0040. Christmas 2022 in Oz

Christmas time in Queensland.  December 2022.

Jacarandas at Christmas

It started with plans to maybe go to Perth for Christmas to spend time with Damien, Meisha and the kids.  But due to travel costs and D & Meisha's new house not yet being finished, that changed.  Then Sarah suggested they would like to come up with the girls to Queensland for the Christmas school holidays - and  over the next few weeks those plans firmed up - And that is what we did !

0039 - UK 3

 0039 - UK 3

24th - 30th September 2022

Weir on River Wey

Having had a good nights sleep, we woke up ready for our last week in England, well recovered from our traumatic "Great Train Escape" from The Netherlands !!  After a late breakfast, we headed off towards Ripley, where we parked on the Common, opposite the Ripley Cricket Club Pavilion, and set of for a walk along the River Wey.   This is a delightful spot on God's Earth, and we soon came to a weir where a fish run has been built up the side to enable their movement.  Fascinating.

Houseboats on River Wey

0038 - Netherlands 2

0038 Netherlands 2

16th - 24th September 2022.

Hayley & Emily

While on the train from Paris to Amsterdam, Nick texted me and told me NOT to stay on the train all the way into Amsterdam Central, but to get off at Schiphol Airport - It was closer and easier for him to pick me up from the airport than to go all the way into central Amsterdam.  Was slightly flustered as this message only just came through as I was nearing the airport, so I had to get myself sorted rather quickly.  Added to this, the train journey from Paris had been a bit of a nightmare trip - A group of about 8 very rowdy ladies were obviously heading for a big girls weekend in Amsterdam, and, having boarded in Paris, they had obviously started partying early !!   The noise was indescribable !!    So I was very happy to get off the train a little earlier than expected.     Once I managed to find Nick & Janet, and get in the car, I realised how exhausted I was from both the Camino walk, and also the long day stuck in Paris Nord station, followed by the train journey from hell !!  I was so pleased to find a bed and get some sleep.

0037 Camino De Santiago

 September 4th 2022

A hike across the Pyrenees

Having had a great month in the UK, it was time to head off on a new adventure that I had been planning for some time - To walk part of the way of the pilgrimage of Camino de Santiago de Compostela - Also known as the Way of St James - stretching some 780 kms across northern Spain.  This is a network of Pilgrim's Ways that come from all over Europe, and all meet at the shrine of the Apostle St James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in NW Spain.  Created after the discovery of relics of St James in the 9th Century, it now attracts not only true pilgrims, but also many hikers and cyclists who follow all or part of the route.  As I was to find out, post Covid, it was more crowded than ever before.  Having never really walked long distances before (those who know of my past adventures know that I normally drive, not walk !), I was not only way outside my comfort zone in the activity itself, but also was to be faced with crowded accomodation and roads which I normally try to avoid.   This was truly to be an adventure of a new kind.  Over the past months I had walked increasingly long distances, but faced with now walking everyday, carrying a 10 kg back pack, (and having had a heart attack in the Netherlands only 5 weeks before), I had no idea of what lay ahead, especially in trying to cross the 5000 feet high passes of the Pyrenees on foot !

0036 Europe - UK 2

 And back to England

August 4th 2022

Flying in to Gatwick

Flew in to Gatwick over the English fields on EasyJet on 4th August, after a really great month in Almere where we were slowly able to get to know not just the twins Emily and Sophie, but also sister Hayley, a lot better.  Still hard with the language, and we are, after all, strangers suddenly appearing after 2 1/2 years of their lives, but with the help of Maltesers, we are definitely making progress ! 😂.  And it was great to spend some decent time with Nick and Tanja after being forced to keep apart by Covid for the past 3 years.   As always, good friend John picked us up in Gatwick - Di was away in Italy with her sister for a few days. 

0035 Europe - The Netherlands 1

 19th October 2022.

 Sunrise in Surrey

Off to Europe !

On June 29th we set off to Europe for 3 months.   Janet's brother Peter and his wife Celia came up from cold and wet Melbourne to babysit the house, and to enjoy some Queensland warmth ! They drove us up to Brisbane airport and we caught the evening Singapore Airlines flight to London, via Singapore.  Cattle class - But actually Singapore Airlines were very good - I have been on a lot worse flights over the years.  But post Covid, travelling really is beginning to be rather tiresome - queues seem longer, crowds seem bigger, and then many facilities (restaurants, shops etc) in the airports seem to be closed -  "Lack of personnel" !!  Even the Duty Free places were closed 😡.     Hmmmmm.   Anyway, we eventually arrived safely, if tired, at Heathrow, where John and Di were there to meet us and take us back to their lovely home in Surrey and a welcome meal and Gin & Tonic - or two !  

A rant about Covid and getting old

1st December 2021

Today is the first of December - the official start of summer in Australia and almost the corresponding offical start of winter in the UK.   It is raining non stop in Queensland, and is freezing and storms in UK. But that is OK, and to be expected - I can handle that. 

But I am now 74 - in fact nearly 74 1/2 !!  I have had a great life, travelling all over the world, we have 3 fantastic children and 6 (+2) gorgeous grandchildren.  More recently I have been able to drive all over the world, and even competed in the 2019 Peking to Paris before the world shut down with Covid.  How lucky I was to fit all that in before the world went crazy ? 

This week, just as we were getting used to Delta. the Omicron strain has reared its head, and once again all the plans for re-opening the country and the world are in turmoil until "the experts" determine how "bad" it is.