It has been a while! I've been constantly waiting for things to happen, then the things I'm waiting for don't happen. V frustrating.
When I first came back to Australia I was planning to find a place to live, work hard & save for another overseas trip, &, a minor thing, also get the final charms for my travel Pandora bracelet . I've not managed to do any of that yet. But I will.
The main reason has been my library work which for the last year has been undergoing change, both the parameters of the job & the conditions of work with extensive training/retraining demanded. The upshot of that is I am now working my permanent role of 25 hours per week, which thankfully can't be changed. I do get extra hours when someone is away but that can't be relied on. So I am waiting to see what happens next. No job is worth the pressure, the lies & the strain. I like things smooth.
When things settle, if they ever do, I will look for another part-time job or take on junk mail deliveries again. Oh joy! I'm working on the saving, just not as fast as I had expected. Once again a lesson to only rely on myself.
In the meantime, I have gained a great-granddaughter, Skylah Jade, who is now 9 months old. I've been over to see her once & I hope she'll grow up feisty. Pity I'm living in a different country though.
My Pandora bracelet should be complete this week. I'm getting the last charm & a safety chain. I hadn't planned the chain but Jan rightly has suggested that I need to insure the bracelet & I imagine any insurance company will require it. I have started an NZ Evolve bracelet now which is for my Kiwi memories, as the Pandora is for my travel mementoes.
Entertainment wise, I've been to see Celtic Woman, Celtic Thunder & some of the Conservatorium student concerts. I had a weekend down at Cooloongatta to see Opera on the Beach, Opera Australia performing The Magic Flute. Thoroughly enjoyed that. I have booked for Andrea Bocelli in September, should be great. Oh, I've seen some good movies & read a heap of good books. I do enjoy entertainment!
So life continues & fun is always a possibility.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Holiday roundoff (belated!)
The play in London, 'The Woman in Black', was a thriller & great fun, even managed to elicit a few screams from the audience. The rest of us then lol'd at the screamers. There was a huge cast of just two men & they were excellent actors, kept me enthralled. So that was a fitting end to my time in London & the UK. Many thanks to Michelle & Karen & their families & to Alan for having me to stay & showing me around their adopted country.
I flew from Heathrow, with a visit to the Kath Kidston shop in Terminal 3 for some essential present purchases, & eventually arrived in Dubai for 2 nights. I had booked a ticket online to go up to the observation deck on the 124th! floor of the Burj Khalifa, a truly fantastic building with fabulous views over the city & towards the desert, loved that. I roamed around the Dubai Mall for several hours, without shopping, just looking at the exoticism of the place, especially the Souk area. Even took my first video ever, of the daytime fountain show at the foot of the Burj Khalifa behind the Dubai Mall. Next visit I'll try to get the evening show which is even more spectacular with laser lights, fountain & the Burj Khalifa lit up behind. Froze in my hotel room that night. The aircon was set on 17c!, got them to up it but it stopped at 20c. Way too cold for me & the room smelt damp, not my favourite hotel.
Dan, my young cuz, picked me up the next day & off to Abu Dhabi in the next Emirate where he is living. He has a nice flat there with a big balcony for entertaining (just getting bbq & outdoor furniture now that I'm back in Brisbane, lol). We went swimming in that lovely, warm, blue/green ocean, really it was nearly bath temp, just lovely. Afterwards, Dan's Dad, David, rang so we chatted to him in turns while showering & changing. Standing on the beach in Abu Dhabi, UAE, talking to David in Brisbane, Aus, sometimes things seemed quite surreal! Anyway after a lovely lunch, saw those smoking pipes!, Dan drove me around the city showing me the sights & the great buildings, including a fabulous mosque. (The pictures are on fb, I think.) Abu Dhabi will soon outdo Dubai with its unique, modern architecture which is fitting as Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was a good day with Dan & after picking his lady, Lisa, up from the airport that evening it was time to drive back to Dubai for my last freezing night. Thanks, Dan!
I arrived back in Brisbane early in the morning on the 31st August & was picked up by Jan, of course, & 2 v excited granddaughters. Just as well I had shopped at Kath Kidston! So great to see them all again - I really had missed my own little Brisbane family.
My exciting, wonderful, dream-fulfilling 4-month OE adventure was over & it was so awesome! I visited fifteen fabulous countries & landed at/took off from one more, twice. Loved travelling, loved seeing new places, loved catching up with my friends & relations in foreign climes, loved the whole overseas experience immensely!
But it's not enough, future trips to come!!!!!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Let's go to the seaside!
Scarborough was great, two biggish bays, North Bay where I stayed with mini golf, Sea Life Adventures, Peasholm Park & a mini railway, & South Bay with the trashy amusement arcades, rides & further around was a Spa Centre with orchestra! Both beaches are good for swimming though too cold for me. Peasholm Park was lovely with tracks to roam & it seemed every time I turned a corner there was another view to photograph, lovely wooden carvings too. In between the two bays is a promontory (I think that's what it would be called, could be wrong!) with Scarborough Castle at the top & the ruins of a Roman Signal Tower by the cliff, photos on fb already.
I did a lot of walking around then on my last evening realised I hadn't set foot on the actual sandy beach. So I clambered down to the sand & walked to the other end of North Bay. Btw, North Bay, South Bay? They're as unimaginative as us Kiwis with the North Island & the South Island, eh.
I've been back in Huntingdon for a few days now, did a day trip to Peterborough for a looksee. Again plenty of walking around fens. Great cathedral there with a v unique painted wooden ceiling.
From Wikipedia:
By 1193 the building was completed to the western end of the Nave, including the central tower and the decorated wooden ceiling of the nave. The ceiling, completed between 1230 and 1250, still survives. It is unique in Britain and one of only four such ceilings in the whole of Europe[6] It has been over-painted twice, once in 1745, then in 1834, but still retains the character and style of the original.
If you want to see it you'll have to google it as I didn't take any photos. The Cathedral only allows photography if you buy a licence for £3! I was too mean to pay it, worth looking up though.
Anyway, I've since been to the movies, so prosaic, eh. City of Bones, the first of the Mortal Instruments series, started yesterday & I couldn't miss that as I am currently reading Book Four of that series. Tomorrow I have booked a ticket to 'The Woman in Black', a play showing in London.
I did a lot of walking around then on my last evening realised I hadn't set foot on the actual sandy beach. So I clambered down to the sand & walked to the other end of North Bay. Btw, North Bay, South Bay? They're as unimaginative as us Kiwis with the North Island & the South Island, eh.
I've been back in Huntingdon for a few days now, did a day trip to Peterborough for a looksee. Again plenty of walking around fens. Great cathedral there with a v unique painted wooden ceiling.
From Wikipedia:
By 1193 the building was completed to the western end of the Nave, including the central tower and the decorated wooden ceiling of the nave. The ceiling, completed between 1230 and 1250, still survives. It is unique in Britain and one of only four such ceilings in the whole of Europe[6] It has been over-painted twice, once in 1745, then in 1834, but still retains the character and style of the original.
If you want to see it you'll have to google it as I didn't take any photos. The Cathedral only allows photography if you buy a licence for £3! I was too mean to pay it, worth looking up though.
Anyway, I've since been to the movies, so prosaic, eh. City of Bones, the first of the Mortal Instruments series, started yesterday & I couldn't miss that as I am currently reading Book Four of that series. Tomorrow I have booked a ticket to 'The Woman in Black', a play showing in London.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Travelling on
Stratford-upon-Avon was a v short visit, just overnight then the morning. So I hopped on a red bus, did the sightseeing thing, then wandered along the Avon a little, saw more narrow boats, swans, & rowers.
Anyway I moved on to The Lakes District, Cumbria, for a couple of days. It is gorgeous there. I went on two day trips, one to the Beatrix Potter locations, & then on to see some of the lower lakes including a short cruise, & wandered round another stone circle. The second was to some of the higher lakes & passes, even saw the Irish Sea, & explored a Roman ruin while dodging sheep dags.
I've spent some days in Brampton, also in Cumbria, catching up with an old school friend. We went to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo & I loved that. There was a band from New Zealand & a marching girl team, totally stole the show of course. Even included a little gangnam! The whole show was great, well worth the trip. I walked along a section of Hadrians Wall, only finding out at the end that it was a 'moderate' stretch, not the 'easy' I had hoped for. Thanks, Alan!
Now I'm in Glasgow & today I have followed a trail of Charles Rennie Macintosh stuff. (Great word 'stuff') Macintosh was a Scots architect, artist, interior designer, & was married to Margaret MacDonald Macintosh, also an artist, sculptor, textile & interior designer. I started at the Hunterian Museum & viewed Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall, another Roman wall built in Scotland. Then found out I needed to be at the Hunterian Art Gallery. That was where the Macintosh reconstructed house was. The house was amazing, loved the lounge especially. The Art Gallery is at the University of Glasgow & while I was there Eduroam Wifi kicked in which was a bonus. Next place was the Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery for a Macintosh exhibit, great, with the Glasgow Style Gallery, great, plus I walked through some other exhibits, then on to the Willow Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh. I stayed there for a late lunch, had a good look around, lovely place & a good meal. The last place I visited was The Lighthouse, home to the Macintosh Centre, a great exhibit & interesting as they had made models of 'unbuilt' Macintosh buildings as well as his built. I enjoyed my day & Macintosh was obviously the highlight. I did do another red bus tour yesterday arvo which gave me a good overview of the central city.
I decided a few days ago that I was all 'historied' out so following the Macintosh trail was a pleasant change & another aim achieved. Even though I missed out five other pertinent buildings! Couldn't get to them all in one day.
Tomorrow the seaside for some beach walks & relaxation.
Anyway I moved on to The Lakes District, Cumbria, for a couple of days. It is gorgeous there. I went on two day trips, one to the Beatrix Potter locations, & then on to see some of the lower lakes including a short cruise, & wandered round another stone circle. The second was to some of the higher lakes & passes, even saw the Irish Sea, & explored a Roman ruin while dodging sheep dags.
I've spent some days in Brampton, also in Cumbria, catching up with an old school friend. We went to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo & I loved that. There was a band from New Zealand & a marching girl team, totally stole the show of course. Even included a little gangnam! The whole show was great, well worth the trip. I walked along a section of Hadrians Wall, only finding out at the end that it was a 'moderate' stretch, not the 'easy' I had hoped for. Thanks, Alan!
Now I'm in Glasgow & today I have followed a trail of Charles Rennie Macintosh stuff. (Great word 'stuff') Macintosh was a Scots architect, artist, interior designer, & was married to Margaret MacDonald Macintosh, also an artist, sculptor, textile & interior designer. I started at the Hunterian Museum & viewed Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall, another Roman wall built in Scotland. Then found out I needed to be at the Hunterian Art Gallery. That was where the Macintosh reconstructed house was. The house was amazing, loved the lounge especially. The Art Gallery is at the University of Glasgow & while I was there Eduroam Wifi kicked in which was a bonus. Next place was the Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery for a Macintosh exhibit, great, with the Glasgow Style Gallery, great, plus I walked through some other exhibits, then on to the Willow Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh. I stayed there for a late lunch, had a good look around, lovely place & a good meal. The last place I visited was The Lighthouse, home to the Macintosh Centre, a great exhibit & interesting as they had made models of 'unbuilt' Macintosh buildings as well as his built. I enjoyed my day & Macintosh was obviously the highlight. I did do another red bus tour yesterday arvo which gave me a good overview of the central city.
I decided a few days ago that I was all 'historied' out so following the Macintosh trail was a pleasant change & another aim achieved. Even though I missed out five other pertinent buildings! Couldn't get to them all in one day.
Tomorrow the seaside for some beach walks & relaxation.
Monday, August 5, 2013
12 days on!
Wow! I hadn't realised how time was slipping away. Twelve days since I wrote in here.
I have stayed with Michelle & family at Huntingdon again. A fairly quiet time but then Scott was sent to Cardiff in Wales with his work, apparently an unusual occurrence, & we went along for the ride. So a country I hadn't expected to see, a small amount of sightseeing achieved, then when we went to the beach it poured with rain. But an enjoyable time.
Now I'm travelling again. I'm now in Oxford staying at the YHA for two nights. The only city bus tour here is the hop on, hop off variety which I have done. It only takes an hour, a v small city! Plenty of gargoyles, etc & the University of course with, I think, thirty nine colleges. Today I was going to do a walking tour but it's raining again, so here I am in the Library writing my blog. If it fines up this arvo I'll do some wandering. I'm hoping to visit the Ashmolean Museun tomorrow morning, not open today, then I catch a train to Stratford-upon-Avon.
One funny thing, I always travel with a padlock for those times at a YHA when I need to lock my bag & stuff in a cupboard. So last night I got ready for bed, threw my stuff in the cupboard & locked it. Then realised all my keys & the room key card were inside said cupboard. I had to go down to Reception in my dressing gown & ask for help. They have heavy duty bolt cutters, cut that lock, no problem. I asked if many people did that & was told about once a week, lol.
Tomorrow Stratford-upon-Avon.
I have stayed with Michelle & family at Huntingdon again. A fairly quiet time but then Scott was sent to Cardiff in Wales with his work, apparently an unusual occurrence, & we went along for the ride. So a country I hadn't expected to see, a small amount of sightseeing achieved, then when we went to the beach it poured with rain. But an enjoyable time.
Now I'm travelling again. I'm now in Oxford staying at the YHA for two nights. The only city bus tour here is the hop on, hop off variety which I have done. It only takes an hour, a v small city! Plenty of gargoyles, etc & the University of course with, I think, thirty nine colleges. Today I was going to do a walking tour but it's raining again, so here I am in the Library writing my blog. If it fines up this arvo I'll do some wandering. I'm hoping to visit the Ashmolean Museun tomorrow morning, not open today, then I catch a train to Stratford-upon-Avon.
One funny thing, I always travel with a padlock for those times at a YHA when I need to lock my bag & stuff in a cupboard. So last night I got ready for bed, threw my stuff in the cupboard & locked it. Then realised all my keys & the room key card were inside said cupboard. I had to go down to Reception in my dressing gown & ask for help. They have heavy duty bolt cutters, cut that lock, no problem. I asked if many people did that & was told about once a week, lol.
Tomorrow Stratford-upon-Avon.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
My tour of one!
Amazing! I met the GAdventures person (GAP) at the Amman Airport to find I was the only tourist! So I have had a driver all to myself, Mohammed. Strange! I presume you've seen the photos on fb from Jerash. I spent several hours there wandering around. The driver doesn't guide, I now know. So I guided myself by the signposts, then googled Jerash when I got to the hotel, matched up photos on Wikipedia. I enjoyed it though, especially meeting the Jordanian Military bagpiper! I'm glad he spoke English, lol.
Yesterday Mohammed drove me four hours to Wadi Rum, a Bedouin camp in the desert. The drive was really boring, just a long, long road with stony, tussocky scenery. When we arrived, three Bedouin staff had tea cooking in an earth oven, a Bedouin speciality, lol. About an hour later I climbed into the back of a 4*4 small truck, something I haven't done since 1974, & was driven around the desert sights & watched the sunset. Being in the desert was awesome & when we stopped for the sunset, the silence was lovely, just a bit of wind. Lots of tourists in the backs of lots of little trucks were being driven round, plus one group on camels. Later a group of about ten Dutch tourists had arrived in the camp for the night & the earth oven was opened ceremoniously, everyone invited to take photos. I didn't see any need, think hangi. It was a good tea, a good evening, but with a full moon. I had hoped to see an amazing starry sky without light pollution but Mother Nature intervened. The moon sent the stars scurrying, completely washed them out. Still a good night, though.
Today we have driven to Petra & Mohammed arranged a local guide for me, Omar, not Omar Shariff sadly. He was interesting, knew his spiel well, & walked me around for about three hours. I loved Petra, a marvellous place with lots to see. The photos will go on fb. To see all of Petra you need several days & good knees, lots of walking in/on sand, stones, stairs, hills, etc. The colours in the stone were great, would be even better in the rain though I'm glad it wasn't raining. My dream of visiting Petra fulfilled, eh.
Tomorrow it's back to Amman to the Larsa Hotel again & I fly to London on Friday. Jordan has been lovely.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
The Dead Sea!
Things happen, things change. I am now at the Holiday Inn at the Dead Se in Jordan. Really cool resort!
Vienna was great, more sightseeing, went back to Schonbrunn Palace 'cos I left my jacket behind. Christine & I had gone there on Monday to wander & lunch & went to the Strudelshow. I got picked to assist the baker putting on the show, complete with hat & apron. Well, I now have a certificate declaring me a Master Baker of Appelstrudel! Haha! Take that Jan! But I left said jacket behind, silly me. I wandered around there for a while, zoo, labyrinth, gardens, etc, nice place.
The next day I went to the Pandora shop & picked up charms for Switzerland, Holland & Belgium, yay. Then spent the arvo at the hospital 'cos I had acquired an infection that needed antibiotics, so not nice. I knew there was a possibility of recurrence so the doc in Australia had given me antibiotics in case. Again silly me, I only brought half of them with me, the rest are at Michelle's in my other case. No good to me there, eh. But all sorted now & I have enough now for 10 days. That should kill it!
Yesterday, thanks to strenuous efforts on Jan's part, I flew to Cairo, didn't leave the airport, then on to Amman, Jordan & transferred to the Dead Sea. I am staying at a v spiffy resort till the 22nd, then I join the Jordan tour as originally booked.
So no Egypt! I had planned to stay in Cairo for 3 nights, visiting the Pyramids one day & Alexandria the other. The 2 seemingly worst cities for rioting & deaths are Cairo & Alexandria! The tour company cancelled, & I like being alive, no brainer, eh. The Pyramids & the new Alexandria Library built on the site of that famous ancient Library will not be seen by me, so disappointed.
The resort is great, four pools, a spa, & the Dead Sea! I've been in the pools already, so warm. I got talking to a 14 year old Armenian girl who wanted to practice her English. She's v good too, learning English, French & Italian. She wants to be a translator after university. Larout, not sure of the spelling, but there has to be a roll of the R in the middle.
Anyway, more swimming tomorrow. I might even float in the Dead Sea, but there is only a small area cordoned off for swimming. Not sure why, maybe we might float out to sea, lol.
I loaded five new books on my iPad & I've nearly finished the first. So these few days are R & R, swimming, reading & relaxing.
Then the tour to Petra & the desert!
Vienna was great, more sightseeing, went back to Schonbrunn Palace 'cos I left my jacket behind. Christine & I had gone there on Monday to wander & lunch & went to the Strudelshow. I got picked to assist the baker putting on the show, complete with hat & apron. Well, I now have a certificate declaring me a Master Baker of Appelstrudel! Haha! Take that Jan! But I left said jacket behind, silly me. I wandered around there for a while, zoo, labyrinth, gardens, etc, nice place.
The next day I went to the Pandora shop & picked up charms for Switzerland, Holland & Belgium, yay. Then spent the arvo at the hospital 'cos I had acquired an infection that needed antibiotics, so not nice. I knew there was a possibility of recurrence so the doc in Australia had given me antibiotics in case. Again silly me, I only brought half of them with me, the rest are at Michelle's in my other case. No good to me there, eh. But all sorted now & I have enough now for 10 days. That should kill it!
Yesterday, thanks to strenuous efforts on Jan's part, I flew to Cairo, didn't leave the airport, then on to Amman, Jordan & transferred to the Dead Sea. I am staying at a v spiffy resort till the 22nd, then I join the Jordan tour as originally booked.
So no Egypt! I had planned to stay in Cairo for 3 nights, visiting the Pyramids one day & Alexandria the other. The 2 seemingly worst cities for rioting & deaths are Cairo & Alexandria! The tour company cancelled, & I like being alive, no brainer, eh. The Pyramids & the new Alexandria Library built on the site of that famous ancient Library will not be seen by me, so disappointed.
The resort is great, four pools, a spa, & the Dead Sea! I've been in the pools already, so warm. I got talking to a 14 year old Armenian girl who wanted to practice her English. She's v good too, learning English, French & Italian. She wants to be a translator after university. Larout, not sure of the spelling, but there has to be a roll of the R in the middle.
Anyway, more swimming tomorrow. I might even float in the Dead Sea, but there is only a small area cordoned off for swimming. Not sure why, maybe we might float out to sea, lol.
I loaded five new books on my iPad & I've nearly finished the first. So these few days are R & R, swimming, reading & relaxing.
Then the tour to Petra & the desert!
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