This is me trying to read with Forrest and Frodo trying to stop me. Frodo is the one with the sticking up ears. He is hyperactive. He never stops running around and barking at any little noise he hears. Forrest is a lot more laid back. he is quiet and more sedate.

New Directions

As we are updating two blogs it makes sense to only do one and as Delores and Clifford feature on the other blog I have decided to put a redirection on this oone.

To follow our travels see

www.greystoned.blogspot.com

Sally Morch

Blogging

Blogging is great especially if people put comments on the posts. If not one wonders why one does it at all. Four weeks away and only one comment. That person deserves a gift when I return.

Belgium at last!

Hi Guys

We are now in Belgium at a little country town called Huldenburg staying with our daughter and son-in-law Sue and Mick. I have found a doctor who will give me another term off, just kidding!! It is really easy to get a certificate for this here. We are sitting in the sun today and having a few wines. It is really odd seeing all the corn ripe and wheat ready for reaping when it's already been done back home a few months ago. We took a picture of Clifford and Delores with and in the wheat.

Its a long way from Greystone to Huldenburg, particularly the way we did it. Mum via Sky City and the International Reading Congress in Auckland and me (the Sadie) following in the CRV and landing at Little Russia after having caught up with Sammo. One of the most beautiful drives across the Desert Road I have ever had. No snow on the road but right down covering all the mountains. A very nostalgic trip for Sadie who climbed all of them (Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu) many times, summer and winter back in the early 1960's.

4 days in Little Russia with Ian and Olga who had much to do to get ready for the trip. Then it was off for an early morning departure from Auckland to Seoul - a 12 hour flight. A night over in the Seoul Hyatt courtesy of Korean Air and then off to Rome a 9 1/2 hour flight. Fantastic views of China around Beijing and then coming in over south - western Russia, Austria and Slovenia.

Rome was hot and the apartment was small but very comfortable. Up three flights of stairs (no lift) with some heavy bags. We found a friendly restaurant (outside it was cooler) and started to put mind and body together again. Well! Sightseeing in Rome! Wonderful old buildings and parks with many ruins very well preserved. Stacks of us tourists doing tourist things. Eating, drinking, photographing, sweating. We formed our own tour parties and 'found' our own way around. The photos will speak for themselves as they get posted. For the Sadie it was all very humbling to see what earlier generations had been able to achieve. We are so soft today by comparison with those earlier generations. It must have been short, hard living.

(In progress, stay tuned)

Roma

Clifford and Delores sitting on a building opposite our apartment in Rome. It was a lovely building with stone columns in the middle of a small street in old Rome.

Clifford and Delores hanging from the florist's sign by our apartment's green door. When we went in the door we went up 39 very steep stairs to our rooms. The florist was not very happy with us taking the photo and babbled to us in Italian but her husband who was sitting on the pavement nodded to us to go ahead anyway.

Delores went to the Colesseum and visited a Roman Centurian for the day. She thought he would be very hot in his leather clothes and helmet.

Roma

During the first full day in Rome Clifford and Delores were so tired they needed to rest up. However, various sites were visited by accompanying travellers. The Trevi Fountain was the first stop. This is about ten minutes walk from the apartment through very narrow streets, cobbled with tiles about measuring 8x10cm. there were gaps between and anyone with stiletto heels had to be very careful not to catch the heel in between the tiles and come a right cropper.

The Trevi Fountain, Fontana di Trevi, is an amazing sight with many beautiful statues. This fountain is the ending of the Aqua Virgo, an aquaduct contructed in 19BC, which brings water all the way from the salone Springs, 20 km from Rome, to the fountains in the historic centre of the city.
In 1732 this large fountain was built in the Trevi square.

Beginnings

Evan, Sally, Clifford and Delores finally left Auckland on Tuesday 20th July. Clifford and Delores were finally on their way on their big OE. They enjoyed the hospitality of the girls in the Korean Airline's lounge at Auckland airport before leaving on a jet plane at 9.10am.

The 12 hour flight to Seoul, South Korea, was pleasant as the plane was only one third full. We were all able to stretch out over four seats and some of us managed to catch some sleep. We stayed at the Hyatt Hotel, close to the airport, overnight and the next day we embarked for Rome at 1pm. Clifford and Delores sat looking at the plane anxiously waiting to get on in Seoul.

Another 12 hour flight but unfortunately this time the plane was full. We stopped at Milan for an hour before going on to Rome arriving at 9.30pm. After a hair-raising taxi trip through the back streets of Rome we arrived at our home for the next five days in the old city of Rome. The apartment on the Via Crispi was small but comfortable and after a short walk around the surrounding area, a couple of beers and antipasto platter served by a very pleasant chap, Hussein from Armenia, we toddled off to bed.

Holidays have started

Holidays have started and packing is progressing. On Saturday Greytown celebrated 120 years of Arbor Day. The parade was good and I walked with some trees aka students from school. We also had a visit from a very friendly Kereru on the walnut tree.

Still in class.

Room 7 have set up this blog for their teacher to record her travels while she is away next term. She is going to all sorts of countries so this is where she is going to put her photos and journal.

We can then send her comments while she is away.

The next entry will be from Mrs M.

Have fun Mrs M.
from Room 7