I don't want to leave Ireland

but sad to say we will be tomorrow.  We are in delightful Cork today after leaving our little cottage on the sea and between the Mugillicuddy Wreeks and the Slieve Mish Mountains this morning.  The sun was shining was on the mountains and it was glorious when we drove out.  We had a wonderful time there.  Of the last couple of days we spent one in Kenmare and then on the Beara Peninsula.  Maree our niece had recommended we go here and she was dead right.  Not as well known as Kerry and Dingle but every bit as beautiful and not as many tourists.  My favourite part of any drive here is when we go over the mountain passes.  The scenery is breathtaking and we love it.  On the Beara Peninsula you drive along the top of the ridge and can look both ways down green valleys and it was just gorgeous.  I was reading an article about Maureen O'Hara the other day and she lives here.  Probably most of you might not know who Maureen O'Hara is and I probably should not have mentioned that little fact.

My favourite pass was the Gap of Dunloe just out of Killarney.  We shared an extremely narrow road with horse and carts and walkers and other cars and trucks.  Sometimes we had to stop to see where the road went it was so steep but oh so beautiful with the mountains all around, waterfalls, THE most amazing valleys. 

Yesterday we went to Tralee and had some time in that little town and then drove along the northern coast of the Dingle Peninsula.  Once again wonderful green views of coast and mountains.  We have been surprised at the beautiful beaches here.  Very near to where we were living was the Inch Strand - a seven kilometre beach.  It's been unseasonally cold here so no swimming for us but lots of others were swimming. 

We have had a lovely day in Cork just wandering around the shops and picking up some last minute pressies.  Tomorrow we will go down to Cobh (pronounced Cove) where the Titanic sailed from before it sank and also the emigrants from Ireland after the famine left from.  So that should be interesting.  We fly to Heathrow tomorrow afternoon and after a couple of days in KL on the way home will arrive home late Wednesday night. 

Hope you have enjoyed our blog.  I keep it mainly as a diary but if you have enjoyed it too we are happy to share our travelling days.  This has been a wonderful trip and we would recommend this way of travelling.  Staying a week in each place has been really wonderful and we arrive at the end of our holiday fresh and relaxed.  Mind you the trip back to Australia will fix that.  We could easily keep going but can't really ignore our responsibilities for too much longer. 

Cheers everyone.  See you back in Australia - which is still, by the way, the best country in the world!!!!!

The sun she is a-shining

today.  I am writing this from Adare Manor.  I don't think I'll leave this place.  It is so gorgeous and I am having a pot of tea and biscuits in the most beautiful surroundings.  We have just had a glorious day going up to the Cliffs Of Moher and then up through the Burren.  Our half Irish niece, Maree, had told us how to park down from the Cliffs and trudge across the farmer's field to get the best views of the cliffs and so we did just that and saw them from an incredible vantage point.  From there we drove up through the Burren.  Hadn't even heard of that before but it is the part of Ireland that is not green fields and stone fences.  It is stone fields and stone fences and fascinating.  Especially with all the wildflowers going off with the rain and sun now.

We have had a great few days here.  One in the Ring of Kerry, one in the Dingle Peninsula and one around Killarney.  Even though the weather could have been better for the first few days it hasn't stopped us seeing anything at all and we have thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful part of the world.  The Irish people are the nicest in the world.  They are just so helpful and of course that tilt in their voice is so charming.

We feel very very comfortable in this country and added to the fact that there is so much to see we will be leaving very reluctantly. 

John is off exploring this beautiful place at the moment so I had better join him. 

Top o the morning to you all

Here we are I wish I could say in sunny Ireland but alas in drizzly cloudy Ireland but still loving this wonderful country.  We are well established in our cottage overlooking Castlemaine Harbour and the Mugillicuddy Wreeks - isn't that a wonderful name - with the mountains of Dingle behind us.  We are really well positioned for accessing both the Kerry and Dingle Peninsulas and we did just that yesterday when we did a drive around the Ring of Kerry.  The weather was kind and we had a lovely day with absolutely spectacular sea and mountain scenery.  Everywhere is a picnic spot and we are very happy driving slowly and taking it all in.  Went down also and did the Skellig Ring which I think was our favourite. 

Today we are in Killarney as the weather is not too good but enjoying it none the same.  I could just sit and listen to the people talk all day.  Wanted to put the guy at the tourist bureau in my pocket and take him home - he had the most beautiful accent. 

Home next week.  I can't believe I have booked a place without wifi but figure it might be good for me to forget about computers and internet for a week.  Thanks Lou for all the work on our house sale.  Really appreciate it.  Glad it all went smoothly.  That little Zeus is not so little anymore, Paddy and Ab.  Take good care everyone and look forward to catching up on our return.

Last day in Edinburgh

and we have decided we really like this very liveable city.  We have walked its streets, ate delicious food, met wonderful people, seen pretty well the entire Royal family, heard hundreds of pipers playing in a parade, not seen the sun very often and have cheered for Andy Murray in the tennis.

Yesterday we had a wonderful day.  William (of the royal kind) was in town with Kate as he was being given Scotland's highest honour, the Order of the Thistle.  Him and Her were also here as was Princess Anne.  So we went up to St Giles, somehow got ourselves into the front row and saw them all although not very clearly.  The best thing though was that they had a big parade of pipers and dancers afterwards down the Royal Mile and that was great.

We have spent the last couple of days seeing those places we hadn't been to.  We had a good walk around the New Town, visited places in the Old Town we hadn't spent enough time in eg St Giles where William's investiture was.  The Thistle Chapel here is wonderful and the cathedral itself is glorious. 

We now have the task of packing for our first flight in a couple of months so it's a bit daunting but I think we have it organised.  We fly to Cork tomorrow, pick up a car and drive out to the Dingle Peninsula where we have a little cottage by the sea for a week.  We are looking forward to that.



Rob Roy is buried here



In the Border country

Edinburgh Castle

The Royal Mile connects Edinburgh Castle
and Holyrood Castle

Pipers parading down the Royal Mile

And Scottish dancers - gotta love it!!!

In the Thistle Chapel at St Giles

St Giles

Cheers everyone.

Bonnie Scotland

This morning I woke up and there was no castle in our window.  The fog was so thick that I could see nothing but now a couple of hours later it is starting to lift and hopefully it won't be the bad day they are forecasting.  We've been pretty lucky so far here with the weather and although it is not brilliant blue skies, as my daughter Cait says, "If it's not an utterly miserable day in Edinburgh, it's considered OK."

On Tuesday we hired a car and set off for the day to the surrounding areas.  We had to go down to the Port of Leith to pick up the car and that is near where the Britannia is moored so called in there quickly on the way out of Edinburgh.  We headed along the coast road up to St Andrews, famous of course for being the home of golf.  Aside from that it is a beautiful little town set right on the coast and we enjoyed a coffee and a wander here.  We then headed up past Dundee and Perth to Loch Earn where we had lunch on the side of the Loch.  I had cullen skink, a wonderful soup recommended by my friend, Deb Beattie.  It is made of potatoes, leek and smoked haddock.  Ended off with a scone and it was perfect. 

On our way down to Stirling Castle and Bannockburn, we called in at a little village in a beautiful glen where Rob Roy was buried.  Apparently he died of old age in his home and at his funeral they processed him 24 miles down this glen.  Stirling and Bannockburn were interesting.  John had visited Bannockburn with its impressive statue of Robert the Bruce 30 odd years ago and apparently it was better then with a very progressive display etc than it had now.  Still it was sobering to stand on the hill where the standard was planted and realise how many lives were lost in the fields in front of us.

We headed then down to the border country to the little town of Peebles.  This was stunning countryside and we visited the oldest house in Scotland, Traquir House and Neiderpath Castle before heading back to Edinburgh.  It was a great day and we really enjoyed it.  thanks to Dani and Aaron for their suggestions.

Yesterday we spent hours at Edinburgh Castle and had a fantastic day.  We enjoyed wandering around this castle that is our next door neighbour and has fantastic views of the city.  We were lucky as there was a wedding in the little chapel while we were there and they had a piper pipe the bride in and playing after the wedding.  Very very nice.  The Scottish boys look quite charming indeed in their kilts and with bagpipes slung over their shoulders.  I can appreciate that!!!  We saw the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Great Hall with its painting of Sargeant Ewark and the standard, the Prisoner of War Museum, the Scottish War Memorial and while John visited Museums to the famous regiments of Scotland I went to a fiddle concert put on by a wonderful group from the States.  They played in the Great Hall and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

We had a walk down the Royal Mile, the road that connects the Castle to Holyrood Palace.  The Queen is actually here for the week too.  You can't have anything on your own, hey?  William and Kate are coming in today and he is being given the Order of the Thistle at St Giles today.  We might go down for a look - we'll see how we go.

So all in all we have had a great time.  This has all been interspersed with a good dose of tennis and everyone here is excited that Murray might have a chance this time.  Great chatting with everyone again and we are glad everything seems fine at home.

There's a castle in our window

View from our kitchen window

Couldn't get John out of here -
 had to put on my cranky wife voice

We are pretty well established in Edinburgh now. Even though we have only been here for a day and a bit we feel like we know this delightful town and how to get around. It is only quite a small town but it is so picturesque and quaint. It is divided into two sections - the old town and the new town. The old town sits on a ridge starting wlith the castle and then continuing down the Royal Mile lined with blackened spires and high tenement buildings which are sometimes separated by wynds or closes. These are narrow allies that you can wander down consisting of steps, courtyards and lanes. Then there is this big ditch down running parallel to the old town that has now been filled with verdant gardens - very colourful and well maintained. The new town (which apparently is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the world) is on the other side of the ditch so from there you look across and up to the old town sitting on top of the ridge. The new town is also fascinating and wonderful to wander around.

Armstrongs - for Cait

We are staying in the old town in a section called the Grassmarket. It is quite the trendy place to be. Last night they had a big dance off. A crack at the foxtrot record for the Guiness Book of Records. Over six hundred couples dancing foxtrot at once for six minutes. We tried to get in and help them along but couldn't so we just danced on the fringes. Had dinner there last night while thousands watched the final of the Euro 2012 football which Spain won convincingly. Think that was a popular win here.



Arnstrongs



Pete and I went fishng
out on Lower Hill Farm

Chrissy in Shewsbury



Dinner with Steve, Muriel, Pete and Chris



The weather hasn't been great but not bad either. It is raining in the morning but by the time we get going it's usually eased and yesterday by mid afternoon the sun was shining. We have had a couple of easy days which we needed after a very hectic week. I think Edinburgh is going to be a perfect time.  We both love this relaxed city with lots to offer. 

John is still in bed and sleeping.  I think it's time for him to get up and make some scottish porridge, don't you?

Love my English family

We are in Shropshire at the moment spending a couple of days with our English family and they are just wonderful.  We are staying with my cousin, Christine, and her husband Steve and it has just been delightful.  They have looked after us so well and we have had a wonderful day today in Shrewsbury, Much Wenloch (where the modern Olympics were started) and preparing for a Beer Festival.  We are off to dinner tonight but have just had a wonderful day.  Yesterday when we arrived on the train from London and after lunch with Muriel and Chris, Pete, my cousin also, came around and took me fishing for four hours.  It was so relaxing sitting out on Lower Hill Farm by the side of a stocked pond and fishing and talking and barbecueing.  Haven't seen these lovely people for quite a while but it was very easy and comfortable to renew our friendships.  Wish we didn't have to leave tomorrow.

Our last couple of days in London were spent either at the theatre or wandering around places we hadn't been last time we were there.  Went to see Singing in the Rain on Tuesday night which was great fun.  Believe it or not they had it raining on the stage and I think the people in the front rows got a bit wet.  We went to the British Museum and Buckingham Palace and other places in between.  Probably the highlight of our time in London, beside spending time with our good friend, Alana, was going to see War Horse on stage.  It was the finest production I have seen on the stage - anyone who is London soon go and see it - you won't regret it.  We got the tickets just by walking in to the theatre at the right time when someone had just cancelled so we were lucky and then Alana also got a ticket the same way.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the show - it was mindblowing.

Tomorrow we head off to Edinburgh on the train.  Although we are looking forward to this stage of our trip it will be sad to leave our good friends here. 

Congratulations to our baby girl on her fine results in her Uni degree.  Good talking to everyone this week.  Take care.

Love English speaking countries

Writing this from London where we arrived on Sunday after a lovely couple of final days in Belgium.  We had a pretty quiet day on Saturday after our big day in Luxembourg.  Went for a canoe down the Ourthe River which proved a bit of a challenge.  After our float down the Dordogne this was a bit more "dangerous" as the river was quite shallow and full of rocks.  Thank God for kayaks that skim off rocks especially when the water is cool.  Still it was lovely and we find paddling very relaxing.  Caught up on a couple of pubs in La Roche in the afternoon, John visited the "crumbly" - the castle overlooking the town - and we had a nice dinner out.

Sunday we drove acrosss to Lille and caught the Eurostar to London where our friend, Alana Britton, met us with Oyster Cards and good advice and brought us back to her place.  We basically threw our bags in and went down to Greenwich, not far from her place.  The Cutty Sark has now been remodelled and is their in all her glory.  Greenwich was buzzing on Sunday afternoon and we enjoyed walking around and going to a book shop or two, wandering through the market and then having beef and ale pie at the King's Arms.  Perfect. 

Yesterday we got up early to go out to Wimbledon for the first day of the tennis.  We had to sort out a problem with the return of our car in Lille so we were delayed a bit and got there about 8.45.  Well, Lanie and Ben, you will know what I mean when I say the queue was amazing.  We got ticket number 5704 and 5 and they issue 6000 ground passes a day.  It is so well organised and very civilised.  Can imagine this happening in other country and it sends shivers up my spine.  But not in England.  They have it sorted.  We got into the ground about 12.30 - the tennis started at 11.30 - and there we were at Wimbledon.  Had to pinch ourselves.  We went straight to a court where Carsten Ball (the Aussie) was playing doubles and got good seats and watched him.  He did not play well and they lost.  Had a good walk around.  We were surprised - it didn't seem as crowded as we thought it would be.  We got seats at every match we wanted to watch.  It's good going early in the tournament as although we didn't see any seeds you see the up and coming players who are so determined and very well matched.  Think I would rather see that than Federer win 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.  We didn't leave Wimbedon till about 8.30 pm and really enjoyed the day.  It is predicted that the weather will be iffy (well it is England) for the next two days thought today I wake up and it looks good outside. 

Glad you are home safe and well, Phil and Bea, and found that nice apartment.  You did very very well.  We didn't get to see Sam Stosur play but I tell you when we are in the country she always does well.  Like Mark Webber - I hold great hopes for him for the British GP as we'll be here.  Carmel, you look after yourself.  That does not sound good.  Look forward to our catch up on our return.

Take good care everyone.

One more day in Europe

We only have one more day here and tomorrow we are off to London where our good friend, Alana Britton, is meeting us and we will stay with her for four days before heading up to our rellies in Shropshire. 

Belgium has been very relaxing and we have seen quite a bit of the local area.  On Thursday we did a lovely trip to the south where we followed the Semois River Valley and ended up in Bouillon.  All along the river where little villages and scenic outlooks.  It was just lovely. 

Yesterday we had a full day in Luxembourg.  What a great little country.  Apparently it's the only country in the world where its name doesn't fit in its space on the map.  But there's lots to see and we had a delightful day exploring.  Started off in Esch sur Sure a small town set in the loop of the Sure River.  Did a walk here up to the top of the hill.  Well, John went to the top and I went till I couldn't go any more.  Then off to Bourscheid Castle and a scenic drive down to Luxembourg City.  Our first stop here was the Villeroy and Boch outlet shop where we had bought a lot of china years ago.  Well for the price of my dinner set then, I bought a plate.  but it is pretty and I hope gets home in one piece.  Really enjoyed our time in Luxembourg City and did a walk around.  It's a vibrant city and there was lots going on - bands, buskers, outdoor eating etc. 

From there we went to another town on the German border called Ecthernat.  I forget how to spell it but it was also a cutie with a huge monastery and basilica and a quaint town.  We wanted to check out some mediaeval towers which they have turned into apartments and suss them out for future trips.  Vianden was our next stop with its imposing castle and village in the valley.  As John said, if anything happened they obviously would kiss the villagers goodbye.  This was my favourite.  We had a beer there in the shadow of the castle and then drove home via Clervaux. 

So all in all a charming day seeing this wealthy municipality.  Very enjoyable indeed.

Hope all is well at home.

Photos of Belgium

 I'm not good at manipulating these photos.  Sorry they are all over the place.

Cavalry on the charge - Waterloo




 

Legends Tennis at Namur

Dinner with Phil and Bea

Our place is the one on the end at ground level



Bruges



Gotta love Belgian beer



Tyne Cot Cemetry near Ypres



Frites and mayo - no wonder the Belgians are big and strong

Dinant

John's happy in the beer shop

Menin Gate in Ypres - last post played every night at 8



Pat Cash at Legends Cup



At our place by the river

Canon

La Roche-en-Ardenne

It was two very despondent Aussies who said goodbye to the Swiss Alps on Saturday.  We were very happy and relaxed in our mountain chalet and did not relish the thought of a long drive.  We had grown very attached to our lifestyle here and really enjoyed the hiking and beautiful scenery.  But move on we did and we are now settled in La Roche in a beautiful apartment right on the river Ourthe. 

We always knew that on the day after we arrived at this quaint and pretty town, we would go over to Waterloo as it was this weekend when they were celebrating the anniversary of Napolean's defeat.  So we headed off again on Sunday for the start of what would turn out to be a brilliant day.  Firstly we went to a village called Plancenoit and watched a reenactment of the battle.  We sat on a hillside and opposite was a mown field and a huge wheat field.  We then watched for two hours the French and British fight a battle in these fields with canon and muskets and calvary and pipers.  It was really stirring.  We had read where it was not so good and had decided not even to go to the battle reenactment but as we drove right by Placenoit on our way over and people were streaming in we decided we would go.  Got some great photos which I will put up later.

From Waterloo (after going to the Lion Mount etc) we headed for home and decided to pop into the town of Namur for something to eat.  We went for a walk and once again there were people streaming in.  They had set up a clay tennis court in the square outside the cathedral and were playing the Legends Cup.  Well, lo and behold, Pat Cash and Peter McNamara were playing Guy Forget and Yannick Noah.  So we got tickets and sat in the stands and watched three great matches.  John had a chat with Pat Cash and we just had a wonderful unexpected afternoon. 

When we arrived home we had an email from our friends we met in the Dordogne, Phil and Bea, and they were staying in town so we went and collected them and we all had another wonderful dinner together and a catch up on our travelling news.  So all in all a simply fabulous day.

We have visited some of the towns around La Roche including Dinant and Rochefort but none compare to our little town with its meandering river and pretty buildings and wonderful eating places.  The Belgiums offer chocolate, frites and sauce, and beer.  What more could one want in one's diet.  I can't think of anything.  La Roche is a vibrant little town and unlike French villages there is always something going on. 

Yesterday we drove to Bruges and Ypres - this was a revisit - and we enjoyed both these towns again.  Bruges is a gorgeous town with its canals and squares but becoming very touristy.  Ypres has just reopened last weekend its "In Flanders Fields" museum and we spent a couple of hours looking at this and the Menin Gate. 

Today we are just relaxing.  Might go out later this afternoon but need a catch up.  Very happy here and loving this lifestyle of one week in each place. 

Hope all is well at home.  Thanks for your emails.

Deb and John

Val de ree val de rah val de rah ha ha ha ha ha val ...

We have been wandering along the mountain tracks over the last few days and absolutely loving it.  Briefly since I last wrote we did get out on that miserable day and went to the Trommelbach Falls, a glacial waterfall flowing through a mountain feeding all the water from the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains.  It was wild.  The water just pelting through.  Then over to Grindelwald in the next valley.  On Wednesday when we woke up the weather was perfect and we caught the first cable car up to Mannlichen - but alas but the time we got there it was soup.  So we thought we would make the most of a cloudy day and cable car-ed over to First and then did a walk out to the Bachalpsee, an alpine lake.  Most of this walk was done in a blizzard but when we reached the lake the clouds parted and a bit of blue sky appeared.  It was well worth it as the lake was gorgeous.  The good news is that the last two days have been perfect and we have spent up to eight hours in the mountains each day, walking, eating, drinking, gazing.  I will let the pictures do the talking here.  Today we did a glorious walk along the North Face of the Eiger.  John nearly climbed up to the rock face.  The alpine wildflowers are all out and everywhere you look is spectacular.  Our last stop was Mannlichen where the view just takes your breath away.  We have clicked off hundreds of photos but not one will do justice to the beauty of this place.  We both want to come back. 

The Big Three - Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau

Walking close to the North Face of the Eiger

Dinner at Chalet Trogihalten

360 degree views on top of Mt Mannlichen

Our chalet

Our village, Wengen

Up at the Top of Europe, nearly at the peak of the Jungfraujoch, 3450 metres

John at Kleine Schidegge at the start of our walk beneath the North Face

Can you see a grey speck in the bottom right hand corner -
that's John climbing to the North Face

Up in the mountains

Lunch at Alpiglen

Sad news today that George, my friend Carrie's Dad died in Bristol today.  Had a bit of a cry up in the mountains when I said goodbye to them and another one when I read that news.    Hope you enjoy the photos.

We love to go a wandering

along the mountain tracks but when it's cold and very cloudy and wet we would rather stay in our warm apartment and watch Game of Thrones, which is what we are doing today.  Sad but true, the weather is being very fluky and unstable here in Wengen.  Don't know what's happening cause we ordered good weather for this week particularly.  Still it looks like tomorrow might be better, Thursday better again and Friday pretty good.  So we are grinning and bearing it today as the clouds roll in and we can hardly see 10 feet in front of us.  No point in being out today.

Yesterday was another story and we did a glorious walk along the ridge on the other side of the valley out to another little village called Murren.  The scenery is out of this world and for a while we could see (nearly) all of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger.  Not for long though.  Still it was a treat and we loved it.  We have bought a pass where we can use cable cars and rack pinion railway at will so really want to get out and get value so at the end of the day we rode the train up to Kleine Schiedegg where you are so close to the big mountains you could reach out and touch them.  You can see the glacier faces (is that what you call them?) and the mighty peaks. 

Murren is the place to go and cable car up the Schilthorn but it was in cloud so not worth going.  We really want to do the trip up the Jungfrau where you can go right to the top but it is very expensive so only worth doing if the sky is clear.  Also we want to go paragliding.  Would be beautiful to do here and although we probably both have reservations about jumping off cliffs we are going to do it!!!!  But this all depends on good weather. 

Not to worry nothing one can do about that so we will enjoy whatever is offered and we both agree this is a place we could come back to over and over again.  Our apartment is extremely comfortable and probably has one of the best views in the valley with a lovely balcony to take advantage.  It is a little wooden chalet so if anyone is considering coming this way let us know and we can help you out with good digs. 

Started using walking sticks yesterday.  Not the cane types but the European types.  It was a great help and I think the Grammar hill would be a lot easier, girls, if we all had a set.

Jungfrau from our balcony

On our walk to Murren

The whole view from our balcony

Inside our sitting room which leads out to the balcony

Hope you are all enjoying our blog.