Singapore

It was a bit of a short stay in Singapore but I'll attempt to get the photos on and do a bit of a blurb about it in the next week or two. 

We got home last Saturday but there was no time for jet lag with two girls and a husband waiting for me.  I started work again on Monday and it feels like I've been running to catch up since then!

Phil's birthday is today and his sister Sarah and Dad, Ron are here for a visit from Australia.  Right now we're off for a special birthday lunch so I'd better get my skates on...

...

London

Yikes!  Where is the time going?


On Sunday we went for another walk around the Roman ruins next to the Colosseum.  We admired the cats, fed the birds, marvelled again at the building achievements of the ancient Romans and nibbled on pastries.

Then it was time to catch our Taxi to the airport.  After squeezing through the narrow back streets with only inches to spare our driver picked up pace on the autostrada cruising at 140-160 kms/hr.  Luckily he slowed down a little when we reached the terminal!  Then it was time to join the leisurely queues at the airport... ... ...  after an uneventful flight where Mum got friendly with a nun we touched down in Heathrow., navigated the buses and the tube to arrive at our hotel.

Our first day in London we caught the hop-on/hop-off double decker bus for a look around the town.  Our first "hop-off was at Hamley's toy store.  We nearly didn't make it back on the bus!  There were so many amazing toys and games that we had never seen before.  After a few careful purchases (it was soooo hard to decide) we managed to leave the store.

The bus took us down Regent St, around Trafalgar Square,  and then along to Westminster where we got off for a walk over the Thames back to see Big Ben and the houses of parliament with their beautiful gothic achitecture.  Westminster Abbey was just next door and we saw where Kate and Wills got married.

Next we got on the bus and went to Lizzie's house.  She was home but she didn't come out to say hello (maybe she was having a Nana nap?) so we made friends with the squirrels at Regents Park instead.  We had a pocketful of almonds left over from Rome which they really liked.  It was surprising when they climbed right up my legs to try and pick my pockets.  Luckily we are on our guard against petty thieves.

By this time it was getting late so we headed back to Marble Arch and our favourite Lebanese restaurant.  Unfortunately the sauteed vegetables (which are the best thing on the menu) were unavailable but we enjoyed our lamb shanks with fragrant rice and sala, especially the first time.

The Roman Forum and Colosseum

It was yet another magic day in Rome today.  The sun was shining and it was interesting roaming around the old pillars and excavations where people used to live and work so many years ago.  How they built such amazing buildings without cranes and heavy machinery is really mind boggling..   It's also surprising how much of it is still standing after such a long time and so much recycling (looting) as the marble was borrowed for other projects around Rome.

After the Roman Forum we took a deep breath and admired the queues for the Colosseum.  Then we walked straight past them with our tickets from the Roman Forum and straight in the main entrace (Thanks to some good information from hotel reception)  The Colosseum lived up to its name, it certainly is enormous and interesting to walk around and imagine what it must have been like.

This afternoon we went shopping, but true to form the boots we have been searching for eluded us.  Perhaps we will find them in London? or maybe at overland in Albany NZ next winter.   We spent about 3 hours packing and repacking our suitcases to get them under the weight limit before we fly out tomorrow.  We certainly have bought some stuff while we've been away!

Via Appia Antica

Today was another lovely sunny day in Rome.  We caught the metro and then the bus to the beginning of the Via Appia Antica where we hired a bicycle.  It really was a highlight of the trip cycling along this road which was built 2200 years ago and wondering about all the other people who had travelled this way before us.

ruins of a tomb on the Via Appia Antica

The road is quite quiet in the off season

Peeking through the wall on the side of the road

The Romans built many tombs and other buildings along the road

The original parts of the road have great big stones and they're a bit rough for cycling

The new cobbles are much more friendly to cyclists bottoms

More ruins - I wonder who used to live here

Excavations show the floor mosiac at the the entrance to the Roman Baths circa 96 AD

Someone built a new house on top of this tomb

This was just on the side of the road where you can climb up and have a look

Its very tall looking up from the base of the wall

behind the cactus you can see the remains of the aquaduct in the distance

This friendly pussycat came to say Hello at the tomb of St Cecelia Mettela

Ah - a nice warm lap

we would love to have had a better look around here but it was too late in the afternoon

The cafe where we hired the bikes from

There are many old tombs, sentry posts and the remains of castles along the side of the road.  We loved the countryside, the birds were singing, butterflies and bees were going about their business while the warm autumn sun shone down.  We only wish we had arrived earlier in the morning to be able to explore a little more.

Rome - the Vatican

down another pretty side street in Rome

The Piazza del Popolo (I think)

Fountain at the Piazza

Along the river Tiber

In front of St Peters

It's late so the commentary will have to come tomorrow.  Anyway we walked for miles, went to St Peters, saw the Sistine chapel and walked for more miles, saw St Peter's again and the Castel St Angelo and then walked for more miles.