More pictures than words this time

Valletta port, start of cruise - on P&O Oceania

Atrium area

The only way we can pay for this trip is for Barbara to work

From the winery Poggio del Cardinale looking out over Montefiascone, Italy

Pam found the wine cellar!

Outside the winery

Corsican hills on the way to Vizzavona

View from Vizzavona

Village of Bocognano which is set on a plateau amongst a chestnut forest

Locals playing boules in Bocognano on Sunday afternoon

Ajaccio

People-watching on a black tie night

Valletta - Malta

On Sunday we left the north-east and Newcastle behind and ventured south by train to London. I wasn’t prepared for the excitement of being back in this great city again, albeit briefly! We travelled on familiar roads such as Euston and Marlybone, passed Harley Street and the Great Portland Road, and on north to our hotel close to Heathrow. It was rather sobering passing the Grenville Tower quite close, still standing in its burnt-out state.

We had the next day to fill in before travelling to Malta and we spent this by getting a local bus to Windsor. As we arrived people were lining the streets and Police were out in force. It turned out that we were just in time for the daily march of the Coldstream Guards from their barracks through the town and up to Windsor Castle. A spectacular sight!

Changing Guards at Windsor Palace - Coldstream Guards that is

We visited Eton, just over the bridge but a separate town, and saw the boys in their coat tails between lessons.

Eton Boys

As if we haven’t done a lot of walking, we then went into Windsor Great Park and walked “The Long Walk” (well partly!)

The Long Walk looking towards Windsor Castle

And so to Malta –

Barbara

So……you have this small island in the middle of nowhere, or so it seems, until you realise just how strategically it is placed in the Mediterranean, that has been invaded on numerous occasions, its people religiously converted, unconverted as the occupiers changed, it’s land improved agriculturally only to be unimproved/changed by the next invaders.  The people become resilient, they build fortifications, they embellish their tall homes with beautiful balconies.  Built tall they say to provide long shadows to protect the pedestrians from the heat of the day. The buildings and churches get bombed, they re-build and restore them.  Valletta is to be the 2018 European City of Culture so there is a lot of work going on in the central part of the city.  The streets are narrow, steep, cobbled, stepped, hung with huge gorgeous pendants, there is a church or chapel on every block at least, there is vibrant and animated chatter in the streets and in the shops.  The harbours now boast marinas with multi-million dollar boats, ferries that take you quickly from one ancient wonderful world to another, cruise liners cosying up to traditional dghajsa (pronounced di-sa) water taxis.  This is Malta!.  It is historical and beautiful, and we have only seen the city of Valletta.  The ancient city of Mdina is inland, the island of Gozo further north. We would have loved to have seen more, but happy that we trod these ancient streets and soaked up (in more ways than one) some of the atmosphere. Yes,,thunderstorms all day (both days) have proved that you never go anywhere without your trusty jacket. It has made walking a little more challenging as the cobbles and steep streets become slippery.  However it has not stopped us from doing everything we wanted to, and the sun did come out later in the day yesterday.  Not cold though, muggy.  We have stayed in the centre of the old town in a boutique hotel with a plunge pool where an old well used to be in the basement area.  Our balcony overlooks a small narrow busy street that brings the local world into our room.

Hotel in Valletta - our room just above the sign - French Embassy police box on street

We are also next door to the French Embassy which may be why there is even more animated conversation out there!. The Maltese people are friendly, they know they are a tiny island, the population is a potpourri of so many other cultures. We join our cruise from here today, but return at the end and look forward to reacquainting ourselves with this enchanting place.

Pam

Colourful banners adorn the streets

Altar at St John's Co-Cathedral

Ceiling at St John's Co-Cathedral. We also saw two paintings by Caravaggio in this church - magnificent!

Looking towards the 3 Cities from Valletta - we took a ferry over there for lunch

The Maltese Cross in the form of banners. We took a tour of the old hospital dating back to the 1700s. This area is now used as a function centre

Old and new

Bow detail of a dghajsa

Barbara hates this photo! but needs must, from the upper Barraca Gardens

Barbara and balconies

Areet mate? alright mates!

Our last full day in Newcastle, we have enjoyed our visit here and have found it peaceful to be out of the tourist hot spots – even if we are one of them ourselves! The locals are all very friendly and willing to engage you in conversation. Seven bridges in the middle of the city centre appear to make the traffic move a bit more smoothly than in some other places we have been and we have walked over several. Our accommodation is almost on the waterfront on the other side of the river from the city centre but easy to get across to the shopping and other amenities.

Four of the bridges across the River Tyne

Our first priority were haircuts and we found a small salon and Dalton, a Jamaican hairdresser with an encyclopaedic knowledge of rugby! Very impressed with his recall of New Zealand activities on the field and of our players, both former ones and current.

The next day we took a train to Durham, just a 12 minute trip away. This is a delightful small city with narrow, cobbled walkways and streets. One of the main ones is controlled by traffic lights to hold traffic at one end as you can’t drive up and down at the same time, it is so narrow and twisting! The Durham Cathedral dates back to the 11^th century and was very impressive! It is one of the seven original heritage sites in the UK.

Cloisters of Durham Cathedral

Yesterday was family time and I met up with a 2^nd cousin, David Hanvey, and his wife, Wendy. They took us to see the Angel of the North, a large sculpture that sits on a hill to the south of Newcastle. 20 metres tall with a span of 54 metres. Following this we had a good look around Ryton, the area to the south of Newcastle where my paternal grandfather’s family settled in the early 1900s. Later in the day we also met with their daughter, Amanda. She was in New Zealand at Christmas time last year so enjoyed hearing of her adventures there. A great day out and enjoyed seeing some areas we would not normally have got to.

Barbara with Wendy, David and Amanda

Last day in Newcastle today before getting the train to London tomorrow then Heathrow before our trip to Malta and cruise starting Tuesday.

Barbara

Howay now all canny lad and lasses! Divent worry I’m not losing the plot, just giving you a taste of the local lingo. Newcastle/Geordie/Toon Town/Whey Aye Man and How ye deein’?

 The geordie accents mean you have to have a keen ear to understand some of the folk.  This time my “go to” song has been the theme from the TV series of the late 1960s “When the Boat comes In” starring James Bolam. Of course some of you won’t have a clue what I’m talking about but for the rest of you – “Who shall have a fishy on a little dishy, who shall have some haddock, when the boat comes in”.  Classic.  Durham is a delight.  Such a charming “City” (because it has a cathedral), vibrant university life, a café called “Flat White”, that disappointingly had nothing to do with New Zealand even though it had marmite on the menu, and a pretty walkway along the winding River Wear. 

Durham Town Square

Durham display

I find Newcastle a treat. The myriad of bridges add an extra interest to the River Tyne. A couple of them swing open to allow bigger vessels. One of them is called the blinking eye (or Millennium Bridge) which we hope to watch in action today.  We are going to a local version of The Last Night of the Proms tonight at the Newcastle Cathedral. It features the cathedral choir and Dunston Silver Band. Seeing The Angel of the North up close was great.  Very well-developed calves I thought! 

Angel of the North - spot Pam in pink

Poser

It was nice to meet Barbara’s northern family, they showed us around some hidden gems and gave us some interesting local info.  The ammunitions industry employed thousands in its time  (Vickers Armstrong especially).  And…… not only did we brave a haircut, I also had my eyebrows done – in a Superdrug store (think supermarket with a one stop beauty/make-up area at one end of a cramped aisle) – cheerful and cheap – my two favourites things – and they appear to be even!! Added bonus! Our accommodation here is just a 10min walk across a bridge(of course) into Newcastle, or Gateshead the other way. The Hilton is opposite and the Masters Golfers are staying there at the moment.  We have been over a couple of times to voyeur (to no avail – but then we wouldn’t actually know if we had seen anyone important anyway!)

Hilton Hotel with Tyne Bridge

So until our next update….”Champion wor kid” – meaning we are doing alright xx

Pam

Thomas Cook travel promotion - Quayside, Newcastle

Getting close in Newcastle

A wee bit more ...

I like to match up songs to where I am, so the one currently going round in my head is “Good Good Good Vibrations”, not because of any Beaches, or Boys, but because of the bone rattling double decker bus ride we took down to take a cruise on the Firth of Forth.  Most of the trip seemed to be on the old cobbled roads, that I would normally call ankle turners when trying to walk on them, but I think they should be thought of as a physiotherapist’s dream, when riding them as I’m sure many backs have been shattered or at least put out of alignment!  That aside the cruise to view the three bridges that now cross the Firth was good.  There is the original red Forth Railway Bridge that still takes over 200 trains a day, the Forth Road bridge built in the late 1960’s and the brand spanking new Queensferry Crossing road bridge opened by Her Majesty 3 weeks ago (which we got to drive over on our return from our wee car trip  last Thursday).

Forth Rail Bridge painted in Forth Red

3 Bridges

On Saturday we had a cultural and family day in Glasgow.  My cousins John and his wife Linda, Karen and Mhairi showed us some gems of renowned Glaswegian architect/designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh in the Lighthouse Gallery.  Climbing to the top of the old water tower in this building gave a view over Glasgow. There is an honesty and a charm to this view -  no Trump like towers (thank goodness) but rather, a grittiness that reflects its hardworking history. 

Pam's cousins John, Karen, (Pam) Mhairi, Linda

Part of the Glasgow skyline

But Glasgow is indeed a city of universities, art colleges, modern meeting old architecture that fits like glove.  We had time to look around the Kelvingrove Art Gallery too.  Here I found myself looking at paintings by Renoir, Cezzane, Rousseau, van Gogh and my new favourite Henri Matisse.

Art installation at Kelvingrove

Following a rather nice meal at an Italian restaurant we saw a one woman show at the Tron Theatre.  She took us on a journey in a show called “All the things I lied about”, making it at times a sobering, amusing, political look at ourselves and others. Our culture fix was to continue as we made our way back to Edinburgh on the train amidst some fervent, well liquored football supporters.  I have no idea what they were saying as their accent by this stage in the day was unrecognisable. Dear Edinburgh still has a special place in my heart.  It looked after us 12 years ago and did so again this week. We spent the last full day soaking it all up, visiting old haunts and giving thanks that we were able to see Old Reekie once more.

Pam

Edinburgh Castle

Queen Mary's bathouse at Holyrood Palace

Pammy found a wee friend at the Museum of Childhood but clearly they fell out!

Evening walk Holyrood Park at the end of our street

Track up to Salisbury Crags

Everyone should have one of these in their castle!

Glaswegian humour - best sign we have seen yet for facilities - and we have seen a few

Hail Caledonia

A calm Irish Sea gave us a smooth sailing from Ireland to Scotland on Tuesday, The following day we took time to familiarise ourselves again with Edinburgh and the changes that had taken place since we lived here 12 years ago. We started with a walk up the Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle, on to Princes Street (the main street) which is restricted now to the new tram system, buses and taxis, and then on to Morningside where we used to live and Bruntsfield.

We picked up a rental car the night before ready for an early start yesterday to travel up towards the Trossacks with several stops on the way. The highlight was seeing the Kelpies, a modern sculpture of two heads of horses standing 30 metres tall. Massive and very imposing. Then on to Stirling and a small village called Callander, where one of Pam’s ancestors originated from. On our way back to Edinburgh we stopped off at Gleneagles Hotel and the famous golf course, then on to Kinross and a trip across Loch Leven to the ruins of a castle where Queen Mary was imprisoned in the 1500s before she famously escaped across the water.

A late return to Edinburgh meant being caught up in rush hour traffic and the nightmare of trying to negotiate the city streets to drop off the rental.

Today has been a little quieter with me spending some time in the main Scottish research centre and Pam on the streets again!

Barbara

I will address that comment about me walking the streets shortly.

Leaving Belfast

What a crossing from Belfast to Cairnryan, Ayrshire Scotland.  It was like a millpond, very few on board meant we had a choice of fantastic viewpoints both inside and out. If any of you are thinking about how to take in Northern Ireland & Scotland then this Stena Line connection is worth  considering.  Either bring a car across with you on the ferry or pick up one on the other side.  We chose to take a “Sail/Rail” ticket which took us across the Irish Sea, coach waiting to transfer us to Ayr where a train took us Glasgow and then finally a train to Edinburgh.  Left Belfast 7.30am, arrived Edinburgh 2pm. Some lovely coastal scenery on the bus as you follow the coast for some time en route to Ayr.  Ailsa Craig looking splendid.  All you keen curlers will know this is where all the granite comes from to make the curling stones. I’m delighted that Edinburgh feels familiar, and that I don’t have to get a map out at the drop of a hat. Re-visiting old haunts, travelling on buses and knowing where they go is a treat! We also hopped on one of the new city trams and went out as far as Murrayfield. 

The kelpie horses are fantastic! Modelled on real working Clydesdales Duke and Barron, this art installation sits alongside a newly created canal and some canal boats were taking advantage of mooring up here.

The Kelpies - Duke and Baron

In Scotland Kelpies are mythical creatures often presenting as horses

The visit to Callander was to try and find Pam’s great great great grandmother’s (father’s side) grave, which we knew was there, and in which cemetery it was. Very sadly there had been recent vandalism at the cemetery and several headstones has been pushed over, requiring the cemetery gates to be locked.  The drunken lout has been arrested and charged.  I wanted to express my disappointment and the only people available to listen to my “I’ve come all the way from NZ to see this grave, and I’m so upset I can’t get in“ routine were the rather patient people at the Info centre.  They said they would fill out one of their customer complaint forms – didn’t really cut the mustard and the gates were still padlocked!

Not happy!

Callander - The Tom na Chiseag cemetery

To make myself feel better I felt I needed some time in refined surroundings so we headed to Gleneagles Hotel for what turned out to be a brief photo opportunity in the front lounge. Men were leaning around the sides of their newspapers looking at these clear interlopers. 

Gleneagles Hotel Lounge - regular customer!

We decided not to take up membership of the golf club (which shall we say, given our penchant for the game – Raewyn & Ron will understand  (think Millbrook concert and B’s black eye) was probably just as well!! Onwards to the next highlight of our day – Loch Leven and a 10 min ride in a very small boat to see this ancient ruined castle.  Queen Mary made good her escape by rowing to the mainland – good on her! Came back over the Firth of Forth via the brand new and rather impressive Queensferry Crossing Bridge.

Artistic shot - Loch Leven Castle

Now, as for the comment about me walking the streets of Edinburgh – true, all true.  But all in a good cause.  I was sussing out a decent pub for a meal of haggis neaps and tatties for our lunch.  The Black Rose in Rose street was the lucky winner!  Yum yum yum.

Pam