Art and other things

I'm finally getting a moment to write. It's been a very busy couple of weeks and I've been making the most of my days and evenings seeing as much as I possibly can and spending time with the people I've been visiting.
London was, in a word, amazing. My plan was to try and see and do as much as I could in the six days I had. I bought a London Pass which entitled me to free entry into most of the museums, art galleries and attractions and the hardest part was narrowing it down to six or seven things. It also included travel - bus, train and underground in all six zones, so it was good value. I think my favourite two things were the Tower of London and Westminster Abby. All the bits and pieces of English history began to come together and be repeated in the art and architecture that I immersed myself in during those days. I ended my week with a visit to the Tate Modern and, I am loathe to say, didn't really like it. I guess I just don't like a lot of modern art and get a little annoyed at the pretension that seems to go along with it. I did like some of it though...an interesting exhibit by Ai Weiwei involving a huge pile of millions of ceramic sunflower seeds, all hand painted by many artists. It was meant to define the sunflower seed as a common street snack in China and it's ties to the cultural revolution. Chairman Mao used to be depicted as the sun, and the mass of people as sunflowers always turning to the sun to show their revolutionary loyalty. The point is, I needed it to be explained to me. Anyway, it is always good to push oneself out of one's comfort zone and experience something different. You can choose to like, dislike, or dismiss it as you see fit. Nothing in art is what it seems.
British artist David Hockey's exhibit opened on Friday at the Royal Academy which I would have loved to have seen but it is unlikely I would have been able to get in.
Another neat thing that happened was meeting up with young woman named Kathleen that I met in Italy seven years ago. She is from Melbourne but now living in London. She noticed on Facebook that I was going to be in London and suggested we meet up. So we did and it was wonderful to see her again. I was encouraged knowing that I just may see some of the people I've met along this journey again. Hey, you just never know...!
I had a great time with my Cousin Will, Anne, and the two little boys Arty and Harry. They put me up - and put up with my comings and goings! Anne and I went to see the movie "The Iron Lady" which we both thought was very good. The acting was superb and we felt that it showed her vulnerabilities and weaknesses as well as her strength and determination. For a woman to rise to the top amongst all those men, was, no matter what your political opinion, impressive.
Moving on....
Bournemouth:
Went to visit my aunt again who has just undergone surgery and needed a little company. My Aunt Sue, who ive been living with in Liverpool, met me in London and we travelled to bournemouth together. I found myself once again, walking on the beach along the long line of brightly colour co-ordinated beach huts. These are an interesting phenomonem. These tiny little huts are large enough to store a couple of beach chairs, some water toys, with a little space to make tea. You can't sleep in them but you will see people bundled up in their chairs sipping a cup of tea whilst they look out to sea and chat, most likely about the weather! The cost is somewhere in the neighbourhood of a small house at home, but somehow, it is one of those quirky things that seems alright. Funny.
I also spent a couple of nights with one of my Mom's cousins Mary and her husband Paul who live in Poole. We had a good time and it was nice to get to know them a bit.
Back on the train to Liverpool and my interview at the passport office tomorrow! I got the call much sooner than I thought and, if all goes well, should have my UK passport in a week to 10 days. I can now plan the next stage of my journey!
Fingers and toes crossed....!

London bound

I have decided to go back to London and go and see some of the touristy sights that I haven\'t seen since I went when I was 15 with my paternal grandparents on my first visit to the UK. I bought a 3-day "London Pass" which entitles me to unlimited travel in all six zones plus free entry to most attractions. I have a list and I hope to do and see as much as I can in the three days and then do more with my cousin Will and his family on the weekend. I will stay with them which will be lovely as I adore them all and have really enjoyed getting to know them all better.
After six visits to the post office in three days, I finally got all the i\'s dotted and t\'s crossed on my passport application and sent it on its way. In approximately six weeks\' time, I will officially be able to prove my citizenship and can live and work anywhere in the EU should I choose to do so. Or just travel freely for as long as I want. Nice to have options! I will need to go to an interview so they can verify that I am who I say I am, and then it will be official. God willing.
I now understand why the British always talk about the weather. It can change by the hour and can be very extreme. We\'ve been enjoying a week or so of sunny, clear, and cold days which I have taken full advantage of byspending as much time outdoors as I can. I went on a 20km walk with a friend of my aunts named Foxy (she is as fabulous as her name!) and another woman named Sonia. Today I helped my uncle collect wood from a friends place who had cut down a eucalyptus tree which we split and stacked for the rest of the afternoon. It was fun!
Off to bed, next post from London.

Slainte!

This means "good health" in Gaelic and is pronounced "sloncha" when toasting each other over a Guiness. Now, I have to say I never drink Guiness except when I\'m in Ireland. It\'s the real thing and it tastes really good, especially with a little splash of black currant. Hey, don\'t knock it till you try it.
My introduction to Ireland came about because my friend Gerry whom I met on the Camino said "if you\'re ever in Ireland, come and stay with us"! It seemed like he meant it, so I emailed him and his lovely wife Martha and arranged a short visit. I also managed to convince Arlene to join us and we had a good camino reunion. Unfortunately, I had the flu but once on antibiotics, seemed to improve hourly.
Gerry most kindly picked us up in Dublin and we drove the short distance to the little village where he lives - Coothill. I just want to say that everything I ever imagined about Ireland is true! It is indeed a magical place and everyone treated us like royalty. There should be a new word for the colour green as there is nothing quite like it. Impossible to describe the lush, verdant, earthiness of it....I couldn\'t stop exclaiming how beautiful it was. When one thinks of Irish people, you immediately think of friendly, rosy-cheeked people with a twinkle in their eye. There is a sign in the local pub that says: "There are no strangers here...only friends who haven\'t met". Doesn\'t that just say it all? It is in this pub that I partook of my first (of rather too many) Guiness\'. I ordered a glass first, trying to be ladylike and by the next night, just ordered a pint. The great thing about the Irish is that nobody\'s counting and nobody cares! They just want you to be happy and have a great time. And we did! There was a good turnout of locals, all who wanted to greet us and I can honestly say I made some new friends that night. They didn\'t disappoint and we sang pub songs and laughed until very late. It was exactly how I imagined it would be, everybody knew one another and I found myself sitting with a farmer, a dentist, a butcher and the local judge.
Just to be clear, I did not spend the entire time drinking Guiness. Gerry and I went for a long walk one afternoon in the forest near a small lake. It was a bit wet, but I didn\'t care because it gave us a chance to talk and catch up and philosophise about life. He told me all about Coothill and the surrounding area, the history, the people and the changes and challenges they face today. I think Ireland is one of the hardest recession-hit countries in the EU but somehow, you get the feeling it will all be okay. It\'s just how they are. We all reminisced about our time on the camino and then in Santiago where Martha joined Gerry and we got to know her too.
The next morning I decided I wanted to go to Mass and everyone decided to go with me. We went to the little country parish church which was quaint, old, and very charming. I loved it. I especially love looking at graveyards with their moss covered headstones and the names and dates of the families from many years ago.
We decided to spend the last day in Dublin but to be honest, I enjoyed the countryside so much more. We just didn\'t have enough time to do anything there but it was nice to wander the busy streets and enjoy our last few hours in Ireland. It is a place I know I must go to again, but next time it will be in the spring or summer!

And the Wind Cried Mary

Today marks the 14th anniversary of my sister Mary's death. On January 2nd, 1998, she and five others died in an avalanche while back country skiing in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Today I went for a long walk on the beach and thought about Mary as I always do on this day. As I reflect back to that time, tears spring easily to my eyes when I remember the shock and disbelief that this could have happened only eight months after my brother John died of cancer. It is astonishing to me that fourteen years have gone by; that somehow we survived this terrible grief, the unimaginable sadness, and have gone on to live our lives. I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly live without my sister. My sister who was devoted to my children, spending much of her free time as a teenager playing with them and looking after them. She spent many nights at our house, sleeping  over and then going to school in the morning. She was more than my sister...she was a great companion, a true friend, a second mother to Sarah, Robbie and James whom she adored, and they her. To this day, I wonder what it would have been like if she were still alive. Would she be married? How many children would she have? Where would she be living? So many unanswered questions. So many years not lived.
The amazing thing is, I still remember the sound of her voice, her laugh - oh how we laughed! I remember her smile, her energy, her touch. She lives on in my memory - and remains always beautiful, young, with everything to live for.
I don't think I will ever forget any of those things. 
Thank God.