Picture Source : United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

THAILAND here I come - I fly out from Gatwick tomorrow evening and arrive in Bangkok Friday at 6pm. I've been primed to tell all the taxi touts crowding into the arrivals lounge that "No, this is NOT my first time in Thailand, it's my tenth - and I'm not taking any crap so f*** off", which seems a tad impolite, not to mention a downright lie, but hey. I'm booked into Big John's Backpacker Hostel - it's cheap and sounds cheerful - and I've been told how much the taxi fare should be (avoiding the toll road). We'll see.

Woo hooooo! I've finished all the examination of the newborn checks I needed to complete the practice portfolio - all FIFTY of them. Including the last five which had to be supervised by a consultant Paediatrician no less (very offputting, having someone looking over your shoulder even if they are very nice) - and I've passed - that bit anyway. The Paed said I was 'competent, confident and thorough' and I hadn't even offered the bribe...

Walks - SWCP the last two days, Sat & Sun.

Next morning we packed up very leisurely and were disappointed to see the tail lights of the bus disappearing up the hill just as we emerged from the farm gates. We trudged on up the hill fantasising about bacon butties at the top - next best thing - a garage with an array of fruit, snacks and saffron buns. Bus came along the main road after a 5 minute wait and plopped us off in Marazion again, where we had a cup of caffeine to gee us up.

The way is well signposted - at least at the start, and we could see ST Michael's Mount in the distance as we walked throught fields. In Ludgvan village we found a pub set in aspic.

It seemed set in some previous time and all dimpsy inside. Publican not so sure about providing us with a packed lunch but was eventually persuaded to give us probably the most expensive foil wrapped rolls for our onward journey.

The next few way markers were knocked over - local disapproval of St Michael's way?

Walking through fields was certainly a contrast to the coast path - here we startled some calves...

And there were some strange sights to be seen over hedges -

Once we got past Trencrom Hill, we set off in search of the last campsite we would need, and left the footsteps of St Michael (it went along roads from there anyway - and we had a preference for footpaths through fields and woods. We followed the cows in for milking (along with a bull trying to rut) around Trink Farm. Eventually we found Balnoon on the foothills of Lelant Downs - small, pretty, clean and with a very pleasant and welcoming owner, Mrs Lang, who evidently has long term campers returning year after year.

Many of the stiles marked on the map were overgrown and disused around here. Got stung by nettles and bashed by flying rucksacks. Jane got mild sunstroke and I wasn't a very sympathetic nurse. We slept like logs.

Sunday, last day, we were only a short stroll of two miles from St Ives.

This is Jane looking a bit more refreshed! We had an amazingly zen like experience - in the flow. We had breakfast of croissants and coffee in a cafe in St Ives, sitting outside overlooking the sea. The waitress was so impressed with Syd she gave him a special biscuit treat. Then we strolled around The Tate while Syd waited outside. After that, it was time for a lunch of Pasties (what else, in Cornwall?). By which time we thought we'd better get along to the station for the train home (not looking at watches at all). The train was WAITING for us! All connections strightforward and we were home for a cup of tea by 5pm. Wonderful.

Sadly a lot of my photos seem to have disappeared in the resetting of my computer, even though I thought I'd saved them on a CD. Tant pis. Hope I'll get some good ones in Thailand.

As a wonderful, leisurely, magical trip (lots of leylines!) I'd recommend walking from St Ives to St Ives. And there's a huge number of guest houses if you don't fancy carrying all the gear like we did.

New LOOK.

I've just changed to the new beta blogger - seem to have lost a few links in the process. It should be easier to use than messing about with HTML, which I was never that happy with.

Forwarded from the New Zealand midwives' mailing list...

How many midwives does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Two: one to sit there and wait for the old bulb to fall out of the socket naturally with no intervention, and one to give emotional support.

Well - things aren't quite back to normal, but at least I've managed to upload some pics from camera! Unfortunately the camera card went awry with the ones I'd taken of my final secret package and of the before and after raised beds in the garden. :-(
I've put the remaining goodies together - including the beautiful crocheted bead bracelet (in presentation box) that Yvonne gave me at the Knit and Knatter stall in the show at Westpoint, Exeter. The choccies are missing (obviously) - as is the special snowdrop soap, but you can see there was a knitting needle theme and colour coordination (my favourite greens). Look at the lovely stitch markers! I've used them as an inspiration to make some of my own - and given them as a prezzies to two of the most faithful attenders of the Bovey Stitch and Bitch. Yvonne also sent me Debbie Bliss cashmerino with a pattern to make up into a soft and sumptious loopy scarf - I finished that in a week, as you can see!

Here's the beginning of the Kaffe Fassett tumbling blocks bedcover/blanket. I'm knitting it on two circs as it's soooooo loooooong.

I should be finishing off the practice portfolio for the Examination of the Newborn course I started all those months ago. This is deversion therapy. The portfolio is already late in. sigh.

Update

Thankyou all so much for your lovely messages! mwah! mwah!
Still can't upload pics from my camera or from my printer - as can't find the original cds to load software so the PC recognises the hardware. Am going to take the lot to PC world tomorrow morning and have a tantrum, and see if they can't get it sorted -

In the meantime - DS looks great in the fisherman's jumper.
I've started the Kaffe Fassett tumbling blocks bedcover from his 'classics' book - should be the ultimate stash buster and longterm project and great fun (if only for the time spent untangling all the little balls of wool used in the intarsia!).

It's in the background on the cover page - I got sent the hardback version of this book by Glitterlover via Yowllyy as a RABCK - thanks, Glitterlover and Yowllyy!

And I've picked up another UFO - a fairly mindless, knitanywhere, moss stitch baby's jumper from Debbie Bliss' 'Baby Knits'. I started this so long ago, I'd forgotten what it was - and had to search through several books before I found the pattern! And, of course, I still have toe up, Blue Regia socks on the go - nearly finished one, which means I'll probably get 'one sock syndrome' and never get around to starting, let alone finishing, the next...

I'm off to Thailand in a couple of weeks (on my own - dh doesn't like to travel outside of UK!) - hope I can take some knitting on the airplane. And hope I can get camera working properly. I'm flying to Bangkok, and hopefully getting myself a Thai massage before heading down to Phuket for three days sea kakaking around Phang Nga Bay (spelling??!) then back up North to Chiang Mai for Interhash and I'll stay there for the rest of the hols - maybe hire a motorcycle to visit the Bridge over the River Kwai.

Before I messed up camera/printer/PC, I took some before and after pics of my brand new raised beds! Now, you wouldn't think anything would grow this time of year, would you? I have Mizuna, Rocket, Butterhead lettuce and Mispoona growing - there's some spinach and a few spring onions coming up too. I've also had Trotsky the cat from next door digging it all up to use the bed as his own personal loo, and several large brown and black slugs tucking in.

I'm hoping to plant garlic (we LOVE GARLIC!) when the weather gets a little cooler.

Pic of Sydney and his mum, Tilly, taken when I could still upload pics from my camera. Aren't they huggable?