2001 was not our most exciting year to date for holidays, but we did manage to grab a few......
| Caribbean
- This was not strictly 2001 since we went there for Christmas last year - but it did
happen since our last news letter so we'll give you the highlights.
Six of us started with a few days in San Juan - Puerto Rico - then we had weeks
cruise around the Southern Caribbean with Holland America - Chris and Geoff had
to return to the UK for Christmas whilst the rest of us finished with
a week on Vieques Island off Puerto Rico. (70% of Vieques is a US Navy
bombing range and is part of Roosevelt Roads America's largest Naval base)
Right - The cruise team - left to right Me, Shireen Shuster, Jill, Chris Fitchett, Dick Shuster, Geoff Fitchett leaving the Virgin Islands |
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I can't remember where the cruise went - I remember Barbados
cos' we always enjoy it - St Maartin cos' Geoff and I hired a water ski
boat - and a few other islands that all look the same. Only good
thing was that I bought the digital camera that has taken virtually all
these pictures!
Right - Our crew and some rich Yank (far left) at the Captain's table. The Captain is the chap in front of me (his wife is left of me) - We don't know why the Captain invited us to dine with him and his wife. He only held two dining in nights (i.e. 8 couples out of around 800). I can only think that he was lively and British and so are we - everyone else was boring and foreign! |
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Our cruise ship? No! It was the ferry to Vieques - cost $3 for a two hour journey |
Vieques turned
out to be a superb largely unspoiled island. The beaches were deserted and
uncontaminated. The sea was clear, blue and warm and our accommodation was
perfect.
Right - Dick, Shireen, Jill & me on a crowded beach (There were four of us - two more than normal!) Below Left - Christmas lunch - Dick's speciality - BBQ'd shark steaks! |
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To get back to the mainland we decided to charter an aircraft as catching the ferry would have meant getting up early. It was Jill's first flight in a "little" plane and she was particularly ecstatic as we flew low over the tropical rainforests.
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| Lake District - We had a few days in the Lakes for St Valentines. The weather was suprisingly good and "foot and mouth" had not yet hit so we had a very pleasant few days. |  |
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Left - Me being boaring! Above - Me being smooth! Right - Jill always did like men with big choppers |
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| Spain -
I
only made two trips to Mojacar this year but Jill managed twice as many for
twice as long. Jill is in two tennis clubs and also gets lots of invites
to play, so she seems to spend all her time playing tennis, drinking and eating.
(The restaurants scene in Mojacar has moved on since the early 80's when all you
could get was cheap wine with chicken/pork chops and chips - the choice of food
is now superb!)
Right - Tarzan in the Jungle? No me in the garden! |
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Jill tucking into a Paella at "Tito's" - the beach bar in front of our house. (The photo in the title was taken from the same spot - Yes it's Mojacar not the Caribbean!) |
On one of our visits in June, it was the festival of the Moors and Christians. This involved fighting on the beaches and partying in the town. Right - A Moor and his concubines on their way to party in the town |
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| Luxembourg
- We only managed one trip to Luxembourg to see Danielle and Pascal - but it was
special - we combined it with a RAFA Luxembourg weekend and had a ball. (For
details click here and for RAFA Luxembourg click
here)
Right - Me, Jill, Pascal & Danielle at the champagne reception
Below - We're only at the main course and Pascal's looking the worst for drink already! |
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Whilst we were in Luxembourg it was
Danielle's 26th birthday. Pierre (right) and Regine, Pascal's parents
entertained us all to a meal in a local restaurant.
It included a special birthday cake! |
| Ypres
- We
made a couple of trips to our favourite restaurant "Hostellerie St
Nicholas" - one on the way back from Luxembourg with Dick & Shireen and
the 2nd a day trip for Sunday Lunch with Pam & Ken Pritchard (their first
visit). The Sunday Lunch was without doubt the best meal of our lives - 11
courses and 4 different wines!
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Marrakech
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It was Shireen Shusters 60th Birthday in October and she decided that she wanted to celebrate it by re-visiting Marrakech - Jill and I decided to join Dick & Shireen for what turned out to be an interesting trip. |
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Jill was soon into the markets - we bought the 2nd hand
carpet - the Tuareg salesman said it was only 60 years
old - and boy it looks it (In our lounge!)
But did we really want a saddle for a camel? |
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Eating in Morocco has always been an interesting experience - on this trip we found some really interesting places, but were really humbled by the hospitality of a poor Moroccan. We gave him a lift across the desert to his oasis and in return he invited us to his home. A one roomed mud hut were his whole family ate and slept. In time honoured fashion he made us tea (on a primus stove in the corner) and shared his bread and dates with us! |  |
| We left Morocco in mid October after
an interesting holiday. Morocco is a land of rich and poor - I
think they made us richer and poorer!
(Right - Three rich Tuaregs - one local and two visitors - guess which one is the local and has just made a big sale, and which are the two visitors who have just made a large contribution to the Moroccan economy?) |
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Other
Wiltshire Not strictly holidays, but Jill and I had a very pleasant weekend in Wiltshire ostensibly for Mary's 50th birthday which turned out to be a very lively event - click here for details .
We also met up with Chris and spent sometime introducing him to our old haunts. |
Above - Jill & Chris on the aquaduct at Avoncliffe
This was one of our favourite walks when we were first married -our first house was at just a mile away |
Scotland Whilst Jill was on one of her Spanish trips I also managed a weekend in Scotland some business and some visiting my long lost brother Geoff and some of his family.
Below - Viv, Nicola, Geoff and Nicola's 2 children
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What next? - We leave on the 29th for Puerto Rico again to join a cruise liner for 2 week "New Years Caribbean Cruise" - we'll let you know if it's interesting!!!!
We're now back & have just about recovered from the cruise...... It was superb....
If you want to be really bored by us behaving like a bunch of 18 year olds Click Here
