Hard to believe but it’s been over fifty years, in fact using an online calculator I worked out that it has been 19,188 days since I left the UK with my family back in 1971. Which is by any count a very long time ago. I know that this blog is predominately about my motorhome travels but it has also covered parts of my cancer journey, in fact it’s really a story about living life. So here is part one of our adventures and the chance for me to share a few photos of our trip.
The Pedersen family came to NZ part of a program sometimes known as The Ten Pound Poms. Although most of those people travelled on boats, we were one of the lucky/unlucky ones who came on an airplane. The flight was in the days before long haul aircraft so multiple stops had to be made. With the plane landing for fuel and pick up or drop off passengers, in Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Delhi, Bangkok, before we touched down for a few days rest in Hong Kong. Then onto the second part of the journey via Manila, Brisbane, and Sydney before finally landing in Auckland. All in all, it took seven or eight days to get here. With my two younger brothers and myself still nothing more than very restless children I marvel at the patience my parents and all the other passengers must have shown.
This time however there would be just one stop each way. Instead of flying with a stopover of just a few hours I convinced Sarah that we should spend three days in Singapore on the way there and the same in Shanghai on the way home. My youngest brother had recently returned from Singapore and warned me that the humidity can take some getting used to. He wasn’t wrong! It wasn’t long before we were catching the local version of Uber called Grab rather than walking anywhere. Just to save having to change my shirt three or four times in one day.
There were so many highlights in Singapore and three days certainly didn’t do it justice, but we tried to do as much as we could. We stayed not far from the Arab quarter and the first night I enjoyed one of the best Chicken Biryani’s I have ever tasted so good I went back the next night for more. The Orchid gardens are amazing with over two thousand varities, as are the Gardens by the Bay. All to soon it was back to the airport for the flight to Heathrow.
But not before and with time to kill before the flight we took in one last highlight of Singapore, the indoor waterfall, at Changi Airport, they call the Jewel. Well worth a visit especially once the light show starts in the evening.
After thirteen hours in the air on British Airways I was again back in the country of my birth. But, not for long as we were going to spend the first week in Ireland. We then spent a couple of hours in the BA lounge awaiting the connecting flight. Two things about BA, the lounge and the food served there was great but there inflight service is dreadful and I don’t think I would ever choose them again.
A couple of hours later we were touching down in Dublin and picking up our rental car. We had no real fixed plan and decided to head towards the coast for a bit of sea air. We ended up in a place called Malahide which appeared to be a very wealthy coastal town, with some spectacular houses and the first of many ruins we would come across on our travels.
After a few hours wandering around we decided to head to our nights accomodation. After checking in we put our heads down on the bed for a few minutes rest before we planned on heading back downstairs for dinner. Only to wake up at 5am having slept right through.
In the morning we headed out to another part of the coast around Dublin. Where we stumbled across the James Joyce museum. This museum is inside the small tower (above) where he wrote the book Ulysses in 1922. Sarah and I were quite embarased in that, although, we had both heard of him but neither of us had read the book. So to be welcomed to the museum by three very passionate devotees was a little off putting but still a fascinating place to visit and they told a great story of his life and writing exploits.
Despite all I have written in the past about hurry up and slow down, this trip would not be one of those times. We had eight nights in Ireland and I intended to see as much as possible. Especially if it was to be another fifty three years before I returned.
I had booked all our accomodation while still in New Zealand and there were a couple of places I was really looking forward to staying. The first was that nights, The Killiane Castle and Country House. Built around the ruins of a small castle that the family was slowly restoring this B&B was one of the most restful places we stayed on the whole trip. Breakfast during our time in Ireland was simple and easy for me, “just a full Irish.” I would say. And here at the castle the food was outstanding with all sorts of home made preserved fruits served with farm fresh produce. Yum Yum.
With breakfast done and dusted it was back on the road exploring. We ended up in the small hamlet of Killmore Quay where most of the houses have the traditional thatched roof and white plaster walls. Of course I never took any photos but there were a number of people freedom camping in their motorhomes here. One of the few places where we encountered freedom camping. There was also a large UK style campground. These campgrounds are just so different to what we expect in NZ and I don’t think I ever want to stay in one.
We had chosen the third nights accomodation in Cork so that the following morning we could make an early start on the queues at Blarney Castle. There are two or three must visits in Ireland and I had been told this was one of them. Another being the GuinnessStorehouse in Dublin, but with neither of being drinkers that didn’t really have much of an appeal.
After queueing and climbing what seemed like never-ending narrow, steep, stairs for forty five minutes we finally made it to the point where the Blarney stone can be kissed and I chickened out. Sarah, however was brave enough to attempt it. For those that don’t know you lie flat on your back and lower your head through the crack in the building and kiss the underneath of the stone above you. It’s much harder than it sounds and also given you are four stories into the air also quite freaky.
It’s not just the castle that makes the visit here worthwhile. If you have the time to spare there are some fabulous gardens to explore. In fact we spent far more time wandering the grounds than we did inthe castle. Being there in springtime with so much in flower and bud really made the steep entry price of 22 Euros each (about $40 NZ) worth it and I would certainly recommend a visit.
As I mentioned at the start this blog is really about our travels in New Zealand but over the next few weeks/months I will continue to publish some of our UK travels. Feel free to message me if you have any questions about any of the places we visit.
The post A Return to Good Old Blighty. Part One. first appeared on Licenced To Retire.