Rae's Shopping Adventure in Florence

Time to go shopping!   I had heard there was a Brands Outlet place near Florence and decided to check it out. Just before I hopped on to the wrong bus I found out that there there are actually two outlet shopping centres near Florence, each serviced by almost identical black coaches. I had already chosen to shop at The Mall – I had not heard of the Designer Outlet place , so jumped on this very comfortable coach which proceeded to travel forty-five minutes out of Florence, high up in the foothills. Opened in 2000 with five high end brand shops, today there are over 50 stores housed in several modern buildings including a 3 story Gucci complex, in neat landscaped grounds. By far the most popular store was Burberry, which always had a queue of at least 20 people outside.  Overall the items offered were not inspiring  to me, but I did purchase some ‘needs’ at the Armani store. So The Mall has been ‘done’ and not to be again – perhaps I would try the Designer Outlet in future.

For our evening meal we were recommended several places, including the renowned Gabi – however when we arrived, its refurbishment was not yet complete  -we were a day too early!  However we managed to placate ourselves at a nearby restaurant which delivered some more delicious Italian local fare for us to enjoy.

Our Bologna Adventure - day 1

It was a treat to be introduced to the local fare at one of Bologna’s better restaurants opposite ‘ the seven churches’ - Sette Chiese – or Basilica di Santo Stefano.

These buildings are a conglomeration of various architectural styles, spanning over several centuries. The most interesting item to me was a dome, constructed of small house building sized red bricks, spiraling round and round until one oblong brick closed the gap at the top. The large nativity scene figurines, mostly gold in colour, were made either from paper mache, porcelain or stone.  The display was attended by a lady who kept rearranging the many dried and live greenery accompaniments, including lavender, giving the exhibition a fresh peaceful aroma.

Bologna, a city of towers, porticos, and many beautiful shops  – which made the items in Zara look very average –  is a great place to walk around. Amongst the shops are very old buildings, mainly churches but worth visiting.  That evening we noticed many young people heading into the Cathedral of Bologna, a large church surrounded by shops.  Maybe a carol service?  There was a poster outside, advertising a ‘notable’ tenor and organist.  So we strolled inside, waiting while the thousand or so queues of people seated themselves, filling about half the cathedral, only to find out that it was a prayer service, honouring the youth of the city.

A day on the Water, Venice, Italy, Day 2

There is nothing better for maritime lovers to be out on the water, in any capacity, even while on holiday! Today we  boarded our ferry and set off for our water adventure in Venice. The day was so – unusually, we found out – warm and balmy – the water was so calm that we could have reached out and trailed our fingers in the water, and the sky was so blue….  We travelled past the extensive mud flats with a few birds flying here and there, and landed on the formally arranged tree bordered Cemetery Island. Extensive, well maintained, and still to be completely filled, this sanctuary presented a preliforia of family histories of the area – some still in their telling. The monuments also offered a history of memorials over time, in the area.  After a time of peace and reflection we cruised to Murano, an island not only renowned for its lace making, but for its colourful houses lining its canals. We all disembarked, admiring the colourful buildings with their closed doors and drapes, suspecting that their inhabitants might have felt like goldfish in a bowl! However we  tourists all strolled merrily by, occasionally dropping into the few lace and souvenir shops that were still open during this off-season, admired the island’s thick furred cats and all arrived at the one restaurant that was open to enjoy lunch  off an Italian styled family run ‘international’ menu which very efficiently catered for the huge variety of ethnic groups that called by. We thoroughly recommend the soup of the day! Upon our return to the ‘mainland’ we chattered with some very interesting people from China and Germany who had  ‘popped over to Venice’ for a few days break. Oh if only we could do the same……  We concluded this lovely autumn day by strolling  past St Mark's Square through Venice’s very exclusive hotel and shopping area, noting that the Christmas decorations were appropriate to people who might shop in this area. For our last supper in Venice we dined like royalty at another family restaurant - Trattoria Vittoria that we discovered upon another visit and again enjoyed the décor, authentic Italian food and hospitality.  Next day we travelled by train -  you might have noticed that pic of the water as we travelled along the causeway from Venice on to Bologna – our next adventure in Italy…..

Our travelling from New Zealand to London Adventure

Perhaps the most interesting sights when flying from New Zealand to Australia are the cloud formations. Today’s display was ‘out of the box.’ For the past few days in Auckland the days had been grey with much low cloud cover, so to rise above this blanket into the dusky blue brightness of the early evening sky was quite ‘uplifting.’  (you may laugh….)  We did not have to wait long for the first display. In the distance a line of black puffs of cloud rose above the border of the now dark grey blanket below and morphed into a long spinal skeleton of bones against a white sky.  Then they moved on to become the Southern Alps of our South Island  - a fitting way to leave New Zealand, we agreed.  But Australia, not to be outdone - after the sun set, rearranged the clouds into two charcoal vertical bands – separated by a band of brilliant orange!     Welcome to Australia!!!

We are now on our final leg of our flight to London, without any incident so far – apart from the fact that Christ spent ages in the shower at the Dubai airport and I had to send in an attendant to get him to hurry along – and we are enjoying the scenery outside, that is if you like rows and rows of rocky mountains sticking out of beige desert sands. Not as colourful as Australia’s outback.  Soon we ascended high over more rocky mountain ranges and plateaus which, to my surprise, were all snow covered.

 Just before our last trip this way there had been a dramatic sand storm and we had to divert to Bahrain to refuel, then return to Dubai so we saw nothing of the terrain.   From the air Dubai looks a bit like what Auckland might become   - many suburbs of apartments and occasional blocks of leafy suburbs and a city center of tall buildings.  Otherwise lots of sandy sand spits and bars, a few ships – no concentrated port that I could see - but no doubt there is one!!  So here we are on the plane – 7 hours to go  - after 17 hours of flying the seats are getting very hard – great to be offered thin mattresses and chardonnay to make the going easier……..

Thank you to the assistant at the Melbourne’s duty free shops who was able to help us with daughter’s duty free order.  ‘She has had 8 months to come up with her order and she text’s me when we are travelling!!! ‘ grumbles father.  Five minutes after tapping this lovely lady on the shoulder   HELP! – only in more colourful language – all was sorted.  BTW Christian Dior fragrance prices have risen significantly over the last vey weeks. I had to pay about NZ $40 more than expected – I should have bought when I first enquired (note to self).

Time for a doze – or shall I watch a movie??  All these choices when flying…

A tantilizing glimpse of Cork, Ireland

Ahhhh!!! So much to see in Cork, so little time!! The only perception I had of Cork was that locals partook in lots of sailing, including the biannual Cork Week Sailing Festival, a racing event that many New Zealand sailors aspire to go sailing in. Cork, a major Irish seaport, is the Republic of Ireland’s second largest city. Literally meaning,“swamp,” Cork is often referred to as the “real capital of Ireland” by its residents. There is much rivalry between Cork and Dublin. Cork people consider themselves ‘different’ to the rest of Ireland, often referring to themselves as ‘rebels.’ Indeed they have their own accent, very musical and pleasant to listen to, which is great, because they tend to love talking! On Saturday morning, after a pleasant evening relaxing in the Collins Bar at comfortable Carrigaline Court Hotel, we visited the English Market in the Cork City Centre. Established in 1788, many stallholders, often run by families, have been there for over 100 years. The current market buildings were constructed in the mid 19th century until they destroyed by fire in 1980 and had to be extensively refurbished by Cork City Council. Today the Cork English Markets is very multicultural, selling a huge variety of food and fresh produce, all beautifully displayed, and attract local visitors and international travellers alike. Even Queen Elizabeth visited during her recent trip to Ireland in June.

The shopping precinct of Cork has changed much over the past 15 years, and is perfect for to go shopping along its traditional streets,

to admire the eclectic array of old and new buildings, and indulge in a tad of shopping followed b a delicious coffee in the eclectic Bookshop Coffee house – as we did. Oops! Lunch time and that means time to go sailing with the Royal Cork Yacht club……

Kilkenny, Castle, National Craft Gallery and Pub, Kilkenny Ireland

Kilkenny, Ireland is a very tidy traditional town, overseen by the large historical Kilkenny Castle, a U shaped series of buildings, surrounding one end of Green Park land stretching ‘into the future’ it seemed. Across the road in the Kilkenny castle yard, originally the buildings of the stables and coach houses of Kilkenny Castle, is National Craft Gallery, opened on 2000. All the buildings, beautifully restored, feature static and working exhibitions of modern and traditional Irish Art and Craft. The National Craft Gallery is a beautiful area to stroll around, indulge in shopping and appreciate the creativity of Irelands best crafts people.

As one tends to do towards as the end of a busy shopping and touring day, we all visited in interesting looking Irish pub, The Left Bank, situated in the former Bank of Ireland Building. As with several pubs we visited in Ireland, the 4 floors inside the pub as well as outside area, were stunningly and eclectically decorated and we spent much time admiring the different areas of the pub.

Kilkenny, even though we only had a glimpse of the historical houses and buildings looked a very interesting town, ideal for visitors to spend more time there and indulge in a local Irish adventure.

Shopping at Kildaire Shopping Centre Ireland

Mindful that much of our group liked shopping, we visited the white, elegant ‘chic’ luxury factory outlet shopping centre at Kildaire. To prepare ourselves for exciting shopping we dropped in for coffee and the beautifully appointed Italian Restaurant L’Officina then set up It was hard to know where to look first! After picking up some important essentials, we then moved on to another adventure before returning to the old Kildaire Village to visit a large, popular, cabbage smelling pub for a buffet lunch rapidly spooned onto our plates before we could blink an eyelid. Later we strolled through the village of Kildaire- its traditional and a lttle run down main street a complete contrast....

The Chester and Liverpool Adventure

We travelled by rail from London to Chester, through gentle hill rolling green fields and hedgerows, still rather sodden from recent deluges. Very easy on the eye and this green eye candy, along with the gentle rocking of the comfortable Virgin Express train soon had our heads nodding. Our hotel at Chester was at “The Mill’ a former corn mill set on either side of the call, and converted into a hotel by its owners about 20 year ago. Both our room and bathroom were luxurious and spacious, thanks to the hotel website which family inspected when booking the best room they could find for us. The Mill Hotel was immaculately kept and compete with large spa, gym and swimming pool, whick I immediately took advantage of. We expecially liked the prints of Venice (one of our favourite cities) taken many years ago, which adorned the walls - so appropriate for a hotel spanning both sides of the canal and also boasting the only privately owned canal bridge. Chester and the River Dee were most significant for milling, waterway trade and transportation, and more recently for hydro power generation and tourism. The food, tudor style architecture in the main shopping mall and the walkway around the city walls is most popular with travellers. Ah, Liverpool! Home of the Liver Bird and the Beatles! No, we did not do a Beatles tour, but we did stroll down Mathew Street which features the ‘Cavern’ - not the original, and the many Beatles paraphernalia shops and pubs with names such as the ‘Hard Days Night.’ A stroll along the Docklands - now a World Heritage Site - gazing over the Mersey River - remember that song by Gerry and the Pacemakers?? and a visit to the Beatles Museum brought the nostalgia, the music and the exciting days of the 1960’s to the mind. The lads of went to the pub a beer and to watch the Irish v All Blacks game whle the gals quckly checked out the summer sales. While the shops and prices were the same as London, the overstocked untidiness and crowds and queues in the London shops wre missing - much more condusive to shopping!! And yes, we did purchase a couple of little items......

Cities with nooks and crannies - paradises for travellers who enjoy shopping

Many cities such as London, have nooks and crannies which are great for travellers to visit as these give one the real ‘feel’ of the city. Often one needs a ‘local’ fo find these so we were delighted when a friend introduced us to the ‘Lamb and Flag’ in Rose Street, Covent Garden. www.lambandflagcoventgarden.co.uk/ Situated around a couple of corners down some narrow cobbled streets, this pub dates back to 1772 and has played host to many famous people including Charles Dickens. The current owners have kept the original look of the plae depicting its colourful past and we were also treated to ‘recent’ anecdotes experienced in the lifetime of our local friend, also called Charles. A couple of days later we were the same area in London, looking for a Ray’s (not mine) jazz shop, located in the famous Foyles Bookshop - which is well worth a visit. On the way we passed through Denmark and neighbouring streets which turned out to be a small music mecca, with guitar, saxophone, sheet music and other shops selling simiar wares. It was thrilling to hear strings of music wafting from all the shops as we strolled by. Even the Regent and Oxford Street areas, looking fully scrubbed up and very clean in preparation for the Olympics, have lanes and alleyways leading off them enticing strollers to explore the boutique shops bars and eateries. London, like many other cities such as Liverpool, is changing its conjested inner city street to walkways which make exploring ‘nooks and crannies’ much easier. Chester is another city of nooks and crannies, which when we visited, may travellers were exploring. The main street, complete with clock tower dedicated to Empress and Queen Victoria, is lined with tudor styled buildings. between the ground floor shops were many staircases which led to the first floor shops or to lanes to other parts of the city. The city wall, often at first floor level, enables strollers to look into offices and residences as they pass by. More about nooks and crannies to come...

Singapore - the city of Sales - not!

It was quite by chance that I heard about the great sales of Singapore especially after being informed that it was no longer the place for cheap items. However when we visited Orchard Road where all the shopping malls were, it was most disappointing. Apart from the lamp post banners and a few shops having small ‘sale’ signs in their windows and advertising 10-15%off ‘some’ items there were no crowds and no people walking around with huge branded paper shopping bags. The shopping malls were old and tired but elegant. The shopping experience was most disappointing. especially as one cannot claim tax rebates at the airport from some shops. For shopping in stunning malls I recommed the newly revamped Westfield mall in cenral Sydney. From designer outlets enticing shoppers to shop using the five senses such as Kava, the quant elegant tea shop withfrilly table cloths and picket fences, to designer and department stores, the Westfield mall is a delight for shoppers and eye candy feasters. England is the place for sales in June! In London everything is on sale - from 10 to 70% off - and crowds and queues everywhere. Much better! In fact, everywhere we have been to - Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Galway - same sales, tidier shops and fewer people. Might have to invest in another sutcase....

Syndey - warm winter magic

Sunday June 20, 2012 Sydney, Australia, no matter the time of year is a great city for travellers to wander around. Even the old haunts, such as the the Sydney Opera house with its clean timeless architecture, the Circular Quay for people, busker and boat activity watching, the ferries come and go, the Rocks historical precinct, and Darling Harbour with its soothing water gardens and walkways. It is an ideal place to stop off on the way to ones oversea’s trip, to transfer one’s mind from work and, packing and ‘I am sure I have missed packing something!!’ mode into a relaxing and ‘sniffing the air’ one. Sydney turned on a warm, blue skied day for us on this winter Sunday. So balmy it was, that a lovestruck person wrote a “I’m Sorry, I love you’ message in the sky. OWe immediately booked to trip out to see the Humpback Whales just outside the Syndey Harbour heads. It was so easy to book online, and instead of printing off a booking form, all we had to do is show the booking form on our iphone. NOTE - if you are planning on going - make sure you book on http://www.whalewatchingsydney.net/ - a large and very comfortable vessel with plenty or viewing platforms. Every year from about June to November about 1200 humpback whales make an over 5000 mile trek from their breeding grounds in the north following the EAC current down Australia south to Antarctica to feed. As the current passes about 2 - 3 miles from the coast at the Sydney heads so it is very easy to find the whales. Within an hour of crusing through the many yachts Sunday racing on the Harbour we were out on open waters and our knowledgeable captain had us within the precint of three small pods of whales. Almost as soon as we arrived at the 100 metre allowable distance the whales started performing. Two whales swam close together, breathing simultaneously, like a chorus, while the third frequently breached, launching itself straitght up and completely out of the water at times so that we could see its whole white underside. it rolled around, waving its long flippers then breached, again and again. Atfer this awe inspiring adventure we slowly came back to earth by strolling around to the hstorical Rocks shops, bars and cafes - a must, we believe, for all travellers to Sydney.

Cannes on a Wintery Sunday

We travelled by train to Cannes, past towns, seaside resorts, a huge luxury apartment block, more resorts, and as we arrived, so did the rain. Ever been to a tourist town in the wintery off season, in the rain? And being a Sunday, with no shops open? We quickly walked from the train station to the seaside, and walked more quickly towards the old town, past the famous Congress Centre where many events including the Cannes Film Festival is held every May. So we missed the hand prints of famous movies stars and various sculptures. But we did wander - very quickly - through the quaint picturesque outdoor Christmas Market - where stall holders outnumbered visitors and over to the old town and up the hill to get a view of the place. Fortunately the rain let up for a but for us to enjoy the view. A beautiful place, even in the gloom!

By now it was lunch time, but no cafes or pubs in sight. The day was So Gloomy we decided to travel back to Nice. Then we discovered a huge french food market - indoors, then fishmongers and many chocolate shops. One had many religious items for christmas, including something for each of the 12 days of Christmas - all in chocolate! Have a look at the pics to see more.

So that was Cannes! I'd love to return in summer! Back in Nice the day was even more gloomy and we set off in the rain to find a place to have a late lunch as there was nothing else to do - everything was closed. No crowds or tourists anywhere.

Al last, after walking for hours, it seemed, in the rain, and feeling very cold and wet, we finally found a street of restaurants, and some were open! Now, which one..

Hey, look at that! A Le Maori Restaurant! I wonder if it does hangi food. No? Well French fare will do! Look at the menu! All Black and Barvarian items. Someone obviously likes rugby here. I wonder if we should mention that our team the All Blacks one against the French at Marseilles last night?? Well, everyone agrees it was a great game. Look at the cutlery! Handles shaped like the Koru. Dessert? Yes please! Gosh, look at the size of our plates! No small arty servings here. And decent sized Stella glasses too. This seems just the place to stay on a wintery afternoon.

And then back to the hotel to pack for our next adventure!

Ah - Naples, Pompei and Sorrento

Our cruise ship the Costa Serena's last port of call was Naples. Anxious to view Mt Vesuvious we were up early an high up on deck, however mist shrouded this famous mountain and instead we were reduced to viewing the many superyachts lounging about -ready to hibernate for winter. Soon we were on a bus travelling to Sorrento, a quaint seaside tourist town. We left the port, passing many very shabby apartment buildings in the Naples city centre, boarded a train and travelled for about an hour through the Naples suburbs and surrounds. The land is very fertile, our guide informed us and it was interesting to see gardens, lemon tree plantations and glass houses dotted everywhere throughout the suburbs. Upon our arrival at Sorrento, we were directed to a place to have a 'technical' stop, which meant a toilet and coffee break. The local coffee is excellent here. I think it is Neopolitan. It has a unique taste and I have to say that coffee has never tasted the same since - it was so delicious! Off we went on our walking tour. Sorrento is old historic, quaint and very tourist orientated. The streets are narrow - many are just walkways and the whole place is geared for local and upmarket shopping. As it was near Xmas the town was decorated - Christmas trees, leafy bowers under windows and Xmas lights everywhere! It must look so picturesque at night!
Eventually we arrived at the water's edge. Er - not exactly - we were about 50 metres above the water on top of a rocky cliff. In Sorrento it is difficult to get to the sea. And there is no beach! Instead people have to pay to sunbathe on piers stretching over the beautiful, clear, blue waters. At last our walking tour ended -not surprisingly, at a pre arranged shop from where we could purchase almost anything made of and to do with lemons - from a huge array of sweets to lemoncellos presented in most decorative bottles, handcrafts and ornaments.

Thankfully we did not have much time to contribute to the local economy and shop - the prices were Definately for the Well Heeled Traveller, and soon we were back on the train. Oh, look! There are the ruins of Pompei! Why didn't we visit them? other Cruise Ship visitors confirmed what we suspected - one needed a whole day to inspect the genuine and replica ruins on display. I would like to come back to Naples and visit the Pompei ruins, and also inspect the city centre - a group of very tall newish glass buildings soaring like a sore tooth out of the eyesores of apartments in the suburbs by the port's edge.

And now it is back to the Costa Serena and get ready to finish our Italiabn cruise ship adventure at Slovena.

Our week as Shore Crew at Newport Rhode Island

Two weeks after travelling to the Invitational Cup Regatta at Newport Rhode Island and now fully recovered from jetlag I now have time to reflect on why we were a little bit tired from that most exciting week.

On each of the 7 days we would do the shopping for 14 people. Fortunately we only had to cook dinner for 4 nights owing to the social activities put on by the New York Yacht Club. Most days we visited the boat shops for parts. Then each morning we would arise around 6.30 to prepare lunches 18 scrumptious rolls, snacks, sliced fruit, gateraded beverages etc etc and breakfast for everyone. We quickly became most skilled at negoting bulk food prices st the supermarket and finding real, rather than water infused meat for lunches. We became so adept at making bread rolls - that by the time we finished the 130th we reckoned we could take on Subway and win! The surprise tidbits were well received by our hardworking sailors. After transporting them to the jetty to pick up their boat we would to a quick tidy up and rush off to our next job - that of being New Zealand's number one fans! We were most fortunate to be offered spectator positions on some of the New York Yacht Club members' most luxurious vessels to watch the racing. These ranged in size from 70 to over 120 feet in length. A couple which could be better described as little ships had the capacity go to sea for up to 3 months without refueling. The owners were most hospitable and we met some very friendly fellow boating visitors. After the racing we would dash off and go shopping for more supplies then join in the after race activities. These included a magnificent seafood buffet on opening night and on the prize giving night a meal almost to die for, followed by dancing to blues music. However the most memorabale evening was the lobster meal. We all sat down to consume One Whole Lobster each! These are the same size as our New Zealand crayfish so this was an absolute luxury. To ensure our enjoyment we were all issued with a plastic bib, pliers, and instructions on how to eat them. Delicious!

At last the last day dawned and at a very early hour for a Sunday we dragged ourselves out of bed to farewell our sailors, some straight home while others via exotic places like Lea Vegas. After a final tidyup of our lovely
home for the week we strolled through Newport mainstreet before boarding the bus to next adventure. And how did our team go? They got 10th overall - and beat the french! See the Invitational Cup we site for more information.

Would we go back again ? Yes! For more racing and maybe some sightseeing this time........

New York - a Glimpse of a Glimpse...

We have been in New York for 4 days and 5 nights and that is pretty much all that I can say - a Glimpse of a Glimpse! We took 2 bus tours - one uptown and the other downtown but the traffic is so dense at times that the trips are exceedingly long! At least the tour guides are entertaining.

So we have done - the MeT Museum - loved the Afghanastan exhibition - they were part of the Silk Road route and had a blend iof intereting artefacts etc, and a huge quantity or works from the European artists. Saw 2 floors of the Guggenheim centre - but the most intersting place was the Frick Museum - a home of carefully selected items At some stage I will add more about this.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) had a most comprehensive exhibiton of art works from James Ensdor (pardon spelling but it is nearly 1am) - his satire, paintings, sketches and themes were quite something. We have done the State Empire Building the statue of liberty, visited Harlem, Soho, China town, Greenwich town, Tribeca - the list goes on... but they were all just glimpses.

Especially as when we visited these museums it had been raining and I am sure that all of New York travellers from overseas followed us!

Tonight we did a show - West Side Story - a slightly modernised version but beautifully and tastefully done.

We have been so busy that I have done very little shopping, but the shops do stay open late! But not til after 1am, I am sure....

Our glimpse of Art and Culture has just whetted our appetite for more - New York, we will certainly travel to you again!!

Our winter Adventure in Rome

Today was the day we booked to see the Sistine Chapel in Rome. I will find out the website, but there is one on which you book the time and date.

This morning we took the local bus to the meeting point, outside where a tour organiser checked our tickets - there were about 20 of us, and took us over to the main entrance.

There I had a bit of a surprise. Instead of a chapel, which I had assumed that was all we would see, we were at the Vatican Museum, or series of Museums. Our guide checked us in, gave us maps, made a couple of brief explanations, then told us that we were on our own!

So off we went. Along corridors, into rooms, and more corridors, long hallways, rooms within rooms within rooms. The Vatican has museums of everything!! Museums of art, sculpture, modern religious arts, mosaics, animal statues, maps.....

The Vatican has recently turned 500 years old. According to wikipedia, there are 54 galleries, or salsas, and the visitor route through the museum takes one through almost every one. Naturally the Sistine Chapel is at the very end, so we saw many other famous and beautiful items, including many paintings and frescos by Raphael. has a detailed writeup of all the famous items here. After our visit, which took a leisurely two hours we went around to St. Peter's Square and Basilica. We spent a little time wandering in the peaceful square and inside the basillica, in which there is a lot to see - and well worth it - we spent a considerable time in the cathedral when we were here several years ago.

The best thing about our visit to Rome this time, was that being winter, there were not many people about. So we saw everything in the museum and churches at our leisure. Just imagine trying to see everything while shuffling along in a huge queue!! No thanks....

We spent the rest of the day strolling and bussing around Rome, enjoying a the Pantheon and the beautiful Trevi fountains. Again, we could do so at our leisure, without pushing through crowds and joining queues.

Then it was off to stroll along the Tiber River. Oh look - are they flowers on the riverside trees? In the middle of winter? Oh, no, its not flowers, it is hundreds of plastic bags and rubbish - all caught in the trees during the recent flooding. And its a good thing we decided not to to do a riverboat tour - the Wharf is all smashed to bits!!

Never mind, I might check out the shops instead - are the winter sales still on??

From Florence to Rome, two different cities

Each city we visited during our winter holiday in Europe had it's own special character and personality.

One of the activities I especially enjoyed was exploring the parks and open spaces, even though in winter time they might not be at their best. While Chris explored the antique and artisan shops on the by the bridge with the Jewellery shops, before he discovered a 'real' and warm London Style pub because he refused as did some other visitors to pay to visit a park, I walked around this one, quickly, because the day was very cool. There were many marble statues along the walkways, fountains, a very interesting porcelain display, and a reproduction of a typical cottage or courtyard garden in Pompei, the result of archealogial and soil diggings. As with many gardens of ancient cities, the garden designs were very much advanced and served several purposes, for examplem herbs for cooking, cosmetics and curing, vegetables, flowers, insect control, irrigation, and cooling.

Before I start talking briefly about animals, it is interesting to note that in this garden there was a notice about a particular bird which apparantely was very special, the only time I have ever seen anything at all about animals in parks. All the gardens we visited were restored to preserve the past. Not like in New Zealand, where we conserve our birds and trees!!

While strolling around this park in Florenza, I noticed some very well fed cats and a couple of feeding bowls. Apparently cats are welcome and looked after in some parks. In Rome, the next city we visited, there are many cats living around the Colossium. And there is an organsiation of ladies dedicated to feeding the cats, including speying them and looking after their well being. Their services also include looking after neglected cats, often finding homes for them, a bit like the SPCA in NZ.

Rome was a little warmer than Florence, but damper, we felt. Built on seven, or was it nine hills by Romulus and Remus, Rome today is a city with all the modern trappings built around many ancient ruins, many of which have beed restored and are available to visit. So one can be walking along a busy city street, turn a corner and there is the Coloseum, an ancient church or just a wall. The place I, and many others, love to visit, which is suddenly come upon when turning a corner, is the Trevi Fountain. Attached to the end of a building, the white colouring of the statues and steps, and the peaceful shushing of the water, is an oasis in the city. On the we visited, there were quite a few people there, not like the first time we visited, a few years, in summer, when you could hardly get near to it because of the crowds.

Because we had already visited many of the attrations during our last visit to Rome, this time we spent a lot of time strolling around the city, enjoying the street life and occasionally visiting the shops as the winter sales were in full flow.

The next day we visited the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel, more about that in my next blog.

Winter Holiday in Venice - the best time to go in our opinion

We awoke on our first morning in Venice to tiny snow flakes falling into the garden courtyard outside our hotel window.

Another white holiday! And in Venicia! Wow!!

But no, the day was not cold enough, and the streets and steps had been well coated with rock salt to prevent ice forming.

On this our third trip to Venice, we walked everywhere, rather than hopping on and off the Grande Canale Ferries. There I found another reason for holidaying in Europe in winter - there were very few people there! We could wander down all the narrow streets withouth pushing past people coming the other way. We could do all the window shopping we wanted, without looking over people's heads if we could. We discovered many restaurants and cafes, and did not have to queue.

Best of all, St Marc's Square was not chocker full of people and pidgeons! We could stand in the middle of the square and gaze around us. We had decided to visit the Cathedral, as last time we came to St Mark's Square, in the summer, there was a huge queue of tourists to get in, so we visited the Doges Palace next door, instead. Today, there were no queues at all, so we could wander in and gaze at the Byzantuim style decor and art, at our leisure. Upstairs we went out onto the narrow balcony, which gave us an unobstucted view of of St Marcs Square, without pushing past people to take pictures. You may recall in a recent blog about the 4 horses at the National Geographic Shop and Museum not far from Piccadilly Circus in London, which were made of driftwood and modelled on the very same horse on this balcony. Today, replica horses are of this balcony the originalss, made of bronze, have been restored and are now inside. Also inside accompanying the broze horses, is an excellent exhibition of the history of the cathedral, its contsruction and resoration, art, articfacts, and tapestries.I am positive that this exhibition was not here when we first visited, around eight years ago. What is most interesting, and we found this also in other exhibitions about restorations, whether they be art or buildings, is the technology involved and the methods of the restorations, from the 'facelifts' to the preservation and restoration of the underneath materials which we do not see.

No, we did not visit Harry's Bar this time or go up the Tower, from which one gets an awesome view of of Venice and its surrounds, but we did meander through the markets and shops at the Rialto Bridge, as well as through the many squares and narrow alleyways admiring all the beautiful, but old appartment buildings, hotels and palaces. Of course it is hard to ignore the shabbiness of some,and the pealing off of plaster of others. But Venice is not crunhbling down into the sea. One only has to look beside many the shabby doors to find modern security keyboards for owners to get to their apartments. Like many cities, in Venice buidling facades cannot be changed, but behind the facades, if the real estate advertisements are true, apartments do seem to have all the mod cons.

We noticed several changes in Venezia since our first visit, 8 years ago. Because the damage sustained in the 1976, or round that time, high tides and flooding, Venice, along with Florence, sustained much damage and lost many art works and treasures. As a result various localworld wide groups, including "Save Venice" fundraised and restored many buildings in Venice. I recall one group which selected 10 Churches to restore, and visitors were encouraged to visit all ten and, of course, donate to the resotrations. I did not see and reference to the project this time so am not sure if the programme has been completed or not. But the clock tower, with its two men striking the bell on the top, has been finished. And a new bridge, located to the right of the railway station has appeared. This means that people coming to Venice by car, or bus across the causeway, do not have to walk miles to reach certain parts of the city. And what I always liked, when walking out of the station at Venice, was gazing across the canal at this run down church building. Today it is covered with neting for restoration, and topped with a huge advertisement for a fashion company!! One hopes that the company is paying a signifant amount to place such an eyesore for visitors wanting to feast their eyes on 'old Venizia.'

Winter definately is the best time to visit Venice. Certainly it is cold. I understand it can be foggy at times. But it is warm between the buildings and in the shops. There are still some hardy Gondoliers about, if one wants a cold romantic ride around the canals. It is also the best place from which to take photos from the water.

But we did wonder - what is the winter night life like in Venice? We discovered that the Restaurant promoting live Jazz Music every night means every night from March to November. Then, quite by chance we found out. One evening, which happened to be a Friday, we thought we would wander to the Rialto Bridge Area to relax inside (too cold outside by the canal) for dinner. We heard modern music, and turned towards it. There in this square, was a lot of people, in coats, hats and scarves, all standing up outside in the cold, all drinking and talking. The source the music was from one of several bars. Consisting of a counter, stock and no seating, these bars all served drinks to clients who stood outside. We found a bar which had seating inside, and squeezed in, sat down, and watched the activities. Outside, all the people seemed to come and go really quickly. We wondered why as we sat in the warm, enjoying our campary and soda's. Later when we left the bar, we found out why. Outside the temperature was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.....*

* nautical saying - google it to find out what it means....



We found