Thanks London

Well, we've left London and we're on our way home. I guess, when we chose a place to go and live for a bit, there were a number of things that became important: culture, lifestyle, language, location, remuneration. After a year of calling London home it seems an appropriate time to reflect.

Understandably the culture in London is similar. We kiwis are of course bred from the same genes. A lot of it comes from a common language and similar ways of understanding things.

There are of course some differences. I think it's fair to say that if Australia is good at beaches and New Zealand is good at sports clubs, London is good at pubs. It seems to be the place where things are discussed and resolved. This couldn't be any truer than at HarperDownie (the place I've been working for). Many a decision has been made across the road in "Meeting Room Number 3". It's a bit of home away from....flat. I've never been so familiar with bar staff. My liver will thank me for moving back to New Zealand where the public transport system does a good job of encouraging sobriety.

If you're an antipodean and you're looking to see a good chunk of the world, there can't be much better places to be than London. As an English speaking country, its proximity to Europe and the ease of getting on a plane/train and getting to some of the world's best cities is unrivalled. Within the time it takes to get to Sydney from Auckland you can get to many of the world's best known cities. We've had a number of weekends where we wake up and we're in another country before 11 in the morning.

I don't think it has been as good for us as it has been in the past though. It seems that oil prices and the strengthening Euro have made it more and more expensive to travel abroad from England. We've noticed a change since we arrived. Even living in London and earning London wages, it was difficult to find a city or town that felt cheaper than our local supermarket. One thing's for sure though, it will never be this cheap again for us to do what we've done.

If anything is taking us home it is the New Zealand lifestyle. For two people who grew up on and around the beach, the inability to see the horizon has been rough. Sam misses the sea and has thoroughly been re-acquainting herself with it over the first few days of our trip home. The winter was long both chronologically and metaphorically. In the depths of January we would venture out on the weekends at eleven o'clock only to find that you're heading home at three. It gets dark at 4 and you spend months at a time feeling like the world is closing in on you.

Those long, warm summer nights do something to balance the ledger but they are few and far between. Already, as we came to leave, there wasn't much time after work to enjoy the outdoors. I really look forward to leaving work, jumping on the Birkenhead ferry again, checking the breeze on the way home and deciding on which bay will be best to go windsurfing from. My decision will probably already be made by Sam who will be sunning herself on the beach already.
So, as we head home, I think it is safe to say that London has been great for us. We've experienced as much of it as we could. It has served as a good base for our adventures and it will live fondly in our hearts forever. If you asked us if we wanted to stay another year, our answer would be a polite but firm no.

When Kiwis go to London they.....
Realise how good New Zealand is.

The best meal we've had since our last update was.....
Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Pete took us there on our first night in London and we decided it was fitting to leave on the same note. It felt much less expensive the second time around.

Underground countdown
Our total so far is about 70/321.......
We did tick off a few more near the end of our time here but they got fewer and farther between near the end (understandably). 70 is about 20%. Mostly we covered central and west London. Not bad. We did hear of a guy who did every single station over one weekend (which is more difficult than it sounds as many lines are shut during the weekends for maintenance). Our effort pales in comparison to his....

Cinque Terre

Finally…….some swimming in the sea!

After being deprived of smelling the sea air, seeing sea gulls, and having that salt caked feeling on our skin, we got to go swimming in the Med! We were lucky enough to spend a week in the Italian Riviera with Simon and Andrea from NZ.





We flew into Genoa and then caught a train down to Levanto to do the Cinque Terre trail. This is a series of 5 small fishing villages set amongst a UNESCO World Heritage site on the north western coast of Italy. There are well trodden paths cut into the coast leading between the villages and the scenery was amazing as the trails run quite high above the villages.





It was a warm 35 degrees for most of the week meaning we had to break out the shorts and bikini tops (or just shirts off for the blokes) for most of the week. We feel quite spoiled with our lovely golden sandy beaches at home, and can’t quite understand the attraction to sunbathing on the rocks or concrete boat ramps! I guess that what happens when the beaches are all pebbles.





We did a whole lot of walking but the views and charm of each of the villages made it all worth it. We also did a day trip to Portofino –there was an impressive bunch of super yachts anchored in the bay and the only shopping you could do there was at stores such as Gucci, Prada, Hermes or Louis Vuitton! You could also pay NZD$18 for a coke, so needless to say we stuck to the water and a standard pizza.



On our last day we did the biggest walk of all from a little hill top town called Campiglia down to a larger town called Portovenerre. This was a very rocky and less trodden path that was slightly more of a bush walk than a coastal walk. It was pretty hot and tough going, but Simon still managed to truck through with his jandals carrying everything he and Andrea needed for the day in a plastic supermarket bag (we will never cease to be amazed!!). We were rewarded with a dip in the sea off some rocks in a great wee picturesque cove.



We are pretty much pizza, pasta and gelatied out now, and are almost on the homeward journey. Our shipping boxes have arrived (and been packed!) and we have just under 2 weeks left in the UK before we start our 5 week trip home. Watch this space for more news and pics shortly and we will see you soon!

Birthdays

We were lucky enough to be part of Mat’s Grannies 90th birthday celebrations last month. We headed down to Devon to spend the weekend with Dulcie and some of Mat’s family. We LOVE trains here (it’s so easy and cheap if you book in advance and reliable!) so we got the train down Friday night.

Mat’s parents are in the UK now for a few months, so we all stayed with Mat’s Auntie and Uncle for the weekend. Saturday saw a surprise lunch for Dulcie and about 25 other friends and family at a lovely restaurant. Sheila and Paul (Mat’s other Auntie and Uncle) did a great job of organising the whole weekend and it was great to meet some of Mat’s cousins. We also got to meet and play with Esme (3) and Maggie (1) –I suppose cute wee Esme and Maggie are 2nd cousins?? We spent Sunday at Dulcie’s house having coffee and cake in the sun. We enjoyed playing football and hide and seek with Esme (even if she did call me a loser! :-) ).





The following weekend we were off again –this time to Paris for a long weekend on the Eurostar. What a cool way to get to another European city! It only takes 2 hours and you don’t have to be there 2 hours before departure etc.

This was our 2nd trip to Paris, but last Summer when we were there is poured with rain the whole time. This time was a totally different scene, and although it was cold and windy at the top of the Eiffel Tower, the views were amazing –a pretty cool way to spend your birthday!!!

We also went back to our favourite spot in Paris –up at Montmarte by Sacre Couer. There were the usual fantastic buskers and typically French artists finishing off oil paintings and pastel drawings. We also took in the sights around Moulin Rouge this time, and the Pompidou Centre (although I fancied the big fluffy couches in the lobby a little more than the artwork!).





So another busy month in the world of Mat and Sam on Tour. Not long to go now before the tour starts winding up!

London in summer

Summer is well underway here in London, and just as well considering we have stayed in town for the whole month of June! Temperatures have been at least 20 degrees for the past 6 weeks or so, with a little rain and some wind at times, but nothing to major.

It has been a busy month for us –highlights include winning tickets to see Coldplay in concert (I would have flown to another country to see them play so winning tickets was pretty cool). We also continued to tick some typically London things off the list and visited the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and learn that the brand of gin was named after the Beefeaters and not the other way around!

It has also been a very social month with the arrival of Veronica from NZ –she proved that our studio apartment can indeed operate with the couch folded out into a bed (just as well as Mat's parents arrive here this week). We were also fortunate to have a meal and a few drinks with Brendon who was in London on business –it was good to hear some gossip and news from NZ first hand.

Last weekend we took a canal boat ride to the Camden Markets. We had been to the markets soon after we arrived in London but didn't have any money to spend and didn't go on a boat. I managed to buy some jewellery and a bag and we introduced Veronica to really bad English coffee.

Since we last updated the blog, there has been a special birthday in NZ. The Waller family celebrated with Uncle Les on his 90th birthday. Many happy returns Uncle Les and sorry that we couldn't be there on the day.

We have also just caught up with another member of the Waller family –Uncle Bruce came up to London to meet us today and we even managed to take a photo of him! Thanks so much for taking the time to make the trip Uncle Bruce (e is keeping a keen eye on our underground countdown.....see below for an update as we have done quite well this month!).

That's about all for now. We will be away for the next 2 weekends celebrating more big birthdays so watch this space.

M&S

When Kiwis go to London they.....
See Coldplay live in concert at the Brixton Academy
Have friends who are fresh of the boat stay with them
Have to send 90th birthday wishes by email rather than being there in person
Catch up with family
Miss the sea!

The best meal we've had since our last update was.....
Ribs and pulled BBQ pork rolls at Bodean's!

Underground countdown
Our total so far is 70/321 and new entries include:
Embankment
Charing Cross
Ravenscourt Park
Brixton
Clapham Common

Edinburgh

Well the Bank Holidays are over until August, but that hasn't stopped us from seeing yet more of what Europe has to offer. This time we headed north to Edinburgh. Our forward planning paid off with a cheap train ticket –in fact, I am writing this on the train on the way back to London. With the wonders of technology these days, there is even free Wi Fi on the train!!

Looking out the window the scenery would be beautiful –very green and glimpses of the sea every now and again. We have already passed through Newcastle and will stop next near York. However, it has been raining all day and is very grey and miserable out there. Probably a good thing we are not on a plane! The 5 hour trip is made much easier by the fact that we can log on to see if anyone has emailed us over the weekend....none of you have though and we are presuming that it is Queens B'Day weekend at home so you are al enjoying a day off.

Edinburgh is a pretty city and the castle definitely commands the most presence on the horizon –and so it should. Up on a hill it looks down over the city and so we took the mandatory stroll through its 300 year history. It's hard to believe that the courtyard out in front is the stage for the annual Edinburgh Tattoo –it looks much smaller in real life! Mat also enjoyed the contrast of some modern architecture in the Scottish Parliament buildings in the wet today.

Yesterday was a very different story - 20+ degrees and the Scots were out in force in the many parks. We wandered the shopping streets and had a drink in a pub recommended by one of Mat's Scottish bosses (nice call Paul!) and also joined the locals for some ice cream and some R&R in Prince's Park.

Although we didn't have to get up at the usual 5am for a weekend trip, 5.45am was still WAY too early so we had a cheap pub meal (not hard to do in the UK) and then took in the new Indiana Jones movie. It would have be fab to head to Murrayfield and watch some action from the final leg of the Rugby 7's, but the last game for the day was just after 6pm so we settled for a movie instead.

Probably the oddest thing of the whole weekend was coming out of the movies at 10pm and finding that the sky was still as blue as it was at midday! I am not too sure how many hours of darkness there usually are in a summer's day in Edinburgh, but I am guessing that there aren't many! It was quite weird!!!

We are looking forward to a more domestic June and don't have any European trips booked. We plan to head to England's south coast to soak up some sea air at some stage, so watch this space.

M&S

When Kiwis go to London they.....
Miss the birth of friends' babies (go Rhys & Kylie!)

The best meal we've had since our last update was.....
Since our last 'best meal' was only 6 days ago, we don't really have an update at this stage....

Underground countdown
Our total so far is 65/321 and new entries include:
Kings Cross

P.S. don't miss the Berlin blog further down the page. We don't have enough time between trips to keep up to date!

Berlin

May the 23rd marked our seven year anniversary and two years since I proposed. The last two years have been particularly busy and to make sure our eighth year together started off on the same foot we flew to Berlin on the 24th to continue our 'May month of travel'!

We flew out from London city airport which was reported to be a bit posh because all the smaller private planes fly out of there (we flew from there 'cos it was cheap). Alarm bells rang when we checked in on-line only to find ourselves in row 10, only halfway back down the plane.... We had visions of being required to pedal or flap.

We are getting quite good at all of this travel now though. We have organised ourselves into little bottle (less than 100ml) and we can squeeze enough into a bag big enough to carry on with us. Along with checking in online we are now streamlined to the point where we can turn up and walk on to the plane. The added advantage is that British Airways doesn't get the chance to lose your bag for you.

On top of our organisational skills we seem very good at picking good weather. Berlin was no exception. With a bank holiday in England we managed to escape some pretty average weather in London. Shorts and t'shirts for three days straight.

I was in Berlin a few weeks after Sam and I started going out. The re-building following the fall of the wall was well underway and very evident. It is a very different city now. With the exception of the odd building the city feels far more complete. It was interesting that the locals had embraced 'The Wall' a lot more. When I was there last it was difficult to find any evidence of it at all.

All this re-building means there is a long list of architectural highlights. In order to make sure this entry doesn't deteriorate into an architectural rant I will restrict it to just that; a long list (in order of appearance):

Hauptbahnhof station, TV tower, Altes Museum, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Platz, Hotel Adalon (where Micheal Jackson dangled his kid out the window), site of Hitler's bunker, New National Gallery, Government Buildings, Nordic Embassies, Kaiser Wilhelm Church (which was bombed in WW2 and has not been repaired) and The Jewish Museum. Phew!

All in all, the city was really nice. It was interesting to see that the city had found a new center of gravity in the Eastern side (cheaper rents!). The old western center felt a wee bit run down. We went on a walking tour which was really interesting. We didn't walk far but it's nice to be shown little spots you would never find otherwise – Hitler's bunker and the underground library for instance.

Our flight home was split into two and took what felt like an age. We seem to be making a habit of arriving home late at night only to get up again early and go to work. It's tough being an international jetsetter.

For now, that's all. Edinburgh next!

M&S

When Kiwis go to London they.....
Stand on the right, walk on the left.


The best meal we've had since our last update was.....
Dinner out in the Sony Center, Berlin.

Underground countdown
Our total so far is 64/321 and new entries include:
London City Airport

Amsterdam

May is a busy month for us. Two bank holiday weekends and the lure of good weather means we have booked a trip away for three of the four (and a half) weekends. The first trip was Amsterdam where we had a great time.

Early morning flights are cheap. They are also really hard. Flying out of the ill fated Terminal 5 made things even more difficult. And so it was that we got up at 5:00 on the Saturday of a long weekend to fly out to Amsterdam. We spent more time taxiing than we did in the air. They seem to put more staff on these short flights so that they can hand out the snacks fast enough. By the time you get up you start coming down again.

By mid day local time we were safely into the city center via our very handily placed hotel. Given that the weather has (with the odd exception) been pretty average up until now, we were gifted three cracking days of sunshine and temperatures in the low 20s. We spent some time on our first day joining the rest of Amsterdam sunbathing in the park. The tulips are out, the trees are green and so is the water.

After a day of wandering around we thought it would be a good opportunity to drop into the Heineken factory and partake in one of the local 'H' delicacies (the other two being hookers and hash). It was hardly surprising that true to our record of visting famous buildings wrapped in scaffolding, the factory was closed for renovations. A pint in the park had to do. Bugger.

We started off day two by hiring a couple of bikes. We were staying to the north of the city so we were nice and close to the 'countryside' and spent most of the morning and early afternoon peddling along the canals watching windmills and locks. The afternoon was spent back in the city which was packed (it was the Dutch remembrance day). A wander around the redlight district was, shall we say, entertaining and disturbing, all at the same time. It's safe to say that quality varies greatly.

Shopping anyone?

Our last day started with pancakes. These were closely followed by the Anne Frank house and a wander through some newer (and tidier) parts of the central city. The Anne Frank house was interesting and sobering but bigger than we had thought....not that living there in fear without any sunlight for a number of years would have been much fun. The new developments are very Dutch modern – interesting, sobering and bigger than we thought.

Finally we wandered along the 'waterfront' towards the new library (which proved to be a very nice modern library) and NEMO, the new science center. This bit of town felt very different to the rest of the city with long views and an openness you don't find elsewhere. The new civic buildings are very good and clever in a number of ways. The roof of the NEMO is for instance, a public roof terrace with fountains and a cafe.

Amsterdam Library

NEMO

All in all Amsterdam was very nice. We feel like everyone should ride bikes more (although we suggest everyone else should be careful not to step out in front of a bike as we witnessed waiting for the Anne Frank House). Now we look forward to our next trip to Berlin!

M&S

When Kiwis go to London they.....

Get up at five in the morning to go somewhere else
Sunbathe in Kensington Gardens pretending that the round pond is like the sea.
Don't go to sex shows in Amsterdam but get to witness one close hand in Hyde park.
Catch up with cousins they haven't seen for years.
Take a fancy to cider and ice in the sun.

The best meal we've had since our last update was.....
Thai at our new favourite restaurant in Soho.

Underground countdown
Our total so far is 63/321 and new entries include:
T5 and Clapham North for Jacinda's birthday