Time for da Mardi Gras, by Pam

I know that I haven't done well in keeping up with this blog so let me apologize for that. I've been reprimanded by Lee and Mike, our neighbors across the road, for not giving them something to distract them whilst working. We see them regularly so it's hard to believe that there would be something I could write about that they don't already know but here goes.
My time to leave for home is fast approaching, although it is only for 3 weeks that I'm sure will pass very quickly. It will be 2 months to the day between the flight here and the return yet I still found myself saying last night that I'm running out of days to get everything done to prepare for my flight home.
We have had a few adventures since my last post. Aside from visiting here in England to see friends, we went to Lanzarote for a week with Tim and Anne Locke. They live in Lewes, south of London and Phil has known Tim since they were at Cambridge together. The Lockes were a good pair for such a holiday retreat as they encouraged excursion to other parts of the island and what magnificent excursions they were! Phil has a place on Tenerife but hadn't ventured to any of the other 6 islands that make up the Canaries. We found it to be charming and diverse, with wonderful touches of art from Cesar Manrique scattered across this lovely little escape. If you ever get the chance to visit, I say take it!
Now I'd like to address some things that have been running thru my mind in thoughts about this edition of the blog. It has struck me that most people don't greet or even make eye contact when approaching someone on the sidewalk. Coming from a place where conversations are often conducted from across the street, and often with a neutral ground in between, it feels unnatural to not acknowledge a passer-by. I've started a campaign to end this by uttering some sort of greeting to at least one person on each excursion. If everyone that reads this blog does the same thing, it won't be as noble as the motivation for Phil's walk, it might just make life around us a little brighter.
There have been things that I have discovered about London which will forever remain with me, no matter how long I go between visits. One is the sound of songbirds outside of our bedroom window. I wish I could record this magnificent sound, but I'm not sure a recording would ever do it justice. I don't know what kind of birds they are but I will miss their beautiful warbling when I've gone.
Another nice thing has been the gift of flowers from guests coming for dinner or one of our parties. We've had fresh flowers in the house much more than I have had at home and although friends at home are prone to bring wine or beer when visiting, the flowers thing has been a huge hit with me.
I'll miss the buses, trains, trams, and the Tube (London's underground transport). It has been incredible to know that walking to the end of the road or up the hill into the village is all that is between me and the rest of the city... or entire country, for that matter.
Getting to know Phil's world, his family and friends, tromping around his Alma mater at Cambridge, even thru the cold, the rain, the overcast days, has been a fabulous gift. I never envisioned living in London for 2 months, seeing the sites I've seen... and there's more to come!
I'll try to share some photos and an update during Mardi Gras but I make no promises. You can be sure I'll have alot to report, and the adventure continues when Phil meets me in Munich when I return from the States for a European escapade in which we hope to visit Austria,Lichtenstein, Switzerland, and maybe Belgium and The Netherlands.

Laissez le bon temps roulez!!!!