Italy to begin......

Ah, Italy.....for many years Italy was on my 'top ten destinations list' ....& I don't think I was, or am, alone in that.  There is something about the mention of Italy which gets the heart racing....the food? the fashion? the cars? the shoes? the romance? (any more suggestions?)....who knows...we all conjure up our own little dream....and finally, we were about to embark on our own dream holiday.  This was 2005 (how time flies) and our first visit to Europe.  At the time, most probably a little daunted at the prospect of a very foreign country & language, we decided to start our travels with a bus tour of Italy and then  travel onto Paris, which may have been the sum total of this trip, but as fate would have it, we received our first offer for a home exchange...how exciting....in Santa Barbara, California....not quite on our way...but what the heck, we decided that an around the world fare would take care of that (for very little difference in cost) & so our itinerary was born.

There are a lot bus tours on offer, but after much reading & comparing we decided on Globus' Italian Mosaic.  Our aim was to get a fairly comprehensive overview of Italy, not be on the move every day (2 nights at each place was our aim, altho' if you have more money & more time, 2/3 would  be excellent) & not be locked into a tour for too long...all that organisation could be wearing.....altho' we were very thankful for that same organisation when we bypassed long queues & went straight into the various attractions ahead of everyone else.  A bus tour is very time efficient.


Arrival was into Rome (after a stopover in Singapore...very quiet as a public holiday...note...always check for such events when planning!) where we were transported to our hotel....what an eye opener...just couldn't believe the amount of graffiti nearly all the way into the city....somehow, just didn't associate Italy & graffiti...a shame, really...but somethings are common to most countries, I guess. 


Our group consisted mainly of Americans, just 6 Australians on board.  A group of about 10 women had paid for their friend, a nun, to accompany them on the trip & they were all, especially, looking forward to the Vatican & St Peters.  Of course, a lot of interest in Italy for those of the Catholic faith.

2 nights in Rome , the main things to see were the Vatican & the Sistine Chapel & the Colosseum.  It was only late in May, so not peak holiday season but already long queues snaking their way around the street....thank you Globus....off we marched to the top of the line....in fact, we were the first inside the Sistine Chapel for the day so we were fortunate enough to have a short time of peace & quiet to view the fabulous interior .

There were wall to wall people in

 St. Peter's Square, so they very conveniently had a large TV screen for those faithful who wished to  view the Pope....see left hand side of photo, above.

The 2 photos below show the ancient & modern worlds side by side!

Plenty of time to wander around Rome at leisure & try to cope with the traffic!!!!!  Tell me....have you been to Rome?..& if so, what did YOU think?  Honestly, we felt as tho' we were taking our lives in our hands every time we (tried to) cross the street.  Our lovely tour director actually told us to eyeball the

traffic...especially the motorbikes/scooters, & just walk across....we tried to be brave but it was very daunting....at least we lived to tell the tale.  Would be interested if you have any Italian traffic stories to tell....just click 'comments' below & tell all!

Day 3.....off to Pisa, followed by Florence (ah...Tuscany!).  Pisa for us, was quite a surprise package...after seeing images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa for years & years, we really expected to see just that, but oh no...Pisa is much more than that...it is not a tower standing (or rather leaning) on its own, it is part of a 'matching set' & the other buildings are just quite lovely. Can't believe I don't have one photo of the group of buildings all together, but hopefully this one will give you an idea...oh, & I've straightened the tower!!  The township is also worth a wander around.

 

Florence is a lovely city....goes without saying, really.  So much to see, ranging from Michelangelo's mind-boggling David or the Duomo, to the San Lorenzo leather markets or the Ponte Vecchio.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos of David but he is truly amazing....the detail is quite awe inspiring, even down to the veins on the back of his hands....how he was created from a piece of inanimate marble is hard to fathom.  There were of course, lots of other statues all over Florence which didn't mind their photos being taken.  The Italians appeared to be quite serious about you not taking photos in museums & churches but we noticed that a lot of people still did, and most of the time, not a lot was said.  They are however, much stricter about the dress code when you visit churches.  Ladies, shoulders must be covered & definitely no knees peeking out.  A pashmina or sarong is always handy to have at the ready, just drape it across the shoulders, or tie it around the hips to make an instant skirt.

The river, with various bridges across is also very picturesque.  The Ponte Vecchio is where all the gold merchants are...& all sorts of other interesting shops. The glove shops, for instance are quite fascinating...such a selection of colours....not much point in my purchasing any, as gloves are not really called for in Queensland, but tempting just the same....and what is life without a little temptation????

Funny things happen when you travel....we were sitting at our table in our Florence hotel, chatting to a Japanese couple over breakfast when she looked at me & said.....'You look like Doris Day'....well....we really couldn't believe it....none of the Americans on our bus had thought so, but here a Japanese lady (in Italy) did....I actually have been told that quite often...admittedly when I was younger, but obviously there must be a resemblance....just didn't expect someone from Japan to pick up on it.....Hollywood culture is everywhere!                                                

The San Lorenzo leather markets were great fun....so hard to choose anything....too much choice.  I still regret not buying a gorgeous turquoise leather jacket!  Never seen one like it at home.....but when travelling overseas you are always conscious of the weight of those suitcases.                                                   

Leaving Florence we drove by Genoa & stopped off in Milan. Fashion centre of Italy & I'm sure we saw some models sauntering through the beautiful glass domed Galleria.  Loved the Gothic Cathedral...just like something out of a fairytale. Difficult to get a good photo as there are always restoration works going on....I would imagine it is a never ending job.  Have to love the Italian police...or Carabiniere.  They are all very aware of how cool they look (no argument from me, there!) & they are also very aware of any pretty girls in the vicinity.

Next stop was lovely Lake Maggiore....after all the bustle of Rome & Florence, if they'd given us a vote on the bus, I think we would have all agreed to just spend the next few days there. One drawback of a bus tour....I found...was the 'bags out at 6.45, breakfast at 6.50, depart 7.30' routine.  Of course, if we had paid more we could have had a more leisurely tour, but only so much money to go around....which is why we now love home exchanges...no time constraints, very relaxed.  Extremely peaceful & charming at Lake Maggiore.  Our hotel was absolutely magnificent....but if you wanted to even use the fridge in the room you had to pay extra!!  We were most surprised!  Our research had told us that a must see was the island of Isola Bella.....it was magnificent.  Fabulous residence & amazing gardens.From Lake Maggiore we travelled via Switzerland to Venice.  Another fascinating destination....certainly very different to many cities.  For one thing, rather than take a bus somewhere, it's a water taxi which does the honours....or you just walk, which is very easy to do, lots of narrow streets, loads of bridges, the canals, captivating shops....well known for the famous glass & the masks (every visitor has to take some home). St Marks Square, the Bridge of Sighs, Doges Palace....just goes on & on.  While we were in Venice we were advised to book the next leg of our journey....Rome to Nice....where we were travelling independently by train.  We had a prepaid Eurail pass but still needed to actually make a reservation, which we duly did, although at the time, Mr Fox mused that the young gentleman seemed more interested in the young lady out the back, than in our reservation....turned out to be quite prophetic....to be revealed later......

 

It was back to Tuscany & the hometown of St Frances of Assisi....gorgeous wee village....we stayed in an ex-nunnery....very tiny rooms but totally charming.  Could definitely have stayed here longer.  Very rural & a nice change from the cityscapes. 

           

Pompeii is a truly fascinating city/site.....amazing to see just how far civilisation had come before it was destroyed.....copper piping, rainwater running into central collection areas....& even brothels...with arrows marking the way!!!....or that could be argued to not be a sign of civilisation....therein lies a whole topic for a separate blog, I think!!!  We even saw petrified bodies...truly a glimpse into the past....79 A.D. no less!

                                                 After the sombreness of Pompeii we drove off in our trusty bus to  see the delights of Sorrento....but before I start waxing lyrical there, I must mention our amazing bus driver...he navigated the narrowest of streets with the greatest of ease....we were all holding our collective breaths, sure there would be a scratch or two...but never a one!!  It is a skill to drive a car in Italy.....but I think bus drivers deserve a citation...or something similar!!  We rotated seats so that everyone had a fair view of the sights....believe me, up front was the scariest...you saw more than you really needed to!  Comfort & food stops while travelling, were regularly at the 'Autogrills'.....very quick & easy, I must admit, but not the most charming of places.  Always, we had a wait at the 'ladies'....there was never a queue for the 'mens' (funny that), but we women got quite adept at just waltzing into the men's facilities if unused...in fact the men in our tour group would check it out & keep watch for us...so gallant...but necessary!! 

Anyway, back to Sorrento....charming, just what one imagines Italy to be....and of course, Capri....one of the most beautiful places....unfortunately one of the most expensive, but you don't have to pay to look, so that's just fine. 

Waiting to enter the famous Blue Grotto

  We were lucky enough to be able to enter the Blue Grotto.....often the seas are too rough...as it is, you must lie flat on your back to be able to get the boat through the opening without anyone being decapitated.  Quite a feat for some of the older members of our group!  Worth seeing, as the light which shines through, turns the water the most amazing blue, but it was crowded enough when we were there before the high season.....I think it could turn into a real 'bunfight' at peak time.  As it was, our boatman was busy having an argument with another boatman & instead of singing, as most of them do, we had to listen to that!....& then they expected a tip!!  Oh well...local colour, I guess. I must say that when the Italians argue...it looks as though at any moment they will come to blows...but it never seems to...as I said, local colour.  One thing with travelling, everyone does things differently...we in Australia are not used to paying extra for access to beaches or use of sun lounges around the pool....in a lot of places in Europe you do.  Mr Fox was most surprised to be charged for the sun lounge he was using at our hotel's pool.  You live & learn.

Last stop before Rome was the historic Abbey of Montecassino.  Scene of several battles during WW2, 

& a lot of controversy, there was very little evidence of that, much to the disappointment of one member of our tour group, a war historian.  Apparently, there are grave sites & memorials a little removed from the actual Abbey.  We were also told that it was kept very low key as the biggest group of tourists was German & they didn't wish to upset them....true or not?  I do not know.  A lovely abbey, set high on a hill....very 'interesting' ride up there in a large bus on a relatively narrow road!  

Finally back to Rome for our last night and a farewell dinner.  Obviously we had to make a stop at the Trevi Fountain & throw a coin in, over our shoulder, to ascertain that we would return one day!

 With our Eurail pass in our hands (excellent for travelling around Europe) we made our way to the train station & boarded our train bound for Nice....well, we had one change to make....so once into our journey, I thought I'd check the timetable to see how much time we would have between trains.....oops!!!....I read & reread it....no mistake....we were to arrive at the next station 7 minutes after our connecting train left!!!!  Oh no...remember that travel guy in Venice & Mr Fox's words??? Nothing to do now but wait until we got to our connecting station & try to work something out....a bit of a worry as my Italian is definitely not to be relied upon.

Next blog.....do we make a connecting train?...& hopefully on to Nice & Paris.

 

Well, our French visitors have been & gone...a very busy but fun time.  Poor them, they arrived with colds....one of the 'joys' of travel with so many people passing through airports & of course, on the planes themselves, it is hard to avoid picking up some germs.  One tip I was given....avoid touching the rails if at all possible, on stairs & escalators as when you think about it, many, many hands have touched them.  I guess this is one time when a small bottle of hand sanitiser is useful, as you can't be rushing to the bathroom every few minutes to wash your hands!!


Their visit started with a very low key time, as they were also a little tired, having travelled from France, with 3 days in Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast, then to Sydney & onto Uluru (Ayers Rock) for 3 days, back to the Gold Coast...where our friends (who met them, when with us, on a home exchange holiday in France) took them onto Byron Bay.  Such a shame...wet, wet, wet....but not cold....unfortunately you can get that from time to time during a Queensland summer...it is our wet season.  I guess the weather didn't help their colds!!


Mr Fox fired up the rotisserie part of the barbecue for dinner that night, cooking a chicken stuffed with mushrooms & herbs (from the garden of course) & a piece of beef.  We accompanied that with a Moroccan Carrot salad (the base was quinoa) & that included yummy ingredients like pistachios, dates & chickpeas & a freshly made focaccia bread...with lots of garlic & rosemary....& of course..a wine or two!  To finish we had homemade ice cream (very easy recipe...no need for an ice cream machine) & mangoes. 
 
 The weather had cleared by now so we sat outside in our 'mediteranean' courtyard 
 (created by Mr Fox after our first trip to Europe) enjoying the balmy evening & being visited by one of our resident green frogs.


When we were last in France, I bought a few Laguiole knives & have really enjoyed using them, while wishing I had bought more.  They are very brightly coloured & quite nicely priced over there....& dishwasher proof (MOST important). Silly me...so concerned about keeping the weight of our luggage down...& then we were underweight!  Our French friends were kind enough to go shopping for me & brought knives, forks, dessert & teaspoons with them....I just love them & feel so good every time I open the cutlery drawer....small pleasures!!!  You can buy them sometimes in Australia but Laguiole appears to have a very good website...just in case you are interested. 

 http://www.laguiole-attitude.com/en/cutlery-set

A quiet day consisted of a trip to Coolum township to get a few basic supplies...& check out the supermarket....I love going to supermarkets in other countries...you really get a feel for the place as there is nothing so basic as  the food we eat.  Our French friends were also of the same mind, so we wandered around looking at the cheeses, fish, meat, fruit & veges etc....

& buying the odd thing, but we had decided to go to Bundaberg the next day, so not too much required.  A drive around Coolum & a stop at the lookout before heading back home to a walk on the lovely surfing beach we have & a dip in the pool.


Off to Bundaberg....nearly 300 km drive north....around 3 1/2 hours, as a lot of the Bruce Highway is not 100k/h so that slows things down....& we came across many roadworks, just to add to that.  Our first stop was at Maryborough, a town well known for the lovely old Queenslander homes....which are built up on stilts and have verandas all around to take advantage of the cooling breezes....they are however, disappearing, as their popularity means they are often bought, put on the back of a truck & taken to a new location.
Woodgate was where we stopped for a picnic lunch....spinach pie (homemade), french bread & a glass of wine by the beach.  Woodgate is not somewhere I would rush back to but there were some very quaint holiday houses on the Esplanade.  A lot for sale...no doubt a sign of the times, with people needing to sell their investment &/or holiday homes.

A Woodgate Resident...camouflaged (Kookaburra)

 Onto Bundaberg...or more correctly, Bargara Beach, which is very close by.  Great little spot & we had excellent accommodation for the night at Platinum Bargara Apartments. Huge apartment, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with a full kitchen & laundry & all mod cons....& only a block back from the beach.  I found it very hard to get a 2 bed/ 2 bath apartment...& for only 1 night, but this was perfect. 





 


That night, we went to the Mon Repos Turtle Rookery....every night between November & March you can see...if lucky....the turtle hatchlings & the egg laying....just brilliant.  It was another clear, balmy night...no jackets needed.  Once it was dark, we were called in groups to see what was happening....the rangers are always patrolling to check the activity & when they sight something, you are taken under supervision to watch.  Our first view was of the turtle hatchlings....just so cute...& so vulnerable....only 1 out of 1000 (yes, that's correct) actually make it to maturity.

 


  We were unable to take photos of them actually going into the sea as the lights from the flash would have disorientated them, but we have our memories.  After viewing this, we were invited to a 'nesting'...this is where they check the vacated nests, counting the hatched eggs & those unhatched to determine what any problems were.  This was not only interesting, but quite amazing as about 20 hatchlings were found in the nest....they had got caught in roots of grasses & hadn't been able to get to the surface, so these babies were retrieved & released to hopefully find their way back in 30 years to lay their eggs.

 We didn't get to see any egg laying....it was getting late & because of the tide they thought it would be about midnight before that occurred...so we called it a night, being a little tired...but very pleased with all we had experienced....& learnt...did you know that the hatchlings from one clutch of eggs can have up to 4 different fathers??....what an interesting sex life a female turtle has...perhaps. Do go if you get the chance....check out  Mon Repos Conservation Park online.

Next morning, after checking out, we had a wander around the small village of Bargara....very picturesque & a great playground for the children right next to the beach....

& then onto Bundaberg itself, a very busy metropolis....we hadn't been for years & were very surprised at just how busy it was.  Not a carpark available in the main street, but we were not into shopping so that was OK...it was off to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery for us, where we were booked in for a guided tour.  We duly presented ourselves..our footwear was checked...no toes peeping, please...(health & safety) & off we went.  Very interesting even if one is not a rum drinker...amazing the value of the product that is stored on the premises...all very secure as it is a bondstore.  After going through all the processes...& tasting one of the ingredients, molasses...which I personally didn't mind, but some did, we retired to the 'bar' area where the products for sale were explained & we could try 2 of the drinks....after an explanation of the alcohol content for the benefit of those who were driving. My favourite was the very yummy Royal Liqueur...served over ice & drunk through a layer of cream...mmmm...only available at the Distillery so there you have the perfect excuse to visit!  Lots of souvenirs pertaining to Bundaberg rum available as well as the rum products themselves.


Next stop, Childers...on the way home, for lunch.  Some lovely old buildings (by Australian standards) to be seen here but we were on a mission to get home as friends had asked us all to dinner & the French visitors had to pack to fly to NZ the next day.  Childers was, unfortunately, the scene of a fatal backpackers hostel fire in 2000...15 lives lost...very sad.

Kangaroo

On the drive home, our visitors kept a lookout for kangaroos....but there were none to be seen....mainly being the wrong time of the day...they are generally seen grazing early morning or just on dusk, so after arriving home & before going to dinner, we made a detour to Twin Waters Golf Club where there are usually lots of kangaroos....& luck was with us!

French Kangaroo Hunter

 At first, not one in sight but as we wandered through...yes!!.....found!!!  Mission accomplished.  A lovely dinner with friends, off to Brisbane airport the next day & guests deposited there in plenty of time for their check in.


We are now following their blog as they are spending over 40 days in NZ (staying with 2 lots of friends whom they met through us...another benefit of home exchange), some more time in Malaysia, a week in Bali, few days in Thailand & then 17 days in Japan to finish.  What an excellent trip!.....& we enjoyed their visit so much.  They have asked us to visit them at their apartment in Portugal...& we have to stay at least 2 weeks (lovely) so that is an extra incentive to arrange more home exchanges...as though we needed one!



Next blog....I plan to go back to our very first trip to Europe.....a bus tour of Italy, an apartment in Paris & our very first home exchange, in Santa Barbara....oh...& if you want the ice cream recipe, just ask me in 'comments'.