When in Italy – ROME!

After 32 years learning, reading and hearing about it, I finally made it to Rome. I have to be honest and say that it was never really one of my “must-do” capital cities. Many of you might shake your head, however I think it was the one-too-many negative travel tales that had darkened my image of Italy’s capital. How wrong was I!!! Yes the city is busy and you take your life in your hands every time you cross the road. But even when the cars are all riding their horns around you, you can still hear history screaming at you from every corner of every street. It’s like someone decided to lay some asphelt and make a few streets between some pretty amazing historical monuments. We walked everyehere. We ate and drank like Roman kings and Queens. We basked in a late summer sun….

In a nutshell, we enjoyed Bella Roma. If you haven’t been, go. If you have, go again!

The website didn’t mention anything about the 6th floor or no elevator…

The “other” side of the Fontana di Trevi – Fontana di Touristi!

Timbo dancing on the Spanish Steps

Our hire car in Rome

There’s a hole in the roof, dear Sabine, Dear Sabine

Send in the (Swiss) clowns

What a good little alter boy

Roman ruins Panorama

The Italian adventure continues

We are into our 3rd week here in Italy. We have based ourselves in San Benedetto del Tronto in the south of Marche, with Abruzzo just  a stone’s throw away. Our wonderful friend Paola has very kindly put us up in her hotel while we’re here. Days have been spent cycling along the promenade, walking along the beach and soaking up the sun. I have to be honest and say after 4 months on the road, this is the first time it’s felt like a HOLIDAY as well as an adventure. We’re here for the next few weeks. A trip to Roma and down to Puglia is on the cards while we’re in this neck of the woods. Then it’s up to Venice and back to Deutschland, then on to Oz. Doesn’t that means work etc…?! I’m heading back to the beach while there’s still time!!

The sun set over San Benedetto

A boat, a man and his rod

John Howard’s boat in San Benedetto

Sabine ‘Gettin’ Giggy wid it’ by the pool

The view from our hotel balcony

Some words form Italia…

Well now,

It seems like so long ago since I sat down and took the time to bring you all up to speed on our travels. The discipline of regular updates seems to have slipped on my part. What can I say?! There’s just too much to see, smell, taste, drink, live. However I’ve been presented with a 4hr train ride from Lucca, Toscana to Torino, Piemonte. So what better way to pass the time than watch the Ligurian coast pass by and share with you a few moments of this wonderful journey.

When I last came to you we were in Berlin weren’t we? Well anyway we were in Berlin for a week which was fantastic. From there we took a lift back down to Sabine’s parent’s hometown of Hildesheim. We were able to spend a few days with Heike und Uli as well as get ourselves ready for the Italian leg of the journey. From Hildesheim we headed south the Bavaria. Intending to take a train, we soon discovered it would be cheaper for us to hire a car than both of us travel by rail. We arrived in Wurtzburg to visit our good friend Katarina. (our dining companion at Michel Bras.) Katarina was visiting her parents, and they very kindly showed us around the wine region of Franken. After a lovely dinner at a local restaurant, we headed back to Katarine’s folks place for a nightcap of Pina Coladas! Sweet dreams indeed.

We awoke, bid farewell to our kind hosts and continued south with Katarina to her current hometown of Walgau – 1hr south of Munich and just a stones throw to the Austrian border. Two wonderful days were spent with Katarina and her dutch beau Jeroen(?) up, down and around the German/Austrian alps. Thank you both so much for your hospitality and your delicious wine. We were honoured!

It is from here that we gave up our car and embarked on a mammoth 36hr journey from Innsbruck, Austria to Santa Fiora, Italia. First stop was Bolzano/Bozen in Alto Adige/Sud Tirol region of Italy. We spent the afternoon and evening in this bi-lingual town. From here we took a 1am overnight train to Florence. Then straight onto Sienna. 4hr wait, then a bus to Santa Fiora, Grosseto, Toscana Italia!

As previously mentioned, we were heading to this small town in southern Tuscany to rendezvous with friends and family and attend the wedding of our dear friends Kath & Simone. We were greeted by Simone who took us to our Tuscan Casa Grande. We were joined by Kath’s mum Helen, her man Tony and their “getting bigger every day” little fella Liam. Also there was Kath’s Nona, as well as Kath’s Brothers Matt and Ryano, with Ryano’s lovely lady Carlz. Last to arrive on the Friday was my sis Andrea and her fella Nik. good thing we had a 5 bedroom house!

Our first informal duty was a dinner on the Friday night for all who would be attending the wedding the following day. We were presented with a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and catch up with Simone’s parents. Then it was time for the food. Course after course floated out of the kitchen and landed in front of each of us. Just when we thought we couldn’t fit anymore another delicous dish would appear and we would somehow find room. So then, THIS is dining Italian style!! After we could fit no more we all parted ways to get some sleep and prepare for the big wedding tomorrow. A few of us managed to sneak in a nightcap at Santa Fiora’s one and only pub – The Green Feeling.

Saturday morning arrived, which meant the Big Day was here! All of us at the house spent the morning getting ready and playing UNO. Pre-festive photos taken, we ferried ourselves over to the wedding venue – The property of Simone’s good friend Ivan. We were greeted, seated, and then the beautiful bride arrived, accompanied by Matt and Ryano. I could go into so much detail, however I think Kath’s favourite word sums it up perfectly – “AMAZING” What followed was a wonderful day and night filled with yet more eating delicious food and drink, as well as singing, dancing and being merry. A big thank you to everyone who played a part in this special day. And our biggest thanks goes to Kath & Simone for giving us the opportunity to play a part in a day that I know we’ll cherish forever.

More reflections to follow….

Beautiful Toscana and the Wedding Of The Year

That’s right. The Italian leg of our journey has well and trully kicked off. We’re coming to you from Pisa after a wonderful 4 days in Santa Fiora, where we witnessed our wonderful friends Kath & Simone “Tie The Knot”. I will write more shortly, but for now I promised mum some photos. Ciao for now.

Finally, some photos!

Lyon Panorama

As promised, here are a selection of happy snaps. The Lyon panorama is a little back-dated, though the rest are our from our most recent adventure in Berlin. Enjoy!

A motorcycle convention gathers in front of the Gates

Little is mentioned in history about the Imerial Empire's short-lived rule over the German Capital

A memorial to the Soviets who lost their lives in Berlin between 1941-1945

THAT column

Angie and Timbo getting up close and personal in Berlin

A big German frog

A rather patriotic shot from the roof of Parliment

Inside the dome looking down. That glass is the roof of the main house of Parliament

The spiral dome on top of the Parliament

This car apparently omits ZERO carbon, though it's not the quickest off the block

Some funky bars along one of the canals which flows through Berlin

Sabine in front of the Hauptbahnhoff, Berlin's central railway station

Deutsch folk lazing by the river Spree in Berlin

The "Bundestag", or Parliament house in Berlin

A shop. A shop in Berlin, but a shop nevertheless

A reconverted 'Backhouse' in East Berlin

The "Green" traffic signal of fomer East Berlin

Timbo & Max jamming in Bath

Back in Deutschland

As last reported, our European adventure has brought us back to Germany. We spent a wonderful 5 days in Bath, England, before flying out to Berlin last Monday evening. And what a time we’ve been having. This is my first time in the German capital, and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone passing through this neck of the woods. It’s been lovely and warm, a nice change from the Irish chill (though I do miss all other aspects of beloved Eire). We have been kindly put up for the week by Sabine’s friend Karen.

 Sunday we return to Sabine’s hometown of Hildesheim, before making our way south towards Italia, stopping in Bavaria along the way.

Lots more to come, and I’ll try to update a bit more regularly.

 

 

The Gates!

Help! Sabine shrunk…

Beach and pool by the river

Another week, another country.

We write to you from (mostly) sunny Bath, England. Here for 5 days visiting our good friends Claudia & Pete and enjoying this beautiful Roman town. On Monday we fly to Berlin. I Will endeavour to get some photos up in the next few days.

Timbo & Sabine

Our last week in Kerry and Dingle Donkeys

Apologies the updates have been less frequent of late. We’ve managed to fall into a routine of work and rest, and this doesn’t seem to conjour up exciting writing material. I’ve also ‘temperarily’ misplaced the cable for the camera, so the photo updates will have to wait for now.

We did manage to head out to the annual Dingle races on Saturday. Beautiful setting. (wait for photos…) I managed to pick not one but TWO three-legged donkeys that I’m sure are still running. I’m just not the gambling type.

We are here until the weekend. On Sunday we bid farewell to our foster town of Dingle and take the train to Dublin. It’s here where we’ll rendezvous with Dr. Scott Watkins, who is over here for a mates’ wedding and is popping over to Eire to  spend a couple of days with us. I know my brother has always harboured the dream to be a rockstar, and although his voice may not help grant him this wish, his frequent global jet-setting is not dissimilar to a Bono or indeed Mr. Collins in his heyday. Really looking forward to our catch up mate.

Now, I must go and find that cable…. (An update: I found it!)

Sabine and the 2 Robbies at the Dingle Races

Not a bad setting for the races eh?!

This young lass was a winner

The “Guiness Grin”

Finally – a base touch

First and foremost, apologies for the days of silence. We have encountered something we haven’t experienced since we left Australia…. WORK!

That’s right, we are working at the Lord Bakers restaurant, Dingle. This fine establishment has over the years employed many young folk from the Blue Mountains. We came here to visit my good friend Rob williams and his wife Muriel and co. We were very kindly offered work almost immediately and  have pretty much been doing so ever since. Don’t worry, this won’t last too long. Before you know it we’ll be back on the road posting exotic travel stories. We’re here for another 2 weeks, so as always the invitation is there for anyone who finds themselves in our neck of the woods to pop in and say g’day. In the meantime it’s heads down bums up!

Greetings from the Emerald Isle

After nearly 2 months roaming around the continent, we’ve taken the plane from Paris and landed in a place close to my heart – County Kerry. We’re in Dingle staying with my good mate Rob Williams and we’ve managed to score a bit of work at his family’s restaurant, Lord Bakers. We’ll be based here for the next 3 weeks, so those who were going to come to Paris for a visit and didn’t, please feel free to come and join us in Kerry for a bit. Photos of green hills and grey clouds to follow.