flashman181

Naples and Pompeii

Our first organised tour for the trip saw us being picked up from our lodgings at 0700 in an 8 seater – being Rome of course they wanted to put 9 people in it. Hope the woman sitting on my lap got a thrill. Onto the big bus at Rome Termini and it was clean and reasonably comfortable . I always scan the likely suspects to see who will likely be trouble and no surprises that my pick of the middle aged Asian woman proved right at the first rest stop. Let me just say I am in constant awe of these bus drivers who manoeuvre these babies through narrow streets . Ours was equally up to the task. An hour after heading south we had our first well oiled 20 minute break where you have a coffee and a croissant and a pee – best in that order. There are obviously a few places like this dotted across the landscape that cater for bus tours as they have massive car parks and always several bus loads at any one time. As nominated said lady kept everyone waiting a further 5 minutes. Back on bus and into Naples. A poor man’s Monte Carlo ? Maybe they just pay taxes. It was a glorious day and you can’t go wrong with a large Bay and Mt Vesuvius dominating in background but it was pretty dull drive through town. The ability to stretch legs for 5 was great though. Onto a Cameo making factory , once again set up for bus tours , before heading to new Pompeii for lunch- apparently the restaurant guide did not recommend old Pompeii! Once again very well organised and the food was great. Only one thing worse than loud American tourists and that is quite American tourist . Young couple at our table, civilian contractors for US army in Kuwait and to be fair the lady was not unattractive. They were from Georgia but it was no peach of a time folks – like pulling teeth only less fun. He even said ” yes ma’am” to CLP once. Lovely people no doubt but dull dull dull. A quick souvenir hunt followed by the usual tip off where I got 3 coins as my 3 € change but if course he slipped me 50c ones not full € and I was in hurry to get out. Am sure it is his usual shtick for tourists and would catch most. Then it was onto the 2 hour walk around the old ruins with our tour guide

Ruins are a bit like art for me – I appreciate the significance etc of it all but after about 3 I have seen enough. The best thing about the whole day actually was the snippets of historical fact given now and again especially about the actual eruption in 79AD. The people died asphyxiated by the sulphur gas which enveloped them . From time of eruption it tràvelled the 8 miles in 3 minutes. It was a casual walk around and luckily after about an hour we found a Gelato store that miraculously survived the eruption. Right on time we left Pompeii for the 3 hour trip back , of course with the 20 minute rest stop at yet another bus load of tourists friendly site. We were dropped off close to our hotel so all in all a very well run tour if some of the actual content was a tad dull.

Rome Day 1

Well the 14 hour overnight train trip was pretty much as expected – runs on schedule, not much decent to eat, beds ok but a lot of noise. What was not expected though was the AC in our sleeper being on the fritz and only blowing hot air all night – most unpleasant. The supplied breakfast was pretty good and arrived on time at 0900 and then we had a 30 minute walk to our VRBO apartment on top of Hotel Medici. Niccolo met us on schedule but was had to fill in 90 minutes while the cleaning was done. A quick coffee at a recommended cafe and then onto the Spanish steps which were a brisk 20 minute walk away. Then settled in to our very comfortable apartment with some grocery supplies . Two things have stood out with the Italian people to date – they are much less friendly in the shops than our previous stops and as opposed to Prague it is the men who stand out here in their tailored suits. There has been a fair amount of work with the ugly stick on the ladies I am sorry to say which may explain why the happy gene appears to be missing. Hopefully this impression will prove wrong in coming days. What will not change though are the crazy drivers and even crazier parking – I have never seen anything like it. Plenty of small cars and scooters.

After lunch we headed to the the Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon – both very crowded but both very impressive. Then we had the almost impossible task of finding some washing powder – cheeses and meats were easy, household essentials not so. So now while the third wash is on must be time for some wine and cheese methinks on our private balcony. Rome ain’t so crowded from 4 floors up

Prague to Vienna

Time to leave this beautiful city with its cobblestone roads, beautiful river, unique architecture and superb affordable food. Did I mention the hot women? The % of stunning women is amazing . It is raining for our final day but that is no drama and the weather has been great. Time for one last hearty breakfast of meats and cheeses and then we wait for Boris to return to take us to the train station for our first experience with European rail. I am told we are on first class for our 6 hr trip so lets hope they throw some food in around lunchtime. The Hotel Elite ended up being great, nice and quiet, excellent breakfasts and even the wifi picked up after at first day.

The system at the station works well. You only know your platform 15 minutes before leaving but all went smoothly. A little old lady carried our heavy bags up into carriage and then hoisted them over head to overhead racks. Then held her hand out and said money! I was still in CZech mode and handed over 5 Euro instead of 5 cronau. CLP fainted. First class was nothing special , the seats we comfortable but service non existent and restaurant car hopeless.

Raining when we arrived in Vienna but once again car transfer waiting and the KK Maria Therese in Vienna is a very nice hotel and our room had bath! We headed out in light rain and ticked off a few must sees and do’s. First up was St Stephens Dome which was tres impressive and then on to Figlmuller for the world famous Schnitzel which did not disappoint. For dessert we backtracked to the Cafe Mozart for the equally famous Sacher Torte. They then rolled me out onto the street and luckily by now the weather had cleared. We spent about an hour on a slow wander back to ou hotel checking out some stunning sights like The Hofburg and Rathaus by night. Stunning.

Prague

Solid nights sleep not surprisingly. Woke to a pretty clear day but first the breakfast. And we have an early favourite for “Worst coffee in Europe”! The rest of the breakfast was fine though with plenty of variety including fresh fruit. My bowels will be pleased. Off we strode on a slow wander to our Segway take off point. Booteeful walk along the river and then across Charles Bridge which was nice and quite this early in the morning. Our Segway tour kicked off at 10 am and were old hands at this caper now although cobble stone roads add a new thrill. We were on the Viewpoint tour which meant climbing a lot of hills so the Segway was best way to do this. First stop was Prague Castle with a great view of the city. From there we stayed on the high ground and through some lovely parks with more great vantage points including Belvedere. We passed the Metronome which use to be a Stalin statue and had a great story behind it. Michael was our guide from Prague on Segway and he was very knowledgeable especially about the communist period. We slowly made our way back down to the main town and passed some memorable sites including the John Lennon wall. All too soon our tour was over but it was simply the best way to see Prague. Next stop was the very impressive St Nicholas Church and then CLP said it was time to go back to Prague Castle. WTF – didn’t we take a Segway to get up that 75 degree 3k climb just 2 hours ago. Yes but we didn’t see the Toy Museum. It appears she has a fascination with statues of nude men. So up we trudged and an hour later we had our photo opportunity . Now for the Pissing Nudes. Let me guess – back down the hill???? Yep! At least there were two so we could each fondle one ! Another church and then another hill to climb – luckily there was a cable car to take us up – The Furnicular. Up to Petrin Tower which was their version of the Eiffel Tower. A few snaps from up there and then alas the camera battery died. Yay. It was a great day of sightseeing topped off with another great dinner at Cafe Louvre.

Dubai to Prague

One of those long nights as we cross time zones. Left Brisvegas on time at 2045 and arrived a little early in Dubai at 0415 in the morning after a touch under 14 hrs in the air. It’s 30 degrees at 4 in the morning!! Food and service were excellent as always on Emirates but 14 hrs is hard on this bag of bones. Caught The Hunger Games and Brave. Now we sit for another 5 hrs until connecting flight to Prague. At least there is free wifi! Phone is also sending and receiving messages so all good. We know it is the International Terminal because just got served an “Italian” coffee by a Chinese woman! Also nice to go to ATM and see you have a balance of $27000. Ok that is AED but still nice to see big numbers for once in a bank account. The coffee for 16 AED would indicate that we are bother being ripped off and that an AED is worth about 35c. Dubai is a busy airport – our flight leaves at 1010 and doesn’t even appear on Flight Board yet because there are about 50 flights leaving before that. One thing you can guarantee though of course is that our boarding gate will be at the furthest end of Terminal 3 to where we are now! There are of course Prayer rooms and Smoking rooms at Dubai International which are kinda unique but the best find was an Irish Pub serving Kilkenny at 0800 in the morning. My prayers had been answered. Dubai still seems a mess at times and we hopped on a bus from our gate lounge to go find our plane. 15 minutes later we were successful. I think we ended up leaving from Kuwait! Had a knob kiss on the plane with as only half full and we could really stretch out.

Landing in Prague and getting through customs very easy and all baggage was found. We had a car transfer organised and Boris ( ok he wasn’t Russian but he was east European and 5foot 6 square!) picked us up in a Mercedes – sweet! Now Boris is not adverse to long conversations with mobile attached to his ear and considers the indicator an optional accessory. We drove through poorer part of town to the more classic city centre with its stunning old architecture. We are staying at Hotel Elite. Ok two words must have different meaning in Czech – elite and high as in “high” speed Internet! We checked into our quaint room and then hit the cobbled streets as the light rain started. Looks like a lovely town to walk around and hopefully the weather will be brighter tomorrow when we have our Segway Tour organised. We only had time for 2 highlights before the heavens opened – the Astronomical clock and the Sex Machine Museum – or Astronomical cock if you like ! We dropped into Cafe Louvre on walk back for an excellent meal of Pork Medallions and Beef Goulash washed down with a couple of pints of local beer – all for under $25. Great value. Now lets see if we can sleep – have pretty well been up for 48 hours

Brisvegas to Dubai

After a rather filling Degustation with matching wines at Restaurant 2 the night before we were slow to move on Day One. The plan had been to spend the night before in Brisbane to both relax and to avoid any possible traffic problems on day of trip. This solid plan fell away a little between course 4 and 5. It was in tatters by the time we realised there was still dessert to come. Ah well, the folly of youth. Not helped at all by a complete incompatibility with hotel pillows this little black duck was running on empty. A walk around the Gardens followed by a late breakfast and a few coffees righted the ship momentarily and before we knew it it was only 4 hrs to flight time and we were alone at Row 10 to open to check in for Emirates EK 435 departing at 2045 hrs. 10 minutes later they descended – the blind who do not read. There are about 747 (spookily) screens around saying that check in opens at ……. But still they line up at the red belt without a staff member in sight. Now this is 2012 right and we are in a technological revolution, I have my iPhone, iPad and iPod in carry on just in case I need an I infusion. Naturally we checked in online 24 hrs ago. I have 3 apps alone that reminded me! So the red tape is ceremoniously removed and the 40 people who have lined up for 30 minutes all move to the one lane for economy while we simply get up for our seats and move to the one lane for economy – on line check in and we are the only ones there! So a very smooth check in even if the staff member seemed rather grumpy so early in her shift. Now we only have 3 hrs to wait to watch humanity once again line up early to get their seat worried the plane may leave without them. Now, we know the food is excellent on Emirates both in quality and quantity but my body clock says at 6 pm I eat so time to track down some fast food to sate the beast and then back to waiting……..

As we flew Emirates to UK on our trips we always passed through Dubai and on first trip spent a couple of days there before spending a few days in Kuwait. We will spend more time in Dubai on our way back from Europe this year including high tea at Burj al Arab – have sent my left kidney airmail as deposit. Kuwait would not normally rank high on the must see destinations for me but this time was special as my brother – the over achiever in the family – was spending a couple of years in Kuwait overseeing the construction of a new megahospital as the medical director. Organising such a project in Kuwait could fill about 4 blogs but that is his story not mine. After the easy experience that flying with Emirates usually is and a couple of luxurious days at the Hyatt at Dubai it was time to get down and dirty and what better way to start then with Jazeera Air! You get what you pay for of course but it was an experience to be sure from the continual delays through to the Pringles available as in flight dining and the rather unique though totally indecipherable in flight entertainment. Luckily my brother and his wife met us at Kuwait airport to shield us from too many more cultural shocks. Like many foreign countries if you have an experienced native to show you around then it is a totally different experience and so for the next few days we saw a fascinating and charming side of Kuwait from the stunning Mosques through to the unique shopping treats. We also experienced the joy of traffic coming to a sudden halt in the middle of the road when the call to prayer occurred and often this occurred during a sandstorm! We also had the chance to celebrate my 50th birthday with the famous smorgasboard at Crowne Plaza – it was fascinating to see the veil subtly lifted to allow more food to be shovelled in – and there was a lot of food on the plate trust me. The driving is unique in many aspects as we have many rich people with very fast cars and a vague interpretation of speed limits. Australians are welcome in Kuwait too as apparently we helped them out in the big fracas – not me personally but some brave compatriots.It was a fascinating few days and an enriching experience in so many ways. I would not return again as my brother has now returned to Australia – well Victoria at least – but will spend a few days at Jumeirah beach this year to see how the other half lives. From the top of Burj al Arab perhaps. I still have a kidney to spare afterall.

Being a golf tragic I would like to see Augusta before I die but equally there is so much else to see in USA it may be hard to get around too. No such problem in the UK :). If you cant get to Augusta then at at least it is nice to go to where it all started and commemorate an event that Sharkie could actually win! We were fortunate to visit 3 different golf courses during our UK visits and each one had a different connection for me

St Andrews

The home of golf. Its largely a bumpy bit of land with some swales and hollows and a few sandpits but it does have a certain magic about it. St Andrews itself is a rather interesting little burgh set on the east coast of Scotland and also famous for its University and Cathedral and in movie land a certain little beach – West Sands – where some God like Chariots had a prance around. Now you just about have to promise your first born to actually play St Andrews but it is a surprisingly accessible course for visitors to invade including the infamous Road Hole. There are plenty of souvenir shops on the adjacent streets so was lucky enough to pick up one tee – suitably inscribed – for only 20 pound. It is a beautiful setting with the town in the background and the coast on one side – one could understand how weather could affect your game here!

Gleneagles

Another Scottish Course that I use to regularly see on the great Pro Celebrity golf show with Peter Alliss many a moon ago. There were some great celebrities like Connery and some great pros like Trevino. It has also had significant championships as well and will host the 2014 Ryder Cup on the Nicklaus designed centenary course – there are 2 other courses- Kings and Queens – so it is a large complex which is also famous for its Gleneagles Hotel. For a long time I assumed this was the one Cleese used as inspiration for Fawlty Towers as odd as that obviously sounds when you actually see the hotel! Of course there is also a Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay.

Royal Dornoch

Our third Scottish treat was actually a bonus. We had decided to have a splurge at the Royal Dornoch Castle hotel after a couple of weeks driving around England and Scotland. No expense was spared as we booked the luxury package with the Old Courtroom suite! Madonna even married Guy Ritchie in the area in 2000 but could not afford this room for the honeymoon so you get my drift. The golf course itself is a typical links course very exposed to the elements. Looks simple enough standing on the first tee but I am assured it is not – and I believe them. It is a lovely town to walk around and our lasting memory of our afternoon stroll around the course were the jets flying overhead at regular intervals. Obviously there were some training exercise on at the time.

So a golfing tragic got to see 3 great Scottish courses each with their similarities and each with their subtle differences. One day I should bring my golf clubs over and play them. Now that would be tragic

Long before we travelled to the Land of the Free we had 2 overseas trips to the UK thinking we would feel more at home there – which we didnt but that is not the point of this. On the first trip we travelled to James Herriott territory( a story for another day) and on second trip in 2009 travelled to Doc Martin territory. When you travel to USA you are drawn to the iconic structures that feature in the shows/movies – for England , at least , it is more a case of immersing yourself in the countryside and life at least for me. Doc Martin is set in the idyllic little seaside village of Port Isaac and so we headed off one fine morning and as we passed through Wiltshire to get to the Cornwall Coast we stopped at Stonehenge for the obligatory photo op. One thing you find in England is you pay to park and you pay to visit all of these historic sites (cf USA) and so we stopped across the road – after all if I need to get up and close with some useless stones cobbled together I need only slip my hand in my jocks!

You know you are approaching Port Isaac when the roads start to narrow worryingly. You know you have reached Port Isaac when you are in the middle of the road and can’t open your car door! Don’t get me wrong it is a lovely little village to walk around but next time we will be dropped in by helicopter. How they film a TV show here is beyond me. We had chosen the lovely Hathaway House which overlooked the inlet and was appropriately close to Fern Cottage – the good doctor’s surgery. People who have watched the show would recall the narrow road outside said surgery. As Hathaway House is located at the end of this road on the hill it was time to close your eyes, hang on, flatten the accelerator while strategically having one hand hovering over the horn

It is a superb location to look back over the bay and the town. B&B is the way to go in England and we had already had some wonderful experiences with the very hospitable hosts up to now. Our hostess here while very helpful most of the time gave us the distinct impression we were putting her out somewhat with our requirement for a slightly earlier breakfast next day as CLP (who was not the driver) had planned some excursions in the area! The lady of the house was very changeable though because next time you met her she could not have been nicer. The other aspect of these B&Bs is that to get the great views you often have to carry rather heavy suitcases up some narrow and winding staircases and we often wondered if the last set of stairs led to Ruprecht’s room! It was a glorious day so it was time to climb to the top of the hill and look back down on the beautiful vista. Then on to the good Doctor’s surgery and see if we could pick out a few other recognisable spots. The “Surgery” was under repair so had to settle for sitting on the doorstep and waiting for the chavs to walk past – damn they must have been actors!

It was such a beautiful day we (ie non driver CLP) decided to travel the relatively short distance to Tintigel Castle, a medieval “fortification” on the peninsula of Tintagel Island. It is certainly stunning rugged coastline and as with many areas around here had associations with Arthurian times. The sun was setting as we made our way around the rocky landscape which took a little longer than planned as we headed in the wrong direction to begin with! There was not much “fortification” to see as was common with most of these historic sites but still it was a very pleasant walk with the beautiful backdrop of the ocean in the background.

We then decided to drop by the fishing port of Padstow on our way home for some fish and chips at Rick Steins. It was still daylight on our trip there and it was certainly a beautiful setting to chow down on some over-priced fish and chips. So it had been a full first day and all we had to do now was find our way back to Port Isaac in the dark. Never fear we had our reliable Tom Tom GPS system. Lesson number 1 for driving around rural England – the shortest route is never the best route especially when a friggin tractor is coming the other way on a road barely wide enough for our car. A road map is a better option than a GPS at least in rural England. Thank me there only hedges at the side of the road and not stone walls!

Next morning it was up bright and early to head off on our day trip on a rather overcast and dreay day – nice and early meant less cars and more importantly less pedestrians to avoid on our way through the maze cleverly disguised as a series of connected “roads” giving the word its most liberable interpretation. First off it was down to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Not sure why anybody bothered finding them in the first place but it was a pleasant enough wander around for an hour in plenty of green stuff but for 50 quid it was nothing special. Next stop was the Eden Project which was suitably impressive and would be a great place for the family with inquisitive young children. I know all I want to know about everything so while it is certainly an admirable project and charity it didn’t hold a lot of attention for me.

Time for some more Arthurian legend stuff on the way home. First stop was Dozemary Pool – the site of “the lady of the lake” legend where Sir Bedevere apparently threw in Excalibur.
I suggested to CLP if she dove in she could get lucky and wrap her hands around a cold hard shaft for the second time in one day. Showing amazing strength for one so slight she hoisted me aloft to re enact the “tossing of the tosser” as she playfully referred to it but luckily I slipped away at the last minute.
Next stop was the site of some famous battlefield and also the site of King Arthurs Stone. Luckily there was abridge near by for the re enactment of the Black Knight scene

Back home we had a very passable pub meal – The Large restaurant as depicted in the show is not a working restuarant – and then had a leisurely stroll around the town. The view from HH both late at night and early morning was magical. The next day was spent relaxing around time – at last! – and then a very pleasant meal at The School House which is actually an upmarket restaurant. So all in all Port Isaac was exactly as advertised and Hathaway House was a great place to take it all in. Not sure why Doc Martin is such a grumpy prick really

Our flight did not leave until early evening so thought we would spend our last morning in downtown LA (on a Saturday) as we had already experienced the Hollywood side of town. It was amazingly deadsville. However there certainly were some highlights to see and none more spectacular than the Disney Concert Hall. There were also the well known spots like Dorothy Chandler Pavillion and the LA Times building. We then ventured further in some direction and came across the Grammy Museum but it was amazing to be in such a populated town walking around on virtually deserted streets. We decided to pay one more visit to Hollywood Boulevarde before heading back to Hilton and checking out. We were then able to spend the afternoon relaxing around the pool or resting in our own private cabana – alas no Cabana Boy was provided for CLP. It was a suitable contrasting few hours to the previous whirlwind 48 hours and a time to recharge the batteries before the long flight home.

Our trip to USA had been a once in a lifetime experience that we couldnt wait to repeat! The bank manager and I are currently in disagreement over the likelihood of this but a man can dream can’t he?