Nrthwnd

RIP Ray Price.

It looked like fun, even with The Pain involved. Sorry it was gone when we visited Tobu in 2011.

RIP Joan Fontaine.

Yes! This one too! I even got the pin for it!

Coke Zero, at the movies.

Wow. So soon. BUMP

Time to pick up, pack up, and change countries! (From London to Milan, and Gardaland, in words...) And this - that was I think, for myself, the most Challenging Day I had ever done, before or since, that really tested my emotion, patience, strength and stamina. Mostly, it all had to do with the heat wave, that now followed us from London to Milan, and beyond. We didn't get it this hot or humid in high records, in Vancouver BC. At the time. If you got any shade (mainly beside the bus, or in another, under tiny food shop overhangs at the Olympic Looping Coaster's location}, it wasn't much and the heat was still intense. We did okay with it, but still... at times....darn in was hot! Add to that, getting up very very early in the travelling day (I totally forget, but it was the earliest I can remember getting up for any flight, even my own), airport, flight from London to Milan, bags and bus it to our next hotel (The GardaLand Hotel), drop the bags in a room for staff to take to rooms...and then head out to Gardaland for a full day's visit! And we walked to the park, from the hotel, which was really another 15 minutes of walking in the hot sun, side of the road. Definitely a true test of my coping with, and getting through really intense conditions. And I did it! But i felt so out of things, and in some discomfort in my back, most of the day at GardaLand is a blur or sorts. We got all the credits; Mammut was a great mine train ride; finally found and rode the disney-like Pirates ride (I Corsari), which was wierdly cool when the whole thing went underwater, lol; the mad house swing ride (Magic House), in the children's area and deep down under this gi-normous cartoon-like tree in the maddle of this section. We also discovered that the locals just threw their bags and packs saw this, we all decided to keep clutching our bags, since we wouldn't have seen them for nearly 15 minutes! Uh uh. Also, the park is shaped horseshoe-like, which really made it slightly difficult to just get from one side to the other, etc. For myself. Others, I don't know. But by the time we had toured around, and backtracked a few times, and then done the Magic House, that was it for me. Which was fine. A good night's sleep was really needed for myself. Sadly, I found out I had not taken any photos of this park!!! Yes, I was shocked, too. But all day I remember not feeling totally awake, and really 'up' for the park, and hot hot hot, and I guess it played into my thoughts about ever taking photos. But that's ok. Most of you know all about the coasters and attractions in this park, including Sequoia Adventure (which I totally aced and was totally bored by it), and the Aliens Invade Egypt dark ride (Ramses: Il Risveglio) and a thoroughly unique Wacky Worm layout. So - next posting - Mirabilandia Park with a few photos! (I checked) But I couldn't just post without at least one photo attached. So here's my 2010 TPR Tour Bag...uh...somewhere in there... eep. And I forgot the colour! (o;

Can't remember. And too many.

Yay for random picture posting, when you're bored! Thanks, Chris!

Our Sky Wheel at Playland (PNE), during the season (late spring - Sept.). It's at a far corner of the park, and provides beautiful views of the mountains, and some of the city skyline, too. Since the ride isn't that busy during it's regular season I ride solo. thanks to the great ride ops there. Which gives me room to move around and get some new pix of the views. A nice, relaxing ride to just chill out and enjoy. The Sky Wheel at Playland (PNE). One of it's great views.

Actually, it's been rather (what we'd call) mild the last couple of days. What snow we had, is all melted (that was easy), and not much rain right now, to make it all.....yucky.

On this year's tree, I kept the many, many things on, that I have collected over the past several TPR Tours, mainly overseas. But last year, with a new cat on the house, we didn't put any tinsel on it, for fear she'd eat it, etc. So, this year we did it... ...and nothing! She couldn't be bothered with the stuff. Win! So here's a few close ups on some of what's up there. Capsule furry tail toy; Voo Doo Doll from Tokyo Hotel Mall (AHS:Coven rawks!); and a little wind-up turtle... from a long ago TPR Tour Goodie bag. (o: Left: cellphone toy can of 'Magical Powder' from Lagunasia. Right: VooDoo Doll, Central Park, Japan. Efteling represented in the green box, surrounded by stuff, including a questionable wrist band (lower right) from....Fuji-Q! Hmmm. Why is this familiar? Something about....next June? Near the top: a colorful mardi-gras type neck chain from the PoTC Gift Shop, in TDL. With the lights on. Can't see much. But it's sure tinsel...y.

Spittoons still work.

^ Saw this on another site. I love the "Yes!" at the end of it, lol.

I only wish they'd done Dragon Mountain the way (and way over the top) an original concept looked like.... Still, an excellent t-shirt, Martin! I mean - around and through the falls??? What a ride that would have been.

^ Drop tower, Jason, drop tower!

^ Loved him in every movie we saw, including a couple of his (IOhO) best, My Favorite Year and Ratatouille (as the food critic). RIP PO'T

^ QFT

Maybe a show of Chicken Run? Wait.... that's Aardman Productions.

Just saying, but if FROZEN doesn't win the Oscar for Best Animated feature, I will stop watching the Academy Awards. And for the record - "Let It Go" to win for Best Song. Disney has ended the year magnificently, with this new film. And it must be seen on the Big Screen at least once, to enjoy all the amazing visuals, music, characterizations... and Josh Gad as Olaf the snowman! Perfect casting. 9.5 out of 10 And eventually, coming out in this. Hopefully, a 3D version will be released as well.

I think this is just a pre-fab temp, for the really heavily-themed station, that's being finished up...right now...soon.

I would loved to have seen that maze, all lit up at night. There were literally thousands of lights all over it. Awesome TR, Jason! And I want to suggest, we go back to Sapporo on all future TPR Japan tours! I loved Hokkaido and the parks, the mountains, the... Sapporo Bier Garten Restaurant. Mmmmmmmm. That maze from the SkyWheel. Can you figure it out, from up here? (o;

Go get another. Don't open it. Kidding aside, I wonder if they sell it both ways, with the card turned for each side to show, without opening it, thus satisfying those "collector needs" in a few of us. (btw, Turning a card does not = two figure credits IMhO)

^ And not just a figurine, but the likeness of what a cast member would look like, as Pluto - and what Pluto would 'sign' at the park in kids' books! This is really IMhO a truly unqiue collection of Disney park figures! I wish they'd do this with Tokyo Disney. Hmmmm, maybe they will, eventually. Awesome!

the opera FALSTAFF by Verdi. Live at The MET