Trinidad and Tobago Day 92

It's my birthday so am exerting birthday rights and commandeering the computer to fill you in what we are doing. It is Republic Day here (I had forgotten T & T celebrated my birthday with such style - all the flags are out and there is a mass of patriotic fervour - owing probably to it being yet another public holiday) I have been spoilt rotten today with breakfast in bed, a lie in, lots of kisses and songs and heaps of presents including a stylish carib keyring and towel that proclaims in inch high letters "Carib - the best reason for beer" The kids bought me some DVDs that have PIRATE COPY printed all over them, Martin commented that the shop did give him a receipt for the DVDs - it is nice to know that T & T still has its priorites.

We arrived nearly a week ago and moved into a lovely 2 bedroom townhouse immediately. It is a great house in a compound with about 30 other houses with beautifully maintained gardens, a pool and security guards (really necessary here). The house is fully furnished so other than a couple of standing fans (I don't like air conditioning) and a dish cloth or two it has been a very easy move. We have rented a car for a week and Martin asking people and doing research into buying a car of our own - so that is our main concern right now.
The boys are having a great time and have made friends with neighbouring kids - a 7 and 3 year old live opposite. Zac has discovered a huge toad, called a crapeau, that lives under the tree outside and fruit bats that hang in the branches that come out at night to swoop over the pool. He has started a sketch book of bugs and is forever outside with a plastic container looking for specimens to pore over. Maxi is his usual self-contained self and has to be watched to stop him wandering off to talk to the neighbours' parrots or to dip his bucket in the pool (not a good idea!). Max keeps asking to go to the beach which surprisingly we have yet to do but we have hopes for today as we will be visiting people who have land near the beach and will do our first bush walk to get there. We have caught up with lots of old friends who seem very pleased to see us which is lovely. We have also been offered holidays in Toco and Tobago which we will be taking up I am sure.
Trinidad is as lovely as I remember it. I have spotted about 20 species of bird in our garden alone (this is where my latent twitcher tendencies take on their true force), loads of flowers and trees all bursting with life. It is the wet season so it is supposed to rain every afternoon but has only managed to twice so far and both times we have all gone outside and danced! The weather is a balmy 30 degrees reaching to 35 degrees in the hottest part of the day but air conditioners and fans have their uses and if it all gets too much we just go in the pool.
Zac and Max will start school together on Monday, complete with school uniforms, school dinners (of pigeon peas, rice and roti) and homework - how will they cope? (I don't know how I will cope) but it will be an experience for them and that is what this is all about. And so with our days free Martin may get on with some work and me - I am not sure yet but I can think of lots of things I would like to do so all I have to do is decide...
Thats all for now I feel like a Carib and a lie down - well why not???

Montreal Day 85

Well we have made it over the Atlantic and are now cosily holed up in a fantastic apartment hotel (our rooms are huge and spacious) recovering from our jet lag. Zac, as usual, has not suffered in this department and easily stays awake until the appropriate bed time, sleeps blissfully all night and wakes ready to go the next day.

Maxi on the other hand is a stickler for his routine and so wakes up at 3.30 or 4am and cheerfully demands breakfast. He is later wheeled regally around in his buggy sleeping off the early start, while we take in the sights and try hard to be kind to each other as we are soooo tired! Not really complaining though because we are only here a few days as we leave on Saturday (and we only arrived on Monday).

Montreal would be lovely if it was open but much of it is closed apparently because summer is over. Mind you the weather is fairly good and it has yet to rain. We have done some fun things including a horse and carriage ride and a trip to Fairyland a costume shop opened in 1846 and three floors jam packed with dress up 'stuff'.

Zac was in heaven and looked at everything in minute detail. He is now saving his money and begging to do chores for us to earn more so he can buy himself an outfit ( a superhero one no doubt).

A Biodome trip found us amongst tropical rainforests with monkeys and butterflies, in the artic with penguins and under the sea with sharks and sting rays. Zac used an audio guide which gave Martin and I a much needed moment of peace and quiet and you never know he might even have learned something! Yesterday we visited the insectarium - which I am sure will give me creepy crawly nightmares for ages - scarab beetles, millions of moths, huge stick insects and flourescent scorpions had both boys entranced. Afterwards we went to the Montreal botanical gardens - not usually something to write about but they were truely exceptional. Vast, well stocked and fabulously looked after. Truely lovely. We walked for miles and miles in the sun - a perfect day.

It is our last day today and we are in our hotel doing our morning routine of homework with Zac, colouring and zoo animal play for Max, Martin on the computer and me presiding and keeping the peace. Off to Old Montreal to an Archeology Museum. Love to everyone. xxx

England Day 80

We spent our least week in the UK visiting rocks and stately homes. We spent one of the only sunny summer days at Brimham rocks with lots of dour Yorkshire folk worrying about our children falling off rocks. We ended up picnicing at the top of a sheer cliff which didn't help, but luckily we all survived.


England is a lovely place to visit, glorious countryside, cobbled streets in pictureseque villages with thatched cottages, quaint places names like Little Ditchling and ... It is steeped in history with loads to do, beautiful houses, gardens and on this visit sculpture parks have featured heavily. There is a downside though, money has to be spent like water at every turn, the weather is totally unreliable; during our last week we had alternate days of blazing sunshine and cold, foggy autumnal days - we never knew what to expect. There are so many people and cars that traffic queues are the norm and road rage standard.

One day you see holiday makers, cerise pink with sun burn, clutching new purchases of pristine buckets and spades, off on their annual beach holiday complete with sandy fish paste sandwiches and a bewildered air at what to do with the free time and space. The next day you see toddlers, swathed in anoraks battling the elements, clutching slowly melting ice creams, beaming serenely, whilst grannies clutch tartan blankets and huddle behind wind breaks that enclose them on three sides and only allow a view of a sea wall, and they are valiantly attempting to enjoy themselves you just have to marvel.



We spent the other sunny day of the trip at Burton Agnes hall near Bridlington. This hall had fantastic gardens with lots of different courtyards with giant-size games in each : snakes and ladders, hop scotch, draughts and chess, hoola hoop and others. There was also (yet another) sculpture park in a woodland walkway co9mplete with giant spiders, 15 huge caterpillars and a myriad of birds and other wildlife things, The kids had a great time while mum and I enjoyed the hall


We did delay our departure from the UK for a few days, ostensibly because of a trip to the circus in the park but also because we were having such a good time with my Mum and PoppaD that it seemed a shame to leave! The circus was great and the kids loved it, Maxi shouted "it's behind you" and "oh no he didn't" in all the right places and Zac was amazed by the balancing acts and acrobatics. A surprise entrance of Superman on the trapeze set the audience buzzing, Zac thought it was played by a girl but then changed his mind, Max was of the opinion that it was the real one!

And so we left England after sad farewells to all (but with a master plan to lure Mum out to Trinidad at Xmas, and a plan for Nolly to visit too). And so with a five hour car trip to Brighton and a final night with Jill and Dave (see Dublin entry and yes Jill we will put a photo of you on here eventually) we set off to Canada.