…grayblog…

Category: married life

  • Picture double bill

    From the honeymoon – Mount Etna erupting.
    Mount Etna, seen from the north side from about half-way up the side
    We decided that close inspection of the crater probably wasn’t called for.

    From the wedding – Lord Percy and Peet ham it up.
    Lord Percy, Peet and the Angel of Death
    The full effect of the red wine was setting in by this point. (Photo courtesy of Mrs Peet).

  • Come on in…

    …the water’s lovely.
    Hels swimming in the bay at Mondello
    Alternative caption: Hels’s poor hearing meant that she was oblivious to the horns of the supertanker as it ran her down.

  • Just for once…

    …a major company offers good service (so far!). Top marks to BT for making transferring our home telephone account, my business telephone account and my broadband connection to our new address so simple. It’ll all be installed on the day we move in and should be up and running by mid-afternoon. And all this was organised with two simple telephone calls.
    Of course, we have yet to see if they actually deliver this service on November 26th!

  • News update

    • I think I have the beginnings of a cold – sore throat and general lacklustre status.
    • Yesterday, we bought a car – a 2000 silver Peugeot 306. If I’m lucky, I may get to drive it once a month – for me, it’ll be the handmedown 1992 Peugeot 106. Seriously, I think we got a good deal, having spent most of Saturday and a large part of Sunday morning trawling through used car dealers (limited choice, some expensive), used car supermarkets (big choice, very expensive) and the small-ads (good choice if you don’t mind travelling, and sometimes good value, but no warranty, servicing or extras). The car we have chosen comes to us from a small dealer and has actually been used by his fiancée – he had the V5 to show it has been in her name for quite a while. Only one previous owner, a very low mileage, brand new MOT and a service history at a Peugeot main dealer. He’s also getting a minor bump on the back bumper fixed and getting a new service at the dealer before we take delivery of the car this weekend.
    • Amsterdam was its usual hectic and mildly aggressive self. I can’t recommend the Botel floating hotel – although the location is great (right by Amsterdam Centraal station), the thin walls and ceilings mean the rooms are noisy. It was also particularly cold. However, flying EUJet from Kent International is a good thing – cheap and cheerful, yes, but cheaper and easier than EasyJet from Gatwick, assuming you have the means to get to Manston.

    UPDATE: it seems our new car is an import, so we may have problems with insurance.

  • Beach babe

    Hels in Cefalú harbour.
    my wife

  • Seedy

    You know, there was something about the markets in Sicily that set my pulses racing:
    sacks of beans and pulses in Syracusa market
    Off to Amsterdam for 24 hours. There will be more photos, I promise. And possibly more puns.

  • House

    Forgot to say that Hels and I signed and exchanged all the papers and paid over a hefty sum of money on Monday for the new house. We will get the keys on the 26th. We’re immensely relieved that we are on the home straight now with the house purchase. If only we could make progress with the sale of Hels’s flat…

  • We’re home…

    …and absolutely adored every minute in Sicily. Even if a few places were a bit fishy.
    a tray of fish in the market in Albergheria, Palermo
    There will be more photos from Sicily and from the wedding. It may take me a few days to sort out, as I have a load of work to catch up on, lots to sort out with the house move, the BBC News archive to catch up on, and I’m off to Amsterdam for a flying visit at the end of the week.

  • The best day ever

    the bride and groom
    This the only photo in which I’m not grinning like an idiot.
    More when we get home from the honeymoon.

    And thank you for all your lovely messages.

  • Tomorrow

    I am, officially, excited.

    I’ll try and post a picture or two on Monday. Have a good weekend.