Balearic Bears

Yorkie and I enjoyed our winter survival skills course, especially in retrospect. It was cold though, so the prospect of spending a few days in the sun, in the interests of doing some more research for the Friendly Planet Guide, was very appealing.

We therefore persuaded our minders to book a week in Menorca, the week after Easter, when it would be nice and quiet and prices were still cheap. Almost before we knew it, we were leaping into a rucksack and heading for Luton airport at 5.00 a.m. on a foggy April morning.

Ours was an early flight, so by mid morning we were bowling along the empty Menorcan roads in our very cute and bear friendly Renault Twingo hire car, en route to our apartment.


We found the apartment easily, and no sooner were our bags inside, than we were studying the information pack in our living room, while we waited for lunch to be prepared and the beers to chill.

Our apartment was very fine and on the ground floor, with a private patio and garden. As we slid open the patio doors we could tell we were going to enjoy sitting out in the sun with a cold drink and a good book.

The swimming pool was in view and we only had to go out our garden gate and up a few steps to be there and what a lovely pool it was ...


You can see from our edge of the seat pose that we could hardly wait to dive in.

Our first impressions were very good and we felt it in our fur that we were going to have a good week.

Lots of love George & Yorkie xxx

It's Bag Packing Time!

You've got to agree, it's been quite a while since we last went travelling. We've got rather itchy feet, so are about to do something about it.

We're about to head off for our next adventure and to research a new area of our planet for the Friendly Planet Guide. We're taking Eddie with us this time, which might provide a bit of a clue, or it might send you down completely the wrong track.


If you look closely at our picture, the map and brochure we're eagerly studying, might reveal our destination. If it doesn't, we're afraid you're going to have to wait a while to find out more. We plan to take lots of photos though as there should be some stunning sights, so hopefully the wait will be worthwhile.

See you soon, lots of love, George, Yorkie & Eddie xxx

My visit to Frankfurt by Rocco

Hi gang!
 
I thought I'd better write today as Chelmer seems incapable. He's been on the internet all day, I think checking flights to Frankfurt. He's been really badly smitten by Teddy De Baer, who we met at the weekend. She's about 7 years older than us but even I have to admit that she wears her age well. She was quite good company too. She ate and drank a bit too much for my liking and I'm sure she is harbouring some dark secret. She was very moody at times - a fact which Chelmer was oblivious to. You should have seen him. He carried her bag all day, found seats for her, bought her nearly a pound of Haribos - and she was lapping it all up. I tell you if they'd been my only company I'd have screamed!

As it was, Katrin, who we were staying with, and who is Birgit's sister, was absolutely wonderful. She was charming, funny, very good looking for a non-bear, and although at times somewhat embarrassed about being seen with us two prize specimen of the bear world, you could almost forget that she was human. Oh yes, and she was an excellent cook!

I can recommend the skyscraper festival to all of you. We enjoyed lots of rides, spectacular architecture, great weather, jaw dropping stunts and brilliant music. The atmosphere was very peaceful and Germans seem a very inclusive nation. They even had a bear band! This liberal attitude and lack of prejudice really surprised me very pleasantly.


Ok. I'm just off to do the washing up as Wade has gone to Tai Chi and Birgit is flaked out on the sofa, looking brain dead.
 
Speak to you soon,
Rocco

My visit to Frankfurt by Chelmer

Hello you lot,
 
We were completely and utterly gone when we arrived back here from the fantastic skyscraper festival in Frankfurt last night!!! We got up at 3 am on Saturday morning and by midday we had met Teddy De Baer. Nobody had told us that Teddy was a girl!!!!!!!!!! And, you've probably guessed this already, but Rocco is in love! Being the more mature, I let him believe that she was interested in him, when really she only had eyes for me. But I played it cool. However, I know she was looking at me when I abseiled from various towers, bungee jumped without screaming and did a 200 m zipwire off the second highest tower without twitching. She daintily fed me little morsels when we were having lunch 30 m up in the air suspended from a crane, and I'm sure you can also tell that we are far closer from the enclosed photo, although I made sure that Rocco didn't feel too left out. However, at that particular moment he was engrossed in the strawberries, being the pig that he is.


Teddy and I have exchanged addresses and I'm sure I'm going to see her again. I wished you could have met her. She smelt lovely and had the most interesting and varied personality. We discussed architecture, relationships, and many other things, but the best thing was that we shared a tremendous sense of fun. She went on nearly as many attractions as I did and on some we went together. We raced each other up a tower on a bicycle ( I let her win) and we did a bungee jump where we were tied into a sack together, winched up about 50 m and then dropped without warning. My assured presence meant that she hardly squealed! By the time the amazing fireworks started we were really very close and she dropped her head onto my shoulder to get an easier view.
Anyway, it's nearly dinner time now and I want to send off a quick email to her before I eat. I'm sure she's been waiting for it all day.
 
With much love,
Chelmer

Chelmer & Rocco's Fifth Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hello,

Today we spent learning a few important German phrases, as we'll be spending the weekend in Frankfurt. We've been told that we will be meeting Teddy de Baer, so numero uno in our repertoire is 'drei Wherry Bier bitte'. We've also mastered 'wo sind die Schrebergaerten?' and 'zum Flughafen bitte'. Speak to you lot on Sunday!

Lots of love,
Chelmer and Rocco

Chelmer & Rocco's Fourth Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi you guys,

It was sooooo nice to see you at Badminton tonight. You really made the atmosphere special! Thanks!! Didn't realise just how much we'd missed you.
So, you already know what we did, but here's the evidence. As you can see, we took our umpiring seriously. We had to. The players were getting so uppety at times......We thought Jeremy was particularly gazelle like and his tiger surfaced on several occasions. Roarrrrrrrrr.

By the way, we forgot to tell you: we might not be coming home again. It's so lovely here - and there are far too many where you are. What do you think?

Chelmer and Rocco

P.S. Badminton is a doddle. As you can see it took us hardly five minutes to get the hang of it.


P.P.S. A very fine looking crowd you are


P.P.P.S. We're not asleep, we're concentrating on the lines!

Chelmer & Rocco's Third Day at Camp Griem-Leada

Hi Guys,

Wow, what a day! We set off at 7 o'clock after a bowl of rice crispies and some fennel tea (not very butch) and after an hour's ride in a rickety, old Nissan Micra, we thought that was it. That flying was easy. However, we soon found out, there is a lot more to it, as you will see.

Wade said Wednesdays is the retired gents day, but he reliably informed us that he is neither retired nor a gentleman! He never did explain how come he manages to fly on a Wednesday. A mystery.

Miss you lots, tally ho and chocs away,

Here is the record of our day!



The crew! Rachel's bacon sarnies were delicious and just what we needed for breakfast.


We had to carry out a d.i. (daily inspection). Here we are checking out the instruments



The parachute was too big for me

....and Rocco

We also had to check out the weight restrictions. Despite Wade being in there as well (of course), we didn't go over the limit.

We had to practice using the controls, synchronising rudder peddals and stick together. I needed help with the rudders! But it was ok.

Rocco was even more challenged in this area! On account of his height, not lack of brain. He WAS taking it all in.

We tried different seating positions with safety always uppermost in our minds.

We had to check the winch parachutes, although we weren't winching. This was part of our duties for the day.



Another part of our duties was to log the aircraft in and out, as well as use the radio to contact various aircraft. Roger, reading you 5!

Our glider

Before we flew we needed to check that the d.i. had been done and carried out in accordance with BGA regulations. It had - after all we'd done it!



Our seating positions next to the pilot. Wade, although being a very patient instructor, fiddled with the camera while we were in the air which almost led to a spin. He then decided it would be safer to leave us in our pockets. However, he was most obliging in banking the aircraft, so we could see the sky, and the other way we could see the ground. Scary!


After a hard day's gliding we imbibed the favourite club brew. There was no Wherry available, so we had a pint of Flowers instead, served by the very lovely Eddie.


Wade introduced us to the Chairman of Norfolk Gliding Club, Grum Ashworth, who was very proud to meet such fine upstanding members of the gliding community and shook our hands.

He presented us with our certificate!

Love

Chelmer and Rocco xxxxx

Chelmer & Rocco's BIG Adventure

As the reports of Eddie's canal boating holiday draw to an end, the latest excitement in the Bears Unlimited community is Chelmer and Rocco's spur of the moment holiday departure. 'Carpe Diem' is one of the Bears Unlimited mottos and so when the chance of a holiday came their way, Chelmer & Rocco had their bags packed before you could say Bear Robinson.

Since Chelmer is a bit of an adventure bear and adrenalin junkie, no ordinary holiday sunbathing by a pool would do for him. He and Rocco have left with Chelmer's drumming buddy, Wade and Rocco's guitar teacher, Birigit, for a multi-activity week. With a combination like that an interesting week is guaranteed and we do happen to know that they left with their Bearports (bear passports).

They've been gone less than 24 hours but their excitement is so great that we bears have already heard from them twice. They've promised to send us daily email postcards and we'll publish the first one shortly, but first a poem from Chelmer we received earlier. We never knew he had such talent as a poet, but we are all familiar with his droll sense of humour which is very evident in the following:

Hello Mudder, hello Fudder

Here we are at Camp Griem-Leada
and it's very entertaining
they say we'll have some fun when it stops raining.

Take us home, oh Mudder, Fadder
Take us home, we hate Griem-Leada
Don't leave us out on their allotment
where we will be all too despondent

No, I don't want to scare ya
but Rocco might have malaria
I remember your great dinnas
here we get nothing but spinach

Take us home, we promise we will not make a noise
or mess the house with other bears
oh please don't make us stay
we've been here one whole day!

Dearest Fudder, darling Mudder
how's our precious littles brudda
Let us come home, if you miss us
I would even let you kiss us.

Wait a minute, it's stopped raining
bears are planting, bears are gliding
playing badders, yes that's better,
Mudder, Fudder, kindly disregard this letter.

What a wind up merchant Chelmer is!!

Lots of love the Bears Unlimited gang xxx