Friday 17th November. Wineham. West Sussex.

We can now report that the Santa Clara has berthed at Rotterdam. Arriving on the 13th due to both a late departure from Durban and storms in the north Atlantic. Poki is now on Terra Firma.

We’re off to Holland

We were probably a little over optimistic to expect the container to be offloaded and made available to us in under a week. The good news is that we have booked a flight to Amsterdam at 8am on Tuesday 21st. It’s going to be a 5am departure from home for an 8am flight from Gatwick to Schipol. Then a train from Schipol airport to Rotterdam and change to Vlaadingen, where Poki will be waiting for us. Travel time by trains between the Dutch cities should be about 2 hours? Once Poki is uplifted we drive back to the shipping agents office to pickup our Carnet de Passage, then drive to Hook of Holland port, to take the ferry back to Harwich in UK. The ferry departs at 11pm arriving 8am on Wednesday.

Entertainment while waiting.

Autumn well under way.

We have had some quite wet and miserable weather lately but this morning dawned beautifully fine, so Jen decided we needed to get out of the house. She also wanted to get me away from the computer. To fill in time I have been watching an amazing series of podcasts on YouTube, called America’s Untold Stories. Since 1963 I have been absorbed by anything relating to the Kennedy assassination’s. This series deals in great detail with the key players in the plot’s. Given the information they have unearthed, it’s clear that Vice President Lindon Johnson either proposed the hit with the CIA, or was a willing accomplice. Next Wednesday will be the 60th anniversary of JFK’s murder.

A visit to Anne of Cleaves House

Anne of Cleaves was gifted this house, among others, in Lewes, a town not too far from us and Jen decided it would be a good idea to pay it a visit.

Anne was the 4th wife of Henry the VIII. An arranged marriage, which he was not excited about. They divorced by mutual agreement after about six months. However, she ended up keeping her head and was well looked after by Henry. One of the lucky ones.

14th Century internal joinery.

Leaving the house we wandered down to view the remains of the 11th century St Pancras Priory. These are a small part of the remains of which was the largest priory in England before King Henry VIII ordered it destroyed.

This has been our second outing. A week ago on another rare fine day, we visited Jen’s sister Caroline in Lancing on the south Sussex coast. We walked along a boardwalk above the stones that make up much of the south coast shoreline, to Shoreham-on-Sea. There is a late 19th Century coastal fortification built to repel any attacks from the sea. Built in 1854, the fort is one of only two remaining of the many built along the coast. It was deemed inadequate not long after completion. On another recent occasion, we enjoyed a luncheon with Jen’s youngest sister Bridget, a regular commenter on this blog, and husband David. The venue, the Aroma Cafe, the girl’s nieces cafe, a regular venue, close by, in Keymer.

Part of three sided gun platform

Sitting in the lounge recently there was a bang on an outside window. A small bird had flown into the glass and was resting on the deck.

Sadly it’s neck must have been broken and it didn’t survive..:(

Jen will give an update of the outcome of our journey to bring Poki back and some other events planned, before our departure for home on the 28th November.

Visits: 85