I have been on the Noordam for over a week, so feel I am qualified to make some observations about what it’s like to be a passenger. I’ve used a PMI to delineate my observations: Plus > You only have to unpack once – that’s it! > Cost of food is covered (except for exclusive restaurants like the Pinnacle Grill,…
The one question I am asked more often than any other is: “Are you travelling alone?”. I reply in affirmative because I am, and what I find interesting is that if a woman asks me, she always replies “Oh, I could never do that! You are very brave.” My response to this is: “If I waited around to find people…
…falls mainly in Barcelona. Well, it did while I was here, so I didn’t get to experience as much of this gorgeous city as I would have liked. Still, I saw enough to get a feel for it and know that I like it alot. Bareclona is sandwiched in between mountains and the sea; it is a city that is…
September 28, 2012
Cabin fever This is the life! I’ve now spent two nights on the Noordam, and am truly impressed with the attention to detail. My cabin is kept scrupulously clean by my steward, Ivan. Every time I leave my cabin, things are straightened and wiped down. I have ship newsletters and notices neatly placed on the end of my bed, and…
Today I visited two countries: Monaco and France. I woke up and looked out my window and had the lights of Monaco twinkling at me. Oh, wow. My tour bus wound its way through the streets of Monaco (and yes, we did drive on part of the Grand Prix circuit) and into France and the French Riviera. The scenery was…
A funny thing happened to me while I was wandering around Rome… I look like a tourist. I wear comfortable shoes, shorts and have a camera permanently wrapped around my neck. I was getting my bearings on my first day by wandering around taking photos. I’d ventured out past the Piazza del Popolo into a more residential area, when a…
Having been in Rome for a day and a half, I feel compelled to make some observations: The food The food here is cheap, cheap, cheap. And delicious. You can get a pannini, with a 750ml bottle of beer plus a bottle of water for €11, which is about $8 AUD. A glass of wine alone costs nearly that much…
Well, I’ve arrived safe and sound, with ALL my luggage, thank the Lord! The flight was uneventful, but (after China trip) that’s a good thing. We left Adelaide on time and there was room to breathe at the Singapore end with the connecting flight to Rome. No customs or immigration dramas in any of the three countries I’ve gone from…
Tomorrow, I will be embarking on what – for some – is the trip of a lifetime. Five weeks in Europe. I’m excited, but I’m nervous. I have never been away from home this long (five weeks) and I’ve never been this far (I’ve been pretty much sticking to Asia). But being a Nervous Nellie is not a condition I…
In less than three weeks, I’ll be leaving this sunburnt country of ours and flying out to Europe. I’ll be cruising the Mediterranean for three weeks, followed by a two week tour of Italy. Jealous much? This is my third overseas trip in as many years, and I must admit I am starting to feel quite the seasoned traveller. Airports,…
I am hardly back from the last trip before I start thinking about next. One of the key experiences and highlights of my China trip was a cruise down the Yangtze. It was so relaxing, I didn’t want it to end. On that same trip, a lovely young(ish) married couple who had lived in Europe waxed lyrical about a Mediterranean…
Readers of this blog will know that I had an awful time getting to China via Qantas. I was particularly vocal on Twitter about my experience when I returned, because I felt that what happened just wasn’t taken seriously. However, after a staging what I call a Squeaky Wheel Campaign, I was contacted by the Social Media Manager of Qantas…
This tour of China has been just go, go, go. I have had no time to write or process what has happened, what I’ve seen, or how I’ve felt about the whole experience. So I will just pick out the lowlights and the highlights. Lowlights The flight to get to Beijing – I’ve written about how awful that experience was,…
You suck @QantasAirways! I had the day from hell thanks to you, only made bearable by the fact that there were other Adelaide people I shared it with, so I wasn’t alone in the stress and suffering you caused. My Qantas flight left early on Saturday – way too early for my liking; I was awake at 4am (after tossing…
July 30, 2011
I’m doing a Travel Indochina (Insider Journeys) tour of China. I travelled with them for my first ever trip overseas to Vietnam, and I couldn’t be happier with how that adventure went. I was such a nervous Nelly! So without further ado, here is my itinerary for China… my second overseas trip ever… and the obligatory map. I’m so excited! Your turn!…
I loved, loved, loved my first trip to Vietnam. It was hard (in places!) and tiring, but amazing at the same time. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Would I do it differently? Some things, possibly, but that’s only because hindsight is 20/20. So here goes. This is what I learned. 1. What didn’t work so well: Don’t take two separate…
I am just about to go on my second adventure of a lifetime: China. I had no real interest in going to China – on a slow boat or otherwise – until I went to Vietnam last year. While I was there, the further north we went, the more Chinese it got, and the more fascinated I became with Chinese…
December 5, 2010
Inspired by my Twitter friend @_kerrym I have decide to make a list of where in the world I would like to go. These are in no particular order, by the way: The UK, with special emphasis on Ireland and Scotland Italy Spain & Portugal (Cruise 2012!) Northern Africa: Morocco and Egypt South America: Chile & Patagonia Northern Vietnam China…
Hanoi and Thang Long celebrations We landed in Hanoi during the Thang Long Hanoi – 1000 year celebrations. Apparently it’s wall-to-wall people at the best of times, but was even more so because of Thang Long. It was crowded. Really crowded. People, cars, buses, motorbikes everywhere. Every inch of space was taken up with people, or their activities. It was…
Have spent the last couple of days wandering around Hoi An. So far, this is one of my favourite places in Vietnam. Great food, lovely – but persistent! – people and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s one of the cleanest cities I’ve seen so far here. I decided to get some clothes made, and that was an experience! The turnaround time…