Odd weekends!

One Thursday evening, we were rung and advised there may not be any school the following day as the Civil Defence had issued a warning regarding high tide and northerly winds coinciding on Friday morning, which was likely to cause flooding in Great Yarmouth. Severe flooding had happened two years ago where many shops and accommodation had been affected so they were making sure people were evacuated to C.D. shelters and all precautions in place before the event! We woke on Friday morning to hear all schools had been closed for the day and there was no entry into our area at all. The low lying houses and businesses were flooded and it was backed up to the Broads. Our house is on high ground so Gorleston really wasn’t too affected, but we did wander down to the water to see the high seas crashing in. There were helicoptors flying around filming the damage so we saw more on the television really!
This was the weekend we were expecting Hugh and Santanu to come up here and at one stage we were doubtful they would make it. However, by that evening the danger warning had been lifted and they arrived. On Saturday we travelled to the Broads and hired a boat for 3 hours. As it turned out it was a really good time to go as the water line was high, not many people out and about and relatively fine
weather.

In the afternoon we drove into Norwich to show Santanu the city as he hadn’t been there before and all of us visited the Cathedral.
On Sunday we drove up the coastline, which we had seen many times before but this time the sea was really rough and more dramatic.

Another weekend we visited our friends, Colin and Wendy Young in the Cotswolds. This is a prime example of Britain’s beautiful countryside. It is certainly where many of the more wealthy people have property and commute to their London businesses, either on a daily basis or they own an apartment there to use during the week. On our way there we stopped at Oxford (visited before but only briefly) and then motored on through Burford, which has a main road full of inns, shops and cottages before crossing over the medieval bridge to exit. From here, on to Upper & Lower Slaughter before stopping at Bourton-on-the-water. This was a really pretty village,where the river Windrush flows beside the main street and beneath a succession of graceful footbridges. We arived in the early evening so it was even more stunning, lit up. We arrived at the Young’s in Horsley, ready for drinks and dinner! They work for a wealthy young lawyer who is one of those with an apartment in London to live in during the week. Their house was originally a barn and altered for their employees - a very attractive place to live in with all the amenities from home! Colin is redeveloping their 25 acres property, dismantling old buildings, tidying up the land and rebuilding their beautiful stone walls (he attended a course to learn how) which are everywhere. These walls are built with flat stone so look really stunning. Quite different from the ones we have at home! Wendy helps out in the house, cooking meals and supervising homework for the 2 boys who attend the local school.
The next day we travelled into London to have a traditional Sunday lunch with Joanne Small, her partner and little Daniel. They have a lovely house near Wimbledon and it was our only chance to catch up before we leave for home.

Before leaving for NZ we realized it was necessary to send some gear home by ship!! Oh dear it is amazing what is accumulated over a year! So Ian packed up 2 boxes and we took them down to the depot in London on our last weekend visit to the big city. Greenwich was always a place we wanted to visit so this was going to be our last opportunity. It earned its reputation, when it was a playground for the Tudor royalty. Henry VIII and his daughters Mary 1 and Elizabeth 1 were born here. In fact it was Henry’s favourite residence. The Cutty Sark is under major repair so we obviously couldn’t see that but we did join a walking tour. This took us along the bank of the Thames, past the Old Royal Naval College, Queen’s House and up to the Royal Observatory and Planetarium. Outside the Observatory, built by Christopher Wren for Charles 11 in 1675, you can straddle the Prime Meridian Line, with one foot in each hemisphere. Many instruments are kept here that belonged to John Harrison. He was the man, together with Edmund Halley who discovered accurate measurement of longitude. On our way home we stopped off at Tower Bridge as I wanted some to take some photos of this at night.

On Sunday we visited Harrods, for viewing only! As we came up from the tube station we saw hundreds of people waiting for Harrods to open their doors -apparently this is quite normal for Christmas! On our way back we stopped off at the British Museum, one of the more popular. There is too much to absorb in one visit so we concentrated on the life and death beliefs of many races, African section and then quickly looked at the ancient Egyptian artefacts. After saying our goodbyes to Hugh and Santanu we headed for home in the dark, even though it was just after 6pm.

Weekend in Paris

When we toured Europe we decided to leave Paris as the thought of driving in to that city was just too much!! The idea of a long weekend in Paris at a later date was more appealing so that’s what we did.
To travel there, we took the train from Great Yarmouth, changed at Norwich to reach Liverpool Street. From there we caught the tube to St Pancras to travel by Eurostar to Paris. The St Pancras international station has only been operating for two weeks so everything was very new and upmarket, with many areas still being completed. Our journey was very smooth and comfortable and we arrived at our destination at midnight. Their tube system was on the go slow but thank goodness there were plenty of taxis available. Our accommodation was on the border of Montmarte so everywhere was walkable! On Saturday we walked down to through Ste-Marie Madeleine to Place De La Concorde and along the bank of the Seine towards Centre Georges Pompidou. This centre with its primary colours, exposed pipes and air ducts make it one of the best known sights in Paris. The architects won a competition with their ‘inside-out’ boiler house approach which put the air conditioning pipes, lifts and the escalators on the outside, leaving an adaptable space within. From here we walked over the bridge to the Notre Dame, an imposing Gothic landmark. This was reconstructed after the war and is the third church to stand on this site. The first was built in the third century and the second was ransacked by Vikings. Most of what we see today was built in the 12th & 13th C and the intricate west façade was painted 30 odd times by Monet. It was a short walk to the Latin Quarter, which boasts many cobbled streets and has been the university quarter since medieval times, with lovely churches, wonky ancient buildings, studenty bars and learning institutions. As it was near lunch time, we ventured into the Jardin du Luxembourg park to eat our lunch and enjoy the bare winter trees and watch other people making the most of this attractive outdoor area. We wanted to visit one of their many museums, so settled for Musee Rodin. Rodin a very wellknown sculptor and the museum (formerly his house) is where he lived for the last few years of his life. By now the light was beginning to fade, so we headed towards our hotel. As we crossed Champs-Elysees, we noticed all the Christmas lights in the trees that lined the street all the way to the Arc de Triomphe so stopped to take a picture. It just looked so beautiful. When we hit our hotel, we flaked on the bed for an hour before putting on the footwear again to head out for a meal.
On Sunday we headed back to Place De La Concorde and up the Champs-Elysees, passed Grand Palais and diverted along Winston Churchill Avenue to take a picture of his statue. Eventually we reached Arc de Triomphe (Napoleon had this built as a monument to the triumph of his armies) and climbed its 284 steps to view Paris! On we walked to the Eiffel Tower ( built as a temporary structure for the 1889 world fair) where we just took photos – the queues were too long and we didn’t feel like lining up and waiting. After viewing this, we wandered through the Parc du Champ de Mars, passed Hotel des Invalides to Saint Chapelle, (once again amazing stain glass windows which depict hundreds of scenes from the Old and New Testaments) which we missed yesterday. As the daylight started to fade, we headed back towards Montmarte and up to Sacre-Coeur to view the lights of Paris switching on. The climb up was killing us (well me anyway!)at this end of the day but well worth the effort once we reached the top. Another beautiful church, but this one was only completed in 1919 – amazingly young!! On the way down we enjoyed an Italian meal before retiring and ready for our journey home on Monday morning. A wonderful, action packed weekend!

Southwest England & Wales

Day 1:
For our last mid term break (one week) we chose to travel around the south west of England and then on to Wales. We set out early on Saturday morning so we could visit Windsor Castle before moving on to Stonehenge where we were staying for our first night. Seeing the English countryside in its Autumn colours is just such a picture.
On our way south we turned into Newmarket to see their racecourse, as this is the heart of England’s racing industry. We were able to see their Autumn course and coincidentally, one of their main events was due to be held that day. It was one of their last events for that season and amazing preparation being undertaken. A very friendly gentleman on the gate told us to just drive up and take a wander around so we did! There is an even more elaborate Summer course across the field, but too far away for us to see what it was like.
The township of Windsor sits beside the Thames River but is dwarfed by the great Windsor Castle. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to take a tour through, but we certainly admired the Queen’s favourite castle from the outside. Apparently this is the largest and oldest occupied fortress in the world. Windsor is a delightful little township and across the Windsor pedestrian bridge is Eton. This has the most exclusive school in England and has educated at least 18 prime ministers! It was founded by Henry V1 with a view to educating 70 highly qualified boys with a fund endowed by him. This entry still stands today. Ascot, a short drive from here, allowed visitors to view their track and the outside of their newly upgraded grandstand and public facilities. To reach this area, we had to walk under the actual track which took us to the centre of the course.
From here we moved on to Stonehenge, a magical and mystical place and one of England’s most popular attractions. As we drove into the car park our car made an expensive graunching sound in the wheels!! Ian had suspected the brakes may have been wearing, but of course we were hoping they would see us out until we sold it. However not to be! As it was, the entry to Stonehenge was closed as it was just on 5pm so we crawled along to our motel and what would you know – the RAC (our saviours) were parked in the carpark there!! I just couldn’t believe it. Anyway the guy checked it out and said we mustn’t drive any further and rang the local garage and booked us in for Monday morning. That meant another night in Stonehenge and a day behind schedule but lucky really, all things considered!!
Day 2:
Having a day without a car meant we could walk to Stonehenge. This 5000-year-old stone circle still baffles archaeologists and the tourists just keep pouring in. For our return trip, we took one of the many tracks through fields that had a scattering of deer and heaps of pheasants. The track proved to be a long way round but guess it was good exercise!
Day 3:
We collected our car at midday and headed off towards the New Forest and then on to Exeter, before reaching Plymouth in the early evening. We were concerned about our barbeque days nearing an end, so we found a spot in the forest (before arriving in Plymouth) to have what we thought may be our last barbeque! I think the people who stopped there to walk their dog thought we were from another planet!!
Day 4:
In the morning we drove down to Plymouth Hoe to see it in all its glory – it was a cold but beautiful, sunny morning. This was true to its reputation as a promenade which gives breezy views over Plymouth Sound! We saw Drake’s monument on the famous bowling green, the red and white Smeaton’s tower and the impressive war monument dedicated to those in the Navy who supported Britain in the various wars over the years.
It was now on to the Eden Project near St. Austell. The Eden Project has the largest greenhouses in the world and they were raised from the dust of an abandoned china clay pit. These have become one of Britain’s success stories. Tropical, temperate and desert environments have been recreated inside the biomes with flora and fauna from around the globe. It is really impressive and certainly worth a visit. St Ives was the next scheduled stop. This was once one of Cornwall’s busiest fishing ports and later became a centre for 20th C art but is now better known as a thriving holiday town. From the harbour front it climbs in to a warren of cobbles streets, where slate – roofed cottages, old pubs and tumbledown chapels jostle for space with tourist shops, trendy restaurants, galleries and holiday homes. The Clotworthy name is well known here for its dress shop and on another street corner, their name is etched in the concrete. Unfortunately the Clotworthy owner was not in that day, but the shop assistant said they had owned a dress shop in the town for many years. Ian knew it was here, so that is why we hunted it out!
Since we have been in the UK we have not had fish and chips (cooked in the shop) so we decided this was as good as any place to try them. We won’t bother again! It is amazing how our digestive system is just not accustomed to that fatty batter any more. It is a staple diet here and there would be as many fish and chip shops as pubs in some towns. That night we stayed in St. Just, handy to Land’s End for the following day.
Day 5:
When we drove down to Land’s End it was misty and cold and to add to that dismal feeling the authorities were going to charge us 12 pound each to enter their theme park, which is apparently full of tacky side shows – so typical of the seaside resorts over here. We could have skipped the complex and walked out to the headland but we protested and drove to Porthgwarra where we could walk right out on the headland and enjoy the views for a car park fee of one pound! The tide was out when we came to St. Michael’s Mount but time didn’t allow us to walk out as we had to be in Chew Magna (just south of Bristol & Bath) by night fall.
Day 6:
Into Bath in time for the free city walk at 10.30. Bath was all we expected and one could just imagine the Romans coming over the hills and discovering the hot springs. The buildings were left to decay after the Romans departed and it wasn’t until the 17C that people began to return to ‘take the cure’ in Bath once again. Although we didn’t have time to visit the Roman Bath’s Museum we saw the King’s Bath and Cross Bath. Over the road from this was the Hot Bath which has been restored together with the Hetling Pump Room which are now part of the new complex, Thermae Bath Spa – a luxurious complex. From here on to the Royal Crescent, a semicircular terrace of magnificent houses built between 1767 and 1775. Originally, wealthy socialites would have rented the houses by the season. A walk along the street from the Crescent is The Circus; a magnificent circle of 30 houses. Plagues on the houses commemorate famous residents such as Thomas Gainsborough, David Livingstone etc...
Another place of interest was the Jane Austen Centre. She wrote Persuasion and Northanger Abbey here, which both vividly describe fashionable life in the city in the 1800’s.
Next it was on westward, over the Severn Bridge to Cardiff. It was really quite late in the day and of course we hoped to visit the new Millenium Stadium. Due to the fact it is right in the city centre, parking was always going to be a problem. However we found some cars parked on double yellow lines (without a parking ticket!) so we took the risk too,raced around the corner and were lucky enough to join the last tour of the day. A fantastic complex and so versatile. While we were there it was having all the turf uplifted ready for a hotwheel car competition, the following weekend was a heavy-weight boxing bout and two weeks later back into rugby. Our guide was next to useless – he spoke too fast and certainly wasn’t interested in his job! However the one point I did manage to decipher was that the turf came from Holland and so the Welsh can always say they have never lost on home soil!!!
From here we moved on to Swansea, where we were staying for the night. Oh and that was something completely different too – our b/b had each room decorated to a theme! We had the choice of staying in the Mediterranean room or the Mexican. I chose the Mediterranean!!! Just down the road was an Indian Restaurant, established in what was formerly a church and it served superb food.
Day 7:
As we drove out of Swansea, the mist seemed to be thicker than we had experienced before and we just hoped it would clear, as we were looking forward to taking a more coastal route around the south of Wales. Regardless, we took the road out to Port-Eynon and walked down to the beach with the wind blowing and the mist still surrounding the cliffs. The roads we took back to the motorway were narrow lanes, only wide enough for two cars in some places! Once on the main road again we headed out to Haverfordwest where we wandered around, checking in at the bank and supermarket! Northwest from here was Newgale where we stopped for a cuppa and enjoyed the long sandy beach (a little like Matarangi!) and then on to St David’s. St David’s Cathedral is supposed to be the holiest place in Wales! It is certainly situated in a quaint little town. Following this we travelled on to Fishguard and through Cardigan to Dinas-Mawddwy for our night’s accommodation. To reach it we had to wind up many little lanes between the Welsh hills. The weather was atrocious, cold, wet and bleak.
Day 8:
On up to Colwyn Bay and on to the walled castle town of Conwy. This is one of Britain’s best surviving medieval settlements. It has a most dramatic entrance, arriving at the castle gateway over the modern road bridge. There was a antique market on that Saturday so we walked over the wall and down into the streets to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the town beside the sea! Our accommodation was at Llandudno, a hotel near the water front. This was supposed to be our treat but it was a total disappointment and twice the price!
Day 9:
As we left we paid the toll to drive around Great Orme’s Head, which had quite spectacular views, before heading east once again to Gorleston.

Lake District

We left the Lake District until Autumn, as we knew it was considered one of England’s most picturesque areas and we thought it would be really beautiful at this time of the year. We were not disappointed.
From Gorleston it is about a 6 hour drive so Ian picked me up from school and we left as soon as! Including a stop for dinner on the way, we reached our farmstay soon after 10pm which was in Crook, west of Kendal. Ian is always keen to stay at a b/b on a farm if possible and catch up with the farming world over here. The reports vary as to their state of finance, but the most consistent story is they don’t know they are alive with the way most produce is subsidized. However we don’t envy the worry they have had regarding foot and mouth and then blue tongue as well.
We woke up on Saturday morning to fog all around but we were assured it would clear by lunchtime. Relying on the local knowledge, we decided to travel up to Penrith and then west but a little way on route we decided to return as we really couldn’t see the countryside at all. We decided to explore closer to Windermere and hope for a clearer day on Sunday.
Lake Windermere is England’s largest lake and of course it is a bustling tourist centre for the district. Close by is Bowness, which is where we parked and walked by the lakeside, admiring the deciduous trees that provided such a colourful backdrop for our photos!
Further on we visited Ambleside which is nestled amongst the hills and craggy peaks. Its Victorian mansions and grey stone town houses line the cobbled stone streets which help to give it its character. We travelled through Coniston, a quiet, sleepy little town before we came to Hawkshead, with the quaint whitewashed buildings, cobble stoned streets in a countryside setting. This is the centre of the Beatrix Potter tales. It was really interesting visiting the gallery and then Hill Top, which feature in so many of her stories. You could stand at the very window she looked out and see the lane she wrote about in many of her tales plus Mr McGregor’s garden!! At the end of this tour, it was beginning to get dark so we returned to Kendal for dinner before retiring to bed.
Thank goodness the next morning was clearer so we set off up to Keswick, a busy little market town near the shore of Derwent Water and then across to Penrith before once again, heading east to home.

London again!

This was probably our last visit to London, so we were out to make the most of our time.
On Saturday we visited St Paul’s Cathedral. I have probably mentioned this before, but each cathedral we visit we never think we can better it, but this one is just breathtakingly beautiful and well worth viewing. It dominates the city with a dome second in size only to St Peter’s in Rome. It was built between 1675 and 1710 by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666. Four other cathedrals on this site, the first dating from 604, preceded it. Somehow it dodged the bombs of WW11. It was the only cathedral in England to be completed in an architect’s lifetime. The whispering gallery is the first of three domes and if you talk close to the wall it can be heard 32 metres away. We forgot about this and when Ian saw a woman talking to the wall he wondered if she was OK!!!!!
We climbed the 530 steps to the Golden Gallery at the very top and had an awesome view of London – lucky for us it was a clear day!
As we hadn’t been to a musical show we chose “We Will Rock You” as the one. All the reports from people who had seen it (including Sara 5 years ago) said it was the best. We also thoroughly enjoyed it. Mind you, we would just go to them all really if we could only win the lottery!
While we were out enjoying ourselves, Hugh was dealing with a break in to our car. Apparently it must have happened the previous night and we didn’t notice anything untoward when we left the house that morning, as it was on the driver’s side of the car. Anyway there was nothing in there to steal, but we had left the satellite navigator cradle on the windscreen and that must have been the attraction as many people then leave the navigator in the glove box. We have never made a habit of this thank goodness. However it was an added expense to have the window replaced which we could have done without. In saying this we were most grateful to Hugh for ringing around and finding a company to come and replace it at 7 pm in the evening.
On Saturday evening we watched the AB’s v France game and we all know the result of that!!
On Sunday, back into the city again and this time around Westminster. We strolled around the Abby, Parliament Buildings with Big Ben, St James Park, Downing Street and over Westminster Bridge. We took the Queen’s walk on the south bank of the Thames passed the Fashion & Textile Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe, Aquarium, Florence Nightingale Museum and then to Tate Modern. This was formerly a power station and is now the home to Europe’s most contemporary art gallery – a different gallery to any other.
We completed our day with a walk over the millennium bridge, tube to Oxford Street and then back to Tottenham, before driving home!

Sandringham House

Sandringham was a casual Sunday afternoon drive from Gorleston, on a fine autumn day! When we arrived, there was a country market in full swing as well. It was the first time this had taken place and it will be a monthly event if successful. For people who are staying longer than the 2 months we have left, it would be a great place to 'stock up'.
This royal family residence in set in 25 hectares of landscaped gardens and lakes, and is open to the public when it is unoccupied by the owners!!
Queen Victoria bought the house and an 8000 hectare estate in 1862 so as to give her son the Prince of Wales (later Edward V11) somewhere to call his official residence.
The park-like gardens are very well laid out and it was a very pleasant place to leisurely stroll around.
The house itself is home to a museum that contains a collection of vintage cars, photographs from the last 100 years and other royal memorabilia. When you enter the house you see the sunroom where the Queen reads the morning paper, the room for pre dinner snacks, the dining room and lounge. Prince Philip is an accomplished painter and some of his work was also on display.
About 8000 hectacres is leased out to farm tenants while the remaining hectares are managed by the Crown Estate as forestry.
It was a place where many people picnic and take walks through the forest (this is outside the house & gardens) with their dogs and family. A popular spot for everyone.

London & Edinburgh

This was the weekend Ian was heading up to Edinburgh to see the All Blacks play Scotland. We headed to London for Friday night and he left for Kings Cross Station on Saturday morning to meet the Lascelle contingent! I was going to have time in London with Hugh and Santanu before returning on Sunday.

Hugh and Santanu have just moved into a new house in Tottenham and we were looking forward to staying there and viewing their new purchase. It is much bigger than Hugh’s Islington house; downstairs is a spacious kitchen, dining room and living area plus a conservatory and delightful, private little garden outside. First floor has two bedrooms, an office and a bathroom and an attic room and bathroom on the second floor. The previous owner has altered and maintained it using wood and fittings to match the original so it is a very attractive house, requiring very little immediate interior work. An excellent buy!

I caught the tube into Oxford Street on Saturday to visit the much loved Marks and Spencers!! What will I do when I return home – unless they have opened one since I have left!!! Anyway I didn’t give the credit card too much of a nudge but enjoyed looking around to see what was available! From here it was easy to go to the Wallace collection (Hugh’s suggestion) which is one of London’s finest, small galleries and comprises a wealth of 17th & 18th Century European artefacts and art including works by Rubens, Titian, Rembrandt and Gainsborough. All these are housed in this restored mansion in Manchester Square and well worth a visit, especially since it is free! In the evening Hugh, Santanu and I went to see the film “Yetta” – a German movie with sub titles. It wasn’t the best choice but the meal before hand made up for it. That was at an Asian restaurant, very cheap but very tasty with huge servings. On Sunday, Hugh and I went to a morning coffee concert at Wigmore Hall. This hall is in West London, just near Cavendish Square. They have recitals or concerts most lunch times (just an hour long) and every evening there are a variety of performances to choose from. The hall itself is just beautiful and quite small in comparison to others around. Our recital was a trio playing the clarinet, viola and piano. From here we enjoyed a Thai lunch and then a quick flick through more shops in Oxford Street before returning home. I wanted to leave at a reasonable time before darkness set in. I’m not keen on driving home from London on my own, in the dark.

I:an’s account of events!
The train pulled out at 9.30am and by 9.45 one of Guy’s travelling mates produced two bottles of Moet and those, along with many cans and 6 hours on the train, it was some trip. Pre dinner drinks were at Dirty Dicks and following dinner they hit the night club scene. On Sunday two of the travelling party visited Edinburgh Castle while the other 4 wandered the streets and met up with Wendy & Colin Young at Starbucks. All arrived at the ground in plenty of time for pre game drinks and this time met up with Tim & Julie Paterson. The game fever seemed to be really building and there appeared to be 2 to 1 supporters in the Kiwi’s favour. By the time the game began, the atmosphere was electric. Unfortunately the 80min wasn’t total excitement although it was great to secure another win for the AB’s. The post game continued at the back of the stand and then many more stops on the way before they hit the city again close to midnight. A visit to two more night clubs before the two ‘old salts’ arrived home, the last of the touring party to crash. The next couple of days were for recovery.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is about 3hours from Gorleston, so once again we left early Saturday morning. Apart from the Shakespeare attraction, it is a very pretty town, full of historic buildings, half-timbered houses and thatched roofs. On arrival, we purchased a combination ticket to all five Shakespeare properties. The main attraction, Shakespeare’s birthplace has a modern exterior, but inside it is very much ‘olde’. Family rooms have been recreated in the style of Shakespeare’s time plus there is also an adjacent exhibition which give the low down on their most famous son. The Nash house was where Shakespeare’s granddaughter Elizabeth lived and this describes the town’s history, together with 17th century furniture and tapastries. Next door are the grounds of a (now demolished) house Shakespeare bought when he retired. Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna married the eminent doctor John Hall, and their fine Elizabethan town house, Hall’s Croft now contains a fascinating insight into medical practice in Shakespeare’s time. Before their marriage, Shakespeare’s wife lived in Shottery, a mile west of the centre, in a thatched farmhouse now known as Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. This is a beautiful, picturesque house and garden. Mary Arden was Shakespeare’s mother, and a house at Wilmcote was her childhood home. This has exhibits tracing local country life over the past four centuries and was really interesting, especially for Ian. There were women dressed appropriately for the time, cooking a mid day meal over an open fire. We left this for Sunday morning as we realized it would take longer to visit than the other properties.

Our friends had advised us to visit Warwick Castle which was just a few miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon. By now we are reaching the stage of ‘oh not another castle’ but if you have never seen very many this would be a must to visit. For a start it is incredibly well preserved. The castle is owned by Tussauds, and that influence is evident in the waxwork figures throughout the rooms. Their displays are so life-like that it makes it so much easier to visualize what life was like back then. We left there at 4pm and headed for home.

Europe

Day 1: 20 July
We left home at 7.30 on Friday morning, heading for Dover to catch the ferry over to Calais. Before leaving we purchased a Satallite Navigator so we turned that on to see if it was going to work!! I'm not sure what would have happened if it didn't!! Our crossing was 2pm and it was on time. Once we landed, we suddenly experienced the right hand side of the road and followed the E40 all the way to Brussells.Our hotel provided free transport into the city centre so we viewed the busy night life around the Grand Place.
Day 2:
This time we walked into the city and explored it by foot before returning to our car and leaving the city about 1pm to head for Norden, Germany.
We stayed with Lilly and Uwe, who were Janine's host parents when she was in Germany as an AFS exchange student in '94. They came out to stay with us in '97 so it was really great to see them again. When she was with them they were on Norderney Island and she had to travel by ferry each day to go to school. A very different experience for her. They also attended school on Saturday as well but I have since found out that Janine told Lilly it was against her religion to go to school on a Saturday!!
We arrived at about 7.30 and chatted well into the night!
Day 3:
We caught the ferry to Norderney to see and explore all the familiar places Janine knew so well. Uwe is a sea captain and also knew the captain of the ferry so we were able to spend the journey up on the Captain's bridge. Norderney is a very popular summer holiday island and the population swells from 3000 to 25000 during the summer months. Lilly and Uwe used to own a house with holiday apartments. It was a great day and so interesting to see the places I had heard so much about. Before returning to Norden, we visited Uwe's brother for a cup of tea, another family Janine knew well. That evening Uwe cooked a barbeque dinner for us, three meats, pork, lamb and a German sausage to finish.
Day 4:
Lilly had to work in the afternoon so Uwe took us to Greetsiel, which is an old fishing village on the coast and a very popular holiday spot. There was a 250yr old windmill we climbed up to explore, and it is still used at times to make flour. We drove further down the coast to a place where one of Germany's three major gas lines come in from the North Sea. This is where we sat in the sun, drank coffee, watched the action and glanced across at Holland. They were also unloading large concrete partitions of a windmill used for generating electricity, the same as at home in NZ. But there are many more of them everywhere, no doubt we will follow! On our return we called in to Lilly's bookshop and walked home through the park. That evening we took them out to dinner at Minnie's, a very nice place to enjoy a meal together.
Day 5:
Uwe works as a sea captain on a boat about 2 hours drive from here. He works one week on and one week off, Tuesday to Tuesday so he left this day to go to work. Obviously he stays on the boat which means we won't see him again unless we can persuade them to come to NZ for another visit! We decided to go to Groningen, a lovely smaller township in the Netherlands and then on to Amsterdam for the night. Unfortunately it rained really hard in Groningen so we took off earlier to Amsterdam. That evening we caught the bus into the city centre, walked the streets and viewed the extra curricular activity available! Then the following day we visited the Anne Frank house and Vincent Van Gögh museum. Both were really interesting and well worth the visit. At 5 pm we started back to Norden and arrived back at about 9pm. It was great just being so close to the border which allowed us to visit the Netherlands as we thought we may have to miss it out.
Day 6:
A quieter day in Norden; viewed their 700yr old church and wandered around the little township. We also caught up on washing, our blogsite and generally had a lazy day before leaving for Berlin to stay with Benjamin (Lilly & Uwe's son)for 3 nights.
Day 7:
It was really sad to say goodbye to the Sieberns but as I mentioned before, maybe they will take another trip our way! Berlin is about a 6 hour drive, so we timed it nicely and arrived outside Benjamin's door at 6.15, just as we had predicted!!! We were just so fortunate to stay in his student flat, in the old Eastern Berlin. This is a very popular residential area for varsity students due to the reasonable rents, but he is not sure how long this will last. He is completing his doctorate, all in law, so he will be very well qualified when he has finished. Benjamin is staying with his girlfriend Kathrin, during our stay. Just around the corner are several cafes and the four of us enjoyed a typical German meal at one of them. After lots of walking and sampling 2 other bars for a nightcap, we were ready for bed at 1am!!!They are both such a delightful couple.
Day 8:
They met us at 10am and we were ready for a fully packed day to see Berlin. Benjamin is just so knowlegable about everything so I certainly didn't need to drag my Lonely Planet around as well!! Our tour went from east to west!
The most significant thing we noticed at first was the graffiti everywhere. After a while we accepted it as just part of the old eastern side and when we approached the inner area, it became cleaner.We saw the redeveloped boulevards and buildings which are certainly very tastefully presented. However in saying this the ones still waiting repair have character too! There are still many very large buildings unoccupied because of the expense for large companies to move here. The unused railway line passed a Jewish school and a monument placed nearby where the Jews were herded onto the trains during the war. As we walked further, we passed a beautiful Jewish Synagogue and Protestant church before coming to the island developed for museums - just millions spent on this, as yet, unfinished project. We just went into some of their entrance ways - mind bogling. B & K showed us their university and library where both of them have spent many hours! Opernplatz (renamed August Bebel Platz) because of the book burning ceremony that happened under Hitler's rule - thousands of irreplaceable books burnt and now a glass memorial marks the spot. We stopped for a coffee at a cafe under the old railway station. From here we went on to the main east / west artery road - Unter den Linden which has been restored after not being used for 28 years when the wall was in place. It is just so long that we took a bus up it to take us to the Parizer Platz, a new exclusive development built on former closed off wasteland, near the Brandenburg Gate.Wow, it was just so breathtaking to see the "Gate" - a place with such dense and meaningful significance spanning over 100s of years.In '61 this was the first place to be sealed off for construction of the wall and then in Oct. '89 another celebration as the first chipping away occurred. Now in the west! We saw many potions of the wall left as a monument. Modern high-rises have been built in "dead mans land" between the two areas. In fact huge modern shopping plazas and office areas. B works part time for a Lawyer's firm on the 10th floor of one so he took us up to the top in an elevator that covers 25 floors in 20secs! Fastest in Europe apparently. Anyway a great view of Berlin from up there! On from here is a monument to all the Jews that suffered in the war. It is difficult to explain but very tastefully done - I will do my best to describe it. There are 2500 grey concrete coffin shapes, tall, flat, leaning different ways amongst pathways that are irregular and up and down! Oh dear that really doesn't fit at all but it is said to describe them all as different people suffering in separate ways.
We walked until 7pm so returned to our flat by tram to rest for an hour before enjoying a meal in a restaurant where B and K's friend works - a most enjoyable meal and company. What an action packed day but just so interesting.This time we hit bed at 2am!!
Day 9:
I'm pleased to say we didn't start until 11am! They took us to the new elaborate parliament buildings. These have been very tastefully designed with a bridge over the canal to represent both sides of Berlin.We lined up for over an hour to enter the old government building which is now their debating chamber but also with a large glass dome on top for people to visit and view the city. Well worth the wait. From here lunch at one of the uni cafes where B worked for 7 years. While there the rain just poured down so we drove to the new National Gallery to see the temporary art exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Late 18 - early 19c - Van Gogh, Money, Picasso etc - all originals of course. Great.Back to B's flat where he helped us to load more information onto our Nat Sav so it can lead us straight to our accomodation, no matter where!! Out to an Italian restaurant for dinner as our final farewell. What a wonderful 2 days and just fantastic hosts to devote their weekend to us. Benjamin had to collect his suit for work the next day so we took his photo in it as he said Janine will never believe he could ever look so professional!!
Day 10:
Left for Coswig, just n/w of Dresden. A delightful little township. After dinner we took a little walk in a nearby park and we were hit onto by a desperate young man who thought we traded drugs! He must have been really out of it to approach such an unlikely couple!! However it gave me a real fright.
Day 11:
Motored into Dresden for the morning. Considering it was reduced to a smouldering heap of ruins at the end of WW11 it has been reconstructed as near to possible to its previous glory. There is still much construction in progress. Their aim was to restore all the historic buildings left as ruins and you can see where the old and new have been used in its reconstruction. After lunch we moved further south to the Czech Republic. My mate with a NZ passport delayed proceedings by about an hour - no problems, just routine!!!Thank goodness for our Nat Sav to direct us to our accomodation, a brilliant invention as it would've taken us forever.
Day 12: August 1
Caught a tram into central Prague and joined a walking tour for 31/2 hours. Prague is just such a beautiful city with an abundance of awe inspiring, historic buildings. Our walk included the Charles Bridge and castle. Inclusive in the castle compound is St Vitus Cathedral with 287 steps to the top - I know that is correct!! A wonderful view however which compensated for the climb. Finally caught the tram back at 7pm.
Day 13:
Back into the city for a wander around the central area and then we visited one of the synagogues. This city had one one of the highest Jewish populations of Europe (118,00), 28,000 escaped before the war and 80,000 were transported and killed. This synagogue showed all the names on the wall and the children's drawings smuggled out of the concentration camp. We also took a boat trip as another viewing aspect of the city. Lots more walking again but an enjoyable time here.
Day 14
Before leaving Prague, we caught the tram into the city market one more time. The Czech Republic is renowned for its wooden toys so we had to buy something for our grandchild Chloe! It was difficult to choose! When driving to Munich, we travelled through some rolling countryside with crops of various kinds growing everywhere. It was a day of a few more hills than we had been used to so far. In no time at all we were through the border and into Germany again.
Day 15
We were up and out early in the morning and caught the tube into Munich city centre. We hopped off the tube at Kalzplatz and wandered down to Marienplatz. The city was full of life as street musicians and artists were there to entertain the crowd. It was when we were standing by the Neues Rathaus waiting for the carillon to jingle into action at noon, that we noticed a student enticing people to join his group for a free walking tour of the city. This was a great way to see the sights and hear the history at the same time. We stopped for lunch at the Vitualienmakt, the city’s main market place for the last 200 years. This was where Ian enjoyed his first stein with a hot beef sandwich! Later at the Hofbrauhaus he managed 2 more! This place, described as the most famous pub in the world, is the epitome of the Munich beer hall, with spacious chambers, hard benches, well-worn tables, crowds of revellers and traditional oompah music. This was apparently the favourite haunt of Hitler when he was trying to establish the Nazi party. Not only did we have a stein or two but a HUGE pig hock and cabbage between us. An appropriate way to end our day.
Day 16
We visited the Dacau Concentration Camp which is northwest of Munich. It was this camp that was used as a model for all other camps and has been left as a memorial in the hope that nothing as barbaric as this ever happens again. One building has an extensive area of photos and graphic details, that present a realistic picture of the horrific suffering of those prisoners. You can then walk into their sleeping quarters, torture rooms and see the assembly area, wire fence and lookout towers. How anyone actually survived is a miracle. It was a sombre morning but it made all those stories about the jews and their persectution, a reality.
From here it was on to Innsbruck. Another day of slow traffic. We were not sure why, maybe just Europe in the summer. However, each time we have experienced this, it has been a Sunday so maybe that had something to do with it. We were quite surprised by the number of “newer” cars that were stopped on the side of the road with the hood up, cooling down. We just sailed passed!! Now we were into the mountainous country and no flat land in sight! Our accommodation was on the mountainside but within walking distance to the city. We had an interesting stroll into the city and strudel for dinner. What else should one have in Austria?
Day 17
What a magic morning! We caught the cable car up the mountain, where in winter it must be extremely busy with skiers but this day it was full of trampers, except for us! The day was clear and crisp. Why it was so magic is we arrived up there to the sound of cowbells – the only sound to break the quietness around. Unfortunately we couldn’t climb to the top as time wouldn’t allow, so we walked around a track to a coffee house to sit and absorb the view before heading back down. Our next place to stay was Dorfgastein, 65 kms south of Salzburg so we needed to be on our way! We travelled through some beautiful countryside and through tunnel after tunnel to reach there. We just loved the little villages with their houses and window boxes full of flowering annuals – just beautiful.
Day 18
This day we spent some time in Werfen and Hallien, smaller villages on route to Salzburg. We enjoyed some of these little places as much as the bigger cities. Salzburg was bypassed to reach Vienna.
Day 19
On our evening stroll down Josefstrasse to look for a place for dinner, we came across a film festival including many stalls offering all types of food. So of course we not only enjoyed our dinner but sat and watched the film on Jazz in Berlin too. A massive screen was set up outside the Fredrich-Schmidt Platz – or in our language the town hall!! Thank goodness it didn’t rain as at one stage we did think it was likely. An internet café was open until midnight so we checked our email on the way home!
Day 20
Wandered back into the city centre and visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Stepan Platz, St Charles Borromeo and inside the ‘town hall!’- breathtaking in size and structure. In the afternoon we caught a tube out to the Schonbrunn Palace - magnificient gardens but we didn’t go through the ‘paid’ part of the palace. While we were in the city earlier in the day we purchased tickets to go and see Wiener Mozart Concert in the Musikverein Golden Saal that evening. In our language – the Golden Theatre. We thought it appropriate to enjoy a concert while in Vienna! A wonderful evening.
Day 21
Off to Slovenia. Thank goodness they changed to using Euro in January as it is such a hassle having to buy other currency now. What beautiful scenery on the backroads to Lake Bohinjsko – once again a mixture of lakes, mountains and cultivated areas of crops. We suddenly realized we haven’t seen any fences for ages, for obvious reasons! Ian particularly wanted to stop by Lake Bled where the World Rowing Championships were held many years ago. It is a very expensive but beautiful spot to stay with quite exclusive housing and hotels. Our spot for the night was also lovely and quiet and we particularly enjoyed being out of the city. This was the first opportunity we had to cook our dinner on our portable barbeque – oh so peaceful.
Day 22
Thank goodness we didn’t have any car trouble this day as we took the really back roads to Sezena, climbing, climbing and climbing until we crossed the border and hit the first toll road to Venice. It was when we were on these roads that we felt we were really ‘seeing’ the country but unfortunately not always possible to use.
Day 23
Venice is unique for many reasons but where else in the world can you explore a city without contesting road transport. We bought a day bus and boat pass for 13Euro. The city is a labyrinth of lanes which usually end at an arched bridge over one of the canals. The Rialto and St Marks Basilica are the two main tourist areas with the streets of souvenir shops connecting the two. We looked and looked at glassware and then caught a boat up the Grand Canal to St Marks Square and the Basilica – didn’t enter as the queue was as long as! The square is certainly host to flocks of pigeons so we tried to keep under the arched area! We ferried back to Toma and walked to the quieter area of San Polo square for lunch. Not only were there less tourists but the food price was more acceptable. Finally made some glass purchases and hope it eventually arrives home, all in one piece. Caught the ferry again out to Lido Island for a couple of hours before returning to Rialto and then our bus station. Dinner was somewhere inbetween. A great day in such a different city. We were really surprised at the clean looking water and it was garbage free.
Day 24
It was a long travelling day in the heat and in a car with no air-conditioning!! Oops – yes we did, the natural way with windows down and our sunroof open! We started off on the highway (not motorway) to view the countryside but once again it was a Sunday and extra slow going so switched to the toll motorway for the last 200kms. We wished we had counted the tunnels as there were many – 10.3kms was the longest. The fields were full of sunflowers at many different stages of growth, so guess the oil (and whatever else) process wouldn’t be far off. A fairly uneventful trip and arrived at the hotel about 7.30 so not too bad going.
Day 25
A friend advised us to line up for the St Peter’s Basilica at 5.30am to be near the beginning of the queue. Well we thought that was just too early, but we were waiting at the bus stop at 6.45 as it was a bus, tube & bus ride away. However we should have taken her advice as we arrived at the queue at 10am and we were shuffling forward for another 3 hours before the ticket box came into view. We were very tired by then in the 33+deg heat but it was worth it. However a young lad made the mistake of trying to jump the queue in front of us, just as we reached the ticket box. Needless to say he received the tap on the shoulder by Ian and told in no uncertain terms to go and line up like everyone else. He pretended he couldn’t speak English but funnily enough he soon understood the message when Ian pretended to call the police who were nearby. I bet he still didn’t line up for 3 hours though! Really a day just here would not be enough time to soak up everything. The Sistine Chapel alone is just so breathtakingly beautiful.
We walked the Vatican arena and then caught a bus back to the city and walked to the Trevi fountain. No I didn’t throw a coin to ensure I would return to Rome!
Day 26
Checkout was not until noon so we went into the city again to see the Colosseum and Palatine. The largest part of the Palatine, (which is more than 150 acres) as it appears today, is covered by ruins of a vast complex built for the emperor Domitian.
The Colosseum is just a massive structure built in AD 72!! It could seat more than 50,000, to watch the gladiator combats and wild beast shows. I found this just so fascinating. Time and time again we have seen amazing constructions by the Romans that still stand today.
On our return to the hotel, it was a quick shower and off to Siena.
When we started our car it was a little unusually sluggish but it eventually came to life and we were away again. The reason was that an internal light had been left on and of course we hadn’t used the car for 2 days. Before we reached our accommodation we came across Monteriggioni; consisted of a medieval castle on a hill and within its walls a quaint little village with accommodation and little shops. Our dinner was at a quaint corner café nearby, run by two older men who were obviously managing it very well.
Our accommodation was in the nearby village of Strove and it was just what I had always imagined a typical Italian village to be like. As we arrived home each day the local community would be sitting outside in the shade, sharing the day’s stories. (I guess!!)
Day 27
Our car still not starting as quickly as usual! We drove within 2km of Siena and then caught a local bus. Each time we did this in the various European cities, one of us would suddenly remember to take down the number of the bus and the name of the place where we actually left the car!! Not a bad idea really!!! As we wandered into the city centre we noticed that many shops were closed and crowds of local people were wearing scarves that surely represented some kind of team or other. Well unbeknown to us it was the day before the 11Palio. This spectacular event, held twice yearly on 2 July and 16 August, in honour of the Virgin Mary, dates from the Middle Ages and features a series of colourful pageants, a wild horse race around 11 Campo, and much eating, drinking and celebrating in the streets. Ten of Siena’s 17 town districts compete for the coveted palio and here we were right in the midst of it all. The day before is just about more important than the actual race day. The horse race is not what we had pictured in our mind! It is run in 11Campo, a magnificient, shell shaped, slanting square which has been the city’s civic centre since it was laid out in the mid 14th century. It is an important place for people to gather, have a coffee or meal. The ‘track’ around it is covered with sand for the race. For not much more than one exhilarating minute, the 10 horses and their bareback riders tear three times around 11Campo with a speed and violence that make your hair stand on end.
Even if a horse loses its rider, it is still eligible to win, and since many riders fall each year, it is the horses in the end that are the focus of the event. There is only one rule: riders are not to interfere with the reins of other horses.
As we were wandering around we saw a falcon display advertised and thought we would have a look. After walking down lots of narrow alleyways and through someone’s garden we reached the venue. They were charging an astronomical amount to enter so Ian decided there was no way he was paying that so we trudged back up the hill again!! In fact we could see enough from the top of the hill to satisfy his curiosity anyway. I had actually seen a falcon display at a school camp so it didn’t worry me!
Their cathedral is one of Italy’s great Gothic churches, so we visited that before returning to our car. This time we returned to Monteriggioni for dinner.
Day 28
Our car was now really beginning to cause us concern. Once we were under way it was fine. We tootled up to Pisa to see the leaning tower. Ian was going to climb to the top but the wait was just too long and we still had to reach Milan later that day, so that was a little disappointing. Pisa was a busy little township as it is no doubt, everyday of the summer holidays! When we returned to our car to carry on with our journey it just would not budge at all. Oh dear! Fortunately Ian joined us up with the RAC ( opposition to AA) so we purchased a local phone card and made a call back to the UK. Ian was sure it was either the battery or the starter motor. Well within an hour the guy came out and tested it. Through sign language, we gathered it was either one of these and he sent us to a garage 15km away as this was the only one open due to it being a national holiday. Once he fired it up, off we went and eventually found the garage. The mechanic indicated it was the battery, so once that was replaced we were in business again – whew! Lucky us. I was visualizing us leaving on the side of the road and completing our journey in a rental. How pessimistic!! I also thought how lucky we were to have it happen in a township and not at a picnic spot we often stopped at to have our coffee. I didn’t let Ian stop the car until we reached Milan!
Day 29
A day of catching up on emails and then headed into central Milan. Still a national holiday, so only the central city area open. Being the world’s design capital, we walked down a street with names like Gucci, Prada etc. I can’t think of them all at present and it is really disappointing as I wrote them down as I was walking down this one particular street and now I can’t find the list! Anyway they didn’t appear to have any customers in them unlike the ‘Sara’ shop down the road! We walked to a large park near the city centre and enjoyed the sunshine before returning to our hotel.
Day 30
On to Zurich. Heavy traffic and 20+ tunnels, the longest today was 17kms. The scenery varied from rolling hills to steep mountainsides, lakes and valleys. It was beautiful countryside to travel through and once again so different from any so far.
Day 31
This time we caught a train into the centrum. As it was Sunday, only the shops in the railway station were open. Europe really is very sensible and still regard Sunday as a rest and family day for all businesses, except restaurants and cafes. We joined a tour group to view the city which involved a bus ride and some walking. As to be expected, the lake side is very exclusive to those who have money to invest!
Day 32
Off to Lucerne where we spent the morning before heading off to Lausanne for our night’s accommodation. The lakes in Switzerland are as picturesque as seen on postcards. Lausanne is a beautiful city too, and once again an exclusive holiday area. Half of this lake is in France. We sat by the waterside and enjoyed our dinner, taking in the lights on the lake and the peacefulness around.
Day 33
On to St. Maximin in Povence, where we were staying for 6 nights. This place called ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ was recommended by some friends as well as a NZer here in Norfolk so we knew we would enjoy what was to come! It did take some finding however, even though the village was small! Our wonderful host Hester (NZer) purchased this 14th century farm house / barn 3 years ago and converted it into 3 self-contained units. When we arrived, there was a lovely bottle of wine in the fridge together with nibbles, cheese, fresh fruit and pate. She greeted us like we were old lost friends. After settling in we were enjoying our wine and nibbles on our balcony when one of the guests from upstairs came down and asked if we could speak English. I just stared at her as her face looked very familiar and then she said ‘I know you don’t I?’ Well it was Neen Daws (nee Williams) who I used to play squash with 20 years ago in Whangarei. Consequently we enjoyed two catch up nights with them. She was travelling with her husband, cousin and her husband who live in Wales.
Day 34
There were so many quaint places to visit we didn’t know where to go first. However what we were relishing was the fact we didn’t have to pack up in 2 days time to move on!! St Quinten de Poterie was just a short drive away so we wandered around there. It is a town traditionally dedicated to crafts associated with earth and fire. A fascinating place, and certainly worth a visit if you are interested in pottery. A lovely relaxing day to enjoy the countryside. Back home for a siesta and then up to Neen’s for drinks before Hester cooked us a delicious dinner using the fresh local produce.
Day 35
Off to Avignon for the day to visit the walled city and Palais Des Papes. This is a prime example of the wealth amassed by the papacy during the ‘Babylonian Captivity’. Admission to this also included the Pont St-Benezet, a bridge built between 1177 & 1185 to link Avignon with a settlement across the Rhone. This 900m long wooden structure was repaired and rebuilt several times before all but four of its 22 spans were washed away once and for all in the mid- 1600s. On our return there were drinks at our place and Hester was able to join us too. Neen and Co had booked dinner at a nearby restaurant and we were still enjoying the local bottled produced when they returned!! Hester was most impressed with Ian’s hosting skills and was insisting he must have a brother, so watch out Harold!!
Day 36
Hester left for Paris this day and Neen and co headed north so we had the place to ourselves for 3 nights. Just as well as we needed these days to recuperate!! We drove to Les Beaux de Provence. This was a quaint little village, built on top of a hill - very touristy but interesting too. Further on there was the Cathedrale D’Images, in the heart of the Alpilles mountains. This was a film show shown in caves which had been (and still is being) developed for this type of display. The caves have been dug out like a huge open plan house with flat, vertical walls 20 metres high and at different angles. The film is projected onto these to give a 3D effect with accompanying music – amazing acoustics. It is very difficult to describe but something you probably wouldn’t experience anywhere else. This year’s presentation was a journey through Venice, showing its art and culture. On the way home, we travelled on the back roads, through different surrounding villages and countryside. We cooked a barbeque tea and then walked around St Maximin, something we hadn’t done since being there.
Day 37
The Saturday market in Uzes is the biggest in Provence. We had experienced the difficulty finding a car park in the town on a normal day so we were up early and into the town by 7.45 for the market day. Everything imaginable was for sale including wonderful fresh produce, fresh fish and meat. The various types of pate, hummus and pickles were just in huge bowls, ready to dish out any required amount! Their fresh bread is so scrumptious and obviously the locals head there early to buy their choice, because by the time we thought about it, the best was sold. When we headed back to our apartment we realized we had bought more gifts than any suitcase will hold so it looks like we will be shipping a box home! It was another amazing experience and just so interesting to wander around and hear the banter and soak up the atmosphere.
After lunch we drove out to Pont du Gard (a monument on the UNESCO heritage list) which is a demonstration of Roman technical skills. It is the finest and best preserved part of the aqueduct built to convey water from a spring near Uzes to Nimes. The work started in AD 38 and was completed in AD52. It was another hot (32+) day with lots of walking. Our dinner was fresh fish (plaice) from the market and most enjoyable.
Day 38
It was so quiet and cool at our apartment that we just relaxed and read for the day. It was wonderful! In the afternoon we had arranged to meet Judy & Mike Shaw (friends from Hamilton) who were in Barjac, (a little further north than St. Maximin) and over here for a month’s holiday.
They were travelling with Judy’s sister and brother-in-law. We met at a local bar in Uzes and chatted non stop about each other’s experiences. It was just great to see them again.
Day 39
A long driving day, 290 kms to Limoges. Very, very hot with our limited air conditioning! Once again we ventured on the back roads and saw more animals this time, green grass and field after field of sunflowers.
Day 40
In the morning, we visited the village Oradour-sur-Glane, north west of Limoges. This village was the site of a horrific SS massacre in 1944. When the SS detachment rumbled into town the men were divided into groups and forced into barns where they were gunned down before the structures were set alight. Several hundred women and children were herded into the church, before a bomb was detonated. Those who tried to escape through the windows were shot before the building was set alight as well. The Nazi troops then burned down the entire town. Only one woman and five men survived; 642 people, including 205 children, were killed. Since these events, the entire village has been left untouched to serve as a memorial. The tram tracks and overhead wires, the electricity lines and rusting hulks of 1930’s vehicles give a pretty good idea of what the town must have looked like on the morning of the massacre. After the war a new town was built a few hundred metres west of the ruins.
Later we travelled to Vayres to see Sherryle and Maurice Bennett’s village but we weren’t sure which was their house. After this, on to Tours – not so far and a more pleasant day for travelling.
Day 41
We used the local transport and caught the bus into town. The cathedral was one of the best yet, for stained glass windows. I keep thinking we are just not going to see another as good as the last, and then up pops one more! After a quick orientation of the city we returned to collect our car so we could drive to Amboise. This picturesque town is nestled under its fortified chateau on the southern bank of the Loire. King Charles V111 enlarged it and King Francois 1 held raucous parties here. Time didn’t allow us to visit this as we wanted to go to Le Clos Luce, Leonardo da Vinci’s manor house, which contained restored rooms and scale models of his inventions, including a proto-automobile, armoured tank, parachute and hydraulic turbine. It’s a fascinating place offering a unique insight into the mind of the genius. He came to live here under the invitation of Francois 1 but died 3 years later.

Just before I move out of France I want to add:
*Camembert was cheaper than most other cheeses so we mainly lived on that with our fresh bread and pickles. By the time we would stop for our cup of coffee during our travelling days, the cheese would just about run out of the car to meet us!! The cheese on offer at a fromagerie (cheese shop) was just to die for and it was very difficult to choose something different even though the fromagerie were very good at allowing you to try before buying. Also the Patisseries were very difficult to by-pass and we indulged from those as well. Oh dear, the hips! (not Ian’s of course!) ,

Day 42
There was intense cropping everywhere on our way up to Brugge. Smooth roads but the longest day ( I think I keep saying this but this day really was!!) for kms and hours on the road – 380kms and 11 hours!! It was mainly of our own choice as we didn’t go on one motorway! Just drove from one little village to the other.
Day 43
From our hotel we could walk everywhere. We viewed the rambling shambles of a church Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk – it holds the Madonna & Child. The cobbled streets and canals set it apart from many other cities. Unfortunately we went on a boat trip on the canal which really wasn’t worth the money. A quaint and atmospheric city, with chocolate shop after chocolate shop---yes we now know why Belgium is the ‘Chocolate Capital’ of the world.
Day 44
Left for Calais and home to Gorleston. We could take our time reaching the ferry so we diverted through Dunkirk and some other little Belgium villages. The most important task before leaving was topping up our supplies of cheap, French wine! We met people on the ferry that take their vehicle across to France just for the day to load up on wine. They say the net saving is UK300 pound per trip---big wine drinkers!!

Reflection:
Our accommodation worked out really well, especially as most places were on the city fringe and it was great to use the local transport. Also it was easier and safer parking for the car.
Drivers in Italy and France tended to be more horn happy - although nothing compares to the scooters in Vietnam!
Best advice given to us was to take a travelling jug, as no accommodation had tea making facilities. This also provided us with hot water for our thermos for the next day. We enjoyed stopping at the rest areas for a cuppa. Our next best thing was the satellite navigator, as invariably we would arrive close to the destination with no local map and definitely no local language.

Chester / Liverpool

Once again we left early Saturday morning for our weekend away. Chester is one of the country's most beautiful cities and we were eager to make a visit. I stayed there for a week 23 years ago and under more challenging circumstances, so I was eager to go back to enjoy it. Private cars are not encouraged to enter the ciry so we took the park and ride option.
We walked the 2 mile circuit along the Roman wall and then through the Rows - a series of 2 level gallery arcades in the centre of the city. The tudor buildings are just amazing. Opposite the information centre is the remains of an ampitheatre which originally seated 7000 spectators during the time of the Romans.It is a fascinating and bustling city, especially on a Saturday!Our nights accomodation was west of Chester, just over the Welsh border.
On Sunday we drove to Rainsford, St Helens just out of Liverpool to have lunch with a delightful couple, Pam and Trevor Jones. I have corresponded with them each Christmas for 23 years so it was wonderful to see them again. As always, time was too short. Before returning home we drove into Liverpool to see how their Albert Dock is being transformed for the 2008 European Cultural Festival. It has the country's largest group of protected buildings. Fabulous development has really livened up this dock area and there are fine museums,(including the Beatles), art galleries and cafes within this upgraded complex. It was 5 pm when we forced ourselves to leave the city, as we still has a 6 hour drive back home.

Norfolk Broads

One Saturday, Timeplan organised a day out on the Norfolk Broads as our end of school year function. We started at Wroxham, about 45 mins drive from Gorleston. The Broads are a protected area of 117 sq miles and a vast network of rivers, lakes and marshes. The rivers are natural but the lakes were formed around the 12c. East Anglia was a prosperous region at this time, but had very little woodland. Hence digging for peat as fuel for their fires was essential. Eventually however, these peat holes gradually filled with water - hence the lakes.
We hired 3 boats for a slow river cruise and we eventually moored beside one of the many pubs for lunch. There are a variety of elaborate houses to smaller baches beside the Broads - an attractive holiday spot. As we cruised back we passed many other people out for the day - a busy little highway and a most enjoyable day out.

Wimbledon

Last weekend we drove down to London to stay with Hugh and Santanu. Hugh was planning to buy a car and Ian offered to help as it is always great to have another person's opinion, especially when purchasing 2nd hand cars off a dealer!!! Hugh had sussed out a dealer with the make of car he wanted and as it turned out, after much consideration, that was who he bought one off. After lunch Ian and I went to the Tower of London and then Hugh booked us tickets to see Mozart's Opera "La clemenza di Tito" that evening. We had never been to one before and it was a big help having him explain the story to us. However, they also put the words up on a screen as well, even though it is in English. There is a proper name for that but cannot think of it right now! Not subtitles, but perhaps it is an operatic term!! We thoroughly enjoyed it and the Japanese meal after, near the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane, where the opera was performed. On Sunday we visited the Tate Gallery to see the photographic exhibition called "How we are - Photographing Britain" from their pioneer days to now - really interesting. Before leaving, I rang Joanne Small to have a general catch up and during the conversation she asked me if I'd care for 2 tickets to Wimbledon. Well, she didn't have to ask twice!! It was for the following Tuesday so that meant returning to Gorleston to teach on Monday and returning that same evening to Hugh's, ready for our tennis day. It was much easier to leave our car at Hugh's on a day pass and then tube to Wimbledon. We met Joanne and Daniel for a coffee and she dropped us by one of the gates. It was hard to believe we were actually there!! After a wander around to familiarise ourselves we settled at court 2 for some of the higher rank players' games and then went onto Henman Hill to watch his match on the big screen. Every English person in the complex, was there to support! Thank goodness he won! After lunch we saw Venus Williams and then Baghdatis. We stayed and on until 8.30, always conscious of having to return to Hugh's house to pick up our car and then a 3 hour drive home. Never mind, we hit bed by 2am but it was well worth it. A magic day and weekend really!

Cambridge & Peak District

One Saturday we left Gorleston early to visit Cambridge for the day as it is only 1 1/2 hours drive away. Cars are discouraged in the inner city because of no "long stay" parking areas and no private cars allowed to drive in that area after 10am. Therefore it was easier to "park and ride" for minimum cost - a really great system. These are usually situated about 5 miles out of a city and the buses leave every 1/2 hour all day long. The cobblestone streets were busy with people shopping, cycling or just wandering around the many bars and restaurants. Unfortunately most of the colleges were closed due to exams or they are no longer allowing visitors in, but we managed to view Trinity College's grounds and Kings College Chapel - a magnificient building with beautiful, original stained glass windows.Henry V11 laid the first stone and Henry V111 had something to do with it too!! The Wren library has very limited visiting hours so by the time we realised this, it was closed. It houses over 50,000 books printed before 1820 including A.A. Milne's original copy of Winnie the Pooh. We also went punting down the Cam river. Well Ian did all the work and I enjoyed the ride. It took him a little while to master the technique but the alternative was to be chauffeured. Well, being a master rower there was no way he was going to sit in a boat and let that happen!!! This gave us a superb river view of the six colleges and the Chapel. We ate our lunch on the campus "Backs" - this is a parklike strip behind the college. We could then watch other novice punters and experts too!! Before heading home, we went to the 5.30 evensong in King's College Chapel which was really special.

Another weekend we left early Saturday morning to go up to the Peak District. This is in the Midlands with some of the wildest and most beautiful scenery in England. It is a great area for walkers, cyclists, cavers and nature lovers, especially by the 3 huge artificial lakes which collect water for the cities of Derbyshire and the Midlands. We walked for over an hour up some slopes amongst the forest and down past the Derwent lake and dam. From here we travelled through Glossop and down to Buxton. This is a town compared to the beauty of Bath. It has an old Opera House, Pavillion and gardens which create its history and beauty. Their grandest constuction is the Crescent. The city has natural mineral baths and a pump room with natural spring water. We stayed the night on a farm at Alfreston and enjoyed a meal at the local pub. The next day we travelled on to Derby and visited the Royal Crown Derby factory and then a little further on to the Denby factory. Just as well we this ware is too heavy for the suitcase!! Finally headed east to home!

Scotland

Over here the children still have a 3 term year, with a week for mid term break, 6 weeks into each term. Obviously it allows us to travel somewhere for a significant amount of time so this is when we decided to see as much of Scotland as possible.
Ian collected me from school and we travelled as far as Whitby (on east coast of Eng) for our Friday night stay. This would have to be one of the more charming English seaside resorts, with medieval streets that lead to the harbour's fishing port. We stayed at a hostel situated on a cliffside with magnificient views, facilities and grounds. The Abbey ruins next door added to the beauty of the place. From here we were really keen to walk to Robin Hood Bay, but time just didn't allow the 1 1/2 hours to do so, as we were due in Edinburgh by nightfall. So we drove down to this quaint seaside resort with heaps of atmosphere and character and soaked up the holiday mood everyone seemed to in!!
To reach Edinburgh, we travelled on any road that wasn't a main highway and enjoyed the beautiful countryside. We could walk into the city from our B&B, which is always a bonus as travelling and exercise is often difficult to accomplish!!In the morning we explored the castle, certainly a must for any visitor. We walked the Royal Mile and other side streets of interest.
On our way out to Stirling, Ian was very keen to visit Murrayfield. The security guy let us view the field and Ian sat in the stand and visualised the A B's win in September!!!! We spent two nights in Stirling as we were keen to travel out on the Fife Penninsula and look at St Andrews. St Andrews has seven golf courses but of course the Open is always played on the Old Course - quite something! If you want to have a round, you must register your name 2 days before and if it is drawn you will be able to play at £100 a round, with your own caddy provided - mind you so they should for that kind of money!! We returned to Stirling via Perth and Dundee. We visited Stirling Castle which was more "inviting" than Edinburgh - smaller and therefore easier to visualise how it was utilised, well worth the visit. One highlight was seeing the weavers in action, recreating tapestries that were originally in the great hall.The one they are working on now has been in progress for 6 years and will be completed by June this year. The "working" kitchen was amazing. On our way north is the William Wallace Monument. He defeated the English many times but was eventually captured and quarted by them!! He was protrayed by Mel Gibson in the film "Braveheart" - a must see for us, on dvd I guess! We stopped at Pitlochry and visited the smallest brewery and further up the road, the smallest privately owned distillery. What a day!!
Kingussie was a quaint little village for our overnight stay. Our B/B was opposite a pub where we splashed out on a very upmarket meal, for us that is!! Yum! Unfortunately it was raining all the next day when we travelled around the penninsula, but we managed to visit a reindeer farm ( I wanted to take a trip to feed them but my "deer" husband couldn't bear to do such a thing!) before stopping at the Cashmere factory at Elgin. Inverness was our stopping place for that evening and unfortunately the furtherest north we travelled. Time just didn't allow us to go any further.
Luckily we woke up to the sun shining in our window. We needed this as we were travelling by many of the lochs and it would have been so disappointing if we had not been able to take full advantage of the scenery they provide. Loch Ness was the first of many and it was really funny as someone once again claimed they had seen something in the water and it was reported on the news that evening! Not us anyway! We crossed the bridge to Skye and spent some time in Portree before heading back to the mainland and up to Applecross. This is a small village, popular with tourists in the summer and it is easy to see why. It is really pretty but to drive there you have to travel over a one way pass. However in saying that, the road is good and there were many passing bays every 150 mts or so. I wanted to go there as it was where my great grandparents set out from over ??? years ago. I can see why they left as the land is extremely rocky and certainly unproductive for any substantial means of income.
That evening we decided to have a barbeque somewhere handy to our accomodation spot so stopped by Loch Carron, near Stromemore. Over here you can buy little portable barbeque packs, with everything in them except the food!!!! They are all ready to light and suitable for a one off cook up! Well we duly lit it and the midgies arrived. What a pain - I read about them in our Lonely Planet later!! It was a fairly hastie b/que!
Each day we were impressed by the beauty of the country. The beautiful white stone houses nestled on the loch shores and backed by the green hills.
Our lunch stop was at Fort William and then we had a bush walk at Glencoe before stopping at Barcaldine on Loch Creran for the night. Six miles south of here is the peaceful waterfront town of Oban. Time was running out to visit it so we travelled down there for dinner and enjoyed 2 hours of Scottish entertainment as well - highland dancing, bagpipes and singing.
Glasgow was our last stop in Scotland and unfortunately we only had one day here. It is Scotland's largest city and well worth a visit as it has a feel of vibrancy about it.Our morning was taken up in the inner city, exploring in and around George Square. Later we visited the Burrell collection. Sir Burrell began collecting art pieces of all description at the age of 15 until 96, on average 2 pieces per week and donated it all to the city when he died. A top attraction.
Our last Sunday was spent driving east to reach Gorleston by early evening.
A wonderful week but not long enough. I think we say this about every place we visit!!

Life in Norfolk

We have now been here in Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth for 7 weeks. The house we are living in is on the coast and we just cross the road to the beach and a sandy one at that!!! Before we left NZ I registered with a teaching organisation called "Timeplan" who have agencies throughout the UK. There were many teaching positions available but we chose to come up here because of the cheap accomodation. So far, so good. I am at a Middle School (yrs 4 - 7, 8 - 11 year olds) and working in a specialsit area with small groups of children from all the above years. My junior teaching comes to the fore!!! Each day I travel by bus which takes about 40mins using a £10 weekly ticket. Everyday I come home with a story from "on the bus" - just unbelievable. i wish i could imitate their accents as it would be a real party entertainer when we arrive home!!! Our house is shared with 2 other NZ ladies, supply teaching as well.However Linda's time is up and she is now on her way back home to Nelson. Gillian (Wellingtonian) has been here in the UK the same length of time as us and will probably leave at the end of the year too.
Our first weekend was spent looking for a cheap but reliable car (can both criteria be met?). Well Ian knew every available car for sale in every car yard from here to Gt Yarmouth! He studied the local papers and by the end of the week knew what he wanted. Weh the local came out on the following Tuesday he spotted a Toyota Corina, 1992, 2 owners, 70000 mls for £250. He was first to ring the owner who collected him and drove him to his house to view it. After due consideration, Ian knocked him down to £225 and the deal was done! The insurance cost more! Anyway, it just purrs along and may it continue. We had it serviced and the cambelt renewed so hopefully it will take us around the UK and Europe over the next 6 months.
We drove up to York one long weekend, a city of extraordinary culture and historic wealth, enclosed by a magnificient 13c wall. Luckily we found a handy park on arrival, wandered through the city centre to the Saturday Market which was one of the better markets we've visited so far. It just oozed with atmosphere and quality goods to purchase. We restrained ourselves!!From here we meandered through their cobbled streets to the Shambles with its overhanging Tudor buildings, offering hints of what a medieval street might have looked like. In the afternnon we explored the Minster. This is one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world and dominates the city of York. We climbed the tower's 275 steps, an exhausting exercise but well worth the awesome view of the city. The stained glass windows are just unbelievably beautiful. Down in the undercroft archeologists uncovered Roman and Norman ruins - just mind blowing for people like us coming from a country with such a young history. Well we just knock down anything with a bit of history and build something new don't we?? On our way back to the car we were tempted into buying some delicious looking breadrolls for a late lunch. Mine was a chicken and salad one while Ian chose beef and horseradish. I made the right choice but by Ian's remarks and his sweating brow, the horseradish jur had obviously emptied out onto his roll!! To complete the day we finished off with an Iandian meal!!
On Sunday we took advantage of one of the walks around the city, taken by volunteers. This was a most enlightening 2 hour walk, helping us to understand some of the history of the various landmarks in York. It seems that everybody has wanted a piece of this land at some point in history.
Our timeplan coordinator was celebrating her 40th that Monday evening, so we returned in time for her barbeque.
Great Yarmouth is like so many other seaside resorts here, packed with amusement arcades and greasy cafes. Gorleston, south of Gt Y is exactly the dsame. However the beaches are sandy and we enjoy our strolls along their shores. Gorleston beach has numerous groynes spaced out along the shore. An unsightly view when looking down the coastline but they obviously serve their purpose holding the sand in place as the North Sea can certanily be harsh on the landscape.
Norwich is our nearest city so we drove over there one Saturday and visited their castle / museum. I've noticed most museums really cater for children with "Hand on" experiences for them - great for us as well!
Bizarrely, Norwich casle has had a gigantic shopping centre grafted onto it, a quirky blend of modern and historic. If you visit Norwich another must is also a walk dwon the medieval Elm Hill.
Another Sunday we drove southward to Southwold, a pretty coastal resort town and then on to Snape Maltings - a renovated group of buildings that house top qua;ity homeware, art, clothing and a musical theatre and school for the arts. Amazing place in the middle of the country. There is just so much to do and so much to see!!!

Ireland

Ireland

We had just over 2 weeks before we joined the real world of work so decided to take the opportunity to fly to Ireland. Within 24 hours we booked our flight with Ryanair to Cork, hired a car and secured accomodation for our 13 night stay. Due to the fact our flight left from Stansted at 6.30am, we travelled out by taxi - 40 GBP and well worth it at that hour of the morning. Arriving in Cork at 7.35am, obviously gave us the day to explore a little before checking in for our nights accomodation. The seaside town of Kinsale was our first little village and a great introduction to Ireland. We found a bakery that also serves coffee - little did we know that that was the beginning of a daily ritual - coffee and scone!! From here we then went out to Blarney Castle where Ian kissed the Blarney Stone. I kissed it 38 years ago and didn't notice any lifestyle change so gave it a miss this time around!! Our accomodation was right in central Cork so great to walk and familiarise ourselves with the city.
Day 2: Out to the west coast via Skibbereen, Bantry, Glenariff and back inland to Cork again.Just like in England, we enjoy weaving through the little villages and exploring the varied coastline.While at Skibbereen Ian viewed lots of cattle trailers on the road. He couldn't resist asking "Is there a sale on?" Sure enough the next hour was spent viewing the cattle market. The prices are similar to NZ in Euro.The problem is-- there are two NZ$ required to buy one Euro$.
Day 3: Up to Killarney and through the beautiful National Park before continuing on around the Kerry Pennisula. Our lunch stop was at Portmagee, a lovely little fishing village recommended to us as "a must" visit. Certainly worth the extra little drive. Sara had given us travel vouchers for 7 nights accomodation, at a variety of hotels and farmstays (all B & B's) - we just had to choose where! Soooooo, our first homestay at Castlemaine (beginning of Dingle Penn) with Mrs Murphy (what other name could be more appropriate?) was a delight. Many farmers have had to supplement their income by converting their farmhouses into homestays and there are literally hundreds to choose from, everywhere in Ireland. For our evening meal we just wandered 200mts down to the village, enjoyed a pub meal with the locals and watched gaelic football!!
Day 3: We carried on around the Dingle Penninsula, through Tralee and up to Limerick where we found a restaurant serving a Sunday roast! Hadn't had one of those since leaving NZ. We stayed at a farmstay in Shanagolden for the night. It was comfortable but it didn't meet Mrs Murphsy's standard!!
Day 4: Westward from here we caught a ferry from Tarbert to Killimer, which saved us many extra miles of driving. As we drove down to the wharfe and wondering if, how, when we could go we saw a man furiously waving us on to the ferry waiting there. No sooner had we parked, the gangplank went up and we were on our way. No time for 2nd thoughts!!!! Most of the day we spent driving up some of the coastline and also inland to arrive at Galway where we were staying for 3 nights at Jury's Inn.
Day 5:This was a low key day, exploring the city, walking beside the Corrib River and crossing the many bridges leading to the pleasant walkways and canals.On the northern side of Galway is where Ian spotted the Galway rowing club with the roller door up. Unfortunately there were no master rowers to talk to, only school gym training in action.
Day 6: Connemara is the N.W. Penninsula and renown for its diverse beauty. We weren't disappointed - we experienced a variety of lakes, barren mountains and blue ocean. Our refreshment stop was at Clifden for coffee and scone before travelling on to Kylemore Abbey and gardens, situated across a beautiful lake. It is home to the Irish Benedictine nuns and a girls' boarding school.We came inland back to Galway.
Day 7: On to Donegal via Sligo. These roads were fairly quiet as it was Easter Sunday, but the carparks in the many Catholic churches were overflowing! Donegal is a very quiet township but well worth a stop over. Our last "free" accomodation for 2 nights - this time at the very comfy, Mill Park Hotel.
Day 8: The coast once again provided more varied and stunning scenery. We stopped at Killybegs - the biggest fishing port in Ireland and then travelled on as far north as The Rosses - a vast expanse of rock strewn land - obvious why settlements are by the sea. On our way back Ian had to travel through Kilmacrenan as it was the name of Hughie Green's livestock company(a client / competitor in the Auckland / Waikato areas).
Many times during our travel we would chat to locals and find out their faoutie spots to visit - always turned out to be well worth the extra mile or two of driving.
Day 9: Early exit for Derry - a fasinating town with a 17century wall surrounding it.
We walked right around as it gave us a good overview of the city itself. As this city is immediately before the border of the Republic, we were interested in what procedure would take place when crossing over. However a big disappointment! Other than the odd sign announcing a money exchange post, you wouldn't know you were in another country! Antrim was always going to be a Clotworthy highlight. This is where their family name began!! We spent time wandering through the gardens of Antrim Castle. The building itself was totally destroyed by fire in 1922 but the carriage house and stables now house the Clotworthy Arts Centre. Local artists hold exhibitions of their work there and occasionaly international exhibitors too.It was quite an amazing experience for Ian to actually view and walk around a significant place where his ancestors originated from. A short drive north to Ballymena was our next accomodation for two nights.
Day 10: Out to the East coast and in and out of the various points of the penninsula. This day involved much walking which was great - always a challenge on how to include exercise when travelling!!We veered off the main road out to Torr head, climbed up the hill and caught our first view of Scotland, 12 miles away!! Further on was the Rope Bridge connecting the mainland to Carrick - a rede Island, an important commercial salmon fishing area.The Giants Causeway was a definite must to walk and view. The basalt rock formations are amazing and well worth exploring. A really great day.
Day 11: We stopped at Belast on our way south to Dublin. The titanic was built here and the City Hall had an exhibition on, showing its construction and also the diving expeditions carried out since, to lay plaques on it. Most enlightening.I also wanted to visit the west where 25 years of conflict took place - the Catholic Falls and Protestant Shankill area. There is little now to indicate their troubled past, apart from an array of Loyalist murals and street names familiar from news bulletins. Ian spotted the National Steeplechase Derby on at Fairyhouse. Being the keen horseman, it was an opportunity not to be missed. Unfortunately we were too late for the Irish Grand National, but he had time to place a bet on the following race and win $140NZ - at that point we left!! Well disciplined for Ian---going to the races only staying for one race!!
Day 12 & 13: This time was spent exploring the city including Trinity Hall. The Guiness Storehouse was a "must do" and just far more fasinating than we'd ever imagined. We squeezed in a trip to Dublinia as well - an exhibition on the Vikings coming to Dublin. Our day was completed with dinner on the south coast.
Day 14: Drove down to Cork where it all began! As we had time, we travelled on the secondary roads so we could enjoy our last day travelling through more little villages and enjoy the countryside!!!Our plane left at 6.30pm and we were back at Hugh's house by 9.45pm!!

Our Hampshire job has turned to custard, so we are now leaving for Great Yarmouth on 14th April. I will be teaching and hopefully Ian will be able to find something to give hime some job satisfaction. It is the best option, with cheap accomodation and guaranteed work for me.

London

U K - London

Well here we are in London in the Spring, with the daffodils flowering and new leaves on the trees. We are very fortunate to have Hugh's house to stay at until we are sorted, job wise. He has been very accomodating, as it is taking us longer than we initially anticipated. Most days when we set out, we walk along the canal at the end of his road which is a lovely change from the bustling city streets. For our first week we walked and explored Regents Park, Hyde Park, Madame Taussauds, National Art Gallery, Kew Gardens, and other tourist attractions, plus used our family gift voucher on the London Eye. We had sunshine everyday. Never mind, little did we know the next week was going to be back to winter and we spent time in a variety of Charity Shops, hunting for a good warm coat. I purchased one in Kensington and very pleased to have it!!
Our cold week was spent applying for jobs and deciding whether to teach and Ian find something in the same area or still hang out for a couple position!! We placed an advertisement in "The Lady" for the above - a number of responses but nothing to really excite us. Soooooooooooooo it looked like teaching was what it was going to be! On Friday we hired a car and headed up to Norfolk as that was one of the many teaching counties offering work, but this one provided accomodation as well (at a very reasonable rate) for both of us. The people organising the Norfolk County are a NZ couple and are just so helpful and accomodating. We stayed at Great Yarmouth and attended the Friday teacher gathering they have once a month and obviously met many others like us(NZers, Aussies & S.A's)- a variety of ages and a variety of reasons why they are teaching there. We looked at the accomodation which was a delightful house on the coast, so most appealing. On Saturday it was just very cold and miserable, so we travelled over to Norwich to look at the city and we were able to stay in the teacher accomodation for that night. It too was very pleasant. These are the two places we would be choosing to live and work from. On Sunday, we received a call in response to our advert, from a lady in Hampshire, looking for a mature couple to look after their house and 3 dogs. She is away for at least 3 months of the year and her husband absent for at least 8 months. She wanted to meet with us on Monday morning so this altered our direction again!!!!! We weaved our way down to Oxford through delightful little country villages along and down from the Norfolk north coast, so we would be handy to Newbury for our interview the next day. It appears to be the exact type of work and position we are looking for so we are probably going to accept it and hope it works out for us all.There are too many good points to write in this blog but stay tuned and I will tell you more as we go along!!!!! As we won't start work until the weekend after Easter we are now trying to book a trip to Ireland for 12 days before we become like most others and join the real world. What a shock for our system!!!!!

Back in Hong Kong

Back in Hong Kong

Scott met us at the station, which was a pleasant surprise. We are never quite sure if he will be in the country or not!! It was just so good to be in a clean city again and be able to drink water from the tap and use it to clean our teeth as well! We were both very tired that evening and slept in until 8.30 - very unlike us.
Scott was able to take an "R" day (replacement day for a weekend day of work) so we enjoyed a bus ride around the bays and eventually to Stanley Bay. A very picturesque bay nestled amongst the hills of Hong Kong. We wandered through the markets and enjoyed a yummy pizza for lunch. We hadn't had one of those for many a day! Later in the afternoon we visited the Wan Chai Electronic shop (just such an amazing place) and purchased a camera for our computer to use when hooked up to our skype programme. For those who are not familiar with this (Ian knows more than me!), it is a very cheap way to speak to people around the world. Scott set it all up for us. We had used it in NZ to speak to Scott but didn't have the camera. After this, Scott took us to CNN. What an interesting evening. CNN are on the 40th floor so you can imagine the views! We met many of his colleagues and saw the preparation work in action, ready for the 8pm news from CNN Asia. We then sat in the control room, where all the timing and prompts regarding incoming interviews etc are given to the presenters through their headphones, as they were live in the studio next door. During the add breaks there was banter going on between the presenters,control room personal,Scott,Judy and Ian included.Now we know what goes on behind the scenes during news bulletins!!! All work colleagues spoke well of Scott and how he is a very valuable cameraman within CNN. Mind you, we knew this anyway but its always complimentary to hear it from others!!!
The next day Scott was able to join us again, so we took the opportunity to ferry over to Kowloon and explore that city before returning in time for an evening at the Happy Valley races. Scott had booked a table for dinner for us and some of his work mates. We didn't make our fortune but a most enjoyable time had by all. It was just such an experience to go to a race track, surrounded by sky scrapers in the centre of a huge city. It is obviously a very popular, almost weekly event. All the track's infield space is taken up by a variety of sports codes - grounds,grass and astroturf.Today we are repacking (this is going to be like a broken record as our year progresses!)once again, ready for our 13 1/2 hour, 11.25pm flight to the UK.