Reading about crazy trades on blitz while on Shinkansen using free wifi. Mt Fuji on the right, my partner on the left, blitz in the middle. #luxury
Reading about crazy trades on blitz while on Shinkansen using free wifi. Mt Fuji on the right, my partner on the left, blitz in the middle. #luxury
Lucky you, we couldnāt get the wi-fi to work on that leg.
Anyone ever had conversations with French Canadians? I don't think I had until Saturday night.We were getting towards the end of a curry in Marylebone when a group of 7 people (6f, 1m) were looking for an outside table. I wrote off their being Canadian due to the absence of the āoat of the hoase, ehā and committed the ultimate insult of asking if they were American.
Noā¦ QuebeƧois, and no trace of a French accentā¦or chips on the shoulders etc.
I canāt ever remember meeting any before. Plesantly surprised.
Got back to Sydney late last night.
I always ask if they are from canada. Americans donāt seem mind that for some reason. And as you say canadians absolutely hate being called american. Iāve never met a french canadian though
Anyone ever had conversations with French Canadians? I don't think I had until Saturday night.We were getting towards the end of a curry in Marylebone when a group of 7 people (6f, 1m) were looking for an outside table. I wrote off their being Canadian due to the absence of the āoat of the hoase, ehā and committed the ultimate insult of asking if they were American.
Noā¦ QuebeƧois, and no trace of a French accentā¦or chips on the shoulders etc.
I canāt ever remember meeting any before. Plesantly surprised.
Got back to Sydney late last night.
I always ask if they are from canada. Americans donāt seem mind that for some reason. And as you say canadians absolutely hate being called american. Iāve never met a french canadian though
Couldnāt swear all of them spoke unaccented (French accent) English. I only recall 2 or 3 speaking to us.
I just drove from a place in France called Villemandeur south of Paris to Brussels, about 450 km and as I had all day, I selected no motorways on the SatNav.
It took me through some beautiful rural countryside, and I found many places with large cemeteries with our Flag. It was very sobering to stop and read the words on the monuments then look at graves where very young boys were buried, many the same age as the kids in the National Footy Draft.
I have never been one to think much about wars, but as I got into Belgium stopped for a beer and again found it was close to the site of a brutal battle where many died including Australians; one hundred years later and it gets me free drinks.
Tonight I am staying in Waterloo, where Napoleon got done by the Poms, always thought it was in France, these Belgians copped the battles of everyone.
I just drove from a place in France called Villemandeur south of Paris to Brussels, about 450 km and as I had all day, I selected no motorways on the SatNav.It took me through some beautiful rural countryside, and I found many places with large cemeteries with our Flag. It was very sobering to stop and read the words on the monuments then look at graves where very young boys were buried, many the same age as the kids in the National Footy Draft.
I have never been one to think much about wars, but as I got into Belgium stopped for a beer and again found it was close to the site of a brutal battle where many died including Australians; one hundred years later and it gets me free drinks.
Tonight I am staying in Waterloo, where Napoleon got done by the Poms, always thought it was in France, these Belgians copped the battles of everyone.
Well, Belgium was the doorway to France for the Germans.
Final itinerary for 5 weeks in Mexico with the Fam thru the Xmas hols:
Fly into Mexico City, stay 5 nights Centro Historico, including Christmas.
Boxing Day bus to Oaxaca & surrounds for 8 days.
Fly back to Mexico City for a side-trip & hike up to the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary at Cerro Pelon.
Stay a couple of nights in Roma Norte for food & coffee scene (Mexico Cityās hipsterville).
Fly down to Palenque for the Mayan ruins, waterfalls & eco-park.
Bus to Merida for weekend festivities & Yucatecan food (e.g. slow cooked pork in anise & blood orange).
Hire car & explore Yucatan from Santa Elena (staying at Pickled Onion B&B, run by Lancastrian Valerie Pickles).
Overnight at Mayaland with private entrance to Chichen Itza to beat the day trippers from Cancun.
Finish the trip with a few days beachside at Puerto Morelos before flying back from Cancun.
Counting the daysā¦
Iām still in Japan. Donāt wanna go home.
I need more lifetimes and money.
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe todayā¦starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsawā¦for next August/September.
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe today...starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsaw...for next August/September.
Thatās a beautiful part of the World, brings back many happy memories. Iām so jealous of you right now
Just paid the deposits for Insight tours of Germany and Central Europe today...starts in Prague, goes through Bratislava, Vienna, Budapest and ends in Warsaw...for next August/September.Just got back from those parts about a months ago....Prague is now my favourite European city...it was sensational, Bratislava was quite a pleasant surprise and Budapest was almost as good as Prague....if it's ending in Warsaw, do you also go through Krakow?
Iām sure youāll enjoy the trip.
Goes through Krakow. Hope thereās not too much crap about JP2, or is it St JP2?
Goes through Krakow. Hope there's not too much crap about JP2, or is it St JP2?
Looks like a good tripā¦one suggestion i would make is that you get to Prague earlier than you need to. Itās a stunning cityā¦I spent four nights there and could have easily stayed a few more.
As for the JP2 stuffā¦it will depend a bit on the guide you haveā¦we had a Polish guy who talked all things Poland/Polish but I found it easy to just tune him outā¦I donāt recall too much stuff about JP2
@Alan_Noonan_10 when you are in the main square at Prague (the one with the astronomical clock etc) make sure you get some āPrague Hamā from one of the street stalls. I never thought weād find such good food right in the tourist centre, but it was amazing!
@Alan_Noonan_10 when you are in the main square at Prague (the one with the astronomical clock etc) make sure you get some "Prague Ham" from one of the street stalls. I never thought we'd find such good food right in the tourist centre, but it was amazing!
I think we finish in or near Frankfurt (Mainz, I think) and weāre going to train it across to Prague. Constrained by the tour start and end dates, of course, but I think we get a couple of days.
Weāll probably fly into Frankfurt three or four days early and look at a couple of cities in Germany that the travel agent recommended, although Iām not sure Hamburg is of much interest. Iāll check and see if Discovery Channel covered Hamburg in the Waterfront Cities of the World with the rather delightful Heidi Hollinger.
Thanks though, b_gā¦Iām sorry I gave you a hard time when you signed up to Blitz as a 13yoā¦and thanks swoodley.
We just got back from a spot where they claim the best ham in the world, JamĆ³n Iberico. It was, indeed, muy bueno, that jamĆ³n.
When I was last in Cologne, they had these great doughy apple sweets in the street stalls. Might go back there again but Iāll have to start reading my Dummies Guide to German. The only German I have comes from Hoganās Heroes and similar shows.
Heidi did an episode on Melbourne, but it was when we were really struggling with water restrictions and there was an inordinate concentration on that subjectā¦to the detriment of the show.
@Alan_Noonan_10 when you are in the main square at Prague (the one with the astronomical clock etc) make sure you get some "Prague Ham" from one of the street stalls. I never thought we'd find such good food right in the tourist centre, but it was amazing!I think we finish in or near Frankfurt (Mainz, I think) and weāre going to train it across to Prague. Constrained by the tour start and end dates, of course, but I think we get a couple of days.
Weāll probably fly into Frankfurt three or four days early and look at a couple of cities in Germany that the travel agent recommended, although Iām not sure Hamburg is of much interest. Iāll check and see if Discovery Channel covered Hamburg in the Waterfront Cities of the World with the rather delightful Heidi Hollinger.
Thanks though, b_gā¦Iām sorry I gave you a hard time when you signed up to Blitz as a 13yoā¦and thanks swoodley.
We just got back from a spot where they claim the best ham in the world, JamĆ³n Iberico. It was, indeed, muy bueno, that jamĆ³n.
When I was last in Cologne, they had these great doughy apple sweets in the street stalls. Might go back there again but Iāll have to start reading my Dummies Guide to German. The only German I have comes from Hoganās Heroes and similar shows.
Haha, admittedly, I was intentionally annoying, so it was deserved 
Guess Iād better get some T-Shirts made up that make it clear to the Mexicans we arenāt from the US.