What a night, such a night, a night out a couple of days before a big party at my daughter’s, to celebrate her returning to see friends and family, as she now lives with hers in China.
Slowly like an old meandering river, the red wine flowed out of the bottle swirled slowly around, into this very large glass and the owner said, “Free for you, if you finish it” !
“I’m British”, I said, in my very best French and thought I saw her face blanch ! The locals all stopped their card playing and chatting, to watch this group make a fool of ourselves. My daughter and her friend joined in the fun and shared a large glass of white ! Half way through drinking this good red wine, I began to wonder if I would make the restaurant and the bar began to feel as if it was my front room with lots of friends of mine enjoying themselves. Considering this was very close to little Francesca’s party, I thought of it as training for the big one. We did get to the restaurant and food was sumptuous and I only drank a little but even so, I think I was well oiled and the way home was thanks to my son in law, Bernard. By the way I did finish the large glass of red and I think the landlady will check the nationality of the tourist next time – Just in case they turn out to be Brits.
Friday 27 May : “Egypt and Jordan” by Jay Wopperer & Linda
Saturday? July : summer picnic, details to be confirmed
Friday 16 September : “Argentina” by Eduardo Barnett
Friday 18 November : “Guatemala with Horizons of Friendship” by Bruce Weber
Toronto meetings are held at 8.00pm on the third Friday of January, March, May (4th Friday), September and November, at Old York Tower, 85 The Esplanade, in downtown Toronto.
We had a great meeting in Chester last Saturday the 19th of March, we are getting a regular stream of people now between 35 to 40 on average and we certainly hope that this is going to continue so by the end of the year we will have a little money saved up to go into 2012.
We had two wonderful speakers again, the first talk was about a cycle journey from Scotland to Italy for charity – Saol who is originally from Mexico and now lives in Chester had lots of interesting and funny stories about his experience on this trip. Saol had wonderful photos to show and everyone really enjoyed his adventure. The money that was raised during the ride went to help with schools in Nepal and Mexico.
The second speaker, last year’s Globetrotters’ travel award winner, Doreen Taylor did her talk about the journey she made to India – it was a journey back in time, following in the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling. The journey included the Golden Temple and some interesting train journeys, especially into the mountains. Doreen kept us captivated with her personal experiences and quiet a few tips on where to go and things to see, it was a very enjoyable afternoon and while chatting to other Globies after her talk it seems that she has wetted a few appetites.
We had a good turnout again with lots of people meeting in the tea break, talking and exchanging experiences and tips.
Our next date for your diary is 28th May the talks will cover “My time in Hong Kong” by Madeleine Anderson who has lived there for some time, plus African Brew HA-HA a Motorcycle Quest from Lancashire to Cape Town by Alan Whelan
We look forward to welcoming fellow travelers and others on that day!
Thanks again for your help
Kind Regards
Hanna
Chester meetings are held at The Grosvenor Museum, 25 – 27 Grosvener Street, Chester, CH1 2DD.
Tickets £3 including refreshments.
For more information contact Angela, Hanna or Eve for further information of this & future events at Chester via email atchesterbranch@globetrotters.co.uk
James Littlewood & Tracey Dornan – Boy girl bike road. “She dreamt of seeing the world, but couldn’t justify the carbon. He had always dreamed of the challenge of cycling to Hong Kong. With no previous experience of cycle touring, lycra or life together this is the adventure of one couple and their view from the saddle on an attempt to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle and boat. A cycle ride of 18,000 miles through 23 countries.”
Lord Ian Strathcarron – Byron and the Grand Tour.
“Two hundred years ago, between 1809-11, Lord Byron completed his Grand Tour of the Mediterranean. He was 21 when he left London. After catching a packet from Falmouth to Lisbon, his entourage rode down to Sevilla and Cadiz. He then sailed from Gibraltar to Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Greece, Albania, back to Greece then Turkey, Malta again and then with a heavy heart home to England. His voyage was exotic and poetic, erotic and eccentric.
On June 14th 2008 Solent sailors Ian and Gillian Strathcarron boarded their Freedom 40 Vasco da Gama at Bucklers Hard and sailed off to recreate Lord Byron’s Grand Tour. Their own voyage was propitious and perilous, mysterious and mischievous – but seldom abstemious.”
London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.
There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September.
Time for a catch up from busy London 🙂 We’ve had Easter, a Royal wedding and a very pleasant spring all arrive since I last wrote…and now as I walk about, I can realise I can hear so many voices & accents from further afield. I’m so lucky to live and work in such a varied, stimulating & vibrant city.
Part of that enjoyment is participating in the Globetrotters Club and putting this eNewsletter together…I like hearing about peoples’ adventures & enjoyment.
Anyway, enough of waxing lyrical – read on & enjoy…
What else is happening across the wider travel world?
Or do you know someone who could benefit from a helping hand into the wider world?
What is the award?
Each year the club offers up to two £1,000 awards to give out for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the club’s Committee.
The deadline to receive applications for the next award is 31 May 2011.
See the legacy page on the club’s web site for more details, where you can review previous winners’ trips and/or apply with your plans for a totally independent, travel trip.
If your idea catches our eye we’ll take a closer look at what you’re proposing and give you feedback & maybe a helping hand on your journey of a lifetime !!
If you enjoy writing & travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter ! The Ant would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 15,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.
Email The Ant at theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be approximately 1000 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.
Greetings from Bike the Earth:-Dear GlobetrottersWonderful to get your news as we are in mid Australia on BIKE THE EARTH – www.biketheearth.net (Please check out at least the first page of our website).
We have done 3500 km, connecting communities, inspiring initiatives, on ABC Television, on the radio, and in the media, with some great testimonials for the work we are doing!
This time round Mac discusses the “Happiest countries in the world”…
10. Luxembourg – 7.6 points.
Living in the world’s richest country inevitably puts a smile on your face! This small landlocked European country has an army of 800 people (yes, 800). They don’t have a navy nor an air force but together with Belgium they can afford to own 1 military cargo plane. Beat that US!
According to the Guinness Book of World Records Luxembourg holds the world record as the country that consumes most alcohol in the world per citizen.
9. Guatemala – 7.6 points.
This Central American country borders with Mexico in the north and is located between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. This location makes it a very difficult country to stay happy in – Guatemala is frequently ravished by hurricanes and earthquakes that often kill thousands of people. Main exports of Guatemala include coffee, sugar and bananas. The latter is probably why they are so happy – have you ever seen someone that can stay sad while eating a banana?
8. Canada – 7.6 points.
Many people have no idea that Canada’s head of state is actually Queen Elizabeth II – the head of the British Monarchy. This meant that when Britain declared war on Germany in World War I, Canada was automatically at war with the soon to be Nazi country. Unlike the neighbouring US, Canada has never cancelled its relations with Cuba and has declined to take part from the Iraq War – instead, it has played a leading role in the United Nations peacekeeping missions and helped to launch a $1.5 billion initiative to help develop vaccines that could save millions of people in poor countries. It seems that happy people make a happy country!
7. Sweden – 7.7 points.
This “welfare state” model is an excellent example of effective national taxes. Among other things the state provides universal tax-funded childcare, parental leave, health care, education (including university), retirement pensions and sick leave. Including value added tax (VAT – kind of like sales tax), it is possible to pay up to 80% of your income as taxes. Contrary to popular belief, Swedes are quite OK with their high taxes. After all it gives them tons of free and high quality services – what’s not to be happy about!
Sweden is also the home of IKEA – the world’s largest furniture store. IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kampard is famous for being the 7th richest person in the world (Net worth $31 billion) and driving a 15 year old Volvo station wagon. It has been claimed that more people read the IKEA catalogue than the Bible – and that one in ten Europeans have been conceived on an IKEA bed.
6. Australia – 7.7 points.
The name “Australia” comes from the Latin word “Australis”, meaning “Southern”. Australia is the only country in the world, that consists of an entire continent. Between 1788 and 1868 the British used Australia as a colony to deport their convicted criminals – these people are the predecessors to many of today’s citizens. Australians are famous for playing rugby and calling each-other “mates”.
5. Finland – 7. 7 points.
This is the country that brought us Nokia – the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile phones. In 2003 Nokia accounted for about a quarter of Finland’s exports and in 2006 it generated more revenue than the entire budget of Finland. Before starting to make mobile phones Nokia made (yes, it’s true) rubber boots! Finland was also home to Simo Häyhä – considered to be the most deadly sniper through history with 542 kills. According to World Economic Forum Finland has the most competitive economy in the world. Plenty to be happy about!
4. Iceland – 7. 8 points.
This geologically active country is rich in volcanoes and geysers (A geyser is a hot spring that erupts water in certain intervals). Thanks to geothermal power Iceland gets its electricity and hot water dirt cheap. There have been occasions where steel has been shipped for processing from Australia or Africa and when finished shipped back to the originating country. Cheap local energy actually makes this cost effective. According to the Human Development Index, Iceland (together with Norway) is the world’s most developed country.
3. Austria – 8. 0 points.
Austria is the home to the popular energy drink Red Bull. This country is also one of the few in the world that allows legal voting beginning from age 16. Upon turning 18, all Austrian males have to take part of a 6 month military service. The country has declared itself formally a neutral country or a “perpetual neutrality” as they say it, but in reality it has taken part of various peacekeeping missions and also took part of the UN sanctions against Iraq. Thanks to the wide use of wind-, solar- and hydropower Austria produces around 80% of its energy from renewable resources. Education is mostly free, with the exception of an average semester fee of 583 dollars (370 eur) in universities. As you probably guessed, student loan debts are not an issue in Austria.
2. Switzerland – 8.1 points.
This cheese and chocolate producing land is the world’s 10th richest country. Switzerland’s neutrality helped their banks to raise some serious cash – for decades it was possible to open a bank account without having to identify yourself. Upon opening an account, you were given a special number that anyone could use to deposit or withdraw money. This law was later changed since it attracted illegal money. Switzerland is also one of the top garbage recyclers in the world (66% to 96% recyclable materials recycled). They achieve this by keeping recycling free, but asking money for regular garbage – thus giving people a financial incentive to recycle.
1. Denmark – 8. 2 points.
Just like Sweden, Denmark is a Nordic welfare state with most of its services free to the citizens. Expect to pay 72% of your money to the government on the highest income tax bracket. According to Wikipedia Denmark has the world’s highest taxes! When buying a car in Denmark one has to pay 25% VAT to the import price of the vehicle and then a 180% registration tax on top. That means when a car sells for $20 000, you have to pay an additional $45 000 as taxes for the government (total of $65 000). That’s why people in Denmark ride bikes or use one of the best public transport systems in the world. Denmark also has 2 autonomous provinces – the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The latter is over 50 times larger than Denmark but has about 100 times less people.
If you can remember back to January’s edition I announced the following competition, after reviewing TrailBlazer’s latest book – A guide to adventure travelling by Stephen Lord. My prize winning question was:-Competition time – the first person who can tell me who first cycled round the world & when, then they can have my review copy of this handbook for free? Send your answers to theant@globetrotters.co.uk and announce the winner in a following edition.
And we did have a winner…step forward Gregory Mannion of Fountain Hills, Arizona, USA J Gregory correctly answered that:-
The first around the world bicyclist was Thomas Stevens who started his three year journey in 1884.
Here is my what I based my answer on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Stevens_(cyclist)
Thanks once again to Gregory and also to all at TrailBlazer for providing such an interesting read & prize, particularly Caroline Gray :
Portobello Gold…party celebrating Mike Bell’s 26th year as Landlord !!
Gaz Mayall and the, eight piece, Trojans trying to set up in a space that a three-piece combo would find small! So like a jigsaw being slowly put together it took about forty five minutes to set up, as each musician emptied their instrument cases and then had to carry them out through the milling crowd filling into the bar, to give room for the next musician to set up. The Portobello Gold Hotel/Pub with a large and extremely visual restaurant with good food is not small but the area where the bands play is smallish. The popularity of this place is renowned round the world, with President Clinton having been here for the food as well as to appreciate the ambiance of a very different bar.
Especially on Sunday nights when the music is live with free entrance and where there has been live music for many years. A place where many groups get a chance to show off their talents in Portobello Road, West 11, getting rarer and rarer in these small venues in London. This is one of the places that I take foreign visitors when they visit London, this night was even more special than usual and I took a Brazilian presenter, who wasn’t familiar with Portobello and she loved it.
The sound of a great rocking band and as Gaz says, “We do what we want. Where else will you hear Little Richard, old ska, drum’n’bass and a Louis Armstrong record from 1928? We’re like musical chefs, mixing the ingredients.”Gaz Mayall is a musician, DJ, producer and record label owner. He’s the host of London’s longest running one-nighter, Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues – now in its 28th year – and the founder member of the ska band The Trojans. He also runs his record label Gaz’s Rockin’ Records. The son of legendary British blues musician John Mayall and a friend from way back when; Mike photographed many of the famous groups when he travelled with a friend who worked for the ‘Melody Maker’ to many of the gigs of that era. The bar is full of the images of groups and famous musicians of that time. Interestingly Gaz played a Hohner Melodica, not often seen or heard around now. It was basically a windblown mouth organ – built into and operated by a keyboard. The band played Rockabilly, Rock’n’Roll and Ska and as one of the musicians was Scottish and it was nearly ‘Burns’ night, we heard an amazing hard rocking bagpipes for a couple of numbers, like I’ve never heard ever before!
The crowd of all age groups and mostly regulars of this bar jumped with no room to jive, clapped and stamped their feet in appreciation of a great night of enjoyment and fun. So much so it felt like it was being at a friend’s party – Which of course it was: Mike Bell’s party in Portobello land.
Tony is a long time GT member and widely involved in many adventures, including my trip with him to western Brazil & the Ashaninka people 🙂
First of all we would like to thank everyone for a great turnout in January, it helps us greatly and gives us all new energy to continue!
Saturday the 19th of March is slowly getting closer and it looks set to be a great meeting again with two fantastic speakers and the usual refreshments in the break so that you all can have a chat over tea and biscuits.
CYCLING THROUGH EUROPE – helping kids in Nepal and Mexico, speaker Saul Soto
INDIA “A STEP BACK IN TIME” – following in the footsteps of Rudyard Kipling, speaker Doreen Taylor
Hope to see you there
Cheers
Hanna, Angela, Eve
The meeting is at The Grosvenor Museum, 25 – 27 Grosvener Street, Chester, CH1 2DD. Tickets £3 including refreshments.
Contact Angela, Hanna or Eve for further information of this & future events at Chester via email atchesterbranch@globetrotters.co.uk
For an extra busy London branch meeting (courtesy of Jacqui’s superb organising efforts with the speakers recently me thinks) we had two contrasting & excellent speakers:-
John Gimlette – Wild Coast Travels on South America’s Untamed Edge. Returning favourite John talked about travelling through the three Guyanas of north east South America…Guyana, Suriname & French Guiana – a very unknown & underdeveloped series of destinations. John’s knack as a traveller is get involved locally in all his destinations, in all aspects of society & then recall his travels warmly and intelligently through books, radios & talks J His style is less “this is what I did !” and much more “come with me on a journey”. I hope that paints John in light that does him justice J
Sarah Outen – A Dip in the Ocean. Sarah’s talk was so different in so many ways and yet equally entertaining. At twenty years old Sarah set of to fulfil a dream and grieve over the loss of her father – she rowed solo from Perth, Western Australia to Mauritius ! Her recollection of 4000 miles of that epic ocean crossing held us rapt late into the afternoon – her mishaps, frailties & doubts were exposed to the audience…but her story telling style made those seem core to her record breaking journey. I think back a long way to my first travels at a similar age, inter-railing around Europe, and wonder where Sarah found the courage & determination…congratulations to you Sarah J
Read more about Sarah’s adventures, particularly her next epic, at http://sarahouten.co.uk/
London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.
There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September.
This edition is a whirlwind catch up on a raft of articles, news & anecdotes. Since mid January this year I’ve been somewhat distracted – I’ve moved house and welcome my daughter into the world ! There is no doubt my priorities are changing quite rapidly as I realise the full nature of the changes that I’m part of, but travel remains a key part of my life and something I’m looking to share with said daughter 🙂
As to this edition – regulars Tony Annis & Mac are back with us, there’s a quite a few meetings from all branches to read about and there’s some items to make you smile I hope 🙂
What else is happening across the wider travel world?
From Gavin Fernandes, one of the club’s most widely travelled members and noted photographer spotted this web site – http://www.socialdocumentary.net/, which shows a different side to the world we enjoy
Or do you know someone who could benefit from a helping hand into the wider world ?
What is the award ?
Each year the club offers up to two £1,000 awards to give out for the best independent travel plan, as judged by the club’s Committee.
The deadline to receive applications for the next award is 31 May 2011.
See the legacy page on the club’s web site for more details, where you can review previous winners’ trips and/or apply with your plans for a totally independent, travel trip.
If your idea catches our eye we’ll take a closer look at what you’re proposing and give you feedback & maybe a helping hand on your journey of a lifetime !!
From Guillermo Masutti in search of long lost friends:-
HI:
Fourtysomething years ago, I met in Buenos Aires an English young man named John Wonnacott. He travelled with his friend Ferguson (Scottish I think) they were Globetrotters members and I was a member myself due to his advise.
They stayed in Argentina for about two years and we were very good friends.
They taught English at St. Brendan’s School in Buenos Aires, where I was the Discipline and Sports Master at that time.
Time passes, life passes and we lost contact.
Now that new ‘cibernetic times’ are born, I’d love to get in touch with them again.
If you enjoy writing & travelling, why not write for the free Globetrotters eNewsletter ! The Ant would love to hear from you: your travel stories, anecdotes, jokes, questions, hints and tips, or your hometown or somewhere of special interest to you. Over 15,000 people currently subscribe to the Globetrotter eNewsletter.
Email The Ant at theant@globetrotters.co.uk with your travel experiences / hints & tips / questions. Your article should be approximately 1000 words, feature up to 3 or 4 jpeg photos and introduce yourself with a couple of sentences and a contact e-mail address.
