So let me recap on the very reason we find ourselves in Nice and some of the characters that have assembled here. It’s Marks 50th birthday and his wish was to spend it Monaco (as you do). A few more have joined our troop but for the sake of everyone reading this blog, I will explain:
Dominique and Mark The hosts.
Michelle and Steve The tag alongs.
Georgina and Lucas The brother and sister.
Gianina and Christian The niece and Swiss husband.
Laureen, Brode The friends of the host.
and Ryan
And a finer bunch of people never was assembled in Nice for a more worthy occasion.
This morning we wandered down to the Marche Fleurs (Flower Market), which was an experience in itself. The colours and the produce were first class and the thing that struck me most was how neat everything was. They really do put a lot of time and effort into their presentation and as Michelle said, “they are very meticulous and proud of whatever they do”
As a group we decided that it was time to split up and go our own ways but decided we would all reconvene in the park across the road from our hotel for lunch. Michelle and I were the designated food purchasers and it was our job to remain in the market and but food for everyone. Didn’t mind that in the least as it gave us more time to stroll and get a better look at the individual stalls.
About thirty minutes into shopping, a five-piece band came through the market and stopped periodically to play some music. Couldn’t help but laugh when a guy stepped up beside them and started doing a little jig (see the video below). If we didn’t know we were in France by now then nothing would help us.
We all gathered again for lunch and I have to say it was like a good old Rhynehart picnic in the park like we used to have as kids on the Mornington Peninsula. The guys had purchased a few bottles of wine and some beer and we lazed around on the ground eating and drinking to our hearts content.
As it was going to be a big day for Mark’s birthday the next day, we decided on a quiet afternoon and did a little more shopping in a swanky department store not far from the Hotel. It was during that two hour jaunt that Michelle took numerous snaps of jewellery, linen and other gorgeous little goods with the view of launching her own label in Melbourne. I can just see it now Gucci, Hermes, Prada, Fendi and Misshell watch for it…….
Well, its late afternoon and I’ve done all my shopping and I’m ready for the ball. Got a quick score on the Collingwood game against Port Adelaide (something’s never change) and we are comfortable winners. Went to bed with a smile on my face.
Michelle has very rudely pointed out that I should write that had consumed a few too many beers late in the afternoon and that is the reason I went to bed early and smiling………for the record it was four and it was just that I was very tired from shopping…..
Up early this morning to catch our train from Genoa to Nice and felt a little sad about leaving Italy. Not to worry, there are plenty of exciting things happening ahead and as I’ve said a few times in this blog, Italy is a must return. Again have to say, the trains here are fantastic and the four-hour trip was very comfortable.
During the train trip, made a mental note that I had to drop my fluent Italian and start thinking about my French. Hmmmmm, three years of high school French and the only thing I can recall is my teacher at the time, Fernanda Pettenuzzo……oh and je mapelle Steve…….that’s it, should be enough to get me by.
On arriving in Nice, we took a cab to our hotel, Le Meridien that is located right on the sparkling Cote d’Azur water. Also met up with Michelle’s cousins, Georgina and Lucas. They were full of banter about their trip through Dubai and surprisingly, Lucas (a Policeman) seemed to get into a bit of strife there with the local traders. It only took me two minutes to discover that Lucas would be the one to stick with if you wanted to get up to any mischief (the quiet unassuming guy that he is…).
The late afternoon was spent strolling the promenade and shopping for clothes. Gee the fashions are unbelievable here…..and very expensive! But, if you go by the saying, “when in Rome…” then obviously in Nice, you must buy clothes. Went a little out on the limb for me, hope that purple shirt gets some wear back in Aus.
This evening we all went to a restaurant recommended by Laureen (Laureen who we met in Cinque Terre) and sat down to have a nice meal together. The Linguine and Muscles Spaghetti arrived in a bucket bowl for Dominique and our eyes nearly fell out of our heads. Everything was big and there was no way we were walking away from their still hungry. Michelle’s slab of Lasagne was something to see, she only managed to eat half.
We all hit the pillow pretty early tonight to get ready for a full onslaught on Nice the next day.
There were a few hazy heads when we all caught up this morning, but we were determined to get a bit of exercise in today. The pathway from Manarola to Vernazza (the next town north of Manarola) was shut so we took the train to Vernazza with the idea of then walking to Monterosso (the town after Vernazza).
It was a short train trip to Vernazza and we pretty much relaxed and lazed around recovering from the night before. Whilst sitting in the park near the edge of the water, we decided to take the path to Monterosso after lunch. The sign said that it would take approximately two hours to walk, so we thought that was a pretty decent sort of work out. The sign also said that the path was closed due to repairs being conducted but, as they say here, regulazioni e non important……….
Unfortunately, Lareen had to leave us at this point but we will be meeting up with her again in Nice, ciao Lareen!
We sussed out a nice little restaurant not far from the water and sat down to load up for the long trek ahead. It was a fantastic lunch washed down with a beer and white wine (probably not the sort of liquid we should have been drinking before a long walk). Nobody was saying, but I got the inclination that if anyone of us had said, “lets just stay here”, that walk may well have gone by the wayside.
After lunch we made our way to the start of the pathway to Montorosso, we stalled for a few minutes at the entrance and debated whether it was a good idea to go, “the sign is pretty clear…pathway closed for repairs” said Michelle. In the end we decide we are fearless adventurers and we are up to the challenge.
The pathway is very steep and slightly narrow initially and after a few hundred yards we have gained considerable altitude and are able to look back and down on Vernazza. The views just keep getting better and better but there is a quiet buzzing noise to the north of us that attracts our attention. We can see off into the distance a helicopter which seems to be carrying some sort of package from the top of the hills down to the beach at Montorosso, we watch as it circles the coastline weaving its way to its destination and then repeating the trip every few minutes.
We’re in no hurry and we stop every few hundred yards to rest, the climb continues to be steep and the path is narrowing with every step we take. The pit stops are filled with picture snapping, taking in the view, conversations with other people on the pathway (the couple from Alabama and the Grandmas from Oxford) and the constant buzzing of the helicopter.
It’s probably an hour into the walk and we’re still heading upwards, thought it might have flattened out for us by now but no cigar. Every few hundred yards the pathway winds its way to the edge of the cliff and we can get a glimpse of where we have walked from and where we are heading. It just becomes more spectacular as we make our way along….and the helicopter is getting louder as we continue along the path.
At one of our rests we noticed that the chopper is actually dropping bags of rock and dirt along the path ahead of us, there are workmen spaced out along the track and they seem to be there to complete the repairs to the pathway. Hmmmm, this might get a little tricky in the next twenty minutes.
We are now approximately one hour and forty-five minutes into the hike, the track is relatively safe but it is very narrow in places and the stones not so secure. It was necessary to watch our footing but all in all, we are comfortable enough and it’s been a great experience. Gee that helicopter is really close to us…..
We reached a point in the pathway where the chopper was really close and appeared to be approaching the point where we were standing with one of its loads of rock. We decided to move quickly through that part of the track to avoid getting in the way of the workers and the chopper with its load…….nothing doing.
No more than twenty meters from where we were standing and thirty meters off the ground, the chopper came in over our heads. The first thing to go was Marks cap, which was swept away by the wind, created by the force of the rotors. It was pointless trying to speak, we simply wouldn’t have heard each other over the noise and we did the only thing you can do in that situation, we huddled together and whimpered like little kids.
Initially, all I could do is keep my head down waiting for the chopper to drop the load and take off again but it seemed to be lingering for quite some time. I managed to lift my eyes and see that the pilot was having some difficulty releasing the load in a secure place. He keep lifting and dropping the rocks hoping it would stick to its spot on the side of the hill but wouldn’t take. Lifting my eyes past the load and up the line to the chopper I could see that the pilot was working overtime trying to land the load in the right place. The chopper was lurching forward and sideways and the thought crossed my mind that if the rotors hit the side of the hill……….
This was not a time to panic, this situation called for someone to take control and be a hero. I took a quick look around and couldn’t see that person, then followed more huddling and more whimpering. Eventually the pilot was happy with the placing of his load, released it and flew off. The whole episode probably only lasted thirty seconds but for the four of us, it was a lifetime.
I've attached a video which Michelle took after we moved on down the track of the area we were caught in, very interesting footage.
Not wanting to hang around for the next load, we moved pretty quickly along the path from that point on. But when we rounded the next corner, we ran into some workers who were completing the repairs to the pathway. Right in front of us were three bags of rock completely blocking our way. We had to grab one of the workers hands, swing our bodies out over the edge of the hill and work our way around the bags to the other side.
All the time I’m thinking about that sign at the start of the walk and wondering when one of the workers was going to give us a lecture about irresponsibility etc etc. But, they didn’t, they just acted like it was the norm. Besides, we had Michelle along to do that for them, so I guess they gave us a reprieve.
Three hours after we started, we finally wound our way down the last part of the track to Montorosso. Whilst we agreed it was a foolish thing to ignore the warning signs and that the chopper incident was a bit of a scare, we decided alls well that ends well, it was a real adventure and we did allow ourselves to give off a few “whoo hoo’s” at the end of the track.
A few beers at a restaurant on the beach and a bit of a rest were just the things to finish off our afternoons trek. A short train ride back to Manarola and a light meal on the balcony at our apartment to watch the sunset and at eight o’clock, we were all nicely tucked up in bed. They don’t have CCTV cameras in the Cinque Terre hills between Vernazza and Montorosso……do they?
The previous night, Mark and Dominique arrived a little later than expected due to a long trip and a missed train. Whilst we greeted them when they did arrive, they were spent and took themselves off to bed so we had to wait for the morning to say our proper hellos.
Those Budgens are very funny people and great to have around and to add a little bit of spice to the mix, we were also joined by their close friend, Laureen. Now, it’s a slight understatement to say Laureen is a bit of a character and not short of a good yarn. She told us a story today about her when she was visiting France and it was one of the most original and hilarious story’s I’ve ever heard. It really was on the cutting edge of comedy, she could easily take up a career in comedy writing if she ever decides on a change of profession.
As much as I have no shame in pinching other people’s jokes and funny story’s, it would be sacrilegious of me to repeat it here, I’m afraid anyone reading this blog will just have to track down Laureen and get her to tell you herself.
We had a pretty quiet morning taking a short stroll down the Via Dell’amore to Riomaggiore. The pathway overhead and to the side has nylon netting where people have attached padlocks. The padlocks are a symbol of a couples love and affection for each other and there are literally hundreds of them hanging from the netting.
Riomaggiore is a lovely little town similar to Manarola and we spent some quiet time wandering through the shops and relaxing in what I would loosely call the city square. It’s a cliché I know, but when you look at any of the towns in Cinque Terre, its like time has stood still for century’s, a whole other world to what I’m used to.
Despite my grand ideas for a walk through the hills around Manarola, the afternoon was whittled away lying on our balcony and watching the Mediterranean sparkle under the bright afternoon sunlight. The sunsets here are spectacular and signal the time for a beer or glass of red to finish off the day.
The evening meal was a lovely plate of pasta and a few bottles of red followed by a bottle of Limoncello split five ways. Never had Limoncello before but it must have some sort of secret ingredient (40% proof I think) that allows for the release of a persons comic genes because the evening was spent story telling. Everyone had one and shared it and they were all hilarious. The photos taken will provide testimony to the fact that we all had a great night.
Oh and the other thing about Limoncello, it gets you drunk from the legs up. Didn’t feel it had any affect on me at all, until I tried to stand up…………
It was our last morning in Rome and we decided to take a quick tour of St Peters. We had walked through, around and near it right through our stay here but hadn’t yet visited it. We only had an hour and a half and I was even saying to Michelle that maybe we should give it a miss and do it next time we come back (and we will be back!).
In the end we decided to make the trip in and spend the last few hours of our stay there. But, not before I went to that local café and have that Sicilian Canolli……..I wasn’t disappointed.
Well, St Peters was incredible; I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. The sculptures and artwork are out of this world and the marble floor throughout is something to see. Started to feel a little disappointed that we didn’t dedicate the time to it that is deserves, but that just gives us another reason to return.
Before leaving, sent a postcard to my Mum, Kath, from the Vatican Post Office….should get some brownie points in the bank for that one!
After a quick bus trip back to our apartment to collect our bags, we caught a taxi back to Stazione Termini to connect with our train to Cinque Terre. Kept an eye out for that guy from the other night, nowhere to be seen, just as well.
More words of wisdom from Michelle, “when the trains are scheduled to run here, they don’t wait for anyone. Get ready to get on and off when our stop comes around otherwise you’ll be left behind.” This was no better demonstrated than when we watched from our seats a woman running towards the train door only for it to close when she was no more than two feet from it. I thought they might see her and open the doors for her…..nothing doing, this train was on its way.
What a fantastic train ride it was, with the snow-capped mountains on one side and the Mediterranean on the other it was hard to work out which way to look. We had a whole carriage to ourselves and were able to spread out in comfort for the four-hour trip. Michelle and I sat opposite each other giggling like little school kids; it was one of the best travelling experiences I’ve ever had.
Rome was great, but Cinque Terre may just be better. Got off the train and walked into the town of Manarola and….well…...I think I’ll let the photo’s tell the story.
Its about 9.00 pm and we are unable to stay awake long enough to meet with Mark and Dominique who are arriving in about and hour. Its Mark’s 50th birthday in a few days and we are pretty excited about sharing that occasion with him.
In the meantime, we have the comfort of our apartment, the gentle lapping of the ocean against the cliff face and the twinkling of the stars in the Mediterranean sky…..very much happy to be alive.
This morning, we decided that it would be good to spend some time apart. Michelle was looking to do some shopping and I wanted to see if I could find my way around on my own.
It was a bit of an experience being alone; I had a go at trying to converse with various shopkeepers in Italian (extremely limited vocab) and discovered pretty quickly that they all have a good command of English. They were only too willing to help me with directions and made genuine inquiries about where I was from and where I was going.
I was in no hurry and strolled along the river to Castel Sant’ Angelo and then on to Piazza Cavour. The weather was sensational and there were lots of people out strolling around just like me. Eventually wound my way back to the Trevi Fountain, which is where I met up with Michelle for the afternoon.
The afternoon was spent visiting the Colosseum, which is just an amazing place. I know you can’t really compare, but walking up the steps to enter the arena had a very familiar feel to it as you would when entering the MCG.
This is another place where you just have to stop talking and take in the atmosphere. Built in AD 72 and estimated to have held 50,000 people, they’ve done more than just kick a footy or bowl a cricket ball there in that time, this was a place of life or death for many, many people.
As I stood there taking one last glance around the arena before leaving, I couldn’t help but cup my hands to my mouth and yell out, “carn the Pies!!!!” Sounds just as good there as it does at the MCG.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking the streets and visiting the (huff) Spanish (puff) Steps (wheeze)….made a mental note to lose a few kilos and get some fitness back after that. The workout to get to the top was well worth the view, this is a must do for anyone new to the city.
Up early again this morning and down to our local café to have our usual café latte and pastry breakfast. Been eying those Sicilian cannoli's for a few days now and wondering if it’s appropriate to pig out on sweets first thing in the morning.
The first day I visited the café, I asked Michelle to order me 2 cups of café latte thinking (don’t ask me why) that they would be much smaller than the one’s we have in Melbourne and that two would be the equivalent. Seems that’s not the case and I have amused everyone in the café with my order. I’m a stubborn man, or so I’ve been told, and so I’m going to stand in this café and drink my mistake as if it was how I intended. Michelle and the coffee maker guy seem to be really amused….damn that language barrier thingy.
Anyway, back to the cannoli, didn’t have the courage to buy one after the two-café lattes the day before, but vow to do so before leaving Rome.
The public bus system is really good here and you can pretty much go anywhere in the city for 4 Euros per day, the equivalent of $6.00. What we didn’t realise was that today was the Rome Marathon and many of the inner streets had been blocked off for the event.
Our bus came to a cross road right near St Peters where Police were redirecting motorists away from the city as the roads had been closed off due to the race. I was amazed to see people drive their cars and scooters up to the middle of the intersection, thereby blocking all traffic, get out of their cars and have a debate with the Police about the inconvenience they were being caused by the redirection. What was more amazing is that the Police engaged them in the debate……..only in Rome!
The Marathon was a great opportunity to stroll the city without the traffic, we were able to amble along the roads and stop periodically to clap the runners. Made me want to get fit and come back and do it myself next year…. or perhaps just do as some people did today and reserve a table on one of the corner Restaurants and eat, drink and clap the participants from there. Either way, I think I might be back to see it again next year.
Michelle had the whip out and cracking in the afternoon and boy did we cover some territory, the girl likes to walk! In the afternoon, we visited some really wonderful buildings including the church, Saint Agnes at the Piazza Navona where we lit candles for my very good friend Andrew and for Gabriel. We also visited The Pantheon. which was the one that struck me the most. This is an amazing structure some 1,950 years old and perfectly built and preserved. Because it is clad in brick, it was completely protected and prevented various popes, emperors etc from robbing the temple of its most magnificent marble. The construction’s foundation is also made up of concrete..…yes, over 1,950 years ago the Romans were laying foundations of concrete for their buildings. We came, we saw, we concreted!
That’s all very interesting and I’m sure you’re impressed, but what followed at the Stazione Termini is far more interesting and entertaining. We had to go there in the late afternoon and purchase our tickets for the train trip to Cinque Terre in a few days time.
There are plenty of shady characters there and I can tell you, Michelle was not at all comfortable going there. She gave some pretty good advice about watching my bag (yep, have taken to carrying a man bag, but that’s another story) and really had my sense of awareness heightened.
We tried to purchase the tickets via the self serve machines that are positioned around the station and were immediately approached and watched by several guys only too willing to “help”. In the end, Michelle was operating the machine and I stood behind her watching the scammers. They were brazen and fearless in their approach and I witnessed 3 people being ripped off within the space of 5 minutes.
In the end, we felt so uncomfortable that we left the machines and queued to purchase the tickets from an operator. The line was long and the patience of some of our group of travellers (not me) was running very short. We were very close to the counter when I glanced over at Michelle and she was very much taking up the space around her and shooting sideway glances at me. Behind her was a rather agitated looking gentleman with two train tickets in his hand and he was leaning all over her trying to push past. I motioned to her to move over to where I was standing and she gave me a very resolute nod, no way.
As I moved closer to Michelle she said, “this guy is leaning all over me and is trying to push past, I’m not letting that happen…” A few more minutes passed and he continued to push up against her to the point where I turned to him and said, “hey, don’t push her, back off” He stepped back but still looked agitated.
After a few more minutes, this guy leans into me and starts waving his tickets in my face and speaking in Italian at me. Michelle had armed me with one phrase that she said would get me out of any trouble at any time so I decided this was that time, “Non parlo Italiano/I don’t speak Italian” This didn’t seem to help, he just kept on his barrage at me until I turned to a very silent Michelle and said, “can you help me out with this please…” She and the guy then had a very heated exchange of words, which seemed to be about his tickets. Michelle was shaking her head, pointing at her watch and standing her ground so that this guy couldn’t pass.
He was not a happy chap, he started to engage people around us and even I didn’t need to understand Italian to know that he was being very disrespectful. Finally, we reached the counter and he was called up to the one right beside us. We finished our transaction and it appeared that his endeavours to exchange his tickets had failed and he was looking for retribution. As we passed him to walk out the door he said something that I didn’t understand but completely got, it had only been 2 days and a few hours and one of the locals had told me to get f….d.
Still unsure of what had transpired, I stopped and turned to Michelle and said, “did he just swear at me?” “he sure did” came the reply but we were already on our way home.
Outside I said to Michelle, “what the hell was that all about? I trotted out that phrase you taught me, non parlo Italiano, and he just completely ignored me”. She had a bit of a giggle and said, “I know, when you said that I thought, gee that sounds like you really can speak Italian, your accent was perfect….” So my only defence is going to get me into more trouble…..its been abandoned.
It was a long day and a fairly quiet bus trip home, but every now and then we caught each others eye and had a giggle about my little friend at the Stazione Termini, he wont be forgotten.
It was a pretty restful night and neither of us has suffered too badly from jetlag. We were up and out of the apartment early and down to the local market (not more than 200 meters away) to buy some food for our dinner (well I am travelling with Michelle and the food is very important).
The local market is amazing and the produce first class. This is my first experience at observing Michelle weave her way amongst the people asking questions, negotiating price and participating in general chit chat in Italian with the local traders. It was first class entertainment observing the goings on and I must own up to a little bit of envy that I am ill prepared, language wise, to fully enjoy the banter. I reckon some of those traders were chatting her up too but I really wouldn’t know for sure.
Having secured our meal (which included unidentified, still living shell fish+ clams + organic salad + bread + fresh mozzarella etc etc etc) for the evening, it was off to the heart of Rome to explore. We decided upon a double decker, open air bus tour as our first soiree, we thought it would give us a good feel for the city and allow us to make decisions about what places we would like to have a closer look at.
The place is amazing (have I said that already?) and it’s hard not to fall in love with the sandy, pastel, ochre washed out buildings and apartments that line the cobble stoned inner city streets. I was completely absorbed in the place and said very little as we moved from one amazing site to another. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say, its just that this was one of those times when you just need to shut up and take in your surroundings.
The Fontana Trevi is one of those places that will take your breath away as soon as you see it. It may seem hard to believe to some, but I have never actually seen a picture of the fountain before seeing it in real life and I guess that just added to the splendour of it. Now officially one of my favourite places in the world, a must see again.
The tour then took us up and around the Colosseum pointing out historical buildings and monuments as we went. There was so much to see it was almost information overload and difficult to take everything in. We decided to leave the tour of the Colosseum until Tuesday, as the crowds were huge due to the fact that St Peter’s and several other places of interest were closed. Still, a stroll around the outer wall gave us a good idea of the majesty of the place.
We ended the day preparing our dinner from the produce purchased in the morning. I’m starting to get a real taste for Chianti, itsa beaut!
Its late afternoon and we make our way through Italy’s customs area, which is an event in itself. Having navigated the relatively strict processes of Melbourne, Singapore and London, Michelle and I are both prepared with passports in hand. As we approach the official at the border booth, the officer barely makes eye contact, doesn’t look at our passports and simply waves his hand at us to proceed through.
As I turn to make a comment to Michelle about how easy it was, she is smiling and laughing saying, “God I love Italy…”
This is my first experience and impression of Rome and the Roman way of life. As best I can translate (with the assistance of my travelling companion), regulazioni e non importante or in English, regulations are not important. It can be experienced as you walk the streets where traffic lights, red, green or yellow, mean its ok to cross – but you might just get run over. Taxi drivers zoom around streets ignoring the lane markings and the double lines in the middle of the road, motorcyclists climb the curbs as they round corners and pedestrians on pedestrian crossings are monstered by all forms of traffic.
This way of thinking is no more evident than when smoking in the bars and restaurants was banned in January 2005. To quote Frommer’s Rome Day by Day travel guide, “whether the legislation will stick remains to be seen, smokers remain ubiquitous, and are tolerated almost everywhere…” regulazioni e non important.
Despite the fact we have travelled for 30 plus hours and covered numerous time zones, we’re both up for a little bit of sight seeing. We walk the three kilometres from our apartment (which by the way was quite gorgeous, thankyou Michelle for sussing that out before we left) to the heart of Rome and happened across a lovely little restaurant called Mercato in the Piazza Farnese. A scrumptious plate of pasta and a nice bottle of Chianti was a wonderful way to complete our first day in Rome.
A perfect day if you ignore the argument that Michelle had with the Cab driver on the way home about the fact he didn't use his meter and asked for 18 Euros for a 6 Euro fare........he didn't get his 18 Euros, but he did get a fair sort of lecture and reduced fee.....he wont forget Michelle.
It’s finally arrived!!! We’re off to foreign lands to do exciting and exotic things.
The trip out to Tullamarine was your normal, uneventful cab ride but that’s where the boredom ended. “Your flight has been delayed I’m sorry to say” said the customer service woman at the Qantas desk. “It’s a two hour delay due to failed hydraulics on the left hand side of the aircraft” Hard to get angry about something like that, would much rather the delay than to discover that the rudder refuses to do as its told at 10,000 feet.
The seven-hour flight to Singapore was relatively uneventful and as it was early evening, we took the opportunity to catch up on some shuteye. High altitude training is something of a revolution amongst our sporting fraternity but I can tell you that it had no impact on Michelle, she still snores at 30,000 feet…but she does it with style.
Singapore to London was the big leg of the trip and we were excited about getting closer to our ultimate destination of Rome. When we got to our allocated seats on the plane, we discovered we were planted in the middle seats of a set of four with two women on either end accompanied by their seven month old baby girls. Rule a line through any thoughts of meaningful sleep on the fifteen-hour flight.
Surprisingly, the little girls were extremely well behaved and we touched down in London as well as one can expect having travelled that far. I have only ever been to Heathrow once before and that was in 1983, let me tell you, nothing much has changed. There’s a million things I could write about the English and their attitude, so I’m just going to be very polite and quote my travelling companion on this one, “every time I come here, I swear it will be the last….”
This photo shows us flying over the Swiss Alps.
Bella Rome! After 30 something travelling hours, here we are!!!!
