Liquid Tales

It’s a fabulous sunny day as we wake on our last day in this fabulous city. We decide to recap on all that we have seen and with that a swift trip to the drug store for blister plasters and hair spray off we walk to Seaport village and the sea front. It’s gorgeous and warm we both feel so thankful to be here and able to enjoy all these delights. I notice lots of flags at half mast on larger buildings. We walk down 5th Avenue to the train line and walk parallel to the the trains along Martin Luther King way. Along this scenic route are engraved plaques with exerts from his famous speeches. Each one poignant. It’s a tiring walk as as we haven’t had breakfast we decide to stop for early lunch. I fancy a spot on the pier overlooking the water. We are given a crap table and I ask for a better one inside, of course if you ask you get and we did. We order water and a cocktail each then decide to sample the food. Roger has clam chowder and lobster roll with cheese Mac and I have fish ceviche and grilled shrimp. We sit on this table watching the various boats and jet ski for two or so hours. I feel we will fall asleep if we stay much longer. I wish we had deck chairs on the prom to have a lovely doze. We walk on along the prom and people watch. It’s seems there are lots of Hispanic people here today for the Bank holiday. I so admire their gorgeous thick hair, however a lot of them are very large ladies and don’t seem to worry about wearing tight leggings or brief bear midriffs. At around 4 pm we stop at a bar with a great long open bar to sit and watch the ocean. Roger tries a flight of beers and I have a lager. We stop and chat to a few other holiday makers and locals. Feeling a bit melancholy we walk slowly back to wards Gaslamp. We then spy a wine tasting. What a con you had to buy it. Well we did both needed the loo. Walking back to our hotel a quick stop at our fav bar restaurant for a cocktail each we decide on one dozen oysters to complete the day.

Today we decide on Balboa Park as it’s a super sunny day. We walk down fifth Avenue to the train stopping for breakfast, everywhere has long lines but eventually we get a table at the Hard Rock Cafe. Very mediocre breakfast and Roger pitches himself in a seat so he is able to watch the golf! On to the train but it’s not such a straight forward trip with two changes then a bus for the short ride, sounds like Norwich to Liverpool Street on a Sunday in peak season! The city is buzzing with people and cars trying to park for yet another Padres game today. We eventually order an Uber. The car is three minutes away but cannot reach us with all the road blocks so the driver rings us with a location for us to walk to. He is a friendly driver, very informative of the problems with homelessness in San Diego. As we head north to the park we see lines of homeless banked together in rows upon rows, plastic or cardboard housing, trollies heaped high with possessions. It’s very sad and alarming. Our driver informs us they have a huge problem with fentanyl which is smuggled in from Mexico. All age groups get hooked and that’s it. Apparently it’s killing more people than covid as it’s very easy to overdose. Our driver also complains about the government sending aid and money to Ukraine when it can’t even feed its own poor. Along with the USA’s crushing deficit. I am a little perturbed as this driver is also sniffing all the ride. Balboa park is a sprawling outdoor destination and home to the city’s renowned Zoo, 17 Museums, gardens and more. Our driver drops us off near the info kiosk where a super friendly older gentleman informs us the things we must see. I hear organ music and head for the open air organ, I have inherited my fathers love of organ music. There is a concert at 2 pm but for now we listen to a young lady in rehearsal. It’s quite a stunning sight. We move on and walk around the various building and statue’s all of which seem to be Spanish influenced. The gardens are stunning with every conceivable colour, pools full of lilies and ducks. We walk to the museum of art and pay extra for the exhibition Monet to Matisse: Impressionist masterpieces including some rare Picasso portraits. After this we head for the Spanish Art Village. There’s quite a distance between these areas and we are both dying of thirst. Good job Mr C brought water to save the day. The Spanish Art Village is self explanatory. Full of vivid, weird, creativity. Most of which is for sale. Not that we could get any of it home as our cases are full to the brim already. Through the Spanish Art Village and onto the carousel, the miniature train, on to the Zoo. Mr C insists on taking a photo of me by the enormous Lion out side the zoo ( two Leo’s ). A line for tickets is slow moving and I kick myself for not pre ordering online. However in we go a mere $59 each for us seniors. ( a two day ticket apparently) We head straight for the open bus to ride around this huge zoo but unfortunately pick the wrong side of the bus to see much so have to walk around to get any views of exciting species. After a few hours with hot feet we find the exit and head for the taxi rank. Taxis are rare in San Diego, a dying breed due to Uber, I feel guilty now. We head for little Italy as we fancy an evening of Italian delights. The centre of the Italian quarter is along Indian Street for some reason. Hundreds of restaurants with outside spaces we cannot decide on which one and end up walking back to Gaslamp and our favourite restaurant and bar the Water grill, here we settle down at the bar for Margaritas and beer. All tables are full in this 500 seater restaurant so we eat at the bar. We watch in awe at a young lady called Kim who was the fastest cocktail maker server we have ever witnessed, she didn’t stop once, pouring two pints at once at the same time shaking cocktails and pouring wine. She was amazing. We later found out she had been working like this for 10 hours straight. I have wedge salad drizzeled with blue cheese and bacon dressing and a small appetiser of tuna Tartare. Roger has East Coast oysters followed by swordfish. Wandered back to the hotel tired but jolly.

After another epic sleep Roger brings me a welcome coffee. This time with fresh milk. We remembered to pick up some from reception last night as I hate the long life coffee mate they leave in the room. We shower with leisure and plan the day. We have our his & hers facials booked for 14.30 in La Jolla a short ride up the west coast so decide to spend the day there. I need the laundry so find one a couple of blocks from the hotel. The laundry is combined with a local deli and Roger is amazed by the alcohol selection including the largest collection of tequila he has ever seen. We decide on Uber again, they are so quick. Only three minutes away. The drive takes around 14 minutes along the 5 coastal highway once we are out of gaslamp area. Surprised how hilly the area is we start to go downhill to La Jolla ( pronounced La holla). It’s a cute little village, amazingly clean and tidy, with the main road sprinkled with neat houses, little boutique shops and bars. We check out the spa where we are having our treatment for later which is easy to find and walk down to the shore. Amazed to see so many seals, sea lions, cormorants, seagulls & pelicans. The rocks are covered in white bird poo, the smell a bit pony too but it’s a fabulous sight. On the opposite side of the road to the sea there’s a steep rock with restaurant and cafés on top with amazing views. I want to be up there! So we walk a bit further uphill along the prom then find steps to take us back onto the main drag where we find a smart looking place called Eddie V’s. It has valet parking out the front! Lots of expensive cars parked along the road. I notice some of the electric cars don’t have number plates at the front only the rear? At the entrance to Eddie V’s we are treated like royalty and I’m thinking we may be the only ones in the place but up a lift and in to the open air and a wonderful busy restaurant with white table cloths and neatly dressed waiting staff. We are shown to what must be the best table in the restaurant right against a glass wall with incredible views looking down on the rocks and wildlife. Canoes, divers, swimmers, Kayaks – a real treat to watch. An aeroplane flies past towing an advert for Coors beer and returns ten minutes later with a different ad and we wonder how they changed it so quickly. Realised later that there were two aircraft!!! We haven’t had breakfast so we’re looking for brunch but as it’s now 12 noon I guess we were not surprised when they handed us the lunch menu. Needless to say the wine list came too. Roger persuades me to have a cocktail so I have a Bloody Mary and Roger a Strawberry Dragon. His drink was lush and we decide this will be the cocktail for Joolia’s birthday as her nickname is “STRAWBERRY” this was due to a little birth mark when she was born. Again a bottle of Whispering Angel from Provence. I choose Sashimi as an appetiser and Roger a Shrimp cocktail followed by Parmesan crusted sole and scallops. The waiter persuaded us we needed a side of vegetables and we choose potato gratin and spinach with Parmesan. Both side dishes would have been enough for me on their own. Although the food was fabulous we just couldn’t manage it all so the waiter named West boxed up our leftovers to take away. Reluctantly we leave and walk around town a bit to digest our huge lunch before our spa appointment. A few boutiques purchases later and we arrive at the spa. Two lovely young ladies take us into a cosy clinic room and we are treated to a fabulous truffle facial ( whatever that is) before we know it after cleansing, steaming, microdermabrasion, massage, we are cooked. Naturally we both fell asleep, Roger quite deeply and he didn’t want to do much after so we took and Uber playing amazing music back to the hotel. Calling to collect my clean laundry on the way. $30 plus a tip for quite a bundle and it was all ironed. By this time it was 5pm so happy to doze and watch Tv for a while. After watching two Harry Potter films back to back we decide we are too cosy to get up and stay put for the evening.

Excited to start the day as we are be met at our hotel by Naomi the daughter of good friends Sue & Peter Johns. Naomi & Hubby Colin have lived in San Diego for eleven years and have two adorable children. We drive to Colonardo over the bridge again, not so windy this time as yesterday it was in the open sided tourist trolly. We park up and walk a short distance to the beautiful white sandy beach and the famous Del Hotel. Wow I’d love to stay here. The day is cloudy and a little windy but warm enough to sit outside. We find a spot on the pool deck for lunch. Roger and I have huge burger & sandwiches with Naomi opting for a heathy salad, washed down with a bottle of Whispering Angel! Roger has a local beer. We chat for hours about the old days in the Ribs, Naomi’s friends include two famous Ribs barmaids from the old days Lucy Tyrell and Ali Webb. Life seems pretty good here in San Diego. We walk along the prom towards Mexico looking at the fantastic beach and on our way back experience a wine tasting. We have to pretend we haven’t heard of Whispering Angel!!! Sadly Naomi runs out of time and has to return to the family but we decide to stay in Coronado and walk around a while. We didn’t get far along the shops before being accosted by an very attractive young lady promoting skin creams. I’m a sucker for anything new, needless to say we were conned into buying some. No doubt Joolia will have something to say about that on our return home! Next door we visit the very lively Henry bar & restaurant where we spend the rest of the afternoon people watching. We stay on for early supper. Calling an Uber to get back to the hotel. The driver was a tad scary speeding over the bridge back into Gaslamp! An early night in our room watching Tv.

A Day at Seaport Village – Friday . 18c. Sunny

We start the day very slowly with a walk from the hotel to Seaport Village. The sun is out early today so makes walking very enjoyable. From there we walk along the sea front taking brunch along the route. Roger had eggs Benedict & I the vegetarian version of the same. Complete with lovely fresh fruit and delicious coffee. We walk to the Aircraft carrier “Midway”. It is massive. I have purchases tickets on line so avoided the queues. We are piped aboard as we board the ship. The volunteer crew/tour guides are extremely welcoming and friendly, some with jokes to tell as we pass through the ship. Two of the guides were retired pilots from the ship so the stories were even more interesting and real. We spend three hours plus touring the ship and watching films about the battle of Midway of which I was completely ignorant. Roger of course is familiar with battles as it has been an interest over the years. We leave the ship feeling sad for the many young lads on both sides that lost their lives in this horrific battle which was a turning point in the war. We walk a further half mile or so along the seafront and visit various nautical relics and museums including , sailing vessels and a submarine which I did manage to enter although tiny and creepy. I was surprised to see in the galley of this old sub a microwave similar to one we used to have at the Ribs!!! Finally after five or six hours Roger has seen all the ships, boats and planes and I sigh a sigh of relief. I now know what it is like for a man to accompany a women shopping for the day. We meander back the way we came looking for The Kansas City Diner, the famous bar where Tom Cruise did the cocktail scene in the original Top Gun. We realise we must have passed it when we got back to the Seaport village and my feet are killing me so we hail a bicycle taxi to take us there. It was close by, we are very pleased as we think we picked the only taxi cyclist high on something and we were glad to get off! He charged us $15. At the bar we had a short wait. As the sun had been out all day the place was heaving we eventually get a seat and dine. The food is typically touristy and stodgy – Roger said the brisket was good – not what I would have chosen but I’m too tired after 18,700 steps to go elsewhere and the vibe is great. After we have a nightcap at the Water Grill we walk back to the hotel through the Gaslamp area again and collapse onto our lovely bed. One thing has saddened me this entire trip including New York is the amount of homeless people every where as they seem to be on every street corner in the suburbs of San Diego.

After an exciting week in New York celebrating grandson’s Bar mitzvah. Roger & I decided to extend our trip for a few days to San Diego we will then return to New York to celebrate our son James delayed 50th birthday. It was an early start, up at 4am, our driver picking us up at 5am, Our car speeding through the streets of a deserted Times Square it was quite eerie … A record time to JFK of 25 minutes! In peak times this can take 2 hours. Average time is 45 minutes. As this was a domestic flight no problem just the usual securities scanning & ID checks. Delta airlines unlike European airlines , they weigh your luggage in the airport & pay there and then. Left a few bits included Roger’s suit with James so two heavy cases which we were charged $60 . However breakfast is a different matter. Ordered from screens at the table in the CAFE at Costa a whopping $75 for two omelettes, orange juice and coffee. Soon on board I was pleased a girl changed seats with me so we could sit together. Pilot informs us there may be some turbulence on the second part of the trip – it was soon quite obvious the whole trip is going to be bumpy & cabin service was delayed so I am again I’m flying without any alcohol! I soon discover Wi-Fi on the plane so I connect to this and scan the barcode on the screen in front of me which brings up the menu for food and drink if you want to purchase some. Our flight today will be five hours 15 minutes with some 3000 miles across America. With cabin service delayed I am unable to request head set to enable me to watch a film! Eventually get my head set and choose to watch Grey’s Anatomy. Roger aptly watches ‘Alexander’. Eventually we are offered gin and tonic and some snacks. The plane is quite comfortable and we arrive early in five hours . As it’s a domestic flight we are straight through the very smart airport pick up luggage & into the taxi rank. We are driven to Delmar by a rather lively middle aged chap From Israel. His name is Roman. We have a fabulous chat about our bar mitzvah and about our visit to Tel Aviv many years ago. Along the road we see some of the lovely flowering trees in blossom I must find out what they are called. We arrive at our booked hotel. The room isn’t ready so we walk into the little village for a spot of lunch. Roger has a local beer & I have a Bloody Mary. Roger has minestrone soup followed by a Greek salad topped with chicken I opt for cob salad with shrimp. Roger said his soup was like eating liquid pizza! We walk back to the hotel, disappointed by the room given to us which is close to the road with no view or outside space. No other oops available and those that were were equally disappointing. As the area looks quiet we decide to check out and move downtown. We call Uber which arrives in 3 minutes !!! A lovely young driver from Syria excitedly tells us he is a new father, we chat and he offers to be our guide if we need one. We pull up at our chosen hotel The StayPineapple Z Hotel & I negotiated a price for our stay. The reception is small, stark, modern, with a row of green & yellow bicycles for residents use, a self serve mini bar and snack machine! I am sceptical but I can see by the reviews of the hotel it comes highly recommended. Wow it does not disappoint. A good size room. Fab bright modern bathroom, plenty of clothes storage. Coffee machine, loads of plugs, sockets and charging points, a tv not that we expect to use it, and a really lovely welcoming bed! We unpack and refresh a bit and walk a few blocks to a restaurant: bar called the Water Grill. It has a lot of outside tables as have most in the USA. We wander inside to take a look. A huge modern restaurant with an industrial feel, a horseshoe type bar with a fabulous copper top. We soon settle at the bar & Roger peruses the large beer selection. The USA is at last brewing some descent beer so Mr C is a happy boy. I settle for a sour Margarita! We just feel we can’t leave without trying the food. Two lovely guys we get chatting to at the bar insisted on paying for our drinks as they said they enjoyed our conversation about football & travelling !!! We notice crowds starting to pass by the windows in baseball supporters shirts, we discover the baseball stadium is a few minutes away and the Padres are playing the Milwaukee Brewers! By now the restaurant is buzzing and tables are filling fast so we are seated and giving huge menus! I opt for scallops with cob salad & Roger for soup ( again) and Alaskan Halibut. I pop to the ladies room only to return to find an anniversary card from Mr C and a bottle of Champagne bless him. Our meal was superb. We were pleased to find the bill much less expensive than New York prices!! Staff surprised us with a dessert with a candle in it and a call from Leslie James & Alexander wishing us a happy anniversary completes a fabulous day.

After 12 hours sleep and a wonderful shower this morning. The shampoo & shower jell all smelling of pineapple. Wandered over the road for breakfast at the Breakfast Company- the Concoctions that we had for breakfast very weird but the cheapest meal we had in the whole of the trip so far at $40.

We wandering along through the Gaslamp area round by Petco park – the ball game stadium home of the Padres until we decide to take the train to the Old Town. Pleased to see a cheap rate for oldies of $1.40 per ride. Here we pick up the trolly tour bus to go round the whole of San Diego for two hours which is brilliant including over the big bridge onto Coronado island, apparently California governor Ronald Reagan was the first person to drive over this bridge when opened in August 1969. We pass the Seaport area & Midway aircraft carrier,Little Italy, Gaslamp area, Petco park, Balboa Park, San Diego Emarcadero & Barrio Logan. Our tour guide driver named Vinny was funny and informative. Returning to The Old Town we visit the Tequila Factory, disappointed as this was actually a hotel bar – not a tequila factory at all !!! We moved on to early dinner at a recommended place called Guadalajara a huge Mexican restaurant. The meal was massive and neither Roger or I could do it justice, I noticed others using take away boxes, we call doggy bags but I’m assured you can reheat and eat later! Uber back to base Staypineapple Z Hotel in a brand new bright red Tesla – an amazing car – Roger wants one!!!

In the night I was woken by world war three! Janet had put some washing in and the machine was screeching and rumbling. It didn’t disturb anyone else so I guess I didn’t drink as much as them! Today we are visiting St Martin’s. We queue at the quayside. There is a very long line. The first boat is full. The skipper assures us there will be another boat along presently. 10 minutes or so later a big open boat similar to the one we came home on yesterday arrives and we are quickly on board. The wait is not too bad as we are in the full warmth of the sun and out of the wind. The trip is slightly further today but wow it’s so worth it. From the moment we first spotted the island we could see it was special. Long sandy beaches, secret little coves, beautiful floral hills. Again a good concrete path for walking and for the golf carts. Children cycling. Janet remarks how safe it is for young children with no cars. We decide we need a cup of coffee. The first sign says Little Arthur’s coffee shop. A short stroll and a dear little coffee bar/restaurant in the middle of a field is quaint & quirky. As the sun is out we sit outside. I take some photos of the inside as it’s quiet charming with possibly the smallest loo in the world. They obviously do food in the evening as there is a collection of wine bottles of various shapes on the table with dribbled wax. The boys had barmbrack cake a specialty of Cornwall. The coffee is not the best we have had but the service was great. We have found the Scillonians very friendly and polite. They seem to love their work & it shows. Like St Mary’s local folk here have little stalls at theirs gates selling handmade knickknacks. We head on slowly towards the opposite side of the island called lower town and a hotel called Karma where we will board the boat back.. It’s quite a treck. 8,000 steps or so along hills and dales on so many different terrain’s. The island is beautiful. The road leads down towards the coast, I have never seen such beautiful beaches. It’s a bright warm day. We enjoy the walk. We pass a beautiful old church and stop at the graveyard to inspect the graves where so much lichen is growing on the tombstones. The air is fresh and smells of the sea. Wild garlic and primroses strewn along the road side everywhere just as it is on St Mary’s. We eventually reach the Karma Hotel. It’s perched on a bank looking over the sea and other islands. It’s a spa hotel. How fab it would be to stay here for a couple of days. We are approached by what we originally think is the manager but soon realise he is a salesman for the Karma group of timeshare hotels. We all think it’s a great deal they offer and will look it up on our return home. The boys have a beer or two with crab sarnies and us girls have small crab salad. Our boat arrives to take us back and we head to the quay nearby and board the very crowded boat back to St Marys. This evening we are booked into The Star Hotel up at the Barracks for our last meal together. Roger and Richard decide before hand to treat Olly & Janet as their hospitality has been outstanding and generous. The minibus taxi picks us up at 7.45 & after two stiff g & t’s we have a very jolly ride up to the Star. The driver tells us he has lived on the island for twenty years after coming here for twenty years on holiday after his honeymoon. As we enter the gates to the barracks we think we will have to get out as the gate is not wide enough for vehicles however the driver puts his hand out of the window and moves his wing mirror and we drive straight through with millimetres to spare each side. We all gasp! At the steps to the hotel entrance the driver takes a group photo for us and we enter the hotel. I peer into the restaurant and see every table is full. We are escorted to our table at the far end of the restaurant. We all notice the tables of grey hair and hearing aids. There is no sound or music. Richard mentions graveyard. Janet and I have fits of giggles and Olly puts on his age nine act and jokingly apologised for our noisy entrance making it noisier still. The shocked faces of the elderly at our entrance is enhanced by Olly’s bright leery shirt which resemble his mother’s curtains (says Richard). I think it’s the most excitement this lot have had since the roaring 1920’s! We settle down and order our food and wine – all of which was superb. Needless to say we are the last people in the restaurant and our lovely taxi driver returns to take us back home. A few more sherbets and I go to bed hoping poor Richard will follow me as he has such a long drive tomorrow. What seems like hours later Roger joins me.

Wednesday, Roger, myself & Richard are up with the lark as we are being picked up at 8.15 for our flight home. Hugs and kisses to Olly & Janet as we leave them in peace for their last day. The airport is 3 minutes up the road. We show ID and our cases are labled and put on the belt. There are no other checks and we head straight into departures and apart from a safety briefing similar to our flight out, we head straight to the plane and we are off. Flying back I am sitting the same side but in row 3, just two old ladies in front. I gasp as we taxi to the end of the runway on a cliff edge where we turn sharply round to begin our take off. Please note readers No Gin consumed!!! I was so brave!!! Take off gives me a superb view of the islands. You can see the real beauty of the many little uninhabited islands and treacherous rocks that caused so many ship wrecks. I am able to see all the coast line of U.K. mainland. Passing over rivers and estuaries trying to work out the towns and cities below. Apart from a spot of cloud as we passed Lands End most of the journey was hazy with reasonable visibility. Landing was a tad worrying, I hate turbulence and the wings were wobbling but we are soon on terra firma. Again no checks just pick up the luggage and walk to the car. Masks are worn on board all times. Richard drives us home and we are in the door by 5 pm despite a pit stop and a slight deviation around Birmingham!

Later we learned that Olly & Janet walked up to Juliet’s Garden for a spot of lunch and birdwatching. Enjoy your peace and quiet Olly & Janet – you deserve a rest after five days with us lot!!! Thank you for giving us the treat of a lifetime. Making memories and special friendships. God Bless.

Last evening was hilarious fun. Richard had a long sleep, I think his new relationship has exhausted him. Roger started us off with his gin & tonics. Sally calls and Richard disappears for a long while! Olly tried out a new mind reading tick on us all called The Twins. The gin hits Olly who rarely drinks and he has a laughing fit! We have a very relaxing supper of Olly’s special recipe smoked Mackerel pâté, toast & salad followed by Janet’s new recipe Easter Pudding which we called her left over hot cross bun dish. Served of course with cream. No calories there then. Here ends another fun packed day.

Easter Monday is a lovely bright start to the day. We are instructed by Mr Silly to be ready by 9.30am to walk the short distance to the quay to catch the boat to Tresco. A short queue and we are on the boat and off. A fair mix of ages, I am surprised by the number of young people and dogs. One couple telling us they brought their large dog over on the small plane similar to the one we arrived on. A 20 minute journey, very calm waters and we are on Tresco. I am glad the steps are easy as the last boat I alighted from I made a very undignified exit as the step was huge! We walk along a smooth concrete path through picturesque hilly heathland , crossing the heliport arriving at Tresco Abby Gardens http://www.tresco.co.uk where we start with a welcomed coffee. I love watching people of different ages and so many ways of dressing. As we wait for dear Richard to queue for coffee the multitude of amazing garb people wear never fails to amaze me. I hate to think what they think of us! One guy has a felt hat, his wife a rotund lady has a knitted dress and thick tights of various colours that clash, the next chap a short guy who is obviously full of himself, a puffed out chest, has a pirate scarf on his head. A family of five, a couple with three little girls all with amazing plaits in their hair . A young glam couple with a huge hairy wolfhound. And so on. In the courtyard out side the coffee shop we are gob smacked to see a tame ish pheasant just meandering amongst the crowd. I try and take a photo but a young child tries to chase it. Roger swears! Onwards through to the gardens which are exquisite, we take many many photos. After an hour or so we think we must make our way to the main event that brings us to the real reason we are here. The low tide event. This is a unique Scillonian experience and pop up festival of food and drink. Every so often extreme Spring Tides mean the watery barrier between the two islands of Tresco & Bryher falls away for a few precious hours, exposing the sea bed giving a unique opportunity to walk across and sample the delights of the other island , accompanied by the smug feeling of somehow beating the elements. We have the most amazing time. It’s still very watery so we remove our shoes and sox and paddle across through the warm pools and seaweed. Mr Happy was unhappy with this. He thought it would be cold but it was beautifully warm. We reach the party through crowds of families, excited children to-ing & frowing, there is live music, food stalls in upturned boats , booze stalls, lobster pot making, lots of merriment. We enjoy a freshly made lobster sarnie and a spicy lobster topped Bloody Mary ! Richard accidentally drops his prime piece of lobster on the sand and promptly washes the sand off in the sea puddles! It’s a short visit as the tide looks like it’s coming in and I’m worried about my slow movement through the puddles avoiding crabs on my tootsies. Back on dry shores we find somewhere to perch to remove the sand from our feet and put shoes back on. Back on the walk back to Tresco quay for our boat back to St Mary’s. We pass the heliport again , see a landing, disembarkation & taken off at close range. Very exciting as Olly & Janet are returning to the mainland by chopper. It’s a different boat back, completely open, good job not raining, we chat to the skipper whilst waiting for sailing times learning all about Island life. On the way back to the lodgings we do a spot of shopping, Richard is anxious to find a souvenir for someone special wink wink. Back at HQ we sit in our sitting room watching the bay and the boats. In a week or so the island hosts the gig racing World championship. Every evening teams row around the bay practicing. It’s fascinating to watch. Olly plays ELO Mr Blue Sky which is very appropriate. It makes a change from his constant singing. I’ve never met such a happy individual never a dull moment with the dear Olly Day about. We discuss where coconuts come from. Everyone says the obvious place but Olly suggest Aldi! The silly jokes flow. Someone suggests a spot of supper. I notice we did 14000 steps today by 3pm.

After a superb supper of fish cakes from the local co op and Janet’s fab salad, a bit of cheese , copious amount of red wine, the evening takes a turn, Olly plays a wonderful video clip of his amazing mum explaining how she needed to remove her 51 year old Burco tumble dryer from the shed as it had packed up and the new one was arriving soon, bless her she seemed oblivious on how wonderful that something should last that long, we watch Olly Alexander who I love, a bit of Paul Weller – more wine, the jokes get ruder and ruder, Richard takes his second tumble over the low couch that he perches on, Olly get a terrible bout of cramp , ends up in agony on the floor so first aid by Roger who insists he does inversions which apparently cures everything, somehow the fire blanket gets dislodged and the whole party gets hysterical ! I have never laughed so much at so much stupidity in my life. I pity the guests in the accommodation below us and it is now gone midnight once again a late night and judging by the bottle count possibly a bad hangover.

After our epic entertainment last night when we were still up at gone 1am, we all have a lie in. Eventually we all rise. Roger demonstrates “happy baby” to Olly who is a yoga enthusiast! Roger & I cook breakfast of bacon, eggs & mushrooms. Richard who initially declined breakfast because of his run weakened and joined us! Janet was her usual healthy self and stuck to overnight oats. Later we walked to the Old Town. We are all surprised how hilly this small island is. It’s a bright day but we wrap up as rain is expected later. We walk to the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin and are welcomed by Cannon Perran R Gay and his helpers who tells us they now have more covid on St Mary’s than all the Scillies. 1 in 8 now has the virus! Onwards passed hedgrows full of wild garlic and daffodils to the beautiful Old Town churchyard which must have the best views from the island looking out to see over the beach bay. A great place to rest! Janet is keen to find Harold Wilson’s grave. Harold and his wife Mary retired to Scilly and were welcomed by the locals, living here until they died. We learn about the tragic sinking of the SS Schiller from a local couple walking through the graveyard. Onwards to the Old Town Pub which is heaving. So few bars or eateries on the island so the locals book all the tables early. We manage a table outside for refreshments before the walk back. It starts to rain so we are pretty soaked when we get back. Janet starts baking and turns out delicious scones which are welcome along with the clotted cream and raspberry jam. It looks like Roger has purchased too many hot cross buns so Janet knocks up a bread & butter pud for tea. As a man who likes his pud’s I think I will never get Roger home at this rate. Olly is concentrating on a new trick which we hope he will show us later.

Although the Scilly Isles has had many awful shipwrecks, one of the worst was the S.S.Schiller, a German ferry which hit the Retarrier Ledges in 1875. The Schiller was one of the largest vessels of her day, and was making a fast transatlantic passage from New York to Hamburg via Southampton. She was carrying a cargo of sewing machines, gold coins, 254 passengers and 118 crew. On the evening of the 7th May, the Schiller was somewhere off the Scilly Isles and encountered thick fog. She slowed to 4 knots, and her lookouts kept watch for the reassuring sight or sound of the Bishops Rock Lighthouse or foghorn. Neither were seen, and the Schiller slowly crept inside the Bishops Rock and struck the Retarrier Ledges. The Captain managed to reverse off the reef, but two large waves smashed the ship broadside to the ledges and the hull started to break up. Many of the lifeboats were fatally damaged when the Schiller struck, being ground against the rocks, and most of the others were found to be defective due to poor maintenance. As some were cut loose, they just fell into the sea with all their passengers and were crushed between the ship and the rocks. Panic spread and there were extraordinary violent scenes, with men pushing away women and children from the boats so that they could save themselves. The crew were just as bad, and many of the women and children took refuge in the main cabin. Their relief was short lived as the roof was torn off by a huge wave, which sucked all the women and children out onto the deck, where more waves threw their bodies into the sea and drowned them. The Captain tried to restore order by firing into the rioting passengers but it was no good. In the end only two boats bearing just 27 people managed to get away. As the Schiller started to slip further into the water people took to the rigging where many were killed or maimed by flying chains and other sailing gear. The Captain had ordered signal cannons to be fired to notify those on shore of their distress, but they were mistaken for requests for a pilot cutter. However at daybreak a cutter from St. Agnes, set out to investigate more reports of gunfire and were shocked to come across the remains of the Schiller. They picked up five survivors and rowed back to St Mary’s to raise the alarm. ( credit Peter Mitchell)

In memory of Louise Holzmaister. Born at New York May 15th 1851. Lost her life in the wreck of the SS Schiller off the Scilly Isles may 7th 1875. Her body resting in the deep. This monument has been erected to her memory as a mark of affection by her huspand.

Boats came from all over to try and find survivors but they were few and far between. Some people had managed to get to the small uninhabited islands and were rescued but for the rest hope had vanished. The boats searched for hours but all that was left were lifeless bodies and ships debris floating on the water. Of the 254 passengers and 118 crew only 37 survived. None of them were children.

The Scillonians took great care to gather as many of the bodies as possible, identify, and bury them with reverence and dignity. So impressed were the German Government, that when the Two World Wars broke out between England and Germany, orders were sent out to prevent bombing or attack of the islands in recognition off the kindnesses that the Islanders had shown their countrymen all those years before.

To be continued…….

We wake at 7 after a sound comfortable sleep. Roger makes a cuppa and we sit in bed reading until we hear movement from Janet & Olly. Richard (the athlete of the party) gets up and has a run whilst the four of us have coffee & a bowl of delicious muesli that Olly has bought from Lidl. We decide on a leisurely walk. We stop for coffee and a photo shoot. After a call at the tourist board where we are served by a handsome chap smartly dressed in a suit & open neck shirt ( Janet noted his hairy chest) and the purchase of boat tickets for Sunday & Monday we walk on to the Garrison fort at the top of the island. Each local we asked for directions told us a different direction. Eventually we made it to the top through a secret tunnel. The views are stunning, we stop for a drink and a snack in the Garrison Hotels cellar bar. It is old & quirky dating back to the 1500’s. We meet a lovely couple from Derbyshire who are celebrating their Ruby wedding anniversary. Mr Silly entertains us with stories of his times with Ken Dod & Tommy Cooper. We leave after booking a table for our last night here. We make our way back down and visit a few shops. I purchase a beautiful pale blue sweater for Roger. Back at HQ the boys retire for 20 winks. Janet and I have a glass of wine whilst I try and post my blog. The WiFi is playing up so it’s a real pain trying to post. Out of the window the beautiful view slowly disappears as the mist descends until the boats are almost invisible in the harbour. We see the post from home with the beautiful sunny day but we are not unhappy. Back @ HQ after local fish n chips Mr Silly plays us clips of musicians from YouTube and we all choose our favourite pieces of music or skits of humour including Peter Sellers. Finished with all our favourite songs, artists, including Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennet , New York New York Frank Sinatra & Brian May playing God Save the Queen on the top of Bucks House in 2002. Great night.