Rosey was right yesterday, we were hanging out to get the bikes out and were delighted when the morning dawned beautifully sunny since rain had been forecast. It was good to be back on the 1,100 again (especially the soft seat) and we got on the bikes and headed down to catch up with Norm Snr and mow his lawn, both of which we have obviously been unable to do for the last 2 months. He was in good shape which was great and pleased for us that we had enjoyed our break. We had some good laughs and hugs together before we headed back home.



The bikes waiting for us on our front lawn before our departure

We enjoyed rediscovering the ‘Old Sale Road’ on the way out to the ‘Nilma Lillico Road’ then on to Neerim South and met a big number of four wheel drives loaded up to the hilt set for a camping weekend in the country with the Melbourne Cup long Weekend starting for those from Melbourne.



Heading down what is known by the Neerim locals as ‘The Red Hill’ and looking out over ‘Mount Toorongo’ (which used to be Mount Macdonald)…..near Mt Baw Baw.

We lunched at the Noojee Pub and headed up the road to Mount Baw Baw then peeled off to head through Willow Grove and home

So......we are back in Gippsland where we have many many opportunities for great bike rides both short and long and comfortable and challenging so get on your bike and come and enjoy them!



Enjoying being back in the mountain country not long after the turn off to Willow Grove with big Eucalypts all around at the bottom of the hill known to locals as ‘Long Harold’. I have no idea where the name comes from.

When we have had a chance to debrief and review our adventure on the bikes we will post a ‘Debrief’ entry on the blog with a few comments of what we liked best, least, learnt about ourselves, others, what we might do differently and how that may have changed our planning for another time.

Cheers!

Well we are home again and still cannot quite believe what a great series of awesome adventures and experiences we have had. How fortunate are we!

With strong tail winds we arrived back in Melbourne nearly an hour earlier than we anticipated and headed to our Canterbury B&B (Sharen and Kens apartment) for a big sleep before we hopped on the train and back home to Traralgon where we caught up with children and grandchildren which was great.

We woke to a day of glorious Australian sunshine which was great to see after so many recent grey and wet days at the end of our trip, not that we let the weather stop what we want to do…and talking of that, now….…the planning begins for next year’s trip exploring the balance of the UK and Ireland…and perhaps a bit more of Scotland.

Needless to say we will be out on our bikes tomorrow to see Norm Snr. To quote Rosey after we had been home for a bit she said ‘it’s a wonder you haven’t been down to give your bikes a hug and tell them you missed them’….pretty perceptive girl that one! Ha ha.

See you all next time!



The four travellers enjoying the Australian sunshine after a good nights sleep and breakfast....but we missed the great service from the MS Amaverde staff!

Bits and Bobs:

If you want some creative ‘out of the square’ thinking for some upcoming travel don’t hesitate to contact our travel agent extraordinaire Sue Ritter from Travel Plus Australia Pty Ltd, call (03) 9887-8836 or email travel@travelplus.com.au

Our holiday accommodation:

MS Amaverde – APT River Tour Amsterdam to Budapest

What can I say! We have loved everything about our time on board. The ship itself is beautiful (new) with lovely public spaces and a luxuriously comfortable feel to it. The whole crew has been awesome. The rooms are comfortable and spacious with an interior and exterior balcony both of which we have enjoyed. The bed was comfortable and cabin servicing twice a day. The food has been to die for (12 Chefs would you believe!) and all the staff has been incredibly welcoming and efficient. There have also been lots of opportunities for on shore tours and even push bike legs if that appeals. Our tour director Balazs has been brilliant. We have loved his sense of humour and efficiency and have been unbelievably impressed by the courteous patience he has shown towards passengers who I would have been tempted to tell to grow up or go someplace else! Would definitely recommend this cruise to anyone wondering about such a trip…or who have never considered it….and definitely this tour company to do it with!



MS Amaverde

We had many kilometres to travel through the night but the last lock held us up for an hour with three boats ahead of us the outcome being we didn’t make it into Budapest when we had anticipated. Not all bad news however…..instead of having to decide between packing and catching the shuttle boat across the river to the city meant we wouldn’t have a reasonable time to explore so we packed instead.

Budapest..….along with most of Hungary has had a very difficult past. To quote our tour guide this afternoon they have averaged on a 25 year basis being liberated from successive regimes by the next one for many many years. The last ones were the Russians who once they ‘liberated’ the place ‘fell in love with Budapest’ to quote them and stayed for 40 years. No matter where we look we are grateful that in Australia we have such a ‘short’ history.

The city itself is quite beautiful though struggling under the huge burden of refurbishment costs. We visited the old city (The Buda part of the city…...think of Albury Wodonga here, two cities one each side of a river making up one city Buda and Pest) with buildings showing the visible scars of bullet holes and missing chunks from walls from the Russian invasion. Even in the Pest side of the river which is more modern there were many bullet holes visible in walls and although it had been built to look like Paris and Venice (and many of the gracious streets reminded us a lot of Collins Street in Melbourne) it looked tired and in need of a lot of work and I felt sorry for the Hungarian people…..such a legacy to work out from under! We loved our visit to the Opera House which was just spectacular!

After dinner tonight we left our moorings for an illuminated cruise up the Danube River and it was quite spectacular. Where today I had a sense of observing ‘a grand lady not at her best, tonight the Hollywood cameras were out with their ‘soft’ lenses and we saw her in her true beauty and potential…..just a treat. I hope the Hungarian people can restore this beautiful city to its true glory and I wish them the best.

Shock horror….we leave the ship at 4.30am in the morning for the airport and fly to Rome for our connection, even so early not without breakfast, such is the exemplary care of the staff for all in their care. It has been such a lovely trip!



These are the Parliament Buildings which we couldn’t explore today as Parliament was sitting. With the Hungarian history I am just grateful they still have the buildings. Our boat is 135 metres long and these buildings would have to be at least three time that. Very impressive.



Part of the Chain Bridge..…one of the oldest though restored after WWII as all bridges were destroyed then. ‘Chain’ in Hungarian also refers to a necklace which was understandable seeing it all lit up on our illuminated tour tonight.



St Mathias Church. Quite beautiful. The tiles on the roof are a Hungarian invention..….a lightweight colourful glazed tile.



Part of the ‘Fisherman’s Bastion’ supposed to protect the fishermen’s workplace / river in times gone by..…though from the hill surrounding the Palace where this is situated it is hard to figure out how they would have done that. There are a series of ramparts between towers many of which have been converted to restaurant spaces overlooking the 'Pest' side of the city. Would be lovely on a fine day.



The Heroes Square dedicated to many heroes past and this is also where the statue of Stalin was erectd but toppled by the Hungarian Resistance and Budapest Citizens when the Russians were overthrown.



The Parliament Buildings again but through an arch of the Fisherman’s Bastion across the River Danube in the rain. Ah well….the limited photo opportunities meant fewer choices had to be made. Sorry I couldn't provide some relief from buildings with some greenery!

Bits and Bobs:



A little play on words which appealed to me..…sorry it is so blurry but it was taken from the coach!

Quiet cruising this morning with an information session re our disembarkation which is the day after tomorrow….unreasonably early. How quickly time has passed.

We motored in varying degrees of fog today until we docked in Bratislava after seeing many different versions of summer / holiday cottages / huts along the riverbank with a few luxury ones thrown in for good measure amongst the beautiful forest. We saw a few fishing lines thrown in and evidence of places to relax in warmer weather.

We took the opportunity to do a Wheelhouse tour this morning (Norm having done an engine room one a few days ago) which was interesting.

We had some quiet time after our walking tour of Bratislava and had a farewell cocktail with the captain including an opportunity to applaud the entire crew and hotel staff which was great…..including the 12 chefs…no wonder the food has been so awesome. We then had our farewell dinner as we have other things happening tomorrow night…and a very early start for some (us included) the next morning.



In the wheelhouse



The front part of a cruise ship for this line being pushed downstream in front of a barge for fitting out in Amsterdam. The middle section has already gone and the third and last of it still to go.



The Bratislava Opera House which was closed for refurbishment….as were heaps of other buildings. For a town with a population not a whole lot larger than Traralgon I don’t know how they can manage to fund such activities!



The first square we came to on our walking tour. The newer hotel on the left is the Carlton. The three buildings (in one) to the right of that was the original Carlton hotel (now the Radisson). The square was intersected by tram and walkways.



A lovely leafy area with lots of opportunities for eating and relaxing on a warm sunny day…..as opposed to the raining cold ones with water dripping from the trees like today.



St Michaels Gate, the only remaining gate from the original city wall.



Another square, the tower being part of the Original Town Hall complex along with the building to the right and souvenir stalls under the trees to the left



The exception to the rule….a ‘woman’ on a horse instead of a man! This is the Empress Marie Therese the Matriarch of the Hapsburg Dynasty who was the mother of 16 children who were pretty much all married off in strategic political / royal marriages and ruled Europe for 600 years.

Bits and Bobs:



A display in front of a Bratislava florist with typically beautiful displays of table decoration posies and wreaths with all sorts of things we don’t see in Australia. I’ve been very impressed by the artistry of the floral arrangements we have seen throughout our whole trip. Truly beautiful.



A quirky bit of sculpture outside the Paparazzi Restaurant



And another…….apparently has his head rubbed for good luck by the look of the shine on top of his hard hat.

Another cool day today, 3 degrees when we left for our walking tour and 10 degrees when we returned to the ship at 4pm but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the beauty of this city. At the end of the day we had an early dinner then headed to one of the Hofburg Palaces for a concert which was wonderful then enjoyed an illuminated tour of the city on the return to the ship. Happy to report my butt and legs are surprisingly comfortable after yesterday’s pushbike ride though the knees are a little second hand. Pleased overall.

The battery went flat on the camera today…...probably just as well!



Saint Stephens Cathedral is in the process of being cleaned. The façade has just been revealed nice and clean instead of black. Many of the buildings we saw were in the process of refurbishment and cleaning. Many more than when we were last in Vienna in 2008.



Our tour group enjoyed a coffee (me a hot chocolate) at Cafe Central, a traditional and beautiful Coffee house….without the smoke we remember from 2008. The exterior.



The interior courtyard where our group gathered. A beautiful space and the cakes (many choices) were sublime. No one rushed to leave.



The interior courtyard of the Hofburg Palace. Looking forward to returning tonight for the concert.



Part of the Parliament Buildings which were quite beautiful.



The Town Hall which we discovered in the distance over the tree tops on our own time exploring but didn’t have enough time to check it out fully (a third of the city is green space). There was some sort of display in there free of charge, we figured that bit out. The red under windows were geraniums. Looked great..

Bits and Bobs:



Another sign…this one for the Black Camel restaurant....the best in Vienna our guide told us. The quirky side of it is the sign under the camel. It says (basically) by appointment to the palace and there has been no monarchy in Vienna since 1918.

Another chilly morning (5 degrees Celsius) when we headed off for our walking tour of the Melk Abbey and we thought we were ABC’d out but we just loved this Benedictine Abbey which is still a functioning Abbey, school and church community. The building itself has been magnificently maintained and the history beautifully presented but in a living sense with vestments and other articles still used even though they are on display. Just beautiful. Shame it was foggy as we had potential of spectacular views from the panoramic terraces but they didn’t happen. Ah well, you can’t have everything.



Within the second courtyard of Melk Abbey. The main dome of the Church visible in the centre. Two sides of this courtyard are occupied by the school, one by the Museum, and the fourth by the monks.



The ballroom used by Imperial guests and the Abbot for audiences only



Within the Church at the Abbey which is testament to many lifetimes of work by artisans…including modern day with beautiful flowers painted on the bottom of every altar



Part of the very ordered Baroque garden at the Abbey

Following lunch I took leave of my senses and decided to do the next leg on a pushbike…….yes I know what was I thinking? Perhaps not….or perhaps I was just desperate for a ride…even without a motor? Who knows, anyway I did it and survived thankfully. The views we had as we wound along the Danube were just spectacular with numbers of little villages and settlements dotted along the river with extensive grapevines and orchards and beautiful autumn colours climbing up and over the hills and rugged rocky outcrops. I was glad I went.



On the bikes and no my hair isn’t a motley colour I had my new head hugging hat on under my helmet so the cold air didn’t give me an earache and it worked well.



Our first stop at 10kms just after we saw the ship disappear around a distant corner. We enjoyed a cold apple juice while a number of others enjoyed a beer or coffee.



A view across the Danube …every village had a church.



Waiting for the ferry to take us across the river (6kms till we’re in). It was an ingenious ferry which was a catamaran hull and operated solely with the use of a rudder and the current of the river while attached to a cable strung high above the river which keeps it vaguely in place. That's me in the red and white helmet and leather motorbike vest for which I was very grateful...also the gloves and polar fleece jacket which I took on and off as we rode depending on how many hills I encounterd!

Bits and Bobs:



Found another sign that took my fancy in Melk

After a pretty relaxed day yesterday being moored all day in Regensburg we set sail that evening for Passau and today toured Salzburg (Sound of Music territory) and Mondsee (Moon Lake) by coach on the way to meet the ship at Linz in Austria. The weather was forecast from – 1 to 6 degrees Celsius with heavy rain and snow. Thankfully we didn’t see the snow (apart from on the alps shrouded in cloud) and the heavy rain was mainly while we were in the coach but the temperature didn’t get much above 6 for the majority of the day and returned to 8 when we returned to the ship. Not to worry, however….we broke out the long johns under the jeans and with my leather vest and polar fleece jacket under my long jacket (along with my hat scarf and gloves)…I was toasty warm.



Schloss Mirabell (now the Town Hall) and gardens used in the Sound of Music Movie.



A view of the Festung Hohensalzburg (The Prince Bishop’s Palace) from within the town of Salzburg



A view of the Alps from the Palace, note the fruit tree in its own little garden. What a shame the Alps had disappeared into the clouds, would have loved to see their shapes. Apparently Hitler’s lair the ‘Eagles Nest’ is visible from the Palace on a clear day Austria having been a stronghold for Hitler and his third Reich. Our Austrian guide covered the wartime history well.



Salzburg from the palace with the lovely Baroque Cathedral visible with its green domes in the centre



Some majestic ancient trees within the palace walls with centuries of moss on their upper branches…no photo can do them justice…much more impressive than the dusty old furniture or Austrian military history within though the building itself was quite impressive and they are still digging up Roman foundations under it



An example of the pristine condition of the farmland we saw on our way through Bavaria…manicured to perfection!



The Lakes District…the ancient playground of the rich and famous….and still is a playground for all seasons



Mondsee Cathedral, a beautiful Italian Baroque cathedral used for the Sound of Music Wedding

Bits and Bobs:



In Salzburg they don’t allow neon signs for shops, only allowing the traditional signs, and the McDonalds store is on the site of the ‘Golden Lion Inn’ so you have to admire their ingenuity….now the Golden Lion is accompanied by the ‘Golden Arches’…ha ha. Liked it…and it didn’t look at all out of place in the beautiful ancient streetscape. We also noticed in France that their signs were often very small and inconspicuous as were all the other shops…looked much better.



We discovered municipal workers in Salzburg covering up their fountains today so that they don’t hold water to freeze and split the stone or anything else. This one was being steam cleaned and fitted with caps for the snow to slide off. We saw another being surrounded by glass panels.

We woke to a very overcast sky with predictions of rain which has arrived on and off but hasn’t stopped us doing anything we wanted to. The temperature has dropped this afternoon as the rain has developed so have been grateful of my new coat and hat and scarf.



Regensburg is another medieval town which was originally surrounded by a wall from Roman times. The majority of the wall has long gone but there are parts of it remaining which is incorporated in the foundations of buildings visible to the passer-by which is quirky. This is the original Roman gate to the city. Check out the rock….no mortar between the stones just perfect fit. Pretty good engineering!



A view over the original roman bridge now only open to pedestrians and being restored and strengthened (out of view) looking towards the salt warehouses and the city.



Inside the salt warehouse to the left of the bridge which is now a Visitor Information Centre which means you have the chance to check out the magnificent structure of the building which was spectacular. Check out the beautiful timbers!



Looking towards the main town from one of the islands at what were once mainly warehouses with accommodation for the merchants and now accommodation only.



A view from the roman bridge towards one of the mid-stream islands on the left and the town on the right and our ship is just beyond the bridge.

Bits and Bobs:

I learnt today that one of my grandchildren (kinder age) when told Grandma and Grandad were going to Skype the family and was asked if he knew what ‘Skype’ meant said it’s when you talk on the computer to someone who is on holidays overseas…….unbelievable!

We were off soon after breakfast for a walking tour of the old medieval part of Nuremberg, a lot of which was built stone by stone after WWII. We even experienced the local gingerbread cookies which are a speciality of the region. I enjoyed them and I’m not a great fan of ginger…other than ginger beer.



An ancient cemetery in Nuremberg….really beautiful if you can say that



Street scene of part of the village of Nuremberg with some of the old town wall in the background as well as the only original square tower on the wall.



Beautiful fountain in the Nuremberg town square as well as a building with a painted fresco in the background.



Many locks today and this is one of the three 24.7meter locks (the highest on the trip) as we climbed on the Main / Danube Canal to the continental divide before we start descending towards the Danube River. These were followed by three 17 meter locks and others following of diminishing sizes. A truly incredible engineering feat and we have felt privileged to be passing through them. AWESOME!!!!


The photo above is on the approach to the largest Lock on the Amsterdam to Budapest river route. An incredible example of effective infrastructure. The link below will take you to some video footage on You Tube as we progressed into the Lock.

Click on the link: http://youtu.be/WoWQEUi3CSo


Bits and Bobs:



The universality of children…the tail end of a group of enthusiastic school kids on the walls of the castle in Nuremberg who spotted a group of tourists (us) and gave us an enthusiastic welcome.

Actually feel a bit sorry for the captain and his crew…they have had what seems to be a major generator problem throughout the day yesterday and early in the evening but it seems to have been sorted now. Mind you that is without any interruption to anything we have wanted to do so they have managed it well. All this with two massive generators which they take it in turns to use for a few days at a time and also a smaller one in a soundproofed box for night time running).

We didn’t go to the wine tasting at the ancient winery last night……we just wanted to stay put in the warm ship but we still enjoyed the quiet start and sailing this morning before we left the ship without the hangover I suspect many of our sailing partners experienced.

We woke to a sunrise on the right hand side of the ship this morning where it was the left hand side yesterday. It looked great….then the captain told us just before breakfast it was 3 degrees Celsius and the frost on the fields beside the river confirmed it was still very cold so we were grateful we were cruising (and having a lecture about the European Union which was surprisingly good…and a sampling of multiple varieties of bratwurst…again surprisingly good).



The Bamberg Town Hall built over a canal after the Prince Bishop refused for the third time to allow the citizens to build a town hall on any of his land…so they didn’t. Love the sentiment.



With ancient cities there are many challenges in the building department. Check out this building front on our trek to the cathedral.



An attractive restaurant within the walled city of Bamberg which is a beautifully maintained city



A view across the rose garden behind the new Bishop Princes Palace to what was previously a monastery and is now an old people’s home.

Bits and Bobs:



This was the second double length lock we were in today and we have 3 locks coming up some time in the future with a level difference of 24.7 meters which will be interesting to watch. This was a shot out the front of our ship (with satellite stuff collapsed)and looking to the back of the barge in front. There was a reasonable amount of jostling by the two vessels to fit!

Okay so I went over the top with photos yesterday like a slow-moving video so I promise I won’t do that again but it’s just way too hard to only have one or two when there are so many great things to see and I’m not trussed up in bike gear and riding past it all….probably an advantage when I’m on the bike actually. Much better behaved today….see below:



We woke up to spectacular views of incredible buildings across the River Main from us complete with the morning mist rising from the water. This is the Prince Bishop’s former fortress.....he built a new ‘Residence’ as he wanted something more modern......poor little darling! One of the many barges motoring up and down the river coming under the bridge.



After breakfast we headed to the Wurzburg Residence….the new home the Prince Bishop had built for himself in the main town of Wurzburg….man did this man have a HUGE EGO! Magnificent building and many beautiful features but OH MY GOD! This is a view of one wing from the garden.



After lunch we headed by coach to the medieval walled city of Rothenburg which was just beautiful. The walls still intact (some of which we walked) and wandered through the many streets after our walking tour. This is the tower we climbed to see the city from above. Just over 200 steps to the top getting more narrow and steeper the higher we got ending up with a ladder and a climb out onto the platform…but worth the view.



Walking the streets of Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Rothenburg on the River Tauber….I think)

Bits and Bobs:



A bit of an unfortunate sign pinted on the wall for a bakery in Rothenburg….okay so the spelling isn’t the same but phonetically it’s a bit yucky.



The second hat with scarf at the Wurzburg Residence

We are missing being on the bikes something chronic and find ourselves ogling at any motorbike we see...a bit pathetic actually, but also enjoying the luxury of this beautiful boat and being looked after. Such a lovely experience! Very comfortabe and the food is wonderful and staff incredible.



Leaving the Rhine River (RHS) and entering the Main River (LHS) yesterday evening and soon after entered our first lock and have negotiated many since and still more to come. The Main is still a large body of water but not quite so fast flowing as the Rhine which is not surprising.



View this morning on the river. We enjoyed a tranquil trip and it confirmed how the Germans are serious about caravanning with many parks lining the river



A view of Freudenberg from the river before we docked and climbed into our coach



Walking tour in Miltenberg an ancient city which avoided being obliterated during WWII. The main square



A view of Miltenberg from the hill at the entrance of the castle (and yes most of these towns and villages have castles)

The afternoon walking tour followed a coach ride from Freudenberg to Wertheim..…again another city spared from WWII destruction other than losing bridges on the Main River from retreating Germans. We were very impressed with our walking guides handling of WWII history. It was sensitive, realistic and touched both her and our humanity



The Castle at Wertheim dismantled during the 30 year war and then abandoned by the Count. The locals have since purchased it and are restoring it.



The main square at Wertheim



A view from the castle at Wertheim across the village of Wertheim at the junction of the Main River (RHS) and the Tauber River (coming in from the LHS). The town understandably has many serious floods as you can see with the marker beside the Tauber River



Check out the years and levels

Bits and Bobs:



A work shot…container cranes loading barges at Mainz. Very impressive

We had a quiet but spectacular morning on board and once the fog cleared we enjoyed gliding through the Rhine Valley looking at many different castle ruins but many more intact along with picturesque villages and countless vineyards chiselled into the sides of the valley up incredibly steep valley walls. So many picture postcard views especially with the changing autumnal tones of the foliage. Very beautiful. We have also continued to be amazed at the huge number of commercial freight barges and the sheer volume of what they carry including gravel and coal, gas, oil and heaps of other stuff covered so we couldn’t see it as well as huge numbers of containers, not to mention the freight trains which run each side of the Rhine every 4 – 5 minutes apart. We have seen bulk liquid and gas tanks, cars, flatbed trailers both full and empty, containers of all sizes and construction. Also saw a police boat stop and board one barge so interesting!



The first view along the Rhine this morning before the fog set in heavily (you can see a steeple in the background already shrouded in fog)



An idea of how large the castle is on top of the ridge is gained when you realise how large the buildings on the shore are



An example of both ancient castle (this one abandoned) and terraced hillside vineyards



Riverside village view with autumn tones in foliage and vines



The music museum at Rudesheim (started in 1969) and housed in this building dating from the 13th century. The museum was incredible and also entertaining which I hadn't expected



Rudesheim town square which we found on our trek back to the river

Bits and Bobs:



Norm at the Emergency Drill. Note the lock gate behind him. We didnt use the lock to lift us here and it was only the second we went through on the first day out. We will be entering the land of many locks tomorrow....so no one allowed on the sundeck then.

The sun was shining this morning and we enjoyed a comfortable walking tour of some of the old city of Cologne as well as visiting the Cologne Cathedral which was one of the few buildings still standing after the WWII bombardment. The Cathedral houses the relics of the three Magi (the 3 Wise Kings) who visited baby Jesus in the Bethlehem Stable and has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The cathedral was in fact also the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel tower was built in Paris. A quirky bit of town planning has placed the city railway station right beside the Cathedral and 1,200 trains a day move through it..…apparently this was considered a good thing in the times that the station was constructed.



A view of the Cologne Cathedral from the riverside with the Museum of Modern art visible to the left hand side



The building on the corner is the only building to survive after the WWII bombardment on the Haymarket Square in Cologne

After our walking tour of Cologne we hopped on a bus and went to the medieval city of Maastricht back in the Netherlands where we had another walking tour and some free time to explore ourselves. This was a pretty city. We lunched on the square where Andre Reieu has his annual concerts and drove past his small palace on our way out of town on our way back to our ship which had moved on to Andernach.



The Town Hall in Maastricht designed by the same architect who designed a palace for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in a similar style though hers is somewhat larger



Some of the original Roman walls surrounding the old city of Maastricht. Similar ruins complete with towers and arches are visible still throughout the old city

A sample of Barge traffic on the Amsterdam to Budapest route. Check out a short video on You Tube to give you an idea of the incredible volume of the barge traffic. AWESOME!

Click the link: http://youtu.be/FZLnuZLGLIQ


Bits and Bobs:

Some of the parking we have seen throughout our travels in Europe has been an exercise in ‘touch feel and bump’ but we were intrigued with this parking in 2 disabled parking spots across the road from our coach in Cologne (4 cars in 2 spots) and two people who got out of cars that I saw were as disabled as me!



A better example of the space used but a bit blurry

I’ve decided throughout the tour I’ll give a bit of a commentary (or dot points) of our day and add some pictures taken throughout the day (may be a few, may be many).



More challenges in the foundation department in Amsterdam

After a comfortable night’s sleep moored at the dock in Amsterdam we headed off after breakfast to do a Canal tour which was very picturesque even in the constant rain we had. Apparently over 200 days a year are wet and raining in the Netherlands. We returned to the coach after that and headed to the floating flower market where we ogled at the incredible bulbs and other fresh flowers….and lots of tourist paraphernalia and Christmas decorations in abundance before we had a coffee and returned to the coach. We enjoyed the tour guides commentary throughout and marvelled at the information of the 1953 massive floods in the Zealand region (where many of our Dutch friends came from) to hear that 1,800 people had died in one night and a third of the land had been washed away in the region. Makes it easy to understand why people would make the decision to come to Australia for a new start!



Classic Holland shot of one of the windmills responsible for draining the land

We continued our coach tour from there until our return to the Amaverde well along the canal and boarded around 1pm just in time to line up for passage through our first lock which was an interesting experience and shortly after that we had an emergency evacuation drill and thankfully they changed the place of the mustering station from the sundeck to the lounge since it was still raining.



In the old parts of Amsterdam there were canals and bridges everywhere!

After that we had a PowerPoint overview of what is coming up on our tour as we marvelled at some of the commercial barges which whistled by with incredible loads on them from all sorts of gravel, sand and coal (the highest tonnage I saw noted on a barge was well over 3,500) to containers and even one with new cars which Norm estimates would have held well over 100 semi loads of them....at a conservative estimate. Between the briefing and the rain we have yet to get any photos of them so hopefully will manage some before we get away from the commercial centres.



The welcome on our 'internal balcony' on arrival yesterday afternoon

We have had a quiet day today after breakfast. Did a little bit of wandering about town between showers before we came on board. It was raining when we checked on and then has set in throughout the afternoon so have stayed put rather than exploring more of Amsterdam.



A bit self conscious but one of Norm's favourite shots of the trip (note the new coat and hat...happy with the purchases).

The Ship is just beautiful and our cabin comfortably large with an internal and external deck which means 2 chairs and a table inside a window and 2 chairs and table on an outside deck.



Dam Square behind our hotel. This wheel was set up overnight and today they were attaching the carriages....the wheel people at Docklands should come and get some lessons in rapid assembly here perhaps....

We had a lovely bottle of wine and some yummy chocolate and shortbread snacks waiting for us along with a steward who will look after our cabin in transit and then a butler to help with my unpacking and anything else we want basically….after we had finished unpacking. Not quite sure how to deal with that….sooo not used to such things.



A last look at last night's hotel. The Duke of Windsor Bar which has been decorated with the same timber panelling, luggage racks and furniture as the 'Orient Express' and the connection with the Duke of Windsor was that he had his own carriage decorated in the same manner. Nice and cosy feel.

Once we had unpacked we set about exploring the lounge, library, gift shop (not yet opened) and restaurant. We checked out where the beauty salon and health centre were and how to get to the sundeck and swimming pool on the roof. Not sure about the pool, sounds more like a big spa (28 degrees so nice and comfortable) have to get the bathers out of the case after all. After that we were compelled to have a drink in the lounge and then head back to have a nap before we headed back to the lounge for a cruise briefing. What can I say….it’s a tough life but someone (albeit Norm and I) has to do it.



MS Amaverde at the dock in Amsterdam as we boarded

Bits and Bobs:



I know this is actually a way to ask people not to put junk mail in the mail box here in Holland but the warning made us giggle how it translatd so well to English when we thought of all the unfriendly jokes about solicitors. (Sorry to my solicitor friends).



We travelled all over France and didn’t see one of these but came across this today in Amsterdam. What a ‘pisser’ if you’ll pardon the pun

Last nights’ accommodation:

The Convent Hotel (MGallery)
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 67
Amsterdam NL 1012

A very nice hotel in central Amsterdam. A combination of three buildings at least but this is not noticeable inside. The public spaces are lovely and the staff very helpful with excellent English….it feels a bit strange not concentrating on starting a conversation with bon jour madam or monsieur but we can cope. The rooms are nicely laid out and bathroom comfortable as well. Décor perhaps getting a little tired but well maintained. A comfortable bed but think that one of the bases was lower than the other as I slept on a hill all night…very weird. There were also some other Australians staying here to join the cruise.



The Convent Hotel

Following a very windy night with heavy rain we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and headed off for Amsterdam where we booked into our hotel and while Norm and Ken returned the car to the airport Sharen and I checked out some shops but our purchases weren’t particularly riveting stuff…a folding umbrella for Sharen and a warm jacket for me.



A canal view on our shopping trek

The weather has been much milder than yesterday with an occasional light shower and a bit of wind but quite comfortable overall so we have all enjoyed wandering some of the streets of Amsterdam and cannot believe the quirky angles so many of the buildings are pointing.



Check out the angles of the buildings and this is real…definitely NOT distorted by the camera.

I had been interested in visiting the house Anne Frank had hidden in during WW II before she and her family were captured but when we finally found it there was a massive line leading up to the museum door and we could see it continuing through the museum before anyone even got into the house so I wasn’t prepared to do that. Instead we crossed the canal and had a hot chocolate and pancake and talked about how fortunate we are not to have experienced such horror.



A small memorial to Anne Frank around the corner from her house

The number of bicycles here is truly staggering! They are parked up and leaning against buildings everywhere as you will also see on some of the pictures here. There are a disturbing number which have dinged up wheels and bits missing and we pondered just how many are incapable of transporting anyone anywhere so wonder if there is ever a council clean-up of ratty / unusable ones or not. Some seem to border more in the realms of litter than bicycles.



Bicycles are parked up everywhere on the footpath…and not just bicycles!

Bits and Bobs:

We saw lots of funny sights which were a testament to how the uses of building has changed over time but this cracked me up



Watch that first step!

Last nights’ accommodation:

Bridges House Hotel
Oude Delft 74
2611 CD Delft Holland

We were intrigued to hear on our canal tour that the artist Vermeer lived in the hotel so I bet he was fit because the stairs are very steep! This was a delightful little hotel, very comfortable and charming outlook. Rooms comfortable, bathroom roomy well equipped including beautiful thick towels, comfortable beds though two singles which we don’t particularly enjoy but is the usual European thing. We also enjoyed the breakfast and the young host has excellent English and is very helpful. A good choice.



Bridges House Hotel

It has been a grey wet day all day so we decided to do a bit of a round trip in the car in the hope that the weather would clear by the time we returned to Delft so we could explore the old town in fine weather. Instead we parked the car on our return then walked to explore the church with the scary leaning tower but it was closed so we wandered back to our hotel and sat for a bit then ventured out for a hot chocolate and had a quiet wind down before dinner. I’ll let a few pictures tell the story today.



The Peace Palace in The Hague. This is where the International Court of Justice is housed and it felt a little awesome to stand in front of it after having also stood in front of the World Health Organisations building in Geneva last year



The smallest Museum in Delft…the display is changed regularly. Bit of a giggle



A canal scene in Delft on our way back to our hotel with the leaves on trees becoming very sparse

Bits and Bobs:

Local residents can park along the canal edge but not for the faint hearted. Our canal tour guide told us yesterday that since the canals are not all that deep it is not uncommon to scrape across things which have fallen, or been thrown in. Check out the smart car below.



Wouldn’t want to be inattentive when starting up here or kerplop in the drink!

We started the day with a yummy continental breakfast at the hotel which used to be an old bank building then wandered back down to the town square to find a hole in the wall and get some cash and bought myself a head hugging hat and scarf to contend with the cold and another cap which I loved. The jury is still out if I buy a warm jacket as well….maybe, maybe not.



Some of the many old buildings we saw on our way and yes the date on the building on the right really is 1669 but that wasn’t the oldest building in the town

The streets were being tidied up after last night’s festivities and the only thing left in the square were some stacked up plastic chairs and the empty stage where the very good rock bands were playing last night as the locals are in the throes of celebrating the end of ‘The season’ here. Shame it rained so heavily but there was mulled wine available so the sturdy ones could stay warm….we went and had dinner instead.



Massive Barge on the way to Delft

We returned to the hotel and packed up the little Peugeot with the luggage for all of us and headed off and the weather has been pretty crappy most of the day so haven’t been sorry I’m off the bike…..in fact I napped on and off nearly all the way here. Anyone would think I was a bit snookered….and they’d be right. We only saw 3 motorbikes on the road all day but hundreds of pushbikes around towns and villages.



The canal tour boat we were about to climb onto which was interesting and also kept us dry for a while

Our hotel for the next 2 nights is on a canal and we are on the top floor up 3 neck-breaking sets of stairs. Norm asked the young hotelier what he thought he was doing to old people putting us up there…he just laughed.



We had some delicious apple cake and hot chocolate in the little café on the left and marvelled at the lean on the church steeple which we heard all about on our canal tour

Bits and Bobs:

After my jogging / power walking jaunt from the bike shop to the hairdresser in Faversham my leg muscles are screamingly sore and the ball of my right foot is really painful…..if I was a horse I’d be put down! The troops took pity on me on our way back to the hotel and we stopped around the corner from our hotel for a drink and we have now booked to go back for dinner



The view from our table

Last nights’ accommodation:

Hotel Heritage
Niklaas Desparsstraat 11
8000 Brugge Belgium

What a thoroughly delicious old beautifully maintained building. We felt like we were in a royal palace and the staff were brilliant and spoke beautiful English which was a great bonus. It was a ‘nice place to just melt into’ and a short walk to the main square and a plethora of magnificent old buildings and incredible sights in this very picturesque little city.



Hotel Heritage

I heard heavy rain on the roof overnight and thought ‘I don’t care….I won’t be riding in it!”



One of Margot’s friendly neighbours from over the fence coming for his daily carrot and apple. We also saw some pheasants that looked like they thought they owned the field.

The morning was chilly, only 10.5 degrees which is only a third of a lot of the temperatures we have had in the time we were touring through France and Spain so a little chilly, and according to the forecast and Sharen and Ken won’t be a lot better than that over the next few days. Again, I don’t care; I will be in a car with heaters…how cushy is that!



Our train for Belgium arrives at Ebbsfleet International. Launching place for many passenger trains to and from Europe as well as a through point for those from Stratford International and Pancras International which whistled through the station at a hurtling pace.

SO, we repacked our cases yesterday and headed for an early train from Faversham to Ebbsfleet International in the hope we could exchange our tickets for Brussels for an earlier departure but no luck there so we have had a nice kick back, a HUGE HOT coffee (yum) and then headed onto the train.

The changeover from Brussels to Bruges went well and we arrived in the evening in time for dinner with Sharen and Ken and also to do some planning for tomorrow’s departure. It was good to have the whole team back together again.



Bruges street scene….way too many wonderful shots to minimise…where to start and where to stop

Bits and Bobs:

When we left the UK in early September the leaves were just starting to change to their Autumn tones but yesterday there were fallen leaves swirling up around us along the roadway where we rode and there was a constant soft stream of leaves fluttering down just about everywhere we rode. It felt strangely peaceful.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Private accommodation
Water Lane
Faversham

We were fortunate to obtain private accommodation as a favour to a friend as the hotel and local B & B’s were booked out in the lead up to a combined 60th birthday for Sir Bob Geldof and his daughter Peaches birthday also. Sir Bob lives at Davington Priory only 5 minutes out of Faversham and the local accommodation is chockers with event managers and the entourage. Anyway, enough of that, it turned out to be good news for us because we had a wonderfully comfortable stay in an absolutely charming little cottage complete with a cooked English breakfast this morning, not to mention a million dollar welcome from our host Margot. We walked down the street last night for dinner at the Ship Inn which was also delicious….and we could speak English and everyone understood us and we them. Simple pleasures!