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Much of a muchness
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Posted by on July 2, 2009
Well, I’m finally back home again. How many times have I said that already this year? It has been a wonderful few months.
My sailing holiday in Greece was so relaxing. There were four of us, Grant, who is THE most easy-going skipper, (in my experience most chaps turn into Captain Bligh the instant they step on a boat), my sister, Julie, who is a very knowledgeable and experienced first mate, (and also a most amazing cook, producing wonderful meals in a space not much bigger than my fridge back home!) and my niece Melanie who is a very athletic deckhand, and does all the leaping on and off the boat, so there was not much left for me to do except do what I do best – be a deck bunny – reading and sunbathing being my most onerous duties. I did wash up occasionally so don’t think that I didn’t pull my weight :-)
I arrived back in the UK on Thursday last week and on Friday, I had packed up and was on way to Glastonbury Festival. It was a very pleasant festival this year. Although it did rain before we arrived so there was mud, the sun shone for the rest of the weekend which dried it all up. The line up was particularly good this year, the highlights for me being Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. Other bands I enjoyed were Blur, the Specials, Amadou and Mariam, Tom Jones ( one sight I won’t forget was a dreadlocked, multi-pierced couple swaying and singing along to ‘Delilah’ with their arms waving in the air!) I also LOVE Madness. This is my favourite of their songs. To hear tens of thousands of people singing along to this was a joy!
Here are a selection of my Glastonbury photographs from all the years I have been going to give a flavour of the occasion. First, a panorama I took of the site. You can’t capture the size of the site easily, it covers 900 acres, is 1.5 miles across, the perimeter is 8.5 miles and 177,000 people attended (that’s the size of York). Click on the thumbnail to see a full sized image.
To see some amazing images from the Boston.com website click here. There is a wonderful aerial photograph of the site.
I arrived home from Glastonbury, grubby and tired but very happy indeed and the the next day, I was invited to Wimbledon so #1 son and I headed off to London and had a wonderful day watching some awesome tennis. We saw Tommy Haas play Novak Djokovic and then most of the Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick match. It was a scorching hot day – temperatures reached 32º C (that’s about 90º F) but fortunately our Court 1 seats were in the shade so we had a great time. here are some photos of that day!
So now I’m home again. Milo is sulking because I have been away, the weather is breaking and rain is forecast but it is nice to be back again. I am going to unpack and put the suitcase away for a while. But after I’ve watched the tennis on TV….
Much of a muchness 
WOW, sailing.
I went sailing a few times off the Outer Banks in NC…..I loved it.
But it’s always great to get back home.
Raven
http://cherokeebydesign.wordpress.com/
It is wonderful to go sailing but I agree, it is also great to get home!
Thank you for commenting here – I have visited your blog and I really loved your photographs and your poetry. I couldn’t find an RSS feed button but I shall be back :-)
Your energy is astounding young Diane ….. the very thought makes me want to sit down.
I’m sure I saw you watching the Hewitt/Roddick match – twas a cracker wasn’t it?
Have a little sit down now and try and gather your wits …… I’ve looked over at my place but couldn’t see them there – tee hee
It was an amazing match. They both played out of their skins!
As for energy, I find sunshine makes me feel very energetic and full of beans. I’m definitely a hot house flower :-)
So great that there wasn’t so much mud this year. So sorry that you like Neil Young: a Canadian songwriter who has specialised in the Ozark twang in his voice.
And man, he is looking old!
There are so many better artists — young and old — who don’t creep me out quite so much!
About the trip: we made it all the way: from you to Didcot where we caught a train to Appleby in Westmorland and spent three days with a good friend that we met on a previous trip.
It pissed with rain for three days, so it was great that Alice could take us around in a car.
I love the Derwent pencil museum!
And we did all the local stone circles, including ‘Long Meg and her daughters” and David even found “Little Meg”.
We took another train down to the Peak District: I highly recommend this area! Paths that a wheelchair could use (well, most of the time) and some of the few remaining low cost B&Bs and some actual pubs.
David and I were quite concerned about the death of pubs in England: many villages have lost the pub entirely because the houses in the village have been bought by people who only stay there for holidays.
The villages have also lost their post office, their bus service, sometimes the school has gone.
I have pictures of the three of us having coffee and looking at the book I gave you, and neither of us look beautiful (David is a good photographer, but impromptu photos sometimes look goofy) . Beeston looks great and very interested.
So glad that you have had a warm holiday. If you send me an email address through the bookartsforum. I will send you the photos.
Hi Cathryn
I have sent you a fuller reply via the bookartsforum and await the photos with much trepidation. Don’t often like pictures of myself these days – the one taken in Greece I use on my Facebook page is a rare exception and will now be used to death! maybe it’s because the hat and glasses hide much of my face :-)
I hope you told all my peeps in Greece I said hello :0
Glad you had such a good time. Maybe someday I’ll make it across the pond.
All the Greek people I met were sweet and friendly – and a couple did look like you :-D
You HAVE to go there, it is beautiful. You can stop off in the UK en route and see me :-)
That would be awesome. I think my wife wants to go to Ireland too, to see her people again. Maybe in a few years when the babies are older.
I hope you weren’t exhausted from all the hard labor whilst on the yacht! LOL!
I swear I don’t know why you don’t have George Clooney next to you because you lead the same sort of jet-setting lifestyle. =) Poor, poor Milo…..
I know! George and I would be a dream couple. Actually after 18 months on my own now, anyone with their own hair and teeth and a pulse is starting to look good….
Wow! See I want to be just like you, living the good life because this is solely what life’s all about !
p.s. Glad your back !
Thank you, Geri. It has been a wonderful couple of months, things are settling down now – good job we have been promised some lovely weather in the UK for the summer. Hurrah!
Glad your back, safe and sound and even more; that you’ve had such a wonderful time and make all that out of it.
Thanks for sharing all the photos in a brilliant way too – great to watch.
Btw: Wimbledon is on Norwegian TV too :-)
Thank you, Renny! I really enjoyed your latest post comparing the seasons in Norway – wonderful photographs as usual.
Are there any famous Norwegian tennis players? There are a lot of Swedish ones…
how you like greece?
I liked it a lot! Very beautiful, wonderful weather, good food, friendly people – what’s not to like? I particularly enjoyed sailing around the Ionian Islands and finding deserted coves. I had a wonderful holiday.
I gave up Glastonbury back in the 80s cos it was getting too hectic.
Saw some amazing acts, would have liked to have seen Amadou & Mariam this year, but after that it would have been chilling in the green field (do they still have that?)
Have shown loads of people your site, they are all very impressed with the bookbinding.
I only started going about 5 years ago so I never knew it in its heyday sadly but I love it! Amadou & Mariam were really good.
And yes, there is still a Green Field area.
Thanks for showing people my site and books – most kind! Always open for commissions :-)
wow what an amazing time you have had. Loving the slide shows and piccies and how gorgeous are your boys in the side bar.
I am not surprised Milo is a bit sulky… Layla was very weird with me after I had been away only 5 days … even now 2 weeks on she follows me everywhere…….. glad you had a lovely time though :-)
Thanks! It has been an amazing couple of months. It’s nice to be home and back in a routine though. Milo has been SO naughty, I think #1 son spoils him when I am away. Soon put a stop to that :-)
meant to also say you are looking great too in your holiday pose too :-)
i lke this news
http://www.myfunbank.blogspot.com
Thanks!