Feb 2008 b

Tue 19 Feb 2008
Steve installs a small device to hopefully reduce the 'scale' or hardness of the water coming into the house (which comes in under the kitchen sink!). Supposedly we won't see results for the first few weeks, so we'll have to just wait and see.


Wed 20 Feb 2008
At work, Steve hears word from Deb that his computer has arrived. Being keen as a keen thing, and having waited very patiently for this top range machine, he drives us to Cambridge and back to pick it up! Here Steve is with the precious cargo, at about 9:30pm.


Thu 21 Feb 2008
Steve sets up his marvellous new computer.

Fri 22 Feb 2008
Steve drives Jen off to the airport at 7am, then goes to work. In the evening Steve made "hot killer nachos" for himself, and watched a movie that Jen doesn't usually like watching.
Jen's plane is delayed 2.5 hours before even taking off. She is greeted at Frankfurt airport by Judith and Queen Jovi. Here is the dining/lounge at Judith's place. Note the weighted 'pel' for fighter practising.

Below: The event site is a lovely 16th century hall.


Above: the queen's new sceptres - mobile phone in one hand, beer in the other :-)
Below: a rope bed for her majesty


Above: the royal chamber
Below: the village square at night. Yes, those are many little windows on the roof!


Sat 23 Feb 2008
Steve slept in and made chicken vindaloo curry for lunch, for both himself and Nick. They watched trashy science fiction movies and then Edith came over in the afternoon, and the curry theme was carried on for dinner. More trashy movie watching ensued.
Meanwhile, in Germany, the event was called "the Garden of Earthly Delights" and was an arts fair / display with feasting and dancing in the evening.

Above: A couple of the artisans displaying their work
Below: the courtyard


Above: court
More photos of this event can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/2262l6

Sun 24 Feb 2008
Steve's breakfast was left-over "killer nachos". Slept in, played on-line computer games and chatted with Finnian over the internet. He did a bunch of cleaning up and other domestic chores, and in the evening picked up Jen from the airport.
Meanwhile... after helping with packing up the event, Jen and her hosts enjoyed an afternoon stroll through a pretty local German village.



Tue 26 Feb 2008
Steve got a phone call from King Sven, and was asked to take on the role of Kingdom Earl Marshall for 6 months (and find a suitable replacement for himself). Steve agrees.
Choir night! Edith turned up as did a new member named Sarah.
Worked on two lovely English madrigal songs.
Now we just need some boys to sing with!

Wed 27 Feb 2008



Most Londoners slept through last night's earthquake. We both experienced it. and Steve felt a bit sea sick afterwards.
Jen heard a loud thump - like a heavy box being dropped in the neighbouring room, then the bed was shaking and the wardrobe doors rattling.... Steve slept through the 4am aftershock, even with Jen shaking his arm about it.

This is how it was reported from the BBC's website (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm)
The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years has shaken homes across large parts of England. People in Newcastle, Yorkshire, London, Manchester, the Midlands and Norfolk felt the tremor just before 0100 GMT.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the earthquake was of the magnitude of 5.3 and the epicentre was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.

Thu 28 Feb 2008
Jen visits the hairdresser!



Fri 29 Feb 2008
After work, we met up and got the coach to Stansted airport, and flew to Cork for the weekend...