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Well, for those who have experienced struggles with immigration, visa, beaucratic nonsense and all of the above .... my sister sent me this piece of reporting which just makes you wonder :)
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/6308109/cat-saves-asylum-seeker-from-deportation/

The Aquarium - photos see previous blog

These are back to front but you won't know that, ie arrival at Odysseum is the last photo of Joseph ....

Also added a few more from Montpellier as they were too good for you to miss. Video to come later.

Montpellier October 2009

15 October 2009 - Bristol to Montpellier

Firstly directly from Maddy's diary .... cause she says it well.

Yesterday we all got up extra early so we could get a lift into Newport. From Newport we had to walk to the station, so we could get to Bristol Temple Meads. Once we got there we had a look around and got our boarding passes printed at Protocol. Then we had to walk to the bus station so we could catch a bus from there to Bristol International Airport. We got to the airport and we were all excited. We had to go through security which was boring. We were waiting for our flights to be boarding, and then it was ready to board and we were even more excited, then we got in the line, then we got on the plane and Maddy (I) was bounding up and down. It was a long flight but a short flight. We didn't have any food on the plane, one because you had to buy it and two we didn't bring any, so now we know to bring some !!! We got off the plane in Montpellier. We got our passports stamped and carried on. We got a shuttle bus to near where our hotel was and then we found it. It looked like a very nice hotel and it was. We went back to get some food for dinner but we didn't find anything (everything was closed). We tried the restaurant in the hotel but it didn't work because the waiter only spoke French, not English! In the end we got something out of the vending machine. We had a good sleep that night. In the morning I got up a little ater (he he). We went for a wanda to find the city centre and we did !!! We went to one of the main malls called 'The Polygone'. It was big. It was funny trying to buy things in another language but luckily some people spoke English !!! We went to an art gallery and that was cool seeing all the paintings. We saw paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Nicolas Poussin, Cabnel, Gustav Courbet, Monet, Degas, Manet, Delacroix, Raphael, Renoir, Mattise and Jean Hugo.

Then we went to all the back streets which are little lanes with shops either side. We explored around the place. For dinner we had baguets and some cheeses (brie and camebert). We, well I had a good sleep. We woke up and went to the the tram stop outside the hotel to Odysseum which is where the aquarium is. The aquarium was so cool because there was alot to do there. One of my favourite things was fishing boat with an animated scene. It was really cool.

Thanks Maddy

Yes, we arrived safely, Ryan Air were fine - but as Maddy said no food, no drink but it was only an hour and half, and really for 4 pound return you don't expect luxury, although the planes were comfy.

On arrival, we got the airport bus into the city and headed up to the hotel, after checking in we needed dinner but nearby was closed and so we walked back into town, getting quite late at this stage, and the reason everything appeared closed was that we totally missed going to where we should have gone ie the main city centre so it appeared to be a quiet place - but not so we found the next day.

Here is the website for those who wish to look at the area http://www.ot-montpellier.fr/en/

The first day we spent exploring and found so much to see, and quite easily as everything is well signposted. We did some sightseeing and then headed to the The Place de la Comédie which is the main 'centre' of the town (some photos are there with markets in the background and also sitting by the park). This is a great area for restaurants/cafes, markets and also the Art Museum was off this Musée Fabre which was beautiful - wonderful art.

This area sits between the new bit mall 'The Polygone' and the older town of the winding lanes full of lovely boutique shops, so many lanes you could get lost in them - just watch when a car comes down (photos also above). Also despite the fact we have coats on it was warm and sunny, just that once you take it in the morning you need to keep it as no point going back to the hotel to drop it off - so despite the appearance of coats they were not really needed.

For dinner we opted for the supermarket got breads and cheeses and took them back to the hotel - along with some deliciously rich flans. A lovely day had by all.

The next morning we headed onto the tram and to an area in the other direction of the city called Odysseum, apart from the obvious things there, it had an Ikea - France and Ikea, now thats a holiday ..... they also had a large shopping area, but the main reason we went there was to go the aquarium (oh I just noticed it is raining here, first time in about 4 weeks so although signalling the first of the cooler days it is probably welcomed by many ... anyway moving on). The Aquarium The Mare Nostrum Aquarium was fantastic, one of the best we have seen as it had so much in it - not just a tank but lots of interactive things to see and do - a submarine set up to walk through, a simulation of being in a boat lost in a storm (see video loaded here somewhere), the fish of course, penguins, rain forests. We all enjoyed. Oh and we also stopped into a chocolate shop - where we all enjoyed a piece.

Then we headed to the shopping area and found lunch, then headed back into the city again and did more exploring. We found first the The Peyrou -the royal square- (photo sitting on the base of the statue), then the The triumphal Arch, a cathedral and many other beautiful pieces of architecture and history. Then winding our way back through the lanes we looked for a great place to stop for dinner, we found a lovely crepe shop in a lane which was fantastic. How had a crepe with snails in it - generally if you found a snail in your crepe, well, you'd send it back .... but no he ate it, and Joseph had some and seemed to enjoy it.

From there we looked around more (not dark till later) and then back to the hotel, enjoyed my last drops of the French wine and then early night as we had to be up at 6am to get to the airport for our flight back to Bristol. We did manage to get up that early and walked to the airport shuttle and after worrying it was not going to arrive in time as we couldn't work out the timetable we then reread and realised yes it was fine, then after about 10 minute other people arrived so all good. One woman came up and asked me in French if I knew if the bus was running today - I understood that, said yes and then that I spoke English, to which she broke into Aussie English, she lives there and was heading into London on the same flight.

So that was about us for the weekend, too short and a wonderful place to visit - would recommend it. On Saturday we head to Italy and are looking forward to that very much as well.

Adding photos of the Aquarium and the video in the next post as it is getting a big large :)

Photos from Pembrokeshire

Newport to Newport

Cock a doodle do

We do actually live with two cockerals so their cry is not totally unfamiliar, but at six thirty Saturday morning it was enough to help us rise our weary heads. A good thing to because we were on the 7:28 train heading west. Through Newport and Cardiff we travelled as we headed towards Swansea (the furthest west we have been). But we didn't stop there, past Llanelli and the beautiful Carmarthen Bay as we headed for Clarbeston Road in North Pembrokeshire. As we disembarked on the platform in the middle of nowhere we were greeted by a smiling Judith and a flat tyre. Luckily Clarbeston Road is not a hot bed of action and a couple of local teenagers had the tire pretty much sorted by the time we arrived.

Geoff and Judith are some of my parents oldest friends with their friendship dating back 40 years to when Dave was just 17 and had a full head of hair (Geoff pulled out photos to prove this).

After surveying the local area and hand feeding Judith's horse we sat down for a lovely lunch before heading to the nearby beach situated at a local town called... Newport.

The town was just like a scene from Doc Martin, very friendly with a salt in the air. While on the beach Maddy and I paddled in the Irish Sea, just because when else will we do that.

As the afternoon progressed we saw the sights of North Pembrokeshire with Christian Church stones from 700AD ( Geoff please comment on this if I've confused my dates) to Pentre Ifan which is a burial site similar to Stonehenge but on a smaller scale. Anyway this dates back to 3500BC! While we were there a beautiful chestnut fox came a visiting and showed no apprehension about approaching us much to everyones delight. This really was a Fantastic Mr Fox.

Sadly after a couple of tea and an ice cream it was back to Claberston Road for the three hour trek home.

From one Newport to the other this was quite a day, but one we wouldn't have missed for anything.

Highs and Lows

Wow, time flies when your having fun.

The last couple of weekends have seen us doing some awesome stuff. While in London we mentioned that we visited the London Eye 130 metres above London what a view! Well the very next weekend we were back in South Wales and we headed to Blaenavon to the Ironworks, seeing as it was just around the corner we decided to visit one of Maddy's highlights for a second time "Big Pit". Big Pit is a colliery and is now a museum for this industry. All the tour guides are ex miners and as you walk around the buildings there is so much history from this the hardest and most dangerous job in the world. But the real highlight of the trip is the guided tour of the mine itself 90 metres below ground. we got a real character who was not political, but... and also seemed to take great pleasure in describing lumpss of coal he blew out his nose (sort of like after a trip on the tube I imagine) and also about the heads of miners that became severed during explosions. There were some wide eyed parents as Maddy and Joseph were by no means the most minor miners down the shaft as this story was shared. As the tour came its end we headed for the lift back up to ground level and as we rose at a rate of 2 metres per second we heard one final stroy about thirsty the miner who drank 8 pints after every shift, but it was the government closing the mines that killed him!

Not sure about that, and there you have the highs and lows!

Also included with this post is a photo of the school in Weston Super Mare it is one campus with two schools and the public library all under the same roof and a secondary school included in the campus too.

The Week that was and is .....

Well, an interesting week just been, its main highlight for us has to be the good news on the results from mums recent tests following her surgery and finding out that recovery is the only thing left to do (although not a quick process I know) no chemo, no radiotherapy - that has to be the best thing that has happened. We love you mum :)

The rest of the week has been OK too, great in that there has been work, although having to get up at 5.45am to drop How to the train station in Newport has been a bit so-so, but work is great. Now has 3 days next week with the agency in Cardiff and closer to home, Newport, so that is excellent. On Thursday we are off to Bristol to fly to Montpellier, France which we are really looking forward to, flying Ryan Air which I think will be interesting - certainly they charge for everything and I am wondering if we will arrive and they will ask us if we want to pay the extra 20 pound for a seat each or are we happy to stand in the aisle as booked, but we shall see and it is only a relatively quick flight - just go to the toilet before we leave rather than pay to go onboard.

But tomorrow we are off to the vibrant town of Fishguard - see website below, now looking at the website I am a little intrigued as it is very much what we see on TV in say Doc Martin ... or is it , apparently where they filmed Moby Dick many years ago (1950 something), and a more recent movie with Clive Owen (maybe that is why I took notice). But will be great and they must have decent fish and chips as it is a port/fishing town ... please have decent fish and chips, it actually is supposed to be a lovely place and we are visiting friends of Dave and Clare's there so looking forward to a great day - we are on the train which is easier.

Have also booked another trip to Belfast this time, great Ryan Air 1 pound flights so 8 pound for all four of us to travel there for 3 days - hotel about 118 for 3 nights, can't beat that really even with conversion. Looking to fill in the other free weekends with similar deals - then come Boxing Day we will be heading into London, stay there the night then disappear into Europe until we reappear in London again around 5-6th January, then unfortunately our return to NZ is on 10 January - if reading this and you are looking forward to seeing us again .... then fantastically our return to NZ is on 10 January, Yay .... am sure by then we may just about be ready although not sure yet, we are half way through and things are coming together nicely. Couldn't have a nicer place to be in with the best neighbours on both sides of us, kids loving school, work coming in (me too working again soon), travel, OK there is the weather cooling down but hey can't have everything and there is always layering and very cool boots and coats to buy.

Well that is all for now, what a 3 months it has been .... lets go for another 3.

Love to all, especially Mum and Murray :) Mum for her strength, courage and good recovery and Murray for being there and just being the perfect person be there for mum

http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=103%2C949%2C954%2C955&parent_directory_id=646