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Travelogues
So
many
Old
Girls
are
travelling
around
the
world
now
that
we
have
decided
to
have
a
dedicated
section
for
contributions.
Travelogues
can
be
emailed to
news@ashfordschoolassociation.co.uk;
or
fill
in
the
downloadable
form
here
and
email
to
news@ashfordschoolassociation.co.uk
or send
as
hard
copies
to:-
Carolyn
Chamberlain,
Rue
de
la
Résistance,
24550
Villefranche
du
Périgord,
France
"In
January
I
went
on a
cruise
from
Southampton
to
New
Zealand
calling
at
various
places
en
route,
the
most
spectacular
of
which
was
Antarctica.
The
weather
could
not
have
been
better
—
clear
blue
cloudless
skies".
Here
is
her
first
email
sent
to
family
and
friends
which
she
has
allowed
us
to
use:-
"Well,
we
are
now
nearing
the
South
American
continent
and
will
be
in
Recife
the
day
after
tomorrow,
the
15th.
We
had
a
really
stormy
passage
across
the
Bay
of
Biscay
and
all
the
way
down
to
Madeira.
We
woke
up
one
night
(royal
'we'
that
one,
as
there
was
only
me
in
bed)
with
a
terrible
crash
and
bang
as
the
ship
hit
a
wave.
Everything
fell
off
the
dressing
table
tops,
the
glasses
smashed
and
it
was
quite
scary.
From
then
on
we
had
force
7
gales
and
20
foot
waves
(although
I
think
they
were
more
like
10
foot).
It
was
actually
very
dramatic.
Madeira
is
nothing
special
but
quite
pretty
with
lots
of
flowers.
I
went
in a
jeep
up
to
the
top
of
the
'mountains',
which
was
like
a
plateau,
really
full
of
wind
turbines,
but
the
scenery
is
very
dramatic
with
huge
pinnacles
and
great
chasms.
Cape
Verde
Island
was
just
like
a
giant
slag
heap
being
the
remains
of a
volcano
- I
didn't
like
it
at
all
although
I
suppose
it
was
quite
interesting
to
see
it.
It
is a
very
poor
country,
more
like
a
big
shanty
town
and
very
dirty,
we
were
told
not
to
linger
anywhere.
I
have
got
a
lovely
cabin,
very
big
with
a
couch
and
two
easy
chairs
and
table,
masses
of
cupboard
and
wardrobe
space
and
a
big
patio
window,
which
I
can
open.
We
are
now
in
the
tropics
and
it
is
very
humid
and
sultry
and
terribly
hot.
We
cross
the
equator
tonight,
13th
January.
I
asked
to
change
my
cabin
as
soon
as I
got
on
because
my
original
one
had
a
window
right
pressed
against
the
corner
with
a
big
buttress
outside
and
it
was
very
dark.
So I
was
allowed
to
choose
from
3
other
empty
ones
in
my
corridor.
Just
shows,
it
is
worth
complaining!
I am
having
a
wonderful
time.
I
have
hardly
moved
out
of
my
lounger
for
the
last
three
days.
I
can't
even
stir
myself
to
go
and
listen
to
talks,
I
just
look
at a
book
every
now
and
then
but
never
seem
to
get
past
page
1.
The
sea
is
fantastic,
we
haven't
seen
a
ship
or
land
for
four
days
and
the
space
is
so
huge.
We
have
been
seeing
flying
fish
and
porpoises
the
last
couple
of
days
and
I
saw
some
petrels
(birds)
flying
close
to
the
sea.
We
were
about
1400
miles
from
land
and
these
birds
were
around.
They
pick
off
bits
and
bobs
from
the
surface
of
the
sea
and
never
land
-
amazing.
No
whales
yet,
though.
Honestly,
I
can't
tell
you
how
beautiful
it
is,
although
we
have
been
through
small
tropical
rainfalls,
on
the
whole
it
has
been
clear
with
pretty
clouds
and
the
sunsets
are
quite
stunning.
It
blows
my
head
off,
I
can
do
nothing
but
look
and
watch
it
all
and
listen
to
the
odd
Mahler
symphony
in
between
on
my
earphones.
I
have
met
some
nice
people,
mainly
the
ones
of
my
dining
table,
although
I am
now
quite
friendly
with
two
other
women
and
we
walked
into
Cape
Verde
together.
One
chap
came
and
talked
to
me
yesterday
and
asked
me
to
go
to
the
Saga
Club
drinks
do
with
him
today,
which
I
have.
He
is
very
nice,
about
75.
There
is
one
other
on
my
table
who
is
very
attentive!
I go
to
bed
really
early,
about
10.00pm
as I
am
not
a
party
girl
and
actually
get
bored
stiff
with
all
these
shows.
In
fact
there
is
nothing
I
have
wanted
to
go
to,
except
they
have
organised
a
little
choir
for
Saga
passengers,
which
I
have
joined
and
we
are
giving
a
performance
on
Monday
as
the
choirmaster
leaves
the
ship
in
Rio.
We
are
completely
under-rehearsed
and
the
sopranos
are
hopeless
and
can't
sing
a
note.
It
will
be a
disaster
but
never
mind.
The
Discovery
is a
nicer
ship
and
the
attention
to
detail
is
better
and
the
staff
more
friendly.
Will send another report after the Antarctic, probably in a group one. I am missing you all (some of the time anyway!) my good friends".
Her second email arrived a bit later:-
"Icebergs began appearing as we crossed the Drake Passage and then came Antarctica proper which is impossible to describe adequately. It is beautiful beyond belief, so magnificent and awe-inspiring. Everywhere huge snow-covered mountains, ice, glaciers, the sea tinkling intermittently as the ship makes its way through ice floes. Sometimes there were seals sunbathing on the ice floes and many penguins; the odd whale would flip its tail now and then. We stayed in Antarctica for four days and nights, landing four times at tiny bases (a couple of huts and a tin drum) of countries staking their claim; Argentina, Chile and Britain. At all of them there were different sorts of penguins, Gentoo, Adelie, Magellenic, Chinstrap, all of them making a din and smelling foul. We used black rubber z-boats to land and we were given bright red tops and trousers to wear (we all looked a bit like red penguins). We travelled through narrow channels and open sea and had unbelievable sunsets, although the sun really barely set. I could hardly bear to tear myself away and was in danger of frostbite on a couple of occasions.
The whole trip was magnificent. Easter Island and Pitcairn Island were beautiful and interesting. It is hard to believe there is so much sea. We went for days without seeing any land and the feeling of space and freedom was wonderful. I am now planning another cruise next January the other way round!"
Here is her last one from Cheltenham:-
"I am back from my mammoth holiday and have had the most wonderful time. Antarctica was really exquisite and way beyond my expectations. We did not land at Easter Island, the other place I really wanted to see, because it was too rough but we did sail round it and saw some statues from a distance. I wasn't bowled over by Tahiti or Bora Bora as I had expected to be - in fact I don't think I would even like a holiday at either of them. You probably need to be a water sport fanatic to really enjoy holidays there. I met some very nice people on board. I was at a table for six for meals and we were all very compatible and had such good fun. Mealtimes were a real pleasure and not because of the food. That was a real stroke of luck because there were some odd and ancient people around although on the whole most of the people I met were fine. There were a few men on their own, two brothers on our table travelling without their wives. One of them took a real shine to me which caused a slight problem at times but which I managed to control! Another quite nice chap lived in Cumbria not far from my house up there, so I shall contact him when I next go up there. Oh I did so love being on the sea - I could just look out at the sea all day and never be bored. My flight back from New Zealand was 25 hours with a 1 hour stop in Los Angeles. I coped with it extremely well and was not unduly terrified although was longing to get to Heathrow.
I feel a bit of a traveller now and hopefully will be able to come and stay with you (Carolyn) in the summer.
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Turkey
and
Egypt
by
SUSAN
PETTIPIERRE,'63
(Mrs
Godding) |
"I
have
been
fortunate
in
that
this
year
I
have
made
two
overseas
trips,
both
with
my
studies
in
Classics
in
mind.
The
first,
in
March,
was
to
Turkey.
The
excuse
was
the
total
eclipse
of
the
sun!
This
was
happening,
among
other
places,
over
Libya,
Egypt
and
Turkey,
and
several
'resorts'
had
been
chosen
by
the
company
for
the
best
'view'
of
the
eclipse
in
these
countries.
Since
I
had
visited
Egypt
already
once,
had
no
wish
to
go
to
Libya,
Turkey
was
an
obvious
choice,
particularly
since
they
offered
one
in
Cappadoccia
-
with
all
that
ancient
history
to
see
as
well!
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We
were
a
mixed
group,
but
all
of
us
had
some
interest
in
the
eclipse,
especially those who had brought special equipment with which to photograph this. It was, indeed, very interesting - we saw not only the distant volcano disappearing in a rosy haze, and the approaching dusk - it was never dark - but also the various phases of the eclipse, with wavy lines, the shadow of the sun being covered (and uncovered), the diamond rings etc. Some wonderful photos were taken. The confusion of the birds and the exclamations of the people, with the distant town lights going on, was a social sideline that was much remarked upon.
The various visits around the area were almost of secondary importance!
Gallery of photographs and more information about Turkey by Susan here
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To
follow
that
in
September
with
a
trip
to
Egypt,
with
other
students
from
Swansea
University
led
by
our
tutors,
was
the
icing
on
the
cake.
We
went
to
Middle
Egypt,
not
usually
accessible
and
remarkably
unused
to
tourists.
We
visited
not
only
Abydos
and
el
Armarna
- of
Akhenaten
fame
-
but
also
some
other
temples
and
tombs,
mostly
because
of
the
courtesy
of
our
guides
and
assistance
of
the
accompanying
police. |
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There
are
four
types
of
police,
apparently,
and
we
had
to
have
at
least
one
of
each
with
us! Of
the
unrest
that
'is'
in
Middle
Egypt,
we
did
not
see
any.
What
we
did
see
was
the
apparent
acceptance
and
integration
of
the
Coptic
Egyptians
with the
Muslim
Egyptians. You could only
tell
whether
a
village
was
Muslim
or
Coptic
by
the
colour
of
the
clothes
the
women
wore
-
the
more
colourful
being
the
Copts!
Wherever
we
went
the
children
were
always
'charming'
and
mischievous
—
demanding
to
be
photographed
whenever
a
camera
was
apparent!
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In
one
isolated
spot,
where
one
of
our
group
made
friends
with
the
local
dog,
it
was
amazing
how
the
children
appeared
out
of
the
woodwork
—
the
only
people
there
had
been
the
guardian
of
the
tombs
and
the
police!
On
one
occasion
we
were
'pipped
at
the
post'
by a
party
of
German
archaeologists
-
although
they
looked
to
be
young
enough
to
be
students
-
who
were
to
be
doing
a
'dig'
at
the
site
accompanied
by
the
local
Director
of
Archaeology,
so
instead
we
went
on
to
an
unscheduled
Coptic
'monastery'
which
was
fascinating,
very
reminiscent
of
the
Desert
Fathers. The
original
hermit
was
'buried'
below
a
shrine
and,
if I
understood
correctly,
completely
'unprepared'
i.e.
not
mummified,
although
there
was
no
smell. Behind
curtains
hanging
over
alcoves
you
could
see
resident
bats,
but
the
whole
experience
was
really
incredible. The
oval
'lids'
of
the
building
was
typical of
Coptic work;
we had originally seen these
connected
with
cemeteries
so
to
enter
into
this
monastery
was
unexpected.
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Our
return
to
Luxor
was
followed
by a
VERY
early
morning
when
we
got
up
for
a
balloon
flight
along
the
Nile
looking
at,
among
other
things,
the
Ramesseum
and
the
Queen-Pharoah
Hatchetsup's
temple
from
the
air.
This
was
exciting
even
for
those
of
us
who
did
not
like
heights
since
the
baskets,
being
about
chest
high,
gave
an
impression
of
security. However,
being
told
to
duck
down
for
landing,
with
our
heads
at
the
height
of
the
top
of
the
basket,
was
a
little
unnerving! Our
arrival
just
as
children
were
arriving
at
their
local
school
caused
a
lot
of
amusement
for
all. |
Gallery
of
photographs
and
more
information
about
Egypt
by
Susan
here
Now,
I am
in
Villefranche
du
Perigord
for
the
usual
editorial
week,
preparing
the
last
pieces
for
the
School
Tie
at
Carolyn's
for
a
final,
wonderful
ending
to
an
exciting
year.
Upon
my
return
all
will,
hopefully,
be
ready
for
publication!"
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