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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 33

    Home and hosed

    May 1, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Back in Australia, and time to reflect, we’ve been thoroughly fortunate to have the trip that we did.

    To see the cities, sites, people and cultures that we did and experience a little slice of life in those places is an invaluable experience for the boys and hopefully sews a seed in them that grows into a blossom of curiosity.

    The confidence to join in a game of soccer with kids at the park that don’t speak English, or order your third Currywurst but try to do it in German, or figure out what changes we need to make on the tube in order to get from West Kensington to Euston Station are all skills the boys have unknowingly picked up along the way. They also now have an unrealistic expectation of hotel breakfast buffets!

    We caught up with Richard, Elise, Charlie, Sam and Teddy, Provan and Erin, Lucy, Dickie, Fabs and Trix, Zoe, Ant, Chris and his family, Glenn and Merro.

    We saw so much, but know it’s barely scratched the surface. There’s so much more to see. Until next time……    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 32

    Last hurrah

    April 30, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Our final day abroad was bittersweet. Bitter because our journey was coming to an end, but sweet because we got to go nuts at the breakfast buffet one last time.

    Full of waffles, pancakes, omelettes and coco pops, we needed to check out one or two landmarks in Doha before leaving. We headed out into the mid-morning sun. By 10am it was 30 degrees, set to get close to 40 by the time we got back.

    We walked past the souk and down to the water’s edge. Near the old Harbour where traditional boats take tourists on trips around the bay, is a giant pearl in an oyster, a nod to the country’s pre-oil days when it was a small pearling and fishing outpost in the Persian Gulf. I don’t know if there’s a Big Pearl anywhere in Australia, but perhaps Broome can make an offer to the Qartaris.

    The temperature was rising, but there was one last thing we wanted to check out. A few hundred meters further along the Corniche (the kilometers long grass lawn along the waterfront of the Harbour), stands a flag monument, a piazza containing a flagpole for almost every flag in the world. The boys have taken a particular interest in countries and flags over the past few months. Jack in particular has a keen memory for such. In fact, one of the regular phrases we found ourselves calling out over the past month as we passed embassies, travel shops or restaurants, was “hey Jack, what flag is that?” Like we were asking Siri or Alexa.

    Jack and the boys enjoyed finding different countries and comparing the similarities and differences. Eventually though, the heat won out and we made our way back towards home, via a servo to top up on water and Powerade.

    Our last stop before we made it to the hotel was the Souk, for one last poke around. The boys must have scrounged a few final Qatar Riyals from their pockets and the three young ones managed to find a bargain on their favourite soccer kits - Campbell with a Barcelona kit, Jack with a Real Madrid and Fred with Paris st Germain. I think their birthday presents this year might be a little light on… I was also keen to see one more thing at the souk - the falcon hospital. We wound our way through the lanes and came across the Falcon Souk, where you can buy a falcon or accessories. We opened the door and saw half a dozen kites looking at us, tied to their perches. The gentleman acknowledged us and nodded his approval to enter and look further within the store. Around the corner we found 5 beautiful falcons, each sitting quietly on their perches, rope tied to their leg. They were amazing specimens, with razor sharp talons and beaks and eyes that really looked at you. They were pretty cool.

    Once home, Sarah snoozed while the boys took one last swim in the pool. It was good to again have not much to do for a few hours. We packed our bags and left them at reception while we ate lunch in the hotel restaurant. It was then time to update journals and reflect as we waited for our car to arrive.

    Our flight departed at 6pm. We had 13 hours ahead, and I think Fred had his head on my lap for 9 of those. Oh to be young, flexible and be able to sleep anywhere.

    We touched down at Sydney airport in good time, around 4:30pm on Sunday May 30. While we had planned to stay in Sydney that evening, thinking we were to land a few hours later, the lure of our own bed was too much and we decided to grab a quick bite and jump straight on the train.

    Outside, Sydney rushed by through the window of the train, and eventually the Central Coast. We neared Cardiff station after nightfall. Grandma Julie was there to greet us, a friendly face after a long trip.

    It wasn’t long after a cup of tea at the kitchen table before we were all pushing out zzzzz’s, not sure what timezone we were in, but sure that we had made it home after a mighty adventure.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 30

    Camels, sandboarding and the Inland Sea

    April 28, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We had only one full day in Doha and we were keen to spend some time poolside. Before that though, the boys have come to love breakfast buffets. They didn’t miss out!

    We then made our way to the rooftop pool overlooking the city. It was nice to just sit and relax, read a few pages of a book and let the boys just muck around.

    We had booked a half day tour in the afternoon/evening which included some pretty exciting sounding activities. We were all keen to get going. At 2pm we were collected from the hotel and began heading south from the city. Sarah asked a million questions of the driver, who patiently and competently answered each and every one. After an hour or so, we reached a compound where we were confronted with a mass of camels. Here we go…

    One of the most bizarre experiences we’ve ever had was mounting and riding a camel. We were all shepherded to our beast and asked to hop on. After my camel stood up, I was a little concerned about how well Fred would hold on, but he managed it easily and we were soon on our way. We were led up a nearby sand dune where we had a great view out to the Persian Gulf. Campbell’s camel seemingly had the biggest hump to contend with and Cam needed to stretch himself out fully on his front to be able to hold the reigns.

    With lots of laughter and a few shrieks, we made our way back down the hill. The camels slowly sat down, first leaning all the way forward and kneeling, holding that position for a seeming eternity before finally dropping their hind legs and allowing us to alight. We all need a cup of tea after that.

    Back in the 4WD, we continued south and into the dunes. Our driver had let the air out of the tyres to allow for some serious dune bashing. Our first hair raiser was as we were heading along the spine of a dune with a severe drop to our left. Sure enough our driver suddenly pulled the steering wheel and we were almost vertical, with sand blasting all over the vehicle. Our stomachs were all still at the top of the dune, and visions of Fred’s vomit in Crete popped into our collective minds.

    We continued to expertly navigate the dunes, picking a path, tearing down the side and then blasting up the next one. It was pretty cool.

    After a time, we arrived at a dune that was ripe for sand boarding. A group was already there and we watched as they careened down the hill.

    Campbell was keen to go, and he sat down on the board. He made it 3/4 of the way down before crashing to one side, getting a mouthful and eyeful of sand. He also tangled himself up with the board and grazed the back of his leg.

    To his credit it wasn’t long before he had another go, this time with Tom, and again with Rowan. Fred and Tom paired up as well and Jack went again. Rowan needed to test himself standing up, calling on all his snowboarding experience of 25 years ago. It was a moderate success, however after the fifth time having to trudge back up the dune, his legs were absolutely spent. The boys had one more go each before we jumped back in the car.

    It was nearly sunset as we arrived at the inland sea. It’s an impressive body of water that marks the border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and empties into the Persian Gulf. The foot of the dunes meet the water and we happily cooled off in the crystal clear water. Jack felt a nip at his toes and we quickly discovered a host of crabs walking around us!

    Sarah enjoyed the sunset over the dunes. It was our last evening overseas (apart from tomorrow evening when we depart for home) and we quietly reflected on our trip. Before the light completely disappeared, we hopped back into the car and made our way back through the desert towards the bright lights of Doha.

    After returning home we showered and made our way back to the Souk for dinner. We found a table at Damasca, a Syrian inspired restaurant and ordered just about everything on the menu. The TV on the wall was showing the local football final and we were engrossed as it went to 13-12 penalty shootout.

    We got a dinner and show as well, as the restaurant puts on a music and dance display. This progressed to two men having a sword fight right in front of us and one of the men making his way around the tables interacting with guests. The boys all had swords held to their throats… that’s one way to get them to eat their greens!

    After a huge day, we all hit the pillow for our final time.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 29

    Doha Heat

    April 27, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    With a hint of sadness, we packed our bags and shut the door one last time on our Athens apartment. We made our way down the tiny elevator and got yelled at one last time by the angry Greek resident for being too loud (we were nearly silent).

    On the walk home the previous evening we’d stopped for ice creams at a patisserie/cafe and the woman had advised us that they do wonderful breakfasts, so we made our way there before we headed for the train station. The boys loaded up on waffles and pancakes while the grown ups had eggs. The food throughout Europe has been outstanding, one of the real highlights, particularly for the gastro-focused Jack, so this was a fitting last meal.

    We made our way onto the train and through the outer suburbs of Athens to the airport. Our flight left at around 2pm, so we grabbed a bite before boarding. A relatively short flight, but a spectacular view throughout. We headed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and crossed land over Egypt and the Sinai Peninsular. The landscape showed ancient river beds, dried inland seas and rolling sand dunes. We crossed Saudi Arabia before landing in Doha.

    Our driver from the airport was happy to tell us about the recent World Cup, pointing out a range of landmarks on route to our hotel. Doha was the only leg that we stayed in a hotel, and boy did we pick a good one. We stayed at the Al Najada, a 4-5 star establishment perfectly located across the road from the Souk Waqif, the main bustling market place.

    By the time we checked in and decided who was getting which gigantic bed, it was dinner time. We walked out into the evening heat and over to the market, which was full of energy. Fred found a giant golden thumb, and needed to compare his thumb size. We found a table up a laneway and sat down. Soon enough the boys were up again, joining in a game of soccer with some other young lads. Tick. With bellies full of lamb, hummus and pita, we headed home and crashed into bed.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 28

    Last day in Europe!

    April 26, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Our final day in Europe, and again, we decided on a fairly quiet one. We had not yet checked out the Ancient Agora of Athens, a site that, back in the day contained a host of temples, stoas, village houses and even a jail.

    It’s housed in a park at the foot of the Acropolis and it’s main thoroughfare the Panathenaic Way, was once the main road leading to the Acropolis.
    The Temple of Hephaestus is the best preserved temple in the whole Acropolis area and gives an excellent understanding of how these buildings were used. It’s namesake, Hephaestus was the patron god of metal working and pottery, and a number of blacksmiths workshops and potters shops in the same area, hence his temple being nearby.

    The other major landmark is the reconstructed stoa. A stoa is a large, long building, two storey in this instance, built for the people to have an open space to come and congregate out of the heat of the sun, or from the rain. It’s a communal space for catching up with friends. It also contained a number of shops and stores, so it’s effectively a precursor to Westfields, just without a movie theatre. It was fully reconstructed in the 1950’s and now houses the museum for the Agora site.

    Our last walk through Plaka allowed the boys to have one more quick game of hopscotch, before we went home to face the task of packing suitcases… we were on the move again in the morning…    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 27

    Anzac Day in Athens

    April 25, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    In previous years, the Australian Embassy in Greece had acknowledged Anzac Day and the connection between Greece and the Anzacs in previous wars with a memorial service in Athens. We had hoped they would do similar this year, however my enquiries with the embassy were unsuccessful. Eventually they announced they would hold a ceremony on May 2 on the island on Lemnos, a key site from WWI near the entrance to the Dardanelles of Turkey.

    No matter, we decided it would be an appropriate day to get to the tomb of the unknown soldier, which sits outside the Greek Parliament. Two Greek soldiers guard the space. My understanding is that they are graduates of John Cleese’s Academy of Silly Walks. The boys were really excited to see it. (Refer photo of excited looking boys).

    We all know Sarah loves to chat to strangers, and she found one in the young soldier who was walking around in regular military uniform not the ‘original’ uniform. She quizzed him on what era the unknown soldier was from and also chatted to him about Australia ‘the other Greek country’. This connection than allowed her to get a photo of him next to Tom.

    We had previously missed our stop on the bus and overshot the parliament building. It was a fortunate misadventure as we ended up exiting the bus right in front of the Athens Academy. A beautiful neoclassical building with two large columns topped with Athena and Apollo.

    Guarding the entrance staircase is none other than Socrates and Plato. In fact, while the current building dates to the 1800’s, it is often referred to as Plato’s Academy and believed to be the oldest educational facility in the world, dating back to around 400BC. The text books need a bit of updating since then though…

    It was a small day in sightseeing compared to others. We were all getting a little tourist weary, and could see the end of our journey getting closer. However, Rowan had wanted to enter a small church whilst in Greece to compare it to the large one we had visited in Crete, we found one as we slowly made our way back to our apartment - it was beautiful inside and whilst it was a Greek Orthodox Church now, it had been an Islamic place of worship during the Ottoman period.

    After ‘dragging the kids into a church’ we promised them a drink and chips to give them energy to make it home. It must be pointed out that Jack has turned into a major ‘tea drinker’, he drank it before we left Australia but really fell in love with it whilst travelling, to the point that he would order that over anything else. Sarah liked to call him ‘the 80 year old in an 8 year old's body.

    Tomorrow would be our last day in Europe. Tom’s efforts at having pizza in every location continued at dinner, at a restaurant called Grandpas. I’m sure they were all cooked in a Thermomix with the recipes followed to the letter.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 26

    Up the hill to the Acropolis

    April 24, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    When in Athens, you must head up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. Or is it the Pantheon? We continuously got ourselves in knots over which one was the Greek temple and which the Roman. At least, I got myself in knots....

    Whichever one it was, we were checking it out today. We had our tickets booked online, however families of six don't always fit the standard definition of family in ticketing websites, so we arrived and explained we couldn't "buy" the two free under ten tickets online. The lady at the turnstile said "No problem. Go to the front of that line and she will give you two tickets for the young ones."

    "That line" was a 50m queue of impatient tourists waiting to buy tickets. I sheepishly went to the front and, apologising to the gentleman that was next, asked if I could get two free tickets for our youngest. The process took longer than it should have, and I felt more and more eyes on me as we waited. Eventually however, we got ourselves inside.

    We made our way up the southern slope, stopping occasionally to read about the various buildings and ruins on the slopes of the rock. The Theatre of Dionysus, the world's first temple, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a theatre that still hosts performances today, 2000 years after it's first showing

    By the time we reached the main platform of the Acropolis, we felt a little like sheep being herded through a stockyard. We reached the small Temple of Athena Nike and made our way through the imposing Propylaea, the entrance to the main platform of the rock. It was a little difficult to stop and admire the structure, but we did our best. The Parthenon appeared in front of us and we took it in as we walked past. While restoration and reconstruction works continue and have done for the past 40 years, it's not hard to imagine the building in its glory, a huge imposing structure casting its great shadow over the city.

    We continued to check out the various temples, statues and sculptures. eventually, we had made our way around the space and started to head for the stairs. On our way down we encountered a Spartan. Fortunately Fred and Cam were on hand with their swords ready to defend us. At a cost of 5 euros....

    After seeing the Acropolis in the flesh, we made our way to the Acropolis Museum, located just south of the hill. It's an extremely well presented museum with the majority of artefacts, recovered sculptures and frescos from the acropolis now housed there. Perhaps most impressive was the full reconstruction of the two pediments from the Parthenon. The pediments are the triangular groups of sculptures that sit over the eastern and western entrances to the temple. One depicts the birth of Athena who emerged fully grown from the mouth of her father, Zeus. The other depicts the battle between Athena and Poseidon for the affection of the people of Greece. Legend has it that Poseidon struck the ground on top of the Acropolis with his Trident and formed a spring for the people, however it produced salty sea water, which the people were none too pleased about. Athena's gift to the people was the first olive tree, from which all olive trees in Greece descend (and there's a lot). The people approved. They appointed Athena as their patron and named the city in her honour.

    Culturally satisfied, we left the museum and walked home. The boys had a play and a kick at the park before we made our way to Geor. Olimidou, a tree-lined pedestrian strip near our apartment with a bustling cafe and restaurant scene. Dinner was again fantastic and nicely finished off with a few shots of raki to help the digestion as the locals will readily tell you.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 25

    Panathenaic Stadium

    April 23, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    We decided to brave the Athens bus network, and jumped on the 15 northbound on Siggrou Ave, heading towards the Panathenaic Stadium. This was a site that we were very keen to see, and I must say, was a bit of a hidden gem.

    The stadium was originally built some 2300 years ago, but went through various periods of disrepair and rebuilt. It is the world's only stadium built of marble which makes for a stunning contrast to the black running track in the centre. We followed the audio guide supplied to us and sat on the thrones where kings and dignitaries sat at various events over the years, including in 1896, where the site held the first Modern Olympic Games.

    Making our way into a cave-like tunnel, we heard about the ancient women that would dance naked around flames in the hopes of being blessed with fertility by the Goddess Demeter. No naked women appeared during our tour.

    After viewing the posters and olympic torches for each of the Games over the past 130 years, we walked back down the tunnel and back onto the arena. It was fun to imagine the roar of the crowd as you emerge onto the track, ready to compete. The boys did exactly that, having a series of 100m handicap races, although someone always complained that I didn't get the handicaps right.

    Inspired by the Olympic spirit, we left the stadium and headed over the road to the National Botanic Gardens. We found a huge playground and the boys enjoyed an hour or more running around, meeting other kids and spending their energy.

    It was close to dinner time by the time we left, and we made our way back over to Plaka to find a suitable establishment. Walking up alleyways, we came across a restaurant in the shadow of the Parthenon and settled in. The food and and wine were terrific, the view was outstanding. We were living the life.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 24

    Welcome to Athens!

    April 22, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Our ship docked in Pireas Harbour at approximately 6am. We all slept well and were ready to check out the Cradle of Democracy.

    We couldn't check in straight away, so we left our bags at the reception of the apartment and headed out to stretch our legs. We hadn't walked far before coming across the Temple of Zeus, and Hadrian's Archway. Some pretty amazing monuments dating back nearly 3000 years. We continued up into the Plaka district and got ourselves lost in the winding, narrow, enchanting laneways. Fred needed to make a phone call, and we eventually found somewhere for breakfast.

    We continued wandering without a fixed destination before we got to an area for the kids to have a play. Tom thought it would be a good idea to spin Fred on the play equipment until he had whiplash... It was getting closer to check in time, so we started to head back to the apartment to get our bags and settle in. Our apartment was in the Koukaki district, just south of the main attractions. It's not the most glamourous suburb, but it had a cool vibe of an area that's being gentrified, with nice cafes, shops, old men spending hours solving the world's problems over thick coffee and thicker cigars. Our apartment was a spacious three-bedder across the road from a playground and basketball court. The afternoon and evening were spent relaxing and a home cooked pasta meal and a movie finished our day off nicely.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 23

    Final Day in Chania

    April 21, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Our final day in Chania was a Friday. We had a boat to catch in the evening from the nearby port of Souda which would take us overnight to Athens. Crete had been a highlight of the trip, and we spent our last day wandering the streets of the old town one more time.

    After we checked out of the apartment, the boys wanted to head back to the Athletic track to run around, so while Row took them there, I was craving a fresh juice so headed towards a small group of shops in the hopes of finding one - I was in luck and came back to the track with three different concoctions and 6 straws. After we slowly made our way down to the harbour again and had some lunch. We ordered way too much food (if that's even a thing) and enjoyed the view across the water. The Chania Maritime Museum was just next door, so we checked it out. It was an amazing account of Chania's history, from Alexander the Great, the Battle of Crete during WWII, right through to the 2004 Athens Olympics.

    We had a few hours to kill before we needed to catch our ferry, so naturally the boys wanted to find somewhere to kick a ball. We headed to the main stadium again and gatecrashed a few more local kids' game of football.

    Finally, we made our way to the port. We weren't quite sure what to expect from this ferry but it was far more impressive than we allowed ourselves to think. Fred's comment summed it up. "Why don't we just have our whole holiday on this boat?"

    After checking into our cabins, we went to the dining room and had dinner. The boat pulled out of Souda port at 10pm, and we enjoyed the cool air as we made our way out of the harbour and north towards Athens. The ride was smooth sailing, and we were all rocked gently to sleep, dreaming about Athens to come.    Read more

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