BuildEazy Abroad

House Sitting Overview

2009-04-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

House sitting - what a way to go.
After our trip to Europe in 2008 we caught the travel bug and thought that we might try our hand at House sitting which is minding someones house and pets and/or garden while they go away.
Anyway, we always wanted to visit Melbourne in Australia so towards the end of 2008 we placed an ad in a Melbourne house-sitting website called www.housesitworld.com.au/ seeking a house sitting position.
We had no idea what would happen so we then forgot all about it.
We were thrilled when we got our first response, a couple were going overseas and wanted their house and dogs minded for 3 1/2 weeks from the end of February 2009.

Sounded good. We said yes.

A fair amount of dialogue was passed before a concrete deal was stuck solely because we had never house sat before, therefore we did not have any house sitting references.
Finally with references and referees of other sorts we obtained our first house sitting position.

The house was in a Suburb called Kew, an affluent suburb about 30 minutes from Melbourne City.
We arrived in Melbourne the day before the owners departed (at their request) so they would have time to show us the ropes.

Our duties were to mind and walk two dogs and tend to the lawns and water the gardens.

On a typical day we would do the morning chores, feed the dogs, take them for a walk and then head into the City for a bit of sight seeing.
We would usually return mid to late afternoon.

We thoroughly enjoyed the house sit and part of our time in Melbourne is documented in this blog.

Would we house sit again in Melbourne? Absolutely.

Whats next?
We currently have an ad in a Sydney house-sitting website seeking a house sitting position.
We will see what happens.

Click on the photos to enlarge.
Top Photo: Our first glimpse of Melbourne from the plane.
Middle Photo: Dogs will be dogs. Walking time.
Bottom Photo: Jenny by the worlds longest table. Yet another eating event in Melbourne.

Melbourne Overview

2009-03-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

A mighty place. In the three and a half weeks that we were there we scooted about the place in trains, trams and sometimes just walked for miles.
Trams and trains take you to any amount of beaches just a short trip from the City Center. We went to beach side suburbs such as Brighton which is about 13 km South of the City and a continuation of the coast about 5 or 6 km down from the ever popular St Kilda Beach and also ventured to trendy suburbs such as Williamstown which is about 4 km (as the crow flies - but longer by train) South-West of the City.
Public transport makes it so easy to explore Melbourne.

Shopping: Queen Victoria Market is a massive market on the Northern Skirts of the CBD and within walking distance of the City Center.
There are numerous retail outlets with the best known being in Richmond (a little East of the City), Spencer Street (City West) and among others there are also outlets in the Docklands which is the up and coming 'in' area just a little West of the City.

Food: Too much to mention. Food everywhere. All types from all cultures.

Favorite Place: The CBD City Center itself. Always vibrant and always something to see. From Federation Square (just across the road from Flinders Station) which seems to be a popular meeting up place and always something happening , to the trendy eating places in any of the numerous lanes that run between the main City streets.

Description of Melbourne City
Picture the main part of Melbourne City (the real vibrant busy part) as being a rectangle about 2 km long by about 1 km high.
The rectangle comprises of a grid of main streets that are intertwine with a myriad of interesting lanes.
Just below the bottom of the rectangle is the Yarra River running inland to the right and out to sea to the left.
At the bottom right of the rectangle is Flinders Railway Station and Federation Square. Further right (out of the rectangle) is Richmond, a very popular shopping area. Also at the right of the rectangle is the Museum.
On the left hand side of the rectangle is Southern Cross Station (the main station) and lots of outlet stores. Further left is Docklands.
Underground trains run along the top and right of the rectangle. The left and bottom of the rectangle is served by overground trains. Trams run to and fro inside (and outside) the rectangle all the time.
In the middle of the rectangle from bottom to top is Elizabeth Street, and if you follow that up past the rectangle another 1/2 km you will be at the Queen Victoria Market.
There are Sporting Stadium, zoo, parks, gardens, etc by the tons a short distants from the rectangle. Beaches start about 4 km away beginning at Port Melbourne.
Just below the bottom of the rectangle, on the South side of the Yarra River is the Eureka Tower which is the is the highest residential building in the world (mmmm, I don,t know about that one - maybe the Southern Hemisphere)
and you can go to the top in a fast lift for $16 and get a 360 degree view of the City.

Click on the photos to enlarge.
Top Photo: Flinders Station.
Middle Photo: View from the Eureka Tower.
Bottom Photo: Yet another Melbourne Lane.

Melbourne Zoo

2009-03-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

A Zoo is a Zoo is a Zoo.
Melbourne Zoo is worth a look.
It is only about 4 km from Central Melbourne and you can get there by train or tram, both of which run regularly.
We spent a few hours there walking and eating and all in all it was a good day. There is currently a lot of improvement and building work going on.

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Another project to do

2009-03-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Every now and again as we get about, I spot a structure that I would like to make when I get home.
I took a few photos of this bench seat that was at the Melbourne Zoo.
I have such a large list of projects, I wonder if I will ever get the chance to do them all.
Maybe one day

It all happens in Melbourne

2009-03-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

What a happening place is Melbourne. I have never been to a City with so much going on all the time. With the Moomba Waterfest just over, on Friday night there were three major sporting events being played in three different stadiums throughout Melbourne, Saturday there was a major sound relief concert at the MCG (stadium) which featured everyone who was anyone such as Kylie Monogue, King of Leon etc, etc etc. (the concert was for the bushfire victims which incidentally the fires are finally under control), and while all that is going on there is also the Australian International Airshow just out of Melbourne (the biggest airshow in the Southern Hemisphere) and if that's not enough there is also the Melbourne food and wine festival carrying on for 17 days. There is also other stuff galore, wow - just too much to do and see.

Photo: The worlds longest lunch. Part of the food and wine festival.
The 400 metre white clothed table ran along the banks of the Yarra River on Crown Riverside and seated over 1200 guests for an Italian-flavored feast. The tickets were $115 each and the proceeds went to charity. We would have liked to have sat there but all the tickets were well and truly sold out, so instead we sat in on of the many cafes right next to it and had a good birds-eye-view.
Click on the photo to enlarge.

A Sunday in the City

2009-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

Its not hard to waste a Sunday in Melbourne City. We caught the train to Flinders Station in the City and hopped across the street to Federation Square where there were a lot of free live stage acts in the main square and along the river side there were heaps of stalls, pavilions and tents all selling cakes, sweets and chocolates (part of the food and wine festival).
From there we went to one of the trendy little City side lanes for lunch and then a tram to the other side of the City Center to walk around the Victoria Markets and burn off all that chocolate and lunch.
Victoria Markets are massive, selling produce, general goods and really just about anything you want. Well worth a visit.

Top photo: Band playing at Federation Square. Free entertainment.

Middle photo: On the river side of Federation Square. People eyeing up the different food stools. Part of the food and wine festival.

Bottom photo: A small part of the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne.
Click on the photos to enlarge.

Melbourne public transport

2009-03-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

One thing about getting around on public transport is that you get a good feel of the people (and I don't mean that literally) and more often than not there is usually a bit of unexpected entertainment.
From a tourist point of view, public transport around Melbourne is very cheap. A single day ticket costs $6.80 and you can travel around Melbourne as much as you want in as many trams, buses and/or trains for the whole day.
Tickets can be purchased in a number of shops and also from a machine that is in the middle of every tram. Weekends are even cheaper. Once you have a ticket you must 'validate' it, which means you feed it into a slot machine on the trams or train stations and the validating machine prints the date onto the ticket. On average trams run every 10 minutes or so (less in peak).

Top photo: Tram stop just past Kew. Most tram stops are in the middle of the road and the traffic has to stop behind the trams to allow the tram passengers to get off the trams without being run over.
Melbourne has the longest amount of tram line in the world.

Middle photo: Inside a tram. You can see the silver-grey ticket buying machine on the left side in the middle and the green validating slot machines attached to the green poles.

Bottom Photo: Train station in Camberwell. The train from there takes about 15 minutes to Central Melbourne. The tram takes twice as long as it has to stop at traffic lights etc. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Beach walk Melbourne City

2009-03-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

There are no shortage of sandy beaches within a few minutes tram ride from Melbourne CBD.
Probably the best known and most populated beach handy to Melbourne City is St Kilda Beach which is about a 15 minute tram ride South from Melbourne CBD.
The closest beaches start at Port Melbourne which is about a 7 minute tram ride South-West of Melbourne CBD.
From there the beaches run almost continuous to St Kilda beach. Of course beaches continue from there, but that's another story.
The distance from Port Melbourne to St Kilda Beach is a little over 5 km and takes about an hour or so to do the walk, but a walk well worth doing.
We were not the only ones doing the walk. The beach front Parades were populated with people going to and fro - walking, running, skating or whatever. Some were lazing on the beach, others were playing volleyball and yet others were wining and dining in the numerouse eating places along the way.

Top photo: Start of out walk straight off the tram at Port Melbourne. The beaches start right from where the passenger ships dock.

Middle photo: Coming into St Kilda Beach which is the busiest beach along the way. A very pleasant walk that took a little over an hour.

Bottom photo: Time for a bite in one of the many eating places along Ackland street which runs sort of parallel to the beach. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Rose and Ange - A quick trip into Melbourne

2009-03-03T01:53:00.000-08:00

A gusty old day today but not quite as bad as was predicted. There were pockets of very strong winds and you could smell smoke in the wind from the Victoria bush fires. A strong reminder that the bushfires are still not under control.
Regardless of the bleak day, Ange and rose still hit the road to Melbourne City Centre. Nothing was going to stop them.

Top photo: Ange and Rose on the tram from Kew to Melbourne City Centre. The trip seems to vary from between 30 minutes to 50 minutes depending on the time and traffic.

Middle photo: On a walk bridge crossing the Yarra River heading towards Flinders Station.

Bottom photo: Time for a bite to eat. There are lots of narrow lanes with plenty of character that branch off the main streets in the CBD.
Click on the photo to enlarge.

We will probably not do another entry in the blog for a week or so by which time we will should have a good compilation of Melbourne data to report.
There is so much to see and Ange and Rose will fill us in on the Melbourne nightlife.

An easy day

2009-03-02T00:18:00.000-08:00

Today our two daughters came over to stop with us in Kew for six days.
Their visit was pre-arranged with the owners of the house that we were sitting prior to us going to Melbourne.
They arrived around 10am. The girls decided to have a bit of a lazy day today but plan to rip into a bit of sight seeing and shopping tomorrow.

There are still bush fires burning in Victoria and they are predicting extremely strong winds and high temperatures tomorrow so needless to say there is a lot of concern about the winds fueling the fires.

Top photo: Angela and Roseanne arriving in the Taxi.

Middle Photo: Introduction to Stephi and Pipi.

Bottom photo: A drink of iced coffee at the local cafe.
Click on the photo to enlarge.

An entertaining Sunday in Melbourne

2009-02-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

Because of the ongoing dry weather in Melbourne there are water restrictions in place. Where we are staying tap water can only be used for the garden for two hours twice a week. In our case the alloted time is between 6am and 8 am Sundays and Wednesdays.
So this morning (being Sunday) the garden watering system went on at 6am for two hours. We are usually up before that time every morning as we can't wait to start the day. The two dogs seem to like an early play and walk as well.
Mid-morning we jumped on the tram and headed into Melbourne, this time from a different tram station and a different route and in a quicker time. We by-passed the Central City and went to Docklands which is about another 10 or so minutes further on.
What a pleasant surprise. On the dockside was a large display of classic and vintage cars and a free live rock band was rattling out classic songs. From there we caught the tram back to Federal Sguare in the Central City (about another 10 minutes ride) to be fronted with another lot of free stage acts which apparently go on all day. We were in time to catch a Salsa Act, but there was plenty more on for those that wanted it. Stage shows and acts, reptile shows etc. All for free.
Anyway, after a while we crossed the road to the nearest tram station, waited about two minutes and caught the tram back. Another 30 minutes ride. We were back by a little after 3pm and it seemed like we had done a million things.
A very entertaining day.

In the photo: Classic cars along the dockside (top), Eating corn in front of the classic cars and rock band (middle), and a salsa stage show at Federation Square in Central Melbourne. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Walking the dogs.

2009-02-28T03:09:00.000-08:00

Today the skys were clear and we could not smell any smoke from the bush fires. Hopefully that is a good sign.
We began the day by walking the dogs Stephie and Pipi. This would be the case every day from now on during our house-sit.
It's enjoyable to have a bit of a stroll through the parks of Kew after breakfast and I mean a stroll as opposed to a fast walk as the dogs (one in paticular) would stop every twenty yards or so to have a bit of a smell or as we would say 'to read the local newspaper'.
The pace suited just fine.

Tram to town and about.

2009-02-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

Time to head in and have a bit of a look at Melbourne City. From where we are staying in Kew there is a pick of two tram stations, both within a fifteen minute walk. The trams are plentiful and run every few minutes .
From Kew they take about 40 minutes to get into the City. It costs $6.80 per person to travel around in the City for as much as you want in one day.
As well as selected retail outlets, tickets can be purchased on the trams. There are ticket vending machines in the middle of the trams but the exact change is needed.

The photo shows a tram stops handy to where we stay and a look inside the tram.

A quick look at Melbourne City and St Kilda Beach

2009-02-28T02:56:00.000-08:00

On our first day into the City our plan was to just quickly glimpse the place and maybe also have a peep at St Kilda Beach.
Being our first tram trip into Melbourne City we did not have much of an idea as to where to get off so when we came to something that looked like a City, we got off.
As it was, we ended up in a Street called Spencer Street which was just a little bit past all the main parts of town but that was alright as we back-tracked on foot and had a lovely stroll along the Yarra River past countless eating places to Federation Square which seems to be the first port of call for most visitors and has a very busy tourist information centre.
From there we walked a bit more and then jumped on a tram to St Kilda beach (about a twenty minute trip) just for a brief look as we intend to go back for a more in depth look at another time.
Meanwhile we had also been studying the tram maps a bit and by now had pretty much figured where everything connected. We had no trouble finding our way back to Kew.

The photos show the Yarra River on the way to Federation Square (top), A very bustling street running parallel to St. Kilda Beach (middle) and St. Kilda beach. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Melbourne arrival

2009-02-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

Today we flew into Melbourne to begin our house-sitting stint for the next month. We went via Pacific Blue Airlines in an E-jet which is a relatively small international aircraft with no frills, i.e. no free meals or movies or anything although you could buy food, drinks or movies.
The no frills was more than compensated for by the hard case flight crew, one of which had the passengers in fits of laughter with his comical quips he delivered periodically over the microphone.
On a more somber note, Victoria is going through the worst bushfire disaster in history with a horrendous death toll and hundreds of houses destroyed. Although hopefully the worst is over, there are still major fires burning out of control.
As we approached Australia we could see the smoke amongst the clouds and I'm sure, even smell it. As we approached Melbourne the smokey haze throughout the city was evident.
Anyway, from the airport we went to our house of stay in a suburb called Kew which is about 20 minutes drive from the CBD.
There we met the owners of the house (who are to leave on a trip overseas tomorrow) and also the two dogs that we are to look after while we are there. The owners gave us a brief drive around the area to get us orientated.
Tomorrow morning we will take the dogs for a walk and then probably catch the tram to Melbourne Central.

The photos show the smoke haze as we approach Melbourne and the dry grass at Melbourne Airport. Click on photo to enlarge.

House sitting

2009-01-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

House sitting, what's that all about?
Towards the end of last year (2008) we put an ad in a house-sitting newspaper in Melbourne, Australia seeking a house sitting position. Lo and behold - we got one. So now at the end of February 2009 we will be jumping on the plane and heading to Melbourne for a month of house sitting. We will let you know all about Melbourne when we get there.
I believe around that time there is a major festival happening in Melbourne - we'll see.

U.K. Overview

2008-11-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

We spent nearly five weeks in the UK before heading on to Europe.
Of that time we spent three and a half weeks driving around UK in a hired car.
On our journey we passed through parts of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
We went to big cities and drove through some of the nicest countryside imaginable and through idyllic little country villages.
We didn't have a strict plan or any pre-booked accommodation which was good, because we got lost a lot of times.
Would we do it again? At the blink of an eye.

Getting around: When we first hired the car it took us a while to navigate out of London and even longer to navigate back into London. It also took as a while to work out how to navigate the many roundabouts along the way. Often or not we took the wrong road but that was part of the fun. We drove without a strict plan and we sometimes would purposely go away from the main motorways just to experience the country roads and go through some lovely little off the track villages.
Typically around mid to late afternoon we would start looking for accommodation. Also throughout UK it can take ages to find a parking spot in the cities and big towns and some small towns especially if you don't know the area.

Accommodation: For the most part, at the end of a days drive we would book into a bed and breakfast type guest house which were pretty abundant through-out the UK.
I must point out that our journey through UK was more or less at the end of summer (Sept/Oct) so there were plenty of accommodation vacancies. A month earlier, we probably would not have been able to get any accommodation without pre-booking.
A typical B&B cost £57 per night for two people in an ensuite room and a breakfast including fruit, cereals, bacon, eggs, sausages, toast, tea/coffee, jams etc.

Best season? We were in the UK from 16th Sept to 20th Oct 08. Really it was the end of summer but the weather was fine for most of the time and the temperatures suited us.
Also because it was the end of the season, there was always plenty of accommodation vacancies which meant that we did not have to book everything in advance. If we do it again we would prefer exactly the same time of the year.

Photo: The photo shows a road through the town of Cockermouth in the Lakes district (North-West England). It is one of the many narrow village roads that we went through.

Barcelona, Spain overview

2008-11-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

If you had to describe Barcelona in one word, I guess that the word would be 'magic'.

We stayed in a flat about 3 of 4 km north of the city center in a typical type of Barcelona street.
I have to admit that we were not overly impressed with Barcelona on our first day there, to be quite honest there was a little bit of a smell about the place. There are big communal rubbish bins in
most blocks and there seemed to be a lot of dogs doings on the pavements, but hey, then the magic set in.
Barcelona is made up of grids of narrow streets. In most blocks there is a plaza, which is an open area with seats, cafes etc and some are equipped with kids play areas. They are places where people can just go and relax.
A typical street is a mixture of residential dwellings,shops, small bars and commercial. A lot of the shops close early afternoon and open again late afternoon. People walk the streets, shop and eat well into the evening.
We adjusted to the lifestyle and found in awesome. I wont talk about the main tourist spots (there are too many to mention and they are all magic) because they are already well documented online. Just do a Google search for Barcelona.

Communicating: In most of the Tourist parts you will find people in shops, restaurants etc that can speak a little bit of English. In the non tourist places very little english is understood but we still manages to communicate
mainly by pointing and by just learning a couple of basic spanish words.

Crime: In the time that we spent in Barcelona (over two weeks) we found it a very safe place to roam the streets late into the evening (and a lot of roaming we did). There always seems to be a lot of people up and about and you never see trouble. In Barcelona people tend to shop late and eat late.
There is however, a fair bit of bag snatching and the likes, so if you do not hang onto your bad you will loose it. Bottom line, be sensible with your possessions and you wont have a problem. We actually foiled a bad snatching attempt one time while riding in the metro (underground train).

Getting around: It didn't take us long to figure out how to ride the metro (underground train). There is a ticket machine in every station and you might have to scratch your head a bit the first time you use it, but after that it is a piece of cake. No matter where you go in the City area it is the same price.
So we would buy a ticked with ten rides at a time, hence we could just scoot around on the train (beaches, La Rambla, anywhere) and when our ten rides were up, we would buy another ticket. On the train maps all the train lines are color coded with the station names clearly marked. Maps can be obtained at any station and the relevant maps are printed on the walls in every station as well as in the trains.
You can get to just about every point in Barcelona via the train. There is also the 'hop on hop off' buses if you don't like the idea of finding your own way around.

Best season?: We arrived in Barcelona on the 23rd October 08. It was towards the end of summer but we found the weather and temperature at that time of the year perfect for us. The beaches where not crowded and it was still warm enough to swim. In fact if we were to go back, we would probably choose the same time of the year again.

Photo: A typical plaza where people come to relax (top), Barcelona City (bottom).

Barcelona

2008-11-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

Barcelona, what a place.
We came by train from Paris and got picked up at the Estacio de Franca (Barcelona train station) by our daughters partner who is Spanish and also owns a taxi (that's handy) and took us to their unit which is only about 3 or 4 km North of Barcelona city center. Our daughter can speak Spanish, but because she and her partner worked in the day, we still had to fend for ourselves with our limited Spanish which was 'hola' (hello) and 'no hablo español muy bien' (I don't speak Spanish very well).
Anyway, we soon found our way around and it was not long before we were zapping around in the metro (underground train) like ducks in water. We learnt how to buy tickets from the machine and then there was no stopping us.
We walked a lot, caught trains a lot, and in the time that we were there (about two weeks) we really got fond of the place.
Top photo: Click on photo to enlarge. Looking out from the balcony where we stayed. It is really a typical type of street. Most of the streets are narrow and there is a mixture of shops, residential places, offices, small bars etc in any one street. In most blocks there is a plaza, which is an open area with seats and usually cafes in the surrounding buildings and sometimes a kids playing area. People use the Plazas just to relax and watch the kids. A lot of the shops will shut in the afternoon and reopen again late afternoon until late evening. It is a special lifestyle.
Middle photo: A beach in Barcelona. A lot of tourists go to the beaches so therefore the people that work in the cafes/restaurants by the beaches can generally understand a bit of English, also in the tourist areas a lot of cafes/restaurants have pictures of the food, so you only have to point.
Bottom photo: La Rambla, probably one of the most well known streets in Barcelona. It starts from the bottom of town and runs for about a kilometer in a Northerly direction up to Catalunya which is a big square more or less classed as the city center. La Rambla is full of activity with stalls all along the way and artists dressing in all sorts of stuff. It is the place where everyone comes together. There is always something interesting to see.

Magalluf, Mallorca

2008-11-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

Magalluf (Magaluf) is a seaside resort in Mallorca (Majorca) and about 15 km from Palma. Mallorca is an island in the Mediterranean about 250 km South of Barcelona.
Note that there seem to be two ways to spell Magalluf (Magaluf) and Mallorca (Majorca). To my knoweldge there does not seem to be a right way or wrong way to spell them, it really depends where you come from I think.
Anyway, we stopped in a hotel in Magalluf for four days and we loved it.
It was pretty much the end of the summer and tourist season and a lot of the shops were shutting down for the season but it suited us ideally. It was still warm enough to swim and there was room to move.
Mugalluf is a beautiful resort, completely set out for tourists, apparently in peak times it is chocker with English and German folk and there are no communication problems as in any of the shops, restuarants, hotels, etc it is not hard to find someone that can speak Spanish, German or English.
The photo shows the view of the bay from our hotel (top), Jenny, sol person on the beach (middle) and a photo of an old windmill tower (bottom). When we came over Mallorca in the plane I noticed a lot of these towers in fields through-out the island. Now they are no longer windmills I guess that they are just used for a type of storage shed. Click on photo to enlarge.

Flight to Mallorca

2008-11-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

We caught the plane to Mallorca from Barcellona
for a four day holiday stint at Magalluf (a holiday town in Mallorca) and then caught the plane back to Barcellona.
It is a very short trip. You no sooner take your seat belt off and then it is time to put it back on again for landing. The trip takes around 40 minutes overall. You still have to go through all the normal security stuff at the airport as if you were doing a major international flight so you end up spending a lot more time in the airport than you do in the air. It is a lovely flight though and a window seat is a must.
The photo is taken from the plane leaving Mallorca.

Sol Antillas Hotel, Mallorca

2008-11-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

A little bit of luxury here. We stayed at the Sol Antillas Hotel in Magalluf which is a holiday coastal resort in Mallorca (an island about 250km South of Barcelona).
We flew over from Barcelona and stayed for four days. It was getting toward the end of the Summer and holiday season, so we had all the luxury without the crowds.
A big breakfast lunch and dinner buffet, live entertainment in the main lounge of an evening and a hop, skip and jump to the beach.
It also had all the bells and whistles such as sauna room, pools, games, internet area etc,etc,etc.
A real place for a bit of a luxurious holiday.
I would like to come back here again one day and bring the grand kids (when I can afford it)

Table, play-unit and brush umbrella projects

2008-11-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

I took a photo of these structures in Magalluf, A coastal resort in Mallorca.

Another lot of projects to add to my list of 'similar things I would like to make' when I get back home.

Sitges, Spain

2008-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sitges is a lovely coastal village about 35 Kms South-West of Barcelona.
We went on a day trip to Sitges. We drove along the coast road from Barcelona, and the drive alone was worth the trip.
Sitges is a popular tourist spot with sandy beaches and loads of cafes and restaurants adorning the beach roads.
It appears to be a very affluent town with the price of properties being amongst the highest in Spain. I guess that if you want to be in a place as nice as Sitges, then you have to pay for it.
We had a meal, a walk around, a swim and then headed back to Barcelona.
It is a coastal town well worth a visit.
Tourism is now the main source of income for Sitges.
Click on a photo to enlarge.

concrete chair project

2008-10-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

This concrete seat I spotted while walking around Barcelona.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things I would like to make' when I get back home.

Train from Paris to Barcelona

2008-10-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

We had booked a cabin (with beds and washbasin) on the overnight train from Paris to Barcelona.
We arrived at the train station in Paris (Paris Austerlitz) a couple of hours early because sometimes our communication skills were not the best, however they would not tell us what platform the train was on until a few minutes before departing (we figured that that may have been for security reasons).
Anyway, all went well. The train rattled away through the night and we slept and ate. The train had a dining car which was open until 1.00am and then re-opened again at 6.00am for breakfast. It was a good trip with the only downside being night and not able to see any of the country side.
In the morning after breakfast as it started to get light, we could see the different styles of buildings and structures, yee haa - we are in Spain.
All announcements (on the train) through-out the journey were given in both French and Spanish, needless to say we had no idea what they were about.
The photos show Paris Austerlitz (top), the dining car in the train (middle), and Barcelona Estacio de Franca (bottom). Click on the photo to enlarge.

Paris

2008-10-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

We got off the Eurostar train at Gare du Nord, got in the queue for a taxi and went straight to our hotel (Timhotel) in Montmartre, which is a popular tourist suburb or village on a hill about 5 or 6 km from Central Paris. From there you can get a good view of much of the City.
We had only allowed three days and two nights in Paris as we planned to spend most of our remaining time in Spain, but after we had been in Paris for a short while, we wished that we had of allowed more time.
We loved Montmarte and we managed to see and do a lot of the main things such as the go up the Eiffel Tower, ride on the River Seine, take in Meusems etc, etc.
We manged to find our way around the place on the Underground which they call the metro (thanks to a lot of practice in London) and we also manged to communicate some how or other without knowing but a couple of words of French (mostly by pointing and giving a blank look).
Loved the food, the lifestyle and pretty much everything.
The photos show the Timhotel in Montmartre (top left), A couple of places in Montmartre (top right and middle left), a view from the Eiffel Tower (middle right and bottom left), and a look at the Eiffel Tower from a boat on the Seine (bottom left).
'Hop on hop off' buses also work in with 'Hop on hop off' boats, so you can 'hop on hop off' till your heart is content, be it road or river. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Eurostar from London to Paris

2008-10-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

We rolled up to St Pancras Station in London to board the Eurostar train to Paris. A ride we had been looking forward to for a while and we were not disappointed.
The train shot along sometimes at a speeds of nearly 190mph and the whole journey (over 300 miles) only took a little over two and a quarter hours.
When the train first left St Pancras Station, it took about half an hour before it went into the channel tunnel then it took about 20 minutes traveling through the tunnel and then.... we surfaced in France and the rest of the trip was through some beautiful country side on the way to Gare du Nord in central Paris.
The fares were £59 return each. Even though we were only going one way, the return fare was cheaper than a single fare at that period.
The photos show the Eurostar (insert), Gare du Nord and the queue waiting for a taxi outside of the station.
Click on picture to enlarge.

Back to London

2008-10-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

We left Nottingham and headed straight for London where we stopped at my sisters house for a few days before heading off to Paris.
We took the hire car back (we had been driving around UK for the best part of a month by now) and spent the last days in UK getting about in the London underground and seeing some suburbs and other things in London that we missed first time around.
Top photo- A road heading south to London about 50 miles out. Dont ask me where, we got lost so many times.
Middle photo- The street where we stayed the last few days in Seven Kings, London.
Bottom photo- The London underground. We got dab hands at scooting about in the underground.

Where we stayed at Cockermouth, Stranraer, Belfast, Edinburgh and Nottingham

2008-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Places that we stayed between 1st Oct and 14th Oct.
Cockermouth. 1-7th Oct 2008. Top picture. We were lucky enough to be offered a flat right on the rivers edge.
Stranraer. 8-10th October. Middle pictures. The 'Cross haven guest house' one night and the 'Lakeview guest house' the second night. Both had ensuites, wifi and Breakfast. Costs were £60 and £55 respectively per night for the two of us.
Belfast. 9 Oct 2008. Bottom left picture. 'Malone Guesthouse'. Ensuite, wifi and breakfast. £55 per night for two of us.
Edinburgh. 11-12 Oct 2008. No picture (forgot to take one)
Nottingham. 13-14 Oct 2008. Bottom right picture. 'Grantham Hotel' Ensuite, wifi and breakfast. £57 per night for two of us.

Belfast - Edinburgh - Nottingham

2008-10-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

The trip continues. We caught the ferry from Stranraer to Belfast and back. We then drove North along the west coast of Scotland for a bit then headed east toward Edinburgh where we booked into a B&B and stayed there for a couple of days before driving south out of Scotland, into England and on to Nottingham. We stayed there also for a couple of days.
Photo (Top) Belfast. The photo is taken from the 'Big Eye' wheel. We found Belfast a real friendly place and every time we would look at our map (lost again), someone would approach us and help. We would have liked to have spent more time there.
Photo (Middle) Edinburgh. Another great City. Edinburgh Castle dramatically sits on the top of the cliff in central Edinburgh.
Photo (Bottom) Nottingham. Robin Hood country. The picture is of an Inn situated just down the road from Nottingham Castle that claims to be the oldest Inn in England.
So far we have come across two Inns with that claim. Another is in St Albans. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Belfast - Stranraer ferry

2008-10-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

We caught the Stena Line Ferry from Stranraer to Belfast and then Back again.
There are about seven crossing from Stranraer to Belfast each day and the trip takes about 2 hours. On the boat there are entertainment areas, Lounge areas, viewing areas, Drinking areas, quiet areas, a shopping area and an internet access area. Just about everything really.
On our way back there was a live Irish band playing and everyone seemed to be in party mode.

kings chair project

2008-10-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

This Kings Chair was in the yard at Nottingham Castle.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things I would like to make' when I get back home.

Blackpool - Cockermouth - Stranraer

2008-10-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

We left Warrington and headed towards Cockermouth in the Lake district where we had the use of a flat for a few days.
On our way we stopped for a bite to eat at Preston and also stopped at Blackpool for Lunch.
At Blackpool the wind was strong so a few of the places were shut including the tower and most of the piers.
The main street along the sea is full of amusement arcades with piers jutting out everywhere. It was easy to imagine the crowds that would flock the place in the summer.
From there we went to Cockermouth and stayed for a few days. What a lovely place surrounded by picturesque lakes, valleys and hills. We took the time to explore much of the countryside and the surrounding towns.
We then pushed on across the border into Scotland and drove along the coast to Stranraer.
Halfway along we stopped at the Marrybury Smokehouse right next door to Carsluith Castle on the coast and I had the nicest salmon that I had ever tasted. The drive to Stranraer was supurb and on arrival we were taken back by the amount of free parking spaces available, something that to date has been very rear. Stranraer was indeed a likeable place.
The photos show a pier at Blackpool and the rough seas (top), A river in Cockermouth, where we stayed (middle) and a street in Stranraer (bottom). Click on the photo to enlarge.

coffee table project

2008-10-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this coffee table in Stranraer, Scotland.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things I would like to make' when I get back home.

projects along the way

2008-10-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

These tables I saw along the way to Cockermouth and the hut on the way to Stranraer.

Another lot of project to add to my list of 'similar things I would like to make' when I get back home.

Manchester

2008-09-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Manchester. One of the few days of our UK travel that was hindered by heavy rain. We caught the train from Warrington to Manchester in the morning but our time spent in Manchester was mostly trying to dodge the rain. We did however hop on the 'hop on hop off' bus and have a tour around the place (we were the only ones on the bus).
We were also told that there was a track at the back of a particular building that you could sneak along and have peak at the actors filming 'Coronation Street' at Granada studios, but it was far too wet for us to attemptt that.

The photo shows a canal with a barge or two (as seen from the 'hop on op off' bus), The Manchester United Stadium and the Granada studios.

Liverpool

2008-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Liverpool, another great City. We caught the train from Warrington (where we were staying) to Liverpool which was about a twenty minute trip. We got off at Lime St Station and walked to the city center. We also jumped on a 'hop on hop off' bus for a guided tour of the city. From there, a ride in the ferry across the Mersey where they played the song 'Ferry across the Mersey' sung by Jerry and the Pacemakers.
Then of course, a walk to the Tavern where the Beatles once played.
There is still a place called the 'Tavern' that you can go into but it is not in the exact place of the original Tavern, however there is a closed door nearby that is the exact place that was once the entrance to the original Tavern.

The photo shows the Abbey, Ferry across the Mersey and the entrance to the original Tavern where the Beatles once played.

Train from Warrington to Liverpool and Manchester

2008-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

We stayed in a bed and breakfast guest house in Warrington as it is in the middle of Liverpool and Manchester. The train trip to both Liverpool and Manchester was only about twenty minutes and trains were aplenty so it was just a matter of rolling up to Warrington Central station any time of the day, get a ticket and jump on the train. Never much of a wait.

The Photo shows Warrington train station, inside a typical train and a station in Liverpool.

Picnic table with attached stool project

2008-09-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

I spotted this table with attached stools on a lawn at an eating place in Warrington.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

North to Warrington

2008-09-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

We left Newport (Wales) early in the morning and headed North to Warrington.
Why Warrington?
Because we really wanted to visit Liverpool and Manchester which are about Thirty something miles from each other and Warrington is in the Middle of them both. Therefore, we thought that we would drive to Warrington, find accommodation there and catch the train to Liverpool one day and catch the train to Manchester another day.
The drive to Warrington from Newport was most enjoyable, through picturesque countryside and various size villages.
We drove North through Pontypool and Abergaveny in Wales and on through Hereford in England and then via Ludlow (stopped there for lunch) , Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Tarporley and on to Warrington.
We found a park (finally) somewhere near the Warrington Center, and then by asking around we found the Tourist Information Center that was able tohelp find accommodation (bed and breakfast) not too far away. They also gave us a map to help find our way there. Once settled we parked the car and walked to town for dinner.

The photos show Abergaveny looking from Abergaveny Castly (top), A canel along the way (middle) and our place of stay (B & B) in Warrington, about a fifteen minute walk to the Town Center.

Bed and Breakfast in Warrington

2008-09-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

We stopped in a B&B Guest House in Warrington for three days. The place was handy to town (about a fifteen minute walk) . We had an ensuite room and good breakfasts. All up $55 per night for two. The WiFi only worked sometimes and the gas heating pipes made a heck of a noise late at night but regardless the hosts were very nice and we enjoyed our stay.
The reason that chose Warrington as a place to stay was because it was central to Liverpool and Manchester and only a few minutes train ride to both.
Mind you, Warrington was also a nice place to stay in.
We had not pre-booked and the Information and Tourist Center in town was most helpful in helping us find accommodation.

Thatch roof project

2008-09-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

I came across this house which was in the process of getting a new thatch roof, in a place called Ludlow. We stopped in at Ludlow for a bite to eat on our way from Newport (Wales) to Warrington.
Being a Sunday, there were no tradesmen working on the roof, mores the pity because I would have had a zillion questions to ask.

"How to make a thatch roof" is another thing to add to my list of 'things to make or find out about' when I get back home.

Outside table and seat project

2008-09-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

I spotted this table and seat picnic unit in a place called Ludlow. Actually we sat on it and had a bite to eat while we were on our way to Warrington from Newport (Wales)

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

Train to Cardiff and Bargoed

2008-09-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

We left our car at our place of stay in Newport, Wales, and walked down to the train station and caught the train to Cardiff which was about a 20 minute trip. We didn't have to worry about a timetable or anything because trains are coming and going all the time.
Once in Cardiff Central we caught another train to Bargoed which is an old mining town about 25 miles north of Cardiff. The pictures show Cardiff Central, inside the train and a town on the way to Bargoed.

Bargoed, Wales

2008-09-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

We caught the train from Cardiff to Bargoed which is an old mining town about 25 miles north of Cardiff.
The reason we went there was because it was the town where Jenny's father was born and we just wanted to have a look at it.
The train took under an hour for the Journey.
We got out of the train and walked down the road and followed it up a steep hill to a lot of houses and only a few shops. We thought that was it, but then we crossed the tracks on our way back and found the main shopping area which was a lot bigger that we had thought.
We didn't stay long and caught the train back to Cardiff.
The top two photos show Bargoed on one side of the tracks and then part of the main shopping area on the other side of the tracks.

Cardiff

2008-09-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

We returned to Cardiff from Bargoed and spent the rest of the afternoon there. We bused out to Cardiff Bay where there are a lot of leisure activities and then hit the City center for a bite to eat. As with most cities, there were plenty of places to fill up. It is but a short walk from the center to both Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium which hosts a lot of events and a lot of Rugby.
Late afternoon we caught the train back to Newport where we were staying for the night.

The top photo is Cardiff Bay, the second shows Cardiff Castle at the end of High Street and the bottom is a photo of Cardiff Castle taken from Bute Park. The Millennium Stadium is only a stone throw away (more or less)

Bath to Wales - Newport

2008-09-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

Time to move on. We left Bath and headed North-West crossing the River Severn into Wales.
By this time we realized that if you are not familiar with major UK Cities, it is very hard to get parking and find your way around (by car) so we decided that we would always park in towns outside the City, sort out some accommodation and then continue by train.
We stopped in a place called Newport which was just a few miles into Wales and about 13 or so miles North-East of Cardiff.
We Parked the car and footed it in search of a Bed and Breakfast.
The picture shows the Bridge into Wales across the River Severn and the road leading down the hill into the main shopping area of Newport.

Bed and Breakfast an Newport, Wales

2008-09-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

We parked our car in Newport somewhere in the main shopping area and walked up the hill till we came to some bed and breakfast places. We wanted a place with internet access so we knocked on the door of one such place and was greeted by a lady who said "Yes, we have just had WiFi (wireless internet access) installed, but have not yet had anyone use it", so we were invited in to try it and it worked a treat. We were the first guests to use their WiFi. The lady was nice, the rooms were nice and the meals were nice and we ended up staying there two nights. The name of the place was the Knoll Guest House.

Bath - 25,26/ Sept/2008

2008-09-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

We were wowed by Bath the minute we drove into it. We had never quite seen anything like it. You could almost sense the Romans walking around all the Roman type buildings.
Anything we said about it would probably be an understatement.
Bath hosts some of the finest architectural sights in Europe, most notably the famous Roman Baths
which is one of the most complete ancient sites in the world, some of it unchanged for 2000 years.
Plenty of Eating places, shop and everything else that would be expected of a major tourist City.
First thing in the morning we hopped on the 'Hop on, Hop off' bus which took us to all the main points of interest. 'Hop on, Hop off' buses are very common in most major Cities now. You can buy a day ticket and hop on or off where ever you like all day long.
The Roman Baths are well worth a peep but there is a charge. Click on the image to enlarge.

Bath Accommodation - 25/Sept/2008

2008-09-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

We drove into Bath late afternoon and were immediately 'wowed' by the City but our first objective was to find a place to stay for the night.
We followed the signs to the City Center and when we were close we looked for a place to park and the Bed and Breakfast signs.
We found a street (after many attempts) where we could park for a while and the street also had plenty of Bed and Breakfast signs.
The first two we looked at had 'no vacancy' signs in the window but the third said 'vacancy', so we were in.
Unfortunately there was no wifi available but everything else was super. We had a room with a en-suite and a good cooked English breakfast in the dinning room the following morning. The place was called the Holly Villa and was only a few minutes walk from the center of everything. The cost of the stay (including breakfast) was £60 for both of us.

The road to Bath - 25/Sept/2008

2008-09-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

We left the Isle of Wright first thing in the morning. We caught the car ferry over to Portsmouth.
We didn't have a concrete plan but thought that we would drive North-West towards Wales and worry about accommodation maybe late afternoon.
We drove along some country roads and through the odd country town and got lost (again), but it was well worth it. Eventually we hooked up to the A32 and headed North through Wickham, Hampshire. Shortly after, we stopped at an Inn called 'The Railway' and had some lunch.
It was there that we pulled out the map, scratched our heads and decided to drive to Bath and bunk there the night.
We calculated the time to get there and added a bit for 'lost time'.

Isle of Wight - Carisbrook Castle 24/Sept/2008

2008-09-24T00:43:00.000-07:00

Carisbrooke Castle is pretty much in the middle of the Isle of Wight and just out of Newport which is the Islands capital.
From Shanklin (where we were staying) it was about a 20 minute drive, mind you it would be about a 15 -25 minute drive from anywhere on the coast.
The castle is part in ruin and part in good shape and is a real interesting walk throughout. You can walk around much of the exterior walls and take in good views.
The castle has an armory and a stable with live stock.
The castle reeks of history, far too much to mention here but it is thought to have been a Roman fort. We spent a bit of time there going to and fro and up and down stairs.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Isle of Wight - Shanklin 23/Sept/2008

2008-09-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

When the car ferry pulled into the Isle of Wight port of Fishbourne, we drove down to Shanklin which took about 25 minutes.
Shanklin is a pretty old village on the South-East of the Island. It is a place for family holidays and is noted for its safe sandy beach and clear waters. We loved the thatched cottages and quaint shops that adorned the place. From where we stayed it was a short walk to the cliff. Below the cliff was the beach. The beach had plenty of kid's amusements, eating places etc.
The beach could be accessed by road, windy path and steps or a lift for those less energetic.
The lift can be seen in the bottom picture.
Click on the image to enlarge.

Isle of Wight Car Ferry 23/Sept/2008

2008-09-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

We drove from London South west to Portsmouth to catch the ferry to Fishbourne in the Isle of Wight.
The Trip should have taken 2 to 3 hours but as usual we got lost and missed the ferry that we were booked on. However, that didn't matter as we were able to get onto another ferry as soon as we got there for no extra charge. Ferries To the Isle of Wight run very frequent. There are different lines and different ports.
We caught a Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and the return trip for the car and two people cost £60. The trip over was about 40 minutes.
You drive on one end of the ferry and off the other end when you get there. A piece of cake.
The ferries have cafe-bar, spacious lounges and observation decks.
Click on image to enlarge.

Car Hire - 23/Sept/2008

2008-09-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

We hired a little Chevrolet Matiz car similar to the one in the photo from Enterprize Rentals in Central London.
We hired it for just under a month and the cost was around £600 including unlimited mileage and insurance and we sorted out a special paper (no extra cost) that would allow us to drive in Ireland for a specified time if we wanted.
We chose a small car as a lot of the roads we were to travel on would be very narrow.
In retrospect we would have hired a slightly bigger car and from a pick-up point just out of London as London roads are very hard to navigate if you don't know them and you also have to pay a congestion charge for driving in Central London. We got lost driving out of London (in fact, we got lost lots of times but had a lot of fun doing so) I guess that's the beauty of not having strict time frame.

Wireless Internet Connection

2008-09-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

Through-out the rest of our journey internet access was not a problem. Most places we stayed had wifi, and if they did not, then it was always possible to get internet access from a local internet cafe, library, pub or the such.

14/Oct/2008 We did not have WiFi in our flat in Cockermouth but we could easily get access at the local library or from a couple of the local pubs.
There was WiFi in all the places that we stayed at in Stranraer, Belfast, Edinburgh, Nottingham.

28/Sept/2008 Warrington, England. The B&B where we stayed has WiFi but only worked sometimes.

26/Sept/2008 Newport, Wales. The B&B where we stayed (The Knoll Guest House ) had good WiFi

25/Sept/2008 Bath. The B&B where we stayed did not have wifi, but it was easy to find an Internet Cafe in Bath.

23/Sept/2008 Isle of Wight.
So far to date we have had no problems with internet connections for our Note book computer.
The place where we stayed in London had WiFi and also the B&B in Shanklin had free WiFi.

Isle of Wight - Bed and Breakfast 23/Sept/2008

2008-09-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Bedford Lodge in Shanklin for two nights. It was a nice place and bed and breakfast for the two of us cost £56 a night. The breakfasts are served up to 10am so you can waddle down anytime a have a good cooked English breakfast or continental or both. Rooms have ensuit and there is free WiFi. Our stay there was pleasant. There is no shortage of B&Bs on the Isle of Wight but we were there just after busy season so I would imagine that you would have to book in advance if you went there peak season.

Playhouse project

2008-09-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Photo 23/Sept/08 Isle of Wight
This playhouse is in a kids play area in Shanklin, Isle of Wight.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

London - China Town 22/Sept/2008

2008-09-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

China Town is in Central London.
We passed through it on our walk to Hyde Park. China Town is situated more or less between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square or about 10 minutes walk North of Trafalgar Square.
When we took the photo it was early morning so the place was not yet buzzing. It is populated by Chinese restaurants, other shops and Chinese-run businesses.

London - Hyde Park 22/Sept/2008

2008-09-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today we spent a lazy leisurely day in Hyde Park which is a very large park (over 350 acres) in Central London.
Plenty of pathways, garden, trees and lawn to sit on.
The park has a recreational lake in the middle called the Serpentine. On one side of the lake is a restaurant There is a bridge that spans the lake and also marks the boundary of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
We saw plenty of swans and squirrels.
Also in the North-East corner is 'Speakers Corner' where people can stand up and have their say and can sometimes be very entertaining.

London - Changing of the guards 21/Sept /2008

2008-09-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

Another lovely day.
We walked from our flat in Googe St down to Trafalgar Square and then along The Mall the watch the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.
Most places of note are in Central London and within walking distance of each other or a short underground train ride.The changing of the guards is worth a look and crowds flock to see the pageantry.
From April through to July the ceremony is daily, but from August to April the changing of the guards takes place every second day sometimes not on wet days.
The changing takes place at 11.30 am but the building up to it starts well before so there is plenty to see.
For your information, the guards hats are called bearskins and weigh .665kg.

Circular Bench Seat Project

2008-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Photo 18/Sept/08 London
I spotted this circular bench seat around a tree in the Tower of London.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

Folding Side Table Project

2008-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Photo 18/Sept/08 London
I spotted this table in the flat where we stayed in London.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

A garden chair project

2008-09-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Photo 20/Sept/08 St. Albans
I spotted this garden chair in the back yard of a shop in St. Albans, just out of London.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

A day trip to St Albans - 20/Sept/08

2008-09-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

This day we took a day trip to St Albans, A beautiful little city about 22 miles north of central London. Once again the weather fine.
We (myself, Jenny, Daughter Jacqui and her partner Tom) began out train trip to St Albans from Kings Cross station in London.
From the St Albans station it was a short walk to the town center. The narrow streets were a hive of activity with markets.
Another short walk took us to the Cathedral, which officially made St Albans a city.
From there to spacious parks and a look at some Roman historical remains and then back to town for a pub lunch.
On our way we ventured into 'Ye Old Fighting Cocks' Inn which puts claim to being the oldest Inn in the U.K., but since then we have come across another Inn at Nottingham that makes the same claim.
We then went and had dinner at Tom's parents house and then caught the train back.
All in all a relaxing day and well worth the trip.
The photo shows Tom pointing to a placewhere we can get lunch.

To see more photos of St Albans click here

Candle Holder Project

2008-09-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Photo 20/Sept/08 St. Albans
I spotted this candle holder in a house we visited in St. Albans, a City just out of London.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

London Country Pub - 19th Sept 2008

2008-09-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Day Three, A trip out to a London Country Pub for Lunch.
This involved catching a train out to my sisters house in Seven Kings which is about 11 miles East of Central London. The trains are plentiful and we had no trouble finding our way to her house with the help of a road map and train route map.
By this time (day three) we are getting quite used to the London train system.
Anyway...
From Seven Kings, Colleen (my sister) and her husband Tom drove us to a London Village called Chigwell which was only about 6 miles north of Seven Kings, so we got to see a bit of London Country side.
We then went into a hotel called 'Ye Old Kings Head' and had a mighty pub lunch.
The people were friendly and the food was great.
What more could you wish for.
The photo shows 'Ye Old Kings Head' Inn and Me, Jenny, Colleen and Tom at the table.

Folding Garden Lounge Chair Project

2008-09-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Photo 19/Sept/08 London
I spotted this lounge chair in the back yard of a house we visited in Seven Kings, a suburb of London.

Another project to add to my list of 'similar things to make' when I get back home.

The London Underground

2008-09-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Riding in the London Underground (the tubes) is a bit of an adventure in itself and once mastered, which doesn't take all that long, it becomes an ideal way to scoot around London.
Throughout the day, there is very little waiting for any train although at peak times the trains do get a bit crowded.
Free Underground train maps can be picked up at any station and tickets can be obtained from tellers or automatic machines also at any station. There are various ticket formats to choose from. The most expensive is single ticket which for one Zone (anywhere in the inner circle) will set you back £4.00 but only £1.50 if you use an oyster card. An oyster card is an electronic ticket that can store up to £90 of credit and you just 'swipe' it as you go.

London Tower - 18th Sept 2008

2008-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Day 2, Off to see London Tower which is the castle by Tower Bridge (not to be confused with London Bridge which is the next bridge west along the Thames River).
London Tower is a short underground train ride from Central London (or a long walkable walk), and you can pay to go through the castle and you can wander through by yourself or go with a guided tour group.
Admission is £16.50 for an adult ticket and £9.50 for children.

To see more photos of London Tower click here

Note: This is a brief entry. More will be added to this page from our journal notes when time allows.

London

2008-09-17T19:29:00.006-07:00

Well, what can I say. London is London.
London is pretty much everything I had heard about and more. The black cabs, the red double deck buses, the historical buildings, the underground trains, the uniformed regal type guards or sentries and so on and so on.
On the first day we (Jenny and myself) woke up about 4.30 am keen to start the day, that's because we had jet lag and out body time clocks were all up the shoot. Anyway, we waited till it was almost light (about 6 am) and snuck out of the flat (so as not to wake our daughter Jacqui and her partner Tom) and started on a walk towards Big Ben. Along the way we passed many landmarks such as Trafalgar Square, Parliament Buildings, Downing Street, Buckingham Palace to mention a few.
Late morning my sister (who lives in London) came to meet us and show us around.
We then caught the underground train (a short trip) to Tower Bridge.

To see more photos of the first walk in London click here

Note: This is a brief entry. More will be added to this page from our journal notes when time allows.

First stay - Flat in Central London

2008-09-17T19:29:00.005-07:00

The taxi took us from the airport to a flat in central London. The flat belongs to our daughter Jacqui and her partner Tom.
WHAT A NEAT PLACE!
The flat is only a small one bedroom place BUT right outside the door (and I mean right ouside the door) are restaurants, pubs, underground train station and everything else you could possibly need.

The windows in the lounge area look down to to a vibrant mass of people eating, sitting, and going to and fro.
Around the corner is Oxford Street, down the road is Hyde park and just about every other place I have heard about in London is just a walk away.
Even though we have been flying for over 25 hours, we can't wait to get out in the streets and explore.

London Airport

2008-09-17T19:29:00.004-07:00

London airport was busy,busy, busy.
It took us over an hour in the queue to get through the border control, however everything went smooth enough and after being in an aircraft for nearly fifteen hours, another bit of a wait didn't bother us too much.

Anyway, once through the airport there was a pre-ordered taxi waiting for us.
We jumped in and were on our way to central London. Our first look at London - Absolutely awesome!

Flying - From Singapore to London

2008-09-17T19:29:00.003-07:00

The trip from Singapore to London was in a Boeing 747 Jet.
The plane was delayed for over an hour and that overall time on the aircraft was fourteen and a half hours long. We were glad when that leg of the journey was over.
As with the first leg, the plane cruised between 530 mph and 590 mph and at an average height of 10,000 meters (33,000 ft).

Changi Airport Internet connection

2008-09-17T19:29:00.002-07:00

Connecting to the internet in Changi Airport is no problem with two or three option to choose from
whether you have your own computer or not.
There is a free wireless service available. You just fire up your computer, register online and get a password and user name sent to your moble phone.
If you do not have a mobile phone, simply go to one of the information booths and they will issue you with a password that will allow you to tap into the free service.

Singapore - Changi Airport

2008-09-17T19:29:00.001-07:00

Singapore (Changi Airport) was our only stop on the way from Auckland to London.
The stop over was meant to be four and a half hours but the plane to take us to London was delayed for over an hour so we were there a bit longer, but that was no problem as there is plenty to do in Changi Airport.
The Airport is massive with plenty of shops and services such as swimming pool, showers, massages, beauty treatments and heaps of places to eat.

The first thing we done was just to have a walk around the place to see what was there. Next we went and had a shower to freshen up before a meal.
The shower cost $8 Singapore (about $5.50 USD). The shower rooms were large and towels and soap were supplied. All the facilities in the airport were remarkably clean.

Once freshened up it was time to eat - plenty of food places and different types of food to pick from and everything that we came across seemed reasonably priced.
When our bellies were full, Jenny went off to look at some more shops and I went after an internet connection.
Singapore Airport (Changi) opened in 1981 and won over 280 awards between1987 to 2007 with 19 Best Airport awards won in 2007 alone.

Flying - From Auckland to Singapore

2008-09-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

The first lap from Auckland to Singapore was in a Boeing 777 aircraft which took about ten and a half hours. The flight was comfortable and the time soon went bye. The food was good and there were plenty of movies to watch.
The plane cruised between 530 mph and 590 mph and at an average height of 10,000 metres (33,000 ft).

Are internet connections readily available?

2008-09-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Throughout our journey I am always going to be looking for places where I can get my laptop up and running.
Because I run a website (www.buildeazy.com) which is actually my job, I will need to go online from time to time to check things out, emails etc., etc. blah,blah, blah.
Actually, I will even need to go online to keep this blog up-to-date, so it will be interesting to see how readily available wireless is (or alternative broadband hook-up) as we move about.

Flying

2008-09-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Over the time of our journey we will be going in planes, buses, trains, cars and goodness knows what else.
Our first mode of transport is a Boeing 777 aircraft from Auckland to Singapore which is an eleven hour flight.
We stop at Singapore for about four hours and then go to London in a Boeing 747 Jet. That flight is almost thirteen hours non-stop.

London

2008-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our first place of stay will be a flat in the heart of London City. Our daughter Jacqui and her partner Tom have given up their flat for us.
We will stay there about a week and then hire a car and go to any-old-where.

The France-Spain Journey

2008-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

The second leg of our journey is France and Spain.
The map marks our journey.Click on the map to enlarge it.

1) Paris: 20th-22nd Oct
2) Barcelona: 23rd Oct-13th Nov
3) Sitges: 26th Oct
4) Palma: 03rd Nov

The British Isles Journey

2008-09-08T02:34:00.000-07:00

The first leg of our journey is the British Isles.
The map marks our journey.Click on the map to enlarge it.

1) London: 16-23rd Sept
2) St Albans: 20th Sept
3) Isle of Wight: 23rd,24th Sept
4) Bath: 25th Sept
5) Newport: 26th Sept
6) Cardiff: 27th Sept
7) Bargoed: 27th Sept
8) Abergavenny: 28th Sept
9) Warrington: 28-30th Sept
10) Liverpool: 29th Sept
11) Manchester: 30th Sept
12) Preston: 01st Oct
13) Blackpool: 01st Oct
14) Cockermouth: 01-08th Oct
15) Workington: 02nd Oct
16) Maryport: 02nd Oct
17) Carlisle: 04th Oct
18) Stranraer: 08th- 10th Oct
19) Belfast: 09th,10th Oct
20) Edinburgh: 10th-13th Oct
21) Nottingham: 13th,14th Oct
22) London: 15th-19th Oct
23) France: 20th Oct

London Underground Map

2008-09-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is a map of the London Underground that can be picked up for free at any of the stations.
We used this map to scoot around London.

Click on the map to enlarge.

Making a simple 6ft high single fence gate

2008-08-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is not an en route project, but rather a job that had to be done before we actually started our journey.
The purpose of the gate is to allow access through an existing 900mm (3ft) high fence so that the water-meter reader can get through to read the meter which is situated in no-mans land beyond the fence.
The previous reader just climbed over the fence but the new guy can't.

This is a brief description of how I built this fairly simple fence gate. A much more detailed account with pictures, measurements etc. can be seen here.

The materials used are pretty basic and common and include 4x4's for the gate posts and header and 1x6 for the fence boards and 2x4 or 2x3 for the gate rails and brace.
For you metric people that prefer millimeters, that is 100x100 for the gate posts and header and 150x25 for the fence boards and 100x50 or 75x50 for the gate rails and brace.

I firstly sorted out where I wanted the gate and the width of the gate and then marked and dug the post holes to a depth of 2ft (600mm). The ground was nice and hard and there were no frost lines to worry about.
I then placed the posts into the holes, mixed a batch of concrete and poured it into the holes. When the holes were half filled I juggled the posts into position
and made sure that they were plumb. That done, I filled the holes up.
The concrete was mixed stiff enough so that the posts would stay upright by themselves without having to be supported.

The next day I cut the top of the gate posts to the required height and added the header. The header stops the gate posts from moving inwards thus preventing the gate from jamming.

Next the gate. I made the gate up on the ground. It was simply a matter of nailing the gate boards to the rails and then turning the gate over and adding the brace.
I also fixed the hinges to the gate rails whilst the gate was lying on the ground.
Then it was just a matter of positioning the gate in place, screwing the hinges to the post, fitting the gate latch and adding a gate stop.

About this blog and our travel objectives

2008-08-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

In short, this blog is all about travel, where we stay, foods, costs etc and any other stuff worth mentioning as we journey. A sort of diary as we go.
We will also be keeping an eye out for any potential D.I.Y. project ideas, things that I can make when we get back home.
Any project we stumble upon worth talking about or making will be listed in this blog, and if I do make it on returning home, that particular project along with details on how to make it, will be posted in my website www.buildeazy.com .

Proposed travel path (or not)

2008-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

We are due to fly out of Auckland on Monday September the 15th 2008 on route to London and return two months later.
The trip over will take almost 29 hours including a four hour stop-over in Singapore.
Once we get there we will stay with our daughter Jacqui and her partner Tom at their flat in the middle of London.
That stay will only be for a few days while we get our bearings , and it is really the only part of the journey that has a solid sort of plan.
After that we will probably hire a car and travel around the United Kingdom and Ireland for about four weeks or so staying at bed-and-breakfasts or whatever is available along the way.
Then, all going well, we will scoot across to France and work our way down to Spain and catch up with Roseanne, another daughter in Barcelona.
Anyway, that is our current thoughts and only time will tell how far off the mark we stray.