Our People’s Warden Kate Paterson has been sending us notes and photographs from her tripping around.

Further photo’s are available in our Photo. Gallery.

Letters from Abroad

Update: 11 May

We decided to do a short trip to Prague from Berlin. Left Wed morning and arrived back Friday night by train. Four and a half hours in a very comfortable very fast train.....most enjoyable. Stayed at an hotel almost on the Charles Bridge called the Pod Vezi! ..wonderful accommodation, would certainly recommend. Anyone planning a trip to Europe needs to include Prague on their list of places to visit. It is magnificent. In fact it is so wonderful you run out of superlatives each corner you go round! Very touristy of course because that’s what keeps their economy afloat, but the most incredible architecture, church interiors which blow you away, so much gold, the wonderful bridges, great food, I could go on and on. St Vitus Cathedral which is next to Prague Castle has the most beautiful stained glass windows and sculptures .......the glass is so brilliantly colourful, spent ages wandering round. Also went into a hall in the Castle which dated back to the 1100’s....We were at the Astronomical Clock for the midday chiming and character changing. It is very old too, like the rest of that part of Prague. Thank goodness communism didn’t ruin the city like it did so many others round Europe. Am off today to Checkpoint Charlie and Wall and maybe if time Bode Museum. Only 4 more full days here after today off to London on Thursday.
Hope everyone well.
Ciao Kate

See Kate’s Prague photo’s in the Photo. Gallery.

Update: 1 May

Some views from Susan’s apartment which overlooks the canal. Lots of cruise boats pass each day. Tours last 3.5 hrs so we are going to do one today. Has been beautiful weather, 24 the last 3 days and also today. The Gazmele I bought from the Turkish Market further down Maybachufer from Susan’s was absolutely great for a tasty cheesy lunch. On Sunday we trained to the Brandenburg Gate....what an awesome feeling standing there. Also went to the memorial built in 2009 to the Holocaust victims.....very sobering, and hard to get head around. Had a beer and bratwurst in a park in the sun for our tea......both of us have colds so it was nice to be outside...
Hope all well in Dunnos.....
Ciao
Kate

See Kate’s photo’s from Berlin in the Photo. Gallery.

Update: 4 April

Yesterday at Sefa-utaki an ancient World Heritage Site. Weather was hot, site very tranquil and beautiful. Ocean looked amazing. Has been very hot again today. 10 more days then off to Berlin. Am well and having an amazing time.
Kate

See Kate’s photo’s from Sefa-utaki in the Photo. Gallery.

March, 2014

Having a wonderful time here in Japan, now down on Okinawa in Naha with my son and family. Will send some more photos which if you want to use that’s ok. Weather was terribly cold in Kyoto for 3 days, sleet, snow and rain, but then fined up. We headed south west from there to the port of Uno where we stayed 2 nights. Our days were spent on Naoshima visiting marvellous art works and museums and day 2 on Teshima Island where it was so foggy you could hardly see a metre in front . The museum there though was very atmospheric and I suggest googling Teshima to find out about the massive concrete dome and its quirky interior. Was well worth the visit. Food is ok, I am eating things I never thought I would......here on Okinawa food and people are quite different to mainland Japan. Even the language is slightly different.

The photos are of a statue near the big Torii gate in Kyoto, a tranquil place we came across in our wandering, fish at the big food market, sand art at a massive Buddhist temple the grounds of which are fabulous and of course yours truly on a truly gruelling trek of an hour or more up steps and under Torii only to find at the lookout we weren’t even half way there! I was pretty had it by then, very steep going and did my hip and knee no good at all. However coming down was better.

We have travelled underground trains, country trains, the Shinkanzen which was amazing, so fast.

Hope all well Ciao Kate