DARLINGTON (we didn`t cruise to Darlo!)

The Pixen is IN!!!!!
We moved her in yesterday, driving up the M6 to Brough and through Barnard Castle so we could see where she will be working. It looks lovely, so scenic and loads of sheep(sheep, Nic, sheep!)

Here`s her new flat in Darlington...
Entrance hall with very nice candelabra...



Bedroom without the bed


Bedroom WITH the bed


Mashing up room


Unfurnished lounge (with Chester painting)(to be finished, Nic)


Furnished lounge (with settee)


Bathroom

Back to Chester with an empty van! Thank you SO much to the Jacksons!!!!




We are going to miss her, she is such good fun (I can`t do this with you Drake)


...but she has already started making herself at home in Darlo...she`s just been SWIMMING!!!!! Exciting times!!


GOOD LUCK NIXEN PIXEN!

BARCELONA

La Rambla was sooooo busy! This historic 2km avenue runs from Barcelona`s central square to the statue of Columbus on the seafront, and it was thriving with all types of stalls



When we docked at Barcelona we noticed 5 other cruise ships berthed there too, which, in theory, could have meant there being an extra 10,000 people in the port. We had a great 2 days though, the highlights being the Sagrada Familia and the Parc Guell.

THE SAGRADA FAMILIA
is probably Europe`s most unconventional church and is the greatest work by Antoni Gaudi.

It became his life`s work and he lived like a recluse on the site for 16 years from when he started the project in 1882, but at the time of his death only one tower had been completed.Work continues on it today and several more towers have been completed with a target date of 2030, the finished church having a central tower which will be encircled by 4 large towers representing the Evangelists,4 towers on the Glory facade will match 4 on the Passion facade and 4 on the Nativity.... that`s a lot more building! To be honest I don`t know what the problem is, I built the Sagrada Familia on Cannes beach in ten minutes...(!)





PARK GUELL
was well worth the climb in my sandals!
Antoni Gaudi designed a fabulous park to be built on the side of a rugged mountain. It spanned 15 hectares and is surrounded by a wall with paths, walkways and communal areas, all vibrantly coloured and loaded with symbols.

The dragon on the steps is actually an overflow for the cistern located below the market place, it is brightly coloured with ceramic tiles.


The sloping pillars



The curly squirrly undulating bench is not only a seat with a view-point but also a drainage system for rainwater. Broken tiles, bottles and crockery decorate it.



The ceiling vaults of the market place are decorated with 4 suns and 14 moons, lamps were hung from hooks in the centre of the suns




We had a brilliant time there(and look at that blue sky)

MALAGA

Well we set sail from Southampton on the magnificent Norwegian Jade

Built 2006
Gross tonnage 93,000
Overall length 965feet
No. of passengers 2,378
No. of crew 1,021
2.6 laps of deck 7 = 1 mile

and our first stop was Malaga. Malaga is to be the CAPITAL OF CULTURE in 2016. We enjoyed the Picasso museum



which houses over 200 works by the native artist. However most of our time was spent walking through the ruins of a vast fortress



that was built on the site of a Roman town in the 9th and 10th centuries. There would have been some lovely views from the top had the mist not suddenly rolled in.



Anyway, I didn`t fall!





Half an hour walking through the old town to the main shopping area before a DIP IN THE SEA



and it was back to the boat to set sail for Barcelona.

summer 2009 (Ascot)

I`m now home from the most fabulous cruise around the Med. We stopped at 9 different places so loads of blogging to be done! With 600 photos at the last count I`m in danger of boring everyone so today I editted them and got it down to 578(!)Ive now put them onto a disc and labelled them (OMG OMG I am SO SO SO proud of it!!)

Our holiday started with a day out at Ascot races with Cub and Guy, (well it was on the way to Southampton.Yippee!) and then a fortnight on the Norwegian Jade sailing to

Malaga, Barcelona, Cannes, Florence, Rome, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Vigo

missing both our daughter`s 20th birthday and the England cricket team collapse.

Nixen Pixen made Drake a lovely cake but we couldn`t do anything about the Aussies battering us at cricket!



It was Betfair weekend at ASCOT, sponsors of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a Class 1, Group 1 race for 3year olds and up which was won by the 13-8 favourite CONDUIT.(The last 5 years have seen the race won by the favourite). Michael Stoute had a great day, he trained the first 3... Conduit, Tartan Bearer, Ask.

It was a brilliant day, it always feels brilliant when you get a winner at the races and we had several between us.And what a bonus, I had a bet for my lovely friend Celine, STANSTILL (because, as keep fitters, we don`t) and I won her £18.60!! whoop whoop!

Luke and Amy

Amy is 5!!!!!!!!!
Wearing her new horsey necklace.


Luke came home from school as an Egyptian,looks good with his make-up on.


He soon got changed and played with Amy`s presents. She was outside on her new trampoline.

PET SHOP BOYS

Mon 13 July 2009, Echo Arena, Liverpool....

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are.....The PET SHOP BOYS.

It was a very wet,miserable night on Merseyside but the "Boys" dazzled us all with their bouncy,infectious foot-tapping music, accompanied by some amazing CUBE-HEADED dancers and a magnificent stage set. In fact it was Husb`s first comment on leaving the Arena..."Their stage set manager must have been on something!" The backdrop was an enormous wall of huge white cubes which were lit up in different patterns and which was knocked down and rebuilt several times during the evening. This being the PET SHOP BOYS "PANDEMONIUM TOUR", it was obviously based on the track "Building a Wall". What was so impressive was that they knew where every cube was going and what each one had in it. Fantastic.

The cube-headed dancers were very good and very gymnastic, doing flik-flaks and somersaults frequently, though not always in time(did we care???)

The set list was as follows, plenty of old favourites(the crowd-pleasers) interspersed with lots from their new album "YES" and a brilliant cover of Coldplay`s Viva la Vida. It was just totally BRILLIANT.


1. "Heart"

2. "Did you see me coming?"
3. "Pandemonium"
4. "Love etc"
........Click here for the video they released for "Love etc"
5. "Building a Wall"





6. "Go West"



7. "Two divided by zero"
8. "Why don`t we live together?"



9. "Always on my mind"
10. "Come closer"
11. "Left to my own Devices"
12. "Do I have to?"
13. "King`s Cross"
14. "The way it used to be" click here for Amsterdam version!
15. "Jealousy"
16. "Suburbia"
17. "All over the world"





18. "Se a Vide E/Viva la Vida" (Nice king`s crown and velvet cape)



...click here for the Amsterdam version(!) of the Coldplay cover...(from very near to the stage!!!!)

19. "It`s a Sin"





Encore....with feathers...(!!)
20. "Being Boring"
21. "West End Girls"



CONCLUSION.....THE PET SHOP BOYS ROCK!! Fabulous show.

The support group were also good. FRANKMUSIC had a brilliant voice, good full range of high and low. He sang a cover of THE STRANGLERS "Golden Brown", his new single "Confusion Girl" and a cover of THE POSTAL SERVICE "Such Great Heights" during their half hour slot.