Travelog for: Taro

I visited a chapel in a suburb of Bruchsal called Untergrombach. The chapel "Michaelskapelle"  is on a hill called Michaelsberg. I had a wonderful view over the Rhine valley and in the back a view in the Kraichgau. I saw many quarry ponds and my host told me, that she swam in one of them, when she was younger. It's the see you can sea on the photo and this sea also belongs to Untergrombach. Next to the sea you see a wood, which is the border between Untergrombach and Bruchsal.

Good bye, Taro. We surely will miss you. Have a nice time in England now. We hope to meet you some day again.

Here i am in Honiton, lovely sunny weather...  getting ready for the weekend to Durdle Door, the Unesco World Heritage Site,  and Lulworth Cove in Dorset lovely weather too.  Then we are going to have to pack to go to Lanzarote and Feurtenvtura for the day see the volcano`s.  Cannot wait week in the sun along with Henry the Adventure Hound,  Siti Smut, and and C.K. yippee.. 


Durdle Door - world famous geological wonder.
Durdle Door in Dorset with its massive rock arch, set right on the Jurassic Coast between Swanage and Weymouth, is absolutely beautiful. There is a sloping beach for bathing or snorkeling from, caves and exciting rock strata.

Just along the coast path from Lulworth Cove with its thatched cottages, fishing boats, lobster pots, wild flowers, quaint little gift shops and tea rooms - the charm of the place is timeless and you will want to return over and again.

   
   
   

 
 
 
The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO is assessing the superb coastline for the award of World Heritage Site status because its geology and physical geography is of international conservation importance.

Don't miss it!

Don't miss seeing fabulous Lulworth Cove either, it's just along the coast path! 


This is where my host lives... in Honiton, not a very good picture but a nice house.  Still yet to meet the bunny

The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO is assessing the superb coastline for the award of World Heritage Site status because its geology and physical geography is of international conservation importance.

Don't miss it!

Don't miss seeing fabulous Lulworth Cove either, it's just along the coast path! 


Here are the 3 boys with the Monkey...  what a busy weekend and tomorrow going to see a Tag Rugby match which my host arranges with her "other boys" from the Police Station.


Photos:  CK with the gang, Lulworth Cove and CK at Rugby

Well had lots to do.  We went to Durdle Dor and Lulworth Cover, My host couldnt walk down big cliff because bad knee but husband took us but he was too shy to take pictures because people were watching him!!! MEN!! 

Both were beautiful, White Cliffs, like Dover but this is natural as they have to paint White Cliffs of Dover now.  And wait for this, so exciting we went on a speedboat, it was wicked... so fast it was WONDERFUL.....  saw another side to Durdle Dor, and Lulworth cove... all the boys decided it was so nice to do boyish things.... 



ONE MISSION COMPLETED..... VISTED UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE....
Then went to Lulworth Castle, we all made for the canons and sat on top of them, again a man thing I thought, these were original canons. 

Lulworth Castle


Lulworth Castle is a dramatic early-17th century hunting lodge.
The mock castle was built in 1607 - 10 by Thomas Howard, 3rd Viscount Blindon.  He was a member of the huge Howard clan who were in great favour at the court of  James I and had his principal seat at nearby Blindon Abbey. 

The design of the grand hunting lodge was inspired by chivalric literature so loved by the Jacobean court.  During the Civil War Blindon Abbey was destroyed by fire and Lulworth Castle was badly damaged.  In 1643 the estate was purchased by Humphrey Weld, a wealthy Londoner, and it became the Weld family's principal home.  The interior was remodelled on several occasions during the 18th and 19th centuries removing all traces of the original interiors. 

The Castle was seriously damaged by a fire in 1929 and remained a shell until the end of the 20th century.  The property is still in the hands of the Weld family who run the estate but the Castle itself is cared for by English Heritage.  They have recently restored much of the building.


This is us looking through the windows, what lovely windows we thought.  It was a lovely sunny day too.


We then went into Lulworth itself and again lovely, there was ducks swimming in the ponds and rivers and we thought they looked cute.  They kept ducking .... ducking get it... down in the water we thought they had drowned but my host told us it was ok, they were looking for food.  phew.....  close shave or what.


Latitituds etc not working at present

7th May 2007 - Osminton Dorset, uk

White Horse, Osmington
The white horse is carved into the side of Osmington Hill to the east of the town, overlooking Weymouth Bay. This horse, at 260 feet long, is the only example of a horse with rider. There are several stories surrounding its cutting; the most common view is that it was cut by a soldier in the early 19th century to commemorate the visits paid to Weymouth by King George III and his brother, the Duke of Gloucester from 1789. However, given the size of the site, covering nearly an acre, it is unlikely to be the work of one man! Another story says that the work was done by a group of engineers, stationed in Weymouth when the fear of a Napoleonic invasion was at its height. This is linked to the mention of the horse in Thomas Hardy's "The Trumpet Major", where it is said to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar.


See pictures the white horse is of chald as the hills.  Also you can see Horse in distance where toy voyagers are, the horse is in the background on the hills.

Very pretty around here, very relaxing, thatched cottages, countryside very peaceful, so peaceful Taro had to be woken to go home ... very relaxing on a rock... in the sun and boy was it hot, you would be too if you were covered in fur. 

Well what an exciting weekend, coves, caves, speedboats, ducks on ponds, ice creams, tag rugby.  tomorrow I am going to where my host works at the local Police Station.  If we are good she has told us we might get a ride in a Police car.. yippee lots of boy things thats what we like.

Then I have to pack for Lanzarote... yeseeeeeesss


Well today 22nd May we went to the Police station, quite a manly thing to do you understand.  First we played with the computer, had a great time looking for criminals etc and naughty persons then the electrics went off, I blame siti smut but he says it was my fault, I deny everything and anything!!  Then we sat on the Police car, it had to be on it not in it or you wouldnt see us.  Played with the blue lights a great time for us boys.    Ck got the giggles when the light was flashing but it was ok as no one saw us..... 

updates to follow on the holiday and pictures.


Pictures 1:  Getting ready for Lanzarote!!!  exciting....


Well at the Police Station:   

Welcome to Lanzarote, boy is it hot, we arrived quite late but great to be out of the bag all 3 of us.  It was about 80-90 degrees, that means hot.  We were at a place called Papagayo, Iberostar Papagayo hotel, very nice too and lots of food, we were all stuffed all week.... hot from first thing.

VOLCANO TIMANFAYA LANZAROTE

The Montañas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire), on the west side of Lanzarote, are the central feature of the Timanfaya National Park (area 5,107 hectares/20 sq.mi), which was established in 1974.

The Timanfaya National Park, in northwestern Lanzarote, is a center of volcanic activity. The lower part of the park consists of a large lava field out of which rise a series of cones and craters, like the Caldera Roja, near which is the only spring in this very hot and dry area, the Fuente de los Miraderos. These higher points, covered with volcanic ash, lapilli and "bombs", are a striking sight with their varied hues of black, yellow and red. Visitors can follow the Ruta de los Volcanes (14km/9mi) through the park. The inhospitable volcanic terrain is slow to recover a mantle of vegetation. The most resistant plants are the lichens, of which there are more than a dozen species. They are usually followed by succulents like Aeonium lancerotense Prager and various euphorbias (E. balsamifera Ait., E. obtusifolia Poir.); also common is aulaga maiorera (Zollikoferia spinosa Boiss.), which the local people set on fire for the benefit of tourists. A curious feature to be seen on the coast, where the lava has formed natural bridges, is the growth of rushes (Juncus acutus L.) in regular rows on the porous subsoil which stores up water. The only vertebrates are reptiles, the commonest and most interesting of which is the Atlantic lizard (Lacerta atlantica) or lagarto de haria, a species endemic in the Canaries.
The volcano is still live!!  and hot, if you pick up stones near the top just slightly a bit down they are very hot!! 

You will see the big spout of water, well a hole had been dug several metres down and then water poured on and only 3 seconds laters, this happened that is how alive it is.  We boys were so excited.l  WOW....

And we had a ride on a camel..... the man was laughing at us, we should be laughing at him, he is the one doing the walking with the camel not us!!!  ha ha ha

Back in Honiton, my host has just had an operation on her knee and its raining.  No wonder there is so much green grass.
Might be going to Padstow next week, this is where CK lives well its called that but that is in Australia.  We will then be looking to go on our travels again. 

Devon is nice, lots of cows, sheeps and piggies, phew... a bit strong smell in the summer but this is Devon in the country...

more pictures next week then off again.  it will be sad to leave my 3 muskateers, been in Police Car, Been on speedboat, camel rides,  up a live volcano,  watching the duckies, helping my host at work, been on holiday, met snowy the bunny.  But then onto adventures new.

Been to the Honiton Church last weekend, to a christening, it was lovely inside, got postcards to prove it.  And Seaton Trams, they still use them in Seaton which is about 8 miles from Honiton.

BOYS DAYS ARE OVER

Well we have a lady arrive, well spoilt our boyish plans, not that I am having anything to do with her of course, but the other boys cannot do enough of her... disgusting running around after her... Lilabun from Bun Traveller in Oregan... well, she is pretty I have to admit...  very much a lady, and guess what we are having a tea party soon, I mean, give me McDonalds anyday....  she is nice and it is her first trip so I guess we have to give in, my host is a girl, her real life bunny is a girl, and Lilabun and soon Cotton Candy which we think is a girl, so I guess we give in gracefull.  but I mean  cream teas....  it will be croquet next.... help

Well here we are today, the sky is great, the sun is out and the birds are singing.  A lovely day.  We boys wanted to go to McDonalds for a burger but oh no Lila Bunz (the posh one) decided otherwise so we decided ... well actually she told us... why are all women bossy!!!  that we were going to have a tea party, afternoon tea in the garden, actually it started off very nice...  chocolate biscuits great I thought with little china cups, tea with milk in... strange but nice  I can cope with that.  Then Lila and Cotton Candy, the girls decided they wanted to mee Snowy, she looks very pretty but what happened she dived in straight for the chocolate biscuit, knocking me over, help!!!  CK passed out falling over Lila bunz and what happened that is the moment the picture was taken and she wasnt in it!!! ha ha ha      so so funny, she didnt mind being knocked over but she wasnt happy to be kept out of the picture!!!  he he he

Well it was a lovely weekend and we went to Padstow in Cornwall, thats the leggy bit at the end of South West England, well actually the leg of UK.  We firstly went to the market, our host could only hobble so did not stay their much. We then found this Pizie sanctuary, it was great we were nearly as tall as them!!  ha ha ha

Then we boys spotted the sign saying "Padstow", which is where C.K and Cotton Candy come from but in Australia, amazing luck so we stopped so they could have a picture taken.  Then we continued to Padstow, lovely place with a lovely harbour, we were at the sea-side!!! yippeeeeeee.  We then went to the tea rooms, us boys were not that bothered so Lila bunz went on her own so we went exploring.  Then we went home to a roast dinner, yum yum,

Then it was time to be packaged up and sent to my next host!!!  how sad.... hope I meet the others again along the trail. Photo to follow

Photos updated, and taro with a English Traditional meal, with beef, yorkshire puddings (little white pastry items) from up yorkshire you put jam in them but we dont.  Carrots, cabbage, leeks, peas, mashed potatoe, mint sauce I know that usually comes with lamb but again my host liked it and so did I.  Horseradish sauce, and it does not come from a horse, then followed by a trifle, yummy yummy in my tummy thank you.  And followed by a lovely glass of red wine.  very nice too.

Hello!

I just arrived in Vienna and had a warm welcome from Frida who already stayed here for a while, from Pooh, the little bear from Taiwan (he's an inofficial toyvoyager, but a very friendly one) and from CK and Alfie Langer who arrived yesterday. I'm sure I'll have a great time here in Vienna and I'm looking forward to all my adventures here.

Love, Taro

I'm having a great time here in Austria. Already found some really nice friends and I have alot of fun with the other toyvoyagers here. At the beginning there were 5 of us: CK, the cheerful Koala from Australia, another guy from this country, Alfie Langer, then there was Frida the frog from Germany who already continued her journey to the UK and Pooh from Taiwan. And me of course.

On Saturday all of us went to lake Neusiedlersee in an area called Burgenland. It was great to spend the day there because it was sooo hot so it was nice to be so close to the water. In the everning there was a thunderstorm which was very impressing to see so close to the lake.


By the way: Neusiedlersee is also protected by the UNESCO as a WHS - but as you know I have already completed this mission.

Oh, what a busy time I'm spending here in Austria! I already did ALOT of sightseeing - so much that I didn't even find enough time to update my travellog. But now here there are some photos of me taken in Vienna when we made a long walk in the city centre.

You can see me in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral, St. Charles' Church, a beautiful subway station nearby, the opera and the Parliament.

I also saw the Hofburg (which was the former residence of the Habsburg family and hosts the National Library and some museums as well as the president's office nowadays...), Belvedere Castle (so I fullfilled another mission since I visited a cathedral and a castle here - yippie!!!), the City Hall, the Old Imperial Theatre and some other nice places. And guess whom I met here while walking through the streets!? Good old Mozart!!!