Changi Pt 2

We all get our rooms by 12.15. The rooms are great, plenty of room, well appointed and air conditioned. Ann hits the sack straight away, as do everyone else. We agreed to meet up again at 4. I do not feel tired so I head over to the shops to grab a few beers. After I have brought them back and put them in the fridge I decide to have a swim in the infinity pool. The pool is on the 8th floor and looks out over the bay. The water is warm but refreshing. I rest up with great views of planes on their landing path to the airport as I am lying underneath the frangipanni. I head back to our room at 2.30 and Ann had just woken. Ann checked the tv programs and it looks we will be able to get the afl tonight. Not sure whether Ross wants to watch or not. We meet up and buy some more beers and then back to our room to watch the footy. Collingwood are all over GWS but are not scoring, their accuracy is not good. We have booked a restaurant for 7 pm so we have to leave the footy just after the start of the third quarter. We end up having 4 hamburgers, 1 chicken burger and a chicken parmigiana (Luggy has to be different!). The meals were great and we hear that Collingwood has won! A guuuud last night! We head off to the airport at 8 am tomorrow for a 10.45 flight which is due in at 8.15 pm to complete our longest tour yet. It has been great and we have been extremely lucky with the weather. See you all soon !!✈️✈️

Changi

We checked out of fawlty towers at 9.15 and our booked ride arrived at  9.25. We are all glad we booked the ride and don’t have to drag suitcases around. We arrived at the airport within 45 mins thanks to our lead foot driver. Only one car passed us the whole way. While he was quick we never felt in any danger. Everything was smooth through the airport and it was the best signed airport in Italy. The plane was delayed an hour due to a passenger not turning up and then having to find and offload their luggage, didn’t worry us as we will have to wait for a room at the hotel. The Lugg’s had their premium economy seats and we and the Johnstones were down the back. Ann and I were lucky as we had a spare seat between us and we could spread out.  We arrived in Singapore just before 8am and progressed smoothly through customs and passport control. The first available shuttle to our hotel was 9.10, so we can relax for a while. The flight had a couple of bumpy patches but overall pretty comfortable.
The van to the hotel was tired and bumpy which caused Ann some anxiety about the quality of the hotel, particularly as we passed a hotel we had stayed in previously which was about a 1 star equivalent.
We arrived at the hotel and it is quite large and seems very nice. Air conditioning in the foyer is very comfortable. It is 9.45 and we now have to wait a couple of hours to get access to our rooms. It is quite warm outside and very humid, I am feeling pretty good as I had about 4.5 hours sleep on the plane, so I go for walk to check the surrounds while the others waiting the foyer. There is a large market area not too far away where there are many food stores selling Asian food and cold beers. We will be able to stock up when we get our rooms!

Milan

The hotel we are staying in is not that flash. It appears at long last we have the best room, our air conditioning works, our fridge gets the beers cold, we have a shower rose that almost works! The room is spacious enough, but the decor is drab. The bathroom is clean but tile grout does not look good and makes the room feel grotty. If this is the best room imagine what the others are like. The one saving grace is it’s location, 200 metres from The Duomo. In addition we only have to spend one more night here.
The day is warm, crowded and noisy. We head off at 10 and wander around the plaza until it is time for our Duomo tour at 11. Our guide gives us the history of the Cathedral explaining it took nearly 600 years to complete only being completed in 1965! It is an impressive sight. The tour starts off in the Cathedral which is vast but not spacious. There are 52 pillars holding up the structure, one for each week. It is made of marble including the floors and over 3000 statues. We also go to the area below the Cathedral where the original church and baptistery were. Originally there were two churches and a baptristy in the plaza, but in 1386 archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo decided to build the Cathedral. In the 60s Milan was building subways and they came across remnants of the old church and baptistery. However at that time they were not interested in protecting such history and only a small part was preserved.
We then proceeded to the terraces. We took a lift to the roof and walked around the terrace. We were greeted with spectacular views.  By the time we had finished it was 1.30 and it was getting hot. We headed back to the hotel to have lunch and a cold beer. After lunch and a rest we headed off to The Duomo museum. A significant number of the statues on the Cathedral are replicas, with the originals being held in the museum, including those that were damaged during the war. There were hundreds of them, large and small, including scale wooden models of the Cathedral. After the museum we walk around the shops, but it is hot and crowded. We will meet up for beer at 5pm.
We finish off our beers and then head out for our last meal in Milan. I will not say any more about that meal!
Tomorrow we start our journey home.

Train to Milan

We are all up early to begin our homeward journey. It is fine and sunny! We get the luggage down the stairs and then it is downhill to the station. At the station we have to go down more stairs to pass under the railway and then up more stairs to our station. Because we are early we get the 9.03 train to Monterosso, we split up and we squeeze on to the train. It is barely 20 mins to our stop and after the first two stops the crowd has thinned out. We have a 90 minute wait for our connection to Milan. It is quite warm and the sea looks very inviting at Monterosso. Our train eventually arrives and we struggle on and stow our luggage. It is 10.55 and our arrival time in Milan is 1.55, so we have time to relax. At the next station, Heather and her parents get on, there are 8 carriages on the train and she picks ours - what are the odds!! It is a pleasant journey with great sea views as we run along the coast before turning inland. The sky is clear and blue and the sea is calm and blue.
We arrive on time and say goodbye to Heather and make our way out of the station. It is hot - 30 degrees. We pick up two taxis and head off to our hotel. Milan is big and crowded, it is a bit of a shock, a major contrast to our last few weeks. We check in and then go for a walk. The Duomo Cathedral is barely 150m from us and the Cathedral and square are spectacular and off to one side is the famous shopping area. The buildings are beautiful and we walk through the strip. We buy some beers and will meet for drinks at 5.30.
The beer we bought is still not cold so we head off to a cafe/bar across the road. Start with beers and Aperol Spritz, then more beers and some bruschetta and then more beers and hamburgers. Our waitress is great and we have a good night.  It is so hot, crowded and busy. Ann and I go for a walk after dinner at about 8.30 and all the shops are open with people everywhere. The buildings are majestic and Milan is an incredible city.
Tomorrow we have a tour of the Duomo Cathedral which will be exciting.
We have all agreed to book a transport to the airport as we are over dragging suitcases onto trains!

Riomaggiore last day

Very quiet day today. Weather still great, fine, sunny and warm to hot, expected top of 26. Great nights sleep, must have been all the walking we did. No one is suffering any new aches or pains, so that is good news. After breakfast we pay for our rooms as our host has advised us that if we intend to leave early he may not have opened up.  Kaye suggested we should also buy our train ticket for tomorrow in case of any rush at the station. Having bought our tickets we go on a walk from the station which takes us towards the port area along the sea side. We get some great views but then we are faced with steps leading upward. We all know once we get to the top we will then have to head down! There are a lot of narrow steps but we all make it safely.  We decide to have some free time and meet up for lunch at 1pm. Calamari and chips goes down well. Ross and I are contemplating having a swim and we walk around past the ferry terminal where there is a rocky bay that is very popular with lots of people swimming. Unfortunately there is no shade for the girls. Because of the walk there and back we decide to give it a miss as we would just get hot again on the walk back. We book a restaurant for 7pm for tonight’s dinner and take a break to pack our luggage and agree to meet up again at 4pm.
Riomaggiore and Cinque Terre has been fantastic, perfect weather. Scenery is incredible, two minus points are the pigeons which are everywhere and fearless when it comes to picking up crumbs. The other is the number of people that smoke in restaurants. We know we are in Italy, but smoke becomes really annoying when you are trying to enjoy a meal!
At 4 we meet up talk a lot of rubbish, have a lot of laughs and drink two bottles of rose between us. We are being very responsible and not drinking beer today!
We head off for dinner at 7, it is a lovely warm evening (24 degrees). Our food is delicious and dessert is fantastic. We are back at our rooms by 9.15 and we finish off packing. We will meet up tomorrow at 8.45 to start our homeward journey via Milan.
One last comment on Lake Como and Cinque Terre, their gelato is delicious.

Walking the Cinque Terre

What a day! As I said yesterday we planned to go to Manarola and have lunch at Nessun Dorma, a cafe recommended by Kate Hoy. Well, it is another beautiful clear sunny day with hardly a breeze. Karen suggests we might get the train to Vernazza and then back to Corniglia and then Manarola. So we decide to get a day ticket which also gives us access to the national park in case we might want to walk a trail (as if). We head off at 10.15 and get off the train at Vernazza. The girls are checking out the shops and I see a sign to Corniglia. I head off up the steps to see how far it goes and to get some good views of the village. Ross and Luggy follow and I call back to Ann jokingly that if we are not back in an hour and a half. they should get the train to Corniglia and we will meet them there.
We keep going up with great views back over the village and to Monterosso. After about 15 mins of climbing we reach the start of the trail and there is a park officer to check hikers have the pass. We show ours and I ask him how far and how long the trail goes up. He says it continues up for another 15 mins, then flattens out and it is then downhill, all up about 90 mins. It is 11.55, so we head on. There are spectacular views of the coastline whenever you round a bend or clear the vegetation. The park officer lied, because it is at least another 30 mins of climbing, some of it gentle, but lots of rocky steps. We eventually reach the top and are rewarded with magnificent views. We are 700 feet above sea level and after a short flat track we head downhill. We can see Corniglia well below us! The track down for me was worse with a lot of pressure on my knees, some of the steps were fine but others were quite a big step, and when I say step it is just big rocks laid in the steep descending track.
We eventually make it into Corniglia and look for the girls. Can’t see them so we head to the railway station. The station must be 500 metres below us and there is a never ending zig zag of steps heading down to the station! The girls are not at the station, so we figure they must be at Manarola. We let one train go in case they are on it but they don’t appear so we will take the next at 12.46. While waiting for the train, Ross sees Heather right in front of us. Heather was our guide from Berlin! We have a great chat as she is with her parents and we did tell her we would be in CT at the same time she was - what are the odds!
We catch the train to Manarola, have a quick look for the girls and then head off to find Nessun Dorma. We walk down to the port area and turn right and Luggy sees a cafe/restaurant high up on the side of the hill so we head up there. It is the place but we can’t see the girls, so we stand in line to get a seat thinking they may be inside. We get to the front of the line and then Ann and I see each other, with Ann on the upper level just above the restaurant. She calls the others and joins us just as we get a table. It is a fantastic site with views over the harbour. We order food, beers and Aperol Spritz
and have a great afternoon.
It turns out the girls did try to get to Corniglia but trains were cancelled and they ended up going to Riomaggiore and then coming back to Manarola. Incredibly the times worked out and we met up and had a great afternoon - thanks Kate for your recommendation. We thought about coming back tomorrow night for dinner but it is closed on Tuesdays. After a late lunch we headed back to Riomaggiore and for a rest! We had a quiet night and tomorrow we pack again for Milan. While the path to the station is downhill, there are stairs to carry the luggage down from our rooms and also on the station.
It was a great day and we are proud that we walked the Cinque Terre, or at least one part!

Riomaggiore Day 2

This morning is fine and sunny with an expected temp of 25. Today we plan to take the ferry to Monterosso and back. The ferry departs at 10.30 and it is a beautifully sunny day with calm seas. The view from the sea of the coastline and towns are spectacular. The sea is a vivid deep blue. It takes 50 to get to Monterosso as the ferry stops at Manarola and Vernazza along the way. Monterosso is a much larger town than Riomaggiore, and it is more crowded and touristy. We have a look around the shops in the part area and then head off to the beach area. This area is packed with umbrellas and lounge chairs and you have to pay to go on the beach, which is some sand but mostly crushed rock. It is very hot so we head back to the port area for lunch and to wait there for our 2pm return ferry. We are very happy that we are staying at Riomaggiore. It is a very pleasant cruise back to Riomaggiore. We rest up for 90 mins and then meet up for drinks. It is Sunday and most bars/cafes are busy with minimal seats available. I suggest we head over to the bar over the railway station where we had a drink yesterday. We head over and get seats in the shade. Shortly after we order our drinks two tour groups appear and the place is packed. We spend the next 90 mins enjoying our drinks, great friends, great ambience and annoying pigeons!!
We are tired after our big day so we have a light dinner of takeaway calamari and chips.
I don’t think we will be doing any walks as the easiest on, the way of love from Riomaggiore to Manarola is close and will not open until 2021. The rest of the walks look too strenuous for our levels of fitness.
Tomorrow we plan to take the train to Manarola.

Riomaggiore

We wake to another day in paradise. Beautiful sunny morning and 20 degrees at 9am. Breakfast is a bit of a schemozel. It takes a while for the waitress to take our order and then Ann misses out on hers!   She makes up with getting a peach and banana on the way back. We are unsure what to do today. We head off to the info centre and the walk we would like to do is closed. So we gather the info and then consider our alternatives. We head off to check out the ferry and are amazed at the docking area! There is a small area where the ferries come in bow first, lower a gangplank and then keep the engine running to keep the ferry in place. On either side are rocks just below the water that could severely damage the boat. The skippers are really skilful.
After considering options we will probably take the ferry tomorrow to Monterosso and back to view all the towns from the water, then on Monday we might get a two day train ticket which enables us to visit the towns at our leisure and also provides us with the park pass in case we want to do any trails.
For lunch we have take away calamari and chips - delicious. Can’t believe the number of cafes that supply take aways, including beers and people just find somewhere to sit and enjoy their meal!
After lunch the girls wander around the shops while the boys head off to check possible walks. After the girls have finished shopping (empty handed) we suggest a walk that is mostly path. We end up high above Riomaggiore with spectacular views over the sea and down to the train station. Ross and I push on a bit further and find a path leading down to the station, but there is a cafe/bar above the station on the edge with a great view over the sea. We end up there and have a drink! It is quite warm and it is a well earned drink. Then it’s back to our rooms for more drinks.
Tonight we intend to watch the sunset over the sea, so we head off at 7.15 to the harbour area. It is quite busy but we go past the crowd and find a great viewing area near the ferry landing. We have brought a bottle of rose’ with us to enjoy the sunset. It is pretty good but is slightly spoiled by some low cloud. On the way back there are some guys jumping off the cliffs into the water giving us some free entertainment.
It is now time for dinner and we find a cafe where we have three bruschetta, three pizzas, three beers and three Aperol Spritz. After a great meal and great day it is time for bed. Ross and I are both over football! Although at least Ross has another chance.

To Cinque Terre

We wake to drizzling rain, though it is still warm. We have an early breakfast at 8 am and check out at 9.45. Lake Como and Menaggio has been great but it is raining and we only follow the sun!
We walk to our water taxi and head across the lake to Verenna. It is about a km walk up a hill to the train station, but the path is relatively smooth. We take our time and arrive by 9.20, our train is 10.37 so we have ample time to recover. After the last effort of the six of us trying to board at the same time, we decide to split up and board at different doors. This works well and we are all able to get a seat and stow our luggage. The train was a few minutes late but we have 30 mins at Milano before we head off to Cinque Terre. Unfortunately when we arrive we have less time and we have to go straight to our next train. We had planned to buy something at the station to eat on the way as it is a three hour journey. Anyway we board ok and luggage is stowed. We have to change trains at Monterosso and we arrive about 3.10 to a crowded platform. There are no lifts, so Ross and I head off to find the ticket office. We purchase our tickets and the next train for Riomaggiore is due in 5 mins but on the same station we got off. We head back with the good news just as the train arrives and manage to force our way onto the train. It is very crowded and not easy travelling with six suitcases! We finally get to Riomaggiore and now we have to find our hotel. It is very crowded and we follow the crowd to leave the station, we walk via an underpass for over 500 metres and then come to a junction. We find a place to reorganise and Luggy goes one way and I the other. Luggy goes up some steps while I head off up the hill. After about 150 metres I look around and see La Dolce Vita, I notice the street number is 167, this is the address!! I go back and bring everyone up and our host is waiting for us. Our rooms are another 50 metres further on. We are on three different levels and the stairs are steep. It is tough going carrying the suitcases up but we all make it eventually. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and overlook the main thoroughfare, it is a hive of activity. We rest up and agree to meet at 4 for some well earned beers!! While the boys down some beers the girls enjoy Aperol Spritz. We end up talking to some aussies from Sydney (actually a scot who migrated to Australia and an Irishman who migrated to Australia when he was 12). This place is marvellous, we can feel the ambience, the vibe, the Mabo!
After a couple of hours drinking in the sun we head off to eat and find a restaurant selling hamburgers!!
To finish the night off we head down to the water for some amazing views, unfortunately I did not have my camera. Hopefully should be able to get some pictures tomorrow. As we walked back at 9pm the temp was 21.

Menaggio Day 3

After the concert last night we reach our last day in Menaggio. Can’t believe we have only 10 days to go! The morning is sunny and warm, but thunderstorms are expected. We check out the water taxis to get to Veranna, as we are dreading the walk to the ferry terminal with its cobblestone footpaths. The other alternative is to get taxis from the hotel to the ferry terminal. After some consideration we book a water taxi for 9am tomorrow which gives us plenty of time to push our suitcases up the hill to the train station, at least the path is smooth on that side. Our train departs at 10.30 so ample time.
The clouds are building but it is still warm and sunny. On our first day here Ross suggested hiring a boat for an hour, and we decide to do this. We head off at 11.10 and have a very pleasant time cruising the lake towards the north end. The lake covers a vast area.
We decide to have lunch after one and Ann is nervous about the Tigers. It is half time and they are only a few points ahead. We have a lovely spot looking out over the lake, the clouds are building but the weather is still warm. As we have another beer Ann heads off to find the final score, she comes back very pleased. We now need to pack for our departure tomorrow.
After packing we book a table out the front of our hotel for dinner and meet up for a last beer at 6.30 at a cafe/bar in the plaza with views out over the lake. The clouds are building up and there is the occasional thunder.
At the restaurant after speaking with the waiter we head inside. Midway through the meal the downpour begins! It pelts down for about 20 mins. After dinner it has cleared but we still have thunder and lightning appearing over the other side of the lake. Tomorrow we head to Cinque Terre. Read Burt Reynolds has died - just saying!

Menaggio Day 2

Wake again to another beautiful sunny morning. Ann and I are first down to breakfast and there is a seat for two available on the balcony. We reluctantly take the seating and are forced to sit in the early morning sun looking out over the square and lake Como while eating our breakfast and drinking cappuccinos.
After breakfast our plan is to get an all day pass for the mid lakes ferry. We head off on the ferry at 10.10 and take it to Villa Collotta. We decide not to enter the villa as it does not look as good as yesterday’s. We then walk to Tremezo and decide to get the ferry to Bellagio. Bellagio is very busy with lots of tourists. It is very pretty with narrow laneways and plenty of shops. After walking around for an hour we decide to have lunch and we find a place opposite the water where we have 5 hamburgers and one salmon burger and three beers and three rose’s.
After lunch Ann and Kaye buy some jewellery and then we catch the ferry back to Menaggio. Once again sunny all day with temps in high 20s. Back in Menaggio we decide to rest up and meet again at 5. Another guuuud day!

We head off to buy some alcohol and cheese and prosciutto and biscuits for tea. The deli we were hoping to purchase from was closed on Wednesday afternoon so we moved onto the supermarket, but they did not have cold beer so we improvised and bought bags of ice as well and set it up in the bidet!

At 6 we have drinks etc and then we decide to go for a walk after 7. When we go out of the hotel a 3 piece band has set up and are playing r&r, blues etc. in the plaza. The singer is great and the music really good. We sit around enjoying their songs for 90 mins and then head off for a walk. Back at the Johnstones we finish off the port and some baileys and the band finally finishes at 9.45.

We will have a quiet day tomorrow.

Pictures from lake como

Menaggio

We wake this morning to clear sunny skies and an expected temp of 28 degrees. Breakfast is included  and it is cereal, juice, boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, breads, jams, croissants etc. After breakfast we head to the tourist info centre and decide to take a little road train to Lenno and visit the Villa Balbinanello.
It is a great ride around the coastline with beautiful scenery along the way. We get off and there is a 20 minute walk to the villa which sits on the tip of a promontory in the lake. At times the walk is quite steep, but the views are amazing. The gardens are amazing with spectacular views over the lake.   We take a tour of the villa and our guide gives us a run through of the ownership of the villa, the initial owner/builder being a cardinal, another was a countess, and then a US army general who took seven years to negotiate a sale with the countess and then finally the Monzino family. The last owner was the son Guido. The father when he died owned department stores all over Italy and was very wealthy. The son Guido sold everything and became an explorer/expeditionary in the 1970s. He travelled to the North Pole, Mt Everest and all round the world. He financed all his expeditions. During his travels he acquired relics and ancient artworks and other artefacts and his collection is incredible. He also restored and extended the villa, which is built on rock, so it was not an easy job. A lift was also added. The furniture and glass paintings were amazing, including the hidden staircases to be used as escape routes.
The villa was used in Star Wars attack of the clones and also in casino Royale.
 We get back to our hotel around 6 pm, it has been sunny all day with hardly a wind. We walk to a delicatessen where we know we can get some cold beers, because it is beer o,clock.
Around 7.30 pm we head off for dinner. At the first place we find they have hamburgers, but when we enquire they only have a small kitchen and can only cook three at a time! We then head to another place which looks ok but is busy. Anyway we go in and order. Kaye orders a salad, I have swordfish with fries, Karen ordered spaghetti and a side dish and Luggy, Ross and Ann order risotto and spaghetti. After 15 mins my swordfish appeared and Karen’s side dish. I started eating mine and after 15 mins some bread appeared, by now I had finished and then Kaye’s salad arrived. After another 10 mins the rest of the dishes arrived along with my fries! This was the equivalent of Fawltey  Towers!
The food was good but the service deplorable. We then finished off with gelati in the square and port back in the hotel.
Pictures will follow when I have time to catch up.

To Lake Como

We had dinner Inn the hotel and walked over to see the bridge at night - very pretty.
In the morning we have a walk around and buy some lunch for our train trip. Check out at 11.15 and head over to the train station. Lucerne is a lovely city and we easily could have spent another day here. It is a city we could return to if  the opportunity arises.
We board our train and it departs on time at 12.17. There is a scramble for luggage space, but Luggy and Ross rearrange the luggage rack to fit all ours in. It is a delightful train trip, very quite and smooth. The scenery is fantastic with craggy mountains, lush green valleys and beautiful lakes. We spend at least 20 minutes going through one tunnel. We get off at Monza  where we have to change trains for Varenna. The sun is out and it is quite warm, around 27 degrees. We have a 50 minute wait between trains. We find our platform and then spend the next 40 mins trying to understand Italian announcements to see whether they have changed our platform number. Everything is okay and we board our train. Unfortunately this is crowded and we are forced to stand in the doorway again for the next 50 mins.
We arrive at Varenna and now we have to wheel our luggage down to the ferry terminal. It is downhill which is fine, but that means it will be uphill for the return. We pay the ferry man and head across to Menaggio. It takes about 15 minutes. We have checked Mr Google and it should be a 6 walk to our hotel. It is but it is over cobble stones! We arrive with our bags still intact, but we might grab a taxi back when we leave. The hotel is in a great place, on the edge of a plaza area which looks directly across the lake. We check in and agree to meet up at 7. The rooms are neat and tidy, lovely shower area. We have a short walk but all shops are closed, so we have something to eat and drink at a cafe in the plaza. Six beers and six lasagnes! We are outside and have great views across the lake to Varenna. After dinner we head back to the Johnstones room, because they have extra room and chairs! After a couple of ports we retire and are looking forward to tomorrow with an expected temp
of 27.

Lucerne Day 2

We all had a great nights sleep after the long day yesterday travelling. We wake to cloudy and overcast skies. Rain is forecast in the afternoon and a top temp of 16 is expected. We have a lovely breakfast in the hotel and then head out. Our first stop is the Chapel bridge a wooden covered bridge built in the14th century. The sides of the bridge are covered in flowers, it is a beautiful sight. The lake is awesome. We head across and move on to find the Lion monument. The dying lion is carved out of rock and commemorates the heroism of Swiss soldiers who died protecting the Tulleries palace in Paris during the French Revolution. It is very moving!
We then head on to the city wall which forms part of the city’s fortifications, apart from
Karen and Kaye we climb the steps and walk along the top of the wall. There are some fantastic views over the city and lake.  After that we come to the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland. Built in 1408.  It is then time for a rest. We grab some lunch and rest up. In the afternoon we check out the railway station, do some shopping and we agree to meet up again at 4 for beer o’clock.

Lucerne

Lucerne 

Trivia was not good yesterday! The afternoon was lovely, calm seas and warm sunshine. We say farewell to our head waiter Arthur and his assistant Olena. We head off to bed early as we are meeting up for breakfast at 6.45. The morning is bright with a clear sunny day. After breakfast we prepare to disembark only to be told there could be a 20 min delay. We are not too concerned as our flight to Zurich is not until 1.45. We are all off by 8.15 and waiting for our booked transport. He turns up and we are on our way. Our driver tells us we should be there by 9.45 and we arrive before 10. We progress through booking in and paying for our luggage. We are told we should have done it on line as it is cheaper and the attendant was surprised when we said it was not available from Australia. She thought that was very unusual. Will need to let Kirk know when we get back. After passing through boarding control we have 3.5 hours to wait. Decide to pick up some baileys and port at duty free!

We board our flight on time and head off for Zürich. We have a cheese roll and some Swiss chocolate - yeah! As we land it is raining! We pass through immigration and pick up our bags and head off to find the train station. We find the signs and head off and end up on platform 3 which happens to be the correct platform. We find out the next train is 5.47 and we have just over 30 minutes to wait. The train has limited luggage room and we are forced to stand in the doorway with our luggage for the entire journey which takes just over an hour. It is dark, overcast and light rain as we emerge from the station. The ride was very smooth. We get our bearings and head off to find the hotel. It is a short walk and we arrive. As we book in the girl says that the mini bar is complimentary- yahoo! However there is no alcohol in the mini bar, but there is chips, chocolate and soft drink. It is now after 7.30 and we are feeling tired. The hotel and rooms are great. Ann and I have a walk around the area and Lucerne looks like a lovely place. We will all have a good look around tomorrow.

Friday 31 August At Sea

Friday 31 August - at sea

Lasted two songs last night, not our cup of tea. We gain an hour overnight so we sleep in and meet up for breakfast at 9. It is a beautiful sunny morning, calm seas and an expected top temp of 21. After breakfast we attend the cooking show which was very entertaining. We have been extremely lucky with the weather, only one day where rain had some impact and much better weather than has been experienced in Melbourne. At dinner last night our waiter Arthur treated us to some more napkin folding and we had lots of laughs.

Ross and Karen and John and Kaye have had great weather for their first two cruises. The only times when it did get a bit bumpy was at night and when you are lying in bed it has little effect.

Norway was a great trip, but it did get repetitive with all the fiords, waterfalls and beautiful little towns. There is only so much beautiful scenery you can see each day. It is an expensive place and it would more expensive if you had to pay for meals and accommodation. It was certainly a great trip but not one we would repeat.

We have checked our tickets and rail passes and everything checks out so hopefully we don’t have any issues. We arrive at Southampton tomorrow at 7am and have transport booked for 8.30 to take us to Heathrow. Our plane departs at 1.45 and we arrive at Zurich at 4.30. From there we catch a train to Lucerne where we can walk to our hotel. It is going to be a long day tomorrow.

Sayings being used on the tour so far include: just saying (courtesy Kate Hoy), meet at muster point, you people, ja ja, Mabo and the vibe, this rose is so easy to drink (mostly by Luggy), the deck!

The afternoon is spent packing suitcases. The weather has remained mild and the seas calm. We will have one last go at trivia!

Bergen

Bergen

This morning we arrive at our last port of call. It is raining early but expected to clear. Bergen has over 270 days of rain a year so we will be lucky to get a clear day, in fact Bergen even has an umbrella dispensing machine.

Once again it is a very pretty city. By the time we head off at 9.30 it has cleared and the sun is shining. The temp is up around 17, we are very lucky. The town is beautiful and has some wide mall areas and a beautiful garden, plaza and water fountain. We walk through the fish market where there are large crabs, lobsters, prawns, fish and whale meat along with reindeer and moose. Ann is shocked by the sale of whale. The girls do a bit of shopping and we walk around the water front area. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day. We have an early sail away at 2 pm so we head back to the ship at 11.30.

After lunch we watch our last sail away from our balconies and Ross and Karen bring a bottle of our favourite Rose.

We are not talking about trivia today!

We have our formal night tonight and tomorrow we are at sea. The show sounds interesting tonight as the performer is Phillip Browne who starred in the Lion King as Mufasa.

Alesund

Alesund

We meet up at 8.30 for breakfast. Alesund appears to be a very pretty town of 45000 inhabitants. Our berth is very close to the town centre. We have a tour booked on a little blue train which winds its way through the city sights and to the top of Mt Aksla.  We get off the ship just after 10, our tour starts at 11. The weather is cloudy and a bit cool, top temp of 15.

We board our train and head off. The majority of the town was destroyed by fire in 1904 and was completely rebuilt by 1908 in the Art Nouveau style. The houses are visually striking. The views from the train back down to the harbour are fantastic. When we get to the top we have 15 mins for photos. The views back down on the town are incredible. You can walk up to the top from the town via 418 steps that look very daunting. After our train ride we walk around for another hour admiring the houses before getting back on board for lunch. 

Afternoon trivia sees us score 15, the winners had 18. We don’t seem able to get past 15.

We have an early show tonight, it is The Fabulous Funky Fiddler “E Sarah Carter”. She is fantastic. She is moving around the stage and among the audience, she plays one piece while standing on her head! Her experience included playing in Lord of the Dance. She was very entertaining.

I have found out that the fish we caught were pollock.

Tomorrow is our last port of Bergen and then we set sail for Southampton.

Tuesday 28 August At Sea

At sea

We had a great nights sleep last night, sleeping through to 8.15. The beds are so comfortable, but the air conditioning tends to dry you out overnight. It was very smooth sailing and after the physical day yesterday we needed a good nights sleep.

Today is cloudy with the occasional sunny breaks, top temp of only 14. It is cool outside but comfortable walking round the ship. The seas are slight with minimal movement. We have a relaxing day today and play cards in the afternoon. Ann started off as the banker in pontoon and nearly cleaned us out. All but Ross had a turn at banker and generally the banker won. It was great fun with lots of laughs.

Our waiter Arthur has warmed to us and he is now folding napkins into risqué poses. He is very funny. Tomorrow we are at Alesund our second last port of call.

Lofoten Islands

Gravdal

Today we think is Monday, getting harder and harder to remember the days. It was a bit rough overnight with the ship moving around a fair bit, but everyone is ok. The boys are up early for our fishing trip. Our tour starts at 10 and we must make sure we are on an early tender to be on time. After breakfast we line up for tender tickets at 8.30. They start to allocate tickets at 8.50 and we are in the first 50. We get called to the first tender just after 9 and we are on the dock by 9.20. The weather is cool with a max of 14 and occasional showers, but light winds.

Daniela is a bit worried when no one has turned up by 10 so she rings them. Turns out there was a mix up as we are on the 12 o’clock tour. 

It is drizzling rain when we are picked up by the skipper, a friendly guy who finishes every sentence with “ya”. As we have some time to kill he takes us on a tour o the fishing village and the fish factory. The factory is stocked with dried cod and there is a sorting process going on for export. It has a very strong odour. When we get back he suggests we put on spare dry suits that available. 

12 o’clock arrives and we get on board. There are 12 including us. We head out and it is about a 35 minute cruise to the fishing grounds. The boat is rolling quite a bit in the swell. We arrive and after circling around the skipper gives us the ok to start fishing. We are using heavy gear with up to four lures on the line and we drop the line to the bottom and start jigging the line up and down. I catch the first fish which is about 8 inches long. Then others start catching them. I get another and then Ross gets a double. We drift off the mark and the skipper gets us to bring the lines in and he circles round again to find the mark again. Ross has three, I have four and Luggy has one. The skipper then says he will find some bigger fish so we head off again. 

At the bigger fish spot Ross is a magnet. First he brings in a whopper, about three feet long. The skipper has a wicked looking gaff that he expertly brings the fish on board. Others are getting fish but Luggy and I can’t get anything. I have missed a couple but Luggy just keeps getting caught in other lines. We are all fishing pretty close to each other and when a fish is on it is easy to get a crossover. In the meanwhile Ross has another double with two big fish. Then Ross gets another and another and I finally catch one and Luggy gets tangled again. It is ironic as I am beside Ross less then 4 feet away and Luggy is beside me, but it was Ross who gets all the action. He is exhausted! We think he had special help from Scuffy!!

We return to the dock and are then driven back to the ship tender. It was a great day, the skipper was fantastic and others on board who had sailed with him before say he is the best. We thank Daniela and her partner Wilfred for organising the trip. They also caught a number of big fish. When we get back the girls were worried as I told Ann I thought we would be back around 2 but it is now 4.30. We could not contact them and they had no details of the fishing trip. They had a lovely day washing clothes.

For dinner tonight we had another speciality restaurant, the Sterling streak house and it was another great night. Tomorrow we are at sea all day, so Ross will have time to recover from his strenuous fishing expedition!

Tromso

We all had a great sleep last night, could have been something to do with not drinking? Hope this doesn’t continue.

The weather is very cool and a bit breezy. We have purchased shuttle tickets to get to the city centre. We go to two museums, the Polar museum which is very informative on how the early trappers/hunters lived with exhibits of stuffed animals and the hunters utensils and weapons. The polarium was another museum which included a film on the northern lights and the wilds of the arctic. They had an aquarium which included fish and seals and a couple of king crabs. After the museums we headed back to the ship arriving around 1.40 and then had lunch. Bombed out at trivia again with 14. After trivia we head out on deck to view the sail away. Luggy loves to watch the untying of the ropes. I have a look at the other side and there is a tug boat preparing to help pull us away as their is another ship berthed in front of us and the wind is blowing us into the dock. 

I race back to the other side to let Ross know that Scuffy was on the other side. He quickly follows me and he is so excited to see Scuffy at work. Scuffy did a great job in pulling us out from the berth and Ross is so proud!

We head and inside to break our no alcohol fast! While relaxing with a drink we see Wilfred our fishing partner standing in line for the restaurant and on his phone. Turns out he was trying to contact me about meeting up tomorrow for our fishing trip. We agree on a time and place.

It is a beautiful sunny afternoon, a bit cool but lovely clear skies, hopefully promising for tomorrow.

Honningsvag

This morning (Saturday) we arrived in Honningsvag. It is fairly still, cloudy to overcast and cool but not as cold as yesterday. We expect a temperature of 15 degrees. There was a bit of movement of the ship overnight but we all slept well.

Honningsvag is the last town in the northern hemisphere and is only 1304 miles from the North Pole. We are told to prepare for four seasons in a day, so it feels like home. The town is bigger than we thought, although the population is only 3250, it seems bigger with houses and businesses. With our cruise ship the population has doubled.

We decided not to take tours to the North Cape as the wind could be howling with low cloud and fog. We thought it was not worth the money or risk so we would around the town and to the lookout. Their church was one of the very few buildings left standing after the nazis during world war 2 retreated and razed the whole area.

The weather is quite mild, no wind and no rain, maybe those who went to the cape had a good day. In any case we have enjoyed ourselves in Honningsvag.

We have now started having a regular coffee meeting around 3.15 which then leads into to trivia. Improved with 15 but 3 off the winners. We have had an alcohol free day today and for pre dinner drinks I had a Diet Coke while everyone else had No - Jitos an alcohol free cocktail. Luggy nearly chocked on the mint while sucking the dregs out of his drinks!

Our waiter was most surprised when we did not have wine at dinner, but we told him we would make up for it tomorrow night. After dinner there was going to be a sailway party but the weather did not cooperate so it was postponed.

We are at Tromso tomorrow.

Friday 24 August

Friday 24 August - At sea

Last night we dined at Sabatinis, one of the ship’s speciality restaurants. Kirk our travel agent paid for it and also supplied a free bottle of wine. We had a delicious meal and lots of laughs. After dinner we went to the show, The beatback beatles, another tribute band. Very disappointing, they missed chords, voices average, stage presence annoying and they referred to themselves as John, Paul, George and Ringo. Just slightly better than Tina Turnoff.

We have now crossed the arctic circle and the weather is cloudy and cold. We have a relaxing day at sea.

We have a sleep in and a late breakfast. The shops are open and there are sales so the girls have a wander round. At 12.15 we attend a lecture on the northern lights which was very interesting. It is too late in the season so we will not have that experience. We have lunch and then plan to meet up at 3 for coffees to stimulate our brains for trivia. We do ok with 14 but are 4 off the pace. We are happy though because the know all bastards didn’t win either. We sit around for a while and then decide to have a pre dinner pre dinner drink.

At dinner tonight there is a spectacular sunset we can just view from our table. There are beautiful red, mauve and blue colours. I must remember to bring my camera tomorrow night. 

We try the show after dinner by the Princess dancers and singers, but only last two and half songs. Dance routine very ordinary.

Trondheim

Thursday - Trondheim This morning we wake to cloudy skies as we sail into Trondheim. Felt the ship move around a bit last night but no one had any problems. Today is tipped to be partly cloudy with max. temperature of 17. We head off at 10, it is about a 15 min walk to the city centre. It is a pleasant walk from the pier. When we are in the sun it is quite warm, but cool in the shade. We visit the main sites of the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and armoury, the old bridge to old town and the royal residence. 

In the old town they have a bike lift to help riders up a steep hill. You sit on your bike and place one foot on the lift and it takes you up like an escalator. There is a large sun dial in the city centre, but unfortunately that whole area is undergoing renovations, so we could only see the statue. 

The city is very picturesque and the water side very pleasant.  We get back on board at 12.30. Just in time for lunch!

We have been having a debate about tug boats ever since we saw smaller boats that are used to transfer the ropes to the mooring anchors. Ross has been calling them Scuffy the tug boat. We have insisted it is Tuffy the tug boat. Today was the first time we were able to check it on the internet and the answer Scuffy. Ross graciously accepted our apologies and moved on (NOT). He is a modest winner (NOT).

We are due to set sail for Honninsvag around 4.30. 

We have another go at trivia and end up with 15 out of 20. Some smart arse group won with 20.  We sail away at 5 pm. The captain gives us a run down on tomorrow where we can expect winds of 30 to 40 knots and a max temp of 12 degrees, he also said that at about 5 am tomorrow morning we we pass the arctic circle. He added that the further north we go there will be difficulty with the internet signal, so I may not be able to post for the next few days.

Geiranger

Last night we tried the show again. Peter Howarth the current singer with Hollies was performing. Apparently he also starred in the West End with the Roy Orbison story. He has been the hollies lead singer since 2004. He was great. Really good voice and very entertaining. Sang a few Hollies songs a couple of Roy Orbison and a cliff Richard song. It was so much better then Tina Turnoff.

This morning we have a short stop at Hellesylt and then on to Geiranger which is further up the fiord. It is cold and raining this morning but still spectacular scenery. We stop at Hellesylt for 90 mins. to allow some passengers to get off for their Princess excursions. They will meet up with us again at Geiranger. It is still raining and does not look like letting up. We slowly cruise into to Geiranger and do a 180 degrees turn and then back into our area. We tie up to two anchor points in the fiord and then the floating sea walk comes out to meet us. It is fascinating to watch, all up an hours worth of entertainment. Unfortunately it is still raining. The Lugg’s and Johnstones decide to get off while we stay on board.

By 3.30pm the rain has stopped so we get off to have a look around. It is a small area with shops and a waterfall. Those who went on tours may be disappointed as there would be little to no views with the overcast skies. It is a lovely sail out as we drink our wine on the balconies.

Tomorrow is Trondheim.

Tuesday 21 August Flaam

Yesterday we were at Stavanger. It was a bit cooler only reaching 18 degrees and a bit breezy. The ship is very stable with very little movement. We berth in a fiord right in the town. We have a cruise up one of the fiords to Pulpit rock. The boat is a large twin hulled vessel and it is quite modern. Comfortable seats and spacious interior with plenty of room up on top. While waiting in line we encounter queue police. An American woman who will not let anyone jump the queue. Her husband is an inspector gadget. He is wearing a fishing type vest and has dangling from it a torch, hand cleaner, rubber bands and other items!
The cruise up the fiord to Pulpit rock was fantastic - great scenery. It was a great day. After dinner the Johnstones and the Hoy’s went to the show- a Tina Turner tribute singer. We lasted 3 songs, she was not only crap but annoying. I forgot to mention on the sea day we attended an interview with Pete Best, the fifth beatle, he was fantastic.

Today we berth at Flaam, the scenery is even better than Stavanger. We are deep in the fiord and right beside the town with soaring rock faces on both sides. It is very picturesque. The sun is shining and the weather mild, hardly any wind. We head off on our train ride to MYRDAL. It is a great train ride as we head upwards, passing through tunnels and valleys. Incredible scenery and many waterfalls including one where we stop for 5 mins to take photos, an amazing sight. Back on board we have hamburgers for lunch. Our sail away is 4.30 and should be spectacular. Have plenty of photos to upload when the internet is more reliable. Luggy keeps saying he needs to stop eating as much, but that is all he does, he still keeps eating. The food is really good.

Still talking to each other and having a great time.

Sunday 19 August at sea

Had a great breakfast at the hotel, walked around the city for a while and made some last minute purchases (wine, drugs, etc). Checked out at 11 and walked to the cruise terminal. As we were early we have a bit of a wait to get on board. The cabins feel better laid out and the balcony feels slightly bigger. May only post every second day and no pictures as the internet is very slow and it is minute based.
We celebrate the start of this cruise with drinks on the balcony. Our dinner table is number 1. It is just inside the door but out of the way. Our waiters are friendly.
The weather in Southampton was mid 20s and today at sea we expect around 19. However the further north we go the the temps are predicted to fall. The seas have a bit of movement but the ship is stable.

Still talking to each other and having a great time.

Our curse strikes again with Kofi Anan.

Southampton

Ross amd Karen still missing!!!! Ha Ha just kidding, they arrived just before 8pm and were welcomed back. We celebrated in usual style with beers and hamburgers (except for Luggy who had a steak).  This morning we head off for second cruise it is a short walk to the cruise terminal so no transport worries.

Friday 17 August Southampton .

Last night we sailed under one of the longest bridges in the world, it runs from Denmark to Sweden and as the sun was setting it was a spectacular sight.
As we disembark our ship we notice there are still taxis waiting!   Never mind everything goes smoothly and our driver turns up and we are off to Copenhagen airport. It is self serve! We work it out pay our luggage fees and head off to wait for our departure. We have a couple of hours to kill.
Finally we get a gate number and head off, only to run into passport control. The Lugg’s pick the best line and are through, we change lines and finally get through, the Johnstones have the slowest line!
We then head off to check in and the Johnstones are stopped. It appears their flight is not the same as ours and is 3 hours after ours. As they have already checked their baggage through there is little point in trying to get on the same flight, but their ticket does not allow changes anyway.
Our travel agent has booked them on the wrong flight. They will have to find their own way to Southampton.
The flight is basic and fine, no audio, no food or drink unless you pay for it. We sail through passport control and pick up baggage straight away. We find our driver and are on our way. It is about 2 hours, our driver takes us a scenic route to avoid traffic jams. Southampton is quite a nice city very easy to get around. The hotel we are staying at is great. Very old but well appointed and walking distance to the cruise terminal. We hear Karen and Ross have landed and will get the bus. We expect them to arrive around 7.45 pm. It hasn’t been the same without them.

Thursday 16 August at sea

Today was a relaxing day at sea. A lovely sunny day and light winds and mid 20s. We were up late, and Ross, Karen and I went to a cooking demonstration by the head chef and the Maître D. It was very funny and entertaining. After lunch we have to pack to start our next leg. We discuss whether there will be an issue picking up a couple of cabs as there are conflicting stories about availability. In the end we decide to book a transfer. We have paid up front so hopefully they will turn up on time.
We were going to have an alcohol free day, but after packing we all felt the need for a beer.
As we draw this part of the journey to a close we are looking forward to the next phase. As an introductory cruise for Ross, Karen, John and Kaye it could not have been better. The seas have been very slight with minimal movement. The food plentiful and the wine drinkable. Can’t believe we haven’t even reached the half way mark.
Tomorrow we head to Southampton.