We've moved out

Bye bye Akeman Street - we moved out on Monday and are now spending 10 weeks (only 6 for Nick) with various Cambridge friends who are kind enough to host us. Moving was a manic process and we still have stuff we have to get rid of, but the main task is done and we are one big step closer to living aboard. More later.

Days out with Daddy

Gesa's gone away for the weekend on a sailing course, learning how to pick me up if I fall over the side, and so the kids and I had a weekend together. Coincidently, I'd sold something on ebay to a chap who was going to be in Norfolk on Saturday, so I arranged to drive out and meet him and combine that with a trip to King's Lynn. I haven't been there for a long time and thought we might find fun stuff to do and somewhere to eat lunch. And we did.

In the town, we visited St Margarets church, which we liked, and the doorway had stones showing how high the big floods had come. In January 1978, Issie and Max would have been underwater.

Along the quayside there's a lovely space with old chains and anchors, which Issie and Max could almost move, and a nicely restored area of cobbles and warehouses. The statue is of a chap called George Vancouver, so we thought we'd better say hello to him before we leave for the city he begun.

At lunchtime we left Kings Lynn and headed for Thorney, a small village a few miles away, which was where my contact was going. I'd sold him a battery charger, and he was in the area to pick up a kit car from Tiger Cars so we went there. It's a great little garage / factory and the folks hanging around were really friendly. Max got to sit in on of the cars and loved it. Maybe we should build one of these one day, eh Max? Then fight over who gets to drive it....They had a secondhand completed one for £5k. Tempting....

We found a lovely village pub for lunch then headed home - a fun day out.

Issieism

Issie's moved up a year in school and yesterday they were introduced to a classroom full of computers where they can learn things with and about computers.

Issie was pleased to tell us that it is called the 'Ice Tea Sweet' (I.T Suite)

Max goes to school

Max has started at 'pre-school', which runs every morning at the same school that Issie goes to, where she is now in Year 1. He was very excited to be going to proper school with his big sister, and we all cycled round there full of excitement.

He loves it, of course. It was only at the end of his first day that I realised which T-shirt he was wearing. Gesa said she just pulled it out of the drawer because it was his smartest, newest T-shirt, and hadn't looked at the words.

It says 'better a bad day on the water than a good day at school....' I hope his teachers didn't take offence.

Maxism - on hold

I'm trying to talk to someone in one of those call centres, and get the music and 'your call is important, please hold' message.

I put the phone on speaker, lay it on the worktop and get on with preparing lunch.

Max keeps picking up the phone. After the third time I've said 'please put the phone down' he says 'but they keep saying to hold it'

We're back

We're back, atlhough I hesitate to say we're home, as I'm not really sure where that is right now. Ty Dewi is safely tied up in a marina in the warmth of La Gomera, and we are back here in Cambridge, starting to pack and sort the household belongings in preparation for moving out in three weeks time.

We had a great few days in Valle Gran Rey before we left, I'll blog some more about that, hopefuly, but the town is at the base of some amazing cliffs, which dwarfed the boat in the anchorage. To get back to San Sebastian, Dad and I sailed around the north of the island, to see the dramatic scenery, whilst the others took a bus ride over the top with equally dramatic but less sea-sick inducing views.

The boat got a real workout, beating into 25 knot tradewinds before the breeze shut off completely in the backwash from the high cliffs, so Dad and I motored half the way round.

Meanwhile, the kids got to play on the beach and were just ready for ice creams and dinner as we arrived back in port. More stories in coming days, I hope, and much to do in the next couple of months before depating for the Caribbean.