• Janine Pickens
  • Janine Pickens

Europe

Meeting up with Scott Kristin Ida and Conrad for Scott’s 50th birthday Lue lisää
  • Naples day two

    22. kesäkuuta 2024, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This morning we set off to find our meeting point at 8.30am, we caught a taxi 🚕 and he dropped us off at the wrong piazza so we walked about 1.50km we we met our tour guide for the walking tour which was in Italian 🇮🇹 but we couldn’t get tickets for English speaking tour and we wanted to see the statue of the veiled Christ
    The tour guide was lovely, we saw lots and visited a monastery for cloistered nuns Santa Chiara Cloister ,it was beautiful with lots of ceramics pillars citrus tree and arched walkways, there was a group of children learning instruments and singing as we walked by
    The Basilicas were beautiful but this one with the veiled Christ was breathtaking
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  • Naples day three Amalfi coast we went t,

    23. kesäkuuta 2024, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today was an early start we’d had a late night as we’d meet up with Linda and Glynn for dinner at Pizzeria Scugnizzo Trattoria, we’d been there the night before and it was good.
    Anyway we caught the train to Sorrento at 7am it takes just over an hour so we arrived with plenty of time to have a coffee and pastry before our bus to Positano, it was a small mini bus and air conditioned as it was warm
    We walked through the alleyways down to the beach then back past all the shops I bought a lovely pair of white linen pants.
    We then went onto Amalfi the road is narrow and winding and the views breathtaking at Amalfi we had a lemon beer and a cone with fried mozzarella balls calamari squid and anchovies, was good,
    We then walked up the stairs to the church had a little peek then went to the beach the umbrellas were€30 to hire so we changed on the beach I swam for a bit then Tom swam
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  • Ravello Gardens

    23. kesäkuuta 2024, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    On our Amalfi trip we visited the Ravello Gardens in the town Ravello high up in the mountains all the valley is terraced and they’re growing grapes and lemon trees mainly
    It was €10 each to enter the gardens we walked through a beautiful walkway covered in creeping vines the gardens were amazing and had beautiful views
    I’m so pleased we got to visit these gardens
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  • Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius

    24. kesäkuuta 2024, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today, Tom and I embarked on an adventure through Pompeii, exploring its ancient ruins. Although I had visited before, this was Tom's first time, and we both marveled at the city's rich history. Following our exploration, we decided to challenge ourselves by climbing Mt. Vesuvius. Despite the sweltering heat and humidity in Naples, I was determined to reach the summit, and my trusty hiking stick helped make that possible. As Tom charged ahead, I had the pleasure of meeting and walking alongside a lovely lady from India who was also my age. We supported each other through the steep and rocky terrain, and our determination paid off as we conquered the final ascent together.Lue lisää

  • Fatima

    26. kesäkuuta 2024, Portugali ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Our Lady of Fátima appeared to three shepherd children. Lucia dos Santos (age nine) and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto (ages eight and six, respectively) were tending sheep in central Portugal when they had a vision of a woman surrounded by light who identified herself as the Lady of the Rosary.
    We visited Fatima today about one hour from Lisbon it’s a shine to our Lady of Fatima, I collected holy water from where she appeared to the three young shepherd children and I prayed for good health
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  • Monastery of Batalha

    26. kesäkuuta 2024, Portugali ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Monastery of Batalha
    The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by its masterpiece, the Royal Cloister.Lue lisää

  • Obidos medieval castle

    26. kesäkuuta 2024, Portugali ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The name Óbidos probably derives from the Latin term oppidum , which means “citadel”, or “fortified city”. The Romans lived there until the 5th century before abandoning the city following the fall of Rome.

    In the 8th century, the Moors established a fortification at the top of the hill. The latter was taken over by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques (Alphonse I of Portugal), in 1148 and it was modified in the 14th century.
    Tom and visited this medieval castle the queens of Portugal went to live here when they were pregnant, it was relaxing castle with thermal pools
    This area grows sour cherries that they make a cherry liqueur called Ginja
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  • Nazare

    26. kesäkuuta 2024, Portugali ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we visited Nazare this is where a lot of people from Lisbon have holiday homes it’s also where the highest surf break in the world is and a German surf broke the world record earlier this year

  • Faro

    30. kesäkuuta 2024, Portugali ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We stayed at the Stay hotel Centro andhave spent a couple days in Faro walking around the town and doing some shopping
    Yesterday Kate and Phoebe arrived and we met up for dinner at the Aqua park hotel where Scott Kristin Ida and Conrad are staying
    We moved from Faro to Quarteriera about 30 mins drive from Faro and our apartment is 5 mins from the beach
    Kate Phoebe Tom and I did a mini van tour today it left from Faro and we drove to these amazing limestone rock formations we walked and took lots of photos
    We then went to see the Benadil cave it was amazing looking down we could see people on the little beach and there were lots and lots of boats and kayaks going in and observing the cave
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  • Scotland Glasgow

    4. heinäkuuta 2024, Skotlanti ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    We arrived in Glasgow on a flight from Faro it was over 30 degrees in Portugal and 11 degrees when we landed in Glasgow and raining, we quickly found our puffer jackets scott had his car parked near the airport so it was nice not to have to wait for a taxi.
    We had a cup of tea and into bed it was around 2 am
    We slept well and today we caught the train to Inverness to stay for 2 nights in a air bnb we are doing a trip to Skye and the fairy pools tomorrow
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  • Highlands tour from Inverness

    5.–7. heinäk. 2024, Skotlanti ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Glamaig has been the site of an annual hill race since the 1980s. It begins and finishes at the Sligachan Hotel. While in distance terms a relatively short Category S race covering a distance of 7 km, with 775m of ascent it falls into a Category A climb, and is one of the more challenging races on the Scottish circuit. The sacrifice of Roderick MacKenzie is one of the most crucial stories to the Jacobite Rising of 1745 yet most know nothing about it… Unless curiosity gets the better of them and they investigate his subdued cairn on the road leading away from Loch Ness at Invermoriston.

    In the aftermath of their defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, surviving Jacobites were on the run from government soldiers. Eventually, one group in Glenmoriston found themselves cornered, among them was the leader of the rebellion himself Bonnie Prince Charlie and MacKenzie who had an interesting relationship with the prince. The game of shinty? Something of a mixture between hockey, hurling, football – and clan warfare – shinty is a team sport that's played with a curved stick known as a caman and a hard ball a smidge smaller than a tennis ball. Teams consist of 12 players in the men's game, and 10 for the women's, including a goalkeeper.
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  • Inverness

    5. heinäkuuta 2024, Skotlanti ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We caught the tran from scotts place to central Glasgow train station then caught the shuttle bus to queens station where we caught the train to Inverness which is a 4 hour journey with beautiful lush scenery.We stayed at a airbnb close to the main centre and train stations called Cedar Village Guest House on Kenneth Street.
    Our room was three stories up so a steep staircase to manage with shared toilet and bathroom.
    We showed and went out and had fish and chips at restaurant it was delicious
    We had early night but didn't sleep as it seemed to stay daylight and the curtains were flimsy
    We had Scottish breakfast then went to union street to catch our bus for the highland tour
    We went along the Lochness road stopping and taking photos the Loch is the largest loch and if it was a lake it would be the seven largest lake in the world
    The Caledonian Canal, designed and engineered by Thomas Telford, connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland.

    The canal is 96.6km (60 miles) in length with 37km being man made, and the rest being formed by Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy.

    There are 29 locks (including eight at Neptune’s Staircase, Banavie), four aqueduct’s and 10 bridges in the course of the canal.

    Following the recent 200th anniversary in 2022 of the opening of Caledonian Canal, this presentation is to discuss the history and engineering involved to commission, plan, design and construct the canal .
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  • Dubai stopover then home to NZ

    11. heinäkuuta 2024, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We left Glasgow it was sad to say goodbye but we will be back one day
    We arrived in Dubai at 2am and it was 39deg we felt the hot air when we left the airport and caught the mini bus to our hotel The Copthorthe , we were checked in and then went to our room had a shower then slept till 6am we then showed and dressed had breakfast then back to the airport we flew back to New Zealand it took 17 hours.
    We arrived in New Zealand checked out picked up our suitcases and caught bus to where our car had been parked unfortunately the car had a flat battery, we phoned onehunga car clinic they came and fitted a new battery $507.00 later we drove home.
    It was lovely to see Lucy she was so happy we gave her lots of cuddles had a cup of tea a shower then went to bed around 6pm
    That is the end of our 5 week holiday to Europe and our visit to see Scott Kristin Ida and Conrad
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  • Matkan lopetus
    10. heinäkuuta 2024