Mundus Casus Pars Duo

  Thursday – Friday 25 & 26 September 2025 Thursday, we took the excellent Baltic Express train to Wroclaw. About four hours in a first class cabin. It was a bit 007’ish. Sean Connery era. Then in the light rain, an Uber to our very large two bedroom apartment in the old town side of Worclaw. After stuffing about with communications, or rather lack thereof from the 30 something, IT nerd owner living in Amsterdam, we got access by some stupid app on the phone. Flashy was clearly not amused and to boot, the friggin apartment was on the third floor 60 stairs up! Friday, after a nice poached egg breakfast, we trammed into town and joined a free walking tour. This was an excellent 2.5 hour, informative insight into Polish history. We discovered a lot about Poland and its people over the ages and took many photos of the little brass gnomes that are all over the city. Then, of course, the guide hangs about for a tip. So much for a free tour. The Americans over tipped as expected....

  Saturday 20 September 2025 A wander around Bath and a snack, then back to clam up for the Gala Dinner. This was held in the 2,000 year old Roman baths. A decent Loire Crémant on arrival, served around the bath pool, before we went upstairs to the Pump Room for the dinner. First up was a wood pigeon and Guinea fowl pate en croute with a Louis Jadot Moulin a Vent Chateau des Jacques Clos de Rochegres, 2020 (a Gamay from Beaujolais). This was followed by Scottish scallop and lobster vol-au-vent with lobster bisque. The Garzon Maldonaldo Albarino 2023 a good choice (Uruguay South America). Main course was a 48 day aged roast loin and braised short rib of Hereford beef, fondant potato, spinach and carrot. Served with Zuccardi Valle d Uco Jose Zuccardi Malbec 2020 (Argentina). The truffled Bath soft cheese with quince emulsion was very British and the Gasper Goriska Rebula 2020 a sharpish white wine from Slovenia. Grilled peach with lemon thyme and a Chateau Coutet Barsac preceded ...

  Tuesday – Friday 16 – 19 September 2025 A cold, windy but clear day today. The boy cat seems to have recovered from his little tummy upset and as you would expect from cats, the last day here of the sit and both of them have decided that they need tummy rubs and some loving. Contrary bastards – cats. Flashy got a decent backpack yesterday for £20 at the op shop. It will replace the suitcase because he refuses to lug a wheeled bag up and down all manner of stairs and hills during the next leg of European operations in Prague, Wroclaw Berlin and Paris. You see, this will all be by train, so two free hands are essential for grabbing, grappling (and punching pickpockets)! Wednesday and Thursday were spent in Stockbridge with Laura Jane, which was a nice catch up for all concerned and on Friday we drove to Bath for the UK la Chaine des Rotisseurs, three day Grand Chapitre. The Welcome Dinner was held in the Bath Guildhall, with its ornate décor and large chandeliers.  It wa...

Monday 15 September 2025 The weather turned today. Still warm at 18-19C but almost gale force winds. Not to be deterred, after sorting clothes into throw out and keep piles, we drove about an hour to the coast at Southwold. This is a lovely seaside town a bit like Sorrento we think but it’s off-season so really nice to walk about. Lots of retired chaps and their keepers about too, with their dogs. Gosh the Poms love their dogs!. Lady P deposited Flashy at the ‘Lord Nelson’ where he enjoyed a stout and a whisky and read about Lord Sandwich and the Duke of York’s naval escapades in the 1600’s against the Dutch, while she force marched the beach for 40 mins. Lunch was at a recommended fish and chippery, called ‘The Little Fish and Chip Shop.’. Their sign said, ‘all fried in beef dripping.’ Well, the cod and chips, smoky fish cake, mushy peas and tartare sauce, served in a cardboard box were wonderful. A walk amongst the opp shops produced a nice top for her and a red back pack for h...

Saturday 13 September After some discussion about the weather, it being nice today and deteriorating for the rest of our stay, we decided to drive to Cambridge. This is only an hour away to the Park and Ride, then a 10 minute free bus into the centre of the old Roman city. A hop on hop off roof top bus tour was very informative. We hopped on at the start and hopped off at the end, so a good overview of the city and its history. Not many tourists about and the sun was out all day. But it was cold. A pre lunch gin and tonic in 'The Eagle' was called for. "I've been to Cambridge."  "So, did you have a pint in the Eagle?" Apparently, this is a tradition. At 11.30 am it was just open and we snaffled the seat in the window with the sun streaming through and a wedding about to take place in the church opposite. Remember it's cold outside. A cornucopia of fashion laughs. Girls in summer frocks and too poor for underwear; brown dresses and black thongs (tha...

Wednesday – Friday 10 – 12 September 2025 A little trip to the outskirts of Norwich and then to Attleborough on Wednesday and then tacos for dinner. Pretty good actually. Been a while since we cooked tacos. Thursday, Lady P wanted to go to Holkham. This is the ancestral home of the Cokes. Lord of Leicester his good self. There is a close connection with Lady Tennant (one of the Coke girls) and the Ogilvy’s, so you get the picture. Off we go. Well, it is a 400 year old estate of 25,000 acres. Now, that’s bloody big for England. Flashy met a girl once back in the day, who came from a farm. “How big’s ya farm, love?”, he says. “60,000 acres she says.” A big fella near by says, “If ya gotta measure it in acres, sweetie, it's pretty small. We’re on 23,700 square kms!” (That’s 5.8 million acres). We nicknamed her ‘Acres.’ Anyway, Flashy was pretty impressed with Holkham’s grand buildings, walled gardens and stunningly mowed fields. They even had a heard of deer and they had 40 bird...

Monday and Tuesday 8 & 9 September 2025 Draycott in the Moors is located mid way between Manchester and Birmingham and our travels from there to Brigstock took us south east towards Norwich. A slight diversion towards Peterborough after breakfast on Monday, saw us meet up with Shamus for a coffee, then again south easterly to Kenninghall for our next nine day cat sit. As you can guess by the obscure village names, we are in rural Norfolk, an area of farms and small villages. It is peaceful, and at the moment, the sun is shining, 24c and our little cottage on a very large block, is walking distance to the Red Lion Pub.  Of course there is a Red Lion pub. It’s the most common name for a pub in the UK (668 of them!). This is an interesting sit, as the two cats are microchipped. The owners can locate them at any time via a phone app. The cat flap is also electronically linked to the app and can be locked both ways by the app, as well as pinging each time a cat comes and goes. Ver...

  Wednesday to Sunday 3 to 7 September 2025 Two stay at home days watching the rain gently fall on the garden. Slowly eating all the leftovers in the fridge as we depart east on Saturday towards Norwich. After the clean up, we drove east to the village of Brigstock, to our ‘Swallows B n B’ stay for two nights. On arrival, we noticed a sign for a Beer Festival. Always a good sign. Well, it was all happening on the Village Green next to our BnB. After hastily dropping the bags, we ventured out to check the scene. It was reminiscent of the early days of Mornington’s Tea Tree Festival, only smaller. A few stalls, some craft tents, hay bales to sit on and a three piece 'band' with a dodgy singer. The Village hall was the place to sample scores of beers and a couple of food trucks provided the usual suspect range of tucker. A cricket match was in full swing on the adjacent oval. A very pleasant and friendly village atmosphere, made all the more interesting by the addition of beer s...

  Sunday 31 August 2025 We awoke to find Dottie the cat snuggled up on the bed. I think she has been there most of the night, Then, she went outside and killed a mouse. Like a good girl, she brought it inside and put it under the bed. Flashy needed the tongs to recover it. No blood but a good bite mark. This is no pussy, cat. Monday & Tuesday 1 & 2 September 2025 Grey and bleak today, Monday. We are trying to find a local seamstress to let down the cuffs and take in the waist on Flashy’s £8 Op Shop suit. I bet the alterations cost more than the suit. Well, no it seems. Claire down the road can do it in time and for £20. Tuesday we drove to the lovely village of Stone. There are seven Op Shops there. Nothing available. So, a nice canal walk along the tow path and a refreshing stout and some chunky chips at the Crown Wharf, overlooking a small marina. Plenty of activity on the canal with canal boats going through the locks and people walking their dogs. Back home in t...