Final details for research trip.

It has been a busy, but at times frustrating, few weeks. Firstly the good things:
1. Flights booked and paid for: Cairns to London on the 2nd of August, arriving 3rd August early in the morning (with stop-overs in Bis, Syd, Melb, Singapore)! Coming back the same way in reverse on the 28th October. That is 89 days, or just under the tourist visa deadline.
2. Accomodation in London booked through Imperial Colleges, staying at Orient House for 14 days.
3. Train to Paris via tunnel booked (special on Buisness Class, so I took the luxury).
4. Accomodation in Paris booked (finally) at the Cite Internationale du Universitaire for 33 days. I was offered a "Studio, double, comfort" at the Maison de Provinces de France (a University College). Worked out to be around A$60.00 a night.
5. I have arranged with both Le Havre and Paris Natural History Museum's to view Lesueur's work but will have to present my "documentation, with photographs" to be allowed in. Similarly I have contacted the Museum in Vienna to view Bauers drawings, and I will be able to finalise that trip in September.
6. Side trip to Midi Canal (via barge) booked and part paid with train ticket from Paris to Agde booked. That is the end of the pre-packaged bit.

The frustrating part has been the "summer holidays" in Europe particularly in France. It seems that a lot of places simply close or go onto reduced hours. Traps for new players?
 
7. I still have to finalise somewhere to stay in Le Havre (during the holidays this is not straightforward) for the three days I will be there. And book train tickets.
8. Still to finalise the trip from the Midi Canal to Ghent (not having heard back from the Ghent University). I will have to travel there on spec.
9 Still to finalise the trip to Prague and return to London to catch the Plane home.
That will be twith the flow bit!

Master of Arts research trip to Europe -London, Paris, and Le Harve

I am in the throes of organising the first field trip for my Master of Arts degree through James Cook University (Queensland Australia). I am off in August 2011 and intend to send regular reports and photographs back. This is the first post to my blogsite and very experimental (for me at least). The next post will be the itinery and test photos.