tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83248586774997618562024-03-13T12:23:29.560-07:00What Teresa Didteresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-85041070349783287622013-05-06T23:16:00.000-07:002013-05-06T23:16:27.266-07:00What Teresa Did has moved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-36749183427100247292013-03-21T14:13:00.000-07:002013-03-21T14:13:39.781-07:00I love Edinburgh<br />
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I love the rain-soaked Royal Mile. Cobbles that invite hiking boots, not heels, gleam in the light and draw you up
towards the castle. The city sits dark and mysterious upon ancient hills. The castle glowers down at you as you climb towards it. Yet it's a city full of festivals and music and light.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I love the tinny bagpipe music in the souvenir shops. There’s something so very mournful about
bagpipes, but they act as a siren’s call to those who need a novelty kilt and a
Nessie shot-glass. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I love the Edinburgh Fringe with its ridiculously long programme
masquerading as a phone book and its crazy street performers. I once walked up the Royal Mile and passed
four different acts juggling knives. One
was on a unicycle, one in his underwear, yet another was alternating with a
chainsaw. The fourth one was probably
feeling very inadequate about his simple, fully clothed, non-vehicular,
power-tool free knife juggling. I’m sure
he’s at this very moment trying to incorporate water buffalo into his act for
this year’s festival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I love the Scottish Library with its witty posters, proclaiming to the world that Edinburgh may not have the nicest weather, but its people are educated and clever and astute and they value the arts. I love the Burn’s Memorial on Princess Street. I love that it looks like Castle Greyskull and is blackened by age and weather. I love that people can get sentimental about a poet, long dead though he is.</span></div>
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I love that it is called ‘The Athens of the North.’ How pompous and presumptive - and how far away it is from the sun baked Mediterranean. The pillars and monuments draw inspiration from the Greeks, it’s true, but they are also so very, very Scottish</div>
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I love the Queen’s Gallery with its overflow of art,
displayed with Her Majesty’s kindness. I
once saw a 500 year old drawing by Da Vinci.
I was the only person in the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I love Arthurs Seat, a huge, bulking , volcanic mass looming
over the city. It’s a perfect climb on a
bracing spring day with Scotland spread before you like a picture on a
shortbread tin, all spires and mountains and arctic wind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I even love the Elephant House Café, well actually I love
the toilets. The walls are covered by
people paying tribute to JK Rowling and her characters. Imagine your writing touching the lives of so
many people. Imagine!<o:p></o:p></div>
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-49904629999671853962013-02-22T04:51:00.000-08:002013-02-22T04:51:15.802-08:00Cu Chi Tunnels<br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m wary of war museums, and when we went to the
one in Ho Chi Minh I sat outside among the tanks and helicopters and tried to
not to think of the horrors contained within. It’s not that I don’t want
to think about war, or suggest that we shouldn't learn about it; it’s
simply that I prefer to read about it, to hopefully see both sides of the
story. Or maybe I am just a bit of a wuss.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLZYVnpRe1uvPRAqvQ1xFPP7noPxf5M3rpq2c0_2EspMiegCHcieEE8KXArRYWXFDAq0r9sEQMeGSzviXJwKb8vBJE3djrcOtbxdn4aJOO2Uc-RgfLR1iSim2brOKCxYXhMTDs6dwsl9J/s1600/VW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLZYVnpRe1uvPRAqvQ1xFPP7noPxf5M3rpq2c0_2EspMiegCHcieEE8KXArRYWXFDAq0r9sEQMeGSzviXJwKb8vBJE3djrcOtbxdn4aJOO2Uc-RgfLR1iSim2brOKCxYXhMTDs6dwsl9J/s400/VW1.jpg" width="292" /></span></span></a><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;">Anyway, I was not anticipating the afternoon
excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels with any sort of interest at all.
I couldn't have been more wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">What I didn’t really think about, before I left,
was that Vietnam has only recently been opened up to the west. They
haven’t quite got the tourist banter down. Sometimes they can come of
more intimidating than inviting. The Vietnam War was really very recent.
It was fought there, above and below ground. The examples of traps and
snares are real. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">I knew, of course, that the tunnels have been
expanded for tourists. I knew, of course, that I couldn’t get lost.
I knew, of course, that the gunshots breaking the quietness were from the
training field next door. But, I also knew of a little history, of the
way these hills were riddled with traps and of the horror that the people above
and below ground must have witnessed during the long years of war. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">It must be a fine balance between museum and theme
park in a historical war site. The Cu Chi Tunnels just outside of Ho Chi
Minh City are certainly historical. They weave under the ground for miles
in an intricate web of warfare that is chilling in its ingenuity.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">We went underground, for a very short time, into
the widened tunnels. It was hot and claustrophobic and people were
scared. I was bent over, and in darkness for most of the way as the guide
was at least eight people away from me. It was an exhilarating few
minutes, but in retrospect it was a reminder of how people lived during an
awful, terrible time.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;">I’m glad we were there on a quiet day. We
left sobered by the experience. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-9568758280243922012013-02-02T04:22:00.000-08:002013-02-22T04:35:49.594-08:00Hoi An<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I think I made my tour group go
cycling. We were on the bus heading towards Hoi An when our guide, Bao,
asked who wanted to go on a bycle tour of the town. The silence on the
bus was deafening, until I said “I do.” The others slowly agreed and so
the plan was hatched. We had spent the morning climbing the Marble
Mountain in Da Nang and so agreed to cycle the next day.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hoi An is a very different part of Vietnam to Ho
Chi Minh City. It does not have the same frenetic traffic and
energy. You can walk along the streets without the danger of being run
over by a scooter. You will, however, be accosted by 1845638 shopkeepers
who with varying degrees of urgency implore you to come into their shops and
buy something, anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I had organised a suit to be made, prescription sunglasses to be
created, sandals to be crafted and a dress to be altered all in the first
afternoon. By the time dinner came around I was ready to sleep, not
eat. Somehow I had missed the fact that dinner was going to be a cooking
class/demonstration and when we turned up at the restaurant I just wanted a
quick meal so I could go back to the hotel and watch American Idol on Starworld
(Yes, I know I was in Vietnam…but I never watch it normally. You do
strange things while on holiday).</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Anyway, the menu was
set for us and we gathered closely around a table to make our Vietnamese
pancakes stuffed with prawns and bean sprouts, spring rolls (by far the best I
had on the trip), snapper cooked in banana leaf and green papaya salad.
After a few cocktails I got stuck in frying up the spring rolls to a crisp and
showing off my hopeless chopstick stills to the amused waiter. The meal,
like everything I ate in Vietnam was delicious – though by this stage I was in
danger of turning into a spring roll.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the cycling? I loved it! I’m not
sure about the others, but for me it was an absolute highlight. We cycled
through town, beside rice paddies, through market gardens, past buffalo and
near people picking coconuts. It was a gently warm day in comparison to
the heat of Ho Chi Minh, the sun was out, and there was a boat ride at the
end. Brilliant!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We chugged back to Hoi An in a small
boat, as the sky slowly faded to dusk. Ready to re-enter the
throng…”Madam, want you want? I give you good price! MADAM!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-21858432279826499632013-01-11T16:52:00.000-08:002013-01-11T16:52:42.366-08:00Saigon Cooking Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-60618987562074539192013-01-10T16:53:00.000-08:002013-01-10T16:53:50.292-08:00Saigon<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday’s stroll quickly took on the aspect of something
epic. It started with a trip to Ben Than
market, a heaving mass of humanity with something to sell, be it clothes, fish,
a ‘hilarious Vietnamese Starbucks parody
t-shirt,’ or a new bag. So much to see
and nothing at all I want to buy. I’m
going there again today with my cookery class which should be better, I
guess. The market had none of the charm
of, say, The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, or even Camden in London. Maybe I’m just tired and hot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of my walk was much better though. I discovered a bakery which sold me a
baguette for 50p. Lunch of champions! I hear
the disapproval from here, you know? A baguette when you’re in a culinary hub?
Yes, Vietnam was colonised by the French and in the manner of imperialism inadvertently
left behind some of their culinary heritage.
Asia, with decent bread…I may swoon!
(Thanks, Britain, btw, for giving us boiled mutton and Christmas pudding…you
shouldn’t have).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDj3S5ICouh53OVXaswAMXdPGOnjcWNTGlgeIlwv_q2DPWM3hQJ-TSP_4lYqzqf2uYxEaSKNUm-JcLCP5mDPWdizdtjpGFdnCLR53HCszakmxBTPNnRu8YOmUlpYyCN8bF2Rqw4VECK3n/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDj3S5ICouh53OVXaswAMXdPGOnjcWNTGlgeIlwv_q2DPWM3hQJ-TSP_4lYqzqf2uYxEaSKNUm-JcLCP5mDPWdizdtjpGFdnCLR53HCszakmxBTPNnRu8YOmUlpYyCN8bF2Rqw4VECK3n/s320/photo.JPG" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I walked along a road I remember coming along in my
taxi from the airport. I was on the hunt
for a pink church. While taking time
from gazing at scooterist’s shoes I had noticed a catholic church of such
overwhelming pinkness I had to see more.
Oh, my, goodness! It was certainly pink.
And even better, it was pink on the inside too. A candy coloured confection in manner of
Barbie’s dream house. It was Barbie’s
dream church on a busy road in the middle of Saigon. I wonder if Barbie knows about it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking the scenic road back, and thanking my lucky stars for
my brand new Google Maps App, I practised crossing the road – one must not
hesitate, just walk confidently. I stopped
for yet another iced coffee – this one with cornflakes on top for reasons which
escape me, and then continued on my walk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CE7WXKciraWtl3HCxIuTsdliXPk-tAcY55CwUMVYzaCD8tyacc99i13GIQgtrOpbQbUBL-TbHE86GZ0oR0zEyTYpwjlS9fA9K2ZOHF2NNj9TwPIRqXeziMWi22MBdwK11TCb_apJSnSZ/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CE7WXKciraWtl3HCxIuTsdliXPk-tAcY55CwUMVYzaCD8tyacc99i13GIQgtrOpbQbUBL-TbHE86GZ0oR0zEyTYpwjlS9fA9K2ZOHF2NNj9TwPIRqXeziMWi22MBdwK11TCb_apJSnSZ/s400/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hotel is near a huge row of Japanese restaurants, beckoning
me with their sushi laden goodness, but I stood strong my friends, and went in
search of spring rolls. I think I may
have found perfection in rice paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning, as I get ready for cooking school, I have
dined on seafood noodle soup. It’s made
my eyes water and my computer slightly splattered. Fortified!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-24301436718946332572013-01-10T07:48:00.000-08:002013-01-10T07:48:01.685-08:00The Streets of Saigon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-82981195502002550202013-01-09T17:34:00.001-08:002013-01-09T22:21:19.335-08:00Ho Chi Minh<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first thing you notice, of course, is the ubiquitous scooters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the taxi from the airport they waft around
you in an intricate dance to which you don’t know the steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The being horns must mean something – get out
of my way? I’m behind you? I’m turning left?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t know what they mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
not like India, there does seem to be a method, but I’m just not sure what that
method is yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Weary after an 8 hour flight and an uncomfortably hot stay
in Sydney – with the temperature pushing 40˚ and the aircon kaput – I looked
down, at the shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What variety:
ridiculous heels, the latest Nikes, bare feet, ballet pumps, jandels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a shoe store on wheels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was tucked up in bed by 7.30 last night, the six hour time
difference with New Zealand caught up with me and after slurping a quick bowl
of Pho I couldn’t face exploring any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>‘How I met Your Mother’ was on the TV and I fell asleep to another inane
joke from that Doogie Howser chap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning, feeling refreshed after 11 hours sleep, I tucked
into a plate of noodles for breakfast and sat on the roof terrace looking out
over Saigon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man beside me shook his
head at my hot coffee and went inside to make me an iced one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three glasses later I remembered I usually
have about one coffee a week, a frothy confection from Starbucks that blurs some
moral boundary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ho Chi Minh is certainly
winning on coffee quality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s time to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll try not to get squashed by a scooter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-91759570748082452772013-01-07T07:37:00.000-08:002013-01-10T07:38:31.386-08:00Karangahake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-79914810272755067012012-12-10T11:09:00.000-08:002012-12-10T11:09:26.218-08:00Hobbits!Or, places near Hobbits!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/journey-to-hobbiton-discovering-matamata-new-zealand/">http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/journey-to-hobbiton-discovering-matamata-new-zealand/</a>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-18342382386275246902012-12-03T13:16:00.000-08:002012-12-03T13:16:08.961-08:00Japan<div class="yiv628421011MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote this for a contest I did not win...</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="yiv628421011MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My dear Japan, </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How I've missed you.<span> </span>It's been a long time since I left your shores.<span> </span>I've grown up a little, come to understand you a bit more, thought about how little I had to offer you and how much you gave to me.<span> </span>We've both changed, Japan, both become older and hopefully wiser.<span> </span>I cried for you, you know? When disaster struck, I cried for the land I once knew and the people I loved.<span> </span>I'd love to see you again; to make the flashes of memories solid once again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv628421011MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were not always the best of friends, were we Japan?<span> </span>I was young and away from home.<span> </span>You were ancient and dignified and hard to come to grips with.<span> </span>I struggled with your customs and your reserve.<span> </span>You gave me something special though, a group of middle aged housewives who were ready to spill the beans on how life really was.<span> </span>It wouldn’t have been fun without them.<span> </span>I have always been grateful for my guides though the muddy waters of being a gaijin in a strange new world.<span> </span>I was ready to leave, as now I’m ready to come back.<span> </span>How have you changed, Japan? Are you different now, or do you remain the same?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You always fascinated me, Japan.<span> </span>Coming from an island myself I always wondered how so many people could live together in such a small place.<span> </span>The answer is order, not control as I first thought.<span> </span>There are rules, Japan, that you expect people to live by.<span> </span>We all have rules; though I guess less people usually abide by them.<span> </span>It is the small defiances that intrigued me.<span> </span>The people in parks dressed as punk rockers – how their parents must despair: The slightly shocking frission of a love hotel: the need to travel the world and see what else there is.<span> </span>It’s rebellion on a small, private scale.<span> </span>I love it about you; the way people follow the crowd, but make their own way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You fed me well, my friend.<span> </span>I loved it: sushi, sashimi, katsu curry, okonomiyaki, those octopus ball things from Osaka.<span> </span>In New Zealand the sushi is 'unusual.'<span> </span>In the UK it is even worse.<span> </span>I want to sit in front of one of your chefs and be fed the best parts of a fish, simply sliced, on rice. It is perfection.<span> </span>I want to go back to <em>Cococihiban</em> and remember that Japan can take the best of other cultures too. Do you still have <em>Beard Papa</em>? I loved those choux pastry things.<span> </span>They were delicious.<span> </span>Oh, and Izakaya.<span> </span>It’s been too long since I heard the welcoming call of one of your pubs, far too long.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you remember my Hello Kitty toaster? I loved that thing.<span> </span>My toast had Hello Kitty on both sides.<span> </span>It was totally Kawaii! </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I was homesick and far from home one Christmas you cheered me up with a trip to an Onsen.<span> </span>Do you remember?<span> </span>It was in Nagano, I think.<span> </span>It was outside and snow was falling all around.<span> </span>That’s magic, Japan.<span> </span>You cheered me up that day with your beauty and the simplicity of appreciating nature.<span> </span>I remember the ebullience of summer festivals, the joy of spring and the quiet simplicity of nature that Christmas day.<span> </span>I can’t remember autumn though.<span> </span>I remember people telling me about it.<span> </span>Maybe I was away.<span> </span>I’d love to see the trees.<span> </span>I remember my students saying ‘Japan has four seasons’ like it is something unusual, but you do take delight in each one.<span> </span>It reminds people that not so long ago you had an agricultural society and that your land is a great asset.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your land, Japan, your beautiful land, mountains and beaches and forest, stretched out from the tropics to the frozen north.<span> </span>Though covered in parts by a grey urban sprawl that at times seems unassailable, you always make sure that people remember your power and that beauty comes at a price.<span> </span>We are cousins in this respect; the islands of New Zealand are shaky too and we are always aware of the power of the land which we borrow for such a fleeting time.<span> </span>Take care of your people, Japan.<span> </span>They have suffered greatly in the last year.<span> </span>Keep them safe.</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354568591716_189" lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354568591716_188" style="font-family: Calibri;">If only, Japan, I hadn’t been so young and so far away from home.<span> </span>If only I had appreciated you more.<span> </span>If only I had learnt more, spoken more, asked more questions, seen you more clearly; if only we had more time to get to know each other.<span> </span>If only I had learnt your language properly, if only I had taken the time to see more of you.<span> </span>If only I had explored more, seen more, written more, done more.<span> </span>If only, my friend, if only…</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv628421011shorttext"><span lang="JA" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">愛</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Teresa-san</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div>
teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-5457256863315528912012-10-30T13:49:00.001-07:002012-10-30T13:49:16.097-07:00Christmas Markets<a href="http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/feeling-festive-european-christmas-markets/">http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/feeling-festive-european-christmas-markets/</a>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-43409700468460768342012-09-19T14:53:00.001-07:002012-09-19T14:53:17.301-07:00Scone, Perthshire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbFKMzbDP8vpzMoROiDeft26EdAmbJeYMIbgbELQ6SDLOfhRXSgpU-EbO_AWD-sHf4UEZdzJUIbl7zTmZOhp1Uz0P7WXv2_jV5VpRbNeYQHpbBo99aJsmpSvFrkCJb0J61TiBaVUOJUF5/s1600/P1070887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbFKMzbDP8vpzMoROiDeft26EdAmbJeYMIbgbELQ6SDLOfhRXSgpU-EbO_AWD-sHf4UEZdzJUIbl7zTmZOhp1Uz0P7WXv2_jV5VpRbNeYQHpbBo99aJsmpSvFrkCJb0J61TiBaVUOJUF5/s640/P1070887.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></span> </div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“So thanks to all at
once and to each one,</span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span><br /><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">
<span class="usercontent">Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.”</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span class="usercontent"><span style="color: white;">William Shakespeare - <em>Macbeth</em></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">I hate Macbeth! I hate
teaching it, I hated learning about it, I didn’t get it, I still don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s got certain charm as a piece of propaganda
though. Way to make the boss look good! The reason I mention Macbeth at all, is because I've never been quite sure how to pronounce Scone. I should know, they are the final words of the terrible thing! Turns out the place is pronounced quite differently to the thing you serve with jam and clotted cream - Skoon.</span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-ikOWhKWPtrkrFw2afvgBU3uQcQHpS0l5lp74_l7rcQbsePFp9IEPnAi_KDv9NX-kMH-7lXRMH7RSSQTUuBkP14s-Bv9rCa2lav8j8xjW5-hR7c6c1O_bmjXamJhOW9YCFx-os2up0si/s1600/P1070877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-ikOWhKWPtrkrFw2afvgBU3uQcQHpS0l5lp74_l7rcQbsePFp9IEPnAi_KDv9NX-kMH-7lXRMH7RSSQTUuBkP14s-Bv9rCa2lav8j8xjW5-hR7c6c1O_bmjXamJhOW9YCFx-os2up0si/s320/P1070877.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Moot Hill</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scone is the ancient crowning place of Scottish Kings, including the much
maligned Macbeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legend has it the men
coming to pay homage to their liege would shake the soil from their boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over millennia this dirt became Moot Hill, on
which a replica of the Stone of Scone now sits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This place, which should evoke something of this long history, is rather
incongruously placed within the gently manicured lawns of the Earls of
Mansfield.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YclbsAgnUNNxPDzB6JXut7mpbq6qJv_ZbW65qjB9cNky-sztP9dNvBRq8Pjkuypf9ndX-u-VwFRwJVdAvdQxggRMXGyCHcGcYzssOD3nhahgJajuM8CXFbrLCf-3PROXevdx1f9Zcy41/s1600/P1070880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YclbsAgnUNNxPDzB6JXut7mpbq6qJv_ZbW65qjB9cNky-sztP9dNvBRq8Pjkuypf9ndX-u-VwFRwJVdAvdQxggRMXGyCHcGcYzssOD3nhahgJajuM8CXFbrLCf-3PROXevdx1f9Zcy41/s320/P1070880.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: white;">The Stone of Scone has
been a pawn at the centre of Scottish/English history for more than 800 years no
longer rests under King Edward’s Chair in Westminster Abbey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It now sits safely in Edinburgh Castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's almost home.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-59478784722966627312012-09-09T12:10:00.002-07:002012-09-09T12:10:21.318-07:00Pitlochry Highland Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUVljsikh6wSI-EeB2gUANhZgbkdEeBYZRWHiiuppC7wEENk3fs8Pgaff0PM7b1p_eCVXfyOdh7QyR7TEmcAKsXWHASAdaRF-19pFwxriQbbv9rCPF8EvuHM1YW8B3KXFH70vXyUCYq_q/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUVljsikh6wSI-EeB2gUANhZgbkdEeBYZRWHiiuppC7wEENk3fs8Pgaff0PM7b1p_eCVXfyOdh7QyR7TEmcAKsXWHASAdaRF-19pFwxriQbbv9rCPF8EvuHM1YW8B3KXFH70vXyUCYq_q/s320/01.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkm4KbSsqWxB4xn0arYLp4GR8ZK5irJk4wtyLwLUvC6fsCFGrRCnAGlftrYSiO4ZXuvN_A4QcAJRsAcvkHeqn06FMHEtmfRacqlltZwJT8tJpLlwiaO4MnOLfax7TekkTs2XAff5ZViLVg/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkm4KbSsqWxB4xn0arYLp4GR8ZK5irJk4wtyLwLUvC6fsCFGrRCnAGlftrYSiO4ZXuvN_A4QcAJRsAcvkHeqn06FMHEtmfRacqlltZwJT8tJpLlwiaO4MnOLfax7TekkTs2XAff5ZViLVg/s320/06.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I like Pitlochry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a small Victorian town in the middle of Scotland with not much more than its
charm and its location to work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seems to be punching above its weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s
a festival theatre, a salmon ladder, mountain walks, the smallest distillery in
Scotland, highland nights, the odd ceilidh, numerous cafes – one of which
serves pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, and a whopping number of
events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d been jumping around all week talking about the highland
games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d indulged in some puerile sniggering
about caber tossing – is one called a caber tosser? But really, I was looking
forward to something familiar, but in a more traditional setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Paeroa, New Zealand there are highland
games once a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a huge event
with pipe bands coming from around the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People I’ve known my whole life organise it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s lovely; though I can’t remember the last
time I went.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This one was at once similar, and remarkably different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had the same events; the same banter over
the tannoy, even the burger stall seemed to be selling the same things...though
I’d imagine these days Paeroa would be selling something more exotic.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ5-tHz2O75rpwhDcEVr1Co8JEUzX1m1h0YE-xdrhLWs0iw6UKo4L-oo04EmMDC3QWeTV49Ns2L42OV8Lq0XdecZjFPutnvyq3JsikQ91Xhs5TnvssX5Z7eLWTvp3a1MB2eLa56VNS__4/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ5-tHz2O75rpwhDcEVr1Co8JEUzX1m1h0YE-xdrhLWs0iw6UKo4L-oo04EmMDC3QWeTV49Ns2L42OV8Lq0XdecZjFPutnvyq3JsikQ91Xhs5TnvssX5Z7eLWTvp3a1MB2eLa56VNS__4/s320/05.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What was different was, of course, that this is
Scotland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not the offspring of the diaspora
re-enacting the games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been going
on since 1852.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care what you Europeans
think; that’s an awfully long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Small towns being what they are, virtually the first people I
saw were ones I already knew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, I’m
quite sure, thought I was crazy to be quite so enthusiastic about the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve not known me long enough to know that
I love a tradition, that I love to find out the history of events like this,
that the idea of a community creating an event that has lasted for more than a
century is astonishing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
people from far away, that’s true, and probably none so from so far away as me,
but it did feel like a local event. </span></div>
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teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-59936835451122114202012-07-08T13:32:00.002-07:002012-07-08T13:32:34.628-07:00Wanderlust Blog of the WeekMy blog on <a href="http://teresafromnz.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/gallipoli.html">Gallipoli</a> has been chosen as 'Blog of the Week' in <i>Wanderlust </i>Magazine. <br />
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<a href="http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/blogs/blog-of-the-week/profile" target="_blank" title="Wanderlust Travel Blog of the Week"><img alt="Wanderlust Travel Blog of the Week" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wanderlust-assets/blog-of-the-week_300x300.png" /></a>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-2525349557564918862012-06-29T01:02:00.000-07:002012-06-29T01:24:55.422-07:00Vietnam<a href="http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/peregrine-vietnam-adventure-winning-story/">Win a Tour of Vietnam</a> with Flight Centre.<br />
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(This is not Vietnam - read the link)<br />
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<br />teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-30902652402043366732012-06-03T13:59:00.000-07:002012-06-03T13:59:44.936-07:00A River Runs Through It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The River Thames is not the
prettiest of rivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It carries silt
from upstream and often looks an unpleasant murky brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is healthier now though than it has been
for centuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today I finally realised just how
historically important this is. It was the backbone of England and therefore the British Empire. It was alive today in a way it has
seldom been for me – because it was in use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boats streamed past, from small boats carrying cadets, to a Maori Waka,
to steamboats and the glorious boat carrying the queen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river seemed at once sentient and
much more important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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London, like most major cities is built on water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same river brought the Romans to England,
carried people to the tower, flowed past Shakespeare and his Globe, took people
away to foreign lands, guided the Luftwaffe unwittingly in the Blitz, brought cargo
from the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and glittered gently in the sun as I looked
down from the London Eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Thames has
flowed for millennia, widening and narrowing, freezing over, thawing out,
carrying kings and peasants and thieves and lords.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwXc5A2vcQygZ4EW6bIywkZuhDaCPXAK5CSl8ZkRawdGMUGUnMt2G6rUwcP8jftU2ezzW91wrtmvElT-W1cZS5dgUrzvOavP-6XJm_hg32pgmlxAercKdBDP_kdG89C4KHYdXpUfsLv5e/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwXc5A2vcQygZ4EW6bIywkZuhDaCPXAK5CSl8ZkRawdGMUGUnMt2G6rUwcP8jftU2ezzW91wrtmvElT-W1cZS5dgUrzvOavP-6XJm_hg32pgmlxAercKdBDP_kdG89C4KHYdXpUfsLv5e/s200/2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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There is an awful lot of hyperbole bandied about during
royal events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The union flag flies high,
people actually sing ‘Land of Hope and Glory,’ there are numerous programmes on
the telly with ‘Great British…’ in the title, Victoria sponges, Pimms and cucumber
sandwiches suddenly become intensely important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Patriotic fervour runs high, whipped to a frenzy by a media slightly
cowed by recent events and running scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What will Kate wear? Will it rain? Will there be protest? Will anyone
fall overboard? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiLIeRnWLU9okpn8rmFkMN2IVkErItmXMhiGjV0Tkz3QeI7LMUYRuVxaafRlslptDJ8BpByVS58IAMvg7tFEvvQ-adi2hvSQX5V_iAndcu_Yx7BU_DIcuFeFq4hHzE-R5UfxbTjLGD2GH/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiLIeRnWLU9okpn8rmFkMN2IVkErItmXMhiGjV0Tkz3QeI7LMUYRuVxaafRlslptDJ8BpByVS58IAMvg7tFEvvQ-adi2hvSQX5V_iAndcu_Yx7BU_DIcuFeFq4hHzE-R5UfxbTjLGD2GH/s200/3.jpg" width="200" /></a>I can’t help but think that The Queen, a lovely and distant
figure in a glorious hat would have preferred a cup of tea and a hobnob in the
country somewhere and that all this pomp and ceremony is not really her thing
at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But 60 years of duty will
prevail, she will stand in the cold for hours as she travels up the river, she
will wave at people who think they know her, who think that they deserve a piece
of her life because of who her father, and his father, and his father were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>60 years of being polite, of being on show,
of duty to an outdated and alien ideal which seems to have little place in this
modern world, of being powerful, but having no real power. Imagine, 60 years in
the job!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAEc0AeqjXy1DHiP0EimJIrLgP4y9F_QWNQJdIC7CpwmOBYq-DQT9qEjqioHlfe7ULrTWPF5wV6E7NDv39W8V9Zis9aX0ejSrgSNh-EaZhUnVn3ZBFyDOJ163uIXFRaGX-x7tJ5w9Qyka/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPAEc0AeqjXy1DHiP0EimJIrLgP4y9F_QWNQJdIC7CpwmOBYq-DQT9qEjqioHlfe7ULrTWPF5wV6E7NDv39W8V9Zis9aX0ejSrgSNh-EaZhUnVn3ZBFyDOJ163uIXFRaGX-x7tJ5w9Qyka/s200/5.jpg" width="200" /></a>So I’m glad, on this rainy day in London, the Thames was
woken up from its quiet, inexorable journey to the coast and was brought alive
by boats and people and bunting and flags and cameras and cider and icecream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a celebration of the history that has
always fascinated me, it just seems right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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And I hope someone gave those two pensioners a cup of tea
when they came off the boat, it’s a long time for anyone to stand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw51o_rHoSXcx0tHu2qdQEkUAWimlZzCCSvOTvaqYtTPOR12cUGmWWypOz2ZZ0qTB_c1XQW_N-mPlpqo3AYEYXElruErae9TTeAE7-ud_mBNJIK3tgUFI3MGSL7c5qQLJciGVqwW4FB7Nn/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw51o_rHoSXcx0tHu2qdQEkUAWimlZzCCSvOTvaqYtTPOR12cUGmWWypOz2ZZ0qTB_c1XQW_N-mPlpqo3AYEYXElruErae9TTeAE7-ud_mBNJIK3tgUFI3MGSL7c5qQLJciGVqwW4FB7Nn/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-89720592585058441842012-05-31T13:46:00.003-07:002012-05-31T13:46:56.333-07:00Leiscester Square<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz3FX2faBjMheUJniPg7TrodDIQZNeWrmMj6bGHNFv4MOliJi6RZM6XlRd5WGLOFUZP0aA1q-79L3fkBGaXBVkIyP1K9Wf7jjb4LQ7fL2rWHEmmaZT5yOCsk-zXPskQNxa7-owBNGIZ0W/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz3FX2faBjMheUJniPg7TrodDIQZNeWrmMj6bGHNFv4MOliJi6RZM6XlRd5WGLOFUZP0aA1q-79L3fkBGaXBVkIyP1K9Wf7jjb4LQ7fL2rWHEmmaZT5yOCsk-zXPskQNxa7-owBNGIZ0W/s320/photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiss Cantonal Tree - Leicester Square, London</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-52445631612683574442012-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:002012-06-28T03:15:53.098-07:00The Queen's Garden Party 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXduXj3RDZubCmIgLFtlky6HkSQf1VlZImMyxWRo2nJhEzcwef9hYp7iaiWzcVrr1ez4rhVzZewzTSsWjPC0mT_M9p36ONwQJ3nC4XbtSLtRAf_OA5h5afGrCMVZO7x288nBwccyyzhKgW/s1600/gp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXduXj3RDZubCmIgLFtlky6HkSQf1VlZImMyxWRo2nJhEzcwef9hYp7iaiWzcVrr1ez4rhVzZewzTSsWjPC0mT_M9p36ONwQJ3nC4XbtSLtRAf_OA5h5afGrCMVZO7x288nBwccyyzhKgW/s320/gp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m a sucker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Underneath the cynicism is someone
who cries at movies, reads trashy novels and loves overblown ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not ashamed (well, not too much).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friend and I applied to go to ‘The Queen’s Garden Party’
at Buckingham Palace months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Members
of the Commonwealth living in the UK can apply to go and their names may be
picked to put on a fancy hat and join 7000 people in the place grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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My presence was requested by the Lord Chamberlain on perhaps
the nicest stationary in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
invitation card scared me into dress shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lots and lots of dress shopping and shoe shopping and hat hunting.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This frenzy of consumerism had some pretty good
results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your intrepid explorer actually
scrubbed up quite well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>London put on
some sunshine after several days (weeks) of rain, A and I met up on the the train and headed to the palace
gates looking very snazzy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The back garden of Buckingham palace is quite unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like someone’s backyard...though
most people don’t have a backyard that will easily fit 7000 people in a small
part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s lovely, and almost completely
unpretentious - except for one small thing; the Queen’s tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When tea is served and the anthem played, the
royal party slowly makes its way across the lawn to a tea tent of their
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here they meet VIPs (of whose
numbers I was not, strangely) and get stared at like goldfish in a bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a way to live one’s life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were cakes! Lots of cakes! In a survey of guests (me)
I can safely say that the little cakes with raspberries were they best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wee sandwiches with cucumber and mint
were fabulous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff serving petit
four was charming and didn’t look harassed at the never ending queues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young men in yellow waistcoats took your
plate with a smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People began to
relax and the antipodeans amongst the crowd gave up their chairs in favour of sitting
on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ice-cream was served, two
bands played show tunes and I ate more sandwiches (excellent sandwiches).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can confirm, my friends, that Queen Elizabeth II is a real
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, she is very small.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, she has exquisite taste in hats. Yes,
Prince Phillip will spend hours talking to people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the palace is nice, but not as elaborate
as some I’ve seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I had a lovely day,
in a lovely park, with lovely cucumber sandwiches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lovely.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-59730308129959498472012-05-20T14:51:00.000-07:002012-05-20T14:51:00.472-07:00Football<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOTLeHELy8OEvAtdB5youINbiPRWq2DpwIi4xb_QG7RcwChsSkvzOeGSBlp5tQEXuOAGn-kVNDTqQCRJfOrxpr39l3jHcFTOGUHsdRQNcorB4kVm09clIN52wQhQQVg6JdOFms6MZhL-a/s1600/P1060306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOTLeHELy8OEvAtdB5youINbiPRWq2DpwIi4xb_QG7RcwChsSkvzOeGSBlp5tQEXuOAGn-kVNDTqQCRJfOrxpr39l3jHcFTOGUHsdRQNcorB4kVm09clIN52wQhQQVg6JdOFms6MZhL-a/s200/P1060306.jpg" width="180" /></a>A very long time ago, in a land far away, I went to a
football game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Japan 2002 – The World
Cup Ecuador v Croatia (a terribly important game) in Yokohama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was amazing. I supported Ecuador in the interests
of geographic proximity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few days
earlier I had been to Toyota Stadium to watch the televised Japan v Russia game
(just quietly, this was marred by a raving alcoholic flatmate – a story for
another day).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that week I found out
something I had hitherto not realised…football (or soccer for you Antipodeans/Americans)
can really be quite exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fast
paced, the assorted throng is hilarious, in Japan people chant in harmony, there are hotdogs – and beer.</div>
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Another abiding memory of my time in Japan during the World
Cup is my students – for the most part adults – being terrified by the concept
of hooligans…generally English ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The promise of these mad fans trashing cities,
beating up the constabulary and running amok was all over the news and quite
the conversation starter as I recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t
remember any problems; it costs a fortune to get to Japan and even more to stay
there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Promises of football hooliganism
were happily exaggerated.</div>
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I have a point here somewhere…oh yes, I quite like football
and one of these days I will go to a match in England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This weekend Fulham was festooned with flags
and bunting in honour of Chelsea v Bayern München in the UFEA Champions
Final.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I get the feeling I'll be seeing a lot of bunting this summer!</span></div>
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<br /></div>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-13601802006583563412012-04-19T15:42:00.006-07:002012-05-20T14:52:05.990-07:00Cheers - What Teresa Drank...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkcO7icOQ8t5WTDncn8XxQQo7zto14kfqQk4P1YgJV0YnTbGXF82YNEokymekVA-D8lVmIsbDoeKGg8fwxHaLlKq08V0seflWni3taVoEpLO_NIYHoAa8oVLKWO81LCi6pYLlQcpLWx7T/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkcO7icOQ8t5WTDncn8XxQQo7zto14kfqQk4P1YgJV0YnTbGXF82YNEokymekVA-D8lVmIsbDoeKGg8fwxHaLlKq08V0seflWni3taVoEpLO_NIYHoAa8oVLKWO81LCi6pYLlQcpLWx7T/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pimms - A Very Important Wedding</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEfWKtGcgaE1fNmq53OsyWgUbCZ5MrHEODLsqMbCcqrSHHLtEBFUPpX3G2EhIl9P9AtbbapTLweFmF0ro5cdbOfvggEtQCCqGCbeD_GV_XQbkHUdnQV2VUR-9WoKJQpzn5cduvZdYI64n/s1600/Apr+30+2011+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEfWKtGcgaE1fNmq53OsyWgUbCZ5MrHEODLsqMbCcqrSHHLtEBFUPpX3G2EhIl9P9AtbbapTLweFmF0ro5cdbOfvggEtQCCqGCbeD_GV_XQbkHUdnQV2VUR-9WoKJQpzn5cduvZdYI64n/s400/Apr+30+2011+074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some Very Important Guests - Battersea Street Party</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6g7PSAdsOqCJFU8Le18Sjyk4KkZEaeYe_hgNIjoHHlYuYV1RIbf_Z9zPQgAn6R5QbN0sDiUPIKXFB4w3euGzBfIMJ9SK_eocr44tpQ6AzcX5eqNG95ivfUKGkFdyQdOByMpHi_BPaqbU/s1600/P1010004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6g7PSAdsOqCJFU8Le18Sjyk4KkZEaeYe_hgNIjoHHlYuYV1RIbf_Z9zPQgAn6R5QbN0sDiUPIKXFB4w3euGzBfIMJ9SK_eocr44tpQ6AzcX5eqNG95ivfUKGkFdyQdOByMpHi_BPaqbU/s400/P1010004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tea and Icecream - Prague (-12 outside)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GajHoFBNzJ_2p0n7vH3nV3k-XACQnlud0ZdnRAcm0FMOnMxdumUOCgl4bT7SwxHKKL9_39qj-fO37spc-1Z98enlud3AuG_zK8XHXJijpafUhEvHJcX-f4DyacwFx9das8FRNvyO_Y3h/s1600/P1010007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GajHoFBNzJ_2p0n7vH3nV3k-XACQnlud0ZdnRAcm0FMOnMxdumUOCgl4bT7SwxHKKL9_39qj-fO37spc-1Z98enlud3AuG_zK8XHXJijpafUhEvHJcX-f4DyacwFx9das8FRNvyO_Y3h/s400/P1010007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tea - Somewhere</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZc4M8vJF4LEoudWhtrKRv5OrVFEZgkBVk6N0gwUsAH2uOK36U3-5ml0xiKjRHpTbEjRreAWGX0lPJEXv7xV3-AiBL1tXbYj5W-F7_aE2GsqtQEvW2fGBTiKYZOhNPAYkyPDDlpbIXIuO/s1600/P1010113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZc4M8vJF4LEoudWhtrKRv5OrVFEZgkBVk6N0gwUsAH2uOK36U3-5ml0xiKjRHpTbEjRreAWGX0lPJEXv7xV3-AiBL1tXbYj5W-F7_aE2GsqtQEvW2fGBTiKYZOhNPAYkyPDDlpbIXIuO/s400/P1010113.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tea and Cake - Dublin</span></span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2JbyAkUIna5A_mnZcshQNqYRRvvYtdkeu1qghixftklyaAZP96rffz5xFBpaGxUyelGtbvnST3lchaDmFlC_3c7XG8_-pQcArPgmyZuvF2H6ynnwfQQfOHYBuVEsqsGYLkyX5TrQ4hQ0/s1600/P1010918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2JbyAkUIna5A_mnZcshQNqYRRvvYtdkeu1qghixftklyaAZP96rffz5xFBpaGxUyelGtbvnST3lchaDmFlC_3c7XG8_-pQcArPgmyZuvF2H6ynnwfQQfOHYBuVEsqsGYLkyX5TrQ4hQ0/s320/P1010918.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pina Colada!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KRuFiDGAVpoHUvGQfxEwsSPMoujD-KDu6PZtFjflBQqD0nj18lP6ZtYQHt2fkPW6qeMdEKEeBLxXU1OSK1dYiQemdOQRhLnDt77zgsiZzl2gHFow8o8iBK9-5sJWDZA78Ju5HCpOikbl/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KRuFiDGAVpoHUvGQfxEwsSPMoujD-KDu6PZtFjflBQqD0nj18lP6ZtYQHt2fkPW6qeMdEKEeBLxXU1OSK1dYiQemdOQRhLnDt77zgsiZzl2gHFow8o8iBK9-5sJWDZA78Ju5HCpOikbl/s320/1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ayran - Turkey</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j0RjnECSuBul6ohL5w5xoRcVxXihA6aMP_FsBL_WzzqeT4OyCNPSMjgGCr6kpQd8Pw9PtbxE_MxUG5q08isdkmAzm5EvL6qZPMba8jE4WCCxN9YcXakiVherQJ16YdGsuwH2q4KqCA0k/s1600/P1040050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j0RjnECSuBul6ohL5w5xoRcVxXihA6aMP_FsBL_WzzqeT4OyCNPSMjgGCr6kpQd8Pw9PtbxE_MxUG5q08isdkmAzm5EvL6qZPMba8jE4WCCxN9YcXakiVherQJ16YdGsuwH2q4KqCA0k/s400/P1040050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apple Tea - Istanbul </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8R00HAwpYA8kPo6tQsDGC4twNVTg1DXQ_u_sq0sA7y6_bXtpa6pDJ3vpAIQWoL68C6pNLAZfi5z_AmsOKIgQpQXGs8NturaKU78F_d3o2SzRf4mmtxv_SvZs4JwaSaUXbEHn4JjCErmc/s1600/P1040687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8R00HAwpYA8kPo6tQsDGC4twNVTg1DXQ_u_sq0sA7y6_bXtpa6pDJ3vpAIQWoL68C6pNLAZfi5z_AmsOKIgQpQXGs8NturaKU78F_d3o2SzRf4mmtxv_SvZs4JwaSaUXbEHn4JjCErmc/s400/P1040687.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Breakfast - Paris</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7btQ0Vls-HE7_DBg5nHbPO1y1cSS2Yd6MH1-1aoskwLsb08x1jNdgGfK4kxGHHg-eARXreJgZMK9c2q0R6XH9j2ZJHqR7uMVzNM_XNgcehVFTEe8oUmQaOnQnWOjhz1Ie0bJEDwkaUrs_/s1600/P1050258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7btQ0Vls-HE7_DBg5nHbPO1y1cSS2Yd6MH1-1aoskwLsb08x1jNdgGfK4kxGHHg-eARXreJgZMK9c2q0R6XH9j2ZJHqR7uMVzNM_XNgcehVFTEe8oUmQaOnQnWOjhz1Ie0bJEDwkaUrs_/s400/P1050258.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coffee and Pancakes - Amsterdam</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm7rOuEHPLkTGTfypBFXhwcJgZbQ893ct00d3Sqtedkbrrt1aVHR6tn7otrcRvI_nS4GfU5IwGWC29Fde2CbxssUUdLJp6Q7cF21VSm0F-CWpuhXgWzs3MAIccMjFMIEHXdemRh1SVpcQ/s1600/P1050264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm7rOuEHPLkTGTfypBFXhwcJgZbQ893ct00d3Sqtedkbrrt1aVHR6tn7otrcRvI_nS4GfU5IwGWC29Fde2CbxssUUdLJp6Q7cF21VSm0F-CWpuhXgWzs3MAIccMjFMIEHXdemRh1SVpcQ/s400/P1050264.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amsterdam</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi_csE9dQPIIE_aNaGMjA1abg6C-A9QRL-NA7w8mopblscCH13uF7-QQxAw6En8OWQ2bpOMlR48XHiV2aUv9aucQ9AHlEkXgaG4NW5iIxhdkYbNXumYNsRRuMMGBVoMtNI6sQZyaHIGnf/s1600/P1050525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi_csE9dQPIIE_aNaGMjA1abg6C-A9QRL-NA7w8mopblscCH13uF7-QQxAw6En8OWQ2bpOMlR48XHiV2aUv9aucQ9AHlEkXgaG4NW5iIxhdkYbNXumYNsRRuMMGBVoMtNI6sQZyaHIGnf/s400/P1050525.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Provencal Pitcher</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAia9ihF_Bcy4WpAyIdyEbWThiWO6YSlozkbYYV39SZlkG1p24ukO-J4xZnp5HfMdVuG6wpH68oroHkx6iAWifCxvOG1UYUVNYqAGKV_EGY84y9PzcJhl_csdbu1r9q-0Lyzsp7y6zQlD/s1600/P1050647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAia9ihF_Bcy4WpAyIdyEbWThiWO6YSlozkbYYV39SZlkG1p24ukO-J4xZnp5HfMdVuG6wpH68oroHkx6iAWifCxvOG1UYUVNYqAGKV_EGY84y9PzcJhl_csdbu1r9q-0Lyzsp7y6zQlD/s400/P1050647.jpg" width="377" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fish and Chips and Local Ale - St Margaret at Cliffe</span></td></tr>
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<br />teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-78514024429006785752012-04-16T14:45:00.002-07:002012-05-20T14:54:06.763-07:00La Sabraneque<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kWHSkzBDf_31cRzGzYAgTDpxfCxdVfWOWBzso3vrSqacwaNhVEmOXXxuTc-EbCBm0jyf-FMiV8ccvPU49tEVInO8s7XPBcr8E8pg9cdIdjlmqbY_MBfqHLSBnkOMu-KUicKWgQaMAaMX/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kWHSkzBDf_31cRzGzYAgTDpxfCxdVfWOWBzso3vrSqacwaNhVEmOXXxuTc-EbCBm0jyf-FMiV8ccvPU49tEVInO8s7XPBcr8E8pg9cdIdjlmqbY_MBfqHLSBnkOMu-KUicKWgQaMAaMX/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It’s Tuesday afternoon and I am sitting on a castle wall high above the
tiny Provencal village of Saint-Victor La Coste. Below me I can hear
the murmur of people talking as they work and the sharp almost metallic
sound of stone hitting stone. Above me are the partially restored ruins
of the castle; beneath me are the town walls, the small village and
mile upon mile of olives and grapes stretching out into the distance. <br />
<br />
My fingers ache from the stone I lifted this morning, my shoulders are
sore from the unfamiliar exercise of the day. Building dry stone walls
is not my usual idea of a holiday, but this is what I signed up for –
two weeks of volunteer work at La Sabroneque; an organisation using
traditional techniques to slowly restore the town of Saint-Victor La
Coste.<br />
<br />
Created in 1969, La Sabraneque preserves, restores and
rebuilds historic sites. Its first task was the reconstruction of the
old village of Saint-Victor La Coste. This was done using the
traditional building techniques of the area. This recreated village is
stunning; its thick walls and solid, grey stone construction keeping out
the worst of the summer heat. It is home for the next two weeks.</div>
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I, as hundreds of people before me have also, had volunteered for a two
week programme in Saint-Victor La-Coste. This means living and working
in the reconstructed town. There are fifteen volunteers today, working
on two different areas; one a terrace in the old village, another on a
dry stone wall closer to town. Three of the volunteers have been here
before; they are the experts, not too removed from their own first
experience not to remember that we have just arrived.<br />
<br />
Dry stone
wall building is, as you would expect, hard work. It’s not so much the
physical labour, though that is exhausting, but rather the effort of
finding rocks that fit, that are stable, which look right. The morning
had been about learning what needs to happen to make a wall stand up.
Exhausted and frustrated we finished for lunch, meeting again on long
tables under trees just outside the kitchen. This was to become a hub
for the group, where we shared beautiful meals of aubergine and
tomatoes, zucchini and beans. We discussed the inherent problems with
dry stone walling (mainly a lack of patience and skill).</div>
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After lunch was the option of helping in the afternoon. I declined and
walked up the hill to the peace of the castle. I had recently been in a
hotel in elsewhere in Europe, unlike most of my experiences it was
overrun by tourists, a nasty, humourless place where people fought over
breakfast rolls and pushed to the front of queues. The area, one of
outstanding natural beauty was infested by tourists, offending the
locals and scaring off responsible tourists. I travel a lot, I love
doing it, but I cannot help but think of the impact that I am having on
the planet. The thought of giving something back, of treating a
landscape with respect was one that greatly appealed. <br />
<br />
There
is nothing untouched or wild about this part of France. History lies
lightly upon it though. Down the road in Avignon you can feel the
weight of ages. At Saint Victor, the stone walls could be as old as
time or built last week. For forty years the locals have been used to
people arriving from around the world, staying a while, drinking pastis
under the cooling leaves of the tree outside the local bar or practising
school-girl French in the corner store. They stop occasionally to talk
about the latest wall, to offer some pithy advice, to see how we are
doing. They are used to it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WhCXqaMC3OKwmzQo8pGmx63ADKT1P4rje9HFxgnRCeP5RvcFmn1Y0rKk9gMv_Kd5gPkf2hfCW_BbVQiT3owqqLszv8lK3sxDPnNqA0TzRqeseSXoJ-Sxl4azC5qHer9hngDaz6LVPcdq/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WhCXqaMC3OKwmzQo8pGmx63ADKT1P4rje9HFxgnRCeP5RvcFmn1Y0rKk9gMv_Kd5gPkf2hfCW_BbVQiT3owqqLszv8lK3sxDPnNqA0TzRqeseSXoJ-Sxl4azC5qHer9hngDaz6LVPcdq/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a>On the weekend we escaped the cool, thick walls of our accomodation, into the Provencal countryside, eager for that
slice of Peter Mayle idyll. The lavender had been picked, but the
fragranced lingered. We visited markets thronged with people. The
tomatoes were huge, straggly shaped and not even vaguely reminiscent of
the tomatoes at home, lying in their plastic coffins, ripened somewhere
between the plant and the shop and tasting of water. The sausages were
dried with thyme and oregano. The peaches dripped juice down our arms.
Hilltop villages glowered down at the tourists melting in the midsummer
sun. We critiqued walls, scoffed icecream and downed litres of water,
wine and beer. There is something restful about small Provencal
villages. Once you are away from the crowds on the hilltops you are
quite quickly somewhere rural and quiet – apart from the ever present
ring of stone against stone; and the cacophony of curses in seven
different languages as stones were dropped and fingers scraped.<br />
<br />
As the days went by I got better at placing stones on the wall, or at
least thinking about what might go where. Under the infinitely patient
watch of Pascal Parres – a stonecutter who has worked at La Sabroneque
for 10 years - it started to make more sense and amazingly, to look more
beautiful. It started to be less about me and my ideas on sustainable
tourism and more about the jigsaw puzzle of the wall. I have rarely
been as happy as when Pascal pronounced one of my stone placements
“perfect.” Time slipped away in the routine of the days, work in the
morning, lunch, optional work in the afternoon, time at the local bar,
dinner, wine, petonque...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7fMTJSyN916f86ADEZvV0W2XcoLAiruGCkeEAycZBCCSgPAlLYCuLTuKqCVUtBBU5Zxo6c8EBWNs1oJrXY-u2M76ZwizpOR-KJIOa0SrucM2g933eLOrn6g8Rpf08-uMdMLo-O6wyzX7/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7fMTJSyN916f86ADEZvV0W2XcoLAiruGCkeEAycZBCCSgPAlLYCuLTuKqCVUtBBU5Zxo6c8EBWNs1oJrXY-u2M76ZwizpOR-KJIOa0SrucM2g933eLOrn6g8Rpf08-uMdMLo-O6wyzX7/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not much better at building walls than before, but I have an appreciation for the craft, for experts in obscure fields who love what they do, and for artistry in stone. </span>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-34755597831279716902012-04-05T03:52:00.003-07:002012-04-05T03:52:24.995-07:00The Northern LineStarbucks. A beacon of modern England. It's humming with people sipping a days worth of calories in a cup. A double decaf soy caramel latte with cream or some other abomination. I like Starbucks. It's the McDonalds of my generation. I like lattes. It always has a clean loo. And wifi.<br />
<br />
Across the road is boots the chemist, a stalwart blue and white presence on the high street. Next door is Marks and Spencer where anemic tomatoes lie in plastic coffins and sandwiches bustle for position in the wonderful land of 'convenience food.'<br />
<br />
I'm on the high street in Chelmsford, Essex. Rather conveniently its name us just that "High Street." It's nice. A high street in England, like all the others. Why are they identical?<br />
<br />
Anyway, this is not a ramble about a high street, or Chelmsford, which seems like a very nice town. Rather, this morning I took the Northern Line on the tube from Balham to Bank, at 8am. It was hideous! The type of journey where you breathe in when the doors close and take a collective breath when they open again. Wedged against someone's armpit your intrepid explorer took some time to contemplate London (and for the record, Mr Armpit had defiantly showered and deodorized very recently. Thanks, Mr Armpit). It's become second nature to walk quickly, Metro grasped in one hand, Oyster at the ready. I only ever stand on the right hand side of escalators (even if I'm not in London but somewhere more exotic like Birmingham). I mind the gap; I avoid eye contact. <br />
<br />
It's not second nature yet, but it is familiar. It's also ghastly. A seething mass of humanity squashed together, traveling underground like rabbits (a nod to the season, I really mean rats).<br />
<br />
I'm very glad Mr Armpit took a shower. I'm also glad Starbucks has wifi. I might just go find a sandwich...now where was Marks and Sparks?teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-12075933629645184022011-11-14T12:20:00.000-08:002011-11-14T13:03:14.274-08:00Hyderabad to ChennaiMy blog on India has been chosen as a 'favourite entry' in this Flight Centre competition<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/the-g-adventure-blogging-contest-your-entries/">http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/uk-travel-blog/the-g-adventure-blogging-contest-your-entries/</a><br />
<br />
Exciting!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOs6jCXMRNnXqYUR-W4rMzYecUTVLlWQQbvaKkhVr0dn1vLgKjce-syT6yDN6tZecWPK5IkFPYcGGq-ttvtF8Tnfz9dQC_osBxEakYpSyn_tJ46uUKbacMAI27LCcUFbN-GeXxqw32Gn0I/s1600/India+1+169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOs6jCXMRNnXqYUR-W4rMzYecUTVLlWQQbvaKkhVr0dn1vLgKjce-syT6yDN6tZecWPK5IkFPYcGGq-ttvtF8Tnfz9dQC_osBxEakYpSyn_tJ46uUKbacMAI27LCcUFbN-GeXxqw32Gn0I/s320/India+1+169.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324858677499761856.post-227229421336897092011-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:002011-11-07T12:02:13.311-08:00Windsor Great Park<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you look out of my classroom, beyond the autumn leaves dropping soundlessly from the trees, over an expanse of green and some chocolate box houses you can see Windsor Castle. It’s a nice thing to look at, the standard flying above it snapping in the wind, the stones resolute against the granite sky.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Windsor is an unusual town. The castle is right beside the train station. You walk out of it, turn left and there it is. It dominates the town, so much so that you know the town would not exist without it. There is the usual number of tourists snapping happily away at the castle. You can almost imagine Lizzie stepping out to the corner store for a bottle of milk and some jaffa cakes.</span></span></span><br />
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</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHFdRntGwI84avIWVAEajpmNIpcekTCho10FvdGVU6lcoz-727aImyFJL-fwtPa-esexWbS1r1DhaMCotq-jstotCi-5EqXs8b36spsRvn1JbKKYv4H6ihFSwvAYNL4-QtSif3MqKl8eS/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHFdRntGwI84avIWVAEajpmNIpcekTCho10FvdGVU6lcoz-727aImyFJL-fwtPa-esexWbS1r1DhaMCotq-jstotCi-5EqXs8b36spsRvn1JbKKYv4H6ihFSwvAYNL4-QtSif3MqKl8eS/s200/4.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2NmtYn1HRrcsh_VdQ5jq8U1tLJps4hCt40_agoOGpTzbb8g9ONhyphenhyphenhsne_4UxgsI_LTe6dC4JcznnzTXdbBx31D90twDAr6o9ZPO4FtoUqKRA_bUJBZDulJSNOTfnCUC-nl_gOzfEi14T/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2NmtYn1HRrcsh_VdQ5jq8U1tLJps4hCt40_agoOGpTzbb8g9ONhyphenhyphenhsne_4UxgsI_LTe6dC4JcznnzTXdbBx31D90twDAr6o9ZPO4FtoUqKRA_bUJBZDulJSNOTfnCUC-nl_gOzfEi14T/s200/2.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKDWvnE3hSoCDNkKm4RbLZkY_Jyv41WVjdzB9ua2J7WDkDMo_dXA6Crtj7QCKnnbKgxlrYOCa7fh8JrfuRFJwG8vZIo0ioW3mY37QMU0qdeq0uOvrQ5juUWpgMbKJ0vqfztvR0EW3B8aT/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKDWvnE3hSoCDNkKm4RbLZkY_Jyv41WVjdzB9ua2J7WDkDMo_dXA6Crtj7QCKnnbKgxlrYOCa7fh8JrfuRFJwG8vZIo0ioW3mY37QMU0qdeq0uOvrQ5juUWpgMbKJ0vqfztvR0EW3B8aT/s200/3.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The real star of Windsor is not the castle. It is the 5000 acres of woodlands, lakes and gardens that form the Great Park. It is huge and only 50 minutes outside of London. It was glorious in spring when I took these photos, stunning in summer when a fresh breeze makes you forget London’s humid fug, and now, in autumn, the colours of the leaves paint out the significance of harvest and Halloween in a way that evergreen NZ just can’t seem to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Appropriately</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> for the season, on dark winter nights in times of trouble, Herne the Hunter, the antlered spirit, rides again in Windsor Forest..<u1:p></u1:p>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest, <br />
Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight, <br />
Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns; <br />
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle, <br />
And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain <br />
In a most hideous and dreadful manner. <br />
You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know <br />
The superstitious idle-headed eld <br />
Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age, <br />
This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">William Shakespeare <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Merry Wives of Windsor </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><o:p></o:p></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div id="ProductTitle">Windsor Castle Henry VIII is Startled by Herne the Hunter While out Riding</div><div id="ProductType">by George Cruikshank</div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <u1:p></u1:p> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></span></div>teresafromnzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864240118621643814noreply@blogger.com0