Little James

Our son, James, and his partner, Amber, have relocated to London and it was with great excitement that Michael and I met up with them.  We spent the first day talking non-stop and walking their legs off all over London.  We caught the bus to their apartment in De Beauvoir Town and finally were able to see how they had settled into London life.  The apartment is spacious and they are within walking distance to absolutely everything that they could possibly want – shops, restaurants, pubs, transport and lovely parklands.  Best of all, they have invited us to stay with them whenever we want, which could be dangerous as London is my favourite city!

We took a lovely stroll along the canal to the Columbia Road Flower Markets and spent a couple of hours breakfasting and visiting the shops and looking at the flowers.  The roses and hydrangeas were gorgeous.  Then we did our usual market walk, taking in Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Petticoat Lane markets.  Somehow I don’t think that neither James nor Amber will want to see another market for a very long time.  They then took us out for a Sunday roast at one of their local pubs.  A great night was enjoyed by all of us, even though we overdid the wine a little.

Amber took Michael and I to a wonderful café called Lantana for breakfast.  The coffee is excellent and they also have smashed avocado on the menu.  One of the few things that I miss from Australia is access to ripe, flavoursome avocados.  Michael and I then spent the day wandering the city.  I had hoped to visit the Temple Church however it was closed and we had to content ourselves with viewing it from the outside.

We had a lovely time with Amber and James and it is great to think that they are only an hour away by plane.  Hopefully they will be able to visit us in Dublin one day soon.

I Should Be So Lucky

I flew over to London to spend the week sightseeing with Jill.  It was my first time flying into Gatwick and it was even easier travelling into the heart of London from there as it was from Heathrow.  We stayed at the Strand Palace Hotel, which was smack in the middle of everything we could possibly want to see.  Jill had already spent the previous two weeks exploring the city and I was there to keep her company and show her some of the sights she may have missed.  We spent a lovely week together and I will list some of the many highlights.

Jill is an experienced gardener and one of the items on her wish list was a visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden.  We caught the train from Charing Cross to Staplehurst and then a taxi from the station to Sissinghurst.  We knew we were in for a treat as the taxi took us down beautiful country roads lined with trees and lush, green fields.  On arrival at the castle, we listened to a volunteer guide who told us all about the history of the castle and the world-renowned garden.  We then spent a lovely couple of hours wandering around and exploring the house and gardens including the panoramic view from the top of the tower.  It really was a relaxing way to idle the time away.

The London Dungeon was a fun way to spend a morning.  I had visited this attraction over 30 years ago and thought it was great then – I have to say that it is even better now.  We were taken as a small group through the history of London and treated to actors telling the tales of the gruesome and gory past.  It made for great theatre with jokes, storytelling and special effects.  We felt thoroughly entertained by the time we exited and we had learned about many events, including the Great Fire Of London, Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror, Guy Fawkes’ gunpowder plot, Sweeney Todd and many more.

We took in a West End show – Sunny Afternoon, which is a musical about The Kinks.  The Kinks were actually before my time (yes, really), however I was surprised by just how many of their songs I knew.  Jill and I sat at a table on the ground level and felt like VIPs, as the very friendly staff took good care of us.  The musical itself was a high-energy affair and finished with the audience dancing in the aisles.  It was great fun and I would thoroughly recommend the show. 

The London Zoo was well worth a visit.  Jill and I had visited the Dublin Zoo when she was in Ireland, and, although the Dublin Zoo seemed to have a greater variety of animals, the London Zoo was well laid out with many historical enclosures.  To make the day even more memorable, we caught the waterbus from the zoo, along Regent’s Canal to Little Venice.  The narrowboat journey was complemented by commentary on the history of the canal and it was a peaceful journey to Little Venice, a tranquil canal area.

The rest of our time was spent walking all over London, through the many parks, gardens, streets, laneways, shops and markets.  We had a great time, which all too quickly came to an end.  Jill jetted off to Singapore whilst I started the second phase of my London jaunt.

Oh, Sister

My sister, Jill, arrived by ferry from Wales for a last minute visit.  This was her first trip to the Emerald Isle and she took full advantage of having two personal guides at her disposal to show her around.  It was good doing the touristy things and showing her around Dublin as it made me see the city with fresh eyes, as I have become blasé about the history and beauty.  We covered quite a lot of ground and listened to a lot of Irish music at various pubs.  We even had a chance to wave to Joe Biden, as he was in town with his huge entourage of secret servicemen. 

We managed a couple of country trips whilst Jill was staying, taking in Glendalough and the beautiful mediaeval town of Kilkenny.  We also finally managed to stop and have a look at Galway for the first time as we have only driven through the city in the past.  Jill and I also visited Limerick, spending a lovely (if wet) day wandering the castle and town.  Jill also enjoyed the Frank McCourt Museum and I was challenged by the curator to recite a limerick for him.  He seemed impressed with my effort!

The three of us took a train to Belfast, as Jill was keen to see the city and especially the Titanic Experience.  We took a hop on, hop off bus tour of the city, which was interesting.  We managed to walk all around despite the weather being atrocious and it was good for Jill to see the contrast between Belfast and Dublin. 

Eau de Cologne

Michael and I took advantage of another Bank Holiday to visit the German cities of Bonn and Cologne.  The flight with Ryan Air was good however, on landing we had to remain on the plane, as there was an electrical storm and all ground staff had to shelter in the terminal.  We were soon on our way and after catching two trains and thoroughly confusing ourselves we decided that a taxi was a better option to take us to our hotel.  We dropped our bags off and then set off to explore Bonn.

The first impression of Bonn is of a modern city but with very few high-rise buildings.  We explored the streets and eventually found the old city, which is rather lovely.  There are large, open squares that are not over-run with tourists and many interesting shops, bars and restaurants.  We dined at a lovely local restaurant and Michael was able to have his first German beer for the trip.

The next day we caught the train to Cologne, a journey of just under half an hour.  Cologne is a much busier city and of course tourists make the trip to see the famous cathedral.  This was primarily the purpose of our visit, as I had always wanted to see this wonderful building.  I was not disappointed as the cathedral dominates the skyline and you can see it long before the train pulls into the station.  We tried several times to visit the church, however, being a Sunday, we always managed to time it during one of the services.  We were able to hear the choir singing, which was amazing and later we heard the cantor.  The acoustics are phenomenal and it must be wonderful to attend a concert there.

Cologne sustained heavy damage during WW2, with 95% of buildings flattened, so Cologne is a modern city.  There are no high-rise buildings in the main centre as there is a law prohibiting any building being taller than the cathedral.  The result is a very pleasant, spacious town, which is comfortable to walk around.  We dined al fresco at a traditional German restaurant, as Michael was desperate to have a schweinhaxe.  I foolishly decided that I would have one as well, thinking that I would only be served a half one.  I was wrong – out came the biggest schweinhaxe you have ever seen.  It was absolutely delicious however there was no way that I was ever going to be able to finish it.  This was washed down with the first beer that I have tried that I really liked – Kolsch.  The beer is brewed in Cologne and is a pale all barley ale.  I think I liked it mostly because it is served in small glasses of 0.2 litres.

We tried to walk off our huge lunch but soon gave up and opted for a cruise along the Rhine.  The Rhine runs through both Bonn and Cologne and it was great to travel along the famous working river.  I was surprised at how strong the current was, no doubt swollen by all the heavy rains which have devastated southern Germany and France.  It was nice to get a different view of the city from the waterway.

The following day we ventured back into Cologne and this time we were able to visit the cathedral properly.  We started with a visit to the Cathedral Treasury.  This is a collection of sacred objects reaching back to the 10^th century.  There were many amazing reliquaries, liturgical vessels, robes and insignia, the most famous of which are the relics of the Three Magi.  The items were all very beautiful and interesting and Michael and I virtually had the displays all to ourselves.  Next, Michael undertook the ascent of the tower, a journey of 533 steps and he enjoyed the amazing views over the city.  


 I wasn’t game to attempt the climb, as the staircase was very narrow, so I took a stroll around the outside of the cathedral.  The structure is massive and covered in some of the most frightening and alarming gargoyles that I have ever seen.  They are a real Gothic horror show.  The cathedral stonework is covered in layers of grime and one can only imagine how it would look if the façade was cleaned, although the grime adds to the imposing, if slightly creepy, look. 

 

When Michael returned from his tower climb, we turned our attention to the inside of the cathedral.  The arched ceilings soar overhead and the sheer size is overwhelming.  The stained glass windows are beautiful and there are many statues throughout.  Unfortunately a relic, a cloth with a drop of blood from Pope John Paul II had been stolen the day before our arrival.  The reliquary was still attached to the wall, and there were various members of the media filming the empty vessel and filing their news reports.  Aside from that disappointment, we found the cathedral to be a beautiful and fascinating place and well worth the visit to Cologne.

Michael wanted another schweinhaxe for lunch, however there was no way that I was going to have such a huge meal again.  I sensibly ordered a sausage thinking that would be a more suitable meal.  I was served an unbelievably enormous sausage – the Germans certainly love their meat!

Once lunch was finished, we took a stroll over to the 4711 flagship store.  I have loved this fragrance since I was a child and the store housed a small museum of old bottles of perfume and advertising.  We made our purchases and then stood outside to watch the glockenspiel – a carillon that plays on the hour, as wooden figures appear one by one. 

Our final day was spent shopping in Bonn, with our main purchase being a 2kg bag of mixed sweets from one of the enormous Haribo shops.  We have always loved the gummi bears however this shop sells all of the varieties of sweets, some of which we had never seen.  There were sour straws, sour belts, lemon drops, gummies, real fruit gummies, sore throat gummies, more gummies and just about everything you can imagine.  The 2kg bag wasn’t just for our consumption.  Michael took half of the sweets in to his work to share amongst the staff.

Good Friend And A Glass Of Wine

I wasn’t too sad about saying goodbye to James and Amber, as our very good friends, Jan and Ron, were flying from Australia to visit us.  They arrived in good spirits (if a little tired) and we quickly started the business of catching up on the events of the past four years.  I managed to keep them awake long enough to take them to Temple Bar where we lunched before jet lag finally overcame them and we headed back home for a nap. 

Michael arranged the day off work so that we could start showing Jan and Ron the sights of Dublin in earnest.  We started the day at the Guinness Storehouse, and we spent the next three hours wandering around the exhibits and sampling the brew.  I am finally acquiring a taste for Guinness however I don’t think I will be downing a pint anytime soon. 

We took a tour on the Hop On Hop Off bus, which is a great way to show people around Dublin when they have limited time.  Once again I was reminded how beautiful the city is and it was great to see Ron and Jan enthusiastically snapping photos.  We dined at Darwin’s, a fabulous steak restaurant and then it was time to head for home as our guests were rapidly starting to wilt.

The plan for Jan and Ron’s final day was to visit the market at Meeting House Square.  Well, we did everything but!  Each time we headed in the direction of the market, we stopped off to show them one more thing, until finally, we ran out of time.  They were able to see the Little Museum of Dublin where the guided tour gave them a brief rundown of the past 100 years of Dublin history. 

Michael and I were sad to say goodbye to Ron and Jan as they headed off on the next leg of their European adventure.  We were so chuffed that they added Dublin to their itinerary, just so that they could see us.  I really hope that it won’t be another 4 years until we see them again.

         

The Rose of Tralee

 

We booked a trip to the west coast of Ireland some months back and, as luck would have it, the weather was perfect.  Michael was delighted to find that the car he hired was brand, spanking new with only 13 kilometres on the clock.  We took our time driving through the beautiful countryside, stopping for coffee and scones at the Tullamore D.E.W Visitor Centre (not Irish coffee as it was before 10.30am and, as I have mentioned before, it is illegal to sell alcohol before 10.30am).  Then it was back to the car for some more scenic driving, stopping to picnic along the Wild Atlantic Way.  Perfect.

 

We stopped to walk around the town of Listowel, which is the birthplace of Sydney Swan premiership player, Tadhg Kennelly.  There is a statue of his father, Tim, in the town, as he was a champion Gaelic footballer.  It is a typical market town and is known as Ireland’s Literary Capital as a number of playwrights and authors have lived there and the Writers Week Literary Festival is held there annually.  It is an attractive town with many interesting buildings, shops and monuments.    

 

Our destination was Tralee, a lovely town that is most famous for the annual international competition, The Rose of Tralee, which is celebrated among Irish communities all over the world.  The competition is open to any women of Irish birth or ancestry and contestants are judged on their personality and suitability to serve as ambassadors for the festival.  Australia has taken out the title 4 times since the start of the competition in 1959, the last time being 2011.

 

The town itself is located in county Kerry and dates back to the 13^th century.  It is a large town, with lovely Georgian architecture and a number of grand buildings.  The Tralee Town Park is located in the town centre with a rose garden comprising over 5,000 roses of different varieties.  Michael and I enjoyed walking through the park, looking at all the people stretched out on the grass, enjoying the sunshine.  Many of the men were shirtless, with one unfortunate gentleman’s back turning an alarming shade of red. 

 

We checked into our accommodation, the Ashe Hotel, which was just lovely.  It is a large, modern complex, with a number of function rooms, restaurants and bars and the service was warm and friendly.  The receptionist asked how we were enjoying the “roasting weather” – it was 18 degrees!  It was First Communion season, and we had noticed as we passed through various towns, that that there were a number of functions taking place at various pubs and restaurants.  The Ashe Hotel was no different, with celebrations being held and we were fascinated by how formal the occasions were compared with Australia.  Girls were dressed as mini brides, complete with long, white gowns and veils, whilst the boys were dressed in suits.  The parents and guests wore their Sunday best with many women wearing full-length dresses.  It was like stepping back into the 1950’s.  Michael asked permission from a couple of parents to take a photo of their children.  They seemed pleased with the attention, even more so when he explained that we would be placing the photos on our blog.  On reflection, we have decided not to post the pictures of the children, as it doesn’t seem fair to post photos, which may stay on the Internet indefinitely. 

Dinner that evening was at Denny Lane Restaurant & Wine Bar.  The meal was fabulous, the entertainment less so.  The young singer sang each song at least an octave higher than required, which made for uncomfortable listening.  The good thing was that it motivated Michael and I to leave as soon as the meal was finished, to take a walk around the town, before completing the evening with an Irish coffee back at the hotel.

A leisurely breakfast followed by another walk through the Town Park and then it was off for our return journey to Dublin.  Michael took a different route home, driving through many small, country towns along the way.  One little town was holding a festival and there were many Travellers there with their horses.  We also drove through Athenry, the area made famous by the haunting folk ballad, The Fields of Athenry. 

 

We returned to Dublin to find the weather was still perfect, with the local boys wearing wetsuits, jumping into the canal.  This seems to be a popular summer pastime amongst the boys, whilst the girls, all dressed up and wearing fake tan and heavy makeup, congregate nearby.  The boys make a big show of ignoring the girls whilst showing off, whilst the girls pretend to ignore the boys whilst posturing.  Oh, to be young again.

The weather has since returned to cool, overcast conditions, with the local news declaring that “the heatwave” was over.  We had experienced 3 days in a row of 18 degrees temperatures.    

    

Song of Lisbon

Michael had been working very hard on his project and accrued some days in lieu for weekends he had worked and coupled with the bank holiday long weekend, we were able to take advantage of week off which we spent in Portugal.  It was our first time flying with the budget airline, Ryan Air, and I have to say that both flights were very good.  There were definitely no frills, however for such a short flight (just over 2 hours), it was quite comfortable.



A short train trip from the airport took us to our hotel (yet another major city with a direct train line from the airport – when is Melbourne going to get with the programme?)  Then it was off to explore the city.

 

Lisbon is a beautiful city filled with narrow, winding cobbled streets and footpaths.  The roads themselves can be quite steep and you need a fair bit of stamina to constantly climb up and down.  The roads leading down to the harbour are picture-postcard pretty, with washing hanging over the balconies and elderly ladies leaning out of the windows watching the comings and goings.  Michael didn’t waste any time tracking down his first pastel de nata, the Portuguese egg tart pastry that is common in Portugal.  I have never been a fan of egg tarts, however I became seriously addicted to these tasty mouthfuls over the course of our stay.

 

The following day we took a tram ride out to the picturesque district of Belem.  There are many landmarks in the area including the Jeronimos Monastery and the Tower of Belem.  There is also the Monument to the Discoveries, which is a 52 metre high slab of concrete erected in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator.  The monument is shaped like a ship’s prow and is adorned with dozens of figures from Portuguese history.  There was also a huge market taking place the day we were there, so it was pleasant wandering around in the sunshine looking at the various stalls.



We made the most of the sunshine and took a half hour train journey to Sintra, a resort town in the foothills of the Sintra Mountains.  This was the home of Portugal’s monarchs and is now a major tourist destination.  We were lucky to visit when we did, as the crowds must be horrendous in the peak season.  A short bus ride took us up a very steep mountain to the Pena National Palace.  The sweeping views of Sintra and the Atlantic were well worth the visit and the palace was interesting and painted in very bold and unusual colours.

 

Michael and I then walked down part of the mountain to the Castle of the Moors (or Moops as they will forever be to me – thanks George Costanza).  This ruinous castle was constructed in the 8th or 9th century and we were able to clamber all over the structure and admire the spectacular views.  We then trekked back down the mountain to the main town where we found a lovely wine bar and spent an hour or so with a glass of wine and a cheese board.

 

One of the best places that we visited was the Mercado da Ribeira, a fabulous market showcasing the best of Lisbon cuisine.  The food was sensational and Michael and I returned there a number of times during the course of our stay.  Michael enjoyed the fresh seafood whilst I enjoyed the pork pancakes amongst other things and of course there were beautiful wines, beer and sangria on offer.

 

We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a visit to Sao Jorge Castle, another Moorish castle on the tallest of Lisbon’s 7 hills.  Once again we clambered all over the walls and the views were again spectacular.  The weather was a sunny 30 degrees and it didn’t take long for me to wilt in the heat.  Both of us started to sunburn quite quickly so we headed to the shade of the Thieves Market for a brief respite and some lunch.  Dinner that evening was a celebratory glass of champagne followed by octopus (Michael) and roast suckling pig (me) at a lovely family run restaurant.  The waiter kept apologising for his bad English (it was perfect), and would then talk French to another table of diners as well as speaking Portuguese to the locals.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he could speak Spanish and German as well.





The Home of Port



A very comfortable 3 hour train journey took us to Oporto.  We arrived at the magnificent Sao Bento railway station, which was inaugurated in 1916 and is decorated with tile panels that depict scenes of the history of Portugal.  There are over 20,000 tiles and they are just lovely to look at.  Michael had told me that our hotel was located just behind the station and I was puzzled when I couldn’t see it.  He gestured upwards and my gaze followed his finger, which was pointing up a near vertical street, which ended in a set of huge, steep steps and, sure enough, there was our hotel.  I swear that man thinks that I am part Sherpa! Off we set, with luggage, to scale the heights, in 33 degrees heat. 

Hotel is the white building at the top of the hill only 200 mtrs

Luckily for him, our hotel room was fabulous – a suite, complete with George Clooney coffee maker so he was soon forgiven for treating me like a mountain goat.

 

We set off to explore the city and found it to be beautiful.  The streets were narrow and cobbled just like Lisbon, with the prettiest areas being along the Douro River.  The streets were very steep but luckily Michael booked us on a hop on hop off bus tour, so we didn’t totally wear ourselves out.  There was also a funicular, which operated in the steepest street.

 

Our main reason for visiting Oporto was to taste the port for which the town is famous.  We visited the Casa Kopke, which is the oldest wine lodge in Vila Nova.  We were able to taste 2 ports with a chocolate pairing and it was a relaxing way to spend a little time. 

 

Michael found a restaurant close to our hotel that served traditional Portuguese food.  It was a family run restaurant, with even the elderly grandmother putting in an appearance. Very little English was spoken, so we relied heavily on Michael’s Portuguese phrase book.  Our meal was delicious, with Michael choosing sardines whilst I had the roast pork. The owner even gave Michael and I a sample of some type of liqueur which tasted like rocket fuel and which sent me into a coughing fit.  We enjoyed our meals so much that we returned for a repeat performance the following evening.



The next day we took a river cruise, which was pleasant and relaxing.  Unfortunately, the lovely, sunny weather deserted us and the rain set in however, we were still able to enjoy the cruise and the cooler temperatures made walking around a bit more comfortable.  We sampled some more ports, this time at Quinta Do Noval-vinhos Sa, including one that was 40 years old – lovely!  We both tried Francesinha for lunch, which is a Portuguese sandwich made with bread, wet-cured ham, smoke-cured pork sausage, chipolata and steak covered with melted cheese and a hot, thick tomato and beer sauce.  If that sounds like a lot – it is!  Delicious, however there was no way that I was ever going to finish a meal that huge.

 

In the afternoon we toured Cockburn’s Port Lodge.  The tour guide was very informative and took us through the cellars and showed us the barrels used for the aging process.  The tour concluded with a port tasting, which once again was very nice.  Michael purchased 3 bottles of port to take back to Ireland with us after first checking what the allowance was.  Would you believe that you are allowed 20 litres of port per person if you are travelling from a European Union country?  You are also allowed a staggering 90 litres of wine.

 

We were sad to leave Oporto however we had another comfortable return train journey to Lisbon.  The weather had taken a turn for the worse and we arrived in a torrential downpour.  Luckily our hotel wasn’t too far from the station however, we were still soaked by the time we arrived.  We dropped off our bags and headed into the main part of the city however it was just too wet to walk around.  We found our way to the Mercado da Ribeira and settled in for an early dinner and a nice glass or two of wine.  We were lucky that the weather was so good for the first part of our stay in Lisbon.



Portugal is a lovely country and it would be great to return and explore outside the main cities.  The food and wine are fabulous and the people very friendly.  I will certainly miss the Pastel de natas.