Thursday 30th The hills are alive with the sound of............

............ Rain.
Awake this morning to grey skies, and left the ship to vist Sound of Music country. First stop was Mondsee, which is a beautiful town in upper Austria. This town is on lake Mondsee and is a popular resort town for Austrians. The local church was the setting for the wedding scene in the Sound Of Music and we couldn't see into it for a short time as there was a service going on. Today was a public holiday for Corpus Christie day, an important day in their religious calendar. We watched the locals emerge from the service, many of the girls were wearing Dirndls and the blokes in their Lederhosen, everybody was dressed up and they were carrying a piece of a Laurel branch which they will place in their homes for the next twelve months.
The church itself was beautiful and not overly ostentatious like a lot of them.
By this time it had started to rain and it didn't letup for the rest of the day.
Then it was on to Salzberg. We started a walking tour with a guide but eventually called that off as it was no fun wandering around in the rain. Our umbrellas finally gave up and we retired them. A pair of new ones cost all of 11 Euros for two. Looking for shelter, the first two cafes were chockers and the next was Maccas, at least it was dry and warm.
There was a classic sports car rally in one of the squares with Etype Jags, BMW's, Porsches, MGB's, Bentleys. More than you would ever see in Australia.
Their local church is also one of the most beautiful of all we have seen (and that's saying something).
Then it was thankfully back to the bus which took us to Passau in Germany to meet up with the ship which had travelled there during the day.
Now for the news.
It's been raining, hasn't it?, We are on a major river, aren't we?. Rivers flood don't they?
We were called into the lounge before dinner to be told by the Captain and the Cruise Director that we will have to make major changes to our cruise. Instead of going to Regensberg tomorrow, MS Amabella will only go as far as Deggendorf  where we will travel by coach to Regensberg for the planned activity and then on Saturday we will leave Amabella and drive on to Nuremberg where we will board the sister ship MS Amaverde. This ship is doing the reverse trip to us and those passengers will swap on to Amabella. It is hoped that we will then be able to continue on the Amaverde through to Amsterdam, it is possible, however, that we may have to use coaches on land for part of the journey. Hopefully that won't happen. Apparently the section of the river we are going to avoid will be at its highest and we won't be able to get under the bridges.
They are talking about the possibility of 100 year flood levels in Austria. Trust us to be here hey?
The captain and the cruise director have the safety of the passengers as their first priority and we will do whatever they think best.

Wednesday 29 th Durnstein to Melk

Woke today to grey skies and low cloud, but as it happened, the weather improved during the day until mid to late afternoon.
Sailed into Durnstein about 7:30am and after breakfast headed into town. It is a lovely place, although it only has 500 residents, it is a city. Built on the side of a hill, it is a tourist Mecca because there were five boats moored there. We were in the middle of three that were triple parked. That is called rafting where the passengers in the outside ship have to walk through the other two to get to the dock.
It is a wine growing region of Austria and the vines are all terraced into the side of the hills along the river. They grow a variety called Gruner Veltliner, a white wine, and also Riesling.
The guide took us through the city and pointed out the shops where we could spend our money(!!), we bought some souvenirs ,  then went to a wine tasting session, at 11:00am if you please. We tasted the above two wines and a Zweigelt (red). Then it was back to the ship for lunch.
The ship set off for Melk which is 35 kilometers away, some of the travelers elected to ride bikes instead of staying on board, they took about the same time to get to Melk as we did, they travelled along the old tow-paths beside the river, it would be a nice option if you were fit enough.
Those of us on board enjoyed cruising up the river watching the scenery. there are villages dotted all along the river and some of them still had their Maypoles up after their Mayday celebrations, the maypoles have a pine tree stuck to the top of the pole. Th e sun was out by this time and was quite warm. We were served Kaiserspritz to drink and onion tart to eat as we cruised and we sat on the top deck in the sunshine.
Arriving at Melk we were herded into buses and drove the short distance to Melk Abbey. This was an important Benedictine Abbey, but only a few monks are there now, it does house a primary school and It has a very impressive library and a matching grand room. The church is also impressive to say the least (abc!).
By this time the wind was blowing a gale and we headed back to the ship. We were entertained for an hour by a string trio who were very good. The ship set sail about 7:45 as we were having dinner and shortly after went through another lock. We will sail overnight to Linz, then we will have our excursion to Salzburg.

Sunday 26th Sailing

Sailing down (up) the river on a Sunday afternoon.
An easy day today. The scheduled land excursion this morning was the tour we did on Friday so we opted out and had a quiet morning on board.
We were having a light lunch when the ship set sail (is that the correct terminology?). You would hardly now the craft was moving it is so smooth and it moves along at a sedate pace, about 20 km per hour. A bit of rain along the way and it is quite cold, so there is no sitting out on the sun deck.
We are heading for Vienna where we will arrive at 1:30 pm tomorrow, sailing all night. We go through the first of the locks about 1:30 am, there are a total of  68 to go through in the 1811 Klms to Amsterdam.
We are having dinner in the "special" restaurant tonight, only caters for 25 people, so will see what that is like.
Not much to talk about today so will sign off.
Cheerio.

Tuesday 28th How the Habsbergs lived.

There were a few options to choose to choose from today so Glen and I had elected to go to Schonbrun Palace, that's the place that Andre Rieu uses as a backdrop for his concerts. This was the Summer Palace of the Habsberg family which ruled much of Europe and particularly Austria for over 500 years ending in 1918. It was probably built in the country way back when, but now it is just part of Vienna.
They didn't hold back when they built and decorated their palaces , extremely elaborate, and as our guide said this morning, if it looks like gold, it really is, the rooms just glow with gold. We saw their winter palace in Vienna yesterday.
There is a lot of information given out when on these excursions and I have a lot of trouble taking it all in. The stories of Emperor Franz Jozef and his wife Empress Sisi (Elizabeth) are fascinating.
We are sitting in the lounge watching the blue Danube flowing by at the moment.
Technology is another mystery that we keep having to find reasons as to why things go wrong or won't work but we eventually seem to find ways around it  - sometimes this has taken days so this can explain intermittent communications.
It is now evening and a few hours since I typed the previous paragraphs.  Since then, Glen and I went for a walk along the river and across the bridge nearby, returning we found that a few travelers were in the top deck pool, which is a hot spa pool, so we joined them, but was it hot,I called it the lobster pot, but it was nice for a little while. The weather , today has been fine and improved as the day went on, it was nice to see the sun which has been absent for a few days.
The group is settling in and are quite friendly. There was one man who was traveling alone who had to go home yesterday, he had some health problems and probably shouldn't have come in the first place.
Tonight we sail at 11:30 so we will go to sleep in Vienna and wake up in Durnstein, what a way to travel, everybody  does the work for you, it's lovely.

Monday 27th VERY COLD VIENNA

Had been sailing all night and woke to heavy grey skies and a biting wind that felt like it was coming off the North Sea. Heard later that it was snowing in Germany, not surprised!
During the morning we had the chance to visit the wheelhouse where the captain showed how he steered the ship and the electronics used on board. Disappointingly, they don't have a big steering wheel, just a small joy stick.
Arrived in Vienna about 1:30 and set off for an orientation tour of the city including the obligatory church! St Stephan's . Had a look at where they keep the beautiful white lippanzer horses which perform, as well as the Winter Palace of the Habsburgs. This was followed by coffee and sacher torte, a rich chocolate cake that has to be eaten with whipped cream because there are not enough calories in the cake (ha ha, you believe me don't you?). It was so cold though, no one was in the mood for wandering very far. Then it was back to the ship for tea, by which time the weather had settled a little, as we went out again to a concert performance. Mozart and the Strausses were performed and it was brilliant. Of course  the concert concluded with the Blue Danube Waltz and the Radeztski March.

Saturday 25th MS Amabella

We checked out of Hotel Zara at 10 o'clock and walked a couple of blocks to the dock. The ship was still completing the previous cruise from Amsterdam and although we couldn't check in we were able to leave our bags there.
On the previous day's tour of the city we were given a complimentary ticket for a boat ride up and down a short stretch of the Danube, so we did this. It was very informative and a good view of the landmarks was had.
Being the Ikey Thomas's that we are we went back to the boat where they had put on soup and sandwiches for lunch for those waiting to both disembark and to board. So we stayed there until we could check into our cabin around three o'clock. Chatted to a few people doing the same thing.
We got into the cabin and unpacked our cases (yaaaay!). It will be great not having to live out of the suitcases for a couple of weeks. Our cabin has a small deck where we can sit outside  as well as a little glassed sitting area when the weather is not so good, so we have good views on the port side. then we did an exploration tour of the ship, it's not all that big so it didn't take long. there was another ship doubleparked beside us for a few hours and you could see right into the cabins on the other ship (have to be careful when getting dressed!) We gathered in the lounge for the welcome speech by the cruise director and the captain. There are 157people on board, mostly Aussies, one Chinese and two South Africans and all our age group (grey nomads).
Then it was dinner time, four courses and coffee. After dinner the ship set off for a short cruise to see the lights of Budapest, and it is just beautiful. Especially the Parliament building which is a huge place built right on the river, then back to dock for the night.

Friday 24th Budapest

We were picked up at our hotel for a sightseeing tour of the city this morning, which was interesting in itself as the roads at the front and back of the hotel are being remade, as are many of the streets around. They are also building an underground carpark nearby, which has been ongoing for a long time much to the dismay of the locals. On this tour we met some people who were on the train from Prague and are also staying at this hotel, Americans of course, haven't met many Aussies yet.
The tour took us around the city and stopped at Heroes square then over the river to the Buda side where the royal castle is situated on top of the hill. This castle and its surrounding buildings were ruined during the Second World War and have been totally rebuilt. Including the beautiful Mattthias church, it brings home to us the effects that war has on any community on either side of the conflict.
When the tour finished we walked along the river and to our pleasure the MS Amabella was docked, just sitting there waiting for us to board tomorrow. The dock is just a couple of blocks from the hotel so it is in easy walking distance.
Back to the hotel for a rest and then we ventured out again and walked over the Elizabeth Bridge and along Vaci street which is a street adjacent to where we are. This is a shopping/tourist trap street but a lively one. The people promoting their eating places just about drag you in to their establishment, but we are really cool and ignore the ones we don't want. We did eat there and continued wandering after dinner.  Some of those flogging their eating places are ladies dressed in national costumes and are very colorful.
The currency here is Forints and one Aust. Dollar is worth about 220 Forints, so the price tags are huge and is a bit of a shock when you pay 500 Forints for two icecreams.
I thought the traffic was bad last night when we arrived, but I don't think it makes any difference what time of the day or week, it's still very hectic. The cars are larger here than they were in Italy.
No rain today but it was overcast most of the time. The locals say this is the worst Spring they have had for 35 years and can't wait for some warm weather as they have had a long cold winter. One of the lakes we went past today freezes in winter and is used for ice skating....too cold for us.
An interesting day for us and the start tomorrow of a new chapter in our trip.

Thursday 23rd Prague to Budapest

Long day today but although we haven't had much physical activity we are both more tired than if we walked 100 miles.
Caught the train at Prague which is an interesting station, although there is this impressive, if neglected huge building, all the action happens underground. The train left on time and travelled out of Czech Republic, through Slovakia and into Hungary. Each border we went through, our tickets had to be presented again and new train crew worked for the section of their country. The locomotive was changed twice also. It was nice watching the countryside go by, especially from the restaurant car when we had lunch. I don't know if there was a problem with the locos  or not but we were a hour late getting into Budapest.
A taxi took us through peak hour traffic to the Hotel Zara which is on the Pest side just up from the river, so it will be nice and handy when we board the boat. Had tea at the hotel and are now ready for bed. Will have a look around town tomorrow.

Wednesday 22nd Prague Castle

Today we did a tour of the inside of the Castle. What a huge complex. We only saw a small part of it but it goes on forever. One of the largest , if not the largest castles in Europe. The castle building surrounds St Vitas Cathedral which is huge in itself. The cathedral has beautiful stained glass windows.
We were picked up at the hotel and drove to the castle with our guide for the day. I think her name must have been Mrs Grumpy, couldn't crack a smile if she tried. She seemed to know her stuff but had no personality and didn't speak very loudly. This can be a problem for some people who don't hear very well you know! She was so different to the lady we had for the previous two days. Needless to say Grumpy didn't get a tip.
Anyway the tour ended at the Charles Bridge and we walked back to the hotel. The Maximillian Hotel is in a very good spot within walking distance of  both the main square and the Revolution Square, which seem to be the two main centers, so Anne has done a good job with her hotel selections. If you are missing your pets at home, while you stay here they will put a goldfish in your room for you to talk to.
Dinner was next on the agenda and we had Goulash with dumplings and steamed cabbage.
It was raining on and off during the day so our umbrellas were out a bit and as they have just about packed it in we might have to invest in new ones
Tomorrow we catch the train to Budapest at 9.35, seven hour trip.
Na shiedanou from Praha. ..........Al says this means goodbye

Cesky Krumlov Tuesday 21st

A bus again picked us up at the hotel at 8 45 this morning, this time we stayed on this vehicle and was much better than yesterday.
It was a three hour drive to Cesky Krumlov through the Bohemian countryside, very scenic as it is very green and lots of Canola in flower at the moment, they still call It Rape, or something like that.
Cesky Krumlov is a UNESCO listed town which has been preserved for centuries, many of the buildings are decorated with Frescoes or Graffito, which is a process where geometric patterns are etched into the rendered surface, very dramatic. There are lots of tourist shops, including jewellers, which Glen liked, selling Garnets in all sorts of settings.
The controls UNESCO set on buildings are horrendous, as they can't do anything without a lot of rigmarole and alterations and maintenance are very expensive.
Our guide for the day was Camilla who was the same one we had yesterday and when I told her I had a Trdelnik yesterday with jam, she was horrified as she thinks they should not be eaten like that, as they were food poor people would have and they couldn't afford to fill them with the likes of jam. Well that's how they were offered to us!
We had lunch provided here and after that continued up the hill to the Castle (yes ABC!) This is also built on top of the hill, but I thought it was a gloomy place, impractical to live in and would think it cold in winter, there are huge gardens with trimmed hedges and lawns. The paths and stairs, both in the building and grounds,  can be quite steep going up the hill.
Krumlov is quite a pretty place and worth the visit,. Cesky refers to the fact that it is in the Bohemian area.
One piece of information that will interest many is that Czechs think eating Carp is a treat and is usually eaten at Christmas. The fish is taken from the muddy water and kept in fresh water for two weeks before eating to remove the muddy taste.
Arrived back in Prague at 7:30 and walked back to the hotel after a long but interesting day.

Praha. Monday 20th

A bus picked us up at the hotel for an orientation tour of Prague. The bus we were transferred to was a small one but full, so it was packed. Hard to take photos through the windows but at least they showed us around the town and we eventually ended up at the Prague Castle. This is a huge building built on top of the hill overlooking the city. Within the castle grounds is built St Vitus cathedral, you know, he with the nervous twitch. You would though wouldn't you if you had boiling oil thrown over you after being thrown to the lions that didn't eat you. Vicious lot these old timers!
Following this we went to the city square and watched the astronomical clock chime the hour, then wandered down to the Charles Bridge. This was the first bridge built over the Vltava river and is a popular spot where tourists gather to have their portraits painted or caricatured. Wandering through the town we bought a Trdelnik to eat. This is unleavened bread wrapped around a wooden roll and cooked over a flame. It is then slipped off the wooden roll and rolled in sugar and crushed nuts, we also had jam spread inside, it was delicious. More about that tomorrow!
Walked further exploring the narrow streets and buildings, including shops.
Eventually it was time for tea so we went to the local brew house. The locals eat here as well, it is good food and relatively cheap, beer's good too. Neither of us have drunk much beer of late but we enjoy the local Pilsener.

Sunday 19th Milan to Prague

The rain has cleared by this morning so it was a fine day for moving. Repacking our cases was a bit of a job as we had to reduce the weight in the main cases a bit for the flight. We walked back to Centrale Station to catch the airport shuttle bus after enquiring about the cost of a taxi. 100 Euros by taxi to Malpensa airport, so the decision was an easy one. The flight only took an hour and ten minutes so we hardly got the seats warmed. We did, however, get a taxi into our hotel as that was the easiest option, a nice Skoda sedan.
The Maximilian hotel is in the old part of Prague and the buildings around it are lovely. We only went for a short walk to find a place for tea and settled on a local restaurant which served local meals at reasonable prices, it is a bit of a shock to get a bill for 490 karunas which is about $27.
Anyway not much else happened today as you seem to spend most of the day getting ready for traveling and waiting around for planes.

Saturday 18th Milan

Saturday 18th Milan
This morning was an easy one, sleeping late and having a late breakfast, what a pleasant change.
However, we eventually took ourselves off to the Metro station and went to the area where the Castle is. This was the home of old kings of Milan and is a huge affair. It now comprises museums.
By lunch time our conscience kicked in and we had an orange each.
Then it was time to board the tour bus to take us around town. First stop was to La Scala Opera House. It is not a very impressive building from the outside and inside we were able to see into the theatre from some of the boxes. They were preparing for a premiere of an opera tonight and only the stage was lit, but it looked very impressive. The theatre has its own museum with paintings and busts of Toscanini, Verdi and many others.
Then it was into the main Piazza after walking through "The Galleria". To call it a shopping centre is a bit of an understatement. Buildings housing Prada and the like, the four walkways are covered in glass ceilings. From here we went into the Duomo, we had seen this yesterday from the outside, which is impressive, but inside is a huge space constructed entirely of marble and has the largest stained glass windows I have ever seen.
The final stop was to Santa Maria Della Grazie Basilica to view DaVinci's Last Supper. To get to this you have to go through two air locks and only 25 people at are a time can go in and only for 15 minutes, just enough time for our guide to explain the symbolism of the painting. Because of the way DaVinci painted it, it is very fragile but it was interesting to see.
It had started raining during the tour and by this time we had our umbrellas well and truly wet.
Then it was back by Metro to the local station and walked home after having tea.
Tomorrow we fly to Prague so it's Arrivedirci Italia.

Food Glorious Food

Have just re- read the blogs from the beginning and it looks like we do nothing but eat and drink. Well that's not entirely true, really it isn't. But seriously we have enjoyed the food here, mostly it is simple food but flavorsome. The chianti is nice too! It doesn't contain the preservatives our wines have so is not headache inducing.
One other thing we have been doing is walking. Glen is walking every where, it's a real credit to her.
That's all folks.

Friday 17th Rome to Milan

Friday 17th Rome to Milan
11:00am
Currently sitting on a EuroRail train on the way to Milan doing up to 300 km per hour. I tell you what, the Italians could teach VLine and Southern Cross station a thing or two. The trains run pretty much on time, have leather reclining seats with tables between the facing seats. The trains are electric, very smooth riding and fast! Double line all the way.
It has been a bit of an adventure just getting this far. A taxi took us from the hotel to Termini station in morning peak hour traffic, I will never complain about the traffic on Marong Road again!  A horn is a necessary inclusion for any motor vehicle here. Most cars are of the very small variety, like Smart Cars and most carry war wounds, no wonder!
We then had to find where the platforms were for a start. Asked a couple of people who should have known, but they weren't in the mood to be helpful. Not like the "nice" guy who showed us where to go and then demanded ten Euro for his trouble. We live and learn.
I haven't had a chance to update the blog for a while as we have had three long days added to which the hotel in Rome didn't have free WiFi. Each day has been typed up and will cut and paste when I get the chance.
7:30 pm
We got into Milan at 1 o'clock and after finding our way out of the station we walked to the Mediolanum Hotel only three blocks away, we did decide that we have packed far too much as they are heavy dragging them along the way.
After settling in we headed to Corso Buenos Aires the main shopping strip, not content with that we continued finding more shops, all fashion stuff but at good prices, shoes for less than half what we would pay at home, but we didn't succumb. Continuing walking we found the Duomo (Cathedral) and the main Piazza, by which time we decided we would get transport back, so caught the Metro train, with the help of a nice American lady, when you know what happens It all seems pretty easy but can be confusing to strangers. Back at Corso BA we did some more footpath sitting and Pizza eating for dinner, watching all the beautiful,people strolling by. It's fashionable to go walking with your little dog. They also smoke in Italy, cigars too! Which can be a bit off putting.
Tomorrow we plan on having an easy morning and in the Arvo have a tour of the city booked which includes seeing The Last Supper.
We have now got free WiFi so will be able to put these on the blog. Happy reading!

Thursday 16th Return to Rome

Can't believe it's Thursday already, It's two weeks since we left home and the time has just flown. Italy has been wonderful. To be able to see the things we have heard about all our lives is amazing. The Colosseum, the statue of David, Leaning Tower of Pisa and The Vatican have all existed for hundreds of years, we as Australians find it difficult to comprehend.
Today, we left Sorrento at 8 am and shortly made a stop at a marquetry factory where they make beautiful pieces of furniture and artworks out of inlaid wood. Again, there were a few Euros left behind.
Hitting the road again after a brief coffee stop at an Autogrill it was on to the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Cassino. Beautifully kept, it honors those commonwealth soldiers and airmen who lost their lives in Italy during the Second World War. We left a Rose on an Australian's grave.
Returning to Rome we saw a different part of the city, being more modern with larger buildings and wider roads.
Before we got to the hotel we visited The Catacombs where 150,000 Christians were buried in old Roman times. It was a bit creepy to wander around the underground tunnels to view the spaces where bodies had been placed. Only 2,000 burials remain untouched, many having been looted over the years.
For our farewell dinner we all went to "Papa Rex" (Pope and King) restaurant where once again we enjoyed beautiful food and entertainment. A Tenor and Soprano serenaded us and there was more communal singing. Volare can get a bit raucous after a couple of chiantis. Everybody had a good time and was a fitting finale to the tour.  

Wednesday 15th Isle of Capri

We didn't have to be on the go until 8 am this morning, that's as much of a sleep in as we get.
The ferry took us from Sorrento to the island and boarded another boat which cruised around part of the island to view the White Grotto and other rock formations. returning to the port we rode the funicular railway from the port area up to the town of Capri where a refreshing citrus drink awaited us, non-alcoholic this time. The local guide took us to local gardens of Augustus.
 This town is built on the side of a hill and of course the streets are cobblestones so you need to watch your step.
Lunch was at a local cafe and instead of taking the funicular down we went in the local taxis, which are generally Fiats which can seat six and are open topped but  with a sunshade over it, quite unique.
Returning to Sorrento we were soon on the go again, this time to the Amalfi Coast and Positano. The coastal road is quite dramatic and I am glad I wasn't driving. Our coach was too large to negotiate the roads in Positano so we went in two smaller buses. Even these were quite large for the roads and we were caught up in an interesting road block when a town bus was going up the hill, we were going down and cars and scooters (Vespas and the like) were trying to go in all directions but nobody was going anywhere. Then an ambulance, with lights flashing and sirens blaring tried to get through. A local copper was directing traffic and eventually it was sorted after much maneuvering. Our bus backed into a big rock, we were in the back seat. Apparently this sort of thing goes on all the time.
Positano is even more hilly than we had experienced before and the paths quite steep. Tourists everywhere. We had a look at the beach which was grey stones and gravel, not very appealing. Back along the coastal road to our hotel for an included dinner in their restaurant. This overlooks the bay, more good food and wine. Bed finally called about 9 pm so it was another long day.

Tuesday 14th Assisi to Sorrento

Tuesday 14th Assisi to Sorrento
An early start today as it is a big traveling day, so it's on the coach by 7:30, which means out of bed at 5am.
The morning was spent driving through the Appenines and lunch was at an Autogrill.
Arriving at Pompeii about 2pm, Daniele had decided to do this visit today instead of tomorrow as there was a possibility of a strike by workers on Thursday, good decision as the weather was perfect. We have had warm and sunny weather for the last few days.
Pompeii is another amazing place and quite chilling when you see the plaster casts of bodies who were trapped by the ash. We could also see the tracks in the stone worn by carts being pushed or pulled along the roads. Also interesting was the "red light district" where pictures on the walls depicted the services offered by the ladies.
Apparently lava didn't reach Pompeii but the falling ash and pumice stone did the damage, collapsing roofs on people sheltering inside.
We only saw a small portion of the township as it covers a large area.
This is where Allan decided to try the local drink, Limoncello, expecting a nice refreshing fruit drink, it was anything but a soft drink. There are lots of lemons grown here, even huge ones that have a lot of pith.
Continuing on we made our way to our hotel in Sorrento. The hotel is in the old pedestrian area of the town and we had to leave the coach about half a kilometer from the hotel, but it was in a beautiful position overlooking the bay of Naples with Vesuvius dominating the landscape. Our room was at the front, so we had a good view.
Many of the group went out for dinner at a family restaurant high in the hills above Sorrento where we had good food, wine, live music, singing and dancing. Everybody had a  really good time. Fortunately the bus and the driver have to be out of action by a relatively early time or the party may have gone on till all hours.

Pilgrim's Way Monday 13th

An early start this morning, leaving the hotel in Venice at 7:30 am. This was necessary as you can't take buses into the city, so we got on a motor launch to take us to the port area where the coach was waiting, already loaded with our cases. This process must add extraordinary costs to all products as everything has to be double handled like this to get to shops and businesses.
Heading south we passed Bologna and our lunch stop is Ravenna.
Outside of Ravenna is a Basilica, built 1500 years ago, which has beautiful. mosaics inside, particularly around the apse. The mosaics comprise tiny pieces of glass  and it took years to complete. Lunch was a yummy lasagna.
Continuing on our way, the road on which we travelled went through farming and orchard country. The fields are only relatively small, each only a few acres, if that, and they may have wheat in one and peach trees in the next and vegetables in the next one. Further on we drove through the Appenines which has to be some of the most beautiful countryside you could imagine, green grass, mountains, small rivers (the Tiber starts here) and attractive farmlets.
We eventually arrived at Assisi. This town is built high on a hill and looks very impressive and awe-inspiring as you approach it. The coaches aren't allowed to enter the town so after checking into our hotel we were driven to a parking area and walked into Assisi. This is, of course, the home of St Francis and also of St. Clare who was a contemporary of Francis and founded the Poor Clare's Order.
The church which honors Clare is beautiful but the Basilica which was built over the crypt which holds St Francis' body is even more so. We viewed the crypt and the magnificent frescoes in the church which were painted mostly by Giotto.
There was a severe earthquake in 1997 which damaged some of the building and one of the aftershocks killed four people when part of the church's interior fell on them.
These buildings and the artworks which decorate them have to be seen to be believed and are to be admired.
There are 500 residents of Assisi and they are allowed to drive their cars in the steep narrow roads, much to the annoyance of our local guide, nobody else can take vehicles in.
Returning to the hotel we had an included dinner with enjoyable company at table

Wonderful Venice

An early start this morning to explore. First up it was a boat ride to Murano Glass, to watch a glass blowing demonstration and the staff's attempts to get us to buy. Some of our group did, however and there was probably a bit of money invested into some glass pieces. Coming back from that we went on a walking tour of "Hidden Venice". Only about half of the group did this tour but it was interesting to see the back streets and canals. Following that we went to St Marks Square where we had a coffee and an icecream.
Glen and I queued to go up the bell tower which was well worth the wait as it gives a great view of Venice. There was a pageant in town today as the locals were celebrating their relationship with the sea. The crowds were large but this seems to be the norm for tourist towns we have discovered. There were also four cruise liners in port so that helped swell the numbers too!
Gondola rides were next on the agenda as we all trooped to,the departure point and Gondala'd around the canals, very interesting.
Then it was onto a motor launch to cross the Lagoon to Burano. The houses here are all painted bright colors and they specialises in lace products, they also have a leaning tower, as the foundations are unstable due to the water levels.
Here we had an early seafood dinner, risotto with prawns, spaghetti with clams, sea bass, fruit and biscotti and coffee. What did I say about our weight? It was all very delicious though. Then it was back to the hotel for an early night to catch up on washing, blogs etc. tomorrow we leave and head for Assisi.
TTFN

Through Verona to Venezia

The morning was bright and clear as we drove out of Baveno and on to the Autostrada heading east. We skirted Milan but we will be back ther e after this tour ends. Brief views of the Alps showed snow capped peaks. Many industries are located along the autostrada even apparently outside any built up communities.
Our first main stop was Verona, the legendary home of Juliet and Romeo. We viewed the balcony which has been attributed to Shakespeare's story, this place attracts thousands of tourists, many women going up to the balcony to pretend they are Juliet. When we got that out of the way we went in search of food in the town square.
Verona boasts a building much like the colosseum in Rome only smaller but still in use, unfortunately the queues to enter we're too long and time was too short for us to have a good look at it.
The local football team (soccer) were playing away that day and they had a large screen set up in the square where the fans gathered to watch and encourage their team. Apparently the Verona fans are banned from attending matches in person as they have been behaving badly, this must affect the teams income from matches as they would miss out on attendance fees.
Leaving fair Verona it was on to Venice.
Arriving late in the afternoon we settled into our hotel, which is on the grand canal and our room is on the side overlooking a piazza, from our balcony we have a view of the grand canal.Glen and I along with another couple from Newcastle went to an adjacent restaurant for dinner where we both had a Calzone. Glen and I expected this to be an ordinary pizza, but it was folded over and looked like a large Cornish pastie, it was delicious. You know that weight we both lost before we came away, well..........
After dinner we hopped on to water taxis and headed along the grand canal to St Marks square. This is a main meeting place for Venice and you may have seen pictures of it when it floods. Insight provided us with a drink and we both had yummy hot chocolate, that is real chocolate, thick and syrupy. Sitting there the crowds were serenaded by a couple of quartets providing a very pleasant ambience. Then it was back to the hotel for the night.

Lakes in the rain. Friday 10th

Bongiorno.
We woke today to grey skies and rain which continued for much of the day. Leaving Baveno we skirted around Lake Maggiore which would be beautiful on a fine day. Crossing into Switzerland the coach headed to Lugano where we bought chocolate (yum!). Lugano is on the shores of Lake Lugano which is also a beautiful spot and a popular place to live and to visit. Our Tour Director, Daniele, although Italian, lives in Lugano, where he says it suits him and his work.
It was then on to Como which specializes in silk products. By this time the rain had cleared and the sun was out so we boarded a launch to view Lake Como. The lake is surrounded by exclusive villas of the rich and famous, very expensive real estate.
Then it was back to our hotel at Baveno and to a local eatery, the Upside Down Restaurant, for dinner.
The hotel was beautiful, being on the lake, with wonderful views and fitted out luxuriously. It is owned by a family which owns six hotels in the area, this one and another are linked by an underground tunnel which is lined with art works.
Arriverdirci

Lake Maggiore Thursday 10th

Today was a traveling day. We haven't had time to update the blog for a couple of days as the days have been full on.Up at 5:45 am and going through to 10pm. Today we left Florence at 8:00 am and headed West to Pisa. The building is just amazing, to think that it leans 12feet off perpendicular is astounding. Everybody was taking photos of others trying to "push" the building upright, we did too! While we were there, there was a Lamborghini Rally. Must have been over 200 cars driving around the town showing off. Also amazing are the street vendors trying to flog their wares, I don't know how they make a living, there are so many of them selling mostly the same sort of tourist things.
Leaving Pisa it was North West along the Ligurian Coast. This road consists of tunnels and viaducts, the landscape is all hills and valleys, there is no other way but to build bridges or tunnels, must have cost a fortune. Lunch was had at a roadside Autogrill, similar to our roadhouses but much better. The food is quite good and not Maccas or the like.
Passing by Genoa, we headed north and finished up at Baveno on Lake Maggiore. The hotel is very nice and after we settled in we were off again for a cruise on the lake to Isola Bella, which is a palace built on  an island in the lake. It was built by the Borromeo family, centuries ago. It is very ornate and has a lovely garden. Back to the hotel where we had dinner. The weather was fine today, warm at times and cloudy but not wet.
We are enjoying the food, did I say we like Chianti? Did I say we like Gelato? The pasta and Pizzas are very good too!

Traveling in Tuscany Tuesday 8th

The coach was rolling at 8 am sharp as we headed out of Rome. Heading north our first stop was at Siena. We had a brief stop for the driver to purchase a permit to enter the town. You have to get permits to enter towns - a form of tax.
Siena is beautiful town with narrow streets, cobblestones and a large piazza. It is also home to Monte del Paschi Di Siena, the oldest bank in the world, the name which is well known to staff of Bendigo Bank.
The piazza hosts a horse race twice a year which draws huge crowds and must be tortuous for the horses as it is a tight circuit with sharp turns.
The church of St Catherine who is the patron saint of Europe and Sienna. After she died her body was dismembered and pieces are in different places. Her head and 1 finger is in Sienna and the main body is in Rome.
We then headed for Florence (Firenze) where we were taken to the Piazza and to a Gold shop and a Leather shop. Some of the group enjoyed (??) a Spritz which is a local concoction guaranteed to stand you on your head. Dinner was at our hotel.

The Eternal City Monday 5th

An early start this morning, 7:30 on the coach headed for The Vatican. An advantage of being in a tour group is not having to queue at these places. The queues are horrendous. A local guide took us through the Vatican Museum which holds things of incredible age and would be impossible to place a value on it. We only saw a small,part of the amazing collections.
Then it was into the Sistine Chapel which has to be seen to be described, despite the crowds of people there was no noise. Amazing to think we were standing in a place of such history. Then it was into St Peter's Basilica, which is again awe-inspiring.
More history then, onto The Colosseum. To think these places were built so many years ago and to try and imagine what went on there is staggering.
U
Back to the hotel, then, and Glen and I took a taxi to an Apple store to see what I was doing wrong with the iPad as we had not been able to connect to the Internet. Problem now sorted and hope to keep up to date with the blog. We then went on a walking tour with the group into the old area of Rome. We had thought at one stage not to do this as we had spent some time there before joining the tour, but were glad we did as we had our local guide who took as to places we hadn't seen before and explained things as we went. Dinner was again at Piazza Navone. Back to the hotel to fall into bed.    

Roman Holiday Sunday

Sunday was moving day, so it was into a taxi and shift to the Hotel Kolbe in Rome. This Hotel is adjacent to Circus Maximus and our window looks out on to the ruins on Palatine Hill.

After settling in, it was time to break out the umbrella s and rain jackets. We headed down the street to a farmers market where we sampled their wares on the cheap. Then to the Santa Maria Church to test our honesty in the Mouth of the Truth, we must be truthful people because we didn't get our hands cut off. Then walking along the Tiber river and up to the civic area which gives a good view over the area around the Colosseum. 

Back "home" then and got ready for dinner where we met our fellow travelers. Mainly Americans with one couple from NZ, one couple from Canada and five couples from Australia, they seem to be a good bunch

Although it rained today it didn't really stop jus from getting out and about, the previous two days were warm and sunny.

Roman Holiday Saturday 4th

Breakfast was had this morning on the Hotel Terrace overlooking Trevi Fountain. Early morning is the best time to see popular spots in Rome as the crowds are light then. As time goes by the crowds grow until there are thousands of people gathering around.
After breakfast we walked to the bus stop for the hop-on hop-off bus. Along the way we side tracked to Quattro Fontana, an intersection where there is a fountain on the corner of each building on the intersection. There are no skyscrapers in Rome but the buildings are solid four or five storeys, a lot of them with elaborate decorations on the facades.
We stayed on the bus for the full circuit around the city and returned to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we got back on the bus again and went to Circus Maximus and the Castel Sant Angelo. We walked along the river and headed for Piazza Navona where we enjoyed a drink. While we were sitting there a procession of people wound its way slowly through the Piazza. They were celebrating the life of a medieval Saint. The people were in period costume with trumpets blaring and drums beating. People following were carrying banners, flags and flowers, very impressive.
Heading our way "home" we went to the Pantheon. Tea was al fresco in the street near the hotel with all the thousands of other tourists walking past.

Roma Friday 3rd

Well here we are at last. After twelve months of planning and organizing we have made it to Rome in one piece.
We flew out of Melbourne at 3:45 on Thursday with Jan and David after Andrew Holland drove us all to the airport.  Glen and I said goodbye to Jan and David at Singapore along with Fiona and Kylie who coincidentally were on that same flight too!
Rome welcomed us at 7:45 am  after a 24 hour trip from Melbourne, we got to our hotel by 9:30, too early to check in so we went walking. The Trevi Fountain is just by our hotel which is a small boutique hotel, it's  lovely and in a very good position on a narrow cobblestoned street.  We threw our coin into the fountain, so we will return to Rome. That's a given anyway as we return here after our tour of Italy. The Spanish Steps are also nearby so we went there too. I reckoned it was about lunchtime as we went by a nice pizzeria, so we sat out in the Piazza with our pizzas and chianti...very decadent, but hey- when in Rome..........
After lunch we checked in to the Hotel and had a rest, sorted our bags and went walking again. Yes Glen is walking with no after affects, great news!. As we had our fill with pizzas and eating on the plane it was decided that fruit would be the order of the day for tea.
Tomorrow we will do the hop-on, hop-off bus around the city so will see what the day brings.