29 august 2011, been away

As you may have noticed, I've been on holiday. Usually, we go to hungary every summer, but this year hungary came to us, in the form of my other half's entire family coming over for a week. Having filled our boots with her family, we then did the same with mine, going down to london for my brother's aufruf, the ceremony a week before a wedding. It took place at a charming little synagogue in the east end, an area the centre of jewish sweatshop existence when the hordes came before the first world war. All have long since moved to north london and beyond, but my brother was one of a group who brought life back to this historic corner. After that we did the obligatory day at legoland, and then spent the week in east sussex, which was a wonderful break with the family, although everywhere we actually went - eastbourne, hastings and the de la warr pavilion - was a tad dissapointing; although the miniature railway was ok, and battle was gorgeous. Highlight of all though was bath: never been before, but definitely going again. En route we visited stonehenge: a first for the rest, but second time for me, having already had a mythical experience driving there in the middle of the night when much younger. It was foggy when we arrived, and so drove up and down several times before believing the map, hopping over the fence and then magically the fog lifted and we were right there, metres away; the massive other-worldly structures literally taking our breath away. Chased off, we pitched our little tent on the road's grass verge, to find the next morning we were in the middle of what had become a tourist funfair, and wandering around both that morning and this time around too was not quite the same as that first spiritual glimpse. On then to the wedding...