Singapore and Home

It is early Monday morning 22 Aug and time to finalise this journal's coverage of the first phase of our travels. Julie-Anne and young Harry picked us up at the airport just after 7.00 am yesterday morning. We arrived home to find the house aired, the shopping done, and the lawns mowed. Some home made soup and a brew was perfect..thanks J-A. We were both tired as neither of us got any sleep on the 7.5 hour flight from Singapore. One could feel the body and mind switching off and sleep came easily..trouble with that was that we could not sleep last night! But back to Singapore...

Thu, 18 Aug
Having left London just after 10.00 pm on the 16th and arriving in Singapore just after 5.00pm on the 17th is a strange way to spend 12 hours! The 7hr difference confuses the situation. It was an easy decision to call up room service at the club and leave Singapore until tomorrow.
Breakfast in the 'Wheelhouse' by the pool got us started and fueled up for our assault on Orchard Rd, the shopping mecca of the island. Regrettably it rained and the humidity soared. The best relief was the air conditioned comfort of the shops. No matter how hard they try there is a sameness about the quality stores with each of them having identical cosmetic, designer clothing, jewellery and liquor offerings. The fun really starts in places like Sim Lim Tower or Lucky Sam's where quite aggressive enterprises selling cameras, sound systems, general electrical goods or offering tailoring services, tout for business
The 'Chuchill Room' for dinner at the Tanglin Club tonight. We dressed up for dinner as seemed fitting for such an occasion. The food was excellent in its preparation and presentation. Pate Foi de Gras followed by a lamb dish for me and beef and veal for Donna and a desert involving sorbet and ice cream in a toffee cage satisfied the soul. We followed a French chablis with a great St Emilion Grand Cru, Chateau Ballestard La Torelle 1993...talk about God in velvet trousers!!

Fri, 19 Aug
Donna wanted to follow up on some shopping ideas she saw yesterday so it was back to Orchard Rd. Lunch at Raffles and what a splendid hotel this is. The main foyer evokes a sense of colonialism that undoubtedly sat well with the many expatriates who sought refreshment and inspiration over the years.The doorman is a corpulent Indian fellow dressed magnificently in a white flowing outfit set off with a crimson sash and turban. There was no doubt who ruled the driveway and front door. We climbed the stairs to the 'Long Bar' and enjoyed the traditional Singapore Sling and peanuts. It's amazing how quickly one adjusts to throwing the peanut shells on the floor! I think it is also easy to become mesmerised by the swaying movement of the ingeniously driven fans on the ceiling.
Down now to Clifford Pier where we boarded the 'Cheng Ho' for high tea as we cruised Singapore Harbour. The boat is a replica of the type used by Chinese explorers. It is more like a pagoda than a boat but is presumably very seaworthy.
I have been keen to find a pair of noise cancelling earphones so, as recommended, we headed for Sim Lim Tower, reputedly 'the go' for electronic and camera gear.It was now peak hour and no taxis were available for love nor money. Dressed in pretty scruffy clothes at this stage we cheekily stood in the taxi line at the 5 star Fullerton Hotel. This building was the General Post Office during the war and its architectural style would not have been out of place in London or Paris. In the event we got a cab and the earphones and eventually got back to the club around 8.00pm.A modest room service meal was enough.

Sat,20 Aug
Really starting to feel the pinch and we decide to sleep in and generally relax until we need to clear the room at mid-day. Lunch followed by a short walk and we retired to the Reading Room and dozed just like half the other people. We visited the Changi Chapel and Museum on the way to the airport. Very moving, particularly when we began identifying people we knew from the roll. I expected to see more Australian content however, Australian visitors have certainly left their mark with notes and small floral arrangements.
Had a surprise meeting with a Portsea classmate at the Qantas Club before boarding for the haul home.
It's now time to put up the pen until our next sortie beginning in April next year. The plane is booked and the rental arrangement for the house in Caunes-Minervois completed. If time flies as quickly as it has done over the past 5 weeks we will be off in next to no time.

A La France

Wed, 10 Aug
Our BA flight from Heathrow to Charles de Gaule airport in Paris was over in less than an hour. The 'airbus' aircraft was extremely comfortable and we wished QANTAS would provide such roomy seats for its long-haul flights. As a group, we needed to find our arranged transport into Paris. This exercise demanded a walk with our luggage of over a km in the one terminal. The proportions of the airports are truly staggering and bear no comparison to the relatively tiny Sydney and Brisbane airports. Each terminal in London and Paris houses shopping facilities the envy of many cities.
The 'Hotel La Fayette' was disappointing. It had a 'seedy' feel to it and the rooms were extremely small. Our double bed barely fitted into the room and the shower stall was a challenge for Donna to fit into let alone me. Our room was on the 6th floor with a view to chimneys one could almost touch. The weather was hot and with no air-conditioning, windows remained open. For those in the front of the building this meant noisy, sweaty, sleepless nights. All the ladies wanted to leave Paris immediately. A stroll around the local area only compounded the problem....it was scruffy. Dinner in a local bistro did not raise morale. Nor did breakfast...a sorry offering compared to England and Ireland. We had been spoiled.

Thurs, 11 August
We all decided to go our separate ways to tour Paris and Donna and I walked to the beautiful Opera Garnier building where we boarded an open-top bus (the yellow one) for a 2 hour overview. We got no further than the Louvre some 15 minutes on. This world treasure was a ruin around 100 years ago and it is remarkable to think that the French were going to demolish it. As they were the Eiffel Tower in 1909 by the way. That was saved by a requirement to locate antennae for 'new-fangled' radio! The five hours we spent in the Louvre did not do it justice at all. Yes, we saw the 'Mona Lisa" and "Venus de Milo' and 'Winged Victory'. But these are the very tip of the iceberg. Paintings, sculptures, furniture, antiquities from Egypt, Islamic art, jewellery, porcelain, tapestries .... it goes on and on. A week would not be enough. Late in the afternoon we continued the bus trip and passed along wonderful boulevardes and avenues and by all those landmarks that epitomise Paris .... Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysee, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and so on.
In the evening we ate at a nearby restaurant and planned tomorrow's activities. Morale had risen but dampened as we walked towards the ghastly hotel with its bed sheets with cigarette burn holes in them.

Fri, 12 August
Today it will be on the bus again to the Musee D'Orsay; a walk along the Seine; the Eiffel Tower; and Les Galleries Department store. The Musee D'Orsay is a five level converted rail station on the bank of the Seine. It houses a more modern art collection than the Louvre specialising in Impressionist and Post Impressionist works produced between 1884 and 1914. Again, the time available did not do it justice. However, the array of Van Gough, Degas, Lautrec, Monet and so on will stay in the memory forever.
The walk along the Seine to the Tower was about 3 km. The river is quite busy with tourist and working vessels always on the go. Each of the bridges has a fascinating history of housing accomodation,destruction, and re-building. An interesting story involves a massive flood in 1910 which covered even the base of the Eiffel Tower.The French have built a temporary beach on the banks of the Seine! Called the 'Paris Plage'. 1500 tonnes of sand and giant palms create a Riveira look and blue-and-white chairs, flags and umbrellas are sprawled along a 3.5km stretch. The idea is to take people's minds of the fact they are stuck in Paris while the rest of the city escapes for the annual holiday getaway. I understand other European cities have followed the lead.
Donna elected to remain on the grass lawns below as I joined the queue for the Eifell Tower. Forty minutes was not a long wait and after paying 10 euros 80 cents I am on my way. There are 3 levels in the 320 metre high structure built in 1889. The 2nd level offers a great view of Paris and has the usual gift shop etc. It is another 30 minute queue for the lift to the very top and it is worth every minute. On a clear day such as today was you can see over 65 kms. Paris appears 'white' and seems to stretch to the horizon giving credibility to the story that inner Paris houses 2 million whilst Paris environs houses a further 8 million. The incessant traffic also supports this argument and I am becoming apprehensive about driving in it (on the 'wrong' side) and not the least, navigating this vast, confusing metropolis.
Before heading home for our last night in the hotel we visited 'La Galleries" store near the Opera House. In fact there are two stores a men's and a women's on opposite corners, not unlike an upmarket David Jones in Sydney. The interior is circular in effect with beautiful, colourfully lit galleries surrounding each level. The domed ceiling is exquisite stained glass. This all very suitably sets off the highly priced designer clothing, jewellery and cosmetic offerings.

Sat,13 August
Today we leave Paris for Gif Sur Yvette, a smallish township southeast of Versailles. Pierre and Giselle invited us to visit them here when we met them in Brisbane in December 2004. The Valley d'Yvette is similar to 'silicon Valley' in the USA where high tech industry is pursued. Giselle's sister, Suzette from San Francisco, was also a house guest.
Fortunately, Pierre came to Paris by train and met us at the hotel. He and I took a bus to the 'Gare de Nord' where we picked up our Hertz 307 Peugeot. He drove us out of Paris to his home. Thank God for that however, I am acutely aware I will have to drive back and into Paris next Tuesday. The hospitality and food we enjoyed immensely. Donna even tasted pate of swan! We drank Bordeau wines with one outstanding red from 1976.
During the afternoon Pierre drove us some 24 km to the Chateau de Versailles. Versailles was the country's political capitol and the royal court from 1682-1789. The Chateau was built by Louis xiv (Sun King) in mid 17th century. The place was packed with tourists (summer bank holiday weekend) but the buildings and particularly the gardens and fountains are fantastic.

Sun, 14 August
It was a little difficult finding our way from Gif sur Yvette to Versailles and onto the A13 motorway to Bayeux in Normandy via Caen. Once on the mostly 6 lane motorway and adjusting to the 130 kph speed all was OK. The surprise was 4 separate toll 'peages' in the 200 km trip.
At Bayeux we checked into the 'Lion D'Or' hotel which was spacious, well maintained and staffed, and absolutely in accord with this beautiful town of 15,000 people. In the late afternoon we visited the 'Bayeux Tapestry". For Donna and me this was almost a religious experience and alone would be worth the trip to Europe. The tapestry is a 70 metre long strip of wool embroided linen. It was probably made in England and was commissioned by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and half brother to William the Conquerer, for the consecration of the cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. The tapestry recounts the story of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 - from the Norman perspective. The cathedral Notre Dame is an exceptional example of Norman-Gothic architecture. An enormous tree in the adjacent courtyard was planted as Australia was discovered by Captain Cook.

Mon, 15 August
This morning we explored the shops and buildings and in the afternoon Donna relaxed while I toured Omaha and Utah beaches central to the D-Day landings in 1944. 34,000 American soldiers landed on Omaha alone on 6 June. On all beaches: Utah, Omaha, Sword, Juno and Gold over 100,000 American, British and Canadian troops landed. 3,000 died on Omaha alone. The US cemetery at Colleville sur Mer is a very moving place with over 9,000 American crosses. Of the 8 people in my tour group, 3 were Australian and one of those was my son Phillip's 'Ops Sgt' in Darwin last year - a small world! I tried to view the area from the German defensive perspective and generally, their siting and design was sound. The soldiers however, were either very young boys or elderly men. They did a good job considering...
A beautiful dinner of duck this evening. It does not seem to matter where you eat in France the food has a soft, subtle, elegance. Pierre describes his best wines as God going down his throat in velvet trousers!

Tue, 16 August
Well, this is it. The much anticipated drive back into Paris. In the end it was notmuch of a drama. We missed our turn-off from the 'Perethetique' or ring road into Paris but took a chance about 6km later and with little trouble arrived at Gare de Norde (fluke). An RER train trip sees us again at Charles de Gaule and again the very comfortable BA flight to Heathrow. Spent a couple of hours in the BA equivalent to the Qantas Club and at 10.20pm onto QF10 for the 12.5 hour flight to Singapore.

Wed, 17 August
By a quirk of the International Dateline we arrived in Singapore at 5.45am. We opted for a Mercedes limo to get us to the Tanglin Club in Stephens Road. The club is reciprocal to our USC in Brisbane. It was established in 1865 by expatriates. It has since evolved with modern day Singapore to having 5,400 members of over 80 nationalities. The facilities and grounds are first class and our room is very spacious and well appointed. A truly magnificent base for our short Singapore adventure.

Dublin to Heathrow

It is Tuesday, 9 Aug and we are in our hotel at Heathrow prior to tomorrow's flight to Paris. Obviously this is a catch-up time for this journal. Access to internet services has been quite difficult. Internet cafes are not as common as we thought they would be. The hotels outside of London provide little or no IT service and of course our active itinerary precludes time during the day to visit libraries where there is usually some sort of access available.

Mon, 01 August.
Happy birthday to all those horses out there. Today we travelled by coach from Killarney to Dublin. Tiredness is starting to be evident in the group and most slept for the 4.5 hour journey. The route took us through the area around Tipperary, by Limerick, and Kildare. Believe me, Ireland is a beautiful country and the 'forty shades of green' were most evident as we passed through the valleys and mountains. Each town seems to be trying the outdo the other with their flowers and wonderfully constructed churches. We stayed at the 'Burlington Hotel' in Dublin. It was comfortable and very, very Irish kitch inside. I must say however, it was aesthetically challenged outside. A point of interest is the mature age of many hotel staff. At 4% unemployment there is work for anyone who wants it and in the case of the hotel staff their attitude is positive and their experience ensures we have been extremely well-served. Lesson here for Australia I think.

Tues, 02 August.
Today we explored Dublin. We were guided in the morning and Dublin proved to be a remarkable city. Much of the inner area is built in the Georgian style. Both sides of the street are lined with similar terraced houses differentiated by their coloured doors. The story goes that after an evening on the Guinness, men would stumble along only identifying their home by the colour of the door! In some areas, the terraces front onto large parks which are keyed and only available to the occupiers of the houses. The gardens are beautiful at this time of year and the parks a delight to walk through. In a corner of one park is a colourful statue of Oscar Wilde lounging on a rock....unforgetable.
We visited Phoenix Park which reminded us of Centennial Park in Sydney. A large cross marks the spot where Pope John said Mass for one million people. The Irish President has a residence in the park.
Dublin is a bustling city with many tourists. Along with them we visited Christ Church Cathedral (Catholic) and St Patricks Cathedral (Anglican!) We lunched in O'Connell St named after Daniel O'Connell who is most revered in Irish history for his struggle for Irish Independence. The tour of Trinity College was a high point. This seat of learning has intriguing architecture but more importantly is the home of the 'Book of Kells'. Scribed by monks between 7th and 9th centuries the Book contains the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The exhibition is well presented and the Book itself (now four books° invokes a respectful silence in the viewing room where a page is turned each week. Only a little less impressive than the 'Book' is the fantastic 'Long Library' in the college. Every book published in Ireland is stored here in magnificent shelving reching up to a high curved timber ceiling.
A friend and I were assured the Guinness Storehouse was only a five minute walk from the college. The friend's wife and Donna were to be met at the cathedral in 1.5 hours time. We set off. Thirty minutes later we arrived in a hot and sweaty condition at the Storehouse. The entrance fee of 13 euros gets you a pint on the seventh floor at the end of the tour. Concerned that the ladies would be waiting we skated through 6 floors of exhibition before securing our pint in the glass walled bar at the top of the building. We found a cab and saw the girls standing on a corner outside the wrong cathedral! We were only six minutes late...phew.

Wed, 03 August
Today we headed back to England by coach and ferry. The ferry was built in Perth WA and can reach 50 miles per hour. The trip across the Irish Sea from Dublin to Holyhead in NW Wales took about two hours. 3.5 hours later the bus reached Birmingham where we stayed at the Crowne Plaza.
Geoff Lawson and Damien Fleming were our hosts for the second Test at Edgbaston which is Warwickshire's county ground about two miles from the hotel. The ground seats about 20,000 people and the atmosphere was rowdy and robust. Very different to the quieter more sedate Lords. Our seats were well positioned although quite cramped. We had the Australian 'Fanatics' group sitting next to us. They kept up a constant singing and shouting match with the 'Barmy Army' who were celebrating their tenth anniversary. The big shock was McGrath's injury. We bowled poorly and batted even worse in the first innings. England was committed and aggressive. Flintoff was brilliant. We spent Thursday and Friday at the cricket.

Sat, 06 August
We picked up our rented car and headed due west out of Birmingham to Kinver in Staffordshire. Phillip's maternal grandfather was born and raised here. Kinver is set in rolling undulating country and is picture book beautiful. The main street has been listed and retains the charm of yesteryear. The town is dominated by a church set upon a hill. A ridgeline extends around and here the early Vikings set up a semi-circular fortification to afford observation and protection. The hill is composed of sandstone and on its lower slopes house with every facility were dug into the stone. These houses were occupied until the 1960's and at one stage 11 families lived there. Lunched at the 'White Stag' and tried 'gammon' which is a lean steak of pork...very tasty with a pint of bitter.

Sun, 07 August
Headed south today towards Oxford. This is 'Cotswold' country and everything you have heard about its beauty is true? Stopped briefly at Shakespeare's home at Stratford Upon Avon. Time enough to take a 45 minute cruise in a long, narrow boat down the Avon River. In the car again and the cricket was becoming dramatic with Lee and Kasprowicz fighting a famous rearguard action. We sat in the car at the gates of Blenheim Palace (Churchill's birthplace and home) listening to the drama unfold. Queen Anne gifted the land and funds to the first Duke of Marlborough as a reward for his defeat of the French at Blenheim. The castle is splendidly decorated with tapestries, paintings, furniture and memorabilia of 10 Dukes and Winston Churchill. The gardens, lakes and park-like grounds are breathtaking. We lunched at the Palace in the 'India Room'.
On now to Abingdon where Cecil Kimber brought the MG marque to life. The factory is now a housing estate but we did find the HQ of the MG Car Club which was closed!
A shortish trip across to Oxford where we arrived about 4.00PM. No-one really knows when the University started but it is generally accepted that a group of monks had a teaching facility there around 750AD. Whatever the case, there are now 36 Colleges supporting over 10,000 students. We watched the punts being pushed down the river in a genteel fashion and generally absorbed the atmosphere strolling around the streets and buildings.

Mon, 8 August
Today we drive 60 miles south-east of Birmingham to Kettering where my maternal grandmother was born. Kettering is a modern town different from Kinver. Its history lies in manufacturing, shoes in particular, for which it is quite famous. The Heritage Quarter houses an 800 year old church with an imposing, yet beautiful, spire. The museum is located in the adjacent 'Manor House' . We were disappointed it was closed Mondays. However, the local tourist office rang the Council which sent down 2 staff to open the museum just for us! We continue to be impressed by the thoughtfulness of the British and Irish people we have met.
On the way back to Birmingham we noticed a sign to the Naseby battlefield. The battle was fought between the Royalists (Charles 1) and the Parliamentarians (Cromwell) on the morning of 14 Jun 1645. The memorial is at a point towards Cromwell's right flank position. It is easy to appreciate the deployment of both sides and to follow the phases of the battle on the ground was awsome... think flanking moves with available reserves. 22,000 dragoons, cavalry, musket and pikemen fought on what is now a wheatfield. Cromwell's 13,000 men achieved a bloody victory which resulted in the first steps towards a parliamentary democracy being instituted. Interestingly, Cromwell positioned a small force forward of his line to impede any Royalist advance. The force was called the 'Forlorn Hope'!!
This evening we had a dinner function at Edgbaston grounds hosted by Merv Hughes. During dinner speakers included Stewart McGill, Darren Lehman, Rodney Hogg, and from England, Angus Fraser.

Tue, 9 August
Today we travelled from Birmingham to Heathrow. The goodbyes are being said all round. We look forward to France tomorrow. Four of our original group will be coming with us. We will let you know what happens.