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Day 3 – Paestum

We’ve been spoiled by the sunshine for the first couple of days, so it was a bit of a shock to wake up to thick cloud and rain in the morning.  So the obvious thing to do is pop over to see the sights at Paestum – after all it’s only 50 miles away.
2 hours and 15 minutes later, arrived.  Much of the route was on the Amalfi Coast road where progress is not rapid – goodness only knows what it’s like in summer when it’s busy.
Anyway, here is a temple …
… and another one …. (actually two)
Different angle ….
Not a bad effort!
Once past Amalfi, roads are pretty shocking with potholes and goodness knows what.  Overtaking is still something to behold.  
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Day 2 – Amalfi

Always best to start with a cup of coffee and a great view.  The village is Praiano and there are campanologists at work as it’s Sunday.
Then a scary drive to Amalfi.  It’s only 10 miles or so but the aggression and breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres of the locals is something else.  Unfortunately the hire car is brand new and we’re rather wishing now that it was old and battered.  No bumps yet, but our feeling is that we will do well to survive unscathed.
And so to Amalfi.
You can see Eileen in the foreground if you look carefully.
Nice view of the town …
And even better if you get it properly in shot!
Then a go at a couple of arty efforts in the cathedral …
And dinner, although it was beginning to get a bit chilly.
Finally another go at “arty” – look straight upwards instead of concentrating on the pasta.
Posted on

Day 2 – Amalfi

Always best to start with a cup of coffee and a great view.  The village is Praiano and there are campanologists at work as it’s Sunday.
Then a scary drive to Amalfi.  It’s only 10 miles or so but the aggression and breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres of the locals is something else.  Unfortunately the hire car is brand new and we’re rather wishing now that it was old and battered.  No bumps yet, but our feeling is that we will do well to survive unscathed.
And so to Amalfi.
You can see Eileen in the foreground if you look carefully.
Nice view of the town …
And even better if you get it properly in shot!
Then a go at a couple of arty efforts in the cathedral …
And dinner, although it was beginning to get a bit chilly.
Finally another go at “arty” – look straight upwards instead of concentrating on the pasta.
Posted on

Day 2 – Amalfi

Always best to start with a cup of coffee and a great view.  The village is Praiano and there are campanologists at work as it’s Sunday.
Then a scary drive to Amalfi.  It’s only 10 miles or so but the aggression and breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres of the locals is something else.  Unfortunately the hire car is brand new and we’re rather wishing now that it was old and battered.  No bumps yet, but our feeling is that we will do well to survive unscathed.
And so to Amalfi.
You can see Eileen in the foreground if you look carefully.
Nice view of the town …
And even better if you get it properly in shot!
Then a go at a couple of arty efforts in the cathedral …
And dinner, although it was beginning to get a bit chilly.
Finally another go at “arty” – look straight upwards instead of concentrating on the pasta.
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Day 1 – An Early Start

Off to the Amalfi Coast, with a 4.10am alarm call.  It’s the first day of the Easter holidays, and so even at 6.00 Stansted was abominable.  Couldn’t wait to escape …
…. to Naples and our first sight of Vesuvius from the airport.
Then experienced some Napolese driving, which I suspect will present a few challenges this week.  But arrived at our house – not a bad lunch view!
And here we go again with the selfies – as well as missing the Amalfi Coast in the background, there is a lot of potential for improvement.
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Day 1 – An Early Start

Off to the Amalfi Coast, with a 4.10am alarm call.  It’s the first day of the Easter holidays, and so even at 6.00 Stansted was abominable.  Couldn’t wait to escape …
…. to Naples and our first sight of Vesuvius from the airport.
Then experienced some Napolese driving, which I suspect will present a few challenges this week.  But arrived at our house – not a bad lunch view!
And here we go again with the selfies – as well as missing the Amalfi Coast in the background, there is a lot of potential for improvement.
Posted on

Day 1 – An Early Start

Off to the Amalfi Coast, with a 4.10am alarm call.  It’s the first day of the Easter holidays, and so even at 6.00 Stansted was abominable.  Couldn’t wait to escape …
…. to Naples and our first sight of Vesuvius from the airport.
Then experienced some Napolese driving, which I suspect will present a few challenges this week.  But arrived at our house – not a bad lunch view!
And here we go again with the selfies – as well as missing the Amalfi Coast in the background, there is a lot of potential for improvement.
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Day 37 – Chinese

A little bit more Chinese “stuff”, and then that’s it.  Coming back from the wall, you meet the souvenir sellers.  Eileen felt a bit more confident about bartering for a brass Buddha having spoken to Ching first, and so negotiated a good deal.

Ching took her guide duties very seriously, and so steered us away from tourist restaurants.  Here is where we had a terrific lunch in the middle of an anonymous village surrounded by locals.  I had to learn how to use chopsticks as there was no alternative.

And it was extremely good.

Then off to the Summer Palace and gardens.  Beautiful, but as cold as it looks.

The one on the right is a building so part of the palace.  The others are real.

We enjoyed the next bit.  Ching had been telling us about Chinese tourists who come to Beijing from rural communities and have never seen a Westerner before.  And on cue, this family spotted Eileen and asked if they could have their photo taken with her.  So I did the same to them.

Passing the Olymic Bird Nest Stadium.

And finishing with dinner in the bar.

And that has been our whirlwind tour around Beijing.  We packed a huge amount into just two days.

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Day 37 – The Great Wall Challenge

What a way to finish our holiday of a lifetime.  It was a glorious winter’s day, albeit minus 6 degrees, and here we are at the Great Wall of China.

So what’s the Great Wall Challenge (apart from getting up there, although the cable car does help).  Well, regular readers will be well aware of the ongoing selfie issues over the past few weeks, so if you’re going to get something in the background, how about the largest man-made structure on earth?  What could possibly go wrong.

First attempt – hopeless!

Second attempt – some improvement.

Final attempt – that’s as good as it’s ever likely to get for me, so have decided I will need to specialise in something else if continuing photography.