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Saturday 9 March 2013

A Tale of Two Cities...


...... Not Dicken's classic this time, but a reference to my plans for the Easter holidays.  Work is dreadful AND time-consuming at the moment - not a great way to spend my days!  Anyway -

The first city I'm going to visit is Edinburgh.  Mark has never been there and I have only visited once (at the age of 11).  We are going with the specific intention of visiting a special exhibition of material from the Bartholomew Map Company archives.  I found out that the exhibition was on when I was doing some research on Mark's latest map purchase the other week.  I'm just in the process of booking hotels and generally sorting the trip.

The second city I'm going to is Geneva.  I'm flying with Easyjet from Birmingham and going to stay with my oldest friend.  We became friends when I first arrived in Worcester in the early 1990s.  Such is the small world of music, we'd actually met a few times in 1989 when she was going out with a lad on my teacher training course.  By the time we met up again we were both working as secondary school music teachers.  I was one of her 'Matrons of Honour' when she got married in Worcester Cathedral!

Our friendship has survived the best part of 20 years and the fact that her husband's job took them abroad shortly after they got married.  I cried buckets when they left for Poland, but her expat life has given me the chance to catch up with them in some really lovely locations.   I've been to Geneva a few times and, while it sounds glamorous, it's probably my least favourite of all their 'postings'. 

The funny thing is - we could be meeting up anywhere in the world and it wouldn't matter to us.  When C. and I meet it's all about TALKING.  Her poor family have to accept that we don't stop - from the moment I step off the plane to the drop off at the airport again.  We've never fallen out or irritated each other.  I don't have this kind of relationship with anyone else in the world (Mark is only a close second!).  She is truely my best friend and I can't wait to see her again!!!!

12 comments:

  1. What a lovely break you're going to have over Easter, just concerntrate on that when work is getting you down over the next couple of weeks. It sounds as though you've got a very close freindship there.

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  2. Edinburgh is a lovely city, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Hope you have a lovely restful Easter break.X

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  3. What a wonderful friendship you both have, very special. I've never been to Scotland yet alone Edinburgh, must remedy that some time :) xx

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  4. It's good that your holiday plans are now sorted out and you can really look forward to getting away to Edinburgh and Geneva.

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  5. How fun! Edinburgh sounds like such a lovely, historic city. I know you'll take great pictures too. I have a group of friends like your friend. Talk, laugh, and eat for days. I saw a mug with this saying the other day: "Friends are cheaper than therapy" and I thought, how true. We always leave each other refreshed and ready to face our lives again.

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  6. Jan, it sounds like the perfect way to spend your Easter holiday. Be safe and have a grand time.

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  7. Your posting made me smile. Your happiness at going to meet your friend sends warmth all the way to snowy Minnesota! Have a lovely time.

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  8. Edinburgh is a wonderful city to visit, I'd love to go back again one day. Friendships are very precious and you will treasure every moment spent together in Geneva. I hope you enjoy both trips:)

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  9. I'm full of envy for your travels! Take loads of photos. Just catching up with your posts and laughed my socks off at the Waterloo Road episode - was I supposed to? xxxxx

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  10. Hello Jan

    What a wonderful friendship....just goes to show how distance holds no barriers to good friendship!
    I still haven't been to Edinburgh and it has been at the top of my list of cities I want to visit the second is Santago de Compostela....sigh....will just have to wait a bit longer.

    Hope you have a great time with your friend in Geneva

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  11. Isn't it really just lovely to have a friend like that !

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  12. I had a friend like that--met the first day of Kindergarten and remained close for 68 years. Enjoy your time together!

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