(Sorry this is sideways. If I rotate it, Jack goes all skinny. You will have to twist your necks.)
Jack has to learn French and Spanish, having never learnt any foreign language previously. I can help him with French, but neither Wayne nor I know more than a smattering of Spanish words- mostly derived from comics... Jack's on his own.
On Wednesday I took a train to Plymouth. It is a half-hour trip, and very picturesque. There is not much greenery in the actual city - all the tall houses seen from the train are crowded together with shared walls, their roofs a mass of grey crowded with chimneys. Yet they look solid and united, in slightly varying pastel and white shades.
The train is only minutes away, walking, from the city centre- and there are streets which are pedestrian only. The university is right there too; all very sensible. I was a bit bewildered by the variety of shops, but I did eventually get most of what I needed... 'rambling' boots, good thermal undies and a warm jumper. I got some good bargains too - the January sales seem to be still going. I also noted that English seagulls are HUGE - as big as chooks, and with a wild and poignant cry. There was also a very adventurous bee, for this time of the year, in a mall garden. It, also, was of giant proportions, looking like it was wearing a thick stripey overcoat.
Home again after a pretty successful 'raid' - only to find that my car at the station had a flat battery. I had left the lights on AGAIN, as I was running a bit late for the train in the morning and had to get a pay parking ticket too, missing the warning 'beep' in my hurry. I was rescued by a man in the nearby tyre shop. Hopefully this will not happen again!
Doesn't Jack look very smart in his uniform, (looks very Kings College to us). So glad the kids are all settling in at their various schools.
ReplyDeleteI think you must have been looking at "terraced" houses Stef. Barry lived in one of those for many years in Brighton.
We think that the bee that you saw was a Bumble Bee, interestinly, it was introduced into Tasmania (to some controversy), because it was able to survive the cold of a Tasmanian winter, and would then be able to pollinate earlier than commercial bees, and native bees.
We all know what happened with rabbits, and cane toads don't we!!!!
Love B & S
Very Smashing!! Andrew Jones
ReplyDeleteHi Fosters,
ReplyDeleteI hope you have as great an experience as we did in Canada. Jack's uniform is certainly a far cry from the informality of Moruya HS.
Make sure you enjoy every moment as your year will fly and you will find yourselves back home in no time.