Signing off

My career as a blogger has ended

I have written much more than intended

There's some things I can't shirk

So it's now back to work

And besides, all my money is spended!

This was my first summer in 2014.

http://flipagram.com/f/F4ONmmFx27

Enjoy!

Things we are looking forward to.

Den wants Green shakes for breakfast

Lou wants 3 ply toilet paper in normal sized toilets

We both want a place with no steps

Lou wants to kiss a horse that doesn't bite her

Den wants a day with no Voltaren

We both want to eat dinner before 9 pm

Lou wants her Southern Comfort and cola stubbies

Den wants her mango frapppes

We both want a big bowl of green salad

Lou wants her washing machine

Den wants to wear her jewellery again

We both want a big hug and to see family.

Three weeks later ........... Den wants to go away again!

Gaudi = Genius

When I was younger I was a huge Alan Parsons fan. He was famous for his concept prog rock albums and one I loved was about Antonio Gaudi, an architect from Barcelona. The music sparked a life long desire to visit La Sagrada Familia, so it's one if the reasons Steve and I came to Barcelona in 2010. We saw Gaudi's work: La Pedretta, Casa Batlo, but it was a public holiday in Spain and the queues were four deep around the church and we did not get inside.

Yesterday, I went inside.

Looks like I'm coming back to Barcelona again, because Steve will want to see the inside too. Like a forest, the pillars reach toward the light and what I loved was that whilst full of symbolism, it is a space where people from many religions could come and be at peace. I'll let the pictures tell thousands of words.

For those who haven't seen La Sagrada Familia, you must. For those who have, hope the photos bring the magic back.

Gaudi. 1852 - 1926

Packing Up and Shipping Out

There are lots of ways you pay when you are travelling. First you pay when you book your travel. That's the easiest and most painless part. You pay when there are no porters and you have to actually move your luggage yourself. For us, travelling by train was great but the beginning and end of the journey was especially tough because we had to get our bags on board and find a place to store them. Lou has muscles in places I'd forgotten about. She needed them too, because the wheels on her bag broke early in the trip so she was dragging her heaviest suitcase around as well as managing a fully packed carry on, a gigantic handbag and a backpack. She also helped me lift my suitcase on and off each day, so whilst my feet and knees paid, so did her back. 

You pay when you purchase your souvenirs (not only with money, but with the brain power needed to constantly convert Pounds to dollars, Euros to dollars, Lira to dollars and at the same time keep track of your credit card account balance which grows exponentially without you even trying.

But you really pay when you have to pack to come home. It hurts my triceps trying to roll my clothes into small cylinders, and the chunkier you are, the more you have to roll. It is stressful trying to stuff items into shoes, or down crevices between things and I know It shouldn't but a little part of me dies every time I place the Elsa and Anna dolls face down in the case and dump clothes on top of them. It's certainly no way for a Disney Princess to travel.

You pay when you have to ship ANOTHER box home because the stuff won't fit in your bag. So far between us we have sent over 28 kg home this trip plus a box from the Bruges Christmas shop and a platter the size of Lou's carry on from Lucca.

There is, however, a pay off that balances it out. All this pain means it's time to head home, to bore people with our constant travel stories and it means we get to see our family and friends again. 

 So put the kettle on or get the Southern out, Den and Lou are heading home today!

Top Ten Moments: Den

Not in any order of importance:

1)  seeing the London Shows, especially Matilda.

2)  high tea at the Ritz

3)  reaching the top of Mt Kitzsteinhorn on the cable car without panicking

4)  the library at Epheses, finally.

5)  the shop window displays, especially in London and Paris

6)  the view from the Eiffel Tower

7)  standing on the balcony at sail away time in each port

8)  Lucca 

9)  The stained glass windows at the Sacre Coer and at La Sagrada Familia

10) eating gelati in San Gimingnano

Narrowly missing the cut:

The Amalfi Coast

Finding Anna and Elsa

Bruges

The train trip between Salzburg and Venice

And of course, spending time with Lou.

Top Ten Moments: Lou

Not in order of importance.

1) tobogganing backwards down the slope at Mt Kitzsteinhorn

2) riding the merry go round in the Kensington Palace Gardens

3) catching up with Jessica in London

4) dipping my toes in the water at Mykonos

5) seeing 'Matilda' in London

6) everything about the Eiffel Tower

7) The duomos in Italy

8) Buckingham Palace, even in the rain

9) Schnitzel in Salzburg, actually EVERYTHING in Salzburg

10) Greenwich

And those unlucky to make the top ten

Everything else! (except for Pompeii)

Stranger than fiction...

Over the past month or so we have seen so many amazing things that we can't describe them all. But today, we saw something that has us dumbfounded. Who on earth has a body that fits this toilet seat?

BTW: it's neither of us!

Letter to Steve

Dear Steve,

I love you but when I get home you will have to lift your game. I have become accustomed to a few things in my time away. Make sure that when you go to bed you turn the covers down for me and put a chocolate on the pillow. You will need to drive me everywhere, and when I arrive home I expect a cool towel to be handed to me as I enter the house. When I leave each day, you need to wear a funny costume and take a photo with me. I need a bar fridge near the bed with a full ice bucket at all times ready for drinks. You need to constantly smile and ask me if there is anything I need. Of course, I expect gourmet meals or at the very least a buffet with a hibachi grill, soup station and dessert bar. Last but not least, as we head out of the driveway, you need to sing the theme to the Love Boat. If you can do all of this I promise to give you the same gratuity I paid the Princess Line for their service every day ($11.50 US). 

Still want me to come home next week?

Love

Den xx

PS. Costume advice below

Can you believe they sell this stuff?

Buying a truckload to bring home!

In love with Lucca

Lou asked me why Lucca was better than Sienna or San Gimingnano and my first answer was because it was flat. And at this point in my life, and at this point in our trip, that is a great reason to like a place. But I am selling Lucca short because it was quite magical. Encircled by huge walls, Lucca has beautiful churches, narrow, winding streets where around almost every corner there's a small square where you can sit in a cafe and watch the world go by. The shops are sensational and sell everything from high end fashion to locally produced silk scarves, leather bags to specialty gelati. The walls are 9 m thick and over the years have been planted with linden trees so they have become a park that locals cycle, jog or walk their dogs around. There was a baroque garden in one of the villas that was so beautiful I could have sat it in all morning. 

I never intended to go to Lucca but I am so lucky I did. 

Shore Excursions: the Final Frontier of Cruising

Shore excursions from the ship are great. Sometimes expensive, but always convenient, they are designed specifically to make sure you get a taste of what each port or location can offer. 

For each excursion you meet in a specific location where you are given a coloured sticker to identify you as part of the group. ( this also lets pickpockets and thieves in each place know that you are a tourist from a cruise ship as you walk around). Each group is sent off the ship  one at a time, which is when the race for the front seat of the bus starts. I have seen old people with walking sticks use them as shields as they run to get there first. To do this you have to also take out the two theme characters at the end of the gangplank in every port (pizza chefs in Naples, gladiators in Rome, goddesses in Athens etc) that you are expected to have your photo taken with as you leave the ship and then buy later. Lou is more into that than me. I just duck around the back of them and get going.

There is a hierarchy to the seats on the bus. Front seats are for the fastest (but are supposed to be for the people with mobility issues who have ignored the advice that the excursion is strenuous and have come along with their walking frames anyway). Next best are the seats near the side door, especially if they have a table. I can't work out why; there's no cabin service, but that's just how it is. Third are the seats with the biggest glass so you can take photos from the bus. These are the ones we try for. The back seat is what you get if you are not on the ball when the race begins. 

Once you arrive at you destination, you are asked to don lanyards with radios and ear phones so the guide can talk to you. There is always someone who can't get theirs to work, until another in the group shows them how to turn the volume up. Then, like sheep, you follow an object: a flower, a lollipop, or a bright umbrella, as a group. Most people group as close to the guide as they can, taking up all of the road or footpath, never looking around to see if someone else want to pass. The other day an old Italian gentleman on a bicycle approached at speed ringing his bell and I can't really be sure what he said but the word bastardos was used so I am pretty sure he was frustrated as he pushed through the group. (Is it mean that I thought it was funny to see the man with the walking stick jump out of the way?)

A few times we have stopped to take photos and been left behind. This is not a bad thing a long as you can remember where the meeting point to go home is. It is customary to tip the guide and the driver at the end of the tour (they share what is given). Some days those  drivers, who have parallel parked a tour bus in a parking bay the size of a ten cent piece, deserve all the tips they can get. Today, I tipped the guide for Lucca 5€ but only because she stopped singing Nessun  Dorma after the second chorus outside Puccini's old music school. She would have got 10€ if she had not sung at all.

I am sad that we are nearly at the end if our shore excursions. Not that I'll miss them, but because I finally had a great strategy to get to the bus first!

Bucket Lists

Today we went to Rome to make Lou's pilgrimage to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. They are the final things on her bucket list. Of course the Spanish Steps were crowded and the Trevi Fountain was being renovated but she has done what she set out to do. So this is what was on the list:

1) go to London the visit the Queen

2) see snow 

3) climb the Eiffel Tower

4) climb the Spanish Steps

5) throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain

6) run over the hills singing songs from the Sound of Music.

7) go to Anne Frank House

So in the words of Phil from Amazing Race, after thirty four days and in twelve countries, congratulations on completing your Bucket List! 

But wait! There's more! Now there's a NEW Travel Bucket List!

1) visit the Bay of Isles in NZ

2) go back to Croatia with Tonch, Jay and Abbey

3) cruise through the Greek Islands

4) sit on a beach in Mauritius drinking cocktails

5) hit the New Year sales in London

And my bucket list?

1) cruise the Baltics and Russia

2) see a volcano in action 

3) Malta, Tunisia Sardinia Morrocco.

4) watch the Northern Lights

5) listen to jazz in a Cuban bar

6) take Maddie to Disneyland

7) take a dip in the hit pools in Iceland

We need to start saving!

When life gives you lemons, make Limoncello!

Today we careened around the Amalfi Coast Road, hanging on for grim death as the mini bus twisted and turned around hairpin bends. Luckily the scenery was so breathtaking that we forgot the danger we were in and spent our time trying to take that one good photo that would help us remember how beautiful it was. Positano is pressed into the side of a hill with winding alleys full of expensive shops. It's a place full of possibilities, but we only had one hour there so I walked down for 30 mins and then turned around and started  the climb back up to the bus! I want to go back, arrive by boat, enjoy looking at he village from the bottom of the hill where I can truly take it all without fearing I'll die of exhaustion trying to get home.

The lemons from Positano are thick skinned and need weeks to turn into the beautiful Limoncello we saw everywhere. The lemons from Sorrento, however, are thinner skinned and much more juicy. Mum and Dad, watch out. I'm coming home to have a go at making Limincello myself. Lemons were everywhere. Lemon gelato (deluxe!), lemon pasta, lemon lollies, lemon soap, lemons on dishes and tea towels, lemon cakes (a specialty of the region). I will forever remember the citrus candles burning as we meandered our way down the hill inviting you to buy. 

At Sea, Day we don't know and we don't care!

I did the bravest thing I've done on the ship today. Braver than walking the sky walk on Deck 17.

I went to the Spa ( tenderly known as the  Lotus Beauty and Wellness Centre) on an AT SEA day.

It was brave on a number of Levels.

1) it is on Deck 5, and there is a slight swell, so you feel the boat rock more than you do in the cabin. 

2). It is formal night tonight, so ladies were desperate to get their glam on today. Can't believe that people are actually wearing corsages!

3) Those who know me well know I rarely even wear makeup, so a spa is the final frontier as far as I am concerned.

I learned that I don't exfoliate enough. My eyes aren't just baggy from age- they are full of toxins. My cuticles should be 'oiled' every night. It's never too late to start fixing your flaws. 

But I had one beauty treatment (sort of) up my sleeve: nails that change colour when they are cold! No one in the spa had seen them and so my hand was paraded, viewed, admired and even envied. Just goes to show that if you are brave enough to venture into a new world, there will be things you have that others will learn from. 

Lou was braver still. She tackled the 50% off jewellery sale in the Plaza on Level 7. It was everyone for themselves, do or die, knock down drag em out fight to even get to the counter, and then she had to duck and weave to check out the items on display. Groups of women worked in teams to hold poll position at the front of the queue, but with ten minutes to go before closing Lou managed to hustle her way to the front (I think I might have been shouting directions and pushing from behind) and she was able to achieve her goal. Just goes to show that with determination and persistence, you can be successful against the odds. 

It's all Greek to me!

This is the cream I bought to replace Voltaren yesterday. Check out the box. Now I understand the saying "it's all Greek to me"! Opa!

Magical Mykonos

Shirley Valentine certainly had it right. Mykonos was delightful, and everything you expect of a Greek Island. From the limewashed houses with their blue doors and stairs to the crystal clear water and wooden fishing boats, Mykonos could have come straight off the cover of a glossy travel brochure. Lou wandered the streets, taking her time to explore Mykonos townsite and chat to locals and I took a bus tour that took me to towns, beaches and monasteries all over the island. Both took about the same time as it's only 20 mins from one end of the island to another. We spent time at the windmills and in Little Venice, where the streets are deliberately narrow and winding in order to trick pirates. I saw an amazing 15th century monastery, sanctified in 1797 when a nun found an icon floating in the harbour. The icons themselves were amazing. Lunch was garlic prawns by the shore of the Agean, although the restaurant next door tried to induce me to dine by hanging dead squid off a boat. I noticed it was the least packed of all the taverns. Maybe that was their way to tenderise their catch? 

Evidently the cheapest house currently for sale in Mykonos is €200 000, and the villas are celebrity status symbols costing millions. As I looked at the backpackers walking past the infinity pools at the 7 star hotel on the beachfront, it was easy to see that Mykonos has something for everyone. 

At the end of the day....

Mein Gott! My feet, I feel your pain 

I know I've asked too much again

To walk around with so much weight

I know was not your ideal fate

My knees, you creak in agony

But there's so much to so and see

You crave Voltaren every day 

to take the soreness right away

My back! My back! You hear me cry

I never meant to climb so high

But if you cope, then late at night

When sleeping, it will all be right.

Oh aged traveller! Solemn soul!

We hope you have achieved your goal

For you have grown quite old and slow, 

And now your body will not go!

The Love Boat

I have just realised that the Regal Princess plays the first bars from the Love Boat theme when it blows it's horn to announce our arrival or departure from port.

Who thought THAT was a good idea? Lou and I watched an old rerun of the Love Boat last night and it's even cornier now with it's contrived dialogue and canned laughter. But there are elements of the Princess Line operation you can still see in use today.

This boat (sorry Dad, ship) is a well oiled machine. It's quite amazing to think about the logistics and organisational structure of cruising with high numbers of passengers. Of course technology makes it easier. We have a card that is scanned for purchases or for getting on and off the ship and it evidently ensures we are not left behind if we sink. 

There is a TV studio that broadcasts each day, although "The Wake Show" is never gonna be a ratings winner. The same goes for the web cam. If you are bored of the sea view from you room, you can look at the sea from the front of the ship. Doesn't look any different to me. I do, however, always feel good when I am on water.

Nothing is too much trouble for anyone, from the bar staff to the stewards to the chefs to the ladies that look after the rooms. Of course there is a cost to all of this luxury and service. Drinks. Daily gratuities. Shore excursions. Shuttles to town locations on arrival. Designer shopping. All part of making your life wonderful. 

I could live on the Regal Princess and never get tired or old. I would , however, be smarter, fatter and poorer. All I need to do is reconcile myself to hearing that Love Boat theme in every port of call. Worth it, I reckon.

Important things we've missed while we've been away

Obviously family and friends. But as importantly:

1) The Eagles lost a captain and Melbourne beat Collingwood.

2) The Tasmanian couple got kicked off House Rules.

3) It actually rained in Perth

4) Kings Park made a list of the top 10 Parks in the World

5) Miley Cyrus is coming!

6)  Winter in June has almost come and gone

7) Peppa Pig survived the budget cuts at the ABC

8) Maddie now sleeps in a bed

9) birthdays and special events 

However, one thing has definitely stayed the same. Jon Snow still knows nothing!

Me and my new 11998 friends Part 2

I should have also said that I stand next to my new Aussie friends if all my clothes have a wallaby or an Aussie flag on them somewhere, I am in shorts and thongs, and I sound like Alf Stewart. "stone the flamin' crows mate! Of COURSE we have kangaroos in our front yard! Nah, those sharks aren't bad. A little hungry, that all!"

Me and my new 11 998 VERY close friends. (Apologies if I offend anyone)

 Today I realised I have 11998 new friends who all want to be really close to me. This is great, I am flattered, but some of them have characteristics that make them more useful in certain situations than others.

I line up behind my new Japanese friends if I need to get through a crowd. They are masters at sidestepping and taking people out whilst focused on their end game: first in best dressed I stand near my new Spanish friends if I want poll position for the best photo ops. They take big families everywhere, leave one in every good spot, and then rotate around so everyone in the family gets great photos. I stay near my pommie friends, who narrate our adventures with polite comments like "how rude"  because they know the rules and the proper way to do things. I stand as far away as possible from my American friends, who are the first to ensure that everyone knows whose turn it is, who was next, who came late, how good stuff is and how bad they have it. I stand near my new French friends if I am nicely dressed and want to feel better than all my other friends.

As a new Aussie friend to them all, I am most useful by standing next to Lou, who can take all of them out if she wants to. It's a pity she prefers to shop.

Evidence of the craziness in Dubrovnik today: police controlling queues through the main gate to the old city, and to shuttle buses. 3 cruise ships, approx 12 000 passengers + normal tourists and bus tours. I amazed that the Croatians haven't all headed south for the summer!

Dodgy Train Grifters and the Toilet Sneaks

Italy seems to be full of people who love a bargain. So much so that they will do anything not to pay for something. The trains are full of grifters who dont have purchased seats but sit where they please until a  genuine ticket holder comes along. And its the unexpected ones too - old men in lacoste shirts with briefcases,  pretty young students who think a smile will excuse them, thin women with loads of jewellery and fast paced arguments. 

Its not only trains. Pay toilets are worse. People will actually push past you as you come out so the door doesnt close and they dont have to pay 0.50€.

If the government could mobilise the begging gypsies as a protectionist racket for people coming out of the loo it would be a great public service.

How to blog with 79c per minute to access the internet.

Say something simple. Add a picture. Be succinct.

Ti Amo Venezia. Arrivederci!

The REAL story, oh Best Beloved.

A cobra waits, silently, knowingly, aware that it has the skills necessary to render it's chosen prey helpless. A mongoose, excited, enthusiastic, energetic, goes happily about its business, yelling "Come with me! It'll be fun!" The mongoose can go places the cobra cannot go easily: upstairs, on top of hills, as long  it's moving, it's energy is boundless. But the cobra waits. Then it strikes! The hapless mongoose lies silent, in pain, and the cobra, with quiet determination and a wry smile, slithers quietly off into the jungle.

A parable? To day, after we had a strenuous day in Siena and San Gimignano, Louise climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 300 steps up and 300 down. An amazing feet that she says nearly killed her. You think she'd be grateful for the ticket...

That's our Hotel ( to the tune of That's Amore!)

Sing it with us. We know you want to.....

In Florentine

where sisters stay, 

And have to pay

here's what they say

When the hot water's cold and the lift smells of mould , that's our hotel

When the bar fridge ain't there and its cold everywhere, that's our hotel,

Take the lift, if you've a death wish, or you like a risk as they race to the ground floor, 

With the walls being paper thin, you hear everything , so they also hear you snore.

When the bed's made of wood and the tv's no good, that's our hotel

When your feet cannot reach when you sit on the seat, it's no fun

When you stay here I swear, you'll hear us declare at the hotel

It's the price that we pay for a fun trip away at the hotel!

Sharing Venice

We got an early start today in terms of Venetian standards. We were up and out by 9 am. We bought tickets for the vaporetto to to Burano via Murano and we were off the a smooth start until I swiped mine and it wouldn't work. Of course, it was operator error (I was swiping my hotel room key) and it made the ticket sellers laugh but I got it sorted in the end. Lou got pushed by a nasty American rushing for a seat in the ferry. It was so unexpected because he was about 80 years old and looked like such a gentleman. We cannot get over the lack of manners or understanding of personal space in Europe in summer. We are learning to walk with our elbows up and out!

Burano was beautiful and we singlehandedly raised the GDP of Italy today. Beautiful lace and you'll be pleased to hear that Lou did not purchase the tablecloth for 800€. I did buy something from the lady below. They all work on the lace, each with their own special expertise, and the work is very detailed.

I had heard the ladies were all in their 80s and the craft was slowly dying out but after today I realise that can't be true. 

The only down side to the last few days in Venice has been sharing it with the other hundreds of thousands of tourists. Even as we were returning from Burano, ferries were disgorging hundreds of people all intent on the same thing. I wished we could have it to ourselves, just for an hour or two, and I bet by the end of Summer, the Venetians do too.

You are only as young as you feel

After walking around Venice for five hours yesterday, up and down steps: I'm 99.

Hotel Antiche Figure

I am sitting outside my hotel, on the canal, just opposite the Santa Lucia train station in Venice. It's 8 pm , and today was a two train day from Salzburg via Innsbruck. The journey was stunning and I was so busy looking at the view that I only took one photo.

I could take that trip every day and not tire of it. Of course 9 hours in a train is no way to spend a summer day in Europe but I really enjoyed the change of scenery as we moved down the mountains and through to Venice. Lou has just come back from a short walk and says this is the easiest place of any we've been to to navigate around so tomorrow I'm going to take her deep into the Santa Croce area and see if she gets home. Stay tuned. 

The height of fun: Mt Kitzsteinhorn.

It's amazing what the thought of champagne at 3290 m will do as an incentive for people to achieve great heights. Case in point, Denyse, who was soooooo motivated that despite her lifelong fear of heights, managed to photobomb all Louise's chairlift shots with feet and hands. (Well not all of them). 

The champagne was to celebrate Denyse actually making it to the top but also to mark ticking off the penultimate bucket list wish of an excited 50 year old. Lou was so overcome at seeing snow that she tobogganed backwards down the kiddies slopes in delight (we have it on film).

Watch out for her in the sunny streets of Perth when she proudly showcases her badge of honour, a glitzy, blingy beanie bought at the top of Mt Kitzsteinhorn, the day she finally got to play in the snow. The only let down for the day was an sister who refused to get involved in a snowball fight. Shame on you, Denyse! Shame!

The Hills are alive with the sound of clinking cash registers OR Lou gets to sing!

Lou had the best day. She got to live the dream of seeing locations from her favourite movie AND she won a quiz on the bus. She got to splash water from the fountains in the Mirabell Gardens and she ate Appelstrudel in Mondsee at a sunny Austrian cafe. But most importantly, she was on a tour that  encouraged you to sing along with the soundtrack!

Evidently most Austrians have never seen the  Hollywood version with its inaccuracies, instead knowing the German movie "the Von Trapp Family" much better. Doesn't stop them from cashing in on the 300 000 tourists who come to Salzburg specifically to see the hills come alive, even after 30 years. Either way, yesterday was another bucket list item ticked off. Despite the guide telling us the true story ( he also said some people have written to him claiming he has ruined their lives) we got to have a little Hollywood in our lives, if only for a while. 

How do you solve a problem like Maria? Marry her to an Austrian Baron!

Never judge a book by its cover

Yesterday we asked our guide where he would recommend as a place to get good Austrian food: schnitzel, bratwurst, strudel, dumplings. He suggested a small restaurant around the corner and up the street from our hotel, in the opposite direction to the cafe strip and the beer hall. 

Off we tottered and it took a while to locate the place. The entrance looked like a place where drug deals might be done but there was a sign outside and we recognised the word schnitzel so we went in. The owner was behind the bar, and there were four others in booths smoking and looking as if they had sat there since lunch time sculling pints. The decor was dark wood and music from the 80s was playing on a jukebox in the corner. Dead animals were displayed on the walls and dead plants on the window sills.

The owner looked shocked to see us but seated us and brought menus in English ( a good sign). We ordered schnitzels and waited, talking in hushed tones about food poisoning, but when the food came out it was simple but delicious. The owner was lovely, service was great, and when the drunks left we even felt safe. I guess sometimes you have to take a chance on the advice of others and not judge a restaurant by how nice the decor is or by the people who are already there.

 

Fancy light fitting from dead branches.

Is this a restaurant? 

Tasty dinner with serviette as tablecloth. With a huge Coke and a half pint of Austrian beer not bad for 19€ for the two of us.

My knees and feet don't talk to me no more!

No one but no one told me how hard it would be to actually visit the Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps today.  It is 1008 m above sea level. It is 200 m up the hill from Fussen, but there is about 600m by shuttle and then a further 250m by foot uphill to the castle.

We lucked in to a 31 degree day (unusually hot for this time of the year) and a public holiday to boot, so there would have been about 6000 tourists all eating ice cream, legging it up and down the hill or queuing for the horse rides or shuttle.

I was pretty proud to make it to the top. Lord knows the toll that took on my knees, but then inside the castle (and of course it's a one way tour) you have no choice but to climb the steps, all 150 plus of them spiralling up to the third floor. 64, 69 then 34 because you can't go back.

The pay off was the rooms themselves, especially the Throne room and the Singing Room. King Ludwig might have seemed crazy but he has left a rich and wonderful legacy of gilt paint and Meissen, fake grottos and the first batteries.

The tour was great but as it finishes the realisation hits you - you have less than 40 mins to get back DOWN the hill to the bus! I could feel my knees creaking and the balls of my feet burning, but I made it. Pretty sure momentum got me halfway down and determination did the rest. Lou schlepped it in thongs and had enough energy at the bottom to go shopping while I limped to my seat in the bus , ready for an ice cold drink.

Moral of the story: travel when you are young and fit, or get fit if you are going to travel.

Better rest up now, off to Salzburg tomorrow!

Just when you thought you could open a door...

London. Standing in an elevator. Go to press buttons to head to the second floor. No buttons. Huh?

Paris. Swipe the circle against the lock on the door and twist the handle as per directions. Nothing happens. Huh?

Bruges. Turn the key to unlock the door. Open! No power. Huh?

Munich. Swipe the green circle against the green circle on the door and turn the knob. Nothing happens. What the?

London. Go to the electronic screen in the middle of the room and press your floor number. It will tell you which elevator (A,B,C or D) you need and once you are inside it will automatically close and take you there. Success!

Paris. Get your sister to open the door. You will NEVER master this crazy set up.

Bruges. Put the key in the lock in the wall inside and turn. We can charge our phones and iPads!

Munich. Epic fail. Don't go out without your sister. You will never get back in.

Whatever happened to the swipe card or a good old fashioned key?

Farewell Amsterdam!

Have you heard the joke about the two Aussie girls and the Amsterdam Canals? No? That's because there is NOTHING funny about two Aussie girls trying to find their way home over the Amsterdam Canals! They drove us insane today. We trudged at least 5 km extra because we didn't recognise the Prinsengraght and couldn't follow the google map route directions. My head wants to go out and enjoy  Amsterdam at night but my feet have not yet forgiven me for our error this afternoon.

Highlight of the past three days? For Lou, definitely Anne Frank Huis, very moving and a tick off her bucket list. For me, probably the flowers and the summery feel to the city and the cheese - yum! 

So now, just when I have learned my Speculaas from my Stroopwaffels, my Patatjie Met from my Patajie Oorlog and my Biterballen from my Kroket AND have gotten used to cake and sprinkles for breakfast, it's time to move on. See you again, Amsterdam, you are way too beautiful not to come back and visit again!

D Day and Anne Frank

Ironic that we should visit Anne Frank Huis on June 6. 

" How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"

Anne Frank  12 June 1929 - early March, 1945.

The delights of window shopping

No, I haven't run out of money. Well not yet, anyway. But one of the things I am loving is the delights of eating with my eyes. Actually it's not just food. It's shop displays in general. I am obsessed with them.

Displays in shop windows invite you in and I can't remember a time when I was more inspired. Here are a couple of my favourites:

I have no need for new gloves, no need for perfume, and certainly can do without the cheese and the cakes. But each and every shop has given me a sense of pleasure as they celebrate and invite you to try their stuff. 

As I said, I have no need for extra calories. But when you see the display, and when you get inside there is an appeltaart as good as this, window shopping goes out the door! Mmmmmmmm!

Chocolate Lipstick, anyone?

Today we found the best chocolate in Bruges. The Chocolate Line is a small shop off Simon Stevinplein not far from the Grote Market and it is more 'rock and roll' than most of the the small boutique shops that litter the rest of the Bruges alleyways and lanes. It has really funky flavours, lots of citrus and alcoholic truffles, and you can see some of the product being made on site.

My favourite were the jars of Happy Pills (might need a few if them when I get home) and the chocolate lipstick but you will be surprised to know that neither Lou or I actually bought anything to EAT there.

So that's it. A big chocolatey kiss for Bruges for both of us xxxx Love. love, LOVE this place!

Tonnes of fries and a Eurovision soundtrack

There is no such thing as a small serve of fries in Bruges. Tonight I had Carbonnade Flammanders (Flemish Stew) also known as Stoopfvlees mit Friet.  This is meat sloshed in beer gravy and was accompanied by the biggest bowl of fries I've ever seen. The fries are usually served with mustard and mayonnaise, eaten with a fork and served on a paper plate. So far we've eaten smoked cheese croquettes, waffles, and walked around eating strawberries dipped in chocolate from a paper cone. 

There are 1200 beers to try, and we ran into an American who proudly pulled a black market bottle of Trappist Beer from a newspaper. He told us we need to go to The Staminee du Garre off the Briedelstraat for the best pale ale in Bruges. It is hidden away on the narrowest  street in Bruges and you cannot walk side by side down it. Unfortunately, whilst the food and beer is fantastic, the music is a mix of classics from the 1960s, jazz and old Eurovision classics. Tonight during dinner I found myself humming along to "Sugar Baby Love" by the Rubettes circa 1973. We ate and quickly paid the bill, leaving before I sang out loud to the Eurovision Classic "Eras Tu" (also c1973).

So we know where in Bruges to get the best beer, the best stew, the best croquettes, the best frites. Tomorrow we go in search of the best chocolate. 

Lou has crossed to the dark side

Any one who knows me will understand....

We've bought so much we had to ship it home!

I need to get me some Parisian Attitude!

Lou says that she might not be able to find her way home but she has more street smarts in her little finger than I'll ever have. She is the bold one who saves seats on buses and refuses to give them to anyone else until I get there. No way did she she get sucked in by the gypsies at the Sacre Coer (I did, and it cost me €15). No way does anyone cut in front of us in the queue, because Lou stands her ground. Whilst I am still saying excuse me, and stepping back to let pushy people through, Lou has what our tour guide for the Eiffel Tower yesterday called "Parisian Attitude". She stands up for us both, determined not to give way to pushy tourists with a sense of entitlement or to locals who see us easy targets. Without her, I would be peniless and at the back of the line. 

This is the gypsy who got my generous donation today. She was not happy to have her photo taken after taking my money.  I need some of that 'Parisian Attitude' ASAP. Oh, and guess who took the photo and gave her what for? Yep, Lou!

Conquering Fears

Today was all about conquering fears. Well, yesterday for both Lou and I ( fear of being in a tunnel with no way out for 20 mins) and just me, today , with my fear of heights.

The tunnel was easy for me - I slept through it. Like a bad bachelors party, I went to sleep in England and woke up in France. Dodging a bullet really. Lou, on the other hand, challenged her fear and won. Bravo!

Today, The Iron Lady. Grandmother of the French. Le Eiffel Tower.

I have been scared of heights, and steps with gaps in them, forever. I don't like lifts, and my feet sweat when people in movies are at the edge of the roof. I knew today was going to be tough. But this was the one thing on Lou's Bucket List for Paris and I did not want to disappoint. My feet still sweated, my heart still raced, I still felt a little sick, but I got it done. 

Second level only, not the top, We were going to go to the top but the queue was already a couple of hours long and we had so much more we wanted to do today. 

Fear, conquered. At least for today.

Last day in London

Today was our last day in London. We had a strong plan of attack and a list of must dos that had not been done. They were: ( in no particular order)

1. Visit Hyde Park and Kensington Palace

2. Locate Elsa and kidnap her.

3. Go to Covent Garden

4. Get a photo with the Horse Guards.

5. Support my new obsession with shop windows by taking photos of displays.

So how did we go?

Kensington Palace : check. A little bit fancy or us.

Kidnapping Elsa: Epic fail. Elsa dolls delivered overnight but all sold in under two hours. We walked at least 13 km today, ten of them up and down Oxford st looking for the Disney store.

Covent Garden: check. Favourite treat? Salted caramel gelato from Venchi's.

Photo with the Horse Guards: check. 

Shop windows? Check. Soooooo beautiful.

Tomorrow, Paris!

To Market To Market

  

This morning we got up early and went to the London Borough Markets (on the advice of last night's cabbie who said it was one of his favourite places).The produce that we saw was fantastic. Not a place to visit if you are hungry!