24 November 08 - 20:29Self Employed
For those of you who haven't heard, I have decided to start my own tuition business focussing on teaching English to primary and secondary students as well as ESL students and adults. The benefit of online tutoring is that I can tutor anyone anywhere. So, if you happen to know of someone who is looking for English tuition, please feel free to mention my name and the web site address
www.veryeasyguides.com . I am currently marketing everywhere I can - on-line, letterbox dropping and community centres in the local area. It's a daunting task but I feel that I can make a real go of it.
10 November 08 - 11:41Guy Fawkes Night at Kenilworth Castle
Last year, after just moving over here, Kathy and I promised ourselves that this year we would head to Kenilworth Castle for the fireworks and we were so pleased we did. Never mind the fact that is started pelting down with rain the moment the fireworks began - it didn't get any better than this: a massive display of fireworks over an old ruined medieval castle with a Queen soundtrack rocking the audience. Are you jealous yet???
10 November 08 - 11:35A Child is Born
...and what a lucky child he is to have parents like Paul and Caroline.
Jared Ainger - a beautiful, placid and wise young child entered our lives and I am sure we will be blessed by his presence!
10 November 08 - 11:31Halloween
Some things just have to be celebrated when you're in another country and so they should be.
We had a ball at Halloween. The kids had a disco to go to - donning their scariest outfits and singing Ghostbusters! Mum and Dad not needing to dress up as they are scary enough as is!! Bobbing for apples, trick or treating and carving pumpkins. What great fun!!
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10 November 08 - 11:23Four Days in The Emerald Isle - Cahir
Kathy had been longing to go to Cahir as it was another of a long list of places where her ancestors originated from. On the way, we were to go through Tipperary so the kids were songing the old song continuously in the back seat! Unfortunately, there was not much to Tipperary - not even a sign saying that we weren't a long way from it!
However, Cahir was beautiful and its castle - in tact! We spent time talking to the local historical experts about Kathy's heritiage and both they and us were surprised that the name Cahir is very rare in those parts. I'm sure Kathy felt a strong connection to the place. I know I felt bitterly cold in the 3 degree temperatures!!!
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10 November 08 - 11:04Four Days in the Emerald Isle - Killarney
The surrounding countryside of Killarney is beautiful - intoxicatingly so. Another castle (so I won't bore you with that one) but also beautiful walks that traverse waterfalls and valleys, lakes and forests. These truly contribute to make Ireland what it is - the Emerald Isle.
On one of these walks, Kathy and I lingered behind as the kids skipped hand in hand singing songs down the past in front of us. All of a sudden, as the kids turned a corner in front of us, we heard a crashing sound and the kids squealing in delight. They had just seen three deer pass in front of them. Kathy ...
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10 November 08 - 10:43Four Days in the Emerald Isle - Timonleague and Drombeg
I know I do go on about it - but how can anyone be unimpressed with the ruins that are scattered everywhere over this continent? I remember reading Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island" and him writing about being incredulous that you can be walking along through a field and discover an ancient Roman tiled floor. It was the same for us on our second day in Southern Ireland.
We had just left our wonderful B&B and had only travelled for about five minutes when we came to Timonleague - a small coastal town. There, jutting out into the bay was the most impressive abbey. Kathy and I explored the inside and marvelled at the fact that it is now used as a graveyard - each individual room holding many graves dating from the 15th century to last ...
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10 November 08 - 10:22Four Days in the Emerald Isle - Kissing the Blarney Stone
After our day trip to Dublin, we had promised ourselves that we would definitely get back to Ireland for a few days. The country held something for us - we knew it - and we could not wait to get back there to explore it some more.
The mid term break offered us the opportunity to get over there again and so, early on a bleak October morning, we all jumped in the car again to go to Midlands Airport and take another cheap flight over to the Emerald Isle. Our plan this time was to start in Cork and then travel around the southern coast up to Killarney and then finally to Limerick - and a grand plan it was.
After telling the kids that they had to look out for leprechauns, we entered the city of Cork. A pretty city, but unfortunately the rain was belting down ...
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10 November 08 - 10:02Castle Acre and King's Lynn
I can tell you, if there is one thing that we are determined to do, it is to see as much as we can during our stay over here (and I think we're doing as pretty good job so far!)
When we got back from Europe, we wondered if we would be able to keep up the stamina - to go where no Brehaut/Reith family had gone before! (Notice I had to put in the Brehaut/Reith thing because most of my damn family has been everywhere!!!)
So, we went back to our old strategy of closing our eyes and placing a pin on the map of England and it stabbed King's Lynn right in the heart. A great choice. This country is amazing. As we walked the cobbled streets of King's Lynn (on the east coast in Norfolk for those not in the know), we discovered that King John has walked the same streets just before ...
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10 November 08 - 09:43A Weekend at The Wheelers
After almost a year, we finally caught up with my Aunty Marg and Uncle Rob near Exeter. They have been busy moving house over the past year so we weren't able to see them until now but we are so happy that we now have.
It was terrific to meet up with them and my cousin Duncan for the weekend - catching up on news, remembering old times and looking towards the future. Their new house is beautiful - nestled in lovely green farmlands that feel just like the English countryside should.
Duncan took on our kids for the afternoon (although I'm sure he would have done otherwise if he had ...
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10 November 08 - 09:32The Twins Start Year Two
If this page is smudged by water marks, its only the tears that fall from my eyes as I watch the kids start Year Two. Surely, it was only a few months ago when Kathy and I were tucking them in for their first night at home. And wasn't it just last week that they CJ started wobbling around on two feet and Eden gave her first smile?
To look at them gives me such hope for the future. Eden - so smart and confident; CJ so warm, caring and optimistic with his frequent statement of "This is the best day of my life!" The two of them - Year Two students - reading and writing like superstars.
It's days like these that you truly appreciate what you have.
10 November 08 - 09:26Meeting Up With Dot Stumer
Well, the vacation was over. We didn't have to put up the tent; the kids were in their own beds; and Mum and Dad could just lie out on the lounge and get ready for an incredible year ahead. Then what happens??
We get an email from Dot Stumer saying that she is currently doing a whirlwind trip through the UK and would love to catch up. We struggled off the couch and got dressed up because Dot has decided that the Warwick Hilton will be a nice a place to catch up!!
It was lovely to catch up with Dot and get the latest gossip on what has been happening in the Stumer family.
10 November 08 - 09:21Meeting up with Terri and MJ in The Netherlands
They say that there's nothing better than meeting up with old friends but, if you add to that, meeting old friends in new countries, then you have an incredible experience. With that in mind, we traversed the rest of Germany in a day and headed to back ot the Netherlands for our last pit stop.
The camping site we stayed at was incredible - a true holiday sport where the kids could play all day and the adults could quietly drink cheap beer to their heart's content! We had been texting Terri and MJ for ages but their damn phones didn;t work so we had given up on the chance of seeing them in MJ's home country. So, it was a great surprise that we received a phonecall saying that they were about 1/2 an hour up the road. After wrenching the kids of the play equipment, we jumped in ...
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10 November 08 - 09:13It's Been Too Long!
My apologies to all those who wait with baited breath for our next entry. I know that there must be thousands of you, signing on every day only to be bitterly disappointed to see no new entries, then returning to that cold cup of coffee and another day of insufferable waiting until the next moment you sign in.
Well, lets see if I can change all that for you!
Our last entry saw the Brehaut family leaving Prague, bellies full and belts unbucked, during their wonderful European vacation - Andrew as Chevy Chase leading the family through all of the amazing balls of strings that make up the very fabric of Europe.
Our next port of call was Berlin. I had mentioned to Kathy a week before that if we wanted to cut Berlin out of the itinerary, I would not be disappointed ...
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31 August 08 - 12:02Food, Glorious Food
If there is something that you can say about me, it's that I am a tight bastard!!!! Therefore, Prague is like a fantasy land for me. And the food, ah the food!! I would go on a holiday again in a flash to Prague purely to eat in their restaurants. I know I have told a lot of people this already but I must go through one of our nights out again in detail.
Now this was a meal for four in a four star restaurant.
Entrees:
Grilled Camembert drizzled with Caramel Sauce and covered with slivered almonds
Mains:
Roast duck with Cranberry Sauce and a side of vegetables
Deserts:
Pancakes with peaches and icecream
Drinks:
Four Beers, Four Cokes and Two Coffees.
Total Price: $AUD70!!!
I love Prague. OH, we also went a did a tour of Prague which was magnificent (even though it was puring with rain) and I bought soemthing ...
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31 August 08 - 11:48Vienna
Ah, Vienna - the cultural capital of everything - home of the Hapsburgs and Viennese Coffee, of "The Third Man" and the opera.
Actually, I didn't know much about Vienna until we met up with those well-read Lennoxes and Aingers. But it was an absolute treat to learn about this amazing city and an even better treat to meet up with Duncan, Margaret and Tim whilst there. We had a great time in the amusement park which was still set up as it was a hundred years ago. The ferris wheel (Riesenrad) was amazing as were the models showing life in Vienna over the past couple of centuries.
We then went for a stroll along one of the boulevards and the kids played with Tim in a couple of the parks. It was then off to an upmarket Coffee Shop thanks to Margaret and Duncan before a quick view of how the other half travel ...
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11 August 08 - 18:29The Hills Are Alive...
I don't know if you know this about me, but I am a Sound of Music devotee. Yes, the cat's out of the bag, I know, there may be some of you who are cringing now and won't want to be my friend anymore...and others who thought that I was so macho that this could not be the case - but it is true...so there.
Hence, the next stop on our whistle stop tour of the continent was Salzburg - home of the Sound of Music. We started high in the hills where a lonely goatherder was alive with the sound. It was magnificent.
On opening up the doors of the bus we launched into a chorus of Do Re Mi as we wandered through Mirabella Gardens which were exactly the same as in the movie.
We climbed every mountain (well we climbed one, took a funicular up another and a massive and very scary cable car up a third). ...
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11 August 08 - 17:53Lessons in Political Correctness by CJ
Let me take a little time out here to talk about my wonderful little boy and the statements that he has made in the past few days - all of them in Venice come to think of it!
What I love about CJ is the fact that you know that he will speak his mind. It's what's going on in his mind that worries me!!
Incident One:
A vertically challenged man of about 25 is walking up to the pool in the campsite in Venice. I just know that CJ is going to say something but i'm not sure what it is. The anticipation is tense. My lovely boy calls out in his biggest deep voice:
"Hey Dad. He looks like a kid!!"
Incident Two:
A old lady beggar is leaning against the wall in Venice - extremely still with her hand stretched out. She is motionless. What is CJ going to say?? ...
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11 August 08 - 17:35The City on the Water
Ah Venice, where lovers embrace and romance ignites. Yes, it truly is as beautiful as they say and we loved every minute of it.
Another wonderful campsite which overlooked the bay to Venice - we could see St Mark's from the tent!!
What amazed me the most about Venice was how empty most of the streets were. If you ventured off from the main streets, there was noone on sight. It was really cool. Mind you, every time I wandered off the main streets, I got lost and further lost and even further lost!!! Come to think of it, I may not have been in Venice anymore.
The other great thing about Venice is no cars, so when you are in a quiet street, there is no noise - nothing at all except the rustle of my street map as I tried to work out where I was.
Kathy truly loved Venice as well and was quite sad to leave. ...
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11 August 08 - 16:46Pompeii
After a bit of deliberation, Kathy and I decided that our campsite on the Banks of the Tiber was too good to give up. Therefore, we drove the 3 hour trip to Pompeii as a day trip instead of packing up the camp to stay down there for two nights....and we could not of been happier!! The town of Pompeii itself is an absolute dump. I didn't feel comfortable driving y car down the ain street let alone getting out!!
Saying that, the ruins were absolutely magnificent. It has been a childhood dream of mine to visit this site and it didn't disappoint. Spectacular. Just wondering down streets that were pretty much in the same condition as they were 2000 years ago is awe inspiring. And with the backdrop of Mt Vesuvius...well what can you say. ...
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11 August 08 - 16:32When in Rome...
There are no words to describe Rome to a history teacher. It's just like the be all and end all of ancient history.
So it was with great anticipation that we ventured to this golden city.
We had a great start with the best campsite yet - right on the banks of the Tiber River which has seen so many travellers through its time.
As soon as you get of the train, you are just mesmerised by the splendour of ancient Rome. It is so hard to describe to those who haven't seen it. Everything is big (HUGE) and old (ANCIENT). We wandered down the main street and gawked at everything. A quick turn left and there is the Trevi Fountain!! Follow the road down and there's the Colesseum. Up the street - Palantine Hill, then the Forum, then the Pantheon, then.....and so on. ...
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11 August 08 - 16:15Pisa and Vada
After our first taste of the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean, we decided that we wouldn's stay in Pisa but would stay in another beachside town called Vada. A great idea!!
The campsite was right on the beach front. A completely different beach too - this one was sandy and stepped. The kids could go out fifty metres and it was still only about one metre deep.
The next morning we ventured off to Pisa and was a wonderful surprise it turned out to be. A really beautiful town and square with the leaning tower just being one of many offerings!
Kathy was rapt to get water from an old Roman aqueduct and the kids just loved playing around on the lawns.
Some more pizza for lunch and then off to the beach for another swim. Not a bad life, hey!!
11 August 08 - 16:06Bonassola
What an unexpected pleasure and one of the reasons Kathy and I have always had a "Turn left randomly" policy!
Bonassola is a beautiful little cove beach on the banks of the Mediterranean .There was not a foreign tourist in sight. For our first taste of the Mediterranean it was absolutely magnificent. A pebble beach plunging deeply into the sea. A temperature of about 30 degrees and we couldn't ask for more.
10 August 08 - 11:29Genova
Well..from the most picturesque campsite to the most dangerous!
After we left Interlaken we did the big drive into Italy and made it to the coastal city of Genova and a nightmare of a campsite. We believe it was an old olive growth terraced on the side of a hill. The terraces were just wide enough to pitch the tent - then a 10 metre climb to plug in the power and another 20 mtere climb to get to the toilet. Don't forget the toilet paper or its another 30 metre climb!! At least the pizza was fantastic!
Thank goodness it was only overnight!!
From Genova we went along the coastal road through a beautiful little Italian village that definitely did not get many tourists. Old men lined the church wall having conversations - vine ripened tomatoes were available at ...
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03 August 08 - 00:38The Most Beautiful Place on Earth
Now, where were we...yes, I remember, we had just left Erligheim...don't remind me!!! After another few hours in the car, we spent the night on the Swiss German border at a lovely campsite in Tengen - a place we will probably visit again...very charming. In the morning we played mini golf and CJ and Eden did very well!!
It was then off to Interlaken - a place that i had been looking forward to a lot - and it didn't disappoint. A magnificennt campsite with a wonderful view of the snow capped Alps. The lakes were an emerald green - unlike any colour I had seen before. We had a wonderful time checking out the scenery and even went exploring some limestone caves which were really cool. It was also a great time for testing out the new camera - I hope I did it justice.
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31 July 08 - 21:48Please Meet the Great Great Great Great Great Great Grand Daighter of the Burgermeister of Eligheim
After a lovely night on the Rhine, it was off to Erligheim and I will never hear the end of it!! Kathy was treated like royalty and it was a truly magnificent day. Erligheim is beautiful and its people are the same. They could not do enough for Kathy in her quest to find out information about her ancestors. The mayor (burgermeister) saw her personally and gave her tshirts, badges, cufflinks and even a hard cover book on the history of Erligheim. He then sent one of his employees out to show us where Johannes Gottlieb Frank lived. The little village was so picturesque and would have been alovely place to live. We ate a scrumptious meal in the pub where Kathy's ancestors would have ate as well. It was fine experience and we will explain it ...
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31 July 08 - 21:39Ypres and Holland
Well, I've finally found a little wifi place that I can use to update you on what we've been up to!!! What a fantastic time we have been having. It all started a day early because Kathy and I couldn't hang around any longer. We left on Saturday and travelled down to a little camping ground in Kent and set up for the night.
Then it was onto the ferry and a big day travelling through four countries!!! England, France, Belgium and The Netherlands!! How cool is that - you can travel through four countries in a day!!!
Kathy had always wanted to visit some of the big war grave sites in Flanders so that was our first stop. A very sombering experience. We also went to Ypres which had a wonderful archway listing the names of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the first world war. Very harrowing.
Then it was on to The Netherlands a a little beachside resort town called Renesse and our first ...
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17 July 08 - 22:28Our Kids Are Growing Up
Kathy and I were biting our lips as we looked through this collection of photos and realised that CJ and Eden are no longer babies. They were dressed up for their Year One disco at their school. Eden was adamant that she would wear makeup and CJ wanted his hair spiked and had to wear his Space Invaders t-shirt.
What happened to our dummy sucking, nappy wearing bedwetters???
06 July 08 - 12:53The Godiva Festival
I remember last year, Kathy and I looking on the Coventry City Council website and seeing thousands of people dancing and singing in the pouring rain at the Godiva Festival in Coventry and thinking "Wow, next year we'll be able to go to that."
Well, a year has passed and yesterday, with Jack and Stewart in tow, we headed off to one of England's favourite free music events and, as it should have been, the rain came down!!! Luckily, we were already in one of the main tents when it really hit. We spent most of the afternoon watching a comedy caberet which had one very important person headlining it......ME! I now have experience at putting someone in a straight jacket, as well as LOADS of entertainment experience. Watch out for me as a ...
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04 July 08 - 10:25Our New Camera
In anticipation of the wonderful views that we will be seeing as we travel around Europe, Kathy and I decided that a new camera was in order. After masses of research by yours truly, we decided on a Canon 400D Digital SLR. I then hunted around for ages finding the best price and managed to get a good deal. Its a 10 megapixel camera and I have purchased a 70 - 300mm telephoto lens for zooming in on interesting sights and a 18 - 25mm wide angle lens to get in the whole Colosseum!!
25 June 08 - 13:40Another Trip to the Aingers in Sheffield
I said it last time and I'll say it again, the entire Ainger family (including that Duncan Lennox character) are the loveliest people in the world. I don't remember feeling so welcomed in a place. Thank you again.
This weekend we went to a traditonal church fair which was terrific. Old fashioned games for the kids, face painting and real prices for second hand goods, jams and books. There was even a Punch and Judy show on for the kids.
That evening, after a traditional Guernsey dinner, we headed over to Aunty Lois' and looked through a whole heap of old Guernsey clothes and other things.
On Sunday we headed of to Chatsworth House. We strolled through the magnificent gardens and then, while Margaret ...
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25 June 08 - 13:27Our First Camping Trip
In preparation for our big European camping excursion, we went away for a weekend to a local camp site in Northamptonshire called Billings. How different are sites over here compared to Australia!!! These camping sites have restaurants, full on shopping centres, entertainment laid on.
While we were there, they had a massive US car club get together. It would have been heaven for anyone interested in that sort of thing. We did see the original cop car from the Blues Brothers movie which was pretty cool.
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31 May 08 - 16:33Chessington Zoo
Now, this was far better than Legoland. The rides were better, the queues were slightly shorter and there were some cool animals!!!
We really enjoyed Chessington. Learning our lesson from Legoland meant that we were there when the gates opened. We raced to the best ride and only had a 10 minute wait to get on. It was excellent - like the Lethal Weapon at Movie World. We then went on a few more gentle rides and visited all the zoo animals - lions, tigers, gorillas and the like.
A really good day out.
31 May 08 - 16:33Another Stroll Through London
It is so much nicer to wander through London when you don't have a care in the world and have heaps of time on your hands. We had such a wonderful day. We started by visiting The Globe Theatre and then crossed the Millenium Bridge towards St Paul's Cathedral. A nice stroll down the Monopoly Board (Fleet Street, The Strand and Trafalgar Square) led us to Leicester Square where we contemplated buying some theatre tickets (but didn't go ahead with it). We then moved onto Piccadilly Circus before heading to Downing Street then back to Big Ben and across Westminster Bridge.
What a truly remarkably British day!
28 May 08 - 10:47LegoLand
Judging by every adult's comments that we walked passed at Legoland, it was definitely a day for the kids!!! Legoland is cool, it's just BUSY, VERY BUSY! In the four hours that we were there, we managed to go on four rides - an average of one an hour. Not bad considering that each ride lasted for approximately 3 minutes!
However, the kids had an absolute ball and their excitement didn't wain for the entire day. Mini Lego City was amazing. The amount of work that must have gone into creating it is certainly worthy of a mention. It was also nice to have visited a lot of the places that had been reconstructed - the Sacre Couer, The London Eye, Edinburgh Castle.
More London touring tomorrow.
24 May 08 - 22:53Madame Tussauds and The London Eye
What a cool way to start our week in London - Kathy got up close and personal with three of her favourite stars - Robin Williams, Patrick Stewart and Sean Connery, the kids played with Shrek, The Incredible Hulk and Spiderman and I got to rub shoulders but thats all 
with Angelina Jolie!!!
A great fun excursion except for the cost - about $AUS160!!!!
We then travelled on to the ...
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22 May 08 - 09:46Happy Birthday, CJ and Eden
Someone arose at 4.30am and started moving around the house. That someone woke two other someones who tried desperately to get back to sleep. Those two someones thought something was suspicious when the other someone stopped making noise and so the two someones got up at 5.15am to find that the other someone had gone back to sleep. However, now the two someones were awake!!!
And so started CJ and Edens's birthday. Too many presents, again! This year's biggie was a bike. Thanks to all those who Skyped and phoned. It was a wonderful experience for the kids to be able to show their presents and talk to those close to us.
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21 May 08 - 11:18Belfast
I remember saying to Kathy about a year ago that one of the places I really wanted to visit was Belfast because I had read so much about The Troubles. Now, we have finally made it there and it was certainly worth the visit. Another one of those dodgy cheap flights meant that we left England at 6.30 on Saturday morning arrived back on Sunday night at about 7pm - all for £40.
We toured around for the two days on one of the open bus tours. They are magnificent - we did the same thing in Dublin. The commentaries are always humourous and informing. One of the most interesting things they said as we travelled around and saw all the new building that were going up was that for the first time in over thirty years, they are satrting to ...
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05 May 08 - 23:30Sherwood Forest - Men in Tights
If ever a place was to feel exactly as you think it should feel - Sherwood Forest would be it! As soon as you enter, it feels like Robin and his merry men will jump out and be soooo disappointed to find out that you're stone broke.
We absolutely adored it at Sherwood. And to our great fortune, it just happened to be May Day and Robin and his crew did jump out of the woods and posed for photos with the kids. There was also a great visitor centre, lovely walks through the forest and a lovely park for the kids to play in. Cj picked up a bow and arrow set, which you can see photos of us trying out here.
Yep, check off that dream as well!
05 May 08 - 23:22The Wonderful City of York
There are so many fantastic stories to tell of York. The whole trip up, the kids sang "The Grand Old Duke of York..." so many times that I thought I would have to cut their tongues out!! But on our arrival, we were absolutley abuzz!
We arrived at about 5pm and, with three hours of daylight to go and the threat of rain the next day, we thought we would do the castle wall walk. What a thrill it was. The feeling of walking along a wall that knights rode their horses on and peering through small crossbow holes at the magnificent sites of York was just amazing. We also managed to save an old guy who fell out of his car!!
The following day was full on!
A nice climb up to ...
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05 May 08 - 23:02Arbor Low
On our way up to York, we passed through the Peak District and discovered yet another stone circle. This one was in the middle of a privately owned farm and is known as the Stonehenge of the North. It was quite different from the others as all of the rocks were laying down. The henge itself was very large and the kids loved running along it. About 300 yards away, there was an ancient barrow as well - apparently more than 5 000 years old!
It's sombering to see, as you approach some of the stones, that people have laid wreaths and flowers for lost ones from the passed few years. Even today, these places hold a sort of spiritual power.
05 May 08 - 22:55The Plague Village of Eyam
Eyam is a place that Kathy has been longing to visit ever since we said we were coming to England. During her teaching in Australia, she had read a book with her class all about the village. It was the scene of of the most immense sites of self sacrifice ever known. During the Black Plague, this village self quaratined therfore not allowing the plague to spread to neighbouring villages. In the end, about 270 of it's 300 residents died. For more information, see here.
Knowing what had happened there made the experience extremely haunting. To walk amongst such a place of death really had you thinking about your own mortality. A truly great ...
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21 April 08 - 23:13One from the Archives For You!!
During our trip through Scotland, Eden's Diary Entry said the following:
Dear Diary,
Today Mum farted in the car when we were going to Edinburgh.
(And is accompanied by quite a graphic photo of Mum smiling whilst doing the deed with a cocked leg and Eden in a lot of pain!)
Of course, the truth is that we went past a farm being fertilised and I told the kids that it was Mum!!!!!
Certainly one for the memory books!!
See ya.
20 April 08 - 11:31Didn't We Have A Lovely Time the day We Went to Bangor
We finally hit the turps on Friday night with our neighbours, and therefore as a result, we left on our journey to Wales about four hours later than expected!!!
Conwy Castle and the village of Conwy itself are absolutely maginifient. The castle is really well preserved and sits right on the banks of a river/tidal inlet. The pictures that can be taken are just magificent.
For those of you not in the know, (like us until yesterday), Conwy is in North Wales on the way to the West Coast. We are actually on our way to Bangor (so we can sing the song "A Day Trip to Bangor"). We had a beautiful day, and had lunch on the way (but it cost a bit more than a pound you know!)
05 April 08 - 23:51Let the Battle Begin
After a really hard two days of work (which included a round of golf), it's the weekend again!!!
"And what are we doing, Dad?" asks Eden.
"We're getting in the car again and visiting another medieval site! The battle ground where the Normans beat the British. Isn't that exciting?"
"Who were the Normans?", asks CJ
"Dad was a Norman" says Mum while dad looks on quizzically.
"Cool. Can we take our Nintendos?"
"Yes, as long as you're nice to each other."
"Cool!" chorus the kids.
And our trip to Battle and Hastings was negotiated.
Another cool trip under the belt. You really get a feeling for the battle when you have an audio tour and are standing on the spot where King harold got ...
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04 April 08 - 00:18All you need is love
We finished off our Scottish adventure with a great visit with Paul and Caroline in Liverpool. Again the Ainger family has made us feel so welcome. They live in a lovely house with a large garden. The kids loved playing hide and seek with Paul and Caroline and it was a taste of little things to come for them both as well. We had a great tour guide in Caroline who showed us around the two wonderful catherdrals and then we stood in the wind and rain (thanks for your patience Paul) to visit the Beatles story. We had a great time. The kids loved the yellow submarine and we loved all loved the music of course. It was a wonderful end to a great holiday. Next stop, the battle field of Hastings. Have a great weekend, I know we will
28 March 08 - 01:30The Lochs
Being the experienced traveller that I am (ha ha), I have seen some beautiful sights so far on our family’s excursion around the UK but today would have to have been the most scenic treasure that I have had the pleasure of laying my eyes on as yet. The lochs on the trip from Stirling to Inverness are awe inspiring – true natural beauty. Although we spent nearly the entire day in the car, I hardly felt as if I had driven at all (I must admit, I wasn’t totally focused on the road at all times!) Loch Lomond is absolutely magnificent - especially with snow capped mountains as a backdrop. The small village of Luss (just off the beaten track and right on the banks of the Loch) was a step back in time and so peaceful that you just felt ...
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27 March 08 - 01:03William Wallace, Stirling Castle and the original Big Pineapple
I have a little more time tonight, so I must tell you of a few quirky things that we have seen over the last few days.
Quirk Number One:
On our way to Hadrian's Wall Kathy and I were laughing our heads of as we went through the small village of Once Brewed and then, two minutes later, Twice Brewed!
Quirk Number Two:
Strolling through Edinburgh Castle and seeing a bloke with a Hawthorne Scarf wrapped around his neck!
Quirk Number Three:
Seeing the original version of the Big Pineapple just outside Falkirk!
Quirk Number Four.
Watching Bob the Builder in Gaelic!!
And now my mind has gone blank as to the others!!! A sign of senility or just too much time with the kids!! ...
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26 March 08 - 01:18Meet the Clan
I'd like to introduce you to Eden and CJ's cousins' Tweedle and Twoodle McDuff. We met them at Edinburgh Castle and swapped them for the two terrors we have had in the back of the car for the past three days. They are direct decendants of those Frasers who DIDN'T come down from the highlands baout two hundred years ago!!
A great day today visiting the very intriguing Rosslyn Chapel and enormous Edinburgh Castle. We loved every minute of it. And, mum, I bought a great jacket from the Edinburgh Wool Mill!
24 March 08 - 00:22The Lakes District
All I can say WOW. We certainly weren't expecting a snow holiday when we were organising our Easter holiday but I'm not complaining. The Lakes District is probably the most picturesque place I have ever been. We visited Windemere, Grasmere and Keswick and loved every town. Add to this Castlerigg Stone Circle in the snow and we had a fantastic day (Plus the kids got to help Dad build a snowman!!!)
24 March 08 - 00:16I'm Dreaming of a White Easter!
What a fantastic feeling...to wake up on Easter morning to a blanket of snow. It certainly made up for Christmas and made an interesting start to our car holiday to the Lakes District and Scotland!
24 March 08 - 00:13Warwick Castle
Jack and Stew came up for a couple of days so we went off to Warwick Castle. An excellent day. Warwick Castle is owned by the same mob who own Madame Toussards so they have themed it up. The day we were there, they were having a mock battle between Hastings and Montague which continued throughout the day. During the day, it snowed then was sunny, then snowed again. It was awesome. A two thumbs up day.
18 March 08 - 17:47A Trip to the British Museum
Another great day out with Jack and Stewart saw us take off to the British Museum. After checking out how much stuff the Poms have stolen from the rest of the world (The Rosetta Stone, half the Parthenon, most of the mummies etc), we went on to see a display that they had only borrowed - The Terracotta Warriors.
Whilst there were only about ten of them, the fact that you could get up close to them made it very worthwhile. A thrilling experience. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed to be taen so you'll just have to take our word for it!!
09 March 08 - 19:13National Book Day
As part of their school's National Book Day celebrations, the kids got the chance to dress up as their favourite characters. Eden chose Cinderella (of course!) and CJ chose Captain Hook. They had an absolute ball!
To top off the day, Eden won a Large Easter Egg and a couple of cream eggs for her wonderful book mark design that showed The Four Musicians of Bremen!!! She was very proud (and CJ was devastated!!)
04 March 08 - 01:15The Four Musicians of Bremen?
If you didn't know the story of the Four Musicians of Bremen before you went there, you would have no choice but to know it back to front when you left!! After a 350kmh tail wind flight from Stansted we arrived to a VERY WET, WINDY and COLD Bremen. But would that stop the crazy family of Brehauts from having a good time. I THINK NOT!
Bremen in beautiful. It's marketplace is like walking into a history book of the middle ages with its Town Hall, Cathedral and many other buildings. It has a real feeling about it - something we have not felt since visiting Stonehenge. Add to this, a wonderful walk through the Schnoor District which is a collection of narrow cobble ...
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14 February 08 - 22:03Musee du Louvre
To follow on from the last post, we are now totally stuffed to the top with culture!!! Today was one of those experiences that words can not describe. The Louvre is the most amazing places that I have ever been. There is more history in one corner of one room than in the entire Brisbane Museum.
If I have one piece of advice for anyone ever visiting the Louvre, it is "LOOK UP". The ceilings are incredible.
Today was yet another day that wll be inscribed in my mind forever.
14 February 08 - 00:22Us Aussies are given a blast of kulcha!
Now, I know I'm not a cultured man but the realisation of this really hit home today as we walked through the metro and I heard the theme song from "Allo Allo" How was I to know that it was a French folk song????
You follow this up with a tip to Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur and you just realise how out of you depth you are. But Eden and CJ made up for it by grooving with a guitar player who was singing The Doors and John Lennon on the steps of the Sacre Coeur and kicing their legs in Can Can style in front of the Moulin Rouge.
14 February 08 - 00:10Escargo Eating Escapades
Well, there is no escaping it when you go to France. You must absolutely, without fail, no way out - eat snails. And so it was, on this Wedensday night in uptown Paris that we did something that scared us. We stuck those slimy, slippery little suckers into our mouths.
12 February 08 - 23:50Paris by Night
Just a quick entry before we lose internet connection. We took the kids on the Metro to see the lights of Paris. What a wonderful experience and topped off with a great photo in front of the Eiffel Tower at night. We're really beginning to love this place!
11 February 08 - 21:54Coat Hangers and Brickwork.
Ahh, to be in gay Paris with a view of blue sky and a blank slate. And where better to have that view than from the top of the Eiffel Tower. An experience beyond compare as yet. I must admit I was a touch petrified on the way to the top, but that soon passed when I was on the viewing platform. Sometimes, you've got to be tough in front of the kids. No sign of nerves from them or Kathy though!
Then a quick tromp up the Champs Ellysses to the Arc d"Triomph via some fairly snazzy High Street shops and another dream was labeled a reality. You've just got to love this type of holiday.
11 February 08 - 20:57Graves and Grooves
Day One in Paris and what a day. Waking up to the hustle and bustle of Paris Central is a wonderful experience. We decided to walk around today and we had a ball. We visited the Place de la Republique and the Place de la Bastille. We checked out the famous graveyard and saw Rossilini's, Chopin's, Jim Morrison's and Edith Piaf's graves.
Eden grooved her way to a funk band that was playing at the Bastille and then we ate scrumptious strawberries at a market two minutes away. A stroll down to the River Seine ended our stroll for the day but just wet our mouths for the days ahead.
09 February 08 - 23:10The White Cliffs of Dover
Its great being able to sit down in your studio apartment in the Republique District of Paris and find out that someone has an unsecure wireless line nearby. It means that I'll be abe to brag on a daily basis about what we get up to over the next week.
The first stop today was the lovely White Cliffs of Dover which, because we were travelling to Fance by ferry, were able to see from both land and sea. What an amazing sight. And don's you learn something new every day. I never realised that you could see England from France! Its just not that far.
A quick trip down the motorways and we found ourselves in the middle of Paris - the city with NO TRAFFIC RULES!
But more on the Paris experience tomorrow.
07 February 08 - 21:55In Dubin Fair City...
Where the girls are so pretty
Was there where my kids sat near Molly Malone.
What a whilrwind tour. We somehow managed to scam 1p flights (including taxes!) to Dublin and so, last Saturday, we arose at 3am and drove down to Luton for our 6.30am flight. Before we knew it, we had touched down in Ireland for a wonderful day.
We hopped on one of the tourist buses for the day and ventured to Trinity College, The Book of Kells, Christ Church Cathedral, The Guinness Factory and Temple Bar - a well known watering hole. A fantastic day that ended with us getting back on the plane at 7.30pm and arriving back home in Coventry at 11pm.
And what are we doing next weekend? ...
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27 January 08 - 18:28Australia Day in Coventry
After stuffing our staff and students with Kathy's homemade lamingtons and pumpkin scones on Friday, we borrowed a friend's portable barbecue, grabbed a couple of cans of Fosters, donned our Austalia T-shirts and went for a barbie at the local park. Nevermind the fact that it was about 7 degrees or that there was a nice stiff breeze, we're Australian and we HAVE TO celebrate our national day.
A few onlookers gave us quizzical looks as we burnt our snags on the grill and spread our tomato sauce nice and thick but....who cares???
I hope everyone had a great day over in Oz.
See ya!
13 January 08 - 18:58Visiting Grandpa's Gravesite
Having never known my grandfather, visiting his grave was an interesting occasion. We made our way to Mickleton - about 45 mins from our home in Coventry. The cemetary is located next to a beautiful old church. At first we had difficulty finding the site - not realising there were two cemetaries within the church grounds. However, after asking a lovely lady if there was another site, she was most helpful and, though our conversation, we discovered that she had known my grandfather!!! She remembered him as a 'rather stern old man!" I'm sure that Mum would agree!
We then visited our family home and the school I went to from our trip to the UK in 1976. The house was a lot smaller than I remember it but it was great to ...
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09 January 08 - 22:24Back to the Grindstone
Well, it had to happen eventually. Kathy and I started teaching again this week. Kathy is teaching at a Finham Primary School on the south side of Coventry and I am deputy teacher in charge at the Pupil Referral Unit which looks after kids who aren't coping in the normal high school setting.
At least we are now bothing earning pounds!!!
09 January 08 - 22:18Stamford - The Stone Town
Kathy closed her eyes, spun around twice as stuck her finger onto the map and off we went to Stamford. What a great choice it was. About an hour and a half away from home and we were surrounded by medieval architecture that was beyond belief.
After finding the most bizzare Australian shop in the middle of the town, we ducked off to Burghley House - a magnificent stately home where the deer roam free!! A quick trip to Trinity Bridge in Crowland and it was time to head off home again. Another fantastic day!
01 January 08 - 23:34Starting the New Year in a Very Old Place
We had a wonderful New Year's Eve with Kathy's cousins Jarrod, Stephanie, Barb and Kate in Newport, Wales and would like to thank them for their wonderful hospitality.
We wondered how we should start 2008, and after a little look through all our guides, decided that a trip to a Roman ampitheatre, followed by a nice walk through the stones at Avebury would be a nice start. And why not follow that up with a visit to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - yeah - Stonehenge would be ...
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11 December 07 - 21:35The Canary Islands
All I can say is WOW!!! What an absolutely fantastic holiday (and so bloody cheap!!)
After a 4 hour flights we arrived at Playa De Las Americas on the south end of Tenerife. OUr hotel looked out to Mt Teide - a dormant volcano which we visited on day four of our holiday. After spending the first couple of days looking around the commercial resorts of PLaya De Las Americas and Los Cristianos, we hired a car (with the steering wheel on the wrong side) and started driving on the wrong side of the road!! We toured the island from the very top (Mt Teide) to the very ...
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