RTW

We finally nailed down the booking for our trip around the world yesterday. All paid - no turning back (well unless we go overland because that's in the rules with these RTW tickets - stoopid 1way system). Around €5,000 all in for us both.
The itinerary is:
26 Aug 2008 London - Hong Kong
31 Dec 2008 Bali - Darwin
07 Jan 2009 Darwin - Cairns
26 Feb 2009 Sydney - Christchurch
26 Mar 2009 Auckland - Santiago
?? Aug 2009 Guatemala - Miami
?? Aug 2009 Miami - London
?? Aug 2009 London - Cork


on google maps here

Da Wedding

Well the weather was lovely and the proseco was going down a treat and then we went to the church and we were just amazed. the church was lovely, the priest funny and the Bride just took our breathe away. it was a beautiful ceremony and a fantastic reception. i know we had a brilliant time and it was over nearly too quickley.
we won't talk about the taxi drive back to our hotel too much but there was getting lost, Siobhán speaking "fluent" Italian to the taxi driver, a bloody nose and two men desperate for a loo.
we want to say a big thank you to Cian and Sue for inviting us to be part of their wedding day. it was brill.

Italy Apr 08

Pisa, Florence, Wedding in Tuscany, Florence, Rome
A really great week.


Siobhán loves Italy and now Ter does too after his first visit. we were there for Cian and Sue's wedding but we made a holiday of it.
first there was the leaning tower, where we tried to take that holdy up the tower picture but did not do that good a job. then there was the gelato.
we had a fantastic time wandering about Florence and hanging around with the wedding party before heading off to the wedding, please see seperate wedding photos.
then we had a great time in Rome where we also met with some of the wedding party. we had a blast at a restaurant where Dave had an unfortunate incident with a hot cocktail.
it was a lovely and relaxed trip with enough sightseeing, lots of vino bianco and gelato and Siobhán had some espresso's which she took to calling Italian red bull after she heard Ron talking about it. go Ron.

Achill Feb 08

Fri. After a 6.5hr drive from Cork to the far west of Ireland we realize that Mr T left the luggage at home and brought the wrong bag, a few beers and we rest for the weekend ahead.

Sat. We awake to a gusty, dull, wet day but make the most of our Irish weather. We visit some of the Island and drive around the Atlantic Drive and head to Castlebar to buy some clothes for the rest of the weekend.


On our return we hit the bottle in preparation for the Rugby. We watch the game in a local bar called THE PUB, where the smoking ban has yet to be enforced. Then its on for food and an interesting night with some Boston alcoholics ;).


Sun. Today is like a different world, bright blue skies and lovely warm breeze. We head around the Island, take a few snaps have a bite to eat while listening to Nemo get into the All Ireland Club Football final and head home.

Aberdeen Nov 07

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Iceland Oct 07

So we landed during the tail end of a rain storm. Relaxed and unpacked and went for a stroll about Reykjavik and had some lovely warming food.

Then, the best bit, we went to the Blue Lagoon, an outdoor, geothermal spa. We literally had to run out to it because it was fricking freezing and we had not noticed the indoor bit.

We had a great time trying to stay in the warm bits and it was very pretty in the dark.

On our way back out to the bus we caught a glimpse of the aurora borealis. The sky was not good enough for it to be really clear but it was amazing just the same.

The next day it was an early start for our fantastic super jeep tour with the best guide ever, Ollie. Waterfalls, Geysers, Glaciers, we saw it all and when we started to get a bit sleepy from being in the jeep Ollie would just go off roading.

It was a bit made when the GPS said there was no road so it recorded the trail the jeep made and then we followed it back. Oh and then when Ollie talked about the times the jeep had fallen into the river.
We got to make yellow snow. Jason says do not eat the yellow snow.
I also made my first snow angel. ;)

Paula and Jason went on a disappointing whale watching tour. Sea sick was the order of the day.

Other fun things: expensive food such a puffin, expensive food generally, the lovely people with fantastic sense of humour, the drinking..... oh the drinking.

London Nov 07

LONDON BABY!

Well, we eventually found our lovely if somewhat cold hostel. I had a nap and the lovely ladies went to do a bit of shopping before we went to see a west end show-Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dream coat. It was good, the songs are great. We got to use theatre binoculars and we did not get conjunctivitis!

We did a tour of the Tower, which was expensive but very enjoyable and entertaining. We saw Henry da fifths cod piece- my word.

After that it was pretty much walking and shopping with some tubing in-between. Oh and the most expensive yet not great ice cream in Harrods. Apart from when Carrie nearly got brought down by the constabulary for crossing the road. But that is another story.

Honeymoon Apr 07

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So we were really unwell for the first 2 days. like we got to the hotel and slept, woke and then slept again. Bundoran could be lovely it could be shite, who knows?

After that we had a great time.
Donegal is stunning, literally awe inspiring stunning. I cannot remember the names of anywhere we were because Terry was driver and navigator.

Sligo is also very beautiful and we were full of plans but I was sick by the time we got there. I did get to have a seaweed bath and we watched some surfers. But other than that terry spent much time in the cinema.

Galway was pretty much the same 'cept for the market, which I love. the present of their fab curry the Donagh and Dee gave us and the Tom Waits cover band we saw.
Crohns can be a pain. terry like the Galway Eye cinema.

I still really enjoyed it and we saw lots of places we will go back to.
we are going on our planned honeymoon in August of 2008 and I will be better.

Auschwitz May 06

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We were not really sure what to expect.

It was mad because when we got there I commented to Terry that for me, even though I knew it was real, my full concept of WW2 was from films so it was like the whole thing was a film to me.
Then we got there and it was amazingly moving and emotional.

I was crying in the room full of peoples belongings and was wondering why no one else was.
strangely, for me anyway, other tourists were posing and laughing in front of gas chambers and stuff.

It is a place that is worth going out of your way to see and was in many ways the highlight of our trip. even Terry, who can be a bit irreverent at times, was subdues there.

Poland May 06

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In a nutshell:
Poland Rocks.
Polish people rock.
Drink and Food in Poland rock.
Warsaw and Krakow are fantastic.
it sucks that we missed going back to see Pearl Jam, sorry Terry. I suck but Pearl Jam rocks.