Holiday Finished, Work Tomorrow, #Fujifilm

Well, its the end of my leave and after 5 weeks I'm back to work tomorrow morning. Been going through the photos I took whilst in Spain and France and trying to make sense of cataloguing them when I came across these few that obviously relate to work; see you can't forget about it even when your on holidays. I found these interesting given the precarious state of many independent shops in Australia and wondered how these were surviving in their respective countries/towns. Obviously some haven't given the shuttered doors ( not in Madrid though, just siesta time ). Oh well if people don't print their photos I suppose I would find some of these closed if I was to return in the not too distant future. Ah now there's a thought, return to Spain, YES please.
Don't forget, Print It or Lose IT.

Pamplona, Basque country at Siesta time

Paris, can see the SP3000 thru the window

Montlouis sur Loire

Vernon, France - closed

Madrid

Madrid, Spain - closed

Cordoba

Plane Day 31, 25th September 2013

So off on time thanks to the renowned Swiss efficiency at Swiss Air,  with a short 50 minute flight to Zurich where we changed to another Swiss Air flight to Singapore. This will be the long one (13 hours), so not really jubilant when we got on board to find our seats right in the middle, E & F, not even aisle access. Of course I pulled the short straw of a nice larger Swiss gentleman travelling to Singapore for work, who for the whole flight decided he needed half my space as well. Hopefully the effects of only a pommy shower at CDG may have been a little retribution. The elbow in the side, however for the whole way not fun, along with some stupid metal box under the seat in front meant no leg room for the left leg; great. This of course supplemented by the disabled girl behind who repeatedly kicked the seat the whole journey, no blame or accusation, but was bloody annoying still the same. The food,  good to average ?? and really don't know about rubber omllette for brekky but you gotta love the swiss chocolates at the end.
Stopover at Changi was only for a very acceptable 2 hours before boarding Qantas flight QF52, bound for Brisbane in lovely refitted 747. Much more comfortable seats than Swiss and appeared a little more leg room (without annoying metal box) and an aisle seat to boot, things are now looking up. Printed menu for dinner to boot, it appears Qantas are upping the ante. That was until the serving of dinner when the Flight Attendant happened to drop the boiling hot Chicken dish (not mine of course, I went for the low fat fish dish, as I normally would) onto me which I caught/deflected onto the floor scalding my arm in the procedure and spilling lovely said contents onto my shirt and shorts. Now food odour to go with the au natural stink ;-). So now ice and water for the rest of the trip on the arm. Not too bad just red and small blister. ( looking for sympathy please ).
Got into Brisbane early at 5.15 am; oh and did I mention lovely flight attendant "found" a bottle of Stonier Reserve Chardonnay to assist with my recovery, before stopping at Duty Free for some bottles of medicinal liquid from Scotland. Then quick exit through Customs before quick taxi trip home and in the house by 6.15am. Gotta love that. Oh and did I mention appear to have not been charged for 1 of the medicinal bottles, Victory Number 2.
Oh well, unpacking, cleaning, pool clean, gardening and washing to do before an early night tonight me thinks. That and a little reflection over a small glass of vino with she who must be obeyed about what a fantastic trip we have both thoroughly enjoyed. Might even have to start the plan for the next one....

what you find lying around at airports, note healthy donut in right hand

sore feet diddums?

elegant

tired old knocker

Paris Day 30, 24th September 2013

How do I explain today, got stuck in a lift, missed plane and home sometime in 2014. Sorry that was the dream not reality. Damn !!!
Last day in Paris / Europe today and whilst looking forward to returning, could really stay and continue for a lot longer. Kids sell the car and house and send money. ??         Pleeeeease !!
All packed as I wanted to visit the Catacomb's, Jane didn't and thought shopping sounded more interesting that macabre tunnels with the remains of  6 million dead people. Hmmm. Off early and even enough time to stop for brekky at a cafe with real coffee in France, only took 2 weeks. Went to the line at 10 am and that was it, 2 hours 15 in line to get in. Even though I had to meet Jane back at the hotel at 12.30 for a late checkout, once close to the end I wasn't leaving as this was one thing I really wanted to see. Finally got in, dashed through, not really stopping much but certainly got a feel for the place, quite eerie and surreal, but a sense of calm/peace almost if that's possible? Once out dash to the metro, change of trains twice, out at different station and a run back to the hotel too arrive at 1.10. Bloody hot and sweaty, not good. Booked out and left luggage there while we went for lunch ( with customary pot of vin rose ) and then a walk on the right bank through all the old covered shopping arcades. These are very similar I thought to the lovely old arcades in Melbourne but not in quite the same condition, still, fun to walk through though and some of the old the shops were really fun  and interesting. Wished we'd found it earlier as I would have enjoyed browsing through a few of them for much longer.
Finally back at the hotel, collected luggage and off to the airport by RER  train. Got there, pommy shower and change of clothes, all booked in, and ready for that beer before finally leaving Paris and a long haul home.

Best brekky and coffee in Paris And only €7

Catacombes entry to the bones

Well inside

Eerie

Amazing patterns created with the bones of 6 million parisians

Sculpture by a worker

Building clad with framework lkke metal

One of the old arcades

Very much like melbournes but not quite as good nick

Love mosaics

Hmmm, soup, coffee or wine?

In an arcade

Best lemon iceream with real lemon pieces

Farewell Paris from CDG airport

Beautiful workmanship

Paris Day 29, 23rd September 2013

Damn that alarm sounds loud at 6.40am. Off to catch a train to Giverny this morning to have a look at the town and especially Monet's garden. And wasn't that was fun, went to the train station with plenty of time to catch the 8.20 train, however tickets to Vernon not sold through machine and office not open till 8. Then waited and wrong office so off to other end of the station to correct office and buy tickets before dash to platform 22. Made it and on the way.:-)
Vernon is the stop about 50 minutes by train from Paris. We hired some bikes once we got there and rode along streets and bike paths the 5km to Giverny. Monet's garden is very pretty and still lots of annuals in flower. Old house supposedly as he left it which is quite quaint. I do wonder about all the paintings being originals though as didn't seem to be any sort of security and with all those Monet, Cezanne and Renoir on the walls, have a small feeling they may just have been copies.:-) Lovely ride back to Vernon for bite to eat before catching the 2.45 train back to Paris.
Lunch was in a small brasserie in Vernon. Jane had a lovely salmon with salad and omelette. Note to self, veau  does mean veal but the words in front mean offal !!!!  Let's just say the salad and pommes with it were at least edible. :-)
Back in Paris we dumped a couple of things at the hotel and then grabbed the Metro to the Eiffel Tower. Just a gorgeous day in Paris, 24°c and everyone else must of thought the same. About an hour wait to go up. We both went to level 2 before I took the lift to the summit, WOW. Superb views of Paris, a really great experience and pretty with the late afternoon sun.
We then walked quite a bit until we found a place for dinner about 8.30. Sigh, last night in Paris. Even had to divert around a street as blocked off with police and screaming fans for someone of note. Also lots of loud siren police cars and China consulate vehicles speed past the restaurant while we ate. Oh a hectic night. Oh and after lunch episode Im sorry but I went for the safety of a burger.:-)
Finally got our sore, tired feet back to the hotel for some rest, that was a long day.

Vernon Town Hall

Lots of these in Vernon

Amazing what you come across

Palace Garage Vernon

Bruce would just drool

Bust of Monet

Lots of garden photos to follow

Jane loved the bamboo

Finally the hose

Old vernon bridge across Seine

Bet you've never seen this before

With tower shadow across city

Temporary photo exhibition on banks of Seine

Farewell Paris

Janes salad

My burger

Raspberry macaroon

Lunch and the 'veal'

A very polished knocker