There once was a time (up until last week actually) when I would have told you that material things didn´t matter to me, and that I was happy to live with whatever I had at the time, that I had learnt to be content with what God had given me and that I was not striving for more.
Then.. the police stole my bag. 6 days in the same pair of jeans and suddenly the story was a little different. I wanted my stuff.
Anyway, after many many phone calls and my first arguement in Portuguese it was finally delivered on Friday, too late for me to go to the first part of the guaduation ball, but all the same, at least I got to go in the end.
Turns out that there was nothing in the bag that they didn´t like, they were just doing it to be annoying. In the end they didn´t even open it. So all my flash backs to movies like Bridget Jones were totally unnecessary.
So the plan for the moment is to go to Rio Grande do Sul this week, and go and meet my nephew. Then another week in Criciuma and I am off to Canada! then New Zealand, and then home. Geez it´s gone fast. A diary and a half worth so far :-)
Monday, August 20, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I made it to Brazil! But my bag on the other hand...
Ola Gente!
Hurrah for Brazil! Made it, and love it here already. It sounds right, it looks right, it smells right (as in it smells totally wrong, but that´s the right wrong.. if you know what I mean) , even the food is just right! I LOVE THIS PLACE!
My bag on the other hand, doesn´t. I have come here 3 times now, and 2 out of 3 times my bag has decided to either stay where we were, or go on a holiday elsewhere. Lucky this time I was prepared, and even luckier this time I have travel insurance with no excess. All that being said you must please excuse me, I am going shopping :-)
Going to my `home´town this morning, will update in a bit. Love to all.
Hurrah for Brazil! Made it, and love it here already. It sounds right, it looks right, it smells right (as in it smells totally wrong, but that´s the right wrong.. if you know what I mean) , even the food is just right! I LOVE THIS PLACE!
My bag on the other hand, doesn´t. I have come here 3 times now, and 2 out of 3 times my bag has decided to either stay where we were, or go on a holiday elsewhere. Lucky this time I was prepared, and even luckier this time I have travel insurance with no excess. All that being said you must please excuse me, I am going shopping :-)
Going to my `home´town this morning, will update in a bit. Love to all.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Wales
I had a bit of a traumatic journey from Yorkshire to Wales. I was supposed to get the train from Beverley at 12.30, to be in London at 4, to get the bus to Wales at 6.30. In my mind that gave me enough time for a coffee with Nel, but it wasn't to be. The first train hit a cow, so that obviously put a hold on things, the second train got stuck with it's doors open at the platform, and couldn't go unless they closed. The third train got stuck behind the second, and rather than just taking all the people off the second and moving it empty, we all just had to wait until they could fix the doors.
2 hours and 45 mins later I was on the move, I changed the route a bit, and went into Hull, the train I got on was going all the way to London, but I was only allowed to go on it as far as Doncaster, where I had to change and wait for a GNER train, as that was what my ticket was. They did offer to allow me to pay 30 quid to get a new ticket, believe it or not I declined :-)
Anyway, the bus turned out to be running late, so even though I didn't get to coffee with Nel, I did make my connection, and after 13 hours travelling we made it to Wales. Needless to say I slept well :-)
The plan for Saturday was for us to climb Mt Snowdon, when we got there it was pouring with rain, windy, cold, and generally crappy. I decided that given that I had not even heard of Mt Snowdon until 2 weeks before, and that I was feeling more like a coffee than been blown off a mountain for 6 hours, I decided to go tour another town. Elissa and Bap went up, the crazy cats, they made it all the way to their credit. Elissa is still hurting 4 days later the poor thing, but it is definately another experience they can add to the list.
We went to the smallest house in the UK, and got the little lady all upset by asking what made a house and house and trying to argue that a converted shed could probably beat this. She wasn't impressed, but I still maintain it is a valid point. What does make a house a house?
Anyway, we cruised around North Wales, go a stamp in our passports with the longest place name in the world (until the Kiwi's decided they wouldn't be beaten that is), drank coffee, drank beer, went to the beach, caught a steam train, saw Thomas and generally had fun.
Can't tell you how good it was to get to London on Sunday night and know that I wasn't going to have to travel anywhere for a week!
2 hours and 45 mins later I was on the move, I changed the route a bit, and went into Hull, the train I got on was going all the way to London, but I was only allowed to go on it as far as Doncaster, where I had to change and wait for a GNER train, as that was what my ticket was. They did offer to allow me to pay 30 quid to get a new ticket, believe it or not I declined :-)
Anyway, the bus turned out to be running late, so even though I didn't get to coffee with Nel, I did make my connection, and after 13 hours travelling we made it to Wales. Needless to say I slept well :-)
The plan for Saturday was for us to climb Mt Snowdon, when we got there it was pouring with rain, windy, cold, and generally crappy. I decided that given that I had not even heard of Mt Snowdon until 2 weeks before, and that I was feeling more like a coffee than been blown off a mountain for 6 hours, I decided to go tour another town. Elissa and Bap went up, the crazy cats, they made it all the way to their credit. Elissa is still hurting 4 days later the poor thing, but it is definately another experience they can add to the list.
We went to the smallest house in the UK, and got the little lady all upset by asking what made a house and house and trying to argue that a converted shed could probably beat this. She wasn't impressed, but I still maintain it is a valid point. What does make a house a house?
Anyway, we cruised around North Wales, go a stamp in our passports with the longest place name in the world (until the Kiwi's decided they wouldn't be beaten that is), drank coffee, drank beer, went to the beach, caught a steam train, saw Thomas and generally had fun.
Can't tell you how good it was to get to London on Sunday night and know that I wasn't going to have to travel anywhere for a week!
Bell Ringing in Yorkshire
Still can't believe that I can just sit here and keep coming up with new titles for these post with all the places I have been able to go. How cool hey?!
Last week was such an adventure, I absoloutley loved it. I have been crapping on about going bell ringing for weeks, ok months, and it was all that I thought it would be but more. I met Chris in London and we jumped on the FIRST CLASS train to Yorkshire. The church that his dad works at is amazing, huge, old and very church like.
We went straight to the bell tower. In my mind I was kind of expecting the little boys to be flying up and down in the air ringing the bells, you know, just like in Sound of Music, but no such thing, there were adults of all ages pulling on ropes in a rather dignified manner. Turns out it is a little more complicated than just pulling a rope, and that all these bells have specific positions, if you don't set it right you can smash the stay and the bell will ring free. Who knew it could be so complicated?!
At one point Chris asked me to stop smiling, and I really wasn't able to, it was just too cool to be able to see this in a church so old. We went down the pub with the ringers after, and they hooked me up with the details of some churches in Sydney where you can ring. I can feel a new hobby coming on, I really can.
The next day after my ears stopped ringing we went to York, and Chris gave me a guided tour, including the train museum. I ate a Yorkie in Yorkshire. Did a tour of a old old church, with an old old key. All in all it was an awesome couple of days.
Last week was such an adventure, I absoloutley loved it. I have been crapping on about going bell ringing for weeks, ok months, and it was all that I thought it would be but more. I met Chris in London and we jumped on the FIRST CLASS train to Yorkshire. The church that his dad works at is amazing, huge, old and very church like.
We went straight to the bell tower. In my mind I was kind of expecting the little boys to be flying up and down in the air ringing the bells, you know, just like in Sound of Music, but no such thing, there were adults of all ages pulling on ropes in a rather dignified manner. Turns out it is a little more complicated than just pulling a rope, and that all these bells have specific positions, if you don't set it right you can smash the stay and the bell will ring free. Who knew it could be so complicated?!
At one point Chris asked me to stop smiling, and I really wasn't able to, it was just too cool to be able to see this in a church so old. We went down the pub with the ringers after, and they hooked me up with the details of some churches in Sydney where you can ring. I can feel a new hobby coming on, I really can.
The next day after my ears stopped ringing we went to York, and Chris gave me a guided tour, including the train museum. I ate a Yorkie in Yorkshire. Did a tour of a old old church, with an old old key. All in all it was an awesome couple of days.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Sweden
Here they are, two of my favourite people in the world...
I had the most magic few days in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Em and Jacob live in Goteborg, this lovely city in Sweden. Seriously, I am not sure if I have ever seen a city that works so well. Public transport looked like it worked, the streets were clean, it looked safe, there was free parking for people in smart cars.. I don't know, it just all seemed perfect.
It's been so funny to go to so many different countries in such a short period of time, I have done a bit of travel in the past, but to do see so much in just a few weeks, you can really get a feel for how things work. This felt like one country that did.
I had the most magic few days in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Em and Jacob live in Goteborg, this lovely city in Sweden. Seriously, I am not sure if I have ever seen a city that works so well. Public transport looked like it worked, the streets were clean, it looked safe, there was free parking for people in smart cars.. I don't know, it just all seemed perfect.
It's been so funny to go to so many different countries in such a short period of time, I have done a bit of travel in the past, but to do see so much in just a few weeks, you can really get a feel for how things work. This felt like one country that did.
Just to explain the photos above, Em and Jacob took me to the beach, Swedish-style, then we had a BBQ with some of their mates, who were lovely, and then Em forced me, I mean invited me, to go and see some fish at her work, it was seriously the coolest place. :-) That's the photo of us with the legs. Don't think I have ever looked better :-)
It's so good to be able to go and visit people, there is only one problem, we keep having to say goodbye. What we need to work on is a plan where we can take all our favourite people with us. That would be cool.
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