What an interesting place is Berlin.  We flew to Berlin from Dublin on 25 September. We had a lovely apartment in what was the old East Berlin.  So many apartments, very old school looking but all done out inside.  On our first day we walked to the Brandenburg gate and to the Reichstag(?) building.  We also checked out the marathon course.  Everything in Berlin is huge, huge buildings, everything is huge.

on our second day we got a train out to Sachsenhausen, the concentration camp.  We did a tour with that trip and our guide was brilliant, she had completed a degree in war history and knew everything about Sachsenhausen.  We went out on the same railway tracks as the prisoners used, walked along the same road through the town of Orianenburg that the prisoners were marched, and then through the camp.  The tour around the camp was very sobering as we heard about the atrocities that were carried out.  I felt quite sick after a while, and it stayed with me for a few days.

When we got back that day we got a train and went and saw the stretch of the Berlin Wall that is left. It was great to see.  Street art on each slab of concrete for about one kilometre.

The next day was the marathon and it was a glorious day, although a bit too glorious for the poor runners.  It was about 25 degrees.  41,000 runners, and the world record was broken by a Kenyan – 2 hours 2 minutes for 42km – unbelievable.  While we were waiting for Justin and Rachael to come through we went down and looked at checkpoint Charlie.

We found the Berlin rail system very confusing, so thank goodness we had Rachael’s sister Rebecca with us, as she had been there before and knew her way around.

Justin did the marathon in 3 hours 36 minutes and Rachael did it in 4 hours 06 minutes.  Great effort as they were sick with head colds right up to and including the day of the run.

We loved Berlin, it is so so different to anywhere else we have been.

We had packed our stuff earlier that morning and dropped it at the railway station, so we all met up there after the marathon, trained out to the airport and flew to Rome.

I have given up trying and failing to add photos to my blog, so I have sent some photos separately to Shannon’s email.  I will bore you silly with the rest when I get home

Do not know what happened to the rest of my Northern Ireland blog, disappeared when I published it, so will try again.  Went up to Giants Causeway and Craik a Rede, a rope bridge between 2 massive rocks very high above the sea.  Scared myself silly walking over it.   Went to Londonderry, very uneasy place. Went to Belfast and did a Black Taxi tour which takes you around Shankill Road and Falls Road, where most of the trouble between the Protestants and the Catholics occurred in the late 60s/early 70s, ( and more recently if you believe the locals).  The taxi driver was very passionate about the cause.   There are still big gates between the 2 areas which still get locked each night. Crazy.  I just love the quaint little villages and tiny roads and stone fences.  So gorgeous.  It feels like you are in a time warp back to the 60s.  Stayed at Courtney’s old farm in Annalong and spent a lot of time with the awesome neighbours who have been there, and knew Courtney and his family for the last 51 years.  Such giving, funny, gorgeous people.  Spent most nights at their houses into the wee small hours.  Was like another world, in a good way.  We will definitely go back there in the next 2-3 years. Went visiting back to Courtney’s family other farm at Dundonald.  I love this part of the world.  Drove back to Dublin and spent the night with Dylan and Liz then flew out to Berlin yesterday. Had to say farewell to my gorgeous boy but they will be home in late November.  Yah, not too long.

Dear diary

i honestly didn’t think Ireland can get any better.  The weather is great – 19-24 degrees every day.  (Take your coat and warm gear to Ireland everybody said, it’s cold and miserable all the time everybody said – liars all of you, the weather has been brilliant

Dear diary

Wow, where do I start with Ireland.  Such a beautiful country.  Flew into Dublin 15 September, hired a car, and the 5 of us took off that day – Dylan, Liz, Viv (Liz’s mum), Courtney and I.  First stop was at a gorgeous wee place called Westport, so pretty and quaint.  Weather was great.  Sat in a wee bar at the waterside and supped the afternoon away on Guinness.  Next morning we got up and headed for Galway, via Connemara, a beautiful lake/hill area.  Roads are about wide enough for 2 cars and no more. We had great digs right down by the sea at Galway and had a brilliant night out at O’Connors pub with a live band.  They loved our accents so much they let us behind the Bar to pour our own Guinness.  Brilliant night.  Still great weather.  Wandered around Galway town the next morning then headed off to Killarney where we stayed 2 nights.  Stopped along the way and looked around castles etc.  Next morning out to Muckross Castle, Torc waterfalls, walked through part of Killarney National Park, drove part of the Ring of Kerry, a picturesque drive through mountains and lake country.  Stunning.  Still good weather.  Had a great car, a  Nissan Quaskai, so all us *girls* sat in the back yabbering and poor Dylan and Courtney were in the front trying to tune out.  Happy days.  We left Killarney Friday morning and back to Dublin and had our first (half) day of rain since we’ve been here, and even then it was gone the next day.  diet not going so well, but doing tons of walking, so hope not too much damage to repair when we get back

Wow how amazing is Paris.  On Saturday we did all the sights – Champs de Elysses (probably spelt wrong), Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dam, a bridge covered in locks put on by lovers.  Found the meanest cup cake shop, called Bertie’s cupcakery, absolutely wicked.  Found this amazing park and sat and ate ciabatta rolls.  Diet not going so good.  Home for a rest for an hour or two,then out for an early dinner, via this amazing church with views to die for of Paris.  Found this gorgeous area and had dinner, then up the Eiffel Tower.  I am not at all keen on heights, and was practically forced/shamed up there, but am so glad I went.  Amazing.

on Sunday we headed over to St Germain for brunch/lunch.  Beautiful .  We then hopped on a train and went to Versailles Palace.  Amazing also.  France has absolutely blown us away.  We then hobbled back to Paris and caught the train back to London.  I am pleased to say that we ran Brice and Ali into the ground as well as ourselves.

Guards at the Gaur du Nord train station – walking around with sub machine guns!

My feet are like big fat swollen sausages on the end of my legs, but who cares.

Monday morning now sitting at Heathrow waiting for our flight to Dublin to see Dylan.  Yah!! Tiki touring for the next 10 days through Ireland.

My boys have been so fantastic with everything they are doing, and all the time they are spending with us.  I am so happy to be with them.

Dear diary

Having all sorts of problems getting to internet so finally managed it but not sure for how long, so striking while the iron is hot.
Stopped in Hong Kong for 4 hour stopover. After an 11 hour flight We were absolutely shattered so on last leg to London we popped sleeping pills and slept half the trip. I bought some jet lag pills, so didn’t actually feel so bad when we arrived at 6am yesterday, and actually managed to stay awake until 9pm last night, then slept last night.
London – wow, what a city. Justin’s girlfriend volunteered to be our tour guide all of yesterday, so we went into the city and looked at Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament Buildings, Trafalgar Square. Photos to follow of that day as photos on other phone. In the afternoon we hired those Boris Bikes and rode for miles along the Thames and looked at all the multi million pound homes. So gorgeous.
Today we trained to Manchester and went round the Coronation Street studios. It was fabulous, as per attached photos (hopefully). We tramped around Manchester, and saw Old Trafford. At the moment we are at Manchester railway station waiting for the train to Liverpool for the night, look around the Beatles old haunts and other stuff. I am in love with this place. It just blows me away.

Wow, 4 more sleeps!  Can hardly believe it.

Here is our itinerary:

8 September at 1300 leave Auckland on Cathay Pacific flight CX198

Stopover in Hong Kong for 4 hours.  Flight CX255 Hong Kong to Heathrow.

9 September at 0610 (NZ time 5.10pm) arrive Heathrow

10 September train to Manchester and tour Coronation Street studios.  Train to Liverpool and stay the night there.

11 September tiki tour around Liverpool then train back to London that night.

12 September Eurostar to Paris for the weekend with Brice and Ali. Eurostar back to London Sunday night 14 September.

15 September Fly Heathrow to London Aer Lingus at 0850 – tiki tour around Ireland (Eyre) for 5 days with Dylan, Liz and Viv.

20 September drive to Northern Ireland.  Brice and Ali flying in for the weekend, so tiki tour around Belfast and stay at Courtney’s old home farm at Dundonald.

22-25 September tiki tour around Northern Ireland and take in all the sights.

25 September drive back to Dublin then fly to Berlin (Ryanair) and meet up with Justin and Rachael.

25/26/27/28 Berlin sightseeing and watch Justin do marathon on Sunday 28th.

28 September-4 October fly to Rome and tour Italy with Justin and Rachael.

4 October train to Switzerland and meet up with Michaela and Boris in Zurich

5 October fly back to London.

7-9 October Eurostar London to Bruges – look at Flanders Fields etc.

10-11 October probably fly to Budapest.

11-19 October sight see around England.  Watch Brice do a London marathon on 12 October

19 October at 2220 fly out of Heathrow to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific flight CX 254), then Hong Kong to Auckland (Cathay Pacific Flight CX 197).  Arrive Auckland 1300 21 October.  Drive back to Napier.

Bring it on!!!