Nothing to see here!

Norabone's custom of going to the occasional game of footy with her dad was perpetuated yesterday with the Richmond V Carlton game. Nora has barracked for Carlton since she first clapped eyes on the footy card bearing the name Alex Jesaulenko.
Her father barracks for Richmond of course, as do some of her dearest friends so when these rival teams clash it is always with a smidge of mixed emotions that Nora celebrates a victory or a good old shellacking. She's even been moved to shed a tear when the 'Yellow and Black' theme tune resounds through the stadium.
Some Tigers legends were on parade at the pre-match festivities to celebrate the 100th Birthday of Richmond FC but the party had to end in tears. This anonymous but jolly man at Jolimont station spoke for all Carlton fans as the trains filled with fans wending their way home. GO BLUES!

My band is Scott Fitzgerald Lacy and our new album is Mary Stachowicz.

1. World Ocean Day
2. Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park
3. Platymiscium gracile
4. Honda CB1300
5. Antoine Augustin Cournot
6. 1999 Rose Bowl
7. Coxcomb
8. Metro Toronto Works
9. KTIV
10. Roy Baumeister
11. Crurotarsal
12. Takumi Nakayama
13. Something Like Happiness
14. Diego de Montemayor
15. James Coomarasamy

This was autogenerated from random Wikipedia article names. Get your own Wikipedia Album.

via boynton

If it had been an episode of Midsomer or even real life, Nora would have stumbled across the corpse of "Dorothy" while walking her dog, Bronte. (hereafter known as Toto)
The reality was that "Dorothy" was actually found in a plastic garbage bag in Boynton's garden shed. She was in a terrible state of decomposition and had the worst case of DOLL DIRT ™ Nora had ever seen.
Boynton's distress was obvious. "No!!! Not Dorothy!! Can she possibly be saved?...or...should I just put her out with the rest of the hard rubbish?"
Nora pondered.
This was beyond dirty. There was mouldy mildew on her skin and her hair...a mass of tangles, dead bugs and vegetation. A chemical onslaught was required.
Scourers and an old tooth brush were used with chlorine bleach but some residual staining of the skin was unavoidable. For her hair Nora used Boynton's shampoo and conditioner and a marvellous product - Garnier Smoothing Serum.
All worked a treat and D's dignity was restored.

Regretably as soon as she was spruced up Bronte the JRT saw Dorothy as the object of her new obsession.





Dorothy's 18 years in a garden shed could have been worse...now, post restoration, Boynton is wondering why she didn't leave her in the plastic bag as the doll stares with eyelash-less recrimination.

This is probably a much better read at the moment...

Au revoir.
Nora's vacances en Europe ends today. Back to Melbourne via Singapore tomorrow and arriving just in time for the big event on Saturday.
She bids a wistful goodbye to her host city Den Haag. To her hosts Averil and Ross she is once again utterly beholden, for their generosity and hospitality. Fond farewells until we meet again.

Vallée de la Loire.
Averil, Ross and Nora left Den Haag on Wednesday to travel to Montreuil-Bellay. We stayed overnight at Lille to break the journey and spent most of Thursday driving. Arriving late in the afternoon at our destination, Averil quickly read the extensive rule book/accommodation guide of the apartment which Nora studiously avoided. After breaking one of the golden rules: "Don't throw the ball for the labradors (both black) even if they ask-and they will-because they have arthritis"-she thought better and quickly crammed for future faux pas avoidance.
Friday's main attraction was Fontevraud Abbey famous for being the burial site of Richard Coeur de Lion.
On Saturday we began with a visit to Chateau de Breze which had an amazing Colombier (pigeon house - more like pigeon city) near the main entrance.
We then had an extensive (free) tour of the Cave des Vignerons de Saumur - the underground caves are in excess of 10 kms and in the cool, dank humidity lurking in the fog hung dollops of spongy mould hanging from the ceiling, ready to drop on unsuspecting visitors.
The open air market at Saumur was beginning to wind down as we spent a few pleasant moments people-watching over quiche, eclairs and iced tea. Wandered up to the chateau for a cool beer and a wonderful view of the Loire.
Sightseeing continued on Sunday. The first was the troglodyte village museum which provided an interesting insight into the shadowy world of cave dwelling.
Then the zoo at Doue where we spent ages mesmerised by two snow leopard cubs (born in May) bouncing each other like two giant, frisky kittens.
The final attraction was the Mushroom museum caves where more troglodyte rooms were on display as well as the mushrooms -champignons and exotics - in various stages of growth, emerging at a constant 14C.

Morning TV.
Watching TV at Lille (overnight en route to Vallée de la Loire) early Thursday am, my attention was caught (for a couple of milli-seconds) by the chat show “Les Maternelles” and the thorny old question: La jalousie entre freres et soeurs. Est-elle inevitable?

More Royals.
One week ago was the third Tuesday in September and therefore Prinsjesdag. Nora was caught up in the local show of patriotism and royal watching. She waited with the expectant crowd outside Nordeinde palace. A beautiful autumn day set off the festivities as armed officials lined the route taken by a marching band and assorted regiments marching ahead of the royal party towards the parliament building.
Nora caught a glimpse of HRH as she glided by in her golden coach to loud applause and cheering. The Queen then made a speech which opened the new parliamentary year.

Wesel
This weekend Nora accompanied Averil and Ross to Germany for a christening where Ross was to be godfather to twin boys.
Our accommodation was nothing short of brilliant. We stayed at Schloss Lembeck Hotel where my room had the proportions of a ballroom and the most amazing views of the moat and garden. Only two and a half hours from Den Haag and close to the Rhine this was an amazing weekend.

*Birthday greetings to Boynton 17/9
*Birthday greetings to Paris 19/9

SCOTLAND. DAY 15 OBAN TO EDINBURGH VIA BRAEMAR

The drive was a long one but eventually we arrived at Braemar as the annual Highland Gathering was in full swing. This was the consumate Scottish experience. Cabers, weights and stones were tossed. Tugs of War, Scottish dancing and massed pipes were observed in seamlessly organised events and to top it all off - a royal visit from nearby Balmoral.
This was a fantastic event and well worth the diversion. We arrived back in Edinburgh late in the evening for our final night in Scotland at Gilston Lodge.

SCOTLAND. DAY 14 MULL BACK TO OBAN
With a full day's sightseeing available before our 7.00pm ferry we set off for another of Averil's significant clan centres. Duart Castle is clan headquarters and was another grand building with an impressive and illustrious history. Nearby Torosay Castle had magnificent gardens which we came back to see just prior catching the ferry.

Tobermory was another surprise. A colourful fishing village and apparently the setting for a BBC children's show: Balamory.
Our unscheduled but delightful accommodation was at Ard House, a guest house at Connel near Oban.

SCOTLAND. Day 13 MULL
We set off by boat to Staffa in order to explore Fingal's Cave. Wet weather gear was provided (and utilised) as this was quite a damp, rainy day. The views of the cave were spectacular and inspiring. We walked along the slippery rocks to get right inside.
Our boat trip dropped us off at Iona (alleged buriel site of Macbeth) where we spent most of the afternoon exploring the Abbey. The sogginess of the weather began to wear us down somewhat so we returned to Fionnphort for internet cafe browsing and another cosy meal at the Keel Row.

SCOTLAND. Day 12 OBAN TO MULL
After leaving Kilmelford we returned for a better look at Oban. After spending some time browsing around the town we set off for the seal rescue centre where abandoned seal pups are brought for recuperation prior to being released back into the wild.
Returning to Oban we caught the ferry to Craignure, Mull and began the long drive to Fionnphort (pronounced 'fin-ny-firt'). Shore House was our ultimate destination - a cottage located right beside the Iona ferry terminal. Due to a misunderstanding about our shortened stay, we had a somewhat strained relationship with our hosts and spent some time at the Keel Row in deep, malcontented discussion.

SCOTLAND. DAY 11 SKYE TO OBAN
Still on the Gavin Maxwell pilgrimage we sought out the real location of 'Camusfearna', somewhere near Glenelg. We didn't have 'Aspen's' luck finding it although we were able to appreciate the solitary beauty of this relatively unspoiled remote location.
A little further along on the road to Oban we happened upon Eilean Donan Castle. The castle has clearly had a fraught structural life and lay in ruins from 1719 when it was bombarded from the sea by government troops until the 1930s when it was re-built and restored.
Our accommodation that night was at 'Cnoc Na Ceardaich' - Kilmelford with Tom McKay. Dinner at the Cuilfail Hotel was memorable. We entered the bar where three locals (Not one native to Scotland) sat drinking. They greeted us and made us feel welcome and we chatted for some time.

SCOTLAND. DAY 10 SKYE
Today was spent almost exclusively paying homage to Gavin Maxwell or more specifically to the preservation of otters in the wild. We spent some time at the Bright Water visitor centre then had a guided tour of Eilean Bàn. Some research prior to our trip had us well prepared for the day. Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers (prior to his death) were hugely influential in preserving
Eilean Bàn, particularly after the construction of the Skye bridge.

SCOTLAND. DAY 9 SKYE
The rugged and photogenic landscape of the isle of Skye was the star attraction today as we skirted around the Cuillins, Kilt rock and the Old Man of Storr.
Then a visit to Portree, an attractive fishing village and the principal town of Skye.
The otter hide at Kylerhea was where we sat patiently watching for our first otter sighting. Averil and Ross were convinced of a positive sighting. I saw...something! Getting there and back was a thrill a minute with roller coaster roads twisting and turning along the narrowest of precipices. A traffic jam at one point alerted us to the potential dangers. A car had slid off the road and was bogged. Averil and Ross assisted the recovery operation with the drivers and passengers of three or four vehicles pitching in to push it out.
The day was complete when for dinner I sampled the Scottish national dish - Haggis! Served with neeps, nips,tatties and a whiskey sauce - this was a spicy, delicious meal served at the Broadford Hotel. Would I try it again? Hoch ai!

SCOTLAND. DAY 8 ULLAPOOL TO SKYE
Ullapool is a picturesque village located on the shores of Lochbroom. The market and village were explored during the morning until we set off on a speed boat tour of some nearby islands. Another attraction was the possibility of seeing more marine life. The journey required donning a waterproof 'action outfit' which may not have looked flattering but achieved its purpose. It was wonderful to see seals and dolphins again at fairly close range. The ride itself was exhilarating. At the end of all that excitement the fish and chips tasted brilliant.
Leaving Ullapool we sought out the Inverewe gardens on the recommendation of a fellow guest.
Our destination for the day was Skye and our accommodation for the next three nights was with Rosa Nicholson at Fearnoch.

SCOTLAND. DAY 7 ORKNEY TO ULLAPOOL
The scenic route from Thurso to Ullapool was punctuated by a series of approving gasps as each stunning panoramic view replaced another. Thurso itself was memorable for Nora's worst culinery moment of the trip. A Scotch pie! Clearly there are regional variations on this recipe and she should have been warned by the seedy nature of the venue as much as the hot or cold serving option. Ugh.
The route more or less followed the rugged coastline and was essentially slow going as it was exclusively single track, populated by hundreds of ovine pedestrians.
The party stopped for an exploration of Smoo Cave at Durness. From there some hours later we arrived at our destination Tanglewood House, Ullapool. What a house! What a view!
Once we'd met our hostess Anne Holloway and settled in, we walked the short distance to town to have dinner (which was delicious) at the Scottish Larder in Ullapool.
Upon their return, Ross and Averil discovered Sydney, the tennis ball-obsessed JRT (pictured above) had made himself a cosy nest amongst the cushions in the middle of their bed and was in sweet repose. Reluctantly he vacated with gentle coaxing!

SCOTLAND. DAY 6 ORKNEY (Thurs Aug 24)
More of the ancient Pict sites today and the weather was a tad wet.
Successfully negotiated the causeway at low tide to explore the Brough of Birsay as well as the Broch of Gurness. More sightseeing around the island before a visit to Maes Howe - not for the claustrophobic! Crawled the 5 or so metres along the 1 metre high entrance tunnel to see this incredibly preserved/restored structure.
The Vikings had visited already and left behind their grafitti runes. "Erik the Tall was 'ere" as well as "We got the treasure".
Driving was notable for a couple of unexpected livestock delays. Sheep and cattle being herded en masse provided some interesting diversions.