Linda Stanley

A golden sun tinted the

A golden sun tinted the sky orange as it crept up over the
aircraft wing as we neared Western Australia this morning, dazzling me with its
brilliance. Later in the day at the evening hour for communing with
family, we relaxed on our verandah struggling to be heard above the noise
the raucous white tailed black cockatoos made as they circled overhead
considering returning to their evening roosts. Two ducks squawked
annoyance at the noisy cockatoos as they flew between them on their hurried way. 
We decided to take a stroll in the national park. The sun was setting, casting
pink and purple shadows on two solitary lazy clouds hanging contentedly in the
clear blue sky alongside a large round silver moon keeping watch over the
valley. A magpie in a tree called to us as we passed. The din of
the cockatoos, ducks and magpie welcomed us home, we had missed their noisy
calls this past nine months and had noticed the silence of nature in other
parts of the world. It is good to be back in Terra Australis, good to be
home.

I really enjoy China. The

I really enjoy China. The people are so friendly and
helpful, the food is excellent, the hotel is brilliant. The depth and complexity
of the culture fascinates and intrigues me. I am looking forward to coming
back again to learn more and see more. The organisers of the Outdoor Lifestyle
Hangzhou 2011 Trade show have already asked us to come back again next year. 

About to leave Scotland. This

About to leave Scotland. This is the first time since November that we have been in a non snow covered landscape. Everyone here has been asking if we have coped with the cold, but at +7 it is feeling almost tropical compared to the -30C we experienced last week in Canada. We are now on our way to Shanghai to the Outdoor Lifestyle Hangzhou 2011 conference. It will be interesting to see what the weather is like there. 
Dreadful earthquake and Tsunami in Japan! I cannot imagine what a 500 mile an hour Tsunami would look like. Would you actually even see it coming?
Good luck to our darling Brocky with the beard shaving and Cancer Research Fund Raising, we are behind you all the way Brocky.
No sign of our new little family addition yet, our littlest boy is way too comfy where he is I think.
Time to go now. Goodbye Scotland, Hello China.

Snow topped Rocky Mountains in British Columbia

Snow topped mountains, blue sky and an icy wind welcomed us
to the Rocky mountains in British Columbia. We have been working for a
client in Windermere and last night enjoyed superb home cooked salmon cooked on
a cedar plank. Yesterday we experienced ice fishing – didn’t catch
anything , and driving a four wheel drive on a frozen lake. I must admit
I was nervous and poised ready to leap out of the car door at the first sound
of cracking ice. Can you believe they are actually still insured to drive
over the frozen lake provided they stay on the ‘highway’ , a marked roadway
that crosses the lake. 

highs and lows of travel

We had two days in Ireland, one in the north and one in the south. HIGH. The Irish are such warm, friendly, softly spoken, genuine, authentic people. I just love the Irish! Pity we did not have time to go exploring while we were there. Perhaps next time. 

We are in the UK for a few days. HIGH. Today is a London day, time to spend with Carly. Going to look at dinosaurs this afternoon.

LOW:
We have added a couple more "we will do anything to avoid flying with them again" airlines to our list. Our list of the world's most awful airlines now comprises: Air France, British Airways, South African airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Ryan Air, Flybe and the new one on the list is Aer Lingus. Our list of avoid airlines is either because the seats are too hard and cramped - Air France and South Africa, or the staff are awful - British Airways, American, United, Flybe and Aer Lingus or the whole system is painful - Ryan Air.

Aer Lingus was such a surprise to us as the Irish people as a nation are wonderful, yet their national airline lets them down badly by extremely rude uncaring attitude on the airline.

United Airlines is by far the worst though for awful staff, especially at Dallas Airport. The United Airways staff at Dallas airport actually go out of their way to be as rude and as unfriendly as they can possibly be. I am not kidding. A United Airways lady at Dallas stood trying to think of one more way she could impede our journey in the unfriendliest way possible. When we landed at our destination we heard other travellers in the lounge discussing how United Airlines at Dallas airport were the worst airline staff they had ever come across and as they had to travel through Dallas regularly it was a constant problem for them. I am just glad that we do not have to travel through Dallas very often.

      

Baltimore

Just finished work at the North American Farm Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA) conference. It was a great conference. They had a couple of young farmer members who had attended Walt Disney World College Program who spoke on what they learned at the college and how they implemented the concepts into their farm shop which I found very interesting. John spoke all day yesterday and the delegates really seemed to appreciate his thoughts and concepts. John and I spoke on Kalamunda Farmers Market today, which was a challenge for me, as I am a doer not a speaker, but of course John was as brilliant as ever.  

 

Now we are at Baltimore airport waiting for our flight to London. We will be back on this side of the Atlantic in another ten days. We have been lucky with the weather so far, but now Qantas are discussing going on strike on long haul flights - oh bother!!

 

Germany in Winter

So pretty!

last night in Germany, next stop Miami

Two weeks holiday in Bernkastel Kues is over much too soon. We would have happily stayed longer. It is somewhere to explore in another season. Winter was magical. Heavy snow created a winter wonderland of gingerbread villages and magical landscape.  

 

Tomorrow morning we say goodbye to Lara at Frankfurt airport as she heads back home and we fly on to the USA to start work in 2011.

 

Miami first for a meeting then off to the Western Nursery Conference in Kansas.

 

The rest has been great but not long enough. Would love to have had a longer holiday here with more time to explore.

 

We must come back another time to explore this beautiful country some more.

Christmas Market at Saarbrucken

Santa flying through the air on a sled, merry go rounds, bumper cars, and snow on the ground. Lara wanting to sample bratwurst and mulled wine. The trip through the Saarburcken market was a slow dawdle as Lara became side tracked by the wares and displays in the shops that lined the sides of the market. She was enticed to purchase at several shops and wanted to buy more but found that the rabbit ears on the mannequin were for window dressing only. I want those ears she complained.

We have just got home after visiting the market and melting snow made us slightly concerned as to whether we would get back home at all or whether the rising waters of the Mosel River would flood the road and block our way back home.

Christmas markets in Germany are a major tourist draw. They run for a month leading up to Christmas and most towns and cities have their own Christmas Market. Most of the stalls are hot food stalls and the main thing people do it seems is come to the markets to drink hot wine, eat bratwurst, drink hot wine and yes, drink more hot wine, and then again drink more hot wine. The markets all differ in the way they are operated, but the standards of the stalls are very consistently high and immaculately well decorated for Christmas.

Tomorrow we are off to find the goose for Christmas. Then find something to bake it in. :) Or perhaps we will do it the other way around.

John and I have travelled from one pharmacy to another searching for an ointment that will take the itch of bed bugs away. We had an horrendous hotel two nights ago that left us covered in welts and itching all over our bodies as we suffer the effects of nasty little rotters that feasted on our fresh blood. Dont' stay at Hotel Coblanz in Mainz.

German Christmas Market - Kassel

Visited the Christmas market at Kassel today. The city provides the lockable huts for the stallholders. The markets in Germany are major tourist drawcards for a month from around mid November to a few days before Chistmas and the crowds flock to them. There was a lot of hot foods stalls at the Kassel market and hot mulled wine is very popular. The snow makes them magical and after dark the Christmas lights add to the magic. It is also after dark when the most tourists come to the market. Once the Christmas lights are lit the crowds pour in to the market. The fact that it is cold or even snowing does not put anyone off. People just rug up and head for the market. 

Personally I prefer the Budapest Christmas market, but I have only seen the one market here in Germany so far, so I may change my opinion on that. 

These photos are from the Kassel market today.