Kevin and Moya's 6-month ADVENTURE !!!

We arrived in Dover on a wet morning and caught a taxi to Dover Centre to catch our bus to London to find the bus stop was just that, a bus stop on the main street. The taxi driver directed us to a cafe over the road where we had a coffee and waited. Moya’s latte was an instant coffee and milk and Kevin’s black was a spoon of instant coffee! The bus arrived but it wasn’t our bus which was an hour later, however Moya negotiated with the driver to let us catch this bus and off to London we went. Shelley and John took over their flat that very day so we went to the Agent’s got the key and then helped the two newly weds shift into their flat. It is a one bedroom flat in Herne Hill and the parents insisted on sleeping on a blow-up bed, which was in fact very comfortable. Our time in London was spent wandering around the city and taking in all the sights. We visited Tate Britain, wandered around the Tower of London, Westminster Cathedral, etc. We had a great evening with John’s father, Peter, and his girlfriend who entertained us to a great meal. Shelley and John looked after Marley on the Saturday which gave us the opportunity to watch a recorded NZ-Aussie game. On the Sunday we travelled to Guildford to meet John’s uncle Roy and Aunt Lee. They took us to a beerfest at their friend’s pub and we all had a great time. We found a cafe at the local Lido near the flat where there was free WiFi. This was a great place and seemed to be frequented by every young mother and baby in London. A very child friendly place!!
On the 18th the four of us travelled to Paris on the Eurostar for our final few days – 30 mins London to Dover, 20 mins in Chunnel, and just over an hour to Paris. We stayed in a hotel near the Sorbonne in the Latin Quarter (so called, as when opened the language of the university was Latin). We visited Sacre Coeur and lit our final candles in Notre Dame. We had lunch with Shelley’s friend Sarnie. They worked together on the Film Festival in Wellington a couple of times. Sarnie is a NZer living in Paris. We dined in French Restaurants and generally gorged ourselves on French culture. Then it was goodbye to Shelley and John, for we don’t know how long, a very emotional moment. We stayed an extra night in Paris, had our final meal before catching the RER to Charles de Gaulle Airport and our trip home.
So here we are back in New Zealand after 6 months of the most fantastic adventures and memories. We will have great memories and stories and ready to bore everyone with them, so be warned!!

There is only one day to go on our cruise and we are sailing down the North Sea, dodging oil rigs, towards Dover which we will reach early Wednesday 8th. We know we are in the North Sea, as the seas are over 4 metres high, while the Baltic had nary a ripple. In fact we are told that many people have stayed in their cabins. We, of course, are made of sterner stuff and have eaten and drunk to our hearts’ content!! We have been on many cruises, each one is different. On this cruise we have sailed up the Skagerrak and down the Kattegat to Copenhagen but as the channel was too shallow we had to sail back down the Store Baelt (The Great Belt) to Warnemunde. This meant we had to sail under the Storebaelts-forbindelson (Great Belt Fixed Link). This is an 18 kilometre long combined road and rail bridge which is supported by two suspension bridges. Now that was a sight to behold! That is now the way to enter and leave the Baltic by large ships. Each city we visited had its own charms and other than St Petersburg and the bus into Stockholm, we did it our way. It’s easy enough to do. We were armed with Helen and Don’s Lonely Planet and visited the Info Centres and the people there were always most helpful with maps and where to go. Local transport is user friendly and easy to use too. And who said Americans are selfish? On our last night a woman from Pensacola was given a bottle of bubbly from her travel agent and insisted on sharing it with us. As it happened she had been to NZ so we were able to share a few experiences.

This time the city really is a long way from the port as we docked in Nynäshamn, south of Stockholm. The ship moored in the bay and we were tendered in. We took the shuttle into Stockholm which took 50 mins along a four lane motorway most of the way. Even we couldn’t walk that! What a beautiful city it is. Stockholm is scattered across a series of 14 islands where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic. On the way in on the ship you pass many islands on which there appear to be holiday homes with jetties, guess it is like cruising in the Sounds, very pretty. The original and historical part of Stockholm is Gamla Stan Island. The city was founded here in the 13th century and has cobbled streets and the Royal Palace. The Stockholm Cathedral is also here as is the parliament and other imposing buildings. Our Bus Driver informed us that most people speak English fluently and they never dub English language films, they just use Swedish sub-titles. He was right about the English language as everyone we spoke to immediately replied in perfect English. Everyone accepted Euros but gave change in Krona which was a bit of a pain, however Moya managed to spend our krona. Stockholm would be one of our favourites if we had to have favourites.
One thing that you notice throughout the Baltic are the numbers of ships of all shapes and sizes. We have counted up to 20 ships in our view at any one time. Many are Ferries that ply between the various countries. They are about the size of the Cook Strait ferries but some are bigger. There are so many of them you wonder how they make money for the owners. It must be a popular way to travel.

Another port – we were told that the town was about a good hours walk from the ship. We walked it and it didn’t take us that long. We enjoyed the city. It is quite compact and has a vibrant market in an old market building. There is also another square, Senate Square, which boasts the Helsinki Cathedral, (Lutheran), the Parliament and the National Library. We had a coffee and sticky bun in an ornate restaurant on the esplanade. We caught a 3T tram which does a circuit of the city, so had a good general overall picture of a lovely city including going past the Olympic Stadium of many years ago. Most of the cities we visited are no larger than Auckland, and in some cases smaller, but their transport systems are amazing. They have underground trains, trams and buses. All seem to be integrated and one ticket covers the lot. Try doing that in Auckland!!

We had an overnight here and luckily we chose to attend a Russian Ballet that night as during the day it rained and those who went on sightseeing tours got drenched. In Russia to get ashore you need a visa and you must travel with a recognised travel agency, we were told. Certainly you couldn’t just walk off the ship as in other destinations. Every time you went you had to go through stern immigration officials who stamped your passport after making sure it was your photo!! Anyway we went to the Ballet and enjoyed being in St Petersburg and watching Swan Lake. We think the corps de ballet were students from the School of Ballet although the Principals were certainly older than students. An enjoyable night. The orchestra were really good and it was different having a live orchestra. The next day we did a half day sightseeing tour and saw the usual sights, palaces, churches etc. We saw the ship at the centre of the revolution. We also learned that more Russians died during the Stalin years than in WW2. Lots of the buildings along the river were originally palaces but were confiscated after the revolution. There is no intention to return them we were told. It was also interesting to learn that in St Petersburg everybody lives in apartments and during the Soviet years everyone received a free apartment. Our guide said that even though things were more expensive now, at least they had their freedom. All the bridges over the Neva are raised for a couple of hours each night to enable ships to go through to the lake. It is quite a sight apparently and people line the banks to watch. Not so good if you live on one of the islands and you can’t get home!
We had 2 nights in St Petersburg and the 2nd day started off overcast and then rained. However it did not detract too much other than some of the photos may be rainstained. A pity as St Petersburg was supposed to be one of the highlights and we never got to see it in all its glory. It was the only rain we have had, although the weather generally has been rather iffy to say the least. Not much sun, but as we are told the Northern Summer is over!!
Today we also learned of the earthquake in Christchurch and just when we wanted to view the news there was a power failure and no news available. When the news finally came back on the earthquake was the top story on both BBC and Sky News UK. That and the plane crash that killed 9 people. Who said NZ doesn’t get worldwide coverage. Anyway we were pleased to hear that no one was killed and that none of our friends were hurt but some did have house damage, including our friend Sue who has a house in ChCh which now has a wonky chimney. She should have stayed in France!!

After a day’s sailing we arrived in Tallinn. We were told the town was at least a 20 minute walk away and uphill. It turned out it was about 5 minutes away and just a slight rise. A good thing we ignored the advice and did our own thing. Tallinn, the Capital of Estonia, was founded in the 10th century. It has been cursed by foreign invasions because of its strategic position in the Baltic. It has finally achieved its freedom following the collapse of the Soviet Government. Tallinn is a modern city but has an incredibly beautiful Old Town. This has medieval houses with cobble streets. There is a vibrant Town Hall Square, a World Heritage site, full of market stalls. Toompea Palace, now the seat of government, is on Toompea Hill which dominates Tallinn. We have been privileged to see many beautiful historic sites and Tallinn, especially the Old Town, is up with the best. We tasted the local brew and ate the sugared almonds, a local delicacy. If you travel the Baltic, Tallinn should be on your must sees!!

We had been told that Wernemunde was only a port and nothing special so we should catch the train to Rostock which we did. This is a lovely town north of Wernemunde, and we spent a couple of hours exploring before we returned to Wernemunde. Wernemunde may be just a port but it is a vibrant place and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. We are glad we saved the best till last. We strolled around with quite a few others and just savoured the place. We had a beer in a cafe by the river which is abuzz with shops, cafes and bars. You can buy fish direct from the boats if you want. There are plenty of German type buildings. We were more than pleasantly surprised.

After a day at sea we arrived in Copenhagen. As the ship berthed close to the city we walked in. Actually nothing is that simple for us. On the way we sat at a bench to look at the map and move on. About 5 mins later Kevin realised he had left his sunglasses and case at the spot we had stopped. Back he went, much to Moya’s delight (?) and lo and behold they were still there and he returned triumphant. Copenhagen is a lovely place and we were fortunate the Queen was in residence as we saw the Changing of the Guard. We wandered around the city taking video and photos before walking back along the waterfront. As usual nothing is simple, as on the way back Kevin (again!!!) put his foot in a hole, twisted his ankle, and sprawled ignominiously on the ground. People came from all around but other than pride there was no damage, save to the video which now has a few scratches, but it still goes.
So back to the ship we went and there we stayed until sailing!!
All about this area you see windmills for electricity. We are informed that Denmark has the most windmills in the world. They are certainly everywhere, many of them along the coast and even out to sea. Amazing.

This trip deserves special mention!! Moya, the Organised One, booked our taxi to take us to the Station early in the week for Friday at 8.30am which would enable us to get the underground and walk to the bus station in ample time for the 10.30am departure. Friday dawned wet and of course the taxi never arrived. To the rescue came Shelley. She rang another company and they quickly despatched a cab. Unfortunately time had moved on and we had to get the taxi to the bus station which of course was a way more expensive. The original company when contacted, merely said “We have had a busy morning.” Anyways into the new taxi we went and the driver told us he was Nigerian and only interested in football not cricket. He was really pleasant until someone behind us tooted and then he yelled, “What’s wrong with you?” About 100 metres further on the same car tooted. Our driver pulled the taxi over, the other driver also stopped next to us, down went the windows, and a verbal started. The other driver also appeared Nigerian. The tooting driver spat at our driver who spat back, all this over a young child who was in the car. Honour seemed to have been restored but the remainder of our journey was spent in silence!! We were just glad to get to the bus station and get to Dover where our ship awaited.
As we were going through Customs the Officer there said “New Zealand – just a minute someone here would like to speak to you”, and over came another woman who had been to New Zealand and wanted to share her experiences. Then as we started to go through again she rushed up and said, “Hang on there is someone else who wants to talk to you”, and over came another woman who had a relative either in or just going to NZ. They were so interested in talking to us, I reckon we could have smuggled anything on board. Anyway on board we got and soon settled into our stateroom to sail off beneath the White Cliffs for our latest adventure.

So here we are in London staying with Shelley and John in Wimbledon, near the Common but Wombleless. We have seen squirrels and a fox though!! We have been here 2 weeks and have enjoyed just chilling out. Shelley has had this week off and she and Moya have Yogaed and Pilated to their heart’s content. In case you think we have wasted our time here, we assure you we have done our bit of sightseeing, not the usual sights as we have been here a couple of times before. We went with Shelley and her charges to Kensington Park, saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, as well as watch the children enjoy the special Diana Memorial playground set up for them. We have wandered around Oxford and Regent Streets and worked out the transport system, which is great. Kevin had a day at the Oval courtesy of John’s father, Peter, in the Members Stand for the first day of the England-Pakistan test, and we have had a simply amazing visit to the British Museum and the Portrait Gallery. A birthday present saw us attending the Ballet, Cinderella, another amazing experience.
Last weekend the 14th August, we travelled to Stockport, just out of Manchester, to visit John’s brother, Chris, his wife Anne and their 2 children Rachel and Hannah. We took the fast train there and back. Once again we were feted and fawned upon. We have been continually amazed how people have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and to show us the gems of their area. This was no exception. Chris and Anne took us to Lyme Park where the BBC filmed Pride and Prejudice. We then climbed a rise to view the Peak District around Manchester and the moorlands. The park is also a deer sanctuary and there were plenty of deer to see. Walking around you could sense the local nobles riding to the hunt!! Rachel and Hannah were great and we enjoyed their company.
On Thursday night the 19th, we had a drink and pub meal with Gerard and Brierley, Kevin’s nephew and his wife. It was great to catch up with them after a couple of years. They are threatening to return to New Zealand this December.
Saturday 21st, saw us off to Greenwich for a BBQ with Tina, Ollie and their daughter Marley. Tina is a friend of Shelley’s from the Ballet years and we have always kept contact with her. Before we ate there was a certain game from South Africa to watch and as the two husbands were English they had to endure the over exuberant Kiwis who were very noisy at the result. The BBQ following was just great with Moya being the only one to guess the country of origin of one of the wines at the wine tasting!! (Fluke, I hear you say?!)
The next night, Sunday 22nd, was a celebration of Moya’s birthday which was not until the Tuesday but because of work commitments of Shelley and John it was agreed we should bring the celebrations forward. We started with cocktails at the OXO Centre at the top of a tower block overlooking the Thames. We then progressed to Simpsons, an iconic London eating establishment where they carve the roasts at your table. A real English event. We are told this table service was brought in to assist those playing chess, as the restaurant was the chess centre of London well over a century ago. Carving at the table meant the game could proceed uninterrupted. The Sommelier was French and when he heard we were from NZ he congratulated us on the rugby win and then reminded us of French defeats of NZ!! The dinner was followed by Sherries at Gordons, an underground bar somewhere in London. The bar is basically a tunnel and is very popular.
Tuesday 24th, Moya’s birthday, was celebrated by Kevin taking her to lunch and then a wander around Buckingham Palace, Big Ben area before a quiet family tea. Tami was first with the greetings and she and Danny have been greatly missed at the celebrations. It’s at family times like this that the absent members are really missed.
Wednesday 25th we met Alan and Jill Bickers friends from Tauranga and enjoyed lunch together. Alan and Jill are over on a trip round Europe and England travelling though Canada on the way. It was great to catch up with them and hear about their travels. They will return to NZ a couple of days before us.
Thursday 26th and yet another pub meeting this time with Trieneke and her partner Rob. Trieneke was one of Shelley’s bridesmaids as Shelley was one of Trieneke’s. We had also attended Trieneke’s wedding, so it was another catch up time. As usual there was a lot of talk and a little drinking but as we were off on our Cruise first thing 27th a peaceful night was in order.
So on Friday 27th we are off on our Cruise for 12 nights. This will be our last great adventure before we return to London for our final few nights. Then it is off to Paris for 3 nights before we return to New Zealand 20th September. Watch out for our updates on the Cruise.