PTR Ticking the boxes - Europe May 2013-update DLP

[PrincessInOz]

^^
(Thanks aussietravellers!)

I missed the fall!! Hope you're okay, Wendy!

 

[gogo65]

Wow, what an amazing trip so far, sooo jealous......
I hope your ankle, knee etc are on the mend, we don't want you to have to slow down

 

[zanzibar138]

Wow you've been so busy! Thanks for updating us

First of all, sorry to hear about your fall - sounds like it was a nasty one! Hope you are doing ok now.

I can't believe you did so much in Singapore in just a couple of days! And sounds like it was great value too, with all that thrown in for free

Sounds like you've been really lucky with crowds at DLP A 20 minute wait for Crush? I waited over an hour at what was supposed to be a quiet time of year I totally agree with you on Dreams - a really amazing show! I also loved the Tangled section, but the Brave section is new (might have to youtube it ). Also agree with you on Armageddon... it left me pretty confused about what on earth it was supposed to be Hope you enjoyed your dinner at Walt's

 

[Minniemum]

Love the updates! Singapore sounded like an episode of "The Amazing Race" Sorry to hear you had to cut your Paris wandering short due to your ankle. Hope it didn't cause too much trouble in the coming days. At least you were able to squeeze a little more DLP in.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Half way through a post in the UK and the Disboards froze on me and was unable to get in for several days then we had no wifi! Now in Scotland on the Isle of Skye having a great time with lots of warm sunny weather after buying up a ton of secondhand clothes as the UK had been so cold and wet last week. In a B&B overlooking a loch-watching for otters but its finally getting dark (after 10pm and time for bed-now I can get in will try some posts from later in Scotland or Spain and catch up with all the goss!)

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hope you're having a great time Wendy.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Scotland has been amazing-Edinburgh was fascinating with its high ex tenements and all the old stone and wynds and stairways. Had a delicious lunch at Angels with bagpipes restaurant (yes I remembered and have will have food porn for you all in a full TR). Saw the castle but made a decision not to go through Holyrood House-the troops were a bit over historic places-if we had had another day we probably would have. We had arrived later than intended the previous day as our train was cancelled-sound familiar?? Luckily very quiet so no probs getting a seat though not on the side I wanted. That first afternoon we wandered the Royal Mile and adjacent passageways and as it was drizzly visited the museum.

The drive to Skye was magnificent and we had a wonderful 2 full days here. Our guesthouse was divine with rooms overlooking the loch and we got to watch otters who on our final am came out to play on shore. Definately our highlight. We also had a great walk in the Quirang (mountain feature) but DD and I decided to scramble up to a feature The Needle-rather more steep than we intended-more climbing really and half way up I think we both thought-we have to get down!! Help!! It was so steep-DH who wisely stayed below watched with trepedation as we came down on our bums and hands with controlled slides-this German dude just ran all the way up, further than us, had a look and ran back down like a walk in the park and there we are crawling from tussock to tussock!! (BTW my ankle is obviously now ok though my knee cap is still a bit sore). Skye was just one panorama shot after another - very brown as the snow only cleared a couple of weeks ago so all brown and bare-bluebells still out instead of the heather-plant are about 2 months late in blossoming. Today past Inverness (DH has a piccie of Nessie from Inverness yesterday) in the Cairngorms we had a great time at a Wildlife park and DD and I went horseriding.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

(Didn't want it to time out). Last week in the UK was great catching up with friends and rellies. The Chelsea Flower Show was really good (& the Aussie garden got 1st prize for the show garden). Took far too many pictures of plant and flower displays. It was also a lot like the Home Show though with 100's of stalls selling conservatories, garden furniture, garden ornaments etc. The next day in London it was torrential rain and freezing (our worst day here so far)-we managed the Shakespeare Globe Theatre tour and had a very long lunch in a nearby gourmet burger place and just went to some museums in the pm to get out of the rain and cold so didn't wander as much as I had planned. DD arrived safely and we all LOVED HP studios tour on the Saturday. Again have 100's of pics. Even if you weren't a HP fan just the insight into movie making would be fascinating I think but for buffs it was amazing. Anyway off to dinner at the local pub-so good last night going back tonight to try some more of the menu. Have tried haggis and do not like it -ditto whisky. Next post will probably be (hopefully be) from Spain!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Looking forward to the pics and full TR.

 

[Minniemum]

It's great to hear you're having a fantastic time. Thanks for dropping in!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

A quick hello from Spain-bit dodgy internet. Walking our legs off in Seville-the labyrinth of streets winding about keep confusing us-its taken several goes to finally learn the way to and from our apartment and even then we get it wrong sometimes. Loved the Alcazar and had tapas for dinner tonight but didn't linger as the wind turned cold and DD and I were dressed for summer (it was lovely & hot yesterday evening!) Hope to negotiate the trains and get to Cordoba for the day tomorrow. I really wish I knew more Spanish. Bye!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hola!

Enjoy Spain.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

In Singapore overnight and home tomorrow. Have had a great trip except I've earnt the nickname "Wrongway Wendy" as my directional finding that normally is spot on went a bit awry this trip-I am blaming menopause for making me addled! Next trip DH is taking GPS for car and pedestrian mode-I hang my head in shame-I used to have such a perfect record!! Anyway a trip full of magical moments and some fantastic food that I will recall more when I sort through a gazillion photos. With no work contracts on the horizon yet I have no excuse not to get a TR started by later in the week! Stay tuned.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Safe travels home Wendy. You time away seems to have just flown by.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

For some reason my difficulties in getting in to Disboards has continued on the home computer?? In today finally after 3 days of trying. Has anyone else been having issues??

 

[PrincessInOz]

For some reason my difficulties in getting in to Disboards has continued on the home computer?? In today finally after 3 days of trying. Has anyone else been having issues??

I think I had problems Monday night.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Hopefully posting start of TR now-decided to add under a new name as will put links in for Paris board probably. DH keeps watching Star Trek lately hence the theme but I quickly lost the style I am afraid-too hard and clinical to keep up in my writing style!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Thought I'd post this exciting development here as good as anywhere...

The good news - I rejoin the rat race with a new contract for 6 months til mid December

The bad news - having to get up before the sun rises, home after the sun sets each day - ( ) and poor old Pep, who has been quite spoilt with me working from home most of the time the last two contracts, will be left all alone again all day=not a happy puppy. (Also producing TR will slow down a lot!)

The good news: DH has changed his edict of " No long expensive overseas trips in 2014, just a week locally somewhere," to " If you want to go to Orlando for 2 weeks to see HP at Universal and WDW, that'd be OK but no add-ons like NYC or driving trips up to Canada as you want to do".

OK - I can compromise

It would be late 2014 as I will probably pick up another school review job from January to July or August but have to be before or after G20 as DH has been told he might need to be on call around that time. I really would like to do MNSSHP....let the planning begin!!

(but I will finish current TR BEFORE I start too much forward planning) - hmmm, a more thorough read of the 2014 thread - step 1, I think. Of course if DD gets to go to Asia for several months as part of her PhD (which is possible next year) this may change to an Asian trip.....

 

[PrincessInOz]

That's great news, Wendy. Welcome back to the world of paying tax.

Local trips....down south and to Asia......sounds great.

 

[Minniemum]

Congrats on the contract Wendy. I love the way you had to compromise to a possible no-add-ons 2 week Orlando trip. Luckily it was all DH's idea