Here I go....my first blog....have I got it right??? Please bear with me....

…..home exchange, travel, tips & tidbits …& maybe some recipes or shopping bargains from a mature, young at heart, traveller whose wings have been clipped by the GFC  (Global Financial Crisis), but who  lives in hope of still having fun & enjoying life….but almost certainly on a budget.  Fun is fun….no matter the cost.  There are bargains, deals & ideas out there to benefit us all.

Well….the best laid plans etc…..here I was, all ready to start my blog with a visit to Melbourne with lovely Mr Fox, when out of the blue, he needs to be rushed to the local hospital’s emergency department & ended up having major emergency surgery in the wee hours of the morning!!!.....now, I really couldn’t expect him to spend 2 days sharing the drive from the Sunshine Coast to Melbourne after that….& sitting on the plane for 3 hours is not an option either…never mind…maybe we will be able to make it for a week or ten days, instead of the 3 weeks we had organised.  Time, & healing ability, will tell!

One of our sons lives in Melbourne with his family, but if we visit for more than a few days, we do like to ‘do’ our own thing, but can still see them most days….& I’m sure they appreciate having some space, too.  A couple of years ago we had a great home exchange in East Brunswick, only around 10 minutes from our son’s home & so well located.  The tram…love Melbourne’s trams…was only a short walk away…. so easy to go to St Kilda one day or the city the next…without the hassle of negotiating city traffic…altho’ we did drive down, so had our vehicle available for travelling further afield….when the GPS was just invaluable….don’t you love it when she says…’if possible, do a U turn’???  (Happened a few times!!!)

This time, we had a home exchange organised for an apartment in Melbourne’s Southbank….what a spot, so central…we could have just walked to the city & we were so looking forward to regularly visiting the Victoria Markets & buying all sorts of yummy goodies to take back to our apartment & whip up a gourmet feast…or maybe just a tempting antipasto platter to indulge in whilst sipping a zesty wine & gazing at the Yarra…oh sorry, where was I?…..and we were going to be able to take our small dog with us as our home exchanger was flying up to the Sunshine Coast with her own 4 legged companion….another great saving if pets do not have to be boarded out while we swan around enjoying different climes!

Of course, now that our holiday plans have so suddenly changed, the lovely lady whom we were exchanging with has had her plans disrupted too, so, as to not upset her plans too much, we have offered her & her dog, ‘Bolly’ the use of our guest room, & this way, we get to meet them both & they can still have their holiday.

 We have done 14 plus home exchanges & never had a problem like this (altho’ Canadian exchangers once informed us that they had just sold their home (!!!!!!!!!!***) but they bought again before we arrived…thank goodness, as we had already paid for our airfares

You will have noticed that I have mentioned ‘home exchange’ several times & this is the secret ingredient of most of our travels….when there are no accommodation costs it really does make such a difference.  We have been able to spend weeks in France, (4 times) USA, Canada & New Zealand for a very reasonable sum, while having all the comforts of home & knowing that OUR home….& our dog, are being well cared for.  And of course, one usually exchanges cars as well…so another big expense taken care of.

OK….now I have officially started my blog &, fingers crossed, it will be of some interest to someone out there…I’ve enjoyed it so far….next instalment soon….hopefully reports of Mr Fox’s improved health, how does our Melbourne lady fit into the household & most importantly….will the 2 canines get on together?????

From Italy to France...

 Now where was I?  Life just got in the way...oh yes, on the train, heading towards Nice & a connection to make on the way....oh dear, I had read the timetable correctly, we were, indeed, going to miss our connection.  Not a lot to do, but sit tight & wait.  On arrival at our station, we tried to approach several rail officials but they really didn't want to know about our plight (I know my Italian is not up to scratch but one look at the tickets explained all.)  So, leaving Mr Fox in charge of the bags (his knees were not up to running up & down stairs), I found the information office where I must admit they were most helpful, altho' totally mystified as to how the booking had been made in the first place..(remember the young lady providing distraction for the Venetian travel agent?) They were very helpful in getting us on another train...with ANOTHER connection which we had to make in just 2 minutes...remember we had luggage, too...another little stress, but we made it!!!  Many people we have since spoken to about Italian rail also have stories to tell, ranging from being put off in the middle of nowhere to luggage being stolen....so our little 'blip' was really nothing in the scheme of things.  I wonder if you have an Italian rail experience to share...good or bad.

Hotel Riviera...delightful

Breakfast area

We had booked to go thru' to Nice & then find our way back to the village we were staying in, Beaulieu sur Mer, which had been recommended to us by a lovely couple of guys whom we had approached earlier re a home exchange.  They couldn't help us at the time, but were a fount of information.  As we sat on the train, still recovering from our 2 minute connection, we noticed that the next station was actually Beaulieu sur Mer (our original train would not have stopped there) so we took advantage of that & disembarked there & then, saving a backtrack from Nice.  We were pretty tired & stressed after our day so just hailed a taxi...silly us...our accommodation was just around the corner....was sooo good not to have to lug the suitcases tho'...we were over it!                                

Hotel Riviera was a delight...... small, cosy, sparkling clean & very friendly owners. Right in town & not far from the beach.  No cooking facilites but a French breakfast (petit dejeuner) was served every morning.  3 stars more than deserved. We had 3 days to relax  (not have to be up at the crack of dawn) before continuing on to Paris.  Beaulieu sur Mer was 2 train stops from Nice in one direction & 2 from Monaco in the other direction...perfect!

Nice is a large city with lots happening....very buzzy & of course, the beach & the water is one of the main focuses.  Not like our beach at all, which is a neverending expanse of golden sand, but large pebbles just everywhere.  Sort of explained why there were so many sun lounges for hire...those stones would be a little unforgiving on the body...& not conducive to relaxation!

And those not...

For those on a budget...

Lots of shops & restaurants & the usual touristy things you'd expect from a seaside town, but we liked it.  We planned to come back again another time & explore other areas, such as Grasse, renowned for it's perfume production.

We had to set aside a full day to explore Monaco...just checking out the boat harbour was pretty time consuming...so many & so upmarket.  The boats didn't just have cars on them, some even had helicopters!!  Just so much wealth in Europe...it is mind boggling.  One yacht, we were told, was part of a divorce settlement for a Lebanese princess...true?  We'll never know, but makes a good story.  many of the yachts/boats had full time staff...now that wouldn't be a bad job, would it?

Monaco, as you would expect, was very expensive, but well worth a look...after all, you don't get chances like that every day.  Very clean & neat, friendly people & money, money, money.  We didn't venture into the casino, but am sure there would have been more evidence of it there.  The Monaco Grand Prix had finished just the day before & they were busy dismantling all the stands.

  Another 'must see' is the Changing of the Guard at the royal palace....not sure if they were in residence but lots of pomp & ceremony & camera clicking...



 
& of course, the best way to see what Monaco has to offer....the Train Touristique, of course.  These are really fun & a lot of smaller towns have them.

Remember I mentioned 2 guys who gave us a lot of information on the area, (home exchangers).....well, they contacted us & invited us to their home for dinner...how nice...they had only 'spoken' to us by email. They had a beautiful apartment high on the hill above Monaco...on the road where Grace Kelly died...the photo from the apartment shows 3 countries, Italy, Monaco & France.  The liner 'The World' was in port at the time.

By Day

And by night

A great 3 day break on the French Riviera....we promised ourselves we would return for a better look around....we didn't get anywhere near St Tropez or Cannes....next time....now, it's on the train again & Paris, here we come!

Italy to begin......

Ah, Italy.....for many years Italy was on my 'top ten destinations list' ....& I don't think I was, or am, alone in that.  There is something about the mention of Italy which gets the heart racing....the food? the fashion? the cars? the shoes? the romance? (any more suggestions?)....who knows...we all conjure up our own little dream....and finally, we were about to embark on our own dream holiday.  This was 2005 (how time flies) and our first visit to Europe.  At the time, most probably a little daunted at the prospect of a very foreign country & language, we decided to start our travels with a bus tour of Italy and then  travel onto Paris, which may have been the sum total of this trip, but as fate would have it, we received our first offer for a home exchange...how exciting....in Santa Barbara, California....not quite on our way...but what the heck, we decided that an around the world fare would take care of that (for very little difference in cost) & so our itinerary was born.

There are a lot bus tours on offer, but after much reading & comparing we decided on Globus' Italian Mosaic.  Our aim was to get a fairly comprehensive overview of Italy, not be on the move every day (2 nights at each place was our aim, altho' if you have more money & more time, 2/3 would  be excellent) & not be locked into a tour for too long...all that organisation could be wearing.....altho' we were very thankful for that same organisation when we bypassed long queues & went straight into the various attractions ahead of everyone else.  A bus tour is very time efficient.


Arrival was into Rome (after a stopover in Singapore...very quiet as a public holiday...note...always check for such events when planning!) where we were transported to our hotel....what an eye opener...just couldn't believe the amount of graffiti nearly all the way into the city....somehow, just didn't associate Italy & graffiti...a shame, really...but somethings are common to most countries, I guess. 


Our group consisted mainly of Americans, just 6 Australians on board.  A group of about 10 women had paid for their friend, a nun, to accompany them on the trip & they were all, especially, looking forward to the Vatican & St Peters.  Of course, a lot of interest in Italy for those of the Catholic faith.

2 nights in Rome , the main things to see were the Vatican & the Sistine Chapel & the Colosseum.  It was only late in May, so not peak holiday season but already long queues snaking their way around the street....thank you Globus....off we marched to the top of the line....in fact, we were the first inside the Sistine Chapel for the day so we were fortunate enough to have a short time of peace & quiet to view the fabulous interior .

There were wall to wall people in

 St. Peter's Square, so they very conveniently had a large TV screen for those faithful who wished to  view the Pope....see left hand side of photo, above.

The 2 photos below show the ancient & modern worlds side by side!

Plenty of time to wander around Rome at leisure & try to cope with the traffic!!!!!  Tell me....have you been to Rome?..& if so, what did YOU think?  Honestly, we felt as tho' we were taking our lives in our hands every time we (tried to) cross the street.  Our lovely tour director actually told us to eyeball the

traffic...especially the motorbikes/scooters, & just walk across....we tried to be brave but it was very daunting....at least we lived to tell the tale.  Would be interested if you have any Italian traffic stories to tell....just click 'comments' below & tell all!

Day 3.....off to Pisa, followed by Florence (ah...Tuscany!).  Pisa for us, was quite a surprise package...after seeing images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa for years & years, we really expected to see just that, but oh no...Pisa is much more than that...it is not a tower standing (or rather leaning) on its own, it is part of a 'matching set' & the other buildings are just quite lovely. Can't believe I don't have one photo of the group of buildings all together, but hopefully this one will give you an idea...oh, & I've straightened the tower!!  The township is also worth a wander around.

 

Florence is a lovely city....goes without saying, really.  So much to see, ranging from Michelangelo's mind-boggling David or the Duomo, to the San Lorenzo leather markets or the Ponte Vecchio.  Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos of David but he is truly amazing....the detail is quite awe inspiring, even down to the veins on the back of his hands....how he was created from a piece of inanimate marble is hard to fathom.  There were of course, lots of other statues all over Florence which didn't mind their photos being taken.  The Italians appeared to be quite serious about you not taking photos in museums & churches but we noticed that a lot of people still did, and most of the time, not a lot was said.  They are however, much stricter about the dress code when you visit churches.  Ladies, shoulders must be covered & definitely no knees peeking out.  A pashmina or sarong is always handy to have at the ready, just drape it across the shoulders, or tie it around the hips to make an instant skirt.

The river, with various bridges across is also very picturesque.  The Ponte Vecchio is where all the gold merchants are...& all sorts of other interesting shops. The glove shops, for instance are quite fascinating...such a selection of colours....not much point in my purchasing any, as gloves are not really called for in Queensland, but tempting just the same....and what is life without a little temptation????

Funny things happen when you travel....we were sitting at our table in our Florence hotel, chatting to a Japanese couple over breakfast when she looked at me & said.....'You look like Doris Day'....well....we really couldn't believe it....none of the Americans on our bus had thought so, but here a Japanese lady (in Italy) did....I actually have been told that quite often...admittedly when I was younger, but obviously there must be a resemblance....just didn't expect someone from Japan to pick up on it.....Hollywood culture is everywhere!                                                

The San Lorenzo leather markets were great fun....so hard to choose anything....too much choice.  I still regret not buying a gorgeous turquoise leather jacket!  Never seen one like it at home.....but when travelling overseas you are always conscious of the weight of those suitcases.                                                   

Leaving Florence we drove by Genoa & stopped off in Milan. Fashion centre of Italy & I'm sure we saw some models sauntering through the beautiful glass domed Galleria.  Loved the Gothic Cathedral...just like something out of a fairytale. Difficult to get a good photo as there are always restoration works going on....I would imagine it is a never ending job.  Have to love the Italian police...or Carabiniere.  They are all very aware of how cool they look (no argument from me, there!) & they are also very aware of any pretty girls in the vicinity.

Next stop was lovely Lake Maggiore....after all the bustle of Rome & Florence, if they'd given us a vote on the bus, I think we would have all agreed to just spend the next few days there. One drawback of a bus tour....I found...was the 'bags out at 6.45, breakfast at 6.50, depart 7.30' routine.  Of course, if we had paid more we could have had a more leisurely tour, but only so much money to go around....which is why we now love home exchanges...no time constraints, very relaxed.  Extremely peaceful & charming at Lake Maggiore.  Our hotel was absolutely magnificent....but if you wanted to even use the fridge in the room you had to pay extra!!  We were most surprised!  Our research had told us that a must see was the island of Isola Bella.....it was magnificent.  Fabulous residence & amazing gardens.From Lake Maggiore we travelled via Switzerland to Venice.  Another fascinating destination....certainly very different to many cities.  For one thing, rather than take a bus somewhere, it's a water taxi which does the honours....or you just walk, which is very easy to do, lots of narrow streets, loads of bridges, the canals, captivating shops....well known for the famous glass & the masks (every visitor has to take some home). St Marks Square, the Bridge of Sighs, Doges Palace....just goes on & on.  While we were in Venice we were advised to book the next leg of our journey....Rome to Nice....where we were travelling independently by train.  We had a prepaid Eurail pass but still needed to actually make a reservation, which we duly did, although at the time, Mr Fox mused that the young gentleman seemed more interested in the young lady out the back, than in our reservation....turned out to be quite prophetic....to be revealed later......

 

It was back to Tuscany & the hometown of St Frances of Assisi....gorgeous wee village....we stayed in an ex-nunnery....very tiny rooms but totally charming.  Could definitely have stayed here longer.  Very rural & a nice change from the cityscapes. 

           

Pompeii is a truly fascinating city/site.....amazing to see just how far civilisation had come before it was destroyed.....copper piping, rainwater running into central collection areas....& even brothels...with arrows marking the way!!!....or that could be argued to not be a sign of civilisation....therein lies a whole topic for a separate blog, I think!!!  We even saw petrified bodies...truly a glimpse into the past....79 A.D. no less!

                                                 After the sombreness of Pompeii we drove off in our trusty bus to  see the delights of Sorrento....but before I start waxing lyrical there, I must mention our amazing bus driver...he navigated the narrowest of streets with the greatest of ease....we were all holding our collective breaths, sure there would be a scratch or two...but never a one!!  It is a skill to drive a car in Italy.....but I think bus drivers deserve a citation...or something similar!!  We rotated seats so that everyone had a fair view of the sights....believe me, up front was the scariest...you saw more than you really needed to!  Comfort & food stops while travelling, were regularly at the 'Autogrills'.....very quick & easy, I must admit, but not the most charming of places.  Always, we had a wait at the 'ladies'....there was never a queue for the 'mens' (funny that), but we women got quite adept at just waltzing into the men's facilities if unused...in fact the men in our tour group would check it out & keep watch for us...so gallant...but necessary!! 

Anyway, back to Sorrento....charming, just what one imagines Italy to be....and of course, Capri....one of the most beautiful places....unfortunately one of the most expensive, but you don't have to pay to look, so that's just fine. 

Waiting to enter the famous Blue Grotto

  We were lucky enough to be able to enter the Blue Grotto.....often the seas are too rough...as it is, you must lie flat on your back to be able to get the boat through the opening without anyone being decapitated.  Quite a feat for some of the older members of our group!  Worth seeing, as the light which shines through, turns the water the most amazing blue, but it was crowded enough when we were there before the high season.....I think it could turn into a real 'bunfight' at peak time.  As it was, our boatman was busy having an argument with another boatman & instead of singing, as most of them do, we had to listen to that!....& then they expected a tip!!  Oh well...local colour, I guess. I must say that when the Italians argue...it looks as though at any moment they will come to blows...but it never seems to...as I said, local colour.  One thing with travelling, everyone does things differently...we in Australia are not used to paying extra for access to beaches or use of sun lounges around the pool....in a lot of places in Europe you do.  Mr Fox was most surprised to be charged for the sun lounge he was using at our hotel's pool.  You live & learn.

Last stop before Rome was the historic Abbey of Montecassino.  Scene of several battles during WW2, 

& a lot of controversy, there was very little evidence of that, much to the disappointment of one member of our tour group, a war historian.  Apparently, there are grave sites & memorials a little removed from the actual Abbey.  We were also told that it was kept very low key as the biggest group of tourists was German & they didn't wish to upset them....true or not?  I do not know.  A lovely abbey, set high on a hill....very 'interesting' ride up there in a large bus on a relatively narrow road!  

Finally back to Rome for our last night and a farewell dinner.  Obviously we had to make a stop at the Trevi Fountain & throw a coin in, over our shoulder, to ascertain that we would return one day!

 With our Eurail pass in our hands (excellent for travelling around Europe) we made our way to the train station & boarded our train bound for Nice....well, we had one change to make....so once into our journey, I thought I'd check the timetable to see how much time we would have between trains.....oops!!!....I read & reread it....no mistake....we were to arrive at the next station 7 minutes after our connecting train left!!!!  Oh no...remember that travel guy in Venice & Mr Fox's words??? Nothing to do now but wait until we got to our connecting station & try to work something out....a bit of a worry as my Italian is definitely not to be relied upon.

Next blog.....do we make a connecting train?...& hopefully on to Nice & Paris.