A Travellerspoint blog

September 2010

On the Road Again

30.09.2010 semi-overcast 19 °C

We woke to the sound of thirty stalions of the Royal Horse Guards clopping sedately past our window this morning, reminiscent of a bygone time when a third of a million London horses produced more than four thousand tons of manure every day. Then came the car and twenty years ago the elegant boulevards of central London were as crazy as Bangkok or Cairo. Now, thanks to a congestion toll of 17 dollars a day, most Londoners ride buses, taxis, bikes or the tube. What a difference! Here's the King's Road in Chelsea at 10 am on Thursday morning - not a car in sight ....
King_s_Road.jpg
London's gone green big-time. Now 12,000 rental bikes - free for the first half hour - are available all over the city.
Rental_bikes.jpg
And micro cars like this 500cc 4 seater Fiat are catching on...
Fiat

Fiat


Although the parking can be a bit of a squeeze even for a mini...
Tight_spot.jpg
But we are staying in Kensington where the Audi, BMW or Mercedes is just a runabout for the nanny or maid. You need a Lamborghini, RollsRoyce or Masserati if you want to get noticed here - even Porsches and Jags are ten a penny. Recession ... What recession?
Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce


Lamborghini

Lamborghini


These two are worth a million bucks.

Posted by Hawkson 15:46 Archived in England Comments (4)

Summer on Paradise Isand

23.09.2010 rain 15 °C

Gabriola - Paradise Island
Gabriola_sign.jpg
From stunning sunrises...
P1060843.jpg
To glorious sunsets...
Sunset.jpg
...........The perpetual sun stretched the days and weeks into a wonderful summer in our corner of paradise this year.
The northern Pacific was particularly warm and welcoming, both for us and for several pods of killer whales that performed breathtaking exhibitions in the bay. At the end of July we held an Egyptian party to share culinary experiences from our spring trip. The happy bunch feasted on shish-kebabs, falafel and pita, followed by an enormous fig flan, and, on cue, the orcas turned up as the main entertainment.
Our friends from Calgary were most impressed.
July 12th. marked the anniversary of our labyrinth and, as always, we spruced it up and held a re-dedication. The labyrinth is now a popular destination for both visitors and locals and we love to see people walking it.
Labyrinth.jpg


So, now that fall and the rains have arrived, we are leaving. First, to England and the Channel Islands, to research material for Jim's next book - the biography of 90 year-old actor/director and founder of Vancouver's Studio 58, Antony Holland. And then to India. We arrive in New Delhi on October 21st. and for the following four months we will be travelling the length and breadth of the Indian sub-continent; from the Himalayas to the southernmost tip. We invite you to join us for the ride. It's absolutely free of charge and you won't have to suffer the heat, the beggars or the flies. And you definitely won't get Delhi belly or Dengue fever. (We hope that we don't either - but we're prepared to take the risk on your behalf).

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Posted by Hawkson 19:35 Archived in Canada Comments (2)

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