Disneyland Paris 25th December Day 2

We certainly get a full nights deep sleep in our room, free from any corridor or adjoining room noise which is a plus. What I am not so keen on is the sparsity of this room which is large but very empty, there is very little decoration or furnishing. The laundry is thin and rather limited, no face flannels are provided at all. There is a safe which is great but the lack of basics such as a kettle or any tea and coffee making facilities does make you wonder why on earth this is regarded on some web sites as a higher starred facility than some of its competitors. To be honest it was not be our first choice and the initial plan this year had been to return to WDW Florida for Christmas, however with news of ToT opening early we just could not resist and had to take what was available in the resort. Breakfast is basic and rather unappealing though the restaurant staff are extremely friendly and courteous it must be said. We take the hotel bus after a small breakfast across to the MK and enter the bag check. Masses of people are congregating around this area in some confusion as they are turned away for not having the correct Annual Pass or Disney Hotel ID to gain Early Admission. Once inside the park we head under the railway station and walk slowly up Main Street in the cool morning air. As we approach the castle the early morning orange sunlight is darting in and out of the clouds creating fantastic strokes of light and shadow on the buildings, a most magical effect that's difficult to capture on camera but highlights beautifully the new gold detail which has been added for the 15th anniversary.

Then we pass under the Parisian MK Castle, always special and unique with its dungeons (and the guest that lurks within) and galleries for guests to explore. The first ride we walk on to with no queue whatsoever is Snow White's house of horrors as I fondly call it. We love this ride for rather odd reasons, I think there's something fantastic in the storytelling of the Imagineers design that take you from the sublime fairytale opening to the dark horrors to come. The forest scene is a classic vintage dark ride experience. We share the car with a Mother and her young daughter who leaves the ride rather unsuitably traumatised for her first morning in Fantasyland, oh dear, hope she recovers quickly. Next its time for Peter Pan: another walk on and another classic ride first developed by Walt for Anaheim in 1955. It has changed a lot since then (most noticeably the fact that Peter Pan now appears in some form in the ride) and a lot of touches now differentiate each version in each park. Amazingly despite its age and roots this ride is proof positive that a classic will endure; just check out the queue times later in the day.

Next its time for (hold your breath) a spin on the carousel, in all the years of visiting Disneylands and Worlds this is actually the first time we have actually been on this old piece of nostalgia, but once again its another Christmas Day morning walk on as are the tea cups. After a quick ride on Pinocchio (no queue again) I then force Jackie to go and climb up inside the balcony of the castle and appear outside to wave for a picture before we head back to the hub and across to Videopolis in search of a warm drink. Unfortunately everything is still shut so we head back to the hub just in time for the rope drop, the trouble is we're on the wrong side of the rope drop. Feeling like Moses trying to part the red sea we head towards Frontierland, two lonesome figures heading west against a sea of charging Discoveryland fans.

We cross sides, passing the Indian village before entering Frontierland, there's no sign of Pocahontas in the camp this morning, hardly surprising though, I estimate the temperature to be just above zero. The lake itself is actually frozen, the Mark Twain paddle cruiser appears crunching its way forward as it cuts a path through the water like some Ice breaking vessel negotiating the Northwest Passage. The Keel boats are also out which we have never seen before; these boats were retired sometime ago as a cost cutting exercise so its great to see them back. Also waiting at the other side of the lake is the Molly Brown, the second paddle steamer, however she uses a central driving paddle instead of the more traditional rear system of the Mark Twain. On reaching BTM we grab a fastpass to return in an hour or so and set off across to POC.

One of our favourite POC rides it has the length and structure of Anaheim, all be it in a slightly different order, yet lacking the utter ludicrous "half the rides missing" experience that Florida "treats" you with. In fact it certainly has a much better themed queueing area than both those parks. However Anaheim still wins by having the proper space and scale in the out at sea section, in Paris, as in Florida, this set seems just slightly too small and cramped. Then its time to pick up our slot for BTM. I think its pretty universally accepted already even by the imagineers themselves that this is a special version of BTM, sitting on an island in the middle of the lake yet boarded as usual on the mainland, the trains first rush off through pitch black tunnels under the lake before emerging onto the island itself. The only thing that is missing is the theming of the ghost town which exists in Anaheim in the final braking section though this is recreated in Paris and given a total twist in Phantom Manor when you descend into the catacombs. And its to Phantom Manor we head too next, first picking up another FP for BTM which should just fit in nicely before lunch. despite a visible queue its pretty much straight onto this efficient loader.

Before taking our second BTM ride we refresh and reheat a little with a cup of tea from the Fuente del Oro Restaurante. I do wish the Americans and the French will join the civilised world one day and realise that tea is not a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side, and what gives with the hot milk :) Refreshed and warmed it's soon time though to take that next BTM ride, we should just fit it in before lunch at the Blue Lagoon. One thing I wish they would sort out here is the roof of the BTM building that is below the queue area of the fastpass line. Its always constantly littered every time we visit, surely it could be added to a night time cleaning schedule. BTM ridden again, and my hands blue from waving them in the air but forgetting to wear gloves (DOH) we head back over to Adventureland passing La Cabane des Robinson and Adventure Isle on the way.

The entrance to the Blue Lagoon is tucked away in the corner of the fort that creates the facade of the entrance to the POC. The theming and landscaping in this area is superb, for instance we can hear as we walked to this location the roar of the ride from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, but the lush landscaping keeps it out of sight and you realise there's still a whole area of the park yet to be explored. Like in Anaheim the restaurant itself is actually inside part of the ride, and is highly themed and extremely atmospheric. A major plus here though is the food is superb as is the wine. Its tropically warm as well which is nice and glorious amounts of shellfish, seafood and fine wines are consumed over a long relaxing lunch. The afternoon is then spent watching the shows starting with a rather surreal multi language experience involving a rather bemused looking Pooh and Friends at the Fantasy Festival Stage. Then its straight to the Videopolis theatre for the superb production Of Lion King, which I'm startled to find was choreographed by Strictlys very own darling, Craig Revel Horwood. A more straight theatre adaptation than the Florida and HK versions, this has masses of quality oozing from it. The production values are superb with better lighting and effects than even the West End version had. What is not up to scratch though is the sound which is unfortunately muffled and out of phase at times.

Its impossible to resist but with a parade time approaching we once again just have to take advantage and head over to the Studios, first refreshing in the Studio1 with more cups of hot water and tea bags. ToT has litttle queue again though crush is out of the question with times approaching 120mins. We ride the ToT repeatedly before making our way around to the Aerosmith RnR Coaster. The contrast as you enter this area of the Studios, which has not yet been touched by the new theming is quite startling; fingers crossed it changes soon. A little retail therapy then takes place, Jackie treating herself to a beautiful new watch, then its time to make our way to the Disneyland Hotel again for Christmas Dinner at the California Grill. Keep watching for the reviews.

Disneyland Paris 24th Dec Day 1

Early morning Christmas Eve and we're driving down deserted motorways towards Liverpool to catch the first flight to Paris. After parking and checking in we hardly have time for a cup of tea before we are being called (by name) to the gate. Soon we are climbing into the dawn at 32,000ft heading south for the one hour hop to Paris. I always draw breath when landing at Charles de Gaulle; does such a beautiful city deserve one of the ugliest airports on earth. Before we know it the plane is taxiing up to a monstrous concrete silo that apparently has a double life as a terminal building.

After a swift debarking into the freezing air we make our way over to the TGV terminal and buy tickets. The ticket office is housed in what looks like a concrete car park, not even a coat of emulsion to hide the depressing skeleton of the building, I really feel for the poor souls who have to work in this environment.

However the TGV whisks us in ten minutes flat to the Transport Hub of Disneyland Paris where we board a bus to our hotel. Its too early to check in and its not worth bothering to anyway as a line stretches from the Vienna Dream Castle Hotel's desk practically back to the entrance so after dropping the bags with the concierge we head back towards the park, we have a lunch appointment at Inventions.

We arrive back at the transport hub and head over to the bag search area, (Now where is the No bags entrance DLP). What a fantastic site it is to see the ToT in all its glory stretching up into the sky from the Studios as we approach the parks. Last time we were here it was an incomplete grey concrete monolith slowly reaching up in anticipation (A little like the terminal buildings at the airport only the Tower was cleaner). For us it's straight into the Disneyland Hotel for our reservation at Inventions and settle down to the once again exquisite buffet. Its so nice to sit here relaxed with fine wine watching the train pull into Main Street Station whilst enjoying everything this buffet has to offer, and lets face it there's not much it does not have to offer. Superb, and a full review will of course follow.

After lunch we head back through the lobby of the hotel and set off to get our Dream Annual Passes. Once purchased from the guest relations booth we are given a temporary access tkt and told to visit the AP center in the park before 7pm. As soon as we enter the park and hit the town square a trolley enters and Jackie takes time to make a new friend though looking at the photo again neither seems sure of the other...

The Park itself is looking in tip top condition, just as it should for a 15th anniversary with all the repaints on main street now completed; our last two trips last year involved careful camera work to miss out the false facades that had been placed over the scaffolding as the refurbishment took place. We have been lucky enough this year to visit the MKs of Florida, California and Paris and despite the chill today and the fact I only entered the gates 2 minutes ago, I remain convinced once again that this is the most beautiful of the MKs in terms of design and aesthetics.

We make our way into Discoveryland and grab a fastpass for Space Mountain which surprisingly, despite the time of day has a slot available in an hour or so. Based on last year's experience (lets just say it took a long time) this should give us time to get our AP sorted out, however we are dealt with efficiently in the AP office and are in and out quite quickly; so we have a ride on Star Tours which has a small queue before using our FP on SM.It's nice to see the steams working fully, it looks very effective especially in the cold but the piston action of the launch cannon appears to have given up. Space Mountain is , how can I put this politely: great but as rough as ever. Once will be enough this trip I think.

As darkness begins to fall upon the park and preparations begin for the parade we decide to dash over and take our first look at the new additions to the Studios. A lot has changed since our last visit and we cannot wait to see it. The first major change you encounter is the placemaking and themeing as you exit Studio 1. Previously you exited onto what looked like an average main road, a barren piece of tarmac surrounded by the attractions. In a time of tight budgets it was the best thing the imagineers came up with, the excuse given was always that this is in reality what a studio looks like, but it always felt wrong, was rather uninspiring to look at and felt totally lacking in Disney quality. Now the transformation has begun. Hollywood architectural buildings and facades have grown out of the ground in front of the new ToT along with palm trees and new lighting. To the right a new land is materialising "Toon Studio" with another major ride and a some Pixar inspired theming.

By a stroke of luck we seem to have arrived just at a perfect time. A lot of the crowds are heading back to the MK for the parade and there's only a 5min wait time for ToT. Having only just ridden the Californian version a few weeks ago there's not much to add as its the same ride here, known in certain circles as "bad tower" for its lack of the forward driving section and its odd corridor to nowhere between the lift doors. But that's being very picky. its still a fantastic E+ ticket ride the park should be proud of and my goodness, this has a view at night from the top that surpasses all the other towers without any doubt. They should also be proud of Crush, we managed by some amazing good fortune to walk up to this amazingly popular ride just as its reopening after technical difficulties and therefore avoid the usual 100min queues this ride can generate once the Studios has been open a few minutes. Its an odd ride in the trilogy of Nemo rides we have ridden this year. It has less storytelling aspects to it at the beginning, but good grief, once it hits the current section, we both found ourselves dropping and spinning with no recollection as to which way was up or down. In three words Fan tas tic. After a spin on the new Cars Race Rally which is also beautifully themed and then another drop on the ToT we head back to the hotel, pick up our bags and finally check in and get some sleep. Got to make that early entry tomorrow.

Porcupine Tree - Manchester Dec 8th

Back to the Academy Jackie and I go for our first PT gig. Been really looking forward to this one since the tickets dropped through the letterbox earlier this year and the albums are hardly off the Linn, I find the music infectious listening. We had to miss them earlier in the year when they played at Preston Guildhall as we were in Florida at the time so it was great to see that they decided to fit a winter tour in as well.

Quite a good support from Anathema (I also have an album of theirs) and then a truly dazzling show from Porcupine Tree who rip with perfection through track after track, the material from Fear of A Blind Planet sounding particularly breathtaking live. The audience is polite and mesmerized by the display of skill on show. Manage to get a few pictures though the band are back lit only with a simple but effective light and video show; think Steve Wilson must be very camera shy.

I don't have any faves tonight in the songs, its all superb. Along with Rush in Rotterdam this is a show of the year for me and I look forward to seeing them again, hopefully if I heard SW correctly, sometime next year after a well earned rest for the band.

Our music photos

Marillion - Manchester Academy 30th Nov

Time to return to the Academy (the new building this time which judging from the entrance and the porta cabin bathrooms is not quite finished) to catch Marillion for the second time this year.

“We’re not really a festive band. Most of our songs are about death and water”, joked Hogarth early in the gig. After opening the first set with a selection pulled from Brave I had to smile and agree. The band ended the first set with a sing a long favourite, Seasons End, quite apt for the Christmas show. The second set showcased the impressive back catalogue of Hogarth-era produced music. There were epics, such as Hooks In You and Genie, and then there were foot-tapping rocky numbers like Cannibal Surf Babe and Most Toys which admittedly are fun and work better live than on the album.


The band closed the second set with This Strange Engine - returning to perform a joyful cover of Let It Snow - complete with fake snow, inflatable Santa and Steve Hogarth dressed as Father Christmas.

To be honest I much preferred the focus and energy of the earlier tour when the band seemed fired up promoting the new album. I though there was to much from Brave in the first set which perhaps left me feeling a bit melancholy. Having said all that musicianship was as usual at its highest, the crowd were in top voice and H once again effortlessly held everyone in the palm of his hand with his abundance of charisma.

I'll leave you with the title track from the most recent album Somewhere Else performed live at the forum earlier this year and a link to more pictures from the gig

Our photos from the gig

Las Vegas - Day 5 Nellis AFB

F22 Raptor by Tim Beach

I must admit to being slightly concerned that in all the time we had so far been in Vegas I had not seen one advertisement or flyer for the weekend's airshow. Who knows perhaps it had been cancelled whilst we were in Los Angeles.

Because we now had no car, getting to the airshow was a challenge in its own right. We took the monorail up to the Stratosphere early on a glorious Saturday morning and then asked one of the passing buses for advice. The result was basically like a scene from Dumb and Dumber so in the end we took a cab and set off for Nellis AFB. As we approached the base it became obvious the main entrance was off limits to the general public and only for military personnel and the state governor so our taxi driver asked what on earth he should do with a couple of poor souls who were foolish enough to try to walk to an event. The solution was to drop us off in the middle of the desert at the NASCAR speedway arena where 200,000 other people had arrived by car, then get bussed back to the base. I'm already wondering how we're going to get back to the hotel but we will worry about that later.

Jackie enters a KC-10

Fantastic displays throughout the day against the backdrop of clear sparkling blue skies and terracotta mountains. Plenty of space between the ground items and numerous of aircraft open for a good nosey around inside. A reasonable selection of food was on offer as well which made a change from the usual airshow fare. It was interesting to see how the average American seemed reluctant to queue for anything other than burgers and hot dogs, the lines for these items being as long as a Disney ride in peak season whilst the delicious Indian cuisine on offer had no queue at all.

B52

The flight line was well placed and despite the vast numbers attending it was always easy to find a prime viewing spot, especially with lots of people choosing to view from under the shade of a B52s wing.

The butt ugly or beautiful A-10. The Warthog

Favourites of the day had to be the old, ugly versatile A10, an aircraft which for some reason has always had a place in my heart. The great Korean and Vietnam set pieces which as Jackie pointed out gave great instruction on how different aircraft designs were developed for specific purpose. The Canadian Hornet team must have heard I was in the crowd sporting a RUSH tour t shirt, as its display was performed to a track from Snakes and Arrows. The Thunderbirds put on a superb and lengthy display: the missing man formation was particularly poignant as it flew out from the mountain landscape opposite.

F22 Raptor by Tim Beach

The F22 Raptor stealth bomber took to the skies late afternoon, this was the first time we had seen this beast in action. An unbelievable example of man and machine performing the almost impossible. The manoeuvres were breathtaking, if a little deafening! This was the ultimate highlight for us. Raptor pictures kindly supplied by Tim Beach who we met at Maclaren Airport on our return home, instinct telling us that a man with a lens that long snapping shots must have been at the airshow.

In the evening as the light faded the question of how we were to get back to the city still remained unanswered. The mobile had no signal and being shipped back in the opposite direction out into the desert would be a mistake. I began to look for a sympathetic looking individual among all the AF personnel, call me a sucker for a lady in uniform. After overseeing the State Governor's departure, her superior officer kindly sorted us an escorted ride off the base to the town of Nellis. Our lucky streak remained and we jumped on a bus opposite heading in vaguely the right direction. Phew- Vegas bound for a reservation that evening at Rosemary's Restaurant. ( Highly recommended place off the strip). Review to follow.

Below I have included two links. The first takes you to our gallery from the airshow and the second is a link to the website of photographer Tim Beach

Our Nellis Airshow Photographs

Tim Beach Airshow Photographs

Los Angeles and Las Vegas - Day 4

Did I mention a few days ago how my patience with air travel is running out. Well here we go again. After dropping the car off at the rental depot at LAX we boarded the shuttle bus, the driver stopping on the way to hand out a pre packed lunch to a homeless gentleman sleeping among his shopping trolleys in a bus stop in Inglewood.

We are just about to check in when the whole airport terminal is evacuated. I don't have a problem with being evacuated for security risks but I object to not being informed about what's going on whilst being left to bake on the pavement two yards from the same terminal. It also gets my goat to then see the same security personnel wandering up and down the deserted terminal, laughing and joking with each other and generally acting like children who have the whole playground to themselves. After almost an hour more and more people build up outside we are admitted back in to scenes of utter chaos as the system fails to cope with so many people trying to check in at once. Its an absolute farce worthy of a third world country.


The flight to Vegas is quick and easy and after collecting our bags we grab a taxi to the MGM Signature buildings. We have a suite here for the next few days and it can only be described as grandiose, magnificent and elevated, especially as it's on the penthouse level. Our separate bedroom is a corner room with floor to ceiling windows; one side giving fantastic views of the mountains and the other the strip itself. Though I could probably get in the jacuzzi in one of the bathrooms right now and go to sleep we head out for a walk up the strip.



We have been to Vegas some three times before usually for no more than 2 days and I have to say that has always been enough. Even though there are some new fancy looking hotels now it only takes a few minutes to peek inside them to realise they are exactly the same as anything else you have already seen. A dim smoke filled casino does not interest me and the same boutique shops selling the same goods. It keeps popping in my head we could be either watching Fantasmic in an hour or riding Indiana Jones again and I have to remind myself we are here for the airshow tomorrow at Nellis otherwise I think we would get on the next plane back to Anaheim. We also have some great restaurants booked (we hope) starting with Sea Blue in the MGM.



After buying some bread to make a quick breakfast with in the morning we head back to change for dinner. The Sea Blue is nicely placed for us from our tower because the restaurants in the MGM are all placed near where the walkway connects the MGM signature towers to the MGM main hotel complex. We check in at the podium and are seated immediately. Full review to appear in the Restaurant Section Soon.

MGM Signature

Anaheim - Day 3

Looking through my notes I see that we spent the remainder of that second day having a great time wandering through the Magic Kingdom until the evening, passing the time riding our favourite rides which were all walk ons. If I was forced to place the three Magic Kingdoms in order of preference I think it would go something like this.

1. Disneyland California for its extra beauty and lushness, its hidden corners and the way its size is so deceiving. Not forgetting of course that all the rides here are full and complete, non of that edited experience that was rushed into Florida. The only downside has to be the quaint and rather demure looking castle. I accept it's the original and perhaps deserves less of a hard time for being a rather stumpy brother, but I just think more majesty and grandeur are needed in the centre of the park.

2. Disneyland Paris. Once again it's such an attractive park and one with proper seasons and sometimes real snow coating its ground. The castle has to be the greatest of its achievements; pure stone here, not a piece of fibreglass in sight. Once again the rides are full and complete (in some cases superior) all that's really required is for the park to slowly develop a little more and with the Tower opening in what was a rather bland Studio Complex along with the massive re theming and placemaking happening there, Disneyland Paris may finally have the park that was originally imagined for them.

3. Magic Kingdom Florida. Not my favourite (So this may seem cooler than I intend). It seems so false compared to the others. The castle seems too clinical and plastic. Pirates of the Caribbean is a disgrace to the original ride, why do we not enter Haunted Mansion through the front door? Fantasyland from certain angles looks like a car park with rides scattered on it. Its one saving grace is PhilharMagic, a show that should be copied into all the other parks with haste. However it does have some areas I like. The lagoon approach is inspired, if you have the time and the transport system is ideally placed to get you away quickly :) However I tend to think of Walt Disney World as a whole package and it's the rest of it that excites me be it Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, or the Studios. When it's all combined Florida is still the number one.

Day 3.

After a morning in both parks re riding favourites and searching out things we missed( I must especially mention Monsters Inc here which we actually rode on a preview the last time we were in California but it was then incomplete and did not make a whole lot of sense. Now the storytelling aspect is much more defined and the ride more satisfying as a whole). It soon became time to think about lunch. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake as yesterday and actually get food that tasted of something we decide to grab the car, hit the freeway and head out to the nearest beach area. Newport beach is about 20mins away and we soon park up on the beach and search out somewhere to dine. I like the feel of this coastal town. Its not too over trendy and still has lots of working boat yards down its back alleys and marinas.

As we are walking around these we come across what looks like a huge seafood deli "The Crab Cooker" and notice it has a restaurant attached to it. It's doing a brisk trade with the locals, who seem to be discussing the collapsing property prices in the area, and it looks just the place. A lovely chowder to start served in a no nonsense plastic cup, then Lobster, King Crab Claws and Sauvignon blanc for an unbelievably small amount of money. If I lived here, and maybe we should if property really is going cheap, I could see myself eating here every lunch time.

We return to change and rest at the hotel. Later that night we return to the Magic Kingdom on our way to the Napa Rose restaurant, a cast member on the PoC had advised us to come into the park in the evening and ride the new Nemo attraction at night, when the queues are shorter, this plan also gave us a look at the parade as well. The new Nemo ride occupied what used to be the Submarine Voyage and is basically the ride re imagineered into the Nemo environment with some modern technology twists once you're in the dark section. I like the a mix of old ( the subs are the originals from Walt's days, minus their diesel engines and newly fitted with eco friendly electrics) and new ( wait and see!)bringing a new lease of life to a dated old ride. Some of the story telling aspects don't work as well as in the EPCOT shell version but you do get ride value here with the submarines taking about 20minutes to complete a circuit. This must be a nightmare ride when the park is busy with no Fast Pass available and agonizingly slow loading times. After our ride we take the hop on the monorail, conveniently located above the Nemo attraction to Downtown Disney and from there we walk in to the Napa Rose restaurant in the Grand Californian Hotel. Dinner here is everything we had hoped and a review can be reached below or using the side menu.

California Photos

Napa Rose Restaurant

Anaheim - Day 2

After a good night's sleep in the quiet rooms of the Hojo we cross the road and search out breakfast opportunities. Mimis restaurant is on the doorstep and what a fine establishment this turned out to be, setting us up with various omelettes, eggs benedict, waffles and pancakes over the course of our stay. Delicious and just what you need before tackling a day of non stop walking otherwise known as the Disney experience. Having sorted out tickets we entered a rather deserted Californian Adventure. It was actually a little before official park opening time so only Soarin is open yet. As we enter the hanger that forms the queuing area I found myself wondering again why the imagineers in Florida seemed to think it was acceptable to have put little thought into themeing the ride's entrance and queue area in EPCOT.

We bordered the first ride of the day. I still have a problem with the rerun value this ride gives. It's a wonderful experience the first time but its replay value seems limited; in fact I think I enjoy the music more than the ride and can now happily nod off whilst being gently rocked from side to side. On the plus side at least here in California they seemed to be using a freshly struck print of the film. The last time we saw it in EPCOT in April the image was marred by a totally unacceptable amount of scratches and dust marks.

When we leave we can see people starting to gather at the hub so we head over to await the rope drop heading for the Tower of Terror which we ride fanatically no matter which park we are in. In fact our Christmas plans have now been totally re adjusted for this year due to the opening of Disneyland Paris's very own Tower on December 22nd. They will inherit the same interpretation as the Californian Adventure version (with some minor storytelling differences and a couple of architectural tweaks). I had actually forgotten some of this Tower's unique points: such as the mirror, as it's a couple of years since we were here last, so I really enjoy it. However I still think it's not quite the full experience compared to the Floridian version.

Jackie wants to head over to get onto California Screaming now that our breakfasts have been shaken about as much as possible, so we set a steady pace and head to the far side of the park. However when we arrive we discover its not set to run until a little later so to pass the time we decide to hit a ride we have never bothered with before as it always had lines over a mile long and no fastpass. Im talking about that odd looking Ferris wheel that sits overlooking the lake. I say odd because the swinging cars on this don't just pivot on the outside of the frame like any normal ride, but ride a track inside the wheel as well and at certain times get thrown out along these rails. It's hard to describe and the effect on the rider is well illustrated with these two photographs of Jackie.

Here we see Jackie looking calm and swinging gently over the park

And here the car has started to slide out.

After being shot in the air on the Maliboomer then launched on California Screaming its time to take in the more civilized side of this park and in my opinion no Disney park does it better than the Hyperion Theatre at the California Adventure with its production of Aladdin. A full blown musical production in a purpose built enclosed theatre with three levels of seating; this show is worth the price of admission in itself. With great timing we arrive for the first show of the day. I am always staggered by the quality of the shows that Disney puts on in its parks but this one just has everything and should not be missed. Never make the mistake of thinking this is for kids, if anything it's too good for them :)

For lunch we head into Downtown Disney for an instantly forgettable experience at the Jazz Kitchen. The food is best described as bland and boring, in fact it must be quite an achievement to make the cooking of the deep south taste so dull. I don't think I'll be wasting blog space reviewing this at all. After dinner we head into the Magic Kingdom but I'm going to talk about that more in the next entry, its very slow in here too with no Fast Pass machines operating at all and only the new Nemo ride attracting any sort of line. After a full day its time to get back and rest before heading out to Stanton to Park Avenue restaurant. I'll put the review up as soon as I can.



I'm finally including a link to our Californian photos. At the moment it's not a full album but I will be updating it on a daily basis.

More California Photos

Los Angeles - Anaheim - Day 1

I was prepared to give BMI the benefit of the doubt after our last experience with them flying the shortest haul possible to Newquay. I even rang them the night before we travelled following the precise instructions on the website to give our API information and check our seat allocations (BMI don't appear to have entered the 21st century yet and allow you to do this online). On arrival at the check in desk we are of course asked for our API information all over again, a process that doubles the time taken to check in. When we ask the check in assistant why I wasted half an hour on the phone giving them this information (as per their own instructions) she says the computers don't talk to each other at the call centre so it's a waste of time. We are given our boarding cards for this flight through to Vegas and the connection through to Los Angeles. Once through security and checking the departure board it's soon apparent that the flight is going to be about an hour late. We have yet to leave the ground and my impression of BMI is once again confirmed. We eventually board and its the usual monotonous flight over the Atlantic interrupted by some poor excuse for food. The flight was delayed due to a technical error. Do BMI ever service any of their planes?

Quick film review. Die hard 4.0 - laughable for all the wrong reasons, the die hard franchise now truly leaves the action genre and enters the slapstick comedy genre. Harry Potter (the last one) seen it before but passed the time. Seven (also seen before, who hasn't. BMIs excuse for showing old films is to call them classics) but it's a long time since I had last seen it and I had forgotten what a well crafted film this is.

Finally arrived in Vegas without picking up any lost time so had missed the connection. Good old TED got us on the next flight out two hours later and boarded us on time, and arrived at the gate at LAX early. However the jetway must have been operated by trained monkeys (I think that was the captains announcement) who couldn't get it to line up with the door despite attempts to ram the side of the plane. We are being sorely tested by airline travel today (or has two days passed).

Then we collected the car and Jackie is following the smooth Google Earth instructions to the Hojo on Harbor in Anaheim. Smooth check in, nice room with a view to restore my faith we are on holiday. Roll on tomorrow.

In Transit

Well I'm sat here typing as the clock approaches four thirty am. What an ungodly hour to be listening to Alex Lestair on the radio whilst drinking tea and having weetabix.Still he's playing the new Krauss and Plant single from the new album that dropped through the mail last week and is worth a listen at any hour. Just time to say off we go then into the West. The joys of a 10 hour flight await (AAARRRGGGHH) but hopefully the rewards at the end will be worth it. They better! Next meal (not including the muck they throw at us on the plane) will be somewhere in California, see you soon.

Amsterdam Day 4

After a good nights sleep we returned to Amsterdam on a morning train. Once back we had plans to see the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh museum. The Van Gogh musuem is housed in a new modern building with I'm sure many architectural qualities. Prince Charles would probably describe it as an ugly carbuncle and for once I may be inclined to agree with him. I have never really got Van Gogh and being subjected to a gallery devoted to his work I found the history of his life a lot more interesting than the art itself. The irony is he spent most of his life frustrated that he was no good at anything. Not to be cruel but when it comes to some of his art he had a point. I don't want to sound snobby but what should be a calm experience is ruined by the fact the gallery seems filled with a high percentage of ignorant people, who pile around at breakneck speed trying to find that horrible sunflower picture like train spotters trying to tick off the final number in an I Spy book. So perhaps my view is tainted a little but all in all a very disappointing experience.

A good lunch is then taken in a brown cafe (Cafe Panaroma on Raadhuisstraat) that does some of the best baby back ribs I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Jackie has a great piece of Sole in a lemon sauce and some enormous potato wedges. Then we walk around in the evening to Anne Franks house. A truly moving experience even though I have never read the diary, something i put to rights immediately, sitting up most of the night reading it .

Im going to leave you with a little more Rush , the overture from the R30 tour from 2004. Would love to have shown you something from this tour but I simply could not find a decent clip that was either in focus or undistorted.

Amsterdam Day 3

After another traditional breakfast following another slightly disturbed sleep, we set off for Amsterdam's central station with an overnight bag to catch the train to Rotterdam. We will keep the room on here in Amsterdam, as it will save packing and unpacking. The trains are relatively cheap and frequent so within an hour or so we are in Rotterdam looking for our hotel.Whilst looking at the map in the metro station a member of staff tries to explain to us how to use the strippenkaarts (which by the way, have to be the first ticket I have come across that requires origami skills to work ) to travel on the trams and metro. I feel a headache coming on the more he explains. Eventually we get on a tram and stick the strippenkaart into the machine after folding it into various shapes first. Of course when we hand it to the conductor he bursts out laughing and tells us we have done it wrong. Other than that we sit on the tram and off it goes. A little later when we are the only people left and it appears the tram has reached the end of its journey I mention to the conductor where we want to go (near the euro mast). Turns out we're on the wrong tram so we stay on it and the conductor tells us where to get off, points down a street and tells us to pick another tram up somewhere down there. If we do all this in an hour the good news is we don't have to play with the strippenkaart anymore. Eventually after a lot of staring at maps we arrive at the hotel. Only in Rotterdam would the hotel be floating on the water and resemble a floating Hong Kong restaurant. In fact it practically is, with two chinese restaurants, a chinese supermarket and a few rooms. I'll not go in into details but it's a bit basic and I would not recommend it. Other than that it's in a quite spot (middle of nowhere) apart from the dock across from us seems to be drilling for oil and theres a constant bang, bang, bang. Just hope to god that stops by tonight. We check in , have something to eat in the restaurant which is pretty awful, and stare at the rain. The idea was to go to Delft and meet up with some people from the T.N.M.S. forums, but we have spent so much time finding the hotel its now too late. We go for a walk, have a rest, shower and set off to find the Ahoy Arena, fortunately the weather has gone nice again though it's chilly.

We walk around the old dock area, which is the only nice bit of Rotterdam I think, the rest is basically a huge industrial estate the size of a city. Crossing a large bridge we decide to risk the strippenkaart ticket again and stamp it a few times just for the hell of it. I fully take the blame for deciding that I know where the Ahoy is, and then we go past it and watch it disappear behind us. Eventually we get there and seem to be about the first 30 people there. Now you would think that would give you loads of time to waste and be bored standing in a queue. No. The Ahoy has a little place round the corner where you can buy fries and mayonnaise. If you don't arrive a couple of hours before the arena doors open though chances are the concert will be over by the time the girl cooks your order.

Eventually we are in and walking as fast as possible into the arena. No seats here, its stand and have fun. We get straight onto the barrier right in front of Geddys keyboards and Pedals. Theres a great atmosphere here as well, no major crushing, but boy its already starting to get warm and they are not even on yet. Once the show starts its unbelievable, this crowd are so up for it and seem to be moving as one. The sides unlike Manchester do look quite but who cares when you are in the front of a crowd of jumping, dancing, appreciating fans. Jackies jumping and punching the air so much I can see Geddy peering over his sunglasses and smiling at the reaction. Everyone is in good voice too, singing out every word even to the new material. This night and last night are being filmed for a DVD and it's good to see the band are on fire, reacting to the atmosphere of this fantastic crowd. If anything the sound is more guitar heavy here than it was in Manchester and Geddys vocals are the best I have ever heard. Geddy has a few problems at the opening of the second half with his bass levels which seems to annoy him a little, lots of indications to stage left, but it's soon sorted.

A lot has been said about the opening of the second half and the decision to play 5 new songs in succession. I have never really had a problem with it but I did notice in Manchester how it did slightly slow down the crowd a little. Here in Rotterdam something completely different seems to happen. The crowd seem to know the new material so well they are supporting it like crazy and the atmosphere is just getting better and better. Then during "Way the Wind Blows" something really special happens, the crowd are yelling the chorus and on the spur of the moment invent this swaying arm motion to the whole songs chorus. I almost feel a tear run down my cheek as you can see Geddy and Alex smiling away at the reaction.

It's an absolute joy to be so near and a joy to be among such appreciating fans. The eye contact with Geddy really adds so much to the experience and I hope they spotted our enthusiasm and appreciation for the music. I think Jackie has signed herself up to form a groupie for the next tour. This seems confirmed as Geddy comes on in the encore and is given the basket of special T- Shirts they throw out at each concert (think its 8-10 a gig). He steps forward points a finger at Jackie and aims it at her chest, low enough so it can't go anywhere else. Well thats how it looked and thats how we'll remember it.

A couple of things I remember after the concert that made you realise you were not in the UK.One, wondering why no one was moving to get out and then realising we had joined a line of thousands collecting coats from the cloakroom (can't imagine that ever at a UK gig). Wondering why a about a 1000 fans are all stood in a group next to an empty road. (They were waiting for the green man to come on before they crossed the deserted road) these people are so polite.

One thing I didn't like, most people were very dehydrated by intermission time, but being a standing concert it's hard to move,buy water and then ever get back to the front. Asked the security on the other side of the barrier about water for people "Not our problem, we don't give it out". First standing gig I have been to where water is not given out. So extra thanks to the camera crews who were filming from the pit who gave out there own water.

And finally, got the metro back. Of course the metro people had put loads of staff on to help people through the barriers quickly. Jackie handed our strippy thing over and says "We're English we haven't got a clue" I think the lady who stamped it for us is probably still laughing at our ticket even today.

Our Concert Photos

Rush official website

Neil Peart official website

Amsterdam Day 2

We both awake a little grumpy and drag ourselves out of bed and into the shower. Downstairs we are fed by the owner a traditional dutch breakfast (tea, crumpets, croissants,ham,cheese and a boiled egg). Its all very nice but don't try and do breakfast here in a hurry. First stop today after we get our bearings is to head over to the museum quarter and visit the Rijks. We decide to walk as it's a glorious day and we arrive by chance exactly at opening time. Highlights are the Vermeer's and Rembrandt's but there's also a lot more to see here including some fascinating dolls houses complete with miniature Delft pottery. We then walk back in the direction of the flower market looking for an area that will have decent restaurants in it for lunch. Once again we find either a lot of places to avoid, or a lot of decent places that don't serve lunch, or lastly plenty of places that think lunch is a Burger or a pastry and a coffee. The guide book keeps telling us we should at least try the Indonesian cuisine so in the flower market we settle on a small place called Sampurna. Something called Sale Siang for me as a starter which blows my head off and clears my airwaves but is quite tasty, followed by a platter consisting of fried rice with vegetables cooked in coconut milk, fried soya, fried nuts, pickled vegetables, prawn crackers and a boiled egg with a thick and spicy soya dressing. Alongside this are skewers of chicken in satay sauces. Its all delicious and fresh tasting and totally unlike the gunk normally served in Chinese and Cantonese restaurants. Jackie has a similar main platter with the addition of prawns and chili fried together and a saffron rice.

We then walk back from here along Singel Canal buying some bulbs from the flower market and head back to the room where we collapse and catch up on the sleep we missed last night. Later after a shower we head to DAM square which is hosting a rather sleazy looking fun fair. Its very easy in Amsterdam to loose all sense of direction. all the canals look the same and all the houses are the same as well. Eventually we end up back on Singel and start looking for somewhere for dinner.

We finally decide on Casa Di David, an Italian establishment of modest proportions but packed with locals. Food is excellent mixed grilled fish for me and perch for Jackie. Nicely washed down with a bottle of Pinot Grigio, suddenly life seems OK again.
Tomorrow it's finally time to head out to Rotterdam for the concert.

More Amsterdam Photos

Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam

"the evening plane rises up from the runway

over constellations of light"

Neil Peart 1989

The following morning I load the already packed suitcase into the car and we set off for John Lennon Airport, Liverpool. The flight leaves after two o clock so we have plenty of time to buy overpriced drinks and food whilst we wait. Have a quick chat in the lounge to a bunch of Dutch Rush fans who were here for the Manchester gig last night.

The flight is being shown as 20mins late departure though they announce us to go to the gate 10mins before the board says, herd us on quickly and then catch up the rest of the time in the air. Plenty of Rush t shirts all over the half empty flight, including a guy who has yet to tell his wife he's just got a ticket for the Tues night Rotterdam show off ebay; "I'll text her when I arrive!" , wonder how that went down?

Once we arrive in Schipol its straight down to the station to catch the train into Amsterdam central. Once there we follow some emailed instructions from the hotel that takes us down Singel canal until we finally arrive at the door. The hotel looks nice and seems to be in a nice area. Some of the local residents are even getting into the festive spirit a little early by putting little red lights in the doorways ;). Actually the hotel was chosen after quite a lot of searching. In the end we went for the number one choice on trip advisor which had a lot of good reviews. It's a traditional Canal House from the 18th century called Hotel Brouwer. Our room is on the 3rd floor which is accessed by a lift the size of a coffin. The room is nice and spacious and clean and has great views out over the canals and the bridge, where the tourist boats can be seen passing underneath. An English lady has been left in charge of the night desk so we ask her about finding somewhere to eat as we are famished. She says there are plenty of places around but I'm not sure what she has in mind. In our research we had already realised that food was going to be a bit of an issue in Amsterdam. They have little or no culinary heritage of there own, lots of Indonesian restaurants of varying standards. Lots and lots of tourist trap places, and plenty of basic Kebab shop establishments. Added to that was the fact that everywhere seemed to be shut tonight. We ended up near the New Church in an Argentine Beef House (there's lots of these as well). Pretty unmemorable apart from the fact it was way more expensive than it should have been.

Job number one tomorrow has to be to work out where on earth all the decent restaurants hide in this city. Surely the locals want to eat decent food at some stage.

After dinner we return back to the hotel and get to bed. Nobody on trip advisor seems to have mentioned that those nice views of the canal come with a price. With no double glazing and 18th century window frames that barely fit into the walls, the hotels location is not the most restful of areas. Finally get to sleep dreaming of scooters, motorbikes and people falling into the canals.

"Celebrate the moment"

" A certain degree of imagination

A measure of make-believe"

Neil Peart 2002

It's Sunday 14th October and that can only mean one thing; the day of the concert at Manchester. Months of waiting are finally over and we can begin our own personnel tour. Its a short one granted, but it's twice as long as the last time we saw them. Last time on the R30 tour we set off into Manchester rather early and ate some utter rubbish before the concert. This time we take it easy and have a fantastic meal of monkfish in a garlic and borlotti bean sauce cooked by yours truly with a friend whose coming with us. All set to a background of music from various Rush albums, utter bliss. An absolute ridiculously expensive bottle of Sauvignon Blanc helps as well. Finally we set off and within 40mins are parked up outside the arena with time for a visit to a couple of bars before the gig. One beauty of Rush is they can be guaranteed to come on stage exactly when they say and theirs never a support, just a full 3 hour show from them.

Finally we take our seats, the lights dim and the pre show film begins. Then we are straight into a non stop show that never lets up. People had moaned for various reasons about this set list. There are too many new songs in it (you don't say! they are touring for a new album) and it's killing the atmosphere. Well once again Manchester showed that when Rush come to town you can't sit down and there are no dull moments.

I have to admit I was slightly worried about the tickets we had for this gig. Last time we were only 6 or 7 rows from the center of the stage and it was fantastic but this time we find ourselves half way up a side, 1 block back from Alex. Reading gig reports on forums and speaking to a friend on the phone the previous night had not helped either. He had mentioned how the sides of the arenas were looking dead and everyone was just sat like zombies. In the end I resigned myself to thinking "well at least when we get to Rotterdam we have floor tickets" though Jackie didn't seem to be worried saying that Manchester would be different. Boy was she right, In fact I think blocks 102 and 103 were rocking more than anywhere else in the arena and you could see the guys noticing this all night.

Too many highlights to mention but Natural Science has to sit up there. But I have to mention how brilliant I thought songs like "Far Cry", "The Way the Wind Blows", in fact all the new tracks came across. Alex really looks like he's having a blast ripping out the raw energy in these songs. Other delights were "Mission", a song I find works so much better live without its over precise and clinical guitar mix from the album.

Came out with the biggest smile on my face, the inability to string a sentence together properly due to having lost my voice and knowing we have to get some sleep as we have a flight to catch tomorrow. Wonder if Rush travel on Easyjet?