http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/betweeneverybody/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from betweeneverybody en-us Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:02:16 +0000 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:02:16 +0000 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 drivingAnd Skyr Yum.For those of you who are technology challenged... if you click on the s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Iceland/blog-429894.html 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 Karlsya 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/blog-429893.html An age a lifetime ago way back in JuneI 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 apartme http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-East/Z-rich/blog-429444.html photos belowBecause he is the loveliest and I miss him all to pieces........x http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-413378.html 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 Bohi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Slovenia/Upper-Carniola/blog-413368.html 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 m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-413365.html 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 thinkingWhat if we don't get onWhat if he doesn't approve of meI 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 g http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Kent/Canterbury/blog-413355.html 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 re http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/blog-413334.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cornwall/blog-413331.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-413330.html With my dear grandma and my aunty Cindy we began our journey in Paris.To get there we took the eurostar. Cindy and Jude were both a bit nervous about the tunnel but in the end were entirely unaware of going through it.We'd passed under the Channel while I was getting coffees from the cafe carriage and half an hour later Judy commented that surely the tunnel would be coming up soon...I pointed ou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-413329.html My first continental stop was Holland.Some fun times in Amsterdam with old friends.My body knew I'm not 16 anymore even if I didn't act like it.I took a quick side trip to Rotterdam to see Fever Ray live at the Motel Mozaique festival.I thought it would be amazing and it was.Then I hopped on a bike and headed north.My aim was to tour up to Friesland and then down and around in a southern loop bac http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-413325.html April....I started in London it's getting to be a habit.After two days I needed to get out of the city before I experienced spontaneous combustion...I went to Anne Boleyn's childhood home for the day.Very pretty Kentish springtime. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-413322.html I had my first day at work yesterday for Motu Weka the local neighbourhood centre. As it's school holiday the programme is a little different to the usual afterschool routine. We had a small group of eleven kids aged 6 to 12 between three adults. The low numbers were a gift of the original plan for the day being a trip up Mount Arthur for a day in the snow... I guess most parents didn't thin http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Abel-Tasman-National-Park/Marahau/blog-297228.html Peace Tree Walk 2008 Riwaka Source to Mountain Valley May 10 18The Peace Tree walk was probably the best week I've ever spent. So good in fact that I'm not leaving town It was eight days of blissful good will and positive vibrations. At the end of every day we all felt so good riding a huge euphoric high together from spending whole days making music and playing with kids painting fa http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Motueka/blog-279146.html After a week of 'are we leaving or aren't we' in Motueka we finally made a break for it and escaped the vortex albeit a bit reluctantly. Heather and I decided to leave the car and push on with prams because we were rapidly running out of time to get to the valley and still had two weeks of walking to get to Westport. Mick was going to stay behind and fix the car hoping to catch up with us in t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-274315.html Walking the Walk is an environmental awareness walk with the aim of stopping a new open cast coal mine from going ahead in Happy Valley just outside of Westport on the West Coast of the South Island. Happy Valley is home to 13 endangered species of flora and fauna including a rare carnivorous land snail and the great spotted kiwi. Walk the walk started in Auckland on January 28th 2008 the se http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-265509.html I arrived in Nelson a bit early to join the walkers having read the wrong line on the website showing when they were arriving in Picton. They were also running a bit behind schedule. Consequently I had almost two weeks to kill in the Nelson region while I waited. And it's not a bad place to wait.I accidently arrived on St Patricks day and checked into the cheapest closest backpackers. It tur http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Nelson-Region/blog-265504.html Just a quick blip down to walk the Routeburn with lovely Brent and Shona.We had a full range of weather from hot sun to drizzly fiordland mist to rain to 95km gale force winds going over the pass.Good times were had by all.I love Fiordland. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-265501.html Well I'm home again. I hope everyone enjoyed the blogs.My last few days in UB passed pretty quickly. Cate and I visited a few temples around the city ate at the nicer restaurants and generally lazed about until it was time to leave. Cate flew out on the twelfth and the next day I got up early to catch the train to Beijing.I'd met two Australian girls at the hostel who were going to be on my t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-213222.html