Ay Up Me Duck: A Tale of Two Cities!

I thought I'd give you all a break from Nottingham (for now, that is!) and explore some towns that are nearby and have their own distinct charm.

First, I visited Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, a 30 min. bus ride from Nottingham:

Two of my favourite foods!

The glorious Pork Pie

and Stilton cheese!

Have you ever tried Broccoli and Stilton soup?

Both foods now have Protected Geographical Indication status which means that, by law, no one can produce these foods and call them Melton Mowbray pies or Stilton cheese. The law protects the reputation of regional foods, promotes rural and agricultural activity, helps producers get a premium price for their authentic products and eliminates unfair competition and misleading of consumers by non-genuine products which may be of poorer quality or of different flavour. This system is similar to the appellation systems used throughout the world.

The pie- making developed as a result of the cheese- making! One of the by-products in cheese-making is whey and pigs LOVE whey! I guess that led to their demise of ending up in a pork pie!

I guess I should set the record straight! NO, I wasn't here to sample the culinary delights, honest! I was here to visit a much-loved and old-time family friend. The last time I had visited Genia, a year ago, she was temporarily in a Nursing Home, following a series of strokes which left her progressively weaker. Her home was being adapted with various aids to daily living that would enable her to live at home. And we all know, that home is THE best place to be, whether young or old, after all:

"Home is where the heart is"

The change in Genia was incredible! She had the old twinkle back in her eye, a smile and looked totally transformed from the shrunken and sad -looking person of a year ago!

Here she is with her daughter, Liz, her son Staszek, and me, of course!

Liz lives out of town but visits every few weeks, catching a train and a bus each way, to visit with her Mum. Stan lives a few minutes away and visits on a daily basis to check in and, a second daughter, Malgosia, who also lives out of town, visits on a frequent basis.

In between, Genia is looked after by two Polish carers at a time, as she needs total care. This is Bozena and Ola whom I met, totally brilliant carers. Look how happy Genia looks. They say one of the measures of how well society functions is how we look after our elderly……….

I'm a VERY firm believer that the elderly should live in their own homes for as long as possible. Hey, yes, it's a lot of work at times and can be mentally and physically exhausting and yes, can cost money, but don't we owe this to our elderly? They shouldn't be discarded like flotsam and jetsam into nursing homes. I know I'd rather be set adrift on an ice floe, as the Inuit did years ago, than end up in a nursing home!

I have very fond memories of growing up with this family. We would visit frequently; we were the city mice and they were the country mice and we all loved the change in scenery!

Thanks Genia, Staszek and Liz for all the lovely memories! We had a great visit!

On the walk back to the bus station we passed some neat buildings:

The Anne of Cleves pub, with another bit of history thrown in! This house was originally a priests house but was confiscated during the Reformation by Henry VIII and given as part of a settlement to another discarded wife!