Buy Now $20 AUD (including shipping) INTRODUCTION This book is a collection of performance poetry, both rhyming verse (Part I) and free verse (Part II), and in keeping with the ‘coffee table’ nature of the book it also includes snippets from my travel journals. The book has been assembled, almost reluctantly, as this poetry has … Read more
Back to the Tent and Van to say goodbye to the mob and to the realisation that the carnival is over. Festivals are like that. New friends made on Friday are long lost best friends by Monday and the partings are sad occasions. I’m sure we’ll see Philippa again but the others, we can only hope.
Many of these towns have their Old Town and New Town, the heritage area and the new supermarket area and so on. We walk both and also the Cemetery of the Guestling St Laurence Church a few miles to the east which rates a few mentions in Denise’s family tree. None of her forebears leap out at us but there is something about walking the ‘very ground’ your ancestors once trod. Inside the church is a list of the rectors of the church commencing from 1074.
Parliament House, that stunning, ornate building on the Thames, has been open for tours recently but on arrival there, we find it closed for the Bank Holiday. We were keen to see it as we had recently been through our Parliament House at home where the basic layout of the House of Representatives and the Senate is based on the English House of Commons and House of Lords.
Monday is washing day. Is everybody happy? Riikka starts work again today after a week off and we do the washing at Stephen’s place and then spend time wandering around the city.
Reflecting back on the trip so far, we have had a few unfortunate turns. The busted wheel saga with no spare tyre was followed by the mix-up in times for meeting Simon’s aircraft, the phone not working, getting locked in the airport carpark, the hotel carpark being €29 per day and not included in the price, and getting a parking ticket at the hotel in Tampere. We decide to shrug off these experiences and enjoy the holiday. After all, George Bush has managed to shrug off accidentally invading Iraq and enjoy his holiday.
Two years ago Denise and I went around the world in 30 days. This time it will be half way around the world and back in 40 days. The recent retirement must have slowed us down a little.
Following the bus trip to Sydney and after navigating our way through the duty free shops and the $60 T shirt bargains, we find ourselves on a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 heading for Hong Kong. From my back row aisle seat I get a great view of the length of the plane while through the window I can see the tip of the wing which, by some miracle of unnatural phenomena, will lift us off the ground.
Tuesday 11th September Day 23
Belfast is a beautiful modern city with large industrial and maritime areas adjoining. The City Hall, built in 1906, is the next most beautiful of City Halls we have seen after San Francisco and the park to the front is packed with people having lunch and relaxing.
Belfast promotes itself as the second safest city in world tourism after Tokyo.
The London Eye is a massive ferris wheel with enclosed passenger pods which takes a half an hour or so to do a lap and the views from the top are not only breathtaking but put London’s layout into a better perspective. I can feel my north point readjusting and the only distraction from the views is the engineering of the wheel itself. It is the 59th wonder of the world.
The check in chick for flight A319 to San Francisco requests us to remove our shoes for xray purposes. I am fearful they are checking for sneaker quality or blisters but I get away with it.