09:15 Lois and I drive over to the local Sainsbury's
supermarket to do the food shopping.
Sylvia, Lois' cousin from Melbourne, and Sylvia's new
partner, Rod, will be arriving on Monday night to stay with us for a week, so
their visit is our main focus for the time being. I buy 5 bottles of wine (2
red, 2 white and 1 rosé) and 12 cans and 6 bottles of beer, to start with, even
though we do not have the slightest idea whether they are heavy drinkers or
teetotallers or something in between (which frankly is the most probable). But
the jury is still out on that one.
We have received only one message from the couple since
they arrived in England 2 weeks ago: they asked us to pick them up at the train
station on Monday at 5:51pm. But we have kept an eye on their doings thanks to
Facebook: Sylvia is a massive fan of
Facebook, and usually puts up to 20 posts a day on her Facebook page, mostly
video clips of cute animals, or " pithy sayings" she has
"liked" online - my god, what a crazy world we live in !!!!
The couple stayed for a few days with Sylvia's Aunt June
in Redditch, and they are now near Pwllheli in North Wales, staying with
Sylvia's uncle Paul. Judging from today's pictures, they have been visiting a
local coastguard station, and also Aberdaron, a charming village with an old
church.
Sylvia and Rod with 2 Coastguard personnel
at the local Porthdinllaen Coastguard Station, overlooking the Irish Sea
in the direction
of Dublin and the Republic of Ireland
Rod and Sylvia in front of an old church in
Aberdaron village
(left to right) Uncle Paul's wife,
Uncle Paul and Rod
at an old cafe (Y Gegyn Fawr) in the
charming village of Aberdaron
12:00 We have lunch. Lois feels much more relaxed now
that she feels we have done the most pressing preparations for Sylvia and Rod's
visit - she is in a super-confident mood today and dominates our conversation,
which is nice - I like it when she takes control! And she gives me permission
to take my usual gigantic afternoon nap while she listens to a bit of radio: an
interesting drama all about the friendship between two poets, Edward Thomas
and Robert Frost, during World War One.
a typical Edward Thomas poem
14:45 I get up and go out into the backyard. I fill 2
more big black bags with branches I have cut off the huge high hedges between our
garden and Bill's garden. Afterwards, I do a little weeding on the vegetable
patch behind the greenhouse, which has become a real jungle. I hardly stop to
take breath, and work harder than I have done for many years - yikes!
15:45 I come back into the house and look at my
smartphone. Steve, my American brother in law has sent me the link to an
interesting web article.
Scientists now think that Britain is made up of parts
from 3 different prehistoric land masses, not two, as had previously been thought: in the past it was believed that the country
was the combination of pieces of only 2 prehistoric continents - Laurentia (now North
America) and Avalonia (now the northern European continent).
The latest research suggests that there was also a third
component, represented by the counties of Cornwall and South Devon, which are now thought to be once part of Armorica (now the southern European continent). The geological
conditions in these two counties resemble France more than they do the rest of England apparently, and that's why
people in the area were able to mine tin and tungsten, for example, starting
way back in prehistoric times.
And it was Cornwall's rich sources of tin that tempted
the Roman Empire to conquer England: a development that changed our history
forever, needless to say. Without the metal tin as a prize, the Romans would not have
bothered to cross the English Channel - I have no doubts about that.
Cornwall and Devon's rich
sources of tin tempted the Roman Empire
to conquer England,
which changed our history forever.
Lois and I plan to go to Devon on holiday in a couple of
weeks' time, and we may decide to collect some rocks from both sides of the “border”
so that Steve can check the researchers' theories. He hasn’t specifically asked
us to – we are just reading between the lines of his email. But we will need to
take an extra big, strong suitcase along when we visit the area - that's for
sure !!!
16:00 Lois' radio drama is over and she swings by our
neighbours Bill and Mary, to talk to Mary and Bill's sister-in-law, Pauline, who
is currently visiting them. Mary was discharged from the hospital a few days
ago after she tripped over the steps by their front door and injured herself.
The incident did not help Mary's mild dementia, I have to say. Poor Mary.
I have a little bit of alone time and settle down in my
favourite armchair to watch this week's wrestling on television.
An enjoyable program, as always, with lots of dramatic
events, needless to say. The program showcases a semi-final between two 6 ft
tall women.
There is also a team match between 2 real life couples.
But watching the two couples in the ring, I start to wonder if it is not
perhaps a big mistake to hook up with, or marry, a partner from the same
profession? I imagine the subjects of conversation at their lunch table would
be a little predictable, to put it mildly: just throws and holds, and then just
more of the same in the evening – oh dear!
a semi final between two massive 6 ft tall women:
I'd rather not
meet either of them up some dark alley, or even a well-lit one -
that's for sure! Yikes !!!
the couples match: the two women
unfortunately get tangled up in the ropes
and have to be extricated by stewards: it’s
a dangerous sport all right!
The show's climax is, as usual, the match between the two
masked wrestlers, Crater and Robbie X, the winner being whoever rips off his
opponent's mask first. Basically it's
Crater’s mask that gets torn off, but we see his ugly face only for a few
seconds before he snatches the mask back: nevertheless the two seconds are enough to
show that he is much less ugly with the mask on, no doubt about that. Yikes
(again)!
The programme's climax: Robbie X rips
Crater's Mask
off, to reveal ... a typical wrestler’s ugly
face: no surprise there!
17:00 I'm feeling completely drained after my afternoon
in the vegetable garden and I go to bed to rest a little. Lois comes back from
the neighbours’ house and hops into bed with me. We exchange notes - she tells me
about the radio drama with the two poets, and I bring her up to date with the
results of the latest wrestling. She is very sorry that she missed seeing Crater's
mask being torn off - but I told her it was not a pretty sight and she seems
satisfied with my overview.
We read about 10 pages of our respective bedtime books
and get up. We have dinner at 7pm, a little later than normal.
19:30 We spend the rest of the evening watching
television. We are both feeling a little drained and we decide to see something
not very demanding. A documentary is on, all about the Loch Ness monster.
A bit of a waste of time when everyone knows that the
original photo was a scam, but it kills an hour or so. Another example of a myth that
people want so much to believe is true, that they immediately start seeing things that are not
there. My god, what madness!
21:00 We see 3 episodes of "Upstart Crow", a
sitcom all about Will Shakespeare and his circle of friends. The sitcom's
writer, Ben Elton, specialises in historical comedies, such as the Blackadder
saga.
The program is quite amusing, with dialogue in mock
Elizabethan English, a mock Shakespearean plot, and a lot of historical and
cultural references only suitable for educated people, which is a bit of a
refreshing change ha ha ha.
Will is writing Midsummer Night’s Dream, but Kate
questions whether somebody who has taken one of Puck’s potions can really be
said to be in a position to consent to sex.
This programme is never afraid to tackle controversial and
topical subjects, that’s for sure! Good on you, Ben!
22:00 What a day! We go to bed - zzzzzzz !!!!!
Danish translation
09:15 Lois og jeg kører over til det lokale Sainsburys supermarkedet for at købe ind. Sylvia,
Lois’ kusine fra Melbourne, og Sylvias nye partner, Rod, kommer på mandag aften
for at bo hos os i en uge, så deres besøg er vores hovedsagelige fokus for
tiden. Jeg køber 5 flasker vin (2 røde, 2 hvide, og 1 rosé) og 12 dåser og 6
flasker øl, for at begynde med, selvom vi ikke har den fjerneste anelse om, om
de er stordrikkere eller afholdsmennesker eller noget indimellem (det mest sandsynligt
ærligt talt ha ha!). Men juryen er stadig ude om det.
Vi har fået
kun 1 besked fra parret, siden de for 2 uger siden ankom til England: de bad os
om at hente dem ved banegården på mandag kl 17:51. Men vi har holdt os ajour
med deres gøren og laden tækket være Facebook: Sylvia er en massiv fan af Facebook, og plejer
at lægge op til 20 posts om dag op på sin Facebook-side, for det meste
videoklip af søde dyre, eller ”bevingende ord” hun har ”liket” på nettet – du
godeste, sikke en skør verden vi lever i !!!!
Parret boede i
et par dage hos Sylvia’s tante June i Redditch, og de er nu i nærheden af
Pwllheli i Nord-Wales, og bor hos Sylvias onkel Paul. Ud at dømme fra dagens
billeder, har de været på besøg til en lokal kystvagtstation, også Aberdaron,
en charmerende landsby med en gamle kirke.
Sylvia
og Rod sammen med 2 kystvagtpersonale
på
den lokale Porthdinllaen kystvagtstation,
der
har udsigt over Irske Hav i retning af Dublin og Republikken Irland
Rod
og Sylvia foran en gamle kirke i landsbyen Aberdaron
(fra venstre til højre) onkel Pauls kone, onkel Paul og Rod
på
en gammel café (Y Gegyn Fawr) i den charmerende landsby Aberdaron
12:00 Vi
spiser frokost. Lois føler sig meget mere afslappet, nu hvor hun føler vi har
klaret de mest pressende forberedelser på Sylvia og Rods besøg – hun er i super-tillidsfuld
humør i dag og dominerer vores samtale, hvilket er rart – jeg kan lide det, når
hun tager styringen! Og hun giver mig tilladelse af tage min sædvanlige
gigantiske eftermiddagslur, mens hun lytter lidt til radio: en interessant
radiodrama, der handler om venskabet mellem de 2 digter, Edward Thomas og
Robert Frost under den 1. verdenskrig.
et
typisk Thomas-digt
14:45 Jeg står
op og går ud i baghaven. Jeg fylder endnu 2 flere sorte sække med grene, jeg
har klippet af de enorme høje hække mellem vores have og Bills have. Bagefter
går jeg i gang med at luge jordstykket bagved drivehuset, der er blevet til en
sand jungle. Jeg stopper næsten ikke for at trække vejret, og arbejder hårdere,
end jeg har gjort i mange år – yikes!
15:45 Jeg
kommer tilbage ind i huset og kigger på min smartphone. Steve, min amerikanske
svigerbror har sendt mig linken til en interessant webartiklen. Det viser sig,
at forskere nu tror, at Storbritannien består af dele fra 3 forskellige
forhistoriske landmasser, ikke 2: før i tiden troede de at landet var
kombinationen af kun 2 forhistoriske kontinenter - Laurentia (nu Nord-Amerika),
og Avalonia (nu det nordlige europæiske kontinent).
Nu mistænker de, at der var en tredje komponent, der findes i grevskaber
Cornwall og Syd-Devon: Armorica (nu det
sydlige europæiske kontinent). De geologiske vilkårer i disse 2 grevskaber
ligner mere Frankrig, end resten af England, lader det til, og derfor kunne folk
i området udvinde tin og volfram for eksempel, startende fra forhistoriske
tider.
Og det var
Cornwalls rige kilder på tin, der fristede Romerriget til at erobre England: en
udvikling, der forandrede vores historie for evigt, unødvendigt at sige. Uden
tinne, ville de ikke have gidet at krydse den Engelske Kanal – det har jeg ikke
nogen tvivl om !
Grevskaberne Cornwall og Devons rige kilder på tin
fristede
Romerriget til at erobre England, hvilket forandrede vores historie for evigt.
Lois og jeg
planlægger at tage til Devon på ferie om et par ugers tid, og Steve har bedt os
om, at samle nogle sten fra begge sider af ”grænsen”, så han kan tjekker
forskernes teorier – vi skal medtage en ekstra kuffert, når vi besøger området –
det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!
16:00 Lois’
radiodrama er slut og hun smutter ind hos vores naboer Bill og Mary, for at
snakke lidt med Mary og Bills svigersøster Pauline, der for tiden er på besøg
hos dem. Mary blev skrevet ud fra hospitalet for et par dage siden efter hun
snublede over trappetrinet foran
hoveddøren og blev skadet. Hændelsen hjalp ikke Marys milde demens også, det må
jeg nok sige. Stakkels Mary.
Jeg har lidt
alenetid og sætter mig til rette i min bedste lænestol for at se denne uges
brydekampe i tv.
En nydelig
program, som altid, med masser af dramatisk hændelser, unødvendigt at sige. Programmet
fremviser en halvfinale mellem 2 6 fods høj kvinder; også en holdkamp mellem 2 virkelig
liv kærestepar – men er det ikke en stor fejl at finde sammen med, eller gifte
sig med, en partner af samme profession? Jeg forestiller mig, samtalen ved
spisebordet ville blive lidt forudsigelig, det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om !
halvfinalen mellem 2 6 fods høj kvinder: dem ville jeg hellere
ikke
møde på en eller anden mørk gyde – ingen tvivl om det! Yikes!!!
kærestparenes kamp: de to kvinder bliver desværre indviklet i rebene
-
du godeste, sikke et vanvid, bare deres held!
Showets
klimaks er, som sædvanligt, brydekampen mellem de to maskede brydere, Crater og
Robbie X. Vinderen skal være den, der når at rive sin modstanders mask af. Kort
sagt, det er Craters mask, som bliver revet af. Vi ser hans grimme ansigt
imidlertid for kun et par sekunder, før han snupper den tilbage: men de to
sekunder er nok til at vise, at han er meget mindre grim med masken på, ingen
tvivl om det. Yikes (igen) !
programmets klimaks: Robbie X river Craters mask
for
at røbe.... endnu et grimt ansigt: ingen overraskelse der ha ha
17:00 Jeg er slået
ud efter min eftermiddag i grøntsagshaven og jeg går i seng for at hvile lidt.
Lois kommer tilbage fra naboerne og hopper op i sengen til mig. Vi udveksler
noter - hun fortæller mig om radiodramaet, der handlede om de to digter, og jeg
fører hende ajour med resulater af de seneste brydekampe – jeg forsøger ikke
engang at demonstrere kastene og grebene ha ha! Hun er meget ked af, at hun gik
glip af at se Craters mask revet af – men jeg fortalte hende, det ikke var en smuk
syn, og hun virker tilfredssstillet af min oversigt.
Vi læser ca 10
sider af vores henholdsvisse sengetidbøger og står op. Vi spiser aftensmad kl
19, lidt senere, end normalt.
19:30 Vi
bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. Vi er begge to lidt udslæede,
og vi beslutter at se noget ikke særligt krævende. De viser en dokumentarfilm,
der handler om Loch Ness-uhyret.
Lidt af et
spild af tid, når alle ved, at det oprindelige foto var et svindelnummer, men
det slår en time ihjel. Endnu et eksempel på en myte, som folk er ivrige efter
at tro er sand, så folk begynde at se ting, der ikke er der. Du godeste, sikke
et vanvid!
21:00 Vi ser 3
afsnit af ”Upstart Crow”, en sitcom, der handler om Will Shakespeare og hans
omgangskreds. Sitcommens forfatter, Ben Elton, specialiserer sig om historisk
komedier, for eksempel Blackadder-sagaen.
Programmet er
ganske morsomt, med dialog på parodisk elisabetansk engelsk, et parodisk
shakespearesk plot, og en masse historiske og kulturelle henvisninger kun
egnede til uddannede mennesker, hvilket er en forfriskende forandring ha ha ha.
22:00 Sikke en
dag! Vi går i seng – zzzzzzz!!!!!
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