Around the world in 86 days
Hello Dear Readers,
Judy and I have survived the first 3 days and we appear to be surviving Day 4.
But before I tell you about the fun things so far, I should acknowledge my many readers who have been with me on previous trips, so formally I say “Thank you both!”
I must also extend a hearty welcome to my new readers who I hope will get much pleasure from reading about our exploits.
We arrived in Singapore late on Friday evening with our luggage, which is always a bonus. Saturday was spent enjoying the many attractions at the Gardens by the Bay and the orchids displays at the Botanical Gardens. A lot of that day was spent walking in the wrong direction, most of which was our fault. We found that it was a big mistake to ask for directions. It is a bit like searching Google – you never know the quality of the information.
Today was better transport-wise apart from the Great Escalator Event. We wanted to go from Bayfront to Bencoolen on the Downtown Metro Line. There were two escalators side by side going down. Judy took the one on the right (which was correct) and I took the one on the left (we were having a little tiff at the time). Had I stopped to think I should have realised that there would not be two side by side going to the same platform. Mine went down to the platforms on the Circle line. So, I immediately went back up. Judy did not recognise her platform as being the correct one and returned back up and promptly went down to the Circle line. Realising her mistake she went up again to take her original escalator. In the meantime, I had gone down the correct escalator and looked for Judy who was not there. I wondered if she had caught the train. While I was dialing her mobile, she appeared.
Some of you might think, possibly correctly, that we are not fit to be let out quite yet.
The Case of the Mislaid Passport
The problem with dual nationality is that you have not one, but two passports to mislay.
I must digress for a moment, first. For a few years now, I’ve traveled with a pouch, not the kangaroo variety, but the type that keeps your passport safely strung around your neck. On the last trip, the zip of that pouch broke, so I invested in a new one. It was a larger pouch than I was used to, and it had storage space for three passports and multiple credit cards. I purchased it at Big W (for my readers in foreign parts such as the UK and Sydney, this is a large Australian department store chain). I’m not sure why three passports – maybe Big W is trying to widen its appeal to…forgers of passports? As I’ve never heard of anyone with triple nationality.
Anyway, back to the incident. I had entered Singapore using my Australian passport and its associated entry card. Now, upon arrival at the airport ready for the trip to London, I thought I had everything organized and in its correct place. In my wisdom, I thought that as I was entering the UK, I would only need my UK passport. This I kept securely in my top pocket. When I went through the automated customs scanner, I scanned my UK passport, which the machine made me turn this way and that for it to read. An official said that the machine “would rather get a bit of a squizzy at your Aussie passport, cobber.” Well, that’s what he meant, anyway.
I left the machine to “squizzy” other travelers’ passports. I looked in my carry-on suitcase, in the pocket where I normally keep my passports safe. The pocket was bare. Then, horror of horrors, I realised that I must have put it in the safe pocket of the main suitcase that was sitting comfortably with Judy’s checked-in suitcase in a pigeonhole marked “BA16 to London. Do not mislay.”
I had to stand in front of a rather stern customs officer who looked at me as if I was a “three-passport type of individual.” I explained my thoughts regarding going to the UK and needing a UK passport, forgetting that I needed my Aussie one to exit Singapore. He asked if I had a photo of the Aussie one – no, a copy of the entry card – maybe. I looked in my case for my phone on which a copy of the entry card would reside. (By this time in the process, I was organized for the X-ray scanner with everything metal out of my pockets and in my carry-on.) The only metal object on my person was a metal belt buckle. I kept this on, otherwise, I would catch TRTAS (Trousers Round The Ankle Syndrome). Seeking my phone meant emptying my case, and so, in the process, I spotted my shiny new three-passport pouch with multiple credit card provision. I’m sure most of you have guessed – in passport slot #1 was my much-sought-after Aussie passport.
I presented the officer with my newfound passport and multiple profuse apologies. I nearly asked if I should write out 100 times, “I must know where all my passports are at all times, even though I am an old-aged pensioner.” Sadly, the passport scanner never did get a “squizzy” at my Aussie passport. I believe these machines are quite fickle and it had probably forgotten me by then anyway.
One Way to Get Upgraded In-Flight Snacks
Judy and I booked our flights to Sydney, Singapore, London Heathrow, and Montreal 11 months ago (pilot talk: SYD-SIN-LHR-YUL). At the time of booking, we chose all our seats, and I also requested a diabetic meal on all the overseas flights. On the SYD-SIN leg, there was no diabetic meal loaded, and the flight attendants knew nothing of my request. When the same thing happened on the SIN-LHR leg, I was, to say the least, miffed. I asked to meet with the Chief Purser. Luke, with 17 years of experience, was very pleasant but could not explain the lack of my requested meal. He contacted BA customer service, who updated my profile so that when I fly with BA in the future, I will get a diabetic meal.
Business class, up towards the pointy end of the plane, has an internet connection which Luke had used. They must not have a very powerful router as the signal doesn’t reach back to economy. So, when I felt a bit peckish 10 hours into the 13+ hour flight, I talked to a very helpful flight attendant who made me up a snack on a tray from Business Class. She knew all about my “meal fetish” (as you might put it) and the snack consisted of salad, fruit, cheese. I was given metal cutlery not wood, a linen napkin not paper and china bowls etc. So there you have the story of how to get an improved in-flight snack. Display a meal fetish that is ignored.
Thank you “Transport for Wales”.
Last Monday (20th May) we left Cardiff where we had enjoyed a lovely time with Laura, Gareth, Elliot and Rosie. We visited Cardiff Castle, built by the Romans, and Cardiff Bay, originally dockland and later redeveloped by The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. A really enjoyable two days. Our journey to Rosslare in southern Ireland started early, before 6am, with a train trip from Cardiff to Fishguard Harbour via Swansea. Fishguard was the end of the train line. When the train pulled into Fishguard we were the only ones left on the train. So, as it turns out, Transport for Wales put on the train just for us. I did, as my Mum taught me, go and thank the driver for a safe trip. She always would thank the steam train driver when we pulled into Paddington station in London on one of our day’s outings to the big city, in 1954.
Irish bus drivers are very sociable.
We caught a coach from Rosslare to Waterford on Monday evening, it was an hour and 20 minutes drive. The other passenger on the bus, who also came over on the same ferry, was bringing an urn of her husband’s ashes. He’d had an accident while they were on holiday in Spain and died after 3 days in hospital. She was returning to her family in Kilkenny to spread his ashes. I am guessing she wanted someone to talk to as she spent the entire journey talking animatedly to the driver who responded sympathetically. It left me with the impression that the Irish are very warmhearted.
The software designers of the Hyundai i-10
They have a lot to answer for. This is the model of car that we have hired here in Southern Ireland. It is good that the car is small and can negotiate the narrow roads with ease. However, it has a minuscule engine. It probably has more than one cylinder but it does not seem like it. It has a display which shows when it thinks you should change up a gear. I am convinced that the software designers of this feature are in cahoots with the transmission department. If you change up when the display suggests then the car labours and the strain on the transmission is audible. The boys in the transmission division must be on a bonus when a replacement transmission is sold. I will never know but I think that the software people must be in on the act. Just my view…
The Irish are a helpful lot
Except when giving directions. We came unstuck when we followed our navigation app Waze. We were heading for Gortamullen House in Kenmare. Waze directed us down a farm track and when we drove into a field we, quick as a flash, realised something was wrong. Two cows seemed very interested in us and started to moo a lot. I got the sense that they thought that we should turn around and be careful in the mud. We could see Gortamullen House on the other side of the fence. We tried following the supplied instructions from the owner which, however, did not make any sense. We eventually asked in a health club and received accurate instructions from the young man on the desk. In the evening we wanted to walk in to town – 8 minutes said the owner. She gave instructions to find a shortcut that included “take the path next to the green painted house”. We did find the town via the shortcut plus guesswork. It turns out that the green painted house was around the bend and past the shortcut. The directions were good if we had started from the other direction.
Interesting facts?
How South West Kerry became the 19th Century Centre of Global Communications.
1856: Through the efforts of the Knight of Kerry, from White Strand, Cahersiveen in Valentia Harbour, was chosen as the European terminus of the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The aim of the daring project, led by the American businessman, Cyrus Field, and his Atlantic Telegraph Co, was to lay a 2,000 mile cable to Newfoundland, Canada. It became one of the world’s greatest feats of engineering and human endeavour, and shaped the future of global communications, economics and politics.
1857: An attempt by the Cable Ships Niagara & Agamemnon to lay a cable from White Strand failed, but the valuable lessons learned there greatly expedited later successes.
1858: Knightstown, Valentia was connected to Newfoundland by the 1857 Cable Ships. The Old & the New Worlds were linked. Worldwide celebrations ensued, but this cable, however, soon failed.
1866: After a failed 1865 attempt, a durable connection was made by the Cable Ship Great Eastern from Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia, to Hearts Content, Newfoundland. The ship was an iron sail-powered, paddle wheel and screw-propelled steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Messages that could have been sent only as fast as the fastest ship could now be sent in minutes.
Worldwide communications changed utterly.
The Landladies of the World
Well, here are some comments on the ones we have encountered.
First, a Welsh lady of Indian heritage. The first thing that she told us was that she had laid new carpet and we must take our shoes off at the front door also, she said that she kept the house very clean. She pointed at a mark on the bed-sheets (I saw this clearly when I put on my reading glasses). She had washed the sheets 3 times and could not remove the mark.
Outside the bathroom were pairs of sandals. I put on a pair as I thought they were for wearing around the house. I was sprung and told they were for wearing in the bathroom; clean socks or clean feet on the carpet.
I felt it a pity that her clean regime did not encompass the bathroom floor which had a buildup of a centimeter of dirt in every corner.
Next, we have the host I have already alluded to that had difficulty in providing logical directions. I think she should have prefaced each set of directions with “If you start from the opposite direction then…”
Then we come to the landlady in Kinsale. She can best be described as a real harridan. She screeched at the top of her voice when she talked. I must point out that she was from some hot-blooded country such as Spain, Italy or Iceland (you have to be hot blooded to survive in Iceland). Our shower overflowed the first time we used it, due to a plug malfunction. All she kept saying, at the top of her voice, was “That has never happened before!”
Lastly, I must sadly relate the incident of guest torture. We were sharing the kitchen with an otherwise lovely family. We provided our own food which we cooked and ate in the kitchen dining area. The day we arrived there was a single slice of chocolate coated shortbread left out on a plate in the kitchen. Obviously, my morals and the fact that it may have been photographed did not allow me to eat a single crumb of it. The day before we left I felt duty-bound to raise this issue with the landlady directly rather than put it in my review online. She, sadly, blamed it on her daughter, who made the inviting-looking slice. I must say I feel one should admit to torture rather than blame it on others. Her partner saved me from ongoing anguish and ate the slice.
The quirks of bed and breakfast guest houses.
Just one, so far. We are in a room with an en-suite and a shelf with tea, coffee and an electric jug etc.
| The jug has no removable base and the hardwired electric lead goes through a hole in the side of the wardrobe |
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| The electric power point for the jug is inside the wardrobe . |
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Breaking News.
I am happy to report that our little steam-powered Hyundai has, with my help, now overtaken three cars on the open road – one was when we were going down hill and the other two on the flat. As we have been driving for 14 days that is an average of 0.214 cars per day.
Quirk No2 – bed and breakfast establishments.
Before I relate this quirk I should tell you that Judy and I have felt the cold somewhat while we have been in Ireland.
The weather in Quebec and Montreal, where we go next, is thankfully predicted to be warmer.
We have moved on to Dublin prior to flying to Canada next week. We are staying in a very nice Georgian style hotel near Trinity College.
Our room has a genuine open fire. When we spotted the fire we asked at reception where we could buy some coal to warm us on these Irish summer evenings.
We were told, sadly, that coal was not available at reception after June 1st.
| Here is a picture of the fireplace in our room (click on the image to display a larger one) |  |
Smart camera technology
Some of you have doubtless heard of HDR (high dynamic range) technology when taking photos. HDR is used when bright light and shadows are in the picture you wish to take. The camera takes two photos in quick succession with different exposures and combines them into one final image. Below is an example of an HDR image that I took in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin this afternoon. The differences are subtle but they can be seen (click on each image to display a larger one).
| The first image |  |
| The second image |  |
| The final composite image |  |
Are the good citizens of Montreal ashamed of their Metro stations?
Answers on a postcard please addressed to Barry Hunt, Canada. The reason I ask is that McGill Metro is inside a multi-story building but there are no signs to say so. Finally, after puzzling on the street for a good while we asked a passer-by and he told us “over the road and inside that building”. We asked twice more in the building and we eventually found it. They also hid the Place des Artes Metro station. I firmly believe they need not hide either as I have seen much worse Metro stations in other cities.
In Montreal – As luck would have it
We planned to go to visit the Basilica of St Joseph after spending an enjoyable time in the Mount Royal park. We were told at an information desk that the Bus 711 would take us directly to the gate of the Basilica. The Bus 11, however, would have meant a walk. Judy wanted to take the 11 which turned up first, but for once I stood my ground and refused to board. That was my first mistake. After waiting a good while I found a timetable and realised that we would have to wait 17 hours for the 711 as it only runs on Saturday and Sunday and it was 2pm on Friday. I relented and we took the next Bus 11. We got close to the church but still had to walk about 1.5km on what we thought was the correct road. Judy asked a lady if we were going in the right direction and she sent us in the reverse direction for a shuttle bus up the hill to the basilica (real men, of course, do not ask for directions). After a couple of hours we got to the church and found that there was a school graduation taking place and the general public were not allow in. We sat for a while and Judy on returning from the loo saw that the guard on the door was absent. Naturally we walked in under the guise of being parents of a pupil. We were quickly sprung, I am still not sure what gave us away, maybe my flat hat and shorts perhaps?
By the way, all this happened on Friday 13th
The Québec Museum of Civilisation
Some days entry is free. We devoted today Tuesday 18th June to a visit to The Québec Museum of civilisation. We were looking forward to visiting as it has a good reputation. Sadly, the top floor wi-fi connection was down and technicians were trying to restore it. As the museum was hi-tech this meant that much of the exhibits were not explained. I was particularly disappointed. When it was time to go I asked to see the manager. I related my disappointment and asked for a refund. This I received in full. It bought us lunch with money left over.
| My lunch was not a favourite of Rick Stein, the famous chef of fish and seafood. My lunch was the “delicacy” called Poutine. This is a dish of Québec cuisine composed, in its classic recipe, of three elements: fries, cheese curds and brown gravy. Poutine originated in Centre-du-Québec at the end of the 1950s. A dish long ridiculed in Quebec society. Poutine was in vogue in the 2020s, and even celebrated outside the borders of Quebec. Here is a picture of it. Judy, some might say sensibly, had a hamburger. |
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Seen at the Supermarket
“Due to distribution issues we must apologise that some of the meat in this cabinet may have come from the USA”.
(I have removed the post about the Avis car hire episode – it was written in a fit of pique and, on reflection, I should not have posted it)
Our suitcases did not want to come with us to Vancouver
But first, the previous flight. Our flight with WestJet from Montreal to Calgary on Friday June 28th was at 5pm. The maintenance engineers went on strike from 5:30pm that day, as predicted. Some later flights were cancelled but ours was OK – we were very lucky.
Forward to last Friday July 5th when we were scheduled to fly from Calgary to Vancouver at 11am.
As I am a cautious soul, we arrived at the airport three hours before the flight. After a while the flight was delayed by half an hour but then cancelled as the aircraft was unserviceable. We were put on an 11pm flight which was soon rescheduled to leave at midnight. Judy camped out at the Customer Service counter and when the queue for desperate travelers had thinned out she asked if there were spare seats on an earlier flight. She managed to get us on the 7pm which was moved back to 8pm. It did eventually leave a little after that time.
I must add, to be fair, that it was not entirely the suitcases fault that they did not share our flight.
Perhaps I should be charitable and say that the suitcases got confused but I did wonder if they were sulking in a corner of the baggage sorting area. Anyway, they did not come on our flight nor the flight shortly after, which we waited for.
It all ended happily as we were reunited on Saturday afternoon. I celebrated by putting on a clean shirt and cleaning my teeth.
The above was written by me and improved by Judy. I then had the thought that AI might improve upon it. I used the web site Gemini and asked “Please rewrite this text using mild sarcasm” and added the text above. Gemini is owned by Google and used to be called “Bard”. (NB Google being a USA company it uses the word wrench for spanner.)
Here is the result,
Our trip to Vancouver was an absolute breeze… if by “breeze” you mean a hurricane of travel woes!
First, a gold star for us for making it to Calgary from Montreal on June 28th at 5 pm, mere moments before the maintenance crews decided a strike was a grand idea. Talk about dodging a bullet (or a wrench)!
Fast forward to July 5th. Our 11 am flight to Vancouver beckoned, and being the ever-prepared travelers we are (ahem), we arrived at the airport with enough time to write a novel. No surprise then, that the flight was first delayed, then cancelled altogether because, you know, airplanes don’t like to fly when they’re feeling a bit under the weather.
Let’s just say, our suitcases and I were starting to develop a strong sense of camaraderie in the “frequent flyer limbo” lounge. They didn’t make it onto the initial rescheduled flight (11 pm, then midnight, bless their determined hearts), nor the second one (7 pm, then 8 pm, because why not add a little extra confusion?).
But fear not, dear reader, for this story does have a happy ending (albeit a day later than planned)! We were reunited with our trusty luggage on Saturday afternoon. Cause for celebration? Absolutely! I mean, who wouldn’t break out the fresh breath spray and a clean shirt after an ordeal like that?
Here’s to hoping the rest of the trip is smooth sailing (or at least doesn’t involve any more sulking suitcases)!
| I wanted to share with you this photo of Judy waiting for our cases at the luggage carousel. The cases on the carousel are the reverse of ours. The cases arrived but their owners did not, perhaps. |  |
We are staying at the Airport in at Port Hardy, tomorrow, Tuesday 16th July we take the car ferry for 10 hours to Bella Coola on the mainland. We are hoping for some good weather as a large part of the journey is past some beautiful islands.
Judy has spotted 2 Tsunami Evacuation sites on the town map, a touch of reality.
A couple of days ago a bear and its 3 cubs were spotted roaming around the motel outside.
It prompts me to share the following photos.
The left photo is of bear proof garbage bins. The latch for opening the bins are under the front cover and the bears cannot get to the latch. The photo on the right is of a car that a bear got into, probably after it smelled food in the car. It could not get out again and hence the damage.
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I must draw your attention to the 2 photos of Heckman Pass on the photos page. A search for “Heckman Pass” will find them. The pass rises to 5,000 ft and is 75km long. The authorities try to keep the road clear of snow in the winter and mostly succeed. In summer it is sprayed with a mixture of water and a chemical to keep down the dust and that makes for better traction. The road is quite wide but still very scary to drive over in parts. There is more information on the pass on this dangerous roads web page. https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/canada/1049-heckman-pas-canada.html
I was talking to the driver of the Propane delivery truck below who was working out of Williams Lake and he said that they deliver to Bella Coola and drive over the pass in all weathers. A round trip of 12 hours.!
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That is all for now folks, talk to you again soon.
Great Dad and Judy,
Im glad you took some photos of the orchids, as I don’t think I have seen any in your photos before.
Gotta Love a Orchid the flower of woman bits
Hi, Judy & Barry,
We enjoy reading your entertaining anecdote of your adventures, keep em coming.
You are right, YOU, Mr Hunt should never alone
Kind regards,
Pam & John Priest
Love the escalator story! So funny… but I am glad you met up again BEFORE the train departed. Continue having loads of fun.
Re: “We have escaped” title on your email
I noticed there was a stabbing on a Coffs Harbour beach just before your departure and I had my suspicions.
Re: Escalator Merry Go Round
Considering your difficulty navigating escalators, I would advise you both to have an agreed plan should you encounter a revolving door. You might never escape.
Hello Ray, No worries, Ray I rarely go to the beach these days. If there was an incident outside a fish and chip shop, that is a whole different kettle of fish.
Now I had not thought of the problem of us being separated through a revolving door. Thank you for bringing it to mt attention. I will work up a plan.
Onward to the land of the POMs tomorrow night.
All the best, Barry and Judy
Thanks for setting this up Barry.
I look forward to hearing about your and Judy’s adventures over the next couple of months.
Hi Jos, (Judy here) – thank you for your words of encouragement! All is going well so far, except I sat on my reading glasses last night and they aren’t quite the same!! Hope life is treating oyu well. Cheers, Judy (and Barry)
Happy travels Dad. Note to self – check and double check your routes before heading off 🙂
Love Karen xx
Hello Karen, Sound advice, I will try harder! All good so far here in the UK. The flight from Singapore was long and tiring but we survived. Getting to Shirley’s house was easy and we had a good day yesterday, Saturday. I am going to work with Paul (Shirley’s youngest son) to replace a bathroom door and door handle. Must stay busy – off to church today (lunch not the service).
Love Dad xx
Hi guys sounds like fun & games with the escalator & passport, glad it all worked out! Loved your photos especially the orchids & fantasy flowers! Enjoy the next step on your journey! Juliex
Hi Julie, (Judy here) – thank you for your words of encouragement! All is going well so far, except I sat on my reading glasses last night and they aren’t quite the same!! Hope life is treating you well. Cheers, Judy (and Barry)
We always Enjoy reading your experiences. Stay Safe!
(Judy here) Thanks David and Anne, for your words of encouragement! Hope things are drying out in Coffs finally!
Glad you survived the passport horrors Barry. There is no anxiety stronger than passport induced anxiety!
It isn’t a “meal fetish” Barry…. it is a necessity!! I know… my “meal fetish” is a dairy free meal. Still, something to remember for future flights.
Maybe you and Judy need to be leashed together so that you don’t lose each other. Just a thought.
(Judy here) Thanks for understanding Christine – the diabetic meals are so much more healthy too (for Barry). Yes, leashing together is a good idea – fortunately we seem to be keeping a good eye on each other, so far!
Already half way around the world! You two must really be traveling fast. Enjoy each and every moment, but don’t forget to come back!! We miss you.
(Judy here) Ah, being missed is so nice We collected our hirecar two days ago, and travelled for seven hours today, sightseeing! It was incredible! The scenery is gob-smacking. Hope you and Malcolm and Heather are going well – thinking of you.
Hi Judy. Love reading about your adventures. All is well with Malcolm, Heather and myself. Rose is back too.
I have to agree with Barry and the modern car. Too many whistles and beeps on them! The dashboard lit up flashier than any Christmas tree is hard to take too. Ah well, I am being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Keep well and keep having fun. Love from Coffs Harbour
Thanks for your message Christine. We are relying on technology a fair bit when driving – Barry uses the Waze app on his phone which has a bluetooth connection to the display in our little hire car – and it even talks to us. Here in Ireland homes have a seven character Eircode, which is like a post code except it is the location code for the actual front door of a house – we type it in and the SatNav takes us to the door! Since we are staying at very remote places, it is vital at times – fun and games.
We drove through a place called Adare today, south of Limerick, and it was gobsmackingly beautiful, and full of history centuries old – it was just a dot on a map to us, now it is much much more.
Hope life is treating you well.
Cheers,
Judy and Barry
Hi Judy & Barry glad all trip planning is going well & you had such a good rail journey. Hope you have a great time in Ireland.
Went to parliament house for lunch with a couple of the girls which was nice.
Happy travels !
Juliex
(Judy here) Wow Julie! Going to Parliament House for lunch sounds very posh! Is there a particular restaurant there? We had a big day today exploring coves and inlets, for about seven hours! The scenery was outstanding – reminded me of the best of NZ, at times like hobbit-land too. Warm and blue skies today
Sounds like your seeing and doing more than you bargained for (especially when you get lost) all part of the fun dad. K xx
Yes, absolutely Karen, all part of the fun. We head off to Killarney today (Wed 29th). If the mist clears we should see some of it too, a bonus! Dad xx
Hi guys Ireland sounds great to explore! but sorry about the power or lack of in your car!
Judy we went to the dinning restaurant in parliament house it was a seniors deal with a tour. Very good.
Just watching the French open.
Enjoy Ireland! Juliex
Thanks for your message Julie – our little hire car is okay really – it’s just having to slow down on the single lane country raods a lot, and then getting up to speed again. Today was our first day on proper dual carriageway roads, and our little hire car performed well, we even overtook one car!
Wimbledon isn’t too far away either – how great! The really enjoy the first week when the newbies emerge and give the oldies a run for their money.
We had a superbly warm day today, near Limerick. All is going well.
Thanks again.
Cheers,
Judy and Barry
Thank you both so much for your travel tales. What adventures!
Hi Judy & Barry glad you got your jug filling sorted & sounds like you’re in a better hotel now. Hope you will be enjoying warmer weather. It has been cooler in Sydney too.
All the best on the next stop on your journey! Juliex
I would have guessed that the photo was made up of photos or postage stamps but I wouldn’t have guessed clothes labels! xxx
Yes, I hoped it would have caused some pause for thought. Thank you, Shirley, for your comments.
Hi Judy and Barry. Love hearing about your travels and all the unexpected “treats”. I agree with Judy … the hamburger looked much more enticing. Keep having fun.
Thank you, Christine. In my defence I wanted to try a local dish. Having said that we ate at a restaurant last night here in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and I was offered gravy on my chips with the fish. Another diner ordered Poutine.
Hi Judy & Barry sounds like you are enjoying Canada. Good on you Barry for getting a couple of refunds & sorting out the car!
Judy went to the book launch of Pauline menczer’s memoir surf like a woman, it was amazing & she signed the book for me.
Enjoy your travels in Canada! jx
Hello Julie, (Judy here) Thanks for your very relevant comment about Barry securing a refund from Avis I overheard the call and Barry did very well, very measured and backed his words up with statistics – it was very true what he said; the hire car was a huge 7-seater! We would have been happier with a smaller car, to park and drive.
I googled Pauline’s memoir – it looks like a big success – she is such a delightful person, always smiling in spite of her arthritis, and clever – I wish her every success with her book.
I see cold weather is hitting SE Australlia – ouch!
We are driving to Banff tomorrow – it’s only 1.5 hours away from here (Calgary) – I hope to do the gondola there which promises to show us seven peaks – we stay up there for four days, moving about a bit. Hope we get some blue skies so that the photos look great.
Thanks for your email Julie – hope life is treating you well.
Cheers,
Judy and Barry
All adds to the adventure Dad. Plus a bonus refund – great xx
Thanks, Karen. All good here in Calgary. On to Banff tomorrow (Sunday 30th)
Hi Judy and Barry. Love ready about your adventures. It is the unexpected things that make the journey interesting – even if they were annoying at the time. Smooth travelling from now on. X Christine
Hi Christine,
Very wise words from you Christine, about the unexpected things – the really nice part about the latest hirecar saga is that a lovely young man stopped what he was doing to help us to get the car unlocked, even though its alarm was blaring – he was right with his advice too – a lovely human gesture.
We’ve had a successful flight from Montreal to Calgary, and will drive up to Banff tomorrow – I’ve wanted to go to Banff all my life! The weather prediction is for rain, so we are hoping the forecast is wrong about that! There’ll be some sun for sure.
We are now in week nine of our trip! OMG! We get home on July 28. Be good to get home and have a steady routine although I have been coping pretty well so far, thank goodness.
Hope life is treating you well
Cheers,
Judy and Barry
It has been wonderful following your travels. Time has flown, and it is hard to believe that you will be home in another 9 days
Thank you Jos, we are glad that you enjoy following our travels. A slight mistake, we do not get back to Sydney/Coffs until Sun 28th July. We have just arrived in Victoria, Vancouver Island and we stay here for 5 days before we tour some of British Columbia. Best Regards, Barry and Judy
Thanks Jos, for following our travels To be honest, at this point I wish I was tucked up and cosy in my bed in Coffs Harbour! Just quite exhausted really, and I got “Acute Mountain Sickness” I believe, in Banff, which has kicked off my IBS quite seriously – ouch! And one hip has packed it in, and one foot has a whinge from time to time! But, we soldier on irregardless! There’s too much to see!