travel – WrAnTz

Road Trip – The Full Story – Pt 1 Thursday 28th August

First and foremost, the trip was for us to visit family. My grandson Ryan, his wife Rachel, and their three daughters, live in Sunset Beach, just outside of Geraldton. And this was the first opportunity for Gerry and I to meet the girls. The eldest, Talullah, was born in 2022, the middle girl, Loxley, was born in 2023, and the youngest, Sunday, was born just over a month ago.

Mid morning, car packed and my daughter, Denise, took the first stint of driving, primarily to get us clear of Perth city and suburbs, but also because she knows the route like the back of her hand. Driving through the city, the traffic was quite heavy but thinned out noticeably as we headed north on the Tonkin Highway. Near Muchea, we jumped onto the Brand Highway and then with a few kilometers behind us, we made a pit stop at Cataby.

From Cataby, I took over the driving for the run-up to Eneabba. At times the road ahead, and behind us was, pretty much, empty of any traffic. Although, occasionally, we would encounter road trains thundering down the road towards us. And, of course, the ubiquitous “grey nomads” with their off-road vehicles and caravans.

One feature of our journey was the vast fields of Rape, or Canola as my daughter calls it. For clarification the term “canola” denotes a group of rapeseed cultivars that were bred to have very low levels of erucic acid which is mildly toxic.

Rapeseed Crops – Canola

The glorious yellow of the flowers spread across the land on either side of the road. Prior to this trip, I had only ever seen sights such as these in the UK.

Rapeseed Crops – Canola

At Eneabba, we stopped for a loo break and also to grab a bite for lunch. Lunch consisted of chili sausages for me, some sort of pie for Gerry, and a burger for Denise. All of us thought the fare was of mediocre standard, but it filled the void, and we had the promise of a roast dinner to look forward to.

From Eneabba its about another hour and forty five minutes drive to Geraldton and Sunset Beach. Denise resumed the driving and it seemed that in no time we had arrived in Sunset Beach.

We had booked a chalet, at the Sunset Beach Holiday Park, for the weekend. And, arriving at reception, we checked in, and were soon esconsed in our accomodation. From the outside it looks a bit like a shipping container but inside was very fresh and modern looking, with all amenities. More than we needed as we were only going to sleep, shower and brew coffee here.

2 Bed Chalet – Sunset Beach

And so, with car unpacked, we headed up to Ryans house where we were made to feel really welcome, greeted as we were by two very excited young girls and a small dog. The adult welcome was a little more restrained.

The next few hours were spent with the adults chinwagging, getting to know the two girls and the glamourous grandmothers taking it in turns to hold the baby. As promised, we were fed to the point of plumptiousness with a fabulous roast cooked by Ryan after which we bade our hosts a temporary farewell and headed back to our accomodation for a good nights sleep.

E-Scooters – Should be banned

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/28th-october-2024-page-7_4f8307e4/content.html

This is just one, recent, example of how dangerous these E-scooters are. Of course they in themselves are not dangerous. It is actually the misuse by individuals that is the danger.

Locally, the only E-Scooters that are legal for use on our roads are those from authorised hire companies. Privately owned E-scooters are illegal.

I don’t understand how the government allows the sale of these scooters in this country. Unlike cars and motorbikes owners are not required to have insurance, wear safety gear i.e. helmets and the vehicles are not even registered.

Frequently they are driven in an unsafe manner. Personally, I once saw one of these scooters veer off the pavement. It moved diagonally across the road directly in front of me. So suddenly that I had to perform an emergency stop. Clearly the rider did not look to see that his way was clear.

I have also seen one of these scooters, three up. i.e. three females hurtling up the centre of the road.

In this case the victim was Raquel Delgado-Calo. She is a veterinary surgeon. She suffered deep lacerations to her forehead which will leave permanent scarring. Raquel also received stitches to her nose and a fractured skull. She spent three days in hospital and three weeks off work followed by a three week phased return. In addition, she has suffered from eight weeks of concussion. She has experienced dizziness, which has caused the cancellation of surgeries at work. And then there is the ongoing anxiety when crossing roads.

In my view, the E-scooter rider, Joseph Pedalty has gotten off way too lightly.

He has been disqualified from roads for eighteen months. He also was handed an eighteen month community order. He was fined £120 plus costs taking his penalty to a total of £319. This includes charges for no insurance, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to stop at a red light.

The law is an ass.

Pedalty has 10 past convictions and had been disqualified from the roads for drink driving in 2021.

How do his fines and convictions possibly balance out the impact that he has had on this woman’s life.

I’ll say it again. The law is an ass.

Curiosity Killed The Cat ?

What are you curious about?

Or maybe not, ask Schrodinger.

But what am I curious about ? As it happens, many things peek my curiosity.

Who was my grandfather, my dad’s dad ? The answer is a bit of a genealogical cul-de-sac. Nobody knows. I’m sad that I never spoke to him about it when he was still alive.
When watching TV series, especially historically based dramas like Vikings, I often have to check things via Google. For example, did the Vikings truly go to Egypt?
I have a wide interest in technology related subjects. My background is mechanical engineering, but the bulk of my working life was spent around computers. I lived through / experienced the birth of the PC and the subsequent physical shrinkage leading us to the pocket devices we carry and take for granted. Although I have been retired for a few years, I still find the technological world fascinating.
Travel ! Lots there to be curious about. Whether it be the varying geographies of each country visited, or the people and their culture, or to a large extent the cuisines of those people.
Words ! I am an avid reader of crime dramas/thrillers, SciFi, Sword and Sorcery. Fairly often, an author will use a word that I have not come across. Down will go the book while I pick up a dictionary to search out a definition. Kindles are great in this regard as you can just click on the word and look it up on line.

There are many more subjects that cross my curiosity horizon, but I think I’ll leave it there.

And About Time Too

BBC News – Covid: UK to close all travel corridors from Monday https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55681861

About time, this action is long overdue.

Our borders have been about as effective as a sieve. With checks being applied too late, and without a fully functional track and trace process, we have allowed visitors to the UK free rein.

It’s no wonder that we find ourselves in this state.

Look What They Did – Vandalism

Look what they did to the Bell Tower in Perth. Criminal, vandalism is what I say

Before

After

When the tower was first constructed it was surrounded by park land and fountains. Was visible from all directions and from along the shore line.

This is what one travel blogger had to say …….

This is the hallmark of Australian tourism located at Barrack Square of Perth. Bell tower has high glass spires and it is the largest musical instrument in the world. Here, you can also try your hand at the art of ringing bells. The bells in this tower include original bells of St. Martin in the Fields Church, the Parish church of Buckingham Palace in London.

Read more at: https://travel.snydle.com/10-stunning-places-to-see-in-perth.html | The Gypsy’s Passport

Well not anymore. I guess developer money has spoken.

The poor old bell tower is now swamped by highrise buildings. Gone are the open spaces and fountains. Should you venture up the tower, the only real view is directly across the river. The bells are still ringing but are only audible when you are close by. The loud music from the nearby bars tends to drown out the lovely chimes.

This is nothing but commercial vandalism. Perth City should be embarrassed and ashamed.

Vacances en France – 2018 – Conques

During our earlier foray to Entraygues-sur-Truyere, whilst stood on the dam watching an otter fishing, I had bumped into a pair of cyclists. British as it happens. We had a chat and about each others holiday destinations etc. During this conversation I had mentioned the light show we had witnessed at Chartres. In response they mentioned visiting Conques and the Abbey, that the town was doing something similar every night until the end of September.

I had filed this piece of information away, as a possible target destination for when our friends joined us. Unfortunately, time and a brief spell of tummy upset conspired against us before it was time for them to head back to dear old Blighty.

So Gerry and I decided we would head off to Conques on our own. The plan was to leave late, spend the afternoon doing that touristy thing, then have an evening meal in Conques before enjoying the light show.

It was, yet another, glorious day and we were soon wending our way through the French countryside. Every turn in the road seems to open up another grand view. At times we would appear to be on top of the world with huge panoramas. At others we would be looking down at small towns or villages, dwarfed by the high tree lined sides of gorges.

Roadside Heather
Roadside Heather
Cassaniouze
Lot River
Border Crossing
Approaching Grande-Vabre

Soon we were crossing the border, leaving the Cantal, entering the Aveyron. No passport control, just drive on through. Approximately five kilometers from Conques, we stopped for a beer at Chez Marie in the pretty village of Grand Varbres.

Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Chez Marie –
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Chapelle-de-Dadon –
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Chapelle-de-Dadon –
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres
Chapelle-de-Dadon –
Grand-Varbres
Grand-Varbres

After exploring Grand-Varbres we continued on to Conques.

Conques, listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France, is about 30 kilometres east of Figeac and 35 kilometres north of Rodez, in the Aveyron department in the Massif Central. Conques sits on the edge of the gorge of the River Dourdou, in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains and forests. The approach from the south is along an especially attractive stretch of river.
https://www.francethisway.com/places/conques.php

High Deck – Conques

Joe Public are not allowed to drive or park inside the town of Conques. There is public parking, for a small fee, just outside the entrance to the town. A gently inclined pathway then takes you up to the centre of town.

Conques – Viewed from the access pathway

That gentle entry is a bit of a con, as deviating to either side results in encounters with steep steps and pathways, all designed to give one a bit of a cardiac workout.

We spent a couple of hours exploring, taking in the quaint streets and houses, as well as the Abbey itself.

Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques – Abbey Tympanum
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques – Abbey
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques
Conques

It wasn’t long before it was time for another beer. We found a bar and were soon sat, basking in the sunshine, with a glorious view of the Abbey’s twin towers.

At 19:00 we took ourselves off to the restaurant, where previously I had booked a table. We were soon seated at a table on the terrace with a prime view looking down over Conques.

The food was superb, a starter which comprised a mixed platter of charcuterie and fromages. Followed by a delicious tender steak with vegetables served in baskets (Yorkshire puds) and aligoo. Then it was time to head out to the Abbey.

Conques – Abbey Illuminations
Conques – Tympanum
Conques – Abbey Illuminations

Part of the evenings entertainment was a monk explaining the history behind the tympanum. We sat and listened but, as it was only in French, we had no understanding. So the evident humour was lost on us, but not on the rest of the crowd. Similarly, we were not able to make the appropriate responses when prompted by the monk. Still it was an interesting experience.

As for the light show, well we opted not to stay. Gerry was already wilting and I still had over an hours drive back to the gite.

It was ten o’clock gone when we left Conques, and with tens of hairpin bends to contend with in the darkness, it made for a fairly intense journey home.

Vacances en France – 2018 – Polminhac

After the previous days travels around Murat, St Flour and Garabit we decided on a gentle start to the day, followed by a short afternoon trip over to Polminhac, where we planned to visit Chateau Pesteills

Perched on its steep rock, 750m above sea level , the old fortress Polminhac proudly dominates the valley of Cère.
The imposing dungeon symbolizes all the majesty of the castle of Pesteils and evokes the Middle Ages in its harshest expression, glorious testimony of what was to be this stronghold of Cantal.
Beautiful frescoes of the 15th adorn the interior.

The seventeenth century enriches the main body with remarkable painted ceilings.
Tapestries, paintings, furniture, parent richly this set.
Enlarged and restored in the nineteenth century, the castle has been owned since 1608 by
the family of Cassagne de Beaufort Miramon Pesteils who still lives today.
https://www.chateau-pesteils-cantal.com/

The chateau is a very interesting place, although the English language printed guides provided were very confusing, mixing information from various rooms and floors with wild abandon.

The rooms are furnished and decorated in line with the history of the chateau.

One of the living rooms

Moving our of the main chateau we headed up to the “donjon” (keep). Climbing the spiral stairs up through the many floors, of the keep, we were greeted by a bat. On one occasion it flew out of the fireplace on one floor, into and back out of the medaeval loo, back in and up the spiral staircase to the higher floors. At one point it darted out the window on the top floor, out into the bright sunshine. I always thought bats were nocturnal. Obviously this one couldn’t make up its mind if it was a bat or a House Martin. Maybe it’s only the vampire variety that fly at night.

As we climbed, many of the upper rooms were infested with flies, all swarming the windows. Their buzzing was very reminiscent of crime movies when a long dead body is discovered. Thankfully, we did not encounter any bodies.

Chapel
Window Seat
Chapel
Window
Family Gathering

We ascended to the top of the spiral staircase, which terminated on a walkway under the eaves of the roof of the keep. The walkway consisted of metal grid plates spread across the roof buttressed. You could see all the way down to the ground. Something of a heart stopping, stomach churning sight.

Loft and access to the flag pole
Walkway and Long Drop
Walkway and Long Drop
View From The Top
View From The Top

Leaving our two partners, Dave and I stepped out onto the grids to circumnavigate the top of the tower. The views were stunning but we were constantly reminded of the drop below our feet. This uneasy feeling was not diminished by the crumbling state of the stone butresses on which the grids rested.

The following are a few images from around the grounds…..