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August 29th 2007
Published: August 29th 2007
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Saying Good-Bye to VictoriaSaying Good-Bye to VictoriaSaying Good-Bye to Victoria

We turned our house in Victoria over to our tennants on June 29 and were on our way.
We traveled from Victoria to London on the way to Tanzania anticipating a week or two in England to visit relatives and see the sights before moving on to Tanzania. Bureaucracy being what it is, our teaching certificates and residency permits necessary to enter Tanzania and work there were not approved in time for us to arrive in Dodoma in mid-July as originally planned. As a result, our departure from Britain was delayed until August 30, at which time we will fly to Dar es Salaam and then drive roughly 500 kms west to Dodoma.

Given the length or our stay in London, nearly two months, we did a lot of visiting, sightseeing and travel in England. Our daughter, Karen and her husband Gio live in London so we stayed with them for part of our time here.

In late July Gerry and I took a short break, traveling to the south west of England. We had never been to Salisbury so went there first and had a lovely day visiting Salisbury Cathedral. We then went on to Cornwall and stayed in Penzance for three days. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time visiting St Ives
Rooftop GardenersRooftop GardenersRooftop Gardeners

Karen and Gerry planting the garden on the rooftop terrace at Karen and Gio's house in Clapham Junction.
on the north coast of Cornwall and St Michael’s Mount, not far from Penzance.

For most of the month of August we were house-sitting a flat belonging to a friend of our daughters. The flat is in the community of Leytonstone in east London. Leytonstone, near the end of the Central Line of the London Underground, is an area of the city that few tourists would visit. There is a wonderful mix of people there from Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East, alongside people whose families have lived there for generations. While in Leytonstone we attended the local church, which was just a block or two from our flat.

One of the high points of our stay in London was having a visit with John McLaren from Victoria. John, a Professor Emeritus in the Law Faculty of UVic was here doing research in the London Archives. Also in London at the time was Charles Wallace an old friend and currently Headmaster of St Thomas’ Choir School of Manhatten, New York City. The choir from Charles’ school was on tour in England and happened to be singing evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral while John was in London. So
Karen at SchoolKaren at SchoolKaren at School

We had a nice visit to Karen's learning assistance room at her school in St John's Wood during the last week of school in July.
John, our daughter Karen, Gerry and I attended evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral, had a short visit with Charles and then all went for a lovely dinner out.

Our final excursion was to Norwich in East Anglia to visit Liz Pierce a good friend and former schoolmate of Christine Scott’s. We had a wonderful weekend with Liz enjoying great weather of the August Bank Holiday weekend, which for many in England signals the end of the summer break. So, it was back to London and on August 30, on to Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

Although back in July it felt like our time in London might never end, it has and so we move on to Tanzania, where new friends and fresh adventures await.



Additional photos below
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A Day Trip to CambridgeA Day Trip to Cambridge
A Day Trip to Cambridge

How they would love to be coeds again.....
Salisbury CathedralSalisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral

We spent a day in Salisbury, much of which was spent touring the cathedral.
A Day in the SunA Day in the Sun
A Day in the Sun

A colourful beach scene at St Ives in Cornwall.
Mount St MichaelMount St Michael
Mount St Michael

Mount St Michael is near Penzance in Cornwall, where we stayed. After a water taxi ride to the base of the Mount we climbed to the castle at the top and enjoyed some spectacular views.
A Visit With John McLarenA Visit With John McLaren
A Visit With John McLaren

We were fortunate while in London to have visit and dinner with our friend John McLaren from Victoria.
Saying Good-Bye to EngandSaying Good-Bye to Engand
Saying Good-Bye to Engand

A momentous occasion - our first dose of antimlarials in preparation for departure. Tanzania - here we come!!


31st August 2007

Congrats!
Hey there... congratulations to Bruce and Gerry! You are finally on your way. Keep those photos coming....loved the one of you two popping pills! All our prayers are with you for a safe and life affirming experience in the months ahead.... love Denise.

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