Somewhere between Papeete and Auckland we crossed back over the dateline and lost a day in the process.
We slept off and on during the first leg of the journey, but only fitfully so were quite exhausted by the time we got home. We had the fastest trip through immigration and baggage claim we've ever experienced so were back in Manly around 10am.
It was one of those beautiful Sydney days, sunny and calm but not too hot. As the day wore on people flocked to the beach and by mid-afternoon it was packed, not just in the flagged areas but all the way from South Steyne to Queenscliffe. The harbour-side beaches were also packed and there was a huge amount of activity on the water.
It made us think how lucky we are to have all this on our doorstep.
We enjoyed our time away immensely, revisiting Hawaii and seeing French Polynesia. Just looking at Manly though, the beach is as nice as Waikiki and there's more of it, the restaurants are as good and just as plentiful although maybe the water is a trifle cooler! Oh, and you don't have to fly for nine hours (or six in the case of Tahiti) to get there.
It's always nice to get back home.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Friday, 10 October 2014
Thursday 9th October, 2014 - Papeete, Tahiti
We arrived into Papeete around 8 last night and enjoyed sitting up on the aft deck looking out at city lights for a change. This morning we had to vacate our room by 8am, but could there were plenty of places to sit and read till it was time to leave the ship.
We were booked into a hotel about 20 minutes away and the taxi ride there was really our only look at the city but it seemed attractive enough, the bits we did see.
Once at the hotel we had to wait a bit for our room but then they upgraded us to what they described as a "cruisey suite" whatever that means, but it did have a large balcony and, in addition to the usual bathroom, a massive spa bathroom (neither of which we used). Still it was nice to have somewhere to read and sleep and have a shower before leaving.
Surprisingly, it isn't nearly as hot here as I thought it might be. It rained all afternoon (hence our lack of use of the balcony) and it was quite a pleasant 25° when we had to queue outside the airport for absolutely ages just to get to check-in.
The photos today aren't very exciting - just what I could manage to capture from the back of the ship.
Central Papeete as seen from the ship.
We were booked into a hotel about 20 minutes away and the taxi ride there was really our only look at the city but it seemed attractive enough, the bits we did see.
Once at the hotel we had to wait a bit for our room but then they upgraded us to what they described as a "cruisey suite" whatever that means, but it did have a large balcony and, in addition to the usual bathroom, a massive spa bathroom (neither of which we used). Still it was nice to have somewhere to read and sleep and have a shower before leaving.
Surprisingly, it isn't nearly as hot here as I thought it might be. It rained all afternoon (hence our lack of use of the balcony) and it was quite a pleasant 25° when we had to queue outside the airport for absolutely ages just to get to check-in.
The photos today aren't very exciting - just what I could manage to capture from the back of the ship.
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Wednesday 8th October, 2014 - Moore'a, French Polynesia
We were up at 6 this morning, both to watch the entry through the reef to Moorea and because, on the spur of the moment last night, we had decided to book an excursion which happened to start at 7.45am.
We had been going to just go ashore and wander but were told we'd miss all the sights, so on the premise we won't be back again and should see as much as possible, we booked.
Thankfully the bus this time was air conditioned!. First we went to some lookout up a road that seriously rivalled the Amuri ski road - some very freaked-out passengers on board as we negotiated hairpin bends. Great view at the top, but sadly overcast so the colours were reduced. The bus then trundled right round the island with various stops. Amazing vistas all around, including Bali H'ai ("South Pacific" again) and some of the famous hotels with rooms over the sea.
We left Moorea at 4.30 and should be in Papeete by 8pm tonight.
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Tuesday 7th October, 2014 - Bora Bora, French Polynesia
We woke to land this morning for the first time in six days. The scenery as we sailed in was spectacular and, as we had got up early to go for a walk, we had an early breakfast and were able to go up on deck afterwards until we were anchored.
For the first time we had a tour booked - a round the island drive by open bus.
We began to see what the tour book had been so disparaging about. Apart from the resorts which are obviously magnificent, the sea with its beautiful colours and awe-inspiring mountains rising out of the sea, the rest is pretty ordinary - reminiscent of the rundown outer suburbs of Suva or Nadi. Still it was very interesting and the guide pointed out all the things of interest including the two gas stations and the supermarket. She restrained herself from pointing out the rubbish dump but we had a good view, nonetheless.
The final stop was Bloody Mary's ( you need to have seen "South Pacific") where someone deemed it necessary to drink a Bloody Mary.
Apparently after Pearl Harbour was bombed in the war, the Yanks made Bora Bora their supply base which accounts for the road round the island and the airport.
Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
Moreea tomorrow.
Early morning approach to Bora Bora
Inside the lagoon
For the first time we had a tour booked - a round the island drive by open bus.
We began to see what the tour book had been so disparaging about. Apart from the resorts which are obviously magnificent, the sea with its beautiful colours and awe-inspiring mountains rising out of the sea, the rest is pretty ordinary - reminiscent of the rundown outer suburbs of Suva or Nadi. Still it was very interesting and the guide pointed out all the things of interest including the two gas stations and the supermarket. She restrained herself from pointing out the rubbish dump but we had a good view, nonetheless.
The final stop was Bloody Mary's ( you need to have seen "South Pacific") where someone deemed it necessary to drink a Bloody Mary.
Apparently after Pearl Harbour was bombed in the war, the Yanks made Bora Bora their supply base which accounts for the road round the island and the airport.
Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
Moreea tomorrow.
Monday, 6 October 2014
Monday 6th October 2014 - at sea
Nothing much of excitement the past couple of days. Yesterday's highlight probably being the compulsory facial recognition French Polynesia immigration process.
Other than that the day, as today, was simply a repetition of those before.
In the evening there was another cabaret show based on songs and dances from popular movies. Given where we are, I thought an item from "Titanic" followed by one from " Ghost" a curious choice. Still, no sign of any icebergs!
Tomorrow we will be in Bora Bora which we are looking forward to despite the negative comments in a travel guide we found in the library.
We have open minds.
Other than that the day, as today, was simply a repetition of those before.
In the evening there was another cabaret show based on songs and dances from popular movies. Given where we are, I thought an item from "Titanic" followed by one from " Ghost" a curious choice. Still, no sign of any icebergs!
Tomorrow we will be in Bora Bora which we are looking forward to despite the negative comments in a travel guide we found in the library.
We have open minds.
Saturday, 4 October 2014
Saturday, 4th October, 2014 - at sea
We are now halfway between Hawaii and Tahiti and in a couple of hours we will cross the equator and head back into the Southern Hemisphere. Consequently the mandatory Crossing the Line ceremony was held after lunch out on the top deck.
I have vague memories of the last time I attended one of these, aged about six years old and en route from the UK to NZ. Everyone then dressed up and from memory it involved King Neptune and people being chucked in the pool.
We weren't particularly keen on that happening so went up on a higher deck to watch. It must be a fairly set formula - King Neptune arriving with his entourage to hold a mock court and sentence a number of selected miscreants. There was someone charged with gluttony for attending every sitting of every meal, a couple charged with PDAs in the spa pool and various other equally ridiculous things.
The punishments were made to fit the crimes, the glutton for example, being operated on and his innards removed (we'd wondered what the mounds of spaghetti and chains of sausages were being taken from the kitchen for). The "captain" was chucked fully clothed into the pool and other transgressors were smeared with jelly and cream and some good old English slapstick ensued. Finally everything was declared correct and we were free to cross the line.
Apart from that it's been more of the same - swimming, reading, trivia, a few crosswords and things in the library and more reading. Luckily the weather is fine and sunny if a little hot and windy.
King Neptune and his retinue
I have vague memories of the last time I attended one of these, aged about six years old and en route from the UK to NZ. Everyone then dressed up and from memory it involved King Neptune and people being chucked in the pool.
We weren't particularly keen on that happening so went up on a higher deck to watch. It must be a fairly set formula - King Neptune arriving with his entourage to hold a mock court and sentence a number of selected miscreants. There was someone charged with gluttony for attending every sitting of every meal, a couple charged with PDAs in the spa pool and various other equally ridiculous things.
The punishments were made to fit the crimes, the glutton for example, being operated on and his innards removed (we'd wondered what the mounds of spaghetti and chains of sausages were being taken from the kitchen for). The "captain" was chucked fully clothed into the pool and other transgressors were smeared with jelly and cream and some good old English slapstick ensued. Finally everything was declared correct and we were free to cross the line.
Apart from that it's been more of the same - swimming, reading, trivia, a few crosswords and things in the library and more reading. Luckily the weather is fine and sunny if a little hot and windy.
A bird's eye view
The "captain" seemed to enjoy his involuntary swim, maybe because it is so hot.
Photos taking an age to load tonight so not as many as I had intended to post. Probably enough!
Friday, 3 October 2014
Friday 3rd October 2014 - at sea
Very little to report today - just endless sea and weather that vacillates from bright and sunny to torrential rain (maybe we are in the tropics). Spent most of the day reading and attending the trivia.
This morning we were invited to join four other people. Did quite well but Geoff was peeved that his answer to the question "Who wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (RLStevenson - he was right, of course) was rejected by others on the team and I was the only one in the room that knew Descartes was responsible for "I think therefore I am" ( I knew an Arts degree would come in handy one day). So this afternoon we hid in a corner and were our own team. We got second, so need to try a little harder.
The cabaret show last night surprised us with its professionalism. We don' t usually go to things like that but will see what's on tonight. Last night's was a very "Lee" type show featuring lots of songs she used to sing all the time.
The highlight of the day, of course, was finally getting an email from Phillip saying the house sale in Newtown had gone well. Hurray!
Must be approaching the equator soon.
This morning we were invited to join four other people. Did quite well but Geoff was peeved that his answer to the question "Who wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (RLStevenson - he was right, of course) was rejected by others on the team and I was the only one in the room that knew Descartes was responsible for "I think therefore I am" ( I knew an Arts degree would come in handy one day). So this afternoon we hid in a corner and were our own team. We got second, so need to try a little harder.
The cabaret show last night surprised us with its professionalism. We don' t usually go to things like that but will see what's on tonight. Last night's was a very "Lee" type show featuring lots of songs she used to sing all the time.
The highlight of the day, of course, was finally getting an email from Phillip saying the house sale in Newtown had gone well. Hurray!
Must be approaching the equator soon.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Thursday, 2nd October 2014 - at sea
Water, water everywhere ....
Hot and very humid, so thank goodness for air conditioning. Nothing much to see, so there are activities happening everywhere to keep people amused. We're busy not participating in a particularly vigorous aerobics/dance class led by someone young and fit. Trivia may be more our thing, we'll see.
As it happened trivia was reasonably entertaining and filled in an hour in the morning and afternoon. We needed William on our team as one of the questions we got wrong was the name of the elements that changed Bruce Banner into the Hulk.
Tonight there is a Captain's cocktail party which we'll be happy to miss and the first of the formal dinners which is a pain but we can get there late and leave early.
No photographs of interest today.
Hot and very humid, so thank goodness for air conditioning. Nothing much to see, so there are activities happening everywhere to keep people amused. We're busy not participating in a particularly vigorous aerobics/dance class led by someone young and fit. Trivia may be more our thing, we'll see.
As it happened trivia was reasonably entertaining and filled in an hour in the morning and afternoon. We needed William on our team as one of the questions we got wrong was the name of the elements that changed Bruce Banner into the Hulk.
Tonight there is a Captain's cocktail party which we'll be happy to miss and the first of the formal dinners which is a pain but we can get there late and leave early.
No photographs of interest today.
Wednesday, 1 October 2014
Wednesday 1st October, 2014 - Hilo, Hawaii
Today we are in Hilo on Hawaii, the big island. We are actually docked alongside the longest breakwater wall I have ever seen. Fascinating watching it as we came in.
Not having to get tenders to shore is always good and we wandered downstairs around 9.30 and made it onto the dock as the Celebrity Solstice arrived dwarfing our little ship.
We hadn't booked any tours but found quite close by a little "Hoppa Onna Hoppa Offa" bus that promised to show us all we wanted to see over the course of about an hour and a half.
It proved a good choice and we enjoyed a leisurely tour of the town (why did thoughts of Ashburton and Timaru come to mind???), gardens, beaches markets and waterfalls all accompanied by a solidly upbeat description and potted history.
This being one of the wettest cities in America we were lucky to have a fine and sunny day.
We are starting to get to know some of the other passengers around us (not to talk to - but to talk about). There is the mother and daughter in the cabin beside us, for example. Geoffrey refers to the daughter as the cockatoo because she has a habit of squawking, loudly, at length, about a load of rubbish. Then there is the middle European woman who has a stuffed animal green frog she takes pictures of in front of all kinds of tourist attractions. We have our own theories about that.
Today is our last in Hawaii. We leave in an hour or so then comes the bit we are not particularly looking forward to - five days at sea an route to Bora Bora. We may miss a day or so of posts if there is nothing to write about.
Hilo, Hawaii
Not having to get tenders to shore is always good and we wandered downstairs around 9.30 and made it onto the dock as the Celebrity Solstice arrived dwarfing our little ship.
We hadn't booked any tours but found quite close by a little "Hoppa Onna Hoppa Offa" bus that promised to show us all we wanted to see over the course of about an hour and a half.
It proved a good choice and we enjoyed a leisurely tour of the town (why did thoughts of Ashburton and Timaru come to mind???), gardens, beaches markets and waterfalls all accompanied by a solidly upbeat description and potted history.
This being one of the wettest cities in America we were lucky to have a fine and sunny day.
We are starting to get to know some of the other passengers around us (not to talk to - but to talk about). There is the mother and daughter in the cabin beside us, for example. Geoffrey refers to the daughter as the cockatoo because she has a habit of squawking, loudly, at length, about a load of rubbish. Then there is the middle European woman who has a stuffed animal green frog she takes pictures of in front of all kinds of tourist attractions. We have our own theories about that.
Today is our last in Hawaii. We leave in an hour or so then comes the bit we are not particularly looking forward to - five days at sea an route to Bora Bora. We may miss a day or so of posts if there is nothing to write about.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Tuesday, 30th September 2014 - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
We were still sailing when we had breakfast this morning, so had a good view of the islands as we approached Maui.
The ship anchored off shore and we took the tender across, thinking we would have a look around before it got unbearably hot. But it was already very humid and by the time we had found a post office and stopped to write messages to the grandchildren it was very sweaty. They will just have to put up with a very hastily scribbled note this time.
Lahaina is a pretty little town - a bit like Byron Bay in a way. All handmade souvenirs and organic type shops built in colonial/plantation style. No building is allowed to be higher than a tall coconut tree so no high-rise condos or glitzy buildings here.
After we had walked the length of the waterfront in both directions (quite a long walk as it happens) we caught the tender back through the heavy surf and surfers to the boat and air conditioning. Our balcony is on the land side at the moment so we have lovely views of Maui while we read.
The ship anchored off shore and we took the tender across, thinking we would have a look around before it got unbearably hot. But it was already very humid and by the time we had found a post office and stopped to write messages to the grandchildren it was very sweaty. They will just have to put up with a very hastily scribbled note this time.
Lahaina is a pretty little town - a bit like Byron Bay in a way. All handmade souvenirs and organic type shops built in colonial/plantation style. No building is allowed to be higher than a tall coconut tree so no high-rise condos or glitzy buildings here.
After we had walked the length of the waterfront in both directions (quite a long walk as it happens) we caught the tender back through the heavy surf and surfers to the boat and air conditioning. Our balcony is on the land side at the moment so we have lovely views of Maui while we read.
Looking out towards Lahaina
In a way a lot of the islands remind us of Banks Peninsula - little if any vegetation and very brown, although the mountains are probably more mountainous than the Port Hills. The other thing that has struck us is how very blue the sea appears - like writing ink from primary school days, similar to the caldera around Santorini.
May give the formal dinner option a miss tonight and sit up on deck to watch the scenery we are passing until dark.
Monday, 29 September 2014
Monday, 29th September, 2014 - Nawiliwili, Kaua'i, Hawaii
Last night, being our first on board we were not quite sure what to expect. Dinner was open and no set seating. We were almost dumped down at a table with a variety of people including one couple we had met at the lifesaving drill who live in Bathurst (opposite the St Pat's playing fields you pass just before turning into Eleven Mile Drive.) They were nice enough but you don't travel all the way to the USA to sit with people from Bathurst. But there was only one seat available so we were given a table to ourselves. Luckily there was some nice grilled fish with papaya and mango salsa on the menu so we enjoyed dinner. Probably a bit of a mistake to go up to one of the entertainment lounges afterwards, but enjoyed chatting with the husband and wife team providing the music as we comprised the entire audience and they were from Vancouver and quite interesting.
The ship sailed overnight (which is a bit of a pity given we are here to see the passing scenery) and we woke to stunning views of oil refinery tanks and dock buildings.
We hadn't bothered booking an excursion (visit to a coconut processing factory or pineapple history museum, anyone?) but noticed while we were having breakfast, a steady stream of shuttle buses ferrying people to beaches and shopping centres.
Given the lack of suitable formal wear we decided to jump on the KMart shuffle and I managed to find a pair of black evening trousers for about $20 that should suffice. Still a very disappointing shopping experience and so different from what we remembered but that was 27 years ago and we were living in Christchurch at the time so may have viewed the shops differently - or maybe we have been spoilt in Australia.
Very poor internet signal at the moment. More later ...
Spent the afternoon reading and swimming then taking in the view from the top deck when we started the next leg of the journey at 4.30.
Dinner tonight was at our assigned seating - having booked early, requested and been promised a table for two, we were somewhat pissed off at being put at a table for 8. Of the 8, three were Chinese who don't speak English ( but do giggle a lot), the couple from Bathurst (she works for the mapping dept, he is a semi-retired road line painter) and a quite interesting dude called Roger who lives on Maui.
So there you go. We may or may not bother with the formal night tomorrow and we have no excursions booked though table mate Roger says Maui has an interesting history.
Passing scenery
The ship sailed overnight (which is a bit of a pity given we are here to see the passing scenery) and we woke to stunning views of oil refinery tanks and dock buildings.
We hadn't bothered booking an excursion (visit to a coconut processing factory or pineapple history museum, anyone?) but noticed while we were having breakfast, a steady stream of shuttle buses ferrying people to beaches and shopping centres.
Given the lack of suitable formal wear we decided to jump on the KMart shuffle and I managed to find a pair of black evening trousers for about $20 that should suffice. Still a very disappointing shopping experience and so different from what we remembered but that was 27 years ago and we were living in Christchurch at the time so may have viewed the shops differently - or maybe we have been spoilt in Australia.
Very poor internet signal at the moment. More later ...
Spent the afternoon reading and swimming then taking in the view from the top deck when we started the next leg of the journey at 4.30.
Dinner tonight was at our assigned seating - having booked early, requested and been promised a table for two, we were somewhat pissed off at being put at a table for 8. Of the 8, three were Chinese who don't speak English ( but do giggle a lot), the couple from Bathurst (she works for the mapping dept, he is a semi-retired road line painter) and a quite interesting dude called Roger who lives on Maui.
So there you go. We may or may not bother with the formal night tomorrow and we have no excursions booked though table mate Roger says Maui has an interesting history.
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Sunday 28th September - Honolulu Hawaii
A quiet overcast and occasionally rainy day. We don't have to check out of the apartment till midday which is good and we can go straight to the boat then, anyway.
I don't know what the likelihood of WiFi is on board though I suppose there are computers for hire, so I though t I would put up a short post now and expand it later if I can.
Differing views of Honolulu
I don't know what the likelihood of WiFi is on board though I suppose there are computers for hire, so I though t I would put up a short post now and expand it later if I can.
As suspected if they can charge you for it, it's available - at a price and boy do they charge for WiFi. But at least it is available.
It was a fairly simple procedure getting to the ship which is docked in Pearl Harbour. Although we were an hour or so before boarding time we were sent straight through onto the ship in plenty of time for lunch. After that a few minutes wandering revealed the pool, the theatre, the library and the internet room with the bonus of someone there to help with any problems.
We are enjoying seeing how seriously the yanks take their security and have just enjoyed a display of precision formation flying from the air force. Quite spectacular. You would' t want to deviate from your flight plan if you were one of those pilots!
This is a small ship - only 600 or so passengers and very "country manor house" in style - lots of dark wood panelling and big armchairs.
Tonight's excitement is lifeboat drill at 5 but we might not get any dinner as I appear to have forgotten to pack a dress. I have the shoes, handbag and jewellery to go with it but just no dress. How stupid can you be. Still looking for a shop will add some focus to on-shore time tomorrow.
Our home for the next few days.
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Saturday, 27th September 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii.
Following last night's spectacular sunset, we were treated to another light show at 7.45 pm. Although I had known there were fireworks on a Friday I had thought they were off the main beach and we would miss them as we do not overlook Waikiki itself. However it turns out they are the climax to a Friday evening dinner show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village directly opposite our unit. So for once we were in a prime position. Sadly my fireworks photo taking skills do not measure up to those of my brothers as can be seen below. (I must try and work out how to use the zoom. I'm sure there is a zoom there somewhere).
So lots of entertainment and, going by the noise drifting up from the streets below, lots of revelry around, just like Manly on a Friday night.
This morning we woke to leaden skies, but the overnight rains do seem to have taken some of the humidity out of the air. The clouds gradually dispersed through the morning, the bands and marching teams came out in full force to celebrate the Aloha Flower Festival and the "trumpets" ( or should that be "trumpers"?) resumed their positions lolling around the pool in the Trump Hotel just opposite.
Trumpets lolling around the pool (middle right) at the Trump Hotel.
Geoff had always wanted to go to the pink palace (I think it is the Royal Hawaiian) on Waikiki so we headed there for lunch. Interestingly it is very similar to the Grand Pacific in Fiji in that old colonial way but with nothing to recommend it beyond that.
Still we had a pleasant enough lunch peering through hundreds of beach umbrellas to the sea.
Obviously the sea was the afternoon drawcard and after that we decided to return to the Shore Bird (thank you Hamish) for a final farewell drink.
So what are our thoughts? This is actually quite important/interesting if you were dying to go to Hawaii for a holiday.
Don't.
The Gold Coast, Maloolooba, Fiji
and heaps more places in Oz are just as nice/much better and oh so much cheaper.
But we always wanted to come back and we are glad we did. We won't need to again.
We have enjoyed our stay here - it's a lovely apartment - and tomorrow we move on.
Americans seem to anticipate Halloween as far in advance as Australians do for Christmas.
We have visited the hotel of 27 years ago and checked out all the lifts but no sign of Glop.
Glop is gone.
Farewell Glop!
So lots of entertainment and, going by the noise drifting up from the streets below, lots of revelry around, just like Manly on a Friday night.
This morning we woke to leaden skies, but the overnight rains do seem to have taken some of the humidity out of the air. The clouds gradually dispersed through the morning, the bands and marching teams came out in full force to celebrate the Aloha Flower Festival and the "trumpets" ( or should that be "trumpers"?) resumed their positions lolling around the pool in the Trump Hotel just opposite.
Geoff had always wanted to go to the pink palace (I think it is the Royal Hawaiian) on Waikiki so we headed there for lunch. Interestingly it is very similar to the Grand Pacific in Fiji in that old colonial way but with nothing to recommend it beyond that.
Still we had a pleasant enough lunch peering through hundreds of beach umbrellas to the sea.
Obviously the sea was the afternoon drawcard and after that we decided to return to the Shore Bird (thank you Hamish) for a final farewell drink.
So what are our thoughts? This is actually quite important/interesting if you were dying to go to Hawaii for a holiday.
Don't.
The Gold Coast, Maloolooba, Fiji
But we always wanted to come back and we are glad we did. We won't need to again.
We have enjoyed our stay here - it's a lovely apartment - and tomorrow we move on.
We have visited the hotel of 27 years ago and checked out all the lifts but no sign of Glop.
Glop is gone.
Farewell Glop!
Friday, 26 September 2014
Friday 26th September, 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii
As Hamish pointed out, it was the ShoreBird Bar (not the Sandbird) I was referring to in last night's post about karaoke.
We wandered a bit further along the beach for lunch yesterday, ending up at the Terrace at the Halekulani Hotel which is much more upmarket than where we are staying though we probably have much more space and better views for quarter the price which makes me happy.
Lunch was pleasant but nothing to blog about (a sandwich) so then we visited the local ABC, Waikiki's expensive answer to an upmarket 7/11 and finally made it to the beach for a swim in blissfully lukewarm water.
It cooled down quite noticeably by early evening so we were able to sit out on the balcony, apparently referred to as Lanai here and watch the yachts enjoy a sunset sail.
All very picturesque.
Sun setting over Waikiki.
Thankfully this morning we were not rudely awoken by hotel employees, so had breakfast on the Lanai then set out to tackle public transport and access the shopping centre.
The bus across the road took us right to the far side of Ala Moana shopping centre then it was just a couple of blocks walk to Walmart where we thought we'd get a huge choice all in one place. How wrong we were. But as Geoffrey pointed out Walmart was a concept that worked well a couple of decades ago but isn't working now. So we found the bus again and headed home.
Surprisingly, the restaurants round here - or at least those we have ventured into, which aren't many - don't seem to do seafood like Sydney does. Lunchtime offerings are mainly sandwiches and hamburgers. But we found some exceptionally good fish and salad in the end.
First the red ...
.... then the purple
More swimming then time to retire to the balcony for the late afternoon/evening sunset spectacular.
We are expecting great things of this evening.
We watched as this ship cruised through the setting sun
We wandered a bit further along the beach for lunch yesterday, ending up at the Terrace at the Halekulani Hotel which is much more upmarket than where we are staying though we probably have much more space and better views for quarter the price which makes me happy.
Lunch was pleasant but nothing to blog about (a sandwich) so then we visited the local ABC, Waikiki's expensive answer to an upmarket 7/11 and finally made it to the beach for a swim in blissfully lukewarm water.
It cooled down quite noticeably by early evening so we were able to sit out on the balcony, apparently referred to as Lanai here and watch the yachts enjoy a sunset sail.
All very picturesque.
Thankfully this morning we were not rudely awoken by hotel employees, so had breakfast on the Lanai then set out to tackle public transport and access the shopping centre.
The bus across the road took us right to the far side of Ala Moana shopping centre then it was just a couple of blocks walk to Walmart where we thought we'd get a huge choice all in one place. How wrong we were. But as Geoffrey pointed out Walmart was a concept that worked well a couple of decades ago but isn't working now. So we found the bus again and headed home.
Surprisingly, the restaurants round here - or at least those we have ventured into, which aren't many - don't seem to do seafood like Sydney does. Lunchtime offerings are mainly sandwiches and hamburgers. But we found some exceptionally good fish and salad in the end.
More swimming then time to retire to the balcony for the late afternoon/evening sunset spectacular.
We are expecting great things of this evening.
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Thursday 25th September, 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii
Dates are a bit confusing as we left New Zealand on Thursday morning and arrived here on Wednesday night having crossed the international dateline en route. So now we are having Thursday morning again.
The flight from Auckland was long (8.5 hours), but actually not nearly as tedious as we had been anticipating. In contrast to LA airport, entry to the USA in Honolulu was quick and easy. The online visas all worked perfectly, we were photographed and fingerprinted and Aloha! that was it. Despite the AustPost travelsim not working and therefore my phone being useless, we were able to ring the hotel and find a taxi. Because we are staying in a condo managed by Outrigger hotels, they had to send someone over to let us in. Hard to see where exactly we were in the dark so was good to find in the morning that the apartment does look out over the sea - though not down over Waikiki Beach to Diamond Head as I had thought, but up the other way over Fort de Russy and further round to the port and airport and the building is right on the beach so quite handy.
We decided to go next door to the Outrigger Reef hotel and find something for a late light dinner and ended up at the SandBird Bar - a big open air bar and grill on the beach that we enjoyed visiting last time we were here about 27 years ago. It's much the same but unfortunately has karaoke every night. Drunken Japanese renditions of Unchained Melody are not the most enjoyable musical accompaniments to dinner.
So it was fairly late when we got to bed and we were not thrilled to be woken shortly after 7 by a loud continuous knocking on the door. The landline phone in the unit was apparently not working which meant they hadn't been able ring and get my credit card details off me last night, so they had sent someone to fix it. Very disconcerting when you're still in bed asleep.
Today we're just mucking around but will tackle Ala Moana shopping centre tomorrow.
In the meantime we're tracking down Glop!
View from window taken in a hurry
The flight from Auckland was long (8.5 hours), but actually not nearly as tedious as we had been anticipating. In contrast to LA airport, entry to the USA in Honolulu was quick and easy. The online visas all worked perfectly, we were photographed and fingerprinted and Aloha! that was it. Despite the AustPost travelsim not working and therefore my phone being useless, we were able to ring the hotel and find a taxi. Because we are staying in a condo managed by Outrigger hotels, they had to send someone over to let us in. Hard to see where exactly we were in the dark so was good to find in the morning that the apartment does look out over the sea - though not down over Waikiki Beach to Diamond Head as I had thought, but up the other way over Fort de Russy and further round to the port and airport and the building is right on the beach so quite handy.
We decided to go next door to the Outrigger Reef hotel and find something for a late light dinner and ended up at the SandBird Bar - a big open air bar and grill on the beach that we enjoyed visiting last time we were here about 27 years ago. It's much the same but unfortunately has karaoke every night. Drunken Japanese renditions of Unchained Melody are not the most enjoyable musical accompaniments to dinner.
So it was fairly late when we got to bed and we were not thrilled to be woken shortly after 7 by a loud continuous knocking on the door. The landline phone in the unit was apparently not working which meant they hadn't been able ring and get my credit card details off me last night, so they had sent someone to fix it. Very disconcerting when you're still in bed asleep.
Today we're just mucking around but will tackle Ala Moana shopping centre tomorrow.
In the meantime we're tracking down Glop!
View from window taken in a hurry
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Revival - 25th September, 2014; Auckland, New Zealand
Taking the long way round to Hawaii, we flew into Auckland late last night. The hotel was just across the road which made things a little easier - no looking for taxis.
We flew with Air New Zealand (hence the Auckland stopover) on their economy works passage which promises you a spare seat in the middle and access to the Koru Club lounge - essential for those of us who make an art form out of arriving at airports super early. Plenty of time to play with the pancake machine.
The next flight is a long one so I might have to watch Finding Nemo again. I finally watched Frozen all the way through on the Trans-Tasman sector so now understand the story but not necessarily the popularity of the movie. Nor can I work out why all the little girls are obsessed with Elsa when Anna is the obvious heroine. But who really cares.
More worrying is that rain is forecast on all four days we are in Honolulu. That would be a pity.
No pictures today. The inside of the lounge here doesn't warrant one.
We flew with Air New Zealand (hence the Auckland stopover) on their economy works passage which promises you a spare seat in the middle and access to the Koru Club lounge - essential for those of us who make an art form out of arriving at airports super early. Plenty of time to play with the pancake machine.
The next flight is a long one so I might have to watch Finding Nemo again. I finally watched Frozen all the way through on the Trans-Tasman sector so now understand the story but not necessarily the popularity of the movie. Nor can I work out why all the little girls are obsessed with Elsa when Anna is the obvious heroine. But who really cares.
More worrying is that rain is forecast on all four days we are in Honolulu. That would be a pity.
No pictures today. The inside of the lounge here doesn't warrant one.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Reflections
I meant to do this as soon as we arrived back in Australia but suddenly had to spend two weeks in Wollongong awaiting the birth of a reluctant grandchild, so everything was put on hold for a while.
Paris: Although we have been to Paris before we saw it in a different light this time. Previously Geoff was working and resented spending precious holiday time in a city, so wasn't disposed to like it. Also we had children with us and that usually leads to a whole different scenario attempting to keep them occupied and happy. This time the perspective was different and we totally enjoyed everything about it. There is so much beauty to enjoy - even just in the streetscapes. Everywhere you turn there is something to look at, such is the genius of the city layout.
It is also a wonderful city to walk around and we found our apartment in Rue Saint Saveur just around the corner from the pedestrian Rue Montorgueil very convenient. We were particularly lucky with the weather - cold but fine and sunny every day - so we left with very happy memories.
Munich: This was a city we were looking forward to visiting and again one that is ideal for walking around. We enjoyed visiting the Christmas Markets and seeing all the decorations but our four days was enough. It was interesting how strong the beer culture is and it was also interesting to see that the men really do wear those funny little felt hats with feathers in them.
Maybe summer in Munich is altogether different but I doubt we'll be going back to find out.
Salzburg: Again, a place I had always wanted to visit and am glad to have done so. To be fair, a gloomy day in winter probably did not showcase it to its maximum potential - views of snowcapped peaks in the distance would have greatly added to its appeal, but otherwise it was just another pretty Austrian town.
Vienna: This to me was probably the biggest disappointment. I don't know what I had imagined but somehow it was just another city. Pretty? Yes. Elegant? Yes, but not to the same extent as Paris. All in all, it was, I am sorry to say, something of an anticlimax.
Budapest: Budapest on the other hand was a surprise. We found it to be a very elegant city with gracious streets and architecture. It must be beautiful on a sunny day when all the trees are in leaf. I would like to re-visit Budapest in Spring or Summer, but somehow doubt we will.
Uniworld Cruises: This was a cruise that lived up to all its promises. Everything was excellent - the food, the service, the entertainment and the excursions, all of which were included. You might think the complimentary wine at meals for example, might be inferior quality or limited to a glass or maybe two but it wasn't. It was always excellent quality and different each nights and the meals were all of a very high standard. The excursions too were very good. We were supplied with radio/walkie talkies which meant that as long as we had our earpiece in we could wander off and look in shop windows or whatever and still hear what our guide was telling us. And the guides were very interesting and informative so worth listening too, especially the erudite Helmut who regaled us with all sorts of interesting information about the EU and about the Schengen agreement.
We'd definitely choose Uniworld again if we did another river cruise.
Meribel: Despite having such fond memories of Meribel, it didn't disappoint. It was just as lovely as we remembered and having a big dump of snow the first night was a real bonus, as were the windless sunny days thereafter. No queues, no crowds, magnificent scenery - what more could anyone want!
The only comment worth making really concerns the huge influx of Russians who seem to have almost taken over the resort. At our hotel we were probably the only non-Russians.
This is not necessarily a change for the better.
Meribel was also great for after ski activity viz a viz Jack, with child friendly things like bowling, ice skating and pool close by. However if we went again we would probably look at staying in Mottaret for the betters ski-in ski-out accommodation.
As for skiing with a helmet - that lasted two days before I reverted to a beanie. It was simply too hot.
And so, that is the end for the time being.
We do have other wanderings planned later in the year at which stage I will resume the blog.
Paris: Although we have been to Paris before we saw it in a different light this time. Previously Geoff was working and resented spending precious holiday time in a city, so wasn't disposed to like it. Also we had children with us and that usually leads to a whole different scenario attempting to keep them occupied and happy. This time the perspective was different and we totally enjoyed everything about it. There is so much beauty to enjoy - even just in the streetscapes. Everywhere you turn there is something to look at, such is the genius of the city layout.
It is also a wonderful city to walk around and we found our apartment in Rue Saint Saveur just around the corner from the pedestrian Rue Montorgueil very convenient. We were particularly lucky with the weather - cold but fine and sunny every day - so we left with very happy memories.
Munich: This was a city we were looking forward to visiting and again one that is ideal for walking around. We enjoyed visiting the Christmas Markets and seeing all the decorations but our four days was enough. It was interesting how strong the beer culture is and it was also interesting to see that the men really do wear those funny little felt hats with feathers in them.
Maybe summer in Munich is altogether different but I doubt we'll be going back to find out.
Salzburg: Again, a place I had always wanted to visit and am glad to have done so. To be fair, a gloomy day in winter probably did not showcase it to its maximum potential - views of snowcapped peaks in the distance would have greatly added to its appeal, but otherwise it was just another pretty Austrian town.
Vienna: This to me was probably the biggest disappointment. I don't know what I had imagined but somehow it was just another city. Pretty? Yes. Elegant? Yes, but not to the same extent as Paris. All in all, it was, I am sorry to say, something of an anticlimax.
Budapest: Budapest on the other hand was a surprise. We found it to be a very elegant city with gracious streets and architecture. It must be beautiful on a sunny day when all the trees are in leaf. I would like to re-visit Budapest in Spring or Summer, but somehow doubt we will.
Uniworld Cruises: This was a cruise that lived up to all its promises. Everything was excellent - the food, the service, the entertainment and the excursions, all of which were included. You might think the complimentary wine at meals for example, might be inferior quality or limited to a glass or maybe two but it wasn't. It was always excellent quality and different each nights and the meals were all of a very high standard. The excursions too were very good. We were supplied with radio/walkie talkies which meant that as long as we had our earpiece in we could wander off and look in shop windows or whatever and still hear what our guide was telling us. And the guides were very interesting and informative so worth listening too, especially the erudite Helmut who regaled us with all sorts of interesting information about the EU and about the Schengen agreement.
We'd definitely choose Uniworld again if we did another river cruise.
Meribel: Despite having such fond memories of Meribel, it didn't disappoint. It was just as lovely as we remembered and having a big dump of snow the first night was a real bonus, as were the windless sunny days thereafter. No queues, no crowds, magnificent scenery - what more could anyone want!
The only comment worth making really concerns the huge influx of Russians who seem to have almost taken over the resort. At our hotel we were probably the only non-Russians.
This is not necessarily a change for the better.
Meribel was also great for after ski activity viz a viz Jack, with child friendly things like bowling, ice skating and pool close by. However if we went again we would probably look at staying in Mottaret for the betters ski-in ski-out accommodation.
As for skiing with a helmet - that lasted two days before I reverted to a beanie. It was simply too hot.
And so, that is the end for the time being.
We do have other wanderings planned later in the year at which stage I will resume the blog.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Wednesday, 15th January, 2014 - Sydney, Australia
There's always something special about flying into Sydney on a beautiful sunny morning. As a fellow traveller in Taiwan once commented to me "when you fly into Sydney it's like someone turned on the lights" and that's certainly the feeling you get having come from winter in Geneva where there was drizzle and heavy fog when we left.
We arrived home to a heatwave with temperatures in the high 30s. The snowy Alps of last week are but a lovely cool memory!
We arrived home to a heatwave with temperatures in the high 30s. The snowy Alps of last week are but a lovely cool memory!
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| With scenery like this on our doorstep who needs to go travelling? |
Monday, 13 January 2014
Tuesday, 14th January 2014 - Bangkok, Thailand
Halfway home and looking forward to being back in Australia. We slept most of the way from Helsinki to Bangkok so the flight didn't seem too bad. Now we have something like six hours to wait until the final leg of the journey. The travelling part of travel is not great fun!
Monday 13th January, 2014 - Helsinki, Finland
Another early start this morning to catch the 7.15 shuttle to the airport. A mistake in retrospect as we could have left an hour later, still you never know what the traffic is going to be like, especially in a strange city.
The staff at the hotel kindly organised an early "quick" breakfast for us then, to my amazement, gave me a refund for the difference in price from the "full" breakfast I had pre-paid months ago when I booked.
We have been amazed at the lack of facilities at some of the major airports compared to Sydney. OK, maybe I mean the lack of air-bridge facilities on international flights.
Once again we were bussed out to the plane and into the terminal when we arrived in Helsinki. It certainly gave us a taste of how cold it is in Finland.
In Budapest we were bussed across to what seemed like a massive shearing shed all set up with long winding lanes which we were fed into then left waiting for a good half hour before walking to our aircraft!
As I said, slightly different from Sydney.
At the moment we are in the Finnair lounge in Helsinki and congratulating ourselves on actually managing to score a seat. The place is packed - as is the whole airport. We can't believe the crowds. Where are all the Finns going?
Our next leg is the long one - all the way to Bangkok. Hopefully we'll sleep which will make the time go faster.
Oh, and Jessica will be pleased to know Peppa Pig is on Finnish TV!
The staff at the hotel kindly organised an early "quick" breakfast for us then, to my amazement, gave me a refund for the difference in price from the "full" breakfast I had pre-paid months ago when I booked.
We have been amazed at the lack of facilities at some of the major airports compared to Sydney. OK, maybe I mean the lack of air-bridge facilities on international flights.
Once again we were bussed out to the plane and into the terminal when we arrived in Helsinki. It certainly gave us a taste of how cold it is in Finland.
In Budapest we were bussed across to what seemed like a massive shearing shed all set up with long winding lanes which we were fed into then left waiting for a good half hour before walking to our aircraft!
As I said, slightly different from Sydney.
At the moment we are in the Finnair lounge in Helsinki and congratulating ourselves on actually managing to score a seat. The place is packed - as is the whole airport. We can't believe the crowds. Where are all the Finns going?
Our next leg is the long one - all the way to Bangkok. Hopefully we'll sleep which will make the time go faster.
Oh, and Jessica will be pleased to know Peppa Pig is on Finnish TV!
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Sunday, 12th January, 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland
Our Heidi-fied room is surprisingly quiet, so for once we slept well. This may have had something to do with the fact we don't seem to be able to get the air.con/heating to work, so we weren't sleeping !in the usual over heated environment.
We had thought about catching the train to Montreux and walking around the lake to my old school, Le Mesnil, but the day was dreary and the rail fares exorbitant. Instead we opted for buying a couple of English Sunday papers and spent the morning reading.
Geneva on Sunday is not the liveliest of cities, but there are a few places open. Geoff found an Irish pub where he could get a pre-lunch Guiness
then we found that the restaurant we had enjoyed yesterday was also open so we had a quite pleasant lunch while watching international snowboarding races on the big screen.
Once again packing will occupy the afternoon as we have another early start in the morning with the airport shuttle arranged for 7.15.
We had thought about catching the train to Montreux and walking around the lake to my old school, Le Mesnil, but the day was dreary and the rail fares exorbitant. Instead we opted for buying a couple of English Sunday papers and spent the morning reading.
Geneva on Sunday is not the liveliest of cities, but there are a few places open. Geoff found an Irish pub where he could get a pre-lunch Guiness
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| Apart from over the top Swissness, the hotel restaurant offers inspirational messages: Rejouissez-vous toujours dans le Seigneur! |
Once again packing will occupy the afternoon as we have another early start in the morning with the airport shuttle arranged for 7.15.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Saturday, 11th January, 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland
In the end having to get up at 3.45am wasn't as bad as we had feared. We had been woken at 3am, anyway, by a bunch of drunken revellers tromping up the street and singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" at the tops of their voices in Russian. So we were already awake when the alarm went off.
The coach journey in the pre-dawn was pleasant enough and we were at Geneva airport before 8. As it was a bit early to check into the hotel we had breakfast at one of the airport cafes (a bargain at SF9 for a full cooked breakfast). We got to the hotel shortly after 9, but only had to wait an hour or so before our room was ready and Geoff was delighted to find a "real" computer where he could catch up with all the ASX announcements. (He hates using the tablet as the screen is too sensitive for his aggressive style of typing).
In the afternoon we set out for a quick walk to the lake and ended up walking miles. We got quite a different perspective of Geneva from this side of the lake and upgraded our perspective of the city considerably.
Also I won a $50 bet - Lac Leman is NOT spelt with an 'h'!
The coach journey in the pre-dawn was pleasant enough and we were at Geneva airport before 8. As it was a bit early to check into the hotel we had breakfast at one of the airport cafes (a bargain at SF9 for a full cooked breakfast). We got to the hotel shortly after 9, but only had to wait an hour or so before our room was ready and Geoff was delighted to find a "real" computer where he could catch up with all the ASX announcements. (He hates using the tablet as the screen is too sensitive for his aggressive style of typing).
In the afternoon we set out for a quick walk to the lake and ended up walking miles. We got quite a different perspective of Geneva from this side of the lake and upgraded our perspective of the city considerably.
Also I won a $50 bet - Lac Leman is NOT spelt with an 'h'!
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| It only takes a little strategically placed pine wood to 'heidi-fy' an otherwise bog standard hotel room. |
Friday, 10 January 2014
Friday 10th January, 2014 - Meribel France
Once again it was a sunny morning and we decided to spend it skiing around the Mottaret area. We met up with Felicity and covered much the same territory as yesterday before returning to Meribel and taking the Rhodos gondola to meet Dan at the restaurant at the top for lunch.
We started off sitting outside in the sun but then a few clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped dramatically so we moved inside.
Another couple of runs in the afternoon and that was it for the week. We were glad that everyone had survived the skiing with no broken limbs.
It was sad to say goodbye to Felicity and Dan, as it was to Richard and Jack, as we probably won't see any of them for another 12 months.
And now the packing beckons. We have a wake up call for 3.45am as our bus to Geneva leaves at 4.45.
Wonderful!
We started off sitting outside in the sun but then a few clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped dramatically so we moved inside.
Another couple of runs in the afternoon and that was it for the week. We were glad that everyone had survived the skiing with no broken limbs.
It was sad to say goodbye to Felicity and Dan, as it was to Richard and Jack, as we probably won't see any of them for another 12 months.
And now the packing beckons. We have a wake up call for 3.45am as our bus to Geneva leaves at 4.45.
Wonderful!
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Thursday, 9th January, 2014 - Meribel France
With Richard and Jack now back at work and school respectively, Felicity was stuck with us as skiing companions today.
We decided to ski the Mottaret area this morning, partly for nostalgia's sake ( it was where we stayed the first time we came here) but mainly because the snow and runs are better. Getting there was easy via the Tougnettes gondola then the Plattieres gondola which took us to a run we have enjoyed in the past - Sitelle, an undemanding blue run with good snow and lots of sun.
Unfortunately, I had my first stack this morning. Not so much a stack as an undignified plonk into the snow as I stopped beside Flick. Getting upright again proved quite challenging. One of the downsides of skiing in one's sixties!
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a large sunny deck near the top of Sitelle. Afterwards we made our way down to Mottaret and, after a bit of searching, found the beginning of La Truite, a cruisy little run that took us all the way back down into Meribel.
After Flick had had a final run, we adjourned to Meribar for a hot chocolate (with the addition of a nip of rum for one certain person.)
No new pictures today.
We decided to ski the Mottaret area this morning, partly for nostalgia's sake ( it was where we stayed the first time we came here) but mainly because the snow and runs are better. Getting there was easy via the Tougnettes gondola then the Plattieres gondola which took us to a run we have enjoyed in the past - Sitelle, an undemanding blue run with good snow and lots of sun.
Unfortunately, I had my first stack this morning. Not so much a stack as an undignified plonk into the snow as I stopped beside Flick. Getting upright again proved quite challenging. One of the downsides of skiing in one's sixties!
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a large sunny deck near the top of Sitelle. Afterwards we made our way down to Mottaret and, after a bit of searching, found the beginning of La Truite, a cruisy little run that took us all the way back down into Meribel.
After Flick had had a final run, we adjourned to Meribar for a hot chocolate (with the addition of a nip of rum for one certain person.)
No new pictures today.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Wednesday, 8th January 2014 - Meribel, France
Once again last night we spent a couple of hours bowling and playing pool with Jack before having an early dinner with him and Richard.
This morning we were all planning to spend a couple of hours bowling with them before they had to leave for the airport but the bowling alley was closed so we went instead to Meribar, the cafe cum bar we have had lunch at everyday, for hot chocolate (avec Chantilly) instead.
After they left we caught the Rhodos gondola with Flick and Dan to the top where it was an easy walk or ski to a restaurant with a massive sundeck for lunch.
Very pleasant just sitting in the sun and enjoying the amazing view. Once again I only had my camera with me so can't post pictures of the view.
I really don't feel confident enough to ski with the tablet.
After lunch we skiied till the sun went, sticking mainly to the top slopes as the snow towards the bottom is starting to become slushy, the weather being so warm.
A quiet night tonight!
This morning we were all planning to spend a couple of hours bowling with them before they had to leave for the airport but the bowling alley was closed so we went instead to Meribar, the cafe cum bar we have had lunch at everyday, for hot chocolate (avec Chantilly) instead.
After they left we caught the Rhodos gondola with Flick and Dan to the top where it was an easy walk or ski to a restaurant with a massive sundeck for lunch.
Very pleasant just sitting in the sun and enjoying the amazing view. Once again I only had my camera with me so can't post pictures of the view.
I really don't feel confident enough to ski with the tablet.
After lunch we skiied till the sun went, sticking mainly to the top slopes as the snow towards the bottom is starting to become slushy, the weather being so warm.
A quiet night tonight!
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| Dan and Flick are staying at Brides les Bains which is about 40 minutes ride on the gondola just across the road. |
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Tuesday 7th January, 2014 - Meribel, France
Last night Richard was keen to go somewhere that Jack would enjoy so we all met up sometime after five at the bowling alley which is about a five minute walk from the hotel.
Jack and Dan were already in fierce competition when we go there but eventually Dan won and Jack had to be content with second place just ahead of Flick.
Then they moved on to the pool tables for a while, with Jack and Dan proving to be an unbeatable partnership.
Eventually we went down to the same little Pizzeria we had been to the night before from which there was an excellent view of the night skiing up above. Particularly impressive was the final run with all the flares snaking their way down the mountainside.
A little while later there was a spectacular fireworks display up the mountainside right in front of our window, so we were pretty lucky getting such a great evening's entertainment so unexpectedly.
We later learnt that it was Russian Christmas (and Meribel is full of Russians) so that is what it was all in aid of.
After dinner we retired to the hotel and the others went off bowling again. Flick and Dan then made a real night of it, going on to a bar afterwards.
So there were some tired looking people when we all met up for lunch today!
Once again it was a beautiful day - warm and sunny. We did a bit of skiing before lunch then all went up to have a final ski with Jack. I started well, but soon got overtaken by the little fella who went hurtling down the mountain closely followed by his grandfather who was determined Jack would not be able to claim he could out-ski him! Luckily it was a dead heat, so Grandad Gruff's honour was maintained.
Once Jack was safely in his lesson we all enjoyed a hot chocolate in the sun at one of the mountain top restaurants before making our way down.
It appears another night of bowling might be on the cards, though Flick and Dan have already retired to the safety of their apartment in Brides Les Bains.
Jack and Dan were already in fierce competition when we go there but eventually Dan won and Jack had to be content with second place just ahead of Flick.
Then they moved on to the pool tables for a while, with Jack and Dan proving to be an unbeatable partnership.
Eventually we went down to the same little Pizzeria we had been to the night before from which there was an excellent view of the night skiing up above. Particularly impressive was the final run with all the flares snaking their way down the mountainside.
A little while later there was a spectacular fireworks display up the mountainside right in front of our window, so we were pretty lucky getting such a great evening's entertainment so unexpectedly.
We later learnt that it was Russian Christmas (and Meribel is full of Russians) so that is what it was all in aid of.
After dinner we retired to the hotel and the others went off bowling again. Flick and Dan then made a real night of it, going on to a bar afterwards.
So there were some tired looking people when we all met up for lunch today!
Once again it was a beautiful day - warm and sunny. We did a bit of skiing before lunch then all went up to have a final ski with Jack. I started well, but soon got overtaken by the little fella who went hurtling down the mountain closely followed by his grandfather who was determined Jack would not be able to claim he could out-ski him! Luckily it was a dead heat, so Grandad Gruff's honour was maintained.
Once Jack was safely in his lesson we all enjoyed a hot chocolate in the sun at one of the mountain top restaurants before making our way down.
It appears another night of bowling might be on the cards, though Flick and Dan have already retired to the safety of their apartment in Brides Les Bains.
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| Just a few points needed to beat Aunty Flick |
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| The losing team! |
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| Strategy is important |
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| Of course he's reading the menu in French |
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| Dan, Jack, Flick, Geoff, Rhoswyn and (behind all the facial hair), Richard. |
Monday, 6 January 2014
Monday, 6th January, 2014 - Meribel, France
Not much to report today. We wasted a little time trying to access bank accounts on the tablet but were unsuccessful.
Flick had met up earlyish with Richard and Jack to ski with them so we eventually dragged ourselves into our ski gear and boots again and took ourselves off for a couple of runs in much the same area as yesterday, which we enjoyed. Confidence was a bit better today, which also helped and the weather was good to the point of being too warm.
After lunch Richard deposited Jack with his ski teacher for the afternoon then joined the rest of us to ski. We went up on the Saulire gondola which sounded good when the idea was first mooted. However it went up a lot further than I had realised meaning a long way to ski down. We told Richard and Flick to leave us and ski at their own pace while we came down slowly to accommodate creaking limbs! In the end we jumped on the gondola halfway to avoid the slush and ice on the lower slopes.
Flick and Dan are staying up the hill for dinner tonight so maybe able to get some photos for tomorrow's entry. No photos today as I only take the camera skiing and can't upload those to the tablet.
Flick had met up earlyish with Richard and Jack to ski with them so we eventually dragged ourselves into our ski gear and boots again and took ourselves off for a couple of runs in much the same area as yesterday, which we enjoyed. Confidence was a bit better today, which also helped and the weather was good to the point of being too warm.
After lunch Richard deposited Jack with his ski teacher for the afternoon then joined the rest of us to ski. We went up on the Saulire gondola which sounded good when the idea was first mooted. However it went up a lot further than I had realised meaning a long way to ski down. We told Richard and Flick to leave us and ski at their own pace while we came down slowly to accommodate creaking limbs! In the end we jumped on the gondola halfway to avoid the slush and ice on the lower slopes.
Flick and Dan are staying up the hill for dinner tonight so maybe able to get some photos for tomorrow's entry. No photos today as I only take the camera skiing and can't upload those to the tablet.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Sunday, 5th January, 2014 - Meribel, France
It felt very odd getting into all the ski gear again after six years, but once suitably attired we walked across the road to the ski storage shop for the ghastly job of putting on ski boots. Richard had very thoughtfully taken our skis to the bottom of the lifts so we only had our poles to carry. Flick arrived by gondola to join us at 10 (Dan is unable to ski because of problems with his leg) and we all followed Richard on to the Rhodos gondola. It seemed to me to be going very high.
It is an awful feeling when you lose your confidence, but that is certainly how I felt. Combined with screaming objections from my legs, the morning was hard going!
Eventually we sent Richard and Flick off to ski on their own as I was holding them up too much.
Dan came up and joined us for lunch as did Jack, once he had finished his lesson, then after lunch we all piled onto the gondola again to have a run with Jack. Or to be more accurate, to stand and watch while Jack shot off down the hill. Once again we suggested the others went off on their own while we went at a slower pace, though with somewhat more confidence than this morning.
Somehow we managed to get quite lost and ended up in Meribel Village, quite a distance from the Chaudanne area where were meant to be. Luckily a little navette trundled up eventually and gave us a lift back home.
This year for the first time I have worn a helmet skiing (Richard and Jack also wear helmets.) It is not as restricting as I thought it might be but it is very, very hot.
Hopefully with all that exercise and fresh air we'll sleep well tonight.
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| Fresh snow early in the morning. (Not sure how the photos ended up the way the did!) |
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Saturday 4th January, 2014 - Meribel, France
As usual when you have to be somewhere early in the morning we kept waking all night to check the time.
The taxi turned up promptly at 7 (it was Switzerland after all) and we were at the airport in plenty of time to find some breakfast before looking for the Inghams reps we were supposed to meet for the bus ride to Meribel. 20 minutes after the designated time and still with no sign of anyone, we started getting worried. Eventually found an Inghams desk in the airport and even more eventually someone turned up behind it. It turns out they had omitted a word on our instructions. Instead of being at the Geneva arrival hall we should have been at the Geneva charter arrivals hall in its own terminal.
But the bus hadn't left and we had a pleasant two and a half hour drive which took in a lot of Lake Annecy which some of you should remember. A very pretty place.
Checked in in time to catch up with Richard and Jack whose skiing lesson finished at 1.15. Apparently he tackled a blue run in Courcheval today!
After lunch they went off to ski and we tackled the gruelling process of organising skis and boots.
Flick and Dan should arrive a little later this evening.
It is snowing intermittently but hopefully will be nice tomorrow.
The taxi turned up promptly at 7 (it was Switzerland after all) and we were at the airport in plenty of time to find some breakfast before looking for the Inghams reps we were supposed to meet for the bus ride to Meribel. 20 minutes after the designated time and still with no sign of anyone, we started getting worried. Eventually found an Inghams desk in the airport and even more eventually someone turned up behind it. It turns out they had omitted a word on our instructions. Instead of being at the Geneva arrival hall we should have been at the Geneva charter arrivals hall in its own terminal.
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| Meribel |
Checked in in time to catch up with Richard and Jack whose skiing lesson finished at 1.15. Apparently he tackled a blue run in Courcheval today!
After lunch they went off to ski and we tackled the gruelling process of organising skis and boots.
Flick and Dan should arrive a little later this evening.
It is snowing intermittently but hopefully will be nice tomorrow.
Friday, 3 January 2014
Friday 3rd January, 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland
With not much planned for today other than a little product specific shopping, we got off to a slow start. Waking to our first day of intermittent rain didn't really evoke any enthusiasm for sight seeing either so it was quite latish (ie around 8.45) when we ventured down for breakfast. Breakfast was included in our pre-paid room rate and we had been told to pick up a voucher each for use in the attached restaurant. That was last night's staff - this morning's staff at reception looked at us blankly, told us the restaurant was still closed until next week and suggested we walk to the Migros supermarket down the road to get what we needed. There didn't seem to be much in the way of other options and after unsuccessfully trying to find a cafe that was serving breakfast, we went to the supermarket and came back to the apartment and boiled some eggs. Very exciting.
Late in the morning the weather cleared so we ventured out onto the trams that stop outside the door and headed off to the shops near the station where we did at least find what we were looking for. Then we got another tram to an area where, we had been assured, we would find lots of restaurants but they were obviously in hiding so we went back to the station and managed to track down the one inviting looking place we had passed while on the tram.
We have decided the Genevois don't have quite the same approach to life as the Parisians.
At least when we went to reception to order a taxi for tomorrow they apologised for the lack of breakfast and promised a refund would be forthcoming!
Now we are gearing up for an early start tomorrow in order to catch the transfer from the airport to Meribel.
Late in the morning the weather cleared so we ventured out onto the trams that stop outside the door and headed off to the shops near the station where we did at least find what we were looking for. Then we got another tram to an area where, we had been assured, we would find lots of restaurants but they were obviously in hiding so we went back to the station and managed to track down the one inviting looking place we had passed while on the tram.
We have decided the Genevois don't have quite the same approach to life as the Parisians.
At least when we went to reception to order a taxi for tomorrow they apologised for the lack of breakfast and promised a refund would be forthcoming!
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| Someone, who shall remain nameless, commented that he hadn't realised Geneva had also been under communist control. I gather he finds the buildings around us lacking in charm. |
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| Somewhere in the far distance Mont Blanc was momentarily visible. |
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Thursday 2 January, 2014 - Geneva, Switzerland
Another day spent travelling. We had to check out of rooms by 8.30 but our transfer to Budapest airport wasn't till one so we sat up in the lounge and read all morning. By 11.30 there were only about 10 people left on the boat and we were quite surprised when they brought us out lunch.
The flight was not too bad. Easyjet direct to Geneva so we arrived at six and have just checked in.
Tomorrow we shall make good use of the free Geneva transport passes the hotels here give you.
The flight was not too bad. Easyjet direct to Geneva so we arrived at six and have just checked in.
Tomorrow we shall make good use of the free Geneva transport passes the hotels here give you.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Wednesday, 1 January 2014 - Budapest, Hungary
Last night the buses were waiting at 6.15pm so it promised to be a long evening. Some people were dressed to the nines (mainly Americans) in tuxedos while some of the younger ones made a real effort and put a jacket on over their t-shirts. There are all sorts but it was probably more a tuxedo than t- shirt type of evening.
We were taken to the Ethnographic Museum in the heart of Pest, a very grand Renaissance building with sweeping marble staircases and frescoed ceilings. The main hall was set as if for an upmarket wedding but first we were led up red-carpeted marble staircases for cocktails and canapes. There were obligatory photos with the captain (why??) and then drinks for about an hour while we shouted over the noise of the vastly amplified string quartet which played somewhat incongruous selections such as Memory from Cats.
Finally everyone was sent down to the tables where each place was set with at least five different lots of cutlery and about seven different wine glasses.
There were eight different courses each accompanied by matching wines, most, to our taste fairly sweet and the food somewhat esoteric (though maybe just Hungarian gourmet).
We decided to front up for the 11pm bus home and apparently missed a really good show, but we really didn't want to have to wait until 1pm for the later buses.
Even though we left early it was a very interesting evening.
We arrived back at the ship to find a mini party in progress in the lounge where what fireworks there were were visible and just before midnight everyone wnt up onto the (freezing) sundeck to watch the fireworks.
So we had a pleasant but relatively quiet New Year's Eve. Apparently quite a few of the passengers had watched the Sydney fireworks on TV in the afternoon.
We decided to have a quiet day today and instead of going on the tour to some artists' village walked instead over the Liberty bridge to Buds and wandered around there for a while.
Once again there seems to be a problem uploading photos, so probably none tonight - but I don't really have much of interest anyway.
We were taken to the Ethnographic Museum in the heart of Pest, a very grand Renaissance building with sweeping marble staircases and frescoed ceilings. The main hall was set as if for an upmarket wedding but first we were led up red-carpeted marble staircases for cocktails and canapes. There were obligatory photos with the captain (why??) and then drinks for about an hour while we shouted over the noise of the vastly amplified string quartet which played somewhat incongruous selections such as Memory from Cats.
Finally everyone was sent down to the tables where each place was set with at least five different lots of cutlery and about seven different wine glasses.
There were eight different courses each accompanied by matching wines, most, to our taste fairly sweet and the food somewhat esoteric (though maybe just Hungarian gourmet).
We decided to front up for the 11pm bus home and apparently missed a really good show, but we really didn't want to have to wait until 1pm for the later buses.
Even though we left early it was a very interesting evening.
We arrived back at the ship to find a mini party in progress in the lounge where what fireworks there were were visible and just before midnight everyone wnt up onto the (freezing) sundeck to watch the fireworks.
So we had a pleasant but relatively quiet New Year's Eve. Apparently quite a few of the passengers had watched the Sydney fireworks on TV in the afternoon.
We decided to have a quiet day today and instead of going on the tour to some artists' village walked instead over the Liberty bridge to Buds and wandered around there for a while.
Once again there seems to be a problem uploading photos, so probably none tonight - but I don't really have much of interest anyway.
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