Leutasch, Austria, to Kenmare, Ireland. March

Monday and Tuesday forecast was for -22C to -11C so we decided a walk was best, not skiing in that weather. Ken did try it but found it very cold. We enjoyed lunching down at the local bistro watching people etc. There’s lots of snow here unlike the last time we visited Leutasch in 2007 with all the family. There’s over a metre of lovely snow cover now whereas it was only 15-25cms last time!

Wednesday was a better day so we did some skiing on the trails down towards Moos and around the track nearby. Thursday was much warmer, only about -6C so we skied down to the Swimming Pool area. This was a lovely long ski across the open areas from Gaistal to Weidach and we both enjoyed it, although Ken started to cough as we neared Weidach. On the way we saw preparations for the 45km cross country ski race, a loppet, being held on Saturday and Sunday.
On Friday, we had to pack and leave this lovely area and head back to Zurich. Here we had booked into an airport hotel. Saturday, we took the train into the city and wandered around the huge underground shopping centre below the main railway station in Zurich. Lunch was at a great Sushi place just outside the station area. It was still rather cold and bleak so we weren’t tempted to walk very far!
Sunday, we caught the flight to Dublin. The whole of Ireland had been “snowed” in after heavy falls. However, on Saturday , we’d had an SMS from the Shaws, saying they were back in Dublin after their trip to Vietnam. They’d had to wait in the plane on the tarmac for 2hrs when their flight had landed. This was because there was still snow on the airstrip and not all gates were available. We assumed then, that they’d gone on to their home in Kenmare.
After going into Dublin and catching the train to Killarney, I rang Alan saying we were on the train as they’d instructed us to do. We all laughed when we realized we were all on the same train! They moved down to where we were and we started to catch up. The railway station had been closed when they went there on Saturday, lines hadn’t been cleared! That meant they’d had to stay overnight with a friend in Dublin. We had to change trains at Mallow and with cold winds blowing, we were all rather cold by the time the next train arrived 15mins. later. Shaws only had light gear and we didn’t have thermals on either. Anyway, when we arrived in Killarney, a friend was waiting for the Shaws and took us to her place for dinner too – wonderfully warm home and tasty meal.
Monday was a time to catch up for the Shaws and we enjoyed relaxing there too. Ken and Alan looked over the golf course while Vera and I did some shopping and took the washing in to be dried. Later on, Ken and Vera went off and played some golf.
On Tuesday Alan drove us around much of the Ring of Kerry. He was rector of the Kenmare parish before he retired and so knew the area very well. It’s 90kms from Kenmare to Valencia Island the most western spot of the parish. He entertained us with many stories and gave us lots of information too about the places we saw. We even went to the Skillings Chocolate Factory on the way!! Great place and we bought some chocolate, of course! The Skillings are jagged rocks off the coast with puffin nests etc. Few people are allowed to visit these places.  It was a wonderful day in a beautiful area of Ireland and despite threatening rain, we didn’t get wet. It only rained while we had lunch.
Wednesday Ken and Alan went off to a discussion group and Vera and I went to Women’s group to hear a speaker, friend of the Shaws. The talk was given by Mo, a woman who had been a neighbour of the illustrator of the Ladybird books. He two children had been used by him as the models for the children in the books. It was a fascinating talk. Later there was more golfing, but not for me.
On Thursday we went up to the Bridia Valley for lunch and a short walk. The people running the restaurant have some accommodation as well. Alan and Vera have known them for some time.
The Shaws first started to go to this area many years ago when their accommodation had no facilities such as power and running water! They did many family walks in this beautiful area. The snow covered mountains surrounded these valleys, making it really amazing to see. 

Ireland, California and Home - Kincumber

We had such a great time with the Shaws and they were superb hosts too with interesting places to visit each day. Thursday we went up to the Bridia Valley for lunch and a short walk. The people running the restaurant have some accommodation as well. Alan and Vera have known them for some time.
The Shaws first started to go to this area many years ago when their accommodation had no facilities such as power and running water! They did many family walks in this beautiful area. The snow covered mountains surround these valleys, making it really amazing to see. 
On Friday morning, the Shaws drove us up to Killarney so we could catch an early train, hoping to go to Trinity College in the afternoon. The drive to Killarney was via another very scenic route. It was different once more from other places we'd seen before. We enjoyed the train trip to Dublin, despite being a bit cold waiting for the train at Mallow. However, by the time we arrived at the airport hotel after 2pm, Ken wasn't feeling very well. He'd been coughing lots overnight and on the train.We decided not to go into Trinity College so missed seeing the Book of Kells and the Long Hall at Trinity College - hopefully we'll go back another time to see that, and to visit the Shaws again. 
The flights to USA were OK as flights go - short flight to Munich and then over 12hrs to San Francisco. That was interesting as we came via the polar route - Alaska, northern Canada and Alaska and we had daylight for most of the flight. We had a horrendous wait coming through immigration however after we arrived at the ariport - one and half hours!!! Unfortunately Ken was still coughing lots and so on Saturday night, Ken Kissane found a doctor my Ken could see the following morning. The prescribed antibiotics were good for the bronchitis and KB started to improve.  I then caught the cough and cold, but no bronchitis, fortunately.

Ginnie and Ken Kissane live at San Jose, an hour south of SF, in the midst of Silicon Valley. Their village, part of a large community development, is on the outskirts and there's a farm at the back fence. The 2 horses on the farm often come up for Ginnie to feed them carrots so we helped her, of course. The first few days I went walking around the local area with Ginnie but then we had rain, so I didn't go out then as I wanted my cold to go away. KB just rested and his health improved. Both Ken's enjoyed watching the Rugby triple Crown matches together!  I gather England, Ireland & Scotland were the teams playing. Weather was still cool but much warmer than Ireland and Austria had been while we were there.
Each evening Ken took us out for dinner, to some great restaurants and we saw some lovely country as we travelled back and forth. Daylight saving started the night we arrived so it was still light as we drove out for dinner. We'd  been to San Jose and San Francisco several times before so didn't need to go sightseeing this time, just wanted to see them both, especially Ginnie as we started out as pen-friends at eleven years old!! We've been fortunate enough to have visited each other a number of times. Last time they came out and had time with us on Alu in October 2008 and we then drove back through Queensland and NSW for KB's 70th in Forster.

Late Saturday afternoon, we drove up to their son's place, halfway to the airport, to have dinner before catching our flight home. We enjoyed that time, especially as we watched Jon and three of his children have fun playing a card game similar to "Snap". His wife Karen had taken the chance to go and have her hair cut. His other son was away skiing with the Scouts.
Ken K loaded all our gear into Jon's Prius to take us to the airport so could leave after the delicious Thai meal. We were at the airport by 8.30pm so checked and quite quickly so were able to relax while waiting to board. The 12hr 45min flight was on a United airlines Dream liner and was reasonably comfortable but it's still a long way and it's a long time to sit on a plane! I felt awful as I kept coughing but Ken was a little better. Anyway, we had a quick trip though immigration, baggage collection and customs to catch a train about an hour after arrival. Then it was on to the connecting train to Gosford, again with only a short wait. We arrived back here in Kincumber in a taxi only 24hrs after leaving San Jose late Saturday afternoon. Now we're unpacking, washing and trying to sort things to put away etc. The house looks chaotic now - was good when we arrived home! It's nice and warm here now, about 26C, but apparently was 39C last Sunday. My garden has grown lots while we've been away because a wonderful neighbour has been watering it through the very hot weather we've had here. There are even some tomatoes on the plants!
So this is the end of my Blog - Round the World in 2018.
Hope you have enjoyed reading it. I'll add more photos in a day or so, so you might want to log in again?
Margot B
.

List of animals, birds and plants seen in Africa.

ANIMALS.                                       BIRDS.                                   PLANTS, TREES

Baboons
Buffalo
Hippopotamus
Honey Badger
Spotted Hyena.                                       Batlaeur Eagle.                          Boabab
Impala.                                                    Black Stork.                              Knob Thorn
Side striped jackal.                                  Common Quail.                        Marula
Sable Antelope.                                       Fish Eagle.                                Sausage Trees
Serval.                                                     Grey Plover.                              Umbrella Thorn
Ground Squirrel                                      Grey Go-away bird (Lourie).    Welwitschia
Bushbuck.                                               Ground Hornbill.                       Weeping Wattle(toilet paper)  
Cheetah.                                                 Hawk Eagle
Duiker, common.                                    Lilac Breasted roller
Eland.                                                     Marabou Stork
Elephants.                                              Martial Eagle
Genet, small spotted.                             Plum Coloured Starling
Giraffe.                                                   Purple Roller
Scrub Hare.                                            Red Winged Starling
Kudu.                                                     Spoonbill
Leopard.                                                Swallow
Lions.                                                    Tawny Eagle
Mongoose - dwarf and slender.             Vulture
Colobus Monkeys.                                 Weaver , trees with nests too
Vervet Monkey.                                      Grey Heron
White Rhino.                                          Helmeted Guinea Fowl
Warthog
Wild dogWildebeest (Gnu)
Burchell’s Zebra

Victoria Falls 10- 13th Feb,

THIS IS OUT OF ORDER, SORRY. IT COMES BEFORE OUR 3 DAYS IN JOHANNESBURG

We had just one night again at the Club Safari in Johannesburg before flying to Victoria Falls in Zinbabwe. We had to buy US$ at the airport as many cash transactions in Zimbabwe are in US$. We took over an hour to get through immigration and seemed some of the holdups were because people didn’t have the dollars to pay the entry fees of $30 each for single entry!  We took a taxi to the Kingdom hotel and on the way organised to go for a helicopter flight later that afternoon over the Victoria Falls and to go on a sunset dinner cruise on the river above the Falls. The Kingdom hotel reminds me of Indian Raj building with elephant tusks on the top of the roof of each building and imposing pillars of stone and concrete.
Livingston said of the Falls “scenes so wonderful must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. The helicopter flight is called the flight of the angels!  There was another couple with us so we had good views of the Falls and surrounding areas. The deep gorge below the Falls goes for about. 120kms. There are two power stations below the Falls, I assumed one was for Zimbabwe and the other for Zambia, across the other side of the Falls. The Falls look absolutely amazing and we could see the huge spray(rain) generated by the water falling on hard rock at the base of the Falls. Great flight!
We ate snacks at the poolside bar that evening - cocktails, crocodile kebabs, other nibbles as the restaurant only offered a buffet meal.

The following day we slept in and then wandered down to the Outlook Cafe which overlooks the gorge below the Falls. Had bought some postcards so wrote on them while waiting. There are lots of zip lines across the gorge but there was no-one ziplining or bungy jumping while we were there. I had  the ostrich kebab which came suspended on a metal frame above the plate of vegetables!! Outside the front door were some amazing “people” manufactured from car parts, body and engines. We had a relaxed dinner at the hotel.

On Monday morning we walked down to the Falls walkway to see the whole length of the Falls. It took us about two hours and is about five km round trip. There wasn’t as much spray as some days apparently so we were able to see quite a lot of the Falls. We walked down to the tallest bridge in the world which connects Zimbabwe to Zambia and watched cyclist taking huge loads across on the back of their bikes. ThE bridge has railway tracks and road across it. Livingston is the town in Zambia just across this bridge. We didn’t cross the bridge as we would have had to pay more entry fees - for both countries! $30 to $50 each.  We enjoyed lunch at the hotel cafe again, kebabs and Croque Monsieur with cocktails. Later that evening we were picked up to go on the Sunset dinner cruise. We had a small corner table on the deck with 18 American tourists at the  long central table. Unfortunately we had lots of rain clouds around so sunset wasn’t as good as we had hoped. It was pretty good however and we saw many hippos in the river. Some even obligingly opening their mouths for us. It was a lovely cruise and I appreciated my gluten free meal.
Next morning we were on our way back to Johannesburg for 3 nights.

Various photos from our trip

Sign on main road from Johannesburg to Kruger area,
Why didn’t they spend the money used for roadsigns,
To repair the road?

Lion roaring in response to vehicle engine revving!

Obern - Leutasch

Monday was a cold day so we ended up not going skiing until about 11am. The tracks were so good and we both enjoyed some more skiing but realised we get out of breath so quickly, not very fit! Late lunch at the Stube nearby was good but as there was a large group in for lunch, we had to wait for over 30mins for food. We enjoyed the sun streaming through the windows and a beer 🍺 while we waited for our soup. Temperature was about -6C by then.
Tuesday morning - weather is -22C warming to -11C later in the day. A day to do some more blogging and later on go down to the post office in Weidach to buy stamps for postcards and find colder wax for our skis! We ended up coming back on a different bus which went down the valley to Mittenwold and then back to Obern and to Weidach again. As the bus driver didn’t realise we wanted to get off at the Gasthof Gaistal, we did the whole trip one hour tour of the whole valley and thoroughly enjoyed it as part of our non-skiing day.
Wednesday, still very cold and Ken only skied for less than 30minutes. I didn’t even go as it was still too cold for me to ski. We wandered down to the local Stube for a warming goulash soup for a late lunch. I have now found how to put a few photos into the blog!! A very painful 😖 process indeed. I will try to insert more when we’re in Ireland with the Shaws next week. Dinner has been excellent every day. My only complaint is that the meals are too large!
Thursday. It has been really good staying here and the mangement organised gluten free bread, bread rolls and cakes etc as well as lactose free milk and yoghurt for my breakfast, really thoughtful. I’ve even had a few sweet muffins etc for breakfast - no way I can eat all they have provided!
Today weather was still overcast but a little bit warmer ,  -11 to -6C! We took the bus down to Weidach swimming pool area and went off on beautifully groomed trails for a couple of hours, wonderful to have slightly warmer weather and skis running very well too. A great ski! Ken started to cough so we stopped and had lunch at the swimming pool before returning to the hotel in Obern. Ken has now cleaned skis and we have to pack up before leaving tomorrow morning for two nights in Zurich. It has been a lovely week and we have seen the area with lots and lots of snow on the ground, unlike when we were here with the families in 2007 when there was just a thin covering of snow.
There is to be a 44km  loppet ski race here on Saturday and Sunday. There are lots of preparations going on - Signs to registrations, start and finish lines and wide open ski trails for the many skiers expected to start. The Ganghofer has classical style 22 and 44 km races on Saturday and there are skating races on Sunday.  They expect  1,800+ competitors! Weather is clearing tonight and I see blue sky too, so they may have better weather on Saturday.

More animals and birds

Alpha male and young lion at waterhole.

Waterbuffalo

Hornbill, being healed at Rehabilitation centre