Homeward Bound (posted after our return)

Here we are at LA International Airport, just hours away from boarding our plane back to Auckland, after spending 4 good days in Los Angeles visiting Disneyland and checking out some of the rides, including Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain where Troy and I got absolutely drenched and where we were able to get a photo of ourselves going down the big main drop. When we download it when we get home, check out the contrast between Troy's expression and mine :-)

We also went to Universal Studios, where we went on several rides including The Simpsons, the Back Lot tour, the Mummy ride and Transformers 3-D. As well as the Grand LA Tour on Independence Day, which was a good time to do it seeing that a lot of Americans head for the beaches and Disneyland to spend their Independence Day.

That night we joined in the atmosphere and watched a fireworks display just across the road from our hotel. Due to it being a special display, 4000 shells were set off rather than the usual 800. As well as the fireworks it was absolutely hilarious listening to all the car alarms being set off by them!

Weather-wise the 5 days we have spent in LA have been very sunny during the day and nice and cool at night which has been quite different from the weather we have been hearing about back home.

So this is it guys, 13 hours on a plane from LA to Auckland, and the best part of an hour from Auckland to Wellington, and I'll be back at Laura Ferg soon after that.

See you then!

Grant


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Location:LAX, Los Angeles, California, USA

Rome - vēnī vīdī vīcī

Rome - I came, I saw, I conquered... Or perhaps it conquered me. The temperature is currently 33 degrees and is supposed to get to 36! We are trying to stay out of the heat as much as possible today as we all got a bit too much yesterday. Even Jo had woozy spells while we waited 40 minutes for the last tour bus yesterday - although she had been walking around in it for 10 hours. In the morning we went into St Peter's Basilica and then around to the Sistene Chapel - which is a 1km walk around the outside of the Vatican walls, which doesn't sound much, especially in the context of how much walking we have done in the last 5 weeks, but you try doing it in jeans in this heat and see how much fun that is - to view Michaelangelo's masterpiece ceiling. Packed into a small chapel - and I mean like sardines - with about 2000 other people, shoulder to shoulder, all looking up. Jo cracked me up when she said in a hushed tone "is that it???". But she was referring to the whole artwork, as the entire ceiling and walls tell a story, but she thought it was only going to be the hand of God reaching out to Adam, which is only one part of the story, but is the centre piece. No photos allowed, and there are about 10 guards around the small chapel, constantly saying "ssshhhhhhhh" and "silencio" as soon as the noise level got above a murmur. We found it quite amusing, but NO LAUGHING! :-)

We have seen so many incredible sights in Rome, as Grant mentioned in his last blog. In addition to the colosseum, I went into the Roman Forum and walked up Palatine Hill. Yesterday we saw Trevi Fountain, which while a very impressive piece of art in itself, is not located in a massive piazza like I thought it was. We were able to Grant down to the mid-level but no further as it was packed with tourists. So Jo gave him a 2 euro coin to throw in to the fountain... I warned her that it was a dangerous idea, as Grant's eyesight is not the best. Well, if the tall guy sitting on the fountain's edge hadn't stood up and moved just at the moment he had, he would've copped that coin right between the eyes! It missed him by about two inches as it sailed past into the fountain.







The only major sight on my wishlist I haven't seen are the Spanish Steps. Will try to get there today but probably won't venture far from the apartment. Have spent most of the day indoors - i love aircon - but we'll see.

The Vatican - in its own right a separate country - is near to becoming the country I've been to most! Every time we leave our apartment, and head back to it, we pass thru St Peter's Square. So technically I've been to Vatican City 8 times now :-)



And one of my favourite things about Rome has to be the food. I've always enjoyed Italian food and this has been an amazing culinary experience. Eating genuine lasagne (my personal favourite), spaghetti, pizzas, other pastas. Delicious! Oh, I'm definitely coming back to Italy!

We fly out to L.A in the morning, where Jo will enjoy the trip the most I think. More shops than she can poke a stick at.

Next update from The Land of the Free and everything oversized - including the people!

Ciao!

Troy

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Location:Via Aurelia,Rome,Italy

Wheelchair over the river Tiber

After our first stop in Italy, which was Florence, where I demonstrated quite well that you do not actually have to actually walk the markets for 6 hours and buy absolutely nothing ie. Jo! Being in leather heaven, I picked up a genuine Italian leather belt, a new Italian leather bum-bag, and new wallet in 20 minutes flat! We also saw Florence's best known attraction, the statue of David, a very well known sculpture by Leonardo da Vinci.




We have now arrived in Rome, a very old and historical city built on the river Tiber. We are now relaxing at the hotel after our first full day of sight-seeing around the city in 34 degree heat, where ancient Roman ruins can be seen all around the city, including Rome's best known ruin, the Colosseum, where I got some really cool photos of myself dressed as the emperor Caesar with my two Roman centurions standing on either side of me.







Unfortunately, after a full day in Rome's sun and heat you start to feel an ancient ruin! We are here until Saturday and other things we are wanting to see will be the Vatican City, the Trevi Fountain, and the museum displaying 500 of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. And of course you can't stay in Italy and NOT try some of the genuine Italian food, and so we have!

So not long before we are at home back in NZ. Next post from me from L.A

Grant

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Robbed in Nice-handbag heaven in Florence

So our last day in Nice - we wake up and I check my account to see I have been fleeced $2000! Don't know how but the money was taken out in Chicago - not a good start to the day! Calls to the bank and they put card fraud onto it - still waiting to hear if I can get it back - not a good start to the day. Anyway we headed into Nice - last day of driving thank goodness! So hot and very busy - international ironman on the next day so full of athletes - wish we could have watched the race - would have been amazing. Down to the beach and exactly as you see it in postcards - although no sand - all rocky!



Back to the pool and lovely dinner on the balcony watching the sun set - awesome!



Up at 4.30am to catch the train to Florence - crowded in a six seater compartment with the wheelchair squashed between us for - for 4 hours! We could hardly straighten our legs when we got out! Florence was awesome! My second fav city.



And our travel agent scored big time here - right outside our door were the markets - oh yea! Handbag heaven!

Watched jersey shore on telly that night when they were in Florence - funny going through the same streets the next night - couldn't find their pizza place though - sorry ness and Ben - would have taken photo for you - haha.



Over to the boys now
Jo x


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Barcelona to France

In addition to grant's great blog:
We arrived in Amsterdam and managed to have a very quick look around before poor grant was unwell-didn't get to see the things he wanted to see but fortunately he was feeling so much better by the time we arrived in Barcelona-we loved it here. Friendly people and awesome sights!




La sagrada familia was amazing! The queues were massive but we were fast tracked in-I can't believe they have been building this for over 100 years and still going!




The most beautiful sight I have ever seen was coming into a park and seeing this fountain-it was like something out of a fairy tale.



As grant said, this city is so wheelchair friendly and we walked again for hours over the 3 days. We had our first taste of sangria-love it!




Train ride to perpignan to pick up car-no gps-the ride to carcassonne was the beginning of 5 very very stressful driving days! The hotel here was so tiny we were all squashed into 1room so happy to leave here. Next day Grant was feeling a bit unwell so we decided to head direct to hotel in avignon where we had 2 really peaceful days on a secluded golf course and lovely pool. Grant enjoyed the timeout and swimming in the pool-weather amazing! Out in the wops so no tourist visits here. Then another hairy ride direct to nice where the weather has been amazing! More to come soon. Jo


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Sun, sea and skinny-feet dipping

Hi, me again

I forgot to mention that when we were in Barcelona, we went to the beach and I dipped my feet in the Mediterranean. Access for people with disabilities is so good that you can wheel a wheelchair down a wooden walkway - checking out the topless girls on the way - and get within 10 steps of the sea. I didn't know which way to look, mind you it wouldn't have mattered all that much, so I did get a bit of a stiff neck looking every which way, but thankfully that was all that got stiff!




Access around Barcelona for people with disabilities is generally very good. They even have accessible phone boxes for people in wheelchairs, with the phones down low. How cool is that?!

Two must-see attractions around Barcelona are the Gaudi architecture and La Rambla, the place to be in Barcelona.

Till next time

Grant

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Location:Chemin de la Blanchère,Vedène,France

Hot weather at last - pool time!

Bonjour from southern France

I thought it was about time I did another blog, so here I go.

Since our last blog in Amsterdam, we have been to Barcelona for two nights, where the weather was very warm, the people very friendly, and the atmosphere just what we wanted on our holiday. Barcelona is in the region of Spain where bullfighting is strictly prohibited, and that's no bull! Lol! And it was interesting to hear the cab driver say on the way to our hotel that the other regions of Spain where they do have bullfighting are treating the Catalonia region as second class and are trying to overturn their law. Bull fighting is seen as barbaric and cruel in Barcelona, whereas in other parts of Spain it is considered a tradition. Here is a photo of a bullfighting ring that is now disused.




We also found an amazing park with a big mammoth and a large fountain.






After leaving Barcelona we are now in southern France, sunning ourselves on the patio of our hotel room, waiting for the French kids to get out of the pool! Lol. Between Barcelona and Avignon, where we are now, we visited a small town called Carcassonne, where we had a good look around a medieval city.

All is good and we are going to eventually get back in the pool. The temperature is currently 30 degrees!

Until next time.

Grant


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Location:Chemin de la Blanchère,Vedène,France