Read this blog: The one where we can’t avoid a glass floor Monday 3rd March 2025 We had decided to take a ride on the Maokong Gondola which runs between Taipei Zoo and Maokong [literally translated this means ‘cat area’ probably after the wild cats which lived there]. Matilda was initially expecting a boat ride on water until she realised that the Maokong Gondola was in fact a cable car. We took the Wenhu line to the Taipei Zoo stop then walked the short distance to the gondola station. Having queued at the ticket office we were told that it was “cash only” at the booth and we had to use the machines if we wanted to pay by card. An all day pass costs NT$300. The Maokong Gondola opened on 4 July 2007. Matilda was pleased that she had not known in advance that on the first day of operation in 2007, a faulty door lock left both the serving Mayor and the former Mayor of Taipei suspended in mid-air for 10 minutes. Our ride went more smoothly. The cable car spans 4.3 km or 2.7 miles and has four passenger stations although not all of them were in use when we […]
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Read this blog: The one where Matilda looks older and loses her sense of humour Wednesday 27th March 2024 At the start of the cruise along the Mekong we had to surrender our passports [which made us both a bit anxious] to allow the cruise company to undertake the paperwork for our entry visas into Cambodia. On the morning we docked in Phnom Penh, all passengers had to present themselves on the Sun Deck at 07:00. Here our passports were returned to us complete with a tourist entry visa and an exit visa form. We then had to walk several paces across the Sun Deck to present them to the border guards for approval. The immigration official that Robert saw compared him to his passport photo and pronounced him, or perhaps Robert’s photo, to be “handsome”. By contrast, when Matilda presented her passport to the second border guard, he spent some time looking from the photo to Matilda and back again. He then consulted a colleague who looked at both Matilda and the photo and nodded but commented, “You were much younger then.” Sadly it’s true, the current photo has little or no grey hair and she will need to […]
Tuesday 17th May 2022 One of our top priorities on our first full day on the American Queen was to get some laundry done. Since we have found hotel laundry services to be expensive everywhere except India so far, we had found out in advance when we would be able to do washing for ourselves during this trip. We then worked out approximately how many pairs of trousers/shorts and tops we would need to reach these keys points and by packing sufficient underwear accordingly [and with Robert kindly putting a pair of shoes and one of Matilda’s toiletry bag in his suitcase] Matilda could manage with a cabin luggage sized bag. Making a ‘guesstimate’ about the size of the machines, Matilda had divided the dirty washing into a light and a dark load before we went to bed. When we woke quite early, she swiftly went up to put a load on, realised both machines were free and went to get the ’dark’ wash to put in too. She had just done this when another woman appeared and was clearly disgruntled that both machines were in use. If Matilda had been a little more awake she would have dissembled and […]
Wednesday 30th March to Friday 1st April 2022 The route which the new crew – Gill and Derek – would be negotiating was to be very different from that tackled by Sue and Henry earlier in our narrowboat adventure. This stretch of the Llangollen Canal features only two locks, although there are several tunnels and aqueducts including the iconic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct as well as lift bridges . . . Although we had been unsure at times whether we were in England or Wales, and had been expecting to see a proud proclamation when we were entering Wales, we did eventually spot a fairly low-key indication on one of the mooring signs. On their first day, Derek was designated as steering assistant and started the day at the helm under Robert’s guidance past frolicking lambs as we left Whitchurch. At the end of the day, once through the 80m long Ellesmere Tunnel we moored in Ellesmere itself. A walk round the town took us past the market hall dated 1879 and a memorial to Eglantyne Jebb, born in the town, who went on to found Save the Children in 1919. A branch of the canal leads into the town, past picturesque […]
Friday 17th January 2020 Riga was part of the Medieval Hanseatic League – a confederation of merchant guilds and towns which dominated maritime trade in the Baltic for three centuries. Since then, the city has been subject to Swedish, Polish, Russian Empire, Nazi and Soviet rule. As you walk around the city you get a flavour of these various historical influences, although as we were to learn during the course of our visit, not all of the buildings are as old as you might think. Our hotel was close to Rātslaukums, the Town Square, and the imposing red granite monument to the Latvian Riflemen who defended Baltic territories against the Germans during World War I. Three riflemen stand back to back, facing outwards, ready to take on all who dare challenge them. Chiselled features and powerful physiques glorifying the proletariat are a common theme in Soviet art. However, as many of the riflemen went on to become Lenin’s personal bodyguards, some Latvians see the monument as an unwelcome reminder of the old communist system and would like to have it removed. There is a retro tram which runs at weekends but even the regular trams are not exactly state of […]
Friday 22nd March 2019 We caught a train from the Pink City to Jodhpur, arriving about 18:30 in time for some thirst-quenching water and cold beer and a meal. Matilda was in particular need of liquid refreshment as Robert had reported that the toilets on the train were in a rather unpleasant condition so she had been limiting her water intake to avoid having to use them. When trains are delayed this can become a bit of an issue for her. Matilda is frequently having to balance the need to maintain adequate hydration with her expectation of being able to find acceptable toilet opportunities. Our hotel, the Ranbanka Palace Hotel, is as the name suggests in part of a palace. It was built in 1927 for Maharajadhiraj Sir Ajit Singh Ji, the younger brother of Maharaja Umaid Singh who built the Umaid Bhavan Palace and it is providing Matilda with some welcome luxury, following the rather parched train journey. The descendants of Maharajadhiraj Sir Ajit Singh Ji still live in part of the palace but our room faces onto a courtyard with a restaurant, bar, a spa and a pool. The staff are incredibly attentive and helpful and Robert noticed […]
Thursday, 25th – Friday 26th October 2018 Our heartfelt thanks to Richard and Mandie who kindly welcomed the Travelling Herd back to Königspad for two nights on our journey homewards. Even though Richard had work the next day and Mandie had a serious dental appointment, they took us to their local and joined us in raising several glasses to Ian, Robert’s big brother, who had been treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the last two years and sadly died in the early hours of Wednesday and hence the reason why we are cutting this trip short and returning to the UK earlier than originally planned. Matilda and Robert were both impressed by the Dutch system of running a tab – the barman simply drew lines and five bar gates on a bar mat to record the number of drinks consumed. Although Ralf has a passport, he still had to be de-wormed a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of five days before returning to the UK. So, on Friday morning we walked him to the local vet. Matilda was pleased that her knowledge of German allowed her to identify the Dierenkliniek. We are not sure what cues Ralf picked up […]
Tuesday, 21st August 2018 So today is our first day of 12 on the River Danube, the second longest river in Europe, after the Volga [Russia], and at 2860km long, travels from Donauesschingen [Germany] to the Black Sea. It winds its way through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Where the Danube joins the Black Sea is the Danube Delta. The delta is the largest bio sphere in Europe with a huge range of birds, flora and fauna. Its approximate surface area is 4,152 km2 and it is listed as a World Heritage Site. We decided to join the excursion on a local boat to travel for a few hours around the delta. Firstly, we passed our cruise boat. Robert and Matilda’s room is on the middle deck, ninth window from the left, with the curtains open. Next we passed a military naval base. One of the ships moored up here is the boat that formerly belonged to Ceauşescu. It has a solid gold toilet. The boat is now used by the state for formal functions. The delta is made up of three main channels of water with many small interconnections. As part of the trip we were […]