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With the Old Pharts having only recently returned from overseas travel, they were off again! Destination .. the South Island.

After flying from Hamilton to Christchurch, a Rav rental car was collected and it was off to Lake Tekapo for two nights.

By coincidence, friends Noel and Di Waterson were also in Tekapo, so we dined together one night, and skiied the Roundhill field nearby. We stayed once again at the Cairns Alpine Resort, this time in the Red Hut ( regular readers may remember the Old Pharts getting caught in a Covid lockdown twelve months ago. A planned two nights at the Cairns turned in to fifteen!)

Next stop, the Lake Ohau Lodge and a ski at the Ohau field. Unfortunately rain the day before created wet and sticky snow, which made for diffucult skiing. Dining at the Lodge is communal, and our fellow guests were Australian tourists who made interesting and pleasant company.

A comfortable and uneventful fight to Incheon Airport, Seoul. Our Hotel is in Myeongdong, and is surrounded by shops and eating places. The weather in Seoul is warm .. around 30 degrees .. and cloudy and extremely humid. Hard work for the Old Phart explorers, who like to walk everywhere.

To enter Korea, you must have a negative Covid Rat test within 24 hours of departure. When we arrive, we are informed we must have a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival. That is easily arranged, and $150 NZ each later!

The Pharts returned to the hotel after lunch, in need of a wee rest. Quite a lot of walking was done, and the high humidity made it very draining.

However, after an hour we were ready to go. Near the hotel is Namsan Park, with the N Seoul Tower. There is a cable car running, so we caught it up, and walked back down. Great views, hindered a little by hazy cloud.

Another warm and humid day in Seoul, so whilst we await the results of our PCR test, we decide to go exploring.So, loaded with plenty of water, we headed firstly to Tapgol Park.The park features the Monument of Wongak-sa, built in 1471. There were large gatherings of older gentlemen, watching movies and playing checkers. It was then up to Bukchon Hanok Village, home to hundreds of traditional houses, called Hanok. And just across from the Village, the Changdeokgung Palace. It is one of five great palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty.

We then walked through Jongmyo Park, followed the Cheong-gye-cheon, an 11km stream that runs through downtown Seoul. Back to the Royal Hotel for a well earned rest and rehydrate!

For the final full day in Seoul, the Pharts decide to book the half day Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) tour. Alarm set for a 6:15am pick up! Seoul is not too far from the border. About an hour and 15 minutes on the bus.

First stop on the trip is Imjingak Park, just 7kms from the DMZ,with a number of monuments and sights to see here.Many events for Unification are held at Imjingak.

Its back on the bus for our next stop, the Dora Observatory. It is at the northern most point of the Military Demarkation Line.From here visitors can overlook North Korea.

Near the Observatory is the Third Tunnel, an infiltration tunnel built by North Korea, and found in 1978.Tourists are able to walk part of tunnel, which begins with a steep descent. The ceiling then gets very low, thus the need for hard hats. It is blocked off at a point preventing crossing the border.

This has been an interesting tour, particularly the history of the Korean War, and the hope Korea may one day be unified as one country.

Back to Seoul on a road which follows the river. At one point, North Korea is directly across the river. A barbed wire fence, sentry posts and cameras keep the people in their own countries!

Our time away has come to an end. Seoul has been an enjoyable conclusion, but it’s time to head home. So to Hamilton, ”City of the Future.”

Our first job is to ditch our rental car at Heathrow, then make our way to friends Niven and Marianne’s place in Muswell Hill, North London. The Picadilly line on the London Underground is perfect.
The afternoon provides an opportunity to explore the parks of North London, and Alexandra Palace.

The next day, Saturday, is the wedding of friends Shaun and Michelle’s daughter Harriet, to Ed.Unfortunately for Niven, on the Friday morning, he tested positive for Covid. Sadly, he is unable to join us. A warm London day, a spectacular inner city church, then on to the Mandarin Orient Hotel. Quite a day!

After a very late night, and a late breakfast the next morning, we decided to visit Hampstead Heath, a short car ride away.

London, and North London in particular, has lots of parks and green spaces. This is one of the best!

After lunch in central London with Shaun, Michelle and some of the Kiwi wedding contingent, we made our way to Terminal 4, Heathrow Airport. A four day stopover in Seoul, South Korea, and then, home.

With Oxford explored, the Ireland and England trails of discovery were effectively over. It was now just a leisurely drive to our Airbnb accommodation. We are to spend nine days in rural Buckland St Mary, a small village about 15 minutes north west of Chard. The accomodation is a one bedroomed apartment, in a converted attic in Buckland House. Should be ideal.

With the Old Pharts not fully recovered from Covid, this will be an opportunity to have a few meals in, go for walks in the countryside and generally chill out and enjoy the tranquility.

The weather has been very pleasant .. not too hot .. so the Pharts decide to visit the Dorset seaside town of Lyme Regis. It is also school holidays, so the area is very busy.

After a very relaxing eight days in South Somerset, the time has come to move on to London.

So its off to Oxford, a city in central southern England which revolves around its prestigious University, established in the 12th century. The architecture of its 38 colleges in the cities medieval centre led to the nickname of “City of dreaming Spires”.

Today is predicted to be the hottest in UK history, so thank heavens for air conditioning in the car, and also our Oxford hotel, The Ethos.

The plan was to go on a Bike Tour in the afternoon, but a combination of the heat and our health scuppered this idea. We went wandering instead.

We are excited to be in Liverpool, although the virus is going to restrict us somewhat. We are staying near the Albert Dock, the vibrant heart of Liverpool’s historic waterfront.

Whilst in Liverpool, the UK is hit by a two day heatwave. Temperature reaches a day time high of 36 degrees. Fortunately, our hotel is air conditioned. We were to do a bike tour of the city, but the heat and our health ruled that out. Instead, we opted for a sedate ferry ride on the Mersey, and the British Music Experience.

Liverpool is notable for its mix of massive, spectacular old buildings, and a large number of new. The old dock area has been nicely renovated, and an extensive pedestrian friendly shopping precinct is nearby.

Our final night in Liverpool, we dine ”al fresco”, as the evening temperature is very mild. The next day is threatening to be even hotter!

Halifax is a city of around 80,000, in the South Pennine area of west Yorkshire. The Travel Lodge is located in an old Mill building area, Dean Clough. Once the home of the worlds largest carpet manufacturer, Crossley Carpets, it’s now a thriving community which combines arts and culture, leisure facilities, restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, events spaces, offices and the hotel.

Whilst Sue heads off for a catchup with the Baigents, Blair has an afternoon snooze, as Covid takes hold.

The next day we are off to Liverpool. With some hot weather on the way, we are pleased our hotel, the Hilton, has air conditioning!

A classic English seaside town, with beach, harbour, pier and lots of fish and chip outlets! We are staying in a small private hotel, on the edge of town. Blair is struggling with fatigue, sore throat and cough, with Sue more headache and cough. Appetite for food and and drink had also diminished.

Whitby is popular and pleasant, but the tourists are flagging under the ravishes of Covid-19. Back to the hotel, and a plan of attack for our next stop Halifax, West Yorkshire. We were to stay with an old school friend of Sues, Richard Baigent, and his wife Sarah. However, that is now not possible, so we book a Travel Lodge in the town.

After sixteen very enjoyable days in Ireland, it was time to fly back to Blighty. The itinerary was to fly to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, then motor through North Yorkshire, and across to Liverpool. Then down to Oxford and finally, our Airbnb at Buckland St Mary, Somerset. By a miracle, our budget flight on Ryanair was on time, and the security delays at Dublin airport, not too bad!

The night before leaving Dublin, Blair started to fell a bit ”ropey”. The next day in Newcastle, he felt worse, did a Covid test and .. positive! Two days later, Sue is positive also. So this is to put a dent in the OldPharts plans for the next few days.

Despite their ailments, the struggling tourists are still able to take in a lot Newcastle, and are most impressed with the architecture, and also the Quayside area.

After a comfortable night in The Vermont Hotel (an old classic), we crossed the Tyne into Gateshead, and visited the Angel of the North.

Our destination is to be Whitby, on the North Yorkshire coast. A certain James Cook spent his formative years there, and developed his love for the sea.

However, we wanted to make a couple of stops on the way. Firstly Chester-le-Street and the Riverside Cricket Ground, home of Durham cricket. Then on to Durham itself, with its University, Castle and Cathedral.

From Belfast to Dublin, and our final three days in Ireland.

The weather has finally warmed up, and we wandered around central Dublin in a warm 27 degrees. The city is very busy, and we were unable to get into our first choice restaurant. Fortunately, ”Mama Yo” squeezed us in. Excellent Asian food!

The next morning, we embarked on another city bike tour. Once again, really enjoyable, a great guide and a lot of territory covered.

For dinner that night we spotted a Syrian restaurant opposite our hotel, ”Damascus Gate.” Excellent food and the best hummus we had ever had!

For our final day in Dublin, we booked tickets for the ”Book of Kells” and the Old Library Exhibition, at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is one of the great treasures of medieval Europe. It was created by Early Christian monks around 800AD. The main chamber of the Old Library is the Long Room, filled with over 200,000 of the Library’s oldest books.

Suitably loaded with culture, we headed north, crossed the Liffey River, destination “Epic”, the Irish Emigration Museum. This was an interactive journey about how a small island made a big impact around the world. We really enjoyed this, and would recommend a visit when in Dublin.

We have had a great 16 days in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We are to fly to Newcastle in England, and slowly make our way back to Somerset.