- Well after all that i’m finally in melb. Now to try and get to Adelaide! #
Month: July 2008
Twitter Updates for 2008-07-30
Twitter Updates for 2008-07-29
- Standing in long queue waiting to check in. There goes a window seat! 🙁 #
Shanghai to Paris
Back to the regular program.
A quick blog on the Shanghai to Paris leg of my trip. I had about a 4 hour stopover in Shanghai, the airport seemed huge and semi deserted at the time I flew in. Signage wasn’t particularly clear but I managed to find my way through.
Of note was the insistence of immigration control to see my flight details, luckily I had requested a copy, and printed out my e-ticket! Flight Centre hadn’t supplied this without my prompting and it was needed! Luckily my printout seemed to suffice after it had been looked over by a couple of people and they stamped my passport and let me on my way.
I found my way to the departure area, and was passed through not one, but two security checkpoints. First my baggage got a cursory scan then I had the full empty pockets, laptop out, face scanned by a camera, body scanned with a wand treatment.
From there to the departure lounge, which had a long row of duty free shops, but a very poor selection. A few clothes, some perfumes and chocolates etc, but no tech gear. I had really been hoping to pick up a small video camera for Tania but nothing like it to be seen.
I was tired, and hungry so I sat down in a little cafe there and paid some ridiculous amount for a ham/cheese sandwich, some fries and an awful apple/celery juice which tasted like water.
I was also hanging out for a cigarette, and I had overheard someone mention a smoking room, so I sought it out. A dingy tobacco stained room, walled with tiles and metal benches. I think I’ve posted a photo on Flickr. Certainly put me off enjoying the smoke, so I returned pretty quickly to the gate and stretched out on the seats and tried to get some rest.
The flight itself was pretty uneventful, if a bit long. Over 12 hours. Again I had two seats to myself, my neighbour having spotted a free row of four and taken himself off there to stretch out and sleep! In fact it seemed half the plane reorganised itself to get more comfortable the flight must have only been half to 2/3rds full.
The predominance of frenchmen/women aboard was notable, and the inflight “Sunshine Callisthenics” had none of the participation I had seen on the first leg, rather I think I was one of the few who took part, and it really helped again!
Paris, zipped through immigration, short wait for my bag and out. No customs check! felt weird to just be allowed to walk out without having my stuff inspected, I guess I’m used to Australia’s stringent requirements. I made my way to the train, absolutely stuffed by this point.
Trains are trains anywhere, I got on, got off, shoved my way through peak hour crowds of parisians, got on another, got off made my way to the platforms where I needed to be for my train to Briare.
Of course that makes it all seem rather simple. Not so! I’m not travelling light, and really couldn’t sit down. Escalators were out in one station and I had to haul my baggage up a long flight. I’d left my Paris to Briare train ticket back in Australia and with a few phrases of french hastily texted to me by Helen I tried to sot out a replacement. This is turns out, is impossible. I had to buy a NEW ticket. Fuck. Except, they had my reservation, so they sold me the same seat again. Red tape gone mad. It was lucky I did have a reservation though, as I hadn’t realised I was travelling at the start of France’s biggest national weekend and the trains were all full.
So on train to Briare, next stop, seeing my Mum and John for the first time in 5 months!
Holy Shit – stop press!
I’m interrupting my regular blog sequence to relate today’s events. Much in the way that the peace and quiet of Chatillon got interrupted, along with my bloody heart beat by a little excursion on the neighbours Quad!
The day started out pretty relaxed, I spent some time chatting to Tania online and we lazed about the house. Then, a quick drink was suggested as the neighbours were heading off to Paris. So a bottle was opened and we took a table and chairs out the back. Philippe (on the left) then wandered off and retuned with a 10L cask of Rose and we raided fridge for cheese/pate/etc etc. Philippe then commandered our kitchen and cooked up some basic french vegie fare. Add some bread, cold meats and you’ve suddenly got a feast on you hands.
(Our guests don’t speak any english) so it’s up to us to work on our French!
Then the electrician arrives, he was meant to working on the bahroom, but his dog’s died, his wife’s upset, so he sits down, wine is poured, cigarettes are lit and well… this is France!
So next thing I know Philippe is saying something about his Quad and I’m following him into the barn where it is stored. He starts it up and gestures for me to hop on behind. So I think sure, a quick tour around the block. Nevermind the lack of helmet, such things aren’t really taken much notice of here.
But it’s not just around the block! We go screaming through the streets of the village, then out, across the main bridge and down along the river bank. Philippe knows all the spots, so we’re soon plowing through foot deep muddy waters and careening along paths. I’m not shy in saying I was scared shitless!
I managed to get him to stop somewhere along the riverbank on the pretense of needing a cig. Then indicated that I’d like to drive. Anything to be in control! I drove for a bit and started to get the hang of it, but it’s hard work riding one of these things. Another driver swap (I’m sure he was getting frustrated at the lack of speed) and we’re screaming off down more obscure laneways and out into the countryside. I’m trying to say slow down and he just grins and guns it!
All of a sudden we’re in the country, passing farms and cows and fields of corn. I’d pretty much passed my limit and wante dto head back, so I stopped him and asked for another drive, intending to head straight back to the village, bt of course, I’m lost and he just grins and points. Well it was one hell of a roundabout way to get back. Along boggy country lanes, bouncing all over the place, mud spraying everywhere. Flying down little country roads and eventually, yes eventually I recognise where we are and ignore his gestures o explore, “J’returne l’maison’ I say! Fuck knows if it’s correct, but he understands. We drive back into the village, back through the courtyard of L’Ecu and my heart can finally slow down.
I guess I came back in one piece, so it’s a fun adventure. But hell, remind me next time, it really helps if you and your driver have at least a few words in the same language that you can communicate with!
Philippe offers me the keys. he’s away for the week. Take it, drive it he says. But I can only say, “Non, Merci”
If there’s one thing about France, the people are damn hospitable.
Leaving Sydney
OK, I’m finally catching up on some blogging. Only a week late!
In my last post I was on King St Sydney and about to meet up with Nina and friends for dinner.
Well Megan had dropped me in town and I wandered down towards King St, stopping by a number of shops on the way. Gallery Serpentine, Reactor Rubber. Then on King St Istarted spending money, first at Slim’s Vintage, then at Faster Pussycat. Both great little shops, and to be honest if I’d been there earlier in the day, and it hadn’t been cold and raining I would have explored more shops and probably been broke before I even left Australia.
Dinner was at Cicciolina ( http://www.cicciolina.com.au/ ) and it was FANTASTIC! I had the Seafood Hotpot and it was just mouth wateringly to die for. Fresh water scampi, king prawns, black mussels, calamari, fish fillet, garlic, chilli in a basil tomato sauce. If you are in Sydney, and get a chance don’t miss it.
After dinner we drank cocktails at a cool cocktail bar across the road whose name escapes me. But suffice to say they were damn nice too and I sucked down quite a few.
All this left me with a bit of a hangover as I boarded my flight to Shanghai. I’ve posted a pic from the plane. Pretty much standard fare I guess, if maybe a bit less sophisticated than Malaysian Airlines. But I gather China Eastern Airlines are one of the biggest chinese airlines so I wasn’t too fussed.
I must say the food on the flight to Shanghai was actually really good, and the flight attendants friendly. The plane was mostly filled with Chinese heading home and the whole atmosphere on the plane was good. I was lucky and had 2 seats to myself, which gave me room to stretch and get some sleep. Something that was appreciated also was the inflight callisthenics that they did as the flight grew near an end. I woke from a half sleep to see almost everyone on board waving arms about in unison, and I quickly joined in. The difference it made to my stiff tired joints was miraculous!
Anyway, I’ll leave it there. My next blog will continue from Shanghai airport. I’ll try and get it written after dinner.
Visit to SScooters
Wandering around King St Sydney and i happened to come across the scooter shop/workshop run by a fellow Scooterist that i met on the Dubbo scooter run back in 2005. Popped in and had a chat and a beer. Great old garage he’s set up in. Smells brought back great memories of days spent working on Scooters. Off now to catch up with Nina for dinner.
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Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone
Sydney
Ok, so this has to be one he most photographed landmarks in the world. But it is very photogenic, so I haven’t been able to resist. I took this Sunday when I was wandering about with my cousin Megan.
We’d just been to an Aroma & Spice festival, lots of coffee, tea, spices etc. The Sydney crowds were so huge though that it was pointless even trying to get a taste of anything. We ended up meeting up with friends of Megan’s and went to a bar for drinks instead.
It was the Harbour Bar, part of the Park Hyatt I think, a bit pricey, but nice and comfortable. Good to meet new people, Tammy, and Paul, who it turns out was the drummer for Icehouse and plays with Sneaky Sound System and a few other names who I’ve quickly forgotten.
I’ve been kept busy here. Helping Megan bumping in & out a show at The Shangri La where she was donating her time and displays to promote her business to the hotel industry (it was an industry function). Lot’s of walking about Sydney too, though without much money to spend I can’t exactly enjoy all the shops 🙂
Anyway, that’s enough for today. I’ll post another blog when I’ve uploaded some more photos. Go check out my Flickr page there’s more shots of the Opera House. LOL.
Driving in sydney
Cruising along in Megan’s little convertable with the top down. Over the Anzac bridge, then views of the opera house as we drove under the Harbour Bridge.
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Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone
Commenting
I just realised that I had the blog set to disallow commenting my unregistred users. While i’m happy for people I know to register an account, and perhaps even post, I also like the idea of anyone beingable to comment (sensibly) on my posts and images etc. So I’ve opened up commenting! Go for your life.
Update … wow. The amount of SPAM comments that thi sblog attracts is just ridiculous! It would be nice if some of you readers left a comment every now and then, if just to relieve the monoteny of deleting SPAM ones for me!