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So we arrived home from Chamonix yesterday after a week in one of the most picturesque towns I have ever visited.  It was truly beautiful, surrounded by the Mont Blanc mountain range & for most of the time covered in beautiful white snow.

Ryan & I went with my brother Marc, his wife Gillian, Gill’s sister Kirsty, her husband Michael, their lovely one year old Beccie, Valerie, Marc & Gill’s friend & Chris their friend also.  We stayed in a very pretty chalet in the heart of Chamonix town which was very close to all the bus links & amenities ~ it was great!

The main bulk of the group were skiers, other than Ryan & myself.  Ryan is a snowboarder, as many of you may know.  I am ….. well, I’m more bambi on ice.  Useless to say the least ~ so much so that I disclocated my right knee on Friday morning! 

As I’ve said in previous postings, I hate the cold & the snow & despite what happened on this trip I have to say I’ve changed my mind.  It’s not the cold & snow I hate, it’s being cold & the snow being slushy.  I was prepared for the cold in France & didn’t feel it at any time, plus (in the main) the snow was beautiful as you will see from my photos, so it was much, much more enjoyable than I had anticipated it would be.  In fact it was so enjoyable playing in the snow that Ryan & I chose to write a message for Marc & Gill in it, so that it was visible from our second story balcony, check this out.

I didn’t snowboard much this week, actually only 3 mornings really.  I have definitely decided that it’s not for me though.  The final morning, I went to the top of the slope at Le Tour on my own, while Marc, Gill & Val went off up to another longer run & decided to give it one last crack.  One last crack is exactly what happened.  Heading down the slope, I made my first turn to the left (my worst side) & over I went, spinning & twisting until I ended up face down in the snow crying in agony.  Some very nice English skiers found me & made sure that I was taken down the mountain on a sledge being pulled by a ski paramedic & delivered to a near by doctor by ambulance, where he told me that I’d dislocated my knee.  Whoops!  Luckily it was the final afternoon of the holiday & not the first as it could have been (my performance wasn’t much better on the first morning either!), although it wasn’t very lucky for Marc.  He had to come to the medical centre to help me & in doing so missed out on the best afternoon’s skiing of the whole trip.  I’m really sorry Marc.

Although I didn’t do a lot of snow sports, I did get out & take the oppurtunity to play about with the camera a little.  The subject matter was so beatiful that it made it so easy to photograph at every turn.  The light is stunning & the shadows create such dramtic lines on the mountains, that you can’t help but photograph them ~ photographing the mountains was one reason why I was so excited to go to Chamonix, so I’m thrilled that I managed to get some good shots.

Ryan took his Nintendo Wii with him as well this week.  We had hours of fun playing tennis, bowling, boxing & lots of other silly games.  Gillian turned out to be the boxing champion, knocking out her own husband!!  It’s great fun watching people play the games, even when you’re not taking part. 

It was a great holiday in the same way as playing on the Wii, while I wasn’t really taking part in the skiing, I very much enjoyed myself & would like to go back one day, maybe this time to try my hand at skiing, as I clearly shouldn’t snowboard again!

So today’s the day, we are off on our first leg to Egypt tonight.  We land in Frankfurt tonight at 10.30pm & after an overnight stay we leave Frankfurt at 8am tomorrow, finally getting to Egypt at 2.30pm. 

The tour starts on Sunday 17th, with a visit to the Pyramids.  Apparently they’re big mounds of dirt in the dessert ~ I’m sure they’re hugely over rated!  Oh good lord!  I can’t wait.  I’ve been waiting to see the Pyramids for so long, I’m so excited.  The rest of the itinerary is posted further down my blog, so you can keep up with our adventures.  As & when we get to a computer, we might try to put a blog message out for everyone.

I guess there’s only one thing left to say, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas & have lots of fun seeing the New Year in.  We will be thinking of you all while we are away.  Merry Christmas!!

Lots of love, Kelly xx

P.S.  I will have my mobile with me & will turn it on now & again so if you need to get us, please text the mobile: 0044 77 666 55 717

In the news today:  Snow boarding lessons, travel news to foreign climbs & sickness sweeping the nation.

So I booked my first proper snow boarding lesson yesterday: Friday 12th January at 10.15am.  It will last 8 hours, or as long as I hold out & will no doubt be the second & last time I wear my bloody boots & attempt to throw myself down a mountain.

In much more exciting news, we only have 2 more sleeps until we leave for holiday!  I’ve only got one more day left at work as I’m off on Friday & we’re outta here.  Everything is sorted, we are packed, minus toothbrushes & last minute bits, I have the currency we need, clothes ready & cameras etc, so all we need to do now is give the keys to Liz & Al who will be house sitting while we are gone & then we’re done.

I’ve been rather poorly of late, so I’m hoping that I can shake it by Friday.  I am still in desperate need of more sleep ~ I had 18 hours last night & am still feeling crappy.  I’m banking on the fact that the sunny weather will make all the difference though & obviously seeing such exciting things will spur me on.  I’m sure it will.

That’s it for tonight, thank you for tuning in :0)

It’s nearly here!!!  No not Christmas, I’m over that already ~ Egypt peoples, Egypt!!!  Ryan & I fly out of London on the 15th December at 10pm for almost 3 weeks of visiting old stuff, getting sand in all our crevices, dihorrea til we drop & I can not wait! 

Ryan had his jabs today (I had mine when I went last time 3 years ago), so we’re fully locked & loaded now.  All we have to do is pack & then we’re ready.  We’ve got one more Christmas day to spend with Marc & Gillian this weekend then it’s all systems go!  Can you tell I’m excited?

As you will see from the itinerary entry that I posted a few weeks back, we really do have a full schedule on our hands, but as Ryan reminded me, we may as well do it while we get the chance ~ we’ve got so much more that we want to explore in the world, who knows when we’ll get back there.  It’s gonna be great!  Plus if I get dissentary, it will help me with my target weight loss :0D

I don’t think we will be able to contact everyone while we are away, but knowing Ryan, he will be able to sniff out an internet connection at a 100 camel paces & we’ll get a post or two up while we’re there.  We will certainly be updating you & boring you all with photos when we get back, so be prepared.

 But if I don’t get to say it before I go, or indeed during our trip ….

PLEASE STAY SAFE UNTIL WE GET BACK.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL & TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT xxx

So today is mine & Ryan’s 18 month anniversary ~ a year & a half since our first fateful date.  How time has flown.  It’s such a short time on paper, but it seems like forever to us. 

We’re celebrating our anniversary in complete style, utter decadence, total rock n roll manner ~ babysitting my gorgeous God Daughter & her fantastic big brother.  How crazy are we?!  I can tell I’m making you green with envy at the thought!  We’re so outrageous!

I love it though, we are having so much fun together & are really excited about our trip next month.  Life is breezy right now.  It’s winter nearly & the sun is bursting out of the sky, through the trees in the park, aah isn’t life great!

DECEMBER 15th ~ we’re confirmed as off to Egypt for a 15 day trip with a few extra days on the end to see us in to the new year. 

For those that are interested I have included a map of where we are going & our itinerary below.  It’s all very exciting!!!

Day 1 Cairo Welcome to Cairo, the city of the mysterious pyramids and pharaohs, tombs and temples and more than 6000 years of history. Arrival transfer from the airport to our hotel in Cairo. In the afternoon our tour leader will meet us to brief about the next days of your journey.
Day 2 Cairo Today we will first visit the Giza Plateau to explore the world famous pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycrenos. In the afternoon we will head our way to Sakkara, the first capital of ancient Egypt, famous for its step pyramid built by King Zoser in 2700 B.C. In the evening we’ll board the overnight train to Aswan.
Day 3 Aswan Our day will start with the discovery of the High Dam before visiting the Philae Temple – dedicated to the Goddess Isis – and the unfinished Obelisk.
Day 4 Aswan, Felucca Cruise Today we’ll board our traditional Felucca to start our cruise on Nile. We’ll first visit the Elephantine and Kitchener Islands and continue our way down to north. Overnight stay on Felucca including all meals.
Day 5 Felucca Cruise Today we’ll sail all day long on Nile and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of one of the greatest rivers on the earth.
Day 6 Felucca Cruise, Komombo, Edfu After breakfast we will head our way to the Komombo Temple which was built during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and god Horus. Then we’ll continue to Edfu to visit the largest and best preserved temple in Egypt. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built over a 180-year period from 237 BC to 57 BC. Then we’ll head our way to Luxor.
Day 7 Luxor, Dahab After breakfast we’ll depart for the West Bank of the Nile and start our discovery with the Valley of the Kings, “the city of the Dead”, where magnificent tombs were carved into the desertrocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the Pharaohs. Rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut will be our next stop. In the evening we’ll board our overnight coach to Dahab, the activity and leisure centre of Egypt.
Days 8 to 12 Dahab Five more days to savour the sun, sand, sea and to enjoy the activities available in Dahab : windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, but above all, snorkelling and diving. Jeep and camel safaris are also available in this charming Red Sea resort. On day 12 we’ll join a day trip to the world famous Blue Hole, the snorkelling spot near Dahab.
Day 13 Dahab, Cairo Our last day in this fantastic town. In the evening we’ll board our overnight coach back to Cairo.
Day 14 Cairo Our journey will continue with a visit to one of the most important museums in the world, the Egyptian Museum, which houses more than 100.000 relics of ancient Egypt. Today we’ll also discover the Citadel of Saladin, Mosque of Mohamed Ali, the Hanging Church and the world famous Kahn El Khalili bazaar.
Day 15 Cairo Our trip will end after breakfast in Cairo. Transfer to the airport.

We arrived at Southampton train station on Saturday & literally just missed our bus by about 4 minutes.  We then had to wait for 2 hours in a bus shelter for the next one to where we were going.  I kid you not, that’s how remote this place is, busses only go there once every 2 hours.  Surprisingly I kept my sense of humour though & managed to make the time pass by talking to a drunk old man who gave Ryan 2 conkers ~ for free!

We went horseriding pretty much as soon as we arrived in Burley, which was a wonderful experience.  We trekked across the new forest moors, which are absolutely stunning at this time of year ~ about as moody as my horse after an hour of trotting with me on her back!  She was a feisty one, but I kept her under control ~ I think we had a mutual understanding of one another.  She didn’t like me & I didn’t like her!

Then on to the tipi.  It was brilliant!  There was so much room, so much so that we had a guest come stay.  We didn’t know it had come to stay until yesterday morning when Ryan pulled back the door flap & he hopped across the floor.  It was a small green frog!  Cute little sucker too. 

Our night in the tipi recovering from our trek was lovely.  We weren’t very good at lighting the fire in the tipi ~ hence me being named Squaw Poking Smoke!  It took a long time to get the hang of it, but once we did we had a roaring old fire & were toasty warm for the rest of the night.  Initially it’s a bit smoky, but then when that goes you just get nice & warm & we were!  We made up a double bed with the mattresses that were supplied in the tipi & had quite a cosy little night, watching the fire burn away.

We also hired bikes on Saturday/Sunday & took them around Burley.  Five minutes later we were back where we started ~ it’s not exactly a sprawling metropolis, not even a town, barely even a village I have to say!  But it’s beautiful enough that Ryan & I would like to go back. 

As I mentioned about the busses, it really is quite remote, there are only 2 busses on a Sunday that would get us back to Southampton train station, so we had to ride around & around & around & around & around Burley, in an effort to stay close to get the bus.  But finally, with the 4.17pm bus caught successfully, we made our way back to Southampton to get our train home.

We fell in to bed aching & stiff after all our excercise, but it was well worth it.  A good weekend had by both x

How excited am I?!  Not only is it only 4 days until my 28th birthday, but I’ve received 2 birthday cards already ~ only helping to build on the birthday frenzy!  I haven’t opened them though as I’m sure they are the only cards I will get in the post, so I’m waiting until Wednesday.

Ryan & I are going in today to book our Christmas holiday which is SO very exciting too!  We have decided to go to Egypt & do a 15 day tour over Christmas & New Year.  It will include all the sights from Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & under the sea as we are going to Dahab to learn to scuba dive as part of the trip.  I’ve been to Egypt before a few years ago, but Ryan has never been, so I’m looking forward to seeing his reaction.  I haven’t been to Cairo though, so the pyramids etc will be new to us both.  Can’t wait to see them, I just hope that we get to see them when there’s not too many tourists about ~ they always spoil the view!  The weather for the trip wont be too hot either, at about 20-25c, so it will be just nice to see everything.  Last time I was there it was between 40-47c everyday, which was almost unbareable. 

I can’t get too excited about this yet though, we’ve go soo much to do before then, what with the tipi trips, learning to ski etc & of course ~ my birthday!

Yay!  Birth month is here again!!  I love September, it’s all about the fun while ignoring the fact that I’m supposed to be another year older :0)  This month I have a lot in store.  Ryan is taking me to some swanky restaurant in Chelsea where Elton John goes, on the night of my birthday & then I’m going to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant on the Saturday after my birthday with friends, followed by a day out with friends to Madame Tussauds ~ never been there, so am super excited about it all!  The weekend after that we are going to Burleigh to stay in a tipi ~ which I have to say is THE most exciting prospect for me by a long, long way!!  It’s a hostel site where they have tipis in the garden.  They have wood burning chimneys inside etc & can house up to six people, so I expect it to be great.  Only Ryan & I are going, so I’m taking him horse riding too.  I will be sure to take lots of photos to put up so that the world can see Ryan in all his riding glory.  Get ready peoples!!

So there hasn’t been that much to write before this.  The weather turned rubbish for August & then all of a sudden we got summer back when it hit September!  I’ve probably cursed it by saying that, but it’s been lovely for the last week or so & I’m hoping that it stays that way for my birthday in 2 weeks time, but more importantly for when we go camping on the 30th.  Fingers crossed please.

I’ve been working hard on some photos & will be uploading them soon, so check back in soon so you can see them.  I have also decided to try & apply for a photography course via a bursary scheme at work, so you never know they might actually look good at some point!  I need more crossed fingers for that, as you don’t always get it & they only award it to one or two applicants a month, so there will be competition.

Right, I think that’s all there is to say for now, so I will sign off as Jerry Springer would say ~ take care of yourselves aaaaaaaannnnnd each other xxx

So this week in London has been super hot & sticky, summer is finally here – 36 degrees this week!  Hottest place on the planet supposedly, wow!!  Ryan & I went to Brighton last weekend & sunbathed on the pebbly beach – see how empty the beach was. 

We’ve been very busy the last few weekends, travelling about & having people come to stay.  We have also been busy making our flat pretty, take a look. They are just a few photos of the flat & the park by where we live, for those that care.  I can’t take any photos of the lounge at the moment as there are 4 stinky Aussie boys staying in there & it’s carnage!  They have taken over the flat & made a big ol’ mess.  I’ll put some up soon.  If you look at the kitchen photos, take a look at the floor ~ we layed that ourselves yesterday.  We’re very proud of ourselves!  It only took 4 hours & we didn’t try to kill each other once, although Ryan did throw the kitchen scissors at me at one point!  He’s going in to anger management tomorrow.

We had a party a few weeks ago, which was a lot of fun.  There weren’t many photos though, although this one was quite amusing!  Kinda sets the tone & gives you an idea of how it all went down.

We’ve both got a busy week this week, Ryan is going to launch a new facility on Skype ~ his photo will be on the site on Tuesday so go check it out!  I’m back to work doing the same old thing just getting on, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Right off to make myself some lovely dinner & settle down to a movie.  I hope you all have a lovely week xxx