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Recent Posts
- Greetings from Great Barrier Island – April 2015 August 4, 2015
- A Day In The Life – 27 September 1969 March 21, 2015
- Laneway Festival, Auckland, 26 January 2015 January 27, 2015
- Disneyworld Hollywood Studios, Orlando: September 2014 January 25, 2015
- A Day In The Life – 27 September 1968 January 20, 2015
- Cape Canaveral – Mission Accomplished: September 2014 January 14, 2015
- Musical Micropause: Z December 13, 2014
- Legoland Florida: September 2014 December 10, 2014
- Nick Cave – live in Auckland, 7 December 2014 December 8, 2014
- Musical Micropause: Y November 19, 2014
- Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center: September 2014 November 14, 2014
- Musical Micropause: X November 12, 2014
- I need my Space! Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington DC: September 2014 November 9, 2014
- Musical Micropause: W October 19, 2014
- Natural History and Many Memorials – Washington DC: September 2014 October 12, 2014
- Musical Micropause: V October 5, 2014
- Washington DC: September 2014 October 5, 2014
- Musical Micropause U: 35 years of U2 live December 13, 2013
- Musical Micropause: T December 12, 2013
- New York – first taste of the Apple: May 1994 December 12, 2013
- Musical Micropause: S November 29, 2013
- Amédée Island, New Caledonia: September 1991 November 28, 2013
- Musical Micropause: R November 20, 2013
- Weathering the Burns Day Storm: 25-26 January 1990 November 18, 2013
- Musical Micropause: Q November 5, 2013
- Westwards to Wales: January 1990 October 31, 2013
- Musical Micropause: P October 30, 2013
- Musical Micropause: O October 28, 2013
- To Brittany and beyond: January 1990 October 25, 2013
- Musical Micropause: N October 17, 2013
- Last train to Lannemezan: November 1989 October 14, 2013
- Musical Micropause: M October 3, 2013
- You have to laugh – mishaps and misadventures in France October 2, 2013
- From the Basque Country to the Holy Waters: December 1989 September 25, 2013
- Musical Micropause: L September 20, 2013
- Rocamadour and the Black Madonna: December 1989 September 15, 2013
- Musical Micropause: K September 10, 2013
- Cave paintings and Chocolate croissants: November 1989 September 4, 2013
- Musical micropause: J September 3, 2013
- Keep on Running – back to Bordeaux: November 1989 August 29, 2013
- Musical micropause: I August 23, 2013
- Amsterdam in installments: 1989-2008 August 20, 2013
- Musical micropause: H August 14, 2013
- Blacklisted in Bordeaux: December 1987 August 10, 2013
- Musical micropause: G August 4, 2013
- Searching for Snow in the Pyrenees: December 1987 July 31, 2013
- Musical micropause: F – voices from down under July 16, 2013
- Christmas in Bordeaux, December 1987 July 12, 2013
- Musical micropause: E July 9, 2013
- Bonjour Bordeaux! – December 1987 July 5, 2013
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Category Archives: Travel
Disneyworld Hollywood Studios, Orlando: September 2014
Like sand after a day at the beach, New Zealanders seem to get everywhere. We’ve just entered Orlando’s Disneyworld Hollywood Studios and are exchanging our vouchers for day cards with our pre-booked rides scheduled. It’s called Fast Pass Plus and … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Action! Extreme Stunt Show, Captain Jack Sparrow, Disneyworld, Fast Pass Plus, Florida, Great Movie Ride, Helicopter, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, International Heli-tours, Lights, Motors, Muppet Show, Muppet Vision, Pizza Planet, Star Tours, Toy Story, travel, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream
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Cape Canaveral – Mission Accomplished: September 2014
Cape Canaveral. As a kid growing up in the 70’s, the word Canaveral had a wonderfully evocative sound – the sound of a place where great things happen. You couldn’t call a small country town Canaveral. I had no idea … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Apollo 1, Apollo 13, Apollo 19, Apollo Center, Atlantis Experience, Bald Eagle, Banana River, Cape Canaveral, Crawler Transporters, Falcon 9, Firing Theater, Florida, Franz, Hans, James Reilly, Jim Reilly, Lost In Space, Lunch With An Astronaut, NASA, Rocket Garden, Saturn V, Space Coast, Space Shuttle, SpaceX, VAB, Vehicle Assembly Building
6 Comments
Legoland Florida: September 2014
My boys were always destined to be legoheads. My own Lego had been kept in a suitcase at my parents’ house for decades, with each set stored in its own blue plastic bag, and instructions meticulously hole-punched and numerically filed. … Continue reading
Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center: September 2014
Who doesn’t like a good waffle? These have become a key part of the daily routine for my boys, and Sam is more than happy to share his new skills on the waffle maker with anyone looking slightly nervous. Most … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Blackbird, Cessna, chantilly, Concorde, Discovery, Enola Gay, Hiroshima, metro, Space Shuttle, Udvar-Hazy, waffles, Washington DC
4 Comments
I need my Space! Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington DC: September 2014
I confess to being a maker of lists. While some people count sheep, I might be working out my top ten bands that I have yet to see, or my top ten unvisited destinations in Europe. Barcelona is still leading, … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Air and Space Museum, amelia earhart, Apollo, Columbia, Curiosity, Einstein Planetarium, flyer, fridge magnet, Gemini, Hubble, John Glenn, lindbergh, Lunar Module, Mars, Mercury, Moon, moonrock, rover, simulator, Skylab, Smithsonian, space food, spacefood, spirit of st louis, Washington, wright brothers, Yuri Gagarin
2 Comments
Natural History and Many Memorials – Washington DC: September 2014
Day Three: Our first stop at Washington’s Museum of Natural History has been booked well in advance. Not far behind my mum’s wish to take her kids to Disneyland has been her visit to the Gems and Minerals section of … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged ammonite, angler fish, Coelacanth, Foggy Bottom, fossils, gems, hope diamond, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, minerals, nemo, Roosevelt Memorial, tarantula, Washington DC, Watergate
2 Comments
Washington DC: September 2014
Well this is a bit embarrassing. It feels a bit like ringing my mum having not called for far too long. I made some very nice friends in these parts, and hopefully some of them still live in the neighbourhood. … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Calexico, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Harry Truman, Mark Twain, metro, Pentagon, Potbelly, Spy Museum, United States, Washington DC, White House
3 Comments
New York – first taste of the Apple: May 1994
My neighbor is very chatty, and as she’s a New Yorker, I try to get some hints that aren’t covered by the guidebooks. I’m on the countdown now. This is my first visit to New York, and I’ve managed to … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Travel
Tagged Andy Warhol, John cale, Lou Reed, Manhattan, New York, Tom Wilson, travel, USA, velvet underground
2 Comments
Amédée Island, New Caledonia: September 1991
I’m sure I’ve imagined this island, probably at about 3pm on a Friday, when the “to do” list for the afternoon is drifting into the “must do” list for Monday. And it exists – Amédée Island, 24 kilometres due south … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Amedee, archery, beach soccer, french, frogs, New Caledonia, Noumea, snails, travel
5 Comments
Weathering the Burns Day Storm: 25-26 January 1990
Is this really a typical Winter’s day in the UK? I’ve heard bad stories, but this is a bit extreme. It’s been a long day and I’m supposed to be in France by now. I feel the need for a … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged amiens, arras, bloody weather, burns day storm, calais, daria, Dover, England, eurail, france, hurricane, paris, storm, travel, United Kingdom, wind
2 Comments
Westwards to Wales: January 1990
Despite the lack of bluebirds, as first impressions go, seeing the white cliffs of Dover appearing out of the mist isn’t a bad introduction. In my childhood I was in no position to escape my Mum’s musical taste, so I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Bath, Britrail, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Chepstow, Dover, England, London, Monmouth, Oxford, rain, Stonehenge, tank, Tintern Abbey, trains, travel, umbrella, United Kingdom, Vera Lynn, Wales
7 Comments
To Brittany and beyond: January 1990
Maybe it’s the sheep jokes, but for some reason I feel a certain affinity with Brittany. I wasn’t aware that Brittany enjoys a similarly unfounded reputation for their hospitality to sheep as my homeland. The younger crowd in Bordeaux do … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged angers, apocalypse tapestries, brittany, chateau villemaurine, france, jersey, lorient, nantes, new years eve, pontorson, rennes, st emilion, st helier, st malo, train, travel
2 Comments
Last train to Lannemezan: November 1989
When three french heads simultaneously stop their conversations and look at you, you know that something is up. In fact, I’m up – up in the Pyrenees, when I should be getting closer to Bordeaux. How did that happen? And … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Bob Dylan, bordeaux, Carcassonne, eurail, france, Lannemezan, Toulouse, train, travel, walkman
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You have to laugh – mishaps and misadventures in France
Have you ever had that feeling that you’re stuck inside a phone booth in Bordeaux at 11pm with only a beer for company? I think I may be one of the few – it was an interesting way to finish … Continue reading
From the Basque Country to the Holy Waters: December 1989
When I visited France in late 1987, ETA, an armed group of Basque nationalists, were active in Spain with 44 deaths in the previous twelve months from car bomb attacks in Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza. Almost 200 others have been … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Basque, Benesses-les-dax, Boulevard des Pyrenees, Dax, france, holy water, Lourdes, miracles, Pau, pyrenees, St-Jean_de-Luz, travel
3 Comments
Rocamadour and the Black Madonna: December 1989
There isn’t much that can be said about the origins of Rocamadour with certainty, but it can’t be denied that the setting is stunning. I’ve taken the train from Bordeaux to Brive-la-Gaillarde, and then on to Rocamadour Padirac station. From … Continue reading
Cave paintings and Chocolate croissants: November 1989
One advantage of Google Maps is that I finally have a map with enough detail to show me exactly where I was on my travels over twenty years ago. Places in France like Bénesse-lès-Dax or Condat-le-Lardin; I’ve always known which train … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged cave paintings, chocolatine, condat-le-lardin, france, lanterne des morts, lascaux, montignac, sarlat, travel
8 Comments
Keep on Running – back to Bordeaux: November 1989
Wake UP! What the..?? What is hell is THAT?? It’s pitch black outside. It sounds like a drill? Have I fallen asleep in a construction site? No, that’s the phone, but the ringer volume seems to have been set by … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Travel
Tagged 1989, amsterdam, auckland, Austerlitz, bordeaux, busker, gare du nord, Kronenbourg, lovetown, metro, music, paris, travel, u2
3 Comments
Amsterdam in installments: 1989-2008
Schiphol! Now there’s a famous name. I’m sure I’m not saying it right, but just seeing the name on the airport building as we taxi to the gate makes me smile. After two nights in Hong Kong, and pitstops in … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged amsterdam, bookmark, costers diamonds, damrak, holland, john lennon, jordaan, krasnapolsky, netherlands, red light district, sexmuseum, travel, van gogh museum, vincent van gogh
8 Comments
Blacklisted in Bordeaux: December 1987
The early days in a group that has been randomly thrown together are always interesting. First impressions are made, and sometimes soon corrected. But this is most of our team of twelve travellers, in the interior courtyard of the Chateau … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged Biarritz, Blois, bordeaux, Cannes, Cote d'Azur, La Rochelle, Monaco, Nice, paris, pyrenees, Riviera, travel
16 Comments
Searching for Snow in the Pyrenees: December 1987
Life in Condom can’t be fun. I’m sure the most photographed attractions are the town’s welcome signs. Being a bunch of teenage boys, my french brothers have made a detour here for my benefit, so I have to show my … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged 1987, col du portet, espiaube, floc de gascogne, france, lac de l'oule, new years eve, pyrenees, saint lary, simple minds, skiing, snow, st lary, travel
2 Comments
Musical micropause: F – voices from down under
I’m feeling patriotic today, so here are four favourites from New Zealand, starting on Takapuna Beach, Auckland… The Front Lawn: Andy (1989) The short-lived Front Lawn was founded in 1985, and this is probably their best-known song. Andy was written by … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Travel
Tagged all blacks, andy, cheer up murray, couldn't be done, don mcglashan, faster than light, fish and chups, flight of the conchords, front lawn, kiwifruit, murray hewitt, neil finn, new zealand, new zealand take your mum, pavlova, sheep, tim finn, try whistling this
3 Comments
Christmas in Bordeaux, December 1987
Just call me Lord of the Flies. My new family must be wondering who they’ve invited into their home after tonight’s behaviour. We’re having a quiet drink while watching the french version of Wheel of Fortune, when someone asks me … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged bordeaux, Cathédrale Saint-André, Christmas, Fève, france, Galette, Henri Leconte, Ishtar, La Fête Des Rois, Meg Ryan, Pineau, trabel, Wheel of Fortune
4 Comments
Bonjour Bordeaux! – December 1987
Oh dear – I think I’ve broken this girl’s nose. This isn’t good. I can’t see blood but she’s still clutching it like it may fall off and roll into the Bordeaux gutter. Maybe we’ll laugh about this later? I’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged bise, bordeaux, france, france gall, joe le taxi, johnny hallyday, travel, vanessa paradis
12 Comments
Shanghai Skylines – March 2013
It seems appropriate that we’ve left Shanghai for last. This feels like a city more concerned with its future than its past. Western involvement has been substantial since treaties following the First Opium War in the 1840’s resulted in Concessions … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged angry birds, bund, center, china, nunnery, pearl tower, propaganda art centre, pudong, shanghai, travel, yuyuan, zigzag bridge
6 Comments
The lighter side of China: March 2013
I don’t think I’ve ever actually fallen asleep at work. Certain meetings or training courses have taken me to the brink, but I’m sure that I’ve never drifted off. A friend who taught in Hong Kong told me how the … Continue reading
Biting the Bullfrog – Shanghai, March 2013
I know Kermit wasn’t a bullfrog, but I need to get his voice out of my head if I’m going to get through this dinner. I’ve seen some interesting meals listed on menus on this trip. If you’re squeamish, you … Continue reading
Cruising on the Li River: China, March 2013
Really? No striding? Striding may not be everybody’s idea of fun, but there is a certain distance – more than a pace, less than a jump, where a stride is necessary. It makes me want to stride right now, but … Continue reading
Dragons, Tigers and Kenny G: Ping An Terraces, China 2013
I wasn’t planning on dying today, but the odds of surviving aren’t looking great. Decidedly poor in fact. As a general rule, I don’t think about my own death much. My only wish is that I’ll be very old when … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged bad driving, china, kenny g, longji, mist, moon and seven stars, nine dragons five tigers, Ping An, terraces, travel, zhuang
6 Comments
Xian: Who’d be a Farmer? (and how to spot a fake) China, March 2013
The gentleman stuck behind the table won’t make eye contact with me. I’m sure he’s heard the introduction given by our guide hundreds if not thousands of times – “the man who discovered the Terracotta Army”. It’s not easy to … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged army, china, emperor, Qin, soldiers, terracotta, travel, Wang Puzhi, warriors, Xi'an, Yang Peiyan, Yang Quanyi, Yang Wenhai, Yang Xinman, Yang Yanxin, Yang Zhifa
15 Comments
Forbidden and Forbidding – Beijing 2013
We seem to have been engulfed by a parade of matching baseball caps, from all parts of China, all following their local flag, here in Beijing for the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC). I don’t normally associate willingly smiling people … Continue reading
Huanghua, the other side of the Wall – China 2013
I don’t think Huanghua is expecting us. The first indication is the surprised looks on the faces of the donkeys by the side of the road as we drive into town, taking care not to wake the dogs sleeping in … Continue reading
Walking On The Wall – China 2013
The exploration of our solar system has brought us many famous images, but one that is missing is that of the Great Wall of China, as seen by the naked eye from outer space. Chinese propaganda had the world convinced … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged beijing, bill clinton, china, hillary clinton, mutianyu, toboggan, travel, wall
8 Comments
Feeding Time – Beijing, March 2013
Our first meal at a local Beijing restaurant brings more challenges. Reaching the restaurant means crossing several busy roads, and we’re not yet sure how seriously the locals take traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. We find out that the rules … Continue reading
Hutong Sweet Hutong – China, March 2013
The panda reaches the top of the escalator. It seems to be familiar with its surroundings, and we watch it wander slowly in the direction of an Italian restaurant. Suddenly it stops, and reaches for something in its winter coat. … Continue reading
Discovering Paris, December 1987
There is something exhilarating about crossing to the Arc de Triomphe at night, while a squadron of blaring Citroëns and Renaults bears down upon you. The initial observation that French headlights are a different colour to those in New Zealand … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged arc de triomphe, champs elysees, france, paris, place de la concorde, toilet, travel
3 Comments
No Sleep Till Paris, December 1987
“You are sweet” said the policeman. I can’t imagine a New Zealand police officer saying that, but this is my first time in France, and maybe things work differently here. “Thanks”, I reply, and quickly catch up to the group. … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged champs elysees, Eiffel Tower, france, metro, Orly, paris, police, Tour Eiffel, travel
5 Comments
Destination Anywhere – Travels Through European Nights
I have no idea what language that is, or what country I’m in. All I know is that I have had nowhere near enough sleep, and ignoring the voice doesn’t seem to be working. I see a man in uniform … Continue reading
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