Hi

Sorry it has been a while since we have updated this site - havn't had internet access. Nigel and I are in Dublin now, we arrived last night after taking the ferry from Scotland. I have been feeling right at home in Scotland and Ireland as there are redheads galore!! I'm not sure what I last wrote in my blog so apologies if some of this is a repeat. After leaving Amy's place Daisy (our totally cool purple VW) took Nig and I to Wales where we stayed 3 nights with Richard and Penny Chantler. Richard comes over to NZ each year and does scanning around Southland. They were wonderful - Penny is a stunning cook so we enjoyed some beaut meals and Richard was a great tour guide. He showed us around for 2 days through the area where they live which is near a wee town called Hay-on-Wye and is a very beautiful area - very green but the narrowest roads I have ever seen. We visited some amazing old churches and ruins and I got snap happy much to Nigel's displeasure! Went out to lunch at a place called the Cider Mill and so I thought I better have a cider as it was the only right thing to do. So Richard ordered us an Old Rosie each. Bloody hell it's strong. I am ashamed to say it but I couldn't finish my pint cos it was getting me too drunk!!! Foreigners are only served a max of 2 pints of Old Rosie cos its so strong. Have developed a taste for cider in general though- nice stuff. From Wales we went to Stockport which is just out of Manchester and Nig did a couple of days shearing and I rouseyed. Was fun for the first couple of hours! No, it was good to see how its done somewhere else and we both quite enjoyed it really. Then we went to Newcastle but it was a slow journey as heaps of rain and flooding. From there we drove alongside the remains of Hadrians wall (wall that the Romans built to keep the Scots out of England) which was cool. Went to Edinburgh the next day which I enjoyed. Beautiful old architecture everywhere you look and we went inside the castle which was totally spectacular. Then across to catch ferry and down to Dublin. We are staying with Nigels good friend Clint and his wife Maeve (a lovely Irish gal) in their new home which is rather flash and much roomier than Daisy- bless her heart! So now we are looking to do some cheap flights to somewhere yet to be decided and hopefully see some more sights. I'm enjoying the travels and I hope that all is well with all of you.

Love Jo and Nigel