salve [an epic!]

as already mentioned by Nic, we have been down to Sussex and back. SB has been reading about the Romans a fair bit, and so, remebering Fishbourne Palace from a school trip, we decided to go camping in chichester. And yes, we did get there!

Thursday

An early start meant we got to Fishbourne Roman Palace in time for an early lunch before the school trippers, and then could get to the museum part whilst they were lunching. Sb really enjoyed it. She looks with massive concentration at everything, so we can’t do things quickly any more, we looked at every artefact, read every label and discussed everything. Of course BB went wild over this! Chris took her for a run about.

We then went into the Northwing of the palace and looked at the mosaics. Having recently buillt a paper town house, SB good remember a few of the names, and also compare the palace with a standard small villa. Also, the city through time has been read a fair amount, and a few books about romans we have around [though not there with SOTW yet]. There is a centre bit for children to do rubbings of roman coins and tiles, and also make mosiacs etc. The gentleman in there called us over, as he had been watching us and said how well behaved and good and interested SB had seemed to be compared to the school children [proud mummy moment - of course,had she been in a group of 5 home-ed friends with only one parent, she would probably have been as noisy and running about as the 6-8 year olds]. Anyway, we got the bit to ourselves for a bit, and SB rubbed some coins ant tiles, and put some roman pots into the right categories [real roman too, so she was impressed - but it feels like todays pots!] She was confidently identifying samian ware anyway [though by today has no doubt forgotten]. She spent ages doing a mosiac with those plastic cuboids you stick in holes [there was one at melrose one year? proabably Sarah's] and when another boy asked if he could have a go too, confidently directed him and his friend as to how to do the pattern.Another bit of boasting, but more cos it was fun, is that there was a match up todays and ancient roman itmes pairs game. We were about to start this, and a mother of a school group came with a daughter and just took over [so I was grumped] but got the first 2 wrong, and SB corrected her. SB had remebered the oil and scraper [even calling it a strigil] to clean with [courtesy of the city through time series] and that sponges on sticks wiped bottoms [though neither of us know what they were called!]

we discussed pulleys and levers again at the roman lifting device., and then as we went out into the walk around the garden, announced she would be the roman lady in the peristyle [the previous mum was close by and nearly died] I have to say though that today SB couldn’t name a peristyle, but instead the triclinium so its swings and roundabouts, and I don’t imagine she will remember any of these words for long, its just a flavouring to learning about and hearing about romans.

where were we, oh a run about the garden, joining up with BB and ghris and then a mosey around the shop. I bought some books for half price, SB bought some colour in roman sheets and a multi colour pencil thingy – the one where you have to push the plastic bits out and pop them back in the top to get the next colour. She lost one in the car 30 mins later!

tent up, SB scootering and playing around wHile it tipped it down. She did some colouring in of her pictures too. nice flat site and minimal wind so OK. Dinner cooked and girls to bed, shortly followed by parents! I got about 6 million mosquito bites in 30 secs [only slight exaggeration] and SB got one on her forehead that blew up and gives her an ‘unusual’ look for all our photos subesquently!

?Friday

The next day we got up bright and early, after a very poor might with BB [she can smell the milk at that close a proximity] but still were much later to Nic’s than we intended. The children had great fun, dressed up and ran about. we gossiped and were ably catered for. Had the added bonus of Lucy being there as well, and reassure her that Melrose not that scary, but she needed to bake!!!!!! [well, ok, not necessary, but very nice] We stayed much later than planned as well, and only just got back in time to the campsite before gate closure. girls asleep, but another dreadful night.

?Saturday

SB played with a cheap optics kit I got from the one stop shop across the road, and made a perisocpe, played with the mirror bits, and looked at the various supplied pictures with paddles of different colours, and then ones that diffracted the light wierdly. She enjoyed it, we did a bit of tlak about light, but mostly made each other look wierd through the difractor thingy!

We had been going to go to arundel castle, but Ady and Nic persuaded us that the tariff was extortionate, and Ady sang the praises of chichester walls and cathedral and market. So we went there instead. We did enjoy going round the walls, SB pointed out there were no arrow slits and we discussed lack of them and crenellations etc. There was a good playpark, so we ran down to that and had a good play, and then a picnic a bit later on. SB now can proudly do that monkey swinging thing. I have never been able to do it, so my 5 year old has now surpassed me [before sniggering, I was thin until I met chris!]

As we walked past the cathedral, she decided to visit that, since we had planned to anyway… Its very nice and welcoming, whoever he is in the red cloak gave us a leaflet, and a child’s one for SB, and we were off. In true form, we had to read and look at absolutely everything, so BB and Chris had a running break outside! She was particularly taken by the chapel for the royal sussex regiment, full of poppies, so we discussed the wars and the meaning of the poppies. We looked at the various bishop’s tombs, at his ‘crown’ crook and dog or lion at his feet. [hmm, I am a bit low on the religious symbols here. home ed for me before another cathedral visit!] She liked the kings portraits, but we were bored [yep me too] by a kindly old lady going on about how they had rebuilt part of it. A small talk would have been welcomed, and we looked polite, but probably too much so, and I find it difficult to edge away. SO I allowed SB a bit more leeway in investigating the choir stalls, and lying on the floor to look at windows and ceiling arches than I might otherwise have done. And having done it, it didn’t seem at all irreverant, just a child wanting to see, so i’ll let her do it again.

the cathedral has a lovely cafe BTW, we treated ourselves to a coffee and cake as had had a picnic lunch. it has a nice garden for running about children, where other children were also running about.

Went through the market and only bought olives – so not too bad! We went to the beach at East wittering, must have been high tide, and pebbly. Huge waves and surfers out there. SB wants to surf one day. BB flaked out in car, so CHris and I took turns to watch her [have some peace]

For a change, I tried a sort of camping mexican, and it worked really well. the tortillas are easier than rice to do, so another one pot meal to my repertoire! And very quick. SB, BB and Chris went for a walk to explore while I did this, so 20 mins of pleace – bliss! We read one of the roman books as bedtime story [her choice]
Sunday?

on our last day [after another awful night!] we went to the weald and downland open air museum. absolutely fantastic. we were there about 5 hours, and didn’t get round it all. There were various enactors and workers. SB as always fascinated by the smithy, and the lovely chap there talked to her sensibly about horse shoes and smithying. It was the herb weekend, so quite a bit on strewing herbs, washing herbs and recipes, herbal remedies and cooking herbs about the place. SB loved exploring, and talks more to the enactors now, and BB loved the clmbering up and down steps and looking out of windows. SB bought henry the 8th’s ring in the shop, so is very happy! its too big though.

Dreadfull drive home…