tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73578944903505828052024-03-12T19:21:07.607-07:00AROUND THE WORLD IN FIVE MONTHSWes and Terry have always loved to travel; new faces, cultures, food, landscapes, even smells sometimes. Well this is there dream come true! They will be traveling around the world!
They begin in Canada and will visit New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Turkey and Spain. They will use these places as "home bases" allowing them to travel to surrounding countries. This blog is a way for them to stay connected with everyone and tell about their amazing experiences as the cross the globe!Wes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-63655339682280006082010-04-04T11:35:00.000-07:002010-04-04T13:58:35.113-07:00Qualifiers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBqeqlnTLmsy5d2aiux9QotC5OSK86kNsobaPR20TAZ2YWxrCqQ26HfcmUJLnwp02xuQcaa8tO5kMKe5thMTUai5zyyfgJFGpp94oMuvRz44o1JKaJSEl_2IhAg3_4Z6iiHA6O8nGWl2m/s1600/Ulster+Hall+3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBqeqlnTLmsy5d2aiux9QotC5OSK86kNsobaPR20TAZ2YWxrCqQ26HfcmUJLnwp02xuQcaa8tO5kMKe5thMTUai5zyyfgJFGpp94oMuvRz44o1JKaJSEl_2IhAg3_4Z6iiHA6O8nGWl2m/s320/Ulster+Hall+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456389584574758066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHVN2jdB3XWbHGbAviOai6PbeAxLTOcMNi1fq8O-Z9daSw0Ewbt8wc7z0vwWu0GmYmVsLMtRdyfnHdrA7bLZ5j19cSGR2hsna0JA5OJ0Joxy_DqhCtbRQxr3_31MsPLTYQJ2-FCKknQO2/s1600/Belfast+002.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHVN2jdB3XWbHGbAviOai6PbeAxLTOcMNi1fq8O-Z9daSw0Ewbt8wc7z0vwWu0GmYmVsLMtRdyfnHdrA7bLZ5j19cSGR2hsna0JA5OJ0Joxy_DqhCtbRQxr3_31MsPLTYQJ2-FCKknQO2/s320/Belfast+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456389581113676354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3xvpwhIIC7eWbDBAC-495JbrCkUL886zyF-FS3lvx4DkExURhBgYDWUeRvfRErmJKixqnetMZGe0ZGqmvluZIInBHF4XKVY2JfWVSagedMwiyfxQ84PFml6_OH99P5SX-pexIBYuhVMz/s1600/Spire+Mall-old+church+1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3xvpwhIIC7eWbDBAC-495JbrCkUL886zyF-FS3lvx4DkExURhBgYDWUeRvfRErmJKixqnetMZGe0ZGqmvluZIInBHF4XKVY2JfWVSagedMwiyfxQ84PFml6_OH99P5SX-pexIBYuhVMz/s320/Spire+Mall-old+church+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456389558778447090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMt_qky2-hMwaGl-T3dKVZ8Ao-zWdB70CxE64q6qNClVUHD6qi-2qk0DOV0XFylczNcuVSdrn4kO8-jMkEyGqzj9gqi_9YwH_mrLJjmixpr501zewKA9Aee_2l1yDD5NNCkwvQxbdfPCN/s1600/First+Presbyterian++2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMt_qky2-hMwaGl-T3dKVZ8Ao-zWdB70CxE64q6qNClVUHD6qi-2qk0DOV0XFylczNcuVSdrn4kO8-jMkEyGqzj9gqi_9YwH_mrLJjmixpr501zewKA9Aee_2l1yDD5NNCkwvQxbdfPCN/s320/First+Presbyterian++2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456389544038847026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQZEFtIz6yV3HmofSRrCkk3ockAth2L-ER_tsq5AHD-r1kR9lfrPOf-eWAjXU8lF38E0bN33vWBkN2via1m48hTOxUDW0Wfc8dPWkgC5OZKX4YDL3rccVnt3g90c7NBLMc6qrtvKgLLVG/s1600/Belfast+History+Monument.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQZEFtIz6yV3HmofSRrCkk3ockAth2L-ER_tsq5AHD-r1kR9lfrPOf-eWAjXU8lF38E0bN33vWBkN2via1m48hTOxUDW0Wfc8dPWkgC5OZKX4YDL3rccVnt3g90c7NBLMc6qrtvKgLLVG/s320/Belfast+History+Monument.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456389519218698514" border="0" /></a><br />Here we are at out last holiday stops on our long journey. From this point we will make our way back home. A trip to Dublin tomorrow. The following day a flight to Seville and a train ride to Madrid. The next day a flight to Frankfurt, a final flight to Toronto and then a car ride back to Alliston, home at about 7 on Wednesday. Our last places visited included a quick three day visit to Belfast and from there decided to head for the north coast and ended up in Portstewart.<br /><br />Belfast was an eye opener. It is interesting being in a city which has very recently ended years of violence, violence that goes back 300 years. The peace accord has been signed but it will take a generation for it to become part of the fabric of society. Our guide for the city tour says there is no black and white explanation for the long hostilities and trying to divide it down Catholic and Protestant lines is too simple and only reinforces the stereo typing that went on. Our guide pointed out the changes that the violence forced on the city, such as the streets blocked off and the the police stations that look like military compounds but at the same time told us stories of peace that ran against the violence there. My favourite story was of First Presbyterian Church in Belfast. This group of Christians Protestants heard that the Catholics were thinking about building a place of worship. The congregation believed that every person deserved a place of worship nor matter their denomination and went about raising money for this. In the end they donated half the funds required to complete the church. This was indeed a refreshing thing to hear about and see.<br /><br />Portstewart was also refreshing. It is not unlike Wasaga Beach, it has the largest beach in Northern Ireland and is an area known for it's surfing. It has a long promenade that runs past the harbour with many shops and restaurants. You can choose a variety of coffee shops to sit and have a mug while looking out over the sea. It was cold here but the rain held off for the most part and we were able to walk half the length of the beach, travel to Portrush for some fun and make our way out to the Giants Causeway. We were told that you haven't visited Ireland until you have seen the Giants Causeway, well we have visited Ireland, it took about 20 minutes. Portstewart is know for more then its beach, the biggest in Northern Ireland, it is also known for the last motorcycle road race in Great Britian. I have always loved the way things are qualified as we have been on this trip.<br /><br />Qualifying makes things that are not quite as important a little more important and it is a lot of fun. In Dublin we had the Connolley bridge that was as wide as it was long making it the heaviest bridge in Ireland, we assumed that was only in the Republic. Bushmill has the tallest 'rope' bridge in Norther Ireland. Dublin also has the tallest all metal statue in the Europe. Luang Pro Bang has the longest 'series' of falls in Asia. Madrid has the the largest 'pulpit' made from 'one' piece of wood. Munich has the tallest statue made of 'white' marble, and so on. Our favourite was the 'tallest', 'bronze', 'equestrian' statue in all of Germany, I can't remember where. We are assuming from this that there are taller statues in Germany but they would not be bronze nor would they be equestrian or maybe both. It is fun having the biggest and best of something, like being the 'potato' capital of 'Ontario.' Well, I am looking forward to being back in Alliston with the finest people in the world, no qualifications necessary!<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-30648904180613622822010-03-29T04:58:00.000-07:002010-03-29T05:58:20.729-07:00Ways to GoSorry for no pics on this blog the signal is too low.<br />Well, here we are on the last days of our journey, just 9 days to go and looking for the end. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It is</span></span> a very rainy day in Dublin, quite rainy and we are planning how we will get to Trinity College to meet Megan Proper and stay dry, my short rain jacket will manage to channel all the water onto my pants. We love Dublin though! The few days we have been here have been grand. We love Ireland and have decided to forgo our return to the south of Spain for some exploration here. We will travel to Belfast tomorrow and then right up to the north coast to stay by the sea for our last few days. We had a great stay in Edinburgh last week, exploring the city and enjoying the pubs there. Thanks to our friends Sean and Megan Adams we learned that we really like Haggis, Neeps and Mash and I found heather(the shrub) beer very tasty. We explored the many historic sights and learned from our "free" tour guide just how the Scots managed to include the Pics, the Romans, the Norse, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Anglos and anyone else who happened along, in their community. I was saying to Terry how this has been a history tour as much as a vacation and we have really enjoyed it.<br /><br />We are to the point where we won't do anymore laundry until we come home and the clothes which we have been circulating through will be gradually discarded, dirty now equals garbage. We are really quite a sight sometimes as so many of our shirts and other things have warn out. They have lost their elasticity, become faded and developed random holes and are ready to be let go. You know, "If you love something, let it go and if it comes back to you it is beyond dirty and should be burned." We will be glad to get home and I think the two things I am looking forward to is having my own bed and not sharing a bathroom with strangers anymore! I don't think I will ever get used to coming out of a stall in a common bathroom and having to greet the young women who is also there. Just what <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> you say in a situation like that? I think I settled on the Australian phrase, "How ya goin?" but even that gets some funny looks.<br /><br />I have actually become quite the expert on bathrooms over these last five months, toilets especially. I have seen every kind of toilet you can imagine, from squatties to real bowls and even ones that appear completely backwards to me. I think the most fun ones are squatties on trains. Mind you Terry does not show the same appreciation I have for these little times of adventures and prefers the elaborate one we saw at the Monte Carlo Casino. That one actually rotated the seat through a sanitary wash before the next person used it. You can just imagine how much that one got flushed just to see it work! Speaking of fun toilets, the ones on airplanes are always adventures. Did you know if you hold a long piece of toilet paper close to the spillway on this toilet it will virtually pull it from you hands when flushed and the paper will disappear down the spout with a snap. You should try it when you get the opportunity. The most annoying toilet I have used are the round ones. It is like sitting on a tall bowl or vase. They are very efficient in flushing but 'going' on one is like dropping stones into water, there will be a splash! The most interesting set up I saw was the, so called, by Jacob, Dutch toilet. This toilet seems to be completely reversed. There is a small reservoir of water but it is completely at the front of the toilet. When you have completed your task your work sits on a little platform waiting for you to flush to wash it off. Very disturbing to see unless you are into examining the efficiency of your digestive system. So you see why I will be so happy to be home and enjoying the 'comforts' I am used to there. Well that's all for now, I have to go!<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-5732041967502091462010-03-19T03:19:00.000-07:002010-03-19T04:39:57.771-07:00Having a rest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOOS0tFe1SizJJxR2dLE5ObZJY1HXmgS_empPvA4M2HZ8xdQEuSiy6QP9QiPdtmFv45K2JK3PgasDrK58e5y_U0ledwgXN59CHmv7LKUEPu6EFOdgABxK5_COtchhdf-XSmHe1wujNCeT/s1600-h/Gent+011.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOOS0tFe1SizJJxR2dLE5ObZJY1HXmgS_empPvA4M2HZ8xdQEuSiy6QP9QiPdtmFv45K2JK3PgasDrK58e5y_U0ledwgXN59CHmv7LKUEPu6EFOdgABxK5_COtchhdf-XSmHe1wujNCeT/s320/Gent+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450308260307636818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQ-E1ln-uOzHIFT4RF7zIk1m1pOs3kir3_ptJn47fXSPmaGmW2fnvVuOEnCJv0Jq5th_U8UOxJc-9hBMwJxNqKc2kF9OiUpap0sNbyTqHcd77GkhecBcvz9RirLgcEIgjkzhWIG-iCOt/s1600-h/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+155.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQ-E1ln-uOzHIFT4RF7zIk1m1pOs3kir3_ptJn47fXSPmaGmW2fnvVuOEnCJv0Jq5th_U8UOxJc-9hBMwJxNqKc2kF9OiUpap0sNbyTqHcd77GkhecBcvz9RirLgcEIgjkzhWIG-iCOt/s320/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+155.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450308254867578946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVssJNCrPCSlaaJzdFWOlNyQF_tGppdhF0hhzB0Vg12haWZLJa8G-cjZfK5Y77Y3J5mIyFuVKRICrYtK6Z5ToOXlbKAiL7IgE_HHG8AcW80jceWm-8W6Mh-LFUOaBpzlY5FEM84GHPyJD-/s1600-h/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+107.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVssJNCrPCSlaaJzdFWOlNyQF_tGppdhF0hhzB0Vg12haWZLJa8G-cjZfK5Y77Y3J5mIyFuVKRICrYtK6Z5ToOXlbKAiL7IgE_HHG8AcW80jceWm-8W6Mh-LFUOaBpzlY5FEM84GHPyJD-/s320/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+107.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450308249012878546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeGiXJ3x1SJMftl0QUIopZi2iVT-1-eSaipg5Gn5U-2nU5MqsUVSoXwktMIvCA8_-UtrI_oLVNyZX3Uo6i2O5JfzDHbYwv2bnr27ws4gOj2530xg4D_jOjGrOtinRFsnw0LotIcxGI72E/s1600-h/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+093.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeGiXJ3x1SJMftl0QUIopZi2iVT-1-eSaipg5Gn5U-2nU5MqsUVSoXwktMIvCA8_-UtrI_oLVNyZX3Uo6i2O5JfzDHbYwv2bnr27ws4gOj2530xg4D_jOjGrOtinRFsnw0LotIcxGI72E/s320/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+093.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450308245506245698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ-QfGvlFQWZiVT-0-XwKzsvfycfpq4MbEEkCeGmaEaT55ZIGBy8h23Gm2LmqhJkwfSRLL90lq_PEJb8UHM4jU_OCxMj-pSjvouK90i7s94uWYrzmtUX_qQ1kUmQq7UZQbKkEyN96-0wr/s1600-h/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+030.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZ-QfGvlFQWZiVT-0-XwKzsvfycfpq4MbEEkCeGmaEaT55ZIGBy8h23Gm2LmqhJkwfSRLL90lq_PEJb8UHM4jU_OCxMj-pSjvouK90i7s94uWYrzmtUX_qQ1kUmQq7UZQbKkEyN96-0wr/s320/Amsterdam+and+Harleem+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450308240590920274" border="0" /></a><br />Since I have last written we have left Berlin, visited Ghent or Gent in Belgium and landed in Amsterdam. We have been here for about 5 days and are staying in a great apartment we found on a house exchange site. It seems everywhere we go since we have landed in Germany we have encountered places that remind us of the holocaust that took place during the second world war. Amsterdam has been no exception. Here we visited the Anne Frank house and also traveled to Harleem to visit the Corrie Ten Boom house, which is also a museum. It again raises questions about what went on and why some people acted and others did not. We picked up a book at the Jewish Memorial in Berlin called, "The Righteous" which I have been reading. Part of the preface reads like this' " . . . the Germans could not have done what they did without the assistance of their Ukrainian, Polish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian and Croatian "helpers". Furthermore, the roundup of Jews in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and even Norway, would not have been so "successful" without significant local "help"." It still makes me wonder how this could have taken place and how people have recovered from such racism. Again I don't have an answer. Terry and I have chatted about this quite a bit and it has left us with many wonders, wonders as to how people could be so cruel and how the people who have rescued Jews could have been so brave.<br /><br />On a lighter note we have had a marvelous time over that past week or so. The stay in Gent was charming because of the accommodations, a converted river barge bought in France and sailed to Gent and made into a hostel. We were not just near the water but in it. Gent was originally a textile town and was the second largest city in Europe until the industry faltered and other cities grew larger faster. You can still find many quality products there made of cotton and flax. I would recommend a visit to anyone<br /><br />Amsterdam has been most wonderful, made wonderful because we have connected with some old and new friends here. We have had a great visit with Heather Britton and her sister Rachael and husband, Jacob. Melisa Ytsma has been our tour guide and they all have been to our place as dinner guests. The nice part of this is it's not over yet. On Saturday we will see Jos Dekker and Heather and Melissa again, it's almost like being home. Being home is something we are thinking about. We have about 18 days left of our journey and although we are still having a great time and looking forward to the places we have yet to see, being home on April 17 will be just fine! By the way, this is our third visit to the fine city of Amsterdam and we would suggest it makes a great vacation destination. The buildings and the people are quite amazing and we will be sad to leave. From Amsterdam with love, we will be seeing most of you soon.<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-8783120825872094922010-03-08T10:25:00.000-08:002010-03-08T10:33:46.318-08:00More Questions Then Answers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBjkhj70ohHwNoUfhvnQPsKHN9lTHYKrkp0TTV5RFXU0VBINR29oiQK2ekBr4sUYwk0GD-RFDLoDhhgXmVEkyEOYHNW_U1_rKhiJbV66ydI_UOZaKwiOLMZnPEvn0vMr7tlWW_kvVbSG3/s1600-h/Munich+119.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBjkhj70ohHwNoUfhvnQPsKHN9lTHYKrkp0TTV5RFXU0VBINR29oiQK2ekBr4sUYwk0GD-RFDLoDhhgXmVEkyEOYHNW_U1_rKhiJbV66ydI_UOZaKwiOLMZnPEvn0vMr7tlWW_kvVbSG3/s320/Munich+119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446332937643789538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAxMKjHI0WDRBxutm4MqXXGkjL-Z1oKlgYyncgmhESyu0wo_7x3UfV8iXWKPK8g_6IRY9Vt2aW2im9LaZ5QxOPx9IypEEBsNjEcJ8orviF2MZW1KY1S9Nxvz9mX2AWye6TeWFvXDVqJx-/s1600-h/Munich+079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAxMKjHI0WDRBxutm4MqXXGkjL-Z1oKlgYyncgmhESyu0wo_7x3UfV8iXWKPK8g_6IRY9Vt2aW2im9LaZ5QxOPx9IypEEBsNjEcJ8orviF2MZW1KY1S9Nxvz9mX2AWye6TeWFvXDVqJx-/s320/Munich+079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446332928699631826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrOvQtN1pwIBlZ1za2D8UIdKaR9RNEK4hEbhnmNCZRU-q7YOMiQWdVetlBn16dVKd9CqdUEuKL3AdTgeFlOwu01Mk-DqjIn9S3O2wKABXrGiZ4Xu8HLHapHOUNalAKfylCTz9K0mxEpRO/s1600-h/Munich+051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrOvQtN1pwIBlZ1za2D8UIdKaR9RNEK4hEbhnmNCZRU-q7YOMiQWdVetlBn16dVKd9CqdUEuKL3AdTgeFlOwu01Mk-DqjIn9S3O2wKABXrGiZ4Xu8HLHapHOUNalAKfylCTz9K0mxEpRO/s320/Munich+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446332925878128482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfE30VjQJHdeLPL9Bs2mAE1k6W3N_FP0hwqCMCjyCc1AUCOCV2tBBynz65MS6gDCP55uW__TJquTFoL7rnZ7b38vrmNz9lReepkNoOCyssiRMrBkNSecesQkmOVAVgjq-2_zGgrJKEn3pt/s1600-h/Munich+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfE30VjQJHdeLPL9Bs2mAE1k6W3N_FP0hwqCMCjyCc1AUCOCV2tBBynz65MS6gDCP55uW__TJquTFoL7rnZ7b38vrmNz9lReepkNoOCyssiRMrBkNSecesQkmOVAVgjq-2_zGgrJKEn3pt/s320/Munich+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446332915287224418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73T6TOR4RV76g8xZZo9ywFrBIUSgfkhanmlLKloUnIQgwX2J8tVoSOvvtGhqBP9PVhjNykrFX-vbirCTVd9UGlOGowfJCUgDaROPhuRKZ84aObMxatanV7r1kNJ8MSuOS6kJ7sgn3xKtz/s1600-h/Munich+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73T6TOR4RV76g8xZZo9ywFrBIUSgfkhanmlLKloUnIQgwX2J8tVoSOvvtGhqBP9PVhjNykrFX-vbirCTVd9UGlOGowfJCUgDaROPhuRKZ84aObMxatanV7r1kNJ8MSuOS6kJ7sgn3xKtz/s320/Munich+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446332908234063586" border="0" /></a><br />The trains seem to be the best place to write blogs as they are quite comfortable and usually have electrical outlets for the computer. So here we sit writing on another high speed train going from Munich to Berlin.<br /><br />We have really enjoyed Munich and again regret that we have to leave a place before we are finished enjoying it. Munich, the city with a lot of capitals and yet not "the" capital. Munich is the capital of Bavaria, the heart of the German empire established in 1871, the heart of the the kingship, home of the Ludwig's mad or not. Munich is also the beer capital of Germany with some monks starting it all sometime around the 6th century. They are very proud of this and beer is very important to them. A traditional breakfast includes beer and most people only have a half liter of beer for lunch. I mean that's all they have, no food at all, yes men and women. So you can see how important beer is! It the home of 'the' Oktoberfest when no one can imagine how much beer is consumed and on one occasion a brewery actually went dry!<br /><br />Munich has other capitals to tell of. It is the Catholic capital of Germany. The home of the current Pope, who is a lover of Augustiner beer. Any casual observation will tell you that Munich is the Catholic capital as churches can be seen from any vantage point and it was one of the rare places where I did not need to consult a map to get around. Church landmarks are everywhere and any confusion is resolved by looking for the nearest steeple. Munich is also very new despite looking old. Munich was nearly destroyed during the second world war, 87% of it's buildings were knocked down. They knew that this would happen and so a campaign was mounted to photograph the buildings, inside and out, so they could be restored to original after the destruction ended. This brings the question, "Why would this happen?" It's because Munich is also the capital of Nazism and the second home to the most infamous Austrian of all time, Adolf Hitler.<br /><br />It was from Munich that Hitler started his movement to rule Germany. It was from Munich, the third story of the New Town hall, that Hitler ordered the opening of Dachau, the first and longest running concentration camp in Germany. It was from this same place, in 1938 he commenced "crystal nacht" (night of broken glass). When the Jewish population of Munich went from 12,000 to 1,000 and every Jewish business and Synagogue was burned to the ground. This same place, in 1941 launched Hitler's "Final Solution" which led to the death of 6 million Jews. All this has left me with many questions about Munich. How can it boast of being the capital of many good things and be the the capital of evil at the same time? I know that Munich is dealing openly with her past, which is why Dachau still stands and the third story of the old town hall is pointed out to tourists, but some questions still remain. I don't think this is a question just for Munich, it's one that needs to be asked by all of us because evil still exists amongst the good. It makes me want to be quick to speak out against injustice, unrighteousness and hate when I encounter it. My hope is that I do.<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-14458794328708629952010-03-06T11:16:00.000-08:002010-03-06T11:24:59.097-08:00Lost and found in Paris<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAAnuQQjA2lwU0tMmydRFnCN8BVQoZzX6WV9RVg_YZKaP6K3HqkXLyisYmGsrM7ei9KQeXmHXjU9YnM9toLXXcfln-F272heWKoKTuwY0jFa3dg8JpFUXL9oq5U9UsAq9vo5NXqmvFY62/s1600-h/Paris+096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAAnuQQjA2lwU0tMmydRFnCN8BVQoZzX6WV9RVg_YZKaP6K3HqkXLyisYmGsrM7ei9KQeXmHXjU9YnM9toLXXcfln-F272heWKoKTuwY0jFa3dg8JpFUXL9oq5U9UsAq9vo5NXqmvFY62/s320/Paris+096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445603845620321666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoaYERU2Jeb13xPVxuV3DQL09QWkMnlM1L0mKItyrhGP37hkMYd40nLGUJc78NLNcM8_w-q9SDtDBh9eGnraLFa87ln89prbKgQrG1HmecjIhS0weUpfSr-1vUIuCC58LNLeAfmpYs8DP/s1600-h/Paris+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoaYERU2Jeb13xPVxuV3DQL09QWkMnlM1L0mKItyrhGP37hkMYd40nLGUJc78NLNcM8_w-q9SDtDBh9eGnraLFa87ln89prbKgQrG1HmecjIhS0weUpfSr-1vUIuCC58LNLeAfmpYs8DP/s320/Paris+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445603837380155970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HqAhgEDxTt8oaugBntQHG7R_rKT_rMMms2tqOywR3CtJkiaijClBgIObFEoCOxUiAAqVo_rYKV3Tj78y9BBVYaXFL_2F4qSptoTwHLpgXYchq2TokzylTUwiXjI3-BevDU_uZvwvWJgA/s1600-h/Paris+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HqAhgEDxTt8oaugBntQHG7R_rKT_rMMms2tqOywR3CtJkiaijClBgIObFEoCOxUiAAqVo_rYKV3Tj78y9BBVYaXFL_2F4qSptoTwHLpgXYchq2TokzylTUwiXjI3-BevDU_uZvwvWJgA/s320/Paris+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445603830855647154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqg_puDuok-_2PkR32q0YeU2QJpp-1JrC06sDN__avUwfEtVt8oQYzHBRHtlOomZxOPX36bTsjzOAmSBpQlAz2bq68ye0eYg1OL8g9lkiskJgX1Gz140V6o-1vJNHH7pPtHXN22H6bpJ0/s1600-h/Paris+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqg_puDuok-_2PkR32q0YeU2QJpp-1JrC06sDN__avUwfEtVt8oQYzHBRHtlOomZxOPX36bTsjzOAmSBpQlAz2bq68ye0eYg1OL8g9lkiskJgX1Gz140V6o-1vJNHH7pPtHXN22H6bpJ0/s320/Paris+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445603827074790082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGFEEwgyxw0g670vivY1iMIPYDmM8LIp02haUHfVSg4T_pj1gFWtN_dHaRHzEDrJ3yYUC7M1HhoaDzZ46mhYmFO2I-ZIwiLUhy2ZVzqoIj8C7K24aXvYDQacb8IIt_9puLwgiceEaKkPw/s1600-h/Paris+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGFEEwgyxw0g670vivY1iMIPYDmM8LIp02haUHfVSg4T_pj1gFWtN_dHaRHzEDrJ3yYUC7M1HhoaDzZ46mhYmFO2I-ZIwiLUhy2ZVzqoIj8C7K24aXvYDQacb8IIt_9puLwgiceEaKkPw/s320/Paris+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445603825723975042" border="0" /></a><br />We only had 3 days in Paris so we spent the 1st two at warp speed. There was so much to see and so little time. We bought a pass for museums and other attractions and lost ourselves in the rush of the city. On our first day we visited the Museum D'Orsey, an art gallery in a very interesting, modern building that reminded me of the Eaton Centre. It was full of sculptures and paintings, including Monet and Van Gogh. After that, we went to the Rodin museum. We didn't realize that Rodin was creator of the "Thinker" which we got to view first hand. Next was Hotel D'Invalid. This is the burial place of Napoleon Bonaparte and many others. Again, the building itself was magnificent, having been a church build by one of the Louis kings. Off to the Eiffel Tower just as the sun was setting. The view all over Paris was incredible as we watched the lights come on. We could see Notre Dame, the Hotel D'Invalides, the Seine River, and many other sights we had just learned to recognize.<br /><br />We started the next day at the Louvre. We saw the Mona Lisa right off. We saw many different paintings from the 13th century up and sculptures. We barely scratched the surface and could easily have been lost there for a week. Off to Notre Dame. It is so huge and I loved it's simplicity of decoration compared to many churches we have visited. It was mostly stone without frescoes. As with many of the great cathedrals, I love the archways all over the church. The stain glass windows were magnificent, especially the Rose. We also went to the crypt in front of Notre Dame. It contains ruins from the old city of Paris from as early as 5th century AD. The city was re-build on top of older cities several times. Sometimes the old parts were torn down and the ruins used to rebuild. Next we went to the Cluny museum which was in an old Roman bath. I was more interested in the building then the 5th century artifacts which were around the 5th century. At the end of the day, we visited the Arch de Triumph. It is so much bigger then I expected. It was dark when we arrived so it was beautifully lit up. I didn't realize that you could go up inside of it to the top and as we looked out over the city we saw the Eiffel Tower suddenly light up like white flashing Christmas lights all over. Another spectacular site. Also, the city panned out in triangles from the Arch. We could see right down the Champs Elysee.<br /><br />On our last day we decided to take it easy as we had been running for 2 days. We went to Basilique St. Denis. It is the crypt of most of the Kings and Queens of France and was full of burial statues. The history, monuments and building were very interesting. It also had some beautiful stain glass, including a rose window like Notre Dame. Our next stop was the Champs Elysee. We walked for a bit and saw the Grand and Petit Palaces. We stopped in a coffee shop on the Champs and watched all the people walking by. It was so fun, relaxing and fascinating just observing and chatting about the people in Paris. After 3 days, we finally found ourselves again.<br />TerryWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-1536677510040400012010-02-26T12:48:00.000-08:002010-02-26T13:02:46.602-08:00On the French Riviera<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYguMo__GxzusjSDnAGkDRd3StfCPNEnIBfPe0sM0KIcaNTtVQATU6qZs9ltoLN3qDVmEdYW15A29Q1S-pQE8VibQb2iwKz22jpuXuYTeXPpJp0EQwyTR02YwxREcKgm6UrDDd4BO8vvRz/s1600-h/Nice+Menton+Monaco+291.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYguMo__GxzusjSDnAGkDRd3StfCPNEnIBfPe0sM0KIcaNTtVQATU6qZs9ltoLN3qDVmEdYW15A29Q1S-pQE8VibQb2iwKz22jpuXuYTeXPpJp0EQwyTR02YwxREcKgm6UrDDd4BO8vvRz/s320/Nice+Menton+Monaco+291.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442659714411592770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-hZ3oajrk67hyXZ1FKyHykrBadG3Sj3xm8K1muflfVosyjPt0_ZYx0S7YJx846Tk6wFbUMpSvycRuVD1X_rFXaF3jwIfcmltIFBeuOEjsVKET40m0hr_zH_kT7h_0_BA_WUfdi_w2UUJ/s1600-h/Nice+Menton+Monaco+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-hZ3oajrk67hyXZ1FKyHykrBadG3Sj3xm8K1muflfVosyjPt0_ZYx0S7YJx846Tk6wFbUMpSvycRuVD1X_rFXaF3jwIfcmltIFBeuOEjsVKET40m0hr_zH_kT7h_0_BA_WUfdi_w2UUJ/s320/Nice+Menton+Monaco+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442659711538442834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyqqccoYlyHFw3hLFAWGAInTMdanZ69X019O8t13wcexYN_2V9nqlXQ7T5qd7257zPfR1D9FUqEeRpsVjkoGb6dpdyUuKVDQTyD2N4Eg2wkw1Ufpw9QqFmkRdc3LnLfPt-2QyXsengoX0/s1600-h/Nice+Menton+Monaco+119.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyqqccoYlyHFw3hLFAWGAInTMdanZ69X019O8t13wcexYN_2V9nqlXQ7T5qd7257zPfR1D9FUqEeRpsVjkoGb6dpdyUuKVDQTyD2N4Eg2wkw1Ufpw9QqFmkRdc3LnLfPt-2QyXsengoX0/s320/Nice+Menton+Monaco+119.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442659705262123570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgZVzUjLavRkPqHB7717ypAVDAvx-ygW729nfruML4UI9sLAPiMmWXsM4mRez_LnBn-bxNMIl7DXLHNm7BEny_565qBwUgy9zee_tYAznTUwS2CPe2nyKmaFk_VoTREDrSCu1KVc_Cnbn/s1600-h/Nice+Menton+Monaco+410.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgZVzUjLavRkPqHB7717ypAVDAvx-ygW729nfruML4UI9sLAPiMmWXsM4mRez_LnBn-bxNMIl7DXLHNm7BEny_565qBwUgy9zee_tYAznTUwS2CPe2nyKmaFk_VoTREDrSCu1KVc_Cnbn/s320/Nice+Menton+Monaco+410.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442659700632937362" border="0" /></a><br />We can see now why people come to the south of France for vacations and to live. While we were staying in Nice we took a few day trips to the different areas up the coast and saw some amazing sights. We took the tram from the hostel to the bus station and then caught a bus to Menton. Menton is about 50 minutes up the coast. Both the tram ride and the bus ride cost a total of 1 Euro each, an amazing bargain. The road to Menton follows right along the coast and the ride was stunning. You would not believe the numbers of houses you can cram on one cliff! We arrived just a few minutes before the Citrus festival parade and found a place amongst the enormous crowd. There were actually a number of festivals going on at the time and it was hard to choose which ones to get to but the Citrus festival was fantastic. The parade was something I've never seen before, the route was crowded and the people in the parade sometimes took to mixing it up with the crowd. People were shooting those sticky strings at each other and some floats had confetti cannons,to top it all off they went around twice. After the parade several of the bands found spots along the way and gave extra performances. The most interesting part of the festival was that all the floats and displays were made of oranges and lemons. Beside citrus fruit the Riviera is also famous for money and money we saw.<br /><br />I'm sure not everyone who comes here is wealthy, we are a prime example that this is the case, but there sure is lots of money around. Our visit to Monaco and the Monte Carlo Casino brought us very close to some of that wealth. Here you could see valets parking very expensive cars such as Rolls Royce, Farrarie, Alfa Ramaro and a Bentley. I knew Bentleys existed but had never seen one in the 'wild' until now. We could not get over the number and size of the yachts here. Not just the motor ones but luxury sailing boats as well. Some were far bigger then our house and definitely had better furniture. We braved the stares and advanced into the lobby of the casino just to admire the decor but we refused to pay the 20 Euro fee to 'see' the gaming tables. We would have been refused the opportunity to participate because our clothes would not have passed inspection and there was an inspection. One of the fun things we did here was practice our French.<br /><br />Now we have been trying our limited language skills in other countries and trying to learn some as we go but in France we have a better footing then in most countries so far. Terry especially has acquired a good skill at French and her recent studies have enabled her to formulate questions and sentences beyond how to order coffee. This has come in quite handy but has resulted in some funny situations as well. Terry, in her skill, has become quite convincing to most people here, this often brings the answer to her questions. The problem with that is if the answer is too much beyond a qui, non response it leaves us (her) somewhat left behind. It really is fun asking a question and getting a whole paragraph in rapid French back in response. It leaves her (us) in somewhat of a 'deer in the headlights' look. We keep trying and the people here are very understanding and very accommodating. We are looking forward to Paris and more challenges. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-92119237900696217002010-02-21T00:41:00.000-08:002010-02-21T01:10:01.454-08:00Always a Surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMCBCZQX2dahHlXt9M9RAvfQgM0yHx8ox_EPdfba-sdLOMQKz9_j6BhSCB090SfXQ5PB5lCAL453FPt5JI5slgJvANhG1EiVA51Nr32H8yaIyCMHjCuU1iFpc9PAcwopGfpsnnNbOqjFU/s1600-h/Barcelona+123.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMCBCZQX2dahHlXt9M9RAvfQgM0yHx8ox_EPdfba-sdLOMQKz9_j6BhSCB090SfXQ5PB5lCAL453FPt5JI5slgJvANhG1EiVA51Nr32H8yaIyCMHjCuU1iFpc9PAcwopGfpsnnNbOqjFU/s320/Barcelona+123.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440620933865672002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuD37OtimH6lBIHVFOjhFEAb_zEbpumJUaiOKmpzFqCywe_4JauUhZPVS3hAl50IZnobZNPr8YRIUkBqqmCZ1jiWHG_EuCJ4n7irql5Knturt07KEaqGPWQAa4EVdcRPsdX9xU2aCJz0-/s1600-h/Barcelona+120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuD37OtimH6lBIHVFOjhFEAb_zEbpumJUaiOKmpzFqCywe_4JauUhZPVS3hAl50IZnobZNPr8YRIUkBqqmCZ1jiWHG_EuCJ4n7irql5Knturt07KEaqGPWQAa4EVdcRPsdX9xU2aCJz0-/s320/Barcelona+120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440620924091582258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SdMYRNbObjrkgt7elEBP8wC9lOeAnDpZ3cKjrqNt8X1W5lb0y6Tcn4GHQsw8ZXY4y9QZRId7BJZZnATbUrvBZMEbpGGNKFqhXq5hlhzy1-fnMyTVL3dHxFWjb3DehYhPvdHIQrxfgbXX/s1600-h/Barcelona+035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SdMYRNbObjrkgt7elEBP8wC9lOeAnDpZ3cKjrqNt8X1W5lb0y6Tcn4GHQsw8ZXY4y9QZRId7BJZZnATbUrvBZMEbpGGNKFqhXq5hlhzy1-fnMyTVL3dHxFWjb3DehYhPvdHIQrxfgbXX/s320/Barcelona+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440620920259898082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny4j8b6a-55HD_ZsF20qPj3tVfnO_li0RsozNFtMH8gC67P6fRzLUNWz-rkXjdoPS7Yjr2Sf5MKmXzjJtMa24Mwm_ddwz4CARSxMvdF_aSANZGU_DLRfkkIJFGV9v2G8YdfkvU6CdLFnX/s1600-h/Barcelona+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny4j8b6a-55HD_ZsF20qPj3tVfnO_li0RsozNFtMH8gC67P6fRzLUNWz-rkXjdoPS7Yjr2Sf5MKmXzjJtMa24Mwm_ddwz4CARSxMvdF_aSANZGU_DLRfkkIJFGV9v2G8YdfkvU6CdLFnX/s320/Barcelona+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440620914021878098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbTMGeLEbxseh71IEdSGGK_zn1dqFzT8ugwmwx-oxgaoQAGStXV7BxVh5bcA8V9o6LWzGld2TMOGZFuZpiTJGJ8HWbT0bqlCXoIO6VTTHxi-4wR6qRq6NM7WBzqCsqGPEJuUNrghgbEji/s1600-h/Barcelona+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbTMGeLEbxseh71IEdSGGK_zn1dqFzT8ugwmwx-oxgaoQAGStXV7BxVh5bcA8V9o6LWzGld2TMOGZFuZpiTJGJ8HWbT0bqlCXoIO6VTTHxi-4wR6qRq6NM7WBzqCsqGPEJuUNrghgbEji/s320/Barcelona+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440620912381786882" border="0" /></a><br />Here we are sitting on another train, this time bound for Nice, France. It will be our modis operendi for the next few weeks, the next six to be precise. Every three to four days back on a train until we fly back to Spain from Ireland. Today is another adventure in traveling which we don't always plan. We arrived for this train with about twenty seconds to spare, a mistake of timing and a little lack of knowledge, specifically the fact that the train station was 6 blocks from the nearest metro and had no connections, very unlike the station we arrived at. We have had a few of these experiences, running for planes, missing trains and once having a taxi chase down a bus we had missed, all good fun! This experience involved us being intentionally bypassed through security to make the train, an event that surprised me considering the bombing of the Madrid station in 2004. There seems to be no lack of surprises for us. Beside the connection surprises we have had some pleasant ones here in Barcelona.<br /><br />Some pleasant surprises we had were two cathedrals and a museum, all discovered from a walking tour we took. The first was Sagrada Familia. This cathedral is currently under construction, having been started around 1874. It will be ready for worship this year and will be completed around 2030. The Cathedral was designed by Antonio Gaudy and overseen by him for forty-three years, the last 12 exclusively until his accidental death being struck by a tram. He had, at this point, become so obsessed he was mistaken for a homeless man and died in the "poor" hospital here. The Cathedral was nothing like we had ever seen, the art inside and out a spiritual experience. It was quite breathtaking and quite something to comprehend this undertaking in this age. Our visit was took place in the midst of 300 workers anticipating the deadline of the completion of the worship area. When the spire of "The Risen Christ" is completed it will be 71 meters high. All this modernity was followed by "La Cathedral" of 1375.<br /><br />This place I cannot fairly describe. It seemed to fit a pattern we have recognized in Spain with much of the cathedral dedicated to the Spanish saints. The exception being that the naves for the saints were enormous and very elaborately decorated. The stain glass windows were immense and very beautiful but the central feature and the one that stood out was the choir section. The choir area, not a loft, was in the very centre of the church. It had only one entrance and the massive pipe organ was just off to one side and elevated. Each section of the area was marked out by family shield of the families that contributed to its construction. The sheer vastness of this complex is really beyond description and left us with mouths open. Finally came Picasso<br /><br />In the centre of Barcelona is the Pablo Picasso Museum. This museum took us through the entire life of Picasso, from his first sketches, through his work in Paris and finally to his cubist stage. It was a complete and dedicated gathering of his works that spanned his entire life. It was utterly fascinating to go through all the development of his art and see works from this. It was like walking with him through all his life as an artist. It was particularly fascinating to see his copies on Velasquez, whom we saw in the Prado art gallery. We were actually captured but Velasquez's work with the royal family and then to how Picasso interpret this was wonderful. To end we have to say that Terry and I have loved Spain, Terry especially loving the architecture and cannot wait for our next visit, which may be as early as the first week of April, but we'll see.<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-37265026520252922962010-02-15T12:42:00.000-08:002010-02-15T13:12:37.586-08:00A Rock and a Hard Place<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBrwp_yu5Gub0sJC9qRmUKnM7UUm6YvCX3zMkpvqpMvmd01eYQBICTNVl4eT97cQVxcyHSrGxW5ruxKeTepVXu5sQ4qipDIbM9DbdIxy2WNYUr_lEC2NWeLKO2eEKtT073eDT4sXchIjt/s1600-h/Athens+209.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBrwp_yu5Gub0sJC9qRmUKnM7UUm6YvCX3zMkpvqpMvmd01eYQBICTNVl4eT97cQVxcyHSrGxW5ruxKeTepVXu5sQ4qipDIbM9DbdIxy2WNYUr_lEC2NWeLKO2eEKtT073eDT4sXchIjt/s320/Athens+209.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438580776194751314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPXj7SXI6E1AysNRbLYzMYf5fnolKdcz7gGbadCjTu9PcYUjcOyXHlXVCln8EyiQGw70pEsiRAGxjjjleTFCg1MYMaGH6J99Qi9q8ylnBX36AimtnO7_8NpZcQWm5tRTRq18caAYN3L8j/s1600-h/Athens+100.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPXj7SXI6E1AysNRbLYzMYf5fnolKdcz7gGbadCjTu9PcYUjcOyXHlXVCln8EyiQGw70pEsiRAGxjjjleTFCg1MYMaGH6J99Qi9q8ylnBX36AimtnO7_8NpZcQWm5tRTRq18caAYN3L8j/s320/Athens+100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438580769645355202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JSQpDaW5IJjAMu0GTH3Ykt35fIE6cjtsX0xXSSpLGMKcQEQYhyfGuff5KxZZeffuYpcfAg8KJlS5E89LmrRKVezA7LmL81TbE8mtp2fZW84VFa2bhrXQUvv0GpWArxiAFGgzgrhan8Xj/s1600-h/Athens+071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JSQpDaW5IJjAMu0GTH3Ykt35fIE6cjtsX0xXSSpLGMKcQEQYhyfGuff5KxZZeffuYpcfAg8KJlS5E89LmrRKVezA7LmL81TbE8mtp2fZW84VFa2bhrXQUvv0GpWArxiAFGgzgrhan8Xj/s320/Athens+071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438580766001813634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuSlepZbbdzZTJ0IBAIDPoafJBQfXOlfeQccBFZcdIejI5vpWdLJZdMW1Wgjj5D9q1RrzDFO4K5_a54NTQKB0iAjdybQSrq4ets_G3ApMAsSKHRC6v8YngIdwobFrf8OA4CpPyAkR0u2s/s1600-h/Athens+057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuSlepZbbdzZTJ0IBAIDPoafJBQfXOlfeQccBFZcdIejI5vpWdLJZdMW1Wgjj5D9q1RrzDFO4K5_a54NTQKB0iAjdybQSrq4ets_G3ApMAsSKHRC6v8YngIdwobFrf8OA4CpPyAkR0u2s/s320/Athens+057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438580761533761410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fkP0rUq-22l16af0jth9LnLGn9PUPUOGhJeVXEeWEpUgnlwmZ_PRri3dAOq5grr-1gzZuyxeJU5WpTao78y9lGjk_fKqC7lU49G0fBGMYj5kobQ4S16bu_M4oMnzYDHqT8HKSgV0jR1R/s1600-h/Athens+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fkP0rUq-22l16af0jth9LnLGn9PUPUOGhJeVXEeWEpUgnlwmZ_PRri3dAOq5grr-1gzZuyxeJU5WpTao78y9lGjk_fKqC7lU49G0fBGMYj5kobQ4S16bu_M4oMnzYDHqT8HKSgV0jR1R/s320/Athens+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438580752072296802" border="0" /></a><br />Well here we are in Madrid on the first day we have been deterred from having a complete day of sight seeing. We have managed through the pouring rain in New Zealand, through 48 degree heat in Australia and cold and snow in Turkey but the wet snow and wind we faced in Madrid soaked and froze us by noon and we called it a day. This would not have finished us under normal circumstances but three of the four places we set out to see were closed, so wet cold and shut out did us in. We have discover that Monday closings are a normal thing in this part of the world and as we don't plan our stays around Mondays or much else for that matter, this has effected us on a few occasions. The funny thing about this is that we usually lose track of the days anyway, so we get surprised regularly when Mondays come. We have had a few surprises on this trip but that can be expected when away for such a long time. We have also had lots of cultural experiences to compare to Canadian culture and culture of different countries. Spain we have found to be wonderful after just two days. The people are happier here then even Greece, always helpful and much, much calmer. We met a friend here, Silvia Roman, for just an hour and a half. Silvia, we met through Groundswell in Alliston and she lives in the south of Spain and was in Madrid for the weekend visiting family at the time arrived. Silvia introduced us to her father, David and her younger brother, David. David (I'll let you figure out which one) took us for a short tour of Madrid and we had some interesting conversation. Between Silvia, David and David and some sign language we worked out the translations. One of the things David mentioned was how Madrid was the same as Athens with it's noisy traffic and crowded streets but sorry David, no comparison.<br /><br />I have to say some of the most intense traffic we have experienced was in Istanbul, Thessaloniki and Athens. Madrid does not meet the scale of those places. It is calmer, more sophisticated and cars actually let you cross the street. There was no way you could take a chance in the aforementioned places that traffic would stop for you. Even if you were walking with the light, which no one did, were in a marked crossing area and had the benefit of addition people around you, you could still have to "run" out of the way of cars and trucks. I think the biggest difference we have seen has been the lack of police presence here in Madrid, I say lack comparatively. The exception to this has been in the train station which was attacked on March 11, 2004. Terriosts set a bomb here which killed 176 people and police protect the station and the memorial there. Police seemed to be everywhere in Turkey and Greece.<br /><br />While in Turkey we ran into a large protest close to our hostel. We followed innocently behind and found as we went the number of people grew, especially when the ferry from the Asian side of Istanbul landed. We let this large protest get well ahead of us and were ready to cross the bridge over the Golden Horn when the riot police emerged from the underground right in front of us. They came out fully equipped with shields and batons and headed after the protesters. We stepped aside. In Thessaloniki we found ourselves right in the middle of a national strike. Protesters blocked major roads and police were everywhere. Out for a walk in Athens we stumbled upon another battalion of riot police. This group were armed right down to their feet, shields ready and accompanied by an armoured bus. We made an about face. While on the Plaka in Athens about a dozen police appeared, it seemed, out of no where, on foot and on scooters chasing street vendors through the walkways. We watched with amazement. After this we noticed patrols all over Athens, four to six constables together, often checking papers or running down someone. Madrid has none of this and seems at peace to us. So here we are, safe and secure and loving the differences. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-680019451454632812010-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:002010-02-10T02:16:35.428-08:00When in Greece<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMa_kpswp8o6ZvyefWgGyulouN5UdFbJ4DvsLGalTC6Lg7WCGwmu45lnoJembR3Ev2qO6_81BupLRKGkcXx6iYGiqrzWimcceCVtot1AHnQUeJ8gf4S2SedeFRhJ_vjLg9FBIFxFzVoU03/s1600-h/Thessaloniki+103.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMa_kpswp8o6ZvyefWgGyulouN5UdFbJ4DvsLGalTC6Lg7WCGwmu45lnoJembR3Ev2qO6_81BupLRKGkcXx6iYGiqrzWimcceCVtot1AHnQUeJ8gf4S2SedeFRhJ_vjLg9FBIFxFzVoU03/s320/Thessaloniki+103.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436556585840250114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8pZz8Dm80SItLWFqrhhqFlQdV8oSh1Fn6NrWLCokD8X-XOTCSax4TW3I0ffBAYxRlK1QzBZlDpAvt4Ti4cGWEMM9qTOCpxG9jEwxmfDndb3dfhyphenhyphenv0wD9T0XPs_Box9isbFfUQDNBm_Jj/s1600-h/Thessaloniki+073.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8pZz8Dm80SItLWFqrhhqFlQdV8oSh1Fn6NrWLCokD8X-XOTCSax4TW3I0ffBAYxRlK1QzBZlDpAvt4Ti4cGWEMM9qTOCpxG9jEwxmfDndb3dfhyphenhyphenv0wD9T0XPs_Box9isbFfUQDNBm_Jj/s320/Thessaloniki+073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436556577859168914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L6ZCwQipI7ORmaSKSfGpoONMhTGryYmElL7ZZNr9BPHxgqb7LpNC5FTt_rd5ZvPWqqPpwTt96vXjd1Z4cNOfHkmQoVrqSR7rU-uRRf8FRxXhBDsr7x5y_zfrrnoUxJbmN_dWo-W2iaos/s1600-h/Thessaloniki+088.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6L6ZCwQipI7ORmaSKSfGpoONMhTGryYmElL7ZZNr9BPHxgqb7LpNC5FTt_rd5ZvPWqqPpwTt96vXjd1Z4cNOfHkmQoVrqSR7rU-uRRf8FRxXhBDsr7x5y_zfrrnoUxJbmN_dWo-W2iaos/s320/Thessaloniki+088.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436556572772518498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazTW5_l0lLe7-YFluGXo1wlcAb-4bSWToAUjN5X4G90AYVWiewnRHj9NHD_E0QvDgPAExKoa3CUNRol6S1wXl_dnp6_7CBDLFmHU3BBKAHgeJdMPOyEnwt4EGXf3DPZthAoMjJ7CwAWiV/s1600-h/Thessaloniki+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazTW5_l0lLe7-YFluGXo1wlcAb-4bSWToAUjN5X4G90AYVWiewnRHj9NHD_E0QvDgPAExKoa3CUNRol6S1wXl_dnp6_7CBDLFmHU3BBKAHgeJdMPOyEnwt4EGXf3DPZthAoMjJ7CwAWiV/s320/Thessaloniki+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436556571692132018" border="0" /></a><br />Well, here we sit on another form of transportation, the slow train to Athens. So far we have found train to be the most comfortable transportation to be on, wider, bigger seats and the ability to walk around a bit. The exception to this was the train to Chaing Mai, which we thought was going to leave the track at any moment! Greece has been a complete contrast to Istanbul for us. The people here seem to be much happier, they laugh more often, always smile when you ask for help and seem to be glad you are here. The street vendor pressure is gone and even though the streets are just as crowded it feels to us less tense. We had some negative events in Turkey, the shoe shine scam and the double charges on our food bills to name just two and these seemed to taint us a little but I really believe there is a significant difference.<br /><br />Thessaloniki has had it's difficulties though. We were two days at the hostel without water. No way to wash or shower and no way to even flush the toilet. This caused some Greeks to have something to say to us about their country and government. How the building of the underground has been a project for twenty years but they only broke ground two years ago. Or how a position with the government can make a person wealthy at the people's expense but still the attitude is better.<br /><br />The water was off because of the underground being built. Apparently the water main was broken in several places by the construction. We had a chance to look at the construction and saw an old wall running right down the middle of the proposed site. This wall will not be kept but Thessaloniki has taken great pains in preserving some very old sites. We looked at several very old churches, "Osios David" being our favourite. This church was build in the 5th century and the frescos added over the years were amazing. The door was removed by the Turks in the 14th century and carted off to Russia but the rest of the church is intact and original. Another amazing site was the Roman Agora, a market and administration centre that was in use from the 3rd century BC until the 13th century AD. The apostle Paul was denied permission to preach here and had to settle for bringing the Gospel to the Jewish Synagogue near by. The original shops are actually two stories below the current street level. The preservation of sites seemed to speak to us of the care that The Greeks have for their ancient culture. In Turkey the oldest site we saw was the 4th century AD cistern under the centre of Istanbul and the museums contained only Turkish and Islamic artifacts but I believe this is because Turkey was culturally centered in Islam and that effects the art that is preserved and displayed. This has been changing recently as we saw the old mosaics in Hagia Sophia are now uncovered and the beauty of the Blue Mosque is now proudly displayed. Greece seems to be open to its past and so the artifacts we saw were more ancient and open to its historical past. Having said all this I realize I may be looking through different lenses. We are looking forward to Athens and the history there also. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-84795254295975964562010-02-06T23:44:00.000-08:002010-02-06T23:54:16.381-08:00Adjustment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0izqRBhSMt7YHlCH1AIk8SA6fSd1jnVgJgY01_JSpIMqfZ9vy0_PedTH9RPvjU-rcMrvoFz3ujhYUELFvFwbo7eRF3ZCcEV402F_jOvQW9Sc-VbTSbNNq4eis911tC5GpZ_wafiH-jYL/s1600-h/Istanbul+323.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0izqRBhSMt7YHlCH1AIk8SA6fSd1jnVgJgY01_JSpIMqfZ9vy0_PedTH9RPvjU-rcMrvoFz3ujhYUELFvFwbo7eRF3ZCcEV402F_jOvQW9Sc-VbTSbNNq4eis911tC5GpZ_wafiH-jYL/s320/Istanbul+323.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435406671946616514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY_N-D3w8WR4yWtYBlR3umgPigtzgt8HOirmZt5LJ2UYbG4CuSYHO30-ZhWCOBOJ-wGHq7aVs2ptqUjo1PS1KCktR4i2b5nzThvWr1ob-pJPmq1dcaeYvA_zP9nHBCEcM6E3D97H6uaJV/s1600-h/Istanbul+215.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY_N-D3w8WR4yWtYBlR3umgPigtzgt8HOirmZt5LJ2UYbG4CuSYHO30-ZhWCOBOJ-wGHq7aVs2ptqUjo1PS1KCktR4i2b5nzThvWr1ob-pJPmq1dcaeYvA_zP9nHBCEcM6E3D97H6uaJV/s320/Istanbul+215.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435406663983713682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGb7xR0TMVqqN3R1M4YIVmJvlxJgSqutO0bQJCjZ6YDYwcuaTnCdGYCc-5coa2RnChGcuxhsF2TMUqBb59s3B-il5mVY7dFPNGud_2SVjuzxA3TEbB6ANy-9_zxunYUwrYINwZUSp_ER2/s1600-h/Istanbul+207.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGb7xR0TMVqqN3R1M4YIVmJvlxJgSqutO0bQJCjZ6YDYwcuaTnCdGYCc-5coa2RnChGcuxhsF2TMUqBb59s3B-il5mVY7dFPNGud_2SVjuzxA3TEbB6ANy-9_zxunYUwrYINwZUSp_ER2/s320/Istanbul+207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435406660988519666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZC1SkuPnsa09MoEEMsTS8IeCiHXRjZJqgoTRAKdPlpejq9EyTHP2LKTDIdSCFVCwe6sUHRN0Eh_sohATGIGuc6prEcDwARRWGWej8iIrACVCcESgm-L4qYYU1eVdyfyWT7_AFvnb0je7/s1600-h/Istanbul+186.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZC1SkuPnsa09MoEEMsTS8IeCiHXRjZJqgoTRAKdPlpejq9EyTHP2LKTDIdSCFVCwe6sUHRN0Eh_sohATGIGuc6prEcDwARRWGWej8iIrACVCcESgm-L4qYYU1eVdyfyWT7_AFvnb0je7/s320/Istanbul+186.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435406659168255122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEBxCYYkb_VZtb_ROFpdONzdFC4qsMXSpLOtV8D2NGzvzkfy6zTHVsJCzTM4gWlZssiP_I-av3xGYOTyAkAw2XUvTrMiLIjf_9EkECn8S50A8yUls2WyAYyYVLxxvIS6RIXCkJLsH9fKr/s1600-h/Istanbul+179.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEBxCYYkb_VZtb_ROFpdONzdFC4qsMXSpLOtV8D2NGzvzkfy6zTHVsJCzTM4gWlZssiP_I-av3xGYOTyAkAw2XUvTrMiLIjf_9EkECn8S50A8yUls2WyAYyYVLxxvIS6RIXCkJLsH9fKr/s320/Istanbul+179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435406654663573874" border="0" /></a><br />Well here we sit on another long haul bus but not one like you might think. All through Thailand and now through Turkey we have found service to be an art. In Thailand we journeyed between Chiang Mai and Chaing Rai on a bus and the bus had a porter as well as a driver. The porter was there to deliver snacks and drinks and meet whatever need you might have, we have found Turkey to be the same. Service is what the Turks know how to do. All the long haul buses here have porters as well, who want to make sure your trip is as comfortable as possible. Restaurants are amazing as well, it seems that each table in every restaurant has three to four wait staff. Each staff person has a different task to preform, there is a overseer for all the staff, one person to take payment only and a door recruiter.<br /><br />Door recruiter are a name I have assigned them and it's not only restaurants that have them. Each store, kiosk and tea shop has a person at the door whose job it is to get you into thier shop. They really want to serve you or at least have you pay attention to them. This is the biggest thing we have had to adjust to, biggest if you discount the fact that we went for two solid months of sunshine and warmth to below zero temperatures and snow within 8 hours! The recruoitors have seemed rude to us as they step in front of you and sometimes touch your arm or engage you in small talk just so they have a chance to introduce thier product. But that's a way of life here, it is not just for tourists as some might think. We have seen Turkish buniess men following other Turks down the street trying to make a deal. If you can get past this cultural differenec you will find Turkey, gracious, friendly and good hearted.<br /><br />The best part of this came when we forgot our camera in a restaurant. We had been looking for an old Turkish bath that had been converted to a Dervish performance centre. We were only just around the corner from the place but one of the door recruiters of a restaurant insisted in making sure we found the front door. We went back to eat at his restaurant where the owner introduced us to dishes he had developed. We had a good meal at a reasonable price with lots of service but in getting to our show our camera was left behind. Within just a few minutes our camera was delivered right into the auditorium by the same recruiter with a big smile knowing that he had saved the day. And, now that we have adjusted to some of the customs it's off to Greece. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-62278972060028642762010-01-31T23:59:00.000-08:002010-02-01T00:45:14.551-08:00Down the Mekong River<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM-aUmATyhcD3xWBg-8IMA68nkevWwQD1lMn-feW7RFfyFAj4q3lqwyuI2oL4viJMC9LFMth_fhdexI4Mm4ouVAjQJWatCN9fau_cTJkr6DFq3jgijHH-3VgL990RKhR-1lr1X1GOND8y/s1600-h/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+419.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinM-aUmATyhcD3xWBg-8IMA68nkevWwQD1lMn-feW7RFfyFAj4q3lqwyuI2oL4viJMC9LFMth_fhdexI4Mm4ouVAjQJWatCN9fau_cTJkr6DFq3jgijHH-3VgL990RKhR-1lr1X1GOND8y/s320/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+419.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433193267314649874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dOxFM2MTpr9Kydsq-PkDFTTCoWkOZr2VP1AYLBgZIqSuid6AEqURiOZSFfvrQsNTPQMdl8fpIeOfsuF_AZkYAFGZ1w78wdou8tnVgIFzczCGX5OUnV0psrV2SFo4h5yroDkN8rPeTQsn/s1600-h/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+363.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dOxFM2MTpr9Kydsq-PkDFTTCoWkOZr2VP1AYLBgZIqSuid6AEqURiOZSFfvrQsNTPQMdl8fpIeOfsuF_AZkYAFGZ1w78wdou8tnVgIFzczCGX5OUnV0psrV2SFo4h5yroDkN8rPeTQsn/s320/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433193257751850754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxBb0EYZXLRDyNsiKw-UyPG_eGxzZuLONCHcLIUQLqYohp6hGtqIL1VzF5vD7HEUCkseavT9dBMTu8cWBoO5jvv5A6AVVibYcqob-VLpwxrV7fKwD821P1IPIbCv7ErrdPEiE9qTdywvR/s1600-h/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+349.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxBb0EYZXLRDyNsiKw-UyPG_eGxzZuLONCHcLIUQLqYohp6hGtqIL1VzF5vD7HEUCkseavT9dBMTu8cWBoO5jvv5A6AVVibYcqob-VLpwxrV7fKwD821P1IPIbCv7ErrdPEiE9qTdywvR/s320/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+349.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433193256425607154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdyhWSQvj2qAhoitCcgHrEWDX3OgqcSN71QclFU_uk7YjjjHaqKk07H1oq4zK6hHvmXIJD9ZTwuZGtt8_3V8PcRr4e92CLrzXVthgx3Ua1E89jza-hSY-hyeAt4yqcJ2IoOs7Ueij7O79/s1600-h/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+335.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdyhWSQvj2qAhoitCcgHrEWDX3OgqcSN71QclFU_uk7YjjjHaqKk07H1oq4zK6hHvmXIJD9ZTwuZGtt8_3V8PcRr4e92CLrzXVthgx3Ua1E89jza-hSY-hyeAt4yqcJ2IoOs7Ueij7O79/s320/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433193249577533746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbTN13G5iIDqQ2IilfSmJ9in1N1TZKQxxeQvFSgLD6eCDikRgTpzGovkSafriUNhoW-PL71BIeXT7F69nId4WKomqAtxgVsZTETNaEdf57jCXWsZvunSxM2ujYuLNNiR5tMH0tPE1-Nk2/s1600-h/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+325.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbTN13G5iIDqQ2IilfSmJ9in1N1TZKQxxeQvFSgLD6eCDikRgTpzGovkSafriUNhoW-PL71BIeXT7F69nId4WKomqAtxgVsZTETNaEdf57jCXWsZvunSxM2ujYuLNNiR5tMH0tPE1-Nk2/s320/chiang+Mai+Chiang+Rai+Mae+Kong+river+ride+Laung+Prabang+325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433192518442465106" border="0" /></a><br />We have traveled to the north of Thailand, through Chaing Mai and into Chang Rai. Get your atlas out if you are unsure. From here we wanted to take a trip into Loas as we were told it was a place not to be missed. So we signed up for the slow boat to Luang Pra Bang down the Mekong River. We left Chiang Rai early in the morning to travel to the Loas border. We arrived around 11 and started a long process of getting into Loas across the Mekong which divides the two countries. This was a two hour process, involving at least 6 people and paying the highest visa fee of any country in the world! After we visited the royal palace in Luang Pra Bang we figured out why. There were displays of treasures that countries had given as gifts to the King of Loas. Most countries had given shelves of interesting things, from Canada, a single gift plate, no wonder they charge us so much!<br /><br />We finally boarded the slow boat in the early afternoon. It was a little mad trying to find a seat. The seats were just two seat wooden benches that were made for Thai bottoms, the start of our worries. The trip for the first day was awful, and I only complain a little. The boat seemed over crowded and there were a few people that thought the best way to make this trip was to be completely intoxicated. About ten people thought that the top of the boat was the best way to see things but this made the boat very unstable. The captain asked them several times to keep off the roof but they were determined to be there and snuck back up each time. About 4 hours into the trip it all came undone. We made a hard turn in strong current and the boat came over too far. Water rushed over the side almost capsizing the boat, people began screaming and everything on the roof, including the people, toppled into the river. The boat righted itself but our semi quiet cruise had to be turned into a rescue operation as 6 people went drifting down the river. Another boat joined us and all 6 were finally rescued with no death or serious injury, except to some peoples laptops. We shook for a while afterward but managed to make it to our first stop. The test was getting on the boat the next day to complete or trip. We managed to talk it over with a few people and build the courage to make the second part of the journey.<br /><br />I don't want to leave a bad taste in your mouth about this trip. The scenery was breath taking, the people on the boat and who we met along the way, were amazing and the final destination was worth all the effort. We put the whole near tragedy down to a life experience. Lets just hope the clowns on the roof learned something! WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-64334412260863007422010-01-25T04:11:00.000-08:002010-01-25T04:18:46.399-08:00Thailand with family<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWmJ2UEPSE8dm4pqU_AcbjYC4BCg3ueG6cvZ8dKQ0GQw5GB83uGRHdmW73XP0WBmUWQpu2pTNsy9ltt1iKIWZwOuEyg4MrEXK_GK0R40owZI_kdBZvRcxPLOzboWcQbm9At_Ecc3FkWDi/s1600-h/new+214.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWmJ2UEPSE8dm4pqU_AcbjYC4BCg3ueG6cvZ8dKQ0GQw5GB83uGRHdmW73XP0WBmUWQpu2pTNsy9ltt1iKIWZwOuEyg4MrEXK_GK0R40owZI_kdBZvRcxPLOzboWcQbm9At_Ecc3FkWDi/s320/new+214.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430650612628781954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJaXOqtwG-9DAdjhZX0ysbiW0KGOoJUawu3lSVUSzCSAflVFFdSitN4SKAQSvz1S4o6sI5a7E6-w7ESogL3os7oWUlkGTSi2KwDbGfm6SL_Ylm1Uz5VHRzGjO8WwGKkyArvhW3dAwcJVs/s1600-h/new+252.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJaXOqtwG-9DAdjhZX0ysbiW0KGOoJUawu3lSVUSzCSAflVFFdSitN4SKAQSvz1S4o6sI5a7E6-w7ESogL3os7oWUlkGTSi2KwDbGfm6SL_Ylm1Uz5VHRzGjO8WwGKkyArvhW3dAwcJVs/s320/new+252.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430650598374879666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxE4h0YcxDXQacOvAghPrRK1Pn4u1DXuyPMOoMSNCvFtv1pu5Mw8PXUD54Uk5AKVZOcJ0Dng7QHSch8DEBkimvFE5gQYyI-LUdE5y-nrlKhrMcLeO6ykqvRg4V3xJF15STG0U2hGeHWdo/s1600-h/new+071.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxE4h0YcxDXQacOvAghPrRK1Pn4u1DXuyPMOoMSNCvFtv1pu5Mw8PXUD54Uk5AKVZOcJ0Dng7QHSch8DEBkimvFE5gQYyI-LUdE5y-nrlKhrMcLeO6ykqvRg4V3xJF15STG0U2hGeHWdo/s320/new+071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430650596769463842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTCTHCaoqUoQ7-4wwJAeX0quPTRVLupY2hGkbAkMHAwKUbKCIbDrWCQq0O5sYk5rHgHOQXGRRn6dNbndM4o12eEMxUsHR0l0DGerU4zTV45_Fa_d-XFWblzktawesf_XCzZQf0PuQz_Nx/s1600-h/new+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTCTHCaoqUoQ7-4wwJAeX0quPTRVLupY2hGkbAkMHAwKUbKCIbDrWCQq0O5sYk5rHgHOQXGRRn6dNbndM4o12eEMxUsHR0l0DGerU4zTV45_Fa_d-XFWblzktawesf_XCzZQf0PuQz_Nx/s320/new+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430650586811967746" border="0" /></a><br />We arrived from Australia 45 minutes before the kids landed in Bangkok. It was so great to see them. While here, we have really learned to love the city. There are street markets everywhere night and day, sometimes they fully construct huge rows of make shift buildings down alleyways for the night market. The prices at street vendors are crazy, a full meal for 2 at 100B ($3). Fantastic food but a couple of times flaming hot. In the markets you bargained for everything. A few Thai merchants greeted us with big smiles when we frequented their shops.<br /><br />Buddism is part of everyday life here, with ornate temples everywhere, small shrines in most businesses, people laying flowers, food, drinks and incense and putting gold leaf on the feet of budda. We went to the kings palace, seeing magnificent temples, government buildings, the royal museum with a collection of all kinds of royal paraphernalia and the famous Emerald Buddha. Aaron and I saw the amazing Reclining Buddha; he is about 3/4 of a football field long and 3 stories high.<br /><br /><br />The kids shopped alot here, both at the malls and the markets. Lily was an absolute gem. We dragged her everywhere with us and she was so cheerful. She took her first steps for us the day they left. She started waving bye bye and started understanding some instructions like "sit down". She didn't like the cold water at the hotel when they arrived but absolutely loved it when we were in Kho Phi Phi and even swam in the ocean. The Thai people absolutely loved Lily. When ever they could they would hold her and take a picture with their cell phone. They always wanted to touch her soft, white skin.<br /><br />After Bangkok, we stayed at a small resort on Kho Phi Phi island in the south of Thailand. The island was devastated by the tsunami and is still rebuilding. It is a small island with very congested street markets everywhere and a beach. There were lots of bars and activity really picked up at night. Aaron made some friends and the kids went dancing a couple of times. We did lots of swimming in the resort pool and in the Indian Ocean. We went on a cruise of the Krabi islands and saw the gorgeous scenery of the huge rocks, caves and cliffs. We snorkeled, seeing coral and beautiful fish and went for a short kayak to a beach from the boat. We all (except Lily) had a Thai massage. They use their whole body; arms, elbows, feet, knees ands hands. I'm sure they would have massaged Lily for free.<br />TerryWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-18669431062003139622010-01-24T02:28:00.000-08:002010-01-24T02:39:15.892-08:00Pics for the Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE559_SDR85NN5fJDpaS3xFCsj0cW5P1oA0lcy9SvrxYC9LORikY0eYMU_JgEpTqZiAkOYRLjLKxx9gxrGTNmmCue1ugWHHIA06mGoLkiBn_4SOsYvDeWP8Bi5lqpYWDTcl0s9ti-gkfm/s1600-h/new+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE559_SDR85NN5fJDpaS3xFCsj0cW5P1oA0lcy9SvrxYC9LORikY0eYMU_JgEpTqZiAkOYRLjLKxx9gxrGTNmmCue1ugWHHIA06mGoLkiBn_4SOsYvDeWP8Bi5lqpYWDTcl0s9ti-gkfm/s320/new+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430253955201402946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofw_Gls7gYCqsmZm3c8t3l0LN5L3WRKL5MxWQTej7_-JOVxg9_cZR1R8pHxXkcUpwh3eVt6QvNlzdREHGYJiWa7EsFyU0dN5F0dnv6p23r5iABjTUcevSem6w7ZlPsMohQWhCEx6C3b5P/s1600-h/new+063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofw_Gls7gYCqsmZm3c8t3l0LN5L3WRKL5MxWQTej7_-JOVxg9_cZR1R8pHxXkcUpwh3eVt6QvNlzdREHGYJiWa7EsFyU0dN5F0dnv6p23r5iABjTUcevSem6w7ZlPsMohQWhCEx6C3b5P/s320/new+063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430253737596777426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO9z4qFPKO95w5bcBJCC7DgRaprBGhGTmnPy8Xu1WGvOprPgNarJwuQ2Q2Ws95cTQA3MpkCH5iXN24CUTvGQpq1PzEDYLvnD37P-1VV7QhNW1Zx4RX0Wk-4kCazHK9zgCqE1FwwKIuZIX/s1600-h/new+051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO9z4qFPKO95w5bcBJCC7DgRaprBGhGTmnPy8Xu1WGvOprPgNarJwuQ2Q2Ws95cTQA3MpkCH5iXN24CUTvGQpq1PzEDYLvnD37P-1VV7QhNW1Zx4RX0Wk-4kCazHK9zgCqE1FwwKIuZIX/s320/new+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430251667444381090" border="0" /></a>Wes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-8871490150634508012010-01-23T04:16:00.000-08:002010-01-23T05:00:22.754-08:00Adventures in Crossing the Street<a id="myphotolink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4485333&id=510313668"></a>Thailand makes the third country for Terry and I with right hand drive. The driving part of things has not been too much of a challenge for us to date. In the past two and almost a half months, ye we are nearing the half way point, we have only chosen to 'hire' cars abut five times. Those five times have been in Australia exclusively as the bus and train systems were not adequate enough for us to get to many of the sights we wanted to see. I think the big advantage of starting late with driving was walking in a world of right hand drive for a period before driving. the walking was what we had to work at adjusting to the most.<br /><a id="myphotolink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4485333&id=510313668"></a><a id="myphotolink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4485333&id=510313668"></a><br /><br /><br />Growing up in a country with left hand drive causes you to develop certain patterns of crossing the street. Think about this for a moment as you don't really think about crossing the street you just do it. When you cross the street at home which way do you look first? Yes, that's right, you look left first and step off the curb. Looking left first, seeing no cars and stepping off can get you killed in a right hand drive world. So for the past two months we have been re[eating the mantra, :look right first," then comes Thailand. Now Thailand is not that different from most right hand drive countries it just adds a new dimension, the motorcycle.<br /><br /><br /><br />We had already learned that most countries give the driver the right of way over the pedestrian, so being cautious and patient is key. But the motorcycle of Thailand is a whole different game. Even when you have been patient and cautious and look to the right first you can still encounter the motorcycle from an unexpected dimension, yes dimension. The motorcycle could be coming inside two lanes of traffic. It could have been on the inside lane when you first looked but switched to the outside lane. It could be coming from the left instead of the right, it could make a uturn right after it passed you. Just because all the traffic is completely stopped is no indication that there will be no motorcycle coming towards you. And, yes ladies and gentlemen, even when there is complete gridlock you can encounter the motorcycle, as we have several times, on the sidewalk! HereĀ“s looking all directions in Thailand. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-21645364989227462882009-12-28T19:59:00.000-08:002009-12-28T20:02:19.249-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0IjqZQXFjrUqmyhZsvt_M4qgK1D0mzhYgSl3yOIIKLz0DLEAu_6WAbpViUPkJmX_XnndNHTEMFHz5MT4guHelL-pQ4EQENH5q0bkSZ1UDyg9QBIK-XWcwEl8T7jiwF4Ud7RPbTcrt5b1/s1600-h/Margaret+River+085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0IjqZQXFjrUqmyhZsvt_M4qgK1D0mzhYgSl3yOIIKLz0DLEAu_6WAbpViUPkJmX_XnndNHTEMFHz5MT4guHelL-pQ4EQENH5q0bkSZ1UDyg9QBIK-XWcwEl8T7jiwF4Ud7RPbTcrt5b1/s320/Margaret+River+085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420503498010473746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZOwOinJS2xG7_ydTlEpn3RpEyQtKqqScywASA5_u9-1j-S0cI5w9tL2Jrc7v_gtnRnepZZUI6pq3LEfylGkrQCGrpT8adduaZWrG-6FdMFiodyUtscrsgWzhSewuvlhA4MzMJsPIYsYh/s1600-h/Margaret+River+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZOwOinJS2xG7_ydTlEpn3RpEyQtKqqScywASA5_u9-1j-S0cI5w9tL2Jrc7v_gtnRnepZZUI6pq3LEfylGkrQCGrpT8adduaZWrG-6FdMFiodyUtscrsgWzhSewuvlhA4MzMJsPIYsYh/s320/Margaret+River+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420503178294172002" border="0" /></a>Wes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-37668801741954563472009-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:002009-12-28T19:59:15.392-08:00The Caves of Margaret River<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFZKe70tMycBKmqWHBr78agQ-puk_ewqjM704q4gLUNlN3xQPknD6LWCwYQgqbEG_avH0pfNT_-lMZaCaY6cnkwFJxmL8pGrbqVlFvctr3AKPvR2lpxTD5XXSTdWJ5LoPWODLLXPiTZ2c/s1600-h/Margaret+River+106.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFZKe70tMycBKmqWHBr78agQ-puk_ewqjM704q4gLUNlN3xQPknD6LWCwYQgqbEG_avH0pfNT_-lMZaCaY6cnkwFJxmL8pGrbqVlFvctr3AKPvR2lpxTD5XXSTdWJ5LoPWODLLXPiTZ2c/s320/Margaret+River+106.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420502558137257522" border="0" /></a><br />The first cave we visited was run by the<br /><br />ministry of the environment. We were given<br /><br />helmets to wear because of low ceilings and<br /><br />tight squeezes which Terry handled amazingly<br /><br />considering her fear of tight spaces.There<br /><br />were beautiful stalactites. Next was Mammoth<br /><br />cave a self guided cave. There were many<br /><br />different amazing formations of calcite that<br /><br />reminded us of a cathedral.There were even<br /><br />visible fossils in some rocks formations.There<br /><br />was a hole that people could repel into from<br /><br />above. It was a huge cave with many<br /><br />interesting areas, some very low tunnels<br /><br />connecting to large caves. The cave was 42<br /><br />meters deep. After this we went to Lake Cave.<br /><br />The entry had caved in thousands of years ago<br /><br />so there were more then 750 steps to descend<br /><br />into this cave. Inside, there was the least to<br /><br />explore of all of the caves, but a<br /><br />magnificent twin columned table hung from the<br /><br />ceiling, this was suspended over a shallow<br /><br />lake and caused a reflection of the structure<br /><br />from different areas of the cave. They did a<br /><br />light show from the far end of the cave that<br /><br />was mind blowing! The last cave was Jewel.<br /><br />This had formations of different colours<br /><br />caused from tannins in the calcite. Tannin is<br /><br />stain from rotting vegetation. There was a<br /><br />structure that looked like a waterfall,one<br /><br />like a pipe organ, another that looked like a<br /><br />Karri forest and finally the jewel case where<br /><br />the caves gets it's name. The jewel case's<br /><br />shapes and beauty was really beyond<br /><br />description. Terry and WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-71448928949408074002009-12-21T22:23:00.000-08:002009-12-21T22:25:38.294-08:00The Missadventure of the Lavendar BreakfastWell we've made it to Pemberton, half way to<br /><br />our southern destination of Albany. After<br /><br />Christmas in Albany we will head back to Perth<br /><br />and see how far north we can get in 11 days. <br /><br />We decided to extend our time in Australia,<br /><br />partly because we feel we want to see more but<br /><br />mostly because we screwed up our bus pass and<br /><br />our departure time. All this did not surprise<br /><br />Aaron as he knows how disorganized his parents<br /><br />can be. We feel it gives us more experience<br /><br />in working difficult situations out, at least<br /><br />that's what we're going to tell everyone. <br /><br />This has not been the only difficult or<br /><br />awkward situation we have been in. Since our<br /><br />arrival in Pemberton we have been using an<br /><br />interesting tourist map. We used this map to<br /><br />get to the Gloucester Tree, a fire lookout<br /><br />that is now a tourist attraction. We tramped<br /><br />through one of the many Kerri forest down here<br /><br />to find it. Kerri is the third tallest tree<br /><br />in the world. The Redwood is the tallest and<br /><br />some other one is second. Our intention, when<br /><br />we set out, was to ascend this tree to the<br /><br />lookout, that changed as soon as we saw how we<br /><br />must ascend, 61 meters of what looked like<br /><br />large steel spikes circling the tree to the<br /><br />top. We immediately determined that this was<br /><br />not possible because of the shoes we were<br /><br />wearing and had nothing to do with the height<br /><br />or the open assent, that's the story we're<br /><br />sticking to!<br /><br />The next day we planned to hike to the<br /><br />lavender and berry farm, 1km out of town, to<br /><br />have pancake breakfast. We consulted our<br /><br />tourist map which told us we had a 1km walk to<br /><br />get there. We should have questioned this as<br /><br />it also directed us to a botanical garden that<br /><br />never did exist. But despite this<br /><br />misdirection we set out in 34 degree heat with<br /><br />no sun screen. Of course the farm was 4km out<br /><br />of town turning our short hike into a 8km<br /><br />round trip. This is not something we have not<br /><br />undertaken before but not something without<br /><br />breakfast and with so many flies. We have been<br /><br />tolerating the flies already, as you know but<br /><br />this was fly day for us. I took up the local<br /><br />practice of swishing them off with a young<br /><br />tree branch. Breakfast was amazing and very<br /><br />tasty, first time for ice cream with pancakes<br /><br />but it suited it, but the flies stayed too. <br /><br />At this point I have come to the conclusion<br /><br />that my creamy/sweet food can be consummed as<br /><br />long as there are less then 100 flies on it! <br /><br />As I say, don't be discouraged its all in the<br /><br />way you work things out!<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-8372637503757175512009-12-18T18:14:00.000-08:002009-12-18T18:17:08.092-08:00Going South from PerthAfter the train to Bunbury we did a 3 hour hike around a marsh.The town is surrounded by three waterways with a gorgeous white sand beach on the Indian Ocean 5 minutes from our hostel. Our time here included being mesmerized watching the waves crashing on the beach and rocks,hiking along the beach to Maiden reserve,walking the trails there, walking to Big Swam Reserve to see kangaroos,wallabies and many kinds of bird's gorgeous colorful birds, ie. parrots, cockatoo, owl). We got to pet kangaroos. Our last day was the highlight. We went to Koombana Bay. There must have been 40 dolphins in the bay. We watched them for about an hour. Then we stood in thigh high water and the dolphins swam so close to us we could have touched them (but weren't allowed). Then we heard a baby make a whistling sound and the mother came along side and the baby started nursing. It was our anniversary, a local recommended Nicolas, an Italian restaurant. Top notch food and we ate kangaroo as part of our dinner. I also had Gorgonzola polenta and warm pears. I had date pudding and caramel sauce and whiskey gelato. Wes had a local fish, oysters in orange and herbs in shot glasses. I even tried it. Wes also had Bailey's cheesecake. What a day!<br />TerryWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-85070348276470680152009-12-15T21:53:00.000-08:002009-12-15T21:57:39.557-08:00Burnt Skin and Flies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZvgqSwN8xLyv-dqlIMhvVO_waF8hcpdmXc2UGvW9XAMSvrCIi-uKdy_6vQSzkaZ2sp48GT3amTJawghbfkkraHiqe0DGLb9j1owBwBj0J0kAgBR3LJ0maza-wcvkn672XBfzKD9Oah-B/s1600-h/Random+from+Australia+202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZvgqSwN8xLyv-dqlIMhvVO_waF8hcpdmXc2UGvW9XAMSvrCIi-uKdy_6vQSzkaZ2sp48GT3amTJawghbfkkraHiqe0DGLb9j1owBwBj0J0kAgBR3LJ0maza-wcvkn672XBfzKD9Oah-B/s320/Random+from+Australia+202.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415709089600579186" border="0" /></a><br />Well we have left Perth after nine glorious days. Days filed with hikes, swims, museums and art galleries and many shopping excursions. Not so much for the shopping but for the fun of getting from one shopping mall to another. More then once we found ourselves out on a street we did not intend to come out on only to have to go back through a shopping tunnel, up one floor and out onto the mall we intended to find in the first place, as I said, great fun. In Perth we experienced sun and heat like no other times in our lives, 39 degrees one Sunday morning. We have moved from Perth to travel further down the West coast of Australia. Bunbury for three days, then to Margaret River and hopefully Albany before Christmas but we have no fast or firm plans.<br />There are two things we have learned so far as we have traveled in Australia. One is the sun is very intense here. We have both been burned even with several applications of sun screen. We have at times resorted to using our swimming towels as head and neck covers as we can feel the sun burning us long before we are ready to call it a day. It seems the best policy is to keep covered up even when temperatures are cooler, like 25! Covering up seems a good way to resolve our second lesson too. The flies! The flies in Australia are relentless. No that's not someone waving that's someone shoeing flies away. They seem to be common house flies but a little smaller and more plentiful. There have been times when Terry has counted 45 flies on my back alone. They are hitching a ride waiting for an opportunity to fly into my eyes or my mouth or my nose to ge that little bit of moisture they require. Covering up is the best way fo defeating them. They have worn us thin at times but have never stopped us from enjoying our time here, besides everyone is giving the "Ozzy salute."<br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-58134259964516508592009-12-08T16:52:00.000-08:002009-12-08T17:18:11.078-08:00PerthWell here we are in Perth and with free internet. We are staying as guests of YWAM Perth for a week and taking some easy day tours for a change. Yesterday we hiked to Perth's highest point in Kings Park. It was a 15k hike to this highest point but we had to laugh at 'highest', it was basically a mild incline compared to the stiff hikes we did in New Zealand. Australia, so far, is very different from New Zealand. Queenstown has an average of 7 meters of rain, yes meters, a year and Perth has rain rarely and the soil is non-existent. The soil here is sand and it is everywhere in Perth, gardens, lawns and of course beaches. The temperature is wonderfully warm, never below 25 so far and the humidity is low, yesterday it was 25 degrees with 38% humidity, but the sun is very intense. Despite these conditions the vegetation is lush and beautiful. Kings Park, a 1000 acre park in the middle of the city, has numerous botanical gardens divided by the growing regions of Australia. They even have sections where they are preserving endangered species of Australia. Downtown Perth is wonderful with tunnels of shops going from street to street and at the same time malls crossing a level above and the shops a second story above with catwalks connecting these shops. All this without traffic! We have been pleasantly lost on several occasions. Well that's all for now as Terry is calling for second coffee and I am looking for elevensies, very tricksy, so we will post later. We are having a wonderful time!<br />Wes<br />PS. no pics for a bit, our camera went down, some world wide chip defect. The repair is free but no camera for two weeks. Interesting how this happened while we are in one place for a while!Wes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-91068701634535956712009-12-04T00:37:00.000-08:002009-12-04T00:53:30.019-08:00Switchbacks, Dropoffs and Hairpins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR7qQi8YbwlIALb1gM_L9N7cbj7f6RVsComIhfSoqxo9LmJ-83Y8_afecT7m-dc-iCf4cRwdwiuFAJDbwPnuSD6po2yR2UWavYGXunzGJ79X46mk6-LJxT-BSjBVzFyfAMRDVNeWqYZPx/s1600-h/Seacave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR7qQi8YbwlIALb1gM_L9N7cbj7f6RVsComIhfSoqxo9LmJ-83Y8_afecT7m-dc-iCf4cRwdwiuFAJDbwPnuSD6po2yR2UWavYGXunzGJ79X46mk6-LJxT-BSjBVzFyfAMRDVNeWqYZPx/s320/Seacave.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411301011079983714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwSg8VuRGbellzZ-0aoMVNYY1C5hVZkVts1pVaS8w7QtVdeTUN33GPV_nfjOqnDQsJ_cLrNNcSsDdW5v4MKH7l0e3TCuaFZDl77Qd39uzdXnKh1Vwp8b6pElfK3L-nmlz7t0inLQGhjuV/s1600-h/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+098.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwSg8VuRGbellzZ-0aoMVNYY1C5hVZkVts1pVaS8w7QtVdeTUN33GPV_nfjOqnDQsJ_cLrNNcSsDdW5v4MKH7l0e3TCuaFZDl77Qd39uzdXnKh1Vwp8b6pElfK3L-nmlz7t0inLQGhjuV/s320/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411298153066417634" border="0" /></a><br />WE had a goal in mind when we left the North Island, I suppose it was two goals but the main one was to get to Milford Sound before we had to leave New Zealand. The second goal was to travel down the west coast of the Southern Island and see the Southern Alps. To shorten my story we achieved our first goal with one day to spare and it was well worth our effords. Milford Sound was a wonderland world of mountians, clear green water and amazing wildlife. We had to land in Queenstown before we arranged to go to Milford because there is no place to stay there. There is actually not even a store, just a few docks and parking for cars and buses. Even the pictures of the sound or fiord do not do justice to what we saw. That being said and our first goal being achieved it was secondary to our second goal as far as the trip is concerned. The highway to the south on the West coast is a new concept for New Zealand and it consists of switchbacks, sheer drop offs, one lane bridges and breath taking views. We were a little disappointed by the fact that much of the Alps were obscured by cloud and it rained all the way down but the journey was wonderful despite the weather. There were sections where I wondered if the bus would fit across the bridge. There were sections where they had, only recently, cut away some of the rock wall so that these new buses would fit through. There were even sections where the turns were so tight that the bus had to make sure there was no traffic coming in the other direction because it needed both lanes to make the 15km/hr turn that was in the highway. Terry was really good after the first day, the first day she made a careful study of the drivers speedometer at each turn and engaged her passanger assist brake peddle for most of the trip (they really don't exist). Me, I thought it was the best part of the trip and that the drivers were amazing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmXXUTY4vNHQAYD83Bg2RDry0uogRsW4Wk_aqQUjfcil6_UgujgayFHjDlRmxgvtUnlzXSvSEUG8OWby4FogIHlYG5UQS4MtTTAapRJD-Us2Q-LvAj9yFI79QJ3-JLm1oKt4PrLmT7cFM/s1600-h/Avalanche+four+months+later.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmXXUTY4vNHQAYD83Bg2RDry0uogRsW4Wk_aqQUjfcil6_UgujgayFHjDlRmxgvtUnlzXSvSEUG8OWby4FogIHlYG5UQS4MtTTAapRJD-Us2Q-LvAj9yFI79QJ3-JLm1oKt4PrLmT7cFM/s320/Avalanche+four+months+later.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411300400842555042" border="0" /></a><br />WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-74048192986647580212009-12-01T23:30:00.000-08:002009-12-01T23:43:39.995-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREf9SjNru-beaJtsn5KOSb-qyUCkks0CY9D5s7nQvMZSTU1igJGuUvStXrzsQfYyupu3tv1Y0wzK4TnusbZ_81ZDniYZ1oIgNXh384Ebf0crwafC_EyStmubrAT2WGTSUjUFg2WMpDNzl/s1600-h/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+078.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREf9SjNru-beaJtsn5KOSb-qyUCkks0CY9D5s7nQvMZSTU1igJGuUvStXrzsQfYyupu3tv1Y0wzK4TnusbZ_81ZDniYZ1oIgNXh384Ebf0crwafC_EyStmubrAT2WGTSUjUFg2WMpDNzl/s320/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410538517795822178" border="0" /></a><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/AVvXsEjRCpPT-j2D0PQ9qDYR_80bCdLCwZ1X9lofAjl_TUocMLiLS6ILYkjMp92Qan7eVrZFajvdxYSYg1OAEGshPfTxNk9wRxWUVJ6XS4s2Z6T-g9je5TEPpasOjQOFd71wow4zRBp4N9lAMa6G/s1600-h/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+049.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCpPT-j2D0PQ9qDYR_80bCdLCwZ1X9lofAjl_TUocMLiLS6ILYkjMp92Qan7eVrZFajvdxYSYg1OAEGshPfTxNk9wRxWUVJ6XS4s2Z6T-g9je5TEPpasOjQOFd71wow4zRBp4N9lAMa6G/s320/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410541028792623026" border="0" /></a><br />December 1<br />Today we left at 7 and spent 10 hours on a bus<br /><br />to Franz Josef Glacier. The drive was long<br /><br />but with some great views of snow covered<br /><br />mountains, an incredible rugged Tasmin sea<br /><br />coast, forests and fields. When we arrived we<br /><br />had a quick dinner and then a 3 hour hike to<br /><br />Franz Josef Glacier. We hiked through a rain<br /><br />forest and across the rock bed where the<br /><br />glacier used to sit. As we walked through the<br /><br />forest and gorge, beside the mountains going<br /><br />up on both sides, we felt so small. It has<br /><br />receaded incredibly in the last 100 years. We<br /><br />got very close to the glacier but could not<br /><br />touch it as it is fenced off due to the danger<br /><br />of rock or ice slides. WE could see the<br /><br />bottom of the glacier where a steam came out<br /><br />and into the river that carries away the<br /><br />glacier water. We also saw many small water<br /><br />falls coming out of the mountain, some so high<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJUao5_yXCSFlXOGUWt3tXEHMAJcuFKIROQM3VK-HCIOKvHCm-J4X6RFVY75AeQn83_8_7ll2sIVq3la_KMsypHXVgYldZ7I20d2YkM-AgyHk90Cga0wWP2qf3iO0jaCXb3Zi9vctEGD6/s1600-h/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+082.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJUao5_yXCSFlXOGUWt3tXEHMAJcuFKIROQM3VK-HCIOKvHCm-J4X6RFVY75AeQn83_8_7ll2sIVq3la_KMsypHXVgYldZ7I20d2YkM-AgyHk90Cga0wWP2qf3iO0jaCXb3Zi9vctEGD6/s320/Nelson+to+Frans+Josef+to+Queentown+082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410540083161197698" border="0" /></a><br />up that it was hard to tell that they were<br /><br />moving. We didn't know we would have time to<br /><br />really see the glacier as we were only in town<br /><br />for the night, it was so incredible to see it<br /><br />up close and all the surronding area well<br /><br />worth our extra effort. TerryWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-55255851551419770732009-11-30T00:05:00.000-08:002009-11-30T00:41:45.247-08:00What I've learned about Backpacking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxS5czJembWGHVBKiWRgg-kP8jfy0biCZQ2cpC7q_09N1ujv4U53WE-woGvRKq6Nk07byTXWq-C627wk0AUpooHKZRp7dX-_NFqp_dxNe6_nOUP2iBKv91mToSdnGnQ7q7vl29sKwnk4A/s1600/Picton+harbour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxS5czJembWGHVBKiWRgg-kP8jfy0biCZQ2cpC7q_09N1ujv4U53WE-woGvRKq6Nk07byTXWq-C627wk0AUpooHKZRp7dX-_NFqp_dxNe6_nOUP2iBKv91mToSdnGnQ7q7vl29sKwnk4A/s320/Picton+harbour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409813805547703682" border="0" /></a><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/AVvXsEiy3GaS4K1lCjBRqhDDaFX2Vly6cZvcfEZ5Dy8tOXE-l5vMbB2FNiROW6xJjBHVO3Z1vmDS8uyFjNI4Y-3Dg0JmHxFBSWtkNI1eKDtpls9sV-bNRaWpEYGoxZDfZtuBHVdB8UTlrQxGwBoA/s1600/Nelson+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3GaS4K1lCjBRqhDDaFX2Vly6cZvcfEZ5Dy8tOXE-l5vMbB2FNiROW6xJjBHVO3Z1vmDS8uyFjNI4Y-3Dg0JmHxFBSWtkNI1eKDtpls9sV-bNRaWpEYGoxZDfZtuBHVdB8UTlrQxGwBoA/s320/Nelson+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409813335330178994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5YXZkMshmN_nqtNa76qmD6pVOdJRDv3srH3YB6y2OFi_D0x6KnilVrIGBTGAdnUzafX_RvWy2VJhYVM_jZQoP_XVYE6GHgMamiRovYWe__-lFTwy0BpG1f-m3CFmqw8mbcHNThHSdqjC/s1600/Nelson+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5YXZkMshmN_nqtNa76qmD6pVOdJRDv3srH3YB6y2OFi_D0x6KnilVrIGBTGAdnUzafX_RvWy2VJhYVM_jZQoP_XVYE6GHgMamiRovYWe__-lFTwy0BpG1f-m3CFmqw8mbcHNThHSdqjC/s320/Nelson+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409812827016326242" border="0" /></a><br />When we left Auckland we made the decision to take the plunge into the world of backpacking. We decided against renting a car, even though this would have gotten us to more places but to take the bus and hike whenever we could. We also decided we would not stay at hotels or rent apartments but embrace the hostel world. Todate we think both have been good decisions. We found we have been limited to the places we can see but the hiking and the busing have been amazing as we have discovered the nooks and crannies of the places we have stayed. There is a lot of free stuff you can do if you look hard enough and ask the right people. We have met all kinds of people and have loved the cooking and sleeping arrangements. We have learned some things as we've gone along. Jeans are a bad thing to take. They are way too heavy and take up too much room, for that matter the backpacks are much lighter and easier to pack when the weather is cool rather then warm. We have gotten rid of some things. We have thrown out the sheets we carried and replaced them with a bodem and coffee. It is easier to book a hostel with sheets and cheaper to make coffee then buy several cups a day. We've thrown out some extra socks and t-shirts as we have not been using near as many as we packed. We forgot about the food we have to carry, so planning meals and using up food before we move has been a real art we have had to learn. We are not the oldest people using hostels but seem to be the oldest backpackers, but that is cool with us. The next time we go backpacking we will pack different items but not much less as what we have seems to be the right amount but just a little heavy. All-in-all it has been a great learning experience. WesWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-39511409690110688552009-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:002009-11-28T00:06:38.119-08:00More pics of Wellington<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkB0mAF9po6mq4dniA64SAQXQSIw_AipObnAAdCVUjLCjzDzyior5VALmalShf1TRVT4IJBPik6pEd1WK858eGgNYvze7vBUGeSY2vHCk2TgOaOzSfvZPOgKpheNlnycNd1N_V2wM5vD9/s1600/opsevation+deck+MT+Victoria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkB0mAF9po6mq4dniA64SAQXQSIw_AipObnAAdCVUjLCjzDzyior5VALmalShf1TRVT4IJBPik6pEd1WK858eGgNYvze7vBUGeSY2vHCk2TgOaOzSfvZPOgKpheNlnycNd1N_V2wM5vD9/s320/opsevation+deck+MT+Victoria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409062850443105394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9_dqic6yNUkKiQqKNnD5WNjOuaAPTkncpLeBahQuxjeyKLc7x35ca3m_nKU6LL5N9dwiOgNi1IRTsUoGI6PKoADIeXPG_3wrJf6DhmyPBU6bq1qgsbkXAe3trCcC7NAYqOMNq8zibsEA/s1600/Ferry+in+Cooks+strait.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9_dqic6yNUkKiQqKNnD5WNjOuaAPTkncpLeBahQuxjeyKLc7x35ca3m_nKU6LL5N9dwiOgNi1IRTsUoGI6PKoADIeXPG_3wrJf6DhmyPBU6bq1qgsbkXAe3trCcC7NAYqOMNq8zibsEA/s320/Ferry+in+Cooks+strait.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409062549300723474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsBEPa-WyVKEocir6fy3XF2ohClSeqaRcDT8GnfhyrzWIhqToVekAU3frdKeFrwrBEGhNOZJeRrZWCh9ytcoJqJpysLk3qq_Hj2lenvJxafTtCC6ialocc8ijWdiErTIxIh3ngwyAmkgb/s1600/Wellington+downtown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsBEPa-WyVKEocir6fy3XF2ohClSeqaRcDT8GnfhyrzWIhqToVekAU3frdKeFrwrBEGhNOZJeRrZWCh9ytcoJqJpysLk3qq_Hj2lenvJxafTtCC6ialocc8ijWdiErTIxIh3ngwyAmkgb/s320/Wellington+downtown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409062262493097970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7YzQNtTg_jQxzBAv9p0vI2ILTuto3mv6vY0CX5tcXs7nd3GHfenSwhS4I_Tq-X9byGN0OaKlusQDVKYSQTb1wHWltCw2d26H9HMa76K__wwpAL8polRSXt92yEdMpobtJ6cp1j1IRpXn/s1600/Mt+Tongariro+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7YzQNtTg_jQxzBAv9p0vI2ILTuto3mv6vY0CX5tcXs7nd3GHfenSwhS4I_Tq-X9byGN0OaKlusQDVKYSQTb1wHWltCw2d26H9HMa76K__wwpAL8polRSXt92yEdMpobtJ6cp1j1IRpXn/s320/Mt+Tongariro+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409061694314751170" border="0" /></a>Wes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357894490350582805.post-15491929311489691752009-11-26T22:34:00.000-08:002009-11-26T22:53:47.075-08:00Delayed in Wellington<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Gd6uuX2ETSbhDFgVEasnvzzeso122E-EsDaco12YQcffMBY_lw5_EJZKBjRVQO8c4XD_blTcZFSx1pEAS55p9mG0KuBRX_06qfLgbhh21qDmDkhh450c03OdAxdAW-ezpYoO9tjS99d7/s1600/Aryt+shot+of+wellington.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Gd6uuX2ETSbhDFgVEasnvzzeso122E-EsDaco12YQcffMBY_lw5_EJZKBjRVQO8c4XD_blTcZFSx1pEAS55p9mG0KuBRX_06qfLgbhh21qDmDkhh450c03OdAxdAW-ezpYoO9tjS99d7/s320/Aryt+shot+of+wellington.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408669922561688722" border="0" /></a><br />Well we've been in Wellington for a few days now, but it has<br /><br />been wonderful. It appears that flexi-pass holders have some<br /><br />restrictions when it comes to the ferry out of Wellington.<br /><br />There are a limited numbers of seats available to us and there<br /><br />needs to be 36 hours notice for our departure from the North<br /><br />Island. No worries, as they say, there is plenty to do here<br /><br />and the people at the hostel have been very accommodating.<br /><br />They booked our passage, gave us a discount on the extra day<br /><br />and booked our hostel in Picton as well. We have to stay in<br /><br />Picton for a night as the bus to Nelson does not connect to<br /><br />the ferry that is available, no worries again. Wellington is a<br /><br />windy city and today it surpassed its reputation with winds<br /><br />steady at 80k and gusting to over 100 at times. It has been<br /><br />windy everyday but today I had to brace myself while taking<br /><br />pictures and sometimes even that did not stop me from moving<br /><br />backwards. We had to find a hiding spot while eating our<br /><br />lunch. Well it's out of Lampton harbor and through Cooks<br /><br />Straight and on to the South Island tomorrow so I had better<br /><br />get things packed up. Wes<br /><br />Today we spent the whole day on the bus going from Taupo to<br /><br />Wellington. We went out for dinner because it was so late,<br /><br />Indian. The drive, although long, was beautiful. We passed by<br /><br />Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe covered in snow. There were<br /><br />many mountains, hills, cliffs, forests and lots of sheep.<br /><br />When we got closer to Wellington, we drove beside the ocean<br /><br />for a bit. It was ominous. Wellington is a very cool and<br /><br />artsy town. Our first full day in Wellington was amazing. We<br /><br />are staying right downtown on the harbor. We went to the arts<br /><br />center and saw the works of a famous Japanese artist who works<br /><br />alot with dots. The piece that struck me the most was the<br /><br />room with all mirrors on the the walls and ceiling and mirrors<br /><br />and water on the floor. There were tiny lights in the room<br /><br />and it looked like they went on for eternity. After that, we<br /><br />hiked to the top of Mt. Victoria. The hike was steep but the<br /><br />view at the top was worth it. You could see out in every<br /><br />dircetion the city, the bay and ocean. The houses here are<br /><br />built on hills so even the view of the city was unique.<br /><br />Finally, we went to the Te Papa museum (all galleries and<br /><br />museums are free) and saw a Colossal Squid that was captured<br /><br />near the Antarctica. The next day we hiked up another mountain<br /><br />to catch the cable car to the Botanical Gardens. It turns out<br /><br />we could have caught the cable car at the bottom. The garden's<br /><br />were beautiful, especially the rose garden that has as many<br /><br />colors of roses as you could imagine. There were a number of<br /><br />observation platforms where you could look down on the city<br /><br />and sea. We took the cable car down for the fun of it and then<br /><br />walked to the land and sea museum. I still can't believe that<br /><br />most of their museums are free. It was a very windy day and a<br /><br />little cool at times, especially at the top of the mountain,<br /><br />but another hiking filled and interesting day. TerryWes Harcourt and Terry LeBlanchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14762524383950278243noreply@blogger.com0