Author Archives: Vicky

Euroholiday

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Well, I am having a great time, and have just got free wifi, but tomorrow when I go onto Sorrento, it will be charged for at the hotel.

Good afternoon on London, last Saturday, and enjoyable theatre, a real old fashioned farce.

Eurostar pretty full on a Sunday, it seemed to be full of Yankees doing Paree for the day.

Paris great, as I was staying with friends, so no street plans and Metro map to worry about.

Did you know that the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in his vanity, started to build a road in Milan that would have gone in a straight line from the Duomo, via a Medieval castle nearby, a new Triumphal arch, ( he didn’t last long enough to see it!!) in a straight line , over the Alps?… to Paris. That gives you an idea of the scale and design of Milan. And smart smart smart.

Naples on the other hand is full of life and litter, the tiny streets in the Historic area, where I am staying are reminiscent of Hanoi, you look straight into people’s front room, may have the family bed in it, or their car. Where but a truly devout Southern Italian city , would the shops that you buy cots, prams nursery furniture be, but in the street with the church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is. Via Duomo, what do you buy?…… You buy your wedding dresses there, of course.

Where too, would every other per-pubescent youth look as if he comes straight out of a Carravagio painting.

So off tomorrow to Sorrento, no more culture, just walking, time to rest the brain.

Vicky

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The U S of A

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Hello yor’ll (Texan for you all, or in English…..everyone)

Travelling alone, I have had no one to talk about what I’ve seen and done each day. So that is why my blogs have been enjoyable to write, because, as you know, I like to chatter. But most of the time in the States I was with family, and had several years of catching up to do. So no blog.

Since my train journey, I have had a weekend with my nephew and his wife in Seattle, a day in the city and another one out in the country side, where we drove far enough to reach snow for a short walk!

From Washington I flew down to Texas, Houston, and have just spent a week with my sister and brother in law, niece and Great niece!! A wonderful way to finish my trip, a good relaxing family time, visiting museums, out and about, including the Commodore’s Ball at their sailing club on my last night, and eating three large meals a day.

So this is my last blog, as I’m now on my homeward journey, with hand luggage stuffed full of extra jumpers I can throw on as soon as we touch down in the UK. Unfortunately I didn’t organise a direct flight, so I have a few hours at Miami airport…. Never mind, one last chance for an oversized American meal!

P.S. now back in the U.K, but my luggage isn’t. Still, if that was written in the stars, this is the best place for it happen, and have been assured it will be delivered home tomorrow……..

Another Long Day

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Two days are not enough in San Francisco, especially when fretting about how you’re going to get to the out-of-town train station later, and leaving your camera at the VIC, visitor information centre ( I realised within quarter of an hour, and they had put it by).

The drivers are incredibly polite, as they always wave pedestrians who are waiting at cross roads to go over. But I discovered that by law they have to allow pedestrians to cross, very nice, but also probably quite practical when at many cross road all four drivers are on the blind crest of a hill. Having got used to the traffic lights in NZ with their red men, and then bleep, bleep, bleep, when you can cross, I have been staring at the white man on the lights here, and waiting for the bleep! It’s so much easier in Vietnam.

The journey on the Coast Starlight, double decker train, from San Francisco to Seattle takes 22 hours. Unfortunately the average speed is about 35 mph! Having caught it at 10.00 p.m. I didn’t see the stretch that goes along the coast. When I woke up , though, dawn was dawning, so off to the Dining Car, for crab cakes with Hollandaise, and hominy grits for breakfast while traveling through southern Oregon, with mist rising off white and frosty prairie, and the occasional snow covered peak in the back ground.

Later in the morning a volunteer from the museum in a town, that rejoices in the name of Klamath Falls one of the train stops, came on board and talked us through the country side. Its geology, land- marks, history, particularly of the Native people, and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, up the pass, and though 21 tunnels down again. It was a spectacular part of the trip, with fresh snow at the top of the pass, making the trees look like Christmas cards.

So, dark again now, it’s 6.00 p.m. But at least as it’s really flat, we are going at a decent speed (I wouldn’t call it “a fair lick” though) and nearly at our destination.

This time it is not a mistake that there is no picture, you won’t be surprised to know that I have filled up the space on my iPad, and can’t download anymore!

Longest day of my life

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I have packed over 36 hours into the 5th February 2013. Not because I’ve been having an exceptionally enjoyable day, but have crossed the date line.

So to those of you who said I was losing a day out of my life, don’t worry I’ve caught up again.

In San Francisco now, sadly not for long , as it looks like a great city, have arranged a tour later today and a real treat, going to a performance of Berlioz Te Deum at Symphony Hall tonight.

Still having trouble with the English language though. I was directed to ” go see the man over there in a vest” I wondered why he hadn’t had time dress, before going to work.

I can’t believe that my trip is nearly over. I have mixed feelings about getting home, nice to know I will stay in one bed for more than 3 nights, and not to be looking at guide books all the time to check what to do and where to stay. But my nails are looking great, no washing up is just so good for them!!

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Paradise Lost?

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There is no doubt at all that Fiji is the perfect sunshine holiday, particularly if you want to see huge mountains rising jaggardly out of the sea, white sand, coconut trees, and beautiful reefs chock full of wonderfully bright fish.

Sadly there seems to be a darker side, because picking up The Fiji Times yesterday didn’t reflect what tourists see. The front page was given over to the police, who have stated that parents are liable to 25 years in prison for negligence of their children, good, that sounds like a law we should all have. But the article goes on to say “it comes in the wake of the continuous deaths of children by drowning with more than seven cases recorded this year”

And three horrendous rapes, one of an infant and the other case two little pre-school girls while their mother was doing chores in the garden. A ten year old boy has taken his own life…….so is there something wrong in paradise?

I think that’s enough of yesterday’s paper, I wish I could report some good news or something funny.

Oh well! the Fijians lost 19-28 in the Rugby Sevens World Cup to…… Canada, not good.

Today, my last day here was spent on an island which was no more than a pimple of sand in a turquoise sea. So that is the memory I shall take home and want you all to think of.

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Chill out in Fiji

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After driving over 2,000kms in twelve days I felt so drained that I hadn’t opened the Lonely Planet book on Fiji. So when I saw brochures for Fiji in a travel agent’s window in Dunedin it took me for for as long as it takes eat a smoked salmon bagel and drink a long white, that’s a coffee, not the cocktail it sounds like, to choose the ” lazy threesome” package.

This backpacker outfit has resorts strung along the islands on the western side of Fiji, the boat goes up and down picking up and dropping off every day. There’s no choice in where you go. The first island, though just like the brochures, long white beach, palm trees, blue green sea and sun, was a bit of a disappointment as there were only four of us, and the resort ran no activities to speak of. Having said that, we went out snorkling and walked to the local village. The cyclone in December made a real mess of things, roofs blown away, the more older fragile houses destroyed, trees down and crops ruined, but no fatalities. So everywhere a lot of building is going on. The food reminded me of boarding school, though at least we had pudding there.

The resort I’m at now has many more people, mostly in the dorm, I’ve got my own little bure (little hut) and unexpectedly it’s en-suite!!! Well the shower’s in the back yard, but in this weather that’s fine. After a fantastic dinner, there was entertainment, enough to make your heart sink. First welcome songs and dances then we played games, a mad version of musical chairs and similar. After those and the staff went off and a crowd of us sat round playing various card games , all of which involved heavy drinking penalties. But I declared myself an impartial observer and went to bed sober, about three or four hours before the everyone else. There were some wan looking people at breakfast today.

It’s a tough life, there is an option of basket weaving and coconut husking this morning, why not? And then I’ll go snorkling again this afternoon………

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Top to bottom

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Sitting in the most Scottish of Scots towns under Robbie Burns’ statue on his birthday, I’m waiting for a travel agent to sort out some bookings for me in Fiji. I’m tired of studying Lonely Planet every day, and going for a package option. Not a true traveller any more.

Since arriving in December I have been from within 100km of the northernmost tip of the country, to the southernmost and have covered a fair few kilometres since Wanaka, including some double backing, owing to bad planning. Still it’s good to see the road from both directions!! The disadvantage about travelling alone, is that as perpetual driver, it’s hard to take in the landscape, which makes me sorry, as it always stunning, be it dramatic or gentle. From Doubtful Sound, one of the fiords, to a day’s cycling in Middle Earth. I nearly asked for my money back when the guide said we’d be covering about 150 km, but there was a support vehicle, which more importantly than carrying our picnic, was able to take the seven of us and the bikes.

The next day, an indirect route (to avoid driving the road already journeyed twice) down to the bottom right hand corner of South Island. Missed junctions added to the mileage (I blame the lack of signage , if you want to go off the main road you’re obviously presumed to be local). However the reward was seeing a yellow-eyed penguin coming home across beach and a sea lion coming out of the breakers onto the shore ( huge beasties….I certainly wouldn’t ignore the advice that you shouldn’t be within 10 metres of them, and that’ s just for their protection!)

The YHA that night had been an old people’s home …..it still smelt like it and was in a small remote town which gave me the creeps! so I set off very early next morning and pottered down to Canibal Bay, another drive on unsealed roads, very usual here. After taking a few photos, I thought I would just walk over the rocks to get a different view, when there was a little squeak…… I’d nearly trodden on a Blue penguin. These are the smallest penguin and live in burrows, most have chicks at the moment so I don’t know what this little chap was doing, apart from trying to avoid my feet. Possibly on his way back from catching breakfast for his offspring?

So from there to Dunedin, where I have had a great time, visits to museums, the art gallery, cinema, guided walking tour of the city, out to see more penguins, sea lions and albatrosses. A good way to end my trip here.

Well almost, tomorrow I will call on another ex Butchers Arms customer…… That’s all for now, folks!

Triathlons and cooking

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In Wanaka, and had no idea that this weekend there is an International Triathlon Event. In fact everyone I speak to is surprised that I didn’t know. Just shows how parochial I am.

In Christchurch, I picked up a hire car, a great improvement to my travels. Firstly I went to stay with an old friend from Butchers Arms (Ampney Crucis) days who has been out here for about 22 years. He was a great source of knowledge both from the farming angle and the settlers’ histories, as he volunteers three days a week in the local, Timaru, museum. Also he is transcribing old diaries written by the people who settled his homestead originally.

From Timaru a beautiful drive to Mount Cook, passing Lake Pukaki, where the water is the most unbelievable pastel shade of turquoises, greens and blues and on up to the village below the mountain, (the highest in New Zealand, where both Mannering and Edmond Hillary cut their mountaineering teeth). By then everything was covered in cloud, but on the lower shoulders on the nearest mountain it was easy to see glaciers, both dirty and gritty as well as the beautiful blue green you expect. But no Mount Cook. The clouds were low through the night, and as predicted it snowed higher up, so by next morning everything was visible, clean and shiny white.

I went for a long tramp, and got incredibly cold and wet, but worth it, because I saw, albeit mini, icebergs on the lake I had reached, cast off by the glacier at the head of the valley. So cold, that when I stood under the shower on returning, I scalded myself, as I couldn’t feel how hot the water was. By the time I was ready for a restorative hot chocolate and cake at the cafe across the road, it was snowing!!! Still it made the mountains even more awesome.

So through more beautiful landscapes to Wanaka, where the YHA is excellent, but I got some odd looks from fellow hostellers as I finished cooking my beautiful organic salmon with a slosh of wine. Well it’s the first time I’ve cooked in over three months!!……..l

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