Push Bike Adventures

Today we joined the rest of Cambridge and bought bikes. We decided that having bikes gave us more options and a better chance to explore. Of course we got them on sale and we intend using them every weekend. We made sure we bought lights as it is illegal not to have them and a way we went. Riding back into the centre of Cambridge the Christmas atmosphere was great the city centre was so packed that we felt it best to get off and walk the bikes. We scouted around and had trouble finding a park, yes for our bikes, but eventually we found a spot in a lane way off the main square by a church and a great little second hand book store. The place is electric with food stalls everywhere in the main square. It is liking walking from one aroma to another, spicy Jamacain, to fresh bread, to sausages, to roasting chestnuts. All the market sellers seem to be doing a roaring trade. Our favourite busker is out singing again. He is very good with a very melodic voice but not prissy. He reminds me of wes from Idol. But the buskers are out in force for christmas. There is one street which is like busker alley and they all spread out along a 150m stretch. No one competes they just take their turn a couple of songs each. The old 40 something rockers with a full band, the dude with the weird lut bagpipe, harpsicord cross. the bloke with the organ and the singing dog and the salvos brass band. Christmas lights, music, hot food and its warm enough to not have a jacket. Christmas is great here.

Apache distraction

Well sometimes Duxford is an unusual place. Near by in a place called Ipswich where there is a helicopter unit that often use duxford as a training are It just so happened that whilst I was sitting having a meeting in my bosses office the other day the Apaches arrived. As I tried to put forwardsome quite serious ideas over her shoulder, through thewindow I can see between hangers 4 and 5 up to the runway and it was this moment that an apache appeared. It would seem that on that day the practice mission was to simulate attcking my bosses office. It didn't just fly past, it emerged facing directly into the window from behind a hanger. Red lights flashed from either side of the machine gun mounts, at swayed and then dissapeared sideways behind the next hanger. Unfortunatley the target, ie my boss and I were seemingly unaffectted by the imaganary machine guns so it emerged again sideways from the other hanger to launch a few missiles at us. it then pulled out upwards and away it went. Of course when the imaganary smoke cleared it seemed that they needed to check that the target was indeed neutralised because just when i thought the distraction was gone the apache came back, wagged its tail and then headed west behind the hangar, then returned flying directly accross the window west and then again back east. Mission accomplished because by this time I couldn't keep a straight face, my train of thought was derailed and on fire and I had to finnally tellmy boss what was happening behind her shoulder.

Here is a photo just to show you how low the aircrfat get just for fun. This is a french plane used in the late war period, oh and by the way an Apache is a helicopter in case you didnt get taht :-)

Lights, camera, castle

Last weekends adventure was to go to Norwich. Norwich is about an hourish north east of Cambridge and is a central hub for the area. It is a medieval town with a castle at its centre. Apparently it is usually by-passed by Britons as they make there way to the coast or to the Norfolk broads.

We were both keen to see our first castle so we made the trek to Norfolk with the help of our Irish friend Isla (thats the sat nav's name). As this was or first road trip out of Cambridge we hopped on the motorway and cruised north. It is funny to have the "Kangaroos for 10k's" signs replaced with deer (or Reindeer as Fee calls them), that and the green grass reminded us we weren't in Aus anymore. Along the way we noticed that there wasn't really any rest stops and service station kind of places like on the Fedral Highway, instead the road is dotted every two miles or so with a caravan with a big english flag on top selling hot sausages, chips and stuff. (Stuie heaven)

When we arrived in Norwich we both instantly took a liking to the place. It is slightly bigger than Cambridge but it still has kept its charm and beauty just like Cambridge does. We made our way from our carpark up to the market square, always our frst port of call, and found a sloping market square with semi permanent market stalls with brightly stripped canvas roofs and people busling around buisly. Very cute, very atmospheric and we had a hot cooked breakfast (delicious) from one of the stalls. We made our way around the stalls and some of the shops and as we made our way to one of the small churches that bordered the market square, it began to rain. The rain got heavier so we crossed the road to another church for a bit of shelter. This was quite surreal, we came out of the church into the cemetery that was attached, not only was this still the heart of the city but the wall that marked the end of the cemetery also marked the entry of a multi story shopping mall. Wierd!

The rain got heavier and as we tried to make a desicion as to where to go, I heard Fee's voice, partially muffled by her scarf say "Lets shelter in here where it says 50% off". It didn't matter what they were selling she could smell bargains. She is a funny girl. We went to the Norwich castle (after the sales) and it was a strange collection of different museums, Natural history, Roman, Anglo saxon, Modern art, traditonal art, castle museum..... Not a big place but plenty to do. We had a tour of the dungeons where we saw where our forefathers were chained up :-) and a tour of the battlements. This was a highlight as the castle is on a central mound and from the rooftop we had an awesome view of the city.

A novel part of Norwich, and this shows the english commitment to retaining the charm of regional towns and cities, is the undergroud shopping mall. It was the first shopping mall in the city and they decided that rather than create an eye sore in or have the mall too far out, they buried it instead. It is really cool. Three subterrainian levels, much bigger than Canberra centre, and the only evidence of the place from the street is what looks like a large glass house.

We left after dark so we could see the Castle at night and after spending about 4 hours inside it was a good choice for our first castle.

Sunday was a beautiful day, walked in the sunshine for hours through Cambridge. Made our way along the river watched the rowing and punts and sipped luxurios hot Chocolate. Cambridge gets prettier with each new place we explore.

The story so far.......

So after a long flight and a brief encounter with customs (some spastic had three pairs of scissors in their hand luggage, for any finger nail trimming/hair dressing emergencies that may have popped up) we arrived fresh faced and ready for adventure in London. After all our visa dramas and the long, long wait, they barely even looked at the shiny stickers in our passports as they pushed us through. Jet lag set in pretty well straight away and so we awoke really early every morning. Those first few days we did some fun touristy stuff, challenging the peak our tube Fee did pull me through some closing doors to be the 280nd person in the carriage. We did some stuff we missed out on last trip, Camden Markets.....cool, great shopping, funky people. Tate Modern...... whole bunch of unrecognisable crap thrown on a wall, Blah, highlight was the soap on a rope for 50. Not enough time to do much else and soon we were on the train bound for the new home.

Cambridge is awesome. Great lifestyle and people just out all the time enjoying the place. Great atmosphere and a pretty young town, people that is. We stayed in B&B after B&B very stressful and very hard to get somewhere to live. So much red tape and rentals just go to quick. Eventually we found a share house to live in and all and all its not to bad. We have our own space and its short term. The area is fantastic, we walk everywhere and can even walk all the way into town. We have walked for 5 or 6 hours straight on more than one occasion. When we unpacked we did find amongst Fee's stuff the most well travelled hair starightner in the world. It has now visited its 12th country and is still in great nick as she hasn't ever used it.

Some Cambridge observations. The lights at christmas are so pretty, cascading lights from buildings and giant angels hanging its very festive. There is an ice rink set up in Parkers Peace (the towns central park) which is flood lit with German sausage stalls and mulled wine. Cambridge fashion is really cool. You can ware whatever you like and no one would bat an eyelid. This is no better evidenced by the common female trend to don a jumper, belt, stockings, thermals or semi opaque tights, some big boots and away we go. Yes you read that right, no pants or skirts just undies and some nice accessories. We have seen more camel toe in Cambridge than you would see in the Simpson Desert. Strange, funky but soon became normal. Oh yeah great shoe stores in England.

We have done a few trips around the area and back to london for some more tourist stuff. There is plenty to see around here. The little villages are fantastic and more pubs that we could ever eat at. We went to a halloween carnival and Bonfire in a village a few miles away. It was a chance thing but great fun and we stood under the firworks display by the masive bonfire. The fire works and bonfire were put on by the army so it was typically high on wizz and partucularly bang, some of the lodest fireworks I have ever heard. As the show finished we realised that the craker cartridges were falling all around us and down on cars, it was really cool.

We went to a little market town down the road called Saffron Walden. A medieval town with a cute little market square and some really nice buildings. It was the coldest day on earth however so we are planning another trip out there when its warmer to visit some historic houses and Jamie Oliver's Mum and Dad's pub. We have also been out to Newmarket (aka newmarket races) it has some beautiful estate homes and mannors but is strange as it is the richest of the rich mixed with the poorest of the poor. We feel like we have really explored alot of Cambridge and we are getting down to nooks and crannies.

Duxford is ............awesome. I have seen more aricraft flying than I could have imagined and its non flying season and not flash weather. Despite this i have already seen acrobatics and tower buzzing, roaring merlins at 100ft. It is really is a sight to behold. The site it self has great sunsets and I have seen the second most beautiful sight in the world yesterday. Looking into a beautiful sunset, a range of pinks purples and oranges rolling over the clouds that sat on the horizon, a merlin engine raored behind me at 150ft off the deck heading straight into the sunset. Roaring towards the end of the airfield, it banked up and right accross the settin sun. I now truly understand why Ronnie loved them and England saw them as a saviour. There is something magical. So so far I have seen the following aircraft flying. B25 Mitchell, Rapede, Nimrod, Chimpmunk, Spitfire V, Spitfire IX, Bearcat, another Spitfire V, T27, Sabre, Curtiss hawk and a Tiger moth. Other crap cessnas but they are boring.

Ok well we wont bore you any longer. We will start posting photos of our trips and if you feel like a chat get skype and look for our login feebai. We have a skype phone so we are on all the time and it is free!!! Ok we will talk to you all soon.