Trip to Australia .... July 2009

Day 1 .....

Saturday dawned bright and hot. 4th of July ... National Holiday .... and the day we scheduled to fly to Australia to visit my sister and her family. Our itinerary called for 29 hours of travel from DFW to Perth, Western Australia. 3 flights .... DFW to San Francisco (3 hours) .... San Fran to Sydney (14+ hours) and Sydney to Perth (5+ hours). Economy tickets. Tom had tried several times to get seat assignments in hopes of getting legroom for me (6'0" tall), himself (6'3" tall) and Robbie (6'5"tall) to no avail. So he got the bright idea to go over to DFW early in the day and try to snag good seating assignments. So ... we drove over there ... only about 10 minutes away ... and he was told we were going to need Visas to travel!! Quantus failed to mention that anywhere in our bookings!! YIKES!! So we had to go home ... get out passports .... go back to DFW and deal with red-tape and being put on hold for 2 hours ... we checked our bags at the time, even though it was only 2:00pm and our flight didn't leave until 7:20 that night. I was surprised that they let us check our bags and then leave the airport! But they did!

Back home, the housesitter had arrived and I showed her around the house and the the 3 pages of things I had been writing down to remind her about. She is very responsible and I am so glad she agreed to house/pet-sit for us!! I was concerned about leaving the dogs in a boarding place for 2 weeks. This should be better.

Anna drove us to the airport around 5:30 .... and we cleared security and went to our gate in Termial C. Ten minutes later our flight got changed to terminal E .... so we got to ride the very cool automatic trams around the airport ... no problem. Terminal E is VERY nice. Got there and found out that our flight was lacking a flight crew and would be delayed. Luckily there was an Irish pub near our gate .... A couple of Bass Ales and all seemed fine!

7:20 came and went ... no flight crew ... an hour later, flight crew arrives and discovers two bad tires on the plane ... delayed again .... boarded at 9:00pm and by now our connecting flight in San Francisco is looking difficult to make. We taxi towards the runway .... and turn back .... seems a baggage door was ajar .... went back to the gate .... they slammed some doors ... we turned around and took off at 9:20 .... two hours late.

Oh ... and they lied .... they told Tom we had bulkhead seats with legroom .... not so!! We had seats BEHIND the bulkhead seats .... oh BOY!!

Three hours (and 6 Hot Flashes) later .... we landed in SanFrancisco. 10:20 Cali time ... trying to make a 10:40 flight in a different terminal. We were met by the travel lady handing us Hotel Vouchers ... no chance to make the flight ... but our luggage was available ... go get it! Ha!!! They lied again .... no luggage came out. So off to the Westin Hotel with carry-on's only.

SanFrancisco night air felt wonderful though .... even with HotFlashes!!!

No food since a Subway sandwich at 3:00pm. Ordered Italian to be delivered ... it arrived after 1:00am Cali time .... 3:00am Texas time ...

Oh ... But Wait!! When I got off the plane in San Fran I had 4 voicemail messages .... 3 of them involving our poodle who had escaped the back yard while housesitter was at a fireworks display!! A slat got knocked off our fence and she was GONE. Someone found her about a mile away, after nearly hitting her with their car. Her tags still have a phone # of her previous owner so they called them ... who then called my cell ... Housesitter was beside herself ... searching for the dang dog ... I called her around midnight to tell her Cookie had been found and give her the cell number of the people who had her ....

When I got to the hotel I was able to contact everyone involved via Facebook and emails .... and emailed my sister to let her know we would be 24 hours later than expected ....It's all good .....Tom and Robbie are of good humor .... I'm doing okay ....

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Day 2

Woke up freakin' hot and sweaty in the hotel room where everything is "Green" .... 2 shower heads, one shut off to save the environment ... special soap shaped like a green leaf to remind us of "being green" and saving the environment .... a recycle bin next to the trash bin ...

Tom says .... if they really wanted to be green they would have ceiling fans in the rooms and windows that open to let in the VERY COOL San Francisco Breeze!!! Instead, even with the thremostat set at 65 degrees we were sweaty!! A continental breakfast in the hotel cost $15 apiece .... a warm breakfast, including coffee was $20 APIECE!!! Yikes!!!

No toothbrushes, toothpaste, deoderant, change of clothes .... nothing .... oh well.

Our hotel is right next to the airport on one side and San Francisco Bay on the other side .... so we walked to the Bay and walked along the hiking path for awhile .... it was breezy and actually chilly ... and all our windbreakers are in our luggage .... of course ....

We decided to go back to the airport and check on our tickets and our luggage and everything!!! Tom got us into the American Airline's Admiral's Club which is where I am now .... able to get online ... snacks and drinks available .... still 6+ hours until our flight to Sydney leaves .... and it is a 14+ hour flight .... Oh Boy!!!

On a side note .... we have been fairly calm and polite during all of this .... occasionally scarstic about the cost of things here and such .... but fairly nice to the people involved with the airlines. Some other people who are in the same predicament we are in have gone ballistic .... shouting and threatening and throwing fits about their luggage .... I just can't do that!! We are upset, no doubt .... but shouting at other people doesn't do any body any good !!

Ah-ha!!! They have a Subway sandwich shop here in the airport ..... AND they have the $5 footlongs!! We are going to buy 3 or 4 of them and take them on the plane with us!! Get them to wrap them up 6" at a time .... $10 for a sandwich on the plane is crazy!!! I'm guessing that if a flight takes of at 10:40pm .... there won't be much to eat until what they consider to be breakfast time on the plane ....

Not sure when I'll be able to write again .... hope to include pictures at some point, too!!

Laters ....

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Days 3 and 4 ...

The flight to Sydney was on a 747 .... a huge jet ... the same size as Air Force One .... seats in Economy are 3-4-3 ..... once again Tom was told we had seats with legroom ... once again, he was SO lied to .... when we got to our seats and I saw how cramped they were, I nearly ran off the plane screaming! I didn't .... but I sure wanted to. There was ever less legroom in these seats than we had on the flight from Dallas to San Francisco. And we were going to be in these seats for 14+ hours? OMG!!

There are little TV screen inbedded in the back of the seat in front of everybody ... with LOTS of On-Demand entertainment .... movies, TV shows, documentaries, travel info, and video games. Everyone gets their own headset with the hopes that you will immerse yourself into your own little world of entertainment. When the person in front of you reclines their seatback, suddenly that little TV screen is maybe 6 inches from your face. Lovely.

The food on the plane was actually VERY good. Even though we took off at 10:45pm they served us a full dinner. Wine and beer was also included with free refills for the entire trip, if you could get someone to bring them to you. Given that I was in a window seat, I opted to not drink too much of anything because it was nearly impossible to get out of the seat .... especially when the row in front of yours is reclined and sleeping ....

After clearing the dinner trays and serving hot chocolate or tea and clearing that away, they gave everyone a goody bag with mints and cookies and crackers and candy and a bottle of water and then they turned off the all the lights and everyone was expected to go to sleep. I dozed a bit .... but Tom and Robbie were so uncomfortable that they kept getting up and they would talk to each other ... which over the drone of the engines meant talk LOUDLY to each other. Totally understandable .... but kept me from sleeping much. SO ... I turned on my TV .... only to find out that the whole system was DOWN. Nothing worked. If you had turned your TV off ... there was no getting it back on. If you hadn't ever turned it off, you still had movies and such .... but most of the plane was without entertainment ... kept the attendants busy!!

So ... I turned on my overhead light and read the rest of the flight.

Breakfast on the plane was very good too. Not much room to eat in ... but I do have to say that the food was well done ....

We landed in Sydney LATE and the lines through customs were very long .... and ... well ... we missed our flight to Perth!!

Luckily there would be another flight two hours later. I had no way to let Lori know we missed the original flight. When we got onto the 5 hour flight to Perth, this plane also had no legroom BUT it wasn't anywhere near full ... so after take-off Tom and Robbie moved into seats which were more open!! That left me with an empty seat next to me!! Heaven!!

So anyway .... we finally landed in Perth and our LOVELY niece Kate met us right at the gate ... remember when we could do that in America?? BIG smile on her face .... big hugs all around!!! It was 2:15 on Tuesday afternnon and we had been traveling since Saturday .....Our bags arrived as well .... YAY!

I realized it had been 7 years since I had seen the nieces in person. Kate is lovely!!! She is about 6' tall if not taller and totally THIN ... 14 3/4 years old. The twins, Jess and Andrea are 12 3/4 years old and also slender and beautiful. Robbie fits right in being skinny and tall. Tom and I .... well .... we are what we are!! My sister, Lori, looks great and Derek was working and I actually didn't get to see him until this morning. We were greeted with BIG HUGS and lots of warmth at the Sexton Home.

Robbie, Tom and I were like zombies .... walking tired ... but wanted to try to stay up as late as we could in order to get our bodies on a schedule that is 13 hours ahead of our normal time in Texas. Finally got a SHOWER!!! Blessed Shower!!!

We had some beer and cheese and crackers for a snack .... then Lori took Tom and and I to Freemantle ... a drive along the Swan River .... lovely!! We stopped at a Brewery called Little Creatures ... Derek's brother started it .... it is now a Brewery and a Resturant. It sits right on the Swan River with a lovely view. We had a beer there.

No pictures were taken because our brains were not engaged yet ....

We returned to the house .... gathered up the kids .... and went out for Thai food at a little place called Mai Thai .... All 7 of us ordered a dish and we shared with the table. It was very nice!!!

Pictures were taken .... but not with my camera! Shortly upon our returned home, I crashed and burned ..... Lori and Derek and children are very ACTIVE .... not sure when I'll have time to write .... but will try!!!

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Day 5 ....

Wednesday .... Lovely full night of sleep!!! Yes!!! Feeling much more human now!! Derek arrived home last night soon after Tom and I went to sleep. When we woke up this moring, Derek was in a shirt and Tie and said he had a big lunch to go to today. Good to see him for a moment!

The twins also had to go away with friends for a couple of days .... it is their school holidays and everyone is having trips various places. So it is Tom and Robbie and me ...... Lori and Kate .... and we are off to the .... MALL!! Oh Boy!!!

LOL .... Kate needs a new retainer and that is where her orthodontist is. Lori wants to buy Robbie some "thongs" .... aka Flip-flops .... to wear on the beach. She ended up also buying him a billibong "jumper" .... aka sweatshirt.

Australian Malls also have groceries in them .... a butcher shop ... a veggie stand ... so Lori did a little grocery shopping while in the Mall, too. Then we were off to the shore ... to Cottlesloe Beach on the Indian ocean. The weather is chilly and windy ... but wonderful compared to the 100+ degree temps we left in Texas.

After a lovely walk on the beach we went across the street to a hotel Pub and had a pint and some lunch. I had fish and chips!! Have to do that at least once, here, right??

Lori took us on a driving tour of areas around Perth and the City itself ... then back home. I took an hours nap while the others had tea ..

Derek returned and we all had a beer as we watched the Cricket tournament in England .... Aussies vs the British .... and watching Cricket is often compared to "watching Paint dry" .... LOL .... but Derek enjoys it and was teaching us all about the game. Robbie is eager to learn about all the different sports here in Australia .... Rugby, Australian Rules Football (footie), and Cricket ...

For dinner we all went out to The Yacht Club and had a lovely meal of Corned Beef with roasted potatoes and pumpkin and a side of califlower soup! And .... More BEER!! yay!!

Wine actually seems to be more affordable than beer here!! But beer is the prefered drink of many! A pint of beer costs over $8 almost everywhere we have been!!

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Day 6 ....

Good night's sleep .... it rained on and off all night .... we can hear it and it is lovely to sleep to.

Derek fixed us breakfast and then went off to work again. Not seeing much of him. Kate wanted to go into the city (Perth) and meet up with a bunch of her friends ... so Lori drove her to the trains and let her go off ... Kate is 14!! But I guess she was meeting up with 10-12 other students .... so look out PERTH!!

Lori, Robbie, Tom and I are doing the "touristy" stuff. Today we went to AQWA ... the Aquarium of Western Australia ... http://www.aqwa.com.au/main.asp .... it is set in a habour called Hillary's. LOVED the aquarium ... with the underwater view of all the sea life .... I rode around the whole thing twice on the moving walkway. Lots of sharks and huge sting-rays and a beautiful big turtle .... I'll try to post video from there .... lots of little kids around because of school holidays right now ... but they were fine ... ((Photos and video available at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v245/cincin21/Australia%20Trip/ ))

We lunched at the Hillary's Markets with a view of the harbour ....

Then we took off to hopefully see some Kangaroos and Koalas!! Lori took us to Yanchep National Park .... http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Pages/Attraction.aspx?n=Yanchep_National_Park&pid=9001631 It was a nice drive up into Territory that Lori hadn't seen for years ... all along the coast. Seems there has been a lot of growth in the population and building in the areas up there.

We found the park and paid only $10 for the carload of us to get in. Immediately saw lots of Kangaroos !!! I'll post video soon. They let us walk right up to them before hopping slowly away ... very cool!! Then we went in search of the Koalas .... the park is lovely!! Found the Koalas in their habitat ... the eucalyptus trees .... and got very close to them ... also got video of them. There were supposed to be 16 of them ... not sure if we saw them all .... but we saw lots!! Very successful adventure!!!

We returned to the Sexton's and had late afternoon tea ... and some sparkling Shiraz .... yummy!! Lori fixed Salmon filets for dinner .... and we all watched The Man from Snowy River ... one of Derek's fave movies .... and I LOVE the music.

All in all a lovely day!!! The twins return tomorrow and I am greatly looking forward to that!!!

Pictures and videos available at .... http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v245/cincin21/Australia%20Trip/

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Day 7 ....

"Sun showers" on and off all day today .... raining while the sun is shining .... and it is a cold rain!!

Lori and Kate and Robbie and Tom went to the Gym .... I stayed back and chilled. Lori made Shepherd's pie for lunch and started on Scalloped Potatoes as the dish we're taking to dinner this evening. Today is Derek's Mum's 77th birthday and there is a gathering at Derek's sister's home ... Lori is bringing a salad and the potatoes ....

This afternoon we took a trip to the Perth Mint and watched a Gold Pour and heard the history of gold mining in Australia .... no time like the present to begin buying Gold, right?? Lots of pretty jewelry!

We got home ... put the potatoes on to cook. The Twin's are finally back from their trip .... and it is great to have them around. A bit like herding cats at times .... but wonderful ....

Off to Kris and Vic's house .... Derek's parents have 7 children .... Derek and Kris and Karen were there along with their children. Everyone was very friendly .... wine, beer, Cricket & Footie on TV .... good food ... Lamb curry, chicken curry, Lentils ... salad and potatoes .... all yummy. Vic took lots of pictures and promised me a CD of them ... hopefully I will finally have a good pic of Lori and Derek and all 3 girls!! Those are rare!!!

Derek claims to be done with work and promises to spend time with us all this weekend .... we shall see!!

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Day 8 ....

Saturday!! Going out on the boat today .... but before that, Tom and I took Bella the dog out for a walk .... Lori and Derek live just a block from a beautiful park along the Swan River. This park has a dog-run where everyone just lets thier dogs off the leash and they can run. No fences to stop them from going into 4 lanes of traffic ... but all the dogs we saw were acting great ... and Bella was fine. The views are amazing .... and I guess if we were to walk far enough there is a little coffee and muffins cafe where one can sit and watch the river go by while sipping coffee or tea. We didn't walk that far. Young Jessica joined us as she was warming her legs up for a Racewalk that afternoon. Jess is the more outgoing and social of the twins ... Andrea is reserved.

Lori, Jess, and Andy are going to the racewalk ... this afternoon ...... Tom and Robbie and Derek and I are going out on the boat this afternoon ... and Kate is out with friends.

Derek fixed lunch for us .... Sausage Rolls and Meat Pies ... Frozen goodies he warmed up in the oven ... and we watched The Man From Snowy River II!! Then we headed out to the boat .... Derek has a 30 foot twin hulled something or other .... I so don't know boats .... I just like to ride in them!!

Derek took us out on the Swan river and we headed away from the ocean up towards the Swan Valley ... 8 knots is the speed alllowed in most areas ... a bit sedate for Derek ... but lovely for me!! It was breezy and chilly on the river ... but the sun was shining bright!! We went up past two racetracks ... Belmont and Acsot ... and turned around ... as we got into Perth we pulled into a pub on the river called "The Lucky Shag" and had a couple of beers and watched Rugby on the TVs and watched the river go by ... Loved it!!!

Saturday evening the Dockers were playing Australian Rules Football .... aka Footie ... on TV. Derek cooked us a fish and chips dinner and we watched the Dockers go down in their worst defeat EVER ... 130-13 .... even Tom and Robbie and I recognized a team who wasn't trying very hard!! Yikes!! The Dockers are Derek's team ... poor Derek ....

I crashed and burned early on .... like before 9:00 .... being out on the river made me tired, I guess ....

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Day 9 .....

Sunday also dawned BRIGHT and sunny. Lori and Derek and Tom and I drove down to Walter's Point for Coffees by the river .... this is also the cafe at the end of the dog-run area .... BEAUTIFUL spot. And they actually serve full breakfast and lunch, too .... food looked good. Lots of people out on a sunny Sunday morning .... a couple of Lori's friends met us there and I cannot remember their names but I know they have twin sons and that Lori and Derek and kids often go on holidays with this family ...

Tom and Lori and I took Jess and Andy to their racewalk ... I have video of that which I will upload sometime! They did great ... but both of them are complaining about their knees ... at age 12??? Highly competitive family.

Tom and Robbie and Derek are going to see an actual Footie game in person ... not Derek's team ... in fact, their rivals .... but we were here on the wrong weekend for the Dockers to be in town. Lori and I and the girls are going to the Fremantle Markets ... only open on the weekends .... shopping shopping shopping .... touristy type stuff ... all kinds of things ...

Afterwards .... Lori and I took a bottle of wine over to her best friend's house ... they have a lovely view of the river from their deck ... and we watched Perth light up as the sun set. Beautiful. Derek and Tom made dinner .... meats and mashed potatos and green peas ... and wine. All in all it was a successful day ... girls walked well ... boys enjoyed the footie ... Lori got to relax a bit ...

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Day 10 .....

Lori and Robbie and Tom and Derek and I all went out to Carnac Island on the boat. The girls didn't want to go. They claim the boat is too smalll. They are not into the boating thing much at all. We can't get off the boat at Carnac unless we want to swim ... and the girls don't like being confined to the boat either ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnac_Island

Robbie got to drive the boat down the Swan River and into the Indian Ocean where Derek took over. Lori claims the ocean was as calm as she has ever seen it. The trip didn't take long and soon we were anchored in a bay at the island watching the seals loll in the sun on the beach. Sea lions, actually. Derek turned on the music .... made some coffee ... and we all just enjoyed the beauty. One sea lion swam right up to the boat ... but Tom had my camera and I couldn't get him on film!! He was going from boat to boat visiting people who had stopped there for awhile. I did get some footage of a pelican floating around looking for handouts it appeared ....

On the ride back, we saw 10-15 dolphins swimming round and round in cirlces ... we figured they were rounding up fish ... I tried to get them on film too ... but the zoom option just made things blurry ... which makes me sad because they were wonderful!!! But it was great to see them! There is some video available on my photobucket page .... almost looks like shark fins coming out of the water!!

Derek drove us to Little Creatures ... the brewery his brother started and we tied off there and went in to have a late lunch ... beers and pizzas and nachos. I took some pics there so be sure to check out the pics in a few minutes ....

Back to the Sexton household .... dinner at home tonight ... the girls cooked .... pasta and salad !! Yummy!!

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Days 11, 12, and 13 ....

Tuesday ... we went out on the boat to Rottnest Island .... a good 1/2 hour trip across the ocean in Derek's boat. Jessica drove us nearly the whole way!! Yay Jess!! It was a beautifully cool and sunny day and once again the ocean was fairly calm. Derek ahchored the boat just offshore and we all waded to the beach. Robbie and Jess annd Andrea all went one way .... Lori and Derek and I went another. Rottnest seems to be an ideal little family vacation spot. All kinds of things for kids to do ... along with a Subway Sandwich shop and other familiar fast food ... a general store ... bikes to rent ... etc. It seems to be a very safe place to let your kids go one way while you go another! Google Rottnest Island if you want to know how big it is and all of that ... it is big enough to be able to Isolate yourself if you want to .... but also to hold 100's of people during the hoiliday seasons. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottnest

Lori and Derek and I found a pub .... imagine that. A pub with a view of the ocean ... Pics will be in my Australia pics folder. We had a peacock wandering around our table and at one point some ladies got up from their table and left some chips on their plate .... and before they could even move a yard away from their table it was divebombed by seagulls .... 10 seconds later, there were no chips left ... the catsup was all over the pavement ... glasses had been knocked over .... yikes!!!

We ordered various dishes to try and Robbie and Jess showed up just in time to help us eat! We didn't leave anything for the gulls to pick at when we were done. Then Lori and Derek and Tom and I took a stroll part way around the island. The island only uses vehicles to service it ... no personal cars allowed ... so all the transport is by foot or on bike and there are nice paths everywhere. We stopped in at a couple of bays .... every bay seems to have a story or a memory for the Sexton Family as I guess they often spend a week at a time on Rottnest renting a house with friends ...

We all met back at the boat at 4:30 and for some reason only one of the motors would start ... no idea what was wrong with the second one. Derek radioed Fremantle to alert them that we would be coming in on only one motor and it was a tad worrisome ... but it all worked out fine .... It was dark by the time we moored at the Yacht Club and I think I saw the Southern Cross in the sky as we were motoring up the river .... I love being on the water .... so I was very sad to see that part of our trip here come to a close.

Wednesday .... Derek had to go back to work and Kate went off with friends .... we delivered Robbie and the twin's to the Zoo .... then Lori, Tom, and I went to King's Park in Perth. What a beautiful park. A lot of the park is dedicated to the soldiers who have fallen in the wars over the ages .... Memorials for each war and trees planted with little plaques naming the fallen soldier .... the park is 1000 acres and sits high above Perth and the River .... beautiful. We took our books and found a sunny spot and read for awhile .... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Park,_Western_Australia

I think we spent the rest of the day relaxing at home .... reading and hanging out with the family. Tom checked our return flights and found out that out Perth to Sydney booking had disappeared ... thank goodness he checked .... we were able to get that fixed .... who knows what else we will experience on our return to the US.

Thursday .... Lori and Tom went out golfing and Derek and the girls and Robbie and I went Birthday shopping for Lori. Lori's birthday is Friday July 17th and she is having drinks and dinner tonight at the house with several of their friends and their children. Smartly she is having it catered!!

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Day 14 and Trip Home ....

Friday July 17 .... last day in Aussieland ... and also Lori's Birthday!

Started the morning with girls making Lori Breakfast in Bed ... and then there were pressies and cards to be opened!! I think she got a pretty good haul!

Tom and Robbie and Lori and Kate and I all went back to Fremantle to the markets there to pick up our souveniers for everybody. I wanted to get a Black Opal ring from there, too. Tom nearly choked on the cost ... but the lady came down $300 on the price and then reminded us that we could get a rebate of the 10% tax at the airport ... do overall it was about a 30% discount. It is a beautiful stone, though. I'll need to have it sized ... just need to decide which finger I want to wear it on.

We had lunch at a little italian place in the markets area. Yummy food there.

Back to the Sexton home .... we packed our bags and I took a little nap. We realized that to catch our flight out of Perth at 10 minutes past midnight ... and fly for 4 hours to Sydney ... we will have been awake all day and into the night .... YIKES!! What was I thinking???

BTW .... Lori's party the previous evening was a great success. Lots of friends and family showed up to celebrate her birthday and to meet Tom and Robbie and me. I met the woman who enticed Lori to Australia in the first place .... she was an exchange student to the Univ. of Illinois way back in 1982 .... and was a bridesmaid in Lori's wedding in Australia in 1984. It had been almost 2 weeks since I had worries about politics in America ... but almost all of these women wanted to know about Sara Palin and Hillary Clinton ... and of course, Obama ... They are not very fond of their recently elected leader, either. It was a good evening ....

Back to Friday .... Derek and Lori ,Tom and I went out to Dinner at a local Japanese restaurant for Lori's Birthday. Food was good .... pass on the Sake ... really don't care for it very much. We each ordered a dish and shared. Good way to do things. Back at home we had birthday cake and then it was time to leave for the airport ....

HUGS all around ... tears held back fairly well on my part ... Lori drove us to the airport and we parted ways there ....

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On the flight to Sydney, we each got aisle seats in different rows .... I am not a fan of aisle seating ... I like to lean against a window .... we were near each other but no way to talk. None of us slept on the 4 hour flight .... even though they did turn off the lights. Due to the time change ... we arrived in Sydney at 6:15am and our next flight didn't leave until 1:20pm on that Saturday. We had originally planned to go see a bit of Sydney ... but by that time we had been awake for over 24 hours and we were so tired!! We passed through domestic into the International terminal and once we did that, we couldn't leave the airport. We had hopes of a nice place to have a hot breakfast and some coffee ... maybe read the paper ....

Just for the record .... The Sydney Airport SUCKS!!!!

There was nowhere to get a decent meal anywhere in the International Terminal. You could buy a breakfast sandwich in one place .... coffee in another ... and pay an arm and a leg to do it. Then there were no tables available to sit and eat at ... VERY FRUSTRATING!!! Of course, we were in no mood to deal with it. Ahead of us we had a 13 hour flight in squished quarters and then another 3 hour flight to Dallas .... and we had yet to sleep. Already my feet and legs were swollen and there was nowhere to put them up short of laying on the floor of the airport and putting them up in a seat. The floors were really dirty and I just couldn't make myself do that.

Time passed and we boarded our flight to LA. We thought we got 3 seats in the front of a section ... at least, that was what the picture showed when Tom selected the seats online .... but that didn't turn out to be the case. We were right next to the bassinet section where the babies are and scrunched into three seats with no legroom. I took pics as best I could of how it looked for Robbie and me ... couldn't get an angle on Tom. One GOOD THING that happened .... the flight attendents saw how miserable Tom was and put him in a seat directly behind us where there was an empty middle seat. Robbie and I hoped that would give us an empty seat in our row, too ... but they filled Tom's seat with a tiny old man who was actually able to cross his legs in the legspace ... sheesh!! I was just glad Tom got a little extra room for the flight.

The food on the plane was excellent ... and the service was really good ... but it was a miserable flight. I stayed awake almost the entire flight. If I dozed off ... one of the babies would start crying and jerk me awake ... why can't they have bassinetts for adults??? HUH???

The flight was uneventful and we arrived in LA on time. We only had 2 hours between flights there and we were worried about making our connecting flight to Dallas. The weird thing is ... we left Sydney at 1:20pm on Saturday .... we arrived in La at 9:45am that same Saturday!!! Think about that ....

We moved through the LA airport with ease. Cleared customs without trouble and made it to our gate with plenty of time. My legs and feet we VERY swollen by this time and I just wanted to be home. I was seriously dreading the next flight .... part of me wanted to run screaming into oblivion!! But I resisted the urge ... all I can say is "Thank Goodness for Diana Gabaldon and Jamie and Claire." The book I was reading is an old fave and it helped me get through all of this!!

I was pleased to see that there was acctually MORE legroom on the flight to Dallas. Not MUCH more ... but even an inch helped.

Everything went like clockwork and we were home in a flash. Anna met us at the airport and we were home by 6:00pm. That would be 7:00am on Sunday in Perth .... so we had been awake for 48 hours by that time. Showers!! Then a bit to eat. Tried to stay awake until dark ... but I gave up and went to bed at 8:00.

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Post Trip .... for the record .... Jet lag was way worse upon our return home. I never even noticed it while in Australia .... but it took us/me nearly a week to recover from it after the trip. I went to the gym and tried not to nap .... really glad I didn't have to go to work and function ...

All better now!!

Pictures and videos here .... http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v245/cincin21/Australia%20Trip/

Monday June 14th, 2004

This time there were no bells to wake us at 5:30am. Sigh ... I will miss the bells. Gary took us to the train station in Koblenz so we could catch the 6:45 train to Frankfurt Airport. We had all our luggage with us and it was a pain getting it all on the train and even then, the train was packed and there was nowhere to sit. Tom and I stood up in the doorway area of the train for the 75 minute trip. And they charged us full fare ... which doesn't seem right ... but oh well ... we made it.

Once at the airport though, things went very smoothly. Because we were flying Business Class we didn't have to wait in the long lines with everyone else ... we got to go to our own special line and it only took a few minutes to get checked through. The rest of the time we got to spend in the Admiral's Club and that was so nice and relaxing. Coffee and juices and rolls and snacks for the taking. Comfort and luxury!

On the plane we once again had the wonderfully spacious and comfortable seating ... mimosas before takeoff ... our plane left at 10:50am Germany time and arrived at DFW at 2:40pm Dallas time. It was an 11 hour flight overall, I believe ... but it went very well.

It was good to be home. Robbie was there when we walked in. The kitties were there to ignore us. The lawn was overgrown. But the house was spotless and the pool looked really good. We were home.

Sunday June 13th, 2004

Today is a LONG travel day. WE are served another lovely breakfast by our hostess. This has been a wonderful B&B and if anyone is headed for Edinburgh, I'll get you the info for it! Book early!!

The Taxi picks us up at about 10:00 am and takes us to the train station. We have to take a train back to Glasgow then catch another train out to Prestwick Airport. I'll say it again ... the train system in Scotland is AWESOME!! Very Impressive.

Once at Prestwick we had time for a few beers and lunch before we had to get in line for our 4:30 flight. At 2:40 there still wasn't a line, and there should have been so we checked with the desk and found out the flight had been changed to 8:30 that night!! Yikes!! Suddenly we had tons of time to kill and even I couldn't drink beer for that whole time! Luckily, Monica had her Kniffle game with her so we had several rounds of that then we all settled into our books for awhile.

We didn't get very good seats for the return flight to Germany. The plane was jam-packed and there was NO leg-room. It was pretty miserable ... but we made it. Then we had to climb into Monica's car and drive back to Koblenz. We arrived back at Gary's at about 12:30am and proceeded to unpack and repack as Tom and I were headed back to the states in just a few hours!

We managed to get all the purchases packed and everything ready to go and fell asleep at about 1:30 am.

Saturday June 12th, 2004

Slept like a LOG. It felt so good!! Breakfast at 8:00am ... cooked to order and served in an elegant setting. There are only 2 rooms at this B&B and the other couple are eating later. Our hostess is very friendly and talks us to death. I felt bad letting her wait on us hand and foot ... but it also felt good!!

Taxi came at 8:50 to take us to the Castle where we will catch the bus tour. The bus ends up being pretty big but Tom and I end up behind the driver and our seats are really cramped ... especially mine. The driver is a riot and keeps a running monolouge through the entire trip. It is an all day trip with our first stop at Loch Lomond where we catch a boat tour of the Loch. The area is beautiful and the Loch is huge. Many castles on it have been converted to resorts and even a hostile! It felt great to be out on the water. We then stopped in a small town for lunch and then it was off to Stirling Castle. We didn't actually go through the castle ... Tom and I just wandered through the shops and enjoyed the sun and the breeze and the view of the Tussocks. Sometime during this trip Michael stopped the bus so we could all meet Hamish. Hamish is a large shaggy Bull with big long horns and he and Michael seem to have a wonderful friendship. Michael bought some fruit to feed him and whenever Hamish heard Michael's voice, there he went. It was pretty cool to watch.

We returned to Edinburgh at about 6:30 PM and went back to our B&B's to clean up a bit. Our hostess had recommended a few Indian Restaurants nearby so we chose to walk to one of those. The food was even better than the meal we had in Glasgow and the food even more plentiful ... but the bill was half, for some reason. We then wandered all around the Holy Corner area looking for a pub but there wasn't one to be found. So with tears in our eyes we retired to our respective B&B's for the night. Heavy sigh.

Friday June 11th, 2004

Slept pretty well considering the size of the bed! Still avoided the haggis for brekky. Packed up our luggage and checked out of our hotel. Hiked to the train station and caught the train for Edinburgh. The train stations in Scotland are wonderful as are the trains. Everything seems new and modern and I was most impressed! The scenery between Glasgow and Edinburgh was lovely and the trip seemed to go quickly.

Once in Edinburgh we got a taxi to our B&B's. We had to stay at 2 different ones this time but they were at least on the same street. Tom and I got out at the first B&B the taxi came to and sent Gary and Monica on to the other one. Ours turned out to be in a very old residence which has been fixed up wonderfully. Our room was to die for!! A huge bed!! And a gigantic gorgeous bathroom!! WOW!! I didn't want to leave the place!! But Tom and I walked up to Gary and Monica's place. Theirs was also very nice but where ours was modern, theirs had a country feel to it. We walked up to Holy Corner and caught a bus towards the castle. Our first goal was the HARD ROCK CAFE so that Gary could add to his collection of pins and t-shirts from Hard Rocks across the world! WE had lunch there ... finally a good salad! They had the Eric Clapton Signature Edition T-shirt that I had been looking for so I got one for me and one for Robbie. Then we were off to Edinburgh Castle. We didn't actually go in the castle but we did go into the tartan weaving mill right beside it. This place was huge and had even more Mackinnon stuff in it!! Tom bought me a cashmere sweater and ordered one for himself. They make them there! We all booked a bus-trip to Loch Lomand and Stirling Castle for the next day while there, too. Then Tom and I went across the street to a place where they had Scotch tastings. We caught a bus back close to Holy corner ... the buses in Scotland are not at all rider-friendly ... and made it back to our lovely B&B. Rested and read for awhile then met Gary and Monica for dinner.

Had a nice meal at a place called The Parrot. Laughed and ate and drank and enjoyed the company. That big bed kept calling to me, though so it was an early evening for us!

Thursday June 10th, 2004

Met Gary and Monica downstairs for the Scottish breakfast. I did avoid the Haggis ... but all else was good ... even the baked beans. No idea why they have baked beans for breakfast, but oh well!

Our plan for the day consisted of catching a double-decker-open-top bus tour of Glasgow so we wandered on down to George's Square where the tours originate. This was quite a walk in itself, but on the way I snagged a couple of coffee mugs which reminded me of Jaime and Claire and would make the perfect gift for Susan, the lady watching Robbie for us. I am very pleased with that purchase and sure hope Susan likes them!

During our walk to the bus, the sky opened up and poured on us a couple of times. Then the sun would come out. Then it would rain again! Same thing happened while on the 70 minute bus tour around Glasgow. The rain and cooler temps didn't bother us a bit. Everyone around us seemed to take it as par for the course, too. No worries. I must say, it is really nice to be back in a country where English is the main language. After the bus tour we stopped for lunch in a pub and beers of course! Then Gary and Monica went one way while Tom and I went another. We had spotted a place that sold kilts and all the accessories and Tom wanted to look for a sporan for his formal kilt attire. They also had lots of Mackinnon this and that stuff so we had a good time shopping. We also bought some more books and then went back to the B&B to relax before dinner.

Gary, Monica, Tom and I all went out to an Indian Restaurant for dinner. We ordered way too much food but still tried to eat it all! It was really good. Monica is a vegetarian so Indian is a popular choice with her. Me too! We walked off the meal a bit and then retired for the night.

Wednesday June 9th, 2004

Awoke to the Bells gone Wild again ... home sweet Koblenz. Still more laundry to complete. Tom ventures out one last time for breads and pastries. This time he brought back some really yummy pastries with cream cheese and big strawberries covered in a sugar glaze. The best pastries yet!

While the last load was drying ... up to a 3 hour process ... Tom and I took one last walk along the rivers and bought our final German gifts. One last stop at the biergarten where I actually had the best schnitzel of the trip, in my opinion! A few final German biers. Sigh. It was so HOT out. Very odd for that time of year there. In fact, according to the papers it was cooler in Texas than it was in Koblenz that week. Koblenz was in the low 90's and that is really hot for there. And no one has AC! But also according to the papers, Scotland was going to be cool!

Gary got home mid-afternoon and Monica showed up shortly thereafter. We all piled into her car for the drive to Frankfurt-Hahn airport ... a smaller airport outside Frankfurt. We got there hours early for a 7:30 flight. The earlier you get there, the better chance of snagging a good seat. Our goal was the exit-row seats ... and we managed to do it! Yeah us!!

It was a 2 hour flight to Scotland and we landed at Preswick Glasgow airport ... an airport that is over an hour by train away from Glasgow. It was 50 degrees and raining and that felt wonderful to me! As the train pulled out of Preswick we saw we were on a beach area and then Tom and Gary spotted the Golf Courses ... gorgeous Golf Courses. Troon was the first one we saw but there were many more as the train headed inland towards Glasgow. I didn't want to go inland ... I wanted to stay by the sea ... sigh ... but our B&B was in the heart of Glasgow ...

Anyway ... the B&B was like a hotel ... 65 rooms! The bed was small ... the bathroom smaller ... but it's all good. The manager pointed us to the nearest pubs and warned us to be aware of the hill. Man was he right ... felt like we were in San Francisco! A very steep hill down to the street where all the pubs and cafes and shopping was. We found a place to have a few beers then staggered back up the hill and off to bed.

Tuesday June 8th, 2004

More Ice Water on the buffet!! They have other stuff, too, you know? But Ice Water was my main attraction! Sad, isn't it?

We pack our bags for the return trip to Koblenz. We have to take a train to Koln (Cologne) and then change trains to get to Koblenz. The train from Amsterdam to Koln was another ICE and once again very comfortable. We missed our train to Koblenz when the ICE got delayed by a freight train ... but the next train came along in a short time ... still no time to see the cathedral in Koln. Gary met us, still dressed in his clothes from work.

We got back to Gary's and all changed. Gary opened a bottle of Champagne and we toasted to travels and friendship. Then I started on the laundry while Gary went in search of steaks to grill out. We drank champagne and beers and scotch and ate salad and pork steaks. I continued with the laundry as we all were leaving the next day for 4 days in Scotland! Essentially this was our last night in Koblenz. It was hot inside Gary's place so we hung out on the balcony listening to music and talking and imagining the lives of the people we saw through the windows across the way. Luckily, Gary had a couple fans in his apartment so we slept pretty well ...

Monday June 7th, 2004

Tom and I both woke to the sounds of shattering glass bottles at 4:00am (and daylight, no less) as the recycling trucks made the circut of the cafes around the square. Neither of us had slept very well. People do like to party on Sunday nights around here!! Plus the covers were too heavy and the temp was a bit warm. We both tried to go back to sleep, but Monday mornings must be recycling collection mornings as garbage trucks just kept coming. So we showered and read and then headed down for breakfast.

The main thing I spotted on the breakfast buffet was a pitcher of wonderful, clear, crisp, ICE WATER!!! There was a mad dash from all directions for that pitcher!! One woman stood there filling one glass while chugging another until the original pitcher was empty. Luckily they brought more or there might have been a murder! We hadn't seen actual ICE in WATER in over a week! Yummmmmm .....

Our plan for the day was to see the Van Gogh Museum, my main reason for wanting to go to Amsterdam. We hopped a bus outside our hotel and managed to get fairly close to the museum area. Walked the rest of the way. The day was warm and sunny. The museum itself was actually kind of disappointing. It did have a lot of Van Gogh's personal artifacts and some history and paintings I had been unaware of .... but none of my favorite Van Gogh works were there. I guess that kinda makes sense. Other big famous museums and private art owners probably have the most famous pieces. His "Sunflowers" was there along with several self-portraits. Lots of very dark early pieces. We bought some prints and souveniers from the gift shop ... but once again, the selection seemed to be limited by the actual paintings featured in this museum.

There was another big art museum nearby, but it was closed for renovation. There were lots of little shops along the walkway and I had a nice time picking up items here and there for people at home.

We caught a bus back to our hotel ... dumped our stuff there and grabbed our books and headed back to our Irish Pub. There we settled in for an afternoon of reading and relaxing and drinking beer! I was in heaven!! There was always some kind of street musician ... from Violinist, to accordianist, to guitar and saxist ... entertaining and then passing the hat. We listened to the people around us and just inhaled the atmosphere. Luckily, neither Tom nor I feel like we always have to be going and doing!! And I am so glad.

We asked for a fan at the front desk and happily they were able to comply!! So I took a little nap while Tom wandered the streets of Amsterdam. Our friend, Gary, had recommended that we try to have Indonesian Food while in Amsterdam. They serve a meal called a Rijsttafel which is basically a buffet of tastes brought to your table ... dish after dish after dish. Luckily, the restaurant was only 2 doors down from our hotel so that we could roll back there! Actually, we walked around the square a couple times then settled at our Hotel's sidewalk cafe for coffees. All in all it was a very relaxing day in Amsterdam.

The area outside our hotel was not as noisy on Monday night and so we slept a little better. The fan helped, too.

Sunday June 6th, 2004

I heard the dogs barking but Monica shushed them very quickly so we went back to sleep for a couple more hours. Monica had coffee and a lovely breakfast prepared for us. The plan for today is for Gary and Monica to drive us into Koln(Cologne) where Tom and I will catch a train to Amsterdam.

The scenery everywhere is just so beautiful. Quaint villages nestled into fields and valleys. So many shades of green in the forrests and the fields. All the villages seem to have white or cream homes with brown trim and brown roofs and everything looks "just so". People have lived here for centuries and you get a sense of that as you travel along. There are also many castles .... some in ruins and some which have been repaired ... perched on the sides of tall hills ... usually overlooking the rivers. It is easy to imagine the fairy tales that were composed here. Easy to imagine them being true!

The Koln train station is huge and wonderful. Right next to it is a very old cathedral which we hoped to get to see inside if we have time before our train. Sadly .... the line was so long to get tickets that by the time we bought them we had nearly missed our train! We rushed our good-byes and Tom and I took off for the Netherlands!

The train we rode in was called an ICE and it was very nice. The car we were in was nearly empty so we got the prime seats ... facing each other with a big table in between us. Stewards rolled carts along selling beer and coffee and water and snacks. Tom and I put our feet up ... opened our books and just enjoyed reading and watching the scenery go by. I forget how long the trip was ... more than a couple hours ... but it went by quickly.

On a side note ... bathrooms in Europe quite often cost money to get into. Always have change with you!! But on the trains they are free and always nearby which is very nice. Bathrooms in Europe are also quite often inaccesible to the handicapped. Usually they are down several flights of narrow stairs ... especially if you are in an old restaraunt or pub. If you have trouble going up and down stairs ... be forewarned!

On another side note ... the EURO is a wonderful thing. It is so nice to be able to travel from country to country and not have to worry about the exchange rates for money. If you are planning to go to Europe, we learned that it is best to leave most of your cash at home and just use an ATM card to withdraw cash in whatever country you find yourself. That way you get the best exchange rates available at the time. Now if only the UK would convert to the Euro. They are still dealing in Pounds.

WE arrived in Amsterdam and located a Tourist Information Office in the train station. There we were able to get a bus pass and book a hotel room and get maps of the city. Up to this point, Gary had been our guide and our interpretor ... but in Amsterdam we were on our own. Tom has been to Amsterdam before on a couple of occasions so he knew of a hotel he wanted to stay with. Luckily, there was room at the Hotel Schiller on Rembrantplein ... a grassy square with a statue of Rembrant in it. The bus system was easy to use and the maps easy to follow.

Hotel Schiller is an old Art Deco hotel ... beautiful inside and overlooking all the outdoor cafes and coffeehouses on the square. Our room is small and the bathroom is smaller ... but we will be okay! Everyone in Amsterdam seems to speak several languages ... at least the people in the service industries do! Tom and I wandered around the Rembrantplein and eventually settled in yet another Irish Pub where I ordered a Trappists beer. The waitress asked if I wanted a double or a triple ... so I said triple, thinking she meant the size of the glass. She looked me up and down, trying to decide if I could handle it I guess ... then she asked me if I knew what a double and a triple were. She explained the the "Dubel" is a dark beer with a little over 6% alcohol. The triple is lighter in color but with about 8.5% alcohol. She decided that maybe a Dubel was the best option for me. I guess I looked like a lightweight??? Anyway ... the dubel was wonderful and I ordered it wherever I could from then on.

Tom and I then wander here and there, hither and yon, checking out the atmosphere, mostly. Coffehouses in Amsterdam can legally sell marijuanna and hash, in case you didn't know that. They actually hand you menus when you walk in with their selections. We stopped in one that also had internet access so that I could email Robbie. I also had a cappacino. Most of these coffeehouses are really small ... 2 or 3 seats inside is all that will fit. Any they sure smell like what they sell ... and I'm not talking coffee here!

We tried to get into an Indonesian Restaurant but all required reservations ... so we made reservations for the next night and had Italian instead. Then we retired to the room but left the windows open to listen to the sounds of the city ...

Saturday June 5th, 2004

I have yet to suffer a hang-over ... and I am very glad about that!! We breakfast at Gary's and then Tom and I pack our smaller suitcases and we all head out to Monica's Village for the weekend. From there, Tom and I will go to Amsterdam for a couple days.

Monica lives near the Ahr River which is home to many steep vineyards and lots of winerys. Here is a link to pics from there ... http://www.chezjag.net/altenahr/altenahr.html

We dropped off our bags at Monica's house and met her 6 Bearded Collies which live with her. Quite a troop! She has recently done a lot of remodeling of her house including a most impressive guest bathroom! She lives in the house her father built for her family when she was a little girl. From there we venture off into Wine Country on the train and do some wine tasting and take a nice long hike along the Ahr River ending up at a gasthouse and having lunch there. We take the train back to Monica's village and a couple hours later Gary and Monica take us to one of their favorite places for dinner. After dinner we play Kniffle (Yahtzee) and Monica and I kick the men's butts! Once seated at a table in Europe, it is your table for the night. People often take their time eating and drinking and bring games to play and drink some more. Very relaxing.

We walked back to Monica's where she served us dessert and Tom and I tried to figure out which dog was which. Monica warned us that the dogs would wake us up very early ... all of them barking and insisting on being fed and let outside. We assured her that, even though cats don't bark, they have their own way of being insistant in the morning ... so we would be okay.

Friday June 4th, 2004

Slept until the Bells Gone Wild woke me up at 8:45am. Finished the laundry. Tom ventured out for more breakfast treats ... the great white hunter, tee-hee.

After breakfast we ventured back down to the rivers in search of souveniers for friends and family back home. Lots of little kiosks along the rivers. There are huge river cruise ships that travel the length of Europe and many of these boats dock at Koblenz to pick up supplies and let passengers tour on land. I had my first street vender Brat on a Brochen and it was really good. We bought a few things from the various stands and one of the vendors gave me a shot glass with my purchase ... I was touched! Then we settled at the Biergarten by the Moselle and drank beers and listened to the people around us and watched the boats go by on the river. We wanted to take a river cruise ... just a day cruise up the Rhine but we were never able to work it in.

We have a pub crawl scheduled for tonight so I decide to take a nap so that I can hang with the big boys tonight. While I slept, Tom wandered around the city some more. Gary got home around 5 ... fixed us glasses of Scotch on the Rocks (I could get used to that treatment!) and then he ventured out to by Brats to cook on the grill. He returned with a Six pack of really good beer and a bunch of brats and brochen. So we grilled and drank and laughed and ate and listened to some great tunage on Gary's Satellite connection. There is a station out of England called Gaydar Radio ... they play really good stuff!

Finally it is time to venture out to Gary's Friday night routine which starts at an Irish Pub in his neighborhood. There are 3 seats right at the bar so we take those. The bartender is Irish and is happy to pour us 3 Guinesses ... he even carves little shamrocks into the foam for us. We strike up a conversation with him and he is very entertaining talking about how he ended up in Germany and life in Ireland and all kinds of topics. The Guiness flowed. Then two young men came up to the bar and stood next to me and ordered 2 beers in German. The bartender looked at me and said "Americans" and tilted his head their way. So I leaned over and asked the closest young man if he was American. He was surprised ... I told him the bartender knew immediately. I told him I was from Texas and he said he was here on an exchange program from a small engineering school on the East coast. I asked which one and he said "Westpoint"! So I asked him if he was one of the cadets that Gary Allen had met in Munich on Monday. He said "No! But do you know Gary Allen?" I said sure ... he is here with us tonight (but he was in the toileten at the time). They were shocked! They had been given a pic of Gary (in scuba gear, of all things) and were told to look him up if they needed anything in Koblenz. They were like ... "He's Here?? Right Now??" I said we were staying with him and that he and Tom were best friends who met at Westpoint Prep School. Then the bartender butts in and says "Are you boys looking for Gary Allen?" And they were shocked ... "YOU know Gary Allen, too? Does EVERYONE know Gary Allen?"

Gary and Tom finally return from the WC and everyone shakes hands and drinks to a small world. It was pretty amazing. And I am sure those cadets think that Gary is THE MAN. Gary actually coordinates the exchange program for the Westpoint cadets. It was a very cool occurance.

We stayed at the Irish Pub a lot longer than Gary normally does .... it was 11:30 when we finally left. We went to the next place on Gary's route and sat out on the patio and had a couple more beers ... but then I got the hiccoughs really bad ... which has never happened to me before. Gary proclaimed that we needed Pommes Fritz to soak up the beer and I totally agreed. We got a big paper cone filled with hot french fries covered with Mayo and catsup and boy were they GOOD!!

We stumbled back to Gary's place and I crashed ... Gary and Tom sat out on the deck and talked into the wee hours of the morning.

Thursday June 3rd, 2004

Gary had to go to work today so Tom and I are on our own. Tom went out to find breads and pasteries for breakfast. Bread needs to be bought fresh daily ... luckily there are several bakeries in Gary's area. I started a load of laundry ... Gary's washer and dryer are in the basement here. Thank goodness his building has an elevator!

We basically hung out at Gary's today. One washer load takes 48 minutes ... and the dryer takes forever. I got online and emailed Robbie and Caroline ... just checking in on house and home and child! Gary's computer sits at a window that overlooks the rooftops and at one point I looked up and literally saw 2 chimney-sweeps up on the roofs cleaning chimneys!! I told Tom that if they started dancing and singing I was going to freak out! I hadn't even had a beer yet! They just went about their job ... but they were great fun to see. I think Tom got some video of them, but not sure.

We did go grocery shopping ... also an experience. You have to bring your own bags and carry everything blocks and blocks back to the apartment. I'm not overly fond of city living to be honest ... but we sure are getting our exercise these days!! There is a big undeground Mall in Koblenz and that is where the grocery store is, believe it or not.

I finally got to take a nap for a couple of hours ... very nice.

Gary came home and poured us each a Scotch on the rocks. We drank and talked and then went out for dinner to a Schnitzel Haus. Great food! More pommes fritz ... yum! We walked back to Gary's and hung out on the balcony drinking beers and talking. Very nice. I tried to stay up to see the full moon over Europe, but it hadn't shown by 11:00 so I went to bed. I woke up at 3:00am and there it was ... bigger than life ... saw the face of the man in the moon clearly. Very cool!!

Wednesday June 2nd, 2004

Once again woke to sunshine and birds singing at 4:30am. Once again, happy to roll over and go back to sleep! One more wonderful breakfast and then we packed our bags to leave. When we met Gary in the lobby he informed us the car did belong to the cadets ... and it was dead. Luckily, he carries jumper cables, but I am sure he made them suffer some before he told them that! Gary had to lead the cadets to the place where they would be staying for 3 weeks. He took Tom and I to the train station in Erding and Tom and I took the train to Munich and then from there caught a train to Heidelberg. The train systems in Germany are rather confusing to me and really need to be updated with electronic boards stating when trains arrive or depart from unexpected tracks ... especailly for stupid foreigners.

Once in Heidelberg, we stowed our luggage in a locker and took a bus to the castle. It started absolutely pouring ... and thundering and lightening. We drank more beer and tried to wait it out, but finally decided to try to see the castle. Tom thought there was a tram up to the castle from the square ... and there were signs that said there was one ... and we followed the signs and never found the tram. So we tried tramping up the hill to the castle ... a long, steep, cobblestone road ... rain pouring down. I wasn't really a happy camper at that point. I stopped at the first level of the castle and let Tom venture up countless stairs from there. When he got to the top they were actually charging money to get into the castle ... so he came back down. You'd think they would let you know that before you start out. Meanwhile, the rain stopped and I enjoyed the view of Hiedelberg from my post. Lovely. And wet.

The downward trip was uneventful and we caught the bus to the train and the train to Koblenz. Gary, meanwhile, had been caught in a traffic jam for most of that time but was able to meet us at the train station. He wasn't in a pleasant mood!

I can't remember what we did for dinner that night ... but I do know that I was early to bed!

Tuesday June 1st, 2004

I awoke to birds singing at 4:30am. Happy to roll over and go back to sleep. Slept with the balcony doors and windows open ... once again no screens and no bugs! We met Gary downstairs for breakfast ... a buffet style setup ... included with the room. Like a B&B, I guess. The breads are wonderful and Tom and I are enjoying them ... SBD is out the window while we vacation. At least they are whole grains and no preservatives!! Yum ... 3 minute eggs on the buffet ... memories of my childhood at Nana's. I hate making them myself, but when someone else does it ... yeah!

Gary is off to Munich Airport today to meet two Westpoint Cadets flying in for an exchange program. He will meet them and help them get a rental car and bring them back to our hotel. Meanwhile, Tom and I went out walking around Erding again ... we just wandered and looked at the old buildings and little shops and stopped in the outdoor cafe's for beers. We are drinking lots of beer and not much water. You have to buy water here, I'm not sure what is wrong with the tap water, if anything.

Gary returned after lunch and he, Tom and I took the train into Munich. We walked and walked and I finally had to stop and buy a pair of socks to put on under my sandals ... I guess I hadn't broken them in as well as I had thought before we left for our trip. Blisters were forming on the inside of my foot where the sole met the edge of the sandal. I ended up stopping in a Foot Locker, of all places, and buying a pair of Michael Jordan socks as they we the thickest! But after that purchase and a couple of beers, I felt much better!!

We drank those beers while waiting for the Glockenspiel to put on its show. That is the big clock in Munich square that has the mechanical pagaent played out when it chimes the hour. These days ... it only actually puts on the show a couple of times a day .... luckily, we got a good seat at an outdoor cafe that served beer! The Glockenspiel plays out the story of the Prince marrying a common woman from town. She wanted the townsfolk to be involved in the celebration and that was the beginning of Octoberfest. It runs for about 10 minutes ... and isn't over until the rooster crows!

We walked from there to The Hofbrauhaus and had a few more beers there and listened to the polka band playing American music ... go figure. On the way back from the Haufbrauhaus we encountered a classical quartet playing under a bridge which supplied them with natural accoustics. They played Pachabel's Canon in D and I just stood there listening with tears flowing down my face. It was amazingly beautiful. Tom got it all on video ... I hope it has the same effect on video. Gary also shed a few tears while listening. It was so moving.

We then moved on to anonther BierHaus for dinner. The food was wonderful ... and more beer! I am very fond of Pommes Fritz ... french fries! Forbidden on SBD ... so I ate them whenever I could in Europe!!

Train back to Erding and Gary took pity on me and called a cab to take us back to the hotel. I wasted no time climbing into bed! Tom noticed a car in the parking lot with its lights on ... he mentioned he hoped it didn't belong to the cadets ...

Monday May 31st, 2004

We woke to church bells. And rain. Today Gary needs to go towards Munich and we get to ride along. It is about a six hour drive and we are staying 2 nights in a town called Erding.

Germany is so green and beautiful. Very clean, it seems to me. Lots of castles on hills and quaint towns near forrests. LOTS of farmland. And vineyards. Very pretty. The Autobahn had more traffic on it today but we still zipped along at a good clip.

We stopped for lunch in a town called Ulm ... birthplace of Einstein and also the home of the worlds tallest church steeple. We had doner kebaps for lunch ... basically a pita sandwich ... and a beer. Then we toured the church with the tallest spire. The windows of the church were so beautiful ... but many had been damaged by bombs in WWII ... they had been repaired, but the repair was stained glass that seemed to show how the damaged windows looked after damage. Tom has video of it all.

Three hours later we pulled into the Henry Hotel in Erding. What a great room! Big shower, fairly big bed, nice couch, very comfortable room! We settled in then went on a walking tour of Erding and ended up at the Erdinger Restaraunt. The food was German and good. The beer was awesome!! And the waitress had really big boobs which made Tom and Gary happy. I've decided that I really like the Trapists beers ... made by the monks as a meal replacement! It is dark and tasty and strong! Yum!!

We wandered back to the hotel and settled in for the night. Night time darkness is only about 4 or 5 hours long this time of year in Germany. It seems full daylight at 4:30 in the morning ... that is hard to get used to!

Sunday May 30th, 2004

Gary met us in Frankfurt at the airport. He warned us to be ready for some low level flying as we climbed into his BMW. No kidding! The AutoBahn is awesome! We flew along ... the left lane is for passing only and people seem to respect that here!! WOW!

It's 7:30 Sunday morning when he meets us and we arrive in Koblenz a little after nine. Tom and I unpack and shower and change and Gary has breakfast ready for us .... sliced cheeses and meats on bakery fresh rolls. And coffee. Gary's apartment is awesome. The front door to his building is situated in between a leather shop and a Biergarten! What a deal! He is on the top (4th) floor and he has windows everywhere with a view over the rooftops towards the Moselle River. Situated on a hill across the river he can see a Fortress which dates back to the year 1000 and is lit up at night. He has a great balcony from which to enjoy this view.

Gary's apartment has been modernized in many ways and has great hardwood floors in some rooms and ceramic tiles in others. His taste for decoration is very ecclectic ... it shows he has traveled a lot! Persian rugs on the floors combine with some Southwestern decor. Lots of tchotchkies. Interesting! None of the windows have screens on them and Gary claims there are no bugs in Germany. There is also no AC so we keep the windows open and so we shall see about the bugs!

Gary then takes us on a walking tour of his city. We head down to the Moselle River and walk along it to where it intersects the Rhine River at a place called German Corner. There is a huge statue here and lots of flags and tourists around. We stop in the Biergarten by the river and have a few beers sitting outside in the sunny breezy day. So nice! We continue with the walking tour then head back to Gary's.

A short while later we head out to meet Gary's girlfriend Monica for dinner. She seems really nice. Monica is German but works for the US Embassy and her English is outstanding. We dine outside at an Italian Restaraunt on yet another river. Across the river are acres of vineyards planted on steep hills ... wine country.

We return to Gary's apartment and settle in for the night. We share a couple more beers out on the balcony as we drink in the atmosphere. Church bells chime every 15 minutes and at 9:45 every evening they go crazy for 10 minutes .... ringing with no plan nor pattern. Bells gone Wild! Bells gone Crazy!! Then the 10:00 chimes and no more bells that night. By that time, Tom and I had been awake for over 24 hours and I was exhausted. So, even though it was still light out, I slept ....

Saturday May 29th, 2004

Tom and I were up early today ... bags packed and ready to go! We had a car come pick us up and take us to the airport ... that went smoothly. Check in also went well and then we got to hang out in the Admiral's Club, which was right across from our gate, until our flight. Very Posh. We had Bloody Marys and I used the internet to contact my SBD Fools. Very relaxing!

The flight left on time at 2:30pm Texas time. WOW! Business Class is the way to travel! I have so much leg room ... I can stretch my legs all the way out and still not touch the back of the seat in front of me. The seats are multi-postional and come with their own TV's!! The Stewardess started us off with Mimosas! Yum! There is a little kit for everyone in Business Class with ear plugs, an eye mask, hand lotion, toothpaste and brush, breath mints, and socks! The menu choices were great ... but sadly, I can't remember what I had to eat!

We were due into Frankfurt at 7:30 Sunday morning. It was a 10 hour flight ... but with the time change we basically flew through the night. Lots of people slept ... but Tom and I read and watched movies and listened to music. We drank lots of water and a few beers. It was really the most comfortable flight I have ever had.