Well, I am home safe again after my epic journey. I had another lovely man sitting beside me on the 15 hour flight, this time Ali from Lebanon. He has been a taxi driver and owned a restaurant in Australia so was a very happy, chatty man. We had a lot of talks about a whole lot of different things in life that helped pass the 15 hours.
Then a bit longer in Sydney and then home. All my luggage had arrived safely and my family were there at the airport, so life is good.
I certainly have had a magnificent adventure. Thanks for coming along for the ride. (-:
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Will Mrs P get 1,000,000 pictures of the cup cakes shes made?
I found this beautifully embroidered cup cake in a craft place in Wales. They are hand sewn by a Mrs P . She wants to see if she can get a million photos of her cupcakes around the world. I have brought it home for obvious reasons but took it out to the sand dunes tonight. I had fun with it. Check out www.amillioncupcakes.net
Day 34 Abu Dhabi safari trip
I have to say I was looking forward to this and was really glad I booked it. It was a desert safari trip out to the desert,doh, going to a camel farm, driving over some sand dunes and then a ride on a camel. Next a bbq dinner at a bedouin area out in the desert.
We had a very nice guide who was very knowledgeable about lots of things in the area so I had lots of questions for him. Surprise, surprise. There was only me and a couple from Belgium in the car so I was in the front. The stop at the camel farm was nice, they are surprisingly soft to pat and do have the most enormous eyes and extra extra long eyelashes. There are none left in the wild now in Abu Dhabi. There are three types bred, one for milk, one for meat and one for racing. They weigh 1100kg!! and can carry up to 500kg. We also had a ride on one which was nice as they just plod along but you are up high and you have to hold on tight when they are first getting up!! Next, we went for a drive in the sanddunes, pretty freaky. They let the air out of the tyres a bit for better traction and have another car follow them in for safety sake which was nice. Crazy, then we found a wonderful place to see the sun set from. Its very quiet, away from the traffic and as there are no trees so no birds and all you can see is sand... There is something wonderful about watching the sun rise or set though where ever you are in the world. Magical.
Then on for our dinner. It turned out there was just the three of us booked in so it was a very quiet affair. There is usually about 20 and up to 40. We got on fine though and had some really interesting conversations about all sorts of things. The food was lovely and fresh with beef, chicken and lamb kebabs, salads and breads. The sky was very black but no where as many stars as we see Ali, but I did spend quite some time lying down on the carpet after dinner just looking up at the sky. Very peaceful. The people from Brussells couldnt believe we see satilites all the time. He said its an announcement on their TV weather when one is going over and they couldnt say if they had the milky way. Obviously not star spotters like us. Waited for my shooting star to make a wish.....
We had a very nice guide who was very knowledgeable about lots of things in the area so I had lots of questions for him. Surprise, surprise. There was only me and a couple from Belgium in the car so I was in the front. The stop at the camel farm was nice, they are surprisingly soft to pat and do have the most enormous eyes and extra extra long eyelashes. There are none left in the wild now in Abu Dhabi. There are three types bred, one for milk, one for meat and one for racing. They weigh 1100kg!! and can carry up to 500kg. We also had a ride on one which was nice as they just plod along but you are up high and you have to hold on tight when they are first getting up!! Next, we went for a drive in the sanddunes, pretty freaky. They let the air out of the tyres a bit for better traction and have another car follow them in for safety sake which was nice. Crazy, then we found a wonderful place to see the sun set from. Its very quiet, away from the traffic and as there are no trees so no birds and all you can see is sand... There is something wonderful about watching the sun rise or set though where ever you are in the world. Magical.
Then on for our dinner. It turned out there was just the three of us booked in so it was a very quiet affair. There is usually about 20 and up to 40. We got on fine though and had some really interesting conversations about all sorts of things. The food was lovely and fresh with beef, chicken and lamb kebabs, salads and breads. The sky was very black but no where as many stars as we see Ali, but I did spend quite some time lying down on the carpet after dinner just looking up at the sky. Very peaceful. The people from Brussells couldnt believe we see satilites all the time. He said its an announcement on their TV weather when one is going over and they couldnt say if they had the milky way. Obviously not star spotters like us. Waited for my shooting star to make a wish.....
Lovely camp for dinner
a beautiful lamp
Posh loo
Day 34 Abu Dhabi by day
Well my last day of overseas adventures for a wee while. Coming in from the airport it was a bit unexpected to see grass on the side of the motorways, and behind that a row of trees then just desert.
They let me check in early, (thank you for the magnificent outcome) so I could have a bit of a sleep as I hadn't had any on the plane and I was booked in for a desert safari trip in the afternoon. Had a lovely snooze then headed out for a look around.
The first thing you see is of course the mosques. They are on nearly every street corner. There are some lovely parks beside some of them and I have been surprised how green it is. I asked our tour guide about it tonight as there is irrigation pipes everywhere and he said in town it is desalted seawater and recycled water used, and further out it comes from a bore deep in the ground. I made my way towards the sea which was only a few streets away, the busiest road of four lanes each way having a underpass for pedestrians which was a good idea. It was all beautifully done in mosaic. The walk along the Arabian sea is to a sea wall as it is all reclaimed land but there is a sand(beach) stretch further down that I could have walked too. There were tons of seats and lots of shelter with shade cloth which was nice. The sea was a beautiful colour. I found a small market with the most beautiful mosiac glass lanterns (thank goodness there was no room for them!!). It was pretty warm about 30 degrees but not really humid like at home. I managed to find my way back to the hotel and up the lifts (last photo) to get changed for tonight.
They let me check in early, (thank you for the magnificent outcome) so I could have a bit of a sleep as I hadn't had any on the plane and I was booked in for a desert safari trip in the afternoon. Had a lovely snooze then headed out for a look around.
The first thing you see is of course the mosques. They are on nearly every street corner. There are some lovely parks beside some of them and I have been surprised how green it is. I asked our tour guide about it tonight as there is irrigation pipes everywhere and he said in town it is desalted seawater and recycled water used, and further out it comes from a bore deep in the ground. I made my way towards the sea which was only a few streets away, the busiest road of four lanes each way having a underpass for pedestrians which was a good idea. It was all beautifully done in mosaic. The walk along the Arabian sea is to a sea wall as it is all reclaimed land but there is a sand(beach) stretch further down that I could have walked too. There were tons of seats and lots of shelter with shade cloth which was nice. The sea was a beautiful colour. I found a small market with the most beautiful mosiac glass lanterns (thank goodness there was no room for them!!). It was pretty warm about 30 degrees but not really humid like at home. I managed to find my way back to the hotel and up the lifts (last photo) to get changed for tonight.
a row of black mercedes taxis at the airport
Capital Park
Capital Park
Flash marble hotel lifts
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Day 33 Leaving England Boo hoo!!
Well, its time to say goodbye. I have had a fantastic time, seen so many amazing things, met family I never knew existed, along with so many amazing people, been to Crufts and Lion King and the Commitments and of course caught up with my very good friends Jo and Nigel and Vo and Jess.
Everyone has been so kind and caring and extremely hospitable to me and I will be forever grateful. Thank you to all of you who took me random places in search of WW1 memorials for my exhibition. I am very grateful.
I have found the English people very helpful and obliging in whatever job or role they are in and are very happy to hear a Good Morning or Afternoon from the public. The weather has been incredibly kind and mild. The people working at some these big attractions such as the Tower of London deserve a medal for the amount of people they see/deal with in a day.
The public transport system is of course amazing in London with the underground , but I have caught plenty of trains and buses here in Birmingham and in Kent and all very efficent. I guess thats what you get with a bigger population though.
So, I am very sorry to leave, sorry to say goodbye to my dear friends Jo and Nigel and Vo and Jess and of course Milo. I will be back to see you all, and not in another 25 years time.!!
I am looking forward to seeing my family and Saphy again.
I still have an overnight adventure in Abu Dhabi so dont sign off yet....
Everyone has been so kind and caring and extremely hospitable to me and I will be forever grateful. Thank you to all of you who took me random places in search of WW1 memorials for my exhibition. I am very grateful.
I have found the English people very helpful and obliging in whatever job or role they are in and are very happy to hear a Good Morning or Afternoon from the public. The weather has been incredibly kind and mild. The people working at some these big attractions such as the Tower of London deserve a medal for the amount of people they see/deal with in a day.
The public transport system is of course amazing in London with the underground , but I have caught plenty of trains and buses here in Birmingham and in Kent and all very efficent. I guess thats what you get with a bigger population though.
So, I am very sorry to leave, sorry to say goodbye to my dear friends Jo and Nigel and Vo and Jess and of course Milo. I will be back to see you all, and not in another 25 years time.!!
I am looking forward to seeing my family and Saphy again.
I still have an overnight adventure in Abu Dhabi so dont sign off yet....
Day 31 and 32 Living with MS continued....
For the last two days I have shifted things out of Vos room to make it easier for her to get around and to get in any equipment she might need. We have rung everyone possible from both specialists, the doctor, to the occupational health to get the best outcome for Vo. No date as yet for her operation.
I have been driving around in her car to pick up Jess and bulk food for the rabbits and guinea pigs so thats all been helpful.
On our travels we went past the centre of the village of Bournville. I had been going to walk to here with Milo but have run out of time. Anyway i have taken a few photos so you can see how pretty it is. It is a one mile square oasis and since the Cadbury family were Quakers there is also no alcohol, pubs or off licences.
I also took some photos of the school which Charlotte is coming back to do her practicum in May/june this year. Its 20 minutes walk from Vo and Jess's place and its a beautiful school. It is only one of two places in Europe with the carillon bells and they chime every hour with a lovely tune. Apparently on Saturdays the bell player comes and plays for a while all sorts of music. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon
I have been driving around in her car to pick up Jess and bulk food for the rabbits and guinea pigs so thats all been helpful.
On our travels we went past the centre of the village of Bournville. I had been going to walk to here with Milo but have run out of time. Anyway i have taken a few photos so you can see how pretty it is. It is a one mile square oasis and since the Cadbury family were Quakers there is also no alcohol, pubs or off licences.
I also took some photos of the school which Charlotte is coming back to do her practicum in May/june this year. Its 20 minutes walk from Vo and Jess's place and its a beautiful school. It is only one of two places in Europe with the carillon bells and they chime every hour with a lovely tune. Apparently on Saturdays the bell player comes and plays for a while all sorts of music. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon
The school Charlotte will be at
Monday, 16 March 2015
Day 30 Living with MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
Well, the real reason I came on this trip was very apparent today as we went to A & E at the Birmingham hospital twice today for Vo was in alot of pain in her back and her legs. She does incredibly well and gets around on her own steam even when tired with crutches, but last night she hurt her back and now we are seeing the results of that.
I dont want to go into alot of personal details for Vos privacy, but I felt I needed to show this side of my trip as it could be any of us. MS is a very debilitating disease and everyone has some different symptoms with it. The muscle spasms are very strong and painful.
Vo is a fighter and fiercely independent. She is so brave when in pain and if shes tired. She has been fantastic while I have been here and driven me around so many special places I could never have got to. We have had alot of fun and long car conversations about lots of subjects.... along with fixing the world.(-:
Anyway today was time to look after her.... We got back home from the hospital the second time at midnight. The hospital staff both times have been fantastic.
I dont want to go into alot of personal details for Vos privacy, but I felt I needed to show this side of my trip as it could be any of us. MS is a very debilitating disease and everyone has some different symptoms with it. The muscle spasms are very strong and painful.
Vo is a fighter and fiercely independent. She is so brave when in pain and if shes tired. She has been fantastic while I have been here and driven me around so many special places I could never have got to. We have had alot of fun and long car conversations about lots of subjects.... along with fixing the world.(-:
Anyway today was time to look after her.... We got back home from the hospital the second time at midnight. The hospital staff both times have been fantastic.
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