Eastern European Tiki Tour

For Mark Mugabe’s leaving do a group of us went on an all singing all drinking tour of Eastern Europe in one day: Budapest (2 nights), Slovakia (bus ride through), Krakow (2 nights because the flight got delayed due to a recurring theme in this post: snow). Much mayhem and stacking of things.

Barcelona

Marieke’s whirlwind visit of England wouldn’t have been complete without visiting the continent, first we were off to Paris, then to Prague, but we finally settled on Barcelona. Bolting on Emily and Karl made it a merry little band – a pity the pound decided to tank just that week to a 1:1 parity with the Euro. Damn you bankers and your elaborate financial mechanisms!

Back to New Zealand

Well almost not back to New Zealand. England obviously didn’t want me to leave and proceeded to dump Russian snow all over the South of England the day before my flight. What made great snowballs and an atmospheric romantic leaving dinner above the Thames on a Sunday evening made for canceled trains, commuter mayhem, closed airports and Francis being the most stressed he has been in a very long time. Fortunately good ole faithful Royal Brunei Airlines pulled through or rather out of Heathrow Airport, and I was on my merry way to summery New Zealand. Damn you Europe and your proper winters!

Once safe and sound in Wellington I promptly submitted my migrant visa application for England and then climbed the tallest mountain in New Zealand outside of the Southern Alps – very big thanks family for organising that! I also proceeded to burn my pasty white English arse in the 35 degree heat that has been roasting Victoria. Fortunately the walk was along a river for two of the three days and much time was spent splashing about and cooling off.

Following that was a brief period of Yetibureau work, followed by much drinking in the sun at the Marlborough Wine Festival. I am on a mission to get match my skin to my hair colour -at least my shirt is a complementary contrast. Not only did the family get royally happy on wine, but Mieke and I managed to grace the front page of the Marlborough Express with our inebriated antics. Damn you Marlborough and your really really really good wine and parochial small town papers! But hooray for no snow!

They were married in front of friends and family at the bucolic Hamsey Church in Lewes, where Andrew’s parents Richard and Suzy also were married.

The reception was obligingly at Richard and Suzy’s home (Whitfeld) and involved a pig on the spit, several marquees, the obligatory speeches and folk dancing, fireworks and a several jokes about archaeologists.

The whole family was impeccably dressed, no more so than Sean and Ella who had just stepped out of a 30s gangster movie.

Franie overcame serious nerves to deliver a very emotional and moving speech in which he spoke of the roots of Malaika’s name, meaning Angel in Swahili and thanked everyone for coming from all over the globe. People from Tanzania, the Sudan, the Netherlands, Lebanon and New Zealand which was over-represented. He finished on saying “the best thing about marrying an archaeologist, is that as you get older…”.

I do

Malaika and Andrew give their vows.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sorry Malaika my bias is showing but I had to finish with the most beautiful woman at the wedding.

• download between the lines mike stern

She was aged 98 and whilst I am sad to see her go I am also glad she is finally at rest.

I am grateful to my grandparents Margret and Spot for looking after her for so many years. They gave her endless love, support and tolerance – unconditionally and even when it was hard for them.

My fondest memory of her is when she was at Waterlea Home, talking about the handsome young orderlies who worked at the home. Quite unexpected she embarrassed even me on that occasion. She was sharp even to the end, at Easter she was asking for me to send postcards of my trip abroad.

I will miss her immensely.

The other photos in the set are goodbyes at Wellington airport with Marieke, Dave and Lauren. Sad, so sad – but I am very glad to be on my travels.