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USA, UK and Norway

August - October 2019
We start with a week in San Diego visiting Michael’s family. We fly to London and spend 6 days there, then north to spend time with Omnia and Gill and Bob. Next the 12 day walk along Hadrian’s Wall and then Norway and a boat up the coast and fjords Read more
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  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    1
    Day 1

    Arrived in La Jolla

    August 30, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I was going to start this blog sitting peacefully in Sydney airport while waiting to board. But checking in was chaotic - actually just bag drop, but we waited for ages while people slowly got processed, repackaged overweight bags etc etc....but after that ordeal all was very smooth. Slept well (with help from serepax) and arrived in LAX at 6 am and this end was super efficient, got through and on to the bus to Union station and managed to get the 8.33 train to San Diego!

    So here we are. Lisi collected us from Solana Beach station. Amr has immediately gone off for a swim at the high school, which closes at 1pm, to loosen up. I am relaxing here, had some lunch and remembered I need to start this blog. It is still August 30 here, so the date is right!

    I may not write up each day religiously while here, but will try and get some photos up. In a week we get the train back to LA and spend 3 nights there before flying to London on Sept 9. We’ll spend 6 nights there and then go to Liverpool for 2 nights, then Buxton in the Peak District with Gill and Bob, then to Carlisle (all these journeys by train) where we meet Carole and John who are walking the Hadrian’s Wall walk with us. That is for 12 days (10 days of walking), then we train to Edinburgh where we can fly direct to Bergen (Oct 3). Then we start our Scandinavian experience - taking a Hurtigruten boat up the coast and into the fjords for 12 days. Amazing. Then we spend a day in Oslo, and 2 in Copenhagen before flying back to LA. Then to Sydney, arriving Oct 26. That is our plan in a nutshell. Details to follow as they unfold!!    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    1
    Day 3

    Fun in San Diego

    September 1, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    It’s now Sunday morning. So I must record our doings before it all disappears into a muddle of times and days! We have been quite active since our arrival Friday morning. On Friday evening there was a party at the Beach Club - a reunion of all the 8 families (including Michael and Lisi) who went to Africa - Tanzania- for an amazing holiday in June. So of course we were included, we knew some of them from before. Probably good for us to be animated and socialise having arrived at 6 am that day, stopped us from falling asleep! Got to bed around midnight I think.

    Woke about 8 Saturday. This household still asleep as it often is on weekends, so Amr and I set off for a walk down to La Jolla village, had a coffee at a favourite coffee place, and I walked back (quite hot and sweaty - it was cloudy when we left but that all burnt off and it was sunny and hot...) while Amr stayed and had a haircut at his favourite barber, and a swim at the high school pool!

    A nice relaxed afternoon then we left at 5.30 to go to Bayside Summer Nights - San Diego Symphony’s equivalent of our Symphony under the stars - lovely event, perfect weather, and a Tchaikovsky spectacular programme! Lisi is a VIP of the symphony being on the board and donors etc, and she had organised a table for us near the stage where we ate dinner first, then sat back for the music!! Perfect. And it was an Australian conductor!!! Great night, great food, great music and I will show photos. To bed again around midnight, so we are getting well acclimatised.

    Now Sunday, and this afternoon Ben (cousin of Michael, Paul and Cathy), his wife Jeannine and their new baby are coming over, and also Peter F. That will be next report!    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    1
    Day 5

    Now Tuesday afternoon

    September 3, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Well it’s now Tuesday afternoon. Since I last wrote we had a lovely visit with Ben and Jeannine with baby Sam on Sunday. Very beautiful baby, now 3 months, and with such a great genetic mix - Ben is Anglo-Chinese, and Jeannine is Peruvian/Lebanese. So no wonder he is gorgeous! We had a late lunch and had the leftovers from the African feast (delicious and plentiful). Peter F was there too, so lovely family gathering. Afterwards we lazed and watched the US open.

    Monday was a public holiday here, so another lazy day. Amr and I walked down to the village quite early but already it was so HOT walking back up the hill. Relaxed afternoon. Michael played tennis in the morning, James had an engagement with friends, and we watched more tennis, read, ate yet more leftovers (I think there are still some left!!) and had a lovely day.

    Today, a normal Tuesday. Kids at school, Michael at work. I went down with Amr and swam laps in the high school pool. Haven’t done that for a long time, but it was good, and a lovely cool thing to do, but by the time we’d walked back we were sweltering again!! Will try to confine the walking to dusk I think. Hopefully the heat will have left London when we get there in a week’s time! Not a lot to say, but all is good.    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    Day 7

    Last Day in La Jolla

    September 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    It’s still hot, and even hotter in Los Angeles if you can believe the weather app! Now Thursday afternoon. Yesterday I didn’t do the hot walk! I did walk Nico early in the morning, but decided not to battle the heat. Lisi took us out to a lovely lunch at a Taiwanese restaurant (a hip and happening chain, and I think there may be one in Sydney) - Din Tai Fung - with Anita and Brian as well. Delicious food. Rather like Queen Chow - yum cha food that you order from a menu...yum. So that was great, and we didn’t feel like another meal. We picked at nibbles, and Michael had leftover fish curry for dinner.

    Cami and James left Wednesday morning for a school retreat for 3 days. Not a religious thing, similar to our school camps - a bonding experience at the beginning of the school year. So we said goodbye to them on Tuesday night - James left at the crack of dawn, though we did glimpse Cami in the morning as she left at the normal civilised time - her camp was not as long a journey away as James’. So it is a quiet household, and Lisi doesn’t have to be the chauffeur driving kids to school and activities!

    Today I again went with Amr to the high school and swam laps. Good, and we had arranged with Lisi to go afterwards to a cafe where she’d meet us (thus avoiding the hot uphill walk home), and we planned to go to a favourite Taco Bar for lunch, then off to Whole Foods to get green peppercorns which were not available at any other places we tried. It was the last chance, and we did find them. But a mysterious lack in the shops, even in the fancy food places, is that we cannot find taramasalata anywhere!! You’d think there were enough Greeks in the US that they would make and sell it!!

    So tonight is last dinner - Michael requested chicken with green peppercorns - he always does - and cauliflower cheese. He will be coming home soon. Tomorrow morning we take the Amtrak Surfliner back up the coast to Los Angeles where we spend 3 nights before flying to London on Monday.

    Next episode from LA.    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    3
    Day 8

    Now in Los Angeles

    September 6, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    This morning Lisi drove us to Solana Beach station and we got the Surfliner back to Union Station. Arrived about 12.45 and first went to the Metro info to get our Tap cards (equivalent to Opal cards)...we got seniors ones (here they only mind about age, not nationality etc) and the cards work for metro, buses etc...and SO cheap..each ride is about 35cents so far...you only tap to enter, no tapping off. Anyway, we were all set, got the metro to near the hotel in downtown LA and were delighted with it!! It is a Hilton, but small (compared with many Hiltons), an older Art Deco building, newly renovated...we love it. Should have taken a photo on arrival, but now it’s all messed up with our stuff so wouldn’t show to full advantage! And also we are in a handy spot close to transport.

    Boiling hot of course, but drier than it was in La Jolla. First we set off to the Grand Central Market for lunch (tacos again) and while there we passed a booth where they take photos of you in funny situations...hard to explain, but tomorrow they are starting properly, and you pay to have a funny photo taken, but today they were having free promos and we sat in a Harley looking sporty!!!

    Then we moved on to our favourite coffee place, Blue Bottle and studied the metro map and decided to go to Long Beach as a new adventure. However when we got to the metro centre found that the blue line was closed for a couple of months so decided to make today our Santa Monica day instead. Good choice as there was a lovely sea breeze, and we had a very pleasant wander. And it also cools off after sunset....we decided to eat at our favourite Mexican restaurant - Mercado- hip and happening modern food, just how we love it. Their special tonight was a watermelon and basil margarita, so refreshing and delicious, and we just had share plates of salads and veges ..yum!

    Now back in our cosy room and all good.    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    1
    Day 10

    Weekend in LA

    September 8, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Now it’s Sunday night. It has been a good weekend despite continuing heat! Yesterday, Saturday, we decided we would try to go to Long Beach...with the Metro closed they put on an express bus for the route we found out that zooms down the freeway, so that’s what we did. Had a wander round there, saw the Queen Mary - the original one that is now a museum - but didn’t actually go in, we just saw her moored. After a bit of hot wandering round we had lunch at a Spanish tapas bar which was fabulous and just what we felt like, and then took the bus back...and had dinner at our favourite little restaurant in little Tokyo.

    Today we went to the market for juice, yogurt and croissant, and to Blue Bottle for coffee...perfect breakfast. Then Amr went to a modern art museum, the Broad, near Disney hall which he says was great...I didn’t go but it sounds as if I will have to next visit. I had a bit of down time, then we set off to the Getty, always a lovely thing to do. Got the metro and then connected with a bus for the last part up into the hills, much more relaxing than the long bus journey we have done in the past. Lovely as always, such a calm place and beautifully set out, and cool and breezy. It was after 6 by the time we got back downtown so we went straight on to dinner, yet again at our Japanese fave!

    Now back for the last night here. We leave tomorrow afternoon on air New Zealand, so can leisurely pack and sort out things in the morning. Next instalment will be from London. It will be Tuesday around midday when we land, so we’ll probably try to wander around a bit and have an Indian meal before we sleep!    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    Day 12

    Arrived in London

    September 10, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Well here we are in London, and it’s Tuesday afternoon. Yesterday was a travel day, but we started out with a slightly more substantial breakfast as we knew we wouldn’t be fed on the plane till late in the afternoon. We had seen a place in the market each day which always had a long queue which we didn’t want to wait in, but they obviously did something good. So on Monday morning it was much quieter so we indulged - it’s called the eggslut!! And they do scrambled eggs, and other eggs and put them in a brioche roll....yum! Will show in photo. Then once we had to check out from the hotel, we hung round a bit in the lobby, but made our way leisurely to the airport as no time to do anything else.

    And it is nice to be early at LAX as the international terminal is always rather chaotic, especially yesterday with flights to Japan cancelled because of typhoons, British airways striking....anyway, we made it through with the very efficient Air New Zealand people and had an excellent flight, even nice food! AND such an easy entry into the UK - just put your passport in a machine and through you go - no forms, no people to question you! That is only for the good countries - people from EU countries, USA, Canada, Oz, NZ etc....but so good for us.

    So we went to the underground station, topped up our Oyster cards and made our way to our hotel near Earls Court station. This time it is an Ibis, but in an old Victorian building and again charming, not the typical rather soulless Ibis!

    We have had a walk, quite a long one, to Knightsbridge as far as Harrods, and then back via the Royal Albert Hall to pick up tickets for tomorrow’s concert. A short relax now and then a fairly early Indian meal, and off to bed, and hope we will slide easily into this time zone, because we remain at this time for the rest of our holiday - or an hour ahead in Norway, but an hour doesn’t count. All good.    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    Day 13

    First full day in London

    September 11, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It’s now Thursday morning, but it was too late to write up then. Having had a LONG sleep on Tuesday night, we felt ready to hit the town...but actually, I have to say that I did feel a bit fuzzy despite plenty of sleep. But we did quite a lot. After breakfast, which is included in our accommodation this time, we set off, walked through Hyde Park, saw there was a September 11 memorial, which was ignored even though it was today sept. 11. Nearby there was a butterfly biosphere...a tent with many species of butterflies in a very tropical tent, so we went in just for fun.

    Then we walked along, through Mayfair towards the British Museum where we spent a few hours looking at the fascinating things there. After we wandered the streets, such lovely buildings (mostly) and in passing picked up our tickets for Mamma Mia from the Novello theatre in Aldwych, (that is for Friday) and also for the concert tonight (Thursday) from St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square.

    After more wandering we actually took the underground to Knightsbridge - getting a little wearier by then - and walked to South Kensington, lots of eateries there...had a pre dinner drink at happy hour, then a pizza and salad before walking to the Royal Albert Hall for our Proms concert. Realised we were joining quite a crowd walking in the same direction...there is a real atmosphere at the prom concerts. Found our seats and enjoyed the whole spectacle. Virtually full house, with always people standing in the middle . We thought it was a concert of Bach orchestral suites - it was, but unbeknown to us there were other very short non-Bach 21st century works interspersed....(they can never have a concert there days without something new and “enlightening” it seems!)...however, this did not detract from the Bach...just lovely. It was an orchestra from Dunedin NZ (their equivalent ACO i imagine)...

    So we walked back after the concert, and decided to have our complimentary drink in the bar at the hotel (because we are such faithful silver Accor members!)...so it was almost midnight when we went to bed, and of course, having been fighting sleep during the soothing Bach at the concert, we found ourselves wide awake....

    So here we are, Thursday morning, slept in till almost 9, ready for a new day!    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    1
    1
    Day 14

    Another London Day

    September 12, 2019 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Tonight I’ll try writing up before going to sleep, while the day is still fresh in my mind.

    So we set off after a fairly late breakfast and took the tube to Hyde Park Corner. We can walk all this (yesterday Amr’s watch said we walked 22 kms!) but decided to save it for the later walking. So we had a very pleasant walk round St James Park, Green Park, past Buckingham Palace, looking at all the sights. Ended up in Trafalgar Square and thought we’d have a session in the National Gallery.

    This turned out to be a superb choice. For the beginning of the day I had felt annoyingly fuzzy still, but wandering through the gallery looking at the fabulous art was very soothing, and we both got a new lease of life. We efficiently worked our way through almost everything, and found it was 5.30! Without even the tired hips from museum walking! So it was perfect timing to go to nearby Leicester Square for a meal, and then back to St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square for our Bach concert.

    This was divine. I don’t think I’d ever been inside the church itself. Lovely for a concert, good acoustics. It was the London Concertante who were playing, and they played 4 Bach violin (one actually violin and oboe) concertos, and they too put in a few short non Bach “interlopers”, but they were also lovely - Telemann, Corelli, Piazzola. So a lovely day altogether, and here’s hoping we will fall asleep correctly today! (I think Amr already is!). Will include a photo of the new line in London buses - they have gone sleek and curvy!!    Read more

  • TravelerUSA, UK and Norway
    Day 15

    Friday in London

    September 13, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Must quickly report Friday before we go off to breakfast - now Saturday morning. It was a great day....we first had a walk around - along Piccadilly, Burlington Arcade, had a pot of tea in Fortnum’s, and ended up in Leicester square to see Downton Abbey the movie. So good!! A feel good movie that anyone who enjoyed the series would love. A continuation of events in the lives of all the people, and gorgeous visually of course. So that was lots of fun, and relaxing, and at 6 o’clock we met Omnia, who is now back in the UK, and going to spend the weekend with us here before we go back to Liverpool with her on Monday.

    So we found an amazing Basque restaurant right near the Novello theatre where we went to Mamma Mia. We had been going to have Italian yet again, but Amr spotted this place and it was absolutely fabulous!! Really special, and not madly expensive, but divine food, and really artistically presented. The only photos of this day will be food!! After that great meal we went round the corner to Mamma Mia....such fun. Full theatre of ABBA fans, and great show, energetic and happy...so altogether a feel good, happy day. Must get ready to go to breakfast!    Read more

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