Happy days

This is a very busy time of year for us with a lot of unsociable hours at work and plenty to do around the house and garden. When we are not too tired, its a really enjoyable time too. The countryside and gardens look amazing at the moment.

This weekend, we managed a few hours in Cambridge while Dan went out to the park with his carers. I always take my camera along as I find the city really quite photogenic. Its a cosmopolitan place at any time, but even more when the tourists are about and the students are in residence. We found an Indian shop that sells all sorts of goodies. We fell for some large cushions from Kashmir. Typically the salesman made us a special deal of three for £45 but, atypically, he then forgot what he had said and gave them to us for £40. I bet we could have got them for even less!

On Sunday, we relaxed at home with Dan to watch the dreaded "Eurovision Song Contest". It's been a joke for over 30 years with the songs getting dumber and the acts getting more kitch. The voting has been getting more and more eccentric, based on political alliances; the songs having nothing to do with it really. All the same, its entertaining in its horribleness.

Last year the Russians won, so this time they got to host the contest in Moscow. They put on an amazing show with Cirque du Soleil as the warm up act. They kept going until well after 2 am Moscow Time. As they are a long way east of us they had to stay up late to coincide with our peak viewing period. The show was better than usual; and so were the songs. As a result, the voting generally was about the songs this time with Norway coming out the overall winner by miles.

I still don't understand why Israel counts as European, but I must say they really made an effort with a song about peace performed by Muslims and Jews together. That's the sort of thing Eurovision should be about.

Dan enjoyed the show so much, that he was allowed to stay up late to see the end. Nick and his friends held a Russian themed party in an ancient National Trust property near Hereford. He voted for Armenia's entry. I don't think anyone else did.