The organist librarian

Got up and went to make tea forgetting about the alarm! Being away so long has it's downside! Lie-in. Compared diaries - still waiting for my phone to come back. To Bloomsbury Baptist to hear Anthony Hammond from Cirencester - good player. Bach, Widor and Calviere. Problem with buses not going further than Tottenham Court Road so got 73 to Oxford Circus and tube. Smoke vespers and All Saints Mass with Martin Plunkett - he's nice. Watched The dresser with Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins - excellent.

Mass and Lauds combined before breakfast. Rain again! Next September it is to be Ampleforth. Returned home from Salisbury via Winchester with a tea stop at Guildford cathedral. 195 miles round trip! We had a most interesting tour of Salisbury cathedral including Magna Carta in the wonderful chapter house and Canon Jeremy Davies joined us and showed us the lovely vestments. We made our little pilgrimage to George Herbert's church St Andrew Bemerton.

Swam 18. We set off for Salisbury and drove via the A3 and M3 and A303 to Salisbury. The speed limit on the motorway was 50 mph and we had one stop so we did well to get there by 2. The Panel of Monastic Musicians is always a pleasure and it was good to see old friends and note that many familiar faces were missing not least Abbot Richard from Roscrea who is on sabbatical. Our room has a lovely view of the cathedral spire so I draw it and also did a drawing of the cathedral font. Retired bishop David Stancliffe gave us two excellent sessions on his online resource on the Sunday gospels with art, music and literature. He wants us to produce our own imaginative linkups. Canon Jeremy Davies retired Precentor spoke on Sarum use and Shakespeare and showed us a DVD of a medieval liturgy staged in the cathedral and Sr Jean asked me to write it up. Martin Foster did an excellent session on choosing Mass settings just what I need. We did 3 new. Mass settings Missa Camino with. Paul Stubbings w...

Saturday another lie-in. Liz resting. To the cathedral and 10 servers at Mass! Met the new intern Francis and new organ scholar Alexander Pott who played Bach at the end. Fr John celebrated. Victoria looked very gray and wet after the vibrant South American colours. Caught up on Downton. Sunday took Blackberry to send off to Manchester - it will not start. Played Adagio from Elgar cello concerto and Andrew Moore's tribute to Dom Gregory Murray and Nobilmente. Fr Herbert was there and 20 there. Chatted to council members and Christmas will be on the 20th a pageant - cannot see they have the people to mount that! Midnight and Christmas day 10 a.m.  and no crib service so that's a relief. Watched Leeds piano competition won by Anna the Russian and Beethoven with Leif Ove Andsnes. Songs of praise with a ghastly fat tenor. Sent email to APT group and Marissa sent group photos. Ben Bloor has been appointed to the Oratory. Liz went to Mass at St Mary's.

Dennis came last night. Had a lie-in. Liz was better. No chance to see the boys as the family went to Norfolk straight from school and I did not get to hear Margaret Phillips play Bach either. Watched Downton and the Naked choir also programme on 20th century romance. Tried to get Outlook email to work and Blackberry is not working. Posted photos to Face Book. 

Sick at breakfast but recovered to do packing. My plan of putting one carryon case into the big one worked well and we were not overwight. Francisco took us to the airport and helped with checkin. Saw doctor when we left hotel and he reminded us to email. On planes Boychoir, Habemus Papam, Max, Required to be normal, Soile Isokoski singing Mozart, Bridge and Franz Reisenstein piano sonatas. Coco before Chanel. 11 hours Quito to Madrid 2 to London 1 hour Guayaqonquil to Quito Wheelchairs throughout - there was farce at Madrid when we went in a lift vehicle but all had to walk to the building to get chairs where there was discussion about who was going where! It was a very long trek to the London plane. At Heathrow 5 we went in the buggy and then were dumped in the luggage hall. After 20 minutes we walked the last bit, met the cab driver and commandeered a chair for the bit to the car park. Cost £60 because of the delay and the parking fee. Home at 8.45. Thursday took Liz to see Dr Ojo...

Sat 17th rest went on hike. We went on panga ride with Grace and in fact saw as much as they did! I did 2 drawings of Pitt Point - lovely morning. We saw sealions, pelicans, crabs, sheerwater, boobies, frigate birds, tropic bird. Lunch and talk on geology by Ramillies. Panga ride to cathedral and arch at Cerro Brujo - Darwin was on this beach. Lots of sealions and baby oystercatcher - wet landing. a long walk which was pleasant but hard going in the sand. Sunset and dinner with the couple from Oxted (again!) Watched Attenborough part 1. Sun 18th did not attempt 2kms over boulders to see albatross! The captain was very pleased to show us the bridge. Started reading Darwin's autobiography (to page 78) the library is good and I read parts of Voyage of the Beagle and other books by Browne. Down House takes on new meaning! Did a drawing of wildlife. Glass bottomed boat with Grace and saw sealions, angel fish, monkfish, starfish, swam at Gardner beach Isola Espanola and wet landing. Se...

Francisco met us and we went to Hotel Hilton Colon Guaquyil which is very grand and near the airport. The resident doctor took us to his office downstairs and gave Liz a thorough examination. It is lumbar and sciatic so she has injections, pills and gel. Dr Julio. Amazing foyer and ift goes up 10 floors and is glass. Welcome drink and ate well at Cafe Colon - I told the waiter off for taking my creditcard away. Friday 16th nurse did injection as I could not get the syringe correct and we left in good time to the airport. This time it was very straightforward with boarding passes. Wheelchair and front row seats! Left case and small case at hotel concierge. Good flight toSan Cristobal and great views as we landed. Bus to port then on pangas to La Pinta. After lunch drill and briefing which was very comprehensive and we were off again to land and take buses which are old and uncomfortable to see the giant tortoises. Basically we climbed up a hill to see baby tortoises and then down agai...

Breakfast on the skiffs with plates at the confluence of the two rivers and the start of the Amazon itself. Rain then to village to but basketwork and instruments and handed over more pens and pads to the teacher. Duck for lunch and farewells. Drive to manatee centre where we fed them - saw caiman and turtles.Liz in pain walking. Drive round Iquitos centre and flight to Lima - wheelchair and front row thanks to Remi. Marissa very concerned and called nice doctor so had injection at 1 a.m. $120. Thursday 15th up at 4.30 a.m. Marissa called she was late waking up - not surprising really. Quick breakfast and to airport. Used last soles to buy a llama from streetkids shop and chocoaltes at Brittshop. Very nice LAN flight ro Guaquyil and sat at front watching "Boychoir". Liz was better. Farewell to Marissa who has been brilliant. It's a pity we have only seen Marriott hotel in Lima!

Sunday 11th a long day. Liz still in pain. Mark and Joanne gave up their seats so we could sit together on the plane to Lima - Marissa did her best but 2 couples were split up. She herself is very unwell. On the second flight to Iquitos we were together. Long drive to get to the Delfin II for the cruise. Monday 12th Up in the night - Liz pain in back and legs. Early morning skiff trip saw monkey, iguana and lots of birds. Saw paramedic who suhhested Electrolite for potassium and sodium and painkillers. Drawing and reading. The room is comfortable and spacious. Afternoon 4 p.m. skiff saw birds, iguana, dolphins at sunset. Another nice meal. Tuesday 13th. Up at 5.45. 6.30 saw macaws and then jungle walk in wellies. Lots of mud - saw trees, ants and termites. Talk on Amazonian fruits by Luis. Fish for lunch. Had a rest and Liz went kayaking with Paul which she enjoyed. Saw monkeys, caught piranha (red) and a catfish. Liz did not catch any. Nightfall and saw caiman. Great meal and danci...

Hotel room has good view of the lake. I was awake twice in the night - room cold. Dreamed about Dad. Went to breakfast and the room was so hot and I did not feel hungry at all. Tummy a bit loose again so took tablet. Private boat with Carlos (Marissa was ill) to the floating islands which was most interesting. Felice and his wife and one month old baby invited us into their home and dressed us up for photos so we bought several handmade objects from them and other families then went the reed boat to get passports stamped. We handed over a large back of pens, pads and toiletries for the school APT supports. Then in the boat to the peninsula to climb up to the restaurant. Liz had to have oxygen and complained of pain. Pure alcohol stopped her being nauseous. Had a little to eat - lovely views of the huge lake. Carlos was excellent and the staff helpful and Robin who is a doctor also checked pulse. By the time we got back to the hotel on the boat her oxygen level was OK so had a sleep. M...

Awake at 5.30 having woken twice in the night. Eggs never came at breakfast! Left at 7 to get the Perurail train to Puno. A 10 hour journey enlivened with music, fashion show and nice food. Lovely scenery and lots of llamas, flamingoes and birds. Libertador hotel is on Lake Titicaca -  waited for pizza and the bill! Safe is a key system. Bath dirty and broken door and door catch. Not well designed. Altitude very high - the train stopped at the highest point La Raya with small chapel 12,000 feet. Local guide Carlos seems very nice. Train goes through a railside market at Juliaca.

Peru. Last day in Buenos Aires good breakfast but had to get my own mile for tea. Appalled to get a bill for $33 for laundry when the items were taken from the bathroom and brought back in tissue paper but we never asked for them to be done! Marissa sorted it out. We walked to and from Teatro Colon and enjoyed the tour. It would have been able to see the auditorium lit up but we did see a lighting rehearsal for Macbeth on stage. The decoration is impressive and it is the largest opera house in the world seating 3000! We had lunch in the room (the cold tortilla from last night). Walked through the crafts market to the fine art gallery which has Impressionists and moderns and a useful survey of Argentinian art. Did a drawing back at the hotel and left at 4.15. Long wait at LAN counter to checkin and not together. Security thorough and passports slow. At least we got the flight but no chance to spend our remaining pesos. Marissa had to ask a lady on the plane to move so we were together...

Liz was awake in the night with stomach ache and aches in chest and back so slept until 12. I got her some toast. I went on the tour to the other part of  the city with a view of the huge River Plate, the cathedral of San Isidoro and cruise on the river Tigre in the delta past lots of houses on the water. Weather cold but dry. Marcel got us opera huse tour tickets for tomorrow. We went by taxi to the Zoo which is old and a bit run down. Many of the buildings are historical. A huge hippo and quite a lot of African animals. Interesting to see South American cats, bears and deer, also monkeys, agoutis and capybaras. Back by taxi which cost slightly less and to supermarket. We were going to eat at Favour but it does not open untl 8 and is expensive so we went to La Ramblas where we had delicious food and excellent Patagonian lager for around £37. Taxis are not so expenisve here. I did a drawing of different lamps in the city which is called the Paris of the South - it has no beaches o...

My 69th birthday early swim and nice cards - champagne at breakfast. Could not get stamp for postcard. Did drawing of Iguassu at airport in Argentine and lady spoke to me about it. Window seat. Alvear Palace hotel is very posh - we have 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and butler had 2 shirts pressed. 220v and to my delight laptop working OK! I unpacked and we toured spa and found indoor pool. To great tango show in new dark hotel. Excellent meal and another cake and the dancing and band were good finished at midnight so a very long day. A 4th cake in the room! Thursday October 1 walked with local guide to cemetery and saw where Eva Peron is buried and amazing family mausoleums. Coah tour and saw lovely buildings. Cathedral and Mass going on! Main square and Presidential palace. To Cafe Tortoni for wine, cheese and meat and coffee. Teatro Colon no tours so walked quite a few blocks to see bookshop in converted theatre Il Aeterno and then back to hotel for a rest. We went for a good meal ne...

In the night there was a thunderstorm and laptop not working at all - it was quite hot. 6.25 breakfast and left at 7 to airport. Got window seat LAN flight to Iguassu. Lovely hotel Cataractes very near falls and in the national park on Brazilian side. Walked down but Liz bitten by caterpillar so she went to have that treated and bandaged but it was not poisonous and met her at the elevator. Plastic camera cover wotked well. Snack lunch then on boat trip which was great - got very wet and cold - glad I wore swimsuit and shirt. Lovely views saw coatis, birds, lizards. Swam in lovely pool at sunset as had costumes on. Excellent buffet dinner. Yet another birthday cake in the room! Tuesday 29th to Argentinian border (delay) then to Devil's throat walk then train - fantastic. Saw kingfisher, large fish, butterflies, birds. Decided not to do other walk lunch and bought a broad brimmed hat. Needed the rest. Back to Brazilian side to visit bird park - very good and many species never see...