Reuniting With Molly

Reuniting With Molly.

Got the Virgin Train tickets sorted, but had to go in to Euston rail station with all our bags at rush hour! We must have missed the escalators again as we had to do the old double team on the bags. I take the top of both cases and Cathie grabs the bottom so we carry them up the stairs together with our back-packs hung all over us. It works but is awkward if there are people wanting to pass.

Changed trains in Birmingham and finished up in Telford on time. Taxi to the storage facility and there she was! Molly! It had been nearly 6 months since we left her forlornly in the yard with all the other smart looking campers. Some rust was poking through in places, but she was pretty much the same as we had left her. Our local mechanic, Dave, had given her an MOT and an oil change, fitted a new headlight unit and done some chassis welding. All good to go: after a quick trip to the post office to do the Tax that is. Weather looked a bit threatening and we had to clear out the bikes, fold away the cover, unpack our cases, make up the bed and generally check her over, so we got to it.

We arranged with the chap that we could stay in Molly in the yard overnight and leave for the farm the next morning. He suggested we move beside a porta cabin so we could use the shower and toilet, which was nice of him. He also gave us a dozen free range eggs! We had just finished folding the cover up and got it in the bag when the rain came. Close call as we didn’t want it stored wet up in the roof top box. Molly started first pop too. J Happy…. And the bed was as comfortable as we remembered too.

Next morning we got the Tax sorted at a really quaint country Post Office, where the Post mistress called everyone by their surname with a Miss, Mister or a Misses before it. So old fashioned. Anyway she was a big help to us and we had a few laughs. Next stop Market Drayton and Morrisons Supermarket. Stocked up on food and booze and went out to Carols place to catch up with her and Ali and Andy. We hadn’t planned to stay but were convinced to stop over. We stayed two nights in the end before we started off on our next 12 months adventures.

A stop in a campsite near Cambridge allowed us to revisit Cathie’s old stamping ground. We found her house where she lived from age 2 to 10, and after speaking to some locals in the street and visiting the church next door, we knocked on the door of the oldest lady in the street. What a sweetie she was. I think we made her day. She kept asking us in but we stood on the doorstep and asked lots of questions. Cathie was enjoying going down memory lane and it was good to be able to share it with her. Nothing is what we remember from the past, it all changes and sometimes not for the better, so the memories you hold in your heart and mind are more important than the actual event. Next morning we journeyed to the Harwich ferry port where we stayed overnight in the car park. We were pretty much first in line next morning for the Ferry to Hook of Holland.

It was a nice, well-appointed ferry with all the usual features; restaurants, bar, duty free shop etc.. and the hours went quickly. The call for all drivers to return to their vehicles came and we were lined up with all the massive trucks. We planned to just get on the motorway and hightail it to Amsterdam which was about 3 hours drive. Ok, no sweat. Traffic was heavy and my brain was still in English mode, but with guidance at every roundabout and intersection from Cathie, we were out of the city and the GPS had us en-route to the infamous Amsterdam. Driving on the right will soon become second nature. We arrived at a Stellplatz behind a wire fence with security gating and a self-serve payment system. Luckily there was a young man looking after the place who helped make it an easy process, although it was really expensive for a piece of gravel with power supply beside 40 others all in a row. The bonus, and the reason I chose it of course, was that if we walked 500meters there was a free ferry right into the middle of Amsterdam. This we took advantage of after a nights rest on this expensive piece of gravel where we can’t even sit outside.

Next morning we were getting ready for the ferry trip when the bench top fell down on the set of plastic taps and broke them! Long story short, we were lucky to find a camping supplies shop 1km away and after 3 trips down there we had a new set of metal taps and a borrowed set of cutters to make the holes bigger. The right tools would have helped but it was a number 8 wire job, and by 3.00pm it was all fixed and off to town we went.

The ferry trip was short and almost everyone had a bike with them. On one end and off the other. A short walk through the rail station and we were headed to the Damrak, a pedestrian street of shops and restaurants. Not quite as I remembered it from 20 years ago, but there had been some changes. After a long walk over the canal system and asking a few people for directions, we found ourselves at Ann Franks House. (The young girl who hid with her family from the Germans during the war and wrote a diary of her experiences.) The queues were horrendous! We decided to go and have something to eat and come back after 8:00pm. The meal was nice sitting on a boat by the canal, but on our return to the house the queues were even longer! I had already visited the house so I just told Cathie about it and only charged her half of the usual entry fee! J

As it was getting late I thought there would be some action in the red light district just off the Damrak. We wandered round and eventually stumbled on the heart of it. We saw lots of girls standing in windows at street level, posing in not much, inviting men to join them for some fun. One had nothing at all on her ample bottom half but when she thought Cathie was taking her photo she whipped a curtain across and gave a rude sign. Cathie was only taking a picture of the canal! We followed the crowd through a narrow walk-way with more girls in windows but this time Cathie was attempting to take pictures and one pulled the curtain across and thumped the window so hard it sounded like it might break. Naughty girl Cathie! I was too busy gawping to take photos.

We reversed the process to get home and next morning took off for Denmark with a little bit of Germany thrown in.

Kyrenia Northern Cyprus

We found our perfect bucket trip from London - Kyrenia Northern Cyprus for 7 nights. Just so happens Angela (extended family) lives there which was an added bonus as I had not seen her for at least 20 plus years.

Booking this trip on the spur of the moment we were in contact with a rep, living in Kyrenia, who just happened to be one of Angelas good friends - small world.

Leaving very early from Brenton's place in Lewisham we finally arrived at Stansted airport many miles away after a combined train, underground and coach trip. After a 4 and a half hour Pegasus flight, a 40 minute layover in turkey, another one and a half hour flight and and a 2hour mini van drive, we arrived in Kyrenia and our hotel at 12.30 in the morning. The hotel was small but amazing and because we were Angela's family we got one of the best rooms in the house overlooking the pool.

In Kyrenia the temperatures soared to 43+degrees daily but we so enjoyed the town.

Meeting up with Angela her family and friends at her restaurant on the Old Harbour was soooo special and we spent quite a lot of time there eating and drinking as the food was to die for.

We met a lovely couple from London - Dawn and Terry - who knew Kyrenia and it's environs very well and invited us to share their hire car for a couple of days so they could show us all the special places. They took us to Nicosia which straddles North and South Cyprus where we walked across the border to see how the other half live. They climbed high into the mountains to see Castles seemingly carved into the mountainsides. They took us to Famagusta and the "dead zone"- a vast expanse of land and buildings between North and South abandoned and left to fall apart after the civil war. Huge hotels along the beach crumbling away, cars abandoned on the streets, fraying washing on the lines and houses full of furniture and personal possessions divided off kilometre after kilometre by a fence and blue tarpaulines. Patrolled by the army and no photos allowed. They took us to out of the way restaurants and "The Blue House" a gangster house from the 50's with air conditioning, concealed lighting and escape tunnels - way ahead of its time. We were sad to leave Dawn and Terry behind but after a farewell meal at Angela's Corner Restaurant with them and another couple we met at the hotel we all promised to stay in touch. "Are you sure about that Tel?" has become an everyday saying for us now. If you read this Dawn you need to email us!!!!!!!!

We seemed to pack sooooo much into those few days. We went out on a day cruise to swim and snorkel along the coastline. We went parasailing from the back of a boat but the biggest achievement was PARAGLIDING!!!! Yes we threw ourselves - along with a tandem buddy of course - off the top of one of those high mountain tops surrounding Kyrenia. Thanks Ozgur and Grae for taking good care of us you were fantastic and thanks Angela for marrying Ozgur so we had the opportunity to do this in our lifetime.

If you go to Kyrenia which we thoroughly recommend, you have to stay at the Highlife Hotel (nothing flash, a bit like faulty towers but the tops): you have to eat at the Corner Restaurant on the Old Harbour and you have to go Paragliding with Angela's husband Ozgur at Highline Paragliding.

We will be going back to this incredible place with the incredible people again but right now it is back to Lewisham London and Brenton's place to prepare to travel North to be reunited with Molly - but not before a super early, hair raising, nightmare, superfast, minivan trip to Cyprus airport where the power kept going out whilst everyone was trying to book in.

Making it safely back to Stratford through our reverse journey we decided to stop at a pub for some lunch with a pint. Pretty miserable really - no food (since when does a British pub have no food?) and we watched Andy Murray's lack lustre loss at Wimbledon!!!!!!!

We have two days left in london and it so happens Foo and Neil are there too doing their AnimalAunts thing so we were lucky to be able to meet up at Angel Islington for a wander around this lovely part of London and have a splendid lunch together in a little French restaurant there.

Foo and Neil both look amazing - so important to catch up whenever and wherever we are. Love to you both. X

So it was goodbye to Brenton after a final evening in, with him cooking us delicious pasta and garlic bread - actually it was more like he shoved us out the door as he had friends from Amsterdam arriving shortly after we left but .........it doesn't get any easier to say goodbye. Thanks Brenton for your hospitality once again. Hopefully we will see you on our return. Much love to you too. X

And once again we are off - this time to Euston to catch the train to Telford where Molly awaits.

See you there. X

Auckland To Shanghai and London

Auckland to Shanghai and London

We said our goodbyes to Ed and Joy in Auckland, who once again hosted us so well, before being taken to the airport for a late flight out to Shanghai. Great to catch up you two and hope we can return the favour soon.

We had shouted ourselves Premium Economy flights all the way to London via Shanghai ( AirNZ and then Virgin) and I have to say it was worth it for the extra legroom and the better menu. AirNZ seats were less comfortable though. Service was OK in both but once again I think AirNZ have slipped in the rankings.

We arrived in Shanghai on the 14^th of June, Cathie’s Birthday, for 7 nights in a hotel close to the Bund, a pedestrian promenade by the river. As we waited for our room to be ready we sat in the lounge in the foyer and struck up a conversation with a couple from NZ who were on the same flight. They had pre-booked a night at the Acrobat Circus (like Cirque De Soleil), so we asked their guide to book us tickets as well and that would be our celebration of Cathie’s Birthday. What a great night it was. We bypassed the long queues, had good seats and saw some amazingly talented young people do flips and balancing acts and supple young girls twisting their bodies into impossible positions while balancing on one hand on a 2 meter pole! The whole show was slick and professional…. probably not as good or as big as Cirque, but exceptional all the same. The finale was the ‘Ball of Death’ A hollow ball into which motorbikes looped around inside pretty quick. Then another bike entered, and another and another until there were 8 bikes in together, all zooming around and crossing lines. Scary stuff! The audience gasped each time another one went in. Wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

Shanghai has 22 million people so we thought there would be standing room only everywhere! It was certainly crowded in places, but not as crowded to walk through as the Nelson Market on Saturdays. The hotel was in the ‘nuts and bolts ‘ district of the city, which meant we had to walk past all of the stores selling taps, bolts, steel rods, brass widgets, bearings, washers, and even shops full of petrol compressors and water blasters. Lots of shops all the same so don’t know how they make a living. Although when we pass them on the way back from town they all have courier parcels wrapped up on the pavement to be sent god knows where. On-line trading is alive and well in Shanghai!

Naturally we had to ‘walk the Bund’ which we did next morning. The weather was warm but overcast for the whole week…. Or was it pollution? Didn’t smell like pollution and was quite high so I guess not. All of the motorbikes, well 98% of them, were electric so they obviously had a policy of low emissions. The Bund was ho-hum really. A hot walk of about three kilometres with other tourists, taking pictures of the scenery and themselves, and then of themselves taking pictures of the scenery. All giving the V sign. Then at right angles to this was ‘walking street’. A wide street with all of the Top shops with expensive wares, and Macca’s. Not interested but walked it all the same.

On our way back we stumbled on a side-street where a little lady was cooking fresh food. We pointed and smiled and gave the thumbs up and she brewed up a nice concoction of chicken and bean sprouts and garlic, onion, chilli and noodles and some green stuff with sesame oil….. tasty! All for about $3.75. We sat on low stools at a table across the alley and soon became a source of entertainment for the locals. We promised ourselves to return for more if we could find the little street again. Bought some beers in a supermarket as the mini bar ones in the room were too expensive. In fact we found Shanghai prices to be quite high after our time in Thailand earlier in the year.

The restaurant in the hotel did not pass inspection. Smelly, untidy, disinterested staff (er… the staff were not smelly and untidy, the restaurant was. J ) and a menu more suited to the Russians. There was even a Russian themed night club/bar on the 4^th floor. No thanks.

Next day we walked for miles in the heat and found the old city. Fabulous. Sure it was massively touristic, but there was an atmosphere and it was alive. Lots of photo opportunities and food choices. We bartered for 4 blue-tooth speakers like the one we already have and a phone charging system which was fun, but ultimately had to return the charger as it was broken. The speakers were $8NZ each so that was cheaper than AliBaba.com. We had done so much in a few days and it was raining intermittently, so we actually thought we had made a mistake by booking 7 days. The concierge suggested a tour to the famous ‘water town’ for 900 yuan each. $170 NZ each! You gotta be joking. So we found a local bus that left from Peoples Square at regular intervals to the same place and hailed a taxi in the street to the bus station, found the right bus by asking and bought tickets. The ride took about 90 minutes and we walked all around the ‘Water town’, had lunch and a beer overlooking the canals, took lots of pictures and mingled with the crowds. Nice, but not as nice as the ‘Old Town’. We found the return bus and after getting dropped off at Peoples Square again we decided to walk back to the hotel to save a 40 Yuan Taxi. J. All of this cost just 100 Yuan for two …. less than $20NZ! The hotel tours were a rip off!  On the way back we saw a girl with a bike and trolley selling cold food. Cathie stood and watched as she prepared the ‘salad’ and decided we should have some. She now calls this her “heaven in a bucket”. It contained two sorts of noodles, garlic, coriander, lime, bean sprouts, nuts and a special spicy sauce. We shared this in a small park alongside a sleeping homeless man and watched some old ladies do Tai Chi and a slim couple practicing Tango dancing complete with music. Awesome!

We did find the lady selling street food again, but it is never the same second time around aye. We taxied to Tianzifang, another old village center and explored its’ alleys and restaurants and photographic shops. We brazenly took photos of the photos even though the signs said not to. Well everyone else was doing it! Cathie saw a cat in the alley which was playing with a huge rat…. It ran off into a bar. An entrée perhaps? We were approached by a chap who said he would take our photo on our camera. Now I can see what you are thinking, we thought it too, so refused. He turned out to be a most interesting man. A Taiwanese American, probably in his late 40’s and did not speak mandarin but was married to a Chinese and they owned a baby clothing shop. Designed and manufactured the 1920’s way. But he also had a business designing and manufacturing fishing reels which were world renown. The brand name escapes me, but we spoke for ages about all sorts and yes, he finally took our picture!

Woke to more consistent rain and had a lazy day so didn’t stray too far from the Hotel, as we had a 5:30am start next day to get to the airport by 7:00am. Just as well we ordered a taxi as it was bucketing down. Some of the motorway off-ramps were like small rivers about 250mm deep. Anyway we made the airport in plenty of time but the scanner found something in my check-on bag which meant we were taken to a small room where I had to unlock it and pretty much empty it. Buggar! The culprit was a solar light I had purchased from Kathmandu in Nelson. Apparently it looked like an explosive device. It was Ok to take it in my carry-on bag. Go figure. So it was Premier Economy again but with Virgin Airlines this time, and another 12 hour flight to London.

We took the train and tube into London and out to Lewisham but we took our time so that Brenton could be home to let us in and we had to purchase our Oyster Cards for buses and trains. Next day we had arranged to meet up with Sarah, my God-daughter, and her partner Jim to catch up with their life living aboard a canal boat in the middle of London. Brenton joined us and we had a nice meal at Sophie’s Steak House in Covent Garden area. Next morning Brenton took us to Greenwich Village for a look around the docks and a walk in Greenwich Park which, if you climb a small hill, gave good views of parts of London. It was fabulous to see so many people in the park having picnics, playing Frisbee, or sitting in groups chatting. Had a pub lunch sitting in the sun and caught the DLR home.

Two days later we were doing the return journey to a different airport, flying from Stanstead Airport to Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus for a week. It was one of those last minute, bucket trip, all inclusive holidays.

That’s next……………..

Thailand, Australia and home to New Zealand

Our first blog at last!!!!!! Apologies all round for our tardiness - just having too much fun. We both wonder how we ever managed to work?

Firstly lets hop into our time machine and travel back to Southern Thailand where we spent the last month of our previous trip before heading to Australia.

Arriving back at Baan Pictory near to Pattaya we were welcomed with an upgrade back into the family. We were to spend a beautiful week there just swimming, sunning, eating and generally recouping from our English winter which to be honest was not that cold but very wet.

A week later we packed a back pack each and heading further along the southern coast of Thailand to a small resort at Bahn Pae where we had the glorious beach almost to ourselves. Exploring along the beach we eventually found "the happy shack" a place to chill out, drink beer and listen to music for as long as we cared to stay. We frequented this shack often even though it meant an hours walk paddling through the warm azure sea there and back!!! (Sometimes life can be very tough)

After a week of this luxury (if "our Thailand" could ever be classed as luxurious) we headed by taxi, ferry and sangthau to Koh Chang for a week. This is a little more "touristy" than other places we had been to so we decided to go on a day cruise of the outlying islands which included snorkeling and lunch etc. Sounds really good??? In reality we forgot to allow for all the hundreds of Asian tourists who too were taking the day trip albeit in different boats. Very few could swim so at every island dozens of boats would stop, anchor up and spew out masses of life jacketed, floaty objects flaying around in the water like baby turtles. Each had the obligatory mask and snorkel and yes, you have guessed, the V for victory camera pose. All we could do was laugh - how did we get caught up in something as crazy as this???? The climax happened when an old Asian lady appeared beside us completely covered from head to toe in a one piece suit - the only visible part of her body being her eyes and mouth and, for her, this was completely normal????? A week of swimming in the pool, good food and early nights saw us even more relaxed than ever and we happily waved good bye to our very hard bed and our noisy Chinese next door neighbours to return to Baan Pictory for our final week in Thailand.

Oh Thailand how we really love you. We have enjoyed every minute of every day that we have travelled around you - now however it is time to leave and go see our beautiful new Grand daughter Maya in Australia and go help Carrie and Stefan to get married in Brisbane. We are so looking forward to these happenings as whilst there we will also be catching up with both sides of our families.

And so to Australia where we had a ball. Firstly we met Maya - yes we know we are besotted but she is beautiful - and of course Adrian and Eleni. They have a beautiful home way out in the countryside where they are enjoying being new parents and both were happy for us to do our bit for Maya to help them out. Adrian was happy to cook his fabulous food for us, Eleni was in the throws of starting a new job so an extra couple of pairs of hands definitely didn't go astray. A day or two later Rach and Rob and the boys arrived to spend a week as well so with two hired cars and 9 people we hit the amusement parks, the beaches, the waterfalls, the markets, the lunches, the huge shopping centres and the cheesecake shop! Wow it was hot and fun. I think Nana and Gandy cut it with the rest of the youngsters eh Jamie and Olly????

Great times were had in the pool - diving for Garys eye at one stage - and Rach introducing Maya for her first swim. Time spent chatting as a family around the table was priceless - only one person missing, Brenton. Ironically he is there now, though we are not.

Next stop Brisbane for Carrie and Stef's wedding and to meet up again with Gary's daughter Jodie, Jason, Hayden and Dani and his brothers and sister - all over from NZ.

The wedding was amazing, very low key and natural and was held in the middle of a beautiful park in the shelter of a Chinese pagoda - perfect. The weather was warm and just right, the bride beautiful and the groom handsome. Gary made the most amazing speech at the reception and managed to bring tears to a lot of peoples eyes but also laughter to their lips. Well done Carrie - all your planning paid off - your special day was awesome.

Spending the next day with Jodie and the grandchildren before they went off to do their own thing we discovered a little more about Brisbane and then drove back to spend our last week with Adrian and Eleni. Thank you both for all your hospitality and our beautiful Maya. We will see you again soon. Right now we are heading back to NZ.

And so we are back home - well not really because our home is still rented out - but we are in Nelson where we plan to catch up on Drs, dentists and hospital visits, regroup, catch up with friends and favourite places, repack and resume our journey.

We spend time with Rach, Rob and the boys out on the farm at Wangapeka. It is a place we love and enjoy being. We feel close again.

We spend time with Jodie, Jason and the children. Celebrate Jodie's birthday with her and enjoy seeing Hayden blossom into a teenager.

We spend time with Tina and Bruce - such wonderful hosts - and at their bach at Duncan Bay where Robs grandmother also lives and where we are joined by Rach and her family, plus Hayley (Jamie's girlfriend) and Hayden for a long weekend of boating, fishing, night floundering, walking and happiness.

We finally eat beautifully cooked roast pork with Toni and Tony cooked in their amazing, post flood, new kitchen.

We both have operations. Me my knee, Gary his lumps and we survive. Life is good.

We start to plan our next trip but we cannot break a promise and leave before Ollys birthday on June 11th. We said we will be there and we are - just.

We fly to Auckland on June 12th - leaving some sad people behind.

Here we apologise for making those people sad - it is something we have to do.

Remember - we are still the rocks you thought we were - in that respect we have not changed. Love to all xx