http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/TerriandTim/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from TerriandTim en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:39:21 +0000 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:39:21 +0000 Well our final day of holidays... tomorrow we fly home... we've had an amazing trip but are looking forward to our pillows and pug.Yesterday we continued driving through the South coast of Ireland. A beautiful country... although I never thought I'd see so much rain in the summer Apparently Dublin was flooded out the day after we left let's hope it is back to normal when we arrive tonight http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Wicklow/Wicklow/blog-310811.html After an awesome but very quick visit to Scotland we've met up with the Dairs and are traveling around Ireland.So far we've managed to drink Guiness in Dublin climb the Cliffs of Moher look at clouds and rain in the Ring of Kerry kiss the Blarney Stone eat our weight in Irish BreakfastWe're having a great time hard to believe there are only three days until we'll be home We are headin http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Cork/Cork/blog-310403.html Seriously when they say if you are tired of London you are tired of life they mean it It was twelve years since either of us ventured to Londontown... we weren't disappointedHere's the things we loved most1. Transit the tube is sooo easy to use and has many fewer stairs than Paris2. The Burberry Factory Outlet do I really need to elaborate If Kate Spade's Outlet moved in next stor http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-308328.html We arrived with no complications in London to rain. We happily disembarked our plane and set off from Stanstead Airport. We arrived in our hotel very interesting these London hotels... and set out for a minitour. We visited Buckingham Palace Big Ben Westminster Abby the Parliament The Tower Bridge and the Tower of London before we decided to get some rest tomorrow is going to be a big http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-307942.html We left the lovely Tuscan hills for the heat of Rome. Tuscany was wonderful although very far from civilization. We did take a day trip to Pisa while we were there so that was nice.On to Rome... what a city Here is a laundry list of what we have done and what we thought1. Collessium very cool beautiful at night. Imagine Gladiators and screaming fans all around2. Ancient City prob http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-307500.html We've spent the last three days relaxing here in Tuscany. We stayed in a villa about an hour and a half from Florence near a tiny village called San Bronto. It is strange being here so far from reality but at the same time it is beautiful. Everything here is rustic quiet and calm. It has been a wonderful break.Except yesterday when we went into Florence and Pisa we've been spending out tim http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-306610.html So we arrived in what I was told the Fashion capital of the world.Here are some of my highlights1 We slept in a room with a fan2 I had some ice cream gelato3 I walked a lot4 I saw a lot of clothes and the astronomical price tag that came with them5 People opened doors for me when I walked into stores6 I saw a pigeon7 I leftOh yeah I slept in a room with a FAN http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-306094.html Milan was not a typical 'sight seeing destination'... at least for me. HELLO We were in the fashion capital of the world for crying out loud We arrived quite late and navigated the crazy streets until we found our hotel. We checked out our view from our window and saw our only cultural attraction some random church light up all nice.We slept in a bit then headed to the FASHION DISTRI http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-306093.html We arrived in Switzerland after a nice night of non sleeping and hearing an old non speaking english man snore his face off.Exhausted we decided to travel around the banking world of Zurich we spent a total of one hour there looking at the stores in the railway station and that is about it you could see the banks on the way in on the train and that was about it.Then we got back on another trai http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Interlaken/blog-306090.html Berlin is different than any other city Irsquove ever been to. It is so different than the other European cities I have visited that yoursquod almost wonder if is has been transplanted to the middle of Europe by some sort of alien being albeit I suppose that sort of is what Hitler didhellipRather than ramble on about the three days we spent in the city wersquoll tell you exactly what m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-304767.html After a long triptime through the countryside of Germany we finally reached our destination Berlin. The most fascinating part of the trip was the amount of wind generators around the German countryside. I know that a lot of people in Canada don't like them because of the noise and size of them but based on sheer numbers alone the Germans don't seem too upset.As we reached our hostel yes tha http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-303284.html We woke up this morning to an Amsterdam streaming with rain. Since we intended to head to Cologne at some point we figured why not sooner. Arrived in Cologne at about 3pm and began exploring.Now I have an important confession to make. I think I am too old for hostels. During all of my earlier travels it never occurred to me that I night one day find these cheap beds nasty. Cologne is our f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/North-Rhine-Westphalia/Cologne/blog-302833.html We're having trouble loading photos on here while we'll still try adding them every now and again I think we'll focus on getting them on facebook. If you don't have facebook let me know and I will see how to get you access to them.TnT http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-302372.html Late late late last night we finally arrived in Amsterdam... it may have been this morning come to think of it...We went from riding in the back of a pickup truck in Egypt to the back seat of a Beamer taxi. Sweet. The driver is in med school and told us a bit about the city while he shuttled us to the hotel. Once there he was so honest that he actually wouldn't accept a tip apparently they http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-302304.html Well the market last night was entertaining. Never have I seen so many people selling the same twelve things We did have fun looking around for about an hour before heading back to the hotel for our bon voyage.This morning started early 4am as it was the last day of the tour. We took a 630 flight to Cairo and now wait at the Cairo airport until 5pm when our flight leaves for Rome then w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-301700.html Egypt Day 5We woke up to the sound of the air conditioner humming at full power in the hotel room as the sun yesterday was quite a bit to handle. Then we boarded a felucca small sail boat where the wind is the only source of power to get us down the Nile river The early part of the morning included a pop can that was traveling down the river faster then us. The afternoon was a bit better with http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Angola/South/blog-301418.html Yesterday we spent the day sailing down the Nile River on a felucca. A felucca is a small Egyptian sail boat. It was wonderful and relaxing. We've arrived in Luxor and are getting ready to leave on a tour of the Karnak Temple. Tomorrow we head to the valley of the Kings a highlight except maybe the fact we go there via donkey... poor bumless people.More to come... http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-300892.html Egypt Day 1The land of sand sun and people that want your money. No matter what they do or ask it is all about those hard earnedswindled dollar bills.Our flight from Paris this morning wasnrsquot a problem but when we left Rome to head to Egypt the take off and the landing parts of the journey were brutal. The plane seemed like something out of the 1980s complete with cigarette holders http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Angola/South/blog-300361.html Safe Sound... will update the blog at some point in the very near future Finally found a wifi connection here today.TnT http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Benin/South/blog-300068.html 1. Pain du Chocolat seriously any country that offers me chocolate as a breakfast food is worthy of some props. 2. Club Baguette bread seems to be the national food and when you take a baguette and stuff it with meat cheese and veggies it begins to remarkably resemble a Subway creation. Being that these are sold on every street corner for only a few Euros you can understand why Tim was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-298520.html