Day 71 to 74 London to Paris

Bonjour

Well sorry we have been out of touch but internet access is difficult - as well as being very expensive when you can find it! So to catch up on last 4 days.

Day 71 – In London

Well it was not much fun today! Decided a day to relax and work on our assignments was required along with completing a number of emails we owed! So indoor all days.

But  then a walk at tea time down to the Docks – Canary Wharf and met Shabnam and Ian, and had some tea in an resturant with noodle dishes on offer.

Then home to watch Englands inglorious draw in the World Cup! Not very inspiring for the red and whites!

Day 72 – London to Paris

Up at 5.30! and left Shabnam and Ian at 6 am – they very generously got up to say farewell – no doubt back to bed as soon as we left!

 Very little traffic through the very middle of London and would have made heathrow in 45 minutes if Sally hadn’t taken a wrong turn and we got on some strange street – within sight of the airport! I suspect a wrong address had been inputted. (and not by Shona)  After a few minutes redirecting we got there okay and returned our faithful car – after about 2000 miles – doublings it’s mileage!

A long wait at the airport and a study of the duty free shops. An uneventful but late flight on BA – including a wait at the other end because no one had organised a way for us to get off the plane!!!! Then a long long queue for passport control – which took about 5 seconds to go through when they stamped our passports! – there must be a better way!

Off to an hours drive to the hotel which is on the River Seine (well sort of it has 3 roads between it and us) and about 5 blocks from the Eiffel Tower.

After a settle in it was a very cold walk to the Tower just to say we had been there – a very quick lesson in French restaurant prices when I ordered a SMALL coke and paid more for that than Shona paid for her small wine - $10NZ for a small glass of coke – really. Won’t do that again – and no doubt someone won’t forget to remind me!

An early night gaining strength for walks etc tomorrow.

Day 73 – Visiting Paris

After a slow start and a fairly average breakfast which cost us mega bucks!! It was off for a very long walk around neighbouring Paris. Maybe a map drawing would be best! We walked back to the Eiffel Tower again, and then we had a long walk to the Arc de Triomphe – and walked across to it (by tunnel) but decided not to go up – will save the height for Eiffel tower one day when it is a but warmer than today!

 Then a long walk down the Avenue Des Champs Elysees – me reminiscing and reminding Shona about the Tour de France last day race all the way down

 – ( I got a comment on every bend!!-Shona)  strangely she didn’t seem very interested – and was more interested in all the shops – even I might add this neat car sale shop which had his neat bike!!!!

 We also ventured into a sports shop and found there was at least one New Zealander on display.

 After lots more walking we crossed this river Seine yet again again. Kept seeing bikes you can borrow for free or for a small payment but didn’t succumb to the temptation!

 Went to Hotel des Invalides – but I believe we go inside on our tour, so decided to skip this. We saw lots and lots of big flash buildings! Finally stopped for a bit to eat – I decided not to order anything to drink!!!

 Back to the hotel and switched on the TV to find the NZ/Italy game on so was even allowed to watch – and Shona went to get something from downstairs since it was too tense!! Hopefully some at home stayed up to watch it was certainly a tense game right up to the last seconds! Glad I’m not in Italy at present, and apparently the French team has gone on strike today so didn’t hear anything about them down town at all!

Well a long day all be it cold – hopefully a bit warmer tomorrow but the weather forecast is not promising – so much for visiting France in their summer!

Day 74 – Visiting Paris Day 2.

Another long day of walking. Decided to walk to the Latin Quarter. Half way there we discovered the 51 floor building which allows you to go to the top (for a cost of course!)

 However gave great 360 views across all of Paris – lots of photos taken!!!!!

 Also then visited the Luxembourg Gardens and Palace and sat a listened to a performing group.

The gardens there were fantastic.

 Then on through the Latin Quarter and I succumbed to buying a Tour de France hat and t-shirt. Different atmosphere there. Lots of great eating places.

 Then a long walk back along the Seine looking at the Notre Dam

 and Lourve ( but not going into either). 

 It seemed strange a lot of shops were closed so not sure if that was because it was Monday or whether they had  a siesta – since some shops seem to open later?

 It doesn’t sound like we did much above, but we DID. We were on our feet for about 7 hours so we have rather tired legs. Maybe I can convince Shona to take the bikes tomorrow! It was a great day though. We both really enjoyed walking around Paris and taking in the atmosphere.

Day 75 – In Paris

Well finally it is fine and blue skies! Decided on a more sedate walk today but still covered a fair distance and ended up on the other side of the Avenue Des Champs Elysees and we saw how the other half live!

I took this photo of a type of lift moving furniture up to the top floors. Then looked closer at the “house/apartments” and saw lots of doormen and in front there was lined up about 9 cars – with no exaggeration there was 3 Lamborghinis, 1 Massarati, 3 Mercedes and 2 Audis – decided the people living here weren’t teachers! Also went past a block were there were police everywhere and it looked like a meeting of about 20 people in suits in the park obviously setting up something – not sure what was going on but obviously some important things going on!!

 After having some food sitting below the Eiffel Tower it was back home to get this web site up to date and to meet our new tour group – which starts tonight for 11 days.

Paris

Quick note
In Paris will try and catch up tonight - having a great time - visited lots of neat places: Staying near Eiffel Tower: Blue sky today for first time: Thinking of you all: Off to Lyon tomorrow

Happy birthday Pauline for yesterday. Off now for a walk in the sunshine - although still cool: Go the All Whites - we will see whqt france does today

B &S

Day 69 & 70 Nuneaton to London

Day 69
Well today was a rest day and a day to catch up with washing etc. We also attempted to tackle our "assignments", so indoors all days - although the sun shone a lot outside. I

ncredible how much the garden has grown since we were visiting about 2 months ago.

So no touring for just about the first time this trip.

Day 70
Well goodbye to Nuneaton and Alan & Angie today. With clean clothes and repacked bags!
Decided to take a slight diversion to Shakespeare land and visit Stratford-upon-Avon. This is Shakespeare 'shouse below.

 We had visited 15 years ago in mid winter so thought seeing it in the sunshine might be slightly different - and it was.

 Spectacular old tutor houses everywhere - great gardens and a nice relaxed atmosphere.

 After a nice time looking around the shopping area we set off and put our trust in Sally to get us into central London. After a few moments of indecision and battling 4.30 pm London traffic we got here in one piece!!
Tomorrow some more work and maybe a visit to central London - we shall see!
Hope this finds you all well.

Day 68 - Back to Nuneaton

A travel day today - a lot on the motorway. We left the B & B along with other guests heading off in various directions.

We followed Sally's directions for the first hour and a half and then had a break at a road side place (all the same where ever you go!). Then decided to leave the motorway battle and diverted via Chesterfield, Matlock and a few other small towns in the - managed to find some more steep hills again.

Then back on the motorway with Sally making some interesting route choices - including going over two ramps off the motorway and then returning it to the same motorway - go figure!!

 She was probably paying us back for ignoring her on some occasions.

However eventually got to Nuneaton and now relaxing - so not a very exciting day but needed to get further south!

Day 67 - Yorkshire Dales

Well this is probably our last day of exploring small steep country roads (although who knows what tomorrow might bring!!).

Anyway up with a neat brekfast from our hosts then in the car for a one day tour of the Dales. Impressions of the Dales - lots and lots and lots of stone walls everywhere - many quite high.

 Lots of very narrow roads - one lane and minimal room to pass, and some very steep ups and downs - 25% the maximum - when on the small back country roads - but all good fun. Very rocky in places with some amzing rock outcrops in places - a trampers heaven - as could be seen by all the cars parked and trampers you saw and met.

Anyway visited a small town of Malham first (sucked into National Trust car park again!!!) and walked up to Malham Cove. This was an old waterfall - back from iceage times that is now dry but very dramatic.

This is it here

Climbed to the top (400+ steps) and got terrific views back down the valley as well as some weird limestone formations on the top.

 Also some local bird fanatics watching the periguines who were nesting here and through their binoculars we could see the young one and the male - high up on the cliffs.

Then some very rural narrow roads and after much twisting and turning and a number of small towns ended up in Hawes.

 Visited shops there including a rope factory. Tried to find a local falls (called force here for some reason). The entrance to the falls was through an Inn (yes believe me) and then had to pay and entrance fee!!! Was quite a long walk so passed on that one!!

Drove on again through many picturesque little villages including Grassington where they had streamers up everywhere for a festival, as well as a trout farm where people paid to fish and then throw the fish back - go figure!

Eventually back to our B&B ready for some rest as well as dinner hopefully.

Tomorrow out of the rural areas back to bigger cities and the midlands - heading back to Nuneaton and Alan and Angie.

Day 64 - Lake District to Yorkshire Dales

Well today was one of our first wet mornings - I heard it was raining and miserable in NZ as well so all is fair I guess. England drew 1:1 in the world cup game last night against USA so the English fans were a bit subdued this morning!!!
Anyway a wet start and it stayed that way most of the day. We headed south to see the wonderful scenery in southern lake district - but view was very limited by low cloud and rain.

Visiting Ambleside (driving only) - quaint with most houses done in slate;

then Grasmere then Windermere - once again park and pay only way to visit - but went for a wet walk anyway.

Nice "beach" area and shopping area in both towns to visit.
After a disappointing lunch (one of our view wrong choice cafe's!!!) we drove on and visited a couple of villages on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales. Saw this neat bridge on the way.

Finally arrived at our B&B guest house - Tudor House - which is an old converted railway station - so line right outside - in fact about 10 metres from where I am sitting. Hopefully there won't be too many during the night but I am presuming all will be electric so not so noisy!

A quaint place and also lots of feeders for birds and already been watching a woodpecker (yes Sandy I did see it this time) for a while as well as a pheasant which apparently has 12 chicks hatched yesterday - maybe we will see them tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a bit lazy I think but time to potter around a few of the local villages on the dales - and hopefully some of the rain will have gone away!

Day 65 - Keswick

Well a slow day today - well sort of. After a lazy start we decided to go for a walk down to a local church - where a wedding was about to start. But we had time to look first.

We walked to the lake side and then up to the nearby forest (Dodd Wood) and climbed up a long steep track to see the lookout of a nesting Osprey nest. (if you look hard you can see the nest - the birds are three you will just have to take my word!)

 A large group was watching with telescopes and allowed us to look at the huge nest - quite a way below from us - but could see both adult birds and a young one on the nest.

The down for a cuppa then back to get the car to drive into Keswick (10 miles) and walked the street - market on - nice little town but every time you wanted to park they charged the earth (minimum $5 NZ each time).

 Even driving down to the beach of Derwent water we had to pay again!! Nice views and birds not scared at all by the lake side.

Off to tea at a local hotel - and watch all the locals dressed in red and white heading off to bars to watch the big football game tonight - first of world cup between England and USA (listening to it as writing this).

Now back in our pleasant conservatory writing this. Tomorrow off to Settle in Yorkshire Dales after visiting the rest of the Lake district.

Believe the All Blacks had a good win this morning - haven't heard anything about the All Whites though - very parachial around here with the news.

Day 63 - Hadrians to Lake District

Well off to explore Hadrians wall. First we visited an old Lanercost Priory then onto the wall. Certainly not much left considering what it was a few thousand years ago!!! But easily found and stunning to think what it must have looked like.

Also visited an old fort attached to the wall - only ruins and at outline now - but surprising the area it took in. Obviously tramping is the best way to see this.

After having satisfied my Hadrian curiosity it was off to the lake District. First exploring Aira Force a water falls - and tramp. Found the National trust has dibs on just about all the car parks around the lake district and then charge you to pay!!!! What a cheek - especially when we aren't members. The trouble is between Scotland and England there are a number of different trusts that various gardens, stately homes, palaces and castles do or don't belong to - and the one I joined just about no one belongs to!!!! Never mind. The falls were very pretty anyway.

Then on Keswick which really nice but will leave that until tomorrow to explore. We then travelled over a very steep pass (Honister) with very narrow roads and minimal passing places - although I hear there are steeper ones by Grasmere.

At the top of the pass was a slate mine/factory. terrific views - then heading down 25% gradients - glad I wasn't biking!

But there were trampers everywhere - obvioulsy what one does in the Lake District - all with their boots and tramping poles at their sides ready to go - and there seem to be tracks everywhere and easily accesible.

Around the pretty lakes/tarns and many more very narrow roads - stone walls on both sides of the road. Over another pass - not as steep - but lots of mountain bike tracks everywhere - maybe I will have to return some time with my bike!!!

Down to Bassenthwaite Lake - which our lodge owner assures me is the only "Lake" in the Lake District. Now relaxing in a very warm conservatory typing up these notes. Very pleasant place may have to stay here longer!

Day 63 - Tyndrum to England

Well today was to be our last day in Scotland - a bit sad to leave really.
Had a really nice breakfast at the travel lodge and headed south.
Then had the pleasure of reaching Loch Lomond - hard to get the song out of your mind.

Very pretty part of the country - fortunately beautiful blue skies.
The road followed the lake side and gave us plenty of opportunities to stop and have a look at the scenery.

Quite a few bus tours going through - doing lake boat trips.

Eventually hit the faster roads - then crawled through light after light through Glascow but decided not to stop in the city. Eventually got onto a motorway and after a short stop for lunch headed south. Then got caught up in very slow crawl traffic for about 20 miles - found eventually it was caused by 3 wide load trucks blocking 2 lanes - with a backup of traffic about 20-30 miles behind them.

Once past back to 70mph and headed to finish the 95 miles to Carlisle.
Expected a farewell message from Scotland but instead got a welcome to England!

Some more small roads off the motor way and eventually found our Inn - one dating from 1600. Very nice room - now relaxing catching up with internet!
Tomorrow is Hadrians Wall and Lake District intro! No rest for the wicked!