In the morning Chris took us to St Elloro train station where we boarded a train for Florence. We went to Platform 10 at Florence station and were pretty happy that we were quite early ... but ... the train went from Platform 9 and we did not hear the change being announced ... so unknowingly we watched our train head out from the Platform beside us! Suddenly we were the only ones left at the platform and there were no more trains! The next train to Verona was in 2 hours time, so we settled back for a bit of a wait. Finally 2 hours later we were on our way and heading to Verona.
When we were on a ferry from the Greek Island of Samos to Kusadasi in Turkey we met a very nice Italian couple, Valero and Ernesta who gave us some good tips on places to visit when we head into Italy, especially Siena and Verona. They said if we do manage to visit Verona to give them a call and they will take us on a tour of their city.
Valero & Ernesta were there at the station to meet us, so we headed out to see the sights of the beautiful City of Verona. It was great to have our own private guide, Valero gave us a great commentary as we walked around the city streets to see the sights. Among the places we visited was the balcony where Shakespere's Juliet was wooed by Romeo - what a popular site that was - scores of people were in the courtyard. Valero then took us to Romeo's house but there were only about 4 visitors there - somehow it just doesn't draw the crowds, like Juliet's house does. We went to the 1st Century Roman Amphitheatre which is known as the Arena, where open air Operas and Rock Concerts are held - this arena can hold 20,000 people. The medieval Town Hall is the former residence of the Della Scala family - they even had their own Church and graveyard. There are so many sights in Verona that it really needs a few days to do it justice - so we'll put a visit to Verona on our To Do List when we next visit Italy.
We made arrangements to meet later for dinner. Valero & Ernesta took us to their local Pizzeria which was just great. This little restaurant has been in the same family for 4 generations and it is run by the family themselves. We ordered pizzas - but it's not so many slices - it's one full pizza each! They were fantastic - really delicious. After our dinner the owner of the restaurant shouted us all coffees and some special liquers - one in particular was from the island of Sardinia, his family home. After dinner, we headed up to the top of the hill and had great views of the city by night.
The following morning it was pouring rain - not the best sightseeing weather so we set off for the station and booked our tickets to Venice for a brief visit. Venice is famous for masquerades - so here it is possible to buy all types, sizes and colours of masks. Our plan was to take the route of the old Orient Express train from Venice to Istanbul. We travelled via Trieze and Koper to Ljubljana the Capital of Slovenia. Slovenia is a beautiful country and reminded us of Bavaria in Germany and Tirol in Austria as we travelled through the mountains.
In Ljubljana we checked into the Cecilia Hostel which is actually an old prison which has been renovated and converted into a Hostel. We managed to get the last "cell" in the place which is famously known as "The Eye". Our room #116 was blue in colour and had a circular bed with 2 ladders attached to the sides. The cell comes complete with the original steel grill windows and door! A bit weird but quite interesting! There was a 5 Euro all you can eat barbeque on the night we arrived, so Pat was pretty happy with that. We met Matt from Sydney, currently based in London, and enjoyed his company for a few after dinner drinks.
The following day was dull and wet as we headed to Belgrade in Serbia. We had a lovely young lady in our carriage - Claudia is from Venezuela but her family now live in Chile. She is studying Environmental Economics and is attending University in Belfast. She was surprised to know I was born in Belfast, so we then had some great chats about Ireland.
A Serbian lady and her Croatian husband came into our carriage later in the day - they were about 5 years older than us. We had no common language but we managed to find out quite a bit about each other and each other's family. They produced a bag of plums and apples from their farm which they insisted we keep. The man stood up and took a bottle of alcohol from his bag - he makes it himself from apples - he took Pat's water bottle from his backpack and proceeded to fill the bottle with the alcohol! There was no chance to decline their hospitality - they just would not take "no" for an answer. We had hand shakes, kisses and cuddles when they left the train.
We took an apartment in the centre of Belgrade and walked into the City Centre in the evening. What a place - hundreds of people out enjoying the nightlife . The City Centre is very attractive - it has obviously come a long way since the days of communism. We bought our train tickets for the following day - a long haul ahead - 24 hours by train from Belgrade to Istanbul in Turkey.
Of course things have to go wrong sometimes.....firstly we were told we were in the wrong carriage as the section of the train we were in would be separated from the rest of the train in a few hours time and would then be heading to Thessaloniki in Greece. We walked back a couple of carriages and chose the best of the worst carriages with the least amount of graffiti on the windows so we could at least see out! Next we were told the carriage we had chosen was 1st class (uuuugggghhhh) and that we should go back to 2nd class - but the conductor must have felt sorry for us and told us we could stay put. The next conductor told us, because of flood damage in Turkey there was no train from Sophia, Bulgaria to Istanbul & that we would have to go by bus (even though we had paid the full train fare).
The next drama was the train broke down just after we had left Serbia and entered Bulgaria so after 1.5 hours wait, a second engine turned up and we were pushed back into Serbia. Of course, this meant customs and immigration all over again! Eventually all was clear and we headed for Sophia. Finally we boarded a bus in Sophia for Istanbul - the bus was brilliant - comfortable and clean - the best part was that we managed to sleep for most of the trip. This was probably the most disruptive day we have had in 4.5 months! However, there is always a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and we are now in Istanbul. Brilliant! What a magnificent place.
A very friendly young Turk showed us how to get out of the biggest bus station I have ever seen in my life and into the Metro, where we headed for the Sultanamet district. Our tram stopped near the magnificent Blue Mosque from where we checked out some Hotels and found a great little place for the next couple of days. It was great to check into our accommodation, wash our clothes and get into a shower to wash off all the grit!
The Blue Mosque is the World's largest mosque and truly a sight to behold. It was built by Sultan Ahmet 1 between 1603 and 1617 - it was built to surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty. We removed our shoes and walked inside the mosque - or should I say - sunk into the thick carpet which covers the floor. It is certainly an amazing Istanbul landmark. After leaving the mosque we headed for the magnificent Grand Bazaar to do a bit of retail therapy - this Bazaar has 4,500 shops in all - something to suit everyone.
In the evening we went out for dinner to a restaurant with a group playing traditional music and a display by a Dervish Dancer. When we returned to our Hotel we headed for the rooftop terrace where we had the most magnificent views of Istanbul by night and the Blue Mosque which is beautifully lit up.
This morning we decided to take an open-top doubledecker bus city tour to have a good look around the city of Istanbul. In the afternoon we visited Topkapi Palace and its 400 room Harem - we also visited the Basilica Cistern which is an underground water reservoir for the Palace and surrounds originally built in the 7th century. We called PJ this afternoon and he advised that Pat should not leave Istanbul without experiencing a Turkish Bath and Massage. He took PJ's advice and visited the Old Istanbul Turkish Bath, which he would now thoroughly recommend.
This morning we must pack our bags and begin to head home. We fly out of Istanbul at 1:35pm and will visit Dubai for one night then Singapore for 2 nights before heading into Brisbane on 23rd September.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Hello from Villa Pitiana, Tuscany, Italy
The following morning after breakfast, we headed up the street to catch a taxi to the bus station. Our next destination was Ohrid on the banks of Lake Ohrid. This must be Macedonia's holiday playground. The lake borders both countries of Macedonia and Albania. We found a Hotel along the waterfront and did a bit of bargaining - we managed to then get a suite on the 3rd floor overlooking the lake - just gorgeous! The city has a lovely centre and of course the usual many shops and shopping opportunities. We've been hanging out for some good vegies so we ordered vegetable soup and vegetables for dinner which was pretty good. Our balcony gave us some lovely views out across the lake both during the day and at night.
In the morning we booked a boat cruise up the lake to the Monastery of St Narm, which is right on the border with Albania. The lake surface was like glass as we cruised along enjoying the beautiful scenery. We visited the old Monastery and walked along a crystal clear stream which ran straight into the lake. Apparently there are 31 springs which feed the steam and the lake. The lakeside beaches are beautiful - of course Pat found a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the sun for a couple of hours.
We had to organise our transport into Albania the following morning. We took a taxi to the town of Struga on the border and from there a bus to Durres on the Adriatic Coast. Albania is full of small domed concrete and steel bunkers, with rectangular slits to see out of - they are located along the highways, on hilltops, front gardens and just about anywhere - the countryside is dotted with them. They were built between 1950 and 1985 and weigh about 5 tons. When we left the bus in Durres we had to walk about 2 klms before we arrived at the coastal area where we found plenty of accommodation and checked into a hotel with great views out across the Adriatic Sea.
In the morning we took a taxi to the bus station and checked onto the bus to Skodra - from there we took a mini bus to the border of Montenegro - the world's newest country. Our bus took us onto Bar on the Adriatic coast, from there we headed 2 hours further north to Kotor. The country is very mountainous with magnificent coastal scenery and the city of Kotor is located on Europe's southernmost fiord. We walked down into the Old City bypassing the touts trying to sell rooms at "their" place.
We priced some Hotels in the area - the first one we checked out was priced at 155 euros and the second one was 120 euros, which were far too expensive. As we were discussing where to stay, a lovely elderly gentleman approached us to see if we would like to stay at his home as he had a couple of rooms he rents out. We went to have a look - his home was centuries old and was once the home of a President - we thought that should be okay for us - and the price was only 25 euros! It sure pays to shop around. To top it off, we had a great night's sleep in a very comfortable room.
The city of Kotor is an ancient maritime and cultural centre. Right behind the city are high mountains which protect the city and the coastline area from the severe northern climate. The walls of the city zig zag their way up to the top of the mountain, across the top and down the other side - quite a sight to behold. The old city is full of narrow streets and squares and has many valuable monuments of medieval architecture thus allowing it to be included in the UNESCO list of World Natural and Cultural Heritage.
The following morning we took the bus to Dubrovnic, Croatia. The scenery out of Kotor through the fiord was spectacular as we headed northward to Dubrovnic. This city is considered Croatia's Jewel in the Crown. This old city is even more spectacular than Kotor but each is different and both great to see. We were checking out the Tourist Office in Dubrovnic when Nicolai approached us to see if we would like to take an apartment at his place - we had a few laughs with him and decided to go with him and check it out. Well we took the apartment for 2 days and had a great time there with both Nicolai and his wife Marija who are both 75 years of age. Nothing was too much trouble and Nicolai offered to take us to the Old City later in the afternoon. Seeing we had out own cooking facilities we decided to go to the markets, buy some fresh produce and cook our own dinner, for a change. Well we had a ball buying our fresh vegetables and chicken for dinner that night - we actually bought enough for 2 night's meals which was a great change.
Nicolai makes his own red and white wines and brandy - of course he insisted we sample them all. Another young couple from Manchester, Paul and Hetal, were also staying there, so we all enjoyed a few drinks out on the terrace overlooking the beautiful bay.
Marija and Nicolai came out to say goodnight and I had a kiss and cuddle from both. They are lovely people and being at their place is like being at home. Nicolai was telling us their family home was bombed in the 1991 war and he rebuilt here a couple of hundred metres down the road. He showed us his family's land which has been in his family for over 700 years - now that's a bit of family history! Sadly they told us about 2 little boys who had been killed in the bombing of Dubrovnic - their young nephews.
Marija booked a hairdresser's appointment for me the following morning and all went well - which was great when I think back to my hair colouring episode in western China when my hair turned out a golden yellow colour! Our second day in Dubrovnic was a miserable day - it stormed and poured rain - quite a change for us as we hadn't seen rain since Canada. We walked down to the bus station and booked our tickets for the following day, but the rest of the day was very relaxing. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with Paul and Hetel after dinner. The following day they were heading back to work in Manchester and we were heading onto Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina.
We took the bus to Bosnia and Hercegovina and checked into our accommodation. In Mostar we booked a driver to take us to Medugorje about 40 klms away where 6 children in the 1980's began having apparitions and hearing messages from Our Lady, Mary. We walked to the foot of the hill where the apparations began but I knew I wouldn't be able to climb to the top and back down in time to meet our driver - so Pat headed up the hill and I went back to the Church where I met up with our driver. He and I waited a little while and then drove towards the hill, where we met Pat along the way. I would have liked to climb to the top, so I'll put that one down for a future trip. Pat said the climb was rugged and the rock path is sharp and quite treacherous. Many people come here on a pilgrimage and this climb has been done by about 20 million visitors to Medugorje over the past 25 years.
Mostar is home of the Stari Most a UNESCO World Heritage bridge. Mostar was badly bombed during the war in the 90's and the bridge was destroyed - it has since been rebuilt and is open to visitors. At the top of the bridge is a Divers' Club, from where men and boys will dive into the river below - of course, for a fee. We walked many kilometres this day and on our way home called into a little restaurant and had the greatest pizza - the first one we've had on this trip.
In Bosnia and Hercegovina evidence is everywhere of the war in the 90's - bullet riddled and bombed buildings stand alongside new and restored buildings. There are restrictions on where to go and where to walk because of unexploded ordanances and mines - especially off the beaten track. It is suggested to tiptoe lightly in the countryside - we were happy to follow the well beaten routes.
We have been in several countries over the past couple of weeks, including Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina - many of these countries are small in area and so close together that it only take a matter of hours to travel through.
Our bus driver from Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina to Split in Croatia was one of the best drivers we have encountered on this trip - he was very pleasant, didn't smoke under the "no smoking" sign and was a great driver. The high mountains and scenery on this narrow strip of Croatia's Adriatic coast is nothing short of spectacular - it would have to be among the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. The coastline has little villages all along the way with homes and apartments built along the seashore and high up the hills. Of course, every little hamlet has beautiful bays and beaches and accommodation is plentiful - the colour scheme for buildings here is white, beige and terracotta. What a day - what a spectacular drive!
Split is a main shipping port for Croatia with ferries heading out into the Adriatic at all hours of the day. We booked a cabin on the evening ferry to Ancona, Italy - checked our bags in and headed off into yet another Old City. Yes another beautiful city and another beautiful place. After exploring the narrow walkways and squares we bought ice creams and sat on the seafront boulevard to enjoy the scenery and soak up the atmosphere in this wonderful place. Croatia - yes I would certainly recommend it - it is a wonderful place to visit.
At 6:30pm we checked into our spacious cabin on the Blue Line Ferry just below the Captain and the bridge and sat down to enjoy some local ham, cheese and fresh bread, washed down with a nice cold Croatian beer! We had a good crossing overnight and arrived in Ancona, Italy the following morning at 7:30am.
We walked up out of the Port and boarded a bus heading to the train station. In 10 minutes the next train arrived for Rimini our check in point for the Republic of San Marino. There are no trains in San Marino access is by car or bus. We took the bus from Rimini and headed to San Marina. The Republic of San Marino is an enclave within Italy. Ahead of the bus we could see a mountain and on the very top a castle - yes that was our destination. The bus climbed up the mountain - and up - and up!
The territory of San Marino is 61 sq klm and is mostly hill country with Mt Titano in the centre. The Republic is independent, democratic and neutral - although it continues to remain faithful to its ancient traditions, it is becoming more progressive. We watched the Changing of the Guards at the Palace and watched a great demonstration with flag bearers in traditional costume in front of the Palace. We stayed inside the fortress in a Hotel but noticed that once the last tourist bus leaves at 7pm the the shops and restaurants close and the town becomes quiet. Our Hotel room was right next door to the bell tower of a Church so we heard the bell tolling every hour and at every 15 minute interval - fortunately we were very tired and did not hear the bells toll until 6:00am.
The morning bus took us back to Rimini, from where we took trains to Bologna, Florence and then onto Siena in Central Italy. Siena is considered a Gothic gem and is said to be one of Italy's most enchanting towns. In the centre of the walled centre, the medieval Piazza del Campo is a sloping square where people come to sit, watch, eat, drink, kick back and just plain enjoy the sunshine. We walked many kilometres within the city and checked out the churches, buildings and piazzas. In the evening we went to a supermarket and bought up local produce for a great dinner back at our Hotel.
Siena is famous for the annual event called the Palio held in July and August, whereby a bareback horse race is held round Il Campo. The city is divided into 17 districts of which 10 are chosen annually to compete for the silk banner. The only rule in the three lap race is that jockeys cannot tug the reins of other horses. We were awoken in the early hours of the morning by the banging of drums and singing as they passed by our window - the celebrations go on into September, but we were told this is the now the finale.
We were a bit unsure of the logistics of our next day's travel to Victor & Heather's Wedding in Tuscany. We had an address and directions but many Italians shook their heads and were as unsure of the location as we were. All eventually worked out and we made out way by local bus from Florence to a little village in Tuscany, called Tosi. Tosi has no public transport so we headed off on foot down through the Tuscan hills to Villa Pitiana about 3 klms past Tosi. When we had walked about 2 klms a lovely man stopped, bundled us and our bags into his car and took us right to the door of Villa Pitiani.
Victor & Heather's Wedding Celebration was the commencement of three fabulous days at Villa Pitiana in Tuscany. We met Heather in Scotland 2 years ago and told Victor we certainly give her the thumbs up! It was a wonderful get together with family and friends travelling from all parts of the World - to mention a selection - Australia, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, Russia, France, Spain, England, South America, USA, Switzerland and Libya.
A Wedding in Tuscany is considered to be one of the most romantic destinations in the World and I would have to agree. The Wedding Ceremony was held in the Cloisters within the Villa - the bride was radiant and her matron of honour was brilliant; the groom and attendants were resplendant in their tartan Kilts; as was Heather's Dad, Hugh. There was so much attention to detail and everything went off perfectly. The Italian food and wine is something else and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. It was great to catch up with friends from home and to make new friends. It was especially great to catch up with Sandy and Santina from Ayr, who we first met in Mackay several years ago. Pat used to work with their son Chris at Burton Coal - he also used to work with Victor at Burton Coal. It was great to meet Chris's wife, Pauline and hear that they are expecting their first baby in March of 2010.
Tomorrow we will travel through to Verona. We will have one more week of travel from Italy to Istanbul in Turkey, from where we will begin our trip home.
In the morning we booked a boat cruise up the lake to the Monastery of St Narm, which is right on the border with Albania. The lake surface was like glass as we cruised along enjoying the beautiful scenery. We visited the old Monastery and walked along a crystal clear stream which ran straight into the lake. Apparently there are 31 springs which feed the steam and the lake. The lakeside beaches are beautiful - of course Pat found a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the sun for a couple of hours.
We had to organise our transport into Albania the following morning. We took a taxi to the town of Struga on the border and from there a bus to Durres on the Adriatic Coast. Albania is full of small domed concrete and steel bunkers, with rectangular slits to see out of - they are located along the highways, on hilltops, front gardens and just about anywhere - the countryside is dotted with them. They were built between 1950 and 1985 and weigh about 5 tons. When we left the bus in Durres we had to walk about 2 klms before we arrived at the coastal area where we found plenty of accommodation and checked into a hotel with great views out across the Adriatic Sea.
In the morning we took a taxi to the bus station and checked onto the bus to Skodra - from there we took a mini bus to the border of Montenegro - the world's newest country. Our bus took us onto Bar on the Adriatic coast, from there we headed 2 hours further north to Kotor. The country is very mountainous with magnificent coastal scenery and the city of Kotor is located on Europe's southernmost fiord. We walked down into the Old City bypassing the touts trying to sell rooms at "their" place.
We priced some Hotels in the area - the first one we checked out was priced at 155 euros and the second one was 120 euros, which were far too expensive. As we were discussing where to stay, a lovely elderly gentleman approached us to see if we would like to stay at his home as he had a couple of rooms he rents out. We went to have a look - his home was centuries old and was once the home of a President - we thought that should be okay for us - and the price was only 25 euros! It sure pays to shop around. To top it off, we had a great night's sleep in a very comfortable room.
The city of Kotor is an ancient maritime and cultural centre. Right behind the city are high mountains which protect the city and the coastline area from the severe northern climate. The walls of the city zig zag their way up to the top of the mountain, across the top and down the other side - quite a sight to behold. The old city is full of narrow streets and squares and has many valuable monuments of medieval architecture thus allowing it to be included in the UNESCO list of World Natural and Cultural Heritage.
The following morning we took the bus to Dubrovnic, Croatia. The scenery out of Kotor through the fiord was spectacular as we headed northward to Dubrovnic. This city is considered Croatia's Jewel in the Crown. This old city is even more spectacular than Kotor but each is different and both great to see. We were checking out the Tourist Office in Dubrovnic when Nicolai approached us to see if we would like to take an apartment at his place - we had a few laughs with him and decided to go with him and check it out. Well we took the apartment for 2 days and had a great time there with both Nicolai and his wife Marija who are both 75 years of age. Nothing was too much trouble and Nicolai offered to take us to the Old City later in the afternoon. Seeing we had out own cooking facilities we decided to go to the markets, buy some fresh produce and cook our own dinner, for a change. Well we had a ball buying our fresh vegetables and chicken for dinner that night - we actually bought enough for 2 night's meals which was a great change.
Nicolai makes his own red and white wines and brandy - of course he insisted we sample them all. Another young couple from Manchester, Paul and Hetal, were also staying there, so we all enjoyed a few drinks out on the terrace overlooking the beautiful bay.
Marija and Nicolai came out to say goodnight and I had a kiss and cuddle from both. They are lovely people and being at their place is like being at home. Nicolai was telling us their family home was bombed in the 1991 war and he rebuilt here a couple of hundred metres down the road. He showed us his family's land which has been in his family for over 700 years - now that's a bit of family history! Sadly they told us about 2 little boys who had been killed in the bombing of Dubrovnic - their young nephews.
Marija booked a hairdresser's appointment for me the following morning and all went well - which was great when I think back to my hair colouring episode in western China when my hair turned out a golden yellow colour! Our second day in Dubrovnic was a miserable day - it stormed and poured rain - quite a change for us as we hadn't seen rain since Canada. We walked down to the bus station and booked our tickets for the following day, but the rest of the day was very relaxing. We enjoyed a couple of drinks with Paul and Hetel after dinner. The following day they were heading back to work in Manchester and we were heading onto Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina.
We took the bus to Bosnia and Hercegovina and checked into our accommodation. In Mostar we booked a driver to take us to Medugorje about 40 klms away where 6 children in the 1980's began having apparitions and hearing messages from Our Lady, Mary. We walked to the foot of the hill where the apparations began but I knew I wouldn't be able to climb to the top and back down in time to meet our driver - so Pat headed up the hill and I went back to the Church where I met up with our driver. He and I waited a little while and then drove towards the hill, where we met Pat along the way. I would have liked to climb to the top, so I'll put that one down for a future trip. Pat said the climb was rugged and the rock path is sharp and quite treacherous. Many people come here on a pilgrimage and this climb has been done by about 20 million visitors to Medugorje over the past 25 years.
Mostar is home of the Stari Most a UNESCO World Heritage bridge. Mostar was badly bombed during the war in the 90's and the bridge was destroyed - it has since been rebuilt and is open to visitors. At the top of the bridge is a Divers' Club, from where men and boys will dive into the river below - of course, for a fee. We walked many kilometres this day and on our way home called into a little restaurant and had the greatest pizza - the first one we've had on this trip.
In Bosnia and Hercegovina evidence is everywhere of the war in the 90's - bullet riddled and bombed buildings stand alongside new and restored buildings. There are restrictions on where to go and where to walk because of unexploded ordanances and mines - especially off the beaten track. It is suggested to tiptoe lightly in the countryside - we were happy to follow the well beaten routes.
We have been in several countries over the past couple of weeks, including Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina - many of these countries are small in area and so close together that it only take a matter of hours to travel through.
Our bus driver from Mostar in Bosnia and Hercegovina to Split in Croatia was one of the best drivers we have encountered on this trip - he was very pleasant, didn't smoke under the "no smoking" sign and was a great driver. The high mountains and scenery on this narrow strip of Croatia's Adriatic coast is nothing short of spectacular - it would have to be among the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. The coastline has little villages all along the way with homes and apartments built along the seashore and high up the hills. Of course, every little hamlet has beautiful bays and beaches and accommodation is plentiful - the colour scheme for buildings here is white, beige and terracotta. What a day - what a spectacular drive!
Split is a main shipping port for Croatia with ferries heading out into the Adriatic at all hours of the day. We booked a cabin on the evening ferry to Ancona, Italy - checked our bags in and headed off into yet another Old City. Yes another beautiful city and another beautiful place. After exploring the narrow walkways and squares we bought ice creams and sat on the seafront boulevard to enjoy the scenery and soak up the atmosphere in this wonderful place. Croatia - yes I would certainly recommend it - it is a wonderful place to visit.
At 6:30pm we checked into our spacious cabin on the Blue Line Ferry just below the Captain and the bridge and sat down to enjoy some local ham, cheese and fresh bread, washed down with a nice cold Croatian beer! We had a good crossing overnight and arrived in Ancona, Italy the following morning at 7:30am.
We walked up out of the Port and boarded a bus heading to the train station. In 10 minutes the next train arrived for Rimini our check in point for the Republic of San Marino. There are no trains in San Marino access is by car or bus. We took the bus from Rimini and headed to San Marina. The Republic of San Marino is an enclave within Italy. Ahead of the bus we could see a mountain and on the very top a castle - yes that was our destination. The bus climbed up the mountain - and up - and up!
The territory of San Marino is 61 sq klm and is mostly hill country with Mt Titano in the centre. The Republic is independent, democratic and neutral - although it continues to remain faithful to its ancient traditions, it is becoming more progressive. We watched the Changing of the Guards at the Palace and watched a great demonstration with flag bearers in traditional costume in front of the Palace. We stayed inside the fortress in a Hotel but noticed that once the last tourist bus leaves at 7pm the the shops and restaurants close and the town becomes quiet. Our Hotel room was right next door to the bell tower of a Church so we heard the bell tolling every hour and at every 15 minute interval - fortunately we were very tired and did not hear the bells toll until 6:00am.
The morning bus took us back to Rimini, from where we took trains to Bologna, Florence and then onto Siena in Central Italy. Siena is considered a Gothic gem and is said to be one of Italy's most enchanting towns. In the centre of the walled centre, the medieval Piazza del Campo is a sloping square where people come to sit, watch, eat, drink, kick back and just plain enjoy the sunshine. We walked many kilometres within the city and checked out the churches, buildings and piazzas. In the evening we went to a supermarket and bought up local produce for a great dinner back at our Hotel.
Siena is famous for the annual event called the Palio held in July and August, whereby a bareback horse race is held round Il Campo. The city is divided into 17 districts of which 10 are chosen annually to compete for the silk banner. The only rule in the three lap race is that jockeys cannot tug the reins of other horses. We were awoken in the early hours of the morning by the banging of drums and singing as they passed by our window - the celebrations go on into September, but we were told this is the now the finale.
We were a bit unsure of the logistics of our next day's travel to Victor & Heather's Wedding in Tuscany. We had an address and directions but many Italians shook their heads and were as unsure of the location as we were. All eventually worked out and we made out way by local bus from Florence to a little village in Tuscany, called Tosi. Tosi has no public transport so we headed off on foot down through the Tuscan hills to Villa Pitiana about 3 klms past Tosi. When we had walked about 2 klms a lovely man stopped, bundled us and our bags into his car and took us right to the door of Villa Pitiani.
Victor & Heather's Wedding Celebration was the commencement of three fabulous days at Villa Pitiana in Tuscany. We met Heather in Scotland 2 years ago and told Victor we certainly give her the thumbs up! It was a wonderful get together with family and friends travelling from all parts of the World - to mention a selection - Australia, Scotland, Italy, Ireland, Russia, France, Spain, England, South America, USA, Switzerland and Libya.
A Wedding in Tuscany is considered to be one of the most romantic destinations in the World and I would have to agree. The Wedding Ceremony was held in the Cloisters within the Villa - the bride was radiant and her matron of honour was brilliant; the groom and attendants were resplendant in their tartan Kilts; as was Heather's Dad, Hugh. There was so much attention to detail and everything went off perfectly. The Italian food and wine is something else and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. It was great to catch up with friends from home and to make new friends. It was especially great to catch up with Sandy and Santina from Ayr, who we first met in Mackay several years ago. Pat used to work with their son Chris at Burton Coal - he also used to work with Victor at Burton Coal. It was great to meet Chris's wife, Pauline and hear that they are expecting their first baby in March of 2010.
Tomorrow we will travel through to Verona. We will have one more week of travel from Italy to Istanbul in Turkey, from where we will begin our trip home.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Hello from Skopje, Macedonia
We spent some time visiting with Meni in her office before we headed off on the morning ferry for the Island of Kos. We went to an outdoor restaurant for dinner and walked around the town square enjoying the sights and atmosphere. We decided we would to do a bit of an island crawl for the next few days up through the Greek Islands on our way back to Turkey.
The following day we pulled into Kalamos Island briefly on our way to Leros Island. A
retired fisherman started up his own restaurant on Leros, where we headed for dinner in the evening. He chatted to us quite a bit and told Pat to come back in the morning and he'd teach him how to splice rope, We went back to his restaurant before lunch and Pat had a great lesson - he has now shipped his splicing ropes back home for later reference.
Our next island was Lipsi - a beautiful little island that is not overrun with tourists - very laid back and enjoyable. The months of July and August are very busy with swarms of visitors on school holidays from many parts of Europe, so the end of August and the month of September are brilliant times to visit the Greek Islands. The crowds have gone home, the prices are cheaper, the weather is glorious and the sun is not as hot. The people on the islands are very friendly - even our Pansione owner Marina, kissed and cuddled us every time she saw us.
We met a couple, Chris & Maryanne, from Tasmania and they told us this is the twelfth year they have visited Lipsi for holidays. They love coming here because the sea is wonderful for swimming in and it is possible to swim quite far without encountering any dangers that might lurk below the surface. I find the smaller islands very enjoyable also - I'm not too keen on huge crowds - I guess Dingo Beach has rubbed off on me.
At Lipsi, our room was was right on the bay - the water was about 20 metres from our front door. Pat decided to bus out to the beach for a little while before the ferry arrived - I decided to stay at home and type up my blog. What happened? He fell asleep on the beach - missed the bus - and had to hitch hike back! No dramas as I was all packed up and ready to go. The next day we visited the island of Patmos, where we spent a few hours before heading to Samos.
Samos Island is also a great little place - the bay is full of boats - all shapes and sizes from the tiny little fishing boats to multi million dollar super yachts. Outdoor restaurants hug the bay and the waiters are out on the walkways trying to entice passers-by into their establishments. The atmosphere is great and the competition between the restaurants keep the prices very reasonable.
The ferry headed out of Samos onto Kusadasi on the Turkish coast, from where we headed north by bus to Canakkale which is just across the water from the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the bus, we met up with a young Canadian couple from Edmonton, Tara and Robin who were travelling around Turkey for their honeymoon. To make the most of our time, we decided to take the ferry at 9pm across the Dardannelle Strait to Eceabat. The Dardannelle Strait connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea - a very strategic wartime area which connects directly into Istanbul.
Tara and Robin were also maximising their time before heading back to Istanbul, so we were lucky enough to be able to organise a tour of Gallipoli Peninsula with our own guide and in an air conditioned taxi. Our guide was great and he made our trip very enjoyable - he has been a guide here for 24 years and is so passionate about what he does. He was able to tell us wonderful stories we otherwise would not have heard. Gallipoli is a truly beautiful place yet very tragic.
We heard the stories about the badly planned decision to land our troops on the beautiful beach at Brighton Beach - the sea current was not taken into account - therefore pushing the landing barges and the troops 2 klm further north to Anzac Cove and the base of the mountainside - from above the Turks had clear vision of the troops below.
Anzac Day - 25th April 1915 is forever etched into the memories of Australians and New Zealanders. We toured some of the gravesites where headstones are marked out with the names and particulars of those who lost their lives. The headstones are tokens only - the bodies are buried all over the peninsula - many buried where they fell. In the Gallipoli campaign around 500,000 lives were lost, one of the the worst wartime blunders of all time.
Our travel from Eceabat through to Greece was a bit disjointed, but all eventually worked out. We took a bus to Kesan - a taxi to the Turkey / Greece border - hitchiked across no mans' land (as it is a Military Zone and no one is permitted to walk) - our driver then took us onto Alexandroupolis from where we took a train to Thessaloniki on the Greek coast.
The following day, we booked a train through to Skopje the capital of Macedonia. We shared our 6 seater cabin with 2 lovely young girls and their Mum who were travelling home to Skopje. Boyana (15 yrs) Yvona (13 yrs) and their Mum, Stefka were delightful company on the journey through Macedonia. Both girls could speak English quite well and their Mum could understand a lot of English but was not as vocal as the girls. The country is quite mountainous but with lots of good farming land. Vegetables of all kinds are grown here in Macedonia - as with other Mediterranean countries, the tomatoes are sensational - naturally red and vine ripened.
After checking into our great little hotel we headed out to the Old Bazaar, but being Sunday, many of the shops were closed. At the markets Pat bought 2 klgs of muscatel grapes for the equivalent of $1.25 Australian - he was in his element. We also bought 1 klg of peaches for about 80 cents.
The little restaurant nextdoor to our Hotel cooked our dinner even though it had reached closing time. We had great spareribs, salad and the most beautiful freshly baked cob of bread - the Macedonian beer and wine were also very good. In the morning we headed into the City Centre to visit the Blessed Mother Teresa centre. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and the City is very proud to call her one of their own. What a magnificent lady she was - her legacy lives on.
The following day we pulled into Kalamos Island briefly on our way to Leros Island. A
retired fisherman started up his own restaurant on Leros, where we headed for dinner in the evening. He chatted to us quite a bit and told Pat to come back in the morning and he'd teach him how to splice rope, We went back to his restaurant before lunch and Pat had a great lesson - he has now shipped his splicing ropes back home for later reference.
Our next island was Lipsi - a beautiful little island that is not overrun with tourists - very laid back and enjoyable. The months of July and August are very busy with swarms of visitors on school holidays from many parts of Europe, so the end of August and the month of September are brilliant times to visit the Greek Islands. The crowds have gone home, the prices are cheaper, the weather is glorious and the sun is not as hot. The people on the islands are very friendly - even our Pansione owner Marina, kissed and cuddled us every time she saw us.
We met a couple, Chris & Maryanne, from Tasmania and they told us this is the twelfth year they have visited Lipsi for holidays. They love coming here because the sea is wonderful for swimming in and it is possible to swim quite far without encountering any dangers that might lurk below the surface. I find the smaller islands very enjoyable also - I'm not too keen on huge crowds - I guess Dingo Beach has rubbed off on me.
At Lipsi, our room was was right on the bay - the water was about 20 metres from our front door. Pat decided to bus out to the beach for a little while before the ferry arrived - I decided to stay at home and type up my blog. What happened? He fell asleep on the beach - missed the bus - and had to hitch hike back! No dramas as I was all packed up and ready to go. The next day we visited the island of Patmos, where we spent a few hours before heading to Samos.
Samos Island is also a great little place - the bay is full of boats - all shapes and sizes from the tiny little fishing boats to multi million dollar super yachts. Outdoor restaurants hug the bay and the waiters are out on the walkways trying to entice passers-by into their establishments. The atmosphere is great and the competition between the restaurants keep the prices very reasonable.
The ferry headed out of Samos onto Kusadasi on the Turkish coast, from where we headed north by bus to Canakkale which is just across the water from the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the bus, we met up with a young Canadian couple from Edmonton, Tara and Robin who were travelling around Turkey for their honeymoon. To make the most of our time, we decided to take the ferry at 9pm across the Dardannelle Strait to Eceabat. The Dardannelle Strait connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea - a very strategic wartime area which connects directly into Istanbul.
Tara and Robin were also maximising their time before heading back to Istanbul, so we were lucky enough to be able to organise a tour of Gallipoli Peninsula with our own guide and in an air conditioned taxi. Our guide was great and he made our trip very enjoyable - he has been a guide here for 24 years and is so passionate about what he does. He was able to tell us wonderful stories we otherwise would not have heard. Gallipoli is a truly beautiful place yet very tragic.
We heard the stories about the badly planned decision to land our troops on the beautiful beach at Brighton Beach - the sea current was not taken into account - therefore pushing the landing barges and the troops 2 klm further north to Anzac Cove and the base of the mountainside - from above the Turks had clear vision of the troops below.
Anzac Day - 25th April 1915 is forever etched into the memories of Australians and New Zealanders. We toured some of the gravesites where headstones are marked out with the names and particulars of those who lost their lives. The headstones are tokens only - the bodies are buried all over the peninsula - many buried where they fell. In the Gallipoli campaign around 500,000 lives were lost, one of the the worst wartime blunders of all time.
Our travel from Eceabat through to Greece was a bit disjointed, but all eventually worked out. We took a bus to Kesan - a taxi to the Turkey / Greece border - hitchiked across no mans' land (as it is a Military Zone and no one is permitted to walk) - our driver then took us onto Alexandroupolis from where we took a train to Thessaloniki on the Greek coast.
The following day, we booked a train through to Skopje the capital of Macedonia. We shared our 6 seater cabin with 2 lovely young girls and their Mum who were travelling home to Skopje. Boyana (15 yrs) Yvona (13 yrs) and their Mum, Stefka were delightful company on the journey through Macedonia. Both girls could speak English quite well and their Mum could understand a lot of English but was not as vocal as the girls. The country is quite mountainous but with lots of good farming land. Vegetables of all kinds are grown here in Macedonia - as with other Mediterranean countries, the tomatoes are sensational - naturally red and vine ripened.
After checking into our great little hotel we headed out to the Old Bazaar, but being Sunday, many of the shops were closed. At the markets Pat bought 2 klgs of muscatel grapes for the equivalent of $1.25 Australian - he was in his element. We also bought 1 klg of peaches for about 80 cents.
The little restaurant nextdoor to our Hotel cooked our dinner even though it had reached closing time. We had great spareribs, salad and the most beautiful freshly baked cob of bread - the Macedonian beer and wine were also very good. In the morning we headed into the City Centre to visit the Blessed Mother Teresa centre. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and the City is very proud to call her one of their own. What a magnificent lady she was - her legacy lives on.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hello from Rhodes, Greece
The 12 hour bus trip to Olympus set off from Goreme as scheduled at 9.30am. The bus was luxurious and very comfortable - leather reclining seats - headsets - huge windows and even seat belts. During the day we travelled through the magnificent Taurus Mountains as we wound our way down to the Mediterranean coast. As soon as we arrived at the Saban Pension in Olympus we were greeted by Aussies, Adam, Jayne and Mark who we had originally met in Egypt. Adam and Jayne had joined up with Mark's overland tour and were gearing up for an early morning departure. I was really exhausted after our long bus trip, so after dinner I was ready for a good night's sleep.
Olympus is the site of an ancient city and a 10 minute walk from our accommodation took us through the ruins and onto the beach. The water is crystal clear although the beach is a pebble beach and quite rocky. Word was out - there were hundreds on the beach enjoying the sun and the sea. Our second day at Olympos is a rest day as the Turkey Trots have caught up with us - have started antibiotics so should be spot on in about 24 hours.
The following morning we took the little bus to the highway 11 klms away and waited for the bus to Kas further north on the Mediterannean Coast. Our bus climbed up over the mountains and down into Kas (pronounced Cash). As we came down the mountain the views out to sea were quite spectacular. Mark had recommended the Ates Pension as a great place to stay so we checked in and were given a room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and views out over the bay - just gorgeous. The rooftop is the restaurant and living area - all open air and with great views.
We had bought the kids some t-shirts so headed into town and posted a parcel off to home. About 3 klm across the strait from Kas is one of the Greek Islands called Kastellorizo. Pat's mate Mick "Wombat" often chats about this island, where his descendants came from, so we decided to book a trip out there for the following day. That night we had dinner up on the Terrace and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean.
What a wonderful place we have arrived in - Kas - this part of the Mediterranean Coast is special - there's probably not enough superlatives to describe it. The little town is spread out around the bay and is dotted with an abundance of beautiful little restaurants - no shortage of eating places here.
Our ferry headed over to Kastellorizo on time and we sat up the front on the foredeck enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze. We cruised into the main Harbour on the island quite a picture perfect location. Many original buildings have been rebuilt and restored - the buildings are brightly coloured and skirt the clear aqua blue waters. Kastellorizo was used as a refuelling point for Air France's sea planes on their way to the Middle East and Egypt - it was also a major Mediterranean shipping port.
Historical Note: It concerns the prosperous past of Kastellorizo, when it was one of the more important shipping centres of the Mediterranean, with a population of over 10,000 and its decline, brought about by emigration and a series of disputes linked to international politics and war. Key dates in this sequence are the 1913 uprising; the French occupation 1915 - 1921; the Italian occupation 1921 - 1945; the earthquake of 1926; the systematic bombings and fires of 1943 - 1945; the evacuation of the island and the horrific return journey of the refugees in 1945, when transport caught fire.
The island has had its fair share of tragedy and sadly it succumbed to invasions, fires and earthquakes. The residents were finally evacuated to the mainland and other countries, especially the Middle East, in 1926. There seems to have been a big emigration to Australia around this time - which would explain why Mick "Wombat" is over there, and such a valued Australian at that! We spent a lovely day on Kastellorizo and returned to Kas in the afternoon. In the evening we walked into town to enjoy the local cuisine and the atmosphere.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Kas and headed to Fethiye further north along the Turkish coast. We took the shuttle bus from town to our accommodation, but on arrival found out that ferries to the Greek Island of Rhodes wouldn't be leaving for 3 days, so we made a quick change to our plans. We headed back into town and caught the next bus further on to Marmaris where ferries do leave regularly for the Greek Islands.
Marmaris does not have the appeal that Kas does. It is a major centre for package holiday tours from Britian and other places so the town is jam packed full of holidaymakers. Developers have put up major buildings with little or no town planning in place. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed around the pool in the cool of the evening. The days here are hot and muggy - nothing like the heat we have already experienced, but it is very humid.
The fast ferry left for Rhodes at 9am so we headed off to visit another Greek Island for a couple of days. Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese group and due to the group's close proximity to the coast of Turkey, this group of islands has also suffered a turbulent past. The island of Rhodes is famous for producing the most flowers and sunny days in the Greek Islands.
Rhodes has a World Heritage listed Old Town and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Most places seem to have their own little claim to fame and they love to let visitors know what it is. It's a great Old Town to explore, but like many other places with rough cobble-stoned streets a few hours walking around takes its toll.
In the late afternoon we hired a little Hyundai and headed south-west out of the city to the coastal down of Lindos where we stayed the night and went out for some Greek dinner - a nice little change after Middle Eastern food.
The island is very mountainous with beautiful scenery and coastal views from high up in the mountains. I think Pat forgot he wasn't in our 4WD at one stage, as he took a fork in a road which took us down the mountainside and through pine forests to the coast. At times the road resembled a bit of a goat track. The maps are quite hard to read and many of the roads are not marked, so it's a bit of a guessing game at times working out the best route.
We had a couple of hours spare before we had to return the hire car, so we found a lovely little beach and spent the time relaxing. Once again, the Mediterranean has very rocky beaches, but the water is crystal clear. Pat loves lying in the sun but I much prefer a shady tree.
Pat's cousin Terri, has a very close friend who she grew up with in Bundaberg - she lives here on Rhodes, so tomorrow morning after breakfast we're heading off to catch up with her.
Olympus is the site of an ancient city and a 10 minute walk from our accommodation took us through the ruins and onto the beach. The water is crystal clear although the beach is a pebble beach and quite rocky. Word was out - there were hundreds on the beach enjoying the sun and the sea. Our second day at Olympos is a rest day as the Turkey Trots have caught up with us - have started antibiotics so should be spot on in about 24 hours.
The following morning we took the little bus to the highway 11 klms away and waited for the bus to Kas further north on the Mediterannean Coast. Our bus climbed up over the mountains and down into Kas (pronounced Cash). As we came down the mountain the views out to sea were quite spectacular. Mark had recommended the Ates Pension as a great place to stay so we checked in and were given a room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and views out over the bay - just gorgeous. The rooftop is the restaurant and living area - all open air and with great views.
We had bought the kids some t-shirts so headed into town and posted a parcel off to home. About 3 klm across the strait from Kas is one of the Greek Islands called Kastellorizo. Pat's mate Mick "Wombat" often chats about this island, where his descendants came from, so we decided to book a trip out there for the following day. That night we had dinner up on the Terrace and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean.
What a wonderful place we have arrived in - Kas - this part of the Mediterranean Coast is special - there's probably not enough superlatives to describe it. The little town is spread out around the bay and is dotted with an abundance of beautiful little restaurants - no shortage of eating places here.
Our ferry headed over to Kastellorizo on time and we sat up the front on the foredeck enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze. We cruised into the main Harbour on the island quite a picture perfect location. Many original buildings have been rebuilt and restored - the buildings are brightly coloured and skirt the clear aqua blue waters. Kastellorizo was used as a refuelling point for Air France's sea planes on their way to the Middle East and Egypt - it was also a major Mediterranean shipping port.
Historical Note: It concerns the prosperous past of Kastellorizo, when it was one of the more important shipping centres of the Mediterranean, with a population of over 10,000 and its decline, brought about by emigration and a series of disputes linked to international politics and war. Key dates in this sequence are the 1913 uprising; the French occupation 1915 - 1921; the Italian occupation 1921 - 1945; the earthquake of 1926; the systematic bombings and fires of 1943 - 1945; the evacuation of the island and the horrific return journey of the refugees in 1945, when transport caught fire.
The island has had its fair share of tragedy and sadly it succumbed to invasions, fires and earthquakes. The residents were finally evacuated to the mainland and other countries, especially the Middle East, in 1926. There seems to have been a big emigration to Australia around this time - which would explain why Mick "Wombat" is over there, and such a valued Australian at that! We spent a lovely day on Kastellorizo and returned to Kas in the afternoon. In the evening we walked into town to enjoy the local cuisine and the atmosphere.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Kas and headed to Fethiye further north along the Turkish coast. We took the shuttle bus from town to our accommodation, but on arrival found out that ferries to the Greek Island of Rhodes wouldn't be leaving for 3 days, so we made a quick change to our plans. We headed back into town and caught the next bus further on to Marmaris where ferries do leave regularly for the Greek Islands.
Marmaris does not have the appeal that Kas does. It is a major centre for package holiday tours from Britian and other places so the town is jam packed full of holidaymakers. Developers have put up major buildings with little or no town planning in place. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed around the pool in the cool of the evening. The days here are hot and muggy - nothing like the heat we have already experienced, but it is very humid.
The fast ferry left for Rhodes at 9am so we headed off to visit another Greek Island for a couple of days. Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese group and due to the group's close proximity to the coast of Turkey, this group of islands has also suffered a turbulent past. The island of Rhodes is famous for producing the most flowers and sunny days in the Greek Islands.
Rhodes has a World Heritage listed Old Town and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Most places seem to have their own little claim to fame and they love to let visitors know what it is. It's a great Old Town to explore, but like many other places with rough cobble-stoned streets a few hours walking around takes its toll.
In the late afternoon we hired a little Hyundai and headed south-west out of the city to the coastal down of Lindos where we stayed the night and went out for some Greek dinner - a nice little change after Middle Eastern food.
The island is very mountainous with beautiful scenery and coastal views from high up in the mountains. I think Pat forgot he wasn't in our 4WD at one stage, as he took a fork in a road which took us down the mountainside and through pine forests to the coast. At times the road resembled a bit of a goat track. The maps are quite hard to read and many of the roads are not marked, so it's a bit of a guessing game at times working out the best route.
We had a couple of hours spare before we had to return the hire car, so we found a lovely little beach and spent the time relaxing. Once again, the Mediterranean has very rocky beaches, but the water is crystal clear. Pat loves lying in the sun but I much prefer a shady tree.
Pat's cousin Terri, has a very close friend who she grew up with in Bundaberg - she lives here on Rhodes, so tomorrow morning after breakfast we're heading off to catch up with her.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hello from Goreme, Turkey
The 6:30am bus left Palmyra bound for Homs, from where we organised a taxi to Crac des Chevaliers. This amazingly well preserved Castle has been built up on a mountain top overlooking the countryside. Before we set off to explore the Castle, we had a wonderful Mediterranean / Arabic breakfast in the restaurant overlooking the valley. The castle was first built in 1031 and was completed in the 12th century by the Crusader knights. It was open to attack many times but it was built to be impenetrable and remained so until it was eventually handed over to the armies of Islam.
It was then on to Tartus and the city of Lattika on the Mediterranean Sea. We were getting our bearings to head into the city centre, when a lovely young man came up and asked if he could help us. His car was being detailed so he suggested we wait a few minutes and then he would take us into the city centre. He actually lives and works in Dubai as a gold jewellery merchant and gave us his card to come and see him when we plan to visit Dubai in September. Hmmmm.....
We checked into the Lattika Hotel in the City, set out to explore the area and then went out for dinner. The following morning we headed for Kassab on the Syrian border to organise visas for Turkey. No problems - it was all done in about 15 minutes. At Antalya 60 klms inside the Turkish border we organised some Turkey Lirer and U.S. dollars which we like to keep on hand as a standby.
Since travelling in Turkey we've noticed that the streets are cleaner and people seem to take more pride in their homes and gardens. We are hardly seeing any of the strict muslim black robes and face veils for women and the full traditional robes for men. Turkey seems to be very modern and more westernised than some of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. The bus fleet in Turkey is very modern - we haven't seen any clapped out old buses which is a refreshing change.
Adana was just another big city so we decided to take an evening bus on to Goreme in Cappadocia. The beautiful countryside of southern Turkey has been a lovely change from the vast deserts areas we have been visiting. Our bus seats were right in the front row so we sat back and enjoyed this documentary which was being played out for us as we travelled along. The worst part of an evening bus trip is that as soon as nightfall arrives the scenery is out of sight. All buses here in Turkey have one or two stewards or stewardesses onboard - serving tea, coffee, water and snacks for the trip. We are also noticing women in the workforce since arriving in Turkey - up until now men have been dominating the work scene in places such as reception, hotels, restaurants, kitchen, shops and the like.
As we were travelling into Cappodocia we could see strange cone-like hills around us and wondered what sights morning would bring. We walked up the cobbled streets of Goreme to The Panoramic Terrace Pension and booked in for 3 nights. Our room was an original cave room in one of these strange little hills - again what will it look like in the morning? It's quite neat to sleep in a cave.
To quote the Lonely Planet: Cappadocia's heavenly backdrop consists of soft volcanic tuff that has been sculpted over millennia into fantastic shapes by water and erosion. The end result is fascinating: huge stone mushrooms (dubbed "fairy chimneys" by locals), soft ridges and deep valleys, acute edges and mild undulations. Early Christians carved chambers, vaults and labyrinths into the chimneys for use as churches, stables and homes.
To see Goreme for the first time in the daylight is amazing - it's hard to believe we are actually in such an amazing place. We went out onto the terrace for brekky and sat and enjoyed the views that had unfolded before us. Our day's tour was booked for an hour's time so we were able to sit and enjoy our leisurely breakfast on the terrace.
What a day we had ahead of us. Our bus trip was made up of Australians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Italian, French, Brazilian and Spanish. Anthony was an Aussie from Sydney and presently working as a teacher in London and his girlfriend Barbara is from Brazil. We climbed many fairy chimneys and could see the homes that were carved out of these hills; we visited dug out churches and chapels; we even visited a full Underground City. We visited Ihlara Valley where lunch was served in a restaurant beside a stream in the bottom of a canyon following a 4 klm walk. All along the walk we could see homes which had been dug out of caves in the walls of the canyon. On the return trip we stopped at Pigeon Valley and saw the beautiful views across Goreme. After dinner that evening we sat out on the deck chatting with Anthony and Barbara until quite late.
In the morning I awoke to an odd noise - I said to Pat it sounded like the gas and flame in a hot air balloon. I went to our window in our little cave and floating just outside our window was a massive hot air balloon with about 15 people on board waving and calling out good morning in the direction of our little window - what a hoot! It was amazing to see the balloon so close to our building (cave) - we went outside and couldn't believe our eyes - we counted 27 hot air balloons floating above the little village of Goreme! What a sight to behold! PJ visited Goreme about 10 years ago on his 3 month backpacking trip - we had often heard of Goreme but had not imagined it to be the spectacular place that it really is.
The following day we walked with Anthony and Barbara to the Goreme Open Air Museum to see more of the little fairy chimneys. We headed back into town for lunch before they set off on the late afternoon bus. Our next stop will be Olympus, so we booked our seats and tickets for the following morning at 9.30.
It was then on to Tartus and the city of Lattika on the Mediterranean Sea. We were getting our bearings to head into the city centre, when a lovely young man came up and asked if he could help us. His car was being detailed so he suggested we wait a few minutes and then he would take us into the city centre. He actually lives and works in Dubai as a gold jewellery merchant and gave us his card to come and see him when we plan to visit Dubai in September. Hmmmm.....
We checked into the Lattika Hotel in the City, set out to explore the area and then went out for dinner. The following morning we headed for Kassab on the Syrian border to organise visas for Turkey. No problems - it was all done in about 15 minutes. At Antalya 60 klms inside the Turkish border we organised some Turkey Lirer and U.S. dollars which we like to keep on hand as a standby.
Since travelling in Turkey we've noticed that the streets are cleaner and people seem to take more pride in their homes and gardens. We are hardly seeing any of the strict muslim black robes and face veils for women and the full traditional robes for men. Turkey seems to be very modern and more westernised than some of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. The bus fleet in Turkey is very modern - we haven't seen any clapped out old buses which is a refreshing change.
Adana was just another big city so we decided to take an evening bus on to Goreme in Cappadocia. The beautiful countryside of southern Turkey has been a lovely change from the vast deserts areas we have been visiting. Our bus seats were right in the front row so we sat back and enjoyed this documentary which was being played out for us as we travelled along. The worst part of an evening bus trip is that as soon as nightfall arrives the scenery is out of sight. All buses here in Turkey have one or two stewards or stewardesses onboard - serving tea, coffee, water and snacks for the trip. We are also noticing women in the workforce since arriving in Turkey - up until now men have been dominating the work scene in places such as reception, hotels, restaurants, kitchen, shops and the like.
As we were travelling into Cappodocia we could see strange cone-like hills around us and wondered what sights morning would bring. We walked up the cobbled streets of Goreme to The Panoramic Terrace Pension and booked in for 3 nights. Our room was an original cave room in one of these strange little hills - again what will it look like in the morning? It's quite neat to sleep in a cave.
To quote the Lonely Planet: Cappadocia's heavenly backdrop consists of soft volcanic tuff that has been sculpted over millennia into fantastic shapes by water and erosion. The end result is fascinating: huge stone mushrooms (dubbed "fairy chimneys" by locals), soft ridges and deep valleys, acute edges and mild undulations. Early Christians carved chambers, vaults and labyrinths into the chimneys for use as churches, stables and homes.
To see Goreme for the first time in the daylight is amazing - it's hard to believe we are actually in such an amazing place. We went out onto the terrace for brekky and sat and enjoyed the views that had unfolded before us. Our day's tour was booked for an hour's time so we were able to sit and enjoy our leisurely breakfast on the terrace.
What a day we had ahead of us. Our bus trip was made up of Australians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Italian, French, Brazilian and Spanish. Anthony was an Aussie from Sydney and presently working as a teacher in London and his girlfriend Barbara is from Brazil. We climbed many fairy chimneys and could see the homes that were carved out of these hills; we visited dug out churches and chapels; we even visited a full Underground City. We visited Ihlara Valley where lunch was served in a restaurant beside a stream in the bottom of a canyon following a 4 klm walk. All along the walk we could see homes which had been dug out of caves in the walls of the canyon. On the return trip we stopped at Pigeon Valley and saw the beautiful views across Goreme. After dinner that evening we sat out on the deck chatting with Anthony and Barbara until quite late.
In the morning I awoke to an odd noise - I said to Pat it sounded like the gas and flame in a hot air balloon. I went to our window in our little cave and floating just outside our window was a massive hot air balloon with about 15 people on board waving and calling out good morning in the direction of our little window - what a hoot! It was amazing to see the balloon so close to our building (cave) - we went outside and couldn't believe our eyes - we counted 27 hot air balloons floating above the little village of Goreme! What a sight to behold! PJ visited Goreme about 10 years ago on his 3 month backpacking trip - we had often heard of Goreme but had not imagined it to be the spectacular place that it really is.
The following day we walked with Anthony and Barbara to the Goreme Open Air Museum to see more of the little fairy chimneys. We headed back into town for lunch before they set off on the late afternoon bus. Our next stop will be Olympus, so we booked our seats and tickets for the following morning at 9.30.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hello from Palmyra, Syria
Petra is an amazing place to visit. We walked and climbed around the sites for hours - it was very hot in the sun but the shady spots were very welcomed. The myriad of colours in the sandstone rocks and cliff faces are wonderful and inside the caves where the sun does not reach, the colours are really vibrant.
Our aches and pains from all the walking and climbing is taking a few days to wear off - but we have been enjoying all the activity. A couple from Townsville, Jayne and Adam, were heading in the same direction as we were - to the Dead Sea, so we teamed up and booked a taxi for the following day. After our day of walking, we headed up to the Cave Bar where we enjoyed a cold beer - the side rooms were actually tombs from long ago - we opted for the open air and enjoyed the evening breeze and the lights.
Our trip from Petra was about 300 klms down the mountain ranges to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 387 metres below sea level and the sea is about 31% salt - a high concentration of salt due to evaporation. We noticed the temperature rising and the hot dry heat as we drove further north, summer temperatures here exceed 40 degrees.
At one point Pat yelled at the driver as he was heading straight into the back of a parked bus! The driver quickly swung away from the bus and asked why Pat was so concerned - after all, he had been a driver in King Hussein's army for 42 years - no need to worry!!! Jayne and Adam were happy Pat yelled out, as they also felt he was going to collide - I was sitting behind Pat and was just enjoying the local scenes and missed the excitement.
We decided it was time for a treat so checked into the Dead Sea Spa Hotel to have a good beach with access to the sea. Our accommodation included breakfast and dinner, so we were all looking forward to a great dinner. After checking in we headed straight to the private beach - what a hoot! Floating is the name of the game! It's impossible to stay on the bottom - the old body just pops up to the top - lean sideways and it's an involuntary roll - what a scream! Pat and Jayne decided to give themselves a mud pack and within minutes they were walking around like mud men.
Apparently the mud and water here is very therapeutic and people travel from all over the world to relax in the waters and enjoy the healing properties. There is a Medical Centre here at the Spa and there are people in wheelchairs and many others walking with sticks. People also come here for treatment for skin disorders such as psoriasis. There are some European Medical Funds which pay for trips to the Dead Sea for treatment - interesting....
It was a great experience and the water felt great although after about an hour our lips were tingling. The views from the Hotel are great - we can even see Jerusalem on the top of the mountains across the Dead Sea. Jayne and Adam's room had sea views so we were invited over to watch the sunset from their balcony - it was wonderful.
We have been thoroughly enjoying Jordan and the people, whose warmth and friendliness is infectious. "Welcome to Jordan" is heard everywhere - out of cars and shops as we walk by - even little children join in the chorus. Litter is also under better control in Jordan and street cleaners are kept busy both in trucks and on their brooms.
The Holy Land has many religious sites which we enjoyed visiting. We went to the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ and also visited Mt Nebo where Moses looked out across the Promised Land after spending 40 years lost in the desert. We could also see the city of Jerico from Mt Nebo.
Amman is the capital of Jordan and sits quite close to the border with Syria. Amman is another big city and from there we booked a service taxi to Damascus the capital of Syria which is the oldest inhabitated city in the World. Jayne and Adam did not have a visa for Syria so were hoping to organise their visas at the border Our driver took us directly to the correct places where we had our visas stamped - Jayne and Adam's visas were organised in about 20 minutes so all went well.
Looking at this dry barren countryside, it is hard to imagine that so much fruit and vegetables are grown here, but as we headed into Damascus the highway was full of trucks loaded up with their produce.
The Lonely Planet recommended accommodation in the Sharia Bahsa area of the Saroujah district - known as the travellers' ghetto. The roadways are so narrow our taxi could not fit into the street so we walked the rest of the way. The hotels are very busy so it took a little while to find a hotel. We checked into the Al-Diwan Hotel for a couple of nights - the management people are very nice. We headed out into the little streets once again and found a great little courtyard restaurant where we had dinner - the bill was about $6 Australian.
In the morning we set out to find an ATM to stock up on some Syrian Pounds then we headed into the Old City of Damascus which is surrounded by what was initially a Roman Wall. The Mosque is a very busy part of the Old City - muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day - so the music and call to prayer is heard all over the city. It's the 4.30am call to prayer that I'm not too fussed about! We walked for hours around the Souq al-Hamidiyya where the shops and sellers are fascinating. Syria is a great place for shopping both with quality and price. There is a shop called Bekdach inside the Souq which sells ice cream topped with flakes of pistachio - what a treat - Pat had the chocolate and I had the vanilla. The shop has hundreds of people in it at any one time - it has to be seen to be believed.
Our bus headed northwest out of Damascus towards Palmyra. Palmyra in the centre of the Syrian desert became a necessary stopping place for caravans taking the shortest route from the Arab Gulf to the Mediterranean, as well as for those taking the Silk Road. This area is an oasis and the water here has sulphur properties - the water has helped in the growing of olives, date palms, cotton and grains.
There is also a valley of tombs here for anyone interested in exploring underground. The beautiful ancient city of Palmyra covers quite a large area and dates back to the first and second centuries. It is even suggested that there are more ruins in Palmyra than anywhere in Greece or Italy. The Syrian people are very nice and seem to be very relaxed about having many visitors come into their country. Of course tourism is a big drawcard in this part of the world, but numbers have decreased since 2001.
We have just finished dinner - I chose a lovely traditional Bedoin dish while Pat branched out and ordered barbequed camel!!
Our aches and pains from all the walking and climbing is taking a few days to wear off - but we have been enjoying all the activity. A couple from Townsville, Jayne and Adam, were heading in the same direction as we were - to the Dead Sea, so we teamed up and booked a taxi for the following day. After our day of walking, we headed up to the Cave Bar where we enjoyed a cold beer - the side rooms were actually tombs from long ago - we opted for the open air and enjoyed the evening breeze and the lights.
Our trip from Petra was about 300 klms down the mountain ranges to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 387 metres below sea level and the sea is about 31% salt - a high concentration of salt due to evaporation. We noticed the temperature rising and the hot dry heat as we drove further north, summer temperatures here exceed 40 degrees.
At one point Pat yelled at the driver as he was heading straight into the back of a parked bus! The driver quickly swung away from the bus and asked why Pat was so concerned - after all, he had been a driver in King Hussein's army for 42 years - no need to worry!!! Jayne and Adam were happy Pat yelled out, as they also felt he was going to collide - I was sitting behind Pat and was just enjoying the local scenes and missed the excitement.
We decided it was time for a treat so checked into the Dead Sea Spa Hotel to have a good beach with access to the sea. Our accommodation included breakfast and dinner, so we were all looking forward to a great dinner. After checking in we headed straight to the private beach - what a hoot! Floating is the name of the game! It's impossible to stay on the bottom - the old body just pops up to the top - lean sideways and it's an involuntary roll - what a scream! Pat and Jayne decided to give themselves a mud pack and within minutes they were walking around like mud men.
Apparently the mud and water here is very therapeutic and people travel from all over the world to relax in the waters and enjoy the healing properties. There is a Medical Centre here at the Spa and there are people in wheelchairs and many others walking with sticks. People also come here for treatment for skin disorders such as psoriasis. There are some European Medical Funds which pay for trips to the Dead Sea for treatment - interesting....
It was a great experience and the water felt great although after about an hour our lips were tingling. The views from the Hotel are great - we can even see Jerusalem on the top of the mountains across the Dead Sea. Jayne and Adam's room had sea views so we were invited over to watch the sunset from their balcony - it was wonderful.
We have been thoroughly enjoying Jordan and the people, whose warmth and friendliness is infectious. "Welcome to Jordan" is heard everywhere - out of cars and shops as we walk by - even little children join in the chorus. Litter is also under better control in Jordan and street cleaners are kept busy both in trucks and on their brooms.
The Holy Land has many religious sites which we enjoyed visiting. We went to the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ and also visited Mt Nebo where Moses looked out across the Promised Land after spending 40 years lost in the desert. We could also see the city of Jerico from Mt Nebo.
Amman is the capital of Jordan and sits quite close to the border with Syria. Amman is another big city and from there we booked a service taxi to Damascus the capital of Syria which is the oldest inhabitated city in the World. Jayne and Adam did not have a visa for Syria so were hoping to organise their visas at the border Our driver took us directly to the correct places where we had our visas stamped - Jayne and Adam's visas were organised in about 20 minutes so all went well.
Looking at this dry barren countryside, it is hard to imagine that so much fruit and vegetables are grown here, but as we headed into Damascus the highway was full of trucks loaded up with their produce.
The Lonely Planet recommended accommodation in the Sharia Bahsa area of the Saroujah district - known as the travellers' ghetto. The roadways are so narrow our taxi could not fit into the street so we walked the rest of the way. The hotels are very busy so it took a little while to find a hotel. We checked into the Al-Diwan Hotel for a couple of nights - the management people are very nice. We headed out into the little streets once again and found a great little courtyard restaurant where we had dinner - the bill was about $6 Australian.
In the morning we set out to find an ATM to stock up on some Syrian Pounds then we headed into the Old City of Damascus which is surrounded by what was initially a Roman Wall. The Mosque is a very busy part of the Old City - muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day - so the music and call to prayer is heard all over the city. It's the 4.30am call to prayer that I'm not too fussed about! We walked for hours around the Souq al-Hamidiyya where the shops and sellers are fascinating. Syria is a great place for shopping both with quality and price. There is a shop called Bekdach inside the Souq which sells ice cream topped with flakes of pistachio - what a treat - Pat had the chocolate and I had the vanilla. The shop has hundreds of people in it at any one time - it has to be seen to be believed.
Our bus headed northwest out of Damascus towards Palmyra. Palmyra in the centre of the Syrian desert became a necessary stopping place for caravans taking the shortest route from the Arab Gulf to the Mediterranean, as well as for those taking the Silk Road. This area is an oasis and the water here has sulphur properties - the water has helped in the growing of olives, date palms, cotton and grains.
There is also a valley of tombs here for anyone interested in exploring underground. The beautiful ancient city of Palmyra covers quite a large area and dates back to the first and second centuries. It is even suggested that there are more ruins in Palmyra than anywhere in Greece or Italy. The Syrian people are very nice and seem to be very relaxed about having many visitors come into their country. Of course tourism is a big drawcard in this part of the world, but numbers have decreased since 2001.
We have just finished dinner - I chose a lovely traditional Bedoin dish while Pat branched out and ordered barbequed camel!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Hello from Ashwan, Egypt
July 13
We visited an Ice Hockey Rink today in Regina. Marilyn and Dave's 3 year old grandson Brady was at hockey summer school and learning how to play ice hockey! It was amazing to see such a little guy ice skating but even more surprising to see him skating along pushing his hockey stick along the ice - they teach them young out here.
July 14
The rain set in today so unfortunately the Ceremony by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was cancelled, so that will be on the agenda for our next visit to Regina. We packed up in readiness for our flight to Toronto the following day and headed out to celebrate my birthday. We booked a hire car over the internet to be picked up at Toronto Airport for 10 days - it was much cheaper and more convenient than doing it at the airport when we arrived.
July 15
Today was cold and raining as we headed to the airport - only 11 degrees! I'm just happy that we travelled to Saskatchewan in the summer!! It was amazing to meet up with Marilyn after all the years that have elapsed and find that we're still the great friends that we were when we were both 18 . Marilyn has always had a wish to visit Australia, so I think we've now planted the seed. Whaddya reckon Dave?
We headed out of Toronto International Airport straight to Niagara Falls where we spent our honeymoon almost 38 years ago. The Falls are still wonderful but the city area has grown immensly with many more people visiting and Hotels in every direction - I guess it's called progress. We were happy to head out on the New York State Highway 90 eastbound for Greenville, NY. Rochester was a convenient stopover on our way to my Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob. Auntie Bertha is my Dad's sister - I'm not allowed to mention her age - but I can say she is older than me!
It was great to arrive at their home and get that wonderful home style welcome - Auntie Bertha's home baked bread, choclolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread. It was funny having 2 Berthas in the house - seemed everyone was talking to me at once. Uncle Bob is a retired Aviation and Space Writer so he has been working at keeping abreast of technology. He's adept on the computer and now has Skype set up so we can all keep in touch more easily and the best part - for free. Pat enjoyed being outside on the ride on mower - they have 4 acres of land so he was kept busy in the garden.
We toured around the Catskill Mountains area and visited many of the resorts - the holiday playground for New Yorkers wanting to get out of the City and hit the mountains. East Durham is Little Ireland settled by many Irish families so its pretty easy to feel at home here. We met the neighbours and guess what - they're all Irish! I took photographs of 11 of my late Uncle Tom's paintings as my brother Patrick is going to get a photographic collection of his paintings together, which will be wonderful to have.
We spent 5 wonderful days with Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob and look forward to returning again sometime down the track - there'll be that lawn to mow again.
We crossed over the 1,000 islands in the St Lawrence Seaway and headed north west from the Canadian border towards Barrie, Ontario where we met up with Dawn - once again Dawn and I worked together back in 1971 and 72. We worked for a company called TRW and made components for car radios - we made great money in those days as we were on commission, so once we made our quota for the day it was possible to double our salary which we did unashamedly. Perhaps we cost the company too much money, as they have now closed up and moved the operation to Mexico.
Dawn is the world's best correspondent - she has written letters and sent cards all over the years since we left in 1972 - I must say she is much better than I could ever wish to be. We went out for dinner to a Chinese Buffet as Dawn called it - well it was the Mandarin Restaurant and it would have to be the biggest Chinese restaurant we have seen outside of China - the food was magnificent and we certainly gave the night our thumbs up. It's wonderful to be able to catch up with friends - it doesn't matter how long it has been - we just slot back into the old friendships. It was great to catch up with Dawn after all these years and now look forward to keeping in touch on Skype.
After saying goodbye to Dawn we headed over to the little township of Collingwood on the edges of Georgian Bay where we were married in 1971. Another little nostalgic trip down memory lane for us. We visited St Mary's Catholic Church where we were married and drove past our homes where we lived. The next great surprise was a trip over to meet Sam and Joan - our Best Man and Matron of Honour. Well we had a great time chatting with them and hearing about all the changes that have happened in Collingwood over the years. We met up with their son Steven, who is a teacher, married and a Dad himself to two delightful children.
Sam and Joan took us on tour around Collingwood and the surrounding areas. The little ski area called Blue Mountain is unrecognisable - homes, condominions and resorts have popped up everywhere - it is Ontario's equivalent to BC's Whister Mountain. Collingwood Shipyard where Pat worked on the construction of grain ships for the Great Lakes has all gone - development is taking over and yes it is a real boom area. There is a worldwide financial crisis but Canada looks to be in good shape and riding it well. A wonderful barbeque was on the menu for dinner and it was a great experience being back here with Sam and Joan.
The next morning it was over to Southampton on Lake Huron to see Lisa and Rob. I worked with Lisa at TRW in Collingwood and they were also at our Wedding. Actually there were 12 at our Wedding counting us - the alcohol bill was $70 and the dinner was $2.75 per head! My how times have changed!
What a hoot being back together! They have bought a beautiful two story home which is over 100 years old, incorporating 2 stories, a basement and an attic. Lisa has a lovely flair for decorating and their home was very inviting - they've done a great job. Rob has just finished replacing all the windows and I think he said there were over 30 sets.
Rob used to work at the Nuclear Power Station south of Southampton and actually Pat made up heavy water lines for the station back in 1971.
There was a little surprise ahead for me - as Rob rolled his Harley Davidson Touring bike out of his garage and onto the driveway. I guess there was no time like the present, so off I headed with Rob about 10 miles up the highway. What a buzz - what great fun! I had no idea a bike could be so comfortable - we were even able to chat the whole way on his 40 channel UHF and intercom - the helmets had microphones and speakers built in .... hmmm so luxurious. At vacation time Lisa and Rob travel long distances on their bike and thoroughly enjoy this form of travel. I think they even pack lighter than we do. Hopefully Pat won't get any big ideas!
Rob took us out for a drive south along the lake - it is so lovely - but then, this is summer! In the winter the lake freezes and it's a very different story when you have to face freezing winds off the lake and many months of cold weather.
The following morning we headed out of Southampton for Toronto to return the hire car and catch our flight to Frankfurt and then onto Cairo in Egypt. When we landed in Frankfurt everyone on the plane clapped their hands .. we're not really sure why. Our pilot was a female so perhaps it was her inaugural flight.
Pat's 7" laptop is too tiny for me to touch type, so I bought a small USB wired Apple keyboard and it works a treat. Hopefully I'll now be able to keep my Blog more up to date as we travel along.
Pat walked on through airport security with no problems, but apparently there must be some metal in my boots which sets off the alarm, so from now on, it's boots off for me at airport security.
A poor man near us had a fit on the flight to Cairo - everyone who jumped up to help said he was a Doctor, but we're not sure any of them were. He came good after a while and said he had hit his head in a fall a little while ago and continues to have fits. I guess a trip to a Doctor should be on the cards for him.
When we arrived in Cairo we were ushered onto a bus to the terminal, unfortunately an American couple behaved very badly on the bus and were on the verge of a fight with an Egyptian man and his son. These are the types of incidents that can be avoided. We stay low key and are polite to everyone, especially when it is not our country - it's amazing how a "Hello" and a smile works so well. On the plane, I was sitting beside David, a Sudanese, who works for Barclays Bank and he was very interesting to speak with - he had such interesting stories.
Well Cairo on arrival was about 45 degrees hot hot hot! We checked into The Arabesque Hotel for 3 days and set off to explore the city. The population of 22,000,000 must have been out when we were - the hustle, bustle is amazing and the traffic horrendous. We had a great time at the Hotel and the staff (all Muslims) were excellent. They gave us the "best" room on the 7th floor with views over the rooftops to the River Nile. We also ate most meals at the Hotel, where we didn't have to fight crowds. The Egyptian street touts drove us mad, however we enjoyed our sight seeing around this big city.
A visit to the Egyptian Museum is excellent and does take quite a few hours to get around. Tutankharmun's exhibit (19 years old at death) is amazing with his head mask alone weighing 11 klgs of solid gold.
The Pyramids are the sole survivor of the the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and they are of course magnificent. We hired a horse and sulky to get around the large Giza site travelling from one pyramid to another - the site is 12 kilometres in circumference. We also visited Imhotep and Saqqara Pyramids where we actually climbed down inside the pyramid into 2 small chambers. We climbed about 50 metres up the outside of the pyramid then hunched over and climbed 65 metres down a slanted shaft into the tombs. The air was rather dank but worth the experience. All the contents of this pyramid have been relocated - some have been reburied and some have been taken to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Sphinx was a lot smaller than I had expected it to be - I guess it is overshadowed by the enormity of the Pyramids.
Khan Al-Khalili is the great bazaar which is in the medieval part of the City - here we saw Mosques, walls, gates and Mausoleums. We also ventured over to Old Cairo, which was once known as Babylon, and visited the Coptic Churches including The Church of St George and the Church of St Sergius which encompasses a little home where they claim the Holy Family lived for 3 years after fleeing to Egypt from King Herod. We visited the area where the Hanging Gardens of Babylon once were and also visited the Hanging Church.
Aswan, on the edge of Lake Nasser and further along the Nile was our next destination. Tourists aren't allowed to travel on day trains, so we booked a sleeper train from Giza and headed on the rail line south out of Cairo. HHmmm I was pretty happy to head out of this massive city. An Egyptian offered Pat 1,000 camels for me (must have needed a housekeeper) and I think by the end of day 3 in Cairo Pat would have sold me for 1 camel!
The train and our cabin were very comfortable. We met up with Canadians Cory & Elaine from Hope BC and managed to whittle away the hours in the Club Car. They left the train at Luxor next morning while we went through to Aswan.
The Nubanile Hotel we had selected from the Lonely Planet Guide was only 2 small blocks from the railway station and was excellent. We walked along the Nile River where there are scores of Cruise Ships moored up and booked a 2 night cruise back up to Luxor.
We certainly had a great time in Aswan - we booked a felluca for 2 hours in the afternoon and spent that time gently cruising around the little islands in the Nile at Aswan. Our guides Nasser and Abduhl were wonderful which made it even better. A felluca is an open wooden boat averaging from about 8 to 12 metres in length and carry one big triangular sail - they are not powered and depend upon the wind and the currents to get around. The Nile at Aswan with the fellucas sailing up and down is truly picture book material.
From the felluca we could see St Simeon Monastry, the Aga Khan Villa and mausoleum and the Botanical Gardens island. The sun is hot here with temperatures of between 40 and 50 degrees - I don't think we've ever consumed so much water since we've been here in Egypt - not from the tap but bottled water. There's a need to be careful with fruit and vegetables - all should be peeled.
We hired a horse and buggy and took a trip all around Aswan and into the old city. It's so neat to see the little donkeys working away pulling the carts and their masters in their day's work. Everyone is friendly and love to ask "Where are you from?" When we say "Australia" - they shout together Oi, Oi, Oi - amazing how a little catch phrase takes hold. I bought a much needed hat in the Bazaar - starting price was 130 Egyptian pounds and I managed to get it for 30 Egyptian pounds. There is so much lovely gear to but my little back pack has no extra room so I have to be strong.
The following morning we were picked up and taken on tour to check out the High Dam and the Old Dam. Of course, having worked on dam construction Pat was very interested in the facts and figures. The High Dam was completed and opened in 1964 - it backs up the water in a huge lake called Lake Nasser for over 500 kilometres down over the Sudan border. The crest of the dam is 3.8 kilometres long with a height of 100 metres - the thickness at the base is 1 kilometre wide at the bottom and 40 metres wide at the top. It is also used to generate hydro electricity.
We also took a little boat out to Philiae Island to see a temple which had been relocated to save it from the rising dam waters. It took 7 years to relocate the whole temple with many thousands of men working on the project.
The Nile River is an amazing river and is 6,000 kilometres in length, making it the longest river in the world.
.
.
We visited an Ice Hockey Rink today in Regina. Marilyn and Dave's 3 year old grandson Brady was at hockey summer school and learning how to play ice hockey! It was amazing to see such a little guy ice skating but even more surprising to see him skating along pushing his hockey stick along the ice - they teach them young out here.
July 14
The rain set in today so unfortunately the Ceremony by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was cancelled, so that will be on the agenda for our next visit to Regina. We packed up in readiness for our flight to Toronto the following day and headed out to celebrate my birthday. We booked a hire car over the internet to be picked up at Toronto Airport for 10 days - it was much cheaper and more convenient than doing it at the airport when we arrived.
July 15
Today was cold and raining as we headed to the airport - only 11 degrees! I'm just happy that we travelled to Saskatchewan in the summer!! It was amazing to meet up with Marilyn after all the years that have elapsed and find that we're still the great friends that we were when we were both 18 . Marilyn has always had a wish to visit Australia, so I think we've now planted the seed. Whaddya reckon Dave?
We headed out of Toronto International Airport straight to Niagara Falls where we spent our honeymoon almost 38 years ago. The Falls are still wonderful but the city area has grown immensly with many more people visiting and Hotels in every direction - I guess it's called progress. We were happy to head out on the New York State Highway 90 eastbound for Greenville, NY. Rochester was a convenient stopover on our way to my Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob. Auntie Bertha is my Dad's sister - I'm not allowed to mention her age - but I can say she is older than me!
It was great to arrive at their home and get that wonderful home style welcome - Auntie Bertha's home baked bread, choclolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread. It was funny having 2 Berthas in the house - seemed everyone was talking to me at once. Uncle Bob is a retired Aviation and Space Writer so he has been working at keeping abreast of technology. He's adept on the computer and now has Skype set up so we can all keep in touch more easily and the best part - for free. Pat enjoyed being outside on the ride on mower - they have 4 acres of land so he was kept busy in the garden.
We toured around the Catskill Mountains area and visited many of the resorts - the holiday playground for New Yorkers wanting to get out of the City and hit the mountains. East Durham is Little Ireland settled by many Irish families so its pretty easy to feel at home here. We met the neighbours and guess what - they're all Irish! I took photographs of 11 of my late Uncle Tom's paintings as my brother Patrick is going to get a photographic collection of his paintings together, which will be wonderful to have.
We spent 5 wonderful days with Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob and look forward to returning again sometime down the track - there'll be that lawn to mow again.
We crossed over the 1,000 islands in the St Lawrence Seaway and headed north west from the Canadian border towards Barrie, Ontario where we met up with Dawn - once again Dawn and I worked together back in 1971 and 72. We worked for a company called TRW and made components for car radios - we made great money in those days as we were on commission, so once we made our quota for the day it was possible to double our salary which we did unashamedly. Perhaps we cost the company too much money, as they have now closed up and moved the operation to Mexico.
Dawn is the world's best correspondent - she has written letters and sent cards all over the years since we left in 1972 - I must say she is much better than I could ever wish to be. We went out for dinner to a Chinese Buffet as Dawn called it - well it was the Mandarin Restaurant and it would have to be the biggest Chinese restaurant we have seen outside of China - the food was magnificent and we certainly gave the night our thumbs up. It's wonderful to be able to catch up with friends - it doesn't matter how long it has been - we just slot back into the old friendships. It was great to catch up with Dawn after all these years and now look forward to keeping in touch on Skype.
After saying goodbye to Dawn we headed over to the little township of Collingwood on the edges of Georgian Bay where we were married in 1971. Another little nostalgic trip down memory lane for us. We visited St Mary's Catholic Church where we were married and drove past our homes where we lived. The next great surprise was a trip over to meet Sam and Joan - our Best Man and Matron of Honour. Well we had a great time chatting with them and hearing about all the changes that have happened in Collingwood over the years. We met up with their son Steven, who is a teacher, married and a Dad himself to two delightful children.
Sam and Joan took us on tour around Collingwood and the surrounding areas. The little ski area called Blue Mountain is unrecognisable - homes, condominions and resorts have popped up everywhere - it is Ontario's equivalent to BC's Whister Mountain. Collingwood Shipyard where Pat worked on the construction of grain ships for the Great Lakes has all gone - development is taking over and yes it is a real boom area. There is a worldwide financial crisis but Canada looks to be in good shape and riding it well. A wonderful barbeque was on the menu for dinner and it was a great experience being back here with Sam and Joan.
The next morning it was over to Southampton on Lake Huron to see Lisa and Rob. I worked with Lisa at TRW in Collingwood and they were also at our Wedding. Actually there were 12 at our Wedding counting us - the alcohol bill was $70 and the dinner was $2.75 per head! My how times have changed!
What a hoot being back together! They have bought a beautiful two story home which is over 100 years old, incorporating 2 stories, a basement and an attic. Lisa has a lovely flair for decorating and their home was very inviting - they've done a great job. Rob has just finished replacing all the windows and I think he said there were over 30 sets.
Rob used to work at the Nuclear Power Station south of Southampton and actually Pat made up heavy water lines for the station back in 1971.
There was a little surprise ahead for me - as Rob rolled his Harley Davidson Touring bike out of his garage and onto the driveway. I guess there was no time like the present, so off I headed with Rob about 10 miles up the highway. What a buzz - what great fun! I had no idea a bike could be so comfortable - we were even able to chat the whole way on his 40 channel UHF and intercom - the helmets had microphones and speakers built in .... hmmm so luxurious. At vacation time Lisa and Rob travel long distances on their bike and thoroughly enjoy this form of travel. I think they even pack lighter than we do. Hopefully Pat won't get any big ideas!
Rob took us out for a drive south along the lake - it is so lovely - but then, this is summer! In the winter the lake freezes and it's a very different story when you have to face freezing winds off the lake and many months of cold weather.
The following morning we headed out of Southampton for Toronto to return the hire car and catch our flight to Frankfurt and then onto Cairo in Egypt. When we landed in Frankfurt everyone on the plane clapped their hands .. we're not really sure why. Our pilot was a female so perhaps it was her inaugural flight.
Pat's 7" laptop is too tiny for me to touch type, so I bought a small USB wired Apple keyboard and it works a treat. Hopefully I'll now be able to keep my Blog more up to date as we travel along.
Pat walked on through airport security with no problems, but apparently there must be some metal in my boots which sets off the alarm, so from now on, it's boots off for me at airport security.
A poor man near us had a fit on the flight to Cairo - everyone who jumped up to help said he was a Doctor, but we're not sure any of them were. He came good after a while and said he had hit his head in a fall a little while ago and continues to have fits. I guess a trip to a Doctor should be on the cards for him.
When we arrived in Cairo we were ushered onto a bus to the terminal, unfortunately an American couple behaved very badly on the bus and were on the verge of a fight with an Egyptian man and his son. These are the types of incidents that can be avoided. We stay low key and are polite to everyone, especially when it is not our country - it's amazing how a "Hello" and a smile works so well. On the plane, I was sitting beside David, a Sudanese, who works for Barclays Bank and he was very interesting to speak with - he had such interesting stories.
Well Cairo on arrival was about 45 degrees hot hot hot! We checked into The Arabesque Hotel for 3 days and set off to explore the city. The population of 22,000,000 must have been out when we were - the hustle, bustle is amazing and the traffic horrendous. We had a great time at the Hotel and the staff (all Muslims) were excellent. They gave us the "best" room on the 7th floor with views over the rooftops to the River Nile. We also ate most meals at the Hotel, where we didn't have to fight crowds. The Egyptian street touts drove us mad, however we enjoyed our sight seeing around this big city.
A visit to the Egyptian Museum is excellent and does take quite a few hours to get around. Tutankharmun's exhibit (19 years old at death) is amazing with his head mask alone weighing 11 klgs of solid gold.
The Pyramids are the sole survivor of the the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and they are of course magnificent. We hired a horse and sulky to get around the large Giza site travelling from one pyramid to another - the site is 12 kilometres in circumference. We also visited Imhotep and Saqqara Pyramids where we actually climbed down inside the pyramid into 2 small chambers. We climbed about 50 metres up the outside of the pyramid then hunched over and climbed 65 metres down a slanted shaft into the tombs. The air was rather dank but worth the experience. All the contents of this pyramid have been relocated - some have been reburied and some have been taken to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Sphinx was a lot smaller than I had expected it to be - I guess it is overshadowed by the enormity of the Pyramids.
Khan Al-Khalili is the great bazaar which is in the medieval part of the City - here we saw Mosques, walls, gates and Mausoleums. We also ventured over to Old Cairo, which was once known as Babylon, and visited the Coptic Churches including The Church of St George and the Church of St Sergius which encompasses a little home where they claim the Holy Family lived for 3 years after fleeing to Egypt from King Herod. We visited the area where the Hanging Gardens of Babylon once were and also visited the Hanging Church.
Aswan, on the edge of Lake Nasser and further along the Nile was our next destination. Tourists aren't allowed to travel on day trains, so we booked a sleeper train from Giza and headed on the rail line south out of Cairo. HHmmm I was pretty happy to head out of this massive city. An Egyptian offered Pat 1,000 camels for me (must have needed a housekeeper) and I think by the end of day 3 in Cairo Pat would have sold me for 1 camel!
The train and our cabin were very comfortable. We met up with Canadians Cory & Elaine from Hope BC and managed to whittle away the hours in the Club Car. They left the train at Luxor next morning while we went through to Aswan.
The Nubanile Hotel we had selected from the Lonely Planet Guide was only 2 small blocks from the railway station and was excellent. We walked along the Nile River where there are scores of Cruise Ships moored up and booked a 2 night cruise back up to Luxor.
We certainly had a great time in Aswan - we booked a felluca for 2 hours in the afternoon and spent that time gently cruising around the little islands in the Nile at Aswan. Our guides Nasser and Abduhl were wonderful which made it even better. A felluca is an open wooden boat averaging from about 8 to 12 metres in length and carry one big triangular sail - they are not powered and depend upon the wind and the currents to get around. The Nile at Aswan with the fellucas sailing up and down is truly picture book material.
From the felluca we could see St Simeon Monastry, the Aga Khan Villa and mausoleum and the Botanical Gardens island. The sun is hot here with temperatures of between 40 and 50 degrees - I don't think we've ever consumed so much water since we've been here in Egypt - not from the tap but bottled water. There's a need to be careful with fruit and vegetables - all should be peeled.
We hired a horse and buggy and took a trip all around Aswan and into the old city. It's so neat to see the little donkeys working away pulling the carts and their masters in their day's work. Everyone is friendly and love to ask "Where are you from?" When we say "Australia" - they shout together Oi, Oi, Oi - amazing how a little catch phrase takes hold. I bought a much needed hat in the Bazaar - starting price was 130 Egyptian pounds and I managed to get it for 30 Egyptian pounds. There is so much lovely gear to but my little back pack has no extra room so I have to be strong.
The following morning we were picked up and taken on tour to check out the High Dam and the Old Dam. Of course, having worked on dam construction Pat was very interested in the facts and figures. The High Dam was completed and opened in 1964 - it backs up the water in a huge lake called Lake Nasser for over 500 kilometres down over the Sudan border. The crest of the dam is 3.8 kilometres long with a height of 100 metres - the thickness at the base is 1 kilometre wide at the bottom and 40 metres wide at the top. It is also used to generate hydro electricity.
We also took a little boat out to Philiae Island to see a temple which had been relocated to save it from the rising dam waters. It took 7 years to relocate the whole temple with many thousands of men working on the project.
The Nile River is an amazing river and is 6,000 kilometres in length, making it the longest river in the world.
.
.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Dingo Beach to Alaska and Canada's Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta & Saskatchewan
Our home at Dingo Beach is in the process of having some extensions and renovations, so with our next trip looming what would we do? We decided to leave the house as is, and set out to begin our next overseas adventure. As Pat says "it will still be there when we come home."
Prior to our departure, my Mum celebrated her 80th birthday over the Easter weekend and what a celebration it was. Our family came from everywhere and met up at the Gold Coast, where our celebrations and get togethers lasted for many days. That girl of ours is full of surprises! She kicked up her heels at her party and together with her friends she gave a great rendition of Irish Dancing. A friend of ours, Col, asked Mum if she would like to go on a spin on a motorbike? "Of course, I'd be delighted" was her reply - so she had a great trip - firstly on a BMW and secondly on a Ducati! She even made the statement that she now prefers a BMW!!
Pat and I spent a couple of days in Sydney with my brother Patrick and the Kings. I reminded Anne and Pat that they were the ones who saw me off to Canada on my first trip back in 1968 - so here we were 41 years later with history repeating itself.
We decided to take a 14 hour direct flight from Sydney to Vancouver. Uncle Joe met us at the airport and then it was home to Auntie Angela and their little dog Lily. It is great getting together with all my family over here in Canada - it is so important to keep the generations in touch with each other and ensure the family group remains connected. That night my cousins and their children came over for dinner and I did stay awake for as long as I could. Antoinette and Tony had a barbeque at their home the following night and this began our wonderful introduction to Salmon dinners. Andrea and Kory set us up with winter coats for our Cruise to Alaska - we were now ready to head off.
We met up with our Australian mates Robert and Rose the following day and began our lengthy process of booking onto the Diamond Princess in readiness for our 7 day Cruise up the coast from Vancouver to Whittier in Alaska.
The cruise was very relaxing and enjoyable with sights along the way quite spectacular, particularly Glacier Bay where we were able to moor in very close to the Glaciers and watch the glacier in the process of large clumps of ice breaking away, which is called calving. The Captain said we were very fortunate as normally the large ships could not get as close as we were able to on this particular day. It was very cold but we were well rugged up in our jackets, hats, gloves and scarves.
We did have an unusual group of people on board. There were 25 Santa Claus on a Santa Claus Convention - they were on their way to Santa's home at the town of North Pole in Alaska. They were accompanied by their wives and partners and they wore red clothing most of the time.
One of the pleasures of Ocean Cruising is visiting the ports of call, where we can see firsthand how people in the various regions live – in this case see how they used to live back in the old gold rush days. A summary of our ports of call follow.
25th May
Ketchikan is a great little city on the Alaskan Panhandle and was once known as the Canned Salmon Capital of the World. It is the wettest of the North West cities with an annual rainfall of 162 inches. A tour of Ketchikan is not complete without visiting famous Creek Street reknown for its many brothels from the bygone gold rush days. Commercial fishing comprises 30% of today’s local economy with the majority of their income stream coming from tourism. Ketchikan is a cruise ship capital with up to ten ships visiting per day in the season from May to October. Logging was also an important industry here up until the pulp mill closed in 1997.
Ketchikan is a great little city on the Alaskan Panhandle and was once known as the Canned Salmon Capital of the World. It is the wettest of the North West cities with an annual rainfall of 162 inches. A tour of Ketchikan is not complete without visiting famous Creek Street reknown for its many brothels from the bygone gold rush days. Commercial fishing comprises 30% of today’s local economy with the majority of their income stream coming from tourism. Ketchikan is a cruise ship capital with up to ten ships visiting per day in the season from May to October. Logging was also an important industry here up until the pulp mill closed in 1997.
26th May
Juneau is known as the most beautiful city in Alaska and is also the most geographically secluded state capital in the US. There are no roads into Juneau, so access is only available by boat or plane. The current Governor of Alaska is Sarah Palin who has just tendered her resignation as at the end of July. Juneau was the site of the State’s first major gold strike and the first town to be founded following Alaska’s purchase from Russia. The city centre is long and narrow and hugs the side of Mt Roberts.
Juneau is known as the most beautiful city in Alaska and is also the most geographically secluded state capital in the US. There are no roads into Juneau, so access is only available by boat or plane. The current Governor of Alaska is Sarah Palin who has just tendered her resignation as at the end of July. Juneau was the site of the State’s first major gold strike and the first town to be founded following Alaska’s purchase from Russia. The city centre is long and narrow and hugs the side of Mt Roberts.
27th May
Skagway is the home of the White Pass and Yukon Railway line which heads out of Skagway up and over the mountain and down into Whitehorse in the Yukon. We booked our tickets on the railway and headed out of Skagway, but about 2/3 of the way up to the top of the mountains, the train came to a sudden halt. There had been an avalanche ahead and part of the rail line had been destroyed. Unfortunately we headed back into Skagway with the Railway Company refunding all fares and giving us all a complimentary DVD. We toured the old town and visited the famous Red Onion Saloon. The annual rainfall here is only 26 inches so Skagway is one of the driest places in an otherwise soggy part of Alaska. Back on board ship we received an invitation to attend the Captain’s Cocktail Party so had to get out the glad rags and glam up for the night.
Skagway is the home of the White Pass and Yukon Railway line which heads out of Skagway up and over the mountain and down into Whitehorse in the Yukon. We booked our tickets on the railway and headed out of Skagway, but about 2/3 of the way up to the top of the mountains, the train came to a sudden halt. There had been an avalanche ahead and part of the rail line had been destroyed. Unfortunately we headed back into Skagway with the Railway Company refunding all fares and giving us all a complimentary DVD. We toured the old town and visited the famous Red Onion Saloon. The annual rainfall here is only 26 inches so Skagway is one of the driest places in an otherwise soggy part of Alaska. Back on board ship we received an invitation to attend the Captain’s Cocktail Party so had to get out the glad rags and glam up for the night.
28th May
The trip into Glacier Bay is a magnificent experience. It is an amazing sight to be moored quite close to a major glacier and see the glacier “calving”, which is the process whereby large chunks of ice break away from the Glacier. The Captain told us we certainly had luck on our side, as conditions were the most favourable he had ever experienced here, thus enabling him to manoeuvre the ship into as close to the glacier as is allowable. Truly magnificent. We were fortunate to be able to see seals, brown bears and long haired white goats. The following morning we cruised out of Glacier Bay and headed to the beautiful College Fiord.
The trip into Glacier Bay is a magnificent experience. It is an amazing sight to be moored quite close to a major glacier and see the glacier “calving”, which is the process whereby large chunks of ice break away from the Glacier. The Captain told us we certainly had luck on our side, as conditions were the most favourable he had ever experienced here, thus enabling him to manoeuvre the ship into as close to the glacier as is allowable. Truly magnificent. We were fortunate to be able to see seals, brown bears and long haired white goats. The following morning we cruised out of Glacier Bay and headed to the beautiful College Fiord.
30th May
The ship docked at Whittier where we said goodbye to the Diamond Princess and our seven day Alaska cruise. Together with our good friends Robert and Rose, we boarded a bus and headed into Anchorage through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel at Whittier and on into Anchorage – this highway is considered to be one of the top 10 drives in the US. In Anchorage we visited the markets and also went to an Ulu knife factory. The Ulu is the traditional knife of the Eskimo although today it seems to be used by most Alaskans. Our first night’s check in to our accommodation was quite disastrous but thankfully the rest of the trip was smooth going.
The ship docked at Whittier where we said goodbye to the Diamond Princess and our seven day Alaska cruise. Together with our good friends Robert and Rose, we boarded a bus and headed into Anchorage through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel at Whittier and on into Anchorage – this highway is considered to be one of the top 10 drives in the US. In Anchorage we visited the markets and also went to an Ulu knife factory. The Ulu is the traditional knife of the Eskimo although today it seems to be used by most Alaskans. Our first night’s check in to our accommodation was quite disastrous but thankfully the rest of the trip was smooth going.
31st May
The next morning we hired a station wagon for a week and set off north out of Anchorage to explore Alaska. We had all commented on how helpful and friendly the Alaskans are. A short while later we pulled into a shopping centre in Palmer to stock up on some groceries for our travels. While we were in the Supermarket Robert was having a great chat with a bloke about the local beers. A little later on when we were packing up our car the same bloke pulled in beside us and handed Robert two cans of local beer for him to try! He had rushed home from the Supermarket especially to pick them up for Robert!
On our first evening on the road we checked into a fantastic log cabin in a beautiful and quaint little town called Talkeetna. I have been having a love affair with salmon since coming to Canada and Alaska. Most nights I have been ordering wild sockeye salmon for dinner – it is superb. I figure I won’t get this back home so I might as well enjoy it now. The scenery in Alaska is beautiful although we have noticed there seems to be a lack of wildlife. This is probably attributed to the fact that wild animals in Alaska are still able to hunted.
The next morning we hired a station wagon for a week and set off north out of Anchorage to explore Alaska. We had all commented on how helpful and friendly the Alaskans are. A short while later we pulled into a shopping centre in Palmer to stock up on some groceries for our travels. While we were in the Supermarket Robert was having a great chat with a bloke about the local beers. A little later on when we were packing up our car the same bloke pulled in beside us and handed Robert two cans of local beer for him to try! He had rushed home from the Supermarket especially to pick them up for Robert!
On our first evening on the road we checked into a fantastic log cabin in a beautiful and quaint little town called Talkeetna. I have been having a love affair with salmon since coming to Canada and Alaska. Most nights I have been ordering wild sockeye salmon for dinner – it is superb. I figure I won’t get this back home so I might as well enjoy it now. The scenery in Alaska is beautiful although we have noticed there seems to be a lack of wildlife. This is probably attributed to the fact that wild animals in Alaska are still able to hunted.
June 1st
We checked into the Princess Lodge for 2 nights in Denali National Park and the next day we took an 8 hour bus trip into Denali to Mt McKinlay, the highest mountain in North America. We travelled in an old school bus on a winding dusty road. Fortunately we did see some Dall Sheep, a Grizzly Bear from about 500 metres and some moose. Pat suggested to Robert that they visit the local Fur Shop at the Princess Lodge, where they'd be sure to see Alaskan wildlife!
At the Mt McKinlay Visitors’ Centre there was a beautiful big bear skin on display which had a sad story. This bear was very friendly and would come up to humans who were visiting the park and of course scare the wits out of most of them. The rangers then decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to relocate the bear to an area about 60 miles away over the mountains. After a period of time, the same bear returned to the Visitors Centre – but this time the bear had gained an unacceptable tolerance of humans – the decision was then made to put the bear down.
On this bus trip we met a wonderful retired couple from Colorado, Jane and Hank. I was engrossed in their stories and hearing about their wonderful family. In the 70’s Jane had been working in Vietnam caring for disadvantaged children. She nursed one particular Vietnamese baby boy who she eventually adopted and brought home to the US. She married Hank and they then went on to have 5 more children of their own, with their Vietnamese son heading the family. Hank was an Engineer and he actually did some work in the 70's for Australia's Snowy Mountain Scheme. I was disappointed when they left the bus as I could have listened to more of their interesting stories.
3rd June
This morning we called into a small town for morning tea. Rose and I walked up the street checking out the local sights. The local Trooper’s car was parked on a side street so we took some photos alongside his vehicle. A tall muscular and good looking young man came outside to see just who was interested in his vehicle! Trooper Dave was delightful to meet and very easy on the eyes. He was extremely hesitant about having his photo taken with us as the last time he had his photo taken with a couple of Aussie ladies their hands strayed southwards and they goosed him!! We assured him he would be very safe with a couple of Grannies from Down Under – and we remained true to our word.
We were noticing the number of motor homes cruising through town and who should we see in one but Jane and Hank from Denali. It was great to meet up with them again and exchange emails and addresses. We extended an invitation to them to visit us at Dingo Beach if ever they come to Australia. We’ll definitely be putting Colorado on our future itinerary.
Fairbanks is a lovely little City. We enjoyed sitting on the open air deck at our Hotel overlooking the river. It had been a little while since our skin had been in the warm sunshine. The longer hours of daylight in the north take some getting used to. One particular evening we called home when the sun was still shining and it was 10 minutes past midnight! I don’t recall seeing darkness the whole time we were in northern Alaska and the Yukon.
We visited Santa’s Village in the town of North Pole in Alaska and organised special Christmas Cards for our Grandchildren Flynn, Liam and Ayla and our little nieces Riley and Charli to be delivered just before Christmas. Rose especially enjoyed organising her special Christmas Cards for her gorgeous newly born twin Grandsons, Finn and Byron. They have a very special birthday as they arrived on my Mother’s 80th birthday 2nd April 2009.
4th June
We travelled through to Tok and booked our trip onward to Dawson City in the Yukon. The following morning, after a great couple of weeks we said goodbye to Robert & Rose who took the hire car back to Anchorage before continuing on with the remainder of their Canadian holiday.
Our Alaska Yukon Trails 10 seater van had only 4 passengers so we travelled very comfortably over the Top of the World Highway and through a little township called Chicken. Apparently in the early days the township was rampant with a chicken-like bird and the town was going to be called Ptarmigan but because nobody could spell it, they decided Chicken would be okay and left it at that. We drove through areas with snow still on the ground and went up to and over Mt Fairplay, Polly Summit and American Summit, all over 3,500 ft. We crossed the border from Alaska into the Yukon Territory at Little Gold Creek, which was manned by a female Customs Officer. We travelled on to the Yukon River where we crossed over in a vehicular ferry to Dawson City. What an amazing highway and what a wonderful trip that was.
Dawson City is a great place to visit – all the roadways are dirt – the footpaths are timber and the place is overflowing with atmosphere and history. In keeping with the City’s bylaws, any new building or dwelling has to be designed and built in keeping with the theme and look of the gold rush days. Dome Hill towers over the town and reaches an elevation of 2,911 feet offering beautiful views of the town and area. We headed out for the evening and visited Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino, where we had dinner and watched the infamous Can Can dancing and entertainment.
At the North West Territories Visitors’ Centre we met a great young lady who worked there – she helped us track down a hire car which was available for one way transport across the 520 klm Klondike Highway to Whitehorse. Apparently this was the only one way car hire available for rental over the past three years so we very lucky indeed.
At Whitehorse we reviewed our various options for transport to Vancouver – hire car/ bus/ train/ ferry/ plane – we eventually decided to buy a little car which gave us more options for the best value. We bought a ’97 Pontiac Sunbird for $1,500 + $270 insurance + $49 for Yukon plates and then sold the car just before we left Vancouver for $1,000 - after 3,000 klms of trouble free motoring.
Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon and has a great atmosphere – it is surrounded by magnificent mountains and clear mountain lakes. Its name comes from the rapids on the Yukon River which resembles the flowing manes of charging white horses. I had often wondered where that name came from. The history here is captivating and well worth reading about – there’s no doubt about the strength of those early pioneers in the Gold Rush days.
Perhaps a winter visit to this part of the world would be worth thinking about down the track – to see the snow sports, Dog Sledding and the Northern Lights. Hmmmm on second thoughts I might just give that cold weather a miss!
Outside Whitehorse we travelled through scenic countryside along beautiful Bennett Lake to a little township called Carcross, where the White Pass and Yukon Route railway heads up over the mountains to Skagway. We headed out along the Alaska Highway to Watsons Lake back in British Columbia. We were told that as soon as we cross the border into BC and hit the Provincial Parks we’ll notice an increase in wildlife. No sooner had we crossed the border, than as promised, bears appeared along the roadsides. On our first day back in BC we saw 8 black and brown bears, moose, elk, long horn sheep, deer, wolves, squirrels and chipmunks.
We had an overnight stop in Fort Nelson which is a very industrial town. This is a work centre for the oil and gas fields. I was surprised to hear that mining is carried out here in the winter months because the areas are not accessible during the summer. They have to wait for the marshlands to freeze over so trucks and vehicles can be taken out to the fields in order for the work to begin.
Watsons Lake has a very interesting Sign Forest at the Visitors’ Centre with signposts from places all over the world. It began in WW2 with an US Army Engineer placing his home town sign on a post – today there are in excess of 24,000 signs from all over the world. A lady in the centre asked if we would like to send one from our home and she’ll place it out on a post among the rest. We stayed in a lovely little farmhouse B&B here and had the whole top floor to ourselves.
11th June
We travelled through Fort St John, another major centre for the oil and gas fields, to Dawson Creek which is Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway. We had now travelled the full length of the Alaska Highway from Fairbanks Alaska to Dawson Creek BC a total distance of 2,450.5 klms. This Alaska Highway was originally built by US troops in 1942 as a supply route for military installations and was then opened to unrestricted traffic in 1947. The continuous stream of huge motor homes and campers heading from the US north to Alaska for the summer months was mind boggling.
We travelled on through Prince George and Quesnel to Kamloops where we met up with Tony & Anna. Pat knew Tony back home and it was great to sit out on their deck and enjoy the magnificent view of the lake and the city below. Our room also had a great view – actually it was more like a suite than a room – it could put a five star resort to shame! We headed into town for dinner and had a great night out.
Our next port of call was Penticton on the lake. Our room was right at the front of the building so we looked off our balcony straight up the lake – so beautiful. There’s a famous restaurant here called Salty’s – lots of atmosphere and also with views over the lake.
We were now on the final leg into Vancouver so we stopped at the markets in the valley and stocked up on freshly picked vegetables to take home to Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe. Our trip took us through beautiful scenery into Princeton and Hope and back home. Arriving back was great – not only Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe, but also Lily the dog gave us a great welcome.
The next two weeks was spent with family – magnificent dinners and barbeques – oooohhh that salmon – something I’ll never forget. To all my family members Auntie Angela & Uncle Joe, Rory & Debbie, Chrissy & Justin, Antoinette & Tony, Connor, Bronagh & Pearse, Andrea & Kory, Nolan & Declan, Nicky, Rorie & Sinead, Una, Tara & Tamara, Danny & Gwenda, Auntie Marie & Uncle Desmond, Auntie Magdalene & Uncle Edmond, Uncle Frankie & Auntie Patsy, thank you to everyone for making our visit so very special. Not everyone’s name is here (due to lack of space) - but they are all one helluva bunch! I’ll never forget the great barbeques at Antoinette’s & Tony’s. We have given all the rellies an open invitation to visit us at Dingo Beach and it looks like we might have some ready to visit in 2010.
Uncle Joe’s sister Toni, who lives in Australia, arrived for the Wedding Anniversary celebrations. We got to know Toni quite well and we look forward to meeting up with her in Australia later on. Toni has a farm outside of Melbourne and has lived in Victoria since coming to Australia from Austria in 1951, the same year as my family came to Australia with me as a baby.
We checked into the Princess Lodge for 2 nights in Denali National Park and the next day we took an 8 hour bus trip into Denali to Mt McKinlay, the highest mountain in North America. We travelled in an old school bus on a winding dusty road. Fortunately we did see some Dall Sheep, a Grizzly Bear from about 500 metres and some moose. Pat suggested to Robert that they visit the local Fur Shop at the Princess Lodge, where they'd be sure to see Alaskan wildlife!
At the Mt McKinlay Visitors’ Centre there was a beautiful big bear skin on display which had a sad story. This bear was very friendly and would come up to humans who were visiting the park and of course scare the wits out of most of them. The rangers then decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to relocate the bear to an area about 60 miles away over the mountains. After a period of time, the same bear returned to the Visitors Centre – but this time the bear had gained an unacceptable tolerance of humans – the decision was then made to put the bear down.
On this bus trip we met a wonderful retired couple from Colorado, Jane and Hank. I was engrossed in their stories and hearing about their wonderful family. In the 70’s Jane had been working in Vietnam caring for disadvantaged children. She nursed one particular Vietnamese baby boy who she eventually adopted and brought home to the US. She married Hank and they then went on to have 5 more children of their own, with their Vietnamese son heading the family. Hank was an Engineer and he actually did some work in the 70's for Australia's Snowy Mountain Scheme. I was disappointed when they left the bus as I could have listened to more of their interesting stories.
3rd June
This morning we called into a small town for morning tea. Rose and I walked up the street checking out the local sights. The local Trooper’s car was parked on a side street so we took some photos alongside his vehicle. A tall muscular and good looking young man came outside to see just who was interested in his vehicle! Trooper Dave was delightful to meet and very easy on the eyes. He was extremely hesitant about having his photo taken with us as the last time he had his photo taken with a couple of Aussie ladies their hands strayed southwards and they goosed him!! We assured him he would be very safe with a couple of Grannies from Down Under – and we remained true to our word.
We were noticing the number of motor homes cruising through town and who should we see in one but Jane and Hank from Denali. It was great to meet up with them again and exchange emails and addresses. We extended an invitation to them to visit us at Dingo Beach if ever they come to Australia. We’ll definitely be putting Colorado on our future itinerary.
Fairbanks is a lovely little City. We enjoyed sitting on the open air deck at our Hotel overlooking the river. It had been a little while since our skin had been in the warm sunshine. The longer hours of daylight in the north take some getting used to. One particular evening we called home when the sun was still shining and it was 10 minutes past midnight! I don’t recall seeing darkness the whole time we were in northern Alaska and the Yukon.
We visited Santa’s Village in the town of North Pole in Alaska and organised special Christmas Cards for our Grandchildren Flynn, Liam and Ayla and our little nieces Riley and Charli to be delivered just before Christmas. Rose especially enjoyed organising her special Christmas Cards for her gorgeous newly born twin Grandsons, Finn and Byron. They have a very special birthday as they arrived on my Mother’s 80th birthday 2nd April 2009.
4th June
We travelled through to Tok and booked our trip onward to Dawson City in the Yukon. The following morning, after a great couple of weeks we said goodbye to Robert & Rose who took the hire car back to Anchorage before continuing on with the remainder of their Canadian holiday.
Our Alaska Yukon Trails 10 seater van had only 4 passengers so we travelled very comfortably over the Top of the World Highway and through a little township called Chicken. Apparently in the early days the township was rampant with a chicken-like bird and the town was going to be called Ptarmigan but because nobody could spell it, they decided Chicken would be okay and left it at that. We drove through areas with snow still on the ground and went up to and over Mt Fairplay, Polly Summit and American Summit, all over 3,500 ft. We crossed the border from Alaska into the Yukon Territory at Little Gold Creek, which was manned by a female Customs Officer. We travelled on to the Yukon River where we crossed over in a vehicular ferry to Dawson City. What an amazing highway and what a wonderful trip that was.
Dawson City is a great place to visit – all the roadways are dirt – the footpaths are timber and the place is overflowing with atmosphere and history. In keeping with the City’s bylaws, any new building or dwelling has to be designed and built in keeping with the theme and look of the gold rush days. Dome Hill towers over the town and reaches an elevation of 2,911 feet offering beautiful views of the town and area. We headed out for the evening and visited Diamond Tooth Gerties Casino, where we had dinner and watched the infamous Can Can dancing and entertainment.
At the North West Territories Visitors’ Centre we met a great young lady who worked there – she helped us track down a hire car which was available for one way transport across the 520 klm Klondike Highway to Whitehorse. Apparently this was the only one way car hire available for rental over the past three years so we very lucky indeed.
At Whitehorse we reviewed our various options for transport to Vancouver – hire car/ bus/ train/ ferry/ plane – we eventually decided to buy a little car which gave us more options for the best value. We bought a ’97 Pontiac Sunbird for $1,500 + $270 insurance + $49 for Yukon plates and then sold the car just before we left Vancouver for $1,000 - after 3,000 klms of trouble free motoring.
Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon and has a great atmosphere – it is surrounded by magnificent mountains and clear mountain lakes. Its name comes from the rapids on the Yukon River which resembles the flowing manes of charging white horses. I had often wondered where that name came from. The history here is captivating and well worth reading about – there’s no doubt about the strength of those early pioneers in the Gold Rush days.
Perhaps a winter visit to this part of the world would be worth thinking about down the track – to see the snow sports, Dog Sledding and the Northern Lights. Hmmmm on second thoughts I might just give that cold weather a miss!
Outside Whitehorse we travelled through scenic countryside along beautiful Bennett Lake to a little township called Carcross, where the White Pass and Yukon Route railway heads up over the mountains to Skagway. We headed out along the Alaska Highway to Watsons Lake back in British Columbia. We were told that as soon as we cross the border into BC and hit the Provincial Parks we’ll notice an increase in wildlife. No sooner had we crossed the border, than as promised, bears appeared along the roadsides. On our first day back in BC we saw 8 black and brown bears, moose, elk, long horn sheep, deer, wolves, squirrels and chipmunks.
We had an overnight stop in Fort Nelson which is a very industrial town. This is a work centre for the oil and gas fields. I was surprised to hear that mining is carried out here in the winter months because the areas are not accessible during the summer. They have to wait for the marshlands to freeze over so trucks and vehicles can be taken out to the fields in order for the work to begin.
Watsons Lake has a very interesting Sign Forest at the Visitors’ Centre with signposts from places all over the world. It began in WW2 with an US Army Engineer placing his home town sign on a post – today there are in excess of 24,000 signs from all over the world. A lady in the centre asked if we would like to send one from our home and she’ll place it out on a post among the rest. We stayed in a lovely little farmhouse B&B here and had the whole top floor to ourselves.
11th June
We travelled through Fort St John, another major centre for the oil and gas fields, to Dawson Creek which is Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway. We had now travelled the full length of the Alaska Highway from Fairbanks Alaska to Dawson Creek BC a total distance of 2,450.5 klms. This Alaska Highway was originally built by US troops in 1942 as a supply route for military installations and was then opened to unrestricted traffic in 1947. The continuous stream of huge motor homes and campers heading from the US north to Alaska for the summer months was mind boggling.
We travelled on through Prince George and Quesnel to Kamloops where we met up with Tony & Anna. Pat knew Tony back home and it was great to sit out on their deck and enjoy the magnificent view of the lake and the city below. Our room also had a great view – actually it was more like a suite than a room – it could put a five star resort to shame! We headed into town for dinner and had a great night out.
Our next port of call was Penticton on the lake. Our room was right at the front of the building so we looked off our balcony straight up the lake – so beautiful. There’s a famous restaurant here called Salty’s – lots of atmosphere and also with views over the lake.
We were now on the final leg into Vancouver so we stopped at the markets in the valley and stocked up on freshly picked vegetables to take home to Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe. Our trip took us through beautiful scenery into Princeton and Hope and back home. Arriving back was great – not only Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe, but also Lily the dog gave us a great welcome.
The next two weeks was spent with family – magnificent dinners and barbeques – oooohhh that salmon – something I’ll never forget. To all my family members Auntie Angela & Uncle Joe, Rory & Debbie, Chrissy & Justin, Antoinette & Tony, Connor, Bronagh & Pearse, Andrea & Kory, Nolan & Declan, Nicky, Rorie & Sinead, Una, Tara & Tamara, Danny & Gwenda, Auntie Marie & Uncle Desmond, Auntie Magdalene & Uncle Edmond, Uncle Frankie & Auntie Patsy, thank you to everyone for making our visit so very special. Not everyone’s name is here (due to lack of space) - but they are all one helluva bunch! I’ll never forget the great barbeques at Antoinette’s & Tony’s. We have given all the rellies an open invitation to visit us at Dingo Beach and it looks like we might have some ready to visit in 2010.
Uncle Joe’s sister Toni, who lives in Australia, arrived for the Wedding Anniversary celebrations. We got to know Toni quite well and we look forward to meeting up with her in Australia later on. Toni has a farm outside of Melbourne and has lived in Victoria since coming to Australia from Austria in 1951, the same year as my family came to Australia with me as a baby.
23rd June
Today we headed out of Vancouver on the Whistler Mountaineer train to Whistler. Whistler is home to Blackcomb Mountain which is North America’s only Mile High Mountain. It is consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in North America and is a world class destination. Vancouver and Whistler were awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics Games so preparations are underway for this major upcoming event.
26th June
50 years ago today, Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe married in Townsville, Qld, Australia so we all gathered to celebrate this great occasion. Firstly they renewed their Wedding Vows at their local Church and then headed out to the Old Mill at Port Moody to celebrate in style with their friends and family. It was a great night – certainly one we’ll always remember.
One evening we went to Anne & Ed’s for dinner. Salmon cooked on cedar boards once again – just magnificent - yummo! They made the mistake of mentioning their cherry tree was full of ripe cherries ready to be picked – so the next day was day 1 of cherry picking – then followed day 2! Pat made a great dessert we called Cherries Jubilee and then he made Cherry Jam. Thanks Anne & Ed for the great cherries. Pat says we’ll plan our next trip to Canada around the cherry picking season!
When my cousin Rory was a teenager he would delight in calling in to visit us in Nelson, BC to sample some of Pat's home brew which we named Pat's Pale Ale. He called over one morning and took great pleasure in presenting Pat with four cartons of his very own Home Brew! Rory & Debbie then surprised us one night with a dinner cruise on the Fraser River onboard the paddle steamer Native - we had a wonderful night – total passengers were 11 and total crew was 4. It is so relaxing and peaceful to cruise along the waterways – it gives a different and interesting perspective of the land.
30th June
When Pat and I met in Vancouver in 1970 he had a roommate Barrie, so we thought it would be great to catch up with him and spend a day together. What a day we had – a real walk down Memory Lane! We walked around the West End where we had all lived – we went to my apartment block then to Pat & Barrie’s and checked out other places we frequented. At lunch time we called into the Blue Horizon Hotel where Pat and I had first met and had lunch. Although Barrie lives in Vancouver he hasn’t been into the West End and he also thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgic day out. In 1970 we were 20, 21 and 23 now we’re just a little bit older and we’d like to think, a little bit wiser!!
1st July
This is the sad day I dreaded as I had to say goodbye to my Aunt and Uncle – it’s not easy – they’ve been like second parents to me for my whole life. The best part is that they are planning to visit Australia next year in October and November with Rory and Debbie, which will be great. Rory’s sisters and Debbie don’t think Rory will make the trip as he is such a homebody – he assures me he will make it and I think he will!!! Let’s see …..
Our Rocky Mountaineer train trip from Vancouver to Jasper included a night at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel the night before departure - what a bonus – today is Canada Day and the City is alive with people and activities. Danny & Gwenda, Antoinette & Tony, Andrea & Kory decided a night out in the City would be great idea so we all met up for dinner at Steamworks in the brewery and then headed out to watch the fireworks. I thanked my cousins for the great send off they had organized for us and we now look forward to our next get-together – perhaps in Canada – perhaps in Australia.
2nd July
The 2 day Rocky Mountaineer train trip from Vancouver to Jasper is spectacular and is one of the World’s Great Train Trips - a once in a lifetime treat. Our journey took us through Kamloops where we had an overnight stop and then onto Jasper, Alberta. After our dinner in Kamploops, Pat's friend Tony picked us up from our Hotel and brought us back up to his home to enjoy the magnificent sunset from his deck on the top of the hill and to meet Anna's parents who were visiting from Denmark.
Today we headed out of Vancouver on the Whistler Mountaineer train to Whistler. Whistler is home to Blackcomb Mountain which is North America’s only Mile High Mountain. It is consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in North America and is a world class destination. Vancouver and Whistler were awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics Games so preparations are underway for this major upcoming event.
26th June
50 years ago today, Auntie Angela and Uncle Joe married in Townsville, Qld, Australia so we all gathered to celebrate this great occasion. Firstly they renewed their Wedding Vows at their local Church and then headed out to the Old Mill at Port Moody to celebrate in style with their friends and family. It was a great night – certainly one we’ll always remember.
One evening we went to Anne & Ed’s for dinner. Salmon cooked on cedar boards once again – just magnificent - yummo! They made the mistake of mentioning their cherry tree was full of ripe cherries ready to be picked – so the next day was day 1 of cherry picking – then followed day 2! Pat made a great dessert we called Cherries Jubilee and then he made Cherry Jam. Thanks Anne & Ed for the great cherries. Pat says we’ll plan our next trip to Canada around the cherry picking season!
When my cousin Rory was a teenager he would delight in calling in to visit us in Nelson, BC to sample some of Pat's home brew which we named Pat's Pale Ale. He called over one morning and took great pleasure in presenting Pat with four cartons of his very own Home Brew! Rory & Debbie then surprised us one night with a dinner cruise on the Fraser River onboard the paddle steamer Native - we had a wonderful night – total passengers were 11 and total crew was 4. It is so relaxing and peaceful to cruise along the waterways – it gives a different and interesting perspective of the land.
30th June
When Pat and I met in Vancouver in 1970 he had a roommate Barrie, so we thought it would be great to catch up with him and spend a day together. What a day we had – a real walk down Memory Lane! We walked around the West End where we had all lived – we went to my apartment block then to Pat & Barrie’s and checked out other places we frequented. At lunch time we called into the Blue Horizon Hotel where Pat and I had first met and had lunch. Although Barrie lives in Vancouver he hasn’t been into the West End and he also thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgic day out. In 1970 we were 20, 21 and 23 now we’re just a little bit older and we’d like to think, a little bit wiser!!
1st July
This is the sad day I dreaded as I had to say goodbye to my Aunt and Uncle – it’s not easy – they’ve been like second parents to me for my whole life. The best part is that they are planning to visit Australia next year in October and November with Rory and Debbie, which will be great. Rory’s sisters and Debbie don’t think Rory will make the trip as he is such a homebody – he assures me he will make it and I think he will!!! Let’s see …..
Our Rocky Mountaineer train trip from Vancouver to Jasper included a night at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel the night before departure - what a bonus – today is Canada Day and the City is alive with people and activities. Danny & Gwenda, Antoinette & Tony, Andrea & Kory decided a night out in the City would be great idea so we all met up for dinner at Steamworks in the brewery and then headed out to watch the fireworks. I thanked my cousins for the great send off they had organized for us and we now look forward to our next get-together – perhaps in Canada – perhaps in Australia.
2nd July
The 2 day Rocky Mountaineer train trip from Vancouver to Jasper is spectacular and is one of the World’s Great Train Trips - a once in a lifetime treat. Our journey took us through Kamloops where we had an overnight stop and then onto Jasper, Alberta. After our dinner in Kamploops, Pat's friend Tony picked us up from our Hotel and brought us back up to his home to enjoy the magnificent sunset from his deck on the top of the hill and to meet Anna's parents who were visiting from Denmark.
3rd July
On this day we passed by Mt Robson, the highest mountain in Canada and as luck would have it the sky was blue and the mountain top was crisp and clear - apparently it is rare to be able to see the mountain top so clearly and without cloud. Our glass domed, upper level rail car was perfect and the scenery out of this world. If I had any complaint at all, it would be that there was too much food – we had to get off the train to give our stomachs a rest!
4th July
We overnighted in Jasper and travelled on next day to Edmonton by bus. We met up with Barry & Margaret, Tessa (14) & Connor (16) and Dutchie a Bichon Shitzu cross. We first met the Lewis family on a train between the Netherlands and Germany in 2007 when they were on a 6 month back packing trip around the world. What an education those kids were getting! The last leg of their trip brought them into Australia and down the east coast - we invited them to visit Dingo Beach on their journey south. It was decided then that we would incorporate their part of the world into our next trip into Canada.
6th July
This morning I received very sad news from home, my Dad's brother, Uncle Tom (79) died today after a long illness, which followed a stroke – he has lived in a nursing home for the past 5 years. Uncle Tom emigrated from Ireland to Australia in the early 50's. He was a wonderful artist and we were always very close to him. God Bless him and may he rest in peace.
It was a cold wet day in Edmonton so conditions were perfect for visiting the world famous West Edmonton Mall. What a hoot! It’s a Dreamworld incorporated into the shopping mall – there’s even a giant beach complete with palm trees and a wave machine. What a great place to visit. Connor and Tessa were our guides today – they showcased it well - they did a great job.
7th July
We headed south out of Edmonton today to visit the Calgary Stampede – another great day out and a wonderful experience. I can’t believe the pounding those young men put their bodies through in the buck jumps and bull rides. One thing for sure – they were all loving what they were doing and having a ball.
9th July
Today we set off from Edmonton with the Lewis clan and headed to their family cabin at Loon Lake Saskatchewan. The countryside is beautiful with green fields and also many crops of canola. Alberta is an oil rich province and up here in the north the hillsides are dotted with many of the familiar cylindrical oil reservoirs, an indicator of the presence of the oil. We made our way to the Saskatchewan border and headed into the little township of Loon Lake. What a great place with cabins and campers all around the fringes of the lakes – there are 5 lakes in total in this area.
We checked into the Lewis family cabin and settled in for the next few days. It was quite cold and the gas heater in the cabin warmed us nicely. Connor climbed up into the loft to retrieve a couple of extra doonas for the Aussie visitors to make sure we were snug and warm. Pat cooked his Thai food specialty for dinner and then we settled in for some card games.
The next morning was brilliant sunshine so it was out onto the deck with a great cup of coffee and to soak in the crisp fresh air and hear the plan for the day’s activities which included 9 holes of golf and lunch at the clubhouse. In the afternoon we set off in the family’s speedboat and checked out all the lakes and beaches. Margaret asked if we ever compare the different places we visit to home. A good question – very thought provoking. We actually love most places we visit – we take in whatever each place has to offer. If we were always looking for a comparison we might as well not ever leave home. In the evening after dinner Barry & Margaret brought out a guitar and we then sat around the campfire and had a great little sing-along. We also have had an introduction to a game called Corn-holing, which is on Pat’s To-Do list when we get home.
I have made several attempts to complete my blog to date, so when the family headed out to golf for the second day, I sat down to do some much needed catch up. Today 11th July is the 60th Anniversary of my Mum and Dad’s Wedding in Belfast, Ireland and I’m sure Mum will be having a little celebration of her own today.
4th July
We overnighted in Jasper and travelled on next day to Edmonton by bus. We met up with Barry & Margaret, Tessa (14) & Connor (16) and Dutchie a Bichon Shitzu cross. We first met the Lewis family on a train between the Netherlands and Germany in 2007 when they were on a 6 month back packing trip around the world. What an education those kids were getting! The last leg of their trip brought them into Australia and down the east coast - we invited them to visit Dingo Beach on their journey south. It was decided then that we would incorporate their part of the world into our next trip into Canada.
6th July
This morning I received very sad news from home, my Dad's brother, Uncle Tom (79) died today after a long illness, which followed a stroke – he has lived in a nursing home for the past 5 years. Uncle Tom emigrated from Ireland to Australia in the early 50's. He was a wonderful artist and we were always very close to him. God Bless him and may he rest in peace.
It was a cold wet day in Edmonton so conditions were perfect for visiting the world famous West Edmonton Mall. What a hoot! It’s a Dreamworld incorporated into the shopping mall – there’s even a giant beach complete with palm trees and a wave machine. What a great place to visit. Connor and Tessa were our guides today – they showcased it well - they did a great job.
7th July
We headed south out of Edmonton today to visit the Calgary Stampede – another great day out and a wonderful experience. I can’t believe the pounding those young men put their bodies through in the buck jumps and bull rides. One thing for sure – they were all loving what they were doing and having a ball.
9th July
Today we set off from Edmonton with the Lewis clan and headed to their family cabin at Loon Lake Saskatchewan. The countryside is beautiful with green fields and also many crops of canola. Alberta is an oil rich province and up here in the north the hillsides are dotted with many of the familiar cylindrical oil reservoirs, an indicator of the presence of the oil. We made our way to the Saskatchewan border and headed into the little township of Loon Lake. What a great place with cabins and campers all around the fringes of the lakes – there are 5 lakes in total in this area.
We checked into the Lewis family cabin and settled in for the next few days. It was quite cold and the gas heater in the cabin warmed us nicely. Connor climbed up into the loft to retrieve a couple of extra doonas for the Aussie visitors to make sure we were snug and warm. Pat cooked his Thai food specialty for dinner and then we settled in for some card games.
The next morning was brilliant sunshine so it was out onto the deck with a great cup of coffee and to soak in the crisp fresh air and hear the plan for the day’s activities which included 9 holes of golf and lunch at the clubhouse. In the afternoon we set off in the family’s speedboat and checked out all the lakes and beaches. Margaret asked if we ever compare the different places we visit to home. A good question – very thought provoking. We actually love most places we visit – we take in whatever each place has to offer. If we were always looking for a comparison we might as well not ever leave home. In the evening after dinner Barry & Margaret brought out a guitar and we then sat around the campfire and had a great little sing-along. We also have had an introduction to a game called Corn-holing, which is on Pat’s To-Do list when we get home.
I have made several attempts to complete my blog to date, so when the family headed out to golf for the second day, I sat down to do some much needed catch up. Today 11th July is the 60th Anniversary of my Mum and Dad’s Wedding in Belfast, Ireland and I’m sure Mum will be having a little celebration of her own today.
12th July
We were up bright and early this morning in readiness for our bus trip from Loon Lake to Regina. Pat and Barry loaded our backpacks into the car and we said goodbye to the Lewis clan. We had a great time in Edmonton, Calgary and Loon Lake with them all and now look forward to their next visit to Dingo Beach.
The full day bus trip south to Saskatoon and Regina was great. The lush countryside is dotted with beautiful lakes and fields of golden canola crops. Once again there is an amazing amount of oil wells here in Saskatchewan one of the prairie provinces.
We arrived in Regina and were met at the bus station by Marilyn and Dave. Marilyn and I were both 18 years of age and worked together in Vancouver in 1968/69 at the Worker's Compensation Board and we were great friends - here we were in Regina and finally getting together again 40 years later. What a great reunion - we don't think we've changed at all!!!!!!
Dave gave us a full tour of the City of Regina and its beautiful gardens and man made Wascana Lake which was built around 1912 by men with shovels! We have also met all of Marilyn's family including their two handsome sons and their families. Tonight we're going to the Sunset Ceremony by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). This is the training centre for all RCMP officers and other police from all over the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)