Thursday Thirteen #56

Last week we were asked to do a TT on the theme of places we have been to, but I’m afraid I didn’t see the instruction until I had already posted mine. So, just one week late, here is my list of…

  Thirteen Places I Have Visited

Portmahommack on the north east coast of Scotland.  We spent an Easter holiday here when I was a child.  It was (probably still is) a charming little fishing port.  We rented a cottage right up by the harbour – I think its the one marked in the photo – and during that 3 week period we explored all over the north of Scotland.  On one of the last evenings there, there was a huge storm. My sister and I ran out of the house and were having a great time standing  on the harbour wall in a howling gale, as huge waves crashed over us until my mother came  out and in an utter fury ordered us back into the house.  At the time we thought she was making a lot of fuss over nothing, but thinking back, and imagining seeing my own daughter doing that, I suspect Mum was terrified!

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Mousehole   (pronounced “mowzell”)  This is another charming fishing village, at the other end of the UK.  It’s in western Cornwall. We spent several Easter breaks here.  I love Cornwall.  Time was, I entertained thoughts of moving there, but I’m not the only one and the county is getting pretty crowded.  It was here that I saw what many small boys like to imagine – my sister falling into a sewer!  It’s ok – we fished her out.

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Ventimiglia  I think that means “twenty miles” in Italian, because that is about the distance that this Italian coastal town is from the French border.  We were spending our summer on the French Riviera and friends who were spending their summer in Italy asked us to join them for a few days.  I  remember it was very warm but windy, and after several weeks of seeing red, white and blue tricolours on every flagpole in France, I kept doing a double take at all the red, white and green ones there.

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Waikiki  How could I not include this one?  I was here for a week.  Somewhere I never thought I’d go.  I swam at Waikiki beach, and was surprised at how shallow it was.  100 yards out I could still walk on the bottom.  Behind me was Diamond Head. Memories of the opening titles of a certain TV show.  “Book ‘em, Dano!”

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Monastir  During a 4 week holiday in Tunisia, in north Africa, we spent about ten days in this town.  It was my first experience of Arab culture, and though there was quite a bit of tourism it had not swamped the local way of life, as I rather think it may have done by now, a couple of decades later.  Tunisia is a secular state, of course, so there were hardly any women in burkhas, but we still used to hear the muezzin calling the faithful to the mosque every day, from the top of a minaret.  I was very disappointed to find out it was a tape recording, played through a couple of big speakers!  The town was very clean, and there was plenty to see, including (pictured) an old pirates’ fort dating back 300 years.

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Gozo  This one of the three islands that make up the country of Malta, situated in the Mediterranean, about midway between Sicily and Libya.  When we were there, there was not much to Gozo but small villages, one so-called town, an unspoilt rural life for the locals, lots of beaches and coves with hardly any tourists. So it was ironic that on the second day there we were in the local market and bumped  into someone we knew from back in London!

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Waterville  The loveliest part of Ireland, in my opinion, is County Kerry, and Waterville is a coastal town there.  We were there once, on holiday with another family. We explored the whole southwest corner of Ireland in a minibus big enough to hold both families (11 people in all). One of these days I am going to get my Dad’s collection of 8mm cine films which he took during those 2 weeks and have them converted to DVD, so we cam see them again.

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St. Paul de Vence  This village in the south of France dates from the middle ages, and is still surrounded by a centuries old stone wall.  These days homes there are very sought after and some of the hotels here are among the best in all of France, with 3 Michelin stars. We did not visit often because my family has never been made of money, but occasionally we ate there.  The house we were renting was across a valley from St Paul, so we used to see it from our patio every day.  Once a year they have a night-time festival to commemorate the time the town was ransacked and burned by Saracens in the 12th century.  They let off fireworks, followed by a pyrotechnic display that make it look as though the whole town is ablaze.  Amazing!

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Labrador  The full name of this Canadian province is Newfoundland and Labrador  but every Labradorean I spoke to was at pains to point out to me that Labrador had nothing to do with Newfoundland, except in name. Some even wanted Labrador to break away and become a province in its own right.  I stayed in Happy Valley, many years ago.  Lots of nice people, and not too many amenities.  There was only one TV channel there then (CBC) and every weekday at 3.00pm the whole town came to a halt to watch “The Edge Of Night”

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Bombay  Yes, I know I should call it Mumbai, but that change had not happened when I was there.  It is apparently the most modern city in India, but even so, alongside the new office blocks, and the majestic stone buildings that were built during the Raj, I saw unbelievable poverty too.  India fascinated me. I can’t wait to go back and have another look.

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Grindelwald  My one and only winter sports holiday (so far).   We stayed in Wilderswil, in Switzerland, and did our ski-ing on the slopes at Grindelwald.  That was a 30 minute drive away, along alpine roads, through the snow. I loved it, but we never went again.  I don’t know why.

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Taipei The capital of Taiwan – the Republic of China, as it calls itself.   I spent a few days here when I was on a round the word trip.  At that time, I didn’t know anyone who had been here and didn’t know what to expect.  I thought it was a rather lovely place.  All the street signs were in Chinese, of course, and I didn’t find it hard to get lost!  But I was never worried, not even at 4.00am, wandering the streets. I knew I’d be ok. I felt perfectly safe.  I can remember to this day the sound of Mah-Jongg tiles clacking away coming through the open windows of so many houses I passed. People stay up very late there, it seems.

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Pacific Highway  I was in San Francisco, and loved the place. I wanted to see what LA was like, and I decided not to fly but to drive down there, and the route I took was the Pacific Highway.  I took my time, it was a wonderful day for it, and I am very glad I went that way.  It was beautiful.  In fact, the route to LA was far more attractive than LA itself, which was a bit of a sprawl.

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Comments

[Chelle Y.]

I agree that Pacific Highway is beautiful. Next time you are in SF, drive down the "Seventeen Mile Drive." That is beautiful too!

You missed this week's theme also. So did I.

[forgetfulone]

Who follows directions anymore these days? Certainly not I! You've been to some great places. I'm glad you told us how to pronounce Mousehole. It wouldn't do well to visit any place pronounced Mouse Hole.

[AnthonyNorth]

Some truly beautiful places there.

[Comedy Plus]

Well traveled too. Hawaii 5-O. I loved that show. I've only been to two of these. Hawaii and Los Angles' Pacific Highway. Very nicely done. Have a great TT. :)

[SJ]

I love Cornwall! I was at Land's End at low tide - remarkable!

Your #1 - how near to Peterburg (something like that) was it? The Reidheads hailed from there - 300 years ago.

SJR
The Pink Flamingo

[Nicole Austin]

The only one I've seen is the Pacific Coast Highway. Its a beautiful drive!

[Thea @ I'm a Drama Mama]

Oh my gosh, I would love to visit ALL of those places!

[The Gal Herself]

Grindelwald especially looks terrific! And I love the idea of having Mousehole as my return address. (Thanks for visiting my TT)

[Janet]

Portmahommack sounds amazing...love the pronunciation of Mousehole LOL!

The only things I've done on your list was visit Waikiki and I drove the Pacific Coast Highway...both beautiful!

[SandyCarlson]

Those are dreamy! Oh,to be there...

[On a Limb with Claudia]

I am very partial to the north of Ireland. The water and the country speak to me - and remind me of the north of California. So beautiful. Great photos! Thanks so much for sharing - it's like a mini-vacation! ;)

[orneryswife]

Impressive list! I used to have a serious crush on Jack Lord when I was about 10. I actually downloaded the theme song from Hawaii Five-0 to my phone, and it heralds my son's calls! (He was born in the Marshall Islands, and that was when I went to Hawaii, when we lived there and had to go through Honolulu to get to and from home.)
Happy TT!
TM

[Journeywoman]

Impressive list. And Great pictues.

[pussreboots]

I've been to Waikiki back in 1994 and I've driven PCH many many many times but that's cheating since I live in California. :)

Happy TT.

[Kay]

Oh My, what interesting places. I'd like to travel with you!

[Lori]

Im jealous...they look beautiful!! Happy TT my friend and thanks for sharing and stopping by:)

[The Happy Housewife]

I'm jealous! I would love to visit just one of those places!

[Bethany]

The only one I've been to is Grindlewald-- lovely! I enjoy traveling so much and your pictures make me want to quit my job and just travel forever...lol!

[Adelle Laudan]

Wow! I'm impressed. I don't think I could even think up thirteen places, and none would be as exotic. Happy T13!

[Shaunesay]

I hope to get to some of those places myself someday, specifically Scotland and Hawaii! You've been far more adventurous than I would have been, it scares me to death thinking of going to Taipai or India, just because of the total culture shock I'd probably experience!

Thank you for sharing, and for stopping by!

[Dane Bramage]

You get around Nicholas. I am impressed that there is a place called Happy Valley.

This week is my Thursday Thirteen #78. It is unthemed but I think it is still good. 13 things I might get with my incentive check Stop by if you get a chance.

[Tilly Greene]

Oh Goodie! Another one who misses the directions :-) And, you and I have been to some of the same places.

Mousehole, love it - not the stary gazy pie though. We had a wonderful lock-in with a Canadian bartender at the hotel there.

I'm afraid we drove right through Waikiki to the north shore and never went back. It was so quite and nice up in Laie.

Now, Mumbai, was an eye-opening experience. Arriving at the airport after almost twenty hours of flying/layovers at 3am, not sure if my cutie was even able to leave China and having some guy reach through the crowd and take my cart from me while saying over and over again "Doctor's Misses, all okay." And it was sooo warm!

PCH - home :-)

Thank you Nicholas...I've been home for a week and now I'm chomping at the bit for another trip!

[Sandy M]

WOW! You've been so many places. I've only seen a few states. Great list!

[slenderoctopus]

Thanks for stopping by...Grindlewald looks wonderful....Australia is worth visiting :)

[Robin]

We were in Gozo about 3 years ago. There still isn't much there. It was lovely though. Reminds me a bit of parts of Israel.