We're in 'Nam' man

Looks, feels, smells and tastes like just about everywhere else we've been in Asia.
It's blinking hot and humid, I can tell you that for nothing.
I have spent a very quiet day.  Paul did 'the tour', including war museum and market etc.  I did the tour De Bath and Bedkins...in the aircons.  
Apparently I chose well...very well. If you want to know anymore about that...you'll have to ask him.
And so, as this day and holiday slowly draws to a close...all I can say is roll out that plane, get me to sleep and I only wish the photo I took of that little lady on her push bike on the runway had been clear! Yikes! Say a prayer... For her ... and us!
See you on the flip side...well some of you...and....
We'll meet again,  to everyone else...(mmmwharrr we know where you live!) 😁
So it's... Goodnight from me and Goodnight from him...
Stay tuned for the final wrap up....hopefully tomorrow... God willing. 

Hop skip and a jump...

Arrived Vietnam early this morning.
Short stop then home!

Until we meet again...

At Heathrow having a bite of breakfast in the lounge before shopping.   Not as glamorous as it sounds.  Daft Bat needs a new shirt for the flight.  Probably all the sobbing yesterday has dumbed the mouth as I seem to have had trouble finding it with the folk today.  Dirty dirty Bat. Hehehe
So yeah, although the call of home is gaining momentum... Felt happy and sad yesterday.
We met cousin Valerie and family yesterday for the first time.   I have such a wonderful, warm and welcoming family. I'm truly blessed ...sniff sniff.  All too little time to spend with them.  We met them at their gorgeous cottage. Soooo lovely and treated to a very nice morning tea indeed in their garden.  Then a brilliant lunch at a Thai restaurant yum yum yum. But as said, all too short a time before we had to say good bye to them all including Steve and Bev. 
Again we can't thank them enough for all they have done for us and the time they have spent with us. Hugs and more than a few tears were shed I can tell you.  I swear I was almost dehydrated in the car and in desperate need of rehydration and comfort by the time we reach our last hotel in England. Sob sob sob. 😢
Pleasant enough evening in Ealing at the Drayton but the sky was also leaking and the atmosphere was murky indeed as it is at Heathrow right now.
Still...chin up...next and final stop in Vietnam for a short break before that last flight and Terra Firma in Melbourne and back home to the family and friends there.   Just wish we were all closer.
X

Is that vulture following me?

Hehehe.
Anyway just a bit more....
I forgot to mention the fort, the circular structure.
We also started our day with a tour by the landlord here of the cellar and crypt. Circa 1180...interesting and just a bit spooky.
Note the lovely chalk cliff face and the chalets... Wouldn't that be nice!
The bandstand was pretty spectacular too.  It looked like they had some good entertainment going on.

Beside the seaside... Beside the sea...

What a sterling day! Absolutely perfect.
We walked all day.
One lucky chap had his easel set up.
It was a day of just relaxing  enjoying the beach and soaking up the atmosphere.   Stopping here and there for a coffee or tea.

Disclaimer

As always....it's hard typing on a phone and often late at night. Please forgive my appalling spelling, grammar etc.  It is hard to even proof read on a small screen when half of it is concealed by the ' keyboard '. 
Sometimes I am so excited and stoked by just getting my thoughts and images down before I forget, that I don't have time to make corrections before we have moved on or I am so tired that I don't care.
Do your best to decipher and please don't judge my English too harshly.

Before 'The Birds'

Earlier today we had enjoyed a walk through the church yard next door to The Lamb.  Then we jumped in the car for a drive to a gorgeous place called Rye.  Beautiful walk down ancient stony narrow streets lined with antique shops, galleries and and the remains of a gate,  wall and castle.  A lovely estuary was to be seen from the castle walls.  We had a coffee at that lovely pub the Old Bell in the beer garden.

Note the size of that door on that old cottage.

Horror in Hastings

I'm pretty sure this is the ring leader of the gang of thugs and thieves .  Not the chap having a drink but that gull.
We were enjoying a promenade on the sea front with a fish cake and a chip or two.  A passer by had warned us about these diabolical creatures...but seriously, we get gulls all the time at home squarking about at the beach....so why the panic.
On we walked, Daft Bat was in the middle of some terribly interesting anecdote and waving Italian arms about as per usual... However, said hand also had a chip and I felt it helped my story by using it somewhat like a baton. 
Bloody hell... In seconds the family were being dive bombed like something from an Alfred Hitchcock movie and those blinking gulls looked a whole lot smaller when they were flapping about in the sky. 
Now.... you'd think being yelled at to 'drop the chip and run' wouldn't have been too hard...but being hearing challenged, panicked and well let's be honest here...Daft Bat has that name for a reason...I wasn't going to drop that chip.

Instead... 'crouched and running and being chased along with companions, while still wildly waving hand around.... hand with chip...  and screaming... until I realised what was going on.

So did I drop that chip? Hell no... Scoffed it! Barharhar... No flipping gull on steroids was going to get the better of me...or my chip for that matter...Nom nomnomnon..sorry guys.
Meh.. They are ok now...trip to the pub and they soon recovered from the trauma.  Although not sure what the dreams may be like tonight.....

The Last Leg

...and where is Adam Hills?
Well he isn't in Eastbourne as far as I know but we are.
So this morning it was ttfn to Yorkshire.  Thank you to the family for a brilliant night last night, we both appreciated it very much. X
And thank you to the Titterton family for making us so welcome and comfy as always.
We are on the next and last adventure now.
Steve, Bev and ourselves had a pleasant drive down to Eastbourne which is thoroughly stunning.  It seems a very traditional seaside town. Pristine rocky beach, pretty pier and promenade , fish and chip shops, boutiques, cafes, bars, restaurants, old pubs and hotels....and a brilliant atmosphere! 
We are staying at a very old inn, The Lamb Inn.  We enjoyed a very tasty meal indeed at the Lamb! 
We all decided an early night was in order. So here we are tucked up in a snuggly bed with a big fluffy quilt and looking forward to exploring tomorrow...listening to gulls and the sea in the distance... How lucky are we!
PS...I am captivated by the mysterious misty atmosphere... Just magical!  Where is Poirot? 

This n that

Yesterday was a tour of the countryside.   First to Bakewell,  home of the tart.   Then to a little village that had a working flour mill. On on to Chatsworth House estate and a pork pie from the farm shop.  On on to Chesterfield and it's crooked spire.
The day finished at the Phoenix pub and caught up for dinner with more of the family. The photo of the field is from the pub window.