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Published: November 23rd 2008
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Retrospection:
Siberia, May 2005. While we are wandering along the icy shores of Lake Baikal Kim and Richard aka Cumberland Sausage tell us about this new cool site called travelblog.
Laos, two months later, 35 °C warmer. We are uploading our first blog in a Vientiane internet café. 25 more are to follow.
Basel, summer 2007. After the end of our trip our blog culminates in blog number 26
Around the world in 716 days - our Top 10 lists and herewith comes to an end. Since then - much against our will - our travelblog has been on standby.
But was it really the end?
No, now for a second time Cumberland Sausage is the trigger for us to pull out pen and camera and awake our blog from hibernation. After their amazing travelling year the two seem to have resettled into their British lives very well. Therefore, it was no big surprise (but great pleasure) when we received an invitation for a wedding which was to be held in a beautiful hostel in the Lake District. Some months later, on a beautiful autumn day, we are boarding a plane from Basel.
Liverpool, John Lennon airport, 18.32 o'clock. Wind and rain (horizontal), 10 °C.
The hairdo doesn’t hold. Welcome to England.
The wedding
It was our first Anglican wedding and we were indeed delighted to see how very much it resembled the weddings we had only known from the movies so far. Everything was just right: the quick beer in the pub just before the ceremony, the rain storm turning around umbrellas and lifting up the ladies’ hats, the beautiful bridal couple of course, and the deep charming voice of the pastor: “Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her…”
After church the celebration continues in a tent which much to our surprise had withstood the torrent of water of the last 24 hours. And it is here, inside the tent, that we are finally to comprehend the term ‘Cumberland Sausage’ as they suddenly lay in front of us on our plates. The Cumbrian specialties and fine wines are soon making everybody feel comfortable and happy. Everyone but one man who still seems to be a bit uneasy as the best man is rising to speak. But apart from a somewhat shady overnight adventure on the dome of Cologne the groom seems to have an immaculate reputation. No other
explosive details are revealed and the party could truly start.
And so we danced and sung and jumped and celebrated until, on midnight sharp, somebody pulled the power plug. Obviously there seemed to be a strict closing time. Nobody complained for more than a few seconds, very British indeed, and the guests moved inside the house for another beer (the one before the last one). A successful day is taking its course…
A word about the weather
Although we were assured repeatedly that this was the worst summer within living memory - the father of the groom even claimed that this was the worst summer since they have started recording weather data back in the 18th century - we are still not convinced. Rather we developed the theory that Britons must have a very bad memory which ultimately is the reason why they all still live on this island. Alternatively, you may just get used to it. As a matter of fact most guests seemed not as shocked as we were and it was quite impressive, how dozens of people went for a one hour run in the rain on the morning of the wedding ceremony.
We agree though, that on a sunny day, this must be a marvellous spot of land, for it was already quite impressive immersed in the few grey shades those rainy September days were able to produce.
While on the first day, which turned out to be the driest, we complained a lot about the weather, we already went for a five hour walk around Derwent Water on the second day. We like to think that we adapted quite marvellously - which would speak for the get-used-to-it-theory - and admired waterfalls in the rain before we warmed up with a cup of English tea and scones.
The honeymoon riddle
Because the groom has been so lucky to see a few parts of the world in his life and is to a certain amount aware of the climatic disadvantages of his homeland he had arranged for an exquisite honeymoon. Only the bride shouldn’t know in advance. However, the groom was so certain about the exclusivity of the destination that he gave us the following hints:
You can pay in euro
You fly from a non-English European city
It has mountains and beaches
It is close to the equator
It is a longish flight
We bet a Swiss bratwurst on an island in the Southern Indian Ocean. Enjoy!
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Stephen Paul
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The riddle, solved
The riddle of the Cumberland Sausage and Lovely Planet that is! What a great post, its always interesting to see who people really are behind their travelblog alter egos. Fantastic pictures, you must have really brought your tripod and kept your eyes open to spot "the English Rainforest" and "derwwent jetty"! Tell Richard and Kim that because of this blog we are ALL looking forward the pictures and stories of their honeymoon travelblog!