Travel Ted, Rome, Italy

Deborah


Posted Jun 10, 2006, 12:53 pm
It's hot in the city and Travel Ted's catching some rays in the garden while he brushes up on his Italian for his next big voyage.
Deborah


Posted Jun 14, 2006, 1:59 pm
‘Possiamo vederci di nuovo? Conosce una buona discoteca?’
Deborah


Posted Jun 22, 2006, 10:46 am
As the last of the holiday essentials are shoehorned into the suitcase, Travel Ted wonders whether anyone will notice his Abba memorabilia collection smuggled under the clothes.
Deborah


Posted Jun 30, 2006, 2:59 pm
After making a thorough study of the guidebooks while the humans were asleep, Travel Ted delivered a fascinating talk on the history of Lecco, beginning with the Azzone Visconti Bridge (1336), which crosses the River Adda at its junction with Lake Como.
Deborah


Posted Jul 3, 2006, 9:32 pm
Travel Ted was pleased with his choice of hotel. The bedroom balcony had stunning views across Lake Como. He marvelled at a firework display and gawked wide-eyed at a thunderstorm over Switzerland. 
Deborah


Posted Jul 8, 2006, 8:52 pm
Travel Ted’s last day in Italy was very very very exciting as he got to go on lots of different types of transport. He travelled by car, by boat, on three trains, four buses (one of them bendy), a funicular (twice) and a plane. He felt quite tired out by the end of it all.
Deborah


Posted Jul 14, 2006, 6:14 pm
Every day for a entire week Travel Ted bounded eagerly down the stairs whenever he heard the post arrive. At long last his photos were delivered and, after remembering to say “thank you” nicely to the postman, he spent the whole afternoon carefully arranging his holiday memories in a big blue album.
Deborah


Posted Jul 18, 2006, 3:18 pm
After his very exciting boat ride on Lake Como, Travel Ted developed a prodigious interest in all things nautical. When he was taken to see the Cutty Sark in Greenwich he was utterly astounded to learn that the ship was so enormous that two hundred and twelve Travel Teds laid end to end still wouldn’t quite match the length of this famous tea clipper.
Deborah


Posted Jul 24, 2006, 1:52 pm
It was a lovely sunny weekend and Travel Ted decided to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury. He visited the cathedral, which was very big and old, and played in its grounds. Best of all, though, was his ride in a rowing boat along the River Stour.
Deborah


Posted Jul 26, 2006, 9:54 am
Travel Ted wanted to sunbathe on Margate’s bustling beach but went all shy at the thought of showing his white bits in front of all the pretty ladies. He decided to go the Dreamland amusement arcade instead, where he got to drive a big red bus. That was much, much better than sunbathing!
Deborah


Posted Jul 28, 2006, 12:49 pm
At Broadstairs' Viking Bay, Travel Ted had fresh fish and chips for lunch. On the beach there was a Punch and Judy show, which was quite exciting although Travel Ted was concerned about the effect the gratuitous violence might have on the children in the audience.
Deborah


Posted Jul 31, 2006, 6:39 pm
At Ramsgate’s Marina and Royal Harbour, Travel Ted simply couldn’t believe how many boats there were. He tried to count them all but got confused whenever anybody moved one.
Deborah


Posted Aug 4, 2006, 1:54 pm
As the coach accelerated up the London Road, Travel Ted gazed wistfully back at the spire of Canterbury Cathedral until it disappeared from view. He tried to prolong the holiday experience by reading his new book by Chaucer. Try as he might, he was forced to admit that he didn’t really understand it though.
Deborah


Posted Aug 10, 2006, 2:03 pm
Travel Ted caught a nasty cold and had to stay at home for a few days. Although he was rather grumpy at first, he perked up considerably when he was told that he’d been invited away for the weekend. Besides, watching all his favourite Boris Karloff films on DVD proved a splendid way to pass the time.
Deborah


Posted Aug 14, 2006, 4:18 pm
Travel Ted was a-tremble with excitement as he arrived in Norwich to meet his voyager hero, Ivor, for the very first time. He was quite awe-struck by Ivor’s castle domain, which he thought was every bit as impressive as Frankenstein’s. His host made Travel Ted very welcome and in no time at all they were regaling one another with amusing holiday anecdotes like a couple of old friends.

Deborah


Posted Aug 18, 2006, 5:24 pm
It rained and rained and rained and rained and rained so a visit to the Bridewell Museum seemed just the thing to do. There were all sorts of funny old machines there and Travel Ted and Ivor got to try their paws as telephone operators and chocolate manufacturers. Travel Ted’s suggestion that a big metal press might help Ivor to emulate his own washboard stomach resulted in a stern talking to however.
Deborah


Posted Aug 25, 2006, 9:53 am
Having suffered an embarrassing accident while putting his cookie wrappers in the recycling bin, Travel Ted had a trip to the hospital where he thoroughly enjoyed being made a fuss of by the nurses. After falling off the sign outside, he nearly got to go straight back in and see them again!
Deborah


Posted Aug 29, 2006, 6:14 pm
Travel Ted made a flying visit to Cambridge but didn’t really have time for a proper look around the town. He liked the train journey very much though, especially the countryside bits where he got to see horses, brown cows, black cows, pigs and sheep.
Deborah


Posted Aug 31, 2006, 1:40 pm
Travel Ted’s weekly nostril-plucking was interrupted by a very peculiar noise at the front door. On investigation, he was greeted by a very brightly coloured red dog. ‘Hello,’ said Travel Ted, ‘You must be Scarlett’. ‘Hello,’ said Scarlett, in a very small voice.
Deborah


Posted Sep 2, 2006, 4:54 pm
The day had come for Scarlett to set off on her big adventure. Travel Ted put on a brave face as he bade farewell to his new friend (on whom observers suspected he had begun to harbour a bit of a crush). Afterwards, he was unable to fight back a teeny-weeny tear as he trudged forlornly home without her.
Deborah


Posted Sep 10, 2006, 11:43 am
Once again, Travel Ted was thrilled with the view from his hotel room as he could watch the trains go past all day and all night. On this occasion he was alone in his enthusiasm.
Deborah


Posted Sep 10, 2006, 11:46 am
All of Travel Ted's recent troubles were quickly forgotten as he bounded round the sights of Copenhagen. When his little paws had no more spring in them he treated them to a nice rest on a leisurely canal tour.
Deborah


Posted Sep 18, 2006, 3:59 pm
Travel Ted had a very exciting excursion across Europe’s longest bridge which took him all the way from Denmark to Sweden! He saw a castle and played in some lovely parks, and even got to see a proper windmill, which he thought was very cool indeed!
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2006, 6:34 pm
Travel Ted visited an even better castle today – the Kronborg Slot at Elsinore. This one was extra good because it was the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. After finding a weird bird skull on the nearby beach, he decided to follow in the footsteps of other illustrious visitors such as Richard Burton, Michael Redgrave and Laurence Olivier by re-enacting a scene from the famous play: “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio...”
Deborah


Posted Sep 25, 2006, 6:59 pm
Travel Ted had absolutely the best week ever! Not only did his travelogue celebrate more than ONE THOUSAND page views but Isobel and Neil named him Voyager of the Week, which made him turn cartwheels with happiness (although he vociferously pooh-poohed the idea that Deborah ‘owned’ him as a shocking bit of human arrogance). As the time came to pass the Voyager of the Week baton to his good friend Ivor he asked Deborah to help him post a special message to Isobel and Neil, as well as all the people like FantasticMsFox, Stargazer and Crizle who’ve written lovely things about him in the forum.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2006, 12:11 pm
Travel Ted didn’t like wet weekends at all. He came to the conclusion that the very best thing to do with them was to eat plenty of cake. Eventually someone took pity on him and drove him to the supermarket. As he inspected their wares a warm fuzzy feeling of contentment spread through his heart.
Deborah


Posted Oct 8, 2006, 1:15 pm
While sitting in a traffic jam on the outskirts of Lewisham, Travel Ted was overcome by a sense of restlessness. He began to formulate a getaway plan.

Passport, euros, chocolate bar - it looked as though it might just work...
Deborah


Posted Oct 15, 2006, 8:57 pm
At the Forum in Norwich Travel Ted paid a silent tribute to Maisie whose voyaging ended so suddenly and tragically at the hands of the lost property department. He hoped that all the other voyagers lost in action were in safe hands and would be heard from again one day.
Deborah


Posted Oct 18, 2006, 9:58 am
Travel Ted was thrilled to see Ivor again. So excited was he at the prospect of going on a proper holiday with his chum that he even sicked up a bit of fluff in the airport loos but Ivor took good care of him and ensured he made it onto the plane in time.
Deborah


Posted Oct 21, 2006, 10:15 pm
Travel Ted felt very happy indeed as he prepared to explore Turin, the capital of Piedmont and the home of Nutella, the breadstick and the Tic Tac.
Deborah


Posted Oct 23, 2006, 6:01 pm
It was a busy busy day for sightseeing. Travel Ted was especially enthusiastic about the castles, although Ivor, who lives in one, found them rather dull. Nevertheless, he patiently trekked from Piazza Castello to Castello del Valentino to help Travel Ted take some pictures. Both of them were awed by the Mole Antonelliana though, which at 167.5 metres high was far too big to be photographed properly.
Deborah


Posted Oct 25, 2006, 1:30 pm
Travel Ted heard there was a truffle festival in Alba and thought that they should pay it a visit. He was very disappointed to discover that not all truffles are of the chocolate variety but still enjoyed his trip to the town with the funny towers.
Deborah


Posted Oct 27, 2006, 6:35 pm
On his last day in Italy, Travel Ted treated himself to some chocolate and pistachio ice cream. He wanted to take some home in his suitcase and was quite distraught when told that it wouldn’t survive the journey.
Deborah


Posted Nov 4, 2006, 2:52 pm
Travel Ted missed Ivor dreadfully but his post-holiday blues were somewhat alleviated when one of his best friends took him for a spin in the Kent countryside. After a sumptuous lunch at The Wheatsheaf they stopped off in Hever. Travel Ted wanted to visit the castle but didn’t have enough pocket money left for the entrance fee so he settled for a little walk instead.
Deborah


Posted Nov 4, 2006, 2:53 pm
Next they visited Otford, where Travel Ted admired the sheep and the patchwork fields.
Deborah


Posted Nov 4, 2006, 2:54 pm
The afternoon was rounded off with a ramble in Farningham, which had a very pretty little river where Travel Ted tried to befriend a duck with a crooked bill. He asked Mr. Mallard if he’d like to be his new travel companion, but Mr. Mallard just shook his feathers and fixed his attention on a clump of weed.
Deborah


Posted Nov 10, 2006, 6:18 pm
Travel Ted could hardly contain his excitement when he learned that Billy Smart’s Circus was in town. At the evening performance he was entranced by the colourfully lit tent and his eyes nearly popped out at the sight of the huge clouds of candy floss (but he didn’t have any as he was scared it would stick in his fur). He loved every minute of the show, and thought the acrobats were magnificent although the contortionist was his very favourite of all.
Deborah


Posted Nov 17, 2006, 1:35 pm
Travel Ted decided to soak up a bit of culture at the Tate Modern but reached the conclusion that he didn’t really understand modern art. Still, the view across the river was lovely and he got to go on the wobbly bridge, although he felt a bit let down by its utter failure to wobble no matter how hard he jumped up and down on it.
Deborah


Posted Nov 29, 2006, 1:25 pm
Travel Ted had a very, very long journey ahead of him so he made important preparations and packed his favourite Abba and Bee Gees cassettes to play on his shiny Sony walkman, of which he was extremely proud.
Deborah


Posted Nov 29, 2006, 1:27 pm
Six and a half hours later…

Travel Ted surveyed his surroundings. ‘What a very curious place’, he thought to himself as he looked around this strange new land of purple wheelie bins.
Deborah


Posted Nov 29, 2006, 1:28 pm
It transpired that the dustbins were not in fact one of Liverpool’s main tourist attractions. Travel Ted was taken to see The Liver Building, which looked terribly impressive. And yet, as he turned his back on it to have his photo taken, something even better caught his eye…
Deborah


Posted Dec 4, 2006, 6:15 pm
Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Travel Ted’s completed his first mission!

A ferry boat called the Royal Iris of the Mersey took him all the way across to the other side of the river in an hour-long tourist cruise before bringing him back all cold and happy. He was very taken with the way the seagulls flocked after the boat (although he worried for the cleanliness of his favourite dungarees) and it was great fun to look back at the buildings from the other side of the water. He even got to sing along with a tape recording of the famous song.
Deborah


Posted Dec 9, 2006, 8:50 pm
Travel Ted took a drive to Crosby Beach where a man called Antony Gormley had planted 100 statues of himself in the sand. The tide was in so he couldn’t get up close to the drowning figures, but that was ok because the sunset was magnificent. (Indeed he thought it complemented his complexion very well.)
Deborah


Posted Dec 9, 2006, 8:52 pm
Travel Ted went back to see ‘Another Place’ but mistimed the tide again. Still, he had a little walk along the beach and got a slightly better look. He’d read on the internet that the installation ‘harnessed the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man’s relationship with nature’. Travel Ted found that very meaningful as sometimes he liked to contemplate his place in the wider scheme of things too. Maybe modern art wasn’t so bad after all.
Deborah


Posted Dec 17, 2006, 11:01 am
All the way up in Lancashire was Carnforth Station, where one of Travel Ted’s very favourite films was made. He thought Brief Encounter was ever so romantic and always had a little cry during the dashing Trevor Howard’s final scene.
Deborah


Posted Dec 21, 2006, 12:23 pm
The world was smiling on Travel Ted. He only had to wait a little while longer until Christmas (which was also his official birthday), Isobel and Neil had made him Voyager of the Week, and he was about to embark on another exciting excursion. As he finished wrapping his Christmas presents Travel Ted felt very blessed.
Deborah


Posted Dec 24, 2006, 10:53 am
Life holds many disappointments, thought Travel Ted glumly as the realisation dawned on him that business trips weren’t nearly as much fun as holidays. Instead of exploring all the Edinburgh attractions he had spent his day sharpening pencils and looking for lost paperclips. Besides which, making cups of tea with that great big kettle required all his acrobatic skills. This wasn’t what he’d had in mind at all. On the bright side, at least the breakfast menu looked promising. He wished he’d brought his dictionary to look up what the ‘haggis’ was.
Deborah


Posted Jan 7, 2007, 12:18 pm
Travel Ted was thrilled to bits with the new Christmas camera, although he had to admit there was still room for improvement on his mastery of the self-take function.
Deborah


Posted Jan 7, 2007, 12:21 pm
During his latest weekend away the rain stopped just long enough for Travel Ted to take in some of the sites of Bath. He saw the old Roman Baths, the Abbey and the River Avon, on top of which he was able to watch a clever man making chocolates in a shop window. Travel Ted wanted to have his photo taken with him but was far too shy to ask.
Deborah


Posted Jan 14, 2007, 11:31 am
On a crisp winter's morning there was nothing Travel Ted enjoyed more than a gentle stroll through the park. He loved the view from outside the Old Royal Observatory. From there he could look down on the Queen's House and the Royal Naval College, which now cowered incongruously in front of the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf on the opposite side of the River Thames.
Deborah


Posted Jan 14, 2007, 11:40 am
Travel Ted especally liked the flower gardens where he could visit lots of birds and animals. On this particular morning the ducks and geese were too busy squabbling with one another to pay much attention to him. The deer were keeping their distance (although he thought this might not be such a bad thing as the stags with the great big antlers did look rather intimidating). All the fluffy young squirrels loved Travel Ted though, and he was very pleased when they scampered over to say hello.
Deborah


Posted Feb 8, 2007, 5:25 pm
Travel Ted set his alarm clock to wake him from a short hibernation in time for his next excursion. After his disappointing trip to Edinburgh, he was thrilled to have another chance to explore Scotland. His first glimpse of the town made him a little anxious as to how much Dumfries had to offer an adventurous bear but a trip to the tourist information office reassured him that there was no shortage of possibilities for exciting outings.
Deborah


Posted Feb 11, 2007, 1:51 pm
Travel Ted felt quite confused. After a lovely car journey through fields, forests and hills, he found himself in most unexpected surroundings. This place looked nothing like the pictures in his Scottish guide books. Eventually he plucked up the courage to ask a dragon for some information and learned that he was at the Samye Ling monastery and Tibetan centre – the first and largest Tibetan Buddhist centre in Europe. Travel Ted found his visit both pleasant and educational. All in all it had been a very satisfying day.
Deborah


Posted Feb 18, 2007, 10:44 am
Travel Ted began his adventures in the Lake District with a trip to Aira Force. By the time he had climbed to the top of this impressive waterfall his stumpy little legs were very tired, but the magnificence of the view made his efforts seem well worth it.

On the way back to the car he had a rather frightening experience. While having his photo taken with a seemingly friendly pony, a nudge at his back warned him just in time that ponies eat small bears whole. Between raging torrents, precipitous drops and savage animals, it's just not safe in the countryside thought Travel Ted.

Deborah


Posted Feb 24, 2007, 11:45 am
Travel Ted's next stop was Grasmere where he went to see the grave of the poet William Wordsworth and bought some traditional fudge. When having his photo taken he made sure there were no hungry ponies behind him.
Deborah


Posted Feb 24, 2007, 11:48 am
In Windermere Travel Ted met some more scary local residents in the shape of a couple of very big swans. He spotted a fire engine that looked ideal for a quick getaway but there seemed to be a problem with the accelerator...
Deborah


Posted Mar 7, 2007, 6:11 pm
Although Travel Ted was back at home for a while, life was not uneventful. The first thing he had noticed on his return was the snow. He wished he could afford the orange snorkel jacket he’d been eyeing up. A much more pleasing development was that his new friend Frank had joined the Toy Voyagers community. Reading about his chums’ adventures made Travel Ted very happy, and he was delighted to see Ivor was back in action too.
Deborah


Posted Mar 22, 2007, 2:34 pm
Travel Ted was off on his adventures again. After a very exciting flight over the sea, and over cities, mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, he arrived in Switzerland for the very first time.
Deborah


Posted Mar 23, 2007, 1:06 pm
Travel Ted couldn’t wait to get down to the lakeside, where he watched a steamship embark on its journey to the French town of Evian-les-bains on the opposite side of Lake Geneva.

After wandering along the shore of the lake he found himself in the gardens of the Olympic Museum where he demonstrated his athletic prowess by climbing (a little way) up the Swatch clock tower.
Deborah


Posted Mar 26, 2007, 6:57 pm
In the centre of Lausanne Travel Ted explored several museums housed in the Palais de Rumine. In the Zoological Museum he visited the largest stuffed great white shark on display anywhere in the whole wide world. At nearly six metres long Travel Ted found him a little bit intimidating. He thought that he must have been a very great voyager in his heyday and considered it rather sad that he was now cooped up indoors for tourists to come and stare at.

Back at the apartment Travel Ted hummed quietly to himself as he unpacked the weekend provisions from the groovy edelweiss shopping trolley.
Deborah


Posted Mar 30, 2007, 6:36 pm
Travel Ted was in seventh heaven at the third annual chocolate festival in Versoix. He got to sample the wares of over twenty of Switzerland’s finest chocolatiers and met a large family of demented chocolate rabbits.
Deborah


Posted Apr 5, 2007, 4:49 pm
After a beautiful drive along the Swiss Riviera to Montreux, Travel Ted visited the idyllically situated Château de Chillon, which he thought was one of the very best castles he had ever been to. On the way back he stopped off in Vevéy, where the haze had lifted enough for him to see the snowy peaks of the Alps, and in St. Saphorin where he clambered through the hilly vineyards.
Deborah


Posted Apr 5, 2007, 4:51 pm
By the lake in Vevey.
Deborah


Posted Apr 5, 2007, 5:01 pm
Feeling rather wind-blown.
Deborah


Posted Apr 11, 2007, 5:37 pm
To celebrate the first anniversary of Toy Voyagers Travel Ted thought it would be a nice gesture to offer some of his friends the opportunity to experience the exciting adventures he enjoyed so much himself. His good deed made him feel all warm inside as he placed his order for some tags. He couldn’t wait to see the happy looks on the faces of his friends when he told them about this special gift.

First he asked his little brother, Pye, if he would like to be a Toy Voyager. Pye was a giant flesh-eating microbe (Streptococcus Pyogenes to give his full title). After a lifetime of social exclusion and bullying from a distance, Pye lacked the confidence to go travelling and preferred to lurk under the furniture. Travel Ted considered this sad but understandable. In any case, he would have missed him a great deal.
Deborah


Posted Apr 11, 2007, 5:38 pm
Next he asked The Dalmutation, an affable double-headed oaf. As usual, The Dalmutation was in two minds, and eventually Travel Ted got fed up and shuffled off.
Deborah


Posted Apr 11, 2007, 5:39 pm
It occurred to Travel Ted that the Christmas Chocolate Reindeer might be pleased to explore outside his cupboard, but he said that he had left his adventuring days behind him as he was now past his sell-by date.
Deborah


Posted Apr 11, 2007, 5:39 pm
Travel Ted was starting to feel rather disgruntled at all these rejections. He decided to keep trying though, and clambered up the scary big ladder into the attic where Vladimir the bat lived. Vladimir said that being a Toy Voyager sounded like a lot of hard work whereas he was much happier just hanging out.

Travel Ted started to wish he hadn’t bothered...
Deborah


Posted Apr 18, 2007, 5:38 pm
Travel Ted couldn’t help noticing the small naked monkey swinging past the patio doors. The monkey looked quite adventurous and Travel Ted wondered whether he might like to be a Toy Voyager.
Deborah


Posted Apr 28, 2007, 4:30 pm
Travel Ted made the most of a gorgeous sunny day on a trip to Wroxham with Ivor and Galen. Spending time with his friends, eating ice cream and seeing lots of boats – what more could a little bear ask for?
Deborah


Posted May 6, 2007, 8:04 pm
It was a very big day for Travel Ted because he got to complete his second mission! The only disappointment was that he didn't get a very good look at the other bears because they were too far away. Nevertheless, he took satisfaction in the fact that none of them had such fine dungarees as he did.
Deborah


Posted May 20, 2007, 4:25 pm
Travel Ted's mood instantly lifted when he arrived at the French Riviera with its sun, sea and palm trees.
Deborah


Posted May 25, 2007, 9:48 am
Travel Ted was very excited to be at the Cannes Film Festival. The weather was lovely and all the apartments had balconies, which he thought was very glamorous. He read through the daily trade press to help him decide which films he should go and see, and hoped that he might even get to meet one of the many celebrities treading the red carpet.
Deborah


Posted May 28, 2007, 3:58 pm
The worst thing about holidays, thought Travel Ted, were the wet weekends in between when you had to do the laundry and tidy your bedroom. Luckily it wouldn't be long until his next trip and thinking about that helped to lift his spirits.
Deborah


Posted Jun 3, 2007, 8:30 pm
On his first morning in Northern Ireland Travel Ted was woken early by the sound of chickens. He ran to the window where he was very excited to see them scratching around outside. There were freshly laid eggs for breakfast which was most exciting of all!
Deborah


Posted Jun 3, 2007, 8:33 pm
Travel Ted’s first excursion of the day was to Lough Neagh, which is the biggest freshwater lake in the British Isles. It was so enormous that he thought it looked just like the sea. He had a lovely walk through the woodlands that lay along the shore and saw some boats moored in the Six Mile Water River that flows into the Lough.
Deborah


Posted Jun 6, 2007, 9:59 pm
Close to Lough Neagh lies a small town called Antrim where Travel Ted stopped in a tea shop for some cake. He heard there was a castle but was disappointed to find that only one tower was still standing as the rest had been burned to the ground by the IRA in 1922. The castle grounds were beautiful though, and had an Anglo-Dutch water garden with seventeenth century canals as well as lots of pretty flowers.
Deborah


Posted Jun 10, 2007, 9:32 am
Travel Ted loved exploring Deborah’s Granddad’s field, where he climbed up a tree so he could have a better chat with the birds and the butterflies. Back at the Bed-and-Breakfast he brushed his fur and checked for stray nostril hairs before heading out to dinner. The restaurant meal wasn’t very tasty but the extensive grounds were fun to explore. He was especially taken by the small river which looked quite charming with its little bridge and the swathes of cow’s parsley which grew along its banks.
Deborah


Posted Jun 13, 2007, 7:23 am
At the seafront hotel in Portrush Travel Ted was wowed by the view from the bedroom window. He could hardly wait to get out and explore.
Deborah


Posted Jun 13, 2007, 7:28 am
Travel Ted skipped happily along the coastal path. At first the landscape was majestically rocky and barren but as he reached the craggy cliffs he found lots of pretty wild flowers taking shelter there. After rounding the headland he was surprised to see a little harbour and a wide sandy beach. Across the water in the far distance he could see another landmass that people told him was Scotland and he wondered whether Frank was there looking back at him.
Deborah


Posted Jun 17, 2007, 8:28 pm
On Travel Ted’s last day of holiday he visited the magnificent Giant’s Causeway. Legend has it that an Irish giant called Finn MacCool wanted to fight a Scottish giant called Benandonner and so he built a pathway of stepping stones from Ireland to Scotland to avoid getting his feet wet on the way. Other people said that the 38,000 hexagonal columns were formed by cooling lava from a volcanic eruption sixty million years ago, but Travel Ted preferred to believe that they were stepping stones as he didn’t like getting his feet wet either.
Deborah


Posted Jun 28, 2007, 10:34 pm
Travel Ted loved the Toy Voyagers site so much that he wanted to spread the work and decided to set up his very own My Space page to tell other small furry adventurers about it. He started to make new friends in no time at all, and hopes that all the Toy Voyagers community will be his friends too.
Deborah


Posted Jun 30, 2007, 7:22 pm
Travel Ted was growing concerned about his carbon paw print so instead of making his next overseas trip by air he decided to travel to Brussels by Eurostar. He made his way from the station to the hotel via the Grand Place, whose ancient guildhouses he thought very grand indeed. He followed tradition by touching the bronze relief of Everard 't Serclaes in the hope that it would bring him luck, and frowned at the Manneken Pis, which he thought was in terribly poor taste.
Deborah


Posted Jul 3, 2007, 7:39 am
Before leaving Brussels, Travel Ted stopped to admire some of the city’s famous street murals. He also made a point of taking in the museum of cocoa and chocolate, where he learned all about its production, watched a nice lady demonstrate how to make pralines, and tried a few delicious samples of Belgium’s most famous export.
Deborah


Posted Jul 6, 2007, 8:20 am
Later that day, Travel Ted reached Bruges, whose beautiful Markt square impressed him greatly. Even more exciting were all the canals, as there were few things Travel Ted enjoyed more than a nice boat trip. As he padded through the cobbled streets, he couldn’t help noticing all the tempting Belgian waffles for sale, but managed to resist through fear of spoiling his enviable physique.
Deborah


Posted Jul 7, 2007, 7:55 pm
Travel Ted didn’t let the rainy weather upset him as he skipped through the streets to the embarkation point for his boat trip. He saw lots of curious things on the way, including a row of windmills and a stretch of road that lifted right up into the air to let the barges through the canal lock beneath.
Deborah


Posted Jul 10, 2007, 8:00 pm
Travel Ted loved the half-hour boat trip to the little village of Damme. From the top deck he enjoyed the sensation of the wind in his fur as he watched the cyclists making their journeys along the tree-lined canal path and wondered whether any of them were going all the way to its end in The Netherlands. From the bottom deck he had a great view of water lilies and little fluffy ducklings while he drank his glass of fizzy pop from the bar.
Deborah


Posted Jul 10, 2007, 8:03 pm
Once an important seaport, Damme had become a sleepy little village beloved of day trippers.
Deborah


Posted Jul 10, 2007, 8:08 pm
Back at the hotel Travel Ted felt quite worn out after his big day and drifted happily off to sleep as he listened to a soothing lullaby from a friendly spider.
Deborah


Posted Jul 13, 2007, 7:16 pm
It was another grey and rainy day when Travel Ted made his way to Ghent. A chance discovery of a brass band playing in the flower market cheered him up though. In the town’s historic centre he admired the view of the three towers of the Belfort, St-Niklaaskerk and St-Baafskathedraal from the St-Michielsbrug. Best of all, though, was the Gravensteen, which looked just like castles ought to, and whose battlements offered a great view of the city skyline.
Deborah


Posted Jul 16, 2007, 9:27 pm
Travel Ted was out in the garden discussing epistemology with the snails when he heard a small voice above his head. Looking up, he saw the prettiest little pussy cat he'd ever encountered. She explained that she was having some difficulty in making her way back to ground level. Luckily, bears are very good climbers so he was able to clamber up the trunk and offer her a fireman's lift back down to the lawn. She introduced herself as Pussy Galore and since she was very hungry he invited her in for a chocolate biscuit.
Deborah


Posted Jul 17, 2007, 7:51 pm
Travel Ted thought it was time to start grooming his new friend Pussy Galore for a career as a Toy Voyager. He started unambitiously with a little drive down into Kent. The weather forecast was patchy, which made him look anxiously at the sky from time to time, but the rain held off and he was able to treat her to an pleasant outdoor lunch (although he almost changed his mind when he saw the prices on the menu). He wondered whether Isobel and Neil would reimburse him for recruitment expenses if he sent them the receipt...
Deborah


Posted Jul 18, 2007, 9:40 pm
In Eynsford, Travel Ted admired the pretty flowers and did a little dance in an attempt to pretend that he hadn't fallen over while trying to smell them. He was very impressed with the mid-nineteenth century viaduct across which the Orient Express used to travel. He started to tell Pussy Galore all about its history but she made it quite clear that she though he was being a dreadful bore. He got quite excited when he saw a sign pointing to Lullingstone Castle but was disappointed to find that it was just a big fifteenth century house with a fancy entrance gate. He considered that to be false advertising!
Deborah


Posted Jul 22, 2007, 11:59 am
Travel Ted thought the poppy field was great. It made him feel like he was in The Wizard of Oz, which was one of his very favourite movies. He skipped through the flowers from one end to the other, singing all the way.
Deborah


Posted Jul 22, 2007, 12:02 pm
The fields of lavender were just spectacular. Travel Ted thought that next time he needed some new dungarees he might try to get some in that coulour.
Deborah


Posted Jul 28, 2007, 11:51 am
Travel Ted had a simply super day pretending to be a London tourist. First of all he went to the Old Royal Observatory in Greenwich. At the new Peter Harrison planetarium in he watched a show that taught him all about the life of stars. Afterwards he stood astride the meridian line, from where all time is measured, with one paw in the world’s eastern hemisphere and one in the west.
Deborah


Posted Jul 28, 2007, 11:53 am
His next activity was a tourist cruise up the River Thames from Greenwich to Westminster. His voyage took him past Canary Wharf, under Tower Bridge, past the Tower of London, HMS Belfast, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye, all the way up to the Houses of Parliament.
Deborah


Posted Jul 28, 2007, 11:56 am
In Westminster he measured himself against Big Ben, which was 320 times as tall as him. Later he saw some of the Queen’s funny looking guards at Horse Guard’s Parade, where he had his picture taken in front of the impressive Old Admiralty Building.
Deborah


Posted Aug 1, 2007, 9:02 pm
The small East Sussex town of Rye proved an excellent destination for a day trip. Travel Ted was especially impressed by the range of fudge for sale there. After much deliberation he settled for chocolate and ginger flavour.
Deborah


Posted Aug 1, 2007, 9:07 pm
At nearby Winchelsea Beach Travel Ted was fascinated by the bobbly bits of dried seaweed. Even better was a stone he found with a hole that went all the way through. He tried to share his excitement with some local sheep but they seemed rather disinterested so he decided to take his treasures home to show to his real friends.
Deborah


Posted Aug 4, 2007, 6:20 pm
Travel Ted eagerly awaited the arrival of his new guest from France. He even tidied his bedroom in order to make a good impression. When  Fusco arrived he embraced him in the European fashion, which Travel Ted found very touching.

After preparing a healthy vegetarian dinner for his guest, Travel Ted produced his London guide book and they settled down to plan a sightseeing itinerary for the little French rabbit.
Deborah


Posted Aug 6, 2007, 9:13 pm
It was time for Pussy Galore to make her own way in the big wide world as she embarked on her voyage to France. Travel Ted wished her luck and tried not to show how sad he felt as he kissed her goodbye.
Deborah


Posted Aug 15, 2007, 9:41 pm
It was a week for goodbyes as Travel Ted bade farewell to his little French friend, Fusco.
Deborah


Posted Aug 15, 2007, 9:44 pm
Absolved of social responsibilities and with time on his hands Travel Ted intended to catch up on some reading. Instead, an evening of ill-conceived overindulgence left him feeling very unwell indeed.
Deborah


Posted Aug 15, 2007, 9:50 pm
Although Travel Ted was delighted to be invited away for a weekend in the countryside his tummy didn't feel at all well so he was pleased when the car stopped in order to take in the view.
Deborah


Posted Aug 17, 2007, 8:20 am
The sun was shining as Travel Ted explored the historic town of Chichester. He saw the ancient market cross, which was erected in 1501 and under whose arches peasants were permitted to sell their goods without paying the market toll. He was impressed by the cathedral, whose spire could be seen for miles around (although it wasn't the original spire because that fell down in an 1861 thunderstorm), and he enjoyed a pleasant walk along the canal.
Deborah


Posted Aug 22, 2007, 8:26 pm
Travel Ted always enjoyed a trip to the seaside, even if the weather wasn't very good. He decided to spend the day hopping along the West Sussex coastline. His first stop, Selsey, wasn't especially interesting though so he didn't stay very long.
Deborah


Posted Aug 27, 2007, 8:36 pm
At Church Norton Travel Ted stopped to explore Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve. It was a very odd looking beach and Travel Ted amused himself by pretending he had beamed down from the Starship Enterprise to explore the surface of a strange new planet.
Deborah


Posted Aug 27, 2007, 8:44 pm
West Itchenor was the embarkation point for boat trips around Chichester Harbour. Although he didn't go on a boat Travel Ted got to see lots and lots of different kinds of vessel. An information sign told him that the harbour was home to more than 9,000 boats over three metres in length, as well as an abundance of little ones. It also had lots of wildlife and he saw some people fishing, which he thought looked very boring indeed.
Deborah


Posted Aug 27, 2007, 8:47 pm
Travel Ted's favourite thing about the small harbour village of Bosham was the road that got completely covered by the sea when the tide came in. He also liked all the traditional thatched cottages that he saw on his walk to the country pub where he enjoyed a leisurely lunch.
Deborah


Posted Sep 9, 2007, 8:57 pm
Travel Ted liked the quaint old town of Arundel very much. It had a river with swans, some antique shops full of lots of interesting things, and another good cathedral. Of course he was most excited about the splendid castle. He hopscotched cheerily over the cobblestones on his way to explore it. When he reached the castle gate and found it closed his face fell and his lip started to quiver. Observing his grave disappointment, a strange-looking man invited him to come and see a local art exhibition instead. Naturally it wasn't nearly as good as visiting a castle but at least Travel Ted could feel quite self-satisfied at how much culture he had ingested in one day.
Deborah


Posted Sep 13, 2007, 9:30 pm
Even though Travel Ted had learned the hard way in Edinburgh that business trips could be quite rubbish he couldn't resist tagging along for a night in York. This time around, however, he applied the benefit of experience and refused to get roped into helping out. Instead he had a lazy evening watching TV in the hotel before going for a little wander round the city on his own. Unfortunately there was no one available to take pictures.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2007, 1:54 pm
At last the day had arrived for one of the greatest experiences of Travel Ted’s life so far. Not only had he been invited on a boys-only camping trip but he was actually hoping to climb an entire mountain on his very own paws. As he helped check that all the essentials had been packed he noted with some consternation that there didn’t appear to be any chocolate biscuits. Surely they were essential for a challenge such as this?
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2007, 1:57 pm
The camp site wasn’t too hard to find. Putting up the tent was a little harder than anticipated however. On completing the task Travel Ted felt a great sense of achievement.
Deborah


Posted Oct 5, 2007, 6:26 pm
On the day of the big climb Travel Ted couldn’t wait to get going. He was ready so early that he had to wait ages and ages for the shop to open up so that he could buy some provisions for his packed lunch.
Deborah


Posted Oct 5, 2007, 6:27 pm
Shopping accomplished, he took some advice from one of the locals who pointed him in the right direction.
Deborah


Posted Oct 5, 2007, 6:36 pm
As he prepared to head for the hills, Travel Ted posed for a photo album shot. (He was afraid that the climb might make him sweaty and wanted to ensure he’d have at least one nice picture without any dark rings below the armholes of his dungarees.)
Deborah


Posted Oct 5, 2007, 6:39 pm
And finally he set off along the road.
Deborah


Posted Oct 6, 2007, 6:33 pm
Travel Ted was in high spirits as he prepared to leave civilisation behind. Although the road looked long, it proved quite easy going at first. He hadn’t got far, though, before the road stopped and the way began to get steeper. Moreover, he started to feel a little panicky when he found the path was guarded by satanic looking cattle. He tried to tiptoe past but they noticed him anyway and he had to make a run for it. Luckily he found a little waterfall where he could clean away the residue of the cow pat he’d accidentally stepped in.
Deborah


Posted Oct 6, 2007, 6:35 pm
A little further along the way, Travel Ted was so touched to discover that someone had prepared a welcome sign for him that he didn’t mind at all about the slight misspelling of his name.
Deborah


Posted Oct 7, 2007, 1:14 pm
The higher he got, the rockier the path became. This was harder work than Travel Ted had anticipated, so hitching a ride for a while proved an overwhelming temptation. Although he allowed himself this short break, Travel Ted quickly realised that he would forfeit any sense of achievement if he didn’t make the rest of the journey under his own steam.
Deborah


Posted Oct 7, 2007, 1:16 pm
Looking ahead, Travel Ted noted with apprehension that there was an awfully long way to go and he hoped his stamina would measure up to the task. Looking behind him, he saw that a stunning vista had already opened up. Thinking about how the views from the summit would be even better than this gave him a new burst of energy and resolve to carry on.
Deborah


Posted Oct 8, 2007, 9:23 pm
The terrain was becoming very difficult indeed and Travel Ted had to use the utmost concentration as he edged has way along a narrow edge high on the cliff face. He was a long way up now and looking down proved terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.
Deborah


Posted Oct 8, 2007, 9:25 pm
Travel Ted was pleased to have grass under his feet again as he trudged wearily on. He sat down for a little rest in a beautiful spot where he looked down upon a shining lake, breathed deeply the fresh mountain air and felt happy and at one with nature.
Deborah


Posted Oct 9, 2007, 6:35 pm
Travel Ted knew that if wanted to reach the summit and the get back down to the camp before dark he would need to keep moving, and so he reluctantly spurred himself to action. The next section of the path looked really, really bad. And so it was. He felt quite dizzy by the time he reached the end of path.
Deborah


Posted Oct 9, 2007, 6:36 pm
And around the corner he saw that there still was more to climb...
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2007, 9:35 am
Travel Ted’s his feet hurt a lot. As a domesticated bear, he had become accustomed to walking on carpet so that nowadays his paw pads just weren’t equipped for all those sharp stones.  On the plus side, the view just kept getting better and better.
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2007, 9:38 am
Feeling thoroughly out of puff as he neared the mountain peak, Travel Ted focused on placing one paw in front of the other. So intent was he on his mission that he didn’t even notice the sheep who bleated a greeting to him. Then at long last, with enormous pride, he took the last few steps to the summit.
Deborah


Posted Oct 12, 2007, 5:59 pm
Travel Ted wished he’d had the foresight to bring a Toy Voyagers flag to plant at the top of the mountain. Ever resourceful, he improvised with a plastic spoon. Then, spinning round like Julie Andrews and with a song in his heart he took in the breathtaking 360 degree panorama as a wave of emotion washed over him.
Deborah


Posted Oct 12, 2007, 6:02 pm
Suddenly he felt very hungry and set about demolishing his well-earned picnic.
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2007, 6:27 pm
Even Travel Ted’s splendid coat of bear fur didn’t stop him feeling a distinct chill at the mountain top. It was nice to cosy up in a rucksack for a little while but he realised that he’d better make his way back down to camp before it got dark and colder still. Feeling very weary by now he was dismayed to discover that the descent was every bit as hard as the journey up. But half way down the tranquillity of a twinkling tarn lifted his spirits and the beautiful rainbow colours of the lower slopes was a sight he wouldn’t have missed for the world.
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2007, 6:29 pm
“That’s where I was!”
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2007, 6:31 pm
On level ground at last, Travel Ted celebrated the fulfilment of his great mountain-climbing adventure with a trip to the local pub. After being treated to a glass of lager shandy, he wowed all the other patrons with a demonstration of his best dance moves. Post-shandy photographs would be indiscreet.
Deborah


Posted Oct 27, 2007, 10:05 pm
Another boring business trip watching TV in a crummy hotel room. Travel Ted tried to call his friend Ivor but it seemed that no one was home.
Deborah


Posted Oct 27, 2007, 10:08 pm
Travel Ted always looked forward to the half-term holidays because it meant that the circus came to town. This year it was the Chinese State Circus, which he thought was the very best show he'd ever seen.
Deborah


Posted Oct 27, 2007, 10:12 pm
Having developed a great enthusiasm for all things Chinese, Travel Ted made a trip up to London's Chinatown, where he especially liked all the lanterns hanging above the streets.
Deborah


Posted Nov 24, 2007, 2:13 pm
Travel Ted was very excited indeed when the Eurostar pulled into Gare du Nord in Paris. Even the wet weather – which made his paws distressingly soggy – couldn’t hold him back from bouncing up all the steps to the Sacre Coure, from whose heights he could look down across the Paris skyline. The gathering darkness did nothing to dissuade him from further explorations, and at well past his normal bedtime he stood spellbound before the radiant spectacle of Notre Dame at night.
Deborah


Posted Nov 27, 2007, 7:32 pm
After an early breakfast Travel Ted bounded back to Notre Dame for a better look around (stopping briefly to admire Hotel de Ville on the way). He tried to make friends with the gargoyles but they remained silent and pulled silly faces at him, so he pulled some back.
Deborah


Posted Nov 27, 2007, 7:34 pm
Although Travel Ted was a bit cross about the French transport workers going on strike when they must have realised that he was coming to visit, he tried to make the most of the pleasant but very long walk from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. At the end of it he was really quite tired but not so much as to dampen his enjoyment of this impressive structure. Although he felt a little wobbly at the very top he had to admit that the view was definitely worth it.
Deborah


Posted Dec 2, 2007, 11:07 am
Travel Ted’s next stop was the Arc de Triomphe, from which he walked down the Champs Elysées to the Pyramid outside the Palais du Louvre. After that it was time to say ‘au revoir, Paris’ and head back to the Eurostar terminal for a well-deserved sleep on the train.
Deborah


Posted Dec 18, 2007, 10:32 pm
Travel Ted felt like the luckiest bear in the world to be going on another holiday so soon after the last one. Even though he was an experienced voyager he was responsible enough to read the safety instructions carefully before the plane took off.
Deborah


Posted Dec 18, 2007, 10:38 pm
At first light Travel Ted rushed to the window of his hotel room, from which he could see many exciting things. Right outside was the 'friendly alien', which some people said was an exhibition centre called the Kunsthaus, but Travel Ted knew it was really an alien because they had a lovely chat. He was also fascinated by all the different types of recycling bin he could see because he knew it was important to try to be friendly to the environment.
Deborah


Posted Dec 18, 2007, 10:44 pm
Outside it was really rather cold so Travel Ted made sure he put on his sturdiest thermal pants before embarking on a walking tour of Graz. He hadn't gone far when he met a group of light angels in Mariahilferplatz, which all lit up in bright colours in the evenings and looked extremely pretty. Close by was the river Mur where somebody had cleverly built a pretend island called the Murinsel that looked like a big shell. Sometimes modern art was good, he thought.
Deborah


Posted Dec 22, 2007, 5:31 pm
Travel Ted took great interest in all the ice-related activities he came across. He enjoyed watching the skaters glide around the ice rink. He was extremely impressed by a big ice sculpture of the nativity, and was deeply moved by his encounter with a carved ice angel. (When he went back to see the angel again the next day he was utterly distraught to discover that a nasty vandal had kicked it into bits, whereupon he cried inconsolably.)
Deborah


Posted Dec 22, 2007, 5:36 pm
All this ice was making Travel Ted feel quite shivery so a spot of clothes shopping seemed in order. Trying on some sparkly knitwear made Travel Ted feel utterly fabulous, but unfortunately the boutique had no stock in his size.
Deborah


Posted Dec 22, 2007, 5:42 pm
Braving the cold once more, Travel Ted had a look around the Christmas markets, which were filled with wonderful things to eat and drink. He was allowed to try a little bit of Gluhwein, which made  him feel nice and warm inside his tummy but rather fuzzy inside his head.
Deborah


Posted Dec 29, 2007, 11:43 am
In the centre of the town was the Schlossberg, on top of which a castle had once stood. Travel Ted eyed the numerous steps to the summit with some apprehension but, having once climbed a much bigger mountain almost all by himself, he was confident he could manage it. He contemplated taking the funicular railway but decided that the slow way was better for relishing the views. From half way up he was very pleased to spot his friend the alien and gave him an enthusiastic wave.
Deborah


Posted Dec 29, 2007, 6:04 pm
When Travel Ted woke up the next morning he was thrilled to find that a thick layer of snow had fallen during the night, although it melted quickly from the streets.

His first activity was a very pleasurable ride in a little Christmas train that took him around the Old Town centre. He saw some delightful sights such as the Glockenspiel, and also a rather frightening group of skeleton santas.
Deborah


Posted Dec 29, 2007, 6:10 pm
Travel Ted came across a picture of the American President stencilled on a wall. He thought he must be a very clever and popular man for someone to have paid him the enormous compliment of giving him bear's ears.
Deborah


Posted Dec 29, 2007, 6:16 pm
Travel Ted's next adventure was back at the Schlossberg where he took another little train through the fairytale grottoes that threaded through its heart. He was very disappointed that his camera battery was too flat for flash photography.

Afterwards it was nearly time to leave but he couldn't resist taking one more trip to the Schlossberg summit to admire the snowy view. It was proving a good day for trying out different kinds of transportation so this time he took the funicular.
Deborah


Posted Jan 4, 2008, 9:24 am
When Travel Ted’s long-awaited guest arrived he was very excited indeed! He opened the box with the utmost care as scissors can be quite tricky to handle and it wouldn’t do at all to greet Nuada with any little stabbing accidents.

Travel Ted was pleased to find that his visitor had arrived in good health and good spirits. He was extremely touched to discover that Nuada had brought a gift of some little biscuits with him all the way from France. He just knew that they were going to be very good friends indeed!
Deborah


Posted Jan 13, 2008, 12:35 pm
Travel Ted wanted to make Nuada feel welcome so he arranged a special outing to visit his old friend Ivor. They joked that, since the local paper had published a great big article all about Ivor, maybe Travel Ted could tick off his 'meet a celebrity' mission but they decided that it was cheating a bit when you knew them before they were famous.
Deborah


Posted Feb 10, 2008, 1:31 pm
When Travel Ted checked on the well-being of his garden he was thrilled to discover that spring had sprung. He called Nuada to come and see the pretty snowdrops.
Deborah


Posted Feb 10, 2008, 1:47 pm
It turned out that it wasn't really proper spring yet. In fact Travel Ted's trip to Leamington Spa turned out to be very cold, wet and blustery. His enjoyment of the beautiful Jephson Gardens - voted the best park in Britain by the Royal Horticultural Society - was rather spoiled by his constant worry about getting blown away into river. All was not lost, though, as the gardens also boasted a subtropical glasshouse which was a much more pleasant place to be.
Deborah


Posted Feb 24, 2008, 11:12 am
Travel Ted was horrified to discover that office workers ate Chocolate Shortbread Bears for lunch and hurried his new sugary friend to a place of safety under a desk. But alas, catastrophe befell them on the crowded train journey home and Chocolate Shortbread Bear arrived severely injured.

Unsure what best to do, Travel Ted tried to melt the parts together on top of the radiator but to no avail. Next he tucked him into bed and sang him a lullaby but this didn’t make him better either. At last, Chocolate Shortbread Bear suggested that it was time for him to fulfil his destiny as a delicious feast. Travel Ted was rather sad but at least, he thought to himself, they’d still get to spend plenty of time together...
Deborah


Posted Mar 1, 2008, 11:14 am
Travel Ted knew it was going to be a great weekend! He'd been invited to stay in a country cottage in the Cotwolds, which is a very pretty area of England.

The car journey took him through the famous city of Oxford which he thought looked lots of fun and added it to his long list of places to stay in the future.
Deborah


Posted Mar 1, 2008, 11:22 am
Northleach was a quaint market town that had lots of old stone cottages and a magnificent church that is one of the finest in the area. The surrounding farmland gave plenty of opportunity for nice country walks although Travel Ted had to be careful not to get his fur muddy.
Deborah


Posted Mar 1, 2008, 11:30 am
After less than 24 hours it was already time to leave for home. Becuase the weather was very cold indeed Travel Ted and friends hadn't made it far at all before he felt the call of nature. Luckily they were able to stop the car at a quiet spot where nobody was watching.
Deborah


Posted Mar 8, 2008, 8:39 am
It was time for Travel Ted to say goodbye to Nuada, who was heading off to Finland. Travel Ted was quite jealous.
Deborah


Posted Mar 8, 2008, 9:43 am
Travel Ted cared deeply about his adopted home city and to help make it an even better place to live in and to visit he decided to enter the race to be the next mayor of London.

He wrote a personal statement and thought through his policies carefully before registering himself as a canidate on the voting page.

* * * VOTE BEAR FOR MAYOR * * *
Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2008, 8:36 pm
Travel Ted was eager to rustle up some support for his Mayoral campaign and decided that Toys Hill would be a good place to start. Undeterred by the rotten weather he made his way down into Kent where he imagined he would be greeted by a scene resembling the illustrations in Enid Blyton's Noddy books.

He was quite surprised to find that Toys Hill wasn't at all what he had expected. He found himself instead in some very strange woodlands. The information point in the car park explained that the area was named after a thirteenth century landowner called Robert Toys, that many of the trees there had been blown down in the 1987 hurricane and the National Trust had decided to leave them just as they were in order to see what would happen. As it turned out, some of the damaged trees had survived and grown into peculiar and rather eerie shapes. While it wasn't quite what Travel Ted had in mind when he set out that morning he had to admit that it was really quite interesting.
Deborah


Posted Mar 30, 2008, 9:55 pm
A flock of cardboard pigeons descended upon London's Leicester Square in order to advertise a new museum exhibition. Several of them were fans of Toy Voyagers and wanted to know where Travel Ted lived. Eventually one of them got a tip-off and popped over to visit him during his afternoon break. Travel Ted was very pleased to see her and promised to try and visit the exhibition if he had the time.
Deborah


Posted Apr 6, 2008, 5:26 pm
Travel Ted was having a very exciting weekend. First of all a visitor had come all the way from Florida to stay with him. Travel Ted had never been to America and had all sorts of questions stored up for Mumble. Secondly, there was lots of snow. This was great!!! (Although maybe he shouldn't have thrown such a big snowball at Mumble who promptly shuffled off indoors.)
Deborah


Posted Apr 20, 2008, 1:27 pm
In Histon, Travel Ted had to admit that the Community Fun Day was slightly less fun than he had hoped.
Deborah


Posted Apr 20, 2008, 1:32 pm
Cambridge was nice. Travel Ted enjoyed strolling around the ancient colleges and along the river. Mumble seemed to enjoy it too, which gave Travel Ted the satisfaction of feeling like a good host.
Deborah


Posted May 25, 2008, 10:22 pm
It was time for the Cannes Film Festival again and Travel Ted earnestly hoped that he might complete a mission by meeting a celebrity this year. Even if he didn't, he was very excited about spending the week watching lots and lots of movies.

Before he'd even unpacked his case he rushed down to the Palais des Festivals to collect his festival bag which contained lots of brochures telling him about all the films he could go and see. As it was so early in the day there were no famous actors ascending the red carpet yet but that was alright - there was still plenty of time.
Deborah


Posted May 29, 2008, 7:21 pm
As the festival drew towards its close, Travel Ted decided to take a break from movie watching and go and explore a bit more of the town.

First he climbed a hill, higher and higher until he could see right down over centre of the town and the boats in the harbour. Heading back down he walked through colourful flowers and exotic trees until he reached the beach where he was just about to put his weary paws up for a little rest when the rain came on. Sometimes even small bears can be unlucky.
Deborah


Posted Jun 4, 2008, 8:44 pm
Travel Ted had enjoyed having Smooch to stay. On the eve of guest's departure, Travel Ted imparted to him the extra special secret of the best shampoo for keeping one's chest fur very soft indeed.
Deborah


Posted Jun 14, 2008, 10:47 pm
A little excursion to London’s historic docklands proved very enjoyable. In recent years this area had changed almost beyond recognition as a forest of skyscrapers had sprung up like a little Manhattan. It still had old things as well as new, though, including some vintage boats (which always made Travel Ted very excited).

The main purpose of the trip was to visit the Museum in Docklands, housed in an old warehouse that was originally used to store the sugar that African slaves produced on Caribbean plantations. As an extra surprise treat, Travel Ted was able to take in some live music outside, which had been laid on as part of the 2008 Spitalfields Festival.

Inside the museum was a special exhibition about Jack the Ripper, a nineteenth century serial killer who did his murders in East London and who has never been caught. Travel Ted was especially fascinated by the gory bits.
Deborah


Posted Jun 14, 2008, 11:00 pm
Travel Ted was very excited indeed that Elle was coming to stay. On the day of her arrival he spent a long time in front of the mirror in attempt to look his very best.
Deborah


Posted Jun 14, 2008, 11:03 pm
Travel Ted had vowed to help Elle complete her mission to become a fashionable elephant. The fact that her (very lovely) physique was completely wrong for wearing dungarees was certainly a major hindrance to his efforts. Nevertheless, he improvised as best he could and was quite pleased with the results.
Deborah


Posted Jun 15, 2008, 11:14 am
Travel Ted was just about to settle down to watch a television nature documentary with Elle when there was a knock at the door.

Opening the door his heart sank when he saw Greedy. It’s not that he was unwelcome, but he had arrived rather earlier than expected and Travel Ted had not yet had time to secure the all the food in the house. His best efforts to protect the contents of the refrigerator were all in vain (and were – to be frank- rather painful too).
Deborah


Posted Jun 15, 2008, 8:12 pm
Travel Ted was feeling very cross indeed. The episode of the fridge had been quite bad enough, but what happened later was the final straw. When Travel Ted returned from the little bears’ room to find Greedy trying to eat the lovely Elle, he lost his temper completely.
Deborah


Posted Jun 29, 2008, 11:00 am
Travel Ted was sad that Elle would be leaving for Switzerland soon. In order to make sure that she would be alright he decided to escort her there himself. The lakeside town of Lugano was idyllic and he strolled in beautiful gardens as the sun went down over the water.
Deborah


Posted Jun 29, 2008, 11:06 am
Travel Ted was up bright and early to continue his explorations. The many strange sculptures were fascinating although he wasn’t entirely sure that he liked the severed head.

He definitely did like the chocolate and cake shops very much however, although it was hard to decide which he liked best.

He was also very taken with the boats in the harbour. In fact, he was having such a fine time that he did a little dance for everyone in order to share the joy.
Deborah


Posted Jul 1, 2008, 10:10 pm
After twenty-four hours in Lugano it was already time to move on to the next destination. Locarno was on another lake – Maggiore – which was just one element of the very fine scenery that he could see from the balcony of the hotel room.
Deborah


Posted Jul 1, 2008, 10:12 pm
There were few things Travel Ted enjoyed as much as adventures on different modes of transport, which made this a very good day indeed. First of all he helped to drive a funicular up to the sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, which was built rather impressively into the side of a mountain.
Deborah


Posted Jul 1, 2008, 10:13 pm
After looking round the sanctuary, he took a cable car further up the mountain to Cardada, where he encountered a very strange chap sitting under a tree. Even stranger was the ‘Indian camp’ where the children played at being cavalry and Indians and Travel Ted managed to get very grubby indeed.
Deborah


Posted Jul 1, 2008, 10:16 pm
The chair lift up to the summit was even better still as he could waggle his legs in the breeze during the ride up. The view was just stunning and gave him such a good view of Lake Maggiore that he could see all the way to Italy.
Deborah


Posted Jul 1, 2008, 10:17 pm
Back down at lake level again, Travel Ted rounded off the day with a visit to Castello Visconteo.
Deborah


Posted Jul 6, 2008, 12:17 pm
Having seen it from the mountain top, Travel Ted couldn’t resist a little excursion into Italy. His trip began with a scenic train journey on the Centovalli railway which ran through beautiful valleys surrounded by mountains cloaked in thick forest and spotted with tiny villages clinging to the steep slopes. Eventually he arrived at the Italian lakeside resort of Stresa.
Deborah


Posted Jul 6, 2008, 12:18 pm
From Stresa’s shores Travel Ted could see the Borromean Islands. A short boat ride took him out to Isola Bella which was just the right size for a small bear to explore in a couple of hours. His thoroughly satisfying day was made complete with a three-hour boat trip all the way back up the lake to Locarno.
Deborah


Posted Jul 13, 2008, 12:00 pm
Travel Ted enjoyed the occasional summer outing to the English seaside. In Hastings he saw lots of funny black buildings, which he learned were the old 'net shops' once used to store fishermen's gear. He also saw the UK's steepest funicular railway but was disappointed to find it closed for repair. And in an antique centre he met a very frightening array of characters that had escaped from an old museum.
Deborah


Posted Jul 13, 2008, 12:07 pm
Not far from Hastings is the small town of Battle, where the famous 'Battle of Hastings' took place in 1066 and the English were defeated by the French army led by William the Conqueror. A few years later the Pope ordered William to build the impressive Abbey to commerorate King Harold of England and the many others that died there. Unfortunately Travel Ted arrived a little too late in the day to watch the falcony show that had taken place that afternoon.
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2008, 10:34 pm
Travel Ted enjoyed having guests to stay. On Small Fry's last night they sat up late drinking ginger beer and listening to Abba's greatest hits. It was a wonderful evening!
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2008, 10:37 pm
Luckily, Travel Ted's latest guest, Mousy Mouse was equally impressed by Travel Ted's trendy grooves and even proved himself to be quite a promising disco dancer.
Deborah


Posted Sep 28, 2008, 8:16 pm
It was time for the long-awaited boys’ annual camping trip and Travel Ted was agog with expectation as he waited impatiently for the car to purr into motion.
Deborah


Posted Sep 28, 2008, 8:25 pm
After a very long drive they arrived at Hadrian’s Wall. This wall – now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site – was built by order of the emperor Hadrian after his visit to Britain in AD22 and marked the northern limit of the Roman Empire. It once stretched all the way across the 120 kilometres between Britain’s East and West coasts. Travel Ted tried to imagine how long it would take him to walk from one end to other.
Deborah


Posted Sep 28, 2008, 8:27 pm
The very thought of such a long walk make Travel Ted crave a little rest. He found a lovely bench that had been installed by a local school. It was shaped like a cartwheel and was carved with pictures of lots of his new countryside friends.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:17 pm
The camp site was by Ullswater lake, which was very beautiful indeed. In these tranquil surroundings, Travel Ted felt entirely at peace with the world.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:19 pm
It took no time at all before Travel Ted had made another new friend amongst the locals.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:24 pm
Travel Ted spent most of the day on a very long hike across the mountainside which bordered the lake. The views were tremendous but his paws got quite tired so he was pleased to catch sight of the boat that would take him back to the campsite.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:28 pm
Down by the shore, Travel Ted made some more new friends. The ducks kindly offered to teach him to swim but Travel Ted just hated getting soggy and ran away quickly when a wave came in.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:32 pm
Going on boats was always a treat in Travel Ted's opinion and the scenic trip from Howtown to Glenridding proved no exception.
Deborah


Posted Oct 4, 2008, 10:38 pm
Back at the campsite, Travel Ted tucked into a sugary snack. He felt he had earned it!
Deborah


Posted Oct 6, 2008, 10:05 pm
Another day, another big journey. Travel Ted couldn't resist reliving the glory of last year's mountain climb.

He was getting really rather good at this and reached the top in what seemed like no time. Getting down again always proved a little bit hairier though.
Deborah


Posted Oct 6, 2008, 10:11 pm
In Elterwater Travel Ted saw an old gunpowder works dating from 1823. It closed down in 1930 and has now been turned into apartments. He found a lovely little river too but decided not to paddle.
Deborah


Posted Oct 6, 2008, 10:17 pm
Travel Ted's last day of holidays began with another beautiful morning. He felt quite sad when the time came to pack up the tent but before leaving he made certain to seek out his rabbit friends to say goodbye until next year.
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2008, 5:20 pm
Back home in London, Travel Ted struggled to keep a straight face as he handed over his gifts of chocolate cow pats and sheep's eyeballs!
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2008, 5:44 pm
Travel Ted was quite confused when a German alarm clock arrived in the post as he couldn't remember having ordered one on ebay. When the box suddenly opened and Bestik jumped out, Travel Ted got such a surprise that he toppled right over.
Deborah


Posted Nov 30, 2008, 8:14 pm
Travel Ted was pleased to have Galen home again. It was interesting to hear about all the many things he’d seen and learned in Europe. But most impressive of all was his new scarf, which Travel Ted borrowed at first opportunity. It’s dressing-up potential was enormous – who’d have thought you could transform yourself into Rambo or a beauty queen with just a single accessory?!
Deborah


Posted Dec 2, 2008, 10:18 pm
Travel Ted was very happy to welcome Pussy Galore home from Asia.  With Galen in London too, the three musketeers were reunited at last.
Deborah


Posted Dec 2, 2008, 10:23 pm
It was with great excitement that everyone huddled round their newest visitor: Synapse. They gathered together for a group hug, which was a very touching moment until someone broke wind.
Deborah


Posted Dec 21, 2008, 6:59 pm
It was fun to back in Brussels again. In the Grand Place Travel Ted was disappointed to discover that the promised Christmas Market had failed to materialise, although a Christmas tree and nativity scene constituted a minor festive gesture. He took the opportunity to explore some streets he had not been to on his previous visit, and was impressed by a monumental war memorial as well as further examples of the city's famous graffiti art.
Deborah


Posted Dec 21, 2008, 7:02 pm
Always delighted by anything resembling a castle, Travel Ted was chuffed to discover the Porte de Hal, the last standing gateway of the ancient city wall.
Deborah


Posted Dec 23, 2008, 12:37 pm
The journey from Brussels to Antwerp was very good indeed as Travel Ted got to ride on the upper level of a double-decker train! Upon arrival he was awed by the grandness and magnitude of the Central Station, and even more so by the magnitude of a bear he found sleeping under its Christmas tree.
Deborah


Posted Dec 23, 2008, 12:52 pm
Travel Ted didn't take long in getting to know some of Antwerp's other residents. In the Grote Markt he encountered a hero called Brabo who had cut off the hand of a mythical giant and thrown it into the river - an incident from which, myth has it, the city derived its name. Over by the river was another heroic-looking resident but this one seemed a bit stand-offish.
Deborah


Posted Jan 1, 2009, 4:49 pm
A castle! A castle! This was good news! Apparently 'Het Steen' was Antwerp's oldest building. The approach to it was guarded by a very large giant but after getting a lift up onto the shoulders of a couple of citizens Travel Ted didn't feel scared in the slightest.
Deborah


Posted Jan 1, 2009, 4:53 pm
Just behind the castle a container ship was moored. This was turning into a truly excellent day! Travel Ted made his way closer to while away some time watching the crew at work.
Deborah


Posted Jan 1, 2009, 4:57 pm
Travel Ted had heard that Antwerp was a good city to go shopping in so, on his last full day, he decided to have a browse around. He'd also heard that in some areas of the town you would find ladies in the windows, but nothing prepared him for the scary bunch he saw in one shop.
Deborah


Posted Jan 1, 2009, 5:04 pm
Antwerp is home to one of the oldest zoos in the world. Travel Ted didn't have enough money left to visit properly but peered through the gates in the hopes of spotting a few little animals to befriend. There were none to be seen. As it was very cold he assumed they were all snuggled up indoors, which seemed like an extremely sensible thing to do.
Deborah


Posted Jan 3, 2009, 11:56 am
London's Carnaby Street had been invaded by a horde of enormous inflatable snowmen. Travel Ted stood and listened to their stories until it became cold and dark and his nose began to run. He wished them 'Happy Christmas' and hoped that they would visit again next year.
Deborah


Posted Feb 2, 2009, 8:45 pm
Travel Ted was overcome with excitement when he opened the curtains to find it had been snowing. Venturing out, he discovered it was also very cold. It did make everything look very pretty though. It also made everything very slippery. Travel Ted went back inside.
Deborah


Posted Feb 22, 2009, 6:06 pm
Never for a moment did Travel Ted imagine that his Valentine’s Day vigil by the letterbox would produce not a card, but a very pretty lady from Australia. She was extremely affectionate and made it quite clear that she hoped to be romanced. Travel Ted did his best to oblige, with chocolates and dancing.
Deborah


Posted Feb 22, 2009, 6:08 pm
Travel Ted couldn’t suppress a feeling of mounting panic as he started to suspect that Dottie Grace wanted more from him than chocolate.
Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2009, 4:40 pm
Travel Ted took his guest, Dottie Grace, for a long walk along the River Thames. Beginning at Greenwich, they walked all the way to London Bridge, finding lots of interesting things on the way. For starters, there were lots and lots of boats, which always made Travel Ted very happy.
Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2009, 4:47 pm
At the Surrey Docks Farm Travel Ted made some more new friends. One of them showed him how to use your tongue to lick bogies straight out of your nose. Travel Ted struggled to emulate this trick but vowed to practice hard until he could get it right.

Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2009, 6:47 pm
Continuing along the Thames Path, Travel Ted was able to play with an old cannon, watch skyscrapers being built at Canary Wharf, and learn about many things from different sorts of bridges to historic pubs.
Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2009, 7:07 pm
In Rotherhithe, Travel Ted made another friend in the shape of Sir Alfred Salter.
Deborah


Posted Mar 15, 2009, 7:15 pm
The highlight of Travel Ted's day came just after passing Tower Bridge, when he was awed by the HMS Belfast, an impressive light cruiser that had served with the Royal Navy for many years, as far back as the Second World War. Now a floating museum, Travel Ted determined to visit it properly one day.
Deborah


Posted Apr 5, 2009, 8:57 pm
Beautiful sunshine encouraged Travel Ted to make a foray into the Kent countryside where he visited the stately Knole House, set in an enormous 1,000 acre deer park. He searched high and low for the deer but they all seemed to have gone into hiding.
Deborah


Posted Apr 26, 2009, 7:01 pm
While on a shopping trip at London's famed Camden market Travel Ted encountered some very queer locals. Being a very sociable bear he invited them to drop round for a biscuit if ever they were in his neck of the woods.
Deborah


Posted Apr 26, 2009, 8:22 pm
Travel Ted was unable to suppress some distinctly unchristian feelings as a disturbingly large host of Toy Voyagers rounded on his chocolate Easter egg.
Deborah


Posted May 16, 2009, 10:38 am
It was a beautiful afternoon for a stroll through the Kent countryside. Travel Ted stopped off in Leigh and Penshurst where he tried to befriend some of the locals. He was rather diappointed to find that they were far too busy eating to talk to him.
Deborah


Posted May 16, 2009, 10:45 am
Travel Ted had enjoyed his recent stroll along the River Thames so much that he decided to explore it further. Walk from London Bridge to Waterloo he saw lots of cool things including the painstakingly built reproductions of the Golden Hinde and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
Deborah


Posted May 16, 2009, 11:04 am
Something very exciting was going on at the National Film Theatre. To celebrate the Cubby Broccoli centenary they were showing a big season of James Bond films and were also hosting an exhibition that included lots of James Bond's cars. Travel Ted liked the underwater car from The Spy Who Loved Me best of all. The space suit from Moonraker was rather excellent too though.
Deborah


Posted May 25, 2009, 7:27 pm
Travel Ted always enjoyed the Cannes Film Festival although he had to keep a low profile inside the main cinema as small bears are not supposed to be there unless they have a ticket.
Deborah


Posted Jul 11, 2009, 1:13 pm
Travel Ted’s favourite building in Lubeck was the famous Holstentor, which looked like an enormous chocolate gateau that was starting to sag. Inside it was the city history museum where he learned many interesting things and lorded it over a TT-sized Holstentor. In the city itself, he found a replica made entirely of marzipan, which was very impressive indeed.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 12:25 pm
Travel Ted liked the Rathaus which had big holes in the walls to stop the wind from blowing it over. If only they’d had the same stroke of genius with his garden wall at home! Nearby was the Marienkirche outside which he made friends with a little devil. Legend has it that the devil had hammered into the ground the big block of stone upon which he sits because he was cross that the people of Lubeck had built a church instead of a pub. A few roads away Travel Ted made more friends at the Puppet Museum, where he met some of the world’s largest private collection of puppets.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 12:28 pm
Travel Ted thought the Rathaus in Hamburg even more beautiful than the one in Lubeck and enjoyed an outdoor concert in the square in front of it. Later he treated indulged in one his favourite pastimes with a cruise round its lakes and a visit to the enormous harbour where he saw lots of different kinds of boats. He also visited the site of the Star Club where the Beatles played before they became ‘bigger than Jesus’. He quickly deleted the photo that showed him falling off the memorial plaque.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 12:30 pm
The absolute highlight of Travel Ted’s trip to Hamburg was a visit to the church of St Nicolai. The bombs of World War II had left little standing except the tower but its remains had been left in place as an antiwar memorial. Beneath the ruins was an exhibition of photographs of the bombed out city which he found very moving, while up above its tower offered a panoramic view of the modern city.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 12:38 pm
At the coastal resort of Travemunde on Germany's northern shores, Travel Ted was charmed by the rows of little covered seats, which he thought far superior to English deckchairs. He saw some really big boats too (and had a river tour on one) but was especially thrilled to discover that one of the biggest and best had been named 'TT' after him!!
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 2:46 pm
It was the most gorgeous sunny Saturday and Travel Ted decided to make the most of it by taking a trip to the seaside. He arrived in Folkestone at the top of a cliff, where he perched precariously on the safety railings before turning to admire the beauty of the azure sky above the ultramarine waters.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 2:55 pm
After clambering down the precipitous steps to the shoreline, Travel Ted visited the harbour (which was slightly smelly at low tide) and visited beaches that were pleasantly deserted along with others that were filled with hordes of noisy half-naked humans on a mission to get burned by the hot sun. One of the local residents was able to recommend a good fish and chip stall which proved a treat for lunch.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 2:57 pm
After a pleasant walk along the shore, Travel Ted reascended the cliff by way of some charming gardens, where he played with another friendly local in the picnic area and explored some nineteenth-century grottos. As his paws began to tire he was urged on by the sound of music up above. It was, he discovered, Armed Forces Day and a pretty lady soldier was singing old songs in the bandstand, supported by some veterans of the Second World War. As the elderly watched from their seats, Travel Ted was unable to resist dancing in the street to a medley of ‘Knees Up Mother Brown’, ‘Roll out the Barrel’, and other British classics.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2009, 2:59 pm
During his visits to Hamburg and Folkestone over the past few weeks, Travel Ted had begun to learn about the great tragedy of World War Two. There were still many things he didn’t understand so he decided to pay a visit to ‘Winston Churchill’s Britain at War Experience’ on London’s south bank. It was all very interesting and he even got to try on a gas mask, although he couldn’t see out of the eyes very well and it was frankly a little smelly.
Deborah


Posted Aug 16, 2009, 11:45 am
Short trips to the countryside were almost always pleasureable. By day, Travel Ted enjoyed Derbyshire's green fields and rolling hills. By night, he relaxed in his comfortable hotel room with his paws up in front of the telly.
Deborah


Posted Aug 16, 2009, 11:53 am
Travel Ted had always longed to explore the World War II battleship, HMS Belfast, which was moored on the River Thames by Tower Bridge. At long last, the day had come!

He spend a whole happy afternoon exploring the ship's nine decks where he learned about all aspects of working and living at sea from the wireless office to the dentist's surgery. He especially enjoyed visiting the engine room and boiler room although it struck him that he wouldn't really like to work there.
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2009, 11:42 am
There were few things Travel Ted hated as much as getting wet but once in a while every bear must have a bath. Travel Ted eyed the water warily. Once clean, he did feel rather proud of himself though, and sleeping like a bat to help his head dry out proved something of an adventure.
Deborah


Posted Oct 11, 2009, 11:46 am
Travel Ted had a splendid afternoon at the Firepower artillery museum at Woolwich Arsenal. His personal highlights were the Thunderbird missile launcher and riding in an enormous army vehicle.
Deborah


Posted Nov 24, 2009, 10:01 pm
Travel Ted was very excited to be in Warsaw. It was already dark by the time he arrived so he decided to settle himself into the comfy hotel and save his energy for exploring the next morning. The bathroom was luxurious enough for him to actually contemplate a bath but he thought better of it and retired to bed to study his map of the city.
Deborah


Posted Nov 24, 2009, 10:02 pm
After rising bright and early, Travel Ted rushed to the window to admire the view of Warsaw. As the hotel was in the business district, the view proved somewhat disappointing. Undeterred, he packed some chocolate biscuits and started the long walk to the Old Town. He didn’t have to go far before things started to look a little bit nicer.
Deborah


Posted Nov 24, 2009, 10:03 pm
His spirits undampened by the mist (but his fur a little soggy) Travel Ted smiled happily as he approached the Castle Square where he admired the Royal Castle, Zygmunt’s Column and the rows of colourful buildings.
Deborah


Posted Nov 24, 2009, 10:05 pm
The Old Town Market Square was equally colourful and he danced around the puddles to view it from all sides. A little further on he found himself at the gate of the citadel. Passing through it he reached the church of St. Kamimierz which he considered almost as elegant as his own dungarees.
Deborah


Posted Sep 26, 2010, 2:47 pm
Travel Ted invariably looked forward to his annual trip to Cannes. He found it hard to say whether he most enjoyed sunning himself on the balcony of the apartment or celebrity-spotting outside the Palais de Festival on the Croisette. He wasn’t so fussed about the films themselves because some of them were a bit odd and he often got bored.
Deborah


Posted Sep 26, 2010, 2:50 pm
Turin was another old stomping ground that Travel Ted was always happy to revisit. He loved its grand buildings and spacious squares, with Piazza Vittorio Veneto always a particular favourite.
Deborah


Posted Sep 26, 2010, 2:53 pm
Travel Ted was excited to discover that since his last visit to Turin the city’s new metro system was up and running. He was slightly disconcerted by the signs warning what a hazard the automatic doors might prove to small bears but rejoiced in the ability to visit lots of different areas of the city without getting calluses on his sensitive paws.
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2010, 2:00 pm
A day trip to the small town of Avigliana proved a little disappointing as there really was very little there. The train journey was fun though and the view from the top of the hill proved quite pleasing.
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2010, 2:02 pm
A visit to Turin’s Egyptian museum made for a really, really good morning as there were lots of exciting things to see and statues to befriend (although some of his pictures didn’t come out very well as flash photography wasn’t allowed).
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2010, 2:03 pm
The afternoon was especially thrilling as it involved a boat trip on the River Po. As he headed for the embarkation point, Travel Ted was also excited to discover lots of interesting things happening in Piazza Vittorio Veneto where he watched a parade with a brass band and people in fantastic costumes and admired a very funny looking hot air balloon.
Deborah


Posted Oct 13, 2010, 2:07 pm
All too soon it was time to go home again. On the plus side this meant that Travel Ted got to hang out at the airport for a while. The car park offered a good view of the mountains and he invariably enjoyed the spectacle of aeroplanes taking off and landing. In the indoor café he was rather baffled by a strange confection that couldn’t quite decide whether it was an ice cream, a milkshake or a cup of coffee. He gulped it down anyway with the result that he was rather hyper-hyper for the flight back.
Deborah


Posted Mar 29, 2011, 10:04 pm
Travel Ted was starting to discover that home ownership had its downside. If he cut back his chocolate biscuit expenditure would that pay for domestic help and a holiday? Maths were not his strong point.
Deborah


Posted May 22, 2011, 8:28 pm
Travel Ted was thrilled to get away for some sunshine at last. His annual trip to Cannes didn't disappoint, even though he forgot to take a spare pair of dungarees so soon started smelling rather stinky in the heat.
Deborah


Posted Mar 23, 2012, 9:54 pm
Travel Ted just loved Harry Potter. Announcement of the imminent opening of the studio tour was on his mind day and night. He schemed and he schemed, and eventually hatched a plan to sneak his way in for a preview a full week before the grand opening. At last the big day came…

It was awesome!

He saw lots of sets, props, curious characters, concept artwork, and even sampled butterbeer. Because he was visiting on a black market ticket he had to keep a low profile, he didn’t have many pictures taken. That was the only minor disappointment in a thoroughly splendid day.
Deborah


Posted Jun 3, 2012, 6:21 pm
Travel Ted was very happy to be on holiday again at last. He started to get a bit panicky at baggage reclaim, but luckily his bag of clean underpants arrived in the end.
Deborah


Posted Jun 3, 2012, 6:24 pm
The weather was warmer than Travel Ted had expected. This was a good thing, except that it made his fur a little smelly. He decided to cool off with a coffee under a shady colonnade.

Afterwards, feeling happily hyperactive, he bopped his way to Piazza Castello, where he took further shelter from the sun in the imposing Palazzo Madama. He liked its medieval garden very much, and the inside of the Palace was quite impressive too.
Deborah


Posted Jul 12, 2012, 11:04 pm
Travel Ted’s enthusiasm for unusual modes of transport remained unabated. This was, in itself, a good reason to visit the Basilica di Superga (a big church and mausoleum a little way outside Turin). The journey involved something that wasn’t quite a cable car, wasn’t quite a funicular, and wasn’t quite a normal train either. Travel Ted liked it very much.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 9:54 pm
The Basilica lay at the top of a very big hill, which offered a splendid panoramic view of Turin. The basilica was built in 1706 to honor the Virgin Mary, but Travel Ted was far more interested in the memorial to the 1949 Turin football team, who all died when their plane crashed into the hill.

Back on lower ground at the end of the afternoon, Travel Ted couldn’t resist attempting some acrobatics on the sculpture demonstrating the incline of the railway slope.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 9:56 pm
In the evening, Travel Ted contemplated a visit to the Lux cinema. Located in the stunning Galleria San Federico (built 1856), this 1934 art deco beauty was once the largest in Turin.

After much deliberation, he decided to save his holiday money for other activities, and opted for an leisurely stroll around the city, taking in the grand Piazza Carlo Alberto where he played hopscotch on the cobblestones.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:44 pm
This was an exciting day for Travel Ted, as he was going on another excursion. Not only that, but he was going to visit a CASTLE. Castles have always been one of Travel Ted’s very favourite things.

The Savoys (a rich and powerful dynasty) built a ring of castles around Turin. Travel Ted wanted to visit all of them, and had a little sulk when Deborah said there wasn’t time (on this trip, at least), but when the bus arrived at Reggia Venaria Reale, his frown soon disappeared. He simply couldn’t wait to get in there!
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:45 pm
To make the most of the sunshine, Travel Ted began his tour in the landscaped gardens. Although he thought them very nice, he considered it extremely mean that the rules forbade getting close to the fishpond – Travel Ted always enjoyed chatting to the local residents.

Luckily, the ‘Fantacasino’ was more accessible. Inside this strange construction, Travel Ted made friends with a musical dinosaur, before getting some advice about trendy dance moves from the creatures that lived on the roof.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:46 pm
Back indoors, the brochure advised Travel Ted to “be dazzled by the beauty and light of the Galleria Grande.” Travel Ted dutifully prepared himself.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:57 pm
Travel Ted was suitably dazzled.

The Cappela di sant’Uberto was also very good. In fact, it was difficult for Travel Ted to decide which was his favourite. This was turning into a brilliant day!
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 10:59 pm
His castle tour completed, Travel Ted explored Venaria itself. This only took about fifteen minutes, but that was okay as (though he was loath to admit it) his paws were starting to get a little sore from all the skipping.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 11:42 pm
No trip to Turin could be complete without a visit to the cinema museum in the iconic Mole Antonelliana.

After touring the exhibition of pre-cinema technology (and tittering nervously in a private booth at a slideshow of stereoscopic nineteenth-century erotic photographs of underdressed ladies), Travel Ted began the arduous climb to the top of the building. Luckily there were lots of interesting posters to look at, which distracted his attention from his aching knees. When he finally reached the top floor, Travel Ted felt quite proud of himself. The view was very good.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 11:43 pm
After spiralling his way back down through the centre of the building, Travel Ted admired the very special cinema seats, from which one could watch a series of classic movie clips. These seats were so large and comfortable that even great big humans could lie with their feet up while listening to the soundtrack to personal speakers.

Around the edges of this space were a series of themed rooms, for further movie viewing. In one of them, Travel Ted pretended to be a whiskey-drinking, barroom-brawling gunslinger, while watching scenes from some excellent cowboy moves.
Deborah


Posted Jul 21, 2012, 11:44 pm
Before leaving the building, there was one more important thing for Travel Ted to do, which was to take a ride in the glass lift to the panoramic viewing platform at the top of the Mole.

Although Travel Ted had always been a very brave bear, his low bodyweight remained a cause for concern in windy situations, and up in the sky it was very windy indeed. He gripped the railing tightly as he stood to admire the view of the city.

It was an impressive sight, and a fitting finale to his holiday. Travel Ted felt very happy.
Deborah


Posted Jul 29, 2012, 11:15 pm
The weather was perfect for an outdoor music festival event at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. While everyone else chilled out on the grass as they waited for the main act, Travel Ted was unable to prevent himself from doing some energetic side-stepping, with an occasional hop and skip. He couldn’t subdue his nature as a movin’ groovin’ love machine…
Deborah


Posted Sep 9, 2012, 12:09 am
Travel Ted enjoyed a splendid afternoon in the Museum of Brands, Packaging & Advertising, where he got to meet some elderly bears and other animals who had retired from illustrious careers promoting breakfast cereals and other popular household items. It all seemed pretty glamorous, and he eventually plucked up the courage to ask the Honey Monster for some careers advice.
Deborah


Posted Dec 7, 2012, 8:48 pm
Travel Ted recognised that the heart of winter wasn’t the ideal season to visit the English seaside. Nevertheless, he was unable to turn down a short trip to Brighton, because it was very famous and rumoured to be rather nice.

Having nodded off on the journey, he was excited to arrive at his hotel and rushed to the window to admire the sea view. At night, this proved very disappointing indeed. A gaggle of noisy drunks outside a nightclub (one being carted off in an ambulance) wasn’t exactly the scene he’d envisaged.

Travel Ted climbed into the big comfy bed and tried to sleep through the noise.
Deborah


Posted Dec 7, 2012, 8:49 pm
After waking to the sound of seagulls, Travel Ted cautiously pulled back the curtains and peeked out of the window again. Things looked much better in the morning. He could see the Palace Pier, which was a very emotional moment because he’d seen it in so many movies, including Brighton Rock, Quadrophenia, and (a personal favourite) Carry on at Your Convenience. He couldn’t wait to get down to the sea for a closer look.
Deborah


Posted Dec 7, 2012, 9:01 pm
It was very cold and windy on the seafront at dawn. Travel Ted did lots of dancing – partly because he was very happy and partly because it was a good way to keep warm. It was lucky he had so much stamina, as there was a long time to go before Britain’s eighth-longest pier opened for the day.

After concluding what he felt to be a particularly impressive dance move, which involved spinning around before sliding along an icy patch of pavement, Travel Ted spotted another attraction: the Brighton Sea Life Centre. Deborah had told him it was good but, alas, this was closed too and, sadly, Travel Ted had a train to catch. He was sorry he couldn’t have stayed longer, but vowed to visit again another day. Preferably a warmer one.
Deborah


Posted Dec 31, 2012, 7:58 pm
The weather was rubbish but Travel Ted was bored of staying indoors. He therefore decided to brave the elements and explore the Serpentine River in London’s Hyde Park, as it has lots of history and lots of ducks. He learned that the first wife of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned herself in the Serpentine two weeks before Shelley married his second wife, Mary, who would go to on to write Frankenstein. Travel Ted hadn’t read Frankenstein, but this seemed pretty interesting, as he liked the Boris Karloff movie very much.
Deborah


Posted Dec 31, 2012, 7:59 pm
Near the Italian Gardens area of the Serpentine’s northern lake, Travel Ted encountered some other bears. He considered attempting to engage them in conversation, but was dissuaded by their rather exclusive display of intimacy. Though Travel Ted loved to cuddle, he couldn’t help thinking they should probably seek out a private room.
Deborah


Posted Feb 27, 2013, 10:21 pm
Travel Ted liked to keep abreast of current affairs, and had been interested to read in the newspapers that the skeleton of King Richard III had been discovered in a car park in Leicester. He booked a hotel room with a panoramic car park view. His disappointment at realising this was the wrong car park was alleviated by the excellent opportunities for trainspotting. Lying in bed, he could clearly hear the station platform announcements all night, which he found very interesting and couldn’t understand why Deborah seemed so grumpy about it.
Deborah


Posted Feb 27, 2013, 10:23 pm
Sixteen miles from Leicester, the sign at Melton Mowbray railway station welcomed Travel Ted to the ‘Rural Capital of Food: home of stilton cheese and Melton Mowbray pork pies’. This seemed very promising. Nor did the gastronomic delights turn out to be the only pleasures on offer. Travel Ted visited the historic Anne of Cleves pub, which dates back to 1327 and was later given to her by King Henry VIII as part of their divorce settlement. He also learned that the phrase “painting the town red” had its origins here, when some drunken posh people did just that in the early hours of 6 April 1837. Travel Ted considered this a very successful outing.
Deborah


Posted Apr 1, 2013, 8:31 pm
In Oxford, Travel Ted stayed in one of the university halls, which made him feel quite important. Sommerville College was founded in 1879, and was for ladies only until 1994. Sommerville has lots of famous alumni, including Iris Murdoch, Dorothy L. Sayers, Indira Gandhi, and Margaret Thatcher. The most impressive among them, in Travel Ted’s opinion, was Susie Dent from the TV programme ‘Countdown’ because he thought her both very clever and very pretty. His mind was so busy wondering whose old student room he was lodged in that he hardly got any sleep at all.
Deborah


Posted May 26, 2013, 9:02 pm
Travel Ted always enjoyed his occasional visits to Cannes. This year was extra good because the flat had a sea view balcony, from which he could watch the big boats go by. Although his trip coincided with the Film Festival, he didn’t feel very motivated to watch movies this year.

The balcony view was equally impressive after dark. Travel Ted wished he could join the humans for a late night swim but, as stuffed bears don’t float very well, he concluded this would be too dangerous, and satisfied himself with watching the cruise ships, yachts, and fireworks.
Deborah


Posted Jul 22, 2013, 10:44 pm
Travel Ted’s guest, Arthur, was definitely the superior Scrabble player. Travel Ted was sure his letters must spell something… but what?
Deborah


Posted Jul 23, 2013, 9:42 pm
Travel Ted hadn’t had a proper holiday for quite a while. He felt this situation needed to be remedied.
Deborah


Posted Jul 30, 2013, 11:39 pm
Travel Ted knew straight away that he was going to like Vienna!
Deborah


Posted Jul 30, 2013, 11:45 pm
His first stop was Schloss Schonbrunn, a luxurious palace in the city’s southwestern suburbs. The weather was searingly hot, but the gardens were very nice, and Travel Ted felt happy.
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2013, 10:42 pm
On his second day in Vienna, Travel Ted explored further afield. When he came to organise his photo album, he couldn’t remember the name of the next building pictured, but his fur looked fluffy and well groomed, which was the most important thing, he thought.
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2013, 10:43 pm
Stephansdom was an impressive sight in central Vienna. Travel Ted contemplated climbing the 343 steps to the cathedral’s viewing platform, but not for very long. He decided to be sociable instead, and get to know some of the horses who took visitors on tours around the city from their Stephansplatz base.
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2013, 10:45 pm
Travel Ted enjoyed an informative walking tour, ‘In Search of the THIRD MAN.’ This was one of his very favourite films. Visiting the original filming locations was a lot of fun. One of the best scenes in the film, he thought, was the one in which the cat gets friendly with Harry Lime’s shoes. He was fascinated to learn that the cat was a terribly poor actor, who had to be tempted with fish oil spread on the shoes.

Travel Ted tried to recreate this scene in its original location. Fish oil didn’t tempt him at all. He wasn’t sure, at first, whether the brown bits on the re-enactment shoes were tempting chocolate sauce, or whether the feet were just a bit grubby. Sadly, it was just grub. High time to go and buy another ice cream, thought Travel Ted.
Deborah


Posted Sep 15, 2013, 10:53 pm
Travel Ted always enjoyed browsing supermarkets overseas. He felt reasonably confidant that he hadn’t over-shopped. After all, if suitcase space got really tight, he was sure Deborah wouldn’t mind leaving a few clothes behind…
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:43 am
Something else Travel Ted enjoyed very much was a boat trip. He thought there were few better ways to cool down on a hot day than a lazy river cruise where he could feel the wind in his fur. His trip along the Danube was especially good because the boat had a restaurant, and because he got to go through the Nussdorf Lock.
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:44 am
Normally, Travel Ted also enjoyed train journeys, but he was worried by the signs placed in all the carriages that warned the residents of the Vienna U-Bahn were really rather scary.
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:45 am
In the evening, Travel Ted explored the Prater amusement park, which is famous for its historic ferris wheel. This big wheel was erected in 1897, and featured in one of Travel Ted’s favourite scenes in THE THIRD MAN. He also enjoyed meeting some of the monsters who looked after the ghost train rides, and who were much friendlier than they looked at first glance.
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:47 am
It was the moment Travel Ted had been waiting for. He was very fond of Sacher Torte, and where better to sample some than the place of its invention?
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:47 am
Feeling fat, happy and full ok cake, Travel Ted relaxed at the ‘Burg Kino’ cinema where he watched – naturally – THE THIRD MAN.
Deborah


Posted Sep 22, 2013, 9:57 am
One of the highlights of Travel Ted’s trip to Vienna was his visit to the aqua-terra zoo at Haus des Meeres, where he got to meet an exciting array of reptiles, fish and monkeys. He also enjoyed the panoramic view from the roof, which made a fitting end to his Austrian excursion.
Deborah


Posted Mar 24, 2014, 9:12 pm
Travel Ted felt a little bit strange about his latest trip to Canterbury – revisiting his student days twenty years on. For maximum authenticity, he stayed in one of the college student rooms. It was on a boys’ corridor, and was rather smelly.
Deborah


Posted Mar 24, 2014, 9:14 pm
The next day was exciting, as it brought a trip to the seaside. The weather wasn’t very good, but he still enjoyed looking at the beach and the boats. Before an imminent downpour made his fur soggy, Travel Ted looked for shelter, and was thrilled to find a pub named after one of his very favourite movie actors who used to live in Whitstable.
Deborah


Posted Mar 24, 2014, 9:27 pm
Travel Ted enjoyed his day trip to Guildford. Although the weather wasn’t very nice, it didn’t stop him from enjoying two of his favourite activities. First, he got to visit a small ruined castle, thought to have been built by William the Conqueror or one of his buddies circa 1086. Later, he explored Dapdune Wharf, where he carefully studied some museum exhibits, and tried his paws at tying different kinds of sailors’ knots (they’re hard with paws), before relaxing on a boat trip along the River Wey Navigations. 
Deborah


Posted Apr 9, 2014, 1:14 am
Today, Travel Ted travelled on EIGHT trains, from South London to Henley-on-Thames and back again, and then went to see an exclusive and amazing preview of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. Flat camera batteries were disappointing, but failed to dampen his spirits. His ongoing excitement suggests there’s no prospect of anyone in his vicinity getting any sleep anytime soon.
Deborah


Posted Jan 28, 2015, 12:07 am
The sun was shining upon Travel Ted’s visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden. He enjoyed learning about the historic manor house, which has undergone many revamps over the centuries. The view from the top of the tower was excellent (although a little bit dizzying).
Deborah


Posted Jan 28, 2015, 12:10 am
The lovely gardens were created in the 1930s, and Travel Ted felt blissfully happy as he whiled away a pleasant afternoon among the pretty flowers.
Deborah


Posted Jan 28, 2015, 12:13 am
The bluebell woods by the lake were particularly spectacular. It was the very best time of year to visit.
Deborah


Posted Jan 28, 2015, 12:14 am
Best of all were Travel Ted’s visits to the little woodland houses where the pixies and fairies lived.
Deborah


Posted Feb 1, 2015, 4:10 pm
Travel Ted’s excitement at visiting the Cannes Film Festival never dwindled, and his heart raced with anticipation as the plane ground to a halt at Nice airport. Despite watching lots and lots of movies (some of them better than others), he still managed to find a little bit of time to act like a tourist and explore the narrow cobbled streets of the old town.
Deborah


Posted Feb 28, 2015, 11:14 pm
Travel Ted had looked forward to his trip to Bradford. He’d heard that it had a really awesome cinema museum and lots of top-notch Indian restaurants.

Bradford turned out to be cold, windy, and rain-drenched. Moreover, the car park view from the hotel window was frankly a bit drab. Travel Ted decided to stay indoors and watch the Jeremy Kyle show. Sadly, exploring what the town had to offer would need to wait for another trip.
Deborah


Posted Feb 28, 2015, 11:18 pm
This was an exciting day, as Travel Ted welcomed a celebrity visitor. Baymax Balloon from the movie BIG HERO 6 travelled all the way from London’s legendary Odeon Leicester Square cinema to visit him at home.
Deborah


Posted May 2, 2015, 11:09 am
Travel Ted always enjoyed visiting London’s docklands, seeing all the boats and exploring the mix of old warehouse buildings and great big shiny skyscrapers. He made sure he had plenty of time to explore the Museum of London Docklands, where he learned all sorts of interesting things about the sugar, tea, and slave trades.
Deborah


Posted May 2, 2015, 9:45 pm
Travel Ted was very excited to arrive at London’s St. Pancras railway station. It was huge! He had fun browsing round all the shops downstairs, but particularly enjoyed watching all the people go by, and imagining the many exciting places they might have come from or be going to. Then, after zooming upstairs in the lift, he had the place almost to himself! Now, where could Travel Ted be going for his next exciting adventure?
Deborah


Posted May 7, 2015, 11:42 pm
Travel Ted was very happy to be visiting Leicester again, and to have a bit more time to explore the city than on his previous trip.

He was particularly keen to learn more about King Richard III, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and whose skeleton was discovered beneath a Leicester car park in 2012. Travel Ted was impressed by the fact that William Shakespeare had written a very famous play about him, although apparently it didn’t mention the car park. Travel Ted resolved to read the play himself one day.

In the meantime, his first tourist stop was the King Richard III Visitor Centre, outside which he posed for a photo with a statue of His Royal Highness. He also took a moment to look at the neighbouring Leicester Cathedral, where Richard’s bones had been reburied just a few weeks earlier.
Deborah


Posted May 7, 2015, 11:43 pm
Next stop was Leicester’s Town Hall Square. Travel Ted thought it rather nice. He particularly liked the fountain in the square, but it didn’t show up in the picture because Travel Ted was standing right in front of it when the photo was taken. What a silly billy!
Deborah


Posted May 10, 2015, 11:19 am
A couple of roads away, Travel Ted found a building that looked very different indeed from all the other buildings he’d seen in Leicester. He decided to investigate more closely, and learned that this was the Jain Centre – a temple belonging to a very ancient Indian religion that has 12 million followers around the world.
Deborah


Posted May 10, 2015, 11:20 am
It was time for Travel Ted to move on again if he wanted time to fit in a stroll through the Castle Gardens. He thought they were very lovely, but felt slightly glum upon discovering there hadn’t been a castle there for a very long time. He expressed his disappointment to some passing swans, who suggested somewhere else he might like to visit.
Deborah


Posted Jun 22, 2015, 10:11 pm
Travel Ted enjoyed his visit to the Carnegie Museum in the medieval town of Melton Mowbray. He learned a bit about the pork pies and stilton cheese for which the town is famous. He also learned a lot about fox hunting, and approved of the fact that it is no longer legal in England. He also met a two-headed calf that died over 100 years ago. That was a bit odd. Travel Ted wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Deborah


Posted Jul 5, 2015, 10:34 pm
Travel Ted had always admired William Morris: a poet, novelist, social activist, and designer of lovely wallpaper and curtains. He was therefore very excited to visit The Ted House (sorry, Red House), where Morris lived as a young man and had spent lots of time being creative alongside his other very talented pals like Edward Burne-Jones, who described the house as “the most beautiful place on earth”.

William the Scarecrow, who lives in the Red House gardens, was very happy to tell Travel Ted all about its history. He also had lots of interesting stories about vegetables and big bad birds.
Deborah


Posted Aug 23, 2015, 8:01 pm
Travel Ted always enjoyed visiting Canterbury, and it was the perfect summer’s day for an outing. He never tired of visiting the splendid cathedral, and this year was able to admire a new addition: statues of the Queen and Prince Philip installed earlier this year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Deborah


Posted Aug 23, 2015, 8:09 pm
While in Canterbury, Travel Ted also took time to visit his favourite building – the spectacularly wonky Sir John Boys House, popularly known as The Crooked House. He was delighted to discover it had recently become a fund-raising bookshop for Catching Lives charity, which works to support local homeless people. This meant he was able to explore inside for the first time and give some of his pocket money to a good cause too.
Deborah


Posted Aug 30, 2015, 10:31 am
As it was such a beautiful warm day, Travel Ted decided to hop on a bus from Canterbury to Whitstable, where he had lots of fun joining the seaside sunbathers before taking a stroll to admire all the action on the boats in the harbour.
Deborah


Posted Sep 5, 2015, 11:54 am
Travel Ted’s last stop of the day was the small seaside town of Herne Bay, where he enjoyed the attractions of the pier before watching the sun set across the bay.
Deborah


Posted Sep 5, 2015, 5:40 pm
After more than nine years as a Toy Voyager, imagine Travel Ted’s excitement when he finally completed his mission to party in Barcelona!

Upon arrival, he asked the advice of some friendly little donut men at the Boldu patisserie. Although it was already late in the evening, he followed their recommendation to skip along a bustling boulevard to see two very cool buildings designed by Anton Gaudi: La Pedera and Casa Batllo.
Deborah


Posted Sep 7, 2015, 7:56 pm
Travel Ted woke up bright and early, and decided to take a closer look at Casa Batllo. It cost a lot of pocket money to go inside, but Travel Ted was pleased he’d forked out. All the art nouveau colours and shapes were fantastic!
Deborah


Posted Sep 13, 2015, 9:55 pm
Next door to Casa Batllo, Travel Ted met a duelling knight and dragon, who paused their battle for just long enough to recommend a good place for lunch. Fully sated on a healthy salad and smoothie, Travel Ted continued his tour along Las Ramblas. He passed some grand old buildings, paused for a rest in the lovely Place Reial, and finally arrived at the harbour.
Deborah


Posted Sep 20, 2015, 2:05 pm
On Travel Ted’s second morning in Barcelona, he decided to visit another Gaudi masterpiece: the famous Sagrada Familia. It was stupendous! The closer he got to it, the bigger it seemed! Travel Ted was amazed to learn that it had already taken more than 100 years to build, and still wasn’t finished.
Deborah


Posted Sep 24, 2015, 9:37 pm
It was a lovely sunny afternoon, so Travel Ted decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing at Parc Guell. Perched at the top of a hill, it offered some lovely views of the city and the sea. It even had some more things made by Senor Gaudi. What a busy chap he must have been!
Deborah


Posted Sep 24, 2015, 9:39 pm
Travel Ted made the most of his last morning in Barcelona with a visit to Parc de la Ciutadella. Upon arrival, he was awed by the grandeur of the Arc de Triomf, which once welcomed visitors to the city’s Universal Exhibition back in 1888. At the end of a beautiful palm-lined walkway he found some gorgeous old hothouses containing lots of other exotic plants and trees. Later on, he met a woolly mammoth who told him he mustn’t miss seeing the Cascada Fountain. The fountain was designed by Josep Fontseré, helped out by a young Anton Gaudi. This guy got everywhere, thought Travel Ted!
Deborah


Posted Oct 3, 2015, 1:03 pm
After Parc de la Ciutadella there was just enough time left for a trip to the beach, where Travel Ted marvelled at a great big metal fish, which had been designed by another very famous architect: Frank Gehry. As Travel Ted did a final happy dance on the sand, he reflected on how lucky he was to have had another lovely holiday.
Deborah


Posted Dec 10, 2015, 11:13 pm
Travel Ted was SO excited to be in Prague again. His second trip, but his first as a Toy Voyager. Under the circumstances, the cold weather didn’t matter.
Deborah


Posted Dec 10, 2015, 11:30 pm
Darkness fell quickly, but visiting Prague’s famous astronomical clock was a necessary adventure. Installed in 1410, it’s one of the oldest in the world, and watching the figures come out to do their little thing at 8pm was very awesome indeed.
Deborah


Posted Feb 25, 2016, 7:04 pm
It was a short trip, which meant Travel Ted had a busy day ahead of him. Where better to start than the river, which (rather thrillingly) he could see from his hotel window? As always, Travel Ted enjoyed watching the boats go by every bit as much as he admired the historic buildings and stunning panoramas.
Deborah


Posted Feb 25, 2016, 7:06 pm
Travel Ted also loved castles. He eagerly crossed the river for a closer look. He saw lots of interesting things, but was especially touched by all the padlocks lovers had attached to some railings by a pretty stretch of water.
Deborah


Posted Feb 27, 2016, 5:22 pm
This is the square where Travel Ted almost got lost after climbing out of Deborah’s bag when she wasn’t looking. Deborah was very cross with him indeed, but only because she loved him and was so worried. She gave him a great big hug and then everything was alright again.
Deborah


Posted Feb 27, 2016, 5:23 pm
After such an eventful day, Travel Ted felt very tired, and was glad to make his way back to the hotel, although not before taking the obligatory walk across the famous Charles Bridge. He finished the evening with a little tipple of a strange local beverage, which made him rather woozy – although he was careful not to drink too much in case he made Deborah cross again.
Deborah


Posted Mar 28, 2016, 10:10 pm
Travel Ted was delighted to revisit to Germany and to have the chance to explore Berlin for the first time. On the downside, Deborah had to work, so he didn’t have many pictures taken. On the upside, although the weather was chilly and gloomy there wasn’t any rain or snow to make his fine fur coat soggy.

Travel Ted began his tour at the famous Brandenburg Gate, which dates back to the late 18th century. He read up about it on wikipedia, which said, “Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered a symbol of the tumultuous history of Europe and Germany, but also of European unity and peace.” Travel Ted considered the Internet to be very useful.
Deborah


Posted Mar 28, 2016, 10:39 pm
The Second World War and its legacy had a big impact on Berlin, as it had on many other European cities. Travel Ted’s next stop was the Holocaust Memorial (officially known as Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe), where he paused to pay quiet tribute.
Deborah


Posted Mar 31, 2016, 10:48 pm
Although the weather was cold, Travel Ted went for an extremely long walk through Berlin’s Tiergarten, where he saw many interesting things. He stopped to have his picture taken at the Soviet War Memorial, which commemorated those who died in the Battle of Berlin in 1945, and was also very interested to see an artillery tank close up. Further down the road he stopped to admire a statue of Prince Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor of the German Empire. The final destination of his tiring but exciting trek was the Berlin Victory Column – a monument he was very keen to see because it features prominently in a very brilliant film called ‘Wings of Desire’.
Deborah


Posted Jul 4, 2016, 11:02 pm
Travel Ted LOVED Italy, and was delighted to be spending a few days in Rome. Where better to start his adventure than the Colosseum – a huge and well-preserved amphitheatre where all sorts of dastardly deeds had been done? Oh boy, this place was big!!! The upper levels also afforded some really great views across to the Roman Forum, which gave Travel Ted an idea for the rest of the afternoon…
Deborah


Posted Jul 14, 2016, 8:34 pm
Oh wait! No! One last look! It was so hard for Travel Ted to tear himself away… And that big arch down below looked really interesting too…
Deborah


Posted Jul 14, 2016, 8:40 pm
But the Roman Forum was great. This was a very historic site, filled with lots of ruined temples and other fascinating things. Travel Ted was pleased he’d made the effort – although his paws felt very tired by the time he’d done the full rounds.

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