Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tokyo and Around
The flight from Heathrow to Narita was an interesting experience. We left at 1.00pm London time and arrived at about 9.00am in Japan having travelled in daylight for the whole trip. The wait through customs/passport check only took 30 mins despite the numbers of planes arriving almost simultaneously.
As this port of call was to be our last we treated ourselves to travel to our Tokyo hotel, 90 mins away, by limousine coach transfer (which in the end cost no more than the train would have cost). We arrived early at the Tokyo Dome Hotel checked in (to the 26th Floor with views across Tokyo)and killed some time with a walk through the immediate area: Tokyo Dome City. Very much impressed by the order and the cleanliness of the ground environment. Even the air wasn't too badly polluted. As usual we walked around the streets becoming familiar with the local shops: and food outlets. Its a bit difficult finding your way without street names, but throughout our five days people were only too helpful. If we looked lost (ie standing looking confused on a street with a crumpled and dog eared street map) people with only limited English would ask if we needed help. How often did this happen ...?? Can't remember! One couple was a Japanese man and Kiwi woman from Christchurch who had seen my 'Made in NZ' tee shirt.
Our first attempt to get into the Imperial Palace East Garden was made on our first afternoon but it was closed by the time we arrived. We had already walked through the Park to the Yasukuni Shrine and wandered around the ground floor of the War Memorial Museum and out into the Japanese gardens. And that brought to an end the first day in Tokyo.
The next day our plans were disrupted by an extraordinarily long sleep in - getting over the flight from the previous day. But we managed to squeeze in a full day before arriving back in Tokyo City where we wandered: through the bright lights and amusement park and people just out and about enjoying themselves. There is no daylight saving here (yet, anyway)so it gets dark quite early in the late spring/early summer. We were attracted by the sound of music coming from a stage in the courtyard and sat and listened to a young Japanese musician, whose music we liked. Clive decided to buy a CD and lined up to buy a copy and eventually ended up in a line with the other girls to have it personally signed at the end of the concert. We were then attracted by a Symphony of Light show by the water fountain which not only attracted groups of families but also helpedto cool the early summer air already around theearly 20s. A great way to end the day.
The next day (Monday)we tried again to get into the Imperial Palace East Gardens but 'Closed on Mondays' made it rather difficult, impossible in fact. That afternoon we took a bus trip through Tokyo City starting with a trip up the World Trade Centre with expansive views over both the city and the Harbour areas - and city as far as we could see in any direction. A 40 minute boat cruise along the Sumida River took us to the Asakusa Kannon Temple and from there we were bussed back to fashionable Ginza where we got off the bus and decided to walk. It was after this that we met the young (?) couple - she from Christchurch. It is impressive in Tokyo how each bit of available land is used: underneath the expressway supports we saw a small court area, fenced in where young kids could learn/play baseball; and under other expressways, canals and carparks. Of course, the ubiquitous highrises abound.
The following day took us south west to Mount Fuji, sacred conical mountain, reminding us of home. And the day was picture postcard perfect - great clear views of the mountain and later in Hakone National Park of the Lakes and Mountains from the aerial ropeway. (Unfortunately, by late afternoon, Fuji was cloud covered, and we never got to see it again. How lucky were we? And then a two hour journey back to Tokyo and eventually our first experience of the Japanese Metro. And just like the others we had used, a very easy to follow and use transport system. Nowhere in Tokyo is far from either a train or Metro station. And so ended our last organised day. Our last day was spent on our own. We took the Metro to Harajuku station from where we walked into Yoyogi Park and through the impressive gates to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, out and onwards to the Shinjuku-Gyoen Garden (Shinjuku National Gardens) and on to the shopping area of Shinjuku. Another upwards trip took us 45 floors up to the observatory floor of the H shaped Metropolitan Government Office building and again impressive views over Tokyo and as far back as Tokyo Dome (home of the Giants baseball team)and our hotel. From the Tower we headed back to Shinjuku station (again with help from people on the street) and a couple of Metro stops to our hotel area.
And thus ended our Tokyo experience: must come back to Japan one day and even a return to Tokyo is a possibility. These are very polite and friendly people: the streets are crowded but there is no rush: people respect people (there is crime, but it is generally safe - you leave personal belongings at your seat in restaurants to reserve space; we saw a young guy walking in front of us with his wallet sticking up from his back pocket - safe here, unlike in the other countries we had visited.
And as Tokyo(Japan)came to a close so too did our trip of a lifetime: an experience we have been very lucky to have been able to do. We are looking forward to going home. Its been a long time (Departed August 21st 2007; returned May 30th 2008)but it's nice to be able to head home to family and friends - and a change of clothes and colour!!
As this port of call was to be our last we treated ourselves to travel to our Tokyo hotel, 90 mins away, by limousine coach transfer (which in the end cost no more than the train would have cost). We arrived early at the Tokyo Dome Hotel checked in (to the 26th Floor with views across Tokyo)and killed some time with a walk through the immediate area: Tokyo Dome City. Very much impressed by the order and the cleanliness of the ground environment. Even the air wasn't too badly polluted. As usual we walked around the streets becoming familiar with the local shops: and food outlets. Its a bit difficult finding your way without street names, but throughout our five days people were only too helpful. If we looked lost (ie standing looking confused on a street with a crumpled and dog eared street map) people with only limited English would ask if we needed help. How often did this happen ...?? Can't remember! One couple was a Japanese man and Kiwi woman from Christchurch who had seen my 'Made in NZ' tee shirt.
Our first attempt to get into the Imperial Palace East Garden was made on our first afternoon but it was closed by the time we arrived. We had already walked through the Park to the Yasukuni Shrine and wandered around the ground floor of the War Memorial Museum and out into the Japanese gardens. And that brought to an end the first day in Tokyo.
The next day our plans were disrupted by an extraordinarily long sleep in - getting over the flight from the previous day. But we managed to squeeze in a full day before arriving back in Tokyo City where we wandered: through the bright lights and amusement park and people just out and about enjoying themselves. There is no daylight saving here (yet, anyway)so it gets dark quite early in the late spring/early summer. We were attracted by the sound of music coming from a stage in the courtyard and sat and listened to a young Japanese musician, whose music we liked. Clive decided to buy a CD and lined up to buy a copy and eventually ended up in a line with the other girls to have it personally signed at the end of the concert. We were then attracted by a Symphony of Light show by the water fountain which not only attracted groups of families but also helpedto cool the early summer air already around theearly 20s. A great way to end the day.
The next day (Monday)we tried again to get into the Imperial Palace East Gardens but 'Closed on Mondays' made it rather difficult, impossible in fact. That afternoon we took a bus trip through Tokyo City starting with a trip up the World Trade Centre with expansive views over both the city and the Harbour areas - and city as far as we could see in any direction. A 40 minute boat cruise along the Sumida River took us to the Asakusa Kannon Temple and from there we were bussed back to fashionable Ginza where we got off the bus and decided to walk. It was after this that we met the young (?) couple - she from Christchurch. It is impressive in Tokyo how each bit of available land is used: underneath the expressway supports we saw a small court area, fenced in where young kids could learn/play baseball; and under other expressways, canals and carparks. Of course, the ubiquitous highrises abound.
The following day took us south west to Mount Fuji, sacred conical mountain, reminding us of home. And the day was picture postcard perfect - great clear views of the mountain and later in Hakone National Park of the Lakes and Mountains from the aerial ropeway. (Unfortunately, by late afternoon, Fuji was cloud covered, and we never got to see it again. How lucky were we? And then a two hour journey back to Tokyo and eventually our first experience of the Japanese Metro. And just like the others we had used, a very easy to follow and use transport system. Nowhere in Tokyo is far from either a train or Metro station. And so ended our last organised day. Our last day was spent on our own. We took the Metro to Harajuku station from where we walked into Yoyogi Park and through the impressive gates to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, out and onwards to the Shinjuku-Gyoen Garden (Shinjuku National Gardens) and on to the shopping area of Shinjuku. Another upwards trip took us 45 floors up to the observatory floor of the H shaped Metropolitan Government Office building and again impressive views over Tokyo and as far back as Tokyo Dome (home of the Giants baseball team)and our hotel. From the Tower we headed back to Shinjuku station (again with help from people on the street) and a couple of Metro stops to our hotel area.
And thus ended our Tokyo experience: must come back to Japan one day and even a return to Tokyo is a possibility. These are very polite and friendly people: the streets are crowded but there is no rush: people respect people (there is crime, but it is generally safe - you leave personal belongings at your seat in restaurants to reserve space; we saw a young guy walking in front of us with his wallet sticking up from his back pocket - safe here, unlike in the other countries we had visited.
And as Tokyo(Japan)came to a close so too did our trip of a lifetime: an experience we have been very lucky to have been able to do. We are looking forward to going home. Its been a long time (Departed August 21st 2007; returned May 30th 2008)but it's nice to be able to head home to family and friends - and a change of clothes and colour!!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Budapest
Budapest is a treasure! Until Budapest, Prague was the nicest city we had been to on the European Continent but we have to agree with the EW Guide that Budapest is in your face pretty on a much grander scale. From the House of Parliament stretching along the Pest side of the Danube (the construction cost of which they say in today’s figures could build a city to accommodate 40,000 people) with its ubiquitous scaffolding screening off one end to the Old Royal Palace (now housing the Hungarian National Gallery overlooking the Danube from the Buda Hills on the other side of the river; to the Christian churches (St Stephen’s Basilica where we attended a Saturday night Vigil Mass, Matthaias Church, the oldest building in Pest, the Inner City Parish Church which only just survivrd the later construction of Elizabeth Bridge and St Annes’ Church) and the Great Synagogue which has been described as the nicest Catholic Synagogue in Budapest (because of the way in which Catholicism and Judaism have attempted to assimilate in Budapest) and which commemorates the Jewish dead of WW2 as well as those gentiles who stepped up to try and save them. It was enjoyable wandering the Budapest streets (footpaths were safe and generally free of doggie doo) many of which were lined with the green of spring trees in fine weather and temperatures in the mid-20s. Our hotel (Golden Park) was only 30 mins walk from the old city in one direction and the City Park (Városliget)in the other; it also had a train station (which we didn’t use) and a metro station which we did use 10m from the front door of the hotel – SOO convenient and cheap.
We started our Budapest initiation by walking towards the town centre, the orientation process. Along the way, in our search for a Tourist Information Centre, we came across the Opera House (which we thought we’d like to go back to, to have a look through if not go to a concert) which offered guided tours. While trying to reach a decision (decision-making related to what to do next probably became the most frequent trigger point over the past four months) we spied an open top tour bus parked on the roadside and we made an instant (just to emphasise our flexibility!!) decision to take the tour hour city tour (which helped gel some ideas as to what we could do and where we could go over the next few days). While it was expensive (8000 HUFs or £26) by our standards it did highlight a number of places we were later able to easily walk back to. So in that sense it was well worth the cost. We were able to make the trip back to St Stephen’s (with the preserved arm of the very much revered Budapest Saint) for a view before returning later for Mass. Our guided tours (courtesy of Shelley and DK Eyewitness Travel) took us all round the central part of the city over the four days we were in Budapest: the Hungarian National Gallery in Buda’s old Royal Palace (before Budapest existed as a single entity, there were two separate cities, one on each side of the Danube: Buda, the hilly side, and Pest, the plains; under unification the two became Budapest but the history of this city has been turbulent and at times quite violent.), past the Sandor Palace (which still houses the Hungarian President), Lords Street with its Gothic architecture, Vienna Gate and Fisherman’s Bastion and the ruined remains of the Church of St Mary Magdalene (damaged beyond repair in WW2); on other days we visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Városliget, along with Vajdahunyad Castle (a mixture of Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque styles built for the Millennium Celebrations in 1896.), the Heroes Square (where statues represent, among others, the seven tribes who originally settled in Hungary, Michael the Archangel atop the column - minus the Hasburghs one of whom is now in the Fine Arts Museum). We also spent two hours soaking in the hot pools at the Széchenyi Baths which were opened in 1913. Getting into these baths was a bit of a mission. We didn’t understand the Hungarian and the lady at the ticket booth did not speak English. However, with a lot of gesticulation and smiling we finally paid for our tickets – but for what we weren’t entirely sure. And where to go?? We needed towels? Where do you get them? How much are they? Where are the cabins to get changed in? Once changed, where do we go? Can we leave stuff securely in the cabins? Finally after some backwards and forward wandering we met up with a lady who had a little more English than any of the other staff we had encountered to that point. ‘One step at a time’, she said. And took us to the changing cabin and showed us where to hire the towels. Then after changing she pointed us in the general direction of the pools – left through more cabins, through the door at the end, past the indoor pools through another door (and foot wash pool) and finally out through a set of automatic doors. And lo, there they were pools like Waiwera only much more resplendent in their architecture and with very vigorous spas and whirlpools. Great way to spend the two hours – an afternoon soak, back through the labyrinth and out (it was nice to pick up 400 HUFs each as we left because we had only spent 2 hours in the complex.) All so easy – now we look back on it! The two hours here was much better value than the expensive 30 minute tour of the Parliament Building which we both agreed was a ‘must see’! Another must see for us was a folk music/dance experience and for an evening concert we caught a metro into town. The music was uniquely Hungarian: lots of violin and performed by a very professional group. The dance was also well worth seeing but the squealing of the (girl) dancers was a bit ‘strained’ to say the least – but perhaps that’s how it is in the village dancers. The rivalry between two birds chirping away at each other ‘The Lark’ was very clever and so real!! - and all done on violins. An afternoon visit to Margaret Island (accessed from a road ramp off a 45˚ bend in the Margaret Bridge) in the rain was refreshing – an island oasis of playgrounds, park space and entertainment venues – in the Danube and so close to the heart of Budapest; and preparations underway for an open air concert; a wander over the other bridges: the Chain Bridge (which some say is rolled up and stored in the tunnel under the Buda Hills), Elizabeth Bridge (under the Gellért Hill and Gellért Monument) and Margaret Bridge (Liberty Bridge we looked at but decided it was too far to walk to); and to meals. We ate hearty breakfasts (paid for in our accommodation beforehand) and snack lunches but we discovered a restaurant about 15 mins from the hotel where for 3990 HUFs (about £12.00) each we could eat and drink as much as we could in three hours. What better way to sample various foods and lots of lovely Dreher! (Hungarian Lager) that almost matched the Czech beers. And what’s more we went there twice. And for us that was our Budapest (Hungarian, hardly) experience. Perhaps another day would have been worthwhile and maybe a trip or two out of the city but perhaps that can wait until next time.
We started our Budapest initiation by walking towards the town centre, the orientation process. Along the way, in our search for a Tourist Information Centre, we came across the Opera House (which we thought we’d like to go back to, to have a look through if not go to a concert) which offered guided tours. While trying to reach a decision (decision-making related to what to do next probably became the most frequent trigger point over the past four months) we spied an open top tour bus parked on the roadside and we made an instant (just to emphasise our flexibility!!) decision to take the tour hour city tour (which helped gel some ideas as to what we could do and where we could go over the next few days). While it was expensive (8000 HUFs or £26) by our standards it did highlight a number of places we were later able to easily walk back to. So in that sense it was well worth the cost. We were able to make the trip back to St Stephen’s (with the preserved arm of the very much revered Budapest Saint) for a view before returning later for Mass. Our guided tours (courtesy of Shelley and DK Eyewitness Travel) took us all round the central part of the city over the four days we were in Budapest: the Hungarian National Gallery in Buda’s old Royal Palace (before Budapest existed as a single entity, there were two separate cities, one on each side of the Danube: Buda, the hilly side, and Pest, the plains; under unification the two became Budapest but the history of this city has been turbulent and at times quite violent.), past the Sandor Palace (which still houses the Hungarian President), Lords Street with its Gothic architecture, Vienna Gate and Fisherman’s Bastion and the ruined remains of the Church of St Mary Magdalene (damaged beyond repair in WW2); on other days we visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Városliget, along with Vajdahunyad Castle (a mixture of Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque styles built for the Millennium Celebrations in 1896.), the Heroes Square (where statues represent, among others, the seven tribes who originally settled in Hungary, Michael the Archangel atop the column - minus the Hasburghs one of whom is now in the Fine Arts Museum). We also spent two hours soaking in the hot pools at the Széchenyi Baths which were opened in 1913. Getting into these baths was a bit of a mission. We didn’t understand the Hungarian and the lady at the ticket booth did not speak English. However, with a lot of gesticulation and smiling we finally paid for our tickets – but for what we weren’t entirely sure. And where to go?? We needed towels? Where do you get them? How much are they? Where are the cabins to get changed in? Once changed, where do we go? Can we leave stuff securely in the cabins? Finally after some backwards and forward wandering we met up with a lady who had a little more English than any of the other staff we had encountered to that point. ‘One step at a time’, she said. And took us to the changing cabin and showed us where to hire the towels. Then after changing she pointed us in the general direction of the pools – left through more cabins, through the door at the end, past the indoor pools through another door (and foot wash pool) and finally out through a set of automatic doors. And lo, there they were pools like Waiwera only much more resplendent in their architecture and with very vigorous spas and whirlpools. Great way to spend the two hours – an afternoon soak, back through the labyrinth and out (it was nice to pick up 400 HUFs each as we left because we had only spent 2 hours in the complex.) All so easy – now we look back on it! The two hours here was much better value than the expensive 30 minute tour of the Parliament Building which we both agreed was a ‘must see’! Another must see for us was a folk music/dance experience and for an evening concert we caught a metro into town. The music was uniquely Hungarian: lots of violin and performed by a very professional group. The dance was also well worth seeing but the squealing of the (girl) dancers was a bit ‘strained’ to say the least – but perhaps that’s how it is in the village dancers. The rivalry between two birds chirping away at each other ‘The Lark’ was very clever and so real!! - and all done on violins. An afternoon visit to Margaret Island (accessed from a road ramp off a 45˚ bend in the Margaret Bridge) in the rain was refreshing – an island oasis of playgrounds, park space and entertainment venues – in the Danube and so close to the heart of Budapest; and preparations underway for an open air concert; a wander over the other bridges: the Chain Bridge (which some say is rolled up and stored in the tunnel under the Buda Hills), Elizabeth Bridge (under the Gellért Hill and Gellért Monument) and Margaret Bridge (Liberty Bridge we looked at but decided it was too far to walk to); and to meals. We ate hearty breakfasts (paid for in our accommodation beforehand) and snack lunches but we discovered a restaurant about 15 mins from the hotel where for 3990 HUFs (about £12.00) each we could eat and drink as much as we could in three hours. What better way to sample various foods and lots of lovely Dreher! (Hungarian Lager) that almost matched the Czech beers. And what’s more we went there twice. And for us that was our Budapest (Hungarian, hardly) experience. Perhaps another day would have been worthwhile and maybe a trip or two out of the city but perhaps that can wait until next time.
London: Last Look!!
Our last couple of days in London we spent with friends and were able to squeeze in to a short stay a visit to the Tate Britain and a walk along the Thames to find another of the Obelisks that have been removed from Luxor (we think there were originally four obelisks in Luxor – one remains: there is one in L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, one on the Thames in London and perhaps the fourth is in Barcelona (only we’re not sure of this!). In the process we walked through a small park alongside the Parliament Buildings where we found a Rodin nestled away: six merchants who thought they were on their way to be executed. From the park we made our way to Waterstones (we knew it was in Trafalgar Square from a previous visit) and from there to the Mall, just in time to see a parade of the Horse Guards heading towards Buckingham Palace. A stroll through St James Park took us eventually to Buckingham Palace and on to the New Zealand and Australia ANZAC Memorials near to Green Park. It was a very English experience to see the large numbers of people lying back in deck chairs in the parks, enjoying the late spring sunshine and warmth. (It’s not predicted to last long!) More walking and we finally made it home: 6.00pm and the sun is still high in the sky. (Days are getting longer and longer now: the birds are waking with the first vestiges of daylight around 4.30am and settling again at dusk around 9.00pm). The next day (and our last full ‘touring’ day in England) we caught the metro and then the DLR to Docklands from where we walked through a tunnel under the Thames to the Maritime Museum and the Observatory at Greenwich. The views from the hill on which the observatory stands were quite picturesque: quite a change from what would have been dreary decayed and ruined warehouses around the Isle of Dogs post WW2. Of course, like all other tourists we straddled the Greenwich Mean Line (each of us firmly wedged into two hemispheres at the same time).
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Peak District (Buxton and Manchester)
We arrived late at Manchester Airport from Dublin: first of all only one runway was in use so we circled for about 30 mins until we could land. Then we had another long wait on the ground for our luggage to arrive off the plane – about 40 mins. This was the only time in our whole trip where we had people waiting at the airport to pick us up. But they waited. We were taken to our Guesthouse (Sevenways in Buxton), freshened up and walked to their home for dinner. Lots of chin wag!!
The next morning we awoke to yet another brilliantly fine day – warm but a bit hazy from the evaporation of winter wet. We were taken into the Peak District where we climbed to the top of Mam Tor (Mother Hill) in the Peak District passing a number of hang gliding enthusiasts who were up catching the wind. Great views from the Mam Tor Ridge over the Hope Valley and towards Edale and the Pennine Way and a few drops of rain (we could almost count them.) A leisurely stroll down the flanks of the ridge took us into Castleton where we stopped for a bite to eat. We climbed again out of Castleton over the remains of an earthquake slump from the late 1970s, before driving back to Buxton via Winnats Pass and down its 1 in 4 gradient. The walk itself was about three hours and the day about five and it afforded some spectacular views through the valleys and ridges that characterise the Peak District National Park. Back to a beautiful salmon dinner and more very pleasant company.
The next morning as usual it seems dawned fine and we headed for the train station to go to Manchester. Uh oh!! Some spots of rain necessitated the use of the almost redundant umbrella. But although the umbrella got wet we didn’t need it again and we chugged towards Manchester on the ‘rubber-band train’. (It seemed to wind up for lift off as it departed each station and then cruised almost effortlessly downward towards the next station – Buxton is much higher than Manchester above sea level. But an hour later we arrived in Manchester made a convoluted beeline to the Information Centre and headed off with a singular mission: to cram all we could into a day in Manchester. First port of call, the Old Town Hall (closed to the public because a wedding was taking place) and behind it Albert Square where the RAF was holding a recruitment/awareness drive and I got to have a ride in the Red Arrows flight simulator. Next on the agenda was the Canal area (via an anti-Scientology street demonstration) a part of inner core Manchester once home to dilapidated warehouses but now undergoing redevelopment (we were intrigued by a canal barge that was being negotiated through the locking system); from the canals to the Museum of Science and Industry where we focused on Manchester’s past – some interesting tales both sad and true from its destruction by German bombing raids in WW2 to its Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when 8 people were killed by blade swashing horse riders. From the Museum we wandered back to the city centre visitng the really interesting John Rylands Library in Deansgate (a purpose built library built in the Gothic style to resemble a church) where we saw a very old (like 600BC) title deed of sale of a house from one lady to another and fragments of early Gospel writing. From the Library we visited the Manchester Art Gallery focussing again on Mancurian art but coming across a Constable in the process. Very much captivated by the impressionist images of Manchester captured by an artist called Valette. We walked too to the Manchester Eye (a frenzied and somewhat smaller version of the London Eye) but didn’t venture on; we walked around the Manchester Cathedral (but couldn’t go in as it was closed) and past the Urbis (a modern glass building); from the Urbis we squeezed between gathering crowds all out enjoying the ‘unusually warm sunny weather’ to Picadilly Square where kids (older and younger) took on the water fountains and from there back to Picadilly Station for the train back to Buxton. We arrived about 6.45pm and went to the Railway for a typical English Pub Meal with a Greene King Warm beer. Bring on the cooler Kiwi beers!!
Next day - fine again and warmer. A wander round the streets of Buxton and a Mass at St Anne’s on Terrace Road preceded a long and leisurely lunch and afternoon tea. We were going to walk to Solomon’s Folly (a tower built in the late 1800s on the top of a ridge in the nearby Buxton Park) but we never made it. The company and small talk kept us from the walk but how wonderful was the afternoon which passed at a much slower, more congenial and relaxing pace. But we did manage to squeeze in visits to the Buxton Art Gallery and Museum and a walk through Pavillion Gardens past the Opera House and the University Dome beside the Palace Hotel.
The following day we managed a pleasant walk to Solomon’s Folly from which we were able to get hazy views across the valley with Buxton nestled amongst the trees. And apart from the rush to catch the train from Buxton to Stockport to London Euston that was it. Surely it rains up here – but then we knew that: everything was green and there was a haze from evaporation.
We arrived late at Manchester Airport from Dublin: first of all only one runway was in use so we circled for about 30 mins until we could land. Then we had another long wait on the ground for our luggage to arrive off the plane – about 40 mins. This was the only time in our whole trip where we had people waiting at the airport to pick us up. But they waited. We were taken to our Guesthouse (Sevenways in Buxton), freshened up and walked to their home for dinner. Lots of chin wag!!
The next morning we awoke to yet another brilliantly fine day – warm but a bit hazy from the evaporation of winter wet. We were taken into the Peak District where we climbed to the top of Mam Tor (Mother Hill) in the Peak District passing a number of hang gliding enthusiasts who were up catching the wind. Great views from the Mam Tor Ridge over the Hope Valley and towards Edale and the Pennine Way and a few drops of rain (we could almost count them.) A leisurely stroll down the flanks of the ridge took us into Castleton where we stopped for a bite to eat. We climbed again out of Castleton over the remains of an earthquake slump from the late 1970s, before driving back to Buxton via Winnats Pass and down its 1 in 4 gradient. The walk itself was about three hours and the day about five and it afforded some spectacular views through the valleys and ridges that characterise the Peak District National Park. Back to a beautiful salmon dinner and more very pleasant company.
The next morning as usual it seems dawned fine and we headed for the train station to go to Manchester. Uh oh!! Some spots of rain necessitated the use of the almost redundant umbrella. But although the umbrella got wet we didn’t need it again and we chugged towards Manchester on the ‘rubber-band train’. (It seemed to wind up for lift off as it departed each station and then cruised almost effortlessly downward towards the next station – Buxton is much higher than Manchester above sea level. But an hour later we arrived in Manchester made a convoluted beeline to the Information Centre and headed off with a singular mission: to cram all we could into a day in Manchester. First port of call, the Old Town Hall (closed to the public because a wedding was taking place) and behind it Albert Square where the RAF was holding a recruitment/awareness drive and I got to have a ride in the Red Arrows flight simulator. Next on the agenda was the Canal area (via an anti-Scientology street demonstration) a part of inner core Manchester once home to dilapidated warehouses but now undergoing redevelopment (we were intrigued by a canal barge that was being negotiated through the locking system); from the canals to the Museum of Science and Industry where we focused on Manchester’s past – some interesting tales both sad and true from its destruction by German bombing raids in WW2 to its Peterloo Massacre in 1819 when 8 people were killed by blade swashing horse riders. From the Museum we wandered back to the city centre visitng the really interesting John Rylands Library in Deansgate (a purpose built library built in the Gothic style to resemble a church) where we saw a very old (like 600BC) title deed of sale of a house from one lady to another and fragments of early Gospel writing. From the Library we visited the Manchester Art Gallery focussing again on Mancurian art but coming across a Constable in the process. Very much captivated by the impressionist images of Manchester captured by an artist called Valette. We walked too to the Manchester Eye (a frenzied and somewhat smaller version of the London Eye) but didn’t venture on; we walked around the Manchester Cathedral (but couldn’t go in as it was closed) and past the Urbis (a modern glass building); from the Urbis we squeezed between gathering crowds all out enjoying the ‘unusually warm sunny weather’ to Picadilly Square where kids (older and younger) took on the water fountains and from there back to Picadilly Station for the train back to Buxton. We arrived about 6.45pm and went to the Railway for a typical English Pub Meal with a Greene King Warm beer. Bring on the cooler Kiwi beers!!
Next day - fine again and warmer. A wander round the streets of Buxton and a Mass at St Anne’s on Terrace Road preceded a long and leisurely lunch and afternoon tea. We were going to walk to Solomon’s Folly (a tower built in the late 1800s on the top of a ridge in the nearby Buxton Park) but we never made it. The company and small talk kept us from the walk but how wonderful was the afternoon which passed at a much slower, more congenial and relaxing pace. But we did manage to squeeze in visits to the Buxton Art Gallery and Museum and a walk through Pavillion Gardens past the Opera House and the University Dome beside the Palace Hotel.
The following day we managed a pleasant walk to Solomon’s Folly from which we were able to get hazy views across the valley with Buxton nestled amongst the trees. And apart from the rush to catch the train from Buxton to Stockport to London Euston that was it. Surely it rains up here – but then we knew that: everything was green and there was a haze from evaporation.
Ireland: North and South
Dublin, Ireland – the Emerald Isle. We flew in to Dublin from Amsterdam and arrived in warm blue sky conditions. A bus ride (6 Euros each) brought us in to the central city and we struggled through the crowds and the heat of the afternoon, through Temple Bar tourism focused area, to our Lord Edward Street Hotel almost directly across the road from City Hall. Because it was warm and because the days are long (it’s not getting dark until around 9.30pm) we embarked on a walking tour of the Liffey (River) area (the Custom House, the Bank of Ireland and former Parliament Building, O’Connell Street and the Law Courts) ending up at the Pro-Cathedral for Mass. This was followed by a traditional Irish dinner in the Arlington Hotel with loads of diddly-dee potatoes accompanied by traditional Irish music. On our return trip to our hotel we wandered through a crowd heading into a concert in Dublin Castle – just over the road from our hotel. We had arrived on a Bank Holiday and the whole city centre anyway was in festive mode. The warm weather just added to the festive feeling. As we walked into the hotel there was more music emanating from the breakfast bar area: Clive stuck his nose in to find out what was going on only to be turned away – the music (which Shelley had earlier described as ‘awful’) was coming from a private function: a wake! So no entry!!
We booked next morning for two trips – one to County Wicklow and another to the Giants Causeway via Belfast in Northern Ireland – and then headed off for a guided tour of Trinity College which took us into the Long Room (a library of 3 million odd texts) and into a rather crowded tour of the Book of Kells. An interesting three hours later and a bit more of our own self-guided tour this time going to some of the quieter places of Dublin like a jam-packed St Stephen’s Green with sun-seekers lapping up the sun and 22˚ temps. It was snowing not too far away from here a couple of weeks ago. Then onto the less populated Merron Square ‘watched over’ in one corner by a rather laid-back Oscar Wild. We headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Later we did another self guided tour through Viking and Medieval Dublin: St Werburgh’s Church, St Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral past the Brazen Head Pub (the oldest Pub in Dublin) and eventually, we ended up again at the Arlington Hotel for Dinner. (We also stayed for the show and tapped along with the rest of the Pub to the sounds of Live Traditional Irish music.) Dinner and song was followed by traditional Irish Dancing, very accomplished but not up to Riverdance standard. But hey, the music and dance was free. Good value entertainment. But because of an early start scheduled for the next day (we were going to The Giant’s Causeway) leaving the hotel at 5.15am we left the ‘party’ around 10.00.
The alarm next morning was a rude awakening. But we responded quite quickly even if with a bit of shut eye still and walked the 15 mins to catch the bus. There was no record of our having booked and they wouldn’t take us: guess who was annoyed?? So rather agitatedly we walked back to the hotel and with a bit of luck and gerrymandering we swapped our trips: instead of going to The Giant’s Causeway we went on the Wicklow trip and were impressed by the green of the country (along with the Lochs, the Bogs, the source of Guiness water) and less impressed by the splendour of the yellow gorse. But images of the Glencree Valley were very much a reminder of New Zealand ; we passed through areas where several films (eg Braveheart, Michael Collins) have been shot – Sally Gap, Lough Tay and the bogs of the Wicklow Mountains (the peat bogs which give the Liffey its brown colour) and on to the monastic ruins of Glendalough (dominated by the Round Tower and Celtic Cross). From Glendalough our bus took us into Avoca Valley, where Ballykissangel had been shot past the Meeting of the Waters and back to Dublin city. An informative and long day and well worth the money we spent. The next day we at last made the trip to Northern Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway. Well only just! Paddywagons (the company we were going with us had a note to say we probably wouldn’t show). But two and a half hours after our 6.00am departure we arrived on the tail of Belfast’s morning rush hour. Eventually we made it to the bus station and again eventually we were picked up and taken northwards through Belfast to the northern coast. We were rewarded with another beautifully fine day and some sea mist (does it ever rain in Ireland??) and spectacular cliff views and being the daring young explorers we are we took on the rope bridge (aka swing bridge) at the old salmon fishing place of Carrick-a Rede. From there another 20 minute bus ride took us to the Giant’s Causeway (laid down either by a volcanic flow of basalt or by a love struck Irish Giant, Finn MacCool – the latter sounds like a good story!) and from there back to the former Troubles city of Derry (or Londonderry, depending on who you are talking to,) A whistle stop tour and insiders explanation of events that led up to The Troubles and events that occurred in the city around the Bloody Sunday massacre (January 2001) followed and from there it was back to the bus for the return trip to Dublin (via Belfast of course). All in all a long day: wake up 4.30am; bed time 10.00pm.
We booked next morning for two trips – one to County Wicklow and another to the Giants Causeway via Belfast in Northern Ireland – and then headed off for a guided tour of Trinity College which took us into the Long Room (a library of 3 million odd texts) and into a rather crowded tour of the Book of Kells. An interesting three hours later and a bit more of our own self-guided tour this time going to some of the quieter places of Dublin like a jam-packed St Stephen’s Green with sun-seekers lapping up the sun and 22˚ temps. It was snowing not too far away from here a couple of weeks ago. Then onto the less populated Merron Square ‘watched over’ in one corner by a rather laid-back Oscar Wild. We headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Later we did another self guided tour through Viking and Medieval Dublin: St Werburgh’s Church, St Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral past the Brazen Head Pub (the oldest Pub in Dublin) and eventually, we ended up again at the Arlington Hotel for Dinner. (We also stayed for the show and tapped along with the rest of the Pub to the sounds of Live Traditional Irish music.) Dinner and song was followed by traditional Irish Dancing, very accomplished but not up to Riverdance standard. But hey, the music and dance was free. Good value entertainment. But because of an early start scheduled for the next day (we were going to The Giant’s Causeway) leaving the hotel at 5.15am we left the ‘party’ around 10.00.
The alarm next morning was a rude awakening. But we responded quite quickly even if with a bit of shut eye still and walked the 15 mins to catch the bus. There was no record of our having booked and they wouldn’t take us: guess who was annoyed?? So rather agitatedly we walked back to the hotel and with a bit of luck and gerrymandering we swapped our trips: instead of going to The Giant’s Causeway we went on the Wicklow trip and were impressed by the green of the country (along with the Lochs, the Bogs, the source of Guiness water) and less impressed by the splendour of the yellow gorse. But images of the Glencree Valley were very much a reminder of New Zealand ; we passed through areas where several films (eg Braveheart, Michael Collins) have been shot – Sally Gap, Lough Tay and the bogs of the Wicklow Mountains (the peat bogs which give the Liffey its brown colour) and on to the monastic ruins of Glendalough (dominated by the Round Tower and Celtic Cross). From Glendalough our bus took us into Avoca Valley, where Ballykissangel had been shot past the Meeting of the Waters and back to Dublin city. An informative and long day and well worth the money we spent. The next day we at last made the trip to Northern Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway. Well only just! Paddywagons (the company we were going with us had a note to say we probably wouldn’t show). But two and a half hours after our 6.00am departure we arrived on the tail of Belfast’s morning rush hour. Eventually we made it to the bus station and again eventually we were picked up and taken northwards through Belfast to the northern coast. We were rewarded with another beautifully fine day and some sea mist (does it ever rain in Ireland??) and spectacular cliff views and being the daring young explorers we are we took on the rope bridge (aka swing bridge) at the old salmon fishing place of Carrick-a Rede. From there another 20 minute bus ride took us to the Giant’s Causeway (laid down either by a volcanic flow of basalt or by a love struck Irish Giant, Finn MacCool – the latter sounds like a good story!) and from there back to the former Troubles city of Derry (or Londonderry, depending on who you are talking to,) A whistle stop tour and insiders explanation of events that led up to The Troubles and events that occurred in the city around the Bloody Sunday massacre (January 2001) followed and from there it was back to the bus for the return trip to Dublin (via Belfast of course). All in all a long day: wake up 4.30am; bed time 10.00pm.
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