sigh.. another bump in the road.. we are all fine.. ok?

Far out!  Firstly - we are all perfectly fine - which to be honest is the main concern for all. 

My lovely little car however, would appear to be a write off.  Its such a shame as its been such a good little car; and although I am not a mechanic, there really only seems to be cosmetic damage to it.  I hate the word 'hope'.. but can't think of another way to say.. I hope that its only a wheel alignment or something easy to fix. Cosmetics... well.. it WAS a beautifully kept little car... and now.. it looks like its been through the wars. poor little thing.

So.. how did this all transpire?

On our way home from Lampeter on a B road that has probably a car on it once a minute, I had to turn right int a smaller B road to get to our housesit. We were in a 40 zone - so I know I wasn't going very fast, but was unsure of where the road was so was going even slower, as I expected it to be anywhere. When I saw it, I put the blinker on and put my brakes on and turned right.... only to be slammed into by a big BMW who had zoomed up behind us ( no I hadn't seen them) and probably thought my blinker was a signal for him to pass. who knows.  

His car sustained scraping and bent panels all along the left hand side. My poor little cars wing mirror was smashed, and the passengers door behind me dented, mind dented, hubcap smashed and the wheel well smashed off. 

As I said - we weren't going fast and it was a glance I guess. Sadly, my insurance company - without seeing the car, have said its a write off. The crap thing about being here in the UK, is that nothing is clear or simple. I am waiting for confirmation on a tow-truck to take it away and for the car to be assessed. Until then I am in no-mans land. Although I have full comprehensive cover, I can't get a hire car (even though I have that option - but the fine print says its only if the car is being repaired...) Seriously? Our car will be taken away to be 'assessed' - they won't say its written off or can be fixed - so we are in no mans land.... and until the car is being 'fixed' (the we are allowed to have a hire car) or written off ( we get a cheque)... we have no vehicle.. and they say it could take up to 2 months to do this.....oh sod it.....I hate to sound like a wingy Aussie.. but when this happened to me in Bris.. I got a hire car delivered to the crash site and a tow truck turned up in half an hour....

Ok.. rant now over...

I drove ( very slowly) back to our housesit. The right front wheel feels funny and pulls slightly to the right - so perhaps the axel is bent.

I tried to get the AA to come and take the car back to the mechanic in Andover, but because its not roadworthy, I can't get it towed ( go figure) I tried to get them to come out and change the tire, but they don't do tire changes.. sigh...again.. I have full cover for 'relay' and car hire etc.. but because I didn't break down.. I'm not covered.

So the blessing of this experience is that we are stuck ( oh dear - woe is us!!) is a GORGEOUS farm cottage for four days with beautiful well mannered pooches and enough food to last us till mid year.. I think we will cope..I'll put these other concerns in my Goddess Basket...and let her offer me some solutions after meditation...and keep breathing.

Our hosts come back on Sunday night, so I am not sure if things will be sorted out by then. I hate the word 'hope'...but lets 'hope' we have some answers by then.

Beautiful Wales

 I have avoided taking on housesitting jobs that are only a few days or a weekend, as its such a hassle settling in and then cleaning and packing to leave ( I like to totally clean the place top to bottom before we go.. and make something like Lemon Butter or Jam or something for the hosts), however, the allure of going to Wales into the mountains was almost too much - so I caved.

I am so glad we came. The drive was beautiful, bringing many memories back for me on my motorcycling days with Age. We loved to ride round Wales. No traffic and gorgeous scenery. A bit wet though...

We arrived at this gorgeous little cottage, an old farmer cottage, now converted as a very comfortable family home ( gee - so I sound like the host from Escape to the Country?)

The gardens are gorgeous, full of daffodils and spring flowers. It winds down the hill with little paths and has tiny garden rooms of peaceful respite along the way.

Best of all!! The two dogs are border collies and are delightful. One is an older dog, though a little stiff, loves to play fetch and chasey. The photo below is of Lilly playing with Bracken, the younger dog, who still likes to jump up and greet you with a cold nose behind the knees.

They are beautifully groomed and mannered, so it will be a real pleasure to look after them till Sunday.  Lilly was delighted to meet the 7 chooks and rooster, but disappointed that they aren't the cuddly type.

We are surrounded by dairy farms and sheep with tiny lambs. I am looking forward to a peaceful retreat - perhaps I may even start to write fiction! ( now that is just plain crazy talk)

London Eye

Standing at 135 metres, the iconic London Eye has thrust itself into the London skyline making it a must see experience for tourists and resents alike. We are so pleased we bought Merlin Passes -which allow us to go straight to the front of the line and don't need to book.  A ticket for a family of four starts at £115. ( far out.. so once again.. the Merlin Pass ROCKS)

A mere 5 minute walk from the Waterloo underground, The  EDF Energy London Eye sits on the southern bank of the River Thames. With 32 air conditioned capsules which rotates very slowly around, it is a very comfortable half hour delightful trip into the skyline gifting participants spectacular views of Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster. Each capsule officially seats 25 passengers, though there is plenty of space to wader around the glassed perimeter to take in the views.  There are touch screens doted along the side to give tourists more information and guidelines as to where the best places to stand for photographs.

 As the capsules move very slowly, it was easy to board and exit. There were two assistants who helped most tourists aboard as an extra step in safety. As the capsule rose higher, our nervous passenger became captivated by the view, and although didn’t stand very close to the glass windows, felt comfortable enough to stand and walk around the space to look at the changing scene. Weather permitting, you are able to see 30 km in every direction as you reach the zenith. 

Be sure to visit the free 4 D London Eye experience while you are there. The 15 mins sensational presentation gives you an excellent overview of the ‘flight’ and what views to expect. The kids loved it as there was "real" snow shot out amongst us during the film.

We had been wanting to go on the London Eye for ages.. so, is it worth it? The London Eye is the largest Ferris Wheel in Europe. The panoramic  views are spectacular. We visited mid week and had no queue and shared the capsule with four other people. 

Yes. Its an experience not able to be replicated anywhere else and worth every penny... even, I guess if you just paid for the ticket and didn't have a pass.