2015
England
London Trip - Day 1
28 hour flight - Left Melbourne Wednesday June 17 - arrived London Thursday morning June 18 - gained a day
Left Melbourne cool but dry. Brunei flight comfortable, lots to eat. First leg to Brunei uneventful.
Stop over at Brunei was 3 hrs, connecting flight to Manilla delayed. Talked to a family from Melbourne, twin girls, father English. Fed extra sandwiches, biscuits, juice and water because of the length of the delay. Airport undergoing lots of development, new stores to be opened soon
Second leg Dubai, arrived at night, very warm 33 degrees C outside. Lots of lights, very quick transition - huge airport, Paula would have liked time to explore. Palm trees growing inside!
Third leg London, only lost 30 minutes, Nat was waiting, great to see him looking so good. Helped us with the luggage. Explained the 'Oyster' card and how to top up - showed us the Tube map and a quick explanation as to how it worked, said we would work it out very quickly - we weren't sure!
Took the Tube to London, Piccadilly Line - Green Park, change to Jubilee Line - Canada Water, took 1hr 30 minutes. Bus 225 to Nat's - Stop B2 to Sterling Gardens. Interesting assortment of people in New Cross (Nat's Borough our suburbs). Dropped the luggage off and unpacked. Going to stay awake for the whole day. No jet lag. Ken brought Josh's 'man flu' with him! Head cold and ears won't unblock. Great little flat - 4 keys to get in! Very interesting hot water system for the shower. Pull chord light for the bathroom.
Changed and went into London with Nat, real tourists, couldn't help it but just didn't know where to look next. Nat did a quick orientation tour for us. Walked to New Cross (through some back alleys), caught the bus to the London Bicycle site to orientate
ourselves for tomorrow. Bought the tickets so we have to go back! Walked along the south bank of the Thames, passed the London Eye, to Westminster, Big Ben and Leicester Square for a pub lunch. Totally lost but the orientation trip helped. Showed us how to use the City Mapper and bus app.
Tube back to Canada Water and Surrey Quays shopping centre, groceries and a Lebara SIM card for Paula's mobile. Bus 225 from Stop K.
at Sterling Gardens we did the SIM change over. Slept well, sun was still up at 9.30pm!
London Trip - Day 2
Friday June 19
Sun is up at 4.30am! Good sleep, Ken's head cold getting worse, ears still blocked. Took cough medicine to try and break up the mucus. He has also used up all the panadol we brought with us.
On our own today! (Nat and Emily have to work.)
Walked the back way to New Cross to catch the bus into Waterloo to do the bike tour - arrived early so walked to the OXO building for coffee and hot chocolate (Cafe Nero good coffee and great hot chocolate), weather hasn't been really warm yet. Lots of ideas for different day activities for next week still being thought about so hopefully the bicycle tour will help clarify what we want to see.
The Tube is much quicker than the bus!
The London Bicycle Tour was Central London with Dominic - great tour - saw changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Some rain, but only a sprinkle on the bicycle tour.
After the tour walked to Borough Markets, great food (Paula had omelette and salad Ken had spinach ravioli) from all nationalities and very interesting market stalls. We then walked back to Buckingham Palace, Paula wanted a picture of Pall Mall, camera battery flat so could only get iPhone photos from the middle (took one both directions) - a good reminder to take the spare battery. Had to pay 20p for a pee in St James Park! Ken getting tried and can't seem to hear properly, Paula trying to be patient with him. Nat came in to meet us after school to go through the Churchill War Rooms, unfortunately closed (do another time). Frozen pizza and duck rolls for tea - Nat heated them up. Frozen goods store is called Iceland.
Cool morning with 'milky sunshine' in the afternoon has been the weather pattern the first two days, hopefully some sunshine tomorrow for our canoeing day out.
First day out (almost by ourselves) and we didn't really get too lost!
Starting to understand the Tube and bus system more quickly than we first thought after Nat had tried to explain it on our first day.
London Trip - Day 3
Saturday June 20
Walked to Greenwich Village with Nat and Emily. On our way to Greenwich Village we walked through the 'junk' village market at New Cross then went to the more upmarket Greenwich Market and saw the Cutty Sark. Visited the Naval College and Maritime Museum. This was originally the King and Queen’s Palace, Henry VIII as well as Queen Elizabeth I - it also had the 'Painted Hall' which was obviously a lot of work to do.
Ken would have made a good knight! Tried on the knight's helmet and gauntlet. They are quite heavy, can't imagine trying to fight in them, no peripheral vision and very hard to turn your head.
Played ten pin bowling in the old Sailors' retirement area, Ken rolled a strike with the wooden ball, on a wooden runway with old wooden pins!
From here we walked up to the Greenwich Observatory and the Greenwich Meridian.
Spent an hour in the Greenwich Observatory Museum, interesting information about how the longitude was finally sorted out and measured. Walked back to Greenwich Village, had Nando for lunch.
Ken getting worse, now has conjunctivitis - another stop at the shopping centre on the way home for paracetamol and cotton balls. Went to the Tessco (like Woolworths). Emily put in ASDA online grocery order, being delivered Sunday afternoon.
London Trip - Day 4
Sunday June 21
Up early, found our way to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church (High % of Nigerian as the congregation - Priest and some in the congregation had an ongoing conversation through his homily, it was Fathers' Day in England. He was hard to understand at times.) Long walk down and back along New Cross Rd. Saw a number of hand wash car businesses. In one place 10 guys looked to be washing the same car!)
We were back in time to spend the rest of the day with Nat and Emily and their friends on Canary Wharf (old Isle of Dogs) canoeing the canal. Overground to Limehouse and 'Moo' canoes. 6 couples canoed to a pub for pizza lunch. Paddling for a long time to get there, had to carry the canoe over one lock. A little difficult as the water was considerably below the canal edge. We didn't really time our strokes together well and seemed to do more of a 'zig zag' course up the canal on the way up - got better on the way back. Needing to keep right to other passing vehicles was a bit of a challenge to start with as well as we tended to run into other canoes or the canal wall!
Ken had his first English ale at the pub - a pint! Didn't taste too bad at all.
Lots of discussion on what direction to take coming home, the same way (longer) with the one lock or the shorter way with 6 locks - the longer, and only one lock won. Nat and Emily have some good friends - Amy and Jake were very chatty (come from Victoria - Australia).
We had Chinese/Thai takeaway - delivered for tea.
London Trip - Day 5
Monday June 22
Our first fully planned day with specific sights to see under our own navigation. Tower of London first but before we could go we had to find a place to get our E-tickets printed. Ken's a senior in England (over 60 so getting concession for him is worthwhile).
Nat had found a place online close to the Tower for us to get the E-tickets printed but when we got there it didn't exist, it was just a block of flats. Perseverance Paula kicked in, she got directions from a Pharmacy next door and using City-Mapper off we went. Ken wasn't well and would have given in much earlier and just purchased some more tickets. Persevering Paula found the Internet Cafe and when asked what to do was told 'Number 8', Ken was actually worth dragging along. He quickly figured the system out and had the tickets printed in about 2 minutes, total cost 50p and a surprised assistant who probably thought he had customers who would take hours in using his equipment and have to pay heaps.
The Tower of London was absolutely amazing, the best attraction of all we have visited so far. We took our time and went to every area, luckily we were inside or close to going into an area when it started to rain - the Crown Jewels are spectacular and just to think about the history that has been made with them, even in our own life time is quite mind boggling. The whole place just oozes history. After the Tower of London we headed for St Paul's, Paula navigated with City-Mapper without an issue. We should have stopped for lunch, we struggled to do justice to St Paul's. It took some climbing to get to the top of the steeple through the Whispering Chamber but the view was worth the climb.
The main part of the cathedral, especially the sculpture and art work was jaw dropping in size and complexity when you thought about the work that would have gone into building the whole thing.
After St Paul's Cathedral Nat meet us and we looked for cheaper tickets for Miss Siagon.
He took us on a round-about route to get us home just to show how the Tube, Overground and National Rail interlinked.
London Trip - Day 6
Tuesday June 23
Today we planned to visit Westminster Abbey. We left with confidence as we have both figured the bus and Tube system out.
Thankfully the lineup into Westminster wasn't as long as we were told it could be - both got in as Seniors! We collected a map and an audio guide system, took a little to work the system out but once organised it is a good way to get all the information you want without being overloaded. The abbey is beautiful, with history unfolding before you with every step you take and every word you hear on the audio guide. We took our time again and really got good value for our tickets.
Our next stop was the Camden Markets and what an eye opener to some of the characters you see and hear about through the news. To actually walk with and through them was good fun. The whole Camden and Saddle Markets were great, a unique environment and shops selling almost anything you wanted. We had lunch at the Elephants Head pub, a real English pub, small, confined and full of character.
We didn't leave Camden Markets empty-handed, Paula took the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping. After the markets we met Nat at Covent Garden to go for a twilight view from the Shard building with him and Emily. With Nat we walked through Covent Gardens brought 4 macaroons for a snack, told him about Punch & Judy as we were outside the Punch & Judy Pub!
Met Emily for tea at the Borough - near the replica of the Golden Hinde (Sir Francis Drake's ship.) After a nice dinner we walked to the Shard Building. Very imposing from the outside and very sheik on the inside. Elevator to the 33 floor took less than a minute, elevator ride to floor 68 was even quicker, amazing feeling to go so fast straight up. The view from floor 68 was unbelievable, Nat pointed out all the points of interest and even found the area they live in.
We then walked to floor 72, which was a closed in floor for viewing but with an open roof design to allow you to feel the outside weather. Quite spectacular. The view of London was amazing with the sun starting to set as we were up there.
It was almost 10.00pm before we left to head back to Nat and Emily's unit. Long and rewarding day.
London Trip - Day 7
Wednesday June 24
We had a very early start for our Bus tour this morning. Bus 225 to Canada Water then Tube to Victoria Station with a change at Westminster. We then had a short walk to the Victoria Station Bus Terminal. 30p for a pee here! The bus terminal was really busy with people travelling to all parts of Europe. The bus before ours, at Terminal 16, the terminal we were leaving from, was travelling to Prague. It was all hustle and bustle, which was to mark the atmosphere for the whole day. It was a rushed tour and as Jason, our guide explained, a day like today was only ever going to be a taster for what the three sites we were going to visit could offer. We were travelling back in history. Windsor Castle was 600 years old the Roman Baths at Bath were 1400 years and Stonehenge was over 2000 years old. Traffic in London was slow until we got to the M4 motorway. Uneventful trip to Windsor, countryside is green everywhere with lots of trees and bushes obstructing the view in most places. When you could see the fields they where open and wide, either in crop (just growing, couldn't tell what it was or being ploughed) or had dairy cows wandering around.
Windsor Castle was very impressive but had to be rushed as the changing of the guard was going to block us from leaving. We did the state rooms, doll's room and the church with the audio guide. No expense spared in the trapping for the royals, painting and furnishings worth millions everywhere.
From here we travelled to Bath through secondary roads which gave us a better feel for the narrower country roads and stonewall fencing. The countryside was undulating and green. The countryside smell was dairy cows and hay bails. Bath as a town was very special, the Georgian architecture was spectacular and as Jason said it was a building covenant of living in Bath that you retained the Georgian style. We had a little more time in Bath, which was good, as the Roman Bath ruins and the history behind their development was amazing. Audio guide was well presented and didn't try and give you too much information. The ruins were very special! We also had time to explore the town square and admire the Georgian buildings - found a Body Shop store for Paula as she had run out of foundation, even better that it was on special!
Our final destination was Stonehenge. Again we drove through on the secondary roads and through a fair bit of land that was Army territory used for artillery practice and tank maneuvers. Interesting to see signs that said 'Beware Tanks Crossing'. Stonehenge history is wonderful and they still can't work out why it was originally built. There are a number of theories but nothing can be found to accurately pinpoint its purpose. It is a construction marvel considering the size of the stone pieces and where they are believed to have come from. The audio guide was again useful and gave you the option to explore aspects that interested you. We could understand why you don't get to explore in the structure itself but it would have been good to be able to get closer. Stacks of tourist buses at all three sites so it was crowded. Some wasted time in Stonehenge but still a great place to have experienced.
The trip back to London was long and we hit gridlock as we left the M4. The driver took a diversion which got us through on time (back at 8.00pm) - not like the group the day before who didn't get back to Victoria Station until 10.00pm.
We are getting better at using the Public transport - no problems getting back to Canada Water and catching the bus to Nat and Emily's unit.
Even though the day was rushed it was still great to experience all three venues, I think Bath and the Roman Bath ruins where the pick of the three.
London Trip - Day 8
Thursday June 25
Today we took our time to go into the main part of London, public transport not an issue, getting so good we decided to split and go our own way, meeting at Trafalgar Square at 1.00pm and have lunch in the West End before seeing Miss Saigon. Ken hopped off at Westminster and proceeded to the Churchill War Rooms, while Paula continued to Bond Station to start her 'Monopoly Walk'. [Hopefully Paula will write about her walk]. The Churchill War Rooms basically showed Churchill's life with the history and purpose of the War Rooms the central aspect. The history and his life is very interesting and to be able to walk the corridors as he would have done was awesome and in some ways extra significant because of the decisions that had been made in the war rooms that shaped the destiny of the war and our future.
Ken walked to Trafalgar Square and found Paula near Nelson's column. We walked along Charing Cross Rd to the Prince Edward Theatre and purchased tickets for the circle seats. (It was a great choice as we had no-one in front of us or around us and it was a great spot to watch the show.)
We had 40 minutes to spare so we found a classic West End restaurant and had a nice leisurely lunch and coffee. The theatre was very ornate in design and the show, Miss Saigon, was great. It took a little while to get started but once we picked up the story line we became enthralled with the singing and the characters as it moved along really well. After the show we walked back to Leicester Station and used the Tube and bus to get back to Nat and Emily's unit. It was then time to think about packing for Part B of our holiday, the first of our three bike riding tours - Greece and the Ionian Islands.
London Trip - Day 1
28 hour flight - Left Melbourne Wednesday June 17 - arrived London Thursday morning June 18 - gained a day
Left Melbourne cool but dry. Brunei flight comfortable, lots to eat. First leg to Brunei uneventful.
Stop over at Brunei was 3 hrs, connecting flight to Manilla delayed. Talked to a family from Melbourne, twin girls, father English. Fed extra sandwiches, biscuits, juice and water because of the length of the delay. Airport undergoing lots of development, new stores to be opened soon
Second leg Dubai, arrived at night, very warm 33 degrees C outside. Lots of lights, very quick transition - huge airport, Paula would have liked time to explore. Palm trees growing inside!
Third leg London, only lost 30 minutes, Nat was waiting, great to see him looking so good. Helped us with the luggage. Explained the 'Oyster' card and how to top up - showed us the Tube map and a quick explanation as to how it worked, said we would work it out very quickly - we weren't sure!
Took the Tube to London, Piccadilly Line - Green Park, change to Jubilee Line - Canada Water, took 1hr 30 minutes. Bus 225 to Nat's - Stop B2 to Sterling Gardens. Interesting assortment of people in New Cross (Nat's Borough our suburbs). Dropped the luggage off and unpacked. Going to stay awake for the whole day. No jet lag. Ken brought Josh's 'man flu' with him! Head cold and ears won't unblock. Great little flat - 4 keys to get in! Very interesting hot water system for the shower. Pull chord light for the bathroom.
Changed and went into London with Nat, real tourists, couldn't help it but just didn't know where to look next. Nat did a quick orientation tour for us. Walked to New Cross (through some back alleys), caught the bus to the London Bicycle site to orientate
ourselves for tomorrow. Bought the tickets so we have to go back! Walked along the south bank of the Thames, passed the London Eye, to Westminster, Big Ben and Leicester Square for a pub lunch. Totally lost but the orientation trip helped. Showed us how to use the City Mapper and bus app.
Tube back to Canada Water and Surrey Quays shopping centre, groceries and a Lebara SIM card for Paula's mobile. Bus 225 from Stop K.
at Sterling Gardens we did the SIM change over. Slept well, sun was still up at 9.30pm!
London Trip - Day 2
Friday June 19
Sun is up at 4.30am! Good sleep, Ken's head cold getting worse, ears still blocked. Took cough medicine to try and break up the mucus. He has also used up all the panadol we brought with us.
On our own today! (Nat and Emily have to work.)
Walked the back way to New Cross to catch the bus into Waterloo to do the bike tour - arrived early so walked to the OXO building for coffee and hot chocolate (Cafe Nero good coffee and great hot chocolate), weather hasn't been really warm yet. Lots of ideas for different day activities for next week still being thought about so hopefully the bicycle tour will help clarify what we want to see.
The Tube is much quicker than the bus!
The London Bicycle Tour was Central London with Dominic - great tour - saw changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Some rain, but only a sprinkle on the bicycle tour.
After the tour walked to Borough Markets, great food (Paula had omelette and salad Ken had spinach ravioli) from all nationalities and very interesting market stalls. We then walked back to Buckingham Palace, Paula wanted a picture of Pall Mall, camera battery flat so could only get iPhone photos from the middle (took one both directions) - a good reminder to take the spare battery. Had to pay 20p for a pee in St James Park! Ken getting tried and can't seem to hear properly, Paula trying to be patient with him. Nat came in to meet us after school to go through the Churchill War Rooms, unfortunately closed (do another time). Frozen pizza and duck rolls for tea - Nat heated them up. Frozen goods store is called Iceland.
Cool morning with 'milky sunshine' in the afternoon has been the weather pattern the first two days, hopefully some sunshine tomorrow for our canoeing day out.
First day out (almost by ourselves) and we didn't really get too lost!
Starting to understand the Tube and bus system more quickly than we first thought after Nat had tried to explain it on our first day.
London Trip - Day 3
Saturday June 20
Walked to Greenwich Village with Nat and Emily. On our way to Greenwich Village we walked through the 'junk' village market at New Cross then went to the more upmarket Greenwich Market and saw the Cutty Sark. Visited the Naval College and Maritime Museum. This was originally the King and Queen’s Palace, Henry VIII as well as Queen Elizabeth I - it also had the 'Painted Hall' which was obviously a lot of work to do.
Ken would have made a good knight! Tried on the knight's helmet and gauntlet. They are quite heavy, can't imagine trying to fight in them, no peripheral vision and very hard to turn your head.
Played ten pin bowling in the old Sailors' retirement area, Ken rolled a strike with the wooden ball, on a wooden runway with old wooden pins!
From here we walked up to the Greenwich Observatory and the Greenwich Meridian.
Spent an hour in the Greenwich Observatory Museum, interesting information about how the longitude was finally sorted out and measured. Walked back to Greenwich Village, had Nando for lunch.
Ken getting worse, now has conjunctivitis - another stop at the shopping centre on the way home for paracetamol and cotton balls. Went to the Tessco (like Woolworths). Emily put in ASDA online grocery order, being delivered Sunday afternoon.
London Trip - Day 4
Sunday June 21
Up early, found our way to Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church (High % of Nigerian as the congregation - Priest and some in the congregation had an ongoing conversation through his homily, it was Fathers' Day in England. He was hard to understand at times.) Long walk down and back along New Cross Rd. Saw a number of hand wash car businesses. In one place 10 guys looked to be washing the same car!)
We were back in time to spend the rest of the day with Nat and Emily and their friends on Canary Wharf (old Isle of Dogs) canoeing the canal. Overground to Limehouse and 'Moo' canoes. 6 couples canoed to a pub for pizza lunch. Paddling for a long time to get there, had to carry the canoe over one lock. A little difficult as the water was considerably below the canal edge. We didn't really time our strokes together well and seemed to do more of a 'zig zag' course up the canal on the way up - got better on the way back. Needing to keep right to other passing vehicles was a bit of a challenge to start with as well as we tended to run into other canoes or the canal wall!
Ken had his first English ale at the pub - a pint! Didn't taste too bad at all.
Lots of discussion on what direction to take coming home, the same way (longer) with the one lock or the shorter way with 6 locks - the longer, and only one lock won. Nat and Emily have some good friends - Amy and Jake were very chatty (come from Victoria - Australia).
We had Chinese/Thai takeaway - delivered for tea.
London Trip - Day 5
Monday June 22
Our first fully planned day with specific sights to see under our own navigation. Tower of London first but before we could go we had to find a place to get our E-tickets printed. Ken's a senior in England (over 60 so getting concession for him is worthwhile).
Nat had found a place online close to the Tower for us to get the E-tickets printed but when we got there it didn't exist, it was just a block of flats. Perseverance Paula kicked in, she got directions from a Pharmacy next door and using City-Mapper off we went. Ken wasn't well and would have given in much earlier and just purchased some more tickets. Persevering Paula found the Internet Cafe and when asked what to do was told 'Number 8', Ken was actually worth dragging along. He quickly figured the system out and had the tickets printed in about 2 minutes, total cost 50p and a surprised assistant who probably thought he had customers who would take hours in using his equipment and have to pay heaps.
The Tower of London was absolutely amazing, the best attraction of all we have visited so far. We took our time and went to every area, luckily we were inside or close to going into an area when it started to rain - the Crown Jewels are spectacular and just to think about the history that has been made with them, even in our own life time is quite mind boggling. The whole place just oozes history. After the Tower of London we headed for St Paul's, Paula navigated with City-Mapper without an issue. We should have stopped for lunch, we struggled to do justice to St Paul's. It took some climbing to get to the top of the steeple through the Whispering Chamber but the view was worth the climb.
The main part of the cathedral, especially the sculpture and art work was jaw dropping in size and complexity when you thought about the work that would have gone into building the whole thing.
After St Paul's Cathedral Nat meet us and we looked for cheaper tickets for Miss Siagon.
He took us on a round-about route to get us home just to show how the Tube, Overground and National Rail interlinked.
London Trip - Day 6
Tuesday June 23
Today we planned to visit Westminster Abbey. We left with confidence as we have both figured the bus and Tube system out.
Thankfully the lineup into Westminster wasn't as long as we were told it could be - both got in as Seniors! We collected a map and an audio guide system, took a little to work the system out but once organised it is a good way to get all the information you want without being overloaded. The abbey is beautiful, with history unfolding before you with every step you take and every word you hear on the audio guide. We took our time again and really got good value for our tickets.
Our next stop was the Camden Markets and what an eye opener to some of the characters you see and hear about through the news. To actually walk with and through them was good fun. The whole Camden and Saddle Markets were great, a unique environment and shops selling almost anything you wanted. We had lunch at the Elephants Head pub, a real English pub, small, confined and full of character.
We didn't leave Camden Markets empty-handed, Paula took the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping. After the markets we met Nat at Covent Garden to go for a twilight view from the Shard building with him and Emily. With Nat we walked through Covent Gardens brought 4 macaroons for a snack, told him about Punch & Judy as we were outside the Punch & Judy Pub!
Met Emily for tea at the Borough - near the replica of the Golden Hinde (Sir Francis Drake's ship.) After a nice dinner we walked to the Shard Building. Very imposing from the outside and very sheik on the inside. Elevator to the 33 floor took less than a minute, elevator ride to floor 68 was even quicker, amazing feeling to go so fast straight up. The view from floor 68 was unbelievable, Nat pointed out all the points of interest and even found the area they live in.
We then walked to floor 72, which was a closed in floor for viewing but with an open roof design to allow you to feel the outside weather. Quite spectacular. The view of London was amazing with the sun starting to set as we were up there.
It was almost 10.00pm before we left to head back to Nat and Emily's unit. Long and rewarding day.
London Trip - Day 7
Wednesday June 24
We had a very early start for our Bus tour this morning. Bus 225 to Canada Water then Tube to Victoria Station with a change at Westminster. We then had a short walk to the Victoria Station Bus Terminal. 30p for a pee here! The bus terminal was really busy with people travelling to all parts of Europe. The bus before ours, at Terminal 16, the terminal we were leaving from, was travelling to Prague. It was all hustle and bustle, which was to mark the atmosphere for the whole day. It was a rushed tour and as Jason, our guide explained, a day like today was only ever going to be a taster for what the three sites we were going to visit could offer. We were travelling back in history. Windsor Castle was 600 years old the Roman Baths at Bath were 1400 years and Stonehenge was over 2000 years old. Traffic in London was slow until we got to the M4 motorway. Uneventful trip to Windsor, countryside is green everywhere with lots of trees and bushes obstructing the view in most places. When you could see the fields they where open and wide, either in crop (just growing, couldn't tell what it was or being ploughed) or had dairy cows wandering around.
Windsor Castle was very impressive but had to be rushed as the changing of the guard was going to block us from leaving. We did the state rooms, doll's room and the church with the audio guide. No expense spared in the trapping for the royals, painting and furnishings worth millions everywhere.
From here we travelled to Bath through secondary roads which gave us a better feel for the narrower country roads and stonewall fencing. The countryside was undulating and green. The countryside smell was dairy cows and hay bails. Bath as a town was very special, the Georgian architecture was spectacular and as Jason said it was a building covenant of living in Bath that you retained the Georgian style. We had a little more time in Bath, which was good, as the Roman Bath ruins and the history behind their development was amazing. Audio guide was well presented and didn't try and give you too much information. The ruins were very special! We also had time to explore the town square and admire the Georgian buildings - found a Body Shop store for Paula as she had run out of foundation, even better that it was on special!
Our final destination was Stonehenge. Again we drove through on the secondary roads and through a fair bit of land that was Army territory used for artillery practice and tank maneuvers. Interesting to see signs that said 'Beware Tanks Crossing'. Stonehenge history is wonderful and they still can't work out why it was originally built. There are a number of theories but nothing can be found to accurately pinpoint its purpose. It is a construction marvel considering the size of the stone pieces and where they are believed to have come from. The audio guide was again useful and gave you the option to explore aspects that interested you. We could understand why you don't get to explore in the structure itself but it would have been good to be able to get closer. Stacks of tourist buses at all three sites so it was crowded. Some wasted time in Stonehenge but still a great place to have experienced.
The trip back to London was long and we hit gridlock as we left the M4. The driver took a diversion which got us through on time (back at 8.00pm) - not like the group the day before who didn't get back to Victoria Station until 10.00pm.
We are getting better at using the Public transport - no problems getting back to Canada Water and catching the bus to Nat and Emily's unit.
Even though the day was rushed it was still great to experience all three venues, I think Bath and the Roman Bath ruins where the pick of the three.
London Trip - Day 8
Thursday June 25
Today we took our time to go into the main part of London, public transport not an issue, getting so good we decided to split and go our own way, meeting at Trafalgar Square at 1.00pm and have lunch in the West End before seeing Miss Saigon. Ken hopped off at Westminster and proceeded to the Churchill War Rooms, while Paula continued to Bond Station to start her 'Monopoly Walk'. [Hopefully Paula will write about her walk]. The Churchill War Rooms basically showed Churchill's life with the history and purpose of the War Rooms the central aspect. The history and his life is very interesting and to be able to walk the corridors as he would have done was awesome and in some ways extra significant because of the decisions that had been made in the war rooms that shaped the destiny of the war and our future.
Ken walked to Trafalgar Square and found Paula near Nelson's column. We walked along Charing Cross Rd to the Prince Edward Theatre and purchased tickets for the circle seats. (It was a great choice as we had no-one in front of us or around us and it was a great spot to watch the show.)
We had 40 minutes to spare so we found a classic West End restaurant and had a nice leisurely lunch and coffee. The theatre was very ornate in design and the show, Miss Saigon, was great. It took a little while to get started but once we picked up the story line we became enthralled with the singing and the characters as it moved along really well. After the show we walked back to Leicester Station and used the Tube and bus to get back to Nat and Emily's unit. It was then time to think about packing for Part B of our holiday, the first of our three bike riding tours - Greece and the Ionian Islands.
Greece
Greece Trip - Day 1
Friday June 26
Long day, started at 5.00am, bus, Tube and British Airways flight to Corfu all uneventful. Paula went for a few walks around the terminal, Ken had the largest Starbucks coffee he had ever seen! Took almost 30 minutes to drink it all!
Security at Heathrow very strict, exact opposite in Corfu! No baggage scan or anything, just have your passport, as a Non EU national, stamped.
Warm outside with a little bit of wind. Jackets off!
Not sure if it was the first experience of driving on the right hand side of the road, the narrow, winding roads or our 'Jack Brabham' taxi-driver but the 20kms to our hotel was exciting and slightly 'white knuckleish' for Paula.
The Gemini Hotel was old fashioned Greek, small room, single beds and with very few amenities that you normally get in motels but quite interesting all the same. Went for 3 separate walks along the beach boardwalk before a Greek style meal for tea overlooking the Ionian Sea.
Back to the room anticipating what is in store for us tomorrow.
Greece Trip - Day 2
Saturday June 27
Breakfast buffet at the motel before relaxing on the beach area in front of the hotel strip in Messighi a small tourist section of Corfu before embarking on the Bike/Boat tour. Paula visited a Greek village nearby and helped an old lady walk down some steps. The lady thanked her by breaking off som branches of basil and giving it to her. Paula then got her chance to take a photo of her first old traditional Greek woman.
Packed and out of the room at 12 noon, ready for transportation to the Panagiota. Transport arrived at 2.00pm. First sight of the Panagiota - wooden and small compared to all the others, but it seemed to have it's own charm. Greeted by Catharina (other guide is Patricia) both German but speak good English. Showed us around the boat then to our cabin. Won't take long to circumnavigate the boat! Our cabin above deck, very small, cabin and bathroom combined no bigger than our laundry at home! Where will we put everything? We decided to unpack Ken's gear for the week and put it on the only shelf in the wardrobe then his bag under the bunk, Paula to live out of the suitcase, leave it on the bunk during the day and in the wardrobe at night. Double bunk and single above, using the single above to hold all the gear we need on a regular basis.
Met some of our fellow passages, mainly German. Other English speaking of the nineteen on board, two other Australians, Bob and Chris from Sydney, David from Yorkshire, Joel from California, Noel and Marie from Ireland. One young German girl speaks good English as well, Tina. Dinner was a 3 course traditional Greek meal, Greek salad, lots of cucumber and feta cheese, Mouslaka (mainly egg plant - Paula believes she must be half Greek, all her favourite foods) and a vanilla brulee type dessert with chocolate syrup.
After tea, waited for two late arrivals, Justin and Emily from Austin Texas (only a young couple). The guides then gave us a run down on the requirements for the boat: using power, the toilets (toilet paper not flushed but placed in a bin next to the toilet, collected by the crew the next day), using hot water, wet yourself, turn off the water soap up and shampoo your hair then turn the water back on to rinse off. Also no footwear used off the boat to be used on the boat - placed in a shoe box near the gang plank as you enter the boat. Best boat footwear, bare feet!
Introduced to the crew and the plans for tomorrow discussed.
Off to bed, Paula is still apprehensive about the riding tomorrow and how hard it will be. Double bunk trends to push us close together and only using a small dooner, not complaining the closeness is quite comforting and the temperature is mild.
Greece Trip - Day 3
Sunday June 28
Mainland Greece - Sivota to Parga. Elevation 650m - 29kms.
Beautiful morning on the Panagiota. Slept well.
First ride today. Breakfast at 8.00am, cheese ham, boiled eggs, biker muesli and bread. [Use the map for more exact details of the bike ride.] Took a few minutes to become familiar with the hybrid, paddle gears and lever brakes, as for our own hybrids. For the German's the front and rear brakes were on the non standard side for them. Everyone has their name on the back of the bike, you set it up right for you and it is yours for the week, also helps to learn people's names.
We had a gentle ride out of town, first person after the ride leader had to stop and direct at each corner or directional change until the tour guide at the end came through. A good system, works well. Countryside is absolutely magnificent - basically straight up from a narrow coastal strip so we knew we had to climb for at least half of the 29kms to get to the other side of the island. The climbs weren't particularly steep but they were continuous 4-5kms each before we had a rest. Lots of little monuments along the side of the road all the way along. We had a saddlebag each which allowed you to carry everything you needed, especially water. Advised to take at least 3 bottles each day. Paula has lost all her apprehension, she is able to keep up easily, is managing the climbs no problems and is towards the front of the group most times. Even had time to talk with Joel and discover some interesting things about him. Ken struggling a little with the heat and his climbing on the hybrid is not that good - not using the gears as well as he should be also struggling with his breathing, still not over Josh's 'man-flu'. Also feels a little unstable as well as the hybrid doesn't turn or manoeuvre as he would like and is a little too big for him. Awesome view from the topmost point of the ride. Climbed 650m. Downhill ride into town was great - caught behind a tourist 'train' driving around the street for the last 2kms which put a dampener on the last part of the run in.
Back to the boat at 12.30pm, loaded the bikes and set off for a small cove and a swim. Weather had been warm up until the swim but became overcast. A few people braved the cooler water and swam in the beautiful crystal clear water for about 20 minutes. We went and had a shower before lunch.
Lunch was a 3 course affair (we are eating too much!) again a traditional Greek meal, lots of cucumber, egg plant, yogurt and cheese. After lunch we had a 5 hour boat cruise through a unique swing bridge system separating Lekos Island from the mainland.
Arrived at Nidri staying overnight. This seaside port is just across from the Onassis private island. We had an interesting history lesson on Onassis and his contribution to Lefkos. We also had dinner at a cafe owned by the ship builder of the Panagoita and managed by a former sailor from the Onassis shipping fleet. Great meal and wonderful display of Greek dancing with the audience encouraged to participate in at the end. More and more convinced Paula has a distant Greek heritage - she dances well.
All Greek seaside ports are very tourist orientated, went for a walk after dinner and found the Main Street of Nidri and went into a Greek Orthodox Church which was just opening at 11.00pm at night! The whole tourist section stays open until after 2.00am, kids and all! In bed by 12 midnight - fabulous bike/boat first day.
Greece Trip - Day 4
Monday June 29
Lefkas Island - Nidri to Vasiliki. Elevation 600m - 32kms.
Second day ride, up for breakfast at 8.00am, riding again at 9.00am.
Our first stop was to a small waterfall just outside Nidri, through the narrow old part of town, old rundown houses with chook runs and junk everywhere.
The waterfall was only small, they haven't had much rain lately. After we left the waterfall we meandered for 4kms through an olive grove with trees over 500 years old. Gnarled trucks but great branch growth.
The next 5kms was a steady climb, not as steep as yesterday but a lot warmer. Paula did it easily and even had time to stop and take photos. Great shot from the top most point. A bit of traffic on the road today compared to yesterday.
Long stop at the half way point for the slower riders to get there. Next section was across the plateau to a small village. Very narrow roads on the downhill run, with lots of tight switchbacks, needed to go slower and take care, good fun all the same.
We beat the boat to the wharf, went for a quick walk around the port before the boat arrived.
Loaded the bikes and travelled to a small bay for a swim. The water was an amazing clear blue, have seen nothing like it anywhere before. It is a result of the combination of the limestone on the bottom, the chemicals in the water and the reflection of the sun. It was cool but very refreshing. It even seemed easier to float and swim around in. Water baby Paula even took a jump from the boat's lowest guard rail!
Called back onboard for another beautiful lunch, sardines, salads, a tomato or egg plant dish and a biscuit/cheesecake sweet. Delayed a little in leaving, the crew had trouble with the anchor. Did some sun baking while they managed the repairs. Two hour boat cruise to our next island, Kefalonia and the beautiful port of Fisksas.
This is the real Greece, picturesque, quiet and slow paced. It is not the tourist type towns the other ports have been. Went for a walk to the best beach in the area, stony with olive trees as the beach front, quite different to what we had expected.
Our history lesson today was a walk to a Venetian Lighthouse and a surprise late afternoon tea. Our guides really surprised us and presented some great information about the island and the mythology behind its existence.
Don't need dinner tonight! Just relaxing on board and taking in the ambience of the port.
Greece Trip - Day 5
Tuesday June 30
Kefalonia Island - Fisksas to Sima. Elevation 800m - 45kms.
Today's ride wasn't for the faint hearted. We were given two options, an easier 20kms with not too many climbs and two cave visits or the the full 45kms, extensive and continuous climbs for the first 21kms and one cave visit. Who would give Paula an easier option - so we were down to do the 45kms!
After less than two kms through the port we started the climb, didn't even have time to warm up!
And climb it was, kilometre after kilometre, switch back after switch back, was the next corner going to be the last? It just didn't seem to finish, just head down and keep peddling. So steep that Ken had two short walks and three water stops and Paula had one short walk. Thankfully it was a little cloudy otherwise we would have cooked.
Up in the mountains we saw goats and cows wearing bells. Heard them before we saw them. After 20kms we came to Rosie's cafe for a break, refresh, refuel and recover. We had one more kilometre of climb before it plateaued out for a while then we had a spectacular downhill ride, awesome views and the reality of exactly how far we had climbed. No pedalling, just roll and use the brakes on the corners to control the speed and watch for traffic. All down hill into Ag. Efimia then a nice coastal ride for 12kms and a visit to a different sort of cave where both saltwater and freshwater meet. Found out that Ag. means Saint. Tea was BBQ fish and salads. Still eating too much. 3 courses for every meal doesn't help. Went for a late night walk around the port, very quiet compared to the rest of the harbours we had visited.
Greece Trip - Day 6
Wednesday July 1
Ithaca Island - Vathi to Frikes. Elevation 600m - 28kms or alternative elevation 300m - 22kms. Sailed to Meganisi Island - port town also called Vathi - an afternoon scenic ride of 12kms to a beach bar.
Ithaca is the island of Homer and his character Ulysses. This is a very rugged island, with the mountains virtually going straight up from a narrow coastline. No great tourist hotels as there is no where to build them. Ken's head cold has moved to his chest, restricting his breathing so no major hill climbing for him. Paula did the long ride and did well, Ken did the alternate route which still had a 300m elevation climb in the first 5kms, he walked the last two switchbacks, just too steep to ride. [Paula to write about her ride.]
After the group split the alternative ride was a great undulating ride along the coastline, exceptional views with a few small villages to pass through as well.
The streets through the villages are unbelievably narrow, how two cars can pass each other has to be seen to be believed, everyone has a very small car or a scooter.
We arrived in Stravos and waited near the centre of town for the others to arrive. Had a nice coffee and break. The others took another 1/2hr to arrive. The guides gave a history lesson about the island of Ithaca and the story of Helen of Troy and the odessey of Ulyisses. After that we rode around the coast line to Frikes where we boarded the boat for Meganisi. We had another beautiful swim (Paula jumped from the second highest rail today) and lunch on the way then went for a coastal bike ride on Meganisi to a beach bar where Ken had a Greek beer Mythos. Nice and refreshing. Dinner was individually get your own at the port of Vathi. Paula had sea bass in fennel and Ken had risotto 'nero de sepia' - it was risotto with calamari and squid ink as a sauce to make it black - it was delicious!
Paula really tried, almost asleep during tea. We both slept well.
Greece Trip - Day 7
Thursday July 2
Sail to Mainland Greece - two ride options Mytikas to Lefkas - elevation 600m - 50kms, alternative 17kms elevation 200m Mytikas to Palairos then back on the boat.
Sail to Paxos
A little late getting started, the bakery wasn't open for fresh bread for breakfast but picked up the time on the first bike leg which was a great ride along the coast. Lots of big cruise ships in the different ports on mainland Greece. Interesting to see the cattle in such small paddocks and goats on the road. Also stopped to rescue a tortoise, Patrica, our guide, picked him up and moved him across the road. Ken feeling a little better but not up to the full 600m elevation climb. [Paula to write about her ride.]
The coastal ride was great, the Panagoita followed us along the coast to Palairos. Had a chance to ride together on this section as there were no real hard climbs for Ken to struggle with, it was nice to just ride and talk. Also great that the young American couple think we fit together well! We stopped at Palairos to load the bikes and riders, those only doing the short ride, into the dingy in shifts, while the others organised themselves to do the longer ride. Lorencos gave as a bit of quick ride back to the boat in the dingy. Ken was sun baking on the deck when he was called to the mobile phone about a problem with Paula - a bit worried to say the least! Looks like Paula has left her iPhone at the cafe in Palairos. Had a quick phone call from Patricia to see if I had picked it up. Initially a little worried that something had happened, the iPhone is replaceable, Paula is NOT!
The Panagoita had a stop over in Lefkas until 1.30pm. The longer riding group will have arrived by then.
While Paula and her group were still riding Ken walked into the older part of Lefkas, saw an organ grinder and lots of small shops, many cafes, narrow streets and the police guarding the main bank! Everyone is expecting the Greeks to have a run on the banks before the end of the week as they have to vote on staying in the EU or not on Sunday. Lots of discussion about the Greek situation on the boat most days. The long ride group arrived just before lunch. After lunch checked out the island hopper bike shirts, found a size to fit Ken but nothing for Paula. Long afternoon boat cruise (most people catching up on sleep) to a small bay for a swim before going into the port of Gairos on Paxos Island. The swim stop was at a sea cave, Paula swam across for a look, water was colder than yesterday. The access into the harbour at Gairos is very interesting, you go through a very narrow, but deep strait between the main island and a smaller island, the port opens up in front of you as you enter with the town buildings feeling like they are right in your face. The old Greek buildings are spectacular, the interesting bright colours and windows flush with the walls are straight out of the Greek tourist brochures.
Individual organisation for tea, we had prawns, grilled vegetables and linguine.
Cats everywhere around all the restaurants and no-one seems to mind.
Thankfully Patricia, the guide, rode back to Palairos, a round trip of 8kms, to retrieve Paula's iPhone from the cafe, she had left it on the table when she went to the toilet.
Almost an early night, in bed just before 12 midnight.
Greece Trip - Day 8
Friday July 3
Our last ride day. Riding around the island of Paxos. Elevation 250m - 23 kms.
Today was our last ride, it was a special ride around Paxos Island famous for its olives. We rode through many old olive groves on an 'upulating' course, many more climbs on such a small island than downhills! Ken had three small walks, Paula just kept on powering on. We had a mid ride break with some bread and Paxos olive oil and olives, Paula thought the Paxos olives weren't too bad. Learnt some information about olives trees and olive harvesting that we didn't know. After this we rode into a small harbour called Longos for a coffee break and rest. The view from the cafe was spectacular, water lapping at your feet as you overlook the bay.
From here we had another long climb back up to the top of the island then a ride along the coast line back to Garos and onboard the Panagoita for a cruise to a swim stop and lunch. Our last swim in the Ionian Sea was very refreshing, with Paula again jumping from the side of the boat into water. The blueness of the water is something to see and experience.
During lunch in the bay a Greek wedding party turned up on boats, with the bride on one boat and the groom on the other. It is a Greek tradition that the groom takes the bride onto his boat with an appropriate ceremony and they then sail back to land for the traditional church wedding. It was something special to witness.
This is the fourth day in row Paula has gone without the seasickness bands, definitely has her sea legs!
Total riding for the week for those who did all the long rides (Paula was one of only 6 out of 19 people who did all the hard rides on hybrids) was 210 kms and 4300 metres of elevation. Awesome stuff for 6 straight days of riding!
The weather all week has been absolutely fantastic, temperature no higher than 30C, no real wind while we where riding, the wind seems to blow from about 4.00pm to 9.00pm. It has been a perfect riding week.
When we arrived at Corfu Town we went for a walk into the old part of town. We finished the night with the Captain's dinner and entertainment by the tour guides with a singalong. Noel played the guitar and sang a few Irish songs as well, we had to stop the noise at 11.00pm as the harbour master had had a complaint about the noise.
We then went back to the cabin and packed for Part C of our adventure holiday - the Danube boat/bike tour.
Greece Trip - Day 9
Saturday July 4
Last day in Greece - fly to Munich at 5.15pm.
This is our last day in Greece, packed and off the boat by 9.00am. Breakfast was at 8.00am. We were to leave our luggage at the local cafe and our courier will collect us at 3.00pm to transfer to the airport. Joel, Justin and Emily have an early flight so didn't get a chance to have a final breakfast with them. Will be a little sad to leave the new friends we have made this week, although the guides developed a contact list that everyone was able to take.
After we said our farewells we spent the day in Corfu Town walking around and watching the Greek world pass us by. We walked up to the old fort and spent and hour climbing steps and studying the diverse things the area had been used for. In the town itself the narrow streets were full of small shops and off shoots to even narrower alleys. Paula was able to take a photo of an old Greek Orthodox priest and his wife in one of these narrow alleys.
Paula also found the walking sandals she has been looking for, they look good.
Lunch (simple apple and water after everything we have eaten this week) in the central park before heading down to our luggage and the meeting point for the transfer to the airport. We arrived early at the pick up point so Paula had a Greek salad and Ken a bacon and tomato baguette on the balcony of a lovely outdoor cafe overlooking the port and the Ionian Sea.
Leaving Corfu for Munich was slow - much busier airport leaving than when arriving.
Plane journey was good, Paula read, Ken slept. Flight into Munich itself was over picture postcard scenery, fields of multi-coloured greens, Browns and yellows broken by large areas of forest, meandering rivers and ribbons of roads. A lot flatter than we expected. During the flight we had passed over a number of mountain ranges still covered in snow so the contrast was very obvious.
No issues entering Germany, didn't even get our passports stamped.
Taxi ride into Munich from the airport was long but quick! Must be the nature of taxi drivers, frustrated race car drivers. On one section of a 5 lane highway we were doing 140kph and cars were passing us!
Lots of road work around the hotel we were staying at, the taxi driver was getting frustrated as he had to take numerous detours, turned the meter off after €70.
The hotel was nice and clean but located in a rather concentrated cosmopolitain tourist area. Very well constructed security for the room, two entry doors, the first with a heavy duty security lock.
The hotel was only about 200 metres from the train station. After unpacking we did an explore of the train station, very big, 26 platforms and as many eating stands with so much variety of food you couldn't keep up with what was available. The Germans obviously love their bread and sausage products, they were everywhere. We found the platform that trains use to leave for Passau (platform 24).
For dinner Paula had a chicken and mango salad and Ken chicken wings and chips. The hotel room was warm even with the fan on, the beds (two singles put together) were a little hard but not as constricting as the bunk on the Panagoita had been - we slept well.
Greece Trip - Day 1
Friday June 26
Long day, started at 5.00am, bus, Tube and British Airways flight to Corfu all uneventful. Paula went for a few walks around the terminal, Ken had the largest Starbucks coffee he had ever seen! Took almost 30 minutes to drink it all!
Security at Heathrow very strict, exact opposite in Corfu! No baggage scan or anything, just have your passport, as a Non EU national, stamped.
Warm outside with a little bit of wind. Jackets off!
Not sure if it was the first experience of driving on the right hand side of the road, the narrow, winding roads or our 'Jack Brabham' taxi-driver but the 20kms to our hotel was exciting and slightly 'white knuckleish' for Paula.
The Gemini Hotel was old fashioned Greek, small room, single beds and with very few amenities that you normally get in motels but quite interesting all the same. Went for 3 separate walks along the beach boardwalk before a Greek style meal for tea overlooking the Ionian Sea.
Back to the room anticipating what is in store for us tomorrow.
Greece Trip - Day 2
Saturday June 27
Breakfast buffet at the motel before relaxing on the beach area in front of the hotel strip in Messighi a small tourist section of Corfu before embarking on the Bike/Boat tour. Paula visited a Greek village nearby and helped an old lady walk down some steps. The lady thanked her by breaking off som branches of basil and giving it to her. Paula then got her chance to take a photo of her first old traditional Greek woman.
Packed and out of the room at 12 noon, ready for transportation to the Panagiota. Transport arrived at 2.00pm. First sight of the Panagiota - wooden and small compared to all the others, but it seemed to have it's own charm. Greeted by Catharina (other guide is Patricia) both German but speak good English. Showed us around the boat then to our cabin. Won't take long to circumnavigate the boat! Our cabin above deck, very small, cabin and bathroom combined no bigger than our laundry at home! Where will we put everything? We decided to unpack Ken's gear for the week and put it on the only shelf in the wardrobe then his bag under the bunk, Paula to live out of the suitcase, leave it on the bunk during the day and in the wardrobe at night. Double bunk and single above, using the single above to hold all the gear we need on a regular basis.
Met some of our fellow passages, mainly German. Other English speaking of the nineteen on board, two other Australians, Bob and Chris from Sydney, David from Yorkshire, Joel from California, Noel and Marie from Ireland. One young German girl speaks good English as well, Tina. Dinner was a 3 course traditional Greek meal, Greek salad, lots of cucumber and feta cheese, Mouslaka (mainly egg plant - Paula believes she must be half Greek, all her favourite foods) and a vanilla brulee type dessert with chocolate syrup.
After tea, waited for two late arrivals, Justin and Emily from Austin Texas (only a young couple). The guides then gave us a run down on the requirements for the boat: using power, the toilets (toilet paper not flushed but placed in a bin next to the toilet, collected by the crew the next day), using hot water, wet yourself, turn off the water soap up and shampoo your hair then turn the water back on to rinse off. Also no footwear used off the boat to be used on the boat - placed in a shoe box near the gang plank as you enter the boat. Best boat footwear, bare feet!
Introduced to the crew and the plans for tomorrow discussed.
Off to bed, Paula is still apprehensive about the riding tomorrow and how hard it will be. Double bunk trends to push us close together and only using a small dooner, not complaining the closeness is quite comforting and the temperature is mild.
Greece Trip - Day 3
Sunday June 28
Mainland Greece - Sivota to Parga. Elevation 650m - 29kms.
Beautiful morning on the Panagiota. Slept well.
First ride today. Breakfast at 8.00am, cheese ham, boiled eggs, biker muesli and bread. [Use the map for more exact details of the bike ride.] Took a few minutes to become familiar with the hybrid, paddle gears and lever brakes, as for our own hybrids. For the German's the front and rear brakes were on the non standard side for them. Everyone has their name on the back of the bike, you set it up right for you and it is yours for the week, also helps to learn people's names.
We had a gentle ride out of town, first person after the ride leader had to stop and direct at each corner or directional change until the tour guide at the end came through. A good system, works well. Countryside is absolutely magnificent - basically straight up from a narrow coastal strip so we knew we had to climb for at least half of the 29kms to get to the other side of the island. The climbs weren't particularly steep but they were continuous 4-5kms each before we had a rest. Lots of little monuments along the side of the road all the way along. We had a saddlebag each which allowed you to carry everything you needed, especially water. Advised to take at least 3 bottles each day. Paula has lost all her apprehension, she is able to keep up easily, is managing the climbs no problems and is towards the front of the group most times. Even had time to talk with Joel and discover some interesting things about him. Ken struggling a little with the heat and his climbing on the hybrid is not that good - not using the gears as well as he should be also struggling with his breathing, still not over Josh's 'man-flu'. Also feels a little unstable as well as the hybrid doesn't turn or manoeuvre as he would like and is a little too big for him. Awesome view from the topmost point of the ride. Climbed 650m. Downhill ride into town was great - caught behind a tourist 'train' driving around the street for the last 2kms which put a dampener on the last part of the run in.
Back to the boat at 12.30pm, loaded the bikes and set off for a small cove and a swim. Weather had been warm up until the swim but became overcast. A few people braved the cooler water and swam in the beautiful crystal clear water for about 20 minutes. We went and had a shower before lunch.
Lunch was a 3 course affair (we are eating too much!) again a traditional Greek meal, lots of cucumber, egg plant, yogurt and cheese. After lunch we had a 5 hour boat cruise through a unique swing bridge system separating Lekos Island from the mainland.
Arrived at Nidri staying overnight. This seaside port is just across from the Onassis private island. We had an interesting history lesson on Onassis and his contribution to Lefkos. We also had dinner at a cafe owned by the ship builder of the Panagoita and managed by a former sailor from the Onassis shipping fleet. Great meal and wonderful display of Greek dancing with the audience encouraged to participate in at the end. More and more convinced Paula has a distant Greek heritage - she dances well.
All Greek seaside ports are very tourist orientated, went for a walk after dinner and found the Main Street of Nidri and went into a Greek Orthodox Church which was just opening at 11.00pm at night! The whole tourist section stays open until after 2.00am, kids and all! In bed by 12 midnight - fabulous bike/boat first day.
Greece Trip - Day 4
Monday June 29
Lefkas Island - Nidri to Vasiliki. Elevation 600m - 32kms.
Second day ride, up for breakfast at 8.00am, riding again at 9.00am.
Our first stop was to a small waterfall just outside Nidri, through the narrow old part of town, old rundown houses with chook runs and junk everywhere.
The waterfall was only small, they haven't had much rain lately. After we left the waterfall we meandered for 4kms through an olive grove with trees over 500 years old. Gnarled trucks but great branch growth.
The next 5kms was a steady climb, not as steep as yesterday but a lot warmer. Paula did it easily and even had time to stop and take photos. Great shot from the top most point. A bit of traffic on the road today compared to yesterday.
Long stop at the half way point for the slower riders to get there. Next section was across the plateau to a small village. Very narrow roads on the downhill run, with lots of tight switchbacks, needed to go slower and take care, good fun all the same.
We beat the boat to the wharf, went for a quick walk around the port before the boat arrived.
Loaded the bikes and travelled to a small bay for a swim. The water was an amazing clear blue, have seen nothing like it anywhere before. It is a result of the combination of the limestone on the bottom, the chemicals in the water and the reflection of the sun. It was cool but very refreshing. It even seemed easier to float and swim around in. Water baby Paula even took a jump from the boat's lowest guard rail!
Called back onboard for another beautiful lunch, sardines, salads, a tomato or egg plant dish and a biscuit/cheesecake sweet. Delayed a little in leaving, the crew had trouble with the anchor. Did some sun baking while they managed the repairs. Two hour boat cruise to our next island, Kefalonia and the beautiful port of Fisksas.
This is the real Greece, picturesque, quiet and slow paced. It is not the tourist type towns the other ports have been. Went for a walk to the best beach in the area, stony with olive trees as the beach front, quite different to what we had expected.
Our history lesson today was a walk to a Venetian Lighthouse and a surprise late afternoon tea. Our guides really surprised us and presented some great information about the island and the mythology behind its existence.
Don't need dinner tonight! Just relaxing on board and taking in the ambience of the port.
Greece Trip - Day 5
Tuesday June 30
Kefalonia Island - Fisksas to Sima. Elevation 800m - 45kms.
Today's ride wasn't for the faint hearted. We were given two options, an easier 20kms with not too many climbs and two cave visits or the the full 45kms, extensive and continuous climbs for the first 21kms and one cave visit. Who would give Paula an easier option - so we were down to do the 45kms!
After less than two kms through the port we started the climb, didn't even have time to warm up!
And climb it was, kilometre after kilometre, switch back after switch back, was the next corner going to be the last? It just didn't seem to finish, just head down and keep peddling. So steep that Ken had two short walks and three water stops and Paula had one short walk. Thankfully it was a little cloudy otherwise we would have cooked.
Up in the mountains we saw goats and cows wearing bells. Heard them before we saw them. After 20kms we came to Rosie's cafe for a break, refresh, refuel and recover. We had one more kilometre of climb before it plateaued out for a while then we had a spectacular downhill ride, awesome views and the reality of exactly how far we had climbed. No pedalling, just roll and use the brakes on the corners to control the speed and watch for traffic. All down hill into Ag. Efimia then a nice coastal ride for 12kms and a visit to a different sort of cave where both saltwater and freshwater meet. Found out that Ag. means Saint. Tea was BBQ fish and salads. Still eating too much. 3 courses for every meal doesn't help. Went for a late night walk around the port, very quiet compared to the rest of the harbours we had visited.
Greece Trip - Day 6
Wednesday July 1
Ithaca Island - Vathi to Frikes. Elevation 600m - 28kms or alternative elevation 300m - 22kms. Sailed to Meganisi Island - port town also called Vathi - an afternoon scenic ride of 12kms to a beach bar.
Ithaca is the island of Homer and his character Ulysses. This is a very rugged island, with the mountains virtually going straight up from a narrow coastline. No great tourist hotels as there is no where to build them. Ken's head cold has moved to his chest, restricting his breathing so no major hill climbing for him. Paula did the long ride and did well, Ken did the alternate route which still had a 300m elevation climb in the first 5kms, he walked the last two switchbacks, just too steep to ride. [Paula to write about her ride.]
After the group split the alternative ride was a great undulating ride along the coastline, exceptional views with a few small villages to pass through as well.
The streets through the villages are unbelievably narrow, how two cars can pass each other has to be seen to be believed, everyone has a very small car or a scooter.
We arrived in Stravos and waited near the centre of town for the others to arrive. Had a nice coffee and break. The others took another 1/2hr to arrive. The guides gave a history lesson about the island of Ithaca and the story of Helen of Troy and the odessey of Ulyisses. After that we rode around the coast line to Frikes where we boarded the boat for Meganisi. We had another beautiful swim (Paula jumped from the second highest rail today) and lunch on the way then went for a coastal bike ride on Meganisi to a beach bar where Ken had a Greek beer Mythos. Nice and refreshing. Dinner was individually get your own at the port of Vathi. Paula had sea bass in fennel and Ken had risotto 'nero de sepia' - it was risotto with calamari and squid ink as a sauce to make it black - it was delicious!
Paula really tried, almost asleep during tea. We both slept well.
Greece Trip - Day 7
Thursday July 2
Sail to Mainland Greece - two ride options Mytikas to Lefkas - elevation 600m - 50kms, alternative 17kms elevation 200m Mytikas to Palairos then back on the boat.
Sail to Paxos
A little late getting started, the bakery wasn't open for fresh bread for breakfast but picked up the time on the first bike leg which was a great ride along the coast. Lots of big cruise ships in the different ports on mainland Greece. Interesting to see the cattle in such small paddocks and goats on the road. Also stopped to rescue a tortoise, Patrica, our guide, picked him up and moved him across the road. Ken feeling a little better but not up to the full 600m elevation climb. [Paula to write about her ride.]
The coastal ride was great, the Panagoita followed us along the coast to Palairos. Had a chance to ride together on this section as there were no real hard climbs for Ken to struggle with, it was nice to just ride and talk. Also great that the young American couple think we fit together well! We stopped at Palairos to load the bikes and riders, those only doing the short ride, into the dingy in shifts, while the others organised themselves to do the longer ride. Lorencos gave as a bit of quick ride back to the boat in the dingy. Ken was sun baking on the deck when he was called to the mobile phone about a problem with Paula - a bit worried to say the least! Looks like Paula has left her iPhone at the cafe in Palairos. Had a quick phone call from Patricia to see if I had picked it up. Initially a little worried that something had happened, the iPhone is replaceable, Paula is NOT!
The Panagoita had a stop over in Lefkas until 1.30pm. The longer riding group will have arrived by then.
While Paula and her group were still riding Ken walked into the older part of Lefkas, saw an organ grinder and lots of small shops, many cafes, narrow streets and the police guarding the main bank! Everyone is expecting the Greeks to have a run on the banks before the end of the week as they have to vote on staying in the EU or not on Sunday. Lots of discussion about the Greek situation on the boat most days. The long ride group arrived just before lunch. After lunch checked out the island hopper bike shirts, found a size to fit Ken but nothing for Paula. Long afternoon boat cruise (most people catching up on sleep) to a small bay for a swim before going into the port of Gairos on Paxos Island. The swim stop was at a sea cave, Paula swam across for a look, water was colder than yesterday. The access into the harbour at Gairos is very interesting, you go through a very narrow, but deep strait between the main island and a smaller island, the port opens up in front of you as you enter with the town buildings feeling like they are right in your face. The old Greek buildings are spectacular, the interesting bright colours and windows flush with the walls are straight out of the Greek tourist brochures.
Individual organisation for tea, we had prawns, grilled vegetables and linguine.
Cats everywhere around all the restaurants and no-one seems to mind.
Thankfully Patricia, the guide, rode back to Palairos, a round trip of 8kms, to retrieve Paula's iPhone from the cafe, she had left it on the table when she went to the toilet.
Almost an early night, in bed just before 12 midnight.
Greece Trip - Day 8
Friday July 3
Our last ride day. Riding around the island of Paxos. Elevation 250m - 23 kms.
Today was our last ride, it was a special ride around Paxos Island famous for its olives. We rode through many old olive groves on an 'upulating' course, many more climbs on such a small island than downhills! Ken had three small walks, Paula just kept on powering on. We had a mid ride break with some bread and Paxos olive oil and olives, Paula thought the Paxos olives weren't too bad. Learnt some information about olives trees and olive harvesting that we didn't know. After this we rode into a small harbour called Longos for a coffee break and rest. The view from the cafe was spectacular, water lapping at your feet as you overlook the bay.
From here we had another long climb back up to the top of the island then a ride along the coast line back to Garos and onboard the Panagoita for a cruise to a swim stop and lunch. Our last swim in the Ionian Sea was very refreshing, with Paula again jumping from the side of the boat into water. The blueness of the water is something to see and experience.
During lunch in the bay a Greek wedding party turned up on boats, with the bride on one boat and the groom on the other. It is a Greek tradition that the groom takes the bride onto his boat with an appropriate ceremony and they then sail back to land for the traditional church wedding. It was something special to witness.
This is the fourth day in row Paula has gone without the seasickness bands, definitely has her sea legs!
Total riding for the week for those who did all the long rides (Paula was one of only 6 out of 19 people who did all the hard rides on hybrids) was 210 kms and 4300 metres of elevation. Awesome stuff for 6 straight days of riding!
The weather all week has been absolutely fantastic, temperature no higher than 30C, no real wind while we where riding, the wind seems to blow from about 4.00pm to 9.00pm. It has been a perfect riding week.
When we arrived at Corfu Town we went for a walk into the old part of town. We finished the night with the Captain's dinner and entertainment by the tour guides with a singalong. Noel played the guitar and sang a few Irish songs as well, we had to stop the noise at 11.00pm as the harbour master had had a complaint about the noise.
We then went back to the cabin and packed for Part C of our adventure holiday - the Danube boat/bike tour.
Greece Trip - Day 9
Saturday July 4
Last day in Greece - fly to Munich at 5.15pm.
This is our last day in Greece, packed and off the boat by 9.00am. Breakfast was at 8.00am. We were to leave our luggage at the local cafe and our courier will collect us at 3.00pm to transfer to the airport. Joel, Justin and Emily have an early flight so didn't get a chance to have a final breakfast with them. Will be a little sad to leave the new friends we have made this week, although the guides developed a contact list that everyone was able to take.
After we said our farewells we spent the day in Corfu Town walking around and watching the Greek world pass us by. We walked up to the old fort and spent and hour climbing steps and studying the diverse things the area had been used for. In the town itself the narrow streets were full of small shops and off shoots to even narrower alleys. Paula was able to take a photo of an old Greek Orthodox priest and his wife in one of these narrow alleys.
Paula also found the walking sandals she has been looking for, they look good.
Lunch (simple apple and water after everything we have eaten this week) in the central park before heading down to our luggage and the meeting point for the transfer to the airport. We arrived early at the pick up point so Paula had a Greek salad and Ken a bacon and tomato baguette on the balcony of a lovely outdoor cafe overlooking the port and the Ionian Sea.
Leaving Corfu for Munich was slow - much busier airport leaving than when arriving.
Plane journey was good, Paula read, Ken slept. Flight into Munich itself was over picture postcard scenery, fields of multi-coloured greens, Browns and yellows broken by large areas of forest, meandering rivers and ribbons of roads. A lot flatter than we expected. During the flight we had passed over a number of mountain ranges still covered in snow so the contrast was very obvious.
No issues entering Germany, didn't even get our passports stamped.
Taxi ride into Munich from the airport was long but quick! Must be the nature of taxi drivers, frustrated race car drivers. On one section of a 5 lane highway we were doing 140kph and cars were passing us!
Lots of road work around the hotel we were staying at, the taxi driver was getting frustrated as he had to take numerous detours, turned the meter off after €70.
The hotel was nice and clean but located in a rather concentrated cosmopolitain tourist area. Very well constructed security for the room, two entry doors, the first with a heavy duty security lock.
The hotel was only about 200 metres from the train station. After unpacking we did an explore of the train station, very big, 26 platforms and as many eating stands with so much variety of food you couldn't keep up with what was available. The Germans obviously love their bread and sausage products, they were everywhere. We found the platform that trains use to leave for Passau (platform 24).
For dinner Paula had a chicken and mango salad and Ken chicken wings and chips. The hotel room was warm even with the fan on, the beds (two singles put together) were a little hard but not as constricting as the bunk on the Panagoita had been - we slept well.
Danube
Danube Trip - Day 1
Sunday July 5
We set the alarm for 6.30am (showered and packed), didn't want to miss the train from Munich to Passau and not fully understanding the system or the language we gave ourselves a buffer for any problems. It was relatively easy in the end. Caught the 8.12am train to Passau. Beautiful countryside, different types of crops growing side by side. Very green even though they are having a very warm summer. Houses have red roofs, steep gables and white walls with a considerable number having solar panels. Train transport seems to be the main way to get around. Arrived in Passau no problems. Paula found an English Passau map in the tourist information centre and after locking the big suitcases in lockers at the train station we went and explored. We found the platform, time and train number for our departure after the Danube boat/bike trip, the Hotel Weisser Hase (our stop over hotel on the way back) and the berth location of the 'My Story' our boat for the cruise. All are within easy walking distance of each other.
On our 'explore' Paula took pictures of a monk, a local in typical 'Deutschland' clothing and the inside of St Paul's church with its beautiful black wood furnishings. We also walked to the area where three rivers meet and watched the different colours of the water from the rivers mix as they formed the one river. After exploring we went back to the train station, collected our luggage and walked it down to the pier to load onto the boat 'My Story'. We had to negotiate getting baggage labels as they hadn't been sent to us. Easily done, filled out and our luggage was onboard by 2.40pm. We are cabin 215. We sat under the shade of some trees waiting for our scheduled boarding time of 4.00pm. We were actually able to board at 3.20pm.
After we boarded, which took a little time, a full load, 190 people 8 nationalities we got to our cabin, a lot more room than the Panagoita, we unpacked what we thought we would need and poked around the cabin finding all the bits and pieces, light switches, toilet and bathroom areas and places to store things. We have 2 single beds, one of these is up and out of the way during the day to give the cabin more room. The other is our lounge during the day.
The introductory information, in English, was at 6.15pm after the Germans. Before that we went on a quick explore of the boat. Two decks for passengers, lower deck cabins (only has two small windows), upper deck, our cabin area (a large panoramic window), promenade deck has the restaurant, bar, small library and lounge area (you can walk around the promenade deck on the outside of the enclosed area) and then above that the sundeck, which has a small shaded area and deck chairs for sunbathing. The bikes are also kept up here.
The information from Leslie, our tour director was good, overview of the tour requirements, boat safety and a comprehensive outline of the next day's ride.
From here we went to dinner (4 courses!). Our table number is 30, 8 people, a couple from Reading in England, another couple from Perth, Australia and a third couple, very quiet - haven't got to know them yet. During the information session and dinner we left Passau for Engelhartszell, passing through the first of 11 locks we negotiate on the cruise of over 1000kms through 4 separate countries. The lock process took a while as the boat was lowered almost six metres to the next level of the river. When we docked at Engelhartszell we went for a walk through this beautiful Austrian village tucked between two great mountain ranges either side of the river. To make sure no-one is accidentally left behind you must leave your room key at reception and take a boarding card each to leave the boat. They then cross check keys against boarding cards before they leave.
It was as if you had travelled back in time as the village was reminiscent of your days of reading childhood story books! Very special indeed.
During dinner our room was made up for sleeping by Theresa, our cabin steward. Ken believes Paula might actually get a better sleep this week as she won't be fighting for space as she had to do on the narrow sloping bunk on the Panagoita.
No seasickness bands for Paula, the cruise on the Danube is very smooth, you don't even realise you are moving unless you look outside.
Both in bed by 11.30pm.
Danube Trip - Day 2
Monday July 6
First bike riding day. Programmed ride was 42kms with an elevation over this distance of approximately 60m. Ride from Engelhartszell to Aschach on a well marked course.
Ken woke early as the sun came through the large window onto his bunk at about 4.30am. He thought sitting and watching the river flow by so early in the morning was quite relaxing.
Notified as to a slight change in today's plan (a late night notice under the door), a collision in the Engelhartszell lock (the M/S My Story's funnel clipped the underside of the lock gangway and was bent back which meant the engine wasn't able to work properly and the boat was forced to stay docked until repairs where undertaken during the day) had caused a few problems.
Breakfast eaten and lunch packed (you choose your own lunch items and take them to be wrapped and placed in a bag with an apple and a muesli bar - two bottles of water were left at the door early in the morning). Organised the take over of the bikes, paid the insurance and were given the new tour ride details as well as a spare tube, a tool kit and a security bike lock - the number is easy to remember, 1976 - the year Paula and Ken meet.
The collision in the lock has caused the ride to be an out and back of either 32 or 48kms, the loop and the view from the lookout are still available. The turnaround is at the village of Kobling.
We decided, of course, to do the long loop and add a few extra bits before and after the walking climb of 1.5kms (trudging climb for Ken, he found it tough) to view the Schlogener Schlinge. It was well worth the climb.
The ride along the river bank through the Austrian forests and small villages was spectacular. Flowers in bloom in gardens on windowsill planters and along the sides of the cycle path, Paula even found a bed of poppies just growing in a field, about two hundred metres of sparsely scattered red flowers.
The ride was very easy, no real inclines or difficult climbs, the only change to a regular rhythm of riding was when you had to stop to cross the Danube by ferry, we did this twice on the outward ride and twice when returning. Rode for a small section with two ladies from Canada - sisters, both teachers, one a high school maths teacher the other a K-4 school principal.
Lots of cyclists using the track, not just the ones from the cruise, parents with children, two old men travelling together, families and friends, people obviously doing a long tour, packed to the gunnels (gear everywhere) and others just out for a day's ride on other hire bikes.
We were back by 3.30pm, time for a shower before coffee/tea and cake.
We have a special meeting at 6.15pm to explain other changes that have been forced on the bike cruise director by the accident.
We need to cruise all night to be in Bratislava by 12.30pm for funnel repairs. We are doing an out and back ride of 32kms to Hainburg. We have settled on the Package Plus - with bike tours of Budapest and Vienna - all paid for and sorted after dinner.
At 7.15pm we had the Captain's cocktails followed by dinner at 7.30pm. Because of the changes the Captain offered beer, wine and soft drink free with the meal. Ken tried a German pint (big heavy glass) and thought the beer was very easy to drink, not as bitter as Australian beer). From then on it was just settle in for the long haul cruise to get the repairs done.
No need to set alarms or get up early, read and enjoy some morning sun on the sundeck.
Danube Trip - Day 3
Tuesday July 7
Bratislava - Hainburg - Bratislava, 32kms - no elevation.
Slept in, had a latish breakfast (8.00am and did some sightseeing in the morning on the sundeck. (Paula was bored and wanted to get away and move about a bit more, rather than just sit in the cabin). Watched how the lock system works then an early lunch before we docked for repairs and do the revised bike ride today. Really interested in finding out more about the Danube lock system but will need to wait until we have Internet access. Paula has no roaming, her UK SIM doesn't seem to cover this far. Used Ken's global SIM and roaming to let everyone know where we were and what was happening with Paula's access. Hopefully we can get any WhatsApp, e-mail and FaceBook stuff done when we're back in Passau and stay overnight before we catch the train/s to Trier and the Mosel Path ride.
Lots of water needed today as the temperature will be in the high 30s. We packed the bikes, checked the map and camera and put the bunting on to show we were booked for city bicycle tours for Budapest and Vienna (over the next two days) then headed up the gangplank to start our ride for today around Slovakia. We started following the main group across the bridge (not everyone was riding) when Paula decided we were going the wrong way, so we back tracked the opposite direction. We went the wrong way for another 2kms before we had a good proper look at the map and looked to where the Danube River was - it was on our left, it should be on our right! It was a nice detour and gave us some extra kilometres for the day and also a chance to practise our map reading skills before we tackle the Mosel path by ourselves.
Another Australian couple who were also going the wrong way turned and followed us, they were on electric bikes but struggling in the heat. We figured we needed to help and guide them as they were clueless and were trying to keep up with us so they wouldn't get lost. We rode through Wolfstaf on our way to Hainburg. We stopped for a rest, refresh and an ice cream, Ken is eventually going to try a full open cup ice cream. It was a slower trip back for us than normal as we stopped for extra drinks and time for Megan and Gerry to catch up. Finally got back over the bridge to the path leading to the boat but took a wrong turn, so had to re-navigate and find the right path, didn't go more than a 100 metres before we knew were wrong. Back on the boat showered and ready for tea and our night tour of Blatislava. We almost had a dinner disaster, it hasn't been Paula's best day, she changed her order at lunch time to grilled vegetables. It wasn't until dinner was actually being served did she realise that she had accidentally changed Ken's as well! He had been waiting in great anticipation for tenderloin pork and mashed potato, not grilled vegetables! Paula had a double portion of grilled vegetables. Ken did not go hungry he ate Paula's deep fried cheese, bread and dessert as well as his other 3 courses.
The twilight tour of Bratislava was excellent, great tour guide. Johan had a good sense of humour and knew lots about Slovakia. Interested in doing some research on Bratislava/Slovakia history and its place in the region now.
Still very warm, on our way to Budapest.
Danube Trip - Day 4
Wednesday July 8
Rest Day - Budapest - optional tours and Folklore Show.
Today we did a 4 hr bike tour of Budapest (20kms) - there are far too many places that we visited to mention so we will just give overall impressions. Very important to remember the date 1896 and the number 7, very significant in Hungarian history. Originally Buda and Pest where two different cities and the story surrounding their union is interesting. Buda is on the hilly side of the Danube with the castle and the residential area where as Pest is on the flatter area and has the Parliament, the financial sector and the commercial area, it is the city part of Budapest. It seems to be newer and more developed than Buda. Hungary, or as it is known locally 'Magyar', has a very interesting history influenced significantly by invasions from other countries, most notably, Germany and Russia. We visited sights that were bombed, in some cases three different times by the Allies, Germany and Russia, during WWII. A lot of buildings have been rebuilt to reflect what the architects thought they would have looked like so you have a combination of different styles, all magnificent in their own way. St Stephen's Bascilica was very ornate and prominent in the main square. Franz Linst is also well remembered as a special Hungarian citizen, with numerous buildings and a square named in his honour. We cycled past the house where he spent his last remaining years in Budapest. We also got to visit a thermal pool. Budapest is situated over a hot thermal area with over 38 thermal pools or spas in use around the capital.
It was fairly warm but as a riding group of 10 English speaking nationalities we kept together well and our guide, Peter from the Netherlands, who has lived here 7 years, was very entertaining and knowledgeable.
There were many statues reflecting the importance of various people in the country's history, even Ronald Reagan has a monument indicating his part in freeing Hungary from the Soviet Union. It seemed a little ironic that the only monument still in the city to acknowledge the Soviet Union's role in Hungary's history is across the street from a very heavily fortified and protected USA embassy. We rode to various points and Peter told us a little about buildings and the history. We stopped for a toilet break and coffee in Linst Square. We exchanged €15 for almost 5000 forint (the local currency). Ken said the cappuccino he had was excellent. We explored all the significant sights within the city and navigated around some heavy traffic. In Hungary cyclist's have right of way and in most cases cars gave way to us. We finished back at the boat at 2.00pm, ate the packed lunch we took on the ride then walked back into Pest to get an ice cream and find a free wifi spot. We walked over the Chain Bridge back to St Stephen's Square and tried to find the markets, it was even hotter and muggier than it had been on the ride. We didn't get to the market but stopped for ice cream and did some Internet 'catching up'.
We returned to the boat just in time as it started to rain quite heavily and continued for a few hours with lightning and strong winds, several trees were up rooted and branches blown off. Hungary needed the rain as they had been having a very hot and dry Summer.
Dinner again was a 4 course meal - too much eating!
At 8.00pm we left for our Hungarian Folklore excursion and night time tour of Budapest. It had stopped raining. We had an interesting tour guide, George, his English was heavily accented with Hungarian but we also learnt some interesting facts from him as well. Hungarian music has a strong gypsy element and the folk dancing is heavily male dominated, the men almost dance like 'roosters' showing off to each other and to attract the best females. The dances are very energetic with lots of leg slapping, high kicks and fast spins. Ken had been wondering, are all Hungarian males relatively small in statue as all the dancers, musicians and serving personal weren't overall tall, he felt rather comfortable standing next to them! We had the chance to try some Hungarian 'medicine' (brandy), the local red and white wine, the bread as well as some goulash soup. The soup was quite tasty. The Hungarian girls did a dance with a bottle balanced on their heads, Paula was picked to try and balance a bottle as well and did a good job. But she just sat still, she didn't try dancing with it.
After the folklore show we hopped back on the bus for the night tour, which was a little spoilt as it had started to rain again. Budapest is a beautiful city at night and the city area of Pest is very lively with a great restaurant area with a coffee house called 'The New York Coffee House', it looked spectacular from the outside, can only imagine it's history and decor on the inside.
Our last stop was a great lookout on the Buda side overlooking Pest, but it was raining too heavily to appreciate the view. The temperature had dropped more than 15C from the heat of the afternoon which will make it more comfortable to sleep. Full ride tomorrow, no out and back as the first two have been.
Danube Trip - Day 5
Thursday July 9
Vac to Esztergom 43kms - 40m elevation
We slept well last night didn't wake until almost 7.00am ( except that Paula got up at 5.00am to do washing then went back to bed) and we were still one of the first couples for breakfast, looks like most people partied on after the folklore show. Paula organised her lunch for the ride straight away to avoid the rush but didn't really need to as not many had arrived for breakfast even though we had taken a while to finish ourselves, very light breakfast and not much taken for lunch either, trying somehow to counter the 4 course dinners we have been getting.
We were on the bikes and into Vac township by 8.45am. Looked like a nice place to explore once the shops opened. The initial part of the path was well sign posted with 3 hazards well marked. We were making steady progress even though we were riding into a slight headwind. Paula stopped for a few photos along the way to get a sense of the Hungarian countryside, the impression is they don't really have much flat land to cultivate and any machinery we saw looked old and well used. We have lost the lens cover cap for the Nikon!
A slight navigation problem, Ken is not helping by not listening properly, had us almost catching the ferry to cross the Danube one town before we needed too! All sorted before we went to catch the ferry so no problem. Had a quick snack and some more photos here.
In some parts the surface condition of the cycle path and roads are really good, then other times they are almost as bad as some of the country roads at home but at least they have cycle paths nearly everywhere which is excellent. We got to Szob and had to wait about twenty minutes for the ferry. It was 840 forint each to cross, which left us just enough Hungarian currency to have a cappuccino and hot chocolate in Esztergom. Paula said the hot chocolate was nice and hot and very chocolatie. The ferry had almost 80 Rad & Reisen riders for the crossing. Six of the last 12 kilometres into Esztergom was on a major road so we put our heads down and pedalled to get this section over as quickly as possible, Paula enjoyed the chance to expend a bit of energy and still had enough to go for a walk around the old castle and Esztergom Basilica for nearly two hours after the boat had arrived and we had left the bikes to be loaded.
The crew performance was a little lame but entertaining all the same. Tonight we cruise to Vienna.
Danube Trip - Day 6
Friday July 10
Rest Day - Vienna - optional tours and Operetta concert
Normal breakfast but an early lunch as we are due to depart for our Vienna bike tour (20kms) at 1.45pm. It was a late start as the boat wasn't due to dock in Vienna until 1.00pm.
We met our guide Chris, she is a native of Vienna, with nine other participants, mostly Canadian. We travelled the 5 kilometres into the city centre, District One, along well defined and marked cycle paths, passing an unbelievable number of really good graffiti art on bridge pillars and archways.
For the first two points of interest it seemed to be stop and talk - the Canadians' ask too many questions! It was starting to become rather tiresome listening to them tell Chris how much better their systems were than Austria. It needed to be more 'seeing' than talking. Luckily the cycle paths allowed us to move quickly between the major attractions and we got to see most of them in the 3 hours of the tour. There are just too many wonderful sights to see to even try and remember and write about them all. You would need to spend a week in Vienna to do it justice. The main buildings are positioned around what is called the Ring Road which was once the location of the wall built to defend the town. When the wall was no longer necessary the King decided to remove the wall and replace it with elaborate and beautifully designed architectural buildings all with links to existing designs and structures to other buildings around the world. They are quite magnificent.
Vienna also has a park area over 5 kilometres long with grass areas, pools, amusement parks and a wonderful ferris wheel built in 1900 which still uses the same old 'train carriage' design capsules on the wheel. The whole amusement area feels like the 1950s.
They teach their children to ride push bikes early in Vienna, we saw a father with his daughter, no older than 3 riding her own bike behind him (no training wheels), in the park. On the road!!!
There are a number of great water drinking fountains around Vienna, fed from a nature spring. The water is cool and refreshing, the best water we had tasted all week. We also had the opportunity to go past the area where the Vienna white horses are but unfortunately we did not get to see any as the stable area they are in was under repair and was all closed off. We did get to see numerous horse and carriages in the same area and around St Steven's Church. The old inner area of Vienna has a number of 'pedestrian' only areas and even the cyclists had to walk their bikes. We got to see the gold statue of Strauss in the park named after him and the Mozart Concert Hall.
We also found out that in the period Beethoven lived in the city he had 32 residences. Apparently his neighbours complained about the loud noise day and night and he was forced to continually move.
We left our guide at St Steven's Square and navigated our way back to the boat by ourselves. Paula almost got wiped out by another cyclist as she forgot she was in Europe and pulled over to the left to take a photo right across the path of a fast moving overtaking cyclist. She now knows a few Austrian swear words. Luckily he was a good rider and managed to miss her and stay upright himself.
On arriving back at the boat we had time for a quick shower before dinner.
Dinner was served right on the dot of 6.00pm and finished in time to allow us to catch the bus and travel into the palace at 7.30pm for the Operetta concert. They are very civilised in Vienna, we had free wifi on the bus to and from the palace. The concert was everything Paula had hoped for; Mozart and Strauss chamber music, male and female opera singers and two ballerinas all set in a dining hall of the castle. The playing was excellent, the conductor and also the lead violinist was exceptional. On the number of occasions his fingers were just blurs on the neck of the violin.
We wished it had gone longer than the hour and a half. Back on the bus for a night ride back to the boat, the streets are quiet and seem to glow with a soft light. Vienna is a beautiful city.
Danube Trip - Day 7
Saturday July 11
Krems to Melk 37kms - 40m elevation
Today is our last ride on the Danube and is expected to be a leisurely ride in good weather with lots of interesting places to visit.
We had our last information session at 8.15am (we had one everyday - a session in German followed by a session in English - found out the capital B in German stands for 'ss') to explain the day's happenings and to go over the ride for the next day - this has been good as Leslie, the tour director, gives you landmarks to look for and indicates possible hazards. The one today was on information for the bike hand back this afternoon and disembarking information for tomorrow.
This section of the Danube Boat/Bike tour was by far the best. The weather was prefect cycling conditions and there was lots to see and do. We started by going the reverse direction into Krems. They had a great Saturday market area that Paula would have liked more time in but the look she had gave her a few more ideas of what to take back as gifts. We cycled back towards and passed the boat on cobbled stoned, narrow back roads through the small villages. We were to discover that almost all bike paths on this route that went through small villages (and there were a few) were cobbled stoned roads. They would be quite interesting to navigate in the wet!
After Krems the next major stop was the village of Durnstein, not only famous for the Apricot schnaps and chocolates, but it also has a great old ruined fortress where King Richard I was held captive. It overlooks the Danube valley. The view was spectacular and well worth the climb to the top.
From here we rode through the Waucha Valley with thousands of Apricot trees and grape vines covering the valley floor and extending up along the walls of the mountains. We stopped at the village of St Michaels for lunch and climbed the old tower to take some photos. The Austrian bike paths are well though out, with paths on both sides of the Danube, good signage for direction and strategically placed benches to allow people a place off the cycle path to have a rest. It was also interesting to see the number of small businesses set up along the path purely to support the bicycle fraternity of the country, which there are many. We were amazed at the number of people out cycling, you would barely go a minute without someone passing you going the other direction or overtaking you. The mix of people was quite interesting, a number were family groups, teenagers, older couples out riding or serious riders on road bikes and travelling fairly quickly. We met and had a quick conversation with a couple from Horsham in Victoria who were just nearing the end of a four week self-guided tour.
It was interesting that more so today than any other day we kept meeting up with the other couples from our dining table, which was great because it allowed the opportunity for us (Ken and Paula) to be photographed together at some of the places we visited.
The last 18kms into Melk was through great countryside but no special places of interest so it allowed us to ride with some rhyme and pace. Once into Melk we did the bike hand over at the boat then went for a walk into the village to try and find some postcards and for Ken to have a final Austrian cappuccino. Melk has an enormous, and very impressive abbey, which sits spectacularly on the top of a high peak overlooking the town.
Back on the boat and cruising to Passau for our disembark in the morning. Ken had a final chance to have a close up look at how the lock system works, it's ingenious.
Tomorrow brings to a close Part C of our adventure. We have ridden 250kms with an overall elevation of 150 metres.
Danube Trip - Day 8
Sunday July 12
Bags packet early. Showered, breakfast eaten, bags outside the door and out of the cabin by 8.30am. We disembarked 'My Story' a little earlier than 10.00am and walked to our accommodation at the Hotel Weiser Hase, fortunately our room was ready and we where allowed access. Using the hotel's free wifi we did our Internet 'stuff', Paula put a few more photos on FaceBook and answered some WhatsApps messages.
We were walking towards St Stephen's Cathedral just before 12 noon and heard the church bells chime, we were in time to join the midday Mass and actually listened to the magnificent organ (the largest Cathedral organ of its kind in Europe).
After Mass we stayed and took in the wonder of the cathedral - breathtaking!
Paula went for a walk after filling out some postcards and Ken caught up on the news they had missed for a week. Also made a decision to get a larger carry bag for Paula so we can distribute the weight more for Mosel and to have extra carrying space to bring home souvenirs. Went for a 50 litres carry bag the same as Ken's black one.
At 6.00pm we walked to a Greek restaurant (Paula is now actually 3/4 Greek) this is the second meal we have had at this restaurant and we have only been in Passau for two meals! We then had a leisurely and romantic walk back along the Inn River bank back to the hotel and started to organise ourselves for Part D - the Mosel Path.
We now need to re-read the information for this section again and sort through what we will need easy access to as part of the packing now that we have the larger carry bag.
Overnight Passau then a 6.30am start for the station and a full day train journey to Trier.
Danube Trip - Day 1
Sunday July 5
We set the alarm for 6.30am (showered and packed), didn't want to miss the train from Munich to Passau and not fully understanding the system or the language we gave ourselves a buffer for any problems. It was relatively easy in the end. Caught the 8.12am train to Passau. Beautiful countryside, different types of crops growing side by side. Very green even though they are having a very warm summer. Houses have red roofs, steep gables and white walls with a considerable number having solar panels. Train transport seems to be the main way to get around. Arrived in Passau no problems. Paula found an English Passau map in the tourist information centre and after locking the big suitcases in lockers at the train station we went and explored. We found the platform, time and train number for our departure after the Danube boat/bike trip, the Hotel Weisser Hase (our stop over hotel on the way back) and the berth location of the 'My Story' our boat for the cruise. All are within easy walking distance of each other.
On our 'explore' Paula took pictures of a monk, a local in typical 'Deutschland' clothing and the inside of St Paul's church with its beautiful black wood furnishings. We also walked to the area where three rivers meet and watched the different colours of the water from the rivers mix as they formed the one river. After exploring we went back to the train station, collected our luggage and walked it down to the pier to load onto the boat 'My Story'. We had to negotiate getting baggage labels as they hadn't been sent to us. Easily done, filled out and our luggage was onboard by 2.40pm. We are cabin 215. We sat under the shade of some trees waiting for our scheduled boarding time of 4.00pm. We were actually able to board at 3.20pm.
After we boarded, which took a little time, a full load, 190 people 8 nationalities we got to our cabin, a lot more room than the Panagoita, we unpacked what we thought we would need and poked around the cabin finding all the bits and pieces, light switches, toilet and bathroom areas and places to store things. We have 2 single beds, one of these is up and out of the way during the day to give the cabin more room. The other is our lounge during the day.
The introductory information, in English, was at 6.15pm after the Germans. Before that we went on a quick explore of the boat. Two decks for passengers, lower deck cabins (only has two small windows), upper deck, our cabin area (a large panoramic window), promenade deck has the restaurant, bar, small library and lounge area (you can walk around the promenade deck on the outside of the enclosed area) and then above that the sundeck, which has a small shaded area and deck chairs for sunbathing. The bikes are also kept up here.
The information from Leslie, our tour director was good, overview of the tour requirements, boat safety and a comprehensive outline of the next day's ride.
From here we went to dinner (4 courses!). Our table number is 30, 8 people, a couple from Reading in England, another couple from Perth, Australia and a third couple, very quiet - haven't got to know them yet. During the information session and dinner we left Passau for Engelhartszell, passing through the first of 11 locks we negotiate on the cruise of over 1000kms through 4 separate countries. The lock process took a while as the boat was lowered almost six metres to the next level of the river. When we docked at Engelhartszell we went for a walk through this beautiful Austrian village tucked between two great mountain ranges either side of the river. To make sure no-one is accidentally left behind you must leave your room key at reception and take a boarding card each to leave the boat. They then cross check keys against boarding cards before they leave.
It was as if you had travelled back in time as the village was reminiscent of your days of reading childhood story books! Very special indeed.
During dinner our room was made up for sleeping by Theresa, our cabin steward. Ken believes Paula might actually get a better sleep this week as she won't be fighting for space as she had to do on the narrow sloping bunk on the Panagoita.
No seasickness bands for Paula, the cruise on the Danube is very smooth, you don't even realise you are moving unless you look outside.
Both in bed by 11.30pm.
Danube Trip - Day 2
Monday July 6
First bike riding day. Programmed ride was 42kms with an elevation over this distance of approximately 60m. Ride from Engelhartszell to Aschach on a well marked course.
Ken woke early as the sun came through the large window onto his bunk at about 4.30am. He thought sitting and watching the river flow by so early in the morning was quite relaxing.
Notified as to a slight change in today's plan (a late night notice under the door), a collision in the Engelhartszell lock (the M/S My Story's funnel clipped the underside of the lock gangway and was bent back which meant the engine wasn't able to work properly and the boat was forced to stay docked until repairs where undertaken during the day) had caused a few problems.
Breakfast eaten and lunch packed (you choose your own lunch items and take them to be wrapped and placed in a bag with an apple and a muesli bar - two bottles of water were left at the door early in the morning). Organised the take over of the bikes, paid the insurance and were given the new tour ride details as well as a spare tube, a tool kit and a security bike lock - the number is easy to remember, 1976 - the year Paula and Ken meet.
The collision in the lock has caused the ride to be an out and back of either 32 or 48kms, the loop and the view from the lookout are still available. The turnaround is at the village of Kobling.
We decided, of course, to do the long loop and add a few extra bits before and after the walking climb of 1.5kms (trudging climb for Ken, he found it tough) to view the Schlogener Schlinge. It was well worth the climb.
The ride along the river bank through the Austrian forests and small villages was spectacular. Flowers in bloom in gardens on windowsill planters and along the sides of the cycle path, Paula even found a bed of poppies just growing in a field, about two hundred metres of sparsely scattered red flowers.
The ride was very easy, no real inclines or difficult climbs, the only change to a regular rhythm of riding was when you had to stop to cross the Danube by ferry, we did this twice on the outward ride and twice when returning. Rode for a small section with two ladies from Canada - sisters, both teachers, one a high school maths teacher the other a K-4 school principal.
Lots of cyclists using the track, not just the ones from the cruise, parents with children, two old men travelling together, families and friends, people obviously doing a long tour, packed to the gunnels (gear everywhere) and others just out for a day's ride on other hire bikes.
We were back by 3.30pm, time for a shower before coffee/tea and cake.
We have a special meeting at 6.15pm to explain other changes that have been forced on the bike cruise director by the accident.
We need to cruise all night to be in Bratislava by 12.30pm for funnel repairs. We are doing an out and back ride of 32kms to Hainburg. We have settled on the Package Plus - with bike tours of Budapest and Vienna - all paid for and sorted after dinner.
At 7.15pm we had the Captain's cocktails followed by dinner at 7.30pm. Because of the changes the Captain offered beer, wine and soft drink free with the meal. Ken tried a German pint (big heavy glass) and thought the beer was very easy to drink, not as bitter as Australian beer). From then on it was just settle in for the long haul cruise to get the repairs done.
No need to set alarms or get up early, read and enjoy some morning sun on the sundeck.
Danube Trip - Day 3
Tuesday July 7
Bratislava - Hainburg - Bratislava, 32kms - no elevation.
Slept in, had a latish breakfast (8.00am and did some sightseeing in the morning on the sundeck. (Paula was bored and wanted to get away and move about a bit more, rather than just sit in the cabin). Watched how the lock system works then an early lunch before we docked for repairs and do the revised bike ride today. Really interested in finding out more about the Danube lock system but will need to wait until we have Internet access. Paula has no roaming, her UK SIM doesn't seem to cover this far. Used Ken's global SIM and roaming to let everyone know where we were and what was happening with Paula's access. Hopefully we can get any WhatsApp, e-mail and FaceBook stuff done when we're back in Passau and stay overnight before we catch the train/s to Trier and the Mosel Path ride.
Lots of water needed today as the temperature will be in the high 30s. We packed the bikes, checked the map and camera and put the bunting on to show we were booked for city bicycle tours for Budapest and Vienna (over the next two days) then headed up the gangplank to start our ride for today around Slovakia. We started following the main group across the bridge (not everyone was riding) when Paula decided we were going the wrong way, so we back tracked the opposite direction. We went the wrong way for another 2kms before we had a good proper look at the map and looked to where the Danube River was - it was on our left, it should be on our right! It was a nice detour and gave us some extra kilometres for the day and also a chance to practise our map reading skills before we tackle the Mosel path by ourselves.
Another Australian couple who were also going the wrong way turned and followed us, they were on electric bikes but struggling in the heat. We figured we needed to help and guide them as they were clueless and were trying to keep up with us so they wouldn't get lost. We rode through Wolfstaf on our way to Hainburg. We stopped for a rest, refresh and an ice cream, Ken is eventually going to try a full open cup ice cream. It was a slower trip back for us than normal as we stopped for extra drinks and time for Megan and Gerry to catch up. Finally got back over the bridge to the path leading to the boat but took a wrong turn, so had to re-navigate and find the right path, didn't go more than a 100 metres before we knew were wrong. Back on the boat showered and ready for tea and our night tour of Blatislava. We almost had a dinner disaster, it hasn't been Paula's best day, she changed her order at lunch time to grilled vegetables. It wasn't until dinner was actually being served did she realise that she had accidentally changed Ken's as well! He had been waiting in great anticipation for tenderloin pork and mashed potato, not grilled vegetables! Paula had a double portion of grilled vegetables. Ken did not go hungry he ate Paula's deep fried cheese, bread and dessert as well as his other 3 courses.
The twilight tour of Bratislava was excellent, great tour guide. Johan had a good sense of humour and knew lots about Slovakia. Interested in doing some research on Bratislava/Slovakia history and its place in the region now.
Still very warm, on our way to Budapest.
Danube Trip - Day 4
Wednesday July 8
Rest Day - Budapest - optional tours and Folklore Show.
Today we did a 4 hr bike tour of Budapest (20kms) - there are far too many places that we visited to mention so we will just give overall impressions. Very important to remember the date 1896 and the number 7, very significant in Hungarian history. Originally Buda and Pest where two different cities and the story surrounding their union is interesting. Buda is on the hilly side of the Danube with the castle and the residential area where as Pest is on the flatter area and has the Parliament, the financial sector and the commercial area, it is the city part of Budapest. It seems to be newer and more developed than Buda. Hungary, or as it is known locally 'Magyar', has a very interesting history influenced significantly by invasions from other countries, most notably, Germany and Russia. We visited sights that were bombed, in some cases three different times by the Allies, Germany and Russia, during WWII. A lot of buildings have been rebuilt to reflect what the architects thought they would have looked like so you have a combination of different styles, all magnificent in their own way. St Stephen's Bascilica was very ornate and prominent in the main square. Franz Linst is also well remembered as a special Hungarian citizen, with numerous buildings and a square named in his honour. We cycled past the house where he spent his last remaining years in Budapest. We also got to visit a thermal pool. Budapest is situated over a hot thermal area with over 38 thermal pools or spas in use around the capital.
It was fairly warm but as a riding group of 10 English speaking nationalities we kept together well and our guide, Peter from the Netherlands, who has lived here 7 years, was very entertaining and knowledgeable.
There were many statues reflecting the importance of various people in the country's history, even Ronald Reagan has a monument indicating his part in freeing Hungary from the Soviet Union. It seemed a little ironic that the only monument still in the city to acknowledge the Soviet Union's role in Hungary's history is across the street from a very heavily fortified and protected USA embassy. We rode to various points and Peter told us a little about buildings and the history. We stopped for a toilet break and coffee in Linst Square. We exchanged €15 for almost 5000 forint (the local currency). Ken said the cappuccino he had was excellent. We explored all the significant sights within the city and navigated around some heavy traffic. In Hungary cyclist's have right of way and in most cases cars gave way to us. We finished back at the boat at 2.00pm, ate the packed lunch we took on the ride then walked back into Pest to get an ice cream and find a free wifi spot. We walked over the Chain Bridge back to St Stephen's Square and tried to find the markets, it was even hotter and muggier than it had been on the ride. We didn't get to the market but stopped for ice cream and did some Internet 'catching up'.
We returned to the boat just in time as it started to rain quite heavily and continued for a few hours with lightning and strong winds, several trees were up rooted and branches blown off. Hungary needed the rain as they had been having a very hot and dry Summer.
Dinner again was a 4 course meal - too much eating!
At 8.00pm we left for our Hungarian Folklore excursion and night time tour of Budapest. It had stopped raining. We had an interesting tour guide, George, his English was heavily accented with Hungarian but we also learnt some interesting facts from him as well. Hungarian music has a strong gypsy element and the folk dancing is heavily male dominated, the men almost dance like 'roosters' showing off to each other and to attract the best females. The dances are very energetic with lots of leg slapping, high kicks and fast spins. Ken had been wondering, are all Hungarian males relatively small in statue as all the dancers, musicians and serving personal weren't overall tall, he felt rather comfortable standing next to them! We had the chance to try some Hungarian 'medicine' (brandy), the local red and white wine, the bread as well as some goulash soup. The soup was quite tasty. The Hungarian girls did a dance with a bottle balanced on their heads, Paula was picked to try and balance a bottle as well and did a good job. But she just sat still, she didn't try dancing with it.
After the folklore show we hopped back on the bus for the night tour, which was a little spoilt as it had started to rain again. Budapest is a beautiful city at night and the city area of Pest is very lively with a great restaurant area with a coffee house called 'The New York Coffee House', it looked spectacular from the outside, can only imagine it's history and decor on the inside.
Our last stop was a great lookout on the Buda side overlooking Pest, but it was raining too heavily to appreciate the view. The temperature had dropped more than 15C from the heat of the afternoon which will make it more comfortable to sleep. Full ride tomorrow, no out and back as the first two have been.
Danube Trip - Day 5
Thursday July 9
Vac to Esztergom 43kms - 40m elevation
We slept well last night didn't wake until almost 7.00am ( except that Paula got up at 5.00am to do washing then went back to bed) and we were still one of the first couples for breakfast, looks like most people partied on after the folklore show. Paula organised her lunch for the ride straight away to avoid the rush but didn't really need to as not many had arrived for breakfast even though we had taken a while to finish ourselves, very light breakfast and not much taken for lunch either, trying somehow to counter the 4 course dinners we have been getting.
We were on the bikes and into Vac township by 8.45am. Looked like a nice place to explore once the shops opened. The initial part of the path was well sign posted with 3 hazards well marked. We were making steady progress even though we were riding into a slight headwind. Paula stopped for a few photos along the way to get a sense of the Hungarian countryside, the impression is they don't really have much flat land to cultivate and any machinery we saw looked old and well used. We have lost the lens cover cap for the Nikon!
A slight navigation problem, Ken is not helping by not listening properly, had us almost catching the ferry to cross the Danube one town before we needed too! All sorted before we went to catch the ferry so no problem. Had a quick snack and some more photos here.
In some parts the surface condition of the cycle path and roads are really good, then other times they are almost as bad as some of the country roads at home but at least they have cycle paths nearly everywhere which is excellent. We got to Szob and had to wait about twenty minutes for the ferry. It was 840 forint each to cross, which left us just enough Hungarian currency to have a cappuccino and hot chocolate in Esztergom. Paula said the hot chocolate was nice and hot and very chocolatie. The ferry had almost 80 Rad & Reisen riders for the crossing. Six of the last 12 kilometres into Esztergom was on a major road so we put our heads down and pedalled to get this section over as quickly as possible, Paula enjoyed the chance to expend a bit of energy and still had enough to go for a walk around the old castle and Esztergom Basilica for nearly two hours after the boat had arrived and we had left the bikes to be loaded.
The crew performance was a little lame but entertaining all the same. Tonight we cruise to Vienna.
Danube Trip - Day 6
Friday July 10
Rest Day - Vienna - optional tours and Operetta concert
Normal breakfast but an early lunch as we are due to depart for our Vienna bike tour (20kms) at 1.45pm. It was a late start as the boat wasn't due to dock in Vienna until 1.00pm.
We met our guide Chris, she is a native of Vienna, with nine other participants, mostly Canadian. We travelled the 5 kilometres into the city centre, District One, along well defined and marked cycle paths, passing an unbelievable number of really good graffiti art on bridge pillars and archways.
For the first two points of interest it seemed to be stop and talk - the Canadians' ask too many questions! It was starting to become rather tiresome listening to them tell Chris how much better their systems were than Austria. It needed to be more 'seeing' than talking. Luckily the cycle paths allowed us to move quickly between the major attractions and we got to see most of them in the 3 hours of the tour. There are just too many wonderful sights to see to even try and remember and write about them all. You would need to spend a week in Vienna to do it justice. The main buildings are positioned around what is called the Ring Road which was once the location of the wall built to defend the town. When the wall was no longer necessary the King decided to remove the wall and replace it with elaborate and beautifully designed architectural buildings all with links to existing designs and structures to other buildings around the world. They are quite magnificent.
Vienna also has a park area over 5 kilometres long with grass areas, pools, amusement parks and a wonderful ferris wheel built in 1900 which still uses the same old 'train carriage' design capsules on the wheel. The whole amusement area feels like the 1950s.
They teach their children to ride push bikes early in Vienna, we saw a father with his daughter, no older than 3 riding her own bike behind him (no training wheels), in the park. On the road!!!
There are a number of great water drinking fountains around Vienna, fed from a nature spring. The water is cool and refreshing, the best water we had tasted all week. We also had the opportunity to go past the area where the Vienna white horses are but unfortunately we did not get to see any as the stable area they are in was under repair and was all closed off. We did get to see numerous horse and carriages in the same area and around St Steven's Church. The old inner area of Vienna has a number of 'pedestrian' only areas and even the cyclists had to walk their bikes. We got to see the gold statue of Strauss in the park named after him and the Mozart Concert Hall.
We also found out that in the period Beethoven lived in the city he had 32 residences. Apparently his neighbours complained about the loud noise day and night and he was forced to continually move.
We left our guide at St Steven's Square and navigated our way back to the boat by ourselves. Paula almost got wiped out by another cyclist as she forgot she was in Europe and pulled over to the left to take a photo right across the path of a fast moving overtaking cyclist. She now knows a few Austrian swear words. Luckily he was a good rider and managed to miss her and stay upright himself.
On arriving back at the boat we had time for a quick shower before dinner.
Dinner was served right on the dot of 6.00pm and finished in time to allow us to catch the bus and travel into the palace at 7.30pm for the Operetta concert. They are very civilised in Vienna, we had free wifi on the bus to and from the palace. The concert was everything Paula had hoped for; Mozart and Strauss chamber music, male and female opera singers and two ballerinas all set in a dining hall of the castle. The playing was excellent, the conductor and also the lead violinist was exceptional. On the number of occasions his fingers were just blurs on the neck of the violin.
We wished it had gone longer than the hour and a half. Back on the bus for a night ride back to the boat, the streets are quiet and seem to glow with a soft light. Vienna is a beautiful city.
Danube Trip - Day 7
Saturday July 11
Krems to Melk 37kms - 40m elevation
Today is our last ride on the Danube and is expected to be a leisurely ride in good weather with lots of interesting places to visit.
We had our last information session at 8.15am (we had one everyday - a session in German followed by a session in English - found out the capital B in German stands for 'ss') to explain the day's happenings and to go over the ride for the next day - this has been good as Leslie, the tour director, gives you landmarks to look for and indicates possible hazards. The one today was on information for the bike hand back this afternoon and disembarking information for tomorrow.
This section of the Danube Boat/Bike tour was by far the best. The weather was prefect cycling conditions and there was lots to see and do. We started by going the reverse direction into Krems. They had a great Saturday market area that Paula would have liked more time in but the look she had gave her a few more ideas of what to take back as gifts. We cycled back towards and passed the boat on cobbled stoned, narrow back roads through the small villages. We were to discover that almost all bike paths on this route that went through small villages (and there were a few) were cobbled stoned roads. They would be quite interesting to navigate in the wet!
After Krems the next major stop was the village of Durnstein, not only famous for the Apricot schnaps and chocolates, but it also has a great old ruined fortress where King Richard I was held captive. It overlooks the Danube valley. The view was spectacular and well worth the climb to the top.
From here we rode through the Waucha Valley with thousands of Apricot trees and grape vines covering the valley floor and extending up along the walls of the mountains. We stopped at the village of St Michaels for lunch and climbed the old tower to take some photos. The Austrian bike paths are well though out, with paths on both sides of the Danube, good signage for direction and strategically placed benches to allow people a place off the cycle path to have a rest. It was also interesting to see the number of small businesses set up along the path purely to support the bicycle fraternity of the country, which there are many. We were amazed at the number of people out cycling, you would barely go a minute without someone passing you going the other direction or overtaking you. The mix of people was quite interesting, a number were family groups, teenagers, older couples out riding or serious riders on road bikes and travelling fairly quickly. We met and had a quick conversation with a couple from Horsham in Victoria who were just nearing the end of a four week self-guided tour.
It was interesting that more so today than any other day we kept meeting up with the other couples from our dining table, which was great because it allowed the opportunity for us (Ken and Paula) to be photographed together at some of the places we visited.
The last 18kms into Melk was through great countryside but no special places of interest so it allowed us to ride with some rhyme and pace. Once into Melk we did the bike hand over at the boat then went for a walk into the village to try and find some postcards and for Ken to have a final Austrian cappuccino. Melk has an enormous, and very impressive abbey, which sits spectacularly on the top of a high peak overlooking the town.
Back on the boat and cruising to Passau for our disembark in the morning. Ken had a final chance to have a close up look at how the lock system works, it's ingenious.
Tomorrow brings to a close Part C of our adventure. We have ridden 250kms with an overall elevation of 150 metres.
Danube Trip - Day 8
Sunday July 12
Bags packet early. Showered, breakfast eaten, bags outside the door and out of the cabin by 8.30am. We disembarked 'My Story' a little earlier than 10.00am and walked to our accommodation at the Hotel Weiser Hase, fortunately our room was ready and we where allowed access. Using the hotel's free wifi we did our Internet 'stuff', Paula put a few more photos on FaceBook and answered some WhatsApps messages.
We were walking towards St Stephen's Cathedral just before 12 noon and heard the church bells chime, we were in time to join the midday Mass and actually listened to the magnificent organ (the largest Cathedral organ of its kind in Europe).
After Mass we stayed and took in the wonder of the cathedral - breathtaking!
Paula went for a walk after filling out some postcards and Ken caught up on the news they had missed for a week. Also made a decision to get a larger carry bag for Paula so we can distribute the weight more for Mosel and to have extra carrying space to bring home souvenirs. Went for a 50 litres carry bag the same as Ken's black one.
At 6.00pm we walked to a Greek restaurant (Paula is now actually 3/4 Greek) this is the second meal we have had at this restaurant and we have only been in Passau for two meals! We then had a leisurely and romantic walk back along the Inn River bank back to the hotel and started to organise ourselves for Part D - the Mosel Path.
We now need to re-read the information for this section again and sort through what we will need easy access to as part of the packing now that we have the larger carry bag.
Overnight Passau then a 6.30am start for the station and a full day train journey to Trier.
Mosel
Mosel Trip - Day 1
Monday July 13
Woke at 5.30am, probably the worst night's sleep we have had (traffic noise was continual and loud) even more so than sleeping on the narrow bunk of the Panagoita. We showered and dressed and walked the 10 mins to the train with time to spare. The first class area on the train was comfortable but the motion was enough for Paula to put her bands back on, as a precaution. The weather is a little overcast today, probably fortunate that we are travelling by train from Passau - Koblenz - Trier and not on the bikes. Had a good chat with Fritz, a German businessman who spoke good English. He suggested two good apps to use for travelling in Germany; Bahn.de - train travel app and Qixxit.de - pricing touring app.
We almost missed the connecting train to Trier. After Frankfurt the train had to slow for track work which added 10 minutes to our arrival time in Koblenz - we had a window of 4 minutes to get from platform 3 to 9. We had stairs to negotiate both down and up, no lift! Ken got his luggage onboard while a young teenage girl held the door open, he ran back to help Paula and hurry her on the train just as it was leaving, about 30 seconds to spare. It was a long day on the trains, almost 9 hours in total, early start so no breakfast and just some fruit and biscuits for lunch - you can image we 'devoured' dinner!
Deciding the route for the Mosel ride wasn't as easy as we had thought! You have a number of options with variations on the options! Travel the left bank or the right bank or a combination of both. Eventually we decided on doing the original Mosel bike route which means navigating backwards a little from our hotel - Hotel Zur Post. With some help from the hotel manager (he has had so many questions about how to get to the original path, he has his own mud map ready to photocopy!) it was easy to follow as well. We spoke to two Canadian ladies at dinner who were also deciding what to do so we may have company for the first part of the ride. It was time to head back to the room (this is the best hotel room we have had, lots of space) we distributed luggage across the three bags (to keep them all under 20 kilos) and then organised stuff to go in the panniers for our first riding day on the Mosel path.
Mosel Trip - Day 2
Tuesday July 14
First Ride Day: Trier - Trittenheim 42kms
Woke to a day that was still a little overcast but expected to clear and be a fine 25C day. It didn't reach 25C, it remained overcast and stayed around 19C until we reached Detzem, where we removed our wind jackets and enjoyed some sunshine, it reached 22C in the end.
Even though we had a 'mud map' from the hotel manager of Zur Post to get to the Mosel bicycle path the roadworks being undertaken made finding the path a bit more difficult. Paula's navigation skills found the path and thankfully Ken hadn't gone too far ahead not to hear her call out. Once on the path it was well marked and easy to follow. The path basically follows the Mosel River although at different times we had a few 'inland' routes to navigate, some through industrial areas but most through vineyards. Early in the day we took a detour into a small village looking for a supermarket to get some supplies, mainly water but had no luck. It wasn't until we reached Schweich and switched from the left bank to the right bank that we found what we needed. The small villages are all different. One we particularly liked, and spent some time riding around was Longuich, Paula took a photo of a monument to those from the village who had died in WWI and WWII. All the villages have narrow streets and cobbled stoned as they would have been when they were first built. Most people drive small cars and because of the tight emission laws almost all of the cars are new.
The vineyards continue endlessly all around you. The tractors used in the vineyards are really narrow, purpose built to move up and down between the narrow tracks of the grape vines. Really strange to see, and they must be strong tractors because some of the climbs on the sides of the hills are really steep. We also had time to stop and watch the locks working at Detzem. It was interesting to watch the locks working from the outside as we had experienced them numerous times from inside the M/S My Story on the Danube River.
We stopped for lunch at Mehring and Ken had a cappuccino while Paula took a walk around the streets. At various stages we saw the remains of Roman walls, statues and obelisks and took the obligatory photos. A lot of the cycle path we travelled was originally used to transport wine by the Romans and in some cases still has the cobbled surface. The whole day was at a leisurely pace but we had a chance to do some more physical exercise when we went for dinner in Trittenheim. Our guesthouse in Trittenheim was great, our landlord was a lovely lady and suggested dinner at the Zummethof Hotel on top of the mountain range across the Mosel River from the guesthouse. Said it is good walk and takes about 30 minutes.
After unpacking, having a shower and organising gear for tomorrow's ride we went for a walk around Trittenheim, it is a mix of modern homes with old German housing, with numerous guest houses like the one we are staying in, which was called Hotel Weingut Hermeshof.
Around 5.30pm we started across the bridge towards the Zummethof, it was a good steady climb up the main road, then onto a track used to work the vineyards, up a set of stairs to another vineyard track to the main entry driveway of the hotel. If nothing else the walk was worth the view and we had definitely earnt our meal. Paula was able to take some great photos, especially a panorama view with the iPhone.
The walk back was much easier! Before going to bed Paula tried to load a few more photos on to Facebook but the Internet here is very slow and patchy.
We went over the ride for tomorrow and studied the Bikeline Guide to make sure we don't miss any of the important historical landmarks or sights. We are doing a few 'optional extras' tomorrow just to make the ride a little longer, down for 44kms, through Urzig and Kinheim on the left bank and back to Zeltingen on the right bank to stay overnight.
Mosel Trip - Day 3
Wednesday July 15
Second Ride Day: Trittenheim - Zeltingen 35kms (Urzig 38kms or Krov 44kms where suggested alternate routes)
As we had figured out how to use the Bikeline Guide a little better we decided today to do an optional route which gave us a few more kilometres and a number of different villages to ride through. It required doing the right bank and left bank then retracing some parts of the right bank, going the other direction, to get to Zeltingen where we are staying overnight at the Hotel Restaurant Ehses.
We made sure we had a big breakfast and just took some fruit for lunch. The first 30 minutes of the ride we had the wind jackets on but the weather and our bodies soon warmed up. Today we just seemed to be riding, no real sights of significance to see to begin with. Travelled through continuous areas of vineyards, with every available space being used for grapes. The area didn't seem to be as mountainous as yesterday and at times we rode on the Mosel River flats where we saw some market garden plots and a strawberry field full of people picking, not sure how their backs would be after a day of picking strawberries!
The most interesting place we visited today was Bernkastel-Kues. It had buildings that reminded you of the Germany history you learnt about in primary school, Tudor style buildings and lots of narrow cobbled streets. Paula had a good walk around the area whilst Ken savoured the local cappuccino and cakes. The town was very much of two halves with one side of the river having the old style buildings and the other side more modern contemporary business style development. It was here we crossed over to the less popular and not as well presented bike path on the left bank. We had a section just after Wehlen that was 2.5kms of gravel. We stopped for a 'fruit break' at Wehlen and took some photos of the panoramic view of the vineyards on the mountainside and didn't realise at the time that we were taking pictures of the famous Zeltingen giant sundial! It was constructed by an abbot in 1620 and displays every hour during daylight. In the photos you can see the dial face.
It would seem that from about 2.30pm onwards everything in the villages stops. We rode through three small villages around 3.00pm and it was like riding through ghost towns, nobody anywhere, no cars on the road, no people to be seen or noises to be heard and everything was closed, it was a little eerie.
We crossed back over the Mosel River at Kinheim and headed back towards Zeltingen and came across the construction of the highest road bridge Ken had ever seen, the German's don't muck around with building things!
When we arrived in Zeltingen we were met by the hotel manager who looked remarkably like the Swedish chef from the Muppets, he was the hotel restaurant chef as it was and cooked a delicious meal.
We went for a walk before and after dinner around the town, which is very picturesque with the old German buildings and narrow cobbled streets. We came across our first German school (very little play area) and watched a town concert in St Stephen's Square with a play and music being performed by the locals.
After going for a look at St Stephen's church built in 1793 Ken got the chance to have his special ice cream (death by chocolate) in a glass cup. He is happy now!
Paula is taking every opportunity to learn and use more German words with some help from the translator app on Ken's phone.
Both Paula and Ken are feeling a little weary today, hopefully we get our second wind tomorrow for the last three days.
Tomorrow we follow the suggested guide and hopefully get to see all the great sights in Traben-Trarbach.
Mosel Trip - Day 4
Thursday July 16
Third Ride Day: Zeltingen - Zell 36kms (we actually ended up doing 50+kms)
The planned route changed right from the start, we rode back towards the Zeltingen sundial for some pictures and changing our plans was the order of the day. Paula was able to find a supermarket after breakfast and bought some fresh fruit and a bread roll each.
Instead of doing the listed 36kms we did closer to 50kms in some very warm weather, it got to 34C. The start of the ride had us riding a little inland from the river just above the flood plain. When we got to Wolf we crossed the river for a look at Krov. We rode through the town on a main street then returned along the cycle track to get back to Wolf. From Wolf we travelled inland through more vineyards and passed a number of different camping grounds and camper van sights. It was interesting to note that even the people in camping grounds have to pay for wasser (water), you don't even get free, fresh water with a meal.
Traben-Trarbach (one village on each side of the river) was the biggest town we travelled through today and even though Traben had the more spectacular buildings Trarbach was a more interesting place. It had one road from the main centre that followed closely the line of a narrow valley for about 3kms back with buildings flush with the valley walls it was that narrow. After exploring Trarbach we crossed over the river and found a place for a cappuccino, cake and iced chocolate (which Paula said was hotter than some hot chocolate she has had!)
We crossed back over to the right bank and continued on towards Ponderich with the cycle path again a little closer to the river. Just before Ponderich we stopped for our bread roll and a break. It was getting pretty warm and Ken was feeling the heat and with only one bottle of water for the day took another break in Ponderich for a coke and water for Paula - you need to make sure it is natural water (no gas), most everyone in Germany seems to like mineral water.
The ride into Zell was right on the river bank with some parts just a dirt track, interesting trying to pass in some places!
Zell was great, after we found our hotel (Hotel Haus Notenau) unpacked, did the necessary washing (bike clothes mainly as we had perspired a lot today - it was a perfect drying day, everything was dry when we came back from dinner) and showered we walked up to the bike shop just near us to try and find Paula a Germany lady's bicycle shirt - no luck.
It was close to five o'clock, a little early for dinner, so we explored the side streets of Zell. It had lots of interesting restaurants and shops and even had the German Army doing a fund raiser and army awareness display. They had real guns (with bullets visible in the machine gun feeder belt), and an armoured personnel carrier. Ken tried a bratwurst sausage roll - €2, Paula said he was now supporting the German Army!
We continued exploring and found a few more side streets to enter before we decided it was time for dinner. We both had very filling meals. Paula kept the menu for little while to learn some more German words - by the end of this week Ken will have his own personal German interrupter she is doing so well. A Greeko/German lass - loves Greek food and knows all the German words for the different foods!
Paula was still keen to explore so she continued looking around the village whilst Ken wondered back to the hotel. On the way he thinks he has figured out the number plate licence system for Germany. He must have really dawdled as Paula beat him back to the Zell Cat statue (he looks like Felix the Cat). Black cats are an interesting story in Zell.
Deciding the the route for tomorrow has been interesting as there are a number of different things on either side of the river. The number of times we criss cross, back and forward across the river may be determined by the weather, it is expected to be around 37C. The total distance if we just stay on one side is 47kms - time will tell.
Mosel Trip - Day 5
Friday July 17
Fourth Ride Day: Zell - Treis Karden 47kms
It was a very different riding today with the landscape changing as well as the river. The Mosel seems to meander more the closer it gets to Koblenz where it joins the Rhine. The water colour is more greeny/brown than the deep green it is further up the river and the current doesn't seem as strong. We also noticed the reduction in the number of grapevines and the change in colour of the soil. Not to say there still weren't grapevines, not just as many. It was again more riding than seeing any particular sites although we passed an old monastery, an old fort that was being used as a cafe and a beautiful castle on the mountainside overlooking Cochem. It looked exactly like the pictures from the fairytale storybooks.
A lot of the riding today was alongside the road and to Ken's delight it seemed that everyone who had a motorcycle in Germany must have been out to see him. Almost all were in leathers or protective gear. There was even a group out riding that had patches, about 20 Harleys all told.
It was in Cochem that we again ran into a couple from the Netherlands who are doing the same tour as us. Although staying in different hotels on some nights we have had the chance to have breakfast with them on two occasions. We still don't even know their names! It was also in Cochem that we both had a special 'cup' ice cream.
We didn't follow the right bank all the way through to Treis- Karden as we had planned but swapped to the left bank after Cochem as the right bank path had a significant section unpaved. We also took two detours, one was across the Mosel after miss reading the map and the second one was an aborted climb to a Roman grave site, it was just too difficult a climb and too far. We didn't realise how steep it was until we were coming back down, a little reminiscent of the Greece climbs.
Along some of the vineyards we had seen a yellow notice (obviously written in German) with a helicopter on it, we found out today what it was. They use helicopters to crop dust the vineyards. The day warmed up again after about 1.00pm and thankfully we had a slight tailwind for our last 8kms into Tries-Karden. Finding our hotel, the Gastehaus Weingut Knaup, was the most difficult one to find so far, it was hidden in a small back street and the Velociped instructions didn't really help, haven't worked out what 'vis-a-vis' as a direction instruction actually means.
Once settled, we went through our routine of storing the bikes, taking the panniers, finding the breakfast room, getting the details for breakfast times, being shown our room, collecting our luggage, unpacking and organising things for tomorrow (including directions and possible things to see), wash the bike clothes from today, shower and change then just settle down and relax. At this time we also check for possible wifi connections and if not turn data roaming on just long enough to check e-mails and respond to any WhatsApps or Viber messages.
Usually takes us to about 5.30pm. From then on it is look for somewhere for dinner then after dinner, roam the village/s looking at the unique buildings and countryside. Remember it is still light till 10.00pm.
Tries-Karden is like all villages that are separated by the river, one is vibrant and active and the other is more sedate and quiet. Karden in this instance is very quiet whilst Tries has a busy village square and many more restaurants.
Tomorrow is our last day of riding and sees us entering the very busy city of Koblenz.
Mosel Trip - Day 6
Saturday July 18
Fifth Ride Day: Treis Karden - Koblenz 43kms
We where a little late in starting today maybe because breakfast was so nice, or maybe it was an unknown reluctance to want to finish our whole riding adventure. It has been an unforgettable three weeks, with each riding tour having different aspects and different memories.
We both wore the Wagga bicycle shirt and where able to ride alongside each other for the morning portion of the ride before the track got too busy. The morning was slightly cloudy so it wasn't too hot. We had our first and only real misadventure in Alken. Paula stopped to take a picture of a castle and Ken had ridden on not knowing that Paula had been blocked by traffic and had lost sight of him. To make matters worse the bike track wasn't clearly marked (which unfortunately was the norm for this section of the path), Paula took the lower road whilst Ken was on the high road path. When Ken realised Paula wasn't behind him he turned back unfortunately not seeing Paula on the lower track as there was a wall and a road between the two paths.
The agreement from the start was that if we were parted to go back to the last time we had seen each other which in this case was the photo stop. Ken arrived first and sent a WhatsApp message (as he couldn't phone) to let Paula know where he was. Both were delighted to see each other when Paula arrived. They both kept a very close eye on each other for the rest of the ride!
Coffee and cake today were in Niederfell before crossing the Mosel to Gondorf and Kobern. Both where a mixture of old and new buildings with Kobern having a lovely square overlooked by a castle. We were again back in vineyard country and every place that could be used to grow a grapevine was used. As we got closer to Koblenz we had to try and work out the best way to get to the Hotel Brenner. The maps and instructions weren't as clear as they could have been but we managed to get ourselves close except we were on the wrong side of a very busy freeway with no obvious way across. Thankfully a German man could see our plight and with his help and knowledge of the area we found the way across the freeway (an intricate walkway built across the whole freeway with various paths leading from the centre section.) He guided us up onto the bridge then showed us which exit to use and the next set of lights to turn at to get to the hotel. Once at the hotel we then had to take the bikes about 100m away to lock in a parking garage. We went back to the hotel carrying all our gear from the panniers, found our rooms, tossed the helmets on the bed and sighed - it was over.
Once showered and dressed we explored Koblenz, it has lots to see. We decided on a plan of things to do tomorrow before we need to catch the train to Frankfurt at 3.00pm (the station is not far from the hotel so we will be able to walk), had dinner then explored the old town of Koblenz. As part of our exploration we walked down to where the Mosel meets the Rhine. Koblenz in Latin means the meeting of two rivers.
Mosel Trip - Day 7
Sunday July 19
Travel by train Koblenz to Frankfurt - 3.00pm arrive 4.50pm
We woke this morning to heavy rain which had cooled the night time temperature allowing us to have a good sleep. We were thankful at the time that we weren't riding and even though the rain cleared by 8.30am it was replaced by a strong wind.
There was no hurry to do anything today other than to try and make Mass at 9.30am. We had a leisurely breakfast, packed and left our luggage at the hotel and went for a walk along the left bank of the Rhine taking photos on our way to the church we had found the day before. Even though the Mass was in German we could still follow the pattern, but noticed that to say something in German actually takes longer than it does in English.
After Mass we wandered down to the skyway that takes you across the Rhine to the other side and a magnificent fortress which not only had displays of what has been discovered over the centuries at the fortress but also special exhibitions such as the history of chocolate, the story of the development of Playmobil (like Lego people but larger pieces), some famous German inventions and examples of what living at the fort has been like over the many years. It was quite interesting but in the time we had we didn't really get to see it all.
Once we had 'skywayed' back over the Rhine we realised we had used three different travel modes on three different rivers (cruised the Danube and cycled the Mosel) all in the space of two weeks. In actual fact we have travelled almost all modes, walk, bicycle, bus, train, barge and plane - just missing a swim and ride on a horse!
After the fortress visit we found a Greek restaurant for 'grilled vegetables', still can't find any as good as we had on the Panagoita, but will keep trying, before we headed back for our luggage and the walk to the Koblenz station.
Luckily we checked the tickets we had with the ticket information otherwise we were looking to get on a train on the wrong platform that was going to Frankfurt Main but was stopping at all stations. We were directed to a train with only three stops but being a Sunday in Summer holidays it was packed. Ken stayed with the luggage whilst the conductor found Paula a seat - it was within eye contact so no-one was going to be 'lost' again.
Once we reached Frankfurt we found the Hotel National quite easily, settled in then went for a walk along both banks of the Main River. Lots of people out on a Sunday afternoon even though it was quite windy. Frankfurt has a very multicultural population.
Dinner was at a Koing Bistro, something different, Ken had a rhinewurst and chips meal (with a beer) and Paula a salad. We still can't believe people smoke in eating establishments in Germany.
To settle dinner we went for a walk through the Frankfurt main station, we can't get over the sheer size of the stations in Munich and Frankfurt. They are a totally different world with the noise, the smell and the number of people and the fact that there is such a variety of eating places!
Tomorrow we hope to do a hop on hop off bus tour of Frankfurt to get a feel for its size, diversity and see the major shopping areas before we catch our flight back to London.
Mosel Trip - Day 8
Monday July 20
Again a little longer in bed this morning, it was a very warm night and even the little fan provided didn't really reduce the room temperature by much. It wasn't until just before the sun came up that it cooled down enough to have a covering. We showered and arrived for breakfast just after 8.30am. We had decided to eat enough to not have to worry about lunch and just have a piece of fruit at the airport. Paula enjoyed breakfast, Ken thought it was a bit more 'processed' than what we had been having but still went back for three servings of the different dishes, so it couldn't have been too bad.
We left our luggage at the hotel and walked across to the bus terminal (next to the train station) to see if a 'Hop On Hop Off' bus service was available but had no luck. We did find a service later in the city but it was a little late by then to use it.
Using a city map provided by the hotel we navigated into the main shopping area. It was a 'mile long' avenue, Zell Street, with a tree lined centre and only pedestrian access on very wide paths with shops lining the sides. It was designed for everyone and made shopping and navigating around really easy. Paula could spend weeks and she still wouldn't get to all the stores let alone all the shops on the side street. We were again thankful that we weren't riding today as it rained quite heavily from 11.30am to 1.00pm and made the roads and cycle ways really slippery.
Paula was in the shops and Ken was undercover for most of the time it rained so it wasn't a real concern. Around 1.00pm we did some more exploring and tried to find the Museum dedicated to the Jews who had been persecuted during WWII. We found it but it was closed for renovations. A lady suggested we might be interested in a similar museum on the Main River, we found it but it is closed Mondays. We headed back towards the shopping area and come across St Paul's Square which had a Catholic Church built in 1340. It wasn't ornate as some others we have seen but had a number of really old statues and small praying alcoves.
From here we wandered back to the National Hotel, collected our luggage, caught a taxi to the airport - which got us there a lot more quickly than expected. It didn't matter as Paula was happy to wander around the third busiest airport in Europe after Heathrow and Paris.
The flight from Frankfurt to London was suppose to leave at 6.00pm but we were left waiting until 6.25pm before take off. To add to the time arriving we were held in the plane at Heathrow for a set of stairs to arrive as we had to land at the domestic terminal. A bit of 'fun' was had recharging the Oyster cards, we had intended to put £20 on each but because the machine rejected Ken's card on the second Oyster card he went to another machine and accidentally recharged the same Oyster card as before. Finally it was all sorted and both Oyster cards were recharged.
After the delayed flight the Oyster card hassle and the trip on the Tube and the bus we finally arrived at 9.30pm for a lovely tea prepared by Nat, spring rolls, pasties and a small piece of spaghetti pie (Paula settled for some almonds and chocolate for her tea.)
We how have a day to get some washing and ironing done, clear the bags and think about what we need to take for Wales.
Part E of our adventure starts on Wednesday.
Mosel Trip - Day 1
Monday July 13
Woke at 5.30am, probably the worst night's sleep we have had (traffic noise was continual and loud) even more so than sleeping on the narrow bunk of the Panagoita. We showered and dressed and walked the 10 mins to the train with time to spare. The first class area on the train was comfortable but the motion was enough for Paula to put her bands back on, as a precaution. The weather is a little overcast today, probably fortunate that we are travelling by train from Passau - Koblenz - Trier and not on the bikes. Had a good chat with Fritz, a German businessman who spoke good English. He suggested two good apps to use for travelling in Germany; Bahn.de - train travel app and Qixxit.de - pricing touring app.
We almost missed the connecting train to Trier. After Frankfurt the train had to slow for track work which added 10 minutes to our arrival time in Koblenz - we had a window of 4 minutes to get from platform 3 to 9. We had stairs to negotiate both down and up, no lift! Ken got his luggage onboard while a young teenage girl held the door open, he ran back to help Paula and hurry her on the train just as it was leaving, about 30 seconds to spare. It was a long day on the trains, almost 9 hours in total, early start so no breakfast and just some fruit and biscuits for lunch - you can image we 'devoured' dinner!
Deciding the route for the Mosel ride wasn't as easy as we had thought! You have a number of options with variations on the options! Travel the left bank or the right bank or a combination of both. Eventually we decided on doing the original Mosel bike route which means navigating backwards a little from our hotel - Hotel Zur Post. With some help from the hotel manager (he has had so many questions about how to get to the original path, he has his own mud map ready to photocopy!) it was easy to follow as well. We spoke to two Canadian ladies at dinner who were also deciding what to do so we may have company for the first part of the ride. It was time to head back to the room (this is the best hotel room we have had, lots of space) we distributed luggage across the three bags (to keep them all under 20 kilos) and then organised stuff to go in the panniers for our first riding day on the Mosel path.
Mosel Trip - Day 2
Tuesday July 14
First Ride Day: Trier - Trittenheim 42kms
Woke to a day that was still a little overcast but expected to clear and be a fine 25C day. It didn't reach 25C, it remained overcast and stayed around 19C until we reached Detzem, where we removed our wind jackets and enjoyed some sunshine, it reached 22C in the end.
Even though we had a 'mud map' from the hotel manager of Zur Post to get to the Mosel bicycle path the roadworks being undertaken made finding the path a bit more difficult. Paula's navigation skills found the path and thankfully Ken hadn't gone too far ahead not to hear her call out. Once on the path it was well marked and easy to follow. The path basically follows the Mosel River although at different times we had a few 'inland' routes to navigate, some through industrial areas but most through vineyards. Early in the day we took a detour into a small village looking for a supermarket to get some supplies, mainly water but had no luck. It wasn't until we reached Schweich and switched from the left bank to the right bank that we found what we needed. The small villages are all different. One we particularly liked, and spent some time riding around was Longuich, Paula took a photo of a monument to those from the village who had died in WWI and WWII. All the villages have narrow streets and cobbled stoned as they would have been when they were first built. Most people drive small cars and because of the tight emission laws almost all of the cars are new.
The vineyards continue endlessly all around you. The tractors used in the vineyards are really narrow, purpose built to move up and down between the narrow tracks of the grape vines. Really strange to see, and they must be strong tractors because some of the climbs on the sides of the hills are really steep. We also had time to stop and watch the locks working at Detzem. It was interesting to watch the locks working from the outside as we had experienced them numerous times from inside the M/S My Story on the Danube River.
We stopped for lunch at Mehring and Ken had a cappuccino while Paula took a walk around the streets. At various stages we saw the remains of Roman walls, statues and obelisks and took the obligatory photos. A lot of the cycle path we travelled was originally used to transport wine by the Romans and in some cases still has the cobbled surface. The whole day was at a leisurely pace but we had a chance to do some more physical exercise when we went for dinner in Trittenheim. Our guesthouse in Trittenheim was great, our landlord was a lovely lady and suggested dinner at the Zummethof Hotel on top of the mountain range across the Mosel River from the guesthouse. Said it is good walk and takes about 30 minutes.
After unpacking, having a shower and organising gear for tomorrow's ride we went for a walk around Trittenheim, it is a mix of modern homes with old German housing, with numerous guest houses like the one we are staying in, which was called Hotel Weingut Hermeshof.
Around 5.30pm we started across the bridge towards the Zummethof, it was a good steady climb up the main road, then onto a track used to work the vineyards, up a set of stairs to another vineyard track to the main entry driveway of the hotel. If nothing else the walk was worth the view and we had definitely earnt our meal. Paula was able to take some great photos, especially a panorama view with the iPhone.
The walk back was much easier! Before going to bed Paula tried to load a few more photos on to Facebook but the Internet here is very slow and patchy.
We went over the ride for tomorrow and studied the Bikeline Guide to make sure we don't miss any of the important historical landmarks or sights. We are doing a few 'optional extras' tomorrow just to make the ride a little longer, down for 44kms, through Urzig and Kinheim on the left bank and back to Zeltingen on the right bank to stay overnight.
Mosel Trip - Day 3
Wednesday July 15
Second Ride Day: Trittenheim - Zeltingen 35kms (Urzig 38kms or Krov 44kms where suggested alternate routes)
As we had figured out how to use the Bikeline Guide a little better we decided today to do an optional route which gave us a few more kilometres and a number of different villages to ride through. It required doing the right bank and left bank then retracing some parts of the right bank, going the other direction, to get to Zeltingen where we are staying overnight at the Hotel Restaurant Ehses.
We made sure we had a big breakfast and just took some fruit for lunch. The first 30 minutes of the ride we had the wind jackets on but the weather and our bodies soon warmed up. Today we just seemed to be riding, no real sights of significance to see to begin with. Travelled through continuous areas of vineyards, with every available space being used for grapes. The area didn't seem to be as mountainous as yesterday and at times we rode on the Mosel River flats where we saw some market garden plots and a strawberry field full of people picking, not sure how their backs would be after a day of picking strawberries!
The most interesting place we visited today was Bernkastel-Kues. It had buildings that reminded you of the Germany history you learnt about in primary school, Tudor style buildings and lots of narrow cobbled streets. Paula had a good walk around the area whilst Ken savoured the local cappuccino and cakes. The town was very much of two halves with one side of the river having the old style buildings and the other side more modern contemporary business style development. It was here we crossed over to the less popular and not as well presented bike path on the left bank. We had a section just after Wehlen that was 2.5kms of gravel. We stopped for a 'fruit break' at Wehlen and took some photos of the panoramic view of the vineyards on the mountainside and didn't realise at the time that we were taking pictures of the famous Zeltingen giant sundial! It was constructed by an abbot in 1620 and displays every hour during daylight. In the photos you can see the dial face.
It would seem that from about 2.30pm onwards everything in the villages stops. We rode through three small villages around 3.00pm and it was like riding through ghost towns, nobody anywhere, no cars on the road, no people to be seen or noises to be heard and everything was closed, it was a little eerie.
We crossed back over the Mosel River at Kinheim and headed back towards Zeltingen and came across the construction of the highest road bridge Ken had ever seen, the German's don't muck around with building things!
When we arrived in Zeltingen we were met by the hotel manager who looked remarkably like the Swedish chef from the Muppets, he was the hotel restaurant chef as it was and cooked a delicious meal.
We went for a walk before and after dinner around the town, which is very picturesque with the old German buildings and narrow cobbled streets. We came across our first German school (very little play area) and watched a town concert in St Stephen's Square with a play and music being performed by the locals.
After going for a look at St Stephen's church built in 1793 Ken got the chance to have his special ice cream (death by chocolate) in a glass cup. He is happy now!
Paula is taking every opportunity to learn and use more German words with some help from the translator app on Ken's phone.
Both Paula and Ken are feeling a little weary today, hopefully we get our second wind tomorrow for the last three days.
Tomorrow we follow the suggested guide and hopefully get to see all the great sights in Traben-Trarbach.
Mosel Trip - Day 4
Thursday July 16
Third Ride Day: Zeltingen - Zell 36kms (we actually ended up doing 50+kms)
The planned route changed right from the start, we rode back towards the Zeltingen sundial for some pictures and changing our plans was the order of the day. Paula was able to find a supermarket after breakfast and bought some fresh fruit and a bread roll each.
Instead of doing the listed 36kms we did closer to 50kms in some very warm weather, it got to 34C. The start of the ride had us riding a little inland from the river just above the flood plain. When we got to Wolf we crossed the river for a look at Krov. We rode through the town on a main street then returned along the cycle track to get back to Wolf. From Wolf we travelled inland through more vineyards and passed a number of different camping grounds and camper van sights. It was interesting to note that even the people in camping grounds have to pay for wasser (water), you don't even get free, fresh water with a meal.
Traben-Trarbach (one village on each side of the river) was the biggest town we travelled through today and even though Traben had the more spectacular buildings Trarbach was a more interesting place. It had one road from the main centre that followed closely the line of a narrow valley for about 3kms back with buildings flush with the valley walls it was that narrow. After exploring Trarbach we crossed over the river and found a place for a cappuccino, cake and iced chocolate (which Paula said was hotter than some hot chocolate she has had!)
We crossed back over to the right bank and continued on towards Ponderich with the cycle path again a little closer to the river. Just before Ponderich we stopped for our bread roll and a break. It was getting pretty warm and Ken was feeling the heat and with only one bottle of water for the day took another break in Ponderich for a coke and water for Paula - you need to make sure it is natural water (no gas), most everyone in Germany seems to like mineral water.
The ride into Zell was right on the river bank with some parts just a dirt track, interesting trying to pass in some places!
Zell was great, after we found our hotel (Hotel Haus Notenau) unpacked, did the necessary washing (bike clothes mainly as we had perspired a lot today - it was a perfect drying day, everything was dry when we came back from dinner) and showered we walked up to the bike shop just near us to try and find Paula a Germany lady's bicycle shirt - no luck.
It was close to five o'clock, a little early for dinner, so we explored the side streets of Zell. It had lots of interesting restaurants and shops and even had the German Army doing a fund raiser and army awareness display. They had real guns (with bullets visible in the machine gun feeder belt), and an armoured personnel carrier. Ken tried a bratwurst sausage roll - €2, Paula said he was now supporting the German Army!
We continued exploring and found a few more side streets to enter before we decided it was time for dinner. We both had very filling meals. Paula kept the menu for little while to learn some more German words - by the end of this week Ken will have his own personal German interrupter she is doing so well. A Greeko/German lass - loves Greek food and knows all the German words for the different foods!
Paula was still keen to explore so she continued looking around the village whilst Ken wondered back to the hotel. On the way he thinks he has figured out the number plate licence system for Germany. He must have really dawdled as Paula beat him back to the Zell Cat statue (he looks like Felix the Cat). Black cats are an interesting story in Zell.
Deciding the the route for tomorrow has been interesting as there are a number of different things on either side of the river. The number of times we criss cross, back and forward across the river may be determined by the weather, it is expected to be around 37C. The total distance if we just stay on one side is 47kms - time will tell.
Mosel Trip - Day 5
Friday July 17
Fourth Ride Day: Zell - Treis Karden 47kms
It was a very different riding today with the landscape changing as well as the river. The Mosel seems to meander more the closer it gets to Koblenz where it joins the Rhine. The water colour is more greeny/brown than the deep green it is further up the river and the current doesn't seem as strong. We also noticed the reduction in the number of grapevines and the change in colour of the soil. Not to say there still weren't grapevines, not just as many. It was again more riding than seeing any particular sites although we passed an old monastery, an old fort that was being used as a cafe and a beautiful castle on the mountainside overlooking Cochem. It looked exactly like the pictures from the fairytale storybooks.
A lot of the riding today was alongside the road and to Ken's delight it seemed that everyone who had a motorcycle in Germany must have been out to see him. Almost all were in leathers or protective gear. There was even a group out riding that had patches, about 20 Harleys all told.
It was in Cochem that we again ran into a couple from the Netherlands who are doing the same tour as us. Although staying in different hotels on some nights we have had the chance to have breakfast with them on two occasions. We still don't even know their names! It was also in Cochem that we both had a special 'cup' ice cream.
We didn't follow the right bank all the way through to Treis- Karden as we had planned but swapped to the left bank after Cochem as the right bank path had a significant section unpaved. We also took two detours, one was across the Mosel after miss reading the map and the second one was an aborted climb to a Roman grave site, it was just too difficult a climb and too far. We didn't realise how steep it was until we were coming back down, a little reminiscent of the Greece climbs.
Along some of the vineyards we had seen a yellow notice (obviously written in German) with a helicopter on it, we found out today what it was. They use helicopters to crop dust the vineyards. The day warmed up again after about 1.00pm and thankfully we had a slight tailwind for our last 8kms into Tries-Karden. Finding our hotel, the Gastehaus Weingut Knaup, was the most difficult one to find so far, it was hidden in a small back street and the Velociped instructions didn't really help, haven't worked out what 'vis-a-vis' as a direction instruction actually means.
Once settled, we went through our routine of storing the bikes, taking the panniers, finding the breakfast room, getting the details for breakfast times, being shown our room, collecting our luggage, unpacking and organising things for tomorrow (including directions and possible things to see), wash the bike clothes from today, shower and change then just settle down and relax. At this time we also check for possible wifi connections and if not turn data roaming on just long enough to check e-mails and respond to any WhatsApps or Viber messages.
Usually takes us to about 5.30pm. From then on it is look for somewhere for dinner then after dinner, roam the village/s looking at the unique buildings and countryside. Remember it is still light till 10.00pm.
Tries-Karden is like all villages that are separated by the river, one is vibrant and active and the other is more sedate and quiet. Karden in this instance is very quiet whilst Tries has a busy village square and many more restaurants.
Tomorrow is our last day of riding and sees us entering the very busy city of Koblenz.
Mosel Trip - Day 6
Saturday July 18
Fifth Ride Day: Treis Karden - Koblenz 43kms
We where a little late in starting today maybe because breakfast was so nice, or maybe it was an unknown reluctance to want to finish our whole riding adventure. It has been an unforgettable three weeks, with each riding tour having different aspects and different memories.
We both wore the Wagga bicycle shirt and where able to ride alongside each other for the morning portion of the ride before the track got too busy. The morning was slightly cloudy so it wasn't too hot. We had our first and only real misadventure in Alken. Paula stopped to take a picture of a castle and Ken had ridden on not knowing that Paula had been blocked by traffic and had lost sight of him. To make matters worse the bike track wasn't clearly marked (which unfortunately was the norm for this section of the path), Paula took the lower road whilst Ken was on the high road path. When Ken realised Paula wasn't behind him he turned back unfortunately not seeing Paula on the lower track as there was a wall and a road between the two paths.
The agreement from the start was that if we were parted to go back to the last time we had seen each other which in this case was the photo stop. Ken arrived first and sent a WhatsApp message (as he couldn't phone) to let Paula know where he was. Both were delighted to see each other when Paula arrived. They both kept a very close eye on each other for the rest of the ride!
Coffee and cake today were in Niederfell before crossing the Mosel to Gondorf and Kobern. Both where a mixture of old and new buildings with Kobern having a lovely square overlooked by a castle. We were again back in vineyard country and every place that could be used to grow a grapevine was used. As we got closer to Koblenz we had to try and work out the best way to get to the Hotel Brenner. The maps and instructions weren't as clear as they could have been but we managed to get ourselves close except we were on the wrong side of a very busy freeway with no obvious way across. Thankfully a German man could see our plight and with his help and knowledge of the area we found the way across the freeway (an intricate walkway built across the whole freeway with various paths leading from the centre section.) He guided us up onto the bridge then showed us which exit to use and the next set of lights to turn at to get to the hotel. Once at the hotel we then had to take the bikes about 100m away to lock in a parking garage. We went back to the hotel carrying all our gear from the panniers, found our rooms, tossed the helmets on the bed and sighed - it was over.
Once showered and dressed we explored Koblenz, it has lots to see. We decided on a plan of things to do tomorrow before we need to catch the train to Frankfurt at 3.00pm (the station is not far from the hotel so we will be able to walk), had dinner then explored the old town of Koblenz. As part of our exploration we walked down to where the Mosel meets the Rhine. Koblenz in Latin means the meeting of two rivers.
Mosel Trip - Day 7
Sunday July 19
Travel by train Koblenz to Frankfurt - 3.00pm arrive 4.50pm
We woke this morning to heavy rain which had cooled the night time temperature allowing us to have a good sleep. We were thankful at the time that we weren't riding and even though the rain cleared by 8.30am it was replaced by a strong wind.
There was no hurry to do anything today other than to try and make Mass at 9.30am. We had a leisurely breakfast, packed and left our luggage at the hotel and went for a walk along the left bank of the Rhine taking photos on our way to the church we had found the day before. Even though the Mass was in German we could still follow the pattern, but noticed that to say something in German actually takes longer than it does in English.
After Mass we wandered down to the skyway that takes you across the Rhine to the other side and a magnificent fortress which not only had displays of what has been discovered over the centuries at the fortress but also special exhibitions such as the history of chocolate, the story of the development of Playmobil (like Lego people but larger pieces), some famous German inventions and examples of what living at the fort has been like over the many years. It was quite interesting but in the time we had we didn't really get to see it all.
Once we had 'skywayed' back over the Rhine we realised we had used three different travel modes on three different rivers (cruised the Danube and cycled the Mosel) all in the space of two weeks. In actual fact we have travelled almost all modes, walk, bicycle, bus, train, barge and plane - just missing a swim and ride on a horse!
After the fortress visit we found a Greek restaurant for 'grilled vegetables', still can't find any as good as we had on the Panagoita, but will keep trying, before we headed back for our luggage and the walk to the Koblenz station.
Luckily we checked the tickets we had with the ticket information otherwise we were looking to get on a train on the wrong platform that was going to Frankfurt Main but was stopping at all stations. We were directed to a train with only three stops but being a Sunday in Summer holidays it was packed. Ken stayed with the luggage whilst the conductor found Paula a seat - it was within eye contact so no-one was going to be 'lost' again.
Once we reached Frankfurt we found the Hotel National quite easily, settled in then went for a walk along both banks of the Main River. Lots of people out on a Sunday afternoon even though it was quite windy. Frankfurt has a very multicultural population.
Dinner was at a Koing Bistro, something different, Ken had a rhinewurst and chips meal (with a beer) and Paula a salad. We still can't believe people smoke in eating establishments in Germany.
To settle dinner we went for a walk through the Frankfurt main station, we can't get over the sheer size of the stations in Munich and Frankfurt. They are a totally different world with the noise, the smell and the number of people and the fact that there is such a variety of eating places!
Tomorrow we hope to do a hop on hop off bus tour of Frankfurt to get a feel for its size, diversity and see the major shopping areas before we catch our flight back to London.
Mosel Trip - Day 8
Monday July 20
Again a little longer in bed this morning, it was a very warm night and even the little fan provided didn't really reduce the room temperature by much. It wasn't until just before the sun came up that it cooled down enough to have a covering. We showered and arrived for breakfast just after 8.30am. We had decided to eat enough to not have to worry about lunch and just have a piece of fruit at the airport. Paula enjoyed breakfast, Ken thought it was a bit more 'processed' than what we had been having but still went back for three servings of the different dishes, so it couldn't have been too bad.
We left our luggage at the hotel and walked across to the bus terminal (next to the train station) to see if a 'Hop On Hop Off' bus service was available but had no luck. We did find a service later in the city but it was a little late by then to use it.
Using a city map provided by the hotel we navigated into the main shopping area. It was a 'mile long' avenue, Zell Street, with a tree lined centre and only pedestrian access on very wide paths with shops lining the sides. It was designed for everyone and made shopping and navigating around really easy. Paula could spend weeks and she still wouldn't get to all the stores let alone all the shops on the side street. We were again thankful that we weren't riding today as it rained quite heavily from 11.30am to 1.00pm and made the roads and cycle ways really slippery.
Paula was in the shops and Ken was undercover for most of the time it rained so it wasn't a real concern. Around 1.00pm we did some more exploring and tried to find the Museum dedicated to the Jews who had been persecuted during WWII. We found it but it was closed for renovations. A lady suggested we might be interested in a similar museum on the Main River, we found it but it is closed Mondays. We headed back towards the shopping area and come across St Paul's Square which had a Catholic Church built in 1340. It wasn't ornate as some others we have seen but had a number of really old statues and small praying alcoves.
From here we wandered back to the National Hotel, collected our luggage, caught a taxi to the airport - which got us there a lot more quickly than expected. It didn't matter as Paula was happy to wander around the third busiest airport in Europe after Heathrow and Paris.
The flight from Frankfurt to London was suppose to leave at 6.00pm but we were left waiting until 6.25pm before take off. To add to the time arriving we were held in the plane at Heathrow for a set of stairs to arrive as we had to land at the domestic terminal. A bit of 'fun' was had recharging the Oyster cards, we had intended to put £20 on each but because the machine rejected Ken's card on the second Oyster card he went to another machine and accidentally recharged the same Oyster card as before. Finally it was all sorted and both Oyster cards were recharged.
After the delayed flight the Oyster card hassle and the trip on the Tube and the bus we finally arrived at 9.30pm for a lovely tea prepared by Nat, spring rolls, pasties and a small piece of spaghetti pie (Paula settled for some almonds and chocolate for her tea.)
We how have a day to get some washing and ironing done, clear the bags and think about what we need to take for Wales.
Part E of our adventure starts on Wednesday.
Wales
London - Rest Day
Tuesday July 21
Catching up on washing and ironing, organising travel/finances with Nat for Wales/Scotland and Portugal/Spain/Paris. Travelled to Ravenscourt Park and Hammersmith to talk to Market Manager, Luke and Adam about supporting Vibe back in Australia. Had a meeting lunch in the Stonemason's Pub - gave them a few ideas to work on and contacts if they needed to follow up on anything suggested. Paula got a haircut.
Did FaceTime with Chelsea and Belle then Jake and Zoe before we left for the meeting.
Went shopping for clothes for Nat and had a nice coffee and hot chocolate in Nero's in Hammersmith before heading back. Purchased a Marks and Spencer's Melton Mowbray Pork Pie have it for breakfast tomorrow. Possibly fish and chips for tea.
Wales Trip - Day 1
Wednesday July 22
A little bit of a 'mixed up' morning trying to get things organised to get to Wales. We didn't leave as early as expected then had to change transport plans to collect the hire car as the 225 bus from Cold Blow Lane was up to the 25 minute cycle between pick ups. We walked to New Cross caught the Overground to London Bridge (a very busy station) then the Underground to Green Park then through to Hounslow West and a bus to Easicar car rentals (which is a misnomer) as there were complications with them not accepting a debt card for the excess. It was finally sorted by reducing the excess to zero by paying extra for the car. The car was an Audi A3 diesel sedan, with SatNav and air conditioning. It was a good car to drive and the M4 is a good road to travel, three lanes with a speed of 70mph.
It was nice to drive around looking at the countryside and being able to talk, train and bus travel doesn't allow too much conversation.
We stopped for lunch at a service centre at Membury, these are a little more complex than the service centres in Australia and contain supermarkets selling mainly travel food as well as food outlets and petrol. The stop was about half way to Cardiff.
The bridge into Wales was really impressive and we reckoned the £6.50 toll was going a long way towards paying for its upkeep.
Paula was delighted to be reading the signs written in English and Welsh.
The apartment at Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay is well appointed, although the provided parking space is very narrow.
After settling in we went for a walk down to the docks, had a quick look at some of the sites (organised a plan for tomorrow) then found a place for dinner. Paula was hopeful of listening to some Welsh people speak but there was only a group of American sitting next to us. The girl who showed us the 'ins and outs' of the apartment is the only real Welsh person we have had the pleasure of listening to and her dialect wasn't really strong Welsh but had the musical tone.
Once the sun started to go down the breeze really cooled the temperature, even though we had jackets on it was too cold to be outside, so we headed back to the apartment.
We caught up on the news and watched TV for the first time in almost four weeks!
The apartment is very cozy and it was easy to sleep.
Wales Trip - Day 2
Thursday July 23
What a perfect day, every thing we did seemed to fit into place, even the weather supported us. The rain we had only occurred when we were driving.
We started the day walking into the centre of Cardiff, visited Cardiff Castle, walked through the park behind the castle (saw the mandatory squirrel) and then past the Town Hall, the old University and the museum. From there we headed into the shopping mall, found a really good souvenir store, with lots of great Welsh sayings and had a great cappuccino and cups of hot chocolate. Paula had the opportunity to hear some more Welsh voices when she purchased some strawberries and the attendant asked her where she was from, talked to her about his plans to work in Australia and called her 'babe'.
After going back to the apartment and getting the keys for the car we set the SavNat for Barry Station for our afternoon drive along the coast and into the hills for a look at some more of Wales.
Even before we had left Cardiff we had taken a detour into Penarth to look at the houses on the cliff top overlooking the bay. All the houses were exactly the same, rows and rows all close to each other on narrow streets but with a great view of the marina.
We put in the Barry Station again but decided on an alternate route and what a great idea it was! We travelled through little side streets, narrow hedge-lined lanes, wooded closed in avenues and past old homes set in tranquil gardens, it was everything we had wanted to see and experience. Once we arrived at Barry Station we put in the address (Trinity Street) that Ken had found as the street in which Gavin & Stacey had been filmed. Our first effort in getting in the street was thwarted, the street had been made one way as a trial in April. Instead of giving up we navigated to the bottom of the Trinity Street and found that it was one way - the opposite direction! Our only choice was to go to the middle and choose either up or down, we chose up and on the way through Nat spotted a notice saying this house was used to film Gavin & Stacey. We found a parking space a few houses up and took some great photos. Paula loved the whole experience.
We spotted a sign on the window advertising O'Shea's Cafe and as we were ready for something to eat we put the code in the SavNat. To our delight it was on the site of the Barry Leisure and Beach area, the same place Nessa Jenkins aka Ruth Jones (from Gavin & Stacey) worked in the series - more photos - Paula couldn't believe our good fortune in finding the different locations. The whole Barry Leisure and Beach area was like going back to the 50's, it was like something from an old movie news reel.
Our next location was Pontypridd, a small town in the hills above Cardiff. We hit the afternoon traffic leaving Cardiff so it was slow going along the main arteries out of the city. The houses in Pontypridd were as we expected, small, crowded and in very narrow streets but it was still great to experience the whole thing with the steep hills seeming to almost grow out from behind the houses.
The journey back into the apartment was slow going through the city traffic but we arrived with no problems. For dinner we went to the Bayside Brasserie - the food was delicious, appreciated enough that we left nothing on the plates except empty mussel shells and a pristine white lamb shank bone!
Back in the apartment we finalised our itinerary for tomorrow and had a reasonably early night.
Wales Trip - Day 3
Friday July 24
We experienced a very wet English day (and we came for the Summer!) on our way back from Wales but still took a look at Cookham, had a walk around Nat's school and a look at Paul Harris' 700 year old house. We had a meal at the Kings Arm Pub in Cookham, a real English pub with low ceilings, open fireplaces and a wine cellar.
The M4 was crowded, being Friday the first week of the school holidays with many warning signs of poor road conditions and speed indicators slowing everyone down. You really had to concentrate but we managed to return the hire vehicle as we had hired it, which made us all feel relieved.
Our halfway stopping point (a service centre) was almost like a shopping mall with many stores and a food court type of eating arrangement. It was packed.
After delivering the car we where dropped at Hatton Cross Underground to get back to Nat's unit.
It was good that we only had carry bags as the train was the most crowded we had experienced at any time since we have been in London.
Back at Nat's, Paula cooked a bacon and egg pie, did the washing for us to have things for Scotland. It is still raining, we only hope it stops before we get to Scotland.
Part F of our adventure starts tomorrow.
London - Rest Day
Tuesday July 21
Catching up on washing and ironing, organising travel/finances with Nat for Wales/Scotland and Portugal/Spain/Paris. Travelled to Ravenscourt Park and Hammersmith to talk to Market Manager, Luke and Adam about supporting Vibe back in Australia. Had a meeting lunch in the Stonemason's Pub - gave them a few ideas to work on and contacts if they needed to follow up on anything suggested. Paula got a haircut.
Did FaceTime with Chelsea and Belle then Jake and Zoe before we left for the meeting.
Went shopping for clothes for Nat and had a nice coffee and hot chocolate in Nero's in Hammersmith before heading back. Purchased a Marks and Spencer's Melton Mowbray Pork Pie have it for breakfast tomorrow. Possibly fish and chips for tea.
Wales Trip - Day 1
Wednesday July 22
A little bit of a 'mixed up' morning trying to get things organised to get to Wales. We didn't leave as early as expected then had to change transport plans to collect the hire car as the 225 bus from Cold Blow Lane was up to the 25 minute cycle between pick ups. We walked to New Cross caught the Overground to London Bridge (a very busy station) then the Underground to Green Park then through to Hounslow West and a bus to Easicar car rentals (which is a misnomer) as there were complications with them not accepting a debt card for the excess. It was finally sorted by reducing the excess to zero by paying extra for the car. The car was an Audi A3 diesel sedan, with SatNav and air conditioning. It was a good car to drive and the M4 is a good road to travel, three lanes with a speed of 70mph.
It was nice to drive around looking at the countryside and being able to talk, train and bus travel doesn't allow too much conversation.
We stopped for lunch at a service centre at Membury, these are a little more complex than the service centres in Australia and contain supermarkets selling mainly travel food as well as food outlets and petrol. The stop was about half way to Cardiff.
The bridge into Wales was really impressive and we reckoned the £6.50 toll was going a long way towards paying for its upkeep.
Paula was delighted to be reading the signs written in English and Welsh.
The apartment at Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay is well appointed, although the provided parking space is very narrow.
After settling in we went for a walk down to the docks, had a quick look at some of the sites (organised a plan for tomorrow) then found a place for dinner. Paula was hopeful of listening to some Welsh people speak but there was only a group of American sitting next to us. The girl who showed us the 'ins and outs' of the apartment is the only real Welsh person we have had the pleasure of listening to and her dialect wasn't really strong Welsh but had the musical tone.
Once the sun started to go down the breeze really cooled the temperature, even though we had jackets on it was too cold to be outside, so we headed back to the apartment.
We caught up on the news and watched TV for the first time in almost four weeks!
The apartment is very cozy and it was easy to sleep.
Wales Trip - Day 2
Thursday July 23
What a perfect day, every thing we did seemed to fit into place, even the weather supported us. The rain we had only occurred when we were driving.
We started the day walking into the centre of Cardiff, visited Cardiff Castle, walked through the park behind the castle (saw the mandatory squirrel) and then past the Town Hall, the old University and the museum. From there we headed into the shopping mall, found a really good souvenir store, with lots of great Welsh sayings and had a great cappuccino and cups of hot chocolate. Paula had the opportunity to hear some more Welsh voices when she purchased some strawberries and the attendant asked her where she was from, talked to her about his plans to work in Australia and called her 'babe'.
After going back to the apartment and getting the keys for the car we set the SavNat for Barry Station for our afternoon drive along the coast and into the hills for a look at some more of Wales.
Even before we had left Cardiff we had taken a detour into Penarth to look at the houses on the cliff top overlooking the bay. All the houses were exactly the same, rows and rows all close to each other on narrow streets but with a great view of the marina.
We put in the Barry Station again but decided on an alternate route and what a great idea it was! We travelled through little side streets, narrow hedge-lined lanes, wooded closed in avenues and past old homes set in tranquil gardens, it was everything we had wanted to see and experience. Once we arrived at Barry Station we put in the address (Trinity Street) that Ken had found as the street in which Gavin & Stacey had been filmed. Our first effort in getting in the street was thwarted, the street had been made one way as a trial in April. Instead of giving up we navigated to the bottom of the Trinity Street and found that it was one way - the opposite direction! Our only choice was to go to the middle and choose either up or down, we chose up and on the way through Nat spotted a notice saying this house was used to film Gavin & Stacey. We found a parking space a few houses up and took some great photos. Paula loved the whole experience.
We spotted a sign on the window advertising O'Shea's Cafe and as we were ready for something to eat we put the code in the SavNat. To our delight it was on the site of the Barry Leisure and Beach area, the same place Nessa Jenkins aka Ruth Jones (from Gavin & Stacey) worked in the series - more photos - Paula couldn't believe our good fortune in finding the different locations. The whole Barry Leisure and Beach area was like going back to the 50's, it was like something from an old movie news reel.
Our next location was Pontypridd, a small town in the hills above Cardiff. We hit the afternoon traffic leaving Cardiff so it was slow going along the main arteries out of the city. The houses in Pontypridd were as we expected, small, crowded and in very narrow streets but it was still great to experience the whole thing with the steep hills seeming to almost grow out from behind the houses.
The journey back into the apartment was slow going through the city traffic but we arrived with no problems. For dinner we went to the Bayside Brasserie - the food was delicious, appreciated enough that we left nothing on the plates except empty mussel shells and a pristine white lamb shank bone!
Back in the apartment we finalised our itinerary for tomorrow and had a reasonably early night.
Wales Trip - Day 3
Friday July 24
We experienced a very wet English day (and we came for the Summer!) on our way back from Wales but still took a look at Cookham, had a walk around Nat's school and a look at Paul Harris' 700 year old house. We had a meal at the Kings Arm Pub in Cookham, a real English pub with low ceilings, open fireplaces and a wine cellar.
The M4 was crowded, being Friday the first week of the school holidays with many warning signs of poor road conditions and speed indicators slowing everyone down. You really had to concentrate but we managed to return the hire vehicle as we had hired it, which made us all feel relieved.
Our halfway stopping point (a service centre) was almost like a shopping mall with many stores and a food court type of eating arrangement. It was packed.
After delivering the car we where dropped at Hatton Cross Underground to get back to Nat's unit.
It was good that we only had carry bags as the train was the most crowded we had experienced at any time since we have been in London.
Back at Nat's, Paula cooked a bacon and egg pie, did the washing for us to have things for Scotland. It is still raining, we only hope it stops before we get to Scotland.
Part F of our adventure starts tomorrow.
Scotland
Scotland Trip - Day 1
Saturday July 25
We have had a really good day. Nat's directions to get to London City Airport were great. The day in London has turned out to be clear, just a little windy. Printing the boarding passes was no issue and getting through customs, although a little slow, was no problems with just the hand luggage to carry.
The plane was a propeller type which means it didn't travel too fast or too high so we had a great view of London and the countryside as we headed for Edinburgh. England appears to be relatively flat with the fields a patchwork of colour, interwoven with small and larger towns enhancing the design work, all adding to the quilt like nature of the scene.
Passing over Edinburgh we noticed the lack of red tiled roofs, with dark grey and sandstone walls being the prominent colours. Edinburgh airport is very long and has a different feel to it, with a quaint eating area like a real pub and a children's indoor playground area as some of the customer support activities.
We purchased a return ticket to Waverley Station, the cheapest and easiest way into the city, and sat on the upper deck of the Airlink bus service. It gave us a real chance to look at Edinburgh on the 30 minute ride into the city centre.
Once off the bus we navigated to the student accommodation we had booked, left our luggage (you couldn't have access to the room until 3.00pm) and headed off to find the various landmarks and places we had to find for our organised tours for the next few days. Our accommodation is in the New Town but the Old Town was where we did most of our exploring. The weather in Edinburgh in the the morning was cool but not too cold, especially in the sun but a little cloudy. We learnt later in the day why it is always wise to carry an umbrella in Scotland - we experienced three rainy sessions inter-dispersed with sunshine, the rain wasn't too cold, just wet!
The first place we visited was the Walter Scott Memorial. 283 steps to the top and a great view - Paula took some great pictures of Edinburgh. From here we crossed the North Bridge to the Royal Mile and headed towards the Military Tattoo area, a good walk up the hill. This part of Edinburgh has numerous little alleyways called 'Close', lots of Scottish souvenir shops and places to eat. At St Giles Church we came across a lot of men wearing kilts, we had come across a Scottish wedding.
We found the Mercat eight sided monument (our meeting point for the night walking tour) and had lunch at a great cafe.
After lunch we continued our exploration down The Royal Mile found a Catholic Church with Mass at 5.00pm. This fitted with the need to have dinner and be at the meeting point for our night walk at 7.45pm. After looking around St Patrick's, the Catholic Church we continued down the Royal Mile until we were at Holyrood Palace and the Salisbury Crags, (Arthur's Seat) something Paula would have liked to climb if we had more time and had worn walking shoes. It was heading back to our accommodation to get changed into warmer clothes for the night walk that the rain came. Paula was the only one with a wet weather jacket so she went back to accommodation to book in and get the umbrellas and Ken waited under shelter till it cleared.
Once changed we went to Mass and had dinner. From here we walked to the Mercat meeting point only to be told our booking hadn't been registered. They gave us tickets for an 8.30pm walk which wasn't the one we wanted but we didn't have to chance to make up for it the next night. Sensibly Paula asked that if we came back at 8.00pm and the activity didn't have the full number could we join in then. The response was positive. We came back at 8.00pm and where lucky enough to find that only 28 people of the allowed 30 had arrived, we joined the 8.00pm walk. It was great, Alex, our guide for the 'Ghosts & Ghouls' walk and visit to the underground vaults personalised the whole experience with his knowledge, character acting and friendship. The underground vaults held some interesting stories, with the uneven floors and narrow passages adding to the atmosphere. We finished the walk in an underground bar with Ken having a Scottish lager and Alex telling us more stories about some of Edinburgh's more notorious criminals.
It was still reasonably light so the walk back to the accommodation was fun after the stories we had heard. The weather was holding off, although we knew it was supposed to rain soon, we could only hope it would hold off enough for our 12 hour bus trip tomorrow not to be too badly affected.
Scotland Trip - Day 2
Sunday July 26
We woke to the alarm at 6.45am showered, fruit for breakfast then headed towards the Highlands Tour Office in High Street on the Royal Mile. The morning was clear but wet weather had been predicted. It was a nice morning just a little cool, we were both wearing jeans and a jacket as we were told the Highlands weather can be quite unpredictable, this was proved right as it rained on the way home - it was to become a very long day, not just because of the weather.
We checked in at 7.45am, met our guide Grant and hopped onto the bus, which was full. We left on time.
Scotland is a beautiful country, the change in character of the land formations from Lowlands to Highlands is dramatic as it is spectacular. Within less than an hour, travelling up the west coast side of Scotland from Edinburgh to Loch Ness we had moved from the gentle rolling farmlands of the Lowlands to the craggy, rugged bare land formations of the Highlands.
Crags, I fully understand the term now! It is really hard to describe in words what the Highlands are like, it's more the emotions you feel when you see the Bens and Mealls jutting out of the landscape, bare and ragged like an old person grinning at you with broken and missing teeth. Amazing and awe inspiring to think Scottish clans lived and survived in such a landscape. The Glens were green and lush, even the grass was spongy to walk on. It was interesting to learn that at one stage 95% of Scotland was covered with native forests, but because of the need for timber in the Industrial revolution and the two world wars it is now only 1%. A lot of effort is being put into replanting native trees across the country. Between Stirling and Inverness there is a very popular walking trail with over 85,000 using various parts of it every year. We saw a number of them out on the trail at various points on our outward journey. We drove past a number of sites that have been used for movies and TV programs in recent years. The Doune Castle used for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander was one. We also drove across Rannoch Moor used for Skyfall, near Glencoe which is close to the area where the massacre of MacDonalds by the Campbell's took place. Another interesting place we passed was the area used by the British Commandos during WWII as their training facility. On our return we where able to stop and look at the monument to the WWII commandos dedicated by Sir Winston Churchill. Along the west coast side we also saw the area where the cottage for Haggrid, of the Harry Potter movies, is filmed. Just before we arrived at Fort Augustus, the town we were to stop at to view the Loch Ness, we came across a bus accident that had just happened, no-one was hurt and it didn't cause us any concern until we where leaving. Our view of Loch Ness, a loch that is so dark (from the peat moss that flows into it) that you are advised not to swim in it, was mainly from the bank that has the old abbey building (now a motel/restaurant) and abbey graveyard.
Loch Ness is cold, stays at 5.5C all year and it is the only Loch that doesn't freeze in Winter. We went looking for the Loch Ness monster, had no luck finding it but had some fun discussing Paula's Loch Ness monster theory!
It was interesting to note that there are four major loch's in the area joined together by a system of canals with swing bridges built to allow traffic to move across. At Fort Augustus there are also 7 small locks from the canal to Loch Ness to allow boats to move up and down the system. The threatening weather had stayed clear even allowing us the opportunity to see the top of Ben Nevis, one of only fifty days in the year it is visible.
On leaving Fort Augustus we were delayed for about an hour as they were just clearing the road and moving the crashed bus. As our bus wasn't the normal tour bus our guide had to select music CDs to play when he wasn't letting us know about things to keep an eye out for. He did well as most of the music he played were some of Paula's favourites! We also saw snow on some of the high areas we passed. We learnt that 'Ben' is the Scottish term for mountains over 4,000 ft, while 'Meall' is used for peaks over 3,000 ft but less than 4000 ft. Other terms used are 'Loch' - lake and 'Glen' - valley.
The return journey, down the east coast was much less spectacular as it is mainly Lowlands and industrial areas. The rain also made it difficult to appreciate the area. We travelled just near Perth, which we learnt was the original capital of Scotland before Edinburgh.
On returning to Edinburgh, at 8.30pm, we were hopeful the cafe we had had lunch at the previous day was still open. It was, Paula had the vegetable bake and Ken a traditional stovies, which was a great, warm mince stew.
We had booked the Edinburgh Castle tour for the next day with the realisation that we were probably going to be viewing the site in the wet. We have been fortunate with the weather so far so we can't really complain if it is wet.
Scotland Trip - Day 3
Monday July 27
Rain predicted all day and they were right! A Scottish Summer, maximum temperature 13C. Had a sleep in. Paula went for a walk whilst Ken had a shower and packed, she was going to try and get a few pictures of the front of Edinburgh Castle. Paula had no luck with her castle photos, too many buses to get any chance to take a good photo.
After leaving our luggage we walked to The Elephant House for a lateish breakfast, which was a good idea as we missed the early crowd and had finished before a bus load of tourists arrived. The Elephant House is where JK Rowling created and wrote most of the Harry Potter books, no real inspiration for either Paula or Ken forthcoming although a lot of graffiti in both the female and male toilets paid tribute to JK Rowling's influence on others. We both had the Elephant House big breakfast, which was very filling.
The rain had eased enough for us to put the umbrellas away but it was still wet enough for Ken to have to watch his footing. The shoes he had used most of the time had been really good for riding and walking most everywhere else, but not so good on the wet cobblestones of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle was rewarding, lots of information on Scottish military history from the inception of the first Scottish regiment but both Paula and Ken where really interested in finding out more about the Scottish Clans and their history. We will need to 'Google' some of this to learn more.
The castle parapets were cold and windy, we just couldn't imagine what it would have been like up there as a solider on guard in the early days of the castle in the middle of winter!
We stayed long enough to hear the 1 o'clock gun firing and found out the same thing still occurs in Sydney and Perth in Australia.
From the castle we had a look at the Edinburgh Milling Site and found out how tartan is weaved, purchased a 'Craig' tartan scarf for Carlie and checked the different highland tartan styles from the 1700 to the present.
After this we walked to the Childhood Museum on the Royal Mile and examined 5 floors of children's toys and games from over the last few centuries, some of the toys brought back some interesting childhood memories. We had a big lunch at 3.00pm to make sure that if we missed dinner it wouldn't matter. Before we went back to collect our luggage we walked down Princess Street to the horse monument, by this time the drizzle had started to get heavier so we were ready to leave for the airport.
Lots of cloud cover on the flight back to London so no real chance to see what was below.
Really enjoyed the 'oldness' of Edinburgh', especially with everything so close.
Tomorrow sees us heading for Birmingham, the Ashes cricket and Part G of our adventure.
Scotland Trip - Day 1
Saturday July 25
We have had a really good day. Nat's directions to get to London City Airport were great. The day in London has turned out to be clear, just a little windy. Printing the boarding passes was no issue and getting through customs, although a little slow, was no problems with just the hand luggage to carry.
The plane was a propeller type which means it didn't travel too fast or too high so we had a great view of London and the countryside as we headed for Edinburgh. England appears to be relatively flat with the fields a patchwork of colour, interwoven with small and larger towns enhancing the design work, all adding to the quilt like nature of the scene.
Passing over Edinburgh we noticed the lack of red tiled roofs, with dark grey and sandstone walls being the prominent colours. Edinburgh airport is very long and has a different feel to it, with a quaint eating area like a real pub and a children's indoor playground area as some of the customer support activities.
We purchased a return ticket to Waverley Station, the cheapest and easiest way into the city, and sat on the upper deck of the Airlink bus service. It gave us a real chance to look at Edinburgh on the 30 minute ride into the city centre.
Once off the bus we navigated to the student accommodation we had booked, left our luggage (you couldn't have access to the room until 3.00pm) and headed off to find the various landmarks and places we had to find for our organised tours for the next few days. Our accommodation is in the New Town but the Old Town was where we did most of our exploring. The weather in Edinburgh in the the morning was cool but not too cold, especially in the sun but a little cloudy. We learnt later in the day why it is always wise to carry an umbrella in Scotland - we experienced three rainy sessions inter-dispersed with sunshine, the rain wasn't too cold, just wet!
The first place we visited was the Walter Scott Memorial. 283 steps to the top and a great view - Paula took some great pictures of Edinburgh. From here we crossed the North Bridge to the Royal Mile and headed towards the Military Tattoo area, a good walk up the hill. This part of Edinburgh has numerous little alleyways called 'Close', lots of Scottish souvenir shops and places to eat. At St Giles Church we came across a lot of men wearing kilts, we had come across a Scottish wedding.
We found the Mercat eight sided monument (our meeting point for the night walking tour) and had lunch at a great cafe.
After lunch we continued our exploration down The Royal Mile found a Catholic Church with Mass at 5.00pm. This fitted with the need to have dinner and be at the meeting point for our night walk at 7.45pm. After looking around St Patrick's, the Catholic Church we continued down the Royal Mile until we were at Holyrood Palace and the Salisbury Crags, (Arthur's Seat) something Paula would have liked to climb if we had more time and had worn walking shoes. It was heading back to our accommodation to get changed into warmer clothes for the night walk that the rain came. Paula was the only one with a wet weather jacket so she went back to accommodation to book in and get the umbrellas and Ken waited under shelter till it cleared.
Once changed we went to Mass and had dinner. From here we walked to the Mercat meeting point only to be told our booking hadn't been registered. They gave us tickets for an 8.30pm walk which wasn't the one we wanted but we didn't have to chance to make up for it the next night. Sensibly Paula asked that if we came back at 8.00pm and the activity didn't have the full number could we join in then. The response was positive. We came back at 8.00pm and where lucky enough to find that only 28 people of the allowed 30 had arrived, we joined the 8.00pm walk. It was great, Alex, our guide for the 'Ghosts & Ghouls' walk and visit to the underground vaults personalised the whole experience with his knowledge, character acting and friendship. The underground vaults held some interesting stories, with the uneven floors and narrow passages adding to the atmosphere. We finished the walk in an underground bar with Ken having a Scottish lager and Alex telling us more stories about some of Edinburgh's more notorious criminals.
It was still reasonably light so the walk back to the accommodation was fun after the stories we had heard. The weather was holding off, although we knew it was supposed to rain soon, we could only hope it would hold off enough for our 12 hour bus trip tomorrow not to be too badly affected.
Scotland Trip - Day 2
Sunday July 26
We woke to the alarm at 6.45am showered, fruit for breakfast then headed towards the Highlands Tour Office in High Street on the Royal Mile. The morning was clear but wet weather had been predicted. It was a nice morning just a little cool, we were both wearing jeans and a jacket as we were told the Highlands weather can be quite unpredictable, this was proved right as it rained on the way home - it was to become a very long day, not just because of the weather.
We checked in at 7.45am, met our guide Grant and hopped onto the bus, which was full. We left on time.
Scotland is a beautiful country, the change in character of the land formations from Lowlands to Highlands is dramatic as it is spectacular. Within less than an hour, travelling up the west coast side of Scotland from Edinburgh to Loch Ness we had moved from the gentle rolling farmlands of the Lowlands to the craggy, rugged bare land formations of the Highlands.
Crags, I fully understand the term now! It is really hard to describe in words what the Highlands are like, it's more the emotions you feel when you see the Bens and Mealls jutting out of the landscape, bare and ragged like an old person grinning at you with broken and missing teeth. Amazing and awe inspiring to think Scottish clans lived and survived in such a landscape. The Glens were green and lush, even the grass was spongy to walk on. It was interesting to learn that at one stage 95% of Scotland was covered with native forests, but because of the need for timber in the Industrial revolution and the two world wars it is now only 1%. A lot of effort is being put into replanting native trees across the country. Between Stirling and Inverness there is a very popular walking trail with over 85,000 using various parts of it every year. We saw a number of them out on the trail at various points on our outward journey. We drove past a number of sites that have been used for movies and TV programs in recent years. The Doune Castle used for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander was one. We also drove across Rannoch Moor used for Skyfall, near Glencoe which is close to the area where the massacre of MacDonalds by the Campbell's took place. Another interesting place we passed was the area used by the British Commandos during WWII as their training facility. On our return we where able to stop and look at the monument to the WWII commandos dedicated by Sir Winston Churchill. Along the west coast side we also saw the area where the cottage for Haggrid, of the Harry Potter movies, is filmed. Just before we arrived at Fort Augustus, the town we were to stop at to view the Loch Ness, we came across a bus accident that had just happened, no-one was hurt and it didn't cause us any concern until we where leaving. Our view of Loch Ness, a loch that is so dark (from the peat moss that flows into it) that you are advised not to swim in it, was mainly from the bank that has the old abbey building (now a motel/restaurant) and abbey graveyard.
Loch Ness is cold, stays at 5.5C all year and it is the only Loch that doesn't freeze in Winter. We went looking for the Loch Ness monster, had no luck finding it but had some fun discussing Paula's Loch Ness monster theory!
It was interesting to note that there are four major loch's in the area joined together by a system of canals with swing bridges built to allow traffic to move across. At Fort Augustus there are also 7 small locks from the canal to Loch Ness to allow boats to move up and down the system. The threatening weather had stayed clear even allowing us the opportunity to see the top of Ben Nevis, one of only fifty days in the year it is visible.
On leaving Fort Augustus we were delayed for about an hour as they were just clearing the road and moving the crashed bus. As our bus wasn't the normal tour bus our guide had to select music CDs to play when he wasn't letting us know about things to keep an eye out for. He did well as most of the music he played were some of Paula's favourites! We also saw snow on some of the high areas we passed. We learnt that 'Ben' is the Scottish term for mountains over 4,000 ft, while 'Meall' is used for peaks over 3,000 ft but less than 4000 ft. Other terms used are 'Loch' - lake and 'Glen' - valley.
The return journey, down the east coast was much less spectacular as it is mainly Lowlands and industrial areas. The rain also made it difficult to appreciate the area. We travelled just near Perth, which we learnt was the original capital of Scotland before Edinburgh.
On returning to Edinburgh, at 8.30pm, we were hopeful the cafe we had had lunch at the previous day was still open. It was, Paula had the vegetable bake and Ken a traditional stovies, which was a great, warm mince stew.
We had booked the Edinburgh Castle tour for the next day with the realisation that we were probably going to be viewing the site in the wet. We have been fortunate with the weather so far so we can't really complain if it is wet.
Scotland Trip - Day 3
Monday July 27
Rain predicted all day and they were right! A Scottish Summer, maximum temperature 13C. Had a sleep in. Paula went for a walk whilst Ken had a shower and packed, she was going to try and get a few pictures of the front of Edinburgh Castle. Paula had no luck with her castle photos, too many buses to get any chance to take a good photo.
After leaving our luggage we walked to The Elephant House for a lateish breakfast, which was a good idea as we missed the early crowd and had finished before a bus load of tourists arrived. The Elephant House is where JK Rowling created and wrote most of the Harry Potter books, no real inspiration for either Paula or Ken forthcoming although a lot of graffiti in both the female and male toilets paid tribute to JK Rowling's influence on others. We both had the Elephant House big breakfast, which was very filling.
The rain had eased enough for us to put the umbrellas away but it was still wet enough for Ken to have to watch his footing. The shoes he had used most of the time had been really good for riding and walking most everywhere else, but not so good on the wet cobblestones of Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle was rewarding, lots of information on Scottish military history from the inception of the first Scottish regiment but both Paula and Ken where really interested in finding out more about the Scottish Clans and their history. We will need to 'Google' some of this to learn more.
The castle parapets were cold and windy, we just couldn't imagine what it would have been like up there as a solider on guard in the early days of the castle in the middle of winter!
We stayed long enough to hear the 1 o'clock gun firing and found out the same thing still occurs in Sydney and Perth in Australia.
From the castle we had a look at the Edinburgh Milling Site and found out how tartan is weaved, purchased a 'Craig' tartan scarf for Carlie and checked the different highland tartan styles from the 1700 to the present.
After this we walked to the Childhood Museum on the Royal Mile and examined 5 floors of children's toys and games from over the last few centuries, some of the toys brought back some interesting childhood memories. We had a big lunch at 3.00pm to make sure that if we missed dinner it wouldn't matter. Before we went back to collect our luggage we walked down Princess Street to the horse monument, by this time the drizzle had started to get heavier so we were ready to leave for the airport.
Lots of cloud cover on the flight back to London so no real chance to see what was below.
Really enjoyed the 'oldness' of Edinburgh', especially with everything so close.
Tomorrow sees us heading for Birmingham, the Ashes cricket and Part G of our adventure.
England - 2
Birmingham Trip - Day 1
Tuesday July 28
No real rush this morning, Nat and Emily had everything organised, it was just a matter of following them.
We caught the 225 to Canada Water, Jubilee line to Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes territory) then the Bakerloo line to Marylebone station for the Chiltern Railway System to Birmingham. While we were waiting for Nat and Emily to collect the tickets Ken spotted Jim Maxwell (ABC cricket commentator) on the platform. We boarded the train to Birmingham and not to long after we had started the journey Jim was coming towards us for the buffet bar. Ken said good morning Mr Maxwell and on the way back he stopped to say Hi and Ken asked for a photo, he willingly obliged!
The landscape to Birmingham is mainly agricultural with some industrial areas closer to the city. Birmingham was much larger than we anticipated, it has over 1 million people and looks fairly progressive.
Our unit is self contained and well located. We had lunch at 'Ed's Diner' a 1950’s American styled hamburger cafe. From here we caught a Uber ride (a growing phenomenon around the world) to Cadbury World. This will mean Paula and Ken have been to all three Cadbury factories around the world - Birmingham (England), Dunedin (New Zealand) and Hobart (Tasmania). We had a great afternoon wandering around, smelling chocolate, learning new things about chocolate (especially it production, wrapping and advertising) and the Cadbury brand as well as getting a few samples to take away.
For dinner we headed down to Brindley Place, a well set up area around four intersecting canals with an excellent selection of restaurants. We chose the Brasshouse, a pub that was well designed with a great eating area way from the main public bar. Emily's meal was unbelievable, 'a meal deal for two' - she did amazingly well to get through it all!
Back in the unit we checked food and drink possibilities for the Ashes test and double checked the tickets and seating allocations. We were all ready to go.
Birmingham Trip - Day 2
Wednesday July 29
Cricket - Day 1 Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston Ground - Birmingham
Ken has experienced English cricket, five rain delays, cold and windy and English 'jocks' everywhere! He can't remember ever going to the cricket in jeans and a jacket and then needing to put on a wind breaker just to stay even slightly warm. No sun screen or zinc cream needed today!
We were at least lucky in having seats under shelter from the rain, which when it came was just a constant drizzle until the cloud had past. The ground is an unusual shape more like a circle with the top ends pushed in but not at a constant rate so it looks more like a child's attempt at drawing a circle.
None the less he found it interesting, the English crowds are totally different to the Australian crowds, very few women or children around, almost all men which required the need to line up for ages to use the toilets with the lines being longer than the ones to the food outlets!
The amount of beer consumed must be enormous, with beer tenders walking around with a keg on their backs dispensing beer by the pint in plastic cups.
For some English cricket fans it is a full day out, we had an old couple just up from us take out the picnic basket and unload a full roast dinner and were eating it on full china plates with knife and fork - no plastic plates or using the fingers! You had to see it to believe it!
The songs and chants are quite intriguing especially for the English team. Jimmy Anderson had a great day with the ball - 6 for 47, so the chant for him was pretty regular. He ripped through the Australian lineup, helped by the wicket and the conditions. Australia managed 136 all out with Chris Rogers the only one offering any sort of resistance. The rain delays helped the English bowlers as they only used 3 bowlers for the first innings.
They use a very interesting machine (a hovercraft) to bring the covers out onto the ground, and the ground's crew are quite proficient at getting the covers on and off in a very short space of time.
In response England finished the day 3 for 133 with rain again causing an early finish for the day - which wasn't until just before 7.00pm as it was. They had rescheduled during the day to go to 7.30pm if need be because of the rain delays, so it was a 'long' day of cricket.
Paula took the chance to wander around Birmingham (not really interested in cricket) and found the library and museum very interesting. Owls are being used around the city to engage children and tourists in finding out more about Birmingham.
She purchased a few extra clothes for Portugal and Spain as well as venturing into a few bicycle shops for a look.
We used the Uber service again to get back to the apartment office (where Paula was waiting) to collect our luggage and find a place to warm up and have dinner.
Ken was cold enough to need two cups of cappuccino to start to get warm! Dinner was pizza and pasta, which was quite filling. Next stop was the New Street Station to try and get an earlier train to London, no luck so it will be after 12 midnight before we get back to Nat and Emily's unit.
Two days to wash and repack for our trips to Portugal, Spain and Paris. Hopefully to some warmer weather in London as well!
London - Rest Day
Thursday July 30
Paula had put the washing on last night before she went to bed so we had no problems having a big sleep-in. Ken managed to stay in bed until after 8.00am (much better than the 6.00am mornings he normally has been having with the sun up so early) and Paula until after 9.00am. After sorting some clothes on the drying rack Paula went for her morning walk and to buy some fruit and things for breakfast. It was really nice not to have to get up and go somewhere, the first time we have had a 'go slow' period of time for the 6 weeks we have been here. We caught up on some of the cricket in the morning, went for a walk into Surrey Quays after lunch to get some groceries for tonight and tomorrow night's dinner. Some of the areas we walked through were a little depressing, it looks like it hasn't been cared for in years.
Paula cooked a chicken stir fry for tea then we played a fun game of 'Celebrity Heads', using the iPad, it was well after 11.30pm before we went to bed. Nat had asked for a few things on his laptop, so Ken was going to be in his element the next day!
London - Rest Day 3
Friday July 31
We didn't get up today until 8.40am! A big sleep-in.
Ken had leftover stir fry for breakfast while he worked on Nat's laptop and Paula went for her normal morning walk. It was looking like a nice day, sun was out and no cool breeze.
Emily's friends had left her 3 tickets for Madame Tussauds so we decided to go into Baker Street and use them. No way! The line up was around the block, so we dismissed that idea and decided to have a look at the three parks we hadn't visited.
We walked down Baker Street past the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the lineup there was almost down the full length of the street and round the block as well. The population in London explodes over the school holidays, people everywhere!
Regent Park was really nice with garden areas, fountains, monuments and an open air theatre area. We had lunch here but didn't spot the BBQ meals until after we had ordered, a pity as they looked like much better meals for value. The sun was out and we were enjoying the warmth.
From Regent Park we walked towards Hyde Park but before we got there we came across a Lloyds Bank and an Internet Cafe to print our travel documents for Lisbon, Valencia and Paris.
We walked through the Marble Arch to get to Hyde Park. The park is more like an open paddock, criss-crossed by paths and surrounded by trees, no gardens or monuments. We continued on to the water where peddle craft dominated the area and it wasn't even the weekend. It was very much a multicultural group using the park. We had a look at the Diana monument then walked up to the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park Corner. On the way a very friendly squirrel came right up to Paula's hand looking for food. Nat got some great photos.
At the memorial we found that every Australian and New Zealand town forms part of the monument, it is a great tribute to our ANZACs.
From the memorial we walked through Green Park to the Green Park Station. Green Park was busy as it was being set up for a London Cycle event.
At Green Park Station we experienced our first Underground delay. Nat quickly found a way around the delay by going back one station, picking up a different line to Elephant & Castle then a bus to New Cross. We did a quick shop at Iceland for some groceries and had a beautiful dinner (pork chops and vegetables) cooked by Paula.
We then organised and packed for Part H of our adventure - Portugal, Spain and Paris.
Birmingham Trip - Day 1
Tuesday July 28
No real rush this morning, Nat and Emily had everything organised, it was just a matter of following them.
We caught the 225 to Canada Water, Jubilee line to Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes territory) then the Bakerloo line to Marylebone station for the Chiltern Railway System to Birmingham. While we were waiting for Nat and Emily to collect the tickets Ken spotted Jim Maxwell (ABC cricket commentator) on the platform. We boarded the train to Birmingham and not to long after we had started the journey Jim was coming towards us for the buffet bar. Ken said good morning Mr Maxwell and on the way back he stopped to say Hi and Ken asked for a photo, he willingly obliged!
The landscape to Birmingham is mainly agricultural with some industrial areas closer to the city. Birmingham was much larger than we anticipated, it has over 1 million people and looks fairly progressive.
Our unit is self contained and well located. We had lunch at 'Ed's Diner' a 1950’s American styled hamburger cafe. From here we caught a Uber ride (a growing phenomenon around the world) to Cadbury World. This will mean Paula and Ken have been to all three Cadbury factories around the world - Birmingham (England), Dunedin (New Zealand) and Hobart (Tasmania). We had a great afternoon wandering around, smelling chocolate, learning new things about chocolate (especially it production, wrapping and advertising) and the Cadbury brand as well as getting a few samples to take away.
For dinner we headed down to Brindley Place, a well set up area around four intersecting canals with an excellent selection of restaurants. We chose the Brasshouse, a pub that was well designed with a great eating area way from the main public bar. Emily's meal was unbelievable, 'a meal deal for two' - she did amazingly well to get through it all!
Back in the unit we checked food and drink possibilities for the Ashes test and double checked the tickets and seating allocations. We were all ready to go.
Birmingham Trip - Day 2
Wednesday July 29
Cricket - Day 1 Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston Ground - Birmingham
Ken has experienced English cricket, five rain delays, cold and windy and English 'jocks' everywhere! He can't remember ever going to the cricket in jeans and a jacket and then needing to put on a wind breaker just to stay even slightly warm. No sun screen or zinc cream needed today!
We were at least lucky in having seats under shelter from the rain, which when it came was just a constant drizzle until the cloud had past. The ground is an unusual shape more like a circle with the top ends pushed in but not at a constant rate so it looks more like a child's attempt at drawing a circle.
None the less he found it interesting, the English crowds are totally different to the Australian crowds, very few women or children around, almost all men which required the need to line up for ages to use the toilets with the lines being longer than the ones to the food outlets!
The amount of beer consumed must be enormous, with beer tenders walking around with a keg on their backs dispensing beer by the pint in plastic cups.
For some English cricket fans it is a full day out, we had an old couple just up from us take out the picnic basket and unload a full roast dinner and were eating it on full china plates with knife and fork - no plastic plates or using the fingers! You had to see it to believe it!
The songs and chants are quite intriguing especially for the English team. Jimmy Anderson had a great day with the ball - 6 for 47, so the chant for him was pretty regular. He ripped through the Australian lineup, helped by the wicket and the conditions. Australia managed 136 all out with Chris Rogers the only one offering any sort of resistance. The rain delays helped the English bowlers as they only used 3 bowlers for the first innings.
They use a very interesting machine (a hovercraft) to bring the covers out onto the ground, and the ground's crew are quite proficient at getting the covers on and off in a very short space of time.
In response England finished the day 3 for 133 with rain again causing an early finish for the day - which wasn't until just before 7.00pm as it was. They had rescheduled during the day to go to 7.30pm if need be because of the rain delays, so it was a 'long' day of cricket.
Paula took the chance to wander around Birmingham (not really interested in cricket) and found the library and museum very interesting. Owls are being used around the city to engage children and tourists in finding out more about Birmingham.
She purchased a few extra clothes for Portugal and Spain as well as venturing into a few bicycle shops for a look.
We used the Uber service again to get back to the apartment office (where Paula was waiting) to collect our luggage and find a place to warm up and have dinner.
Ken was cold enough to need two cups of cappuccino to start to get warm! Dinner was pizza and pasta, which was quite filling. Next stop was the New Street Station to try and get an earlier train to London, no luck so it will be after 12 midnight before we get back to Nat and Emily's unit.
Two days to wash and repack for our trips to Portugal, Spain and Paris. Hopefully to some warmer weather in London as well!
London - Rest Day
Thursday July 30
Paula had put the washing on last night before she went to bed so we had no problems having a big sleep-in. Ken managed to stay in bed until after 8.00am (much better than the 6.00am mornings he normally has been having with the sun up so early) and Paula until after 9.00am. After sorting some clothes on the drying rack Paula went for her morning walk and to buy some fruit and things for breakfast. It was really nice not to have to get up and go somewhere, the first time we have had a 'go slow' period of time for the 6 weeks we have been here. We caught up on some of the cricket in the morning, went for a walk into Surrey Quays after lunch to get some groceries for tonight and tomorrow night's dinner. Some of the areas we walked through were a little depressing, it looks like it hasn't been cared for in years.
Paula cooked a chicken stir fry for tea then we played a fun game of 'Celebrity Heads', using the iPad, it was well after 11.30pm before we went to bed. Nat had asked for a few things on his laptop, so Ken was going to be in his element the next day!
London - Rest Day 3
Friday July 31
We didn't get up today until 8.40am! A big sleep-in.
Ken had leftover stir fry for breakfast while he worked on Nat's laptop and Paula went for her normal morning walk. It was looking like a nice day, sun was out and no cool breeze.
Emily's friends had left her 3 tickets for Madame Tussauds so we decided to go into Baker Street and use them. No way! The line up was around the block, so we dismissed that idea and decided to have a look at the three parks we hadn't visited.
We walked down Baker Street past the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the lineup there was almost down the full length of the street and round the block as well. The population in London explodes over the school holidays, people everywhere!
Regent Park was really nice with garden areas, fountains, monuments and an open air theatre area. We had lunch here but didn't spot the BBQ meals until after we had ordered, a pity as they looked like much better meals for value. The sun was out and we were enjoying the warmth.
From Regent Park we walked towards Hyde Park but before we got there we came across a Lloyds Bank and an Internet Cafe to print our travel documents for Lisbon, Valencia and Paris.
We walked through the Marble Arch to get to Hyde Park. The park is more like an open paddock, criss-crossed by paths and surrounded by trees, no gardens or monuments. We continued on to the water where peddle craft dominated the area and it wasn't even the weekend. It was very much a multicultural group using the park. We had a look at the Diana monument then walked up to the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park Corner. On the way a very friendly squirrel came right up to Paula's hand looking for food. Nat got some great photos.
At the memorial we found that every Australian and New Zealand town forms part of the monument, it is a great tribute to our ANZACs.
From the memorial we walked through Green Park to the Green Park Station. Green Park was busy as it was being set up for a London Cycle event.
At Green Park Station we experienced our first Underground delay. Nat quickly found a way around the delay by going back one station, picking up a different line to Elephant & Castle then a bus to New Cross. We did a quick shop at Iceland for some groceries and had a beautiful dinner (pork chops and vegetables) cooked by Paula.
We then organised and packed for Part H of our adventure - Portugal, Spain and Paris.
Lisbon
Lisbon Trip - Day 1
Saturday August 1
Early start, up at 5.30am ready for the taxi at 6.45am to take us to Stansted Airport.
Our taxi driver reminded me of Brian's driving; slow, cautious and short gear changes. At first we thought we would never get there, but he picked up the pace once we were through the tunnel under the Thames. No problems with boarding Ryanair - very much a 'budget' airline - plastic everywhere and you had to buy your own food and drinks.
Lisbon airport covers a large area but fortunately wasn't too busy when we arrived. Whoa what a taxi ride, total opposite to our ride out to Stansted - no hands driving, 170kph in an 80kph zone, zigzagging in and out of traffic, using the mobile phone but he knew where he was going and obviously loves the city and wanted us to enjoy our visit.
Flying in to Lisbon orange tiled roofs and white buildings seemed to be the predominate feature of the buildings but on driving through we noticed whole areas built to the same building requirement, including pink and white, yellow and brown and even glass sided walls which gave a greeny/blue hue to the buildings.
Lisbon is totally different to what Ken had expected and Emily has picked us an ideal location to get to know the old part of town. We are in an Air BnB, a unit that has been modernised in an old tenement building, second floor, narrow stairs and sloping ceilings. Everyone except Nat has banged their head at least once! It has a great window which opens to a view of the neighbourhood, including a neighbour's roof garden and allows for a beautiful cooling breeze. The dominate feature is that most buildings are 4 stories, sandstone or marble, small terrace windows on the first and fourth floor and packed tightly together. The buildings have a very narrow doorway that Josh wouldn't fit through which leads to all the units in the building. Although there is reconstruction going on the whole place feels old, grubby and a little uncomfortable.
Once settled in we went for a walk to get lunch and really experienced Lisbon, narrow tiled streets and walkways built on a very hilly area, old trams running and quaint 3 wheeled hire cars moving in and around each other.
Lisbon is considered the San Francisco of Europe. There are lots of streets that are only for pedestrians. Most of the streets seem to have been built with black and white tiles, small pieces cemented together giving effective patterns and designs. They all look well worn and shiny from many years of use. The white pieces are limestone and the black pieces are obsidian.
After lunch we walked down to the harbour area, saw the smallest beach ever with some people swimming until the tide came in and finished their day. We explored a little more and found a different way back to the unit. The area is very old and there are many streets with off shooting lanes, alleys and stairways that could get you lost very quickly.
The place is full of people, crowds everywhere and lots of pigeons. We noticed an interesting thing about the Portuguese police, the men tend to be short in statue but well built. There are also many beggars and a number of different street performers with many performing as human statues (like the ones we saw in London) in the pedestrian areas.
Ken and Paula found a Catholic Church with Mass at 6.30pm, 'Basilica Dos Martires' (1147) so organised to meet Nat and Emily at 7.30pm to find a place for dinner. We are still just navigating the areas we know so walked along the Rua da Misericordia and Rua do Alecrim (wide pedestrian streets) till we found a street restaurant. Ken had a Spanish dish, paella (which he said he would order again) and Paula a beautiful fish meal. The whole area also seems to have people playing music, we were treated to a performance by a young man playing a cello.
We continued walking after our leisurely dinner and a courtesy port (a product famous in Portugal), even Paula had a sip, down towards the harbour. The breeze was a little cool so we walked a couple of streets back among the souvenir shops, which Paula enjoyed, making our way back to the unit. We had been told the area we were in was renowned for its late night street parties. We saw them getting organised and were to hear the party noises for most of the night. Easy to sleep though, cool night and comfortable bed. Walking tour, tourist tram ride and a 'pastry eating' session already organised for tomorrow.
Lisbon Trip - Day 2
Sunday August 2
We started the day with lovely breakfast prepared by Paula (good food for our walking tour), bread rolls, boiled eggs, ham slices and tomato. Paula had already been for an hours walk but was ready and willing for the free walking tour around the old part of Lisbon.
We walked down to the square and met Luis, one of the English speaking tour guides, who was fascinated with the name Wagga Wagga. Just to prove to him we did exist we showed him Wagga Wagga on Google maps.
Once sorted into smaller groups we headed off with our guide Elena who had only been a tour guide for 3 months but who had obviously fallen in love with Lisbon and Portugal. She more than shared her passion with us by telling us the human interest side of the people and places she showed us on what was meant to be a 2 1/2 hr tour that turned into 3. We visited too many sites to mention them all but some that had special significance were the Pessmo statue, the oldest bookstore in the world, the view of the castle and Alfama and the earthquake events, the story of Sebastian, the Jewish massacre and the burnt church and the story of Salazar and the bloodless rebellion.
During the tour we made a decision to do the afternoon walking tour to Belém which meant we had 20 minutes to get lunch and be back at the Jose I monument. The afternoon tour included a train ride and we needed to leave as close to 2.30 pm as possible.
We did this tour with Luis, who worked a little differently from Elena, his concentration was more pro Portuguese and their conquests and discoveries. He was very proud to be Portuguese and it showed through. This tour required a lot more walking and was in the hottest part of the day so making sure we rehydrated was important. Again we saw more sights than I will mention but the most memorable were the Monastery of Geronimo, the Salazar monument and story, the tiled world map showing the Age of Discovery for Portugal, the memorial to the 9000 Portuguese military who had lost their lives in the colonial wars and the 'Pastel de Belém', the custard tarts, a famous pastry of Portugal.
All aspects of both tours where different and gave an insight to the history of Portugal, the people and the way they think and feel.
We found a family restaurant for dinner, bought the necessary souvenirs then headed back to the unit to pack. We are leaving at 8.00am for the airport to fly to Madrid.
Lisbon Trip - Day 1
Saturday August 1
Early start, up at 5.30am ready for the taxi at 6.45am to take us to Stansted Airport.
Our taxi driver reminded me of Brian's driving; slow, cautious and short gear changes. At first we thought we would never get there, but he picked up the pace once we were through the tunnel under the Thames. No problems with boarding Ryanair - very much a 'budget' airline - plastic everywhere and you had to buy your own food and drinks.
Lisbon airport covers a large area but fortunately wasn't too busy when we arrived. Whoa what a taxi ride, total opposite to our ride out to Stansted - no hands driving, 170kph in an 80kph zone, zigzagging in and out of traffic, using the mobile phone but he knew where he was going and obviously loves the city and wanted us to enjoy our visit.
Flying in to Lisbon orange tiled roofs and white buildings seemed to be the predominate feature of the buildings but on driving through we noticed whole areas built to the same building requirement, including pink and white, yellow and brown and even glass sided walls which gave a greeny/blue hue to the buildings.
Lisbon is totally different to what Ken had expected and Emily has picked us an ideal location to get to know the old part of town. We are in an Air BnB, a unit that has been modernised in an old tenement building, second floor, narrow stairs and sloping ceilings. Everyone except Nat has banged their head at least once! It has a great window which opens to a view of the neighbourhood, including a neighbour's roof garden and allows for a beautiful cooling breeze. The dominate feature is that most buildings are 4 stories, sandstone or marble, small terrace windows on the first and fourth floor and packed tightly together. The buildings have a very narrow doorway that Josh wouldn't fit through which leads to all the units in the building. Although there is reconstruction going on the whole place feels old, grubby and a little uncomfortable.
Once settled in we went for a walk to get lunch and really experienced Lisbon, narrow tiled streets and walkways built on a very hilly area, old trams running and quaint 3 wheeled hire cars moving in and around each other.
Lisbon is considered the San Francisco of Europe. There are lots of streets that are only for pedestrians. Most of the streets seem to have been built with black and white tiles, small pieces cemented together giving effective patterns and designs. They all look well worn and shiny from many years of use. The white pieces are limestone and the black pieces are obsidian.
After lunch we walked down to the harbour area, saw the smallest beach ever with some people swimming until the tide came in and finished their day. We explored a little more and found a different way back to the unit. The area is very old and there are many streets with off shooting lanes, alleys and stairways that could get you lost very quickly.
The place is full of people, crowds everywhere and lots of pigeons. We noticed an interesting thing about the Portuguese police, the men tend to be short in statue but well built. There are also many beggars and a number of different street performers with many performing as human statues (like the ones we saw in London) in the pedestrian areas.
Ken and Paula found a Catholic Church with Mass at 6.30pm, 'Basilica Dos Martires' (1147) so organised to meet Nat and Emily at 7.30pm to find a place for dinner. We are still just navigating the areas we know so walked along the Rua da Misericordia and Rua do Alecrim (wide pedestrian streets) till we found a street restaurant. Ken had a Spanish dish, paella (which he said he would order again) and Paula a beautiful fish meal. The whole area also seems to have people playing music, we were treated to a performance by a young man playing a cello.
We continued walking after our leisurely dinner and a courtesy port (a product famous in Portugal), even Paula had a sip, down towards the harbour. The breeze was a little cool so we walked a couple of streets back among the souvenir shops, which Paula enjoyed, making our way back to the unit. We had been told the area we were in was renowned for its late night street parties. We saw them getting organised and were to hear the party noises for most of the night. Easy to sleep though, cool night and comfortable bed. Walking tour, tourist tram ride and a 'pastry eating' session already organised for tomorrow.
Lisbon Trip - Day 2
Sunday August 2
We started the day with lovely breakfast prepared by Paula (good food for our walking tour), bread rolls, boiled eggs, ham slices and tomato. Paula had already been for an hours walk but was ready and willing for the free walking tour around the old part of Lisbon.
We walked down to the square and met Luis, one of the English speaking tour guides, who was fascinated with the name Wagga Wagga. Just to prove to him we did exist we showed him Wagga Wagga on Google maps.
Once sorted into smaller groups we headed off with our guide Elena who had only been a tour guide for 3 months but who had obviously fallen in love with Lisbon and Portugal. She more than shared her passion with us by telling us the human interest side of the people and places she showed us on what was meant to be a 2 1/2 hr tour that turned into 3. We visited too many sites to mention them all but some that had special significance were the Pessmo statue, the oldest bookstore in the world, the view of the castle and Alfama and the earthquake events, the story of Sebastian, the Jewish massacre and the burnt church and the story of Salazar and the bloodless rebellion.
During the tour we made a decision to do the afternoon walking tour to Belém which meant we had 20 minutes to get lunch and be back at the Jose I monument. The afternoon tour included a train ride and we needed to leave as close to 2.30 pm as possible.
We did this tour with Luis, who worked a little differently from Elena, his concentration was more pro Portuguese and their conquests and discoveries. He was very proud to be Portuguese and it showed through. This tour required a lot more walking and was in the hottest part of the day so making sure we rehydrated was important. Again we saw more sights than I will mention but the most memorable were the Monastery of Geronimo, the Salazar monument and story, the tiled world map showing the Age of Discovery for Portugal, the memorial to the 9000 Portuguese military who had lost their lives in the colonial wars and the 'Pastel de Belém', the custard tarts, a famous pastry of Portugal.
All aspects of both tours where different and gave an insight to the history of Portugal, the people and the way they think and feel.
We found a family restaurant for dinner, bought the necessary souvenirs then headed back to the unit to pack. We are leaving at 8.00am for the airport to fly to Madrid.
Madrid
Madrid Trip - Day 1
Monday August 3
Everyone was up (the street noises made sure you didn't sleep in) ready by 8.00am. We walked up to one of the main roads of the old town to find a taxi to the airport.
No problems, he got us there in 15 minutes at a third of the cost of the first day!
The Iberia flight was good but we lost an hour because of the time difference. We went through the Madrid airport (didn't even have to get our passports stamped) without any problems. UE countries have an agreement that if you pass through one into another and you have been checked at the other's security then you can pass through without being checked.
We looked at using the Metro but it was only a one way ticket and was going to cost the same as a taxi so we used the taxi to get us to exactly the address we needed.
This was were our day hit a snag, the people who we were collecting the key from were having their office refurbished (so there was no-one in the office) and didn't answer the five calls Emily made. This was 2.30pm (which we have since discovered is the siesta period and nobody works)!
We found a cafe, had lunch and waited until after 4.00pm for Emily and Nat to go and collect the key. Ken had a coffee frappé and Paula a Belgium chocolate milkshake after lunch.
Once Nat and Emily had the key we walked to the unit and hit our second snag, the key and lock have their own idiosyncrasies and it took a while to figure out, it was pull the door forward and turn the key to the right at the same time. Once in we sorted rooms, did a kitchen and toilet explore then went for a walk to find the Plaza Mayor, the starting point for the walking tour tomorrow at 10.00am.
On the way we realised that our unit was in the older area with narrow, one way streets and lots of small hotels, restaurants and bars, it was the Soho of Madrid. The area which seems to have most of the monuments is also the major shopping area, wide streets, big plazas and many pedestrian only shopping malls which interlink and cross each other at various points. To help you navigate, some of the streets have different coloured shade cloth strung across from the balconies on the different sides of the street.
We found the Plaza Mayor and a few souvenir shops (which Paula was keen to explore) as well as a number of religious shops with priest and religious gear. Spain is very much a Catholic country.
Madrid also seems to be the 'scooter' capital of Spain, the main form of transport with them also allowed to be parked on the footpath.
We have seen lots of different characters, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, a Ninja turtle, guards with weird head gear, working girls and beggars of all kinds. They seem to be more demanding here (come up to you and ask for money) more so than in any other place we have encountered them.
Emily was getting a little hot and feeling weary so Nat and her headed back to the unit while Ken and Paula kept looking around. No-one was really hungry so it was decided to get a few things to have for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.
Dinner was hot dogs, or yogurt, fruit, bread, cheese and ice cream. Everyone was satisfied. Tomorrow we have planned a Walking Tour of the centre of Madrid then an explore of the main Madrid gardens.
Madrid Trip - Day 2
Tuesday August 4
Up a little late, we must be close to the time line as it still seemed to be dark at 7.00am. It may have been because of where we were and the height of the building making it less accessible to the sun. Paula didn't walk today, just wanted to have a sleep in. Again we were treated to another nice breakfast by Paula (saving money and being well fed, the Air B&Bs have their advantages).
We have also learnt how to manage 6 different shower systems in our travels so far, the Madrid one was the most intriguing - water coming at you from 8 different outlets!
We made it to the Plaza Mayor by 10.00am and met our guide Jovan, who was an American guy who had married a Spanish man and was now living in his home town, Madrid. He has been here 3 years, does a travel blog, travel videos and works for New Europe as a tour guide. He had some good human interest stories but spoke a little too quickly so you missed some of the things he said.
We visited numerous sights the best of which where the Cathedral (the photo with the Star of David fountain, the Muslim wall and the Catholic Church all together was very interesting). The inside of the Cathedral was amazing, belied by the plain exterior appearance. The story around the oldest restaurant in the world and the Madrid 'Robin Hood' was interesting as was the story of the linage of the last six kings of Spain. It would have been interesting to eat some of the cookies made by the 'Carboneras' Nuns but they are away until September.
We also went to the Palace and their gardens and learnt a little more about Plaza Mayor. We had a rest break in a Tapas Bar and decided to do the Tapas Tour at 7.00pm that night for dinner. After we finished the free walking tour we walked to the Egyptian temple (a gift from Egypt) with samples of hieroglyphics, had a look at the part of Madrid that has the adventure parks from the lookout near the Temple then back into town for lunch at 'Tommy Mels' an American Diner from the fifties.
We all had milkshakes and food that we all liked. From here we walked along the Gran Via (the main shopping street of Madrid) to Parque De El Retiro a park area with a ceremonial lake in the middle as a monument to Alfonso XII. We spent an hour or so looking around the park facilities. By this time it was getting close to the Tapas Tour time so we went back to the unit for a refresh and headed off to Plaza Mayor again.
The Tapas Tour was great. In the two and a bit hours of the tour we did three totally different Tapas bars. The first was more modern with a white wine and sprite drink and potato and paella food. The second was old style, but very interesting in decor and location. The drink was a beer or sangria (a red wine with a lemon slice) with small bread sticks, olives, pork slices, potato quiche and bread pieces as the meal. The third was a cider Tapas bar. Here you had to pour the cider into glasses from an arm's length height to finish the fermenting process. The cider hitting the glass bottom from the height released the cider bubbles. You then needed to drink it quickly to feel the fizz. Nat, Emily and Paula had a go at pouring the cider. The meal was bread with cheese and apricot jam and bread with ham and a little sprinkling of curry powder. We now know a little more about what we are doing in a Tapas bar so we are definitely going to have to try a few more tapas bars in Barcelona!
After the Tapas bars we walked back up through the main shopping area, came across a peaceful protest, with a police escort (followed them for a while) and made a few more souvenir purchases.
We finished the night with a cappuccino for Ken and beers for Emily and Nat.
On returning to the unit we organised our plans for tomorrow and started to pack for Valencia. We fly out at 2.30pm.
Madrid Trip - Day 1
Monday August 3
Everyone was up (the street noises made sure you didn't sleep in) ready by 8.00am. We walked up to one of the main roads of the old town to find a taxi to the airport.
No problems, he got us there in 15 minutes at a third of the cost of the first day!
The Iberia flight was good but we lost an hour because of the time difference. We went through the Madrid airport (didn't even have to get our passports stamped) without any problems. UE countries have an agreement that if you pass through one into another and you have been checked at the other's security then you can pass through without being checked.
We looked at using the Metro but it was only a one way ticket and was going to cost the same as a taxi so we used the taxi to get us to exactly the address we needed.
This was were our day hit a snag, the people who we were collecting the key from were having their office refurbished (so there was no-one in the office) and didn't answer the five calls Emily made. This was 2.30pm (which we have since discovered is the siesta period and nobody works)!
We found a cafe, had lunch and waited until after 4.00pm for Emily and Nat to go and collect the key. Ken had a coffee frappé and Paula a Belgium chocolate milkshake after lunch.
Once Nat and Emily had the key we walked to the unit and hit our second snag, the key and lock have their own idiosyncrasies and it took a while to figure out, it was pull the door forward and turn the key to the right at the same time. Once in we sorted rooms, did a kitchen and toilet explore then went for a walk to find the Plaza Mayor, the starting point for the walking tour tomorrow at 10.00am.
On the way we realised that our unit was in the older area with narrow, one way streets and lots of small hotels, restaurants and bars, it was the Soho of Madrid. The area which seems to have most of the monuments is also the major shopping area, wide streets, big plazas and many pedestrian only shopping malls which interlink and cross each other at various points. To help you navigate, some of the streets have different coloured shade cloth strung across from the balconies on the different sides of the street.
We found the Plaza Mayor and a few souvenir shops (which Paula was keen to explore) as well as a number of religious shops with priest and religious gear. Spain is very much a Catholic country.
Madrid also seems to be the 'scooter' capital of Spain, the main form of transport with them also allowed to be parked on the footpath.
We have seen lots of different characters, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, a Ninja turtle, guards with weird head gear, working girls and beggars of all kinds. They seem to be more demanding here (come up to you and ask for money) more so than in any other place we have encountered them.
Emily was getting a little hot and feeling weary so Nat and her headed back to the unit while Ken and Paula kept looking around. No-one was really hungry so it was decided to get a few things to have for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow.
Dinner was hot dogs, or yogurt, fruit, bread, cheese and ice cream. Everyone was satisfied. Tomorrow we have planned a Walking Tour of the centre of Madrid then an explore of the main Madrid gardens.
Madrid Trip - Day 2
Tuesday August 4
Up a little late, we must be close to the time line as it still seemed to be dark at 7.00am. It may have been because of where we were and the height of the building making it less accessible to the sun. Paula didn't walk today, just wanted to have a sleep in. Again we were treated to another nice breakfast by Paula (saving money and being well fed, the Air B&Bs have their advantages).
We have also learnt how to manage 6 different shower systems in our travels so far, the Madrid one was the most intriguing - water coming at you from 8 different outlets!
We made it to the Plaza Mayor by 10.00am and met our guide Jovan, who was an American guy who had married a Spanish man and was now living in his home town, Madrid. He has been here 3 years, does a travel blog, travel videos and works for New Europe as a tour guide. He had some good human interest stories but spoke a little too quickly so you missed some of the things he said.
We visited numerous sights the best of which where the Cathedral (the photo with the Star of David fountain, the Muslim wall and the Catholic Church all together was very interesting). The inside of the Cathedral was amazing, belied by the plain exterior appearance. The story around the oldest restaurant in the world and the Madrid 'Robin Hood' was interesting as was the story of the linage of the last six kings of Spain. It would have been interesting to eat some of the cookies made by the 'Carboneras' Nuns but they are away until September.
We also went to the Palace and their gardens and learnt a little more about Plaza Mayor. We had a rest break in a Tapas Bar and decided to do the Tapas Tour at 7.00pm that night for dinner. After we finished the free walking tour we walked to the Egyptian temple (a gift from Egypt) with samples of hieroglyphics, had a look at the part of Madrid that has the adventure parks from the lookout near the Temple then back into town for lunch at 'Tommy Mels' an American Diner from the fifties.
We all had milkshakes and food that we all liked. From here we walked along the Gran Via (the main shopping street of Madrid) to Parque De El Retiro a park area with a ceremonial lake in the middle as a monument to Alfonso XII. We spent an hour or so looking around the park facilities. By this time it was getting close to the Tapas Tour time so we went back to the unit for a refresh and headed off to Plaza Mayor again.
The Tapas Tour was great. In the two and a bit hours of the tour we did three totally different Tapas bars. The first was more modern with a white wine and sprite drink and potato and paella food. The second was old style, but very interesting in decor and location. The drink was a beer or sangria (a red wine with a lemon slice) with small bread sticks, olives, pork slices, potato quiche and bread pieces as the meal. The third was a cider Tapas bar. Here you had to pour the cider into glasses from an arm's length height to finish the fermenting process. The cider hitting the glass bottom from the height released the cider bubbles. You then needed to drink it quickly to feel the fizz. Nat, Emily and Paula had a go at pouring the cider. The meal was bread with cheese and apricot jam and bread with ham and a little sprinkling of curry powder. We now know a little more about what we are doing in a Tapas bar so we are definitely going to have to try a few more tapas bars in Barcelona!
After the Tapas bars we walked back up through the main shopping area, came across a peaceful protest, with a police escort (followed them for a while) and made a few more souvenir purchases.
We finished the night with a cappuccino for Ken and beers for Emily and Nat.
On returning to the unit we organised our plans for tomorrow and started to pack for Valencia. We fly out at 2.30pm.
Valencia
Valencia Trip - Day 1
Wednesday August 5
Paula was up early and went for her early morning walk. She was up, dressed and gone by 7.20am. She was just walking around the areas we had already been and was confident enough not to even take a map. Emily, Nat and Ken all had a breakfast of toast, cheese, tomato and ham, hopefully enough to get them through the day. Paula had fruit as usual. We were ready and out of the unit by 11.00am. We took the unit keys back to the office and left our luggage for an hour or so and headed towards Plaza Sol. Ken was offered a 2 for 1 Costa coffee deal and as the Costa coffee was one of the best he had tried we went looking for the shop. Having found the coffee shop no-one else wanted a drink so Ken ordered two cappuccino, he didn't complain! Whilst we were in the coffee shop Paula witnessed an attempted robbery in the coffee shop itself.
Two boys, aged about 14 and 10 approached two ladies sitting in the table next to us and pushed a pamphlet across for them to look at (possible to distract them) at the same time reaching across to grab her phone. She pushed them away and shouted for them to go. At first Paula thought they were the lady's own children, but quickly realised what was happening and pulled her phone into her stomach (she had been deleting old photos at the time). When they saw her do this they took off. Nat and Ken were oblivious to the whole thing as they had their backs to the table and Emily had gone to the toilet. It all happened in less than a minute! We were 'eyes alert' for the rest of our walk through the streets.
It was time to head back and get the luggage, find a taxi and go to the airport. Why does the ride back to the airport always seem to take less time than the ride in?
This was the quickest airport to do the check in, have the luggage tagged and taken and to go through the security. We were in the lounge waiting to board within 10 minutes. But this was soon to change as we were placed in the hands of the airline Air Europa. The first indication was the announcement that the plane was late in arriving and boarding would be delayed by 15 minutes. The second was waiting in the bus for over 40 minutes to be transferred to the plane and the third was the 15 minute taxi run of the plane to actually get to the runway! There was a fourth issue but it was more of an inconvenience than a delay and that was the very cramped conditions in a very hot plane (not sure if they had any air conditioning at all) you also could only fit one piece of hand luggage under the seat in front of you and being told to turn off all smartphone and tablets for the whole journey. Thankfully the trip only took 45 minutes but the delays put us over an hour behind in our scheduled arrival at the unit.
The unit was great. Lots of room, and as Emily had promised, less than a five minute walk to the beach. The beach area was enormous, it seems to stretch for miles along the coast with people covering every piece of sand within 20 metres of the water.
It has an extensive promenade for people to walk along and boardwalks to get to the beach across the wide expanse of sand which gets quite hot in the middle of the day. The sand is fine and brownish in colour and the water isn't as clear as you would like to swim in, but it is a beach, the water has waves, is salty and slightly warmer than you expect but is refreshing to swim in.
It was a topless beach so Ken had to find the obligatory 'white pointer', which he duly did and was heard to make comment that some women shouldn't go topless, is that man never satisfied!
After a swim and lie in the afternoon sun we headed for the local supermarket to buy supplies for breakfast. Whilst looking around the supermarket, which was much bigger than expected, we decided to have taco fillings in wraps for dinner. In the end the total groceries were €24, which was a dinner of €4 each and breakfast for €2 a lot different to the €15-20 we have been paying when we eat out!
Tomorrow's plans are beach and more beach with perhap Paula doing a few walks along the beach or the promenade - we will wait and see what eventuates.
Valencia Trip - Day 2
Thursday August 6
Paula went for her walk early but everyone else slept in, until after 9.30am when Paula let us know that breakfast was ready. Clothes washing was done and hung up to dry before we headed for the beach - by this time it was just perfect beach sun baking and swimming conditions.
The beach was less crowded than yesterday but still lots of people about. We set up in a good spot with Paula and Nat being the first in. We had decided that one of us would always stay with the gear.
The beach (Ken’s thoughts) was a little like West Beach in Adelaide, you could walk out a long way before the water was over your head, small sea shells on the approach to the water, no big waves or undertow, a very family friendly beach. We all had at least two swims and did a lot of sunbathing, laying and watching the world walk past. Ken has decided all women should go topless so the many positives would out way the occasional negative! We also spotted a number of very body conscious men and women walking along the water's edge, interesting world we live in. We could also see a huge cruise ship anchored in Valencia Harbour, it made the surrounding area look really small.
Back in the unit lunch was chicken and salad rolls, Paula had a chicken and salad mix in a bowl. We were back to the beach by 4.30pm, minus Paula as she didn't want to sun bake anymore. She did some ironing and read her book.
The cruise ship was gone only to be replaced by two others. The yellow and white towels got their owners back (they obviously leave them there to hold the spot) and the beach seemed to have more people than this morning. Nat and Emily had purchased a Spanish beach tennis kit so we played that for a while, more difficult than it looks trying to move in the sand to hit the small ball back and forward. The best number of consecutive returns was 25 - Nat and Emily have the record, one we'll have to try and beat at the beach in Barcelona. More swimming and sunbathing until about 7.30pm, we were starting to look a little red by then. It was back to the unit for showers then home cooked pizza and chips (actually frozen and just re-heated) for dinner for Nat, Emily and Ken and salad and leftovers for Paula. While dinner was getting prepared Paula went for an evening walk to check the area we were staying in. We had a few 'treats' to also consume before we called it a night.
Tomorrow we are suppose to be out of the unit by 11.00am, then a 4 hour bus journey, leaving at 1.00pm (we get to see some of the Spanish countryside) to Barcelona.
Valencia Trip - Day 1
Wednesday August 5
Paula was up early and went for her early morning walk. She was up, dressed and gone by 7.20am. She was just walking around the areas we had already been and was confident enough not to even take a map. Emily, Nat and Ken all had a breakfast of toast, cheese, tomato and ham, hopefully enough to get them through the day. Paula had fruit as usual. We were ready and out of the unit by 11.00am. We took the unit keys back to the office and left our luggage for an hour or so and headed towards Plaza Sol. Ken was offered a 2 for 1 Costa coffee deal and as the Costa coffee was one of the best he had tried we went looking for the shop. Having found the coffee shop no-one else wanted a drink so Ken ordered two cappuccino, he didn't complain! Whilst we were in the coffee shop Paula witnessed an attempted robbery in the coffee shop itself.
Two boys, aged about 14 and 10 approached two ladies sitting in the table next to us and pushed a pamphlet across for them to look at (possible to distract them) at the same time reaching across to grab her phone. She pushed them away and shouted for them to go. At first Paula thought they were the lady's own children, but quickly realised what was happening and pulled her phone into her stomach (she had been deleting old photos at the time). When they saw her do this they took off. Nat and Ken were oblivious to the whole thing as they had their backs to the table and Emily had gone to the toilet. It all happened in less than a minute! We were 'eyes alert' for the rest of our walk through the streets.
It was time to head back and get the luggage, find a taxi and go to the airport. Why does the ride back to the airport always seem to take less time than the ride in?
This was the quickest airport to do the check in, have the luggage tagged and taken and to go through the security. We were in the lounge waiting to board within 10 minutes. But this was soon to change as we were placed in the hands of the airline Air Europa. The first indication was the announcement that the plane was late in arriving and boarding would be delayed by 15 minutes. The second was waiting in the bus for over 40 minutes to be transferred to the plane and the third was the 15 minute taxi run of the plane to actually get to the runway! There was a fourth issue but it was more of an inconvenience than a delay and that was the very cramped conditions in a very hot plane (not sure if they had any air conditioning at all) you also could only fit one piece of hand luggage under the seat in front of you and being told to turn off all smartphone and tablets for the whole journey. Thankfully the trip only took 45 minutes but the delays put us over an hour behind in our scheduled arrival at the unit.
The unit was great. Lots of room, and as Emily had promised, less than a five minute walk to the beach. The beach area was enormous, it seems to stretch for miles along the coast with people covering every piece of sand within 20 metres of the water.
It has an extensive promenade for people to walk along and boardwalks to get to the beach across the wide expanse of sand which gets quite hot in the middle of the day. The sand is fine and brownish in colour and the water isn't as clear as you would like to swim in, but it is a beach, the water has waves, is salty and slightly warmer than you expect but is refreshing to swim in.
It was a topless beach so Ken had to find the obligatory 'white pointer', which he duly did and was heard to make comment that some women shouldn't go topless, is that man never satisfied!
After a swim and lie in the afternoon sun we headed for the local supermarket to buy supplies for breakfast. Whilst looking around the supermarket, which was much bigger than expected, we decided to have taco fillings in wraps for dinner. In the end the total groceries were €24, which was a dinner of €4 each and breakfast for €2 a lot different to the €15-20 we have been paying when we eat out!
Tomorrow's plans are beach and more beach with perhap Paula doing a few walks along the beach or the promenade - we will wait and see what eventuates.
Valencia Trip - Day 2
Thursday August 6
Paula went for her walk early but everyone else slept in, until after 9.30am when Paula let us know that breakfast was ready. Clothes washing was done and hung up to dry before we headed for the beach - by this time it was just perfect beach sun baking and swimming conditions.
The beach was less crowded than yesterday but still lots of people about. We set up in a good spot with Paula and Nat being the first in. We had decided that one of us would always stay with the gear.
The beach (Ken’s thoughts) was a little like West Beach in Adelaide, you could walk out a long way before the water was over your head, small sea shells on the approach to the water, no big waves or undertow, a very family friendly beach. We all had at least two swims and did a lot of sunbathing, laying and watching the world walk past. Ken has decided all women should go topless so the many positives would out way the occasional negative! We also spotted a number of very body conscious men and women walking along the water's edge, interesting world we live in. We could also see a huge cruise ship anchored in Valencia Harbour, it made the surrounding area look really small.
Back in the unit lunch was chicken and salad rolls, Paula had a chicken and salad mix in a bowl. We were back to the beach by 4.30pm, minus Paula as she didn't want to sun bake anymore. She did some ironing and read her book.
The cruise ship was gone only to be replaced by two others. The yellow and white towels got their owners back (they obviously leave them there to hold the spot) and the beach seemed to have more people than this morning. Nat and Emily had purchased a Spanish beach tennis kit so we played that for a while, more difficult than it looks trying to move in the sand to hit the small ball back and forward. The best number of consecutive returns was 25 - Nat and Emily have the record, one we'll have to try and beat at the beach in Barcelona. More swimming and sunbathing until about 7.30pm, we were starting to look a little red by then. It was back to the unit for showers then home cooked pizza and chips (actually frozen and just re-heated) for dinner for Nat, Emily and Ken and salad and leftovers for Paula. While dinner was getting prepared Paula went for an evening walk to check the area we were staying in. We had a few 'treats' to also consume before we called it a night.
Tomorrow we are suppose to be out of the unit by 11.00am, then a 4 hour bus journey, leaving at 1.00pm (we get to see some of the Spanish countryside) to Barcelona.
Barcelona
Barcelona Trip - Day 1
Friday August 7
Paula walked again for an hour this morning in a different direction, then woke us for breakfast. It was 9.00am, the sun and beach swimming is making us sleepy. On her walk today Paula discovered a whole area of markets that she would have liked to have found earlier to explore when they were open.
We had warmed up leftovers and Paula (she had fruit and yoghurt) used the last of the ham to make some sandwiches and a roll for the bus trip.
Nat and Emily went for a last swim and Paula took Ken down to the Market area to show him what could have been if she had known earlier. We vacated the unit at 12 noon after everyone had showered and packed. The taxi into the bus terminal was only 20 minutes and Emily already had printed tickets so we didn't need to be too early.
Nat and Emily have set a new Spanish Beach tennis mark, 52 is the new record! Ken and Paula watched some Spanish beach volleyball using soccer skills. They start by kicking off from a sand tee then use their chest, head or feet to return with only three touches allowed before it is returned. The men we saw were quite good.
The bus was easy, we had reserved seats, but both the Valencia and Barcelona bus terminals are grotty and dirty, made the London Victoria Bus Terminal look good in comparison. Arrived in Barcelona just after 5.00pm, the city is in a more mountainous area than Madrid and Valencia and looks very spread out. Our unit is in amongst a narrow group of streets, a little hard to find. The Air BnB agent came and found us after Emily had called him twice.
The unit is ok, in a quite noisy section but close to everything. Once settled in and organised we walked to the main street area, which was packed, had a Tapas meal for dinner, then explored some more before we went to the Flamenco dancing Paula had booked. It was spectacular, the male dancer was unbelievable, his feet at times were just a blur. It was just a pity we didn't get to see a solo female dance.
After the dance we had ice cream or a slushie then walked down the wide pedestrian section of Las Ramblas to Mirador de Colom near the harbour. Here Paula purchased a fan from a street seller just before we saw them all pack up and take off to avoid the police. They have their goods on a sheet with rope tied across the four corners. When they have to move quickly they just lift the rope from the middle, everything falls into the centre of the sheet and they are off!
Paula enjoys the city life at night, likes the lights, colour, activity and looking at the people who are out and about. We didn't get back to the unit until after midnight.
Full day of exploring Barcelona tomorrow, looking at the Hop on Hop off bus as a two day commuting option as some things are too far away to walk to.
Barcelona Trip - Day 2
Saturday August 8
Paula did her hour walk again this morning, an hour earlier than she thought. She had set her phone alarm, not realising Nat had adjusted for the hour we are ahead of London, so she was walking an hour earlier than she had planned. She then spent an hour cutting up heaps of fruit to go with our yoghurt for breakfast.
We were organised and ready for the Hop on Hop Off Bus City Tour by 11.00am and made a decision to get a two day ticket which allowed us the opportunity to do both Orange (West side of Barcelona) and Green tour (East side) at any time. It also meant we were able to hop on and off at any time on both tours. It turned out to be a good deal. Both tours take approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the traffic. We choose to do the Orange tour first. Initially we planned to hop on and off at the different stops as we felt like but after the first major 'photo opportunity', which was the old fort on the highest point overlooking the city, we changed tack and decided to do the whole loop, pick the best spots to come back to then link them by walking or using the bus as necessary. The Orange tour had 17 possible attractions, all unique and different in their own way. Probably the most interesting that we didn't return to was the Barcelona (FCB - Football Club Barcelona) soccer stadium, which had a capacity of 100,000. We could only imagine the noise and atmosphere of the ground when FCB played Real Madrid! We chose 5 in one location (which were within walking distance of each other) and another 2 a little further away (16 blocks as it turned out!)
The first site on the return trip was the 1992 Olympic's main stadium. It is still used today for concerts and other performances. The front entrance to the stadium was very interesting and would have been majestic in 1992 with its long cascading approach linking a number of waterfalls and slender long ponds. From here we moved across to the building used to house the Gymnastics for the Olympics and now home for MNAC, music theatres and concert hall. We had a great view of the city from here as well. This area then lead us to a series of waterfalls moving down towards the main area of the site for the 1929 expo, Plaza Espanya with the entrance consisting of two tall towers on either side of the road. The next site was the Arena de Barcelona, which up until 1977 was a bull fighting arena. (Bull fighting was officially stopped in Barcelona, only a small number of cities now run bull fights in Spain, in 2010). In 1979 the facade was kept, raised one level and the inside turned into a shopping mall. We went inside just to be able to say we had actually been inside an area that was once a bull fighting arena!
From here we walked along Gran Via, on the map it only looks a short distance, in reality it is a lot further, to two building designed by Antoni Gaudi. They are both very unique and interesting in design, something you have to see to believe, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. We took numerous photos to try and show the unusual design of both.
This wasn't the only work of Gaudi to surprise us.
We caught the Green tour from here with Ken and Paula getting off at Stop 1 (to get dinner for themselves) while Nat and Emily went on to Stop 5, the Barcelona beach, where Nat went for a swim. The plan was to meet back at Stop 1 (Green tour) at 7.30pm but this changed when the unit manager contacted Emily to say he would come and fix the lounge double bed and Nat wanted to have a shower after his swim. Nat and Emily came back to the unit just as Ken and Paula were leaving and organised to meet at the Pita House (the same place they had their Tapas dinner the night before).
It had started to rain fairly consistently by this time so the decision to do the Green tour by night and see the lights of the city was a good idea. We were going to note the better sites to return to for the next day. One of these was Sagrada Familia - the church for the Holy Family, another Antoni Gaudi design. As well as the beaches there were a few others selected from the Green tour for special attention.
About 3/4s of the way through the tour the skies cleared and the bus roof was retracted giving us a spectacular view of the street lights and also an opportunity to walk down Las Ramblas watching all the 'night characters'. We stopped for a cappuccino and chocolate cookie before heading back to the unit. Again the late night partying in the street below the unit made it difficult to sleep until about 3.00am when they seem to close shop.
Barcelona Trip - Day 3
Sunday August 9
Paula and Ken had planned to attend Mass at the local church at 7.30am but on arrival found it closed. Their reading of the Spanish Mass notices hadn't been successful! As they were both up and awake Paula decided to go for a walk and Ken was going to have a cappuccino and breakfast in a local coffee shop. They were both back by 9.00am to wake Nat and Emily for them to have breakfast and head off to do the Green Tour (Barcelona City Tour - East side), special sites.
Our first point of interest was the Cathedral of Barcelona, which had a dress code, forcing Nat, Emily and Paula to have to return to the unit for extra clothing, shorts for ladies and singlet tops for men weren't allowed. The inside of the cathedral, in the long run, wasn't really worth the efforts of go back to get the clothing. From here we continued to walk towards the Arc Del Triomf and the park area after the avenue. At the end of the avenue was a great map illustrating were the wall that surrounded the city use too be. It was good to be able to place the area we were staying in 'Plaza de Reial' (the old part of town) in relation to the original wall. The park area, Parc de la Ciutadella is fronted by the 'Castle of the Three Dragons' which has the coat of arms of all 50 provinces of Spain as shields around its battlements. The park had numerous attractions, gardens and areas for people to play and exercise. From here we walked past the Zoo and down towards the beach. Nat and Emily went down for a swim (getting their lunch on the way down), while Ken and Paula looked for a toilet and a cappuccino and cake. They found Costa, Ken was happy to Oder a large cup and a custard filled doughnut. No real adventures at this Costa Coffee Shop, except finding the code to unlock the toilet.
Everyone had agreed to meet at the number 5 (green tour bus stop) at 2.15pm to continue on the bus to Sagandra Familia (which we had tickets for) and the Park Guell.
Our timing for the bus was spot on, it arrived as we arrived.
On our arrival at Sagadra Familia it was packed, thankfully we had booked online and didn't have too long to wait to go inside. Whilst outside we tried to take in the grandeur of the whole place with photos from various angles, of numerous icons and from different locations around the cathedral but it was impossible. It is a spectacular and imposing construction, still being built after 120 years! They say 2050 before it is fully finished.
The inside, although still amazing with the stain glass windows and monuments, doesn't match the outside. What was more interesting inside the cathedral was the Gaudi Museum, which showed the methods of construction, the engineering feats to achieve the designs, the original drawings by Gaudi and the finished plan of the final structure. He really was an amazing architect.
After leaving Sagrada Familia we caught the bus to the next site on the Green Tour we had wanted to explore a little more, which was Park Guell. The site is built on a steep hillside with a traditional stairway and modern escalators to help get to the top.
Paula used the traditional stairs and beat the escalator and the rest to the top!
We were too late to get tickets to the main area of the park for today so decide to walk through the paths and structures built around the main buildings. We saw the house in which Gaudi lived and worked for a few years plus had an excellent view of the old part of town and the harbour waterfront.
Once finished here it was getting late so we caught the Green Tour bus back to the beginning of La Rambla and walked down the avenue to the unit. On the way Paula found the Spanish fans she had been looking for and we picked a Tapas Bar we thought would be good to eat at for dinner.
In the unit Nat had a shower and Ken tried to fix a badly blistering third toe on his right foot, by busting the blister to relieve the pressure and then putting a bandaid on it to stop any infection. He was happy to walk to dinner and an ice cream but gave up on the idea of any further walking that night.
After dinner he went back to the unit while Paula, Nat and Emily went for a late night stroll. Tomorrow had already been discussed and organised, out of the unit by 11.00am, find a spot for breakfast, then taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
Barcelona Trip - Day 1
Friday August 7
Paula walked again for an hour this morning in a different direction, then woke us for breakfast. It was 9.00am, the sun and beach swimming is making us sleepy. On her walk today Paula discovered a whole area of markets that she would have liked to have found earlier to explore when they were open.
We had warmed up leftovers and Paula (she had fruit and yoghurt) used the last of the ham to make some sandwiches and a roll for the bus trip.
Nat and Emily went for a last swim and Paula took Ken down to the Market area to show him what could have been if she had known earlier. We vacated the unit at 12 noon after everyone had showered and packed. The taxi into the bus terminal was only 20 minutes and Emily already had printed tickets so we didn't need to be too early.
Nat and Emily have set a new Spanish Beach tennis mark, 52 is the new record! Ken and Paula watched some Spanish beach volleyball using soccer skills. They start by kicking off from a sand tee then use their chest, head or feet to return with only three touches allowed before it is returned. The men we saw were quite good.
The bus was easy, we had reserved seats, but both the Valencia and Barcelona bus terminals are grotty and dirty, made the London Victoria Bus Terminal look good in comparison. Arrived in Barcelona just after 5.00pm, the city is in a more mountainous area than Madrid and Valencia and looks very spread out. Our unit is in amongst a narrow group of streets, a little hard to find. The Air BnB agent came and found us after Emily had called him twice.
The unit is ok, in a quite noisy section but close to everything. Once settled in and organised we walked to the main street area, which was packed, had a Tapas meal for dinner, then explored some more before we went to the Flamenco dancing Paula had booked. It was spectacular, the male dancer was unbelievable, his feet at times were just a blur. It was just a pity we didn't get to see a solo female dance.
After the dance we had ice cream or a slushie then walked down the wide pedestrian section of Las Ramblas to Mirador de Colom near the harbour. Here Paula purchased a fan from a street seller just before we saw them all pack up and take off to avoid the police. They have their goods on a sheet with rope tied across the four corners. When they have to move quickly they just lift the rope from the middle, everything falls into the centre of the sheet and they are off!
Paula enjoys the city life at night, likes the lights, colour, activity and looking at the people who are out and about. We didn't get back to the unit until after midnight.
Full day of exploring Barcelona tomorrow, looking at the Hop on Hop off bus as a two day commuting option as some things are too far away to walk to.
Barcelona Trip - Day 2
Saturday August 8
Paula did her hour walk again this morning, an hour earlier than she thought. She had set her phone alarm, not realising Nat had adjusted for the hour we are ahead of London, so she was walking an hour earlier than she had planned. She then spent an hour cutting up heaps of fruit to go with our yoghurt for breakfast.
We were organised and ready for the Hop on Hop Off Bus City Tour by 11.00am and made a decision to get a two day ticket which allowed us the opportunity to do both Orange (West side of Barcelona) and Green tour (East side) at any time. It also meant we were able to hop on and off at any time on both tours. It turned out to be a good deal. Both tours take approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the traffic. We choose to do the Orange tour first. Initially we planned to hop on and off at the different stops as we felt like but after the first major 'photo opportunity', which was the old fort on the highest point overlooking the city, we changed tack and decided to do the whole loop, pick the best spots to come back to then link them by walking or using the bus as necessary. The Orange tour had 17 possible attractions, all unique and different in their own way. Probably the most interesting that we didn't return to was the Barcelona (FCB - Football Club Barcelona) soccer stadium, which had a capacity of 100,000. We could only imagine the noise and atmosphere of the ground when FCB played Real Madrid! We chose 5 in one location (which were within walking distance of each other) and another 2 a little further away (16 blocks as it turned out!)
The first site on the return trip was the 1992 Olympic's main stadium. It is still used today for concerts and other performances. The front entrance to the stadium was very interesting and would have been majestic in 1992 with its long cascading approach linking a number of waterfalls and slender long ponds. From here we moved across to the building used to house the Gymnastics for the Olympics and now home for MNAC, music theatres and concert hall. We had a great view of the city from here as well. This area then lead us to a series of waterfalls moving down towards the main area of the site for the 1929 expo, Plaza Espanya with the entrance consisting of two tall towers on either side of the road. The next site was the Arena de Barcelona, which up until 1977 was a bull fighting arena. (Bull fighting was officially stopped in Barcelona, only a small number of cities now run bull fights in Spain, in 2010). In 1979 the facade was kept, raised one level and the inside turned into a shopping mall. We went inside just to be able to say we had actually been inside an area that was once a bull fighting arena!
From here we walked along Gran Via, on the map it only looks a short distance, in reality it is a lot further, to two building designed by Antoni Gaudi. They are both very unique and interesting in design, something you have to see to believe, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. We took numerous photos to try and show the unusual design of both.
This wasn't the only work of Gaudi to surprise us.
We caught the Green tour from here with Ken and Paula getting off at Stop 1 (to get dinner for themselves) while Nat and Emily went on to Stop 5, the Barcelona beach, where Nat went for a swim. The plan was to meet back at Stop 1 (Green tour) at 7.30pm but this changed when the unit manager contacted Emily to say he would come and fix the lounge double bed and Nat wanted to have a shower after his swim. Nat and Emily came back to the unit just as Ken and Paula were leaving and organised to meet at the Pita House (the same place they had their Tapas dinner the night before).
It had started to rain fairly consistently by this time so the decision to do the Green tour by night and see the lights of the city was a good idea. We were going to note the better sites to return to for the next day. One of these was Sagrada Familia - the church for the Holy Family, another Antoni Gaudi design. As well as the beaches there were a few others selected from the Green tour for special attention.
About 3/4s of the way through the tour the skies cleared and the bus roof was retracted giving us a spectacular view of the street lights and also an opportunity to walk down Las Ramblas watching all the 'night characters'. We stopped for a cappuccino and chocolate cookie before heading back to the unit. Again the late night partying in the street below the unit made it difficult to sleep until about 3.00am when they seem to close shop.
Barcelona Trip - Day 3
Sunday August 9
Paula and Ken had planned to attend Mass at the local church at 7.30am but on arrival found it closed. Their reading of the Spanish Mass notices hadn't been successful! As they were both up and awake Paula decided to go for a walk and Ken was going to have a cappuccino and breakfast in a local coffee shop. They were both back by 9.00am to wake Nat and Emily for them to have breakfast and head off to do the Green Tour (Barcelona City Tour - East side), special sites.
Our first point of interest was the Cathedral of Barcelona, which had a dress code, forcing Nat, Emily and Paula to have to return to the unit for extra clothing, shorts for ladies and singlet tops for men weren't allowed. The inside of the cathedral, in the long run, wasn't really worth the efforts of go back to get the clothing. From here we continued to walk towards the Arc Del Triomf and the park area after the avenue. At the end of the avenue was a great map illustrating were the wall that surrounded the city use too be. It was good to be able to place the area we were staying in 'Plaza de Reial' (the old part of town) in relation to the original wall. The park area, Parc de la Ciutadella is fronted by the 'Castle of the Three Dragons' which has the coat of arms of all 50 provinces of Spain as shields around its battlements. The park had numerous attractions, gardens and areas for people to play and exercise. From here we walked past the Zoo and down towards the beach. Nat and Emily went down for a swim (getting their lunch on the way down), while Ken and Paula looked for a toilet and a cappuccino and cake. They found Costa, Ken was happy to Oder a large cup and a custard filled doughnut. No real adventures at this Costa Coffee Shop, except finding the code to unlock the toilet.
Everyone had agreed to meet at the number 5 (green tour bus stop) at 2.15pm to continue on the bus to Sagandra Familia (which we had tickets for) and the Park Guell.
Our timing for the bus was spot on, it arrived as we arrived.
On our arrival at Sagadra Familia it was packed, thankfully we had booked online and didn't have too long to wait to go inside. Whilst outside we tried to take in the grandeur of the whole place with photos from various angles, of numerous icons and from different locations around the cathedral but it was impossible. It is a spectacular and imposing construction, still being built after 120 years! They say 2050 before it is fully finished.
The inside, although still amazing with the stain glass windows and monuments, doesn't match the outside. What was more interesting inside the cathedral was the Gaudi Museum, which showed the methods of construction, the engineering feats to achieve the designs, the original drawings by Gaudi and the finished plan of the final structure. He really was an amazing architect.
After leaving Sagrada Familia we caught the bus to the next site on the Green Tour we had wanted to explore a little more, which was Park Guell. The site is built on a steep hillside with a traditional stairway and modern escalators to help get to the top.
Paula used the traditional stairs and beat the escalator and the rest to the top!
We were too late to get tickets to the main area of the park for today so decide to walk through the paths and structures built around the main buildings. We saw the house in which Gaudi lived and worked for a few years plus had an excellent view of the old part of town and the harbour waterfront.
Once finished here it was getting late so we caught the Green Tour bus back to the beginning of La Rambla and walked down the avenue to the unit. On the way Paula found the Spanish fans she had been looking for and we picked a Tapas Bar we thought would be good to eat at for dinner.
In the unit Nat had a shower and Ken tried to fix a badly blistering third toe on his right foot, by busting the blister to relieve the pressure and then putting a bandaid on it to stop any infection. He was happy to walk to dinner and an ice cream but gave up on the idea of any further walking that night.
After dinner he went back to the unit while Paula, Nat and Emily went for a late night stroll. Tomorrow had already been discussed and organised, out of the unit by 11.00am, find a spot for breakfast, then taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
Paris
Paris Trip - Day 1
Monday August 10
Before we got ready to leave Barcelona Paula did her early morning walk and ran some stairs. We were out of the unit by 11.00am and we walked to Subway, with our luggage, for breakfast - even Paula had a 'footlong' for breakfast so we could use the special 2 for 1 deals we had. Paula and Nat went exploring the markets just up the road while Emily and Ken stayed with the luggage. They came back with some great photos and stories on what they had experienced.
Getting the flight to Paris, through Orly airport, was ok it was the landing and what happened afterwards that made us remember where we were and the dangers facing the world from terrorists.
The pilot came in a little more quickly than perhaps he should have and fish tailed the plane significantly on landing, it was a bit of a buzz for some of us but a little scary for a few of the passengers. In the airport we were collecting the luggage when Ken went to go to the toilet only to be stopped just short of the toilet door by airport security and told to go back. He witnessed some other men laying wires into the toilet and didn't think anything of it at the the time until Paula tried to go to the toilet as well and came back with the news that people were being told to cover their ears. It didn't help that we couldn't understand the French announcements over the speaker system. We eventually discovered that it was a security alert, a suspicious parcel was found in the toilets and needed to be exploded. It was a 40 minute delay.
The taxi into the apartment was a long drive but it gave us a chance to view some of the lesser known sights of Paris, we ignorantly described the Eiffel Tower as looking like the Telstra Tower on the way into Canberra when we first saw it from the taxi.
The apartment was great, a truly French flat, heavy curtains, opened to a treed courtyard, you could imagine a young artist living here in the past and the wonderful inspiration they would have received from the surrounds.
After settling in we walked to the Louvre and got some great photos against the setting sun. Went across the famous wooden 'lock bridge', the locks on the wooden section have been removed because the bridge structured couldn't hold the weight.
From here we walked up to Notre Dame. We thought about going to the top but it would take a while to get there as it is big cathedral.
Initially we found a riverside cafe to have dinner but on looking at the prices we figured they were rather expensive, especially for drinks, so we went back two blocks and found 'Le Marmiton de Lutece' a great character cafe. We nearly left as they were taking ages to serve, but we where glad we stayed, the food was great. On leaving to walk to the Eiffel Tower we came across a heap more eating establishments a little further back and around the corner as well. A good lesson, always go back a few blocks from the main avenue area when looking for something to eat.
We walked (more like 'hiked') to the Eiffel Tower, absolutely amazing, got to see the tower lights flash at 11.00pm - awe inspiring sight, lots of great photos. After spending some time just looking around we walked back to the unit along the Seine River and saw a bloke fall in the river from a floating barge party then being rescued, it was funny to watch the crowd on the barge 'bag' him out!
We also saw the tower lights flash again at midnight.
It would appear that there are not too many public toilets available late at night in Paris as we witnessed a number of people 'relieving themselves' on our way back to the apartment!
Everyone was tired, we made some plans for tomorrow to go the top of the tower, perhaps visit the catacombs, the Arc de Triomphe and a few other places.
We have had a great afternoon and evening (considering we didn't start out until after 6.00pm) in Paris. Spectacular building, crazy road rules and interesting people.
Paris Trip - Day 2
Tuesday August 11
We had intended to be up early and get to the Catacombs before 9.00am, but just before 8.00am Nat checked their online site information, the line was already a 3 hour long wait so we opted to miss the catacombs and have croissants for a sit down breakfast, instead of eating on the run as had been planned. Nat, Emily and Ken had croissants while Paula settled for a brown roll with tomato. We headed for the Metro to get tickets for the underground to go to the Eiffel Tower but found the Metro line most direct was closed and under repair (we had tried to use this line the night before but the gates were locked, now we know why). We found an alternate route, which involved a little more walking after the final stop. We came into the tower from the front but a whole block back from where we were last night. The tower is still magnificent but looses a little of her aura in the daylight. We lined up to climb the two stages on the East pier before catching the lift to the top. There were people everywhere and the lineups were long and slow, you can understand why, the tower structure at the top can only handle so many people and you are not limited to the amount of time you can spend there. So you just had to line up, wait and work through the process. The view from all three stages over Paris was magnificent and the elevator ride to the top a little different; you can see all around you (including the workings of the elevator system), the cage itself wobbles and makes a clicking sound on each level you pass. A little unnerving initially.
After the tower we walked towards the Arc de Triomphe, looking for a suitable place to eat (very high prices for drinks in Paris), had no luck so continued to the arc. The traffic around the arc has to be seen to be believed, only the French could drive around an area with eight offshoots and manage to do it on such a wide expanse, with no lanes and minimal traffic lights. As a pedestrian trying to cross to the arc through the traffic it would be madness, but we saw people doing it! Crazy considering there is an underground walkway. The arc is a monument to the French who have fallen in battle. It is a magnificent site.
Still looking for something to eat and drink we walked down one of the main roads from the arc, Av. Des Champs-Élysées, which has all the 'big money' shops. As well as Ferraris and Lamborghini parked outside, there are chauffeur driven cars waiting, with the chauffeur standing patiently at the rear door (unfortunately we didn't spot any celebrates we knew). We eventually settled for Pizza and Pasta and just had to pay for the high priced drinks, thankfully the ice tap water, which we needed most of all, was free. We kept walking along this road to a park area and again saw that all the fountains, which seems to be the same across most of Paris, were turned off. We speculated that Paris had experienced a dry summer as numerous grass areas were also dry and brown. As we had walked a considerable amount the last two days (even Paula was heard to comment that her legs were getting weary later that night) we decided a rest was in order before we explored, 'Sacre Couer', the Sacred Church on the hillside overlooking the city for the 'night light' view.
After resting we walked down to the supermarket and purchased a few 'party supplies' for our last night in Paris on the grass area just below the Sacre Couer. Fully 'resourced' we headed for the Metro and travelled on the Paris 'Tube' to the stop just below the church. We walked past a few souvenir stores with Paula deciding she needed a few more Paris things for the grand children. We agreed to look a little more on our way home. The Sacre Couer was very impressive. It was not just the church that took our interest but also a particular performer doing football (soccer) skills on a fence pillar and a lamppost and the antics of the police trying to catch the illegal street sellers. Both were fun to watch for totally different reasons, one for his total expertise, the other for the 'keystone cops' performance we saw. We stayed until after the street lights had started to take effect then began walking towards Moulin Rouge. It was interesting walking along the more 'notorious' streets of Paris. Paula found just the t-shirts she wanted and while she sorted out her purchase Nat, Emily and Ken enjoyed a 'street made' crepe - delicious!
Moulin Rouge had a big line up so lots of interesting things must happen there.
We took a few pictures then walked back to the apartment, not as late as the night before but still after midnight before we were in bed. Last day in Paris tomorrow.
Paris Trip - Day 3
Wednesday August 12
A small sleep in for everyone this morning, although not too much of a sleep in for Emily as she has to be packed and ready for her flight to Croatia. She was flying out at 12 noon to join her friend Ashley to continue their summer holiday together. Nat will join Emily again in Athens, August 19 (they will have nine days enjoying the islands of Greece in the Aegean Sea) once Paula and Ken head back to Australia. Nat saw Emily off to the station to fly out then returned to the apartment, packed and made plans for the day with Paula and Ken. Emily had called about leaving our luggage in the apartment but we hadn't heard back so we took the luggage to Gare Nord (Paris Central Station) and left all the big bags in a locker. From here we took the Metro to the Catacombs hoping the line might be a little shorter than yesterday's 3 hours, but no luck, it was actually even longer! Paula was in love with Paris; the buildings, ambience, warm weather and the general feel of the place. Nat decided to walk back to Notre Dame and the area we found the cheaper restaurants to have a late lunch. We walked back through a few more 'upmarket' suburbs with parks and old buildings to get to Notre Dame. Here we went all the way around the cathedral, through the Shakespeare Company bookstore, which was an intricate building consisting of little rooms with small niches to use as reading areas and down past Saint Severin church. We had lunch then took the Metro back to get our luggage as it was 4.00pm. The procedure to go through both the French border patrol then the United Kingdom Customs seemed over kill but each have their own reasons for questioning you. We had no problems getting the 'fast train' back to London at 6.13pm except that the station was hot and muggy - the temperature was 33C.
The 'fast train' is aptly named, consistent speed is around the 290kph mark and a top speed of over 300kph, the countryside seems to just flash past. It took very little time to go under the English Channel and to be back in London. The weather let us know we were back, cold and windy, Paula was straight back into her blue Kathmandu jacket, the temperature was 16C!
On the train journey from Paris we had discussed a few ideas for the 4 days we have left in London with the most important being a 'catch up' sleep the next day.
Paris Trip - Day 1
Monday August 10
Before we got ready to leave Barcelona Paula did her early morning walk and ran some stairs. We were out of the unit by 11.00am and we walked to Subway, with our luggage, for breakfast - even Paula had a 'footlong' for breakfast so we could use the special 2 for 1 deals we had. Paula and Nat went exploring the markets just up the road while Emily and Ken stayed with the luggage. They came back with some great photos and stories on what they had experienced.
Getting the flight to Paris, through Orly airport, was ok it was the landing and what happened afterwards that made us remember where we were and the dangers facing the world from terrorists.
The pilot came in a little more quickly than perhaps he should have and fish tailed the plane significantly on landing, it was a bit of a buzz for some of us but a little scary for a few of the passengers. In the airport we were collecting the luggage when Ken went to go to the toilet only to be stopped just short of the toilet door by airport security and told to go back. He witnessed some other men laying wires into the toilet and didn't think anything of it at the the time until Paula tried to go to the toilet as well and came back with the news that people were being told to cover their ears. It didn't help that we couldn't understand the French announcements over the speaker system. We eventually discovered that it was a security alert, a suspicious parcel was found in the toilets and needed to be exploded. It was a 40 minute delay.
The taxi into the apartment was a long drive but it gave us a chance to view some of the lesser known sights of Paris, we ignorantly described the Eiffel Tower as looking like the Telstra Tower on the way into Canberra when we first saw it from the taxi.
The apartment was great, a truly French flat, heavy curtains, opened to a treed courtyard, you could imagine a young artist living here in the past and the wonderful inspiration they would have received from the surrounds.
After settling in we walked to the Louvre and got some great photos against the setting sun. Went across the famous wooden 'lock bridge', the locks on the wooden section have been removed because the bridge structured couldn't hold the weight.
From here we walked up to Notre Dame. We thought about going to the top but it would take a while to get there as it is big cathedral.
Initially we found a riverside cafe to have dinner but on looking at the prices we figured they were rather expensive, especially for drinks, so we went back two blocks and found 'Le Marmiton de Lutece' a great character cafe. We nearly left as they were taking ages to serve, but we where glad we stayed, the food was great. On leaving to walk to the Eiffel Tower we came across a heap more eating establishments a little further back and around the corner as well. A good lesson, always go back a few blocks from the main avenue area when looking for something to eat.
We walked (more like 'hiked') to the Eiffel Tower, absolutely amazing, got to see the tower lights flash at 11.00pm - awe inspiring sight, lots of great photos. After spending some time just looking around we walked back to the unit along the Seine River and saw a bloke fall in the river from a floating barge party then being rescued, it was funny to watch the crowd on the barge 'bag' him out!
We also saw the tower lights flash again at midnight.
It would appear that there are not too many public toilets available late at night in Paris as we witnessed a number of people 'relieving themselves' on our way back to the apartment!
Everyone was tired, we made some plans for tomorrow to go the top of the tower, perhaps visit the catacombs, the Arc de Triomphe and a few other places.
We have had a great afternoon and evening (considering we didn't start out until after 6.00pm) in Paris. Spectacular building, crazy road rules and interesting people.
Paris Trip - Day 2
Tuesday August 11
We had intended to be up early and get to the Catacombs before 9.00am, but just before 8.00am Nat checked their online site information, the line was already a 3 hour long wait so we opted to miss the catacombs and have croissants for a sit down breakfast, instead of eating on the run as had been planned. Nat, Emily and Ken had croissants while Paula settled for a brown roll with tomato. We headed for the Metro to get tickets for the underground to go to the Eiffel Tower but found the Metro line most direct was closed and under repair (we had tried to use this line the night before but the gates were locked, now we know why). We found an alternate route, which involved a little more walking after the final stop. We came into the tower from the front but a whole block back from where we were last night. The tower is still magnificent but looses a little of her aura in the daylight. We lined up to climb the two stages on the East pier before catching the lift to the top. There were people everywhere and the lineups were long and slow, you can understand why, the tower structure at the top can only handle so many people and you are not limited to the amount of time you can spend there. So you just had to line up, wait and work through the process. The view from all three stages over Paris was magnificent and the elevator ride to the top a little different; you can see all around you (including the workings of the elevator system), the cage itself wobbles and makes a clicking sound on each level you pass. A little unnerving initially.
After the tower we walked towards the Arc de Triomphe, looking for a suitable place to eat (very high prices for drinks in Paris), had no luck so continued to the arc. The traffic around the arc has to be seen to be believed, only the French could drive around an area with eight offshoots and manage to do it on such a wide expanse, with no lanes and minimal traffic lights. As a pedestrian trying to cross to the arc through the traffic it would be madness, but we saw people doing it! Crazy considering there is an underground walkway. The arc is a monument to the French who have fallen in battle. It is a magnificent site.
Still looking for something to eat and drink we walked down one of the main roads from the arc, Av. Des Champs-Élysées, which has all the 'big money' shops. As well as Ferraris and Lamborghini parked outside, there are chauffeur driven cars waiting, with the chauffeur standing patiently at the rear door (unfortunately we didn't spot any celebrates we knew). We eventually settled for Pizza and Pasta and just had to pay for the high priced drinks, thankfully the ice tap water, which we needed most of all, was free. We kept walking along this road to a park area and again saw that all the fountains, which seems to be the same across most of Paris, were turned off. We speculated that Paris had experienced a dry summer as numerous grass areas were also dry and brown. As we had walked a considerable amount the last two days (even Paula was heard to comment that her legs were getting weary later that night) we decided a rest was in order before we explored, 'Sacre Couer', the Sacred Church on the hillside overlooking the city for the 'night light' view.
After resting we walked down to the supermarket and purchased a few 'party supplies' for our last night in Paris on the grass area just below the Sacre Couer. Fully 'resourced' we headed for the Metro and travelled on the Paris 'Tube' to the stop just below the church. We walked past a few souvenir stores with Paula deciding she needed a few more Paris things for the grand children. We agreed to look a little more on our way home. The Sacre Couer was very impressive. It was not just the church that took our interest but also a particular performer doing football (soccer) skills on a fence pillar and a lamppost and the antics of the police trying to catch the illegal street sellers. Both were fun to watch for totally different reasons, one for his total expertise, the other for the 'keystone cops' performance we saw. We stayed until after the street lights had started to take effect then began walking towards Moulin Rouge. It was interesting walking along the more 'notorious' streets of Paris. Paula found just the t-shirts she wanted and while she sorted out her purchase Nat, Emily and Ken enjoyed a 'street made' crepe - delicious!
Moulin Rouge had a big line up so lots of interesting things must happen there.
We took a few pictures then walked back to the apartment, not as late as the night before but still after midnight before we were in bed. Last day in Paris tomorrow.
Paris Trip - Day 3
Wednesday August 12
A small sleep in for everyone this morning, although not too much of a sleep in for Emily as she has to be packed and ready for her flight to Croatia. She was flying out at 12 noon to join her friend Ashley to continue their summer holiday together. Nat will join Emily again in Athens, August 19 (they will have nine days enjoying the islands of Greece in the Aegean Sea) once Paula and Ken head back to Australia. Nat saw Emily off to the station to fly out then returned to the apartment, packed and made plans for the day with Paula and Ken. Emily had called about leaving our luggage in the apartment but we hadn't heard back so we took the luggage to Gare Nord (Paris Central Station) and left all the big bags in a locker. From here we took the Metro to the Catacombs hoping the line might be a little shorter than yesterday's 3 hours, but no luck, it was actually even longer! Paula was in love with Paris; the buildings, ambience, warm weather and the general feel of the place. Nat decided to walk back to Notre Dame and the area we found the cheaper restaurants to have a late lunch. We walked back through a few more 'upmarket' suburbs with parks and old buildings to get to Notre Dame. Here we went all the way around the cathedral, through the Shakespeare Company bookstore, which was an intricate building consisting of little rooms with small niches to use as reading areas and down past Saint Severin church. We had lunch then took the Metro back to get our luggage as it was 4.00pm. The procedure to go through both the French border patrol then the United Kingdom Customs seemed over kill but each have their own reasons for questioning you. We had no problems getting the 'fast train' back to London at 6.13pm except that the station was hot and muggy - the temperature was 33C.
The 'fast train' is aptly named, consistent speed is around the 290kph mark and a top speed of over 300kph, the countryside seems to just flash past. It took very little time to go under the English Channel and to be back in London. The weather let us know we were back, cold and windy, Paula was straight back into her blue Kathmandu jacket, the temperature was 16C!
On the train journey from Paris we had discussed a few ideas for the 4 days we have left in London with the most important being a 'catch up' sleep the next day.
England - 2
London - Day 1
Thursday August 13
Today everyone had their sleep in with Ken being the first up, he backed up all the photos on the iPad to an external hard drive and caught up with some 'journal writing' and e-mails. Paula was up at 8.00am to go for her walk and buy some fruit for breakfast. The washing was done and hung up to dry. Nat really did have a long sleep in! 11.00am before he emerged.
Just after Paula got back from her walk it rained, kept us indoors reading, watching TV shows and catching up on general technology correspondence. Unusual, but welcome, considering we have hardly had a minute to rest in the whole 8 weeks we have been away.
Looks to be clearing later in the afternoon. During a rain break Paula and Ken went to Sainsbury's at New Cross to get supplies for dinner and breakfast for the next few mornings. We also re-organised our plans for the next few days to try and fit around any other inclement weather. Otherwise a relaxing day with Nat.
London - Day 2
Friday August 14
Easy start to our day with everyone up at a reasonable hour. Paula went for her regular morning walk and collected a few more supplies, then cooked Nat toast and eggs for breakfast. We then headed to the bus stop to go to Canada Water to travel to London Bridge and the Borough Markets. The markets were 'intoxicating', food flavours every where. Ken had a taste of everything that was out as a sample and even went back for a second spoonful of paella! He reckons he could go for breakfast there everyday and just feed on the samples. From here we caught the Tube to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum. We spent over 2 1/2 hours in the museum and still only managed 3 sections. We visited the history of the Earth, the Creepy Crawlers and the mammals section. We would have liked to have visited the new Dinosaur section but the line to get in went around the whole entire Hintze Hall section. After we left the museum we found a great little English Pub, the 'Hoop and Toy', Nat and Ken enjoyed a few beers and everyone had the English Pub lunch they wanted. We had been hopeful that the rain would stay away but unfortunately it had started to rain while we were eating lunch and continued while we walked to Harrods. It was mind boggling to see the type of items for sale, you could only guess the prices, there were no prices on any of the jewellery, handbags, personal cosmetics or watches, if you shop at Harrods on a regular basis then money is definitely not a concern. We just kept walking, looking and thinking wishfully.
When we left Harrods we found a Coffee Nero for a cappuccino and 2 hot chocolates. We decided the weather wasn't going to improve so our planned 'night light' walk along the Southbank and Embankment was postponed until tomorrow night.
Nat took us on the Tube for a game of ten pin bowling at the Elephant and Castle Bowling Rink. The Tube was again an interesting experience, we travelled on three different lines, with a normal passenger load on the first line, then crammed in like sardines on the second line to having 2 whole carriages to ourselves (and one other passenger) on the third line! All in the space of 30 minutes.
The Ten Pin Bowling was great fun, but as 'Nagus' found out, being consistent isn't good enough, you have to roll strikes, even 'PDawg' rolled a strike. Nat, rolling 109 points, was easily the winner.
From the Tesco store we purchased some extra chicken pieces for dinner then caught the bus back to New Cross then walked back to Nat's unit. On our way back the rain got heavier and became more consistent, basically justifying our decision not to walk along the banks of the Thames River.
Paula was going to make a chicken pie but when we got back she realised the pastry needed to be left for a few hours at room temperature to thaw. So Nat and Ken decided on Thai take away and Paula had left over chicken stir fry from last night.
Tomorrow we are hopeful of better weather for our planned 'night light' walk.
London - Day 3
Saturday August 15
No real rush to have to get going early today. Paula was interested in having lunch at the Portobello markets so we didn't need to leave until around 11.30am. Paula went for her morning walk towards Greenwich to find the church we were going to go to Mass to on Sunday and find out the Mass times.
We travelled into Notting Hill Gate on the tube ( bus then 3 tube lines) and walked towards Portobello Road. The crowd was large being a Saturday and the weather being pretty good. We had to just keep moving with and against the crowd as best we could. The markets stretch the full length of Portobello Road with markets and shops selling whatever your heart desires, from brand new goods to material that looked like it had been in a London house over 100 years ago. The goods ranged from old box brownie cameras, old watches, Royal Albert crockery to band new top hats and clothing. We saw a number of different street characters as well as buskers, some of whom were pretty good, but it was the variety of food that really took our interest. The choice in the end came down to trying something completely different, Nat and Ken settled for a Peruvian 'cheesy bite' which was absolutely delicious even though it was a bit spicy. Paula had a healthy spinach and chick pea roll. We also had a chocolate and strawberry crepe, churros with chocolate syrup and purchased a chocolate donut and jam filled donut for later. Paula also bought a peach and some blackberries for her dinner. We spent almost 3 hours at Portobello Road markets.
After leaving the markets we walked around the streets of South Kensington admiring the houses and contemplating what it would have been like to live here 200 or so years ago. We continued walking towards Oxford Street past Hyde Park and the 'Diana Cafe' which has pictures of Princess Diana all over the front wall next to the entrance, as well as pictures on the walls inside. The cafe is close to Kensington Palace and was often visited by Princess Diana and her sons, Prince Edward and Harry, when they were young boys.
Oxford Street was very crowded, with shoppers moving in and out of all the shops, the intersections and bus areas 'bursting' with people sometimes forcing other pedestrians to use the road to get past. We walked by Selfridge's, His Master's Voice, the Disney store and Debenhams, which had a very interesting facade made of small tiles, that seem to make the building appear as if it was moving. We all had a drink at a Costa Coffee shop and decided to leave our evening walk along the Southbank until tomorrow as it was going to require us to spend at least another 4 hours in town before it started to get dark. To avoid trying to move through the congestion of people at the intersection of Regent and Oxford Street, the whole area, all four sides of the intersection, was just a sea of people Nat took us through Oxford Circus to Bond Street then to Canada Water. We made a few purchases then caught the bus back to Nat's for dinner, a beautiful piece of chicken pie Paula had cooked. Our plans for tomorrow are Mass, Cookham walk along the Thames then back to Nat's for dinner before the 'night light' walk along the Thames. Just hoping the predicted weather holds true.
London - Day 4
Sunday August 16
Paula had a rest day from her early morning walk as we had planned to do a fair bit looking around Cookham and our 'night light' tour of the Southbank and Embankment. In a way today has brought a nice sort of symmetry to the holiday, visiting the place where Nat and Emily had spent the first six months of their time in England as well as re-doing the area Nat took us on our first visit into London, albeit a total different time of the day. As we hadn't planned on being in Cookham until 1.00pm Paula cooked us bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. When ready we travelled into Paddington Station to catch the First Great Western Line to Maidenhead then transferred to the branch line to Cookham. On the train we started to get a sense of what the 'real' England looks and sounds like. We had left the multicultural nature of the people and the confined housing areas of London behind.
We heard speaking voices on the train, on our walk through the common and in the pubs that were truly English. The use of 'Mummy', 'aiight' and the constant use of 'like' as every second or third word in a sentence were everywhere. It was what Ken had been waiting to see and hear as this was his imagined perception of England. Houses started to have small backyards or 'plots' of land not far from the house to grow vegetables and flowers. The common along the Thames River was a great walk, especially being able to watch the people sailing or cruising down the river, stopping along the bank to have lunch or just some wine or champagne. Some of the houses with waterfront access have to be seen to be believed, their value is in the millions of pounds!
After walking along the river bank we crossed over the rail bridge to Bourne End and had a cappuccino, hot chocolate and strawberry frappe whilst 'watching the world go by' (a considerable number of quite expensive cars 'live in' and around Cookham) and discussing 'future plans' travel and life in general. Ken and Nat helped an old man in a walker to get out of his chair at the cafe and to cross the road. His wife asked if they were Australian and where from as she had a sister in Tasmania. She said we had 'made her day' when they mentioned they were from Wagga Wagga. She thought it a great name.
We were back on the First Great Western Line and into Paddington Station by around 6.00pm. We had a lovely dinner on a stationery river cruiser, the 'Tattershall Castle', a former ferry. Although the wash from passing boats caused the barge to rock a little which Paula felt but didn't worry her.
After dinner we sat on the upper deck giving the city lights a chance to shine. It doesn't really get dark in London as the hue from all the street lights gives it 'back lighting'. Nat took us on a loop along the Southbank, after walking over the Westminister Bridge, to the Millenium Bridge and back along the Embankment to Waterloo Bridge and the Underground to travel back to his unit. It was after 12 midnight before we arrived back having taken more than 150 photos of city lights! We had also had a small 'interlude', when Nat went looking for a toilet and Paula found a fun palour. We played a game of 'table air hockey' and looked at the bright lights of all the games as well. The weather had been kind to them although Paula and Ken wore their jackets most of the time and Nat put his on when the sun went down. Tomorrow we pack, help Nat with bedding and general cleaning before we leave for 'home' at 1.00pm.
London - Last Day
Monday August 17
London weather you can't second-guess it - today was perfect and we are leaving!
We were packed, had cleaned the house and helped Nat sort the beds by 11.00am. He is now ready for his next lot of guests and to fly to Athens and meet up with Emily to continue their summer holidays.
No troubles getting to Heathrow, 225 bus on time Jubilee line not crowded and the Piccadilly line to Heathrow 4 had hardly any passengers at all. Our biggest obstacle was the line up to get our boarding pass and luggage loaded. The line was packed with people who had been on a shopping excursion to London. There was a guy trying to organise them and we were to run into him again on the plane. It took ages to get through to check in with a number of his party needing to repack bags as they were overweight. We had no problems both bags were under the 30kg limit although Paula had a 'heavy' label placed on her bag and Ken had to take his to the oversize because of the shape. Because we had spent so much time in the check in line we didn't really have much time with Nat to say goodbye, which was probably a good thing as we were all 'blubbering' pretty well when we did say bye. Through security was the quickest we had had on any flight. It was only about 30 minutes before the boarding gates were open as it was, just enough time for a last Costa Coffee Shop cappuccino and hot chocolate and for Paula to spend the last of the British pounds on a few extra small gifts in the duty free area.
The plane to Dubai was full. We joked that the plane wouldn't be able to takeoff with all the people and the luggage it was carrying, but it succeeded no problems at all. Paula had the guy from the excursion group next to her and a child behind who kept kicking the back of her chair for the whole 7 hour trip! The seat next to Paula also became a revolving 'resident' chair as the tour guide had different people in the seat at different times. We were continually fed on all three legs but it was good to 'unload' at Dubai. Our change over at Dubai took nearly 2 hours and the second leg was a lot quieter than the first leg, both Paula and Ken being able to sleep. Ken had at least five hours and then another 3 hours on the final leg as well which made it easier in deciding to drive home from Melbourne.
We had just on 2 hours at Brunei with the flight to Melbourne being no problem. The flight had a limited number of passengers with numerous people moving to vacant three seat spaces to sleep. We collected the duty free items at Melbourne then through security and the health check without a problem. We collected our luggage, it was great to note that we hadn't had a luggage problem at any stage through all the different countries and areas we moved and 'lugged' our baggage. The only issue was to repair the handle on Paula's case after we came back from Scotland.
The taxi drive to Michael's house was easy, the driver even stopped for us as we say hi to Michael as we passed him on his way to work. The drive home was good with Paula and Ken having 3 stops for coffee and hot chocolate, toilet breaks and a simple lunch at Glenrowan. On arrive Edna had the house open, fresh bread, milk, ham and vegetable soup ready for a meal.
It was just a matter of unpacking, turning electrical equipment back on and putting things away - we were home and our holiday was over!
London - Day 1
Thursday August 13
Today everyone had their sleep in with Ken being the first up, he backed up all the photos on the iPad to an external hard drive and caught up with some 'journal writing' and e-mails. Paula was up at 8.00am to go for her walk and buy some fruit for breakfast. The washing was done and hung up to dry. Nat really did have a long sleep in! 11.00am before he emerged.
Just after Paula got back from her walk it rained, kept us indoors reading, watching TV shows and catching up on general technology correspondence. Unusual, but welcome, considering we have hardly had a minute to rest in the whole 8 weeks we have been away.
Looks to be clearing later in the afternoon. During a rain break Paula and Ken went to Sainsbury's at New Cross to get supplies for dinner and breakfast for the next few mornings. We also re-organised our plans for the next few days to try and fit around any other inclement weather. Otherwise a relaxing day with Nat.
London - Day 2
Friday August 14
Easy start to our day with everyone up at a reasonable hour. Paula went for her regular morning walk and collected a few more supplies, then cooked Nat toast and eggs for breakfast. We then headed to the bus stop to go to Canada Water to travel to London Bridge and the Borough Markets. The markets were 'intoxicating', food flavours every where. Ken had a taste of everything that was out as a sample and even went back for a second spoonful of paella! He reckons he could go for breakfast there everyday and just feed on the samples. From here we caught the Tube to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum. We spent over 2 1/2 hours in the museum and still only managed 3 sections. We visited the history of the Earth, the Creepy Crawlers and the mammals section. We would have liked to have visited the new Dinosaur section but the line to get in went around the whole entire Hintze Hall section. After we left the museum we found a great little English Pub, the 'Hoop and Toy', Nat and Ken enjoyed a few beers and everyone had the English Pub lunch they wanted. We had been hopeful that the rain would stay away but unfortunately it had started to rain while we were eating lunch and continued while we walked to Harrods. It was mind boggling to see the type of items for sale, you could only guess the prices, there were no prices on any of the jewellery, handbags, personal cosmetics or watches, if you shop at Harrods on a regular basis then money is definitely not a concern. We just kept walking, looking and thinking wishfully.
When we left Harrods we found a Coffee Nero for a cappuccino and 2 hot chocolates. We decided the weather wasn't going to improve so our planned 'night light' walk along the Southbank and Embankment was postponed until tomorrow night.
Nat took us on the Tube for a game of ten pin bowling at the Elephant and Castle Bowling Rink. The Tube was again an interesting experience, we travelled on three different lines, with a normal passenger load on the first line, then crammed in like sardines on the second line to having 2 whole carriages to ourselves (and one other passenger) on the third line! All in the space of 30 minutes.
The Ten Pin Bowling was great fun, but as 'Nagus' found out, being consistent isn't good enough, you have to roll strikes, even 'PDawg' rolled a strike. Nat, rolling 109 points, was easily the winner.
From the Tesco store we purchased some extra chicken pieces for dinner then caught the bus back to New Cross then walked back to Nat's unit. On our way back the rain got heavier and became more consistent, basically justifying our decision not to walk along the banks of the Thames River.
Paula was going to make a chicken pie but when we got back she realised the pastry needed to be left for a few hours at room temperature to thaw. So Nat and Ken decided on Thai take away and Paula had left over chicken stir fry from last night.
Tomorrow we are hopeful of better weather for our planned 'night light' walk.
London - Day 3
Saturday August 15
No real rush to have to get going early today. Paula was interested in having lunch at the Portobello markets so we didn't need to leave until around 11.30am. Paula went for her morning walk towards Greenwich to find the church we were going to go to Mass to on Sunday and find out the Mass times.
We travelled into Notting Hill Gate on the tube ( bus then 3 tube lines) and walked towards Portobello Road. The crowd was large being a Saturday and the weather being pretty good. We had to just keep moving with and against the crowd as best we could. The markets stretch the full length of Portobello Road with markets and shops selling whatever your heart desires, from brand new goods to material that looked like it had been in a London house over 100 years ago. The goods ranged from old box brownie cameras, old watches, Royal Albert crockery to band new top hats and clothing. We saw a number of different street characters as well as buskers, some of whom were pretty good, but it was the variety of food that really took our interest. The choice in the end came down to trying something completely different, Nat and Ken settled for a Peruvian 'cheesy bite' which was absolutely delicious even though it was a bit spicy. Paula had a healthy spinach and chick pea roll. We also had a chocolate and strawberry crepe, churros with chocolate syrup and purchased a chocolate donut and jam filled donut for later. Paula also bought a peach and some blackberries for her dinner. We spent almost 3 hours at Portobello Road markets.
After leaving the markets we walked around the streets of South Kensington admiring the houses and contemplating what it would have been like to live here 200 or so years ago. We continued walking towards Oxford Street past Hyde Park and the 'Diana Cafe' which has pictures of Princess Diana all over the front wall next to the entrance, as well as pictures on the walls inside. The cafe is close to Kensington Palace and was often visited by Princess Diana and her sons, Prince Edward and Harry, when they were young boys.
Oxford Street was very crowded, with shoppers moving in and out of all the shops, the intersections and bus areas 'bursting' with people sometimes forcing other pedestrians to use the road to get past. We walked by Selfridge's, His Master's Voice, the Disney store and Debenhams, which had a very interesting facade made of small tiles, that seem to make the building appear as if it was moving. We all had a drink at a Costa Coffee shop and decided to leave our evening walk along the Southbank until tomorrow as it was going to require us to spend at least another 4 hours in town before it started to get dark. To avoid trying to move through the congestion of people at the intersection of Regent and Oxford Street, the whole area, all four sides of the intersection, was just a sea of people Nat took us through Oxford Circus to Bond Street then to Canada Water. We made a few purchases then caught the bus back to Nat's for dinner, a beautiful piece of chicken pie Paula had cooked. Our plans for tomorrow are Mass, Cookham walk along the Thames then back to Nat's for dinner before the 'night light' walk along the Thames. Just hoping the predicted weather holds true.
London - Day 4
Sunday August 16
Paula had a rest day from her early morning walk as we had planned to do a fair bit looking around Cookham and our 'night light' tour of the Southbank and Embankment. In a way today has brought a nice sort of symmetry to the holiday, visiting the place where Nat and Emily had spent the first six months of their time in England as well as re-doing the area Nat took us on our first visit into London, albeit a total different time of the day. As we hadn't planned on being in Cookham until 1.00pm Paula cooked us bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. When ready we travelled into Paddington Station to catch the First Great Western Line to Maidenhead then transferred to the branch line to Cookham. On the train we started to get a sense of what the 'real' England looks and sounds like. We had left the multicultural nature of the people and the confined housing areas of London behind.
We heard speaking voices on the train, on our walk through the common and in the pubs that were truly English. The use of 'Mummy', 'aiight' and the constant use of 'like' as every second or third word in a sentence were everywhere. It was what Ken had been waiting to see and hear as this was his imagined perception of England. Houses started to have small backyards or 'plots' of land not far from the house to grow vegetables and flowers. The common along the Thames River was a great walk, especially being able to watch the people sailing or cruising down the river, stopping along the bank to have lunch or just some wine or champagne. Some of the houses with waterfront access have to be seen to be believed, their value is in the millions of pounds!
After walking along the river bank we crossed over the rail bridge to Bourne End and had a cappuccino, hot chocolate and strawberry frappe whilst 'watching the world go by' (a considerable number of quite expensive cars 'live in' and around Cookham) and discussing 'future plans' travel and life in general. Ken and Nat helped an old man in a walker to get out of his chair at the cafe and to cross the road. His wife asked if they were Australian and where from as she had a sister in Tasmania. She said we had 'made her day' when they mentioned they were from Wagga Wagga. She thought it a great name.
We were back on the First Great Western Line and into Paddington Station by around 6.00pm. We had a lovely dinner on a stationery river cruiser, the 'Tattershall Castle', a former ferry. Although the wash from passing boats caused the barge to rock a little which Paula felt but didn't worry her.
After dinner we sat on the upper deck giving the city lights a chance to shine. It doesn't really get dark in London as the hue from all the street lights gives it 'back lighting'. Nat took us on a loop along the Southbank, after walking over the Westminister Bridge, to the Millenium Bridge and back along the Embankment to Waterloo Bridge and the Underground to travel back to his unit. It was after 12 midnight before we arrived back having taken more than 150 photos of city lights! We had also had a small 'interlude', when Nat went looking for a toilet and Paula found a fun palour. We played a game of 'table air hockey' and looked at the bright lights of all the games as well. The weather had been kind to them although Paula and Ken wore their jackets most of the time and Nat put his on when the sun went down. Tomorrow we pack, help Nat with bedding and general cleaning before we leave for 'home' at 1.00pm.
London - Last Day
Monday August 17
London weather you can't second-guess it - today was perfect and we are leaving!
We were packed, had cleaned the house and helped Nat sort the beds by 11.00am. He is now ready for his next lot of guests and to fly to Athens and meet up with Emily to continue their summer holidays.
No troubles getting to Heathrow, 225 bus on time Jubilee line not crowded and the Piccadilly line to Heathrow 4 had hardly any passengers at all. Our biggest obstacle was the line up to get our boarding pass and luggage loaded. The line was packed with people who had been on a shopping excursion to London. There was a guy trying to organise them and we were to run into him again on the plane. It took ages to get through to check in with a number of his party needing to repack bags as they were overweight. We had no problems both bags were under the 30kg limit although Paula had a 'heavy' label placed on her bag and Ken had to take his to the oversize because of the shape. Because we had spent so much time in the check in line we didn't really have much time with Nat to say goodbye, which was probably a good thing as we were all 'blubbering' pretty well when we did say bye. Through security was the quickest we had had on any flight. It was only about 30 minutes before the boarding gates were open as it was, just enough time for a last Costa Coffee Shop cappuccino and hot chocolate and for Paula to spend the last of the British pounds on a few extra small gifts in the duty free area.
The plane to Dubai was full. We joked that the plane wouldn't be able to takeoff with all the people and the luggage it was carrying, but it succeeded no problems at all. Paula had the guy from the excursion group next to her and a child behind who kept kicking the back of her chair for the whole 7 hour trip! The seat next to Paula also became a revolving 'resident' chair as the tour guide had different people in the seat at different times. We were continually fed on all three legs but it was good to 'unload' at Dubai. Our change over at Dubai took nearly 2 hours and the second leg was a lot quieter than the first leg, both Paula and Ken being able to sleep. Ken had at least five hours and then another 3 hours on the final leg as well which made it easier in deciding to drive home from Melbourne.
We had just on 2 hours at Brunei with the flight to Melbourne being no problem. The flight had a limited number of passengers with numerous people moving to vacant three seat spaces to sleep. We collected the duty free items at Melbourne then through security and the health check without a problem. We collected our luggage, it was great to note that we hadn't had a luggage problem at any stage through all the different countries and areas we moved and 'lugged' our baggage. The only issue was to repair the handle on Paula's case after we came back from Scotland.
The taxi drive to Michael's house was easy, the driver even stopped for us as we say hi to Michael as we passed him on his way to work. The drive home was good with Paula and Ken having 3 stops for coffee and hot chocolate, toilet breaks and a simple lunch at Glenrowan. On arrive Edna had the house open, fresh bread, milk, ham and vegetable soup ready for a meal.
It was just a matter of unpacking, turning electrical equipment back on and putting things away - we were home and our holiday was over!
2016