Nein cash? No problem!

Last day in Europe! We’d gotten into the groove of planning our days and being ready and knowing what to expect in terms of wait times, walking distances etc. We knew the day was going to be a big walking day covering long distances. I think it was a good thing it was our last day because I was not sure my feet could take much more walking. I think my blisters had blisters and were bruised and needed a rest.

We wanted to check out a few little stores before starting our day but were up and out before anything was really open. We decided to go to a café to have coffee with the locals. We were a little surprised when we went to pay and they told us they only took cash. Luckily we still had a few euros with us.

We headed to Schönbrunn palace for the day. We’d booked the grand tour. It was impressive and interesting. The only photos we have of the day however are outside and of the gardens as there were no photos allowed inside.

We were headed to another social housing project after but first we needed lunch! We took the subway out from the palace. We were surprised when we arrived as the location we’d selected turned out to be a tennis club. A private tennis club. And it appeared there was some sort of tournament happening.

Lunch was yummy and perhaps we should have been a bit prepared before we started eating, especially considering our experience at the café that morning, but we weren’t. When we went to pay we were told once again that they didn’t accept card, only cash. Problem was, this time we did not have enough cash. And to make matters worse, we were kind of in the middle of nowhere.

I left my handbag with Kris, grabbed my phone and started walking. I wasn’t really sure where I was heading as the woman at the club had said to go one block up and then turn right and keep walkIng. How far I would have to walk, she hadn’t been sure. When I asked if it was far, she kind of smiled and said yes.

I walked until I came to a small stretch of shops. I saw a woman with a baby so stopped and asked her where the nearest cash point was and she pointed me towards the grocery store. Of the various options (including reload phone and pay taxes) there was only one English option that sounded reasonable so I chose it. Luckily money came out and my card was returned.

I hadn’t thought about plotting the tennis club on the map on my phone when I left as I’d been in such a hurry. It was fortunate I recognized the pizza place that had been our option #2. I turned left and headed back to the club.

Kris was there waiting. He looked relieved when I walked back in, as did the woman who’d taken our order and was waiting for the bill to be paid. I was a bit flustered and Kris suggested we just head back to town. It was late by this point and the idea of walking another 30- 40 minutes was not appealing. He reminded me this would make a good story- a good story for the blog. After all this was the second times in one day that we had been taken by surprise about places being cash only.

We headed back (grabbed some curry wurst) and relaxed and planned our trip to the airport. In the evening we decided to have a kebab at the local shop on the corner. We had missed them the previous few nights because they close as soon as they sell out of stuff. We got there just in time. Shockingly, when we went to pay, they only accepted cash. Luckily I took out enough earlier in the day. We were fine.

Breakfast in the morning and then we were off. We’d received an email warning us that there might be technical difficulties impacting our flight. We were offered the option of changing our flight and staying up to 3 more days. We decided to take our chances and headed out. And just like that, our European adventure was over! What a great holiday.

I’m here for the views and the schnitzel

Neither of us had been to Vienna so everything was new. We had a little breakfast at home as we prepared for the day and then were off. After some discussion, we had decided to attempt the public transit. And just like that we were out of our suburb and smack dab in the middle of all the other tourists.

Coming to street level from the subway, we were confronted by the awesomeness that was St Stephens Cathedral. From here we wandered with Rick Steves. We had Sacher torte and Viennese coffee at Demel, wandered along Kärntner Strasse and Graben then along Kohlmarkt to Hofburg Palace and along to the Opera House.

We had chosen a restaurant earlier in the day to head to for lunch so we did that after our walking tour. It was so nice to be out of the heat and to rest our feet. It was time to start checking off some of the must-try foods so we ordered Würstel, spaetzle and the fried cheese. Kris had the biggest beer I think I have ever seen!

From here we got back on the subway to head out to Karl Marx-Hof- a monument to Red Vienna. When we planned this trip, this was one of the first things Kris mentioned wanting to see.

From Visiting Vienna: In a moment of enlightenment, the socialist authorities began a public housing programme that experts still regard as a milestone in urban planning. Up went huge buildings that offered decent living conditions for a fair rent within a self-contained complex full of communal facilities and amenities.

Designed by architect Karl Ehn (1884-1959), the complex carries echoes of a medieval fortress, particularly at its centre with the open courtyard.

Huge archways pierce a façade broken up by tower-like structures. Even the small windows on the upper level seem reminiscent of a castle’s arrowslits.

The complex houses over 1,250 apartments, is over a kilometer long, and covers some 156,000 m² (about 22 football pitches); the trees and grass in the inner courtyards account for most of that area. Its construction used over 24 million bricks.

Even today, the Karl-Marx-Hof still counts as one of the world’s longest residential buildings. And it came in well under budget!

There were four statues on the building: child welfare, enlightenment, liberation and physical well-being.

We returned home, tired after a long day out but feeling good with all we’d seen. We’d managed to get to everything we’d hoped to see.

A late dinner of some local and non-local delicacies and it was off to bed to rest our weary feet.

Last full day tomorrow! Hard to believe our little European adventure is almost done.

With sauerkraut… sauerkraut?

As we hadn’t quite managed all the foods on our must-eat list, and our time in Budapest was running out, we decided to start the day off with cake.

We enjoyed a beautiful, delicious breakfast (Croque Madame and ham and cheese stuffed French toast) in the square while reflecting on our time in Budapest and looking ahead to our last leg of this trip, Vienna.

I am not sure I’ve ever had dessert at breakfast, but when in Budapest… the dobos torta was on our must- eat list but we decided to try the “Hungarian Classics on a plate” instead of just one slice of one cake. We enjoyed the Gerbaud slice, the Esterhazy slice and the dobos cake. They weren’t super sweet and were just the right size for a breakfast dessert.

And just like that, our time in Budapest was over and we were moving on. We headed to the train station, got our tickets and were off!

Our airbnb in Vienna isn’t as centrally located as the others have been. But it’s just as lovely and comfortable. We are staying in the attic! I thought maybe it was the penthouse as it’s the top floor but google has informed me otherwise. We’ve done well this trip- 3 for 3 with accommodations. This time we even have some outdoor space to enjoy!

One of the benefits of being just outside the city centre is that it’s quieter. The biggest plus though is that there are restaurants that are less touristy. Kris found us a great little spot- Restaurant OTTO Weingartshofer. The service was awesome, the staff were very friendly and he got to practice some of his German! We went for dinner and had the best sauerkraut I’ve ever tasted. I’m not a huge fan but this I would order again!

We made a quick trip to the supermarket to buy a few staples for our time in Vienna and then headed home. We’d planned to go to a biergarten but in the end just had a relaxed night in. It hadn’t been a super busy day but it was nice to just relax and not be on the go. The next two days should be full on. So much to see… so little time!

Lángos, a bomb and a silver cup

What a busy day we had planned. This would be our day to tour the city and see the sights. We had been so fortunate with the weather- it had been sunny and hot every day!

Remember all those Italians I’d mentioned we’d been seeing? When wandering the city the night before we had stumbled across a pretty large silver statue in the middle of a square. We realized it was the Europa League cup. It explained why we’d seen (and heard) so many Italians. Sevilla and AS Roma would play for the cup… what a great surprise it was that we would be in town for the game. Of course this meant we had to try to get tickets. We got up early, secured a pair of tickets and then went for breakfast nearby so we could firm up our day plans.

We’d broken the day into segments, basically around food/drink and nap breaks. We had so much we wanted to do and see. We had Rick Steves under our arm and were ready to head out and explore Budapest. First stop was McDonalds. I know it sounds crazy to go to Europe just to go to McDonald’s but this is a special one as it was the first McDonalds behind the iron curtain. We didn’t go in but I wish we had to see if there were any regional specials.

We wound our way through the streets, stopping every so often to look up and around and notice all the things that Rick Steves was pointing out. I really do love his books and his self-guided walking tours.

We were headed to the Great Market Hall but first we stopped at Central Kávé-ház. We’d already been walking for a few hours and it seemed the perfect spot for a break. It’s one of the old cafés in the city- it was opened in 1887. It’s a pretty spectacular space.

We continued walking and soon enough were at the Great Market Hall. This was the end of our first tour.

The hall was full of people and there was so much to see.

It was already mid-afternoon by this point so rather than do our next your, we decided our next stop would be lunch. We had googled things to eat in Budapest and shortlisted a few to try before heading to Vienna. On our list we’re chimney cakes, goulash, dobos torta and lángos.

Lángos is a famous Hungarian street food, which is basically a fried bread dough. We had decided that would be our lunch for the day. Unfortunately after walking all the way to the place I had found that was highly recommended we found they only sold burgers. Hungry and with tired feet, we were a little disappointed but we found a new place and we were not disappointed. The lángos was an extreme classic with the typical sour cream and cheese, but with added red onion chutney and crumbled bacon. It was delicious!

All the restaurants and food stalls were packed. The city was busy! Some restaurants were so full that people were spilling out the doors. The energy was so high in the city. The fans were beyond excited. This was a big deal n

We decided to head home to recharge and take a little nap. We had been walking a lot every day but I think this was the day we walked the most and the farthest. And it was hot! Nothing a short siesta couldn’t fix!

We didn’t rest long because we wanted to get in one more tour before the game. We were headed to the House of Terror. On the way there were massive groups of Spanish and Italian fans chanting and singing and milling about. As we headed up the main street, we heard a massive boom. There was a huge smoke cloud and police cars started coming from every direction. The air was filled with sirens. We were thankful we were walking away from the chaos. As we walked, we noticed the riot police and police on horseback. There were police everywhere you looked.

It was a bit of a speedy tour as we were there only a couple of hours before it closed.

From Wikipedia: It contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist regimes in 20th-century Hungary and is also a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building.

It was sobering to say the least. It was some of the most horrific moments in Hungary’s past, all laid out to see.

We headed back home to freshen up, grab our passports and get ready for the game. We were so excited while at the same time a little nervous. We wore clothes that were neutral, not really knowing who would be around us.

We arrived at the stadium at a time we thought would be ideal. We’d guessed correctly and entered the stadium without any problems. When we found our section however, there were fans everywhere- in the aisles, on the stairs, in the seats, on the seats. We found our row, made our way to our seats only to find people were in them. We were confident in our tickets as they’d been transferred to us through the UEFA app. The two men in our seats were insistent they were their seats. I was not giving up, even if I didn’t speak the language. We were fortunate that the man in the row behind us, Manuel, stepped in and talked to the two men and got them to leave. They were indeed in our seats. We got on our seats (no one was sitting!) and looked around to see a sea of white shirts. We were smack dab in the middle of a Sevilla supporters club. It was absolutely crazy.

We tried to keep any affiliation quiet. I was secretly cheering for AS Roma but cheered quietly as we were completely surrounded by Sevilla fans (except the man and his son beside us who were Man United fans from the UK). Roma scored first and it was Dybala who scored. I couldn’t scream but did take a photo.

I am not sure we have ever been to a game with an atmosphere like that. It was amazing being in the middle of everyone singing and chanting. When Sevilla had a corner and it was looking good, Manuel advised me to get down as things would get crazy if they scored. I’m so glad I listened as the crowd went wild. Drinks were flying and so were people. They were hugging and jumping and it was all I could do to stay upright.

We left before penalties as we didn’t want to be there for the end of the game. Sevilla ended up winning and we ended up getting souvenirs and a cab before the crowds descended. Yet another amazing day.

Take me to Budapest!

Today was planned, and I mean seriously planned, with an alarm set and everything! We were heading to Budapest but there were a few things we wanted to get done before heading out.

We woke up three hours before the alarm so we had tons of time to get packed and cleaned up, have coffee, have breakfast, and take some last minute photos.

I wasn’t very smart with my footwear choices and am suffering pretty badly from wearing my boots so much in the UK. I’m so stubborn that I refuse to let sore/achy feet slow me down or prevent me from experiencing everything I can whilst away. I figure I can put my feet up and relax when I’m home. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but we walked to the train station. We left ourselves tons of time and then the train was 15 minutes late so we had lots of time and were definitely not rushed. I love the train and it was great to share that with Kris. It was comfy, quiet and definitely a relaxing way to move between countries.

Place #2 is another hidden gem! The location is great, it’s very clean, and it’s super comfortable. Just what we were hoping for! We settled in, went for a bit to eat and then headed to the Budapest retro interactive museum. We took a step back in time and could imagine what life back then might have been like.

We came home for a short rest and then we headed back out again. We wandered down to the river and were in awe of the beauty and grandiosity of it all.

Since we got here, I have been hearing Italian all around. I think we may have just figured out why. Stay tuned!

Jeans, the Beatles and Heroin

A late night made for a late start to the day. We had one thing planned for the day and that was a tour in the afternoon. In the meantime, we spent the morning drinking coffee at the Vespa cafe, wandering and making plans for our next stop in Budapest.

We were super excited for the afternoon. We had booked a tour with Authentic Slovakia in a “legendary Škoda”. This was a tour company started by two brothers in 2010.

We heard it before we saw it- our guide, Brano, rolled up in a 1970s blue Škoda. He would be taking us on a Post- Communist tour of Bratislava.

From the Authentic Slovakia website: Explore a vast concrete socialist housing estate district Petržalka, the Soviet monument Slavín, post-industrial developments, the Iron Curtain border zone and loads of communist-era architecture. This off-the-beaten-track tour brings alive the story of Bratislava in the turbulent 20th century.

Everything was going smoothly, the Škoda was purring (roaring) along, until we were heading to the Iron Curtain border zone and the car suddenly stopped. Brano was so apologetic but Kris and I were not fussed. I told him not to worry.- this would make a good addition to the day’s blog. And as Kris quickly pointed out, it’s not a tour about communism if something isn’t breaking down.

Brano had started the tour telling us a bit about his car. He told us that Škoda means problem. Lucky for us, every problem has a solution. After a quick call to his brother Peter, and as cars honked and made their way around us, Brano popped the trunk to figure out what was going on(the engine is in the back of the car!)

It didn’t take long at all for Brano to find the problem. A small piece had fallen off and something had become disconnected. He reattached the part, and we were off again! Until we weren’t. Luckily we were at the top of a hill so we rolled down the hill. This time he asked for a pen to help reattach the part. All I had were tweezers but that seemed to do the trick and soon we were moving again. The part fell off one more time but the third time seemed to be the charm. After that it was smooth sailing!

We arrived at the Iron Curtain Zone where Brano presented us with a celebratory drink- Soviet knock-off gin and rum. We decided to save them until we made it back to town

What an awesome tour! We learned so much about Bratislava and Slovak history and it is always fascinating to hear personal stories- a history we definitely wouldn’t get from a textbook. Brano was a great guide, so full of information and ready to answer any and all of our questions. His wit kept us laughing and the tour took us to places we would never have seen on our own.

Back in town, we had a drink, and talked about our tour. We had loved it!

We decided to go to a wine bar and get recommendations for a Slovakian wine since we weren’t able to go to on a wine tour. Tomas at Vinoteka Vikotopia gave us the best, most honest reviews of Slovakian wine. When we asked if he could recommend a good Slovakian wine, he said those two words didn’t go together. He explained that there were no rules around wine making in Slovakia so producers could add things like flavour and colour and other non-desirable additives, and charge ridiculous prices for sub-par wine. As a result, he said there really weren’t any good wines from the region. He did however pull out a red that he said was drinkable and reasonably priced so we bought it and took it home. We each had a glass before deciding we didn’t need to finish the bottle. His honest review was spot on!

We decided to go out for some traditional food on our last night in Slovakia. Then it was home to pack and get ready to move on to Budapest!

People are people

The second day of a trip is often a little slower and this day was no exception. Our schedules were a little off, and the outdoor street entertainers (or stag dos) made sleep tricky. Kris was up very early so took on the task of planning breakfast. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how well you plan when there are other things at play.

A little googling, a quick change of plans, and a lot of flexibility and soon enough we were enjoying a delicious breakfast and some great people watching.

We walked back through Freedom Square and a part of town we hadn’t been to yet. There are statues everywhere so we took the time to pose with a few. Bratislava isn’t a super large city but there is so much to see. Add to that my fantastic sense of direction, there’s always new stuff to see, even if we’d already seen it!

We spent the afternoon trying to organize some tours. We were looking at an Authentic Slovakia tour, and a wine tour of the Small Carpathians. We finally got organized and had success with one tour guide who informed us he’d confirm once the other couple confirmed. There would be four of us on the tour. It wasn’t until he called that we realized WE were the other couple. We had emailed, WhatsAppd and called without realizing that each mode of communication had a different phone number associated with it.

Some more walking and a drink and nibble and we were ready for a little nap before the big evening. This was, after all, the evening we’d been planning for the past 6+ months.

We arrived at the stadium to find a nearby bar crowded with people dressed all in black. We were surrounded by Depeche Mode fans- 22,000 or so others! A pre-show drink and we headed in.

The concert was amazing. The atmosphere was electric- everyone was so excited. And as soon as the band hit the stage, the crowd went wild. Dave was spinning and twirling and posturing- it was some of the best we’ve seen from him. He was loving it and so were we. We sang and danced and danced some more. Every time he pointed the mic at the audience, he smiled because we were singing right along with him. We weren’t close to the stage but were able to watch on the big screens- what an amazing experience. It was even better than I had imagined.

We headed back, planning to go to the after party but it didn’t quite work out. We chatted with some people- we met people from all over who’d come to see Depeche Mode. When we realized we weren’t getting in to the club we decided to head back. We danced some more and shared stories of the night.

It had been an eventful two days. I can’t believe we’ve only been here for a weekend. We’ve done so much… so much still to do!

Tomorrow it’s off for a Post-Communist city tour with a special twist. Stay tuned!

To be fair…

What’s a good blog post without a little drama? That’s what I tell myself when travelling and things don’t run smoothly or there are hiccups.

This trip had been a long time in the planning so we were excited to get started. We were heading to Europe to see Depeche Mode in Slovakia. James in the UK, Depeche Mode in Central Europe… this was the travel I had planned for my year off. It was so exciting to finally have the chance to realize those plans.

We were scheduled to leave early, leaving tons of time for security. At least that was the plan. I checked us in the night before and for some reason I couldn’t get my boarding pass. Instead I received a message to see customer service at the airport.

I had worried about my passport since my first trip to the UK in April when I realized it expired in 6 months. I googled and searched and enquired and was reassured that as long as I had 3 months left on my passport from the day we were scheduled to leave a country I would be fine. That was until I went to check in to this flight.

So before we even headed out, I was nervous. Imagine we got to the airport and I had to wave goodbye as Kris went through security and off to Europe. Add to this one missed exit on the highway and suddenly all that extra time we had left was gone and we were in a panic to get to the airport.

Our shuttle was taking forever so we called an Uber and soon enough we were at customer service trying to get a boarding pass. The agent assured me it had nothing to with my passport as she went to consult with her colleagues to figure out if I could board the flight. I never got an explanation of what the problem was but my boarding pass was issued and we were good to go.

The flight was uneventful and before long (9 hours or so) we were in Vienna. It was starting to feel real. We were heading to Bratislava, Slovakia so I’d booked us a ride. I’m used to getting a train and moving myself around so I was excited that someone would be there with our names on a sign. There was confusion, no sign was visible, but soon enough we found Melich and we were on our way to Slovakia.

As we wouldn’t be able to check in until 3 and we were due to arrive in Bratislava at 10, I’d booked us somewhere to leave our luggage for the day. It was an interesting place, to say the least, but it was good to have the packs off our backs.

The weather was beautiful and our plan was to wander, get our bearings, eat and drink a few times and then pick up our luggage and check in. First stop was for bruschetta and an Aperol Spritz. The perfect start to our European adventure. I love sitting and people watching so this was a perfect start to the day. We were amazed how quiet the city was and how clean!

We walked and walked and walked, climbed up to the castle where we decided it was time to relax with another drink, this time with the view of Bratislava Castle. Life could be worse!

Finally it was time to get our bags. We were pretty excited because this also meant we could shower and have a nap. Our Airbnb was right on a main street in the heart of the historic city centre. We couldn’t have asked for a better location. It was perfect!

A delicious dinner, some time with fellow Depeche Mode fans at a warm-up party and that was the end of Day 1. My feet hurt, and our bodies were tired. We headed home so we could rest up for Concert Day!

Bratislava is definitely a rocking city- while we were home and in bed by 11:30, the music and festivities did not stop until at least 430. There was a one-person band who rocked it out till the wee hours, just below our window.

Sweet dreams! Depeche Mode, here we come!!

What’s a day without a good curry puff?

It was the last day of the holiday so of course it was going to be full-on. All of the pizza toppings had to be prepared, the dough rolled out, the yard readied and most importantly, the pizza oven had to be fired up. Everyone had their job and as always, many hands made light work.

Once all the prep was done, there was just enough time for a visit with Uncle Barry at his bench and a super quick tour of Hinxworth with George. I am pretty sure it was a tour unlike any other given of the village.

Soon enough the family started arriving. After counting the night before, we were expecting at least 32. In the end we were 38, I think. I was told there would be a test, so here goes: Aunty Lin, Steve, Karen, Tom and George, Aunty Jen, Uncle Hugh and Gavin, Uncle Al, Harry and Andrea, Daniel, Jo, Henry and Edward, Robert, David, Suzy, Benji and Ella, Paula, Tim and Amelie, Luisa, Sophie, Archie, Darren, Maria and Rebecca, Wayne, Lisa and Sophie, Brian and Nicola, Mom, Dad and me! Unfortunately, as hard as I tried, I missed a couple of people for selfies: Edward, Ella, Archie, Sophie (and Mom and Dad- so I took them this morning!).

There were so many people to visit with – cousins I hadn’t seen in days, cousins I hadn’t seen since last year, cousins I saw in 2018 and cousins I hadn’t seen in almost 40 years! We ate, we laughed, we reminisced and new connections were made. And of course there were tears. There are always tears at curry/pizza fest! I have come to realize we are just an emotional bunch. I think it’s because there’s so much love.

All good things must come to an end, so eventually people started to head home and it was time to say goodbye. Tears were shed, and promises were made to keep in touch. If there’s one thing I know for certain, we will stay connected.

I’ve loved seeing my cousins over the past couple of weeks and hanging out with them and catching up. Hopefully we will be together again soon. This was the perfect ending to a wonderful whirlwind trip- it was great that we were all together. We never had big family gatherings growing up so I was in my glory. Until the next time!

I prefer it dry

We considered resting and taking it easy as it’s been go go go but it’s a holiday and we have so few days that we just decided to keep going.

I started the day with a lovely stroll with my camera as I was up while the entire house slept. Went for a little walk to Uncle Barry’s bench and as I went to take my first picture, my camera told me to change the battery. Had a seat and a chat, stayed to catch up a little and then went and explored the village.

When I got back Karen and Thomas were up so I went with Karen to drop off Tom at school. By the time we returned, everyone was up and about and getting ready for the day. Karen made us do our collagen shots and we were set.

George was finally feeling better so he joined us which made us all happy as he’s been poorly all week.

We headed to Cambridge for a wander and lunch. Karen booked us in for a punt along the river. We were trying to figure out if Dad had ever been punting before. I was convinced he had. They weren’t so sure. It turned out he had- almost 20 years earlier when we were all over for Karen’s wedding!

It was a bit drizzly but that didn’t stop us. The city was so busy- there were people everywhere- as it was graduation from the university. We took advantage of the busyness and ducked into some areas we’d not otherwise been able to explore. we even shopped to recreate a photo that Karen loves- we think I took it 12 years ago when I was visiting over New Years and had my camera stolen! Seemed only fitting to retake it with my new camera.

It was off to The Ivy (or the Ivory, as George insisted calling it) for a celebratory lunch. And what a lunch it was! The place was magnificent inside. No cameras were allowed so I tried to sneak a few quick photos but felt watched and didn’t want to get us kicked out before we even had a chance to eat. Karen had decided that since we wouldn’t all be together for my 50th, this would be my birthday lunch. I was celebrating with George since he’d just had his birthday on Wednesday! It was such a lovely, delicious lunch! I’ve definitely been spoilt with delicious food this trip!

The rain, the walking, too many nights with not a lot of sleep… I needed a nap when we got back. A quick rest- no time for rest really!

We counted that there should be 30+ people coming tomorrow to celebrate George’s birthday and the Canadians being in town so all hands were on deck to start the prep. Veggies were chopped and the salads were made. I knew when I arrived that I was responsible to make coleslaw and then had a special request for broccoli salad so those were prepared. Karen got all the pizza dough ready. Aunty Lin made her famous, always-requested curry puffs! We would prepare the pizza toppings in the morning.

We cleaned up and headed to the pub, the Three Horseshoes where we met Steven and Luisa and all enjoyed a lovely dinner together. Desserts were a perfect ending to the meal and then George delighted us all with some filters to improve and enhance our photos.

He told me I’d not look too bad when I get old. Apparently I’m not there yet.

This is what he imagined I looked like when I had my angry teacher face on.

And this was to convince me not to go for any cosmetic enhancements! Job done!

When we returned home, George was determined that I cut his hair. While the idea of taking a razor to someone’s head would normally really excite me, I was so hesitant as he had his confirmation on Sunday and the Prosecco had been flowing during dinner. There was even some booze in my dessert! Trusting boy that he is, he insisted so I obliged. With a glass of wine in one hand, and the razor in the other, I worked my magic!

And that was it. Another great day in the books.