I like cosy ... Hey Bob,
Sometimes, changes of plans can be just as enjoyable as the original. We were warm, dry and snug - what more could you want? :)
Road trip That looks like BC rain. We are currently in a warm period. Very mild winter followed by a gorgeous spring. All my landscapers starte4d work a month and a half early and the weather today is clear, warm, sunny with temps in the high 20's. Thanks for the blog entry. Talk to you soon. Cheers, Mike
We will remember them ... Hi guys - thank you. We can never repay the debt we owe them but, we can, and should, never forget all they have given us. Having had the privilege of visiting both Gallipoli and the World War I battlefields in recent times, whilst trying to imagine the horrors that soldiers had to endure whilst fighting there, is incomprehensible. The very least we can do, is to honour them. xx
Anzac Day 2015 Lest we Forget...oh so poignant for us folks in Oz. We were at the 4.30 am Dawn Service at Hornsby...thousands surrounding the Cenotaph for this Centenary day. The Last Post by bugle...the Lament by a sole bagpiper...wreaths laid in reverence...so important we all were there. It was also special for me as I wore my dad's WW II medals from his service in Palestine, Egypt and New Guinea. Thank you for this blog.
Anzac Day 2015 Thank you, Dave. We have so much to be thankful for in this country. I challenge anyone to be present on any of these occasions and not be totally moved and eternally grateful for those who have gone before us and courageously and unselfishly laid down their lives so that we now enjoy what we have, in the country that we have. Shame on us if we don't take time to remember.
Diamonds are a girls best friend Hi SkiSet, looked like a fabulous trip, what an amazing ship, we have been thinking that we would like to take a trip on the Diamond Princess one day in the not too distant future. It was great to see her leaving Fremantle she dwarfs everything and she just glided past us without making a sound, if you weren't watching you would never have noticed her leaving dock! Looking forward to seeing you next week. KangarooJack x
Diamonds are a girl's best friend .... Hi guys. She was magnificent and we would sail on her again in a minute. Everything was done with a minimum of fuss - totally everything - and they spoiled us rotten!! From the servicing of your stateroom to the mandatory safety musters to 5-star dining - even docking at ridiculous-o'clock in the wee small - you were in and docked and didn't know a thing about it unless you were up at sparra's to witness the event. She's a true jewel and her crew and attendants second to none. Really looking forward to seeing you both next week. How did the wedding go? and how does it feel being "back home" again? Everyone must be happy to see you both again. :) Lots of love as always. J, T & Co. xoxoxo
Date with a Princess Hi Bob & Linda,
Always look forward to hearing from you and thank you for "dropping in". Alas and alack - we had no "towel animals" this time - I did look for them each night but, unfortunately none appeared such as we had on a Royal Caribbean cruise we did last year but, there were other compensations. :) We love NZ and have been there a few times but, this was from a totally different perspective. Loved the cruise and would do it again in a minute. It has more than whetted our appetite but then, it IS travel and, we need no encouragement where that in any form, is concerned. :) Jan xxx
Ahh the smell of the ocean! Love the little waiters jacket strawberries. Do they charge for excursions etc in USD ? have always been curious. Thanks cant wait for the next blog!
Ahh the small of the ocean Hi Cindy,
The strawberries were delicious but, I felt a bit like an ogre each time I ate one as they looked so cute. :) Yes, all of the excursions were quoted in USD (as is everything on board) and were rather overpriced we felt but, if that's the only option you have, I'm sure the quality was there as everything is taken care of for you. Always lovely to hear from you. :) J xx
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! Awesome blog! So much in there I want to see and do - to have a tour guide named Nemo in a landlocked country where tour guides get paid more than Urologists...how much of a sexy beast is that Yak, what an amazing animal. Enjoyed every word :)
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!! Hi Cindy,
Great to hear from you and thanks so much for your comment. Always love to get comments. :) Mongolia is the most amazing place and fulfilled a dream in more ways than one. Couldn't believe that tour guides get paid more than Urologists either. Thought he was pulling my leg at first. Thanks for dropping in and ... happy diving!! J xx
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Well Hello there you lovely travellers, what a great blog, I love the one of Jen and the Yak, though I do appreciate the Yaks attitude, (snoozing in the sun, minding mt own business) when there was a tourist invasion and I just wanted piece and quite, may be he should have charged- about ten bucks)
Really good pictures and always so good with words, a really great block.
Love to you and Teddy and the gang and really looking forwards to seeing you.
Kangaroojack
Grrrrrrrr!! Hi Guys,
Great to hear from you and Andy, hope that your thumb is healing well. Responding to you as we sit and have breakfast before boarding the Princess a bit later today for our cruise. Glenn & Bon are with us for this jaunt. :) Really looking forward to the downtime. Thanks for your comment on the blog. Been out of action for quite some time re blogging as other things took precedence with my time so, nice to get back in the swing again. Really looking forward to seeing you guys the end of next month. Lots of love from all this side. J xxx
Terelj We stayed at a different site in Terelj but it was a wonderful experience. Your blogs have brought back a lot of memories which I didn't capture in my blog.
One bizarre experience which I didn't record was meeting an English couple and their two children who were doing a 4WD trek through Mongolia.
We did the usual "where are you from?" conversation. They were from Bristol in the UK.
We said we were from near Newcastle in Oz. "Oh" he said. "Whereabouts?"
"A little place called Budgewoi", I said.
"My grand-mother grew up there before she migrated to England" he said!
I'm constantly amazed at how many people we meet in all sorts of locations in the world know of Budgewoi.
Small world ..... Hi John & Sylvia,
I am always constantly amazed when travelling, just how small this world of ours is (and getting smaller) and how we are always either, running into someone we know or, have some kind of link to in our own everyday world. Last year in Turkey, we got talking to the owner of the jewellery store where we were shopping, and when he learned I was from Oz, then told us that he and his wife were leaving on a holiday to Australia in 10 days time. I didn't think that very unusual until he then told us that his wife was Australian and that they would be visiting her family in Bathurst! He was very concerned at the time because of the bushfires raging there (October last year) as after their arrival, they would be driving through the Blue Mtns to get there. I thought he meant he was concerned for their own safety but, it wasn't that - he was saddened and concerned for all of those people who had lost their homes and the complete devastation of it all. They have been coming to Oz every so often for the last 10 years so, know the area well. Like you, we also enjoyed Terelj and only wished we could have had more time there. Mongolia will always remain one of my favourite places. :) Thanks for dropping in and happy that I have stirred some happy memories for you both. J xx
Mongolia - a place to return to Hi Jan - thanks for writing this up in so much detail - much more than I could remember. Having been around the world a lot this year I still say Mongolia is my favourite destination. On my Kili hike I came across a lady who had spent two weeks in Northern Mongolia on horseback with a Shaman for country - sounds great! Maybe 2015... Hope you get to write up the rest of the trip at some point.
Mongolia - a place to return to Hi Aidan,
Yes, would have to admit that Mongolia has become one of my favourite places also. Before going there, must confess I didn't know a whole lot about this fascinating country but, I guess that's the point of travelling isn't it? Like you, I too ran into someone last week with close links to Mongolia - a stallholder at our local shopping centre who was selling handicrafts from Nepal and Mongolia and visits there quite regularly. Small world, hey? It was great to chat to him and also to be able to swap some stories. I will be posting some more blogs of our trip in coming weeks and am currently about 7/8ths of the way through the next instalment - also on Mongolia. So much to write about. :) Thanks for dropping in and for your kind words. Always great to hear from you and do love to get comments on our blogs and always nice to know someone out there is enjoying them. :) J xx
Nemo! Oh my god Nemosan! We spent a couple of weeks with him and his family (brother Ooogie too) what a fantastic family. Did he tell you he is a Urologist in real life? I too had the same thought, oganized chaos and we haven't even gotten out the train parking lot yet! Thanks for bringing back lots of memories for me. I'm going to write Nemo right now!
Nemo! Hey Andrea! How cool is that? That we both had the same guide and driver for our visit. As you say - a lovely family and yes, Nemo did tell us that he is/was a Urologist but, had become a tour guide as it was more lucrative. Can you believe that? And he, a specialist in his field. We were appalled when he told us how little he was earning as a doctor. Unreal, when you consider how much most doctors earn in other countries. Thanks for dropping in and happy that we have stirred up some happy memories for you. We too have great memories of Mongolia. Loved the country and the people. Jan xx
Mongolia I've always wanted to go to Mongolia. It is an undiscovered land. I'd like to see the Gobi desert. Small spaces but it looks like you are having a good time. Eager to read more.
Mongolia Hi Dave & Merry Jo,
Yes, this is a trip that has been on our "to do" list for many years and, has far exceeded our expectations. Loved Mongolia and would have liked to spend more time there but, so enjoyed the time we did have. Still travelling but, there will be more blogs to come. Thanks for dropping by. Jan xx
Travelblog: (worldmapmaker=369891)
Addictions come in many forms. For us – it’s always been travel. Whether it be a week here and there holidaying in Oz with family or travelling the world to far-flung and exotic places.
We have been very fortunate to have visited many countries throughout the world as well as also having seen much of Australia by trains, planes and automobiles (and also motorhome) but, still lots more to see. We haven’t even scratched the surface of this vast, magnificent country of ours.
Our children (and now also grand-children) also share our passion ... full info
Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
I like cosy...
what a wonderful getaway you have!