Holiday Inn Fareham-Solent

... the infamous round table with all the knights names and apparently a pic of King Henry?? I need to check that one and update this entry.

Pete made it without an issue and it was a lovely day for driving as well. I looked around the shops and had lunch in the Cathedral shop and of course took some pictures and read about some of the history or Wincester!

... Michael's Church to help us sort and pack the boxes. You are all stars...

We can't wait to start seeing the smiling faces of people receiving your shoeboxes and we promise to keep you up to date with where we are, who we meet and the reaction your gifts receive.

Check back on Monday when the Trussell team will reach Bulgaria and start distributing your shoeboxes to men, women and children living in poverty...

Booked flight today - Guatemala on Feb 22nd 2010. So to mark the occasion I thought I'd start my travel diary today as well.

Two months to go - and a lot of list-making, planning, shopping, getting vaccinated, freaking out, and bouncing with excitement to do!

... a man dressed as 'Zwarte Piet' came through the door (Black Pete, Sinterklaas' assistant, and literally a man dressed in old fashioned clothes with his face blackened - an old fashioned concept, and therefore too rascist and politically incorrect to ever get off the ground at home, but rooted in tradition here). He moved around the cafe, passing out biscuits, and I managed to get a photo taken with him, which was a nice chance to reminisce about Sinterklaas during the year I was on ...

... to our other blog please let me know or alternatively you can search for shunny81 and this is the name of it. There are a few to read but it will take away the boredom on a Friday afternoon.

Hope your all well and the weather is not to bad. Just think of us when its raining having to take shelter of the 35 degree heat.

All the best

Nigel

... woops. I'm still in one piece so its all good. Must have given the driver a heart attack...

Deidre and John also took me around the New Forest and showed me an old oak tree that is 600 years old!!! And of course we had lunch in a pub, a nice roast with HUGE... I mean HUGE Yorkshire puddings. Beaulieu is a lovely place too, an old Abbey sits on the rive in town. I saw where Ric************ owned a huge place within the forest. Christchurch ...

... instead.. lol. I still can't get over that they don't have huge shopping centres, everyone still has to walk between shops in the wet!

While I was there I had to work out how I was going to get from the railway to the catch the bus to the New Forest. My next port of call!

Southampton is also famous, well in the olden days ...

Hi All

So sorry if we have not been able to tell you all in person yet, but now we are busting to tell our news. Clare my gorgeous wife is 'bun in the oven' Pregnant!!!! Woop woop, hooray! We are both really pleased and so looking forward to becoming ma and pa.

We are now at our 12 1/2 week point. So today we had to go for our first check up and scan. We went to a private ...

... It was hot and sunny so we enjoyed them outside on the deck with fruit and ice cream – it was definitely the best breakfast we had had on our travels so far. After a quick stop at the supermarket to buy lunch we headed down to the marina at Hamble to pick up the 7m sailing yacht that they use. Alex and I headed out to fetch it from its anchorage on a half blown up inflatable boat whilst the girls sunned themselves on ...

... Newer Friend. Darrens other half. And now the reasons and itinerary for our trip. Reasons: 1)Caz is living in the UK with me and obviously misses home and all her family and friends. 2)Her brother Robbie is getting married on Nov 5th and we just have to be there. 3)Darren and Rachel haven't been on a huge hol and want to get away from it all. 4)We get to leave rainy cold England in November and experience sun, beer, sand, beer, sea, beer, sun, beer ...