Prior Trip (Travel Blog 2016 to 2018) – Page 3

Greece – Crete, Mykonos, Santorini and Athens (Oct 2017)

Greece

Situated in the far south of the Balkan peninsula, Greece combines the towering mountains of the mainland with over 1,400 islands, the largest of which is Crete. Post-World War II Greece saw rapid economic and social change, with tourism and shipping becoming major contributors to the economy. The global financial crisis of the late 2000s had a devastating effect on Greece, as the legacy of high public spending and widespread tax evasion combined with the credit crunch and the resulting recession to leave the country with a crippling debt burden. The current population of Greece is 11,149,197 Language spoken is Greek.

Flag of Greece

We divided our 16 days in Greece across, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, we just love Greece it was everything we expected and more, each place was so unique.

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Creek islands it is the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It has an easy-going atmosphere, with a mixture of locals and tourists all mingling together seamlessly. We stayed in the town of Rethymno, it was very pleasant, and our accommodation was very nice, it was in the Grand Leoniki Residence I definitely recommend this place.

We did two great hikes in Greece, Mount Ida the highest mountain in Crete we drove to Mygero Refuge. The road was good, with only some small rocks fallen on the road after Livadia. We left the car in the free parking at Mygero Refuge and started climbing it is not a bad hike but the last part of the hike was very windy and cold so if you decided to do this hike bring some warm clothes. The peak has a stone church ( the church of the holy cross) and a large cross, it has beautiful views to both coasts. Mount Ida is 2,456 m, it is the highest mountain on Crete it was about a 5-hour round trip. It is sacred to the Greek Titaness Rhea, and on its slopes lies one of the caves, Idaion Andron, in which, according to legend, Zeus was born.

The second hike was in a very beautiful gorge called Samaria, Samaria Gorge is one of the longest gorges in Europe. The Gorge provides stunning views, the core of the national park covers an area of 4,850 ha, the entrance is at Xyloskalo (1230m above sea level) on Omalos Plateau and runs down through a well-preserved trail 16 km long to the sea village of Agia Rourneli on the southern coast of Crete at the Libyan Sea. You will also pass St. Nicolas’s Chapel. Both hikes are very different and very enjoyable.

We spent one day visiting the old town of Chania the Venetian Harbour, the old port, the narrow shopping streets and waterfront restaurants the archaeologist site and Fortezza Castle which had great view over the city and ocean. Really nice town. Another evening we visited the Knossos Palace, it is worth a visit, but it is hard to tell which are the original ruins verses restoration. We will remember Crete for its great hikes.

Fortezza Castle

Town of Chania

Mykonos was our next stop. Mykonos is one of the Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 square kilometre, there are 10,134 inhabitants.

Much of the island is dotted with tiny churches the oldest in Mykonos town, while here you can visit the Kato Mills the windmills of Mykonos and walk along the streets of little Venice for an afternoon glass of wine or cocktail. It is easy to get lost in its myriad of winding alleyways and streets, or to go around in circles, but it is hard not to get spellbound by all the white washed houses with colourful painted doors and windows. It boasts 22 beaches, and we visited a number of them, in particular Paradise and Super Paradise. I will remember Mykonos for its great beaches (it is definitely a party island in the summer months).

Little Venice

Our accommodation

Churches and Windmills of Mykonos

The next stop was the most beautiful of all the islands and that was Santorini.

Santorini is the largest island of a small circular archipelago. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km² and a population of about 14,000.

The main island of Thira will take your breath away. The Sky and Sea here are a vibrant blue which makes the houses and hotels seem whiter than white. The views across the ocean is magnificent. When the sun sets, the reflection on the buildings and the glow of the orange and red in the cliffs can be truly spectacular.

We did a lovely walk to the gorgeous traditional hilltop village of Oia, truly beautiful. We had the best cocktails ever in a cocktail bar called Molecular Mixology (thanks for the travel Tip Adam) definitely worth a visit.

Santorini glides into the future with accomplished artists, excellent wineries, a unique microbrewery and some of the Cyclades’ finest accommodation and dining experiences. The multi-coloured beaches are simply the icing on the cake. I can understand why Santorini has many visitors. I will remember Santorini for its beauty and great Cocktails.

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, it is also one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years and its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC. In 2016, Athens has an estimated population of over 665,000 in the city proper, or 3.75 million in the metropolitan area.

It is well-known from the mythology that Athens was named after the Goddess of Wisdom. Athens is a mixture of history and edginess. It is interesting to see Cultural and social life playing out amid, around and in ancient landmarks. The magnificent Acropolis is visible from almost every part of the city, it was amazing to walk through the Acropolis and to see the Parthenon.

We loved Greece and will be back again I am sure, the food was great in all areas we visited. The Greek people are accommodating, pleasant and friendly. We were unsure about visiting in October but it was perfect, not too hot and not too many tourists, fantastic.

Bulgaria – Varna, Golden Sands Beach, Nessebar, Plovidiv, Sofia (Sept 2017)

Bulgaria

In late 1980s the Communist tyranny in Bulgaria began to crumble.
Bulgaria is a relatively poor country and it suffered badly in the recession of 2009. However, Bulgaria recovered and today the economy is growing steadily. Tourism is a rapidly growing industry in Bulgaria. Tourists are attracted by the architecture and beaches. Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. Today the population of Bulgaria is 7.1 million.

Flag of Bulgaria

We had two wonderful weeks travelling around Bulgaria with Anissa and Pete two great friends from Australia. We first had a relaxing few days in Golden Sands Beach. Varna was our first stop. It is a very nice city, clean fresh with lots of good restaurants, nice beach and beach bars, if we go back to Bulgaria we would stay here rather than Golden Sands Beach.

Golden Sands Beach with Pete and Anissa

Varna Cathedral

Aladzha Monastery

We continued our trip down to the ancient city of Nessebar, and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, The small city exists in two parts separated by a narrow man-made isthmus with the ancient part of the settlement on the peninsula, and the more modern section on the mainland side. The older part bears evidence of occupation by a variety of different civilizations over the course of time. It really is a very quaint city which we really enjoyed.

Nessebar

We then travelled across county to Plovidiv the oldest city in Europe, the main street is nice and there is a nice Garden in the centre of town but otherwise we did not find it very impressive. Being the oldest city in Europe we had high expectations.

Roman Theatre in Plovdiv

Gardens in Plovidiv

From here we drove on to Sofia the Capital of Bulgaria, Sofia is a nice city and has some impressive government buildings and churches.

Sofia Catheral

It was nice to get out to the Rila National Park to visiting the famous Rila Monastery founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments, The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Ivan of Rila (876 – 946 AD), and houses around 60 monks. We also hiked to the Seven Rila Lakes, they are a group of glacial lakes, situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains in Bulgaria. The lakes are situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level. Both the lakes and Monastery are very impressive and worthy of a visit.

Rila Mountain lifts up to the start of the seven Lakes

It was a very misty day but this is one of the lakes we could see

Martin found a friend

Rila Monastery

Driving around Bulgaria was nearly as bad as driving around Turkey the drivers are crazy here. Martin did a very good job of keeping us safe.

Shame our friends could not continue our journey onto Cyprus.

Ukraine – Kiev – Odessa (Sept 2017)

Ukraine

Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since veered between seeking closer integration with Western Europe. Europe’s second largest country, Ukraine is a land of wide, fertile agricultural plains, with large pockets of heavy industry in the east. Russia seized and annexed Crimea in March 2014, amid the chaos following the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych. Population 44.9 million. Area 603,700 sq km. languages Russian, Religion is mostly Christianity, Currency hryvnia. Capital of Ukraine is Kiev.

Ukraine Flag

Our 10 days in Ukraine was time well spent. Kiev was our first stop; the architecture was different to what we are used to, The Cathedral of St. Sophia, the Golden Gates and St Andrews Church are all amazing.

The Cathedral of St Sophia

Bell tower of Sophia

St Andrews Church

The Golden gates

We took a day trip out to Chernobyl, it was very interesting to hear what really happened here and how the Russians tried to cover it up. To this day they have no idea how many people died, besides the 31 workers on shift that night in 1986, no records were kept after the city of Pripyat was evacuated. Over Fifty thousand people had to be evacuated and it was all done within 48 hours. Most people had no idea that they would never move back to live here, the average age of the work force of Chernobyl was 26, there were a lot of young families that had dreams of a wonderful life here. They are still trying to decontaminate the whole area. Surprisingly the vegetation has come back in leaps and bounds. We also saw the huge Duga-3 system, part of the Soviet Anti-ballistic missile early-warning network it was nick named the Russian Woodpecker because of the noise it made, at the time the Russians tried to tell the locals it was a TV antenna. It was never used because of the explosion at Chernobyl.

Chernobyl

A memorial to the Fire Fighters

A fun park that was due to open 3 days before the disaster, it never opened.

Vegetation has come back in leaps and bounds

Russian Woodpecker

We had a great meal in Kiev, it was an Italian Restaurant called Osteria Pantagruel address, Mykoly Lysenka St I Kyiv Ukraine food, service and atmosphere was very good.

Odessa was very relaxing, the beaches are very nice (I had my first swim in the black sea, very refreshing). The city garden is a wonderful spot, it has concerts, movies, kids shows on most days and nights, it is a great place for the locals to socialize. The Opera and Ballet Theatre was nice, but sorry nothing on the Sydney Opera house. The famous Potemkin Steps are a must see they are considered a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the sea. The people are very helpful and friendly. The food was quality rather than quantity which suited me just fine.

Odessa beach

The City Gardens

We had a lovely time in the Ukraine

Hungary – Budapest, Serbia – Belgrade (Sept 2017)

Hungary

Hungary is a landlocked country in central Europe, which borders with no fewer than seven countries: Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. The country is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north. Geographical size: 93 011 km²Population: 9 830 485, Currency: Hungarian Forint HUF, EU member country since: 1 May 2004, Capital: Budapest

Flag of Hungary

Budapest reminded me of Prague the difference being everything in the city is spread out. It is a lovely city and has the best architectural parliament house i have ever seen. We find ourselves on the banks of the Daube river again, which runs through Budapest. There are river cruises docked three deep but still plenty of room for other river cruises to pass by. The four city buildings that impressed us, Fisherman Bastion, Buda Castle, St Stephens Basilica and Parliament house.

Buda Castle

Budapest City

The Museum of Applied Arts

Fisherman Baston

Parliament House

St Stephens Basilica

River Cruises three deep and still room to pass by

Beautiful Statues all throughout the city

For our hike in Budapest we went to Visegrad Castle, we took a ferry across the Danube, it is a beautiful spot and the views from the top of the mountain make the trek worth it.

Ferry across the Danube

Visegrad Castle and views

We had a very nice meal in Amici Miei an Italian restaurant behind the Corvin Plaza Address:Setany 1 A-D 1082 the lamb chops are fantastic.

Serbia

Serbia became a stand-alone sovereign republic in the summer of 2006 after Montenegro voted in a referendum for independence from the Union of Serbia and Montenegro. The end of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro marked the closing chapter in the history of the separation of the six republics of the old Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia which was proclaimed in 1945 and comprised Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. Language: Serbian Religion: Christianity, Currency: Dinar, Population : around 7 million.

Flag of Serbia

The capital of Serbia, Belgrade, is located in the north of the country at the convergence of the two rivers; Danube and Sava. Its population of over 1.5 million people make it the largest Serbian city and the third largest in South-East Europe. One of Europe’s oldest cities, and once part of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, the country has seen some turbulent times but is now becoming an increasingly flourishing tourist destination.

We spent one of the days on Avala mountain visiting the Avala Tower which is a 204.68 m tall telecommunications tower located on Mount Avala, in Belgrade. The original tower was finished in 1965, but was destroyed on 23 April 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The tower’s reconstruction commenced on 21 December 2006 and it was officially opened on 21 April 2010. It is currently the tallest tower in the Balkans. There is a viewing platform at the top of the Tower that has amazing views across Belgrade. There is also a very nice Monument to the Unknown Hero’s of war on the mountain top. It is also a lovely hike to the top and a nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.

The Monument of the Unknown Hero’s and the Avala Tower

A beautiful little church we found close to the Avala Tower

Another day was spent on the Military Museum in Belgrade it was founded in 1878. The museum has over 3000 ancient and modern items. These include Roman swords and helmets, Greek helmets and daggers, Serbian heavy knight’s armor, axes, shields, helmets, crossbows, armoured gloves, as well as Western medieval weapons. There are also more modern guns, firearms, and elements of soldier’s uniforms and equipment. Dioramas, plaques, and displays illustrate the use and historical context of the museum’s collection. It is only a short walk from here to see the spot that the two rivers meet the Danube and Sava.

two rivers meet the Danube and Sava

We were very impressed with the Church of Saint Sava it is a Serbian Orthodox church located on the Vračar plateau in Belgrade. It is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and ranks among the largest church buildings in the world. Construction started in 1935 and as of 2017, the exterior of the church is complete. The bells and windows have been installed, and the façade completed. The basement contains a crypt, which is also completed and is just stunning. When it is finally finished I am sure it will be amazing and worth another visit.

We enjoyed our few days in Belgrade, it is definitely worth a visit.

Czech Republic – Prague, Poland – Krakow (Aug 2017)

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is the 14th largest city in the European Union. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.4 million people. The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech

Czech Republic Flag

We had no expectations about Prague so we were pleasantly surprised. The city is very interesting architecturally, the skyline is full of spires and towers. The old town square is just beautiful, the Tyn Church is like something out of a fairy tale thanks to its many spires. There are plenty of ancient chapels, unexpected gardens, cute cafes and old-fashioned bars, it was lovely to walk across the famous Charles bridge and to see a number of interesting statues. It was great to see my sister Sinead and husband Sean they came to meet us for a long weekend we had such a good laugh with them.

Tyn-Church in the main city square

The third oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating

Dancing-Buildings

The Matrix Kafka´s head metal moving statue in Prague by Alena Harnová

The car we used to do a city Tour.

One of the arches of Charles Bridge, I did not like it as it was not symmetrical.

The Vltava river that runs through Prague

We spent a lovely day at Petrin Hill & Observation Tower it was built as a mini version of Paris’s Eiffel Tower, the Petrin Observation Tower was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition. The tower is 60m tall, which doesn’t seem particularly high until you add in the fact that it sits at the summit of Petrin Hill, which is 318m (1043 feet) high.The Petrin Observation Tower is set in landscaped gardens, which include a sizeable rose garden which is beautiful, and make for a pleasant stroll. Other attractions include an observatory, which contains a museum and a large telescope open to the public, a hall of mirrors, a church and cafes.

Petřín Lookout Tower which strongly resembles the Eiffel Tower

The Gardens at Petřín Hill

The view of the church from Petřín Tower

One of the evening we did a Ghost tour, the guide was very good, he had lots of knowledge about the city centre and some very interesting ghost stores, some quite gruesome, lots of fun.

Located in the city center of Prague on the famed Narodni Street is a treat for both fun loving adults and children alike, the Lego Museum. My sister Sinead is a big Lego fan and has collected Lego for years. The Prague Lego Museum is the not only the largest private museum of its kind in the Czech Republic but also in all of Europe as well. The exhibits include pirates, Star Wars, locomotives, Harry Potter, Indian Jones, historical monuments, the kinetic exhibition of Lego trains and much more. A very enjoyable morning had by us all.

The food is quite homely in Prague and very tasty. One of my husbands favourites are Trdelnik pastries they are fluffy, hot, sugar-sprinkled pastries that are baked before your eyes and sold fresh all over Prague. Look for the sign that depicts a trdelnik pastry — you’ll find them in Old Town, and elsewhere in Prague. This street food is perfect if you have a sweet tooth.

The boys enjoying their Trdelnik pastries

In each country, we enjoy getting out to the country side as it gives us an additional perspective of the country. In Prague, we went to visit Karlstejn Castle we had a wonderful day here, it has a beautiful small town with lots of cute souvenir shops, restaurants and bars.

Karlstejn Castle

Things to note: most of the shops close on a Sunday, Irish pubs are very expensive to drink in, clothes are expensive in Prague. Ask how much the taxi ride will cost before you get into the cab. There are lots of places in the city Centre that you can exchange money with no commission costs, do not get stung for a fee of up to 28%.

Martin was delighted he found his own Irish Pub.

We really enjoyed Prague and would definitely recommend a visit.

Poland

Covers an area of 312,679 square kilometres with a mostly temperate climate. With a population of over 38.5 million people. Poland’s capital and largest city is Warsaw. We were told that Krakow was a more interesting city than Warsaw so we went to Karkow.

Flag of Poland

Krakow a city in southern Poland near the border of the Czech Republic, is known for its medieval core and Jewish quarter. The old town is ringed by Planty Park. The plaza or town square is the site of the Cloth Hall a trading outpost and St Mary’s Basilica a 14th century Gothic church. Krakow was a city that surprised us, first I was not expected 25 degrees and secondly, I was very impressed with all the green space they have around the city centre. The Vistula river that runs through Krakow can be a hive of activity, with canoeing, river cruises etc, there are also some great bars along it. The town square has a lovely community feel to it. The people are very friendly and helpful but can be a bit cautious of strangers at first.

The plaza or town square

Vistula river

Kosciuszko Mound

We have had two interesting but sad days in Poland Krakow, a visit to Oskar Schindler factory, if you remember the movie Oskar saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. The factory and stories from real survivors are heart wrenching. Each survivor said “for sure only for Schindler they would be dead”. What a very courageous man, shame we did not have more like him. We also visited the Jewish ghetto area which was the first step in getting rid of the Jews from Poland.

On another day we went to visit 2 concentration camps Auschwitz and Auschwitz Birkenau. It is hard to believe that between these 2 camps over 1,100,000.00 people were killed, men, women and children most of them were Jews. It felt surreal to be standing in the gas chambers and to see the furnace that burned the remains of all those innocent people. To see thousands of pairs of shoes, hundreds of hair brushes and combs, a huge room full of human hair, and more was very upsetting. As humans, how can we be so cruel to each other, I will never understand this. Out of 11 million, 7 million Jews were killed in World War 2 and mostly in concentration camps. The Polish community want people to visit as a reminder that this should never happen again. One would very much hope that it would never happen again, but with what is going on in the world today who knows!!!! It is very confronting but something we should all visit if you ever get the chance.

Auschwitz and Auschwitz Birkenau

Personal items from the prisoners

Seven people would sleep on each of these shelves, top middle and bottom (the bottom was often full of muck and water)

Furnace

Gas chamber

For our trip to the country side we did an 18-kilometre hike to Pieskowa Skala Castle (polish for Little Dog’s Rock)in Ojcow National Park, it is built on limestone cliff and is very beautiful, the gardens are very well maintained, it was first mentioned in Latin documents before 1315.
On the hike we passed a beautiful small wooden chapel it is called Chapel on the water, back in the day it was prohibited to build a sacred object on earth, the chapel is situated over a pipe on concrete supports, this is how they got around this law, hence the name Chapel on water. We also passed a beautiful cross in the middle of the woods, we can only assume it was a memorial for someone.

Skala Castle

Chapel on the water

Cross we passed in the woods

Krakow is a very interesting City with so much history, we are so glad we stopped here.

Austria – Vienna (Aug 2017)

Austria, is a federal republic and a landlocked country of over 8.7 million people in Central Europe, the territory of Austria covers 83,879 km². The terrain is highly mountainous, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 m, and its highest point is 3,798 m. The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country’s official language. Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria with a population of about 1.8 million, and its cultural, economic, and political Centre. Vienna is host to many major international organizations, including the United Nations and OPEC

Flag of Austria

Vienna was a place that I had always wanted to visit. I was a bit disappointed in the city, although it was nice it seemed to lack community spirt, or as my friend put it ( it lacked soul). There are some nice buildings but nothing that really stood out, maybe it seemed bland after being in Venice and Florence, these two cities are hard to compete with. We had been to Austria years ago and visited Innsbruck which was very beautiful so I had high expectations of Vienna. We did enjoy a very nice evening listening to Mozart in the Golden Hall with the performers dressed in period costumes. We wanted to try the local food so we went to a restaurant that had the best veal schnitzel and beef goulash ever. It was called Plachuttas Gasthaus zur Oper web address www.plachuttas.at or oper@plachuttas.at . If in town it is worth a visit.

Charles Church

Danube River

St Stephen Cathedral

Golden Hall (Mozart Concert)

Pre show drinks

The oldest zoo in world Tiergarten Schönbrunn is in Vienna and although i do not like animals being kept in cages, i thought we should see the zoo where it all began. They did have some of my favourite Australian animals 🐨 koalas and Kangaroos they also had two cute pandas’. The Schonbrunn Palace and gardens that surround the zoo are beautiful, you could spend a few hours in the Gardens, the roses were in bloom they looked and smelled divine.

Palm house outside the zoo

Schonbrunn Palace gardens

We preferred the country side of Vienna and some of the small towns. We had a great day hiking from Vienna’s heritage town of Nussdorf to Stefaniewarte, from here we had great view over the city and the Danube river, we went through a number of wineries and of course we had to have a tasting after our 12km hike.

Views of the City and Danube

Vineyards and wine tasting close to the town of Nussdorf

Italy – Florence, Cinque Terra, Venice ( Aug 2017)

This is our second time in Italy on this trip in sept 2016 we visited, Lecce, Sicily, Amalfi Coast and then up to Rome. This time we stopped in Florence and Cinque Terra which is in the northern part of Italy.

Florence is a city that is best toured by walking, it is an overwhelming beauty city. It’s impossible not to be completely and utterly amazed by the sheer size and grandeur of Brunelleschi’s red cathedral dome on Piazza del Duomo, with medieval candle-lit chapels, fresco-decorated churches, marble basilicas and world-class art museums with paintings and sculptures Botticcelli, Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi.

Florence

There are 72 museum in Florence, we were very impressed with the Grand museum of the Duomo, we visited the Cathedral, the Bell Tower with 414 steps (the weather was very hot that day 42 degrees) the Baptistery, the Museum itself and the Santa Repartee. It is all very interesting and well worth a visit.
We spent all day in the Uffizi Galleria and the Vecchio Place, we saw some amazing works of art like, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci, Venus of Urbino by Titan, Madonna of Goldfinch by Raphael and plenty more. The main reason we went to the Galleria Dell Accademia was to see the Sculpture of David by Michelangelo it was created between 1501 and 1504 it is 5.17 meters marble statue.

Duomo

Martin climbing inside the dome

Adoration-of-the-Magi-by-Leonardo-da-Vinci

Botticelli Birth of Venus

Allegory-of-Spring-by-Botticelli

Michelangelo-Tondo-Doni

Mary Magdalen

David by Michelangelo

My favourite picture of The Adoration of the Child and Mary it shows a moonlit scene with Mary laying the Child in swaddling clothes. Joseph is looking over her shoulder and two angels are leaning over the crib.

My favourite Statue

We had a wonderful time in Florence but if we were to go again I would go in spring or autumn the summer is too hot and too many tourists. I have never seen so many tourist, also a note for parents please do not bring your toddlers to Florence they really have no interest in spending hours going through museums and art galleries. Wait until they are a bit older then they might appreciate it.

After a week in Florence we had 5 nights in Cinque Terra. We were both blown away by its beauty. It is 5 very picturesque villages along the Italian coastline. A train ticket will allow you to hop on or off at each one of the villages, the villages all have their own uniqueness and beauty. The water in each village is crystal clear. You can hike from one to the other, although at the moment some of the hikes are closed because of landslides. We hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza the hike was fine but it was 40 degrees that day and so it was very hot we had to get to the nearest bar when we arrived to get some refreshing drinks.
It was busy with tourists so spring would be a better time to visit. The photo’s do not do the villages justice.

Cinque Terra

There was another village we visited called Levanto it could be the 6th village of the Cinque Terre, it can be found after Monterosso, on the other side of Punta Mesco. It is a very pleasant town with a long beach. If you hike up the hill, you will find Monterosso on the other side. Levanto is a perfect base for discovering the Cinque Terre which is only 5 minutes away by train but you can also reach it by boat.
If we had know about Levanto we would have based ourselves here instead we based ourselves La Spezia, another nice area especial down at the marina, but in my opinion not as nice as Levanto.

Levanto

We wished we had more time in Cinque Terra and will be back again one day. This is definitely one of our favourite stops on this trip.

Venice

Venice is a city in north-eastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges, of which there are 400. Venice was better than I had remembered, it really is an amazing place We stayed in the Castillo area, the Airbnb was great, it was owned by an artist who had some beautiful art pieces in the apartment.

View of Venice from the Bell tower

Our Airbnb

The glass artwork in our Airbnb

The artwork in our Airbnb

Beer being delivered by boat (relieved husband)

There are no cars in the area everything moves around very efficiently on water. The young people in Venice buy small boats instead of cars, they seem to really enjoy cruising around. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its settings, their architecture, and artwork. St Marks Square, the Basilica, the Bell tower the famous Rialto Bridge are wonderful to see. We did not do a Gondola ride this time, it was 100 euro for an hour, we got a ferry ticket for 20 euro for 24 hours and that was great.

Well there are still some cars being used ?

Bell tower in St Marks square

St Marks Basilica

Roof line from the Bell Tower

Top of St Marks Basilica

Artwork called support

We did visit some of the closer islands, Murano island that has the most beautiful Murano glass shops and the factories are very interesting, it was the most beautiful glass work we have ever seen. We decided to buy a gift for ourselves, something to remind us of our trip around the world. We decided on a very elegant sail boat, as it is large and we did not want to carry it around with us the shop will post it to Australia when we get home. Lido Island is another lovely island which does have cars on it, it had a great beach on it, not something I was expecting. The Graveyard island is exactly that an island for graves there are several different types of graves and tombs, it is a very peaceful place and it was lovely having the sea breeze flowing thorough the island.

Murano Island

Glass factory on Murano

The glass art piece we bought on Murano

Lido Island beach

One of the beautiful headstone on Graveyard island

Our favourite restaurants in Venice was Taverna Scalinetto, Calle Del Dose Castello, I had the best sea food risotto ever, the whole meal was amazing, the restaurant is also very nicely decorated and the service was great.

For the second time on this trip we really enjoyed Italy.

Portugal (July 2017)

Portugal lies along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in south Western Europe. It shares a border with Spain in the east and north, while the Atlantic dominates the coastline in the west and south. Despite its relatively small size, the country boasts a great diversity of geographical features, from golden plains to mountainous zones. Lisbon is the Capital of Portugal. Official language is Portuguese, population is 10,400,000.

Portugal Flag

Our first stop in Portugal was Lisbon. Lisbon charm has much to do with its easy going people, glorious custard tarts great affordable food and wine, wonderful beaches and amazing castles. We stayed very close to the centre of town, it is a great mix of old and new buildings and has lots of character. The number 28 Lisbon tram is a great cheap and interesting way to see Lisbon as it connects Martim Moniz with Campo Ourique, and passes through the popular tourist districts of Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela. It screeches and rattles through the narrow streets, with tourist loving every min of the ride. Well worth a trip.

Tram 28

Lisbon

On our first night in Lisbon we met up with Carol and Chris, friends from Ireland, we had a great night catching up, eating and drinking the Gypsy kings were playing in the town square that night which was a real bonus.

Lisbon has a real mix of old and new. The views from Castle De St Jorge over the city are amazing the Castle itself is worth a visit.

If you like Castles, Palaces and history, you could easily spend two days in Sintra, there you can see. Palacio Nacional de Sintra is a present-day historic house museum, Palacio de Seteals is a neoclassical palace. It is now a luxury hotel and restaurant. Palacio de Monserrate is an exotic palatial , Quinta da Regaleria is an estate, Palacio da Pena is a Romanticist castle, and Castelo dos Mouros is a hilltop medieval castle . They are all beautiful and worth a visit. From Lisbon it is a 30min train journey to Sintra.

Palacio de Monserrate

Palacio da Pena

Quinta da Regaleria

Castelo dos Mouros

We went to see the place that St Anthony was born a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. St. Anthony
is one of the most popular saints in the Church. He is the patron of lost things and numerous other causes. It is a very peaceful place.

The beaches are very nice and only a short train trip from Lisbon we had a lovely relaxing day on Carcavelos.

Our favorite restaurant was San Telmo it has great food, service was excellent and very reasonable priced. Rua do Poco dos Negros 188, Lisbon 1200-342, Portugal

From Lisbon we took a train down to Olhao. Olhao is a major port and actually the largest fishing port in the Algarve. It is full of character with Moorish-style houses, an influence from the commercial links with Africa. From the dock area the road runs along the water front and there is a long, very pleasant, paved promenade with cool gardens (Jardim Pescador do Olhanense) to escape the heat of the sun. There are two market buildings side by side along the water front, which are a ‘must visit’ for the huge variety of extremely fresh fish and sea food straight from the port and the vast array of locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables. It was the best tasting fish we ever had. The town has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and the people very friendly.

There is no beach in Olhao you must get a ferry to the nearest beach which takes about 30 min, it is a very pleasant trip and only cost 4 euro return. The nearest beach is on Armona island the island has a very sweet village with some very nice cottages and holiday homes on it. It also has a few restaurants and bars. The beach is very beautiful but be careful as the current can be strong.

From Olhao we took a day trip to Faro the Capital of the Algarve. It has an attractive marina, well-maintained parks and plazas, and a historic old town full of pedestrian lanes and outdoor cafes. Marvellously preserved medieval quarters harbour curious museums, churches and a bone chapel. It has a large student population. We had a very nice day here.

The gate of the old city of Faro

We loved our time in Portugal and hope to come back one day.

Spain – Malaga, Almerimar ( July 2017)

Spain

This is our third time in Spain on this trip, in Oct 2016 we were in Madrid and in May 2017 we were in Barcelona. This time we will visit Malaga and Almerimar.

Malaga
Malaga historic centre is a delight with its Gothic cathedral surrounded by narrow pedestrian streets filled with traditional and modern bars, shops that range from urban-chic to contemporary. The skyline reflects the city’s character; lots of church spires with russet-red tiled roofs and lofty apartments the 11th-century Gibralfaro castle sits grandly aloft and provides the best views.

Gibralfaro castle

Malaga

The former rundown port has been rebuilt and is lovely to stroll along. They have a lot of cruise ships pull in here.

The city beach in Malaga (La Malagueta) is okay but I have seen much nicer, the colour of the sand is grey which does not seem as appealing as others. There is a strong current so be careful if you go for a swim.

La Malagueta beach

We took a day trip to Gibraltar from Malaga.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory it has an area of 6.7 km² and shares its northern border with Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is a densely populated city area, home to over 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.

The Rock of Gibraltar

It is like a mini England with lots of English pubs that serve a large English breakfast that my husband was very happy with. The police dress the same as they do in England and the Phone boxes and mail boxes are red.

A very happy husband with his big English Breakfast.

We got a cable car to the top of the rock, the views are great from the top. The Barbary apes that roam freely at the top of the rock are nasty little buggers, they tried to rob my husband back pack and when they could not get that they tried to take his wallet from his pocket. They got quite angry when they got nothing from us. So be careful if you visit and keep an eye on your children. It was a lovely walk back down the rock to the village.

View from the top of the rock.

Barbary apes

This one looks like my husband when he is grumpy and has not shaved for 2 days. Ha Ha

The lack of flat space on Gibraltar means the peninsula’s only runway is bisected by its busiest road, the Winston Churchill Avenue that heads towards the land border with Spain. A pair of flimsy-looking barriers closes vehicular traffic every time a plane lands or departs. Fortunately, it’s not a busy airport. It handles only about 30 flights a week, all flying to and from the United Kingdom.

Overall a lovely time in Malaga

Almerimar

We needed a holiday from the holiday so we spent a week with great friends in Almerimar southern Spain. Almerimar is located 40km west of Almeria city and 160km east of Malaga. It has a beautiful marina with 1,100 berths. You can take boat trips go diving, sailing, windsurf, jet skiing and fishing. It has over 13km of wide sandy beaches with everything you need within walking distance. It is an ideal destination for relaxed, spending time on the beach, eating, drinking, playing golf and catching up with friends.

We did visit Castillo (castle) Guardias Viejas, built in 1769 it houses a permanent exhibition of clothes uniforms and weapons some really nice muskets of the Napoleonic era. It has English explanations of all the exhibition and amazing costal views from the top section. It was restored in 1980. The town also use it as a venue for musical events, it would also be a great place for a wedding venue.

We had a wonderful week here and hope to visit again with our friends. We felt refreshed and ready to hit the road again. Next stop Florence.

Netherlands – Haarlem – Amsterdam, Belguim – Kent – Brugge – Brussels, Luxembourg (June 2017)

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a densely populated country in Western Europe. Population: 17 million The official capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam, as specified in the Constitution. The Hague is where the government is seated, including Parliament, the monarchy, the high courts and foreign embassies. The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.

Flag of the Netherlands

On this trip we stayed in Haarlem the old city. Haarlem had a population of 155,758 . It is a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam, and many residents commute to the country’s capital for work. It is a beautiful area, with its many historic buildings and beautiful old squares. It is wonderful to stroll through the narrow streets. The number one form of transport is cycling, (and not one piece of lycra to be seen) from new babies being carried in special made bike chairs, to ninety year olds still cycling with no problem at all. I noticed a lack of large people around, I am sure it is because of the cycling, as they are all well able to eat and drink. It was great to see the canals being used so much. They look so beauty on a sunny day. The Airbnb we stayed in was great, it was on one of the small narrow streets, and had a lovely local pub just on the corner. Our favourite restaurant in Haarlem was La Foule it is a French restaurant, the food is great.

Haarlem, the iconic Windmill

The carrier on the bike below is were two or three children sit.

Our Airbnb and street we stayed on.

The old gate house of the city

Views from our accomadation

We had a few trips into Amsterdam city, although we had been here before it was nice to visit again. We had seen Ann Franks house on a trip we did 27 years ago, it seems to have become more touristic and now there is a museum attached as well. We did visit the Van Gogh museum it was interesting to see how many different styles of painting he tried as his life of an artist.

Van Gogh Museum

Ann Franks House

I love old homes so we went to visit, the Museum Van Loon it is canal house where the museum resides was built in 1672. From 1884 to 1945 the Van Loons lived in the house. The original façade of the house with the statues on top, is still in place the interior was changed after 1757 to the Louis XV style which can still be seen today. The house is beautiful, the garden room was my favourite, as the gardens are lovely to look out on and it is a nice bright room. I often find these old homes can be quite dark. It is definitely worth a visit.

We spent another whole day in the Rijks Museum The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. The artwork ranges from 1600 to 1950. It is an amazing place, we enjoyed seeing paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh and plenty of others.

Rijks Museum

Zandvoort Beach

As I wanted to have a swim in the north sea we spent an afternoon at Zandvoort beach. It is about 15min on the train from Amsterdam, although the weather was not very good there was a lot of activity on the beach, kitesurfing, sailing, swimming, soccer and people relaxing. The sea was a lot wilder than I expected, but I enjoyed the swim none the less. It is hard to beat the beaches in Australia, but I was impressed with all the different activities going on. Really have to try that Kitesurfing !!!!

We need these wind breakers on the beaches in Ireland

We had a wonderful time in the Netherlands.

Belgium

officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and the North Sea. It is a small, densely populated country which covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres and has a population of about 11 million people.

elgium Flag

We got a bus from Amsterdam to Ghent in Belgium, we decided to stay in Ghent as it is between Brussels and Brugge, two cities we wanted to visit.

Ghent itself is very nice, we stayed in the old town, it has the most churches in one area I have ever seen. St Bavo’s Cathedral, St Nicholas Church, St Michaels Church, St James Church, and our lady of St Peters Church. All very beautiful. The city is full of history. The bars and coffee shops are great, but one word of advice (do not eat Thai food in Ghent), well not if you are from Australia. Australia has great Thai restaurants, on trip advisor the Thai restaurant we went to was supposed to be the best Thai restaurants in Ghent. But it was terrible.

Pictures of the old town of Ghent

We had a wonderful day in Brugge, Brugge it is just beautiful, we agreed that so far on our trip this was the most picturesque city we have been in. We climbed the Belfort Tower that is in the movie Brugge, the tower is over 83 meters tall, it has 366 steps to the top and has a very impressive clockwork mechanism and a Carillion of 47 bells. At the top is a breathtaking view of Brugge and the surrounding countryside. You can really see here how flat the land is. Hence everyone cycles.

Belfort Tower

Some of the 47 Bells

View from the top of the Tower

We visited the Basilica of the precious blood, this is a church that has a sacred relic that contains the blood of Christ, I did not realise that blood from Christ still existed. Very interesting.

The other interesting place we went to was Sint – Janshospitaal which is one of the oldest preserved hospital buildings in Europe. In the museum, you can learn about hospital life in the past and how the wards would have looked back then. You can also visit the old chemist that was run by the nuns. It has been very well preserved. There are a lot more things to do and see in this wonderful city.

Old Chemist and hospital

We had drinks that evening at Minnewater (lake of love) The lake and surrounding park offer an excellent retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city`s sights and streets. The many resident swans form the finishing touch to this romantic and beautiful city.

Minnewater

We did another day in the city of Brussels. We first stopped in the Grand Place it was historically a market place where traders and citizens traded goods, today it is one of the most beautiful squares in Eurpore with architecture from eras of Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV. It was listed as a World Heritage site in 1998 by UNESCO.

Next, we moved onto the Royal Place of Brussels, it is a very impressive building with beautiful gardens. It is the King administration residence and his main workplace.

We went to see the famous Manneken Pis and were horrified to see that someone had clothed the little boy, who does that to a famous statue?

We continued to the Antique and Flea markets in Sablon, the Antiques were amazing. Another wonderful day was had by us both.

We took a train from Ghent to Luxemburg, it was a very smooth trip. We could not get an Airbnb in the centre of Luxemburg as there is a real housing problem in the centre of Luxemburg. So we stayed in Mersch, which is a 10min train trip to the Centre.

Flag of Luxemburg

We were very impressed with Luxemburg especially the old city. It has lots of History and is surrounded by an ancient wall. We did a walking tour of the City which was very informative (Walking Tour City Promenade the guide was great). They have done a very good job of blending the old and new architecture together. We stayed in the city that evening and had dinner at the Bei de Bouwen, the walking guide had told us that the food here was very good and the Local Kniddelen was very good here (this is one of the local dishes of Luxemberg) it is similar to Gnocchi but a bit doughier and heavier, but delicious after a few drinks. The locals told us that it is great soakage before a big night on the grog, Very important information.

View of the walled city of Luxemburg

Public Lift to bring you down into the old city

Restaurant Bei de Bouwen

One of the old city gates

Another thing we noticed was a number of painted pianos throughout the city area. We found out that, touring internationally since 2008, Play Me, I’m Yours is an artwork by British artist Luke Jerram. Reaching over 10 million people worldwide, more than 1,700 street pianos have already been installed in over 55 cities across the globe, from London to New York, bearing the simple instruction Play Me, I’m Yours. Located on streets, in public parks, markets and train stations the pianos are available for everyone to play and enjoy. Play Me, I’m Yours invites the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment. Decorated by local artists and community groups, the street pianos create a place of exchange and an opportunity for people to connect. We were most impressed that one of the pianos had been painted with Aboriginal drawing, who would have thought that in the old city of Luxemburg that a piano sits, painted to reflect the Australian aboriginal art. Amazing what one can find in the world.

The piano painted in Aboriginal art style

We hired a car so we could visit some of the surrounding area, we went to Beaufort Castle it is dated from the 11th century consists of the ruins of the medieval fortress and an adjacent Renaissance château. It is located in Beaufort in eastern Luxembourg.

Beaufort Castle

Chateau de Vianden was constructed from the 11th to the 14th Century it sits perced on the top of a hill with the small town of Vianden below. It is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences of the Romanesque and gothic periods in Europe. Both Castle are worth a visit. They are about a 45min drive from the city centre.

Chateau de Vianden

What a fire place

Martin can sniff out alcohol no matter where he is.

Town of Vianden

As Luxemburg is land locked I was interested to know what they do for relief from the hot summer months, I was told that in summer there are beautiful lakes that everyone goes to, they have all types of water sports on these lakes. We decided to drive out to one of these lakes, (Insenborn) the water was very clear and the park (with plenty of amenities) and town that surrounded the area was beautiful. It looked like a great lake to cool down in the summer months.

We had a wonderful time in Luxemburg and would definitely recommend a visit if you are nearby