22 Wednesday Aug 2012
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Been having some fun playing with instagram and formatting pics so I thought I would share. I think I prefer the ones with borders. You can click on a picture to open the gallery. 🙂
28 Saturday Jul 2012
I’ve been asked what my favourite place was and that’s really hard to answer as everything was all new and amazing but I would say Lucerne surprised me and was truly beautiful. London in the throws of the Queen’s Jubilee festivities and getting ready for the Olympics was a privilege to be a part of.  Casa Ombuto in Tuscany was also a wonderful experience and one where I got to reignite my passion for cooking. I can honestly say my smile was permanently fixed and my jaw must have dropped a million times. The art, the history, the people and the food – unbelievable. Truly an experience of a lifetime and the travel bug has definitely bitten me hard.
I have had the most memorable and exciting experience and so much more than I had even imagined. I hope it will have a positive impact on everything in my life, in one way or another, from here on.
I will add some links to more photos later as I get time to go through them and for those interested, but for now, that’s a wrap.
24 Tuesday Jul 2012
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Hop on hop off bus tour around London and a cruise on the Thames. Ran into Andrew Gaze and Grant Hackett at Westminster Cathedral (as you do in this town). Had a Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream cup (serious cals) as Brie wanted that ice cream specifically and we ate it at the Tower of London. Realized we weren’t going to make Kensington Palace this time round so visited Madame Tussaud’s instead. Finally got a pic with George and also Colin and Helen. Brie with Russell, Justin and Brittney. Watched a superheroes movie in 4D. Water sprays, prods in the seat backs and wind blown in your face all at timely intervals in line with the action in the movie and all with 3D glasses on. Was a lot of fun.
Spent the day trying to assist Brie with accommodation and get her work schedules organized through a ‘third party’ firm which is not easy. Not a very organized crew but a couple of them were helpful. No results with accommodation though so I leave her still finalizing things and as a mum it is annoying and frustrating and I feel that I have let her down. But as a young woman I have to let her spread her wings.
We had to move from our suite as the plumber needed access for a few hours due to water leakage in the room below. So we moved to…wait for it…the Courtesan’s Boudoir – The Cora Pearl Suite. Not sure what side of luck we are on but someone is definitely smiling on us at the moment. What a totally unique experience. It was a shame we only had one night there and very little time to relax into it, but it was a special privelege anyway.
We rushed into our new digs and got ready to fly out the door to Piccadilly Circus to see Les Miserable at the Queen’s Theatre. We were seated in the middle section but in the last row and it really was quite high. I watched the lighting guys put their safety harnesses on and was wishing I had one as well. Once the lights went down it was ok and we both enjoyed the show. Another wonderful night with Miss Brie.
22 Sunday Jul 2012
Posted in 70 days
After farewelling my wonderful English family who looked after me so well and made me totally welcome, I travelled to London on the bus and arrived at my hotel in central London. The Grosvenor upgraded our hotel room to an executive suite for my birthday celebration which was a wonderful surprise. Four nights in this hotel will be great as it is very central. They also left a gift basket with wine and nibblies which was very thoughtful. I wandered up the road in the light rain to have a quick peak at Buckingham Palace before Brie arrived in the evening from her European tour. Not many people around so I had great views of THE balcony. There are plenty of roads being blocked off or diverted for the Olympics and the torch relay which has finally arrived in London. I happened to see the helicopter hovering near the Palace that delivered it to the Tower but missed the delivery itself. What I presumed was a foreign children’s show was filming near the Palace. I think the ‘thing’ was a TV but not sure on that one.
Brie finally arrived around 9pm. It was wonderful to see her face and have hugs and cuddles. We looked at each of our photo collections of our trips and compared where we had been and what we had seen. Brilliant night.
Up and out the door to see the changing of the guards the next morning. Weren’t there early enough for a top position but we saw a fair bit especially when we wandered around the park area.
Caught the tube (Brie knows what to do and how to do it thankfully) to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and settled for an early dinner at an Italian restaurant in Leicester Square. After a nice meal we headed into M&M World and did some shopping. Who would have thought you could fill 4 levels with M&M merchandise and pack the place out. Visited a couple of clothing shops and bought Brie some bargains. Booked tickets to see Les Miserable on Monday evening. Back to the hotel for a quiet night together sitting in our new M&M PJs.
Hop on hop off bus tour around London and a cruise on the Thames. Ran into Andrew Gaze and Grant Hackett at Westminster Cathedral (as you do in this town). Had a Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream cup (serious cals) as Brie wanted that ice cream specifically and we ate it at the Tower of London. Realized we weren’t going to make Kensington Palace this time round so visited Madame Tussaud’s instead. Finally got a pic with George and also Colin, Judy and Helen. Brie with Russell, Justin and Brittney. Watched a superheroes movie in 4D. Water sprays, prods in the seat backs and wind blown in your face all at timely intervals according to the action in the movie and all with 3D glasses on. Was a lot of fun. Back to Bucking ham Palace for some pics as we walked back to the hotel for a rest before a steak at a restaurant with decent wifi.
16 Monday Jul 2012
Posted in 70 days, the people, the pics
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arthur, australia, first fleet, flinders, matthew flinders, olympic torch relay, portsmouth, southsea, spithead
Hung around the hotel in Rome till 3pm and then a shuttle to Fiumicino airport for flight at 6pm. Temp was 38°C when I left Rome and arrived in London to 8°C. Eventually arrived in Portsmouth after a 2hr bus ride at around midnight.
Very different temperature here but lovely to see my English family again. Slept most of the next day as I think the body wanted to slow down a little.
Visited Gunwharf Quay and the shops with kids play zone including boats and ‘water’ balls. Sunday we went to see the Olympic Torch relay. Was wonderful to be a part of the experience and see the flame. Lots of very patriotic people around. Came across a border collie x corgi. Very interesting. Had the head of a collie but the legs of a corgi. Wouldn’t have to worry about it jumping the fences.
Saw the commemorative plaques at the Spithead including the First Fleet with Captain Phillip, Circumnavigation with Matthew Flinders and a sculpture representing our connections between Sydney and Portsmouth.
Finished off with a Mr Whippy at Southsea and a drink at ‘The Still & West Country House’ where my parents would have walked before me.
Booked a few nights in the Grosvenor Hotel in London to see the sights with Miss Brie before I head back to Hobart. Looking forward to that.
Torch relay video – 1min 40 video of the relay and on the southsea common
10 Tuesday Jul 2012
Gondola ride was great and the tour along the Grand Canal was another beautiful and amazingly different day in the city of Venice.
Went inside St Marks Basilica. The amount of ‘bling’ (Tennille would love it) was massive. The entire ceiling covered in gold look flecks and columns of amazingly colourful marble from all over the world. Climbed to the terrace for a quick view over the Piazza of St Marco crowded with tourists. Wandered the streets and alleyways of Venice (no cars or bikes) and visited Marco Polo’s house where he lived until he stowed away on the ‘slow boat to China’ with his father at the age of 16.
Had lunch and a spritzer on the canal with Tracey and Heidi from Newfoundland. Really friendly girls. Nice light feta salad and a little spitting of rain really cooled us down nicely. Very hot here again at around 40 deg and 90-95% humidity.
Late afternoon cruise through some of the islands and headed to Burano for a seafood dinner. What a great little place all with different coloured houses and you can walk it in 5 mins, but around every corner or up every little alleyway, is a surprise.
Back on the boat and we pass the Mose’s project. Preventative flooding methods in progress. Lots of work being done.
One of the cruise ships we saw earlier leaves and heads towards the Adriatic Sea.
Purchased some authentic Murano glass jewellery for family and friends. Had 30 minutes spare so visited the Klimt exhibition in the museum. Wow. His gold emblazoned Beethoven Frieze worked really well in this square as it worked in unison with the gold in the Basilica. Loved the artwork and so glad I made the effort to see it.
The bus is showing 31 deg so a nice mild day to travel to Verona. Visit Juliette’s balcony (for those of us romantics who believe in the story) and watch all the young ladies pose for their loved ones below to take pictures. ‘Love’ padlocks and graffiti cover the walls. There’s quite a line up to ‘touch’ Juliette’s breast for good luck. I didn’t as I realized I had a bird dropping on my ankle anyway so luck was already with me.
Interesting street performers. Rather sad looking Michael Jackson impersonator, heads on tables and the crowd favourite, a very vocal baby in a pram. The real babies didn’t like him much but he was quite entertaining.
Never got to attend the opera at the Arena but I am outside it amongst the stage props from Aida.
We have a wedding taking place. There are so many weddings to see at the major tourist sites. There is also a collection of Ferraris that the guys get quite excited about.
Heading to the town of Como and onto a boat for a cruise of part of the lake. Steep hills and scenic water views. The funicular climbs up the mountain and I’m happy to be on the ground. The villas we pass are amazingly beautiful. Magnificent gardens and quite often guesthouses attached to each one. Massive hotels line the banks. Unfortunately George lives up the other end of the lake so I don’t get to say Hi. Back to town for a look around and a gelati to eat in the square. Off to our hotel where we enjoy a buffet and a ‘dad and son’ team DJ for us in the evening.
Passed the town of Genoa and the coastal town of Portofino on the freeway but wow what scenery. An area to return to one day. On our way to Pisa and then back to Florence for me.
Wondering how my Brie is coping on her trip that began yesterday. In Paris today I believe. I hope she is enjoying the spectacle of it all. It will amaze her the size of it all and the Eiffel tower is something she has talked of for a long time so I am excited for her.
Drive through Carrara known for its famous marble and where Michelangelo chose his piece for his statue of David.
Head to Pisa to explore the Square of Miracles with the Leaning Tower, Cathedral and Baptistery. Extremely hot now and very crowded so we take the pics and head into a small café for a light lunch. The tower is stunning marble. Back on the bus to Florence.
Florence – called the oven and this afternoon it is. 40+ degrees and stifling hot but the church is very beautiful and I’m glad to have more time to view it again. Massive art exhibition on but the line goes on forever so I wander the markets instead with a lemon ice water in hand.
Out for a Tuscan dinner in the hills of Chianti. Beautiful meal with a lot of the meals we prepared in our cooking lessons at Casa Ombuto. Blue diamond champagne and a strawberry version. Florentine T-bone steak that takes up almost the entire plate. Great evening sitting outside with the crowd. Lots of laughter, music, wine and great food – exactly what Tuscany is about.
Head to Rome and watch ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ on the bus as we travel through the Tuscan area. One of my favourite movies and watching it right now, right here was wonderful. ‘Been there, been there’.
Arrive in Rome and check in. Mine and two other passengers cases have decided to take their time arriving at our room so while the Manager arranges for it to appear again we are treated with a glass of Prosecco (my new fave bubbly).
Our luggage arrives and we freshen up and head down the street to a local café. It was closed but the owner opened up for the 5 of us. Really appreciated. Walked back through the parks and got hit by all the sprinklers but it was so cooling we loved it.
Few drinks in the bar to say goodbye to our travelling mates and finish off with a Limoncello.
Added a few more pics.
07 Saturday Jul 2012
Arrived in Rome after train trip. Taxi to main hotel. Check in at 12.30 and find a huge pool. Day spent around that and then met the new travelling group at 5pm for a briefing. This tour director (guide) is Italian so seeing Italy through his eyes should be very different from an English guide.
Head out for dinner at a nice restaurant behind the coloseum under the streets. We had operatic singers to entertain us, one from Japan. Dinner consisted of bruschetta, antipasto, pizza (one with egg) and a desert plate all with wine of course.
Rome. As I’d already been to see the sights I decided to have a restful day as I was feeling a little tired. Joined the group at 5pm to visit the Piazza Navona once again for dinner and the Trevi fountain. Looks just as spectacular the second time around. Dinner was pesto linguine, a Bellini (peach nectar with champagne) and Tartufo (very chocolatey dessert). Wonderful dining amongst the statues and fountains.
Headed to Naples and Sorrento. Wandered throughout the town and then we boarded a mini bus to travel a portion of the Amalfi Coast to Positano. Wow!!!
Sheer drops below but jaw dropping scenery. Town centre had very small roads with many shops and cafes on steep slopes. Beautiful linen clothing perfect for this heat and a new linen shirt was purchased. I found a great art gallery with gorgeous bright blue paintings and sea green statues that reflected the water. Could happily have moved my bed in to stay.
Went down to the beach and soaked my feet in the Mediterranean Sea. It was so warm and a very busy place on a day that is 42C. I’m on the beach where (in the scene from ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’) Marcello kisses Francis (Diane Lane). Sadly there is no Marcello here this afternoon. Back on the bus to Sorrento for the evening and thankfully a pool. Few free drinks from the bartender who tells me I have beautiful eyes. Same for the other ‘single’ women in the group. Ahh, Italian men.
First tour today was to Pompeii. Hadn’t thought about the size of it before but it is a massive site under Mt Vesuvius. Some amazing architecture and Roman genius regarding roads and aquaducts. Some interesting insights into the ‘red light district’.
Travel through to Mount Cassino and we make an unscheduled trip to the Cassino War Cemetery. 4th July. Over 4700 graves. Time for reflection and to give thanks. This beautifully maintained graveyard is a gift from the Italian people.
Off to Assisi. Wow again. The Basilica of St Francis is perched on the edge of the mountain. We wind our way up to our hotel. Rooms are really small but right in the town. I wander up to the Basilica and view the frescoes and St Francis’ tomb. Such a peaceful place. People are praying and I feel I want to as well, it just seems right, so I do for Sharon and others who are fighting cancer and illness. Hoping my prayers are answered.
Can’t take photos so I have some postcards but they don’t do it justice. It is truly stunning.
Wandered further up the hill through the tiny streets filled with little shops and cafes. What a beautiful place. It would be great to stay longer and wander more or just sit and watch people as the locals do in this heat.
Sleep in till 7.30 (that’s a biggie for us on tour). Wander around some different shops for a couple of little pickups for family and friends and on the bus for a very long day as we head to Venice. I’m backtracking a bit through the Apenine Mountains through Bologna and then finally back to flat ground. 9-4pm on the bus other than a couple of stops.
Getting excited about finally getting to go on a gondola. I loved Venice for my couple of hours I was there before, but this time I get an afternoon and most of tomorrow.
I will have to add more pics later. Bandwidth small and it is nearly midnight and I’m up at 7am and I haven’t packed yet. Update soon.
Added some more pics of pompeii, mount cassino war cemetery and assisi.
05 Thursday Jul 2012
Sangria
Gazpacho
Paella
Crème catalane
Afternoon session (French)
Baked goat’s cheese salad
French onion soup
Mixed provencale vegetables
Sea bass baked in a crust of salt
Chocolate fondant
Ice cream and vanilla ice cream
I have decided to stay and enjoy the pool rather than go out on the road. Great choice. The pool is so warm and it’s great just to relax and read or update my blog. (I’ve been advised I am days behind so can I catch up please. So I did and you were inundated with 3 or 4 posts.)
Dinner was cooked for us by Laura the day before so it is all ready for us that evening. Lunch was leftovers from all of our cooking so far and they were the best leftovers I’ve ever had.
Our own selection
Gnocchi with a tomato sauce
Duck a la orange
Pork
Grilled vegetables
Tiramisu
Chocolate mousse and more but I will need to look at the recipes in my book to remind me
Off to Rome today. David and Caroline from Canada, are very kindly allowing me to tag along with them on their way to Assisi. I am getting off at Perugia to catch a direct train to Rome.
The trip is extremely mountainous. Some of those drops were massive and I think he is driving very well. I think I would have parked the car half way up the mountain and told the hire company to come and get it and got on a bus. That trip was certainly not for the faint-hearted.
We grabbed lunch in a local pizzeria. Pasta all around although quick service wasn’t on the menu. We decided we had definitely cooked better ourselves last week (we are now connoisseurs). It’s also 42 deg outside so much hotter in here.
Now I am on the train with 1 hour of 2 to complete. The scenery outside is incredible. There are small towns on top of hills all over. Fields are full of sunflowers and contrast against the greens of the hills and crops.
Even though I ‘m a little nervous travelling alone and hoping I get where I am going, I can’t help but smile at the knowledge of where I am and what I can see outside. I am in Italy.
02 Monday Jul 2012
Posted in 70 days, the food, the people
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Started the day with a visit to Arezzo. Lot larger than I had anticipated and probably wasn’t dressed for the occasion as the locals are very stylish. The shops are amazing and the town has some wonderful frescoes.
Visiting local businesses today as well. The winery is owned by a neurologist with a passion for winemaking. This villa with 35 rooms houses himself and his wife. Learning to taste wine correctly was a new experience and one enjoyed.
Lunch at the olive oil farm is wonderful. What a beautiful family. Francesco the son who takes us on our journey reminds me of a mixture of Russell Brand and the old guy out of Back to the Future. His annual haircut is tomorrow so today it is very wild and wooly. His eccentricities are interesting. He is very passionate about his business. He brings us over 20 different types of olive oils to try. I will no longer be buying any from supermarkets after trying real oils. Some of the flavoured ones were wonderful. Juniper, pepperberry, oregano, basil, truffle (both black and white), lemon and so many more. Secret vinegar recipes made with 25 yr old red wine. They were incredibly flavoursome. Lunch is prepared by ‘Aunty’ and we start with a pasta and tomato dish with liberal servings of olive oil of course. Pancetta and salad with more olive oil. Fruit for dessert (no olive oil). Wonderful meal sitting amongst the trees with their 2 small dogs wandering amongst us and a cool breeze. Magnificent. Then Mamma and Pappa come to meet us. Neither of them speak English so we rely on our translator. Mamma is so petite and very stylish. Pappa is a larger man with a wonderful family history. He goes off to find a book on his brother an ex minister in the Italian govt, with a picture of him shaking hands with President JF Kennedy. He asks where we are all from and he shows interest. When I said Tasmania he got very excited. He tells me he would like to die in Tasmania. He kisses my hand and commences singing to us. He loves Tasmania. He takes us to his private library that he usually shows no one and he pulls out books that have stayed with the villa since 16th and 17th century. We are astounded these are not in a museum or library and being handled with gloves but he won’t hear of it. It makes us wonder just how many other houses and families could be doing the same thing with all this history possibly being lost forever. He had so many stories to tell and we could have stayed for hours but we had to move on.
We visited a goat’s cheese farm. Smoothest ricotta cheese I have ever tasted. The goats free farm throughout the local area so the cheese is never the same as they eat differently every day. They know exactly where to go when they are let in to be milked (twice daily). They all have names and are looked after very well.
Back to the Casa and a wonderful light meal that Laura had prepared for us the day before. Great day.
01 Sunday Jul 2012
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This place is truly a piece of heaven on earth. The drive on the bus to get here was 2 hours from Florence and some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Bit of a miscommunication with the pick up from Poppi but thanks to a friendly couple with a working phone, we soon got that sorted and I was on my way.
I’ve looked at the photos of this Casa many times but nothing can compare to the absolute beauty and magnificence of this place. To join all my loves together is blissful. Add my girls and this place would be perfection.
Dinner was prepared for us by our gorgeous chef Laura. Swam in the pool. Met the friendly people staying here (11 in all). Met David and Caroline from Canada and how gorgeous are they. David immediately said to me ‘you are with us for the week’. Amazing people.
Wine and spirits flow freely here so a few too many ‘digestives’ left me with a tad of a headache the next day. Not good when you are going to be cooking in the afternoon. Lesson one learned (and it wasn’t about cooking) and was not repeated during the week.
Tomato bruschetta
Ravioli with butter and sage
Veal escalopes alla pizzaiola
Roasted potatoes with aromatic herbs
Zabaione with strawberries
Laura, our chef and teacher is amazing. She is the happiest person but she takes no prisoners. She speaks in broken English that makes us smile and appreciate her even more at the same time. She is learning and improving her English every day we are here. What a very patient person. She has the most infectious smile and joy for her job. Laura is truly beautiful and an extremely good chef. Her passion is wonderful and inspiring. Laura has reignited my passion for cooking. Thanks Laura. xx
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