American Tour

I have just come back from a tour of the USA. I organised the whole trip myself, and visited five American states (Washington state, Idaho, California, Oregon and Alaska). Was a wonderful trip and one I'll remember for years to come. There were so many highlights: standing on top of the Space Needle in Seattle, being at the airport as Amanda Knox came back from Italy, feeling the cool breeze of the Alaskan wind, or driving through the mist on the Golden Gate Bridge. It was just magnificent.

Death and taxes

They say that two things are certain in life: death and taxes. However, experiencing the first usually means you get a break from the second. Not in France. It would appear that the French tax authorities don't regard being dead as a sufficient excuse not to pay taxes, as this story explains.Read here

Lost cat found 1,800 miles away

I have always been more of a dog person. Dogs love to play fight and are loyal, whereas cats like their own space, and don't really care about you. Maybe I am a dog person because I was actually born in the Chinese year of the dog. Apparently, this means I am loyal and friendly, but prone to peeing on one leg and attacking postal workers if they come up my driveway. But I digress.

It turns out in this story that a lost cat has shown up 1,800 miles away. Looks like tiddles needs to get a new satnav

Holiday Tip: Always check which country your hotel is in

I have travelled to 12 countries this year (UK, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, USA, Canada and Spain). I have expedia on speed dial and I think I must be on first name terms with every air crew in the world. Travelling so much means you pick up tips, on everything from how to pack lightly, to how to avoid having your pocket picked. You also hear some horror stories, from people being violently mugged on safari to families of four being forced to spend entire weekends sleeping in airport floors. I remember working with a guy in England whose brother was taking a trip from Mexico. He asked the American travel agent to book a flight to Manchester. The plane was booked for Manchester, he took it and landed. The problem was it was Manchester New Hampshire, not Manchester England.

That last story appears to have happened to someone again. This story of how a couple in New Zealand booked a hotel in Eastbourne, New Zealand. Or so they thought. After driving around Eastbourne for hours, they finally realised that the hotel they had booked was 10,000 miles away in Eastbourne, England. Gutted. On a related note, I was in Eastbourne recently for the UKIP conference, and found it to be a charming town, so do visit it.

Conference and Planet of the Apes

Had a great time at the UKIP conference, especially meeting our young members. We had a record number of youth attendees this year. Coming back through Heathrow airport, someone sneezed. Someone else screamed "HEY! Thats how everyone dies at the end of that monkey film!". Someone has been watching too much Planet of the Apes

Travel

Been travelling a fair bit lately. Been to Chicago, Denver, St Louis and Salt Lake City. In Europe, I've been to Rome, Venice, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Geneva. Been very good to see a bit more of the world.