And the adventures continue....

Salt Lake City - Girl Scout National Convention.

I am here in SLC as an official delegate to the GS National Convention.

Tom is not the only one who has mishaps with plane tickets. I got to the airport in plenty of time for what I thought was an 8 am flight but the ticket was for 8 pm. Opps, but nothing money couldn't solve. I flew out on the 8:30 am flight with a bunch of people from GoPro cameras going to an off site meeting outside Salt Lake. 

My sister and cousin are seeing the sites but the highlight so far was watching the Giants playoff game in the Jackalope Bar down the street. The hotel didn't play it so we hit the streets. Sara and I had a real cultural experience, drinking our ginger ale. We were the oldest by a bunch of years, and probably the only people watching the game. Our boys came through. 

Last post

Tents are coming down, bags are packed, Kathy and Katie took off for Heathrow this morning.

Last night for dinner we had this fine fellow. And very tasty he was. There were extra ears roasting in the bottom, I'm not sure what they were for, maybe the kitchen staff. There was a sign in the pan that said only 2 pieces of crackling per person. 

We had a very wet closing ceremony last night with fire works.

The shops are dismantled and everything is ready to be taken away. The tent is coming down tonight. 

I am packing up and heading to my friend Marion's after the staff party tonight. I am looking forward to going home tomorrow to my own bed.

I can honestly say, these are not my favorite.

Camp Highlights

The day starts off with a proper English breakfast- the best meal of the day. 

Then it's off to the craft area. So far I've taught rockets and kaleidoscopes. Today it's origami, tomorrow to woggles to put on one's necker. 

I love love these wellie sticks so clever. Keeps the rain water out.

These scouts have the best entry to their camp site.

Second best

Runner up!

This is a patrol tent for cooking, eating, laundry etc.

Here is the ever popular burger stall. 

Windsor

This is the "Long Walk" from the camp in the great park to Windsor Castle. We got the afternoon off from the craft area and headed into town.

 Kathy and I crawled up the walk and detoured at the Windsor Castle pub for a leisurely lunch before go on to Windsor proper. We are a little tired of camp food.  It's not bad, it's just not great. They have 2 pubs here at camp for the volunteers and drinks are cheap after you buy your reusable glass. I usually can't be bothered to go over. 

We tried on hats at Marks and Spenser's, had afternoon pastries at a coffee shop and took a taxi back to camp. 

Wings 2014

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Here's my friend Marian who in encouraged me to come to Wings in 2003 with my troop. I'm back again this time as a volunteer. 6000+ campers, 1200 volunteers and one week in the Queen's deer park. The troops are pouring in. I am signed up for duty in the camp store.

Patches are flying out the door. Woggles (scarf slides) are the second best sellers. The main tent is full of things to buy, I spent part of the morning putting huge gummy snakes into tiny paper sacks for the tuck shop. There is a cafe that sells drinks and baked goods, a burger wagon and ice cream stand. Lots of things for those kids to spend their pocket money on.

Here's my home away from home. The borrowed tent came with a camp chair essential for putting my shoes on in the morning. I had to tie a bandana on top so I can find it in the sea of tents.  

The opening ceremonies with flames , fire  works, and lots of music and dancing. 

I am taking painkillers in anticiation of all the air leaking out of my mattress again tonight.

Old stuff

Three guesses where we are. It's a good thing we got here early- thank you Katie for booking on line. We could see the  traffic backed up coming up the hill to the site. Millions of people too.

This is the biggest fish I have I have ever eaten. Good thing I rejected the chips.

Then on to the Fashion Museum in Bath where they had a Downton Abbey display commemorating the centennial of the beginning of World War One. Eatyour  heart out Normandie and Brena.  They had lots of other stuff as well.

The next day held more old stuff and much less driving. We went to the town of Woodstock, home of Blenheim Palace. 

Fabulous approach.

A really big pile of rock.

With a very nice water feature. An interesting exhibit about Winston  Churchill. 

Chipping Norton

I stayed in this part of Britain in 1997 when I came with a bunch of Girl Scout friends. We rented a house in Chipping Camden that time. This time I am staying in Chipping Norton with a different bunch of Scout friends Kathie and Katie Woolard. We are going to a big scouting event at Windsor Castle and wanted to see a few sites before we go.  

Forget Me Not cottage is on a quiet dead end lane. 

It's really tiny, just one room wide on three floors.

It has a tiny garden which we have actually use. Flowers grow like mad here, every house has a beautiful display. 

The village has been yarn bombed in honor of the WW1 Centenery.

The village has everything one needs within walking distance, groceries, restaurants, bakery, post office, money machine etc it has been great place to stay.

Oxford and Harry Potter

Christ Church College is where it is at. 

Zillions of people will attest. All wanting to see the Harry Potter sites.

This is the inspiration for Hogwart's Great hall

And Alice wonderland stretchy neck fireirons.

Alice use to play on the other side of this wall. Lewis Carroll could look down on her. A little creepy I think

The perfect end to a long day.

Le Recreation

Many years ago we read a book called "You Can't See Paris From Here". It's about an American family that goes to live for a year in the village of Les Arques near Cahors with a restaurant called Le Recreation.  We came for a fabulous lunch in 2007 and returned again this trip. I am happy to report that it is still fabulous, even though it has changed hands. The restaurant is housed in the old village school. We sat under a huge chestnut tree and had the multi course 39 Euro menu. Started with gazpacho, Tom had cheesy crust wrapped asparagus for his entree, I had sesame coated shrimp with mango salsa.

For the main dish I had lamb with sweet potato purée and a meat stuffed squash blossom. Tom had pork tenderloin.

But of course the polmerol wine was extra good and it was decanted into a fancy stemmed pourer.

We took the remainder of the bottle with us to have with our burgers from Jacks that evening. Good burgers too.9

Desert was the crowning glory and we had to spend the remainder of the afternoon under a tree sleeping it off. 

The Toulouse airport was the final destination. Tom says he is over Formula 1 hotels, cheap as they might be and even though they have a 3 Euro breakfast that includes chocolate spread. Next time we are going for air conditioning.  I was over them years ago (good sport points).

He is flying home and I am off to London. I am really sad to leave France, I could easily stay a few more months. We made new friends, rode our bikes, explored new foods and really had a great time. I just need to win the lottery so I can buy my own house in France. Every one can come visit.

Dream come true?

Our landlord in St. Colombe mentioned he was going to Bergerac for the race, too. Maybe he could find us tickets to the Technology Camp? Maybe!!!! Dude, we got into the heart of the TV, radio, timing and scoring center of the TdF. Be still, my beating heart...

First, we had to park and find the finish line with the TdF Village adjacent. It was pouring buckets while the crew was setting up steel fence, banners, inflatables and more. 

Then they would need to pick it back up when the wind and rain blew everything down - just like our races. 

Then we met Jean Marc and he had E Ride tickets! He works for Orange, the big French telecom company who had the contract to provide WiFi, digital transmissions for photos, and a thousand other projects keeping the Tour connected with the world. They were staged inside this enormous compound set up next to the finish line with miles of cables everywhere

We had a tour of 1 of their semi trailers packed to the gills with equipment

And then we got to the Finish line itself. Inside the timing booth, checked out the photo finish equipment, oogled the location

We entered another trailer, this one set up for press conferences with a TV link back to the school auditorium 500 yards away that served as their press center. Everybody got a shot at the microphone and then they made a BIG mistake - they gave me my turn......

I did not get the job

I got the consolation prize - a nice lunch while waiting in a dry place for a very rainy finish to the race. WHAT a day at the races!