An Early Morning Visit to Ephesus
Our tour group is quickly figuring out each other’s quirks and quarks: who is an early riser, who likes to stay up for that extra Efes beer at night. Who eats breakfast and who doesn’t. The loners and the outgoing...
The Blue Mountains, Australia
Up early – we are heading to see the Blue Mountains, a 90 minute drive west of Sydney. Eric has lent us his car for the day, and he arrives at our place to drop it off just after 9, and of course there is a hamper for our morning coffee break sitting on the back seat. Again, his generosity leaves us speechless.
We head off, not needing maps to negotiate our way out of town – we feel like true Sydneysiders at this minor triumph. Traffic is easy this morning. We wonder whether the air will be blue today or not – the weather forecast for the Blue Mountains is a high of only 13, and the air is turned blue when the sun heats the eucalyptus trees and their oil evaporates.
The Lonely Planet guidebook tells us of a scenic back road, and we turn off onto it, catching glimpses of beauty. We stop at a lookout, and craning over the trees, see a beautiful vista of the valley and the mountains. We spend some lovely minutes here, alone with the view. We realize that we will indeed see the famed blue air today.
We continue our drive, and shortly after arrive at Echo Point, the main lookout, with spectacular views of the 3 Sisters and the canyon.
We continue the beauty-laced drive, eventually ending up in Katoomba, the main city of the Blue Mountains. We stop for lunch, and are just nicely seated in the restaurant when it starts to pour. It continues to pour through lunch, and we run back to the car through the rain. We vote to head back to Sydney.
We make our way to Eric’s place for a pre-dinner cocktail, then we all head out to a wonderful hole-in-the-wall Eric knows, serving Japanese food, and crammed to the rafters with Japanese students studying at the nearby university. Then home to an early bed – we have to be up early on Saturday.
Enjoying the Blue Air in the Blue Mountains of Australia
The Blue Mountains, Australia Up early – we are heading to see the Blue Mountains, a 90 minute drive west of Sydney. Eric has lent us his car for the day, and he arrives at our place to drop it off just after 9, and of course there is a hamper for...
The Campervan Chronicles: Rain
S23° E150° We awake this morning after our first full night in our tidy but, sleeping-wise, cramped campervan to, wait…rain. I know it’s hard to believe. Our camper van island had been surrounded by...
A Valentine’s Stroll on Coolum Beach
Happy Valentine’s Day! I wake early, Greg does not. I head to the beach at about 6:30, and there are more people on it than there were yesterday afternoon – which means there are no more than 30. They are walking,...
The Very UN-Pub(ish) Saint John Ale House
When I began my research for our Saint John, New Brunswick overnight, pre-Princess of Acadia ferry ride to Digby, Nova Scotia, I readily admit my skepticism when the Saint John Tourism Rep sent me a list of potential...
Enjoying the Blue Air in the Blue Mountains of Australia
Up early – we are heading to see the Blue Mountains, a 90-minute drive west of Sydney. Eric has lent us his car for the day, and he arrives at our place to drop it off just after 9, and of course there is a hamper for our...
Best of Australia: Next Stop: Singapore
I find it difficult to believe that we are no longer in Sydney and Australia. It feels like we are just out for the day and will be back at Francis Street this evening or meeting Eric or Graham for dinner or drinks. Or...
Swimming with Sharks in Padang Bai, Bali
This will be remembered as one of the best dives we have had so far and one of those special, easy-going days that make Bali what it is. We are up again at the crack of dawn to be picked up at 7:00 am by the dive bus. It is a...
Arriving Home After Six Months of Followsummer.com
Sunday, June 6th, 2004: Toronto, Stratford, Ontario N 43° W 080° Southwestern Ontario is lush and green from a cool and wet spring. Our rush hour drive home from the airport takes us through the gentle rolling hills of...
Wonderful, Wonderful Rainy Køpenhavn
Friday, June 25th, 2004: Køpenhavn, Denmark Still rainy and cool. Big, flat, low-hanging grey-hued clouds continue to dominate the Køpenhavn sky. Everyone, it seems, is complaining about the lack of warm dry...
Stockholm on Midsommer Sunday
It is the Sunday of the long Midsommer weekend and the streets of Stockholm are teeming with mostly tourists enjoying the sunny weather and their first ice cream of the summer. We are told that many of the locals are out of town...
Berlin: An Emotionally Complex City
Monday, July 19th, 2004: Berlin, Germany Our apartment is comfy and cosy; small enough for us to be in each others’ way and big enough for it not to matter. I sleep in, as usual, and John makes his way to the corner to buy...
A Gentle Reminder of the Wasting of Time.
Wednesday, September 1st, 2004: St Jean de la blaquiere, France Hot and sunny weather greets us today as we get the scoop on the surrounding area over breakfast from our host Yann. We are in the region of Languedoc...
Madrid: Alive and Breathing in Life to its Fullest
Madrid is not one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Much of its historical and cultural history has been torn down to make way for the new. Indeed, it seems to be a city on the verge of the next century, good and bad. The...
Sevilla: A Beautiful, Lush City Full of Fan Palms, Cafés and Historic Monuments
Tuesday, September 14th, 2004: Sevilla, Spain We enjoy the luxury of a 4 star hotel for a change. Purists would have our heads on a platter as we consider by-passing Sevilla altogether for the privilege of just vegging and...