SILVERSEA CRUISE – VENICE TO ATHENS 25th AUGUST- 3rd SEPTEMBER, 2017

It was exciting to board our Silversea cruise ship. Although we had enjoyed our river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, we felt constrained for space and didn’t like the obligation to sit in limited dining venues with limited spaces and no tables for two. We had tried eating in our cabin but the space was so limited that it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. Cabin choices were more varied on a full size ship. We decided to avoid the huge floating hotels that pack in literally thousands of tourists and opted instead for the ‘Silver Spirit’, carrying 600 passengers and 411 crew. We also elected to choose the Silver Suite cabin, that was a spacious 69 M2 and came with a butler. We loved it!

No eating on our laps in Silversea cabin!

26th AUGUST, 2017 – KOPER, SLOVENIA

A rather sleepy little town with a central square and narrow cobble stoned streets leading down to the waterfront.

Staying cool with the neighbourhood kids

27th AUGUST, 2017 – ZADAR, CROATIA

Zadar is a lovely old fortified city with Roman ruins. The old town is bustling and beautiful with marble pedestrian streets, medieval churches, palaces, museums and libraries. It is incredible that so much has survived in a tumultuous history that saw successive onslaughts from Croatian-Hungarian kings, the Venetians, Turks, Habsburg, French and finally the Italians before becoming part of Yugoslavia and in 1991, the independent republic of Croatia.

28th AUGUST, 2017 – HVAR & SPLIT, CROATIA

Our shipped moored on the Croatian island of HVAR, but we could not pass up the opportunity to travel by Rib-Boat to nearby SPLIT, to experience for ourselves the DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE.

The Diocletian’s Palace was built for the Roman emperor Diocletian in AD 305. While it is referred to as a ‘palace’ because of its intended use as a retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure is massive and more resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for the Diocletian’s personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.

29th AUGUST, 2017 – KOTOR, MONTENEGRO

Kotor is a town on Montenegro’s coast that is fortified by 4.5 km of ancient walls built between the 9th and 18th centuries, directly above the city. The medieval old town is characterised by winding streets and squares and has several Romanesque churches including Kotor Cathedral.

Backed by imposing mountains, tiny Kotor lies hidden from the open sea, it is Europe’s most southernly fjord. We were immediately attracted to the hilltop fortress for the wonderful views which were likely to be had, and so followed a steady stream of primarily, young, trekkers with the same idea. Interestingly, the higher we climbed, the less crowded the steps became!

30th AUGUST, 2017 – IGOUMENITZA, GREECE

Igoumeniza is one of Greece’s largest shipping ports and many people use it as a stopover on the way to Corfu.

I have been travelling the world for over fifty years now and have seen so many wonderful places that it takes a lot to really have me enthralled. Today I was completely blown away by monasteries of Meteora. It took nearly four hours to get there, but this World Heritage site was well worth waiting for. A cluster of granite rocks are crowned by ancient monasteries, the construction of which, beggars belief. It was one of the most spectacular things that I have ever seen.

31st AUGUST, 2017 – KATAKOLAN, GREECE

KATAKOLAN is a sleepy little town and appears to only exist because of the many cruise ships that dock here. The reason tourists are drawn to this port is its proximity to Olympia. Barry had been sorely disappointed on his previous visit there over thirty years ago, so we decided to have a ‘lay’ day. We wondered down the wharf but quickly tired of the tacky tourist shops filled with products largely made in China. We rather enjoyed the slow pace of the day and the rare opportunity to eat lunch on board. We were pleased to be well rested for our arrival in Santorini the next day.

1st SEPTEMBER, 2017 – SANTORINI, GREECE

We spent a relaxing day in Santorini, wandering around the streets leading down to the sea, strolling in and out of shops that for once had high quality merchandise and finally taking a punt, walking up a flight of stairs to an outdoor restaurant with panoramic views over the lovely blue sea and having an absolutely delicious lunch. I wish I had taken notice of the name of it so that I could recommend it to fellow travellers.

Thousands of years ago a colossal volcanic eruption caused the center of the island to sink, leaving a crater with towering cliffs along the east side which is now Santorini’s trade-mark landscape. We took a local bus to the fascinating site of Akrotiri. Reminiscent of Pompeii, Akrotiri displays a Minoan city destroyed by the volcanic eruption of 1613 BC.

2nd SEPTEMBER, 2017 – KUSADASI, TURKEY

The big drawcard here was Ephesus, probably the most impressive and intact Roman ruin that either of us had ever seen. It was all incredible and spectacular – the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St John, Celsus Library, the Roman Baths, the Roman Theatre, The foundation stone of the Temple of Diane. No wonder that this was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!

3rd SEPTEMBER, 2017 – PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE

I was surprised to find Athens looking so down at heel. Although we stayed in a very nice hotel, the surrounding buildings were very run down and covered in graffiti. People were sitting on the footpath selling odd assortments of objects – a few forks, some uninteresting looking tools, old prints, books, broken lamps and what looked to be simply whatever they had around that they might (although it seemed unlikely to me) make some money from.

Every day on the hour, there is a Changing of the Guard ceremony by the ‘Evzones’, the elite Greek Guards who guard the grave of the Unknown Soldier outside the Hellenic Parliament in Syntagma Square. The soldiers are selected according to their height (they must be over six foot three), physical condition and character. Their complete traditional uniform is only worn for the Sunday 11 am Changing of the Guard ceremony, when rather than just a few soldiers, the entire battalion parade in full ceremonial dress.

We were so fortunate to be right there at exactly the right time! It was amazing!

A lovely little church in the middle of Athens

4th SEPTEMBER, 2017 – ATHENS, GREECE

Of course a visit to the Acropolis was mandatory. I wasn’t expecting a visit from Mum and a very persistent and attentive butterfly!

5th SEPTEMBER, 2017 – THE PELOPONESE

After much research, I came to the conclusion that the only way that we could cover the distances to see some of the fascinating sites of the PELOPONESE that interested us, was to hire a car and guide, so that’s exactly what we did! It was a great choice because we saw some places that were not only unknown to us, but clearly also unknown to Lonely Planet and other guide books: we had Messene, the best site of all, completely all to ourselves!

We had a look at the Corinth Canal, then onto Corinth where St Paul preached to the Corinthians. We passed through farmlands and spotted many fields of apricots and olive trees as well as vineyards. At Mycenae we saw the Tomb of Agamemnon then drove to Nafplio for lunch by the seaside before visiting the Palamidi castle.

Barry standing in the spot where St Paul preached to the Corinthians

The skilled masons created this splendour in 3500 BC!

After lunch we set off for Epidavros to admire the ancient theatre which was built in 4 BC. The theatre is still used today by Greek actors performing Greek plays.

Then it was back to Nafplio where we spent the night at Marianna Pension and had some close up views of Palamidi Castle by day and also illuminated at night.

6th SEPTEMBER, 2017 – SPARTI & MESSENE

We drove to SPARTI to see Mystra with its Byzantine monasteries and the Monument of King Leonidas, but the best was yet to come! We went to Messene, a place that we had never heard of before. Not only did we have a professional archeologist as our personal guide, but we almost had the entire site to ourselves (few tourists knew of the site and fewer still were able to reach it) and we were able to witness the excavation in process. It was great!

It is amazing to see how this floor has retained its vibrancy after so many centuries

We spent our last night in Greece at the absolutely fabulous Herodian Hotel in Athens. Everything about our stay was perfect – the room, the service, the restaurant, but best of all, the jaw dropping spectacular view of The Acropolis from our room.

7th SEPTEMBER, 2017

Our astonishing journey was almost over. We flew back to Rome and spent another night there before flying back to Melbourne via Hong Kong. Life is fabulous!

ITALY AUG 6 -25th , 2017

The nine and a half flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong was certainly made much easier because of our frequent flyer business class tickets. With a six hour layover in Hong Kong, we decided to take a quick trip into town. We watched the locals enjoying a live band in a public area, admired some local sculptures, did a spot of window shopping and then it was back to the airport for our early morning flight.

MONDAY, 7th AUGUST, 2017 – ROME

We had coordinated with Kerry so that her flight from Sydney arrived just half an hour after ours at Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Kerry had booked a BnB very close to our own Airbnb accommodation at Via Ruggero Bonghi, 38 so we shared a taxi and agreed to meet up later in the afternoon.

We were delighted with our lovely rooftop apartment and the huge balcony with views overlooking the Colosseum.

*This is the spectacular view that we enjoyed from our balcony at night*

Day view of the colosseum from our balcony

The place where Kerry stayed was gated and so when we went to visit her in the afternoon we had to stand outside and shout until she finally heard us. We went for a lovely walk across a park at the bottom of our street to get a close up view of the Colosseum. It was forty two degrees and Kerry was feeling exhausted and a bit heat affected, so she decided to go back to her place and have a bit of a rest until we met up for dinner. She was only staying about 300 meters from our place and Barry gave her careful instructions on how to get back and also how to get to the nearby restaurant. At the allotted time we went to her house and shouted and shouted but got no reply. So we went to the restaurant hoping to see her there, but she didn’t show up. After dinner we went back to her place but our persistent shouting had no response. I started to get seriously worried and finally sent a message to her daughter, Ria, saying that her mother was lost in Rome.

8th AUGUST, 2017 – ROME

The next morning I had a distressed call from Kerry. The poor thing had been staggering around in circles, hopelessly disoriented and completely lost and overheated for what seemed like hours. She kept asking taxi drivers to take her to her address but they couldn’t understand her and thought she wanted to go to the train station. In desperation and fearing that she might faint with heat, she ended up lying down in the park with other ‘homeless’ people. She had wanted me to come and collect her from the hotel where she had eventually checked into. She had to go out into the street to find the name and address of the place. I can only imagine the frustration and fear that she must have endured!

That same day Barry and I had booked a guided motor scooter tour of the environs and introduction to the Colosseum. Barry went off to collect the scooter and discovered that the only ‘guided’ part of the tour was at the actual Colosseum which was our rendezvous point. Rome’s roads are peppered with one way streets which are not clearly defined on a street map. We could see where we wanted to go but couldn’t find a way of getting there. In the end we found ourselves going down a one way street and it was only as a large Mercedes appeared in front of us that we realised that we were going in the wrong direction. Barry found himself pinned under the Vespa with the melting tar on the road burning the flesh of his arm. I pulled the scooter off him and it wasn’t until later in the day that I realised that I had sustained a broken toe. So much for our ‘Roman Holiday’ Vespa adventure!

9th AUGUST, 2017

We spent the day doing the ‘hop on hop off’ bus experience of Rome spending time st the Roman forums, the Pantheon, the Vittoriano (the typewriter) and a host of other famous landmarks.

10th AUGUST, 2017 – SORRENTO, ITALY

We stayed at the lovely GRAND HOTEL de la VILLE on Via Rota 15, SORRENTO

https://www.delavillesorrento.com/

Later in the evening we took a taxi to my favourite restaurant in Sorrento. It was down the bottom of the hill in a lovely little fishing village and the food was every bit as good as I remembered it from my previous visit. Perhaps it tasted all the better because this time I wasn’t eating alone!

Porta Marina Seafood. Via Marina Grande 25, Sorrento

Kerry and I enjoying a pre dinner drink

11th AUGUST, 2017 – POMPEII

We had booked what was purported to be a small group tour of Pompeii with hotel pickup. When the minivan arrived on time all seemed well. We stopped along the way for a photo opportunity of the glorious Bay of Naples but when we arrived at Pompeii we discovered that our ‘small group’ was going to join up with about five others, so it was not so small after all! Nonetheless, we had a fascinating tour of Pompeii and were also able to send a special birthday wish to a very special girl.

Remarkable preservation of a rich man’s house

12th AUGUST, 2017 – LUCCA

On my fifth visit to Lucca in seven years, I loved it even more than the first time. I had known Barry on every one of those trips and despite the time difference, we managed to speak together almost every day. Twice while I had been there, he had proposed to me, so it was very special to share my favourite Italian town with him. I had found a lovely Airbnb apartment right on the city wall which most unusually, had a large garden.

A perfect spot in the garden for a gin and tonic at the end of a hot day!

14th AUGUST, 2017 – FLORENCE

I never tire of Florence. Like so much else about this trip, it was a special thrill to share it with Barry. Every time I visit it is more and more crowded with tourists, but it is nonetheless worth it to see the Duomo yet again and all the other iconic sites of Florence, Ponto Vecchio, Piazza Della Repubblica and Piazza Della Signora. Then, of course, Kerry and I just love shopping in Florence!

15th August, 2017 – Lucca

The wonderful thing about spending ten days in Lucca is that it makes such a fabulous base. Walking around the 4 kilometres of leafy top of the city walls that completely surround the town gives a wonderful birds-eye view of the entire town. People stroll, jog, bike and roller blade around it. There is always something new to see and sometimes I take a break in the Botanical Gardens.

16th AUGUST, 2019 SIENA & SAN GIMIGNANO

While both Lucca and Florence are easily reached by train, some of the other lovely Tuscan towns can only be reached by public transport in a very convoluted and time consuming fashion. So we bought seats in a shared mini bus that took us to both of these absolutely delightful little towns. I had spent five days in Siena some years before and was thrilled to witness the spectacle of a competition of flag throwing by various districts of Siena. Each district has its own colours, symbols, medieval costumes and traditional bands and it was intoxicating to hear them coming from all the various sections and then gathering together in the town square (il Campo) sheer they compete in the flag throwing competition. This time we were going to be there for il Palio, a world famous horse racing pageant. I was tempted to attend until I realised that in order to get even a glimpse of the exhilarating one minute event, we would have to secure a place and wait there for at least five hours. We elected to go on another day!

SAN GIMIGNANO is famous for its 14 towers which give this lovely walled town a peculiar illusion of resembling a medieval Manhattan. These towers (which once numbered 72) were the symbols of the power and wealth of the city’s medieval families.

A perfect day culminated with a stop at a winery for bread, cheese and wine and glorious vistas of the Tuscan countryside.

17th AUGUST, 2017 – LUCCA

I enjoyed strolling around Lucca with Barry showing him the places that I had fallen in love with again and again and pointing out the various places where Kerry and I had stayed previously and some of the great restaurants we had eaten in.

Lucca has some of the most wonderful restaurants that I have ever eaten in. Unlike many other Italian towns, here every visitor is treated like an honoured guest. At Gli Orti Di Via Iliza 17, we had goat, Vitello tonato and gnocchi, all of which was absolutely delicious. We shared the space with many Italian families and this delightful cameo is one of my favourite photos ever.

I love this photo of all the little girls hairdressing!

Another great restaurant is Antica Drogheria Via Elisa, 5. The menu is casual and varied with many sophisticated surprises. This is the place to experience Florentine steak and slow cooked wild boar. Locals as well as tourists eat here and there is no discrimination.

18th, 19th & 20th AUGUST, 2017 – LUCCA

While Barry took the three and a half hour train trip to Rimini and spent three days there exploring motorcycle museums, Kerry and I gorged on shopping. We took another day trip to Florence and explored every lovely boutique in Lucca. Then on the 21st of August we went our separate ways. Kerry took a flight from nearby Pisa to Vienna and Barry and I continued on to Venice via Milan.

22nd AUGUST 2017 – MILAN

Barry needed to go to Milano to purchase parts to build his Benelli. I just love Milan!

We stayed in a wonderful hotel, Maison Milano UNA comes close to perfection. The location is the best possible – only steps away from the Duomo, Vittorio Emanuel Arcade and glorious shopping in all price ranges. I was initially dubious because the check-in area was so miniscule that we were all but sitting in the street. My fears were quickly allayed. Our room was of moderate size but opened up to an extremely generously sized bathroom that provided every conceivable amenity. There were even two types of salts for the bath. The bed linen was sublime as was the breakfast linen. Breakfast (at an extra €30pp) was only available as room service, but it was incredibly generous and delicious. Last but not least, the wonderful staff…They directed me to a nail salon for necessary ‘refills’, a trendy place for a pre-dinner drink, and a fabulous traditional Milanese restaurant. Top points!

https://www.gruppouna.it/esperienze/maison-milano

I can highly recommend UNO Maison Milano, Via Mazzini 4, Milan

23rd AUGUST, 2017 – OH WOW! BAUER PALAZZO, VENICE

On my previous trips to Venice, I had also arrived by train and then jostled with the crowds to find a place for myself and my luggage on the Vaporetto, the public ferry. I love traversing Venice by Vaporetto and always have two or three trips, one of them at night, because this is a spectacular way to see Venice. This time, however, especially as we were staying at the magnificent Bauer Palazzo, I decided that we should arrive in style. So I hired a private water taxi. The exhilaration as we soared down the Grand Canal, past countless palazzi from the 12th to the 18th centuries, and then arriving at the private mooring for Bauer Palazzo defies description.

This is the view that we enjoyed every morning at breakfast

We spent two glorious days exploring Venice, getting lost, admiring the spectacular buildings, Piaza San Marco, the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge and so much more before boarding our Silver Sea Venice to Athens cruise. We even took a very romantic gondola ride. It was all so very special!

FALLS CREEK AGAIN! 23rd – 30th JULY, 2017

We were so impressed with Isobel’s skiing that we very much wanted to consolidate her skills by giving her another opportunity for a lesson. We once again booked into the QT building for a week but we also booked Les Chalet again for three days, this time for Kiri and her partner. I wanted to let Kiri see what a fantastic little athlete Isobel had become.

We decided to bring Isobel up in the car with us so that she could maximise her time in the snow. The poor little pet suffered car sickness on the winding road on the way up and we had to pull over to let her lose her lunch. She perked up quickly at the first sighting of snow and by the time that we were getting out of the car at Falls Creek, she was as bright as a button. We went straight to the ski shop and had her outfitted with boots and skis and she was all set for her nine o’clock lesson the next morning.

She loved getting on the ski lift and watching all the skiers gliding by underneath us. We dropped her off at ski school and did four or five runs ourselves before picking her up at 3:30. Barry gave her the option of either going down to the bowl in the ski lift with me or skiing down the hill with him. She had gone down several times with her class and was desperate to try it again.

Barry struggled to keep up with her as she darted in and out of the trees, leapt over bumps and was in the air as much as on the ground. As soon as they reached the basin she begged to go up again, and again and again…..! It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm.

By this third trip, we had discovered some fabulous restaurants serving world class food, Elk and Summit Ridge being our favourites.

elkatfalls.com.au

summit ridge.com.au

CAIRNS AND GOLD COAST APRIL 16 – 23, 2017

Ever since my good friends, Bob and Judy Pegg, came to visit me in October, 2013, I had wanted to revisit the wonderful time that we shared together in Cairns. Our day trip to Green Island, in particular, was a memory that will remain with me forever. It was the greatest snorkeling experience of my life.

So Barry and I took off to Cairns. We enjoyed the Botanic Gardens enormously and the rainforest walk directly opposite was extraordinary. I am a very keen gardener and a great lover of the glories of nature. My experiences here were so completely amazing that they defy superlatives. Let the photographs speak for themselves.

We savoured many world class meals in Cairns and looked forward to the experience that this was all about – our boat ride out to Green Island for a day of snorkeling.

Barry had felt unwell after our bumpy return ride in the sea plane from the Hawkesbury River to Sydney, but the rough choppy conditions on our 45 minute boat ride from Cairns to Green Island, was his complete undoing. Within the first ten minutes Barry had gone to the back of the boat for fresh air and then continued to throw up for the duration of the trip. He was feeling so poorly by the time we disembarked that all he wanted to do was to find a place to lie down.

The only option for him was to lie on a towel at the waters edge. Despite my disappointment at not being able to share the thrill with him, I nonetheless enjoyed my snorkeling experience and was fortunate enough to spot many colourful fish, starfish, anemones, sponges and sea urchins.

Poor Barry suffered greatly all day. He started to feel marginally better as the day wore on. Unfortunately, he then had to revisit his horrible ordeal on our return trip back to Cairns!

GOLD COAST

By an extraordinary coincidence, one of Barry’s very few living relatives, his cousin, Ron, lived in the building right next door to my brother’s building in Como Street, Broadbeach. Barry and I stayed at the Palazzo Versace Hotel which was an incredible experience. We shared a lovely meal with Ron, Zarah, Harold and Elaine. The next day we had the obligatory family photograph from Harold’s patio.

AMSTERDAM TO BUDAPEST – RHINE CRUISE – 21 SEP – 10 OCT, 2016

21 SEPTEMBER, 2016

I rented a funky little apartment in the centre of Amsterdam. We discovered that our bedroom was a tiny platform built into the loft. Getting up the steep, winding stairs without railings was an ordeal. I felt very much like Anne Frank!

We spent a few hours at the Rejksmuseum. Although blown away by Rembrandt and Van Gough, my favourite was Vermeer. His use of colour is extraordinary.

Feeling a little jet lagged we opted for an early dinner at a traditional Dutch restaurant, d’Vijff Vlieghen (the five flies). http://www.vijffvliegen.nl

I opted for the delicious raw (not pickled) herrings, smoked eel and baby shrimp while Barry had pea soup then sausage with special Dutch vegetables. Yum!

22 SEPTEMBER, 2016

We spent the day exploring the city, admiring the glorious architecture, the canals, and, in perfect Autumn weather, strolling through the lovely Vondel Park.

This guy is steering his boat with his bum!

Then we moved on to of all places, a handbag museum! I would never have guessed (if we hadn’t been tipped off by friends) that the history of handbags could be so interesting.

23rd SEPTEMBER, 2016

We spent our first anniversary continuing to enjoy the delights of Amsterdam before boarding the MS AmaReina for our APT cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

24th SEPTEMBER, 2016

25th SEPTEMBER, 2016 – COLOGNE, GERMANY

The ship organised a sightseeing tour of Amsterdam and a Canal Cruise which left us feeling that we had really become familiar with Amsterdam. Then there was the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party followed by the Gala Welcome Dinner, neither of which were our kind of event. Then the ship cast off. Yay!

We went on a historic, architectural walking tour of Cologne in the morning before going by bus to Bonn where the ship was waiting for us.

While we were enjoying lunch the ship set sail for Andernach. If the Captain’s Cocktail Party and Gala Dinner weren’t pretentious and pompous enough, the ‘By Royal Invitation’ dinner at Burg Namedy as the guests of ‘Princess Heidi’, was positively sick making. Our fellow guests were impressed and enchanted when the princess chatted with them and even helped the wait staff serve meals! Whoever heard of Princess Heidi? Yet these types of functions no doubt enable minor or distant royalty/gentry be able to maintain their expensive properties.

It turns out that Princess Heidi grew up in a typical middle class family in Munich as Heidi Hansen. In 1970 she married prince Godehard Von Hohenzollern. Although the family had once spawned German emperors and kings, that all came to an end with the Weimar Republic in 1918, when all of German nobility’s legal privileges were abolished.

When her it turns out that Princess Heidi grew up in a typical middle class family in Munich as Heidi Hansen. In 1970s she married prince got a hard von Holen Zolin. Although the family had once born German emperors and kings, that all came to an end with the Waimairi public in 1918, when all of German abilities legal privileges were abolished.

When her husband inherited Burg Namedy in 1988, the whole thing was falling apart – water was coming in and all of the windows were smashed. They raise money from concerts and other cultural events to begin renovating the castle. After her husband died in 2001, she took over and increased business by charging groups of school children, wedding parties, concert fans and yes, bus and shiploads of overseas tourists who were made to feel like honoured guests in her castle.

26th SEPTEMBER, 2016 – RHINE GORGE & RUDESHEIM

This is the most famous stretch of the Rhine River with its many castles, known all over the world. Steep slopes, many covered by Vineyards and dotted by castles, are accompanied by picturesque villages like Boppard and St. Goarshausen.

Rudesheim is a lovely little town. Drosselgasse is a 144 meter long cobblestone street in the heart of the old town that was built in the 15th century. It is filled with beautifully decorated restaurants and gift shops. We took gondola ride up to the Germanic monument. The panoramic views over Rudesheim’s old town and the shimmering waters of the Rhine dotted with green isles made the smooth glide over the vineyards below especially enchanting.

27th SEPTEMBER, 2016 – MILTENBERG

MILTENBERG proper was founded in the 13th century. There were two Roman castles at Miltenberg, as well as a Gallo-Roman temple built in the center of the older Celtic town on the mountaintop.

Miltenberg suffered greatly after the 30years war and could not afford to replace its old medieval heart with its half timbered houses, and so is stuck in time and is straight out of a fairy tale.

We are no longer sailing down the Rhine, but the Main. It’s name means the snake and it is smaller and cosier then the Rhine. Along its banks are many quaint villages and picturesque places. It is 524 km long and one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine river. The river has been canalised by 34 large locks (300m x 12m) to allow vessels of so-called CEMT class VII, necessary for our ship (with 11.45m) to navigate the total length of the river. There isn’t much room to spare!

28th SEPTEMBER 2016 – WURZBURG AND ROTHENBURG

We woke up to be surrounded by the vine clad slopes of the hills around Wurzburg. We were now in north-western Bavaria. The highlight of Wurzberg is the so-called “Residenz”, built for the prince-bishops of the Schonborn family. This beautiful baroque palace is one of the largest is Germany.

Rothenburg is one the most famous and said to be the most picturesque villages in all of Germany. The village is completely surrounded by its old city wall and is full of charm

29th SEPTEMBER, 2016 – BAMBERG

Another pretty German town!

30th SEPTEMBER, 2016 NUREMBERG

Most of the city was completely destroyed during WWII (in about ninety minutes!) and the historical buildings were mostly rebuilt, using the very same stones. WWII plays a major role in the city’s history, considering that Adolf Hitler chose the site for his annual Nazi party rallies. Later the city became the famous location for the Nuremberg Trials.

This is the stadium that Adolf Hitler started to build that was never completed

This is the site of the annual Nazi rallies.

1st OCTOBER, 2016 – REGENSBURG

We loved this photograph of a REGENSBURG park so much that it now hangs in our living room

Regensburg, unlike most German cities , was spared destruction by the bombs of WWII. It was really lovely!

2nd OCTOBER, 2016 – PASSAU and SALZBURG, AUSTRIA

This was our first ‘underwhelming’ stopover. We were supposed to be impressed by our train journey on the ‘Majestic Imperator’, which was billed as a majestic and royal experience. The train is a facsimile of the late 1800s. The original train being what Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Elizabeth used to travel to the Asiatic coast. I found the restorations ‘twee’ and the supposed period dress costumes of the train staff amateurish and unconvincing. Nonetheless, the three hour journey from PASSAU, Germany to Salzburg, Austria, past the countryside of farms and villages was lovely.

Arriving at Salzburg was a great disappointment. It was raining and being a Sunday, nothing was open. So we huddled under awnings until the bus collected us some hours later to take us back to the ship.3

3rd OCTOBER, 2016 – MELK / DURNSTEIN, AUSTRIA

Melk Abbey is said to be one of the most famous and visited cultural sites in Austria. It is absolutely huge and palatial, more in keeping with a residence of royalty than a monastic establishment.

In the afternoon we went to Durnstein, a quaint little village that is dominated by the ruins of a castle where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned during the time of the crusades.

4th OCTOBER, 2016 – VIENNA, AUSTRIA

We were taken on a bus tour around Vienna which included a stop at the famous Spanish Riding school with its famous Lipizzaner horses followed by free time wandering around the city.

The famous Sacher Hotel where Sacher Torte originated

5th OCTOBER, 2016 – VIENNA

It was lovely to have another full day to explore Vienna.

6th OCTOBER, 2016 – BUDAPEST

Nothing on this cruise was as dramatic as seeing Budapest at night.

The buildings were not quite as impressive in the daylight, but nonetheless demonstrated a previous time of glory. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the Danube with the amalgamation in 1873 of the right-bank Buda with Pest on the left bank. We took a visit to the Castle district on the Buda side. The castle district is about 1.5km long and 600 meters wide, and consists of the so-called Royal Palace, Mathis’s Church and Fisherman’s Bastion.

7th OCTOBER, 2016 – BUDAPEST DISEMBARKATION

After an early morning disembarkation, we checked into our lovely hotel, Corinthia Hotel Budapest. First opened in 1896, as the Grand Hotel Royal, Carinthia hotel Budapest is said to be still one of the grandest hotels in the city. Meticulously renovated the hotels rich history blend seamlessly with the state of the art features, such as the original 19th century spa. We very much enjoyed The full spa treatment including the vigourous salt scrub and massage that preceded a dip in the sulphur enriched water.

Away from the carefully orchestrated tours of the APT company, we discovered a seedier side to Budapest.

Someone was actually liVing in this old bus shelter

This must have once been a beautiful building that is sadly now in decay

7th OCTOBER, 2015 – BUDAPEST

Budapest is certainly a beautiful city with its architecture ironically preserved by decades of neglect under communist rule. After 25 years of ‘freedom’ capitalism is taking hold. Some of the most opulent buildings are now hotels or high end restaurants, but they stand alongside other buildings, once their equal, that have fallen into decrepit decay. But poverty and homelessness is evident on almost every street corner.

The city has an uncomfortable ‘edge’ to it that, unlike the other cities we visited, leaves you feeling less than safe, particularly in back streets or at night. But it was from an unexpected quarter that we suffered our one-and-only rip-off scam. We hailed a taxi back to our hotel not knowing what the cost might be (assuming a metered fare). No meter was evident but the driver asked for 6300 Florints. Now we know that was TWICE what it should’ve been! However, that was only the HALF of the scam. After such a short ride, I was about to hand over a 5000 Ft note (about $25 AUD) thinking it would well and truly cover the fare. But the driver said “not enough”. So Mary-Ann handed him a 10000 Ft note and expected change. But once again the driver said, “not enough”, and passed back the 1000 Ft note he pretended he’d been handed. In that instant, not realising the note-switching scam, we gave him back the 1000 Ft together with the 5000 Ft to pay the fare. The fact was we’d never had a 1000 Ft note!!! We only had a 5000 and 10000 Ft note … and he’d got away with both of those for a total scam of $75 AUD!!!!

As soon as we were out of the cab we realised what he’d done but he was long gone! The next day we took a cab from our hotel to a destination well out of the city centre, probably three times the distance of the previous scam ride, but for only 4000 Ft. But we still managed a wry knowing smile when we saw the “Trap Cafe”.

8th OCTOBER, 2016 – BUDAPEST

We spent a wonderful afternoon at the New York Cafe. The fabulously restored cafe is often described as the most beautiful coffee house in the world. The cafe is decorated with brass, marble, silk and velvet. Magnificent spiralled pillars, chandeliers, murals and a balcony await the guests (who line up all down the street to get in) just as they awaited the poets and writers in the olden days.

Live gypsy music accompanies the good coffee and delicious food, just as I did 120 years ago. The very talented musicians have an outstanding repertoire from various musical genres. As Wellers hung Garian folk and gypsy music they also plays France Bartok and interest.

Not the kind of coffee that I drank, but the cakes were delicious!

It was a truly memorable experience and one not to be missed if you ever find yourself in Budapest!

newyorkcafe.hu

Erzsebet krt 9-11, Budapest

FALLS CREEK – BACK! 21-25 AUGUST, 2016

The apartment that we had rented for Joshua was conveniently located close to the chair lifts. We loved the look of the nearby QT building and saw the advantages of not having to trudge down and then back up to Trackers Lodge after spending time on the slopes, so we booked it. Less than a month after our first visit, we were back at Falls Creek and immediately saw the advantages of having private accommodation and being able to drop into it for a hot cup of tea between runs. The outdoor balcony spa was also a treat.

I felt the familiar trepidation as Barry strapped me into my boots, but my lovely new ski outfit gave me some confidence. Conditions were almost blizzard like and that added an extra fear factor, but I bravely persevered. That first gut wrenching sensation of standing at the top of Wombats Ramble almost had me buckling at the knees, then there was that horrible out of control sensation, as my skis slid off the path despite my best efforts. Once I managed to get down that first section, the worst was over. On a run that would normally take Barry five minutes from top to bottom, my time was closer to thirty minutes. We would stop at least four times along the way in order for me to still my beating heart and to regain composure before heading off again. The thrill of seeing the buildings of the basin come into sight, gave me such a wonderful sense of elation. Then on the final down hill stretch and right hand turn, I would invariable fall down (for the fifth or sixth time) on the more churned up snow. If I was feeling particularly brave, I would boldly point toward the chairlift and we would do it all over again.

By the end of our stay I was considerably improved and on some runs (not many) I didn’t fall down at all. I was determined to come back the next year. It was a bit of a rude shock when we were about to leave and found our car half buried in the snow. Poor Barry had to go in search of a shovel and then a wonderful young good samaritain came to his aid and helped him out.

FALLS CREEK – LEARNING TO SKI AT 65 18th – 25th JULY, 2016

We wanted to do something really special to celebrate Joshua’s 40th Birthday. It had been twenty years since he skied in Canada and he absolutely loved it. He very willingly accepted our invitation to host him and his family for a few days in the snow.

Barry and I stayed in an all-inclusive lodge where he had once stayed before. It was a little basic but some of the meals were really nice. It quickly became obvious that the cook was drug addicted. On one occasion he was clearly desperate for a hit and his behaviour was quite manic. It had a real ‘Faulty Towers’ vibe. Barry had his own equipment but we rented mine from the ski shop. The ski clothes, unsurprisingly, were very basic black and made me feel like the Goodyear Blimp. Some of the ladies at the ski lodge were decked out in very fashionably styled attire that looked great despite the padding. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had to endure the terrifying ordeal of trying to move around on the snow wearing a pair of skis!

My first few ski lessons were a nightmare and I was simply unable to follow the instructions given. Nor could I dismount the chair lift without falling down on the ground. I doubted that I was ever going to get the hang of it but Barry obviously loved the whole experience of being in the snow and was really enjoying himself, so I refused to give in to my fear.

Although we were renting skis and boots for the girls, we bought them bargain ski clothes at Aldi and it was lovely to see their excitement when the bounded off the bus all rugged up in their warm clothes. The amount of luggage that came off the bus for Joshua, Lauren, Omega, Astrid and Isobel was astounding and it took Barry, Joshua and I over an hour to carry it up the four flights of stairs to their apartment. They even had one huge suitcase filled entirely with food.

The girls absolutely loved the snow. They couldn’t get enough of it. Taking them up on the ski lift on their first day of lessons was cause for much hilarity because farmor, predictably, fell down, while the girls just glided away. Conditions were almost blizzard-like that day and although Isobel took her lesson, Astrid absolutely refused to budge from the warmth and fun of the play room. By the end of her lesson, Isobel was skiing to a higher level than me.

It really warmed my heart to see how much Joshua enjoyed the experience and the way in which he so quickly regained his ski legs. He loved the night skiing so much that he managed to do the run down Wombat’s Ramble over ten times. Barry went down with him four times but retreated in exhaustion. Omega and Lauren also seemed to enjoy the whole snow experience.

Joshua preparing for his first run in twenty years

In one of the most frightening 30 minutes of my life, Joshua and Barry escorted me down Wombat’s Ramble on a proper ski run. Not just Barry but also Joshua, was extraordinarily patient, caring and protective of me. I fell down countless times, my knees were buckling under me in fear, I prayed for it to be over, and yet the sensation of being so protected by the two men that I love most in the world, is a memory that I will treasure forever.

The time with Joshua and his family was over all too quickly but I was so impressed with Isobel’s natural prowess that I was determined to give her more opportunities to improve her skills. For my part, I continued to go down Wombat’s with Barry every morning and every afternoon for the next four days. I hated it. Every time I reached the beginning of the slope I was engulfed by fear. All I wanted to do was reach the end and stop. Yet I could actually feel a very gradual improvement. On our last day, Barry took me to the extraordinarily expensive resort clothing shop and fitted me out in haute couture of ski fashion. Clever man! Now of course I was obliged to return!

TASMANIAN MOTORBIKE TRIP 11th – 16th FEBRUARY, 2016

11th FEBRUARY

Barry had always dreamed of riding his Triumph GT Sprint 1050cc around Tasmania and so given that we had mutually dedicated our lives to travel and adventure, naturally I encouraged this dream of his. I had only ever ridden on the back of his bike for an hour at a time and even then my backside would become really sore, so I had some trepidation about how I would cope with rides of up to four hours at a time. I was very impressed with myself that I managed to squash 5 days of clothes, medications, cosmetics, shoes etc., into one miniscule panier, but I did it! Off we went to Station Pier to go through the slow and arduous process of boarding ‘The Spirit of Tasmania’. Why can’t they send some staff members to Europe to see how efficiently the boarding of car ferries can be done?

12th FEBRUARY, 2016

I had found a very nice one bedroom apartment on the river at Salamander. It took over two and a half bum numbing hours to reach Scamander from Devonport, but the scenery along the way was marvellous. Scamander is a lovely sleepy little town and served as a good base for us.

It was unseasonably warm and we broke our golden rule and didn’t wear full protective gear for our trip to The Bay of Fires to marvel at the incredible orange hued granite rock formations. The orange colour is actually formed by lichen.

We enjoyed our day trip to Bicheno beach. It was only an hour each way. Bicheno is a pretty little fishing village which also houses a motorcycle museum which was unfortunately closed on the day that we were there.

It took three gruelling hours on the motorbike to reach Hobart. Of course Hobart is always a delight. We stayed in a lovely serviced apartment right in Salamanca: Salamaca Wharf Hotel. We packed in a lot in our few days there: wandering around the lovely Salamanca area, especially the wharf and market areas, a catch up with Andrew, one of Barry’s former motor cycle racing team mates, a trip to the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA), and a visit to one of our top ten favourite restaurants ever, aløft.

If you ever get the chance, do NOT miss this restaurant. Aloftrestaurant.com. Pier one, Brooke St. Hobart.

It took more than Four painful hours to reach Devonport from Hobart. As I hobbled bow-legged down the street, I caught the eye of one of the many bikies, sitting in the gutter by their bikes waiting to board the ship. He gave me an almost toothless smile and said, “if you think you’re sore now love, try riding across the Nullabor”!

It was really rough crossing back to Melbourne. We had a suite right on the bow and felt a bit disconcerted watching huge waves breaking over the top of our windows. We arrived in Melbourne unscathed, save for a rain drenched ride back to Rowville. It was a fabulous experience but one I am not anxious to repeat!

NEW YEAR IN SYDNEY 30th DEC-3rd JAN 2016

As if the year hadn’t been exciting enough, we decided to welcome the New Year in by experiencing the fireworks on Sydney Harbour. I’ve always shied away from New Year celebrations. I don’t like crowds and I especially don’t like drunk crowds. We stayed at the Shangri-La when we were in Sydney for our September wedding so we knew that the views of the Harbour from this hotel in the Rocks area of Sydney was spectacular. Sydney hotels with harbour views not only charge exorbitant prices for New Year Eve bookings, but they also have a minimum four night stay. For us, this was to be a once in a life time experience, so we took it on the chin.

If guests weren’t sufficiently gouged, restaurants overlooking the harbour were charging up to $1,000 a head for the privilege of spending the evening there. That was just one bridge too far for me and I came up with the idea of having a picnic meal in our room with gourmet items purchased from the David Jones food hall. It was absolutely delightful! We had wide window seats facing the water and from there we could see the throngs of people below and more importantly, the truly glorious and impressive fire works.

It was a night that I will never forget!

We took the train to Turramurra to visit my parents and to wish them a Happy New Year and then took the ferry over to Manly for the best value sightseeing tour that Sydney has to offer. Not to mention some of the best fish and chips in Sydney!

For Christmas I had bought a special surprise for Barry. A trip via seaplane from Rose Bay to Berowra Waters to the Berowra Waters Inn for a 7 course degustation lunch.

The view of Sydney Harbour was amazing from a small sea plane

The food was amongst the best I have ever eaten. The restaurant is only accessible by water. If you don’t want to go by seaplane, a boat can get you there from Berowra. You can find out more from berowrawatersinn.com

If this wasn’t the most wonderful few days of a life time, there was even more to come! We managed to procure tickets to see Geoffrey Rush in his performance of King Lear, one of the greatest theatrical performances that I have ever had the good fortune to witness.

OUR SECOND WEDDING IN BALI – 14th-19th OCT, 2015

By necessity our first wedding was a brief, private affair. My parents were in failing health and there was no way they could travel or participate in anything other than a brief civil ceremony. When we first considered possible wedding venues we thought of Santorini but then realised that the complications of dealing with translating documents from Danish to English to Greek and the legalities of having the service recognised in Australia, simply became too difficult. Then there were the financial restraints that would have limited how many of the guests that we would like to share the experience, could actually afford it. Bali was much closer to home and we could dispense with the legal complications by having the civil ceremony in Australia before arriving in Bali.

The quest for the perfect wedding venue ended when I discovered Villa Bali Gita in 2.5 acre tropical gardens with classic Balinese landscaping, tucked into the jungle, absolute privacy, luxurious accommodations and half an hour from Ubud and 5o meters above the Ayung river. Our private villa comprised of five bedrooms, including a huge, totally separate bridal suite, with its own upstairs living and dining area, hot tub and wrap around verandah, tennis court, movie theatre, gamelan bale, swimming pool, billiard room, ponds, fountains and much more. It all seemed to good to be true but I was delighted to discover that it exceeded my expectations!

Once the family had settled in, we learned that massages and yoga sessions could easily (and cheaply) be arranged, so we naturally availed ourselves of those services. Dinner together in the dining room was a great success. I simply told the cook what we wanted to dinner and they prepared it. I was a little concerned when the guys decided to have a billiard competition. John T and John Hansen against Barry and Joshua. I learned something new about my husband – as a police cadet he had honed some billiard skills and he acquitted himself very well!

THE WEDDING – 17th OCTOBER, 2015

Of course the real test of Villa Bali Gita was the actual wedding service. It was nothing short of spectacular! A hairdresser and make-up artist were brought in to attend to me, the wedding bale had been meticulously decorated and the path that the girls and I walked on to get to the ceremonial bale had been strewn with tens of thousands of petals. The suckling pig banquet, the table settings, the skills of the 25 staff members, the Gamelan band and Balinese dancers, all made this the night of my dreams. Of course I also got to wear my beautiful Rajasthani wedding dress, embroidered with 7k of gold that I had purchased in India earlier in the year.

I love the detailing on this beautiful skirt

My beautiful grand-daughters leading me to Barry

After the photo opportunities came a delicious dinner, fabulous entertainment provided by the Gamelan band and Balinese dancers and much fun and frivolity!