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