After months of waiting the trip finally arrived. 4 weeks overseas and 5 weeks off work - I hope that I survive - I'll try and be brave.
The flight was leaving at 2pm which is a very civilised way to go about things. The flight went smoothly and I watched amusing things on TV all the way to Hong Kong. We then had a brief stop before boarding the flight to London. As I can't sleep unless next to a window and Carolyn is more comfortable next to the aisle, we were split up and each got the seat they desired. I was next to a father and son who seemed to be in a competition as to which smelled worse - by the time we landed, the 14 year old was a clear winner - and he was the one next to me.
I actually slept really well and was in fine form when we arrived as the first flight into London (we landed between 5 and 6am on Wednesday 20th) we were through the airport and in the hire car in no time and arrived in Brighton bright and early but 6 hours before we could check into the hotel - oh well. So we left the bags and went exploring as the day reached a very nice 24 degrees.
We sat in gardens and listened to live music, we wandered The Lanes in Brighton and discovered some wonderful little place. We at some fine food and the coffee was pretty good too - not something that the UK can usually promise. So a very nice introduction to a lovely city. Once we were booked in and cleaned up, we relaxed for a while before heading out for a lovely dinner. What a fine start to the trip.
Woke to some rain that actually stayed with us for most of the day - with very blustery winds in the evening. We spent the morning wandering the streets before meeting my cousin Vicky at the Grand Hotel (where the IRA nearly got Thatcher all those years ago) just opposite the old pier that burnt down - so not a lucky area. It was great seeing Vicky and we wandered off for lunch and a bit of shop browsing before she left us - something to do with having to work and be a wife and mother too - a pathetic excuse really.
We browsed our way around for a more time and ended up having fish and chips for dinner before calling it a night.
photos from Brighton
Woke up to a gale blowing in Brighton, but that's ok as we weren't hanging around for too long. We headed off down the coast deciding on places to stop off at on the way to Bournemouth. We were distracted by a stunning looking building in the distance that we went in search of, but we got lost and never found it - but that was good as it is good to be spontaneous. We then saw signs to Bognor Regis and it seemed funny to go there as it has appeared (not usually in a good light) on so many TV programs - hmmm - well, we slowed down a bit when we got there but there was nothing that we saw that warranted actually stopping, so on we went and arrived in the gorgeous Chichester where we had lunch and a good old wander around - a very old and lovely place and the cathedral was impressive too including a sculpture exhibition (by Philip Jackson) in the grounds.
photos from Chichester
But we couldn't dilly dally, so on we went and checked into our very average hotel before heading over to see the old woman who claims to be Pat, my mother. We spent the rest of the day there with visitors (Paul, Wendy, Sissy and Basil) joining us for supper. And then my sister and brother-in-law (Louise and Jon) and my nephew and his partner (Daniel and Aimee) arrived from London. We chatted and stuff until my pillow started calling my name and off we went to complete another day.
A fairly quiet day spent with the family. We visited Sandbanks and Poole and took a boat ride around the harbour area - harmless stuff really. Regardless, it was good to spend the time together as these days don't come along very often.
Another day that started with drizzle and ended in sunshine. And as it is summer here, it is light until 10pm, so it is good to enjoy long days of sunshine. On this day we went for a wander around the shops of Bournemouth in which we found nothing to buy. We had lunch at the Pier before heading over to the New Forrest where the ponies roam free and the villages are very English - it is a lovely spot and a nice visit to have.
My sister and the rest left from there to go back to London so we drove my mum home before heading off to the pub to watch England play Italy in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 - England lost on penalties, but it was still good to have experienced the game amongst people who cared. Oh well - it is only a couple of years until the World Cup.
photos from Bournemouth
I started the day with a visit to my dad's grave with both Carolyn and my mother. We then headed off towards Cornwall. Along the way we took the occasional detour and discovered some great little villages with some interesting views to behold. We had lunch in Dorchester and progressed along our journey until we ended at our rather wonderful hotel called The Porth Avallen Hotel - great views of Carylon Bay. We then headed out to visit Carolyn's ancestors who were lying in Saint Gomomda church. Then a nice meal at the hotel and a long hot bath to end a lovely day.
We awoke to a very foggy day where we couldn't see a view or even where our car was - I suspect that it was a good day for the smugglers to have rowed ashore with their goodies and be gone again before the authorities were even aware. I was going to go out and solve any crimes a la Tintin but couldn't be bothered.
Anyway, we set off to brave the weather and headed to Fowey which turned out to be a gorgeous little fishing town and it's quaintness was enhanced by the fog around there too.
After there we headed off to find more of Carolyn's buried relatives but gave up having driven down many a laneway and we opted to go to the Lost Gardens of Heligan - a house with lots of walks and gardens around with some sort of sculptures moulded into the surroundings - it was nice enough but probably not worth the stop.
So on we went and we checked out Truro before heading on to Penzance - another nice city and we had a great hotel overlooking the sea and it was a good spot to rest up.
photos from Cornwall
Leaving Penzance, we went first to look at St Michael's Mount which is a small island just small ferry ride away and has a large house/castle on the top of it and a few houses at the bottom of it - there was a mist hanging over the island that made it look quite spooky but as it was drizzling a bit, we decided not to go and visit.
Instead, we headed to St Ives that turned out to be a stunning place and we had a good wander around there and along the beach and then moved along and headed to Newquay - by far the worst place we've seen that contained some of the world's most unfortunate specimens that covered all the connections between ape and man. We had a Cornish Pasty for lunch and then got the hell out of there - whilst we still could. I was considering showing them the secret of fire before we left, but then decided that they weren't ready to use it.
We then headed to Tintagel which is an old castle that is linked to St Arthur - even though he didn't exist - go figure! But it was stunning and a great place to go and see - lovely.
Then we left Cornwall and headed to North Devon where we were to be staying with my mate Rock and his family (wife Tanya and kids, Zak and Theo). We went out for a nice dinner (except for Tanya who was in Spain with her mother) and settled in to one of my favourite escapes in the world - Rock's house.
We headed off with Rock for the day taking in places like Croyde, Lee Bay, Woolacoombe, Ilfracoombe, Linton and Linmouth and other villages along the way. The weather was glorious and we had a great cream tree in a cafe situated in a valley next to a lovely river - the birds were tweeting etc etc etc.
We returned to Rock's place and Tanya arrived back and we headed down to the local for a dinner with Rock's parents Tez and Eddy that was an entertaining time.
This was a lovely and relaxing day - the sort of day that I had been looking forward to on the trip.
Today we headed off to the beautiful village of Clovelly - it lives on a steep cliff that leads down to a little bay - it is a privately owned village that is simply gorgeous. We then checked out Barnstaple - the nearest town to where we were staying before heading out to one of my favourite places in the world - Baggy Point - this is the headland in Croyde - a walk along the the coastline and around the headland - passing close to Puttsburough and Woolacoombe beaches before crossing some fields to Middleborough Hill and back down again - then a stroll to the beach and a job well done - it was great to share that walk with Carolyn - I think that I'd bored her with hearing about it for long enough.
And the day finished with a nice meal with Rock, Tanya, Zak and Theo. A fine day.
Another fine day that contained some rain but lots of sun too. We spent the day with Rock and Tanya and it contained driving through Dartmoor and then Exmoor and into Somerset where we had a lovely lunch in a small village called Dulverton and then more driving and a delightful walk at Tarr Steps and along the river and through gorgeous countryside. We also got to see plenty of the wild ponies that roam the moors - it was just lovely. Then we settled in for an evening of fine food in front of the fire relaxing. A nice final day with some of my favourite people in one of my favourite places.
Tomorrow we move onwards.
photos from Devon
After a lovely few days with Rock and his family, we left Devon and made our way over to Cardiff in Wales for a look around - that is yet another City that I have previously lived in.
From there, we headed to Bristol - a favourite city of mine and we stayed in the lovely Clifton Village just around the corner from the place I lived at when I was here back in 1994/5. It really is a gorgeous area with stunning buildings and a relaxed atmousphere. The hotel over looked the Avon Gorge and our room had a great view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge - an impressive baby. It is a lovely old hotel but I suspect that the bed originates when it was opened back in 18 something.
photos from Bristol
Looking around Bristol, it brought back many happy memories but more than that, it has changed and evolved and it is a really nice city - very attractive and a gentle pace. And we went into the town centre and the shopping was sensational. This city really has it all - a place that I could live in.
But there is more to see, so we left and headed down to Winchester - another city that I lived in for a year back in 1995/6. I adored this place and it hasn't changed - it is fantastic. This was the capital of England before London took the title. It dates from the time of King Alfred - around 1200 years ago. We had to buy umbrellas as for the first time, the rain didn't let up - but we still wandered around and it was great to see Carolyn adoring the place too. We are staying at the Wykeham Arms which is a gorgeous pub situated next door to where I used to live. The room is over the pub and is very comfortable and authentic. And a bonus for me is a large free-standing bath - lovely.
photos from Winchester
I woke early today so headed off to visit a few places that my memory wanted refreshing with it really is a gorgeous city - and it is all so old. I went to the place where King Alfred was buried - around 870AD. I wandered streets and took some photos as yesterday, it had rained so much that photos were hard to get as I was holding a brolly at the time. By the time Carolyn joined the day, the rain had arrived again, so we just drove around and I showed her the sights from the car. We even went to where I used to work at Hursley House all those years ago.
After all that, we headed over to Windsor and checked in to our hotel before wandering down the road to Windsor Castle where we did a tour and marvelled at how wonderful it is. It is also a bit weird to think about the history of it all - it was built in around 1070 and 39 monarchs have been there and some are buried there - to think of the people who had previously stood where I was standing - it plays with the mind a bit. Anywho ......
In the evening we went over to see my very good friend Jodi and her husband Stuart in the village of Crowthorne and we went out for a good Chinese and catchup - always a pleasure to spend time with Jodi - we have been friends since our late teens and that is now a very long time ago.
So this has been another day in another lovely place.
We wandered down into Windsor again and enjoyed a pleasant coffee whilst watching the changing of the guards - an unexpected pleasure. Jodi then arrived and we spent the day hanging around, walking along the river, taking a boat ride, seeing more of Windsor and Eton and enjoying some sunshine. I always enjoy spending time with Jodi and I'm really pleased that she and Carolyn have met. So it was a great day and tomorrow sees us heading on to London and giving up the hire car.
photos from Windsor
The day started with rain, so we drove around Windsor and Eton before heading off to the Warner Brothers studio where we had booked into the Harry Potter exhibition. It sounded ok and turned out to be better than we'd hoped. We got to see lots of things about the making of the movies and we got to see the sets where filming took place - they were wonderful. We got to see the costumes and models. We got to ride a broom! There were models and shops and a cafe (where we had a glass of butter beer) . It was very busy but very well organised and we got some good photos.
After that, we returned the hire car to Heathrow and made our way to Bloomsbury where our Hotel awaited. Having checked in, we wandered down the road to Convent Garden and then to Soho and into Chinatown for dinner. Lovely. A stop for coffee and cake and then back to the hotel.
photos from Harry Potter studios
We started the day by heading down to Convent Garden where we caught up with my cousin Juliet who was in London (from Leeds) for a work event - a bonus catch-up. At 11, my mum arrived - she was in London for a wedding - so it was a nice start to the day.
Once they both left, we spent our time wandering along Regent and Oxford Street and other places as the inclination took us. We ended the day with a trip out to Essex to have dinner with my sister Louise, brother-in-law Jon, nephew Daniel and his girlfriend Aimee - which was all very nice.
So other than it raining for the first 2/3 of the day, it ended with sunshine.
This day we started off by heading down to the Houses of Parliament and we wandered alongside the Thames for 90 minutes to London Bridge where we caught up with Louise. We had a look at the Burroughs - a market that was mainly food - it would have been enjoyable if there hadn't been so many people around.
We then wandered around and headed over toSt Pauls. From there we headed over to Picadilly Circus and wandered along for afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. Then on to Leicester Square for some people watching. It was the day of the Gay Pride march, so there were plenty of interestingly dressed folk wandering around.
We then walked over to Convent Garden and then headed back to the hotel for a quiet evening. It was a good day.
Whilst Carolyn had a lie-in, I went off for a stroll and visited Convent Garden, Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Soho and other places - it was great.
Once Carolyn got up, we set off to Notting Hill and wandered around the shops on Portobello Road - very interesting area. From there we got the train to Knightsbridge for a look around Harrods before visiting the pub for a Sunday roast and to watch the start of the Wimbledon men's final between Britain's Andy Murray and the talented Roger Federer. The country was a bit Andy crazy, so it was hard to resist. We also got to experience Mark Webber winning the British Grand Prix.
Anyway, we moved on and upon seeing the Victoria and Albert museum, we got the tube to Marble Arch for some more shop browsing - this is where Carolyn goes into shops and I stood and watched the people on the streets. Eventually Carolyn had had enough so we headed back to the hotel only to pop out for a bite to eat locally and an evening in.
Today started with me ignoring my fear of heights and going up on the London Eye. It was scary and I spent most of my time sitting on the bench in the centre of the pod, but I did look out and take some photos and I did stand up at times - I am pleased to have made the effort.
This was followed with a much calmer experience as we took a cruise along the Thames and saw some of the sights - it rained a bit, but it was good to see so much in a short time.
After that, we went to the British Library where we got to see some of the original manuscripts from writers such as J R R Tolkein, Evelyn Waugh, Laurie Lee, Richard Adams, Rudyard Kipling, A A Milne, Thomas Hardy, Arthur Ransome, Oscar Wilde, George Elliot, Charles Dickens, George Orwell, John Lennon, Ted Hughes, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Walter Scott, John Keats, Robert Burns, Arthur Conan Doyle, G K Chesterton, John Betjeman, Robert Louis Stephenson, Joseph Conrad, William Blake, Jane Austen, Philip Larkin, James Joyce, Harold Pinter, Lewis Caroll, Jerome K Jerome, George Elliot, Daphne Du Maurier, Graham Swift, Angela Carter, Virginia Woolf, J K Rowling and Graham Greene. It was very interesting.
We then nipped off to Foyles bookshop where we were catching up with my mate Maggie who has moved from Sydney to London for a few months. It's always a pleasure to see her.
After that, we went out for dinner and then headed back to the hotel for another earlyish evening.
This was a our last day in London and we had a gentle start with a bus ride to Kensington Palace where we had a cup of tea in the Orangry before Carolyn went around the Palace whilst I sat in the gardens and watched folk.
From there we wandered around Kensington for a while before heading to Carnaby Street and a walk in the rain along Oxford Street before returning to the hotel. Whilst Carolyn packed, I headed to the Royal Society of Medicine where my cousin Lawrence was staying as he was working in London this week. We had a drink together before I returned to hotel and Carolyn and I wandered down to Convent Garden for dinner and then back to the hotel to pack.
We've had a few days in London and have had rain every day - in fact, other than our first day in Brighton, we have had to contend with rain every day. There is more rain in an English summer than in a Melbourne winter.
Ho hum
photos from London
We checked out of our Convent Garden hotel and headed to St Pancras train station where we caught the Eurostar train to Paris and then the Metro to Notra Dame and then dragged our cases to the lovely Hotel Des Deux Iles on the island of Ile Des St Louis.
We checked out and neighbourhood and were very imressed - Carolyn had chosen another great spot. And as we stopped for a coffee and some bread and cheese (as you do) we were surprised to see filming outside and that Smurf 2 is being filmed here - I haven't even heard of Smurf 1, so this was a surprise.
In the evening we headed down to Bastille for dinner and to view the surroundings and folk - all very interesting.
So we finally arrived in Paris after our failed attempt a couple of years ago. I think that it is going to have been worth the wait.
We started our first full Paris day with a lovely breakfast in a local cafe before wandering down to Notra Dame to jump on the hop-on, hop-off bus that showed us some of the sights of Paris We passed some famous places and rode up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triumphe. We wandered around the Eiffel Tower as well as many streets before heading to the Museum D'Orsay that is home to many works by such artists as Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and others. There were some wonderful sculptures too - there was too much to see, but it was good to see what we did.
More bus riding was done, but the fun was gone as it rained and rained and rained as afternoon moved towards evening. However, upon returning to our island, we had a lovely diner at a local restaurant and all was good in the world again.
This day was Carolyn's birthday and it is great that it is taking place in the city that she has always wanted to visit but has never made it to before.
So a nice breakfast at our favourite local again (Saint Regis) and then off to Père Lachaise to look at the graves of some famous folk. It really was an incredible place - some wonderful tributes. We saw the graves of Chopin, Bizet, Proust, Balzac, Maria Callas, Marcel Marceau, Victor Noir, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. The Oscar and Jim ones were disappointing due to the amount of graffiti on them - not necessary really and meant that you couldn't read the original words anymore. But it was still good to be there - despite the rain. In fact we almost gave up until we were found by Raphaelle who is an eccentric chap who knows the place back-to-front and started showing us around with the minimal amount of walking - excellent news as it covers such a large area.
From there, we headed to Malmatre - the highest point of Paris with some spectacular views and the Sacre-Coeur Baslica - not to mention the artists market there too - and also a place where a bird poo'd on Carolyn's head - lucky? Maybe not. Worth the visit even if the surrounding areas weren't so great. Unfortunately, whilst wandering, Carolyn developed a migraine, so we headed back to the hotel for a rest.
To finish the day, we had pre-booked a special meal for Carolyn birthday at a place called Bofinger that was highly recommended. Alas, Carolyn wasn't feeling great so we ate near to the hotel and took it easy instead. It was still a nice day and a special day too.
Today was a relaxed and enjoyable one. We headed to our local favourite for breakfast and then went to Saint Lazard station for our pre-booked day. We met the guide (Kit) and got the train to Vernon where we were issued with bikes and we cycled to the local market where we picked up food (cheese, bread, meats and fruit) and rode to a lovely spot next to the river for a picnic. We then rode about 4km to Giverney and went to Claude Monet's house and gardens - gorgeous surroundings and a big piece of art history. Then we cycled back to Vernon and got the train to Paris.
It was Bastille Day and we decided against joining the masses for the celebrations, but returned to our island and had a nice meal and relaxed. This was a day when though it rained a bit, it was never on us as it coincided with our inside times - that made a change.
We decided to start the day with a visit to the Latin Quarter as it wasn't far away and everyone raves about it. The first thing that we discovered was that you need to choose better when selecting a breakfast place - never mind.
That was quickly forgotten when we went into the Pantheon that contains the remains of such people as Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Alexandra Dumas and Voltaire. It is an incredibly impressive building and I climbed to the heights (206 steps) to see some wonderful views of Paris.
We then wandered around and had lunch at a place called La Mediterranne (started and owned by John Cocteau) which is a posh place that a young Queen Elizabeth once dined in. Further wandering led us to the cafe called Les Deux Magots - a place that was frequented by the likes of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Satre, Ernest Hemmingway, Albert Camus and Pablo Picasso. I liked the place a lot.
The next adventure was the purchase of ferry tickets where we passed the Champs-Elysees, Hotel De Ville, Eiffel Tower, Museum D'Orsay, Saint Germain Des Pres, Notra Dame and Jardin Des Plantes. We stopped at the Louvre but didn't go in - it was very busy - but we enjoyed the area. We ended the day with a dinner on our Island - there is adefinite pattern here - we go out all day and relax in the evening. It works well for us.
This was our last full day in Paris and we have barely scratched the surface - such is life.
We started with a wander up to Bastille for breakfast and then strolled around the Le Marais district and then into Les Halles district for some lunch - all very nice and interesting. We then headed over to the Latin Quarter again and browsed our way back to our island, Ile Saint-Louis to rest up for a while.
In the evening we took a dinner cruise down the Seine that passed many of Paris's most famous landmarks and as the day ended, the lights came on and we ended up back at the Eiffell Tower lit up in it's glory. So the food and surroundings were great and it was a fine way to enjoy our last night in Paris. We made thsi Carolyn's special birthday dinner to make up for the one she missed out on as she wasn't 100% on the day.
This was also only the second day of the trip where there was no rain - the other day being our first day when we arrived in Brighton four weeks previous.
Sad to leave Paris and end such a lovely trip, but it will also be good to be home again.
But there was still the day to enjoy as our flight wasn't until 11:30pm.
We started with a look inside the Notra Dame cathedral as we had only walked past until this time. It was very busy and despite the "no flash" signs everywhere - there was the continual flashes from people who didn't care - in fact it seemed to contain a lot of rude and disrespectful people, so we didn't hang around long. Instead, we wandered over to the St Germaine area for breakfast and a look around. From there we caught the Metro over to the Champs Elysees to see what the shops were like and to get a closer look at that part of the city.
From there we caught the Metro over to Invalides where we looked around and then had some lunch before heading down to the river and walking to the Latin Quarter to check out some more shops.
a final walk back to Notra Dame where we listened to some live music in the adjoining park as the sun shone down - it was lovely.
Then back to the hotel to pack, shower, pop out for dinner and then off to the airport for the trek home.
Having left
Paris
on Tuesday, we landed back in Melbourne on the Thursday morning as we had to return the day that we gained when we arrived in the UK - different time zones are so confusing.
photos from Paris
The trip was great - we did almost all the things that we set out to do despite the weather not being as you'd seasonally expect. But really, the weather didn't stop us doing much at all.
It was great for me to show off the beauty of the English countryside to Carolyn and also to introduce her to some of my family and friends. I also enjoyed revisiting some favourite places too, so it wasn't a chore in any way.
It was just a damn fine trip.
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