Autumn in the UK

Hi everyone, I suppose you are all wondering what I have been doing since my last update - so I am going to give you all a quick run down now and share a few photos with you. I have found a temporary job at the Cambridge Assessment Centre doing basic admin tasks. It is not the most riveting job in the world, but at least I am earning some money to help pay for my future adventures. I have also organised an appointment with the Cambridge University to be put on there books for some temp work too - I have looked at a few jobs they have available and it looks as though they might have some interesting stuff to do in interesting divisions of the University. It is getting really cold here already - the locals have told me that it normally isn't this cold yet, so at least I have longer to get used to the cold before it starts to snow etc. One day last week, my early morning train was cancelled and the next one was delayed, so I spent an hour a the station waiting for the train. This morning the temp was 0 - the puddles on the side walk were frozen over, the station platform had been sprinkled with rock salt to help melt the ice - but it was still frozen and slippery in some parts! My feet and legs were that cold that they went numb and stung once I was in the warmth of the train.

I have joined a Jazzercise class in the village which is a really fun class to do - and it is a great cardio workout. I ride to the class, so that is also good for the waistline - and I also feel quite proud of myself for venturing out in the frosty air :-) Richard & I went to a pub for a few drinks in Cambridge on Friday night called The Flying Pig. The whole place is decorated with old music posters, pictures & statues of pigs of course, the beer taps had a little pig head on them and each table was lit by a candle in a bottle - it was very cool and had a great atmosphere. Afterwards, we went to a Salsa class in Cambridge and that was heaps of fun, although a little awkward at times. You change partner continually throughout the class, so you get to know some of the people and have a little fun. But my question is: when you are salsa dancing with a strange guy - where do you look? Do you look into his eyes the whole time, look at the wall, watch everyone else around you, look down (but be careful of where you are looking!). It was funny too when the instructor added a final touch for the guys - to drop down to the girls crutch height and do a seductive swivel back up, while the girls shake their booty - when it was Richard & my turn to dance together - we had to draw the line with that one!!!! It was Halloween that night also, so they had a party after the class, and some people were all dressed up in the spooky gear. It was fun to watch the experienced dancers on the floor - they can really move!! The teacher said that you can get to that level in a few months - I am not sure about that, but we are going to go again, so I will soon see how fast the improvement happens. I met a nice German guy there too who has been going for a few lessons, he asked me to dance and we had a bit of a chat. Before we went out we went to our regular chinese/japanese restaurant for dinner - as we were leaving a group of little kids came down the street all dressed up in their Halloween costumes - it was so cute!!! Richard bought Lucy a pumpkin outfit - it is adorable.

I have been researching holiday destinations in Europe, UK and Canada - I have found a few good trips to do, but I am not too sure which ones I want to do yet. I will have to spend a bit more time on them and just pick one and book it in. Richard & I are going to Sicily in November for a week - I am really looking forward to it. It will basically be the last part of Italy that I have not yet seen, and it will be quite cool so it will also be a different outlook on the country - in a changing season. We are going to hire scooters while we are there to hoon around the streets on - I will definately want to ride a Vespa - I am in love with Vespas!!!! A pink one would make it even better :-)

I have been to a few local spots recently too - little museums / tea houses set in an orchard, walks through fields and along the canals. I find it really amazing that you can walk through fields with cows grazing in the same paddock and through private property like angling clubs as you follow the Fen walking trail throughout the region. The walk goes for miles and branches off into many directions, I want to keep taking different paths to explore the local vicinity from many angles. It was funny one day when I walked through a paddock with cows grazing. It must have been close to feeding time, because when I was heading back the cows had all gathered at the fence and I couldn't get through. I petted a cow and waiting for a little bit, but they weren't budging, so I had to go down close to the canal and climb over the fence there to get through!!!

A few weeks ago Richard, Lucy & I went to the miniature trains in Cambridge - it was there final weekend for the year. It is a club that makes small trains for people to ride on - it is very British and the kids had an absolute ball. Today we went for a ride along the canal and then to the Milton Country Park and stopped for lunch. The park is set around a few large lakes, has a cafe there and also a kids playground. The ride was quite chilly, but it was good to be able to ride to such a large park and have a picnic.

I have been spending my spare time working on a project I cannot disclose at the moment, because I am hoping to have it finished before Christmas. It has turned out to be quite a time consuming task, so I am not quite sure if I will reach my deadline, so Santa may come late for a few people this year! I will let you all know what Sicily was like when we get back and I will put up a few photos.

It is quite beautiful in the village and Cambridge at the moment, as Autumn takes hold. The trees are changing from green, to red, to orange, to yellow and then becoming totally bare. I have been for a few walks through the streets of Cambridge and there are some really stunning buildings, with most of them being some sort of college, school or university. One of the most popular forms of transport is bicycle - the train station has a large area for them to be parked and you also see shelters for them outside businesses.

Til next time ... take care

Update from UK

Hi Everyone - I am settling down at my cousins place now and I am getting myself ready to enter the England workforce! The village I am living in is so cute - I love it. It has the village 'necessities' - a few pubs, fish & chip shop, other resturants, hairdresser, pharmacy, post office (worst customer service ever!), grocery store, church & recreation area. The best part is, I can just walk down the road and there it all is - couldn't be more convenient. I have been for a walk and a ride along the canal - it winds its way all the way to Cambridge and beyond, and also goes for miles in the opposite direct (I am yet to venture that way). The canal side is beautiful and peaceful, with many people treking along its path. There are swans, ducks and other wild life; blackberry bushes scattered along the way - locals stopping to pick there share; canal boats mored or slowly making there way down the canal; a 'lock' along the way; some very prestige houses with gloriously manicured gardens leading down to the canal; and so much more.

We visited one the 'CentreParcs' recently - the great british holiday made to cater for all types of weather. The cabins are scattered throughout the forest and the local squirrels, rabbits and deer regularly stop by for a visit. The best for of transport to find your way around the massive grounds is by bicycle, you don't even get too wet in the rain - the trees shelter most pathways. There was also a large tropical indoor heated swimming complex, complete with slides, rapids and outdoor sections to tickle the senses. There was indoor and outdoor sporting areas, rollerskating ring, bowling alley, sports bar & clubhouse. I spoilt myself and visited the Aqua Sana and treated myself to a massage, and then chilled out for the rest of the day. I also felt like a bit of activity, so I joined a Fitball class to get the heart pumping. It is a family orientated park, so there was lots of child friendly areas and events - wee one went to the Teddy Bears Picnic and the Rupert the Bear Show - very exciting for her.

We booked a cheap holiday (by collecting vouchers from the local paper) and will have a choice of visiting similar type parks in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Wight and Cornwall area - so I am anxious to find out which area we have been allocated, any of them will be great I am sure.

I am looking forward to exploring more of the UK and after I have worked for a while, I will look at travelling around again. I am going to book another Intrepid trip in March/April - it is called the 'Road to Budapest' if you want to have a peek.

I have added some photos of the village church, canal and Cambridge for you all. I hope you enjoy. (sorry about them being so scattered not sure how to fix :-) )

I am off to pick some Blackberries tomorrow and I think I will make a Blackberry Pie. Mmmm sounds yummy.

Signing off for now.

I'm back in the UK

Hi all,

I have survived my 9 & 1/2 weeks of continual travel - just. I was quite tired by the end of it and my body was starting to tell me to take a rest. So I am at my cousin's house and have sorted out my belongings and ready to rest for a little while and enjoy listening to my ipod (I didn't take it travelling with me).

The last update was from the beautiful Venice. From Venice we travelled to the little medieval town of Gubbio - a town that honors St Francis. There is a fountain in Gubbio that is believed to be the "Fountain of the Crazy People" (Fontana dei Pazzi) - the tradition is to run around it clockwise three times while a local splashed water on you and you are then deemed as crazy. So guess who ran around it? Me of course :-) I know what most of you are saying: "You didn't need to run around a fountain, you are already crazy!" - I just wanted to make it official. In Gubbio we took a hike up onto one of the mountains to take in the view of the town and surrounding area. It was a beautiful view of the terracotta rooftops of the old and new towns, with the rolling patchwork of the Umbrian country side as far as the eye can see.

We then ventured on to Assisi, which is where I hurt my back :-( My luggage had managed to gain a few kilos (just like me) and as I tried to lug my heavy back up a flight of stairs to my hotel room, my poor back gave way. The token male of the group was then the kind one to take care of my bag for the next travel days - very kind of him. While we were in Assisi, we took a trip to the old sector of town to visit the impressive Basilica di San Francesco (St Francis Cathedral) and surrounding medieval buildings. The next day we took a trip to Spello to sample some exclusive wine and regional food at the Enoteca - the wine was fantastic and the food was delicious. We sampled white, red and dessert wines with food to match the wines - it was great fun.

I eventually made it back to Rome (for the 3rd time) and was able to continue in my quest to see Rome. There is so much to see in Rome, and even after another 5 days there I still didn't see it all. I did have to take it easy and not spend too much time walking around (my back was still a little sore), but I was still able to fill my days with lots of sightseeing. I spend a few nights walking around too and was able to obtain some great night shots of the places around the city - it is beautiful at night. I took a guided tour of the Vatican Museum, St Peters Basilica and St Pauls Cathedral - the guide was really good. She was full of heaps of interesting information and I found it beneficial to be given such an extensive tour in such a monumental place. The guide spent a fair amount of time explaining the history of art and the techniques that were used and I found that great - I have been looking at art galleries and frescoes throughout churches and palaces for the last 2 months and I felt that I got a new understanding of it all from the guide.

I will keep you all updated my actions, so don't feel like I will forget the blog now that I am in the UK. I plan of having many more adventures.

Cya

Travelling Through Italy

Well Hello everyone, I am still out and about in Italy and totally loving it. I am currently in Venice - a fantastic and unique city. I will do a bit of catch up on how I have spent my last 2 weeks in the northern parts of Italy.

The tour started in Rome, so I ventured back there for a day. I took a walk through areas I had not yet explored and found myself a Leonardo Da Vinci display which had drawings from the genius, and they had made some of his inventions out of wood, it was quite great to see the items he had designed and thought of way back then. I went back to the ice-creamery that served soy based ice cream and indulged a little - I am holiday, I can spoil myself. We then moved up north to Florence - the art capital of Italy and Europe. Italy contains 60% of the worlds greatest artwork, and Florence contains 50% of that. Given those statistics I couldn"t miss going to the Affuzi (2 hour line up - I was dedicated) and the Acadamia - where David is. The art galleries were amazing, and it was good that I had a little break from galleries and not being in "gallery overload" I could totally appreciate these two galleries in Florence. Our hotel had the view from the window of the beautiful Duomo, it was glorious of a night when it time to go to bed. The night life in Florence was great, the city really came alive around 11pm, so we stayed out one night to watch the sun set and the city lights come alive and then watched the street performers and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Next town was Lucca - I love Lucca. The heart of the town is built within the 16th century city walls, the only walls that are still fully intact in Italy. The town is quaint and beautiful. We stayed in Apartments there so it actually felt like home for a few nights. We had a lounge room and a kitchen and plenty of room to spread out. I cooked a nice past meal for dinner one night too and shared a bottle of wine in relaxing comfort. When we were at Lucca, we took a bike ride along the top of the city walls and along a nearby river, it was a great way to see the Tuscan colours and enjoy the ambiance the city provided. We also took a trip to Pisa - took the usual photos of holding up the tower of course. The lush houses on the walk to see the Tower of Pisa were amazing, we were dreaming of one day owning one as our holiday home. We even went to see a performance of Opera Arias - fantastic (and the guy was a hunny) and we followed the performance with a dinner at the Piano Cafe and enjoyed some more classical music. It was a great night.

After Lucca was Levanto - a beachside town that was also adorable. We went for a quick dip at the beach - the sand is a gravel like colour and texture, and I finally remembered that my camera is waterproof, so I took some pictures from the water as the view from there was the best. We took a day drip to the Cinque Terra - amazingling beautiful, you can see cliff lined coast for ever. We walked from town to town (Riomaggiore> Manarola> Corniglia> Vernazza> Monterosso) - from low beachside towns to towns towering high upon the cliffs. I had to back out of the last leg of the walk - it was a 2 hour trek up and down hills and my knee was hurting within the first 15 minutes, so I turned around and another chick stayed with me. So instead of having a 2 hour heart-pumping trek, we went for a swim and then took the train to the next town. The last town - Monterosso was the most stunning. When we stepped off the train it looked like any of the beach side resort areas you would expect to find along this coast, but then you discover it has so much more to offer. We walked through a tunnel and discovered another beach and a little quaint looking area of town with cafes and little shops. We stayed there for a while, just wandering around and had to eventually drag ourselves away from the area.

After Levanto we did a day of exploration and travel. We trained it to Santa Magherita - a beautiful port side town, with lavish shops and cute cafes. We decided to walk from Santa M to Portofino, and we were extremely glad we did - the view was breathtaking. On the land side we passed massive houses with beautiful gardens, gates and walls and on the otherside were stunning blue waters, rocks and yaghts. We stopped at a cute little beach town tucked in a little cove for luch before venturing on to Portofino. Portofino is great and you tell that the rich people socialise and holiday there by the boats and yaghts that are anchored along the coast and in the marina. We started walking along the boardwalk passing lovely restuarants and then guess what - Elton John comes straight for us and passes by!!!!!!! I walked passed Elton John!!!! Later on I was walking along the boardwalk checking out the resturants and gelaterias and I spotted him dining with his entourage and then I got to see the next famous person - one of the people he was eating with was Suzanna from Trinny & Suzanna!!!!!! What a great day. We then had to leave this little town and move on to Asti.

Asti is a little city and is in an area of wine making and lemon groves. We spend a day going for a bike ride past some vinyards, and then took a tour through a local winery, and then we had lunch in a local resturant. The hotel we stayed at was great, the people were walm and welcoming - they gave us some champayne and appertifes one night before we went out for dinner - very nice of them (and the included breakfast was to die for).

We had another day of exploration and travel - we stopped in at Milan - shopping capital for the top end designer wear, and I was enthraulled. The most surprising thing to find in Milan was the 3rd largest Duomo in world - it was magnificent. We walked along the edges of the Duomo and then onto its rooftop to take in and appreciate the detail in the architecture of the building and the views of the city. While we were up there, we spotted a rooftop resturant we wanted to eat at, so we went on a mission to find this resturant and when we did we had the best meal we have had so far in Italy. It was authentic, well priced and delicious (we took photos of the food!!!). The day ha to end and we had to travel on again, so we jumped on a train and landed at the Italian Lakes - Lake Como. The bus ride to the hotel was a bit hairy - I think the driver was trying to win the Grand Prix, but the view of the lake and the towns that dot its shores were beautiful.

Our accomodation at the Italian Lakes was in a town called Cadenabbia - very cute, but not much there other than hotels. The next day we woke to grey skies, thunder, lightning and rain - but nothing was going to stop us exploring some towns around the fork of the lake. We set off with our umbrellas on hand and my poncho in my bag - we were ready for whatever the weather would bring. We first went to Bellagio where we had a breakfast of the most delicious pastries I have had since France. The back streets in this little town also reminded me of France - cobblestone lanes with flower boxes and quaint boutiques. By this stage the rain had stopped and the skies opened up to a glorious blue. We then set off in another Ferry to Varenna - this was my favourite area. The coastline was stunning and the back streets were adorable, I stumbled across a palace and garden that was devine, and I have many pictures of my walk through Varenna. We had to keep moving though to ensure we were able to see another place, but when we got to our next destination we wished we had stayed longer in Varenna (but how could one know until they got there?). Our last little town for the day was Menaggio - we pottered around for a little while, but there was not too much to see. The skies were becoming dark again and then the rain started, so we found ourselves somewhere to stop to have a late lunch and find shelter from the rain. We had to leave our little cafe sometime, so we got out our umbrellas and spent some time wandering through some elegant homewares / gift stores before I put on my Korjo Poncho (great look!) and then set to the pavement and walked back to the hotel. It was quicker to walk. The buses were not running - it was a public holiday, and the we would have to take 3 Ferries to get back as they weave from side to side of the lake. By the time we got back, the bottoms of my jeans and my shoes & socks were drenched!! Besides that, the walk was very enjoyable and the lightning across the lake was great to watch.

Now I can talk about Venice, the city I am sitting in now. When I walked out of the train station, my first thought was "wow, I am in Venice". It was so unusual to see no cars, buses and scooters and to instead see gondolas and boats! After dumping our luggage we were able to explore the city. We were told the trick of the trade to be able to find you way around the city without the use of the comfusing maps and were later given the opportunity to test it out for ourselves - and it works ! We took a gondola across the river - because there are only 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal, the other was to cross is by these gondolas - I love it!. We then went to the Rialto Bridge and further on the Piazza S. Marco and were then able to explore on our own. Venice is beautiful and very unique. As you weave your way through the city you are constantly crossing little bridges and watching the gondolas and locals go by in the little canals. We took a gondola ride around part of the city and were entertained by a very charming Gondola Man - Sebastiano, who told us the history of the city and some of the buildings we passed, and he also sang a little tune as we floated through the streets. It was a great experience and I recommend it everyone - but I warn you, don"t take the gondolas from around the Grand Canal near Rialto - they are rude and expensive, and tell you to "take a walk" when you don"t like the price. So we did just that, we took a walk and found Sebastiano who was great value and entertaining. We had dinner at a great resturant along the Rialto - Saraceno - it had great service, great food and a great view. During the day we went into the Musei Di Piazza Ducale - the palace of the Duke. The palace was the best I have seen so far in my travels, the artwork within its extravagant gold encrusted walls were amazing, and the history of the rooms was very interesting and you imagine the events that would have occured. We also got to go down into the prisons and over / through the Bridge of Sighs. There is so much to see in Venice, whether it be visit the main attractions, wander the streets and look at all the murano glass items and theatrical masks, or to just wander alond the waters edge and watch the boats and ferries go by.

I know I have used the words "beautiful", "Amazing" & "Breathtaking" throughout my blogs and that is because the places I have been are just that, and I it is hard to describe what I have seen to you all without repeating these very words. This has been an experience of a life time and I am so happy to have been the opportunity to do it, whether you call it fate or destiny I feel that I was meant to do this trip.

I hope I can update you all sometime again soon, but it is not easy to fit it in on my hectic travelling days, but I will try.

Hello from Italy

Hi Everyone, sorry I havent updated in a while - I have been so busy having lots of fun. Last time I left you a message, I was in Spain - I loved Barcelona and didn't have enough time to spend there, so I think that will be a aplace I will have to find time to return to. The Guidi influence in Barcelona is very apparent and the Guidi buildings themselves are just breathtaking. Late one night we ent to a popular location for a cunset and then got to experience the awesome view of a foundtain below coming to life in awesome shapes, brightly lit by changing colours and music playing to add to the effect. A few people in the Spain group are on Facebook and have flagged me in a few photos, so if you are on Facebook - you can check those out. ( I haven't seen them yet, so I hope they are good ones!)

After Barcelona I flew to Rome to start my next trip - The Amalfi Coast & Sorrento. I met up with my tour leader from the France trip when I was in Rome, so that was great to catch up - I wasn't expecting to see her again. The new group was a group of 12 - full capacity, and a great range of people who I got along with really well, especially my room buddy - a Kiwi living in London with a wicked sense of humour. In Rome we visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, had dinner around the corner from the Pantheon, spent a hot & very humid day in the Colosseum and Palatino area. I found an ice-cream place that serves soy based ice-cream - so yippee, I will be going back there!

Next was Pompeii - we stayed in a very cute family run hotel that had 3 x resident dogs lying around reception waiting for their daily pats. The first night I got to Pompeii, we had the air conditioning cranked to a cold temp and I woke up in the middle of the night freezing - and then I got a head cold (I am nearly over it). We visited the ruins of Pompei, our guide was a crack up - Cosmos, very funny and showed us some the funny things they have found there, as well as the rest of the main attractions. It was such a hot and humid day - we were dribbling with sweat and drinking water by the gallan, but we all stuck it out!!! The next day we went to Mt Vesuvious - the volcano that ruined Pomeii back in 79AD. We had a special tour guide that took us up the highest point of the volcano, and along the side of the volcano that only those few who opt for the extra guide take. It was amazing to be standing at the top of a volcano, and looking out at the views of Napoli and Pompeii. The kiwi chick in the group wore her flip-flops/jandals on the hike and was sliding down the loose stones loosing her thongs constantly - it was hilarious! I reckon she is the only person who has climbed Mt Vesuvious on thongs :-)

Sorrento (where I am now) is a beautiful town - our hotel is just outside of Sorrento in Sant Angello and is a great place to stay - we even have a pool!!!!! I spent most of today at the pool. We visited the Isle of Capri, and did the boat trip to the Blue Grotto and then around the island. it was beautiful. We had a swim at the beach at Capri - in beautiful clear water. There are so many huge houses and yaghts along the shore line - very elite. We also visted the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi & Ravello) - the bus ride there and around was very hairy. The streets are basically one lane wide and the bus has to honk its horn at every corner. We nearly hid a van, a van hit the back of the bus, a car ran into a pole trying to get out of the road - all in a normal day on the Amalfi Coast - very funny. The coast line is awesome - villas and orchards line the hills and then brightly coloured umbrellas line the beaches. We had a quick dip in the ocean there too before heading back to the resort.

I have bought myself a few items of glass jewellery and a leather handbag, so I have spoilt myself a little.

I train it back to Rome tomorrow to start the next trip - essence of Italy (Intrepid are the organisers if you want to have a look at the trip notes). I am not sure when I will be able to update you all again, but I will try soon.

Cya

Gibralta + Morocco + Ronda + Granada

Hi Everyone,

We have a lazt day today, as we are catching an overnight train and have to just hang around the city until that time comes. So internet seemed like the logical choice, that is after some shopping of course. It is siesta time now, so the shops are closed :(

The last post told you all that I was heading off to Gibralta. It was a fly in and fly out, as we had to be able to catch the last bus back to where we were staying - Tarifa (Beach resort). As we were about to cross the border into the British Colony, we had to wait as a plane came in for landing right in front of us!! It has a sign when crossing the flight path to not drop any rubbish or any objects on the runway as it could cause an accident, and it said something like "It could be you on one of these planes in the future" :-) It was quite stange walking out of Spain and then walking into Gibralta - there are red double-decker buses, pomms everywhere, Marks & Spencer shops, Fish & Chips, and many other things very British. We didn´t have time to stop and look at any of the shops as we had to quickly make it to the Cable Car to take us up to the famous Rock of Gibralta. When we got to the top, there are warnings everywhere about not feeding the monkies and that they may bite if touched etc, so who forgot they had an empty muesli bar wrapper in the side pocket of her backpack? Me of course, as soon as we were off the cable car a monkey jumped straight onto my backpack and got the wrapper out!! It was hilarious - I could not think what the monkey was possible after, until I saw the wrapper. The funny thing is, I had 2 x in there and didn´t notice until after I got back to the hotel. LOL.

The next day we all excitedly left to go to Morocco. We eagerly caught the ferry in extreme wind conditions, but were quite happy that we were off to see the famous Morocco in Africa. When we got off the ferry, we were told to get back on and have our passports stamped and they guy who stamped them crankily told us that there were announcements in English during the journey, to which we informed him that ´no, there was not any english said´. Why else did he think that a heap of Australians and Americans have to come back for. We eventually got off the ferry, phew. We caught an english speaking bus for our tour, which took us up through the vrey elite suburbs of Morocco, with lavish mansions and beautiful gardens growing in such dry conditions. We stopped so people could take a ride on a camel (I opted out of that one), to which those standing and watching the camel rides were bombarded with hawkers offering to sell the most crappy things. We got back on the bus and then headed for the Kasbah - and yes, we were singing ´rock the Kasbah´!! The Kasbah is actually in some really dodgy looking streets, and the tour continued down these dodgy streets, were more and more hawkers of all ages continually asked us to buy there crap. I expected to have people come up to me selling me things, but these people don´t take no for an answer. One kid asked me 4 times if I wanted to buy some gum off him, to which I said no, no, no, no and then no again with a hand movement of GO AWAY, and so he departed by saying "Fu#¿ You" Lovely !!! So said the same back, cheeking little sod. We watched a snake charmer and then headed towards the resturant, as lunch was included with our tour. We walked through this alley where people we selling fruit and veg, and they were washing the fruit and veg in sewer stinking puddles of water on the ground´- mmm appertising. We turned the corner and there was out resturant - needless to say, I didn´t really eat anything. After luch we went to a rug shop where a fantastic salesman passionately told us about his rugs and the technique that they use, annd then we went to visit the pharmacie to be told about lotions and potions and spices, it was very interesting - they even sell viagra for both men and women - so the men can keep up with their 4 or 5 wives :-) By the end of the day, we were extremely sick of the dirty, stinky streets, and the rude and very persistent hawkers and couldn´t wait to get back onto that ferry and head back to Spain. We all agreed that it was something to definately do, and we did go on a Friday, so most of the better shops are closed for mass etc, but I don´t think any of us would go back again.

After our stay at Tarifa, we headed to the small town of Ronda (and yes again, we did sing "Help me Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda"). We all enjoyed Ronda, it has a famous bridge which is just amazing to see, and on day 2 at Ronda, Hollie and I went for a walk down the side of the cliff to see the waterfalls under the bridge and to get a better view of it - beautiful. The shops there were very quaint and sold some great items, it is such a bummer that I can´t carry anything that I buy, my bag is full and heavy enough already. They had some beautiful hand laced tables cloths and runners, and they a great quality range of leather goods. The pottery and oilk paintings were wonderful too.

We then travelled to Granada, another great place in Spain. Ronda and Granada brought about an appreciation for Spain, up until now, I hadn´t been that impressed. We visited the Alhumbra yesterday, which has lavish gardes, Muslim palaces and an old castle that was used as a watch tower and dungeon. The night we arrived in Granada, at 7 pm the temperature was 41 degrees (I even took a photo of the sign to remember it). It is very hot, but at least it isn´t that humid, so it is bearable. The hotest past of the day seems to be around 6pm, that is when the sun is directly above you - it is strange. The first night we went to a very friendly and welcoming bar for a dinner of tapas and drinks, it was fun. Last night though, a few of us went out for a ´normal´ meal - I loved it, it was the best meal I had had in a while.

Tonight we head off on our train to Valencia - the town for Paella (a scrumptous rice dish) and our tour leader has really talked up Valencia, so hopefully it lives up to it.

Of well best get going now. I will update you all again hopefully soon.

Seville - Spain

A quick hello again while I have the opportunity. I am now in Seville, Spain - a big city that has a great buzzing night life. Last night we had some early drinks and then went to a Flamenco Show - it was great. The music and dance has so much passion and power through both the song and movements, it was truly great to see live. We were in a small in-side pation type area, and there was only 3 rows of people on 3 sides around the performers, so it was quite an intimate setting which added to the effect of the hour long performance. Afterwards we had tappas for dinner (at 10:30pm) and then we went to a local club, under the trees and along the river. We had a great time dancing the night away - a group of American guys were happy to find some people that spoke english (and a group of girls!!!) and joined us on the dance floor. We partied on until 3 in the morning - it was great to go out and dance the night away - and most of the music was music we know, not Spanish.

Today I joined up with another girl in our group and we visited the Bull Ring (one of the best in Spain), and then went to the Cathedral and climbed the tower to see the awesome sky views of the city. It was 37 degrees today and very humid, but we kept walking around to ensure we didn´t miss out on anything! We also visted a few monuments, and palaces and enjoyed strolling through some gorgeous gardens that were built for siesta time! We visted the Alcazara (not sure of the spelling and I didn´t bring my map with me) which is a palace full of tiled walls and ceilings and amazing gardens all built within a large stone fence/wall.

Tomorrow we are staying in a beach resort on the southern point of Spain and I will taking a quick trip to Gabralta to see the ´rock´. The following day (Friday) most of the group will be doing a day trip to Morocco, so that should be great.

I best get going, it is late and we have an early start.

Cordoba - Spain

Well hello to everyone again. I have been in Spain now for the last few days, we travelled from Sarlat (my last blog update) to Luchon in France. Luchon is a hiking area - in the Pyraneese Mountains, were we went for a hike up one of the hills. I chickened out and only went up half the mountain as I twisted my knee after the last bike bike ride and hill climb. The knee is good, as long as I don´t do too many hill climbs and walk back down steep cobble stone hills. Luchon was very cute - also a small place - mountail village. We ate crepes and waffles while we were there, and had a few drinks in a small pub. The pub was so cute, wooden tables and chairs, deer horns and that type of thing on the walls, with rugs and cushions over the chairs. The accomodation was really good too, I had a nice long hot bath after the hike to recover ;)

We then took a bus, 3 trains and then another bus to get to San Sebastian in Spain. San Sebastian was full of Aussies - they were absolutely everywhere. I suppose this is understandable, as the running of the bulls was near by and it is coastal city in Spain with some great beaches (one being a nudie one). San Sebastian is famous for its sunset over the water, the perfect view from the beach. We ventured out at 9:20pm to see the sunset, which happened a little after 10pm, to which we then went for dinner.

It is really hard to get used to the time people eat around here, and work around the siestas. The shops etc are open from 10am to about 1pm, and then they close, and re-open at about 4:30-5pm to 8 or 9pm. Most resturants don´t serve dinner until 9:30pm (the normal is 10pm), so all you can eat until then is pinxtos (tappas) at the bars.

The most random thing happened in San Sebastian. I was sitting at a resturant for lunch with Kirsten from our group, as we were leaving I heard "Haylee" - I turned around and in the same resturant were 2 x people I went to school with - Nadira and Sheridan!!!!! I had chatted with Nadira on Facebook prior to leaving for my holiday, and she had said that he would be in Spain around the same time as me and we might bump into each other. What were the odds of it actually happening!!???!!

From San Sebastian we went to Madrid. It is a city much like Paris in its party life and busy streets. We didn´t arrive there until after 10pm, so it was the perfect time for an orientation through the city. The cafes, resturants and streets were alive, and it was quite strange venturing out to the same place the following day, and seeing such a difference in the culture / feel of the city. I went to the Museo del Prado, wandered through the gardens and the city street for the afternoon, before getting reading for our final night dinner for the first half of the tour. Only myself and another lady booked the full tour from Paris to Barcelona, so all the rest are going home of off onto another adventure of their own. We went to the main square for our dinner and relished in the lively atmosphere in the terrace area. The meal was awesome - the best I have had so far. We had bread, and some type of spread and also olives for nibbles. I chose a beautiful vegetable soup for entre and then shared a paella for main. Paella is beautiful and so flavoursome, I am going to try and google some recipes so I can attempt to make it again some time. We all shared Sangria with the meal - delicious, and then after our meal the resturant gave us a bottle of some type of apricot liquer - a ´digestive´they call it. They served in an old style bottle filled with apricots with 2 x cinnamon sticks in it, it was so potent I could only handle one of them, but the table easily finished it off.

The next night we met the new group to continue on our tour. This leg is a full group - 11 females and 1 male, all Aussies, and we have a Spanish tour leader - Josey. The group is getting along really well, but I was ´blessed´with having a snorer for the first 2 x nights, so I have gladly got someone else to share the room with. We took a day tour to Toledo yesterday, a smaller town that has a lot of history to share. The town has grown since the beginning of AD with various religious groups taking it over. It has walls throughout the city, which highlight which religious group had reign at that time, and the arches are quite unique also. The largest wall which surrounds the old part of the city was built by the Christians, and is beautiful to see.

Today we left Madrid and are now in Cordoba. We had a delicious lunch today of a variety of traditional Spanish dishes in a tappas like style spread across the table, so we could all have a bit of everything. We have been for a tour around the town, and will be leaving early in the morning to go to Seville. The tour leader has given Seville very high praise and we will be staying there a few nights, so we should get to see alot there - and it is were we get to the Flamenco dancing!!!! It should be a great night.

I was glad to finally get the chance to update you all on my adventure. It really hard to find decent internet places, and at a good price. I am getting a little sick of having to lug my bag up and down stairs in the train stations, and through city streets to the hotel, but I get over it when I get there :)

I shall update again, as soon as I can. I am having heaps of fun, eating delicious food and meeting great people. I hope everyone else is having a good time too. I have often said, at times where I am wandering through a beautiful garden, or watching the best sunset I have ever seen "I wonder what everyone else is doing right now".

I won´t be able to update you all on any photos until I get back to the UK, so I pick the best ones out then for you all.

Sarlat, France - the Cutest Village Ever

Hi again everyone, I am currently in the cutest little village I have ever seen - it is also on Frances Best Villages list. We arrived 2 days ago at night, and sat in a local resturant for some dinner and took in some of the sights of the village. Yesterday we went on a bike ride through the countryside and saw heaps of Castles and beautiful scenery. We rode all day, and there were 3 long hills that we had to climb - we had our bikes on the lowest possible gear, and just had to perservere - one of the hills was 4kms long!!!! By the time we got to the top I was stuffed, and luckily that was the last hill. We went for a boat ride too through a village that has been built into the mountain, and some of the houses were built out of rocks from a landslide in the village a long time ago. We visited only one of the Castles though, as it was becoming a long day with all the cycling. When we returned to Sarlat (were we are staying) we went to a resturant recommended by the locals and had one of the best meals so far on the trip. I think thz smaller the village, the better the food. I had a big sleep in to recoever from my bike ride, and then visited the local market that was on today and had lunch in a park up on the hill. Tomorrow is another long train ride to the next stop - Luchon, and the day after is the hike of the Pyranees - so I best rest for the rest of today and tomorrow to rebuild my energy.

I best go as someone is waiting to use the computer.

Update to the world

Hi everyone again - I am now in La Rochelle, France. It is a coastal city that flurished from sea trade back in the day. I have to mention now that I may not get to right that much, as the keyboards in France are very different, and I really need to concentrate on where the letters and punctuation are.

Paris was a magical city, with crazy drivers and late nights. The traffice is caotic and there seem to be no road rules, well none that the people abide by. Bicycles and scooters are a very popular way to travel in Pzris, probably because there is nowhere to park - they bumper park here, it is hillarious to watch. The sun doesn't go down until around 10pm, so there are stores open, people busking, street parties and just noise from people out and about. They really take advantage of the summer nights. The stores don't open until 10 or 11 in the morning, so they all must be recovering from the previous night. The city streets are quite horrible though, they stink and are dirty, and have many beggers on them, but once I looked past that - the city is wonderful.

I have met some great people on my tour - most of us are Aussies !!! I have teamed up with one chick (an Aussie) and we have gone to see the sights together. It is great to have someone that I can share my thoughts with and share the experience with, and to have someone to take photos of me also (instead of just scenery or the 'self portrait' style photos'.

The Notre Dame is wonderful building, that has gargoile type figures surrounding the building - the protectors. The Eiffel Tower is just breath-taking, I actually said "oh my God" when I was standing beneath it, it is something that has to be seen to be really taken in. The Louve was tremendous - I spend nearly the whole day there, there are so many beautiful painting and other works of art to see, and art from around the world throughout many centuries.

Our group then ventured south to Tours, where we went on a bike ride for the day going past quaint farm houses and along a river to the Villandry - a Chateau with one of the best gardens in the world. It was beautiful. By the time we got back to the town my butt was ready to fall off - we had been on an uncomfortable bike seat to 4 & 1/2 hours in total!!

Next we ventured down further south to La Rochelle, where I am now and we are staying here tomorrow and then leaving at lunch time th efollowing day. The major cities are great but I am glad to be away from them and to actually see some countryside and markets etc that I can enjoy at a relaxed pace.

It has been hot & humid, but I have been careful to ensure I am 'slip, slop, slapping' so I hqven't really got sunburnt, my arms are actually starting to tan!

I best get going, I just though I would give you all an update of my adventure. I am missing everyone, but everyday is a new experience that I am thouroughly enjoying.

I will update you all again soon.

Tripping Around London Day 2

Hi everyone, yesterday was another fun filled packed day of events.

I started the day at the wonderful and impressive Shakespeare's Theatre - the history of the theatre was very interesting and the actual construction and materials used on the latest (third) Globe Theatre is very interesting and the acoustics in the open air theatre is also very impressive. I hope to be able to visit it again and see a performance.

I then ventured onto the Southwark Cathedral - it was very bad timing though, a truck load of school kids were there for concerts and such, so I had a quick wander around and then snuck out the door.

The Tate Modern Art Gallery was next on the cards, and it was okay - just another art gallery really, but it is good to see a range of famous and not so famous artists being displayed.

The London Eye was my next attraction. Although the line was quite long, it did not take long at all to actually make it onto the eye and to take in the wonderful views from high above. it is amazing how much you actually see from the top. Of course many photos were taken, and I have been doing to good old 'self photo' with some scenery in the background, just so my photos aren't just scenery.

I moved on to the Florence Nightingale Museum, which is unfortunately in it's last week of opening, I am not sure if they are relocating or closing it down. It was very interesting and full of great stories of how she changed the world of nursing and the improvements (or implementation) of hygiene practices.

I walked across the bridge next to Westminster Abbey, and took in the awesome views that the Abbey gives. I had an audio tour of the Abbey, which highlighted some of the main statues within its walls, and also highlighted some of the people who have been honoured in its walls. There is a statue of Shakespeare, and underneath it is a plaque for the Bronte Sisters. Every hour the Abbey stops for a prayer, and the hussle and bussle of all the tourists stops and everyone bows there heads, I was happy to have experienced that too.

Harrods, Harrods, Harrods - boy is that one awesome shopping centre. I was most disappointed thought that the external walls are being renovated, so there is just these pictures up covering the walls and a big awning surround the building - I didn't get to see the real thing. I wandered around every level, and dreamed of being able to afford half of the items there - very exclusive lines of clothing, tableware, silverware & crystals just to name a few. I was totally enthralled by the Pet Kingdom - it was awesome!!!! Clothing, collars, beds, bags, toys and bakery - all just for your dog or cat !!! It was great - I could see Tubby in a few of the tough collars they had.

I was totally exhausted by the end of the day, and couldn't wait to get back to the hotel to remove my shoes and give my feet a rub, and to relax my shoulders for a bit and give them a rub too. I am going to be totally stuffed by the end of August, but I would have had the time of my life.

My time is running out on the internet, so I best go. I am off to Kensington Palace today and to do a few minor things before I set off to Paris in the morning.

I shall bid adieu - and will hopefully update you again soon.

Leeds Castle, Dover, Canterbury & Greenwich

It's me again. I am going to take advantage of internet access while I can, so I thought I'd give you all an update again today.

Today was the day of my tour: Leeds Castle, Cliffs of Dover, Canterbury, and Greenwich. Leeds Castle was beautiful, and the surrounding gardens were so tranquil. They had a maze there, so of course I had to give it ago .. and I was able to find my way to the middle and then down out through the 'grotto' - this was a dark walkway under the maze with statues carved in the walls. The gardens around the Castle and through the grounds were amazing and so colourful. There is lavender and roses everywhere to be seen. I met some really friendly people on the tours, some Aussies were on the tour, as can be expected.

Next we ventured to Dover to visit the famous White Cliffs of Dover. It was a fine day so the white cliffs were iridescent, making them easy to spot as we were approaching the town. High on the hill on top of the cliffs is the Castle Dover of which we were able to catch a quick glimpse of from the beach and then as the bus drove us past it. We had a quick stroll on the beach there too, there is no sand - just little pebbles, and then we were off again.

Next was Canterbury. It is such a beautiful place. It has cobblestone roads that go between the rows of 'old england' style shops, it was very peaceful strolling along admiring all that it had to offer. We also visited the Canterbury Cathedral and the gardens around it. The Cathedral holds many tombs within it and one very interesting piece of history - the oldest piece of leadlight remaining in England. It is in one of the windows as you enter the Cathedral - a picture of Adam digging in a garden. From Canterbury we headed back towards London and stopped at Greenwich to catch a ferry along the Thames and on to Embarkment where we all hopped off. The tour guide was amazing, she holds so much information in her head and was able to share so much of the history of the places we visited, and also of the places we passed on the bus ride between locations. I was able to obtain a many wonderful photos, but unfortunately I cannot share any as yet, as I this computer doesn't allow access to it.

After the tour, I decided to go for a stroll through the city thanks to the London A-Z, and ended up walking all the way back to hotel. I found a statue of Florence Nightingale (Mum - you will love that photo), and some other interesting buildings, The Big Ben and many others. I made my way back through Hyde Park and visited the Rose Garden and also the Memorial Fountain for Princess Diana.

One thing really cracked me up today, I have come across a few 'whinging poms' as they say, but the old fellow today was hilarious - we were walking through Canterbury on our way to an eatery for lunch and this old fellow goes "If you bump my f'ing leg, I will beat you" in this low dreary tone!!! And what was funniest - it was aimed at a little girl walking towards him!!!

Oh well, I might call it a day. I have been out and about for over 12 hours now and it is now 8:30pm, sun still shining, but I am hungry and ready for a shower.

I hope to be able to share some photos with you soon.

Love Haylee

Hi Everyone - I am now in London!!! The flight was very tiring and I can't wait to get to my hotel room and just sleep. The flights from Brisbane to Singapore was pretty good, I didn't sleep though - I think I was too anxious/excited/nervous. There was a little kid that was making a bit of noise too, so that didn't help. We were able to get off the plane at Singapore for about an hour, so it was a good chance to stretch the legs. Then we were off to Abu Dhabi. I was really quite shocked at this airport - it was really disorganised and quite dirty. The toilets were filthy and quite busy. I was tired and couldn't even be bothered with Duty Free!!! The sign came up for our flight onto London, so myself and a lot of others stood in a long queue to be told that they were only taking the people for another flight. There was nobody assiting people anywhere. We were eventually able to do through the gates to the boarding room and that was even more disorganised as they were still only taking people for the other flight - so there were people for London having to try to move to the side and let other people sqeeze through to the other flight. Anyway, that was an eye opener - I was thinking "I hope I don't come across this often". I was finally able to get a little sleep on the flight to London - I was finally in a deep sleep and then I got woken up for food - oh well, a girls got to eat :)

I had a long wait at the Heathrow Airport to get through the huge customs queues, but finally I made it with no more problems. I quickly caught a cab to my hotel. The cabbie was really friendly and we had a good chat - made me feel welcome, and gave me a few pointers. I haven't been able to check into my room yet, but I was able to drop off my bag and backpack.

My hotel is near Hyde Park, so I have had a bit of a stroll through the park. Local artists have paintings displayed (and for sale of course) along the fence of Hyde Park today, so I have had a look at them - some of them are so beautiful and creative.

I am off to get some food for the week now from the shops that are also in walking distance of my hotel, but the shops have only just opened so I have had some to fill - which was lucky, as I was able to find this place that has internet service. I haven't taken many photos yet (just a few of Hyde Park) and I haven't got all my cords, so I will send through some photos next time I get in touch.

If some of this doesn't make any sense - I am not surprised, I am sleep deprived (I know - it rhymed!).

I am off to do the tour of Leeds Castle etc tomorrow, so I best be off and get my self organised and get some sleep.

I am missing people already - as sad as that may be. I am out of my comfort zone and feeling a little nervous at times. I just need to keep thinking how great it is to be here, and to just admire the surroundings.

Bye for now - Haylee

Countdown

Sunday June 15 - 6 sleeps to go & my last Birthday in Oz for 2 x years!!!



Well, my countdown has well and truly begun and it will be not long until I fly out of the country for two years.



Yesterday, Mum & Dad held an afternoon tea so family and friends could wish me a happy 27th birthday and to "bid adeau" and wish me well. It was great to catch up with my family and friends and share the first few details of my next big adventure.

Here is what I have planned for the first few months:

• Fly out on Saturday to London
• Spend 5 nights in London
• Fly to Paris to start my first tour - France & Spain for 29 days
• Fly to Rome to start my second tour - Amalfi Coast of Italy for 7 days
• Train back to Rome to start my third tour - The Essence of Italy for 21days
• I have extended by time in Rome at the end of my tour to stay an extra 3 nights, so I can see as much of Rome and surrounding areas as I can
• Fly back London and then make my way to Cambridge to stay with my cousin Richard
  

I am getting really excited and can't wait until Saturday. I am not sure when I will be able to update my blog next, I will try and find time when I am in Rome to update you all on what I have seen and done. I will post photos here for you too as soon as I can.

'til next time - take care :)