i have wifi that works

i didn't anticipate the slow free wifi across europe and hence , my excuse fir poor bogging added to technology restrictions we have had huge days  every day , traveling and site seeing and generally having a ball !! i'm in Lisboa the capital of Portugal and the hotel wifi is the best i've had and hence the case ch up posts , more to come as we are here for two days ! thanks to everyone who is reading my rants fir your patients and for dealing with my typos and spell check fauxpa !

UK magic

Thev UK has been more than kind weather wise , sensational London weather has meant we have been able to enjoy the city sites and country side without freezing or getting wet , we had a day out of town yesterday hiring a car and heating to The mysterious Stonehenge , and then we had lunch with an old school chum of mine at her beautiful home just out dude the divine city of Bath ! lunch was great and i was so glad i got to see Amanda and see where she calls home , she married a pom and has lived in the auK for over 30 years !! After lunch we spent the afternoon exploring the historical city of Bath on foot ! Bath is one of the most beautiful city and the weather was sensational! if you go to Bath don't miss the aromas Baths they are a significant site and well worth the $40 or so Aussie dollar entry fee ! car hire isn't cheap costing us close to $300 Aussie dollars for 24 hrs , each additional driver you wish to add will cost 12£ ( $24AU) ! it was great for us as we were two couples travelling to share the costs and the car gave us the freedom to go where we wanted to go ! no rest fir the wicked we were up early the next morning to head to the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace, Note to self check that the changing of the guard is on as we went and lined up to find out and he later it wasn't taking place that day , check the website !!! we took the tube and walked through the park !! we went the next morning but be prepared to be there at least 2-3 hrs before the 11am scheduled kick off time as the crowds are crazy , there would have been 15000 people all pressed against the palace gates !! after the mix up of the changing of the guard we didn't waste the day we walked from the palace through the park to enjoy a little retail therapy at the famous Harrods department store  , reviling in the glory of excess and luxury with bouquets of flowers selling for close to $600AU and steak that worked out costing over $1000AU a kilo , crazy first world gluttony! London is an amazing city a real meltdown ng pot if cultures , the people are very much like australians when it comes to service and a little less casual and friendly ! It is expensive as we are working on $2AU =£1 and yet a cup of coffee will set you back £3.50 or $7AU !! 

farewell to Paris

Paris has lost its luster , while it was again amazing to revisit this iconic city and experience the history and culture , this visit we were happy to be leaving ! the city isn't what  it once was , terrorism has taken a toll on this once carefree gay Paris , everything is barricaded, there are barnes police with automatic weapons on every corner , there are so many forgiven gypsys trying to sell you things and hassling you at every turn ! the city is dirty and extraordinarily expensive! to taint our visit even further Craig was pickpocketed at the Eiffel Tower and he list every thing credit cards , his license, and s load of cash ! there was also a terrorist attacking not far from where we were on our first night , 5 people stabbed one fatally!  on a positive note we saw Moulin Rouge and it was possibly one of the most magnificent shoes i have ever seen , brilliant ! i didn't go last time i was in paris so i'm thrilled i got to experience it this time ! Good bye Paris

love be you yeah ,yeah ,yeah

This is the money shot , we visited Abbey Rd for the famous re enactment of the famous   Beatles album cover , check out these fab 4 ,on the actual crossing!  its a little out of the city , we travelled from St Pancras station , it took two trains , however it's best to catch the tube as it is only a 5 min walk from the station to the crossing , it isn't well sign posted so it's best to ask st the station for directions ! 

Leaving The USA behind

it's always bitter sweet to leave the US , in this instance we are heading off on an amazing  adventure ,not heading home , hence i'm happy to be moving on but sad i have to say good bye to fiends and family not knowing when we will again sit together , really in person face to face , not via face time,  and yarn ! 

Heading from Manhattan  to JFK it was easier and cheaper to negotiate a  fare with a taxi than use uber orbattle the public bus with 30+ kilos of lauguage and hernias and knee replacements ! our cab cost us $57US in comparison to the uber quote of $96US taking into account we were travelling in afternoon peak hr ! 

so good bye to the land of toilets that are full almost to the seat with water and good by to the land of tipping adding at least 15%  to the bill , plus %10 tax , hence the price you see on the bill is in most cases at least 25% more when you pay ,?this is something to take into account when budgeting , . Jet lag hasn't been as bad this trip , jet lag ,i believe is caused by the time zone changes , you get outa whack with sleep times and this your body is confused and over tired and you wake at weird times day and night and are hungry at weird times and trying to get your bowl movements in sink is also something not to be poo pooed !! it isn't easy for me to poop on command so that's always a pain in the ass, pardon the pun!! lol lol it is often a good tip when arriving in a new time zone to try and stay awake till your normal bedtime in that country for example if you arrive in a new country at 10am try and stay away that day until at least 9pm then sleep and try to get up at 7am in that country's time , this isn't always easy as i get so exhausted and i start to snarl when i'm sleep deprived but if i manage my cranky pants i'm usually OK , i also take a low does sleeping pill with me just encase i need to force myself to get to sleep , as sleeping isn't a strong point for me , my adhd keeps me awake ,a lot !! before we travel we visit our GP for a once over and we get scrips for a general antibiotic , strong pain killers ie panadole  forte ( please note some countries dont allow you to bring codine in ) i have always had panadole forte  in my medicine bag and have never once been stopped !) Craig has many medications as he had a heart bypass in 2011 and we have his medications packed into webster packs as this makes it much easier for travelling as everything is listed on the top of the pack ! some countries require your prescribed medicines to have your name of the pack or a copy of the doctors script ! when we visit our GP for our pre trip blood pressure check etc have Dr Deb print out a brief medical history including any medications and we take that with us , saves drama ! gone are the days when you just traveled with a card of panadole and a bandaid !  in addition the medical travel hints , ive always found it useful to pack the chewable di spring , that way i have one before any long flight to reduce the risk of clots or DVT ! i also pack bedadine antiseptic cream , 3B barrier cream for chafe , ginger travel calm tablets , lip balm , antihistamine tablets, a ventilin puffer, cortisone cream ,  bandaids and some larger opti-site dressings (as you never know ) and a defibrillator ( lol that's a  joke ) but i do carry the essentials , and i am a hypercondriact !!!! good bye USA thanks for the brilliant weather the friendly people , the great service , fun food and for a chance for me to see those i love ! 

new york -central park 


the bean - Millenniam Park Chicago 

the old girl herself , this shot taken from the free statton islsnd ferry 



breakfast in new york , im meant to be here 

our room at Kath and Skips cent lexington and 92nd street upper east side manhattan NYC 

time square NYC 

my yankee family 

the L chicago 

New York , is more to us than a city

This visit marks visit number 4 to the big apple ! New York City holds a special place in my heart, it was the place 102 stories upon top of the Empire State building , 14 years ago Craig took a knee and proposed ! we have special friends there that open their home to us time and time again ! Staying with Kath and Skip makes it possible for us to actually stay for extended periods in this cosmopolitan, very expensive city ! 

this trip was extra special as we got to share the New York experience with our dear friends Donna and Chris !  New york in May was surprising warm , day one was 31°, it cooled down and remained fine and sunny for our 4 day visit ! if you considering a trip to the big a few places i recommend you add to your itinerary include , the 911 memorial site ,time square , central park , have lunch at the boathouse cafe , it's the chance to have lunch nyc at this famous restaurant on a cheeky budget !!! visit the high line( google it)  , the greyline bus night tour over to Brooklyn ( sit up stairs in the bus and get ready for a city scape mind blowing experience, negotiate $25 is good value, take warm cloths if travelling in winter or autumn! visit top of the Rock and  The empire state building ( be aware there is a new construction that is blocking the view of the Empire State Building ) ride the Statton Island free ferry and get free fabulous views of the Statue if Liberty and Manhattan, check out the bull sculpture on a wall St and rub his horns for luck ! use the subways as they are quick , cheap , run regularly and a trip most places in the city will set you back $2.75US , you can purchase a metro card at any station for $1 and load me net onto it there and then and top it up at any station at any time ! this card is also used on the bus system ! For us plentiful however is a little on the expensive side , particularly if you are from aiz as our dollar doesn't stack up ! a coffee in most places will set you back $4.50 US and an average main meal in a local italian resturant will cost between $18-$27 !

cabs are certainly on every corner and will cost $15US from one end of the city to the other ! Uber is available  and run out at a few dollars cheaper than cabs , however travelling to JFK airport from manhattan you can negotiate a $55 charge plus $15% tip , where an uber for the same trip will set you back $90US plus ! a public bus is cheap but difficult with luggage and takes around 2 1/2 hrs to get to  from the airport to manhattan! there are three major airports that service new york , JFK or Kennedy , Le Guadia , or a newark in jersey ! i love ve new york it's safe if your smart stay alert and don't go where your face distant fit , ie don't go through the streets of harlem at 3am !! this trip Creig and i took the public bus from Le Gardia to the uppper east side o manhattan and while it only cost a$2.75 it wasn't easy , esorcqlly with over 35kgs of luggage, and it goes around the world , we ended up having to get off in harlem and catch a cab to our destination at a cost of $18US !! it was like a chevy chase movie these two children by white middle aged couple with 10,0000 bags piling off a bus onto the street in manhattan Harlem area , we certainly stood out , but had no hassle and no one paid us any mind it's , all part of the adventure!!