Making the most of a Monday off

Sadly full-time work is now robbing me of anything remotely exciting to blog about so adventure is strictly limited to weekends and public holidays.  At least the sun put on a good show today so it was a great opportunity to lace up the running shoes (still haven't replaced the poor little boots that were laid to rest in Robin Hood's Bay) and go for a walk.

Not sure if Ross realised it was going to be a 14km stroll around the river when he agreed to come along but that's what it turned out to be.  We started in South Perth where we happened across this fantastic photo op:

Then and now - the evolution of Mercedes

We then wound our way along the foreshore past the Great Wall of Ross, the Burswood Peninsula and to East Perth.  I was decidedly fading by this time so breakfast was in order!  The food wasn't that spectacular but at least the location was fabulous.

Breakfasting in East Perth - Claisebrook Cove

Bit of a slog after that along Riverside Drive, over the Narrows Bridge and back to South Perth but a good walk all up.  Even better was the knowledge that while we were enjoying a walk, the rest of the nation was at work.  Ah short lived pleasure, work beckons on the morrow!

The Great Wall of Ross

Today's excursion was to view The Wall.  

The Wall which Ross has proudly and painstakingly project managed for six months although from woe to go it's taken a grand total of seven years!  A great achievement because it's finally nearing completion...

The retaining wall

The wall splits the slope into three terraces

The wall with the details of its very capable builder

So shall I be bold and suggest that the view looking back towards the units now looks as swish as the view looking the other way?!  Maybe not, but it certainly looks a lot better now.

Cityscape from South Perth

Sunday afternoon

Status report after a few days back at home:

• Jet lag (almost in check)
• Stupid stomach (still a work in progress)
• Work (yes, back at work... sigh)
• Housework (where did this mountain of laundry come from?!)
• Sunny Sunday afternoon (check)

A world away from the pavements of Paris where we were this time last week, today was no less agreeable. Flowers, fresh air and a lot of sunshine.  Perfect.

Sunday afternoon in Kings Park during the Wildflower Festival - sunshine, a live band and lots of people

And watching the sun setting behind trees while enjoying a cup of tea - that's got to be pretty special.

The sun sets on another weekend

Home again

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours.”

(Terry Pratchett)

There’s something magical about seeing your city from the plane and that glimmer of recognition as you get close enough to make out more and more features.  And then walking up the steps and opening the front door and falling into your own bed.  Lovely lovely lovely.

Home again and waving from our balcony (that little speck looking resplendent in purple is ME)

Before falling back into the routines of work and housework, there's a narrow margin where it's possible to bask in the warm fuzziness of post-holiday glee, recount stories, and relive the photographs.  And before being consumed by the every day, it's nice to re-establish roots and remember how wonderful it is to be surrounded once again by the comfortable and familiar. 

A holiday memento - the 'brass ornament' that has travelled from Aberporth to Manchester to Perth (thanks TD!) - in case you're wondering it's pointing at Dumas House:)

Kings Park put on its best colours to welcome us home.  

Perth City from Kings Park

Kings Park wildflowers

How nice to be home!  Of course it's always slightly fraught re-starting the car after it's been sitting in the garage for a month.... no not really, it's just the centrepiece of the Kings Park Wildflower Festival.

The car after sitting idle for a month

Home is half a world away

Our suitcases were closed and locked for the last time as we checked out of the hotel and made our way to the terminal to run the gauntlet of security checks.  Thinking there might be a Qantas Club there where we might avail ourselves of some breakfast (silly!) we came to the rather rapid conclusion that Qantas is very much the invisible partner in the Emirates-Qantas ‘partnership’ and ended up breakfasting at Starbucks instead. 

For a nation of hypochondriacs which literally sees a pharmacy on every street corner, I was amazed (and a little despondent) at the lack of pharmacies inside the airport terminal.  With nothing to settle my stupid stomach it instead meant a tour of the Charles de Gaulle public facilities before boarding the plane with fingers crossed I’d get home in one piece:(

* * * * * *

Somewhere between the northern and southern hemispheres in the pale light between night and day, where the credits to the third consecutive movie were creeping up the screen, aching with fatigue and muscle cramps from sitting for 11 hours and no longer knowing whether it was night or day, came the time for a little circumspection.  

The bits of the holiday I enjoyed the most?

• Catching up with family and friends
• The nice little surprises along the way like the Portmeirions of this world
• All the funny, kind, and inspiring people we met
• Walking the trail and not having any other thought in the world except the next footstep

My kind of wonderful

Oh and did I mention how important it is to travel with a buddy?  (Also helps if your best buddy never goes to Jamie’s Italian ever ever again.)

Me and my travel buddy

The journey home begins

It was a day of train journeys – from the local station of Port Boulet to Tours, a short 5 minute journey from Tours to St Pierre des Corps, the TGV to Paris, the free Charles de Gaulle airport metro to get to our hotel, and later in the afternoon, a train journey into the centre of Paris and back again.  Phew!    

As if sensing the impending end of our holiday, my stomach decided to mount a protest and I had a particularly restless night as a result.  It made sure I was awake nice and early anyhow.  And early it needed to be because our train was at 8:18am.  Mark and Debbie who have been absolutely wonderful hosts for the duration of our stay, again went out of their way to accommodate us this morning.  Breakfast was brought to our room early and Mark delivered us to the train station, even standing on the platform with us until we were sure the train was on its way.  We couldn’t thank him enough for the last three days, which have been absolutely superb.

The next few hours passed in a blur of trains, railway platforms, and countryside rushing past the train windows.

The Memorial at Langeais station to commemorate the 40 Allied POWs who were being transported by train through Langeais by their Nazi captors when it came under Allied fire.  The POWs who were not killed or injured were force marched to St Pierre des Corps and misery in Germany

Soon the familiar graffiti covered concrete and rail wagons on the outskirts of Paris came into view.  Ah Paris – it has been five years since our last visit, good to see you again!  After a lengthy wait to get into our hotel room and a much needed rest, we headed into the city centre.

Concorde frozen in time at Charles de Gaulle airport

It was a warm sunny Sunday afternoon and we were treated to glorious architecture, a Louvre forecourt buzzing with activity, a fleeting glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and the twinkling waters of the Seine. 

The Louvre

A glimpse of the Eiffel Tower 

The Louvre forecourt

The 'Love Lock' bridge over the Seine

View along the Seine

Sadly my stomach robbed me of much enjoyment and after a light meal in a riverside café with a properly rude waiter, we decided to head back to the hotel.  Although only a short trip into the city, at least it gave us bragging rights:

‘So what did you do over the weekend?’ 

‘Well I just happened to be in Paris dahling….’

Our holiday ended the same way it began – staying at an airport hotel.  However we did treat  ourselves to some luxury on our last night in Europe with a comfortable room at the Hilton Charles de Gaulle.  And very nice it was too.

Some luxury at Hilton Charles de Gaulle