We thought we had successfully overcome jet lag. Sleeping in until after 10am was not part of the plan.
John doesn’t even know if he has ever slept in that long.
Getting back on the bike in Brisbane will be tough. Getting up after 10am with a minimum temp of 24 is a little different from a 4am start in Brisbane where the minimum temp is well below 10 at the moment. Perhaps John will hold off on calling his cycling buddies until it is warmer ;-)
The good thing about the church we attend is that it is air-conditioned. No excuses for non-attendance there.
We eventually drifted out of our hotel room by lunchtime. Then it was off to shop.
After that we met up with our friends Eugene and Jenny. Eugene healed John’s hip last time we were in Singapore. He hasn’t had a problem with his hip since.
Anyway, we went out for dinner to the East Coast Lagoon Food village. All was good and we were trusting their choices in food.
The satay chicken was fabulous. The banana, apple and orange juice was refreshing, particularly given how hot it was.
The sugar cane drink with a lime twist was a delight. Even the stingray was OK. Yep, we allowed ourselves to be talked into stingray. It was actually very good.
This our last night in Singapore. Tomorrow night we fly to Brisbane, with arrival Friday morning.
There will be a post on the weekend to wrap things up. This blog is important to us as it is an important record of all our experiences. (the ones we could publish anyway - some stories can only be revealed verbally )
To those who have ready any of the blogs, thanks for coming along on our journey. We trust it provided some education, inspiration, entertainment, and insight into what we got up to.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday - Singapore Snoozing
We knew we were tired. Didn’t realise that we were so tired that we both slept for 12 hours.
John hasn’t slept for that long since his ‘lost in space’ days back in 2001.
So much for the early start to the day.
Headed off to the Botanic Gardens. The orchids were very impressive.
Had a wonderful lunch in the gardens. We were keen to try local delicacies. However we thought the ‘blue fin tuna belly’ was pushing the friendship a little.
Then it was off to shop, shop, and shop.
Some of the shops had some classy walkways
Then Narelle did some study. And it was lights out shortly thereafter.
John hasn’t slept for that long since his ‘lost in space’ days back in 2001.
So much for the early start to the day.
Headed off to the Botanic Gardens. The orchids were very impressive.
Had a wonderful lunch in the gardens. We were keen to try local delicacies. However we thought the ‘blue fin tuna belly’ was pushing the friendship a little.
Then it was off to shop, shop, and shop.
Some of the shops had some classy walkways
Then Narelle did some study. And it was lights out shortly thereafter.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday - arrival in Singapore
We are coping with the Europe to Asia long haul flights much better now.
The entertainment options are quite good, and the seats were very comfortable. The fact that we had kids in front of us who didn’t put their seats back did help.
John had no interaction with the people behind them except when it felt like they were drilling for oil via John’s seat. The other highlight was when they went to get out of their seat. A common method is to reach up to the top of the seat to help lift one up. John was not amused when the person behind him got it wrong and accidentally dug their finger nails into John’s head, and then dug them in further as they lifted themselves up. Don’t try it at home kids, because it really really hurts.
The flight to Singapore was OK, except for the fact that we only had about an hours sleep. By the time we had arrived at our hotel, it had meant nearly 24 hours of travel with only an hours sleep. Jet lag was going to hit at full throttle soon.
But we went for wander around where we were staying, and took in some pretty good sights, whilst trying to do all the right things to offset jet lag.
We had considered this for dinner, but weren’t really in a sushi mood.
We realised the sun sets a lot earlier here than where we have been. Late meals in daylight are now a thing of the past.
There were some other great night time sights near where we were staying.
We expect it will be a deep sleep tonight.
The entertainment options are quite good, and the seats were very comfortable. The fact that we had kids in front of us who didn’t put their seats back did help.
John had no interaction with the people behind them except when it felt like they were drilling for oil via John’s seat. The other highlight was when they went to get out of their seat. A common method is to reach up to the top of the seat to help lift one up. John was not amused when the person behind him got it wrong and accidentally dug their finger nails into John’s head, and then dug them in further as they lifted themselves up. Don’t try it at home kids, because it really really hurts.
The flight to Singapore was OK, except for the fact that we only had about an hours sleep. By the time we had arrived at our hotel, it had meant nearly 24 hours of travel with only an hours sleep. Jet lag was going to hit at full throttle soon.
But we went for wander around where we were staying, and took in some pretty good sights, whilst trying to do all the right things to offset jet lag.
We had considered this for dinner, but weren’t really in a sushi mood.
We realised the sun sets a lot earlier here than where we have been. Late meals in daylight are now a thing of the past.
There were some other great night time sights near where we were staying.
We expect it will be a deep sleep tonight.
Sunday - London to SIngapore, via Paris
It was a 6.15 am flight from Heathrow airport to Paris, and from the dreaded T5 terminal.
That meant a ridiculously early departure to cater for :-
Returning the rental car
Catching the shuttle bus to T5
Printing our boarding pass
Checking in luggage
Getting through security
Once John had calculated a departure time of 3.30am, he mentioned it to Narelle and she wouldn’t speak to John for quite some time after that. Mornings are not really Narelle’s thing. To make the morning even better, John woke early and decided to wake Narelle at 3. You’d think John would know better by now.
The drive to T5 was straightfoward. Dropped off the hire car just before 4.30.
The shuttle would be there at 4.30. So we even had time to watch Stephanie Rice’s medal ceremony.
This was special for Narelle as Stephanie had been a Clayfield College student. Recently Narelle swam in a relay team with Stephanie at a swimming competition.* Needless to say that their team won, mainly because of Narelle’s efforts.
* This is a true statement. Facts that lessen the drama of the story have been left out.
The original plan was to be at the airport by 5, to allow time to put in the baggage, and get through immigration and security.
We had printed our boarding pass and were at baggage drop at 4.45, and all was looking good. Until we saw the T5 terminal signs that said baggage check in would not open til 5.15.To say we were a bit miffed is an understatement. Narelle could have had an extra 40 minutes sleep!
But we checked in the baggage. We must give good credit to British Airways. Our bikes went for free! i.e. They weren’t included in our weight allowance.
Speaking of weight allowance, we had collected more stuff in our travels, and our bags were getting full. So full in fact that we were now wearing our bike helmets on to the plane as it saved space in our bags. Not really a good look, but very effective from a functional perspective.
So we took our bikes to the ‘oversize’ baggage area.
The operator asked if we knew anything about computers because he couldn’t log on. The pear shape was developing quickly.
John dived behind the counter, and based on some scraps of paper, tried a number of account name and passwords until he was logged in. The operator was very thankful. John was amazed that he had logged on so easily. John was not sure security would be too impressed with a tourist jagging a successful login.
Narelle wished she had a camera at this moment. The sight of John behind the airline check in counter, hacking away , whilst in a rugby jersey and wearing a bike helmet was an interesting sight.
Then it was time to cover the substantial number of kms to our boarding gate. Escalators, lifts and trains were all used.
The flight to Paris was uneventful. Getting through Charles De Gaulle was pretty much straight forward as well. The airport was operating much better than when we first arrived there at the beginning of July.
One of the duty free shops had a nice display of cheeses. This was to be our last chance to see and smell these wonderful cheeses whilst in France. We savoured every moment.
So then it was case of getting through the 13 hours to Singapore.
That meant a ridiculously early departure to cater for :-
Returning the rental car
Catching the shuttle bus to T5
Printing our boarding pass
Checking in luggage
Getting through security
Once John had calculated a departure time of 3.30am, he mentioned it to Narelle and she wouldn’t speak to John for quite some time after that. Mornings are not really Narelle’s thing. To make the morning even better, John woke early and decided to wake Narelle at 3. You’d think John would know better by now.
The drive to T5 was straightfoward. Dropped off the hire car just before 4.30.
The shuttle would be there at 4.30. So we even had time to watch Stephanie Rice’s medal ceremony.
This was special for Narelle as Stephanie had been a Clayfield College student. Recently Narelle swam in a relay team with Stephanie at a swimming competition.* Needless to say that their team won, mainly because of Narelle’s efforts.
* This is a true statement. Facts that lessen the drama of the story have been left out.
The original plan was to be at the airport by 5, to allow time to put in the baggage, and get through immigration and security.
We had printed our boarding pass and were at baggage drop at 4.45, and all was looking good. Until we saw the T5 terminal signs that said baggage check in would not open til 5.15.To say we were a bit miffed is an understatement. Narelle could have had an extra 40 minutes sleep!
But we checked in the baggage. We must give good credit to British Airways. Our bikes went for free! i.e. They weren’t included in our weight allowance.
Speaking of weight allowance, we had collected more stuff in our travels, and our bags were getting full. So full in fact that we were now wearing our bike helmets on to the plane as it saved space in our bags. Not really a good look, but very effective from a functional perspective.
So we took our bikes to the ‘oversize’ baggage area.
The operator asked if we knew anything about computers because he couldn’t log on. The pear shape was developing quickly.
John dived behind the counter, and based on some scraps of paper, tried a number of account name and passwords until he was logged in. The operator was very thankful. John was amazed that he had logged on so easily. John was not sure security would be too impressed with a tourist jagging a successful login.
Narelle wished she had a camera at this moment. The sight of John behind the airline check in counter, hacking away , whilst in a rugby jersey and wearing a bike helmet was an interesting sight.
Then it was time to cover the substantial number of kms to our boarding gate. Escalators, lifts and trains were all used.
The flight to Paris was uneventful. Getting through Charles De Gaulle was pretty much straight forward as well. The airport was operating much better than when we first arrived there at the beginning of July.
One of the duty free shops had a nice display of cheeses. This was to be our last chance to see and smell these wonderful cheeses whilst in France. We savoured every moment.
So then it was case of getting through the 13 hours to Singapore.
Saturday - London
The day started with a focus on packing and getting ready for Sunday’s flights. Just the stuff you have to do.
Then we caught up for lunch with our good friend Farhanna, who lives in London.
Great restaurant, great company, and great conversation. It was a wonderful time.
The restaurant was only a few minutes walk from our apartment, so it was easy to get home.
Once home we finalised stuff for the trip the next day.
There is something that should have been added in Friday’s blog. Narelle has had many ‘without a trace’ moments with John on these holidays.
A quick explanation. There is an American crime drama called ‘Without a Trace’, starring an Aussie Anthony LaPaglia.
Anyway, most episodes start with a character walking somewhere and then they are just no longer in the scene. The next scene has the police investigating because the character has ‘disappeared with a trace’. Narelle would often be walking somewhere, look around, and John was no longer there. Quite freaky in the middle of a big city where you are not entirely sure which direction home is.
Anyway, Friday had quite a number of ‘without a trace’ moments where John stopped to take a photo, or look at something, and forgot to warn Narelle. Narelle had no idea what had happened to John. Poor form on John’s part really. Doesn’t do much for Narelle’s blood pressure either.
Then we caught up for lunch with our good friend Farhanna, who lives in London.
Great restaurant, great company, and great conversation. It was a wonderful time.
The restaurant was only a few minutes walk from our apartment, so it was easy to get home.
Once home we finalised stuff for the trip the next day.
There is something that should have been added in Friday’s blog. Narelle has had many ‘without a trace’ moments with John on these holidays.
A quick explanation. There is an American crime drama called ‘Without a Trace’, starring an Aussie Anthony LaPaglia.
Anyway, most episodes start with a character walking somewhere and then they are just no longer in the scene. The next scene has the police investigating because the character has ‘disappeared with a trace’. Narelle would often be walking somewhere, look around, and John was no longer there. Quite freaky in the middle of a big city where you are not entirely sure which direction home is.
Anyway, Friday had quite a number of ‘without a trace’ moments where John stopped to take a photo, or look at something, and forgot to warn Narelle. Narelle had no idea what had happened to John. Poor form on John’s part really. Doesn’t do much for Narelle’s blood pressure either.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Friday - London
Cruisy start to the day. Enjoyed our time with Kirsten’s parents. They are pretty cool.
Then we watched a little of the Olympic opening ceremony.
Late afternoon we headed off to the centre of London. At Trafalgar square there was a large screen showing the opening ceremony.
In the large crowd there was a substantial Chinese contingent. Not sure what preparation they had, but they all clapped in unison at the right moments. In fact they started clapping even before one knew what was happening. Very surreal.
Then we had a light bite before seeing a musical ‘Marguerite’. The meal was delicious at this Italian restaurant.
The musical was awesome. Great singing, great story set in France in WWII.
Some may have heard of the ‘low talker’ from Seinfeld. We had the ‘loud clapper’ sitting near us. In fact he clapped so loudly I expected some people to lose their hearing.
It was entertainment in itself, especially when he was the only one clapping.
Another day of great conversation, great food, and great experiences. It was effectively our last full day in London.
Then we watched a little of the Olympic opening ceremony.
Late afternoon we headed off to the centre of London. At Trafalgar square there was a large screen showing the opening ceremony.
In the large crowd there was a substantial Chinese contingent. Not sure what preparation they had, but they all clapped in unison at the right moments. In fact they started clapping even before one knew what was happening. Very surreal.
Then we had a light bite before seeing a musical ‘Marguerite’. The meal was delicious at this Italian restaurant.
The musical was awesome. Great singing, great story set in France in WWII.
Some may have heard of the ‘low talker’ from Seinfeld. We had the ‘loud clapper’ sitting near us. In fact he clapped so loudly I expected some people to lose their hearing.
It was entertainment in itself, especially when he was the only one clapping.
Another day of great conversation, great food, and great experiences. It was effectively our last full day in London.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Random photos from the final time trial of the Tour
I discovered a few extra photos I forgot about.
For cycling fans, there are a few treat. For non-cycling fans, enjoy all the colour.
We had good access to cyclists and officials at the end of the time trial. This is where the cyclists rode through after the finish. The finish line is about 200m down the road (eagle eyes will spot the curvy silver finish line symbol in the background)
One of the riders getting directions back to the team bus
Not sure where this dude finished, but he still had fans. I don’t think the Force was with him that day.
A few good Aussies here. Robbie, and Stuart O’Grady being interviewed by John Flynn
Robbie shares a joke with John. Joke wasn’t that good but John laughed anyway.
Thor in post race contemplation
Crowd was thick at the finish line
You couldn’t wipe the smile off Matt White’s face because of the success of the team he was managing.
For cycling fans, there are a few treat. For non-cycling fans, enjoy all the colour.
We had good access to cyclists and officials at the end of the time trial. This is where the cyclists rode through after the finish. The finish line is about 200m down the road (eagle eyes will spot the curvy silver finish line symbol in the background)
One of the riders getting directions back to the team bus
Not sure where this dude finished, but he still had fans. I don’t think the Force was with him that day.
A few good Aussies here. Robbie, and Stuart O’Grady being interviewed by John Flynn
Robbie shares a joke with John. Joke wasn’t that good but John laughed anyway.
Thor in post race contemplation
Crowd was thick at the finish line
You couldn’t wipe the smile off Matt White’s face because of the success of the team he was managing.
Thursday - Cambridge,Warwick, London
We had previously shelved plans to visit Scotland, and South West England, primarily due to the weather.
Turns out the weather has been OK where we are. A few showers, but generally not too bad.
The parts of Scotland we had planned to visit have had roads cut by floods.
Made us feel as though we had made the right decision in not travelling further afield.
We are starting to feel a little weary, so the starts to the day are getting later and later.
We had decided to visit Warwick Castle today. Rocked in about 12 noon.
What a great day. Interesting displays and some great events.
We had been looking forward to the jousting, but that was not to happen today as the ground was way too damp and mushy to support the horses running at full tilt.
They did put on a show with hand to hand combat with medieval weapons, which was quite cool.
They also had a great session with birds of prey. Eagles with 8ft wing spans swooping in just over the audience’s heads. Vultures swooping in. Impressive.
Even the displays in the castle were OK.
It was well worth our effort.
After this we then dropped into Oxford, for a bite and a quick comparison to Cambridge. Oxford seemed a larger place, and at the time we were there, a much greater student presence on the streets. We had dinner and then moved on. Very much a ‘Japanese Tour’ visit. i.e. drop in take photos, and move on. Although we didn’t really take many photos and were more interested in a good meal, which is what we managed to find.
We then headed back to our base in London. Rel did a great job driving through the streets of London, for what was essentially a hassle free drive. Our home base is only a couple of kms south of the centre of London, so it made her efforts all the more impressive. The only hiccup came when we were 2 streets from home. We just had to make 2 more right hand turns and we were there. Except one could not make a right hand turn at the lights. Oops. A quick rethink and we easily made our way home. We felt special as we waited for the gates to open to let us in. This apartment complex is in a gated community.
The apartment we are staying at belongs to Narelle’s friend Kirsten and her husband. But they are away, and sadly we won’t get to see them while we are in England.
But they have some other friends staying here now. Kirsten’s parents are also staying here, so it makes for a nice cosy arrangement.
Not sure if it has been mentioned earlier, but Tina Arena lives in this complex as well. (Just some trivia for fans of Young Talent Time).
We also discovered some other interesting facts about this area. When we first dropped in here we went out to dinner with Russell and Louise to a Thai restaurant.
Turns out that 2 nights later someone was stabbed and killed whilst eating in that restaurant.
Today was the first time we felt ready to come back home. Good timing, as we leave Europe on Sunday for Singapore. We spend a few days in Singapore before arriving home next Friday. We have had a sensational time, but do miss our friends and family at home.
Turns out the weather has been OK where we are. A few showers, but generally not too bad.
The parts of Scotland we had planned to visit have had roads cut by floods.
Made us feel as though we had made the right decision in not travelling further afield.
We are starting to feel a little weary, so the starts to the day are getting later and later.
We had decided to visit Warwick Castle today. Rocked in about 12 noon.
What a great day. Interesting displays and some great events.
We had been looking forward to the jousting, but that was not to happen today as the ground was way too damp and mushy to support the horses running at full tilt.
They did put on a show with hand to hand combat with medieval weapons, which was quite cool.
They also had a great session with birds of prey. Eagles with 8ft wing spans swooping in just over the audience’s heads. Vultures swooping in. Impressive.
Even the displays in the castle were OK.
It was well worth our effort.
After this we then dropped into Oxford, for a bite and a quick comparison to Cambridge. Oxford seemed a larger place, and at the time we were there, a much greater student presence on the streets. We had dinner and then moved on. Very much a ‘Japanese Tour’ visit. i.e. drop in take photos, and move on. Although we didn’t really take many photos and were more interested in a good meal, which is what we managed to find.
We then headed back to our base in London. Rel did a great job driving through the streets of London, for what was essentially a hassle free drive. Our home base is only a couple of kms south of the centre of London, so it made her efforts all the more impressive. The only hiccup came when we were 2 streets from home. We just had to make 2 more right hand turns and we were there. Except one could not make a right hand turn at the lights. Oops. A quick rethink and we easily made our way home. We felt special as we waited for the gates to open to let us in. This apartment complex is in a gated community.
The apartment we are staying at belongs to Narelle’s friend Kirsten and her husband. But they are away, and sadly we won’t get to see them while we are in England.
But they have some other friends staying here now. Kirsten’s parents are also staying here, so it makes for a nice cosy arrangement.
Not sure if it has been mentioned earlier, but Tina Arena lives in this complex as well. (Just some trivia for fans of Young Talent Time).
We also discovered some other interesting facts about this area. When we first dropped in here we went out to dinner with Russell and Louise to a Thai restaurant.
Turns out that 2 nights later someone was stabbed and killed whilst eating in that restaurant.
Today was the first time we felt ready to come back home. Good timing, as we leave Europe on Sunday for Singapore. We spend a few days in Singapore before arriving home next Friday. We have had a sensational time, but do miss our friends and family at home.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday - Cambridge
We woke to a fine day. Turns out the places we had been thinking of visiting (Scotland, South West England) were copping some rain, but this area wasn’t.
It would be a nice day for golf.
Before that John went for a massage to sort out some tightness in his back. (self inflicted when he didn’t look after his back when packing the bikes up a week ago)
It should be noted that Narelle’s health improved markedly a week and a half ago. She now has much more energy and vitality.
So we hit the golf course for the afternoon. Had some dramas with the clubs and the shoes we hired, but it was still a pleasant experience.
We were reflecting on how quaint things were, when suddenly a WWII vintage bomber flew overhead, only about 100m or so above us. I wondered if he had stepped into a time machine to play on this course.
The first hole
Quaint setting
Some locals
Even John had a good time
Then it was all over
And time to go and complain about the equipment that we hired
After golf we went back down into Cambridge for dinner. It was nice to wander around without rain.
The river/stream/creek looked nice that day
Then it was back home to plan options for the next day.
It would be a nice day for golf.
Before that John went for a massage to sort out some tightness in his back. (self inflicted when he didn’t look after his back when packing the bikes up a week ago)
It should be noted that Narelle’s health improved markedly a week and a half ago. She now has much more energy and vitality.
So we hit the golf course for the afternoon. Had some dramas with the clubs and the shoes we hired, but it was still a pleasant experience.
We were reflecting on how quaint things were, when suddenly a WWII vintage bomber flew overhead, only about 100m or so above us. I wondered if he had stepped into a time machine to play on this course.
The first hole
Quaint setting
Some locals
Even John had a good time
Then it was all over
And time to go and complain about the equipment that we hired
After golf we went back down into Cambridge for dinner. It was nice to wander around without rain.
The river/stream/creek looked nice that day
Then it was back home to plan options for the next day.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday - Cambridge
We awoke to a lot of rain. No golf was likely to happen today.
It didn’t stop us from checking out the golf options though.
Rel is smiling, even though it is raining.
We eventually drifted off into Cambridge. Went on a walking tour of Cambridge, which was really good. Lots of info. The rain even held off during this walk.
It was encouraging to again visit a place where the car was not king. Bikes were everywhere, and pedestrians walked freely throughout the place.
The history of this place is amazing. We understand a lot more of the heritage of this place, and the rivalry with Oxford.
John now regrets not coming to this place to study.
They keep things in pretty good nick.
a few older buildings...
The rowing...
The most humorous moment of the day came when we caught the bus home. The 2 ladies sitting next to us started talking about some events in their lives. John thought they were trying out for a spot on ‘Kath and Kim’, their conversation was so banal and the accent set it all off. Narelle had to reassure John that they were just having a normal conversation and that they were likely to be 1st year uni students. Interesting.
At the end of the day we also decided to shelve plans to visit Scotland. The rain has set in for a few days, we really don’t feel like driving that far in the rain, and we like this area. It gives us a chance to head back to London a little earlier as well.
It didn’t stop us from checking out the golf options though.
Rel is smiling, even though it is raining.
We eventually drifted off into Cambridge. Went on a walking tour of Cambridge, which was really good. Lots of info. The rain even held off during this walk.
It was encouraging to again visit a place where the car was not king. Bikes were everywhere, and pedestrians walked freely throughout the place.
The history of this place is amazing. We understand a lot more of the heritage of this place, and the rivalry with Oxford.
John now regrets not coming to this place to study.
They keep things in pretty good nick.
a few older buildings...
The rowing...
The most humorous moment of the day came when we caught the bus home. The 2 ladies sitting next to us started talking about some events in their lives. John thought they were trying out for a spot on ‘Kath and Kim’, their conversation was so banal and the accent set it all off. Narelle had to reassure John that they were just having a normal conversation and that they were likely to be 1st year uni students. Interesting.
At the end of the day we also decided to shelve plans to visit Scotland. The rain has set in for a few days, we really don’t feel like driving that far in the rain, and we like this area. It gives us a chance to head back to London a little earlier as well.
Monday - Copenhagen to London
We are loving the relaxed starts to the day. Drift off to breakfast, take our time.
Actually our breakfasts have been so comprehensive we are pretty much down to 2 meals a day.
A large breakfast, a very small bite in the late arvo, and then dinner at night.
The day was a bit wet, but we decided to wander around Copenhagen anyway.
We ended up walking a lot today.
We just love Copenhagen.
A few umbrellas were out today.
Some nice streets
Around the middle of the day we headed for the airport. 15 minutes on the metro was all it took to get from one side of the city to the airport which was on the other.
We couldn’t check in for a couple of hours. So John found somewhere to print a boarding pass from our online check in.
Worked a treat, and we now had plenty of time to do some duty free shopping. John is not a natural born shopper though.
To keep him occupied, Narelle sent John off in search of some perfume. Little did Narelle know how much hurt she was about to inflict upon John.
By the time Narelle checked on John’s research assignment, John was deep in conversation with the sales assistant.
John may hate shopping, but he does like conversing with the locals.
The only really interesting aspect of our flight was when we went through immigration. Going into France, Czech Republic, Denmark, we only received a brief hello from immigration officials. But whenever we try to get into the UK, we get asked lots of questions. All good natured, but fascinating all the same. We must look like trouble making Australians.
Then it was off to Cambridge. Uneventful, but now Narelle was driving, and John was the navigator.
Narelle was very excited that we would be staying at a golf resort.
Then we had dinner at the hotel. Usually this can be a dull, but perfectly functional meal.
When we arrived for dinner, some diners were leaving with comments such as ‘ not such a good night’. This did not sound promising.
But we really loved our food. Interesting, tasty and just wonderful. And the service was really good.
We’re just glad we had the positive experience.
Actually our breakfasts have been so comprehensive we are pretty much down to 2 meals a day.
A large breakfast, a very small bite in the late arvo, and then dinner at night.
The day was a bit wet, but we decided to wander around Copenhagen anyway.
We ended up walking a lot today.
We just love Copenhagen.
A few umbrellas were out today.
Some nice streets
Around the middle of the day we headed for the airport. 15 minutes on the metro was all it took to get from one side of the city to the airport which was on the other.
We couldn’t check in for a couple of hours. So John found somewhere to print a boarding pass from our online check in.
Worked a treat, and we now had plenty of time to do some duty free shopping. John is not a natural born shopper though.
To keep him occupied, Narelle sent John off in search of some perfume. Little did Narelle know how much hurt she was about to inflict upon John.
By the time Narelle checked on John’s research assignment, John was deep in conversation with the sales assistant.
John may hate shopping, but he does like conversing with the locals.
The only really interesting aspect of our flight was when we went through immigration. Going into France, Czech Republic, Denmark, we only received a brief hello from immigration officials. But whenever we try to get into the UK, we get asked lots of questions. All good natured, but fascinating all the same. We must look like trouble making Australians.
Then it was off to Cambridge. Uneventful, but now Narelle was driving, and John was the navigator.
Narelle was very excited that we would be staying at a golf resort.
Then we had dinner at the hotel. Usually this can be a dull, but perfectly functional meal.
When we arrived for dinner, some diners were leaving with comments such as ‘ not such a good night’. This did not sound promising.
But we really loved our food. Interesting, tasty and just wonderful. And the service was really good.
We’re just glad we had the positive experience.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sunday - Copenhagen
Another easy start to the day. John has adapted to this European timeframe very well. No waking til 8am, breakfast after 9am.
He now hopes he will become a morning person once he returns to Australia. Narelle wishes otherwise. She has enjoyed seeing John at breakfast time.
We drifted off to the city after breakfast. Dropped in to see the royal museum palace. Then saw some art at the national gallery.
Whilst on the tube (or metro as it is called) I realised that I could not find a driver, because they may not have any. This means you can see out the front or the back. So you will see such things as the tunnel below. This was taken from the front carriage. Very cool.
Then it was off to see the final stage of the Tour of Denmark. Rel had seen some blurb on Saturday about a crit race near our hotel. We hadn’t planned to see it, but thought it was a chance to rest up and see some more of the local area in which we were staying.
Turns out it was the finish of the Tour of Denmark. A few Aussies (Scott Davis, Nick Gates to name a couple) were racing.
So we drifted off to it. It was a nice contrast to the Tour De France. A little more low key. The finish was well supported by the locals.
Lots of young children in CSC outfits, which was really cool.
We saw the boys come around 10 times, including the finish. We were about 100m from the finish.
One of the riders came by and offered up hist water bottle. John would have taken it , except he had his camera going. He was pleased that a local child managed to grab it.
We even saw a future generation of Danish cyclists.
Then we caught the metro off to the city for a bite to it. Before the restaurant opened for dinner we went for a coffee, and stumbled across an observatory. Very cool, with views over the city and to Sweden.
Here is the walk up the inside of the tower.
The restaurant was a real fondue place. John had only sampled cheese or chocolate fondue back in the 80s, not a real fondue meal. The waitress enquired about our origin when we apologized for not understanding danish. Turns out she had recently spent some time in Australia, and had worked in Brisbane. Small world.
Speaking of a small world, I forgot to mention a followup to the young lady we met on our flight to Copenhagen.
On Saturday we caught a bus into the city. You can imagine our surprise when someone said “Hello”. It turns out it was the young lady we had met on the flight.
We were able to give her some advice on a few aspects of inner city Copenhagen. Turns out she had fun with her accomodation as she had booked for 2009, not 2008.
Sounds like something John would do.
After dinner we returned to our hotel.
Tomorrow we head back to the UK. The forecast is for lots of rain on Monday.
We have been blessed with awesome weather thus far in our entire trip. But our charmed run is about to end.
Even today was forecast for rain, but it held off. At least where we were it held off.
Given all that we have been doing, the rain may give us an excuse to back off the pace a little.
He now hopes he will become a morning person once he returns to Australia. Narelle wishes otherwise. She has enjoyed seeing John at breakfast time.
We drifted off to the city after breakfast. Dropped in to see the royal museum palace. Then saw some art at the national gallery.
Whilst on the tube (or metro as it is called) I realised that I could not find a driver, because they may not have any. This means you can see out the front or the back. So you will see such things as the tunnel below. This was taken from the front carriage. Very cool.
Then it was off to see the final stage of the Tour of Denmark. Rel had seen some blurb on Saturday about a crit race near our hotel. We hadn’t planned to see it, but thought it was a chance to rest up and see some more of the local area in which we were staying.
Turns out it was the finish of the Tour of Denmark. A few Aussies (Scott Davis, Nick Gates to name a couple) were racing.
So we drifted off to it. It was a nice contrast to the Tour De France. A little more low key. The finish was well supported by the locals.
Lots of young children in CSC outfits, which was really cool.
We saw the boys come around 10 times, including the finish. We were about 100m from the finish.
One of the riders came by and offered up hist water bottle. John would have taken it , except he had his camera going. He was pleased that a local child managed to grab it.
We even saw a future generation of Danish cyclists.
Then we caught the metro off to the city for a bite to it. Before the restaurant opened for dinner we went for a coffee, and stumbled across an observatory. Very cool, with views over the city and to Sweden.
Here is the walk up the inside of the tower.
The restaurant was a real fondue place. John had only sampled cheese or chocolate fondue back in the 80s, not a real fondue meal. The waitress enquired about our origin when we apologized for not understanding danish. Turns out she had recently spent some time in Australia, and had worked in Brisbane. Small world.
Speaking of a small world, I forgot to mention a followup to the young lady we met on our flight to Copenhagen.
On Saturday we caught a bus into the city. You can imagine our surprise when someone said “Hello”. It turns out it was the young lady we had met on the flight.
We were able to give her some advice on a few aspects of inner city Copenhagen. Turns out she had fun with her accomodation as she had booked for 2009, not 2008.
Sounds like something John would do.
After dinner we returned to our hotel.
Tomorrow we head back to the UK. The forecast is for lots of rain on Monday.
We have been blessed with awesome weather thus far in our entire trip. But our charmed run is about to end.
Even today was forecast for rain, but it held off. At least where we were it held off.
Given all that we have been doing, the rain may give us an excuse to back off the pace a little.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Tour junkies
Last week we saw the final stage of the tour de france. This week we are at the final stage of the tour of denmark. Helps when the finish line is only 2km from our hotel.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Lunch in copenhagen
Classical music playing, bikes, boats , people going by. A fave bottle of red, and we've ordered local specialties (still not sure what fish it is). Life in copenhagen is ok:-)
Friday - Prague to Copenhagen
We decided to have a relaxed start to the day, and have breakfast in the hotel. Later found out that it was complimentary (it never appeared on the bill anyway)
The previous day John had asked the hotel to book an airport shuttle for us. The price for the airport shuttle was reasonable on the way from the airport, and we had a discount voucher for the return. To our surprise, it turned out the hotel had booked an airport taxi. Sensing an expensive trip to the airport, John made a few enquires and discovered that this would be cheaper than the shuttle. Can’t work that out.
The flight to Copenhagen took about the same time as a Brisbane-Sydney flight. Hardly had time to start reading our books.
We were sitting next to a Chinese national leading an interesting study life. She is studying for a degree in Arizona, but doing an internship in Prague. She was off to Copenhagen for the weekend, as you do.
At the airport we didn’t even have to go through customs. Then we spotted all these bikes parked outside the airport. Sensational!
Life in Copenhagen is expensive, so we bought a CPHcard, which gives discounts and free travel.
Then onto the metro. In 15 minutes we were at the heart of city. Our stop was one more along the way, and we were only 300m walk from our hotel.
Love these cities with well organised transport.
We couldn’t check in straight away so it was off to explore. And bicycles were everywhere. People riding them, bike racks full of them. People riding in suits or dresses, young, old, heavily pregnant.
Had lunch, then walked down the main shopping street.
John hadn’t seen so many blue-eyed, blonde haired people since the last ABBA concert he went to.
Later we checked into our room. Now we knew this room would be small. Accomodation in Copenhagen is expensive, not helped by a 25% surcharge on rooms.
This place looked nice enough, but had a sense it was caught between being a backpacker’s hostel and a 2 star chain.
The first sign this place was small was when the room door opened outwards. Oh!
There is a saying ‘not enough room to swing a cat’. In our room, there was not even enough room to bring the cat in.
The ensuite (at least we had one) reminded us of our campervan, although slightly bigger. But it was clean, perfectly functional, and made good use of limited space.
Then we headed back into the city to check out the Tivoli Gardens. Words can’t quite describe this. It is like a mix between the Ekka, Lunar Park, Dreamworld ...
And lots of restaurants and entertainment. We saw 2 pop concerts, and a number of amazing things.
It was starting to get dark and it was 10.30 pm. But we were pretty wasted, so headed for home.
John had often wondered if any cars suffer major damage because of narrow streets. On the way home he got his answer
.
The previous day John had asked the hotel to book an airport shuttle for us. The price for the airport shuttle was reasonable on the way from the airport, and we had a discount voucher for the return. To our surprise, it turned out the hotel had booked an airport taxi. Sensing an expensive trip to the airport, John made a few enquires and discovered that this would be cheaper than the shuttle. Can’t work that out.
The flight to Copenhagen took about the same time as a Brisbane-Sydney flight. Hardly had time to start reading our books.
We were sitting next to a Chinese national leading an interesting study life. She is studying for a degree in Arizona, but doing an internship in Prague. She was off to Copenhagen for the weekend, as you do.
At the airport we didn’t even have to go through customs. Then we spotted all these bikes parked outside the airport. Sensational!
Life in Copenhagen is expensive, so we bought a CPHcard, which gives discounts and free travel.
Then onto the metro. In 15 minutes we were at the heart of city. Our stop was one more along the way, and we were only 300m walk from our hotel.
Love these cities with well organised transport.
We couldn’t check in straight away so it was off to explore. And bicycles were everywhere. People riding them, bike racks full of them. People riding in suits or dresses, young, old, heavily pregnant.
Had lunch, then walked down the main shopping street.
John hadn’t seen so many blue-eyed, blonde haired people since the last ABBA concert he went to.
Later we checked into our room. Now we knew this room would be small. Accomodation in Copenhagen is expensive, not helped by a 25% surcharge on rooms.
This place looked nice enough, but had a sense it was caught between being a backpacker’s hostel and a 2 star chain.
The first sign this place was small was when the room door opened outwards. Oh!
There is a saying ‘not enough room to swing a cat’. In our room, there was not even enough room to bring the cat in.
The ensuite (at least we had one) reminded us of our campervan, although slightly bigger. But it was clean, perfectly functional, and made good use of limited space.
Then we headed back into the city to check out the Tivoli Gardens. Words can’t quite describe this. It is like a mix between the Ekka, Lunar Park, Dreamworld ...
And lots of restaurants and entertainment. We saw 2 pop concerts, and a number of amazing things.
It was starting to get dark and it was 10.30 pm. But we were pretty wasted, so headed for home.
John had often wondered if any cars suffer major damage because of narrow streets. On the way home he got his answer
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)