Author Archives: dipidydoo
Family Matters
Saturday night was the party – about 40 of my aunt Beryl’s closest friends and family gathered to celebrate her 80th birthday. It was a lovely night when we had a chance to catch up with relatives long unseen, and meet their partners and kids. There was a cupcake cake, speeches, and lots of reminiscing. […]
NavDashing
You can’t miss an opportunity to orienteer when you travel, so we were pleased to see a NavDash event on the WA calendar. NavDash events are sprints, held on Saturdays in parks or campuses in or near Perth. They use colour maps and SI and are 2-3 kms long. They get about 8o people per […]
Gone West
Half of dipidydoo has headed west – Ian and I have joined my family in a visit to Perth. The occasion is my aunt Beryl’s 80th birthday. Also here are my cousins Mark, Jess and Sue, and my other aunt Carol. We tried to work out when all the cousins were last together in the […]
Homeward Bound.
We’re on our way to our penultimate destination – Singapore. The red eye flight from Rome (the airport is absolutely enormous) to Singapore, via Dubai was long, tedious and sleepless. The flight from Dubai was for some unknown reason delayed by an hour and a half, after a four hour transit in Dubai. We both […]
The last days of Rome.
Our last day in Rome and then off to Singapore for three days and then home at last. Starting to miss things, this morning at breakfast, as I chose between the croissant with chocolate or the custard Panini, Ilze expressed a sudden longing for Vegemite. It’s the small things you notice. I mean when we […]
Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este.
Another gorgeous sunny day, despite rain being forecast by the locals. We joined a half day tour group to Tivoli to see Villa Adriana, and Villa D’Este, a drive of 30 minutes. Tivoli is a beautiful hilltop town and was a place for the very wealthy to escape the heat of Rome summers. Our first […]
Miracle of Pompeii
We had to rise early for our trip to Pompeii. One hour before our hotel serves breakfast and in this city of miracles, witnessed several before sunrise. Firstly, the light over the ‘patron saint of parking’, and secondly the obvious benefits to those who believe. Then on to the freeway in our new bus that […]
The Pantheon
Wednesday 21st November Blue skies and sunny – a beautiful day – not a moment to waste ! The more we see of ancient Rome, the more I regret that I didn’t pay more attention in Latin classes when I was at school. I’d give my eye teeth now to be able to read all […]
The Vatican.
After a so-so day yesterday, with the horses of the Trevi Fountain up to their fetlocks in foam, not being able to escape from the Coliseum, and automatic teller machines that eat debit cards, we arose this morning with high hopes. And we weren’t disappointed. We caught the Metro to the Vatican (1.50 Euros each) and […]
The fall of the Roman Empire
We veni’d, vinie’d and were eventually vinicied during our first day in Rome. A leisurely stroll, mostly downhill to the Fountain of Trevi. But it was closed for cleaning Closed for cleaning. No coins from me Since the planning for this trip began over two years ago, I placed three coins on my bathroom window […]
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