Been at home now for 5 days and nearly recovered from the holiday. Not sure how many loads of washing were done but enough for me to run out of places to hang them. Then of course the ironing backs up and I need to get through it ( Judi, electricity, Heat and water don’t mix so I do it) as I will need some items for my trip next week. Eric was sort of please to see us and even I thought she looked fat. I might take to chasing her around a bit to run it off her. 20 minutes 3 times a week should do. She must have heard me as she decided to get us up at 5:30 by jumping on the bed and yowling at us. Judi who took to wearing ear plugs whilst we were still in the US does not hear or is she does she hides it well. So it is up to me to explain to Eric that it is not really time yet. I can do this quite effectively with one swipe of a pillow if I am quick. Whilst we were away all the channels went missing from both our TV’s. I think the landlord is a little tardy paying these bills so I should also worry about Internet access, I can live without TV but not the Web. We managed to get some of them back after a day or so which was a relief given the US open is on. Even I am getting into this tennis watching only but it’s a start. Maybe build a court next to the swimming pool in that house in France. Anyway given where we are Geographically we start to watch late in the evening and finish off the following morning so we sort of get to see everyone but only in bits. We went to stretch our legs on Sunday and could not get into Red Square. It seems its Moscow’s birthday it is 863 years old and they have some form of “Tattoo” going on. The square is full of grandstands and it looks like they are enough seats to have around 20,000 people in it. A tattoo is like a show but probably with some military content and some marching bands. Any tourist who comes this week are going to be bitterly disappointed as there is no access and almost nowhere where you can view the historical points even St Basil’s is off limits and you don’t mess with a a Russian security guard when he says “net” so lets hope the Travel agents have been well briefed. On the plus side there are fireworks every night for a week and we have a grandstand seat from the apartment. Little consolation for the tourists as they don’t know where we live. Other than this life is normal (if the life we lead can ever be classed as normal). Passports registered, some shopping done, enough to keep us alive for a few days. I think we might try a big shop on Saturday as I am out for a couple of weeks and Judi works late these days. The other big news of the week is not the Bank of England leaving the interest rate alone, Obama’s speech on Healthcare and education or England’s soccer team qualifying for the next world cup it is Sir Terry Wogan leaving his daily slot on BBBC Radio two’s morning program after several decades. If you don’t know him he is one of those iconic institutions who you somehow believe will go on for ever. There was a DJ Jimmy Young who seemed to last forever but in the end we were all glad when he was forcibly removed. Not so for Sir Terry he is still in his prime even at 71 he has that twinkle and easy manner which seems effortless. Well we still have a couple of months before he stops and is replaced by someone who is around half his age so still time for a change of heart. The weather here is still holding up at around 70 -80 degrees the leaves are turning but summer is still here. Reading our guide books it has a chapter on winter, a page or two on summer and Spring and only a sentence on autumn. It just says it comes and goes quickly.
This is a link to the fight I mentioned which happened between monks in the holy Sepulcher church, which I mentioned the other week. it is a shameful reminder that even the holy places are not immune to aggression. Watch and weep for mankind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEpZJnydbj8
La Jourdinarie our place in France
Steve & Judi's website for all sorts of stuff