WINTER TRAVELS PART 1

Fans of my previous iMovies India: Snapshots and Tel Aviv Summer (the latter can be viewed here) may be pleased to know that I am working on some new movies about my Winter Travels.

I started to create a movie that included everywhere I've been since leaving Israel in late October, but it was getting a bit long so I've decided to break it into parts. Part 1 covers Scotland to Bath/Wales, and Part 2 begins in London and ends...well actually it's not finished, so I don't know where it will end yet!!

So without further ado, may I present Winter Travels 2007, Part 1. (Please view with the sound turned up)

New York, part 1

I've just returned (to Summit, NJ) from a weekend in Manhattan, staying with Aviva in the upper West Side. New York was fun! I went out to mingle with the locals on Fri and Saturday nights, I caught up with a few different friends in the two days - and I met one of my third cousins on my mum's side of the family. For the genealogically uninformed, your third cousin is someone who's great-grandparent is brother or sister to your great-grandparent. (As an aside, I believe that I am, in addition to being myself, also my OWN third cousin several times removed, but that is another story). I'll be here in Summit, enjoying the company of Sue, John, Xander, and Buffy until Tues when I am headed back into the city to take up temporary residence in Brooklyn thanks to the always helpful and hospitable Jeff, who just so happens to have an empty apartment there. THANKS JEFF!!

And the Beddy goes to.... [drumroll please]

I'm now in New Jersey, having completed my UK/Ireland/Denmark travels. Sadly, due to a lack of prolonged Internet access in many of the last few places I visited, I've barely blogged about the last month of my trip. Happily, I'm now in the land of the free! Free wifi that is, since the neighbours seem to be community-spirited enough to want to share their wireless internet connections :) So hopefully I'll have a chance to make up for the backlog.

In the meantime, I feel it is in order to spend some time thanking the wonderful people who have enabled my worldwide wanderings by giving me a warm bed (or inflatable mattress) and a roof over my head, not to mention dinners, breakfasts, cups of tea, travel advice, personalised tours, pickups from airports and train stations, and so much more as I traipse across the northern hemisphere. Since September, I am grateful to have stayed in ten different friends' flats and houses in five different countries. To those who have hosted me: I love you and thank you all!

In your honour, I have created a virtual award which I call the "Beddy" (Like an Emmy or a Grammy). I'll start with the European and Middle East Beddy Awards*

Would the following people please step forward to receive their Beddy!

Best Bed - The Kennedy family (Limerick)
Best Inflatable Mattress - Sonja and Henry (Bath). Honourable mention: Andrea (Copenhagen)
Best Location - Alon (Tel Aviv)
Warmest Flat - Andrea (Copenhagen). Honourable Mention: Ben and G (London)
Best Shower - Ben and G (London). Honourable mention: The Abrams Family (Liverpool)
Best Television Evenings - Tracy and Caroline (Edinburgh)
Best Internet Connection - Adam (Bristol). Honourable Mention: Tracy and Caroline (Edinburgh)
Best Sandwich recommendation - Adam (Bristol, England)
Best Home-Cooked Dinners - Tracy and Caroline (Edinburgh) Honourable mentions: Adam (Bristol), Sonja (Bath)
Best Bonfire - The Abrams family, (Liverpool)
Best Wine A tie: Tracy and Caroline (Edinburgh), Sonja and Henry (Bath)
Best Cat Companionship - Neer and Orit,and the Black one and the White one (Haifa). Honourable Mention: Tracy, Caroline, and Nigella (Edinburgh)

AND FINALLY
Special Beddy Award for Personalised Tourguiding - Tracy (Edinburgh), Adam (Bristol), Ben (London), Aine (Limerick)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!! You are welcome to post your acceptance speeches here....

*The North American Beddys will follow at a later stage