First week in Portugal.

I still don’t know where the usb for the mouse is so I will upload only a few photographs.

The beaches look amazing.

We’ve been on the beach twice so far. Yesterday, (Peter’s birthday) we went for a nice long walk along about three beaches and sat on a stepped pier to wash our feet and sit in the sun. I am really starting to get brown! and it’s not dirt!!!! But there are still whiter patches on my upper arms – so I am still working on my tan. I’ve used about half my 200ml bottle of sun lotion. Might be buying another one soon.

All the shops pretty much have the same things in them. There is a nice bag I’ve seen for 15 euros but I’m not really sure about it. It’s a multi colored (African?? fabric) and it is nice. I think if I can find a nice purple one with a cute design I will get it.

Suddenly we have noisy neighbours! Last week it was nice and quiet and now there are lots of people talking and doors slamming – which you can’t really help – the doors slam.

Mom is wearing some shorts she got last year and she is having the same problem as me – they are just huge shorts! Definately need a belt! Yesterday and today I am wearing my size 8 (UK size) shorts! ( and they are a little baggy).

I think next week is when my brother and his girlfriend are arriving for a weeks holiday with us. Bring lots of thin summer clothes and sun lotion. Sunnies and jandels are needed too.

It is very bright! mainly because I didn’t really check how many contact lenses I had before we left – only 20 days – I think I can start using them in a couple days for the month. (Lovely One Day Acuvue Moist). It might be next week when we go online again and I promise I will look for the USB for the mouse. It makes resizing photographs so much easier. And I will even try to tidy my room a little. Promise.

in another time zone.

we have left sydney! the flight to singapore was okay. a bit horrible - the vege food sucked! i only had some of the last meal which was a tart of some sort.  at sydney airport (after security) i could only find chocolate, so got two bars to take with me.  i watched a lot of csi vegas and the mentalist.  (mom watched the last airbender). singapore airport was just like every other airport.  we got off the plane, went through security and then were in the waiting room for 30 minutes.

i took a sleeping pill on the next part of the flight, but it took ages to have an effect.  i just couldn't get comfortable and being suck in a tiny seat with no space to move around in.  i put the silence of the lambs on and eventually fell asleep.

london.  how can anyone live there happily? it was so busy and noisy and there seem to be all these rules - are you actually allowed to breathe??

we went into london on the saturday (i think) and found the disney store near bond street station. it took us about two hours to walk there from victoria.  we stopped for lunch outside buckingham palace, and asked directions from cops twice.

i definately miss starbucks in nz. i think mom does too.  it is no longer a trim latte. if you say trim noone knows what you are talking about. it is a skim or skinny or non fat.  all the coffee tasted different.

the hotel we stayed at in london is another story all together. i think it deserves a post of its own - my mom took some photographs of the problem.  in a nutshell the rooms they gave us were pure horrible and disgusting. coming from a 24+ hour flight it made us feel like getting out of london asap.

the first thing we thought when we got out of the airport in portugal was, firstly that we had gone the wrong way and secondly that it was HOT!  it was a nice air condictioned van that drove was here to the old town.  it is such a nice little area.  cobble stone roads and lots of street vendors. this is our fifth day here and i think we are used to the temperature.  i haven't accidentally had any nuts etc (only in london - a cheese toastie on grain bread - had an allergic reaction about 2 minutes later but was fine when we landed).  The only problem with food is that I found some ham in our cheese toasties - but only a small amount. 

me and mom have crafted almost every morning we've been here. we've explored quite a lot of the little roads and been in a few stores.  i have matching blisters on my first toes! so yesterday i was looking for some soft jandels or sandels with no posts between the toes. i found some gisele bunchen jandels. i saw these in napier for $25NZD and got a nice pair in bronze.  i was looking for the right size in the pink jandels but the shop didn't have any so i got the green.  they are so much softer than my others.  i didn't really want to buy any more shoes but it was either that or spend about the same amount on blister plasters.

we are going to try to get online today so i can post this.  i can't post any pictures because i wanted to re-size them and i can't find the usb thing for my mouse.  i will try to have photographs next time.

sunday - wildlife world

AHHHH... The frilled lizard is trying to eat my Mom!

The largest Croc in the world! Seemed very happy just to lie on it's heated (32 deg c) rock. It's swimming pool is only a cooling 28 deg c.  It is really because you could see it breathing but it didn't really move much.  He only eats one chicken once a month in summer time. Nothing in Winter.

Such a cute Koala! They sleep 16 hours a day and only wake up to eat, scratch or move before going back to sleep.  They just look so cute - I wanted to pick one up to cuddle!!!  Saw a few that were still semi-conscious before they fell into a deep sleep.

Kangaroos! How Australian.  These blokes were just lying in the sun.  A couple were scratching. I think they were just waking up from a nap.

In the afternoon we went for a walk along Millers Point and arrived at the Harbour Bridge.

Trying to get a nice shot and these boats kept going past!

On Monday we went to Bondi Beach!!!! It was lovely! Had a tour of Sydney first on a hop on hop off open top bus - remember to look out for those low branches! - The sand was nice and soft - proper sand nothing like at Paraparaumu Beach in Wellington.  Saw some surfers waiting for waves and some learners. Hot. Sunny! The surrounding bit was picturesque.  Mom says that the surfers were hot.

It rained on Tuesday - but lets not mention that. It can't rain in Aussieland or Kiwiland - that's not normal it should be nice and sunny all the time!  I got my fifth souvenir pressed penny from the Monorail - it cost $4.90 AUD each and took about 10 minutes to go all around the Monorail track but it was fun and dry.

Wednesday/today we spent most of the morning re-packing! Then went out for a little bit of shopping - Mom found a gorgeous purple necklace (which she will get a Christmas) and I found a nice shirt.  I think the back of my neck got sunburnt at Bondi.  It just aches and feels a little raw.  I always try to be careful - I still remember the sun burn I got in Russia - it killed me! and that was about 6 years ago.

Tomorrow we leave Sydney :(
Jumping on a plane for a loooonnnnngggggggg flight to London via Singapore for a few hours.  I will make sure that my iPod is fully charged before we leave for the airport and I have my sleeping pills and hand sanitizer and body lotion.  Food and drink will be purchased after getting through security - air plane food sucks.  See you in London.  We arrive on Friday morning. (6:35 am - apparently there is a 6.35 in the am now - who knew?!)

saturday

Lunch time at the Botanic gardens. From here you can see both the Opera House and the Bridge.

Lots of water is needed over here! It HOT!

This performance is infront of the Opera House.  A french guy 'dances' with this digger to music.  It was really cool to watch but a little difficult to get good photographs.

One of the most photographed icons in Sydney/the world.

This is the concert we went to on Friday night. I wish it had lasted about 5 or 10 hours though.

Of course I took Stitch with me on holiday. He's looking very happy across the harbour from the bridge - apparently known as the coat hanger!?

in sydney

I can't remember when I last blogged or even the last time I came online.  i have lost all track of the days! My new headphones are super cool! We had seats over the engines which did suck - but my headphones (with the noise cancelling) worked really well.  It didn't block out all of the noise but it was a lot quieter. When we got to Sydney it was dark.  We eventually got to the hotel and found somewhere to get some food.

The next day (Wednesday) was better.  We walked to the National Maritime Museum - which was free - and went to see an exhibition called Quest, about finding the magnetic South Pole.  On Thursday we went to the Sydney Opera House mainly to just pick up our tickets for Friday's concert - Man In Black. 

Amazing!  And today, we ended up there again.  Went on a tram ride around the Botanic Gardens and just did some shopping.  I need to upload those photographs to the computer later and put them in another blog post.

I've been surprisingly okay without 24/7 hour access to the internet. I seem to be needing over 2 litres of water to survive! And we are trying to eat heathliy etc.

I will try to post some more photographs in a couple days.  (This is posted a day later than written because I was told we could get 30 mins net time - can't - an hour is the least amount of time and it is 11.30pm and I'm getting sleepy).

I've lost my mouse mat too so I am using a magazine which is getting annoying! Still have 20 mins of internet time left so will try to upload some more photographs.

almost leaving

we are currently getting ready to leave nz. I have just finished re-packing my suitcases (yes, that is a plural because I can’t fit everything in my brown suitcase so we have to pay for the excess luggage! I can’t throw any clothes out...)
Woke up on Saturday morning and saw the news about Christchurch’s earthquake. I think the aftershocks have finally stopped. i haven't seen the news since this morning. at least there are community halls and places for people to go to.  at least people look after  you when things like this happen (like when we got evacuated in pounawea in feb).

last night we went to see Avatar in 3D at Reading cinemas in Courtnenay Place. It was so cool! Although I didn't realise how huge my regular popcorn would be.  Earlier we went to the Carters Observatory at the botanic gardens.  I haven't been able to find any Pressed Pennys or Souvenir Coins in Wellington.  All gifts have been bought and are packed up - I just need to get a few things from Sydney.

i can't remember what time I logged on - I only have an hours access. my next post (and I'll try to post some photographs too) will be in Australia!!!! I will be dying my hair a gorgeous bright RED!!! and we are going to a Johnny Cash tribute concert at the Sydney Opera house.  Me and Mom are gonna be walking across the bridge too!!   I will try to blog again in a couple days.

greetings from wellington city

we have been in this okay hotel in the city since tuesday and i am finally not completely exhausted and am sleeping the whole night through.  i've been trying to have lots of water and eat fresh fruit and vegetables to stay healthy. yesterday me and mom went to a scrapbook class in petone. we got to use the new society bird range from kaisercraft. and got absolutely soaked on the way home!

i just need to send a couple more emails then i can read for the rest of the afternoon. we are planning on going to the gym later (then a sneaky starbucks) i haven't really taken many photographs and i still need to find some place that has souvenir coins or pressed pennies in wellington. i have a bunch from around nz but none from wellington. any chance you know which place will have these???

i will try to come on again before we leave for sydney on tuesday.


bye