Just as bad as a Europe flight to get here....22hrs in total...change at Dubai and then 4hr flight to Cairo. Our driver was there to meet us and it was quite easy to get out of the airport. Driving from the airport Cairo looked just like I imagined....concrete jungle of apartment blocks....that look like they should be condemned and look like they are falling down, crazy traffic most of the way, dusty with a dust haze over the city but quite mesmerising with all the sites and sounds, people going about their daily life. We came a day early to Cairo before we join our tour group for the main tour of Cairo, train sleeper overnight to Luxor and then a 4 day Nile Cruise down to Aswan, a day trip to Abu Simbel and then ... read more

Left Melbourne on the 5pm flight to Bali with Jetstar, had a cheap upgrade to business and it was a perfect flight getting in at around 9.15pm. Took a Grab to Jimbaran and were there in no time to Del Cielo Villas sitting high up on the hills of Jimbaran...perfect spot for a cold beer after our flight. In all the years we have been coming to Bali this is our first time in Jimbaran.....to stay that is....have been to restaurants here. I think it has been perfect for a week just to do nothing but relax and do a few walks. Though there are a lot of high end hotels here and their restaurants are rather xxxxy we found plenty of lovely places to eat at reasonable prices.....but not where near the quality or choice ... read more

Left Paris early Thursday morning....trains to Charles de Gaulle...taxi too expensive like 80 Euro....ridiculous! So on packed peak hour trains....3 large suitcases....no aircon on trains.....nearly expired arrived to check in an hour later! Flight was very short 45 minutes. Bus from terminal to hire car company...that took another hour....take a number system...they must go through hundreds of cars each day it was packed! Finally on the road had a good run down the M25 to Faversham...booked into the Railway Hotel right in town for the festival...didn't realise how involved the Railway Hotel was in the festival...their carpark became a music stage all weekend...SO NO PARKING here.....not a huge town so parked our car around near El and Deans for the few days there. El and Dean invited us for dinner Thursday night which was lovely...we had ... read more

Got away from the chateau around 10am heading to Puy L’Eveque for an overnight. 5hr drive today through beautiful countryside, chose no freeways just windy country roads and pretty villages, arriving in Puy L’Eveque around 3pm which gave us plenty of time to explore the small town situated on The Lot….very pretty and we stayed in a very old B&B run by a nice English couple. A beautiful town that should be visited more. All pics are on previous post. Thursday left Puy L’eveque around 10am and drove around 3hrs Castillon la Bataille….we decided not to do freeways….just the whole way on country roads through beautiful villages…which you do not see on the freeways…..it was fantastic….watching the changing landscape from the Langguedoc-Roussillon region…which is quite rocky and sparse to rich soils and lots of farming of ... read more

Well we arrived safe and sound in Paris after a very, very long flight……always a chore…hate the long flight but lounge access does help! Straight out of the plane at 8.30pm to hire car company and drove 40km out of Paris for a head start for Saturday am, 540klm drive down south to Puy-en-Velay…..six and a half hours later arrived in this very spectacular town and our lovely hotel The Dyke Hotel run by a young French couple and they were so, so friendly and gave us lots of advice about the town….right on the edge of the old town. Spent the afternoon walking the town with a visit to the Rocher St Michel D’Aiguilhe (the rock of St Michael)…big walk up 288 steps to the top of it….well worth it for the wonderful view. Then ... read more