A Very Long Time

Well it has been a long time since I have posted anything, so thought I'd nerd it up and put some pictures up to cover the last few months. Guess I'll start all the way back at Christmas/New Year.

Christmas/New Year

I spent Christmas in a chalet in Chamonix, France. A total of 16 of us went there for a week of skiing and snowboarding, which ended as a bit of a disaster. Luke, Daniel and I were all set to fly to Geneva when the fog around London cancelled our flight. So after a crazy few hours spent at the airport waiting for our luggage to return, our best alternative to get there was a big drive. With a few small hours of sleep, we caught a mini cab to Dover, a ferry across to Calais and then hired a car and drove across to Geneva. Broke the original trip budget but at least we made it.

The chalet crew and our hosts.

Dan and I at the top of Mont Blanc.

Dave and I giving our best rendition of Alice Cooper's Poison, didn't get a top score - can't understand why!

The snow conditions were pretty crap, not quite the powder we had hoped for, but still had a ball during the week. From there we flew up to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay festivities. Unfortunately, gale force winds stopped the festival happening so we ended up celebrating the New Year in our apartments. Not the best but got to see a few of the city sites so not completely wasted. Got evacuated from Edinburgh Castle just before getting to the Crown Jewels, so that will have to be for another time.

Debbie, Luke and I at the front of the castle.

View of Edinburgh from inside the castle walls.

To top off our trip, I managed to get the flu while at Chamonix and spent the next few weeks getting over it and our plane flight from Edinburgh to London was cancelled, luckily we were able to get on another one that night.

Amsterdam
With Debbie, Charles and Dave all holidaying over here over the Christams period, those of us in London decided to drop across to Amsterdam to meet up with them for a weekend of fun. Daniel and Michael headed across on Thursday morning and Luke and I followed on the friday afternoon. After catching the train from the airport the wrong way (thanks Luke), we made it to our hostel in the red light district. A spot of "window shopping" (not quite sure how some get any business) and then we went to get some culture and watch a "theatre show". An interesting night all round.

Missed breakfast Saturday (thanks Luke) then while Debbie and Charles met up with some friends, the rest of us hired bicycles and spent the next few hours riding.

With our bicycles.

The scenery was lovely until it started blowing a gale and raining, needless to say after apparently riding 30km (I swear it was further!!!) I was not a happy camper and just wanted to get back. My exercise for the next year I think!!!

Just some of the scenery outside of Amsterdam.

Sunday was spent wandering around the city, saw some of the sights, went to the Anne Franks museum and then spent the afternoon chilling in a pub before flying home.

Dave and I making good use of a clog.

The worlds smallest house (really).

Debbie and I outside of the Anne Frank museum (where they hid during the war).

Most of the buildings are crooked and all over the place (look at the ones behind Daniel).