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"

Les Trois Vallees

It has been a busy start to 2009 for me with plenty of travelling for work & pleasure. I welcomed 2009 in London style with a few friends. Despite sub-zero temperatures across all of Europe, we had a relaxed evening at a pub closer to town, with live music, a few cocktails, food galore & marshmellows for those willing to brave the cold.

There is no doubt that my favourite thing about winter is snow! Last week I went to the French alps for four days of playing with the glorious powder. I headed on an organised skiing long weekend with Michelle, Anne & a bunch of other eager skiers. Our chalet, in the sleepy town of Brides-Les-Bains, was a short gondola ride from the largest resort in the world.

With blue skies on the first two days, we took advantage of the speed along the long wide runs that spread from the highest peaks of Courchevel to Val Thorens. We had sensational views along the valleys including the picturesque Mont Blanc in the distance (the highest mountain in Western Europe standing at 4,810m). After our second day skiing, we headed into Meribel for a little nightlife, a few bevvy’s and a wee dancing with our new friends.

On Sunday, there were moderate snow falls & strong winds throughout the day that limited our access to the Meribel valley, however it allowed us to finesse our technique and enjoy the local runs. On our final day, the snow falls stopped to reveal a great coverage of fresh powder to enjoy. We made the most of the day, including an extra long tough run from the highest point of Meribel (at 2952m) where our thighs were certainly getting their work out!

Overall it was another fantastic European skiing experience, surprisingly very different to Austria, but just as enjoyable. With the sheer size of this resort, there is plenty more to explore!!

Christmas in a castle

It is not every day that one gets to visit a castle, let alone celebrate Christmas in one!!

Last week, I joined a Haggis adventure tour for the Christmas period with my friends Beth & Jase. On Christmas Eve we departed Edinburgh before the sun was even up. In our little 30 seater bus, our trusty driver Kenny weaved our way through the highlands of Scotland towards Carbisdale Castle. After dinner and a good chat with our new friends, we tried our hands at a little ceilidh - Scottish folk dancing.

I did have high hopes for a white Christmas, but instead we awoke to glorious sunshine on Christmas morning. There is no doubt that it was still cold, but the sun did make it that little more exciting. Instead of going to the mountains, we headed to Durnoch beach for a little fun in the sun. As you may have already noticed by my previous posts, I enjoy making snowmen. Without snow it was a little difficult to build a snowman, so I settled myself with a sandman instead!







In the afternoon we spent a wee time in the local pub – Aye, Jase & I dressed ourselves in replica traditional Scottish outfits. Yes, your eyes have not mistaken you… Jase is wearing a kilt… the real question is, however, what’s underneath??? Anyway, moving right along... in the early evening we dined in the castle with a Christmas feast including brussel sprouts… I still cannot fathom how people can eat them, but they are apparently all part of the tradition. (Mum, you’ll be pleased with me – I had two and only squirmed a little!) After our meal, we again danced the night away with some more ceilidh with a hundred odd other fellow travellers.








On Boxing Day, although I did have a fleeting thought of the cricket, it was quickly replaced as we explored more of the Scottish highlands, including a drive past Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Scotland) and a stop at the mysterious Loch Ness. We did not catch any glimpses of a monster in the waters… except perhaps for the girl on the left in the photo below. Let me tell you that that smile is because I had no sensation from my shins down!

For the remainder of the weekend, we stayed at Edinburgh and did a little more sight seeing around town – I managed to see the Queen’s official Scottish residence this time round!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!