Yeh Ron, thought I'd use this link rather than fill up the Ag College one.
I got a lot of jet testing time in while Anne (wife) was away in America and Canada for the 2 weeks prior to me departing for Europe and the Worlds in France.
Had a great time and met Anne in Paris and we were to go to Cherrueix but the Euro rail passes, we had purchased here through our local travel agent wouldn't work.
I spent ages in the Paris railway station with 3 very helpful staff, trying to get us both to St Marlo where our accommodation was booked, but it wasn't to be. The trains were fully booked, so we changed our tickets to Cherbourg and had a look round there and then caught the ferry to Portsmouth the next day.
Up by train to the Farnborough Airshow and the rain bucketed down. 1/2 the airshow was cancelled due to the low cloud and steady rain. Saw the Vulcan fly, so that made up for not seeing a spitfire or Lancaster, or the red arrows fly.
On the first Saturday, our son's cricket match was washed out, as the ground was covered with 30mm of water.
So we jumped onto the hovercraft and went to the Isle of White for the day. This is where the English tested their rocket motors for their satellites before sending them to Woomera in Australia to launch them, so had a great time exploring this facility up at the Needles on the end of the island.
Went to London and watched "Matilda" the musical in the West End. I don't think I have ever laughed so much in my life. What a great show.
We stayed near the tower of London for 2 days. Did the tourist bit and I got towed through most of the art galleries that Europe had to offer. We also did the museums and I had a great time checking out the ordinance throughout history. I also saw a real "Doodle bug" in the Imperial war museum.
Went by train to Edinburgh in Scotland, for 3 days and to the Fallkick wheel. It's a fantastic bit of engineering, to lift the barges 31 metres instead of using locks on the canals.
We travelled across Scotland to Glasgow. The distance across Scotland is shorter than the distance from my farm to our local town of Esperance.
Edinburgh Castle was magnificent and on a clear day the views would be something else. But the wet weather was doing nothing for my hair style.
Back to Portsmouth by train in a day, to watch our son play cricket and he bowled well and got 2 great caught and bowled dismissals, but they lost badly. (The following day after we had left, he played a local match and made 108 runs).
Up again to London by train and stayed a day then onto the fast train to Paris. Changed trains then onto Geneva in Swissland for a day.
What a nice place.
Then through the Swiss alps by a 2 story high fast train in first class. They hum along and climbing through the steep parts was maintaining 185kmh. I'm guessing a bit over 300 kmh on the fast bits, as the screen would blank out on reaching 300kmh and we made up 21 minutes on this leg to Rome.
We stayed in Rome for 4 days and loved it. It did my head in how old and large the architecture is. Everything in Australia is still under warranty by comparison.
The word about my jet testing while she was away filtered through to my wife, as her friends had heard the noise and kept her updated by the social media channels. DAMB!!!
It was in Rome that Anne told me in no uncertain terms, that the jets would not be run in my shed ever again.......... or else!!!!
From Rome we flew to Helsinki in Finland, for a day then onto Singapore, Perth and then flew the last 730 kms to Esperance.
In the 21 days I was away from Aussie, we had 2 fine days that it didn't rain and they were in Rome.
Had a ball but I'm one eyed about our beaches here in Esperance.
