Sharing The Love - Josh and Meg Go Global

Time Warp

2009-09-07T12:44:00.028+10:00

In a time long, long ago, on a continent far, far away,

Well it definitely seems like eons have passed, stars have exploded and collapsed and new worlds have formed since we last spoke. Meghan and I have negotiated another 4 countries, been to a wedding, rode camels, taken leasurely drives and made an arduous 3 day journey back to where it all began...HOME :(

We begin this chapter with an amazing reunion story where Carrie, Adrian (after a bombardment and sneaky flight arrangements), Meggy and I left Ireland for the land of Fjords, long days and festive feasts. Flying Ryan air first time was an experience and I could not help but notice the distinct lack of space and service. However, the weather was beautiful as we arrived at Torp airport and we were treated to some gorgeous coastal views. After a bus ride into Oslo we waited excitedly for Ty to come and get us. I had an intersting experience using the toilet at the bus station where packet needles and blood on the seat made for an uncomfortable wee wee time...apparantly Oslo is a gateway port for a looooooot of heroin...which is in quite strange contrast to the cleanliness and organisation of the rest of the city.

Though I should not digress and take away from the elation we all felt upon seeing our very good friend arrive to gather us into his VW Pooloo (Tys pronunciation was quite comical) and take us to Pernille's apartment where we were to stay in gracious hospitality. That night was uneventful as we planned to give our speeches and fit into wedding pants that gave me a clear indication of how much weight I have put on since saying "I do" :P
The wedding itself was a masterpiece. We felt very privileged to be part of such a wonderful occasion and meet so many wonderfully accommodating and pleasant people. The night was full of beautiful memories and bad dancing, great cakes and food, and plenty of smiles. Held in a stunning room, delicately decorated and surrounded by stunning grounds we made the most of a reunion with friends of old and shared some intimate moments that will be remembered for as long as we all live. Thank you Ty and Janicke, you truly make a special pairing! Meggy, Oli and I wish for you a long and loving life and hope to be a part of it always! xoxo :)

The time we spent in Norway was particularly meaningful to me as I have always had a soft spot for Ty and our connection is a strong one. I personally feel that he is one of the strongest and most morally uncorruptable people I have ever met. And I feel so inspired and happy to see that his struggles over the past years have yielded such a bountiful future. I rest easy knowing that his happiness is true and his life in Norway with that beautiful woman is...perfect!

I have such happy memories of Ty's and Jani's appartment being full to the brim of loud (ooops) and anebriated Australians doing what we do best. Watching Ty recall some of the mannerisms he has forgotten (or chose to forget) that make us a very unique bunch of people. With Scotty, Rob, Paynie, Joel, Franks, Marty, Jody, Me and Meggy squishing together, playing cards, swearing, taking the piss and generally having a good time catching up...just like you never left us hey Ty? One of the more interesting experiences was a fateful night of a dinner that was organised at the very exclusive Frognerseter overlooking Oslo. On the ride there Rob met a pretty Norwegian girl at the bus stop and invited her to dinner. She agreed and spent the next week or so in our company. Apparently some romance blossomed out of this and at last report Line will be making her way down under to study (university or rob?) Im not sure :P

Probably the most memorable part of our Norway holiday was roadtripping across country to Geiranger Fjord to camp. We hired a Fiat 500 and followed Ty through spectacular country side and mountainous passes that unveiled some incredible scenerey and proved very distracting for the driver who just wanted to soak it all in. We drove for seven hours and camped in the most prime location... 2 feet from the Fjords edge in the most pristene and wonderous valley, and in front of some not so happy Germans who previously had the best view until we errected Ty's palatial tent and blocked out the sun... We spent two nights and days kayaking, exploring and having a snow fight in winter, which was Rob's first time seeing snow...it was one of the best trips we have taken as friends and good for the soul of Ty who needed some Aussie shennanigans!

Unfortunately Meggy got a bit sick after the camping trip and was out of action for the next few days. We spent our remaining time in Oslo eating out and taking it easy. A visit to the Viking museum and Fram museum were among cultural highlights. Meg and I also wandered through the city to the Opera house and enjoyed the amazing blend of architecture. Alas, before too long it was time to say good bye to our home for the last 10 days and make way for our trip to Amsterdam...again...we just want to say again publicly that our time in Norway was made as good as it was from the generous nature of Ty and Janicke...giving up their privacy and home to accommodate us and spend all of their time showing us around. Thank you soooo much guys...we really appreciate your friendship and love you more than you can know! xoxox

Amsterdam turned out to be a bit of a belated stags do for Ty as we went out for a huge bender and left nothing to the imagination in the land where anything goes...to the point where I was denied entry into a pub...can you believe that...what state do you have to be in when you get asked 1000 times how you are feeling in a city where the most unsavoury characters can do anything with basic immunity...just another proud moment for the Skelton file. It was a blast for us to relive our youth, somewhat and have plenty of laughs together. The rest was a bit hazy...plenty of snacks and slow delerious walks...and one very hilarious paddle boat ride...where we crashed into eachother....got lost and wound up back where we started!! Good times!!!

After saying our farewells to Ty and the boys Meg and I took it very easy on the way back to England as Meggy was very sick still and required some hotel TLC. We spent two nights in Belguim and one in France before making our way back to Lydia's house for some more pampering and comfy bed action. We had our first ultrasound and vision of our little family addition at 9 weeks...awww how cute!! During our stay in England this time we visited Windsor castle and Eton School for boys...it was a very beautiful area and amazing to tour through one of the most amazing castles ever! We had a very lovely time meeting Georgina and spending some time having good meals and down time...thanks for all of the great food and hospitality Lydia...though you are very naughty for not letting us pay!! xoxo

Next stop Egypt...words are simply superfluous when is comes to one of the most visually and culturally overwhelming places of all time. From the ancient myths and power of the Nile to the Giant Pyramids of Giza this was truly a spiritual and physical dynamo...it almost appears as if the sights are superimposed onto the background as even years of study and saturation of these wonders can simply not prepare you for the face to face feeling that is imprinted onto every rock, structure and face. Meg and I reconnected with Rob, Scotty and Luke to experience it together through the slightly messy, though very well organised contiki package. The hotel that we stayed at in Cairo was surprisingly beautiful and a welcomed break from the 2 nights on a train that we were meant to sleep on but somehow ended up bending allnighters! However the really special part of this tour were the 3 nights we spent on board the cruise ship and drifted down the Mightiest river on earth...THE NILE...

When you are surrounded by harsh and remorseless desert on both sides, the NILE explodes with life in an unbelievable contrast, facilitating the growth of hundreds of thousands of trees, giving shelter to thousands of birds and animals and literally providing for the whole country with a pulse akin to the flowing of blood through the veins. Time seemed inappropriate to calculate as you can not help but feel, despite the modern technology and clothing that you are a visitor back in time...in a land that will forever retain this majestic feeling! Everyone had a blast on this trip...our tour group was full of good people and we actually were the loudest and most messy contingent on the trip I think....Highlights include:

*Hashed up trek through the night bazzar

*Train escapades and a special drink with Rob at the bar

*Obviously the Pyramids....WOW....

*Abu Simbel and the whole story of Ramses the second

*Valley of the Kings

*Luxor

*Getting dressed up as whorish belly dancers and making everyone laugh

*Cards on the deck of the cruise ship with Sakkara's

*The food...OMG...the food...falafel, beans, spices, omletes, turkish coffee...etc

*Being asked to go home with a boy with a banana sized penis...??? WTF???

*Being offered many camels, chickens, horses etc for Megs hand in marriage

The weather was a very hot 40-50 degrees the whole trip and it proved to be a gamble we were extremely happy to take as Egypt was not originally in our plans....like a few other things...whoopla! Egypt was everything you could imagine and so much more...I have never felt such a shift in perspective as to be one of 5 white people in a part of Cairo and Luxor where everyone else is Egyptian or african and soooooo far from white....it did not make us uncomfortable as the people are among the most beautiful and friendly on earth, though it did make me think about the immigrants that move to Australia and how they must feel when they first arrive into our culture. Soooo after many days of sand and sun and waaaaay tooo much drinking from me...we were happy to move onto our next adventure and say goodbye to the boys until Australia...

Once again we flew into Heathrow and transited our way to Lydia's to launch for our assault road trip on Scotland, Wales and England...So after some more time being spoiled we hired a wicked camper van and took off with a road map and no idea for a destination to travel around the UK.

Meg and I had such a wonderful time together. After spending over a month with friends at a breakneck pace it was lovely to slow down and have some alone time to consider our future and explore the world just for us...sometimes it is unbearable how much I love that woman and now that she has a baby on board....she is irresitably cute! :P

We started out from London and drove up through York which is a lovely little town before parking in someones street and testing out the sleeping compartment of our camper...thumbs up from both as we slept all the way through... The we drove up through the border for Edinburgh and cooked some soup on the little gas burner on a main road with people giving us surreptitious glances as they roller bladed and ran by. Next we made a huge drive through Inverness and up to the very north eastern tip of Scotland to a little town called John O'Groats. This is where the ferries leave for the Orkney Islands...a group of islands with great historical significance. Meggy and I slept with our camper faced toward the ocean at the tip of Scotland with the sun setting and the islands as a backdrop...we truly felt like we were the only ones in existence on this wind blown and beautiful hunk of rock.

We spent the next few days cruising across the northern coast, past the castle of Mey and then through some very sparse grazing lands...with lots of baa baa's who claim a lot of road privileges around those parts. I unfortunately missed the cliffs at Cape Wrath and was very unhappy with that...Damn Scotland for being sooo small and easy to pass things that you assume will be hours drive away...anyway...the west coast mountains and valleys were a sight to behold...very rugged and beautiful. We especially enjoyed all of the Locks and in particular, Lock Lamond...I think it is the biggest in Scotland...anyway the people and accents were very warm and funny. Such a great feeling to have the freedom of the car and flexibility to go anywhere.

On the way home we drove through the Lakes District in England. It was probably the most picturesque part of the drive and drew us in with its simple charms and gorgeous little towns. This all culminated in a stop a Bassa Villa Bar and grill where my good friend Dave put Meg and I up for a night. He was such a gracious host and really took care of us while we were there. His town is Bridgnorth in Shropshire and is the epitomy of a smaller English town...the river and high/low town contrast was very charming and people very friendly. We had a good laugh and some beers organising the next ashes tour where Dave will join us once more. It was lovely to meet Zoe and Di. Thanks once again for all of your wonderful hospitality mate...wish I coulda been there for lots more time!

Unfortunately our road trip was cut short as we had some bad news from home and had to leave early for family support. Though we were already going to be well short of our goal of a 1 year working holiday...thats what happens when Josh gets put in charge of contraception...thats right...to all of you who still dont know...we are going to be parents...YAY!!! So coming home was not such a disaster to us...

The last leg of our trip was a horrible 3 day ordeal that started in London to Paris by bus overnight, then 12 hour layover for plane to Madrid, 2 hour layover for plane to Santiago, 15 hour layover for plane to Sydney and then many redbulls to stay awake until night time...eeeeeewwwwwwwww!! Meg and I were wrecked by the end of it all...but are happy to be home safe and starting an even scarier journey together...parenthood! I would like to say a big thankyou to all of our supportive friends whose messages meant a lot to us on the road and kept our mind on the experience...and finally a great big hug to my beautiful sister Alicia who's hard work has allowed you all to hear me crap on from all around the world about how great life is for the last 4 months! Thanks soooo much woo from Meg and Me...we are very lucky to have you throughout all of life's little curves and bumps....wink wink!! xoxoxoxo

So this is me officially signing off on the blog...until the next big trip I guess...or maybe I could just turn this into a baby blog...Ill chat with Leash and get back to you guys>>>:P

Lots of love and hugs to you all,

Meghan and Joshua and Fetus Skelton xoxox

2009-07-09T21:15:00.004+10:00

Dia goot,

First of all I would like to apologise for the agonisingly long wait that you have endured since our last post. I am sure you have all been waiting with bated breath for the next installment of our thrilling adventures and we appreciate your patience. This post is going to be more abreviated though I am afraid due to the time constraints of our flights....so here goes....

After we last left you Meg and I ventured to Rotterdam and our next country (The Netherlands) home of Pickled herring, clogs, and liberal lifestyles...we arrived in the port city of Rotterdam which is the largest working harbour in Europe! It is a very impressive city with some quite bizzare architercture and a very modern feel. Meg and I took a boat ride down the harbour and barely scratched the surface of this gigantic place. We also ascended the very cool rotating Euromast that gives spectacular views of the city. Unfortunately it was time to bed down on the ground again and we camped just out of the city.

Highlights: Crazy ol Californian Chiropractor that wanted to smoke hash with us, Euromast views, architecture, harbour and bikie gang called the sprintstones that had their annual party in the camp ground while we were there...

Next stop Amsterdam....what an absolute riot of a place this is...where coffee shops are not what you think and where a perfectly innocent stroll can have you window shopping for some very lifelike products (expensive horizontal refreshment anyone?) Meg and I splashed out on some very comfortable accommodation and explored this fascinating city by free walking tour. There are some very interesting stories and history to accompany the usual debauchery and drug taking that goes on here...

Highlights: Getting unbelievably high and watching the weird world go by, walking tour of the beautiful city, pancakes, street performers, and the seedy underbelly of the Red light area.

After Amsterdam we travelled to Brussles in Belguim. Now Brussles is not a stunnigly beautiful city, nor is it incredibly exciting...but what it may lack in comparison to some European cities...it makes up for in droves with its abundance of fine chocolate shops, breweries and waffle stands. I think Meg and I definitely put on a few pounds munching into pralines, drinking Trappist beer and slurping down pots of Mussels!!! YUM!!! It also has, in our opinion, the most beautiful town square called the Grand Place...magnificent to sit and sip Leffe Brune or Megs favourite Kriek Cherry beer....mmmmmmmmm... We also squeezed in a day trip to Bruges and it really is a fairy tale city with the best preserved snapshot of medieval Europe....despite its very touristy feel, Bruges seems to maintain a certain charm and beautiful feel to it...and of course its easy to find the nicest chocolates and beer possible!!!

Highlights: Chocolate, Beer, accidentally staying in another red light district, climbing the clock tower in Bruges, Portugese festival in Brussles, The Grand Place, Belgian people (The best mix of great French cuisine and laid back Dutch personalities) waffles and Strawberry Fondue!!!

We then prepared to leave Europe and were quited shocked to know that our time here had come to an end already. Meg and I made our way to the ferry in Calais and returned to our first stop of France...though only for an hour as we were quickly whisked over the channel to Dover and then transfered to London by bus. By the time we settled down and pitched the tent it was 730pm and we had been travelling for about 13 hours! EEEEEEEEEEEwwwwww ...zzzzzzzzzzzz

We stayed in Crystal Palace for 4 nights and very lazily explored the famous mecca through out this time by strolling at a slow pace. It was nice to not be so touristy and actually understand every sign that we came accross! Meg and I did not really do a great deal as we are to be staying here for a while and should have ample time to do it properly when we settle into work!

Highlights: Watching the blues go down in an Aussie pub drinking TED's, Checking out Tower bridge, Big Ben, Parliment buildings, Buckingham Palace, Soho, The Thames, and listening to English scumbags talk like Dizzy Rascal!!! Bwahahahahah (Woot u tawken bowt laike) We were also very fortunate to meet up with Krishna and Hermione who were very lovely by putting us up and taking good care of us at Hermiones mums house for a night...we had a great time hanging out guys...also props to Hermiones mum for the extra special hospitality! Mwah!

So then our excitement was peaked to extreme as we anticipated the visit with some of our besties in Ireland!! YAY!! Carrie and Adrian!! We have had an absolute ball in Ireland and been able to experience first hand, and in a way most people would not, the pleasures of Irish culture....its been a whirlwind of day trips, trad bands, road trips, castles, forts, history and some good ol fashioned relaxing...not to mention the Beamish, Whiskey, great food and humour...we have truely been blessed to have such wonderful people put us up and take care of us as if we were royalty! Thank you soooooo much Carrie and Adrian...we will never forget what a wonderful time we have had with you guys and wish you all the happiness and adventure you can fit into your loving hearts! Thank you for taking good care of us and letting us overtake your lives for the last couple of weeks...it truely has been the highlight of our trip!! xoxoxoxo

We now get ready to leave for Norway and prepare to bombard the Aubern lumberjack/viking known as Ty! What an incredible time for all of us to meet and have a reunion together in a country we have never been before. The anticipation is sooooo exciting and we are very happy right now with everything in and about life....be sure to stay tuned for the next installment which I promise will contain greater detail and photos...will Meg make it out of Egypt alive, can Josh survive a second visit to Amsterdam with the BOYS!!!! For closure on all these events plus more be sure to log on and satisfy your curiosity!!! Until then xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoo!!!!

Achtung!

2009-06-15T07:03:00.015+10:00

Well hello there little blog followers! And by this I mean our families...no posted love from friends for a good while...de de de!!! ;)

Meg and I last left you on our odyssey in the lovely town of Verona...well I can say that much has transpired in the following weeks...we have visited 4 countries in the space of a week and taken many trains, buses, trams and metros to whiz us all over central Europe.

To begin I will draw your attention to the first couple of photos from our visit to Domodossola, an absolutely beautiful town in the north of Italy. We stayed overnight and bunked down in a cute little B & B where I was able to soak up a little sport by watching the European champions league final (Messi is the best) and spoiled Meg in the morning by waking her with fried eggs and spinach...mmm...we also had the chance to see some genuine alpine scenery as we were encompassed by the towering snowy giants that seem to nurse the town into a sleepy beauty. Then it was time to enjoy the entire reason for our visit to Domodossola (scenic rail to Switzerland). This was not originally part of the itinerary though we are very happy to have made it so. The panoramic windowed train exposed us to views of the Swiss and Italian alpine regions that give you a great insight into why people will endure the freezing conditions during winter. Our day came to a jolting halt of reality when we hit Zurich and decided to stay for the night before leaving for Munich. Meg and I went out for dinner and paid $20 AUD for 2 Kebabs and 1 fanta!!! OMFG!!! Glad we didnt plan to visit here initially as it would have been considered fiscal suicide.

Then onto the beer capital of the world...MUNICH!!! Oh yeah...we set up Kermie (the tent) and made our way back into the town center to find a place to eat...and drink giant beer!! As you can see from the photos we were successful! Munich is very relaxed and feels more like a village than an actual city. After some duely imbibed hops and yeast we retired for the night...zzz.
In the morning it was time to explore. As we sat down for breakfast we met a lovely good ol boy from the south...TIMAH (southpark joke) from Baton Rouge Louisiana and shared a meal while discussing what to do. We hit it off well and decided on a free tour of Munich...after some sights and informative history we bailed on the tour at the stop of the Hofbräuhaus (huge beer hall) and downed some local fare. We made tentative pland with Tim to catch up again and went our separate ways.

The next day Meg and I quickly decided to make for Austria. It was a rushed decision and so the trip was hasty. After some cross country running with packs we made our train and snaked our way to Innsbrück. This part of the world is truely astounding. We both rate Austria as the most beautiful country so far and Innsbrück went a long way to sealing the deal. Mountains soar into the heavens and are capped by white powder and the atmosphere in incredibly. We made plans to stay at the hostel and remembered that Tim was in the area so we figured we may bump into him along the way. Lo and behold, as Meg and I sit down to dinner, I hear the distinctive southern tones of one Tim Durel, who is suprised, though happy to see us and join for a meal. We make plans to hike the next day and retire after some tasty dark beers!! MMM!!! The hike was one of our favourite days by far. The weather permitted a comfortable hike to 1400 meters and gave us spectacular views of the town and alps. Meg got to eat Austrian snow, pat a donkey and we had a beer at the food shack high on the mountain. It was a wonderful experience. We had a great time with Tim and wish him all the best for the rest of his trip and decision for future studies...always welcome in Oz (hint hint)! Thats him with the big Kick ass pizza btw!

The next day the 3 of us parted again and Meg and I left for Salzburg. Another jewel in Austrias crown. We set up camp and relaxed on the grounds talking with the lovely Romanian campsite organiser. She gave us some insight into Austria and helped us book our Sound of Music tour. The next day the hills were alive with the sound of Meg singing. We had an extremely funny guide who could be a stand up comedian and the day was perfect. We also tried Apfel Strudel with hot vanilla sauce and got to walk around the city a bit. We took the afternoon to go to Berchestgaden in the south of Germany (how casual it is to visit 2 countries). Stunning scenery again and a peaceful afternoon. The back to Salzburg for dinner and sleep. One of the photos is on dusk of the old city of Salzburg as viewed from a bridge down river. That night we got a micro burst of rain and little Kermie got his first work out...passing with flying colours. Next stop Vienna!!

We stayed in a hotel for the two nights and loved having a bed again!! Meg also loves having room to throw her clothes around. After some exploring Meg and I wound up getting a free bottle of Champagne at a pub and we indulged in some relaxing nightlife, getting home late and sleeping in...ahhhh!! The next day we decided to walk around the city with no plans. We skyped the lovely parents and sister weish and got our family fix first! Love u guys! :)
In the evening Meg and I experience true romance as we got dressed up, went out for a nice dinner to see the Vienna Philharmonic play Mozart, Hayden, and Schubert and watched the Opera of Don Giovanni...fantastic! Then a ferris wheel ride before home to bed...an actual bed...oh yeah now this is luxury! And yes that is a photo of me eating a Grilwurstel (sausage) ewwww....actually tasted real good!

The next day we departed for Prague and spent most of the day on the train. The weather was not so good so we dediced to sleep in a room at the camping ground. After avoiding some hotel poachers at the train station and overcoming the language barriers, Meg and I enjoyed the helpful difference in exchange rates in the Czech Rep (Note megs flashing the 1000 note) She is such a high roller. We enjoyed some cheap food and beers at the restaurant close to our bed. The following day we explored Prague and completed another free walking tour, thanks New Europe, and also met some lovely English friends...Stu and Becky. We met with them again later and tried some Absinth at a dark underground pub. Thats Stu and Me sharing a Vodka red bull...cheap backpackers we are! We exhanged details and possibly may catch up in the UK for some good times.... good luck with your exam results Becky and start eating vegetables Stu!! Prague has such an amazing history, buildings and culture...a really well preserved treat unlike any other place!

Onto BERLIN!!! What a great city...this place has felt the most like home since our departure from Oz and is absolutely brimming with fun things to do...the people, architecture, history is so brilliant and enjoyable that I rate this my favourite City so far! Meg and I had planned for 2 nights and stayed for 3 as we had such a great time! We went and did some normal things too like the cinemas twice! Ahhh...to be normal again! So in Berling we took our time and did some war tours, a pub crawl and generally soaked up this really cool place! The pub crawl was really fun as Meg and I had not been out with people for a big 1 for a long time. We met some really nice people and I think we even went to some cool clubs...bit hazy on the details though ;) I could talk forever on this place... highlights are the Reichstag building...some photos of the very cool glass dome can be seen from the inside...the history on the GDR and Berlin wall...and the massive Tiergarten! So tired tho so Ill keep it short! Thanks to Richard and Gill for their help with Job companies in the UK...nice to meet you and share a beer! P.s Germans dont have to worry about NAZIS anymore...there is a new and much more sinister threat to the people....thats right....STORMTROOPERS AT BRANDENBURGER TOR!!!! Also there are pics of Meg and I freezing in unusual cold weather and the holocaust memorial...google that...it is a very unique and interesting work!

Next stop Paderborn...some may wonder where this place is...and why we are visiting?? Well there is one answer to satisfy your curiosity!! And the answer is ABSOLUTE VODKA!!! Hahaha...while on Tioman you may remember that we met some lovely German people and drank a little too much with them...anyway we made good on our promise to visit them as we traverse Germany and we were very excited to arrived and meet with Christoph, Viktor, Michael and Natalie once again! The generosity and welcoming nature of this group of now very good friends was quite overwhelming...I could be forgiven for mistaking them for the close group of friends I cherish in Australia...we were greeted at Paderborn station and taken to Natalie and Christophs for cake and coffee before visiting to Michaels swinging bachelor pad! ( Michael is the one kicking his leg up behind Meg in one of the pics)...we had a bbq at his place and met some more of their friends...the night was perfect...we got to see some of the scintelating Paderborn nightlife and check out the infamous Dück dance moves (Viktor is pictured with white t shirt in the club next to me) while enjoying some beer and partied late into the night...err...morning...we got into the last club CUBE at 0330 and found it to be empty...not to worry...fusbal was ready for a work out and we laughed and played terribly until the place shut and ugly lights came on! The group shot of us kicking our legs is at approx 5am....sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!! Best recovery feed in the morning (Leish note the awesome bread..I ate that for u!) and coffee...now we can function.

Unfortunately all of our best laid plans came undone as rain and slow brain processes ground our activities to a halt...but then.... a ray of sunlight....lets go....and play...TEN PIN!!! YAY!!! Christoph, Viktor, Meg, Michael and I had a blast knocking down pins and high fiving our gutter balls...Megs enthusiasm was a highlight....we then had a short stroll around the sprawling city center and returned to get ready for dinner! The food was an absolute treat...traditional Schnitzel an dark wheat beer that I have fallen in love with! We had some great conversations before the night got away from us and we had to say good bye and farewell!

Special mention goes to Christoph and Michael...first Christoph, thank you kindly for all of your organisation and correspondence...you made us anticipate the time happily and made us feel very welcomed since Tioman. And Michael...we can not thank you enough for allowing us to feel so welcomed into your home...Meg and I really appreciated your hospitality and will not forget the great time we had at your place.

To all: I feel strongly that our genuine connection will endure time and distance and you will always be welcome down under and extended the same courtesy that you were so willing to give to us. It was lovely to spend time with such intelligent, motivated people. Hopefull we can meet again before we leave, or you can come over the chanel to England for a little holiday. Stay safe and well until we meet again!

Peace xoxo

For the fam....Next stop Rotterdam...the biggest harbour in Europe and then Amsterdam...nuff said... lots of love from our last night in Germany...Im gonna miss it! M&J xoxo

Bapada Boopie

2009-05-26T19:46:00.004+10:00

Ciao Bellas,

First of all let me apologise for the ridiculously long time it has take for us to post!! We have just been soooooo extremely tied up with eating....uh....I mean sightseeing...yeah thats it...sightseeing! Well anyway...all apologies aside, let me fill you in on what we have been doing in the great boot...

I think we left you in Avingon where Meg and I had a little down time...and since then until now there has been precious little of that commodity! We left Avingnon and stopped in gritty Marseille, a Harbour town with a strong Algerian influence...our hotel room was quite grotty but did the business and we wandered around with not much to do. The next day we hopped a train to Toulon in the hope that we could get a ferry to Rome. After a 20 minute walk with packs to the terminal we were duely informed that this service has recently been abandoned...nice! With some quick rejigging and directional assistance the route was changed to get the train to Genoa and then overnight it to Rome....overall it was to be a 12 hour train hike....needless to say we bailed on that idea and stopped in Genoa (via Nice, Cannes and Coastal Italian towns that yielded breathtaking views)...we were so pumped to enter the country of Pizza and Pasta and talking with your hands. It took all of 20 minutes to book into a local 1 star hotel and then go out for some authentic Italian grub...best pizza ever....and cheap too!

The following day we farewelled Genoa and headed for Florence...what can I say about the birthplace of the Renaissance, Michelangelo and the Medici dynasty? It is absolutely overwhelming the amount of history and intricately constructed buildings here that dwarf anything my mind could fathom before...From the Palazzo Vecchio to the Massive Duomo Basillica and up to Michelangelos Garden, Florence is a true Tuscan treat that is arguably the real heart of Italy! Meg and I dined in the Piazza Della Signora under the huge Torre Arnolfo and listened to a free concert of Italian folk tunes which was a nice touch.

I got a little sick in Florence and had a bit of a snappy tom at Megzy! She is such a good egg though and takes it in her stride, nuturing me back to awareness and enjoyment! After 2 nights in Florence we had to say Arrivederci and then chuggalugged our way to Roma...by this stage I was very run down and stuffy and the heat was killing me...we had decided to stay at the Seven Hills campsite out of town to accrue some extra play money...little did we know the campsite was a 45 minute walk with packs fully loaded and we did not find out about the courtesy shuttle bus until we got to the campsite of course! OMFG!!! Again Meg tolerated some very Cranky Pants from me as I was tired sick and fed up with walking...then the pegs would not go into the ground without bending...we did not have a mallet...the heat the heat the heat....arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Anyway the tent went up and I fell asleep at about 8pm. We checked out the camp site the next day and it was very well appointed...2 restaurants, a steak house, pool, sports grounds, and a quiet little niche for us! So we made use of the FREE SHUTTLE BUS and made our way into Roma...which for anyone that has not been is bizzare for a Capital city...no sky scrapers here, or massive traffice jams...it was strangely small and very accommodating to pedestrian travelling needs. Not to mention, more ruins than you can poke a stick at! I mean it is just a historical mecca of gargantuan proportions.

The first day was dedicated to the Vatican city Museums and Saint Peters Basillica (the largest and most opulant in all of Europe). The Piazza outside the Basillica was very impressive and then you go inside...you just can not describe the amazing amounts of man power, death, enslavement that would have been needed to create such Titanic church! WOW! And then we wandered throught the museum where we silently, in awe, gazed at the Frescoes of Raphael and Michelangelo...the Cistine Chapel was and hour of sitting, looking, head shaking, and lack of comprehension at how one man could spend four years of his life on scaffolding craning his neck up to the ceiling and letting the power of god guide his hands to such majesty! Apparently Michelangelo was never the same, physically, again after the demands of this effort...

The following day Meggy and I hopped a tourist bus and did a 2 hour loop of the city before deciding to visit the COLOSSEUM!!! Man what an experience that place is...built until it was servicable in just over 4 years and finished off in 8, this staduim (a design that was the catalyst most others were fashioned from) could seat between 40 and 70 thousand screaming spectators who would watch the most grusome battles take place! WOW! Probably Meg and my favourite place so far....the we walked around the Roman Forum next door and wandered through the ghostly remains of Titus Arch, Agustus house, and the Circus De Nero where christians were burned in piles to provide light for the feast of the Roman emperor...eeeeww. That was a huge day...we came back to the camp ground dusty, hot and tired and decided to treat ourselves to some lovely Vino Della Casa (cheap house red) and the best Tiramisu I have ever had the pleasure of tasting! MMMMM.....

The last day Meg and I packed up and stayed in Rome itself, which was a treat...we wandered around the city from the Spanish steps to Piazza Navona, the sacred ruins to Fontana de Trevi, the Pantheon to Piazza de Campidolglio and winding through some very fashionable areas! Long story short...I think we got good mileage out of Rome!

Next stop Napoli...however, everyone that we spoke to about this place told us not to go...mmm...so we changed our plans and then made camp in Pompei! Have I mentioned how hot it is here yet....everyday since Florence has been about 25-30 degrees with about 75% humidity which makes for very sweaty backs with bags!!! Anywho...after errecting our house, Meg and I wandered to get some food in the quiet town that receives around 3 million tourists a year for Vesuvius and Pompei ruins....preserved in the ash of the Volcanos explosion! We sat at a cheap restaurant and had some average pasta but thought yeah its cheap...and then the waiter bought out some "complementary" dishes that we did not order and gave us the impression they were on the house and we thought....oh how lovely...only guess what....yeah.... they appeared on the bill! Then all of a sudden...the waiter...forgot how to speak english...like he was struck with some form of stigmata all of a sudden...friggen con artist!! See cranky faced photo!

The next day we made a summit of Vesuvius and walked around the main crater at the top...there were some truely magnificent views of the Pompei Valley and all the way up to the Amalfi coast...in the afternoon we caught the train down to Sorrento...WOW...this little town is an absolute gem of a place....the shear coast line makes you wonder why anyone would want to build residence here...and then you look at the Mediterranean ocean and you go...oh...yeah....I suppose its worth it! We both had our first dip in the ocean in Italy and it was sublime...nice and cold and in a primo spot...right next to Peters beach (posted a photo and thought of dad lol) that we could not go into as it was 8 euro just to get on the beach! How good is Lemon Ice when you are parched (check out gigantic lemon)!

The following day we toured through the ruins of Pompei...it is simply amazing how well preserved this city is...and the history is astounding! Some of the earlier parts of Pompei were formed in the 6th century BC! Im talking 2600 years ago! And it was a thriving, bustling place, with a fish and meat market, bakeries, government building and even brothels with suggestive drawings above the rooms....we had a blast and were absolutely knackered at the end of 4 hours of walking in the sticky heat (by the way I thought cricket was an English invention, though clearly this bronze statue is depicting a man in a delivery stride at the crease??) LOL....but not knackered enough to not get the train to Naples just to try Pizza from the home of Pizza!! We went to Da Michele where Pizzas have been tossed since 1870! Only two choices, Margherita or Marianara and we slurpped them down with a bottle of frosty suds!! MMMMMM.....totally worth it!

From Napoli to Verona! Almost a 12 hour hike on the train and on our feet looking for a hotel to stay in!! Some more cranky pants from Josh...its stressful not knowing where you are going to sleep for the night when there are almost no more shadows in the day!! Luckily there were beds left at the Ostello de Francescatti! Check this place out on the web....its a HI Hostel in Verona that is a 16th Century Villa on huge grounds with beautiful gardens...stunning....the last photos will be of the grounds here! We then day tripped to Venice from here...one of the most out of this world places...20 million tourists a year...hot as hell and more rivers than streets with gondola men singing to love struck couples or alternatively groups of asian tourists. We wandered around to San Marco and checked out the amazing Church in the piazza (the best Ive seen yet) it is covered with mosaics of half centimeter squared tile and just the most amazing depictions of religious events and then chilled out by the water with gelati! We returned to Verona and showered at our hostel before going out to dinner like real Italians do at 10pm....returning to a lovely little restaurant right by the river! Quattoro formaggi and Tagliatelle al Porcini with a litre of Vino Bianco to knock us on the head and then zzzzzzzzz!

Meg and I left the Hostel this morning and got lost on our dedicated day of rest....man....ended up getting a taxi to the next hotel and now we are chilling out for the afternoon...which you kinda feel guilty for because Verona is arguably the most beautiful Italian town Ive seen and I have only seen a small portion! Meh...chilling is good! So tomorrow we leave for a scenic rail ride from Italy into Switzerland and then onto Austria...it seems like Italy has flown by....though I feel a cooler climate and cheaper beer will be a welcomed change...and my memories of the people,food and language will not fade fast!

Until next time my compatriots.... Ciao! xoxoxoxoxo

Spains brains and back again

2009-05-12T18:47:00.022+10:00

Yeeeeeeeeeees welcome back!

Sorry for the delay in posts, though it is indicative of the wonderful time we are currently having. Since we last chatted, Meg and I have stopped in Pamplona, Zaragoza, Barcelona, back over the border to Montpellier, Nimes and finally in Avingon....which I know will please Alarna Chapman to no end!

So Pamplona is famous for the running of the bulls...well we had to substitute with the cupping of the bulls and the getting squashed by the bulls (see pics). There are some majestic vistas up in the Navarre country where little towns are bowled by rocky outcrops, vast mountains and large expanses of nothingness. As we arrived in Pamplona the feeling of truely being in Spain sunk in. Not very much English is spoken or written form around here and the language barrier becomes apparent. We made camp in a very cheap hotel (25 Euro) and set out to see the sights. What a beautiful town...we sampled some more sangria and then paid 26 Euro in total for a 3 course meal each!! I unfortunately ordered meat (thinking hake was a fish) but when all is said and done it was super cheap and not too bad at all! We returned to a KebaP hut the next day where felafel Kebabs are the most tasty you will ever get and totally different before trekking swiftly to make our train to Zaragoza.

It was here that we again set the bar for cheap accommodation and slept in a very comfortable Pension. Zaragoza had the most amazing basillica yet and we wandered through briefly before giving up on walking and settling down on the street to watch the world go by. You may have noticed that we happened upon a bar that just happened to have 1 Euro Heinikens for happy hour! Oh yeah...after some nice coldies in the fading Spanish sky we had a bad frozen pizza, cured by some delicious churozs...MMMMMM....

So we bailed early on the next day to add a day to Barcelona. The train that we needed to reserve was a A V E, complete with televisions, food service, bar, and a top speed of 350 KMS! I clocked the top speed of our journey at 298Kms! It was a dream ride. Once we arrived in the city Meg and I determined that we would make our first camp and give ourselves extra play money. We caught a bus out to Castelldefels and paid 20 Euro a night to sleep on the ground! Doesnt quite sound right does it? Anyway the tent was errected and we found that our sight was a 30 second walk to the Costa Brava were I took my first chilly dip in the Mediterranean. Meggy and I had a nice little picnic on the beach and relaxed in the sun. Possibly the most relaxed I had been so far!! Barcelona was amazing! We took a 2 day bus tour throught the city and explored some beautiful sights (None more impressive than the Sagrada Familiar which towers over the surrounding area and is constantly being added to as funds are donated to the church).

Long story short, we ate some exquisite morcels of Paella Marisco, tapas, and sipped some more sangria in between cheap meals from our campground tuck shop. We met some lovely Icelandic folk who moved in next door with their very luxurious camper (pictured). On our last morning of camping, after being subjected to two sleepless nights due to a beach rave (you know.. doof doof doof doof) we were invited to have some homemade bread and coffee...oh yeah...just what we needed to function. So we were mothered on mothers day before packing our world back onto our backs and moving on like little hermit crabs. We resolved to stay an extra night in Barca and I tried in vein to procure some scalped FC Barcelona tickets. No Such Luck! Boo to them! It was an amazing game too 3 all at full time. We got to experience the madness of futbal in Spain though and it was fantastic to see all the colours and hear the chanting of the crowd as they marched towards the 100 000 capacity staduim (biggest in Europe)! Meggy and I had a cold one and watched in a cramped little bar where the old bar lady cooked a giant octopus in a pot and pig hocs hung from the rafters like trophies! Each goal that Barca scored send waves of euphoria through the place and stirred the smokey haze.

Yesterday was a huge day of travel! We boarded a train from Barcelona to Montpellier (think a jazzed up red rattler with a bar) and spent 5 hours click clacking up the Costa Brava and out of Spains emphatic, intoxicating grip. We had our first border search and passport check and I couldn't help but imagine being on the run from the law...too many movies mee thinks! We got off at Montpellier after being treated to some more wonderful views of the coast and then boarded another train to Nimes. Here we found absolutely nowhere to stay and the shadows were elongating. So after briefly checking out the old Roman Ruins we again hopped the train to Avingon. Cue the synchronicity, first place we look... bang accommodation in our price range! Oh yeah....then a cheap meal at Maccas...yeah yeah I know....but whats a vagabond to do? HUH? Then we settled into our grotty little Chambre (never have I appreciated our clean rooms in OZ more) and watched a movie to fall asleep...Thanks ipod!

Meg has been a little under the weather....sniffles and coughing...so we are going to take it easy and stay another night! Ill make sure she eats well and rugs up mums so dont worry! But Im not letting her shower in that place again...no pressure...ages to heat up...and the sink does not drain so your feet soak in the bubbly filth of the dam at the bottom...ha ha ha...now we are really doing it back packer style! Well it wont be long before we are in Italy and so we leave to soak up the charms of this lovely little town and treat ourselves to some good food! All of our love is flowing home in torrents!

P.S Sorry Leish but can you fix up sideways photos?? This connection is shite and Im outta time!

M & J xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

2009-05-05T04:30:00.011+10:00

Au Revoir France :( Hola Amigos :),

Meg and I have crossed the border into Espangol and are winding down from our first night in San Sebastian, a lovely little costal town with beautiful clean streets and people having fun everywhere. Included in our photos are some shots of the marina town of La Rochelle, Wine tasting in Bordeaux, partying with friends in Biarritz and spending time with our lovely new soul sister, Dolores, from Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The last few days have been very lazy, with little exploring/effort on our part to venture into massive expeditions. I think we were both keen for a slow relaxing pace in comparison to Paris etc. Meg and I had our first tiff after walking 15km around the whole of La Rochelle before finding the Hostel, quite hilarious now we look back but there were some cranky pants being worn that afternoon. We spent two nights and ambled around the town with no real purpose as the weather was not so good. We did however see the Famed Fosters sign and ate some wonderful Indian food. Fritz, our hostel bar guy, was nice and later ran into us in Biarritz. Then we got into wine country. The river that feeds Bordeaux famous grape juice region was impressive and filtered into tributaries that spawned some enornmous vineyards that would dwarf some I have seen in Aus. The tour itself was not so impressive and the wine....well let me just say...its not really a Hunter Shiraz or NZ Pinot. Our guide was nice though, if not a little crazy and the country side was gorgeous. Place Gambetta in Bordeaux was lovely and our room was hilarious!! Absolutely built for a mouse complete with cartoonesque apartment French man ¨Gil¨ (Pronounced Shhhhhhhhhhil to his declaration).

We then contacted home only to be given the very sad news that a good friend has passed away. I hope it is not inappropriate but... RIP FROSTY...you will be much missed, and Meg and I were glad to have known you! Our thoughts are with your family. The rest of that day was uneventful.

So onto Biarritz...a chic little coastal town that boasts some impressive surfing heritage and one of Europes finest hostels. This is where I spent my birthday and met some really lovely people, Fritz included and decided to go and get our first taste of French night life. Starting at 11pm...not such an early kick off, we caught a cab into Bayonne. Lots of little bars with great tunes and weird drinks...photo included of Meg downing a rather interesting ¨Cocktail¨ that featured a coffee soaked lemon wedge and a shot of Vodka! Ewwwww....the reaction says it all! Also pictured is the Kookaburra club that we went to without our input and watched the German guys sing in chorus to a very funny song.We danced and laughed and made a wonderful couple of friends. After arriving home at 0530 we slept for 3 hours, careful not to wake our dorm buddies and then peeled our eyes awake to make sure we did not miss out on free breaky...its a backpackers life to squeeze every freebie no matter how hard it is! And then we spent the day riding bikes we hired through the town and along the coast...just the two of us! It was wonderful...my second best day so far....have I mentioned that I really love Megs to bits?

Today we bid farewell to our party buddies and we departed for Spain. Dolores came with us to San Sebastian for a day trip and we intend to catch up later in Prague. We shared some Paella and Sangria and meandered around the beautiful narrow alleys allowing our senses to soak up San Sebastians ambience and surprisingly different feel, despite being only 30 minutes from the border. Everything is slightly cheaper and the people a little more our style here which is a fresh and welcome change regardless of how amazing France was. So we head off for Pamplona tomorrow and then onto Zaragoza! Having the absolute time of our lives and still thinking of you all with fondess! Lots of love and hugs and kisses and more and more and more of the same, again and again and again!

xoxoxo

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Happy Birthday to me

2009-05-04T02:19:00.003+10:00

Thank you guys for the well wishes. Meg and I had our first taste of European nightlife last night in the ever so chic town of Biarritz (There goes the budget)! We danced and partied with the most continental group (German, Lithuanian,Argentinian,Danish,French and English) and had a blast...they even sang happy birthday to me...YAY! Just a quick post to let you know we survived and head of for the country of Tapas and Sangria tomorrow...lots of love M and J xoxoxo

Due south

2009-04-29T00:44:00.006+10:00

Well well well...we meet again!

In this edition of Josh and Meg go global we have included some pics of our trip to Bayeux in Normandy and around some of the Dday sights. We thoroughly enjoyed this little jewel with it's cobble stoned streets and period buildings, wandering aimlessly to find hot food and things to see. Our first Eurail experience was a delight as the efficiency of Europes train networks continues to amaze us. As we settled into our carrige a respectable looking French gentleman gaves us a sideways glance, and then disappeared completely when he heard the voice of some compatriots identifying the same carrige as theirs...enter Geoff and Elliot...a father son combo from good ol Picton in NSW! How happy we were to hear the distinctive nuances from a very Australian voice (Thanks Geoff)! The trip flew as fast as the conversation and laughs (its funny how much you miss the Aussie sense of humour) and we arrived in Bayeux for the same purpose. Meg and I had the fortune of dining with the boys before we parted company. Thanks for the laughs guys and I hope you make it back safe and sound to the ladies.

The Dday tour was fantastic. We had a very funny and informative guide who fielded all sorts of questions and catered well to our almost exclusive group of 3. Words simply fall short to describe the horror, bravado, commoradory and spirit of this sacred place. Even Meg managed to enjoy herself. We managed to keep the culture vulture theme going by visiting the famed Bayeux tapestry (a thousand year old, 70 meter long embroided comic strip depicting William the Bastard conquouring the English)...or as our Normandy guide says, the ROAST BEEF! HA HA HA! And we also had a quick sticky at the Cathedral in Bayeux (Pictured).

Next stop Pontorson. After receiving a hot tip that Mt Saint Michel was a good spot to visit on the way we decided to follow the lead and check it out. Not to be disappointed either as the medieval abby looms high on a rocky outcrop, girt by the Atlantic and a veritible masterpiece of architecture and scope. It was on this particular tour that we were befriended by more lovely country men, or women as it were. Big thanks go out to Tammy, Karen and Michelle for accompanying us on the tour and braving the rainy, icy conditions. We had a blast with you guys and hope your journeys are safe and guide you back to your respective broods peacefully.

Today 28/4/09: Meg and I used our now sharpened railwork nouce to make our way to La Rochelle, a gorgeous port town with a huge marina, good restaurants, snappy net and happening streets. We sign off ready to check in and get some yummy asian food to warm our cockles! Missing and Loving every one of you guys! xoxoxoxo

Goat track

2009-04-27T18:15:00.002+10:00

Bonjour...ca va Madams/Missuers,

Sorry we have been off the radar, however the further south we go, the less English is spoken and we have found it difficult to find a decent enough connection to warrent updates/uploads etc...Bayeux was fantastic and we spent an Anzac day missing 2 up and Lager :(

So we are making a run for La Rochelle and hope to spend 2 nights, giving us enough time and cheap connection fee (currently paying 9 Aussie for 30 mins!!) to say a proper hello! Off to Mt St Michel, a famous land sight near Pontorson where we are staying...

All our love Meg and Josh! xoxoxo

Foot massage please

2009-04-23T02:51:00.002+10:00

Bonjour once more,

So Meg and I are officially in love with Paris...but is it that hard to imagine?? The last three days have been an absolute whirlwind... Meg and I bought to fruition the desire to have champagne, cheese and baguette underneath the Eiffel tower (which is surrounded by beautiful parks) and then dozed in eachothers arms as the sky had offered to us some amazing spring weather! We woke 30 minutes later to indulge in our first actual paid activity and climbed the stairs to the 2nd level of the Eiffel to immerse in the afternoon sun whilst gazing upon Paris from the most advantages point. We then lazily returned to our hotel via the Metro (most efficient public transport ever) and ventured across the street to indulge in some yummy pizza and Red plonk.

The next day quickened the pace as we visited Notre Dame (Words can't describe) and then on to the Bastille (Formally fortified royal building come stockade) before wandering around the deilightfully manacured Cemetiere Pere Lachaise where Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrsion have been laid to rest. After a blundered attempt to visit the Catacombes (thanks LP) Meg and I got spruced up and ventured to the Champse Elysse for a romantic Parisian dinner. And we were far from disappointed. Was it you Leash that told us about the Onion soup? Regardless...OMFG! Most amazing soup ever!! We also had incredible mains and were left wanting more and more. Despite the freezing gusts blowing up the Elysse, Meg and I pressed on to see the Eiffel by night and stood under the incandescent glow for 30 mins until the cold got the better and we retreated to base camp!

Today I woke with my first ailment of the trip. An incredibly strained ligament from ball of foot to big toe! Not to let it get the better I made like hop along cassidy and we set out for another huge day of sight seeing! The Musee De Louvre is astonishingly huge...no way you could see everything in less than 3 days! Then we descended into the bowels of Paris for a disturbingly macarbe tour of the Catacombes. A 1.6 Km walk through the old quarry (contstructed in the 18th century) that became a mass grave after the remains of some 3 thousand Parisians were relocated here due to an outbreak of disease from an overcrowded cemetary!

The last spot on the trip was Pont Neuf, The Conciergerie, Saint Chapel and the original settlement of Paris (all in a small adjacent area). Needless to say my feet are effed!

Among all of these wonderous sights, I must confess that the food is the winner here. Savoury crepes, sweet eclairs (your right Leash, never again in Australia), onion soup, croissants and cakes I could not have even dreamed up are now a part of us forever!! I'm such an easily pleased pig for life!

So I sign off now to go and pack for our next adventure, despite all the gravity of Paris on me. I love each and every one of you back home...we think of you often: xoxoxoxox

France's underpants

2009-04-20T01:12:00.003+10:00

Bonjour wee monamies,

Meggy and I have just spent our first day sightseeing through the oldest and most beautiful ol dame of a city and are completely charmed by her dazzling features! However, allow me to backtrack for a moment to the last few days...

Flight from Singapore to London....long, uncomfortable 13 hour flight with terrible food but touch screen tv's?? I know BA got their priorities mixed up there!! I did however sit next to a lovely young Sri Lankan expat who enlightened me to some more esoteric information regarding the plight of civil unrest in his country...and of course there was passionate talk of cricket...we swapped details and I now have a bed in Singapore should the need arise...and vice versa!

We flew into a very chilly England @ 0500 and got some good ol heart hurting English breakfast complete with snags (vego of course) and purged ourselves of the bad taste in our mouths...we then tried to call everyone and eventually made success with most (Leish??) before sitting down to wait for our French Connection in the very snazzy and new terminal 5 built last year!

Cue the rain and cloudy weather...descending into Charles de gualle was like flying through a grey soup...but we were too excited/jetlagged to care (at this point I should mention that we would have been asleep if not for the double shot coffee @ Heathrow)! We waited for our bags and then meandered over to a bus terminal. It was not long before Meg and I noticed many heavily armed French army men near the terminal we had just left! I don't know what it was that made the following loud bang and puff of smoke but for a few tense minutes we were petrified and expecting another. No one else batted an eyelid though?? Meg and I then made a call to our hotel, acquired directions and hopped on board a Roissybus into the city. The weather gloomed and our happiness provided an intangible umbrella all the way into town. It took a little foreign wandering before we located our abode, and we were glad to be greeted by our very well appointed/groomed Manager. We exchanged pleasantries and retreated to our tiny but beautiful room for a much needed shower (Meg was on the nose)!

For anyone that has not been in Paris...all I can say is you have to go at least once...the Choclatiers and Fromageries emit the most delightful fragrences amidst the animated conversations of many Parisian folk. And the driving/parking is hilarious! We found a nice spot for dinner after some street wandering and then retired for the night. I drifted into a slumber from a mixture of rain, city ambience and Megs breathing with the biggest smile on my face thinking WE MADE IT!

Today was almost like a fantasy. Waking to the sound of drunk French men stumbling home I was quick to get up and ready with Meg. Breakfast, we discovered to our delight, was complimentary and we tucked into baguettes, croissants, coffee, tea and cereal before leaving to find an internet cafe due to inclement weather. 8 hours later I sit here in a daze from all the walking, sights (Eiffle tower, Arc de Triomph, Champse Elisse, war museum, and the museum of natural history), good food and overwhelming feeling of happiness! I wish this for you all! The only blemish was a very injured person that had fallen ten meters from one of the buildings we visited and was receiving cpr when we arrived (can someone check this out and confirm what happened? Also the blast @ the international airport too please??)

Until next time.....Au revoir xoxoxoxo

The French Connection

2009-04-20T00:59:00.009+10:00

Tioman pics

2009-04-20T00:51:00.016+10:00

The amazing race

2009-04-17T23:35:00.002+10:00

Meg and I just quickly wanted to let you know that the synchronicity wore off. Maybe it was the night we made close friends with four Germans over 2 bottles of absolute vodka that threw our groove off...though we have got free accommodation in Paderborn whenever we make it to their neck of the woods...anyway the day after was a write off and we could only manage a weak afternoon snorkel (seeing a 100kg turtle on our swim) and then went out for dinner with ze Germans again...Michael, Christoph, Viktor and Natalie (its a term of endearment)! So our first connection is made and we have good friends from Tioman! Anywho, the upshot of it all was our ferry arriving 2 hours too late today to take us back to Mersing...and it got worse from there...slow people....laid back bus driver...ancient customs clerk...culminated in two very stressed sweaty Australians running through customs in 2 countries (Malaysia and Singies) to hustle a cab en route to the airport...hahahahahaha....hence the title of this post....we are now enjoying some cold Tiger beer and sushi as we wait to fly to the Uk...will update with photos in the ol enemies backyard!

Until then Peace and love from Singapore xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

TIOMAN ISLAND ADVENTURE

2009-04-14T22:54:00.003+10:00

Hello there my little bloggers!

Megz and I have arrived at our paradise island getaway...Why did we already book flights to Europe when we could very well stay here for a whole year? Tioman is a 120 million year old Jungle paradise! Never have I seen anything like it!

Here is a quick overview of the last 2 days:

The flight from Sydney was awesome. Most memorable moment was flying over the Artisan Basin near Alice Springs. From 30000 ft it really looks like GOD has run his fingers through the sand, creating red waves as far as the eye can see.

We then touched down in Singapore after 2 movies (Yes man is piss funny), 3 bottles of wine (mini bottles) and some average plane food. Since then everything has progressed with what can only be described as perfect synchronicity. We just made the transfer to the hotel by 2 minutes, made the bus to JB in good time, crossed the border into Malaysia without hassle, boarded the last ferry to Tioman with 2 minutes to spare (running with full load is not good for your back) and checked in with time for dinner and a show! Whew!

Today Meg and I woke with no plans, finally making a decision to walk to Tekek (the main village) which took about an hour...and required some jungle walking. After some convincing, Meg agreed to take on the Island traverse Jungle hike. This goes from Tekek to Johara and takes about 3 hours we were told. This was not the case however. We caught a taxi (4wd, complete with tourist guide) to Johara, had a swim in the crystalline brilliance and sucked it up for the trek. All considered it took close to 2 hours and was unbearably humid. Making it back to our bungalow and crashing was the most rewarding part of 5 hours total walking for the day.

Now for the best part...the guys that work at our village have a guitar...they occasionally pad out the back to smoke and chit chat...it did not take long before I headed out to greet/serenade them all with some good ol Island crooning...

Well guys we have a aircon room to get back to and some sort of snorkeling adventure to organise for tomorrow so I will leave it there and say Salamat Datang to you all! xoxoxo

Safe n Sound in Singapore

2009-04-13T07:16:00.002+10:00

Josh and Meg have touched down in Singapore! xoxo

Safe and Sound guys... how do you order Singapore noodles here?? They're all noodles sir!

Subscribe to the Blog by Email

2009-04-07T04:06:00.004+10:00

You know you want too!

You can now enter your email address and have any new Blog entries from Josh and Meg automatically sent to your email address.

Just scroll to the top of the blog, enter your email addy and hit the subscribe button.

Easy. Peasy. Japanesey.

BTW - 5 days until B.L.A.S.T.O.F.F.

Final Family Hoorah

2009-03-24T12:14:00.005+11:00

It was a bittersweet feeling as we descended into Melbourne last Monday night. This was the first time that Meg and I had experieced the acetically pleasing evening skyline of the city as it glistnened and beckoned us to land. And as we were to discover it would be the beginning of many firsts and one final last.....at least for now anyway!

To name just a few firsts:

1. Catching a long term parking bus to our very own car to drive back to Alicia and Raja's house.

2. Seeing a "sick" little girl with too much energy waiting to greet us when we arrived.

3. Having front row seats while attending a kindie gym.

4. Story time at the library.

5. Picnic rug cuddles with 3 nieces while cloud imaginations soared.

6. Toasted cheese and Vegemite sandwiches (I know...so simple...why have I not had it b 4?)

7. Waking up to Bella smiles in my bed.

8. Cranium delirium (thanks for the laughs guys....4 tenors.... bwahahahahahahahah)

9. Mushroom ragout.

10. Banana Lassie's.

There is certainly one first that is worth mentioning above all. How amazing this blog site is!!Without the tireless efforts of an already sleep deprived sister there would be none of this hey presto manifesto for us to connect and share with all of you during our journey. I want to convey to you, and show to everyone, the amount of love, appreciation and respect that Meg and I have for you ALICIA xoxox...we are truly grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful and loving soul in our lives that has produced 3 more little angels for us to use as an excuse to never grow up. You have been an inspirational mother to your children and never cease to amaze us with how patient and loving you are to those kidlets...please trust in the knowledge that our separation will only galvanise our resolve as friends, confidants, shoulders, minders, but most importantly as the reliable and trustworthy family you deserve....thank you for opening your house and your heart to us (particularly me) for the last 8.5 years and remember that Meg and I will think of you often, sending our love across vast landscapes to warm the cockles of your heart (even more profoundly than a well needed chai)!!

Lots of love and we promise to make good use of this wonderful gift! Thank you once again with the up most sincerity and happiness! Meg and Josh xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Bon Voyage

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Josh and Meg are leaving the land that is Australia on 12th April 2009, to travel the world and experience a new chapter in their lives.

An adventure of love, life and laughter awaits them.

Let them know you love them.

Let them know you'll miss them.

Share. Your. Love.

The Story of Josh and Meg

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A sweet and short picture story about true love

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

and so it begun. It was young love...

Passionfruit birthday cake confirmed it was the real deal - True Love...

Two crazy's had finally found each other...

and became one... *collective ahhhhh*

Josh found himself leaving his country of 20+ years to embark on his funnyspoon with his soulmate (aka other crazy)...

Travel is mostly bliss, but staying hydrated is key...

The crazy's (aka soulmates) continue to share the love wherever they go...

They are the picture of wedded bliss... of true love... of "a single soul inhabiting two bodies" - Aristotle

Josh and Meg – You are amazing souls...

Your love and connection to each other and each of us is an inspiration...

WE LOVE YOU!

Quick Updates

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Josh and Meg have touched down in Singapore! xoxo

Safe and Sound guys... how do you order Singapore noodles here?? They're all noodles sir!

Itinerary

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12/04/09 - Depart Sydney Airport

To be updated soon by Josh and Meg... xx

Our Fixed Addy

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This section will be updated by Josh and Meg once they have a fixed postal abode O.S. so we can send them any goodies from Australia that they might be missing... :)

If leaving Josh and Meg a comment, please do so under their most recent blog.