normabyrne – Page 2 – beyondthenorm

Panama City, Panama Canal and Bocas Del Toro

It was a long trip from Kosovo to Panama City. We flew from Kosovo to Turkey and then from Turkey to Panama. We had no idea what to expect. I had booked an Airbnb in the old part of Panama City, Casco Viejo it is the historic district. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997. It is a very trendy neighbourhood, with a mix of old Spanish colonial and neoclassical architecture. Some buildings are completely restored and are beautiful but others are left to crumble and fall apart. If they restore the whole area as they have started to do it will be an amazing place. So much potential. The business and financial district is very spread out so we could not get a real sense of the City area.

Our Airbnb was very nice it had a roof top pool, which was very much needed as the humidity was very high. Casco Viejo has some wonderful roof top bars with amazing views across the canal. Food was good and their coffee not too bad, they do tend to cater for the Americans, this I can understand as most of the visitors are Americans. One of the main reasons for us going to Panama was to see the workings of the Panama Canal, but because of our own lack of organization we did not realise that a trip on the cancel with an English tour guide only happens on the third Saturday of every month. We had just missed one, not to worry we will be flying out of Panama next February at the end of our Central American trip and have booked in to do the Canal then.

Panama Canal: It is now February 2024 and we are back in Panama to complete a tour that will do the entirety of the Panama Canal. From the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It was a full day tour aboard a small vessel to travel through all three sets of locks that make up the canal. Voyage on Gatun Lake and the Chagres River. We learned about the history and construction of the canal from our guide while we travelled along. As you can see by the facts below, it was not smooth sailing, it is now over 120 years old and still going strong. Back then they were forward thinkers, not like today !!!!

Interesting Facts about the Canal.

1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Spanish conqueror, explorer, and governor crossed the Central American Isthmus and discovered that only a small portion of land divided the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. From Santa María la Antigua del Darién on the Atlantic coast of Panama to San Miguel on the Pacific coast there were only 40 miles (65 km), but he abandoned the idea.
In 1533, Gaspar de Espinosa suggested excavating to build a canal, from Panama City in the Pacific Ocean to Cruces, next to el río Chagres (Chagres river), but he died before the project could be started.
Carlos I de España (Charles I of Spain), emitted a decree in 1534, long after de Balboa’s death, ordering the Panama governor to make a map following the Chagres river, but when he finished with his task, he saw that the task of building the Panama canal was impossible
The French started to build the Canal Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had built the Suez Canal in 1869, presented a project to build the Panama canal after rejecting the proposition of building an unleveled canal in Panama, he decided to build the canal uniting la bahía de Limón (Lemon Bay) and la bahía de Panamá (Panama Bay.) On February 14th, 1880, de Lesseps had a final report that said that the building of the canal was going to take 8 years. This was not acceptable and on May 15th 1889 they finally stopped trying to build the Panama canal, after de Lesseps’ company had gone bankrupt three months earlier.
In 1902, the American government bought the Panama Canal from the French for 40,000,000 USD and held its rights, and the 10 mi (16 km) surrounding the area up until December 31st, 1999
On January 22nd 1903, John M. Hay, the U.S. Secretary of State at the time, signed a treaty with Tomás Herrán y Mosquera, a Colombian diplomat. Less than 2 months later, on March 14th, 1903, the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty, but the Colombian Senate did not. Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. president at the time, helped and supported Panamanians to organize a revolution to separate from La Gran Colombia and on November 3rd, 1903, Panama became an independent country and they allowed the U.S. government to build the canal on their territory.
One of the saddest facts about the building of the Panama canal was that almost 25,000 people died trying to build it. Around 20,000 workers died during the French projects because of Panama’s hot weather, and heavy rainfalls. Malaria and la fiebre amarilla (yellow fever) were the protagonists taking the Antillian workers’ lives. Probably, though, there were many more, because the French only counted the deaths that occurred in the hospital. In the 9 years (1903-1914) that it took the U.S. government to build the Panama canal, 5,600 people dies 650 of them Americans —died because of diseases and accidents. The American government employed over 56,000 people, coming from the Antilles (mostly Barbados), Italy, China, Greece, and 8,000 from Spain, specifically from Galicia.
Another interesting fact about the Panama canal is how it affects the world’s commerce. It affects 6% of the world’s commerce. 90% of the world’s commerce happens by sea, and out of this, 6% of it passes through the Panama canal. The canal is responsible for 40% of the Panama’s GDP
The U.S. Invested 375,000,000 Dollars Building the Panama Canal
More Than 13,000 Ships Cross the Panama Canal Yearly. Panamanians charge a toll to each ship individually, and they collect around 2 billion USD every year. Depending on the size and cargo of the ship, it pays more or less of a toll, but larger ships have to pay around 450,000 to cross the canal. The Panamanians Expanded the Panama Canal

The Panamanians Expanded the Panama Canal

The size of a ship nowadays are huge! And they are not fit to cross the original Panama canal.

When it was first built, it was originally thought that Panamax ships could cross it. The size of the old lock system was:

1050 feet (320 m) long
110 feet (33.5 m) wide
42 feet (13 m) deep

These were the maximum measures of the antique locks in the Panama canal. In 2006, Martín Torrijos, Panama’s president presented a plan to expand the Panama canal and 77% of Panamanians were on board with the plan. On June 26th, 2016 Panamanians inaugurated the Expanded Panama Canal, giving the lock system new measurements to fit the Neo Panamax ships:

1,400 feet (427 m) long
180 feet (55 m) wide
59 feet (18 m) deep

The Panama canal made everyone’s life easier, and it is a true marvel of engineering. Something you need to visit at least once in your life!

On one of our many bus trips we where told to visit Bocas Del Toro, and we are so glad we did. What a place. Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama comprising an island chain off the Caribbean coast. Isla Colón, the main island, is home to the capital.

Bocas Town, is a central hub with restaurants, shops and nightlife plus popular beaches. We booked an open water Bed and Breakfast in Saigon Bay sunsetterbnb.com It was amazing, one of the best accommodations we have ever stayed at, the hosts Sally and Mike could not have done any more for us. Besides making the accommodation super comfortable they cooked us a different beautiful breakfast every morning, they told us the best restaurants, bars, beaches, tours to go on. It is the type of accommodation that if you want to relax no problem, as it is very quiet, if you prefer a more lively scene it is just a 1 dollar trip into the centre of town. If you ever decided to go to Bocas Del Toro this accommodation is a must. See the link above for yourself .

The locals travel from island to island on boats, it sure beats Traffic Jams, just the wind blowing in your hair it is a wonderful way of getting around. The locals are very friendly and really try to help when needed. It is great if you have some Spanish, sorry to say our Spanish is terrible.

There are some great bars and restaurants Most of the bars and restaurants are either on the water or have views of the water. Our favourite café for coffee and lunch was Café Del Mar, we had 2 favourite restaurants 1)El Ultimo Refugio and La Trattoria. The bars we loved were the Floating Bar (that is the correct name and yes it is a floating bar) so you need a boat to get there and Bibi’s on the beach, Bibi’s has great food and a really good band playing on a Sunday afternoon.

We had not been scuba diving for a few years so decided this was a great place to get back into it. We did 2 great dives, One was at Casablanca which had lots of beautiful fish and coral, the coral has some bleaching as does our coral in Australia. Our second dive was at Lunch box, this was a boat wreck site, amazing it was a an old catamaran that sunk, the visibility was amazing so it was great to swim through the cabin. We did the dive with Panama Dive school, they are excellent, another recommendation from our wonderful hosts Mike and Sally. We also visited the following beaches, Star fish beach and Red frog

We seen Dolphins, Sloths, some beautiful birds. The scenery overall is just breath taking. We absolutely loved Bocas Del Toro. So if you get to Central America put this on your list.

Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo

Albania is Europe’s only Muslim-majority country, it declared itself the world’s first atheist state in 1967 with the fall of communism in Albania in 1991, the practice of religion slowly increased. Also following the collapse of communism, a lack of government investment into alternative industries has left many people without jobs and pushed the younger generation to emigrate. So it was not surprising that we found a very tired looking Albania.

Albanian Flag

We stayed in Durrës it is a port city on the Adriatic Sea in western Albania, west of the capital, Tirana. It’s known for its huge Roman amphitheatre. This was my least favourite place on our travels so far. I think it was the rubbish the bad smells and how tired the place looks. I also got food poisoning and I was quite sick for a few days. I had a look on line to see what the problem with rubbish is in Albania as the people themselves are very clean and dress very nicely.

This is what I found. It explains that a lack of proper waste management policies in Albania is the issue, environmentalists are concerned as Albania has many rivers and the rivers have been transformed into canals that collect trash coming from far-flung villages, big cities, and all this ends up in the sea. The currents in the Adriatic Sea flow from south to north—and so flows the waste and pollutes the northern Adriatic coast. Seemingly it has ended up as far as Dubrovnik. I hope this is on the Albian governments agenda to address asap for the sake of its own people and the planet as a whole.

Durres does have a lovely town square that locals gather when it cools down in evening. This is where they hold concerts and exhibitions. We did visit the Roman amphitheatre and the Venetian Tower stands as one of the most interesting and beautiful historical defensive structures in Durrës it has been renovated and transformed into the first Albanian Heritage Interpretation Center and now offers visitors the chance to explore historical events and places through state-of-the-art digital and multimedia tools. These include VR headsets, audio guides, dome multimedia projections and other activities, which combine entertainment with a more in-depth look at the city’s ancient history.

If Albania clean up its act, then I am sure they will attract more visitors. From Albania we travelled by bus to Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia.

North Macedonia is is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the north.

Flag of North Macedonia

Our first stop was lake Ohrid we had 4 nights here, it is a beautiful part of North Macedonia. It is one of Europe’s deepest and oldest lakes, with a unique aquatic ecosystem of worldwide importance, with more than 200 endemic species. Our accommodation had views of the lake which was very nice.

We visited Saint John at Kaneo Church, it is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on the cliff over Kaneo Beach overlooking Lake Ohrid the views are amazing from here. Our next stop was the Church of St. Sophia, The church is one of the most important monuments of North Macedonia, housing architecture and art from the Middle Ages, we then moved onto the ancient theatre, The open theatre has a perfect location: the two hills that surround it keep it protected from winds that could interfere with acoustics performances. During Roman times, the theatre was also used for gladiator fights. However, since the theatre was also a site of executions of Christians by the Romans, it rapidly turned to a highly disliked site by the locals. In fact, as a result of this dislike, the theatre was abandoned and buried by the locals after the demise of the Roman Empire. This allowed for most of the structure to be well preserved, only to be uncovered accidentally in the 1980s. lastly we stopped at the old town. It has lots of shops, restaurants, Tea houses and coffee cafes. There is a really nice cosy feel to the town. The people are very friendy.

We did a day cruise to The monastery of St. Naum on the Armada Boat The cruise to the monastery is approximately 1h20min one direction. We cruised along the east coast of Lake Ohrid which is the most beautiful part of the lake, we enjoy magnificent view of the mountain and national park Galicica. Our first stop was the museum on water “Bay of bones” which is replica of pre-historic settlement dating from the period XII-VII Century BC. At the monastery complex, we had plenty of time to visit the church of St. Naum, Naum’s Church of the Holy Archangels (AD 900) was destroyed by the Ottomans in the 15th century and reincarnated as the Church of Sveti Naum when it was rebuilt between the 16th and 17th centuries as a multidomed, Byzantine-style structure on this cliff. Surrounding the core of the complex is a tranquil garden looped by fountains, with roses and peacocks. We had a lovely lunch in one of the restaurants and enjoy some time on the beach. Orchid is really a beautiful place to visit.

Harbour at the The monastery of St. Naum

The gardens around The monastery of St. Naum

We got a bus from Lake Ohrid to the Capital of North Macedonia Skopje, it is on the banks of the Vardar River amid this mountainous country. We stayed very close to the city centre it was a great spot and very trendy. There are lots of cool Bars and cafes. One thing I can say after our visit to Macedonia Square is that the Macedonians love huge Statues, they also have some very nice sculptures.

Skopje fortress is thought to have been built during the rule of emperor Justinian I and further construction during the 10th and 11th centuries over the remains of emperor Justinian’s Byzantine fortress. There are lovely view from the fortress of the whole City, the entrance is free and from there it is a a short trip from the Old Bazaar. The Bazaar is worth a visit. Another thing we noticed is that Skopje has the best Scooters/Vespa’s I have ever seen amazing colour and very cute.

We visited Mother Teresa Memorial House a Museum in Skopje, Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia, in the former Yugoslavia, she was the youngest of three children. It was very interesting to read about her life.

Matka lake and canyon is the oldest artificial lake in Macedonia, with its reservoir being built in 1938. It was created by damming the Treska River with the dam of St. Andrew and forming an artificial reservoir in the Matka Canyon. It is a beautiful place to visit you you can rent a boat, kayak, visit monasteries or go hiking. We wanted to visit the caves so took Matka Canyon boat tours that take about 2 hours in total. You will get to the entrance of the cave by boat and then it is a short walk through the caves where you can see lots of stalagmites, stalactites, dripstone pillars and deep holes. There is a walkway through the caves and some parts are colourful illuminated. We took a Kayak out for about an hour and although the water was cold it was great to be able to have a swim as it was a very hot day.

We loved Macedonia there is lots to do and see. The people are very nice and I think this is going to be a popular tourist destination. So glad we had this on our list of places to visit. As it was only a 2 hour bus journey from North Macedonia to Kosovo we headed off.

Kosovo. The Flag of Kosovo with its blue background, and six stars. The stars are officially meant to symbolize Kosovo’s six major ethnic groups: Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, Romani and Gorani. A landlocked country, Kosovo is bordered by Serbia, North Macedonia , Albania and Montenegro. Kosovo, is the smallest country in the Balkans.

We did not know a lot about Kosovo except that the Cranberries and Sinead O Connor had sang about the war in Kosovo. Pristina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo with over 400.000 inhabitants, making it the administrative center. The majority of the population is ethnic Albanian. It is also the university center of students from neighbouring countries as Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. We stayed very close to the city Centre, it is not a very big city but what is there is good. They have many places of worship for such a small city.

We visited the National Library in Prishtina, it was designed by Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjakovic and opened in 1982. The library, has 73 small domes. When Mutnjakovic was commissioned to design a library for the ex-Yugoslavian province, the tension between Albanian and Serbian Kosovars was already palpable. Looking for a unifying symbol, he came up with the cube and dome, common features of the Ottoman and Byzantine architectural styles that define the appearance of the region, it is an impressive building but I felt it had a brutalist appearance.

On February 17, 2008, the government of the Republic of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and unveiled this monument. “Newborn”, a single English word in a country dominated by the Albanian language, represents the birth of a new country, its positive connotations, and the potential for a modern, democratic Kosovo. At its unveiling, it was announced that the letters would be repainted annually to celebrate another year of freedom but The monument, which has already turned into a symbol that conveys a different message every year, is coloured blue and yellow this year and contains a warning against the possible destruction of the republic.

Pristina has some very good restaurants. One of the restaurants we really enjoyed was a steak restaurant called Sarajevo. The food was very good.

We also found a Lounge called after me, the only problem was that it did not sell alcohol !!!

We had a lovely time in Kosovo. From here we flew to Panama.

Lithuania, Latvia and Montenegro

Lithuania is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is a member of the European Union. Lithuania regained independence in March 1990. The Capital of Lithuania is Vilnius.

We decided to stay in Vilnius the Capital we did not know much about Lithuania so we were pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it is, we also felt it was a place we could easily live. We stayed in a wonderful Airbnb just outside the walls of the old town, the Gate of Dawn

Vilnius’ UNESCO-listed Old Town is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval old towns in Central and Eastern Europe. Needless to say, many of the city’s most popular attractions can be found in the Old Town, which makes for an easy, pleasant walk. In fact, most of the city’s landmarks and facilities are within walking distance. It has been said that it has the best air quality and also that it is one of Europe’s greenest capitals, with 2 rivers Neris and Vilnele, great for lovers of the outdoors. The weather was cooler so it was ideal for site seeing.

I loved walking around the old town, I was blown away with how beautiful the Tenants decorated each shop both inside and out. They have great coffee shops with delicious cakes. They also have great second hand clothes stores, vintage, name brands and just your everyday clothing. It was great to see that people are recycling clothes and that others are happy to buy them. I bought a great waterproof rain jacket that fit like a glove.

**Just a few of the shop front decorations**

70% of Lithuania are Catholic, so there are some beautiful old churches. Just inside the Gates of Dawn the miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the most famous Renaissance paintings in Lithuania. It’s also called the Madonna of the Gates of Dawn or the Madonna of Vilnius. The legend tells that in 1702, when Vilnius was captured by the Swedish army during the Great Northern War, Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn came to her people’s rescue. At dawn, the heavy iron city gates fell, crushing and killing four Swedish soldiers

Blessed Virgin Mary at the Gates of Dawn

These are the Dawn Gates and the picture of Our Lady sits behind the arch window.

We decided to do a bike tour and Bike Vinius Velotakas is a great company to use. We did the Small-Group – Bike Tour of Vilnius I would definitely recommend it, not only are the places we went to very interesting but the guides are very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of Lithuania. Lithuania has a very Tumultuous history. So many times they have been taken over and each time they came back stronger, until finally they regained their independence in march 1990. It was interesting to hear the guide say that they need more people in their country, it was very noticeable that there is very little multiculturalism in regards to people. Yet their culinary delights are from all over the world with some of the best food we have had. On the tour we stopped at the following places Bernardine Garden, Gediminas‘ Castle Tower, Vilnius Cathedral, Cathedral square, St Anne church, the old town although it was hard to cycle on the cobble streets.

The guide also brought us to some of the newer areas of Vilnius, one place I really liked was a recreational area that has something for all age groups from babies to our most mature. I think is is a lovely idea to have all activities together, therefore creating a real sense of community.

**Some of the sites on our bike tour, a fantastic barber shop with Pool Table, motor bike and beer my husband spent a wonderful afternoon here.**

Užupis this is a Hip, Trendy, & Quaint little Neighbourhoods On the east side of the Old Town just across the small Vilnia river, Užupis is well known as the artsy Bohemian alternative neighbourhood of Vilnius. It is a great spot to spend a few hours.

Our next stop is Latvia we took a 4 hour bus journey from Vilnius Lithuania to Riga the capital of Latvia. We really loved Vilnius Lithuania and could certainly see ourselves living here for six months. Put it on your bucket list.

Latvia is a country on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Estonia. It has wide beaches and dense sprawling forests. Latvia’s capital is Riga, it has a large Central Market and a medieval Old Town. St Peter’s church and the Beautiful Freedom Monument has been Riga’s central landmark for almost a century. This 42.7 m tall granite and copper work of art is a symbol of the Latvian nation’s striving for freedom and independence. Latvia got its independence 21st of August 1991

We did a beautiful boat tour on the Riga City Canal that continued out to the Daugava River. It was a beautiful evening, the views of the park that runs along the canal and the scenery on the Daugava River are just stunning.

We took a train trip from Riga Central to Sigulda, Sigulda is a beautiful town about an hour from Riga it is a good area if you want to do some hiking. We did a lovely hike here and stopped to visit the Sigulda Castles . The Castle grounds are beautiful, there are some very nice shops and markets here, but today we are here to see the Sigulda New Castle and the Livonian Order Sigulda Castle (the ruins of the Medieval Castle). In the castle ruins, you can walk along the ancient stone walls, climb the towers and visit open-air stage events. The view from the tower is wonderful, across the Gauja Valley. There are also some fun sculpture (a parade of Knights at the parking area)

We had another beautiful day, we took the train from Riga Centre to Jurmala Beach the weather was 25 Degrees, quite warm for Riga, but the water was freezing hence the name I suppose Baltic sea, and I like cold water !!!! but this was so cold I could not stay in for any length of time, to say it was refreshing would be an understatement. Jurmala is a beautiful area with some very nice homes.

We did a bike tour around the old city it was a great way to learn the history of Latvia, like Lithuania it has a chequered history, but it is great that they now have their independence. They say that Riga is the Northern European’s Art Nouveau Capital and this was clearly visible as we cycled around the city.

Riga had some great bars and restaurants, their food courts are next level. The Most Romantic Cafe in the Old Town with Homemade cakes, great selection of wines and delicious coffee is Parunasim kafe’teeka, Coffee was great here, just loved it. Second hand clothes shops are also fantastic in Riga, name brands and vintage clothing a plenty.

Parunasim kafe’teeka cafe, an Australian pub with a combi van in it and one of the food courts.

Riga in Latvia like Vilnius in Lithuania we could easy see ourselves living here for 6 month. You never know what the future holds !!!!

We flew to Croatia and then got a bus to Montenegro our final stop for the month of August.

Montenegro is a Balkan country with rugged mountains, medieval villages and a narrow strip of beaches along its Adriatic coastline. We stayed in Lepetane a beautiful old fishing village. It is in the Bay of Kotor, kotor resembling a fjord, it is dotted with coastal churches home to Durmitor National Park, which has bears and wolves, it encompasses limestone peaks, glacial lakes and 1,300m-deep Tara River Canyon.

The country is very scenic, it goes from mountain ranges to the sea with lots of the small towns clinging to edge of the coastline. Lepetane is one of these towns as i mentioned it use to be a small fishing village, and although fishing still happens here nowadays the village is best known for the ferry crossing between kamenari and lepetane. It is beautiful spot, just one small shop, a few restaurants and beautiful views out across the bay. Our Airbnb was basic but perfect for us.

We did a wonderful boat trip around the coastline. The water is so clean and clear it is the Adriatic sea so not as cold as the Baltic. The tour took us around the Bay of Kotor, the Lady of the rock, the Tivat area and the Blue Grotto.

The Legend of the Lady of the Rock was that sailors from Perast found a picture of the Virgin Mary on a rock protruding from the sea and taking it as a good sign, began laying rocks on this same spot after every successful voyage so that a church could be built on top of the rocks. The Blue Grotto is a massive rock cave with iridescent blue water popular for boat tours, kayaking & snorkelling, it is a beautiful stop for a swim and snorkel. It was very refreshing being out on the boat the Bay of Kotor is wonderful.

The hike we did was called Vrmac trail it is the long limestone mountain that divides Kotor Bay (aka Boka Bay) in Montenegro. High above the glistening waters of Kotor Bay, the highest peak along the ridge. The trail delivers panoramic views of the Dinaric Alps, Boka Bay, and the many villages that cling to its shore. We also found a small dilapidated Church.

We did a day trip to Kotor old town . The old town of Kotor has a great number of monuments of the medieval architecture: churches, cathedrals, palaces, and museums. Its beauty is complemented with the multitude of narrow streets, squares, and markets. Kotor is considered to be the best preserved medieval urban entity in the Mediterranean. The largest and the most impressive are, by all means, city bulwarks ( defensive walls)which surround the town.

We took a trip to Kamenari on the other side of the ferry crossing, if you walk along the road away from the ferry you will come to some lovely restaurants and beach clubs. The Adriatica Restaurant, Grill and Beach Club is very nice but very expensive compare to other restaurants and beach clubs. You need to walk further around the coast line and you will come to a lot more restaurants that are not half as expensive but the food is just as good. We also took a trip to Tivat which has a beautiful harbour.

We loved our time in Montenegro it is so worth a trip. Our next stop is to Albania we caught a bus from Montenegro to Albania it took about 4 hours.

Slovakia, Moldova and Romania

Slovakia officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Slovakia got its independence on January 1, 1993, at this time Slovakia and the Czech Republic became two separate autonomous countries.

We had a wonderful time in Slovakia, Bratislava is the capital, it has a beautiful old town, the main square is where people gather for all sorts of events, they have local fresh produce markets on the weekend. The old town has lots of great restaurants and bars. There are some beautiful churches, the blue church was particularly nice. There is a very nice monument for all the fallen soldiers in wars gone by. We stayed about a 15min walk from the old town.

There is a wonderful transport museum with lots of beautiful old cars, scooters, motors bikes and trains. It is definitely worth a visit. It is about a 20min walk from the old town town and only costs a few Euros.

Bratislava Castle is worth a visit it sits on a steep hill named Little Carpathians which is above the Danube river. The castle was built in the 9th century. There are amazing view from the Castle walls, there is also museum that goes through the history of the Castle, they currently use the Castle for different types of events. It is only a 15min walk from the old town, the hill is quite steep but you can also get a hop on hop off small bus that will take you there.

Bratislava has a very interesting history, the audio commentary on the hop on and off bus was very informative. So worth doing. We met some friends ( Mark and Philomena from Australia) in Bratislava and had a great meal with them in Pod Kamennym Stromom restaurant in the old town. It was so good to see them. This was our favourite restaurant in Bratislava, Pod Kamennym Stromom the food was delicious and so fresh. The owner and staff where very welcoming and the garden courtyard was wonderful, I would definitely recommend. Overall Slovakia did not disappoint, put it on your list of places to visit.

Moldova sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova emerged as an independent republic following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, its economy relies heavily on agriculture. With the war in the Ukraine agriculture has been effected in Moldova, this seemed to be the main worry of the people in Moldova when we stopped for a visit. We flew from Bratislava to Chisinau in Moldova our nest stop.

We decided to visit the capital of Moldova which is Chisinau we had heard that Moldova is the least visited country in Europe and if it is I do not know why. Moldova has a really nice quite relaxed feel to it. It has a beautiful park in the centre of the city Ștefan cel Mare Central Park It is the oldest park in Moldova and spans about 7 hectares (17 acres). The park boasts around 50 species of trees which range between 130 and 180 years old. This beautiful park with bronze and marble busts and fountains. There is beautiful French café just on the edge of the park, lovely to stop and have a coffee or glass of wine. It was lovely to stroll through the park in the evening time.

Inspired by the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Arc de Triumf in Chisinau was built to commemorate Russia’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, it sits just outside the Cental Park up from the Nativity Cathedral this building became one of the best examples of Russian architecture in Chisinau. It is has a magnificent dome, and six columns decorate the main entrance of the church. Every hour, you can hear the bells chime in the Bell Tower opposite the temple.

We did a tour to Milestii Mici, the largest underground wine cellar in the world, located in the commune of Milestii Mici just 18km from Chisinau, the country’s capital. The tour is very interesting with a wine tasting at the end and lunch if you would like..

Stretching for 250 km, of which only 120 km are currently in use, the Milestii Mici cellar complex is also the largest in the world. In 2007 Milestii Mici wine cellars were noted in Guinness World Records 2007 Yearbook for having the largest (2 million) wine collections in the world. You can drive a car in the tunnels although these days they just use golf buggies. It is also the perfect temperature to store wine, consistently in the mid-50s Fahrenheit 10 to 14 degrees Celsius, plus constant humidity creates ideal conditions for aging to perfection. Several famous people have there wine stored here, including This really is an amazing place, if the apocalypses ever happens I know where I will be heading to.

Moldova is very affordable, we had a beautiful meal plus a bottle of wine for about $40 Australian dollars. Martin loves his steak, and reckons this was one of the best he had. Wine Gogh was the name of the restaurant, the service was also great.

We really enjoyed our time in Moldova, it is a lovely safe city and so worth a visit. We flew from Chisinau to Bucharest in Romania our next stop.

Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest.

We had a 6 days in the Capital Bucharest. We stayed in the city centre and had a great view of the he artesian fountains of Unirii Square, Bucharest boasts the first smart fountains in Europe designed 100% on a computer, with a fantastic show of colour, music, and 3D projections on the water, it really was great to see. Bucharest is also famous for having one of the fastest internet connections in Europe. Bucharest, iconic landmark is the massive, Communist Parliamentary government building, which has 1,100 rooms. There is also the historic Lipscani district which is home to an energetic nightlife scene, full of restaurants and bars, it looks great at night but during the day it looks a bit tired.

Communist Parliamentary government building

We also did a tour of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu’s mansion it hides far more history behind its doors than first meets the eye. They lived in the lap of luxury, while the people of Romania starved. It is located on one of the wealthiest streets in the capital, which is where many of the senior communist party members lived. It is a very impressive home, and the history is very interesting, but like many governments or people in power, greed and ego takes over and they forget about the every day women and men trying to make a life for themselves and their families. Sad to hear all what went on. But on a positive note the Romanians seem to be doing a good job of getting on with their lives.

We had a very relaxing day at the Therme Bucuresti Located North of Bucharest, just 10 minutes away from the city, it is the largest relaxation and entertainment centre in Europe, the largest botanical garden in Romania with over 800,000 plants, includingover 1,500 palm trees, countless orchids and many other unique species. Therme Bucharest combines relaxation, preventive health, physical activity, entertainment and food in a new concept never before seen in Romania. It turns a former luxury into an accessible every day, all year-round experience for public, while improving health and the quality of life for all visitors. If you ever visit Bucharest make sure to save a day and visit the Therme Bucuresti it will not disappoint.

We hired a car and drove out to Brasov, It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the historical region of Transylvania

Brasov is a beautiful old town it is famous for its historical attractions, it is impossible to miss landmarks like the Black Church, its large open squares like the Council cobbled Square where locals and tourists alike enjoy good restaurants, bars and cafes. . It is surrounded by colourful baroque buildings and is home to the Casa Sfatului, a former town hall turned local history museum. There was a number of reasons we wanted to visit the area of Transylvania and Brasov was a great place to base ourselves.

The first place we wanted to visit was Dracula Caste Bran Castle it was associated with the fictional vampire Count Dracula. The Romanian castle resembles Castle Dracula, as described in Bram Stokers novel Dracula (1897), in that both stand on rocky precipices and command spectacular views. But sadly Stoker, an Irish writer, is not known to have ever visited Transylvania. Moreover, (Dracula), the historical personage most closely identified with Stoker’s Dracula, never ruled Bran Castle, although some sources claim that he was held prisoner there for two months. Anyway it was great to visit, it was a bit creepy and just as we went inside, the heavens open and we had very loud thunder and lighting, then the lights went out. But we got out alive so all good. It was a very interesting tour and the history of the castle is very interesting.

One of the items on Martins bucket list was drive the Transfagarasan highway. Passing through some of the highest mountains in the country (Fagaras Mountains), Transfagarasan was named by Jeremy Clarkson, the famous Top Gear presenter “The Best Road in the World”.

The drive on the Transfagarasan highway is breath-taking. The winding road and the steep mountains surrounding it create an amazing scenery, very unique. The Balea Lake connects two sections of Transfagarasan. The lake is just stunning and sits beatifully at the top.

Martin and I had only ever seen Bears in a Zoo, we had been told that there are bears in the Fargaras Mountains so you can image our excitement when we seen bears come out onto the highway as we drove down the other side of the highway.

We also wanted to do the Seven Ladders Canyon. It is consists of a set of metal ladders and platforms cascading up through seven different waterfalls of various heights set in a narrow limestone gorge. From here you can also do zip lining, cost is so reasonable to do both of these activities you would be mad to miss out.

We will start the tour with a hike. This was leisurely stroll through the mountains, with plenty of opportunities to take in the sights and sounds of the Carpathian Mountains. Next, we moved on to the canyon crossing. This is a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else. You will be able to cross the canyon using metallic structures, suspended hundreds of feet above the ground. This is an exciting and unique way to explore the landscape. Finally, we ended with the ziplining. The ziplines are the longest in the Romania and you will have the opportunity to fly over stunning views of the mountains and forests. It is unique because it combines the thrill of ziplining and canyon crossing with the relaxation of a hike. It is the perfect way to explore the Carpathian Mountains.

We had heard that the set for the (Wednesday Adam series) the Nevermore academy was near Brasov as it was a favourite of mine we just had to go and take a look. We were not disappointed. The scenery is just beautiful. We took a train from Brasov to Busteni a very nice little town, and could walk from there.

We had a wonderful time in Romania, there is so much to see and do, put it on your list of places to visit there is something for all the family. We took a flight from Romania to Lithuanian.

And we’re off (April 2016)

It’s April and we are ready to hit the road, last week was manic, note never leave your job and your home in the same week, far too hectic. Now that everything is sorted we are really to go.

The plan is to travel in Australia for 5 weeks, 20 years ago when we did an 18 month trip around Australia, back then we took the Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs so we missed out on a few places like, Broken Hill, Cobber Pedy. So let’s get this show on the road, our first stop is Dubbo

Dubbo is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia, with an estimated population of 36,622 as at June 2014, weather this time of the year is between 20 – 25 degrees. We stayed at the Ibis Dubbo, it was basic accommodation but very clean and the staff were very friendly.

We stopped here to see the Zoo and The Dish

Dubbo Zoo, I love the Zoo here as all the animals have plenty of space in their enclosures. They also have a large savannah were a number of different animal’s co habitat together. It is a large Zoo you can cycle, drive or walk around. There is a large playground and picnic area’s plenty to keep the whole family amused.

Feeding time for the Black Rhino’s

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The Graceful Giraffe

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I love the Gates of the Zoo as it reminds me of the movie Jurassic Park

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CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope you may know it as the “The Dish” if you have seen the movie it is loosely based on the Parkes telescope’s role in receiving pictures from the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned Moon landing in July 1969.

Built in 1961 it is 64-m diameters parabolic dish used for radio astronomy the telescope works day and night about 85% of the time it is scheduled for observing, students can control the telescope over the internet for educational projects it receives signals from space never sends them. It is used by 300 researchers each year with 40% of these users from overseas. It takes 15min to do a 360 degrees rotation and it weight is 300 tonnes.

Did you know: NASA copied the telescope’s design for the satellite tracking dishes of its Deep Space Network.

Martin the Dish or is it Martin and the Dish ???

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Broken Hill was our next stop.

Like many “outback” towns, Broken Hill was built on precious metals, having once had the world’s richest deposits of lead, zinc and silver. Although now depleted somewhat, mining still yields around two million tonnes annually. Sheep farming is now one of the principal industries in the area, Broken Hill has encouraged its widespread artistic credentials and is promoting itself as a tourism destination. Population of Broken Hill is now 18,856 it has declined over the years.

The reason I wanted to visit Broken Hill was for the art galleries, the International Sculpture Symposium, and to visit a mine, we were not disappointed.

The Highlight for me was the International Sculpture Symposium. Twelve impressive stone sculptures are situated on a hill located in The Living Desert Reserve in about 10km north of Broken Hill. The sculptures were carved in 1993 by artists from around the world, under the direction of organiser and artist Lawrence Beck. The best time for photographing sculptures is around sunset and sunrise. But really the sculptures look fantastic at that time, it is a very peaceful place and really show how amazing the Australian Desert can look and feel. The arrangement of the stones define a special flow from the Pinnacles Hills to Fred Hollows resting place in Bourke, It is said to be a Present for Fred Hollows in the Afterlife. Below are pictures of a few of my favourite ones.

Pro Hart Gallery

It was great to Visit Pro-Harts Gallery, I love that his work really portrays the Australian Landscape and the life he had in Broke hill, he was a family man and raised 5 children, he worked in the mines and said his painting kept him sane after long day’s underground. As we could not take photo’s of his pictures we took one of his hand painted cars.

Daydream Mine

Is no longer a working mine, it is situated 33km from Broken hill. The mine was discovered in 1881 and close in 1963. Silver was mined here. The couple that run the mine tours are great, Boss and Cookie have a wealth of knowledge about the mine and the surrounding area they are very down to earth and friendly, on the tour we went down —– feet it really helped understand the working conditions that the miners had, not something I could do for a living. After the tour Cookie has freshly main Devonshire tea ready for everyone, nothing like freshly made home cooked scones. This is well worth a visit.

On to Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy is situated in the Outback of South Australia, 846km north of Adelaide and 685km south of Alice Spring. Coober Pedy is the Opal Capital of the world. The first opal was discovered in 1915 Coober Pedy produces 85% of the world’s opal.

We came to Coober Pedy to see the Opal mines, underground living, and the Breakaways. Again we were not disappointed

It is fascinating to see the underground lifestyle, many of the homes, hotels, churches and restaurants are underground. Living underground means you can escape the heat in summer and the winter cool desert nights. We stayed in a great underground motel, all the rooms are underground and have on-suites it was very clean. There is also a communal kitchen that service a continental breakfast each morning. The couple that run the hotel are very friendly and extremely helpful. It is also very reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend this place.

John’s Pizza Bar and Restaurants have great pizza a great place for dinner and coffee.

We took a tour that covered, an opal mine visit, Josephine’s Gallery, Faye’s Underground home, Underground church, Golf course, dingo fence, Opal fields, Moon plans and the Breakaways. The tour was 6 hours and it was fantastic. Adam our tour guide had a lot of local knowledge, it is really worth taking one of his tours as you learn so much more.

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We bought some local aboriginal art work, we thought if we are ever going to buy aboriginal artwork this was the place to do it.

Adelaide

We had a few days in Adelaide to say goodbye to my brother and his wife. We always have a great time catching up with them.

Lady Bay Resort

Lady Bay Resort is a golf resort about an hour south of Adelaide we had a week stop here, it was very relaxing, we played golf, went to some amazing unspoilt beaches like Normanville and to visit a few wineries.

The Beach at Normanville

Lady Bay resort

McLaren Vale Wine Region

We continued on to the Victorian High Country Mt Bulli

We stayed at the Sebel resort for a week, great place the apartment we got was amazing. The weather was a lot cooler here, but it was lovely to see the autumn colours. We went on lots of walks and drove up to Mt Bulli which was freezing, the wind was howling, so we did not stay to long.

The Sebel Resort

Great friends that came to visit.

Back to Sydney

It is now time to travel back to Sydney where we take a flight to Dubai.

Slovenia

Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers 20,273 square kilometres and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the former states of Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and of NATO.

We are so happy we decided to add Slovenia to our trip, Ljubljana is Slovenia’s capital and a beautiful small city, it has plenty of green spaces, including the expansive Tivoli Park. The curving Ljubljana River is lined with outdoor cafes, bars and markets, it divides the city’s old town from its commercial hub, it is a vibrant, cyclist-friendly oasis, teeming with cultural activities, culinary delights, and architectural splendour. Ljubljana Castle is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana. It is a key landmark of the town. Initially a defence structure and since the first half of the 14th century the seat of the lords of Carniola, today is used as a major cultural venue.

Our Airbnb was in a great spot in the old city centre we stayed here for 3 nights then drove out to Lake bled for 4 nights.

Lake Bled wow what a picturesque place. The main attraction is a single island, home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. It has a fairy-tale feel about it. We did some great hikes here. Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica are the hills which rise above the west shore of Lake Bled. The hike is easy and present a delightful alternative or addition to walks along or around the lake. You are rewarded with one of the best views of Lake Bled, the island, castle and Karavanke mountain chain in the background. Another day we took a small boat out to the island in the centre of the lake to visit the church and to ring the bell. We had a very nice coffee in the restaurant on the island. In the afternoon I went to the small beach on lake bled and got in for a swim. Water was lovely.

View of Lake Bled from
Ojstrica and Mala Osojnica

Another hiked that is a must is Vintgar Gorge is a 1.6-kilometer gorge in north western Slovenia in the municipalities of Gorje and Bled, four kilometres northwest of Bled. Carved by the Radovna River, it is the continuation of the Radovna Valley. The sheer canyon walls are 50 to 100 meters high, with a total slope measuring about 250 m. The stream has created many erosive features such as pools and rapids, and terminates in the picturesque 13 m Šum Falls, the largest river waterfall in Slovenia, we continued the hike from the gorge up to St Catherine Church, we had a lovely lunch here.

We had two wonderful meals at Sova restaurant on the banks of lake bled, best food we have had for a while, so definitely worth a visit.

Geographically Slovenia would be a great place to live as it is only an hour’s drive to Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. It would be perfect to live here for six months of the year and the other six months in Australia, how wonderful would that be.

Germany, Munich and Berlin

Germany is the largest country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by Denmark, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Capital: Berlin, Currency: Euro (€) Germany was a founding member of European Union in 1993. It is part of the Schengen Area and became a co-founder of the Eurozone in 1999. Germany is a member of the United Nations. Approximately 82,5 million people live in Germany (30.09.2016). It is the most populated country in Europe, and the 14th in the world

Our two stops in Germany are Munich and Berlin. We were looking forward to catching up with friends for the Octoberfest.

Munich was all about the Octoberfest. Wow what an amazing festival, we had not realised how big this festival really is, there are 14 large Tents some holding up to 17 thousand people, everyone dresses up in the traditional costume of Bavaria. We spent our few days drinking Beer, eating gigantic pretzels 🥨 apple strudel and lots of Bavarian food. It was so great to share this time with some great friends.

The group enjoying a beer or two, Angela, Rodi, Gina, Andrew, Martin and I.

We did have one day out when we visited the largest thermal spa in the world THERME ERDING, Turquoise water, summer temperatures & refreshing cocktails await you in an impressive holiday ambience with real palm trees. There are our 30 themed saunas and over 300 beauty & spa offers. For fun & action can find it in their Wave pool & Slides area. 27 slides with three different difficulty levels. Afterwards you can relax in our wave pool with gentle waves. It really is an amazing place, to spend the day or a few days. We said goodbye to Gina and Andrew both heading back to the States and continued to Berlin with Angela and Rodi.

From here we went to Berlin. It was interesting to visit Berlin again, we had been here in 1990 a month after the wall came down. Two other friends joined the group Thelma and Jim, I have known Thelma for a very long time she and I went to school together in Ireland, we both emigrated to Australia, Thelma went to Perth and I went to Sydney but it is great that we kept in touch. It is always great to catch-up but particularly when we are all on holidays and in Berlin.

There is definitely a more relaxed feel about the place, and lots of positive young travellers. We did a great bike tour, Fat Tire Bike Tours, that brought us all over the city, a great way to see and learn about the history of Berlin. Some of the tour highlights below

Brandenburg Gate
Checkpoint Charlie
Berlin Wall
Nazi Architecture
Site of Hitler’s bunker
Reichstag (parliament building)
Bebelplatz
Museum Island
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Berlin Cathedral
Potsdamer Platz

It was great too share the experience of these three places with great friends. Thanks guys for making it so special.

Witty Observations

While travel in each country I thought I would capture all the funny or interesting things we saw, heard or experienced.

Ireland (Hanging in a Pub in Dublin)

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Wild Atlantic Way Ireland advertisement for a Sailing Trip

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Coffee shop in Ireland

A Friend in Ireland sent me this one.

A very cute cottage in Adair a lovely town in Ireland

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Donegal Town in Ireland were it is hard to find a women this sign was outside a pub.

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My Irish friends mum has this hanging on her wall

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Nice old car with Martin’s family name

Seen in Waterford Crystal factory in Ireland

Laundrette in Dubrovnik were people are encouraged to leave a message, what did we do before the posted note.

Outside a pub in Dubrovnik

I told Martin he should get one beer while I did some shopping in Italy so he did. The biggest beer he could find.

Very smart car parking in Italy

This is the vehicle that the postman or women delivers the mail in Sorrento, I wonder how this would go down in Australia or Ireland

In Lecce an electric car being charged, safety comes first.

Coffee shop in Dublin

An Italian restaurant in Brazil

Gee and I thought it was Martin !!!

Salzbury

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria (for details on Austria as part of this blog see August 2017). Its historic centre is renowned for its baroque architecture (heavily decorated style in buildings) and is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps.

Flag of Salzburg

The fast-flowing Salzach River run through the centre of town, your gaze is raised inch by inch to graceful domes and spires, the formidable 900-year-old clifftop fortress and the mountains beyond

The city centre is very beautiful and is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg was the setting for the musical The Sound of Music, also the nineteen sixties movie Where Eagles Dare.

Martin was keen to visit. Hohenwerfen Castle to see Where Eagles Dare had been shot back in 1969 it is a medieval rock castle, situated on a 623 metres precipice overlooking the Austrian market town of Werfen in the Salzach valley, approximately 40 kilometres south of Salzburg. The fortress is surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the adjacent Tennen Mountains. Just beautiful.

The Salzburg Festival was on while we visited it is a prominent festival of music and drama, eating local food and drinking some great beer, they also had a good selection of Gin I might add. The festival was established in 1920 and is held each summer.

Great evening in Salzburg with our good friend Andrew

We stayed in the beautiful town of Hallein which is surrounded by alpine mountains and was a short train or bus trip into Salzburg City.

Corsica – Ajacco, Piana and Bonifacio

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is located southeast of the French mainland and west of the Italian Peninsula, with the nearest land mass being the Italian island of Sardinia to the immediate south. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. Population: 330,000 Capital Ajaccio

The Flag of Corsica

The Flag of Corsica was adopted by General of the Nation Pasquale di Paoli in 1755 and was based on a traditional flag used previously. It portrays a Moor’s Head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously, the bandana covered his eyes; Paoli wanted the bandana moved to above the eyes to symbolise the liberation of the Corsican people.

Corsica although only 12klm by ferry from Sardinia is quite different. It is so much greener and lush and about 10 degrees cooler. This mountainous island of thick brush, pristine beaches, white cliffs, amazing views, is a hiker’s paradise. We stayed 6 nights and shared our time between Ajaccio, Piana and Bonifacio

Ajaccio is where Napoleon is from, we went to visit the house he was born in, it is very interesting and worth a visit. It was nice to wonder through the old town of Ajaccio. We spent a day out at the Parata Headland and saw the beautiful Sanguinaires Islands and lighthouseonly it is only about a 30 minute drive from Ajaccio, this whole area is beautiful and has some gorgeous beaches.

Napoleon birth place

Statue of Napoleon

Napoleon and his brothers

Torra di a Parata

Sanguinaries Islands

Sanguinaries Islands and Lookout Tower

Lookout Tower 1608

Beautiful beach with the Sanguinaries Islands in the background.

Piana is a pretty village set in and overlooking the fabulous Calanqes de Piana (a series of red rocks and cliffs that plunge up to 300 metres into the Mediterranean below) the road between Piana and Porto along the stunning Calanches is one of the most beautiful drives we have ever encountered. The red rocks are truly beautiful although the drive has a lot of blind corners, therefore it is best to drive very slowly and carefully.

Calanqes de Piana

Great coffee shop at Calanqes de Piana

Calanqes de Piana beach

Bonifacio is a beautiful harbor city on the southern tip of Corsica. The old town is made up of narrow cobble streets, with plenty of shops, restaurants and beautiful old churches. The huge white cliffs are truly something to see against the blue Mediterranean Sea. The citadel, old town, and the views across the harbour and surrounding cliffs were a highlight of our visit.

Bonifacio Harbour

White cliffs of Bonifacio

We loved our time in Sardinia and Corsica, to really see Sardinia and Corsica I recommend you hire a car