Day 7 Magical Ghent (18 Des 2022)

 Good bye White Cliffs of Dover; hallo Dunkirk, France!! 

 

Our first stop on the European Continent happened at Lille, a little behind schedule, but we were very happy that we've managed so far in a  little bit of an uncertain travel-situation. Next on the menu….find the connecting bus in this 'person-less' information- only-available-on-line world we are living in now. By the grace of God, I managed a hot-spot to some data, opened my e-mail(while standing in sub-zero wind-chill on a pavement of an un-known city) and there I found the number of the next bus we then litterally had to chase down!! Pfeew. Last leg of our epic journey to Ghent, Belgium. 

 

At this stage, I realised that we will miss the classical concert we were hoping to attend. A friend of a South Africa friend, Barbara, invited us to it. Both she and her husband Wim, was singing in the choir at this event. We found the internet provision on the Flexi-bus very convenient. We could watch movies, read books, listen to music…just like on a plane! It was very helpful in this situation, because I could inform Barbara about our delay. We agreed to meet at the Christmas Market after her concert. 

Once the bus dropped us off at a roadside stop in Ghent, the kids and I walked so long to our Hotel Onderberg, while Arno was doing the hard work of bringing our luggage by UBER. Our rooms was for a family of 6. Lovely an clean, but most important was the TV. Thomas quickly found the best channel to watch the final game between Argentina en France in the World Cup Football competition. Up to the last minute we were biting our nails, but Messi's team finished at the top!!

 

Unfortunately, the first experience of a European Christmas market was a little 'dampened' by buckets and buckets of ice-rain. We managed to find Barbara, had a Deutscher 'pikante' Brattwürst and some Dutch Poffer'tjies.

 

 

The cherry on the cake, or should I say the star on the christmas tree, was a hot gluwine in wooden  shed-bar,clubbing with some Belgians!!!

 Just a very good end to a cold day with challenging travel dramas. 

 

 

Day 6 Epic day in London (17 Dec 2022)

A beautiful, unexpected breakfast awaited for us at the Skylark Motel. Unknowingly setting us up for a quite extraordinary day. Since we were on foot now, we had to be creative with our luggage and transport!! We figured the best way would be to order an UBER. So we loaded the luggage into the boot, which left space for only 4 peeps! Alana and Philippa then took to the London Underground Transport System. We met up again at the Victoria bus station. Whalla!! We did a little on-line search and found a cheaper place (than the 10 Euro per bag at the station) to store our big bags for  the day. A Little news agent shop. 

 

Now we could embrace London, on foot, for the day. We had such a unique experience, because not many tourists experience London covered in snow. The unexpected weather conditions, turned our day into a very pretty, but cold sightseeing day.  

 

This time, I've used the Guru Walking Tour company. Our guide, Theo, has been taking tourists around the sites for 9 years. So he was really funny in an arrogant way, but still - we learned a lot! We walked for two hours and were told stories about Buckingham Palace, the gas streetlamps(yes, still in operation today) on The Malll (long street leading up to Buckingham Palace, that you might have seen on TV during the Queens Golden Jubilee Festivities), 

pass the statue of The "grand old" Duke of York.(His statue was funded with money raised by the soldiers themselves, because he made sure that they always had drinking-money!!! 

On our way there, we were also shown the best place to see the 'Changing of the Guards' at St James Palace courtyard. We admired monuments and buildings seeped in history, valour and interesting stories. Like the bollards on the Mall, which is engraved with a different initial to represent the different Kings and Queens, who reigned over the ages. Or the stop at the MI5 headquarters…and that you can always wait to see the 'spies' when they come out the back door for their midmorning smoke break.. 

We admired the statue of Nelson to Trafalgar Square. Nelson was member of the navy, since the age of 12 years. Later he became Admiral of the British navy. His leadership of the navy and the siege, with no casualties, over the overwhelming Spanish fleet at Trafalgar Bay, gave him 'monumental' status. With the last little walk down to Big Ben Clocktower and West Minster Abbey, our walking tour finished on the highest note!!  

 

 A few red phone booth pictures, with Big Ben in the background, let to the next part of our day in London. We walked back to Trafalgar Square and entered the National Gallery. There is no entry fee here, and it was an completely unexpected wow couple of hours well spend! We saw bespoke Monet's, Rembrandt' s and a huge surprise awaited in the last room…Van Gogh's sunflowers!!!! It was just so special!

At this stage we just had one experience waiting for us. This was to walk below the Christmas lights in Covent Garden, the streets of SOHO and Leister Square. Sjo…so worth the effort to get there! Form the most delicate angels, souring over the street, to raining stars and moving Christmas trees…

 We did a 'fuel' stop at one of the Bella Italia restaurants - you find them almost on every corner…we later discovered! With plenty of time to spare we headed back to the Victoria station. We picked up our luggage and did a master effort together to carry the very heavy bags to the bus station - a block or two away…. It was such a big team Theron effort!!! Well, done Kiddo's!! 

 

At the bus station…confusion….. 

 

Our bus or the platform from which we were supposed to be depart from was nowhere to be seen. Amongst all the hundreds of confused and annoyed people, I manage to find a very kind official that sent us in a direction….with our heavy luggage…. So we were just waiting to see what was developing….  We were VERY happy to be called to board our bus at the correct time!! 

And we thought that was the last of the drama surrounding, the pre-Christmas railway and services strikes…. Nope…. 

 

After midnight, parked in the line to drive onto the ferryboat for our crossing over the English Channel, we were told that all the ferries also stopped. We had to overnight on the bus to get the first boat at 8am in the morning.  

We were anyway expecting to spend the night on a bus, but this was an added delay to the schedule….nothing to be done.  

That is how  the story of a "less comfortable night spend on a  bus, stuck in the Dover Ferry-terminal", could be added to the Theron family annuals!! 

Day 5 - Kent shananigans all the way to London (16 Dec 2022)

 We woke up expectantly this morning. The arrival of Family Kent yesterday made our hearts so  happy!! I was up early, excited to spend another few hours with our precious friends.   

Unfortunately they were so jet-lagged!! At least by 9am everybody was up. We decided to pack our cars and then to find a breakfast spot. Yep, you need to be  full of imagination to feed big families in this crazy world of the Empire. This time, Arno suggested that he will explore the coffee 'shack' in the park- where we went for our run the previous day - maybe they can sort us out for breakfast. 

I walked with some of the kids over there and we had a wonderful time throwing sticks on the frozen lake and getting to know each other again. Just being outside and walking and playing in the snow…delightful with children!!! 

It is really just that - when you are 'friends for ever' only a few moments is necessary to re-connect. That was exactly what we had. A few moments in time!!  

 

Before long, an almighty snowball fight, chasing and catch-me-if-you-can-game had developed. The other big people (Arwen and Alana is also now classified in this category!!) have driven the vehicles around, and were waiting for the rest of the mob, at the breakfast-hut. It took the old dears AGES to get our orders  written down, but that gave us plenty of time to laugh and joke and talk together. Together is the key-word here. What joy is it, when families hang-out together. 

Form the littl'st, 3-year old (who was eating hands-free cake like a doggie from the table-Eiligh) to the teens who were tug-of-warring-with their Merida of 'Brave' look-a-like mum, Rachel. The contest was all about who will be sitting on pastor-dad-Billy's lap. 

Embarassing stories were told about marshmallow sticky hands of Nina and Nathan (They were only 3 -years old the last time we were together…now teens.) 

Caelan and Philippa were forced to re-create a photo taken more than 10 years ago, to great entertainment to the rest of us. 

Thomas and Elijah still talking about Liverpool and God and life choices, while the young ladies were taking pics together and talking about 'Snow White 'and 'Rose Red' having sleepovers - puking in the bed - but to scared to tell mum- for the off-chance that the pajama-party might be cancelled. (For the record - that was the first time I hear about this!!!) 

 

All too sudden it was time for the last pictures to be taken, last HUGE HUG's to be given…. Until….whoever-knows-when we see each other again. 

 Our hearts were empty and full at the same time…is that even possible???? 

 

A last quick stop at the Crooked House before we were headed south, back to London. An very uneventful Friday early afternoon journey, took us straight pass Heathrow airport to Skylark Guesthouse/Motel. Interesting neighbourhood, with the most unexpected well-kept overnight stop. The highlight was that fabilistic breakfast that was included!!!! 

 

Arno and Thomas took our rental car back to Alamo, while us girls explore the shelves of Sainsbury's (local grocery store) for a mega £3.50 'lunch' deal. What a bargain - pasta salad/warps + yogurt- pot and an healthy drink. A Christmas movie in bed (well, we all stayed in one room, so very cosy and together) was just the final touch to a very special day.
 

 

It was a great day…totally one that we will talk about for ever!! 

We love you family Kent! May God bless you and protect you!