Merry

Tuesday 22nd July: While we were away we were unfortunate to lose our family pet Welsh Springer Spaniel, Merry,with a terminal illness. We are very much indebted to Amy for looking after her every day and night, while we were away. Amy has been a tower of strength and has made Merry as comfortable as possible and worked through things with our vet to enable her to have the best treatment possible. Thank you Amy. Thanks also to Trevor for staying over and helping for a week, and Pam for her support also.

Sydney to Canberra

Tuesday 22nd July: We had an express passage through customs, straight to the car desk. We picked up some familiar Australian refreshments, and drove on back to Canberra. Thanks to Joan and Allan for lunch at Southern Highlands, and to Pam and Trevor for dinner tonight also. Very much appreciated, and a nice welcome back home!

Snow Capped Mountains

Tuesday 22nd July: We could see snow capped mountains in the distance as we circled around to land at Kingsford-Smith airport. We recognised them as the Brindabellas, and we could also identify Black Mountain tower. Its Canberra in the distance! We didn't see much else on our 2 flights as it was dark or everyone was sleeping with shutters down. We did see the Paris and Singapore city lights on take-off, and we did see Sydney as we came into land on Tuesday morning, with mega jet lag!

Changi Airport

Monday 21st July: Changi Airport is huge! We spent 6 hours here, had a shower, changed clothes, lounged around on extremely comfortable seats and day-beds, watched some TV and Koi Carp, bought our last bits of duty free shopping and had our last taste of Malaysian food in absolute comfort and tranquility in this marvellous modern airport transit terminal. They even took Pounds and Euros in all the shops, very impressed with the Singapore people and service.

Charles De Gaulle

Sunday 20th July: We had a lot of luggage, but we also had plenty of wheels. We ended up on the load limit, thanks to an estimate on Sheila's bathroom scales earlier over the other side of the channel. Things went pretty smoothly, except that our plane was delayed for 90 minutes, so we were given complimentary sandwiches. No chance of being late for this flight! Singapore Airlines were quite good. Farewell France!

Castle Gardens

Sunday 20th July: These gardens are extensive! There are 100 acres to explore, there are golf buggies for hire, but we decided to exercise to counter the long plane trip effect. Its exhausting! There is 1.5km from top to bottom.! There is a hidden canal at the end, which creates about another 1km walk circuit! André Le Nôtre went on to become the most famous landscape gardener in Europe, commissioned also to do Versailles, Tuileries, Chantilly, Fontainebleu, St James Park, Windsor Castle, to name a few. ***** We left here to go direct to Charles de Gaulle airport and catch our plane back to Australia.

Chateau Interior

Sunday 20th July: This chateau is in good condition, but is still under restoration, however, the interior has been very well preserved, and portrays extravagance and an idea of life in the 17th century for royalty in France. We learned that this was one of the first dining rooms ever built as the French typically ate on occasional tables in living rooms. An example of a menu back then included Pigeon Soup! Every inch of the wall and ceilings were covered in art, such as this huge ceiling painting by Le Brun. Louis XIV played backgammon here, agruably! Apparently the kitchen was still operational until the late 1950s! There are candles everywhere, which are lit for evening openings in the summer, and sometimes classical music is played. Next time we'll go in the evening. Very interesting.

Vaux-le-Vicomte

Sunday 20th July: Not far away is this magnificent chateau, which was opened in 1661. It was built by Fouquet before the Palace of Versailles, and many of the ideas and the talent used to build the Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte were used to build Versailles, notably the architect Le Vau, the landscape gardener Le Nôtre, and the artist Le Brun. Trouble was, it was more luxurious and magical than any of Louis XIV palaces and Fouquet was eventually arrested and imprisoned for his extravagance!

Lagny-sur-Marne

Sunday 20th July: Even though this is only 25km from Paris, around here, not much English is understood nor spoken. There was a cute old cake and chocolate shop across the road from the café in the precinct, Rue du Chemin de Fer. Specialities, once bought, were wrapped in a special box with ribbon. Shortly after this, we said farewell to our English friends, as they drove back to Calais, and we had the afternoon until our flight late tonight. It was an enormous 4 days holiday in France!

Lagny Markets

Sunday 20th July: We said 'Au Revoir' to our B&B at Gouvernes and 'Merci Beaucoup' to our wonderful hosts, Daniel and Monique. We explored the busy street markets on the Rue Des Marchés, which proved to be fruitful for a couple of french last minute items. We sat down for baguettes and drinks at a corner café 'La Loco' with good service for our large group of 7 personnes!

Centre Georges Pompidou à Nuit

Samedi 19eme Juillet: Nous avons aimé cette vue que le Musée National d'Art Moderne, dans le quartier Beaubourg. Il y a prés de notre restaurant, que nous avons mangé et bu ce soir. Il ne fait pas chaud, ni frais, le temps fait parfait ce nuit. Nous avons marché au le Métro station Rambuteau. J'ai pris cette photo, et j'ai voulu le publier sur ce journal, parce que nous avons commencé nos vacances le premier jour à Paris ici. Donc ici est il!

Le Verre Luisant

Saturday 19th July: Recommend this café and bar in Paris, which is on the little Rue de la Verrerie. Two large wheat beers can be seen on the table, which were quite good! The waiter spoke some English, which was handy as our French comprehension was rapidly declining, we seem to get what we wanted in the end, good service here with some French humour, a good ending to a fantastic day!

Piliar Nord

Saturday 19th July: The Piliar Nord is where we queued to ascend via the lift. The queue doesn't seem to shrink right up until midnight, as we saw this later today, and during our first trip earlier in the month. Its truly a huge structure of steelwork, not unlike the Sydney Harbour Bridge steelwork!

Eiffel Post Office

Saturday 19th July: This photo is taken from right next to the post office, where you can get your postmark. The beginning of the twilight in Paris can be seen from the low angle of sun ray reflections in this photo. The signal of the end of a fantastic day! Its about 7pm and we are about to leave the Eiffel Tower, after about 3 hours whole tower exploration. Everyone really enjoyed the experience. Time for ice creams, refreshments and find somewhere to eat!

Île des Cygnes

Saturday 19th July: This is a view from level one of the tower, looking south through the museum window. Almost perfect scene of the Seine and the Île des Cygnes, framed by the french style window. The statue of liberty is at the end of this island, which can only just be seen from the tower. There is also much to see on level 1, including cafés, museums, shops and a post office.

710 Eiffel Steps

Saturday 19th July: We opted to take the stairs from Level Two to Level One, then again down to the ground. Altogether 710 steps! Better to go down than up this way, we say! You do feel quite safe as they are well enclosed within the tower. You can also see the detail of the structure and the destination platforms from above. Its also quicker than queueing up for the lift!

The Crow's Nest of Paris

Saturday 19th July: This is the view of Paris towards Monmarte over the Seine. You can almost see the curvature of the Earth as you are over 1000 feet above the ground. A head for heights is essential to be lifted to this point in one of the four glass walled lifts from level two to the top. As the lift ascends and later descends, everyone crammed into the lift is silent, and you can only hear the 'click click' of the lift machinery, while watching the slightly unnerving moving view through the tower steelwork. The view is inexplicable!

Parc du Champ de Mars

Saturday 19th July: This is the view from Level Two of the Eiffel Tower, across the Parc du Champ de Mars to the École Militaire, with the Montparnasse Tower in the distance. You can go direct to here from the ground in the upper level of the lift. The lift is very quiet, although you are a bit squashed in and it could be a little claustrophobic. The many people below look like ants. We queued again to catch a lift to the very top of the tower.

Palais de Chaillot

Saturday 19th July: This is the view of the Trocadéro and the Palais de Chaillot from level one of the Eiffel Tower. This is certainly one of the highest points in Paris, even on level one, and also avoids an additional queue on level 2 going to the top. These views are priceless!

Trocadéro

Saturday 19th July: This is the view from the Trocadéro. The queues at the bottom of the tower seem always way too long, but they do actually move fairly quickly, especially with an ice cream or tea, and plenty of conversation. You can also take heaps of photos of the tower directly above.

Le Tour Eiffel

Saturday 19th July: A short drive to Paris - Gare de Lyon on the A4, just after the Périphérique through Porte Bercy, and you are there! Pick one of the many car parks around the station, and you are on the inner Métro for easy travel to the Trocadéro for the Eiffel Tower. Somehow, we got separated, and took a wrong turn or two, and well, to cut a long story short, we spent the next hour driving around Paris (well I did!) before eventually ending up at Gare d'Austerlitz. Baguettes and refreshments at Paris St Germain district and then we are all content ready for the assault on the tower!

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Friday 18th July: We also climbed to the top of the Swiss family Robinson's Tree, explored the Jules Verne Nautilus, rode the 'Its a Small World' water boat, took the Studio Tram Tour, and investigated the magical Sleeping Beauty castle, the central icon of the whole Park. Its really very well done, its a complete sensory experience, its a must to all to visit. We certainly didn't tire of the 14 hour day, great to do with a group of good friends.

Goofy Parades

Friday 18th July: The parades and access to the Disney characters is really quite good fun! They are very well done, with quite elaborate floats and costumes. The characters act and dance along with the accompanying sounds and music, very accessible to the large crowds on the kerbsides. Minnie Mouse and Goofy were particularly in demand by our daughter and her friend. Ah, isn't it Bliss! This was probably our daughter's highlight of the trip.

Adrenalin Rides!

Friday 18th July: Early on, we sought out the adrenaline rides and used our fastpasses to great effect! Space Mountain (shown here) starts off by shooting you at great acceleration into the top of this dome, then many twists, turns, loops, spinning, all in the dark with some lighting, and.....you come out feeling rather green :-) Although this may have been a hangover from the previous Star Wars simulator ride - don't do it! The best rides were Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, and the Rock n Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith (this was a great ride at the Film Studios park. Some we did multiple times due to not too many crowds today!

Disneyland Paris

Friday 18th July: A short drive away is this huge theme park, which is way beyond expectations. The whole atmosphere from the settings, characters, parades, sounds, smiles, colours creates a wonderful, even magical experience. Then there are the many, many rides from ambling to adrenalin which can be easily joined by booking a time with a fastpass. Lots of laughes, screams, walking, resting, watching, photographing, eating, shopping... We arrived at 10am and left after midnight. We saw the day parade and the late night illuminated parade followed by the fireworks and candellations on the Sleeping Beauty Castle. A highlight of our trip.

Chambres d'Hotes à Gouvernes

Jeudi 17eme Juillet: C'est la chambres d'Hotes, Au Victor Hugo, nous avons resté ici pour 3 nuits avec nos amies. Les hôtes, Daniel et Monique, sont trés gentils, mais ils ne parlent pas l'anglais, donc nous devons parler le francais toujours les temps dans ici. Il y a une ferme vielle, c'est trés confortable, est il y a prés de Disneyland et de Paris et au coeur de Marne-La-Vallée. Nous avons deux grandes chambres, et une grande salle de bains. Aussi, c'est une belle vue sur ce balcon, donc vous pouvez voir cette photo. Nous aimons cette chez bien sur!

Dover Ferry

Thursday 17th July: Farewell England! We managed to drag all of our bags onto the ferry as foot passengers. An hour and a half, calm seas and a nice lunch, it was all quite relaxing, with no seasickness experienced! The White Cliffs are very prominent as they disappear as the ferry steers off to Calais. At the other end we had to wait for the French car hire desk to reopen after a lunch closedown. That's OK, just takes a bit of getting used to.... A turbo diesel VW Golf Estate was provided, rather than the Alfa Romeo 159 sedan, which was impressive anticipation, as we would not have fitted everything into the Alfa - I'm sure! Our English friends timed their rendezvous with us perfectly, and helped us find the VW Golf lost in the car park somewhere, once we found it is was great to drive. Back to the right hand side of the road again!

Butchery Lane

Wednesday 16th July: We couldn't stop walking around the streets of Canterbury when there were sights like this and the twilight evening was still balmy. This is a perfect place for a pub crawl, due to about every other building selling ales in welcoming establishments. I just had to publish our Butchery Lane view, so here it is....

Canterbury Cathedral

Wednesday 16th July: We were able to walk around the town and enjoy the sights and the areas around the river and the west tower gate and adjacent gardens and sculptures in the river. This is as close as we could get to the cathedral due to a religous convention which shut the doors to the cathedral grounds and the building itself. Oh well, we were able to see it lit up as seen in this picture.

Canterbury Weavers

Wednesday 16th July: We had Dinner at the Weaver's restaurant shown here. It is next to the River Stour, which was used to duck and try to drown suspected witches in mediaeval times. The river is very clean, although in times gone by it was quite dirty. This building was built in the 1500s and was a safe house for fleeing weavers from the continent. We were lucky to find a great B&B right in town, within the walls in the cobbled areas, literally 100m from this location. We had a room on the top floor with a view of the West Tower Gate. We'll come back here again one day for a longer stay!

Brighton & Eastbourne

Wednesday 16th July: Our holiday tour left Oxon, around the M25 madness, arriving at the Southern coast of England at Brighton for lunch. We also saw Ali for a quick visit, which was great 'cos its been so long! We continued along the coast (not recommended in retrospect due to the average 30 miles an hour or less), through Eastbourne (this is the pier) and Hastings, stopping at Rye and on to Canterbury in the garden of England in Kent. No-one could be seen swimming in the sea, although some were sitting in deckhairs or playing on the pebbles. Many were on the pier for the funfairs or rides.

The Three Horse Shoes

Tuesday 15th July: This local pub in Benson serves good food and great ales! We were introduced to this pub, and have been here a few times during this trip for group meals. We are led there along the historic Littleworth path, so no driving is required! The gourmet bangers and mash are well worth it, and the scampi is also very popular. Friendly company, a few pints of Loddon, and a long summer twilight, and what else do you need? This pub has many seats and tables, inside and in the walled garden outside, despite its small appearance at the front. As you enter the pub, just about everyone needs to duck until you pass the bar, then you can stand up properly. Thanks to Jon, Sheila, Katie, Luke and Chris for making our stay very welcoming and comfortable, and making these evenings such good fun!

Oxford County

Tuesday 15th July: The abundant wheat and barley was being harvested this week around Oxfordshire. On the way back from Reading, the car radios here broadcast road reports which automatically interrupt your CD or other radio station so you can avoid any impending problems, which are fairly frequent, especially on the major roads. Tomorrow we will drive around the M25 to Brighton, and this facility is very useful.

Reading and Goring

Tuesday 15th July: Our last day in Oxfordshire started with a trip to Reading town and some shopping in preparation for our return to France and Australia at the modernised mall 'The Oracle'. We took the scenic route along the Thames via Goring and Pangbourne, through the many avenues of trees shading the roadways. Goring lock is often used as a postcard image of England, very pretty location on the Thames. Water is very turbulent over the Weir due to the recent precipitation!

St John's Wood

Monday 14th July: The old light bollards at St John's Wood were still operational, a typical entry exit to a tube station. It was a convenient place to park in London, next to this inner tube station, outside the congestion zone. We discovered that it was also used a car park for cricket visitors to Lords, which did slow us down slightly on the way out to Ruislip to visit family. Thank you to John and Dominique for a great dinner evening, complete with piano entertainment! We must do it again soon! When are you coming to Oz?

Big Ben

Monday 14th July: A much cheaper London activity is to simply walk past all the icons of the city. Lunch at the recommended Café in the crypt at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, followed by a leisurely walk from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace, via the Houses of Parliament, was a pleasant way to discover London for ourseleves, and introduce it to our children. We could also audibly keep track of the time with the Big Ben Westminster chimes every 15 minutes. We also experienced the London wildlife in St James' Park, with very tame squirrels, as well as various waterbird species around the ponds.

Madame Tussauds

Monday 14th July: This is a waxwork of Shirley Bassey, which is amazingly lifelike and flattering, like many of the figures in this exhibition in London. We took many of the obligatory photos with well known contemporary and historic characters, celebrities, sportspeople, political figures, famous artists, etc; but it was so crowded, that it was almost a fight to get a clear shot, and even harder to get near the model. A suprising mini taxi cab ride at the end, is a great improvement. It was fun, albeit expensive, an extremely popular place to see in London!

Turville and Chilterns

Sunday 13th July: One place we had to visit locally was Turville, a beautiful part of the Chilterns, well known as the location for the 'Vicar of Dibley' and the film 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. The church in the village, and the windmill on the hill are recognisable as they were both used on the screen. We visited the very welcoming small church and had a local Brakspear ale at the 'Bull and Butcher' after walking around the valley and up and down the hill for some magnificent views of the surrounding countryside on a perfect English day.

Checkendon Black Horse

Sunday 13th July: This wondeful pub is in the heart of the Chilterns countryside, and only a very short drive, healthy cycle ride, or even a pleasant morning walk away from Benson. You can hit your head in this pub, but the atmosphere, country air, the baguettes and the ale is really worth the visit. We could easily come here every Sunday lunchtime! The rural setting is reinforced from the horses opposite over the fence greeting you as you arrive. Eight of us enjoyed lunch here in the English sun! Thank you, Jon and Sheila for taking us here!

Broadway & Friends

Saturday 12th July: It was summer in the morning, but this afternoon we needed our coats and umbrellas! The country air, the Broadway views, and the company of our friends more than made up for this change. The nearby tourist shop closed fairly abruptly, as its inside space was cleared of visitors to magically turn it into a garage shelter for a vintage Bentley!

Broadway Tower

Saturday 12th July: You can read about this famous tower on the internet. I think it is a must-see in the Cotswolds as it is historic, it is on a high ridge and there are fantastic views across the heart of England. Its also part of a short stroll high in the country and has excellent displays of its history inside. It was last used a a farmhouse to bring up a family of 3 children prior to the 70s when it was converted for public viewing.

Venisian Tea Rooms

Saturday 12th July: We had another trip to the Cotswolds shared with our good friends, and lunch upstairs at this typical English tea room, Riverside Café, with a perfect view of Bourton-on-the-water and the crystal clear river Windrush. Very tranquil strolling around what is called the 'Venice of the Cotswolds', and browsing in the many interesting and varied golden shops. The china and sweetshops tempted us in particular.

Benson Lock

Friday 11th July: A late night back from Wales meant a rest day around Benson. This one at Benson is a typical lock house on the Thames, which is also along a pleasant English walk across the river from Benson to Wallingford. We watched a narrow boat and pleasure craft go up and down the river, at the maximum speed of 5-9 miles an hour. The weir at Benson is almost overflowing due to the amount of rain that has fallen this summer.

Harlech and Cymraeg

Thursday 10th July: This castle can be seen from our B&B breakfast room, it sits on the edge of a cliff and can be seen from miles around. It is one of 4 world heritage protected mediaeval castles in Wales. Its so steep that you nearly slide down the narrow roads in you car! We also had to go 3 miles out of town to find a place to turnaround. Its vert Welsh, and the local castle tourist shop is one of few that stays open after 5pm. They also spoke Cymraeg in the shop. Hywl Fawr for now!

Portmeirion Gwyllt

Thursday 10th July: Perfect day to wander around the village at Portmeirion and also do a longer circuit of the peninsula and see first hand evidence of the microclimate woodlands 'Gwyllt' caused by the gulf stream, as there were bottlebrushes, magnolias, palms and many other sub-tropical plants growing in the understorey. The Architecture on display is phenomenal! A must see! The views of the estuary of Afon Dwryd are also sensational. Patrick McGoohan must have loved his time here!