Ireland

Greystones

Leaving London, we flew into Dublin for our Sit in Greystones Ireland. Greystones is a coastal town just south of Dublin. Our host Beatrice showed us around her home and introduced us to our "housemates" Pandy and Pearl. Pandy and Pearl are Siamese cats, Pandy the older one and Pearl, a teenager, full of mischief, personality and love. We were also in charge of 2 chickens who liked to sneak into the house.

After a wonderful meal the night we arrived, we settled into our room early that night and the next evening Beatrice left for her holiday. Throughout the week we cared for the chickens who in turn provided us with fresh eggs, visited the town of Greystones and spent time with Pandy and Pearl.

Pandy

 Pandy was content most days to sleep on the coach and every once in a awhile pay us some attention. She and Pearl were not great friends and she would occasionally hiss at Pearl if Pearl got too close to her.

Pearl

Pearl didn't seem to care much and she appeared very interested in us. She would sit on the floor watching us with eyes that looked barely open and one front paw in the air. She would do this for minutes at a time. She loved to play as well as seek out our company. She was a character and so easy to love.








Greystones was a charming, walkable town. Several restaurants, pubs and a very cute coffee shop that we liked to frequent. We would take the bus in and back home. Cute novelty stores and a view of the sea. We found the people very friendly which we found out was not unique to Greystones....

Dublin

We took a train into Dublin from Greystones on a Sunday morning. After a mishap with the bus we finally made it to our hotel in the afternoon. Being seasoned travelers now 😊 we feel we can figure out most public transport systems. Dublin's was confusing. Plenty of buses but somehow it always seemed a struggle to get the right bus. Luckily, the people of Dublin were helpful and yes, very friendly. Anyway, we settled in and decided to see what the neighborhood had to offer.

We had a great pub across the street, The Ivy House were we found the bartenders the friendliest of our journey. I found a very interesting beer, Cute Hoor, and found the brewery's glass pretty cute. Asking if I could buy the glass, the bartender got a clean one, wrapped it up and gave it to me, no charge. We watched the Irish soccer team lose to the Danish team and lose the chance to qualify for the World Cup surrounded by many, many college chaps, ate some great food and even had a patron approached us at the bar one night after overhearing our American accent. She was curious of our political views and our new President. It was a fun conversation.

Dublin was full of life and beautiful. We took a tour one day and ended up getting a very personable lad who had a passion for Dublin and an even bigger passion for Irish soccer. The day we took the tour was also the day the team would be playing that night in Dublin to qualify for the World Cup. He pretty much begged all of us to pray to the Lord that the Irish win over the Danish. It didn't work.

He told us great stories of Dublin. We spent the afternoon on the tour and ended the afternoon with a couple of pints in a cute Dublin pub before heading back to our side of Dublin.

We were sad to leave Dublin, the friendliest city we had encountered but we were looking forward to flying back to England for what would be our last Sit of this incredible journey.









You can see more of my photos of Dublin here.


Cheers!
Barb


 

A Storm in London

We left the perfect little English town of Wincanton for our next sit in the big city of London!

This would be our first sit where we would not meet our hosts, at all. Our host and her husband would be leaving for overseas before we arrived and returning after we left their flat. It was odd for us. At the beginning of our journey we would have been relieved, the introverts that we are. But here we were now, after many sits and many wonderful hosts who made us feel at ease, welcomed in their home and became our friends, we wanted to meet Lianne and her husband. My how we have changed!

Artwork in lobby.

We took "the tube" to Islington, a neighborhood in London. Lianne had said the subway station was next door to the apartment building. She was right, literally next door which made getting around London very easy for us. Sometimes at night we could hear the tube underneath us even though we were 7 floors up. The building was ultra modern with keyless entry, a concierge and some very cool artwork in the lobby. The apartment was also modern and the views of London Town were fantastic!

Our "roommate" was Storm. She is a beautiful black and white kitty. She was extremely well behaved and a little shy. She loved sleeping on the heated floors in the bathroom. She was easy to be around and loved rubs and attention. She tolerated us well and liked us to get her toys and play with her.

She loved to sit by the window and take in all the activity down on the streets. I don't blame her, it was fun to just people watch and see the happenings in the neighborhood. One morning we caught a glimpse of an elaborate funeral procession, quite impressive I must say.

The neighborhood had everything we could want including 2 restaurants that we really enjoyed not just for the food but for the service. Both were run by Middle Eastern families that have nailed down customer service. Two doors down from our building was an Italian restaurant. The owner waited on us our first time in. He and his staff were friendly and attentive, making small talk with us and making us feel welcomed. The second time we came in, a few days later, he not only remembered us but also what brand of beer we drank. He engaged us in conversation about where we were from, provided us with great food and again made us feel so welcomed.

The other restaurant was just down the street and featured Middle Eastern cuisine (soon becoming my favorite cuisine!) Our first night we were waited on by the wife and co owner. She was very pleasant and after we ordered she provided us with a complimentary appetizer. She also talked with us about where we were from, how long we were staying and what we liked to do in London. Our food that night was incredible! Two days later we decided to go back. She remembered us, asked what we had done since we were last in and again gave us another complimentary appetizer. Her service was outstanding, we didn't lack for anything. When we get back to London, we will make it back to both these restaurants!

Borough Market.

We explored London outside the neighborhood. We went to Borough Market, our niece Dena said we would love it and we did. We were lucky enough to get to spend an evening with Dena in London during one of her layovers. Dena knows so much about Europe and has been a great resource for us.We met her at a pub and sat drinking pints, laughing and catching up with her before we all caught our trains and tube back "home".

Lobby of the theatre.

We caught a play in a small theatre. We have always liked going to the small theatres. When my mother lived with us, the three of us would attend shows all around south Florida and then in Asheville after we moved to North Carolina. This theatre held around 70 people. It was a great little comedy and afterwards we strolled through the neighborhood and stopped for a late night coffee. A perfect evening in London!

We were in London for Guy Fawkes night. Our host Lianne said we should go up to the rooftop terrace and catch the fireworks. We had no idea who Guy Fawkes was and why he gets fireworks on his day. Turns out, Guy Fawkes is the inspiration for the masks and logo of the activist group Anonymous. Long story short, Guy Fawkes was a member of a group who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. Fawkes was in charge of guarding the explosives placed under the House of Lords. He was found, arrested, tortured and hung. Fawkes became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, the failure of which has been commemorated in Britain since November 5, 1605.  There ya go, he's kinda of a big deal in Britain. A great reason to shoot off fireworks not just on November 5 but the entire weekend! We did go to the rooftop, where we met several of the neighbors, all very nice, successful, young and from many different countries. Beer, wine and appetizers were served and everyone seemed to really enjoy the fireworks. The rest of the weekend we could watch fireworks from the livingroom of the flat. Pretty impressive!

We hated leaving London but our next stop was Ireland so we weren't too broken up!

Cheers!
Barb 

Wincanton, England

As we near the end of each of our Sits we prepare mentally and physically to leave for the next destination. What will be our situation, would we have cats or dogs, how many, would we be in rural or urban setting, would we get to spend time with our hosts, if so where and when, and other such details. Barb reviewed the welcome packet provided by our host, Sara, in Wincanton . We would be caring for two terriers, sisters, Martha and Bella, and an outside cat named Mrs. Brown, a curious name. Wincanton is a small town with a population of 5,272 in South West England a couple of hours from London. The town was small and there was only a limited bus system so we’d have to settle for what was available or take a coach to Stonehenge, a 30 minute drive or visit some other attraction. We typically prefer bigger cities because there are more activities, restaurants and bars to frequent. Also, in the bigger cities we depend on mass transit to take us to places further away so we can do whatever we feel like since we don’t have access to a vehicle.

This Sit was going to be about a week and since it was a small town we assumed we would be able to get to a store for groceries and prepare our meals at the house. Barb went into Google maps and it did indicate a couple of restaurants and a bar so we were hopeful, but our grocery store plan would easily get us through the week. We did notice we would only be about a half hour from Stonehenge and there was a coach to take us to London so, we could get Martha and Bella set up for the day and we could pass the time by going to those places. In the welcome guide we also found out Steven, our host, would meet us at the train station. We would recognize him because he resembled Superman, his wife Sara said. I wasn’t sure if he would be in red and blue spandex with a long cape or lite colored business suit under a matching fedora. Sara, had graciously offered to take us to the grocery store so the bus service was no longer a concern. The next day we took the train for the short ride from Swindon to Westbury.

As we climbed out of the wagon I noticed a tall man with glasses who did in fact resemble a casually dressed Clark Kent, without either outfit I imagined. He introduced himself and his son Archie, and lead us to his car. The car quickly left the town of Westbury behind and we were treated to the view of an occasional house and beautiful scenic vistas for the 30 minute drive to Wincanton. Steven gave us a narrative of the views with information about their 450 year old home. For another Sit we stayed in a home built around 1650 and were amazed, we were on our way to a home predating it.

We entered Wincanton and a few seconds later drove into a church parking lot. As we stepped onto the sidewalk preparing to cross the street Steven pointed out the “Nog Inn” free house, Archie’s employer and immediately beside it was “Summer Palace”, a Chinese restaurant, our hosts living next to them. I thought having a couple of pints and going ordering some Chinese takeaway within 25 feet of our Sit was fantastic. He said “We’re going to number 6.” I saw the door with a big silver door knob in the middle with a picture window display flanking each side filled with inflated balloons with the words “Big Up The Party” in a fun font.

Martha

As soon as we put our things down inside we met Martha, a two tone brown and black small Terrier, and Bella, all black. Bella was on the couch in between a couple of pillows looking up at us. Martha was bouncing around seemingly very curious about the new arrivals.

Bella

Sara welcomed us with a big smile and we went on a tour of their home. We met their daughter Amelia and we walked through the house admiring the the coziness and style. Sara runs a business, Sara Kirkby Event Style. Sara does wonderful window displays, party planning and pop up dinners in her home. As we got a tour of her beautiful kitchen, Sara pointed out a loaf of bread she bought for us from the local baker and some banana bread type treats she and Amelia made, they were delicious!

Mrs. Brown

Outside the house was a narrow patio with a tall wall to the left, adjoining the “Summer Palace”, Chinese restaurant, decorated with beautiful plants and flowers. At the back of the patio area was another door which led to Mrs. Brown’s domain. Above the door was a tiny patio with a small opening into the Lilliputian size hide-away complete with a small opening inside and a balcony.

Sara and Steve explained the instructions for caring for Martha, Bella and Mrs. Brown then some of the places immediately outside their door and other attractions a coach ride away. It turns out that there is an Indian restaurant, with an all you can eat buffet on Sunday nights, two pubs, a Chinese restaurant one door down, a Kebab and Pizza place, a delicious bakery owned by Phil, a wine shop run by Jenny, and another restaurant with Cambodian cuisine on Thursdays and Vietnamese cuisine on another night. Later we talked about google map inadequacies. Although, it could be a plot from the townspeople of Wincanton to dissuade tourists from finding out about the attractiveness of this place, brilliant!

Our hosts were driving to France that evening but before they left Steve gave us a bottle of wine to enjoy. He suggested a cozy night in front of the fireplace with the bottle of wine. We decided that was a great idea and did just that. We exchanged well wishes and reassurances and they were on their way.

That evening before the wine, we ate at the Indian restaurant buffet and had a pleasant meeting with Mrs. Brown while she ate dinner. Each afternoon we walked to the park with the twins so Martha could run back and forth with a tennis ball in her mouth and Bella would participate in a proper exercise of fetch. There were always dogs and people in the park and each day we talked with someone. A couple of nights we went to Archie’s Pub, actually called the Nog Inn, for a couple of pints and ate dinner there once. We went to the Summer Palace twice and received a good neighbor discount because our hosts must be nice people. We had coffee and dessert or a savory item at the wonderful bakery several times. Sara and Steve’s good friend Maura invited us over for coffee and conversation. We all walked to the bakery after coffee to enjoy lunch together.

The week passed quickly and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and hoped our hosts would request some additional days for their trip. Unfortunately that didn’t happen but we did get to greet them on their return and hear about their trip and the next morning we enjoyed French croissants and coffee and talking to them one last time.

During one of our conversations with Sara and Steve they mentioned Wincanton was thought of as the least desirable of the three towns in the area, the other two being Bath and Somerset and the butt end of jokes. As Barb and I mentioned several times while we were there and since leaving, to have a tiny town of nice people, good pubs, unusually good restaurants and a picturesque downtown is a very rare treat. If I lived there I would create some of my own derogatory jokes about Wincanton to keep people out so it stays just the way it is.

Little Bear

We arrived in Munich at the main train station. Anna, our homeowner and Mom to Bear, met us. As we drove through the city, Anna pointed out several areas of interests. We were excited to explore Munich!

We arrived at Anna and Mat's home. It is a modern home in the suburbs of Munich. As we started up the stairs to drop off our backpacks in our room, we met Bear on the second floor. Bear is a petite, black kitty. She immediately came over to greet us and I immediately fell in love! Bear has a mild form of Hydrocephalus. Commonly known as water on the brain, Bear sometimes wobbles and loses balance, however, this actually makes her so endearing. She has the sweetest little meow and is just very affectionate.

That night, Anna and her husband Mat took us out for a traditional Bavarian dinner. The restaurant was right in the neighborhood and a nice stroll from the house. I had pork tenderloin and spaetzle, John had schnitzel with roasted potatoes. We ended up eating leftovers for the next 2 days! Wonderful!

The next morning Anna and Mat left on their motorbike for eastern Europe. John and I took the next 3 days to relax and spend time with Bear so she was comfortable with us and got used to us staying in her house. We all got along wonderfully!

We had 2 weeks in Munich and alternated days between staying at the house and venturing into the city. We'll have a post about the sights and sounds of Munich.

Bear was a delight to take care of. She took her beauty naps in the afternoon and in the evenings, John and I would play cards at the dining table while Bear would run up and down the stairs (yes, she may wobble but she is a streak going up and down the stairs!) and venture outside to the patio, always stopping over to the table for pets and scratches.

We had a wonderful time at Anna and Mat's. I'd like to think we made new friends who we would love to see again. That is the great thing about pet sitting, meeting wonderful people and experiencing different cultures.

Cheers!
Barb

Life with Phillip The Cat

Phillip The Cat

In the UK, the sky starts to brighten around 3:30 AM. It's crazy. We have been staying in Edinburgh Scotland for almost 3 weeks now. If you have read any of our previous posts, you know how much we love Edinburgh. An extra bonus of staying in Edinburgh, we get to live with Phillip The Cat.

Phillip is a handsome chap as you can see from his photos. Phillip was shy at first and it took a good few days before he would allow us to pet him. Now, we are all great buddies! As all cats do, Phillip has personality and quirks, which brings me back to the 3:30 AM mention. Phillip likes to eat breakfast while watching the sun come up. Phillip is also very vocal. As his Mom Fiona told us, Phillip likes to announce everything he is doing or about to do. So most mornings Phillip likes to let us know that he needs breakfast served as the sun is about to come up. This can happen anywhere from 3:45 AM to 6:00 AM. Now you may think that this would annoy us to no end but it doesn't. Fiona has created such a wonderful space to relax that we usually just get up, feed Phillip and fall back asleep. Plus, we really love Phillip!

At first, when Phillip was unsure of who these strangers were in his house, he would silently stalk us. I woke one morning to Phillip sitting in the doorway, watching me sleep. Creepy!

He stole a chicken leg off the kitchen counter one night. He heard John coming into the kitchen and he ran off with his guilt before he could taste the chicken. We are now on to him and he knows it. 😊

He loves head rubs and Dreamies. Dreamies are Europe's version of cat treats.

Fiona has a great, little flat. She has furnished it with wonderful, quirky pieces of artwork and made it a place you are comfortable in. The location of her flat is ideal. Leith is a part of Edinburgh. Leith has wonderful restaurants and pubs, all within walking distance of the flat. The bus stop is literally right in front of the flat and will take us anywhere in Edinburgh.

We have a little over a week left in Edinburgh. Although we will be traveling to many great cities, we will miss the energy, people, places, and a cat, of Edinburgh.

Cheers from Edinburgh!
Barb