Thermal Treats

We put together a little video to show off the various highlights of Rotorua's thermal treats, including a geyser:

Paragliding

The long awaited paragliding video! It has caused us a few problems getting it converted and uploaded, but hopefully worth the effort. Shai demonstrates the wing-over manouver, and spirals in for the landing. Not the most elegant of touch downs but great fun.

Squeaky

I was sorting through my files yesterday and found this clip from Willowbank, which put a big smile on my face! Brave Dave's got two more days to go of being a 24/7 Vet... then we'll be on the road again, heading towards Mount Cook and the West Coast.

Did you enjoy your Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year? We kept it homely this Valentine's, I received a wonderful valentine in the morning (thanks Dave xxx) and we cooked a yummy dinner together.



Hope you're all having a great week!

Raccoons

Wandering through Central Park at twilight one evening, we came across an elderly couple feeding peanuts to a raccoon family at Turtle Pond. It was the first time I'd ever seen real raccoons, so I was enthralled. I have a special fondness for them because they look like ring-tailed cats with black masks, and they use their paws much like hands.







They live close to the rather posh address of Belvedere Castle!



We also glimpsed a turtle peering through the reeds to look at what the raccoons were up to. Dave's first raccoon sighting was actually when he was being robbed... (of his junk food) while he was camping last year during his road trip. Here's the thief caught in the act:

Carnival Time

Here's a little taste of the Notting Hill Carnival just for you!

xxx

A Colourful Walk

Punting!

Here is a tiny clip of Dave punting - I had a bit of trouble because I was really sitting too close to him for filming, at the back of the boat. Just a glimpse of the riverside, too!

Slightly Foxed

Olympia

Tonight we went to the Olympia Horse Show to watch the dressage events. It was the first time I've ever been to anything like it! Amazing, including Lorenzo the Flying Frenchman, who can ride and jump up to 8 horses at once; and the FEI Dressage Qualifier (international dressage freestyle competition which was set to music ranging from movie soundtracks to Carpenters, Elton John and Tom Jones medleys!)

Here is a little clip to give you a taste for the show... And there's a bit more about Lorenzo below. The event was also attended by the Duchess of Cornwall so we had to stand to welcome her. (PS: aka Mrs Prince Charles). My first Royal sighting.

Thank you Akansha and Dave!


LORENZO-The Flying French Man

The Mouse in the Jar of Gobstoppers

The Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden is a rather small museum (two rooms: the Boy Gallery and the Solo Gallery; the Story Centre, Miss Honey's Classroom and Cafe Twit) but it was fun for two Dahl fans on a Sunday afternoon. It was interesting to see the home of Roald Dahl, as he lived in Gipsy House for 36 years. His widow Felicity Dahl still lives there and her garden is opened to the public five times a year. Here is the jar of gobstoppers, the famous prank for which he was punished with 4 lashes of the cane at Repton.

Roald Dahl in his Repton school uniform, and Jelly the dog. He credited Jelly with the invention of his stories...

Here's the famous Gypsy caravan

How he wrote his stories - handwritten or typed with taped-on additions and corrections

His letters to his mother from boarding school.

Norwegian documents - both his parents were Norwegian and Roald Dahl often took holidays in Norway.

Here's a mock-up of the writing hut, and Roald Dahl's writing chair. It's actually very comfortable and I imagine very toasty and warm when you're in a sleeping bag as well!

A letter explaining why he had to make the grandmother in 'George's Marvellous Medicine' mean. The fouler and more filthy a person is, the more fun it is to watch him getting scrunched. This is the Willy Wonka coat, gloves, hat and walking cane made of hundreds & thousands on loan from Johnny Depp. Real Oompa Loompas, too! Creepy!

'Sisters were useful for target practice' & '1st prize toilet seat warmer'



While I was assembling my lick 'n' stick identikit character, Dave made a cute video that made me giggle...

A few stops on the tiny Roald Dahl Village Trail. This timber-framed building at Crown House 70 High Street was the inspiration for Sophie's 'norphanage' in The BFG.

Roald Dahl received hundreds of sacks of mail every year from his fans. The postman would deliver up to 4000 letters a week to his house while he was alive, and even now they continue to arrive (but by e-mail as well!).

'Dear children, far across the sea,
How good of you to write to me
I love to read the things you say
When you are miles and miles away.
Young people, and I think I'm right,
Are nicer when they're out of sight.'

(Poem to school children, 1986)

The BP pumps at 64 High Streed inspired the description of the garage in Danny the Champion of the World. Roald Dahl worked for Shell Oil after he left school.

Venice

Here's a video/slideshow I made to get you into weekend mode...
My favourite images from Venice

Montjuic, Barcelona

Here's a video of my cable-car trip on Montjuic in Barcelona, looking out over the city. It's my first video so please pardon the camera work and editing. It was a fun ride!

xxx C