I really wanna go to Scotland, Wales and Ireland
We've been to Scotland and Ireland. Absolutely gorgeous. The stories and leprecons and fridge magnets and Christmas trimmings ....... wow! Loved it! The strangest thing though is that I never really drank much on holiday. Thank goodness for that cause I don't remember much of the holidays in general so imagine if I was still sloshed at the same time.
Hehehehe ... I'm a smoker and the one thing I DO remember was forcing the entire top of my body to hang out a tiny which only opened about 40 cms (RSA) window so I could smoke without the smell getting into the room or the smoke detectors going off.
(and this was SOBER
) I had huge black bruises all over my shoulders, arms and I think even my chest the entire holiday
We've been to Germany - I cant remember the name right now (I think it starts with a D - a smallish town) but what amazed me was how everyone followed the rules when crossing the streets. They would actually wait until the light turned green before crossing the street. Here by us it seems to work in reverse - when the little man is red THATS when pedestrians sloooooowly start crossing the street. And the streets were beautiful and clean. Everyhing there was just perfect. The people were fantastic and so helpful there. I do remember that in Germany I continuously went into the men's bathrooms. I don't know whether it was the signage that was confusing or what was going on with me in Germany but a big Fraulein chased me out of one of the bathrooms. Thankfully. Just to happen again at the next "pit stop"
Since its quiet on the site the members would probably not mind if I share some of my travelling memories - or at least, the ones I can remember ...
Switzerland - the snow would come a few days after we left already. Zurich and Geneva is nice but Engelberg .... wow! been back twice there. partly because I just came out of a clinic on the same day we were flying (was still on bipolar meds at that time and the meds had to be re-examined and changed) so we were travelling with half a suitcase full of pills I was on at that particular moment
. All I remember from the first trip to Switzerland that I was painting fat ladies. Literally. I had my painting kit with me and whenever you saw me I was painting - but ONLY FAT ladies!
How's that for obsession? Whilst on the train, in the room, in the park ... the family still kills themselves laughing about me and the fat ladies on that trip.
Paris was beautiful with all the gold in the gates and yes we did see the hotel where Princess Di stayed. Personally I found the French quite rude so we eventually started speaking to them in Afrikaans and THEN they became so pleasant. Paris didn't really have toilets though and the ones you could find always required small change so nope, negative emotions when I think back of the time in France. Good pancakes though
London is nice. People are lovely but its not the place for me. Too busy. It kind of reminds of our JHB here. The red double decker busses and red telephone booths brought back many memories and that I absolutely love about London. And the guard - hehehehe - typical tourist we stood next to them and tried our utmost to make them laugh or move
but nope. Well trained -i'll give them that. They did not move a muscle. I wonder if they're used to tourists behaving like that and what they actually think when we do that? Mmmmmm maybe its best I don't know unless the ex-soldiers want to give us some idea what might have been going through their minds
Argentina was nice especially the ranch we visited with the empanadas. This day I had stax of red wine so don't ask me anything else about that day. I remember flamingo dancers and huge steaks and a bus ride back to the hotel but that's about it.
Amsterdam - wow there I would like to go again. A beautiful city and the red light area is absolutely fascinating. The ladies in the windows. Nothing like ive ever seen. Tulips and those clog shoe thingies at the market. A completely different world. And all the people on the bicycles. I think it was here we saw a tram - we don't see that here by us. Apparently stealing bicycles is the biggest crime in Amsterdam (well a that time) that's not too bad hey? id rather they steal my bicycle than some of the things going on these days.
The absolute best place for me though is Rome. I remember Rome. The cobbled roads, the little restaurants, the Vatican, the fountain, the Italian ice cream. We went back to Rome a couple of times as I simply could not get enough of Rome. The room we stayed in was huge. Old furniture which I loved and scaffolding at the window.
I didn't know it was scaffolding - I thought its part of the décor so that is once again a story the family never forget.
I would live in Rome if I could. The weather's nice and there's so much history there! Even the atmosphere in Rome is filled with history. A most wonderful city indeed.
Venice - mmmm glad I saw it before it disappears but that's about it.
Mauritius - loved it. Been there about 7 times but its too commercial for me now. On one of the trips we were there when there was a (I don't know it they call it a zone 4) cyclone or something? That was sooooooo scary! My son was still small so I didn't sleep that night at all! I packed a little bag containing his bottles, nappies and other thingies and had my tekkies right by the door. I figured if anything happens i'll grab my son, tekkies and bag and just run for the highest location. Bugger hubby. He would be on his own
(Not that there were any high locations near. The side of the island we were on was pretty flat). You get the best tans (sunbathing) in Mauritius but it gets hot as hell so best stay in a hotel with aircon. Hehehehe while I was pacing up and down hubby was snoring away peacefully until I started waking him up every 15 minutes to walk to the ocean to see if the water was still where it was supposed to be. My reasoning was that I didn't hear the frogs anymore so best we make sure everything was still right.
I would still like to go to Peru and Egypt but must say I'm quite happy with what we've experienced so far and am just enjoying staying at home now. Maybe I'm getting old or just comfortable where we are in this period of our lives.
and words like petrol instead of gas and car boot instead of trunk, hood instead of bonnet and the list goes on
These are the words we use here in RSA as well
(not hood though - a bonnet is a bonnet especially when its a Voksie bonnet
I'm taking it you are referring to a car?)
Love and Light
Noels xxx
