I am always ready to say ‘yes’ to adventure and when my brother in law, Frans, a Dentist by profession who has repaired more teeth than he has pulled, has reinstalled thousands of smiles and who will have you in fits once his jokes start flowing, suggested a boat trip on the canals of Southern France, and a visit to Carcassonne, an ancient fortified French town, that is a bucket list visit, I just had to say, yes!
Apart from the 7 day Canal du Midi adventure on a cabin cruiser, we also did a whirlwind tour of Paris, cramming so much into two days, then via bullet train we flew through rural France at 300kph to Carcassonne and returned via Narbonne at the end of our immersion in the Canal du Midi! The stories of that journey are never ending and we discovered Narbonne to be a jewel, which is hardly ever mentioned in hard core travel mags!
1 Allow a least a day to ‘do’ Carcassonne! A medieval French Fortress town, in the Occitanie region with Roman Empire heritage!
After the French leg, we left the others and Linda and myself added 4 days in Britain where, after rediscovering London’s Underground, we spent the first evening and morning with Kami, who has become like a daughter to us, in her very smart pad in Wimbledon, SW19 and the next three days and nights with Davina and Alan Bird at their villa in Monington, Fir Toll Rd, Mayfield, East Sussex. We’d been threatening to visit Davina and Alan for many years! Tuesday was jam packed with, the London Eye, a walk past the Houses, the Abbey, a wrapped up Big Ben, a glass in the dungeon of the Westminster Arms, the Birdcage Walk, Buckingham Palace, Nelson and the Lions, the Hippodrome for a meal, then we were blown away at the Aldwych Theatre by Adrienne Warren and the cast of Tina, missed the train to Frant from Charing Cross, taxied to Frant from Tunbridge Wells at midnight, arriving home to collapse and scheme the next day well after the bewitching hour! The next day was a meal at the Griffin Inn and onward to Beachy Head and back home to snacks and glasses in the Stables, (Alan’s man cave!) Phew!
Echoes Across The Valley
We’d threatened to visit over the years
But we, sadly, had other troubles and cares
True friendships grow, not in each other’s purse
But in touch, though distant, you manage to nurse
So great to see two friends in that loving embrace
About time here we greeted, face to face
Then as the stories start flowing in Tunbridge Wells
Over a meal and a glass there is so much to tell
Then after we’d squirmed through the roads so narrow
Dodging the postman, foxes, squirrels and sparrows
Into the Stables we were welcomed to another glass
Chocolates, snacks and liquor, reserved for the top brass
With the man of the house working in Chile
We tjorrelled and heard, all about Megan and Harry
The following day planned pretty much to the tee
We said our goodnights over tea and coffee
Next day, at the precise time set out
We started the car and were out and about
Onto a train at a village named Frant
Carrying no luggage, we’re absolved from a pant
Approaching Waterloo station, we see a structure t’ sky
Lo, behold and begorrah, it’s the London Eye
Perched on a jetty, defying gravity and fact
A wheel of steel and bubbles, doing a balancing act
2 The Girls, the River Thames and the London Eye from Westminster Bridge
We cast fate to the wind as, impervious to fear
Into the module climbed the three Musketeers
Shards, Houses, the Abbey and even Big Ben
Sights so amazing, cause any’ to pen
Such lovely trinkets at the Abbey’s shop
But deposit my rubbish they certainly would not!
Understandably, the shop staff, were gruff and obscure
Some of us remained pleasant and demure
After a glass in the dungeon of the Westminster Arms
Got the girls moving with the back of my palms
Renaming Monington became the latest rage
As we discovered a Walk named the Birdcage
At Buckingham Palace, She was too busy to chat
Taking an afternoon nap, and that’s that
With our eye on the clock we headed then to The Square
A hello to Nelson who’s present, year after year
3 Horatio Nelson, at the top of his column in Trafalgar Square!
Past the Lions, St Martins, travelling Bokkies’ home
Doubtful directions and zigzag, there’s the Hippodrome
Lobster tail, rump and a glass of champagne
They see me pointing Percy through the window pane
To the Aldwych we headed ‘tho not trusted to lead
My gut and my map was all I did need
To get us to Tina, her life greatly portrayed
By the passion and story, we’re all blown away
4 Tina at The Aldwych. Prepare to be blown away!
Picked up a hitch hiker on way back to the ‘Cross
The Frant train we missed, but we don’t give a toss
Taxis are waiting for the tardy three
To find us our car, just where it should be
The road to Fir Toll, no others about
Quickly to Monington, with nary a doubt
‘Twas way beyond midnight after intensive day
Spoiling them rotten, it seems, is the way
Next morn tho’ famished, we breakfasted light
As Lunch at the Griffin was another highlight
Back from his labours was man of the house
We ordered scallops and plaice and chicken and grouse
Our lovely waitron takes pics of our group
A bottle of Viognier and it’s time for the loo
For the mess on the floor, who gets the blame
Then forgetting his wallet, it’s always the same
Fighting the traffic, amidst scathing remarks
We ease our way past ‘em, in stops and starts
Onward to Beachy Head where the Earth drops away
The four walk to the cliff top, from the edges do stay
5 Beachy Head. Be afraid! You may just get blown away here too!
From there to the Tiger for a Harvey’s or two
Out comes a wallet, belongs to guess who
Three days filled with adventure, for four friends to share
The next time we do this will be goodness knows where
Dan Varoy 2018 10 04
After being blown away by Adrienne Warren and the cast of Tina what better than some music from the show:
St Vincent School For The Deaf helping the hard of hearing to listen:
http://www.stvincentschool.org.za/
Down Durban way The Fulton School for The Deaf:
Abraham Kriel Childcare group, caring while we work:
The Avril Elizabeth Home for the Mentally Handicapped was opened in 1970, and for the amazing work they do for the less fortunate they deserve great accolades: