Sandcastles On Broadwater Labrador

Train trip from Verona went without a hitch, quite a good way to travel. Another amazing city. Tuscany really is quite pretty. Caught the open top bus on day one which is a good way to get your bearings. More amazing churches. More gelato for Megan. Megan is in her elemnt. Lots of pasta bread and geleato. Laura was quite keen to climb the ...

We enjoyed our stay very much. Everyone was friendly; the villas were attractive and comfortable. The only reason we would not go back is that we enjoy experiencing new places.

Our vacation started off when we arranged a private limo service to pick us up from the airport (I think his name was Charley or Charles please forgive my spelling). I read on several websites that taxis were rude, overcrowded and expensive. I just wanted to be alone with my wife and ...

... Indian officials sat, their noises and mouths covered with a face mask against the 'dangers' of swine flu. I cubed a sudden urge to sneeze which no doubt would've had me whisked away to some sort of Indian incubation centre. It was a battle as anyone with allergies knows, especially considering the regulation bug spray they had fumigated the aeroplane with on touch down. Getting past the visa checks I looked out hopefully at the waiting porters ...

... some football with Izzy...I think Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd games are showing but I have not seen television for 4 weeks so I am somewhat out of the loop. Thanks again for all your calls/texts and emails. It's great to hear what you are all up to! Unfortunately no weight loss as some of you have suggested. It's a good job that the people in Uganda seem to like slightly plump dirty blondes!! Lots of love to you all Amy x

Sou Sdai - or hello Sorry no report - I've just spent nearly 3/4 hr typing one out only to have the thing crash out on me !! You'll have to read my notes on return BUT - great days round the temples - all OK - hope it is with you also Due for a happy hour on the balcony before dinner - at a place where we play pool too!! Leaving tomorrow for Battambang - might try this in the morning before depparture. Love from us both - Russ & Mary

Fresh and early 730pm. Headed towards Hertz near Queen Victoria Market. Charges piled up after adding insurance and gps. Friendly but condescending staff. Darn GPS. Hard to get it work. Apparantly due to the many tall building in the city area. On the way to Phillip Island, we stumbled and stopped by Chadstone, outskirt of town for some warm scones, hot tea and some ...

... 3 hours drive further down the nile - I slept most of the way, and awoke to find we were in complete desertland again. Abu Simbel, another temple miraculously dissassembled and reassembled out of harms way, was intiially cut straight into the rock face (like Petra) not built, and has four HUGE statues of Rameses II out front. Inside is, not surprisingly, covered top to bottom with amazing heigogphyics of Rameses killing people, receiving the spoils of war, or talking ...

... managed to spill most of it down his groin - attractive! Today also marked the first of many hilarious and embarrassing encounters caused by the language barrier. Whilst walking down the street a man seeing Thom was wearing a watch, called out "Que hora es?" - meaning "what time is it?". Thomīs response to this was to panic and freeze on the spot, his mouth flapping wordlessly like a goldfish whilst staring at Sam for help.After several agonising seconds ...

... es bekannt fuer seine Straende, die zu den schoensten in Venezuela gehoeren sollen. OK, dies war definitiv die nervenaufreibendste Reise meines Lebens gewesen - Laufen, dann Metro, dann Taxi, dann Bus, dann wieder Bus. Ach du liebes Kind. (Im Nachhinein kann ich darueber schmunzeln.) Ich wusste, dass ich die Posada bar bezahlen musste, aber als die Kohle das erste war, was beim Check-in verlangt wurde, war ich etwas perplex. Aber auch das steckte ich weg ...

... but malaria and plague led the locals to abandon the place 200 years ago, and now all that remains now are the Portuguese churches, surrounded by palm trees and a few tea shacks. I scootered between the 6 huge churches (all in European baroque style, but not decorated as refined as we're used to in Europe). The largest, the Se Cathedral, is bigger than any church in Portugal, which goes to show the importance of the colony. The cathedral houses the remains of St Xavier, a ...