A Walk around the Headland at Kiama

Kiama was quiet this morning, calm and pleasant. More perfect weather was not imaginable. The path around the point with the lighthouse was uncluttered except for the odd jogger, mum with stroller and seagull.
The sun was clear and bright, squintworthy, but the magnificence of the coastline pushed through the glare.

An Evening with Watoto

Last night in sleepy Shellharbour, we had a visit from some amazing people with huge smiles and hearts full of love.

If you want to know more see www.watoto.com

A Day in Gerringong

One thing travelling does, is to alert you to the richness of places in your own backyard. We travelled to one such place today. Not only do you travel to a gorgeous place, in a sense you travel back in time, with weatherboard houses, old buildings, quaint old fashioned craft shops and cows in nearby fields all within a few streets.

Gerringong is a lovely village about 20 minutes south of  Shellharbour. The drive is pretty with mountains on one side and ocean on the other. The main street has shops, cafes and views. A favourite spot is a grassy hill overlooking the beach where people have their lunch, while away the time, meet and chat and have an ice cream.

We did that today - ate our lunch, looked at the beach and had an ice cream. A beautiful sunny winter's  day at Gerringong.

A Day in Aldi

Habitual shopping involves going to the same shop, the same way, the same time.
Since returning from overseas, there is freedom from fear. No fear in imported products, and new places and different ways of doing things.
Aldi needed a map and directions, driving in unfamiliar territory.
Aldi needed thought and bags and a clear head.
Aisles were different, products different.
The list was short (gelatine, cleaning products, tuna).

There were four aisles - up and down, up and down.
Books and metal, tyre levers and dog food. Masses of milk (but no Dairy Farmers). Fascinating stuff. No gelatine to be found. I am sure they had cleaning products but not seen through the dazzle.

Car number ZZZ 000 has left their lights on - called the checkout chick (apologising because they have no loudspeaker to those around).

The crumpled queue bent to allow a trolley past. The motley crowd bound tightly, bubble edges melding but quickly broken and reformed as we filtered through.

bought; five books, a chocolate, strawberries and mushrooms.

That is what happens when you travel.

Travel wisdom

black things in black bags are hard to find


dry soap rubbed on the inside of clothes can prolong the wearing by a day


be early and wait as trains and planes and ferries won't


buy it when you can, buy it when you see it; the next country has new rules


don't even try to understand the first sentence of a northern Irishman


if you come home with half as much and twice as much you have done well
(half what you left with as you have lost it on the way, and twice as much as you have bought presents for people)


HAVE THE RIGHT MONEY FOR EASTERN BLOCK COUNTRY TOILETS


hats are great for when you have not been able to wash your hair


buy the plug adaptors before you leave


ear planes are fantastic


bags within bags are a great idea


take your toilet paper in with you (at the check-in counter of the eastern block countries - they have a roll for you to take a sheet or two before you go in)

My Favourite

My favourite WALK....Yew Tree Farm
My favourite drive - Dartmoor
My favourite B&B...The Belmont on the Isle of Wight
My favourite work of art - painting - "The Death of Lady Jane Grey"
My favourite MEAL...the steak and vegies in Cesky Krumlov
My favourite work of art - sculpture - Venus
My favourite CITY... Paris
My favourite work of art - architecture - Salisbury (although I reserve the right to change this daily)
My favourite ART GALLERY... the National Gallery of Scotland - in Edinburgh
My favourite artist - vincent  and Durer and ...ah too many - not fair question
My favourite PARK ... in Vilnius
My favourite natural wonder - the Giant's Causeway
My favourite ice cream flavour - rocky road
My favourite hot chocolate - the 60c one at a Czech train station  (Not because it was the best, just because it was there.)
The best toilet - at the restaurant on the banks of the Thames - green tiles and immaculate
The best B&B - the Castle on The Isle of Mull
The best afternoon tea was at Devondell at Galway, with Patricia at Telc a very close second.
The best BREAKFAST - Berna at Galway
The best bathroom - The Castle
The best cup of tea - Berna's
The best welcome - Rick in Latvia
The best TESCO meal deal - Glencoe
The best youth hostel - Dublin
The funniest sight...the sheep on the road in Dartmoor, the cows...too many
The funniest moment was when Richard said Gittisham (place name) and I handed him a tissue.
any questions?

The Surprises

Things that surprised us;

Lithuania is beautiful.

Estonia is like Scandinavia.

The English are underserving of any negative connotations - they are warm and friendly and wonderful (and only complain about the weather with good reason). (although the latest news of rioting make this deserving of revising)

Eastern Block countries are still post war recovery.

That so many European towns have a town square, usually old and very beautiful, and they serve a function that we without such places lack.

That the Highlands are green and lush and spectacular (in summer).

That the English are not that big on afternoon teas.

That I can fix a broken mouse.

That Richard likes seaside towns very much...very much, and that surprised him too.

That Hong Kong is so easy to travel in and that the people are so helpful.

That there can be so many different ways to set up and operate showers.

That so many places are named after English places.

That people make the impact far more than scenery.

That one can feel comfortable in very modest places.

That medicines are a tenth of the price in the UK.

That it is SO much more to do with the people and the welcome and SO much less about the walls and prettiness and plush.

How cheap food is in the UK.

How many dogs are in and around the cities and transport and are well looked after and are well behaved.

How few children have tantrumed - 2 so far on the whole trip.

At how hard it is to get vegetables when travelling


That women in eastern Europe wear high heels all the time - often with socks


That you can't offend an Irishman in the south - you can only offend an Irishman in the north.

I wish I had...

packed my thongs - or flip flops as they are known as elsewhere

spent more time and money at TESCO


gone into the Wordsworth Cottage


packed my hairdryer


gone back to the one pound shop


found out where the pound symbol is hidden on the keyboard


not lost my hat


noted more numbers in my little book (like cards)


booked one more day in the castle (and...and...and...)


packet the dental floss


HAD THAT EXTRA RASPBERRY TART IN PARIS!!!!!!!!!! (or al least had a whole one..)


taken Bethany [ :)))))))]


enough money to shout the kids a holiday 


been in Paris to cheer on Cadel

A Day in Singapore

23 hours in a plane? Not for me. The 2 hour flight from Dublin to Heathrow then the 13 hour flight from there was bordering on panic.
Singapore was the planned break from claustrophobia and extreme discomfort.

What a good choice. Singapore is such a nice place to visit. Singapore is gentle and we are doing no sight seeing. One day of holidays!

Singapore of strong bamboo scaffolding tied together.

Singapore of tall buildings against clear skies.

Singapore of tall buildings and this is the view from our room in one of them.

Just one of many tall buildings.

Singapore of shopping.

Singapore of leafy green and super clean and fragrance.

Singapore of let us embrace, and enjoy.

Singapore of lovely food and little stress.

Some observances;

-Eminent frog porridge and seafood. (sign on shop)
-Booked into hotel. Had a cup of tea. Went exploring. Found a little shop way down in the bowels of one of the hundreds of shopping centres. Impulsively decided to get nails done (for $7!!!!!) only to find out that the manicurist was the lady who served us the cup of tea at the hotel. What are the chances...
-man saw we were taking photos. Man stopped and waited. Man offered to take photo of us. 3 times considerate - smile
-an underpass wrapped a la Christo
-3 attendants eager to engage us for each shop (we are not in Poland!)
-old lady on the corner of the road selling little packets of tissues.

HIYA! BIFF... KAPOW!!

A Day in Dublin

The policewoman was nice when were were ordered to pull over. No fine, good advice.

The hostel girl with the owl tattoo was nice when we arrived at the wrong Times Hostel in Dublin, run by the same company.

The boy was nice when we dropped the car back and then had to fill it with petrol rather than 'face financial suicide'.

Phil was nice company as we ate, relating how many girls she has lost to Australia.

Mark (after the saint) is booked in for Monday, and remembered my name when we confirmed the fare and new address.

The weather is nice for us to wander around Dublin, our last day.

Trinity College is a wonderful place, absolutely full of musty old books. It is a place of learning, new learning, old learning. It is the place neither Patrick nor I should work. We would be reading and poking and getting lost in the alcoves. We would be found with our heads in a book, fascinated by all the bindings and words and thoughts bound.

Trinity College is the home for the Book of Kells. No photographs allowed.
We spent a long time gazing and reading and admiring; intricate design, worshipful reverent copy hand.
When we emerged, hours later, the long line to get in surprised us. Hint: get there early to avoid queues.

Dublin is a pleasant place. The River Liffey runs through the middle of the town. Poets and writers have their words written on boards above shops. Music echoes in the malls. Brash modern has edges ripped off at street corners. Flowers soften dark and brooding brickwork.