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Big Retirement OE
  • Trish Bulling
  • Neil Bulling

Big Retirement OE

Exploring Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece & Cyprus Read more
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  • Big Retirement OE
    1A for effort, E for execution
    Our first glimpse of the Tower, that was definitely leaningSan Pietro Chuch, booked two years ahead for weddings. Colours match the rocks belowPort Venere, not a Cinque Terre village but very prettySnacks on board our boatRiomaggioreRiomaggioreWalking track leading to next village from RiomaggioreNeil having in depth discussion about boats with our guideWe had a magic day1Corniglia - 400 steps to this villageTunnel from one side of Monterosso to the otherThe other side, a few people thereOur boatWe jumped off the side of the boat into the warm ocean.Our young American friends from the Naval base in NaplesMountain where they quarry marble on the way home to La SpeziaLeaning Tower of PisaTravelling to Cinque TerreMonterosso

    Leaning Tower of Pisa - Cinque Terre

    Sep 4–8 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Our last day in Cortona was spent relaxing, packing and we walked into Carmucia where the Market was in full swing.
    On the 5th September we drove from Cortona to Lucca which took about 2.5 hours. On the way we stopped in Pisa where we visited the Leaning Tower. I think we would get the prize for worst photos ever taken of holding the tower up but, hey, we tried 😂 It was a lot of fun with a great atmosphere. After a short visit we headed to Lucca.

    A couple of thoughts about travelling on the Autostrade/Motorway: Road cones are non existent, they appear to do most of the roadworks at night, if they do have to do any work during the day a man stands there holding a red flag waving it. I wouldn’t want his job when the speed limit on the Autostrade is 130km and they don’t slow down for anything even though the speed limit might be 40km around the roadworks.
    Speed cameras are advertised on google maps and on signs on the motorway. I think this is a good idea as this is the only thing that makes the traffic slow down.

    On the 6 September we purchased a trip off Get Your Guide. A 6.5 hour boat ride from La Spezia around Cinque Terre. What a fantastic day. There were only 9 people on our small boat, our guide was fun, he told us the information we needed to know about the villages but otherwise just fed us and offered refreshments. We had an hours drive back to Lucca from La Spezia so refreshments were kept to a minimum for us. He took us close into each village, we had two stops for swimming in the warm seas then we stopped for lunch in Monterosso before travelling back down the coast at a leisurely pace. We could see the train operating which mostly goes through the mountains to appear in each village. We could see the 12km walkway that connects each village. My only regret was not being able to walk this track but our day was so magical that I quickly forgot about that.

    We had 3 young Americans on our boat who were stationed in Naples at the Navy base. They were a lot of fun, I have included a photo of them.
    There were vineyards all along the mountains above the villages mostly growing white wine. They were obviously terraced but they must be incredibly difficult to work in and get the produce out. Our guide, Simone informed us that it was among the best white wine in Tuscany. They also grow lemons.

    On the way home I saw a mountain that was mostly white and looked as though it was being quarried. Out came Mr Google and he told me that is where they quarry marble from. Then we noticed all the businesses lining the motorway that had the marble in big blocks and in sheets. You can visit the Carrara marble quarry area, from guided tours in jeeps to creative sculpture courses. Maybe next time 😉    Read more

  • Big Retirement OE
    A marble sculpture outside the walls of the old town in Lucca
    There is parkland right around the tall walls of the town.The top of the wall is wide, full of trees, walkways and gardensThe walls are amongst the best preserved in EuropePretty sights inside the walls as wellThis looks pretty deserted but there were many locals running & cycling, walking their dogsRotary stallPart of the garden marketThe stalls went on for at least 1kmMakes it kind of difficult for the pedestrian to crossPiazza in Lucca where we had coffee1Neil thought this would look good at home - I said maybe the Duck HutAnother market 😆Another cafe

    Lucca

    September 7 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we visited the old town of Lucca, it is known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city centre. Broad, tree-lined pathways along the tops of these massive 16th - 17th century ramparts are popular for strolling and cycling. Neil and I walked the 4.2km circular walls. Outside the walls there were green parklands, and inside there is a labyrinth of streets and shops with many piazza’s.
    We will miss the atmosphere of these towns, the buzz of Italian conversation, the quiet alleyways away from the main streets, the church bells, the tiny coffee’s, the old gentlemen & ladies riding their bicycles everywhere, even down the alleyways where all the tourists are. We are amazed at the people who ride their bikes on the busy roads and streets, we think they are taking their lives in their hands, but the ladies quite often have long skirts on, no helmets, shopping baskets out in front, they do it so often it is second nature.

    Along the top of the wall today there was a market called Murabilia Mura in fiore, a gardening exhibition market. There were craftsmen, nurserymen, architects of the floral sector. Just as well I live on the other side of the world or I could have done some damage in that market. There was a Rotary stall, great to see how Rotary is spread across the world.

    Tomorrow we head to Meina on the edge of Lake Maggiore for two nights.. Meina is only 30mins from Milan Malpensa airport where we drop off our lease car. Our day there will be spent cleaning the car out, and repacking as we have acquired quite a few more items we will have to transport home.    Read more

  • Big Retirement OE
    Lake Maggiore
    Beautiful view for our morning coffeeSparrows are just as cheeky all around the worldTypical Italian couple, him with a cigar, her stylishly dressed but vaping, & tiny espressosAshtrays and dog bowls, common sight at cafe'sAll along the lakefront was private beaches, no entry for us. How rudeThe stream below our apartment in Meina1Gorgeous bushland with no birds1Made it!! What a fantastic trip around Italy that car gave us2Typical 3 wheeler2Neil ordered chicken & chips - not quite what he thought it would be 😂1Another amazing doorDuomo di MilanoAmazing intricate workThe terraced rooftop of the DuomoDowntown Milan2The floor in the Duomo was beautifulThere were about 10 confessionals 😲The footpath was hard to access21Last minute washing to get me home 😂

    Meina - Lake Maggiore - Milan

    Sep 8–11 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The drive from Lucca to Meina, on the shore of Lake Maggiore was, in Neil’s words, the hardest he has done on tour. Mainly because the first 200km was mostly in tunnels and over viaducts with 2-3 lanes of traffic.
    We had a further stressful event when I had a call from Golden View Care, when we had stopped at a service area for a break. We were told that Mum was in liver failure and was critical. As you can imagine this was very upsetting but after we rang our family they certainly rallied around and we got regular reports of how she was and had a video call with her. The antibiotics and drip with fluids had perked her up and she was talking to us. So, a bit of relief but we will be very pleased to be home in 6 days so we can be with her in person.

    We are definitely in wind down mode, we didn’t feel like driving again today so went for walk in Meina. They didn’t have a lakefront walk as it is all private land (selfish) so we settled for a coffee in a lovely area beside the lake. I did some planning for the trip home and we just vegged on the couch for the afternoon. We have a gorgeous stream running down below our apartment so we sat out on the deck and had coffee. There are big trees and a bush area beside the stream, it was notable that there were no birds! Lots of butterflies and bees but no birds. Finally their version of a magpie came and sat on a branch, but I found it surreal. Can’t wait to get home to see the wax eyes eating my crab apples in the garden. Will need to put a sugar feeder out for the Tuis. They might have already moved on since it is Spring.

    The thunderstorms overnight were impressive, thunder rumbled for a few hours and our stream beside the apartment block had risen quite a lot this morning. The rain had gone off by the time we took our luggage to the car, half an hour later we were dropping the car off at Milan Malpensa. 3,200km in Italy and we returned the car in perfect condition, well done Bully on excellent driving, sometimes (often) under trying conditions. Caught a taxi into Milan, 45 mins and 114 Euro later 😬 we were at our apartment for the next two nights. Not going to lie we are tired.
    NEIL here I have a very modest navigator, Trish done a brilliant job and had to as DOLLY (Google Maps) had many coffee breaks just when she was needed most. Many times my polite navigator said where the F——- has DOLLY gone grabbed the second phone and by time I had done 3 circuit’s of the roundabout had it sorted. We made a great team and I have decided to bring her home with me.

    11 September - I bought tickets online to visit the Duomo in Milan and walk to the terraces on the rooftop. Our accommodation is close to the centre of Milan so we walked the 1.2km there and back. It is a magnificent building. It was spoilt a little by scaffolding on the outside and inside of the building but we enjoyed the experience. There were many designer shops in this area of Milan which I only admired from the outside.

    Mum has improved so that has eased our minds for the trip home. Had to do some final washing to get me home, hope the neighbours don’t mind 😆 (See photo)    Read more

  • Big Retirement OE
    Luggage all set plus one extra case for presents
    Neil found the rugbyParty central at Clarke Quay in SingaporeClarke QuayLast night on our trip - Singapore Sling for me, beer tasting for NeilClarke QuayA temple near our hotelChangi Airport - The waterfall at The JewelWe had comfy seats to fill in our timeBaachus Coffee HouseMum looking much better with ArchieThis immigration lady tried to photobomb me1New Zealand - how I love you2

    Milan to Singapore and Home

    Sep 11–15 in Singapore ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    We left Milan on 12 September in a hurry. As in the taxi driver was going 150km on the motorway to Milan Malpensa Airport 😬 I should have said we weren’t in hurry, we had plenty of time, but I didn’t want to break his concentration. It cost us 114 Euro when we travelled from the airport into Milan and it is clearly advertised in the car that was what it was going to cost. I confirmed that figure with him before getting out of the car leaving Neil to pay. Neil couldn’t see the amount because he held the machine up so Neil could tap the end of it. 140 Euro the little toad charged us 🤬
    Flight went well, on time, managed to get a bit of rest on the plane but still a 12 1/2 hour flight does take it out of you. Got to our hotel in Singapore at 7am, they very kindly let us into our room even though check-in wasn’t until 2pm. Had a quick bit of breakfast and straight to bed, slept for 5 hours. Woke up feeling refreshed, Neil was desperate to see the All Blacks/Springboks game so found the an Irish Bar really close at Clarke Quay and off we went. They didn’t have it on but the barman kindly went next door to the Wings Bar and asked if they could put it on for us and they did. Neil was a very happy chappy, that is, until the whistle blew at the end of the game. Oh dear 😢
    Singapore has definitely cooled down since we were here in May, only 28 today, positively balmy! We did get a torrential downpour though.
    We were in bed at 10pm, Neil woke me at 10am the next morning to say we had better hurry or we will miss breakfast that finishes at 10:30. I don’t think I have ever slept 12 hours straight for a long long time. Thank goodness check out was 12pm, we got a taxi and went to Changi airport. We visited The Jewel for a coffee and bite to eat. I was going to have a shop in the 700 shops that they have there but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered, I have hardly shopped on this adventure so saw no need to start now.
    We were happy to wander the airport, I read a book and soon our 7:50pm flight was off. This time a 9 hour flight and we both managed to get some sleep so felt pretty good when we hit Christchurch at 9am. Beautiful day there and also in Queenstown when we landed at 11am.
    We made it, 1 week short of 4 months travelling. I cannot put into words what our adventure has been like just yet except that it was fantastic. Once I am over the jet lag I might come up with some better words but for now we are thrilled to be home. My bulbs are up in my garden, the sun was out, Mum was happy and well when we called in, Queenie our cat is very pleased to be home and so are we ❤️    Read more

    Trip end
    September 15, 2025
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