Manchester airport…

Ever seen Love Actually?

We recommend just the opening titles – a scene from the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport with Hugh Grant explaining how an airport is an excellent place to observe love amongst family and friends…

We have finally arrived at Manchester airport and have waited months for this moment.

Checking in…

We are having a light pre departure lunch, followed by cake of course! Our bags are checked in and we are awaiting the gate number. But don’t pity us – hanging out in coffee shops is a favourite pastime; and hanging out in coffee shops before boarding a plane is even better!

We depart at 13.40 and arrive in Moscow at 21.35 before heading to our hotel via the metro for a late night check in.

So only a little longer to wait now… So exciting!!

catandgary 🙂

Ready for the off…

We’ve come a very long way over the last few months…

And today we have returned to the city where it all began; back to Leeds where our plan was hatched.

The last six months have seen us negotiate sabbaticals at work, move belongings into storage, depart our home in Lancaster, obtain visas, book flights, notarise documents, say our goodbyes and generally prepare for the off.

Tonight we are at ‘Jamie’s Italian’ in Leeds for a celebration of everthing and everybody at home…and to look forward to all the special times ahead…

In three days we make for Manchester airport and board our plane for Moscow and the start of our adventure.

But first we have one last night to enjoy…

See you all on Monday at Manchester airport.

catandgary 🙂

ps: OK; for those of you who arrived at this ‘travel blog’ in March and expected to read about ‘travel’ we apologise! But watch this space…because in three days we FLY…

English Grammar revisited…

In the midst of the flurry of activity that precedes any trip such as ours, we are trying to find the occasional quiet moment to revisit the essential elements of English Grammar in preparation for our planned work in Vietnam, teaching English as a foreign language.

We have enough text books from our CELTA studies to sink a battleship. However, a recent gift: ‘Gwynne’s Grammar’ by N M Gwynne, has provided us with a welcome departure from the more heavyweight texts. Not only is it concise and thorough but, and this is an essential but, it’s also an entertaining read offering a new slant on many key grammatical  areas. Once more we are revisiting split infinitives, conjunctions and intransitive verbs but this time through we are actually enjoying it!

Thank you Mr Gwynne!

And an update on our route – after five days in Beijing we will fly down to Kuala Lumpur and then work our way up to Bangkok via Koh Samui, before departing for Hanoi on 3rd October. Are we excited? You bet!!

catandgary 🙂

ps: We hope this post is grammatically correct!

Planning the Trans Siberian with Yuriy…

Yesterday was a very special day.

Having made a good start on clothing and equipment, we took the ‘no going back’ plunge and booked flights to Moscow and, via Yuriy at RealRussia, tickets for the Trans Siberian Express to Beijing…our chosen route to the Far East.

We have been in email communication with Yuriy for a while now, seeking advice and making provisional arrangements. We have only just ascertained that he is male and are still unsure of his position in the company, or even where he is based.  His e-signature refers to him as a Travel Specialist; and indeed he is (no question is too small or too complex!). Yuriy responds immediately and with an enviable knowledge of his subject.  So if you’re seeking advice as an independent traveller in Russia, Yuriy is reason enough to opt for RealRussia.

Trans Siberian Express – a train journey like no other…

We have booked two tickets, first class – two berth with shared shower – to ensure our privacy, on board the ‘number 4’ 21.35 scheduled train from Moscow to Beijing. First class may be a bit of a luxury but we have opted to run the 6 day journey without any expensive stopovers en route…so it’s swings and roundabouts.

We will stay in Beijing for a few days before dropping down to Vietnam to search for work teaching English.

There is so much to do at home but excitement’s mounting and we’ve less than five months to go…

catandgary 🙂

Countdown…

After years of dreaming we have decided to do it! We have finally found the courage to sell up, resign from work, pack our bags, say goodbye and travel the world.  We might be fifty years old but heh, maybe that was the inspiration… maybe reaching that milestone gave us the courage to do what we said we always wanted, but feared we never would. After all we are CELTA qualified – trained and certified to teach English – so even if we run out of funds we’re prepared. And Charlotte has done it and lived to tell the tale…

Almost time to go… no pretending now… And just to prove our intent we’re off to the Cotswold store to buy some of those fancy cubed luggage arrangers to keep our rucksacks tidy!

The decision was the hard part… the rest should now prove easier. Breaking free of established routines, saying goodbye to beloved friends and family, buying more cubed luggage arrangers (well they are very appealing and everyone recommends them)…

If we leave in September that gives us six months to prepare… so check in nearer the time for an update and details of our plans and proposed route… YIKES!!!… so excited we can hardy sleep!

catandgary 🙂