tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482504655126232952024-03-12T20:21:40.015-07:00Sarah and Steve's big adventureStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-62401685946650690762009-04-13T11:55:00.000-07:002009-05-26T13:47:43.266-07:00Turkey anyone?OK so this may be a little dull for some people, so what we have done is highlight all the good bits in red, not to say that the other bits are rubbish, just that we are aware of that some people have short attention spans. Also a usual there are pictures to spice it up and keep people interested.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Context:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-ZPdfl27MFUsAUSinySdr8jjLARxMn7PbrVgIe_5UtgVuTqFDoE0DJ3oq52EINvbmaNUCBIwzxdbEf2intrU90IJIYI_ZGMBUa4FJieLyY97ndppR8MAzaY9ElUzs8Vs1zqu8gLOW34/s1600-h/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-ZPdfl27MFUsAUSinySdr8jjLARxMn7PbrVgIe_5UtgVuTqFDoE0DJ3oq52EINvbmaNUCBIwzxdbEf2intrU90IJIYI_ZGMBUa4FJieLyY97ndppR8MAzaY9ElUzs8Vs1zqu8gLOW34/s320/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340225851435150194" border="0" /></a>Turkey for seven days with Sarah's mum and her partner Mark. Stay in a house with a pool in a tourist town called Feythie on the Mediteranian Coast. The general plan was to read a book or two and relax with lots of sunshine and maybe eat a few kebabs on the way.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What happened</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flight:</span><br />So it turns out that the Friday we left was the beginning of the school holidays in Blighty. This made for an interesting red-eye flight. There may have been just a few too many kids under nine for a four hour flight that leaves at ten at night. Well maybe a few too many for us.<br /><br />Day one:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_KI455kEnlp3IzDg5b0egw-oe2yiNc21BDSGp_6K4HENxznBXgeu_-SElcWmlM_qqV2rT7RqTwXmhjQK_QFlR3Rp_I-8VimKtmwD9P8fwlFHbdotfG_dNxyUdU4jdtrZu5hhLKMBTpQ/s1600-h/IMG_0563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_KI455kEnlp3IzDg5b0egw-oe2yiNc21BDSGp_6K4HENxznBXgeu_-SElcWmlM_qqV2rT7RqTwXmhjQK_QFlR3Rp_I-8VimKtmwD9P8fwlFHbdotfG_dNxyUdU4jdtrZu5hhLKMBTpQ/s320/IMG_0563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340225855578266690" border="0" /></a>Arrived at the house at 5am local time, had a cup of tea and slept till early in the afternoon. We then went for a trip to town on a dalmish - a local bus or as we saw it a mini van with a sign at the front saying it went to town. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We mucked about a bit and then went to the local fish market where you pick the fish you like and the the local restaurant cooks it for you!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZscYAyAhODLSi3xUA9xuQcCpV-JEpRSaP7YFJNJsJZ3a_odL6t4VelaEy2UNWJiCS1qMK5nqigGFY5TU-ro6KCI8e9nYiw8i58fkzOjg8ER0b3OZJkKdz70bud-agyGvZq10Ijt3Os4/s1600-h/IMG_0789.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZscYAyAhODLSi3xUA9xuQcCpV-JEpRSaP7YFJNJsJZ3a_odL6t4VelaEy2UNWJiCS1qMK5nqigGFY5TU-ro6KCI8e9nYiw8i58fkzOjg8ER0b3OZJkKdz70bud-agyGvZq10Ijt3Os4/s320/IMG_0789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340230249795076914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs-k3KtfmKDFZInWfwvTJvkcVJzWXJJ1_4T1mdH15CMSafsUTACL7Bp0a0ebnsPalYkbaj4TyDcVdeeREJQ8hCLJtYey7NROr3XgsCPb_ahrZOen7J3-_PKVwUMdIiPkllDtcT1Kemmw/s1600-h/IMG_0574.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrs-k3KtfmKDFZInWfwvTJvkcVJzWXJJ1_4T1mdH15CMSafsUTACL7Bp0a0ebnsPalYkbaj4TyDcVdeeREJQ8hCLJtYey7NROr3XgsCPb_ahrZOen7J3-_PKVwUMdIiPkllDtcT1Kemmw/s320/IMG_0574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340226805472966450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />All the rest of the time...<br />So I got bored writing this! <br /><br />In a nut shell we:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNSNFp9HUA4F6uKUmKmQdrXB0arphF3_lUthQykC0tfWBVw6DSzAQi0aNBL4xDTZmUyMyuTjCktbRcWeJOuxZxwAXSxACeHDYUFL1I3EDQl0oLyc-8XxKorKjU6pubVbE5zxcOTPproY/s1600-h/IMG_0724.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNSNFp9HUA4F6uKUmKmQdrXB0arphF3_lUthQykC0tfWBVw6DSzAQi0aNBL4xDTZmUyMyuTjCktbRcWeJOuxZxwAXSxACeHDYUFL1I3EDQl0oLyc-8XxKorKjU6pubVbE5zxcOTPproY/s320/IMG_0724.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340229379761335986" border="0" /></a>Went on a crazy four wheel drive trip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNE9fwGAg9fXjExYUBniLV6UB5v-iaq6Tj8A86TpLsk6TGa009Knm6BVlaT__WjHChJmasgNbcnT6RsTaUGtB57NCL6KJ-ZdT_DcWy5HTYUob-VYdKi3Mhb-uhiRh6_-bDa5UGfKgHgs0/s1600-h/IMG_0717.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNE9fwGAg9fXjExYUBniLV6UB5v-iaq6Tj8A86TpLsk6TGa009Knm6BVlaT__WjHChJmasgNbcnT6RsTaUGtB57NCL6KJ-ZdT_DcWy5HTYUob-VYdKi3Mhb-uhiRh6_-bDa5UGfKgHgs0/s320/IMG_0717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340229371831076594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC29LcxdECVmp1fg-svA4ffprRxhKrYAvyZ3XsD3VaH_Mi6q2Nkayg7AUeqEn4Pd5XNFHq6zL8p8JcL1BFakREWQVokNx0JAE8CHplNt6a9wQZuffq8JCiBcJk-683_uboYzE7_N8gAA/s1600-h/IMG_0669.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC29LcxdECVmp1fg-svA4ffprRxhKrYAvyZ3XsD3VaH_Mi6q2Nkayg7AUeqEn4Pd5XNFHq6zL8p8JcL1BFakREWQVokNx0JAE8CHplNt6a9wQZuffq8JCiBcJk-683_uboYzE7_N8gAA/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340228416839336754" border="0" /></a>where we patted trout that swam around a bar - yes they were in the bar... weird...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9Od-NfokgNCdwgz4doPezZPKjxHk5av-SY9ZxkSxZQIoWavgI4FY37kHFtT64DhiPMCiq4PfXcmzamsS2iD7MgR_voqkl_U49L535mDfJOaBixDpQ4_KSEid0QT8SSBb7Sc37FdHktI/s1600-h/IMG_0768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9Od-NfokgNCdwgz4doPezZPKjxHk5av-SY9ZxkSxZQIoWavgI4FY37kHFtT64DhiPMCiq4PfXcmzamsS2iD7MgR_voqkl_U49L535mDfJOaBixDpQ4_KSEid0QT8SSBb7Sc37FdHktI/s320/IMG_0768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340230240257869090" border="0" /></a>Then went for a "mud bath" or swimming in the muddy part of the river...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS68mYj3DXWv3U47doHb0fBn8OxIJ7FWUrLqRpezfixiranUHIp4fRFLeEMniv1Fl9Ia2hQgzEAfM9F_TYywCN4QyzQZAgHfGEUaIWov-XQYHLepep5u5QYccH8N1wXXd3pv2OLCPo_w/s1600-h/IMG_0813.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS68mYj3DXWv3U47doHb0fBn8OxIJ7FWUrLqRpezfixiranUHIp4fRFLeEMniv1Fl9Ia2hQgzEAfM9F_TYywCN4QyzQZAgHfGEUaIWov-XQYHLepep5u5QYccH8N1wXXd3pv2OLCPo_w/s320/IMG_0813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340231491010296194" border="0" /></a>Went on a seven islands boat cruise - which was lovely and sunny.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkbJx033AChU2G6U1S1qXmZEISWN9HSzFohgxVpnFeUsUXzEyRjxQVv4LGMk1uGCigNPZ_BDsOQJxyC_VNgS6toylTNbPADdCN8lY_EdVuSj6giwxLw-t2vAu6yx6YWwSakL_pnZk68c/s1600-h/IMG_0840.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkbJx033AChU2G6U1S1qXmZEISWN9HSzFohgxVpnFeUsUXzEyRjxQVv4LGMk1uGCigNPZ_BDsOQJxyC_VNgS6toylTNbPADdCN8lY_EdVuSj6giwxLw-t2vAu6yx6YWwSakL_pnZk68c/s320/IMG_0840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340231500977330722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Jumped off the boat and swam in the med for the first time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8q8tErIVHJnD7LqYaIThb5Dy_qFsw_tKsZPBU3xOv3TR94tL3n01V4cwN1kTIPLEFUWiZIgcIqkWi1aKhr1uRvXtLldV6Ra6zqTaixRgkX45n_KU7TI17EzWZUOLae-5Xqil9vKjjPY/s1600-h/IMG_0860.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8q8tErIVHJnD7LqYaIThb5Dy_qFsw_tKsZPBU3xOv3TR94tL3n01V4cwN1kTIPLEFUWiZIgcIqkWi1aKhr1uRvXtLldV6Ra6zqTaixRgkX45n_KU7TI17EzWZUOLae-5Xqil9vKjjPY/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340231506029206578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Made friends with the local dog called Bruce - he was lovely<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE1CpmQYYWprryqbQm2UDQPoZvBsgvcf82BJFYRvoLVvhCVvk7Ifaoys9GurdHKOADenzyZDgnZOKdg_UyeoKitfxJeSHque6msJ71mPP16JAQcSiJUIeQh7xgMztIepsRJww6porIW4/s1600-h/IMG_0591.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE1CpmQYYWprryqbQm2UDQPoZvBsgvcf82BJFYRvoLVvhCVvk7Ifaoys9GurdHKOADenzyZDgnZOKdg_UyeoKitfxJeSHque6msJ71mPP16JAQcSiJUIeQh7xgMztIepsRJww6porIW4/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340226809138339010" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ate and drank lots and generally relaxed to Turkish time<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLMoSPLVw5DfFZHyU9YWmwdaqhoNKBdoBw42Bu09W5bTLBDre0s593Dx33IGwulze6UEDWiyxjqY1tSd35e0RQiU1zU0640rZZcaK9tcVsAeJlJT8fkddylIlZfFLAr2XhkY-_WpKPdg/s1600-h/IMG_0759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLMoSPLVw5DfFZHyU9YWmwdaqhoNKBdoBw42Bu09W5bTLBDre0s593Dx33IGwulze6UEDWiyxjqY1tSd35e0RQiU1zU0640rZZcaK9tcVsAeJlJT8fkddylIlZfFLAr2XhkY-_WpKPdg/s320/IMG_0759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340229384428802914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr5VsuH-1a0BmogZJBjFoTrSSB8aoPHuT9uX5iXjEw6xlQ2p1tKvopZ2nvFE1dWe9m5rLvmtxDZPGfSVGAeYqNAwskimmjxpCV-MxSElUWe2MglBZohhiiCSB84ZLiNadh0SR31EVKFw/s1600-h/IMG_0625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDr5VsuH-1a0BmogZJBjFoTrSSB8aoPHuT9uX5iXjEw6xlQ2p1tKvopZ2nvFE1dWe9m5rLvmtxDZPGfSVGAeYqNAwskimmjxpCV-MxSElUWe2MglBZohhiiCSB84ZLiNadh0SR31EVKFw/s320/IMG_0625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340228413468747026" border="0" /></a>Went to some really neat markets and practiced haggling - we are both not very good at it though...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlteuSrbC0Zux0cZxqIrZPk9cFVpHuYs_N_pDCEFsHnL7V6fIIs84lVvM5EKp8QTC_lxMA1QkRhprE4THATimJOjRRq8Q4UenV6ikECb3LlC2wOQU23TqQ-S3bDfO75bXTswm2yWFNPk/s1600-h/IMG_0711.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlteuSrbC0Zux0cZxqIrZPk9cFVpHuYs_N_pDCEFsHnL7V6fIIs84lVvM5EKp8QTC_lxMA1QkRhprE4THATimJOjRRq8Q4UenV6ikECb3LlC2wOQU23TqQ-S3bDfO75bXTswm2yWFNPk/s320/IMG_0711.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340228420822504482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUj09tcpBk7HtHbEu9IxKNKhNcL-06vL-QyG_5vLPBbATHlL8LWKX3jcla9C4Biox8yxgq6iRAZUDZs345zrCT6kLfNgA27DJA3aI0vFtJgrxF0Yn55kzOcbiyxV1ZqqVqewWS84K6Gk/s1600-h/IMG_0788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUj09tcpBk7HtHbEu9IxKNKhNcL-06vL-QyG_5vLPBbATHlL8LWKX3jcla9C4Biox8yxgq6iRAZUDZs345zrCT6kLfNgA27DJA3aI0vFtJgrxF0Yn55kzOcbiyxV1ZqqVqewWS84K6Gk/s320/IMG_0788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340230245630740466" border="0" /></a>We also saw some other funny things like this...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO0zciY239KNqBbU9yFJQXflk-kQbBUmCF-tR8rr941y2F8J1D9fR-7pUkD2UcFOHsJVVobA6x5HE3L7_MYhozVV-12zsBMJGvJDxz8TWZxiNoNF7Yrr5BKuPrZTFYuANk1AJdxXxztc/s1600-h/IMG_0604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO0zciY239KNqBbU9yFJQXflk-kQbBUmCF-tR8rr941y2F8J1D9fR-7pUkD2UcFOHsJVVobA6x5HE3L7_MYhozVV-12zsBMJGvJDxz8TWZxiNoNF7Yrr5BKuPrZTFYuANk1AJdxXxztc/s320/IMG_0604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340226815570255778" border="0" /></a>And thisStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-75343772776555564212009-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:002009-04-13T11:55:13.306-07:00Before we start with Turkey...Before we start with Turkey there are a few things about Ol' London that we should note:<br /><br />1. Croydon is really a below average day out, followed by Crystal Palace - well Crystal Palace does have a big park but it's a bit grim. The National War Museum and the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat race were much more fun. It is deceptively hard to actually see the boats racing however as you can see...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qRET3Q52v2d_lT_ANcACZqYihyphenhyphenI2ALgWx1gvAVc5z-D5geGOmWhPLuJtd0h_ERf08KVJZYkTJjc-X0_SJd2LlUzgP72hFmZ_qz_py6rdSFiFRD36agY2LSL4vfvrM5aSy46DP1YTxAA/s1600-h/IMG_0520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qRET3Q52v2d_lT_ANcACZqYihyphenhyphenI2ALgWx1gvAVc5z-D5geGOmWhPLuJtd0h_ERf08KVJZYkTJjc-X0_SJd2LlUzgP72hFmZ_qz_py6rdSFiFRD36agY2LSL4vfvrM5aSy46DP1YTxAA/s320/IMG_0520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324251250778484930" border="0" /></a><br />2. English people are surprizingly funny and polite at work, and maybe a little useless on occasion.<br /><br />3. And despite having short ad breaks and some top shows, English TV is decidedly average. But the ads in between the English international football games are great.<br /><br />4. You can buy beer at the petrol station, not that the English encourage drink driving - also bike helmets are optional.<br /><br />5. Double-decker bus rides are like tour buses except there is no guide to point out what is important and interesing. The tube however is not like an underground roller coaster.<br /><br />6. Surprizingly there are no canarys in or around Canary Wharf, there are also no Elephants or Castles at Elelphant and Castle. London Bridge does have a very pretty bridge though.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-54152883509118539442009-02-27T06:50:00.000-08:002009-03-14T03:18:48.850-07:00The snow, Spain, and jobs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyddmQ2IJBu0r_SLw1C7rGH3I07-Z0ITM9IqcOENwTolkYN_kaG0uTeiFKcj3kyHTjAqYfdz0Uo9JBkocGsklCcXNaWX-CoF88tEVH5kHC4ocg-LKC6fhXPrjY_GeOH17rVphSIUBViA/s1600-h/IMG_0042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyddmQ2IJBu0r_SLw1C7rGH3I07-Z0ITM9IqcOENwTolkYN_kaG0uTeiFKcj3kyHTjAqYfdz0Uo9JBkocGsklCcXNaWX-CoF88tEVH5kHC4ocg-LKC6fhXPrjY_GeOH17rVphSIUBViA/s320/IMG_0042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309737493576699634" border="0" /></a>Well hello again everybody in the inter-google. We have some important breaking news... Steve has finally convinced some English suckers to employ him! Whoop whoop! It probably has a lot to do with his dapper dress sense and that snappy tie. He is working at Tower Hamlets Homes (part of the Tower Hamlets Council) as a communications officer, starting last Friday. Steve probably smells, cos his boss did not have her contract renewed on Friday afternoon and promptly left... oh what fun!<br /><br />So it has been a while since you were bored by our travels, so this one might be a little long - but we'll make sure there are heaps of pictures or pix as they are known on the hyperweb.<br /><br />Snow Day(s)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijnhHqi64bAm1grl2egEkFHzpbbFBQnSTv2Kb3O1itEan3qQyNrjkkiXOlnHpiJztsetESnZIUpOey8EHHucfJXhgpP2tF3a-Ujr4p43Cl-y0t-yWfK_0udrB6-o40wD9xOKCXIp0lZk/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhijnhHqi64bAm1grl2egEkFHzpbbFBQnSTv2Kb3O1itEan3qQyNrjkkiXOlnHpiJztsetESnZIUpOey8EHHucfJXhgpP2tF3a-Ujr4p43Cl-y0t-yWfK_0udrB6-o40wD9xOKCXIp0lZk/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309749332998337554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As you may already have heard it snowed in London last month. It was quite a bit of snow as you can see. This is our street with snow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvldUWSq5mWNKJ0H3nXZsH0zI358pRudvH-d1MKqVj4NXvn1Mp8wkr0MwZl_jU-Xg07_2ABOpehcSCwq5ntiMeFz6emHcJwvW8wzZzq9kFUeBq2xotOiolGaBRPD0W09c1x9ipMZCnTX8/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvldUWSq5mWNKJ0H3nXZsH0zI358pRudvH-d1MKqVj4NXvn1Mp8wkr0MwZl_jU-Xg07_2ABOpehcSCwq5ntiMeFz6emHcJwvW8wzZzq9kFUeBq2xotOiolGaBRPD0W09c1x9ipMZCnTX8/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309749345340986226" border="0" /></a>The white stuff seemed to bring out the best in people - even the grimy Londoners. It also meant that we had to have a snowball fight with the local kids - they won apparently...<br /><br /><br />According to the papers here after the snow came the terrible crack foxes and hoards of rodents and the black super squirrels. The snow also caused the roads to explode and cost the country all of its money for ever. Luckily for us we were able to hole up in our room watching movies, and missed most of it :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZncGd-nae4bh5OfP3yVmiiFY1eGB-n8rlZNFipTe9wyNJjYy_kWkpQV4xBAOGBqhq6P0m-TPD3LzPSKGxege4JC8P9qs8tjSnG-P0KKJ9yt8aN5ALeOOx2doH95ETFrDTX0sdH3RETg/s1600-h/IMG_0156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZncGd-nae4bh5OfP3yVmiiFY1eGB-n8rlZNFipTe9wyNJjYy_kWkpQV4xBAOGBqhq6P0m-TPD3LzPSKGxege4JC8P9qs8tjSnG-P0KKJ9yt8aN5ALeOOx2doH95ETFrDTX0sdH3RETg/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309750613417789330" border="0" /></a><br />Here are some pictures of the neighborhood and the Brixton markets (just down the hill).<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRClohC19uV3MS1H8eX0HSQh27_RI1RMTVeMKxzkvDmropbUujGvuNkfZLxRhuV8ZTzfxEZ5VqxSoWqJKQss6CDO34YI0wKfn3S4ASVMzo_dgYasBIopRgH_4BhScGN8M_iYLv4h8JtmA/s1600-h/IMG_0155.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRClohC19uV3MS1H8eX0HSQh27_RI1RMTVeMKxzkvDmropbUujGvuNkfZLxRhuV8ZTzfxEZ5VqxSoWqJKQss6CDO34YI0wKfn3S4ASVMzo_dgYasBIopRgH_4BhScGN8M_iYLv4h8JtmA/s320/IMG_0155.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309750573484133346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Its all really Afro-Carribean and has some interesting sights - dried fish heads anyone?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now for Espanyola!<br /><br />We went to Mallorca (or Majorca in English...) in the search of sun and beaches. We definitely got the beaches, but the sun only showed its pretty face for one of the four days so we are still pasty white. We did lots of the typical holiday in Spain things, like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_V9h-JSW3-16VU1STodsi83b0c_iSjHQuow_u6TSBZsnqPL_xAK1-dEFuKMr5aen77dC8mpT8FJLSk6dmvflSEIajwfCFueiaU89t2FZkmuACoy6fkk3vIbcHiu5-IrB2L5TMcsXRH4w/s1600-h/IMG_0261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_V9h-JSW3-16VU1STodsi83b0c_iSjHQuow_u6TSBZsnqPL_xAK1-dEFuKMr5aen77dC8mpT8FJLSk6dmvflSEIajwfCFueiaU89t2FZkmuACoy6fkk3vIbcHiu5-IrB2L5TMcsXRH4w/s320/IMG_0261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309747935853813682" border="0" /></a>Stayed in a dodgy Miami style hotel with the Spanish chapter of Grey Power - we were on the first floor directly above the "night club" and were kept up most of the night by the over 60's reliving their youth - which was obviously quite frisky!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZFOjpoEDn39Iv2WQKi_wHA35eB-i9b8jUJCAzgmHZEP61S0yfA4ed21WeEZUyG58BR05qCZuNcfV4PFCLqxKzQ3gB3AZZjAHqBLvFx0IGOGDXo1op7-ukUsT-qwuinXULdUIopF7EjM/s1600-h/IMG_0464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZFOjpoEDn39Iv2WQKi_wHA35eB-i9b8jUJCAzgmHZEP61S0yfA4ed21WeEZUyG58BR05qCZuNcfV4PFCLqxKzQ3gB3AZZjAHqBLvFx0IGOGDXo1op7-ukUsT-qwuinXULdUIopF7EjM/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312975870768572226" border="0" /></a>Ate paella and tapas, and drank sangria in the sun (well, on one day at least).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYH2w83nf1OvkpyDnLRUKZg-Rjmk88URgH6-_YSpNw_uI4DS_PlJOLW_tvltvWKU5ZxqlTkVTzQo6f2j41HbkuYnAWUzxsybSjsOJzm4Aj5aPRPKidmrvxnfbd0JiEWuzRaz0JntSv50Y/s1600-h/IMG_0279.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYH2w83nf1OvkpyDnLRUKZg-Rjmk88URgH6-_YSpNw_uI4DS_PlJOLW_tvltvWKU5ZxqlTkVTzQo6f2j41HbkuYnAWUzxsybSjsOJzm4Aj5aPRPKidmrvxnfbd0JiEWuzRaz0JntSv50Y/s320/IMG_0279.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309747948668321602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Got lost down little back streets.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31qUjG9hc_mw3nvqrFpLNIy44Ucn5n1yDSD26UFE0hMPaIfZmW1MYh4_gvDsXFL-pJVuCsTBCrxMPdA_QR0cje7Ve-w5gdr3-ivGAi3pM4PYx9vXCq4_cRia2lUouDKgWBz-xuZPyIR0/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31qUjG9hc_mw3nvqrFpLNIy44Ucn5n1yDSD26UFE0hMPaIfZmW1MYh4_gvDsXFL-pJVuCsTBCrxMPdA_QR0cje7Ve-w5gdr3-ivGAi3pM4PYx9vXCq4_cRia2lUouDKgWBz-xuZPyIR0/s320/IMG_0308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309747958790448802" border="0" /></a><br />Hung out in amazing churches and galleries.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Among the less typical things we did were:<br /><br />Arriving, by chance, on the weekend when Mallorca and the surrounding Baleric islands celebrate becoming semi-autonomious from Spain. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmm9tmVjnWNT4Y81BfCkXgji6cy4l8kqcdQ75p6ffj1KB17OVsXqo1I_yZi17DefGOg5CoeCnhGB3EPWX9hQItHfUDX3a9g5XM-WkxpyIb1TjJ9TyDPxybbSJ7NQjROpvb-79_mqexrk/s1600-h/IMG_0331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmm9tmVjnWNT4Y81BfCkXgji6cy4l8kqcdQ75p6ffj1KB17OVsXqo1I_yZi17DefGOg5CoeCnhGB3EPWX9hQItHfUDX3a9g5XM-WkxpyIb1TjJ9TyDPxybbSJ7NQjROpvb-79_mqexrk/s320/IMG_0331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312971671893599634" border="0" /></a><br />Not that exciting - but they had amazing markets and free wine and sausage tasting as well as "the human tower competition" (pretty sure its not called this but it describes what they got up to).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHl83gchRIonYWmYPk9nwyUpMfpPmjH6RkMEPoV9_6vibGe6jPSPlEaLmTFypoYn9GmU6KG4fTOGRTZ0_gsCFu-srxeO_VjwdvFWHUbyDDMzdxBolTlXO7KVB37ojRdt2yRJzF1Bx6Ms/s1600-h/IMG_0351.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHl83gchRIonYWmYPk9nwyUpMfpPmjH6RkMEPoV9_6vibGe6jPSPlEaLmTFypoYn9GmU6KG4fTOGRTZ0_gsCFu-srxeO_VjwdvFWHUbyDDMzdxBolTlXO7KVB37ojRdt2yRJzF1Bx6Ms/s320/IMG_0351.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312971671009098082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They also had toffee apples... yum!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UmarkHySCXkcwWqRBKAffx4tIx1QmAKAvnVVqJ_V20KdAxBFIgGXBWm731zGlkBwqkA8M1a-pW9FH2ay4zsEW4T0LKgJ6Zzve2P6SFfq1uIlbhXM5FpNBISZ5gj3F6ibKwxZEspASxA/s1600-h/IMG_0432.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UmarkHySCXkcwWqRBKAffx4tIx1QmAKAvnVVqJ_V20KdAxBFIgGXBWm731zGlkBwqkA8M1a-pW9FH2ay4zsEW4T0LKgJ6Zzve2P6SFfq1uIlbhXM5FpNBISZ5gj3F6ibKwxZEspASxA/s320/IMG_0432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312980309443856130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />We also caught this really cute old train to Port Sollier.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9Vwy2j_bU-2MBDV07PdpHdi7pW0qno7iCEHPmeApInBL8gusKCNkLkkHHhcWu0YqrPiKl6Bj9PmA3qSn460kNh6uNB9dZ3bSLCLQfXw-UTJMK526phS5hAnfDcatCQSs3brkCQTikRs/s1600-h/IMG_0442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9Vwy2j_bU-2MBDV07PdpHdi7pW0qno7iCEHPmeApInBL8gusKCNkLkkHHhcWu0YqrPiKl6Bj9PmA3qSn460kNh6uNB9dZ3bSLCLQfXw-UTJMK526phS5hAnfDcatCQSs3brkCQTikRs/s320/IMG_0442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312980304394082354" border="0" /></a>The journey was super, and like it said in the guide book, you could pick oranges and lemons from the train as it travelled across the country side.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjRWVWuAJIOuq-APO8172PlMuweHxYryjNSmf7XXrYtChm6CJ0MQSQf3kbxRUIfmErFK1r3jXj_d8KW8utmJN810UycOcuNHudD9_MUuiJam0zVl25mbzUSDszdyhVvhYkiLhMVv9dKg/s1600-h/IMG_0456.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjRWVWuAJIOuq-APO8172PlMuweHxYryjNSmf7XXrYtChm6CJ0MQSQf3kbxRUIfmErFK1r3jXj_d8KW8utmJN810UycOcuNHudD9_MUuiJam0zVl25mbzUSDszdyhVvhYkiLhMVv9dKg/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312980314266293714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was quite nice...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcExuYQwKMeYdis7eVoFvdKd1cvIwy4dUUv42JFH_dbJf7XKZ78YUkALZFGcPkeqBQnWygAi5ilmA42BjhKxRwa_3WF6KYWenSdf67_E9oA94MsE3ettWUlCjTRHhYjhUdQr1T4RCF7g/s1600-h/IMG_0450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcExuYQwKMeYdis7eVoFvdKd1cvIwy4dUUv42JFH_dbJf7XKZ78YUkALZFGcPkeqBQnWygAi5ilmA42BjhKxRwa_3WF6KYWenSdf67_E9oA94MsE3ettWUlCjTRHhYjhUdQr1T4RCF7g/s320/IMG_0450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312980306497513730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Really quite niceStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-16909001437218621422009-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:002009-01-20T05:56:14.330-08:00Christmas and New Years with the Germs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y1wqdq5wFidqqFOn-sFfheNRRsBj4eVoADmERt81UvVn-OQ0_wJlaUzllvZ-gnL8Ich6fIV56vMajYN55xABrBwV3llm7910LxK880XxmyxwSzD0IPYXZlER36WulN46hZ7WEA-hFhI/s1600-h/IMG_9875.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 532px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8y1wqdq5wFidqqFOn-sFfheNRRsBj4eVoADmERt81UvVn-OQ0_wJlaUzllvZ-gnL8Ich6fIV56vMajYN55xABrBwV3llm7910LxK880XxmyxwSzD0IPYXZlER36WulN46hZ7WEA-hFhI/s320/IMG_9875.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290401379486802370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now for the festive season, where the weather matched all the songs - for once!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZl1L6VEMJYT5PcLBkB8HG4M7KgXeJqkxTLp9KDxU1mnoa96SNgj0qgLEe99xHWh5NXB8hWKJKyAdQV-6bOMokXSRajbqsxkwDKvj6pKARi9sNLeGpu7P9Gome65hmLOZkJxsCwr6MY/s1600-h/IMG_9975.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZl1L6VEMJYT5PcLBkB8HG4M7KgXeJqkxTLp9KDxU1mnoa96SNgj0qgLEe99xHWh5NXB8hWKJKyAdQV-6bOMokXSRajbqsxkwDKvj6pKARi9sNLeGpu7P9Gome65hmLOZkJxsCwr6MY/s320/IMG_9975.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290419502383086706" border="0" /></a>So we decided before we left that we would try as hard as we could for a white Christmas. As Timo (our old German flatmate from Wellington - featured on the left over there) owed Steve a German Christmas for the Kiwi one he attended in 2005, we thought Germany would be a good place to try. As we found out later Germans celebrate Christmas for three days, so it was quite a good choice in the end. We were pretty nervous about "making" Timo's family have us for Christmas, and as we found out later - they were a little too.<br /><br />So we went to Peine to celebrate Christmas with the Rubienzik family. We had the BEST TIME EVER!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEKichBPxFmyvGHge5JzYyb1AVJEXPm2cjGwoci1Iq3BCVZS0kHABJftM51oJsyWK7X73-tq1Rympr31lDFc0Hn2cMB8_0KgVakoJ6SfXVhBTcet2Iwvmpd8ACdXF-u7dF6rAV7htyW0/s1600-h/IMG_9675.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEKichBPxFmyvGHge5JzYyb1AVJEXPm2cjGwoci1Iq3BCVZS0kHABJftM51oJsyWK7X73-tq1Rympr31lDFc0Hn2cMB8_0KgVakoJ6SfXVhBTcet2Iwvmpd8ACdXF-u7dF6rAV7htyW0/s320/IMG_9675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290405364442424210" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBwLD13JyAFDvA3EeWj3CFPiTCRnLjXZG4rY1VzKmj7qF0KJJmhJMy9E6_7fjtx1OAv7MXoZBmeSl3jIzA3e_lIKglrIta07R98cgCdXePFg7wncrvq13jbylyyH_sVWahUnUAgM2oX8/s1600-h/IMG_9670.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBwLD13JyAFDvA3EeWj3CFPiTCRnLjXZG4rY1VzKmj7qF0KJJmhJMy9E6_7fjtx1OAv7MXoZBmeSl3jIzA3e_lIKglrIta07R98cgCdXePFg7wncrvq13jbylyyH_sVWahUnUAgM2oX8/s320/IMG_9670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290405355315916562" border="0" /></a><br />Despite the language barrier, Timo's parents (Klaus and Karin) were wonderful hosts, and Julia (Timo's sisiter) was such great company - her being able to speak English better than both of us really helped here! Both her and Timo did lots of translating as Karin (Timo's mum) spoke about as much English as we speak German. There were a few things over dinner that did not need translating though, like "Timo, you need a haircut" and "no mum, I like it the way it is". Pretty sure mum's around the world are all the same...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCjU8RY072YIJEVM5tiepHx0rg5X16r-0dfakrFPuGWOr5h1fRVhadHVkfGULGc8spcruS8-GIMY6mMPaov6NT8urBuxW29nc-tZh3DMRHRBCQQKGIGPG6WDAkEzfxTZsi0aVg30C8CQ/s1600-h/IMG_9676.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 98px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCjU8RY072YIJEVM5tiepHx0rg5X16r-0dfakrFPuGWOr5h1fRVhadHVkfGULGc8spcruS8-GIMY6mMPaov6NT8urBuxW29nc-tZh3DMRHRBCQQKGIGPG6WDAkEzfxTZsi0aVg30C8CQ/s320/IMG_9676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290419922527114978" border="0" /></a>So we ate and drank for three days solid. Some of the delights served were, salmon trout (I really cannot explain it better - looks like trout and tastes like salmon), raw pork mince, liverworst (like pate, but more chunky), cheese soup - Sarah's favorite, and Steve's favourite blood soup - which he and Timo at at midnight. Blood soup for the curious is cooked ducks blood, with bits of heart and kidney thrown in for texture.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyb8h5s_3L9WCAn8aWmeD1d1ky8puu_jlNz9BPZjnJEyWdFJ_IYi6A81Mb3QtKn_rjK58TBHZfRs5VOkh7h1VSVIgopdR6ihokPYN3qULHr3Z7K9Wc7fGfA4oB4ZrtXShp4b0ep-9Wog/s1600-h/IMG_9658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguyb8h5s_3L9WCAn8aWmeD1d1ky8puu_jlNz9BPZjnJEyWdFJ_IYi6A81Mb3QtKn_rjK58TBHZfRs5VOkh7h1VSVIgopdR6ihokPYN3qULHr3Z7K9Wc7fGfA4oB4ZrtXShp4b0ep-9Wog/s320/IMG_9658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290172421404648402" border="0" /></a>Three things we did not know about German Christmas:<br />They open their gifts on Christmas Eve after dinner<br />They ring a tiny bell before you can get your gifts - not too sure what this is for<br />You must have tea or coffee with your cake.<br /><br />We saw snow on boxing day in Goslar, the home of witches and the Harz mountains.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgmaoZJEr8_TSSiVZYXaJA5kvIMvl8p3L90CALxmU6k5rkARlxsUZSXHxrAb50c3ka8Hyu72pDLotMCd2OkXNo88ZdFPFG4RA1933LeJgYCUhgk-0rVX0nVrCbTkU7pC8aU2hWv_cLEk/s1600-h/IMG_9700.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgmaoZJEr8_TSSiVZYXaJA5kvIMvl8p3L90CALxmU6k5rkARlxsUZSXHxrAb50c3ka8Hyu72pDLotMCd2OkXNo88ZdFPFG4RA1933LeJgYCUhgk-0rVX0nVrCbTkU7pC8aU2hWv_cLEk/s320/IMG_9700.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290405370058015954" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJJK7QBC0XTdRlUx1zsqpPfxfatU9iArVF_5X5vlMMp42frv01Ck5Pie9glB0eERCjT602C_D5-t1k2sgY14tyLhBPpct22zLb54q8nUa-McePNk3K-0Qlk1VpzPDMCTGga_vLIR0KTo/s1600-h/IMG_9707.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJJK7QBC0XTdRlUx1zsqpPfxfatU9iArVF_5X5vlMMp42frv01Ck5Pie9glB0eERCjT602C_D5-t1k2sgY14tyLhBPpct22zLb54q8nUa-McePNk3K-0Qlk1VpzPDMCTGga_vLIR0KTo/s320/IMG_9707.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290405377658461394" border="0" /></a><br />We also went to the Goslar Christmas market, which was neat!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN4I5UAwPxLNWlE7G7fk-5CYNj7U4g36xYGtkElzvRNUK1ilZMc83uFqa8TLTRAlcxvyVPJIA2bshpdgRak56f3xIANa5tD42vpDOvKr_sBuDamLOJKTuk-RKDK9t0YX-bvBfPL77rd0/s1600-h/IMG_9734.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN4I5UAwPxLNWlE7G7fk-5CYNj7U4g36xYGtkElzvRNUK1ilZMc83uFqa8TLTRAlcxvyVPJIA2bshpdgRak56f3xIANa5tD42vpDOvKr_sBuDamLOJKTuk-RKDK9t0YX-bvBfPL77rd0/s320/IMG_9734.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290405381303497058" border="0" /></a><br />Then we zipped back to Hamburg on the train and stayed for a few nights before we went to stay with Timo's cousin Kulle in Berlin for new years. And what fun we had in Berlin!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZ4STnFkeQDPns-aZSX1MZZP677yXZY10hiuv4pyTcWOm2MOYZLKSMCJ3t-wgTrxDZEo7fWDt7okyc36sBPf1ACETNobThpa3_uvzILPjq6eGHezFq22BGjXJ3Pf3USRARcLuLiwtyzk/s1600-h/IMG_9955.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZ4STnFkeQDPns-aZSX1MZZP677yXZY10hiuv4pyTcWOm2MOYZLKSMCJ3t-wgTrxDZEo7fWDt7okyc36sBPf1ACETNobThpa3_uvzILPjq6eGHezFq22BGjXJ3Pf3USRARcLuLiwtyzk/s320/IMG_9955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290421148662445970" border="0" /></a>A friend of Timo's - Thomas and his partner Antje (both of whom we knew from New Zealand) had us round for dinner with a few of their friends on new years eve. We then went to this crazy party in a huge villa somewhere in Berlin. The music was not great but the atmosphere was amazing.<br /><br />Just before midnight we went outside to light our fireworks. Germans have fireworks for new years like most places, except its more like Guy Fawkes, the 1980s version, with sky rockets and fire crackers as well as the big public displays! The German fire crackers were a little bigger than the Double Happies and Tom Thumbs we used to get back home when we were kids. To be accurate, the bigger ones were more like small sticks of dynamite than "crackers" - and we got the legal ones from the supermarket! It turns out that like most of Berlin, Timo and Kullah enjoy fireworks like we do. So we bought a few. Our few combined with everyone elses few meant that for most of new years eve and the following night it sounded like world war two - with running street battles, occasional artillery fire and exploding flares. This all culminated at midnight when it really did seem like the sky was on fire. And to top it all off it began to snow at around 2 in the morning. All really quite exciting and a very dramatic start to the year!<br /><br />We also did a quick tour of Berlin with our fantastic tour guide Kullah.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBlP8NUSy4S0jQxqO_7u5cKqQTO09R6X5OM_lc-H3tMN33E1VBDiMvVMrZ6ngw4MChcXoUsdfBHbz220kNYsj5atzp3aup9XHzoiUzbUMK8r_ZJN-QzwFWmTcQ5HOoBNK7cygNYaSBWM/s1600-h/IMG_9974.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBlP8NUSy4S0jQxqO_7u5cKqQTO09R6X5OM_lc-H3tMN33E1VBDiMvVMrZ6ngw4MChcXoUsdfBHbz220kNYsj5atzp3aup9XHzoiUzbUMK8r_ZJN-QzwFWmTcQ5HOoBNK7cygNYaSBWM/s320/IMG_9974.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290417497400808930" border="0" /></a>The highlight being the holocaust memorial. It is a very subtle monument from the outside, but once you get to the heart of it it is breathtaking, not only for its significance and sheer size, but for the way the intent of the architects message creeps up on you.<br /><br />We then went back to Hamburg and Timo showed us the shadier side of town, the other tourist attraction in Hamburg, the Reeperbahn. That was really interesting with all the peep shows, erotic toy stores and working girls.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_omW6SH_oWD9JQugECcEmoYFg7fpb868cGw0kXneM4RJ21wlXue_Ib_fOAyxB1-W1JRY3VT_93K7ZZL6sXvn_qWIKW6Yja0oEH75QPW_yIGIsdeoTfvtQT2N0rdQQVcYY2L8FB_d8keo/s1600-h/IMG_9791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_omW6SH_oWD9JQugECcEmoYFg7fpb868cGw0kXneM4RJ21wlXue_Ib_fOAyxB1-W1JRY3VT_93K7ZZL6sXvn_qWIKW6Yja0oEH75QPW_yIGIsdeoTfvtQT2N0rdQQVcYY2L8FB_d8keo/s320/IMG_9791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290172441614989042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Look at that happy Germ!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />OK enough of the boring bits, here are some photos...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdmKG18FIRgPK1ivljW0e7FLNqpEGyfh6NdmLVKCddE8GEj3LgsaEFn_9enK_8r5fsIc8gbp8WwMP98LV4H1zefdf89BUo0o-6jX0d-bVPhDsUt5MyY34cQCrSsZedzZUtmwcCZ3Y_kE/s1600-h/IMG_9659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdmKG18FIRgPK1ivljW0e7FLNqpEGyfh6NdmLVKCddE8GEj3LgsaEFn_9enK_8r5fsIc8gbp8WwMP98LV4H1zefdf89BUo0o-6jX0d-bVPhDsUt5MyY34cQCrSsZedzZUtmwcCZ3Y_kE/s320/IMG_9659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290172426897932850" border="0" /></a><br />Sarah at the Christmas market in Hamburg, where we had yummy mulled wine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot_YBSKDNLombLqG2xwISYoQVo0ZAlid0DGE_wbvYY1Ocsjv8QrpV6tzVbLPNDETn-4m5aFL7cf6MbhfQFEz-pQEetOmA-He_KBDL1fuGdpVYgZcD-U0voGMN173_HF5l4tszpN3NcE8/s1600-h/IMG_9882.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot_YBSKDNLombLqG2xwISYoQVo0ZAlid0DGE_wbvYY1Ocsjv8QrpV6tzVbLPNDETn-4m5aFL7cf6MbhfQFEz-pQEetOmA-He_KBDL1fuGdpVYgZcD-U0voGMN173_HF5l4tszpN3NcE8/s320/IMG_9882.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290418331732951410" border="0" /></a><br />Timo also took us to the beach - so it felt like a proper January, except a little colder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDqmHi7fP0UsVbQ-tix-a9XIUS_2XpTGXT_FISMkweHDcOj3iel0Y1f7xjREyEenouP6O5zduJdKtoV5doNKbTfF0whg4mZic7-ef-h6OU5Nr8ygTLxiXAio93yP7iH9vmZifYLH4DSI/s1600-h/IMG_9884.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDqmHi7fP0UsVbQ-tix-a9XIUS_2XpTGXT_FISMkweHDcOj3iel0Y1f7xjREyEenouP6O5zduJdKtoV5doNKbTfF0whg4mZic7-ef-h6OU5Nr8ygTLxiXAio93yP7iH9vmZifYLH4DSI/s320/IMG_9884.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290401387480755266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We got there on this boat...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOazxSP9VvISkLZN_vnv1kVWU4tATBgrq1ApmmVX1QkEc_gvERyKMtCxM5POq4_5dPWRez2U8mzLTHkT8Sn_D2Ys8sTDbcBcxX898jq1BhmecJJ2YHUy6k9f7rlJnY6Uk2TJnpsCmtP7Q/s1600-h/IMG_9824.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOazxSP9VvISkLZN_vnv1kVWU4tATBgrq1ApmmVX1QkEc_gvERyKMtCxM5POq4_5dPWRez2U8mzLTHkT8Sn_D2Ys8sTDbcBcxX898jq1BhmecJJ2YHUy6k9f7rlJnY6Uk2TJnpsCmtP7Q/s320/IMG_9824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290401370635439074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Steve really like all the space needles. There was one in Hamburg<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and another in Berlin.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51UZ0AHHPHjy3UkiWWntdCivXUj9eMQJwBDrCJo5qxs1s23LprsaUnTOAm0f7jSsFIV08IHqJw8ewJVAFyRsJfLFE_UeRRlJQwIhD0vjYYoi_qe7Kmg8prhTle7OY7-cQCAbarfU8o_U/s1600-h/IMG_9969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51UZ0AHHPHjy3UkiWWntdCivXUj9eMQJwBDrCJo5qxs1s23LprsaUnTOAm0f7jSsFIV08IHqJw8ewJVAFyRsJfLFE_UeRRlJQwIhD0vjYYoi_qe7Kmg8prhTle7OY7-cQCAbarfU8o_U/s320/IMG_9969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290421153147362258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKYH7r8OOfV7LFGDyDqz4e14XH68tN0tYfpET7WE7wOFC1GEaV0fwlTmUF4S_54JEKP6h1x0rox4QloYKzRS9-dOkT2ZYcBdICzlCv6lZ3qJLnc0kT2prUG9byNT2jRXiWU2-L68Vd2k/s1600-h/IMG_9782.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKYH7r8OOfV7LFGDyDqz4e14XH68tN0tYfpET7WE7wOFC1GEaV0fwlTmUF4S_54JEKP6h1x0rox4QloYKzRS9-dOkT2ZYcBdICzlCv6lZ3qJLnc0kT2prUG9byNT2jRXiWU2-L68Vd2k/s320/IMG_9782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290172430649215922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mmmm more mulled wine in Hamburg<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HWNWed8b6SuvLdVsNfJxvyQsucKjwQONr5AI9I7aahJ5ONIwkNsadPkSpzdgXMpdQbucO7N08-wQge3eQtbBRTLpiLMzuenrqaFYiGGYYtHPiAwesOAjavFJyigRA5_LiNrnQUgQ26w/s1600-h/IMG_9869.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HWNWed8b6SuvLdVsNfJxvyQsucKjwQONr5AI9I7aahJ5ONIwkNsadPkSpzdgXMpdQbucO7N08-wQge3eQtbBRTLpiLMzuenrqaFYiGGYYtHPiAwesOAjavFJyigRA5_LiNrnQUgQ26w/s320/IMG_9869.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290401376836017602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Steve and Timo with a drink, maybe it was mulled wine??<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60buKbaDwAoQ3-awLLINLV6QdNw2r2H1Ppj0rmf3eGGzv-rEtOUwfT2dYytwbZHq1nE1XKlFJGX4qTr_lnni3jh-LmxXCE50qwZg6ymkx1AJ_Yz4yNLhvqcViPwZZEUXe9OMU5EdSbcA/s1600-h/IMG_9905.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60buKbaDwAoQ3-awLLINLV6QdNw2r2H1Ppj0rmf3eGGzv-rEtOUwfT2dYytwbZHq1nE1XKlFJGX4qTr_lnni3jh-LmxXCE50qwZg6ymkx1AJ_Yz4yNLhvqcViPwZZEUXe9OMU5EdSbcA/s320/IMG_9905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290417481984335442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The three musketeers in the snow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77Somg6Ycin4V_Fji8qPjErKKo83NQJu5JMXtVolUk2gh7DOF9nFsWBoC2W0tAJncDVGh_7HGp6gnziQCv7KX_fEbY8dzbjhLHsHVOswUuwJ4KBQvZeRk-ehK3REjN2HjX5wj1EKPLyQ/s1600-h/IMG_9927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77Somg6Ycin4V_Fji8qPjErKKo83NQJu5JMXtVolUk2gh7DOF9nFsWBoC2W0tAJncDVGh_7HGp6gnziQCv7KX_fEbY8dzbjhLHsHVOswUuwJ4KBQvZeRk-ehK3REjN2HjX5wj1EKPLyQ/s320/IMG_9927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290417495151526978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Berlin wall - some of what is left of it anyway...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpwZ17-oQ_B7pnB0ou5o1ZZcu5ZmU1ndQRR5C9oT4XXKAckO70xoYKjJq3h0ppfQEN-xpnkx_Vp2xZnBhYg0fr3t_U3whFS-UFk0C8x5X6RvbsXsaSAV7XXFPegWhXHJ3rrT5AMJerz0/s1600-h/IMG_9964.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpwZ17-oQ_B7pnB0ou5o1ZZcu5ZmU1ndQRR5C9oT4XXKAckO70xoYKjJq3h0ppfQEN-xpnkx_Vp2xZnBhYg0fr3t_U3whFS-UFk0C8x5X6RvbsXsaSAV7XXFPegWhXHJ3rrT5AMJerz0/s320/IMG_9964.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290417489819146466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />More from Berlin<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe1O4HT3Pu0W0D23fwhw16xz_4N4-0ZTjJs6WR_9sugud37dy8Q_X36pLij-Um8D1lAmAroCWgmZMhaL_8rmWTUxavpQiA4Rmta5nbGKVqcMxTqrB09b9ymmwC2GkWYji38pxb8iPRN8/s1600-h/IMG_9859.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe1O4HT3Pu0W0D23fwhw16xz_4N4-0ZTjJs6WR_9sugud37dy8Q_X36pLij-Um8D1lAmAroCWgmZMhaL_8rmWTUxavpQiA4Rmta5nbGKVqcMxTqrB09b9ymmwC2GkWYji38pxb8iPRN8/s320/IMG_9859.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290418335600000946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Timo and Sarah - rock and roll stars in Hamburg, wishing you all a kick ass new year! - Steve hopes that it goes well too :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZiGKj-fPQdIl7DtTtNeYJWlQkEffOi9_f7LcfRvUlKsNIBz6I6LvGp7DWZdDu4YxpvV1N7ugNgvAHbriOZiW4J_9J7VWoj9n18HrG-UrLy6T6iJKEPv1wvdYIYAbS1_6amOI8fWdG_U/s1600-h/IMG_9859.JPG"><br /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-23480293221787534482009-01-04T07:09:00.000-08:002009-01-04T07:57:09.682-08:00Some job NEWS!Starting with the best news first...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RZIzGmx2gKXwjBCAfUIqAF7JidAMWcsJodoKQbwFrw_1clQqSBhRf_gTQevBAAmk_4Nov-yzsAMsXpIhXkj1wCf0xteSCr9vCeZ8BkDAaNxOnuo0lXGduk8xRf5t8uGUlY4q-rEnwd4/s1600-h/IMG_9644.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RZIzGmx2gKXwjBCAfUIqAF7JidAMWcsJodoKQbwFrw_1clQqSBhRf_gTQevBAAmk_4Nov-yzsAMsXpIhXkj1wCf0xteSCr9vCeZ8BkDAaNxOnuo0lXGduk8xRf5t8uGUlY4q-rEnwd4/s320/IMG_9644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287466556880303826" border="0" /></a>Someone has a job at the Victoria and Albert Museum as a Museum Technician until November! Go Sarah with the dream job. For those of you who don't know, the V & A is one of the UK's largest museums and houses some stunning exhibitions of cultural artifacts from around the world - and Sarah will get to touch some of it!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oPIWchp9HiH2aJKN8SClUJdKcR5KgBgIeiC5RgBvqdSJf_Vm4NKTZh6wHAbImGhObg4Y8lskAAJZjqaQe3wNFpSetrjRs4lZ0HC7AiYJP5UA5d2k2Ro9m1v6H50NG6D1-lqL7-LVZcQ/s1600-h/IMG_9647.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oPIWchp9HiH2aJKN8SClUJdKcR5KgBgIeiC5RgBvqdSJf_Vm4NKTZh6wHAbImGhObg4Y8lskAAJZjqaQe3wNFpSetrjRs4lZ0HC7AiYJP5UA5d2k2Ro9m1v6H50NG6D1-lqL7-LVZcQ/s320/IMG_9647.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287466584337972322" border="0" /></a>Steve has had a number of close shaves with getting work, but has been 2nd place twice. At least he is in the running, and the interview feedback has been really positive, so hopefully it is just a matter of time before he gets to unleash his haircut on London's working world.<br /><br />More on our Christmas and New Year celebration antics soon!Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-73766869983619132652008-12-01T05:38:00.000-08:002008-12-17T01:33:53.965-08:00London townThis be London...<br /><br />No that's tricks, this is Sarah out the front of Hamish and Anne-Marie's house in Reading. Not London, but very close.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56J2nyx8AiWOVVv0WttpcZ2QJTr0dXoPsgWik18id3cG982a7njTZNUAYoc1WMWoTbj6b2Yi6mM_Zyr6lpgYEIQsZ37FUbyWExN7EgrKuWKC5kabP5p1V61IAiCui1RcqjDxNkbmfgtY/s1600-h/IMG_9398.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56J2nyx8AiWOVVv0WttpcZ2QJTr0dXoPsgWik18id3cG982a7njTZNUAYoc1WMWoTbj6b2Yi6mM_Zyr6lpgYEIQsZ37FUbyWExN7EgrKuWKC5kabP5p1V61IAiCui1RcqjDxNkbmfgtY/s320/IMG_9398.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275210217956402258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So what have we been up to? Steve got a haircut but no job.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPlziTV02Phhc3zLL0vp9K32CtVMkMAamILVuEHjb2SBvjUCdcAL0CLjGdJ-1TCwxDyo2qUPlAXm51NUYyLsGt19CTPx1diETvsWqXd_CpSSD0g44x7qUdsc2HaurZX3wm33rR8h7B24/s1600-h/IMG_9360.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPlziTV02Phhc3zLL0vp9K32CtVMkMAamILVuEHjb2SBvjUCdcAL0CLjGdJ-1TCwxDyo2qUPlAXm51NUYyLsGt19CTPx1diETvsWqXd_CpSSD0g44x7qUdsc2HaurZX3wm33rR8h7B24/s320/IMG_9360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275210203698619650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sarah has no haircut, but has a job!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXM_NDda1sgIEesWA9hIIVQaZtNwoOBr4gS_E1QpQTvmmiI_XKN9TdibXdzbCY25jVyCzgYTh5HzFqjZTA5WaLAgQCVMbgKyvy__YK_3gYIr0KQHt-tOmgqsx6klcBCNZTbGvpG4PLxKQ/s1600-h/IMG_9371.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXM_NDda1sgIEesWA9hIIVQaZtNwoOBr4gS_E1QpQTvmmiI_XKN9TdibXdzbCY25jVyCzgYTh5HzFqjZTA5WaLAgQCVMbgKyvy__YK_3gYIr0KQHt-tOmgqsx6klcBCNZTbGvpG4PLxKQ/s320/IMG_9371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275210208417461170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Woo hoo. National Portrait Gallery look out!<br /><br />We also have a pad now, in Brixton. Living with two Australian brothers and a couple of Brits. Its a big room on the 4th level, with it's own on suite - very nice! The last girl staying here, even installed a microwave and a kettle which she left for us. Thanks former room owner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkVxhFyKkwS0eX8XnuF3TiCSXdj_9peYSaotqWlHIOoEAlQFtgJJJJ2_jVw1ihwXxGIO0F68kR4QUj_S3NtxyrZxaHOY5yiypfIpY1N-_Pwk0iyKjmiNde3ss61x0chIxUoPTgmgZbdM/s1600-h/IMG_9538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkVxhFyKkwS0eX8XnuF3TiCSXdj_9peYSaotqWlHIOoEAlQFtgJJJJ2_jVw1ihwXxGIO0F68kR4QUj_S3NtxyrZxaHOY5yiypfIpY1N-_Pwk0iyKjmiNde3ss61x0chIxUoPTgmgZbdM/s320/IMG_9538.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280688628043711426" border="0" /></a><br />Brixton is quite an African area, so plenty of Jamacian food about and the famous Brixton Market. Also the Brixton Academy is just down the road, where people like the Kings of Leon, Radiohead and the Ting Tings play.<br /><br /><br />Went to Bristol and hung out with Matt and Shara. First proper Sunday roast with Yorshire pud!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPTt_czygYLxWXlAjLik1Ev0Rb4yb0bNE2vLI-wQlkrpQz-GgkwwEIoRlKCDLv6cuctdXYsnr95zJpuXhyp5R5acDMYKJikB-MtipCqiuVRw1SlK34OVRNadFhWPrLA7jgX_SrOXWbII/s1600-h/IMG_9536.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPTt_czygYLxWXlAjLik1Ev0Rb4yb0bNE2vLI-wQlkrpQz-GgkwwEIoRlKCDLv6cuctdXYsnr95zJpuXhyp5R5acDMYKJikB-MtipCqiuVRw1SlK34OVRNadFhWPrLA7jgX_SrOXWbII/s320/IMG_9536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275210232561424370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We have also checked out a few of the museums and galleries about the place. It feels a bit like the Brits stole all the good stuff from all over the world and put them on show for tourists - like Sarah and Steve!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCRxjAPy9etUGvvr_EfAiYHt_kCQXoK4E1cnEr56UyRdakQ7x0E3MNXC3j6zJj_X745xAv2iLIeCjRR_0g-ICxS8My2UB9MYfuSI3eRqe4bs3Kzu97L8YvQi_qmfcgkxPoRoJ7NhN0zc/s1600-h/IMG_9421.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCRxjAPy9etUGvvr_EfAiYHt_kCQXoK4E1cnEr56UyRdakQ7x0E3MNXC3j6zJj_X745xAv2iLIeCjRR_0g-ICxS8My2UB9MYfuSI3eRqe4bs3Kzu97L8YvQi_qmfcgkxPoRoJ7NhN0zc/s320/IMG_9421.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280688646792926258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk-Tn-prBU5i12XbOSoimQ29ggJRvhm96KCYO0EYEF-Qor0fCWzzUKGUyrFvfJ6iYKf-9r9ExtYdOLu6KSFoal-mE-GCkOC-w2f3gsQrCTCieekTx3p1NQmQrCafNdjduvHludh7p0zc/s1600-h/IMG_9461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBk-Tn-prBU5i12XbOSoimQ29ggJRvhm96KCYO0EYEF-Qor0fCWzzUKGUyrFvfJ6iYKf-9r9ExtYdOLu6KSFoal-mE-GCkOC-w2f3gsQrCTCieekTx3p1NQmQrCafNdjduvHludh7p0zc/s320/IMG_9461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280688664351676786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A couple of things that are surprising:<br /><ul><li>Riding double decker buses is awesome</li><li>There is fried chicken - everywhere, and its shockingly cheap, Kenny's Fried Chicken (KFC) anyone?</li><li>The local dairy (the off liscence or offie) and supermarkets sell spirit liquor, and if you like cider you can get 2 litres for less than a pound.</li><li>And cheese is cheaper than back home! - why?</li><li>Squrrel's in the garden.</li></ul><br />A few things that are not so surprizing:<br /><ul><li>English customer service is impressively bad. Way worse than Germany and back home even.</li><li>Its cold and often wet and sun goes down around 3.30. That's not its on its way down - that's it is now proper dark, turn on the lights.</li><li>The underground is grimy and not that reliable, and the further you go down the darker your bogies get.</li></ul><br />Alrighty then, bye for now!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAqs3Q07uI96dfQcTZVeZj_0JBH3GwBjHzECBdasNGipbDfIwZxfv82OlYzb3Tx4puDVe22HzwlDuAocj3uFhY7plofuWl_-ie3zdp5rUJRXUPP5AQPJwju9qzfBqvii6-dXgvr-SbXA/s1600-h/IMG_9373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAqs3Q07uI96dfQcTZVeZj_0JBH3GwBjHzECBdasNGipbDfIwZxfv82OlYzb3Tx4puDVe22HzwlDuAocj3uFhY7plofuWl_-ie3zdp5rUJRXUPP5AQPJwju9qzfBqvii6-dXgvr-SbXA/s320/IMG_9373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275210221887773666" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-68836593448944486512008-11-28T15:33:00.000-08:002008-12-02T03:53:23.586-08:00Fun times with the Germs<span style="font-family:arial;">Okey pokey, its been a while and we promised some photos so here we go...</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCHA3Xc5hFd8QojfaxZPBDH8a83mSuwJvdPklQ425J_-aC_g0v5ac01Pgi-qoEZu3fiOBDf7pXov98A5E5cel0Ti0Z7O9LYpUUnunnnEUdiRHtLyV4zc8kLZnn0B4XwIHQL2EMcnK1CY/s1600-h/IMG_9187.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCHA3Xc5hFd8QojfaxZPBDH8a83mSuwJvdPklQ425J_-aC_g0v5ac01Pgi-qoEZu3fiOBDf7pXov98A5E5cel0Ti0Z7O9LYpUUnunnnEUdiRHtLyV4zc8kLZnn0B4XwIHQL2EMcnK1CY/s320/IMG_9187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274792193286593266" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Munich, Germany.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br />This is Sarah in Munich skipping her way to breakfast</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBLMDDwpY1iQR_-U4Kv3YZi07idaRRDCM380lOd8Ad5KYQ3vbCK6Tj_t338-FaPuTBbHZxsfs6jaieonaIRrxGjjLRrgoVOuu9CL8ZtTuMR6fwfNc_QX8yqt8iouaSw1JVhIJmZZ6mM0/s1600-h/IMG_9183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBLMDDwpY1iQR_-U4Kv3YZi07idaRRDCM380lOd8Ad5KYQ3vbCK6Tj_t338-FaPuTBbHZxsfs6jaieonaIRrxGjjLRrgoVOuu9CL8ZtTuMR6fwfNc_QX8yqt8iouaSw1JVhIJmZZ6mM0/s320/IMG_9183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274793643897835138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We found this on the way...</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHypr0d-CvShmRgRbx7w1l8a-ga956At9e3CT_sjgckw1p69eTI_VCwJxjOI6C4Z6dLdBhY3Hw5PWv5ap_WGQN547NA1xdn3-lHwjMNUQocjqPS3RCGMi7NLDMRXjUjnzuOMUc6JERGXY/s1600-h/IMG_9207.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHypr0d-CvShmRgRbx7w1l8a-ga956At9e3CT_sjgckw1p69eTI_VCwJxjOI6C4Z6dLdBhY3Hw5PWv5ap_WGQN547NA1xdn3-lHwjMNUQocjqPS3RCGMi7NLDMRXjUjnzuOMUc6JERGXY/s320/IMG_9207.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274793657608466834" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />and this is Steve at breakfast looking a little rough, but happy, because yes those are delicious german sausages on saurkraut, with a pretzel on the side. Oh and is that a beer on the side I spy. With that mess of hair and beard - Steve fits right on in...</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xgaTvSC5Bf68K8nfxQwYIlEUSoIYd6URg9Q4LIvyIrsIESGpqqD6jWsxhAfvhbp91WCradsnNHYyacOd0Htnwl0fl_5zjOF2VPEGoVwbcSls1vJJFdU7bZ9LZzIjw2Sj1KenJqY9AV0/s1600-h/IMG_9228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xgaTvSC5Bf68K8nfxQwYIlEUSoIYd6URg9Q4LIvyIrsIESGpqqD6jWsxhAfvhbp91WCradsnNHYyacOd0Htnwl0fl_5zjOF2VPEGoVwbcSls1vJJFdU7bZ9LZzIjw2Sj1KenJqY9AV0/s320/IMG_9228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274793668841170162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Ah the beautiful couple, inside the town hall which features the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, which looks alot like this...</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1BAKZJNl5lLAFRasG8z3t_tX_X7GcP3_PAzK49-8OtWiRdh59M8z7ibzTq_gbp9Go5uj2xMUM-J-yueTt4IOo65ViK0i09QOXffsXYGdTMg3OOHIh53N0mkFiLXV-Ea1azXk4LpyuCM/s1600-h/IMG_9235.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1BAKZJNl5lLAFRasG8z3t_tX_X7GcP3_PAzK49-8OtWiRdh59M8z7ibzTq_gbp9Go5uj2xMUM-J-yueTt4IOo65ViK0i09QOXffsXYGdTMg3OOHIh53N0mkFiLXV-Ea1azXk4LpyuCM/s320/IMG_9235.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274800322982323010" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBe9swK_khVErazPGDjIR-WSk3pl4UP_JzW5cYyegpTxdGcMBXUhzTmvtt8Lr2KzNEPlBb-NAerrZJFWUj7dc1da00JYexAUu29xPmbviq1NRviNUEzaHUM7m_l5e0LziNql-rGO8uvE/s1600-h/IMG_9236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBe9swK_khVErazPGDjIR-WSk3pl4UP_JzW5cYyegpTxdGcMBXUhzTmvtt8Lr2KzNEPlBb-NAerrZJFWUj7dc1da00JYexAUu29xPmbviq1NRviNUEzaHUM7m_l5e0LziNql-rGO8uvE/s320/IMG_9236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274800336437478818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We then went on a great free walking tour with Travis from Oz. He had the best Dali Mo ever.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The tour took us all over Munich, apart from all the amazing architecture, the highlight was his knowledge of Nazi Germany - apparently Hitler was from Munich (or there abouts) and the whole Nazi movement was started in the city. He showed us memorials to Jews who died there, but they were all so subtle that most people did not even know they were there or understand their meaning. It made us wonder about how well the people of Munich were managing some the difficult history of the city.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br />We found the market</span> <a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtx9XRXrjG8uC5b8jwOzYRG1zq0C-Dstyv-zAregpEKdpMz_vqN1chWdqRPk-Wj1kusV-9WXLGPnBfEwccqh46ixZJUOc09m5CGPm0BG5IQOP2WKFChNr0vEBSzRg_2-aa5XonVoGTrs/s1600-h/IMG_9214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtx9XRXrjG8uC5b8jwOzYRG1zq0C-Dstyv-zAregpEKdpMz_vqN1chWdqRPk-Wj1kusV-9WXLGPnBfEwccqh46ixZJUOc09m5CGPm0BG5IQOP2WKFChNr0vEBSzRg_2-aa5XonVoGTrs/s320/IMG_9214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274800347989756690" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Is that the cheese shop smile - ah delicious fromage!</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUeW4ETXwIUvaaqwJTrkmTcIyranSoc90l4mkXgqQ5uw1o093W4jdukFu7sPwiN4RCr97jzk1mn70Tj0zMJ9Szn8XSX6moFkVTmsIDqOHJYbKAdjnavg36TYQpHPw-g9phtZ1UqWjG7E/s1600-h/IMG_9281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUeW4ETXwIUvaaqwJTrkmTcIyranSoc90l4mkXgqQ5uw1o093W4jdukFu7sPwiN4RCr97jzk1mn70Tj0zMJ9Szn8XSX6moFkVTmsIDqOHJYbKAdjnavg36TYQpHPw-g9phtZ1UqWjG7E/s320/IMG_9281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274800371776322290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And got some kick ass lunch!</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1owDkla2s1x3P7TqrKm5A51SxTHaxjtJB-MvFY9zuR883DVg_qxl8qFBqRqwbsXF7sTHov729DQlKQ-ciLaA-WNzL8BTj7eoZvOH6BbzEGlsMAQNS2T1T3IdDOFjWfVQ6-XVu64qWtys/s1600-h/IMG_9275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1owDkla2s1x3P7TqrKm5A51SxTHaxjtJB-MvFY9zuR883DVg_qxl8qFBqRqwbsXF7sTHov729DQlKQ-ciLaA-WNzL8BTj7eoZvOH6BbzEGlsMAQNS2T1T3IdDOFjWfVQ6-XVu64qWtys/s320/IMG_9275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274807988020231090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />which we ate in the park</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8bGBtcL-001sTBcaFgia2V2OQzs4h3IRmurj_bCFsINCR6XshWaAZe9SAPzF4Omm8u9il9d0KAzYkwtyAFJMSoL-CK2L0Fxt1OSG6ZZAZQ2lMemg0TkI6QiskWrloVBhlfAZw7EeAzk/s1600-h/IMG_9285.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8bGBtcL-001sTBcaFgia2V2OQzs4h3IRmurj_bCFsINCR6XshWaAZe9SAPzF4Omm8u9il9d0KAzYkwtyAFJMSoL-CK2L0Fxt1OSG6ZZAZQ2lMemg0TkI6QiskWrloVBhlfAZw7EeAzk/s320/IMG_9285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274805242799978482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />We also went to the Museum, which was really quite neat</span> <a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3HJQGiZhko8T6KH53R2zB3VcsuEiedcFsgo9lUnbzu98Vo7Q5J-UvxzVgsnBKpPyTbt1GlnhTxN9uLL2FKOFKJ_xFsvATZ2U2yFfH3oqXd1kDHaD_ZThHV9zwdmFrd-ngo1X-rhVOes/s1600-h/IMG_9294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3HJQGiZhko8T6KH53R2zB3VcsuEiedcFsgo9lUnbzu98Vo7Q5J-UvxzVgsnBKpPyTbt1GlnhTxN9uLL2FKOFKJ_xFsvATZ2U2yFfH3oqXd1kDHaD_ZThHV9zwdmFrd-ngo1X-rhVOes/s320/IMG_9294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274805250385347970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Turns out it has the largest puppet collection ever. There were quite a few puppets there.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjen3Ij7Zr94jCehAuNWy781p4An-bglc6iKlpU6jrAa4oNc4lhcITMTkWppjKxsHU02Jnxv5p1tUv-txKz-_pKjYoMu5L5Pl2DcP9P3ED1gN_SDL9G8wn_-uD2LTKFCiKwT_b7iCm30tQ/s1600-h/IMG_9342.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjen3Ij7Zr94jCehAuNWy781p4An-bglc6iKlpU6jrAa4oNc4lhcITMTkWppjKxsHU02Jnxv5p1tUv-txKz-_pKjYoMu5L5Pl2DcP9P3ED1gN_SDL9G8wn_-uD2LTKFCiKwT_b7iCm30tQ/s320/IMG_9342.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274807999985799842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">And we checked out some churches</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and then the camera ran out of batteries...</span>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-67965569927139757852008-11-11T09:22:00.000-08:002008-11-17T04:56:14.320-08:00All right then!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Whew! What a full on last couple of days.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Just like to put out a big THANK YOU, you are awesome, to Hamish and Anne-Marie!<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">So in total now we have been to:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Narita Airport (twice)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Tokyo</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Yokohama</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Kamakura</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Munich</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Heathrow</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">... and Reading town </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Top 5 from Japan:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Hanging with the rock-a-billies and Cos play kids at Harajuku in Tokyo</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The shrine of 1000 Buddah's at Kamakura</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Roller coasters</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Top 5 from Germany</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Beer for breakfast</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The beer tour with Iain from Wilkshire (and the free walking tour with Travis from Australia)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Pretzels and beer</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Sausages and beer</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The beer and cheeses and meats at the Saturday market</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Not so fun things:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Americans - pretty much all of them. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Sniffing and hocking noises at 5 or 6 in the morning. Especially the noises coming from the Americans in our bunk room - just blow your nose, its not hard</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">German tipping rules - what are they? We didn't even know they tipped. How does it work, its soooo confusing</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Plastic vodka bottle tops that break in your bag and then all your clothes smell like fejoa which is nice but they also smell like vodka, which is not so nice. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Pictures and other interesting stuff soon... promise!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-39769888598035702232008-11-04T05:22:00.000-08:002008-11-04T06:08:26.849-08:00Electric town<span style="font-family: arial;">A few more days into the adventure and both our feet really hurt now! There are lots of things to note now, including:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Robots are awesome, as are trains and godzilla.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">More people need to collect vintage video games like these:</span></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHDXS1f93YKZCuixm_xzLfGA0kS2dx3Ofw2nqHm-4iPHbBapYmSMSAiSwASNMweNvZ3-Z2dG3iamDYv8hWOtShs5eF7zNENA4ROsTfahiTk3GJ2L3RZlDwzNs_Yb8NU-hKfTaSZEtXcM/s1600-h/videogames.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHDXS1f93YKZCuixm_xzLfGA0kS2dx3Ofw2nqHm-4iPHbBapYmSMSAiSwASNMweNvZ3-Z2dG3iamDYv8hWOtShs5eF7zNENA4ROsTfahiTk3GJ2L3RZlDwzNs_Yb8NU-hKfTaSZEtXcM/s320/videogames.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264798426820857538" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Rollercoasters are more fun if they are a little dodgy and you could actually fall off. This is us on the way to one.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve walked...</span></li></ul><ul><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj31lDRSlSwozirnDazPu7mq-Uq4OxprkWiZSLhji7tSNWfM5Y0KRwQb6JcMhujMy-2iI2SxsHmgbvFJYSdER4DbCKe69n-gQtXlwm3EA-Cr1hBE7XbdL9sqo6bey0c8itFbKjn3YhTQ/s1600-h/Funtimes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxj31lDRSlSwozirnDazPu7mq-Uq4OxprkWiZSLhji7tSNWfM5Y0KRwQb6JcMhujMy-2iI2SxsHmgbvFJYSdER4DbCKe69n-gQtXlwm3EA-Cr1hBE7XbdL9sqo6bey0c8itFbKjn3YhTQ/s320/Funtimes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264800108658264466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Sarah rode...</span></li></ul><ul><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1LcXoXclCPOBulC1uF1qIx1vQnmKEjghPrC9nXZGnOdeqWLex7Td0PmlCJz-dKoTgFdaAT1PFKIj-r9BXqn51TaqDTX-Jk_vHpHloe0xSuvnKQUWfHDcGc0k0kmIhOfSBrTNfdkMEa8/s1600-h/Sarahrides.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1LcXoXclCPOBulC1uF1qIx1vQnmKEjghPrC9nXZGnOdeqWLex7Td0PmlCJz-dKoTgFdaAT1PFKIj-r9BXqn51TaqDTX-Jk_vHpHloe0xSuvnKQUWfHDcGc0k0kmIhOfSBrTNfdkMEa8/s320/Sarahrides.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264798782048845714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">New Zealand should take Japan's lead an invest in more travelators, there is nothing better than walking faster without having to try to. Light speed!</span></li></ul><ul><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMuZRKeEqjSTW3Ph4qI1Rf9DssKQFx-Hii7GWdQrq3uTWuB1O98o30i-JadCP3-V_brc-j1Wlzs_oapOCJLlP8yvH4SEQlUtvLjBbM0prNT0xIxJuz1_i8xUAjmjg2PGLMiHRupWDyx4/s1600-h/Travelator.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMuZRKeEqjSTW3Ph4qI1Rf9DssKQFx-Hii7GWdQrq3uTWuB1O98o30i-JadCP3-V_brc-j1Wlzs_oapOCJLlP8yvH4SEQlUtvLjBbM0prNT0xIxJuz1_i8xUAjmjg2PGLMiHRupWDyx4/s320/Travelator.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264800902857191250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Its really easy to get lost when there are no street names.</span></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zCSIuwC69uYgCDNAEOb3mYj4IdiXYeVYjrnxFbq264Z0NLk8-ERSDz9i6t0HR_DWv_jel-c6oIkL16TAKAuDaulYfVzxJVQGalY93x5k_GtNrNRNNtbH_-vNzPZUt9uEXIQyqdyNhPQ/s1600-h/Walking.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zCSIuwC69uYgCDNAEOb3mYj4IdiXYeVYjrnxFbq264Z0NLk8-ERSDz9i6t0HR_DWv_jel-c6oIkL16TAKAuDaulYfVzxJVQGalY93x5k_GtNrNRNNtbH_-vNzPZUt9uEXIQyqdyNhPQ/s320/Walking.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264801436407752290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">More photos:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">mmm marbled meats...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHVB4-99qO42BHX9qWoGSyQth23WFpcK5-eyOKGEa12VyCWWJVQ0GbFe8TjyhVupGzsw9yJFcQSy61N_d1I8QtWYS15QuhymnizleTOAEySEqFizNBdXUklDsmfagQ603BfaRb68TFqc/s1600-h/marbled+meats.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHVB4-99qO42BHX9qWoGSyQth23WFpcK5-eyOKGEa12VyCWWJVQ0GbFe8TjyhVupGzsw9yJFcQSy61N_d1I8QtWYS15QuhymnizleTOAEySEqFizNBdXUklDsmfagQ603BfaRb68TFqc/s320/marbled+meats.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264801941216026978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Pachingo, like the pokies except way louder</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lmfqnWtOIKJ2EDvJnFlMoZdH0dLJGEWJfqnWL3RwogZiNu2I9RTPXEgE2rdUorTlbUlt1tejssRWgH-YCgluXnihcstCWfa4yWUSjIAqaIto1Y0xbY6LxMnixTXZCnkt6yGuRoskI9w/s1600-h/Pachingo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lmfqnWtOIKJ2EDvJnFlMoZdH0dLJGEWJfqnWL3RwogZiNu2I9RTPXEgE2rdUorTlbUlt1tejssRWgH-YCgluXnihcstCWfa4yWUSjIAqaIto1Y0xbY6LxMnixTXZCnkt6yGuRoskI9w/s320/Pachingo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264802606124580850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">A rocket bike, well maybe just a macking scooter.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIm5yxmf1YLA2gzSYu-XiE2BlzgC5CmM2xHJHuTbhjUaQgHnyJ7_M8g1bHuPzm_PfgPkbqsIV8Z9FwcPFpx0698GRjziA_AuIs8gGw3Wn18MLXILthISb9HCHG807dPiD4ZqOcx-CYU4/s1600-h/rocket+bike.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIm5yxmf1YLA2gzSYu-XiE2BlzgC5CmM2xHJHuTbhjUaQgHnyJ7_M8g1bHuPzm_PfgPkbqsIV8Z9FwcPFpx0698GRjziA_AuIs8gGw3Wn18MLXILthISb9HCHG807dPiD4ZqOcx-CYU4/s320/rocket+bike.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264803054726568498" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-648250465512623295.post-47051640150836306422008-11-02T18:33:00.000-08:002008-11-03T06:45:38.666-08:00And we are off...<span style="font-family:arial;">Up at 4.00am 29 October - sore eyes and dopey. Over 9,000km 10 and a half hours, 3 meals, 2 movies and one episode of the Simpsons later we are in Japan!<br /><br />Woo hoo!</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Things to note thus far:<br /></span> <ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Its sooooo good to have a friendly face when you arrive - thanks Fran.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Nothing opens till after 11am, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">so its good for sleep ins, not that we have been able to yet...</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Toilets that look like spaceships with seat warmers and water jets are awesome!</span></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzru4r2XuDsIzq6F1_0Kg8kV_3AhQQwJhyphenhyphen5AppNiN6Mfb1aIxAOwHCu243QSs5GhA0MCGb2BPdgOJ5cxzLhXn-gQMA8_FRfWryz-iljZFu-Bt0X6J0yWj8YILNlOQC09Dl38jzxFWmLU/s1600-h/Toilet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzru4r2XuDsIzq6F1_0Kg8kV_3AhQQwJhyphenhyphen5AppNiN6Mfb1aIxAOwHCu243QSs5GhA0MCGb2BPdgOJ5cxzLhXn-gQMA8_FRfWryz-iljZFu-Bt0X6J0yWj8YILNlOQC09Dl38jzxFWmLU/s320/Toilet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264428110403051394" border="0" /></a><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Japanese style should never to be underestimated or sacrificed for comfort. Guys - wear your suit and tie on a bush walk, and don't forget your briefcase.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Plastic food in shop windows.</span></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxFD1Ox5Erol8M0XIqiOD8mf7YTpcE2rYRnjjkkud1dWHhlrWPA2lZwJrUe6YwtzIyNWFyjn4gmHhHc3xS1HqRYIe21CoKpQSUMVt3Jg6Qhr7dFeini2fRyz4kqEpfq_IMC6BVtTxpcc/s1600-h/egg+and+fruit+sandwich.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxFD1Ox5Erol8M0XIqiOD8mf7YTpcE2rYRnjjkkud1dWHhlrWPA2lZwJrUe6YwtzIyNWFyjn4gmHhHc3xS1HqRYIe21CoKpQSUMVt3Jg6Qhr7dFeini2fRyz4kqEpfq_IMC6BVtTxpcc/s320/egg+and+fruit+sandwich.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264432589999825762" border="0" /></a><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Japan has Crows - big black ones the size of a really big seagull, and they are everywhere, as are really big spiders - I mean really big spiders.</span></li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfZ5NmRhwQcZ2uCo3KyUoUxNjq0h8yevFKy6seJYd9P4vRWiJFBxm4OMFmH29zKTy5OIRgxGgvud-BZnptsljnbLL6nuxD7Jdi5kqjVbXxQ20Jx8fyJ4RAfwd2UF5WyMzpTd67akqh1I/s1600-h/Spider.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfZ5NmRhwQcZ2uCo3KyUoUxNjq0h8yevFKy6seJYd9P4vRWiJFBxm4OMFmH29zKTy5OIRgxGgvud-BZnptsljnbLL6nuxD7Jdi5kqjVbXxQ20Jx8fyJ4RAfwd2UF5WyMzpTd67akqh1I/s320/Spider.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264433398831230850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Now for some photos!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Sarah and her new rock-a-billy friend.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8d_2PoAVK7hnZVubyUaXh58nhg8kboeGB-rrfw4L7jw4i3qfB7MC-Hf1-0SPGCnl1zLPgXxOBTL6YSRpE5o7t-Gxk_3pfr_QRc85Kh9xL1hufrz7KOS4hRUap_JkU2RDzbnOnLCpBGw/s1600-h/SarahRocker.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8d_2PoAVK7hnZVubyUaXh58nhg8kboeGB-rrfw4L7jw4i3qfB7MC-Hf1-0SPGCnl1zLPgXxOBTL6YSRpE5o7t-Gxk_3pfr_QRc85Kh9xL1hufrz7KOS4hRUap_JkU2RDzbnOnLCpBGw/s320/SarahRocker.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264427219815708178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Steve and his buddah buddy</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvVWCAaJ7-3ZriLFpwvD4hceQl4EVQWfQasZwqFJlUUsymB3am5pC0-LFxA6SUIwdWLS8tIOnsnQLWV80zUPJorxjID7kUS58kdj_Op6fQe1BYwLs-0YdP1vLK1UzM1zOraqRQpFt-p4/s1600-h/SteveandBuddah.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvVWCAaJ7-3ZriLFpwvD4hceQl4EVQWfQasZwqFJlUUsymB3am5pC0-LFxA6SUIwdWLS8tIOnsnQLWV80zUPJorxjID7kUS58kdj_Op6fQe1BYwLs-0YdP1vLK1UzM1zOraqRQpFt-p4/s320/SteveandBuddah.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264429268885454402" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sarah and the big buddah</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZa1Woj3wwXhtRSNL4KPxxscfDye8x566lo_PuFBxQnWa1V2TuY_7eg_e8CSxkn_TwCLdFLCt9zaC5DNF1KlykX0pqP4LJYc6cK8-2f7Qhk214LZ3iWmN48AKBnl_UiUFtmGxTOiywas/s1600-h/SarahBuddah.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZa1Woj3wwXhtRSNL4KPxxscfDye8x566lo_PuFBxQnWa1V2TuY_7eg_e8CSxkn_TwCLdFLCt9zaC5DNF1KlykX0pqP4LJYc6cK8-2f7Qhk214LZ3iWmN48AKBnl_UiUFtmGxTOiywas/s320/SarahBuddah.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264430137975792226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">More buddahs! - from the shrine of 1000 buddahs</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9TPxp2oCLjulg7hxbZu0mdkYAIldxA5lUA7YkiObsG6Ms74ybqCIBhRIjaDwBUYY1EkyI-Mf5EwsF1e5SIhPvb4hzFJnt-kcdXFxRZld_SD3loBkoJeHqataV1eKOEcEyuE11GqBQkM/s1600-h/LittleBuddahs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9TPxp2oCLjulg7hxbZu0mdkYAIldxA5lUA7YkiObsG6Ms74ybqCIBhRIjaDwBUYY1EkyI-Mf5EwsF1e5SIhPvb4hzFJnt-kcdXFxRZld_SD3loBkoJeHqataV1eKOEcEyuE11GqBQkM/s320/LittleBuddahs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264430441989329698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Keep left...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6AvkQ79mO3U59BCznw5naUwhoMREhgBuhmpG7fJdXyQ62ikvHUFl3VygIHc2Esdh3Th69jv3Oxfvnh5T2ayROD0pAkrRP58Wm2UY3sQQBrLAJNzhFnv-bopoAEOrpVsPsgp9-DRrWVk/s1600-h/Not+even+rush+our+in+Yokohama.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6AvkQ79mO3U59BCznw5naUwhoMREhgBuhmpG7fJdXyQ62ikvHUFl3VygIHc2Esdh3Th69jv3Oxfvnh5T2ayROD0pAkrRP58Wm2UY3sQQBrLAJNzhFnv-bopoAEOrpVsPsgp9-DRrWVk/s320/Not+even+rush+our+in+Yokohama.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264430841418096642" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Tommy Lee's leather pants</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyr0BfT0dvLT2Wo7XLDM5_Ow-KtAG7gyhocZHmEVduEyNRkrfsG-2pVcbXR8nxNfRX6aiiDHHTQ_ewY5H3Oroi22mPKEXmwPQ-AwXYh4tjkyDu9fTZGHYC8g4BNXHWgNyXPOJtEqFSag/s1600-h/TommyLeesPants.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyr0BfT0dvLT2Wo7XLDM5_Ow-KtAG7gyhocZHmEVduEyNRkrfsG-2pVcbXR8nxNfRX6aiiDHHTQ_ewY5H3Oroi22mPKEXmwPQ-AwXYh4tjkyDu9fTZGHYC8g4BNXHWgNyXPOJtEqFSag/s320/TommyLeesPants.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264431869031492514" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">It does get a little busy in Japan</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12LVTFR73TW5F6oIqcQax0OxUZJmfvVl9P_0QbbRF9ST6BethPGAC5YCUpg1ul16k6lCVF0EIhfbOnZk-jgZWo94POwungkhyphenhyphenVeXLepbLV1a7a2epp2ywZy5d6elT1dtKlQ2l08zJP4A/s1600-h/SarahHarjuku.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12LVTFR73TW5F6oIqcQax0OxUZJmfvVl9P_0QbbRF9ST6BethPGAC5YCUpg1ul16k6lCVF0EIhfbOnZk-jgZWo94POwungkhyphenhyphenVeXLepbLV1a7a2epp2ywZy5d6elT1dtKlQ2l08zJP4A/s320/SarahHarjuku.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264432250438599746" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01230455523449899472noreply@blogger.com