Travel Blog Posts
August 21st 2009
Iceland blew my mind. Words don't really do it justice, so I'll just put up loads of pictures... (Umesh will be pleased about that...) Highlights for me were : every hike, every park, every protected area but especially Landmannalauger, and a ride to the bus station in Bjork's mum's car (though she wasn't driving)! And Skyr! Yum. For those of you who are technology challenged... if you click on the small picture it will enlarge and you can read descriptions etc. For these photos, it's worth enlarging them! Enjoy.... read more
August 21st 2009
Scandanavia rocks my world. I was definitely a viking in a former life. I had the most fantastic time in Scandanavia, travelling with Disa, Martin and Alberto over thousands of kilometres from Stockholm to a wee island in the north of Norway called Karlsøya (at 70 degrees north, my northernmost point, ever) and then all the way back to Stockholm. After a very, very brief stop in Helsinki, a 3am bus to Turku and an 11 hour ferry ride to Stockholm, I began my Scandanavian adventures. Disa had written to me, saying that she and Martin had met a Spanish guy with a van while busking in Stockholm and were planning to head to the north of Norway to a thing called Ting, how soon could I get there? Hence my brief Finnish visit... They picked ... read more
August 19th 2009
An age, a lifetime ago, way back in June! I travelled from Slovenia over to Milan to meet up with Brent and Shona for the weekend. We ate bad pizza and great gelato (fresh fig being the winner), got picked on by touts and pecked at by horrible pigeons in the square. After Milan, we drove north to Staefa near Zurich, where the Westies currently reside. I spent a week with them in their lovely apartment. Very cruisy - lots of sleep, swimming in lake Zurich, touring the city and marvelling at Chagall´s windows in the Frauminster church, yummy nachos reminiscent of when we used to flat together in Glenfield (except mine were vege nachos this time) I had good showers and even washed my clothes. We visited Titlis mountain on the weekend, played in the ... read more
June 29th 2009
(photos below) Because he is the loveliest, and I miss him all to pieces........ x ... read more
June 29th 2009
I've wanted to visit Slovenia for years. It lived up to my dreams and more. I only had a few days to spare between Venice and meeting up with Brent and Shona in Milan so I decided to bypass the cities and just go straight to the Julian Alps. I caught the train to Gorizia on the border and then a bus across to the station at Nova Gorica where I caught another train up to Bohinjska Bistrica in the Bohinj valley. It's a longer but far cheaper way than catching a train direct from Venice to Ljubljana then up to the National Park. I opted to stay in the Bohinj valley, wilder and a bit more remote than Bled, and a lot less touristed. I camped at the far end of Lake Bohinj, in Ukanc, ... read more
June 29th 2009
I met up with Judy again to head off to Italy. We had three weeks together, travelling from the south to the north. Our first stop was Pompeii. We picked up a car in Naples and drove to Pompeii, eventually to find our hotel in the heart of the city. The ruins were as hot as vesuvius must have been way back then. We muddled our way around, eventually finding most of what was on our list. They'd removed most of the figures and put them in storage, leaving just the town. Most of the emotion of seeing the people in situ was removed along with the figures. But Vesuvius still towered over the town, albeit a good bit shorter than he used to be. The remaining frescoes were exciting to find. Incredible that they've lasted ... read more
Visiting the Professor
Published: June 30th 2009Europe » United Kingdom » England » Kent » Canterbury
June 29th 2009
Before meeting up with Judy again, I headed down to Canterbury to stay with one of Alan's bestest friends. I was very nervous about it, thinking; What if we don't get on? What if he doesn't approve of me? I needn't have worried. Matthew turned out to be one of those rare people who I immediately feel comfortable with. We spent three days in good company, good food, wine around the fire at night, and good conversation that just kept flowing. I also got to hear him play his famous saz - beautiful. He lives on a Pinetum in the woods near the University of Kent. On Saturday we put in a solid day of work clearing brambles and coppicing chestnut trees. On Sunday we went for a walk around the area, then I hung around ... read more
June 29th 2009
While Judy visited the cousins I visited the Highlands. I caught the train to Inverness where I visited the loch, predictably, and didn't see Nessie, also predictably. But it was pretty all the same. Then I headed west to Plockton, a beautiful town near Skye, where I invited myself to stay with the Macrae's, friends of family friends. I helped out in their guesthouse and ate at their restaurant. I recovered from a nasty head cold and went for a walk in the hills behind their house in Achmore. I even got to watch a Shinty match and get eaten alive by midges. I visited Skye, very briefly, and left the highlands feeling like I'd barely begun. It is firmly on my revisit list. Before I left Scotland I visited the Findhorn Foundation on the Moray ... read more
The Grandma Diaries - Part Three. Cornwall
Published: June 30th 2009Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cornwall
June 29th 2009
We went to Cornwall next. Visiting St Ives, The Eden Project and Tintagel for the most part. We had only a few days here before Cindy was due to fly home and Judy went to stay with cousins for a couple of weeks. Cindy surprised herself by finding a soul place in St Ives. We all enjoyed the Eden Project for the hope it engenders. I loved the wind on the cliffs above Tintagel... I'd have stayed up there all day but heights are really not Judy's thing and she was waiting further down... England always surprises me with it's loveliness.... read more
June 29th 2009
We spent a couple of days in St Sebastian first. Cindy felt right at home here. I was treated to a brilliant and unsuspected storm one evening, complete with thunder and lightning, recharging my batteries after the overindulgence of French cuisine. From there we headed to Barcelona to stay with Madeleine Sheahan in her little but very well placed flat. It was great to spend time with her. She lived with us for two years when I was wee and I've not seen her much since. We enjoyed Gaudi's madness and some fine organic vegetarian food, further dispelling the French Fugue. It was hot, dusty and smelly but I think we all had fun.... read more
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