http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/m1ssjane/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from m1ssjane en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:27:54 +0000 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:27:54 +0000 I confess ... by the third weekend in a row going out and doing stuff you're excited but perhaps that excitement is slightly tempered by how damn tired you are Come Friday of the long weekend I wasn't as buzzed as I'd been the previous 2 weekends as all I wanted to do was sleep the entire weekend away but instead I was jumping in a minibus for a trip to Pembroke in Wales for a weekend of wal http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Pembroke/blog-435672.html Scotland over time to continue my August tour of the UK and to be even handed decided to stay in Englands this weekend and head up to the Lake District in Cumbria with Dee who I travelled with in Turkey and Paul and RachDanny and Eva who we met on our Turkish boat cruise. I love the way a couple of days with people when travelling leads to ongoing friendships and trips elsewhere in the world.De http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cumbria/Lake-District/blog-431044.html Had to run up to Aberdeen for a site visit so thought this was the perfect excuse to see a bit more of Scotland. This is the kick off for UK travel frenzy and in the space of 3 weeks have managed to fit in visits to Scotland North England Lake District and Wales Pembrokeshire.Scotland is at this stage in my journeys my favourite part of the UK for scenery. I love the drama of the highlands http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Aberdeen/blog-428900.html One week it's sun and snow from a distance and the next it's in the thick of the swirly white stuff In a particularly busy travel period of weekend trips it was up early Saturday morning and off to St Pancras for the Eurostar to Lille in France. This has to be the best invention in the world. Catch the tube to Kings Cross St Pancras be ready 30 mins before departure through French customs be http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Nord-Pas-de-Calais/Lille/blog-369679.html Northern Ireland ... a place always associated with the Troubles fear and unrest. Since Bruce moved there it meant it was time to find out what it was like for myself. Nothing like a prechristmas trip to a place colder than London an island edging the North Sea awesomeFlew in Friday night to be met by the smiley Bruce who found us food and had the whole weekend planned. Car hire check http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Northern-Ireland/Belfast/blog-422055.html OK I admit I've been slack in the blog stakes lately been a little too busy having a good time in London town. I have decided to turn over a new leaf and get back into the web communication game with the May bank holiday jaunt to the jewel of eastern europe Prague.Ambar and I booked the trip back in Jan to make the most of bargain book in advance tickets with a real airline for a change no hi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/blog-403368.html After last year's travel frenzy 2009 has started on a slightly quieter note not quieter in general just in the number of trips planned. The dreaded credit crunch the plummeting uk pound and the need to be a little bit financially responsible has meant that I'm spending more weekends in the UK and less running around the continent. But me being me incapable of staying in one place for too lo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Ireland/County-Dublin/Dublin/blog-373910.html I finally stepped foot upon the dark continent ... so exciting OK it's taken me 2 months to share but there is nothing like the feeling of stepping foot not only in a new country but in a new continent. Africa is so far removed from Australia and the stuff of dreams as it feels so remote and expensive to visit. A bit of prebooking meant return flights and 4 nights accommodation for the pr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/Marrakech-Tensift-El-Haouz/Marrakech/blog-353462.html Leaving Zadar to travel to Zagreb with one little stop over at Plitvice Lakes National Park. This place was the highlight of this trip as it was the most stunningly beautiful place. It's about 12 way between the two cities and is well worth a visit. It would be lovely at any time of the year but in Autumn with the trees changing colour the reds oranges and yellows against the clear blue gree http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Croatia/Central-Croatia/Plitvice-Lakes-National-Park/blog-353457.html Zadar city with 2 of the coolest things in Europe the Sea Organ and the Sun Disk. These 2 things lift Zadar from being just another lovely Croatian coastal town to being a special place in my memory.Our first stop was coffee for me a gallery for the guys then off to centre of happiness the Sea Organ. Outside the old town on the sea front they have build a series of pipes into the waterfro http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Croatia/Dalmatia/Zadar/blog-353435.html The bus from Dubrovnik to Split was in the pouring rain. The weather was up and down but made for some amazingly beautiful and dramatic coastline with the grey and brooding sky interspersed with the odd shaft of sunlight as the clouds moved out to sea. Part of the coastline actually goes through Bosnia Herzegovena so technically I managed to do another country in 20 mins. You pull up at the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Croatia/Dalmatia/Split/blog-353431.html Belgrade to Bar Montengro was a long lonely overnight train lucky I was asleep most of the night except for another border crossing and the last wonderful early morning bit coming down through the mountains glorious. I discovered that it is possible to grab passport roll over hand get back roll back and resleep with minimal fuss. Just takes a few weeks on the road to redevelop the sleepa http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Croatia/Dalmatia/Dubrovnik/blog-344503.html Having decided to do a run for Montenegro from Veliko Tarnovo I knew it would be a big couple of days. I had made up my mind to skip Belgrade completely except for a couple of hours until the next train. That lasted as long as it took for me to get off the train and start talking to a French guy Igor and all of a sudden I'm spending 12 hours in Beograd providing adequate justification for the p http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-330030.html As I've got time and everyone raved about this place I decided to do a mini detour to Veliko Tarnovo in North Central Bulgaria so I joined Sarah from Sofia and we headed up on the afternoon train on Friday thinking 2 days would be enough. I'm currently up to my 4th night and have to tear myself away as this is a great little place which seems to trap you into the 'just one more day' syndrome.Veli http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Bulgaria/North/Veliko-Tarnovo/blog-329089.html Sofia has been my bed for a couple of days but it wasn't until yesterday that I got to walk around and have a look at sights other than bars a little tricky to find decent ones but it's possible if you can find a local to show you the way. Have been staying at a place called Mostel Hostel which I'd recommend as a friendly social place to stay. My bed for the past 3 nights has been a mattre http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Bulgaria/West/Sofia/blog-327625.html OK day 1 Sofia wasn't really spent in Sofia but instead about 120 kms south in the Rila Mountains at the 'Jerusalem' of Bulgaria the Rila Monastery.3 of us piled into a taxi for the 4 hour round trip on a grey morning but as we drove out of Sofia and headed south the sun came out well for a while before the mountain fog closed in. One minute you are enjoying the countryside in sunshine then y http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Bulgaria/West/Rila-Monastery/blog-327616.html I had planned after Turkey to head East not West but unfortunately the government of a certain 'Axis of Evil' country decided to ignore my visa application 2 months no yes no no So visa limbo meant I had to turn my travels in another direction west through Eastern Europe first stop BulgariaAs there are 3 weeks before I have to be back in London it's given me a lot of flexibility to make http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Bulgaria/South/Plovdiv/blog-327611.html Finally back on the road for some serious travelling and exploring the country that is the crossroads between Europe and Asia Turkey. First stop on this lavish 5 week odyessy is the middle of the country in Capaddocia land of caves odd rock formations quirky living arrangements and amazing scenery. Left London on Thursday flying the very lavish not Pegasus Air which is Turkey's version o http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Central-Anatolia/Cappadocia/blog-320182.html It's just you some friends and about 500000 other people packed into a few miles of London to see amazing costumes hear very loud music smell the illegal substances in the air and stuff yourself silly with wonderful Caribbean food welcome to a true London experience the Notting Hill CarnivalThe Carnival started in the 60s as a way of overcoming racial tension by showcasing the diversity http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Notting-Hill/blog-316926.html In 10 months I've crossed the Thames by foot tube bus I think even car but somehow boats haven't made the list ... until now. A photography group trip to Greenwich including a cruise to the Thames Barrier helped tick that last box well until I find another box that isAbout 70 of us jumped on a boat to cruise up the Thames past the O2 arena to the mighty shiny Thames Barrier. The Thames Ba http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Greenwich/blog-316184.html