All packed and ready to leave, found a cab that will take us to Heathrow for £30 which is a good deal as tubes in chaos due to strike. Using the laptop has been a challenge as conection keeps dropping off, so writing from the internet cafe I found yesterday. Have all photos on disc so will put more up when I get home. Thanks to all who have followed the blogs and taken the time to respond to us, it has been enjoyable for James to record his thoughts. I will print this blog so he has a permanent record [View Full Entry]

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James writing hi every one james writing I'm writing about my top 7 attractions in my past 4 weeks here on my holiday At number 7 it is a big castle called Cardiff castle, Cardiff castle is at number 7 because it tells you about the castle and you get to go in to someone elses house a very fancy house with nice decorations like big as chandeliers and a big fire place the people in the house don't live in there any more they left there house in the 1950's but my down side in this attraction is the stupid [View Full Entry]

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Friday, night we headed off to Brighton by cheap bus. T and S worked for a month in Brighton when they first came to thge Uk and they rate it highly. If rents were cheaper and incomes larger they would move there. I can see why. Though a rocky beach is not appealing, but the place does have a nice buzz. We were extremely lucky to find a cheap family room on the seafront oppposite the West Pier. The Granville charged us £130 for the room and included a fantastic restaurant breakfast, free internet, pool table, DVDs. roon was spacious and [View Full Entry]

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This afternoon we return on a Megabus to London. £10 for the two of us, you can't complain. We have had a lovely time staying with Miss G, N and S. Their home is spacious and they have about 100 TV channels so James has been pleased to chill out and channel surf. A pleasant change from our somewhat cramped conditions in the studio in London. The weather has been truly stunning, but the Welsh seem even more surprised than we are, this is the first hot day in three years they exclaim as they wipe pink brows. The smell of [View Full Entry]

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We caught a Megabus from Victoria Coach Station to Cardiff today. Dirt cheap tickets. Coach perfectly acceptable but the toilets were ghastly and I was traumatised. Arrived to a beautiful day, collected by Miss G. Taken to her lovely flat, BBQ tea in the backyard with her flatmates and family. Lots of Pear Cider. Yummy Miss G will be our tour guide tomorrow [View Full Entry]

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I had read of the largest shopping mall in Europe, opened late 2008, so off we went on the tube to Shepherds Bush. Mall shopping is a novelty to me, I rarely go to the Hutt Valley, Porirua or Tawa. Walking around Wellington is my usual shopping but I am not really a shopper at all. But today despite the crowded tube the shopping environment was a real pleasure. My first experience of Marks and Spencer, and a nice browse through a wide range of shops, the ultra expensive Village and then all the usual mall suspects. I purchased a handbag [View Full Entry]

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A relaxed journey from Paris back to London after a frantic clean up of the apartment to ensure there was no excuse not to return my deposit. We were all a little under the weather after a fine night of wining, wining, wining, wining and dining at the restaurant up the street, that we first encountered the day we arrived. I suspect our view of it as a great little restaurant is accurate as it was packed to the rafters every night with local French. James had a seafood risotto and surprised the waiter when he ordered it with frits, [View Full Entry]

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After the success if the London Bike Tour we decided to take the Paris night ride. Equally as good, but felt somewhat more vulnerable riding across Parisina intersections and along footpaths amongst somewhat disgruntled pedestrians. I think I would be grumpy if Americans took loads of tourists around Wellington holding up traffic and blocking the footpath while shouting out a very compressed history of my much loved monuments and cultural icons. ( which are????) I notice that none of these guides seem able to answer many questions, instead they have a well practiced patter that their fello [View Full Entry]

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James writing. 2 days ago I went to Parc Asterix with T there were loads of rides they even had the biggest wooden roller coaster in Europe it was scary. The rides highest point is about 100 meters that's pretty high. And after that ride I got a really sore back. I went on it 2 times because I like the thrill of it. They also had 6 more roller coasters that are pretty cool. They have this little roller coaster that doesnt look that thrilling but when you go on its fun and a bit scary it goes so fast. [View Full Entry]

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I do like Parisians, they have overwhelmingly been polite and helpful, they don't push and shove, they endeavour to speak to me in English once the realise my few French phrases are all I have got, and they apologise when they haven't got what we are looking for. It is all rather charming. We went to a flea market and the wondeful food market next door this morning. There were many things we liked, quaint old snaps, but 5 Euro each, non, non, non. A case that would have been lovely for my glasses 15 euro. I know I shouldn't but [View Full Entry]

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