Dear AJ Part 1


Dear AJ,

When I read that you were planning to go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I was deeply troubled and then I felt that I just had to write to you, begging you to reconsider. I am therefore enormously relieved and pleased to know that you won’t be going there. Praise the Lord!

Now we need to think of where you will be going for August, before you come to us in early September.

Well, about a week ago I was fixing the fence in the garden. It was a very sunny, hot day and suddenly I felt terrible. I thought that I was going to vomit, I was so dizzy and weak. It really was bad! I am therefore not going to recommend anywhere hot (and yes, it will be very hot in August, especially in North Africa and Southern Europe.)


Here are my recommendations!

(1)            Poland and / or the Czech Republic. Prague is beautiful (a bit touristy and expensive, alas) but there are plenty of other interesting places there, such as Cesky Krumlov. I used to know Brno quite well and you could spend a few days there. Krakow in Poland is a lovely old city. If you really are interested in the history of Israel, then you must go to Auschwitz. (It would not be an enjoyable experience, but it certainly will be one that you will never forget.) If you are liking hiking and beautiful nature, then the Tatra Mountains in Poland are wonderful. They are almost as high as the Alps! In the Czech Republic and Poland, there are lots of fairly cheap trains, so getting about will not be an issue. You could even take the train to Sofia!

(2)            The Camino. This is the world-famous pilgrim trail to Santiago. Yes, it is in northern Spain, so it will be a bit hot, but maybe you could do most of your walking in the morning (get up really early) and then have a big snooze in the middle of the day. On your pilgrimage, you are bound to meet many kindred spirits and good fellow-travellers. You may perhaps recall that Heidi did the Camino a few years ago, so she knows much more about it than I do. I am sure that Heidi would say (or shout), “Go for it, AJ!”

(3)            The Pennine Way in Northern England. You could stay at Youth Hostels and B&B places, so maybe it would not be expensive. I think that the Pennine Way would take you at least two weeks and it goes across the Scottish border, so you would see a bit of Hadrian’s Wall (that’s probably where Trump got his idea for the Mexican border). And, of course, the locals do speak English! Well, the Scots are meant to, but you will probably not understand a word of what they say. You might combine the Pennine Way with a visit to York, a fascinating and historic city.


For the Camino and the Pennine Way, there are some organised trips / groups, so you do not have to be alone and you will not have to organize everything for yourself. I do not know much about this, so you will have to do some research on the Internet for yourself. 

   

I am sending you a few photos of our guest room, complete with its own bathroom and balcony! Now I must go and finish painting the lines on the badminton court.

Yours in Him,

Simon

Comments

  1. Makhnovite14 July 2023 at 02:57

    Dear Old Hippo
    Its been along time since our TES days and I have missed the old 'back and forth' since they closed down the 'community'. I tried in vain to find out where all the old gang might have switched too, but as I am too tightfisted to pay for ISR, it was never really going to happen.

    Like you I amnow fully retired and have been for a couple of years, we left China just as the pandemic was starting (thereby hangs an amusing tale) and returned to the UK for what was intended to be a shortish visit, only to be caught up in the two years of lockdowns.

    Then to add insult to injury I was diagnosd with prostate cancer (fully treated now - god bless the NHS).

    The upshot is that we are still here, suffering under the current Tory government and its ridiculous policies with public services collapsing around our ears.

    My point in writitng is - apart from to wish you and your wife well - to find out if anything remains of the old TES the old community or if a new one has sprung up and if so, where?
    Regards
    Makhnovite

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the hippopotamus21 July 2023 at 07:49

      The good news is that there is now something called www.staffroom.boards.net It is quite similar to the TES forum. A lot of the old gang have migrated to this new forum. Even Mainwaring occasionally puts in an appearance. As I am now retired, I do not scribble as much as I used to in the good old TES days.

      As you can read my blog, Bulgaria is as wonderful as usual. Yes, there used to be a NAtional Health Service in the UK and it was admired and respected all over the world. Now the NHS is a national disgrace. Even though Bulgaria is supposed to be one of the poorest countries in Europe, BG still manages to have a health service that actually is pretty good. So why can't the UK do the same thing?

      Delete

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