April 8, 2005

A visit with friends in England

Pope John Paul and the faithful at his funeral

Hope you are enjoying your week-end. Lots happening in Europe between the Pope's funeral and Prince Charles' wedding. Today everybody is watching the ceremony on TV with comments galore regarding the attires and the facial expressions of the different members of the royal family!

Prince Charles and new wife waving to the crowds

Am enjoying this interlude in the UK. It is great to reconnect with my friend Julia after not seeing her for 10 years. She and her partner Margaret really make me feel at home. They are both slim, blond and bubbly like a glass of champagne. They, in fact, almost look like twins.

In the morning, when one of them enters my room, a steaming cup of tea in hand, while I am still half asleep it takes me a little while to figure out which of the two it is. Julia and Margaret have done very well for themselves. Semi-retired, they own a very popular night club in town, sponsor sports events, breed horses and spend an increasing amount of time in their properties in France. Their household has the liveliness of a beehive. Apart from them, an ex boyfriend, a grown up son and two lodgers live here in an atmosphere of great congeniality.

The pets add a nice touch. Ralph is a good natured Labrador with a particular fondness for fruit, especially grapes that he eats in the most dainty fashion. Every morning, we take him on his walk through the Common, a local park. He gets so excited that he howls like a lost soul until we reach the woods. Walking an eager dog

Carrie, the parrot from the Amazon is the one who steals the show, superb with vibrant colours looking as if she has been dabbed all over her feathers by some mad painter. Carrie of course never shuts up; when she feels that the dog receives too much undeserved attention, she screeches, "Shut up, Ralph". She also answers the phone on the third ring, clamouring "Hello, hello". In the evening, Carrie sometimes likes her glass of port. After a few sips, she undergoes a complete change of personality and starts cooing like an enamoured dove.

The weather here has been quite pleasant. Mild temperatures, little rain and quite a lot of sunshine. On my first day, I was treated to the most gorgeous, fluorescent rainbow.

England is just as verdant as ever with immaculate lawns perfect for games of croquet or open air stylish tea parties!

The other day we went to the nearby Isle of Wight. It is a laid back part of the country. Off the southern coast, it is 20 minutes away by hydrofoil from the bustle of the mainland with quaint villages and pleasant promenades along a stormy sea.

I notice a lot more ethnic faces in the streets. Here like in other parts of Europe, a strong xenophobic wind is blowing. From what I hear, the complaint is that illegitimate immigrants flock to the country to take advantage of the social programs. At the airport a lot of the coloured travellers were given the third degree at passport control.

Am getting geared up for Iran. At first I was a little preoccupied by the resurgence of the Azemi diplomatic "incident" just before I left. Visit a News from Iran site. As an added precaution, I have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs, even though the Canadian government has issued no warning against travelling to Iran. I will activately file with the embassy as soon as I get to Tehran.

Here, everybody is truly horrified when I tell them I am going to backpack in Iran. There is a very anti-Islamic feeling since 9/11 and the Iraq invasion. My own personal intuition tells me that this visit to Iran will be one of my most rewarding travel experiences. I am all ready with my long coat and my scarf! I'll probably write next from Tehran.

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