Well, it's now almost a month since the adventure ended and I finally thought to finish off the blog!
It was quite an eventful flight home. I almost didn't leave the country, my heavy suitcase caused me to overbalance and topple down the escalator at JFK airport! How embarrassing....then halfway through our flight home suffered a massive nose bleed. We arrived in Sydney and went through customs, with silly me leaving a bag behind - thankfully some fast thinking and talking meant I was able to recover it (given it had all my important Kentucky and Badminton souvenirs, I wasn't going to give up easily!).
Arriving back at Tullamarine and heading down the Calder was strange....everything seemed so eerily quiet after the hussle and bustle of New York!
It was lovely of course to finally see my family and animals again - everyone had done a great job in taking care of the place. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family. :)
Now, it's back to work and reality...but good to be back in the saddle again. After seeing two of the biggest events in the world (and many other things!) I am all inspired for the season ahead. Next stop? Melb 3DE next weekend...although maybe next year it will be riding rather than watching??
Thanks to everyone reading for sharing the journey with me. :)
Friday, 3 June 2011
Saturday, 7 May 2011
The City That Never Sleeps
Or so it seems!
After a fairly hairy ride into Manhattan yesterday in our shuttle bus we arrived & were soon hit with all things NYC. First walking into Times Square & Broadway totally spun us out. A completely different feel & pace compared to anywhere we've been so far. Our hotel is ok for a budget one...great location, but rather 1950s in decor...not to mention the shower that only works if no one else is showering in nearby rooms!
Today we went on an open topped bus tour of the city. Craziness....I think we had to wait for the 5th or 6th bus in line before we got on near Times Square. Saw lots of the typical things...Times Square, Madison Square Gargen, Empire State Building, the construction site of the new World Trade Center, 5th Avenue, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge...the list goes on.
As I type we have retired to the hotel to watch the Kentucky Derby. Tonight we'll venture into Times Square for a night time view ( M & Ms world is on the list) and to take in the sights before starting the journey home tomorrow afternoon.
After a fairly hairy ride into Manhattan yesterday in our shuttle bus we arrived & were soon hit with all things NYC. First walking into Times Square & Broadway totally spun us out. A completely different feel & pace compared to anywhere we've been so far. Our hotel is ok for a budget one...great location, but rather 1950s in decor...not to mention the shower that only works if no one else is showering in nearby rooms!
Today we went on an open topped bus tour of the city. Craziness....I think we had to wait for the 5th or 6th bus in line before we got on near Times Square. Saw lots of the typical things...Times Square, Madison Square Gargen, Empire State Building, the construction site of the new World Trade Center, 5th Avenue, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge...the list goes on.
As I type we have retired to the hotel to watch the Kentucky Derby. Tonight we'll venture into Times Square for a night time view ( M & Ms world is on the list) and to take in the sights before starting the journey home tomorrow afternoon.
Friday, 6 May 2011
From Kentucky to North Carolina...toward NYC
I am not sure where the last few days has gone, but we've just had a great time staying with Marcus, Hope & Addy in Charlotte. It has been great to experience the way of life over there, including going to a baseball game ( umm, a rather interesting one, with scores of 9-18). A firm memory of the place will be food, including the delights of literally all-you-can eat buffet at Golden Corral, to Ihop (international House Of Pancakes) for brekky, Cracker Barrel & Hooters ( not as raunchy as the reputation, just tacky! Good food though). We experienced many southern delights, like corn bread, pulled pork & hush puppies....oh and real hot dogs, not the sav things we call hotdogs at home. It never ceases to amaze me that getting a "doggy bag" to take your leftovers home is actively encouraged!!
Other highlights included a visit to King's Mountain (actually South Carolina) and being able to visit a local Elementary school & answer questions about Australia with a 5th Grade class. For Mark particularly it was interesting to compare education systems & we learned lots from them too.
Otherwise, we did a lot of looking at different stores...such as BJs, Sears & Super Target ( target that has a supermarket and a whole lot more). It was difficult dragging Mark away from the array of sports stores...so many, but alas the suitcase can only fit so much ( and with domestic flights charging $25 per bag, that wipes out the bargains....well almost).
There's probably heaps of things we've forgotten but we had a fantastic time & hope we can return the hospitality one day in the future (well, I did promise Addy a pony ride...not on a carousel!).
Now we head to NYC to take in the sights before we head home.
Other highlights included a visit to King's Mountain (actually South Carolina) and being able to visit a local Elementary school & answer questions about Australia with a 5th Grade class. For Mark particularly it was interesting to compare education systems & we learned lots from them too.
Otherwise, we did a lot of looking at different stores...such as BJs, Sears & Super Target ( target that has a supermarket and a whole lot more). It was difficult dragging Mark away from the array of sports stores...so many, but alas the suitcase can only fit so much ( and with domestic flights charging $25 per bag, that wipes out the bargains....well almost).
There's probably heaps of things we've forgotten but we had a fantastic time & hope we can return the hospitality one day in the future (well, I did promise Addy a pony ride...not on a carousel!).
Now we head to NYC to take in the sights before we head home.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Well...it's all over....what a week!
Now it is time to pack up the suitcases for our last week of our holiday. :-(
Rolex SJ Day was an awesome experience...they really worked the crowd before it commenced and then the last 6 rides shown live on NBC. Before the jumping started, there was a course walk with commentary & a presentation of US Pony Club's mounted games championships. PC members also carried in big flags of each country represented.
It was great to see Mary King 1st and 2nd...what a week it has been for her after 3rd at Badminton last weekend. Sinead Halpin is America's new star, taking out 3rd in her first four star. William Fox Pitt was 4th & Clayton Fredericks 5th for Aus after a rail dropped them down 2 places. Oli Townend 6th...so a good trip for the British contingent. Hamish Cargill did complete, but had 4 rails showjumping.
All in all, a good weekend with the weather coming out sunny this afternoon after storms last night. Now we head to North Carolina for most of the week, have a few days in NYC before flying home to Aus. It's all gone so quickly!!
Rolex SJ Day was an awesome experience...they really worked the crowd before it commenced and then the last 6 rides shown live on NBC. Before the jumping started, there was a course walk with commentary & a presentation of US Pony Club's mounted games championships. PC members also carried in big flags of each country represented.
It was great to see Mary King 1st and 2nd...what a week it has been for her after 3rd at Badminton last weekend. Sinead Halpin is America's new star, taking out 3rd in her first four star. William Fox Pitt was 4th & Clayton Fredericks 5th for Aus after a rail dropped them down 2 places. Oli Townend 6th...so a good trip for the British contingent. Hamish Cargill did complete, but had 4 rails showjumping.
All in all, a good weekend with the weather coming out sunny this afternoon after storms last night. Now we head to North Carolina for most of the week, have a few days in NYC before flying home to Aus. It's all gone so quickly!!
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Rolex XC Day...action packed!
This afternoon I had the pleasure of seeing Mary King ride her to horses into first & 2nd place after awesome XC rides here at Rolex Kentucky. Clayton Fredericks lies 3rd after a very good round with Be My Guest.
XC was very influential, with only 18 of 41 getting home clear of jumping faults & only 3 making the time.
I am in love with Fernhill Urco, Mary's grey. He will be one to watch...perhaps for London, or beyond?
Unfortunately Hamish Cargill had 2 runouts at the same fence, the Hollow, so incurred a 60 & time faults. A shame as the rest of his round looked good from what I saw. He had the unfortunate experience of being held on course just before fence 10, as the horse ahead, RStar, had a fall at the double of corners.
A lot of water was pumped out at various points, but the sunken road still had water in it. They lowered the first element because of it & it rode well. Everyone I saw went straight through. It got hot in the afternoon so it dried out & the going held up well. When we walked it 2 days ago, it was very wet. This afternoon, we got sunburnt!!
Showjumping starts at 1pm tomorrow, so about 3am in Aus if my maths is correct. Should be exciting...it's a big, stadium style course, very different to what I am used to seeing at home (ie compact indoor or outdoor courses).
XC was very influential, with only 18 of 41 getting home clear of jumping faults & only 3 making the time.
I am in love with Fernhill Urco, Mary's grey. He will be one to watch...perhaps for London, or beyond?
Unfortunately Hamish Cargill had 2 runouts at the same fence, the Hollow, so incurred a 60 & time faults. A shame as the rest of his round looked good from what I saw. He had the unfortunate experience of being held on course just before fence 10, as the horse ahead, RStar, had a fall at the double of corners.
A lot of water was pumped out at various points, but the sunken road still had water in it. They lowered the first element because of it & it rode well. Everyone I saw went straight through. It got hot in the afternoon so it dried out & the going held up well. When we walked it 2 days ago, it was very wet. This afternoon, we got sunburnt!!
Showjumping starts at 1pm tomorrow, so about 3am in Aus if my maths is correct. Should be exciting...it's a big, stadium style course, very different to what I am used to seeing at home (ie compact indoor or outdoor courses).
Friday, 29 April 2011
Things I have learned about USA & more on Rolex Kentucky
Well a slightly chilly start to the day, with XC course still looking damp & a lot of draining occuring at the lake area. The dressage test of the day for me came from Mary King & Fernhill Urco, who were classy, polished, accurate & mistake free. A very lovely horse indeed & IMO ( not that it counts for much) should have been clearly in the lead. I did note the US judge marked it 5% lower than the other judges, but that seemed to happen a lot, resulting in some close scores in the top 20. Of the Aussies, Clayton Fredericks lies 10th with Be My Guest & Hamish Cargill was another rider to perform a pleasing test (perhaps judged a tad harshly?) to be 14th.
Other highlights involved getting our Run Henny Run hats (personally signed by Peter Atkins)... And seeing the bronzes of Secretariat & Man O'War. Both are (believe it or not) ancestors of my little Henry ( on his TB side of course) as he has Bold Ruler & War Admiral back in his family tree. His toughness & cocky attitude might not just be the Cob blood! ;-)
Other things we learned in our travels today
1. You can get quite decent frozen dinners for $2.50 or less...under $2 for a Lean Cuisine!!
2. Most local chocolate here ( including candy bars like Kit Kats) is made by Hersheys = bile tasting. However Reece's Peanut butter cups are quite tasty. Thank God for Lindt being sold here though!!
3. If you look hard enough, you *can* buy products that DON'T contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. It is used here extensively instead of sugar, is evil tasting & wreaks havoc on my delicate stomach.
4. You can buy guns in Walmart. No joke. Tyres (tires?) for your car too!
5. Most horse park food is grotesque! Too hard to describe the weird delights, most being heart attacks in a box. We'll make our own sangas for tomorrow!!
Photos to come!
Other highlights involved getting our Run Henny Run hats (personally signed by Peter Atkins)... And seeing the bronzes of Secretariat & Man O'War. Both are (believe it or not) ancestors of my little Henry ( on his TB side of course) as he has Bold Ruler & War Admiral back in his family tree. His toughness & cocky attitude might not just be the Cob blood! ;-)
Other things we learned in our travels today
1. You can get quite decent frozen dinners for $2.50 or less...under $2 for a Lean Cuisine!!
2. Most local chocolate here ( including candy bars like Kit Kats) is made by Hersheys = bile tasting. However Reece's Peanut butter cups are quite tasty. Thank God for Lindt being sold here though!!
3. If you look hard enough, you *can* buy products that DON'T contain High Fructose Corn Syrup. It is used here extensively instead of sugar, is evil tasting & wreaks havoc on my delicate stomach.
4. You can buy guns in Walmart. No joke. Tyres (tires?) for your car too!
5. Most horse park food is grotesque! Too hard to describe the weird delights, most being heart attacks in a box. We'll make our own sangas for tomorrow!!
Photos to come!
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Kentucky day 1 & 2
Well after 24 hrs in transit (from a 5 am London check in til arriving in Georgetown at 11pm!) we got here late Tuesday. Stormy weather delayed our flights, but very luckily we have escaped the tornadoes that have struck further south. Yesterday we picked up our car & Mark has handled the driving on the right hand side very well... Still freaks me out!
Today's trip to the Kentucky horse park was to find our way, check out the venue, go shopping ( !) and walk the XC. Tomorrow will be spectating the 2nd day of dressage. The venue is just amazing.... Acres of green pasture, post & rail fencing for miles, then the big stadium with lights to rival the MCG!
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Across the Atlantic & weekend reflections
Well, it's been a while between blog posts, so I'm going to attempt to put something together whilst crossing the Atlantic ( obviously to be uploaded later).
It's been a hectic few days....we arrived in Bath Wednesday & explored the historic sights. Thursday involved a trip to the Roman Baths & a walk through the lovely Parade park. Then it was off to Nettleton for our stay during Badminton.
The last 4 days has gone in a blur....Thursday was dressage day 1, then time for some shopping in the maze of trade stands & then a course walk with Paul Tapner, organised as a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK.
What I realised from walking the course is that it is not necessarily the size of the fences, but the order, placement & technicality that increases the difficulty....not to mention that watching on TV/dvd gives no indication of the (long!) distance between some of the fences, or the undulation of the terrain. Towards the end of the course there was a long uphill gallop, at a time when horses were tiring....this meant a lot of horses did struggle to make time.
Friday was 2nd day of dressage & the standard blew me away! So many good tests, of note Ruth Edge with Two Thyme & Piggy French on Jakarta put together brilliant tests & the crowd went wild! Of the Aussies, Sam Griffiths put in the best test. The difficulty of the 4 star test has noticeably increased...lots of counter canter & flying changes. Those who doubted Mark Todd's ability to step up to the modern sport were proven wrong, with a very nice test on NZB Landvision.
Cross country day dawned a little cooler than the previous days, but still nice & sunny. Andrew Nicholson set off as trailblazer& stormed around clear & under time...everyone thought the course was going to be a dressage competition....no, it was just Andrew showing his experience! After that, the wheels started to fall off, with time proving harder to get than anticipated (11 min, 16 seconds being the optimum time). From an Australian perspective, it was great to see all 3 get round. Sam Griffiths was the only one to make time with a very classy round on Happy Times. It was pleasing to see though that Lucinda Fredericks went storming around on her new up & coming star, Prada, who looks to be filling Headley Brittania's shoes. Paul Tapner also had a good round, but I know he was disappointed to not make the time. The action really got exciting later in the afternoon with so many in contention to move up the placings. One of the rounds of the day came from Nicola Wilson on Opposition Buzz, who looked so fit & bright right to the end. Mark Todd did not disappoint, with a clear round to go into the lead... the end of XC day, the top 12 only had one rail separating them....nail biting stuff!
Showjumping day was exciting as promised...although there were several clears in the morning session, the pressure mounted as the day went on. Paul Tapner & Kilfinnie had 2 down, whilst Lucinda & Prada had one. The order in the top 12 shuffled around when just a few rails fell. Sam Griffiths remained cool under pressure to go clear & move up the leaderboard (to be 4th, finishing on his dressage score) as did Mary King & Piggy French. It was all then down to Mark Todd & he was just amazing, going clear under enormous pressure to take the win with NZB Land Vision. The crowd went mad...what a story, a win 31 years after his first win in 1980...wins later with Horton Point & Bertie Blunt...a retirement after Sydney Olympics, then the comeback in 2008.
We stayed to watch the retirement ceremony of Tamarillo, then the presentations & victory lap. Then it was a fleeting trip back to London to prepare for our 5.40am check in to fly to USA...! Now I have no idea what "time" we are on....had to do a silly flight to Zurich to get our flight to Chicago, so have changed time zones all over the place. We'll get to Lexington tonight, making our day about 31 hrs.
Update: since I wrote this, we had a delayed flight to Lexington due to thunderstorms & got to our hotel at 11pm...! This morning we have woken to severe thunderstorm warnings & tornado warnings! Can't get our hire car til later as they are 'grounded' til the storms pass. I have heard the first horse inspection has been moved indoors with the weather...crazy stuff!
It's been a hectic few days....we arrived in Bath Wednesday & explored the historic sights. Thursday involved a trip to the Roman Baths & a walk through the lovely Parade park. Then it was off to Nettleton for our stay during Badminton.
The last 4 days has gone in a blur....Thursday was dressage day 1, then time for some shopping in the maze of trade stands & then a course walk with Paul Tapner, organised as a fundraiser for Cancer Research UK.
What I realised from walking the course is that it is not necessarily the size of the fences, but the order, placement & technicality that increases the difficulty....not to mention that watching on TV/dvd gives no indication of the (long!) distance between some of the fences, or the undulation of the terrain. Towards the end of the course there was a long uphill gallop, at a time when horses were tiring....this meant a lot of horses did struggle to make time.
Friday was 2nd day of dressage & the standard blew me away! So many good tests, of note Ruth Edge with Two Thyme & Piggy French on Jakarta put together brilliant tests & the crowd went wild! Of the Aussies, Sam Griffiths put in the best test. The difficulty of the 4 star test has noticeably increased...lots of counter canter & flying changes. Those who doubted Mark Todd's ability to step up to the modern sport were proven wrong, with a very nice test on NZB Landvision.
Cross country day dawned a little cooler than the previous days, but still nice & sunny. Andrew Nicholson set off as trailblazer& stormed around clear & under time...everyone thought the course was going to be a dressage competition....no, it was just Andrew showing his experience! After that, the wheels started to fall off, with time proving harder to get than anticipated (11 min, 16 seconds being the optimum time). From an Australian perspective, it was great to see all 3 get round. Sam Griffiths was the only one to make time with a very classy round on Happy Times. It was pleasing to see though that Lucinda Fredericks went storming around on her new up & coming star, Prada, who looks to be filling Headley Brittania's shoes. Paul Tapner also had a good round, but I know he was disappointed to not make the time. The action really got exciting later in the afternoon with so many in contention to move up the placings. One of the rounds of the day came from Nicola Wilson on Opposition Buzz, who looked so fit & bright right to the end. Mark Todd did not disappoint, with a clear round to go into the lead... the end of XC day, the top 12 only had one rail separating them....nail biting stuff!
Showjumping day was exciting as promised...although there were several clears in the morning session, the pressure mounted as the day went on. Paul Tapner & Kilfinnie had 2 down, whilst Lucinda & Prada had one. The order in the top 12 shuffled around when just a few rails fell. Sam Griffiths remained cool under pressure to go clear & move up the leaderboard (to be 4th, finishing on his dressage score) as did Mary King & Piggy French. It was all then down to Mark Todd & he was just amazing, going clear under enormous pressure to take the win with NZB Land Vision. The crowd went mad...what a story, a win 31 years after his first win in 1980...wins later with Horton Point & Bertie Blunt...a retirement after Sydney Olympics, then the comeback in 2008.
We stayed to watch the retirement ceremony of Tamarillo, then the presentations & victory lap. Then it was a fleeting trip back to London to prepare for our 5.40am check in to fly to USA...! Now I have no idea what "time" we are on....had to do a silly flight to Zurich to get our flight to Chicago, so have changed time zones all over the place. We'll get to Lexington tonight, making our day about 31 hrs.
Update: since I wrote this, we had a delayed flight to Lexington due to thunderstorms & got to our hotel at 11pm...! This morning we have woken to severe thunderstorm warnings & tornado warnings! Can't get our hire car til later as they are 'grounded' til the storms pass. I have heard the first horse inspection has been moved indoors with the weather...crazy stuff!
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Good XC rounds for Aussies
Brief update....good day for Aussies! All 3 put in solid clear rounds, with Sam Griffiths being one of the few to make the time. Great to see Lucinda put in a good round with Prada.
The leaderboard has changed considerably, with Mark Todd & Andrew Nicholson & William Fox Pitt all to come with 2nd horses. An exciting day ahead tomorrow...warm here today too, how lucky we are with the weather, although it is "hot" by british standards!!
The leaderboard has changed considerably, with Mark Todd & Andrew Nicholson & William Fox Pitt all to come with 2nd horses. An exciting day ahead tomorrow...warm here today too, how lucky we are with the weather, although it is "hot" by british standards!!
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Brilliant Badminton
Well...what can I say? Been here 2 days & been too busy to blog!
Loving the Badminton experience, helped greatly by superb weather...25 degrees for today, 2nd day of dressage. Lots of people wilting, but I loved it!
Some absolutely superb riding seen, with 3 young British riders dominating the leaderboard. Ruth Edge & Two Thyme took the lead, followed by Piggy French & Laura Collett. Everyone loves a good comeback, so it was nice to see Mark Todd perform an excellent test to lie 4th.
The Aussies are a bit off the pace, but all 3 put in solid tests to be in the top quarter of the field.
Hopefully some photos & more stories to come tomorrow! Roll on XC day :-)
Loving the Badminton experience, helped greatly by superb weather...25 degrees for today, 2nd day of dressage. Lots of people wilting, but I loved it!
Some absolutely superb riding seen, with 3 young British riders dominating the leaderboard. Ruth Edge & Two Thyme took the lead, followed by Piggy French & Laura Collett. Everyone loves a good comeback, so it was nice to see Mark Todd perform an excellent test to lie 4th.
The Aussies are a bit off the pace, but all 3 put in solid tests to be in the top quarter of the field.
Hopefully some photos & more stories to come tomorrow! Roll on XC day :-)
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Riding near Cirencester...not quite as expected
Ok, so I did get to go riding, but it was a little different to what I had expected....! I picked what I thought was a reputable establishment & thought I had made my requests clear, as beforehand they asked my height, weight & level of experience.
XC lesson was ok...instructor was good, but the horse was big & clumpy. At least I got to go for a hoon, jump some fences & work on my lines & position. Not too bad considering on a strange, much bigger horse.
Dressage lesson...well, I thought " schoolmaster lesson with senior instructor" meant I'd get to ride an educated horse. No, it meant flatwork lesson on poor old school horse. Unfortunately he was big, hollow, stiff...with a mouth like concrete and rigid sides. I am used to riding horses that go forward into a contact. Made me appreciate my own horses much more in any case. Although they have their problems, at least they are responsive!
So now we are in the lovely city of Bath...very beautiful. Tomorrow we make our way to Chippenham for our Badminton accomodation. Only 2 more sleeps!
XC lesson was ok...instructor was good, but the horse was big & clumpy. At least I got to go for a hoon, jump some fences & work on my lines & position. Not too bad considering on a strange, much bigger horse.
Dressage lesson...well, I thought " schoolmaster lesson with senior instructor" meant I'd get to ride an educated horse. No, it meant flatwork lesson on poor old school horse. Unfortunately he was big, hollow, stiff...with a mouth like concrete and rigid sides. I am used to riding horses that go forward into a contact. Made me appreciate my own horses much more in any case. Although they have their problems, at least they are responsive!
So now we are in the lovely city of Bath...very beautiful. Tomorrow we make our way to Chippenham for our Badminton accomodation. Only 2 more sleeps!
Monday, 18 April 2011
A visit to Wickstead Farm
A hectic few days
Finally managing to catch up on my blogging. Friday was a very long day, with the trip to Calais to get back to London. We did really well on the road (left Paris at 7:30) and the plan was to get a midday ferry....well, that was the plan & must have been everyone else's as there was a line up kilometres from the port. We were able to take a short cut to get there a bit quicker, but then it took over an hour to get through border security! Hundreds of people in line, but only 2 staff on duty, what the?
We finally got on the 1.35 ferry & that was ok...a 2 hr bus trip & we'd be back in London right? Wrong! Due to London Marathon. & apparently a fire on the M1 (?) we went through the suburbs & our trip turned into 4 hrs. :-( ( including a 2nd accidental sightseeing tour of very busy London, past Westminster Abbey). By 7pm we reached the tour ending hotel & had to find our way to our hotel. It was only a 2 mile walk with heavy luggage & to start with, NFI of where we were going. A taxi might have been more sensible! The saving grace for the day was getting upgraded from a standard room to an entire suite, because of the marathon bookings. It was just about was big as our house). Quote of the day by Mark "I feel like the Queen". Unfortunately I didn't get to appreciate it much, being up all night with a tummy bug (ferry food?).
Then it was time for a change of pace, so we got a train to Bedford to escape the hectic pace of London on Marathon day. Stayed at a lovely hotel on the outskirts & enjoyed a walk to a local fair, had a Lovely dinner & early night ( still recovering from the tour!) After a good sleep we headed for Wiltshire & are now having a nice stay in Highworth to explore the Cotswolds before heading to Bath & then it's all roads lead to Badminton!
We finally got on the 1.35 ferry & that was ok...a 2 hr bus trip & we'd be back in London right? Wrong! Due to London Marathon. & apparently a fire on the M1 (?) we went through the suburbs & our trip turned into 4 hrs. :-( ( including a 2nd accidental sightseeing tour of very busy London, past Westminster Abbey). By 7pm we reached the tour ending hotel & had to find our way to our hotel. It was only a 2 mile walk with heavy luggage & to start with, NFI of where we were going. A taxi might have been more sensible! The saving grace for the day was getting upgraded from a standard room to an entire suite, because of the marathon bookings. It was just about was big as our house). Quote of the day by Mark "I feel like the Queen". Unfortunately I didn't get to appreciate it much, being up all night with a tummy bug (ferry food?).
Then it was time for a change of pace, so we got a train to Bedford to escape the hectic pace of London on Marathon day. Stayed at a lovely hotel on the outskirts & enjoyed a walk to a local fair, had a Lovely dinner & early night ( still recovering from the tour!) After a good sleep we headed for Wiltshire & are now having a nice stay in Highworth to explore the Cotswolds before heading to Bath & then it's all roads lead to Badminton!
Friday, 15 April 2011
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