An explanation of how we got, where we got

So,

I must confess it has been quite a while since my last blogfession - and I am nervous as a chicken in a school yard...

I thought I might do a quick fill in the gaps of where we are now...!

If you haven't read, dear readers, After staying at Therfield off and on we decided to buy bicycles and pedal on them (a lot).

Well, the first trip, was a little bit of an odd one; where we got someone to organise it for us and trundled around Norfolk - it was a pleasant (and very flat cycle) with the odd culinary show, lots of the aforementioned and a little investigative journalism.

Our bikes and us managed to survive: a never ending beach + forest obstacle course, fish and chips made for coronary arteries quadruple bypasses and the odd strange stranger...

Since then we have managed two trips un-teathered; the first of which was a little choose our own adventure from Therfield to Bath (via London, Henley and a big pile of rocks and cirlced crops)...

The second was the 'tour de loire' - a 8 day cycle where we started at Saumur and ended near Chablis in burgundy.

I will try and put up the actual route for this trip; because we passed through some pretty sensational scenery - for those of you that don't know; the Loire is situated about an hourish (depending on which bit) south of Paris.

It runs from just out of Nantes (on the west coast) through to the centre of France (Orleans) and then turns right and heads south...

We joined the loire at a place called Saumur, (a beautiful city, which we stumbled upon fresh of the eurostar from London), caped by darkness riding across the cities many bridges...

I will try and put up the map of the cycle from there; but in short we stopped along the way here is the link to our trip:


View Loire valley cycle trip in a larger map

After cycling we shuffled back to Paris; exhausted (after a quick stay in Chablis) to explore a question!!!

The answer was yes and we are now in London! Currently house sitting for my brother-in-law as he sells his city dwelling, looking for jobs!

So next stage; collect underpants - then we go from there to finding a patch of Ole' Blighty to call our own and developing and getting the groove back on.

That is all for now,

tt

Rumbust leads to the 2 get Financed...

View Rumbust... in a larger map

Donald & The Field

We've finally settled into The Field (to the locals known as Therfield and we'd have been much better off if we'd known that when we were figuring out where the taxi should go. Therfield is surrounded by many "the fields" so we trundled hopefully o'er many a heath on that there night). This, as it turns out, is Therfield:



And this is the view of the fields and gardens from our current cosy home with Tom's sister and boyfriend, and nephews and niece:







There are deer and wood pigeons and all sorts of things I go cuckoo about because I've never really seen bunny wabbits and with those little cotton tails, they need chasing around the front lawn. Better than rabbits for chasing are pheasants which blatantly boast they are good for eating and I have raisins stuffed to the brim ;). This is a pheasant:

Which unfortunately I didn't even manage to find, so took a photo of this one by the lake which Tom shot clean out of the sky:



As we speak, Donald the Scottish gardener (formerly amazing military man, who times his tea breaks around the Aga with as much precision as he no doubt once deployed the troops) is hiding out under camouflage shooting wabbits in the field. It's 14 degrees, daylight reaches to 9.30pm, we're sharing duty of three kids between just as many people and I believe we are practically in heaven. Tennis and pimms less pimms plus vodka and I think that - at least for a moment - we're enjoying some serious heaven! The local pub is Fox & Duck and while the food isn't top notch the wine is great... but this is Therfield and it's a long way away from Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi, Himalayas and Kerala... so I think it's time we went straight back to that tale...

Ducks

Aye. Them be the rat pack of goat town south India and just some of our photos from wanderings! We have much to write and many photos to show you, but (un)fortunately are caught in a fantastic whirlwind of stunning sleety days in country england town, watching ducks waddle across green driveways and around spring flowers. So for the moment, there is instead a facebook album which all should be able to see. More wordiness soon.... here's the album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214987&id=643535933&l=7274849e09

35 degrees and smoky...

We made it to Mumbers! So put on your best Barry White porno contrabass, scratch it up as if your vocal chords are trapped with pollution and say, "Sir, would you like a big balloon". That's what the street vendors like to say to TT as he wanders out the doors of the Indo-Saracenic Taj Mahal Hotel. Perhaps disappointingly for some, they really are innocent, albeit big, ballons (I'd say 5 foot) suitable only for respectable childrens parties and Bollywood romance scenes by the beach.





Live like a Raj for the day... Taj Mahal Palace & Tower

I don't know what Indo-Saracenic means either. I do, however, know that the TATA Group have come up with some marketing schemes I'd challenge any American company to counter. My bottled water speaks to me.

It says "I am so pure I make a worldly worn-out cliche like "pure" seem new again. I was born in the Sivalik range of the Himalayas. In a place most of you visit only in an atlas. In a world that had nothing to do with yours. Seems reason enough to be here". Somewhere between the Himalayas and Goan beaches, ayurvedic lessons and yogic masters they manage to make "eco" sound heartfelt and warm and a little condescending. So if I've swapped the Bombay Belly and instead developed the Mumbai "the black lung pop" - then I trust TATA will find me a remedy. They also have cars, pay TV, water, and the Taj line of hotels. I'd say that's a buy.


More when we've recovered. As for now, back to dodging flying tobacco, barking rabid dogs (I have video footage for anyone who would like to see TT come out the wrong end of his attempt at a late night sneak past a sleeping dog and his owner. Watch how with such ease a hairless, scrawny dog conquers the tall man) and goats. We're remembering I-banking (paraphrasing here... "the most fun you'll never want to have again in a 100 hr week").

Speaking of which:





Aren't they just the most beautiful cows you've ever seen? I'd swap my Abbysinian for these guys, and they do like a good sunbake in the street...




We're off to Calcutta tomorrow. More soon.



Mumbai has amazing coffee (who would have thought?)

Live Natural,

Anne

The Trip Fantastic

Post Rushcutters Rumbust we'll be leaving Sunday morning, flying off to Mumbai via Singapore and then four weeks later off to Abu Dhabi/Dubai and Britan. Our plans, however light on, are to make friends with people who know boats, enjoy some family fun, trip off to high mountains which we'd like if they were chilly, and trip in/on/around the Med. Apart from that, we'd love any suggestions of where we must go and do let us know if you're around! Oh! And that whole work thing ;) We'll give that a burl too. If you know people who know boats AND know a thing or two about water and agriculture, then would love to hear about that too!

Personal Email address and Farewell details

Clip on your saris and bring your Bollywood A-game coz Anne and I are flying to India end of March!

My personal email address: tthrelfall@gmail.com. And if you are reading this you have already found our blog...!

As far as farewells go we will be having an informal ‘Park Strife’ gathering on 27th March from 11am til 5pm at Rushcutters Bay Park (if raincheck needed, we will find ourselves at the Tilbury). There is no tacky theme, except to come and say good bye, bring beers or scones or both and hopefully someone will remember a Frisbee and perhaps some good/badminton.

For the time being, my mobile remains the same:

+614 07 210 510 – however you will have to call me, as I now actually have to pay for calls. I will advise via Stalk-Book any for any o/s numbers.

We look forward to seeing you before we leave,

X tt

First stop: