Zoom bankrupt -stuck in Manchester - NOT

Yeah - made it under the line with Zoom and arrived in Vancouver yesterday only to find out today they were not solvent - lucky or what!

Yes the air smells good here, rainy but who cares - home is where the heart is they say and this is pretty darn good.

Life is strange - bumbed into D, my colleague at work on the flight with his mother returning from a trip to Wales - ain't life strange. That's not even one degree of seperation - this trip has been like that.

So I am shutting this down now - check out Facebook - I will keep that up - email is boadicea@21@shaw.ca

Great trip - back to work......

2 more sleeps

Time has flown and now I am almost on my way back to mountains and beaches and family and friends. I shall miss my family and friends on this side of the pond but it will be good to be home again - working and saving for the next adventure fpr sure

Took Mum to see a cute little film called "Penelope" on Sunday - she said it was "daft" - so I said we could leave if she wanted - she opted to stay - quite enjoyed it myself - about a family curse and the daughter has a nose like a piggy and is kept in hiding - young James McAvoy - little fairy tale.

today Mum is going for dinner and drinks at the Greenhills Pub - took her for Thai food on her birthday - well not real Thai but as good as it gets here - Malaysian version I think but it was nicely cooked and the restaurant was very aesethetically pleasing - after Russia I appreciate being treated well.

No more room in the suitcases so I am off to the Museum this morning - no tourist prices here but FREE - Yahoo

Home to Liverpool and to see the Mighty Reds

Made it back to the 'Pool after flight delayed and met by cousin R at the airport - its so nice to be greeted - makes you feel really welcomed!

Made some phone calss, had a lovely bath - R made me delish poached eggs on toast - so spoiled.
Arranged to meet Peter E to pick up LFC tickets - he came through again - Row 9 Anfield Rd End....saw my tribe and after arather furstrating game the Liverpool lads Carra and Stevie G (with one minute to spare) cleaned up to a 2-1 victory - Yahoo.

Then went off to see mum and she loved her cardie and gifts and we had a nice thai meal at Penny Lane - good food mot bad prices for England.

Now back at Ra nd Ds and waiting for highlights from the match in 5 minutes.....then to snoozewille...

Had a great birthday in Amsterdam - back to Liverpool tomorrow

Shopped and dropped and had fun time saying goodbye to amsterdam and lovely lunch in De Bienkorf (sp) and sorry to leave but:

Get to see LFC play tomorrow and that is great.

catch you later

Sun is shining on Beulingstraat

Its Thursday and I am watchin an old Infamous Scientists video from Mezzrows years ago - what a bunch of baby faces - check check theres doug and Mark and Kev Smith - everyone waiting for John who is eating and not ready to play his drums...big blast from the past

Kev Lee looking cool and Andy is a baby face -filmed by Steve Bailey
\On another note went to the Canal House Museum today and it was just lovely plus Albert Cuyp marketand bought a couple of dresses

If you are interested its all MC Hammer again and very 80s - hmm have to decide about that

Handbag Museum was very groovy - there is a Grace Kelly bag- what dya know

Yes gallavanting around Amsterdam and buying stuff - checking out what is available - underwear for D, shoes for J and clothes for moi.

Really like some of the new winter clothes but its not super cheap - decent prices tho after St P which was super expensive and not that interesting. Here all the winter stuff ha just come in - very 60s, vintage, Mary Quant and I like it a lot.

Tomoorw I will go and view a museum in a 16th century canal house - costumes and all that and check out the Albert Cuyp market.

Oh yes cheap thrill - found a free suitcase on the street just when I was thinking I needed to buy one - what a deal!

Getting spoiled here in amstdm and mighty nice it is too.

What a groovy city - very quiet and funky people everywhere riding around on their bikes. Got to go back to the handbag museum and take some photos tomorrow as it was very lovely there.

Had my falafel at Maoz today and it lived up to last year - best ever

Left Russia and back in Amsterdam

Decided yesterday morning to exit the Great Bear and good old Luthansa changed my ticket for a mere service fee - I was very happy. a week of St P was enough and I arrived back to my 2nd home late last night - ironically a bunch of scousers were on the train into Central station - no baggage - no coats - say no more

so I will post photos tonight - so much art I am a bit overwhelmed - Putin is from st p so money is now pouring into town there.

Stop in frankfurt and my goodness - people smiled at me - what an incredible event - i missed friendly faces. Now I am good at the russian scowl though - maybe I will practice it in negotiations - hahahha

There is a museum of handbags here in a that I wilk check out plus go on a shopping trip - nice coat I have my eye on -

so check in later and I will add soe news of today - right now its shower and laundry.

Suparov Palace today and no tour of Rasputin's apartment

Ripped off again by yet another russian palace - 500 rubles for tourists - that's $20 and no Rasputin tour - that was another $20 and only held once a day. Getting a bid fed up with this rip -off stance here. I think its just the Hermitage for me tomorrow and then it will be the museum and that is it for visiting places. Thre is enuf to see on the streets.

It poured today and that is really the first day. My French amie, Christalle is equally burned out and says she is looking forward to seeing some smiles on faces back in France. Whoever thought the French were rude should visit here.

On a positive note it is a truly great place to visit - if only Russia would clean up its act - in more ways than one!

Lox is cheap tho and good cakes and had blini today in a real restaurant with green tea for only 72 rubles - about $3.

Fancy coffee houses here too and fancy prices to go with them. Luckily there is a supermarket right across the street so I buy bread and cheese and veggies there and eat on my bed.

Catch y'all later

If this is Russia it must be Friday

Made a mistake today and went to Peterov - summer Palace of the Czars - remembered when I got thr that I didn't much like Versailles and guess what - much of a muchness - now I understand why they wre all despatched - too much of a muchness.

Came back to St P andhad lox an cheese and black bread - yum - havenpt had that for 45 yrs. Had a little russian beer, slept and went ott to our Lady of Spilled Blood - sorry no pics but they will come later.

Vodka is dirt cheap here - no wonder the Russian boys wer eplastered the other night - wish I had he strenght to cart a bunch home - Paul will ge some - maybe -

Did I mention that Russian women - young, skinny an beauiful mince aroun in 4 inch stillettos looking like expensive hookers? Somebody should tell them - too much - fashions ar very different than in wstrn Europe.

We Westcoasters don' tgive a toss for such prentensions - give me Mountain Co-op anyday - hahahaha

Met a lovely woman in the Singer Buidling - tres At Nouveau - who was a delight - prof at the Uni - Totally different from most of the very serious, unfriendly and manipultive Russians it has been my delight to meet.

Says I must go to the Rasputin Museum - so I shall - catch y ou all later

Russian way or English way - go figuire

It is very interesting here and a bit frustrating sometimes. You just have to laugh. Tourists gt charged double what Russian's pay for most things and its an accepted behaviour - evryone is complicit.

Anyhow went to see Swan Lake tonight - the ballet famous for Rudolph Nureyev and his amazing leaps. The leading man was young and not so inspiring but the prima ballerina was great and the corps du ballet were great. Theatre wasn't half bad either so I guess paying double was ok. We are thinking of being clever and getting a Russian to buy tickets for Romeo and Julie and maybe going to see that.

It is pouring with rain now even though the day was glorious so I am hoping tht it rains all night as we are going to Pederhof - the summer palace of the old czars which is about 30 kms from St P and is full of gardens so we want nice weather.

It sure is an amazing city to look at. i have never seen anything quite as splendid - even Paris - lots to see. Decided not to go to Moscow as I feel like I have been running around and thre is more than enough to see here.

Had a great day wandeirng the markets and went for a canal boat ride - no english interpretation but it is always really interesting to see a city from the water.

Crystal - my buddy from Paris is great to be around ( she works for Heineken) and we seem to have a similar take on life. She goes to Moscow for 5 days next week so we will enjoy noodling around togther until then. Met some great people here - even the drunken russian boys are interesting :)

catch you later - I am saying at Nevsky Hostel and leave for Amsterdam on 20th and 23rd to Liverpool - dusveedanya

First Dy in St Petersburg

Got back from watching the bridge rise near the Hermitage last night and eventually made it to sleep. Hostel is very close to all the famous sites. Could be cleaner but hey nice folks here. N and I returned to hostel @ 2 pm - she is an aussie who is working a a legal secretary n London but is finishing a Law degree off in Sydney.

Went off today with C from Paris and we went to Alexander Nevsky Monastary and wandered around the old cemetary and said hello to Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and assorted other famous people plus bought tickets to see Swan Lake at "tourist prices" - that's another story but Russians think they can screw tourists every which way but loose...if I say nothing they think I am Russian and don't try to make me pay too much.....small victories.

The hostel evening event is drinking vodka and so I am participating - hahahaa- right now the russian boys ar teaching us how to drink vodka and sharing all the russian words for drinking - very funny. Apparently you m ust drink only beer after drinking vodka...

tomorrow I will be well rsted and will go off nd see some of the local sights which include many groovy domed buildings. Lots of Art Nouveau here and the most amazing buildings. Lots of sour faces here and very unfriendly but not right now with all the vodka - very cheery.

So I made it here and its very strange ride.....fun though.

so glad I went to Krakow - Prague was tooooo full of touristas - beautiful but next time I will go to smaller places.

Dus Vee danyea

In Russia for 2 days

My post didn't load yesterday so I am seeing if this works before I try again.

Yes there you are in Russia - drinking vodka

I hope that poor John from Glasgow makes his train to Moscow because these rotten australian women got him so drunk he could hardly walk...they have walked him to his train.

So - I am so thrilled to be here and I am going out a 1:30 am to look at the bridges with these crazy women.

Also they have checked out J on facebook in his dress and are all moving to Victoria - one says that she has a pic of her dad in a bikini...see J your past is catching up with you

It was a great flight here and this is a crazy hostel but you know can't be

I will catch up with you later!

You asked for pics

Check out some pics - thanks to A in amsterdam who is telling me as I write of the wonderful assets of this Mac

Yahoo - back in Amsterdam - Russia tomorrow - I hope

Found my way back to the lovely Amsterdam after a rather tedious and long day in Prague - the lustre has worn off and I am very happy to be revived in my 2nd home.

D is a walking encycloepedia - waiting for Hugh Laurie to stab his patient on House - we had our own cheer leader.

Been shopping at the Hema - sales are on - really controlled myself but there will be time later.

Eli has a cute outfit - not difficult.

I have my eye on a new coat - H and M of course.

WIll have 2 whole days here from 20 to early flight out on 23rd to celebrate mum's birthday - she will be 80. Thought I would take her to a Thai restaurant.

Wondering what joys and frustrations in St Petersburg - life is a journey and all that stuff.

I am also on the search for a rich dutchman - hahaha.....

Hm should I go to Moscow --oooh Red Square -

Getting spoilt by ADI - 2 G and Ts down and all that.

Catch you later

One degree of seperation - if that

Finally get on the train for Prague - pooped but glad of the chance to rest up. Find out I am sleeping with 5 other people stacked up 3 on each side of the compartment much like bunkbeds. The train looks Stalin Era and one is even in russian language on outside.

2 people in carriage and turns out - yes Canadians - from Pitt Meadows - 50ish with their bycycles cycling around europe. Peter then asks me jokingly if I know Sherry ( I said I used to work at Transition House in Maple Ridge) and Ron (her ex). Turns out he works with Ron and of course Sherry and I are good friends - small planet yet again.

so with only one other sleeper - fellow from Korea studying Chinese medicine in Shanghai we bed down in the hot and noisy compartment. I have never travelled on such a junker since Mexico - In canada you would pay to ride a vintage train - :)

It arrived in Prague 6 hrs late - found my hostel - nice enuf - bit skungy but will do for a night.

got to see how I get to make my Aug 12 flight to St Petersberg.

catch you tomorrow with more tales from the eastern bloc

All is well and on my way to Prague tonight

I shall see if I can sleep on the night train - apparently they wake you up when you get to the Czech border......

There was a train crash last night and 6 people died so don't worry about it I am fine and there wont be one tonight.

and people are scared of flying - go figuire.

The adventures continue

Last day in Poland

I don't know when I will get to add another note to this blog so here is the plan for today:

pack up my stuff and head out to the nearby Jewish Cemetary to see what there is to see there. Take some photographs of the streets and life here and try and find a place to buy another photocard.

The hostel will look after my bag for me until later tonight when I head off to catch my train. I would certainly come back here and I actually have spent very little on food and prices have been just fine.

Last night I went to a Milk Bar right in the touristy area of Market Square. Milk bars have been around since the communist era and are plain and simple cafes - dirt cheap. Just before the concert last night I had pieroghi (Ruskie - cheese and potatoes) and it was 5 zloty - $2.50. then I had a waffle and a small glass of Polish beer and that was 11 zloty and that was more than I needed.

its 2.50 zloty on the tram or bus and though you can pay a lot for things I have found a lot of the cafes are quite reasonable even in the touristy areas.

I will be inPrague early tomorrow and have booked a guest house for one night - I will continue with the plan from there....ah the freedom of the road!

Made it down the salt mine - 380 steps and counting

Luckily there was a lift back up - well it was more like a sardine can than a lift - very rattlie and all that. It was a very intereting (and expensive) trip but worth it when you add up life experiences. I will forget how much I paid (30 bucks) and remember the labrynths and the amazing salt lakes and esp the salt chandeliers which I was quite impressed with.

I have decided that there are a lot of nice, kind and helpful Polish people and then again there are the left over snarly, unfriendly and cold types. I have encountered lots of both. When they are nice they are stupendous and when they are not they are cold and arrogant - I blame the communists :) Been misdirected a lot but hey after 2 days I actually know how to get places - well I learned from my mistkes shallwe say.

Just got back from a chamber concert at one of the beautiful old churches here next to the main market Square where a delightful young man gave me a ticket at the student rate - said I looked like a student to him - what a charmer - actually he was and he told me that he worked with abused children and had been one himself - good people everywhere and we know where the others can go

I have taken the brave step of booking a ticket on the night train to Prague tomorrow night. It leaves at 10:30 and gets me into Prague at 6 ish the enxt morning - 9th Aug. I save on a nights accommodation but I will have to think about how to get to Amsterdam for 12th to fly to St Petersberg and revel in some russian culture. They were not friendly at the train station tos say the least. I have no real idea what type of ticket I have but I paid 90 dollars for it - it wasn't cheap - that was 187 zloty or close enuf. I think it is something in between a coach seat and a sleeper - maybe the seat just goes back a bit more - for 20 zloty I thought what the hell - I will chain my pack to my leg and sleep with my goodies close by. I will ask the hostel folk to translate it tomorrow.

Thanks Zuba for the loan of the backpack - it is working out well. I am travelling light.

Travelling is hard work! Hahaha

Didn't make it to the Saltmines today but its on for first thing tomorrow. I had to go and find a 2 day tourist pass and for some reason nothing happens here until after 10 am. Civilized or what!

I did however make it to 3 museums and saw the Da Vinci Woman with an Ermine - very lovley - lots of old weaponry here. Both Js would love the gigantic swords and jousting equipment that is everywhere. It seems the Polish - Austro Hungarian or whatever this country was called in its many faces - have a lot of very posh armour and battlegear.

Went to Wawel Castle and had a good shufty. Plan is for tomorrow - Salt mine, rest (very important part of day), river cruise and then concert in one of the churches for 20$ - Mozart and a bunch of other rather famous composers. Should be lovely.

I shall no doubt end the day with a glass of something. Have to try the Vodka here.

It has been gorgeous weather - I rather hate discussing weather - its so trite but - its 11 pm and I am in shorts and a t-shirt. Pretty darn good.

Had another donair kebab and couldn't finish it - for $4.50. In the square they tried to charge me 28 zloty for some veggies and mushrooms from a stand - $14 - can't believe the audacity - I sent it back and did much better for myself. Ended the night with a beer across the st from my lovely hostel.

Krakow is so clean! A great place and I shall be sorry to leave - just when I am finding my way around it will be time to go - Berlin or Prague- hmm -train goes to Berlin before Prague - have a day to decide.....catch you later!

Off to the Salt Mines

Just to let everyone know you can message me via the comments below every one of my posts. sure would be nice to get some news from y'all don't ya know!

I will fill in todays adventures when I get back. Just had a lovely breakfast cheese and bread and coffee - I like it here and had a quiet and good nights sleep.

ready to rock!

Krakow is a very groovy place

After my unfortunate day yesterday where I fail to hear one welsh accent in I sit next to two welsh people on plane to Krakow! Go figuire - one from Cardiff and the other from Caernarvon - even spoke different twelsh dialects. Had to chuckle. Even discovered that tom Jones isn't even from Pontypridd but rather a small place outside of there.

My hostel is called "Secret Garden" and it is the nicest I have ever seen. It is cleaner and better than any hotel I ever stayed in in England! http://thesecretgarden.pl/ogrod-ang.html mine is the Moor room. Very impressed. Staff are nice and helpful. My room has a window that opens and looks out over the University of something across street. Small but for $40 what else can you expect. Breakfast is free too and sounds really good.

I had a nice beer - Polish Lech by name at a pub around the corner - did I mention I am staying in the old Jewish district the Kazimierz http://www.jewishkrakow.net/. Couldn't be better. Things aren't cheap here but a lot cheaper than in England. I am looking forward to trying some real pieroghi and some Polish vodka which will not be difficult to do here as the Polish believe they invented the stuff.

I just grabbed a pizza snack, Polish style, in Nowry square where they filmed many scenes for Schindler's List; Oskar Schindler is from here and it is here that he rescued many jews. The site of his factory is here but I think it is long gone. I wont go to Auschwitz; I saw Dachau years ago and its very heartbreaking. I will however go to t e salt mine and to Wawel Castle and various other spectacular sites. Here there is a Da Vinci; as only 5 cities in the world host a real Da Vinci I shall certainly see it.

it's great to be back in Europe! Big thanks tho to D and R for being such terrific hosts and I hope that d is eating well after her weekend of food celibacy!

A day of learning

Today i learned that buses are not my friend. It too 4 hrs to get to Rhyll (Wales) where I should have taken the train back to Liverpool - but no - I thought - its 6:30 I will use my day pass and go back by bus.

I made it to Holywell where the bus driver told me that was his last stop and I needed not the 11 but the 11A which would be along in an hour. this was at 7:30 pm.

So I wandered around looking at the town - clean and pretty with flowers and stuff.

Bought a kebab and sat in the empty main street and ate it - not the best I ever had but huge...

went for the bus at 8:30 but no sign and still no sign at 9:15 and it was the last bus that night - no train station - finally went into a store to ask them to call a cab for me to go to Flint, the nearest town with a train station - just then as fate would have it a woman in the store offered to take me to Flint - wonderful - train arrived in 5 minutes and changed once for Liverpool. Arrived by Pier Head and got a taxi in minutes - arrived at D and Rs and knocking back a nice brandy within 5 minutes.

Guess the moral of the story is that thre are kind people in the world and never take a bus in GB ever again. Since they privatised its got no dependability.

Ah well off to Krakow tomorrow unless this flight is cancelled too - I'll bend like the tree in the wind - after all I am on vacation aren't I? Funny thing is I didn't hear once welsh accent or anyone speaking welsh the whole day quelle horreur!

the Lake District

took a bus tour today to the Lake Dsitrict - fondly called Cumbria here and it is the idyllic english countryside of rolling hills and the proverbial patchwork quilt, lambs, cows and dry-stone walls.

the Conservation centre was full of rhinos, giraffes, lions, tigers and assorted monkeys. It was a pleasant day witht he sun shining and the animals seemed content enough. The big thrill was mum got to feed a ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar who were allowed to roam throughout the park at will. the are very smart and entertaining. One came over to inspect me and the pack and was very interested in undoing zippers.

Mum spent most of the time sitting while I wandered around but I guess in the big picture she enjoyed herself.

Got back to R and Ds to find that my flight to Krakow with Wizz Air had been cancelled. they will refund my money. I booked immediately with good ald Easyjet and leave one day later than planned.

So I am of to Wales tomorrow for the day - try another country at least. I think I willgo and see the waterfalls at Bettswy Coed and noodle around Llandaff and possibly Black Rock sands....we shall see.

The plot thickens

Liverpool Haze

Went to visit Uncle D and Auntie F today and it ws a nice visit - got some groovy birkenstocks from Costco and went to see the Dark Knight with mum - another example of the strange way things are advertised here as we menat to go and see the new Mummy film.

Heath Ledger did a remarkable job - what a shame he is gone so young - mum wasn't too impressed - something a little less invasive next time.

Still - off to the safari park in the Lake District tomorrow and then fly to Krakow on Monday for 3 days and the next adventure begins.

Innundated with Art

Saw the Klimt show yesterday - 8 pounds to get in - his stuff was absolutely marvellous and it contained a lot of furniture and photographs of his contemporaries and friends. Klimt it turns out was a "cat-lover" so he must have been an ok feller. His art is so sumptious and sensual but with an intense spiritual element that just grabs you. Its the gold leaf that stands out. To think he was called a pornographer - he painted even more nudes after that and didn't live to be very old, sad to say.

Took Mum to the theatre last night to the Playhouse where we saw a Liverpool production called "A Night at the Adelphi", which is the best hotel in Liverpool and famous for the Beatles hanging off the balcony when they got MBEs or something like that. Thought the play was going to be ok but thought mum would like it - its a musical and actually it was really great and very well done indeed - took place concurrently in the 30s and present day with love stories entwining the plot.

I have decided I have a love/hate relationship with Liverpool - say no more but as soon as I get really exasperated and want to leave something really great happens.

Today I went to the Walker Art Gallery where there is a show related to the rise of the train and artists impressions of it. Lots of Monets and assorted other impressionists, preraphaelites galore and Turners and well you name it plus some wonderful early photographers.

Then I took Mum to Sudley Manor where there were Turners and that was nice. Assorted Victorian art that doesn't do much for me. She actually walked there from the care-home and stole all the clotted cream we were sharing plus scraped the rest of it out with her knife and licked it all off. So much for not being hungry. She hasn't moaned too much the last couple of days - just the odd comment about dying here and there. She actually paid attention to things today - go figuire..........

Then came back to D and Rs and crashed for a couple of hours - drinking a glass of Bulmers cider and then we are going out for an Indian meal.

Bought a nice pair of Birks for 20 quid at Costco thanks to D driving me there - saw hers and had to have some. At that price can't turn it down. Lots of sales on here at 70% off but I am cooling my jets...

Let's hope that Lufthansa sorts out its strike soon or I am screwed......