Limehouse Basin Marina, Limehouse, London

We are back from our road trip to Berlin. We almost didn't get there due to the weather. We thought we would try Southend airport in an attempt to avoid the chaos that is Stansted. So much for that as Southend Airport is not an all weather facility and nothing was going in or out due to fog. After waiting 6 hours, we got bused to Stanstead and flew out of there instead. We, therefore, arrived in Berlin after midnight instead of 4 pm. Getting to central Berlin on public transport was a bit of a challenge but we finally got to the Marriott by 1 am. We wandered all over the eastern part of the city on the next day and did all the usual touristy things and visited Checkpoint Charlie, the Reichstag, the Brandenberg Gate and Unter dem Linden and had a nice lunch outdoors in a pleasant square outside French Cathedral. No fog in Berlin and the weather was cool but clear and sunny. Later in the afternoon, we went to a wonderful chocolate store called Fassbender and Rausch. Another two hours of walking off the chocolate and we were ready to go back to the hotel for a rest and some quiet dinner. Next day, the weather was again perfect and this time we looked at the west side of the city and saw Kurfurstendamm and then a long walk through the Zoo and the Tiergarten and then back to the east side of the city. The Germans certainly know how to build and re-build on a grand scale!

The Admiral sought out an Absinthe store near the Alexanderplatz and then back to the hotel and a somewhat indifferent dinner on Kurfurstendamm Street. The weather turned cloudy and cold and we planned to visit two museums but only managed one as there was quite a lot to see. 

An uneventful flight back to Gatwick where we were met by Phil and Sandra (Jessica's inlaws) and we spent a very pleasant two days with them at the lovely home in West Sussex.

On Friday, it was  back home to Limehouse for a little rest.

Outstanding chocolate at Fassbender and Rauch 

the holocaust memorial

Siegessaule

A political demonstration at the Brandenberg Gate

Kurfurstendamm lots of shopping

local Pilsner beer. 

The venerable Trabbie a relic from East Germany

Autumn foliage

200 hundred varieties of Absinthe

The Tiergarten

Remnants of the Wall

Limehouse Basin Marina, London

The end of October still finds us at the Limehouse Basin Marina and fortunately
for us the weather has remained quite mild and mostly dry. Ian and Marie-Luce
came by to visit earlier in the month and we had a boozy Sunday lunch over at
The Grapes on a beautiful fall afternoon.
On the 6th, we saw a rather dubious
play at the National Theatre and then went on to Rochester to spend some time
with Jessica and the babies.
We had lunch with one of my med school pals on the
weekend at her beautiful home in Chiswick and spent some time in Amersham with
the Admiral's mum and dad. 
That  was a busy week with dinner with my brother
and sister and my cousin Robert and his wife, Claude and then another wander
around Greenwich with yet another cousin Stephen.
Last week, we had a pleasant
visit from Jaqui from "Jackster" at Limehouse and spent an hour or three
catching up on our various activities.
We went to La Rochelle on the 20th. on
the dreaded Ryanair and the journey was quite smooth and easy using the
Stanstead Express.
It's been eight years since we were in La Rochelle and not
much has changed since then. The down town area is now pedestrian only and
although the locals don't like it much, we certainly did.
Our hotel was
perfectly located with a great view of the port and all the restaurants. The
mussels are as excellent as always.
We spent our first morning wandering around
the town and in afternoon went to the Amel yard to see the Amel 55 and 64's
under manufacture. On that afternoon, Porsche cars were doing some sort of a
promotion at the Amel yard and I got to do a test drive in a Cayenne hybrid,
which was interesting and a Cayman GT4, which was amazing!
We had dinner at a
new restaurant, Le Petit Auberge, and local oysters were very good.
Next day,
was a demo on the new Amel 55 with Antoine and Natalie.
The weather could have
been better. It was overcast and very little breeze but certainly could have
been a lot worse. 
The new boat is very impressive in many ways, even in light
air conditions and will need some serious discussion with the admiral and the
factory.
The weather turned colder on our return and we have had a problem with
significant condensation and damp within our boat and we were concerned about
mound and corrosion. We bought a good quality dehumidifier in addition to our
space heaters and electric blankets and this has made all the difference.
Callisto's interior space is now warm and dry and comfortable again.
The
dehumidifier can take out three liters of water over 24 hrs! So our books won't
turn into a stodgy mess and no risk of mound and spores.
Last weekend was
Jessica's birthday and she and the babies came down for a sleepover on the boat.
We went to the Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs on Sunday.
This week was a
curry and the new James Bond movie with cousin Benny and yesterday, dinner at
the Little Ship Club in the city.
Next  weekend is the road trip to Berlin.
Never a dull moment 

A view of the towers in La Rochelle from our hotel room

 sleep over time 

A few oysters and a nice Sancerre for lunch

some creatures at the Mudchute farm on the Isle of Dogs

Docking the new Amel 55

little Evie

Jessica's birthday cake

instrument panel on the Amel 55-- sweet

Limehouse Basin Marina, London, UK

We have been blessed with the most marvelous weather for the past week, here in London. The birthday tea last Saturday for the Admiral's mum apparently went well and a good time was had by all. We went back to the boat on Sunday and have again been touring London's hot-spots in this glorious Indian summer. The nights have been cold but the days, warm and sunny.

All that comes to a screeching halt on Monday when a new series of low pressure systems are due and it will cold and gray and rainy again. I'll have to get an electric blanket and a new space heater next week.

Dominic, the fuel guy finally showed up on Monday so took  on 200 litres to top off the tank for the winter.

The lunar eclipse last Sunday, the so-called "blood moon". The weather was so clear we just had to get up at zero dark thirty but it was worth it

A misty day at the Limehouse Basin and the duckweed is back. The marina looks like a swamp. Local knowledge suggests the presence of duck weed this late predicts a mild winter.

Limehouse Basin, London. UK

It's a sunny, relatively warm day in Limehouse today but the weather is definitely autumnal and when it rains it really rains. Callisto was in good shape, having sat for 6 weeks.
We have been busy with family stuff and these activities are finally coming to an end.
The visits began with Jenifer and Ed who returned from their Asian vacation on their way to Barcelona to join a new boat and leave to cross the Atlantic. This one is 93 metres long!
James and Katie came to stay for a week and we did lots of touristy stuff in London and visited lots of micro breweries stashed in darkest Bermondsey.
Jessica and Ben and the babies came by to visit with uncle James and a pleasant day was had by all.
Ann's mother has achieved the grand age of 90 years and we celebrated that with a family lunch at the Bel and Dragon in Cookham. A lady's only tea is planned for this weekend so it looks like I will be on baby patrol while this event occurs.
We have some trips arranged for the next few months, to La Rochelle, Berlin and Prague. Hopefully, the weather won't get too cold and damp.So far, it hasn't been bad. The heating on the boat is fine for the ambient temperatures but it is only September. We may have to invest in more space heaters and timers.

Susan, James and Katie at the Bel and Dragon, Cookham

lunch on Callisto

looking down from the Tower Bridge walkway

view from Tower Bridge looking west

Winter is coming!

San Diego,California

this is our last day in sunny California. I don't know where the time went but it's time to return to London later this evening. We have enjoyed our time here, doing not very much of anything except wandering around downtown visiting various bars and eateries.
I got a little bit of sailboat racing in with Van and Marsha at the Coronado Cays and I was reminded again just how wonderful San Diego is.
All of our medical tests turned out well and we look forward to new adventures in the old country.

San Diego, California, USA

It's good to be back home after a long drive from Portland via Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. We got some doctor visits done and a visit with old friends Tom and Kathy and Len and Kathy.
Northern California was very dry and many brush fires are burning. Bring on the El Nino!
Some photos of Portland

brush fires in Northern California

A lovely day on Cannon Beach

Thai food from the many food trucks in Portland. Not quite Chang Mai but not bad

Beers at the Deschutes Brewery

Breakfast at Mother"s A Portland institution

Portland, Oregon, USA

We have been in the USA for more than three weeks now and in Portland for ten days. I don't know where the time goes but the calendar seems to change more rapidly than ever.
It's good to be back in the USA despite the looney politics. San Diego is as we remember it and the weather has been delightful not that we were there very much.
We took a very long road trip to Portland to bring Josette some stuff for her new apartment. There are a few trees here. The city is a little different and there are many aging hippy types wandering the streets of downtown. We have been wandering about and fixing things in the apartment and we are off back to Rancho Mirage today to see our friends Len and Kathy and get some doctor visits done and then back to San Diego for a bit of a rest.
Some photos of a tree or two will follow