tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54793836980401666312024-03-13T19:00:13.960-04:00The Berkies RamblesWe have spent the last four years travelling for work. This blog details our travels as well as our cultural and expat experiences. We hope that this may be useful for other company travellers as well as providing family and friends with regular "whats happening in our world" updatesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-33085442494047782042015-07-27T03:59:00.000-04:002015-07-27T03:59:08.791-04:00Its Time - Back HomeAfter working around the world over the last 12 odd years, we have now headed "Down Under" and arrived back home - at least for a while. Whilst we are both still working on Papua New Guinea work, our location is back in Melbourne - with family and grandchildren. <br />
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Our time in New Guinea has been interesting. It is one of the more beautiful places we have had the opportunity to experience but has governance and other issues which will make advancement of the country as a whole, difficult. The people have interesting views and beliefs which I think would take a lifetime to fathom let alone understand. The culture is an interesting mix of primitive beliefs combined with a strong religious faith all mixed up with a growing modern understanding of their place in the world. This mixture of beliefs and understandings has made the work undertaken in this country the most difficult we have encountered over the last 40 odd years of working life - but also the most interesting (once frustrations are managed). The teams we worked with over the last 5-6 years have been brilliant and the varied ethnic mix across the team has been great (from our local team members, to the normal expat mix (Brits, Ozzies, and the Yanks) with some Russians, Cubans, Asians (Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipinos, Chinese etc), Europeans and East Europeans - a real mixture.<br />
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We have had great experiences and meet wonderful people and now need to undertake the difficult role of fitting in back home.....and I do believe this is one of the more difficult periods of an expat lifestyle. To make things even more interesting we have decided to sell our existing place and have bought a new home. So lots of changes coming up.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-67891444748427177592013-05-04T05:00:00.000-04:002014-07-22T08:29:09.993-04:00Ian and I have now been in Papua New Guinea for roughly three and a half years. Its been a tough project, with lots of issues, plenty of demands and, as always, a series of experiences which we would never have dreamed on having when we were married all those years ago.<br />
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PNG is a truly geographically beautiful country, but it is a third world nation, which is still trying to work methods of retaining its culture and developing into a true liberal democracy. Sometimes I actually wonder if the two will ever be really compatible. The huge gap in wealth, education and benefits, between the movers and shakers who mainly reside in Port Moresby or overseas and those that remain in subsistent farming villages throughout the country is huge and continuing to increase. It is hard to see how this gap will decrease anytime soon. Even those politicians with the best of intentions (and many do not fit into this group), have a difficult time managing the demands from the political groups, the NGOs and aids groups and the demands from their extended family and clan groups back in their home provinces.<br />
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Even so, the project works forward; with many work-stoppages associated with demands for the Company to provide services which should be provided by the government. After almost four years Ian's work on the Komo Airfield has almost come to an end (he will then move over to the Hides Plant Site work). THE major milestone was achieved on Friday with the landing of the first flight - the world's largest plane - an Antonov. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The airport took 3 years, 4 months and 24 days of site work; moved 9M m3 earth with ADTs hauling 1.3M km; 2.3M km of transporting and placing 400,000 m3 rock; layed 400,000 m2 of hotmix pavement; 3,900 km of runway grooving (enough to travel from Sydney to Pert; with the construction team enduring 50 Billion litres of rain (that would fill the huge site to a depth of more than 9.3m and submerge the captain in the Antonov cabin; and with a fire truck that is green (huh, I thought fire trucks were supposed to be red!?)! </span><br />
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So we now have about 12 months of work left to finish the pipeline and the plant site before moving on to the next experience in our lives. In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy the wonderful sunsets, which are amongst the most stunning we have ever experienced.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-29698064418766344672011-01-30T04:56:00.004-05:002011-01-30T05:12:52.027-05:00Port MoresbyAlmost 1 week since arriving in Port Moresby. As with most third world countries, the capital city tends to be a big mixture of people from all over the country with an added sector of expats. Some of these are long timers, from a variety of nations. All this makes shopping very interesting. Three main supermarkets are available to project people, one has a wide variety of canned and bottled goods, one a very good butcher (meat from New Zealand and Australia) and one is just plain handy and a bit hit and miss on what is available. End result this weekend was spent visiting supermarkets or working.<br /><br />The apartment I have been allocated is a bit of a mixed bag. Older style, comfortable but other than the historic place we had in Spain is the oldest place I have lived in for about 30 years. That said, it should be fine, size is good and once I get it to feel like home it will be quite comfortable. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtvDTLFcA6_3K46Mq9LHY4K404-Ua841-xfycUjTuMk-TXKociGbORUHGb9YvwPpJP8vghnxB3woXKQcZoUMutX00b2x2guFYMSMXj-HfMoAfQ7JcCazGmLfYWM0m_PYmJHJuhcBVefg/s1600/new+guinea+011.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtvDTLFcA6_3K46Mq9LHY4K404-Ua841-xfycUjTuMk-TXKociGbORUHGb9YvwPpJP8vghnxB3woXKQcZoUMutX00b2x2guFYMSMXj-HfMoAfQ7JcCazGmLfYWM0m_PYmJHJuhcBVefg/s320/new+guinea+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567917826175698722" /></a><br />The big win on this apartment is the views are fantastic. The hotel is situated half way up a hill over looking the Ela Beach and the wider bay around from the Port. The picture shows the view from the right at sunset.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKtyO8F2GkhyvdS_2hkRAYs6TQVoFuN34zVM1uiy2m4PWYuVPqLoZ0EzOHiMKOV7GSQ586rrccCDn5FifImUJcjhgC4rYP4fMCG95ybVqRj8Y7W7dgOjbJLz6sER9yScAOy9-t1abWkE/s1600/new+guinea+027.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKtyO8F2GkhyvdS_2hkRAYs6TQVoFuN34zVM1uiy2m4PWYuVPqLoZ0EzOHiMKOV7GSQ586rrccCDn5FifImUJcjhgC4rYP4fMCG95ybVqRj8Y7W7dgOjbJLz6sER9yScAOy9-t1abWkE/s320/new+guinea+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567918653953010930" /></a><br />From the left is an equally stunning view, which includes a lovely island and a jetty which is used by locals over the weekend. It was great watching all the kids diving in from the end, and the families having such a good time together. The tide is very low during the right time of the day and the locals go out at least 300 meters and still seem to only be at waist depth. Work is going well and the new week will see me on a business trip back to Brisbane. Looks like I'll be building up a few flyer miles over the next couple of yearsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-62257449243996046052011-01-22T22:21:00.002-05:002011-01-22T22:39:35.598-05:00Now for the Next Stage - Moving OnWell after a couple of years based in Brisbane Australia, it is time for the next adventure. Whilst Ian will remain in Brisbane for a while longer, I am moving on to Port Morseby, New Guinea for a couple of years. I suppose one of the issues with working these projects is the number of times we find ourselves in different countries - at least this time we will be in the same hemisphere with only two to three hours flying time between the two areas. <br /><br />The last couple of weeks in Brisbane have been interesting to say the least. Just before my original sail away date, the city and the state of Queensland was hit with floods which really had to be seen to be believed. The area under water was equal to the country areas of France and Germany combined. Houses smashed with water going through at speeds not to be believed. The damage will take months / years to repair. The house we have in Brisbane is just out of the immediate city area and on a hill - so we were very lucky. Many of our friends were affected with loss of power - but were in apartment blocks - high enough up that they were not affected by water damage. Lots of visitors and several meals were had at the Springhill address to cover off immediate needs until everyone found longer term beds, internet and cooking facilities. Things are quieter now in the CBD but the water has reached the south of Australia and is causing trouble in Victoria. Our wishes and thoughts are with all those country areas now being inundated in that area.<br /><br />Anyhow, its time to get back to the packing. PNG is a beautiful country and should be a wonderful place to spend a couple of years. It will be interesting to see the progress and potential the governance will make over that time with the benefits it will get from this project. Hopefully it will be strong enough to apply those benefits to all its people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-25757935312059541272010-12-30T01:48:00.004-05:002011-01-13T06:50:17.201-05:00Happy Christmas and a Wonderful New YearWell, we are close to the end of another year. Boy they go fast these days - shows we are getting older and time is getting shorter. Ian and I had Christmas in Melbourne and were able to catch up with Lauren and Tim and just after Christmas, Anthony, Jenny and Luke. A quiet Christmas but a good one. <br /><br />Luke is chatting away and delighted us all with his excitement around his new Thomas the Train rail set. Unfortunately it was way too short and we returned to Brisbane yesterday. <br /><br />So now starts preparation for 2011. I am off to PNG for at least two years whilst Ian is still due to stay in Brisbane.We expect to still get together regularly as we expect Ian to have quite a few business trips to Port Morseby. <br /><br />Therefore the next couple of days will be sent trying to pack both the items I need to take with me and those items I will leave for Ian to bring up over the next few visits. <br /><br />Hope everyone has a great New Year and a Wonderful 2011 - keep safeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-86907550481102120622010-10-31T07:54:00.007-04:002010-10-31T08:23:37.066-04:00Palm Beach - Near Cairns<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvUytcF3EW8-pYHLG2Fh11hO9EiFIkKfhl6U8lgDyQSsffLDQt55YDczX73GAVcnsa6HxXALNOzQlAnyAeGOW0l3h57iRQIlLDy-Rtp8omo48zMRJjGvt6plf-0qRzsKXtGK19-awON8/s1600/IMG_1305.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534178858672674194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvUytcF3EW8-pYHLG2Fh11hO9EiFIkKfhl6U8lgDyQSsffLDQt55YDczX73GAVcnsa6HxXALNOzQlAnyAeGOW0l3h57iRQIlLDy-Rtp8omo48zMRJjGvt6plf-0qRzsKXtGK19-awON8/s200/IMG_1305.JPG" /></a><br /><br />In September we took off for a week at Palm Beach. It was a week spent with Anthony, Jenny and little Luke whilst Lauren and Tim joined us for about 4 days. A terrific family holiday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ifJUn4vUed53_TKER9gQ5AYYp7AgvULYyye0jEzJbGpI9LKVNYR8EFHWUJQGjSdWNq8q8qW7FxSdfXh06jlP8NbuL-5ZwmeOevMejWIFX2807h1IQ8pidiB1nzKpUT03djEu3qyWrWw/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534179711700034002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ifJUn4vUed53_TKER9gQ5AYYp7AgvULYyye0jEzJbGpI9LKVNYR8EFHWUJQGjSdWNq8q8qW7FxSdfXh06jlP8NbuL-5ZwmeOevMejWIFX2807h1IQ8pidiB1nzKpUT03djEu3qyWrWw/s200/IMG_1316.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Luke, who has several months of swimming lessons had a great time in the pool. No fear and as per the photo seemed to think there were no reasons for all the safety warnings.<br /><br />Luke, and his dad, Pa and Uncle Tim spent a lot of time playing with the ball. Mum joined in to play "jumping into the pool for dad to catch me" which Luke thought was great.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeGhuU4zWnfR5N7z8l2NuiwR7xNARNwmvehM80eF32WVjYlKk8aFvult50fdbkirkoWTB22tLpS4t8T9QckHPL0on3yTve_TUesWH821iGmJAYSPJ-HCpCf-GteH2IwFrdLXsWeSNCkM/s1600/IMG_1355.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534180355231229906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeGhuU4zWnfR5N7z8l2NuiwR7xNARNwmvehM80eF32WVjYlKk8aFvult50fdbkirkoWTB22tLpS4t8T9QckHPL0on3yTve_TUesWH821iGmJAYSPJ-HCpCf-GteH2IwFrdLXsWeSNCkM/s200/IMG_1355.JPG" /></a><br />We celebrated Lauren's birthday whilst in Palm Beach. Lots of walks down the beach and then celebrated father's Day at one of the local restaurants. Great time - particularly as everyone lives in different states and we don't get together very often. It was also great to spend some time with Luke where he could really get to know us all a bit.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRQUUI99y5oC1XbECAGYGoR3nGXZTq6Yz6rbOiuo935bg9dtgI9l0XOCWKbVBlJoGUfjHiIFN5aS_esQj42NB_4tg9kj2A_3NnAMw37JUwkEp99ktiPylyywhYrTa8weIa6UozwTCcI8/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534181742093600322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRQUUI99y5oC1XbECAGYGoR3nGXZTq6Yz6rbOiuo935bg9dtgI9l0XOCWKbVBlJoGUfjHiIFN5aS_esQj42NB_4tg9kj2A_3NnAMw37JUwkEp99ktiPylyywhYrTa8weIa6UozwTCcI8/s200/IMG_1337.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumDLPAvuTjZNfgX9JD7OUagHbviLvPliSR92-aHOjCMSXBt4pT7xOWvlhex8lngxJRWqdZ1QwLH-ViFYMCZamrc-V4HDMlcc2djNY77czhyphenhyphen_l-ac9SXUoXY3CrteZa_Mk672EBOnMhcQ/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534182131657641970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumDLPAvuTjZNfgX9JD7OUagHbviLvPliSR92-aHOjCMSXBt4pT7xOWvlhex8lngxJRWqdZ1QwLH-ViFYMCZamrc-V4HDMlcc2djNY77czhyphenhyphen_l-ac9SXUoXY3CrteZa_Mk672EBOnMhcQ/s200/IMG_1336.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-91050833671127052862010-10-31T07:34:00.009-04:002010-10-31T08:32:42.834-04:00Hamilton Island<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLj2duaJbWAwqyJ70BxSAiYAl0zPHKHuKVVf3oGgVPxtLU_8q7fFGsvoecZ-Of80Xwg0oflSElkXSKHP1QKcId2Wb-rXUomdG8kI9xUCsCyqpajZCWqniCg9-gJgOpRbIrsmGSC5hTWg/s1600/IMG_1186.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534176300746797650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLj2duaJbWAwqyJ70BxSAiYAl0zPHKHuKVVf3oGgVPxtLU_8q7fFGsvoecZ-Of80Xwg0oflSElkXSKHP1QKcId2Wb-rXUomdG8kI9xUCsCyqpajZCWqniCg9-gJgOpRbIrsmGSC5hTWg/s200/IMG_1186.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div>By February, the Project we are working on was up and running. All bids reviewed, all contracts in place and work started. It had been a busy and full-out period since Ian had joined me in Brisbane and we decided we needed a couple of days off to rest and relax. It was also our 35th wedding anniversary which did deserve something more than just a dinner out with a glass of wine. so Ian had booked a surprise trip to Hamilton Island. this island is off the Queensland cost and part o the Whitsunday group.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>We had a wonderful suite on the top floor of the Reef Hotel. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwChgOLJ1ki8dz8fe_d_3KmS_UnyXJW3dYq3SAf9_GufroV_u-rwMCPgKcUt91W2FXB_N5nX4rg6YsgoGAhc37vQ_veOZTvN6MimReZV66AJVXeU1K9_sYbuDYEvz9-uWG1sjzHgwIE8U/s1600/IMG_1195.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534176760020780610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwChgOLJ1ki8dz8fe_d_3KmS_UnyXJW3dYq3SAf9_GufroV_u-rwMCPgKcUt91W2FXB_N5nX4rg6YsgoGAhc37vQ_veOZTvN6MimReZV66AJVXeU1K9_sYbuDYEvz9-uWG1sjzHgwIE8U/s200/IMG_1195.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Great rooms , great views from two lovely balconies. the island had terrific restaurants and we both ate far too much. It was rather fun getting around as the island traffic system was based on golf carts - which Ian tried very hard to "hoon" around in. </div><br /><div></div><div>Being there also gave us the idea of having a full family get together at somewhere similar later in the year.<br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-17429535735758737422010-10-31T07:00:00.006-04:002010-10-31T07:33:54.992-04:00Christening<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSXjT9yQQHXhDMOTO507seed_-L812Wc3a5wlH1AKgizrH1QCXo6S9HUtK9PpiHBf_nGt91zxJUPaKPXeROja1vGihLJvpCNL7_utL9vPMr9Kx9XjbtxtfMxIjgXjQ4KKKbLcKE9SJyM/s1600/IMG_3568.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534165925497386322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSXjT9yQQHXhDMOTO507seed_-L812Wc3a5wlH1AKgizrH1QCXo6S9HUtK9PpiHBf_nGt91zxJUPaKPXeROja1vGihLJvpCNL7_utL9vPMr9Kx9XjbtxtfMxIjgXjQ4KKKbLcKE9SJyM/s200/IMG_3568.JPG" /></a> Its been a while since I updated this blog so thought I'd go back and update some of the important events of this year. In March wonderful grandson ( I know.... I am biased) Luke was christened at a lovely ceremony at the local church in Berrigan. For those friends who are not Australian, Berrigan is close to the Victorian/New South Wales border.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Luke behaved well - though he did seem to think it was a bit strange getting wet in the middle of the day rather than just bath time as can be seen in the look <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQ6k3V4l90CQhcDFFYT-NP40riTIUXfuK6TTAYT5ACYyBopB5vQNxgmQsZ3lc4ii2SuyadvsJQEskQazeDcF8gSzGsuN0qe4OZAlZqGJldGGCxURR5fbuKBJ3XxcB8bSZcPo_sfjsWYY/s1600/IMG_3591.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534167701001295282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQ6k3V4l90CQhcDFFYT-NP40riTIUXfuK6TTAYT5ACYyBopB5vQNxgmQsZ3lc4ii2SuyadvsJQEskQazeDcF8gSzGsuN0qe4OZAlZqGJldGGCxURR5fbuKBJ3XxcB8bSZcPo_sfjsWYY/s200/IMG_3591.JPG" /></a><br />he gave his Mum during the ceremony. Anth was a proud as punch. Jen's brother Keith and Lauren are godparents - also well behaved - so a lovely ceremony all round.</div><br /><div></div><div>We all then went to the annual Berrigan horse race where we celebrated Luke's christening and his 1st birthday. Even though it sounds a strange place to celebrate - it was a great day and a lot of fun. Country race meetings are very different from those held in the city. It is all very casual and friendly with all the locals joining in and the races were interesting. some seemed competitive and some just needed to finish to get a place.</div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeMcC7ITKaoADweSRbIbywJ6HOnqVHISFNZ36DxoxEDhq2V4iKohV4EPOM4xrixUFtKIU5vxTlEhVufFdhnCJSbgB289ML99ne169L8jiIItH0FDK2HPNgThtl0ir0LTRNDAMFTYbAHw/s1600/IMG_3595.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534170961165390482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeMcC7ITKaoADweSRbIbywJ6HOnqVHISFNZ36DxoxEDhq2V4iKohV4EPOM4xrixUFtKIU5vxTlEhVufFdhnCJSbgB289ML99ne169L8jiIItH0FDK2HPNgThtl0ir0LTRNDAMFTYbAHw/s200/IMG_3595.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs9WCPOqNa9eWNzFVYiKsBSJz6bIyzysjoedrRmKAgOdwbsD1SopEhJZmFiB16LPt-yRAS_KB3IpXj8nJ_ZM6CgyCBBVVfz8IEfv97k5SdB4BLWyKP-tKm96u_f7lPc8VaJ06lIw-c6E/s1600/IMG_3596.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534171666671534226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs9WCPOqNa9eWNzFVYiKsBSJz6bIyzysjoedrRmKAgOdwbsD1SopEhJZmFiB16LPt-yRAS_KB3IpXj8nJ_ZM6CgyCBBVVfz8IEfv97k5SdB4BLWyKP-tKm96u_f7lPc8VaJ06lIw-c6E/s200/IMG_3596.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-17930111186353235052009-06-07T01:16:00.006-04:002010-10-23T08:32:44.475-04:00Ian's still in Italy and Luke is getting bigger<div>It is now several months past Ian's initial expected arrival date in Queensland.......and we are still not sure exactly when we will see him arrive on these sunny shores. However, he has been over a couple of times - Once to catch up with Luke, and the rest of the family over Easter and a couple of weeks later when his father became ill. Dad has since recovered and Ian is back in Italy with the never ending project.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUO0SpDXzDHhRdhWteEggd4gTYv6vT7OwZ07R13f8YhPXOmVsmFZFo3ogqw1wC9215UYmIJoy9vSk30Sxhc8XfDZrz6W1I5zSFnnEoLxx9iXhutNm1aJIJ1MXjfyRRvxUvwHKzPkq9jg/s1600-h/IMG_1559%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344451509256692786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUO0SpDXzDHhRdhWteEggd4gTYv6vT7OwZ07R13f8YhPXOmVsmFZFo3ogqw1wC9215UYmIJoy9vSk30Sxhc8XfDZrz6W1I5zSFnnEoLxx9iXhutNm1aJIJ1MXjfyRRvxUvwHKzPkq9jg/s320/IMG_1559%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> Baby Luke in the meantime has continued to grow and is looking cuter every day (I am no longer allowed to call him pretty as Anthony has infomed me that boys are NOT pretty). However, I still think he is pretty.<br /><br /><p>According to his parents as he is growing he is becoming a lot more fun, with lots of smiles and gurgles. The family is on a "round the country trip" at the moment as their house renovations have commenced. This means that they will come up visit Nana this month allowing me lots more opportunities for cuddles and photos etc. Things are certainly easier than the "old days" with the ability to rent car seats and other baby bits without having to go out and buy everything from scratch - Isn't the internet wonderful. </p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Ian in the meantime has been doing a bit of travel around Italy over the last few weeks. Knowing that his time there is coming to an end triggers the desire to go and see all those places we had planned to go. A downside of the expat lifestyle is that the intention to "do" the tourist thing often gets overridden by the need to meet work requirements. Projects tend to be very demanding with 12 plus hours per day including weekend work - which limits the time available to actually get out and see the country you are in. Usually this means that just before we are demobilized it is a mad panic to try and see the primary things on our "to do" list. That said, I think we have more or less decided that once we retire we will need to go back and see all the places we had on our lists and have missed.</p><br /><p> </p><br /><p> </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-55174490608140810392009-04-25T07:08:00.012-04:002009-06-07T01:16:37.918-04:00Welcome to baby Luke<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6sIgQzVobPOuNbQzKHO6nuFkedLMbgIcuZgwJ0O7rcXK9wdn_bVJqzqepycyWCs1pQQV2nXZXrtc25DTaRiByxXV3hj8OYp1FzrphbyyfyzWcDj8k7xPr82JCSlGpM78ixF0uRMLqNo/s1600-h/IMG_1489.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328595267102531154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6sIgQzVobPOuNbQzKHO6nuFkedLMbgIcuZgwJ0O7rcXK9wdn_bVJqzqepycyWCs1pQQV2nXZXrtc25DTaRiByxXV3hj8OYp1FzrphbyyfyzWcDj8k7xPr82JCSlGpM78ixF0uRMLqNo/s320/IMG_1489.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />The big news of 2009 is the entrance of Luke Thomas - our first grandchild. Born on the 27<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> March 2009, I was able to get to Sydney to visit him on his first weekend. Nothing like being a Nana<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dark haired like his Dad - even if it may not last. And blue eyed like his Mum - also likely to change. It will be interesting to see who he ends up looking like. Votes are that he looks like Pa Berkie (Ian ) at the moment - but I think that has to do with the hairline more than anything else and that too will change.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRkziAVX0nXTFKVqHhOaxwBUhntFx8eycg2C-tLmVLYp69PEHOEbdhir0x0tODTDOBltBPdKs6uZHH3FXyFNg_JTx8q1woc6wSbkVl_VoJdZMVbtTijiMc1aXXIDflajyfd7HQqhuBYU/s1600-h/IMG_1456.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328587751527550434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRkziAVX0nXTFKVqHhOaxwBUhntFx8eycg2C-tLmVLYp69PEHOEbdhir0x0tODTDOBltBPdKs6uZHH3FXyFNg_JTx8q1woc6wSbkVl_VoJdZMVbtTijiMc1aXXIDflajyfd7HQqhuBYU/s320/IMG_1456.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Anthony is as proud as punch and is getting lots of exercise walking Luke around the block when he has a bit of wind. Luke has taken a liking to his sling which seems to help settle him when his tummy is playing up.<br /><br /><br />Fresh air is good for babies and he certainly seemed to get a bit of that during his walks in the first couple of weeks.<br /><br />Jenny is doing a fantastic job with him and has now pretty well sorted him out so that the issues of the first couple of weeks seem to be behind them - mind you Luke does seem to have a mind of his own - which does not always agree with his Mum and Dad's desire for sleep.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz8hMWfC7af-rNft9OKXYaTwSBsTNtRsdg2-wcQ-6ZfIFxet7zgvXh3OjbHxjdTYhBSm5J0b8l7ndi1RhCMtrR90a3X807ZL4IZeWTsLsR0uVaWl38gpaYwOuyXBfCnlj9nOSgdfF4R4/s1600-h/IMG_1493.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328593224498125842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz8hMWfC7af-rNft9OKXYaTwSBsTNtRsdg2-wcQ-6ZfIFxet7zgvXh3OjbHxjdTYhBSm5J0b8l7ndi1RhCMtrR90a3X807ZL4IZeWTsLsR0uVaWl38gpaYwOuyXBfCnlj9nOSgdfF4R4/s320/IMG_1493.JPG" border="0" /></a> He makes the most wonderful faces. Lost of frowns as he listens to the voices around him and lots of forehead wrinkles as he tries to work out what is going out around him. I'm not biased - but a very focused and intelligent little guy if you ask me!<br /><br />Hopefully, being in the same country (if not the same state) will allow Ian and myself to see quite a bit of him over the coming year as next year may see us offshore again.<br /><br />Anyhow - call back soon to see some updates on the photos. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-46121684853585595082009-04-25T06:14:00.009-04:002009-04-25T07:06:32.036-04:00Brisbane<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoulvh-0ZrZlrG_rpkNS5NgIIL52wFVpIlhfgUk7Znx_iXFFrSjIxqOPLcgrGWzWnB7RmRMNLrRJ9D7VkNhIdQO7hJDPbLY5ny-HMUcIV62tzX034kD_U5VdQ_6iQP_vHUkCP_wvZ3_d4/s1600-h/IMG_0557.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328572570222892226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoulvh-0ZrZlrG_rpkNS5NgIIL52wFVpIlhfgUk7Znx_iXFFrSjIxqOPLcgrGWzWnB7RmRMNLrRJ9D7VkNhIdQO7hJDPbLY5ny-HMUcIV62tzX034kD_U5VdQ_6iQP_vHUkCP_wvZ3_d4/s320/IMG_0557.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I've been in Brisbane for about two months now. Ian is still in Italy trying to get the concrete shoebox completed. He was able to get out to Oz for a couple of weeks over Easter which provided us with the opportunity to catch up with the newest member of our family - little Luke Thomas. More of that in the next blog (as it is definitely an important enough event to warrant a full blog on its own).<br /><br /><br /><br />Brisbane has never been my favorite Australian city - I expect thats because everytime we get transferred here something happens which takes Ian away and I am left here on my own. That said, we have a nice apartment. A bit on the small side but fantastic views. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx05cOjL-ql8UElY2uCdEAlujHyH3KCJCO11ckpeyp-yzJaVZTwzV3IRGf7CouE2fzsMiz6_n73fqek1gOsLJiaBVSqWANFFs45IAeJfwk3RV8LI-TMHHErE8OMDx5K3neD1vAhfuLv5U/s1600-h/IMG_0544.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328572135581981042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx05cOjL-ql8UElY2uCdEAlujHyH3KCJCO11ckpeyp-yzJaVZTwzV3IRGf7CouE2fzsMiz6_n73fqek1gOsLJiaBVSqWANFFs45IAeJfwk3RV8LI-TMHHErE8OMDx5K3neD1vAhfuLv5U/s320/IMG_0544.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />It seems that every day the weather provides a different look and some have been quite brilliant. The sunrises are particularly impressive.....and yes I do get up early enough to catch them - regularly. The place is about 5 minutes slow walk to the office and in the middle of the CBD - lots of handy cafes, restaurants and nice river walks. Just need to get Ian over here so they can be fully enjoyed.<br /><br />As mentioned earlier we spent Easter down in Sydney. Ian had his (getting older) birthday whilst we were there and Jenny (with Anthony's moral support) had organized a motorbike ride around the Harbour on a Harley. Anthony went along to keep him company and my job was photographer.<br />My two biker guys got dressed up in leathers, helmets and spent some time looking tough for the camera and then literally roared off over the horizon. They turned up one hour later looking as though they had a great time - until they had to get off the bikes and walked around to get back to the car. The bikes are great for the image but a bit tough on the suspension - leaving them feeling a bit precious in the rear end.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328574714030121426" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42-hDAM7KMYFZh7pjquzMoQspW-IC-0tkEpW73DXNrjRjhKBiIzKI356F_hdd0u8mi1Zkl4YqZaADkmQLac7cXpq87YPu9JgR6q4LyfzPiOYhCxN9k_8qy4-hLMUueBDNooDvvfeSxrM/s200/IMG_0571.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrh-czSaWg-NDXICrOgzemtUz2_pOViGnGev8ZSWTUQTivKhgdZqQW479re5UA0BYPinv75_ZXJoFOSzMebv6IDTuJ0wx2AeJpOEE7YQEI6pT5YkfTRQ1xg005sS92Vt4EIFC8IDAcZ0/s1600-h/IMG_0574.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328578330637472626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjB4glYUmVcipbmonW9Agj9Q5Blt-QPQb0JHUCldf4dqYsIEIDXyk1sFdc54XHpz54qEdYe09qWciRh4_k0J53ZCZV0H8VWzaOP7koa2NXBM7qMtWT7Vv9wxdf72qVn5vL9yTpabWdLJE/s200/IMG_0581.JPG" border="0" /></p></a><br /><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328575678580573538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrh-czSaWg-NDXICrOgzemtUz2_pOViGnGev8ZSWTUQTivKhgdZqQW479re5UA0BYPinv75_ZXJoFOSzMebv6IDTuJ0wx2AeJpOEE7YQEI6pT5YkfTRQ1xg005sS92Vt4EIFC8IDAcZ0/s200/IMG_0574.JPG" border="0" /></p><br />So, as much as they enjoyed the experience I don't think either of them are thinking of going out and buying a motorbike. (Ian did mention that it was just an age thing). The evening was spent at Anth's place with the entire family including Jenny's Mum Katie - a great day for Ian especially with the new addition to the family.<br /><br />The following weekend Ian and I decided to do some local tourist(ing) and visited the hills inland from the Sunshine Coast called The Blackall Range. Stunning views and a lovely drive. We had lunch at a beautiful little cafe called the Poet Corner (or something similar) which overlooked rainforest and was surrounded by nice little craft style shops. Well worth the trip and now on our "take visitors to see" list. So if you do make it up this way whilst we are around this will be one of the day trips. Ian went back to Venezzia last weekend. hopefully he will get here for a little longer in about another 2 monthsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-77796852878474471072009-02-19T07:32:00.003-05:002009-02-19T07:40:36.080-05:00Back in OzWell its been a while since I updated this Blog. As many of you know ian and I only intended to be in Italy for approx 6 months. Unfortunately, plans do not always work out and the Project in Italy has extended well beyond expectations. This has resulted in Ian being retained on the Italian Project whilst I have started on the next leg of our Project travels. This time in Brisbane Australia - thats right we are back in Oz.<br /><br />I arrived about 2 weeks ago and have organized short term housing (still have not got the TV working properly and am just about ready to give up on telstra in trying to organize a phone line (think I might stick to the mobile - a lot less trouble and many times less frustrating. Picked out and purchased a car and have just about found my way around the local area.<br /><br />The apartment has a terrific view - though it is not very large - still there is only me for the time being so it will be fine. Work has started and is going well and Ian's project back in Italy seems to finally be moving in the right direction.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-55043427635708692542008-08-06T17:36:00.005-04:002008-08-06T18:03:39.737-04:00We're moving to ItalyThe big concrete box that has kept us in Spain over the last 18 months is sailing away to Italy....so we go too. With just over 3 weeks to go, we are deep into the process of packing up gear to go into storage, clothes to take to Italy and sorting all those things we have picked up and don't really need (and furthermore can't work out why we collected/bought them in the first place). <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NJfbXm5qGEzSopKYzqItPT-dk0DavSG1ebPaUQjrf2Ksv4RQbO5kkkjNaB7hYbUau8uPbpkeGq1GWHGcOteuLGLmKo1Qf3g7gjB99QUt5iqyIjHGnG7o-aMqukX0cCTAjr8eUtrvLwY/s1600-h/IMG_0003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NJfbXm5qGEzSopKYzqItPT-dk0DavSG1ebPaUQjrf2Ksv4RQbO5kkkjNaB7hYbUau8uPbpkeGq1GWHGcOteuLGLmKo1Qf3g7gjB99QUt5iqyIjHGnG7o-aMqukX0cCTAjr8eUtrvLwY/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231524933037173762" /></a><br />To ensure we actually have somewhere to live when we arrive, we headed off to Italy a few weeks ago - house hunting. It was actually difficult coming up with options on the internet (which was a bit surprizing)....so using the great forums on traveladvisor.com I asked some of the locals for suggestions. One of the recommendations was for a place called Castel Venezze. This wonderful old villa (dating from the 1400s) has been "done up" as a hotel with the associated buildings converted to apartments.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfEDQ508tOOWDyKEZBmiAva9EmnVNeStvxeDJ5GJXUZZQwYqaId7m6YICUVmHkUaJXWzu7VhVR3VoEl37h1LsNdSg5ymYwALcE4pulChBZ496aQ5i6ViWTq09hUXSo9YiDyon1x0D05Y/s1600-h/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfEDQ508tOOWDyKEZBmiAva9EmnVNeStvxeDJ5GJXUZZQwYqaId7m6YICUVmHkUaJXWzu7VhVR3VoEl37h1LsNdSg5ymYwALcE4pulChBZ496aQ5i6ViWTq09hUXSo9YiDyon1x0D05Y/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231525644820461250" /></a><br />We stayed at this wonderful place, got to know the fantastic lady who owns and manages it - Contessa Maria Giustiniani, and eventually arranged to make one of the apartments our home for the next .....well however long it ends up being. The gardens are really impressive and just to top it all off....Maria runs cooking classes focusing on the local Italian cuisine. So far there doesn't seem to be much down side - other than Ian will have about 40 minutes travel each day - but he seems very happy and looking forward to the experience.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGjiARXQB_kUTvTS9HSwT-rT3njU9FuYRF0-dVy-WhQrvKksh8htYjKbTX5ZdcCp77HJGFozaYuQOJPOZPsbZsGs0WACaT20xuedH_suj1vyxYMtdUseJxwhyphenhyphena0QdWOTQDX-bl7j4Fxk/s1600-h/IMG_0104.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGjiARXQB_kUTvTS9HSwT-rT3njU9FuYRF0-dVy-WhQrvKksh8htYjKbTX5ZdcCp77HJGFozaYuQOJPOZPsbZsGs0WACaT20xuedH_suj1vyxYMtdUseJxwhyphenhyphena0QdWOTQDX-bl7j4Fxk/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527685523480802" /></a><br />The next few weeks will be flat out - what with study, shifting, the work requirements of the Paris contract, and finding time to watch the Olympics - but we are both looking forward to the next adventure - even though we will be sad to leave Spain.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-47939685607296586342008-04-17T13:45:00.013-04:002008-06-28T14:25:56.936-04:00Weekend in Brussels - March<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkQa4FzWht0wS6A9aiZVQsgfpdBE-0QHmCpUUN9tDcbOnJOfHgYyxkB_HscPOTyqGs_7T6CBlk1XpgD9gNQWZ9DQd27Ti7GGqM3ifY7mLTcgjBDl5M9bnwTMAd1Mcpcizgv0JZGrIS5c/s1600-h/IMG_2688.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkQa4FzWht0wS6A9aiZVQsgfpdBE-0QHmCpUUN9tDcbOnJOfHgYyxkB_HscPOTyqGs_7T6CBlk1XpgD9gNQWZ9DQd27Ti7GGqM3ifY7mLTcgjBDl5M9bnwTMAd1Mcpcizgv0JZGrIS5c/s320/IMG_2688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190273433296619314" /></a><br />Giving up waiting at home for Ian to get back from his latest trip, I decided to meet up with him in Brussels for the weekend before he headed off for his next Oslo meeting and I headed back for sunny Spain. We had spent a couple of days in Brussels a few years ago....but that was part of an organized tour...and as much as you travel through a heap of countries, you don't necessarily see everything you might like to. So...this time we were "doing our own thing". And of course, THERE WAS THE CHOCOLATES.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm34Okimx0cpMj6O-bi_dXvIi6GnnY0rXqlhV5JjiNb3aIttSIUjUKg69bFECsCmMWR6qZavMxHNT1enmeIWE4nECMd5IXnce8H3VyvSIsq_hyphenhyphenkQX2oU_PuvheTyQA1eLU2QMouJo50F8/s1600-h/IMG_2693.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm34Okimx0cpMj6O-bi_dXvIi6GnnY0rXqlhV5JjiNb3aIttSIUjUKg69bFECsCmMWR6qZavMxHNT1enmeIWE4nECMd5IXnce8H3VyvSIsq_hyphenhyphenkQX2oU_PuvheTyQA1eLU2QMouJo50F8/s320/IMG_2693.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190308256891455298" /></a><br />Our hotel was centrally located and we were able to walk to all the main tourist features. The first being the beautiful La Bourse (the stock exchange) which was just around the corner. Almost directly behind was the Grand Place square. This was the old heart of Brussels and is filled with the most stunning architecture from Maison Du Roi to La Maison Des Ducs de Brarant and the Hotel de Ville (the building was started in 1401 and was used as the town hall - fantastic). Furthermore the path between the stock exchange and the square is filled with chocolate shops....Ummmm Chocolate.......The square is still used for a flower market on Sunday mornings.<br /><br />From here we followed the tourist crowd down to the statue of the "piddling boy". This famous little 18" or so statue has been presented with costumes from heads of state.......go figure.......Along with other famous small tourist features, it was almost impossible to get a photo without having "tom, jane and bill" also in the photo. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhLbHW5CgfiqGEWj6gJTRRQOflULmUDUPVzCFH02MhlAjwnNLh1oLFLmNfIO5EsvOxiv4hXPI1Tv-WC8_i4PhiFTM1hpsmAL5YL6mtmPpgYogxU50QNhZJ3I5SiB52sS1U5iLDlhV5uw/s1600-h/IMG_2715.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhLbHW5CgfiqGEWj6gJTRRQOflULmUDUPVzCFH02MhlAjwnNLh1oLFLmNfIO5EsvOxiv4hXPI1Tv-WC8_i4PhiFTM1hpsmAL5YL6mtmPpgYogxU50QNhZJ3I5SiB52sS1U5iLDlhV5uw/s320/IMG_2715.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_521696635934898day 1154" /></a><br />So we took a couple of quick snaps and headed along to the doomed glass roof of Galaries St Hubert where a great cup of coffee was available - right next to the ....you guessed it - the chocolate shop<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qrEnAmDBhNHs6G2tf1jEkAwV2UdJGzSTiABB9npdEnFIo8T34tT6bI_fYyeUc4xOYx2v-k1gaUQQx5ySdHwM-KwYhE4zxUjD5K8um1jOSdPeV4kCCNYRv0-eQlVW83RBB7VQG6fnqIE/s1600-h/IMG_2696.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qrEnAmDBhNHs6G2tf1jEkAwV2UdJGzSTiABB9npdEnFIo8T34tT6bI_fYyeUc4xOYx2v-k1gaUQQx5ySdHwM-KwYhE4zxUjD5K8um1jOSdPeV4kCCNYRv0-eQlVW83RBB7VQG6fnqIE/s320/IMG_2696.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216969269083973474" /></a><br />We spent the rest of day looking around the lower town area; walking the Rue Neuve shopping street and along the Rue des Bouchers with its colourful stalls. The following day was spent in the Upper Town where the Palais Royal and the wonderful Royal gardens are situated. We headed towards the 12th century tower and the remains of the wall that had protected the old city and then along Rue de Rollerbeek towards the famous Wittamer cafe (which Ian conveniently walked straight past and we totally missed.....maybe next time. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVjhQCCBoj7tyY-SOmKMSGwfHzhyphenhyphenwpnNFfmUq7X9gkoo9Ec3uWAcTmyet9BBDWF1xAN1Rfr0K43w2sdnLGxQMgutC6dsdfmaJPvxbklD3ZYjjE89xabhNkMofxS722QyFmLbSoALi29s/s1600-h/IMG_2727.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVjhQCCBoj7tyY-SOmKMSGwfHzhyphenhyphenwpnNFfmUq7X9gkoo9Ec3uWAcTmyet9BBDWF1xAN1Rfr0K43w2sdnLGxQMgutC6dsdfmaJPvxbklD3ZYjjE89xabhNkMofxS722QyFmLbSoALi29s/s320/IMG_2727.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216992479553859010" /></a><br />Eventually reaching the place du Petit Sablon where lovely formal gardens include a series of bronze statues and looks back towards the Notre-Dame du Sablon. We had to go and find the statue of Gerhard Mercator as his 16th century map work became the basis of most modern maps of today (and Ian is an engineer - which I think explains all)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LqTGY8Ouu8hntPRRNESTiMGQrGUB6-J1knI4FWVZoZbLxJ4G2QMiAcezbTHy5TDAUUbEjWjLSM8DIrtHA0REIXP2Nqd2SmjVEYlFD7jJc2Jratr2qdZZPb3rLvQljuKdNBZbKkCp_MQ/s1600-h/IMG_2726.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LqTGY8Ouu8hntPRRNESTiMGQrGUB6-J1knI4FWVZoZbLxJ4G2QMiAcezbTHy5TDAUUbEjWjLSM8DIrtHA0REIXP2Nqd2SmjVEYlFD7jJc2Jratr2qdZZPb3rLvQljuKdNBZbKkCp_MQ/s320/IMG_2726.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216993493854206546" /></a><br />This beautiful Gothic church is famous for its stained glass windows which are lit from the inside at night and are part of the Brussels illumination tour.<br />The story goes that a young girl had a vision of the Virgin Mary which instructed her to take the Virgin's statue to the chapel which stood on the spot. The chapel became a place of pilgrimage and was enlarged between 1400 and 1550 - however the statue is question was lost in 1556. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsoR-OHECTZ7IMJrnX4FBjzmXuIH79dPfOqEVpnKWomWmUrvF9v5Qhv3Bg2bfACmeaQadThAYiOHHbHZk9tWk8IdwGJ0sU5ulCfe_YYd8aBd6Qw0KKET7etK6SIEX4khVSR085k265LU/s1600-h/IMG_2752.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsoR-OHECTZ7IMJrnX4FBjzmXuIH79dPfOqEVpnKWomWmUrvF9v5Qhv3Bg2bfACmeaQadThAYiOHHbHZk9tWk8IdwGJ0sU5ulCfe_YYd8aBd6Qw0KKET7etK6SIEX4khVSR085k265LU/s320/IMG_2752.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216994761826553394" /></a><br />From there we walked around the palace towards the building where Anne of Cleves was born and then along towards the Cathedral St Michel et Gudule which is Belgium's national church. There has been a church on this site since the 11th century and this particular cathedral is considered to be the finest surviving example of Brabant Gothic architecture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsUOua9OdV7c_qxM6SCf6vOmeFOwqY_8qlNpHx51ilHAl3JuhCMtBEMLpl6leG8dC6KsnqM96Wshov1JUZpz5fSNRXV1kO05AW5vLLCYVWMfPsvJsNvJJ59bvXYPcrXGZ3NdByndQBlQ/s1600-h/IMG_2755.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:right;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsUOua9OdV7c_qxM6SCf6vOmeFOwqY_8qlNpHx51ilHAl3JuhCMtBEMLpl6leG8dC6KsnqM96Wshov1JUZpz5fSNRXV1kO05AW5vLLCYVWMfPsvJsNvJJ59bvXYPcrXGZ3NdByndQBlQ/s320/IMG_2755.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216997543814575474" /></a><br />At the time of year we visited Brussels the daffodils were out and the little part in front of the cathedral was filled with yellow flowers - really adding to the overall visit.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJj_Gf1EN-H31-XxUe_Gk8onvrv0VgIbpdkXv96GAkD8fRQ6jwvVb64THyIg3ceamZWOC68lBED6Ow25fRgsBBmiqxh8RZ4CKnCr7AVpROtDjdqRm_b0djH68BsXqML7O0efca5D1bD2k/s1600-h/IMG_2757.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJj_Gf1EN-H31-XxUe_Gk8onvrv0VgIbpdkXv96GAkD8fRQ6jwvVb64THyIg3ceamZWOC68lBED6Ow25fRgsBBmiqxh8RZ4CKnCr7AVpROtDjdqRm_b0djH68BsXqML7O0efca5D1bD2k/s320/IMG_2757.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216998979453555442" /></a><br />Brussels is a wonderful city with great sights, lovely gardens and fabulous chocolates. At some stage in the future I will investigate the history of Belgium and find out a little more about the catholic/protestant regional divisions and the development of the language focus of the various regions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-86368359562461263902008-03-07T14:11:00.012-05:002008-03-07T15:18:36.727-05:00Weekend in Oslo - February 2nd 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cNY6tFsapHgjDnC6B5EAjzLcHKdV59m4k4opF5mrVqw6J0EQzIp0vERo0pJdqytMBSHR-PHkkQuQsuW_UbU3u6Yd5ehhoEXYpfW5cxBFOXd9Nmm2A7sEs-P2AYQYT7eFMyZ_Sda2s8M/s1600-h/IMG_2584.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cNY6tFsapHgjDnC6B5EAjzLcHKdV59m4k4opF5mrVqw6J0EQzIp0vERo0pJdqytMBSHR-PHkkQuQsuW_UbU3u6Yd5ehhoEXYpfW5cxBFOXd9Nmm2A7sEs-P2AYQYT7eFMyZ_Sda2s8M/s200/IMG_2584.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175082386292817698" /></a><br />Once again we were able to add a weekend being tourist onto a business trip. This time to Oslo, Norway. Whilst the weather is Spain is reasonably warm - sitting in the mid-teens, Oslo would be our first seriously cold venture whilst in Europe. With suitcases loaded with coats, parkas, scarves and gloves we headed to the cold north........and were not disappointed. We arrived on Saturday evening - after spending the entire day in various airports (we could just about have flown from Singapore in the same time frame), so woke up to our first views of the city on Sunday morning.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0LAb0FjEbiO14ZLAVpgw8ucbdlNXVDn2TbFLpV407Z8EmZ1mC2iGEmnxL6byUcOjWizrwCs1cPmkfiuxD5sFY8T0aqh3dhr9wdmP8uf0D8JsY0URDRHqge_xq0-VhoWbqwiYFT_zVOA/s1600-h/IMG_2599.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0LAb0FjEbiO14ZLAVpgw8ucbdlNXVDn2TbFLpV407Z8EmZ1mC2iGEmnxL6byUcOjWizrwCs1cPmkfiuxD5sFY8T0aqh3dhr9wdmP8uf0D8JsY0URDRHqge_xq0-VhoWbqwiYFT_zVOA/s320/IMG_2599.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175082901688893234" /></a><br />To our delight it had snowed overnight. This might not be exciting for most people - but for a couple of Aussies who have seen snow a couple of times in our lives (and me only once and never really been "in the snow" - this was great. So we crunched our way through the new snow to the tram stop and headed up to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. This beautiful park contains dozens of large sculptures portraying the human body in all its moods, ages, and relationships.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTcKw4yO1wpJ61LhKF3ZoGTALqadAADIyCtl2BpxYKHLA9QuuzOJODTWq-0J4QxSyW6qZuJk6zZFrgbjQyfnLelAz6EAEfhBRuK9E1hJQgFrFZUf-9kv4xqiHpU1g3Z3-bcd9LK6wmCc/s1600-h/IMG_2596.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTcKw4yO1wpJ61LhKF3ZoGTALqadAADIyCtl2BpxYKHLA9QuuzOJODTWq-0J4QxSyW6qZuJk6zZFrgbjQyfnLelAz6EAEfhBRuK9E1hJQgFrFZUf-9kv4xqiHpU1g3Z3-bcd9LK6wmCc/s320/IMG_2596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175084117164638018" /></a><br />From little kids having temper tantrums or being piggy backed by parents; elderly lovers; men fighting; individuals contemplating and dreaming......really impressive. The park was magnificent with bare trees covered in snow; ducks swimming in nearly frozen lakes; park benches lined up dark against the clean snow.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKALef-E40ltBejZkA45_aCWaPID7FaRp7ZewSBVWVbrCjfltNYJcELI9PI_BbbY1lTQppR6ggVFgytgb5xKk8HcsB-9r7NpcohHzrgz75nUgLTJ4dlw66ct8OLTL1gi3zQ4uId8mfR20/s1600-h/IMG_2593.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKALef-E40ltBejZkA45_aCWaPID7FaRp7ZewSBVWVbrCjfltNYJcELI9PI_BbbY1lTQppR6ggVFgytgb5xKk8HcsB-9r7NpcohHzrgz75nUgLTJ4dlw66ct8OLTL1gi3zQ4uId8mfR20/s200/IMG_2593.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175087033447432034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMqq-HhRrXan7do37QGRLrZ0srsFiWGQTb252NrxUNWIKxI9-7ZQGs4F7V3WbKBsy5S9WoiZYMwGtpsgGFhLFmWElGrZxpiIQe5RrNXSUYQuoS900_a3-9O2Vya1fHCaDdasxlYFkQmU/s1600-h/IMG_2588.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMqq-HhRrXan7do37QGRLrZ0srsFiWGQTb252NrxUNWIKxI9-7ZQGs4F7V3WbKBsy5S9WoiZYMwGtpsgGFhLFmWElGrZxpiIQe5RrNXSUYQuoS900_a3-9O2Vya1fHCaDdasxlYFkQmU/s200/IMG_2588.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175086286123122514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pFP1WYjoyrVx6HTmHCMcOuNkjOUA6pt2sLYtTz48QkH3YE_3S6HFURDPh8PXQXhsiqYwDyNVYQHY8meCoRo0kogt0vguYAwz322eq16i__yn_5cAB8Rdvh-oVX1Q0UCtiNVu2llOCxI/s1600-h/IMG_2619.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pFP1WYjoyrVx6HTmHCMcOuNkjOUA6pt2sLYtTz48QkH3YE_3S6HFURDPh8PXQXhsiqYwDyNVYQHY8meCoRo0kogt0vguYAwz322eq16i__yn_5cAB8Rdvh-oVX1Q0UCtiNVu2llOCxI/s200/IMG_2619.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175087901030825842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiqFuNLUOAcgd16U7BBGh9sUje7AZlL1EIzduc5IPgJaIIy3mk3La8xKEicnDZbDkDUd1huC7Wq3kMtSnt9yt0hyhtPjhpHMwnvahZzpguv_SjiBD1X5a0JN1JmOHskNBlcai7q7sMCA/s1600-h/IMG_2607.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiqFuNLUOAcgd16U7BBGh9sUje7AZlL1EIzduc5IPgJaIIy3mk3La8xKEicnDZbDkDUd1huC7Wq3kMtSnt9yt0hyhtPjhpHMwnvahZzpguv_SjiBD1X5a0JN1JmOHskNBlcai7q7sMCA/s320/IMG_2607.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175090001269833618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LdZMuIKr9ko5Ene-Z2jUoqITCERZt2jYdjV5PiftgLWa7PbZRrrmUFybG8TQRqjvyuTJ2SDwO2XcW0j4-qLUlXfwnok3-Wi-BEWnayUsHEYlSiNfR-THsEZgCdjLBoE3aLaYaxehKyk/s1600-h/IMG_2622.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LdZMuIKr9ko5Ene-Z2jUoqITCERZt2jYdjV5PiftgLWa7PbZRrrmUFybG8TQRqjvyuTJ2SDwO2XcW0j4-qLUlXfwnok3-Wi-BEWnayUsHEYlSiNfR-THsEZgCdjLBoE3aLaYaxehKyk/s320/IMG_2622.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175089292600229762" /></a><br />After spending a couple of hours at the park watching the kids on sleds and the families out enjoying the snow, we headed off towards the main city centre and walked through the central promenade- past the university, museums, ice skating rink (where this little toddler (about 3) put everyone else to shame with his skating prowess - future Olympic for sure) and up the hill towards the Royal Palace. Unlike the Buckingham Palace in London, we were able to get right up close to the Palace and were even able to watch the changing of the guard from about 2 meters away.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7a9VJU8aCyepsng-aTUVP6-s51efuq6PXcYa_tvGCmJZ6cDrEgdrs89uEjOmkKk_id-SWiTNNjv4Kapxn0utYJL1KdFroo0jPFD1VHOO99F2pza0EI4UwqIvX-Vg-M1U9uT_odNqbyUU/s1600-h/IMG_2648.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7a9VJU8aCyepsng-aTUVP6-s51efuq6PXcYa_tvGCmJZ6cDrEgdrs89uEjOmkKk_id-SWiTNNjv4Kapxn0utYJL1KdFroo0jPFD1VHOO99F2pza0EI4UwqIvX-Vg-M1U9uT_odNqbyUU/s200/IMG_2648.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175093450128572322" /></a><br />The views of the Palace through the park were spectacular. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYIP8qF0VeduljHzKwofWUiwl-P4dHllHQU6p95K6ThDBUOOK92LPIdDleLdc6jrUk8j53yNafNGqSaapetUhKO58OkcfNdNK8rMif40UIOReTWAfvAagGpuy_Rptjlb4IFITOI0O7NE/s1600-h/IMG_2632.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYIP8qF0VeduljHzKwofWUiwl-P4dHllHQU6p95K6ThDBUOOK92LPIdDleLdc6jrUk8j53yNafNGqSaapetUhKO58OkcfNdNK8rMif40UIOReTWAfvAagGpuy_Rptjlb4IFITOI0O7NE/s200/IMG_2632.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175094901827518386" /></a><br />We headed up to the lounge on the top of our hotel which had views over the Palace park and out towards the fjord. A magic day.<br />Unfortunately the snow mostly melted over night and the city was not as impressive without its white covering. So the Monday was spent searching out the shops and finding my way around the commercial part of the city - as well as tryhing to find a coffee shop which would actually serve me (not sure what I was doing wrong - but there seemed to be a lack of service for those that were tourists). In summary, a great day on Sunday with the beauty of the new snow, Monday was not as impressive - however we did not spend any time near the water - that will be a spring/summer venue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-41573609067981504162008-02-24T20:31:00.017-05:002008-03-07T14:10:52.427-05:00Long Weekend in Florence - January 4th 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCocNRhR68e9Hpd2m-7a19jTFBIhPZqIUTgoUkuX_hW_KmMzDBFtuc2WJO_CxbLeKrl3pCSifSZZzUcYkKVu3XAxquF0XOsDPrs5TkFXw2RP2yxZ_AskLwrL5hqIts2EvtKmgk11ehH0/s1600-h/IMG_2532.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCocNRhR68e9Hpd2m-7a19jTFBIhPZqIUTgoUkuX_hW_KmMzDBFtuc2WJO_CxbLeKrl3pCSifSZZzUcYkKVu3XAxquF0XOsDPrs5TkFXw2RP2yxZ_AskLwrL5hqIts2EvtKmgk11ehH0/s320/IMG_2532.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170731135868278050" /></a><br />Florence is a city that I have wanted to visit since I read the historical novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" as a teenager back in Adelaide (a very long time ago). I had read that the entire city was a museum and now that I have finally been able to get there totally agree. We had landed in Venice and taken the 3 hour train trip down to Florence which was nice break from the normal flights. We had booked into the Grand Medici Hotel which was reasonably central and provided the old world charm with is so "Europe". Rather than try to see it all in 3 days, we had decided to see the Michelangelo Florence. <br />Starting from the square where his original formal training had started, we headed through the lovely streets and plazas to the S Lorenzo Piazza. Here, the Basilica of S Lorenzo, a rather ordinary looking building was well worth a visit. Michelangelo had hoped to decorate the facade of this church but never succeeded in fulfilling that ambition. He did however, design and build the Medici-Laurentian Library which is accessed from the wonderful old cloisters. The Basilica was beautiful and the apse vault in the Old Sacristy was interesting showing the star pattern from the night of July 4 1442. From here we made our way to the Accademia Gallery. Main objective here was to view the carving of David, which was every bit as impressive as expected. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBCwe6rZ4Tk6LLgrd3Rjt5xKJokyvKwDmiiHFpw3PbKphwXgQ05_q2Kx9QO08jJUhxDCYP5F1H85pW0RaxCvM4z6b2Y39QSC2sYkndKEJOWMK9PLsIPooLKaI8F8ZIvloCI6Ft313wjk/s1600-h/IMG_2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBCwe6rZ4Tk6LLgrd3Rjt5xKJokyvKwDmiiHFpw3PbKphwXgQ05_q2Kx9QO08jJUhxDCYP5F1H85pW0RaxCvM4z6b2Y39QSC2sYkndKEJOWMK9PLsIPooLKaI8F8ZIvloCI6Ft313wjk/s320/IMG_2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174246899001472002" /></a><br />We were not able to take any photos at the Gallery so the following day we (along with just about every other tourist) took photos of the copy of David which is found in the Piazza Della Signoria. Back to the Accademia - we were also able to view the partly finished sculptures of slaves that were intended to line to mausoleum of Pope Julius II and St Matthew. Of particular interest to me was the sculpture of Pieta di Palestrina. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsNGA-8KlFmYClDMOE7wyCTPSmBxowWfF7Bik8Nt4X7zW882z5b3qse1a35vgyQAAy2s3Gugk5yzT2L-glgAkiCPbLOL1EmySf-y29_InqXW3KC8kSa1wp1-TZP25akFwd4USIZRHtj4/s1600-h/IMG_2473.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsNGA-8KlFmYClDMOE7wyCTPSmBxowWfF7Bik8Nt4X7zW882z5b3qse1a35vgyQAAy2s3Gugk5yzT2L-glgAkiCPbLOL1EmySf-y29_InqXW3KC8kSa1wp1-TZP25akFwd4USIZRHtj4/s320/IMG_2473.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174243913999201266" /></a><br />Continuing to the Duomo (or Basilica of Saint Maria Del Fiore), we were able to spend some time looking around this exquisite building. There was a service underway which limited our ability to see all the interior - but it was still magnificent. The paintings on the interior of the dome,detailing the last judgement, were outstanding. During excavations in 1966, the ruins of an earlier Church was located beneath the Basilica which we were able to visit through the crypt. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vQR2JwBCTX9cbXhWtDbngpp5k_x3ql7P0NCf3uGVzKxzICJhyN_XNaYRwYnhcLn8y0WS9p5q1dQ5U1qiHVo9SnGjM7jdyMDW8EdrFX63qeLIoVMWHNTmhj0JmzMj2u_yhlzGCGqPgm8/s1600-h/IMG_2486.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-vQR2JwBCTX9cbXhWtDbngpp5k_x3ql7P0NCf3uGVzKxzICJhyN_XNaYRwYnhcLn8y0WS9p5q1dQ5U1qiHVo9SnGjM7jdyMDW8EdrFX63qeLIoVMWHNTmhj0JmzMj2u_yhlzGCGqPgm8/s320/IMG_2486.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174249656370476050" /></a><br />In front of the Duomo was the Baptistery. This octagonal building is famous for its bronze doors which displayed stories from the New Testament. The Giotto's Bell Tower and S Zanobi's column were also located in the square next tot he Duomo. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmedb7sayUtyXSR8LFuyufXMMNEgx1y3bUHvYQbf9c9vSr8AaHD1Ui4m4k_Y_WB-b2iHTFsy8EgxBvmIDMr2fJFbOaVmBli7KVZXe51xnb3qn0gEh_A2heq8Cla3Kg3gHHlDpG7xMUbYU/s1600-h/IMG_2484.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmedb7sayUtyXSR8LFuyufXMMNEgx1y3bUHvYQbf9c9vSr8AaHD1Ui4m4k_Y_WB-b2iHTFsy8EgxBvmIDMr2fJFbOaVmBli7KVZXe51xnb3qn0gEh_A2heq8Cla3Kg3gHHlDpG7xMUbYU/s200/IMG_2484.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174251331407721506" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The story goes that an elm tree which was located in the position of the column, suddenly flowered when it came in contact with the corpse of S Zanobu who was the Bishop of Florence.<br /><br />Heading towards the river we were able to have a "proper" cafe latte in a wonderful old cafe. Home town of Melbourne has spoilt us with its Italian coffee shops - and it was great to have a "real deal" again. Over the river we found the Ponte Vecchio - the bridge which has been around since the 1300s originally housed the butchers of the city but since the 1500s has been home to many of the city's goldsmiths - so I had a great time looking (not sure Ian enjoyed it quite as much)<br /><br />The next day we headed off to the Medici Chapel. This was spectacular and very unexpected. The initial rooms were interesting and set up as a museum housing many of the relics of the Medici family including the various Popes and Bishops who were family members. However, once we had stepped into the main Church area we were overwhelmed. The room opens up into the three story high marble hall. Totally unexpected and almost "over the top". From here we were able to enter the new sacristy which was designed and built by Michelangelo. The room contains a series of sculptures which were designed into the architecture of the room - The Madonna and Child, Dawn and Dusk, Night and Day and the Monument to Lorenzo - all magnificent. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtU1FLYOnfqJuIcBmk7E2IFU49yvQXJ9CIvGCWpm3IgF2S5-_CEhyphenhyphenenntvaX96jx3BF-eQtU6ejPYNlAS7BvD8azFPpBaSAn_xxvCrb63yc5zHz0NZLiEgEAJG12EWXt8UKLLooXQBUw8/s1600-h/IMG_2518.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtU1FLYOnfqJuIcBmk7E2IFU49yvQXJ9CIvGCWpm3IgF2S5-_CEhyphenhyphenenntvaX96jx3BF-eQtU6ejPYNlAS7BvD8azFPpBaSAn_xxvCrb63yc5zHz0NZLiEgEAJG12EWXt8UKLLooXQBUw8/s320/IMG_2518.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174256300684882994" /></a><br />From here we headed back towards the river to find the Basilica of Saint Croce. This Florentine Gothic building houses the tombs of Michelangelo and Machiavelli. Additional works by Michelangelo were housed at the Casa Buonarroti. The house was the residence of Michelangelo from 1516 and 1525 and was left in his will to his nephew who developed his private collection and designed the interior of the house around the pieces. The museum was opened to the public in 1859 and includes over 200 drawings, designs and paintings by Michelangelo as well as some of his very early marble pieces done as a teenager.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlREGnMlo9b8f6EprJEvHsYxsT1Uh3Nbw7gCYD08Ti9OLv-d-Dtcn_bCWnco2srVChECYV0TA_jilnqgyIuNLSRC1DJMnMzzR3V5zz2hDW6O9Npu4Bw2zJqHtSu6DeOnQ1EZODICox3E/s1600-h/IMG_2523.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlREGnMlo9b8f6EprJEvHsYxsT1Uh3Nbw7gCYD08Ti9OLv-d-Dtcn_bCWnco2srVChECYV0TA_jilnqgyIuNLSRC1DJMnMzzR3V5zz2hDW6O9Npu4Bw2zJqHtSu6DeOnQ1EZODICox3E/s200/IMG_2523.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174258456758465602" /></a><br /><br />There is just so much to see in this city. Wonderful historic buildings, traditional lanes and streetscapes, magnificent works of art.......there is no way we could do it justice in a weekend. This is definitely one city where we will return - next time to spend at least a fortnight and see at least the rest of the major sights Florence has on offer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-49898337518215424752008-02-24T19:44:00.008-05:002008-02-24T20:26:47.361-05:00Christmas in Madrid - Part 3 Christmas Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S8G5-Mj5sA0UAQGrhePn7vII2Yheu_fTBIb1lAFR_6F6yOx5i_PTiyUnGCU9ozo4a3vrhC4AizipBsMn4pQkn-ZEG7VHdgwx-drDGD4tyH_15Pjqjs8U7ikRoBdZ8cMMkifTyNtqLgw/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+102.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S8G5-Mj5sA0UAQGrhePn7vII2Yheu_fTBIb1lAFR_6F6yOx5i_PTiyUnGCU9ozo4a3vrhC4AizipBsMn4pQkn-ZEG7VHdgwx-drDGD4tyH_15Pjqjs8U7ikRoBdZ8cMMkifTyNtqLgw/s320/Xmas+2007+102.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170713758430598322" /></a><br />The main meal of the Christmas season is usually held on Christmas Eve in Spain and as we had determined to "do what the Spaniards do" we had arranged for this meal to be taken at the Ritz Hotel. Therefore we packed up our bags and shifted across the square into the majestic Ritz Hotel for a couple of days. Our room was on the 1st floor - the window to the left of the flags. A lovely room,in a wonderful old hotel which truly had the best service we had so far encountered in our many hotel visits around the world. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzzyr47thM2_22_aGwxBvBZkoNtO89N-OWRqSFoB8FiFRdEp8FLUTgr27MXFFkYAJRNZvRD1Ax8SnIJiSDlcY28QWOzKFkpG0C0B-bIrP_cOlefftCpXFdIuXmLeB1n_Uftt2BkRJ7GQ/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+043.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzzyr47thM2_22_aGwxBvBZkoNtO89N-OWRqSFoB8FiFRdEp8FLUTgr27MXFFkYAJRNZvRD1Ax8SnIJiSDlcY28QWOzKFkpG0C0B-bIrP_cOlefftCpXFdIuXmLeB1n_Uftt2BkRJ7GQ/s200/Xmas+2007+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170716494324765890" /></a><br />Just to make you all very jealous Christmas Eve Gala Dinner menu was: Goose liver brochette and scampi wrapped with bacon and Boletus Edulis for appetizers; Toasted almond cream with marinated salmon for soup; Wild mushroom raviolis with its emulsion and Black Truffle from Soria; Grouper fillet with potato crust and basil puree; Traditional Ritz stuffed turkey; Apricot and yogurt gelatin with a sweet wine sauce, nuts and raspberries for desert; finally followed by Coffee and Traditional Christmas Delights. This was accompanied by Cattier Antique Champagne, Electio 05 (Xarel -lo) - D.O. Penedes, Dominio de Atauta 04 (Tinta del Pais) - D.O. Ribera del Duero, Quinta do Portal Vintage 00. Altogether a magnificent meal and one which we will remember for some time to come.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXgn8CUnKfKBHedpjXr1O898py_HZ9LIFHte9tPplYzljiWR7C6wdP4Na_GFoS-jaylJac4tw3ykA3SHGqbDh2ZHYNOrf-ueHiManVZdY7v56h7XoZ6ZOE51xqGdtFp98tRk62nRILlk/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+120.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXgn8CUnKfKBHedpjXr1O898py_HZ9LIFHte9tPplYzljiWR7C6wdP4Na_GFoS-jaylJac4tw3ykA3SHGqbDh2ZHYNOrf-ueHiManVZdY7v56h7XoZ6ZOE51xqGdtFp98tRk62nRILlk/s200/Xmas+2007+120.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170718697642988754" /></a>After such a meal, there was a need to exercise the following day - so we headed off to the Parque Del Buen Retiro. We had thought we would be the only people wandering around, but it seemed that many of the Spanish residents of Madrid also planned to spend some time on Christmas day looking around these lovely gardens. Brass bands played, the modern version of Punch and Judy were set up in several strategic places around the wide promenades, families followed children playing on new toys, and we just wandered around taking it all in.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDzWwWa93O61iuIywZWxsQUZbnrpyxxAkNwm9CV3-sh1caeBU5qyY4bq5eqxoMTTkdmOT-H4J-28qXsjoF40v9u0Etyk9qSzYXPus_xam-ZNuMYbdjdsk3ooQ3Q0Saws9XeR0qbEIaOU/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+126.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDzWwWa93O61iuIywZWxsQUZbnrpyxxAkNwm9CV3-sh1caeBU5qyY4bq5eqxoMTTkdmOT-H4J-28qXsjoF40v9u0Etyk9qSzYXPus_xam-ZNuMYbdjdsk3ooQ3Q0Saws9XeR0qbEIaOU/s320/Xmas+2007+126.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170719273168606434" /></a><br />The Crystal Palace with its reflective lake, hanging trees, fountain and wild ducks was well worth finding. As was the centre lake with its very impressive monument. As it is winter here, the trees were bare and have a beauty that is almost eerie - particularly when the day was so bright and crisp.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWMxrjwJC__ZxijTbzNxVGHyjMKndkh4Snfq-eXyOABKTx9PZVWI5XSWrJ7TY50Wq1gc0IQnqbx1DPV2Qt6vMVn0fnFx20JdxVxfn5VGUCpKN3rX6KG-8kGH8qY9Yd8p2NkhjOKz16xA/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+133.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWMxrjwJC__ZxijTbzNxVGHyjMKndkh4Snfq-eXyOABKTx9PZVWI5XSWrJ7TY50Wq1gc0IQnqbx1DPV2Qt6vMVn0fnFx20JdxVxfn5VGUCpKN3rX6KG-8kGH8qY9Yd8p2NkhjOKz16xA/s200/Xmas+2007+133.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170720252421149938" /></a><br />By mid afternoon we had walked off most of the morning's breakfast and some of last nights meal and decided it was time to head back to the hotel for hot coffee. The hotel had left a delightful surprise in our room of Christmas chocolate log, various other Christmas sweets and a bottle of Spanish sherry - so much for the coffee. That evening there was a very talented singing quartet who performed for a couple of hours in the Ritz Bar, which really topped the day off perfectly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggH5H5T9yhvTOD38BSC1rm5wiuBx6FGgjRH8u99Sf4u5yzMK_8YZ6Sl_9J2SoQ3MyELSTkwwfuUi_ALHmRKLvzQF_otPkqFW8C8ox5FMaOWznb62-kxnfB98XuW3jlhYuCf1IChJrvB3o/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+141.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggH5H5T9yhvTOD38BSC1rm5wiuBx6FGgjRH8u99Sf4u5yzMK_8YZ6Sl_9J2SoQ3MyELSTkwwfuUi_ALHmRKLvzQF_otPkqFW8C8ox5FMaOWznb62-kxnfB98XuW3jlhYuCf1IChJrvB3o/s200/Xmas+2007+141.jpg" border="0" alt=""="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170721708415063298" /></a><br />Whilst Christmas overseas, away from family will never seem to be a "real Christmas", Madrid certainly provided us with some memorable experiences and wonderful sights. The Ritz and the Western Palace Hotels were both great and the Christmas season lights and fireworks dazzling. A great way to spend the festive season if you cannot get homeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-76978243825430035882008-01-28T08:49:00.001-05:002008-02-24T20:29:00.985-05:00Christmas in Madrid - Part 2 Day Trip to ToledoA trip to Madrid, we had been told, should include a day trip to Toledo. So we arranged for a tour company to pick us up and take us about 1 hour out of Madrid and show us around this city. Historically, Toledo was the first capital city of Spain from the invasion of the Goths in the 6th century - up until 1560. With various groups conquering Spain during this period, the architecture of the city displays influences ranging from medieval, moorish, arabian, and gothic. It is a little like stepping back into a time-warp.<br /><br />The city also boasts of a multi-cultural / multi-religious population made of the Christian majority with Jewish and Islamic members which has also influenced the buildings of the region. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxP0VSJqj6JoXYNpY2bj4BPtcHVzs31fdlary12Y91sQYXkc6tJ6NorVKQE6GL45hfjFRd7Qk-_xsuIdSglNJR-juNyxXv205YjjhTSMAJl88xcChWoXUKZrNr6sNkQ1kTdPSDWZzTEO0/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+020.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxP0VSJqj6JoXYNpY2bj4BPtcHVzs31fdlary12Y91sQYXkc6tJ6NorVKQE6GL45hfjFRd7Qk-_xsuIdSglNJR-juNyxXv205YjjhTSMAJl88xcChWoXUKZrNr6sNkQ1kTdPSDWZzTEO0/s320/Xmas+2007+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166253061231547506" /></a><br />The Cathedral was magnificent with its beautiful tower providing a wonderful balance to the main square which included the Bishop's residence. From this initial stopping point the tour took us through lovely old streets which have retained the cultural and historical character - partially through its World Heritage Listing in 1986 - but also because of the obvious pride its residents have for the place. Whilst it must be maddening for the locals to have bus loads of tourists wondering all over the roads....blocking traffic....and getting in the way, local drivers were extremely patient and accomodating.<br /><br />The monastery was another wonderful gothic building, with an amazing internal cloister.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AkjTIC7xei0tykTn5oVckCLO5exauTVFpF7SARKdN8yWfUjshmvqSKWyPT_-LcXDkEEZoAkByZTw_u29BGvNTccneXEj60MC4YSCGe5wBkULi2jBfgQT6EjpasnRw5QlFT5CK4qESoE/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+021.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AkjTIC7xei0tykTn5oVckCLO5exauTVFpF7SARKdN8yWfUjshmvqSKWyPT_-LcXDkEEZoAkByZTw_u29BGvNTccneXEj60MC4YSCGe5wBkULi2jBfgQT6EjpasnRw5QlFT5CK4qESoE/s320/Xmas+2007+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166256862277604482" /></a><br />The day of our tour was extermely foggy. We had been told that the views from the old walled city were fantastic - unfortunately we did not see them. Therefore we missed seeing the famous bridges and and the views from the various outlooks on the old city walls.<br /><br />We were able to enter into the old Jewish synagogues, with its lovely ceiling and its surprising christian altar. The most impressive interior was found in the City's church. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNJ-MiQ-JkHM6khr_643FronsSwMn_oEJqDqP9m7K16xDMF9ge5Q7Kc3I-Ok8bEDmxRlYfZNiEbjWJDkiCr_15PMKe2mUPQlbTVFoZXgl8738mW82jrVSXMxttDrZ2YAfwKkOTfPypLI/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+028.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNJ-MiQ-JkHM6khr_643FronsSwMn_oEJqDqP9m7K16xDMF9ge5Q7Kc3I-Ok8bEDmxRlYfZNiEbjWJDkiCr_15PMKe2mUPQlbTVFoZXgl8738mW82jrVSXMxttDrZ2YAfwKkOTfPypLI/s320/Xmas+2007+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166258885207200930" /></a><br />Carved stonework, a fabulous altar, and really impressive windows meant that this stop was one of the highlights of the tour.<br /><br />The tour did come with the inevitable stop at the local jewlery stop and souvenir rest stop - but I suppose these are to be expected on the typical bus tour.<br />If we were making the trip again, we would hire a car and spend the day looking around on our own. The design of the city is such that it is almost impossible to get lost and if it is entered on one side - it is possible to walk through the historical area and exit the opposite side through the very imposing city gates.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-8384460917171107512008-01-11T17:11:00.001-05:002008-02-24T20:29:31.440-05:00Christmas in Madrid - Part 1With only a few days of annual leave left after our long trip to Australia in September, we decided to have a European Christmas for 2007. With our regular Australian Christmas being warm to hot we are used to Christmas holidays soaking up the sun at the beach, picnics and bbqs with a seafood and salad Christmas lunch - so this year promised to be very different. <br />Taking the train from Malaga to Madrid allowed us to see a little of the country side during the three hour trip. We had booked into the Western Palace hotel for the first few days and the Ritz for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Both hotels were ideally placed - close to museums, major city squares, parks and transport.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXFBHpmy0uIFTPx7ZAwg8PbKkY0AU3__LFIG7khqirDK53berHA5kInod0H2L6VchpaFmdxUP15fyyfFX3K8krnx7IYcLjgdrDRgG3166qF-JZM2q2LqgmHInG5-Fvdk3NA4lfhjVd6Q/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+044.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXFBHpmy0uIFTPx7ZAwg8PbKkY0AU3__LFIG7khqirDK53berHA5kInod0H2L6VchpaFmdxUP15fyyfFX3K8krnx7IYcLjgdrDRgG3166qF-JZM2q2LqgmHInG5-Fvdk3NA4lfhjVd6Q/s200/Xmas+2007+044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160513345358332626" /></a><br />The night we arrived we headed to a little restaurant "Botin" founded in 1725 and claiming to be the oldest in Europe. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8-V7pG_p7zya4JVdAPXHlum41zwk1_mrsONZxPN5kEwWO8alV_xAgHB4x9DVV-TZSDQq3ZLnHHrSn108JBK0ZjGKMq5nGXqi9I6OhyuRKPCPkYEP7QQPcdG_2bsA7FiYpmITD_uVJUI/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+047.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8-V7pG_p7zya4JVdAPXHlum41zwk1_mrsONZxPN5kEwWO8alV_xAgHB4x9DVV-TZSDQq3ZLnHHrSn108JBK0ZjGKMq5nGXqi9I6OhyuRKPCPkYEP7QQPcdG_2bsA7FiYpmITD_uVJUI/s320/Xmas+2007+047.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154348594386237618" /></a><br />Situated just off Plaza Mayor, it did not look much from the outside - however inside was great.....downstairs to a low roof cavern where the food and the service was memorable. Plus it is just one of those places you have to go to - just to say you have been.<br />The walk back to the hotel was through lovely little dark allyways and local squares which were lit up for Christmas with lots of families and couples around looking at the lights.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35OAPFtgc2cUSHu3lmWtAUWgfOw141QyvB7Avt7PejwNfmbqZ76cv4LzbouHKL_LhWH5WUDfCZgHce9K_PAKeCM8WKNijkbX7Xk5rdxG_CsepOd8ukpVykH2vQkfkgrrZR28IvXA2RXI/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+055.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35OAPFtgc2cUSHu3lmWtAUWgfOw141QyvB7Avt7PejwNfmbqZ76cv4LzbouHKL_LhWH5WUDfCZgHce9K_PAKeCM8WKNijkbX7Xk5rdxG_CsepOd8ukpVykH2vQkfkgrrZR28IvXA2RXI/s200/Xmas+2007+055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154352867878697154" /></a><br />The next day was where we tried to take in some culture (and for those that know us well - we do occasionally attempt this - not always successfully - but we try). The Prada art museum beckoned and Ian went over and purchased tickets at 9am. We had been told that there would be a long wait......he was not sure if he just lucked out or if being early was the answer - but he was the only one there and had his tickets immediately - so we spent the day browsing the various sections of the museum, including a special exhibition dedicated to Velazquez. Neither of us know much about the art world but we do enjoy spending time at exhibitions and trying to get a handle on what the artist was attempting to portray. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW7wihNwkEyy6FGPvo0eQDchWoMWmIq_QYmIi05hDlgB8YsR3gwMbtHVxbtuHtlqHf-OI2esa02X8wJCc8yf11yUSYDXbPFInV7RLbO4OrCiE-O-na6sa5ILdNlMZ3K6isZr4GJk7soU/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+058.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW7wihNwkEyy6FGPvo0eQDchWoMWmIq_QYmIi05hDlgB8YsR3gwMbtHVxbtuHtlqHf-OI2esa02X8wJCc8yf11yUSYDXbPFInV7RLbO4OrCiE-O-na6sa5ILdNlMZ3K6isZr4GJk7soU/s200/Xmas+2007+058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154353675332548818" /></a><br />I think both of us find the 16th to the 20th century traditional artists easier to understand than some of the modern pieces. However, we have spent some time over the last few years viewing Picasso and some of his contemporaries and are gradually learning a bit about them. Therefore the following afternoon we also trooped off to the Musea Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia - which is focused on Spanish modern artists. Ian was keen to see Picasso's Guernica which was painted in 1937 and included a series of sketches which demonstrated the development of the piece. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7vJEMol9YIgswiMmMFFiV2WVlIQuxkeVNmCM148P1LFtCMBthtii6s4GRSBVhByk0nwo2WdLuV1JyQWk-D9lw-xbFwLJOcsfCQnmQDmCx-ApSAsXy8yv2upiMVhPDedEyooWpBta8Ks/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+030.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7vJEMol9YIgswiMmMFFiV2WVlIQuxkeVNmCM148P1LFtCMBthtii6s4GRSBVhByk0nwo2WdLuV1JyQWk-D9lw-xbFwLJOcsfCQnmQDmCx-ApSAsXy8yv2upiMVhPDedEyooWpBta8Ks/s200/Xmas+2007+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160516489274393314" /></a><br />The evening was spent looking at the Christmas lights and having dinner at a nice little bistro we found on our walk. Once back in the Hotel, I "veged" whilst Ian went out to view the fireworks which were released over the Palace de Commicationes. Our window looked towards the square so I received a pretty good view of them also.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEQmRVVr5hrIdNpZWL9-NwRE4x6D92Hq5sTfC4Mb2cTAhYO00Ts6irAhvfPMelexiSgmrMfKal-qCDKsQGfCAmWyvW68He7QFNAd0DWa5EYIrZQMaM0UHUja-MUJbmTtmwXRIp0q3Ycg/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+036.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEQmRVVr5hrIdNpZWL9-NwRE4x6D92Hq5sTfC4Mb2cTAhYO00Ts6irAhvfPMelexiSgmrMfKal-qCDKsQGfCAmWyvW68He7QFNAd0DWa5EYIrZQMaM0UHUja-MUJbmTtmwXRIp0q3Ycg/s200/Xmas+2007+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160517197943997170" /></a><br />Madrid is a beautiful city with wonderful buildings, lovely parks and interesting little squares and laneways. The Plaza Mayor is known for its Christmas Markets which are set up each year in December. The square is lovely in its own right - but add the Christmas decorations and stalls and it was a nice way to spend the morning browsing. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L1xUBdhOfEfktdJijRqDxqPNPyodt4Qto6lXvY2nFvFeszRZ6MYw5M8nh1JfCWoPq4Q2Dbqlpji-DguZzEd1ASkWXYYpTTL8x2T2KRr5AeitR1AtnLSTEMr0wqLFcB_MBxb97WuZ4IQ/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+071.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L1xUBdhOfEfktdJijRqDxqPNPyodt4Qto6lXvY2nFvFeszRZ6MYw5M8nh1JfCWoPq4Q2Dbqlpji-DguZzEd1ASkWXYYpTTL8x2T2KRr5AeitR1AtnLSTEMr0wqLFcB_MBxb97WuZ4IQ/s200/Xmas+2007+071.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160520535133586178" /></a><br />The square is surrounded with wonderful cafes and small good shops which specialise in the hams and cheeses from Spain. Being Christmas weekend, they were busy with wives selecting the food for the Christmas Eve meal. The husbands, in the meantime, kept themselves busy either minding the kids at the stalls or stamp swapping, which seemed to occur at every light post in the square.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u94Zhb1VopGD9jdTzZAV0lnDpKGEZ2UYq25HL7aXhjX90Lfsr79geenZt2hkXUsmG_GmGJ2YzfRFAzBD-vEvoIBEZRUidWIabBO6X9k7OIdSn65UoPupe9kTe1vJpoUszHX0x8CfhSY/s1600-h/Xmas+2007+075.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-u94Zhb1VopGD9jdTzZAV0lnDpKGEZ2UYq25HL7aXhjX90Lfsr79geenZt2hkXUsmG_GmGJ2YzfRFAzBD-vEvoIBEZRUidWIabBO6X9k7OIdSn65UoPupe9kTe1vJpoUszHX0x8CfhSY/s200/Xmas+2007+075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160521857983513362" /></a><br />It was a great way to spend a morning and with the art museums from the day before and in the afternoon, left us very tired and foot sore but glad we had come.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-7742516620573788592007-12-17T19:19:00.000-05:002008-01-02T11:14:51.483-05:00Ubrique - December 8 2007<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjhxxWwPW5uExVqbYN6Ds_c9ZIFuA3Pv8a3taoAa-ey2HU7CUKw1GiYr-mLPX56NXkUuInr0butVYyu5dz26sZvfnupBxkNSfwSGViabUHolwjs_RC6h8fnLS2UNo0w9xl-lC3eVJtAg/s1600-h/IMG_2397.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjhxxWwPW5uExVqbYN6Ds_c9ZIFuA3Pv8a3taoAa-ey2HU7CUKw1GiYr-mLPX56NXkUuInr0butVYyu5dz26sZvfnupBxkNSfwSGViabUHolwjs_RC6h8fnLS2UNo0w9xl-lC3eVJtAg/s320/IMG_2397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145111107575019586" /></a><br />We set off early on Saturday morning to visit Ubrique.....our previous visit to this lovely village was unplanned and our arrival at 4(ish) on a Saturday afternoon had shown a very quiet little town which was closed down for the weekend. As we had been told about the wonderful leather produced here, we wanted to visit when the shops would be open. Once again, the trip through this area of Spain was beautiful, but the narrow, steep and very windy road took serious concentration on the part of the driver. We finally arrived about 2 hours after leaving home - but in plenty of time for some serious shopping. Ubrique, unlike many of the other white villages we had viewed, was actually set down in a long narrow valley, rather than sitting high, often on the side of a very steep cliff.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkc9HkMTLzjMP239OpNp3FXMWB7IGjiFBo4FtrH_H_DFISeQF_XC0nv9k5IDlZgF7U7qIDiwmJiBwXNTZKkJvW19AcRiyh0h_towzcq9gbrMARY6BhRFpw2c-cSAFTR543qd7nvmr7ts/s1600-h/IMG_1210.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkc9HkMTLzjMP239OpNp3FXMWB7IGjiFBo4FtrH_H_DFISeQF_XC0nv9k5IDlZgF7U7qIDiwmJiBwXNTZKkJvW19AcRiyh0h_towzcq9gbrMARY6BhRFpw2c-cSAFTR543qd7nvmr7ts/s320/IMG_1210.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145112241446385746" /></a><br />Whilst its situation was different, the design of the town was based on the traditional town square and the main street. We arrived at about 11.30am - early for the Spanish timetable - so the main street seemed pretty empty with most of the little cafes closed. The walk along the main street ended at a "T" junction where we found the shops and boutiques the town is famous for. Ian, as those that know him will agree, is part of that male group who do not like shopping.......and "Puts Up With It" when all excuses have totally failed (about once a year). By the end of approx one hour looking through leather shops which sold everything from the usual wallets, purses, bags and coats to leather umbrellas, shoes, card packs, ashtrays etc etc etc, Ian had converted into a major shopper (at least for that one day)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sp_dJEePxulyRi47Djie6W5_7jMs0UIST1sLDdTespqCXmR0UaXGjF4EcH6Lkx6rGJ_zzEq5ZcBPMGIAvxTH3bYLvdTq70YWuAK35Cxzke20wl2bKaboS0ypILJXMtc2IT7dEJcYal4/s1600-h/IMG_1217.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sp_dJEePxulyRi47Djie6W5_7jMs0UIST1sLDdTespqCXmR0UaXGjF4EcH6Lkx6rGJ_zzEq5ZcBPMGIAvxTH3bYLvdTq70YWuAK35Cxzke20wl2bKaboS0ypILJXMtc2IT7dEJcYal4/s320/IMG_1217.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145114260081014882" /></a><br />His aim was to buy a belt. He succeeded in buying 1 belt, 1 wallet, 1 coat.....and a few bits and pieces for me. Not bad for an avowed nonshopper. This is definitely one place we will have to take Dad and Mum to when they visit later in the year.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6rUaY2bREdKX-ZBKC6O0Cf-T0B36EMQXojFvM9QqfOjkpTBsv3iVO0obg4x-w3NukFSBoOSjKo1efoEdHOOL6v-PXE6WuWWYm_cc8u0ODgq6vwT1rnFhoo1AgspMsi4RElrqZN767II/s1600-h/IMG_1214.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6rUaY2bREdKX-ZBKC6O0Cf-T0B36EMQXojFvM9QqfOjkpTBsv3iVO0obg4x-w3NukFSBoOSjKo1efoEdHOOL6v-PXE6WuWWYm_cc8u0ODgq6vwT1rnFhoo1AgspMsi4RElrqZN767II/s320/IMG_1214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145115754729633906" /></a><br />Walking back down main street was like we were in a different town. The traditional Spanish lunch hour had arrived and as is the norm in most Spanish towns, the families were out having their social weekend lunch time. The place was packed.<br />The empty mail was now filled with cafe tables and chairs, kids, parents and grandparents. Only trouble was, we were unable to find an empty table....so time to head out of town.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_Oy90oZuqML6m4qlGzmFE8NQZ7Guq2gTBpkFMYDnUg2uCkDcTQ5CfWPn8FZafIwEQe0OVJSAn_Pev-edaHgdI_QCGLZtsf7zuzNbmfF9Q3Dy7i2t53euV4hUG9QaTn1Y1KboEQZQgA0/s1600-h/IMG_2428.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_Oy90oZuqML6m4qlGzmFE8NQZ7Guq2gTBpkFMYDnUg2uCkDcTQ5CfWPn8FZafIwEQe0OVJSAn_Pev-edaHgdI_QCGLZtsf7zuzNbmfF9Q3Dy7i2t53euV4hUG9QaTn1Y1KboEQZQgA0/s320/IMG_2428.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145117816313936002" /></a><br />The trip home via a different route took us past another beautiful white village - this time straddling a cliff top - stretched out over quite a distance. Whilst we were looking over at it the sun rays came through the clouds to light the cliff top off and spectacularly show of this scene.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zgIZgBS39eZm8U-EXmRrqosNGIo8wvIDR-UkTZpeKBBLKyVRAKfqaNTrjSsRIcu4vv9VG0Matzs8j83ijYJ0p58LzyTNPHyFKAXano3a0KPrqk7cM_9lI23aZBedTsoPwQJXourKZJY/s1600-h/IMG_2440.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zgIZgBS39eZm8U-EXmRrqosNGIo8wvIDR-UkTZpeKBBLKyVRAKfqaNTrjSsRIcu4vv9VG0Matzs8j83ijYJ0p58LzyTNPHyFKAXano3a0KPrqk7cM_9lI23aZBedTsoPwQJXourKZJY/s320/IMG_2440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145119109099092114" /></a><br />A wonderful day with beautiful scenery. And just think I get to do it all again in a couple of weeks when I go back to pick up the coat Ian ordered for me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-51720077733784110942007-11-29T09:58:00.000-05:002008-01-02T11:15:43.494-05:00Week trip - Netherlands and Italy November 19th 2007Every now and again Ian's job takes him to an international destination for a few days. When possible I accompany him - call me the luggage. A recent trip to Amsterdam and Padova Italy provided an opportunity to have a quick look around Amsterdam, Milan and Venice.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE-yD2_sZqVVva4COh2-D6tCGtmENcU1xJsLQbICOVy8MTu_Iy-DmVIRkIiO2EKCOESaUvxt6z0jA-Xgfzk6DI26jEeEX46aCiOW4yWH57sbAzXNbcuLUc7wDOLQ0SBi0uxlUtZ_qLTE/s1600-h/IMG_1196.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKE-yD2_sZqVVva4COh2-D6tCGtmENcU1xJsLQbICOVy8MTu_Iy-DmVIRkIiO2EKCOESaUvxt6z0jA-Xgfzk6DI26jEeEX46aCiOW4yWH57sbAzXNbcuLUc7wDOLQ0SBi0uxlUtZ_qLTE/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138277885090289698" /></a><br />Day 1 of the trip was spent in Amsterdam. This beautiful city has so much to see.....obviously a day just is not enough. Accompanied by friend Beth we decided to fit in viewing the Anne Frank's House museum, Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief-mjH6_7ScwoyS2_7zPV3X-iOkvXnDTczKMffEOUKUE2Xz8na48715zGWjN8vz9pDJSiYm5rdBOWH0mrm24dpphxAWKcEtiynxd3Lna_dv9w3cM-3gfL1n6VAeKEFNuoiuxNFjaAiMw/s1600-h/IMG_1192.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief-mjH6_7ScwoyS2_7zPV3X-iOkvXnDTczKMffEOUKUE2Xz8na48715zGWjN8vz9pDJSiYm5rdBOWH0mrm24dpphxAWKcEtiynxd3Lna_dv9w3cM-3gfL1n6VAeKEFNuoiuxNFjaAiMw/s200/IMG_1192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138283116360456258" /></a><br />Anne Frank's house is right in the middle of Amsterdam and was set up to display how the family hid during WWII. Walking through the building it was amazing that they were discovered as late as they were. The museum uses the words of the diary to explain the house and the circumstances the family were in.<br /><br />Catching a tram across to the Rijksmuseum, we spent a couple of hours viewing old masterpieces, wonderful dolls houses and fabulous delftware. The delftware showed the heavy influence of the imports from the Dutch East India Company with its Asian influence affecting the type of designs and items produced. The old masterpieces clearly displayed the influence these Dutch masters had on the art world with their focus on light, reflection and depth. We followed with a trip through the Van Gogh Museum where impressionism was the focus. Beth's favorite piece was one of Van Gough's sunflower scenes which we actually found out was from a series designed to decorate a room in Van Gogh's house. That evening we again went into the centre of the city for a meal at a Thai restaurant just down from the red light district which anyone familiar with Amsterdam knows is one of the city's famed features.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eMcZ_9emjItWwQ5WJ5-VhH8X-lMfUVKJtI9gyqRozr1piHn48Typ4y6-KbkaoJNfN50IpGQnsxn3yCMKrl2voFdHiPq50y4YDtfrLn6-GV8oPwnX-x9yJqukyxUNLMaDo9IjtK9PINg/s1600-r/IMG_1198.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIl9pARRIPju05_Zq3aR8tlPBFK5i8W17WzD5kFzfxI7voKQ_4pELXpBGmyzdZS1s4mwkRQ0BgzBiwDKokd_IEKmOFtb0AK_0RAohW9FVzool51j922-tz4yJt4TYE2yNR59lV6o1maRM/s200/IMG_1198.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139478969713527842" /></a><br />Next day we were off to Padova (Padua) in Italy. This lovely walled city is situated along the Bachiglione River, between Verona and Venice. Much quieter than Venice and Milan it was a delightful place to stay for a couple of days with its historic Basilica di Sant'Antonio and beautiful old town centre. The shopping area was full of the Italian designer boutiques which was good for window shopping and adding to the Christmas "wish list" and finding a tourist agent which could sell me a train ticket to Milan for the following day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEjTaSM3WPWNQK3pGecBA31LO7Qpn7VtLxGJKjdsPxyqeNN5i9RzJRjMsbNE0vE5Y6rEbq8jZ67lGzkZCWVRuY8LtJP0MA2cljvhPgfGjJY56pJWpHjiCl6v79vcNozjvT1cjH-gfRaw/s1600-r/IMG_1201.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlSri_Omm_vDiDJsC3TUV07tlcyM-fQoj-pPiLMQwmoDoe0v7zFgUhs1dnSKO63KZSBCSnyH2WEU2PnaPb6o9IEdhTVeUpHhCmR_ua35_doeNFT-oLHwUmCLHj0YdceQQw285ZJD6ei4/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139482190938999858" /></a><br />Venturing by train to Milan was an interesting experience in itself. Having NO Italian language skills determining the correct station, platform and train was a bit hit and miss. However, thanks to the assistance of a nice couple who spoke as much English as I spoke Italian, I found my way into the correct seat, carriage and train. Two hours I arrived in Milan to catch up with friend Kathy who had settled in Milan three months earlier and provided company and guidance for the day. A short trip from the main central station and we arrived at the Duomo Cathedral. This spectacular building is awe-inspiring. The inside was covered with huge old master paintings and the stain glass windows were great - even with zero sun on a dismal winter day. From the cathedral square we were able to enter the "original Galleria". Again impressive architecture with glass archways and domes and a great place to warm up with a Caffe Latte (proper Italian style) <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68rFrrw0uaZ1OMYR9k115kq_9wBI-uo6rXJmAwUlOJIUYG4egiYcnhmUS6RQQ3ut9M0pn4pxNOHpFvlkj2r8iXkOR6pdlURQ5G1-InIaiTfJQFteoJHLVeR07GmTekAevUkSRRZcDMTE/s1600-r/IMG_1202.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y9XG-VdjGtODq6h-FL_1bVz7iuMN-rd8_jn0Itwn5RwpK_cbfYKo24nD40ssU5Bc3IKdTR7vEB4IPcZVLbMdHw_QsZaYHU8ux60Er9Qkrfp3eMFvto7OaLMRyqwz5qGipw-Z6mmW2nc/s320/IMG_1202.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139484123674283074" /></a><br />The entire area around the Cathedral was filled with architecturally interesting buildings. Walking along and finding ancient squares where buildings seemed to have been built from a series of different eras. This is definitely one area we will need to revisit and spend some serious time with a top guide book which will explain the buildings, their history and the cultural component of their existence. From here a quick visit to Kathy's place and another wonderful coffee and it was time to return to Padova for the evening.<br /><br />Next day was another train trip - this time to Venice where it was COLD. My previous visit to Venice was disappointing. It was the middle of summer, the place was filled with people and we were on a bus tour which, in hindsight, was not the best way to see the city. This time, even though cold, I now saw why people love this water city. Taking a taxi down the main canal to St Marc's square, the water (much higher than last time) was lapping on the bottom steps of many of the centuries old palaces and museums. As I had seen St Marc's square previously I spent a couple of hours wondering around the narrow alleyways along the edge of the canal before catching another water taxi to the airport. Meeting up with Ian and the rest of the business guys we caught the plane back to Spain via about 40 minutes on the ground in Paris. Yes, we did make the connecting flight (just) and believe it or not - so did the luggage. My thoughts from this trip - we certainly need to return and spend some serious sightseeing time in all the cities visited during this week - just need to find the time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-39181950153471463942007-11-16T09:35:00.000-05:002007-11-16T10:30:33.053-05:00Morocco November 10 2007<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildqSuXjkmnhKN-MhWvjky_4JAvr7fc9RKVptbwaKt1xyc5BX01eq8ZHFY4JvM-oVbbLqNcNpQ7zUHznwaJbIq2DD4cv5xiZ-TaLbe0fLCRWD3RN7rL-xcjWrlrjKQOyAFDUlhdKJuiFc/s1600-h/IMG_2386.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildqSuXjkmnhKN-MhWvjky_4JAvr7fc9RKVptbwaKt1xyc5BX01eq8ZHFY4JvM-oVbbLqNcNpQ7zUHznwaJbIq2DD4cv5xiZ-TaLbe0fLCRWD3RN7rL-xcjWrlrjKQOyAFDUlhdKJuiFc/s320/IMG_2386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133448941574371778" /></a><br />Saturday morning was an early start as we were on our way to Morocco again. Joining friend Chris and his sister Heidi, we were making the trip to pick up some spices and local handicraft for Christmas, as well as providing Heidi with the opportunity of doing some sightseeing whilst she was visiting. The ferry left Tarifa and headed for Tangiers at about 9am Spanish time. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArIz77azHncxIJs5NArFyGprVCy502kFpChDIDfKKq2wrTwQvrK1vnzP0l-ojbmclcFZ0V7WlqWAZ9epYS1MGO0cKM7HwvdbfuPdfNjXFUhmTPs3D_WzYdJ_6mwATPvHsxNr6fA-XiYc/s1600-h/IMG_2380.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArIz77azHncxIJs5NArFyGprVCy502kFpChDIDfKKq2wrTwQvrK1vnzP0l-ojbmclcFZ0V7WlqWAZ9epYS1MGO0cKM7HwvdbfuPdfNjXFUhmTPs3D_WzYdJ_6mwATPvHsxNr6fA-XiYc/s200/IMG_2380.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133450157050116562" /></a><br />The day started with some sight seeing along the coast including Hercules Cave. Local legend has it that Tangiers as developed by Hercules, and the cave opening looks a little like the map of Africa. The cave has been used for centuries including as a quarry which provided the stone the locals used to produce grinding wheels. The picture of Ian in the cave shows the ridges left in the cave walls by stone cutters in past centuries. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KUhL3-vp447a_Og7rcroM_CE5PWdfj065A109HrUiDb20Pq5aCgQr5gz9xbQTGnLcEFrCQCJYhl7_8p08YWkqkyZzeCQB7yWYkG5I-sFc7KhTro20i5EJ1iPPZa2SJFs4yAulszediU/s1600-h/IMG_2382.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KUhL3-vp447a_Og7rcroM_CE5PWdfj065A109HrUiDb20Pq5aCgQr5gz9xbQTGnLcEFrCQCJYhl7_8p08YWkqkyZzeCQB7yWYkG5I-sFc7KhTro20i5EJ1iPPZa2SJFs4yAulszediU/s200/IMG_2382.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133452094080367074" /></a><br />After completing the coastal views it was back to the old city. The market reminds me a little of the markets in Asia. Fresh fish, meat, vegetables and fruits, olives of all varieties and mixes - all wrapped up with the wonderful smell of the fresh spices and herbs. The stall holders go to a lot of trouble to ensure that all produce is displayed to advantage (it must take hours to set up some of the vegetable stalls). The mix of customers in western, Islamic, and the colorful Bedouin dress all yell and barter in a mixture of french, Arabic, English and various other dialects resulting in a colorful, noisy atmosphere. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYY-id6aL57bSyCFHqJ3DcqCTWplosYCeKQ6Xc13Kox6Ez7AkHMsgzb6xmXy9n_hhmn2g4ngvmJgCvnyZ0FtG3FCEcY0I3r1KIftfZ6vgz-yRGKnFayEu3Iro6llDLUvTV-rO2MtRoiU/s1600-h/IMG_2387.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYY-id6aL57bSyCFHqJ3DcqCTWplosYCeKQ6Xc13Kox6Ez7AkHMsgzb6xmXy9n_hhmn2g4ngvmJgCvnyZ0FtG3FCEcY0I3r1KIftfZ6vgz-yRGKnFayEu3Iro6llDLUvTV-rO2MtRoiU/s320/IMG_2387.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133454452017412594" /></a><br /><br />After purchasing the various curries, paprikas, cumin, Cinnamon and nutmegs we were off to one of the many handicraft shops. These amazing places a crammed full of local bowls, serving tagines, urns wooden boxes and the inevitable rugs. You do need to barter, which is a bit difficult without some idea of the "fair" price. Our efforts of the day started with a price of 175 Euros with a final settled price of 50 Euros (less that 1/3 of the original asking). For that we were able to get a lovely little urn covered with silver filigree work, a serving tangine and two medium sized serving bowls. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0viSUiizH9azYGYgilvTIPerVcUzx_z9buGhrG9nAGHZpsz89y0KLVJvVla0s4KFOzIOiw2HmfkkH9eGaKU_UQMpafUEnnsOozsRoiXCe3oV9lBo-i64O8ZuZTFVSnNBdDqYjT-na6M/s1600-h/IMG_2388.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0viSUiizH9azYGYgilvTIPerVcUzx_z9buGhrG9nAGHZpsz89y0KLVJvVla0s4KFOzIOiw2HmfkkH9eGaKU_UQMpafUEnnsOozsRoiXCe3oV9lBo-i64O8ZuZTFVSnNBdDqYjT-na6M/s320/IMG_2388.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133457097717266946" /></a><br /><br />Still in the old town, we then ventured through to the weavers and tailors area. The weaving is taken on by men, who use various natural threads to develop a variety of cloths - from heavy duty woollen and linens to the fine and colorful silk weaves used for expensive interior soft furnishings. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazv2hyphenhyphenN6c2O-KhaggOkJUlvYnTDG1itueSPk5yySiSDeMX0-ADzNOB8uAdvjPb199Iegwzig0eyrhqFzD_DJJv-pjmIUxK6hs3miZR4Oq-asEayqM1LqAE4t85rQdmzeAOHq08sv3AKY/s1600-h/IMG_2391.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhazv2hyphenhyphenN6c2O-KhaggOkJUlvYnTDG1itueSPk5yySiSDeMX0-ADzNOB8uAdvjPb199Iegwzig0eyrhqFzD_DJJv-pjmIUxK6hs3miZR4Oq-asEayqM1LqAE4t85rQdmzeAOHq08sv3AKY/s200/IMG_2391.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133458871538760210" /></a><br />It was fascinating to see the guys at work - though I would not swap jobs with them on a hot day. Often there were two to three people to a loom with another man sitting on a bicycle wheel contraption spinning the finer threads into the ply required for the item being developed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMAosqpmMrgYEU691GC65OwkpBs5Wg5rarAFfKydQgu-an3nShJzGsvoUggUG3cgh7S23IbeCPPgeJv6-QxMkf_IBpQrTgrF5LOeaOkUzPASotkcC2l5VQ8hzWeqG3va24nPfQ5mcNNQ/s1600-h/IMG_2393.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMAosqpmMrgYEU691GC65OwkpBs5Wg5rarAFfKydQgu-an3nShJzGsvoUggUG3cgh7S23IbeCPPgeJv6-QxMkf_IBpQrTgrF5LOeaOkUzPASotkcC2l5VQ8hzWeqG3va24nPfQ5mcNNQ/s200/IMG_2393.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133459975345355298" /></a><br />Once again Morocco provided us with an interesting day. Next trip we will try to take an extra day or so and see a little more of the place.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-33407390709313331422007-11-16T08:30:00.000-05:002007-11-16T09:26:12.381-05:00Malaga - Nov 3 2007<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGdEvIt1kFlUjyvCr7YN1_A1UgS03Z52YghgmD9iK7HlH34mLMRX2WxKR2kROKU9wzBH7nHou9g9hOVYhdb91rsI6DPjw5Tdei8gwtCBvu_4DrN7FVagDyIEzcU2YqYIHk7pytYGpNck/s1600-h/IMG_2361.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGdEvIt1kFlUjyvCr7YN1_A1UgS03Z52YghgmD9iK7HlH34mLMRX2WxKR2kROKU9wzBH7nHou9g9hOVYhdb91rsI6DPjw5Tdei8gwtCBvu_4DrN7FVagDyIEzcU2YqYIHk7pytYGpNck/s200/IMG_2361.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133435876283857282" /></a><br />Malaga is one of those places people fly into, see the airport, and then move on to where-ever they have booked down the coast. Unfortunately it is not viewed as a place to visit by many of the expats coming into (and out of) the south of Spain. Its a pity as the city has much to offer, as we found out with a couple of KL friends (Dave and Monica), who have now returned to the UK and found time to spend a few days with us. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGLWJBGimFgA9WWW4omhK2ZCGl9WP_CRjY1_g6dBrYo8li60oP-0kA0kwOn0Q3k_4cnj8ROxM7APiEho6Z91L2956TwEkBhpt4BN5xcNq64pYtExzdBpKaAyCoZy_q2L8HGQCNLonH8g/s1600-h/IMG_2328.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGLWJBGimFgA9WWW4omhK2ZCGl9WP_CRjY1_g6dBrYo8li60oP-0kA0kwOn0Q3k_4cnj8ROxM7APiEho6Z91L2956TwEkBhpt4BN5xcNq64pYtExzdBpKaAyCoZy_q2L8HGQCNLonH8g/s200/IMG_2328.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133434729527589234" /></a><br />Starting at the Alcazabar (or Kings Palace), we were able to roam through this Moorish palace and its beautiful interior gardens, see the small museum dedicated to the Roman and Moorish bowls and urns found during various city excavations and generally get some wonderful views across the city.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUDjkQP1AZrvFZ_fVy3-fYB-GtgVy7Z0ahJPgHPwigQtZu9pHMUBpHyAh7gsMfI0HK4yPmG7o7z1qTuyU56HgngkEBTYhf0fpCbJRJsaZUpYwS1waHxJJblQDgUWSm6yvHNfKUg1mDKk/s1600-h/IMG_2354.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUDjkQP1AZrvFZ_fVy3-fYB-GtgVy7Z0ahJPgHPwigQtZu9pHMUBpHyAh7gsMfI0HK4yPmG7o7z1qTuyU56HgngkEBTYhf0fpCbJRJsaZUpYwS1waHxJJblQDgUWSm6yvHNfKUg1mDKk/s320/IMG_2354.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133438642242795938" /></a><br />A short walk from the high exit finds the ruins of a Roman ampitheatre. Whilst work is underway to excavate additional areas including more of the stage area, an impressive amount of restoration work has been carried out - it is almost unbelievable that something this old is still standing. As we walked down the road we were able to look back up towards the palace with the Roman ruins in the foreground - amazing history from different periods side by side. Coming from such a young country, Australians consider anything over 100 years to be old.....Europe's ruins dating from earlier than the 11th century are impressive.<br /><br />A drive up to the top of the hill bought us to the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Originally a palace, it was rebuilt as a fortress during the Moorish period in the 14th century. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXz3Cl0OR-UGyvHae_uw5n0vl-ir7DzzMZotecbS90NdzSbLxxxv3lFtwiCh4HfDVJOtIKbdtWbQjX1PkV55NiUjrHRV8AjpLCCv4hjEWkw2fpi4ioSFT1sLK0TlW9PM8Goe5kgsPFl8/s1600-h/IMG_2363.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXz3Cl0OR-UGyvHae_uw5n0vl-ir7DzzMZotecbS90NdzSbLxxxv3lFtwiCh4HfDVJOtIKbdtWbQjX1PkV55NiUjrHRV8AjpLCCv4hjEWkw2fpi4ioSFT1sLK0TlW9PM8Goe5kgsPFl8/s200/IMG_2363.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133442606497610162" /></a><br />It is possible to walk the entire way around its walls - again with terrific views of Malaga as it is built overlooking the old town. Inside the museum displayed elements of Spanish military history, plus a model of the old town and the various connections between the palace and the fortress. Whilst we did not have time on this trip, previous visits to Malaga have included a walk through its old town - much of which is now up-market cafes and shopping areas. A very pretty place with some great tapas bars (particularly off the main streets).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-73539101164805640212007-11-12T07:05:00.001-05:002007-11-12T08:22:22.025-05:00Casares - October 25 2007<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1xU6Tm0ZOo6pdBFvXMJprX7iLXYNjT2r8I-ttDhFHbByLDj5earj2TOq4SGve3WcY_xupJPBnq9puL7f8x7GeohtKXgLV8xGwspd3iawOq2f0sXuqbaMWvwSaDj6LfyEYeF6Pnn9vZQ/s1600-h/IMG_2288.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1xU6Tm0ZOo6pdBFvXMJprX7iLXYNjT2r8I-ttDhFHbByLDj5earj2TOq4SGve3WcY_xupJPBnq9puL7f8x7GeohtKXgLV8xGwspd3iawOq2f0sXuqbaMWvwSaDj6LfyEYeF6Pnn9vZQ/s200/IMG_2288.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131927887366487602" /></a><br />Brother Mark who lives in Glasgow arranged to visit for a few days. This a rare treat as Mark's job takes him all over the world and finding a couple of days to "just veg" is difficult and requires organisation well ahead of time. As his previous visits to Spain had been work orientated, and were pretty much based around Seville, we decided to keep our touring close to home. So....a trip to a pretty little white village close to Sotogrande was on the cards.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JP12377K1sRVexLnqEvwL9UaRtdnx-m6Qn4nj65nY659Yz7a0onRj_qXmoPBBmYdYdeDuYbdjYPURMIJEwr1f4wav57HOoxIB2nF-wILbpPe8vj7jI9T5wGCSHnhUFSFB9yJdGtWOxU/s1600-h/IMG_2292.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JP12377K1sRVexLnqEvwL9UaRtdnx-m6Qn4nj65nY659Yz7a0onRj_qXmoPBBmYdYdeDuYbdjYPURMIJEwr1f4wav57HOoxIB2nF-wILbpPe8vj7jI9T5wGCSHnhUFSFB9yJdGtWOxU/s200/IMG_2292.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131929601058438722" /></a><br />The drive from the main freeway up to the village goes past some lovely rural, mountain areas, where the Spanish hills seem to go forever.<br />With plenty of photo-ops on the way, we made our way up the high side of the village. By coming in this way, Casares suddenly appears as we turn the final corner into the main village street.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIomuFYxBjC3Qa9eJHIMNWqZ_oY7BRXeksN__Jcv57txPYsfgzN-MJK3ltWaFHbO3DA5228juuTx6n4F-BffTC5JA90Vd57wmgjwvz5sX8LiQw9jvd-7XLD_NbvDJQb2ggBhyphenhypheno7nquJVA/s1600-h/IMG_2307.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIomuFYxBjC3Qa9eJHIMNWqZ_oY7BRXeksN__Jcv57txPYsfgzN-MJK3ltWaFHbO3DA5228juuTx6n4F-BffTC5JA90Vd57wmgjwvz5sX8LiQw9jvd-7XLD_NbvDJQb2ggBhyphenhypheno7nquJVA/s200/IMG_2307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131933896025734738" /></a><br />The white villages of Spain are beautiful and Casares is generally thought to be among the better. The ruins of an Arab medieval fortress and the Iglesia de la EncarnaciĆ³n Church overlook the white legoblock style houses below. In the distance is Gibraltar and the shores of Africa. The area between the village and the coast is the soaring grounds for peregrine falcons and kestrels.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdaYPKz-dHk9-EJvKhhtRGLfCWQWt-FwnLZf_Qvp6TYa4sn2tljR41yii_V1JdCaf0xfXPHB5xc4pkQQs16uylOBcxo9ZeHc84tvXtphOvvqkFV4a00nC4VU8Rlj9E-LaHUJa8bBKiYE/s1600-h/IMG_2305.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdaYPKz-dHk9-EJvKhhtRGLfCWQWt-FwnLZf_Qvp6TYa4sn2tljR41yii_V1JdCaf0xfXPHB5xc4pkQQs16uylOBcxo9ZeHc84tvXtphOvvqkFV4a00nC4VU8Rlj9E-LaHUJa8bBKiYE/s200/IMG_2305.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131942395766013554" /></a><br />After a wine at the little restaurant overlooking the village we made our way through to Maybella for a tapas lunch. The day was completed with a look around Sotogrande including the Valdarama area with a stop over for a coffee and views at the Almenara golf course. A really pleasant way to round up the day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479383698040166631.post-4088974999269167072007-10-15T12:16:00.000-04:002007-11-12T07:04:54.205-05:00Back to Oz -<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipguDl05UTYZ54lZkC1rsleiCTx7_wJL5hHakGm181dN7em04VpeNGSxLqBbcLKiJQ99S2ptFNQuSKsZDZxttGFaWiffOEQO5ZtW-vcVuOIyO2_EouNVy1WM4ViWDdErrnVD_s2_gaJ9Q/s1600-h/P9220059.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131734699737513442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipguDl05UTYZ54lZkC1rsleiCTx7_wJL5hHakGm181dN7em04VpeNGSxLqBbcLKiJQ99S2ptFNQuSKsZDZxttGFaWiffOEQO5ZtW-vcVuOIyO2_EouNVy1WM4ViWDdErrnVD_s2_gaJ9Q/s320/P9220059.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The big event for this year was the wedding of our son Anthony to his lovely partner Jenny. This occasion occurred on the 22nd September on a wonderful spring day in Melbourne Australia. I suppose we got the easy end of the day. Being the grooms parents meant a fairly relaxed day, with our responsibilities confined to making sure the suits were ready, shirts ironed, shoes cleaned and the guys fed before the big event. As we were overseas our pre-wedding jobs were also light on as Jenny and Anthony with the help of Jen's parents had everything planned beautifully.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkUxoIxcw0_1cyoOMVO81vs_7xBw_T-83dBrYFkK-xEDEpf30DPZGexq5aDNn4wpM-G8CjMktKJLQcmr_NIl-tMEvWDesgwG_NtTBnZuVYAXiPRyTmuov_blWF4W6BbEUJTqE3_jnPRQ/s1600-h/P9220068.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkUxoIxcw0_1cyoOMVO81vs_7xBw_T-83dBrYFkK-xEDEpf30DPZGexq5aDNn4wpM-G8CjMktKJLQcmr_NIl-tMEvWDesgwG_NtTBnZuVYAXiPRyTmuov_blWF4W6BbEUJTqE3_jnPRQ/s320/P9220068.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131737311077629458" /></a><br />It was a great day with family and friends from England, Scotland, South Australia and of course Victoria (and Spain obviously) all joining the bride and groom celebrate their day. Whilst Nana and Pa Selway were able to make the day, unfortunately Gran and Pa Berki missed the event with Pa having major surgery a few days earlier. However, our trip back did provide us with the opportunity to catch up with them and help out a bit with hospital visits and making sure Gran had everything she needed whilst watching over Pa. Daughter Lauren was a great help taking on a house full of visitors, acting as usher and reader at the wedding and generally keeping everything sane for the month we were back in Australia. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfGVlvr_dgpS5eUhn38wd8IXeU7dQY5ae-HfhlmI3l9I8bmgCHJq4NOyFPNWZJJ2q01-47QW_8D7P2MIk7Yz2XsLY1CSnSQ5EkcnWCBafUwi1yFasakJmba-xXVkSq5dKpdG4PffcmkQ/s1600-h/P9220067.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfGVlvr_dgpS5eUhn38wd8IXeU7dQY5ae-HfhlmI3l9I8bmgCHJq4NOyFPNWZJJ2q01-47QW_8D7P2MIk7Yz2XsLY1CSnSQ5EkcnWCBafUwi1yFasakJmba-xXVkSq5dKpdG4PffcmkQ/s320/P9220067.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131736623882862082" /></a><br />The reception was held at the Park Hyatt in the city and was great, with the speeches by Anthony's mates, Simon (Jen's Dad) and Anthony being amongst some of the best. Jenny looked wonderful, the bridesmaid were lovely and the guys did pretty good on the appearance front as well. Altogether a terrific day (even if it did seem a long time coming) and Ian and I could not be happier in welcoming Jenny officially into the family (mind you she has been accepted as part of the family for quite some time).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamAx8K3TI3AXyPnbGYJUlgRwOgTHBOGTWG28ZWej2e5hFes-_vetK1-irCuoo5vOxBPvb_J5kDPAAl252SZ8l8S-MeeMlRGPEWUgTkIZiWKFiXQWOSTC7nDCiA9PfPBDuXqWK9Q4JjHA/s1600-h/IMG_2939.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamAx8K3TI3AXyPnbGYJUlgRwOgTHBOGTWG28ZWej2e5hFes-_vetK1-irCuoo5vOxBPvb_J5kDPAAl252SZ8l8S-MeeMlRGPEWUgTkIZiWKFiXQWOSTC7nDCiA9PfPBDuXqWK9Q4JjHA/s320/IMG_2939.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131741253857607202" /></a><br />After 4 weeks of excitement and emotion, it was time to get back on the planes for the long haul back. Due to work Ian flew straight through to Spain whilst I took the opportunity to stop over and have another week in Kuala Lumpur as it was my last chance to see everyone for this year. Another great week and then time for a rest back in SpainUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0