Posts

B = Bratislava, Slovakia

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BRATISLAVA - Slovakia Background and history ... Bratislava - capital of Slovakia. Situated at the foothills of the Little Carpathians, on the River Danube, it borders both Austria and Hungary. This is a city that flies under the radar but should be on everyone's.  Dating all the way back to 5000BC, Bratislava was once part of Czechoslovakia before the country split and the newly formed Slovak Republic came into being in 1993 following the Velvet Divorce. The other half of Czechoslovakia became Czech Republic or, more recently, Czechia (to align with other European countries ending in "ia", namely - in no particular order - Croatia, Slovenia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Georgia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Russia, Austria). Now there's a good quiz question!! And then there is Transnistria, a breakaway state between Moldova and Ukraine, without recognised sovereignty.  I digress ... back to Bratislava ... Combining medieval towers with...
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A = Adelaide, South Australia

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ADELAIDE - Australia Background and history ... Adelaide - the capital city of the state of South Australia, located on the River Torrens. It's coastline lies on the St Vincent Gulf. Founded in 1836 as a province within Australia for free British settlers (as opposed to convicts!), and named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the city was planned by Colonel William Light with a sensible grid layout. There are wide boulevards and public squares and the city is completely surrounded by parklands. Colonel Light got his recipe right.  My Adelaide story ... My first visit to Adelaide was in 2019 and it took me by surprise. It's a city that had been described to me as dull and predictable. Despite that, I was expecting an enjoyably pleasant stay. In reality, I was blown away by what is a well-planned, attractive and vibrant city and, when I'd had a decent taste of all the city offers, I decided that it's a city that is anything but dull. It's a city that makes sense. I wasn...
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A = Auschwitz, Poland

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  AUSCHWITZ - Poland Background and history ... Auschwitz - it's a familiar word, a place, with a big story to tell. But to be quite frank, it's not until you go there, set foot in the place, reflect awhile, that you really understand. Which does not, by any means, mean you can fathom what went on here.   So rather than background and history, I'll just share my experience and thoughts.  My Auschwitz story ... I'd previously been to two concentration camps: Dachau (Germany) and Thereseinstadt (Terezin) in Czech Republic (aka modern Czechia) and, although it's not quite the right word, I was eager to visit Auschwitz to get a feel for the place and learn more about what transpired there.  In July/August 2019, with my tour leader hat on, I was leading a group of senior travellers through Russia, Baltic States and Poland and we visited Auschwitz, east of Krakow. Everyone knew this would be a harrowing afternoon; in fact, a couple of people opted out, they just could...
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A = Ahipara, Northland, NZ

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AHIPARA - Northland, NZ Background and history ... The LOCATION : A township in Northland, with a proud history of Maori settlement. It sits at the southern end of 90-Mile-Beach - which is actually 88km long (or 55 miles), and stretches from Ahipara in the south to Scott Point in the north. I'm not quite sure how 90-Mile-Beach got it's misnomer but there will no doubt be a story. Whatever, you can be assured it is a very long beach! The NAME:  Ahipara means "sacred fire" in Maori - and refers to a fire that was kept constantly burning by the local Te Rarawa people (iwi) on the site where the school is now located.  The BEACH:  An unspoiled sandy stretch with incredible sunsets, a legendary left-hand surf break, and many more natural wonders tucked into its environs.   The TOWNSHIP : Flourished during the kauri gum digging era of the 1800s when Dalmatian and Croation immigrants came in their droves. This caused some consternation but the gumfields are still a mai...
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Travel A to Z - a Prologue ...

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Let's go galavanting around the world ... Through this blog I'll share various travel escapades and tales, A to Z, that have shaped my life. I hope it revives memories for you, of places you may have been, or whets your appetite to travel to far flung places when we can do so safely again.   Stories will focus on the renowned and the obscure, the revered and the unknown, the large and the tiny. There will be places that you'll be familiar with, others that may be a travel dream. Some places may inspire intrigue and invitation, others may be destinations you you long to visit. Some you will know so much better than I do. So let's go travelling together, in words and pictures ... Keep checking for new posts ... I'll be posting as and when.  Meanwhile, here's a photo of today at Omaha Beach, Auckland, NZ (4th January 2021). Summer holidays here in New Zealand mean families head for the beaches around our coastline. We have a family beachhouse in Omaha Beach.  As bu...
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Intro: Beyond NZ - A to Z

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NEW BLOG - WITH A TRAVEL FOCUS! Intro message from Sally (in New Zealand) ... This is a new Blog for 2021 - with a Travel focus. Travel is a big challenge right now for everyone, no matter where you are or where you wish or need to go. I have no choice but to stay put right here in New Zealand - but travel is, and always has been, in my veins. Immersion in other lands, cultures, ethnicities, ways of life - it's what I love. Visiting friends in far flung places - it's what I love. Drinking in the essence of new places I discover - it's what I love. But it's no-go at the mo. And it's gutting.  However, I hope this Blog can take us places that we can't go right now. Tell some stories that amuse.  Check in regularly to travel to lovely places via words and pics! I hope that we can fly through blue skies and sunsets again soon. (These photos taken at Omaha Beach, 3rd Jan 2021). Note how the cloud bank behind the island emulates it's shape - weird, never seen that...
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