Hanging in the ol Town

Wanderings around London are one of my favorite things. Ive just finished a quick walk throught the Silver Markets- about 40 shops, 50 meters below London near the Courts in Westminster. They are basically a walk-in safe with a fellow inside. Quite a find from a quick chat with a bloke in the Cornish pastry shop (tasty too- the pastry not the bloke). Just next door is the walk into the Lincoln place and church, with its own little Member's club hidden behind vast iron gates. The wandering takes me home on the 25 Bus.
Wilbur and Phil have been busy and there is a meal on the table. Good thing I'm in thier good books. A good chat and a glass of plonk put us all in the mood for a quite night in - so phil goes climbingand to the pub. what do ya figure when they are only younguns- Im so envious of the energy.
I wake to another beautiful day in London with the sun up and the temperature down. I will walk today for Oxford Street and the Covent Gardenand catch the boat from the Canary wharf. Have to leave the Airport by 4.00pm so back home it is, to pack and travel. I slide my boots on and count the bags I carry. It's here I know I'm back on the road. See ya in Queensland.

London Town

Hit the ol' town after a fun but totally uneventful trip via the Chunnel (yawn) and the spreading fields of lovely england. Met Simon and Nick Warner of the Train - very rare to bump into someone you know, but made for a good trip. The tube is the same and the party to welcome me magnificent (ok so it was for the final of the World Cup). Wibur in his usual quite way,was expounding the glory of Wheat Beer. Phil, his NZ flat mate, and the garden, were there to be enjoyed on a truly lovely English night. Spicy sausage and the pleasure of a few cold one - and the south africans winning!Although hard to take, it is better than the english. The french, irish,scots,welsh and all the world thinks so anyway. Great show from the Argentines. Have done the usual this AM as teh day is wonderful - brekky of bacon and eggs - Wilbur knows what a fellow needs after a few weeks in the french provences!The walk along the River from tower Bridge to St Pauls is still one of the best ever. Tate has a fine couple of showings and Soho is looking good. dinner with Phil and Wilbur make me think of some other times with this boy. We reminiseed about he-who-shall-never-be-named and caught up on the old London friends. monday is a walk up Oxford Street with a small pig-out at Harrods-yum. These things are what makes me love this place. Can New York get as exciting for me as well - possibly. The rest of the trip is a bit of a let down so will see ya in Brisso if there are no other hitches. LOL

Limoges and the Strike

The strike hqs tqken us into limoges and what a suprise; the Town had no accommodation left so I ended up at the airport; If ever you go- just dont go out to the Airport for accomodtion!thankfully the 20 euro cab fare each way was offset by the great find at the Hotel de La Prais; what gramophone can you discover that isnt scattererd around this hotel- all sizes and shapes with a collection of memorabilia to make "The Collectors" weep. I have dined on boudin sasauge, scoffed the best prune tart that you can find, and had a lovely chat over a glass of apple juice. just the thing to get that last bit of blood sausage down the hatch! Oradour sur G is a monument to a Waffen SS whim to demonstrate german dominance over Vichy france- they slaughtered 650 odd men women and children and then tried to hide the fact. The remains of the Martyred town are worth a visit and the bus trip is delightful -through rolling country side.
A magnificient day market allowed me to finsih the evening and my stay in france in tru french fashion with the french and argentine game closing I to am off to my bed. off to london tomorrow. Strike is over so hope for a fun trip.

Road Trip 2

San Sebastion is all its reported to be. Bucky was correct and after viewing the accommodation Phil used to start the running of the Bulls nearly 30 yaers ago, the hostal is just right; The expense is not missing as we start the evening stroll with a thousnad others along the sea front boulivards; the old city, Saint sebastian overlooking the bay, the yapping dogs of the SDF recipients(dole bludger in Australia), and the spirited 2 story merrygo round cycling in the setting haze are a striking memory for me. the Beer in the Squaregives us all the evening break we need. Ill have to research the numbering of the rooms around the square - Ive seen it before but forgot the meaning. Argentina and South Africa take the field in the Argentinienne restaurant next door to the burger joint for dinner; these arent Macca's, they have taste.
I wake still crying in sympathy for the Argentines and find i will have difficulty supporting any of the teams in the final. The days is magnificient. the beach beccons and we submit till 3.00pm. Phil is off agian over mountains and up backroads, kylie is still in 'Chronicles', the kids want to walk so we stop on the highest point between spain and france just b4 St jean de Luz; Here the communications tower security guard eyes us suspiciously as the ' kids jump the fence to the view to take the breath away. it extends so far I can see the Eiffel Tower. well almost. The Carravelle(decore in modern sailing ship) in cibourn fishing village is empty so we take the Lonely planet sugession, pack the kids to a great beack for the sunset. again the beer ane the setting sun create a paternalo instinct in me- I knock it down with the beer and watch a young english boy practice Johnny kicks in the sand.
Teh next days is a long drive so we have started for bed early 11.00 pm. thats france!!
Breakfast, then the drive northback to Le Duc via Bordeaux- its long hot and the Giggle Game gets played; something I invented to stop gownups getting too serious! Le Duc is welcome and a greqt steakBBQ awits compliemts of Simone. I am indebted again.
There is consensus that we can see the Lacaux caves B4 setting me on my way and after confusion caused by the flash French train strike, Im on my way to Limoges; capital of Limousin, and father to the Boudin Blood sausage- yum yum. Off now to get those cute trains again and see how I can get around the strikes- should be some fun. Bloody good road trip Team Warner - thanks.

The Road Trip

The van is not full. We have a small pack for the parents and kids and a kit for the extra bloke bigger than thiers for 6. I thought I have perfected the art of travelling light, but these guys have taken the cake. the car has the requisite box of toys and a good supplyof water. the "Bidi" s (dummy) for clancy are stuffed on the dashboards. All the imaginations are ready to go at 10.30 and we are off.
the plan is to drive down to pamplona and via toulouse then head for Bairitz and Bordeaux. So much for plans. So far we have headed south but the plans seem to have changed as we go. Were now heading for the fortified town of St Jean -Pied-de Port , an old town used as a launching pad for pilgrims to Spain-Oh, and spain looks nice. Oh, and so do those hills - lets go left. Warner has a preoccupation, honed from years of travelling, to find small but intimate overnight lodgings. L'Hotel des Sources de la Nive is no different. 4 km on from Esterencuby( about 8 km from St Jen) is a small 25 room hotel stradeling the local stream. If the flat basque hats on the 8 fellows and thier dogs are an indication, we are in the best launcing pad for walkers and shooters in the country. the reverberating gunshots start the eveings walk along the river. The kids are soon depressed by the vines and briers and want the car. the drive to the border makes the Amalfi Coast look sedate and the spectacular views in the pyrenees are breathtaking. were lucky apparently for the good weather. The white concrete road in the high valley indicated we,ve crossed to spain. Kyle is happy. the kids have spotted hundreds of goats with bells and willi has fallen into a frozen mountain stream checkng for snow. What a treat it all is.
The hotels fiest for dinner is hearty vege soup, trout,sausauge and melon cheese, coffee and local vin rouge-12 €. The rugby is depressing (bloody Wilkinson) and the local Basque hunters chug the pear liquer for comfort. The crossant ordeal for breakfast is the only bad thing here. Worth a stay.
Retracing the footsteps over the mountain passes we head for Spain- why not, the day is wonderful. Ochagavia, Garralda, Mezkiritz and Pamplona beckon. Do the mountain crossing if ever your here. Watch the motor bikes, the nutters doing cycling, and dear seem to be as numerous as the kangaroo on the roads. Not as many dead as we drive a lot slower here.
Pamplona is really a good spot for an accident so Phil has one-ask me later. Pamlona is also good for a Tapas lunch and yes, there is the spot where daddy got shot by the gaurdia. the waiter is used to english but finds the Australian children gutsing down lots of octupu s and peppers a real thrill. now lets find a map to see where we are and need to go. Love the planning! this is real by the seat of the pants travell and the kids dont care. Kyle reads the "chronicles" still. See ya in San Sebastian.

Limousin, The Dordogne and Quercy.

Sampling the pleasures of this region is best done with a really good group of colourful people and a truckload of kids. Well, I found just the group. I have been to ancient prehistoric parks and walked along the lanes and sideroads of this fascinatin area of real france (atleast "the lonely planet" says so!) Each morning has been wonderful. As I rise at 8.30, the mist/fog lifts about 10.30 or 11am and the walk through the country lanes, past the picturesque farmhouses smacks of the cliche. Im happy! There is a 1.5 km walk to town that is finished with a cafe au lait and a hot croissant in the local Pub! Australia should be so good. Could change the way we look at pubs!
Touring around with the Brothers Warner and clan has been great- the chatueaux and the towns are all spectacular and arresting (and we often arrest with a ice cold Amstill beer as well). Chateau Des Milandes (with the memorial to josephine baker), Martel (our local internet site that doesnt work),Buealieu-sur -Dordogne, Collenges-la-rouge,Turenne, CastelnauSarlat, la rogue gagaec, Cahors, Rocamadour and every other fun spot pales into insignificance when one has a fishing rod and a good bag of worms.

We are on the banks of the dordonge behind the rugby ground at Vayrac. the pleasures are simple - grass to the river edge, river with water in it and flowing, no ants in the grass to bite your butt. The river is totally unpopulated by anyone except the local elder out for a walk. You can see the fish(salmon and trout) that wont bite the hook. this spot is truly deep france with the limestone cliffs and the small stone and adobe cottages dotted on the green hillsides. the full day in the sun, quite a few pages turned and the beer nearly gone have a bunch of deranged kids (what adults!)busting for a BBQ. in typical australian fashion we have decended on the "Shopi" our local supermarket and bought steaks, Duck Magrets, tomatoes and green and white beans- with Apple flognardes for dessert of course. Le Duc rocks with the local rouge flowing as well. Does Phil Warner really have the old bullet wound from the spanish police, is there a train wreck adn a love affaire in Egypt we only sense in his history?
Each day here is a pleasure and the Warners have adapted complety. Simon and Nick, David and Maggie are off to the Rugby semis in Paris and to cheer loudly for the French (sorry to all those Poms reading this). The Tribe Philip are of to see the pyrenees and have kindly offered me a place in the back of the van. What a treat! Phil is a true world adventurer. Kylie and he have some amazing ability to travel everywhere with clancy 2 yrs and loving it, Mad willi 5 yrs, Hollie the red-haired beauty 9 yrs, and georgia the dignified 12 yrs, aroung the world and still talk to each other. it is quite a differnt expereince to have these guys as my travell companions. let the next adventure begin.
LOL
Kimb

Les Quatre Routes des Lot

I had thouhgt that the country side in France is sweeping vineyards and supporting stone infra structureand winding country roads. how wrong. the hilly train trip from Brive to Les Quatre Routes is fantastic. Similar to going up the mountain to costellucio in the italian tuscans,this is a tiny one carriage local train. the railway run unprotected from the rest of the scenery by any fence or screen so the train stops or slows often for the sheep and cows. the train is a very modern small tram- like unit designed to run one way and back. Warner is on the station with clancy -his 2 year old. the train pulls in, the passenger alights, the train swishes off(very quite diesel) and the next adventure begins. Le Duc is the picture of the french country sidevilla, herre are all the geraniums, differnet wild flowers,and green meadows that a summer in Quercy should have. The three 2 story stone cottages are discrete but bound together by a courtyard of stones and cobbles. the old barn attached to the left cottage awaits its conversion to another delight of this country.It is side filled with yellow stonecottages, oaks and country lanes over hung with blueberry vines and trees dropping acorns and golden red leaves. The cars sweep the leaves into the fountains that are the signature of the car ads on television for the SUV in Autumn. the lanes will provide a great fantasy for me. Mum Kylie,Holly Willy and Georgia are good to see again. I must say I have now seen the Warners in nearly 4 different holidays from the magic of Lord Howe to the beauty of Limosine and the Goronne. It is a pleasure. The little cottage I am to share has brother Simon and his son nick.They are both rushing rushing around the Marsailles area, seeing both Cote de Azurand the Aussie quarter final game. Phil, David, and I settle down for the Quarter finals. We rise after 4 hours in Martel's local sports bar in shock, and walk to the car. I dont think Ill ring Kitty hawk Annie just yet. Howard the English man who owns Le Duc, greats us at the door. He has been watering the garden and has a large smile on his face. we exchange a pleasantry and move on to the steak BBQ where we can talk of adventures unrelated to the football. World Cup - What World Cup!! The Departement of Lot beckons.

The Last Days in Bordeaux

The final party for our group is the Chateau Roquetaillade,situated just to the southeast of bordeaux in the vin Blanc district. it is a partially restored castle keep in the magnificient style of all these magnificient chateauxs. The difference here is that we are the only guests because of the school. we are taken on a walk that includes keeps , dining rooms bedrooms and alll the garrison quarters. it is to be opened to the public soon so is pretty original and new in its feel. quite a treat. The truly magnificient piece in the place is the unique ivory piano with gold keys! not a bad little piece and worth a place in any persons antiqure portfolio. the moat and the hidden drawbridge operated from the dining room compliment the secret stairs and the various other little touches that will create intrigue in the daily life of the 14 C Marquis and family.Teh kitchen is elaborate with operating fires for roasting the odd pig or elephant. the modern stove compliments the rest of the decore and is capable of a small sit down dinner for 400.
Being a crew of wine drinkers and young, the next stop creates a titter of anticipation- the Chateaux D'Yquem. this is a significant wine area especially in the white sugary sauternes. The town is 2 km up the raod so the region is very famous for these styles. The President, Pierre Lurton no less, meets us and we start a great walk around one of the best kept wineries we've seen. the history seeps and the views across to St Emilion taking in the Garonne valleyand Ciron river, make us all stop for that kodak moment. The day is perfect with the fog lifting and burning off just as we stand on the hill next to the mid 15 C cellars that house some of the world best and most expensive wines. Teh director is a personal friend of the hostess from the school, Marie, and they share a couple of jokes as we taste the new vintage in a setting that will have been used by kings presidents and the rich and famous for centuries. this life i can get used to! The secret is in the Terrior- the climate and the Botytis( a horrible looking but essential fungus) that changes the sugar in the berries. didnt catch the nest discussion- far to complex for afellow just enjoying the flavour of the sky and 'scape. The micro climate is the thing and there is much talk of global warming and the changes to the weather here. makes one realise that the conversations in Australia are not an isolated feeling. The group that i have had in class organise to go to Brasserie d'Ecole du Vin. It is the little wine bar using the left over plonk from the wine school and i celebrate a fine time with a st Emilion Grand Cru 1956- my mate the fruiterer would understand. The trip to Les Quarte des Routes is next on my mind and the early rise to catch the train, my gift bottle of tuscan wine ( dave bucks suggestion from a previous trip) the final morroccan tea and the farwells to Madame are all that is left. Au revior Bordeaux.

Kulture

SO you all thought I was a typical slob- well I have been to Carmen in the old Submarine base at the Garoyne. Not that I understood a thing. I did realise just how limited the Australian and the American perspective is. Darrin and myself kept pretty quite as there was significant educated discussion about opera and classical studies from the Europeans. It was quite an event. the venue is the old submarine hangers built by the germans to kill allied ships in the atlantic. massive structures designed to withstand quite an impact I assume; apparently very good acoustics. The Grand Theatré( another left over from a serious dynasty) is also open this month for the season so had to hang out in one of Frances most delightful theatres reconstructed from Napoleans time, art on the roof, 4 tiers high; about double the size of La Boité. The 50 piece orchestra did 'repetitions'- basic rehearsals but public so the animated conductor(kwamé ryan from canada) answered questions all afternoon. all free. great idea very informal and very well attended at both sessions. should adopt this in Brisbne_ or maybe they do already !! The practice had all the musicians casually dressed and after there was a gathering to meet them. all very pleasurable. Historically this place is going to be listed by UNESCO as is all of Europe - they just cant do a complete inclusion of all europe as there are tiny fragments that arnt historic!! If you go to the net the web site is comprehensive and Ive been to them all. As always the beauty is in the people and the passion. the enthusiasm for the wine is serious and my fruiterer,visited every morning, produced a bottle of 1956 Petruce for me as he says the 1957 (the year i was born ) was no good! I compained of course! It was just sitting- with dust attached -in his 1000 bottle collection(cave) he has in the back of the fruit shop!!! about 3500Euros! The fruit is ok as well!
The french have the best in all selections- the best chocolate in town, the best thé in town, the best cannelle in town etc etc. I think I am at school in the Best spot in town for it all. Cadiot - Badie is the chocolate; Salon de Parlement is the best thé and the best wine is the école de vin. All here in abundance. I think that Bordeaux has "L'armes d'anges"- the angel's touch in the town as well as in the wine. Thre is a large circus setting up in the town centre as I write this- Ill be there" tonight have they got it it all!

The class

Taking the group as a teacher must be exhausing.we are so diverse, with so many levels of language skill, it makes it difficult to communicate together. This week I have 3 germans; the american korean who speaks german, two swiss , three english, 3 spanish and me the Aussie- they have nicked named me "kangaroo". it seems that there is only one animal that really facinates them all. the classes often concerntrate on discussion about the differnt characteristics of each country depending on the subjects being taught that day ; for example, we may look at pets in a country, student habits and government funding, accomodation, tax systems and other really easy subjects to get into- especially if you have no idea of the verbes or words. today we had a role play selecting and being selected for a house- share for students, in Bordeaux. different and funny to say the least. the grammar is what motly stops us as the words are available in the repetoir of most of us. the teacher is Natalie (not as well as Florence though) and she can explain ideas very well- all in french, limited hand actions but using various adjectives till we all get the message. the class is for about 1.5 hours from 9.30 am then after 11.15 till 1.00. everyone then wanders downstairs to discuss who what and where lunch will be had. usually sit down, about 12 Euros and goes for 2 hrs unless you have a class in the afternoon - then you run for the room. It it usually doesnt start till about 1.15pm. Today we spent lunch for10 euros in a small and magnificent hall-way retaurant (seats50) decorated in scenes from Little Red Riding Hood- the story! It is a set menu - buffet with quite a large selection of salades and terrines(there isa lot of arguement over when a terrine is a Pate and vive versa). they also have quite a lot of cous cous salades and eggs feature as well; followed by a beef meal; then some fruit and a small demi (1/2 litre of red or white wine) - quite a huge lunch. Afternoon classes are discussions and can ramble along anywhere. the teacher(proffesseur) lets it go, but regulrly corrects grammar and pronunciation. bad habits come easily as Tuna- the turkish girl and the swiss - Michele - both speak well gramatically but pronounce badly. After the class and the frivolity have abated I go for a cup o f Tea- usually Morroccan - as I love the mint. The Salon de Thé are plentiful and do variety- not just old bushels! the serving is large and the discussion often vigourous as there is a lot of youth doing tea- I think it is trendy here! My hangout is a gay bar in the Place de Parlement. they chose the tea depending on your mood which they can tell just by looking at you (with hand on hip of course!). Sometimes I do a short film at the Utopia- a beautifully renovated old church /resturant and salade bar that does shorts forgien and art movies. the pork feotus salde was just a bit to much though! I have taken most of the different buses now from the city to Eysinne so am able to get lost and get un-lost quite easily. The nights are getting colder and, you wouldnt guess but the other night I had to kill mozzies b4 going to bed - cant escape the little buggers. One more day till its my turn for the friday afternoon party_ not sure where but it is some famous chateaux in the country - again!!!

The Third Week

I have to make them short and swift as this cyber cafe is a little unstable and I have bought a bucket load of time. The Exciting things. Australia won! sat in the very back row.was a little dissappointed in the tickets but cest la vie__ unti it rained_ every one except for the last 6rows is in the open. the game progressed slowly just like youd expect with julian controlling play from the 10 position for Australia. slow and very wet. george came on and the crowd went wild. havnt see the recognition from any other plyer like this. the fernch had two bands playing at either end, all the crowd got into the feel and there was significant clapping and cheering. here they all clap encouragment as the kicker is taking the kick so the noise is tremendous. they do teh mexican wave- six at a time - quite spectacular_ trumpets, bagpipes and lots of singing and synchronised clappingplus Horray! after the mexican trumpet call; spent the saturday in the Byron Bay restaurantat place de vitctoire with the AFL grand final and the american and the swiss who thought it was incredible. they also qame to the rugby and we sat together so I could explain the rules. Having taken the full day doing sport we decided to do the same again on Sunday. the bordeaux facilities for the rugby include the Quais de Chartron tent city - activities for kids huge screen bars etc etc right on the Garoyne inlet banks. Teh trams take everyone here and away after the band stops playing at around12 pm. quite fun as there are about 3000 people gathering here;
Dinner as usual was quite superb usual vin and fromage- and steak! thank goodness az Im keen to have some meat. back again,Just picking up the edit after a break!!! The party for the departing students is fun- we all went to the Archeron village on the coast and there ate oysters ane drank lots of very cheapaand nasty french vin Blanc; ech week there is a gathering on friday afternoon - no lecture- and the y go on an excursion to a famous ofr pcturesque spot. the cape Ferat experience was great except we lost all the all spansh, the japonais and half of the koreens. Oh and the Australian! After a significant period, the irish woman and myself found the rest of the school but then we lost the spanish again- the guide was quite drunk at the end of the excursion so we did a head count in fifteen languages and raced for Bordeaux as it was quite lat. in the traffic jam for friday afternoon thre was quite a situation with toilets require,etns and a suermarket discoverd 30 students in thier toilets with a massive tour bur double parked across the entrance. Friday night was sleep.

Apres the start- the middle

Hi All - the days are speeding by and I seem to have been doing nothing but study and sleep. I have however managed to take a bit of time to visit the museums and the streets of Bordeaux as well as sample some of the vin and the gastronomic delights.
One, the Canelle, is a small cake made after the yolk of eggs is used somehow in the wine making process. The white is then combined with a bit of cinnamon and creates this cake. It is shaped like a small kids sandcastle and has three types- soft medium and hard. Tastes like blomonge with texture. they have a number ofways of using the white of eggs - seems to be a thing here as they must have had hundred recipies for it. one, the Ile Flottante, is a ball of merange boiled in milk with caramel and custard. Goes ncely with a small Pinneau. Quite a lot of desserts for a lover of the stuff!
I have visited St Emillion. here there is a small train to take you around the village. it arrrives with a hundred english tourists and then proceeds to travell with a guide around this village giving a description of the conquest of the english by the french in 14C -- in French!! Only in france! It is a magnificent wine growing region , fully mechanised but with very strong rules as to how the wines can be produced, cultivated, crushed, bottled and labelled and then sold. elaborqate is not the word for it _ even more complex. Have completed a quick day trip to the garonye river aswell. I hiked with two Auusie women, Di and Danielle the daughter, around the country side. Mum, Di, needed to have break so they are thinking of missing Rome and resting in Vienna for an extra day - probably a great idea when your seeing europe in 14 days. Nathalie the guide, spoke very good english, but as we had 10 french speakers, it was great to listen and catch a phrase or two about the wine growing. The Saturdays are filled with some lovely wanderings around Bordeaux5found the Satin Doll, a sleasy yet friendly blues bar with english rugby channel and french football star giing a commentary). I have had to buy some shirts as the stocks are low. C&A( stands for Cheap& Awful Im told by an authorative german) are similar to Target. There are obvoiously poor people everywhere.I have now been to the Canadien v Japan Rugby. Extremely exciting as the Canadiens lost by a kick after full time. Much Canadien crying . i sat on the half way line! Lots of rugby promoted here. they are discuusted with t he french players except for the Beast- the large number 4 for France who is quite a maniac. have just got tickets to the Australien game agianst canada- yahoo!
See ya later off to taste some more wine at the LEcole Du Vin- a very famous tasting school in Bordeaux. life is hard! The french keyboard is killing me so Im off;
A Bientot

Apres the start - day 2.

The new day allows me a benefit I hadnt expected_ six million children on the bus. I push my way in because this is what all the other passngers do it. The next stop the kids get off!!! Ive decided that Ill walk to here each day.Teh weekly ticket Ive bought works OK and Im pretty satisfied with the new coffee shop on Place de Tourny to sit in the sun to gather the days thoughts. The morning darkness Im told is daylight saving time. the lovely evening weather creates a magnificient period to enjoy this city till I leave for diner about 7.30 pm. Ive caught the bus and the Tram over Napoleans Bridge- Pont Pierre - to walk back. the monuments can wait as the class is a lot more my level and the students sneak a lot of talk time. English is the main communiator but german and french tiethe group together. Only two of our 12 have english as a first language. The japonais and the korean are struggling a bit but Floence, The teacher is very good and assists us with discriptions using very basic french. Still its exhausting and quite slow compared to what I hear on the street. Have found the tourist office so the tomorrow is viiting there in the arvo. My classes are every morning and Monday and Tuesday aftrnoon for general discussion. Tuna the turkish german, michele the Swiss, Monica the Austrlian german from melbourne and tostin the german make up the afternoon group. they are very basic as well so Im not feeling so bad today. Teh english discussion at lunch from Nikki, the pom from the Isle of Man has helped as well. SHe has a fortnight like myself so its ggod to know I can chat sometimes. The bus is easy in the afternoon and the diner a white fleshed fish stew. Im sure it had a fantastic name but Ive forgotten;
Homework and to bed it is ;

The First Day at School

Lets try this again. the lqst time I lost an hours blogging because of the french keyboard format, so a nice cup of tea tto caln the nerves and back to the single finger typing. Ho Hum
The journey from Geneve to Bordeaux was quite pleasant Burts packs a nice snack which included the vegmite rolls and a few of the general necceties of france - sausage and cheese. Both are excellent souces of indigestion but tasty all the same. Madame Capitanio was here at the station with the german woman Gabbie who was to share the house over the next week. The German didnt speak english, Madam doesnt speak english, the school doesnt speak english and Im yet to find the Irish or english pub that always zxists in erope. The house is exquisite as there is a large backyard with swmming pool and a wonderful garden. The Roomsare spaious and the ensuite is delightful; the Turkish theme assists me feel the romance of a new adventure. Quite a difference to the roar of the manhatten Mtro and the bus of the QM2 engines so Im pretty happy at the choice. A little issue zith finding one another at the station but nothing a good broadcast in French cant fix. the French just getting over the hangover from the defeat by argentia doesnt help in the Melee of the station; A walk around the UNESCO certified centre of the city gives me qa small pictuire of the days ahead. nice spot. The house is about 30 niute on the bus from city centre so each day its a travel and check the timetable to return home.
The school s in the centre of the city quite close to the main terminus so easy to navigate. My class is very advanced so I have dropped myself back for day two. elemenary for me. The speed of the class is auite terrifying. All classezs are in Frenc, all othr languages are banned- at least zithin ear shot of the techers. The japanese , koreans; thai anfd other asian students that dont have the Roman alphabet sounds ,ust find it really daunting. The afternoon session is equally difficult. I will qttept to chnge to a lesser course here as well.
dinner at è and Gabbie has had an equally daunting day and gives me some encouragement. I tqake an asparin and consider the next flight home- I have to go back to 1978 and malaysia for the strenght to move forward here. The dinner is lovely and we chase a rabbit around the garden for about an hour -- a good tension breaker. no wine to drown the sorrows so a good water and a sleep will help. The bed is fantastic and the room very pleasent. Mitzi is german for rabbit so I later find out, and the real name for the additional dinner guest(not dinner) is Kookie. The chicken, carrots and roullade with cheese and bread are a delight, however the conversation is a little problematic. The gqardens the day the walk through bordeaux; the architecture; the new flat for madame and the whole event are like a blur. hopefully Ill sleep.

A day in Geneva

Just a quite day today as the washing needs doing. Have travelled to a lovely part of geneva called carouge. Old town with a very modern, but not unique, collelction of arts and crafts, restaurants, and the usual drinking holes. still has quite a classical look to it though and has a lot of shop top living. similar feel to the old rome but not nearly as picturesque. the streets have been cleaned, traffic calmed and the people are Swiss so there is not a lot of gestulating or loud exclamations. Bus back to the UN at Nations bus and tram terminal for a quick look. Really couldnt compare to New York. Still had a good fun time. Back t o collect the washing and do a bit of blogging. also trying to work out the french language coverage of the Rugby as it is a bit fast- like fitzsimmons and the talk- back mob going full tilt at the interviewer- lots of passion. Switzerland sort of gets that its a game, but thats about it. Off to the irish pub to see the Englich and the South Africans beat it out. could be packed as there are no places broadcasting in English.

Mont Blanc

HAve another day sitting in a bus but what a view, stacked mountains that have spires of rock hundreds of feet high with people on top! EArly start to a long day but again the weather is fantastic, have perfect day for teh mountains says Neil our extremely english , dry witted Swiss Pom! WEre off to Chaminox, the very famous Swiss ski field at the base of Mt Blanc. Cash at the ready, quickly changes to Euro with passport in hand we step off a fabulous rive through winding valleys with escaling sides in a sweet and very swiss village just like Thredbo. OK one or two difference, everyone does speak french but thats about it. I am concerned that the archtypical swiss ski chalet is being replaced by teh trusty square block of concrete but this place does do 10K to 30 K people in the season. That doesnt count the next town, 2 km away! the ques stat to shuffle and suddenly at an amasing rate we are up tho the first station at 2500 metres, whoa then the second with amazing speed and a near vertical lift to the 3500 m mark. We have been warned to take it easy and hopefully feel sick. if not your in need of help and you should come down. I feel sick so go on. The italian side beckons with the Italian Point Helbronner, so off swinging in small 4 person gondolas across the Glacier. Fighting the silly nausea by eating huge and expensive cups of hot chocolate, Ihave managed to get there and back in record time in spite of the entire Swiss Army about to embark on a quick lunch time assault on Mt Blanc from the itailan side. This place puts a new perspective on "escape over the mountain passes to switzerland" as the spectacle is fearsome,the cold is extreme and the ice thick- and its mid summer! Taking the perspective of the innumerable para sailers that hang just about everywhere creating a spectacular site of polka dot skies( go the heavy drug users) it must be completely exhausting. 3800 m above a serious Massif which has such a large geographic coverage with sharp peaks. no spot to land that isnt cold either. Once Id had a look around the village- some nice places to stay- its off to geneva via the thermal springs of St Gervais and the spectacular highways in the sky. These are built on bridges above the vcalley floors and take the through traffic at a serious rate.

Geneva and Switzerland

The most interesting thing here is the wonderful days. everyone is excited about the usual old stuff we get in brisbane. 25 C no clouds, gentle breeze. There is a perfect place to live an this is it. All the busses and trams are available for 7 francs for a day tripper. The french is understandable and the Lac Lamen (lake geneva) beneath Mont Blanc and the 140 metre plume d,eax fountain are spectacular. Some people saw they havent seen it so pleaseant ever. 2 weeks of wonderful weather. So to make the most of it Ive walked most of Geneve. Teh lower town is easily reachable from Burts place in Servett,two stops from the train station on the main bus route. Burts is 4 minutes from work, can take her time in the AM getting readdy nad there are a numbr of restaurants and shops handy_ especially the laundamat. Burts falt is sunny and overlooks a little patch of grass. thankfully next door is an Irish Bar- they ve taken over! It shows the Rugby but doesnt open till 5 pm What a sorry statefor a progressive nation like this!
I have experienced a couple of trips to the country side and it is exceptional. the Lac is surrounded by little villages, The bus took me to Lausanne and Metroux and the Castle of Chillon. This is at the east end of the lake just under the incredibly steep mountain ridges, it blocks the lake and road so has been home to the savoys and the bernese tax collectors for a very long time - Back to the 13 Century, There is a UNESCO vineyard - yes they list vineyard here that you pass through Le Levaux. Magnificient walls of stone, miles and nmiles of vines on slopes to the soaring mountains. all the time having little villages dotted amonst the vines. The hand picking creates a plonk that only stays in Switzerland and each restaurant depending on its age, may have a set of grapes that create a wine for them alone. This is the case with the chillon castle. didnt taste any though I tried. Montreax and ouchy_ the harbour for the medieval town of lasanne, home of olympics- has a statue of Freddie Mercury(Queen fame) who lived and died here. It is said that this is where the Deep Purple song Writer Teerry Gillan wrote, "smoke on the Water " after a flare burnt the stadium to the ground. Quite a contrast to the gentile nature of the Town and its gothic catherdral. Had a great walk to the markets and around the harbour,
Teh towns give fantastic views across the lake but are quite touristy and have the flavour of the top dollar charge. Enjoyed a fondue on the water front. sadly no plonk as the restaurant must have adopted Brisbane Liscencing regulations. Jumped a boat to get back to Lausanne from Montreax and waved goodby to a laovely seaside port that would really be fun for the JAzz festival. Book early though as it was sriously advertised and its not till June. I have to read Byrons "The prisoner of Chillon" as they were very proud that he was there(plaques and Stuff).

The Boat- The Queen mary 2

Boat what boat, this is a ship as I have been reminded many times now. What are the people then, I hear you ask because the Boat is just a piece of metal and Wood. Well sort of. John Cleese says in his onboard lecture that he does the trip because his ex wife is Connie is in London and it takes him a week to work up to the meetings! The lower decks (where I live and Yes, it is just above the water line if you dont count the waves) have only semi famous paintings but I have access to the Gym that is quite noisy sometimes, but has luurious carpets. The people - yes the people - I am in a Dali frame . Slighty obscure with touches of flair, here and there are these extrordinary.The wealth beyond reason. Pauli had the power to save half the Horn of Africa starvation problem on her left hand , while Joe from Campbelltown in Scotland had flogged the family jewelws at the "oppy" to renew his vows at sea reliving the honeymoon dream. What is the fact that all of us are drinking from Waterford Glass and have 400 tread count sheets- (fantastic stateroom for me by the way - I keep sleeping in till noon) Life has now become tedium as I rise , shower, walk around the deck twice , breakfast/Lunch depending on which of the 9 restaurants Im at the walks end, and then go for a wander to look at the people I met last night at the Big Band or the Ascot Ball - Love those hats!! Have met a lovely group from my table at dinner. Very formal - Thanks for all those manner lessons dear ol' Dad, and how to be polite - Ta Dear ol' Mum. The fashion is Dinner Suit every night but Im making do with the sports coat and tie- hard to include the tux in the back pack - kind of makes one a bit of a stand out at the back pakers! Off as there is a que here - lousy satellite link - youd think they'd oraganise a cable dragging behind the ship so we can all have broadband at sea. The new ship -The Victoria to us who know - is all the chat - apparently ( as if there is nothing to do here after the lectures on exploring, and how to tie a scarf in 400 knots, and Bridge lessons) they will have decent broadband. So Im off - nearly missing the 6 bells scotch on the Commodores Deck - have to squeeze it in b4 the champagne at the Brittania -- oh and get dressed. Southampton Tomorrow and back to reality.
Say la Vie!!

New York

Off the plane after some seriously desperate running between airports and arguements with security staff ( just the thing to keep a low profile in America) regarding the size of my carry-on lugggage. Discovered that as long as I have 2 pieces and not massive - its carry-on. I got to NY. thanksfully the qantas flight was an international, so back to the videos and the inflight movies. 1 hr late so ...The last quiet. Airtrain,Subway 1 hr,Black, races , graffetti, slums, blasters, hats on backwards,dark outside. 59 th street station, 57 st exit, 1291 swiss, canyons, lights, cars horns, heads, clothes, colors, bright, stop signs the big red hand, look the right way, safety of the hostel. travel to appartment, 2 streets, 55th 3 rd flr, 3A, 6 people, 3 Aussies!!!, dump and out, streets, no map, no info booth, no where, then Broadway, Times square., Billboard lights falling Betty Boop(russian female tennis player) fights machine gun monster with tennis balls firing from a mini gun 20 strories and 4 buildings of action, navratilova and the robot, cola, news corp, info centre, traffic, people people people, keepto the right, circle the roads, moving down the steet, smoke from the stacks in the street like chimneys of fog, horns horns horns, fire trucks red buses, street signs, music,smells, no rubbish, height of buildings colour glass florescents, subway grates, roaring rushing trains, loonys and the beggars, beer in the russians bar, Tatianafrom siberia kemerovo region has a love story and will marry the Jew,has not met mum yet, pastic pint glass, incongruity, sleep sleep sleep, the harlem end, get on the bus white boy this is 169 th street and its dark, drink beer with Frederick from England and Perth, Irish bars, drunk irish offers of work , dont worry its all cash, sleep sleep, what is the dawn like in New York, met the croat Andjelko with the renevated fathers house an the four children , sweeps outside the hotel, still goes to Croatia evrey year, hates the New York but loves the town, yellow taxis, Osama the refugee working the 56 th and 5 th hot dog stand, the best HEML halal tunisian chicken, boss says stop talking and work, no individual tips, cabbies stopping, hookers walking, call me "money"and frederick is in lust, morning food banana and yogurt, pluss baggle baggle and cream chees, lousy coffee again, nutter hitting everyone on the street, dawnwalk down 8th to the financial district, moving markets, geet Milli snakeskins to make a purse, haitian food, lots of seriously overweight poeople,Chat with the Greek in the Broadway delishop, what is the matter why doesnt he stop ,loves my life sty, he has to run the shop, the wife , teh daughters but hes never been to greece so why is it so good, he just says so, Wall Street, the BULL! the testicals! the security, the monuments the freee ferrys to Stratten Island, the ques for the Statue, theWashington Square Park in Greenwich Village, the laid back style, pink joggers at 95 years old, Pug dog poos in the middle of the concertthe Blues in the Park the labour day blues, twin trumpet with the ol blues man, circus, newyok out to have fun, the twins dancing for money with the dual speek, the drummers rythym, the auction of the last money giver, Isreal give "fi" dollars so what do you say Palestine!! wholl be the last to give to the twins before the death defying helicopter spin on the brothers head, taking the dogs out , no shit, lots of water lots of music in the park just join in and sing, who cares, circus goes again,bagman boogies to the purples stilts walkers, the Promenade of the people as the sun sets, take the stroll, walk the dog, dodgge the taxis, yell at the cars, seek some solitude, dinner at the 5th again, UN and the East River, Tudor City thats the place to live, get to 80th after the park, see the awsome PARK on a bike $20 for the 5 hrs and a sprint to the end down 8th Ave in the peak hour what fun, dodge the dogs, see the resevoirs, slip past the ball parks, watch the yachts on the pond, no kids here dads helping a lot, no toilets, thanks Starbucks, do the show, what is it i dunno, take in the lights walk to the times square crowd and feel the heat, sleep, sleep sleep, Brooklyn and the bridges, down the subway, find the stop get the taxis , what taxis none in brooklyn, ask the concierge , only stop atthe big hotels, the gentleman laughs, Stop in Brooklyn- im from New York! what cruise terminal , what a boat ship stupid not a boat, why does everyone know this?take the boarding call check the luggage walk up the plank, take a moment NEw YOrk New YOrk. Whao

San Francisco and the Bay

Sleeping was absolutely impossible - thankfully i have the trusty earplugs- no truck noise? was it the trucks - no its the ships using these fantastic fog horns to blast the 2 am air away from them in the off chance any San franciscanis still assleep - Troy wanted to know what I meant! The days are perfect - the sun heating the crystal bay gives me an indication. we'll be walking a bit I think and this is true. Back the the SUV and Troys driving - hummer I want one now. The freeways are extrordinary and the number of vehicles shocks. We' re off to the City Centre on the BART- Bay area regional Transport - Grace works thre so I have to buy the ticket- they say the recharging only works for a while , then you give your card to charity to keep the rest of the cash credited. The BART train system apparrently has significant millions on hold. We're off to the San Francisco pier. This is a tru tourist trap but i can see why they do it- fantastic scernery, lots of people and a pile of seals hanging areound. I will kill the flash unit on digital cameras - havent they got a low light facility of something!!! Fish chowder, vaudeville, crabs, great fruit and the chinese peach was not quite the sweetness I'd hoped. The tram was truly a suprise and it takes us back to Market Street (the main one ) for Troy's favorite - Food. this time a bit of Korean to calm the worms but only one serve-we share and both Troy and I are full- Huge servings. Kim Chee is beaut. Grace is to meet us after work and we board the BART destined for the Berkley Village. The noise as the BART train goes under the harbour is extreme - I cover myears and hold the breath - disconcerting to be under that much Bay. Wednesday brings a trip to the country - Napa and the surrounds. On the way visited Tribule and walked the little fishing village with the Goldman Lawyers , Sally Goldmans' everywhere. Who is she you may ask? This mystical women is ubiquotous- beautifully groomed with serious cars and the pictuesque white bloke(blinding teeth). This is cute -- then there's Sausilito! Makes Noosa look seriously tame. Bentleys have features a lot in my travels. These ones are convertables, the laptop and the small dog are ubiquitous. The yachts are extraodinary. We leave after a lunch of pizza. The inconsistency is evident - expresso in a latte cup with a plastic expresso cup full of milk - sugar and stirrer at the counter. After the waiter delivers the coffee, you have to get up to get the milk and sugar. It is nessled under the Bridge and is absolutely picturesque. We head for teh North end of the bridge . Teh fog is creeping over the hill like a slow rising dough. An incredible site about as tall as a ship as they vanish completely. the wind is ferocious and cold. the day is 30 C! out to Napa for a drive and a bit of wine. We stop at the Tattianger vineyard at thier small replica French villa! Two Aussies serve us. We scoff and head out for a drive B4 dinner at the local french restauta

Travelling - the flight

The beauty of Qantas is that there is always a significant amount of movies on thier channels and that on-request anything is available. Pleasure to be had when one is going to get to a destination 30 minutes b4 you leave!! Sleeping is usually the hardest and I managed to get quite a lot done - just the wrong time zones. It has created shuch a change in my body clock that Im not sure where I am. The neck and back are in agony. I look at the neck brace the next seat passanger has and think Murder is not punishable by gas chamber - or is in California? I had a spare seat between myself and the artist Alex. He has been in Noosa for a few months and he is now on his way back to New York. What a pleaseure. He didnt have a great time,he had a brilliant one. He was a guest at the Hyatt Coolum to assist with sculpture worksshops and teach the local a thing or two about New York Artists. His speciality was wood and the stone. His style was to screate a feeling from the local envioronmment, sculpt to whaterver he coulsd relate to and then give a it back to the area he removed it from, but in its new form. He showed me a number of works that he placed back in the sea, or threw from the cliffs in Tasmania to the raging seas - the arms outthrown photo was truly spectacular but i think he could have kept a piece and I could have used it well!

The interesting part was arriving at LA. the window ws foggy - or so I thought- the smog having settles over the city so that as we flew in each uilding disappeared as if taken from the view buy a great hand. the govenator is correct - zero tolerance for LA is probably the answer as the summer heat without wind made it difficult to breath freely - kind of like smoking again. More on this in the San Francisco post.

The customs and the security are huge- there were people everywhere. I have experience with crowds but this controlled chaos was something. All move precisely and efficiently and I was through faster than if I entered Australia. Smiles and handshakes all Round. Having to catch an onflight I went straght to the coffee stand for a cup of something - as they say- if it was coffee bring me tea, and if its tea - bring me coffee! awful but... An added bonus was meeting an old boss, Kev Treshman, now retired at 61, and travelling the world as well. On his way to America for the 3 rd time to travel Oregon and a couple of the surrouunding states. It was comforting to hear his rendition and tales as I still hadnt really met a american in its home envioronment. United Airlines was very modest compared to Qantas- local I guess. The trip was a little over an hour to San Francisco. And there was the smiling ( if slightly heavier) Troy Boy. The shaved pate is still evident as is the mischievious smile. So I got in the wrong door -- Im new at that stuff. The small car syndrome hasnt hit San Fran as yet. The SUV - survive urbaneia vehicle- could have smashed the little toys we have in Oz, but was welcomed as we hit a 8 lane local arterial on the way to the interstate to take us up to Richmond. Where was the view of the Bay I asked, the penthouse suite, the doorman, all those little things that keep Kimmy happy? Carrying my bags up the steps to the 2 nd floor Troy kindly opened the door explaining that in San Fran they dont open the doors much. I understood as Troy and Grace, although in a very pleasant 250 villa condo opposite the shopping centre, have Brisbane's Southeast Freeeway outside- servicing the local school and village. You need to see the vehicles to understand the the capacity to consume. Troy took me to a diner where we had a burger- I mean a BURGER and some chips----and a milkshake and a something on the side etc etc.... Quantity is not an issue however price is- same $, different prefix. off to see the day in - I is a pleasure to have the transfer taken care of and delight to see Troy Boy.

Flights Onward

Well fed and refreshed after trying to stay up really late and failing, I have now made it to the airport, got to the plane, chatted to a stone atrtist called rex, met an old boss kevin treshman, and discovered that earplugs are absolutely invaluable when flying. slept like a baby (apparently one cried the entire night which probably drowned oumy snoting. Qantas has lots of good food, plenty of grog and turns the lights on at really bad times duruing the night. Came in to LA and discovered that there is a huge smog problem - the building disappear after youve flown past. COffee and donuts at the airport=- yes the coffee is garbage- and 500 metre up to the next terminal. Made
good scotch is hard to get and harder to give to thirsty federal airport customs guys.