Day 11

Another bright start to the day with everyday in Italy being brilliant warm medditeranian sunny weather. ( 22 up 29c)

We leave Sorrento and are very relieved that our regular driver- Carlo has returned from a two day break (the hours of the coach and driver are very regulated by an automated tracker and the coach has to stop for 45 mins every four hours and the driver and the coach must rest for 9 hours. We are juggling our night dinner excursions at times with local coaches and drivers as well. So Carlo had to have the two day break- also trucks generally are not allowed to drive on a Sunday)

Anyway back on track- Carlo is a brilliant driver and it is another test of skills winding down the Sorrento road as we head back towards Rome. We have reached our most southerly point and we are heading north now towards Florence. We plan arriving early afternoon and having the afternoon in Florence- about 600 kms to travel.

As we drove along the highway again, we see a lot a fields of sunflowers, corn, grapes and the occasional traditional Italian villages, perched onto of mountains surrounded by fortresses,for defense purposes.

A good chance to catch up on some sleep- after our big day on the Isle of Capri with the thousands of tourists yesterday.

We arrived in Florence around 2pm and our first stop is the Italian leather factory - with a guide explaining about the quality leather- more of a tourist sales pitch to get you to buy, buy, buy!!!

Florence is basically famous for it's leather, poppies, Pinocchio and architectural and sculptures. It has a population of 300,000 and is the capital of Tuscany. The symbol of Florence is a flower.

In our free time to roam even more leather, jewelry and tourist stores ( no shortage of them in each stop!!). Leanne has been collecting a few Pandora charms for her bracelet- and picked up one representing Florence- a Pinocchio.

We then had a one hour guided tour of the sites of Florence on foot and there are some magnificent buildings of the Renaissance era. Famous people from Florence buried here include Michael Angelo, Gallileo, and another 30 who I can't remember. The large church of St Mary of the Flower is the 3rd largest cathedral in world, was constructed from 1296 to 1400 and is of marble from the Apennine mountains. Its colours are white - for faith, green for hope, red for charity. It has the largest dome in the world.



The sculptures in the square include the statute of David (a replica), Hercules fighting and may more.



At the hotel for tea and an early night which will be welcome. Cheers!!

Greg and Leanne

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Location:Florence

Day 10

Our hotel is situated 20mins out of Sorrento, perched extremely high on a rocky cliff The cute little town is called Massa Lubrense. The trip up and down to the hotel is fought with danger. Imagine the Great Ocean road, ten times worse, ten x more windy, 10 x worse sheer drops, a narrower road, in a bus, in a country where road rules mean nothing. Got the idea ?
Luckily the coach drivers are local and experienced , that however did not stop the passengers oohing, ahhing, and oh my goshing, all the way down and up the road- no matter how many times we did it. ( sorry, Sally those words can not be found in a dictionary).



Anyway, we left for the Isle of Capri at 7:15am. Arriving at the Marina Grande about 9am. It takes about thirty mins to go across to the island from Sorrento. Tourists of course are everywhere. Our local guide is very informative and we are bussed around the island to experience all it's panoramic views, shops, museums and boutiques. The island is somewhat similiar to sorrento's topography- so once again we had to endure a nail biting experience in the mini buses. Even though this island is for the rich and famous, all the cars are quite old, as bumps and scratches are normal on everyones duco.
Greg was brave and went on a chair lift to the top of the island, the views were spectacular.



The isle of Capri is the most expensive island to live on in the Mediterranean, as all it's goods have to come from the mainland. Even water is piped in, they now have a desalination plant for drinking water.( Rhyce you may wish to come over for a study tour).
The staircase of 777 steps connecting two of the towns together wad built 4,000 years ago. Thankfully we did not have to climb them.

In the afternoon we had some free time, so we decided to relax with a coffee overlooking the beach. The beach is made up of large pebbles, so we found it very amusing watching the jet set trying to negotiate the pebbles in their stylish shoes and sit on the bumps. Of course you can hire a deck chair, for comfort, but if you want to swim it's painful walking to the waters edge.
Motels on the island are extremely expensive,€900 a night - and you don't even get sand on the beach!
It was a good experience, but our beaches are much better.

We returned back to our motel at 5pm, once again exhausted from lots of walking and looking forward to a nanna nap before tea 7:30.

Buonasera
Leanne and Greg xxxx



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Location:Neapolitan Riviera. Isle of Capri

Day 9

Today we head south, with a few stops along the way. The scenery is green and the Appenines mountains return along the roadside. We pass the oldest used road in Italy lined with umbrella trees. Our lunch stop and tour begins in Pompeii.

Pompeii is famous for 3 things, the Cameo brooch/ jewelry,limoncello ( an alcoholic lemon dessert wine) and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, volcano in 79 AD, which buried the town under ash and rock and killed many thousands of people. Exploration of the site began in the 1748 and continues today with 2/3 of the area excavated and 2,000 bodies found.



The town of Pompeii now rests on 25 feet of volcanic ash and rock.

Our local guide was extremely passionate about the archaeological finds and was extremely informative. Despite another 32c day, we enjoyed the tour very much. Highlights were, temples, homes, markets and the red light district which had been discovered and were in amazing condition despite their age. Some houses and the market place still had original paintings on the walls, which helped to understand what they had been used for. Phallic symbols throughout the city directed passing sailors to the local brothel where the walls were adorned with a menu of services offered.



We then head to the mediterranean coast, towards the beautiful town of Sorrento. We enjoy the rugged coastline with massive cliffs and panoramic views.

Dinner is in the town of Sorrento, with a typical Italian meal of antipasto, pasta, pizza, finished off with a lemon cake and a shot of limon cello. We had fun with the Italian guitar singing entertainer Greg serenaded Leanne on the guitar!!
Italians eat very late and the town is full of people walking around eating and generally having a good time.






Did you know that tiramusi means "pull me up" in Italian and that pizza originated in Nepals. It was named after Queen Margaret who visited in 1889, and was made of tomato,basil and mozzarella - red, green and white, the Italian flag. The pizza was called margarita !

In Italy apparently you can buy your diploma or car licence - and if you saw them drive you would believe this.
Interestingly, their cars are all very small, like the smart car by Mercedes - you never see a four wheel drive. They have no space to park, so they double and triple park everywhere with little regard for road laws.

The pace is still hectic but we are thoroughly enjoying the different experiences each day. Off to Isle of Capri for the day tomorrow.

Cheers Leanne and Greg
P.S Greg is feeling much better, thanks for asking.


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Location:Sorrento

Day 8

Today, Saturday 28/8/10 is known as "black Saturday " across Europe, as it officially ends the summer vacation, and all families return home to commence school and work on Monday.
Today is another hot day, 32c and a big day walking around the ruins in Rome.
We start early leaving our hotel at 730am, after a short sleep after our night out in Rome.

We have group access to all tourist destinations, which basically means no queueing up. Which saves a lot of time, as queues start forming at 730am.

Our first tour is of the Vatican museum, followed by the Sistine Chapel.

Words like fabulous,magnificent,awesome all come to mind, but are quite inadequate when describing the masterpieces of Michelangelo and Botticelli throughout the museum and chapel. How they painted those ceilings, ( which was commissioned in the 15 th century, and took Michelangelo 4 yrs to paint) is amazing and the tapestries were incredible.
The Sistine Chapel is only used for conclave- the selection and voting of a new Pope.
Church attire is obviously required to gain entrance to these areas, ie no bare shoulders, knees or hats and of course silence.

The Vatican City has 25,000 visitors a day, so you could say that we were not alone.
Following this jaw dropping experience we headed to St Peters Basilica,the largest cathedral in the world, the size of a soccer field. Once again statutes and mosaic paintings adorn this massive space as well as the preserved bodies of two popes- their faces are either masks of gold or wax depending on if you are a saint - which takes 8 years to be canonized . The Basilica was built in the 15- 16th century.

Next was a very informative tour of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine, St Peters Sq and the Temple of Venus. The day was becoming progressively hotter and the enthusiasm of us tourists was declining rapidly, however we all soldiered on like good Aussies.

The Swiss guards guard The Vatican City, and are dressed in brightly colored stripped outfits, designed by Michelangelo.



All around the Vatican City and Colosseum are African students selling all sorts of goods, scarves, postcards, hats and bags. They become quite annoying after awhile, everyone is out to get the tourist dollar. Even men dressed as gladiators, will pose for a photo for you as long as you pay!




Our tour guide warns us not to buy any goods off the street, as they are illegal and fakes. We can be fined 750 euro for purchasing a fake Prada handbag. These kids are unfortunately working for the mafia- disappointing really I wanted a fake Prada bag! The students place their illegal goods on a white tarp on the ground, and as soon as the police are seen, quickly pick up the corners of the tarp and run for their lives- really fun to watch.

Rome of course, is made up of 85% roman catholic and the second most common religion is Islam.

We leave Rome at 2pm, exhausted and hot. Greg heads straight for a rest, he has done really well coping with the day and is feeling a bit better. I on the other hand will hand wash some clothes- oh the life of a woman!

Ciao
Leanne and snoring Greg xx







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Location:Rome

Day 7

Another warm day in Italy- 36c.

We leave Venice for Rome, passing through many small towns, fields of tobacco, sunflowers, and fruit trees. The Appenines mountain range surround us and small villages are situated in the valleys and atop the mountains. Everything is beautiful and green and the houses are terra-cotta and sandstone in colour. We have several stops for coffee and I tried some camel balls for morning tea. HaHaha

We are sitting in the front seat of the bus today, due to seat rotation.There is something comforting about dozing to the banter of Carlo,the driver,and Patricia,the guide, talking in Italian to one another. I only wish I knew what they were saying! Greg is doing a lot of the dozing today, as he is suffering with a cough and temperature that seems to be going around the bus. Apparently a lot of tourists "hit the wall" at this stage of the tour and want to go home and get grumpy....it's possibly due to the early mornings and late nights!

Gracia has become our new favorite word and the Italians are certainly very hospitable and friendly and do try to "understand the english". The men are very fashion conscious and can be found wearing any colour trouser you can imagine, while hiding behind their sunglasses to check out any female passing.

My normal dainty feet have become a bit of a concern and look like elephant feet, incredibly swollen . So I decided to buy myself some thongs....our guide thought it was rather unusual that I would buy a thong to help my swollen feet. Hehehe

At lunch time we stopped off at Assissi, a town placed high on a hill, with of course magnificant views, where St Francesa Assissi was buried and a Basilica is named after him. A monastery is also on the site as well as homes and shops. St Assissi was the first saint of the catholic church that was credited with having the stigmata . The Basilica was beautiful, with amazing painted ceilings,and adornments. We also viewed the tomb of St Assissi. We had a quick look around the shops and a rest out of the intense heat before continuing our journey to Roma / Rome.



Greg continued to doze for the rest of the day and we arrived in Rome at 5 pm.

At 630 pm we head out again for a tour of Rome by night - with another thousand tourists. Dusk was setting as we toured around the colosseum, threw a coin in the Trevi fountain (1 coin- is a wish to one day return to Rome. 2 coins- to find love. 3 coins - for divorce), visited Vientiane sq, walked up the spainish steps and a quick look at Vatican city by night (the smallest independent state in the world, 1 sq km ). Followed by an Italian meal at 9 pm, of 4 courses at a local restaurant with serenading and all things Italian .


In Italy breakfast is a strong coffee, lunch is between 1-3 and dinner 9 pm or later.
So when in Rome you do as the Romans do!

The night finished at 11 pm,with roses and kisses for all the ladies and some very tired Aussies headed for bed.

Cheers Leanne xx



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Location:Rome

Day 6 Venice

Today is our official tour of Venice, last night was an optional excursion-one not to be missed-we are still in awe of Venice by night.

We head off at the civil hour of 815am to the port for our boat to Venice. We are greeted by a hundreds of other tourists and that is nothing compared to what awaits us in Venice.
The day is already hot and the heat radiates from the ancient stone pathways and the only escape is a shop or a little lane way. There is not enough room on the island for trees and lush shady parks for rest and recuperation .

We revisit St Marks square and somehow it's historical significance is lost amongst the now thousands of tourists whom form large groups craning to hear their tourist guide speak amongst the different international tongues.
The group visit the Murano glass factory and observe the master craftsman fashion glass products through glass blowing and discover how to pick a fake from an original. Mind blowing stuff- it should be stamped!
Then off to the gondolas for a romantic cruise along the canals with a serenade from a fabulous opera singer. The gondolas held 6 people so we missed out on the romantic stuff. Our gondola driver was the typical Italian loud, gold jewelry, and lots of hand gestures. One of passengers decided to stand and take a photo in the gondola ,she fell flat onto her large bottom rocking the boat and I thought my life was about to end in the canals on Venice. Luckily the skill of the driver kept us all upright and dry.



Greg and I then queued up to see St Marks Basilica, which only took about 15 mins, as we did it at lunch time while the thousands were eating their lunch-clever aren't we. Protocol and reverance requires you to wear church attire, ie covered shoulders and knees and no hats.
It was magnificent with it's stained glass windows, domed painted ceiling and woodwork. It was built by the profits from spice trading. I do ponder when I see such excess what God thinks.
We then went on an optional boat tour around the lagoon to another island called Burano, which was a welcome relief to escape the heat and tourists. It took about 40 mins. We passed many islands on the way some half submerged( Venice is sinking 1cm a year) and others used for particular reasons,vegetables and a cemetery ( there isn't enough room on venice to be buried).
Burano is famous for lace making and you can watch older ladies at there craft and of course purchase their wares. The narrow multiple story homes on the island are all painted bright colours,so the fisherman can see their house from a distance on there way home from work. Traditional in Burano is buscotto a butter biscuit dipped in a sweet wine for 4 secs. It's delicious and very sweet. Bellisimo!




We loved the uniqueness and quietness of this little island and wished we had had more time there.
We all returned back to our hotel Poppi exhausted, hot and sweaty and ready for a buffet tea and early night.


Bye for now Leanne xx




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Location:Venice

Day 5- the journey to Italy

We are getting used to the European breakfast- juice, cereal, bread with jam or cheese and meat- we then headed off on the coach bright and early (7.30) for the journey out of Switzerland towards Italy. The road network through the mountains is an engineering marvel with many tunnels and bridges ( the longest tunnel was 17 kms).

Our first stop was Lugano- another beautiful historic town- we all go looking for the toilets!! A quick cuppa then on the road again to the border. After lunch of Italian pasta and spaghetti of course we then stopped at Verona- medieval town where Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are famous- and you see Juliet's house and balcony and touch the breast of Juliet's brass statue- which brings you romance (I think that's what it was?)



We are now at Verona at the Poppi hotel and tonight we head to Venice by boat for dinner at a one star Michelin restaurant. It takes about 20 mins to reach Venice- it's not quite what we imagined. Venice is made up of 117 islands and the main island is packed with tourists,wonderful canals and alleyways full of shops. Tonight was an optional tour and it was amazing to be in Venice while the sun was setting and the moonlight was magic against the ancient buildings around St Marks sq and basilica. It was a surreal experience.
Dinner was fun with most of the bus group involved, on our final walk around Venice before leaving we discovered a classical concert in St Marks sq by opposing restaurants seeking the tourist euro.


Greg and Leanne


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Location:Venice

Day 4- The adventures of Lucerne

Today consisted of a number of adventures and outings.

It's very hot and humid at Lucerne even though we can see snow on the nearby alps.

Lucerne has a population of 80,000. It is a medieval city surrounded by lake and mountains.

We started the morning with a cruise on the lake Lucerne. Very relaxing sightseeing the various properties and views of the Swiss alps from the lake. The captain/tour commentator/ cafe operator was funny with his English and dry wit humor commentary. If you ordered a coffee you had to drive the boat while he made the drink.



A visit to the famous lion sculpture, which is sculptured into rock -by a danish sculptor -to commemorate the heroic fall of 3000 Swiss soldiers in 1792 while defending the royal palace A beautiful memorable quoted by Mark Twain "as the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world". Note the sword in his back and expression as he is dying in the photo- it really was an amazing piece of art.


On return from this tour it was off on our next excursion up the mountain to Titlus mountain- 10,000 ft high. A scenic drive through typical Swiss farms to the small ski village at the base of the mountain. Here we took a series of cable cars to the top of the mountain. There were three separate cable cars to the top and it took about 40 minutes. The first a 6 seater, then a larger single unit that took about 25 people. The last leg was on the revolving cable car that had a revolving base- to ensure that you did a 360 degree rotation by the time you got to the top. Very spectacular scenery. We went from 22c at the base to about 2c degrees at the summit. At the top is a combination of glaciers and snow. We were able to walk on both which was fun. There was also a glacier cave to wander through. Lots of scenic snaps of the alps, glaciers, small farm houses, ski chalets, etc. Very spectacular.


There was an optional dinner tonight which we opted not to do- stayed in Lucerne with another couple and had dinner by the river instead- which was very pleasant (and so was the waiter). The adventure continued then trying to get back to our hotel ( which was out of town) on the public bus network. Difficult when there are no english signs. We finally found a bus that appeared to be heading in the direction we wanted to go. We asked the bus driver and he did not know where we needed to go- a few people had some English and a mass discussion broke out on the bus as to what these tourists should do to get back to their hotel. Amazingly there was an old gentleman who could speak some English- he had actually been coming home from his English class. He ended up telling us to get off with him as the hotel was near where he lived and he walked us to near the hotel- about 15 mins from where we got off the bus- we were most grateful and thanked him for the efforts he made- we certainly would have been battling otherwise.

We sit in our hot and stuffy hotel room with the window open- no air conditioner, watching CNN - the only English speaking channel on the tv, with the cow bells ringing outside from the fields nearby!!

Switzerland has been a bit more challenging as they have separate currency- franc and are reluctant to deal in Euro which is used through the remainder of Europe. The locals know the tourists and rip you off a bit I'm sure in this regard.

Another enjoyable day comes to a close- certainly different adventures.

A couple of photos-

Greg and Leanne



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Location:Lucerne- Switzerland

Day 3 Europe tour

The journey continues with a morning cruise along the rhine river. With the camera shutters going nonstop we pass through beautiful German village after another with classic churches, houses and castles perched on top of the cliffs- each with a different story dating back to the crusades and Romans. A lot of the castles were destroyed in the second world war although they were meant to be protected. Hitler actually built fake castles to hide his activities and for protection. See fake castles in front of a railway tunnel!






Stopped at Heidelberg- another historic and beautiful German village. One thing that Heidelberg is famous for is the "brass monkey".rub it's hand for wealth!
Then back on the autobahn leaving Germany and into Switzerland. We are at Lucerne tonight at the foothills of the Swiss alps- heading there tomorrow.

The history of each Country goes back centuries it makes you realize just how little history we have in Australia.

All going well and the crew on the bus are all nice people (well they are nearly all aussies) and very friendly.the tour guide Patricia is young and very easy going and Carlos the Italian driver is a very cautious driver-not fantastic with the English language.

A couple of photos of the Rhine cruise and castles.

We really have fallen in love with Germany,it's beautiful little lane ways, classic historical towns, magnificent cathedrals, cobblestone footpaths, scenery, houses, flowers, history and natural beauty make it a must see on any European trip.We picked up some hand made Christmas decorations in heidleburg.
Auf wiedersehen

Greg and Leanne


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Location:Germany to Switzerland

Day 2 - Tour

This morning the coach took us to Amsterdam city for a great morning of activities. We started off with a cruise through the canals that weave through the city- it was amazing to see the classic buildings and house boats on the canals. The main means of transport is bicycle and there are literally thousands of them! They are mainly old bikes as they are regularly stolen and therefore of little value. If your bike is stolen it is normal to steal another to replace yours. As a pedestrian you have to be careful as they do not slow down or deviate- bicycles have priority!

There is a huge festival of sail on in Amsterdam and we cruised around all of these different crafts- all shapes and sizes- only held every five years so we were very lucky- it was spectacular!

After the cruise we went to a diamond factory and learnt how to discern a diamond for weight, clarity, purity and color- very handy if you wanted to buy a diamond- which was what they wanted you to do. I was able to get out of there without spending any money- it was serious money.

Then free time to walk around- sampled some of the Dutch cuisine- beef croquettes, frekendahls (or close), pancakes and washed down with a local brew. Then we had a little walk in the red light district- no photos allowed!!

After lunch it was back on the bus and heading for Germany. The country side is very flat but very green and lush. The autobahn was interesting to be on even though the coach could only do 100 km hr, the cars have unlimited speed unless otherwise signed. There are many stages where the odd Porsche or Mercedes would fly past- very fast indeed.

We are in an amazing little German village hotel tonight on the river Rhine- the history and fortress and quaint shops- so picture postcard around here- could go crazy with the photos!! A couple of samples only attached.

All going well as we settle into the routine on the tour!!

The weather has been overcast ranging between 20-25 c and Europe is on it's last week of summer school holidays, so tourist activity should be less chaotic next week.








Greg & Leanne

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Location:Amsterdam and Germany

Tour starts

Today was up bright and early to start our tour of Europe. It started with organized chaos as 4 Europe bus tours were starting at the same time at the same place! After getting on our bus, the bus driver couldn't get all the suitcases on the bus-and as we watched him kick pull thump and kick one suitcase off and on the bus several times,we realized it was Leannes case. It certainly kept everyone amused and finally after half an hour, and removing a single lady and her bag off the bus, he finally had all bags securely stored underneath the coach. We all clapped the driver when he finally could get all the luggage on board and closed the luggage door.

Of the 40 on our tour 3/4 are Aussies! Plus 4 kiwis and 3 canadians.
We finally headed off for the 2 hour trip to Dover to catch the ferry over the english channel. It is true what they say about the white cliffs of Dover ie they are white. The ferry took us across to Calais where our European arm of the tour commenced. We had our fist pee stop (the first one is free!) and then 30-50 cents to use the bathroom facilities across Europe. It was a five hour trip through Brussels and Belgium to Netherlands and stopping overnight at Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is well known for it's wooden clogs, windmills, tulips, raw salted fish, canals and it's tolerance to prostitution and marijuana. "space cakes "are purchased from coffeeshops, tomorrow we will be careful what we order with our latte.








Greg & Leanne



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Location:London to Europe

Day 1 in London- on foot

Our first day in London- after 24 hours in planes we were excited to get to the hotel and a have a shower and freshen up.

Our patience was a little tested with airport transfer and hotel booking but all sorted in the end. I filled out the tour card and had to declare Leanne as my "sharer". She responded that she was more like the carer. Once we sorted that out the sharer and went off to explore Hammersmith and get some dinner. Found the classic English pub up the road- the Black Swan and I had the first pint with bangers and mash and my sharer had the maderia pie ( my -dear - a not much chicken under the crust). But the surrounds were classic with the velvet embossed wall paper, chanderliars and wood panelling- just like the movies.
After a great sleep in a bed, ie horizontal rather than vertical,we set off on a day of sightseeing on foot.

We headed for the Underground and caught a train to Green Park and walked through the park,with the other million tourists, to Buckingham Palace and then got on the tourist route walking to all the key attractions. All the streets are just like Monopoly and the buildings are classic just as we envisaged.

I started off as the navigator but soon after some minor directional indiscretions handed the map to Leanne! The sites were very regal and was very surreal. key sites included- Big Ben, Parliament square and buildings, Thames river, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Harrods, Piccadilly square, West end theatre area and the London eye (and to be quite honest with you, NO I do not
want to go on the ferris wheel-London eye).












Train system is very easy and our hotel is situated in fabulous suburb close to everything.
Tour starts tomorrow at 830

Cheers Greg
Editor Leanne



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Location:London Sightseeing

The Journey Begins

The journey has begun with the first leg of the journey commenced. We flew from Melbourne at 12.15am to Kuala Lumpur in transit to London. 8 1/2 hours later we have arrived at a very impressive new airport. 3 hour stopover so a quick chance to kick off the blog and free wifi at airport- now that's impressive for the blogger!





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Location:Kuala Lumpur Airport