Owner: One Man's Travel Blog URL:http://grahamettridge.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:26:43 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This was orginally going to be a mere account of an Englishman's experiences whilst travelling through some of the most amazing locations in the planet. However, it has subsequently become an account of my journey through "Life, The Universe and Everythi Site statistics:Click here
Not quite a "Life List", but rather a "Must Visit" list. 2007-06-23 08:23:00 After enjoying so much Jill Smolinski’s wonderful and entertaining “My Life List” blog , it reminded my of the many things I want to do with my life. The trouble is most of them are currently staying as 'wants' as I procrastinate over each one. I will no doubt write more about many of these things in future posts, but as this is a kind of ‘travel blog’ I thought I’d start with my top 10 must visit locations. I hope by publishing this and future posts, I will actually manage to get off my backside and start achieving some of them....Time will tell!!!!So here goes:1. Christmas Shopping in New YorkI had an opportunity to spend a short period of time in New York a few weeks ago and immediately fell in love with it. I also remember watching so many films when I was younger that showed the magical character of New York at Christmas. For both of these reasons along with the fact that the Pound is so strong against the Dollar at the moment, brings this location onto my top 10.2.
100 things about me 2007-06-13 14:31:00 . Q1: What is your first name and what does it mean?A: Graham (‘Gra’ = gravel/stone, ‘ham’ = Home/house).Q2: What is your last name and what does it mean?A: Ettridge (originated from a place in Scotland and means ‘the land between two waterfalls’). Therefore my full name means “The stone house on the land between two waterfalls”.Q3: How old are you?A: 34yrs oldQ4: Where do you live?A: EnglandQ5: Any Hobbies?A: Poker, Swimming, Reading, Eating, Drinking, WalkingQ6: What colour socks are you wearing?A: BlueQ7: Club or Bar?A: BarQ8: What time did you get up this morning?A: 06:03:42 (is that precise enough?)Q9: When is your birthday?A: June 17th (Gemini)Q10:What is your favourite TV show?A: The Apprentice (UK version)Q11:What did you have for breakfast?A: A Slice of toast and a glass of milkQ12:What is your favourite cuisine?A: Any Thai or Chinese foodQ13:Your favourite potato chip?A: Cream cheese and chivesQ14:What is your favourite CD at the moment?A: ‘Back to Black’ Read more:things
...before it's too late xx 2007-06-08 09:32:00 Today we have bigger houses yet smaller familiesMore convenience, but less timeWe have more degrees, but less common senseMore knowledge, but less judgmentWe have more experts, but more problemsMore medicine, but less good healthWe spend too recklesslyLaugh too littleDrive too fastGet too angry too quicklyStay up too lateRead too littleWatch TV too muchAnd are less considerateWe have multiplied our possessions, but have reduced our valuesWe talk too much, love too little and lie too oftenWe have learned how to make a living, but not a lifeWe have added years to life, but not life to yearsWe have taller buildings, but shorter tempersWider roads, but narrower viewpointsWe spend more, but have lessWe buy more, yet enjoy it lessWe have been all the way to the moon and backBut have trouble crossing the road to meet our neighbours.We’ve conquered our outer space, But not our inner spaceWe’ve split the atomBut not our prejudiceWe write more, learn less, ---------------------- plan more, b
Poland - A Traveller's Tale of History and Culture 2007-06-03 13:32:00 So, it was that time of the year again...time to choose the next destination - time for some learning - a journey closer to home. This time I decided to visit Europe, to learn about our history, to gain an understanding about what happened in the Second World War. So, I was off to Poland
.The trip started when I landed at an unfamiliar airport and shuffled onto a mini-bus with a group of strangers, all nervously introducing ourselves to each other... ...and that's where my first realisation commenced... ...I was getting on a minibus that was almost entirely populated by teachers... ...my first thought was to shrink down into my chair... oh my goodness, 2 weeks talking about school curriculum's and naughty children... this initial emotion was short lived as I began to chat to everyone. The first destination - Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. We were dropped off at our first hotel and soon off to the old city centre for some refreshments. That evening, the group were introduced to ou Read more:History
, Traveller
Accident in Wales 2007-06-03 08:31:00 This is a short article about the accident that I had on 30th December 2006.The morning started of great, with my (now ex)girlfriend and I setting off to Wales
to join up with some friends. Our plan was to see the New Year in with some healthy exercise in the Welsh hills and a romantic hotel for the evenings.Everything went well until we arrived in Wales to be greeted with some heavy rain - so after supping a warm cup of coffee in the local ASDA Walmart and the weather brightening up, we decided to take a walk over the local hills of Blaina near Abergavenny.The first couple of hours were great but the weather soon turned in again - and the best option for us was to take a shortcut down a steep footpath back to the foot of the hills. This is where things took a turn for the worse.At some point on our descent, I lost my footing a began to tumble (approximately for 50ft), and then unable to stop, fell over the edge of Blaina Quarry and free fell a further 40ft before landing on my back.At
Sinai Trek - October 2002 2007-06-01 14:52:00 The expedition started off at Dahab on the southern point of the Sinai desert. A group of strangers clambered off the plane and jumped in a rickety minibus which took us to our pleasant hotel. Our first evening was spent introducing ourselves to each other - wondering if our preconceptions of the expedition were going to be correct. One things that was immediately clear, was that there was a complete mix of ages. Everybody was discussing the previous treks that they had endured - goodness, this was my first one!!!Our second day was to be our first real challenge. After a morning being introduced to the guidelines and rules of the trip (following a hearty breakfast), we were to be dropped off in the middle of the Sinai desert with the one bag of luggage each that was to last us for the next week. In the distance we could see four local Bedouins with their camels - surely these were not for us....or were they?Our guide wanted to test our physical ability, so the first stage of our trek c Read more:October
Amazon Adventure September 2003 2007-06-01 07:15:00 The trip started with an early morning taxi pick-up for a myself and a friend, then a journey from my home town followed by a flight from Heathrow airport in London to Charles De Gaul airport in Paris, France. At the airport we waded though the crowds of tourists whilst searching for other people with 'Explore' tags on their suitcases; trying to establish who we would be spending the next 2 weeks with. The adventure began.Gradually, I found some of the others on my trip as we boarded our next flight for Sao Paulo, Brazil. So far, so good. It looked like we were going to be in for a great trip.20 hours later, and completely exhausted we arrived at Sao Paulo with enough time to run from one terminal to another to catch our final flight to Rio De Janeiro. I'd seen enough planes and airports to last me a lifetime (and it was still only the first day!!).The flight from Sao Paulo to Rio De Janeiro was an experience. We were shuffled onto a small plane and were soon flying over our first s Read more:Adventure
, Amazon
, September
Freedom to express one's self 2007-06-27 14:01:00 Okay, so this was originally purely going to be a blog with my vacation snaps on. Well, that was until I realised what blogging truly meant. Since commencing my blog at the beginning of June, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to read blogs written by many many others (refer to the sidebar for some of my favourites). The one thing that has completely taken me by surprise is how many people have so eloquently expressed themselves in their blogs and posts. Albeit, the design and layout of the blog itself, or the interesting and varied topics that people blog about.I have laughed at some, felt sad about some. Some I have agreed with and others have made me angry. But each one is priceless in the fact that it has allowed an individual to express one's self, to express one's opinions. It has also provided a medium that allows people from all over the globe to communicate with each other and to share their thoughts and passions.In my neighbourhood, people just don't take th Read more:Freedom
I've been tagged? ...another 8 things about me? 2007-07-07 18:53:00 Oh my goodness, I’ve been tagged by two people...Firstly thank you Zhu (Correr Es Mi Destino) and Choc Mint Girl for tagging me. So, what do I do now?...….read the rules I guess. Here goes….The Rules: "Each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things
about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those peoples' sites and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do."Okay, that seems relatively painless. Hang-on!!! I’ve already stripped myself bare with 100 things about me…oh crumbs!!! I have to reveal another 8 things? You’ll all end up knowing more about me than I do!!!!1) I used to be a speleologist (that means I used to climb into small holes in limestone hills and go potholing/caving) - one activity that, following the addition of one titanium shoulder, will be placed into the archives .2) I frequently get emotional when w
It doesn't just rain ... it pours!!!!!! 2007-07-20 10:20:00 Oh my goodness, I'm about to get flooded out.The rain started in the early hours of this morning and is just getting worse. Everywhere is flooded. The news on TV is plastered with areas of the counrty that are under water. My mother has just been on the phone to me and informed me that in some areas of our town the flood water is up to the height of the car windows.Below is a photograph that I have just taken from my window...and the water is still rising....oh crumbs!!!!The most amazing things is that, this time last year, the Thames Water area (where I live) was under severe drought warnings with hosepipe bans. The main news focus was that our reservoirs were almost completely empty due to the years of little rainfall. What is this world coming too?????????
A Day Out At The Wildlife Park 2007-07-09 17:03:00 Well, it was Saturday morning, the sun was shining, I had been feeling particularly “under the weather” for several weeks … what could be more fitting than joining the family on a day trip to our local Wildlife Park.So, I packed up my camera and jumped in the car and made the short and pleasant journey through the flowing fields of grass, corn and rapeseed. The cows were standing up (which, if my memory serves me correctly, clearly means that the day should remain dry). Although, with the weather in England as it is at the moment, the only way to a reliable forecast is to hold your hand out the window – and if it gets wet, then it is raining.Anyway, I soon met up with my folks, niece and nephew – much to their rejoice, I had lost my voice due to this darn virus that I have. Hopefully, fresh air would be the perfect tonic.We made our way into the Cotswold Wildlife Park to see the wonderful animals. Now, I won’t bore you with photographs of every animal in the Park, but I wil
Avebury Henge - Wiltshire, England 2007-07-24 16:34:00 (Library Photograph)To travel and experience the world does not always mean having to pack your bags, change currency and check that your passport hasn't expired. Sometimes, to experience some of the World's amazing locations you only have to look as far as your doorstep. Today, I am doing just that - Picking up my camera and going on a 20 minute car journey to the ancient henge of Avebury in my home county of Wiltshire. Situated in southern England
in the stunning county of Wiltshire the village of Avebury is close to two small streams....the Winterbourne and the Sambourne which unite to form the source of the River Kennet. After being re-inforced by a number of springs this beautiful English river rapidly gains in stature as it passes through the North Wessex Downs on its way to Reading where it eventually flows into the River Thames of which it has become the main tributary. The waters of the Kennet therefore pass through London before reaching their ultimate destination in the No
Holiday (vacation) Time 2007-07-27 16:40:00 Hurrah!! I have just booked my first vacation of the year.I am still struggling with my health, following my accident at the beginning of the year and don't feel confident enough to go on a proper trek at the moment. So have decided to treat myself to something different and have hired a cottage for a week.The location is by the harbour in Cowes on the Isle of Wight (a small island, south of mainland England). The most exiting thing about the trip is that I will be there to see the famous "Cowes Week" World Yacht Racing extravaganza.Here are a few photos that I have pulled from the net, that show where I will be staying....I'll be packing my bags and going next Saturday morning and will return the following Sunday. I'll be sure to take my laptop and write a post or two whilst I'm there.At last, something to truly look forward too!!!!!!!!!! Read more:Holiday
Just Wandering Through Life 2007-07-28 17:31:00 (Photo: Sunset on Bournemouth Beach, England - 2005)Okay, so it's my turn to get a bit soppy and sentimental now. Whilst searching for and booking my holiday on the internet, a very fond tune came into my mind. The tune was from a film I watched at my late Grandparents house when I was a very young lad (just about knee high to a grasshopper).Each time I hear this song, no matter what I am doing, I have to stop......closing my eyes I can smell the Sunday dinner cooking, I can hear my grandparents voices as if I was there again. Sat on the floor next to my Grandad's armchair with both of us singing along to the film. Such a warm and reassuring feeling, remembering the happy times the whole family had together. It reminds me how fortunate I have been to be born into such a close and caring family. My Grandad died of cancer many years ago, and my Grandmother sadly died in a tragic accident earlier this year. I miss them both dearly.Little did I know then, that this tune would have such a Read more:Wandering
Holiday Update 2007-08-06 17:42:00 Well, I am on holiday and the sun is shining (well, it was - it's now 11.45pm and I thought I'd create a short post with a handfull of photos before I go to bed).The holiday started off at home, early on Saturday morning - after loading the car, I programmed the Sat-Nav with my destination, drove over to my friends house and loaded his luggage into the back of my car then drove away.....Hurrah! The holiday had begun!!The first leg of the trip was the pleasant journey to Southampton to catch the ferry across the Solent. As usual, I arrived early and had enough time to grab a quick coffee before boarding.My Honda CRV was almost as excited as I was as I drove up the ramp onto the ferry. Soon we set sail and the adventure began.The journey across the Solent was very relaxing (and is also one of the most expensive stretches of river to cross in the world - it cost me £129.00 for a 1hr each way return journey, which equates to approx $258).As the ferry approached the harbour at East Cowe Read more:Holiday
, Update
An Englishman's Home... 2007-08-26 16:30:00 A couple of people have asked about what my house looks like inside. So, I thought I'd do a post to show you. My house is nothing special, I own it (although still paying the mortgage for a few more years). I have lived here for about 10 years and am now thinking of moving on.So, here is my lounge. You will probably notice that there are no pictures on the wall. I have only recently finished decorating and am currently on the search for something suitable... ...if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know :)Now on to the kitchen. Again, looking rather sparse as I have just recently finished decorating that too (in fact, the whole kitchen was ripped out and a new one fitted. I love this one, as the washing maching, dishwasher and fridge-freezer are all hidden behind cupboard doors. It makes the whole place look much more tidy.The tiles on the walls were quite expensive... typically the only ones I liked in the shop were also the most expensive. My dad was a
Comedy Moments 2007-06-24 13:40:00 Please enjoy some great comedy moments before I send them deep into the archives. Read more:Comedy
, Moments
Ten Priceless English Experiences 2007-08-28 12:59:00 I have to take this opportunity of thanking Zhu from Correr Es Mi Destino and her post "10 Priceless
Canadian Experiences" for setting me the following challenge:"Describe the best experiences in your country, your region, your state, your province, your city..."I have spent the last few days contemplating and cogitating over my selection and have finally come up with the 10 experiences that I think are worthy of going into the list. So here goes.....1) The FoodWell, naturally I had to start with this one first. I have been fortunate as my family have always been willing to experiment with food (which is helped by the fact that my mother is the best cook in the world). This has meant that I was brought up sampling many different things – and in England there is certainly plenty of opportunity to try many different types of food. However, deep inside my heart I don’t think you can beat the true traditional foods of my home country.Some of the finest are listed below:a) England would Read more:English
A vacation in Corfu 2007-09-21 08:59:00 Hi folks!!! Well I have finally returned home from my travels... a little browner, slightly hungover and a whole lot heavier...ooops! I've got a lot to tell!!!!Over the next few days I will write a post about the ups and downs of the 'experience' but in the meantime I thought I'd wet your appetite with a handful of photos...
Bye for now,Graham :)
A vacation in Corfu 2007-09-02 11:41:00 Guys, I'm away at the moment, but will be back around the 19th September. Gosh, how am I going to survive with no blogging in the meantime?????? Speak to you soon!!!If you can see this, your browser doesn't understand iframe.It must be weeks since I last had a holiday... I'm sure I am due one again!!!!So here it is, in a few days time my next destination - Corfu.Now I am not one for a beach holiday, but I think this year it will be the safer option. I think the worst injury I could get is a touch of sunburn or a hangover... and if my luck is really out, I could get a paper cut from one of the many books that I am taking with me.So, where is Corfu?Corfu is a Greek island just off the coasts of Greece and Albania (see the maps below).A couple of friends and I have booked an apartment in the resort of Sidari - a place that I'd never heard of until about 5 minutes before booking the the holiday.Because of this, I can't tell you too much about the place. However, I have done a bit of s
Istanbul....Here I come!!!!! 2007-09-23 16:09:00 Ok, so I get around a bit.... Next weekend I am going to visit some friends in Cheshire (about 200 miles/320 km from where I live).After visiting my friends, I will be returning to my home town of Swindon to the UK Honda Plant where I am Resource Planning Manager, to be picked up by taxi and taken to Heathrow Airport to fly out to Istanbul in Turkey for a week.Now, before you all start shouting at me for being on one big holiday, I just wanted to say that this time it is a business trip. Istanbul has a unique position in the World by being the only city settled on two different continents and thereby offering a chance to make an intercontinental trip by bus or ferry like some of the Istanbullers do everyday.Today, Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural centre of Turkey, and its beauty lies in its ability to embrace its contradictions. Ancient and modern, religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly all co-exist here. Geographically Istanbul is di
Istanbul - Turkey 2007 2007-10-01 14:32:00 Well, I have finally arrived after a rather long day travelling. I left home at 6.30am this morning to be picked up at my place of work. The journey started with a slow drive up the M4 Motorway to Heathrow Airport. By 10am I had checked in and had made my way upto the Business Lounge for some refreshments and a little relaxation. So far, so good.......... Now, I am not going to start to get all political and moan about our aiports, but what was supposed to be an 11:25am take-off ended up being a 1:00 pm take-off (3.00pm Turkey
time). We had sat squashed up in our seats for an hour and a half without so much as moving an inch.... I could have swam half way by now!!! I got bored, so started taking photos already... This is out of the window..... and as you can see, being England it is bloody well raining!!!! and this is a photo of the interior of the plane from my seat... Please note that the picture shown on the TV screens on the back of each seat is NOT a gripping film or even a slig
Graham's "8 Random Things" 2007-10-10 16:48:00 Well, I have been tagged by Linda from "Linda and her surroundings" with this rather challenging meme.... to come up with 8 random things about myself.Now the problem is, I could come up with a million random things about me.... the thing is to think of 8 facts that are remotely interesting. As this is a travel blog, I decided to base it on my travel experiences. So here goes...... Random
Travel Fact 1.When I was in the Amazon, I hurt my back on a speed boat and had to take pain killers. The pain killers reacted with the anti-Malaria tablets (lariam/mefloquine) that I was already taking at the time. The resulting affect was that during the night I had an attack of hallucinations. I can remember waking up in my hut in the middle of the night to find eight shaman in full head gear standing around my bed doing some weird form of dance, chanting and waving their spears above their heads. It was totally surreal. At first it scared the living daylights out of me, but somehow I was conscious Read more:Graham
Desktop Impressions 2007-10-09 13:42:00 Okay, so it's my turn to start to catch up on some outstanding homework. I have chosen the easy one first ('cause I'm lazy like that!). I received this meme from So Marjienalized and Choc Mint Girl. The requirement is for me to take a snapshot of the background on my screen. So here it is:The photo was taken early one morning in a canoe, when I was trekking through the Amazon. We had left our sleeping quarters under darkness to go caimen spotting with torches. After a few hours we made our way to a large opening in the river to admire the sun rise. As always I had my camera close by.... and I took this photo. I don't know why, but this photo always relaxes me. It takes me straight back to the happy feelings I had when I took the photo. An experience that I will never forget, and by having it as my laptop background, it is a way of reminding me of what life is really all about.I am supposed to pass this meme onto other, but I have been reading your posts and most have you h Read more:Desktop
, Impressions
The Dinner Party Meme 2007-10-07 17:08:00 One of my favourite activities is hosting/attending dinner parties. I find them a great opportunity to try new food, drink a little, frequently meet new people and generally have a great time. I also find that you can learn a lot about the host. It is this fact that has given me the idea for this meme. The opportunity to learn a little more about my friends in the bloggesphere.The idea is to work your way through the eight phases of the dinner party, answering all of the questions on the way - being as honest and creative as you wish. Once your homework has been completed, please nominate any number of bloggers to host their very own "virtual" dinner party.1) The DinnerParty
Theme:You have decided to hold a dinner party. When writing the invites you clearly state that fancy dress must be worn. Assuming that cost is no issue, who or what would you dress up as, and why?My initial thought was going to be Indiana Jones with his Khaki Clothes, hat and whip.... but as I spend most of my tra
Istanbul - Turkey 2007 continued..... 2007-10-05 15:35:00 Well, I have finally arrived back home. As expected, I didn't get a chance to be a tourist whilst I was in Istanbul.As mentioned in my previous post, I was rather bored on the plane, so took a few photos from out of the window and of my refreshments. I can tell you that the person sat next to me on the plane was a colleague, so was not surprised that I started taking photos of everything that moved......I also took a few minutes of film footage of the journey and landing.... On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday my day pretty much consisted of waking up betweem 5am and 6am, getting showered & dressed, then making my way down to the breakfast buffet, before making my way out to the lobby to be collected and driven to work.It will come as absolutely no surprise to you that my camera was never far away...Below is a small collection of photos taken from my hotel room, early in the morning... Unfortunately, I tried to take some photos but they didn't turn out very well - far too much mot Read more:Turkey
Five Strengths, Four People 2007-10-18 16:35:00 “So, here’s the challenge: make a list of five strengths that you possess as a writer/artist. It’s not really bragging, it’s an honest assessment (forced upon you by this darn meme). Please resist the urge to enumerate your weaknesses, or even mention them in contrast to each strong point you list. Tag four other writers or artists whom you’d like to see share their strengths.“I’ve been tagged by writer Zhu. Now, let me explain before I go any further - Zhu is an incredible artist and writer who has created a masterpiece of a blog called "Correr Es Mi Destino". I strongly recommend that if you have not already had the fortune of reading her blog, you must absolutely make a visit.Okay, so I have now been set probably the hardest kind of meme for me but as I like a challenge I will make my best effort.Let’s see…1 The yearning to travel...After sacrificing much of my pre 30's life to building my career, my newly found life of travel and exploration has been invigorating
An early morning stroll in the Costwolds, England 2007-10-21 07:19:00 I woke up this morning and the sky was clear - not a cloud in sight. The mist was begining to lift as the air began to warm. A golden opportunity to take a short 5 minute trip into the cotswolds to take some photos at one of my favourite locations - Lechlade.Lechlade is a small village that has a very young river Thames running through it. The river Thames starts not far from here and travels easterly to the capital city of London.Following the heavy downpour of rain that we had earlier this week, many of the fields and woodlands were waterlogged. This gave the secenery an even greater sense of Autumn.The photo below is one of my favourite shots of the morning, the ground was still wet with dew and covered in cobwebs. I think images like this one truly represent the time of year.The bridge over the river Thames is a great place to stand and watch the mist slowly drift away from the river......The two photographs below were taken standing on the bridge within a couple of minutes of each Read more:England
Carving My First Jack O'Lantern 2007-10-27 17:24:00 Well, Halloween is almost upon us and time for a challenge. Several week ago, Muse from Xanadu and I agreed to a challenge to carve a pumpkin for Halloween and to reveal our attempts on our Blogs. Well, here is mine... There is a national shortage of pumpkins here in the UK, due to the awful weather that we have experienced this year. Because of this, my pumpkin was rather small (well, they do say size doesn't matter!).My first task was to chop the top off...Then to sccop the flesh and seeds out...Making sure that everything is removed...Then the best bit, the design. I started with a blank sheet of A4 paper......folded it half and began to draw half a face...Once the first half face was completed, I folded the paper the opposite way and traced the image. This is so, when opening the paper to the full page again, I could copy the image over to the other side of the page to get an 'even' looking face.The last stage was to roughly cut out the design and pin it to the pumpkin. Using Read more:First
, Lantern
Even more things about me 2007-10-26 14:28:00 The lovely Daszzle of the amazingly entertaining Something to smile about has tagged me with an inspiring meme. The task is to write down my 8 lists based on 8 pre-defined categories. A challenge indeed!!!Thanks for the tag Daszzle! Here we go:8 Things I'm Passionate About1. Photography2. Travel3. Reading4. Walking in the countryside5. The theatre6. Wildlife (Flora and Fauna)7. Fine food, fine wine and fine w....8. Blogging8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die1. Live a little2. See the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights)3. Sit face to face with a wild Silverback Gorilla in the jungles of Uganda4. To regain my confidence of heights5. To swim with dolphins6. To meet that ‘special’ person7. To do something that will change somebody else’s life for the better8. To like myself8 Things I Say Often1. "I think there may be room for negotiation here"2. "I’ll accept your opinion, if you accept that mine is right”3. "Oh crumbs!"4. "Uh?”5. "Mine’s a pint!"6. "I’ll do it tomorrow"7. Read more:things
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