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Havana Daze: The view from the Chevy!
It’s quite possible after reading this episode of my blog Fi and I will never be allowed on holiday together again! Here’s why… Despite the morning’s escapades …and the specific warning from our tour guide …once again, we fell prey to a stranger and blindly followed her to who-knows-where without a backward glance! A night out in Havana Having had a great day so far, we headed out to dinner with a vague idea of where we were going. But it didn’t take us long to get into trouble… We’d barely walked out of the hotel and across the road when a young woman engaged us in conversation, saying she…
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Havana Daze: Getting lost in the city of music and colour
On arriving that first night there was an immediate flurry of activity. Meeting with our TUI rep, checking in, and then finding our room (You’ll be pleased to know this all happened without incident …we didn’t get lost once!) There was even a certain amount of flattery from the TUI rep (Louis) who said, “Linda means beautiful in my country!” …although I suspect he was just trying to make me feel better after having watched me fall flat on my face moments earlier when I stepped out of the taxi! 🤪 (Those airline gins are stronger than you realise!) Adventure wasn’t really on our minds that first night. Having checked…
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Will we get there this time?!
I woke up early full of excitement. After all – I was going on holiday later! – all I had to do was finish work and get the train at 4:30 …Simples! 😁 Surely nothing could go wrong today, I mean lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, right? …WRONG! I casually checked my phone and was alarmed to see several missed messages from Fi… …OUR TRAIN HAD BEEN CANCELLED! 😨 Typical! – how come travelling with Fi never runs smoothly? Luckily for us we had a secret weapon that we could call on, in the form of my sister Pooh (aka Julie), Railway Worker Extraordinaire. After some investigations she…
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Ladies on Tour – The Sequel!
Dearest Gentle Reader, You’ll be forgiven for thinking… – Ooops sorry. I’ve been watching too much Bridgerton when I should have been writing my holiday blog! So where was I? Oh yes… You’ll be forgiven for thinking there’d be no blog this year. After all, it’s been months since Fi and I returned from our last epic adventure. What can I say, since then life has been jam-packed! On top of that, I’ve been struggling with where to begin this sequel. But I have finally settled on a quick introduction …or should that be an “explanation”? …because I think I best explain how we got from a week in Lanzarote…
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What does it mean to be a Mentor?
Today, 27th October 2023, is National Mentoring Day, which begs the question ‘What does it mean to be a Mentor?’ Having mentored many BAs in my time I wanted to find a great definition of what mentoring was …but very few of the definitions I came across resonated with me. They were factually correct however they didn’t get across the bond that a mentor and mentee create over time. And then I found this definition from the University of Southampton: Mentoring is a protected relationship which supports learning and experimentation and helps individuals develop their potential. A mentoring relationship is one where both mentor and mentee recognise the need for…
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Day 6 – And then it was over …until next time!
I must apologise to my ‘dedicated’ followers (who knew I had any!? – certainly, not me!)… After the excitement of the “Day of the Ned”, I thought the last day of our Lanzarote would be way too dull to put out there (and that may still prove to be the case!) But I’ve had requests, so here you go! …only 8 months late and just before our next big holiday adventure (already booked!) …more of that another time. The day after the night before All things considered, we slept very well that night. Perhaps it was the shock of the night’s events, or we were just grateful to still be…
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Care4Carers – Arran Tour of 2023
Usually, when I go away, I write a mini travel blog of my exploits, it’s perhaps a bit grand to call it a travel blog. It’s more a set of musings of what I got up to, complete with amusing quips and observations. For this trip somehow it feels like something a bit different is needed. Below are my own thoughts on the amazing C4C June trip to Arran. Before we begin, a quick explanation Yes, my chosen career is a Business Analyst, but I am also a ‘carer’ for my husband Michael who has, at times, severe mental health issues. Although he has always been very self-aware and understanding…
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Day 5 – The Day of the Ned (Part 2)
As you will recall, our intrepid duo were on an excursion across the island in search of fun and frivolity …but little did they know the eventful start of the journey was just a precursor to what was soon to be a night filled with danger and near-death experiences courtesy of the Ned 5! Edge-of-your-seat stuff, eh!? …forget Dickens, this is your latest zombie apocalypse blockbuster! The Music Hall Tavern Billed as “The funniest night of your holiday!” we had come on this little trip to let our hair down and have some fun at the famous cabaret show. We were greeted at the door by one of the entertainers…
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Day 5 – The Day of the Ned (Part 1)
Definition: ‘Ned’, a derogatory term used in Scotland when referring to hooligans, louts, or petty criminals. The weather had turned The day was overcast, to begin with …so we should have known then, a storm was coming! (Ok, this is my lame attempt at channelling my inner Dickens. I fully accept it needs more work! I’m trying to ready you for the scary tale to come. Consider my dark storytelling a work in progress!) We woke up to a cloudy sky, which had one advantage: no battles over sunbeds! It was still a warm day despite the cloud, so after breakfast, we headed off to the prom to entertain ourselves…
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Five Jumps for Charity – Julia’s Jumps
Intermission! We interrupt the exciting ongoing series of ‘Ladies in Lanzarote’ to bring you this new exclusive… (rest assured, your ‘favourite’ blog series will return new week!) Extraordinary Women I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by some extraordinary women; friends and sisters, who themselves are fighting their own battles daily. Whether it be looking after and worrying about family, contending with work, struggling with ill health, or supporting and caring for sick partners and loved ones. …and yet they still make time to reach out a helping hand to others when it is needed. One such friend stood out this Easter with her monumental effort for charity, my wonderful friend…
