Mike and Rosie

2006-09-19T19:34:00.000+01:00

Thanks to various people for pointing out that this blog never gets updated. Well ha.. you're wrong. It now RARELY gets updated!

Well, what have we been up to since the last post. Back in August, Rosie and I went on a very relaxing trip to Turkey. Well it was supposed to be relaxing, but due to some idiots trying to blow up planes we were left watching TV when we should have been flying to Turkey. After several calls to the airline we finally flew out just under 24 hours later than planned, only to have to deal with delays upon delays leading to missed flights and missed airport transfers.

Tip #1: If you're in Istanbul airport after just missing your connecting flight and really need a drink.. DON'T. A bottle of Corona that cost £8 really isn't worth it.

After EVENTUALLY reaching our hotel in Fethye about 6 hours late, we had a nice nap before waking up to join our boat tour and become familiar with our home for the next 6 nights. The cabins were pretty basic (just a bed and very small ensuite) but we spent very little time below-deck anyway. There was too much swimming, sunbathing, eating, shopping, sightseeing etc to do. We didn't even bother sleeping in the cabin; every night we slept on the sun-beds up on deck, right under the stars.

We had the odd stop at a few towns; Kas and Simena managed to get quite a bit of our cash in souveniers (and Rosie's postcard addiction). We also visited Kekova - the sunken city, Butterfly Valley, St Nicholas' Island as well as other sights. Great food, great beer, great weather.. it was just the sort of relaxing week that we needed.

Arriving back in Fethiye on the Friday, we made the most of our hotel (and the chance to have a good shower and a good nights sleep) and spent the last few days exploring Fethiye. Even the fact that the second last day was a freakishly hot 46 degrees didn't stop us from climbing to the top of a hill to see the rock tombs and a pretty great view of Fethiye.

Next update will be whenever I get around to it. Maybe sooner if Rosie decides to write one. Until then..

2006-06-27T21:59:00.000+01:00

Yes... I know how slack I've been updating this page. Yes... I know our trip to Poland and Austria was months ago. My only excuse is that Rosie and I have both been extremely busy over the past few months.. too much to do, too little time.

Our trip to Poland and Austria back in April was an amazing week. We flew into Krakow and I think it's fair to say that both Rosie and I instantly fell in love with the city. The place looks amazing, the people are very friendly, and everything is REALLY cheap. The first day we travelled to the Salt Mine is Wielicza. I know that sounds really boring, but the maze of tunnels and caves that were hundreds of metres underground were amazing. The moment when both our jaws dropped was when we saw the huge underground cathedral that had been built for the miners.

On the Saturday night we went and watched the outdoor production of the Stations of the Cross on the large stage erected in the middle of the town square. It didn't matter that we didn't understand a word; the quality of the performance was so good that we were both mesmerized.

On Monday we travelled by bus to Auschwitz and Birkenau, two of the largest concentration camps in Poland. It was amazing how much of the camps were still standing and how well they had been preserved. I think that the image of rooms containing thousands of suitcases, or tonnes of human hair will stay with both of us forever.

The following day we flew into Vienna in Austria. I think that after the amazing time we had in Krakow, Vienna seemed a bit of a letdown. Much better was the couple of days we got to spend in Salzburg. Apart from a guesthouse that was right in the middle of an industrial estate and toilets that exploded (ask Rosie), Salzburg was another of those cities that really makes travelling worthwhile. The Sound of Music tour was a lot of fun, and even though I'm not the biggest fan it was still a really great to get out and see a bit of the countryside.

I think that one of my favourite places that we went was the Augustiner beer hall in Salzburg. The place was huge with seating for about 3000, and they only serve beer by the litre of half-litre in ceramic beer steins. We had such a great time that we ended up going back on the second night!

After one more night back in Vienna (and a surprisingly entertaining night at the opera) it was back to London and back to work.

Hopefully I'll update this blog very soon with some details and photos of our trip to Barcelona (several weeks late.. but when have I ever been on time!)

2006-04-11T12:01:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone. I thought I'd try and use this as an opportunity to share a few photos and keep everyone updated on what we've been up to. At the beginning of the month Rosie and I hired a car for the weekend and drove down to Lyndhurst in the New Forest (Map); a large national park in the south of England.
We had a great weekend, spending the whole of Saturday riding around the New Forest. It was a great way to see everything; there are heaps of tracks around the forest and there were plenty of small pubs to stop off at along the way. By the end of the day we were very tired and very sore, but it was great fun. The Sunday was spent driving around to some of the other towns around the forest. As you can see, we made it to the beach at Barton-on-Sea.. there was no way we were going in though. It was really great to get out of the city for the weekend, and we have to do more of these weekend trips.

Next trip is to Poland and Austria leaving on Friday. Expect a rundown of everything and a few photos when we get back.

Hello all..

2006-04-04T20:36:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone.. This page doesn't have much at the moment, but I promise I'll update it really soon..