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Saturday, 16 May 2015

TRAINTRACKS AND TRUE FRIENDS


Good evening Dear Bloggets. It’s rather late but didn’t want to go a day without chatting to my FB’s

 

Fifi Bloggets mean too much to me to miss a day. So here I am with an update on our day.

 

We got our dogs ready with leashes and Harnesses and took a taxi to the train station.

 

The station was packed. From a blind person’s perspective, a busy train station can be very disorientating. Sounds of suitcases rushing feet so many voices in so many languages in so much of a hurry to get to their destination.    

 

Announcements from the tannoy and muffled music among the Saturday madness from the open kiosks

 

Police radios and children’s weary words waffled without a care as the clinks from bottles being readied for the mindless members of the public ready for a session of alcoholic activities!

 

But I couldn’t see anything. Just all sounds. Sounds which echo to make things a little more confusing. You stand there in this big scary world knowing that there are lights above your head, but you can’t see them. Knowing that there are people smiling but no expressions are in front of you. We may as well look with our elbows. We would see the same. Voices swishing swearing swarming shouting. Drinks spilling food parcels crinkling shopping bags falling over and high heal shoes that will be a burden to whoever is wearing them. The clip clop of them passes and you think to yourself, how they are going to suffer by the end of the day or night if they are here in our tourist town for a party.

 

New different accents all around anticipation for their day ahead not really knowing what on earth they would be doing, where they will be going, stopping right in front of us as they look at maps and discuss their plans.

 

Walking to the lift. Assistance helping us to find it and not knowing you are there until you are guided forward and realise that you have left the sounds behind and for a moment whilst in the vacuum of the lift, you breathe as you know that you are not going to bump into anyone and you are not going to be pushed or fear walking onto the tracks as our station has no tactile near the train tracks. Out of the comfort of the lift and along the dingy narrow corridors leading us to more sounds this time engines squeaking breaks from the trains and tired tormented travellers trying to access the correct trains.

 

Sometimes the person guiding us doesn’t tell where we are going next, they literally guide us. So we turn and we are on the train before we know it. Thankfully missing the gap and not falling up the steps.

 

Most of the time the staff are great but even if they do tell us where we are being lead, we don’t always hear them because of the noise.

 

Train number one was an hour and then we had to get off for a twenty minute wait before our next train. Stepping out onto the platform. Not knowing how big the gap is or even if we are getting off on the right side? I’m not sure these days if it is possible to get off at the wrong place but I know Hub before has some years ago streight onto the track. One would hope that the doors wouldn’t open on the wrong side, but with the knowledge that they have done in the past, kind of leaves you shivering with fear of what could happen.

 

We waited in the freezing cold. Really, silly I thought it was summer so wore short sleeves.

 

On our next train and next stop would be the most awful station I have ever been to. I hate it as there are no staff there and it’s so old. Steep steps and a narrow platform where trains speed through without stopping almost throwing you onto the edge with the gust of wind. Up and down loads of steps our friends were there to meet with us.

 

My poor John sounded really old today. I didn’t like that. Oh how I want to wrap him up and make sure he is OK? I hate the fact that two of my dearest friends as close as family as can be, are getting old.

 

Our friend Yvonne took us in her car and John went in the other with our babies.

 

Yvonne’s car is stunning.

 

Less than ten minutes later we arrived and our girls ran straight in the house, they knew where they were and more to the point, LC remembered where John keeps his sweets and looked pitifully up the stairs so John took her up and she went to the room where they are and waited until he gave permission to enter the room then she went to look at where they should be and right enough, there they were.

 

John showed us his latest gadgits, he loves them. He has the new apple watch. Of course the deer one, nothing but the best for our big man.

 

We had a lovely lunch all six of us. And into the lounge for another cupper and a chat. It was a lovely day and we gave our friends Vivi and John their birthday gifts. I was relieved that John liked his caravan mugs. I bought them on line; they said in the description that they were inspired by the caravan trail…. I really thought that they would have a van on them, and he is caravan obsessed. But when they arrived. I asked teen did he like them, he said they were lovely flowers. Oh I was so disappointed? Apparently the box they came in had a van on the front. The flowers on the cups were what the artist saw on her way to her caravan holiday. Well, what will he do with floral cups? He bless him said that they were perfect for him as he needs cups for his caravan, so thankfully they were OK. We got him our favourite chocolates too and I knew he would love them. And two DVD’s. One of them my favourite film in the world. Genevieve.

 

Vivi I bought her a cushion like the one I bought myself. She loves birds, so they feature on it. And a guide dog puppy teddy and a CD as well as lovely bath salts from our local shop where I get the soaps from. Carrying them in our rucksack, really you would think a dog had chewed the paper. But a great time with lovely people.

 

Going to bed now really really mentally tired. Another early start as up for church. Going by myself hoping to meet my friend there

 

So until tomorrow dear friends. X

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