Maldon, Essex - 30th September

Late start this morning and off to Heybridge Basin on the river Blackwater for our first (enormous) English breakfast in nearly 5 weeks, together with Rog's (NZ) friend, Annette.  Tobes stocked up on his favourite Tiptree preserves, for us as well as friends and family, and which weigh a tonne.

Back to do a little bit of shopping and to sort out a mountain of washing and then off down to the river for a really lovely boat cruise. Beautiful sunny day and lots of fun.  A Thames barge sailed past, and we went right up towards Osey Island (where Amy Winehouse went into rehab) before turning around and heading back to Maldon, past the famous Maldon Sea Salt works, which were no where near as big as I imagined it would be.

We dropped Rog off at home and headed off for a tour with Tobes around Danbury, where he grew up. And tonight we are going out for a curry, with Betty - another friend of Rog's!!

Looking out across the river Blackwater from Heybridge Basin this morning at low tide

Tobes and Rog's friend Annette

Tobes drawing a picture of Ava

Pops with her portrait

Tobes, Ava, Rog, Sal and Claudia at breakfast

The Viking Saga - heading out on our boat trip

Cloudy Clouds

Looking back at Heybridge Basin from the water

Claudia and Rog

A Thames sailing barge

Coming back into Maldon

Rog

The Queen's Head Pub from the water

The Maldon Sea Salt works

Just in case we forgot where we were

Clouds back up on her North Sea buoy

And Ava on a WW1 sea mine!

Pops helping Rog up the hill (he says he's never been helped around so much!)

Treetops, Danbury - where Tobes grew up

The Cricketer's Arms - one of Tobe's old haunts, where we stopped for a drink and (the girls) some icecream

Rog and Betty

Venice - Maldon (Essex), 29th September

A busy day of travel today - and beautiful weather everywhere we go.  Up early to blog and have breaky with Lu and Spider, then a water taxi to the airport, which was a lot of fun.  We arrived mid afternoon at Gatwick and picked up a zoomy little car that Lu had very kindly left for us on their way to Venice.  Very handy driving around England with your own Englishman!  After a few games of "I Spy" and "How many sea creatures can you name", the girls had a bit of a sing and then completely crashed just as Tobes hit home territory and started to give the tour.

We arrived in Maldon to Tobe's dad (Rog) waiting outside the front of his home, and a fabulous lunch he had had catered for us, which would feed a small army.  Rog is gorgeous, with a great sense of humour and looking very well.  His neighbour Shirley, who I had met briefly last year, popped over for some Bucks Fizz (the English version of a Bellini!!) and sandwiches, and then kindly took a second load of washing back to her house (!), followed by another neighbour, Lu, who had made some space in her fridge for the rest of our lunch!  Maldon is very pretty, very English (no surprises there) and Rog's home is right down near the river Blackwater, and his preferred pub, The Queen's Head.

We wandered down to the pub, for a quick drink and to look at the beautiful, 100 year old Thames sailing barges.  The girls had a ball, following white swans, climbing up a big north sea buoy, and a WW2 mine, and being chased after by curious young local boys!

Home for a light snack, a whisky, the girls loving the TV and DVD especially set up for them in their room, and a relatively early night.

Lu and Spider, waving us off in Venice

Our Hotel, taken from the Water Taxi

Tobes on the water taxi to the airport

Pops, with her new Venice watch, loving the taxi ride

At Tobe's dad's (Rog) - Tobes, Ava, Clouds, me and Rog

Rog's neighbour and great friend, Shirley, and I

Rog and Shirley

The Thames sailing barges

Tobes and his dad

Pops and Clouds

Love this shot of my girls

The girls up the top of the buoy

Venice - Wednesday, September 28th

Our last day in Italy and my very good friends, Carlo and Claudia (from Milan) came to Venice to spend it with us, and to meet Toby, which was really lovely.

We met outside the hotel at around midday and had a quick walk around, the girls still trying to decide which mask they wanted to buy, and then we all met up with Lu and Spider for lunch.

The owner of the restaurant was great fun - first of all it was the wedding anniversary of friends of his, so the music was turned up and there was lots of singing and celebration.  Then (for reasons still unknown) he put on "happy birthday" and brought a cake over to the girls, again with the whole restaurant singing  and the girls pretending it was their birthdays.  Then he came over with a bride and groom statue, with more candles and put that in front of the girls - and re-lit the candle about 10 times, to make sure they both had a good go at blowing it out.  In addition to all of this, an old man with an amazing voice came by and started singing in the square.

We then headed over to Piazza San Marco and to the Florian before saying goodbye to Carlo and Claudia, then back to the hotel via Harry's bar - Tobes and I snuck in for a couple of quick Bellinis, while Lu took the girls to look at more masks. 

I went for a quick final shop with the girls, they bought their masks,  and then we met up with Tobes, Lu and Spider for dinner before calling it a night.  Have really loved our time in Italy and really loved being able to spend our last day with Carlo and Claudia here in Venice.

Carlo and Ava at lunch

Claudia

Lu

Singing man

Ava - enjoying the cake and candles moment!

Claudia

Spider, Claudia, Me, Toby, Lu, Claudia and Carlo

Claudia, Claudia, Carlo and Ava

My girls having their photo taken with a tourist! Piazza San Marco

Harry's Bar