Here we go again - Up In The Air.
This trip was a short excursion to the North Island of New Zealand to play four rounds of golf. The trip was organised by Club 19.
You can see some pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com.au/cgolisau/NorthIslandNewZealand#
We arrived in Auckland on Saturday night and had a quiet meal for two at a tapas bar
called Tasca in Vulcan Lane. Recommended. Great buzz in Auckland on a Saturday night and there were some stunning women walking around. Changed my mind about going there for the world cup in October 2011.
We played Muriwai Links the next day. The Tsunami from Chile was a fizzer and the next evening we met up with an old friend of Vivienne's who took us to Moreton's bar and restaurant in St. Heliers. Great meal only spoiled by the cheers of the New Zealanders as they managed to beat Australia in a T20 match using a super over and the score was tied.
The next day we played Gulf Harbour and then caught the coach up to Paihia on the Bay of Islands. Our driver there was a Maiori who told his name meant Toenail in English. Great character.
We played Kauri Cliffs which is ranked #49 in the great courses in the world, built by a US Billionaire and truly formidable. Scared me I can tell you. That night we ate a Pure Tastes which was excellent.
The next day we flew to Napier via Auckland and the did what everyone does after two flights and 3 games the previous 3 days and go for a wine tasting tour.
Naper is cool town, destroyed in 1931 by an earthquake and re-built in an Art Deco style. We ate at an Indian calle Sangram which was if quiet. Everyone in town was at the one-day cricket match being played in Napier which New Zealand again won, which we heard about from our driver for the whole day.
The next day we then played Cape Kidnappers outside of Napier, ranked #25 in the world and probably the most spectacular golf location in the world. Some of the pictures are worth looking at. We were very fortunate that the weather was spectacular for the whole week which certainly made all the difference.
The highlight of the day was Brian Ireland, a founder of Club 19, scoring a hole in one. He started playing golf at 15, is now 75 and this was his first hole in one. He is going up on the roll of honour but even funnier was that Alan Border and Greg Blewitt were playing golf the same day. Alan Border sought him out and said that it was the best thing to happen to an Australian all day!!!
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Central America February 2010
Pictures are available at the following website: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/cgolisau/CentralAmerica2010#
We started by flying (flight 1) to San Diego on Jan 28 where my sister was having her 60th birthday party 12 days early. Great night, restaurant followed by a comedy show. We also went to Torrey Pines Golf Course where the PGA was holding an annual tournament. Highlight of the day was a plane flying around over the crowd towing a banner saying “Tiger, we miss you, San Diego Strippers.”
We (Wendy, Vivienne and I) then flew to San Jose, Costa Rica via Phoenix (flights 2&3) where we stayed next to the Airport and got up the next morning to back track to Guatemala City (Flight 4). We then took a taxi to Antigua where, when we arrived, the taxi driver said (they must all be linked to ask this question) where is the hotel? I mentioned that as I was living in Australia and that this was the first time I was in Guatemala I did not have a clue. (In my weak Spanish) Nevertheless We found it. Antigua has the deserved reputation of being the best preserved Spanish Colonial City in Central America. Surrounded by 3 volcanoes, no building is more than 2 stories high with very thick walls due to the repeated earthquates. Indeed we learned the architectural style is known as Earthquake Baroque. We ate at the Sabor de Tiemp (great atmosphere and good value), Las Atinoches (great service –we were the only clients), The Tartines (great balcony view) and Bistro Cinq (again very buzzy and where I had my first of many glasses of Rum Zapaca, a 23 year old rum which is superb.)
We attended a great lecture by Elizabeth Bell, the queen of Antigua on Friday night and the next morning did her city tour. She is terrific and had organised our Guatemalan leg. Antigua should be on everyone’s bucket list.
The second night we got up at 4am to catch a minibus back to Guatemala City where we bypassed the airport and ended up in an empty hangar at 5:30am. Gradually people started appearing and at 6:30am we got into a small plane and flew to Flores (flight 5) in Northern Guatemala to catch another bus which took us to Tikal, home of the Mayas and totally spectacular. There we saw our first howler and spider monkeys.
Tikal is another place you have to have on your bucket list.
Two nights at the Jungle lodge combined with two tours by Antonio Cortiz, whose father was the native guide who discovered one of the Tikal temples. It was again an unbelievable experience. We also drank the hotel dry of wine.
We then flew back to Guatemala City (flight 6) where we overnighted at the Biltmore Express which is a 3.5 star hotel twinned with the 5 star Westin (sort of like Jetstar and Qantas). You enter the Westin through a magic portal and can charge meals etc as if you are staying there. We had a very sumptuous 3 course Italian meal, with 3 different bottles of wine (total cost $100) at Quo Vadis on the basis the next 13 days would not be full gastronomic highlights. This was a correct forecast.
The next morning I had to go buy replacement walking shoes as my beloved Timberland Walkers which had lasted 10 years and around 20 major trips finally collapsed. The 0.5km walk from the hotel to the main (and very heavily guarded) shopping centre was interesting for the number of people who you saw who you were sure were going to mug you. Probably the scariest walk in our lives. That evening we flew (flight 7) back to San Jose to meet with the rest of our touring party, our guide Osvaldo (known as Ozzie) and our driver, Julio. There were 10 other people doing the tour, 4 couples and two single women.
Our first Sunday in Costa Rica was fascinating it was the National Elections which are held every 4 years. There was a terrific party atmosphere and surrounding the schools (which were the polling booths) were gaggles of supporters wearing T-Shirts and waving flags. There are 7 major parties in Costa Rica and to be elected the front runner has to get at least 40% of the vote in the first round, or otherwise there is a two person run-off the following week. Laura Chinchilla was elected the first female president of Costa Rica in the first round.
After visiting the mandatory coffee plantation (Vivienne now has an addiction to chocolate covered coffee beans) We set off for to the north eastern side of Costa Rica, namely the Sarapiqui Rain Forest Lodge. There we did white water rafting, followed by a jungle canopy walk on hanging bridges the next day. We ticked off our first sloth and toucans plus an unbelievable variety of birds. We were also introduced to the mandatory ingredients of every Costa Rican meal: Gallo Pinto, the national dish of fried rice and black beans.
Then we went to Casa Luna Lodge, in La Fortuna, near the Arenal volcano in the centre of Costa Rica. where we spent another two days visiting a local school and having a local lunch with a family and then another family learning how to make empanadas. Everyone was meant to bring gifts such as crayons and workbooks. Vivienne and I went top of the pops because having brought nothing with us we went out and bought a big piñata which we stuffed with candies. We also visited some hot springs at Baldi and then went to see if Arenal volcano was flowing lava. We were very lucky and caught an eruption. Unforgettable sight.
Then we headed due north to Cano Negro Lodge, near the Nicaraguan border. Nicaraguans are the main source of cheap labour in Costa Rica and there are many illegal immigrants. While at the Lodge we did our first boat cruise in the morning which was a spectacular 3 hour trip seeing an unbelievable variety of bird and animal life. On the way to Cano Negro we visited an aboriginal Costa Rican village where Wendy had another birthday party. Our Indian guide was holding a walking stick shaped like a snake which had red,black,yellow, and black bands. I asked Ozzie what sort of snake it was and he said a coral snake, the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica the saying is RANA es muerto which means RANA (rojo, amarillo, negro, amarillo) is death. In English the saying is red and yellow, kill a fellow.
We then headed over the mountains to the Buena Vista Lodge in Guancanaste. There we did our first zip lining and did a horse ride to more hot springs followed later by another canopy jungle walk. More toucans, more howler monkeys, more sloths. Walking back to our lodge from dinner on the first night Vivenne and Wendy were walking ahead and suddenly Vivienne let out a blood curdling scream. She had nearly stepped on a snake. Wendy suggested I pick it up an throw it into a bush. I demurred point out the red, yellow and black bands, saying this was the most venomous snake in Costa Rica and I did not think it would a good idea to pick it up.
That night Vivienne kept getting up checking to see if the snake had got it. As it is so warm the snakes are nocturnal.
Our penultimate two days were spent in Jaco on the Central Pacific Coast. Jaco is a surfing and game fishing town. We did another boat ride on the Tarcoles estuary (38 different birds in 2 hours, crocs, howler monkeys and this time we saw Scarlet Macaws. We also visited the Manual Antonio Park which has spectacular beaches and saw more sloths and scarlet macaws. The area is home to a large number of American immigrants and is quite rich.
We returned to San Jose and had our farewell dinner. Costa Rica is a great country and it was pleasure to travel with experienced American travellers. Ozzie was a terrific guide, really knew his nature and was an unbelievable spotter. The comparison with Guatemala in terms of the people and security was stark. On the other hand the cultural part of Guatemala makes it well worth a visit.
We returned to Los Angeles and stayed overnight at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica Beach. I saw more beggars in one day in Santa Monica than I did in two weeks in Costa Rica. On the other hand if you want to say in LA overnight I can recommend The Huntley. Great boutique hotel, only a $30 taxi ride from LAX, (don’t be stupid like us and take the recommended Super Shuttle). The Penthouse restaurant is fantastic although Vivienne and I doubled the average age on entry. The next day you can spend wandering up and down Third Street Promenade telling the panhandlers to get a job. We had brunch at the Brooklyn Deli and a happy hour meal at Locanda del Lago. Both were excellent value.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
We started by flying (flight 1) to San Diego on Jan 28 where my sister was having her 60th birthday party 12 days early. Great night, restaurant followed by a comedy show. We also went to Torrey Pines Golf Course where the PGA was holding an annual tournament. Highlight of the day was a plane flying around over the crowd towing a banner saying “Tiger, we miss you, San Diego Strippers.”
We (Wendy, Vivienne and I) then flew to San Jose, Costa Rica via Phoenix (flights 2&3) where we stayed next to the Airport and got up the next morning to back track to Guatemala City (Flight 4). We then took a taxi to Antigua where, when we arrived, the taxi driver said (they must all be linked to ask this question) where is the hotel? I mentioned that as I was living in Australia and that this was the first time I was in Guatemala I did not have a clue. (In my weak Spanish) Nevertheless We found it. Antigua has the deserved reputation of being the best preserved Spanish Colonial City in Central America. Surrounded by 3 volcanoes, no building is more than 2 stories high with very thick walls due to the repeated earthquates. Indeed we learned the architectural style is known as Earthquake Baroque. We ate at the Sabor de Tiemp (great atmosphere and good value), Las Atinoches (great service –we were the only clients), The Tartines (great balcony view) and Bistro Cinq (again very buzzy and where I had my first of many glasses of Rum Zapaca, a 23 year old rum which is superb.)
We attended a great lecture by Elizabeth Bell, the queen of Antigua on Friday night and the next morning did her city tour. She is terrific and had organised our Guatemalan leg. Antigua should be on everyone’s bucket list.
The second night we got up at 4am to catch a minibus back to Guatemala City where we bypassed the airport and ended up in an empty hangar at 5:30am. Gradually people started appearing and at 6:30am we got into a small plane and flew to Flores (flight 5) in Northern Guatemala to catch another bus which took us to Tikal, home of the Mayas and totally spectacular. There we saw our first howler and spider monkeys.
Tikal is another place you have to have on your bucket list.
Two nights at the Jungle lodge combined with two tours by Antonio Cortiz, whose father was the native guide who discovered one of the Tikal temples. It was again an unbelievable experience. We also drank the hotel dry of wine.
We then flew back to Guatemala City (flight 6) where we overnighted at the Biltmore Express which is a 3.5 star hotel twinned with the 5 star Westin (sort of like Jetstar and Qantas). You enter the Westin through a magic portal and can charge meals etc as if you are staying there. We had a very sumptuous 3 course Italian meal, with 3 different bottles of wine (total cost $100) at Quo Vadis on the basis the next 13 days would not be full gastronomic highlights. This was a correct forecast.
The next morning I had to go buy replacement walking shoes as my beloved Timberland Walkers which had lasted 10 years and around 20 major trips finally collapsed. The 0.5km walk from the hotel to the main (and very heavily guarded) shopping centre was interesting for the number of people who you saw who you were sure were going to mug you. Probably the scariest walk in our lives. That evening we flew (flight 7) back to San Jose to meet with the rest of our touring party, our guide Osvaldo (known as Ozzie) and our driver, Julio. There were 10 other people doing the tour, 4 couples and two single women.
Our first Sunday in Costa Rica was fascinating it was the National Elections which are held every 4 years. There was a terrific party atmosphere and surrounding the schools (which were the polling booths) were gaggles of supporters wearing T-Shirts and waving flags. There are 7 major parties in Costa Rica and to be elected the front runner has to get at least 40% of the vote in the first round, or otherwise there is a two person run-off the following week. Laura Chinchilla was elected the first female president of Costa Rica in the first round.
After visiting the mandatory coffee plantation (Vivienne now has an addiction to chocolate covered coffee beans) We set off for to the north eastern side of Costa Rica, namely the Sarapiqui Rain Forest Lodge. There we did white water rafting, followed by a jungle canopy walk on hanging bridges the next day. We ticked off our first sloth and toucans plus an unbelievable variety of birds. We were also introduced to the mandatory ingredients of every Costa Rican meal: Gallo Pinto, the national dish of fried rice and black beans.
Then we went to Casa Luna Lodge, in La Fortuna, near the Arenal volcano in the centre of Costa Rica. where we spent another two days visiting a local school and having a local lunch with a family and then another family learning how to make empanadas. Everyone was meant to bring gifts such as crayons and workbooks. Vivienne and I went top of the pops because having brought nothing with us we went out and bought a big piñata which we stuffed with candies. We also visited some hot springs at Baldi and then went to see if Arenal volcano was flowing lava. We were very lucky and caught an eruption. Unforgettable sight.
Then we headed due north to Cano Negro Lodge, near the Nicaraguan border. Nicaraguans are the main source of cheap labour in Costa Rica and there are many illegal immigrants. While at the Lodge we did our first boat cruise in the morning which was a spectacular 3 hour trip seeing an unbelievable variety of bird and animal life. On the way to Cano Negro we visited an aboriginal Costa Rican village where Wendy had another birthday party. Our Indian guide was holding a walking stick shaped like a snake which had red,black,yellow, and black bands. I asked Ozzie what sort of snake it was and he said a coral snake, the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica the saying is RANA es muerto which means RANA (rojo, amarillo, negro, amarillo) is death. In English the saying is red and yellow, kill a fellow.
We then headed over the mountains to the Buena Vista Lodge in Guancanaste. There we did our first zip lining and did a horse ride to more hot springs followed later by another canopy jungle walk. More toucans, more howler monkeys, more sloths. Walking back to our lodge from dinner on the first night Vivenne and Wendy were walking ahead and suddenly Vivienne let out a blood curdling scream. She had nearly stepped on a snake. Wendy suggested I pick it up an throw it into a bush. I demurred point out the red, yellow and black bands, saying this was the most venomous snake in Costa Rica and I did not think it would a good idea to pick it up.
That night Vivienne kept getting up checking to see if the snake had got it. As it is so warm the snakes are nocturnal.
Our penultimate two days were spent in Jaco on the Central Pacific Coast. Jaco is a surfing and game fishing town. We did another boat ride on the Tarcoles estuary (38 different birds in 2 hours, crocs, howler monkeys and this time we saw Scarlet Macaws. We also visited the Manual Antonio Park which has spectacular beaches and saw more sloths and scarlet macaws. The area is home to a large number of American immigrants and is quite rich.
We returned to San Jose and had our farewell dinner. Costa Rica is a great country and it was pleasure to travel with experienced American travellers. Ozzie was a terrific guide, really knew his nature and was an unbelievable spotter. The comparison with Guatemala in terms of the people and security was stark. On the other hand the cultural part of Guatemala makes it well worth a visit.
We returned to Los Angeles and stayed overnight at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica Beach. I saw more beggars in one day in Santa Monica than I did in two weeks in Costa Rica. On the other hand if you want to say in LA overnight I can recommend The Huntley. Great boutique hotel, only a $30 taxi ride from LAX, (don’t be stupid like us and take the recommended Super Shuttle). The Penthouse restaurant is fantastic although Vivienne and I doubled the average age on entry. The next day you can spend wandering up and down Third Street Promenade telling the panhandlers to get a job. We had brunch at the Brooklyn Deli and a happy hour meal at Locanda del Lago. Both were excellent value.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Monday, November 30, 2009
Mornington Peninsula November 2009
Final post of the year for this blog. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/
if you want to see the pictures. We went to the Mornington for four days playing Cape Shank, Moonah Links, The Dunes and the National. Club 19 did the organisation and six games in four days was the schedule. We played 4 as two games in one day is too much for yours truly even if on a cart. Also the final game of the final day was the Old Course at the National which I regard as the best course in Australia and I did not want to be too tired. This year the date was delayed by six weeks to November 13-16 in the hope of better weather which was certainly the case. We had one very brief light shower, otherwise it was perfect conditions for golf.
We stayed at the Sorrento Hotel which is a terrific spot and ate there the first night, Loquat on Saturday (4 star) and Bamboo (in Rye) on Sunday (3 stars).
If you can stay in Sorrento the Mornington Peninsula is great for golf and pinot noir.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
if you want to see the pictures. We went to the Mornington for four days playing Cape Shank, Moonah Links, The Dunes and the National. Club 19 did the organisation and six games in four days was the schedule. We played 4 as two games in one day is too much for yours truly even if on a cart. Also the final game of the final day was the Old Course at the National which I regard as the best course in Australia and I did not want to be too tired. This year the date was delayed by six weeks to November 13-16 in the hope of better weather which was certainly the case. We had one very brief light shower, otherwise it was perfect conditions for golf.
We stayed at the Sorrento Hotel which is a terrific spot and ate there the first night, Loquat on Saturday (4 star) and Bamboo (in Rye) on Sunday (3 stars).
If you can stay in Sorrento the Mornington Peninsula is great for golf and pinot noir.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Queenstown NZ October 2009
We went to Queenstown 17-24 October 2009. The raison d'etre was for Gary Tilsley's 60th birthday celebrations. He had decided that his 60th would be in the form of a golf tournament on his birthday (Tuesday 20 October) and that only couples who played golf would be invited. Fifteen couples made the trip which meant a full on week. We played golf five times and every night was viewed through a wine glass of Central Otago pinot noir.
Wishing to use up my frequent flyer points, Vivienne and I flew to Christchurch and drove down to Queenstown. The drive is regarded as one of the great drives in the world and lives up to its reputation.
Once you get up from the Cantebury Plain you start seeing some wonderful scenery starting at the turquoise Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki. The Southern Alps dominated by Mount Cook are spectacular. You then drive over the Lindis Pass followed by a spectacular run through the Kawarau gorge to Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.
My wife and I really enjoyed it but I must admit that doing it twice in one week reminded me of the Japanese saying about Mount Fuji. If you don't climb it once you are a fool but if you climb it twice you are an even bigger one.
We played five rounds of golf: Kelvin Heights, Jacks Point (very good course but very exposed and can be bleak if the west wind is blowing down the lake), Arrowtown (where the Tilsley Tournament was held), Kelvin Heights again (this time with a cart) finishing with Millbrook which normally costs $140 but because of introductions it was only $40. Millbrook is probably the most forgiving.
The one day off from golf was Wednesday when Vivienne and I drove up beside Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. You can see how bleak the weather was it was from the photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/QueenstownNZ2009#
However again the scenery is spectacular.
We only had four meals out. Two were at Gary's local restaurant V-Know which is very good. We started with a curry as Nadia's which according to the taxi-driver was alway full with Indians. It was the night we were there but even though it had the best recommendations of the Indian restaurants in Queenstown I would not put it top of my list. The other meal we had was at the Botswana Butchery which was pretty good.
Queenstown is spectacularly beautiful but is on latitude 45 degrees south, about 3 degrees south of Hobart. It can be cold so rug up if you go.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Wishing to use up my frequent flyer points, Vivienne and I flew to Christchurch and drove down to Queenstown. The drive is regarded as one of the great drives in the world and lives up to its reputation.
Once you get up from the Cantebury Plain you start seeing some wonderful scenery starting at the turquoise Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki. The Southern Alps dominated by Mount Cook are spectacular. You then drive over the Lindis Pass followed by a spectacular run through the Kawarau gorge to Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.
My wife and I really enjoyed it but I must admit that doing it twice in one week reminded me of the Japanese saying about Mount Fuji. If you don't climb it once you are a fool but if you climb it twice you are an even bigger one.
We played five rounds of golf: Kelvin Heights, Jacks Point (very good course but very exposed and can be bleak if the west wind is blowing down the lake), Arrowtown (where the Tilsley Tournament was held), Kelvin Heights again (this time with a cart) finishing with Millbrook which normally costs $140 but because of introductions it was only $40. Millbrook is probably the most forgiving.
The one day off from golf was Wednesday when Vivienne and I drove up beside Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. You can see how bleak the weather was it was from the photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/QueenstownNZ2009#
However again the scenery is spectacular.
We only had four meals out. Two were at Gary's local restaurant V-Know which is very good. We started with a curry as Nadia's which according to the taxi-driver was alway full with Indians. It was the night we were there but even though it had the best recommendations of the Indian restaurants in Queenstown I would not put it top of my list. The other meal we had was at the Botswana Butchery which was pretty good.
Queenstown is spectacularly beautiful but is on latitude 45 degrees south, about 3 degrees south of Hobart. It can be cold so rug up if you go.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Saturday, October 10, 2009
World Trip 2008
I was not going to write this but then I found a set of photos which I have loaded up onto my Picasa website http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/WorldTrip2008#
The trip comprised a number of sections:
We started with a visit to my daughter, Louisa and her husband, Tom in Chicago in June. First tip go to Chicago in late spring, the weather was great.
Chicago is an amazing city with incredible buildings and outdoor sculptures. Do the architecture tours led by the docents.
We then went to England and visited Nick Cross and his wife JoJo. Nick was an old LBS colleague who always wanted to do good and ended up doing rather well. He kindly gave us two tickets to Wimbledon which was a great experience.
Then we met up with my sister in Paris and did the Burgundy Wine Cruise which I have already described in an earlier blog.
We went back to England and buried my parent's ashes in the grounds of Swainswick Church. It is called closure and it works.
We then went to Budapest. Great city and worth a visit. Of the big 3 my wife and I have enjoyed Vienna and Budapest the most and would put Prague (full of Russian prostitutes and British Lager louts) at the bottom.
In Budapest we were guests of Les Farkash who was another great host.
Finally we ended up in Croatia where we visited Dubrovnik and did another boat cruise on the Croatian coast. We were lucky in that we had good weather.
The six of us, Ali & Barry, Ann & Anthony, Vivienne and myself (in separate bunks!!!) managed again to sail together and maintain good cheer.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
The trip comprised a number of sections:
We started with a visit to my daughter, Louisa and her husband, Tom in Chicago in June. First tip go to Chicago in late spring, the weather was great.
Chicago is an amazing city with incredible buildings and outdoor sculptures. Do the architecture tours led by the docents.
We then went to England and visited Nick Cross and his wife JoJo. Nick was an old LBS colleague who always wanted to do good and ended up doing rather well. He kindly gave us two tickets to Wimbledon which was a great experience.
Then we met up with my sister in Paris and did the Burgundy Wine Cruise which I have already described in an earlier blog.
We went back to England and buried my parent's ashes in the grounds of Swainswick Church. It is called closure and it works.
We then went to Budapest. Great city and worth a visit. Of the big 3 my wife and I have enjoyed Vienna and Budapest the most and would put Prague (full of Russian prostitutes and British Lager louts) at the bottom.
In Budapest we were guests of Les Farkash who was another great host.
Finally we ended up in Croatia where we visited Dubrovnik and did another boat cruise on the Croatian coast. We were lucky in that we had good weather.
The six of us, Ali & Barry, Ann & Anthony, Vivienne and myself (in separate bunks!!!) managed again to sail together and maintain good cheer.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
France 2007 & 2008
I have put these two trips together.
The first trip in 2007 was for the Rugby World Cup. We went with our good friends Cate & Fred Dawson. The four of us arrived in London, went to Cardiff for the match between Australia and Wales which Australia won in their best display of the tournament and which was a great day starting in the pubs at 10am and finishing with curry for dinner. We then flew the next day to Paris and collected our leased Renault Espace which we proceeded to drive around France and only knocking off the wing mirrors twice.
France 2007 consisted of 6 sections.
• We spend the first week in the Loire valley staying at a cottage at Abbaye de Fontevraud. They are called Gites in France and the three we stayed at were exceptional value. In the Loire valley you go to chateaux. Chenonceau is top of the list but I think we ended up going to around 14 until we were chateuxed out. One place not to miss is Samur. The French calvary known as the Cadre Noire have their equestrian centre just outside of the town with around 400 beautiful horses. Take the tour. I will never forget an American woman asking with a straight face, “How much manure is produced a year?” “About 6,000 tonnes, madam.” “What do you do with it?” “We put in on top of the mushrooms, madam.”
• The second week was spent in Beynac in the Dordogne. Our cottage was located next to the castle on the top of the hill. Again a spectacular place. You have to go to the market at Sarlat and Domme is well worth a visit along with Rocamadour.
• The third week was spent in Provence in a small village called Meridol, in the foothills of the Luberon. Again what can one say about Provence. Avignon, Arles, Aix, Lourmarin...A week in Provence is like a week in heaven.
• We then got back into rugby by going to the quarter-finals in Marseille. Australia lost to England who played well. The atmosphere in Marseille was terrific and it was a great weekend. It was particularly so because the Saturday night France was playing New Zealand in Cardiff after having lost to Argentina in the opening game. 20,000 people were in the town square watching the game on huge TV screens, expecting the French team to be massacred. The French won and Marseilles went absolutely bananas.
• Then we drove up through Burgundy staying 2 nights in Lyon and 2 nights in Dijon. The four days whetted my appetite to return.
• Finally we ended up in Paris. Le Grand Colbert is still going strong. Again we had a great time with terrific lunches followed by the semi-finals in the evening. Paris was filled with NZ supporters walking around wondering what they were doing there.
We returned in 2008, this time meeting up with my sister. We again spend several days in Paris and then spent a week cruising the Burgundy canals on the Luciole.
What can I say? This is a gourmet trip. We had 28 different cheeses, tasted some great food and some really beautiful wines. This is one trip you have to do in your life. Also the one week trip from Auxerre to Clamecy on Nivernais canal is off the beaten track and through some of the most beautiful country side in France. I have heard of people being disappointed with the Canal du Midi.
We were very lucky and had great weather. It only rained when we were driving from one region to the next. France is fantastic with great wine, history, culture and food but we did find the andouillettes a challenge.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
The first trip in 2007 was for the Rugby World Cup. We went with our good friends Cate & Fred Dawson. The four of us arrived in London, went to Cardiff for the match between Australia and Wales which Australia won in their best display of the tournament and which was a great day starting in the pubs at 10am and finishing with curry for dinner. We then flew the next day to Paris and collected our leased Renault Espace which we proceeded to drive around France and only knocking off the wing mirrors twice.
France 2007 consisted of 6 sections.
• We spend the first week in the Loire valley staying at a cottage at Abbaye de Fontevraud. They are called Gites in France and the three we stayed at were exceptional value. In the Loire valley you go to chateaux. Chenonceau is top of the list but I think we ended up going to around 14 until we were chateuxed out. One place not to miss is Samur. The French calvary known as the Cadre Noire have their equestrian centre just outside of the town with around 400 beautiful horses. Take the tour. I will never forget an American woman asking with a straight face, “How much manure is produced a year?” “About 6,000 tonnes, madam.” “What do you do with it?” “We put in on top of the mushrooms, madam.”
• The second week was spent in Beynac in the Dordogne. Our cottage was located next to the castle on the top of the hill. Again a spectacular place. You have to go to the market at Sarlat and Domme is well worth a visit along with Rocamadour.
• The third week was spent in Provence in a small village called Meridol, in the foothills of the Luberon. Again what can one say about Provence. Avignon, Arles, Aix, Lourmarin...A week in Provence is like a week in heaven.
• We then got back into rugby by going to the quarter-finals in Marseille. Australia lost to England who played well. The atmosphere in Marseille was terrific and it was a great weekend. It was particularly so because the Saturday night France was playing New Zealand in Cardiff after having lost to Argentina in the opening game. 20,000 people were in the town square watching the game on huge TV screens, expecting the French team to be massacred. The French won and Marseilles went absolutely bananas.
• Then we drove up through Burgundy staying 2 nights in Lyon and 2 nights in Dijon. The four days whetted my appetite to return.
• Finally we ended up in Paris. Le Grand Colbert is still going strong. Again we had a great time with terrific lunches followed by the semi-finals in the evening. Paris was filled with NZ supporters walking around wondering what they were doing there.
We returned in 2008, this time meeting up with my sister. We again spend several days in Paris and then spent a week cruising the Burgundy canals on the Luciole.
What can I say? This is a gourmet trip. We had 28 different cheeses, tasted some great food and some really beautiful wines. This is one trip you have to do in your life. Also the one week trip from Auxerre to Clamecy on Nivernais canal is off the beaten track and through some of the most beautiful country side in France. I have heard of people being disappointed with the Canal du Midi.
We were very lucky and had great weather. It only rained when we were driving from one region to the next. France is fantastic with great wine, history, culture and food but we did find the andouillettes a challenge.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
The Masters Augusta, Georgia 30 March 18 April 2009
This trip was effectively in four legs.
• San Diego seeing my sister’s family.
• Playing three rounds at Pinehurst, North Carolina known as the St. Andrews of North America
• Going to the Masters in Georgia and staying in Aiken, South Carolina.
• Hiring a car and staying in Savannah and Charleston.
If you are a golfer, (and my wife and I are) this is said to be the closest you will ever get to heaven. The annual trip is organised by Teed-Up
Teed Up are the managers of Club 19 of which I am a member.
There were around 80 people on the trip; everyone agreed it was fantastic and worth every penny.
Pinehurst is an unbelievable complex with 8 golf courses. The day that you play Pinehurst #2 where they hold the US Open with caddies is one you will never forget.
For the Masters we stayed in Aiken in a fabulous apartment above Malia’s which is regarded as the best restaurant in town. However Aiken itself is beautiful town with a number of excellent restaurants. The Masters is an incredible experience. We went on the practice day and the Par-3 day, the second day and the fourth and final day. On the first and third days we played golf.
You can take your cameras on the practice and Par-3 days. The practice day was very cold and few golfers were out except for one, Angel Cabrera, who must have taken at least 40 putts on every green and having his caddie write everything down. Cabrera, nicknamed El Pato or the Duck for the way he walks around the golf course won in a very exciting match.
I have written about Cabrera’s win in my other blog but it is my firm belief his time spent on practicing putting on the treacherous Augusta greens made a difference.
Don’t do what we did and forget your camera on the Par 3 day. That day you can get really close to the golfers. We were three yards away from Greg and his caddie Chrissy (that is why she divorced him) and the famous trio of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player.
We adopted the strategy of letting the field come to us, as recommended by Bobby Jones. On the second day we went to Amen Corner. On the final day we went to the 16th. By then the weather had really warmed up and I am now a Golf major junkie.
We were also very lucky that we caught up with Bill Reynolds and his father. We had met Bill and his wife Russi on a wine cruise trip in Burgundy. Bill and his father were Gallery Guards at Augusta and they took us for dinner at the Augusta Country Club after spending the practice day watching the players. It was a fantastic dinner. Full length minks were the order of the day, while we were all dressed in cold weather spectator gear.
After the Masters we drove down to Savannah. We stayed at the wonderful and historic Eliza Thompson House. Do the tours as the town is a wonderful place to visit. It has 22 squares. Also the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tour is terrific.
We drove up to Charleston which is another historic town and great to visit.
This is where the Civil War started and you should do the Civil War tour. We stayed at the French Quarter Inn
On Bill’s recommendation. Another terrific place.
Another highlight was a visit to Magnolia Plantation.
While we were there I saw a plaque saying it was here that the American’s suffered their greatest defeat when 4,650 of the American army of 5,000 men was captured and the rest were casualties. The British suffered 0 casualties. Unsurprisingly this battle which occurred on 12 May 1780 gets little airplay in the US history books. I had never heard of it and I went to school till I was 13 in the US and the history of the American Revolution was drummed into us annually.
The loss was a severe blow to the colonies. It was the greatest loss of manpower and equipment of the war for the Americans and gave the British nearly complete control of the Southern colonies.
General Clinton, the victorious British General, was subsequently recalled to London to report. General Clinton's one order to General Cornwallis before he left, was to maintain possession of Charleston above all else. Cornwallis was not to move into North Carolina if it jeopardized this holding. Of course, in May 1781, British Lt. General Charles Earl Cornwallis decided to move north into Virginia where he was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Yorktown. This is probably one of the best examples of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the history of man. If Cornwallis had followed orders and stayed put the course of American history would very different. The US could have ended up as a small country sandwiched between the British Colonies of Canada and the Carolinas.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
• San Diego seeing my sister’s family.
• Playing three rounds at Pinehurst, North Carolina known as the St. Andrews of North America
• Going to the Masters in Georgia and staying in Aiken, South Carolina.
• Hiring a car and staying in Savannah and Charleston.
If you are a golfer, (and my wife and I are) this is said to be the closest you will ever get to heaven. The annual trip is organised by Teed-Up
Teed Up are the managers of Club 19 of which I am a member.
There were around 80 people on the trip; everyone agreed it was fantastic and worth every penny.
Pinehurst is an unbelievable complex with 8 golf courses. The day that you play Pinehurst #2 where they hold the US Open with caddies is one you will never forget.
For the Masters we stayed in Aiken in a fabulous apartment above Malia’s which is regarded as the best restaurant in town. However Aiken itself is beautiful town with a number of excellent restaurants. The Masters is an incredible experience. We went on the practice day and the Par-3 day, the second day and the fourth and final day. On the first and third days we played golf.
You can take your cameras on the practice and Par-3 days. The practice day was very cold and few golfers were out except for one, Angel Cabrera, who must have taken at least 40 putts on every green and having his caddie write everything down. Cabrera, nicknamed El Pato or the Duck for the way he walks around the golf course won in a very exciting match.
I have written about Cabrera’s win in my other blog but it is my firm belief his time spent on practicing putting on the treacherous Augusta greens made a difference.
Don’t do what we did and forget your camera on the Par 3 day. That day you can get really close to the golfers. We were three yards away from Greg and his caddie Chrissy (that is why she divorced him) and the famous trio of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player.
We adopted the strategy of letting the field come to us, as recommended by Bobby Jones. On the second day we went to Amen Corner. On the final day we went to the 16th. By then the weather had really warmed up and I am now a Golf major junkie.
We were also very lucky that we caught up with Bill Reynolds and his father. We had met Bill and his wife Russi on a wine cruise trip in Burgundy. Bill and his father were Gallery Guards at Augusta and they took us for dinner at the Augusta Country Club after spending the practice day watching the players. It was a fantastic dinner. Full length minks were the order of the day, while we were all dressed in cold weather spectator gear.
After the Masters we drove down to Savannah. We stayed at the wonderful and historic Eliza Thompson House. Do the tours as the town is a wonderful place to visit. It has 22 squares. Also the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tour is terrific.
We drove up to Charleston which is another historic town and great to visit.
This is where the Civil War started and you should do the Civil War tour. We stayed at the French Quarter Inn
On Bill’s recommendation. Another terrific place.
Another highlight was a visit to Magnolia Plantation.
While we were there I saw a plaque saying it was here that the American’s suffered their greatest defeat when 4,650 of the American army of 5,000 men was captured and the rest were casualties. The British suffered 0 casualties. Unsurprisingly this battle which occurred on 12 May 1780 gets little airplay in the US history books. I had never heard of it and I went to school till I was 13 in the US and the history of the American Revolution was drummed into us annually.
The loss was a severe blow to the colonies. It was the greatest loss of manpower and equipment of the war for the Americans and gave the British nearly complete control of the Southern colonies.
General Clinton, the victorious British General, was subsequently recalled to London to report. General Clinton's one order to General Cornwallis before he left, was to maintain possession of Charleston above all else. Cornwallis was not to move into North Carolina if it jeopardized this holding. Of course, in May 1781, British Lt. General Charles Earl Cornwallis decided to move north into Virginia where he was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Yorktown. This is probably one of the best examples of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the history of man. If Cornwallis had followed orders and stayed put the course of American history would very different. The US could have ended up as a small country sandwiched between the British Colonies of Canada and the Carolinas.
Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
