New Year's

I have been seriously ill over the weekend, I reckon it was the side effect of the flu vaccination that I got earlier. So I ended up having a terrible cold which then turned into a nice sinus infection, I sounded hoarse or couldn't speak at all [still do but it's getting better] and I had a good solid cough to keep all awake at night.

It started on Wednesday last week. Thursday I really wanted to stay in bed but had to get up and be ready for Jean Marc to collect the key to I. and C.'s place. He had come all the way over from Toronto so I invited him in for a coffee and a chat. He left after half an hour to go 'home' and get some sleep. By the time he left I was so awake I ended up cleaning the house...

I had some energy but needed to take breaks in between because the fever was causing extreme sweating. I managed to get the house done plus three laundries in four hours. Everything was spick and span and ready for our visitors Carla and Tjalling who would arrive on Saturday morning at 09.50 Friday I finally had some time to myself and I took it slow that day, called my aunt to vent a bit and ask her opinion.

We had a great weekend even though I was not feeling well. We did a bus tour in the rain which was cool, jumped off half way and ended up in a pub near Trafalgar Square to warm ourselves with booze. I had a few whiskies to soothe the throat and warm up. Sunday we went to Greenwich by DLR and then we took the river trip from Greenwich Pier, which was really cool but again very cold and windy.

We ended the boat trip at Embankment Pier where we crossed the Thames by foot bridge, bought a warm coffee and went looking for the tour bus which was supposed to stop right behind the London Eye. They were setting up the fireworks displays already which was cool to watch. It took ages for the bus to show up so we took a cab back to Tower Hill and took the DLR to Canary Wharf where our car was parked.

We spent the evening at home, it was too cold, too wet and too windy to go anywhere and I wasn't really feeling that well by the time we came home the fever had kicked in big time. So we were all happy to stay in and watch the fireworks on tv. That was amazing! I could not imagine that afternoon what it would be like at midnight, what a show! We stayed up till 03.30.

Monday morning we had to take Carla and Tjalling back to the airport so we left at 11.00. It was a beautiful sunny day...

ps Thanks Barbara and Christiaan for your nice SMS text message!