Friday, April 29, 2016

London, bronchitis, sinusitis, -- ugh

I have an excuse for the long silence.  I've been sick since about April 4.  Almost better, but still lingering effects.  Ugh.

Ok, I'll start with my finishes and almost finishes.  I started this before we left for London (more on that later), and finished it while in London.  It's the Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West, but what makes it beautiful is the yarn, a self striping yarn by Caterpillar Green Yarn specifically designed to stripe correctly for shawls like this!  It still has to be blocked.)


I almost finished the Double Basket Weave Cowl by Karen Templer, but I lost at yarn chicken, so I have yet to finish the bind off.  Sigh.


And finally, just yesterday, I finished the Leftie Shawl by Martina Behm.  Love this one!  It's not as big as the one pictured on the designer's page.  But it's plenty big enough for me!  I used  a yarn (17 Year Cicada) by Cephalopod Yarns and a Plucky Knitter yarn whose name and base I can't remember (the beige color).


Since the Father type has to go to Dublin for work every year now, it seems we have the chance to go to London again!  So we did!  We arrived and I got sick with a bad cold the very next day.  Sigh.  So I have a feeling I was in a fog the whole time we were there, and wasn't taking care of myself like I should have.

But we did see things!  Despite the fact that it was school holidays for everyone there and there were tons of people and their children and school tours everywhere.  Yikes!

We were there for a week, then I got home while Father type traveled on to Dublin -- and I promptly got sicker.  Ended up with bronchitis and sinusitis, which I'm still feeling the tail ends of.

So I might not show as many pictures as I might if I were totally healthy!

So yeah.  First day we went to -- OMG!!!  Wimbledon!!!!!








This is the pub in town that we went to after -- the Hand & Racquet!

On Tuesday, we decided to take the commuter type boats down/up the Thames to see the sights.  Such fun!






We stopped by the Globe Theater, walked through that area and had lunch, then ended up back on the boat all the way down to Greenwich!






Wednesday we had tea at Fortnum and Mason.  Yum!




Followed by a stop at Liberty London.



Thursday we went to Loop London.  Yay!!



Followed by a quick stop at the British Museum to see this amazing space.


Friday was deemed a day to walk by the Thames.  But first we stopped here.


We crossed Westminster Bridge and walked along the Victoria Embankment down to Blackfriars Bridge.







It was wonderful, and beautiful.

Saturday, we went to a play!  We went to the Queen's Theater to see Les Miserables.  it was wonderful!





(Can you tell I was feeling sick?  lol!)

Anyway, Sunday I flew home while Father type flew to Dublin.  And we both got sick.  lol!  Me with bronchitis and sinusitis, him with the cold I probably started out with.  By the time Father type got home a week after me, he was still sick.  It took another week for him to go to the doctor and get diagnosed with an ear infection.  As of today, his ear is still stuffed up.  Sigh.

All in all it was still a fun trip, despite the being ill and continuing to be ill.  I love London!

And btw, here's what the street looked like where we stayed.  (We stayed in another Airbnb flat.)


And here is a typical meal -- we ate at lots of pubs, and I tended to go for the pies -- and once for the fish and chips.  Yum!



And now, the anticipation is building.  Soon a certain young man will be graduating from a certain music college!  So exciting!!!!

Mia, of course, couldn't care less about that.


This is what happens when I go for a nice cup of soothing tea.  Yup, that's my knitting she's sleeping on.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  Sorry for the long absence -- and the long post!