Canada '22

 Saurday May 28th

Megabus from Cardiff, they have changed the stop. 4.45 arrival so a long wait  but OK

I did not enjoy the flight the 737max is a tube with only one aisle and it was crowded, queues for the loo were normal. My headphones were trapped in the overhead, so no movie, but I managed to sleep, though the legroom seemed less than usual.Not a nice flight!

Well, I got let in, with cookies, but it took a long time. Guy was waiting once I got out of immigration and customs. Drive was two and a half hours, weather was terrible, pouring rain, not nice at all. Looked around the town, visited the yacht club and saw the sailing centre. Chowder at local restaurant. Met Olly and Will as they came back from their track meet.

Sunday, weather was beautiful, sun and warm.

Toured the coast, inlets and and towns, only 40 odd photos. Schooner vanished, looking for Bluenose. Ont to Sandy Point and then back for supper, now watching Captains Courageous.

Monday, weather beautiful again

Visited Lockeport and walked the Bay, Harbour and Back Harbour. Called in at Allendale Electronics, which producs the Fizzwizz. It employs around 16 people and has another technician coming out from England very shortly. Walked around Shelburn and got over 10 miles 

Guy tells me that this is all due to his experience with the Oxford & District Schol Sailing Association (ODSSA). He was awarded a 420, as part of a Race Training Scheme. ODSSA then took him on as part of the Youth Training Scheme after he left school with basically no qualifications. Part of this scheme involved working with local Boatbuilder Tony Thresher. This led to his instructing at the Island Cruising Club at Salcomde.

With this experience he went back to College doing a BTEC First Certificate, and BTEC National Cert. Since then he has been in electronics, describing himself as a Technology developer He specialises in Front End Sensor Design. He has worked in Canada and the USA and a bit in Europe.

Tuesday,

Sabrina reurned from selling her house last night, but was out to work by 7.30am, so I didn't see much of her.

Drove up to Halifax via Peggy's Cove. Checked into the student accommodatin and walked around the
town. Up to the Citadel and then on to the explosion memorial before coming down onto the boardwalk. It was windy. The museum of the Atlantic had late night opening and was free, great exhibition on the explosion, and some dinghies. Finished up being treated to dinner at The Old Triangle and enjoying the Whiskeys.

Wednesday - June 1st

Breakfast at Tim Hortons and a ferry trip to Dartmouth. Walked the path between the ferry terminals. Back around 10.30 so time to kill. Bought a really thin fridge magnet, another coffee/hot chocolate and walked to the train. Great footroom and a really pleasant trip to Moncton. Moe tel found I went for a walk, saw a McDonalds sign and got caught out again by the scale of things, it must have been 2 miles and then it was closed. However, the walk was along the river boardwalk, and I got some more socks as well as getting my 10miles in, And I had Poutine, so the Canada experience was complete.  - Thanks Guy.

Thursday

Internet slow but pictures uploaded and I checked out. Sobeys was close so had a visit got a wrap for breakfast and cookies and brownies for the trip. Collected car - Toyota Carrola - and got lost a little, but the main problem was finding out how the cruise control worked.

The New Brunswick Rail Museum was closed - didn't look very interesting. 

Hopewell Rocks were open and almost empty in terms of usual capacity. Turns out the range here is 14m on springs, and given the scale of things not as impressive as Barry. The guide at Hopewell said turn left so I did, it was a dead end but with a covered bridge. Turned left again and had to pay $9 to use the coast road, very scenic. Weather beautiful, flat clam.

Getting into St John's was a long way and very industrial, found EconoLodge.

Friday

Got to the Reversing Falls and was very impressed. They were really roaring and big. Video might show them but will inevitably flatten them.  Watch VideoThe problem was what to do in ordr to see the reverse.

Visited the Martello Tower - also closed and went on to Irvine Nature Park. Got the scale wrong again - it was only 5miles to walk around the peninsula, However, saw squirrels which are smaller than the UK version and quite noisy, well they have an alarm call. Lunch, apple and cookies on the beach.

It killed the time but I got back to the Reversing Falls as they should have been filling but it was much less impressive. Had a coffee and went shopping but it didn't get any better. 

Saturday

What to do today was the question. In the end I tried playing Clint Eastwood by taking pictires of Covered Bridges. Got the Darling Island and Bloomfield Bridges. Gave up when the road ended and I couldn't get to the Moosehorn, made do with a couple of uncovered bridges!

That done it was on to playing Michael Portillo - quite a drive to Fort Laurence, totally failed to find it. Wikipedia said there should have been remains of the canal/ship railway but tourist office said No. Go to north end, but when I got there I couldn't find anything apart from an old bridge. At least I saw why it was so attractive, land was low lying.

Drove back to Moncton along the coast, lots of widely spaced houses all the way along there. No real centre, small town America.

Sunday

Filled up car, (guess I saved 10$). Returned it, no one there, could have held on to it. Walked Moncton. Subways breakfast, McDonalds was just a little further which I did to get to the Riverside Trail. No hot chocolate there. Surprised to find train station open. Wander, wander, It did rain but not very heavily. Found hot Chocolate at Tim Horton's not 50yds from the B&B. Got down to the river about half an hour early, which is just as well since The Bore was 20 mins early. Not very spectacular. Filled up with goodies at Sobeys Supermarket. Had to walk twice round the block to get in my 10miles of walking.

Train was cosy. Dinner booked for 8pm and got joined by some guy who let me prattle on about myself. Great to hear that the clocks went back an hour so the arrival time was not as bad as expected. Problem was, while the phone displayed the right time the alarm failed to take notice and woke me an hour early.

Monday - Quebec

A taxi took us from Sainte-Foy into town (on the train ticket). Very early, nothing open except McDonalds. Wandered around the Citadel etc. Got a 10.30 countryside tour, mainly to be in a position to compare waterfalls. It included a visit to the Montmorency Falls which were just outside town and could have been done by local bus. Nice waterfall Watch Video. I don't like visiting churches. Got into Hotel. Ferry across the St Lawrence and back to hotel to process photos. Cookies have totally disintegrated and have had to be put in a cup, luckily I have an elastic band.

Tuesday - Montreal

Gettting out of the hotel was more difficult than getting in. I was swiping the wrong fob, so the device was not doing anything (hotel is unmanned). McDonalds or breakfast, and onto train. Thoroughly confused it took 3/4hrs to get to Sainte-Foy and then carried on across the St Lawrence, the way we had come in from Moncton! 

All good and arrived at 11.25am. The hotel was a long walk, got the scale wrong again! However, I got some fridge magnets at a reasonable price. Hotel check in was not until 4pm but they took the bags. 

Wandered around the town, found tourist information and admired the architecture. There is a real mix of modern and old. There is also an extensive underground network, I guess it gets cold in the winter, but it was hard to find things.

Wednesday

Got lost trying to find the Subway I had noted for breakfast, so I deserved the footlong when I found it and braved the construction work which wasw hiding it.

Purchased a 24hr travel pass and got on the subway to the back of Mt Royal and walked up the hill, getting lost yet again in the cemetary but getting great views of the city and the surrounding land which is FLAT! Until you get to the mountains which are probably a long way away.

Took the blue and green line south to Del'Eglise intending to walk alongside the water back towards the hotel, found a Tim Horton for chocolate and a supermarket but the wrong bit of water so came back to hotel, collected a carrier bag and went back to stock up on cookies and brownies, also bought some fruit. In for the night.

Thursday - Toronto

The travel pass was still valid, so off to catch the train to Toronto by subway, which was just as well as it was raining. The trains keep trying to emulate airlines. Train was delayed, but they had everyone standing in a line waiting to board. I sat down and waited.

Train was great but scenery is not good for most of the trip, as the land is so flat, first sight of the Great Lakes. Got my geography wrong as we passed through Kingston on our way to Toronto. At least we rode through the rain belt and the weather was good.

Toronto is the big city of Canada - modern skyscrapers and old preserved buildings with bustling cars and pedestrians. I think it is great! Found the CN Tower and the Railway Museum. There are great walks but finding the guides online is not easy. Niagra trip booked for Saturday, and Germany for August!

Friday

City walk, did downtown and uptown, they seem very proud of their parks. The architecture barticularly late 19th and early 20th century stuff. Redevelopment of Union Station is ongoing. I have been using the food court but there is a whole area of shops due to open. They are also developing a network of underground walking links, just like Montreal. The stuff of Science Fiction.

Saturday

Niagra Falls, Go train cost $10 return, as a weekend excursion and it was a 2hr ride to get there.

It is well worth the visit, (Watch Video) and I should have got the pass and done behind the fall as well as The Cruise. I like the way Canadians get red panchos and USA get Blue. On return to Toronto did a short wander round the harbourfront but didn't manage 10mls. Have run out of cookies and brownies for tomorrow.

Sunday

Stocked up on Grapes and a packet of chocolate biccies at a local market, probably the most expensive grapes and biccies anywhere. Usual breakfast at McDonalds (forgetting to collect the sticker) and onto The Canadian. Lunch began at 11am, McDonalds rather spoilt it. Dinner at 5pm was also a bit early. 

Trees, lakes, trees,meadows, trees and more trees. However, this is a very civilised way of hiking through some beautiful country. Sunset was stunning and the reflections of moon and trees in lakes and ponds during the night was something else. Also had Yes on the bluetooth headphones. Luxury, but weird dreams during fitful sleep.

Monday

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on the train. Edited the footage of Niagra Falls (now a 1.6Gb file) so there are three YouTube things to be uploaded as well as the usual photos and this. Only problem is we are running late and instead of getting into Winnipeg at 7.30 it is now oing to be around 11pm. Google giving a pretty good estimate of the distance even without a phone signal. I think I sent the hotel a note saying I was arriving on The Canadian, at least I hope I did.

At least I have seen a Moose, Beaver and Black Bear. Difficult to say how the scenery has changed, certainly no sign of the flat praries and cultivation, yet, but we are still 55mls out so probably another one and a half hours, now 21.07 but we are stopping to let another freight train pass, but no. Stopped on a crossing enabling me to get my photo of the road going off into the distance in a totally straight line.  

And with that the sceney changed and we had some very large and very flat fields, but still some wetlands with woodland/forest?   However, the going got slower the nearer we got to Winnipeg, even in the station it was 10 mins before the doors opened, officially arrived at 11.39.

Tuesday

Civilisation ie an internet connection. Still waking up at 6.30am, jet lag or habit? All things done breakfast was in a gloriously decorated, but fadedly, grand room, learning what eggs sunny side up means.

It was raining, but not too bad, worst seemed a few blocks away but I was wet getting to the stations. The only station I have been to where there was NO information on the Trains. 25 mins in a line tried to be adventurous but it was still raining, so stayed in the station. Now on the train - no meals on this one! Recommendation is to go shopping in Thompson. Nice sunset pictures

Wednesday

All day on train. Weather had cleared up. It's a pretty slow train, max speed is about 30mph and it is frequently much slower, as the track is not good. Waiting for other trains declined as we got further north. Thompson turned out to be too short a stop to get to the shops, it's a 20 min hike and we were only stopping for half an hour being behind schedule (should have been an hour). McDonalds sign alluringly in the distance. Even better sunset shots. Trees seemed to be getting shorter.

Thursday

Ice floes on the beach

Shower and ready for Curchill, only I wasn't it was freezing, blowing a gale and raining. Red Dog plastic poncho was useless. The girl in North Shore Tours had tipped me off about the Canteen in the Hospital, attached to the community centre. Sheltered in there, reading all I could and had coleslaw salad for lunch by which time the rain had stopped. Wandered round a bit, came back fro dessert and more shelter, wandered around some more - problem being that the anti-bear advice suggested not going out of town, and it is a pretty small town. In fact there are stop, don't go further signs - so wandering is not encouraged without a local guide.

Back on the train.

Friday

This is a slow train! We were doing 15mph last night, the maximum is 30mph, and often we are much slower. But the pleasure of watching the scenery drift past is immense. We were on time into Thompson, an hour and a half break, leaving at 2pm. So I had time to visit McDonalds and Walmart. There goes the diet. 

We have a scheduled 3hr layover at The Pas and the girl is not optimistic about gettng into Winnipeg on time. Apparently it is very hot now so there will be speed restrictions. Last trip they got in at 3am (schedule is 5pm)

Saturday

1600 and we are at GrandView, and you have to agree with that. Back into farming country but you can see for what must be 100miles. I will swear that there was a dirt road that went straight all the way to the horizon! You could see it as it climbed the hills in the distance. Have had one wait of nearly an hour for a tanker train to come past, part of that seemed to be uncertainty about the points. With only about 4/5 passengers the opportunities to wander are good. I suspect The Canadian will come this way, but it will be nighttime then.

2020 and 20 miles out of Portage la Prarie and the train is doing 60mph, guess the engineer doesn't want to be too late. The estimate is that we will get into Winnipeg around 10pm. Only 5hrs late 16.45 was the scheduled arrival time. Has me worried about catching The Canadian on Monday.

Sunday

A pretty good day in Winipeg. Visited the information centre at The Forks, they couldn't figure the Transit Pass. Walked to the Fireman's Museum which is in a pretty run down area, opposite the old Canadian Pacific Terminal. It was air conditioned, outside temp might be hitting 40C. Subway for lunch and the Manitober Museum, didn't get to see all but the Nonsuch was interesting as was getting giddy in the Planetarium.

Evening was at the cinema - Top Gun Maverick, fun movie. Walk along the Red River to get my 10 miles in.

Monday

Got my 24hr transit pass. The hotel held bags and I went and visited the Flight Museum. Transit directions took me to the old location, so a bit of a hike. Back downtown by bus, courtesy of Google. The Human Rights Museum is closed on Mondays so off to the Zoo. Never feel comfortable at a zoo. Wild animals just resent being caged. Moved bags to Station and went in search of Subway. Long wait, poor service. Wait in station, train only 2hrs late but then they get everyone in a line and make them wait. Problem with air conditioning, so I get moved to a different cabin.

Tuesday

We are still running 2hrs late which suits me, as I could get breakfast before Jasper. On the praries some long views over flat country and straight dirt roads to the horizon.

Wednesday

Up at 5.30am. Shower and up in the Observation Dome for the views of the Rockies, even got breakfast! Arrived at Jasper and had a wander around, back spasming - need to get back into exercising. Now on board  the aceconomy section at the front of the train. Almost steerage - the premier plus seem to have the back. Visibility currently dropping.

EARLY into Kamloops (meeting of North and South Thompson Rivers) Been following the river since entering British Columbia. Nice but not exceptional scenery, I found the praries more interesting. One more night and we could arrive as early as 5am but won't be let off train until 6am. That would be interesting!

Kamloops lake 27km long 1.5km wide - the Lake District on steroids! Canadian Pacific line on the other side of the lake, racing a freight train. All rapids washed out by high water but evil undertows and breakers in the river.

Thurday

Well, we got in at around 6am and the station had just opened. Found McDonalds, had breakfast and e-mailed Don. I waited outside the station while they waited inside the station. I had even seen them park, but as they atempted to pay I assumed they had business in the station. Sorted in the end!

Friday

We went out in Don's boat. Up False Creek and around for lunch at a RVYC 'outstation' On way back came across the Canadian Masters Champs being sailed in English Bay. Nice day.

Saturday

Don and Annabel were off to sail a regatta. I walked along the beach to the Museum of Vancouver - interesting. Walked False Creek to a Skytrain station and got a one day pass. Waterfront and a ferry trip, icecream and a dumpster fire to add interest. Took a round trip on the skytrain and then back on a trolleybus. 

Sunday 

Accompanied Don and Annabel to Richmond and the Model Boating. Also looked at the Historic Boatyard. Dinner at Royal Vancouver YC, as a thank you to Don and Annabel

Monday

Got my miles in by walking to Wreck Bay and back through the University of British Columbia and parts of Pacific Spirit Park.

Hosts insisted on driving me to the Airport. My seat reservation had not changed so I was stuck in the middle of a packed aircraft.

Tuesday 

Landed at 13.30. Megabus to Cardiff. No96 bus to Barry. Cold and wet. The adventure is over.

In search of the Northern Lights

Thursday was departure day and of course I forgot somethng - specifically the notes so that I could write up the BCWAC meeting of Wed evening.
Dudley was collected and I got the bus to Cardiff and had an unsatisfactory Subway lunch before getting the train and bus to Heathrow. Also forgot a plastic bottle but someone had left one lying around so I was able to slake my thirst.
Thought I had forgotten my foreign Credit Card so paid for bus to hotel on Nationwide. It will be interesting to see the difference as I found it and paid for the trip back to the Airport on the Halifax.
Restless night - eventually got to sleep with phone playing tunes.

Friday

Woken at 5am by the telly, as I had messed up setting that alarm. Shower, breakfast - didn't really take advantage. Back to airport and usual hassles, at least the gate was quiet and I got on the plane early and didn't have to struggle to get to my seat down the back.
The bus was waiting and took us to the port very efficiently and, unlike the airport we strolled on board.
  Lunch was fun finding a table and we are allocated seating for dinner. Boat is very intimate. Retreated to cabin for a siesta and when I got up it was dark, 4pm back to winter.
Saturday
I don't remember. We must have visited Hammerfest. The most northerly town, and the most
destroyed. Visited the museum. Most impressed by their display of mangles - reminded me of
mother doing the washing in the 1960's.

Sunday
Is today. The Dawn or morning light as we left Harstad was beautiful. Called on Stokmarknes, I think there was a dredged channel to get in - but it wasn't impressive. Visited the Museum dedicated to the Hurtigruten Fleet. We only had an hour, which was enough I guess. The scenery
around dusk was spectacular, as we threaded our way through a narrow, winding channel with snow covered mountains on each side. Then the snow came in and we cancelled a visit to a famous steep sided Fjord.

I skipped dinner and dedicated myself to sorting out travel to Villamora. Seems I will be home for less than a week before I am off again.

Monday
Stayed upto see Bodo. The place where we disembarked in 1972. 2.30am. Nothing looked familiar.
Morning shower and loos were occupied, I had to go upstairs. Weather was showers.

Radio 4 programmes seem to whiz through - half hours pass very rapidly, but I am getting Cabin
Fever. or is it.Boat Fever. Sit upstairs and watch the scenery go by.
We left the  Arctic Circle today - I have the photos - no photos of the mountain with a hole in
it as it was getting dark but it was also very dull.

Seems tonight was a special dinner - I guess we will lose some guests at Trondheim. I didn't attend, Lunchtime dessert was superb - I had all four - Chocolate Mousse base, Ice cream on top surrounded by strawberries and raspberries and topped with surprise tart. With a fish starter the middle course of pasta and veggy stuff was dissapointing. I do like the potato salad. On top of a 3 course breakfast I don't need to eat.

I guess I had better not mention my failure to notice the arrival time in Bergen and the need to purchase a new ticket back to Oslo.

Malta 2019

Two weeks was a mistake - and while I thought half board would be OK the Coral Restaurant is getting boring but I would need to pay for a speciality burger.
   That's not to mention the fact that this "Fully air conditioned" Hotel switches the air conditioning off in the winter. Had to open the patio door to stay cool, but there was an irregular squeek from somewhere so I changed to a 6th floor room from second and now I have the traffic noise at 6am. At least I feel more secure.
Other moans include advertising dog walking every Thursday - only this week it is Friday and they couldn't be bothered to tell anyone. I love getting up at 7.30am when I am on holiday!

Still it started OK. Got my bus pass - 12 journeys - sailing in the middle meant the 7 day unlimited didn't make sense and popped

into Valetta to get the walking tour pamphlets - which they had. As I was there I took the ferry over to the Three Cities and wandered around there including the Maritime Museum. Its in an old bakery - but look at the way those were built! Inside they had gutted an old steam dredger for half of the museum but the other half was OK. Not a lot about WW2 though.

Day 2 and I walked to the Gozo Ferry and went out to see what remained of the Azure Window.

Before (from 2016) and after!

Amazing that there was no trace of the thing. I expected a sea stack or something but there was no trace of it. Walked back from the ferry and the Red Tower in the red sunset was good.

Wednesday I walked about 8 miles via Popeye Village and down the coast ending up at Mgarr where I was able to catch a bus back.

Euromed took up the next 4 days. Not really part of the team, although the two Peters seemed friendly enough. As pin end finish I didn't have the responsibility of doing everything and I had a really nice boat once we had worked out how to get the anchor down.
Photos can be seen at:-
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wt4dK3xGDsDm27cm7

The weather got really windy on Monday so I took the 221 into Sliema, to see Valetta from the other side. Modern shopping centre at The Point and a nice walk northward through St Julians and St George's Bay. Thought about a cinema visit. (then I heard a review of Cats and decided against it)

Christmas Eve I took the bus back to Mgarr with the intention of getting to a walk a bit further south but the footpath shown on google seemed to be washed out and I found myself on the Victoria Lines which seemed clearer than the map so I followed them back to the middle of the island and the bus back to hotel. Spectacular views but the phone camera totally failed to capture them or even give any expression of them.

Wed Christmas Day I did the Fortresses walk around the penninsular's just north of here - took the other camera but have yet to try and do the photos. It was enough of a problem re-naming them so that they follow the same format as those taken on the phone. It was fun having three screens running (2 Computers and phone)

Not making good progress with The West Wing.

Thursday got up early for the non dog walking. On bus to Mdina by 10am. Transfers worked! Wandered around the fortress wondering how it came to be. Little mention of the Arabs in the Natural History Museum. Normans were built up.

Have to work on drinking Guinness and The West Wing,

Izola 2019

Monday

Getting up at 4.55 was OK. The train into Cardiff was the single carrage Coryton service, surprising number of passengers. Megabus driver seemed quite brusque - he was going to load the luguage, and unload it. The good news is that I think he was early and instead of a wait in Bristol I got oto the Exeter bus and was at the airport well before 9am. Check in didn't open for a coupleof hours.

Flight to Cologne was good. Flew over city on way in and saw the

Cathedral. Train into city was 3E. Little bit of difficulty finding hotel. It waqs clean and had plenty of powerpoints. 

Wandered around - Cathedral and Rhine are both very impressive. A nice compact City, I liked it but resisted the temptation to indulge in a beer and returned to a packet of Cashew Nuts. Having eaten the Asda Wraps on arrival.

Tuesday

Nice breakfast - rolls were still warm. Wandered across the river to the second station and got the train to Munich. The first one was older and had better views, as we followed the Rhine valley Second train was an ICE and had a much more restricted view. Started worrying about hotel as I approached Munich Nothing on Expedia - must have booked it with a different service.

Wandered around Munich. Wasn't as nice as Cologne I thought. More modern. The town hall clock

gave a nice performance. Market would have been nice if I had wanted to spend. Returned to hotel and worried about my return journey which had no documentation. Got into Halifax account and found payments but no way to contact BD. Spent £100 on a new ticket. Didn't finish processing  photos and Keith phoned thinking the meeting was tonight - he thought it was the day before his Birthday. He insists on getting the messages but then doesn't read them.

Wednesday

Woke up at 6am and ordered a couple of watches on e-bay. Wouldn't have got back to sleep with the need to get up at 7am. Wandered over to the station and got on the Salzburg train.

How come I only have trouble with German trains? The Munich-Salzburg train was 20mins late getting into Salzburgh. However, I have made the Railjet, and the views are spectacular as we follow a narrow valley through the mountains.

Connection was to an corridor train - old seats are much more comfortable. The views were not as good as I remember them. I must remember not to tempt fate - someone jumped under the train, apparently. This delayed us around an hour and meant I was worried about making the connection to the Kober train. However, they held it for us and even told us the platform number. It was a modern commuter train and the views were excellent - panoramas over miles and miles - the sort of things we rarely get in the UK. Don't understand why the last bit was by coach as there was clearly a train line into Kober.

Picked up OK, shown the venue and hotel. Didn't feel hungry at all despite not eating all day. Need to investigate fasting.

Thursday

Breakfasted and up. Wandered around the town. Got some contact adhesive and hope I have managed to fix my shoe. Had a drink. Came back to hotel and fell asleep and listened to BBC Sounds. Wandered back to club about 8pm and asked. Got taken to the other club and met Michael. Others had eaten so I continued with my fasting experement.

Friday
Turns out that Michael retired as a judge last year, so we were not properly constituted. Sailing was good, bit of a wait for the wind but when it came it was OK. I ended up chairing the hearing, except for when I was disqualifying someone for hitting the finish mark.

Saturday
Once again a wait for the wind. They started without us. Wind swung to the left, O flag for 420's. Once again ended up disqualifying someone for hitting the finish mark. They went back but didn't gybe and having told him we would I felt I had to protest.

Sunday
Even longer wait for the wind and a couple of General Recalls. 420's got two races in but then the wind began to swing and the race officer gave up. We had a couple of protests. Dinner was fish bbq Swordfish, prawns, salmon and octipus - the first time I have had octipus that wasn't rubber.

Monday
Spent the morning doing photos etc. Wandered around the town for a couple of hours had a siesta, listened to BBC.sounds.went and had a beer. Prepared to leave.

Tuesday
Rain during the night. Think I had an early night. Got out, no Taxi at 5am. Phoned them - they had forgotten! At least I didn't have to pay - hope they sort it out. Stood waiting for a bus, then noticed people going to the station and a train waiting so, surprise, surprise it was a train to Lubjiana with a corridor and not crowded. The hills were extremely pretty with the mist clinging to the trees and the valleys. Train to Stuttgard/Frankfurt was 20 mins late, connection might be interesting. We will be in Germany by then. Weather appears to have cleared up. We didn't stop at Munich. Saw the Danube and Ulm Cathedral looked interesting.
   It made up the time and despite the walk across the bridge I was in the hotel by 9pm. Top floor had been updated and it looked out over the station. A bit noisy but nice.

Wednesday
Lovely breakfast, croissants included - I will have to get some more honey and butter. Checked out and on the tra code on the german ticket did not work. Security wanted me to leave my multitool behind it just took a lot of queuing. Then there was no internet (well extremely slow and flakey)in the waiting hall. Got on board and mis-read the sign sowas in the wrong carriage. Decided to watch a film but it was over 10 mins longer than the journey. At least it re-started where it had left off when the connection broke. Then coming out we all had to be funnelled through customs - next time I must get a plane!
Tube to Paddington. Couldn't resist a McDonalds, only problem was the Coffee cost as I unloaded UK Vouchers for the trip. Supposed to meet Phil in Cardiff, train currently 4mins late as we approach Reading.

Vesuvius was Closed 2018

Sunday Dec 9 2018
The weather was quite kind for the walk through Porthkerry to the airport, even if I was a bit early. It was even kind for the first flight to Amsterdam as there wasn't too many clouds and I saw the Severn Bridges, thought I recognised the Cotswold Water Park and saw the bridge at Ipswitch. However, two more flights Amsterdam to Rome and then Rome to Naples got be a bit. Especially as the Naples flight was delayed by over an hour.

Bus into Naples cost 5 Euro (not the 3Euros the internet led me to expect), and Google said it was only just under 2 miles. I wouldn't have liked to walk it though as most of the roads were motorways. Found the Hotel Ideal and it's old but nice. They also lent me a UK Conversion plug which is nice of them as I forgot to pack mine and the cheapest I could find was 17 Euro.

Monday Dec 10
Did battle with the coffee machine and eventually found out how to get enough coffee out of it. Basically get a white coffee and add hot water and cold milk. Good buffet which has kept me going all day. Particularly pleased since last night cost 7Euro at the station and I was hassled by a beggar. Cheaper venues are available.

Also pleased that I got a 7 day local transport ticket for 16 Euros which is what theinternet said. Just need to check out tomorrow that it is good to Salerno.

Today was Naples. Started down at the harbour, decided not to go into Castel Nuevo, instead walked past the Opera House and through Piaza del Plebiscito (views of Baescillica Real Pontifica) and I suspect a palace to the seaside. Then retraced my steps to find to find the Funicular. I was half way up the hill when I did.

Rode that to the top and found Castel Saint Elmo. Great Castle and wonderful views. Lots of photos to be composited. Other Funicular down to Montesanto. Nice cheap area - it's the Italians who are a nation of shopkeepers these days. Rode Line 2 in the  wrong direction for a while, Station architecture got me off and heading for Museo. Credit card again got me into the Museo Archeologica Nazionale di Napoli (12E).

There was a temporary exhibition on the Art and Archeology on the Metro which was good but hard to find the context as there was only one map and some of the stations are under construction.

Lots of stuff from Pompei and Herculaneum. Much artwork talking about changing fashion in the preferred Roman Myths and how they were displayed - homan Myths. Didn't think much of the pornography.

Coming back to hotel got off train at Dante to look at the artwork. I'm very artistic. How 225 photos to process!And I was going to watch the late Sunday game (American Football) That was great Chicago won with reminders of the team of 85. Have I really been watching it for that long?

Tuesday Dec 11
Badly let down by Google today. Plan was to go up Vesuvius. Cheched 7 day ticket validity and discovered it wasn't good for that distance so went and bought a 3 day ARTECard at 32E very expensive. Got on a late TrenItalia train and got off 3 stops later at Erculonium only there was no sign of the No5 bus. Much walking later it was change plans and visit the ruins.

Lickily the card covered the cost of getting in so maybe things weren't that bad, but the ruins were pretty depressing. There was a nice exhibit of a boat and if that really was the coastline then it puts a new perspective on geography.

Circumvesuvius on to Pompei - bigger and more depressing. Pink Ffloyd exhibit was the best bit. Trained out to Sorrento because I could but much of that was in tunnels - there are lots of those and they are deep!

Not getting vey far with photos - Going for the Monday night game now. And fell asleep.

Wednesday 12th
Officially confirmed that Vesuvius is closed at least until next week. Given that I have done the ruins (originally scheduled for a day each) this is a bit of a blow.  Seems there was a landslide which has blocked the approach road. Difficult to close a volcano!

Decided to explore Line 6 and the Funicular at the west of town only to discover it isn't open, even though it is shown on maps. Walked to the Funicular but the top was boring. Decided to go to the Esher Exhibition but Google failed to clearly indicate the correct bus stop so I had a walk along the promenade to get there. It was good - although the chronology was difficult to follow. Wandered around for a bit more and as it was getting dark thought the best way home was via the 2 Funiculars with a pizza at Montesanto.

Got photos backed up but have failed to update the website or look at the files.

Thursday 13th
It was raining today! The trains were late but I was determined to use the last day of my ArteCard, so I made my way to Bagnoli and the Museum of the Sea. Only to find the place occupied by students - it was supposedly in a nautical school - students said it was shut anyway.

Next objective was the Souterran Tour, at least underground I would be dry. Tried to make it by 12 but took the wrong Funicular. At least it gave me a chance to look at the Arcade and have a Chocolat shake at McDonalds.  When I did get there I couldn't find it - just a very swish cafe. So off to Castle Neuvo. Which was OK. The Arte Card got me in for free.

Back to Line 1 of the Metro, checked out the University Station - interesting. Quick stop at hotel and on to the National Train Museum. Of course, this is not "artistic" so it cost me 5E and I had to wait until it opened at 4pm. They had a Christmas Market - she same sort of cheap wooden shacks as in Cardiff. Somewhat depressing in the rain, with hardly anybody about. The trains were interesting. 2hrs there.

Back at Hotel processing photos and listening to Radio 4.

Friday 14th
Thought I would check out the train departure but I was too late - but it is there on the timetable at 9.50 so an early breakfast tomorrow. Took the Circumvesuvio to the end of the line - the port. Finally worked out that as a 1m guage line it would be completely separate from the standard guage stuff. Discovered the local fish market and market - very fishy!!

Today was the day for checking out the Metro Art. Only I left the water behind - it was proving difficult anyway, as the Art Stations were not clearly identified on the brochure. Short while on the internet while in the room and videos and brochures identified so I was wasting my time. Carried on anyway as I also booked on a talk at 1800.

Getting tired and hungry by 1715 so treated myself to 2 cheesburgers and a chocolate shake before rushing back to Dante for the talk. All in italian so left, to finish Museo and Garibaldi. Back to finish by 1930 local time. Dead Ringers on the radio.

Saturday 15th
Day on a train.
Departure was 9.50 only it was coming from Rome and was 20 mins late. OK and started going through Phillips files only I couldn't figure how to rename or delete them Chrome problems.

The route was alongside the sea for much of the time and as good as Exeter to Plymouth only a lot lot longer.

Got put on a ferry for a 30 min crosssing to Sicily where the train split with my section going to Syracusa and the other to Palermo. Then it got dark and the views vanished but I found the power point so played music on the phone and did solitaire.

Hotel was further from the station than expected but only 5 mins.

Sunday 16th
Syracuse. Wandered around the island.

Monday 17th
Morning wander around the shore side of Syracuse and then on to Pozzallo on a Railbus.

Tuesday 18th
Waiting all day for the ferry was interesting, considered taking a ride on the train but instead practised sitting in the sun exercising patience.
Ferry left at 9.30 and I was met in Valetta and taken to the event hotel. EurMed Regatta and then back to uk.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4CXubH8oTRBwRMkdA

The Greek Week I Foiled 18/07/2018

Monday 9/07/2018
Got out in the aero (without foils) but that got pretty boring, so they suggestes the RS100 which caught me out on the gybes.I was not anticipating the power of the sail after the gybe and allowing the wing to bury, which caused spin out. With that sorted the asymetric was quite fun but hard to put up and down as the halyard required several pulls. Got out with the foils in the afternoon

Tuesday
Took Beer out on a cat Hobie 15 in the morning, she was very timid, wouldn't take the helm.
Afternoon in the Aero with a 5m sail (I think) got it up a couple of times and there were some pictures to prove it.

Wednesday
Went out in the 49er and disgraced myself by losing balanse while helming and capsizing,
Got out with the 9m rig and larger foils, had to wait most of the morning for the wind to fill in. Had some sustained runs and a mega crash which almost cost my hat. Was crashing out at the end of runs, decided it was holes in the wind or changes in direction. Looked at going windsurfin 141Euro needed 100 is deposit. wind not looking as good as promised.
Tried to get out in Aero but someone else was first, so took RS100 wind was really bad, big holes and changes in direction plus not that strong, decided it was not worth getting out in the Aero.d

Thursday
Racing an Aero with the foils attached is interesting, as is starting in a mixed fleet where they just barge. It was quite a wait for the wind but then I think I have cracked it. The secret is to be ahead of the curve and trim before it is needed, something like rudderless sailing. Quite happy with that. Wind built to 30 kts. Tried again with the 5m Aero rig but could not keep it flat so quickly came in.
Went windsurfing - turned out Club Vass had boards available. Blasted out a bit then struggled to waterstart so after that stayed in the shallows and practised starting. Think the rig was a bit small as I was only lifted in the gusts. The Club Manager took pity on me and offered me a free session tomorrow. Need a wetsuit, not enough movement in wet pants.

Friday
Race day took Aero without foils. Won first race with a port end start, as I thought wind was over there and line was biased. Second start drew gasps as I was on the line, wind had shifted and I had to beat to the boat. Then death rolled and the thig just kept going over. Believe I was second to finish but haven't seen results yet.
Got the foils on and went out. There were some 40kt gusts I think with big holes so came in and let others play. Went out in RS 200. Found photographer and did some foiling shots towards the beach.
Booked a Taxi share to airport and went to Harry's birthday dinner.

Saturday
Calm in the morning, well actually quite a good onshore by 10am. Dirk needed a crew for a cat, Hobie 16 so I went out with him and crewed. Helming was boring. The wind did its usual, crossshore filling in near the sewage works with shifts to down the valley and holes where the old wind remained. Two boats could be in 180 degree different wind and only 100yards apart. The holes were so distinct. Came ashore about 12.30.
Afternoon turned into the blaster I expected. Others had the Aero's out (and fairly quickly went down to 5m) but I decided to get my kit dry ready for the flight. Matt was dead keen to get the SB3 out and I agreed to crew, but it got cancelled, somewhat to my relief. Went and had a burger in town.

Sunday
At airport and considering how I get my baggage down to 15kg. Paid the extra 15 euro for this leg. No luggage booked for the second leg but got the cost back.
Afternoon spent at the Amsterdam Maritime Museum.