Paris!

Hey folks

We've just returned to our hotel after a great day around Paris. The metro seems pretty good, though of course busy this evening in peak hour. We saw most of what we wanted to, or at least most of what we thought we could in one afternoon!


Unfortunately this is the only shot I took on the phone so it's the only one I can post, but we have many more on the camera. I actually climbed the arc de triumph (is that spelt right?) and got some great photos of the amazing view. Liv didn't feel up to the climb of 284 stairs but she enjoyed watching the crazy drivers on that roundabout... What a bunch of lunatics...

As in London, lots of stuff we would have loved to have had time for but that's the way it goes. We got to the louvre for shots of the building - next time we'll make sure we have three days just for visiting that place.

Out shortly for dinner. Looking forward to meeting up with Mark and Kate tomorrow morning.

Mick and Liv

Hotel Eldorado!

Well we made it to our hotel using our combined navigating skills to use two lines on the metro! And what a cute little place! This is the view from our room which is at the back of the courtyard...





We stopped for coffee on our way here and I tried out my French. It must have worked as we got the coffee!


Now off into Paris for sight seeing. Au revoir!

Mick and Liv

Woohoo! France!

We made it!


Mick and Liv

Eurostar

As I type this we are speeding through the south east of the UK on the train... Not even full speed yet, and it's amazing!





The photos aren't great, but hopefully you get the idea!

Mick and Liv

London - day two

Well we always knew it would happen and it did. We've run out of time to see all the things we wanted to, and of course, spending time here we found more and more we want to see. Oh well. No matter! Another top day. We spent about four hours at London tower today. That was just sensational. I was enjoying it so much I totally forgot to get a shot or two for the blog, but we did get plenty on the normal camera.

The crown jewels were great but it was the buildings themselves that blew us away the most. So much history. Extraordinary. I didn't think I'd be so moved by being in the spot where, for example, Anne Boleyn was executed. The inscription and poem on that memorial was a treat - I wish i'd taken a note of the words on that...

Ok, so after that we moved onto Tower Bridge - again I missed getting photos but that was great too. The machinery that runs, or used to run the bridge, was terrific.

Then, onto Westminster Abbey. Damn. It closed 10 minutes before we got there! Nevermind. We sat outside for a while and just enjoyed the outside of the building. Oh and I did remember to get a photo here!


So we then moved onto Buckingham Palace after getting a little lost, and took a few photos there.

And now we are back at the hotel. I thought I'd take a couple of shots to show what our view is like.





Hmm. Maybe they don't show off the view so well but it's all the iPhone will do! :-)

We are packed and ready for an early morning start at 5am tomorrow! Off to Paris via the Eurostar! Woohoo! Only one down side to today; no really useful box...

Much love to all,
Mick and Liv

St Paul's with B&B

Had a top day yesterday with Ben and Beth. We started by leaving st paul's station and after making our way around the police cordon and various rather nasty looking splatters of evidence from what must have been a pretty serious disagreement (eek!) we had our spirits lifted (metaphorically, not religiously) at St Paul's cathedral. Wow. What a treat. Words failed me then, and they fail me now. No photos allowed inside (you'll just have to go see it yourself) but here's the gang at the top.



Anyway, after a few hours there we moved on, wandering along the south bank past the eye, then over the bridge to Westminster.


After lunch at a pub (where else? :-) we walked up to trafalgar square, took photos of the gallery then walked to Piccadilly circus.

Here's the gallery:


After that, Regent St up to Oxford circus. Phew! That must have been quite a few miles!

I seem to have managed to describe an entire day's sightseeing in about 23 seconds, but you'll have to bear with me - this typing on an iPhone is fine for the first 40 words, but gets a little tough after that...

Anyway, a top day. Many thanks to B&B for showing us around. It was so good to catch up after 15 months!

So, after a jatz-cracker day, it was topped off with a real find. Check this out...that's right, a really useful box!


I never thought I'd find one!

Currently on the tube for another day of sights, this time starting at the Tower and Tower Bridge. Woohoo!

Mick and Liv

Richmond

As I type this it's just after midnight and we are back in Windsor for our last night. Richmond was nice. We didn't see a whole lot, but what we saw we liked a lot. We really just headed toward the river when we arrived and Craig took us along to a great pub on the river, right by the bridge over the Thames. Super busy - it's obviously pretty well to do, and all the pretty young boys and girls were out to impress!

After a couple of sherbets we walked over the bridge to head for the Thai restaurant that Craig had in mind. Here's a couple of pics:


This is the pub that we had just been at (far right):


And here's our wee posse:


Ok, so they are a bit far away to see in this shot, but there are in fact 2 Craig's and 1 Liv there!

Food was great and so was the wine. Trip back was also nice and easy - seems the derailment must be sorted.

So, one more night with our new ghostly friends, and then off to Earls Court! Watch out Ben and Beth! Here we come!

Mick and Liv

Oxford

We had a tiptop day in Oxford today. The train trip up was quick and nice enough. It's been fun just making our way out of where we've been all week, and doing it without a car was an extra bonus.

Oxford was beautiful. We stumbled on the museum completely by accident after peering in the door of a fabulous old building, wondering what it was, and ended up there for a couple of hours.


Then we just wandered the town and along the river.





After a few hours the town ended up really, really busy, what with it being the first day of the long weekend. So we decided to head back to Windsor, just in time as it turns out. We are heading into Richmond for dinner, and as there was a derailment on the line last night we had to get a bus part of the way. Anyway, we've conquered that challenge, and as I type this we are now on the train for the last part of the trip...

That's all folks! Time to jump off the train and meet up with Craig and Craig!

Mick and Liv

TGIF

Hi folks!

I'm not sure why I've titled this post with "TGIF". I've had such a good time working with the guys here; I'm not so chuffed that the week is over.

Nevertheless, from here on in it's the holiday proper!

For those asking, I've taken some shots of the office here. Some office - check this place out:






This place is an old house converted into office space. Oh, and there are some great ghost stories to go with it.

Speaking of ghosts, there's been some very cool, inexplicable things happen in the room we are staying in. Nothing major, but interesting. The watch incident was the best one. Very peculiar. I suppose the house is two or three hundred years old or something, so it's bound to have seen a few interesting things between it's walls.

Anyway, off to Oxford tomorrow. Should be good. Then into Richmond for dinner with Craig. We'll try and post more tomorrow night.

Love to everyone,

Mick and Liv

What the...?

How on earth did this one get through the marketing department?


I mean, I've been using it all week and it hasn't caused me any problems! But really, toiletries, with a name like that?


Must be that English humour.

Tuesdee

Another good day at work, including a great catch up with Craig from work at a local pub out in the country areas surrounding Windsor. Hmmm, fish pie. Delish.

Tonight Liv and I went to a steak restaurant that was highly recommended. It's situated in the old station building, where the trains still run to, but only to one side. The rest has all been converted to shops, restaurants, etc. Here's a little peek at what I mean:





Food was great, even if I didn't really need all that steak after a big lunch!

Here's a couple of other shots just from the walk back to the hotel after dinner. This first one is looking back at the front of the converted station - I guess the trains used to run right up to near the castle because this is taken from just across the road from the castle walls.





Turning around in the same spot this is looking down the main street:







So, as if we didn't already know that Sydney is pretty much useless when it comes to public transport, Windsor has not just one station with a 40 minute link to London, but two! Riverside, and Central! They are the ends of two seperate lines from the CBD. Amazing. Ah for a government with foresight and the necessary commitment to build useful infrastructure. England, I love you already!

Mick and Liv

Work?

Hey all!

So today was my first day at work. It seems a little inaccurate to call it work, but I guess if you are getting paid then theoretically that's what it is. My UK colleagues are great people, which I already knew, but that made for a really nice day.

Liv had a top day as well. She walked the Long Walk in the great park to a statue - not sure who it was of (I think a king, but my Latin is not so good) but that was on a hill from which she could look all the way down the walk back to Windsor castle. The photos look fantastic, and despite my good day I was more than a little jealous that I wasn't there! Apparently she could see Heathrow from there - the planes passing overhead are a constant reminder that we aren't far away from where we landed.

Anyway, our hotel is great; we are at the Sir Christopher Wren which is actually his house that has been converted to a hotel. Situated right on the river, the dining room looks straight onto the water and across to Eton (we went and saw Eton College when wandering around yesterday).

So, the fact that it's a converted house means that access to our room is hilarious! No less than five flights of stairs to make it up here! For a laugh, I thought I'd document the epic trip in photos:

























And here's the actual room - top floor!





Anyway, off for some Thai for dinner in a restaurant in town which is about 2 minutes walk away.

Love to all,
Mick and Liv

Cumberland Ale good. Pedigree very, very good

So on our still short, but so far varied tour of English beer, Marston's Pedigree is the business. Oh yeah.






And there's Windsor castle in the background again! :-)

So, the rain from this morning did go away, but then it came back. But that's ok! Good times being had. Windsor is this week playing host to some sort of royal equine festival, so we never made it into the castle, but I suspect we were both too zonked to appreciate it anyway. No matter. We will have plenty more castle oportunities in the next 6 weeks....

Love to all at home and elsewhere...

Mick and Liv

Hmmmm. Beer. Warm beer

Trying to find a bar showing the motoGp, but this is all we could find:







I mean, warm beer is good, don't get me wrong. But where are the bikes?

Mick and Liv

Our morning wander

We arrived too early to check in this morning so decided to wander around Windsor for a wee while to stretch the legs. Had a look around the perimeter of the castle and around the town. Here's Liv at the top of The Long Walk.






And then it started to rain. A little at first, but then a lot more. A lot, lot more. So we had at least two seasons in the first hour. Only two to go to get four in one day...

Mick and Liv

The Departure Lounge

Well folks, the big day has arrived! Here we are five minutes before boarding!


More posts, this time from somewhere OS to follow!

Mick and Liv

Test post

Here is a test post!


Mick and Liv