Rolling hills

The English countryside is a perfect destination for a London mini-break. It’s always great to drive around the rolling hills and breathe in some fresh air. Last weekend we visited the country town of Salisbury, located a short 1½ drive west of London. With 7 fellow friends, we stayed at pub located in the centre of town and close to all the action.











On the Saturday, we had a stroll alongside the town’s canal bound for the Old Sarum (the original site of settlement for Salisbury). Located at the top of a hill, the English Heritage site has 360 degree views of the surrounding valleys. The Old Sarum was once home to a palace and Cathedral, originally built in the 11th century and used by William the Conqueror’s son Henry I. Both the palace and the Cathedral were demolished by the 13th century. The old Cathedral was replaced by the Salisbury Cathedral located in the centre of town. The new Cathedral’s spire stands at 123m in height, the highest in the UK and has the oldest mechanical clock in Britain.

In the Cathedral’s library, we viewed the Magna Carta. This impressive charter, carefully scribed with a quill on animal skin in Medieval Latin, was issued by the King John in the 13th century. There are only 4 remaining scripts, out of an original estimate of 40. This particular script is very well-preserved. This charter influenced the development of common law & many constitutional documents (inc the USA).


It was a beautiful weekend, with the sun shining for most of Saturday & all of Sunday! There were plenty of people out and about enjoying a few rays. On Sunday we joined the locals at a nearby park. With the backdrop of daffodils blooming and the canals glistening, we too enjoyed a little activity with a frizbee. Motty even decided to go for a quick dip in the canal… after the frizbee went a little wayward. We wrapped up the weekend with a pub roast lunch in their garden with views of the grand Cathedral just beyond the back fence.

Love is all around

Last week I headed down under for a flying visit in Sydney. Why would any sane person be willing to travel on a plane for 48 hours for a week away?? Well, I couldn’t miss seeing my best friend marry her man, Eddie!

To kick off the week, we had a fun all inclusive kitchen tea/hens day, afternoon & evening. The definite highlight was a visit by the local boys in their big red truck. We didn’t even need to burn toast for their special visit! Amy was initially caught between running and hiding, but soon found the confidence to meet the boys who greeted her with a kiss and a bunch of flowers. What a unique & special moment. It was pretty cool that they were willing to come out during the afternoon – I think they enjoyed it as much as we did!

The rest of my week in oz was filled with helping the wedding preparations, catching up with family & friends, plenty of driving and warming up in the Sydney sunshine.

It was great to soak in a few rays – wearing shorts, t-shirts & thongs for the week was also an enjoyable change.

The pinnacle of events was of course the wedding day. The girls’ day commenced at the respectable hour of 7am. It was a relaxed morning, with no last minute hiccups to report. I think it is fair to say that we each enjoyed being pampered for the morning and having a few laughs along the way. Before long, the all important moment was here... Amy & Eddie become husband & wife in front of 300 family and friends at Toongabbie Anglican Church.

We had the official photographs taken at Parramatta Park with an afternoon picnic tea to boot, before being driven in our classic Rolls Royces to the Arabic themed function centre at Fairfield. It was a fantastic celebratory evening with plenty of traditional Arabic dancing, drums, food & excellent company. By the way, make sure you have a good look at the cake to the right. It was made by the hands of the newly married couple themselves... very impressive! I was glad Eddie was able to show Amy a few tricks of the trade :)

The happy couple are now on their honeymoon in Nelson Bay & I’m back to reality. All good fun!

Hidden treasures

There is no doubt that I have the travel bug... and I have been thoroughly enjoying the various travel opportunities I have had while I have been living in the UK. With my visions often set on mainland Europe, it can be quite easy to miss some of the local treasures. London is a great city. I recognise that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but there are definitely some hidden treasures about the place. Over the past couple of weekends, I’ve been exploring some of London by foot. Here are just a few photos of what London has to offer, in particular within the south-west area:

For bridge enthusiasts, the Thames Path is the place for you. I passed about 8 bridges on my stroll from Putney Bridge to Battersea.









While in Australia we may call it a "park" or "reserve", the British tend to use the word "common". On my weekend walk to Richmond, I wandered through both Wimbledon Common & Richmond Park - both peaceful break aways from the otherwise bleak urban outlook.

Wimbledon Common
(including a pond with ice still slowly melting & the windmill)

Richmond Park

(including the Thames River, the local deer grazing on the hillside and Pen Pond)

The best snow in London for 18 years...

Just a few pics of London:

* Local tube station first thing in the morning

* At the office - Tower bridge & Tower of London

* In my hood... a few one-for-one snowball fights ensued (Alison won several to few!)

* In the backyard with our friendly snowman - check out the Aussie buttons!

Quem nao arrisca, nao petisca

Over the past weekend, I managed to sneak in a little mini-break weekend to Portugal with Jason & Kerry. I caught up with the two of them in the capital, Lisbon. We stayed at a funky hostel (Lisbon Lounge), located in the historical centre of town. With a day head start on me, Kerry & Jason spent Friday in the historic neighbourhood of Belem, with the main attraction being the Jeronimos Monastery.

On Saturday, we spent the day enjoying the architecture rich Lisbon. It is a fascinating city, with several historical features lost & rebuilt in the 18th century following a massive earthquake in 1755 which killed 30,000 to 40,000 residents & destroyed over 85% of the city. Highlights of the day included:

• Walking around the Alfama district to visit the Arco da Victoria, the Se Cathedral and the Castello of Sao Jorge (Lisbon’s iconic castle which dates back to the 6th century). The photo on the right is the view from the castle with the monument to Christ the King (Cristo Rei) which stands with open arms, overlooking the whole city on the left foreground; and the Vasco da Gama Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe.


• Taking a charming tram ride on the number 28 tram which wound its way around the steep hills and narrow streets of central of Lisbon as well as the Elevador de Saunta Justa [right], an elevator in Gothic revival style which boasted 360 degree views of the town from the top. Below is photo of the castle from the top of the elevador.

In the evening we dined in the famous Bairro Alto district, at restaurant Cabacas. Our cheeky pre-dinner sangria was followed by a fantastic “slice on the stone”, where we cooked a slab of steak on a hot stone in front of us. A juicy medium-rare cooked to perfection if I do say so myself!

On Sunday, we took a day trip to Sintra, approx 1 hour west of Lisbon, to experience more fascinating architecture, including the Sintra National Palace (15-16th century), the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish castle built in the 8th century) and the imposing Pena National Palace, perched on the top of a hill, 500m above sea level. This Portuguese Romanic architecture dating back to 1840 was like stepping into a fantasy castle – simply beautiful!

And finally, the weekend was not complete without tasting a few local delicacies – the infamous Portuguese tarts are a must! (Yumm!)

P.S. Kerry – this blog is for you!!! :)

P.P.S. If you are wondering what the Portuguese title says... it translates into "If you don't take a risk, you won't eat delicacies"