Down to the Nitty Gritty!

So.... here we are, Easter and just 5 weeks away.... no turning back now.... its booked, planes, trains and automobiles..... cottages, villas and hotels.... excitement building... told the family... see you there!!!!

So booking a special dinner from 10,000 miles away?  Easy?  Nah!  Where to go, that's sorted at least, Brook Meadow Hotel, Childer Thornton - that was the easy bit!

Who to invite, who not to invite? Worse than organising a wedding!

How about a family exclusive event?  That's easy surely?  Nope.... this ones here that day, not another.. this one is a Vegan... that's the local Steakhouse out the picture then.... aaarrrrgghhh!!!!!!

Hairdressers booked! Planning the packing... hmmm!!! These shoes?  Yes... what about those?... and I will need those boots!

Weather not looking great... better take two pair of boots...

Looks like the cold has set in for the year... better pack my woolly knickers!

So many places to go and see... looking forward to visiting a few old haunts and seeing lots of new ones...

Here are a few old favourites to whet your appetite....

How about we pop in to Chester first?   A very pretty city, on the river Dee....

....... steeped in history and still retaining its original Roman walls built circa 70AD.

As cities go, its pretty cool with a beautiful cathedral and shop till you drop!

Hungry yet?  Let's head to Conway for the best fish and chips on the planet! 

Well, OK - its been a while since 2007 but I am sure they are still good!

So how about the afternoon?  What about Llangollen? Pretty as a picture ....

.... even the wildlife is friendly....

.... always happy to help with directions....

How about heading up to the Lake District, Keswick's a pretty spot....  and by the time you return to base, you might even be ready for a little apple crumble and custard, with ice cream.... all on the same plate... that will be three serves thank you!

mmmm.... well... perhaps not... but it was seriously funny at the time and a perfect example of two people talking the same language but saying such different things......

How hard can it be?

So dates locked in... May 2013..... annual leave booked and confirmed!  FIVE WEEKS!  YAY!

Destination sorted... UK for a couple of weeks, home visit then over to France ... oh joy.....

So how hard can it be?

Quite hard apparently.... planes.... trains..... accommodation...... which to book first.... why don't the train and plane times line up ever? sigh..... let's not argue... I am sure it will come right in the end....

But finally..... details sorted.... we have an itinerary....

Inside Lane Cottages, Tarvin

Brisbane to Manchester...... stay in our favourite holiday cottages in Tarvin, Cheshire for a couple of weeks....

Lane Cottages, Tarvin

 .... visit friends and family... then catch the train from Chester

High Street, Chester

to London...

Shopping anyone?

London Bridge

spend a couple of nights in London.... stay at The Landmark Hotel


catch a show in the West End - The Audience, with Helen Mirren in the lead role,


hop on the Eurostar to Lille,
...... transfer to the TGV down to Avignon and spend a couple of weeks in a villa in Provence before a last splash in a swish hotel in Aix en Provence before

...sigh.....

........ catching those flights and heading back to Brisbane .....

Sounds like bliss.....

Change of heart....

Then I remembered... its been a while.... as ex pat's living in Australia... we haven't done a home visit... not in a long while... 6 years in fact... and well... 2013?  Its Mum's 70th.... K's 60th... our 20th anniversary.... my niece's 18th.... hmmmm... can we afford both?  No... so which is it?

In the end its a no brainer, but devastatingly disappointed.... I was so looking forward to Thailand... don't worry dear... your hours and hours of research won't got to waste... we will go in 2014 instead.... well maybe...

So... let's start researching a European trip for May 2013... how hard can that be? ....  "I fancy throwing in a France trip while we are over there".... and there it is again.... Research Heaven....

Planning Commences....

So this is it.... we are overdue for a holiday! The planning has begun.... where shall we go?

A cruise perhaps?

 

 

 Canada maybe?

Lake Minnewanka, Banff, Alberta, Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Zealand again?

Ruby Bay, South Island, NZ

I know!!! ... Thailand!!! Vietnam, Cambodia....!!!!   So point him in the right direction and off he goes... K in research heaven! Check out the web sites.....  ... asiawebdirect.com - so OK - we've got it narrowed down to a continent at least... that's something.... and the timing... November, sounds great....

uh ohhhhh.... not sure about what dear??

Well, OK, mild disappointment but OK... I can run with it...let's focus on Thailand... Bangkok.com here we come.... now we have it narrowed down to a country.... how about a few days in Chiang Mai? Let's play with the elephants, see the beautiful scenery, visit the temples?  Yes, I'm liking this... then down to Ko Samui, bit of beach-time R&R... perhaps a few trips on the water, maybe even a cruise .... loving it.... then back to Bangkok, meet up with some local friends, enjoy the delights of Thai food?  Holiday heaven.... let's book it....

So we did!!