MsSkilzo

[msskilzo]

Hello from the confines of my apartment.

Although The O Report usually only appears when I am travelling I decided to spend a little time writing about my current situation and keep you updated on what I am up to.

And so here we are world, millions of people being asked to stay at home. You would think that is not that hard however the crowds at our Australian beaches and people having parties and gatherings show why much of the world have gone into lockdown. Here in Australia we are not at full lockdown but I feel it is only a matter of time. On a solo walk yesterday I passed a local park and was angered to see a group of three people lazing in the sunshine and then turn to greet their friend who was strolling up to join their group. This group was seated away from but on the same lawn as a family and several solo people with laptops, books, etc. What part of stay home and not congregate in public do these people not get?

I do not want to dwell on others and their lack of comprehension of the situation we are facing as a worldwide community. Instead more about me. I mean, I am pretty important, hahaha.

So what have I been up to…

Exercise: I have been lucky enough to be able to borrow some equipment from my lovely gym Fernwood St Kilda. This means that I am lucky enough to be able to use my Les Mills on Demand app on my TV to do Body Pump and Body Step. As well as the activities that do not require any equipment. Of course there are so many online exercises all over the internet, on social media and in apps for home exercise. I have also gone for some walks and a run but I do really want to try and stay in now as much as I can so home workouts it is.

TV: OK so no-one really wants to admit that they are watching A LOT of television at the moment but for most of us it is true. I have Netfilx, and Stan, access to iTunes and the shows I love that are on Foxtel (as I do not have Foxtel) and just the general internet and TV. I think I will make a list of things I have been watching and you can find it here (in progress). I will update as I go along so maybe you will get some reviews and ideas from me. If anyone has any suggestions let me know and maybe I will add them to my list, or I can just add if you loved or loathed them.

Books: I do not just want to sit around watching TV so I am endeavouring to read more as well. Again I will make a separate post about what I am reading (here). But so far I have finished the book I was reading, Rich People Problems, the last of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. And yes I have read the other two previously.

Cleaning: Well this is one that I keep saying I am going to do. Let’s just say its a work in progress and that slow and steady will win the race. I hope…

Cooking: When I first started writing this I had many ingredients and had only made one Zucchini Slice. It was a good Zucchini Slice however I had not cooked much. However last night, before I actually posted this, I got moving and made Thai Pumpkin Soup (basically has curry paste in it), a not so great I think Laksa (minus some of the amazing ingredients that make it great and not from an authentic source) and some Chili Con Carne. I have more to do but that is a good start if I do say so myself. Though trying to cook a plastic container due to turning on the wrong burner was not the best idea.

Social Interaction: Well this one is a difficult one to do and of course I am not meaning actually going and visiting people or hanging out. I have been using the amazing technologies that we have at our disposal these days. Of course calling Mum and Dad. I have done some FaceTime with my niece and nephew. My amazing Wednesday night crew have really been getting into this socialising from home with a Wednesday night Netflix Party, where we watched Emoji Movie together. And last night we checked out Zoom and Houseparty together. Oh and we have all started playing Words with Friends 2 together. So it has made it a little less isolating which is nice.

Otherwise I have just been working on dealing with these crazy times. Contacting the bank. Talking to work about options as I do a job you cannot do from home. And some home work for a project I am working on (which I will talk more about once I have more to reveal). But I am going to keep working on it and make use of my new time.

Well there you go that is my one week of no work update. I am working towards being more productive and getting things done but at the procrastinator I am we will have to see. But here we go.

Stay at home – No work, week one Hello from the confines of my apartment. Although The O Report usually only appears when I am travelling I decided to spend a little time writing about my current situation and keep you updated on what I am up to.

[msskilzo]

Homeward bound - Day Sixty Three and Sixty Four

Homeward bound – Day Sixty Three and Sixty Four

Wednesday, 13 June 2018 and Thursday, 14 June 2018

I will combine these two days together as it is travel day and so Wednesday quickly becomes Thursday due to time zone changes.

So the day started out with final packing and breakfast at the hotel. Once we were ready it was a final time we would leave a hotel with our bags in tow. We walked back to Terminal 4 where we got the free train between…

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Last full day - Day Sixty Two

Last full day – Day Sixty Two

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

So we have come to our last full day of our trip and it is starting with breakfast, packing and making our way to the Premier Inn Heathrow Terminal 4. We left at around 11.00am as that was check out and to avoid peak trains but as we still could not check in until 2.00pm we decided to have a coffee at Victoria before taking the tube. After enjoying our sit and having a…

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London shopping spree - Day Sixty One

London shopping spree – Day Sixty One

Monday, 11 June 2018

Our return to London allowed us to do some shopping before heading home. We made our way to some spots we wanted to go for Monopoly photos before heading toward Oxford Street. We also visited the street Mum and Dad bought their Volvo from in 1977. Unsurprisingly, the dealership was no longer there. This was off Piccadilly and from here we walked down Old Bond Street to New…

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Ireland, you've been grand - Day Sixty

Ireland, you’ve been grand – Day Sixty

Sunday, 9 June 2018

Well Ireland it has been grand. But it is time to say goodbye as we return to London for our final days before returning home. So it was up and getting ready before breakfast, packing and heading off. The Airlink bus stop was reasonably close so that was handy and soon enough we were on our way to the airport. The whole check in process was automated and self serve which was…

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Saturday, 9 June 2018

Out on to the streets of Dublin we went again today. We walked along O’Connell Street, across the river and up the street until we reached Trinity College. We entered the grounds and marvelled at the 18th century buildings that surrounded the cobbled paths. Although the university opened during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the current buildings are not original but still spectacular. The university is famous for being the home of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript in Latin with gospels from the bible. We did not go and see the book, just looked around the grounds.

After our visit here we walked to the bus stop and got the hop on, hop off bus once again. We had the 48 hour pass so we could easily get around. Again we passed some attractions again but again new with a new driver, and the bus went further into the park than yesterday so we saw a bit more which was nice. The bus made its way around and we got off at the stop for the Jameson Distillery Bow Street. This was the original distillery for Jameson Whiskey for many years and although it is now distilled in County Cork the Bow Street facility is a wonderful tour showing how the whisky is made and a tasting experience. On the tour, which was updated in 2017 for those who might have been before, we went in to a room and our guide, Darren, told us about the Jameson story. It was really good. He told the story while on a screen on the table in front the imagery showed aspects of the story. We then move to a room about how the whiskey is made. Not only are we told but there are things to feel, smell and touch. Next is the tasting. You not only taste Jameson whiskey (three times distilled) but examples of American (once distilled) and Scotch (twice distilled) to show differences. Finally, after the tour finished you can have a neat or with dry drink in the bar. It was all very nice. As we were having our drink we got talking to some ladies, one from Ireland and one from the USA. They had made friends online years ago in chat rooms and now are good friends and travel when they can. They were going to Croatia with another friend from Belgium. Such a great story of friendship. It was so nice chatting to them.

The rest of the day was spent going around, getting some lunch and then a wander through Temple Bar before heading back to our hotel.

Whiskey – Day Fifty Nine Saturday, 9 June 2018 Out on to the streets of Dublin we went again today. We walked along O'Connell Street, across the river and up the street until we reached Trinity College.

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Friday, 8 June 2018

Dublin awaited us today and we headed off to O’Connell Street and found the office to buy tickets on the DoDublin Hop on, hop off bus. We then headed out and got on the bus outside. This bus was a live tour where the driver is the guide. As we headed around the guide told stories about Dublin and the sights and was very funny. It made the tour a bit of fun. We had decided to go all the way around first as it is good to get a feel for the city as well as enjoying the whole tour. I was a little worried about Mum as she was not feeling 100 percent. But after a Panadol she felt much better so we did not have to get off. It was a really good bus tour allowing us to see and hear about so much of the city. Highly recommended.

Once we had done the whole loop we got off and found a bar for a drink before getting something for lunch. Then we made our way back to a bus stop that was closer to our next destination. Once on the bus we did pass the some of the same attractions we already had but as it was a new driver some of the jokes and stories were different.

We were not on the bus for long though as we arrived at the Guinness Storehouse after a few stops. We headed in and started the tour. It is a self guided tour that follows through the making of Guinness and its story. There is also information on the transport and marketing of Guinness which is interesting. Of course along the way you also do a tasting which was interesting. It focuses on the smells from the ingredients heightening the senses and then taste in a way to get the most out of the drink. I do not believe I have ever drunk Guinness and so I was very interested. Thinking I would not like it I was surprised to find I quite liked it. If you wish you can also do a class in how to pour the perfect pint. We did not do that as we were getting a bit tired and as Mum was still a bit ill we thought we would pass. So we headed up to the Galaxy Bar at the top where we got a pint each. I did get a classic Guinness but Mum got a lager as she is not really a fan. We enjoyed the views of the city from the bar with 360 degree views of the city.

We were lucky enough to have a bus arrive right as we left and continued around to the first stop near our accommodation thinking about what we would do tomorrow.

Hop on, hop off for a pint – Day Fifty Eight Friday, 8 June 2018 Dublin awaited us today and we headed off to O'Connell Street and found the office to buy tickets on the DoDublin Hop on, hop off bus.

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Thursday, 7 June 2018

Today we say goodbye to Cork and head back to Dublin. So we had breakfast, packed and made our way to the train station. After a bit of a wait for a our train we were off. It was a fairly good trip and soon enough we were back in Dublin. We grabbed some lunch and got a taxi back to our hotel.

We had a bit of a rest before heading out for some dinner. We had some trouble finding something we felt like but eventually found a nice restaurant. We were in a bit of a hurry as we had a show to go to.

We were attending Michael McIntyre’s Big World Tour show at the 3 Arena. Although Michael will be going to Australia I thought it would be fun to see him while we were over and the show in Dublin fit in with our trip. And it was fantastic. The support act was funny, except the joke about us calling football, soccer. Get over it. Michael was so good. I find his comedy really funny and can generally relate, although it did help with some skits that we had travelled around the UK as there were things that we might not have got if not.

It was nice to get out and do something in the evening and it was good to have s good laugh. I had never been to a comedy show and this was a really good one.

Back to Dublin for a laugh – Day Fifty Seven Thursday, 7 June 2018 Today we say goodbye to Cork and head back to Dublin. So we had breakfast, packed and made our way to the train station.

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Wednesday, 6 June 2018

The Carnival Eclipse in port at Cobh. Photo: Olivia Skillern

As yesterday we saw most of Cork, or at least what we wanted to we decided to go to a nearby town and harbour port, Cobh. For so long figuring out what the pronunciation of the place was tough but somewhere along the line we learned that it is basically pronounced Cove, based on a former name. After a visit by Queen Victoria the name changed in 1849 to Queenstown and it stayed that way until around 1920 when it changed to Cobh, the Gaelic version of the former name, Cove. The town is on an island and is the main place in the Port of Cork and Ireland’s only port of call for cruise ships. The Carnival Eclipse happened to be in port today so there were quite a few people around. It is a huge ship and so grand docked next to the train station where we arrived from Cork.

The train station now only needs to have a platform so they have converted the old dining and waiting station into the Cobh Heritage Centre. The centre focuses on emigration from Ireland by sea. Following through time there is lots of information about people emigrating and travelling to far off places like the Americas, Barbados (including being kidnapped) and of course Australia, highlighted by most convicts being Irish but talking about the gold rush and the hope of a better life as well.

Not only has emigration been the function of the port but also a stop for major shipping lines for people and mail going to the USA. The most famous ship to visit the port was in fact the most famous ship in history, the Titanic. Cobh, or Queenstown at the time, was the last port of call for the ill fated ship on its maiden and final voyage. 123 people embarked in Cobh, 113 of which were steerage passengers and three first class, seven second class.

Sadly, another disaster was associated with Cobh. The Lusitania was another ocean liner however the disaster was due to World War One when on the 7th of May 1915 à German U- boat torpedoed the ship and it sunk in 18 minutes, with a loss of 1198 lives. This led to international disapproval ultimately leading the USA to enter the war. As the sinking was off the coast of Ireland Cobh was where the survivors were taken.

The centre had such an interesting history and great stories. We spent a lot of time just soaking it all up.

After leaving we went for a walk into Cobh and got some lunch at a cafe. We then had a look around. We looked out to sea from the John F. Kennedy Park, yes named after the President who is of Irish descent, which was nice and a good idea of what our ancestors would have looked to before the long gruelling journey they were embarking on. I will take my 24 hours of flying any day.

Cobh and the Titanic – Day Fifty Six Wednesday, 6 June 2018 As yesterday we saw most of Cork, or at least what we wanted to we decided to go to a nearby town and harbour port, Cobh.

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Tuesday, 5 June 2018

It was off to explore Cork today. We had decided the best way was to get the hop on, hop off bus so we got the bus to town where we met the tourist bus. As always with these buses there was an interesting commentary about the town which allowed us to learn some new bits and bobs about the city. We made our way around and decided to get off at the old gaol. This was a functioning gaol from 1824 until 1923. The self guided tour was interesting and as I had chosen to get the audio guide I was able to hear the stories of the characters along the way. These included old, young, dangerous and petty criminals who had graced the halls of the gaol over the years. It was very interesting and highlighted not only the conditions of the gaol but of the lives of the poor outside where for some the gaol was s place with food, shelter and some heat that they were not getting outside. We were a bit excited to see that there was a mannequin of the doctor coming and it was Dr Beamish. Maybe an ancestor. At the end of the tour was an audio visual presentation about the judicial system and the people going into the gaol. Of course others were sent to penal colonies like Australia or sentenced to death. It was an interesting gaol and worth a visit.

It was back on the bus for us and we finished the tour through the city passing by more interesting buildings and the university. We had a look in the English Market and although it was raved about I found it just like any market in Australia. We then got some lunch before hopping back on the bus and made our way back up to the Butter Museum. This highlighted the history of butter making in Ireland and the marketing of the Irish product to the world. It was a little bit old but interesting as the timeframes on how they made butter did differ from our industry in Australia.

Finally we got the bus back to the city centre, made some enquiries, got some food and found the bus back to our apartment.

A day in Cork – Day Fifty Five Tuesday, 5 June 2018 It was off to explore Cork today. We had decided the best way was to get the hop on, hop off bus so we got the bus to town where we met the tourist bus.

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Off to Cork - Day Fifty Five

Off to Cork – Day Fifty Five

Monday, 4 June 2018

Funnily enough we encountered another Bank Holiday and in some ways this was a good thing, in others not as much. We easily made our way by taxi to the train station where we had plenty of time to have some breakfast before our train. A bit before our departure time we boarded our train. Plenty of room for our bags and our pre-booked seats ready with our names above them. It…

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An EPIC day - Day Fifty Three

An EPIC day – Day Fifty Three

Sunday, 3 June 2018

My passport for the EPIC museum in Dublin.

We had a day in Dublin to do some tourist attractions and we certainly had a great time. We headed to EPIC, the Irish emigration museum. It is so modern and well done. When you enter you are given a passport, and that is everyone, not just kids. The first thing I noticed was a poster about migrating to Australia for single women. Then…

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Flybe to the Emerald Isle - Day Fifty Two

Flybe to the Emerald Isle – Day Fifty Two

Saturday, 2 June 2018

Well today is a day of moving on so we had to pack our bags. It was not that easy to get everything in my suitcase but I got there in the end. After a morning getting organised we headed in to Crediton for a final lunch at Nessie’s before heading to the airport. It was a good run so we had plenty of time to check in, though the security staff were a bit rude I must admit.

Ou…

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Farewell little car - Day Fifty One

Farewell little car – Day Fifty One

Friday, 1 June 2018

While in Crediton this was another quiet day. We had to return our hie car and so we drove in to Exeter and said goodbye to our trusty Volkswagen. We had seen a Costa on our way in so called Sheila and said not to rush and we would meet her there. We walked up and got a drink while we waited. After getting Sheila a drink too we headed off. Sheila needed to pick up eggs for…

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Thursday, 31 May 2018

Our last day in Cornwall was a misty one and we decided to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The mist actually made them quite nice. These gardens are a very large and varied gardens which were neglected during World War One when the gardeners went to war and not revitalised until the 1990’s. We headed off down a track which passed some pretty cool natural sculptures, a favourite of mine was the Mud Maid. The extensive gardens include a jungle, with tree ferns from Tasmania making it like the bush at home in many ways. I waited and crossed the Burma Rope Bridge which was a bit of fun before making our way along the track to the main gardens. There’s are an array of other gardens from flowers to vegetables alongside farm animals. It was a lovely and relaxing day out.

We continued our way back up the motorway and made our way back to Crediton. We just had a relaxing rest of the afternoon and went and had a lovely chat to some friends of Bob and Sheila’s after dinner as they had some farm work to do.

Lost Gardens – Day Fifty Thursday, 31 May 2018 Our last day in Cornwall was a misty one and we decided to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

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Wednesday, 30 May 2018

St Michael’s Mount. Photo: Olivia Skillern

Well the English weather decided to rear its ugly head today with grey skies and rain, lots of rain. But it was off to see another former ancestors home, St Michael’s Mount. We made our way through the rain and made it in good time. St Michael’s Mount is an island off the coast of Cornwall and can be accessed via a walkway at low tide and boat at high tide. It was low tide so we headed over by foot. I could not really see all that well as with all the rain I was looking down a lot, watching my feet on the wet stones and trying to keep the rain off my glasses. On arrival Mum asked about a likely far off relative she had met when she had visited eight years ago but unfortunately he was away. So we headed up to the castle. It was quite a walk and as I’ve not done much over the past few weeks I could feel my lack of fitness as I made my way up the steep hill. But we made it and went into the castle. Originally a monastery run by the same order of monks as Mont Saint Michel off Normandy, France, the castle has been a private home for centuries. It has been owned by the same family for several generations and they now, alongside the National Trust, run the island as a tourist attraction. Open to the public are several rooms with historic furniture and paintings shared by the family. Like others throughout England it shows how the people lived in the past. There is an extensive gallery of maps which are very interesting. Also the views out over the water are lovely and I’m sure much better when the sun is shining.

Castle at St Michael’s Mount. Photo: Olivia Skillern

We carefully made our way down the path and decided to have a coffee and a sit down before having a look at the gardens. It was nice to get off my soggy feet for a bit. Thankfully the rain held off while we wandered through the lovely gardens that look out to the sea. Lots of work has been done to make it and it is a nice escape really as, despite the rain, the island was quite crowded but the gardens not so much.

We had a quick look at a display on the island and the gift shop before heading back across the causeway, again in quite heavy rain.

As this was our lSt full day in Cornwall, and we were soaking wet we decided to get a nice, hot Cornish pasty for lunch. I had been looking forward to this. We got one from a small shop on the road near the causeway and it was a good choice. It was lovely, just as I would imagine. We were very glad we got one.

As it was raining we did not think we would actually go anywhere and I had taken off my very wet shoes to drive so we just went for a drive. We drove down to Mousehole and had a look at the harbour and village there before making our way back to Truro.

Despite the weather it was a good day. Though I fear my shoes may have come to a soggy end.

A soggy day at St Michael’s Mount – Day Forty Nine Wednesday, 30 May 2018 Well the English weather decided to rear its ugly head today with grey skies and rain, lots of rain.

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Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Today’s Cornwall adventure saw us heading to Port Isaac, otherwise known as Doc Martin’s Port Wenn. On arrival we had to park at the top and walk down the hill to the village and harbour. From a high up place I spotted Doc Martin’s cottage on the hill opposite. We had a look at the harbour and walked up for a closer look at the doc’s cottage. Then wandered through the streets of the village. I was sure the Buttermilk confectionery shop was Mrs Tishell’s pharmacy and after going in for a look saw that I was correct as there was a sign and a signed neck brace in there. With our map we saw Bert’s restaurant, the school and Louisa’s cottage. Not only was the village the set of Doc Martin but also a lovely little, historic fishing village. The buildings and harbour are lovely. We finished up our visit with a walk along a coastal path looking over the ocean. It was very nice though a bit misty to see too clearly.

After lugging ourselves back up the hill to the car we headed off toward Padstoe along a more coastal road. It would have been nicer if it did not have the classic southwestern English narrow roads with hedges so we could not see much. We got to Padstow but it was really busy so after a drive by look we kept going. We did want to stop along the way but everywhere we tried to stop was really busy with events on or just lots of people at the beach. Even once we got to Newquay there was traffic backed up out of town. So we headed back to Truro as we had had a look at the coast and it was a nice morning. Once we got to Truro and found a park we decided to go to a nice tea house, Charlotte’s Tea House, which is located in the old coin exchange building. I had wanted a cream tea so our lunch turned into that. I actually had the High Tea which was a sandwich and a scone, jam and cream, as opposed to the two scones with jam and cream Mum got with her cream tea. Of course we both had tea.

Finally we had a bit of a look in the shops before heading back for a rest late afternoon. Mum woke up very early and could not sleep again and was a bit tired and after all the running around we have done we find we’re getting tired easily now.

But another good day was had and we will be ready for another one tomorrow.

A visit to the Doc – Day Forty Eight Tuesday, 29 May 2018 Today's Cornwall adventure saw us heading to Port Isaac, otherwise known as Doc Martin's Port Wenn.