Last time I saw Paris...

Well not quite ... but this is our last day here. Two eventful days ... more successes.

Firstly we managed to book train tickets to Rouen ... so we'll be heading off into more unknowns tomorrow. We spent some more time around the beautiful Mont martre area ... bought some delicious food for luch and ate our picnic in the middle of the street ... well a small triangle in the middle of a street.

Trains and boats.... (no planes at this stage)

Last day of our 3 day rail pass too so we made the most of it ... I think I like the metro. We tried to do a bus leg as well .... but that is more difficult than the trains. We were heading down to the Latin Quarter ... stopped off to have another look for the cache we'd been chasing the day before ... then decided on a boat ride on the Seine. Magical ... we now have LOADS of photos of bridges and sights through bridge arches (you will only see a small number in flickr).

Snails ... just had to try them once ... and that will be enough. They didn't taste bad, but not great either. We had dinner in a narrow, but very busy street in the Latin Quarter ... so vibrant!!!

Our goal for the day was to get some pictures of the city sights lit up. No mean feat when it doesn't get dark until 10.30pm .... and like Cinderella, our rail pass was due to expire at midnight!!! It was a rush. We walked to Notre Dame ... then along the Left Bank past some of the bridges .... took a train to the nearest station to the Eiffel Tower ... rushed up and snapped a few pics ... back to the station to catch a train before midnight. By the time we got home at 12.30 .... and walked up 3 flights of stairs ('cos the lift is too noisy and banned from use between midnight and 6am) we were stuffed and fell in to bed. End of another day!!!

Today ... Friday, I think...

STEPS, steps and more steps

Mission for the day was to get to the Louvre early to beat the rush .... another day pass on the metro so we could get there in time ... and not wear ourselves out AGAIN!!! But the Metro is FULL of steps. You go down, and down some more and along and then up and sometimes down again..... deep down in the bowels of the earth sometimes. System is very efficient and fast.

Slight detour to finally find the cache Lex had been chasing. Success at last. Not so many muggles ... only a nearby shop proprietor ... who we hope is in the know.

Then off to the Louvre ... very little line up ... but once through that, we realised that was only the entry point for scanning. Once downstairs under the pyramid, there were people everywhere and still had to line up for tickets. Only a small line. By 10.30 ... there were people everywhere ... soooo many people .... so many tour groups and soooooo many school groups ... kids as young as 6 years!!! Actually we have seen school groups everywhere ... London, Edinburgh .... and Paris.

The Louvre itself is unbelievable ... not enough superlatives.... it is HUGE and full of HUGE things. We were in overload!!! STUNNING! We spent about 4-5 hours there ... rushed through as much as we could. Couldn't read the French signs anyway... not much in English. We tried to follow a plan .... but ended up wandering. Did see Mona Lisa ... and although I'd read that it was much smaller than people expect ... it still struck me like that. Small!! BUT IT IS GIVEN A WHOLE WALL TO ITSELF!!!

The opposite wall had a painting called "The wedding feast of Caen" or something ... which is bigger than our hotel room! Massively big painting covering the entire wall.

Thought we'd follow up with a look at Bercy Village, which is out past where we are living. More Metro rides .... really fast ones this time. Raining by the time we got there. Very pretty village ... but bit trendy ... full of cafes and restaurants and wine shops. Home on the metro ... via Gare Saint Lazare to check out how we are going to get there tomorrow .... and just because we could ... we have a day pass to go anywhere and we had to change lines anyway. Just as we were thinking how good we are getting at riding trains ... and arriving at stations withing minutes .... we hopped on a train heading the wrong way!!! Hopped off at the next station ... all good.

Back home ... to our latest local ... with free wifi. Time to check the route for the Tour .... not far from where we'll be ... but maybe more than a walk!!! Something else to think about. We have our sleeping bags after all ... could camp out by the road!!!

off to Rouen tomorrow.

More achievements to count....

Today we managed to book some accommodation for the next few days. We're going to Rouen on Friday!!!! How do we get there ... who knows at this stage.... that's the adventure.

We also found a cafe with free wifi so we successfully uploaded lots of photos to flickr. Check them out ... no descriptions at this stage ... but that takes time.

Visited Notre Dame ... another impressive structure!!! WOW. Didn't join the queue to climb to the top ... did that at Sacre-Coeur... but we went inside. We obeyed the no photos sign for most of the time (with cameras flashing all around us I might add) ... cribbed just a few. They will never show it as it is. Stunning.

Then we set off on a nearby geocache trail ... a mystery one with several waypoint mysteries. Think we have the final location of the cache ... but it's in a garden bed just outside a restaurant window .... where some people were sitting!!! Will have to return at a quieter time. If there is one!!

Also met up with a NZ couple we met the previous day for dinner. Mussels again ... Lex is enjoying these. Wish I'd taken a photo of that!! The adventure continues .....

Must be market day in this area …. market stalls set out in the median strip…. fresh produce . Bought some fruit for lunch … delicious stone fruit … and very cheap .. 4 apricots, 1 peach, 1 nectarine, 1 banana for 1.50EU.

Met a NZ couple whilst buying our 3 day Metro pass …. we bumped into them twice throughout the day. Spent more time trying to hatch plans for the next few days … still no luck in that area ….hopefully tomorrow. We headed for Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur … a very beautiful church … but our tip from Fiona was to go up to the dome …280 steps … narrow, windy, spiral staircase…. but a spectacular view.

Spent the rest of the day using the metro to get from place to place …. Eiffel Tower … Jardin des Tuileries … Bastille and the canal …. and back home EXHAUSTED!!!!

Managed to find an Internet café at 8.30pm … just as they were closing. She allowed us 15mins …. unfortunately that was only enough time to discover that the French keyboard is different … yet again!!!! Even ‘a’ is in a different spot!!!

Found a place for breakfast .... with free wifi .... woohoo. so here we are. Another success... on top of being able to book some accommodation in Rouen. Look that one up Mum. Think we can get a train to there.... just a couple of nights to fill in first. If I manage to upload pics sometime ... you'll see all the tings we did yesterday ... that I forgot to tell about here ... including the amazing artist area in Montmartre ... but not the hocolat-eclaire that I devoured!!!

Paris ... day 2

An exhausting day … lots of achievements … culminating with the Eiffel Tower. The plan was to see the sights from the hop-on, hop-off bus. There are 4 different routes, covering many of the top attractions … about 6-7 hours. There’s just so much to see …. so many massive buildings. Traffic is chaotic, especially at the multi-road intersections … reminiscent of Lima, only there’s also lots of scooters weaving their way through the traffic as well. When the lights change the scooters roar off first. So pleased we don’t have a car here. So much easier seeing everything from the top deck of a bus! Noted lots of areas we would like to go back to …. but we’ll probably run out of time … or forget. Thinking of chaotic traffic … imagine the Arc de Triomphe … traffic going round … and one lone Aussie (Chris) dodging traffic to cross the road …. finding out later from his mates about the pedestrian tunnel… we had to laugh)
We hopped off the bus for lunch on the left bank, and wandered into several small lanes with many amazing eateries … another lucky find. Delicious too.
Our other mission for the day was to find a Tourist Info Centre and hatch some plans for the days between Paris and Beaune, where we’re booked in for a week. That turned out to be more difficult. (We had similar problems in Hamburg as well.) Found a small one with info about Paris only… and we were told they don’t have them here … maybe another language barrier. Today, I was having trouble with the railway ticketing machine recognising my VALID 3 day pass. After several unsuccessful attempts, I buzzed someone on a nearby intercom, explaining my predicament. A voice came back with, “I don’t speak any English.” and in my frustration, I yelled back, “and I don’t speak any French!!!” Stalemate!!!
The weather on our first day was quite warm, so I dressed accordingly … even wearing sandals for a day on the bus. Not to be … the day turned cool, windy and at times, overcast. So when the bus came close to ‘home’, we detoured for a change of clothes, then back to try to catch the last bus by 7.30pm. We made it … and were happily on the top deck of a bus when it started to rain. Great sight … Lex and I huddled up close to the large front windscreen, trying to keep dry (no ponchos as we’d discarded them to make room earlier). By the time we decided to call it quits and retreat to the lower deck … there was no room. Eventually, the bus pulled up, along the Champs-Elysees … finish for the day. Nobody moved … they weren’t getting off into the rain.
We braved it … after all Lex had wanted to walk the Champs-Elysees … where the cyclists ride on the final day of the Tour de France. Then up to the Arc de Triomphe …. another huge impressive structure. Still raining. We had heard that the best time to go up the Eiffel Tower is early evening (we had decided that anytime the queues were short enough would be a good time) so we headed off in that direction … walking … in the rain.
Couldn’t believe it … lots of people everywhere (also braving the blustery conditions) but hardly any line-up. So we were off. We got inside and still had to wait for a lift to come down … I can’t imagine how it operates when the queues are enormous. There doesn’t appear to be any limit on how long you can stay up there … but numbers going up must be limited by numbers coming down. (We went back again the next day for a look around …. HUGE queue areas near 3 of the pillars)
The experience was breath-taking …. views may not have been as spectacular as clear conditions, but the blustery conditions added to it as well. The top viewing gallery is enclosed, and above that there’s another area which is open to the elements. At 274 metres … it was amazing.
Next question…. How to get home??? Followed the crowd … found a metro station … and a very helpful attendant who told us which lines and where to change. Eleven thirty pm and we were back near home. Awesome. Also no problems finding a place to have dinner at that time of night either. What a day!!!

First time I saw Paris

Train trip from Hamburg was pretty good … although I could sense Lex’s frustration at not being able to sit up and watch the passing scenery. The ‘couchette’ was a small cabin with 2 bunks (3 stack each side) and we had the bottom ones. Lucky … as I don’t think I would have been able to heave our packs up to the top ones. No seats … so we just had to lie down … after all it was night time. The 4 others in our cabin all got off at Brussells so we put the seat up . Just finished my book as the train the train pulled in … great timing.

Being seasoned backpackers, we set off on foot to find our hotel. Lex had a map!!!! Not all streets are marked on the map … and they run at all different angles … not just north-south and east-west … like home. We walked somewhat further than needed!!! No problem … we did that again later in the day …. only even more so … several times. Have to take the GPS with us next time!!! But, taking those ‘alternative routes’ is how we just come across great experiences.

Our hotel room looks out over an intersection …. 6 roads … a park in the middle. People were playing boules in the park late yesterday afternoon. There’s lots of greenery and beautiful buildings as well so it’s very picturesque. Being Sunday morning, the traffic was light and there were LOTS of cafes open. Different look … must get a photo as the small tables are neatly arranged in rows with 2 chairs each table also neatly arranged side by side … facing the street … and that’s how people appear to sit in them … facing the street.

We headed out for a short walk after breakfast locally … ended up at the Louvre and the Oblisque. Not really a short walk … but even longer getting home (home is where the bags are..) We must have covered at least 15km!!! But the sights were amazing!!!! Having read Da Vinci code, we knew the Louvre is BIG …. But it’s still stunning!!! We wandered into a market area around Montmartre … all kinds of fish …. just on tables in the open … poultry of all kinds .. including quail we think. Also wandered into some street theatre in another area … and came across some huge building … big crowds …. have to investigate what it is.

There is sooo much to see. Have decided on a 2 day ticket on the hop on - hop off bus … has 4 tours - 4 different areas. That’s the plan for today.

So far … beer is expensive … wine tastes good …. mussels a la crème is delicious. Life is great!!!! This is an impressive city!!

Train hopping and much more

Hamburg is a wonderful city ... so much more than I expected. Luckily we had an extra day here ... due to our travel plans to Paris. Yesterday we spent the day getting the most out of our Hamburg Card ... using trains and buses ... hopping off where ever something took our fancy. First stop was the wharf area .... with LOTS of boats of all sizes. We discovered some amazing ´village atmosphere´ areas not that far out of the city.

We went to an area called Blankanese (well something like that) and walked around ... expecting to see some of the Elbe River .... and we did .... and more boats ... small wooden ones this time. And up many many stairs through windy lanes to the village, which was so beautiful. Had lunch in a Backhaus (bakehouse) and followed up with a wander through another one of the street market areas like we´d discovered the day before. Bought some cheese and sausage to have with a drink later. Drinks ... turned out different from the plan. We did buy a bottle of wine ... but not knowing much German, we ended up with a bottle of grape juice (alcohol free red wine) .... LOL!!!!! Had seen alcohol free beer on a menu earlier, so Lex was careful not to buy alcohol free beer, but we didn´t check the wine!

Hopped off again at Altona .... walked up to a mall area where we saw the most amazing street entertainment ... a Mongolian 6 stringed band ... 3 members but only 6 strings between them. Their voices were the most amazing instruments .... unbelievable. Pete ... you´ll love this!!! Took so many photos and a few video clips .... and you guessed it ... we have added another CD to the collection.

Today we spent some time on a boat ride around the lake and along some of the canals in this city. The place is sooo green. The weather is cloudy and showery, but we´ve been really lucky to avoid the showers. Had a great buffet lunch ... tried everything ... so much easier when you can see what is is ... rather than ordering from a menu.

Hamburg is a city of canals. Didn´t expect to see so many canals ... all through the city. Love the little markets. Apart from food, they have flowers everywhere ... and so cheap. Just beautiful. The Elbe River is huge .... such massive ships and so many ... and so far from the coast really. A real eye-opener.

Home is where our bags are...

Used the phrase 'when we get back home' today and it dawned on us that we were referring to the place where we are staying at the moment ... and that keeps changing!!! So .... home is where the bags are.

Today (past few days actually) have been full of achievements. Our trip isn't just about destinations. It's really about getting from one place to another. Yesterday we arrived in Hamburg and decided to try to get ourselves to our pre-booked hotel ... without using a taxi (or tacsay if you're still in Ireland). Soooo off to the Tourist Info office at the airpoort to ask for help. The lady spoke a little English, and was able to look it up on the internet. With printout of buses and trains ... backpacks and front packs in place, we headed out. As you're probably aware, I'm not used to using trains (more than a little nervous with no signage in English) But we made it ... bus from the airport to the nearest station ... 2 train rides (had to change lines) ... and lastly another bus ... for 1 STOP!!!!! We could have walked it if we'd known which direction to head out from the station.

WE found ourselves in an amazing outdoor market area about lunchtime. What an experience!!! There were all these food stalls (and flowers) ... all so cheap ... and a few standing-height tables ... no chairs. Obviously, the office workers know about it ... it was so busy. The food looked amazing, but I opted for the things I could point to or say. Maybe next time .... if there are less people waiting in the queue. Queues here are very orderly, and people are very patient ... unless someone tries to bypass the queue.

Also happened to be around this old church, Saint Nickolai ... which was bombed during the war, and is now a memorial to all who suffered in wars ... when the glockenspeil and carillion recital was on. That was spectacular. We also took the lift to the top of the spire ... 75m ... even Lex trembled a little. It was a very moving experience.

Whilst in Edinburgh, we tried looking up options for travel between Hamburg and Paris ... for which we had nothing booked. Part of our flexibility plan!! It all looked too hard and we figured that the tourist office here in Hamburg might be our best option. Let me say that Tourist Offices here are not what they were in UK ... we got great help in Dublin. The lady spoke some English, and told us that train was the best option ... go over to the railway office. WELL!!! All writing is in German ... no English ... kiosk type terminals where people were looking up info ... did have an English option ... but you need to have some idea of the region names that you#re heading for... We had this vague notion that we might have a couple of stop overs as we had 2 days to get to Paris, so we managed to print out a couple of possible scenarios ... or so we thought. Then join the queue to speak to someone and possible make some reservations. If we thought it had been tough up to now ..... it was about to get frustrating. The rep did speak some English, but appeared to be having a bad day and was less than helpful ... verging on abrupt might be more accurate.

Needed to sit down after that!!

We managed to walk out of there with 2 tickets to Paris ... leaving from somewhere in Hamburg (not sure which platform etc as yet ... but it will happen) travelling overnight ... in a couchette!!!

Also managed to book an extra night where we are in Hamburg ... so all is well. We´re doing good!!!

Another amazing experience!!!!

What a surprise to run into 3 Clermont lads in the hostel where we are staying in Dublin ... on our last night here!!!! Chris and Dan had just arrived in Dublin this afternoon and met up with Dave who has been here for a couple of days and leaving tomorrow. Some things are just meant to be I guess.

Does it get better than this?

We have wifi access while waiting for lunch. Have found a geocache this morning with 2 travel bugs to deposit somewhere else in the world. Lex was able to record the finds before lunch.

Next we're off to see an interactive exhibition showing Dublin's history.

Food ... glorious food

Forgot to mention the things we have tried lately. While in Edinburgh we had haggis, neeps and tatties. Even found out that haggis comes in a meat and vegetarian variety. I preferred the vegetarian variety.... but my favourite was neeps.

Since in Ireland, we've had delicious Irish stew, and Dublin Coddle (potato stew with mashed potato and pork sausages) and potato scones ... like the potato cakes we make.

Interesting staying here at this hostel with so many other travellers. Our last hostel experience was much quieter. All rich experiences. Have lots of pictures to add again when we can do it.

Only 2 days ... so much has happened ...

After the last blog entry, Friday night, we've been entertained in many ways and seen more of this wonderful country.

A 2 person Irish group played in the pub on Friday night. They were awesome!!! Sophie's birthday so we celebrated for her ... called so she could hear the music too. Yes Mike, we bought a CD ..... another one for the holiday collection. That turned out to be a very late night!!

Saturday, we headed out by bus to see Cork, and as we travelled, the weather cleared. There are so many beautiful villages and towns on this route... and they are so clean and neat. Would love to come back this way.

Arrived in Cork early afternoon .. city was buzzing with people. Found ourselves a pub serving Sunday roast on Saturday .... and guess what came up on the big screen ... Rugby Union ... Wallabies Vs South Africa. Great to see the Aussie team playing well. ... well they were while we were watching. We left before full time, and found out later that they lost in the dying minutes. Pity. Was great fun watching with an Irishman who had bet on the South Africans, but probably a good move to leave when we did.

Walked around some amazing back streets ... away from the city, and later found ourselves watching another big screen. Hurling ... (think this is the game Tish was telling me about). No idea of the rules. Played with a small ball (about cricket ball size, and just as hard, so I've been told since) and sticks ... bit like hockey or lacrosse. Seems like anything goes ... you can catch or throw the ball, scoop it up with the stick, hit it with the stick, kick it, bat it with your hand. Seems that you can even hit your opponent with the stick ... but don't quote me on that. The game was a semi-final. Apparently there were big hurling and football games in the area today too .... roads were chocked with traffic, trains booked out, red and blue flags and banners everywhere ... and tonight all the pubs and bars have noisy crowds outside. Anyway, watching that with some locals was interesting.

Didn't have enough time to see much of Cork district, unfortunately. Arrived back in Dublin mid-afternoon, in time to head over to a city park where a 3 day Street Performance World Championship was winding up. The city itself was teaming with people, but the park crowd was huge too. What a magical atmosphere. They seemed to have 7 areas for performances which ran continuously all afternoon ... until 7pm each day. We managed to catch on that appealed from the program ... Gamarjobat ... a Japanese mime act. They were awesome ... so funny. We managed to get a bit of cramped space on the damp grass ... but it was worth it. Laughter so good for you.

After that we caught a bit of El Gleno Grande ... and I have to admit a guy dress as a performing zebra wasn't on top of my list .... but he too was very clever and entertaining. What a way to top off a great weekend in Ireland.

Will have to upload these pics quickly and rescue Lex from the local across the road ... and then return to our backpackers lodgings. Have a new camera, and I'm able to resize on the camera, so I'm only uploading small versions.... so much quicker.

In Dublin's fair city ....

Gotta love Dublin .... just because it isn't raining!



Didn't stay long in Belfast ... 'cos it was raining! Used the travel service at Belfast to find a room for the night. Bus ride and a taxi to get there ... in the pouring rain. Driver told us that they'd had 4 months rain the day before. Lucky we missed that one. Anyway, our hotel seemed to be a long way out of the city. Not being put off by a bit of rain, we headed out to find food and drink. Little did we realise at the time that we were fair in the middle of the previously troublesome spot!!!



Had a drink in one small pub ... 'The Fort' (I think) ... small crowded bar, with small alcove seating .... with doors. Very private. Not real comfortable, so we pressed on. Turned into Falls Rd.... past a few take away food shops .... very stark, and empty of everything except a few customers and a counter. One of them was a chinese take away, and there was this huge grill ... bit like a fence ... above the counter. Quite odd. Places reminded me a bit of South America ... with large roll-a-doors over doors and windows.



Found another bar for a drink ... in Falls Road, but no food, so we headed on again. This time in to the city, cold and somewhat wet by this time. Taxi back, and the driver mentioned that this wasn't a particularly good area. No kiddin!!!



With the rain still pouring this morning, we decided to hit the road and head for Dublin. Managed to get a Black Cab tour on the way back into the city ... story and tour of the political areas. Fascinating!!! We were really staying in a new development area, purpose built to bridge the gap between the 2 factions!!! We had walked past quite a bit of high wire fencing .... mostly unaware in the rain. But, it's all safe now.... well reasonably. Our driver said he still doesn't drive during the week of the marches ... due to start soon. We did a tour of many of the murals on both sides. There's a story for everyone!!! We even signed the wall. Felt very awkward about it, but it's common practice on this mural, apparently.



Had a bit of a walk with back and front packs to our hotel in Dublin ... lucky the rain had stopped. Tomorrow we are heading out to Cork for an overnighter ... then back to Dublin for 3 nights. I have changed our booking for these 3 nights from a multi-bed dorm to a double room!!! Mmmmm thought better of it!


Happy Birthday Soph.... will celebrate for you.

What a great day ... mission accomplished ... both of them

Firstly, with S&F's help we managed to finish the Pub Crawl last night ... a drink in 8 different pubs. So we picked up our T-shirts today ... whoohoo.

Secondly we found a place to watch the State of Origin game on a big screen, live!!!! Not the one we had been told about ... and amazing Sports Bar with a huge screen and individual screens if you want to watch a different event. But a bar attached to a backpacker's hostel near there. Noticed a sign about the game on the window so in we went. Had the place to ourselves for a while, but we were joined by a family from Rocky for part of the game and a NSW supporter for the whole game. Great fun ... and nobody minded how much noise we made... Go QLD!!!! Great to get text messages from Lac throughout the game too...

It was sunny ... but we missed it.

Difficult to work out the weather here. As you guessed, we missed our picnic. Weather turned miserable. Yesterday (Monday) was cool and cloudy when we ventured out about mid-morning, but it turned out to be a beautiful, warm day ... where I carried my jacket all day. Today was cooler and cloudy ... but it didn't warm up at all!!!

But a cool day is perfect for the indoors. So we found several comfy 'indoor spots' on our mission to have a drink in each of 8 listed pubs. Great challenge for a day like today indeed. Should be able to go and collect our free 'Pub Crawl' T-shirt tomorrow. Another bonus for the day was that we discovered that the second state of origin game is on tomorrow ... so tomorrow's mission will be to find a place showing it on a big screen.

Scotland ... for the brave

You guessed it ... we're in Scotland. I know I have a lot to catch up on so I'll try to do it here ... as well as add to the previous entry .. which I gave up on through frustration. We have computer access (thanks to Fiona and Stuart) here in Scotland. So wonderful.

Today is fine(ish) so we are planning a picnic ... somewhere beautiful. Yesterday Lex and I returned the car (via the longer scenic route) and found ourselves in the middle of the city .. overcast, drizzly weather. Wandered around the city ...in and out of shops (as you do to get out of the weather). So many touristy shops selling tartan stuff. But the buildings, streets and lanes are amazing. We found ourselves in some amazing back alleys, climbing long staircases. That's how we discovered Mary King's Close tour - the guide, in period dress, takes you down through a warren of hidden streets, really narrow lanes and buildings which date back to 1600s and tells the greusome stories of peoples' lives. It was fantastic ... I thin we went down about 5 levels.

We watched a piper play near a church where wedding photos were being taken. Then on to Edinburgh Castel. More history, stories and amazing buildings ... then a long walk back home.

Great to be staying here with Fiona .... so central ... and easy walking. We walked out for tea .... then did a pub crawl home. Awesome. I even tried to drink beer ... but it's just wasted on me. Lex is making a valiant attempt to taste them all!!!!

The day before arriving here, we had driven up from York, via the coast and Whitby, a really lovely old seaside village ... where Captain Cook had come from. Weather was really cold, overcast and very windy ... especially on the hill overlooking the town. Just had to stop and look at the boats of course.
We drove through the Yorkshire Moors ... in the cloud, or mist, or fog ... which at times was very thick ... but only added to experience. We've loved it all!!! It was equally as foggy coming across the Scottish border. So pleased to be here in summer, rather than winter...

Greetings from York

We successfully managed to find our way around Heathrow airport, pick up a hire car and head away from London in the desired direction. What an achievement, I say!!!!

We headed towards Salisbury and Stonehenge ... only after we had nearly made it to Oxford ... but were turned off by the LONG traffic queues to get into Oxford. We turned around and headed the opposite direction ... preferring not to spend hours stuck in lines of traffic. Found a pub with B&B at Marlborough .. a lot more to this place than we first thought. Beautiful old buildings and thatched roofs.

TIP: Best to get in early at Stonehenge to beat the thousands of tourists who flock there on a weekend. Think we made it just in time. Amazing to imagine how these HUGE rocks were put into place. Eerie feelings.

Then on to Sarum ... wishing we had the book with us. Have to finish reading it now.

More later ... struggle with this is too much. Sorry

MUCH later (we are in Edinburgh ... but I have to catch up on this journey). We have internet access here at Fiona's ... which is awesome ... but have also noticed internet cafes/kiosks everywhere throughout Edinburgh, as well as free wifi often. How different that is from England!!! The only internet access we could find outside London, was one cafe in York and a council library in Wrexham, Wales where we could read emails but not write to this blog ... BLOCKED!!! Even kiosks in London were so tightly controlled and locked down that it was frustrating. Over that now....

Visited the Roman Baths in Bath ... like an iceberg .... most of the story is underground and you don't realise it's there until you explore. Amazing, as is the buildings in the town. Sunday is an extremely busy 'tourist' day, but they don't seem to get going until mid-day ... and we were out of there about then. We had a ride on a narrow boat in mind for the afternoon so had to make it back to Devises in time. We followed that with a walk down the towpath past a series of 29 locks (well we didn't walk the whole length). This was amazing, so we watched a few boats traversing the locks into the evening ... which goes on for ages here. Nice coffe shop right there!!!

We explored another old castle on the way north .... Stokesay Castle. Then on to Wales. You gotta love all the sign posts ... written in English and Welsh. Didn't attempt to pronounce any of the Welsh words!!

York is beautiful. We walked the wall ... as you do. Spent 2 days exploring the fabulous streets of York, wishing Linda was here as our guide.

Headed north, over the moors, via Whitby ... a really quaint coastal township ... cold and blustery!!!

Look who we found in London....

What a surprise this was. Had walked from our hotel ... to Albert Memorial (certainly over the top... huge!!! can't see it all when monuments are sooo tall). Wandering the streets, making our way back and I stopped outside a group of shops ... looking at the profile of this person ... thinking ... looks very much like .... when she turned around. WOW ... not sure who got the biggest shock, Claire or us.

Never expected to run into anyone we knew anywhere on this trip, and didn't even know Claire was in London. You just never know, eh!!!