Getting to Norway and our first sighting of the Aurora Borealis One problem with charging for luggage on flights is that you try and wear as much as possible so you can minimise or eliminate the number of bags you have to pay for. If you're going somewhere cold this results in almost passing out as you swelter neath hot clothing in hot airports. I have snow boots on, thermal trousers and a thermal fleece. I think I've sweated off a few pounds already but sadly this feels like it's landed in my boots and I may end up with trenchfoot by the end of the day. Worth it to save £40 for an extra bag though! We are currently delayed at Oslo airport but only by 25 minutes (so far.....) which is pretty good for ... read more

Before I came back to Venice I had no idea it is made up of 124 islands. Today we started on 1 and visited another 4. And it all began at 6am.... We'd both had a better night's sleep so when the alarm went off at 6am we only swore at it twice. Each of course. Out of the door we went before 7...to find it pouring down. Typical holiday weather for us then. We hadn't checked the weather, hadn't put on warm clothes and it did get cold and windy late as well. Ah well, nothing new there either. And then we got lost. Yet again. We were trying to find a place we were at yesterday to do slow shutter speed photos over the Grand Canal before sunrise. The latter wasn't going to happen ... read more

Venice day 1: Torturing students, pizza, coffee and a freezer in the room.... Those of you who have read my blogs before may know that even small things can wind me up but today I feel sorry for the students of Venice University. It was their big day today, graduation day, which back home is a day of celebration. Here they make the students wear wreaths on their head and walk the streets looking rather foolish it has to be said. All those years of hard work and it's thorn of crowns time chaps, off round the streets you go to be laughed at so much you feel you should do some chanting so it looks like you're having a good time. I suppose you had the pleasure of living in Venice while you studied so ... read more

Yesterday when Claire offered me the opportunity to get up early today and go for a long walk to see a bridge I immediately said yes. Which took her by surprise that's for sure. These Apple watches need to be satiated with exercise though so the alarms went off at 6....actually quite a lie in on this holiday. The nine arch railway bridge was on the same railway we walked along yesterday but in the opposite direction. We again ignored the signs telling us it was an offence and walked along the tracks. We even ignored the next sign that warned us of thieves and robbers on this stretch of track. We liked how this sign was AFTER the one telling you what you were doing was illegal....as if they knew you'd ignore the first one. ... read more

I think some people have a different interpretation of the sounds of the jungle than me and think that the incessant chattering isn't the sound of animals but their own yabbering gobs. The jeep's engine is turned off, the animals are doing their shizzle and....blah blah #$¥€#%# blah.....SHUT UP!!! Thankfully this didn't happen much this morning but, as you may be able to tell, it did happen. Most of the time we were on our own enjoying the incredible scenery and amazing wildlife. We'd had a lie in until 4:45 so we were raring to go when our jeep and driver turned up at 5:30, especially as our hotel manager had got up early to make us hot drinks. The journey to the Udawalawa (sounds like a cue for a King Kurt song to me) National ... read more