travel within travel

Hi everyone, I am back. And on a roll. Since I last blogged, I have been busy, traveling within my Travels!  Does that make Sense?  It does to me.
 I came back from west Australia,  in may after my normal april/may visit, picked up my motor home from Brisbane and continued in a westerly fashion to Dalby,  spent a pleasant few days there, the caravan park is right in town, very convenient. A bit of star News!  It is right opposite the qld twins house from house rules on TV!  As it happened, they won, but I didn't know that then. They were very welcoming and posed for photos to my fellow traveller's,  not Me!  Then I was off, further west, over ground I had previously covered, towards Charleville.  I paused for a few days at Mitchell, spent some time in the artesian hot spa there. Very good for my arthritis. The caravan park is a few minutes walk across a bridge to the pool. Then on to Charleville. I was there in 2014, but this time I stayed at charleville bush caravan park, about 3 km out of town,but what a great Place!  Bush type sites, lovely ablution blocks, nice laundry,etc But the best bit was a great nightly camp fire, happy hour, camp oven damper several nights, camp oven dinner, sat nights, pizza night Sunday night. There was a bus to take us to town to the local RSL Monday and Thursday  nights, and a very comprehensive tour of the area on several mornings. Bonnie and Charlie, are the managers, very welcoming and helpful. On arrival we were issued with our own Bath mat!  That's a First!  The owner, Graham, gave talks on a couple of afternoons before happy hour about the deserts and corners. Cameron, Haddon and Pepper to name a few. They also ran 4wd tag along tours. So to cut a long story short, I booked to go on the next one as a passenger with the Leader!
so I went off to drive a figure eight, sort of , to get back to charleville in a month. First stop long reach,  and collect my mail. As I drove along, it started to rain, yea,the drought has broken., first rain in 5 Years!  I arrive in long reach , caravan park is ankle deep in water, Yuk!  But hey Rain!  Great. So I book for a week, to get my mail, and next thing is terrible news,my lo very friend and wife of my kids godfather, passes away from cancer. I book to fly back west for her funeral, decide I have time to catch the train to Brisbane,  that will be nice, see some different scenery, but no. Train tracks under water , etc, from Rain!   So I fly, very sad time, but glad I went ba c,  hugs and tears for John and his 3 sons and their lovely wives and grandchildren. Fly back after 5 days,get a a quick trip to Busselton to see Mum. Think I will go back on train, no it is still at Long reach!  Fly again, long reach is isolated by road. Plod up to post office daily, chasing more mail, no,  roads still closed, no Mail!   Finally after about 18 or so days roads are open, I give upon mail, and head north  for an abbreviated figure 8! They had about 10 inches of Rain!  So I go to Winton,  dinosaur country,  but the roads are a mess, so I only see the stuff in Town!  Julia Creek,  Hughenden,  then back to Winton,  Barcaldine via Longreach, again, Black all,  Augathella,  and hello Charleville!
I am madly washing and packing , lightly, and getting some supplies, bottled water and lollies for the drive. We left 2 weeks ago, 4 couples and me. He only takes 5 vehicles max, the trip is all motel accommodated and meals. Of course I am single supplement, but hey, I won't get out to the Simpson desert on my own, so I pay my money and am grateful for the chance.
First day to Windorah, about 440 km,  cabin accommodation, pretty good meal, continental breakfast,  packed lunch.  Off we go for the 400 plus km to Birds ville,  and hitting dirt roads almost immediately. Pretty good roads though. Lots of oncoming traffic, as we have just missed "the Big Red Bash" 7000 people in the desert for a rock concert at big red, a spectacular sand dune 40 kms inland from Birdsville.! Imagine it, and it was rained out, they had to move the concert to town.! Our Birdsville accommodation is lovely, I stayed there about 5 years earlier when I did a flight tour out to Lake eyre.  We spent 2 nights there, took a packed breakfast and drove up Big Red for sunrise, first lessons for everyone in 4 X 4 driving.  My photos don't do it justice. And I  hAve forgotten how to insert them , Again! The east side is easier to drive up, something to do with the prevailing winds, but we go inland further west to Eyre Creek,  which is dry, have smoko and turn back over 20 plus dunes. It's been interesting riding with the experienced leader. He talks the others through the hard bits,encouraging the nervy,  anxious ones and everyone is happy. Then we arrive back at Big red, it's a Sport!  About 20 or so vehicles are there, people up the top, watching, as all the "guns" rev up and have a go. Most Fail!  There is a "chicken run"  for anyone who can not make it, or a slightly easier way at big red. We go up the easier way back to the top, watch some more, then a couple of our guys they want to have a go. More air out of types,  some coaching from our great leader, and back down they go. 3 goes each, and they admit defeat. So our fl, fearless leader, and yours truly set off down, while our cheer squad stay on top. I am not missing out on This!    Down we go, no messing around, no big run up, like some of them do, no turn arou nd, drop a few more gears, I presume,  then away we go. Straight up and over in 1 Go!  Boy that was Fun!  I videoed it, but I think it is too big to put in here, but I will have a Go!

I will post this and continue in a c outlet of days.

May time

Hello friends,
I'm not doing to badly this time, as it was March when I posted my last Blog!
So here I am filling you in since Then!  I traveled up from Victoria,  via the Monaco highway, a route I hadn't taken before, in my continuing effort to travel new Roads!  Ended up in Cranberry,  a place I had actively avoided, but I had a group of hexagon sewing ladies to swap with, so it was worth while going in to visit. I also caught up with Sue and Bruce, whom I had met on a previous cruise, they kindly let me park on their driveway for the night, we had a good chat about cruising ! Then it was off to Cowra  to meet with the solo group of motor homers,  the Blue Wrens, filling in time before we went to Forbes for the solo rally. Had a good 5 or so days there, was parked next to an interesting chap, who has been involved in the music industry, and also a bit of a fly boy.  Had some very interesting chats with him, we had a few meals at the club, and pubs. Mostly nice weather, but we got caught with a torrential downpour, while we were at lunch one day, and when we got home, I had my roof hatches open, so my bed was pretty damp, not counting my table, with my sewing stuff all over It! Oh well it was a good test of my leaking slide out,  but that was ok.
Next on to Forbes rally, where I was a volunteer, in the craft section, which was pretty quiet, I showed 2 ladies how to make my little triangle containers, there was a lot more interest in Margarets knitted blanket patterns. A good time was held by all. I managed to win some meat raffles at the Rsl  Club. Stuffed my freezer full of beautiful pork. Then it was back on the road again. Heading for Mike and Hazel place up on the central coast. But before then I had to manage camping with Easter, being around the c order.  I stopped off in a little town and got the last site at their caravan park, it was full of dog trials People!  The Nsw, state sheepdog trials were on. There must have been 80 or more border  cOllie dogs in the park, with their masters of course, but not a peep out of any of them. So we'll behaved I was Astonished!  I walked over to the show grounds and watched them several days, it was quite interesting seeing t hem being worked. I kept thinking of "Babe", the Movie!  Folk from all over Australia,  not that I found any Western Australians,  but I guess someone was there. A nice couple from Brisbane outskirts, offered me parking on their property for when I flew home. But as it turned out it didn't happen . So I carried on and met hazel and mike at Mudgee,  where we travel led on together to a friend of theirs farm, where we stopped for a few days, very tranquil, beside a river, which mike said they still got a bit of gold from, if you got Lucky!  What a shame Doug Wasn't around!  He would have been down there Panning!  So we continued on back to the central coast in tandem. I stopped and collected some mail from their place, had a good catchup, but I didn't do any beading,which was quite a change, I think we both have been "beaded out", since we finished the cruise, and of c ourse I am full on with my hexagon sewing, at the moment.
I meandered my way north, on the new England highway, heading for Brisbane ready for my flight home to catch up with the family, and my regular patchwork retreat. First I had to find somewhere to park the motor home, as my offer from my dog people had fallen through as they had a family illness to deal with.  I ended up in a storage facility, quite a reasonable price, and I was able to have power on, as my freezer was full of all that darned meat from my raffles I kept Winning!  Thank god for that. So I flew home and was upgraded to business, Whee!  But as usual when I fly west, I can't get on the booze, cause I am picking up a hire car. Darn It!
Stayed overnight in Perth at a hotel, as I had Dr's appointments next morning, then drove down to jeans. This trip was a bit difficult as jean was doing renovations at their place and they were in their caravan,  so I was off to the farmer neighbours house to Sleep! I whipped c own t of Busselton to see mum, staying with Kathy for a few days. Then we had our retreat, at swanleigh,  a beautiful place , great food, comfortable beds, and Cosy workroom. We managed to put together another lovely quilt t for charity again. It was great to catch up with the girls again, very sad to see Jill still battling with her ill health, but she came each day, to sew a bit. I think we are all praying for her, and her family.  After some more time down at busselton, it was time to go north to Geraldton,  I had appointments with ophthalmologist,  who I worked with, I need my cataracts done. Had a lovely visit with meg, and the Geraldton sewing girls, also son Ben and his family. Their youngest Lali,  was 13, this week, quite the grown up young lady . We had a nice Mothers Day lunch, as Ben was off in a surfing competition.
That brings you almost up to date with my travels, will save the rest for next Blog!  Keep well and to those of you not well,  my prayers for a good recovery. Love and hugs,
vicki

Start of new year 2016

Here I am,March 1st, 2016, and where did the end of the year go.? So I stayed in west Australia,  for several months after coming home from the world cruise. Spent lots of time visiting mum, son and daughter and grand children. In December , my friend kath and I went off to Indonesia on a 15 day Christmas cruise, on Sun Princess. Got back to W. A.on Jan 4th.  I had parked my motor home at kaths  friend tom's farm at yarloop while we cruised. Lucky we came home when we did, as 4 days later yarloop burnt to the ground. Tom lost sheds and his caravan, it was lucky I had moved my van away. 

The fires delayed my departure, as 2 highways were closed due to  the damage. I eventually was ready to leave on 24th January. I started  slowly as I was pretty tired. Took 3 nights to cross the nullabor.  I had nice weather, luckily, not too hot. I had problems, Again!  Water Pump stopped, just a switch, fixed in port August a.  Fridge playing up, had that looked at in port August a,  but still problems, need to get to adelaide.  The gps died. Oh well, what's New? 

I drove to a delayed via Laura,  to visit with yvonne and Ken,  then south to Elizabeth,  to visit Geoffrey and adele.  Thank god for good friends, the fridge was going to take at least a week, 40 degree heat, whoa, cant live without a fridge. So I moved in with Geoffrey and a dele until it was fixed. Finally sorted and I am on my way again. Now I am trying to  catch up with friends who are sewing hexagons.  I visit Bute, Robe, and then stop off at Portland.  Visiting Hazel and Graham. While there the hot water system Died!  I get that fixed and leave to head north to visit some more sewing ladies. So I called into balranald,  and then Talbot,  Where I had some lovely times with my hexagon ladies.  The photo is of my hand made hexagon quilt, I am on the last 3 borders. I have also become a member of an international hexagon swap. Having a great time sewing them and posting around the world.  Am presently at loch, in victoria, visiting my good friends Glenda and ray, with their son Brad,  who has just sorted out my photo problem. Yeah. N ow let's see if I can do it again, next  blog!  I am stopping now while I am in Front!   Wishing you all good health and good luck!  Vicki

Merry Christmas, Early!

Hello Everyone!

Even I should be ashamed of Myself!   4 months gone since I last Blogged!   So here I go trying to catch you all up with my coming and  going!
Since July and Scotland, we cruised to Iceland , and had the most fantastic swim in the hot Blue Lagoon, very weird, with icy cold air and hot hot Water!  Some people smothered their skin with white clay type mud, apparently good for skin conditions. No Thanks!  The change rooms were a struggle, Scandinavians being totally Uninhibited!  The aussies trying to change under a Towel!  Haha!   We missed going to Halifax in Canada as we had to travel quite slowly due to the amount of ice in the sea lanes, Never mind better safe than doing a Titanic! NEW York was a great time, arrival a nightmare the yanks decided we had to all clear the ship for immigration purposes before we could re board.  At 1.00 am. Very hot and not at all comfortable in the "terminal"! Hazel and Mike and I made up for it the next day, getting ourselves more beading stock from the garment district. Then we did a  cruise tour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Next port was Charleston, southern Belles!  Beautiful architecture,  the homes were lovely I did a horse carriage ride. So saw them up close.
After a few days at sea we came to the Caribbean,  dropping into Curacao,  remember blue lagoon/blue moon Cocktails?  A lovely spot with many  colourful buildings. Then on to Cartagena, home of Emeralds! , Hazel and I did a jewelry making excursion there, raw cut emeralds and silver wire, I was very awkward, but we had Helpers!  Then on to the magnificent Panama Canal, we could see the new canal being built beside the 2 current canals, should be opened in a year or so. I believe.
South America was next on the agenda, somewhere totally new to me. I finally got the chance to buy myself my Panama hat, which I have been hanging outt to do for years. Always been to stingy to key one before. But decided to bite the bullet and get One!  Ha ended up with 4, some of course are Gifts!  But I love them, watch do he people weaving them, take some a couple of days To each  to make each one, and the amount they get paid for them is pretty small. The beauty of them is they fold up and don't break, Beautiful. So that was Ecuador, then on to Chile, and I took a few days off ship to go to Macchu Pitch,  an expensive  trip but a big tick on the bucket list. We were warned about preparing for altitude sickness, no booze before and while we were up there. That was a Drama!  We were also advised to drink the coca tea whenever offered as it would ease the Symptoms!  Didn't notice that, but it could have been Worse!  So I drank gallons of coca tea, ate packets of coca lollies,  and hoped when I got home and had my blood test, I wouldn't look like a crack Head!  The symptoms were pretty horrendous, of altitude sickness, heart banging like mad in my chest, breathless, of course,  huge headache, but I wasn't nauseated. We had b oxygen pumped into the hotel room at night,  so got a bit of sleep, but over all it was still with the Discomfort!  I Think!  The scenery up the mountains was spectacular, amazing how the incas built these  places, but I didn't realize it was only about 600/700 years Old!  I was under the impression it was similar to the pyramids, but all the same the history and stories were fascinating. Glad to be back on board 3 days later at the next port. Then more sea days and Easter island, again very interesting. Pitcairn island, had the islanders coming out to the ship, for a show on board and they brought their crafts for us to buy from them.
Then on to Tahiti,  Samoa , Nz,  and finally Sydney, where there was a big turn around of passengers. Including me losing the company of Hazel.  Mike had flown back to to Australia,  from Chile as his mother was very unwell. There but for the grace of God could have been Me! I helped Hazel off ship with their double lot of luggage, but Mike was waiting at the terminal to take it off our Hands!
I traveled on around the north of Australia,  with many new passengers, and our dining table finally had a full complement.  Some more lovely people to interact with. Although we missed out on going in to Geraldton, too rough for Tendering!  We arrived back in Fremantle,  114 days after leaving , and a bit extra Luggage!
Next day Jean took me down to Busselton to see Mum, who turned 101 in august, I was thrilled she still remembered Me!  Wanted to know when I was going to settle down and put all this travel behind me and "get a job"? I am still laughing about That!  But she has got it into her head and every time I see her she asks, get a job Yet?  No Way!  I have caught up with many friends and all the family, as I write this, and am back into the swing of my motor home. I went to the solo rally at Wagon,  and followed it up with the National motor home rally at Albany, which was disappointing as it drizzled all day everyday.  But the company was great. Been up to Geraldton to visit my friends and son Ben and his family, caught up with Genevieve and newish,   grand daughter Jamaica, who was 1 last month. What a cutie, red haired and gorgeous.
I have been patchwork in with my pinjarra and Geraldton  friends, getting stuck into my insanity quilt, which is moving along nicely, got my 2 border nearly finished, only about 6 more to go.
Kathy and I have booked a Christmas cruise from Fremantle to Indonesia, so will be away for Christmas, back on Jan 4th. Then it will be off east to make the big push into North Queensland.  And maybe finally finish the lap Around oz!
On a sombre note, I am devastated at the news from Paris and the tragic events there. I pray the world will find peace before we end up in another world war.  For all my friends and family suffering in any way, may you have a peaceful and healthy and happy Christmas.
love
vicki

Bonnie Scotland

HI Folks,
here I am in bonnie Scotland, getting ready to leave continental Europe behind, and head for the Americas. Since leaving Greece, we have sailed into Turkey at Kusadasi and Istanbul l,  also visited Anzac Cove for a moving ceremony, then on to Venice. I just wandered around on my own at Kusadasi,  but in Istanbul Hazel and Mike and I went into the city on the shuttle, and explored the Blue Mosque, and the grand Bazaar! It hasn't changed since 2003. Loved it then and loved it  now, at least I didn't buy any more Carpets!  Then it was Venice!  What can I Say!  Fantastic! We walked my feet into the ground, I was absolutely kNaked!  Bought quite a bit of venetian glass, " murano" . We stayed overnight there and the next morning,  hazel and mike and I did a trip to mural island to see the glass blowers in action,shockingly Expensive!  Then we went over to Brand island, where the lace workers Are!  Gorgeous, but we didn't have enough time to explore thoroughly.
After leaving Venice we stopped at Dubrovnik, my legs were playing up, after all the Venetian walking, so I can celled my tour and just went into town on the shuttle and wandered for a few hours, then came back on board for a well earned leg massage and treatment. Absolutely Fabulous!  I booked more for after the big shore Days!  To keep me mobile. I have discovered that cobblestones are murder on your legs and Ankles! The walled old city of Dubrovnik was fascinating, another place to ad to the bucket list.
 Instead of getting smaller as I travel, it is actually getting Longer! Then we had Rome, livorno,  for Florence and Pisa, then Barcelona and Lisbon. WELL Barcelona just blew me away. What a lovely city, mostly architecturally art nouveau period, different from art deco, really beautiful buildings, and the laws don't allow anyone to change the front ages , at least. Which means the whole place is protected. I did a tour up into the mountainside to Montserrat,a benedictine monastery, where I tasted their wine/liqueur, tasted like our benediction,  but cheaper, so I bought a bottle. Also fantastic cheese and salami, for my pre dinner drinking nibbles. Have been able to pad out my minibar supply with a few from ashore, so that is a blessing.
Oh backtracking, when in Rome, the Vatican square was blocked off, Andre Bocelli was giving a concert for the Pope.  Wasn't that what happened when we were there last time, with John and Judy,  JEAN?  Our train was beautiful, red leather seats, and air conditioned,  thank god, we had the hottest weather while in that part of Europe,  36,so and 37. Pretty warm. I was absolutely wet through all day. !
Lisbon was a pretty place to visit too, Hazel and I just did a bit there as Mike has hurt his knee. Then after a good crossing of the Bay of Biscay, we landed at Le Havre, where I did a tour of Monet's Garden. Beautiful. Took a lot of photos, but there were so many visitors that I ended up buying lots of postcards, as I always had some Jap, s o head in mine. Lovely lunch in a mill house,  converted to a restaurant.  Then on to Rouen, Joan of Arcs Cathedral, where she was burnt at the stake. Finally crossed the channel to Southampton, then over to Cobb,  Dublin and today, Greenock Scotland. Very disappointed as I hoped to catch up with my granddaughter who has come over to Scotland to be with her boyfriend,  but she started training for her job at the festival in Edinburgh so she couldn't come. Never mind.
Well friends, I hope this reaches you all and finds you in good spirits.  I have visited many churches and cathedrals so far and  I say a prayer for you all in every one. Until the next blog, love and hugs, Vicki

Ancient Greece

Hi every one, here  I am in Greece, . We arrived nearly 11 hours late, as we were delayed in Suez,  with the US navy getting precedence, with 5 ships, and then us. So almost the whole transit was in the DARK!
We have been having an interesting trip so far, dramas and small problems, but I am still enjoying It!  WE had very hot weather in Dubai and Oman, my friends, Hazel and Mike, nearly killed me with getting around in those 2 places, but it was still enjoyable. I managed to restrain myself in both places and only spent small in the gold Souks! !, Hazel and I are busy making our trademark necklaces and bracelets, it took a while, but once the first item sold we have been kept BUSY!  I am keeping a separate wallet for my sales, so I can tell how much I have made when the trip is over,have made a couple of rings, and sell them as fast as they get made, otherwise we find bracelets are popular, and the lanyards have been slow to take off.
We had a small fire alarm a few days ago, but it turned out it was only a fuse SMOKING!  That was nice,  still, people are steadily injuring themselves, we have had a lot of rough weather, as we dodged a cyclone off Karachi,  on our way across to Dubai, so broken arms, upper arms, and one young lady who is in a rather serious wheelchair contraption, broke her foot, dropped a carpet bowl on It!  I have been in the choir,  we performed to a sellout crowd, before Dubai, next performance is at Gallipolis Cove, then before Southampton.
Have just started a repeat of my day CLOTHES!  So that means they are lasting, found 2 pairs of shoes are too small, so they will go out in the op shop we have before we LEAVE! ! Also some of the clothes I brought on board, although I tried them on, when I sit, it's another Story!  Must remember that trick next Time! Hazel and I had lovely photos taken last night, it was formal, so that was nice, but we are, the buying Yet?
So now we start a run of a different port every day, with Greece,  turkey and Italy all one after the other.
My love and prayers to you all , I hope you are keeping well, in the wintry weather in Australia!  Love and hugs,
vicki

I am OFF!

So everyone, it will be a bit hit and miss over the next 4 months, as I sail away around the world. Toady is day 8 and we landed in Sri Lanka at 7.30 this morning, have been walking around the city for a few hours and finally stopped at a lovely tea and coffee place with free wife.  So wow I am IN!  Spent 22 minutes the other day on board getting one email out, so that will have to IMPROVE!
So I have an inside cabin, at the far end of the ship cabin 201, on 9th deck, the lifts are halfway down so I am getting plenty of EXERCISE!  My friends Hazel and Mike are the other end on deck 11, so that means we have a long Haul?  So far we are beading each morning, getting plenty of interest but no sales Yet!. I joined the choir, we have our first performance day before Dubai. A bit of excitement, they made a call for blood donors and a positive, so that was me, I had my card with me so about 50 or more answered the call, and after 3 hours of testing etc, finally 6 of us, including me gave a unit,, apparently a bleeding ulcer, but that could be just gossip. Captain thanked us and so did the wife as she passed through, but it made us feel good. So that was the excitement, of the cruise so far.
Anyway, I will write as often as I can, but probably about weekly. Love to you all, and I pray for those of you who are poorly.  Much love
Vicki