Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness

And no..... we didn't see Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.  Although it was easy to imagine her living here.  

Eileen Donan Castle

Plockton boat trip

Plockton

I hate even saying this name out loud, incase it is suddenly inundated with tourists and ruined beyond repair.

Gillian and I visited Plockton on our last visit, and it stayed with me. It is a tiny little coastal village which has palm trees, seals, amazing birdlife and a man with extremely bushy eyebrows (whom we talked to last visit and saw again this visit).

It has a wonderful pub.... which welcomed the boys.... great food and the added thrill of being the location for the BBC series "Hamish McBeth".

Glencoe

There's something about winding your way around lochs and bens and then seeing Glencoe spread out before you.  No more hedges and stone walls..... just majestic, aching nature.

Back In Glasgow from our road trip to the Highlands..

.... and while I'm uploading those photos.... a few more from our time in Glasgow...

are ye awright bawheid?

It’s so corny..... but there’s nothing like being met at the airport by a wonderful friend that you haven’t seen for years. By the time we got to Glasgow, the boys and I were absolutely shattered. F’s ears wouldn’t pop on the last flight, and I had severe nausea. We were all fantasising about never having to board another flight for as long as we live.

And there was Gillian.. and it was all worth it.

We spent yesterday afternoon walking around Gillian’s neighbourhood (Partick). We walked up Byers Road and then through Glasgow University... before walking in the rain through Kelvingrove Park and through Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. We watched kids skating and biking on a purpose-built track ...... and saw two wedding parties.

The last time I was in Glasgow, it was deep winter. It was so cold that I had arthritic pain in my hips. The sun rose about 10.30 am and set about 3.30pm. It rained often and often.  And this time everything is different.  The light is amazing..... the air is crisp and clean  and the colours of the sandstone buildings seem to leap out at me.  It's light from 5-is in the morning until after 10pm.  It's like a different city!

And this afternoon Gillian organised a street parade just for us! (umm...) The West-End Mardi-Gras passed along our street and provided MUCH entertainment.  

Tomorrow we are taking off for a road trip to the north-west of Scotland.   

Click here for more photos....

We're in London!

We survived the flights.  The FULL flights.  The "every single seat on the 12 hour flight has been sold" flight.  The "F got plane sick and threw up all over himself, me and the seat within the first half hour" flight.  The "Phenergan definitely does NOT work for my children" flights.  The "BA flight attendants aren't nearly as nice as Qantas flight attendants" flights (information learned when juggling vomiting child from centre seat with attendant standing well back and telling me to take him to the toilet) 

We're absolutely exhausted.  But, as F just said "I feel way better for getting off the plane".

Here we are in Heathrow's Terminal 5.  Brand new and hugely controversial (I definitely have jet lag.  The terminal keeps swaying and it took me 3 minutes to remember the word "controversial"), it's glamorous, expensive-looking and 25 irritating bus-ride minutes away from Terminal 4 (where we arrived).  Our flight to Glasgow leaves in 1.5 hours and so we're sitting in a cafe ........ where F ate his first meal in 24 hours ....... and now H is feeling extremely sick.  Jet lag, I'm sure, but the boys are having a wonderful conversation about whether he should vomit on the Audi R8 or the Ferrari F430 (both parked on a display station less than 20 metres from us right now!).

They've been behaving wonderfully, although we are all getting a bit scratchy now.  Especially me.  Still...... we haven't missed any connections (although we cut it very fine in Bangkok when I lost our boarding passes) and are all reasonable okay.  Just dehydrated and exhausted.

Can't wait for Glasgow.  Nearly there!!!  Poor Gillian.  I'm sure we all STINK (F and I sure do because of afore-mentioned event on flight) and we are bound to collapse with our heads in our laps about mid-afternoon. 

Is leaving a way of appreciating what I have when I return?

This is my question of the day.

I left Australia once, 20 years ago, and stayed away.  I was a lost soul for years... although I value every person I met and every lesson that I learned during that time.  

I didn't actually choose to come home.  I met DH and stayed to be with him.  

And for years, I felt displaced.  I didn't belong here, but I didn't belong there.  I simply took years to learn the basic lesson of "wherever I go, there I am".  But I DID learn it.  And life moved on.

I have taken trips in the last 10 years...... but never for 6 weeks....... and not with my kids.

We're packed and although I'm extremely anxious, I also feel ready.  I'm looking forward to sharing my wonderful friends and my favourite places with my two favourite boys in the whole wide world.

Wish us luck!  I'll update this blog along the way..... although as Gillian (in Glasgow) doesn't have internet access at home, the first couple of weeks might be sketchy.

Good on her!!

I wish I had the money for Private Investigators!!

Going For Broke In The Battle Of Exes - Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 10 June 2008

Progress...

The kids seem to be taking it in their stride, but I'm a stressed-out nervous wreck.  Just the idea of packing for 6 weeks is turning my head into something that resembles mince in a blender.  Uggh.

The boys have put out their clothes already.... and they did a great job if you like having your kids look as though they've just left rugby training.  Every day.  I have visions of having smartly dressed, beautifully coiffed boys adorning my table on a pavement in Paris.  Just not going to happen.

Still.... fashion police aside.... they've basically finished their end of the packing deal.  Which means that I have nothing to focus on except for MY packing (and organising my apartment which is a tip).

Can a depressed woman wear black (layers and layers because of seasonal temperature changes) for 6 weeks without falling into a black hole?  I'm putting in tiny touches of colour in the shape of a cheeky orange scarf (for Paris, of course) and a red chinese-silk backpack.... but basically it's black from my toes to my chin.

And if I'm only wearing one colour.... how many tiny black cardies can I justify packing?  I mean.... I will hopefully be washing every week or so.... but these cotton knit cardies aren't quick drying (and I'm allergic to putting my clothes in dryers).  Ahhhh the dilemma!  And how many black trousers will I need?  3/4 length or full-length?  And will they be suitable for the heat of Lisbon?  And if not, then what else should I take that takes up no room and weighs nothing?

And shoes!  Between hill-walking in the Scottish highlands, strolling in Paris, going to the beach in Lisbon and driving for days......

Now you're getting the idea.  Stressful, or what?

Finally...

The press are starting to acknowledge the horrendous effects of our (Australian) new Child Support system on the residential parents (mainly mothers).

"Parents Split As They Do The Sums" - Sydney Morning Herald 10 June 2008

In the meantime.....  in Britain......

"Protesters Force British Labour Deputy Leader Out Of Her Home" - Sydney Morning Herald 10 June 2008

Look what I just found....

This is an amazing site that lets you know which seats to avoid on which airlines. 

Good old British Airways has already allocated our seats (as I'm travelling with 2 kids) and I went online to check out their positions (as you do when you're procrastinating) and found this site.

the NEW iphone...

Yeah, I admit, I am a Mac geek.

I've had my iPhone for months now, and absolutely love it.  But this video seems to sum up my feelings about upgrading to the latest and greatest technology.....

(if I had a great income.... I'd find a way to upgrade and pass my current iPhone on to my boys.  But I don't..... )

Lately...

Here's a pictorial glimpse of the last couple of weeks.....

more...

DONE

Everything but the packing. I think.

(panic starts to set in)

Help!!

I've spent the last couple of days trying to organise all of the internal flights, trains and car rentals for our trip.  It's an absolute nightmare.

I finally found an almost affordable way to travel from Paris to Lisbon and then back to Eindhoven (Holland) and am unable to book it.  Seriously.  I can't get the site to accept my credit cards (which seem to work perfectly well everywhere else on the internet).
So, I have to book it through an Australian site, which wacks on a whopping great mark-up (I know - they have to make money too but it does seem extreme) that makes it even LESS affordable.
I still haven't organised all of our visits to friends.  Especially the ones in the UK.  And we're leaving in 8 days.  Ooops.

I still haven't booked the Eurostar from London to Paris, because until I've established what nights we can see our London friends, I don't know when we'll be leaving the UK.  It would be just my luck to book everything and then find out that my friends are only available the night after we've left.  
And the nightmare and expense of trying to organise car rentals that start in one country and end in another country.  I mean..... what's the point of the European Union if everybody still behaves as though they've got their own currency?!  (I am kidding - all my European readers)
Sheesh.  The extra expense of an "international one-way" rental means that 8 days of car rental from Paris TO Paris (via Eindhoven) is cheaper than 24 hours of car rental from Paris TO Eindhoven plus a train back to Paris.  Crazy.
It's a steep learning curve.  And it seems such a waste to be learning so much stuff about a subject that I may never need again.   Please feel free to pick my brain before your next European jaunt
Ah well..... it'll be an adventure.  That's for sure.