Travel

And we’re off! A 5:30 am wake-up call, and we walked to the tube and took the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. Diana had upgraded us to Premium Economy as a treat and she surprised the kids on the train, they were very happy! With a very smooth transit through the airport and pit stop at Pret, we were waiting at the gate. The flight was busy but Diana had checked us in the minute checkin opened, so we had four seats next to each other in the centre row. ...

Japan has been on our bucket list for a very long time. We love Japanese food and have always wanted to go and experience the culture. This summer, the family and I are finally going to visit! The kids have mixed feelings, on the one hand they are excited to see a explore a new place, on the other hand they are a little apprehensive. We plan to fly into Tokyo, spend a few days exploring, before then moving to Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and then back to Tokyo all on the train. ...

We started the day with a hearty breakfast at the bed and breakfast. We met a couple from Canada who were also hiking Hadrian’s Wall, they were walking in the opposite direction to us and seemed to have been walking at quite a pace! We collected our packed lunches and set off for the second day of our hike. We walked back to The Sands Centre by the river to collect the first stamp in our Hadrian’s Wall passport. ...

Today is the first day of our Hadrian’s Wall hike! We started with a hearty breakfast at the Inn at the Bush, where we stayed last night. The owner was very accommodating and made sure we had packed lunches, even though we hadn’t pre-ordered them the night before. After breakfast, the owners father, and the Inn’s transfer driver, took us to the starting point at Bowness-on-Solway. I’d bought Hadrian’s Wall passports for the kids, which needed stamping at points along the route. Some of the adults in the party were disappointed they didn’t have one too, so we started by visiting the local cafe-come-shop to buy a passport for each of us. ...

The kids and I travelled up to my mother’s by car last night. We’re leaving the dog with his pal Louis and a dogsitter while we are away. It also happened to be my birthday yesterday, so we all went out for a lovely meal at Mallories to celebrate. This morning, James, the local taxi driver, took us to Leicester train station, where we caught the train to Birmingham New Street. From there, we changed trains again at Stafford finally arriving into Carlisle. The first two legs were really busy, and we were lucky to get seats, even though we had reservations. Thankfully our reserved seats to Carlisle, the longest leg of the journey, were available. ...

My mother is 80 this year, and being big walkers, she and her partner were looking for an 80-mile walking challenge to celebrate! Walking Hadrian’s Wall turned out to be the perfect fit, as since it is in the UK and we can complete it in 6 days, the whole family can join in. Sadly, at the last minute, Diana, has to pull out due to a new job and an urgent work commitment. ...

The flight is uneventful, with a stop-over in Singapore, where we stretch our legs in the terminal. We arrive in London in the early morning, and after clearing boarder control, we collect our luggage and take the tube home. We’ve had such a fantastic time in Australia, and we’re grateful to all our friends and family who made our trip so special. A real adventure!

Today is our last day in Sydney, and we have a few things planned before we head to the airport in the late afternoon. We start with breakfast at the cafe across the road, where we enjoy our usual fare. After breakfast, we pack and tidy the apartment, and that’s when we discover a snag. Diana’s phone is the only place where we have the details of the apartment lock box and no one can remember the code. She also isn’t able to log into her email because she needs to receive a text message on her phone, which she doesn’t have! ...

Today is bridge walking day! After our usual breakfast from the cafe across the road, the kids and I head to the shopping district as Bella would like to buy some cosmetics from Mecca. Once back at the apartment, we get ready and walk over to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We arrive at the BridgeClimb office and check in for our climb, meeting the Boshier’s there. The staff are friendly and helpful, and we get kitted out with our climbing gear. ...

Today we’re off to Chris in Yarrawarrah. Craig has kindly lent us his car for the day, so we take public transport to Craig’s house and pick up the car first thing. We then drive down the highway, stopping at a shopping mall to buy gifts for Chris’ girls. We arrive to a warm welcome at Chris’ house, where we meet his family and catch up with his parents, who I haven’t seen in years. ...