30th September 2012 We are currently in the channel tunnel on the Eurostar to Paris. We have spent 12 days in the UK and I am catching up and recalling our experience. We flew into Glasgow, Scotland from Athens via Heathrow. Well the weather was certainly a shock to us – coming from 25 degrees to 15 degrees (or thereabouts!). Anyway so we boarded the airport bus without a CLUE what the bus driver was saying in his thick Scottish accent. So after we had settled into our hotel we set off to see the town centre. I had heard Glasgow wasn’t very nice but actually the city centre was quite nice and hustle bustle. Old building and churches with a gothic look to them. As bill was attending the arms and armour conference at the ... read more

10 September Our last evening Beirut was very low key. After our adventure to the ABC mall, we went back to the hotel as Bill had really come down with whatever bug I had. I went to dinner to le Chef (a ho hum experience – the hommus and wine was good. Can’t vouch for the half cold bland kibbe smothered in white sauce!) The next day, after breakfast (and with Bill feeling better) we set out for our last half day in Beirut. We visited the Mohammed Al-Amin mosque, where assassinated prime minister Rafic Hariri is buried. Yaye, so happy we visited it was so beautiful. No matter how many mosques I visit, I am still in awe of the large domes, gorgeous chandeliers and the intricate artwork. Once the call to prayer was called, ... read more

The next day it was on to Baalbek. Now the Australian government (and I assume many other governments) currently have a do not travel to the Bekka valley, where Baalbek is. The first stop was Anjar, a small town predominantly Armenian, some 35km from Syria. The Anjar ruins are the main draw to Anjar. From the Umayyad period, Anjar is now a city in ruins and its architecture very similar to those romans ruins we have seen throughout the Middle East and Turkey. After a stop Shop (yes I couldn’t help myself) we arrived to Baalbek. First stop was the largest rock in Baalbek. This ‘large rock’ is a rectangular piece of rock that a local business man has saved for the town and now thongs of tourists come to visit this rock, and consequently his ... read more

Ah ‘Stamboul….. We arrived in Istanbul late Wednesday night and continued to our destination Sirkeci in the heart of old Istanbul. This is my 4th time to Turkey, but my first short trip and my only trip where I stayed only in Istanbul (other trips have been 2 weeks, twice with intrepid, last trip we did solo around Turkey). Each time I come I fall more and more in love with it. My parents arrived early Thursday afternoon, unfortunately it rained for 2 days and they (seem to think) they got ripped off with the taxi……ooops! We went for a walk in the heavy rain to Sultanahmet to show them the blue mosque, cistern and Aya Sofya but all we really could do was eat and stay in the hotel. The next day (Friday) unfortunately the ... read more

We are now on an Urbano train service to Lisbon. Sintra was a lovely little town, situated 29km from Lisbon. Our accommodation was a salmon pink manor overlooking the historical centre. The owner of the manor was a nice (and a touch eclectic) man named Luis whom we suspected by the Portuguese brochures was a follower of the new age Baha’i religion, which is very refreshing and interesting and so he is probably a hippie at heart. So the manor overlooked a large (unkempt) yard with pool, Jacuzzi, pond etc. Oh and squawking birds too! Wednesday evening we ventured around town and of course the centre is packed with souvenir shops, mostly selling cork products such as (expensive) handbags, purses, postcards etc. I couldn’t believe how useful cork is (not just used as a stopper in ... read more