Skip to main content

Off again

Dear Reader

Now I am in Gatwick Airport again, but this time I am alone, waiting to board the Finnair flight to Ivalo in Finland. It was only very recently that I decided to add this little side leg to my holiday. The weather does not look particularly favourable for seeing the Northern Lights, but you never know. I have lots of other things planned at the beautiful Kakslauttanen resort. Stay tuned.

I’m currently having breakfast and coffee at Wagamama, having risen early to get a taxi to the airport. It turned out to be the most economical and rapid way to be here by 9am. They will not be advising of my gate number until 10:15am so I might just have another coffee here, rather than waiting around in the departure area, as that is still half an hour away.

I have been so pleased to read the positive comments made both on the blog and on Facebook. Thank you for these. It has been a privilege to document a little of our journey while on Choir Tour, and I have decided to keep this going until I get to Sweden at least. I know that it provides me with a record of what we have been doing, and so many memories come back when I re-read the previous tour blogs.

So for now, good morning, and I will post some photos from Finland when I arrive.

Cxx



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Big One, St Paul’s

  Dear Reader Today was the Big Event of tour. St Paul’s Cathedral, London. If you are observant, you will notice my absence from the photo above, along with several of my colleagues. Sadly, this happened.  After nearly four years and six vaccinations I finally succumbed to the dreaded Covid. At the worst possible time. My multiple vax status has meant I only feel a bit rotten, like a cold, but I do feel sad to have missed the day. And to miss Windsor tomorrow. I was grateful for the considered medical advice provided by Dr Ritesh, father of one of the trebles, who also updated my supply of paracetamol and ibuprofen.  So I am relying on others for the report about this special day.  The good bits started with four of the young Lay Clerks heading to St Paul’s for singing lessons with my friend Patrick Craig, who is an Alto Lay Vicar at St Paul. In have yet to hear from Nicholas, Marco, Charlie or James, but Patrick was very complimentary about their singing. This is w...
10 comments
Read more

Worcester - that’s a wrap

  Dear Reader Well, that’s a wrap. After a free morning to shop, skate, scoff scones or the like, we boarded the coach to Worcester. Annabel Crompton continued the proud tradition set by her late father, the beloved Prof David Thomas, and shared history and interesting information about the Cathedral, always including the South Australian connections. We had a very warm welcome from the Interim Dean, Canon Stephen, and Anita the Virger. On the musical menu was Hunt Versicles and Responses, Howells in G Canticles and Be Present O Merciful God  by Australian composer, Owen Elsley. I thought the Anthem went particularly well. We sang two psalms, 131 to a Willcocks chant and 132 to a chant by a random (will update later). Turns out the second chant was by Richard Massey. David played a beautiful postlude, Rhapsody by Daniel Cook (b1979). When we arrived in Worcester it lived up to the reputation England has for wet and rather miserable weather, so we headed straight into the build...
7 comments
Read more

Trees

Dear Reader There is something beautiful about trees in the snow. My initial feeling was that every photograph looked the same. Tall, straight trees with snow on them. Was there any point in taking more than one? But when I took the time to look more closely I noticed the differences. The beautiful and important differences.  Most of them are straight and tall, but some are not.  Some are bent, some are incomplete, as they have been cut down or damaged by the weather in some way. Yet they remain as a reminder of what has been. I wish I had thought to take more photographs of these. Some are evergreen, which means their strong, ever present branches and leaves bear a heavy weight of snow. I think they are probably pine trees, and they remain constant throughout the year. Some are deciduous, so their branches hold a lighter weight of snow and their twigs are more apparent. They change with the seasons, but return again each year.  And...
1 comment
Read more