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I'm sorry for doing this today, three days early, but I'm going away for a few days, well out of reach of the interweb, and I couldn't let the occasion slip by without me posting about it.

Friday 15 March is the birthday of my dearest friend, ilmera. As a gentleman, I won't say how old she is but she is the perfect friend at any age ( Read more... )

I can't believe that two weeks have already gone by since I took these pictures. Julia and I made a brief foray into Wales. It wasn't deepest, darkest Wales, that's much further away. This was more a close, cuddly Wales, just over the bridge, turn right and up the Wye Valley for a few miles. Taking Julia to Tintern Abbey is something I'd had in ( Read more... )

Well, I had a fantastic time with Julia, ilmera,  while she was here for her holiday in the UK. For me, it was the opportunity to put right the fact that we didn't get to spend enough time together during her previous visit last summer ( Read more... )

I know that I'm not around here as much as I would like, though I do try to keep up with my friends page even though I don't post as often as I should. That begs the question as to why I'm posting now to say that I probably won't be around much over the next week or so ( Read more... )

Today is ( Read more... )

Sunday evening, after the happiness of the day, was the saddest part of my whole stay in Saint Petersburg. Julia, who had been my guide, mentor and rock since I arrived on the Thursday afternoon was going away on a University Field Trip first thing on Monday and wouldn't be back until after I had left on the Tuesday. In short, after Sunday I wouldn ( Read more... )

Julia had told me not to go out on my own because it could be dangerous for me. It was very wise advice and I'm very grateful, but on Sunday morning I felt like escaping for a little while. There weren't too many people around and I thought it should be okay. I decided that I would walk along Nevsky Prospekt, from my hotel, but in the direction ( Read more... )

I was settling into my new surroundings by Saturday. Julia collected me from the hotel early and we went to meet up with Kate. For the first time I experienced the Saint Petersburg metro. I was stunned by the scale of it, the long tunnels with escalators going down deep underground, the splendour of the stations with their marble, chandaliers and ( Read more... )

My first day in Saint Petersburg was a very happy one indeed. The day before, when I arrived, the wonderful Julia was there at the airport to meet me. This was a fantastic moment and one I will treasure for ever. We had known each other for more than five years but it was our first actual meeting. I gave her a big, and probably overwhelming, hug ( Read more... )