Wednesday 30th August 2023

 

Slightly disturbed night's sleep, courtesy of the old war wound, which was giving me gip before I went to bed. Got up and showered, then descended to the breakfast room. Did a little work at the laptop after breakfast, then headed back for Strood. Finished there around lunchtime, so took a detour to M&S and bought some lunch, which I ate in the car on Church Green, overlooking the Medway, and Rochester Castle, and cathedral. Spent the afternoon in Chatham's suburbs. Visited No.11 Ordnance Terrace, where the young Charles Dickens lived between the ages of 5 and 9, before they moved to Camden. The terrace is over 200 years old, and looks in bad need of a facelift...dread to think what they might look like inside! The young Charles and his elder sister played in the field opposite the house, which is now Chatham Railway Station. Got back to the hotel around 1800. Walked to the Ship and Trades for dinner, alongside the busy dual carriageway. Ordered the lowest calorie meal on the menu, wholewheat spaghetti with artichoke hearts...it was OK, but lacked flavour. Walked back in the gloaming, dodging the occassional cyclist. FaceTimed Aki...there was a knife murder outside Poundland yesterday lunchtime, so there is an enhanced police presence in the vicinity. Caught sight of the Super Blue Moon through my hotel window as I got in to bed, as it hung above the suburbs of west Gillingham...

Tuesday 29th August 2023

Got up around 0800 and prepared breakfast. Finished off the smoked salmon, with egg and hollandaise sauce. Made a packed lunch to take on my travels, and packed a bag. Popped round to the GP with my stool samples before starting the car up and heading south-eastwards via the A2. A few miles north-west of Strood, I took a detour to the village of Higham to get sight of Gads Hill Place, Charlie Dickens' final home, where he died at the age of 58. Bumped into a small group of ageing pilgrims doing the same thing...but the house has long been a girls' school, and there's no entry to the general public. Noticed there's a foot tunnel, the entrance of which is on the other side of the road...a local reckoned Charles had had it built to allow his mistress to visit without disturbing the rest of the household!

Stopped off in Strood to get some lunch items and pick up a coffee, then headed out to Grain. Had my lunch in a car park overlooking the coastal path, and had a brief walk in the sunshine afterward, taking in the view across the estuary to Southend. Carried out inspections in Cliffe and Hoo before ending up back in Strood. Drove to Gillingham and checked in to the Premier Inn. Looked at the menu for the Ship & Trades pub, but the calorie counts were too high, so ended up walking to ASDA and getting a pot noodle for dinner! 

Monday 28th August 2023

Aki up with the lark to ready herself for Rowing Club. By the time I woke up she had already cycled off. Got up and porridged, then did a bit of prep work ahead of this week's trip to the Medway towns. Aki had lunch at the cafe in Springfield Park, so I warmed up the pasta and tomato sauce I'd made last week for my lunch, with a tasty fig salad on the side. Aki got back about 1400...she said Kersey had fallen into the canal whilst launching the rowing boat! She'd managed to shower afterward and get back on board! She's due to share a room with Aki in Potsdam on the Berlin trip. Read some Flannery O'Connor...really enjoying it...sections are uproariously funny, though a vague sinister threat remains bobbing beneath the surface. Aki baked hake in bacon for dinner. Managed to burn her left hand on the handle of the frying pan she'd heated in the oven! Sat for an hour with a glass of iced water in her hand, hoping it hadn't damaged her chances of rowing on Wednesday. Watched "Fish Tank" on BFIPlayer. Saw it first time round, but Aki hadn't seen it...a powerful piece of gritty realism set on a sink estate in Rainham, Essex, with a great performance from the mouthy Katie Jarvis, who the director discovered on a railway platform...she's now an EastEnders regular!

Sunday 27th August 2023

Fitful night's sleep. Aki up around 0900, and brought me a mug of tea. Eventually rose...Aki cooked us brunch. Weather looked to be holding so we decided to take a hike up to Hampstead Ponds. Got rained on on the way, but it was light, and brief. Walked across the Heath to Kenwood House, and sat outside in the terraced garden and partook of a light lunch, and coffee. Walked into Highgate, and wandered through Waterlow Park...listened to a Mexican band who had set up in the North Pavilion, then walked on down the hill. Warmed up the pork and bean stew for dinner, with bulgar wheat on the side. Watched the final evening of World Championship athletics from Budapest, and gave new crime thriller "The Woman in the Wall" a go...nice script, and well filmed and edited, even if the storyline is rather over-wrought. Watched a bit of MOTD2 before shower and bed...

Saturday 26th August 2023

Woke around 0800. Got up and porridged. Walked up to Yerbury Farmers' Market only to find it wasn't on today, presumably as it was Bank Holiday weekend. Mounted Highgate Hill, and bought a sourdough loaf at Gail's, and takeaway coffees, which we drank in Waterlow Park. Aki left to get home in time to take a zoom call. I sat on a park bench and picked off a couple of chapters of Pickwick Papers, before ambling back home via M&S. Aki still on call when I got in, so made lunch...smoked salmon with poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Thunder storm came in mid afternoon. The car got a good 'washing'. Warmed up the chicken and mango curry for dinner. Ate it on our laps whilst watching the athletics. 

Friday 25th August 2023

Felt a bit better this morning. Aki up early to cycle off to Rowing Club. I got up after she'd left and porridged, then did a bit of work at the computer. Managed to get an 1100 appointment with the GP...another new face. He was on a one-year work placement, still in training, and commuting every morning from Strood! He was good. Sorted out blood and stool sample tests, and referred me for an endoscopy. Took my constitutional up Highgate Hill, buying a flat white at Gail's, and sitting on a bench in Waterlow Park to drink it, and read a bit more Pickwick Papers. Nice sunny day. Walked back down via Tesco. Got home in time to catch Aki preparing lunch. Did a bit more work this afternoon, then made some herb laminated pasta sheets, and a pizzaiola sauce to go with it. Looked amazing as the parsley leaves seemed to get stretched in much the same way as the egg pasta dough. Watched some athletics, and some TV comedy before shower and bed...

Thursday 24th August 2023

Got up around 0900 and porridged. Went to the loo around 1000...didn't get out until 1500!!! This was the second impaction in less than a month...summat ain't right! Too exhausted to do much once relief had come. Ma and pa happened to FaceTime us, asking what we'd been up to...!!! Aki cooked a black bean stew with cubed pork shoulder for dinner. Watched a bit of telly, and read a bit before bed...