Yesterday we had a pre-arranged time to meet with Genie at Victoria station, a friend of mums, who does walking tours of London. We were given our own private tour which was great. Her wealth of knowledge on London is staggering. She's like a walking encyclopaedia! Knowing that we had been to London before, Genie devised a tour which she thought would provide us with information that we wouldn't necessarily know about, or have been to previously. It was totally enjoyable, and it was 4 1/12 hours later before we said good-bye. We left Genie at the Tower of London, and then headed to some shops we had seen along the way for a spot of retail therapy. Our retail therapy continued this morning by heading to Westfield Shopping Mall in Shepherd's Bush. Reb had put us on to this venue, and I can see why. This Westfield's makes the one in Lower Hutt look like a pimple on an elephants bum. It is much classier as well. We enjoyed a lovely Lebanese lunch. We then spent some time in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Back at St Pancas we had a final red wine in the Booking Office bar (so named because it was actually the original booking office for the train station). It really is a lovely bar and makes drinking wine all the more enjoyable!
This is my final entry as we are only here another day. Trish and Grant are already on their way home and we fly out tomorrow night. We are planning to go to Convent Gardens tonight as there are lots of different restaurants to choose from around there. Tomorrow, providing the weather is an improvement on today, we might go for a walk in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. We did a detour through there the other day but it would be nice to spend some time enjoying it. It has been another great adventure, with great memories, and great friends. Meeting up with Rebecca on this trip has been a bonus as well. Over and out. Kirsty
Post script. Our final day was overcast and cool. Instead of heading to the gardens / park we instead went to the Transport Museum which is located at Convent Gardens. Convent Gardens is a great place to browse around, but better on your own rather than with Michael who isn't really into browsing in the same way I would.....
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Greenwich and Hampton Court
After along leisurely breakfast with Lisa and Kev, by which time Rebecca had been waiting for us in the lobby, we headed out to Greenwich. Michael had always wanted to go back here, especially to see the Cutty Stark, the last remaining tea clipper to sail between China and London. It was also used to transport wool between Australia and London. The restoration of this boat is excellent and was opened by the Queen in 2012. It has also won awards as a tourist attraction. It is an impressive ship. From there we trekked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. The views over London are beautiful, as are the trees and commons area around the Observatory. The actual Royal Observatory was okay, Michael is more interested in it than I am (or Rebecca).
Back at the hotel we bumped into Lisa and Kev who had a visit from Lisa's nephew and his partner. We decided on a very late lunch with them before we headed of to meet up with Lynn and her partner Ron. Lynn is an old varsity friend of mine who shared many Social Policy classes together. We had a great evening together. Reb had ditched us for a dinner in the dark experience!
Tuesday
We said farewell to Lisa and Kev who fly back to LA today. Michael had the day to himself so went off to visit the Clink, a prison museum, while Reb and I headed out to Hampton Court. We caught up with Trish and her sister Mary from Cambridge and spent the day at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Just envisage the Ellerslie Show but on a must bigger (and grander) scale. It was a great day, despite the heavy down fall of rain which we managed to escape by heading into a massive marque which held one of many exhibits. Hampton is beautiful, with the Palace alongside the Thames and the boats riding up and down the river.
Tonight was our last time with Reb as she is flying off to Croatia in the morning for 9 days, which includes attending a festival this coming weekend. We won't see her now until Xmas next year. We ended up saying goodbye in the tube station as we headed off in different directions after dinner together. It has been a great couple of weeks catching up with her, and we have no worries that she is home sick or not enjoying herself. She appears to making the most of her 2 year working visa......
Back at the hotel we bumped into Lisa and Kev who had a visit from Lisa's nephew and his partner. We decided on a very late lunch with them before we headed of to meet up with Lynn and her partner Ron. Lynn is an old varsity friend of mine who shared many Social Policy classes together. We had a great evening together. Reb had ditched us for a dinner in the dark experience!
Tuesday
We said farewell to Lisa and Kev who fly back to LA today. Michael had the day to himself so went off to visit the Clink, a prison museum, while Reb and I headed out to Hampton Court. We caught up with Trish and her sister Mary from Cambridge and spent the day at the Hampton Court Flower Show. Just envisage the Ellerslie Show but on a must bigger (and grander) scale. It was a great day, despite the heavy down fall of rain which we managed to escape by heading into a massive marque which held one of many exhibits. Hampton is beautiful, with the Palace alongside the Thames and the boats riding up and down the river.
Tonight was our last time with Reb as she is flying off to Croatia in the morning for 9 days, which includes attending a festival this coming weekend. We won't see her now until Xmas next year. We ended up saying goodbye in the tube station as we headed off in different directions after dinner together. It has been a great couple of weeks catching up with her, and we have no worries that she is home sick or not enjoying herself. She appears to making the most of her 2 year working visa......
Monday, 7 July 2014
So much to see and do.....
Today we had to pack up and leave our apartment. Trish and Grant have have also left London for Cambridge. Reb arrived in the morning and we headed off via Regents Park to Parliament Square, taking in the sites of Big Ben, which always impresses me. We headed over Lambeth Bridge and bought tickets to the London Dungeon. This has changed since we last visited it. It is now a tour lasting 11/4 hrs. As a group you 'walk' through the streets of London during the reign of King Henry VIII on your way to the Tower of London to be beheaded. At some point in the tour you are seeing what it was like during the Plague, with smells, and noises of flies buzzing overhead. It goes on to describe the events associated with Jack and Ripper (all actors playing to their theme very well). It was quite well done and finished with you sitting in the dark in a chair that dropped several feet as if you were on the end of the hangman's noose at Newgate Prison.
We returned to the apartment to pick up our luggage and caught a cab to St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. It is attached to the St Pancras train station, and is an absolutely beautiful building. We are staying here with Lisa and Kev. Reb decided to make use of our bath (she said she hadn't had one since she left NZ 8 months ago) before she left us, and we joined Lisa and Kev in a pub around the corner to watch the Men's Wimbeldon final between Federer and Djokovic. While neither of us are great tennis enthusiatists we both thoroughly enjoyed the game, probably because it was so close. Unfortunately our support for Federer didn't assist him to win! We finished the day with a lovely Sunday pub roast dinner.
We returned to the apartment to pick up our luggage and caught a cab to St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. It is attached to the St Pancras train station, and is an absolutely beautiful building. We are staying here with Lisa and Kev. Reb decided to make use of our bath (she said she hadn't had one since she left NZ 8 months ago) before she left us, and we joined Lisa and Kev in a pub around the corner to watch the Men's Wimbeldon final between Federer and Djokovic. While neither of us are great tennis enthusiatists we both thoroughly enjoyed the game, probably because it was so close. Unfortunately our support for Federer didn't assist him to win! We finished the day with a lovely Sunday pub roast dinner.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Notting Hill to Borough Market
Today was our day to catch up with Alyce, an old school friend of Rebs. Alyce used to live down the road from us when the girls were at St Oran's together. We walked from Piccadilly Rd, through Hyde Park and on to Notting Hill. We were half an hour late for our brunch date as we took some 'detours' in finding the right street. It was well over an hour of walking so we had worked up a bit of an appetite not having eaten since high tea yesterday.
The choice of venue was excellent and is owned/ run by an Australian. It was humming, and obviously is doing well for itself. It is one of those places where you can't book a table and there is a queue out the door, so you know that the food is going to be good. It was great catching up with Alyce and we handed over the order of Tim Tams, chocolate mint biscuits, and Whittaker's chocolate that I had been carrying since we left New Zealand. That should reduce the load in my bag by a couple of kilos on the trip home!
After saying goodbye to Alyce the three of us hit the tube station and headed to Tower Bridge. Right outside the tube station is Borough Market. This is one of the oldest and well known food markets in London. I found out later that there has been some form of market on this site since 757! It is absolutely devine. If I lived in London I would be doing my Saturday fruit/veg/meat shopping here. Have a look on-line at the Borough Market images and see the fabulous photos they have.
While we were out and about Trish and Lisa were off to watch the women's final at Wimbledon. Unfortunately the final only lasted 55 minutes as it was one sided but they enjoyed the champagne, strawberries, and the whole experience. They stayed to watch some of the men's double final which apparently a much better spectacle to watch. We caught up with them later at the hotel Lisa and Kev were staying at on Park Lane, and then headed off for a pub meal for dinner.
The choice of venue was excellent and is owned/ run by an Australian. It was humming, and obviously is doing well for itself. It is one of those places where you can't book a table and there is a queue out the door, so you know that the food is going to be good. It was great catching up with Alyce and we handed over the order of Tim Tams, chocolate mint biscuits, and Whittaker's chocolate that I had been carrying since we left New Zealand. That should reduce the load in my bag by a couple of kilos on the trip home!
After saying goodbye to Alyce the three of us hit the tube station and headed to Tower Bridge. Right outside the tube station is Borough Market. This is one of the oldest and well known food markets in London. I found out later that there has been some form of market on this site since 757! It is absolutely devine. If I lived in London I would be doing my Saturday fruit/veg/meat shopping here. Have a look on-line at the Borough Market images and see the fabulous photos they have.
While we were out and about Trish and Lisa were off to watch the women's final at Wimbledon. Unfortunately the final only lasted 55 minutes as it was one sided but they enjoyed the champagne, strawberries, and the whole experience. They stayed to watch some of the men's double final which apparently a much better spectacle to watch. We caught up with them later at the hotel Lisa and Kev were staying at on Park Lane, and then headed off for a pub meal for dinner.
A little bit posh
Reb, having bunked down on our couch last night, left us to do some 'life admin' as she calls it so we did some wandering around the streets nearby. This included Piccadilly Rd, Regent St, Oxford St, and Saville Row to name a few. We were back to our apartment in time to share Trish's 'picnic hamper' from Harrods. The intention was to have a picnic in Hyde Park, then it changed to Green Park because that is closer, then the final decision was to have a picnic in Trish and Grant's room. Afterall, we needed plates, coffee plunger and cups, and it was all too easy to stay put. The food was beautifully displayed on the dining room table before we demolished it with a grand finale of deciding which of the three deserts was the winner on the day (the citron marshmallow won with 3 out of 4 votes).
The afternoon was spent once again wandering around the shops. It was very busy, and quite chaotic in some of the shops because everyone seems to have sales on at the moment. Later in the afternoon Reb joined us and we walked to Claridges for high tea. It started off fighting through a bunch of photographers who were busy snapping away at some well known people walking out of Claridges into waiting taxi's. Michael and a photographer nearly tripped up over each other. The celebrities were none other than Kelly Osbourne, and her mother Sharon. Reb thought that was pretty cool.
High tea at Claridges was excellent. There were approximately 30 different teas to choose from, and you could change your type at any point. The women serving us was well informed about the ins and outs of tea, and how it should be drunk. There is more to tea than what you think. Along with your first pot of tea (or coffee if you are Michael) we were served with a tray of sandwiches. There was, of course the traditional cucumber, but also ham, egg and rocket, chicken on walnut bread, and a few others (three of each so we could try all of them). I don't know what they do to these sandwiches but there was something special about them, they were sensational. This was followed up by choosing a different tea selection, and being provided with a tray of about 5 different pastries (again three of each). Needless to say there was far too much food, although Reb did her best to try most of them. I forgot to mention that there was also two sorts of scones, with jam and clotted cream as well.
We were offered a 'doggy bag' which we took up their offer and what we didn't manage to eat was beautifully packaged up and put into a bag to carry out. The whole experience took about 1 1/2 hours although you could take as long as you liked. We farewelled Reb again as it was Friday night and she had friends to catch up with. None of us are dinner later that evening.....
We arrived back at our apartment at about 7.30PM in time to catch up with Trish and Grant, and Lisa and Kev, who had just flown in from Italy. They helped with emptying some of what was left in the doggy bag. By 8PM we wandered up the road about 50metres and popped into the Ritz for a drink. I had thought that Claridges was pretty swanky, but the Ritz is something extra special. We had one drink here (hellish price) before heading off for the others to have a pub meal. We were unsuccessful in finding a pub that they others could eat at, so we ended up in a resturant which was two floors below street level.
With having eaten food from Harrods, high tea at Claridges, and a cocktail at the Ritz today it was a bit of a posh day!
The afternoon was spent once again wandering around the shops. It was very busy, and quite chaotic in some of the shops because everyone seems to have sales on at the moment. Later in the afternoon Reb joined us and we walked to Claridges for high tea. It started off fighting through a bunch of photographers who were busy snapping away at some well known people walking out of Claridges into waiting taxi's. Michael and a photographer nearly tripped up over each other. The celebrities were none other than Kelly Osbourne, and her mother Sharon. Reb thought that was pretty cool.
High tea at Claridges was excellent. There were approximately 30 different teas to choose from, and you could change your type at any point. The women serving us was well informed about the ins and outs of tea, and how it should be drunk. There is more to tea than what you think. Along with your first pot of tea (or coffee if you are Michael) we were served with a tray of sandwiches. There was, of course the traditional cucumber, but also ham, egg and rocket, chicken on walnut bread, and a few others (three of each so we could try all of them). I don't know what they do to these sandwiches but there was something special about them, they were sensational. This was followed up by choosing a different tea selection, and being provided with a tray of about 5 different pastries (again three of each). Needless to say there was far too much food, although Reb did her best to try most of them. I forgot to mention that there was also two sorts of scones, with jam and clotted cream as well.
We were offered a 'doggy bag' which we took up their offer and what we didn't manage to eat was beautifully packaged up and put into a bag to carry out. The whole experience took about 1 1/2 hours although you could take as long as you liked. We farewelled Reb again as it was Friday night and she had friends to catch up with. None of us are dinner later that evening.....
We arrived back at our apartment at about 7.30PM in time to catch up with Trish and Grant, and Lisa and Kev, who had just flown in from Italy. They helped with emptying some of what was left in the doggy bag. By 8PM we wandered up the road about 50metres and popped into the Ritz for a drink. I had thought that Claridges was pretty swanky, but the Ritz is something extra special. We had one drink here (hellish price) before heading off for the others to have a pub meal. We were unsuccessful in finding a pub that they others could eat at, so we ended up in a resturant which was two floors below street level.
With having eaten food from Harrods, high tea at Claridges, and a cocktail at the Ritz today it was a bit of a posh day!
Friday, 4 July 2014
Summer has arrived with vengeance in London
We started our day with meeting Reb at Victoria Station and we headed off in the underground to her stomping ground in Clapham. With excellent coffee in hand (not always easy to get, but Reb knows the places to go) we headed across the road to sit in Clapham Common and enjoy the sunshine. The Common is apparently a favoured place for Kiwis living in this part of London. From there we walked through Clapham, stopping to see the flat Reb is moving into in a couple of weeks, then on to Brixton. The day was incredibly hot for walking, I found out later it was 28 degrees. In Brixton Michael had to buy himself a hat as he had left his behind, and that bald spot was burning......
After a drink in the Brixton market we caught the tube again and headed for Southbank. Here we caught up with Trish and Grant prior to our afternoon entertainment of attending Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Following lunch we headed next door to watch a performance of Julius Caesar. We thought we were doing well with having purchased seats, as opposed to standing, however with their view to full authenticity the seating was just like long stools with no backing to them. After an hour it became back breaking and we were thinking that the people standing might have got it right. At intermission, which was about 1 1/2 hours after the start, we decided we had consumed enough culture for one day and called it quits. Reb was struggling with the theatre right from the word go. They did do a very good slaying of Julius Caesar.
On the way back to our apartment we stopped into Harrods, always a busy place, but exceptionally so when they have a sale on. We restricted ourselves to the food court area, and although it is exquisitely presented there is too much choice, you couldn't stay in there too long.
In the evening we walked to Piccadilly Circus, which isn't too far away, for dinner at Jamie Oliver's new Italian Restaurant. It had a lovely feel to the place, and too many choices for Trish to choose from. An enjoyable evening. Lisa and Kev arrive in London tomorrow having spent two more days in Italy than the rest of us.
After a drink in the Brixton market we caught the tube again and headed for Southbank. Here we caught up with Trish and Grant prior to our afternoon entertainment of attending Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Following lunch we headed next door to watch a performance of Julius Caesar. We thought we were doing well with having purchased seats, as opposed to standing, however with their view to full authenticity the seating was just like long stools with no backing to them. After an hour it became back breaking and we were thinking that the people standing might have got it right. At intermission, which was about 1 1/2 hours after the start, we decided we had consumed enough culture for one day and called it quits. Reb was struggling with the theatre right from the word go. They did do a very good slaying of Julius Caesar.
On the way back to our apartment we stopped into Harrods, always a busy place, but exceptionally so when they have a sale on. We restricted ourselves to the food court area, and although it is exquisitely presented there is too much choice, you couldn't stay in there too long.
In the evening we walked to Piccadilly Circus, which isn't too far away, for dinner at Jamie Oliver's new Italian Restaurant. It had a lovely feel to the place, and too many choices for Trish to choose from. An enjoyable evening. Lisa and Kev arrive in London tomorrow having spent two more days in Italy than the rest of us.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre is an area of five villages perched on the coast. In days gone by you could walk from one village to another, but several of the walking paths have been stormed damaged and not repaired. There is only the ability to walk between Monterosso where we are staying and the nearest village. We caught the train to the furtherest village, and worked our way back towards Monterosso. We did a bit of exploring, ate gelato's, a bit of window shopping, etc in the villages, then would jump on the train and head down to the next village. Once we got to the fourth village, Trish and Grant walked the track back to our village, while the rest of us caught a water taxi. The sea had a decent swell which made it difficult to get photos without bouncing all over the place. There was only us in the water taxi and Lisa yahooed nearly all the way, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Once we reached our village we had a final look in the old town of Monterosso, and met up with Trish and Grant in one of the bars. We talked about future travel plans which is always a good topic when you are drinking on holiday with friends......
As good as the Cinque Terre villages are to visit my favourite areas in this region are Santa Margherita and Portafino.
We have now left Italy and have landed in London. I love this city. We are nicely situated in W1 in very spacious apartments which are almost next door to the Ritz which is on Piccadilly Rd. After a quick trip to Sainsbury to buy some supplies, we found an English pub nearby which supplied us with a quite acceptable meal. We had Sam Woodward and her partner Paddy, who arrived here to live last week, to entertain us about their three month trip through Asia. Reb has now ditched the 'old folks' now that she is back 'home' in London but we are catching up for a full day tomorrow.
Once we reached our village we had a final look in the old town of Monterosso, and met up with Trish and Grant in one of the bars. We talked about future travel plans which is always a good topic when you are drinking on holiday with friends......
As good as the Cinque Terre villages are to visit my favourite areas in this region are Santa Margherita and Portafino.
We have now left Italy and have landed in London. I love this city. We are nicely situated in W1 in very spacious apartments which are almost next door to the Ritz which is on Piccadilly Rd. After a quick trip to Sainsbury to buy some supplies, we found an English pub nearby which supplied us with a quite acceptable meal. We had Sam Woodward and her partner Paddy, who arrived here to live last week, to entertain us about their three month trip through Asia. Reb has now ditched the 'old folks' now that she is back 'home' in London but we are catching up for a full day tomorrow.
Monday, 30 June 2014
Portafino
Today we caught a train from Monterosso to Santa Marghereta which is about 40 minutes away. What a beautiful place it is with a georgeous harbour, stunning views, and hanging baskets in flower. Very picturesque. From there we caught a boat to Portafino, the place of the rich and famous (and tourists). The shopping is high end, as are the prices to eat there. It would have to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is absolutely stunning. We climbed up the hill to the castle and got some fantastic photos, then settled on a resturant on the waterfront where we managed to spend a couple of hours and several hundreds of euros on lunch (between the 7 of us). Lisa started off with an order for each of us for a lemoncino which is a liqueur which originated in Portafino. It is very strong, and because Lisa, Kev, and I were the only ones to drink it we ended up drinking everyone else's! It wasn't conducive to staying sober for me, although Lisa and Kev weren't affected to the same extent. With the hot sunny weather a girl really needed an afternoon siesta after that, however the salt spray from the boat ride back to Santa Marghereta did the trick. We were back to Monterosso by 7 PM and some hearty souls (not me) went for a dip in the sea. A good day had by all.
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Day trip to Lucca and then up north
It was a normal start to the day for the Fraser/Browne & McCormack/Burney crew, but an early start for the Simpson/Pyett team. We planned for breakfast at 8am and on the road by 9. While this is not an issue for the majority of us, Lisa takes the fact that she is on holiday to a different meaning. Nevertheless the Simpson/Pyetts were ready and waiting not too far off the mark. We had to start with a photo session of us with our Fiats, which of course included the six adults (Reb doesn't consider herself an adult when she is with us, even though she is nearly 26!) squashing into one car. Very juvenile, but nevertheless funny at the time.
We visited Lucca which is about an hour away and hired bikes for an hour to go around the town wall It was all very leisurely but still only managed to take us half an hour. We then knew where to access the market so wandered along. It was stinking hot but we managed to part with some euros by buying essentials like socks and other bits and pieces required when you don't have daily access to a washing machine. Lunch was some very nice pasta dishes and obligatory water, or was that wine?
Back at the resort our plans for lounging by the pool were thwarted by a private function being held poolside. Therefore, it was lounging on the terrace drinking mojitos and piña coladas with Lisa, Trish and Michael. The late afternoon nicely rolled into the evening and we managed to see the penalty shoot out between Brazil and Chile in the World Cup.
Sunday
Today we said good bye to the Renaissance Tuscany Resort and headed north. The last four nights have flown past in a blur. Michael, Reb and I headed to Pisa on our way to the Cinque Terre village of Monterosso. Reb was keen to see Pisa which was understandable seeing this is her first visit to Italy. We took the obligatory photos, had a drink, and continued north. By the time we arrived at Monterosso the others had already arrived and ready to go exploring. This village is the one of five villages that were originally fishing villages but now provides a walking track (or via train) for tourists to get from one village to another. The villages are all very picturesque and should provide some fantastic photos (well that's what I am hoping anyhow).This afternoon was about exploring Monterosso, and minimising the time spent getting wet. It is hoped that this cooler spell will pass today leaving the next two days perfect for further exploring.
Friday, 27 June 2014
Renaissance Tuscany - first two days
Okay, the first day at the resort stayed out admiring the spectacular view from the breakfast balcony across the valley. It is fantastic. The day started out not as warm as we would have hoped and deteriorated in fits and starts throughout the day. By the time we had consumed a very late and leisurely breakfast and mucked about admiring parts of he resort half the day had gone. In the afternoon we piled into two of the three cars (they are all small, as is necessary in this part of the world) and drove to the nearest golf course to see what we thought. It doesn't appear that there is the ability to hire clubs so that is out. We then headed on to the nearest village called Braga. It is not a tourist destination of any significance and we had trouble finding a suitable place for lunch that didn't have a photographic menu (these have been ruled out as potential places to eat as they end up as duds. If you have to show photos of the food then it is no good). To cut a long story short we went back to be resort and settled in for several hours commencing with lunch at 4PM, with accompanying coffee or alcoholic beveridges. This continued with afternoon drinks, and then was followed up with dinner......
Today
Rebecca wanted to see Florence while she is in Tuscany so the three of us, with Kev in tow, piled into our little Fiat 500 i.e. Bambino and drove a couple of hours south into Florence. It was a scorcher as we wandered around the tourist traps admiring the buildings and statutes. We didn't venture into any of the museums, it was enough to walk around to get a good feel for the place. We walked up to the lookout over the city and was able to appreciate the fantastic view. Michael and I had good memories of the view from when we stayed in a nearby motor camp which overlooked the city back in 1987. I managed to buy a new leather jacket so it was a productive day. Michael is a bit of a whiz driving around in the baby Fiat. It surprisingly manages 120kms no problems (on the flat) but is pathetic on the hill where you need to drop into first gear at times!
We are eating in the nicer resturant at the resort for dinner tonight and Lisa has ordained that we put on our dresses for the occasion.
Today
Rebecca wanted to see Florence while she is in Tuscany so the three of us, with Kev in tow, piled into our little Fiat 500 i.e. Bambino and drove a couple of hours south into Florence. It was a scorcher as we wandered around the tourist traps admiring the buildings and statutes. We didn't venture into any of the museums, it was enough to walk around to get a good feel for the place. We walked up to the lookout over the city and was able to appreciate the fantastic view. Michael and I had good memories of the view from when we stayed in a nearby motor camp which overlooked the city back in 1987. I managed to buy a new leather jacket so it was a productive day. Michael is a bit of a whiz driving around in the baby Fiat. It surprisingly manages 120kms no problems (on the flat) but is pathetic on the hill where you need to drop into first gear at times!
We are eating in the nicer resturant at the resort for dinner tonight and Lisa has ordained that we put on our dresses for the occasion.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Sometimes you have to take the bad days in your stride when you travel
Well it's been a pain in the rear end the last two days, however it finished with meeting up with Rebecca in Florence, and Lisa & Kev at the resort we are all staying at in Tuscany. On Tuesday our flight to Genoa was cancelled due to a strike by workers over French airspace. That was ok because we stayed in an AC Marriott hotel near the airport which was a lovely hotel, and we managed a stroll along the beach the following morning. The sand had already been manicured for the day and was incredibly soft and you just sank into it. We were back at the airport at about 1100hrs to stand in a queue for an hour to put our bags through. We were due to fly to Florence now at 1PM, however this was delayed by several hours. Boring! We finally boarded at 3.30PM only to sit on the tarmac until 6PM. Boring, and the 4 of us were scattered randomly around the plane. It was one of those occasions when half the plane claps when we finally lifted off.
So we finally get to Florence, now needing to get to the car rental before it closes. There was one taxi at a time servicing two flights that had come in so we ditched that idea and caught the airport shuttle. Fortunately the bus was going to the train station which is where we needed to pick Reb up from. Unfortunately it was 8.30 by now and the car rental place which was nearby was closed.......
so we had to take two taxis (because now there are 5 of us with luggage) back to the airport to another car rental place that was still open. Instead of a 7 seater as we had originally planned we ended up with 2 Fiat Bambinos (how very Italian!) and we zoomed off into the darkness for an hour until we finally arrived at our destination at midnight. By this stage we hadn't eaten since breakfast and were feeling a tad hungry. Thankfully we were able to access food until 1AM so there we were drinking wine/beer, eating pizza for dinner and chatting away waiting for Lisa and Kev to arrive. We had decided that they were probably lost, having driven several hours from Rome. They finally arrived at 1.30 AM and we finally decided at 2.30AM that it was time to go to bed. It all ended fine. The resort is spectacular.
So we finally get to Florence, now needing to get to the car rental before it closes. There was one taxi at a time servicing two flights that had come in so we ditched that idea and caught the airport shuttle. Fortunately the bus was going to the train station which is where we needed to pick Reb up from. Unfortunately it was 8.30 by now and the car rental place which was nearby was closed.......
so we had to take two taxis (because now there are 5 of us with luggage) back to the airport to another car rental place that was still open. Instead of a 7 seater as we had originally planned we ended up with 2 Fiat Bambinos (how very Italian!) and we zoomed off into the darkness for an hour until we finally arrived at our destination at midnight. By this stage we hadn't eaten since breakfast and were feeling a tad hungry. Thankfully we were able to access food until 1AM so there we were drinking wine/beer, eating pizza for dinner and chatting away waiting for Lisa and Kev to arrive. We had decided that they were probably lost, having driven several hours from Rome. They finally arrived at 1.30 AM and we finally decided at 2.30AM that it was time to go to bed. It all ended fine. The resort is spectacular.
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
Day trip to Montserrat
Monday
Today was a day for exploring beyond the boundaries of Barcelona. We jumped on the metro, transferred lines, and headed west for an hour. Once off the train we caught a gondola up a steep hillside to Montserrat. Grant did very well with eyes focused on the horizon, and no doubt toes clenched to the floor and hands gripping tightly. It would have been a very long 5 minute journey!
There has been some significance to the Virgin Mary here since 880 AD and is now home to about 100 Benedictine monks, although we didn't see any sign of them. We visited the museum which has amongst it some very good pieces of art, including some from Picasso, and Dali. There is also a beautiful basilica (of course) which had thousands of people in it watching a very public wedding take place. Montserrat is apparently also famous for its boys choir who sing daily in the basilica, record their music, and travel internationally.
There was an opportunity to travel higher up the hill, which is incredibly steep, however we opted not to in respect of Grants fear of heights. Our tickets included lunch at the restaurant, which was probably slightly better than expected for mass production of food.
On the way back we stopped to see the bullfighting arena that Michael remembered from when we were last here in 1987. However today only the facade remains and inside the former arena a shopping mall exists. Grant, who loves gadgets, bought himself a travelling iron. We thought we would let him practice on our creased up clothes when we get to Italy. Along our travels back to 'La Rambla' we also come across the Univeristy of Barcelona. What a beautiful building. If I studied there I would never want to leave.
Tuesday
Unbeknown to us until two days ago, today is a public holiday. This means that our plans to visit the Picasso Muesum have been thwarted. Only a fraction of the shops are open, but there are enough bars and restaurants open to keep the tourists happy. After a late breakfast, domesticity in the way of doing the laundry, we spent a couple of hours wandering around the waterfront and ordering bad tapas. We are catching a plane this evening to Genoa, so we say adios to cervcerios (beer), sangria, and tapas. During our time in Spain the football team has been eliminated after defeat in their first two games in the World Cup, and there has been the inauguration of the new Spanish King.
Post script - we didn't make it to Genoa. The flight was cancelled, probably because all flights over France airspace are not happening due to a strike in France. Presumably this has impacted in the ability for planes to get into other airports. We are slumming it in a quite nice Marriott hotel near the airport, drinking outside near the pool. It could be a lot worse...... We have flights to Florence booked for tomorrow which works well because we are meeting Rebecca at the train station tomorrow night.
Today was a day for exploring beyond the boundaries of Barcelona. We jumped on the metro, transferred lines, and headed west for an hour. Once off the train we caught a gondola up a steep hillside to Montserrat. Grant did very well with eyes focused on the horizon, and no doubt toes clenched to the floor and hands gripping tightly. It would have been a very long 5 minute journey!
There has been some significance to the Virgin Mary here since 880 AD and is now home to about 100 Benedictine monks, although we didn't see any sign of them. We visited the museum which has amongst it some very good pieces of art, including some from Picasso, and Dali. There is also a beautiful basilica (of course) which had thousands of people in it watching a very public wedding take place. Montserrat is apparently also famous for its boys choir who sing daily in the basilica, record their music, and travel internationally.
There was an opportunity to travel higher up the hill, which is incredibly steep, however we opted not to in respect of Grants fear of heights. Our tickets included lunch at the restaurant, which was probably slightly better than expected for mass production of food.
On the way back we stopped to see the bullfighting arena that Michael remembered from when we were last here in 1987. However today only the facade remains and inside the former arena a shopping mall exists. Grant, who loves gadgets, bought himself a travelling iron. We thought we would let him practice on our creased up clothes when we get to Italy. Along our travels back to 'La Rambla' we also come across the Univeristy of Barcelona. What a beautiful building. If I studied there I would never want to leave.
Tuesday
Unbeknown to us until two days ago, today is a public holiday. This means that our plans to visit the Picasso Muesum have been thwarted. Only a fraction of the shops are open, but there are enough bars and restaurants open to keep the tourists happy. After a late breakfast, domesticity in the way of doing the laundry, we spent a couple of hours wandering around the waterfront and ordering bad tapas. We are catching a plane this evening to Genoa, so we say adios to cervcerios (beer), sangria, and tapas. During our time in Spain the football team has been eliminated after defeat in their first two games in the World Cup, and there has been the inauguration of the new Spanish King.
Post script - we didn't make it to Genoa. The flight was cancelled, probably because all flights over France airspace are not happening due to a strike in France. Presumably this has impacted in the ability for planes to get into other airports. We are slumming it in a quite nice Marriott hotel near the airport, drinking outside near the pool. It could be a lot worse...... We have flights to Florence booked for tomorrow which works well because we are meeting Rebecca at the train station tomorrow night.
Sunday, 22 June 2014
Day 2 Barcelona
As it it Sunday, Trish dug into her old roots of Catholicism and made a brisk pace to church this morning. The church is a famous landmark of Barcelona known as Sagrada Familia. This church was designed by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect, and it become his life long work. It was built to draw people back to the church following a period of rapid industrialisation whereby the people had increasingly become decadent and living against the values espoused by the church. Building commenced in 1883 and still continues today. It had a period during the Franco years where no work was done to assist towards the it's completion.The aim now is to have it completed by 2026, which will mark 100 years since the death of Gaudi.
Inside it is absolutely beautiful. The stained glass windows are outstanding, as are the pillars and vaulted ceiling. The combination of contemporary and ninetieth century architecture works well. We could see a Sunday mass taking place down stairs but Grant, Michael, and I didn't have our Catholic passes to get in there!
On the way back we came across a rally for Catalan independence. I guess there will be more of these as this area of Spain heads towards their referendum for independence.
Inside it is absolutely beautiful. The stained glass windows are outstanding, as are the pillars and vaulted ceiling. The combination of contemporary and ninetieth century architecture works well. We could see a Sunday mass taking place down stairs but Grant, Michael, and I didn't have our Catholic passes to get in there!
On the way back we came across a rally for Catalan independence. I guess there will be more of these as this area of Spain heads towards their referendum for independence.
Barcelona - a city of 5 million people and 5 Kms of beach
Our first full day in Barcelona was started with something we have done before - a bike tour of the city. However this time we took all of 5 minutes to arrive at the bike shop. We seem to be close to everything here on the 'La Ramblas', or the main pedestrian shopping area in Barcelona. The shopping area around us is fantastic, with everything from a multilevel Nike shop across the road to the most amazing market place down the road. We even have a laundromat around the corner.
The bike tour was good in that it gave us a perspective to the city, however it wouldn't rate it as good as the two previous bike tours in Madrid and Valencia. It made Michael and I realised what a good area we staying in for location and proximity to what we want to see. The beach area has only been cleaned up and become a mecca for locals and tourists alike since the city won the rights to hold the Olypmics in 1992.
Our tour guide provided some interesting information, for example that Catalonia (which includes Barcelona) lost its separate identity 300 years ago in 1814, hence there is going to be a referendum in November this year to see how many of the 7 million Catalonians vote for independence from Spain. They have their own language and customs which remain of upmost importance to them. Yesterday in Girona, and here in Barcelona, we noticed the Catalonia flags hinging from balconies.
Earlier this morning we had booked some tickets to a concert for this evening. Having previously had a successfully cultural / musical appreciation shift in Prague back in 2010, we had the opportunity to attend a concert by four well-known and respected classical Spanish guitarists. The concert started at 9PM in the most beautiful building that was acoustically perfect. The concert turned out to be much better than any of us envisaged. The four guitarists were incredibly skilled and their performance was full of humour which had the audience laughing and clapping throughout. It was truely amazing. We left feeling it was well worth the money. Embracing more of the Spanish culture we dined after the concert at 11PM. A good first day.
The bike tour was good in that it gave us a perspective to the city, however it wouldn't rate it as good as the two previous bike tours in Madrid and Valencia. It made Michael and I realised what a good area we staying in for location and proximity to what we want to see. The beach area has only been cleaned up and become a mecca for locals and tourists alike since the city won the rights to hold the Olypmics in 1992.
Our tour guide provided some interesting information, for example that Catalonia (which includes Barcelona) lost its separate identity 300 years ago in 1814, hence there is going to be a referendum in November this year to see how many of the 7 million Catalonians vote for independence from Spain. They have their own language and customs which remain of upmost importance to them. Yesterday in Girona, and here in Barcelona, we noticed the Catalonia flags hinging from balconies.
Earlier this morning we had booked some tickets to a concert for this evening. Having previously had a successfully cultural / musical appreciation shift in Prague back in 2010, we had the opportunity to attend a concert by four well-known and respected classical Spanish guitarists. The concert started at 9PM in the most beautiful building that was acoustically perfect. The concert turned out to be much better than any of us envisaged. The four guitarists were incredibly skilled and their performance was full of humour which had the audience laughing and clapping throughout. It was truely amazing. We left feeling it was well worth the money. Embracing more of the Spanish culture we dined after the concert at 11PM. A good first day.
Friday, 20 June 2014
Pals to Barcelona
What can you say about yesterday - it was more of the same as you would expect staying in a coastal resort. It was hot, sunny, we played 9 holes of golf in the morning, lay on the beach for a while, had an afternoon cocktail by the pool and then Michael and Trish went out for a second 9 holes at 5pm while I read my book. The four of us meet up again when the golfers returned for another drink by he pool before heading to the resturant for dinner.
This morning we were up for another early breakfast and over to the golf course for another 8am tee off. This time I didn't play as I am nursing an injury. Under the tutelage of Michael trying to help me with my swing yesterday I damaged one of my intercostal cartilages therefore making any swinging today rather painful. I made a very efficient score keeper though.
Following golf we packed and left the resort. It has been a lovely three days here but it is time to move on. We headed east towards Girona which is the closest city to Pals. Here we had a wander around the old part of the city. It obviously still has some strong connection to its Roman past and there was evidence that they stil hold festivals / street parades in remembrance to their historical roots. There is part of the old Roman fortification surrounding the former city which you can walk along but it isn't anything like that of Dubrovnik. It was a mild 36 degrees and we were sweltering until we could find a suitablely shaded place to have a late lunch.
From Girona we headed about an hour south to Barcelona where we will be residing for the next 4 days. We have ditched the rental car and are back to beating the feet.
This morning we were up for another early breakfast and over to the golf course for another 8am tee off. This time I didn't play as I am nursing an injury. Under the tutelage of Michael trying to help me with my swing yesterday I damaged one of my intercostal cartilages therefore making any swinging today rather painful. I made a very efficient score keeper though.
Following golf we packed and left the resort. It has been a lovely three days here but it is time to move on. We headed east towards Girona which is the closest city to Pals. Here we had a wander around the old part of the city. It obviously still has some strong connection to its Roman past and there was evidence that they stil hold festivals / street parades in remembrance to their historical roots. There is part of the old Roman fortification surrounding the former city which you can walk along but it isn't anything like that of Dubrovnik. It was a mild 36 degrees and we were sweltering until we could find a suitablely shaded place to have a late lunch.
From Girona we headed about an hour south to Barcelona where we will be residing for the next 4 days. We have ditched the rental car and are back to beating the feet.
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Tossa Del Mar to Pals
Tuesday
We left our beautiful accommodation and headed for the township of Tarragona. Although the area was better than what we had encountered the day previously, it is not a great tourist attraction. The only item it can boast is a ruinous Roman amphitheater.
We popped into our trusty VW, this time with Grant behind the wheel and Michael navigating (never a couples things because that causes marital disharmony) and headed north for a couple of hours. On our way to La Costa Golf & Beach Resort we deviated to a coastal town of Tossa del Mar. It is situated 100ks north of Barcelona and 100ks south of the French border. We spent a lovely couple of hours wandering through the cobblestoned narrow streets, eating lovely pizza, and walking up to an old fortification on the hilltop. The weather was pleasant, at around 23-25 degrees. The beach was lovely, dotted with boats out in the tranquil water. It wasn't hot enough for me to swim but there were some hearty souls out there, including a couple of extra large older ladies who had numerous people gaping in surprise as they stripped down to their underwear without a care in the world.
From here we continued for an hour north to our final destination. We are now ensconced in a resort setting for three nights. It ticks many boxes with an excellent sized swimming pool, being adjacent to the golf course (with 50% discount to play), and being 50m from the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately around 5pm the clouds burst open and there was some decent thunder as well. The temperature plummeted which wasn't on my agenda!
Wednesday
Today is a lazy day at the resort - a quick visit to the beach only to discount it as too cold for swimming (who said the Mediterranean was warm). We spent a couple of hours by the pool improving our tans (Trish is looking like a bronzed Goddess) before heading off for a half hour golf lesson (Trish and I) followed by the four of us playing a late afternoon 9 holes. We were the last to tee off, finishing in perfect time around 8PM which coincides with when the restaurant at the resort opens.
We left our beautiful accommodation and headed for the township of Tarragona. Although the area was better than what we had encountered the day previously, it is not a great tourist attraction. The only item it can boast is a ruinous Roman amphitheater.
We popped into our trusty VW, this time with Grant behind the wheel and Michael navigating (never a couples things because that causes marital disharmony) and headed north for a couple of hours. On our way to La Costa Golf & Beach Resort we deviated to a coastal town of Tossa del Mar. It is situated 100ks north of Barcelona and 100ks south of the French border. We spent a lovely couple of hours wandering through the cobblestoned narrow streets, eating lovely pizza, and walking up to an old fortification on the hilltop. The weather was pleasant, at around 23-25 degrees. The beach was lovely, dotted with boats out in the tranquil water. It wasn't hot enough for me to swim but there were some hearty souls out there, including a couple of extra large older ladies who had numerous people gaping in surprise as they stripped down to their underwear without a care in the world.
From here we continued for an hour north to our final destination. We are now ensconced in a resort setting for three nights. It ticks many boxes with an excellent sized swimming pool, being adjacent to the golf course (with 50% discount to play), and being 50m from the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately around 5pm the clouds burst open and there was some decent thunder as well. The temperature plummeted which wasn't on my agenda!
Wednesday
Today is a lazy day at the resort - a quick visit to the beach only to discount it as too cold for swimming (who said the Mediterranean was warm). We spent a couple of hours by the pool improving our tans (Trish is looking like a bronzed Goddess) before heading off for a half hour golf lesson (Trish and I) followed by the four of us playing a late afternoon 9 holes. We were the last to tee off, finishing in perfect time around 8PM which coincides with when the restaurant at the resort opens.
Monday, 16 June 2014
Valencia to Tarragona
We left Valencia this morning after a sumptuous hotel breakfast and continued on our adventure. We are heading back up north and had decided to stay in Tarragon which is close to the sea. We headed straight for a golf course we had located nearby and had a very enjoyable nine holes. The weather was perfect - about 24 degrees which meant it wasn't overbearingly hot. Trish and I managed to play our best game yet - it must have been the influence of our husbands!
Following lunch at the club house we headed for our accomodation. It was not as easy as you would think, even with the use of our Tom Tom, and Trish's google maps. It appears that since new roads have been put in there has been difficulty accessing this place. We initially ended up in some dodgy parts of town, and even at an empty lot. Eventually Grant was tasked with ringing up the hotel and we managed to get there on verbal instructions over the phone.
What we eventually got far exceeded what we thought we might be going to end up at. This hotel is nestled into olive trees, and caters for weddings as well as couples. There is an immense garden, a pool, and an olive oil press. The rooms are spacious, and very tastefully decorated. This place is a little gem in an otherwise ugly city (from what we have seen so far when we were lost!). By the time we settled into our salubrious accommodation we spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out and enjoying our surroundings.
Following lunch at the club house we headed for our accomodation. It was not as easy as you would think, even with the use of our Tom Tom, and Trish's google maps. It appears that since new roads have been put in there has been difficulty accessing this place. We initially ended up in some dodgy parts of town, and even at an empty lot. Eventually Grant was tasked with ringing up the hotel and we managed to get there on verbal instructions over the phone.
What we eventually got far exceeded what we thought we might be going to end up at. This hotel is nestled into olive trees, and caters for weddings as well as couples. There is an immense garden, a pool, and an olive oil press. The rooms are spacious, and very tastefully decorated. This place is a little gem in an otherwise ugly city (from what we have seen so far when we were lost!). By the time we settled into our salubrious accommodation we spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out and enjoying our surroundings.
Valencia
Our second day in Valencia consisted of another bike tour because had enjoyed our experience in Madrid so much. This was a bit more down scale, with only one tour guide, no bottled water, and no helmets offered. Nevertheless it still remains the best way to see a new city. So much more is covered in the three hours than you could ever see by walking.
Most of the bike ride involved riding in a former river bed. Unfortunately it used to be prone to flooding, although this area of Spain has more a tendency towards drought. In 1956 a multitude of people were swept away into the sea so it was decided to redirect the river. Within the original river there is now 10kms of established gardens, an athletic track, rugby field, softball pitch, science museum, opera house, and even an area especially designed for dogs to swim in.
Seeing it was Sunday there were lots of people out running, cycling, walking their dogs and generally enjoying the sunshine. Our tour guide a bit of a comedian who was naturally called Jose. The area we biked around was lovely, and besides the former river bed, we deviated into the old city. However, the rest of what we saw of Valencia outside of the touristy bike ride, and along the beach yesterday, looks a bit tired and grubby, probably the effects of the economic recession.
In the afternoon we found a lovely restaurant nearby our hotel and settled in for late lunch which ended up combining to become early dinner as well. The only hassle was that we countered numerous beggars as we were siting outside.
Most of the bike ride involved riding in a former river bed. Unfortunately it used to be prone to flooding, although this area of Spain has more a tendency towards drought. In 1956 a multitude of people were swept away into the sea so it was decided to redirect the river. Within the original river there is now 10kms of established gardens, an athletic track, rugby field, softball pitch, science museum, opera house, and even an area especially designed for dogs to swim in.
Seeing it was Sunday there were lots of people out running, cycling, walking their dogs and generally enjoying the sunshine. Our tour guide a bit of a comedian who was naturally called Jose. The area we biked around was lovely, and besides the former river bed, we deviated into the old city. However, the rest of what we saw of Valencia outside of the touristy bike ride, and along the beach yesterday, looks a bit tired and grubby, probably the effects of the economic recession.
In the afternoon we found a lovely restaurant nearby our hotel and settled in for late lunch which ended up combining to become early dinner as well. The only hassle was that we countered numerous beggars as we were siting outside.
Saturday, 14 June 2014
Weekend in Valencia - the home of the Valencia orange
We have left Madrid in our own four wheels with Michael once again being our trusty driver on foreign roads. The road between Madrid and Valencia is pretty non-descript but does have some quite picturesque areas of olive trees and other horticulture. Trish managed to get a live stream of the All Black game on her phone, so we managed to hear most of the second half. It was a bit close!
Our first stop in Valencia was a fruit and vege market which is reportedly one of the biggest ? oldest in the world. To be honest we thought the outside one in Paris was better. We were starving by this time and unfortunately didn't take the time to find somewhere nice to eat, consequently our lunch was a disappointment but filled a gap. We headed to our hotel down a number of one way streets to find that our rental car was too big for their car park because they use a lift to put the car onto and the car then somehow gets deposited into the car park. The service behind the counter was rubbish. As the guys were parking down the road Trish and I were getting a trolley and lugging our bages on to it ourselves (they only fell off once) - and this is supposedly a four star hotel called Vincci Palace. Just as well we can manage that but there would be lots of women that would have difficulty.
Anyway we headed off to the area where the America's Cup was held. What a magnificent venue for sailing. Some of the buildings still have the names of the syndicate, for example, Alinghi, Prada, and of course Team New Zealand. Before we hit the beach we waited to watch the largest outdoor spin class imaginable. We estimated there were 1000 bikes set up and when the 3 instructors started up, the place was pumping.
The beach along here goes for miles and is about 200m wide from the promenade to the waters edge. What is interesting is that there are wooden walkways on to the beach and everyone walks up and down these and no one is on vast areas of the beach except for a narrow strip running parrell with the water. It makes it easy of getting wheelchairs down to the water as well. I think they must do this because the sand gets so hot. It peaked at 34 degrees and there were plenty of lobster looking bodies that are going to be sore. Topless sunbathing wasn't anything out of the norm either.
We walked along the edge of the water amongst the hundreds/ thousands of people and then found a different walkway up to the promenade. Once there we headed back the way we had come and found ourselves a nice restaurant which made up for our dismal lunch.
Valencia doesn't seem quite the clean, beautiful city that we experienced in Madrid, although it is the third largest in Spain. We will have a better idea tomorrow when we get to bike around the city.
Our first stop in Valencia was a fruit and vege market which is reportedly one of the biggest ? oldest in the world. To be honest we thought the outside one in Paris was better. We were starving by this time and unfortunately didn't take the time to find somewhere nice to eat, consequently our lunch was a disappointment but filled a gap. We headed to our hotel down a number of one way streets to find that our rental car was too big for their car park because they use a lift to put the car onto and the car then somehow gets deposited into the car park. The service behind the counter was rubbish. As the guys were parking down the road Trish and I were getting a trolley and lugging our bages on to it ourselves (they only fell off once) - and this is supposedly a four star hotel called Vincci Palace. Just as well we can manage that but there would be lots of women that would have difficulty.
Anyway we headed off to the area where the America's Cup was held. What a magnificent venue for sailing. Some of the buildings still have the names of the syndicate, for example, Alinghi, Prada, and of course Team New Zealand. Before we hit the beach we waited to watch the largest outdoor spin class imaginable. We estimated there were 1000 bikes set up and when the 3 instructors started up, the place was pumping.
The beach along here goes for miles and is about 200m wide from the promenade to the waters edge. What is interesting is that there are wooden walkways on to the beach and everyone walks up and down these and no one is on vast areas of the beach except for a narrow strip running parrell with the water. It makes it easy of getting wheelchairs down to the water as well. I think they must do this because the sand gets so hot. It peaked at 34 degrees and there were plenty of lobster looking bodies that are going to be sore. Topless sunbathing wasn't anything out of the norm either.
We walked along the edge of the water amongst the hundreds/ thousands of people and then found a different walkway up to the promenade. Once there we headed back the way we had come and found ourselves a nice restaurant which made up for our dismal lunch.
Valencia doesn't seem quite the clean, beautiful city that we experienced in Madrid, although it is the third largest in Spain. We will have a better idea tomorrow when we get to bike around the city.
Friday, 13 June 2014
Bike tour in Madrid
Grant had booked us into a bike tour for this mornings entertainment. We first breakfasted in the hotel which was a more traditional breakfast than what we have been eating. It consisted of two types of meats, two types of cheeses, freshly squeaked orange juice, fresh water melon juice, beautiful bread, jams, chutney to go with the meats, and of course coffee. The beauty of not understanding Spanish is that it is always an adventure to see what you get given. When we thought we had finished we were presented with trays of freshly cut up fruit.
Once we were sated with breakfast Trish set a blistering pace as we walked to where the bike tour was to commence. Our group of about 18 consisted of people from the U.S, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, us four Kiwis, and a couple of quiet Asian girls. The tour was outstanding.
We re-visited several places that we had gone to yesterday which highlighted what a good tour guide Grant was. However this time we were provided with a history from our tour leader who was obviously very knowledgeable and very passionate about Madrid. A good deal of the tour was off main roads and it made for easy biking around the narrow cobble stoned streets. Madrid is blessed with excellent artesian water and is therefore a very green city. As a result it has amazing parks, the largest one having been originally designed for the King and cronies to enjoy. Madrid is a beautiful city and biking around it with a guide is the best way to see it. The area we in also contains cycle lanes on the busier roads so makes getting across busy intersections a lot safer. The bike tour took 3 1/2 hours and well worth the money. The temperature was 26 degrees before we even started, and 31 by the time we finished.
Following an afternoon siesta to avoid the heat, although Michael entertained himself at the nearby Naval Museum, we eventually headed out to dinner for beverages and tapas. By 9 PM the restaurant was starting to get busy with the locals settling in to watch Spain play their first game in the football World Cup against Holland. Trish and I nearly made it to half-time before we left for the quick stroll back to our hotel. Spain were up I-0 and looked to be dominate. Michael and Grant stayed to watch the full game and came back to report that Spain lost 5-1 and that the restaurant had quieten down somewhat in the second half. There is likely to many unhappy Spaniards today as they reflect on their dismal result.
Once we were sated with breakfast Trish set a blistering pace as we walked to where the bike tour was to commence. Our group of about 18 consisted of people from the U.S, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, us four Kiwis, and a couple of quiet Asian girls. The tour was outstanding.
We re-visited several places that we had gone to yesterday which highlighted what a good tour guide Grant was. However this time we were provided with a history from our tour leader who was obviously very knowledgeable and very passionate about Madrid. A good deal of the tour was off main roads and it made for easy biking around the narrow cobble stoned streets. Madrid is blessed with excellent artesian water and is therefore a very green city. As a result it has amazing parks, the largest one having been originally designed for the King and cronies to enjoy. Madrid is a beautiful city and biking around it with a guide is the best way to see it. The area we in also contains cycle lanes on the busier roads so makes getting across busy intersections a lot safer. The bike tour took 3 1/2 hours and well worth the money. The temperature was 26 degrees before we even started, and 31 by the time we finished.
Following an afternoon siesta to avoid the heat, although Michael entertained himself at the nearby Naval Museum, we eventually headed out to dinner for beverages and tapas. By 9 PM the restaurant was starting to get busy with the locals settling in to watch Spain play their first game in the football World Cup against Holland. Trish and I nearly made it to half-time before we left for the quick stroll back to our hotel. Spain were up I-0 and looked to be dominate. Michael and Grant stayed to watch the full game and came back to report that Spain lost 5-1 and that the restaurant had quieten down somewhat in the second half. There is likely to many unhappy Spaniards today as they reflect on their dismal result.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Shade seeking in Madrid
Today we started the day with a leisurely stroll through the nicer parts of Madrid. There was certainly a time when Spain was a wealthy nation which is depicted in the magnificent architecture. I tried on a top in a sportswear store, only to leave my camera in the changing room, and then Michael and I having to make a mad dash back to the store and up the escalators to the changing room. Fortunately it was waiting there to be re-homed to me so no drama!
We found by accident a lovely building which was essentially a covered in upmarket food stall. Trish managed to buy herself something to eat for breakfast as earlier her order for breakfast had been a dud. Michael was in his element deciding which tart looked the best option (I mean the ones you eat).
As we wandered to the Grand Palace it was getting hotter and hotter. The guy selling fans to the queue waiting to get into the Palace grounds managed to deplete Grant of a few euros and they bought a fan each. As Grant said, he is comfortable in his own skin.
This palace is aptly named as indeed it is very grand, and reflects a period of former glory in Spanish history. Unfortunately the number of tour groups going through the Palace was a bit much.
We had been given a recommendation for a nice restaurant from the receptionist at the hotel. We found it with the guidance of Google map, and set ourselves up for the next couple of hours. We were outside in a plaza, under shade, with a lovely cooling mist emanating from the umbrella framework. Because we are in Spain we felt it was obligatory to order sangria, which only comes in a large jug. Michael, Grant and I managed to polish that off without any difficulty with Trish sticking to her trusty Chardonnay.
Feeling a tad intoxicated we finished lunch at 3.30 (we are on Spanish time now) and headed to the Prado Musuem, which was one of the things to do on Grants bucket list while in Madrid. The Musuem is massive and we restricted ourselves to looking at the Spanish painters (while in Spain etc....). Some of it was very good, and some of it was probably good art work but not appreciated by me.
Behind the museum is the botanical garden and this had also been recommended because it has a very good collection of bonsai's, which is something that I enjoy. The garden had been established by King Charles III in 1781, and contains areas of medicinal plants, and edible plants, in addition to the bonsai's. Fortunately, we found the bonsai collection relatively quickly, as by now the temperature was hovering around 31 degrees and it was much better to be in the shade than the sun.
On our short stroll back to our hotel we happened to pass the garden entrance to the Ritz Hotel, so we popped in there and were duely welcomed by the Ritz staff. We order a drink each (I have to add that I was the only one to have a non-alcoholic drink) and enjoyed the ambience of the hotel, with the pianist playing on the balcony.
After a short siesta we had a planning meeting (in the hotel bar - where else!) at 7.45 pm around organising car rentals, and flights to Italy on the 25th. We headed off to dinner at 9 pm, feeling like we were now on "Spanish time".
We found by accident a lovely building which was essentially a covered in upmarket food stall. Trish managed to buy herself something to eat for breakfast as earlier her order for breakfast had been a dud. Michael was in his element deciding which tart looked the best option (I mean the ones you eat).
As we wandered to the Grand Palace it was getting hotter and hotter. The guy selling fans to the queue waiting to get into the Palace grounds managed to deplete Grant of a few euros and they bought a fan each. As Grant said, he is comfortable in his own skin.
This palace is aptly named as indeed it is very grand, and reflects a period of former glory in Spanish history. Unfortunately the number of tour groups going through the Palace was a bit much.
We had been given a recommendation for a nice restaurant from the receptionist at the hotel. We found it with the guidance of Google map, and set ourselves up for the next couple of hours. We were outside in a plaza, under shade, with a lovely cooling mist emanating from the umbrella framework. Because we are in Spain we felt it was obligatory to order sangria, which only comes in a large jug. Michael, Grant and I managed to polish that off without any difficulty with Trish sticking to her trusty Chardonnay.
Feeling a tad intoxicated we finished lunch at 3.30 (we are on Spanish time now) and headed to the Prado Musuem, which was one of the things to do on Grants bucket list while in Madrid. The Musuem is massive and we restricted ourselves to looking at the Spanish painters (while in Spain etc....). Some of it was very good, and some of it was probably good art work but not appreciated by me.
Behind the museum is the botanical garden and this had also been recommended because it has a very good collection of bonsai's, which is something that I enjoy. The garden had been established by King Charles III in 1781, and contains areas of medicinal plants, and edible plants, in addition to the bonsai's. Fortunately, we found the bonsai collection relatively quickly, as by now the temperature was hovering around 31 degrees and it was much better to be in the shade than the sun.
On our short stroll back to our hotel we happened to pass the garden entrance to the Ritz Hotel, so we popped in there and were duely welcomed by the Ritz staff. We order a drink each (I have to add that I was the only one to have a non-alcoholic drink) and enjoyed the ambience of the hotel, with the pianist playing on the balcony.
After a short siesta we had a planning meeting (in the hotel bar - where else!) at 7.45 pm around organising car rentals, and flights to Italy on the 25th. We headed off to dinner at 9 pm, feeling like we were now on "Spanish time".
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Madrid
Breakfast in Paris, and tapas in Madrid - all in a day. We planned to catch a taxi from Madrid airport to the hotel only to find that the taxis were on strike. We jumped on one of those airport buses and headed into the city. We took a punt and managed to get off at the right bus stop. We then walked in the 29 degree heat only to find that we had gone to the wrong (sister) hotel so we had to back track. Picture this - it is hot, we had missed lunch (flew easyJet), no water (although both Trish and Michael tried to smuggle their water bottles out of France but without success - you would have thought the other two would know the rules by now!), I was parched and I didn't have suitable footwear on for traipsing around the streets, so found myself dragging the chain (and suitcase) behind the other three (everyone who knows Trish knows how fast she walks and the boys were walking at the same pace). I was very thankful to finally reach our destination.
Within 15 minutes of getting to our room we were up the road to the nearest bar. Here we quenched our thirst on alcohol, and satisfied our hunger with delicious tapas, all while Trish had us in stitches quoting out of her Spanish phrase book.
Within 15 minutes of getting to our room we were up the road to the nearest bar. Here we quenched our thirst on alcohol, and satisfied our hunger with delicious tapas, all while Trish had us in stitches quoting out of her Spanish phrase book.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Last full day in Paris
Today was wet, wet, wet..... Our first port of call was to the area called Mairie which is essentially an area of artists. We found one particular shop with the most amazing sculptures in it. We ended up chatting to the chap in the shop who enlighten us as to how many thousands of euros the sculptures would cost. Let's just say that it would be equivalent to buying a car..... If only money wasn't an issue!
Nearby was the Carnavalet Museum, which presents the history of Paris from it's earliest times until the present day. It was okay. Michael liked the paintings post-Revolution when the king and Maire Antoinette were being executed.
Although the rain dented our plans to visit the Sacre Coeur basilica and Montmartre we managed to fill in the day without any difficulty. We used the metro, not exactly like pro's, but nevertheless we managed to find our way to Lafayette, a huge department store which thankfully is accessible from the metro station. It is bedlam inside, almost too big to find anything although we did find a rather nice restaurant with which we settled in for food and beverages. The ceiling is architecturally beautiful. Our intention had been to eat in the restaurant on the roof of Layayette which is high enough to provide a stunning view (on a good day), however the rain, and thunder, put an end to those plans.
Unfortunately the weather didn't abate so we had to cancel all plans to visit the Basilica, and Montmarte where the artists have their works on display. We did however find the Passage Joffrey which we had previously visited in 2010. This is a long passage of shops and restaurants that were built to accommodate the ladies in the 19th century not getting their dresses dirty by the mud and horses on the main streets. The Passage runs through several blocks and carries on across several roads and makes for a save haven out of the heavy rain. Michael even managed to get his golden locks shorn off (or maybe I should rephrase that and say that his hair now no longer looks like Friar Tuck).
Back near our "home" metro station we scuttled into the nearest cafe bar in order to wait for the rain to at least lessen before we hit the road back to the hotel. We managed some nice Boudeaux wine to accompany us through the next hour or so.
Nearby was the Carnavalet Museum, which presents the history of Paris from it's earliest times until the present day. It was okay. Michael liked the paintings post-Revolution when the king and Maire Antoinette were being executed.
Although the rain dented our plans to visit the Sacre Coeur basilica and Montmartre we managed to fill in the day without any difficulty. We used the metro, not exactly like pro's, but nevertheless we managed to find our way to Lafayette, a huge department store which thankfully is accessible from the metro station. It is bedlam inside, almost too big to find anything although we did find a rather nice restaurant with which we settled in for food and beverages. The ceiling is architecturally beautiful. Our intention had been to eat in the restaurant on the roof of Layayette which is high enough to provide a stunning view (on a good day), however the rain, and thunder, put an end to those plans.
Unfortunately the weather didn't abate so we had to cancel all plans to visit the Basilica, and Montmarte where the artists have their works on display. We did however find the Passage Joffrey which we had previously visited in 2010. This is a long passage of shops and restaurants that were built to accommodate the ladies in the 19th century not getting their dresses dirty by the mud and horses on the main streets. The Passage runs through several blocks and carries on across several roads and makes for a save haven out of the heavy rain. Michael even managed to get his golden locks shorn off (or maybe I should rephrase that and say that his hair now no longer looks like Friar Tuck).
Back near our "home" metro station we scuttled into the nearest cafe bar in order to wait for the rain to at least lessen before we hit the road back to the hotel. We managed some nice Boudeaux wine to accompany us through the next hour or so.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Day 3 & 4 Paris
Once we were out of the hotel and heading towards the symbol of Bastile we found ourselves amongst the Sunday market. What a wonderfully professional organisation as it is all undercover for the stall owners with the crowds wandering down the middle. The display of the vegetables and fruit were done in such an artful way it made you want to buy them. The cheeses and bread were to die for....... This is suburban Paris at its best.
We headed towards the Notre Dame for breakfast. By the time we had breakfasted (about 11am) the crowds to get into the wonderful cathedral looked hours long already. Thankfully it wasn't on our list of activities, although it did amuse me to recall the last time we were here with Trish and Grant when Trish took one look at the queue and marched us up to the front and into the cathedral like we owned the place. Stunned onlookers made derogatory comments about rude Americans, which we thought was funny.
We headed for the Luxembourg Gardens which is impressive, with its obligatory chateau included. The sun was shining, the gardens immaculate, there was a band playing, people relaxing - what more could you want?
From there we visited a medieval museum which was nearby. - very pious and not my cup of tea, although you had to admire the quality of the tapestries and the stories they depicted.
The afternoon was hot and spent in a couple of cafés. Drinking cocktails in the afternoon on a hot day is a recipe for needing an afternoon siesta, however we managed to fill in the day by watching the men's tennis final at Roland Garros on a screen in a cafe. Trish, being an avid tennis follower, and in love with Rafel, was very pleased with the result.
Monday
Michael and Trish were out running in the thunder and lightening this morning before I even woke up. When everyone was ready we headed off for breakfast on the Champs Élysées. We then walked up one side of the street, window shopping and a bit of retail therapy (Trish and I bought matching golf tops!), until we got to the top. We had seen the Arc de Triumphe up close before but had never been up the top. By the time I had climbed up all those hundreds of steps I felt like I needed bilateral knee replacements, but it was worth it. The view from the top shows the wonderfully planning that is a feature of Paris with all major roads heading towards that one point. All he roads are beautifully tree lines as well.
Once on terra firma we headed down the other side of the Champs Élysées. By this stage it was time for something a little bit special so we popped into the Laduree restaurant which is known for its fine dining and excellent array of patisseries. In other words we stopped for a drink and desert, however it was all very elegant and exquisite.
It was a decent hike back to the hotel, but no doubt good for the body after what we had just consumed. We later dined at a restaurant about 200m from our hotel, and had the most
delicious meal, albeit lacking in vegetables - top class!
We headed towards the Notre Dame for breakfast. By the time we had breakfasted (about 11am) the crowds to get into the wonderful cathedral looked hours long already. Thankfully it wasn't on our list of activities, although it did amuse me to recall the last time we were here with Trish and Grant when Trish took one look at the queue and marched us up to the front and into the cathedral like we owned the place. Stunned onlookers made derogatory comments about rude Americans, which we thought was funny.
We headed for the Luxembourg Gardens which is impressive, with its obligatory chateau included. The sun was shining, the gardens immaculate, there was a band playing, people relaxing - what more could you want?
From there we visited a medieval museum which was nearby. - very pious and not my cup of tea, although you had to admire the quality of the tapestries and the stories they depicted.
The afternoon was hot and spent in a couple of cafés. Drinking cocktails in the afternoon on a hot day is a recipe for needing an afternoon siesta, however we managed to fill in the day by watching the men's tennis final at Roland Garros on a screen in a cafe. Trish, being an avid tennis follower, and in love with Rafel, was very pleased with the result.
Monday
Michael and Trish were out running in the thunder and lightening this morning before I even woke up. When everyone was ready we headed off for breakfast on the Champs Élysées. We then walked up one side of the street, window shopping and a bit of retail therapy (Trish and I bought matching golf tops!), until we got to the top. We had seen the Arc de Triumphe up close before but had never been up the top. By the time I had climbed up all those hundreds of steps I felt like I needed bilateral knee replacements, but it was worth it. The view from the top shows the wonderfully planning that is a feature of Paris with all major roads heading towards that one point. All he roads are beautifully tree lines as well.
Once on terra firma we headed down the other side of the Champs Élysées. By this stage it was time for something a little bit special so we popped into the Laduree restaurant which is known for its fine dining and excellent array of patisseries. In other words we stopped for a drink and desert, however it was all very elegant and exquisite.
It was a decent hike back to the hotel, but no doubt good for the body after what we had just consumed. We later dined at a restaurant about 200m from our hotel, and had the most
delicious meal, albeit lacking in vegetables - top class!
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Day 2 Paris
There are several things that I love about Paris and some not so good things. I love the trees and wide open spaces that were obviously planned hundreds of years ago. I love the cafe scene, the fact that it doesn't get dark until after 10PM which means you can walk back to the hotel after a meal and it is still light. And I love listening to the language even though I can't understand it.
What I don't like is the amount of people you see smoking, nor the number of families begging. The young kids are incredibly well behaved and seemed to know that they must stay on their piece of cardboard.
This morning Michael and I headed towards the Grand Palace because Michael was keen to view inside the building and they had an exhibition on. We got side tracked by hundreds of police and a large crowd of people waiting for someone important to turn up. I thought it might have Barrack Obama or William and Kate because they had been at the Normanby celebrations commentating the D-day invasion yesterday. We didn't know it was the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh until they got out of the car.
After a sumptuous French breakfast we arrived at the Grand Palace to find that the exhibition was a real dud. We left shortly after and went to the Museum d'Orsay which had an exhibition of van Gogh, plus other famous painters that I remember studying at school such as Toulouse Lautrec, Cezanne, and Renoir. Following that we were a bit cultured out so we headed back to the hotel. Whereas this morning had been cloudy and raining off and on, this afternoon was a stunner. Very warm. Nearing our hotel, which is near the Bastille monument we walked along side a protest march which just happened to be going the same way we were. It was an anti-fascist, anti- capitalist protest march, with riot squad police following closely behind them. Our hotel door was locked and manned, they were only letting in their guests in fear of the protest march getting ugly.
Trish and Grant arrived this evening in time to go out for dinner with us. We have three weeks until we meet up with Lisa and Kev, and of course Rebecca as well.
What I don't like is the amount of people you see smoking, nor the number of families begging. The young kids are incredibly well behaved and seemed to know that they must stay on their piece of cardboard.
This morning Michael and I headed towards the Grand Palace because Michael was keen to view inside the building and they had an exhibition on. We got side tracked by hundreds of police and a large crowd of people waiting for someone important to turn up. I thought it might have Barrack Obama or William and Kate because they had been at the Normanby celebrations commentating the D-day invasion yesterday. We didn't know it was the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh until they got out of the car.
After a sumptuous French breakfast we arrived at the Grand Palace to find that the exhibition was a real dud. We left shortly after and went to the Museum d'Orsay which had an exhibition of van Gogh, plus other famous painters that I remember studying at school such as Toulouse Lautrec, Cezanne, and Renoir. Following that we were a bit cultured out so we headed back to the hotel. Whereas this morning had been cloudy and raining off and on, this afternoon was a stunner. Very warm. Nearing our hotel, which is near the Bastille monument we walked along side a protest march which just happened to be going the same way we were. It was an anti-fascist, anti- capitalist protest march, with riot squad police following closely behind them. Our hotel door was locked and manned, they were only letting in their guests in fear of the protest march getting ugly.
Trish and Grant arrived this evening in time to go out for dinner with us. We have three weeks until we meet up with Lisa and Kev, and of course Rebecca as well.
Friday, 6 June 2014
Day 1 Paris
5/6 June 2014
Thirty long hours getting to Paris but at least this time we didn't have any of the drama we had last time we flew into Paris which was at midnight and the trains had stopped running into the city. It was all pretty plain sailing this time which is always a bit of a miracle as we are so very monolingual. We arrived early in the day and were thankful to find we could get into our room straight away. We had decided to revisit the Lourve as it was back in 1987 that we were last there. I think the thing that impresses us the most ( i.e. more than the exhibition itself) is the magnificence and grandeur of the actual building. The wealth and opulence of the building itself is awe inspiring. There were thousands of people - I would hate to be there on a busy day!
It is lovely to back in Paris with the mouth watering pastries and berries (which is always appreciated in our off season at home). Michael doesn't ogle at the young chicks, but rather at the food. He would be a fat bastard if he lived in France!
Not far up the road in Normandy is the 70th anniversary of D - day 6/6/44. A sober thought.
Fantastic weather today. Absolutely gorgeous. Early night tonight. Have to make the most of our time here so need to be fighting fit for tomorrow.
Thirty long hours getting to Paris but at least this time we didn't have any of the drama we had last time we flew into Paris which was at midnight and the trains had stopped running into the city. It was all pretty plain sailing this time which is always a bit of a miracle as we are so very monolingual. We arrived early in the day and were thankful to find we could get into our room straight away. We had decided to revisit the Lourve as it was back in 1987 that we were last there. I think the thing that impresses us the most ( i.e. more than the exhibition itself) is the magnificence and grandeur of the actual building. The wealth and opulence of the building itself is awe inspiring. There were thousands of people - I would hate to be there on a busy day!
It is lovely to back in Paris with the mouth watering pastries and berries (which is always appreciated in our off season at home). Michael doesn't ogle at the young chicks, but rather at the food. He would be a fat bastard if he lived in France!
Not far up the road in Normandy is the 70th anniversary of D - day 6/6/44. A sober thought.
Fantastic weather today. Absolutely gorgeous. Early night tonight. Have to make the most of our time here so need to be fighting fit for tomorrow.
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