought my passport down with her so I could check, and I do, but the Exodus trip goes out of SA into Swaziland and back and in to Lesotho and back so an extra trip in to Zimbabwe and back may have just been too much. Exodus said “it’ll be fine” the SA embassy said “you need a double page for each entrance!”

So, extra pages from the post office? Not anymore, so looks like a new passport then even though it doesn’t expire until 2021. Online application, three weeks, from date

I know what you're thinking, he's going to fall in!

of starting to process.... that would slow our departure to the Continent a bit. Go to one of the seven passport offices that fast track them. Well Newport is only half an hour away... so the one week, or the one day (at an extra £35?) looks like a day out in Wales on Wednesday then going for the one day, as we couldn’t realistically book a ferry till the passport is back in our possession! Is all this necessary? Probably not, but is it worth the risk? Who wants to get stuck in Lesotho?

We don’t even know if we’ll get stamped back into the U.K. on our return from the Continent. I actually hope we do, how else will we be able to prove when our 90 in 180 days in Europe runs from?

Made it, but wait a minute, I've got to get back out again yet....

Easy does it.....made it safely back

We are also getting stressed with tyres for the Continent, various countries (Germany and Austria) have a legal requirement for winter tyres, which we almost have, we have M&S (mud and snow, not Marks and Spencer) marked on ours, which used to be sufficient, but now you need a little mountain and snowflake symbol. We might be able to get away with it, they were fitted before 2018, and when winter starts is open to interpretation, but again risk v stress? We did look to buy some when the van was serviced, but in June winter tyres didn’t seem to be available...!

On the bright side, Wednesday is also the day that tenants finally move into Latimer Road! About bloody time!

So today was emergency dash to Portishead for passport form and photos, though the woman cast doubt “your eyes are blue, and look it on this photo, but in your passport look brown. Can you get someone to sign it?” “No, we know no one!”

Here's a short video of our walk:

A welcome pint in The George on our walk

Yesterday was rain and papers and Saturday was a 7.1 mile walk from the door. (I do like a walk that doesn’t involve the car) on part of the ‘Gordano Round’. Don’t ask me, I just looked for signs while Brian followed the route in the booklet Iain had left out! A good pint and sandwich at the George just over half way round worked out very well.

We’ve done lots of cat cuddling, I was pinned in bed by four cats this morning. Most unusual for Tinsel to actually spend time that close to the others, but she did and it was lovely. I’m writing with Mr P on my lap, while B has Millie. Shadow just wasn’t quick enough this time, though even when he does get there first it doesn’t always stop MrP from sitting on him! We are really going to miss this lot.

All four pussy cats on the bed with us at once, very rare

Mr. Pickles cat fast asleep on a lap - as usual!

Bristol adventures

Jackie and her mum on the pier at Weston-Super-Mare

We were very insular for the first few day’s, more planning, so when I should have written a blog, there wasn’t much to say. I picked up new glasses, I’ve now moved into the world of varifocals, good for me, but not exactly earth shattering for anyone else! 

We had another day out in Bristol, for the first day of Bristol Open Doors where attractions, businesses, all sorts open a part that isn’t usually open, either for free or for a nominal fee. Our first stop however was at Cargo, the second Bristol foodie venue, lots of little restaurants in container units, very reminiscent of Christchurch in New Zealand (See: http://brianandjackiecross.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-walk-around-christchurch.html). 

Having our lunch prepared with a blow torch in one of the container outlets in The Cargo

The LV55 John Sebastian Lightship

We then went on to LV 55 the John Sebastian Lightship. It had been left stripped out in a very sorry state till it was rescued by a group of volunteers in the 70’s who have lovingly restored it. A lightship served the same purpose as a lighthouse but could be towed to where it was required, useful when the huge tidal range of the Bristol Channel moves sand banks and mud flats. We spent a very interesting hour there before heading up to the Cabot tower, no ‘Open Doors’ special just Brian wanting to go up the highest thing! 

Climbing the very steep hill to the Cabot tower on Brandon Hill, built to commemorate John Cabot who sailed from Bristol to the coast of North America in 1497 under the commission of Henry VII 

Views of Bristol from the Cabot Tower

Cat therapy in the Bag 'O Nails pub, Bristol

It was a good view, but I had already worked out that the most direct route from here back to the bus route took us past the door of the Bag 'O Nails, or ‘Bristol’s cat pub’! Not like a cat cafe, there was no entrance fee to guarantee kitties wanting to be petted, this is just a pub where the owner has 15 cats upstairs who are free to roam where they like. When we went in, here were two on the windowsill and three on the bar, soon to be joined by another one! What more could I want? Good beer and cats, a lovely stop en route to the bus.

The bar at the Bag 'O Nails complete with Chaise Longue for the cats

The castle folly at Blaise Estate

Then mum arrived and we’ve done loads since but had no time to write. Saturday as part of the Open Doors thing we went to the Blaise estate where the Community Garden was Open as was the folly, otherwise known as Blaise Castle. It looked fabulous from the outside, but wasn’t quite as impressive from the inside, though obviously we had to go up to the top! We had a rushed visit to the museum before closing when we managed a sneaky tea and cake! It was a beautiful day weather wise and the whole estate was full of people all enjoying being outside, picnicking families, Dog walking groups, skateboarding youth. A lovely atmosphere.

The house at Blaise (actually built about 50 years after the folly at the top of the hill)

Fish and Chips at the seaside, it has to be done

Sunday after our successful seaside trip to Clevedon the previous weekend we went one step further and went to Weston-Super-mare, which lived up to its Weston-Super-mud reputation, but still with fish and chips, fresh donuts, amusement arcades and even donkey rides it was very British and a Grand Day Out.

And, of course, a selfie on the pier. Notice there is no sea beneath the pier. That's because it goes out about a mile at low tide

Clifton suspension bridge and Giants Cave (see hole and yellow railings on L)

Monday we went to Clifton, back to the suspension bridge, but then on to the cliffs where Brian could reminisce about climbs from his heyday, before we went up to the Observatory with its camera obscura and down to the Giants Cave outlook over the bridge.

Yesterday was our day in Town, popping in to Trailfinders, again, before trying our third offering at St. Nicholas market, slow cooked pork and brisket, just as yummy as the previous two. A round trip on the water taxi, a visit to the cathedral and then the main event, our trip to the Lion King. What an amazing show, the way the animals are brought to life was stunning, it wasn’t too loud, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I’d highly recommend it if you get the opportunity.

Descending the tunnel from the Observatory to Giants Cave

The opening at Giants Cave with a fullsize image of Brunel. He was only 5 feet tall - the same height as Jackies mum

Wallace statue at the Observatory cafe clutching plans of his space ship

Bristol from the suspension bridge. The tide is out and, having the second highest tidal range in the world, the Avon is just a trickle in this photo.

Millie cat decides Pauline's lap is a good place to lie, whether she likes it or not

Mr Pickles cat has no idea where others are going to sit, but he's comfy

Before Brunel won the competition to build the suspension bridge this was one of the design entries that was rejected. What a fabulous design, but far too costly

On our boat trip in Bristol harbour

We were accompanied on our trip by this blind keyboard player. The masts of Brunels SS Great Britain are behind 

Bristol cathedral

The fabulous Bristol cathedral 

Todays walk towards Portishead Nature Reserve 

A short video of the musical accompaniment on our boat trip

Square eyed in Bristol

South Africa Lonely Planet guide on the arm, but 2 cats take priority

Since waving Iain and Bev off we’ve spent a lot of time sitting in the comfy chairs with at least a cat each staring at brochures, laptops, phones and tablets. Why? We are going to Africa.... We have a Housesit in Johannesburg over Christmas for one little cat, Willow, who actually looks just like Mr.Pickles, but is younger, female and shyer. How then to see the most/best of South Africa? Where to get mother involved who has long said she would like to see Africa? We can’t travel as we usually do, get a flight and go with the flow. January is peak season so we need to be considering booking safaris now, so planning is full on. 

Showing pussy cats sit-ups. He doesn't seem impressed!

We’ve looked at all sorts of tours, been to a couple of travel agents, and spent inordinate amounts of time on the web. (My screen time is up 33% according to the iPad!) We’ve booked a flight out (which got us shouted at by the man in Trailfinders, but we had to prove to Cat we were serious) travel insurance and our first nights accommodation. Safari is expensive however you look at it, but not necessarily bad value for what you get. The luxury, the experience, the guiding and hopefully all the animals... We can, and will hire a car though it sounds fraught with perils walking isn’t an option. It just all feels a bit more scary and full on than we are used to.

Cute pussy cat photo

Four cats and only two laps - its a problem!

I wrote that two days ago, before he started talking to me about a self drive option along the Garden Route that would perhaps tick all the boxes for mum...

We’ve been into Portishead a couple of times for shopping and to select new glasses each. We’ve been into Bristol twice too. Bus in and out makes for an easy journey. 

We bought books on South Africa, oh and Germany, as that is actually the plan for October to December, back out in Ted, but that is really getting very little attention. On our

St Nicholas market, Bristol

first trip in we went to St Nicholas market for street food lunch as recommended by Iain and Bev. We stood in the longest queue for a fabulous Middle Eastern kebab, “Matina sell homemade Kurdish naan breads, marinaded lamb, chicken and halloumi skewers with a choice of freshly made salads and sauces.” We shared one, it was huge and delicious. While queuing we chatted to the guy in front of us who recommended the pitta place, with the second longest queue, and coming in on Saturday as the whole vibe of the city was great. We did a little shopping too, shorts, as come December they’ll be very hard to buy, but not much sightseeing. 

The three handed clock at the Corn Exchange Bristol. The black hand is 11 minutes behind the red hand, which is the exact time the sun reaches noon in Bristol after it has reached noon in Greenwich, London and was the time originally used in Bristol. With the coming of railways in 1841 it was necessary to standardise on GMT, but it took until 1852 until Bristol formally adopted GMT. Before that people used the clock to know the time in each place to avoid missing trains

The Christmas Steps, Bristol

So second trip was Saturday. We got off the bus, and I immediately walked in the opposite direction to where he thought we were going, to the box office of the Bristol Hippodrome where The Lion King was opening that night and where a queue was just forming. Does this mean they do cheap last minute tickets? No, but we did manage to get three tickets, not together for £20 each. Had they been together they would have been £80 each, but we can’t talk to each other while the performance is on anyway and they are close enough to meet up in the interval, so that’s a treat for when mum comes down to visit ....! After that we did actually do some tourist things, the Red Lodge, the three handed clock, the cathedral, the Christmas steps and the church of St John on the Wall. 

The Red Lodge, Bristol

Before back to St.Nicholas market to the pitta place. Again, we shared a meal, a huge hummus and falafel box, and still couldn’t actually have a proper dinner in the evening, only managing beans on toast! The plan was then to go on the free tour of the Clifton Suspension bridge. The bus should be just passing, so we waited, and waited and waited, having now not got enough time to walk! We made it with minutes to spare only to find it started from the other side of the bridge, but that man in the high vis jacket, just ahead, is the tour guide.... He was very good, but 30 odd people was too many really, apparently it was three last week!

waiting at the Clifton Suspension Bridge for our guide to start the tour. Did you know, there are three differences between the two towers, that were built independently by different contractors (remember there was no brigde connecting the two then), our guide asked us to try to spot them. If you don't want to know what they are don't read on....1. the far one has a more pointed top arch than the near one. 2. The far one has 4 angled corners, on this one they are square. 3. This one has side windows (you can just see them here), the far one has none

Bristol cathedral

Views on the Poets Walk, Clevedon

Today was bright and sunny so we went to Clevedon. Not somewhere we knew much about, except that Abi and her mum went for a day trip when we were sitting for her, and it’s only 10 minutes away! We had a lovely little visit, bit of a coastal walk, watching people in the saltwater pool, swimming, paddle boarding and crabbing. Walk along the seafront to the pier, the only grade one listed pier open to the public. It was lovely, museum, little porthole window to see the sub structure, cockles on the pier and a brass jazz band playing down the end. A fishing competition, lots of families, chips, ice cream, all very British. Cant keep this pace up!

The Sugar Lookout, Clevedon

The cats are all such characters, even Tinsel, though her character is more slightly paranoid and loopy! The other three are all lap cats which is tricky with only two laps between us! They are all lovely jumping in as soon as one moves. There is one small problem however, and that is since the new kitchen went in a few months ago, it doesn’t smell right, so much scent marking is going on. This leads to much cleaning of cupboard doors, floors and the hob! It’s driving Bev mad, and I can quite see why. How do we break them of this?

Clevedon Marine Lake

Clevedon pier

The underside of the pier through the porthole in the cafe

The brass jazz band playing on the pier

Poor Mr Pickles has to patiently wait while Milly cat has first dibs at the wet food

Don't let Bev and Iain see this, but here's Mr. Pickles curled up in bed

And giving Jackie some nose to nose love

A familiar sight, a pussy cat curled up on a lap