Eiffel Tower, June 3rd

Tonight I am the Eiffel Tower (I wish!) For the first time in real life I see it with my own eyes. Magical is what I would use to describe it. The ambiance created by the flickering lights on this amazing work of art, lights up the open stretches of grass, amidst the numerous people who stare in awe at this amazing statue. Every hour at night until midnight the electrical 'stars' light up the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings as if a Christmas Tree.

Hundreds of people stretch themselves out on the luscious green lawns surrounding the Eiffel Tower, admiring the spectacular sights. In the distance the strings of a guitar fill the night air with romantic choruses.

Some crack a bottle of champagne whilst others relax to the sight of the tower, sipping on a glass of their favourite vintage. It is believed that 100's of people annually start their lives together at this romantic place. Who knows maybe one day I'd share this magical place with someone too?

Venezia, June 2nd

Finally, Venizia it is ....


Hmm ...



How a whole little 'town' can be superimposed on stilts in the sea is truly amazing ... The buildings sure tell the story of rising and falling waters .. but nether the less .. it is BEAUTIFUL!!! How these wooden stumps remain in good shape is a scientific story on its own ... try Google ... you will be amazed at the awesomeness of mother nature.....


The food .... well ... I am a sucker for Italian cuisine and the food at the little restaurant was like having a professional shef in your own dining room .. just enough space for a few tables ... talk about personal touch!



The sunset was truly amazing. Shades of salmon ... orange .. reds fill the skies amongst various shades of gray.


A perfect end to a superb day.

Innesbruck - June, 1st

There is no visiting Europe without admiring the picturisque beauty of the Swiss Alps. A day of shopping in Innesbruck is a definate must ... food ... drink ... and souvenirs ...

the possibilities are endless...

and do not forget to go to Swarovski ... Hmm .. The crystal beauty of the art works will make anyone go lame from the knees downards whilst you grasp at the fresh cool air flowing down from the mountains. Its like someone captured the spectrum of light from the mountains and captured it all within the 100s of crystals on display ..

Just enough time to sweep up all the apple strudel one could eat before the final bit of our travel adventure to get to Venice in Italy!

Yeeahh ....

I have been waiting for this the whole time ... Venizia!

Munich, May 30th

Today I learned how beersteins are crafted and explored the most humongous cuckoo clock store I have ever seen. This store has so many cuckoo clocks; if you do not find one to fancy your likings then I am afraid u are a little cuckoo yourself (joke!) Amazing clocks crafted out of wood.






A pretty drive along the Rhine River this morning. This valley is filled with ancient castles; some of them built inside the Rhine river! It is truely amazing to see how the people actually cultivate grapes on the slopes heading (some approaching 60degrees) down to the Rhine River! Truly amazing!

The exploration of the Glockenspiel and Marienplatz were truly amazing. Surrounded by the sound of ringing bells and the animation in the top of the tower truly depicts the happenings of that era; and tells a tale to be witnessed for yourself to experience its true emotional connection.

Not to mention the amazing works of art painted in the couples of the buildings. Every building is a work of art!

How better to celebrate the last few hours in this amazing town than with a light dinner (German style with 'sourcrout' eeeu!) and a few steins at the popular beer hall in Munich, the HofbrÃuhaus. Eish! I never thought I would be able to finish two 'German' steins of local beverage. :-) The pictures tell the tale ... what an evening.

















Milch und Bar! Absolutely ... showing some of the locals what a club in the southern half of the earth is like; danced the night away to 'nice' German tunes.

Cab anyone! I think it is time to get to our hotel!
We have an early morning tomorrow, at least the cumfy seats in the coach lends itself to those sleepy heads who party to hard. :-)

St Goar in Germany, May 29th

The visit to the Anne Frank’s House was amazing, how anyone could survive in such small spaces for so long - I just cant imagine.

The Van Gogh Museum was not too bad. I suppose for those liking that type of art it is a heaven. I thought it was cool, but liked all the stunning babes hangin out there a whole lot more! Man I should have studied history!


The afternoon we crossed the German border and head for the stunning Rhine Valley.
Wine tasting in a cellar in St Goar - jummy, I love a good vintage.

Off to Amsterdam we go!, May 28th

We head for the White Cliffs of Dover and the Channel crossing to France. We travel through Belgium and into the Netherlands.

After dinner a chance to explore the unique city of Amsterdam and it’s amazing nightlife.

Europe Trip

When one is in London.. you are so close to Europe.... Why not spend some time there, especially if you are from another country and getting in and out of town is a costly exercise, it makes sense to make the most of the time spent in European Country.

Well.... that is what I am doing:

A Contiki Tour ... Ever been on one? Well neither have I. New faces new friends, places neither have seen before (or maybe on has!). That all makes the experience much more richer. Doing the European Magic ... can't wait anymore it is going to be excellent!

If you want to check where I'll be going ,... check out the itinerary
Belgium (In transit),
Netherlands,
Germany,
Austria (In transit),
Italy,
Switzerland,
France

more info here: http://za.contiki.com/tours/122-european-magic

Today it's officially 1 Week

It's amazing how time flies when one is having fun.
Staying in an amazing little town, Purley ... so much at home like in the northern parts of KwaZulu Natal... Rich in trees and spacious gardens.

Shopping is amazing and the value for money far exceeds that of the (in)famous R. :-(
The general food store is equivalent to a Woolworths. Interesting how bad a quality we are accustomed to in SA.

Mark and myself explored the City to find the agency (www.facilitiesrecruit.co.uk) where he had to be for his interview. They say there is a nice contract coming up next week sometime and the guy at the agency has earmarked him to be part of it! so lets see what happens

Des got work and stared this morning... :-) I hope she likes it and does not fight with the Doctor like she did on Monday when she temp'd for a nurse that was off sick.

I love the tubes and the trains. SA is going to have to do a lot of work to get into par for the 2010.. Always on time and hardly ever late ... something to strive to if SA wants a economical and efficient transport system to transfer people back and forth.

Anyway .. gotta run ... might upload some pictures later on when I get a moment.

Check out some of the pictures from the around town! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6356&l=91af4&id=584136922

London Trip

First stop London...

Ok, so it will be my first time in London .... but what the heck; At least I have two friends with me. Main aim: Get a place to stay ... We have a place already ... but its just for a few nights. Next we need to get them something to do ... they are staying for two years afterall....

I need to see a few places in the week or so that I am in London.... BigBen, see a show, visit the museums ..... Oh .. shopping have to go and see what shopping is like in London .. I love shopping.

A party or two .. I certaintly think that will be in order!

4 days to Go!

Ok, so 4 days to go. One can not leave your home town without a visit of the friends and a drink to two.. so off to Firkin it is!

It was amazing to have all the friends here to give their best wishes for Deseree and Mark on their journey to the UK. We all had snacks and a jolly good time as i am sure you will see in the pictures below!

Deseree and Mark - Firkin - May 2007

When the evening finally started slowing down and it was time to say our goodbyes we'll .... lets just leave it at that ... some very emotional friends all around ... but it is not the end of the World ... Deseree and Mark promised to come and visit in February!

Preparing for a trip overseas

So, I thought it was going to be an easy one! ... Eish! try again.

Planning, Planning, Planning .... there are so many things to think of, so many arrangements to make, so many people to talk to... and so much cash to be expended!

But it will all be worth it! I am sure.

So, u have a passport - now the fun starts. First you need to get your trip planned. Where one is going, dates, times etc.. This is the easiest part! trust me, even if you do not know what you want to do, or where you want to go, it still is the easiest!

Next you need to get your flight arrangements done. This is also rather easy. But Shop Around!!, it is just amazing that you can pay 3 different prices for the same flights to the same destinations. My travel agent was most helpful in getting this sorted out!

Arranging Foreign Exchange is relatively easy (and seems to be a requirement, before you can get your VISA approved), so off to the FOREX guys it is. You need to have your flight details and passport ... else they will not help you, so make sure you have that with you.

Let your travel agent do your VISA application for you... they know which people to talk to to speed things up! You need tickets, itinerary for your travels, proof of FOREX, 2x color photos (don't smile .... they do not like teeth! :-)

So all set! Passport, VISA, Forex, Itinerary... almost there....

You need to take leave! Shucks ... be kind to your boss.. you do not want him to say NO now, unless you are one of the lucky ones who do not have a boss! (ie, do not work or are your own boss - don't we all want that!)

Time is ticking .. so why am I going?

We'll... some days I am asking myself that exact same question!

It all started off as a first time trip to London ( jip... to go see what all the fuss is about). Two of my friends are going there on working VISA's and this was an opportunity to join them ... even if just for a while!

There is nothing like experiencing something for yourself .... no preconceived ideas from others... no "I do not like's" because my wallet got stolen or "I did not like that place" influencing your view on your sources interpretation of their experiences.

I have had a number of 'Friends...' who have been in London,... who have worked there for a few years .... who have come back and gone again... And some of them are still there. They all share varied views on what they think of it! .. so one has gotta do it yourself and have your own opinion!

... and the Europe portion? you might ask...

We'll ... that was a spur of the moment! Very BOLD decision. Jip, extremely BOLD! A dream .. a thought .. a decision. There was no Why? What for? and Where am I going. Walked into the travel agent - indicated my intent, booked and paid! That was it. We will have to see how it goes. Unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar places .... that is sure going to be an experience. At least the first half of this trip will be with Friends in London!

So, this is why I am doing this... Share your thoughts..
Why would you be doing something like this?