Our holiday comes to an end in two more days. We fly out on Wednesday night (England time) and arrive home Friday morning (Aus time).
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Cornwall.
Cornwall provided many places of interest, not to mention the delightful B & B we stayed at, Menkee Barns. It was cosy, quiet and very comfortable with wonderful hosts Margo and Robert Kirkwood.
See if you can recognize some of the photos below taken at Port Isaac.
Doc Martin's surgery.
The chemist run by Mrs Tishell in the Doc Martin series.
This bay features in many of Doc Martin's episodes.
On the second day in Cornwall we drove to Padstow, also known as Padstein because the famous chef Rick Stein owns many of the restaurants, cafes, fish and chip shops and a patisserie there. It was absolutely packed with tourists, probably exacerbated by the fact that it was a long weekend to celebrate the Queen's 60th jubilee. I bought a huge meringue from the patisserie...it took me three days to eat it and that was with Dan helping me.
Just one of the cafes we saw that are owned by Rick Stein.
Our third day in Cornwalll involved a visit to a National Trust house called Lanhydrock.
There were people dressed In period costume in the grounds of Lanhydrock enjoying a traditional morning tea. Shortly after this photo was taken it started drizzling rain, but they continued to sit there with umbrellas...
On the west coast of Cornwall we visited the ancient village of Fowey. It had narrow streets and was practically built on the water, but once again it was crowded with hoards of tourists.
Colorful houses in Fowey.
See if you can recognize some of the photos below taken at Port Isaac.
On the second day in Cornwall we drove to Padstow, also known as Padstein because the famous chef Rick Stein owns many of the restaurants, cafes, fish and chip shops and a patisserie there. It was absolutely packed with tourists, probably exacerbated by the fact that it was a long weekend to celebrate the Queen's 60th jubilee. I bought a huge meringue from the patisserie...it took me three days to eat it and that was with Dan helping me.
Our third day in Cornwalll involved a visit to a National Trust house called Lanhydrock.
On the west coast of Cornwall we visited the ancient village of Fowey. It had narrow streets and was practically built on the water, but once again it was crowded with hoards of tourists.
Canal boat trip
Narrow boating on the English canals is wonderful. We cruised the Llangollen canal and also the canal to Ellesmere, traversing two aqueducts, one wind-up bridge, two locks and two tunnels. We had Trina and Bob with us and Bob did most of the driving of the boat which gave Dan and myself time to enjoy the scenery. I would love to spend a whole week on one. We were lucky to have beautiful warm weather.
Bob at the helm with his two navigators.
Crossing the 38 meter high Pontcysyllte Aquaduct.
Dan winding up a walkway bridge.
Our boat in a lock.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Farewell dinner - Berlin
Berlin was the final destination for our Trafalgar tour. We were treated to an entertaining evening at a local restaurant with music and karaoke. Our Tour Director, Malcolm, sung a song and surprised us all with his great voice. We sat at a table with some fellow Aussies and were by far the loudest table and having the best time.
A table of Aussies enjoying our last supper.
The following morning we said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch by email.
The following morning we said our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch by email.
Berlin
Berlin is a city alive...there is much construction and restoration work being done and the skyline is full of cranes and buildings with scaffolding erected around them.
We visited the remains of the Berlin Wall that divided the East from the West, also Checkpoint Charlie, the point where people from the West could pass through to visit relatives in the East.
We saw the Brandenburg Gates. During the time the Berlin Wall was constructed the Brandenburg gates were in an area known as no-man's-land because people in the west were not to go past a certain point before the Gates and the Wall was just the other side.
Another interesting place was the Palace of Versailles where the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919. Next was a tour of Sanssouci Palace and its surrounding gardens.
Brandenburg Gates in the background.
Some of the remaining Berlin Wall.
Checkpoint Charlie, the only entry into East Berlin between 1962 and 1989.
The Palace of Versailles.
Sanssouci Palace.
We visited the remains of the Berlin Wall that divided the East from the West, also Checkpoint Charlie, the point where people from the West could pass through to visit relatives in the East.
We saw the Brandenburg Gates. During the time the Berlin Wall was constructed the Brandenburg gates were in an area known as no-man's-land because people in the west were not to go past a certain point before the Gates and the Wall was just the other side.
Another interesting place was the Palace of Versailles where the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919. Next was a tour of Sanssouci Palace and its surrounding gardens.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Belarus - Minsk
Traveling to Minsk we passed a collection of Russian tanks that had been used to help Russia win the war against the Germans. Of course the 'boys' couldn't resist climbing all over them.
There's a monument of a little boy in Minsk and Belarussian women rub his private parts in order to promote fertility, as you can see it is very shiny.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Moscow
Moscow is different in many ways...there are 12 million people in the city and 9 million of them use the Metro every day. We were taken on a tour of the Metro which was an experience in itself. The underground rail stations are fitted out with chandeliers, paintings, statues, stained glass windows and mosaic paintings, which are the very last things you would expect to see in a railway station.
Red Square by night is beautiful...there is a large very modern department store that is positioned on one side with churches at either end and then of course the Kremlin wall forms the other side. In front of the fort there is a cemetery containing the graves of all the presidents except for Boris Yeltsin and Khrouchtchev. Because many celebrations and rock concerts are now held in the Red Square the cemetery is going to be moved because it is the general consensus that it is no longer an ideal place for a cemetery.
Us in The Red Square.
We toured inside the Kremlin...not very interesting except for the museum containing clothes worn by Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and many others from that era, along with gold trinkets, bowls and serving dishes, Faberge eggs, armory, carriages of gold encrusted with jewels and much much more. No wonder the starving peasants wanted to kill the aristocrats.
The traffic is horrendous. When Mr Putin drives to work the police stop all traffic five minutes before he is due to travel along a road causing more chaos. His officials have chauffeur driven cars with a blue light on the top and a police escort. These officials are able to drive wherever and however they like, often causing fatal accidents. This has angered the public.
The traffic is horrendous. When Mr Putin drives to work the police stop all traffic five minutes before he is due to travel along a road causing more chaos. His officials have chauffeur driven cars with a blue light on the top and a police escort. These officials are able to drive wherever and however they like, often causing fatal accidents. This has angered the public.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
St Petersburg.
St Petersburg is amazing, so much history, so much extravagance, so many people and so much poverty. We visited many palaces and learnt about Rasputin, Peter the Great and many more. I'll never be able to remember everything but found it so very interesting. The gold gilding throughout the palaces is extravagant, especially when you are told that it has to be re-done every 25 years. In the suburbs the poorer people live in high rise boxes with no lifts or air conditioning. The majority of the outer suburb accommodation buildings were erected in the sixties and are in need of some serious repairs.
The palaces are now museums and in every room there are ladies sitting, watching everything you do with eagle eyes and solemn faces! They are there to make sure you don't touch anything. Malcolm calls them Net Net ladies (net is 'no' in Russian) and I was Net Neted twice for leaning on a pillar.
St Petersburg is known as the Venice of The North, so it was understandable that we went for a cruise through the many canals. Malcolm produced two bottles of vodka and multiple bottles of Champagne. By the end of the cruise the tour group was very merry and we were constantly waving and greeting the passing Russians with a cheery 'how ya goin mate' in order to squeeze a smile out of them...it worked!
Several of the palaces had to be restored after the war, fortunately many of the gold ornaments and chandaliers were buried before the Germans invaded and then dug up afterwards.
Another highlight was a Russian Folklore evening with Cossack dances, songs, instruments and costumes from the region. The costumes were magnificent and the Cossack dancers were a sight to behold.
The palaces are now museums and in every room there are ladies sitting, watching everything you do with eagle eyes and solemn faces! They are there to make sure you don't touch anything. Malcolm calls them Net Net ladies (net is 'no' in Russian) and I was Net Neted twice for leaning on a pillar.
Stockholm and Helsinki
I've been extra slack in updating the blog due to the fact that for two days I was sick with a head cold and also because we haven't had Internet access for a couple of days.
Stockholm was beautiful, the architecture there was so pretty. The highlight was the viewing of a 17th century Galleon that was recovered from the seabed in Stockholm's harbour after more than 300 years and is now displayed in a museum. It was amazing to think it hadn't rotted away, but because Stockholm is in the Baltic sea and the salt level is low, the timber was in near perfect condition, also the sea wood worms don't survive in the Baltic.
We travelled overnight from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Fiinland by cruise ferry. The ferry can carry up to 2,800 people. The sea crossing was very smooth thank heavens. In Helsinki we experienced a traditional dinner of reindeer on mashed potato followed by dessert of colostrum, which was the milk from a cow straight after the birth of her calf! It was served up in slices and was like rubber, I have to say I was able to eat Rudolph, but when it came to dessert I was only able to take a couple of mouthfuls. It's not that it was awful, but the more I thought about it the more distasteful it became. Dan ate the lot with no problem.
Stockholm Royal Palace
Stockholm was beautiful, the architecture there was so pretty. The highlight was the viewing of a 17th century Galleon that was recovered from the seabed in Stockholm's harbour after more than 300 years and is now displayed in a museum. It was amazing to think it hadn't rotted away, but because Stockholm is in the Baltic sea and the salt level is low, the timber was in near perfect condition, also the sea wood worms don't survive in the Baltic.
We travelled overnight from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Fiinland by cruise ferry. The ferry can carry up to 2,800 people. The sea crossing was very smooth thank heavens. In Helsinki we experienced a traditional dinner of reindeer on mashed potato followed by dessert of colostrum, which was the milk from a cow straight after the birth of her calf! It was served up in slices and was like rubber, I have to say I was able to eat Rudolph, but when it came to dessert I was only able to take a couple of mouthfuls. It's not that it was awful, but the more I thought about it the more distasteful it became. Dan ate the lot with no problem.
Lost camera update.
Just to update you on my lost camera, I received an email from Eurostar directing me to the Brussels web site where I am required to fill out a form, but guess what? I only have the choice of French or German. Tonight I'm going to try to translate it into English with Google. Otherwise we have a lady on the bus who speaks French so I'll ask her for some help.
Of interest to my writing friends...I had photos of Chipping Norton and it's post office. You might all recall my Elizabeth story began in Chipping Norton and Elizabeth worked at the post office owned by Annette. I'd really like to have those photos back to be able to include them when I have the story printed.
Of interest to my writing friends...I had photos of Chipping Norton and it's post office. You might all recall my Elizabeth story began in Chipping Norton and Elizabeth worked at the post office owned by Annette. I'd really like to have those photos back to be able to include them when I have the story printed.
Coach/bus travel
A bus tour can be very interesting, to say the least. It involves early morning rises, a bunch of travelers with varying personalities and lots of sightseeing. But the main component pulling it together is the Tour Director and bus driver. Our Tour Director is Malcolm, a New Zealander who is now married to a Russian girl and living in Minsk, Belarus. He is probably in his late thirties and his knowledge of Scandadinavian and Russian history is remarkable, what he doesn't know probably isn't worth knowing. He is caring of the older passengers and nothing is too much trouble for him. But...he can certainly keep everyone in check...most of our days have started with a wake up call at 6am, ports out the door by 6.30, followed by breakfast and departure at 7.30am on the dot. He warned us one minute late and we have to sing a song, two minutes late, we have to sing a song AND dance. Three minutes late and we would be singing and dancing on the spot where the bus was. He has a great sense of humour with an infectious giggle.
The driver, Artur, is Latvian with very little use of the English language but boy can he drive! In Russia most of the highways are just two lanes, however they have started construction on an 8 billion dollar highway between the two main cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. When you want to pass someone you straddle the middle white line and the traffic on both sides of the road spreads apart to let you through. As you can imagine there was much jaw dropping and widening of eyes when we saw this happening for the first time. Artur's handling in turning the bus and maneuvering it in tight situations is excellent.
Most of the group are couples, but we have 7 ladies traveling on their own, three of them are Aussies and four Canadians. One Canadian lady is 83 and jokingly says she is looking for a man with a full head of hair, sadly this tour isn't going to help her! There are two men on their own, one from Las Angeles and an 87 year old from Brisbane.
Comfort stops on long-drive days can be amusing, especially when we know there won't be another stop for some time and the call of nature hasn't really set in. It's become known amongst the ladies as 'producing on demand'.
The driver, Artur, is Latvian with very little use of the English language but boy can he drive! In Russia most of the highways are just two lanes, however they have started construction on an 8 billion dollar highway between the two main cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. When you want to pass someone you straddle the middle white line and the traffic on both sides of the road spreads apart to let you through. As you can imagine there was much jaw dropping and widening of eyes when we saw this happening for the first time. Artur's handling in turning the bus and maneuvering it in tight situations is excellent.
Most of the group are couples, but we have 7 ladies traveling on their own, three of them are Aussies and four Canadians. One Canadian lady is 83 and jokingly says she is looking for a man with a full head of hair, sadly this tour isn't going to help her! There are two men on their own, one from Las Angeles and an 87 year old from Brisbane.
Comfort stops on long-drive days can be amusing, especially when we know there won't be another stop for some time and the call of nature hasn't really set in. It's become known amongst the ladies as 'producing on demand'.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Russia
Malcolm warned us that crossing into Russia could be an interesting experience. He said the guards would not be smiling or pleasant and that we may have to wait for some time at the border while they decided they would open the doors and let us through. Well we caught them on a good day and the we were through the border within half an hour. The guards hopped on the bus and checked it as well as checking our luggage in case we were trying to smuggle extra passengers in. We have surrendered our passports and will not get them back till after we leave Belarus. It was interesting to see most of the border guards were women. We never attempted to take photos either, just to be on the safe side as we didn't want an unscheduled extended stay in Russia.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Copenhagen...day 1 and 2.
Last night we had and authentic Danish dinner followed by a tour of The Tivoli Gardens. The tulips are in bloom and the gardens are full of them. They had a pantomime which was interesting and the grounds have many play areas for children. People were out enjoying the fine weather, however it was freezing with a chilly wind. I'm pleased I have a warm coat, gloves and scarf with me.
The Tivoli Gardens.
Today we were treated a tour of Copenhagen by a local tour guide. The city is very clean and bicycles are a popular form of transport, hence there are hundreds of them parked around the streets. We visited Princess Mary's winter and summer palaces. She was in residence at the winter palace, although Prince Frederick is currently in Stockholm. Then came a tour of the old city of Copenhagen with a viewing of Hans Christian Andersen's house, the famour Danish author, fairy tale writer and poet. We also visited the Frederiksborg Castle which is now a National Museum. It was originally built in the 1500's, however it was pulled down and rebuilt again in the 1600's. It's a magnificent building with an opulent interior. The ballroom was magnificent and the ornate ceilings were a sight to behold.
The local tour guide was very informative and worth her weight on gold.
Frederiksborg Castle.
The ballroom at Frederiksborg Castle.
Today we were treated a tour of Copenhagen by a local tour guide. The city is very clean and bicycles are a popular form of transport, hence there are hundreds of them parked around the streets. We visited Princess Mary's winter and summer palaces. She was in residence at the winter palace, although Prince Frederick is currently in Stockholm. Then came a tour of the old city of Copenhagen with a viewing of Hans Christian Andersen's house, the famour Danish author, fairy tale writer and poet. We also visited the Frederiksborg Castle which is now a National Museum. It was originally built in the 1500's, however it was pulled down and rebuilt again in the 1600's. It's a magnificent building with an opulent interior. The ballroom was magnificent and the ornate ceilings were a sight to behold.
The local tour guide was very informative and worth her weight on gold.
Trains...the good, the bad and the ugly!
The trip to Copenhagen began at Banbury with a train to St Pancras Kings Cross Station. That went smoothly as did our Eurostar trip to Brussels through the tunnel. From Brussels we caught an ICE train to Cologne, which is where we were to pick up a first class sleeper for the overnight trip to Copenhagen.
It was whilst we were waiting for the sleeper, supposedly arriving at 1028pm that I found I was missing my camera. Panic set in as I tipped the contents of my backpack out three times, I just could not believe it wasn't there. Horror of horrors!! I'd been taking photos of the beautiful French countryside and that was the last I'd seen it. My original thought was that I'd left it on the Brussels to Cologne journey, however later that night I worked out it was on the London to Brussels leg, so I've sent an email to Eurostar in the hope it has been handed in to their lost and found department...the first three weeks of holiday photos are on the Sd card, about 2gb worth. Luckily Dan has been taking some photos on his camera too. Fingers crossed that one of the staff or an honest person has picked it up.
Back to the trains now...as I said the sleeper was to arrive at 10.28pm, but we were advised it would be 90 minutes late. By midnight we were freezing and weary. Finally we were in our little, and I mean LITTLE bedroom after a mad scramble to alight the train. Sleep was broken with us being shunted and air brakes letting off air regularly. We had ordered breakfast for 8am as the new scheduled time of arrival in Copenhagen was 10am. At 5.30am an alarm went off in the cabin, followed by a knock on the door by the conductor telling us the train was going no further and we had to get off and take another train to Hamburg. We were hurriedly given little boxes of breakfast (that's another story) and told to sit and wait for another train. Can you imagine many travelers with much luggage trying to get onto a normal commuter train? It was not good...with a language problem to exacerbate it! At Hamburg there was more confusion. Anyway we arrived at Copenhagen at 3.30pm yesterday. More than 24 hours of train travel has cured us of that form of travel for a while.
It was whilst we were waiting for the sleeper, supposedly arriving at 1028pm that I found I was missing my camera. Panic set in as I tipped the contents of my backpack out three times, I just could not believe it wasn't there. Horror of horrors!! I'd been taking photos of the beautiful French countryside and that was the last I'd seen it. My original thought was that I'd left it on the Brussels to Cologne journey, however later that night I worked out it was on the London to Brussels leg, so I've sent an email to Eurostar in the hope it has been handed in to their lost and found department...the first three weeks of holiday photos are on the Sd card, about 2gb worth. Luckily Dan has been taking some photos on his camera too. Fingers crossed that one of the staff or an honest person has picked it up.
Back to the trains now...as I said the sleeper was to arrive at 10.28pm, but we were advised it would be 90 minutes late. By midnight we were freezing and weary. Finally we were in our little, and I mean LITTLE bedroom after a mad scramble to alight the train. Sleep was broken with us being shunted and air brakes letting off air regularly. We had ordered breakfast for 8am as the new scheduled time of arrival in Copenhagen was 10am. At 5.30am an alarm went off in the cabin, followed by a knock on the door by the conductor telling us the train was going no further and we had to get off and take another train to Hamburg. We were hurriedly given little boxes of breakfast (that's another story) and told to sit and wait for another train. Can you imagine many travelers with much luggage trying to get onto a normal commuter train? It was not good...with a language problem to exacerbate it! At Hamburg there was more confusion. Anyway we arrived at Copenhagen at 3.30pm yesterday. More than 24 hours of train travel has cured us of that form of travel for a while.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Heading to Copenhagen.
Tomorrow, Friday, we are catching a train from Banbury to London, then another train from St Pancras station, onward through the Channel tunnel (I'm hoping there's no leaks!) to Brussels, Cologne and finally arriving in Copenhagen where we will be joining a Trafalgar Tour.
It's been raining here in Banbury and is only 8 degrees outside. It might be a bit warmer in Europe... We are looking forward to taking heaps of photos and I'll try to put some on the blog if we have an Internet connection.
Dan now has antibiotics for his respiratory infection, and will be on the mend in a couple of days.
It's been raining here in Banbury and is only 8 degrees outside. It might be a bit warmer in Europe... We are looking forward to taking heaps of photos and I'll try to put some on the blog if we have an Internet connection.
Dan now has antibiotics for his respiratory infection, and will be on the mend in a couple of days.
Plumpton Woods...bluebells.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Banbury and Leamington Spa
Yesterday the sun appeared, so we made the most of it and walked approximately three klms into Banbury. Our first port of call was the pastie shop...Dan's favorite shop!
After our fill of pasties and cappuccinos we walked around the pretty town enjoying the quaint cobblestone streets and colorful displays of tulips which are in bloom at present. The nursery rhyme 'Ride a Cock Horse', has made Banbury one of the best-known towns in England.
The photo above is Banbury Cross.
In the evening Trina drove us to the ancient village of Great Tew in the Cotswold Hills. We had a drink at the local pub, The Falkland Arms, (photos above and below) which was built around 1625.
Today it has been raining again. This morning we drove to Leamington Spa, however we weren't able to walk around because of the continuous showers. Dan is losing his voice as a result of the cold he caught on the cruise.
The photo above is Banbury Cross.
Today it has been raining again. This morning we drove to Leamington Spa, however we weren't able to walk around because of the continuous showers. Dan is losing his voice as a result of the cold he caught on the cruise.
Monday, April 30, 2012
England-29th April 2012
Fort Lauderdale, New York, Heathrow and now Banbury...all in two days. The Cruise disembarkation process at Fort Lauderdale went rather smoothly and we arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight to New York. Our luggage was booked through to Heathrow, so we crossed our fingers and prayed it would be there on arrival.
Coming into New York Dan spotted the Space Shuttle on the back of a jumbo jet, that made his day. As we flew out of New York we could see the skyline of Manhatten with the Empire State Building reaching the highest.
The Space Shuttle, bottom right hand corner.
The flight to Heathrow was smooth, although we didn't get any sleep due to the air conditioning being too warm and a baby crying most of the time. Trina and Bob met us at Heathrow and it was then just an hour and half drive to Banbury. It was raining and cold on arrival and a shock to the system after the heat and humidity we'd experienced on the cruise.
We caught up with sleep last night and woke to another wet day, although as I'm writing this the sun is trying to poke through. We had lunch today at a lovely old English pub, Dan had his favorite...bangers and mash.
A bit of interesting info about our trip through the Panama Canal. It cost the Holland America Line $199,000 to pass thought the canal plus $35,000 booking fee. The Captain said that the Norwegian shipping cruise lines pay $490,000. So the Panama government is raking in some serious money, and the Americans are still regretting handing it over.
Coming into New York Dan spotted the Space Shuttle on the back of a jumbo jet, that made his day. As we flew out of New York we could see the skyline of Manhatten with the Empire State Building reaching the highest.
The flight to Heathrow was smooth, although we didn't get any sleep due to the air conditioning being too warm and a baby crying most of the time. Trina and Bob met us at Heathrow and it was then just an hour and half drive to Banbury. It was raining and cold on arrival and a shock to the system after the heat and humidity we'd experienced on the cruise.
We caught up with sleep last night and woke to another wet day, although as I'm writing this the sun is trying to poke through. We had lunch today at a lovely old English pub, Dan had his favorite...bangers and mash.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Flight and Ship
The flight to LA was tiring as expected. We didn't get any sleep, at least no proper sleep, just a few winks now and then. I occupied myself by finishing a book I had been reading, and Dan watched some movies. At LA we transferred to an American Eagle flight to San Diego. Dan queued for a coffee at Starbucks for 30 minutes...we definitely wouldn't do that in Aus.
By the time we arrived at our hotel in San Diego we were really sleep deprived, but in order to change the body clock we stayed awake until 8 that evening.
We transferred to the cruise ship the following morning. Since then we've been relaxing and eating our way through the days. However I must add I was sea sick the first day and became close friends with the dreaded porcelain bowl. I had to have a Phenergan to see me through the first night, it's been smooth sailing since then. I don't know when I'll be able to upload this blog as Internet connectivity on the ship is expensive and intermittent.
By the time we arrived at our hotel in San Diego we were really sleep deprived, but in order to change the body clock we stayed awake until 8 that evening.
We transferred to the cruise ship the following morning. Since then we've been relaxing and eating our way through the days. However I must add I was sea sick the first day and became close friends with the dreaded porcelain bowl. I had to have a Phenergan to see me through the first night, it's been smooth sailing since then. I don't know when I'll be able to upload this blog as Internet connectivity on the ship is expensive and intermittent.
Puerto Vallarta
Today, 16th April, we visited Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Our tour consisted of a walk through the centre of the town, followed by a drive I the country to a ranch that makes tequila. We had tequila tasting, then a Mexican fiesta lunch and of course the usual sale selection of souvenirs.
There were army guys with machine guns, police and security everywhere and our guide learnt that the presidents from Canada, the US states (including President Obama)and Mexico were arriving for a conference.
Mexico is dry and arid. Their rain starts in July and it only rains for three months of the year. The poor areas were a real eye-opener, it made us realize how lucky we are to live in Australia. People who can't afford to buy land or a house can squat in the hills with no water, power or a roof over their heads for ten years and then the government will give that land to them. So in other words they have to sacrifice ten years of their life to become land owners. Our guide rents a house for $200 a month, he earns $130 a month, but he has three daughters living with him who work to help him survive...as I said, we are lucky!
Most of the streets of Puerto Vallarta were dirt, with houses we wouldn't dream of living in. There were broken down cars just left in the streets to become covered with layer upon layer of dust.
In Mexico, if you are caught with drugs, younger than 18 out after dark without an adult or doing graffiti, you are sent to jail and automatically guilty until proven otherwise. If your child is caught doing something illegal the rest of the family are guilty by association. Wow! Not the best place to live...
On a brighter note, it was Dan's birthday and after returning from the tour we had dinner at The Pinnacle restaurant on the ship. The meal, surroundings and staff were magnificent. As we were about to order dessert the staff brought out a small chocolate mousse birthday cake for Dan. The finishing touch to most delicious meal.
There were army guys with machine guns, police and security everywhere and our guide learnt that the presidents from Canada, the US states (including President Obama)and Mexico were arriving for a conference.
Mexico is dry and arid. Their rain starts in July and it only rains for three months of the year. The poor areas were a real eye-opener, it made us realize how lucky we are to live in Australia. People who can't afford to buy land or a house can squat in the hills with no water, power or a roof over their heads for ten years and then the government will give that land to them. So in other words they have to sacrifice ten years of their life to become land owners. Our guide rents a house for $200 a month, he earns $130 a month, but he has three daughters living with him who work to help him survive...as I said, we are lucky!
Most of the streets of Puerto Vallarta were dirt, with houses we wouldn't dream of living in. There were broken down cars just left in the streets to become covered with layer upon layer of dust.
In Mexico, if you are caught with drugs, younger than 18 out after dark without an adult or doing graffiti, you are sent to jail and automatically guilty until proven otherwise. If your child is caught doing something illegal the rest of the family are guilty by association. Wow! Not the best place to live...
On a brighter note, it was Dan's birthday and after returning from the tour we had dinner at The Pinnacle restaurant on the ship. The meal, surroundings and staff were magnificent. As we were about to order dessert the staff brought out a small chocolate mousse birthday cake for Dan. The finishing touch to most delicious meal.
Cartegenia, Columbia.
Today is the last port before we end the cruise. It's Cartegenia in Columbia. We are not going into the main part of the city, but we've had plenty of Taxi drivers hasseling us to get a fare. Two more days and well be in Fort Lauderdale. From there we go to New York, then to London and some cooler weather. The humidity here is higher than the temperature.
Yesterday we passed through the Panama Canal which was a great experience with all the locks and watching how they work.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Huatulco, Mixico.
Today, 18th April, we are in another port, Huatulco. It's 10am and the temperature would be over 30 degrees already. We are going ashore for a look at the local shops and to be hounded by the shop-keepers to buy their goods.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Final Arrangements.
It's just one week and six days to go...bring it on!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Passports back from Russian Embassy.
The Travel Agent has advised that our passports arrived back from the Russian Embassy today. I will be collecting them next week and am looking forward to having them in my hot little hands, safe and sound. It's just three weeks and six days till the big adventure starts. Up, up and away!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Banbury.
This is the town of Banbury, where Trina and Bob live. We will be staying with them when we are in the UK. In this photo you can see some of the narrowboats moored in the centre of Banbury, conveniently right next to a large shopping centre. We are hiring a narrowboat in Wales whilst we are over there, which should be great fun, and very interesting. I can't wait!
Getting closer!
It is now 5 weeks and 5 days till we fly out of Brisbane and jet into LA. We leave at 10.30am on the 12th of April. It is a 13 hour flight and we will arrive in Los Angeles at 6.40am also on the 12th of April.
Our passports have been sent to the Russian Embassy so they can authorize our entry into their country when we are on the Trafalfar tour.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Holland America Cruise
Time is flying now. We have now checked-in for our cruise on the Statendam. Next week our passports go to the Russian Embassy so they can authorize our entry into Russia. It's all happening!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Trafalgar Tour.
After we finish the cruise we will be flying to the UK. We are spending a few days with Trina and Bob before traveling by train to Copenhagen on the 4th May to join a 16 day Trafalgar tour that will take us through 7 countries. They are Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. We are hoping the sub-zero temperatures they have been experiencing will be over by then, although some snow would be nice.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Holland America's Panama Canal Cruise
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The itinerary for our holiday has been finalised. We depart Brisbane for Los Angeles at 10.35am on the 12th April 2012. From Los Angeles we fly to San Diego where we will be boarding the Holland America's boat, Statendam, for a 14 day cruise to Fort Lauderdale. I will endeavour to keep this blog up to date with photos as we travel to different countries.
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