The last few days of our Borneo holiday we wanted to spend on Pulau Mantanani, an island 45 minutes off the west coast of Borneo. Our guides dropped us off at Rampayam Jetty north of the town of Kota Belud, and from there we caught a boat to the island. It was only a trip, but it was a hell of a ride. There were a lot of waves, and our captain was keen on racing the boat through them, so more oft Read on...
We havent had much of a summer this year. A grey cold damp winter flowed seamlessly into an equally grey summer, albeit warmer, with only a few sunny days. Our recent trip to Norwich had been damp and cold. Normally we would book somewhere with guaranteed sunshine but overseas travel has meant a confusing mass of rules and restrictions with countries randomly flopping from green to amber and back Read on...
Yes, as Tsamaya is a sailboat, we were finally able to leave Fethiye and head toward her winter home f which will be at the Marmaris Yacht Marina. It isnt that far away, but we decided with the weather forecast we could take a few days more in order to have a chance to anchor out and do a little exploring as well. We not only wanted to enjoy the pleasure of being on anchor for a few days, but with Read on...
The Great British rail sale and I booked train tickets from Hayes and Harlington to and return to London Paddington for 23 GBP on a Tuesday, market day.
I was on time, at the train station but my connecting train got cancelled. The brand new Elizabethan line had opened and the trains were experiencing several delays. Without wasting a minute, I enquired if there was a cycle space on 11.04 am tra Read on...
Whereever we move to we try to get out and find out about our immediate neighbourhood . That does not always take too long . Then we draw circles around the house . The first to cover around five miles from home . A short trip to see what is local . The circle gets bigger . Half an hour travel from home . When that is exhausted the circle widens to around one hour from home home . Once that has be Read on...
A few years ago I wrote a blog about my dear old dad. I chose to write about him, and not my mother, because he was a more colourful character. He had a tragic childhood (losing his father at an early age, then being separated from his mother and brought up by a relative) and, as an adult, he was very much his own man – a deep thinker, a skilled craftsman (expert at woodwork, building, electric Read on...
We have long looked forward to the Athens portion of this trip as we would have the opportunity meet up with Daves sister Susan and her husband Jeff. We knew this would be a special travel treat. Susan and Jeff have worked hard over the years, plus they raised and home schooled six children. They intended to go to Greece on their anniversary many years ago. Life events kept postponing the trip—b Read on...
Mostar is one of the most visited destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and many people add it to their Croatia itinerary because of its proximity to the border. In fact, the city is often visited as a day trip from Dubrovnik. Here are some of the highlights of Mostar, that you shouldnt miss during your trip:
Stari Most (Old Bridge) is a pedestrian stone bridge over the Neretva river, built by t Read on...
We woke knowing that sometime today we would arrive in Birdsville, the legendary Birdsville Track, but not before we had endured severe corrugations for long stretches and very rough stony track surfaces. The few, sections, were a relief. The grader was also out smoothing the track. The Sturt Stony Desert did live up to its name. The stones (gibbers), shiny and smooth and in their trillions, spre Read on...
Our weeklong spring break trip to Croatia and Slovenia started with flights from Minsk to Vienna and a regional flight to Klagenfurt, Austria where we rented a car. We drove through a tunnel to cross from Austria through Slovenia to Zagreb, Croatia. Toured the pedestrian friendly center and picked up picnic supplies for the Plitvice Lakes the next day. The Museum of Nave Art (Avant Garde self taug Read on...