Top of the Morning...

Am off to one of my favourite countries in the world - Ireland - for a 12-day coach tour for a story. Am most excited about channelling my Downtown Abbey fantasties at the glorious Ashford Castle  and having a go at falconry.

Oh and then flying to Hamburg for three nights at the end to see a mate.

See you on the other side.

   
(Pic of Dublin from The Telegraph)

Rudesheim

I can't seem to convince the laptop we are in Europe and therefore 12 hours behind NZ; so I am actually posting this on Thursday evening.

And, just to confuse matters further, I am posting yesterday's images, which are of the charming wine-making town of Rudesheim, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Rhine Valley well and truly has its winter coat on and we braved chilly temperatures to catch the gondola up the hill for breath-taking views across the valley.

Sadly, we were too early for the Christmas Markets, which were just being set up, but we did manage to scoff a special Rudesheim coffee (pics below), a frothy confection of sugar cubes and brandy, which are set alight, before strong coffee enters the equation. The whole calorific carnival is topped off with a hunk of cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Despite being a good little camper and visiting the ship's gym each day, the waistband on my jeans feels tight. I must remember to write a letter of complaint to the manufacturer when I get home.