Hiya, Read the words in your last blog - "heading home" - with a heavy heart ... boo hoo, boo hoo. Of course it will be extra-great to see you (I am so looking forward to the presents you brought me in all the locations you went to - ha ha joke!). BUT without your emails my inbox is pretty dull. Never mind, I suppose all good things have to come to an end. I just hope that at the 'end' you'll have a whole heap of lovely new good things to do. It won't be swimming with the manta, but it could be sploshing in the puddles in London. I'm sure you'll find some fun stuff to get up to. As for me I have absolutely no news whatsoever because my life is dull. Of course I have a highly interesting intellectual life but that's all inside my head and I can't send you photos of it. I did a brief round-the-world trip when I was pregnant and I must say I was quite pleased to get back to Blighty. It aint all THAT bad. I was surprised at how much pollution there was out there in 'postcard land', and corruption. I think people have quite a hard time of it really, even though they are generally superby kind and good natured. So now I am going to start looking forward to seeing you! Have a safe trip back. Lots of love, J

Hi guys, So pleased the dragons didn't get you. I am getting really curious - your eyes have seen so much, so may places and people, is there a place you really fell in love with? All of them I expect to a degree but, you know what I mean, a place you thought "I am home"? That resonated with your inner soul? Stop laughing. Maybe it'll only be when the trip is over, and all the experiences shake down in your mind and heart, that you'll think "I really loved ....." I ask myself, will they ever be able to settle in London (noise, violence, pollution, parking tickets) or in the UK elsewhere (rain, clouds, cold, rain, rain, bills, bills)? Time will tell and I SHALL BE WATCHING! I think you've done brilliantly to get round so much landscape without any major problems and I have not heard a single gripe - you're obviously a very laid back pair (born to travel so go and buy some more tickets!) Love ya, J

Your messages are getting even better and we have now got used to being with you on your adventures. Well done for doing it all and well done for writing to us.
At La Cerisaie we now have the Ward family. David arrived with his hands and arms swollen fron bee stings but his medecine is working. When David and Ben and Charlie are together it is like being on the edge of a forest of tall trees! Granma is complaining ofa stiff neck from looking up at them. It's easier round the longtable for meals which can last quite a long time - 3 hours last night!
The weather is surprisingly awful. Cold, wet and windy. That is extra dissapointing for the Wards because they had the same sort of weather in Dale before they came down here. Thank goodness for the Olympics on TV. GB seem to winning a few medals but not the ones anticipated. Charlie got 4 As and a B and is content, of course. Sam got 2 As and a B (he didn't take more this time round) and is cross about the B (will probably take it again). His Beth got straight As, as expected. You will have heard about Simon. His result is exactly right for his Uni course so that makes him the first of all the boy cousins to make up his mind about a course and get it! Good for him....
I see that Paul has written about his adventures.Now we know as much as you.
Granma has called me to do a job (that only I can do, of course) so bye. bye for now.
Much love to you both and Big Hugs.
You were quite right to avoid Bali proper. Your island find sounds fantastic.
G&T

Hi both

Holiday season reigns, or for those of us in the UK, I should say 'rains'. But at least it's a chance for the rest of us to get a mini-taste of your fabulous adventures first-hand.

For me, it started with a week's diving in Egypt - my first foray back into the underwater world since diving with shopping trollies and excreta off Brighton beach in 1988. I was a BSAC ambassador in Egypt and enjoyed every harumphing moment. Oh how they smirked at my ancient gear, until they spotted my watch was rated to 1000m - unheard of these days - and my regulator was not only smoother flowing than any they had come across, but shinier too.

Nevertheless, I made the giant leap to the lighter side and became a PADI Advanced Diver. In the process, I managed to avoid the Blue Hole casualty list, had my teeth picked at by a Cleaner Wrasse (yes, it swam into my mouth and flossed - really!), came face ot face with a giant moray, and marvelled at a massive family of scintillating squid. No sharks though.

Christa amazed herself by taking to diving like a toddler to ice cream - initial stunned reaction to the weirdness of it, then pure joy. The resort was perfect, very laid back and super friendly.

We were super-relaxed knowing that Michael and Anna were being warmly enveloped and nourished by the magic of Cerisaie, end Christa's children were exploiting their Grandpa's indulgence on a wind-surfing holiday in Poole.

After that, we rejoined with all offspring set off for a week's camping in Dorset - wet, whacky, muddy, sunny but also great fun, and bonding aplenty. Dodging showers we manged beautiful heahtland walks, some non-extreme rock climbing on Dancing Ledge and a gentle paddle on the River Frome where Michael redsicovered the joys of kayaking (good clean fun for any 16 year old, I'd say).

Now it's back to the grindstone (as I type, I'm waiting for a train from Gatwick to Guildford).

Keep the tales coming and looking forward to a personal hug after your return.

xxx

Hi both

Holiday season reigns, or for those of us in the UK, I should say 'rains'. But at least it's a chance for the rest of us to get a mini-taste of your fabulous adventures first-hand.

For me, it started with a week's diving in Egypt - my first foray back into the underwater world since diving with shopping trollies and excreta off Brighton beach in 1988. I was a BSAC ambassador in Egypt and enjoyed every harumphing moment. Oh how they smirked at my ancient gear, until they spotted my watch was rated to 1000m - unheard of these days - and my regulator was not only smoother flowing than any they had come across, but shinier too.

Nevertheless, I made the giant leap to the lighter side and became a PADI Advanced Diver. In the process, I managed to avoid the Blue Hole casualty list, had my teeth picked at by a Cleaner Wrasse (yes, it swam into my mouth and flossed - really!), came face ot face with a giant moray, and marvelled at a massive family of scintillating squid. No sharks though.

Christa amazed herself by taking to diving like a toddler to ice cream - initial stunned reaction to the weirdness of it, then pure joy. The resort was perfect, very laid back and super friendly.

We were super-relaxed knowing that Michael and Anna were being warmly enveloped and nourished by the magic of Cerisaie, end Christa's children were exploiting their Grandpa's indulgence on a wind-surfing holiday in Poole.

After that, we rejoined with all offspring set off for a week's camping in Dorset - wet, whacky, muddy, sunny but also great fun, and bonding aplenty. Dodging showers we manged beautiful heahtland walks, some non-extreme rock climbing on Dancing Ledge and a gentle paddle on the River Frome where Michael redsicovered the joys of kayaking (good clean fun for any 16 year old, I'd say).

Now it's back to the grindstone (as I type, I'm waiting for a train from Gatwick to Guildford).

Keep the tales coming and looking forward to a personal hug after your return.

xxx

Haha, 3 great messages! Each made my smile get wider and wider. Oh i miss u all...so it must be time to come home!

Sounds like absolute paradise in La Cerisaie as always! We are in a different kind of paradise... could not choose between them though.

Don't worry Julia, i am sure this is not the end of our travels... just the end for now. xxx

Hello again we're back from our adventures in South Africa. We did loads of things and had a brilliant time 'cept that Dad hurt his back (luxury lodge accident he slipped on a vast bathroom floor) so he's still in recovery but nothing broken thank God. Highlights were the Whales at Hermanus;San rock art in the Drakensberg; visiting the battlefield where my Great great uncle Edgar was killed along with hundreds of other brits by the Zulus; snorkling with a Whakle Shark- yes really the biggest fish in the sea and me; and of course all the other amasing animals and birds we saw.

I took lots of photos and was really pleased that hannah encouraged me to buy a new camera.. got to work out what to do with the snaps now.

Simons had a pretty adventurous time and has bad sun burn but it's plealing now which he hates (didn't listen to his mum). He's heading out of greece towards Croatia and so will be winding his way back home returning here on 14th August.

Do hope everything continues to go really well and looking forward to the next installment. By the way loved those sun set pictures..but what are we going to do about poor Julia, maybe you can keep loading up blogs and photos as if you were continuing round the world!

lots of love to you both xxxxxxxxxxxxxmuma charlotte xxxxxxxxx

Eeek. I read your blog and at a certain point my throat closed, I choked, my eyes popped out of my head, my heart almost stopped. What was it that so shocked and upset me? The words '...last month'. NO NO NO. You must make plans for after Indonesia. Have you no thought of ME? You know I live viariously through your adventues - what happens when they stop? It is not possible. Your blogs/photos are the highlight of my day. My week. My year. I am starting to cry now - you are a heartless pair .... Would it help if I sent you tickets? I've never been to south america .... J xxx

Hi!
CatTien seems to be very special with creepy crawlies of all sizes and with many different nasty habits. Looks great! A very different picture could be taken of the average day at La Cerisaie. For G&T it starts early. First to arrive after our breakfast is Sara (who is looking and feeling much,much better after her leg and tummy problems). I start the watering which means saturating all the plants every morning to resist the heat of the day -32/33degrees for a week with another similar week predicted. Michael is the next to arrive on the scene. He is in one of the bunk beds in the cabanon (Anna in the other one). Then there is a trickle of Anna and Beth and Sam for late breakfast.
By then it is already hot so a rest under the umbrellas with books and magazines is the norm. Then the first of many swims - each one becoming wilder with shouts and shrieks as one or more are tipped off the floating mattress. Lunch is cold stuff with salads and fruity or cakey puddings. The afternoon is the same as the morning. Dinner is about 8 pm and consists of the Granma menu - spare ribs or roast pork or cotelets on the spit or mixed grill or fish soup etc..
We are still outside,of course. Sam and Michael then give a short concert and very good they are,too. Somebody's favourite TV program is then watched, usually after G&T have gone to bed to find the energy for another day in the compound.
So you see, daily life is different from yours at themoment!
Tomorrow is Sam's 18th. birthday.We are going to a hillside goat farm for lunch. The next day is G's 79th. birthday and S and M and B and A are rehearsing a longer concert.
When in Bali, if you go northish, inland to UBUD look up Linda Garland who has a wonderful home in bamboo plantations. She is known all over the bamboo world as a pioneer in research. Introduce yourself and we are sure you will be offered a meal which you will never, ever forget. Her phone number is 0062 (361)62371.
Much of Bali has been developed for tourists but that means that the villages are usually immaculate, with astonishing flowers and constant ceremonies involving Balinese music and dancing. Children are chosen and specially trained to take specific dance parts. Try to find out where a concert is taking place. When we went we stayed in extremely posh hotels so we really only knew the beaches near to them. But there are hundreds and with your amazing skills to find great things off the track you will be able to tell us lots new about Bali!
Back now for submersion in the pool....
Much love to both of you. We admire your energy and inventive excursionsand are very impressed that you look so amazingly healthy

Hiya, Hurrah! Hurrah! We've finally had a sunny weekend so I have been able to paint my shed. This is my sad life. (You can see how much I need your blog, so keep it coming!). J xxxxxxx

Hi both, have just got back from holiday and caught up with your blog. Excellent. Astonishing pictures. Congratulations! Love H

Hi You 2- O.K. Now I am really jealous!! not that I haven't been before but Vietnam is very much top of my wish list of must see places to visit having read (and saved) an article years ago from the Observer travel supplement many moons ago and being treated to a few Vietnamese feasts when I was working at Womans Own- plus it just looks just beautiful!!. Am loving all the photos and blogs from you both and particularly the vivid descriptions of the yummy food!!You really are havng an amazing time and I am very, very jealous. Life in Wales is pretty good though- just gearing up for our annual trip to Saillans with Millie, Pete and Tom joining us at various stages quickly followed by a week in lovely Dale for us and Bex is off to Crete for a roasting!!- Bex and Ben very much in holiday mode now so life is good despite the lack of sun across the U.K. Saw your Ma and Pa at Colin Randells 50th along with the rest of the Ansteys and had a great party- everyone on tip top form. Can't wait to see you on your return- but until we do continue to have a fandabby time and take care- sending lots and lots of love from us all . Sarah, Al, |Bex and Benxxxxxxxxxxxxxx