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We are now in uncharted territory. We had an easy drive south, passing through small patches of rain and cooler temperatures. Hopefully the last we see of that. We left our trusty Mini in a fairly nondescript town called Bodmin and caught a bus at a cost of £3 each, as opposed to £52 Uber (ie $122 NZ). An hour on the bus with elevated views was quite good. We chatted to a guy at the bus stop who had been to NZ 4 times in the late 1950’s – he was in the Merchant Marines. Told us he’d been to many Ports including Timaru, Lyttelton, Napier and Auckland – they always got in touch with Nurses’ homes and set up dates for the 6 of them. Graeme suggested he might have a few spare kids in NZ. He shrugged his shoulder and said ‘maybe’! His wife smiled.

Padstow is very much a holiday county going by the number of people wandering around and many with dogs. Famous for Cornish pasties and Cornish Cream ice cream – needless to say we tried them both. Delicious.

Whilst eating our pastie a local warned us that the seagulls swoop and steal food from your hands. Seconds later it almost happened! The sound of its wings flapping in my ear were very close.

Padstow is named after St. Petroc who came here circa A.D 500. The old harbour has a variety of fishing and sail boats.

The day here sat at 19. Onwards and upwards we hope. ☀️ 🚲.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and perhaps one night would have been enough here due to our early arrival yesterday, and the fact we’ve been before, but who’s to know months ago when you are planning for the future. Although it is still a beautiful city. It is decidedly colder today, especially if in the wind. Only 21.

Our 5.30am walk was interesting for two reasons. One being no crowds, naturally, and the other was seeing all the young people heading home after their night out, and even those still continuing. Are we getting old?!

The Bathampton Toll Bridge (historically Batheaston Bridge) is a historic Grade II-listed, privately-owned arch bridge crossing the River Avon. Built in 1872 from local Bath stone, it remains operational today, offering a convenient route that connects Bathampton and Batheaston while allowing commuters to bypass congested Bath routes like the London Road. (Thanks google). Still owned by the same family, it was built to connect farmland. Roughly 5000 vehicles per day. Prices start at £1.20.

Lazy afternoon repacking and sorting for the start of our cycle trip around Cornwall. It’s been nice having a chill time.

The heat wave is certainly with us but we are happy to have the warmth.

Another 5 cruise ships arrived overnight/ early morning. Our jet lag cup of tea was at 4 and our walk from 6am. Surprised to be feeling this as we can’t remember it happening last year. But you do get a look around the area. Hopefully it won’t last much longer. This Voco hotel has been lovely. It was previously a Holiday Inn but is completely refurbished with very large rooms. Not common for Britain.

This little fella was a take two. My first sighting turned out to be a rat!!!!!! I also saw one yesterday crawling over a large pile of rubbish in a messy disused building. Eeeekkkk. Hard to erase from my mind.

Our drive to Bath took us past Salisbury so we thought a quick revisit would be in order. The traffic was so intense that a snapshot of the cathedral spire is all we did. Our last visit here was in 2012 when the Queen and Prince Philip happened to be there. Prior to this I was lucky to visit in 2004 when we bought the grain dryer and G went to a motorbike racing track with the salesman Brian, and his wife Di took me to Salisbury. The evensong at the Cathedral was beautiful. Ahhh reminiscing…..

The diversion allowed us to travel via Stonehenge, also a revisit, and a drive by sufficed. How spoilt we are.

The colour is a bit off but a great view via slow traffic. Such hot weather has brought everyone out of their homes. The crops are gradually turning.

Bath is as beautiful as ever, but very crowded. However, history stays the same and the same landmarks are still worth remembering.

This masterpiece of Georgian architecture, built between 1767 and 1774 consists of 30 terraced houses arranged in a sweeping, arc overlooking Royal Victoria Park.

The city is of the same creamy sandstone with some beautiful architecture.

Walking to a pub for dinner around the corner we spotted a very old cemetery, which is now being taken care of by volunteers. St Mary’s Churchyard dates from 1709. One grave was for a woman whose son became the founder of Brisbane Australia.

Locals enjoying a drink street side

Pub grub ended another hot and interesting day. Only 27 today. Warm enough.

POST NOTE CORRECTION: Thomas did not hit the bails at Eton. He took a classic catch ‘best I’ve ever caught’ – quote from 2012 – and was gifted the ball.

And just like that we are in England, arriving to a very dense 34 degrees. We stayed near the airport so as to collect our rental car in the morning for an easy getaway. It seems weird to have London within arms length and not visit, especially with the weather being so good compared to last year. But time to explore somewhere else.

A jet lag wake up saw us out walking at 5am in 24 degrees. Our first dedicated walk since leaving home. We saw our first squirrel of the trip.

Enterprise rental car company hires 600 cars per day and 16 staff are based outside with iPads to check you in. Not enough space inside apparently. Lucky it was fine! We decided to take the less travelled roads to Southampton and stopped at Windsor where Thomas played cricket in 2012. It wasn’t as busy as we expected. Some shops had signs of early closure, or weren’t open at all due to the ‘red heat warning’. Temp got to 35 at one point but cooled now we are by the sea.

Thomas played cricket here. It was an amazing day. If memory serves me correctly, he has the bails from the wicket he bowled.

Our drive to Southampton was via the B roads and smaller lanes with crops starting to ripen along the way.

Southampton is a university town and of course is famous for the Titanic, which departed from here in 1912.

God’s House Tower is a late 13th century gatehouse into the old town. Currently being restored, the timber framed ceiling is from the 15th century, held together with wooden pegs.

The Tower protected the medieval town from attack. In the 1780s, the building was used as the town’s prison and now it is a visitor attraction. Much of the wall still exists.

We had a wander through the fairly extensive High Street. A bit scruffy with a number of homeless people, and a very modern shopping mall and cinema complex. An easy 90 minute commute to London.

Five cruise ships left the harbour at dinner time, including the Queen Mary 2. Plus car and passenger ferries sail frequently to the Isle of Wight. A lot of Americans are in the hotel so we suspect they sailed here.

Delicious meal in the hotel.

This is a bonus day for us, as the day after we arrived I realised I’d cut us short by a nights accommodation. Six days here does not equate to 6 nights! Lucky us to enjoy another dinner together. Definitely a blonde/grey moment despite thinking about it so many times.

We’ve had a lazy day with a bit of a wander in Kowloon.

Back to hotel to pack up before busing an hour through a more open and green spaced area to Queens Hill where Jonathon’s school is. Quite a new area with very high apartment blocks. Many of the kindergarten schools are like this.

We noticed the fuel prices along the way. Diesel about $7.98 Petrol $7. Not cheap.

Last views from the rooftop and yummy mango sticky rice made by Grace for dessert. Eat your heart out Small family. It was WOW!

A wonderful week over too soon. So proud of the new life Jonathon has made here. Very far removed from the countryside he loves. More exploring for us to do next time.

Today we trained into the Kowloon area of Hong Kong for a wander of some familiar haunts from the past.

But our main aim was to spend time with cousin Bill who lives in Kennedy Town at the other end of Hong Kong Island from where Jonny and Grace were living before they got married. It was good to see him and see where he lives. He has a great view out onto Victoria Harbour and he made a very good coffee – always a challenge when travelling.

Bamboo Scaffolding is quite incredulous. Although after some plastic chutes caught fire on some last year, more caution is needed.

Also nearby is a cafe, which after being posted on Instagram, suddenly became famous and people are constantly visiting and photographing it – many from China. No one quite knows why. Unfortunately they don’t go inside so business hasn’t increased. In fact the neighbouring cafes have closed.

A hot wander through the area had us hop on a tram – I liken them to Harry Potter – They are open air and the breeze was nice, offering good view along the which we did for some while before arriving at the end which was familiar to us.

There have been a few buildings pop up in the last three years.

We met Jonny after work in his village of Yeung Long. It was hard to find a place just to have a wine. Not a common way in that area perhaps. Everyone was bustling to the side stalls for tonight’s meal supplies. Small houses and fridges don’t allow for much storage.

Also in the vicinity was a windscreen shop, along with a tyre stall and mechanic. All right in the footpath. It saddens us to see the elderly pushing heavy trolleys around the streets collecting cardboard and delivering to large trucks. There is no real pension here, so saving is paramount. If destitute, there is a small amount available called a fruit fund, aptly named, as this is all it could potentially buy.

This stunning piano resides in the complex where J and G live. Available for use apparently.

Another scorcher. We’ve been so lucky with the weather as it had been very wet.

Our hotel breakfast has a large offering, other than cereal. Only cornflakes or cocoa pops. I’ve enjoyed trying curried vegetables – twice – dumplings, barbecued pork buns, and deliciously crunchie hash browns. Haven’t had noodles yet. But the thing I love is the fresh fruit, along with creamy yoghurt. Might have to try the pancakes which are freshly cooked. The plan of eating carefully goes out the window when there is so much to try.

Today I had steamed rice to soak up my curry sauce. Clashed a bit with my bacon and ketchup! Also a beef dumpling thing which goes by another name. Graeme had fluffy pancakes with condensed milk and runny peanut sauce alongside his poached eggs! Embracing the food fashion!

Today Jonny and Grace had the day off. Jonny was sick – not!

We trained to Lantau Island, then bused to Tai O fishing village, famous for its historic stilt houses. The village was pristinely clean with little shops selling dried fish products.

They dry all the fish bits.

A hot climb up the hill showed us the entry and exit to the underwater tunnel to Macao and China.

The bridge/tunnel runs for 55 kms with 6.7kms under water.

Along the way we passed two correctional facilities. Cows wander freely and are sacred.

Our afternoon was spent at Lower Cheung Beach nearby. The water was so warm I needed a cold shower to cool down!

We enjoyed balmy evening weather for our dinner. Pretty quiet being a Monday. Beautiful meal.

Another great day, and lovely to have the sea breeze to cool our 32 degrees temperature.

Today is Father’s Day in HK. Graeme was lucky to celebrate it here in 2023 on the way to Europe and on return in the September coinciding with NZ.

We watched the Symphony of Lights from the harbour aboard the Duckling, a traditional Chinese three-masted sailing ship with nearly 70 years of history, formerly used by fishermen for fishing and daily life. As Hong Kong was once a smallfishing village, sailing ships held an irreplaceable place in Hong Kong’s historical development. It is the only genuine boat of this kind in the harbour, the others being replicas.

The Symphony of Lights is a nightly multimedia spectacle along Victoria Harbour. It synchronizes lasers, LED screens, and searchlights across over 40 skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It is accompanied by a symphonic score broadcast on the waterfront and via a mobile app although our tour played it for us. There is a risk of this show ending this year due to escalating costs.

Dinner along the waterfront completed a lovely day.

This morning we went to a bougie coffee shop and tried some new flavour combinations near where J and G live.

Then we had to walk it off!!

We walked to a nearby wetland area. It is quietly being overtaken by development which is a shame. A number of people were riding bikes through and it seemed some were living in pretty rough accommodation. We paid $8HK each for a man to row us across a small estuary in a very rickety wooden boat.

It’s sad to see so much rubbish lying around. Still a lot of education is needed in much of Asia. One open area was being used by a group flying model jet planes and helicopters and further along some power boats in a pond. The boys saw a snake but it was too quick for me to see. Also a variety of heron and other native birds.

It’s amazing to have so much green area with skyscrapers so close by.

It was very humid and hot work despite being flat. After almost 7kms we took the uber option back. The air conditioning in the car was sheer joy!

We were even closer to China today.