Next day Jim drove us up to the Giant's Causeway on the north coast. There are columns of 6 sided blocks caused when the volcanic rocks cooled and the rock cracked into it's crystalline shapes. Some are in tall columns, about 30 feet high and others have broken into slabs about 6" thick. These slabs are in steps leading down to the sea. It was a very interesting area. We then drove along the coast stopping at different viewing points. We could see Scotland in the distance including the Mull of Kintyre. We returned to Belfast via the Antrim coast where there are lots of beautiful inlets with mountains behind. The next day we drove south around a hugh sea inlet before crossing on a ferry to Newcastle. Returning to Belfast we joined Sharon and went to visit her mother, Phyllis for tea. Diane came too and we were looking at lots of old photos. Friday morning we walked around the city centre, visiting a display about the Irish revolution in the city hall before catching the plane home. I am only just recovering from the jet lag to update the blog.

We went to see the Liam O'Connor show in the evening. He was the accordionist for Riverdance and now has his own show, with very fast and vigorous music. There were dancers too, even faster than the ones in Dublin. He also included his children in the show. Next morning we drove to Blarney Castle to kiss the stone. It was quite a climb up to the top. The castle is only a ruin now, but is surrounded by beautiful gardens, unfortunately it was still raining so we were limited in what we could do. We drove on to Waterford and toured the House of Waterford which is a show place for Waterford crystal. We saw how it is made and carved, and also some of their special pieces for sale. Next day we left early to catch the ferry to south Wales. Then we drove on to Cardiff where we went for a tour of the castle. It was built in the 1500's but was largely refurbished in the 1800's. It was beautifully decorated then with unlimited money being spent. Later we had a Welsh dinner with entertainment, they had beautiful voices and were accompanied by a harp. Next day we drove on to Bath where we toured the Roman baths. That is a very large complex with lots of samples of recovered artefacts. Later we drove on to Stonehenge, which had lots of interpretive information on an audio recorder. The area around is more involved than I knew and very interesting. Then we returned to London. Next day Barb and I flew to Belfast which took most of the day, we then contacted Sharon, Eric's cousin. Sharon and her husband, Jim, came into the hotel and we went for a walk around the city centre visiting several unique bars. Today Jim drove us to see where Eric and his family lived, and where his mother grew up. We then went to the Titanic museum which was very interesting, we could have spent quite a lot more time there. After lunch, Jim took us for a drive up the coast to Carrickfergus and further to the Antrim coast. We haven't had much spare time these last few days, and when we did the internet didn't work - my apologies.

We went to the National Stud farm of Ireland yesterday morning - yes Government owned. Even the horses are 38% Government owned, can you imagine many Governments have money in a horse farm? It is quite extensive housing 20 mares with foals and has accommodation for 10 stallions. There are also some which are retired, like Vintage Crop, a Melbourne Cup winner from 1990's. The area is very nicely set up with board fences and mowed lawn all around. The horses spend the nights inside and are brought out during the day. They pranced and galloped around when brought out, greeting each new arrival with enthusiasm before running off again. There is a garden area dedicated to St Fiachra, the patron saint of gardeners. The monks following him lived in bee hive buildings made of stone. They looked like igloos and were small and dark inside. There is also a Japanese garden established by the original owner of the farm, a William Hall-Walker from the Johnny Walker  clan. This garden has lots of areas which symbolise the paths of life from birth to death. it was all quite beautiful. We then drove across the south of Ireland to Cashel for lunch, before continuing on to Killarney. We went to an Irish caberet in the evening, with dancing, singing and a comedian. It was a good evening. Today we went for a drive around the Ring of Kerry, a scenic route around one of the peninsulas on the south west corner. There are mountains and sea creating beautiful landscapes unfortunately it was raining and foggy so we didn't see it at it's best and some parts you couldn't see at all.

We went to Grasmere where William Wordsworth lived with his sister Dorothy and later with his wife Mary. We went to the cemetery where they are buried and where he planted 7 or 8 yew trees. They are big now. There is a daffodil garden alongside the cemetery which is a mass of yellow in spring. We looked around the town, another pretty town before returning to Windemere. We caught a ferry to the southern end of the lake before hopping on a steam train for a short trip. The train enthusiasts were in their element. We then drove on down to Chester, a medieval town with a sign for 'carriages and post horses for hire'! The hotel was old with a 4 sided spiral staircase and severalieces of unusual antique furniture. Next day we drove around to see the cathedral, with a square tower, and the ruins of the Roman walls. There is parts of an ancient Roman amphitheatre and a garden with many artefacts from the Roman times. We then drove across northern Wales to catch the ferry to Dublin. We, of course, visited LlanfairPG on the way (Llanfairwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch). Today we had a tour of Dublin before visiting Trinity College to see the old books, including the Book of Kells. A copy of the first 4 books of the new testament, written and illustrated in 800 AD. There were other books of about the same age too. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, and the text in the Book of Kells is still clear, not smudged or faded at all. We had a tour of the Guinness factory and then went shopping. Tonight we are going to an Irish cabaret and dinner.

On Wednesday we drove up to Durham where there is a castle and cathedral on the top of the hill. We then went on to Hadrian's wall or a small part of it. The wall was only 75 miles long - from Newcastle-on-Tyne to the west coast. It was 9' high and 9' wide at the base. There were ditches on each side as well, forts and lookouts all along it, and 10,000 soldiers to serve on it. Much more extensive than I knew. We then went on to Edinburgh. Next day we drove around Edinburgh to see the old town and the new town, which was designed by James Craig in 1747. The view from Arthur's seat is all around the city. Arthur's seat is an extinct volcano - 300 million years old. We finished up at the castle. There are army barracks there, as well as the crown jewels of Scotland - the oldest in Britain. The jewels were smuggled out by 2 women and hidden from Cromwell. The oldest building in Edinburgh is there too, It is a very small chapel to St Margaret built about 1100 AD. We went shopping in town then - looking at all the tartans and clan information. In the evening we went to The Military Tattoo. It was great fun withh all the bands and dancing. The Australian Defence Force had a band playing, and there was a dance troup from Australia. One of the acts was a drumming troup from Switzerland, they were incredible with all the drum sticks playing in unison, and very fast too. It finished with a fireworks display. The BBC was there recording the show and it will be shown (here) on August 27th. Yesterday we drove north, having lunch at a small place call Pitlochry. It was a pretty little town. It was raining earlier but stopped while we were there. We then went to Blair Castle which is a Georgian castle built in sections from about the 1200's. The entrance hall has guns and swords arranged around the walls, covering the entire walls. There are 32 rooms all with the original furnishings, some quite amazing. It was a beautiful place and there are extensive gardens too. We then drove further north to a small country hotel in the highlands at a place called Laggan. It's situated in the area where 'Monarch of the Glen' was situated. Today we drove past the home used as Glenbogle House from that show and stopped to take a photo. We also went through an area called Glencoe before arriving at Loch Lomond where we cruised down the loch for an hour. After visiting Gretna Green where a couple was getting married, we drove down to the lake district along the scenic route. It was a beautiful drive past lots of dry stone walls, the lakes and lots of hills. There is a special type of sheep here - the lambs are born black, but lose most of their colour as they grow. The wool is not much good, too course so they are grown for meat. Tomorrow we have a cruise on Lake Windemere before driving on to Chester.

After a quick look in a pottery shop, we went looking for a laundry to do the washing. We then returned the car and went back to London. We went to see 'Singin' in the Rain' last night. It was a great show with lots of singing and dancing, but meant a late evening before an early start this morning as we had to meet up for our tour at 6.45 am. Today we travelled to Stratford-on- Avon to visit Shakespeare's birth place. He was 1 of 8 children, only 4 of whom reached adulthood. He went to London leaving Anne Hathaway in Stratford with their 3 children, but returned later in his life. He is credited with writing 38 plays. Stratford- on- Avon is a very present town on the river. We then drove on to Peterborough where we caught a train to York. We taken on a walk around the town, then I went into York Minster for a look around. There are a lot of stained glass windows, 1 as large as a tennis court ( or that's what our tour director said). There is a rose window to commemorate the victory of Henry Tudor from Lancaster over the forces from York in the war of the roses. 1 year later he married Margaret of York to link the two areas. I then walked down the streets, including the narrow Shambles. Tomorrow we are off to Edinburgh.

We spent Wednesday visiting the Tower of London (second time for me), and also Buckingham Palace. I was the tour guide! On Thursday we had tickets to the athletics at Olympic Stadium. We enjoyed our time although I thought there were more events scheduled than we saw, and we only had 1 event with the Aussies to cheer on. (The 4 x 400 metres for the men). We were sitting alongside a cousin of 1 of the runners. After we returned to the city we went up in the Eye for another look. On Friday we went shopping at Harrods, then made our way to Greenwich to have a look around there before the basketball semifinal. Unfortunately the Observatory was closed because they had set up the equestrian centre around it, very annoying as it was somewhere I particularly wanted to go. We saw the semifinal of the basketball between Russia and Spain. On Saturday we picked up a car and drove to Hever Castle, the former home of Anne Boleyn. It has been restored and done up in typical 1500 style. In the afternoon there was a display of jousting and other sword play and games, some on horseback others on foot. Henry VIII was the MC. We then drove down to Canterbury where we are staying. Today we went to Dover to see the White Cliffs. After a bit of driving around to find our way we went for a walk along the cliff top to a good vantage point. When we returned to Canterbury we walked around town to see some of the old buildings. There is 1, a hospital from Thomas Beckett's time, 1118. There is also a Roman museum with pottery, glass and jewellery from Roman times, 54AD - 450AD. People were discovering pieces from those times for several centuries but after some areas of the city were bombed during the 2nd world war several Roman buildings were discovered underneath the modern streets. Part of one of these buildings is shown in the museum, with the underfloor heating and a mosaic floor in a corridor. We also walked around the cathedral, but didn't go in - maybe in the morning before we return to London.

I have caught up with Barb now. The first day we picked up our Olympic tickets, then went down to the River Thames where we walked up to Trafalgar Square and then on to Parlaiment House and Westminster Abbey so Barb could see the major sights. Next day we moved hotels then went to Hyde Park where there is an free Olympic venue with big TV screens and sponsor tents etc. We watched the men's triathlon on the big screen then went out to the main stadium to see the hockey matches. The stadium is hugh, it takes about 15 - 20 minutes to walk from 1 end to the other. I expected more stalls selling merchandise, there are only a couple of large ones. We saw 2 matches of men's hockey, GB v Spain & NZ v Germany. The first match was tight and a bit slow - too much passing back and forth, but the 2nd was very fast and great to watch. 10 goals scored altogether. We were hoping for Spain and NZ to win, but enjoyed the evening in spite of being late and getting a bit wet in the rain. There is Olympic fever everywhere and of course lots of tourists from various places - we feel that the officials are too focused on Team GB and not on other winners which is spoiling things a bit - maybe sour grapes. Tomorrow we have a day at the athletics so will have lots of variety.

Yesterday I walked all over Paris - at least it felt like that. I went down to the river and walked along to the Musee d'Orsay as it was trying to rain, so I walked around the museum to see all the Impressionists. There is a large gallery extending the full length of the museum full of paintings from that time. There is also a lot of statues by Rodin. I then walked back through the rain passing Concorde square, Napolean's column in Plase Velodrome and then the Opera House to the hotel. Today I caught the train up to Sacre Coeur and walked back to the railway past a lot of outlet shops - nearly bought a Paris shirt for €6, but it didn't fit! Just imagine Paris fashion for only €6. I then went down to Notre Dame and had a look around there. Although these Churches are quite beautiful, they are not so spectacular as the ones in Spain which are quite lavish. Tomorrow I am returning to London to meet up with Barb.

After doing the washing, Lyndall and I caught the train to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. We walked past the parliament building, made of green limestone. There was a large stage and market being set up for The Swiss national day, Aug 1st. We walked around the town, past the town clock which had figures to revolve with the hourly chimes like a cuckoo clock. We walked down the street under the verandas, past Einstein's House to the river where there is a bear enclosure with 4 brown bears (2 babies). The river winds around the old city centre. Next day we took the train up to Engelberg, then a series of cable cars up to Mt Titlus. There are cable cars in lots of different directions - 1 to a fun area where you could slide down the hill on sleds then come back up by escalator. Everyone was having a great time, but we decided not to try. We walked around the glacier cave and tried to line up the mountains with the information plate. Then we went down and across to another area where the hills were covered with wild flowers. It looked as though someone had scattered a packet of seeds everywhere. There were lots of different ones I'd never seen before. We saw a bright red butterfly which Eyvonne would have liked to photograph. Next day I caught the train to Paris, travelling via Lausanne and Geneva. The trip along the lake from Lausanne was beautiful - the land sloped down towards the lake and was covered in vines with housing along the shore line, the lake and the hills rising on the opposite side. Yesterday I went on a tour to Versailles and then on to Giverny. Again I learned some of the hisory of France and the King Louis. The palace is hugh, over 500 metres long, and was built up over the 4 king reigns. King Louis Phillipe turned it into a museum for the people. The furnishings were destroyed during the revolution but are slowly being replaced, and the story of the palace being displayed. There gardens are very large too, with formal areas and forest for hunting around the perimeters. Unfortunately they turn the fountains off during the week so we were not able to see the full effect. Later we went to Giverny to Monet's house and garden. The water lily garden was beautiful with pink and yellow waterlilies. The Japanese bridge was draped in wisteria, still with a few flowers - just like the paintings. The main garden was all laid out as it was in his time, with dahlias, roses, daisies and impatiens to name a few. A lot had past their best but it was still very colourful. The house was quite large as he had extended it to fit his large family of 8 children (including his 6 step-children). He moved around a lot initially but bought this house with his second wife from the sale of 2 paintings. He collected a lot of Chinese art work which is on display in the house.

Yesterday I caught the train to Lucerne to visit my friend, Lyndall. Today we went to Bern, the capital. The city is wrapped around by the river with many bridges. There is a pharmacy with a display of lots of old medicine ingredients. There is a bear enclosure with 4 bears, situated on the banks of the river, and includes a swimming pool for the bears. We walked down towards the bears, passing a large clock tower with a dial showing the months etc, also a set of figures which dance around on certain hours. We also saw Einstein's house where he lived while working for the Swiss Government.

We called in to the Rhine falls on our way to Germany. They are very wide, but not all that deep. You can walk around the side and across the top, and there is an extra fall around each corner. It was a beautiful stop. Later we arrived in Mainz, our overnight stop. Mainz is an old Roman town with walls around the old town centre. The next morning we travelled to St Goar where we joined a cruise along the Rhone river. The Lorelie rock, where the siren lured the sailors to their death on the rock, is near the small town. We cruised north for about an hour to Boppard. There are many old castles and their ruins along the river. These castles were built by the crusaders after they returned from plundering in the crusades. As there was a lot of trade along the river, even in those days, the castle owners used to string a chain across the river and charge a toll for the boats to pass. As some of the castles were only a few hundred metres apart I think it could have been quite expensive to travel up and down. Boppard is an small market town which we explored and shopped for morning tea. It had fruit, cheese and bread stalls around the square and was not very expensive - a normal town. We then travelled on to Amsterdam. We enjoyed a cruise around the canals before dinner. The houses are all 6 metres wide, and many are leaning at odd angles. All properties were allowed the 6 metres frontage to the canals. Most are shops and offices now, not homes as the land is very expensive. Amsterdam is a compact city where you can walk around, and there are lots of bikes - even a 3 story bike park! Tonight we have a farewell dinner out at Volendam then we are all going our different ways tomorrow. I am returning to Lucerne for a few days. It will be sad to say goodbye to new friends.

Dachau was an experience. There is a lot of information about the camp with pictures of the inmates and their living conditions. The camp was very large, at 1 time holding 63,000 prisoners. There were rows of huts, each hut having sleeping areas, lounge / dining room, bath and toilet areas. They must have held 3 - 400 people per hut, and the were about 34 huts on the site we visited. The administration buildings are now a museum with lots of information. It is now compulsory for school children to visit at least 1 such camp and there were 4 or 5 groups there while we were there. Although the punishments and daily life was really hard, the prisoners looked in better condition than the photos we saw at the River Kwai site in Thailand. The food rations were decreased in 1942, but so many more were then unable to work so they were increased again in 1943. That camp wasn't an extermination camp, but many people died there, and disease was rife too. We then travelled on to Lucerne, calling into Liechtenstein for a photo on route. The scenery has changed to high mountains and large lakes. We are staying in a small town about 1/2 hour from Lucerne, right on the lakes edge. It is very beautiful. Last evening we went to a Swiss dinner with music, dancing and yodelling. The musical group played Swiss instruments like spoons, a saw, a broom and they blew the long alpine horns. They are about 6 feet long and make many different sounds. The audience were invited to try their skills. It was a fun evening. Today we went to the top of Mt Pilatus, 2500 meteres high, in cable cars. The scenery stretches for miles in all directions - snowy mountains to the south, Lake Lucerne to the east with lots of small communities around the shores and Lucerne to the north. We could see and hear the cows (with their bells) on the hillsides. There were a few wild gouts too. We came down by cog railway - some of the grades as much as 48%. But beautiful views. We then had rides in horse carriages through some real Swiss country to coffee and cake at a country house. Later in Lucerne we had free time until we caught a boat for a scenic ride across the lake to our hotel.

Today we are in Vienna - a big jump from last log. We arrived in Venice and took a boat to the main area, then we went around the canals in gondolas being serenaded all the way. It was an interesting way to be introduced to the city. The steps and doorways were being lapped by water, and people were watching and listening from all the bridges. Later we visited St Mark's Square where we sat and enjoyed a drink while a group were playing and the evening came in and the lights came on. It was so peaceful and relaxing. We returned to our hotel by water taxi and a trip all around the Grand Canal. I would have liked to know which buildings and bridges were which but it a pleasant trip. Next day we walked around the back areas where the people live and saw the different districts - Greek, Malttese etc. We visited the basilica of St Mark to admire the mosaic ceilings and wall panels. It is amazing that there is such detail created with mosaics and gold. Gold everywhere. Then we went to a Murano glassblowing showroom on Guidecca island. They blew a vase and a horse, but used the same method as we did in Skagway, Alaska. We could then buy things if we wished. I enjoyed looking at all the different products, from jewellery, bowls, plates, ornaments to hugh chandeliers. They glass ware was quite beautiful and is supposed to be hard so doesn't break easily. We then went out to Burano Island where all the houses are painted a different colour - great photos, and they made lace by hand. A couple of ladies were making it while we were there. Yesterday we drove to Vienna and into the rain. It was quite hot in Spain and Italy but now we are back into the rain. Last evening we went to a restaurant here and were greeted as long lost friends with all the staff out in the road and a red carpet rolled out. The restaurant is full of antiques and collectables, so many that you have to duck to avoid hitting your head. There were things hanging everywhere, including the toilets where the wall were covered with pictures of naked men! (women in the men's we were told). This morning we have visited Schonbrunn palace, a magnificent palace of the royal family (Happsburgs). The rooms are amazing, so much lavishness. Frescos, gold, tapestries and ornate furnishings. The gardens out the back were beautifully laid out and colourful. I am planning to visit the museum of applied arts this afternoon - ceramics, mosaics etc. then tomorrow we will visit Salzburg on the way to Munich.

Yesterday we had an interesting but busy day, after an early start in Rome we drove south to Naples where we caught a ferry to the Isle of Capri. what a beautiful place, but hectic. We were driven up this narrow winding road (how come all the roads are narrow and winding?) to Anacapri at the top of the island for lunch. After lunch we caught a chairlift to the top of the cliffs. The view over the town and sea was beautiful. The sea was that deep blue we sometimes get at home. There were lots of nice souvenir shops there too. Later we drove half way down the hill to Capri town for a look around there, the shops were all high priced fashion shops so most of us retreated to the ice-cream shop for a cool drink or gelati. We then caught another ferry to Sorrento, another pretty town on the side of the hill. Our hotel was perched right above a beach and we all had sea views from our balconies. This morning we visited a wood inlay, marquetry workshop where we learned some of the techniques and skills needed to create the beautiful work. Then we visited the showroom! Later we went to Pompeii for a guided tour of a small part of the site. The walls are largely intact but most of the rooves collapsed under the weight of the ash. There were ruins of the shops - one a take away food shop with big urns set in a marble topped bench. Another a bakery where bread was found in an oven similar to a pizza oven. And looming over the site is Mt Vesuvius waiting for it's next big show. Although it hasn't erupted since 1944. After lunch we got back in the coach and travelled up to Assissi where we are tonight. Tomorrow we are off the Venice!

Orvieto is another hilltop town with beautiful views, but this time we had a ride up in a funicular railway. There is a church there with stripes along all the sides, but the front is very beautiful with lots of frieze paintings. The stripes look funny. There was a museum with photos of an underground network of tunnels. These were used to obtain water which was lifted to the town by an aqueduct system. There are also homes within the tunnels. It was very interesting. There were also lots of ceramic shops. They were all terracotta with bright painted decoration, some pieces as large as outdoor tables and 3' high urns. Each of thee shops had a different style of decoration - some local scenes, some fruit and several had strange faces. It was very interesting to walk around and I was able to take photos of some. We then drove to Rome where we went for a walking tour of the old area. I am surprised at how much of the Roman buildings are still here, and within the city centre. Today's Rome is built on top of the old Buildings and in places you can see down to the old street levels, about 5 - 7 metres below the current streets. We saw the Trevi fountain and threw in our obligatory coins - 1 to come back, 2 to get married, 3 to get divorced! Or so the guide said. Then we went to a local restaurant for dinner were we had a guitar player serenading us, and selling his CD. After dinner we drove around Rome and finished at the Forum which was all lit up. It looked amazing. Today we walked around the Vatican museums, the Sistine chapel and St Peter's cathedral. There are so many art pieces - statues, tapestries and paintings it is a continuous panorama of art. The ceilings are all highly decorated, some painted, and some have gold leaf on plaster moundings. The Sistine chapel was not as large as I expected, but has paintings all over. There are always stories, many from the bible which are being illustrated with the paintings. The guide, a local lady was pointing out the features she found interesting - like the facial expressions. After lunch we drove to the colosseum - a hugh amphitheatre where the gladiator fought each other of the wild aminals. The gladiators were slaves captured from other countries and trained to fight. There was seating for 50,000 people and standing room above for another 35,000. UNderneath there were cells for all the lions, tigers, bears and crocodiles which were displayed to the people and then fought. Now we are enjoying a siesta! The weather has been warm (35) for the last couple of days and with quite a lot of walking around so it's good to put our feet up. Tomorrow we have an early start and are going to Naples and Capri.

We are now in Florence. Yesterday we visited the Academia Gallery where Michaelangello's work is on display, including his masterpiece 'David'. The characteristics and facial expressions are very detailed - you can't help wondering how these can be created with just a chisel and hammer. We then walked around the 3 main squares int the old area of Florence finishing in a leather supply outlet. There are hawkers everywhere - almost asbad as China. There are lots of pictures, some quite beautiful but impossible to get home in good condition. After free time to shop for leather and gold jewellery, we drove out to San Gigimnano, a medieval town about an hour away in the Tuscan countryside. It had beautiful views in all directions, after climbing the hill. There were lots of small shops selling chianti, wines and the local ceramics - mostly mass produced, but I found 1 with hand made pots, lots with copper red decorations. Very nice. Today we are driving to Rome via Orvietto for another hilltop view.

We have spent the last 2 nights in Monte Carlo - very posh! Too posh forme, but interesting. We went up to a perfumery at Eze, a medieval town on top of a mountain. It was full of narrow twisting paths and steps leading to the top of the hillside overlooking Nice. I didn't get up to the top I got lost in all the little gift shops. Lots with paintings and art work. After lunch we drove along the Grande corniche, a roadway high up the mountains with a magnificent view over the sea and homes clinging to the sides of the hills. Today we drove to Pisa and on to FLOrence. In Itsly there are roadside stalls selling everything from African carvings to postcards and magnets. I will keep this short today because we have only 1/2 hour free. - Nothing free in Monte Carlo.

This morning we toured Barcelona ending up at La Sagrada Familia. What an amazing building that is. We entered from 1 side door where the entire wall was decorated by figures telling the story of the birth of Jesus. Very detailed and busy. The church was to be built from donations by the local people so they have been used as models for the figures in the panorama. Inside was very different, and has not been finished yet. There are columns rising about 100 metres high. About 3/4 of the way up they split into 3 branches, representing trees. At the top there are leaf shapes forming the ceiling. The side windows are stained glass, but the top level will be clear. Apart from the tree effect the inside is quite simple compared to most of the churches we have seen which are full of gold decorations. Once out the opposite side the decoration, depicting the death of Christ, the carving is ultra-modern with flat planes, stylised to give impressions rather than look real. This has been done by a modern artist as Gaudi died many years ago. I felt the contrast between the 2 was too much thereby devaluing both. Later we drove up to Montserrat, the serrated mountains. The views were great, although a bit misty. There is a monestery up there with 80 monks at present. It was built 1000 years ago. Back in Barcelona I went shopping, looking for some ceramic plates which I saw a few days ago, but couldn't buy but no luck. Tonight we are going to see flamenco dancing so click your castanets with us.

Yesterday we drove from Lourdes to Madrid. It was quite a long trip without many stops on the way. We drove to the coast and then across the Pyrenees and into Spain. As we travelled the countryside became much more mountainous and eventually drier. The mountains were very ragged and rocky with some quite spectacular views. As we travelled we gradually rose higher, Madrid is 1000 metres above sea level but it is fairly flat. it seems to be fairly compact too. I walked around last evening and found a lot of stalls. This morning we went for a tour of the city before a visit to the Prada Museum to see some of the famous Spanish artists work. It is interesting to have the pictures explained by an expert. In the afternoon we went to Toledo, a city about 1 hour south. This was the original capital of Castillano and has a very old section. If you walk in the streets you can touch the walls on each side. The cathedral is Hugh and so decorative.

Bordeaux was an interesting place, with the old city along the river, all built the same to suit the king. I think Louis 15th. The city is listed with Unesco as a heritage site. We took a tour around in the bus and then walked for a while to get up close. There has been wine grown there for over 2000 years - before the Romans. A lot of old wineries in the city are now homes and businesses. After a sample of the local wine we have driven up to Lourdes. There are lots of souvenir shops along all the streets and also market stalls selling everything from shoes, jewellery, and undies to African crafts. We had a good wander around before dinner and tonight there is a candle light procession to the grotto.

Wow what a buss Paris is. Cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks weaving in and out of each other and squeezing between the narrowest spaces. When I arrived at the railway station and was waiting for a taxi,I was approached by a young man offering me a ride on a taxi-bike so I ended up on the back of a big motor bike with my suitcase, back pack and bags roaring through the streets of Paris! I can't believe I did that. After our arrival we met at a local restaurant for dinner, then we were taken to the river for a cruise. All of Paris was out walking the streets or sitting in parks and along the river. I didn't count the bridges but we must have past under about 10, and were told about many of the famous buildings and their history. After the cruise we re-joined the coach and drove around among all the crazy traffic to see Paris all lit up. All very beautiful. The Eiffel Tower has a twinkling light show for 5 minutes every hour from 10 to 12 pm. Next morning we were taken on a tour of the city to see the most notable places, tha Arc de Triomph, Concorde Place, Notre Dame, the Louvre (including driving through an arch about 6" wider than the bus!). When our time came we were taken to the Louvre for a tour and given a lot of the stories behind the paintings and statues, including the Mona Lisa. Not as big as I expected. There are so many you get a bit mesmerised before long and people everywhere. Next stop was the Eiffel Tower where we had tickets to the 2nd level. There was a bit of a wait because the computer wouldn't work but not too long. The view stretched for miles, but because so much of Paris is built with sandstone all the buildings tended to blur into a sea of white. We walked back to the hotel from the Arc de Triomphe as we weren't far from there. That evening we went to the Moulin Rouge for dinner and the show, and boy what a show. So many beautiful dancers, male and female. The costumes were amazing and the stage sets were so bright and colourful, and varied so much. Between the dances 2 roller skaters performed with, a man holding a girl and spinning around and around. There was also a great juggler / clown who involved a couple of people from the audience. There was an Australian girl who swam in a large clear sided pool with pythons wrapping around her. There must have been 5 or 6 in the pool with her. Can you imagine dancing with pythons - not for me. This morning we left Paris and drove to Bordeaux, stopping at the chateau of Chenonceau. A beautiful palace built by Henry 2 for his mistress, Diane of Poitiers. It is built on a bridge over the river and is full of tapestries on the walls, paintings and exquisite renaissance furniture. There are formal gardens outside all laid out in sections with flowers along the edges and grass patterns within the lawns. The weather was good while we were there but the rain started as we were travelling south. Wish I could find some sun and warmth - maybe in Spain. Will I keep saying that all the way around Europe, maybe the next place? I am sorry I have not kept up with this blog more often but the wifi in Paris was not free and I didn't have time to find a Starbucks. I think it will be better from here on, hope so.

I have just arrived back in London after spending 3 days with Jill and Andrew Nichols in Wales, unfortunately the internet didn't work. The weather was a bit sodden, raining every day but we did get some clear times. They we're really great. We drove to a craft centre at Corris which had about 8 - 10 small craft workshops, including some beautiful blown glass flowers, a pottery where they made dragons etc to put in your garden and a nice card making shop. There was also a leather shop with bowl, clocks and bags made of leather. The owner had his private collection of swords and helmets from such notable identities as Robin Hood and Braveheart. There was a display of about 30 swords. I was surprised at how big they were, and shiny. There were some for sale - about £100 each. We also drove to the coast at Aberdovey were the river Dyfi forms a broad sandy estuary. Yesterday we went to the source of the Severn river (not quite to the top) and walked along the boardwalk watching the rushing water. There was water everywhere, bogs and river let's running down into the river. Aparently it is good whiskey coloured water! On the way back we saw a hugh dam which was built to maintain the flow of the river Severn, as it feeds a hydro power station as well as supplying water to Bristol and Bath. The dam is about 5 miles long, winding in around the the hills. At the base of the dam wall is a salmon hatchery - reminded me of Canada. The is also the ruins of an an abandoned lead mine which was very interesting to ramble around. Tomorrow I am off to Paris!

I have spent the past 2 days investigating some of our family history.(The Shipton family). I hired a car from Bristol and drove to Gloucester where the history archives are. There was a very helpful lady there, Liz, who knew where to look for information. Grandpa Wright's mother was a Shipton so Pat wanted to see if I could find out about her Grandfather, Isaac. I found the church yard where the family are buried but it is quite overgrown with nettles and holly bushes so I wasn't able to identify any grave sites. A few had headstones, mostly illegible. The country side is quite pretty, open country with hills and trees. The town where Isaac and family lived is on a plateau of sorts and is hilly. They would have kept fit walking up and down hills all day. The roads are very narrow, lots only 1 car width - a bit harrowing to drive! It's also difficult to stop and look around. I also visited a quaint village called Tewkesbury (because I liked the sound of the name). The street was built of old style black and white timber homes. The shops had lots of flags flying out the front - like you see in pictures of medieval times - very pretty. Today I am returning the car, and travelling to Wales to stay with a friend for a few days.

Today I have bought one of Brian's dongles as the wifi here in the hotel is too unreliable. Hopefully I will now be able to write to the blog more regularly. On Sunday, I visited the Natural History museum to photograph the dinosaurs for Alex and Jarod. They have an amazing display with many different species and lots of information. They have created several animated models for the kids. My 2 would have loved it. They also had a sandstone slab with an almost complete skeleton of an Albertosaurus. There was a stuffed moa bird and a couple of dodos too. Yesterday I had a full day of tennis at Wimbledon. The local tube was on a direct line and we then had a short walk to the centre. I had a good seat, quite close to the action and saw Roger Federer and Kim Clisters. I also ventured out to court 14 where I had a ground level seat. Today I ventured out to Camden markets. It is sa large area along both sides of the street. There were a lot of funky clothing and T-shirt stalls as well as souvenir stalls. Unfortunately not much handcrafted work. Tomorrow I am off early to Gloucester for a few days.

The rain has stopped for now so I have been getting around quite a bit. Today I rode up in the Eye after a very slow queue wait. but the views were worth while - you can see all the famous places around. Yesterday I visited The Tower, St Paul's and the changing of the guards. Did you know Sir Walter Raleigh was Executed? I didn't. I always thought he was a hero like Sir Frances Drake. No telling what I will learn next. I haven't been able to upload the photos to Flickr from my IPad so I have to try the computer downstairs? The photos don't seem to add in here either. Can anyone give me instructions?

Well here I am in London. It was a bright sunny day today but the forecast is for rain and wind for the next few days. Hopefully all cleared up by Monday when I go to Wimbledon. I have managed to find my way around on the trains and spent this afternoon in the V and A museum. The medieval gallery was absolutely amazing - did anyone else see that, or is it new? The Islamic art was great too.

Great now I can learn the next thing. Leaving on 19th June - more after that

Well it's happening - I'm off to Europe after many years of dreaming about it. Today I'm trialling a blog - hope it works.