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Jayne Eckersall
Jayne Eckersall

Jayne Eckersall

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1

    On the road again.....

    31. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    I'm not saying that driving on New Zealand's South Island is easy but it is very pleasant especially when you come to a signpost that says Dunedin (our next destination) 110 km and the car sat-nav saying turn left in 107 km!!

    After just over half an hour, we saw a signpost for the Moeraki Boulders that are found on Koekohe Beach and definitely worth making that early left turn. The boulders appear to be perfectly formed spherical shapes, and measure up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in diameter, and are estimated to have taken 4 to 5.5 million years to grow. Before we went down to the beach, we had a breakfast snack of Croissants filled with ham, cheese, and tomato accompanied by large coffee whilst we watched the wave of the South Pacific Ocean roll onto the beach.
    After going down to the beach and marvelling at these phenomenon, we headed the car back onto the State Highway 1 (SH 1) which is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both the South and North Islands. Before leaving the Moeraki Gift Shop, we were told to venture off the SH1 and take the scenic road into Dunedin, and my was this good advice! We stopped off at Shag Point on the Matakaea Reserve and saw Sea Lions basking and playing in the sunshine. After stopping off for a comfort break and visiting a garden centre on route in Waitati, we arrive in a busy and bustling downtown Dunedin around 4:00pm. After checking into our room, we were greeted with a welcome to Dunedin note from our Travel Counsellor, Rebecca, Birthday card and a platter of cheese and biscuits from the hotel.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Findpenguin - update

    30. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Penguin Found ................here in Oamaru; the home to a colony of the tiny Blue Penguins; the world's smallest penguin 🐧. Whilst they nest and breed along the coastline all around New Zealand and Southern Australia, they leave in the early morning and swim 30 miles off the coast to feed returning as the sun-sets every night.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    O my in Oamaru......

    30. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Free day in Oamaru until our excursion at 21:00 tonight. So it's a bit of a lazy day again after driving quite a while yesterday and seeing what Oamaru has to offer.
    Oamaru, the largest town of the Waitaki District, has a rich history and proud heritage, enriched by the passionate and perhaps 14,000 quirky locals. The town boasts a Victorian Precinct, where there are shops, galleries, and traditional crafts within some of the Southern Hemispheres' most complete Victorian streetscapes and 19th century architecture, it really is like stepping back in time.
    After lunch, we went to check on where our evening excursion was taking plaand we were so glad we did as you can sea lion below 🦭.... 😅    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    We'll be coming down the mountain ..

    29. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Waking up on our transit day from Mount Cook to Oamaru, we didn't realise you had to pay a supplement for the view ........... as ours had been removed!!! With the car packed, we drove back up to the Hermitage Hotel for breakfast and hopefully let the weather improve. Which it did, and we were soon heading back down the mountain along Lake Pukaki towards Twizel and the nearest petrol station. (thankfully as it was downhill, if we ran out of fuel, I could free wheel there!!). On our way to Oamaru, we drove past numerous hydroelectricity dams, and what reminded me of old western towns I saw in cowboy films, with everything on one street as you pass through We stopped at one such town: Kurow, and it really was like stepping back into the old days. Another stop before arriving in Oamaru was at the impressive Elephant Rocks on the Island Cliff-Duntroon Road. About 23-25 million years in the making the large hummocky rock formations that look a lot like Elephants were created after fossil-rich limestone deposited millions of years ago eroded, leaving behind an incredible boulder-field which towers above your head. We finally arrived at our hotel at the Mews Motel at about 3:00 some 3 & 1/2 hours and 240 kilometres later.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Even mountaineers need a day to rest 🧗

    28. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    We awoke to a beautiful morning in the mountains. Nothing planned for today apart from an evening trip to the Mount John Observatory, but as this excursion which begins at 22:00 (obviously when it's dark for stargazing) we cancelled as it needed a 3 hour drive round trip back down the valley and up the other side, in the pitch dark ........ "No thank you, we thought!"
    So we settled for a lazy day starting with Brunch rather than breakfast over at the Hermitage Hotel. This appears to be the spot where everyone on the mountain congregates as the queues for the cafe were non-stop and this is after the hotel has served breakfast. The hotel also houses a tribute museum to Sir Edward Hillary; a New Zealander, who used this area to practice for expeditions to Mount Everest and the Antarctic. As Jayne and I had none of these activities planned we felt no need to practice and just spent the day relaxing and admiring the views.
    As I mentioned earlier, we cancelled our night excursion and as luck would have it as the night set in the winds grew stronger and pretty much kept us awake howling all during the night. Even in a hire car I would not have liked to have made that drive!!    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Let the fun begin........

    27. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today's the day our travels and fun really begins when we pick up our 1st Hire Car!!.🚘 Checking in for the car, Jayne unwittingly played a blinder and bagged us a free upgrade. As the guy was doing the paperwork Jayne asked if the car had a sat-nav, unfortunately he said only the bigger cars are fitted with them, but if we wanted sat-nav we would have to have one of them. "Well, I suppose we could manage," we said, so we are now driving around in a Toyota RAV4 SUV and not a Hyundai Kona. With sat-nav working perfectly and our destination in Mount Cook locked in, we soon found ourselves driving out of the Christchurch City limits and onto long glorious pot-hole free straight roads. As the scenery changed from houses and industry to fields and farms of the Canterbury Plains, the roads became quieter and so easy to negotiate. We crossed many bridges that stood over dry gravel river beds, a different story in the depths of winter, I imagine. We drove on through an area called Ashburton; centre of sheep and wheat farming, and onto the Mackenzie Basin. We stopped for a coffee ☕️ on the banks of Lake Tekapo 🏞; where a small church of the Good Shepherd perches on the lakeside. This all seemed very much like the Lake District but it quickly changed into a sea of purple as we drove past a Lavender farm and then into a far more dramatic landscape with snow capped mountains as we drove along the Tasman River and then up into the Tasman Valley and realised this area really does put the Lake District into the shade!!
    After driving 330 miles in over 5 hours plus various stops for photographs 📷, we finally arrived at our accommodation for the 2 nights we are at Mount Cook in the Aoraki Court Motel. It was a pleasant place, but very limited in terms of food, etc, but blessed with spectacular scenery.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    The final walk around.....

    26. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Arriving back in the city centre, the World Buskers Festival was well underway with buskers appearing all over the town. Down by the river, ducks, seagulls, black swans and eels were all competing for the scraps of food thrown into the river. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at the new and temporary cathedral affectionately known as the Cardboard Cathedral.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    11

    Lazy Sunday Morning

    26. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After breakfast in the hotel we went in search of the Botanical Gardens, walking past fountains by the river Avon and a statue of James Cook; the famous navy captain who found Australia and New Zealand amongst others. In the gardens there is an extensive collection of endangered plants and trees, lovely gardens of roses and much more. There was also punting going on down the river that flows through the parkLes mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    11

    Christchurch - read the safety notice

    25. januar, New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After arriving in the early hours of this morning; (02:30 local time or 23:30 on Friday evening after being up since 08:00 Wednesday morning), we dove straight into bed for a few hours. 😴 After which, we decided to have a slow start and walk 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️into Churchtown centre to get our bearings, find out the meeting point for our excursion tonight, and find something to eat as well. We were a bit surprised to realise just how small and compact the city centre was. After finding something to eat at the Riverside Market; which is a haven for foodies, we made our way to Cathedral Junction where we needed to be by 19:30 that evening. As the name suggests this tram-stop is very near the Christchurch Cathedral (built between 1863 and 1904) and virtually destroyed during the 2011 Earthquakes along with many other buildings, in fact our driver told us that the city centre was closed to the public for more than 2 years. One thing that did fascinate me was; once again, all the street art that we saw dotted around the city on our way back to the hotel for a rest.
    In the evening, we were booked on the Tramway Restaurant, which served us a lovely 3-course meal plus appertizers. Oh, did I mention the wine pairing with every course. Jayne went for the Tai Tapu Venison whilst I had the Charred Octopus 🐙 and Squid for Entrees with Muddy Water Deliverance Pinot Noir 🍷. Main Course we went for Canterbury Lamb 🐑 Rump and for Jayne the Baked Akaroa King Salmon 🐟 this time accompanied by Te Mata Estate Merlot Cabernet from Hawke's Bay. For dessert, I went for the New Zealand Cheese Plate with Torlesse Reserve Tawny Port from Waipara. Jayne finished off with the Manuka Honeycomb & Spice accompanied by a glass of Forrest Botrytised Riesling from Marlborough. We thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the tram 🚊 ride experience as we travelled in around the city centre for around 2 hours.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1

    Plane Crazy......

    24. januar, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    After arriving in Brisbane we made our way slowly to the transit immigration area, having our bags not only scanned but sniffed 🐕 Fortunately, this area had a couple of coffee bars where we headed first, shops including souvenir shops selling all sorts of items from typical Australian items, cuddly Koala Bears and Didgeridoos, but no postcards. Checking out the Brisbane fridge magnets showing places of interest, we hadn't missed anything not taking the skytrain into downtown Brisbane.
    We found the Executive Lounge, and using my last free pass, we settled ourselves down; at least in some comfort and away from the hordes for our 8 hour wait. Only to be told a couple of hours later, the lounge was now closing and would be closed until after our Christchurch flight had left. So we headed to the bar and found a table overlooking the apron and runway and had a long and 'romantic' meal!!! After touring the tourist shops again, we headed to our boarding gate. Only to find the same group who had been in front of us and messed about with the reclining seat no end!! So that's when more fun began as apparently they had changed flights, but their luggage hadn't. Once on the aircraft, the "comedy" show continued. A Chinese couple sat at the over the wing Emergency Exit but were asked to move due to their lack of understanding English. They were replaced by a Geordie couple who were overjoyed at the extra legroom at no charge, until he realised he had left his coat in the departure area and then his wife "kicked" off🫠 as the Chinese lady had mistakenly taken her bag 🎒 from the overhead locker and brought it back. After being accused of potential air piracy, the flight attendant managed to calm the situation down by telling Geordie Lass 🤐 it's a mistake, and she herself was to blame and to the Chinese lady to stop apologizing 🤫. We finally took off about 1 1/2 hours late and into an electrical storm ⛈️⚡️⚡️!!!
    Some 3 1/2 hours later, we finally arrived at our 2nd scheduled destination; Christchurch in New Zealand 🇳🇿. Our taxi driver was patiently waiting to take us to our Rydges Latimer hotel 🏨.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Crossing The Line.......🌏

    24. januar, Natuna Sea ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Just 90 minutes after boarding our Airbus 🛩A330-300 in Singapore destined for Brisbane 🇳🇿 we crossed the line .... or to be more correct, We Crossed the Equator 🗺 and flew into the Southern Hemisphere 🌏 for the first time in our lives.
    Our flight went smoothly enough, or although getting any sleep was sadly impossible, anyway, it's only a seven hour flight until we arrive in Brisbane tomorrow morning.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1

    Time to move on......

    23. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Last day in Singapore

    Things to do in Singapore when the weather isn't great as in overcast, hot and humid whilst looking like rain and the weather forecast is thunder storms.....buy a suitcase 🤫

    So after the usual and repetitive breakfast, we went back to our room to pack for the next part of our adventure. And what a start to this new adventure we couldn't fasten our 2nd case so how would we do it in Australia when all the granddaughters have request Koala bears??? .... we go out and buy a new bigger suitcase. The good news is there is 10% off the sale price, AND I can claim back the Singapore tax paid on the suitcase .... all £6.
    But wait, what's that a message from Qantas. Our flight to Brisbane has been delayed (only) by 3 hours, meaning we will arrive in Brisbane just a couple of hours after our flight to Christchurch has departed. But not to worry as we have been booked on the next available flight AND we can claim compensation for this delay. 🤑 We were soon brought down to earth though ad our compensation claim was applicable only for food and drink at the airport!!. Anyway back to reality or rather Shangi Airport. After checking our bags in ( through to Christchurch), we went to find the delights of this ultra modern and spacious airport. It didn't take long. Just a short walk across the road from the departures building is the Jewel and what a diamond it was 💎.
    Due to the flight delay, we were both given SG$20 each to buy food and drink. After deciding what we wanted, we ordered only to be told the voucher was only valid for the Street Food Counter, so we both settled on Amy Yip Pau or egg and meat in a dumpling.
    Anyway, let's just get this flight and get across the LINE.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1

    Raffles

    22. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Back at the hotel for a quick shower, change of clothes and an aperitif in the bar we booked a taxi to take us to Raffles Hotel for our dinner reservation in the Courtyard restaurant and secretly praying it wouldn't rain. We had a two course meal with lovely starters of Wasabi Tiger Prawns and Vegetable Spring Rolls, followed by Rigatoni Carbonara for Jayne and a Paccheri Pasta for me. All washed down with a glass of Louis Latour Bourgogne Rouge and also a Carrot Walnut Cake for Jayne. Total cost SG$ 199.03 or £119.15 in real money. We then went upstairs and joined the small queue to go into the Raffles Long Bar and partake in a world-famous Singapore Gin Sling. widely regarded as the national drink, was first mixed in 1915. Today, the rich, earthy decor of the two-storey bar is inspired by Malayan life in the 1920s, and the famous counter gleams amid decorative motifs that transport us to a tropical plantation. As a non Gin drinker, I must say, was delicious. The surprise of the holiday for Jayne came when I started eating Monkey nuts and as tradition states in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, guests are invited to brush peanut shells off the bar and onto the floor – quite possibly the only place in Singapore where littering is encouraged.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    An afternoon stroll 🚶‍♂️

    22. januar, Singapore ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Heading in the opposite direction today towards Fort Canning Park. It appears to be a country park with huge heritage and majestic trees. It is also home to a hotel, military barracks, spice garden, and what I have come to see the Colonial Monuments. Walking through the park you come to the first of 2 Fort Gates, carry on up the hill you come to the last remnants of the colonial hilltop fort; complete with WWII Bunker, former Christian cemetery and British army barracks.
    The WWII bunker, known as the Battle Box, is strategically placed and well hidden in the grassy hill and foliage off the park. Starting in 1936, it took 3 years to build and was the stronghold that the Allied Forces monitored and tried to stem the advancing Japanese army in the final days of the Malayan campaign. It was also here that the decision was taken to surrender to Japan, becoming the greatest military defeat of the British army and the beginning 3 1/2 years of Japanese occupation in Singapore.
    Continuing on from Fort Canning Park, I walked in the direction of the Raffles Hotel to ask if the Courtyard was covered as it was raining. There is some covering, and yes, you may get a little wet if it is raining and windy. I left deciding discretion is the better form of valour and decided not to tell Jayne!!!
    From Raffles Hotel it wasn't far to the river and an opportunity to hopefully get better photographs of the Merlion; a mythical creature with a lion's head and the body of a fish that is widely used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore.
    As time was now getting on and we were going out for dinner tonight, I decided to head back to the hotel and Jayne. Searching for the nearest RMT stop, I was surprised to see recognizable street sounds and realised I was just minutes from the hotel.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Another Temple.....

    22. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Walking on from this magnificent temple, I came to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (BTRTM), and much to my dismay, you do not see this ancient Buddhas tooth!!!
    At 4 storeys high and then a pagoda on the roof, there is quite a bit to see, including
    The pagoda is located directly at the center of the roof, where gilt statues of approximately 11,111 Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are enshrined and venerated. A Buddhas of the world museum. Whilst on the ground floor as you walk in, is the main hall and has a height of 27-feet to accommodate a 15-feet statue of the Buddha Maitreya enshrined within, which is flanked by two bodhisattvas on each side.
    Walking back to the hotel, I came across more street art, street artists    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Street food, art, and religion

    22. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    It's another lazy morning before setting off to check out the local street art in Chinatown 🇨🇳
    First, though, I decided to walk through through the local street food emporium to see what delicious 😋 delicacies there were on offer. Finding the street art, I once again found myself in Little India at the Hindu Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple; built in 1881, where I had to remove my shoes and socks to go in.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Back in time for tea 🥢🥢

    21. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Over 3 hours later, we headed for the SMRT (Singapore Mass Rapid Transport) system; the underground metro 🚇 train. Jumping off at Clarke Quay, we went in search of refreshments before going back to the hotel.
    Note to self: you can not use the same card to pay for 2 people on the same journey.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1

    Getting wet inside .....

    21. januar, Singapore ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Cloud Forest Conservatory

    Although higher than the Flower Dome, the Cloud Forest is slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres) where humidity is 80% – 90% and the temperature ranges from 23°C – 25°C .

    At the entrance you feel a cool blast of air, and see the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, pouring down water and mist from 35 m (115 ft) above. Taking the lift to the top of the mountain and then strolling along the walkway in the clouds for an aerial view of the canopy and mountainside below. Descend through the 122-metre long Cloud and Treetop Walk.    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    11

    Lets get inside....

    21. januar, Singapore ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    At the gardens is the largest Flower Dome in the world according to the 2015 Guinness World Records. Spanning 101 hectares in the city’s centre and is built on reclaimed land, featuring over 1.5 million plants.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....
    1
    1

    It gets wet in Singapore 🌨☔️☔️☔️

    21. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    The first full day of our trip.
    After catching a quick glimpse of it yesterday, we decided to go and take a closer look at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel 🏨  and shopping  🛍  Plaza and Casino 🎰  and Gardens. Unfortunately by the time we arrived at the hotel it was raining 🌧  and so instead of taking the lift upto the 56th floor and the Skypark Observation Deck we headed to the covered attractions.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    No Room at the (Holiday) Inn

    20. januar, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    On arrival at 🛬 Changi Airport we had to re-register our Singapore Health Visas. Whilst this was a pain walking to the baggage 🧳 carousel we were met by both our bags and amazingly just 30 minutes after landing we were in a taxi heading downtown and getting our first sight of the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel. And shortly after, that's when the fun started. Our hotel booking had been cancelled and the hotel was full. After some discussions and a little (well a lot of) anxiety a duplicate booking was found against our name and we were given the keys to our room. Unpacked, but tired, we walked around Chinatown for a couple of hours. Finishing off the day with a nice snack of Pork and Smoked Duck Gyoza accompanied with noodles. Before heading back to the hotel via the Singapore River.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Planes 🛫🛩🛬🛫✈️🛬

    19. januar, England ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    Now it's the planes...

    Early start with an alarm set for 03:30 🕞⏰️
    A very quick check-in & into the Aspire Lounge followed by a relaxing breakfast and all with no queues!!!
    Now our journey begins, the departures monitor told us to go to Gate 12, ready for boarding our A380 aircraft to Dubai. As we were seated on the top deck, we were one of the last to board. During the 7 1/2 hour flight, we enjoyed another breakfast followed by lunch and landed in Dubai around tea time (dinner time). In Dubai, we quickly made our way to the departures gate for our onward flight ✈️ to Singapore 🇸🇬 Whilst this flight was by a Boeing 737, we still seemed to be the last section to board. Shortly after everyone was seated on another busy flight, we took off, and the ever attentive staff served our evening meal and breakfast before arriving just 7 hours later. (08:30 Monday morning Singapore time or 00:30 Monday morning UK time 🇬🇧) or in real terms 21 hours after getting up at the Radisson.Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Planes ✈️, Trains 🚆, & Automobiles 🚘

    18. januar, England ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Well, today is the day !!!!!!
    We start our journey to the other side of the world 
    We are very excited & looking forward to making special memories
    Singapore, here we come, but to make all this possible, our Poulton Cab had better arrive.
    And it did so here we are standing on a cold platform at Poulton-le-Fylde train station 🚉 for what has now become our usual photograph to mark the start of a holiday. Next stop Manchester Airport and the Radisson Blue Hotel 🏨    Les mer

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  • Greatest Adventure Yet....

    Start of my journey

    11. juli 2024, England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    After booking a train ticket on the 26th May and arriving early at Poulton-le-Fylde train station 🚉 the first thing I see is my 14:32 train to Preston is cancelled. Fortunately, after what now appears to be the obligatory selfie in front of the Poulton-le-Fylde station sign; when travelling by train, I boarded the next train out. Arriving at Preston with plenty of time to spare with a "no decaf and is semi skimmed milk, ok?" Coffee, I sat watching my fellow commuters. 🏃🚶🧍‍♂️🧳 Checking the timetable on the Trainline website it appears my 14:32 train was cancelled for good. Are we the only country where to get anywhere on time you have to travel earlier than planned 🤔 The London train arrived on time and someone was already sitting in my seat warming it for me ...... now that is service for you - thank you, Avanti 😊
    Arriving in London just 12 minutes late, I had crossed the great North - South divide. I was dressed prepared for rain 🌧 whilst everyone around me wore t-shirts, shorts and sunglasses!! An impromptu game of ‘Let's play' spot the northerner!!’ began
    Just under an hour later, via 2 underground 🚇 trains and a 5-minute walk, I arrive at my son; Tom’s house. As I already knew that he was staying out for the night, I dropped my bags off and headed into downtown South Woodford, fancying an Italian pasta dish for my tea. Walking past numerous Bar & Grill, Hungarian, Greek, and Japanese restaurants, my quest for an Italian restaurant came to an end in the form of Nino's. After a lovely spaghetti 🍝 Carbonara accompanied with a beer 🍺; ⬅️ well, it wasn't as big as that one, I strolled back to the house.    Les mer

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  • A Holiday Where? ........ Why?

    The Last Day....

    22. oktober 2023, Litauen ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today is going to be a hard day as this little penguin is still feeling sorry for himself and we have to check out of our room by 11:00 am. Unfortunately, our flight home isn’t for another 12 hours!!
    After what has become the habitual lazy breakfast, we finished packing our bags, paid our bill and checked out. With our bags locked away we decided to go out for a walk towards the other side of town. As we headed in the direction of Kaunas Train Station we came across a park and decided to check it out. The park is called Ramybė Parkas (Peace or Tranquility Park), a public park established in 1959 in the territory of the Kaunas City Old Cemetery that was also known as the Carmelite Cemetery. During World War I and subsequent Lithuanian Wars of Independence, Russian, German, and Lithuanian soldiers were buried in the cemetery. During the interwar period when Kaunas was the temporary capital of Lithuania, many famous people were buried there and several buildings (churches, schools) were constructed on the cemetery's territory. In 1930, a monument to fallen Lithuanian soldiers with a tomb of an unknown soldier was unveiled. Around the same time, a tradition to honour fallen soldiers on the All Saints' Day began. On All Saints' Day in 1956, a spontaneous anti-Soviet demonstration started in the cemetery in support of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. After smaller incidents in 1957 and 1958, Soviet authorities decided to demolish the cemetery and turn it into a recreational park. Families were given a few months to rebury their relatives elsewhere (many were moved to the Petrašiūnai Cemetery). Tombstones, monuments, crypts and a Catholic chapel were demolished. The Soviets installed a monument with ashes of four communists executed after the December 1926 coup. After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, the Soviet monument was moved to Grūtas Park. The monument to Lithuanian soldiers was reconstructed, and new monuments dedicated to the participants of the June Uprising and Lithuanian partisans were erected.
    Heading back to the hotel we stopped off at the Akropolis Shopping Centre, staying there for an early evening meal at a lovely Chinese restaurant; called Devyni Drakonai, where the food was equally as lovely and cheap in price, only £34.
    After heading back to the hotel, we collected Pat from her room and after a short wait the taxi arrived to take us all to the airport for our flight home.    Les mer

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  • A Holiday Where? ........ Why?

    Poorly Penguin 🐧 Stays Home...

    21. oktober 2023, Litauen ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    It was not a good day today as this little penguin had a sleepless night and developed a “stinking” cold 🤧, so after breakfast, I sought refuge back in my bed 😴 at the Radisson!! This left Jayne with a free day to do as she pleased apart from regular refreshment visits to her TWO room bound travelling companions. So, there are no photographs today but a chance to share some of the Street Art we saw in Kaunas.

    1st Photo is the Bearer of Light by Vytenis Jakas, 2019

    2nd Photo is ‘Wise Old Man’ has become an Instagram staple; an enormous mural that dominates the entire side of a former shoe factory on the leafy avenue of Jonavos Street. The giant gentleman in question — wearing a red bodysuit while smoking a pipe bigger than his own head — is Jurgis Maciunas, a Kaunas-born artist who carried Lithuanian modern art into the wider world in the mid-20th century. He would have known the surrounding streets and buildings well — including Kaunas Castle, the medieval stronghold whose striking red-brick tower stands directly opposite the painting. Painted as a tribute to influential Kaunas-born artist Jurgis Maciunas, the 'Wise Old Man' mural adorns the side of an old shoe factory.

    3rd Photo is a big mural that can be found on the walls all over the city. This particular one was painted by a well-known Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic (who also has works in Vilnius or Warsaw).

    4th Photo is apparently one of the best street art pieces; “Princess on a Horse”. It was painted by a 7-year-old girl, Gabija, and then transferred to the wall by one of the artists. This is such a cute mural, and it definitely puts a smile on your face with its bright colours!

    Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how interested you are, I could not find any information on the remaining street art photographs that I took.    Les mer

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