Travel Journal, 2016 October to December

2 Nov 2016

The Sacra Infermeria, a hospital established by the Knights of St John in the 16th century. It showed the centuries of hospital experience that the Knights had had since the Crusades. It served as a hospital for over 300 years until the end of WWI.

Amy's birthday today, hence a toast to her from we four, lunching at a pleasant Italian restaurant in Mdina, the one-time capital of Malta.

A typical street scene in Valletta, founded by the Knights over 400 years ago, and regarded as the world's first planned city.

31 Oct 2016

David had booked an apartment on the top floor overlooking all the comings and goings in Malta's Grand Harbour.

Looking in the other direction towards Sliema across the heads of ...

A great view through the apartment windows of the cruise ships...

30 Oct 2016

We took the late Ryanair flight to Malta last night to catch up with Jenny and David who had arrived only a few days after Louisa's and Joe's wedding. Malta, as a museum guide said, is an insignificant part of Europe geographically, but hugely important historically; something that we were all about to realise.

Ruled at various times by the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, the Knights of St John, the French and finally the English, it has a rich 7,000 year old history. Malta withstood a ferocious Ottoman siege in 1565 and it survived a World War II blitz by German and Italian bombers.

25 Oct 2016

24 Oct 2016

22 Oct 2016

Formal signing of the register for Mr Jothann Durnall and the new Mrs Louisa Durnall.

22 Oct 2016

The expanding Gilpin family on the occasion of Louisa's and Joe's wedding; Tim and Liv on the left, Amy holding their son Oscar on the right.

Guests from all over the world came to enjoy the good weather at Hampton Manor, Solihull; the newlyweds shown here with best man Ben and the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

With Louisa and our new son-in-law, Joe.

22 Oct 2016

Uncle Bill's Welsh humour at the signing of the register. (Must find out what he said.)

The "Phipps girls", left to right: Amy, Sue, Tracey, Kathy and Pauline.

John & Jane Durnall

22 Oct 2016

The Dutch connection; with cousin Sue.

Sue's partner Wilfred, with a very happy Louisa.

Jenny and David, all the way from Sydney.

9 Oct 2016

A busy weekend watching the Wallabies grind out a rare 2016 win at Twickenham and hosting motorhomer drinks in the new van for Sue S's extended big birthday celebrations.

5 Oct 2016

Pauline & Bill, freshly arrived from Sydney, meeting the new great nephew. Oscar seemed to enjoy lunch at Jamie's Italian.

After lunch, a chance to stroll around the London Olympic area past the architecturally stunning swimming centre. Cranes in the background show the amount of construction under way.

While Rosemarie and Pauline attended to wedding planning things, Bill and I spent the day wandering around London before sharing several pints at the iconic George pub opposite the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand. This was the view on the way home.

1 Oct 2016

Rosemarie's birthday today and what better way to celebrate than to hear, in the Royal Albert Hall, the London Philharmonic Orchestra play their tribute to the music of John Williams, the world's most prolific composer of film scores.

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