The one thing I forgot to say about yesterday’s visit was the heaving crowds of school kids. All the ancient sites are free to visit for them and seen as part of the curriculum. Black is a very popular (not to say ubiquitous) colour for teenagers and the thought of walking around a load of old ruins in skin tight pleather trousers and matching jacket … Continue reading Pompeii!

Back on the coast road, past Vesuvius and south to Paestum. I am listening to the American couple behind me (or, rather, to the male half whilst the woman makes sympathetic remarks). The conversation so far has ranged through letting God guide you, the problems with too much introspection, Dosteovsky’s questioning what the world would be like if Christianity had never existed and existentialism. I … Continue reading On the way to Paestum

Well here I am overlooking the Bay of Naples, staying in a 5 star hotel which is the sort of place one sees in the films. https://www.grandhotelangiolieri.it/en/. George Clooney would not be out of place. He’s not here though – as far as I know. My room does not have a sea view but, apart from that, it seems very nice. I am a little … Continue reading And here we go. Back on the road – sort of.

Today started with brunch and, this afternoon, there was the offer of either ice skating or the pantomime. I turned both of those down – for fairly obvious reasons – and instead went to Prior Park (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/prior-park-landscape-garden) which is uphill from here. In Bath, most things are uphill. This is a landscape garden built in the 18C by Ralph Allen, one of the major developers … Continue reading Boxing Day

Partly because of a lack of a better offer and partly because I cannot ask other people to have the dog over Christmas – so no foreign holidays – I am spending four days in a hotel in Bath. 15 miles from home but dog friendly and cheaper than some of the other options. It’s quite eclectic inside with lots of decorations, things hanging from … Continue reading Bath at Christmas

Most people are very good about sticking to the speed limit. Most restaurants seem to sell mainly a combination of meat / fish and chips. Sometimes with salad. Although I have not been in any really upmarket ones. Homesick people name their new place after their old place. Sport is the biggest thing. As is drinking. It is a bank holiday weekend and not only … Continue reading Both the last day and the penultimate last day. Plus some observations on Australia.

Or at least a temporary one….. To start with, breakfast at the hotel. I didn’t mention this before but they bring round a breakfast basket to your room around 8am to go with the tea, coffee and milk already there. And very nice it is too. Then off to walk around the Hunter Valley Gardens ($40 – £20 – to get in). Some bits of … Continue reading I have been officially adopted as a grandma.

Well this is a nice place. It reminds me of affluent areas of the USA – large houses, beautifully mown grass and the tidiest vineyards you have ever seen. There are many wine (and whisky, chocolate, cheese etc) tasting houses, a couple of areas of chi chi shops and at least one golf resort. I did go to the next town today and discovered where … Continue reading Pokolbin

As nothing much happened today I shall post this tomorrow. Today I drove from Armidale to Pokolbin, all along the New England motorway. This morning, in the mountains, it was 10 degrees and chilly. I went over the Great Dividing Range again. Sorry I haven’t got any pictures but it’s impossible to do whilst travelling at 100kph and official viewpoints appeared non existent. The mountains … Continue reading Yet more driving….

After a lovely few days with Anne and Andy (and the dogs), I have started on my journey back towards Sydney and (eventually) home. Lots more driving, over the mountains and down a road called the New England highway full of Scottish named towns, settlements etc. There are some exceptions – Stonehenge and Bolivia for example. Incidentally, north of Stanthorpe there is a town called … Continue reading And off I go again – back south.