Make the most of an extra day - even if it is a Monday

Frog was part of my Christmas pressie from Victoria,Chris & the boys

Sorry he could not make it into my case
He will be waiting on the book shelf for our next visit
I have found a nice spot in the garden for him

Back safe and sound.

And just this photo of the sky tells you how nice it is to be here.
Also BBQ lurking underneath calls of warmer days to come
Lamb chops, sausages, garlic bread & salad
Bring it on SOON

Caroline (sister of Chris) got married in Milton Keynes

Victoria enjoying a glass of bubbly

There was a bus to the reception

What is the difference between a comma and a cat ?

One is a pause at the end of a clause

The other has claws at the end of it's paws

Book Catch Up. I don't seem to have been reading much lately

A much more fascinating book than I expected.
I presumed that she had been shot at random but no.
She, together with her father who ran a school, were activists for girl's education, so she was targeted.
An added interest for me is that she now attends Edgbaston High School for Girls.
My old school.
Thank you Ingrid for giving it to me, but sorry I passed it on to Judith who I met in Marrakech. 

An unusual and moving book
I will bring it back to Greece with me if anyone would like it

A new addition to the family

Paul collects his 1955 BSA B31 bike from Brighouse

Arrives home safe and sound
Lachlan is impressed

Three fantastic nights in Dublin

For the first time we stayed in the Harding Hotel right next to Christchurch Cathedral
A perfect location and our favourite of any of the places that we have stayed before
We will go back, I think
We were on the 5th floor in a rather querky room in one of the pointy bits on the roof

No change to our evening routine though

Three nights in the Old Storehouse

The first day we took the Dart railway to Howth

A lovely fishing port

But it was WINDY and COLD

Lunch sorted us out
I had warming Seafood Chowder with a nice glass of wine
Paul had six wild oysters and .....  tea ......

The second day we walked along the Liffey to the 'Jeannie Johnson'
A tall ship that was used to transport people across the Atlantic during the time of the Great Famine.
Around 1846
She is notable because, unlike many similar ships, not one of her human cargo died thanks to a benign Captain and a wonderful doctor on board.
This is a replica as the original sank carrying timber.
Again all the crew were rescued

An idea of the conditions.

Paul has a few words of advice for the Captain

Friday and we are off to Dublin. Back Monday.

Paul has been shopping

He has bought a motor cycle trailer

Fixing straps and a motor cycle cover
Any idea what is next on the list ?

Monday. A trip to Stratford

Marlowe's Dr Faustus
A gripping production. Two hours with no interval...
"Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,
And Burned is Apollo's laurel bough
That sometime grew within this learned man.
Faustus is gone. Regard his hellish fall "

Next morning a walk by a very swollen River Avon.
This is the walkway to the ferry across the river

Back to Birmingham on Saturday 6th and Victoria, Chris and the boys join us for a Chinese Buffet next day

Lachlan & Austin are pleased to find candy floss with the deserts

Arabic Keyboard

In the Cyber Garden there were information touch screens
The photo did not come out too well because of the flash
However, the top line .....
A Z E R T Y U I O P
Next line .....
Q S D F G H J K L M
Ooh err ....

Arrived home and a last few pics of Marrakech

One night this guy was playing outside the restaurant in the hotel
It was fascinating to watch the way he kept the tassel twirling on his hat

We walked to the Artisan Centre
All types of craft shops, but fixed price, no bartering.
Much more manageable than the Souk
Paul looks at the hides 

I look at the finished handbags

This is the outside of the leather shop
Paul bought a couple of caps and I bought a purse

A very pleasant place to be

We took a guided walking tour of the city so that we could learn more of the history
This is the Mosque of the Kasbah

This is the Katoubia Mosque - the one we could see from our bedroom.
The area to the left is the remains of the palace built by the Almohads.
In 1147 they were defeated by the Almoravids who considered the palace to be sacriligous and destroyed it to build the Mosque.

We walked through the food market in the Kasbah district
Much more interesting than the tourist Souk
This photo is not able to portray the noise and the smell
Especially the shops selling fish or live chickens

These are the Saadiens Tombs. 
160 graves of royalty from the era of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur         1578-1603
The area was subsequently bricked up by a jealous later leader and rediscovered in 1917

A street musician and our guide for the tour.
Again the clever twirling of the tassel on the hat
These black musicians are descendants of the slaves that used to be traded through the coastal town of Essouria around 150 kilometers away on the Atlantic coast.

A nice stroll round the hotel grounds before dinner

Bread and water is put out for the birds every day
The birdsong is a joy

This is the smaller heated pool
26'C against 10'C for the large unheated

Another birthday
Happy 23rd Rebecca

Opposite the hotel across a life threatening main road is the Cyber Gardens

A haven of peace and quiet in this crazy city

Parts of he garden are alongside the Medina walls, roses are fantastic, but why the random holes in the wall ?  Research needed

The garden is just so peaceful after the chaos of the town
Students use it for an access to wifi and a place to study

The highlight of the holiday so far, but the sad thing is that I somehow lost my photos. These are a few that Paul took on his iPad

We went out of Marrakech in 4x4s to the Atlas Mountains

This was our second stop, to drink mint tea in a Berber home
First stop had been a pottery shop

This is the outside of the house

A pleasant lunch stop and this was the view from the roof

A view of a typical Berber village
Lots more stunning views of snow capped mountains, lost for ever.