In a last ditch effort to find the church with an illuminated manuscript that Ken saw in 1946 or 7, we drove up to Ranworth Broad in Norfolk but this did not seem to be the place either. We stayed the night in Kings Lynn & next day, found a Portguese café in Boston that must be the only place in England to serve real coffee. We spent the night in Beverley, after Avis was amazed by the Minster. The next day, on to Whitby via Scarborough Castle & the splendid Bagdale Hall Hotel before coming back to Islington because of the deteriorating weather.

Ranworth Church

The view from Ranworth Church to the North-West

North-Elmham Cathedral

Beverley Minster

In Beverley Minster

Ken frozen in Scarborough Castle

Whitby Inner Harbour

Bagdale Hall huge bed

A rather unorthodox package arranged by Philip Davies of Real Holidays took us to the Hotel Punta Chiarito, discreetly built on a headland to the South of this island opposite Capri in the Bay of Naples. The swimming pool was heated by volcanic springs & was in two parts connected by a tunnel of water. The food was excellent.

St Angelo from the hotel

The hotel almost hidden on its headland

Sorgeto Bay below the hotel. The white stuff is a hot spring.

We had a trip all day to the neighbouring island of Procida in a micro-taxi driven by Salvatore who knew everyone & must have been 70. He arranged everything for us & two Gerries, Werner & Andrea & their two dogs, including the ferry over for E40 each (dogs free).

Andrea, Avis & the micro-taxi

South side of Procida

Repairing nets

Another trip was to Villa Mortella, the house & fantastic garden of Sir William Walton & Susana, who is still there. After this, we visited Lacco Ameno & later, Forio. Then, right round the island, calling at several villages, including Fontana, below. The bus service is, like most Italian bus services, superb

Mortella gardens

In the hot house

The rock containing William Walton's ashes

Lacco Ameno

Forio

Fontana

After Avis' foot operation, Ken swept her off to the Old Swan Inn at the perfectly preserved Cotswold village of Minster Lovell, where she would have no stairs to negotiate in her giant Japanese sandals & crutches.

The Old Swan Inn

Minster Lovell Hall

Minster Lovell sunset

We attended the Witney Carnival, which was a bit much for Avis but great fun.

A childrens' float

Local belly dancers

There's always a traction engine

We got to Gloucester before the floods did, just & also the Witney Coates Farm Museum & Northleach, an old wool town with a good Musical Museum with mechanical instruments.

Old Gloucester

Click for a bigger one

Cathedral cloisters

In the Farm Museum

We were put in the Barn, a converted goat shed & more comfortable for us than the Farmhouse. The island had been ravaged by fire & it was only thanks to the Albanians bailing the swimming pool onto the flames that saved the Farmhouse villa. Geof was still in his wheelchair & could only watch.

The black thing is Geof's melted water tank

Unbelievable devastation. Geof's estate is the green patch centre

Shrubs by the Farmhouse

Avis outside the Barn

The Old Harbour of Skiathos

In the Car Park Church

Evangelistra Monastery restored by EU funds

Inside the monastery

The City from Platonos

Geof makes his money these days as a villa broker, helped by Jackie & Gigi. Mara was in Athens, so we did not see her

Jackie, Geof & Gigi

Zoi

Lida

Fierce surf at Aselinos beach