Barcelona

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

April 23, 2015 by David Herd

Around the World again.

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok was a fantastic trip in 2003. Add to this two visits to Vietnam, 3 times to Thailand, Singapore and a 13,000 km road trip through Australia’s outback. Overall one of my most frantic years for travel and fun was certainly 2003.

The photo above is Copacabana Beach with Sugarloaf mountain in the distance.

This it not part of my travel blog, just part of my personal photo & travel history from 2003. Mainly revolving around the many people who helped make it another fantastic year of travel.

My friends in Copacabana

These were very happy Times in Copacabana in 2003, from the left is Doug Rourke, (RIP) Marcelli, Dave Wylie, Dave Sommer (RIP) Tatiane and I forget the last guys name. 🙂

Carla at Copacabana

The most magnificent colour skin I have ever seen.

I often wonder where she is now.

Lunch with Jackie at Mea Pataca

A regular spot opposite the beach.

Mea Pataca restaurant in Copacabana

This seafood soup was fantastic.

Angra dos Reis

Today, because of its beautiful beaches and nearby regions, the municipality has become a focal point for tourism – not only state wide but on a national scale also. Within the municipality are over three hundred islands, many of them owned by national and international celebrities. Distance from Rio de Janeiro: 168 km; São Paulo: 411 km.

Angra dos Reis

An interesting place to get away for a quiet weekend.

Buzios

Two hours north of Rio de Janeiro is Buzios. In the early 1900s Búzios was popular with the Carioca’s high society, who wanted to escape from the chaotic city life of Rio de Janeiro and enjoy over 23 beaches that the peninsula offers.

Beautiful Brigitte

It wasn’t until 1964, when the famous French Actress Brigitte Bardot visited Búzios, that it grew to be a popular tourist destination.

Buzios

Búzios is located at 105 miles NE from the city of Rio de Janeiro, about a 2 hour drive from that city. You come to a fork in the road, straight ahead for Cabo Frio and left for Buzios.

Tin man at Copacabana

One of the great Copacabana characters.

Copacabana Palace

The most famous hotel in Rio.

Dinner at the Palace

I took these cute Scandinavian girls to dinner at the Palace, cost me a bloody fortune. 🙂

Does my bum look big in this?

Definitely not. 🙂

The last of the Rio shots before checking out Santiago.

Valparaiso on the coast of Chili

I was not too impressed with Santiago, I really preferred Valparaiso.

Valparaiso

Valparaiso central Chile about 100 kilometers from Santiago. I bet this fantastic house has been photographed millions of times, perched on the edge of a sheer drop you would not want to be a sleep walker. This is one of the escalators (Ascensores) connecting the harbour area to the hills, and the building is the restaurant Las Brujas.

Statue from Easter island in Vina del Mar

Vina del Mar is just to the north of Valparaiso.

Downtown Santiago.

I only spent two nights in Santiago and must admit I was not too impressed. I found it a fairly dull city overall, unlike Valparaiso and Vina del Mar which are more to my liking. However when it comes to drinking wine Chile has some wonderful examples. Although I live in Thailand most of the wine I drink here comes from Chile.

Old Customs building beside the harbour.

La Rambla

La Rambla is a street popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

Casa Mil

Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, is one of Gaudí’s main residential buildings and one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture. This building is more a sculpture than a building. The façade is a varied and harmonious mass of undulating stone that, along with its forged iron balconies, explores the irregularities of the natural world. UNESCO recognized this building as World Heritage in 1984.

Final stop Thailand

Koh Chang is the 2nd largest island in Thailand and is located near the border of Cambodia.

My friend from Beijing

In September 2002 I met Mable in Beijing and we enjoyed a nice time together. Consequently I sent her a ticket to meet me in Thailand and we spent time in Pattaya, Koh Chang and Bangkok.

Mable at the Sabai Lodge

It is now 2015 and from my balcony in Pattaya I look down on the pool at the Sabai Lodge in Soi 2, a very good low price hotel.

Chinese ladies don’t like direct sun. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok photo blog.

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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Pattaya live webcam

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Atlantic bar Pattaya

Ah! Thankfully some things never change in Thailand. 🙂

Jump ahead to 2005 Rio Carnival

That’s all folks

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Counter only started February 16 2020.

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David Herd unforgettable year 2003

July 1, 2014 by David Herd

David-herd-Barcelona-Brazil-Bangkok-Pattaya

David Herd unforgettable year 2003, not sure how I survived, it was one of the busiest & best years for travel, & at home on the Gold Coast, that I have ever experienced. I went to Vietnam twice in January & April, Thailand in April & July, then around the world in November starting in Chile, then on to Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, Barcelona & Bangkok on the way home to Australia.

In August I took 3 lovely Japanese girls on a 7,000 kilometer road trip through the Outback to Uluru, stopping at Broken Hill & Coober Pedy then on the way home we went to Airlie Beach & Hervey Bay to see the whales.

This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from 2003.

Lovely Japanese girls + Vannessa

Most of these lovely girls were students, I took 3 of them on a 7,000 kilometre road trip through the Outback and to Uluru. My friend Vannessa Teo is the lovely lady on the right.

The girls loved my Mercedes.

I had a couple of Japanese girls staying in my home, they loved my yellow Mercedes & here they are after I had taken them & their friends for a Yum Cha.

A very happy group Friends family students

Harley is looking like a stunned mullet, the other guy is Jack, an Aussie who I met in Vietnam in January.

My beautiful home

I lived here from 1990 to 2011 & loved every minute.

David Herd unforgettable year

I enjoyed these beautiful sunsets for 21 wonderful years living in my beautiful home on the Gold Coast in Australia.

My beautiful Mercedes

I owned this lovely car for 17 years, I reluctantly sold it in 2007 when I was starting to downsize with a view of moving to Thailand.

Duranbah Beach Tweed Heads

Duranbah Beach (NSW, also called Flagstaff Beach) is the most northern beach in NSW. The 500 m long beach faces east and is located between the northern 400 m long entrance wall of the Tweed River mouth and the 30 m high black basalt slopes of Point Danger, which marks the Queensland-NSW border.

Lunch with friends Ross & Mariana Kennedy

Lunch at Omeros Brothers restaurant with good friends Ross & Mariana at the Marina Mirage.

Chevron Renaissance in Surfers Paradise

One of my favourite people watching locations.

Getting ready for out road trip.

My 3 Japanese friends Yukako, Noriko & Megumi who came on the Outback road trip. Did I mention life 2003 was frantic? Well our 7000 km journey in 2 weeks certainly was. 🙂

life 2003 celebrating my 60th birthday

My 60th birthday with John Sinclair, Bruce Donachie, Ross Kennedy & Phil Thomson.

Owned by Billionaire Bob Ell.

It would cost me a years wages (if I had a job) to fill it up with diesel.

Tony Murphy’s houseboat

My friend Tony Murphy lived on his houseboat here in Surfers Paradise and previously in Townsville.

Coffee on Chevron Island with Ross Kennedy.

I rarely miss a day going to Chevron Island for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner. 🙂

David Herd unforgettable year with some sweet Japanese girls

On the left is Sayuri with her friend and Ziggy in the background. Sayuri stayed at my home for several months while studying English.

Sonia from Beijing.

Sonia & I went out together for a while, we met in Toowoomba where she was going to university, then hooked up last year in Beijing. She moved to Sydney and found a husband. 🙂

Sydney Cricket Ground

I was at the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch my beloved Sydney Swan play Australian Football. Luckily my friend Peter Hesky had a private box which makes the game more enjoyable.

Pothole, Apple and Sue

John Martin aka Pothole, Apple and Sue in Sydney for the weekend.

Sue, Apple Pothole & his sister Anne.

Strange how things turn out, it is 2016 and Pothole live in the same building in Pattaya Thailand.

Apple was the best Thai cook I have ever seen.

Finally after the love affair finished with Pothole Apple wound up married to an ex cop in London. She was with him at Buckingham Palace when he received an award from the Queen, not bad for a girl from Nana Plaza. 🙂

Visiting my brother Bryan

Bryan built a lovely home at Cobbity which is near Camden west of Sydney.

Sue and I at Manly

Fish & chips is compulsory for lunch at Manly.

Manly

One of the nicest Sydney seaside suburbs,

Magnificent Sydney skyline

Sydney from the Manly ferry.

Andrea & Gavin Kernot

My friend Gavin with his gorgeous girlfriend Andrea. Have a look at my 2005 Paris post where I spent some time with Gavin and and Cheryl Kernot who was a well known Australian politician.

Melbas Xmas lunch with Graham (Biff) LaRoche.

Each year a group of ex Melbourne guys would get together for a Xmas lunch at Melbas in Surfers Paradise.

The whole crew

Sadly time waits for no man, four guys from this group have now passed away, Noel Smith, John Woods & Ron Collier, RIP.

Dave Allen & Kerry Townsend.

Dave was the manager at Melbas and Kerry was the receptionist. Dave was the son of the owner Paul Allen who sadly passed away in July or August 2011. Melbas was the premier restaurant & nightclub on the Gold Coast since 1981. It was also my local drinking hole, the memories I have from there are unforgettable.

Xmas day lunch at home for David Herd unforgettable year.

David Herd unforgettable year 2003 was frantic with Friends family students I was happy to spend Xmas day alone with my best friend Ziggy (my Doberman) enjoying my beautiful home that I built in 1990. I ate magnificent seafood and washed it down with my favourite white wine from Margaret River in W.A. a Salitage unwooded Chardonnay, life does not get much better than this. It was great having a quiet day to reflect on my wild & frantic year.

Thanks for visiting my David Herd unforgettable year photo blog.

I’ll leave it to Glenn Frey to tell you how I feel right now.

Here are some more posts to check out

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Thailand 2008 Gold Coast Babes World trip 2003

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Click here to check out my Miami adventure.

Post by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com”.

Check out these great posts

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Pattaya Thailand 2013

Amazing Iguazu Falls

New York City

Buddhist Temple Asakusa Tokyo

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Counter only started June 26 2020.

This gallery contains 5 photos

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

December 23, 2013 by David Herd

La Rambla

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city is one of my favourite places in Europe, architecture, food people pigeons, Ok forget the pigeons. 😆

Plaça de Catalunya

Plaça de Catalunya is a large square in central Barcelona that is generally considered to be both its city centre and the place where the old city and the 19th century-built Eixample meet. The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns, constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plaza de Cataluña

The open top bus in the background is by far the best way to see the city, buy a 24 hour pass and jump on and off as you wish.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Casa Milà

Old Customs building.

Port Vell literally in English ‘Old Harbour’ is a waterfront harbour in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year.

Columbus monument

The Monument a Columbus was established in honour of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus. In 1493 Columbus was received in Barcelona after his return from America by King Ferdinand II. The monument is opened since June 1st, 1888.

In the background is Arenas de Barcelona

Arenas de Barcelona, with its beautiful neo-mujedar architecture, used to be a bullfighting arena but has now been converted into a shopping plaza which houses an excellent Desigual store.

Gothic Quarter in Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. This is where my hotel was, in fact I took the photo from the hotel window.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere.

Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Remains of the squared Roman Wall can be seen around Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north, Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west and Carrer de la Palla to the south. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area also.

The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.

Here is a link to book a popular two star hotel for around $90 per night.

Another link for a 2 star in a very good location.

Best food market I have ever seen.

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria , is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district, and one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, the cities opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.

Do you like lollies?

Make sure Barcelona’s market is on your bucket list.

Sagrada Família

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop. Construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project’s greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death.