Itinerary Uzbekistan 2018.

26 August.  Kin Mun and I fly to Singapore. 

28 August.  Beo Lan and I fly to Tashkent via Bangkok.

29 August.  Beo Lan and I fly to Urgench

Day 2 : Tashkent-Urgench-Khiva

Enjoy a late breakfast at a local restaurant before flying to Urgench and transferring to Khiva for two nights at the Asia Khiva (3Q) or a similar hotel. B,D

30 August. Day 3 : Khiva

Today's included morning walking tour will reveal Khiva's inner fortress, Itchan Kala, an architectural treasure trove of carefully restored mud-walled monuments. Highlights include the Ismail Khodja Mausoleum, the 16th-century Kunya-Ark Castle and 19th-century Muhammed Amin Khan Madrassah. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and dinner with a folk show at the 19th-century Kibla Tozabog, the summer residence of the Khiva Khans, or at an alternative venue between November and March. B, L, D

3 August. Day 4 : Khiva to Bukhara

A long day's journey will take you across the Kyzyl-Kum or Red Desert, a route that once took camel caravans laden down with silk, spices and other exotic goods a month to make. You'll pause en route for a packed lunch before continuing to Bukhara, where you stay three nights at the Asia Bukhara (3Q) or a similar hotel. B, L, D

1 September.  Day 5 : Bukhara

A centre of trade and education for more than 2,000 years, Bukhara is the best example of a medieval city in Central Asia. Seek out its key sights on an included three-quarter day walking tour of its old town, including the 10th-century Samanids Mausoleum. Later this afternoon, perhaps visit the 15th to 16th-century domed bazaars where merchants still ply their trade. Look forward to an included dinner at a local guest house, including a class on Bukharian cuisine. B, D

2 September.  Day 6 : Bukhara

Journey beyond the heart of the city today to the magnificent 16th to 19th-century Naqshbandi Mausoleum, built for the founder of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, on an included morning tour. Beautiful blue-glazed tiles adorn the facade of this domed, multi-arched masterpiece. Also visit the summer residence of the last Emir of Bukhara, Sitorai-Mokhi-Hossa, a reminder of Uzbekistan's era of Russian rule. After an embroidery masterclass, enjoy lunch in a guest house, then this evening stroll through the atmospheric streets of Bukhara to a local restaurant for an included dinner and a folk and fashion show. B, L, D

3 September.  Day 7 : Bukhara to Samarkand

After breakfast, relax on a morning coach journey to Samarkand where you stay two nights at the Grand Samarkand (4Q) or a similar hotel. This afternoon, join an included visit to the Afrosiyab Museum before dinner at a local restaurant. B, D

4 September.  Day 8 : Samarkand

Admire the colourful mosaics, blue domes and lofty arches of Registan Square on today's included tour. This grand plaza is bordered on three sides by a group of splendid structures spanning the 14th to 16th centuries, built by the Timurid dynasty. Afterwards enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. B, D

5 September. Day 9 : Shakhrisabz and Samarkand to Tashkent

This morning, travel through the Tahta-karacha Pass to Shakhrisabz to discover 14th to 15th-century Timurid mosques, mausoleums and the ruined gateway of Ak-Saray Palace. Enjoy a taste of local cuisine during an included lunch at a guest house before returning to Samarkand for the two-hour Afrosiab high-speed train journey to Tashkent. Stay two nights at Lotte City Palace (4Q) or a similar hotel. B, L, D

6 September.  Day 10 : Tashkent

Explore modern Tashkent on an included sightseeing tour, and visit the Museum of History, the Museum of Applied Art and the Khast-Imam complex. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. B, D

7 September.  Day 11 : Tashkent

Enjoy the morning at leisure before your return flight to the UK and your included UK door-to-door travel service home. B

8 September.  Tashkent - Delhi.  Leave Delhi for Singapore.

9 September.  Arrive Singapore.

10/11 September. Singapore.

12 September:  Kin Mun and I fly back to Sydney. SQ241 arrive 16:40.

Singapore and India - Itinerary

Wednesday 14th February
Sydney to Singapore
SQ212.  Dep SYD 09:05;  Arr SIN 14:15;
Hotel: Capri by Fraser, Changi City. Tel. +65 6933 9833.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 15/16/17 February 
Singapore

Sunday 18th February
Singapore to Kolkata (Calcutta)
MI488.  Dep Sin 20:55; Arr CCU 22:40;  Duration 4h 15m;
The Oberoi Grand,  Chowringhee, Kolkata.  Tel. +91 11 23890606.

Monday, Tuesday 19/20 February
Kolkata

Wednesday 21 February
Kolkata to Varanasi (Benares)
6E 713. Dep CCU 08:20; Arr VNS  09:45;
Hotel: Surya Uday Haveli, Shivala Ghat, Nepali Kothi.
Tel: +91 542 2276811, +91 78004 90390

Thursday, Friday, 22/23 February
Varanasi

Saturday 24th February
Varanasi to Delhi to Chandigarh
6E 3175. Dep VNS 10:30; Arr DEL 12:25;
Drive to Chandigarh (5 hours).
Hotel: JW Marriott, Chandigarh. Tel: +91 172 395 5624.

Sunday 25th February
Drive to Shimla (Simla).
Hotel: Oberoi Cecil, Shimla. Tel: + 91 112 389 0606. 

Monday, Tuesday 26/27 February
Shimla

Wednesday 28th February
Shimla/Chandigarh to Delhi.
UK 879; Dep IXC 15:20; Arr Delhi 16:30;
Hotel: Imperial Hotel, Janpath Lane, Connaught Place, New Delhi.
Tel: +91 112 334 1234

Thursday 1st March
Delhi

Friday 2nd March
Delhi to Singapore.
SQ 401. Dep DEL 9:05; Arr SIN 17:15; Duration 5h 40m;
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Tel: +65 6823 5300

Saturday/Sunday 3/4 March
Singapore

Monday 5th March
Singapore to Sydney
SQ 211. Dep SIN 09:40; Arr SYD 20:30; Duration 7h 50m;

Time Zones
India                     UTC + 5:30
Singapore            UTC + 8
Sydney  (AEDT)  UTC + 11
Brisbane              UTC + 10

Walking in the footsteps of Leonardo & Michelangelo - Countryside, gardens, villas & sculpture in northern Tuscany

26 September
Sydney to Singapore
SQ 232. Depart Sydney 11:00  Arr Singapore 17:20
 
27 September 
Singapore to Munich to Pisa
SQ 328   Dep   Singapore 00:30  Arr Munich 06:55
LH 1950 Dep   Munich 11:15      Arr Pisa 12:35
 

Hotel Grand Duomo (2 nights)

Via Santa Maria 94, Pisa, 56126, Italy

Phone: +39050561894

 
28 September
Pisa.  Will I make it up the Leaning Tower with its spiral staircase and European style bells at the top?

29th September
Join tour.  Villa La Pietra, Fiesole.  Villa La Pietra was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sassetti, manager of the Medici Bank, and owned and embellished last century by aesthete and historian Sir Harold Acton. Tour the magnificent garden and visit the villa’s interior. Drive to the hotel in Fiesole for the first of three nights.


30 September
Fiesole, San Domenico. Visit Fiesole’s cathedral and then walk through the town to Monte Ceceri on small roads and woodland paths, passing stone quarries where Leonardo launched his flying machines (4.5 km, steeply uphill at the beginning of the walk). Visit Villa Medici, built in the 15th century and subsequently home to Sibyl Cutting and Iris Origo, and Villa Le Balze, where Cecil Pinsent designed a series of green ‘rooms’ which cling to a steep slope. Walk the old road to the convent of San Domenico where Fra’ Angelico first worked, and see his altarpiece there.


1 October
Settignano, Pian de’ Giullari. Morning walk to Settignano on farm tracks and chalky paths through olive groves and woodland (easy to moderate, undulating, c. 5.5 km). Villa Gamberaia is one of the most perfect examples of garden art, 18th- and late 19th-century with a formal water garden and high hedges. Drive to Pian de’ Giullari for lunch and a visit to Villa Capponi, to which Cecil Pinsent contributed. Overlooking Florence, San Miniato al Monte is a splendid Romanesque basilica with a superb Early Renaissance Chapel.


2 October
Pistoia, Lucca. The exceptionally attractive town of Pistoia has important sculpture including the pulpit in Sant’Andrea by Giovanni Pisano, one of the finest Gothic ensembles south of the Alps, and a silver altarpiece in the cathedral, the product of 150 years’ workmanship. Arriving in Lucca, there is time for a climb up the Guinigi Tower to admire the panoramic view of this exceptionally well-preserved city. First of four nights in Lucca.

 

Kin Mun: Sydney to Singapore

SQ

 

3 October
Lucca, Matraia, Villa Oliva Buonvisi. San Martino is a Romanesque cathedral with the exquisite Gothic effigy of Ilaria del Carretto. Drive mid-morning to Matraia to begin a walk through the olive groves, a route beside some of the finest of Lucca’s summer retreats. Lunch and olive-oil tasting at a farm overlooking the hillside. Continue walking downhill to Marlia on country paths and lanes (total 5 km; a steep downhill section at the start, walking poles are essential for this part of the walk). Visit the 15th-century Villa Oliva, once owned by the powerful Buonvisi family.

 

4 October
Compitese villages, Pietrasanta. A walk on footpaths and country roads through the villages of Sant’Andrea di Compito and San Giusto di Compito (c. 3.5 km, moderate to easy terrain). Pietrasanta is famous for its skilled marble workers; visit a workshop where classical and contemporary works are produced using methods unchanged since the Middle Ages.

 

5 October
Camigliano, Villa Torrigiani. Drive to Camigliano to begin a 7 km country walk on grassy paths and lanes to Sant’Andrea in Caprile (of which 3.5 km is steadily uphill). Picnic lunch before visiting Villa Torrigiani and its garden. Dating back to the 16th century when it was owned by the Buonvisi family, the garden was transformed in the late 17th century by Niccolao Santini, the Lucchese ambassador to Louis XIV. Return to Lucca for an optional cooking demonstration; a wine tasting is followed by dinner.

 

6 October
Pisa to Rome to Singapore

AZ1666 Dep Pisa 07:20  Arr Romne 08:10

SQ 365  Dep Rome 12:00 

 

7 October

Arr Singapore 06:00

 

8/9/10/11 October

Singapore

 

12 October

Singapore to Sydney

Depart 23:35

 

13 October

Arrive Sydney 10:15

 

Time Zones 

Sydney       AEST     UTC + 10

                   AEDT     UTC + 11 (after 1 October)

Singapore   SGT       UTC + 8 

Pisa            CEST     UTC + 2

Itinerary Eclipse August 2017

 

Monday 14th August.
QF 73. Dep Sydney 1300.
Arr SFO.  09:30  13hrs 30mins.

Alaska Airways AS 307 Dep SFO 12:43
Arr Seattle 14:45. 2hrs 2 mins.
(Hows that for confidence in flight times!)

Tuesday 15 August.
Seattle. Recovery!

Wednesday 16th August
Morning - Institute of Flight tours

Thursday 17th August
Seattle.  Tour begins with dinner.

Friday 18th August
Seattle- Olympia-Portland.
After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Seattle, “the Emerald City,” including the restored waterfront, historic Pioneer Square, and famed Pike Place Market, a fisherman’s marketplace filled with restaurants and shops. We then head south through Olympia, Washington’s state capital, to Mount St. Helens, where resident experts explain the region’s natural history as well as the volcano’s dramatic 1980 eruption. At day’s end we arrive in Portland, beginning our two-night stay in one of the country’s most vibrant business and cultural centers.
Overnight: Doubletree Lloyd Center or similar (2 nights)

Saturday 19th August
Colombia River Gorge
Mount Hood dominates the horizon as we leave Portland and cross the surrounding valley to enter the foothills of the Cascade Range. The highlight of your sightseeing among the peaks is the magnificent Columbia River Gorge, which we explore by road and on foot. You also tour the Bonneville Dam, spanning the river between Oregon and Washington, which has been generating hydroelectric power since1938. In the evening, join us for a dining and sightseeing cruise from Portland, gliding along the Willamette River and across Lake Oswego as a live band sets the mood on board.

Sunday 20th August
Mount Hood - Bend.
Today’s leg of the journey through the Mount Hood National Forest includes a stop at remarkable Timberline Lodge. Built in the late 1930s, this National Historic Landmark offers stunning views from an elevation of nearly 6,000 ft (1,830 m). We then continue on to Bend, where you gather after dinner with your fellow travelers for a briefing to review tomorrow’s eclipse program.
Overnight: Hilton Doubletree or Hilton Garden Inn, or similar (2 nights)

Monday 21st August
Total Solar Eclipse

Tuesday 22nd August
Crater Lake - Coos Bay.
After breakfast we carry on through breathtaking mountain landscapes to Crater Lake National Park, one of the nation’s oldest wilderness preserves. The lake for which it was named fills the caldera of an extinct volcano and is renowned for its extraordinarily crystal-clear blue waters. After exploring a little on foot, we continue on toward the coast, arriving by sunset at the charming seaside town of Coos Bay.
Overnight: The Mill Casino Hotel or similar

Wednesday 23rd August
Bandon Natural Area - Redwood National Park - Eureka.
Your day begins with a drive to Bandon State Natural Area, whose scenic Beach Loop Road includes sights such as Bandon Rocks and Face Rock – where, according to a local American Indian tradition, you can sometimes hear the voice of a young woman carried by the ocean winds. We also visit picturesque Gold Beach, known for its bald eagles, cormorants, and blue herons, as well as its seal colonies. Then, continuing south, we enter California’s famed Redwood National Park, home to some of the world’s tallest trees. Standing among the giant trunks, gazing up at treetops nearly 300 ft (90 m) above, it’s easy to believe that you’ve been transported to a storybook forest. Our day’s journey ends in Eureka, where a delightful tour of this historic timber and fishing village, pointing out gems of Victorian architecture in the Old Town.
Overnight: Red Lion Hotel Eureka or similar

Thursday 24th August
Redwoods - San Francisco.
Journeying on among the majestic redwoods, we pass through “the Avenue of the Giants,” a stretch of highway overlooked by towering trees, and then continue winding our way down the coast to San Francisco, entering the legendary “City by the Bay” as all travelers should – via the Golden Gate Bridge.
Overnight: San Francisco Marriott Marquis or similar (2 nights)

Friday 25th August
San Francisco tour.
After breakfast, discover San Francisco on a fascinating sightseeing tour that showcases some of its most famous landmarks, including Twin Peaks, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Coit Tower, and Chinatown. The rest of the day, you’re free to explore this incredible city at your leisure – perhaps taking a break from walking with a ride on one of its legendary cable cars. Then in the evening, gather for a farewell dinner to celebrate the end of your Pacific Northwest eclipse journey.

Saturday 26th August
Final breakfast with tour.
San Francisco

Sunday 27th August
San Francisco

Monday 28th August.
San Francisco.  Depart 23:25.
QF74

Tuesday 29th August
Lost day!

Wednesday 30th August
Arr SYD 07:00. 14hrs 35mins.


TIME ZONES
Sydney, Brisbane          AEST          UTC + 10
Singapore                      SGT            UTC + 8
Seattle, San Fran           PDT            UTC - 7.
                                      17 hours behind Sydney.  Or 7 hours ahead but a day behind!

TRAVELQUEST INTERNATIONAL • 332A N Rush Street, Prescott, Arizona 86301 USA Tel: +928.445.7754 / fax: +928.445.8771 • Toll free 800 830 1998 www.TravelQuestTours.com

Iran

 
Time Zones:

Sydney       AEDT  UTC + 11

Brisbane     AEST  UTC + 10

Singapore  SGT     UTC + 8

Iran             IRST    UTC + 3.30

Doha           AST     UTC + 3
 

11 Feb

SQ 232.  Dep Sydney 12:15.  Arr Singapore 17:35

 

12,13,14 Feb

Singapore.

Park Avenue Hotel, 2 Changi Business Park Ave 1, Singapore 486015.

Tel: +65 6809 7300. 

 

15 Feb
QR 947. Dep Singapore 20:25.  Arr Doha 23:30. (8h 5m)

16 Feb - Day 1 of tour

QR 476. Dep Doha 02:15. Arr Shiraz 04:00 (1h 15m)

Drive to hotel for the first of three nights here. 

Zandiyeh Hotel, Fars, 11 Road, Shiraz, Telephone: 713 223 4234. http://www.zandiyehhotel.com/

 

17th Feb - Day 2

Visits begin 11.30am today and include the 17th-cent. secluded courtyard of the Madrassa Khan, still a theological college; the 18th-cent. Citadel, a quadrangular fort with cylindrical towers; and the 19th-cent. Pink Mosque, the sobriquet arising from the profuse revetment of Qajar tiles. The Shrine of Shah Cheragh, rebuilt and added to since the 9th century, remains a major Shia pilgrimage destination. Overnight Shiraz.

18th Feb - Day 3
Persepolis. One of the most spectacular sites of the ancient world, construction of the ceremonial city Persepolis began under Darius I in 516 BC and continued under Xerxes and successive Achaemenid kings until destroyed by Alexander the Great in 300-BC. Much superstructure and many standing columns survive. The sculpture is particularly impressive, especially the low reliefs depicting the 26 nationalities of the empire. Return to Shiraz mid-afternoon and visit the gardens around the tomb of Hafez, the Persian poet. Overnight Shiraz.

19th Feb - Day 4
Naqsh-i-Rustam, Pasargadae. The tombs of four Achaemenid kings were cut high up in the cliff at Naqsh-i-Rustam. Reliefs of Sassanian kings and their captive Roman emperors were added below 500 years later. On a remote plateau ringed by hills, Pasargadae was built by Cyrus the Great (d. 529 BC), the first of the Achaemenid emperors. His ziggurat-like tomb and remains of palaces survive. There follows a five-hour drive (with a refreshment break) through dramatic desert and mountain landscape before dropping down to the ancient caravan city of Yazd (total km today: 470). First of two nights here.

The Arg Hotel, Takhti Avenue, Shiraz, Telephone: 071 3222 8989

20th Feb - Day 5
Yazd. Yazd has one of the largest surviving Zoroastrian communities in Iran; two funerary ‘Towers of Silence’ rise on hillocks on the edge of the city, and there is a fire temple in the centre. Of the Islamic architecture, the 11th-cent. Cenotaph of the Twelve Imams is impressive (entry not guaranteed), while the Friday Mosque is spectacularly clad in 14th-cent. tile mosaics. See also an area of traditional vernacular architecture and the beautiful Dolat Abad Garden and pavilion. Overnight Yazd.

21 Feb - Day 6
Meybod, Mohammediye, Na’in. Another long drive (210km) through mountain-fringed desert, with three stops. In Meybod, visit the mud-brick citadel of Sassanian (5th century AD) origin, a caravanserai and a remarkable ice house. See traditional kilim-weaving at Mohammediye. In Na’in, the splendid early mosque, with imposing arcades and stucco reliefs, dates to the 10th & 11th centuries. Visit also the fascinating 16th-cent. governor’s house with its precious sgraffito decoration. Spend the first of three nights in Isfahan. 

Abbasi Hotel, Amadegah, Esfahan Street, Isfahan. Telephone: 31 322 601 019. www.abbasihotel.ir

22 Feb - Day 7
Isfahan. Shah Abass I, the greatest of the Safavid kings, chose Isfahan as capital in 1598. He began the transformation of the city into one of the loveliest in the world. We begin with a pre-existing building, the vast Friday Mosque whose many parts incorporate most periods and styles. To the Zayandeh River, straddled by two beautiful 17th-cent. bridges, and cross to the Armenian Quarter. The cathedral interior is covered in high quality paintings of the 1660s, stylistically a fascinating western-Persian hybrid. The day finishes with a private concert of traditional Iranian music. Overnight Isfahan.

23 Feb - Day 8
Isfahan. The immense Meydan, Imam (formerly Royal) Square, is 500m long and formed of a two-storey arcade and the façades of three architectural masterpieces: the Ali Qapu Pavilion, a palace with loggia and well-preserved interiors; the Imam Mosque, magnificent in scale and detail; and the private Shaikh Lutfollah Mosque with a near perfect dome and unsurpassed tile work. Set in a garden a few minutes away the exquisite Chehel Sotun pleasure pavilion has very fine 17th-cent. figurative wall paintings.

24 Feb - Day 9
Natanz, Kashan. An early start for the last of the long drives (483km to Tehran). At Natanz, the cobalt blue and turquoise façade of the Friday Mosque is one of the most exquisite sights in Iran. Kashan has an outstanding Seljuk mosque and a number of large and richly embellished 19th-cent. courtyard mansions; we visit two, Tabatabiyeh House and Borujerdiyeh House. The Fin Garden is perhaps the most beautiful of classical Persian examples. First of three nights in Tehran.Espinas Hotel,126 Keshavarz Building, Tehran. Telephone: 021 83844.www.espinashotels.com

25 Feb - Day 10
Tehran. The Qajar period surges to a crescendo of enrichment at the Golestan Palace, which also houses fine carpets and other objets d’art. The archaeological section of the National Museum of Iran is of international importance and includes items from places visited on the tour. Displayed in vaults of the National Bank, the State Jewels Museum is an accumulation of gems and goldsmithery without rival. Return to the hotel mid-afternoon, or extend the day with another visit. Overnight Tehran.

26 Feb - Day 11
Tehran. The Carpet Museum displays major examples of historic Persian carpet art. Return to the National Museum, which also has one of the world’s greatest collections of Islamic arts, from the earliest period to the end of Qajar, all Persian. In the hills to the north, the Reza Abbasi Museum shows precious Persian miniature paintings. Final night Tehran.

27 Feb - Day 12
Free before flight.

QR 499. Dep Tehran 22:40.

 

28 Feb

QR 499. Arr Doha 00:15.(2h 05m)

QR 946. Dep Doha 02:10. Arr Singapore 14:45.(7h 35m)

Crowne Plaza, 75 Airport Boulevard #01-01, Changi Airport Singapore (SIN), Singapore 819664.

Tel +65 6823 5300.

 

1 Mar

Singapore

Transit Hotel, Changi Airport.

2 Mar

SQ 241. Dep Singapore 07:05. Arr Sydney 17:55.

Portugal becomes UK

Our planned walk from Porto to Santiago de Compostela has taken a detour.  Due to an episode of hip bursitis, I am following physio's orders to abandon long walking for the time being.  We went ahead and paid for our flights to and from Heathrow, and now have 3 weeks in the UK and perhaps Europe to fill in.  Plan B is looking appealing!  So here it is.

Saturday 18th June    SQ 232  Dep Sydney 11:00. Arr Singapore 17:35
Sunday    19th June    SQ 308 Dep 09:05 Singapore. Arr London 15:40pm

Tuesday   12th July    SQ 305 Dep London 09:25. Arr Singapore 05:30
Thursday  14th July    SQ 231 Dep Singapore 00:45. Arr Sydney 10:25.

Times:
London           BST     UTC +  1   hour
Singapore       SGT     UTC +  8   hours
Sydney           AEST   UTC + 10 hours

Accommodation:
19th - 29th June: Endsleigh Court, 24 Upper Woburn Place, London,  WC1H 0HA, England.  Reception: +44(0)20 7878 5861. 
30th June - 5th July: Ramada Encore, 84-90 Charles Street, Leicester. +44 11 6366 0150.
5th-12th July: Endsleigh Court.

Plan B.
1. We have booked a walking tour with Marx Walks.  Sights plus stuff about Marx and his ideas.  His analysis of capitalism is proving particularly prescient, given the events in the world lately.  After all, Trump and Sanders are symptoms of the same thing.   www.marxwalks.com

2. I have tried to get a foundry visit to Whitechapel Bells in, where else, Whitechapel.  They are booked out till September, but you never know.  There is no online booking - bookings only made by phone, which suits me fine.  We are on the waiting list.

But I did successfully book a tour with John Taylor & Co, at Loughborough, Leicestershire - 30th May.  In 1852, Taylors cast the first 6 bells for Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney (where KM rings, and I learn).  I had to make several calls to contact Mary who organises the diary.  I do like companies where you have to talk to a person - non of this impersonal on-line stuff.  BTW, Mary is a ringer herself and has rung at CCSL in Sydney.





3. Our Raffles project. We had planned to a do trip around present day Malaysia, Indonesia, and also Singapore and UK following in the footsteps of Sir Stamford Raffles.  But we will do the UK bits - the beginning and the end of the Raffles story.  At least the weather will be better than in Indonesia.  He has a statue in Westminster Abbey and his last residence is Highwood House at Highwood Hill.  Now an aged care facility I think. 

4. Leicester to see the new resting place of Richard III, and visit one of Kin Mun's bell-ringing buddies who has returned to UK.
 


5. Worcester Cathedral to see the burial place of King John, of Magna Carta fame.
 














6. Canterbury Cathedral, and York Minster (which has the largest manually rung bell in the UK).
 



7. British Museum and British Library, especially to see what we can see of stuff from Dunhuang's Magao Caves in China.  All nicked of course.



8. Basildon Church with its glass bellringing tower. Can see ringers and bells.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoOuWIxk1h4
 

9.  Enough Battle of Britain/aviation museums/memorials to keep me happy.  Not sure about KM!
Including a tour to the Battle of Britain bunker at Uxbridge for starters.



And certainly we hope to catch up with my niece at some stage!

Might have been less to do if we had gone walking.

Total Solar Eclipse 9 March 2016

Cruise:  Le Soleal (operated by Ponant Yacht Cruises and Expeditions), arranged by TravelQuest International.
  3 March     QF 840 Sydney 09:45 to Darwin 12:45
  4 March     17:00  Join cruise. Depart Darwin
  5 March     At Sea
  6 March     Banda Neira, Indonesia
  7 March     At Sea
  8 March     Ternate, Indonesia
  9 March     Eclipse Day/At Sea
10 March     Pulau Lihaga, Bunaken Marine Park and Tangkoko National Park
11 March     Pulau Saronde
12 March     At Sea
13 March     Sandakan, Malaysia. Kimbatangan River excursion. Overnight in Lodge
14 March     Sandakan, Malaysia
15 March     Kota Kinnabalu, Malaysia. Leave Cruise. MI391 to Singapore.
16 March     Singapore
17 March     Singapore
18 March     SQ211 to Sydney


Time Zones:
Sydney      AEDT GMT  + 11 hours
Brisbane    AEST  GMT  +10 hours
Darwin      ACST  GMT  +  9.30 hours
Malaysia    MYT   GMT  +  8 hours
Singapore  SGT    GMT   +  8 hours

Kerala. Our nerdy tour - spices, food & history.

Before 7 November
Depart Sydney for Singapore

7 November
MI 468 Depart Singapore 19:55 Arrive Kochi (Cochin - Airport Code COK)  21:55

Time Zones:

Sydney        AEDT  UTC +11 hours

Queensland AEST  UTC +10 hours
Singapore    SGT    UTC + 8 hours

Kerala          IST      UTC + 5:30 hours

8 November
15:30 Coach to Mattancherry Palace. First built by the Portugese in 1557, it was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1663. The murals in the king’s bedroom which depict mythical scenes from the Raas Leela and the Ramayana are a masterpiece of Keralan paintings.  Coach back to hotel.  
18:30 Lecture: Cochin & the Spice Trade followed by dinner in the hotel restaurant which explores the rich culinary heritage of this trading centre. Overnight Cochin.   
Brunton Boatyard Hotel, Near Aspin Wall, 1/498, Calvetty Road, Fort  

Cochin, 682001. Telephone: 484 221 5461.  www.cghearth.com

9 November
Cochin. A morning walk around Fort Cochin includes the Chinese fishing nets, which have been in use since the 14th century and St Francis Church (c.1510), one of the earliest Catholic churches in India and the temporary resting place of Vasco da Gama. A cooking demonstration focusing on the Mopilah (Muslim) culinary tradition of northern Kerala precedes a private lunch. Muslim traders may have settled on the Malabar Coast as early as in the 7th century and have since developed a cuisine with distinctive flavours. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight Cochin.

 

10 November
Fort Cochin. Jewish merchants and Christian settlers arrived in Kerala with St Thomas the Apostle in 52 ad. The Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568 by European Jews, is tucked away in the heart of the Jewish Quarter. Its airy interior is enhanced by hand painted Chinese floor tiles and European glass chandeliers. A cooking demonstration is followed by a Christian lunch in a private home. Opened in 2009, the Folklore Museum houses a private collection of Keralan artefacts. Overnight Cochin.

11 November

Cochin, Munnar. In the morning, drive through the coconut palms and spice plantations of the low- and midlands to Munnar, the centre of Kerala’s tea industry. Located at an altitude of 1,600 metres, this hill station was discovered by Scottish planters in the 19th century and was once the British Summer capital of south India. Tea tasting session in the afternoon. First of two nights in Munnar. 

Windermere Estate, Munnar-Bison Valley Road, Pothamedu, Munnar 685612
T:+914865230512 / 693 / 978

12 November

Munnar. Drive around the rolling hills to one of the 30 tea estates in the area. After a walk around the plantation witnessing pickers at work, visit the processing factory. The Tamil lunch in the estate’s bungalow reflects the tea workers’ origin from the neighbouring state. Overnight Munnar.

13 November

Munnar to Thekkady. Leaving the tea growing region of the high altitudes, drive through thick forests of teak and rosewood to reach Thekkady. Afternoon walk around a spice plantation to explore the growing process and the complex network of correlations between species. In the evening, dinner focuses on locally farmed produce. Overnight Thekkady.

Spice Village Hotel, Kumily.

14 November

Thekkady to Kumarakom. Ayurveda, the Hindu system of natural medicine originates from Kerala and uses numerous plants and spices also found in the local cuisine. The Sahyadri Ayurveda centre–the largest N.G.O. in South India– grows its own plants and produces its own brand of medication. Privately hosted British-influenced  lunch in a planter’s home. Afternoon drive to the backwaters, a network of lakes, lagoons and canals with its unique ecosystem. First of three nights in Kumarakom.\

Hotel Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom.

15 November

Kumarakom. Morning walk around Alappuzha (Allepey), the first planned city in Kerala, dating from 1776. The dilapidated mansions of the Gujarati spice merchants are easily recognisable with their intricately carved wooden gates. After the final cooking demonstration, lunch is sadhya, the Keralan banquet consisting of a variety of vegetarian dishes and traditionally served on a banana leaf. Return to the hotel by boat. Overnight Kumarakom.

16 November

Kumarakom. In Kottayam, the 450-year old Cheria Palli – ‘Small’ St Mary’s Church – displays unusual symbols on its façade. The original murals inside were painted using natural pigments. Nearby, the Valia Palli – ‘Big’ St Mary’s Church – houses 2 Nestorian crosses, one of which may be the oldest Christian artefact in India. The hosted lunch highlights the distinctive culture of the region and is followed by a walk around the farm. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Overnight Kumarakom.

17 November

Kumarakom, Cochin, Singapore. Leave early to drive to the international airport (c.2 hours).

MI 467  Depart Kochi 22:55pm  

18 November

Arrive Singapore 06:00

19/20 November Singapore

21 November

SQ 211 Depart Singapore 09:40 Arrive Sydney 20:30

Itinerary

Two Kans - Beo Lan and Kay - are off to Ireland and London, while the other two Kans and Wai Zin remain in Singapore.

June 12: KM and K to Singapore SQ232.

              Birthday dinner for KM.

              Beo Lan leaves for LHR (BA16) and Dublin (BA834).

IRELAND

 

June 13: BL arr Dublin.

             K leaves for LHR (SQ308) and Dublin (EL169).

             Trinity City Hotel, Dublin..

June 14: Insight tour begins Welcome Reception and Dinner

             Trinity City Hotel, Dublin.

June 15: To Cashel, Blarney and Killarney

              Hotel: Killarney Plaza.

June 16: Ring of Kerry

              Hotel: Killarney Plaza.

June 17: Cliffs of Moher, Rathbaun Farm and Galway

              Hotel: Connemara Coast, Galway.

June 18: Galway and Connemara

              Hotel Connemara Coast,Galway.

June 19: Loch Corrib and Ashford Castle

              Hotel: Ashford Castle.

June 20: To Dublin

              Trinity City Hotel, Dublin.

June 22:  Depart Dublin for LHR

LONDON

June 23:  Tour: Seven Churches and a Synagogue.

                Evening: “King John” at the Globe.
June 24:  Tour: Oxford & the Cotswolds
June 25/26: London
June 27:  Salisbury Cathedral

June 28:  BL departs London
?July 3:   K departs London

Imperial Hotel, 61-66 Russell Square, London.